1

classical exclamation of the the difficulty remains; who is to Evangelical Editor was occasion- determine what books are improed by an article in the Monthly per? and how are improper books Repository, (vol. ii. p. 248) in to be known to be such till they which a respectable correspondent are read? This is not a question, of our's favoured us with an ac- it is to be remembered, concerning count, from the Marseilles Ga- the books fit to be put into the zette, of a supposed discovery of hands of children, but concerning the original copy of the apocalypse, those that are fit for the general in the hand-writing of Cerinthus. perusal of Christians. Now with In this discovery we placed no regard to these, either faith, and our correspondent only must determine for himself, or every man requested the opinions of our some one must determine for him. learned readers on the subject. If he is to determine for himself, Mr. John Clayton jun.'s late his determination ought not to be sermon "On the danger of read. attempted to be over-ruled: it ing improper books, naturally some one is to determine for him, falls under the lash of our critic, it must be either his religious who reviews it with as much teacher or the magistrate; but if petulance, at least, as justice. the magistrate, what becomes of The sermon contains some senti- dissenting principles? and if the ments which must grieve every teacher, what becomes of Protesliberal mind and had Mr. Clay. tant principles: in such a case ton quoted one word further from the magistrate would become a Martial, in his first motto, he tyrant, with no law but his will would have justly characterized the teacher a pope, arrogating to his own discourse, and superseded himself infallibility. all criticism upon it; the words of the poet would then have denoted, instead of works in common, that only of the preacher. Sunt bona, sunt quædam mediocria, sunt mala plura quæ legis

-HIC.

;

But we feel almost ashamed to have to discuss the right of private judgment, (and evidence must precede judgment, and in literary and theological matters books are evidence,) at this time of day, and with a Dissenting minister. Mr. C. will find a complete answer to his sermon in the works of Chil. lingworth; or if the Arminian churchman will not satisfy him, he may see himself refuted in the "Nullity of the Romish Faith," particularly the Dedication, by the Calvinistic Nonconformist, Matthew Poole. In short, we think that by abridging the title, as well as by lengthening the motto, The title of Mr. C.'s sermon the preacher would have fairly contains a self-evident truth: no- and fully advertised his Sermon body can deny the danger of to the world; for the burden of reading IMPROPER books: but it unquestionably is " THE DAN

The manner in which Mr. C. speaks of Socinian preachers, in p. 18 of his Discourse is coarse and ungentlemanly: this is not the style in which well-educated men now refer to each other. And the description of a wife, corrupted by novel-reading, p. 14, is like many of Mr. Collyer's pictures in his Lectures, minute almost to indecency.

GER OF READING."

66

The Barrister (of whom we had mind, or the spirit of Christianity. nearly lost sight,) notices Mr. Clay- Does he forget, that the party ton's recommendation, in a note whom he so much dreads, have attached to the discourse, of the just as much right to proscribe his Eclectic Review, (a monthly publi- publications, as he has to supcation set on foot for the mainte- press their preaching? The right nance of evangelical principles,) and on either side is falsely assumed, terms it a pompous eulogium." and will never, we trust, find In reading it, we remembered power to enforce itself. But we having heard that the work whose have to complain, that the Barmerits it so loftily sounded, was the rister does not use constitutional property and the "produce of the language as to the law which pro pen," (Mr. C.'s sermon, p. 18). of tects, and in one sense, makes a company of Evangelical mini- dissentiug ministers: they do not sters, and the exclamation in- licence but register themselves. voluntarily escaped us, What if A licence, in its common accepta Mr. Clayton should be one of the tion, implies a power of refusal; authors and proprietors! but in the present case there is no The Hints" under review such power. Clerks of the peace being addressed to the "Legisla- are required to register every perture," we feared on opening them, son presenting himself, and dethat they were intended to recom- manding to take the oaths as a mend parliamentary coercion and dissenting teacher; and if they persecution, with regard to the refuse, a mandamus may be ob Evangelical dissenters. This de- tained to compel their compli sign is not openly avowed, but it ance*. is insinuated. The author com- In the second part of his work plains, that "the members of this which is said to be forthcoming, new spiritual body, should be we hope the Barrister will not favoured with special immunities refuse to correct this and other and exclusive privileges," by which errors; and he will consult his he acknowledges he means a li- reputation if he superintends the cence to preach, and the exemp- press a little more narrowly, for tions consequent upon it. He there are so many blunders in would, then, confute erroneous this first part, that we are someteachers by silencing them with times at a loss, whether to charge the strong arm of law; he has them to the carelessness of the surely studied with little attention, printer, or to the illiteracy of the either the nature of the human author.

ART. III.-Considerations on the Causes, Objects, and Conse quences of the Present War, and on the Expediency or the Danger of Peace with France. By William Roscoe, Esq. 8vo. pp. 135. Cadell and Davis, 1808.

This Pamphlet is a valuable litical subject morally, and there. offering to the shrine of PEACE fore deserves notice in a theolo and of JUSTICE. It treats a po- gical and moral review.

• See Dr. Furneaux's Letters to Blackstone p. 6.

Mr. Roscoc is an eminent example of liberal studies inspiring the love of freedom, of the union in the same person of refined taste and enlightened philanthropy. Elegant writing possesses tenfold estate -(p. 10.) charms, when employed in illustrating and recommending just principles and benevolent senti

midst of tumult; to whom the disasters of the country are as valuable as her triumphs, a destructive battle as a rich harvest, and a new war as a freehold

ments.

On the subject of the late attack upon DENMARK, Mr. Roscoe holds determined and manly language; and the Editor of this

The pamphlet before us, though work, (who alone is responsible published not many days, has for the sentiments contained in this already passed through several editions; and we heartily wish it may circulate into every corner of the kingdom, as an antidote to the poison daily emitted from the public press.

article), frankly owns that he has selected the "Considerations" for review, with the design chiefly to create an opportunity of declar ing his indignation and horror at a measure, which, in point of Mr. R. shews, that the present baseness, treachery, and cruelty, war sprung up out of the passions can find no parallel, except in of the court and the populace; that the history of the "uncivilized it has been conducted unwisely; hordes of Africa." It cannot, it is and that it will in all probabili- not attempted to be defended but on ty, end disastrously. He proves the principle, brutal, detestable, by a perspicuous statement of facts, and impious, that might constitutes that the guilt of violating the treaty right. With its advocates, the of Amiens lies at our own door; majority it is to be feared of our and that peace might have been countrymen, public morality is no obtained in any stage of the war, more; national justice is ridiculed as even in the present crisis it is as a puerile fancy; and the moral not beyond our reach. The war, he obligations of civil communities says, is without an object on our are accounted to be as much ideal part; we broke off the late nego- as the responsibility of kings and tiations, as his Majesty's Decla- prime ministers. The same step ration asserts, solely for Russian might have been taken with regard interests; and Russia is at this to Russia, and may now with regard moment leagued with France to America, on equal grounds; against us. The utmost we can but this worse than Algerine po now hope from war is, THE BARE licy, is as atrocious in one case as HONOUR OF DEFENDING OUR- in twenty; and it is not necessary SELVES WITH SUCCESS. The to repeat it to constitute us a nafears of the evil consequences of tion of pirates and ruffians. It peace are groundless, and are only requires that we adopt in raised and professed chiefly by "the civil, the maxim we have avowinnumerable bands of journa- ed in political life, to reduce lists and hireling writers, who feed us completely to the savage state, upon the credulity, and fatten and to make us ferocious barbanpon the calamities of the nation; rians, "hateful, and hating one men who flourish most in the another."

Our national guilt in the sad then abrogate divine as well as affair of Copenhagen is already human laws? And shall we be working out its own punishment. allowed to mock with impunity Europe, familiarized as she has the justice of Providence? Here, Leen for years, to scenes of in- we confess, as Christians we tremjustice and cruelty, is struck with ble; but again, as Christians, we horror at our crime. The great confidently resign ourselves to the neutral powers, aroused from their JUDGE OF ALL THE EARTH, indifference, flee instinctively in- who will DO RIGHT*. to the arms of our enemy: and A sense of duty has extorted every man in the Danish domi- these observations from us. We nions holds it to be a duty to consider this as a case of great abhor the British name, and to national iniquity; and we conmake it the first wish of his heart, ceive it to be the duty of every the first object of his life to revenge man in the nation that thinks his country's wrongs. We have justly and feels properly, to disconverted neutrals into bellige- avow it, and to protest against it rents, allies into implacable foes, as publicly as he cant. Our end and have armed our enemy, al- will be answered if we awaken" ready too powerful, with the mighty our readers" to a just sense of the force of public opinion. importance of the great cause of political morality," if we shew them "that the faults of the government are the faults of the people, the honour of the na. tion their honour, and the disgrace of the nation their disgrace;" and if we "induce them to feel that the conscience of a nation is in the bosom of every honest man." Advertisement.

But we are a religious nation; we exclaim against French im piety; we fast and we pray and with the spoils of robbery in our hands, stained with the blood of the unoffending people whom we have at once pillaged and mas sacred, we dare to present ourselves before the Almighty and supplicate his blessing! Can we

We refer the reader with pleasure to Mr. Roscoe's reflections on the accountableness of nations to the Supreme Ruler, (p. 65-67) which are as creditable to his piety, as the rest of the pamphlet is to his patriotism. The arguments of a layman may perhaps weigh more on this subject than those of a divine.

On this occasion we cannot refrain from expressing our thanks to Mr. Benjamin Flower for his early and reiterated condemnation of the Danish expedition. We mean not to derogate from the merit of Mr. Roscoe's pamphlet when we say that all his arguments on the subject of the war, and of the attack upon Copenhagen have been again and again urged by Mr. Flower, in his strong manner, in the Monthly Political Review. It is to be lamented that this work meets with so little encouragement; but it may be accounted for the author belongs to no party but that of his country, and prizes independence infinitely above popularity.

ART. IV.-The Origin of Naval Architecture: a Discourse, accom‐ modated to the General Fast. By Philopharos. 8vo. pp. 52. Matthews and Leigh. 1808.

This Discourse treats not, as much wanted, in the present the title might lead the reader to suspect, of the mechanical construction of a ship, but of the causes and consequences of the erection of Noah's ark, the first vessel that ever floated on the waves. It contains a string of excellent moral and religious most corrupt. "lessons," which are, alas! too

MONTHLY RETROSPECT OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS;

OR,

The Christian's Survey of the Political World.