in London, in Manchester, in Birmingham, in Liverpool, in York, in Leeds, in Hull, in Wakefield, in Preston, and Norwich, and Colchester, and Bath, and Bristol, and, in short, not to turn our pages into a mere parish directory, in almost all the great cities and towns, and a vast number of the villages in the empire, who seem imperatively called upon at once, by the depth of ignorance and vice which blacken around them, and by their moral ascendency over the minds of numbers of their vicinage, to consider, whether, in their zeal for foreign nations, (a zeal which cannot be commended or cherished too highly,) they have not forgotten their own people, and their father's house," and, whether, in their zealous application of the means already supplied to them for the national improvement, they have not neglected to consider if no defect cleaves to parts of the old system, and if it be impossible to provide new and more efficient means of promoting the service, and enlarging the kingdom of their Master. We trust we shall not be classed among the " magnificent hopers," when we express our expectation that things will not long remain as they are; that Christian philanthropists will be led to consider how they may employ their energies most efficaciously and productively; that to our system of general instruction, (for which it is impossible to be too thankful to a kind Providence,) there will be soon annexed a system of personal inspection, of close and intimate communication between the different orders of the community, between the instructed and the ignorant, the godly and the godless, the men who have, through the Divine compassion, found their way to the temple and to the mercy seat, and those who are still wandering hopeless and graceless in the haunts and stews of irreligion and profligacy; that, in short, the minds and hands of all the wise and the good will

be set to work to forge and hammer out the links of that golden chain of love which will bind a wicked and dissevéred people to God and to one another.

Medicina Clerica; or Hints to the

Clergy for the healthful and comfortable Discharge of their Ministerial Duties. In a Series of Letters. London. 1821. pp. 195.

THIS is certainly a very comfortable" book; a book full of "comfortable" advice; from its motto in the title-page, " Drink no longer water, but a little wine," to the conclusion of its well-meant suggestions. We shall give a slight syllabus of its contents, with a few current remarks which may serve to bring before our readers some very useful, and, as we conceive, with deference to our author, some very useless hints. The general subject is, however, unquestionably important both to the clergy and their flocks; and though the work under consideration is almost entirely a collection of extracts, and contains very few new suggestions, and though moreover it is sometimes, if we may use the expression, a little old-womanish, and not a little “comfortable," in its suggestions, we yet think it will be found of service in the parsonage libraries of those of the clergy who do not happen to have time or taste for excogitating of themselves, or acquiring from medical and scientific and liturgical sources, such hints as the benevolent author has here collected for their benefit.

The first letter relates to churches, and includes the topics of ventilation, draining, warming, fumigation, and vestries. Many of the suggestions in this letter are useful, in order to turn the attention of the clergy to the subject; but they are too slight to afford the neces sary practical information for carrying these processes into effect. We

believe that the clergy and their churchwardens will generally find it the best and cheapest method at Once to consult some really skilful architect or professional man who is practically versed in subjects of this kind, instead of resorting to the quackery which is now so common, of constructing stoves and flues and vomifumes, and calorifiers, and valves, and ventilators, which upon trial are found of little or no utility perhaps, but to gratify the speculative whim of some half-scientific vestryman, of to afford a job to a tradesman who has had the good fortune to ingratiate himself with his fellow-parishioners. Even the apparently simple process of warming or ventilating a building, requires more experience, as well as science, than usually falls to the share of a parish vestry; and we question whether our benevolent author himself would not find some of his own suggestions more plausible than efficient.

-The second letter contains many "comfortable" hints for getting to church" dry and clean," and strongly recommends umbrellas,

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goloshes" "black list shoes with leather soles," "worsted socks and long black cloth gaiters," a black spencer under the gown and surplice, with a large easy glove, out of which the hand may be readily slipped to turn over each leaf of the sermon! Our author, however, magnanimously declares, that "nothing short of necessity" shall ever compel him to wear a muff in the pulpit, which he understands is the practice with some of his brethren; and he cautiously recommends, that if any clergyman think a muff desirable," it should at least be small and black, so as to make as little of an awkward and unusual appearance as possible." Did it never occur to our author that it is possible for a clergyman to be come warm by means of his pulpit exertions; or that a sermon may have some calorific influence?

The third letter respects" the

reading-desk, kneeling, pulpits, the church Bible and prayer-book, and the attitude of standing. The au thor very justly describes the minor arrangements of most churches as exceedingly inconvenient; and it would be very desirable that more attention should be paid to these trifling accommodations. We do not howeverthink that he is always successful in his suggestions; and even on the subject of kneelingstools, to which he has evidently paid great attention, and ornamented with some elaborate remarks and calculations, we should be inclined, with deference to him, to think that where there is no infirmity, the simplest and most natural reading stool is a horizontal (not sloping) surface, not exceeding five or six inches in height, so as to allow the leg to lie parallel with the ground, resting on the point of the shoe, and without any strain of the muscles at the knee. Our author may, however, think this not the most" comfortable" method, as it throws the body into a vertical position, and makes it dependent on its own resources, without those pleasant assistances which he describes of" leaning forward against the desk," lounging (we beg pardon), resting the arms on a table, and the like, which he enumerates among the requisites in "the most comfortable mode of kneeling." p. 26.

So anxious indeed is the author for the comfort of the clergy, that he recommends the reading desk to be fitted up with "the machine which is called ease and comfort," for the purpose of resting the legs after standing or kneeling. The nature of this machine he has not described, but the reader who is anxious to know more of the matter, may consult the Rev. Mr. Plumptre's dramatic work, reviewed in our volume for 1820, where we remember this machine is both recommended and described. We proceed to lay before our readers the author's apology for thus mi

nutely attending to these comfortable details.

"The writer of the following letters is anxious to anticipate an objection, which he thinks may be urged against the hints contained in them; that they recommend a greater attention to health and to comfort than is becoming in a man, and especially in a clergyman, who should be above such considerations. The writer fully acquiesces in the axiom of Bishop Cumberland, that

IT IS BETTER TO WEAR OUT THAN TO

RUST OUT: and the following hints are offered only in the nature of a little oil, seasonably applied, to make the machine go easier and longer. That which would go with great labour and fatigue to the mover, and with a constant creaking, aud soon wear out; with this timely application and assistance, may double, nay quadruple its work and its dura tion, without a complaint, and with pleasure to the labourer. The due operation of a machine often depends upon a nicety, a seeming trifle. The best made clock will not measure out its revolutions, unless it stand in its proper position; the safety of the whole carriage and its passengers depends on the leather which secures the linch-pin." pp. v, vi.

And again

"Let not the young, or the older, ridicule these attentions to ease and comfort. Happy is it for them, if they do not need such assistances: but the time may come, when they may be glad to adopt them; unless the having before ridiculed them should make the laugh ers unwilling to hazard a laugh against themselves on that account. The time has been when the writer of these pages has gone through five services in a day (and he trusts, even in his youngest ministry in the church, not in a slovenly and irreverent manner), without caring much for these assistances. He is, now, glad to adopt such as circumstances will allow him; and he shall be happy if these suggestions should at all contribute to the comfort and better exercise of their devotions to others." pp. 36, 37.

Now, to be perfectly serious, there is so far truth in all this, that it would be well if the clergy, and indeed every other body of men, would study rational principles of managing their health; and

we believe that a little medical and scientific knowledge, grounded on the basis of good sense and practical observation, is eminently serviceable to promote "the healthful and comfortable discharge of clerical duties." But we fear that self-indulgence, and the love of tampering with medicine, are more common than the self-neglect which our author reprobates; and it ap pears to us that a clergyman who should fully act up to our author's rules and principles would be in great danger of soon becoming a timorous, "nervous," hypochondriacal invalid, instead of a useful, self-denying, and active minister of Jesus Christ. Our readers have already had a few hints on clothing: but they must pass on to the sixth letter to become acquainted with the whole of the system. heading of this letter will furnish a general idea of its contents.

The

"The voice-quotations from Tissot -from Archbishop Hort-Jones of Nay. land-Job Orton-remedies for hoarseness, &c.-honey-troches or lozenges -adulteration of ditto-qnotation from Accum-drops-preserved fruits,&c.— eggs-the neckcloth-loss of teeth-the nerves-wine-other assistances-opium

higher assistances-mode of spending Saturday, and of spending Sunday→ quotation from Orton-dinner-quotation from Dr. A. Clarke-remedies for fatigue-cold water-warm bath-quotation from Dr. Beddoes-a pill." p. 91.

Many of the suggestions in this chapter are undoubtedly useful; but to our minds there is something little and trifling in a clergyman's thus becoming a walking laboratory, and thinking and speaking nothing but what refers to his personal health and comfort. And after all, we doubt whether either health or comfort is promoted by this anxious hypochondriacal system: on the contrary, we believe that a system tending rather to self-restraint and self-denial is that which most conduces to health, and peace, and professional respectability. A clergyman who cannot

Now, while we quite agree with our author respecting the inconveniences which arise from thus uniting different services together, we are by no means convinced that his " great sensation of fatigue," his " nervous feeling," his "headache," his "Mondayishness," do not spring, in a considerable measure, from his own precautions and remedies. No error can be more absurd, though it is a very common one, than that a clergyman is strengthened for his duties by an additional quantity of " eggs, "wine," and other stimulants and restoratives; or that he wakes the more lively and refreshed on the Monday morning in consequence of the hot supper" (diluted perhaps with more potent beverage than water) which is sometimes thought necessary to cool the fever, and renovate the enfeebled digestion, caused by the professional exertions of the Sunday. We have known clergymen who had long complained of fatigue, head-ache, "Mondayishness," &c. (notwithstanding, perhaps, they had taken honey overnight, and eggs raw and boiled in the morning, and wine between the services, and a good supper, and something "comfortable" to digest the whole), entirely overcome these unpleasant symptoms, and go through their Sunday duties both healthfully and pleasantly, by practising more than usual abstinence on that day; by taking only a slight breakfast, a slighter dinner, and a still slighter supper, and by carefully abstaining from wine, and every other potent beverage, which, instead of strengthening them for their labours, they had found by experience only caused a temporary stimulus, followed by the various symptoms of fatigue and indigestion which our worthy author has so feelingly described. We may corroborate our remarks by his own excellent practice respecting Sunday dinners, which we recommend as an example to all his brethren,

"The timing of dinner is a matter of some little difficulty on a Sunday. I should wish, on my own account, not to dine till I had finished my duty; but, for the sake of the servants, and to get it over, we dine between the churches [services], and I always make a sparing dinner. Fatigue weakens the digestion, and the stomach is better not to be loaded, on account of the duty afterwards. I have done duty in parishes where the 'squire, or the rector, expected me to dine with him. But I always disliked it; and now I would not do it for more serious considerations:" pp. 126, 127.

Having thus touched upon this letter (the sixth), we shall quote one or two passages more from it before we return to the fourth, which embraces topics of another character. We strongly recommend the following remarks to the serious consideration of our clerical readers.

"But the best tònic and pro re nata must, undoubtedly, consist in a deep sense of the important and awful work in which the reader and preacher is engaged, in leading the devotions of his congrega tion, and in preaching to them the Gospel of repentance, pardon, and peace; and, in doing this, he must look for I can do all things through Christ, higher and more efficacious assistance: who strengtheneth me' (Phil. iv. 13): and this must be obtained by his earnest prayers, as well as by his preparations in his study.

"I always find much of my feeling and spirits on a Sunday to depend upon the manner in which I pass my Saturday. I make it a point, if possible, to have my sermon ready by Friday night at the latest, and only preach it over on Satur day morning, after reading the Lessons, &c.; and I neither visit nor receive

company on a Saturday, if I can help it, and then only such as I can feel at home with. Orton, in his Letters to a Young Clergyman, says, 'I will excuse your having a sermon to write on the Saturday, because the occasion of it was urgent and necessary; else I shall blame you, if ever you have a sermon to make on a Saturday. Dr. Donne (as it is observed in his Life) always chose his text for the next Lord's-day on the preceding Sunday evening, when he had finished the duty of that day. This