times that a sound Christian may be of neither party, sometimes that he may at once be of both. The prevailing suspicion is, that they are Calvinists under a mask. But I know them too well to concur in it. They so frequently bandy the terms of Calvinism backwards and forwards, that to common eyes they seem themselves to wear a Calvinistic garb but it is only as a man who stands in the midst of a circle of persons, labouring under the jaundice, acquires a yellow tinge on his visage by reflection. My firm conviction is, that they have no religion at all and that of doctrines they know nothing more than what they have learned from the Scriptures, and from the founders, as aforesaid, of our national Church. How they have managed, upon such a stock of knowledge as this, to keep up during two or three years any reputation for religious discernment, is beyond my comprehension. True indeed it is that, most fortunately for themselves, they have had to deal with very blundering opponents. And whenever a blunder has been made, they have had the sagacity to perceive it immediately, and the adroitness fully to expose it. "The wretched Travis," said Gibbon, "still writhes under the lash of the merciless Porson," I question, Mr. Editor, whether there are not persons who still writhe under a feeling remembrance of the scourge brandished by these unknown chastisers. Still, however, as I said of them when speaking on the subject of morality, the fears with which I contemplate the mischiefs they meditate, are countervailed by several circumstances of a consoling nature, In short, I venture to be tolerably certain that they will speedily unite all parties in determined hostility against them. They pay no respect to situation. If a man asserts an unscriptural tenet, or reasons absurdly; whoever he may be, they detect and refute him. Be he an Archdeacon, or a Dean; if he deserves to be trounced, he is

trounced. Such conduct must of course embody all the dignitaries of the establishment for their over throw and the inferior clergy and the laity will dutifully march under the banners of their leaders. But dissenters do not fare better than members of the establishment. They suffer under the same impartiality, and will in consequence nourish equal resentment. The scheme too of pleasing every one will end in pleasing no one. For the high churchmen these writers are too low; for the low churchmen too high. They are too fond of the Church to conciliate sectaries: and too lenient to sectaries to satisfy the Church. Calvinists and Arminians alike regard them as lukewarm friends or disguised enemies. The self-righteous they disgust by maintaining justification exclusively by faith: the Antinomian by incessantly ringing in his ears the absolute necessity of universal holiness. How will it be possible for them, amidst such storms as they will inevitably raise, to keep their heads above water?

One additional feature in their character must yet be mentioned: their course of proceeding with respect to literature. Of literature, as of all subjects, they undertake to be sovereign judges. In this department they are no less artful than in every other. They do not undertake, like the more adventurous of their brethren in the line of criticism, to pronounce a sentence of acquittal or condemnation upon all the productions of the press. Neither, like some other occupiers of the censorial bench, do they make it plain that their attention is rarely to be expected by works of mediocrity. Thus they enable themselves to pass unnoticed any book, concerning which they know not what to say, or do not find it convenient to deliver their sentiments. And at the same time they leave the author of any unnoticed work fully at liberty to conclude that his performance, though it has not hap

pened to receive their judgment, is
in their estimation excellent. Of
authors of all kinds, the poets seem
to be treated by these critics the
most cavalierly. With few excep-
tions, the versifying tribe is regard-
ed by them with indifference, and
exposed to mortifying neglect.
Even when a young rhymer sub-
missively transmits pastorals, and
elegies, and descriptive pieces, and
sonnets, and odes, and epigrams, for
their approbation; they seldom
condescend to mention the homage
which he has paid to them: nay,
sometimes they are atrocious enough
to gibbet the miserable poet on the
wrapper of their own publication.
And I assure you, Sir, that some ver-
sifiers, incredible as it may appear,
have evidently been proud of being
thus hung in chains; and have pa-
thetically pleaded for admission to
the humiliating distinction. Of the
writings of historians, the work
under our consideration says little
I suppose because the conductors of
it know little of history. And of
voyages and travels they are nearly
regardless, unless the narrative re-
lates to savage nations, among whom
they always affect to be very de-
sirous of introducing the Gospel:
and on that ground they acquire
credit which I am sorry to see
them possess; and which I heartily
wish that our governors in Church
and State would wrest from them,
by shewing themselves anxious on
the same subject, even if it were
only about the thirty millions de-
pendent upon us in Hindostan, and
the countless multitudes of poor
wretches whom we have dragged
into West-Indian bondage. With
miscellanies, memoirs, collections of
fashionable anecdotes, and other
flimsy articles, they are wise enough
to have nothing to do: and thus
they add another prop to their repu-
tation for gravity and discretion.
Novels, and other corrupting publi-
cations they abominate: and thus
strengthen their own character for
piety. Into political disquisitions
they refrain from entering largely

and thus keep themselves clear of
many scrapes and broils, in which
they would otherwise be involved. In
the examination of books of religion,
they bring all their strength and
skill into action. And woe be to
the commentator or the preacher
who falls into their hands, if he
builds not his morality on Christian
foundations; if he jumbles the dis-
tinct offices of faith and works; or
if he adopts any other of the pre-
vailing errors of the divinity of the
day! You cannot but perceive, Mr.
Editor, how admirably their plan of
proceeding is calculated in all its
parts to win the good opinion and
the confidence of the public: and
the extensive and unspeakable mis-
chief which these pestilent men are
thus enabled to accomplish against
all that we hold dear. Yet again, Sir,
I am not without my comforts. For
in the first place, these critics sub-
ject not only theological works, but
also, as far as is possible, every
other class of writings, to the test of
scriptural principles. And as the
strict application of those principles
is so little to the taste of the world;
the critics, I trust, who thus apply
them, will soon become generally
odious. In the next place, the nu-
merous train of writers of different
denominations, whose works they
intentionally or unintentionally
overlook, will at length, we may
hope, take offence, and raise such a
clamour against them as they will
not be able to withstand. Thirdly,
all the authors whom they have
censured may be considered as a
set of inveterate and indefatigable
adversaries busy in every quarter
of the kingdom against them. And
fourthly; most of the writers whom
they have praised may be regarded
as their secret foes. For here, Sir,
they have disclosed, as ill-designing
men, however able, commonly
sooner or later, a radical want of
judgment. Though they praise
highly, they will not praise hyper-
bolically and indiscriminately. Let
a religious man whom they cordially
respect and desire to countenance,

REVIEW OF NEW PUBLICATIONS.

is supposed to have taken place, are perfectly consistent with an entire conviction of the divine authority of the Apocalypse, and with the fullest assurance, that its predictions have been, and will be, accurately accomplished. Indeed we look upon this portion of the Scriptures with peculiar veneration; and the suspicion has frequently recurred to our minds, that, in the large and rapid extension of the Christian Church which we are encouraged. to expect at a future, and, we trust, no very remote period, the Revelation may, by its accomplishment, be appointed to contribute that portion of external evidence, which in the natural order of human affairs, seems necessary to the production of such an event, and which the ruler of the world has usually been pleased to vouchsafe on great occasions. The fortunes and reception of the book convey nothing repugnant to such a supposition; but on the contrary rather confirm it. The early doubts entertained of its authenticity, particularly upon the ground of its obscurity; the want of any regular at tempt to interpret its meaning, for many ages from its production; the various and discordant applications which have been made of its symbols and predictions in modern times, when its contents first began to be diligently explored; the steady hold which its authority has kept for so extended a period, under all the vicissitudes of its reception, and the violence of the assaults made upon its character, and which still overawes the presumption of those critics who feel the strongest temptation to reject it; and, added to these circumstances, the progress which actually appears to have been made in its interpretation by the more judicious class of modern expositors; are facts, which, as they evidently not only admit but favour the authority of the book under consideration, so do they both adinit and favour the supposition which we have hazarded of the use which

it may subserve in the economy of religious providence.

This supposition or expectation is further confirmed, when we consi der the species of evidence which the Apocalypse, when seen distinctly to be answered, and there fore interpreted, by a corresponding body of events, may exhibit; and which we cannot better illustrate and represent than by the following similitude. Let there be supposed, lying in disorder upon a plain, the component parts, regular i themselves, of a large, magnificent, and complex, yet uniform building. It is proposed, as a trial of skill, to certain architects, with some obscure infimations of the form of the edifice, to arrange the va rious parts, so as to produce the structure which would be the result of their proper position. Attempts are made with different success. Some err at the very outset, and select, perhaps, for the foundation, the stones which should form the parapet. Others lay the foundation right, but raise upon it a superstructure so disproportioned as, of itself, to convict the work, as fat as proceeded in, of manifest error. The labour of others is more promising: several pillars are erected in good proportion, and appear to belong to the parts of the building in which they are placed almost an entire portico is reared at one of the sides, and, were it not for some unlucky junctures here and there, and a few small, but obvious and stubborn, irregularities in the proportions, jt might be admitted as a portion of the genuine building, The equal plausibility, however, of different plans of proceeding, perfectly inconsistent with each other, check the conviction which might otherwise be formed, even of their partial success. It may likewise be added, that while some perhaps begin their operations upon too large, others certainly assume too small, a scale for the mass of materials which are to compose the structure. Should, however, any one of these archi