chael Dodson, Esq. and very lately under The next General Meeting of the KENT and SUSSEX UNITARIAN CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION will be held at Cranbrook, on Wednesday, June the 7th, 1815. Service to begin at half past ten o'clock. Subscriptions to the Chapel at Neath. The following subscriptions, which we are requested to announce, have been received on account of the Unitarian Chapel, at Neath, Glamorganshire:- 2 0 0 (By Mr. Asplnnd.) 1. s Mrs. Harries, Arscott, near Mr. Hancock, Nottingham and the neighbourhood 2 10 5 1 5 5 2 Rev. J. Holt, Cirencester Congregation at Bury St. Edmunds Rev. Mr. Hammond, Fen-Stan ton, Hunts A Liverpool Friend Mr. Henry Ellison, Liverpool (At Neath.) The Rev. Dr. Disney, by the 2 12 6 10 1 Mr. Wm. Cooke, Isle of Wight 1 0000 1 0 The last quarterly meeting of ministers, generally denominated Presbyterian, in Manchester and its vicinity, was held on the 24th of last month. The devotional services were performed by the Rev. Mr. Whitelegg, and the Rev. Mr. Parker preached an useful sermon on the subject of mystery. Fifteen ministers attended the meeting, who together with an equal number of lay brethren, partook of a frugal dinner at the Swan Inn. Several Unitarian brethren from Halifax, Rosendale, and other parts of Yorkshire attend0 ed; whose presence added greatly to the O interest and satisfaction of the meeting. The account given of the progress of Christian truth among the middle and lower classes, and the observations made with so much eloquence and truth, on the necessity of undisguisedly and zealously avowing Unitarian principles, of seeking opportunities to make them known, and of preaching them with that simplicity and plainness which shall render them intelligible to the poor and unlettered, were received with great warmth of approbation. "We do not want Unitarian heads," said the speaker. "Those to whose lot it fell to develope the principles of Christian 0 truth, to separate the pure grain of truth from the chaff of antichristian error and superstition, have done their duty. The Unitarian press has teemed with numerous want, if the expression may be allowed, and most important publications. But we Unitarian lungs and Unitarian legs-persons who are willing to incur the fatigue of visiting the numerous villages scattered over this populous part of the countrypeople in a language they can understand persons who are willing to address the and feel-persons who will renounce the apathy and formality of degenerated Presbyterianism." One of the speakers highly Reformer; and begged that the gentleapproved of the design of the Christian favour the public with any communications men whom he addressed, if they should through that channel, would use plainness of speech and simplicity of language, level to the comprehension and attainments of those for whose benefit the Christian Reformer is chiefly designed. He said he knew many among the lower order of people, who can reason correctly and well Eccentric Funeral.-On Friday last, the remains of William Fowle, Gent. of Boxley, were interred, according to his will, under part of a windmill upon his estate. The funeral was respectably attended by his executors and relatives, and was conducted with a solemnity well according with the awful circumstance of sudden death; and the eccentricity of selecting such a spot for the occasion drew together a considerable assemblage of persons. On arriving at the mill, the coffin was carried into the building, and the Rev. Mr. Harris, of the Society of Unitarians, in the open air addressed the persons assembled on the singular request of the deceased, and after some religious reflections on the uncertainty of human life, and the particular instance of it which had called them to that spot, Mr. Harris repeated a prayer, and concluded with the Pater 262 State of Public Affairs. whose understanding is sound and vigorous, but whose intellectual cultivation precludes their deriving advantage from that which soars above their attainments. Two brethren from the infant Unitarian Society at Oldham attended the meeting. The subscription set on foot to enable them MONTHLY RETROSPECT OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS OR, The Christian's Survey of the Political World. God a God of the Jews only and not of the heathen also? Is he a God of the white men and not of the blacks? The former question is readily answered in the affirmative, but late events shew a demur in some minds, where it ought least to have been expected to the latter. Europe is now expecting to see in a short time a million of people in arms, to lay waste its fertile regions-to burn its towns-to destroy the infant at the breast-and to dash out the brains of the aged-in short, to produce every evil at which human nature shudders, and to create upon earth a hell, not to be exceeded in the imagination of the poet. The spirit of the accursed Cain is to be again let loose, and after a short twelvemonth of peace, the horrors of those disgraceful scenes, which within the last twenty-five years have been exhibited in Europe, are to be again renewed. Such is civilized Europe, the seat of the arts, of the sciences, boasting in its superiority over the rest of the world in every improvement that can administer comfort to man, and particularly in its knowledge of the truths of revelation. By their fruits shall ye know them, saith our Saviour, and the fruits of his kingdom are love, joy, peace, tranquility, benevolence and beneficence; to what kingdom do these nations belong, who are thus hurrying into the fields of slaughter, by what spirit are the actuated? But if Europe is thus to feel the scourge of divine wrath, Africa enjoys its breathing time. The chains and fetters that were manufacturing for its inhabitants, must remain useless. The slave ships are no longer wanted. Buonaparte has decreed, that the slave trade shall be no longer carried ou by Frenchmen, and he has put an end to that idle discussion at the Congress of Vienna, which terminated in the permission to France to carry on a five years' traffic of insult and injury, and rape and murder on the coasts of Africa. The return of the Emigrants to France carried back no sympathy for the sufferings of the blacks. It was coolly argued in their pamphlets how many hundreds of thousands of Africans her benefactor. To the prodigies of last month are now to be added the results of them on the cabinets of Europe. A throne was overset without bloodshed. Buonaparte proceeded from the shores of the Mediterranean, with the same ease with which Sovereigns were accustomed formerly to make their progress through this country. The Bourbon retired at his approach, and was unmolested in his departure to Belgium. For some little time there was an appearance of opposition in the south of France, but it soon subsided. The Duke of Angouleme, who headed the Royalists, was taken prisoner, but released by the order of Buonaparte, and conveyed to the nearest port, after a promise, it was said, not to bear arms against his country, and to procure the restoration of the national jewels, which had been carried away by the fugitive king. A change naturally took place in civil and military offices, which was ef fected in a very easy manner; though it excited some surprise to see Lucien Buona. parte restored to the councils of his brother. Carnot also had a considerable place in the new arrangements, and as these two were known for their attachment to republicanism, it seemed as if a compromise had taken place between the Emperor and this party, and that the restoration of the former to power, was accompanied with such restraints as should rescue France from the disgrace of being subjected to an absolute monarchy. The nature of this compromise will not be fully known, till the great assembly of the nation takes place at Paris in this month. Then is to be laid before them a new constitution, and this is to be the basis, as long as it lasts, of their future government. From the persons employed upon it, there cannot be a doubt of every endeavour being used to bring the supreme power under proper restraints; and, as far as words will go, this will be done: but inter arma silent leges, and the necessity of employing a large military force to rescue France from its invaders, must throw such power into the hands of the commander, as to render useless all restraints of civil government. They will all swear to the new constitution, as they have done to so many before it: but whether they will have a country for this constitution, and what is to be the destiny of France, time only can discover. The news of the invasion of France by Buonaparte, produced no small ferment at Vienna, and the representatives of the allied Sovereigns assembled upon the occasion, and issued a paper, in which they declared Buonaparte to be placed out of the pale of civil society. This declaration of their's, which was interpreted by the French, (and indeed it is difficult to give it any other interpretation,) to encourage assassination, was widely circulated through France by the government itself, and the principles of it were controverted with great skill. The declaration was considered as as an impudent forgery of some one, who wished to throw a ridicule upon the collective wisdom of the Congress : and its principles were shewn to be such, as were abhorrent to all the hitherto established laws of nations. With whatever view it may have been issued, it is certain that this weak and futile declaration was taken advantage of by the person against whom it was issued, and tended both to increase the attachment of the French to him, and to weaken the confidence of all think ing men in Europe, in the councils of the Sovereigns. Napoleon in his turn addressed the Sovereigns, informing them of his re-ascension to the throne, with the unanimous consent of the French nation, and declaring himself ready to accede to the terms of the treaty of Paris, and to confine his territory to the limits they had assigned to it. At the same time he declared the determination of the French to resist every aggres sion on their independence; and held out to the Sovereigns the hope, that by their united efforts, the peace of Europe might be preserved. He was not in the mean time idle, but employed himself in the organizing of his regular troops, and the preparation of the whole country to resist invasion. This was done by the re-establishment of the national guard, in that vigour in which it was first formed, and the nation seems to be alive to the impulse; for every where the ranks were filled with eagerness, and every thing indicated a determination to defend the country to the last extremity. This letter made no impression on the Sovereigns. On the contrary, they entered into a treaty, which was immediately published in the French papers, by which they bind themselves not to acknowledge Buona. parte as the Sovereign of France, and to punish his adherents; reserving, however, their invasion of France, in some manner, as dependent on the call made on them by the fugitive king, who was also to inform them of the means he enjoyed for the support of his pretensions. They agreed to keep on foot an armed force of one hundred and fifty thousand men each, for the principal parties in this alliance, namely, England, Russia, Prussia, and Austria, and this force was to be increased by the contingents of the inferior powers. Their forces were put in motion in every direction, and all Europe is in suspense at this moment, on the result of these great operations. Hitherto no attack has been made on the French territory, and the French have kept themselves within their own bounds. It seems as if the allies would not enter France, till they can march with such a force as should, humanly speaking, seem such, as must overpower all resistance; and after the bloody scenes that have passed, we are brought back again to an early stage of the war, when the French rose in mass, and destroyed the measures of all their opponents. The allied Sovereigns are however now in much greater force, and better organized than they were at the beginning of the dreadful conflict: and if both parties adhere to their declared sentiments, the ensuing campaign will be the most dreadful, that has been known in the annals of mankind. It will be seen whether a people determined to be free can be conquered; and, if they are conquered, it cannot be expected that the conquerors will easily agree in the division of the spoil, and no hopes can be entertained of the tranquility of Europe being of long duration. The French nation cannot be restrained, but by an immense military force; and the Bourbon throne so maintained, will give but little comfort to its possessor. On the side of the allies there is great power, but if we judge of the parties by their skill shewn in their respective manifestos, there can be little doubt on which side is the superiority of talent. Buonaparte has availed himself of every circumstance to give solidity to his cause, and to depress that of the Bourbons. Besides his decree on the abolition of the slave trade, he has openly declared for the freedom of the press, and the Moniteur has opened its pages for every paper of the allied Sovereigns, which they may think fit to issue. He has re-assured the proprietors of land of the security of their purchases -he has declared the freedom of religion to be irrevocable-be has restored the Legion of Honour to its former state. In short, he has done every thing to inspire confidence, if any can be placed in his promises, and France after all its conflicts will, if it is in this successful, and these promises are kept, be the freest nation in Europe. Belgium, occupied by British troops, acknowledges with Holland the Prince of Orange its king, and his coronation is on the point of taking place. But, if we are to believe the French, the hearts of the Belgians do not accord with this arrangement. Italy occasions no small disquiet. Murat is in arms, and has taken possession of the Pope's territory. He seems to have had sufficient grounds to be apprehensive, that the allied sovereigns would not long permit him to be seated on the Neapolitan throne. Whether he was in the plot with Buonaparte is not known, but his interest seems to be so clearly involved in that of the French independence, that the Austrians will find so much employment in that quarter, as not to allow them to co-operate with their allies in the attack on France. The Italians also in general are not pleased with the Austrian yoke, and the Genoese feel with the utmost resentment the injury done to them, in taking away their independence, and subjecting them to the king of Sardinia. His pretended holiness has taken refuge with his cardinals in Florence; and whatever may be the case in other quarters, we canuot but still hope that this will be a severe blow on his impious pretensions. The revival of the order of Jesuits has shewn the little hopes of reformation to be entertained in that quarter, and this with the establishment of the Inquisition of Spain has done no small injury in every thinking mind to the cause of the allied sovereigns. The state of Europe has produced the worst consequences in our own country. All agreed in the propriety of being prepared for self-defence, and in taking precautionary measures: but as the acts of Congress were gradually developed, the greater were the doubts of the policy of the steps that had been taken by the administration. The revival of the Income Tax increased the general gloom, and as it seemed likely to pass the legislature without much opposition, the City of London is prepared to declare its sentiments on this most odious tax, and also on the occasion of its revival. A meeting of the Common Hall has been summoned, and the war and the tax will be both jointly discussed. This may probably lead to similar meetings over the country, and yet there is a hope left, that the horrors of war may be averted. May God inspire the minds of princes and people with more Christian principles, than they at present possess, and lead them to entertain juster views of the purposes for which man was sent into the world-not to butcher his species, but to love his enemies, and to render good for evil. CORRESPONDENCE. We are desired by Mr. Campbell, of Newcastle, to "inform Tandem [See the last page of the wrapper of the number for January] that the place built for the Unitarian Baptists in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, for a place of worship, is now occupied as a manufactory, but that a more eligible place is rented for that purpose, and the funds faithfully applied to the cause for which they were originally intended, as may be seen by any one who has a right to examine them." We are still some articles of Review behind, which we hope to bring up, in another number or two. A Portrait of the Unitarian Martyr, Servetus, is preparing for the number for June, to be published on the 1st of July. Such of our readers as wish to preserve proof prints of our Scries of Heads, are again informed that the head of Dr. Priestley, 4to size, may be had (price 2s. 6d.) of the Printers and Publishers. ERRATA. Page 111. 2d. col. line 15 from the top, for "hendyades" read hendyadys. 177. 1st col. 1. 25 from the top, after the word "aid" place a colon. Ib. 1. 16 from the bottom, for "Tingshadius" read Tingstadius Memoir of the Rev. Thomas Pyle, M. A. (From Richards's History of Lynn, O pp. 1012-1023.) F the birth-place and the early part of the life of the Rev. THOMAS PYLE, whose name is still mentioned with veneration by the few who remember him as a preacher, we have not been able to obtain any account. o rapid is the neglect or the forgetfulness of oral tradition! From his epitaph we learn indeed that he was born in 1674. About the year 1698, he was examined for ordination, at Norwich, by the cele brated and truly honest William Whiston, at that time chaplain to Bishop Moore, who has stated in the interesting Memoirs of his Life, that Dr. Sydal and Mr. Pyle were the best scholars among the many candidates whom it was his office to examine. It is probable that he was ordained upon the title of one of the curacies of St. Margaret's parish, as he married, in 1701, a Mrs. Mary Rolfe, of an affluent and respectable family in Lynn, and in the same year he was appointed by the corporation to be minister or preacher of St. Nicholas' Chapel. He published some political sermons in the years 1706, 1707, and especially in the year 1715. In these discourses he vindicated and enforced those, principles to which we are indebted for the expulsion of the Stuarts, and for the elevation of the Brunswick family to the throne. About the same period he became generally known as the author of a very useful Paraphrase on the Historical Books of the Old Testament, and another on the Acts, the Epistles and the Revelation of the New Testament. Soon afterwards he enlisted himself as a writer in the Bangorian Controversy, and was a strenuous and able advocate of the civil and religious principles of Bp. Hoadly. He VCL. X. 2 M [Vol. X. appears to have been on terms of particular friendship with some of the greatest and best men in the Church of England, such as Dr. Sam. Clarke, Mr. Jackson, of Leicester, Dr. Sykes, Bp. Hoadly, Dr. Herring, afterwards Archbishop of Canterbury; and equally so with some eminent dissenting ministers, particularly Dr. Sam. Chandler and Mr. Rastrick, of Lyun. Many years after his death his youngest son, the Rev. Philip Pyle, published several volumes of his "Sermons on plain and practical Subjects." His writings are characterized by a perspicuity and manly sense, rather than by any elevation of style, or by a graceful negligence; and yet in the delivery of his sermons, so impressive was his elocution, that both in the metropolis and in the country, he was one of the most admired preachers of his time. The following lines were sent to him on his sermon preached at Lincoln's Inn, May 4th, 1795, on Gen. iii. 19. What sounds are these! What energy divine! |