After the specimens of adulation from the jubilee sermons of protestant dissenting ministers, which appeared in our last number, it is, we can assure our readers, with considerable reluctance we renew the painful task of presenting them with others of a similar nature. We shall however, notice but few of the re-. maining discourses on this subject. We are equally wearied and disgusted, with the same repetitions of common place loyalty, with the same strains of servility, so disgraceful to a nation of freemen; the same inattention to those numerous crimes and follies that have marked the different administrations during the greater part of the present reign, and which have drawn down the judgments of heaven, the prelude we fear to still heavier judgments, but which seem to make but little impression on many of our christian divines, who are flattering the sovereign and the nation, at a time when the Almighty By his awful visitations is loudly calling men of all ranks and degrees to repentance and reformation.

The subject of the present discourse is 'I KINGS VIII. 66. The joy and gladness expressed by Israel of old at a memorable festival to wards the close of the reign of Da

vid, the preacher deems to be equal.. ly called for towards the close of the reign of the British monarch. To excite this joy and gladness, the people are flattered equally with their sovereign; the former are panegyrised as an enlightened and christian people, and the latter as an enligh tened and christian sovereign. The King we are assured has " UNI

FORMLY shewn himself the friend: "of toleration and the protector of "dissenters!" If this be really the case, the preacher is more in the secret, than are his Majesty's subjects in general; and we confess we cannot but sincerely sympathise with. our gracious sovereign, whose “ UNI"FORM" efforts to procure the repeal of those persecuting laws which hang over the heads of various denominations of christians, and more especially of those scandalous outrages to christianity, to liberty, and to the rights of Britons-the Test and Corporation Acts,-that these "uniform" efforts of the crown should have been so frequently frus trated!

It is not, however, the nation and our sovereign only, who are the sub jects of panegyrick. The general system adopted during the present reign, and more especially that adopted by the minister who might have been termed viceroyover the kingdom, and who reigned with despotic sway-WILLIAM PITT, is the theme of the preacher's admiration. On this subject we have the following extraordinary observations.

"Few reigns of much shorter date, have been distinguished by such a degree of internal quiet as the present. Often

has the demon of anarchy threatened to break this peace, and to involve the nation in civil broils: hitherto, however, his efforts have, under God, been frus

trated by a WISE and VIGOROUS policy. The attempts of disaffected and interested men to inflame the public mind and promote insurrection, have invariably proved abortive. If disaffection at one time dared to rear its hideous front, it has not only long since ceased to assume its former alarming aspect, but scarcely be said to exist; or if it exists, affects but a small part of the community. Long as the King has reigned, his reign has been comparatively little disturbed by intestine commotion; and he has lived to see the fiftieth year of that reign commence in perfect peace."

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Thus a system of policy which, to repeat the language of Mr. Fox, aimed at the lives of more innocent men than were aimed at by that ferocious tyrant, Henry VIII. is panegyrised by this christian divine as "wise and vigorous!" But what does he mean by the attempts of "disaffected and interested men to inflame the public mind," and by the insinuation that "this spirit of disaffection still exists!" These are foul slanders on our countrymen, who have so long, and so patiently submitted to burthens and privations unparalleled; and who have too long suffered their treasure and their blood to be lavished on projects equally marked by injustice and folly!

The language we have quoted is the more extraordinary if we consider the peculiar circumstances of the preacher. One of his congregation, and if we mistake not one of his church, was amongst the number of those whom the "wise and vigorous policy" of Mr. Pitt marked. out for destruction; and had it not, been for the intervention of an upright and independent jury, the virtuous man, the sincere christian to whom we allude, would have been sentenced, as a traitor, to be hanged, drawn, and quartered! Had this "wise and vigorous policy" conti-, nued much longer, there is reason

to fear that the people would have been maddened to a revolution; and this is the “ system of policy" truly, which calls for the celebration of a national jubilee!

This discourse amply demonstrates that the preacher, a Scots Presbyterian, is well qualified for a priest of that establishment: that servility which reigns in the addresses of the Scots corporations in church and state, runs through the whole. "If any profits," we are informed, "a-` "rise from the sale of the sermon, it "will be given to the naval and mi"litary bible society." That useful institution will not, we conjecture, derive any great support from such a source; for if the sale of the sermon should be only in proportion to its merits, we fear the amount, so far from defraying the expences of paper and printing, would scarcely pay for the stitching!

Devout Loyalty.-A Sermon deli vered at the Dissenters' Meetinghouse, Angel Street, Worcester, on account of the National Jubilee, or general thanksgiving for the prolonged life of his Majesty George III. and his entrance on the 50th. year of his reign, Oct. 25, 1809. Printed and published at the request of many friends. By the Rev. George Osborn, Pastor of the Society.

Whatever objections may be urged against the general strain of this discourse, it must be acknowledged that the author, has in his title page dealt fairly with his readers, which is not always the case with authors, In the present instance the verbose and pompous manner in which the sermon is introduced, affords a very fair specimen of its style thoughout.

Notwithstanding the high flown loyalty, which marks this discourse, and the anxiety of the author to convince our rulers, that "the body " of protestant dissenters, are not "rebellious; that they are not dis

"loyal; and that they are not here"tical" (wonderful information truly!) yet at the outset of the discourse we are presented with the following revolutionary principle, which if acted upon would set almost the whole world in a blaze.

"Devotion" (says our author,)" is always suitable from such dependent favoured creatures, to our heavenly and unfailing benefactor; but more especially so when events of remarkable importance occur: and such is the anniversary this day commemorated, the entrance of our venerable king, the first, and perhaps ONLY LEGAL SOVEREIGN IN THE WORLD, on the 50th. year of his arduous and dignified reign!"

So then! according to Mr.Osborne, all the kings upon earth, except our own, are usurpers, and have no legal right to their crowns! The obnoxious decrees of the republican .senate of France in an early stage of the revolution, in general and indistinct terms held out encouragement to the nations of Europe, who were subjected to despotic governments, to throw off the yoke; but the revolutionary tocsin never sounded a note so loud, or so alarming as is sounded in the above 'paragraph; and although we do not suspect the hody of dissenters as entertaining sentiments so decidedly hostile to all the regular monarchical governments in the four quarters of the globe, we fear all our author's professions of loyalty, will scarcely be able, after so violent a democratic declaration, to satisfy the British cabinet as to the soundness of his political principles! In the explanation of the text, PSALM XX. 9. the preacher has displayed that pedantry, which men of real learning are careful to avoid, more especially when preaching to a congregation of plain christians, not one in fifty of whom are capable of examining the justice of such criticisms, and which in the present instance, tend rather to perplex a passage, in itself so plain, that any man of common capacity may understand

it. But our author assures us, he has not only consulted, "excellent "writers and commentators," but has also" paid some attention to the original, and particularly the old Greck version." Now, we confess we are not learned enough to discover how the "old Greek version, can be the

original," Hebrew; but as our author afterwards informs us he is a countryman of Mr. Burke's, the reader must not be surprised at a blunder or two he may discover in the sermon of an Irish Reverend!

We know not, however, whether this apology will serve for the very reprehensible language he has used respecting certain persons labouring under one of the most melancholy visitations of Divine Providence. Enumerating the blessings which we are to petition for our sovereign, the preacher makes the following observations.

"The next blessing which we implore for our King, is the deliverance and preservation of his person, from all pain and disorder, from all danger and violence; as well as from all secret mishaving long prayed for such mercies, chief, conspiracy, and rebellion: and what gratitude becomes us, when we reflect that the life of the Sovereign has not only been preserved from the common ravages of disease and death,-but that he has also been saved in times of peculiar trial and imminent danger,and at such times that he has been enabled to manifest, uncommon possession of mind, and to exercise very undeserved and unexpected benevolence. For instance, we recollect the infatuated assassin, Nicholson; and the more murderous ruffian, Hadfield, who dared to discharge a pistol at his King in the theatre: yet both attempts were rendered futile; and the injured Monarch was heard to say,-" take care of the poor woman;"" do the man no harm!"

We cannot help expressing our wish, that the author instead of bewildering himself with Greek and Hebrew, and learned writers and commentators, had consulted that useful assistant an English Dictionary; he might then have been prevented

from libelling the characters of his fellow creatures on account of mere human infirmity. If Margaret Nicholson were an" infatuated assassin," and Hadfield a "murderous ruffian," "they ought to have met the traitor's 'fate. But so complete was the derangement of the former, that the means she used for the accomplishment of her purpose was a blunted knife enclosed in a sheet of paper, and by the manner in which it was levelled at his Majesty, it was impossible to injure him. Poor Hadfield, so far from being a derous assassin," had given much superior proofs of loyalty than making flaming professions, or preaching foolish sermons, which cost nothing. He had fought, he had bled for his country, and his royal highness the Duke of York bore testimony to his bravery whilst serving in his army. It farther appeared

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from the evidence given on his trial, that the wounds he had received on his head, when fighting for his king and country, were the cause of his derangement. The indiscriminate and furious zeal displayed by the preacher on this occasion, reminds 'us of an instance somewhat similar, when at a county meeting held for the purpose of congratulating his Majesty on his escape from Hadfield's frantic attempt, a priest of the established church, fired with holy zeal, expressed his wish for the enactment of a law, extending the punishment denounced on traitors to every person who should aim at the life of the sovereign, and that the plea of insanity, even if well founded, should be no bar to the execution of the sentence! The conduct of the old despotic government of France in torturing and murdering the poor maniac who made an unsuccessful attempt on the life of Lewis XV. seems to have been formed on the principles of those humane divines, who are so ready to pronounce their fellow creatures when

suffering under the afflicting hand of the Almighty-" infatuated assassins -murderous ruffians!"

To the honour of British justice, our laws inculcate different principles; and we join with Mr. Osborn in his expressions of admiration of the humanity and self possession of our sovereign, when calling to his guards

"Take care of the poor womanDo the man no harm !"-We have before had occasion to lament that our jubilee divines pay so little attention to the example they profess to venerate. Had they followed that example in some of those instances which they have held up to public admiration, we should have been spared the melancholy task of reprobating their strains of flattery, and their sentiments of injustice and inhumanity.

"When we pray for the king," the preacher adds-"We also desire and pray for his whole realm, and the constitution of that government of which he is the guardian." Under this head we are presented with the common-place indiscriminate cant of the day about our " inestimable "constitution, the wisest and hap"piest, that ever was contrived;" and in which" although defects may be discovered in this most perfect device of man.... the practical effects and important blessings derived from our constitution are so great, and so favourable to the maintenance of CORRECTED liberty, that madness or mischief only could wish to revolutionize or overturn." And does the preacher really believe that we have arrived at this state of perfection? Does he cordially ap prove of those corrections which

liberty" so repeatedly received during the PITT administration? Is that corrected liberty which a brother of his denomination-Mr. Winterbotham enjoyed within the walls of Newgate, where he was confined four years, for no other offence than for preaching two sermons, in

his ignorance on Blackstone, and having the effrontery to refer to the volume and the page of that celebrated writer. It will we hope operate as a warming to Mr. Osborn's readers, how they depend on the accuracy of his references, when we inform them from the work referred to, that" In order to maintain both

It is much to be wished that the panegyrists of our king and constitution, would condescend to inform themselves a little more correctly respecting some important points, before they break out in their usual exalted strains! Our author informs us of a very "important addition and improvement which was made in the administration of our laws, soon after the king's accession to the throne, when the judges, instead of depending for continued office during the pleasure of the court, were declared permament for life."-From this statement the reader might naturally be led to conclude, that his Majesty, as well as his predecessors, had the power of removing the judges at pleasure; or, in the words of the preacher, that" the judges depended for continued office and authority on the pleasure of the court." As nothing can be more contrary to truth than this statement, we should have supposed that Mr. Osborn had copied his fashionable blunder from some superficial party writer of the day; and which was so recently committed by a writer residing in a neighbouring town, Mr. Custance of Kidderminster, whose abominable work, so calculated to poison the minds of our British youth with the principles of corruption and intolerance, we fully exposed in our Review for September. But the reader may judge of our surprise, when we found the preacher palming

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judges in the superior courts, it is enacted by the statute 13 WILLIAM III. c. 2. that their commissions shall be made (not as formerly, durante bene placito, but) quamdiu bene se gesserint, and their salaries ascer tained, and established; but that it may be lawful to remove them on the address of both houses of parlia ment." So that the act which prevented the judges from being removed" at the pleasure of the court," which Mr. Osborn informs us was passed soon after the king's acces sion to the throne," was in existence fifty years before he was born! The act passed in the early part of his Majesty's reign did not take away an atom of the royal power; it merely secured to the judges the continuance of their commissions notwithstanding a demise. We acknowledge that this was an improvement, although of infinitely less importance than the law, the honour of which some of our modern writers are so anxious to deprive our glorious deliverer, WILLIAM III. These is little danger of any sovereign on his accession to the throne, refusing to renew the commission of an upright judge; there is no danger of such an arbitrary procedure from any prince of the house of Hanover.

The preacher under this head, refers us to a former sermon preached by him, Nov. 5, 1792, from which he presents us with the following extract.

"I must here beg leave to remind my readers of the glorious revolution, effected by the favor of Heaven, under the great Blacks. Com. Vol.I.p. 266. Ed. 1800.

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