ART. 47. MR. BURKE. A Vindication of the Burke's Penfion. In Reply to Edmund Burke to a noble Lord. Duke of Bedford's Attack upon Mr. a Letter from the Right Honourable Svo. 67 pp. 25. Jordan. 1796. The marrow of this pamphlet, which, after all, has no great vigour or eloquence, feems to be contained within the following paflages. Mr. Burke enquires, "Why will they not let me remain in obfcurity and inaction ?" This writer replies, "I will tell Mr. Burke why they will not because they believe that his late publications have had a confiderable effect in inciting the nation to a war, the most difaftrous and difgraceful, in which this country ever had the misfortune and mifery to be involved; because they fufpect, and upon firong grounds, that thofe publications have led to that alarm which has been used as a handle to rob us of fo many of our comforts; because they behold him belying the tenor of his former life, by accepting an enormous penfion, at a time when the people are bent and bowed to the earth by the weight of fuch accumulated taxation; because they fee, to use his own words, that his operations of parfimony have been attended with the confequences of profufion; because they behold a fevere œconomift funk, degenerated, transformed, deformed, into a fupple penfioner." They who believe the war difaftrous and difgraceful (though it might be the former without being the latter, misfortune being not neceffarily difgrace, though demagogues always reprefent it fo) or that it could have been avoided; or that the alarm was not the genuine feeling of the people from real caufe of alarm, will affent probably at large to Mr. Street's remonftrances. They, on the other hand, who agree to the statement cited from Lord Grenville's speech, that the particular merit of Mr. Burke at this time was, " having oppofed the field of reafon and found argument, to defend the wife eftablishments of our ancestors, in common with all the great men of former times, against the daring inroads of the most pernicious and dangerous principles and doctrines every broached by folly, enthu fiafm, and madnefs," will be likely to think that he deferved a public reward. ART. 48. A Leaf out of Mr. Burke's Beck: being an Epifle to that Right Honourable Gentleman, in Reply to his Letter to a noble Lord on the Subject of his Penfion. By M. C. Browne. 8vo. 63 pp. 25. Walker. 1796. Mr. Burke is told by this gentleman that he fhould think himself "deficient in that particular duty which every good citizen owes his country, did he not take up his pen to deny his affertions." What then are we to fuppofe? has every citizen that thinks with this writer taken up his pen or have many been deficient in their du y? the writers have been numerous, but furely they do not amount to all who have learned to write, on that fide of the question. Mr. Browne, however, undertakes to give the political history of Mr. Burke; and though he certainly does not execute his talk with any favourable pré judice towards the fubject of it, he appears to have collected a great many facts of fome importance to the general character of his antagonist. The pamphlet is written throughout with force and acuteness. ART. 49. Sober Reflections on the feditious and inflammatory Letter of the Right Hon. Edmund Burke, to a noble Lord. Addreffed to the ferious Confideration of his fellow Citizens. By John Thelwall. 8vo. 2s. 6d. Symonds. 1796. 116 pp. If Mr. Thelwall be to be credited in his declaration, and we have not the flightest wish to difcredit it, that he is no fimulator, the prefent pamphlet will recommend him to a much more favourable opinion, among the friends of order and real liberty, than his political life has hitherto appeared to deserve. It is certainly, for the moft part, temperate, and, according to the profeffion of the title, fober. It is well written, and a fpirit of juftice and humanity pervades the whole too generally, we fhould conceive, to be altogether affumed. But if Mr. Thelwall be really the candid man thus prefented to our contemplation, how can he poffibly juftify to his own mind his habit of mifreprefenting the actual government of his country, as if it were a fyftem of oppreffion, and comparing it to thofe of defpotic countries. Granting, for argument's fake, the corruption prevalent in it to be as grofs, and the departure from its effential principles to be as wide, as he would pronounce them, what is there in it that juftifies the use of that tremendous and unmanageable inftrument the populace? If the flate criminals were unjustly profecuted, ftill they were acquitted, and the ftate is vindicated. He exults in the pacific conduct of the multitudes affembled at Copenhagen houfe, &c. Thofe multitudes, befides being fo inftructed for prudential reafons, had, as he himself witneffed, their own internal feelings for confulting their fafety; but though, on feveral occafions (as when the king went to the house) men were certainly collected who had every difpofition to be mifchievous, the truth is, and a truth deftructive of many of Mr. T.'s arguments, that the general difpofition of the people at prefent is to be pacific. They are not oppreffed, therefore they are not tumultous, and the precautions of the legislature have not been directed against the prevalent tendency of the people, but against the partial evils likely to be produced by inflammatory harangues. Mr. Thelwall's favourite fyftem of univerfal fuffrage would produce much more mifchievous difpofition than any evil now exifting. At all events, it is fome comfort that, let what will happen, here is one, at leaft, of the popular teachers who has declared himself, under his own hand, an enemy to injustice and cruelty. ART. 50. Part of a Letter from Robert Adair, Efq. to the Right Honourable Charles James Fox. Occafioned by Mr. Burke's mention of 1S. Debrett. Lord Keppel, in a recent Publication. 8vo. 54 pp. 1796. Mr. Adair thinks that Lord Keppel would have held the fame line of conduct with Mr. Fox, whofe political operations fince the war this tract undertakes to hold up to admiration. Bbb BRIT, CRIT. VOL. VII. JUNE, 1796. DIVINITY. DIVINITY. ART. 51. An Alarm to Britain; or, an Inquiry into the Causes of the rapid Progrefs of Infidelity, in the prefent Age. By John Jamieson, D.D. F. A. S. S. Minifter of the Gospel, Forfar. 12mo. 211 PP. 25. Morifons, Perth. 1795. The profeffed purpose of this tract is, "to take notice of fome things which feem to operate as caufes or occafions of the increase of infidelity; fome of which have a remote, others a more immediate influence." pp. 5, 6. Among the remote caufes, are reckoned Popery, Arianifm, Socinianifm, and Arminianifmm; the laft of which is faid to be connected with Socinianifin and Popery. The next remote caufe affigned is, the modern plan of preaching mere morality, omitting the peculiar doctrines of Chriftianity. Then the author turns fuddenly to that which feems, in truth, to be the main purpose of his book, (and which we little looked for, from fo zealous a defender of our most important doctrines) a violent attack upon the church of England! P. 70. Here we have abundance of declamation against "worldly greatness; dishoneft, and even bonâ fide fubfcriptions of creeds and articles; the practice of many among the clergy; the law of patronage; the relaxation or perverfion of church difcipline; religious tefts for civil offices; ceremonies of human invention in divine worship; and the influence of human authority in matters of religion; with a recommendation of the example of the Conftituent Affembly in France, which made even the bishops and archbishops eligible by thofe only over whom they were to prefide." P. 106. In the remainder of the book there are fome things unexceptionably ftated; but, in general, declamation, mixed with no fmall portion of afperity, predominates over argument. How the common cause of Christianity is likely to be defended with good effect, and the progrefs of infidelity in this kingdom to be checked, by the inceffant repetition of trite objections, not against the doctrines, but fome part of the difcipline of the established church, it is the author's bufinefs to explain. What would be faid of the wisdom of a befieged garrifon, if the feveral regiments which compofed it, inftead of uniting in a vigorous defence, were to spend day after day in criminations against each other, for want of military order, while the enemy was undermining or preparing to ftorm the place? ART. 52. Diboneft Shame the primary Source of the Corruptions of the The object of this difcourfe is to establish the reputation of St. Paul for Unitarianifm! and to reprobate the bulk of the prefent Chriftian church, for the want of it. The fenfe of the apostle's declaration (Rom. i. 16) in Mr. B.'s judgment, is, that he would boast himself in no higher character than that of a difciple of Jefus Chrift, the Crucified Crucified Jerv. In fupport of this opinion he contends, upon the ground of Dr. Priestley, &c. that every doctrine which exalts the character of Chrift, is an artifice of ingenuity to efcape reproach. Mr. B. then draws a parallel between the ftate of Chriftianity, as to this particular, in the prefent times, and thofe of its firft promulgation; and concludes with a profeffion of his motives for undertaking, and the views with which he purposes to conduct the management of that fociety to which he is appointed. The style of this difcourfe is natural, the language temperate and infinuating; and both difcover talents that would do honour to a better cause. ART. 53. Candid Reafons for renouncing the Principles of Antipedobaptijin. By Peter Edwards, feveral Years Paftor of a Baptist Church, at Portfea, Hants. Svo. 192 pp. 35. Chapinan. 1795. The author of this treatife profeffès to have been converted to Pædobaptifm, by Mr. Booth's elaborate defence of the oppofite queftion; and the animadverfions which this pamphlet contains, are principally directed to expofe the fallacy of that defence. Mr. Edwards proceeds with deliberate order through the different parts of his fubject; and, having premifed fome Thefes for regulating the controverfy, and ftated the question with much perfpicuity, difcuffes the arguments for and against, in a manner that evinces at once the acuteness of his reasoning powers, and the justness of his conclufions. ART. 54. An improved Syftem of Logic, and a new Theory of Candour, exemplified in Mr. Peter Edwards's Candid Reajons for renouncing the Principles of Antipadobaptifm; in a Letter to a Friend. 32 pp. 4d. Button. 1795. 12mo. ART. 55. ART. 56. A Defence of Infant Baptifm, its beft Confutation; being a The object of these different tracts* is fufficiently indicated by their refpective titles. In attacking Mr. Booth, the, author of the Candid Reasons, muft doubtless have been aware, that he was attacking the Queen-Bee, and therefore likely to provoke (as he has done) the refentment of the fwarm. The perfonal afperities in which he indulged himself, are the points against which the ftrength of his opponents is principally brought to bear; and it must be admitted, that the language he employs is not always fuch as confifts with the temper of religion and the ends of candid controversy. Befides fome at a penny each, profeffing to demonstrate the right of Abortives to Baptifm, and of Infants to the Lord's Supper, on the principles of Mr. Edwards. Bbb z ART. ART. 57. A Sermon preached on the 8th of February, 1782, a Day of National Humiliation; and again (by the Affiftant Minifter) on Wednejdoy the 25:b of Feb. 1795, the late Day of National Humiliation, to a Congregation of Proteftant Diffenters, in St. Saviour's-Gate, York. 8vo. 32 pp. 1s. Johnfon. 1795. Theological economy has rarely fhown itfelf in more ftriking colours, than in this adaptation of an old difcourfe to a new occafion. Whether any, or what alterations have been introduced into it, in order to accommodate it to the prefent pofition of affairs, and the views of the author, we are not informed. Some particular paffages omitted in the text, and introduced into the notes, feem to indicate the identity of the difcourfe in the feparate ftages of its hiftory. If this be the cafe, it carries with it a fatirical reflexion both upon the nation and their governors; and argues, that, in the writer's mind, we have neither improved in our politics, nor our morals, for the last thirteen years. However we may differ from him on this ground, we cannot deny that his difcourfe is a threwd, and an animated compofition; exhibiting, with a mixture of political diffatisfaction, much originality, piety, and good fenfe. ART. 58. Addreffed to the Public: A Sermon preached at the ParishChurch of Fillognley, in the County of Warwick, on Wednesday, the 25th of February, 1795; the Day appointed by royal Proclamation, for a public Faft and Humiliation, before Almighty God. By James Illingworth, D. D. Vicar. 8vo. 29 pp. 1s. Robinsons, &c. 1795. Plain, pious, and inftructive; proper to be delivered to a congre gation, but hardly important enough to be addreffed to the public. The author is not guilty, as fome are, of confounding all diffenters in one common cenfure; "though there be, he fays, in the nation, a great number of chriftian people, who do not hold in religious communication with the national eftablished church; yet many of them are found in the faith;" men who "fear God, and honour the King," and who are neither enemies to the church, nor to the state." P. 21. The truth is, we fear, that we are at prefent in danger, not from perfons really religious, but from fome who make religion a cloke for their political malice; and who would trample all religion under their feet, as foon as they acquired the power to do fo, by the previous overthrow of our civil conftitution. ART. 59. A Sermon preached at Mellor, Derbyshire, July 1, 1795, to a Friendly Society; and published at their Requeft. By the Rev. Thomas Whitaker, Minifter of Ringway, Cheshire. 8vo. 20 pp. 6d. Matthews, London; Reddish, Manchester. 1795. This is a very plain difcourfe on 1 Pet. ii. 17, abounding rather in exhortation than in argument, but containing much good advice to the humble audience before which it was delivered. The "general observations," at pp. 5, 6, 7, are indeed so very general, that they might as well form a part of any fermon, on any text in fcripture, as of that which is before us. ART. |
