the fruit be in the vines, the labour of the olive fhall fail, and the field fhall yield no meat, the flock fhall be cut off from the fold, and there fhall be no herd in the ftall, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my falvation." Such have been the profeffional labours, in their different appointments and ftations, of the Church of England, in fupporting the laws, adorning the ftate by works of learning, and promoting (as far as their means extend) the public caufe of religion and charity." An Attempt to fhew the Nature and Extent of the Oath of Canonical Obedience, taken by the Beneficed Clergy, in Anfwer to the Remarks of the Rev. JOHN HEY, on that Subject, contained in his late Publications. By JOHN VOWLES, Attorney at Law, one of the Proctors of the Confiftorial Court of Bristol. 8vo. 20 pp. WE learn that Mr. Hey, a diffenting teacher at Bristol, and who feems to be, in a great meafure, the modern Henry Benton or Hugh Peters of the fect, in a flaming harangue delivered on the Faft Day in 1800, brought an indifcriminate charge of perjury against the whole body of Beneficed Clergy. The man was fo extremely ignorant as to imagine that the oath of Canonical Obedience means the fame thing as fwearing obe dience to the Canon Law of England. This drew on a controversy between Hey and the Rev. Mr. Biddulph, rector of St. James's, Bristol and though the error of the former was fufficiently proved, yet fo far from having the modefty, or common honefty, of retracting it, he perfifted in the charge, and even dared to throw it directly in the face of his antagonist. In this difpute, Mr. B. conducted himfelf like a gentleman, a chriftian, and a divine; but the other, like the the fanatics of old with whom we have claffed him: and he has another title to that honour, for, in his fermon, he has broached the fame jacobinical principles which diftinguished the inflammatory orations of those rebels. Mr. Vowles, who is a parithioner of Mr. Biddulph's, enters the lifts in behalf not only of his injured paftor, but of the whole ecclefiaftical body, and he has moft ably repelied the illiberal and malicious accufations of Hey. We have feldom feen fo much legal knowledge brought within fo narrow a compafs, or expreffed in fo plain a manner as is the cafe in this excellent little pamphlet, which well deferves the attention of those who are but flightly acquainted with the conftitution of our church. The Civil and Religious Advantages refulting from the late War: a Sermon preached in the Parish Church of Merfham, in Kent, on the Day appointed for a General Thanksgiving. By the Author of "Thoughts on the Preliminary Articles of Peace." 8vo. 29 pp. THE 66 HE text is Pfalm xcvii. v. 1. The Lord reigneth; let the earth rejoice; let the multitude of the ifles be glad thereof." There are fome good obfervations in the fermon; but, in our opinion, it is rather more political than religious. In touching upon the caufes of the Revolution in France, the author draws a fad picture of the " younger branches of the Royal Family" in that country, and defcribes the nobility there in colours equally unfavourable to their character. What good purpofe fuch a procedure can anfwer, or how fuitable it was, either to the place or occafion, we fhall forbear to enquire. It is fingular to meet with a published fermon mentioning the place where it was preached, but not the preacher's name. If he thought that he fhould be easily known as "The Author of Thoughts on the Preliminary Articles of Peace," he may be miftaken, for we never read that pamphlet.. LIST A LIST of BOOKS PLEA for Religion and the Sacred Writings, addreffed to the Difciples of Thomas Paine, and waveriug Chriftians of every perfuafion: with an Appendix, containing the Author's determination to have relinquished his Charge in the Eftablished Church, and the reafons on which that determination was founded. By the Rev. David Simpfon, M. A. 8vo. pp. 351. Sacred Literature, or Remarks upon the Book of Genefis collected and arranged to promote the Knowledge, and evince the Excellence of the Holy Scriptures. By James Franks, A. M. of Halifax, Chaplain to the right honourable the Earl of Hopetown. The Articles of the Church of England proved not to be Calviniftic. By Thomas Kippling, D. D. Dean of Peterborough, and late Fellow of St. John's College, Cambridge. A Thanksgiving Sermon for the Peace, preached June 1, 1802. By the Rev. in DIVINITY. J. H. Williams, Vicar LL. B. of Welbourn, Warwickshire. A Sermon, preached at the Parifh Church of Wickham, Hants, on Tuefday June 1, 1802, being the day ap pointed by his Majefty for a General Thanksgiving, on account of the Peace. By G. A. Thomas, A. M. Rector of Wickham, and Prebendary of Lichfield. The Inftability of Worldly Power, and the Infufficiency of Human Means: or Divine Providence our only Shield; a Sermon preached at the Parish Church. of the Holy Trinity, Minories, on Tuefday June 1, 1802: being the day appointed by proclamation for a general Thanksgiving to Almighty God for putting an end to the late bloody, extended, and expenfive War in which we were engaged. Publifhed at the request of the parishioners. By Thomas Thirlwall, M. A. Curate of the Holy Trinity, in the Minories, and Lecturer of St. Dun ftan, Stepney. POETRY, ORIGINAL AND SELECT. AN ELEGY ON DR. FRANCIS AT- TER. By SAMUEL WESLEY, A. M. There the wicked ceate from troubling, and there the weary are at reft. JOB. LOVE, ftrong as Death, my glowing heart infpire, And blend the Chriftian's with the Poet's fire; Adorn a Father's fame with pious lays, T'infult the great, the venerable dead; Bright as the fword of Flame that Attend, ye good! whofe zeal unfhaken The churches, altars, and the Prelate's thrones. Ye wife and juft! who hate the devil's pleă, Nor ftoops in danger to defert a friend : tile eyes, Difdain the mean advantage of difguife: Ye pure of hand! whom knaves for idcots hold, Defpifing luftre of ill-gotten gold: Faithful but few! to YOU my ftrains belong, Applaud my friendship, and accept my fong. Hail, happy Sire! The pain of life is o'er, Stranger and wand'ring pilgrim now no And lies defert the monumented clay; Thou ftill thalt live, to deathlefs fame confign'd; Live like the best and bravest of mankind. * Lord Clarendon, X X Where Where fleeps great Hannibal, the fcourge of Rome? Or who can point out awful Cato's tomb? What breathing bufts-what fculptur'd angels rife T' adorn the place where Charles the Martyr lies? No burial rites his impious hangman gave, Not the poor favour of a decent grave. When Anna refts, with kindred athes laid, What fun'ral honours grace her injur'd fhade A fe faint tapers glimmer'd thro' the night, And feanty fable fhock'd the loyal fight. Tho' millions wail'd her, none compofed her train, Compell'd to grieve, forbidden to complain. How idly fcornful the contempt exprefs'd, How mean the triumph o'er a faint deceas'd! So when Death's bloodieft paths the Martyrs trod, To confcience faithful, firm to Heav'n and God, Th' infulting foe their bones, to duft calcin'd Gave to the flowing ftream and flying wind. Vain was the tyrant's art, the demon's vain, In heights, in depths, their atoms fafe re main: Heav'n views its treasure with a watchful eye, Till the last trumpet calls it to the sky. Nor more can pow'rs infernal strike with dread The foul when living, than the body dead, Where grace, divine, with native courage join'd, Infpirits and exalts the Chriftian's mind. When hapless James, with rage untimely fhown, For Rome's ungrateful Pontiff rifqued his throne; And boaftful Jefuits hop'd our fall to fee, Careless of mighty foes and feeble friends; caufe. So when brave Luther ftemm'd Corruption's tide, With Zeal, and Truth, and Confcience on his fide, Him nor loud threats nor whispers low could stay, Nor chains, nor racks, nor fires, obstruct his way Refolv'd t'oppose proud Babel's haughty pow'rs, And make Rome tremble thro' her fev'nfold tow'rs. When William reigns, the valiant and the wife, And foes profeft to Prieftly Synods rife, To check incroaching pow'r, the Champion fights For long neglected facerdotal rights. Scarcely the adverfe chief his force withftands, Till rais'd and ftrengthened by imperial hands. Thefet point the labour, and reward affign, Direct the batt'ry, and inftruct the mine; Th' exhaufted war renew with weapons keen, Near tho' in clouds, and mighty tho' unfeen. So the good Dardan Prince, as Virgil feign'd, With Fates and Gods averfe, a war maintain'd Dauntless in flames :-till his enlighten'd eyes Against his Troy beheld Immortals rife; Juno and Pallas lead their Greeks to charge, And Jove overshades them with his fav'reign targe; Neptune enrag'd o'erwhelms the fmoaking walls, And by the hand that rais'd her Ilium falls. Perpetual ftorms his fteady mind engage, Trials of warmeft youth and wifeft age. Whatever frauds to legal craft belong, Mazes of lies, and labyrinths of wrong; Whate'er unjuft in precedent appears, Shaded with darkness of revolving years, Till wrong feems ripen'd into right by time, And age makes theft a venerable crime;(While fond of prefent reft the Rev'rend Drone + Alluding, we fuppofe, to Dr. Atterbury's difpute with Dr. Wake, afterwards Archbishop of Canterbury, and others, concerning the rights and privileges of the Convocation; a controversy, in all probability, privately fomented and encouraged by King William, who, being a Diflenter, might wish to effect an abridgement of that Affembly's powers. Pur His panoply no common vengeance tries, From long-collecting ftores the treafur'd thunder flies. Lightnings thick fhot around his temples glare, Aim'd rightly by the Regent of the Air, Actors were chose, skill'd in hell's deepest plots; Actors, to whom th' Arch-fiend himself allots The very effence of a devil's fin, His rage to ruin, and his craft to win- The fubtleft artift of the fubtleft tribe; Who fpurn'd at tender'd gold, and offer'd pow'r He who by fortune rais'd, is vain of skill; Who laughs at right and wrong, at good and ill; Patron of ev'ry art, in every kind, T'unnerve the body, and debase the mind; Provok'd by virtues of the wife and brave, Of blackeft crimes protector, friend and flave He who with self-importance swells debate, Whofe rancour no revenge can ever fate, Rav'nous for gain, yet loud for commonweal, With party-madness and inverted zeal, groans; While injur'd thousands vengeance just require, Convuls'd like Ætna, ere it bursts in fire; What fecret art, what Machiavellian hand Could turn the torrent no man could withftand? What spell could univerfal wrath appeafe? Could deep amazement bid their tumult ceafe? Unufual objects charm their angry eyes, Amufe the curious, and perplex the wife? No!-Let the weight on Atterbur fall, "Devoted victim to atone for all." So if old tales to illuftrate truth prefume, When Earth wide opening threaten'd ge neral doom, Nor pray'rs nor tears could calm her la、 b'ring breast; Nought but the richest treasure Rome pof, feft, The Demon-Gods pronounc'd avoidless fate, And all Jove's Minifters of wrath and state: In vain their much-lov'd ftores the wealthy bear, Their arms the brave, their ornaments the Perhaps Lord Chancellor Macclesfield. + Sir R. Walpole. What What matchlefs virtue fparkles to their eyes! So Satan view'd the parent of mankind, And felt foft pity melt his ftubborn mind. Unknown remorfe his wond'ring thought employs, He mourns the Eden that himself deftroys. Awhile the fight his curs'd intent remov'd, And, had he not betray'd her, he had lov'd. What alt remains to crown each glorious deed, Such virtues to reward and to exceed? What but to meet unmov'd the judgementday, When all the fcenes of nature shall decay; When penal fire confumes each trembling coaft, And feas coeval with the world are loft; When difcord blends the orders of the sky In wild contufion : 'then to lift the eye Dauntlets and fim, midft ruins to rejoice, When Pow'r Divine its own effe&t deftroys; With gratulations hymn th' Almighty's rod, Strong, not in Nature, but in Nature's God. AN HYMN TO THE CREATOR. HE Mufe has oft in numbers idly gay, TH Sung Beauty's charms, and trifled life (To be concluded in our next.) HIS |