of national education, we have many valuable remarks tending to establish the necessity, as well as the propriety, of communicating to the young the blessings of scriptural instruction. The principal objections usually advanced against the plan are briefly stated, and candid ly discussed and the reasoning, in support of a general attempt to improve the intellectual and moral condition of the lower as well as the higher classes, is perfectly conclusive. It is admitted indeed, that we have recently witnessed a considerable increase of depravity, especially among young persons in populous towns; that juvenile offenders have been, within the last three or four years, numerous beyond all example; and that we have scarcely begun to shake off the apprehension of seditious commotions. But to ascribe these evils to the means which have been adopted to extend useful knowledge, and especially religious and moral improvement, is to betray an extraordinary degree of ignorance of the relation of cause and effect. Bishop Latimer intimates, that in the judgment of some persons, the rebellion of 1549 was owing to his sermons against covetousness: but we would hope that such reasoners belonged only to the times of King Edward VI.

"I would ask," says Mr. Hoare, "these two questions:-Is it possible, in the very nature of things, that any attempts made of late years to enlighten the public mind, and particularly to offer instruction to youth on the grand principles of holy Scripture, can be amongst the causes of that apostacy? Is it not, on the contrary, to be hoped, that in proportion as those principles shall be more widely disseminated and received in all their purity, the evils of which we complain shall find their legitimate and effectual remedy.

"In reply to these questions, I cannot but say, in the first instance, that it is the greatest of all mistakes to confound the causes of evil with its accompaniments or consequences; or, in other words, to suppose, because our present departure from good has been attended with CHRIST. OBSERV. No. 222.

a superior enlargement of mind, or been followed by many attempts to give that enlargement a right application, that therefore light and instruction themselves are to be charged, as in part at least, the authors of the mischief. It has pleased the All-wise Disposer to permit a series of events, of late, to take place, which have of themselves tended to a new and untried state of things. He who does nothing in vain, and makes even the wrath of men to praise him,' seems, in the midst of unheard-of trials and vicissitudes, to have called mankind

from their former state of comparative indifference and inactivity; and to have forced them into reflection, and feeling, and exertion. In following this call, it is not to be questioned, but the human mind has passed through a mighty change: and no wonder if, by a neglect of those right and sound principles, which God has furnished for its control, it may have taken the 'turn of a licentious and ungoverned freedom. Distress has been added to other causes of tunities for mischief, have abounded on disorder: temptations, and the oppor-' every side and it is not to be denied," that the depravity of man has seemed to triumph over the goodness and the severity of God.' Here, ther, has been the true cause of our present circumstances; and the improvement of the human mind, and the various attempts made by true benevolence and an enlightened patriotism for its reformation, have been but the consequences—shall' I not say, the happy consequences?—of the disorder complained of.

"I say, the consequences; for it is to this point I would most particularly draw the attention of every reflecting mind. I would observe, that our present disorders were, in their principle, prior to our present endeavours to reform and correct them. If too little success has hitherto attended the wishes and the labours of the best friends of social order, it may be because the poison is of too virulent a nature to be speedily counteracted; or because the remedy has not yet been applied to a sufficient extent; or because some errors may have crept into the mode of administering the cure. But to suppose, for a moment, that to improve the human understanding, and to give it the appropriate food of moral and religious instruction, can of itself conduce to augment and to aggravate what it is intended to remove, is to ad vance a position which may suit with 3 E

indolence, or total inconsideration, but which denies and invalidates our very first notions of connection between

cause and effect. It were as much as to

deny, that the sun has power to fructify, or the rain to refresh our fields, because some unkindly influences intercept their benefit; or some rugged soils resist, for a time, every art of cultiva tion. Shall bad harvests, or barren fur. rows, for ever check the labours of the husbandman? And shall the disappointed hopes-let us rather say, the impatient desires-of the eager philanthropist, pronounce, from their delayed

fulfilment, the inadequacy or the dan gers of sound scriptural instruction No! let God be true, and every man a liar.' Let us most rigidly and conscientiously distinguish between the wisdom of Divinely appointed means, and the opposition arising from the passions, or perverseness of man. Let us who are Christians in more than in name, see, in the principles of our belief, the best, the truest, and (if we await in patience the

event) the surest remedy of every moral evil. Let us believe, and confidently act upon the dictates of infallible truth: The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple: the statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes:

the fear of the Lord is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. Moreover, by them is thy servant warn. ed; and in keeping of them there is

great reward.”

pp. 76-79.

In delivering our opinion briefly of these discourses, we have no difficulty in ranking them among the best which have issued from the press upon this important subject. The principles uniformly maintained in them are the genuine principles of the word of God: and they are enforced with a strength of reasoning, and an impressive earnest ness of manner, calculated to give them their full effect. The main object of the preacher, as it regards the national schools, is never forgotten; but, in carrying forward his design he has introduced so much valuable matter of a general nature, and so happily interwoven with his scheme the great points of

Christian faith and Christian practice, that they can scarcely fail to be welcome to every class of readers who are capable of comprehending the argument, and have any taste for the words of truth and soberness. If they appear to be addressed rather to the higher than the lower classes of society, "they are so," as Mr. Hoare tells us in his preface, "under the conviction that times like the present impressively demand the attention of the higher orders to the grand principles of the Christian faith, as the surest if not the only method of instilling them into the inferior orders, at once by the force of example, and by the diligent pursuit of those means which will then be felt to be necessary for their instruction. Strongly to feel the value of the Christian system, will most ef fectually lead to strenuous endeavours for its promulgation." To the justice of this observation we readily subscribe: and as we think that these discourses are admirably calculated to produce that effect, we trust that they will thus, through the Divine blessing, prove beneficial to multitudes among the poor also, by convincing their superiors of the

real excellence of Christian truth, and of their obligation, in conformity with the sacred principles of Christian charity, to diffuse its influence as extensively as possible.

A Letter respectfully addressed to his Royal Highness the Prince Regent, on occasion of the Death of her late lamented Majesty. By LYSIAS. London: Rivington. 1819. pp. 20.

WE glanced over this pamphlet with much pleasure when it first appeared; but laid it by, with many other of the numerous publications which issue from the prolific press of these kingdoms, not a fiftieth part of which, nor a tithe even of those which have merit, have we it in our power to notice, except perhaps in the meagre acknowledgment of a "List of New Publica

tions." The importance, however, of the subject of this truly "respectful" and well written letter to his present majesty, on occasion of the death of the late queen, has induced us, upon re-perusal, to bring it before our readers, thinking as we do that the more correctly both the court and the public at large learn to feel and act upon the important topics to which it calls our attention, the more stable will be the foundations of national welfare, and the more marked the favour of Almighty God.

We trust none of our readers will have supposed from the title of this letter, that it relates to certain painful occurrences, of which we have lately heard too much; or that we have selected it with a view to agitate questions which we could fervently have wished had never passed the precincts of select family and confidential intercourse. If any of our readers should have surmised such an idea, they will be happy to be relieved from their embarrassment by being apprised that the object of Lysias is simply to represent the high importance of maintaining at court that conspicuous purity and decorum, which characterized the reign of George the Third, and which have justly called forth a large tribute of national acknowledgment to the late King and Queen, and particularly to the latter, as being more immediately the guardian of the honour of her own sex, for her mode of regulating their admission to her royal presence.

The author commences his letter with a few prefatory paragraphs, intended to shew, that far from being an enemy to his royal highness, he had observed with no ordinary satisfaction, his exemplary and decisive conduct on two most important occasions, each of which might be considered a crisis in the life of that illustrious personage, and from which the author confidently augurs an equally laudable decision under the new circum

stances in which the death of the late queen had placed his court.

The first of the occasions alluded to, was in the year 1792, at the time when the effects of the full development of the French Revolution were felt in every country in Europe; and when in England, in particular, a fearful licence of sentiment and language too. widely prevailed, and seemed to derive countenance from the conduct of the opposition party in parliament, who censured the seditious proceedings of the day in language so measured and complacent as perhaps served indirectly to encourage it, while they scrupled not to condemn the measures of government with unmitigated severity.

"With the leaders of this party," remarks Lysias, "circumstances had early habits of connection and confidence. led your Royal Highness to form close They were men of brilliant parts and acquirements; of social qualifications in the highest degree rich and various : they had frankness, kindness, and generosity, at least, they had these qualities in that form and degree, in which they are rather accomplishments than virtues. They were furnished, at the same time, with such powers of dexterous enabled them to recommend the most argument and imposing eloquence, as questionable opinions, and to perplex