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defended by an armed and disciplined population, and the sovereign is at liberty to employ what was before called the regular army in any way he pleases: since not a part of it will be required for garrison service or for the interior of the country.

The sword may thus be sent through the earth. To what part it will be first directed, time must discover. Rumour says Russia will be the object or Sweden, and it is not likely that an ardent mind will be long idle, when he has such an instrument to wield at his discretion. He can now double his armies in Spain, and the only check upon his designs will be the difficulty of providing for his troops. Wherever there is money and provision, thither will they direct their their steps where the carcase is, the eagles will be gathered together.

The plan grand in conception, and is highly extolled by the French orators. Future orators, poets, and historians will emblazon it, and the unthinking multitude will dignity with heroical titles him whose object is universal dominions, and whose means of attaining it are force and warlike skill. How different are the kingdoms of this world from that of the lamb! What a contrast between the outward splendour of a warlike sovereign at the head of immense armies and the humble Jesus with his twelve associates, destined to proclaim good tidings to all nations and languages! He, who admires the one cannot love the other and they who aim at the honours of the two different kingdoms, must pursue opposite lines of conduct, and expect different rewards.

France has seized upon Swedish Pomerania; and Sweden has been contented hitherto with simply protesting against the violence of the action. No where has the sword been drawn to oppose the French. The pretext of France, is to support its measures with respect to commerce; the result might be thought to be the junction of Great Britain and Sweden, to prevent farther aggressions on the latter, By such a conduct, Sweden itself will be safe from attack, since the French will have no means of entering the country but by a tedious march round the Gulph of Bothnia, in which the reduction of Russia must be a previous object. This is said to be within the view of the enterprizing monarch, who seems to have no just complaint against the Autocrat; yet what

will not ambition do, and who is to set bounds to a conqueror ?

The armistice between the Turks and Russians is at an end. More bloody batties may be expected on the Danube, and the two powers at war do not seem to be aware of the dangers that threaten them from their mighty neighbour. Constantinople is as easily to be attacked as Petersburg, and the march to the one is not more difficult than to the other place. The pride of Buonaparte may be flattered by erecting his eagles, where the crescent now predominates and his sçavans will flatter him on the title of the Restorer of Greece. To speculate on such a man's conduct seems to be idle; it is sufficient only to say, that wherever he orders his troops to march, devastation accompanies their career: but the Greeks cannot be worse under a French than the Turkish yoke. The time is approaching for the overthrow of the Mahometan superstition, and Buonaparte may be a great instrument in the hand or Providence to effect its destruction.

We hear nothing of his pretended Holiness the Pope, and the future state of his church remains to be developed. At any rate, he is not gone back to Rome, nor is he likely to see again that seat of fraud and delusion, which, cleared of its monks and priests, begins to wear the aspect of useful industry. In Sicily, the old superstition remains, and the revolution in its politics does not affect it but we trust, that it will be attended with the free exercise of the Protestant religion in that country. One instance of our intercourse with that island has transpired in the conversion of the eldest son of an English peer to the popish religion; but whether the same spirit has infected our army, we do not know. We hope, that the Bible Society will not however lose the opportunity of conveying the treasures of sacred know. ledge to that benighted co ntry and, if some missionaries were also sent to it, we should think them much better employed than in the east. How far the government of the country is improved by our interference cannot yet be ascertaineu: but a sound policy might make the intercourse between Britain and Sicily very advantageous to both countries.

From Spain noth ng encouraging to the views of the adherents to the old system has appeared. The French continue to consolidate and to increase their

power; the English confine themselves estimation, even with the favourers of

to the preservation of fortugal or a slight hovering over the fron iers of Spain and the Regence at Cadiz regulates with its little senate the district of the Isla, and receives occasional di patches from the distant colonies which are willing, or from governors who are able, to communicate with 1. There is every reason to believe that Mexico is lost to the mother country. As to the Caraccas, their independence is not likely to be shaken, and Buenos Ayres is so far from coming back to its allegiance to the mother country, that we are more likely to hear of a war between this settlement and the Portuguese Brasilians. This latter power had the imprudence to interfere in the dispute between the Spaniards on the opposite banks of La Plata, which will end probably in a rooted hostility between the two governments; and future historians will talk of the nhabitants of Buenos Ayres and the Brasils qeing formed by nature to cut cach others thro ts, as in these days it is pretended by absurd writers, hat such is the situation of the French and English. At home, the great topic of conversation, and subject of some debates in Parliament, has arisen from the Let er of the Prince and the refusal of the opposition to come into power. Public writers have descended into personal res upon thr occasion which ca not be too much reprobated, The character of the Sovereign is not to be brought into contempt and the calamity that has befallen the na ion, might have been a lesson of awe to those, who take such liberties with his representative. In both houses, however, the minister has been triumphant, and the strength of the parties will be seen in the approaching det ate on the Catholic question. The number of votes will not however be an absolute criter o 9 as many who support the ministerial ide in general, may on this occasion exercise their own judg ent and discretion, and favour the cause of a more enlarged toleration. Ireland seems to be unan mous nearly in its petition, and, as the people of Great Britain do not express their disapprobation of it, we cannot conce ve that any danger, considered merely in a politic and still less in a religious point of view, could arise from Ca holic emanc pation

In the house have been several debates, and it is with pleasure we perceive that milit ry floggings to the extent of a thousand lashes, grow less and less in

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that species of pankhent. The views of the parties ha e been unfolded in speeches referring to the Prince's Letter, but the silence of the Marquis of Wellesley has disappointed the public. Ireland has, as usual, afforded a topic of debate, but great preparations are mak ing for the grand question of Catholie emancipation, to come on the 17th. The favourers of it are supposed to amount to upwards of two hundred and fifty members, in the House of Commons, but how many will be brought into the field is uncertain: at the same time, it is imagined that the minister will find great reluctance in his troops, for many will vote against him, and many will stay away. The issue of the debate is thus made more interesting, and it is far from being absolutely certain on which side it will be carried.

of law on a subject, which cannot easily A trial has taken place in the Courts be made a matter of argument in such a piace. We have the account of it from the public papers, and if it s properly reported we stand in the peculiar suation of differing from prosecutor, derendant, judge and jury upon this occasion. The Attorney General filed his internation against the defendant for puolishing a blasphemous and prophane libel on the holy scriptures, in other ords, for denying the Christian religion-asserting that the holy scriptures were from begining to end a fable and an impo-turethe apostles liars and deceiver-placing the history of Christ on a level with the legends of the heathen mythology. The Attorney General is said to have observed, that the object of the book was to lay the axe to the very root of religion, and this mistake seems to have pervaded both his mind and that of the judge, for the auther did not intend to root out religion, but a peculiar mode of it, which he apprehended to be false. In consequence of this mistake, his speech appealed to the passions and feelings, not to the reason of mankind. tion from Judge Hale, that Christianity His quotais parcel of the laws of England, led also make part of any worldly laws; it is to mistake: for Christianity cannot founded upon love, and not one of its precepts can be sanctioned by temporal civii magistrate may be member of a authority or temporal punishment. A Christian community, but in that community his authority ceases: all are brethren, held together by the law of

the temple; and in what manner did he treat his opponents Not by reviling again; but by patiently suffering whatever they chose to inflict. And if our Saviour could endure such contumely thrown upon him, his disciples must vindicate his religion by patience, by forbearance, by love, by the best arguments urged in the gentiest manner. If the infidel reviles us, let us not revile again. The judgment belongs to God, and the ark of the covenant cannot be sustained by the powers of this world.

Another circumstance ought to be taken into consideration. Missionaries are now sent from this country into heathen lands, to convert the natives from idolatry, their established religion, to Christianity. The conduct of the Societ es, that subscribe for the support of these missionaries, and the patience and courage, and magnan mity, of the persons sent, are matter of general approbation.

love, and no one can exercise lordship stirred up the multitude against Christ over the other. The Attorney General for blaspheming religion, and reviling however allowed, that the disputes of learned men on controversial points were not to be included in his list of punishable crimes, and the interpretations of the orthodox might be called in question, withou danger of being an imputed libeller on scripture The defendent read his defence, in which he treated the scriptures with such little reverence, that the judge gave him repeated admonitions, saying he did not sit there to hear the Christian religion reviled-that the defendant was not to defame religion-but at last, upon mature deliberation, gave up the point, and left the defendant to read what he pleased, who concluded his paper with a hope, that he had satisfied bot judge and jury of the falsehood of the scripture. The judge stated the defence to be from beginning to end a tissue of opprobium and defamatory reviling on the Holy Scriptures, and it could not be endured, that whate er might be the practice in America, religion should be calumniated and abused. The defendant was found guilty, and on the notion of the Attcrney General, was committed to prison. Dffering in opinion, as we do, from the defendant, it cannot be imagined, that we would take his part as favourers of his argument. These we hold tnuch cheaper than his prosecutor, or his judge, or his jury: and if the Christian religion could make its way against the efforts of power, and the skill of the most learned, we cannot see, that it was likely to suffer in the least from so trifling a publ cat on. But we are sorry for the prosecution, because it gives occasion to the enemies of our faith to blaspheme. They will say, that we use the arm of flesh, which is positively excluded by Christ, because we cannot defend ourselves by argument. Let us put the case, that the question were reversed, and that an infidel Attorney General had brought an action against a Christian for writing in de ence of the scriptures, before an intidel judge and an infidel jury. The detence of las opinions would be cons dered by them as an aggravation of the orence, and the attempt to convert them, a: an insult upon their understandings. The arguments of the book, and of the defendant, require, if they are answered at all, the coolness, the patience, and the in egrity of a true Christian and nothing is gained by an appeal to the passions. The high priests

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The imprisonment of these missionaries is deprecated; yet with what justice could it be complained of? The heathens may retort upon us : "You imprison those who revile the established religion of your country; how then can you expect, that we should treat with respect the men who revile the established religion of our own country? Either permit your religion to be freely canvassed at home, or do not attempt to send your people to disturb our faith. You assert that your religion is from heaven, we assert the same of ours. If yours is from heaven, surely it can not stand in need of chains and imprisonment to support it."

The Lancasterians have had another triumph in the metropolis. A meeting wa h id for the wards of Aldersgate, Eassishaw, Coleman Street, and Cripplegate, and for the pa.ish of St. Luke's, in which it was agreed to establish a school, for a thousand children, on Mr. Lancaster's plan, without regard to the sect to which they may belong, the committee for conducting it to be selected in equal numbers from the members of the established sect, and the dissenters from it; and the clergymen and dissenting ministers in the d. tr ct are to be honorary members of the institution, The children to attend that place of worship which their parents or guar This union of dians assign to them. the sects cannot fail of promoting christian knowledge and christian charity, and

it is a great satisfaction to learn, from all quarters, that a liberal spirit is now pervading the community in general, that men begin to be more attached to the scriptures than to the factions raised upon them, and that the name of Christian begins to be more honourable than that of Calvinist, Lutheran, Methodist, Church of England, or any other denomination of party, which has too long torn in pieces the Chr stian Church.

The pseudo-national society for the education of the poor in the principles of the established sect, has published another Address to the public, framed at a meeting, at which were present two archbishops, eleven bishops, four lords, five esquires, and six clergymen. The chief object is to shew its friends that the scheme is coming into action, that evera schools are forming, and schoolmasters are wanted, who are exhorted to become candidates, upon the following qualincations. "No one will be treated with, who does not bring full and satisfactory testimonials, from the minister, church wardens, and principal inhabitants of their respective parishes, that they are members" of the sect established by law, "and profess its doctrines and principles; that they have been in the habit of attending their parish church, and are of irreproachable moral conduct."

The subsc.iptions, we have observed, are very numerous and great, but trifling, compared with the object aimed at, and the society seeins to be of the same opinion with us. For the Address states,

that "the sums which have been so liberally sub cribed by the original friends of the institution are not likely to do much more than to establish and maintain those schools, which the society itself has resolved to open in the metropolis." A more general and extended supports therefore called for, in which they say, "the best interests of the established religion and constitu tion of this country are so deeply involved," and they recommend to the parochial clergy in the metropolis and its neighbourhood to exert themselves. We are not surprised, that the established religion and con-titution are hooked together in this address; but the cry will no longer do. It might serve very well, when the members of the established sect bore a greater proportion to the population of the united kingdom, or when, speaking of England and Wales, they very much outnumbered those of a different persuasion. But that time is gone by. The members of the established sect have more landed, but less monied and commercial, interest than those of the other sects and, if we were to weigh its influence by the class to whom the gospel was first preached, this is very sight and rapidly dim nisfing. It is a matter of no consequence to the constitution whether a single mai attends or not the meetings of the established sect. The only difference is that, if the secession should be general, and each sect provide for itself, the country would not be embarrassed by their rivalships,

CORRESPONDENCE.

Being frequently unable to bring into our pages even a very narrow list of books, we shall endeavour in future to supply the place of that article, by an early Review of all publications, which fall within the scope of our work. We request that books, of which a notice is desired, may be sent to us, on their first appearance.

Our Coseley and Bridport correspondents, will see that the subject of their valuable communications is taken up in the present No.; and perhaps they will agree with the Editor, that this is one of the very few cases, in which serious argument would be misapplied.

A respectable correspondent from Chesterfield, solicits some account of Le Clerc, the friend of Mr. Locke.' We are disposed to enforce his request: and should, indeed, be glad to receive well-written, concise Memoirs, not only of Le Clerc, but also of those eminent contributors to Biblical learning, Erasmus and Grotius. There are, ikewise, some English divines and scholars of whom we wish to give an account; Dr. Conyers Middleton, Dr. Caleb Fleming, Dr. Richard Price, Dr. Harwood, Mr. Moore, author of a pamphlet ou our Saviour's Agony in the Garden, &c. &c. Memoirs, or hints for Memoirs, will be peculiarly acceptable.

All Communications for this work are requested to be addressed [post paid] to the Editor at the Publishers', Messrs. Sherwood and Co. Paternoster Row; where also Advertisements, Bills for the Wrapper and Books for Review are received.

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Birmingham, June, 5, 1809.* tell a tale of a taylor of a village

SIR,

in Devonshire, whose intellectual The biographical department pursuits were not less conspicuous: of your instructive miscellany is and though they did not, like those not the least important, in point of the former, consist in the acof utility and entertainment. But quisition of the dead languages, I see no reason, why it should be were more calculated to enlarge limited to the characters of minis- the mind and form the Christian ters, as I think it has hitherto character, and were, actually, been. The memoirs of those who united with distinguished moral have appeared in obscure and excellence, sound judgment and humble stations, though they useful exertions. My narrative is may carry with them less éclat, short and consists of but few parwill not be destitute of interest. ticulars. But the letters annexed On the other hand, they will afford to it, will shew the man; and if examples more adapted to general I mistake not, exhibit a portrait, initation. Permit me then to drawn by his own pen, that is cal afford a sketch of this kind. The culated to please, to raise esteem classical Mr. Spence, 52 years and excite emulation. since, exhibited a detail of the learned attainments of a taylor in Buckinghamshiret. Allow me to

* On reviewing the date of this interesting communication, we feel it necessary to apologize to Dr. Toulmin and our readers, for having so long kept it back. The present enlarged size of our work will, we trust, prevent any similar delays, in future.

ED.

A

I am, Sir,

Respectfully Yours, JOSHUA TOULMIN. Memoir and Four Letters of Mr. Bartholomew Hoare, a Taylor, at Musbury, near Axminster, Devon.

The Four Letters here offered to the public eye, will give the reader a just idea of the talents, disposition and character of the

† In a piece, entitled "A PARALLEL; in the manner of PLUTARCH; between a most celebrated Man of Florence, and ONE, scarce ever heard of, in ENGLAND. Writer. By the Reverend Mr. Spence." First The First affords a general view printed in 1757, and re-published in of the principles on which he sepaPIECES. By several Authors. Printed rated from the Church of England. for R. and J. DODSLEY. It was written in vindication of 2 E

1761, in the 2d Volume of FUGITIVE

VOL. VII,

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