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REVIEW.

"Still pleased to praise, yet not afraid to blame."

ART. I. A Comparative View of Protestants, we deprecate the day

when this large discretionary power" shall be entrusted to gentlemen in the commission of the peace or in holy orders.

the Two New Systems of Edu. cation for the Infant Poor; in a Charge delivered to the Clergy of the Officialty of the Dean and Chapter of Durham, 1811. By That Dr. Bell is a most rethe Rev. R. G. Bowyer, LL. B. spectable presbyter" of the English Prebendary of Durham, and church, we are neither able nor Official. London. Rivingtons. inclined to question. As little 8vo. pp. 18 1811. are we disposed to conceal or ART. II. A Vindication of Dr. colour the fact that Mr. Lancaster Bell's System of Tuition, in a is 66 a professed dissenter." (8). Series of Letters. By Herbert It is not with the men, but with Marsh, D. D. F. R. S. Mar. their comparative exertions, that garet Professor of Divinity, in we are now concerned. Cambridge. London, Rivingtons, Svo. pp. 32. 1811.

"The Madras system," says Mr. Bowyer, (ib.) "was read, talked of with wonder and praise; but the relation of it was soon laid aside, and almost forgotten. The men of the world had all, of them something else to do."

And is it not strange, beyond

In our views of the nature and importance of education, we agree, for the most part, with Mr. Bow yer and we fear that numbers of indigent children are destitute of belief, that if the established its blessings. We doubt, never- clergy, whom, however, he will theless, whether the evil is such as hardly include under "the men to call for a remedy which "must of the world," were then aware of owe its general efficacy to the sanc- the Madras system being particu tion and support of the legislature:" larly calculated for the service of (p. 7.) nor can we approve of the the hierarchy, they did not bring intimation that the object might it into public use? Either they perhaps be best accomplished by had no such persuasion, or they vesting a large discretionary were criminally remiss, in disrepower in the hands of persons garding their convictions. Will whose residence and employments the Official of Durham also inform give them a competent knowledge us, why, in the mean time, numof local peculiarities and exigen- bers of " the men of the world" cies." (ib.) To make education were eager to patronize the Lanthe business of the state, is neither castrian plan of education? requisite nor adviseable: facts shew that the efforts of individuals and of voluntary societies, at the same time that they are safer, are likely to be far more useful; and we confess that, as Britons and

"From this general apathy," he remarks, "two or three individuals must be excepted; and one of them had the merit of first putting the plan in practice in England, and of exh biting its powerful operation in a suburb of the metropolis; on which account, and for

important benefit from his instruction." (ib.)

the additions which he made to it, he these questions receive, every claimed the title of inventor, and soon thing of importance in this concollected a very great number of childtroversy is involved, We suspect ren of both sexes. who received most either the sincerity of the justness of accusations proferied at a late The Prebendary's eulogium on and singular period; a period Mr. Lancaster, will not be sus- when our revered Monarch, the pected of flowing from a partial generous patron of the Lancastrian pen. Yet he ought further to plan, is unhappily, in a situation have excepted from the apathy which forbids him to hear and which he laments, the multitude silence the clamours virtually of persons, of every rank and raised against his patriotism, muname, who countenanced this nificence and discernment.

most deserving man. Upon the 10, 11, 12. Some remarks points originally at issue between follow upon the supreme moment the friends of his plan and those and necessity of communicating of Dr. Bell's, our readers will find their advantage in consulting what has been written by Sir Thomas Bernard, on the one side, and by Mr. Joseph Fox and the Edinburgh reviewers, on the other.

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Ib. and 9. "But objections having arisen from the eircumstance of his Nr. Lancaster] being a professed dissenter, and from disapprobation of some of the additions which he had made to the original system, Dr. Bell was at last vailed upon to quit his retirement, and to organize some large schools, in strict conformity to his own tried plan and from that time forward he has practically displayed its advantages, and with indefatigable zeal and unbounded gener osity, he has devoted his time, his labour and his fortune, to this most important object."

religious instruction to the young. Few objects are dearer to our hearts, However, if Mr. Bowyer proposes to contrast the two systems in this respect, his arguinent, sound as it may be in the abstract, is needless and impertinent.

Were we to judge of the Lancastrian system from the conversation or the writings of its opponents, we should infer that it does not provide for any kind or degree of instruction in religion. Such are the extent and inveteracy of this prejudice, that in a well edited diurnal print, (the Globe of Dec. 19th, 1811.) the Madras system is represented as combining all the simplicity and economy of Mr. Bowyer will permit us to Mr. Lancaster's, while it "emask, what was the interval be- braces, in addition, the religious tween Dr. Bell's retiring to his principle of education." On readbenefice in Dorsetshire, and his ing such language, we are tempted quitting it, in order to organize to ask, is the Bible, or is it not, some large schools?" When was the religion of Protestants? In his scheme first tried in England? the Lancastrian schools, without How long was it before certain exception, the pupils are taught ministers and members of the to read from the Bible, and in church discovered, or thought some the church catechism is also they discovered, in Mr. Lancas- used. If, moreover, the value of ter's system an hostility to our religious instruction can be esti civil and ecclesiastical establish- mated by its efficacy, we may ments? In the answers which take high ground in our recom

mendation of what Mr. Lancas- spicuous objection, we oppose the ter imparts; none of the young single fact that Mr. Lancaster's persons educated in his seminaries press furnished one of the schools having been charged with a crim- in the metropolis with the church inal offence in any of our courts catechism, printed after the manof justice. ner of his own cards. Now, plainly, what is done in one instance, may be done in all and they who require this catechism to be exclusively taught, may thus engraft it on the system of Lancaster, with the same facility as on Dr. Bell's. "This brings me to the consideration So unfounded are Mr. Bouyer's of one of the additions to, or rather fears and insinuations! He apalterations of, the original system upon pears indeed, to be as ignorant of which the person above alluded to, rests this part of his subject as he is

13. After observing that the expence of furnishing the means of religious instruction, is very triding in the schools of Dr. Bell, Mr. Bowyer proceeds in the fol. lowing strain,

his claim to the merit of invention.

And the real and undeniable merit of his having first presented this most useful method of teaching to the ocular observation of this country, by his early, laborious and extensive practice of it, gives him so fair a title to the gratitude and esteem of the public that I enter with great reluctance, on a statement which must imply a censure on any part of his proceedings; but the danger with which, in my view of them, they menace our church establishment, lays me under an mper ous necessity of communicating to you, as its appointed guardians and watchmen, the nature and cause of such my apprehensions.”

Irrational fear magnifies its object: persons under its influence are seldom distinct in their perceptions or conclusive in their reasonings; and it is for his readers to say, whether this be not our

author's situation?

For what however is Mr. Lancaster censured? Whence the apprehended danger? Why truly, the founder of the Borough Road school employs reading cards and tables, and saves the expence of binding and stitching! Therefore, "we must at once renounce all expositions of the church cate chism, and all tracts of a similar length." 14, 15.

inaccurate in another; since to the semicircles in the Lancastrian Schools he assigns a diameter of nine or ten feet, instead of one of less than half that length.

Ib. But contemplating Mr. Lancaster as a dissenter,-and

"The very head and front of his offending

Hath this extent, no more”

"here," exclaims the Official,

new difficulties and dangers arise." Accordingly, having described the situation and duty of dissenters in respect of the educa tion of their own children, he com plains of those members of the established church, who "would volantarily send the children of the poor by hundreds to be edu cated by dissenters, or at least under the effectual controul of a dissenter." (16).

In his statement he is right, but faulty in his conclusion. When churchmen and dissenters unite in without compromising their seve a scheme of general benevolence, ral tenets, it is unjust to say that the children of the poor are educated by dissenters.

To this novel and not very per- yer, "we are to suffer the children of 17. "It seems," observes Mr. Bow

parents belonging to all sects (for our establishment is only treated as one of them) to be admitted promiscuously, &c."

We repeat that we wish such words as sects and sectaries to be disused by Protestants. The

The controversy respecting Dr. Bell and Mr. Lancaster, has turn ed upon four points,-Who is the inventor of the improved system of instruction? Which plan is preferable for simplicity, economy

members of the church should and effect? Which is better appli know, however, that if they apply cable to the uses and wants of the them to dissenters, they may be established church? and--Does Dr. reminded by dissenters of being Bell plead, or does he not, for af. themselves a sect from popery. fording to the children of the poor He, afterwards, makes particu. the means of a thoroughly useful lar mention of Unitarians. Why education?

he distinguishes them, we presume On the last of these subjects the not to conjecture; except it be Professor here employs himself., from his persuasion that no class of Mr. Lancaster, in a letter printed Protestants are more conspicuous in a London newspaper, had for bringing their characteristic charged Dr. Bell with proscribing opinions to the test of the Bible. writing and arithmetic to the chilPerhaps, in the spirit of one of the dren of the lower classes. There orators in the council of Trent, he is certainly a sentence to this effears that in proportion as the Sa- fect in the third edition of the cred Volume is read without the Elements of Tuition, which, howLiturgy, Unitarian sentiments ever, is considerably modified in. will advance.t a subsequent impression; though it is still very far from unexcepti onable. Now Dr. Marsh heavily complains of Mr. Lancaster for not quoting the amended passage.

So little does he himself adopt the reasoning, the principles and the spirit of Protestantism, that his concluding observations in this pa. ragraph are in substance, and almost verbally, the same with those of one of the ablest of the modern champions of the papal claims.

Thus much for Mr. Bowyer. We add a few words concerning Professor Marsh's Vindication.

Alas! We suspect that Mr. Lancaster is not quite so conver sant with various editions as Dr. Marsh. No doubt, he would have done well to pause, and ask, whether the author of the Ele ments, &c. retained, without any qualification, the obnoxious sentiment? On the other hand, Dr. ginal meaning of which may be seen in Bell would hardly have conceded Tertullian's Apology: ch. 3. and in Bp. so much as he still does to the preTaylor's Preface to his Life of Christ, judices of some of the members $34; while the modern application of of his church, had his own better it is well exposed in Dr. Rees's Address, &c. affixed to the second volume of his judgment and feelings been his very admirable Sermons. [M. Repos. guides. After all, the general' vol. v. pp. 85, 137, 193.] merits of the case cannot be affected by any personal altercati

One of these is conventicle, the ori

+F. Paolo's Hist. Con. Trid. 163. (2d. ed.)

Milner's Consecration Sermon, at Birmingham, pp. 15, 29, 34, &c. [M. Repos. vol. iii. p. 618, &c.]

on.

The wisdom and the duty of teaching writing and arithmetic to

ART. III. Conferences between the Danish Christian Missionaries, resident at Tranquebar, and the Heathen Natives of Hindoo. stan, now first rendered into English from the Original Ma. nuscript, by an Officer in the Service of the Honourable East India Company. 12mo. pp. 212. Johnson and Co. 1812.

the poor, are excellently represented by Professor Marsh (14, 15). For the rest, there is nothing in his pamphlet that should detain our readers and ourselves. It contains, indeed, like his Discourse, many assertions without proof; and we perceive that he uses political rather than religious motives to accomplish his design. The cry of danger to the state he repeatedly sounds. Yet Archbishop Secker might have taught tianity. We doubt the moral prohim that "whenever religion comes to be spoken of merely as an instrument of policy, it will no longer be so much as that:"* and he might have Jearnt from observation that the Dissenters are among the most peaceable and industrious subjects of the realm.

The leading members of the hierarchy, have, at length, formed a national society for the instruction of the children of the poor in the principles of the established church. Whatever we think of the time, the manner and the rea. sons of the undertaking, in the diffusion of the advantages of education we ardently rejoice. The rival systems will now be practi. cally at issue: the public will soon have ocular proof which is the simpler, the more economical and efficient. Zeal will be ani. mated vigilance will be increased. But we anticipate a still happier and more important result of the experiment. As we believe that the Bible can make men wise unto salvation, so we doubt not that the religion of the Bible-the religion of Christians and Protestants

This is a religious romance, de. signed to explode orthodox Chris

priety of this mode of warfare,
which may be employed as well
against revealed religion itself as
against any corruption of it; and
which in this instance, however
designed, seems to us to militate
against the Christian faith. We
cannot deny to the author or au-
thors of the work before us the
praise of ingenuity, but we are re-
strained from higher commenda-
tion by an authority to which we
"If a
are accustomed to bow:
man also strive for masteries, yet
is he not crowned, except he
strive lawfully.*"

ART. IV. Christian Liberty. A

Sermon, preached at St. Mary's, before His Royal Highness the Duke of Gloucester (Chancellor of the University) and the Uni versity of Cambridge, at the Installation, June 30th, 1811. By Samuel Butler, D. D. Late Fellow of St. John's College, Cambridge, and Head Master of Shrewsbury School. 12mo. pp. 129. Longman and Co.

An able sermon we expected -will be ultimately promoted from the author and the occasion; even by measures apparently in- but we have been agreeably surauspicious to its interests. N.

* Sermons, vol. iii. p. 5.

prised on finding in Dr. Butler's

2 Tim. ii. 5.

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