state of religion in the world, that Whole paragraphs, and even is, in England, in Scotland, in Ire- chapters, are composed in a man. . land and beyond the British em- ner which would disgrace a stupire! And the work closes with dent of but one year's standing. a picture, such as this pair of his. As the penury of a language occatorians can draw, of the influence sions writers in it to employ harsh of dissent on true religion, on sa images and figures, so the same cred literature, on public morals, effect is often produced by a man's on civil and religious liberty and want either of clear ideas or of on national prosperity. method in arranging them and As it is not the business of re- this is the situation, this the chaviewers to make out a list of errata racter, of Messrs. Bogue and for the publications which come Bennett. Their information also before them, we shall but just ob- concerning persons and events, is serve that the volume presents frequently defective or erroneous: numerous examples of typograph. and in the judgments which they ical carelessness and inelegance. It was, no doubt, the duty of the authors to superintend with diligence the printing of their work: The Honourable Mr. Boyle they yet, glaringly inaccurate them- entitle, 42, Sir Robert Boyle. selves on points of more impor. Dr. Warner, 187, they confound tance, they could not be so sen. with Dr. Warren. They are sible as some of their readers are mistaken in supposing that Mr. to the defects in its mechanical Merivale, 271, was one of the execution. ministers of a congregation at ExThe style continues to betray eter, The Christian name of the two different pens, and, with few late Mr. Kenrick of that city, was exceptions, is not less faulty than Timothy, not Thomas, 273. Mr. that of the foregoing volumes,-is Pierce's surname is still misspelt either ludicrously inflated or ex- [it should be Peirce]. We, sustremely low and coarse*. pass upon some of them they exhibit a deplorable supineness or imbecility of mind. pect that the Mr. Hiot spoken of, 282, as a tutor at Warrington, *The following are instances in point: was really Mr. Holt. Of Dr. p. 4. was honoured to produce (had the Taylor of Norwich, ib. we are honour of producing). 32. "Some satisfied that he was no Racovian, might have foreseen that two geniuses," &c. (viz. Mr. and Mrs. Rowe). 37. diffusion of the gospel in the rural parts (the country places) of the kingdom," 227. "the same perverse logic as [which] would make,' &c. 278. "Three gentlemen of Rotherham, Joshua, Joseph and Thomas Walker, deserve honourable mention the former the first]," &c. insatiable cupidity" (thirst for money. world, excited unutterable anguish," &c. 43. "It could now no longer be said Ib. " to put the great clock of Europe that the history of Dissenters was that back five-hundred years," 214. "the of religion" [Surely they must mean the history of Dissenters exclusively]. 69. This was the ground which had Mr. Erskine and his colleagues occupied in their, secession, would have conciliated to them," &c. 114. "Sandeman blew away with his northern blast the impure mist," &c. 166. " the noncons" (noncon- 319. 66 formists). 201. "the rivers of blood which were shed, and the miseries which were extended far and wide through the "bid (bade] him and his adherents," &c. 346." the Methodist has taken to" [adopted]. And see pp. 284, 319, &ç, &c. 283. We learn on enquiry, that a gentleman stated, 269, to be in the list of Dr. Ashworth's students, was only in his eighth year when that valuable tutor died, and did not enter on his academical course till the autumn of 1784! And we can assure our readers that similar blunders are scattered through the work, nor least in the tables, formed by Mr. Bogue and Mr. Bennett, of the dissenting congregations in the several English counties. They say, 40, 41, of Dr. Sam. uel Johnson: "In prose he has happily taken the precedence of Addison, whose Spectator has much to pollute as well as to divert and instruct." religion is to be supported, and the partiality and calumnies observable in their biographical de lineations. Calvinists, unless the effect of their principles be counteracted by great comprehension of mind and benevolence of temper, will. be prejudiced, of course, against Arminians. What but this prejudice could draw the following portrait of the Wesleyan Metho dists? (392.) the want of competent know. ledge in the great body of their preach. ers, has nourished error and enthusiasm among the people, and too fully justified the heavy censure which has been passed upon this communion, as containing a greater sum of ignorance of the scriptures than was ever found in any body of Protestants since the Re formation." We do not vouch for the accuracy of the picture: sects better known to the historians, are as much distinguished as the Arminian Methodists by "ignorance of the scriptures.” With some encomiums on the Particular Baptists is mixed a condemnation of the Antinomianism which certain of their ministers are here said to have encouraged. As to the General Baptists, it is the natural consequence of their departure from evangelical sentiments, that they are charged by these writers with a want of piety. that no SandeWe suspect, too, manian would recognize as strict, ly just the view presented by Messrs. Bogue and Bennett of the religious body so denominated. wonderful. That reputed Socinians find no quarter at their hands, is nothing Of these they frequently speak in the spirit which I am holier than thou,' frequentexclaims, Stand by thyself, for ly with the rancour of little and memory of a worthy man and to ungoverned minds, and as often the feelings of a most exemplary with the arrogance of conscious relict. Mr. Berry, ib. and 261, infallibility. The party zeal of the has now retired from the stated historians, even loses sight of services of the ministry, in conse truth, and (257) falsely ac- quence of his infirm bealth. cuses one Unitarian writer of Concerning the late Mr. Robins, recommending without a blush 269, 270, who was visited, for the pious pleasures of the play- many years, with a similar afflic house on a Sunday," and ano. tion, more might have been said ther of "despising prayer as nu. with truth, propriety and benefit. gatory." Such are the artifices On the fidelity of the Rev. John and the slanders by which they Horsey of Northampton, in the hope to captivate the prejudices discharge of his duty, when he and strengthen the bigotry of was a theological tutor under their ignorant admirers! To the Coward's trustees, a most ungeopinions of Arians and Socinians 'nerous and unfounded suspicion the catch-word heresies is lavishly is, in this work, attempted to be applied by these authors: Arians thrown. The calumny met with and Socinians themselves they a compleat refutation in the stigmatize as heretics. Among Monthly Magaz. Vol. VI. 318the absurdities to which human 320. VII. 16—19: and more weakness gives birth, none, sure. respectable students than those ly, can be grosser than the use of whom Mr. Horsey educated, nethis language by Protestants and ver adorned any dissenting acaDissenters. To hear it, gratifies demy within the circle of our pera particular class of unbelievers, sonal observation!” and furnishes a triumph to the Romanist: while to men who really understand the principles and genius of Nonconformity it is insufferably disgusting. Our historians remark of Mr. Micaijah Towgood that "he gave lectures in the academy [at Exeter] on biblical criticism, for which his learning and judgment, The classical attainments and though not his orthodoxy, emithe taste of the late Dr. Thomas nently qualified him.” (272.) HiGibbons, 259, were not perhaps therto, we had been taught, by of the highest order. But his the lessons and examples of such style was elegance itself compared men as Griesbach, Michaëlis and with that of Mr. Bogue and Mr. Porson, that " biblical criticism” Bennett: and he uniformly be is perfectly independent on religi haved to persons of all communi- ous systems, whether orthodox or ons with the courtesy of a gentle. heretical. But this, it seems, is man and the affection of a Chris- not the judgment of those accom tian. Admitting that Dr. Daniel plished and Protestant_divines Fisher, 260, was "extremely Messrs. Bogue and Bennett! unpopular as a preacher," still When they go on to say (273) there could be no necessity for that the progress of Mr. Kenhis unpopularity being recorded rick's mind shews the tendency by these writers: delicacy would of what are called moderate prinhave paid some respect to the ciples to Arianism, and thence to Socinianism, on the utmost verge portion of their respectability. of Deism," they assert an un- It is only inferior to that to which blushing falsehood. At York every thing is inferior, the charity (286) the number of the students which never faileth, ardent love has increased through successive to God, to the Saviour and to years, and at present (Sept. 1812) mankind: and we can inform inuch exceeds twenty. Mr. Bogue and Mr. Bennett that "the aims and professions" of the excellent seminary in the north which is supported by Dissenters of the Presbyterian denomination, are more than nominal. 299. Generally speaking, we differ from the writers in our opinion of the nature and the mode of the education which should be given to candidates for the ministry. may hope that bigotry will lose ground and be discountenanced. A familiar and correct acquaintance with the best productions of Greece and Rome, is, in particular, so admirable an instrument, in judicious hands, of carrying on scriptural studies with advantage, that we join in Mr. Wakefield's regret at the indifference with which this object is regarded in most of our academies. Messrs. Bogue and Bennett, we may well suppose, are forgetful that a tole. rable master of those languages, possesses great facilities for the attainment of others. 301-304. In one point we agree with It affords us pleasure to see an them: we decidedly prefer small intimation that classical and sciacademies to those which are large entific knowledge is more encouand splendid. They better suit raged in some of the Independent the circumstances of Dissenters academies than it was at former and their ministers, and are far periods. In proportion as it is more friendly to the ends of disci- diffused among the pupils, we pline and study. Yet these historians, though, apparently, they view this subject in the same light with ourselves, intimate, not very consistently or rationally, the ex. pediency of attempting the establishment of something like a dissenting university. 308, 309, 310. We cannot look with so favour ble an eye as they do on minis. ters who ascend the pulpit without preparatory instruction. On the whole, nevertheless, they plead for such instruction, and wish, we presume, to be considered as alike inimical to a half education and to one which is costly and fimished. Among the bulk of the "Theology" say they (305), Dissenters the danger is on the may be pronounced the forte of former side. This is sufficiently dissenting students." If indeed proved by the style and tone and we should take indiscriminately a character of the present work, given number of undergraduates at and by many of the facts which the university, and, in the same it records or at which it glances. manner, an equal number pf ju. Sound learning is so intimately nior students at our academies, connected with free enquiry, and it would be seen, we believe, that therefore with the interests of re- the latter are more conversant ligion, that when nonconformist with the scriptures and with books ministers cease to cultivate and of systematic theology. Even the possess it, they will lose a great scriptures, however, are not read 1 to sufficient purpose by the pupil, cred volume, while two years are are "Of the three years to which the course of instruction is limited, the two first are occupied with lectures on the principles of Christianity, and the last with lectures on the sacred books. During the whole time Latin, Greek and Hebrew are studied, and instructions are given in geography and astronomy, on language and composition, on Jewish antiquities, ecclesiastical history and the pastoral office." There is some justness in the following observations, 307, 308: "Whether it arises from the earlier the students from the dissenting aca- But whence does the defect proceed? Chiefly from that superficial communication of literary and theological instruction which characterizes many of our dissenting seminaries. Let not Messrs. What does this tutor mean by Bogue and Bennett charge upon "the principles of Christianity" the pupil what is mainly attribu if not the principles of Calvinism? table to the superintendant and Allowing him then to consider the tutor. them as identical, we have before One of their favourite topics, us his admission that only one is the decline of Presbyterian year is devoted to any thing like congregations, especially in the a critical examination of the sa- metropolis. In recently looking |