availed himself; though on such an occasion, and with such a subject, we must own that we expected greater proofs of care and labour than are to be found in this Sermon. The division is neat, and such as the text naturally suggested; the two following points of consideration being drawn from it, namely, the important fact which it states, and the pattern it recommends. Mr. Simeon has dwelt chiefly on the second head of the discourse; but being sensible that that must derive its force principally from the consideration of the exalted character of him who has set us the pattern, his equality with the Father is explicitly stated, and confirmed by some decisive quotations from Scripture. The author then proceeds briefly to consider the humiliation of the Son of God, in assuming our nature with all its innocent infirmi ties, and in submitting to the death of the cross, for the expiation of our guilt. The powerful motives which this wonderful fact furnishes, to influence our conduct towards each other, apply with peculiar force to such cases as have the everlasting interests of naukind for their object. Mr. Simeen, therefore, proceeds to set before his hearers the obligation, under which a Christian is laid by his Saviour's example, to compassionate the state of the heathen word; and to be willing to make self-denying exertions, and to submit to privations, and even to suffering, in order to promote the everlasting interests of his fellow-creatures. To enforce these duties, Mr. Simeon endeavours, and with effect, strongly to impress upon the mind what would have been the condition of the whole world, had not the Son of God inter posed to save us. He exhorts us, likewise, to consider how greatly we are indebted to the benevolence of our fellow-creatures, for the knowledge of salvation. In pursuing this thought, the preacher has, with great address, adverted to the zeal of that Missionary who first visited our island. "We forbear," says Mr. Simeon, "to notice the kindness of the Apostles, we will rather advert to an instance more immediately parallel to our own case. For many centuries Christ. Observ. No. 12. after Christianity was promulged, our ancestors were bowing down to stocks and been, had not some pious Christian come, at stones; as we ourselves also should have the peril of his life, to bring us the glad tidings of salvation. Suppose he had argued, as we are apt to do, What can I do among that savage race? There are people enough of my own country to occupy all my care; without encountering all the difficuties, and and I may fulfil my duty to God among them, exposing myself to the dangers, which I must expect to meet with in such an undertaking. How awful, in that case, would have bee our present condition! O Christians! think of all that you enjoy in Christ Jesus, your present consolations, your future prospects; think of these things, and say, I owe all, under God, to him who first set his foot on our inhospita bie shores, to shew unto us the way of salvation: his example stimulated others; and on the tops of the mountains, has grown up like the woods of Lebanon, or the piles of grass upon the earth' Blessed, for ever blessed, be God for his labours of love! Who can tell then what may arise from the labours of We may not see very extensive benefits in one society, or even of a single individual! our day and probably this was the case with respect to him who first visited Britain could he now behold from heaven the frul of his labours, how would he rejoice! Would he think that he had exercised too much selfdrnel or patience, or diligence in the cause of God? Would he repent of his exertions } Would be not ther repent that he had not stepped forward sooner, at d been more earnest in this blessed work? Be ye then in earnest, my beloved brethren" (p. 130, 131 ) thus the handful of corn that was scattered But Our Saviour's favourable acceptance of every endeavour to extend his Gospel, and the absolute necessity of our having within us the same mind, which was also in Christ Jesus, are the remaining considerations by which the preacher endeavours to excite his hearers to contribute to this excellent institution. The Report annexed to the Sermon, has already been inserted in our work, (see No. VIII. p. 540,) which supercedes the necessity of our giving any account of it in this place. The pages of this pamphlet are made. to follow in succession those of the first Anniversary Sermon and Report, an arrangement which we are informed is to be continued in the future publications of the Society, till the number is sufficient to form a volume. We much approve of this method; and we trust that the series will in time furnish an 5 K useful body of instruction, for the assistance of those, who, either as Directors or as Missionaries, may be engaged in the propagation of the Gospel. May the blessing of the great Head of the Church, attend and prosper all such pious undertakings! LXV. The Evidence and Design of Christianity considered, in a Letter to a Gentleman. London, Rivingtons and Hatchard. 1801. pp. 58. clothing the officiating ministers in costly to account for the reception of that kind of religion which people must submit to, in order to save their lives.” (p. 10.) This idea, that the Mahometan faith was spread by the sword only, however common, is not altogether just. Bad as that imposture is, it was, perhaps, better than the stupid idolatry of heathenism, or the base corruption of Christianity inflated with pomp, pageantry, and pagan ceremonies, which almost universally prevailed in the eastern empire during the seventh century; and multitudes, who entertained no fear for their lives, readily embraced it as a considerable reformation. It CHRISTIANS in every part of Europe have seen, with mingled emotions of The objection which naturally arises, sorrow and alarm, the rapid increase that Mahometanism had been propagatwhich infidelity has made in a period ed even with greater celerity than of short duration. Writers of distin- Christianity, had been before stated. guished reputation, have laudably ex-It requires no miracle," Mr. B. adds, erted their talents in counteracting this fatal delusion, and in defending, with all the force of evidence and argument, Their lathe holy religion of Christ. bours have been useful; but they cannot prevent falsehood from being repeated after it has been exposed, or give patient investigation to those, who would have been too indolent to disbelieve, did not conceit prompt them to object. Still the defenders of Christianity must persevere, if they mean not to yield mankind a willing prey to him who deceiveth the whole world. Their defences, corresponding to the pecu liar objections that are to be answered, will either be elaborate, or popular, or unite the advantages of an appeal to the understanding and the heart. The Rev. Mr. Bean, who has avowed himself the author of this letter, writes to those who are rather doubtful of the truth of revealed religion, than prejudiced against it; his arguments, therefore, are more adapted to satisfy ingenuous minds, than to convince those who will not concede any thing, except to the severity of logical argumentation. The rapid propagation of Christianity by poor, plain men, without any secular advantages, he thinks, attests a divine interposition in its favour. "To what must we ascribe the success of such instruments? Was there any of that fascination in their religious assemblies, which attends a pompous worship? Did the arts assist the cause, by raising magnificent structures for the performance of their rites; by certainly swept away many pollutions of the Christian Church, whose real members it more closely united; and possibly it may prove to be a pioneer for facilitating, in some future period, the progress of that pure religion which is to cover the face of the earth. The sword, indeed, produced its effect; but many concurring circumstances were necessary to render that effect permanent. On the western coast of Africa, the Mahometan religion has been widely extended, by means of schools for the instruction of youth, and in scarcely any instance by force of arms. In producing the direct evidence for Christianity, the author briefly, yet clearly, explains the four rules given by Leslie, in his unanswerable tract "The Short Method with the Deists;" and then proceeds to describe the inte resting process, by which his own mind obtained an entire conviction of the truth and excellence of revealed religion. Lest, however, the reader should suppose, that powers of reasoning are aione sufficient to form a Christian, some important observations are made respecting the disposition of mind, which is necessary to render this inquiry pro ductive of real advantage. The pleader may be anxious to establish a point of law, that he may increase his fund of certain knowledge; but his client, to the same desire, adds a strong feeling of interest. "But permit me to observe, that it is neces" sary that you enter upon this examination with something more than merely a capacity to weigh arguments against each other. Have you any concern of mind on the subject of religion? Have you any serious desire to know where the truth lies? If you bring this state of mind with you to the inquiry, I have no doubt that, in due time, you will not only be convinced of the truth of the Christian Religion, but be filled with admiration at its excellence. Without such a concern, I must confess to you, that I should have little hope of your arriving at any stedfast belief in the Gospel. It is much to be doubted, whether you would persevere sufficiently in that patient investigation, which, through the ingenious subterfuges of infidelity, may be called for in the search after truth. But if with a mind little interested in the subject, you could be made to pursue the inquiry to its conclusion What then? All that could be expected of you would be, to hear you own that infidelity can not be defended. If your heart still remained in a state of indifference toward God, the great purpose of the Gospel Revelation would still be unaccomplished in you The system might be adopted; but it would have no influence. You would believe it; but you would live as if you believed it not. Where Christianity has no moral influence, it confers no benefit on the professor." (p. 26—28.) To unfold the design of Christianity is the intention of the remainder of the letter. And if to explain the most important doctrines with perspicuity, to answer weighty objections with candour, and to compress much just thought within narrow limits, deserve any praise that praise is most certainly due to Mr. Bean. He has furnished an excellent manual for youth, who are exposed to the assault of infidel principles; but which may be read with advantage by the Christian for the ex perience which it evinces of real religion, by the unbeliever for its arguments, and by the man of taste for its simple pathos. We shall close our review with one more extract, which we think well worthy the serious consideration of all who are disposed to doubt or disregard the authority of the Bible. Mr. Bean, after noticing the prospect enjoyed by the Christian, of attaining hereafter to a perfect conformity to the will of God, thus addresses his correspondent. "Have you any such prospect? Does scepticism shed any cheerful light upon your path? Do you feel it has any correcting or consoling influence? But let me not weary you with expostulation. There is one interesting consideration I will lay before you, and then retire. It is this; we who believe Christianity go upon surer ground than you who reject it. "Christianity states the consequences of its rejection. This circumstance imperiously obliges us to examine its claims. Here is a scheme professing itself to come from GOD, for the benefit of men; demanding to be received as the rule of life; and declaring, that if it be rejected, misery in a future state will be the consequence. Now it lies upon you who do not receive it, to prove the whole to be a fallacy. Because, if it be true, you are in the greatest danger; whereas we, even if it prove false, shall be no losers by believing it; especially in times like the present, when no material inconvenience attaches to the avowal of our belief. The enjoyments of this life are your objects; our religion does not disqualify us for them By the prudence, temperance, and industry which it inculcates, we are as likely to succeed in this world as you. Here therefore you have no advantage over us. Our faith, indeed, may hinder ur rising to emi. nence, but does not deprive us of the comfort: of life and all the peace of mind it imparts to us, is so much over and above the share we may possess in common with you of the good! of this world. Our religion brings a gloriou immortality into our prospect; with the hope of this, we are refreshed under the labours o life, and supported in those trials of which w partake with the rest of our fellow creatures Thus pursuing the duties of our vocation, ou religion sheds a serene light upon us in th evening of life, and enables us to close ou eyes in peace, in charity, and in hope,-an then to bliss eternal! What infinite gainer are we by Christianity if true!-But what be comes of you? How shall you answer to th great God for your disregard of his authorit your neglect of his gracious counsel, your n applying talents which qualified you for arri ing at the knowledge of his will, to any suc purpose? If all the reasons on which we a be fallacious, they have done no hurt, eith to ourselves or others; nor have you gained any thing by disregarding them, that we have lost. But if true-we are saved, and you perish! "See then, what stands at the foot of the account, on either supposition; and let the conclusion have its due weight with you. You have opportunity to inform yourself; but let me remind you of the short space allotted to some, for the acquisition of knowledge. Uncertain whether your term may not suddenly close, take heed that procrastination do not deprive you of what yet remains of a limited and precarious life." (p. 51-64.) REVIEW OF REVIEWS, &c. &c.* THE two following letters are directed to the cure of the same evil, an evil which we deem to be highly pernicious; and we give them publicity, in the hope that they may not be without their effect, in diminishing the frequency of its recurrence. To the Editor of the Christian Observer. PERCEIVING that you have occasionally censured the heterodoxy of several of the Reviews, and being persuaded that since you oppose bad doctrine, you will be disposed to find, at least, equal fault with bad practice, I have to request that you will notice an evil habit, and, I fear, a growing one, which prevails among some of our periodical publications, I mean that of quoting the oaths and profane expressions which are to be found in the works they review. There are, perhaps, few clearer indications of the existence of infidelity in he heart, than a light mode of treating vhatsoever is most solemn in religion, nd a habit of making profane mention of the name of that being, who ought to e the great object of our reverence. I profess, Mr. Editor, to feel much islike to the playhouse, on account of hose profane, as well as indecent, exressions which occur in many of its ieces; and I have often been astonish1 that grave reviewers, who seem to › zealous on the side of general reliion and morality, should be so insensie to this great objection to the theatre. or my own part, Sir, it is one of my eat objects in life to prevent my chilen, (for I am the father of a large mily), from having their reverence r their God and Saviour, and for all e awful realities of a future world, ninished by their being accustomed hear these subjects trifled with. I vertheless take in some periodical blications, from a desire of rendering my family acquainted with what is passing in the world. I endeavour to counteract, by my own remarks, the erroneous sentiments on religion, which some of these works contain; and I sometimes attempt to shew the connection between unsound tenets, and irreligious practice, by pointing to the profaneness so readily admitted into the works of those moralists, against whom I wish my children to be on their guard; and therefore I admit, that the practical evil, of which I complain, occasionally supplies an argument which is not without its use. The mischief, however, is a very serious one, for I am well persuaded, that the general cause of irreligion and infidelity is exceedingly promoted, by giving to profane oaths that additional credit which they derive from being introduced plainly into print; and I feel an anxious wish, that the Christian Observer may be the means of checking, by its strictures, impiety of every sort. The periodical publication which has suggested these remarks, is the Monthly Review for November last. It is a work of considerable ability, and, in that respect, entitled to the reputation which it possesses. The particular passage in that Review, to which I aliude, is its quotation at the 323d page, from the Comedy of "Folly as it Flies." In giving the character of the piece in question, the reviewer observes, that it is lively and desultory," that it is like the other pieces of the same author; and that it has the same relation to a regular play, which a japan tea-board bears to a picture; remarks, I doubt not, sufficiently just and appropriate. Not one syllable, however, is said to the prejudice of the play on the ground of its abounding in profane oaths; on the contrary, part of a scene is quoted, with apparently unqualified approbation, in which several profane expressions, and some coarse oaths are introduced, without even the ordinary caution of inserting only the initials of the objectionable words. I select this instance to iliustrate my remarks, not because it is more reprehensible than many quotations which have, at different times, appeared, without any mark of disapprobation, in the same work; but because it is recent. I am aware, indeed, that oaths may be said to be so common an embellishment of speech, that they are almost necessary, in order to render playhouse dialogue easy and natural; and that it is the object of the theatre to describe the existing manners. I shall only reply, that the multitudes who use, as well as those who countenance, this kind of language, with find it difficult to prove their respect either for the precept of Christ on this subject, or for the following nearly similar injunction of his apos. tle. But above ail things, my brethren, swear not, neither by heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any other oath; but let your yea be yea, and your nay nay, lest ye fall into condemna S. P. HAVING observed, that a review of reviews forms one part of the plan of the Christian Observer, I take the liberty of troubling you with a few remarks on this difficult, but not the least useful or important, branch of your undertaking. Several kinds of danger appear to me to assail you. There is reason to fear lest, through tenderness for publications deemed friendly to your own, you should keep silence when some occasion calls for your interference; lest also, through prejudice against those which are unfriendly, you should be too ready to give an unfavourable construction of their meaning. There is also no small danger, lest even the fairest exercise of your censorial right should give to your work too much of a magisterial air, and should communicate to your readers a habit, not so much of suspecting or examining themselves, as of criticising others. I hope, Mr. Editor, that it will be your plan occasionally to find fault with errors on all sides; that you will, nevertheless, sparingly indulge in the censure of rival publications; and moreover, that you will yourself sometimes experience a little of the pain of being reprehended, for I am persuaded that anonymous periodical publications peculiarly need that check, which arises from their being known to have a constant eye upon each other. I trust, that after this exordium, I shall not be suspected of any improper wish to lower the general credit of the British Critic, if I offer a brief observation on something in its last number, which appears to me very objectionable. I consider that work as undertaken by persons who are members of the Church of England, and professedly religious, and I respect it, because I am myself a Churchman, and because, moreover, it appears to me to be conducted in a good temper. Surely then I have a right to expect, that it shall be preserved free from every thing which borders on profaneness. I particularly allude to the review in the British Critic for November, (p. 655), of a ballad, entitled, "The Scum uppermost when the Middlesex Porridge-pot boils over." From "this humorous trifle," as it is, I doubt not, justly called, the reviewer has chosed to extract a passage, with which, in my opinion, he ought on no account to have stained his pages. It is a passage in which his Satanic Majesty, to use the reviewer's expression, is introduced as the partizan of a certain Baronet, with such profane levity as must be highly offensive to every pious mind. I will not dwell on the fauit, of which I conceive the British Critic to have been guilty, in relating this particular part of the ballad in question, as a specimen of talents which they say "are constantly employed in the support of social order and established government," and not, at the same time, proceeding to censure its profaneness, further than to say, that I suspect the cause of that evil spirit, against whose "wiles" our Church teaches us to pray, can by few means be more effectually served than by turning his agency into a subject of merriment in ballads; and by introducing that aw |