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ART. XXXI. The Trial of the Spirits, a seasonalle Caution against Spiritual Delusion; in Three Discourses, addressed to the Congregation assembled in Christ Church, Bath. By the Rev. CHARLES DAUBENY, Minister of Christ Church, Bath. 8vo. pp. 73.

THE spirits are the fanatic methodists. Mr. Daubeny puts them all into the scale of the gospel, and as they kick the beam, he exclaims in triumph, «Mene, Mene, Tekel, Upharsin." And what wonder that they will not abide the test, since Mr. Daubeny has proved them descended in a direct line from the devil, who was not only a murderer, but a method st, from the beginning. Do not be startled, Christian reader, behold the proof.

"St. Paul, writing to his disciples at Ephesus, with the view of guarding them against being tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait

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SINGLE SERMONS.

ART. XXXII. The Sword of the Lord: a Sermon preached on Friday, May 25, 1804, being the Day appointed by his Majesty's Proclamation for a General Fast. By the Ree G. H. GLASSE, A. M. Recter of Hanwell, &c. &c. 8vo. pp. 22.

THIS very animated discourse, from the sublime apostrophe of the prophet Jeremiah, (ch. xlvii. 6.) "O thou sword of the Lord, how long will it be ere thou be quiet? Put up thyself into thy scabbard, rest, and be still," is inscribed to the memory of the murdered duke of

Enghien. The preacher draws the usual picture of the present ruler of the French, and exhorts to a vigorous re sistance of his lawless ambition, and of his menaced attacks upon our native land.

ART. XXXIII. War inconsistent with Christianity: a Sermon preached at St. James's Church, Bath, Friday, May 25th, 1804, on the Day of the General Fast; by the Rev RICHARD WARNER, Curate of that Parish. 8vo. pp. 20.

OF a very different complexion from the preceding, is the discourse now before us. "Put up again thy sword into his place, (said our Lord to Peter, Matt. xxvi. 52.) for all they that take the sword, shall perish with (rather, by) the sword." From this and another passage introduced into the discourse, Mr. Warner attempts to prove that Christ has expressly forbidden the practice of war. Refraining from all remarks of a political nature on the effects of war; such as its interference with the external affairs, relations, and economies of a country;" he presents to our view this "foul fiend" as destroying the

charities of natural feeling, and dissipat ing the felicities of private life, corrupt ing the morals of the community, and directly counteracting the principles the gospel. War, therefore, whether offensive or defensive, he asserts, is in consistent with christianity. As the sub ject is of high importance, Mr. Warner invited discussion, and his invitation bas been accepted. Not long after the s cond edition of this sermon, which was called for before the seventh of Ju the following tract appeared, which we cannot notice more conveniently than this place:

ART. XXXIV, A Letter to the Rev. Richard Warner. 8vo. pp. 43.

THIS appears to have been written by the Rev. T. Falconer, who heartily concurred with Mr. Warner upon the subject of Sunday drills, and contributed his assistance in the controversy, which we have already stated to have taken place upon that subject, in the Bath Chronicle. This letter displays much good sense, and fair argument; and if It is not marked by the ardour of sentiment, and vehemence of expression, that prevail in the sermon, it is distinguished

by something much better: cool and
candid reasoning, close and unsophisti
cated discussion of the merits of the very
important question. Besides what will,
in general, we apprehend, be deemed a
very satisfactory examination of the
principles adopted in the preceding ser-
mon, the author of this letter has offered
some advice. which we persuade our-
selves Mr. Warner will gratefully re-
ceive, and carefully follow.
discussion does not end here.

But the

Atr. XXXV. Christianity, a System of Peace: a Letter to the Rev. T. Falconer; in cubich a Vindication of the Subject of the Rec. Richard Warner's Sermon, entituled, “ War intensistent with Christianity," is attempted. 8vo. pp 24.

THE attempt is creditable to the feelings of the writer; but it is, for the most part, the echo of the doctrine that

sounded from the pulpit of St. James's, Bath.

ART. XXXVI. War not inconsistent with Christianity. A Discourse from John xviii. 36. Intended to have been delivered at the Parish Church of St. Augustine, Bristol. By the Rev. J. EVANS. 8vo. pp. 47.

THE text which our preacher has chosen is one of the two passages upon which Mr. Warner lays the greatest stress. "When Jesus Christ, he observes, at the tribunal of Pontius Pilate, made this positive declaration,My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered unto the Jews; but now is my kingdom not from hence;' he set at rest

for ever the much agitated question, of the consistency or inconsistency of war with the Christian religion." Warner's Sermon, p. 17. Mr. Evans has, however, endeavoured to shew, and not without success, that neither this nor any other passage of the New Testament affords a direct prohibition of war, except such as is undertaken for the propagation of religion.

Aar. XXXVII. Zeal and Fortitude in the Christian Ministry illustrated and exemplified. A Discourse delivered at Iluckner, April 8, 1804, on occasion of the Death of the Rev. Joseph Priestley, LL. D. F. R. S. &c. published at the Desire of the Congregation. To which is annexed, a brief Memoir of Dr. Priestley's Life and Writings, and a Letter from his Son, Mr. Jos. Priestley, containing the Particulars of his last Sickness. By THOMAS BELSHAM. 8vo. pp. 61.

ART. XXXVIII. A Sermon preached in the Unitarian Chapel, in Essex Street, London, Sunday, April 15, 1804, on occasion of the Death of the Rev. Joseph Priestley, LL. D. F.R.S.&c. &c. who died at Northumberland in Pennsylvania, North America, Feb. 6, 1804. Published at particular Request. By JOHN DISNEY, D. D. F. S. A. 8vo.

PP. 22.

ART. XXXIX. A Sermon occasioned by the Death of the late Rev. Dr. Joseph Priestley. Delivered in the Dissenting Chapel in Monkwell Street, on Sunday Evening, April 15, 1804. By JOHN EDWARDS. Svo. pp. 47.

ART. XL. A Biographical Tribute to the Memory of the Rev. Joseph Priestley, LL. D. F. R. S. in an Address to the Congregation of Protestant Dissenters, at the New Meeting, in Birmingham. Delivered April 22, 1804, on occasion of his Death. By JOSHUA TOULIN, D. D. To which is added a Letter to the Congregation, by JOHN KENTISH. Both pubished at the unanimous Request of the Socicy. To which are prefixed, The

Resolutions of a special General Meeting of the Congregation, held the 15th of April. 8vo. pp. 40.

ART. XLI. A Sermon preached April 22, 1804, at Mill-hill Chapel, in Leeds, on the Death of the Rev. Dr. Priestley, formerly Minister of that Chapel; published at the Request of the Congregation. By WILLIAM WOOD, F. L. S. 8vo. pp. 45.

THE above are all the sermons that have been published upon the event of Dr. Priestley's death; though we have reason to believe that many more, as might be naturally expected, were preached. These vary much in their particular character, though the object be the same in all.

Mr. Belsham has selected for his text the words of Paul, Acts xx. 24. "But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God." "This, says the preacher, was not an empty boast;" and he proceeds to delineate the character and the conduct of the great apostle of the gentiles, and to shew with what zeal he surmounted every difficulty; with what courage he braved every danger; with what fortitude he sustained every trial of his faith and patience, in the discharge of the important duty of preaching the gospel, to which he had been called; animated and supported by the confident expectation of future felicity. From contemplating the character of Paul, Mr. Belsham passes to that of Dr. Priestley, as from the prototype to the copy. He confines himself to "that view of it which is least attractive to the world, and which is held in little estimation by many who entertain the highest opinion of his literary and philosophical talents and acquisitions; but upon which he himself set the highest value, namely, his character as a Christian minister, and an enlightened, able, and zealous advocate of Christian truth." The delinea tion is performed in glowing colours, and by a very able hand; and if any be disposed to suspect, as many will, and perhaps not without reason, that it is too perfect to be in every line a true picture, let them remember that it proceeds from one who has long been proud to hail the great original as his "guide, philosopher and friend." The imperfections of a guide whom we revere, and a friend whom we cordially love, are sometimes thrown into the same dark

shades that conceal our own, at least, from ourselves.

Dr. Disney has chosen for the same occasion the following passage in Revelations, ch. xiv. 13. Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord, from henceforth: yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest upon their labours; and their works do follow them." This very plain discourse has been so well received, as to appear in a second edition. meet with nothing in it remarkably striking or impressive. The character of the deceased as a philosopher and di vine is celebrated, but not with all the warmth that might have been expected from the minister of the unitarian chapel in Essex street.

We

Mr. Edwards, colleague with Dr. Priestley at Birmingham, has selected the words of Daniel, ch. xii. 3. “And they that be wise shall shine as the bright. ness of the firmament, and they that turn many unto righteousness as the stars for ever and ever." Five and twenty pages are occupied in such remarks upon the material, the intellectual, and the moral world, as may justify this conclusion: "Religion is the best means of virtue, and virtue is the best means of happiness. And next under the ever blessed God himself, and the gospel which he sent us by Jesus the Christ, the greatest encouragement and support to religion and virtue, are the discourse and example of a truly religious and virtuous man.-Such was Dr. Priestley." The remaining part of the discourse is chiefly biographical. The composition is neg ligent; and, at the same time, in many instances, marked by a degree of affectation very unbecoming the subject, or the occasion of the discourse.

Dr. Toulmin, placed on the very spot in which the venerable character, whom he had to celebrate, had received the cruel insults, and endured the furious persecutions by which he was eventually driven from his native country, had an arduous duty to perform, and the marner in which he has performed it reflect> equal honour upon his judgment and his feelings. A long and laboured pane

The preacher's motto to his discourse.

gyric, which the affection of the preacher for his departed friend, and the many acknowledged excellencies of that friend might have fully warranted, would have been productive of little good effect, either upon the regular attendants at the New Meeting, or upon the strangers who were attracted thither by the service of the day. With much wisdom, therefore, the preacher determined that Dr. Priestley should speak for himself, by means of a very judicious selection from his numerous writings. They who had formerly rejoiced in " the benefit of his enlightening ministry and bright example," would be gratified to hear him, though dead, yet speaking; and they who knew little of his character, but from injurious and malignant reports, would be deeply impressed by the discovery that he who had been so cruelly persecuted, spake like a good man, a virtuous citizen, a peaceful subject, and was so eminently distinguished by benevolence to man, and piety to God. And we are not surprised that this judicious and conciliatory address" was not only heard with marked attention, but had a happy in fluence on the minds of many who came possessed with prejudices against the character, to which it attempted to do justice." (Dedication.) The text chosen by Mr. Toulmin is very appropriate; John v. 35. "He was a burning and shining light; and ye were willing, for season, to rejoice in his light."

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Mr. Wood has adopted the same words, with a trifling alteration, which renders them still more appropriate to the occasion; "He was a burning and a shining light, and for a season ye rejoiced in his light." This discourse is written with great ability, and admirably adapted to the mixed audience which the preacher appears to have addressed. The character and the writings of Dr. Priestley are appreciated in a very fair and masterly manner, and both successfully vindicated from the charges which ignorance or malice had brought against them; while both are candidly allowed to exhibit some of the defects that are incident to human nature in its best state, and to human productions of the highest authority. Praise is not here lavished without discrimination. The eulogy appears to proceed from one who

is deeply impressed by the various and extraordinary talents, the rare and exalted virtues of the great character that is celebrated; but who at the same time is accustomed, in his own researches, not to be dazzled by the splendour of a name, and is determined to "call no man master upon earth."

We cannot conclude our remarks upon these discourses with more propriety, than with the animated conclusion of the last.

"He has now finished a long and eventful life: he has gone through good and evil report: he has met with affectionate friends and malignant enemies: he has experienced little suffering. He was a man, and therein this world much enjoyment, and not fore liable to err. Like all other men he doubtless sometimes erred. His judgment was fallible, and might sometimes mistake falsehood for truth his feelings were strong, and his language might not always be sufficiently guarded. But his heart was never materially wrong: his life was an aniform course of sincere and rational godliness, of unwearied and extensive usefulness, of strict last moments were in perfect unison with the and undeviating personal virtue. And his whole of his former days: his ruling passions, a love of sacred truth, a desire to promote the extension of religious knowledge, and a warm regard to the best interests of mankind, continued with him till the hour of death. He rests from his labour and his works follow light: and those who truly knew him rejoiced him. He has been a burning and a shining he rose at an early hour, to send forth his in his light. Like a fervent summer's sun, beams far and wide, and illustrate the wonders of his creator's works; and though, when not far advanced beyond the height of noon, he was assailed by a sudden storm, which hid him from the eyes of men, and seemed for a time to have blotted him out from the firmament of heaven, he moved in a sphere far above its reach, and passed on with undiminished strength. His rays were intercepted, but not extinguished: his glory was obscured, but not lost. He soon dispelled the thickest blackness of the gloom, burst, at length, through the yielding cloud and at the solemn hour of eve, appeared all calm and serene, with a less dazzling splendor, but apparently with a larger orb; giving to the aduling world a delightful carnest that he will rise again to a brighter morn.. extending course of a constant day.”

and shine with a new justre through the ever

ART. XLII. A Sermon preached before the Society for the Suppression of Vice, in the Parish Church of St. George, Hanover Square, on Thursday the 3d of May, 1804. By RICHARD WATSON, D. D. F. R. S. Lord Bishop of Landaff. 8vo. pp. 27.

THIS sermon contains many just and important sentiments upon the tendency to vice, which is ever found to prevail amongst numerous bodies of men; upon the means of checking it; and the duty of the well-disposed to unite in using these means. The text is taken from Gal. vi. 9. "Let us not be weary of well doing." The society before whom this discourse was delivered, needs all the advice which is here offered, and much more. The members of this society appear to be by no means deficient in zeal, but prudence and impartiality are not the qualities by which they are eminent ly distinguished. Allowing their right to constitute themselves guardians of the laws, and censors of the public morals; a right which, however, may be fairly called in question, especially if exercised in the manner in which they have used it on several occasions; we would ask, is it consistent with the dignity and the immaculate purity, which in their associated capacity they ought to possess, to employ the lowest and the most profligate of the community as common informers? Is it just to drag to punishment the alehouse tippler, whilst the inebriated son of fashion is unmolested; to disturb the festive dance of the labouring mechanic, while the rich

and the gay pursue, without controul, their midnight revelry, and, under the guise of the motley figures of the mas querade, violate common decency, and scatter the seeds of pollution? The means which this society takes are nei ther honourable nor effective, neither consistent with the character of this land of freedom, nor adapted to produce the desired end. Crimes cannot be effectually prevented by vexatious informations, solitary confinement, or heavy penalties. Let those in higher life set an example of piety and decorum, and the lower ranks will soon follow that example. Let the education of the poor become an object of wise and sedulous attention to those who are better informed, and there will be no occasion for societies for the suppression of vice. "A tenth part of that treasure, as the right reverend preacher very justly observes, which is annually expended, by the different states of Christendom, in unchristian warfare, would supply for ever the expence of establishments in every country, in which the morals of thousands would be a mended, their idleness changed into industry, their profligacy into sobriety, their lives preserved for the public good, and the peace of society maintained.”

ART. XLIII. A Sermon preached at the Visitation of the Venerable the Archdeacon of Norwich, holden at Walsingham, May 3, 1804; and printed at the Desire of the Clergy present. By MATTHEW SKINNER, M. A. F. A. S. &c. &c. 8vo. pp. 24.

FROM 2 Tim. ii. 24. "The servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men; apt to teach; patient" the preacher, with great ability, and according to the true spirit of the gospel, enforces some of the most important duties of the christian ministers. It is much to the honour of the

clergy to whom it was delivered, that they requested its publication; and we sincerely hope that it will promote the cause of liberality, and tend to secure the respectability of the clerical character, far beyond the limits of the ecclesiastical jurisdiction in which it was originally confined.

ART. XLIV. Reflections on the Exercise of Prionte Judgment in Matters of Religion: a Discourse delivered May 22, 1804, at Dudley, before the Annual Assembly of Dissenting Ministers, and published at their unanimous Request. By JOHN CORRIE. 8vo. pp. 30.

THIS yery able preacher considers it 4s the first grand principle of those whom he addresses, that "it is the duty and the right of every one to exercise tre enquiry and private judgment in matters of religion." He detends that

principle with many weighty arguments; he shows that the right is to be exercised in a full and free examination of the scriptures; he congratulates those who are not bound by confessions and subscriptions to articles of faith, as most

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