They are analogous to what Ariftotle called yλwoozı, and which he allowed to a certain degree to elevate the ftyle. In a very few inftances he is incorrect in graminar; as in ufing me for I in page 291, and the Scotticifm would for fhould in 824. But in general his ftyle is no less accurate than it is lively, and well calculated to please without wearying the reader, P. ART. XII. Sermons, chiefly defigned to elucidate fome of the leading Doctrines of the Gospel. By the Rev. Edward Cooper, Rector of Hamftall Ridware in the County of Staf ford; Chaplain to the Right. Hon. the Earl of Courtoun; and late Fellow of All Souls' College, Oxford, Cr, 8vo, pp. 310. 5s. Cadell and Co. 1806. A Ta time when wrong principles, on fome of the leading doctrines of the gofpel, are very diligently diffeminated, when men are taught that they are to owe their falvation only to arbitrary, partial, and irrefpective decrees, and not to the univerfal mercy of Chrift; and are taught not to hope that they are in the number of the elect, unless they can feel fome inward and happy experience of it, the difcourfes which inculcate true doctrines on thefe fubjects obtain a peculiar value. The foundness of Mr. C. in thefe matters has long been known to us. In a fermon printed in 1802*, he defined the true limits of opinion, on all fuch fubjects; the real doctrines of our Church, and the abuse and exaggeration of them; the points to be defended, and thofe to be rejected. Conformably to thefe doctrines he afterwards published a volume of Sermons†, in which, becaufe he treats frequently on faith and grace, fome have fuppofed him to favour the abufes against which he had publicly reafoned. It is no fuch thing. We examined thofe Sermons, and found them what we expected: true to the doctrines of the Church, and hoftile to the perverfions of them. The fame we can juftly and decifively fay of thefe, and we can fay also that they are powerful in their proofs, Br. Crit. vol. xxi. p. 197. + Br. Crit. vol. xxxv. p. 430. and and natural in their eloquence. The fubjects are momentous: 1. The fin and danger of neglecting the great falvation of the Gofpel. 2. The life and death of the real Chriftian. 2. The duty of furrendering ourselves to God. 4. Angels rejoicing over the penitent finner. 5. Confolation to the afflicted. 6. Expoftulation with careless finners. 7. The grace of Chrift fufficient for his people. 8. Hezekiah's fall confidered and applied. 9. The duty of confeffing Chrift before men. ió. The advantages of godliness as to the prefent life. 11. Earneftnefs in religion, recommended and enforced. 12. The marks of true faith ftated and explained. In the laft of these fubjects must the author be detected, if any where, in a leaning to the enthufiafts. On the contrary, we find him ftrongly and clearly oppofing that falfe doctrine of experience, which made the mifery of poor Cowper's life. "You complain, perhaps, that you have no comfortable experience of your acceptance in the Beloved; that you feel not that full and firm perfuafion of your intereft in Christ, with which true faith would be attended.' This is no uncommon fubject of complaint, with those who bewail their unbelief. But where, I would afk, have you been taught the neceffity of a comfortable experience of your acceptance in the Beloved? Whence have you derived the knowledge, that true faith would be certainly attended with a full and firm perfuafion of your intereft in Chrift. The fcriptures neither maintain nor encourage any fuch pofition. They fpeak indeed of a good hope through grace, of a frong confolation, of the affurance of faith: but they fpeak not of thefe things as being fo effentially interwoven with the nature of faith, as that faith cannot exift without them. My brethren, you are confounding two things together, which have no indifpenfable, no neceffary connection with each other, That love of God shed abroad in the heart, by the Spirit, which He bath given us; that witnessing of the Spirit with our spirit, that we are the children of God; that rejoicing with joy unspeakable and full of glory, are privileges, which frequently accompany faith: privileges, the attainment of which is highly conducive to our peace, to our usefulness, to our perfeverance and activity in well. doing privileges, therefore, which we cannot too highly value, or too anxiously feek. But is faith not faith unless accompanied with thefe privileges? Does even the total abfence of them prove that faith is abfent alfo? Harbour not fuch unfcriptural fen. timents. The true believer often walketh in darkness and feeth na light," P. 299. We We find alfo throughout the Sermons the mercy of God in Chrift defcribed as univerfal, as offered to all who will adopt the revealed means. In thefe, and other effential points, they appear to us to be found, and as fuch we recommend them. ART. XIII. Zoography; or the Beauties of Nature displayed. In felect Defcriptions from the animal and vegetable, with Additions from the mineral Kingdom. Syftematically arranged. By William Wood, F.L.S. Illuftrated with Plates, defigned and engraved by Mr. William Daniell. In ThreeVolumes, &c. Svo. 31. 6s. Cadell and Davies. 1807. THE claims of this pleafing work to the notice and regard of the public are very extenfive, but in no respect more remarkable than from the number and excellence of the plates. They amount to no less than fixty, all defigned and engraved by Mr. W. Daniell, who has been particularly attentive, not only to give the principal figure in each with correctnefs, but to place it near fuch objects, and in the midst of such scenery, as are best calculated to give a correct notion of its natural fituation and habits. To the advantage of having ftudied thefe fituations in nature, Mr. Daniell adds that of a practifed and very skilful hand in delineation; and we may fafely fay, that, without the aid of foreign and extenfive travel, fo much general conception of nature cannot easily be obtained, as by contemplating the plates in this work. 46 The work profeffes not to be more than a compilation, and if it did profefs it, would be delufive; fince, from the very nature of the cafe, to compile well is the beft art that can be employed, in giving an extenfive view of natural objects. We have rat fcrupled," fays the author, "to adorn our bird with borrowed plumes, and will ingenuously confefs, that, wherever we have met with materials. to our mind, we have freely made ufe of them." "It confrits," he alfo fays, "of a felection of thofe objects of natural hiftory, which appeared to us beft calculated to excite the attention of thofe who have any relifh for this rational purfuit, and moft likely to afford amufement to the many who care but little about the ftudy." But though the work is not strictly scientific, nor the arangement fuch as would be be followed in a book of pure science; there is given, to all the leading fubjects, a concife Linnean fpecification, with reference to authors of reputation who have have treated of them. The first of thefe volumes contains a felection of quadrupeds and birds; the fecond, reptiles, fishes, infects, cruftacea, &c.; the third, fome of the most important of the vegetable productions of nature, with fome account of remarkable objects in the mineralogical kingdom. It is not perhaps important to give fpecimens of writing from a book, the moft ftriking paffages of which are transcribed from other works. Suffice it to fay, that the ftyle is clear and good; the objects of information ufually well felected; and the general tendency inftructive not only in mere facts, but as to the right conclufions to be drawn from them. We particularly approve the ufe which Mr. Wood has made of the obfervations of Dr. Paley, deducing the moft irrefragable proofs of divine wisdom, and contrivance from the various objects of the natural world. This, as well as other confiderations, points it out as a book particularly well calculated, not only to excite the realonable curiofity of young perfons; but to give a right bias to their reafonings upon natural history. ART. XIV. A Sermon on the Tranflation of the Scriptures into the Oriental Languages; preached before the University of Cambridge, May 10, 1807. By the Rev. Francis Wrangham, M.A. F.R.S. of Trinity College, Cambridge. 4s. 4to. 51 pp. 3s. 6d. Mawman. 1807. ART. XV. A Sermon preached before the University of Agreeably to the By John Dudley, 2s. 6d. Cadell ART. XVI. The Expediency of Translating our Scriptures into feveral of the Oriental Languages, and the Means of rendering thofe Tranflations useful, in an Attempt to convert the Nations of India to the Chriftian Faith; a Sermon preached before the University of Oxford, Nov. 7, 1807. By the Rev. Wm. Barrow, of Queen's College, LL.D. and FS.A. Author of an Ejay on Education, and the Bampton Lecture Lecture Sermons for 1799. 4to. 29 pp. 18. 6d. Ri vingtons. 1808. ART. XVII. A Sermon on the Duty and Expediency of tranflating the Scriptures into the current Languages of the Eaft, for the Ufe and Benefit of the Natives; preached by Special Appointment before the University of Oxford, Nov. 29, 1807. By the Rev. Edward Nares, M.A. Late Fellow of Merton College, and Rector of Biddenden, Kent. 4to. 70 pp. 36. 6d. Rivingtons. 1808. SINCE the appearance of Mr. Buchanan's Memoir, on forming a church etablishment in India, a moft momentous queftion has arifen, respecting the expediency and duty of endeavouring to convert the native population of that country to Chriftianity. This was not of neceflity connected with the former propofal. It was very poffible to form a proper, and even an ample establishment for our own religion, with reference only to our European fubjects, without interfering at all with the religions of that country: and fo far as the defire of paying due honour to our Holy Faith was concerned, we acquiefced in the propriety of the Rev. Memorialift's ideas; in a general way at leaft, and without difcuffing the particulars of his plan. But the fubject has now taken a very different form; and as it is earneftly contended by many perfons, that we ought at all hazards to attempt the conversion of the Indians, it becomes neceflary to write with extreme caution on every topic connected with the religion of India, left, in approving fome fteps, we fhould be thought to agree to the whole that is now propofed. Let us then precifely flate the opinions, which, on the matureft confideration, we hold upon the whole fubject. 1. Of the propriety of doing honour to our own Holy Faith, among ourselves, and manifefting in all ways our fincerity in the profeffion of it, we cannot entertain a doubt. 2. Of the propriety of diffeminating the Holy Scriptures, in as many languages as we can, that the unenlightened may at leaft enjoy the poffibility of an access to the truth, we are equally convinced. 3. But againft every other mode of profelytifm, besides our own example, and the offer of the Scriptures, fituated * See Brit. Crit. vel. xxvii. p. 217. 28 |