ART. XII. The Life of Bifhop Taylor, and the pureft Spirit of his Writings, extracted and exhibited for general Ben fit. By John Wheeldon, A. M. Rector of Wheathampfted, Herts, and Prebendary of Lincoln. 8vo. 5s. Ogilvy. 1793.

THE writings of the divines of the Church of England, in

the last century, are, many of them, diftinguished for learning and genius, no lefs than for an ardent fpirit of piety and devotion; and it is a circumftance of credit to the prefent age, that thofe writings have lately attracted, in an increased degree (what indeed they never wholly loft) the public attention and favour. The late Dr. Burn, in 1773, re-published four volumes of their Sermons, amongft which are many of Bishop Taylor's; and his publication was incidentally commended in our Review for Nov. laft, p. 290. The Doctor, in his Preface, fets forth the changes which had happened in the method of inftruction from the pulpit, fince the revival of literature in this kingdom: "The reign (he fays) of Charles the Second was efteemed, and not undefervedly, an age of learning; not from any extraordinary Maecenas-like encouragement from the Prince, but from this caufe:-During the ufurpation of Oliver Cromwell, most of the Clergy of liberal education and genius, being difplaced from their offices in the Church, had leifure to apply thofe faculties to ftudy, which, if they had continued in their functions, would have been employed in the fcenes of active life. Thefe, upon the restoration of King Charles the Second, fhone out with redoubled luftre. Those twelve years of ufurpation, which (fo far as one can judge from the printed difcourfes of thofe times) did not produce one rational preacher, laid the foundation of a glorious fuperftructure in the next fucceeding period."

Among the Clergy fo difplaced, fo applying their faculties, and afterwards illuftrioufly difplaying them, was Doctor Taylor, with whom the prefent editor, Mr. Wheeldon, defires to make the world better acquainted; and whom he appears to admire with a fervour as just as it is lively and paffionate.

Mr. W. fays, he "gives thefe fine pieces in miniature to the world; not having dared to alter or retouch one original feature, but purely to revive their faded graces by the polish of a new edition."

Our province, perhaps, ftrictly is, rather to fet before our readers the contents of this re-publication, than to review the works of Bishop Taylor. But we hope to gratify our readers,

by

by stepping a little beyond thefe narrow bounds, and by giving a few extracts, illuftrative of his ftyle and genius. The life of this excellent Bifhop, which the title-page led us to expect from the hands of the Editor, is contained only in his Funeral Sermon, by Dr. George Ruft, Bishop of Dromore, which Sermon ftands at the end of the Bishop's works, in the common editions.

The contents of this volume are the following:

A Funeral Sermon, preached at the Obfequies of the Right Reverend Father in God, Jeremy, Lord Bishop of Down-The Marriage Ring, or the Myfterioufnefs and Duty of Marriage A Funeral Sermon, preached at the Obfequies of the Lady Frances, Countefs of Carbery-Moral Demonftration, proving, from many probabilities, that the Religion of Jefus Chrift is from God-Of the Scrupulous Confcience-A Confideration in what Cafes the Laws of Chrift are to be expounded to a Senfe of Eafe and LibertyQueftion on Gaming-Letter to a Gentlewoman feduced to the Church of Rome-Letter to a Perfon newly converted to the Church of England-A Difcourfe of the Nature, Offices, and Meafures of Friendship, with Rules of conducting it-Of habitual Sins, and their Remedy-Advices relating to the Matter of original Sin-Apology for authorized and let Forms of Liturgy.

Of thefe articles, the two firft are extracted from the volume entitled Evalos: the former being Serm. 17 and 18 of Part I. the latter Serm. 8. of Part II; and the method the editor has taken is, to omit all the Greek and Latin quotations: and many confiderable paffages, fo as to reduce the whole within a moderate compafs, but not to alter the expreffions.This is what he calls giving thefe pictures in miniature. The other pieces are taken from different parts of the author's works.

The fpecimens we shall give are thofe that follow.

The internal evidence of the truth of Chriftianity is thus vigorously fet forth:

"For it is a doctrine perfective of human nature, that teaches us to love God, and to love one another; to hurt no man, and to do good to every man; it propines to us the nobleft, the higheft, and the braveft pleafures of the world; the joys of charity, the reft of innocence, the peace of quiet fpirits, and the wealth of beneficence: it forbids us only to be beafts and devils, in riot, in malice, in murder and revenge. It permits corporal pleafures, where they can beft minifter to health and focieties,to converfation of families, and the honour of communities. It commands obedience to fuperiors, that we may

not

not be ruined in confufions; it combines governments in laws of peace, and oppofes wars, where they are not juft, or not neceffary.

"It is a religion that is life and fpirit: not confifting in ceremonies and external am fements, but in fervices of the heart, in the real fruit of lips and hands, to our neighbours' neceffities and our own defigns and devotions. It does not deftroy reafon, but inftructs it in very many things, and complies with it in all, and by its light and heat is as effectual as it is beauteous. It promifes every thing that we ought to defire, and yet promifes nothing but what it doth effect : it teaches us with eafe to mortify thefe affections, which reafon durft fcarce reprove, because she hath not ftrength enough to conquer; and it creates in us thofe virtues, which reafon of herself never knew, and after they are known, could never fufficiently approve. It is a doctrine, in which nothing is fuperfluous or burdenfome, nor is there any thing wanting, which can procure happinefs to mankind, or by which God may be glorified; and if wisdom, and mercy, and juftice, and fimplicity, and holinefs, and purity, and meeknefs, and contentedness, and charity, be images of God, and rays of Divinity, then that doctrine, wherein all thefe fhine fo gloriously, and in which nothing else is ingredient, muft needs be from God; and that all this is true in the doctrine of Jefus, needs no other probation but the reading of the words." P. 81.

The following paffage in the Difcourfe on Friendship, is very characteristic of Bishop Taylor's pen:

"For thus the fun is the eye of the world; and he is indifferent to the Negro or the cold Ruffian, to them that dwell under the Line, and them that ftand near the Tropics, the fcalded Indians, or the poor boy that shakes at the foot of the Riphean hills. But the fluxures of the heaven and the earth, the conveniency of abode, and the approaches to the north or fouth, refpectively change the emanations of his beams; not that they do not always pafs from him, but that they are not equally received below, but by periods and changes, by little inlets and reflections, they receive what they can. And fome have only a dark day and a long night from him, fnows and white cattle; a miferable life, and a perpetual harveft of catarrhs and confumptions; apoplexies and dead palties. But fome have fplendid fires and aromatic fpices, rich wines and well-digefted fruits, great wit and great courage; because they dwell in his eye, and look in his face, and are the courtiers of the fun, and wait upon him in his chambers of the Eaft. Juft fo it is in friendships-fome are worthy, and fome are neceffary; fome dwell hard by, and are fitted for converfe: nature joins fome to us, and religion combines us with others: fociety and accidents, parity of fortune, and equal difpofitions, do actuate our friendships, which, of themfelves, and in their prime difpofition, are prepared for all mankind, according as any one can receive them." P. 227.

The chapter, at p. 301, has a wrong, or at least an unfuitable, title prefixed to it

Should

Should the notice of the public be attracted by this publication, in a manner bearing any tolerable proportion to the editor's fondness for his favourite author, another edition will foon be called for. In which cafe, we ftrongly recommend, that a complete lift be fubjoined of the Works of Bithop Taylor. By the aid of a parochial library, a great part of those works is now lying before the writer of this article, but the collection is certainly very imperfect; and he takes this occafion earnestly to call the attention of literary men in general, and of Parish Minifters in particular, to their feveral parochial libraries; in which he believes that many excellent books, of old date, are unfortunately involved in duft and cobwebs, with a crowd of others juftly configned to that ftate of repofe. In Burn's Ecclefiaftical Law, Tit. Library, will be found the fubftance of an excellent Act of Parliament on this fubject, 7 Anne, c. 14.

The words of the Editor himself, though rather enthufiaftic, will be the best conclufion of this article:-" It were extravagant, and almoft impoffible, in a general encomium, to give the common reader an adequate idea of Taylor's amazing capacity. They who would fathom his mighty mind, muft read all his works; which many cannot, which many will not, and which most are unable either to purchase or understand.— But whoever is introduced to the writings of Bifhop Taylor, by accident or defign, must have a very depraved, or a very difingenuous mind, that is not the better for his acquaintance."

ART. XIII. Peace and Reform against War and Corruption : In answer to a Pamphlet, written by Arthur Young, Efq. entitled, "The Example of France a Warning to Britain." Svo. 160 pp. 2s. 6d. Ridgway. 1794.

то

O depreciate, or deny, the abilities of any writer, because we diflike his notions or principles, would ill accord with the attachment we profefs to the caufe of truth, and of our free and happy Conftitution; neither of which requires to be defended by fuch arts as thefe. We begin, therefore, our account of this work, by avowing that the author of it appears to us poffelfed of ftrong talents, and of extenfive information on the fubject which he difcuffes. He is an eloquent, vehement, and subtle advocate. What the object of his pleading is, will appear from our examination of his book, which has the air of a fpeech, or rather an abstract of feveral fpeeches;

and

and carries on the face of it marks of a pen not English, particularly in the ufe of the word would for fhould.

Mr. Young's book (noticed in our Review for May, 1793, p. 19) did certainly make a very general and deep impreffion upon the public mind: and if this answer to it thould caufe that book to be read ftill more generally, we conceive, that the author of the Answer will deserve many thanks from his coun

try.

The first remarkable thing that occurs in this book, is at p. 2, where the author fays, that "the national understanding has been mifled and prejudiced, and the temper of a very great majority of the people rendered furious and vindictive." For this libel upon the people, we know of no grounds whatever. That certain pretended Reformers have given the people much caufe to be jealous of their defigns, and to watch them attentively, is obvious enough: but proofs of the "furious and vind ctive temper of the majority," perhaps no one befides the author poffeffes.

Though we do not undertake to reply to this book for Mr. Young, yet we thall remark upon a few paffages, which feem more efpecially to call for animadverfion.

P. 6, Mr. Y. in his Travels, fpoke of the great Lords in France as tyrants, as hawkes amongft pigeons: Yet this is the Government which he now calls regular and mild." Here feems to be a misapprehenfion of his meaning. By the regular and mild Government, we fuppofe he meant the King's Government. Wherever there are bad men with any degree of power, there will be petty tyrants, or hawks, even under the mildeft Governments. In France, they are now exalted into vultures; compared with which, the old hawks were mere humming-birds.

With Thomas Paine's malignity and nonfense the nation has been fo furfeited, that we fhall fpare ourfelves the trouble of taking any notice of it.

That his French friends will thank the author, we are not quite fure; but it comforts us a little, to find that he can only extenuate and excufe, but cannot defend their enormities: p. 18," I do not, however, defend the crimes of the French, although I think, as far as crimes can be excufed, no people in the world ever had more to plead in extenuation, becaufe no people in the world ever were fo irritated by internal treachery, and alarmed by external danger."

P. 19. Mr. Reeves, and the Affociations throughout England, were "beheld with dread and regret by the rational friends of freedom"-this is a modeft affumption:-" who found fome confolation in the hope that they would not be of long dura

tion."