tents we are told it is Ruffel; an eccentric writer, who has pab lished several works under the ftrange title of a Verbotamist.” In this, and we believe his other writings, his head, not his heart, feems to be in fault: though we cannot but condemn the paffage in which he endeavours to depreciate the Literary Fund; the more particularly, because (if we are not mifinformed) he has been more than once a partaker of its bounties. ART. 27. The Principles and Conduct of the War. 8vo. 55 PP.. Hatchard. 1809. That, in the prefent fituation of Europe, the war in which we are engaged is equally juft and neceffary, is a truth fo generally acknowledged as to require, in the opinion of the prefent writer, no further proof. His object is to enquire and afcertain whether that war has been properly or improperly carried on, and to defend the meafures adopted by the prefent minifters. He begins by attacking their predeceffors and opponents for the in." eincacy of their meafures during their fhort adminiftration, and particularly for omitting to fend, at a critical period of the war, (when Buonaparte had been checked at Elau) a British force to the Baltic, the Elbe, Holland, or Flanders; and impairing our naval as well as military force, by armaments fent to Egypt, the Dardanelles, and Buenos Ayres. He alfo opposes a doctrine imputed (we prefume erroneoufly) to Lord Grenville, that "we fhould leave the continental nations to fight their own battles, and only oppofe, by a vigorous internal defence, the undeviating. advancement of the French towards an univerfal monarchy." The Author then proceeds to fhow, that the refources of this country are till unimpaired, and adequate to all the exertions that may be required, and, having ftrongly urged the neceffity of carrying on the war by continental co-operation, examines the meafures purfued by the prefent Minifters for that purpose, particularly during the late campaigns in Spain and Portugal. On the fubject of Spain, he justly, we think, reprehends the defpondency which has lately prevailed, and the cry for giving up the Spanish caufe. We cannot, however, agree with him, that our operations were upon as large a fcale as we were war. ranted in adopting. It would, on the contrary, appear to us, that when once the determination to affift that people, not merely by fupplies of arms and money, and by coafting expeditions (which method would, poffibly, have proved the moft judicious) but by an army marched into the heart of the country; that army fhould have been powerful enough to form a principal arm of the united forces, and a rallying point for the Spaniards in the event of their defeat. Yet appearances certainly juftified, in a great degree, the attempt, even on a confined fcale; and perhaps we condemn measures which we should ourselves have adopted, judging, as is too frequently the practice, wholly from the event. We coincide, however, with this Author that, should the univerfal hatred of the French, and the abhorrence of Bonaparte's treachery, and their religious enthufiafm, remain in the breafts of the Spaniards, the contest will end in the re-establishment of their national independence. The Author proceeds to fhow the wide difference between "the war of the fucceffion," (as it is called), and the prefent conteft in Spain; and argues, with fome fpeciousness, if not justice, against the policy of fending large armies into that kingdom. He inclines to blame the advance of Sir John Moore to Sahagan, deeming it would have been more prudent, immediately on the defeat of the Spanish armies, to have applied his whole attention to the defence of Gallicia. To this opinion we strongly incline. He then explains, and upon very probable grounds, the motives which Minifters muft have had for reinforcing the troops in Portugal, fo as to form an army competent to the defence of that kingdom, or (if favourable circumftances fhould recur) a fecond attempt in favour of Spain. That there was much to encourage fuch an attempt, is, we think, diftinctly fhown; and the advance of Lord Wellington into that kingdom, after the expulfion of Soult from Portugal, appears to have been founded on fair profpects, and to have produced feveral advantages to the common caufe, though it failed of complete fuccefs. The reft of this pamphlet is employed in defending the policy of Minifters, in attempting at the fame time the relief of Spain, and diverfions in Italy and Holland. This appears to us to be one of Sir Roger de Coverley's queftions, and we therefore refer the reader to the work itfelf for the Author's arguments; which require to be perufed in detail, and are certainly worthy of at tention. DIVINITY. ART. 28. A Letter from a Country Clergyman to his Parifioners; in which are confidered, a few of the Arguments and Practices of fome of the Modern Diffenters. By the Rev. John Nance, M. A. Author of Sermons on various Subjects, &c. 8vo. 33 pp. 1s. 6d. Rivingtons. 1809. A very seasonable and interesting admonition; warning the party addreffed, againft "mischiefs incalculably pernicious in their confequences;" which, in these days, call for a degree of vigilance much greater than feems to be directed towards them. The fallacy of the doctrines, taught by itinerant and unfettled preachers, is firft pointed out; the doctrines and the service of our Church are then strongly vindicated; very wholefome admonition is offered (pp. 25, 26), to the clergy, against ill 02 example example on their part; the infinuating practices, and artful expedients, of many fectaries are difclofed; and the work con. cludes with this charitable and wife advice: "Whenever there. fore we perceive a fincere difpofition in our opponents to conciliation or friendly union, let us embrace it with ardour and cordiality; as we have an opportunity let us be willing to do good unto all men, efpecially to thofe who are of the household of faith.' But let not this inclination weaken or fuperfede the wife man's advice: My Son, fear thou the Lord and the King, and meddle not with them that are given to change'." ART. 29. Britain's Acclamation; a Sermon, preached at the Parish Church of St. Lawrence, Reading, Berks, on the 25th of October, 1809, being the Anniversary of his Majefty's Acceffion to the Throne, and the Entrance on the 50th Year of his Reign. By William Marfb, A. M. Vicar of Bafildon, Berks, and Chaplain to the Worshipful the Mayor. Published by Request of the Corporation. 8vo. 32. PP. 1s. Reading printed and fold; London, Hatchard, &c. 1809. This very loyal and animated difcourfe is founded on the favourite fentence "God fave the King," as it stands connected with other words in 1 Sam. x. 24. The preacher has no fooner introduced his fubject, by a proper notice of the text, than he calls the attention of his hearers, "Firft, to the glory of our conftitution, of which the King is the head;" afterwards to the "peculiar blefings attendant on the prefent reign." Under the former head he pronounces a short, but clear and diferiminative eulogy on the British conftitution; one in which he will be joined by all who are not perverted by Jacobinifm, or that cloke for Jacobinifm, Refromifm, if we may be allowed to coin fuch a word. Under the fecond, he recapitulates the well known acts of his prefent majefly, favourable to our civil and religious liberties; his patriotic declaration, that "he gloried in the name of Briton;" and another more recent expreffion of his fentiments. He then expatiates, with lefs ftrict propriety, on feveral bleffings which have arifen in his Majefty's time, though without his particular interference: and he concludes, as the cafe certainly required, with direct notice of his many and exemplary perfonal virtues. In the clofe, he calls the attention of his congregation from time to eternity, and places them in imagination at that awful period, when all worldly distinctions fhall be done away, and faith and obedience can alone avail. Our readers will fully perceive from this analyfis, that this is not one of thofe difcourfes, whofe publication was requested through mere compliment, but that it well deferved to be made public: and happy are we to fay that "GOD "GOD SAVE THE KING" was the general acclamation of Britons on that memorable day. ART. 30. A Sermon preached in the Parish Church of Bofton, on the 25th Day of October, 1809: being the firft Day of the fiftieth Year of his Majefty's happy Reign. By the Reverend Samuel Partridge, Vicar. 8vo. 14 PP- Is. 6d. Botton, printed: Lackington, London. 1809. Mr. Partridge, whofe loyalty and attachment to our conftitution have been evinced on many other occafions, particularly in his various charges to the Grand Juries of his diftrict*, here touches of course very fimilar topics to thofe handled by other preachers, on the fame occafion. To unanimity, in the prefent arduous truggle, he thus exhorts his hearers. In the prefent moft awful fituation of the kingdom, long and laboured exhortations to ftand forward manfully, in fortune and in perfon, for the defence of it, need not be addreffed to British hearers. It is enough to remind them, that it depends, under the divine Providence, upon the fpirit which our prefent dangers, and the example of our Sovereign-who has folemnly declared his refolution to ftand or fall with his people-fhall excite in the public mind; whether our independence as a nation, and our individual lives, liberty and property, fhall be preferved; or whether we fhall bend our necks to the most in tolerable foreign yoke, that was ever impofed upon any people." P. 10. ART. 31. Apoftolical Injunctions. A Sermon, preached in the Parish Church of St. Mary, Stoke-Newington, Middlefex, on Wednesday, October 25, 1809; being the Day of his Majesty's Acceffion to the Throne. By George Gafkin, D. D. Rector of that Paryh. 8vo. 26 pp. Printed by Law and Gilbert, St. John's Square, Clerkenwell. As this fermon does not, on its title page, appear to be published by any bookseller; and as it is affectionately addreffed and prejented to the congregation to which it was preached, we are doubtful whether it be a proper fubject of our criticifm. It is however fo plain, fo pious, and fo practical, that we cannot refaife ourselves the pleafure of recommending it to the ferious perufal of the middling and lower orders of the people in other parishes than that of Stoke Newington. The apoftolical injunctions, which are so earnestly enforced by Dr. Gafkin, are (1 Peter ii. 17.) H1⁄2nur all men, love the brotherhood, fear God, honour the King; and See our Review for Nov. 1809. p. 527. 03 thefe thefe he flows to be fo closely linked together and mutually dependant on each other, that none of them can be uniformly ob ferved but on principles which lead to the observance of them all. The language of the fermon is fimple, as the language of every fermon addreffed to fuch an audience ought to be; and the reflec tions of the preacher on the King's having entered on the fiftieth year of his reign, are every way worthy of a true fon of the church of England, who derives his principles of loyalty not from the dull theories of modern philofophers, but from the lively ora cies of God. ART. 32. We are here called upon to attend to a temperate and gentle. man-like remonftrance upon fome mifreprefentations of the (Roman) Catholic doctrine, which are alledged to have appeared in the Britith Critic. We are perfectly ready fo to attend, and, we hope, with the most unbiaffed candour. But, in the very opening of the cafe, we muft beg to repeat a complaint, which was alluded to by us fome time ago*, that wę have nothing to go to, upon which we may depend, as a true reprefentation of the doctrines of that church. Confequently, when this layman refers us to "authorized and established tencts, univerfally acknowledged by all catholics as articles of faith," (p. 7), we have only to fay that we know of no fuch thing: and that whenever we fix upon any thing, however eftablished by authorities that have again and again been pronounced infallible, as popes, councils, &c. we are immediately told that it belongs to the other clafs of "difputed opinions of divines, arguments of fchoolmen-illfounded or dubious claims, fet up even by Popes," &c. &c. Were fuch points to be decided by the opinions of Roman catholic laymen, we should easily be fatisfied about them; but even they must allow that the final decifion remains with their priests, who often difavow what the candour of their laymen concedes. We know many laymen of that perfuafion, (we even fufpect that we know the author of this tract), from whofe liberality every thing might be hoped, were it not fettered by the authority of their church. We believe their declarations, and their oaths, but we know that both are liable to be deemed heretical and impious, by those whom they cannot ultimately refift. As we have never feen any controverfial tract fo perfectly mild, Brit. Crit. vol. xxxii. p. 423. The complaint is fully and ably stated in the "Second Letter to the Author of Remarks on the Bishop of Durham's Charge," at the fifth page; and a very just one it appears to be. candid, |