of Miracles; 8. The Powers of Man; 9. The Peace of God; 10. Humanity; 11. The unjuft Steward; 12. The Election of the Jews not a partial Difpenfation; 13. Depreffion of Spirits. That our readers may judge fairly for themselves of the merits of thefe difcourfes, we fhall produce two fpecimens, which appear to us most favourable to the reputation of the author. The firft in oppofition to Hume's too feducing and fuccefsful, though most weak fophiftry against miracles.

"A far more fubtle oppofition to the reception of christianity was referved for the days we live in. The power of God to work miracles is no longer difputed; but we are told, that the authority of general experience fo far preponderates against the affertions of whatever teftimony may be produced in fupport of a miracle, that we cannot have fuch affurance refpecting it as ought in reafon to engage our belief. According to the fame principle, had we even been eyewitnefles of the facts recorded in the Old and New Teftaments, we ought to have mistrusted the judgment of our fenfes-Much more, it is laid, ought we to reject the relation of hiftory, tranfmitted to us through fo long a lapfe of time.

"The fallacy of this argument is artfully concealed by the confufion it introduces into the nature of the feveral evidences, whereby different kinds of truths are diftinguished and afcertained.

"General experience (which is indeed a proper teft for our admiffion of probable propofitions) is fubftituted as the only standard for meafuring the truth of matters of fact, which are ascertainable by the evidence of fenfe, or the teftimony of those who themselves relate the evidence of their fenfes, on which grounds indeed general experience muft itfelf alfo ultimately depend.

"Reference to a familiar inftance or two, will illuftrate the diftinction that is neceffary to be made.

"Not one man in a million may have been guilty of killing his father, but should a criminal be charged with parricide, would his judges calculate the chances of probability, whether fuch a crime were committed or not? or would they proceed to examine the evidence of the fact?-It is more than half a century fince the plague has been known in Europe; but can we doubt the account of its having ever raged there, because it has happened fo rarely? or fhall we refufe credit to the existence of a moniter, merely because it differs from the generality of creatures born of the fame stock?

"Yet fuch is the mode of reafoning which afferts, that a circumftance contrary to common experience ought to be believed only in proportion of one or more facts against the accumulated weight of numberless facts which have happened before or fince.

"It certainly is reasonable to doubt the attestation of a miracle, until we shall have made a fcrupulous inquiry into the evidence by which it is attefted; but the mere infrequency, or improbability of the fact, ought not to preclude all inquiry, nor to be received as decifive against the authority of sense or teftimony, when fupported by fuch circumftances as are requifite to establish its credibility.” P. 94. Whoever

Whoever would fee this fallacy of the Sceptic moft completely overthrown, fhould have recourfe to Dr. George Campbell's small, but most admirably acute and found Differtation on Miracles or to the work of Dr. Adams on the fame fubject. Sorry are we to fee, that after publications of fuch force in anfwer to the infidel, there are ftill men, who ought to know better, whofe minds are feduced by this ftrange fallacy, which is directly fubverfive of all evidence; that is, of the rule by which inen must be guided in all the most important concerns of life. The other paffage we have felected, explains a text in the Gospel at which those who have not much confidered are apt to ftumble; in which it is afferted, that the children of this world are wifer than the children of light.

"That we may not mistake the true fenfe and extent of the obfervation, it is neceffary to be remarked, that the commendation given by the Lord to his Steward, did not apply to his difhoneft means of conciliating friends, but merely to the prudence of his precaution, ia preparing against the day of his diftrefs.

"Nor does our Saviour declare that the Children of this World are abfolutely Wife, but Wifer only in their Generation, that is, as far as this Life only is concerned: In the choice of their end, or their mode of attaining it, they cannot be thought to act wifely, unless they can first prove that there is no distinction of right and wrong, no refurrection of the dead to judgment. Wife indeed even in this refpect are they in their own conceit, and pity others, who thrive less well in the world, or do not enjoy its pleafures, to the fame extent as themselves, more for their folly, than for their poverty or mifery; but whatever may be their own, or the common opinion, there is nothing in the words of our Saviour which can be wrefted to prove their choice, or the unjust means, whereby they may accomplish their purposes: in thefe refpects, it is plain ftill, as St. Paul obferves, that the wisdom of the world is foolishness with God.

But, notwithstanding that the charge of folly bears full on the imprudence of their choice, and that the means they employ may not always be juft, yet whoever attends to their earn fitnefs in profecuting their object, muft perceive that they apply themfelves with more zeal and perfeverance to their purfaits, than the Children of Light ufually difplay in feeking the bleflings of eternity.

"Men devoted to their fenfual pleafures, or worldly interefts, are not apt to entertain doubts, or be difcouraged at every little difficulty which may obftruct their fuccefs. Where certainty cannot be had, they proceed with confidence upon probability; the husbandman knoweth, that it is not always the choice of the feed, nor the favourable season in which he fows it, that will infure him a plentiful harvest. It is not the number of forces, the experience of the commander, their difcipline, or courage, that can make victory certain. Can the kill of the phyfician give more than probable hopes of a recovery?

Yet

Yet in thefe and other the most interefting of our worldly concerns, men are decided in their opinion, and proceed with confidence.

"But do the Children of Light act thus ?-Are they not perplexed with every doubt which the fophiftry of infidelity throws in their way? and even while they ftill ad.nit the teltimony of God's word, that their endeavours fhall at length be crowned with fuccefs, are they not cool and irrefolute in their devotions?

Again, the Children of this World are feen to prefer their intereft and their pleafure to all other confiderations whatever; though their end is falfe, they are true to it, and adhere to it at any rate; they will forego prefent gratifications, mortify their paffions, deny themfelves reft, and (may I not add) they will too often facrifice their opinion, and their integrity, to gain a point of distinction, profit, or advance

ment.

But are the Children of Light fo readily difpofed to give up their inclinations, and to break into the hours of reft for their devotions? While the worldling employs the whole week in his temporal concerns, is it not with reluctance they can be prevailed upon, to fet apart one day in feven to the glory and worship of God?

"How attentive alfo are the Children of this World to avail themfelves of every opportunity that offers, to promote their wishes; it is with them a common maxim, that the tide of wealth and honour must be taken at the flood; they feize therefore the first favourable moment in making hafte to be rich or great; and herein they certainly do wifely, in efteeming the time prefent, as that only of which they are mafters, and therefore trufting not to the uncertainties of futurity.

But what is more common than for men who believe, and acknowledge a life of purity neceffary to the attainment of everlasting happiness, ftill to put off their repentance from day to day, as if the iffue of life were in their own power.

"The laft inftance I fhall mention of worldly wisdom, is that which more immediately gave occafion to our Saviour's remark, namely, the provifion which the Children of this World are careful in making against the evils which threaten them.

"Happy would it be for the Children of Light, could they too he perfuaded to ufe the like precaution, and make provifion in time for thofe comfarts which the foul will furely ftand in need of we know not how foon.--Await not then till ficknefs and old age shall warn you of approaching diffolution, but fet about the neceflary task of repentance and amendment ere the night cometh, which no man can work. Truft not, that the dim lamp of life, while it expires over the bed of ficknefs, will yield fuflicient light to cheer the departing fpirit, till it fhall have made its peace with God; it will then ftand in need of every confolation, and the reflection of a well-fpent life will be among the firft. How can the eye of faith look forward for forgivenefs, unless the review of what is past afford fome reafon to hope for mercy?" P. 166.

It is obvious that there is no particular novelty or acuteness in either of thefe paflages; but the latter exhibits a clear and

ftriking

ftriking contraft, drawn up in a good form. We are far from faying that there is any thing difgraceful to the memory of the Bishop in thefe Sermons here brought forward; but the fubjects in general are treated rapidly and fuperficially; and as profit could not have been the object of publication, we think it would have been, on the whole, more advifcable to keep them ftill in manufcript.

BRITISH

CATALOGUE.

POETRY..

8vo.

ART. 13. A Supplement to the Golden Age: or the Virtues of the mo dern Catholicon clearly displayed. By Bob Aliquis, S. T. P. Is. 6d. Owen. 1795.

"There is a pleasure," fays this author in his motto, "in writing poetry, which none but poets know." It this be true, it is a pleasure which he knows not, for certainly he is no poet. The poem to which this attempts to offer a fupplement, was a compofition of much humour, and of claffical elegance*; this exhibits not even the common, and now almoft univerfal, knowledge of verfification, but, in most hobbling lines, delivers moft lame ftuff. We can affure the writer, that he has not taken the proper method for gaining the friendship of the author whom he profeffes to follow he has only proved hintelf unworthy of it. To fay nothing of the inelegance of the whole fupplement, we conceive that the author of the Golden Age (whom yet we know not) would not fit in the fame room with a man, who had published thefe lines for verfes:

And make that which before was black grow white,
And therefore he moft wrongfully did write:

*

*

*

As the bafe advocates of monarchs and their laws.

N. B. The laft is faid ironically; for the author, among his other fins, does not feem to have that of democracy to answer for. Whether from ignorance or whim, he fpells ufe with z, uze; yet chufe with s. The part moft approaching to humour is the table of contents: but Bob Aliquis, as a writer, is certainly Nemo.

* See Brit. Crit. vol. iv. p. 185.

0

BRIT. CRIT. VOL, VIII. AUG. 1796.

LRT.

ART. 14.

The Triumph of Innocence, an Ode, written on the Deliverance of Marie Theresa Charlotte, Princess Royal of France, from the Prifon of the Temple, By Eyles Irwin, Efq. M. R. I. A. 4to. 22 pp. 3s. 6d. Nicol. 1796.

We cannot fpeak in very exalted terms of the poetical merit of this ode; which, however, indicates a manly and feeling mind. It is beautifully printed by Bulmer.

ART. 15. Poems and fugitive Pieces. 6s. Cadell, &c.

By Eliza.
1796.

12mo. 272 PP.

There are many things in this elegant volume which do credit to the taste of Eliza, and there are fome which do not. Judicious friends would have advised the fair writer to omit the complimentary poems to herself, and perhaps the portion which is denominated comic poetry. Eliza moft excels in the pathetic, and the lines on the death of a tender mother have very confiderable merit.

DRAMATIC.

ART. 16. The Days of Yore. A Drama in three Acs. Performed at the Theatre Royal, Covent Garden. By R. Cumberland, Efq. 8vo. 1s. 6d. Dilly. 1796.

When we found the name of Alfred among the dramatis perfonæ of the play before us, we were in hopes that fome period of that prince's eventful hiftory had been chofen by Mr. Cumberland, as a fubject which in his hands might have been worked into fuch a drama, as every Briton would have relifhed either as a reader or fpectator. But the heroic and illuftrious Alfred is merely the mediator to reconcile one of his nobility to his daughter's marriage with Voltimar, the fon of Alfred's great Danish enemy. This introduction of so favourite a perfonage as Alfred, though by no means inconfiftent with his benevolent character, is certainly not fuch as we should naturally expect, who have been accustomed to contemplate that hero as the mirror of wifdom, magnanimity, and perfonal courage; as full of refources amidft the most embarraffing difficulties, and forcing his way from the most abject fituations to the highest pitch of human glory. Milton has juftly remarked of Alfred, that his actions are well like thofe of Ulyffes," and recommends this among his proper fubjects for British Tragedies : "Alfred in difguife of a minftrel difcovers the Dane's negligence; fets on with a mighty flaughter; about the fame time the Devonshire men rout Hubba and flay him." We cannot but wish that Mr. C. had followed the recommendation of Milton.

The character of Voltimar occafionally reminds us of another youthful Dane, who is much and deservedly a favourite upon our stage. Each counterfeits infanity, and each speaks" daggers to his mother." Mr. Cumberland's apparent hafte renders him fometimes too little attentive to the minera of his drama. Enemies are not reconciled in a moment, nor can the tranfitions of men's minds, from one train of

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