for, not only can his meaning be understood, but it is so happily expressed upon every occasion, that it would need some pains to misunderstand him. Yet his language is as remarkable for a chastened simpli city as it is for any other property. We never find Dr. Stennett going in quest of the sesquipadalia ver ba; there is no affected strut, no deep imposing sound, no great swelling words of vanity introduced into his periods for the sake of display: his prose is the prose of Addison, and while it is level to the capacity of the unlettered reader, it is never slovenly or inelegant. It is always the best adapted to the subject of which he is treating, and we should find it difficult in any instance to remove a word and replace it with a better.

AND if from a consideration of his style, we now turn our attention to the subjects on which his time and talents were employed, we shall find equal praise due to him. Of this, indeed, we cannot want higher proof than that which is supplied by these volumes. Dr. Stennett early distinguished himself as an author, by his SERMONS ON PERSONAL RELIGION, which first made their appearance in 2 vols. octavo, about the year 1770, and have often been reprinted both in England and Scotland. The knowledge of the human heart, and of the operations of divine grace in a sinner's recovery to the divine life-his renewal after the image of God in righteousness and holiness of the truth-his sanctification-perseverance in the ways of God-his victory over the world, and final triumph over death and the grave, are all important subjects, and discussed by our author with the hand of a master in Israel.

SOON after the publication of his Sermons on Personal Religion, our author was called to engage in the unpleasant work of controversy, by vindicating his own principles as a Baptist, and the discriminating tenets of his denomination from an attack made upon them by the late Dr. Addington. In 1772, he published, in a duodecimo volume of 170 pages," Remarks on the Christian Minister's Reasons for administering Baptism by sprinkling or pouring of water, in a Series of Letters to a Friend;" which was followed in about three years afterwards, by a second volume of 300 pages, entitled, "An Answer to the Christian Minister's Reasons for baptizing Infants, in a Series of Letters to a Friend." As neither of these treatises form a part of the present collection, it seems unne cessary to enlarge upon them, and yet, whatever may be thought of the controversy itself, on which the disciples of Christ, it is to be feared, will continue to be divided in sentiment, it would be an act of injus tice to the character of Dr. Stennett, to pass them over without a few observations. The baptismal controversy has perhaps been the means of engendering more heat, animosity, and rancour of spirit, than almost any other on which Christians have differed. It is highly to the honour of Dr. Stennett, that he could go fully into this controversy, without ever losing his temper, or descending from the dignified station of the gentleman and the Christian. On a point so honourable to him, we cannot deny ourselves the pleasure of here extracting a paragraph from the Preface to his "Remarks."

"As to the manner," says our author," in which "this controversy has been conducted, I am afraid

"both parties have sometimes failed, in regard of that "meekness and charity which the gospel teaches, if

not that good nature and decorum which the laws of "humanity demand. Such, it has often been observ"ed, is the unhappy fate of very many religious dis

66

66

putes. But, wherever the fault lies, I most heartily 66 agree with all good men in lamenting, not excusing "it. Intemperate heat will naturally enough precipi"tate a bigot, and such there are among all denomi"nations of Christians, into these shameful mistakes. "But how strange is it that they who mean well, "however mistaken, should suffer themselves to be put out of humour by the weakness of their own arguments! A sensible observer will, in such a case, give a shrewd guess where the truth lies, without entering into the debate. It ill becomes me, I own, confidently to determine on which side the weight "of this presumptive kind of evidence, in the dis"pute about Baptism, preponderates. If, however, "the Baptists are chargeable with any degree of that "guilt, I hope it will receive no addition to it from "this attempt.

166

"BESIDES the many considerations which the gospel suggests, to guard me against undue warmth, "there is one which ought to have a peculiar effect " on my mind, and that is the example of a much ho"noured ancestor, who has not only done singular jus"tice to the argument itself, but, in the management "of it, has shewn a noble superiority to the rudest

and most indecent invectives, that were perhaps 66 ever thrown out against any set of men professing Christianity. I mean not by this to insinuate, that "the book to which I reply bears a resemblance to

"that. No: the ingenious author is a man of a very "different cast from Mr. Russen: his language is de

66

66

cent, his manner pleasing, and his professions can"did and impartial. And I should strangely forget myself, if I did not hold his character, as a gentle“man, a scholar, and a minister, in all due respect. Yet, if it should be found that expressions have dropt from Mr. Addington's pen, that may draw upon a body of people reflections of a very ignomi"nious kind, he will not think it strange that an apologist should feel pain on their behalf. Groundless as those reflections are, I forbear to mention them here, as I mean to appeal to the judgment of the "reader, not to his passions. If, however, in the "course of these remarks, I should at any time have "been so unhappy as to express myself with too much "warmth, I hope it will be forgiven me, and that an "error of this sort will not be construed into a design "of fixing the imputation of a malignant intention on the author to whom I reply."

66

THIS quotation may be sufficient to give the reader some idea of the temper and spirit in which our author managed this controversy, and his manner of doing it furnishes a fine example to those who at any time or on any occasion may be led into the thorny mazes of polemical contention. The courteous behaviour, the urbanity of a gentleman never forsakes him; and if a regard to truth and virtue call upon him to vindicate a divine institution from groundless presumptions and illiberal reflections, it is done in the spirit of meekness, always without loss of temper, though occasionally with an air of pleasantry excited by "false "premises or lame conclusions.". It is certainly true,

that since the time that Dr. Stennett favoured the public with his volumes on Baptism, the subject has undergone a more elaborate discussion, and may by some be thought to be exhausted by Mr. Booth's "Pædobaptism Examined," and his Reply to Dr. Williams; yet, it may confidently be affirmed, that to such persons as are capable of entering into the merits of the controversy, and appreciating the excellencies of Dr. Stennett's style, his volumes can never be superseded: but will continue to be read with pleasure as long as the language in which they are written shall endure.

THE DISCOURSES ON DOMESTIC DUTIES, were given to the world in the year 1783, and obtained for the author a large accession of well-earned reputation from many persons in the higher ranks of life, into whose hands they found their way. It is, probably, the most finished of all Dr. Stennett's productions and is that performance upon which, beyond any other, his friends would be disposed to risk his reputation as an author. He was now in the meridian of his days-his judgment was matured by reading and study-and he evidently brought the whole force of his mind to bear upon it. The field was not untrodden; we had many elaborate treatises on relative duties, before Dr. Stennett delivered his Discourses on Domestic Duties, but we know of no writer who either before or since has done such ample justice to the subject in all its bearings as our author. The Discourses, or rather subjects of discourse, are only twelve in number, but several of them are divided into two or three parts, each probably forming a distinct sermon when delivered from