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trive to prove it without the aid of Bifhop Hall) few wife mes have ever doubted. That it is in its general causes, and too common confequences, unchriftian, is equally true. But that, to preach up thefe truths, without limitation, at a time when we are contending for our very existence as a nation, is moft mifchievous, none but a very weak man could fail to fee. Mr. Warner preaches them, with an avowed implication that our very felf-defence is unlawful. He publishes his preachment, with a direct falfehood, or equivocation, in his very title-page; where he calls this, in italics, the Twelfth year of the prefent war, though he knows it to be only an early period of a new war; after an interval, produced, on our part, by that very defire of peace, which he is bound by his principles to praife.

Nothing can be more weak than the fcriptural ground, which Mr. Warner takes for his unlimited doctrine. Our Saviour forbad refiftance against those who came to take him, because being taken, condemned, and put to death, was the very cup he had then to drink. He faid before Pilate, that his kingdom was not of this world, otherwife his fervants would fight; and Mr. Warner would have us conclude from this, that therefore we ought not to fight for this kingdom of England, which certainty is of this world. Our Saviour faid, that they who take the fword fhall perifh by the fword;" that is, are exposed to temporal death. Had he meant that it was utterly and in all cafes unlawful, could he not, and would he not have faid, that all who take the fword fhall be condemned?

But, in one of his prefaces, (for to this fifth edition he has several) Mr. Warner has furnished the full condemnation of his own difcourfe. For he fays, if it can be proved that war is not neceffarily followed by certain evils, of a moral kind, which he enumerates, "I fhall then," to cite his own words, "be ready to acknowledge my argument is not made out; my premifes are. unfound, my conclufions falfe, and myself deferving of fevere reprehenfion, for preaching to my hearers, the crude notions of my wn fancy, instead of "the words of truth and fobernefs." Now the picture is fo far from being fuch as he has drawn it, that, not only the moral evils ftated by him, do not of neceffity follow from all war, but that in a defenfive war, particularly, (which he refufes to diftinguifh) many truly Chriftian virtues are exercised, which are not in peace called into action. Such as felf-denial, ftrict obedience to command, neglect of prefent and perfonal intereft, contempt of life for the fake of duty, and devotement for the welfare of others; which, with other kindred virtues, the Volunteer in arms for his country difplays in a degree never likely to be manifested by Mr. Warner, nor the whole gang of canting Peace-mongers. Mr. W., therefore, by his own admiffion, deferves to be feverely cenfured, and SEVERELY CENSURED he hereby is; and ever fhall be by us, while he preaches and publishes fuch pernicious nonfenfe.

We

We deteft war as much as Mr. W. can do, and its general confequences; but the generous felf-defence of a Chriftian people against unjust and cruel ambition, is, we affert, an exercife of TRULY CHRISTIAN VIRTUES.

The indifcriminate profcription of arms has been juftly ridiculed in various fanatics for ages paft; and it required no fagacity or abilities to hafh up again the stuff that has been so often confuted. Mr. Warner's chief modern abettor in this doctrine, whom yet he has not thought fit to mention, is a mad female fanatic of the Weft (Joanna Southcote,) now in prifon, if we miftake not, or deferving to be fo, for her pernicious prophecies. Let him go to her cell for a defence!

We have called Mr. Warner a very weak man for what he has done; and we think him fo, for this and many other good reafons*. We had no alternative in the prefent cafe, but to call him a very wicked man, which we neither wifh to think, nor prove him. One or both he cannot fail to be.

ART. 23. The fatal Ufe of the Sword; confidered in a Sermon preached at St. Philip's Church, Birmingham, on Wednesday,. February 20, 1805, the Day appointed for a General Faft. By the Rev. Spencer Madan, A. M. 8vo. 26 pp. Piercy, Birmingham. 1805.

This calm, temperate, and fenfible explanation of the truth, refpecting the lawfulness of war to Chriftians, was produced by the fanatical and mifchievous Sermon of Mr. Warner, of Bath, on the fame text, Matt. xxvi. 52. Mr. Warner, it is very truly obferved in a note, "admits the impropriety of framing general doctrines out of particular texts, perverted from their true meaning, and accommodated to falfe ones by dislocation, and makes many juft obfervations on the evils which have arifen from that practice, and yet has moft ftrongly illuftrated it by his own example, in the ufe which he has made of the above text."

Omitting the found and general anfwers which Mr. Madan has given to the abfurd fophiftry which he oppofes, we cannot but obferve how completely he has overthrown it, by a text taken from St. Luke's account of the fame period. So that if the one text could be fuppofed abfolutely to forbid the ufe of the fword, the other would with equal ftrength enjoin it; an abfurd confequence which muft always refult from fuch falfe interpretations. "What," fays Mr. Madan, "is the language of the fame Divine Teacher, when preparing his Apoftles for the melancholy change which would fpeedily enfue? Let him that hath no fword fell his garment, and buy one, Luke xxii. 36. This expreffion may be applied indeed in a metaphorical and fpiritual fenfe; but it also has a literal and temporal import. It is a warning of the

* See our account of his volume of Sermons. Brit. Crit. vol. XXV. p. 211.

most imminent dangers, and enjoins the difciples to prepare against them by all the means in their power, as evil days were coming when they might account a weapon more neceffary than a garment. It was intended to apprize them of the circumstances in which they would ftand, and to intimate what perilous times would follow. It furely fhews us, in the ftrongest light, the expediency, and the neceffity of preparation against perfonal dangers, as well as against trials of a moral or religious nature. It is therefore, of itself, an ample refutation of thofe who explain the words before me in a strict and abfolute sense, as if the taking of a fword, in any cafe whatfoever, were an act incompatible with the profeffion of chriftianity." P. 19.

The great importance of oppofing the entrance of erroneous doctrines into fuch a town as Birmingham, is an abundant justification of the Rector of St. Philip's (if any were wanted) for publishing this difcourfe. The leffons of his old antagonist Priestley are probably not yet entirely forgotten, and give additional caufe for that vigilance which he fo laudably difplays.

ART. 24. A Sermon preached in the Parish Church of the Holy Trinity, Guildford, Surrey, before the Hon. Sir Beaumont Hotham, Knt. one of the Barons of his Majefty's Court of Exchequer; Charles Runnington, Efq. Serjeant at Law; Judges of Affize; William Borradaile, Efq. High Sheriff; and the Grand Jury, on Thurfday, the 2d Day of Auguft, 1804. By the Rev. John Barwis, A. M. Rector of Niton, in the Isle of Wight, and Chaplain to the High Sheriff. 4to. 18 pp. Is. Rivingtons. 1804.

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This is the fecond Affize Sermon published by Mr. Barwis in the fame year. The former was noticed by us, (vol. xxv. p. 690,) in connection with another difcourfe, by this author, on the Duties of Volunteers. The prefent is the fuperior of the two Affize Sermons. The text is particularly well chofen. "Thus fpeaketh the Lord of Hofts, faying, execute true judgment, and fhew mercy and compaffions every man to his brother." Zechar. vii. 9. Mr. Barwis takes occafion from it to expatiate on justice and mercy, the nature and connection of which he ably illuftrates. He particularly remarks, that a fteady and regular adminiftration of public juftice is the beft cure for the irregularities of private revenge. To this cause he attributes chiefly the merciful character of our countrymen.

"This laft has given rife to a very generally prevailing opinion, that the natives of this land are by nature lefs cruel, lefs addicted to bloodshed, than those of any other. The remark is true, but not the caufe affigned. The merit is not in the men, but in the constitution under which they live. If the dagger of the affaffin be unknown, if the rage of the moment more rarely impel to fanguinary vengeance here than elsewhere, it must be attributed

attributed to the well-founded hope, that he who has fuffered wrong will find redrefs. This is the fureft preventive of bar. barous ferocity of every kind, and is the parent of the most genuine mercy." P. 12.

There is undoubtedly truth in this remark, but not without qualification. The confiderate and reflecting character of our countrymen is furely the primary caufe of this distinction, and has given rife to the very laws which affift and confirm that dif pofition to mercy. Long before our prefent conftitution was eftablished, the general character of the people was the fame; and the Hiftory of England is throughout a picture of mildnefs and humanity, ftrongly contrafted with the bloody and wanton ferocity which every where marks the civil and religious contentions of our neighbours in France.

ART. 25. The Plague stayed: a Scriptural View of Pestilences, particularly of that dreadful Peftilence, the Small-pox, with Confiderations on the Cow-pock; in Two Sermons, with copious Notes and Illuftrations. By the Rev. James Plumptre, M. A. Fellow of Clare Hall. 8vo. 77 pp. 2s. 6d. Cambridge, printed. Rivingtons, &c, London. 1805.

There is fomething altogether very peculiar in this publication. Two fermons are here printed, which, in their main fubftance, are the fame; except that the fecond has a different introduction; and contains fome general arguments in favour of inoculation, which were not thought neceffary in the firft. The former was preached before the University of Cambridge, the latter in a country parish near Cambridge. The fame notes and illustrations serve, in a great degree, for both.

To give an exact opinion of them, is by no means eafy. They contain much that is found and useful, refpecting the hiftory of the fmall-pox, and the recommendation of the cow-pox: but much alfo, that is far beyond our comprehenfion, in other refpects. The title pages, both general and particular, feem to imply, "fcriptural views of the fmall-pox;" and the prophecies are, by fome means, very copiously introduced in connection with it. with what propriety we really cannot fee. In a note, (p. 27.) a fanciful relation between the name of Jenner and the Greek verb yavaw, with its derivatives, is faid to feem "to be one of thofe facts, to which the thinking mind is fearful of allowing too much or too little moment !" As far as our minds are capable of thinking, we have not a particle of doubt, that it should not be allowed the fmalleft moment whatever. It is a mere pun ; and has no more validity for being found in Greek, than if the fimilarity of found had happened to be traced in Perfic, the language of Ava, or that of New Holland. Yet the piety and good intention of the difcourfes are admirable; and that which was addressed to a rural congregation, would there, doubtless, have a good effect, POLITICS.

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POLITICS.

ART. 26. Reflections on the Proceedings of the House of Commons on the Nights of the 8th and 10th of April, 1805, embracing a View of the Conduct of Mr. Whitbread and the Whig Oppofition on thofe memorable Nights: To which is annexed, a verbatim Copy of the Act for regulating the Office of the Treasurer of his Majefty's Navy. 8vo. 94 pp. Ginger. 1805.

The character which has been given of a former publication by this writer ("his Strictures on the Tenth Report *,"} applies almoft literally to the work before us. Whatever may be the merits of the caufe which he fupports, the hardy affertions, the coarfe farcafms, and the profufe invectives of this author, are by no means calculated to do it fervice. But the cause itself is now fubmitted to the highest tribunal in this kingdom, and it would be equally unfair and indecent to anticipate the judgment which it may be supposed to deserve.

ART. 27. A Sketch of the Political State of Europe at the beginning of February, 1805. By William Hunter, Efq. Author of the "Vindication of the Caufe of Great Britain," and other Political Tracts. 205 PP. 4s. Stockdale. 1805.

8vo.

The "Vindication of the Caufe of Great Britain," announced in the title page as the work of this author, was favourably noticed by us foon after its appearance. The work before us is written in the fame patriotic fpirit, but not with equal judgment; for, in his zeal to embrace every topic which the prefent circumftances fuggeft, the writer has fallen into needlefs repetitions, and a tedious prolixity. To thofe readers, however, who may not be very converfant in the fubjects here difcuffed, many obfervations, which to us appear trite, may be found in.. teresting.

The author commences his work with a statement of the caufes which led to the prefent fituation of public affairs, and this induces him to review, at fome length, the modern hiftory of Europe. The French Revolution, and its confequent enormities, he afcribes to the writings of thofe "Atheifts, Freethinkers, Voluptuaries, and political Enthufiafts," who, about half a century ago, produced a change in the public opinion. After difcuffing this fertile topic, and various others connected with it, at confiderable length; and after ftating alfo the leading circumftances of the late war, together with the confequent fituation of each of the

See British Critic for June 1805, p. 697.

+ See Brit. Crit. vol. xxii. p. 204.

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