tend to loosen the hands of society by disturbing the calm duties of civil and dome c life, by sinking the Citizen in the enthu siast, by merging the Patriot in the more sublime character of the Prophet." P. 43.

Upon the doctrine of the agency of evil spirits Mr. Lloyd introduces the following judicious and excellent observations:

"Let not this doctrine of the agency of the Devil, co-operating with human depravity, so clearly and circumstantially laid down in the Scriptures, and recognized in our public administra tions of justice, be thought inconsistent with the present aspect of things, or with the perfections and moral government of the Deity. We are so connected with this material world, and so sensibly affected by surrounding objects, that we are apt to suppose that there are no creatures of a nature and condition different from our own, and tempted to assign visible causes for all effects; whereas the spiritual and eternal world may be, like its divine Maker, near us, and encircling us, in a manner of which we are not apprehensive, nor shall be, till this intervening tabernacle of flesh be dissolved, and it opens at once to our astonished view. Now if wicked men are allowed to oppose themselves to the will of God, to traverse his righteous purposes, and to corrupt and destroy their fellow-creatures, and if they are "hateful and hating one another," acting too often as Devils towards each other, what reason have we to expect that we should suffer only from the devices and practices of known and visible tempters, and that these wicked and circumambient Spirits should exercise no malignant influence upon us? The principle in both cases is the same, and argues no derogation from the divine perfections, -for our enemies, visible or invisible, and however subtle, powerful, and numerous, shall not prevail against us without the concurrence of our own will, and a most criminal negligence of conduct." P. 25.

We are happy to hail Mr. Lloyd among the number of our pious, sound, and orthodox writers, and to bear our tribute of respect to these discourses which do him so much credit.

ART. IX. A Dictionary of Religious Opinions. By William Jones. 12mo. pp. 261. 5s. 6d. Gale and Fenner. 1815. This is a concise account of the history and tenets of all the various sects and denominations into which Christianity, by the perversity of its children, is unfortunately divided, being no less than seventy-two in number. The description of each sect is given with very tolerable accuracy and candour, and we can fairly say, that it is upon the whole the best book of the kind which we have yet seen,

The

The author is decidedly a Calvinist; yet his account of Ar mmianism is so fair, that we give him much credit for his just and candid representation.

"Arminianism in England was chiefly favoured by Archbishop Laud; and since his time it has found numerous advocates both in the Church and among Dissenters.

"The distinguishing tenets of the Arminians consist chiefly in the different explanation they give to the five points, which form the basis of the Calvinistic system. These are-predestinationuniversal redemption-human depravity-conversion-and final perseverance.

"1. They maintain that God from all eternity determined to bestow salvation on those whom he foresaw would persevere unto the end in their faith in Christ Jesus, and to inflict everlasting punish. ment on those who should continue in their unbelief, and resist to the end the overtures of his grace; so that election was conditional, and reprobation, in like manner, the result of foreseen infidelity and persevering wickedness.

"2. Arminians believe that Christ, by his sufferings and death, made an atonement for the sins of all mankind in general, and of every individual in particular; yet that none but those who believe in him can be made partakers of the benefit.

"3. They hold that true faith cannot proceed from the exercise of our natural faculties and powers, nor from the force and operation of free will; since man, in consequence of his natural corruption, is incapable either of thinking or doing any good thing; and that therefore it is necessary to his conversion and salvation, that he be regenerated and renewed by the operation of the Holy Spirit, which is the gift of God, through Jesus Christ. So at least this article is stated by Mosheim, though it is what no consistent Calvinist would object to; and with this agrees what Arminius himself maintains in his Declaration, and in his Public Disputations. Some modern Arminians, however, have asserted, “that mankind are not totally depraved, and that depravity does not come upon them by virtue of Adam's being their public head; but that mortality and natural evil only are the direct consequences of his sin to his posterity."

4. They believe that divine grace, or the energy of the Holy Spirit, begins and perfects every thing that can be called good in man, and consequently all good works are to be attributed to God alone; that nevertheless this grace is offered to all, but is resisted and rendered ineffectual by the perverse will of the impenitent sinner. This article, as well as the former, is interpreted by some modern Arminians with a greater latitude.

"5. They maintain that God gives to the truly faithful, who are regenerated by his grace, the means of preserving themselves in this state; and though the first Arminians were rather inclined to admit the doctrine of final perseverance, their followers in general

maintain

maintain that the regenerate may lose true justifying faith, may fall from a state of grace, and die in their sins." P. 15,

After having given Mr. Jones his due credit for his candour in description, we must express our decided reprobation of such expressions as the following: "It may be doubted whether there are not more serious professors of religion out of the Established Church than within the pale." There are too many sly insinuations of this kind to render the book perfect. Had he contented himself with mere description he would have done much better.

POETRY,

ART. X. The Cross Bath Guide; being the Correspondence of a respectable Family upon the Subject of a late unexpected Dispensation of Honours. 12mo. pp. 91. 3s. 6d. Un

This is a poem in the style of Anstey, and by no means devoid of wit and humour. The following description of a dinner given to the new batch of Knights and Baronets is well conceived: the following is the description of the company assembled.

"Sir Audrey Fitztrollop, whose shield has a bar,
But cover'd, he hopes, by a red hand, and star;
The Rev. Sir Luke Chaplyn, for lawn rather wild,
Promoted for christening Lord Faddleville's child;

Sir John Jukes, Sir Mark Hicks, Sir Job Snipe, Sir James
Hare,

All four, in succession, of London Lord Mayor;
Sir Christopher Congo, the India Director,
Of a trade to the Terra Stultorum projector;
Sir Benjamin Billings, who brought his own dish,
Of the company chairman for catching fresh fish ;
The great farrier-surgeon, Sir Parkynson Proctor,
Sir Timothy Clearwell, our family doctor;
Five stars of the navy, and three of the army-
A party like this is enough to alarm ye!" P. 52,

The jumble of" Sirs" is happily given in the following lines,

"My uncle presided with wonderful grace

Sir Benjamin, fish? Aye, you like a good plaice;
Sir Giles, you were young when you entered the navy?
Sir Job, let me give you a little more gravy;
Sir Parkynson, used to the same sort of work, he
Sir Philip will help you to cut up the turkey;
Sir Harry, how long have you had your dragoons?
Sir John, wait a moment, there's plenty of spoons ;

Sir Christopher, try this receipt for your curry;
Sir James, let me beg-help yourself-there's no hurry;
Sir Timothy, jelly? 'tis wholesome you know;
Sir Mark, things look ill, omnium's shockingly low'
Mr. Hitchins, I think half the city will break.’
Mr. Hitchins began, at this word, to awake;
He look'd round the circle, and yet was unable
One Mister to find, save himself, at the table; .
Then touching, as still all his guests he be-sir'd,
On the pride of that day, on the honour conferr'd,
The party, whatever in secret they felt,

To their host, and each other, due compliments dealt;
Their rank they with outward humility bore,

'Twas merely a feather, they said, and no more."

P. 54.

From the extracts which we have given, our readers will attribute no inconsiderable portion of merit to these amusing little jeu-d'esprit.

ART. XI. Eloise and other Poems. By a Young Lady. Leith, printed. Longman. 1815.

From a fair votary of the Northern Muse we should expect no contemptible offering at the poetic shrine, nor are our expectations disappointed. The poems are introduced by a preface, the unaffected modesty of which would disarm criticism of its sting, even if that criticism should frown with more than northern severity. But our fair poet need feel no alarm from the keen and cutting blast even of her country's criticism, much less from the mitigated rudeness of our southern censures. Its merit no less than its modesty will recommend the volume before us to general approbation. The language is not alloyed with unintelligible Scoticisms, the style is pure and the versification harmonious. Many of the poems being written, as we are informed, during illness, are tinged with a melancholy cast, which will render them not the less acceptable to those who are devotees of the pale cast of thought. The following address to the Evening Sar will justify the good opinion which we have expressed of the poetical powers of our young authoress.

1

"Mild Evening Star! on thee I love to gaze!

And mix'd emotions in my bosom swell,

As Recollection points to former days,

And loves on each past scene of bliss to dwell.
What tho' breast may
my
heave the conscious sigh,
Tho' the big tear may tremble on my cheek,
Yet not that moment all the world should buy,

For then I feel what utt'rance cannot speak.

Mild Planet! yes, I love thy placid hour,
A soothing sadness steals upon my mind,
The thorn of Mem'ry loses half its power,
And to her sorrows I am all resign'd.
Yet if the throb of anguish rends my breast,

I gaze on thee, and sigh to be at rest." P. 163.

We could produce many other specimens of equal merit, but we leave them for the reader to select. With the conclusion

of the following stanzas we were not a little surprised, as they discover our fair poet, notwithstanding all her melancholy, to be also a humourist.

STANZAS WRITTEN AT MIDNIGHT.

"Say, didst thou hear the awful thunders roll?
Šay, didst thou hear the tempest raging high?
Sawst thou the lightning flash from pole to pole,
Wrapping in dusky flames the murky sky?
"Say, didst thou hear the angry billows roar?

And didst thou hear the drowning sailors' cry?
Heardst thou their vessel strand against the shore,
While o'er their heads the screaming sea-mews fly?
And didst thou hear the howl of beasts of prey?
The famish'd vulture's screams, say, didst thou hear?
Heardst thou the rocking battlement give way?
And shrieking spirits of the church-yard drear?
"Heardst thou the demon of the howling blast?

Say didst thou hear the screech-owl's boding cry?
The raven's wing loud flapping as it pass'd?

Heardst thou these horrors?-No! No more did I!" P.88

NOVELS.

ART. XII. The Maskers of Moorfields: a Vision. By the late Anthony Griffinhoof, Gent. 12mo. pp. 87. 3s.

Miller. 1815.

Griffinhoof was a name frequently adopted by the facetious George Colman, as a sort of hackney conveyance for common service, to save his own private carriage which was only brought out on state occasions, or in other words, Mr. Griffinhoof fathered all the farces, and G. Colman all the comedies. We should suspect that the author of the work before us was not this aforesaid ideal personage, but a gentleman of a very different family, and endowed with a real existence. Be he who he may, we are sorry to find that it is a posthumous work, as it exhibits no ordinary portion of talent, and as it is composed in a style worthy of former days. We are strongly reminded of the man