they went into orders; and I have heard you preach against such 'tkusifts again and again.*

F. Ah, Polly, you should not talk fo pert to your father! when I could blufter about the houfe as once I did, you did not behave to unmanmerly. (To Mr. Dolittle). But you know, Sir, how very often we pray for the Spirit of God in the prayer-book, that "God would grant us bis Holy Spirit;" and that he would "cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the infpiration of his Holy Spirit." We e pray for his Majesty, that he may be "replenished with the grace of the Holy Spirit ;" and that all the Bishops and Clergy may have the "healthful Spirit of God's grace." And at Christmas time, we pray "that we being regenerate and born again, and made God's children by adoption and grace, may be daily renewed by his Holy Spirit," and in another collect, that "God would fend to us his Holy Ghoft to comfort us ;" and then in the Article of our predestination and election, it is faid, that " all the elect feel in themselves the workings of the Spirit of Chrift." And in the Catechifm, that God “ fanctifies us, and all the elect people of God." And in twenty more places befides, have we the fame fort of words and doctrine. And to me, it feems, it would be even foolish to pray at all, unless we thought that God would infpire into our hearts the good we pray for.

D. Well, Mafter Littleworth, if you have done preaching to me, it is high time that I fhould begin preaching to you. I have already obferved. that our Reformers were good men, but not over wife, and that they may have expreffed themselves unguardedly; therefore, many of our divines of the prefent day, and I'll affure most of them are Bishops or Deans, or other great dignitaries, have been at a deal of pains to put a proper explanation on their words; and though, I confefs, they have hardly as yet fettled the matter among themfelves, yet it feems to amount to this. Some of them think, that our Reformers had a double-meaning in all they faid, and that they meant both ways, for and against the same doctrine at the fame time. Others are of opinion, that they had but one meaning in what they said, and that is to be underflood as being just contrary to what they seemed to say. They who are for the double meaning suppose, that while lome are at liberty to take them in one fenfe, others are at liberty alfo to take them in another, or in the oppofite fenfe; and though this, in the opinion of the unlearned, may appear to be a flat contradiction and nonienfe, yet many learned divines have written very ably on that fide of the question; though I confess, in my opinion, this gives too much latitude to thefe modern preachers that you are now fo fond of, to preach up their notions; and very fpecious things, to be fure, they have to lay, if we let this interpretation pafs. I am rather, therefore, of the opinion of thofe divines who have proved that our Reformers, when they faid one thing meant another. And if you please, Sir, I'll explain myself on this fubject.

F. Las! Sir, you quite stagger me! I don't know whether I ftand upon my head or heels.

D. Don't fay fo, Sir, for I'll affure you we are ferious, and we can prove all this to be very true from the logic fome of us brought from Oxford, and others of us from Cambridge; that when we read in the article and prayer book, about original, or birth fin, "That it is the fault and corruption of the nature of every man that naturally is engendered of the

* Mifs Polly brought home with her feveral other hard words from the boarding-fchool that the never afterwards knew how to digeft, or to exprefs.

offspring

offspring of Adam, whereby man is, or as far as poffible* gone from original righteousness;" it is evidently to be made out by the rule of reverf; a rule which, I fuppofe, you may not have fufficient learning to comprehend; and that our Reformers, according to the opinion of modern divines, meant, there is a deal of original inherent rectitude in man, if he would but employ his reafon, and his confcience, to bring it forth.

F. Though I dare not contradict the learned, yet I am fure my hardened confcience and my blinded reafon never did any good.

D. You should not have interrupted me, Sir, till I finished what I had to fay; for I next muft remind you of what you faid about the neceffity of "Special Grace; that we have no power of ourselves to help our felves, and that of ourselves we cannot but fall;" that we have no power to do good works, pleasant and acceptable to God without the grace of God by Chrift preventing us; now for want of our logic, it cannot be expected that you can comprehend that all thefe expreffions are to be underftood by the fame rule of reverse; and that now their proper meaning is to be, that there is a deal of power left in us though in our laps'd fate; and that nothing is wanting, but that God fhould fecond our good endeavours; and that through our own proper resolutions and endeavours, if duly attended to, we shall obtain the favour of the Almighty.

F. Why, then, Sir, when I tell Sam, that he is to fetch the black horfe out of the ftable, he is to understand he is to bring me the grey mare. Why, I am all in amazement at this new fort of learning.

Mrs. L. Nancy, my dear, hand that fresh toast to Mr. Dolittle. (To Mr. Dolittle.) Perhaps, Sir, you would like a bit more with your laft difh. (Mifs Nancy directly takes it out into the kitchen, and comes in without it.)

Mrs. L. Why Nancy, child, what have you done with the toast?
Nancy. Why, as you bade ne, mother.

Mifs L. Why, I told you, hand it to Mr. Dolittle.

Nancy. O yes, mother; but then by this new rule of reverse, thought I was to take it away, and lock it up in the

pantry.

you

D. O, but we are not to adopt this rule of reverse in things temporal, but only in things fpiritual. It is upon this principle that our divines have in their power farther to prove about the juftification of man by faith alone, that it means by faith and good works together; nor fhould pretend to be fo wife about the matter, but humbly to leave it to your clergy, and believe, as they direct you; for it fhould feem very ftrange, that after thefe abftrufe divines have puzzled even the molt learned among us about works done before juftification, and works done after juftification, that you fiould be able to understand their meaning.

F. Why, then, Sir, when I fay I fhall go alone to Mapleton market next Thuriday, you are to understand that I mean to take my wife and daughter Pol'y with me. Is this the way in which I am to chop this new-fafhioned logic?

D. Iam forty for you, Mr. Littleworth, if you can't understand yet, at least you fhould futmit to the learning of our univerity divines. I fear you will never be reclaimed, for you mentioned alfo, among other fubjects, the article upon our predeftination and election. Now all our learned divines can prove that article alfo is to be understood in that fenfe, which is directly contrary to its own meaning; that particularly it means univerfal redemption; and that, when they fay, "The godly confideration of our predeftination in Christ is full of fweet, pleasant, and unspeakable

In the original Latin, it is quem longissime.

comfort

comfort to godly perfons, and fuch as feel in themselves the workings of the Spirit of Chrift ;" they meant, that it was a very ungodly doctrine, and calculated to encourage the most licentious conduct: that the words fweet, pie fant, and unspeakable comfort," now mean every thing that is abominably deteftable and odious, and only held forth by a modern fect, now funk into univerfal execration. In fhort, that the predeftination of fome, means an univerfal chance given to all. And further ftill, when they faid, "that the elect of God feel in themselves the workings of the Spirit of Chrift," they are to be understood, that there are no such feeling or influences; or that, if there are, according to an expreffion that we are uery fond or ufing, they are fecret and imperceptible feelings.

F. Las! Sir, where am I? fecret and imperceptible feelings.-(Farmer to his wife.) Why, dame, when our fon Harry would be fo wild, and when he went to fea, and you and I used to fob and cry together night after night, our's was not imperceptible grie. (To Mr. Dolittle). And when we repent of fin, for I am fure we have enough of it, are we to have imperceptible repentance? And when we tell God our wants in prayer, are thele to be imperceptible wants? Are we to have imperceptible love to God? and imperceptible faith in Chrift? I should wish to have fomething better than an imperceptible religion, otherwise I should fear I fhall have nothing better than an imperceptible heaven. Really, Sir, I am in fuch a maze by these new notions, that I know not where I am. But as you fay, I am to understand all our old folk by the rule of reverse, perhaps I am to understand you by the fame rule, and that will turn all matters right round.

D. Mafter Littleworth, it is very cruel and unjust in you to banter us by fuch language; you know how many people there are againft our relįgion ready. First Diffenters of every party are faying that we fubfcribe a creed for the fake of our livings, which we never examined or believed. But who would mind what thefe Schifmatics have to fay against us? for all the infide's fay just the fame; and as for the new fect that you have lately taken to follow, they are worfe than any of them.

F. Well, ten, Sir, I must honeftly confess, whofoever may be your accufers, I wonder that fo many of you, gentlemen, fhould again and again fubfcribe to all these things, as though you had a right to understand them in a fenfe juft oppofite to their real fenie, and thus make nonsense of the whole of it; whi e you fubfcribe to them as being "articles agreed upon by the Archbishops and Bifhops, and all the clergy, for avoiding diverfity of opinions, and for the eltablishment of consent touching true religion," and which they fay are to be taken in the literal and grammatical fenfe. Aye, Sir, and un down thole minifters whofe hands and hear s go together, and who will have nothing to do with these double meanings, and double dealings, to contrary to all the common fenfe meaning of words, as that all we, farmer-like countryfied tolk, cannot but fee how little agreement there is between hands and hearts in all thefe fubfcriptions. Lord help us! is this the fimpl city and godly fincerity of the upright Chriftian.

D. O Sir, you feem to be truck with the spirit of devotion; you'll go to prayer with us next.

F. O, no Sir! I would rather leave that with you. Nancy, my child, reach Mr. Dolittle the Bible; it will be more profitable to us all if he reads a chap er, and expounds it, and goes to prayer with us; and that is the way Mr. Lovegood does when he goes a vifiting.

D. I have been now Rector of this parish above thefe 19 years, and I never was addressed about going to prayer in fuch a manner before. Sir, this rude treatment compels me to leave your houfe immediately Mrs, Littleworth, I wish you a good night.-Young Ladies, your humble fervant.

R. H.

ANIMADVERSIONS on Dr. Hawweis Impartial and Succin& Hifiory of the Church of Chrift, by the Rev. 1. Milner, D.D. Dean of Carlife, &c. Otavo, pages 43, price is. Matthews, Mawman, &c

A REPLY to the Animadverfions of the Dean of Carlisle, by the Rev. Dr. Haweis, Octavo, pages 31, pr.ce 6d. Mawinan.

WHEN we first perufed Dr. Haweis' Church Hiftory, we fully expected it would call forth animadverfions. Nor were we, it feems, mistaken. Some harp and very fevere ones will be found in the Dean of Carlife's pamphlet. Jealous for the honour of his brother, whofe views of Ecclefiaftical Establishments Dr. H. controverts in a differtation at the end of his first volume; the Dean comes forward and charges the Dr. with grofs mifreprefentation and odious perverfion of Mr. M.'s words and meaning. And it must be confeffed that the Dr. has laid himself open to these charges, by ufing inverted commas, where he intended to exprefs the sense only, and not to give the words of Mr. M.; and by partial inaccurate quotations which would induce one to fuppofe he cited from memory, inftead of recurring to his author. To particular charges, the Dean adds general ones; he infinuates that his principles are Jacobinic 1, and claffes him with difcontented demagogues. Thefe are ferious accufations, and it became the Dr. to reply to them severally.

This he hath done with happy effect; not returning railing for railing, nor feeling, as his accufer, any uneafinels from the reftraints impofed on him by the polite cuftoms of the times." He ingenuously acknowledges the inaccuracy of his quotations, and the impropriety of an indifcriminate ufe of inverted commas, without a previous intimation of it to his readers. But he vindicates himself from intentional mifreprefentation, by fhewing that the words of Mr. Milner, quoted by the Dean, would, in moft cafes, equally, and, in fomne cafes, more fully juftify the conclufions he has drawn, than the words he has ufed himself. As to the charges of Jacobinifin and Faction, he appeals to the whole tenor of his life and writings. Few men have given more unequivocal proof of loyalty to his Majesty, or of genuine affection to his government. And had the Dean been as well acquainted with the D.'s religious principles or conduct as he ought to have been, before he ventured to make remarks on either, he certainly would not have hazarded accufations fo rafh, and fo unfounded. It is a pity that good men fo hastily take up prejudices, and weaken even the force of their own reasonings, by an evident display of wrong difpofitions.

The point in debate is very clear. Dr. Haweis is as ftrong an advocate, as the late Mr. Milner, for Ecclefiaftical Eftablishments. Only he thinks that neither fcripture nor expediency will justify an establishment that does not admit of complete toleration to all diffenters, not excluding Jew, Turk, or Infidel. On the contrary, though Mr. Milner admits, that "The fupreme power has no right to violate liberty of confcience, by extorting confeflions of faith,"-yet he maintains that "It has a right to establish the true religion by pofitive inftitutions"- To enfure publick efpect to thefe inftitutions by penal laws," and " To reftrain and punish the propagators of irreligious opinions." Hift. of the Church, vol. 2, p. 232. The Dean avowedly espouses his brother's fentiments and recoils from what he calls Dr. H.'s "extravagant opinions." Which of these refpe&table writers elpoutes the most extravagant opinions, we prefume not to decide; but whoever peruses the pamphlets before us, can have no doubt which of them has difplayed most of the gentleman and the christian. DEMONSTRATION

DEMONSTRATION de l'Authenticité et de la Divinité des Livres du Nouveau Teftament, fur un Plan nouveau, par où la Divinité de l'Evangile eft mife dans une pleine Evidence. 8vo. Tome premier, 355 p. Tome second, 216 p. Rivingtons, Robfon, Elmsley and Bremner, LONDON. 1799. DEMONSTRATION of the Authenticity and the Divinity of the Books of the New Teftament, upon a new Plan, whereby the divine Authority of the Gofpel is clearly proved. 2 vol. 8vo.

AS the greater part of our readers are probably unacquainted with languages spoken by other nations, it would be improper to occupy our brief review with frequent notices of publications in a foreign tongue. There are, however, in many religious families, young perfons who are initiated into the French language; and we are the more defirous of introducing the prefent article to their attention, as it appears, but too certain, that, in fome inftances, the inexperience of youth has expofed them to the fatal fnares of infidelity. Their minds, if not regenerated by the Spirit of holiness, are liable to be difgufted with the reftraints and devotional exercifes, which pious parents aim to inculcate, both by precept and example. Conscience, alfo, is likely, in fuch cafes, to require the force of infidelity to suppress its emotions. It is, perhaps, from thefe caufes, that fcepticism feems to gain more ground among the younger branches of genteel families proteffing the gofpel, even than among thofe who have been deftitute of a religious education. There is likewife, room to fear that the French Books, which are put into the hands of perfons fo circumstanced, have fometimes a tendency to cherifh a bad principle: and the danger is greater, as a parent is often unaware of the contents of a book that engages his child's attention.

To parents in fuch a fituation, we would strongly recommend the work before us. Its author is the Rev. E. Gibert, Minifter of a Parish in the Ifland of Guernsey, where he is very highly refpected for his evangelical piety, and his indefatigable exertions for the fpiritual and temporal welfare of his people. A defire to promote the general good has evidently been his motive for the publication of these, and of several former volumes ; two of which were defigned to furnish antidotes to the poifon of Voltaire's writings, another confifts of remarks on the Apocalypfe, and a fourth contains a French translation of Soame Jenyns's Internal Evidence of Chriftianity.

In the prefent work, the pious author takes notice both of the external and internal proofs of the divine infpiration of the facred writings of the New Feltament. Under the former head, he felects from the celebrated work of Dr. Lardner on the fubject, the most important quotations he has extracted from writers of the first four centuries after Chrift. M. Gibert obferves, that no one can difpute the fact, that the New Teftament has, for feveral ages paft, been received by multitudes as divinely inspired; therefore, fays he, "to avoid an useless prolixity, I fhall go back to the fourth century, paffing the latter ages in filence; for if it is evident, that, at the period when chriftianity became the prevailing religion, and was eftablifhed by civil authority, chriftians received, as divinely inspired, thofe books, which our immediate ancestors have tranfmitted to us as fuch; then no perfon can doubt, that the fame books have conftantly been the rule of faith to chriftians, during the ages that have elapsed, from the ftablishment of chriftianity, to the present time."

[To be concluded in our next.]

HINTS