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district, and the exertions made to devise checks and remedies, and to use the visitation for spiritual purposes, is full of interest. Only two of Mr. Leigh of Bilston's letters are given. But not one should have been omitted. They were most affecting and valuable. The account of the spiritual effects produced by this awful visitation up to the present time are very satisfactory. It is to be hoped they will be lasting. The sermons themselves are, like most of Mr. Girdlestone's, very useful and valuable.

Letters of the late Rev. Irwine Whitty, Rector of Golden. Oxford: Parker. THEY who wish to see the picture of a true Christian and faithful pastor, and a model in all the domestic and social relations of life, and to profit by the reflexions of such a man, should read this little volume, which, besides Mr. Whitty's letters and reflexions, contains a memoir of him, drawn up with excellent taste and feeling. The picture set before us of this admirable man's devotion to his calling, his piety shewn forth in domestic affliction, his patience under difficulties and privations, his resistance to all endeavours to take him from his parish, even when his health required it, because he thought his people were suffering, is most affecting. Such a man was Irwine Whitty. But he was an Irish protestant clergyman, and the earthly reward of his labours and devotion was, that he was barbarously murdered in mid-day, as he returned from a charitable visit to a sick bed, by some of the miserable people, deluded, by demagogues and popish priests, into a belief that this is the proper treatment of such wretches as protestant clergy. There are persons who, laugh loud, it seems, at hearing of Irish, clergy being shot at, after having submitted patiently to the loss of their professional income, and given half their private means to found charitable institutions in their parishes, and much louder at finding that this shooting frightens their wives. To such persons this book will be sport. To men of a different heart, while such a detail must bring deep and bitter regret, it brings consolation too, by shewing that he who was thus inhumanly murdered in his earthly country, looked for a better country, even an heavenly, and that he has, of a surety, obtained the fruit of his Christian faith and holiness.

The Church Defended, in two discourses recently preached at St. George's, Birmingham. By the Rev. John Garbett, M. A., Rector of that parish. London: Hatchard. 12mo. pp. 46.

MR. GARBETT has drawn together exceedingly well, and in a very proper tone, the answers to the common objections to establishments, and has judiciously reminded his hearers, that all the great names among the elder dissenters were warm advocates for establishments, and that the most eminent among them have borne witness to the truth of our articles, and the beauty and excellence of our liturgy. This tract, which is small and cheap, should be circulated. There is one argument not so likely as the rest to carry conviction— viz., that from the state of the church triumphant, as pourtrayed in prophecywhich Mr. G. would consult the usefulness of his book by altering.

The Young Christian's Guide to Confirmation, in familiar lectures. By the Rev. W. T. Myers, A. M., Curate of Eltham. London: Roake and Varty. 12mo. pp. 400.

THIS volume appears to be sound in doctrine, earnest in tone, and likely to be useful both to the faith and practice of such young persons as shall be induced to read it.

Young Christian's Sunday Evenings, 2 parts. London : 1833. THESE are conversations between a mother and child on the Bible, and appear to contain very sound and right views, and, as the reviewer is told by

persons more capable of judging than himself, in a style likely to be intelligible to young children, and liked by them. The first part goes through the Pentateuch, containing a conversation on each great event; and the second part through the rest of the Old Testament, in a similar manner.

Whychcott of St. John's. 2 vols. London: Wilson. 1833.

Ir is quite out of the way of the British Magazine to notice a collection of papers containing tales not on religious subjects or matters connected with the moral improvement of the people. But this is noticed as a phenomenon, for it contains a paper strongly in favour of the church, and reprobates the falsehoods vented against it. It is passing strange to find this in a work courting popularity. The book is clever, and the author has a great deal of comic power. Two of his University Stories are told with much humour; but real names should not be introduced.

Two Sermons Preached before the University of Oxford. By the Rev. W. Sibthorpe Cole. Dover: 1833. 8vo.

MR. COLE presses very strongly the advantage of some practical knowledge of the pastoral duties before taking charge of a parish, and shews very fully his own accurate perception of their extent. He very modestly abstains from adding any plan of his own for effecting this, leaving it to the wisdom of the university to devise such a plan. But is it possible to do so?

A Sermon, Preached at the Visitation of the Lord Bishop of Chester. By the Rev. A. Campbell. London: 1832. 8vo.

MR. CAMPBELL, with great good sense and good feeling, avoids the question of Church Reform, and presses with great force and truth on the clergy the necessity of personal exertion and personal excellence as the best safeguard of the Church.

Essays Designed to afford Christian Encouragement and Consolation. By John Sheppard. London: Whitaker and Co. 1833. 12mo. pp. 368.

THERE is an originality of thought, a piety, a humbleness of mind, a catholic spirit, a degree of reading and observation in every one of Mr. Sheppard's works, on which too high praise cannot be bestowed. He fully maintains this character in the volume at the head of this article. Its object is to cheer men of humble and anxious minds, under the dejection caused by doubt as to the genuineness of their faith, as well as to administer comfort under the more common afflictions of life. There are some phrases (perhaps they may imply some views, but this is far from certain) in which the writer cannot quite agree with Mr. Sheppard. But he sympathizes with him warmly throughout in the general tenour of his work, and feels confident that his earlier essays, as virtually warning men against presumption, by holding up the picture of the doubts and fears of sincere Christians, will be eminently useful. Mr. Sheppard is a dissenter, and yet the writer is not at all inclined to say, Talis cum sit utinam noster esset. On the contrary, his earnest wish for the dissenters (as being the best wish for the Church) is that not their laymen, but even their ministers in general, had Mr. Sheppard's power, knowledge, and spirit.

Fulton and Knight's Pronouncing Dictionary of the English Language, greatly improved. Edinburgh: Stirling and Co.; and Whitaker and Co., London.

1833.

THIS seems to be an excellent dictionary, and far more simple in its method of marking pronunciation than the older works on the subject. It is small, cheap, and contains a table of scripture names, and another of classical names properly accented.

REMARKS ON WORKS ON CHURCH REFORM.*

A FEARFUL storm of pamphlets on Church Reform has been spreading itself (and havoc with it) over the land. There is one, however, with much good sense and feeling in it, by the Rev. F. Massingberd, of which a friend of the writer of this paper will give a short account. Then there is one by a gentleman named Stephenson, who says he was once member for Westbury. This gentleman has contrived (what is not very easy) to engage the writer's sympathies in favour of Lord Henley, by the vulgar tone of his sneers, and laboured attempts at scoffing at Lord Henley's saintly notions, &c. &c. This gentleman is quite one of the servile herd of imitators. He does little more than out-herod Lord Henley in his plans, reduce all the bishops and clergy still lower, and strongly urges what he insinuates that Lord Henley only hypocritically hints at. His deep knowledge of church matters and of literature is displayed very frequently, and especially in one note in which he says "How many eminent men have adorned and illustrated the Scotch Church-Robertson, Reid, &c. &c." The fullness of the list is peculiarly striking.

Then "One of the priesthood" has written a pamphlet praising Lord Henley very much, but suggesting that all private patronage must be done away, and placed in the hands of the bishops, and an allowance made in compensation to the patrons, out of the church revenues-so admirably adequate as they are to their present purpose. The bishop is to be assisted by a council of his chapter, various regulations for which are laid down; but the main one is, that no one is to have a stall till he is fifty-six. Of all ages under the sun, why the learned author has fixed on fifty-six, it is not easy to guess, unless he thinks that seven years' run of a stall, up to a man's grand climacteric, is a fair allowance.

Then " a Churchman" has been remarking on Lord Henley and Dr. Burton. This gentleman suggests diocesan boards to manage the seized chapter and bishop's property, instead of the general one, &c. &c. Has this writer any authority for hinting that Lord Henley's Letter to the King was published with the permission, if not the sanction of the King? Mr. Stephenson, by the way, mentions that a plan noticed last year in this Magazine was actually completed, and that one hundred members of the House of Commons actually did petition the chancellor not to give the bishops the disposal of the small livings!

But all these gentlemen are entirely Dü minorum gentium to Dr. Arnold.

Dr. Arnold, after stating very pleasingly both the beauty of a system which snatches something from the gripe of self and gives it to the common good, and the advantages of an established church, and after pointing out very truly that the church reformers of the present

These remarks (except the note on Mr. Tennison) were printed for the last number, but were not inserted in consequence of a delay in the transmission of the proofs.

After

day are mostly either church destroyers or self-seekers (i. e. persons who expect to get or save money by church reform), goes on to state that if every thing they ask for should be accomplished, the danger of the church would be the same, and its real evils increased. wards Dr. Arnold says again (page 72) that he holds the evils commonly clamoured against to be quite subordinate evils. Sectarianism he holds to be the great evil; and he proposes to cure it by enlarging our articles to that degree of capacity that all denominations, except perhaps Quakers and Romanists, might belong to the national church -by having ministers of all classes of society and education-because as things are, ignorant and fanatical men will preach-because there are, at all events, some people more ignorant than themselves whom they could teach, and it would be better to have them under control -by having different kinds of worship, at different hours of the day, in the parish church, the Liturgy at one hour, and various other fashions at others, so that the natural love of variety and the different tastes and opinions of different men may be consulted-by making Episcopacy not prelatical, by stopping translations, and seeing that the bishop is only head of a council of lay and clerical members, partly elected by the officers of the parishes-by having general diocesan assemblies by allowing the election of ministers in many cases, and giving the parishioners a check in all-by having lay and clerical officers in every parish to form a body, superintending it with the principal minister.

On the principles here laid down the writer does not intend to say one word. When parties have not one single point of common ground to stand on, when the honest conviction of one considers as excellent what the honest conviction of the other considers as absolutely abominable, dispute would be useless. Besides, if Dr. Arnold had the power of acting on his own suggestions, there would fortunately be no difficulty in knowing what course to pursue. They at least, who think as the writer does, could never be members of a church regulated by Dr. Arnold, and could feel no necessity for even one minute's discussion of the matter. But although no attempt will be made to canvass Dr. Arnold's principles, a few words must be said as to the probable practical effects of such a scheme. It must be asked, whether any man, who looks at human nature, could for a moment suppose, that even a decent quietness could thus be procured that when things were so arranged that every class of opinion, from the fiercest Calvinism down to the lowest Arminianism, from the highest Trinitarianism down to the gulfs of Socinianism,

• Dr. Arnold says, that Dissenters may be required to submit to Episcopacy when it will be so much modified, inasmuch as there are Episcopalians who think Epis copacy an essential! He adds, that Episcopalians have consented to such entire changes in the essentials of primitive Episcopacy, that they are manifestly satisfied by retaining the name! The first sentence requires no comment; the second deserves none,-as far as relates to the essentials of Episcopacy, it is, however painful it is to say so, wholly contrary to fact.

VOL. III.-March, 1833.

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might be represented in the ministry, any thing could possibly ensue but battles within the church, instead of without the walls. CČan Dr. Arnold doubt for a moment that if the principal minister should happily speak the words of soberness and truth in the morning, the uneducated fanatic, whose admission to the ministry Dr. Arnold advocates, would take especial care in the evening to attack every word he had said? Is not a love of controversy and of handling hard points but too prevailing an evil at all times and among all men? Is not the latter especially one of the strong holds of dissent now? And would it be given up then, when the only difference would be, that such a minister, instead of such a chapel, might thus gain popularity? But, again, while Dr. Arnold advocates an endowed establishment, can he forget that as he chuses to have some articles (lax enough to be sure) the hatred of all restraint and the hope of gain will always cause dissent from even the laxest church, and raise up teachers without its walls, who could not, even in his comprehensive plan, be admitted within them? If two uneducated men were admitted in a given parish, and six more thought themselves equally qualified, what is to hinder them from hoisting the standard of dissent?

But does Dr. Arnold really believe that, on the one hand, conscientious dissenters would enter a church which does not feel it a duty to proclaim the great truths of the Gospel plainly, and, on the other, does he, in his hope of bringing many in, forget the many whom he will certainly drive out? Through his whole pamphlet, he speaks indeed with kindliness of those who hold to the church system conscientiously, but he also holds them to be the cause of all the evils, to be as much schismatics as those who are formally so, and he appeals very affectionately to them to give up such views to give up, in short, all which is most dear and sacred in their eyes.

Dr. Arnold forgets again apparently the declarations constantly made from many dissenting pulpits, that the articles of the church are willingly accepted by the teachers and congregations, and are, in no degree, the cause of dissent.

How strange a notion, one may say in conclusion, is that which Dr. Arnold seems to have of an union of all sects, when it is to be an union without any thing to hold it together,—not an union from common hopes of good, common fears of evil, common views as to the promotion of gospel truth. Why, in good truth, is he not satisfied with the present bond which the law gives? When in the assize court the King's proclamation against blasphemy and vice is read, and the law proclaims that Christianity is the law of the land, it would appear that all which Dr. Arnold can reasonably hope for is already done to bring about religious unity.

What one would wish to know would be, does Dr. Arnold purpose, after thus setting the church open, to enforce conformity to it ? If he does not, does he suppose that dissent will not flourish just as much as before when the motives to dissent are always the same; or that it will want any ingenuity to find out reasons against connexion with a church which does not proclaim the truth, allows

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