576 Retrofped of Domeftie Literature—Ecclefiaftical Hiftory, &e. 
ragement. Prejudice apologizes to 
papifm for the duration of its forgot- 
ten hatred. An affected apprebenfion 
of the judgments poured out on France 
yet drags into our churches the indo- 
dence of the great ; week-day prayers 
are become a prelude to the breakfafts 
of our gentry; and men, apparently 
the moft indifferent to futurity, lend 
the authority of their prefence to af- 
femblages for fupererogatory devotion. 
A very numerous foldicery is regularly 
conducted to increafe the pomp, and to 
imbibe the unction of the fabbath-lec- 
tures. Sunday-fchools, the only places 
of education for moft of the manufac- 
turing poor, have been organized into 
Ciafies of catechumens; writing and 
arithmetic are poftponed to the defini- 
tion of faith; and all chance of ena- 
bling the children tg better their con- 
dition in life is wickedly facrificed, in 
order to featter among the multitude 
the thriving feeds of a pious, but exta- 
tically fanatical, fpirit. Religious di- 
fettanti, of every fex and age, rein- 
force the induftry of the regular prieft- 
hood. Students of talent forfake the 
pleafures of youth and wealth to preach 
up a gloomy felf-tormenting afceticifm. 
Crowds of miffioners contend for the 
holy tafk of carrying out the Gofpel to 
the remoteft eaft. Pietiftical guilds 
have been inftituted among devotees of 
every denomination. ‘To hold more 
than the thirty-nine articles of faith is 
become the title to merit among our 
feéts. Clergymen prefix their names 
to books of myfticifm, not merely 
without the fear of ridicule, but with 
the expectation of preferment. Divi- 
nation by means of the Scriptures is 
profefled even in both parliaments. 
Petty pamphlets of the papifts peep on 
us from every corner; their chape! 
multiply; their convents are re-peo- 
pling: even the Jefuits, whom their 
very pupils had fuppreffed, have here 
their feminary. Magazines of aftrolo- 
gy are publifhed monthiy; almanacks 
indicating fuppofed planetary influ- 
ences over the members of the human 
body, are printed in the very prefence 
of one of our univerfities, and hung up 
in every houfe. Platonifts write, and are 
read. Swedenborgians build magnifi- 
cent temples. Manicheans tutor our 
very bithops. No garb, which credu- 
lity aflumes, is now unwelcome: to be 
2 Methodiit, is to be comparatively ra- 
tional. .The clafiics of Paternotter- 
row fuppiant, 1m the libraries of prietts, 
Lucretius and Cicero. Perfons of un- 
equivocal refpeétability have combin- 
ed to profecute the impugners of 
the faith, and have been fupport- 
ed by juries of the people. Plot- 
finders and herefy-ferrets multiply, and 
are’ patronized. We are in league 
to proteft againft the principles of Pro- | 
teftantifm. In fuch a temper or diftem- 
per of the public mind, who does not 
perceive that reafon is in danger, not 
faith; the prefs, and not the Gofpel? 
Who does not feel, that it becomes the 
few refidual friends of toleration and 
humanity to rally with clofer union 
around the expiring flame of free in- 
quiry, and, if poffible, to thelter it from 
the rafh gufts of popular fury, and that 
yet more formidable extinguifhment by 
periodical purfuit and fyftematic fup- 
preilion? Confederacies of another 
kind are affuming but too difaftrous an - 
afpect. 
*¢ Introduction to the New Tefta- 
ment, by John David .Michaelis, tran- 
flated by. HERBERT MarsuH, 21s.” 
Since Lardner, no theological work 
has appeared in England equally im- 
portant with this, Michaelis, indeed, 
refembles Lardner by the undefigning 
fairnefs of his inftruétion, and the ex- 
hauftive completenefs of his informa- 
tion; he has even greater refources of 
Oriental learning, and of modern tra- 
vel-reading. Lardner delighted in hif- 
torical, Michaelis in critical, illuftra- 
tion, 
This tranflation is executed with an 
exactnefs, and annotated with an eru- 
dition, which will give to it, even 1n 
Germany, a value fuperior to the origi- 
nal. It is fit matter of congratulation 
to the country, at length, to poffefs 
fuch a work, fo vernacularifed. To 
religion and to learning a fervice has 
been rendered co-endaring with their 
influence: it is for minifters to dif- 
charge the national-debt of gratitude, 
by conferring a public and diftinguifh- 
ing recompence. 
That the frft edition of this work 
fhould be already out of print, isa good 
fion ; may another more numerous im- 
preffion fhortly fueceed, and as fpeedi- 
ly be fhelved. Itis not a book to lend 
and borrow, but to have and hold as 
an everlaiting poffeffion. 
‘*WeanGHam’s Thirteen Practical _ 
Sermons, 6s.” 
This learned and liberal writer knows 
how to intereit, even when he epito- 
inizes the writings of others; and it is 
a talk 
