Retrofpet of Domeftic Literature— Theology. 
Apoftle, imports not of neceffity fo much 
as this; but merely a place of (afe-keep- 
ing: for fo this paflage might be ren.jered 
with great exactnefs. ‘' He went and 
preached to the {pirits in fafe-keeping ;”" 
and the invifible manfion of departed fouls 
is tothe righteous a place of fafe-keep- 
ing, where they are preferved under the 
fhadow of God’s right hand, as their con- 
dition fometimes is defcribed in Scripture, 
till the feafon fhall arrive for their ad- 
vancement to their futute glory; as the 
fouls of the wicked, on the other hand, 
are referved in the other divifion of the 
fame place, unto the judgment of the 
great day. Now, if Chrift went and 
preached to fouls of men thus in prifon, 
or in fafe-keeping ; furely he went to the 
prifon of thefe fouls, or to the place of 
their cuftody.’ 
Whatever may be thought of the Bi 
fhop’s fuccefs in eftablithing this dofrine, 
there will not be two opinions concerning 
the ingenuity of the reafoning adduced in 
fupport of it. : 
Mr. BrRewsTer’s two Sermous,; recom 
menting the reftoration of family wor- 
flip, are alike interefting from the fub- 
ject and the execution. 
‘© The T.ars of St. Peter; a. Sermon, 
tranflated from the French of the late Rev. 
Perer pu Bosc.” 
This is an animated difcourfe, and is 
publifhed as a fpecimen of the author’s 
talent. If it meets with a favourable re- 
ception, it is intended to publifh four vo- 
lames of fermons from the fame writer. 
Dr. Law’s Sermon ‘* On the Limits to 
our Enquiries with refpedt to the Deity,” 
is a very excellent one. 
Our readers will be glad to hear, that 
fince our lalt Retrefpect of Domettic Li- 
terature, “© The Works, Theological and 
Mifcellaneous, of the late Mr. ARCHDEAaA-, 
CON BirackBurnNe,” have been pub- 
lithed, in f-ven volumes oétavo, by his 
fon, Francis BLacksurne, L.L.B.—~ 
Thefe volumes include alfo a number 
of pieces never before printed, and a life 
of the author, written partly by himieif 
and partly by his fon. 
It would exceed our limits to enumerate 
the titles of all the various traéts contained 
in this excellent publication, The cha- 
raéler and talents cf the Archdeacon are of 
teo important a cat to be foon forgotten. 
The Confeffional ; or, Full and Free In- 
quiry into the Right, Utility, Edification, 
and Succefs, of efiablifhing fyftematc 
Confeffions of Faith and Doctrine in Pro- 
teflant Churches, was ‘received by the 
pubiic wich an avidity not cafily parallel- 
Monraty Mac. No. 124. 
Jed in the literary world. 
577 
A number. of 
candidates for church preferment at!empt- 
ed to anfwer the Archdeacon ; but it 
ftood, and ftiil remains, unarfwered ; and 
to thofe who weuld wifh to uncerftand the 
fubjeét of fubfcription, with ail its bear- 
ings and confequences, we can refer to no 
woik fo complete and perfect as the Con. 
feffional. 
Another topic of controverfy in which 
Mr. Blackburne fuccefsfolly engaged, 
was refpecting ‘© An Intermediate State ; 
or (as it is fometimes called), . Tne Sicep 
of the Soul’ This fubject at prefenc 
claims but afmall portion of public atten- 
tion ; but thirty years ago many of the 
mott learned among the clergy, both of 
the eftablifhed church and diflenters, en- 
tered into it with the greateft zeal. The 
whole argument is ftated, and every 
thimg that can be faid cn the coatroverfy 
will be found, in fome fhape orother, in 
thefe volumes ; and we may add, with 
the editor of them, that © the realimper- _ 
tance of the controverfy on the fleep of the 
foul, and the fupport which the unferiptu- 
ral sotion of its natural immortality, and 
feparate’ exiftence after death, afford to 
deifm and popery, Mr. Blackburne has 
very ably thown inthe prefaratory difcourfe 
to his fHitterical View. That difcourfe, 
indeed, is written in fuch an animated 
ftrain of argument, and exhibits fuch a 
forcibie plea for the frezdom of religious 
inquiry, as beneficial to the interelts of 
truth m other departments of literature 
and {cience, that whoever withes to appre- 
ciate the ufe and iraportance of theological 
controverfy in general, as well as of the 
particular controverfy occahoned by Dr. 
Law’s Appendix, will fird himfelf amply 
rewarded for the time and attention be- 
flowed on the peruial of that very inftrug- 
tive and entertaining eflay.”’ 
What the filial piety of a fon has af- 
firmed refpe@ing one part of bis honoured 
father’s woiks, we may fay of them gene- 
rally; and to the gratitude and affection 
o! ation, the public at large is de: ply in. 
debted for this excellent publication. 
With regard to the chara&ter of the 
Archdeacon, we fhall quote the conclud- 
ing paragragh of the memoir :— He was 
a believer of Chiittianity from the deepet 
conviction of its truth; a protedlant cn 
the genuine princip’es of the reformation 
irom popery 5 a firenuous adverlary to fu- 
perfition and intolerance, and of every 
corruption of the fimplicity of the fpirit ef 
the golpel; a zcalous promorer of civil 
hiberty ; a clofe and peripicacious rea‘on 
ec. a keen and cnergetic writer 5 #n at- 
4 - tentive, 
{ 
