"Have been compiled with much care from the devotional writings of the learned and pious Wake, Gibson, Wilson, Pearson, Kenn, Merrick, and Watts. Recourse has also been had to the more modern labours of Stonhouse, Paley, Cotterill, Warner, and others." Introd. v.

To this account of his own work, the author subjoins the following note: "There is an excellent Selection of Family Prayers,' by my estimable friend, the Rev. James Duke Coleridge, which cannot be too warmly recommended for general

use.

"

Christian Truth, explained in familiar Letters on the Tenets of the Church of England, &c. addressed to a Friend, and written at his Request. By the REV. C. POWLETT. Pp. 326. 9s. Booth. 1824. "CHRISTIAN TRUTH" is a subject vast, magnificent, and imposing: that it should be "explained in a series of familiar letters," will derogate nothing from its dignity; for it is to be considered, that to reach the heart of man is the object sought, and that the avenues to that heart are most commonly closed against lengthened dissertation and dry discussion. The title of the volume before us, is therefore, of the most promising kind; professing to blend the most important instruction with the liveliest illustration, and to engage the affections, if not the imagination, whilst it enlightens the understanding, and improves the heart. The Preface exhibits to us the author no way insensible to the magnitude of his undertaking.

"When I received the earnest request of my friend, to give such a statement of the Christian doctrines, as might make them so clear to his mind, that he could embrace them with thorough conviction and satisfaction, I knew this could not be done in a small compass. I considered, also, that if a well-disposed man, like him, could harbour a doubt on any of the tenets of the Church of England, others not so intelligent, and not so serious, would still less understand the grounds on which the doctrines are founded, and still less comprehend the NECESSITY of FAITH. I therefore, resolved to exert the humble faculties which God has given me, and publish to the world the following Letters." P. iii.

Proceeding to the table of contents we find that the Letters are seven in number: I. On the Religion of the Heart. II. On the Trinity. III. On the Atonement. IV. On Regeneration. V. On Predestination, Election, and Reprobation.

VI. On indifference to Religion, and on the Duty of contending for the Faith. VII. Concluding and general. It could not but strike us that it must be a person of considerable confidence, as well as skill, that would voluntarily step forward to give "thorough conviction and satisfaction" upon all the points here mentioned, in the compass of a moderate octavo volume; and a certain line of our friend Horace would, in spite of ourselves, recur to our minds, "Quid dignum tanto feret hic promissor, &c."

The First Letter is merely preliminary, and contains some few remarks upon the indifference which is usually shewn by persons who have in no degree investigated the truth of the doctrines of their religion. The indifference but too generally observable in the deportment of many, who frequent our places of public worship, is accounted for on this principle.

The Second Letter "on the Trinity," begins with some observations on the "authenticity and divine inspiration of the Bible:" these however, we are told, are to be short; first, because no doubt is supposed to be entertained on the subject; and secondly, because it would be useless to present any arguments to those who "do not acknowledge the truth of St. Paul's assertion, that all Scripture is given by inspiration of God.'" P. 20. This can hardly be intended to mean precisely what it expresses; but we pass on. We find upon perusal of the whole chapter, for we are not let into the secret in any shorter way, that the method of "proof of the doctrine of the Trinity," which is taken up runs as follows:

First, Proof of the co-equal nature, and therefore divinity of the Three Persons from two texts of the New Testament; viz. Our Saviour's last command to his disciples, Matt. xxviii. 19. and the contested passage, 1 John v. 7.

In the consideration of the first of these texts, we meet with the following answer to the objection that the word "Trinity" is not to be found in the whole Bible.

"I do not recollect that the word morality,' is to be found in the Gospels; and yet, I believe, you will not deny that they contain the

We are anxious to relieve this "favourite lyric poet" from the imputation of wishing to check that warmth of admiration which is but a natural tribute to the sublime, as well we think as to the beautiful and the excellent. His precept "nil admirari," in the beginning of one of his confessedly prosaic epistles "need never be allowed to interfere with Mr. Powlett's admiration either of Bishop Horne or his writings. It is the enunciation of the greatest truth to which man ever attained in the absence of the light of Revelation," that "happiness consists not in strength and attenuation of excitement, but in preserving self-possession under all occurrences whether joyous or griev“Nil admirari” is, in the words of the Apostle, "Not to be afraid with any

ous."

amazement."

most perfect system of morality that ever was given to the world. The word sacrament' is not to be found in the Bible; are we to renounce the two ceremonies of Baptism and the Lord's Supper on that account? Names are given arbitrarily, but the name of a thing is not the thing, it is only the sign by which we express the thing signified." P. 28.

For the rest of the "innumerable texts" which have been collected and compared together by different writers specified by Mr. Powlett, we are referred to the pamphlet of his "meritorious friend Mr. Vaillant," which we doubt not is a work of very great merit, but with which we have not the pleasure of being acquainted.

Secondly, Denial of the Socinian assertion, that "the faith is not ancient." Some proof from the writings of the ancient fathers would have been desirable under this head.

Thirdly, Proof of a plurality of persons in the Godhead from the fréquent use of the plural noun to express the name of God. From this part of the proof our author goes off, in the middle of a paragraph, to consider "some of the prophecies coneerning the coming of the Messiah, and the divine dignity ascribed to him when he should come.' It will give some idea of this writer's method, if we just state, that the consideration of these prophecies, together with the substantiation of the two last preceding proofs, form one portentous paragraph of eighteen pages in length.

Alluding to the proofs of the divinity of our Saviour contained in the Gospel of St. John, our author observes that he is there spoken of in a way in which it would be absurd and impossible to speak of a mere attribute of the Deity.

"St. John does not say that the Word was in God, but with God; he does not say that the Word was divine, or belonging to God, but absolutely God. In the 11th verse (cap. i.) St. John adds, "He came unto his own, &c." which is intelligible if applied to a person, but is complete nonsense, if applied to an attribute. Can an attribute be said to be the only-begotten of God, as Christ is styled in the 14th verse?" P. 63.

We are again recommended, p. 64, to " Mr. Vaillant's collection of texts relative to the doctrine of the Trinity;" after which we have the following paragraph.

"I will conclude this letter with drawing an argumentative summary of the whole question. After the various texts throughout both the Old and New Testament, which have been brought in evidence of the divinity of Christ, and of the Holy Ghost, which I cannot see how they can be answered or controverted, I might here rest the cause; but in this summary of the arguments, I will briefly introduce a statement of

1

some of the circumstances of the life of the blessed Jesus, and of the ' gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth.' I may truly add to the declaration said to be made by Abraham to Dives, • If they hear not Moses and the Prophets;' that if men will not attend to the positive declarations of Christ himself, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.'” P. 67.

Fortunately for the fate of his chapter, our author's idea of a summary is very different from that of any body else; and he sets off again for another thirty pages to collect fresh proofs of the divinity of the second person in the Trinity. This is unquestionably the best part of the chapter. The supernatural birth of our Lord; the coming of John the Baptist as his harbinger; the nature of the precepts contained in his sermon on the Mount; his miracles-but especially those in which he exerçised authority over devils; his transfiguration, and his permitting the adoration of his disciples, are all appealed to as proofs of his divine nature and character. The title "Son of God," is proved to have been, in the estimation of our Lord himself, an appellation of divine import; and the existence of Christ in heaven before the foundation of the world is sufficiently deduced from clear texts of Scripture.

As we cannot follow our author more minutely into the details of his discussion, we will state at once the glaring deficiency, which to one in real doubt would render the pains taken in this chapter entirely nugatory. It is simply this; that the personality of the Holy Ghost is hardly glanced at; and that his divinity, notwithstanding the allusion made to the subject in the quotation from p. 67 given above, is not attempted to be proved. Such an omission as this in a treatise upon " the Trinity," must have proved fatal to its claims to notice, even had all the other parts of it been adequately supplied; in the present instance, however, it is the natural consequence of a want of method which pervades the whole work, and causes inadequacy and incorrectness in one part as well as in another.

The epistolary dress which is chosen for the ornament of the work, cannot be allowed as an excuse for the absence of design, or the deficiency of argument. As easily might it be conceded to the statuary, that his ignorance of the human figure is venial, because his productions are to come draped from under his hands; as to the writer that the points of his subject may be neglected, because they are to be clothed with a covering of familiarity and wit. Neither, in truth, do we see any good reason why paragraphs of twelve, sixteen, and two and twenty pages, should be permitted in an epistle, any more than in a treatise. Sure we are, that whilst such is the case, the treatise will have the

advantage over the latter as greatly in convenience as in solidity; and that which is confessedly lost in closeness, will not be made up either in facility or amusement,

It is but fair to say that the chapter on " the Atonement" bears the marks of a greater degree of labour than that of which we have given the substance. It is however, at best, very desultory; not answering in itself to the dignity of the subject of which it treats, and still less able to compensate for the deficiencies which are but too palpable in other portions of the work.

A Letter to the Right Reverend John, Lord Bishop of Bristol, respecting an additional Examination or the total Abolition of Ten-year Men in the University of Cambridge. To which are added, Observations on Mr. Samuel Perry's Letter to the Public Orator, and a Refutation of the accusations contained therein against the Lord Bishop of London. By PHILO-THEOLOGUS. 8vo. pp. 66. 2s. Deighton. Cambridge. 1825.

THE question of which this pamphlet treats, relates to individuals, who, by virtue of a statute passed in the twelfth year of the reign of Elizabeth, being 24 years of age at the time of their admission, at the expiration of ten years (during the two last of which they have passed the ordinary exercises required from a Master of Arts proceeding in theology) claim the degree of B.D. We notice this essay, as containing an enquiry fraught with importance to the Church,-as involving the question, whether the exercises of those who avail themselves of this statute, be adequate tests of their capability as Clergymen and expositors of the Sacred Text; whether, in fact, they have not a tendency to depreciate the value of the regular degree through Arts, and encourage men to seek Ordination, without the previous requisites, in the hope that this statute will, in a less space of time, invest them with a rank for which, in the other case, 14 years and severe examinations are demanded.

The object of the writer is to shew," the absolute necessity of adopting one of the two propositions following: first, that the exercises be made much more severe; and secondly, that the order of ten-year men should be abolished altogether." Under the first head he argues, that the conditions of the statute are not

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