bread and water. To my certain in their own houses. Now this is knowledge, in the northern counties absurd. prisoners under confinement for ca I am, Sir, your constant reader, W. B. pital offences, as well as for debt, live From the Farm, better in prison than they could live March 15. CRITICISM. "Nulli negabimus, nulli differemus justitiam " Hints to the PUBLIC and the LEGIS- country; and the entire devotion of LATURE, on the Nature and Effect the lower classes to these itinerant of EVANGELICAL PREACHING. By instructors, who train them to a sys a Barrister, 1807. tematic contempt of the moral law, HIS is a singular publication, and withdraw them from all depen dance on the practice of led since Bishop Lavington produced as men and christians, is such as dehis Enthusiasm of Methodists and mands that at least the community Papists compared. We have read should be put upon its guard, and these hints with a lively interest, and that those to whom its welfare and presume we may congratulate the prosperity are entrusted, should not public, and every friend of rational sleep upon their post." religion and good order, upon having This author justly contends, that found an able advocate in their cause, these evangelical anti-moralists havagainst that wild rant, and those ing now erected themselves into a Methodistic doctrines which confound kind of popedom, claiming unlimited right and wrong, good and evil, till authority over churches and the conall moral distinction is lost. It is sciences of men, are at the same time, but justice to premise that it is the most effectually opposing all the efCalvinian, and not the Wesleyean forts of the more sober ministers or Methodists who are principally alluded magistrates, to correct and improve, to in this work. Innumerable pub- not the notions, but the morals of lications, it is true, have been issued the people. And he shews it to have against individual writers of both been their uniform system to gain these denominations, but these being over the lower orders, particularly in too confined in their object, have the country, by bringing the laws of been parried, or rebutted, having no morality and the more established more effect upon the main bodies of ministers into contempt. either party, than the skirmishing of Thus, quoting from the Village scouts or out-posts. The Author of Dialogues, he justly observes, the the Hints has abandoned this petty rochial clergyman, if a moral preachwarfare. He advances against the er," is held up to the sneer and whole body of his antagonists. Like ridicule of the country people, under a candid Logician, he states the ob- the contemptuous appellation of the jections he offers against his oppo- Rev. Mr. Doolittle." Accordingly, ments in their own words, and refers when he attempts to teach the farmer even to chapter and verse in the and his family, that faith alone is inpublications alluded to. The object sufficient, and that they must underof these Hints is to alarm the sober stand that good works are essential, part of the public, and the legislature the farmer is made to reply in a style with respect to the danger of the of low mockery, “ Why then, Sir, country, arising from the immoral when I say I shall go alone to Maand pernicious effects of what is falsely pleton market next Thursday, you and impudently stiled, "Evangelí- are to understand, that I mean to take cal Preaching." Because, as this wri- my wife and daughter Polly with me." ter observes, p. 143, "these evange- A further string of questions is then lical anti-moralists swarm in every so framed, as to furnish the farmer town in the kingdom, and are daily and his family with a triumph over multiplying their disciples in every the morality of the Rev. Mr. Dooamlet and village throughout the little, and an opportunity of saying pa are." every thing in praise of Mr. Love- "Come needy, come guilty, come loathgood, the faithful preacher. Through- some and bare; out the whole of these dialogues, all You can't come too fil hy, come just as you that respect and reverence which all ranks were wont to feel towards the But, that a deplorable degree of clergyman of their parish, whose ignorance is the cause of all this sermons used to aim at their moral coarseness and vulgarity, is clear from reformation, is gradually diminished the examples afterwards quoted. The and done away. Those ministers (of author of the Hints observes, p. 132, any persuasion) who had taught No work could be better calculated them to work out their own salva- for the dissemination of the evange tion with fear and trembling, know- lical principles, as they are called, than ing they had the example and autho- the Pilgrim's Progress. It treats the rity of Christ himself, are now pointed moral law (or the necessity of doing at with a sneer, and nick-named into as we would be done unto) with as derision, by the profligate and vul- much vulgar derision as the most gar; since it seems by the aid of the zealous of the fraternity could wish. new evangelists, they soon discovered They could not have made choice that old Mr. Deadman, and his of a better vehicle for the propagation cousin Mr. Blindman, had preached of their gospel. The tinker, we all no more the true doctrine of the Bi- know, made no pretensions to innoble, as it relates to salvation by Jesus cence or integrity of life; he wallow Christ, than if they had been two of ed in his vices with humility, he the priests of Jupiter." laid no claim to merit. It was not "Lest the Village Dialogues, writ- difficult for him to teach the doctrine ten by Mr. Rowland Hill, should not laid down in this, his treasure of dibring the heathen attribute of virtue vinity, that" it is then only we have sufficiently into discountenance, ano- right thoughts of God. When we ther evangelical minister (Rev. Mr. think all our righteousness stinks G. Burder) forwards the labour by under his nostrils." A precious Village Sermons. Addressing him- teacher this! If we judge of the licenself to children, the sermon-maker tiousness that prevails in low life, he says, My dear children, why do has made many pious converts to this you hope to go to Heaven! Is it conviction. because you are not so bad as others; because you say your prayers, and go Village Dialogues it is observed, will The following extract from the to church or meeting? If so, you are proud; proud of your own righteous- serve to shew the high rank which ness, which the scripture calls, fil- this work holds in evangelical estinathy rags." This village preacher, re- tion. Worthy observes, the Pilsembling a swine, seems to have a grim's Progress is an inimitable dranatural propensity to filthy ideas, ma." To which Lovegood is made to otherwise, he would have preferred reply, "Sir, if God had conferred on the New Testament general simile of me the honour of being the Author righteousness, to that of the Old, of the Pilgrim's Progress, I should which seems to have been applied to have been tempted to have been the the nation of the Jews in a particular proudest man on earth." This is or political sense. "And to her," singing to the praise and glory of the says the Apostle John, speaking of Tinker with a witness. This rethe Church, "it was given, that she nowned work the author also obshould be arrayed in fine linen, clean serves, has been given to posterity in and white; for the fine linen, is the a poetical version with explanatory righteousness of saints." This beau- notes, by the Rev. George Burder, tiful simile, it seems, does not suit Author of Village Sermons, &c. the Methodistic system. And, there- This gentleman has shewn himself fore, still wallowing in the mire of not less gifted as a poet than a preachhis own making, the writer after- er. His poem opens with uncommon wards selects the following disgusting spirit and delicacy. invitation from the flowers of evan- ""Twas in the silent watches of the night, gelical poetry. When airy visions please us or affight; 220 Criticism. Fast lock'd in sleep's embrace, I dreamt a upon the ignorance of the common theme. The papists of the unenlightened ages I thought I saw him in a certain place, &c." had a set of idle monks and strolling Again, "Great Beelzebub, the captain of this fiend, Design'd my ruin; therefore to this end He sent him harnessed out, and he with rage, That hellish was, did fiercely me engage, But blessed Michael helped me, and I, &c " But can it be believed? These literary gentlemen have set up a kind of learned tribunal? Mr. Clayton, junior, under the idea of mentioning such books as may be read, offers a kind of index expurgatorius of such as may not. obliged for promoting their notions. mendicants, to whom they were sionaries and mendicants, sermoniThe methodists employ ignorant miszers, singers, and sellers of hymns and other nostrums. Of their blaspiety, and their opinions derogatory phemous notions, their shocking imboth to God and man, we may treat at another season. add that, though the author of the It is sufficient to Hints has been the first to expose the whole system, others who have gone The author of the Hints, &c. ob- selves in the parts they have taken. before have equally acquitted themserves, the evangelical fraternity, Of the respectability of methodthough they rail with such rancour ists and methodist preachers, or raagainst all reviews not attached to ther the gifts and talents of the rabble their interest, take care to review sanctioned by the higher orders of their own writings with abundant these Evangelicals, some opinion may approbation." The Eclectic Review be formed, from the following exwas instituted for that purpose. The tract from p. 44 of the Rise and Dispompous eulogium pronounced upon solution of the Infidel Societies, Lonit by Mr. Clayton, jun. in his Associ- don, 1800:ation Sermon, is written in a tone of they rave, has pow'r. You'd swear so loud their rant, and so abstruse, Bedlam, or Babel's workinen, were let loose." arrogance truly ludicrous, &c." He "In terms uncouth and mystic phrase proceeds: the learned editor of the Of saving faith, and faith that cannot save; Evangelical Magazine has shewn the The spirits teaching, and th spirit's rod, public how well qualified he is to de-. And how the devil over-reaches God; cide and dictate in the republic of let- How lion-like he seeketh to devour, ters. In the last number of this re- And damns more souls than grace to save nowned work, he expresses some doubt respecting the faith due to a literary discovery announced in the Marseilles Gazette, Oct. 20th;, and winding up his detail, he exclaims, with all the poignancy of classical scepticism, Credat Judeas Appel- incalculably rapid increase of these It is afterwards observed, “The les!" This immortal painter is here, locusts, and the obloquy of their franfor the first time, ranked with the tic demeanor, ignorance, and vulga sons of circumcision -the Jew Ap- rity, entailed upon true religion and pelles !!! The author of the Hints the respectable part of the clergy, renjustly observes, that the Latin and der the interference of the legislature the logic of the editor of the Evange- indispensably necessary." lical Magazine may pass muster with dlesex magistrate, but a short time A Midthe readers of John Bunyan and the before, it seems, had some difficulty Village Sermons. Hitherto we have only noticed the despicable wretch for a license, who, in rejecting the application of a mean offences of these Evangelic anti-mo- upon being questioned what proralists so far as they militate against fession he followed, proved to be a good sense, good morals, and good bellows-blower to a forge, and was so manners. These methodists, it must shockingly illiterate that he could not be admitted, strongly resemble the even tell the letters of the alphabet. unreformed papists of the dark ages, The following list was subjoined of because both of them depend so much persons who had recently obtained Mr Matthews Mr. Parry Coach Painter Pressman Mangle Maker Footman to J.G Fq. Maker, and Phlebo tomist Bookseller Breeches Maker. ants of those provinces. To which volume has been post poned longer than we intended:" but The author then reverts to the no- the intervention of temporary subtorious good fortune of a ci-devant coalheaver preacher in this metropo- consideration, prevented us from re jects, that seemed to require a prompt lis, notorious for no qualification upon curring to it earlier. earth but consummate impudence PART THE SECOND, which relates and incorrigible ignorance, &c. revere too much But as we have been thus lavish American Indians, is a mere compito the manners and customs of the upon the disease, we cannot conclude lation from other authors, in which without hinting a remedy which, Mr. Heriot can claim no other merit we think, cannot be disagreeable to than that of having selected with inthe learned and judicious of every dustry. It is, too, a strange and hesect and party. With the author of the Hints, we terogeneous jumble of manners and the private liberty of individuals, and and trees, beasts and birds. We suscustoms, soils and countries, rivers that spirit of toleration which per- pect that it was compiled in the true vades and presides over our constitution, to wish that error of any kind spirit of modern book-making. All that Mr. H. had to say from himself should be opposed by any other resistance than argument or any was comprized in about two hundred weapon than reason." But to the Pages; but this would have been a thin quarto, which not being faqualification of a licence so easy to shionable, three hundred additional be obtained, as to render it almost ridiculous, we would add that of be found that was relevant to the pages were added of whatever could obliging these ministers of the New subject. Yet, such is the interest Testament to be able to read it in the that we must take in our fellow creaoriginal, and grammatically construe tures, this very part is the most intérthe Greek into English, before com- esting of the volume: it exposes to petent judges. other our view, mankind in a state of exEvery protestant preacher in France istence foreign to our habitual knowis now obliged, by law, to undergo ledge: we behold customs apparenta course of education; and in Eng- ly singular, ferocious, or fantastical, land we are certain that the adoption which are however only such from of a similar plan would soon reduce novelty; and we see the human the ranks of the intinerants in the pro- heart actuated by the same principles portion of nineteen out of every in all its grand and decided emotions. twenty, and eventually procure a He who, in the intemperance of his partial reformation, both in church vanity, is moved to despise the Indian and state, without a shadow of perse cution. TRAVELS through the CANADAS, containing a description of the pictuTesque scenery on some of the rivers and lakes, with an account of the productions, commerce, and inhabit, savage should cast an eye of sober reflection upon his own actions, and he will feel that the primal character is common to both, but a little diversified in appearance. The speculations of Rousseau have been fashionably ridiculed, as they were once fashionably admired: but when the empty effervescence of fop- as at page 317, when he speaks of the pery subsided, there remained, and still infancy of the dawning mind." &c. remains, men of sound and healthful &c. minds, who saw in his opinions While on the subject of the errors enough to admire, and more than of this volume, we will just advert to enough to extenuate his wildest reve- one or two instances of splendid rearies. Those who have censured him soning, at which, indeed, Mr. Heriot have generally misconceived him; seems an adept. It has puzzled more they have maintained the superiority acute sophists than our author to disof civilized over uncivilized life, by play the benefits of war yet, his arsupposing a man degraded from the guments upon the question are quite former to the latter; but Rousseau original. War he allows to be an thought abstractedly; and imagining evil, and yet it has advantages, which a human being born into a state of said advantages are, that it calls the savage independence, he believed that "most powerful energies of the soul he was born to a happier lot than he into action;" and that in the recital of who was littered in the hot-bed of so- these energies, "the poet hath made ciety. Of the truth of this, dispas- his verse to glow with more impassionately speaking, there is, perhaps, sioned warmth"-- the painter too, little room to doubt; for if independ- "hath displayed the noblest efforts ence be, under any shape, a blessing, of his genius and skill" upon these surely it is most so, when most per- energies; "and history too hath fect and it is the most perfect when untolded them to posterity."—And it renders us the most an individual lo! this is all. being. Would we have a roof to shelter us? We must depend for it upon a multitude of beings; but the American Indian carries with him large rolls of the bark of the birch tree, and forms the frames of his cahin of wattles, or twigs stuck into the earth in a circular figure, and united near their upper extremities. Upon the outside of this frame, the bark is unrolled, and thus affords shelter from rain, and from the influence of the sun." p. 283. When he wishes to change his abode, it is the occupation of a few moments, and he again rears his fabric where inclination or necessity leads him. This alone is perfect freedom; but let us not wander into theories, when our business is to criticise the book. : But Mr. H. displays more acumen when he tell us, that if certain savages are so fortunate as to escape the natural infirmities to which they are subject, and "other evils," why then what then? oh! you can never guess it: Mr. Heriot must tell you "they arrive at an advanced period of life."!! Cedite Romani Scriptores, Cedite Graii! Let us now turn to something better. The following is curious: "It has already been remarked, that among associations, which have made but little advancement in the arts of life, the condition of women is servile and degraded. The men alone may be said to be properly free, and the women, invested with the most laborious and domestic employ Mr. Heriot is not willing to leave ments, are almost universally their any thing untold which he has it in slaves. In the women, notwithstandhis power to tell for instance, he in- ing, the property of the tribe, the dis forms us at page 294, that the Gauls tinction of blood, the order of genera wore long hair, and that their terri- tion, and the preservation of lineal tory was thence called Gallia Comata descent, are, by several of the northern and at page 295, that the Swabians tribes, reputed to be inherent. In are a people of Germany! Mirabile them is vested the foundation of all dictu! At page 303 too, we are care- r l authority. They give efficiency fully told, that the Chipeweigan Indians to the councils, are the arbiters of give no quarter; from which circumstance he afterwards sagaciously infers, that "they spare none of the enemy:"But we have more instances of similar elegant pleonasms; peace or war, and the keepers of the public stock. The country, the fields, and their produce, belong to them alone. It is to their disposal that the captive slaves are committed. The |