spise Religion, and the laws, and all subordination." This I know to be the fact.'

Of all these circumstances, we have never heard one syllable but from this right rev. author; if we had, we should have deemed it our duty, as individuals, to expose them; and if Dr. H. knows what he here states to be facts, ought he to content himself with simply mentioning them in a Debate or in a Charge? Such an accusation, or even such an intimation respecting a large body of professing Christians, should be made only on the strongest ground of evidence; and if there be that evidence, it ought to be brought forwards, and put in full force.

When the Bishop proceeds to specify the immediate duty of his Clergy, we read him with approbation and pleasure. His advice to them, in commenting on the words of Paul to Timothy, to "tke heed to themselves and to the doctrine," (i. e. the doctrine of Christ; for Dr. H. judiciously observes that thy is a mistranslation,) we wish them all to diligently regard. Here we cannot resist the temptation to transcribe:

The first part of the injunction, "Take heed unto thyself,” is failed in the fundamental part by those, who never suffer themselves to lose sight of the great work, to which the Holy Ghost has called them; and devote the far greater proportion of their leisure hours to useful study, and devout meditation. By the leisure hours of a Clergyman, I understand all that portion of his time, which is not taken up with his public functions. I am not at all aware, that it is the duty of a Clergyman, to assume such an austerity of character, as would entirely exclude him from general society. A different conduct seems to be recommended by the example of our Lord: who, while he went about doing good, refused not to cat with publicans and sinners. I rather think, that the duty of a Clergyman cannot be performed without something of a familiarity with his flock in particular, and with the world in general. Nevertheless, it is always dangerous to Religion, when the manners of the Clergy become too much secularized. This will always lower the order in the eyes of the people, and lessen their general reverence for the offices of Religion. This, however, will not happen, when the private hours of the Clergy, the younger Clergy in particular, are devoted, as they ought to be, to useful studies. The studious Clergyman will not be shy of being seen in public. He will freely come abroad for recreation; he will make himself agreeable in the company, with which it becomes him to associate; and will not scruple to take a part in their amusements. But he will neither have leisure, nor inclination, to run the eternal round of giddy pleasure; as if diversion were the business of his life, and his professional business only his diversion. On the contrary, a mind habitually intent upon the greatest subjects, and a thirst for the highest knowlege, will discover itself in the dignified sobriety even of his relaxations; which will impress his fami

* 1 Tim. iv. 15, 16.

liar friends and companions with respect, and the profane with awes while the latter, however they may delight in the company, and pretend to applaud what they call the free and easy manners, will in their hearts despise, and not seldom to his face make a jest of the jovial gay Anacreon, in the formalities of a gown and cassock'

O si sic omnia! We are sorry that we cannot extend our applause to this learned Bishop's account of the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper. He seems to us to be desirous of explaining the doctrine of our Protestant Church, respecting this Sacrament, into a very near resemblance of the Popish tenet of transubstantiation.

For the consideration, however, of the remaining parts of this Charge, we must refer the theological reader to the publication itself. In our preceding remarks, we trust that we have not been guilty of disrespect, nor of misrepresentation, nor of uncandid criticism. In solicitude for the honour and advancement of Revealed Religion, we would not be, and we trust that our pages will shew that we have not been, inferior to the Bishop of Rochester: but, confident of the final triumph of divine truth, we would prosecute the warfare against Infidelity and Superstition, with temper and dignity; employing no other weapons than those which are sanctioned by the Gospel, and which are equally honourable to the truth and to those who use them.

ART. V. A Sermon preached at Dartford, at the Visitation of the Right Rev. the Lord Bishop of Rochester, Sept. 30, 1800. By George Robson, A. M. Rector of Snodland in Kent, and Domestic Chaplain to the Lord Bishop of Rochester. Published by his Lordship's Command. 4to. 18. Robson.

OLD

LD Daniel Burgess, being invited to preach an Ordination Sermon, chose for his text-He made his snuffers of pure gold (Ex. xxxvii. 23.); and punning on these words, he endea voured to shew the peculiar purity and exemplariness required of those who undertake the ministerial or clerical function, while the advice of Paul to Timothy forcibly inculcated the same doctrine. Mr. Robson, who seems to wish to excite in the Christian world more moderate expectations from the Clergy, has selected a text which is scarcely more applicable to the drift of his discourse than Daniel Burgess's snuffers. When St. Paul said to the Idolaters at Lystra, "we are men of like passions with you," he meant to declare only that he and Barnabas were human beings, and not Gods :-the position was not designed to lower any reasonable conceptions which the Church might form, respecting the religious and moral con

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duct of its pastors and teachers. According to the Apostolic precept, the Clergyman is not only to be solicitous of rightly dividing the word of truth, but of being an example to believers ; and it is better that the people should expect too much from him in this view, than that he should be encouraged to circumscribe the duties and obligations of his important profession. We do not suspect Mr. R. of holding a different opinion: but we fear that the purport of his discourse will be mistaken, when he accuses an antient, Father and a modern Bishop of strange misconception, in applying to the individual and personal character of the priest, what was merely affirmed of him in relation to his office. He adds indeed, it was not personal superiority in the priest above the rest of mankind, which these authors had in view, but it was the superiority and excellence of spiritual over secular concerns.' Allowing that this was their ultimate object, it by no means follows that the Father and the Bishop had fallen into a misconception. In as much as it is necessary to impress mankind with a conviction of the superiority of spiritual over secular concerns, so far it is expedient that those who publicly inculcate this divine sentiment should be required to express and enforce it, by setting an example of moral and religious purity in their own lives. It is true that it were absurd to exact from the Clergy a personal sanctity which it would be beyond the bounds and abilities of human nature to support: but this limitation does not exonerate them from the duty of peculiar circumspection; nor is it decorous, in a Visitation Sermon, to deliver one syllable which may have the tendency of impressing the minds of its hearers, and especially the younger Clergy, with the idea that they are to be less examples than instructors;-that they are to be less attentive to practical holiness than to orthodoxy of faith.

Who ever supposed that the Clergy were exempted from the natural passions of humanity? The question is, are they not in a situation in which they are required, in a peculiar manner, to guard against and resist the infirmities of our nature; and is it not more conducive to the interests of religion to inculcate this watchfulness, than to attempt any apology for lax and negligent conduct?

We conceive that Mr. Robson is not warranted in asserting, as he does in p. 17, that the public teaching and expounding of the Gospel is by our Lord's appointment limited to a certain order, ordained to that particular function, in regular and unbroken succession from the Apostles.' Granting, however, this appointed order and this unbroken succession, (to say nothing + Bishop Burnet.

St. Chrysostom.

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of an avowed call from the Holy Ghost,) it is surely not unreasonable to expect, from such superior religious advantages, superior religious fruit in the life and conduct of the individuals of this order, as well as in the matter of their exhortations. From men so circumstanced, we ought to look for habitual holiness; though, from the consideration of their being of like passions with ourselves, we should candidly excuse some defects.

Had extravagant notions been prevalent concerning the moral conduct of the clergy, or the perfection of the ministerial character, we should not have been surprized at the general tendency of this discourse: but, as the public makes no unreasonable demands on this head, there is more occasion for exhorting them to be ensamples to the flock, than to put them in mind of their being men of like passions with their hearers. In the conclusion, however, Mr. Robson addresses himself very seriously to his brethren; and we hope that this part will engage them to be more anxious to fulfil the high duty of their function, than prone to have recourse to the infirmities of our common nature, as apologies for habitual defects.

ART. VI. Outlines of the Globe. Vol. III. The View of India extra Gangem, China, and Japan.-Vol. IV. The View of the Malayan Isles, New Holland, and the Spicy Islands. By Thomas Pennant, Esq. 4to. 11. 16s. Boards. White. 1800.

THE

HE first and second volumes of this production were mentioned in our Review for April 1799, under the title of a "View of Hindustan," though we now find that they ought to have borne the same general title which is affixed to the present. From the manuscript to which we then adverted, the volumes now before us have been extracted, and edited by a son of the late ingenious author. To that review, we also beg leave to refer for the plan of the work; which has been extended without alteration to the countries described in these volumes.

Vol. III. The province of Chittagong terminates the possessions of the East India Company, and forms the south east frontier of the suba of Bengal. Adjoining to it is the kingdom of Aracan, which stretches along the coast to an extent of two hundred miles. Its topography is obscure; and the course of its river, the Tocosannæ of Ptolemy, is faintly traced beyond the capital.

From the mouth to the capital is about fifty miles; most of the way deliciously bounded by woods or plantations, animated by the gambols of the monkey tribe, or the gay flights of numbers of peacocks. The city of Aracan is seated most singularly, in a valley

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surrounded with vast and craggy mountains. These are assisted by art, so as to prove the most substantial fortifications. The entrances are cut through the solid rock, as are the gates of the city. The precipitous face of the mountain serves for walls; besides these, it has a citadel, and other artificial defences. The city is said to be fifteen miles in circumference, and to contain a hundred and sixty thousand inhabitants. The regal palace is very magnificent, and highly adorned and enriched with works of massive gold.'

Since the death of Mr. Pennant, the public have learnt that this whole country has been conquered in 1783, by the Burmans; and the particulars of the conquest are detailed in Major Symes's narrative of his Embassy to Ava*. A brief and very erroneous account of the last mentioned country succeeds in the present work: but, previously to the publication of the British Embassy, the topography of Ava was very little known. The same observation applies with equal force to Mr. Pennant's account of Pegu and the Andaman islands; and it is to be regretted that these volumes, which are professedly compilations, appeared so shortly after that of Major Symes, that the editor probably was not able to avail himself of the information supplied by the Major, which would have rendered them as perfect as circumstances would admit.

Mr. Pennant observes that the natives of the kingdom of Pegu resemble the Malays in appearance and disposition, but are more industrious. Their masters, the Burmans, (whom Mr. P. still calls Buraghmahs), are liker to the Arabs in their features, and of a darker complexion than the Peguers, (Peguvians); they are much addicted to commerce, and so numerous, even in Pegu, as to exceed the natives as one hundred to one.'-We believe that it is now universally admitted that the inhabitants of the whole Asiatic continent, eastward of India, possess a peculiar and very decided configuration; which distinguishes them, as an original race, from their western neighbours.

The great Andaman is here said to be about a hundred and eight miles long, and extends from north to south, between lat. 1°. 53, and 12°. 16.; it is nearly of the same breadth, or between thirty and forty miles. Whether this passage originates in misconception, or in typographical blunder, it were useless to inquire: but the real dimensions are 140 miles in length, and 20 in breadth. We apprehend that the circumstances mentioned by Hamilton, whence he inferred that these islands abounded in quick-silver, must have been destitute of any solid foundation.

See M. Rev. vol. xxxii. N. S. p. 113.

The