REVIEW.-Hodgson's Northumberland.

tion of assuming the name of Hilton only. Within a few years afterwards the whole of the estates were sold under an act of

"Hilton Castle was a few years ago (after standing long untenanted) the residence of the friendly and hospitable Simon Temple, esq. The Castle is now occupied by Thomas Wade, esq."

We now, for the present, take our leave of this very interesting Volume; the above extracts (which are taken from the first opening pages of the Volume) having, we trust, convinced our Readers of the entertaining nature of its contents.

1821.] REVIEW.-Stratford's Letter to Sir J. Newport.

tirement. With such a feeling, you cannot suppose that I am inclined to attribute any but good motives to a Member of Parliament of your high character, for first stirring, and afterwards promoting, the issuing a Commission for an Inquiry into the Duties, Salaries, and Emoluments of the Officers, Clerks, and Ministers of the several Courts of Justice in England, Wales, and Berwick upon Tweed."

After stating the result of a somewhat similar enquiry in 1740, the learned Master thus proceeds:

"When I feel quite conscious that no just ground of complaint against the Masters, or their officers, exists, I cannot divine what prospect of benefit to the public could have operated upon your mind in promoting the present Commission, at least so far as regards them; and in other respects, I am not personally interested, though I hope and trust, and indeed am fully persuaded, that the officers and ministers of all the other Courts will prove, upon examination, to be as pure in their conduct, as I believe those of the Court of Chancery to be. I have, indeed, heard two motives assigned, but both, I am convinced, invented in malice towards you, for they are calculated to derogate from your character as a man endowed with that high sense of honour, and honesty, and generosity of heart, so peculiar to the Irish nation, and therefore I neither do, nor will believe them to be founded in truth, when assigned to you."

These motives we forbear to transcribe; more especially as the worthy Letter Writer repeats, that " he does not believe either of them to be founded in truth."

One fact, however, is worthy notice" the expence" of the late Commission; which (says Mr. S.) as I view it, cannot have been less than eight, but most probably ten thousand pounds, in each year since the Commission issued.

Enough, we trust, has been said of this very important Letter; but it has merits far beyond a mere answer to the Right Honourable Member for Newry-we mean, the distinct and entertaining history which it details of the origin and office of the High Court of Chancery and its principal Officers.

Once more addressing the Right Honourable Baronet, the learned Master pathetically adds,

"Permit me, Sir, before I finally conclude, to pay my humble tribute of respect to Lord Eldon, by saying (and in this I defy all contradiction) that no

237

Chancellor ever existed, more honest, more learned, more upright, or more laborious in executing the duties of his own office; or more circumspect, more disin terested, or more happy in his choice of persons to fill and execute the duties of all the other higher judicial offices (of whom he has lived to recommend to our late venerable and now much lamented Sovereign, not fewer than fifteen Judges, and to appoint of his own authority, not

fewer than twelve Masters in Chancery);

with this exception, that perhaps he erred in the appointment he made of the individual who has the honour, Sir, to subscribe himself, your most obedient, and very respectful humble servant,

F. P. STRATFORD."

36. An Illustration of the Liturgy of the
Church of England, as to its daily Service;
including a particular Exposition of the
Lord's Prayer, the Apostles' and Athana-
sian Creeds, shewing the Scriptural foun-
dation of the Established Service, its Con-
formity to the Practice of the Primitive
Church, and the Deviations from both in
the Varieties of modern Worship, with an
Appendix historical, critical, and practi-
cal. By the Rev. Thomas Pruen, Curate
of Dursley, Gloucestershire. 2 vols.
sup. royal 8vo. Rivingtons, 1820.
37. Divine Revelation, Scripture Analogy,
Primitive Practice, and continued Custom
the Warrant for the Economy and Disci-
pline of the Church of England, as to
Diocesan Episcopacy, and an immutable
threefold Ministry. Shewn in a Series of
Propositions, founded on the Sacred His-
tory, and the Practice of the primitive
Church. Sup. royal 8vo. pp. 51. By the
same Author.

THE Liturgy of the Church of England has been justly admired, because it is in language, matter, and style, exactly what such a thing ought to be. It is, in form and substance, holy, a term which, applied to books, can scarcely be said of any other, except the Bible. By Holiness, we mean exclusively such a form of words, and such matter, as inspired writers alone may be presumed to use. Theology is too scientific; Methodist Preaching mere rhapsody; and Orthodox discourses, either dry logical discussion, or fine specimens of eloquence and argument. The Messiah of Klopstock, and the Death of Abel of Gessner, are poems. The Pilgrim's Progress is a romance; and Watts's Hymns a children's book. All are founded upon human arts. But Holiness is the spirit, which may be supposed to dictate the language that

Religion

238

REVIEW.-Pruen on the Liturgy, &c.

Religion itself, were it personified, might be presumed to use. Its voice expresses the pure soul of the thing; and its language may be considered as an exact portrait of its character. Postils and comments, without the aid of ratiocination, history, and luminous philosophical elucidation, are unsavoury and insipid. They may inform, instruct, and please, if aided in the manner mentioned; but they can never convey the impression of Divine purity and sublimity, attaching to the language and character of Holiness, properly understood. According to our meaning, we know no human composition, equal in holiness, to the Liturgy, nor do we object to a single syllable of it, only to the selection of the Lessons, Epistles, and Gospels. These, we think, should not have consisted of copies of other Liturgies; but of parts of Scripture, especially adapted to the illustration of the Thirty-nine Articles; and had this been done at the Reformation, it would have acted, as a universal and perpetual Catechism and Expositor. At present, the instruction derived from the Scriptural extracts alluded to, is miscellaneous and desultory, good, but not the best. Prudence, at the period, on account of the habits and prejudices of the people, might have dictated thus copying the Portiforium secundum usum Sarum; but it is manifest, that identity or imitation implies the very opposite of reform and improvement. The Lessons in the Old Testament do not uniformly consist of the Prophetic parts, referring to Christ; and, except at certain seasons, the Epistles and Gospels are moral or historical, rather than doctrinal.

Such are our opinions of the Liturgy, and such is the only alteration which we should like to see in it.

As to the Work before us, it is an immense collection of matter of all sorts, relating to the subject. If the Liturgy could be considered as a country, it is a History of it: and, with regret that Mr. Pruen did not give us more of himself, we readily acknowledge that the labour and perseverance of Mr. Pruen are immense; and that he has shelved, pigeon-holed, and ticketed an enormous mass of multifarious information.

Our limits do not allow us to make long extracts, unless on subjects of

[March,

high novelty or curiosity. We shall select two passages referring to the Antediluvian æra: a part of the work where Mr. Pruen, being original, displays his ability.

It is said, that there were giants in the earth in those days Gen. vi. 4. But the word translated giants, means rather men of violence or apostates, who becoming mighty, and men of renown, held out the most profligate examples to their inferiors." See vol. ii. p. vi.

Though we know, that large fossil bones, and an allegorical personification of mountains, rocks, meteors, hurricanes, &c. gave birth to the term giants, among the heathens, yet we think from the above passage, that the Heathen Mythologies were the absolute Antediluvian systems of Religion.

Mr. Pruen says, in quotation, that owing to the longevity of the Antediluvians, it is calculated, "that the inha bitants alive, at the time of the flood, amounted to near 14,000,000,000,000; i. e. fourteen billions, or millions of millions, whereas the number supposed to be now living is not 1,000,000,000, or one fourteenth part, a disproportion hardly conceivable (P. vii.") True, not if they were flies.

Now Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and we have the express authority of Diodorus Siculus (L. i.) Plutarch in Numa, and Pliny (L. vii. c. 48) for saying, that the most ancient Egyptian year was a mere Lunar month: and as we have no information that the Antediluvians understood Astronomy, a science an tecedent to the invention of a Solar year, we consider the opinion of longevity as a mistake; and the popu Tousness described, as a number too large for this planet to support, and manifestly disproved by the providen tial checks, so ably exhibited by Mr. Malthus.

We proceed now to Mr. Pruen's second Work. To us there appears no difficulty concerning the ancient existence of Bishops not being simple Presbyters. As the Work of Mr. Pruen is only introductory to a continuation, we beg to refer him to Cy prian, Epist. 66, and Jerom, Epist. ad Evagrium, for the attestation of the Fathers, that Bishops were the suc cessors of the Apostles. But we rely much upon the meaning of the word "Episcopus," in the Heathen times. The Athenians thus denominated cer

1821.]

REVIEW.-Polwhele's Sermons.

tain Magistrates, who went over pro-
vinces and districts committed to their
jurisdiction, in order to retain them
in duty and fidelity. (Ducange, v.
Episcopus.) Now, whoever attends
to the Acts and Epistles of the New
Testament, will see that St. Paul, and
the other Apostles, acted precisely in
a similar manner, so far as concerned
a moral and religious magistracy.
Muratori (Thes. i. 626) adduces an
inscription for an Episcopus of Nice,
i. e. a colonial subaltern Magistrate.
In confirmation, however, of Mr.
Pruen's position of Bishop, Priest,
and Deacon, besides Jerom, &c. take
Tertullian de Baptismo (p. 263. Ed.
Rigalt.) "Dandi quidem [Baptis-
mum] habet jus summus sacerdos,
qui est Episcopus. Dehine Presby.
teri et Diaconi. Non tamen sine
Episcopi auctoritate, propter Eccle-
siæ honorem ; quo salvo, salva pax
est." We have pointed out this pas
sage to Mr. Pruen, because it is the
Had in a nutshell, and to us defini-
tive on the subject.

38. Two Sermons. preached at the Opening
of Kenwyn New Church, &c. Oct. 8, 1820.
By the Rev. R. Polwhele, Vicar of Ma-
nacean, &c. 8vo. pp. 54. Truro.

ELOQUENT Discourses, well doctrined and well principled. For manifest reasons in the present times, we quote Bishop Porteus's account of his Majesty, when Regent, cited in p. 47. "I was charmed (said the Bishop of London) with his fine, open, manly coun. tenance, the peculiar mildness and gentleness of his manners, and the elegance of his language, and the clearness and precision with which he explained to me the subject of our meeting."

Such an apostolical person as Bishop Porteus, would have remained silent if he could not have commend ed with truth, nor did the occasion require him to speak at all; nor did be expect promotion.

39. Report of the Society for promoting Christian Knowledge, for 1820. 8vo. pp.

248.

WITH respect to Institutions of established fame, all that can be said in support of them is, that they augment in character and utility. During the last year, the Society has issued 32,598 Bibles, with other books, &c.; 1,405,437 publications; and extended its assistance to the education of 153,123 children.

239

We beg, however, with the best intentions, to suggest an improvement. The profusion of Tracts, against Infidelity, &c. (p. 120) is unnecessary. Notwithstanding high names and fine writing, the only Hercules who overthrows Deism, in truly philosophical conclusiveness, is Dr. Wheeler, late Regius Professor at Oxford; and if the muscular parts of his sixth Lecture, begioning vol. i. p. 119, and ending p. 124, be simplified and reduced to vulgar capacity, and be annexed as a preface to Watson's Apology for the Bible, all is done that can be done. Let the Pilgrim's Progress be also un-Calvinized. If these books have no effect, nothing can ; and the funds of the Society are, in respect to doctrinal tracts, in some degree thrown away.

40. The Retrospective Review; consisting of Criticisms upon, Analyses of, and Fxtracts from, curious, useful, and valuable Books in all Languages, which have been published from the Revival of Literature up to the Commencement of the present Century. Vols.I. and II. C. and H. Baldwyn. THE reviewing of a Reviewer is a hazardous enterprise, and frequently preliminary to a literary contest. He is not the puny Authorling who can obtain no redress for blighted prospects, but a Knight armed cap-a-pié, ready to answer, as well as to give affronts, and amenable to no laws but those of his own creating. Like many Builders, he raises his own structure on the foundation of another; and for that purpose does not scruple to demolish every thing that can be traced of what he has meddled with. He uses unfortunate Authors as Workmen do a grindstone-merely to whet his tools on; finding fault if they yield no edge, and esteeming it but a matter of course if they do. In short, he is the Alchemist of Literature; for

he sets himself to work on some honest metal, promising to produce gold, and brings forth nothing but dross. Some such observations would probably have been uttered (had Reviews existed) by a writer of Characters in the seventeenth century.

A work like the "Retrospective" was much wanted; the "British Librarian" of Oldys was out of date; while the " Censura Literaria" and "British Bibliographer" of Sir Egerton Brydges had ceased to continue. It

must,