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origin, and indeed he thinks that this is not the only pagan practice which the church of England has adopted. With respect to the support of the clergy, they ought undoubtedly to be decently maintained; but that the subject, whether professing the religion of the state or not, should be compelled to contribute to the support of any body of men, is obviously unjust! The primitive teachers of the Gospel were not maintained in any such manner; their means of subsistence were drawn from the voluntary contributions of the people, made, not from fear of a citation, but from religious motives. The tax becomes a positive injustice when it is imposed upon persons who dissent from the established faith, who believe that it is erroneous, and who are thus prevented from giving to the support of their own religion as much as they could afford, if they had not that unjust tax to pay. The author dwells at considerable length, and reasons with unanswerable force upon this part of his subject, and maintains that the church tax is an unfair premium upon a particular sect, and that to much of the property now in the possession of the Church, it can, even as a sect incorporated with the state, exhibit no claims superior to those of others. And here,' he pointedly observes, 'it may not be improper to remark, that to a portion of the revenue of the establishment, the favoured party has no greater moral right than any other Protestant denomination. We refer to those possessions, with which the church was endowed by Roman Catholics in olden times, and which produce little less than 550.000 per annum, The donors of the immense property from which this annuity arises, cannot appear to have been less wellminded towards the successors of

the Puritans, than to those of the chartered sect. When the church of Scotland relinquished Its popish tenets, it also lost its papistical endowments. Such an act of justice ought to be rendered to the Roman Catholics of this country. It does

not appear to us that there is even the shadow of justification for so great a violation of the sacred obligation of testamentary bequests, as is involved in the possession of the property in question; and sure are we, that so long as the church of England continues to receive the usurped possessions, she cannot fail to be as obnoxious to the Almighty, as she is opposed to every principle of right.'

We cannot, in a notice, go through the whole of the author's reasoning: it will be sufficient for us to add, that he shows, with admirable force, that the incorporation of the church sect with the state, and the enormous revenue which it draws from the people, is a virtual continuation of penal laws against all dissenters; that the church is a mere secular association; that the secular authority constantly interferes in the appointment of the dignitaries and subordinate clergy, there being in the gift of the king and government 1014 livings, and in that of the lay nobility and gentry, no fewer than 5,030, out of the 13,872 livings which constitute the church of England; that the secular authority also interferes in the spiritual legislation and discipline of the church; and finally, that it wants the essential characteristics of the Christian church, which are spirituality, unity, identity, and independence. The author maintains many of his arguments with great energy and learning; his language is always free from vituperation and personality; and although on some religious points we differ widely from his

doctrine, we nevertheless feel no hesitation in strongly recommending his pamphlet to the attention of the public, as a most clear and able exposure of the errors of the church of England.

ART. XI.-Manuscript Memorials. 8vo. pp. 208. London: Wilson. 1831.

THERE is a good deal of mind in these memorials, although it must be confessed that they are altogether a most heterogeneous mixture of verse and prose, of sound sense well expressed, and flighty nonsense let off in a madcap style, which has made us sometimes doubt whether the good and the bad be from the same pen.

One of his most amusing chapters is an exposé of the errors and anachronisms of poets, painters, and others, which, though many of them have been noticed separately before, have not been hitherto brought together under one view, at least not in so entertaining a manner. Thus he notices a painting observed by Burgoyne in Spain, in which Abraham is seen preparing to shoot Isaac with a pistol! While writing this sentence, we happened to see an engraving from Teniers of St. Peter denying Christ, in the front ground of which is a group of persons playing at cards made with paste-board! At Windsor there is a painting of Antonio Verrio, of Christ healing the sick, in the presence of the artist himself, Sir Godfrey Kneller and Bap May, surveyor of the works, in long periwigs! At Venice may be seen in the church of St. Zacharia, a picture of a virgin and child, to whom an angel is playing the fiddle! A thousand instances of these errors might be adduced; but the author does not deal exclusively in these light matters. He qualifies them with fire-side reflec

tions, which are of a much more sober nature, and these again are set off by wild Irish tales, ghost stories, and portraits, and sketches in verse, which combine to make up an agreeable medley.

ART. XII.—Address of Earl Stanhope, President of the MedicoBotanical Society, for the Anniversary Meeting, Jan. 16, 1831. 8vo. pp. 28. London: 1831. We are always pleased when the time arrives for the periodical delivery of Earl Stanhope's printed address to the Medico-Botanical Society, for the fact itself reminds us of the excellent example of honourable ambition and patient industry, which a nobleman, bred up in the lap of luxury, has set, not merely to his peers, but to every other individual in the country; and further, the contents of those orations generally consist of matter of a very interesting and valuable nature. The noble Earl commences by exhorting the members to be diligent in inquiring into the nature and medical virtues of plants, and he lays before them many happy illustrations which prove the value of earnestly adopting his advice. His lordship then proceeds to notice the most remarkable papers which have been presented during the year. Amongst these are the communications of Dr. Hancock, on the Juribali or Febrifuge Bark Tree, and one of a very important nature from that "distinguished" physician, as the Earl calls him, Dr. Ryan, of Hatton Garden, The paper of that gentleman contains many valuable facts and arguments, tending to show that the Ergot of Rye does not induce the labour of parturient women, but only accelerates it when begun. The noble speaker has some valuable ob

servations on the guaco plant, which has been proposed for the cure of hydrophobia. This discourse, taken altogether, is well worthy the attention of the public; it is free from all declamation, particularly from that elaborate verbosity beneath which is almost always disguised a woful paucity of ideas. It is plain and practical, full of curious facts and pertinent observations, and the whole is set off by a combination of ardour and sincerity in the pursuit, which qualities certainly cannot be more usefully employed than in urging so opulent and influential a nobleman to the study of science. We may mention that the question for the gold medal for the ensuing year (for which all persons are competent to be candidates,) is, "What is the vegetable substance which could be employed with success in the cure of hydrophobia?"

ART. XIII.-The Fossil Flora of Great Britain, or Figures and Descriptions of the Vegetable Remains found in a Fossil State in this Country. 8vo, Part I. By John Lindley, F. R. S. and G. S. and William Hutton, F. G.S. London: Ridgway. 1831. WE hail this specimen of the Fossil Flora of Great Britain as another proof of the progress of that spirit of improvement, which has now happily insinuated itself into every department of education. If this be, as we conclude it is, a fair sample of the future work, we have no hesitation in saying that we think it will make many converts to the study of geology, and that in itself is a triumph to be envied. The curse of this, as indeed of all seiences, is that it first presents itself to the mind in a fantastic jargon, which at once strikes the student

with despair. Geology in particular is prejudiced by this affectation, and it is because this work offers, not difficult and grotesque names in the first instance, but very beautiful and striking resemblances of the natural object itself, that we are disposed to give it our most cordial snpport. This is effected by means of lithographic plates, which illustrated each specimen; and from the care and neatness of the execution, they are calculated, quite as well as the originals themselves, to answer every possible end which the student or the curious in geological matters may have in view. The number of plates is ten in the present Part, but several of those plates have more than one figure. The management of the able and scientific editors is a sufficient guarantee for the value and accuracy of the work; and we are certain, when completed, that it will do more than most of the geological publications which have yet seen the light, to popularize that most interesting and truly important branch of knowledge.

ART. XIV.—A Discourse occasioned by the removal into Eternity of the Rev. John Clowes, M. A., &c. By the Rev. S. Noble. 8vo, p. 43. London, 1831. THIS discourse gives us a very interesting account of a very interesting person, whose history, for many reasons, will frequently deserve a solemn reference by his contemporaries and posterity. The Rev. Mr. Clowes was a regular and learned clergyman of the church of England, who, at an advanced period of his life, and whilst in tre full discharge of his duties as a rector at Manchester, was induced to read the writings of Swedenborg.

The effect, particularly after he had perused the Vera Christiana Religio, was sudden but permanent, and the reverend gentleman became an unreserved apostle of the Swedenborgian doctrine. Mr. Noble tells us, that before Mr. Clowes had been brought over to the new religion, it could not be said, to number amongst its professors, more than above twelve persons throughout the world —but that after that reverend gentleman had revised the creed of Swedenborg, and translated and dispersed the writings of his new master-and further, after having made considerable personal exertions to propagate the novel faith himself, the effect was very striking. In most parts of the kingdom there are now societies of Swedenborgians established-they are found in France, Germany, Sweden, and of course in the United States of America, which must be admitted to bear the palm in respect of the ardour of its hospitality towards new doctrines in general.

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Now for our own parts, we feel that it would be just as proper us to quarrel with Mr. Clowes for choosing smoky Manchester for his residence, as it would be to blame him for giving a preference to the religion of Swedenborg. But what we cannot very easily digest, is this very sterling fact, that after having avowed and taught the peculiar tenets of Swedenborg, he still retained his rectorship as a priest of the church of England, and that too, we believe, until the day of his death. Mr. Noble, with great suavity as well as ingenuity, attempts to palliate this glaring inconsistency, and tells us that the emoluments of the rectorship were consumed, or nearly so, by the expenses of the curacy. What has that fact to do with the principle of the question? If Mr. Clowes was a real Swedenborgian,

what business had he to pretend that he was a minister of the church? He must have deceived those who were ignorant of his real faith: and to those who were aware of his double character, he has left this precious sentiment as a legacy, that a man may, with impunity, be a disbeliever in the doctrines of the church, and hold at the same time a confidential office in the ministry of that church. We sincerely hope that such an example will never be imitated, and indeed we cannot see how it can, by any person having honestly and conscientiously changed from one set of religious opinions to another.

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ART. XV.-An Equitable Property Tax: a financial Speculation: and a fair rate of wages to the Labouring Poor. By a Loyal Briton. 8vo. pp. 24. London. THE 'Loyal Briton' in this case is, we believe, the Rev. Richard Warner, a gentleman who has been long distinguished for the benevolent and useful attention which he has paid to the interests of the labouring poor. The object of his present tract is to show, which he does by a comparative calculation of receipt and necessary expenditure, that the wages of the labouring poor are altogether inadequate to their maintenance. Considering that the ancient advantages which they possessed in the commons, forests and wastes, and that their cottages in many places have been altogether taken away from them, he insists that it would only be equitable for the landlords to divide all their large farms into two or more smaller ones, none exceeding the annual rent of 300l. a year, and not letting more than one farm to the same individual, a practice

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which, if universally adopted, would, he thinks, increase the demand for human labour to an indefinite amount. He suggests that, in addition to this, they should grant long leases on a moderate rent, and bind the farmer, in consideration thereof, to employ a certain number of labourers at fixed wages; that they should allot to the peasantry on their estates, on just conditions, small portions of land for their own use, build comfortable cottages for them, and manifest at least the same solicitude for them which they feel for the preservation of game'-the effect of all of which favours, if they were conceded by the landlords to the fullest extent of Mr. Warner's wishes, would be just like an experiment to appease the angry ocean by pouring a phial of oil upon its surface! Unless a very extensive system of emigration be adopted and acted upon in the course of a very few years, or unless war, or the cholera morbus, or some such plague," thin the land," wages must of necessity bear no proporto the constantly increasing expenses of the necessaries of life.

With respect to the reverend gentleman's proposition of a property tax, that is a much more practicable affair. He would take off all those imposts which press severely upon industry, and supply the amount of them by a tax fairly levied upon property. The proposition is very far from being new ; but it is not, therefore, the less worthy of consideration.

ART. XVI.-Selections from the Poems of William Wordsworth, Esq., chiefly for the use of Schools, and Young Persons. 8vo, pp. 365. London: Moxon. 1831. THIS school book has long been a desideratum, and it gives us plea

sure to find that it has been at length supplied. Although we do not deem ourselves worthy to be enumerated amongst those persons who are so enthusiastic in their admiration of Mr. Wordsworth's poetry, that they prefer it to every other in the English language, and speak of it and of its author with a kind of reverence approaching to idolatry, yet we hope that we can feel the beauties of his natural imagery, and the simplicity of his diction, and the fervent glow of his thoughts, as fully as the most devoted of his worshippers. We will not, indeed, swear that "Peter Bell" is the most charming poem that ever was written; yet even in Peter Bell we can recognise some of Wordsworth's most peculiar merits. The selections here extracted from his works are for the most part judiciously made, and the volume is in every respect so well adapted to the purpose for which it is intended, that we hope it may find its way very generally into the hands of youth.

ART. XVII.—A Charge delivered to the Clergy of the Diocese of Bath and Wells, at the Visitation of the Diocese, in May and June, 1831. 4to. pp. 23. Wells: Backhouse. London: Rodwell and Rivington. 1831.

THE air of Christian charity, of sincerity and truth that breathes throughout this address, must recommend it most powerfully to the attention of the community at large. Dr. Law opens his charge with a formidable picture of the state of the country, in which, however, we do not recognise a single trait of exaggeration: he paints crime of every kind-crime marked too in characters of a deep and unwonted dye, as on the increase; vice stalking abroad in higher life, at noon day,

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