a fentence, conducts him at once, and without any preparatory felection, through all the New Teftament; and, among other parts, through St. Paul's Epiftles, in which (though excellent and admirable) even the chief of the Apoftles found things hard to be understood *." Yet thefe epiftles are among the first leffens of a young child; who labouring on, in wearifome ignorance of the object of his labour, acquires an indifference for all religious inftruction, too often followed by an habitual neglect of the holy Scriptures through life. "The ambition, however, of the mafter does not stop here. If he can but obtain Bibles for his fchool, the clafs then goes through (as he expreffes it) the whole of the Bible at once; and the young novice, when he fhould be learning to spell, is bewil dered for a long time in the Levitical law, in the building of the temple, and in the annals of the Jews; in which many things occur which cannot be understood without previous explanation of many feripturul terms, and of the circumftances under which the ceremonial law was given. In the courfe of their labour they reach the prophetic writings, parts of which have baffled the refearch of the moft learned and ingenious men of all after ages; men, who poffeffed faculties to understand, and yet could not understand, that prophecy, when first delivered, was a SEALED BOOK, to be gradually unfolded and opened by the fubfequent events of the world, and deftined to remain to future ages a perpetual and increafing proof of the divine origin and unfailing truth of the holy Scriptures. "When thefe teachers have fo often read that Queen Candace's prime minifter, perufing the prophet Ifaiah, exclaimed, How can I understand what I read, except fome man should guide me is it not extraordinary that the fame question has never occurred to them, as natural to be put on the part of their pupils but that this and other fimilar parts of the Bible should have been made a kind of initiatory jpelling-book for children Learning to read, without a guide or director, and without feleç tion or preparation. The fame principle which in the Barrington-School is applied to other learning, is adopted there with regard to the study of the holy Scriptures; and nothing is attempted without that degree of preparatory inftruction, which may prevent the youthful mind from being perplexed or confufed. In a fubfequent part of this work, when I come to fhew the progrefs of a child through the school, and the manner in which religious inftruction is blended with the other parts of education, I fhall be able to explain the manner in which a child is there prepared for the perufal of the Bible. It will therefore be enough at prefent to say, that, during the period that the children are learning to read, 2 Peter ii. 16.” "Acts viii. 31." they they are exercised in fpelling the moft difficult words in the Bible. They learn the meaning of the terms in Scripture, as applied to places, fects, characters, and circumftances, they become matters of the Church Catechifm broke into fhort questions,' and take for their reading leffons the parables, miracles, and difcourfes of our Saviour, extracted from the New Teftament, and the Pfalter, and the Hiftory of the New and Old Testament; and when in this manner, fome initiatory knowledge of the revealed word of God has been gradually obtained, the difficulties of reading entirely conquered, and the mind prepared for the reception of the treafures of divine knowledge,' the BIBLE is placed in the pupil's hands. "I have been the more earneft on this fubject, because I am convinced that great injury has been done to the interests of reli gion, by the manner in which the Bible has been given to young children. Let it not, however, be fuppofed that I wish to withhold it from any one. I confider the Bible as the basis of all moral and religious improvement: and that the great object of all education is this; THAT EVERY INDIVIDUAL MAY HAVE FREE AND UNRESTRAINED ACCESS TO THIS. SACRED BOOK; AS HIS INSTRUCTOR IN YOUTH, HIS GUIDE AND DIRECTOR IN ACTIVE LIVE, AND HIS RESOURCE AND CONSOLATION IN DE CLINING AGE." P. 91. After detailing the progrefs through the school, the author gives the hiftory of the new fyftem as commenced by Dr. Bell at Madras, and its general application; for its advan tages are as easily attainable in a private family or fmall feminary as in a public school. In Chapter xiv. we have an account of the introduction of pfalmody into the Barrington School, with fome judicious and impreffive remarks on the ufe and effect of facred mufic, which are followed by a candid examination of the objections to Dr. Bell's fyftem. These are, in our opinion, fatisfactorily refuted, and the advantages of the new school are thus fummarily but energetically expreffed. "That without COMPULSION, OF SHAME, OF TERROR, or PUNISHMENT, the faculties are awakened and put in action; habits of regular and practical attention are acquired, and inAtruction becomes an object of intereft and attraction.” An Appendix is fubjoined, compofed of the following articles: "I. Regulations of the Barrington School.-II. Register of leffons.-III. Regifter of individual proficiency.-IV. Synopfis of books used at the Barrington School.-V. Orders as to the Regimental L12 Regimental Schools.-VI. Method of inftruction in the Free School, in Gower's-walk, Whitechapel." Our opinion of the importance and value of this publication will fufficiently appear from the detailed account of it above given. We moft willingly add our unqualified approbation of the fyftem which is here recommended, as well as our earnest determination to promote and affift its object by every means within our power. ART. IX. Sermons preached on public Occafions, with Notes, and an Appendix on numerous important Subjects. By R. Valpy, D.D. F. A. S. In two Volumes. 8vo. 18s. Rivingtons. 1811. IT Tis fomewhat fingular, that when we take up these volumes, for the fake of announcing their exiftence, we fhould have to caution our readers against believing a report, that they are already out of print. Sermons do not fell with quite fo much rapidity; and though this author has seasoned his fecond volumie with political difcuffions, fome of which will be the more extolled by one clafs of readers, because they are contrary to our often declared opinions on the Catholic Queftion, &c. yet a few months must be by far too fhort a period to carry off a large impreffion. How fuch a report could be raised, or for what purpofes, it is not our office to explain. Certainly it could not originate from the author, whofe fale is injured by it. It may perhaps be other. wife explained; and will appear to arife out of one of the many Miferies of authors. The greater part of the fermons here reprinted have been noticed by us before; and almoft all with unequivocal approbation. We fhall therefore have little reafon to expa tiate, except upon one or two points, on which we have to ftate or to defend an opinion fomewhat differing from that of the author. We are perfectly ready to allow to him what we claim alfo for ourfelves, the praife of difinterefted fincerity in the opinions advanced; and under fuch circumftances controverly may certainly be carried on, as it always ought to be conducted, with perfect good temper. The fermons are eight in number. 1. The firft was preached originally for a charity-fchool at Bury in Suffolk, fo long ago as in 1779. It was published at firft anonymously, from the juvenile fears of the author, but having been approved, has fince been avowed by him. 2 and 3 are two Affize Sermons, both printed originally at the requeft of the High Sheriff and Grand Jury. 4. The fourth is a Faft Sermon, preached in March 1797, and alfo published by request. 5. A Sermon on the confecration of the colours of the Reading Volunteer Affociation. The 6th at the anniversary of the Humane Society. 7. A Sermon for a Difpenfary. 8. For the British and Foreign Bible Society. Thefe fermons are of a character extremely peculiar. They are in general elaborate, learned, and eloquent differtations on the feveral fubjects taken up by the author. If the fift of them is rather inferior to the reft, if it offer fome examples of falfe thoughts, and fome of too ambitious expref-; fions, we must recollect that it was written at a very early period of the author's life. A particular partiality for his first. born may fufficiently excufe him for inferting it; and the fecond will make abundant amends for any thing which a very rigorous criticifm might object to the firft. The fecond difcourfe is indeed of uncommon excellence. To an erroneous though prevailing opinion, it oppofes a long and learned deduction of facts, fupported and illuftrated by arguments and difcuffions of the clearest kind. The subject of this able refutation is the falfe opinion" that the world is in a state of conftant and regular degeneracy, and that every age is inferior to the preceding, in fentiments of virtue, and in religious practice." "Moralifts," continues the author, "have established this as a principle, and religious enthufiafts have thrown a dispiriting gloom over the comforts which beamed in the pious mind. The error has become general. Naturalifts have pretended to difcover a gradual inferiority in the productions of the vegetable world, in the ftature and bodily ftrength of man, and in the falutary influence of the feafons. The hiftorian has dwelt with rapture on the fuperiority of mankind in former ages, in civil and heroic accomplishments; and the man of letters has extolled the peculiar excellence of the ancients in works of tafte and genius, as a gift denied to the exertions of modern times." P. P. 24. For the contradiction of this pernicious opinion, Dr. V. goes back to the beginnings of the world, and reminds his hearers of that excefs of depravity which wearied even the infinite mercy of God, and occafioned the deftruction of the whole earth by means of a deluge. But notwithstanding hat dreadful example of juftice, we foon find corruption again L13 again revived; and it is here traced in a rapid sketch, dwelling first on the offences of the Ifraelites. "If fuch," fays the author, "were the conduct of the people of God, the object of a great difpenfation, we must not expect to find a purer fyftem of morals among the rest of the world. The earth indeed was corrupt before God, it was filled with violence.Inftances of rude barbarity fhock the imagination of the atten tive obferver. Such was the ferocity of their general manners, fuch their unprincipled cruelty, that individuals were obliged to be perpetually in a state of defence. Strength of body, and bravery in battle, were the moft defirable accomplishments of thofe times. With fome it was the height of luxury to drink in the skull of a flaughtered foe +. With others, no woman was permitted to marry who had not killed an enemy with her own hand." P. 30. In tracing the depravity of man through the cruel fuperftitions and other enormities of various nations, we might expect to be relieved by a more pleasing picture when we come to the civilized ftates of Greece. That this was not fo, is but briefly flated in the text, because the nature of a difcourfe from the pulpit did not admit of detail, but the affertions in the fermon are fully corroborated by the notes, from which we give a fpecimen relating to thofe admired people. "The divifion of Greece into a number of ftates only multi. plied the caufes of war and deftruction. It was rare to find a citizen, however meek his difpofition, however quiet his occupation, who lived and died in peace. Revolution fucceeded revo. lution. Argos was the fcene of one, in which, after a bloody feries of cruelties, the victorious party rioted in the death of twelve hundred citizens. Diod. Sicul. I. xv. "In the times of Grecian civilization, the government ceafed to be founded on military defpotifm, and the people acquired more confideration; but, inftead of refting fatisfied with the influence nec Jary to refift oppreffion, and fecure civil liberty, they ufurped a power, which had been productive of lefs violence and tyranny, while it was poffeffed by one individual. The Republic of Athens, the boaft of fome modern philofophers, was alternately made the fcene of the moft atrocious tyranny and unbridled anarchy, by thofe feducing orators and afpiring demagogues, one of whom, Andocides, had the honesty to confefs that he had "Thucyd. i. 6. + Herodot. iv. 65. ‡ Ibid 167.” been |