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Remarks of a Medical Friend.

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THE situation in which Providence has placed me, affords frequent opportunities of speaking a few words for my Master. Sometimes I have been able to embrace them; and they have proved, I trust, the savour of life unto life at other times, I fear, the savour of death unto death.' Too frequently, however, these favourable opportunities have passed me unimproved; which I cannot but la ment, while I pray for grace to be more faithful in future. That my observations may excite others of my profession to be useful, so that suitable warning and encouragement may be given to afflicted persons, is the sole reason of my taking up my pen.

that she might hear more on the dying love of Christ, and be further instructed in all the words of this life.' The next day, being Sabbath, I requested a poor and pious disciple to visit her; which he readily did. Soon after, I called to see hor; but she was goue. It becomes us not to decide on her state. Sudden conversions are sometimes suspicious; but the appearances were such as to encourage us to speak a word in season.

An awful case, of a very different description, lately occurred to me: an instance wherein the sorrow of the world appeared to work death : and in which advice and admonition seemed to be utterly in vain.

A person in a respectable situation, and for whom I had considerable esteem, had married a man, whose principles were as loose as his practice; and which brought her into a state of despondency; and having no knowledge of Him who bears the burden of his people, she took refuge in the decenfal consolation of spirituous liquors, of all things the most beaumbing to the feelings, both of body and soul; yet alas! the numbers who do so for mere gratification is almost incredi bic.

Some time since, being called to visit a poor young girl in a severe illuess, from which there was not the least hope of recovery, and pitying her deplorable state, the sad result of a life of prostitution (the profits of which appeared to have been shared with her own mother, a • monster in sin !') my heart yearned over the wretched creature, and I was induced to converse with her She continued drinking, in infully. On asking what she thought creased quantities, till any thing like would become of her soul after spirit became her whole desire; nor death, she appeared astonished and had I courage, at that time, to dismayed: Wishing to be faithful, I speak pointedly to her, for want of pressed the point, and asked if she sufficient evidence of the mischievreally thought that God would be ous practice. This was soon after just if he condemned her to Hell? given me, when it laid her on a dyWith faltering breath, she several Tag bed; on which she languished times attempted to speak; and at many months, still crying, Give, last, in a manner that bespoke a give.' wounded spirit, uttered Y-e-s. "You think he would be just ?" said I: 'Yes, indeed, I do,' she repeated. I then spoke of the all-sufficiency of the atoning blood of Christ; the freeness of divine grace, and the love and mercy of the Saviour. This was a theme quite new to her; and the effect it produced on her countenance I shall not easily forget; she seemed enraptured at the thought of divine condescension,under which impression Heft her, it being late at night, which she passed in prayer, longing for my return,

Advice and warning were now too late. I talked, however, in the most serious manner. The attendants (rembled, — she alone remained unmoved. Pray, my dear," said her mother to her. "I cannot," she replied. Now, do try.

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Say, The Lord have mercy upon me!' 'I cannot," she replied.

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Say, Lord Jesus Christ receive my soul." I shall be better presently," said she. Then turning her dying eyes, she gave up her soul to H who would not suffer her to deceive. her attendants by pretens.ons to prayer.

THETA.

REVIEW OF RELIGIOUS PUBLICATIONS, &c.

Organic Remains of a Former World: an Examination of the Mineralized Remains of the Antediluvian World, generally termed Extraneous Fossils. By Js. Par. kinson, Hoxton. Vol. II. 4to,

Price 21. 12s. 6d.

Books of Science come under our Review only when they support or illustrate the truths of natural and revealed religion. By turning to our Magazine for 1805, p. 80, the reader will perceive the general plan of this work was to produce and illustrate the ruins and remains of a former work; and hence to exhibit irrefragable proofs from nature, of the extent and antiquity of the universal deluge. The first volume was confined to vegetable fossils: this advances a step farther, and examines the next class of fossils from Zoophyles, or that class of natural productions which connect the vegetable and animal creation, class, though till lately but little noticed, perhaps scareely less numerous than the others.

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This volume differs from the former, in being thrown into the epistolary form. The various species of coral, in all their ‘beautiful and fantastic forms,' come first under examination; and several curious specimens are given of the genus tubipora, or coral in the form of tubes, supposed to be the residence of various kinds of polypi.

Some of these specimens are extremely curious; and on one he makes this remark, p. 19, To what a remote period of past time, and to what astonishing changes, in the structure at least, of the surface of this globe, does this circumstance direct our contemplation! A body, differing from any animal substance now known, has been formed, by the energies of animal life, in the depths of the ocean of a former world; and is now found imbedded in a rock, many miles inland, and at a considerable height above the sea.' How far we may be justified in sup

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posing any species of creatures lost, we cannot say; but considering the great variety of changes, produced by mixtures among some species of animals, it is surely possible, as great varieties may have been produced among the Zoophytes at the bottom of the sea. Wonderful transformations also must have taken place in the process toward the fossil state (see p. 24, 78, and 89) not to say that so small a part of the bosom of the ocean has yet been examined, that many thousands of species may yet remain undiscovered, to reward the future enquiries of naturalists aud navigators (see p. 91). But when the author talks (p. 24) of countless ages,' he seems to have foi gotten his data. A convulsion of nature, like the deluge, which reduced our globe almost to a second chaos, must have produced effects far beyond the regular course of nature; yet it is impossible to say what that might have effected in the progress of nearly 4000 years!

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Mr. P. reverts frequently to the dissimilarity between the creatures of this and of the former world,' as a circumstance wholly inexplicable. It however furnishes us,' he thinks, with a strong argument against that theory which supposes the changes which this planet has undergone, are all attributable to the constant, regular, and gradual processes of nature, which have been acting from an indefinite period of time, and is of course friendly to the Mosaic History.

In speaking of the analogy between the animal and vegetable worlds, Mr.P. remarks, this wonderful and close analogy offers to our admiration a plain demonstration, not only of the power and wisdom of our great Creator, but of the rich infinity of resources from which he has been enabled to diversify his works.

Unable to copy any of the beautiful and expensive plates, many of them delicately coloured from nature, it is impossible to convey to

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our readers an adequate idea of the subjects here treated; but, upon the whole, we are highly gratified with this as a work of curious and useful science; and, we think, these studies calculated to enlarge the mind, and lead to admiration of the Creator; while, at the same time, they furnish, when attentively considered, strong corroborative evidence of the truth of sacred history.

The Chemical Catechism, with Notes, Illustrations, and Experiments. By Samuel Parkes. 3d edit. 8vo, price 12s.

CHEMISTRY is certainly not our province; yet, when a book on this useful science is so written, as to promose religion rather than oppose it, which is too frequently the tendency of philosophical treatises in the present day, we think it not improper to notice it. This work possesses considerable merit, and contains a vast accumulation of curious and interesting facts; from which the author, throughout, draws inferences which, though not directly evangelical, are calculated to lead the mind to the God of nature; and be does this is a manner that carnot disgust any considerate person; and may excite serious thoughts in the minds of many readers.

Zeal without Innovation; or the Present State of Religion and Morals considered, with a View to the Dispositions and Measures required for its Improvement: to which is subjoined, An Address to Young Clergymen; intended to guard them against some prevalent Errors. Price 7s. 6d.

A reader of this volume will be struck with many glaring inconsistencies, which he will not fail to discover as he attentively considers its pages. Christian philanthropy and Sectarian bigotry, Professions of candour, connected with the most unjust treatment of worthy and excellent men, form the general character of this singular production. We are persuaded that, by whomso. ever penned, it is of dangerous tendency; that, though it contams much that is good, it is polluted

with more that is evil. The design which this writer proposes to accomplish is, To raise the Church of England from its present state of declension; to impress upon the minds of the clergy the necessity of animated zeal in the performance of every parochial and clerical duty; and thus to check the fearful progress of immorality and Sectarianism: and, had the author confined himself to these subjects, had he indulged himself in no unfounded censures, had he been satisfied with pointing out, deploring, reprobating, and suggesting effectual and scriptural remedies for the evils which exist in the National Church, he would have obtained the approbation of all good men. Instead of this, he has indulged himself in grossly misrepresenting the political and religious tenets of Dissenters, character of the evangelical minisand in obliquely impeaching the ters of his own church. In fact, he has joined the Hue and Cry against what may be justly termed the Reformation of the Eighteenth Century; and which the world has been pleased to stigmatize with the But, while he gives up the evanvague appellation of Methodism ! gelical clergy in general to popular odium and contempt, he would except a few serious, laborious, parochial ministers, like himself, who, he is afraid, are included in the universal censure. It is not for us to be the apologists of any party, or of any class of men. There is enough of error and of human frailty among the most exemplary of our kind, to give some colour to the invectives and reproaches of those who choose to fill the chair of the scorner; and we are not willing to palliale or soften the imperfections which really exist among evangelical Christians; but, when mere human frailty, which belongs to the best of men, is represented as constituting the principal feature of the character; when this is exhibited to the world, as an mous crime, and the good which predominates, and which forms the general principle of action, is studiously kept out of sight, it becomes the imperious duly of tae

enor

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the existence of the monarchy ;-
and, that it promotes the debase-
ment of the Christian ministry, by
lay-preaching. We are of opinion,
That no elergyman should view
with indifference the declension
of the church to which he is at-
tached from principle, and which
feeds him with his daily bread;
but, surely, no fears, no alarms
for the safety of the church, can
justify an improper mode of defend-
ing it, or of opposing those who
may choose to dissent from it. To
consider separation from the church
as the powerful and efficient cause
which

friend of truth and of human nature to denounce the writer, who is equally the enemy of both. It is the fate of every man who imbibes a party spirit, and who identifies his own peculiar views of Christianity with Christianity itself, to be thus unjust in his treatment of those who may differ from him in their religious sentiments. The author of Zeal without Innovatidns,' happens to be warmly attached to the Established Church, in its constitution, in its forms and ceremonies, and in its discipline. It is, in his view, the appointment of Heaven, the ark of religion, the threatens its destruction, bulwark of the state; and, though betrays great weakness of mind. he is forced to acknowledge that it is Emigration tends to impoverish a practically so inefficient in reform country of its most valuable riches, ing the people as to be abandoned its citizens, which are its glory by the multitude, and to have little and its strength; - but when emiorno hold upon the public mind, yet,gration takes place to any alarming at any rate, it is to be extolled; the prejudices of its worldly clergy against spiritual religion, whether in the Establishment or out of it, are to be excused, if not to be justified. Much more tolerance is shewn to the spirit of the world, and the persecuting bitterness of the slanderous tongues and libellous pens of the enemies of all personal religion, than to the infirmities of good men, who may think it right, in times of very shocking declensions from piety, to be a little more irregularly zealous as clergymen than this writer approves; or who may conscientiously dissent from that Establishment, of which he delights to be considered as a member.

The second section of the firstchapter of this work, contains a strange mixture of religion, sophistry, and bigotry; and, as our limits will not suffer us to examine and to refute the errors and calumnies of the whole book, we shall confine our subsequent remarks to this section, which is a fair specimen of the entire production. It is on the increase of Separatism; the evils of which, according to the author's views of the subject, are forcibly described. We are told, That Separatism goes to the annihilation of the Established Church, as a natronal institution;--that it threatens

extent, there must be some operative, pre-disposing cause existing in the governmen', or men would not leave their homes, and snap asunder the dearest connexions, to seek an asylum among strangers on a distant continent. In this case the government must be charged with effecting its own ruin; and thus, even should the period ever arrive,

when, as the author expresses it, it shall become a question whether the Church of England shall any longer have the Support of the State,' we may be assured it will have orly itself to blame; for nothing but the most gross deficiencies in her ministers can operate against that powerful influence which she derives from the State.

A churchman must and ought to think that separation is an evil. But how is this evil to be remedied? It is the disgrace of this writer, and of many of his brethren, that, instead of turning their whole attention to the reformation of the clergy, and the removing of what is evil in the church itself, they are constantly looking, with a jealous eye, on the Act of Toleration. There is a note in the 20th page, which betrays as much ignorance as intolerance:

"It (the Toleration Act) was intended to give relief to conscientious minds; and for that, it does

honour to the wisdom as well as humanity of the age in which it was passed. To see it, however, turned to another kind of purpose, that is, to make Dissenters, not merely to satisfy those who are already such; to see it employed as an engine against that church who, by her legislative representatives, consented to this benign law; these abuses of the intention of the legislature, he cannot view without regretting that they were not provided against which, no doubt, they would have been, by those who framed and passed the act, had they been foreseen. His regret is heightened by a fear, that the present wanton abuse of the Act of Toleration may provoke such an emendation of it, as may be attended with great danger to liberty, and little benefit to religion. Let them who cannot be contented with the relief which the law, as it now stands, affords to conscientious minds, take warning by this hint.'

These are the enlightened views of a Protestant clergyman of the nineteenth century, on the subject of Toleration!!! As far as the dissemination of religious sentiments is concerned, if the manner adopted be merely persuasive, the toleration act cannot be abused. The act of Toleration recognizes the right of every man to think for himself, in matters of religion; and to propagate his tenets by every reasonable method in his power. We cannot forbear opposing to this curious note, the language of Dr. Shipley, Bishop of St. Asaph, on this very subject:

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It is the duty of magistrates,' says this enlightened prelate, it is indeed the very end of magistracy, to protect all men in the enjoyment of their natural rights, of which the free exercise of their religion is one of the first and best. All his tory, my Lords, is full of the mischiefs occasioned by the want of toleration; but no one has ever yet pretended to shew, that any public evils have been occasioned by toleration. The ruling party is always very liberal in bestowing the title of Schismatic and Heretic on those who differ from them in religion; and in

representing them as dangerous to the state. My Lords, the contrary is the truth. Those who are uppermost, and have the power, are the men who do the mischief, while the Schismatics only suffer and complain. I am not afraid of those tender and scrupulous consciences, who are over-cautious of professing or believing too much. If they are sincerely in the wrong, I forgive their errors and respect their integrity. The men I am afraid of, are the men who believe every thing and subscribe every thing.'

When God is pleased to make the Church of England infallible, and to confer infallibility upon her ministers, there will be some grace in her talking of granting relief to tender consciences; and some plea for her depriving her fellow churches of their civil rights and religious privileges, because they will not bow at her altar: but while she is human in her constitution, and while her sons are liable to err like other men, it would be decent and proper, if she would content herself by labouring to do all the possible good she can within her own pale, and permit the churches of the Separatists to do the same.

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The charge of promoting Democracy, which is alleged as another argument against the Separatists from the national church, is not new. It was manufactured at the forge of Calumny long before this writer could hold a pen, or invent a sophism; and little did we expect that a charge, so frequently and so fully refuted, should be brought forward again in this enlightened age. The Separatists beeve that Jesus Christ is the only Lord of Conscience, that he has made known his sovereign will in the Scriptures; and they think that they are to read the sacred volume for themselves; - that they are to choose their own teachers, and to manage their own spiritual concerns, under the sole direction of the New Testament; and it is argued by this sophist, that acknowledging an absolute sovereign in things spiritual, infallibly leads to a democratic form of government as things temporal; and he morcover concludes, That as

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