dent attachment which enthrones him in the soul, and subordinates to him every created object, it systematically explodes, under the pretence of its being either enthusiastic or impossible..... The devotional feelings inculcated in the Bible, are intimately and inseparably interwoven with humility and gratitude-the humility and gratitude of a penitent and redeemed sinner. That he who is forgiven much will love much, is the decision of our Lord; while he to whom little is forgiven will love little. But the perpetual tendency of the Socinian system extenuates the evil of sin, and the magnitude of the danger to which it exposes the sinner, and is calculated to weaken, beyond expression, the force of the motives [they supply].

By asserting the intrinsic efficacy of repentance, to the exclusion of the merits of the Redeemer, it makes every man his own Saviour ; it directs his attention to himself, as the source to which he ascribes the removal of guilt, and the renovation of hope; nor will it permit him to adopt, in any obvious and intelligible sense, the rapturous language of the redeemed, "To Him who loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood." Taught to consider the Lord Jesus Christ in no other light than as the most perfect example and the most enlightened of teachers, and believing that he has already bestowed all the benefits he is empowered to bestow, it is in vain to look for that consecration of the heart to his love, and of all the faculties of body and mind to his service, which may reasonably be expected from him who looks upon himself as a trophy of his power, and as the purchase of his blood. Not viewing himself as at any time exposed to condemnation, you must not expect him to celebrate, with elevated emotion, the riches of divine grace; much less that he should be transported with gratitude to God for the inestimable love evinced in the gift of his Son; when he considers it a high attainment to have learned that this Son is a mere man, on a level with himself. The unhappy disciple of this system is necessarily separated and cut off from the objects most adapted to touch the springs of religious sensibility. He knows nothing of a transition "from death unto life;" nothing of the anxieties of a wounded and awakened conscience, followed by "joy and peace in believing;" nothing of that "love of Christ which passeth knowledge;" nothing of the refreshing aids and consolations of that Holy Spirit whose existence he denies, whose agency he ridicules; nothing of that ineffable communion of spirit with God and the Redeemer, the true element of life and peace; nothing of the earnests and foretastes of that heaven which his system covers with a dense and impenetrable veil.

Facts, on this subject, concur with theory: for no sooner is a minister of the Gospel transformed into a Socinian, than he relinquishes the practice of extempore prayer, and has recourse to a written form. We are far from condemning the use of forms, where they are adopted from a conscientious preference; nor can we doubt that many members of the establishment, whose habits have combined with them the most devout associations and feelings, find them useful helps to piety. But, that those who have never used them before, should find them necessary the moment they have embraced a particular system; that they should feel, as some of the most eminent have

confessed, an absolute incapacity, from that time, of praying without the aid of a book, affords a portentous indication of the spirit of that system. To be smitten dumb and silent in the presence of that heavenly Father whom they approached before with filial freedom and confidence; to be unable or indisposed to utter a word without artificial aids, where they were wont to pour out all their hearts; evinces the visitation of a new spirit, but most assuredly not that Spirit "whereby we cry, Abba, Father." Correct, elegant, spiritless-replete with acknowledgements of the general goodness of God, the bounties of his providence, and his benign interposition in the arrangements of society, and the success of the arts and sciences which embellish and adorn the present state-seldom will you hear any mention of the forgiveness of sins, of the love of the Saviour; few or no acknowledgements of the blessings of redemption. An earthly, unsanctified tincture pervades their devotions, calculated to remind you of any thing rather than of a penitent pleading for mercy, "with groanings that cannot be uttered." Vol. V. pp. 31–42.

We must content ourselves with merely indicating the remaining heads of this fine discourse.

IV. A remarkable feature in the system of Modern Unitarianism, pregnant with more mischief and danger than any of those just mentioned, is, the fatalism and materialism with which, since Dr. Priestley's time, it is almost universally associated.

V. Another feature in the system, is the tame submission to buman authority, which seems to distinguish above all other persons, those who compose the class styled Modern Unitarians.

VI. The last feature which I shall mention, in the system of the Socinians, is, their zeal for proselytism'. . . . difficult to be accounted for on their principles.'-Vol. V. pp. 43-46; 22.

There is a very complete sketch of a beautiful sermon on the cause, instrument, and purpose of regeneration," (Jam. i. 18.) which we well recollect to have heard Mr. Hall preach in London many years ago; and a still more interesting sketch of a sermon on Rev. v. 6; The Lamb slain, the object of rapture to the 'heavenly hosts. Two sermons on 'Spiritual leprosy (Lev. xiii. 45); the following one, 'On counting the cost' (Luke xiv. 28); an almost complete sermon on family worship (1 Chron. xvi. 43); and the last, No temple in heaven' (Rev. xxi. 22); may also be pointed out as not less valuable and characteristic than those from which our specimens have been taken. Further illustrations of the Author's style and method of preaching, will occur in connexion with a review of his published works. We have now to speak of Mr. Hall as a writer.

The first volume of the present edition is composed of 'Sermons, Charges, and Circular Letters.' It contains the Sermons on Modern Infidelity, (preached in 1801,) on War, (1802,) on the sentiments proper to the present crisis, (1803,) and on the advantages of knowledge to the lower classes (1810); the Charge

6

delivered at Mr. Robertson's ordination, and that addressed to Mr. Eustace Carey; the funeral Sermons for the Princess Charlotte and the Rev. Dr. Ryland; three Circular Letters ;" and a Sermon never before published, on the substitution of the innocent for the guilty,' (Isa. liii. 8.) preached in 1822, and prepared, almost completely, for publication. This Volume, it will be seen, comprises some of Mr. Hall's most finished productions, including the earlier publications by which, chiefly, his fame as a writer was established.

The Second Volume is wholly occupied with the treatise "on "Terms of Communion;" the Reply to a " A Plea for Primitive Communion;" and the Reply to Mr. Kinghorn; writings which, both as a model of polemical discussion, and a masterly exposition of principles of far wider application than the comparatively obscure controversy which elicited them, are deserving of far deeper and more general attention than even the name of the Author has hitherto been sufficient to procure for them.

Volume the Third is miscellaneous; comprising, first, Mr. Hall's political Tracts, in the order of their publication, 17911824; the Fragment of a Defence of Village Preaching, extending to upwards of seventy pages, and never before printed; and two or three smaller pieces.

Volume the Fourth contains seven articles reprinted from the Eclectic Review; a Fragment on Popery; biographical Memoirs of the Rev. Mr. Toller; Characters of the Rev. R. Hall, of Arnsby, the Rev. T. Robinson, and the Rev. J. Sutcliff; several Prefaces; speeches at the Leicester Bible Society; and other miscellaneous pieces.

The order in which the works are here arranged, is obviously the most proper and convenient that could have been adopted by the Editor; but, in adverting to them for the purpose of illustrating their literary or theological excellence, it will be necessary to consider them as classing under three heads, Theological, Polemical, and Political. And in reference to the intellectual and religious character of their Author, an important line of chronological distinction requires to be drawn, between the earlier publications (that is, those which appeared prior to 1805) and the later writings. Most of the political writings belong to the earlier period; and we shall therefore dispose of these in the first place. But, as the mere fact, that this good and great man did not feel himself restricted from writing upon political topics, or from reprinting one of his early political productions, has been made the ground of base and virulent detraction, we feel impelled to attempt a very brief discussion of a question that may be fairly raised, how far a minister of the Gospel is justified in devoting his attention, and lending his pen to such topics. In this discussion, which must be reserved for another article, we shall avail ourselves of

Mr. Hall's own recorded opinion and arguments; and in the mean time, we shall transcribe the following Note by the Editor of his Works, as a sufficient vindication of his character from the misunderstanding or misrepresentation that has prevailed on this point.

Some excellent persons, who did not know Mr. Hall, often express great concern, that so good a man should have suffered his thoughts to be so much engrossed in politics, as they suppose must have been the case. The truth, however, is, that few men gave themselves less to political matters, than Mr. Hall. At the deeply interesting period in which he wrote his political tracts, the whole world was absorbed in the contemplation of political events, and the discussion of political principles. Among the disputants of the two great parties into which this country was divided, clergymen and other ministers took a most active part, and the class denominated Evangelical were by no means the least active. Some of the most eminent of them, indeed, engaged in that sad and then frequent profanation of holy places and things, the consecration of the colours of a volunteer corps in a parish church; and one even put on a military cockade, in order to incite his parishioners to come forward in the public cause. The genuine principles of our admirable constitution were thought by many to be in imminent peril; yet, all who wrote in their defence were exposed to obloquy. A learned prelate asserted, in the House of Lords, that "the people had nothing to do with the laws but to obey them," and his sentiment was loudly applauded. In a kindred spirit, during the trials of Muir and Palmer, for "leasing-making," or sedition, in Scotland, one of the Lords of Justiciary declared, that "no man had a right to speak of the Constitution unless he possessed landed property;" and another affirmed, that "since the abolition of TORTURE, there was no adequate punishment for sedition." In such a season of violent excitement, when upright men of every shade of opinion thought the most valuable principles at stake, no wonder that heats and animosities prevailed, and that all expressed themselves with vehemence, often with acerbity. Mr. Hall, then under thirty years of age, was of too ardent and generous a spirit to be quiescent in that signal crisis of public affairs. He discharged what, in the exigency, appeared to him an imperious duty, and then remained silent, until, after an interval of many years, at the intreaty of his friends, he broke the silence in a brief effort of self-defence against anonymous misrepresentation. For some years, indeed, so great was his indifference to political concerns, that he scarcely ever read a newspaper, or did more in conversation than advert for a moment, if at all, to public measures. His political principles, however, remained the same through life; with those simple modifications which the lapse of time and the occurrence of new events, were calculated to produce in the breast of a considerate man. Though he thought them important, he uniformly regarded them as subordinate to others. He cherished with delight the anticipations of a new and better order of things amongst mankind; but he looked mainly, for the realizing of his hopes, to the operation of a higher class of principles than the politics of this world can supply,-principles of heavenly origin, which, flow

6

delivered at Mr. Robertson's ordination, and that addressed to Mr. Eustace Carey; the funeral Sermons for the Princess Charlotte and the Rev. Dr. Ryland; three Circular Letters; and a Sermon never before published, on the substitution of the innocent for the guilty, (Isa. liii. 8.) preached in 1822, and prepared, almost completely, for publication. This Volume, it will be seen, comprises some of Mr. Hall's most finished productions, including the earlier publications by which, chiefly, his fame as a writer was established.

The Second Volume is wholly occupied with the treatise "on "Terms of Communion;" the Reply to a " A Plea for Primitive Communion ;" and the Reply to Mr. Kinghorn; writings which, both as a model of polemical discussion, and a masterly exposi tion of principles of far wider application than the comparatively obscure controversy which elicited them, are deserving of far deeper and more general attention than even the name of the Author has hitherto been sufficient to procure for them.

Volume the Third is miscellaneous; comprising, first, Mr. Hall's political Tracts, in the order of their publication, 1791— 1824; the Fragment of a Defence of Village Preaching, extending to upwards of seventy pages, and never before printed; and two or three smaller pieces.

Volume the Fourth contains seven articles reprinted from the Eclectic Review; a Fragment on Popery; biographical Memoirs of the Rev. Mr. Toller; Characters of the Rev. R. Hall, of Arnsby, the Rev. T. Robinson, and the Rev. J. Sutcliff; several Prefaces; speeches at the Leicester Bible Society; and other miscellaneous pieces.

The order in which the works are here arranged, is obviously the most proper and convenient that could have been adopted by the Editor; but, in adverting to them for the purpose of illustrating their literary or theological excellence, it will be necessary to consider them as classing under three heads, Theological, Polemical, and Political. And in reference to the intellectual and religious character of their Author, an important line of chronological distinction requires to be drawn, between the earlier publications (that is, those which appeared prior to 1805) and the later writings. Most of the political writings belong to the earlier period; and we shall therefore dispose of these in the first place. But, as the mere fact, that this good and great man did not feel himself restricted from writing upon political topics, or from reprinting one of his early political productions, has been made the ground of base and virulent detraction, we feel impelled to attempt a very brief discussion of a question that may be fairly raised, how far a minister of the Gospel is justified in devoting his attention, and lending his pen to such topics. In this discussion, which must be reserved for another article, we shall avail ourselves of