The Eclectic Review

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

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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, 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 illustrat ing 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

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

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.

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

case.

'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 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

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