Atruggle, and thofe Great Britain had determined to afford, regar llefs of the difpleasure of France. But alas! the application was too tardy; and a conflict, which might have interefted and engage all Euro and been highly popular in England, was never begun, becante France, fearful of the confequences of fuch a conteft, prevented, with pernicious activity, the first efforts of the Swifs in behalf of their expiring freedom: yet, from the moment that the intention of Great Britain became known, the conduct of the enemy became doubly hoftile; wherever freedom could exift, French influence might be endangered; and the country that could dare to ftretch forth a hand in that facred caufe, was more than ever detested by the ruler of the pretended free Republic of France. In all the fubfequent difcuffions, more wrath, more ill-temper, more arrogance are displayed; and fortunately the defign to attack was fo publicly profeffed, as to afford all requifite means for preparing to refilt and repel aggreffion.” P. 154.

The foregoing extracts will fhow, that the caufe of Great Britain, and of her prefent rulers, has found in Mr. Adolphus a very able advocate; and this publication alone may fatisfy every candid mind, not only of the juftice with which the present war was at laft undertaken, but of the prudence and propriety which dictated fo long a forbearance. It will, we are perfuaded, tend to ftrengthen the confidence repofed in the prefent government, and to animate thofe exertions in the common defence, which the actual crisis of affairs demands hom every friend to the profperity and freedom of our cour ty.

ART. X. Sermons on various Subjects, doctrinal and moral; felected, abridged, and tranflated from L'Anné Evangelique of F. J. Durand, Minifire du St. Evangile, Profeffeur Ordinaire dans L' Academie de Laufanne 3c.3. By the Rev. R. Munkhoufe, D. D. of Queen's College, Oxford, and Minifter of St. John Baptiff's Church, Wakefield. 8vo. 395 PP. 75. Rivingtons, &c. 1803.

THE English clergy not unfrequently exprefs their con

tempt of French fermons, as well Proteftant as Catholic. The multiplicity of words, the fcarcity of matter, the balanced fentences, and the glittering antithefes, which ufually appear in their writings, are offenfive to an English reader. A clergyman of profound learning and refpectable character can fcarcely be perfuaded to read the most celebrated of the French authors of this clafs; and he would think his time mifemployed, and his audience infulted, were he to prepare a French fermon for the inftruction of his congregation. In the mott celebrated' of their preachers, he meets with po illuftrations of

fcripture,

fcripture, no conjectural emendations, no ingenious applica tions: how then is he to obtain knowledge, and communicate information?

A further prejudice, véry prevalent among our own clergy, is, that a French fermon cannot be adapted to an English auditory. If, indeed, we are to judge of the translations we have generally read, fuch a prejudice would be well founded. Voyages, travels, and many other of the French publications, are daily prefented to us in an English drefs; they are purchafed with eagernefs, and perufed with delight: what, then, it may be asked, is there in the writings of their divines fo peculiarly difcordant to the taste of an English reader? Their difcourfes may be flimfy and fuperficial, ftill they may be read not without advantage. No one, indeed, could fuppofe, after reading a fermon of Dr. Clarke, and one of Maffillon upon the fame fubject, that they were intended to produce the fame effect. Neither, indeed, ftrictly fpeaking, was the object of the two writers the fame. The English preacher convinces his congregation, by the most powerful arguments reafon can fuggeft and revelation will fupply: he refutes the objections which ingenuity can urge; he filences the apologies which depravity may offer. The French preacher, on the other hand, infinuates himself into the affections of his hearers; he entreats, he implores; he appeals, not fo powerfully to their understandings as eloquently to their feelings; and, though he may fail to imprefs conviction, he fucceeds in gaining over the affections.

Dr. Munkhoufe, the tranflator of the Sermons now before us, feems to have confidered the fubject maturely: he prefents to his readers twenty-feven difcourfes, neither fo dry as fome of the English, nor fo florid as fome of the French writers. He has compreffed the fenfe of his author, and has judiciously omitted whatever would have been tedious to his readers. Having the works of Durand, from which the tranflator has felected the various Sermons that compofe this volume, in our poffeflion, we have very carefully and minutely compared the tranflation with the original; and it would be the highest. injuftice to Dr. M. were we not explicitly to declare, that he has fulfilled what he has undertaken with equal taste and judg

ment.

We have been more particular upon this fubject, because the tranflation of French fermons has of late become more common, notwithstanding the inveterate prejudice which fo generally prevails against them in both languages. They may, we are of opinion, be introduced into an English pulpit, under certain reftrictions, with good effect; but we thould be forry to fee them in unfkilful hands. The clergyman who is

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poffeffed

poffeffed of learning and judgment, and can nicely difcriminate between the ufeful and injudicious parts of a French fermon, for with both almost all that we have feen abound, may adopt paffages from them, at once affecting and perfuafive.

Dr. M. has prefixed to this volume a very interefting Preface, in which he informs his readers, that Profeffor Durand is ftill living at Laufanne. He refrains, he fays, from entering at prefent into a detail of fuch particulars of his life as have already come to his knowledge, in the expectation that, fhould this volume be favourably received, an opportunity may hereafter occur of doing it more at large; the Profeffor having obligingly engaged to fupply him with the outlines of his hiftory. We muft here obferve alfo, that many of the ori ginal difcourfes, which Dr. M. has not inferted, are, with regard to both the fubjects and the matter contained in them, equal, to fay the left, to those now before us. It is not im-. probable, therefore, that he will publish a fecond volume, should he now receive encouragement; and, if the tafle of our readers accord with our own, that encouragement will not be withheld.

In adapting thefe Sermons to the fervice of his church,Dr. Munkhoufe was not without apprehenfion of materially detracting from the beauty and fpirit of the originals*. After making thefe and other obfervations, he fays, "to Duran', "and to him only, properly belongs all that is moft valuable in the following pages;-whatever is objectionable may fafely be imputed to myfelf." This diffidence is, in our eftimation, prepoffeffing: and we fhall foon fee, that the merit of thefe difcourfes is eminently confpicuous.

But before we make an extract from the Sermons, we recommend to our readers an attentive and ferious perufal of Dr. M.'s admirable Preface.

"No man," he fays, "can poffibly be more fully convinced of the abfolute neceffity of religion and good morals to the comfort and ftability of all human inftitutions, and civil forms of government, than this venerable divine (Durand.) Accordingly, we have the ftrongest evidence to induce us to conclude, that he let flip no opportunity

The writer of an Hiftorical and Political Account of Switzerland, fpeaking of the pulpit oratory of the Swifs clergy, has a remark to the following effect: They deliver their fermons, fays he, from me mory with a becoming action; preferving a juft nean betwixt the almoft theatrical geftures of the French and Italian, and the unimpaffioned delivery of our English divines. I do not know whether their compafitions also may not be characterized after a fimilar manner.

(either

174 (either from the pulpit, the chair, or with his pen) of fedulously in culcating, on the minds of the Swifs, thofe principles which might mott powerfully incline them to fobriety and virtue; and of fupplying them, from time to time, with fuch neceffary inftructions as might direct them either how to avoid the evil or choose the good, in every conjuncture more immediately connected with the glory of God and the profperity of their commonwealth; and, above all, well knowing the perplexities and mortifications which, in every instance of great political concern, unavoidably enfue from a want of concord and unanimity among the members of the community; and, as it were, with a prophetic eye to a probable event, which was, alas! too foon to be accomplished; often and earnestly hath he admonished them to beware of ftrifes and contentions; not to foment religious feuds nor political animofities; nor to indulge, to each other's detriment, in local partialities or local prejudices; repeatedly affuring them, that their intereils are infeparable; that no injury could be fuftained by one canton, which would not proportionably affect the interetts of another; that they are all brethren, and must ftand or fall together, as their virtues and public fpirir might predominate, or tl.e unpatriotic vices of the age efface from their minds the obligations to reciprocal benefits, and invariably mutual attachment; the generous facrifices, in fhort, which they fhould be ever ready to make, in cafe of need, for the common conduct.”

The whole Preface abounds with the jufteft fentiments, and the most genuine patriotifm.

But we will no longer detain our readers with preliminary obfervations: it is time they thould be introduced to the author himfelt, with whofe wiitings they will, we doubt not, be induced to become better acquainted than they can be by the perufal of a few extracts contained in a literary journal.

A judgment may be formed of the flyle and merit of the tranflation from the following extract, which is taken from the conclufion of the fourth difcourfe, entitled Jefus Chrift having the Words of Eternal Life.

"Are we reckoned in the number of true believers? What, then, are our feelings at beholding the follies and vices of infidelity? When it infolently avows its intention to break (what it is pleafed to call) our chains, and to free us from thofe prejudices, which (according to fome) can only find a place in the breafts of the vulgar, are we careful to treat it with difdain? Do we confider the defign as bafe, the attmept as defperately wicked?

"Are we firm and fledfaft in the faith? Are we anxious to fecure to ourselves all the advantages of our holy profeffion? Do we regu larly frequent the public worship of God, and meditate on his word, bringing forth, out of this treafure, things new and old? Do we thence derive thofe proofs of the divinity of his miffion, of which our Lord's apofles availed themfelves, when they fo affectionately replied to their bleffed mafter? Thofe proofs, with which the fubfequent hu

5

miliation,

miliation, exaltation, and glory of Chrift Jefus afterwards repetively fupplied them? Do we fairly calculate the advantages reful ing from thofe demonftrations, which have been fuperadded by the revolutions of fo many ages? All other matters have fucceffively been confounded. Such as have madly exaited themselves in our days will be confounded in their turn. The differing fytems of religion, which have not proceeded from God, will fink into nothing. It belongs only to the gospel of Chritt inherently to poffefs, and graciously to beftow life, light, and imtnortality. "Jefus Chrift is the fame yefterday, to day, and for ever." By him, therefore, let us offer the facrifice of praife to God continually; that is, the fruit of our lips, giv ing thanks to his name.

And if we do indeed love the Lord Jefus Chrift, let us, above all things, be careful to difplay the fincerity of our affection by good works. Instead of difcouraging us, obftacles fhould only tend to ani mate our exertions, and inspire us with new and additional hope. Let the fins of infidelity ferve but to render us more z alous, more religious, more ftrongly attached to our duty. Let us prefer Chrift above all things. Then shall we be fatisfied with the pleafures of his houfe; then thall we gather an hundred-fold the fair fruits of our faith, and the rewards of our piety. O that we may all be numbered among thofe true worshippers which worship the Father in fpirit and in truth! That we may individually and cordially reply with St. Pe ter, "Yes, Lord, thou knoweft that I love thee." Then my we, with much confidence and the most lively conviction, fay: "Though the rains fall, the winds blow, the thunder roll and break over our heads, we will not be afraid; for thou, O Lord, art our strength and our portion for ever."

From this fingle extract our readers may form fome judg ment of the merit of the reft. We have not felefted it as better written, or more happily tranflated, than other paffages; for the learned tranflator had polifhed, with great dili gence and with correfpondent fuccefs, every part of his work before he committed it to the prefs.

Dr. Munkhoufe is preparing by fubfcription, three volumes of his own Sermons, for publication. As he mentions, in his Preface," a young and numerous family," we cannot but feel a wifh, that his literary efforts for them, whether original or in tranflation, may meet with an adequate patronage and circulation. We have often had occafion to commend his fingle Sermons.

ART.