fecting instance of the vanity of human expectations, and serves to mock the nothingness of all sublunary honours. The "Immortal Nelson" (uch is the flattery of worms to their fellowworms) was cut off in the midst of the very victory which crowned him as a hero. His immediate heir was his brother, a Clergyman, whose profession prevented him, in a measure, from maintaining the lustre of the hero's narue, and whom, it is said, other circumHamers (not to be here plainly stated) debarred him from rising to any very high clerical dignity. His only son seemed born to sustain the honour of the family, and to enjoy the munificence of a grateful nation-a princely fortune, and the highest distinctions awarded him. What earthly situation could be more enviable? But, alas! death is not to be bribed or soothed by fortune. The distinguished youth has been called to follow his illustrious and heroic uncle 'to the tomb; and his disappointed family are left to wonder that the awards of Providence, and those of human se nates, are so widely dissimilar. Were the day of Nelson's fall to be marked, like that of Charles's martyrdom, as a holiday in our calendars, we would propound it to our divines, who made themselves so memorable by their sermons in celebration of the victory off Trafalgar, whether the melancholy occasion might not be suitably improved by the serious consideration of Bildad's prophecy, Job. xviii. 19. INTELLIGENCE. REPORT OF THE DEPUTA- little interest from minute particularities TION OF THE HIBERNIAN SO- has at least little of the invidiousness or CIETY. fulsomeness which sometimes accompa nie such statements. [Amongst other improvements which we have projected in the Monthly Repositors, it is our intention to lay before, our readers, as regularly and as carly as our arrangements will permit, ABSTRACTS OF THE REPORTS OF RELIGIOUS AND PHILANTHROPIC SoCIETIES, accompanied with Remarks. As the labour of this new department of our work will press heaviy upon us, we request the assistance of our intelligent correspondents EDITOR.] THE Hibernian Society, for the dif. fusion of religious knowledge in Ireland, by means of the ministry of the gospel, of tracts, and of schools, whose establishment we noticed in our first volume, page 108, appointed a Deputation to visit Ireland during the course of the last summer, who e Report we announced for publication in our second volume, page 504. This Report is now in our hands. It is an 8vo. pamphlet of 64 pages, and is published by Williams and Smith. The Deputation consisted of S. Mills, Esq. of London; Treasurer to the Society; Rev. D. Bogue, of Gosport; Rev T. Charles, of Bala; and Rev, J. Hughes, of Battersea. Their Report is, with a few exceptions of turgidity and obscurity, well drawn up, and is creditable to their spirit and views. It is sober and moderate, and. if it derives The gentlemen of the Deputation advert very cautiously to the political state of Ireland, but it is evident, from many passages of the Report, that they consider her as a much-wronged country; and that they regard a mild and tolerant system of policy as necessary to her tranquillity and security. They tell us, in common with all men of sense and humanity, that the papists are not to be' converted by rigour, and that penal religious laws defeat their own end. Would to God the English Court were accessible to reason and persuasion; and that, by any deputation, by any argument and remonstrance, our protestant ministers of state could be converted to a knowledge of the first principles of Christianity! The Deputies spent a month in Ireland, taking different routes. They were well received. They exhort their constituents to continue to increase their efforts, and encourage them to hope for the ultimate accomplishment of the ob ject of their association. Ireland is yet in a feverish state, and we fear the prescriptions of the No Fcpery physicians will force her into a dangerous crisis. Alarms of insurrection prevailed in Dublin when the Deputa tion first reached it, and the patrol was augmented: they congratulate them don! selves, rather ludicrously, we think, up- re-light the fires of Smithfield, in Lonon their courage in not re-embarking: they were assured in their minds by perceiving no symptom of dismay among the citizens. At Waterford, our travellers observed a very pleasing institution: they found a rude building occupied by what is there called A Voluntary School, that is, a school gratuitously conducted, during the holidays, by the senior boys. The management of the juvenile teachers, and the subordination of the scho, lars, are aid to be such as one often looks for in vain in seminaries conducted by persons of mature age. It is not stated whether this be a protestant or a popish establishment: we suppose the fatter. Limerick, in point of moral reputation, is described as rather below the average. Wicked Limerick was noticed in many circles as a familiar expression. A circumstance, already published throughout the kingdom, happened during the visit to this city. As the bishop of the diocese was returning from the residence of Lady Clare, who lives within a few miles of Limerick, he was stopped, dragged out of his carriage, robbed, and severely wounded. But this circum tance, say the Reporters, is not adduced in confirmation of the unfavourable sentiment which prevails concerning that city. For it should be recollected, they add, with not a little censoriousness, and with much coarseness, that the outrage was committed in the race-week, a period which invites within the circle of brutal dissipation all the genteel and all the vulgar criminals of a county. Did many remarks of this kind occur in the Report, we should place little confidence in its description of Irish manners and morals. Passing through the market-place in Armagh, the Deputies heard a preacher in Mr. Wesley's connexion address a rather numerous auditory, in the open air. It was market-day, and the crowd was considerable; but no one, either of those who listened to the sermon, or of those who went to and fro on business, was observed to create disturbance, or even to look disdain; and it was remarked, that a behaviour contrary to what was then exhibited, would have excited surprize. These are the bigotted, persecuting papists, who, according to that sound divine, Mr. Perceval, would, if relieved from oppression in Ireland, In the way to Sligo and Armagh, the Deputation met persons going to per form stations; that is, to perpetuate or regain the favour of Heaven, by paying fees, repeating ave-marias and paternosters, and doing still severer pehance at certain wells and other places accounted holy. A lake was mentioned into which butter is thrown, with the hope that after this offering the cows will yield a greater abundance of rich milk. But the head-quarters of these exhibitions is Croagh-Patrick, a lofty hill in the county of Mayo, from which St. Patrick, the titular saint of Ireland, is said to have driven all the venomous reptiles of the country into the Atlantic ocean. Thousands are supposed to visit this hill every year; many others, who are prevented from visiting it, settle for their sins by proxy, being accommodat ed in these matters by a hermit, who resides on the sacred spot, and, at a stipulated price, performs stations on be half of the sick that cannot travel, and of the opulent that will not. The national character of the Irish is acknowledged by the Deputies to be hospitable, frank, patient, and grateful; though they are, as might be expeeted, rigorous censors of their religion. The various sects in Ireland are estimated rather hastily and presumptuously, as to their numbers and their evangelical worth: by what arithmetic their vital religion is summed up it is not difficult to discover; but the Deputies would probably disclaim the rules by which they have performed their spiritual calculations. They seem to have gone upon the golden rule of St. Augustine, that virtue is of subordinate werth, unless set off by the ornament of orthodox believing as in their evangelical census of the Catholics and Quakers. The Roman Catholics are in the pro portion of five to one in Dublin, and în every province, except Ulster, they abound in a much higher proportion. For several years past, their numbers have been increasing, New chapels, capacious, and advantageously situated, meet the eye in every direction. There' are few instances of the conversion of the Catholics to the Reformed religion, but many of the accession of the Protestants to the Popish faith, chiefly brought about by intermarriages. We conjecture also that many descendants of protestant families declare themselves catholics in these critical times, with a view to personal security. The priests of the old persuasion possess all the zeal of their order, heightened by a consciousness of the strength of their party, and embittered by a sense of their oppression -The designs of the Hibernian Society are known and opposed in Ireland. The common people are forbidden by the priests to accept or to pick up religions tracts. "Ignorance,"exclaim the Deputies," is the mother of their devotion! absurdity is their chosen element!" Contemptible indeed, is the fear of knowledge! Execrable the attempt to prevent men from reading and thinking on religion! The exclamation of the Deputies does them honour. How must they have exclaimed on seeing, since their return, a Sermon by a dissenting minister, in this enlightened metropolis, in which the very plan of the Irish priests is recommended, which Sermon is published at the request of the body of London Independent ministers! We should like to see their Report upon this matter. But Mr. J. Clayton only forbids the reading of improper books! What do his brethren of Ireland do more? They, too, are zealous and vigilant of the truth, of evangelical peculiarities, and we fancy they would gladly circulate Mr. J. Clayton's Sermon, with very few alterations; only, for his Recommendatory Index they might substitute, with more consistency, an Index Expurgatorius. The existence of two languages in Ireland is a bar to the spread of knowledge; particularly, as the native Irish tongue, though commonly spoken, is read by comparatively few, nor can it generally be taught, for want of elementary books.-The Deputies sum up their account of the Roman Catholics with delivering one of the most offensive sentiments that, with the exception of the whole of Mr. J. Clayton's Sermon, we have lately met with: they say, to translate them into plain language, that it cannot be hoped that the Irish will ever be a loyal and tranquil people till they are brought off hom popery! Is it meant that papists never make good subjects or that they never submit cheerfully to a protestant government? If the former, the history of every state on the continent refutes the supposition: if the latter, Canada will at once settle the argument. The reflection shews that the Deputies have taken a very narrow view of things; and that, without intending it, they are very capable of administering fuel to the destructive prejudices which have so long, alas! laid waste the sister island. The Protestant Episcopalians, that is, the members of the established church, are computed at half a million. The Deputies at once pity the arduous situa tion and censure the indolence of the clergy: the churches are for the most part opened but once a day. The crying evil of non-residence is, however. carcely touched upon. / Ireland has a few Evangelical or Methodist lergymen, in whom the Deputation naturally rejoice. And they recommend the endeavouring to fill curacies and benefices in that country with the same description of men. This plan has been successfully pursuing some time in England, and especially in the metropolis; and threat ens, we think, to effect a revolution, in our view wholly undesirable, in the Established Church. The Presbyterians have upwards of one hundred and sixty congregations, and are about as numerous as the Episcopalians. They abound chiefly to the north of Dublin. Some of the congre gations are much reduced, and but for the allowance from government would expire; others are very flourishing. A circumstance transpires in the Report concerning the Presbyterians which has been long known to us. They have de. parted from the essential articles of faith; that is, THEY ARE NO LONGER CALVINISTS! To this cause the Deputies, as was to be expected, attribute the decay of such congregations as have declined; but with a perverseness which can be accounted for only from a party spirit, they will not allow that the advantageous exterior of the more numerous one bears any relation to the same circumstance. The fact is, we believe, that a large proportion of the Irish Presbyterians are, like their brethren in England, Unitarians; and we confidently look forward to their declaring themselves and co-operating with those English Dissenters who now assume that honourable name. Seceders from the Presbyterians, who have hitherto been divided, as in Scotland, into Burghers and Anti-Burghers, (though the distinction is wearing away,) have about ninety congregations, all, as appears from the Report, tenaciously Calvinistic. The Weslcian Methodists, who have been embodied in Ireland above half a century, were stated, at the last coaference, to amount to 24,560; to which must be added a much arger number, who attend the meetings, but are not enrolled in the society. They profess to be in communion with the church of Irclard A few of their preachers, called Irish Missionaries, ride into markets and fairs, and preach on hor eback in the Irish language. Among the Methodists are chiefly found the instances of conversion from popery. With a becoming spirit, the Deputies mark both the excellencies and defects of his enterprising growing order, who every where are entitled to much praise, and have something, we think, to answer for. The Quakers are described as here and there numerous, and are praised by the Deputation for their god behaviour, A design pervades the short paragraph which relates to them, of smoothing them into approbation of the Hiberman Society. Ireland contains five or six congregations of Baptists, which are in the last stage of decline. It were to be wished, that the Report had pourtrayed this sect more minutely than by charging it, merely, with declension from the faith. The Independents have but recently obtained a footing in Ireland. They are (so say the Deputies) richly Evangelical. Last in the list of dissidents are the advocates of Marked Separation; faunatics whose only distinction seems to be a violent hatred of all Christians not comprehended in their own little circle. From them the. Deputies learn, very properly, a lesson of charity; a lesson, as will have been seen from the foregoing abstract of their Report, not a little wanted. The remarks accompanying this epitome are free but not ill natured. We admire Christian zeal wherever we see it. We willingly admit the good intentions and truly Christian views of the members of the Hibernian Society; and we heartily wish it success in every at tempt to meliorate the condition of that unhappy country, which wants nothing but good government, and more extended knowledge, to put it on a level, in point of national advantage, with the rest of the United Kingdom. UNITARIANISM IN AMERICA. [Under this head we have already given some accounts of the progress of Two small pamphlets, by Mr. William Christie, of Philadelphia, have lately reached England, from which we learn some particulars as to the state of Unitarianism in that city. The Unitarians there have it seems divided; but this may be no unpromising symptom, for the same zual which leads them to separate, may cause them to make advances amongst their fellow citizens ; and two congregations may flourish where before one languished. The pamphicts were both published at Philadelphia, in the last year, 1807. One is entitled "Remarks on the Con stitution framed by three leading Members, and lately adopted by a Majority of the Society of Unitarian Christians, who assemble in Church Ailey, styling themselves the First So iety of Unitarian Christians. in the city of Philadel phia; as also on the explanatory Observations thereto annexed-3y a late Member of that Society, who rejected the said Constitution." The other is entitled "A Sequel to the Remarks on the Constitution, &c. containing a Defence of the Remarks and their Author. By William Christie, the Author of the said Remarks." It appears that the "The first society of Unitarian Christians in the city of Philadelphia," (a truly honourable appellation) has not been long formed. Mr. W. Christie has been their minister. They have several times changed their place of worship, being driven about apparently by prejudice against Unitariani m, Unitarian worship had been once before instituted in Philadelphia, but was stopped, and on the removal of the First Society from place to place, some of their member appeared dis couraged, though their last settlement is prosperous. We judge that the congregation consists of persons not wholly agreed on all points, as Mr. Christie has, he says, given the majority offence by his boldness and plainness in preaching the Unitarian doctrine. But he may have offended them more by his manner than their firm and solemn assent to the divine revelations contained in the Old and New Testaments as the only rule of faith, practice, worship, and church discipline his matter. And they may think it prudent in the present stage of free inquiry in America, to take especial care not to alarm or irritate prejudice by incautious ness. The society has split on the ground (so fatal to the church in all ages) of ecclesiastical discipline. Mr. Christie was for the apostolic model, such as is observed in dissenting congregations in Great Britain; but the majority of the society were for regulatious better adapted as they thought to the latitude of their country. They retain a pastor but limit his power: they have done away with elders and deacons, and have substituted in their place a committee of management, to be anually chosen. Their form of government is wholly democratic. The occasion of the schism in the society was the proposal by some of the members, and the adoption by the majority, of a new ecclesiastical constitution, with certain articles of faith. What the articles were, the pamphlets do not inform us: the rules of membership were these; that persons of every religious denomination, whether Catholic or Protestant (provided their behaviour were serious and proper) should have free access to the Lord's table at all times; that a contribution to any amount paid quarterly, for twelve months previous to the election, with a constant attendance on the meetings of the society, should qualify a person to vote in the choice of a pastor, but not to give a vote in other matters, such as the election of committee men; that persons of either sex, in full age, contributing in their own right, not less than four dollars per annum, should have a right to vote in all the proceedings of the society, having first subscribed the declaration and rules -These and other laws were considered by Mr. Ch.istie as a departure from the order of the New Testament, as derogating from the pastoral authority, and as infringing on Christian liberty. He accordingly protested against them, but his objections being overruled, he withdrew from the society. He was followed by some other members, who have united with him in a new church, under the denomination of The Independent Society of Unitarian Christians. This society meets in North Sixth Street. The members, by an unanimous vote, have declared There are then two Unitarian churches in Philadelphia; both small, we appre hend, and both, no doubt, at present jealous of each other. But, as we before expressed ourselves, they may, under the divine blessing, he more useful in their separation than in conjunct on. will, we trut, cool their unfriendly heats, without lowering their zeal; and their vigilant observance of each other, may stir them up to equal circumspec tion and exertion. Time One reason assigned by the original society for choosing a committee in the room of elders and deacons, was the difficulty of" procuring a passport for them to the regular di charge of their functions by ordination." Christie replies as follows: To this Mr. "Dissenting ministers and elders in Eng and are often elected and authorized to perform every part of their duty, by their own congregations, with the coun tenance of one or two neighbouring mi nisters, when it can be conveniently obtained, but without such assistance where it cannot be procured. In this country we had a noble instance of a like kind transacted upwards of fifty years ago, by the first Episcopal church of Boston, who when the bishop of New England refused to ordam Mr. Freeman, their minister ordained bim themselves after solemn prayer, by voting and executing a deed or instrument appointing hin their rector, minister, priest, pastor, teaching elder, and pub lic teacher, to preach the word of God, to minister the Holy Sacranient to the congregation, &c. &c. and that the authority and rights hereby given should remain in full force so long as he should continue to preach the word of God, &c. and no longer. Mr. F. then igni fied his acceptance of the election and ordination, and that he believed it to be apostolic and valid. After which the senior warden declared him duly or dained, and whilst in a most interesting manner he exhorted him to do his duty with fidelity, he laid one hand upon him, and with the other delivered him the bible, enjoining him to make that sacied book the rule of his faith and conduct. Then followed prayer and a blessing." |