his closet or devotional system of divinity. Such unquestionably was the case with Fenelon, who, in his "Maxims of the Saints," ascertained, in his own defence, what the fathers and other theological writers had said, as well as what they had not said, on the questions at issue. A mind of his cast would seize upon, refine, and apply to the noblest purpose, whatever materials, either for devout or practical uses, those writers supplied. Bossuet would receive them with distrust, and rob himself of much advantage, by condemning in the mass every thing which did not correspond to the tenets which he brought to the examination. In fact, the points in debate were peculiarly calculated to gratify the taste of a controversialist, Fenelon," says Burnet," had so many authorized and canonized writers of his side, that many distinctions must be made use of to separate them from him." (Own Times, 1698.) But distinctions are the element of a polemic, and in the circumstances of the mystic controversy would prove extremely serviceable, in plausibly explaining away such degrees of spirituality and personal holiness as bore too hard upon the allowed voluptuousness of the world, and directly tended to expose and annihilate the papal imposture. The splendour of Fenelon's genius, and the vigour of his principles, are most conspicuous in his success with the Duke of Burgundy. At least, the general reader of these volumes will feel more in contact with their subject, and naturally a greater share of interest, while watching the exertions of the preceptor and the advancement of the pupil, (matters which connect themselves with our domestic hopes and anxieties), than when he has before him several long chapters on mysticism, and the cabals of the Vatican. The Duke of Burgundy, under the guidance of his tutor, seems to have become what the Scripture emphatically terms, a new creature; and though, amidst the allurements of the court, and the turbulence of war, he occasionally appears to have compromised with the world, yet the character formed by Fenelon was, in the main, supported by the prince, till his premature removal. Like our own Prince Henry (son of James the First), and our second Mary, he lived only long enough to shew a deprived nation what it had lost. We are all disposed to compute what moral revolutions might have blessed mankind, had these three illustrious names survived,and diffused their own character over the kingdoms of the earth; but let every sanguine speculator recollect, that the Governor of the world sometimes appears to remove his servants from scenes of temptation which in after life might have drawn them aside, and diminished, if not destroyed, their powers of benefi cence. We are conscious that many persons will come to the perusal of the Life of Fenelon under the prejudice of his being a papist, and with a kind of resolution not to gather grapes of thorns. The prejudice, as far as it is formed on a competent knowledge of the different modes of faith existing in the universal church (and then it loses its name), we are anxious to support; but at the same time would remind all who indulge it, to discriminate between what is mere popery, and what the Romanists actually retain of the undefiled Gospel of Jesus Christ. The system superinduced upon that Gospel is a sordid mixture of pageantry and despotism. It sells salvation for money; and it converts by instruments of torture. It degrades and insults our understandings; and beguiles, corrupts, and eternally ruins, our souls. In respect to the absolute controul acquired and maintained by this ecclesiastical despot over so many millions of immortal creatures, we are almost tempted to cite the awful affirmation of Jesus Christ,-" This is your hour, and the power of dark mess!"-words which seem to intimate, that, for a season, the energies of him who deceiveth the nations are irresistible. We do not venture on this point beyond a suggestion. But philosophy itself has, as we think, satisfactorily explained the secondary causes which have operated to the spiritual slavery of the papal world; and no where with more condensation of thought, and felicity of expression, than in the poet's description of modern Italy: Yet still the loss of wealth is here supplied An easy compensation seem to find. This puerile and voluptuous depravity diffused itself over every kingdom under the dominion of the church of Rome; but certainly its inveteracy much depended upon physical accidents; and France was physically exposed to contagion: yet, under this unfavourable circumstance, that kingdom possessed, at one time, Fenelon, the Duke of Burgundy, Beauvilliers, Chevreuse, Chanterac, and many others (among whom Pascal and De Renty stand pre-eminent), all devoted, and some even bigotted, to their own communion. Is it possible that these men supported the very same system to Vide Goldsmith's Traveller. The quotation above, which the limits of this article oblige us to separate from its context, will be read to disadvantage. It is here introduced with a view to allure the reader to study the poet's entire view of the subject, particularly the paragraph beginning at "But small the bliss that sense alone bestows," which introduces our extract. which Le Tellier and the Jesuits, in all the plenitude of their power, gave their labours, and almost their lives? We believe not. The Archbishop and his associates took popery as they found it; offered it no disrespect; they even admired it, and regarded the protestants as mistaken opponents of truth. But these devout men virtually renounced the pernicious tenets of their church, by mingling with them the corrective truths which they gathered from the Scripture, and from its early interpreters; and thus the degree of error retained in their creed was not the guide of their devotion, nor of their external conduct. Whereas, Le Tellier and his party contented themselves with pageantry and ceremony; and when the tapers were lighted, the incense inflamed, the reliques opened, the crucifix elevated, and the mass performed-all was done. They attached real importance to the appendages of their religion, and satisfied both their vanity and their consciences with “ the sports of children." We may properly introduce in this place Fenelon's brilliant letter to the Marchioness of Laval upon his reception at Carenac, the priory of which was his first benefice. "Yes, madam, doubt it not; I am a man destined to magnificent entries. You know the one that took place at Belai, in your province; I will now relate to you that with which they honoured me here. M. de Rouffilac for the nobility; M. Rose, the curate, for the clergy; M. Rigaudie, prior of the monks, for the monastic order; and the fermiers de céans, for the tiers elat, came as far as Sarlat to pay their compliments. I walked majestically along, accompanied by all these deputies; I reached the port of Carenac, and I perceived the quay to be lined with a vast concourse of people. Two boats advanced, filled with the principal citizens; and, at the same time, I perceived, that, by a dexterous stratagem, the most warlike troops of the place were concealed in a corner of the beautiful island, which you are acquainted with; from which place they issued, in the order of battle, and saluted me with several discharges of musquetry: the air is darkened with the smoke of so many vollies, and nothing is heard but the fearful noise of saltpetre. The fiery courser which I was upon, animated with a noble ardour, wished to plunge into the water; but I was more moderate; and I alighted to the discharge of guns, and the beating of drums. I crossed the fine river of Dordogne, which was almost covered with boats accompany ing mine. On the shore, all the monks were gravely waiting, in a body, my approach. Their harangue is full of sublime praises; my answer has something very grand and delightful in it. The immense crowd disparts to make way for me; each of them fixes an attentive eye upon me, to read, in my looks, what will probably be his destiny. Thus I reach the castle, with slow and mea→ sured steps, in order to exhibit myself to the public curiosity. A thousand confused voices are heard, shouting with joy; and on all sides is vociferated, He will be our delight! Behold me arrived at the door; and the sheriffs begin their harangue by the mouth of the royal orator. At this name you will not fail to anticipate all that there is of animated and sublime in eloquence. Who can' recount the graces of his speech? He compared me to the sun; then I was the moon; then, all the most brilliant stars in the heavens had the honour to resemble me; then we came to the elements and the meteors; and lastly, we finished, by good luck, at the beginning of the world. By this time the sun was gone to bed; and, to finish the comparison between us, I went into my room to prepare for the same thing." Vol. i. p. 23. This lively piece of good-tempered satire describes the value attached by Fenelon to the elaborate ceremonies of the church of Rome. On this occasion he acted as every man of good sense would act in a similar situation: he went through the process, without affecting contempt; well knowing that such things have their place in the grand machine of society, and must be borne for the sake of their end. Had Le Tellier, or even Bossuet (as far as we know) personated Fenelon on this occasion, the horse would certainly have plunged into the water, and this result of his noble ardour would have heightened the emotions of triumph into rapture. Let us now reverse the picture; and observe the feelings awakened in the heart of Fenelon by contemplating the essentials of Christianity: they are CHRIST. OBSERV. No. 107. described in the following letter, written when meditating a mission to the Levant, and long before his epistle to Madame de Laval : The whole of Greece opens before me. The Peloponnesus breathes again in liberty. and the church of Corinth shall flourish once there again. I seem to be transported among more; the voice of the apostle shall be heard those enchanting places, and those inestimable ruins, where, while I collect the most curious relics of antiquity, I imbibe also its Paul declared to the sages of the world the spirit. I seek for the Areopagus, where St. unknown God! Nor will I forget thee, oh! thou island! consecrated by the celestial visions of the well-beloved disciple. Oh, earth, and kiss the steps of the apostle; and happy Patmos! I will kneel down upon thy I shall believe that the heavens open on my sight. I shall be indiguant against the false prophet who sought to unfold the oracles of truth, and I shall bless the All-powerful, who overthrew not the church as he did Babylon of old, but who rendered her victorious and enchained the Dragon. I behold the downfall of schism and the union of the east and west; and the day-spring again dawning in Asia, after a night of such long darkness. I behold the land which has been sanctified. by the steps of JESUS, and watered by his blood, delivered from its profaneness, and clothed anew in glory; and I behold also the children of Abraliam, scattered over the face of the globe, and more numerous than the stars of heaven, assembled from the four quarters of the earth, coming to acknowledge Christ whom they pierced, and to shew the resurrection to the end of time." Vol. i. p. 16. These fervid periods undeniably indicate a young and a popish mind; but their predominant character is that of the Gospel; and the writer recollected, with the spirit of a missionary, the last commission given by Jesus to his apostles, Go ve into all the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature: and lo, I am with you alway." In fact, though Fenelon abandoned his Levantine project, he afterwards was employed in the missions of Poitou and Saintonge; the object of which was the recovery of the protestants. His success was considerable, because he was mild and persuasive, and not dazzled by those sudden 4 U Conversions usually effected by the ultima ratio of his church. He said to Bossuet, if it were wished to make these Hugonots abjure Christianity itself, you have only to shew them a troop of dragoons." (Vol. i. p. 35.) Some divines, among the early reformers, asserted the impossibility of a papist's salvation. Their position was advanced, or revived, in our own island, during the reign of Elizabeth, when Walter Travers accused Hooker of heresy, because he affirmed that "papists, living aud dying papists, may, notwithstanding, be saved. The reason; ignorance excused them. As the Apostle allegeth, I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly." Archbishop Whitgift arbitrated the matter with the technical nicety of the age, thus: "Not papists, but our fathers. Nor they all, but many of them. Nor living and dying papists, but living in popish superstitions. Not simply might, but might by the grace of God, be saved. Ignorance did not excuse the fault, to make it no fault: but the less their fault was in respect of ignorance, the more hope we have that God was merciful to them." Hooker, in his reply to Travers, says, "Give me a pope or a cardinal, whom great afflictions have made to know himself; whose heart God hath touched with true sorrow for all his sins, and filled with a love of Christ and his Gospel; whose eyes are willingly open to see the truth, and his mouth ready to renounce all error, this one opinion of merit excepted, which he thinketh God will require at his hands; and because he wanteth, trembleth, and is discouraged, and yet can say, Lord, cleanse me from my secret faults! Shall I think, because of this, or a like error, such men touch not so much as the hem of Christ's garment? If they do, wherefore should I doubt, but that virtue may proceed from Christ to save them? No, I will not be afraid to say to such a one, You err in your opinion, but be of good comfort; you will have to do with a merciful God, who will make the best of that little which you hold well; and not with a captious sophister, who gathered the worst out of every thing in which you were mistaken.'" Far, very far, be it from us, to defend or extenuate even the least offensive errors of the church of Rome. Regarding ourselves as protestants,-" escaped that castle of the sire of sin,"-feeling the deep importance of Pilate's question, What is truth? and apprehensive of what may eventually result from the political neutrality of some of our public men, in regard to all modifications of Christianity whatever; we would stimulate our countrymen to examine and fortify the position they occupy, intermitting no watch against the wakeful foe, that they "may be able to withstand in the evil day," which may come, like a thief in the night. As to Fenelon, and all other devout papists, the hour is hastening forward, when the purificative fires (not of their own purgatory) "shall try every man's work of what sort it is." They will surely "suffer loss," but themselves be "saved;" snatched out of the conflagration of the "wood, hay, stubble," of which they had partially formed the superstructure raised on Jesus Christ. We say partially, because the main fabric, the pillars, and the dome, are constructed of materials supplied by the Gospel itself, while their general proportions bespeak the hand of a wise master-builder." In every dispensation of God to a fallen world, there seems to be ample provision made for the mistakes and feebleness of his creatures. The characteristic name of the Gospel is a remedy, and, in its own affectionate language, it has "compassion on the ignorant, and on them that are out of the way," regarding them as compassed with infirmity." And how forcibly does it exhibit "the exceeding greatness of its power," by enabling such a man as Fenelon practically to divest himself of the superstitious wickedness of a system, to which a papist is generally attached by bonds of blood, education, friendship, interest, vanity, patriotism, and fear! All, or each of these, when connected with religion, a bigot or a formalist finds to be strong as death. Each of them, more or less, must have influenced the mind of Fenelon; but the governing principle of his affections and conduct, was the spirit of Christianity, simple, unadulterated; doubtless opposed (in his case, as in that of all who ever did, or ever will, vitally belong to the communion of saints,) by the struggles of a nature inherently disposed to evil, and by the temptations of the world, and the prince of the world; but mystically uniting him to Jesus Christ, in whom there is neither Greek nor Jew, but Christ is all and in all;" who knoweth them that are his, and will ultimately purify his servants from all the defilements contracted in their journey through time to the everlasting rest and triumph of the heavenly world. Essays on Professional Education. By R. L. EDGEWORTH, Esq F. R. S. M. R. I. A. &c. London: Johnson. 1809. pp. 496. Few of our readers can form any conception of the miseries of reviewers. By reviewers, be it observed however, that we do not mean those heroes of the Park, clad in scarlet and gold, who so gallantly prance up and down a noble line of soldiers, for two or three thousand a year: but we mean that miserable race to which we ourselves belong; who, far from breathing the air of the Park, inhale no air but that which languidly forces its way through the broken pane ;" who, instead of prancing on fiery steeds, in vestures of scarlet and gold, can seldom determine what colour their coat may have been; who never see a pair of sound shoes, without a watering-mouth; and who, instead of being periodically called to the inspection of a fine, unbroken, welldisciplined line of active soldiery, are forced upon the daily examination of a set of dull, long-winded, blundering, ill-disciplined, and perhaps, what is worse, unprincipled authors. Let one of our military namesakes be confined to the review of troops who, like Falstaff's, have not a shirt to a regiment, and who know nothing of marching in line or in time; and they may in a small degree judge of our grievances. It is for reasons, then, founded upon this view of our profession, that, far from taking any blame to ourselves for delaying so long the promised review of the work before us,we venture to affirm that the delay does us credit; for it may be taken in proof that we prefer the useful to the pleasant, that we had rather study what is profitable to our readers, than read what is amusing to ourselves. We should have been glad to have turned, for example, from the laborious pursuit of Socinian windings in their Improved Version of the New Testament; from the detection and exposure of the erroneous principles and unfounded allegations which have supported the late attack on the Bible Society; or from the examination of the dusty ⚫folios into which the bold and novel criticisms of Bishop Horsley forced us to look; in order to tread the paths of plain intelligence, and lively anecdote, with Mr. Edgeworth. It will be seen, indeed, in the sequel, that Mr. Edgeworth has much in him to offend the religious taste: otherwise, for a head-achy hour; for a lounge in a post-chaise; for an easy chair in the dog-days; for those hours in which we are too tired to think, and too conscientious to go to sleep; we certainly find him a very amusing and often instructive companion. In the plenitude of our good-humour, we shall lay before our readers a pretty full analysis of the contents of this volume, and then endeavour to convey to them our |