garded as important oruseful. That many of their productions were the ephemera of the day, occasioned by the excitement of local or temporary circumstances; and which must, therefore, be very uninteresting to us. . That some of them wrote too much, and with very little care; and that, if their writings contain a large portion of wheat, there is also no small portion of chaff. That publishing all their works subjects the buyer to a very heavy tax, as it compels him to buy much in order that he may enjoy a little.

Without pretending to say there is no force or truth in these objections, we conceive that the force of them may be greatly invalidated. We dislike abridgments, though some of them have been more useful that the original works; because we are never sure whether we are reading the author himself, or the meaning put upon him by his epitomizer. We also dislike selections, because, though we may be sure we have got the author himself, we are not very sure that the editor has not left out what would be equal, if not superior, in importance, to that which he has selected. Besides, that which one man considers of no use, another may find of vast importance. Controversies, the most peculiar in their nature, or limited in their operation, or fierce or moderate in their spirit, may throw light on the character and state of the age to which they belong, and enable us to meet the same difficulties or circumstances, should they again occur. And, though the expense of purchasing these complete editions must be considerable, no one is under the necessity of charging himself with it, unless voluntarly, as most of the important pieces are usually to be had in a separate form; while, as a collection of documents, many of which would be in danger of perishing, they are really invaluable.

Under the influence of these views, we are exceedingly glad to be furnished with the first complete and portable edition of the works of Bishop Reynolds. Several of the larger pieces have been frequently printed before, and what are called his " Works," have appeared more than once in one volume folio. That volume, however, does not include several considerable productions of his pen, which are now included in this very handsome edition in 8vo. from the press of Bentley.

Reynolds was one of the most respectable of the small number of respectable men, who, after objecting to Episcopacy, and contributing to its downfal, at last conformed to it, and died in the possession of its honours. He was never, we believe, so decided in his hostility as many of those with whom he acted. He again and again accommodated himself to the peculiar circumstances of the times; so that his final return to the church, and his acceptance of a bishopric, are less matters of surprise. We cannot approve of his conduct; yet his character, as a religious man, always stood high, and his moderation remained to the last.

Mr. Chalmers, one of the most faithful and industrious of biographers, complains that he has been able to procure only very scanty materials for a memoir of Bishop Reynolds. We shall extract some portion of this narrative, which these materials have enabled him to put together.

"Dr. Edward Reynolds, forty-ninth Bishop of Norwich, was the son of Augustine Reynolds, one of the customers of Southampton. This Augustine was the son of John Reynolds, of Longport,

or

Langport, in Somersetshire, and grandson to another John Reynolds of the same county.

"Our prelate was born in the parish of Holywood, or rather Holyrood, Southampton, in November, 1599. His mother's family we have not been able to ascertain her Christian name was Bridget.

"He was educated at Southampton, in the free-grammar School, founded by Edward VI. in 1553, near the termination of his valuable life. The letters patent are dated the 4th of June, in the seventh year of his reign. When Mr. Reynolds attained the bishoprick of Norwich, be gave a benefaction of fifty pounds to the school; and his son Edward, then Archdeacon of Norfolk, gave another benefaction of twenty pounds.

"Among the distinguished men educated at this school, were the very celebrated Dr. Isaac Watts, and Dr. Thomas Lawrence, an eminent physician in London, and father of the late Sir Soulden Lawrence, one of the judges of the Court of King's Bench.

built in 1609, there appears to have been no preacher, under that name, before the year 1599. Those who formerly officiated were called Divinity-readers, of whom there were two in 1580; and in 1592, two were recommended by Whitgift, Archbishop of Canterbury, to be elected from each University; but it does not appear whether four were accordingly elected. In the list preserved in the Inn, a single divinity-reader is named in 1593.

"At the time when our author's appointment took place, there certainly were two, although his name only appears in the list, as preacher. It is probable that the one was preacher, and the other assistant, as is the case at present. The person elected in the same year with Mr. Rey

day, Dr. John Preston, who died in 1628.

"It appears from his Latin dedication to the society of Lincoln's Inn, that our author either preached or lectured before them on the subjects which form the first volume of the present edition of his works.

"Wood says that the warden Savile, for the improvement of his college in literature, always made choice of the best scholars, at the usual election of bachelor fellows. In the last choice which he made, about three years before his death, which consisted of six, four of them (whereof two of them were afterwards bishops), were esteemed eminent, namely, Dr. Reynolds, of Norwich, Dr. Earl, of Salisbury, John Doughty, and Alexander Fisher.'

"Mr. Reynolds became probationer fellow in 1620. This, Wood informs us, he acquired by his skill in the Greek language; and adds, that, throughout his bachelorship, he showed himself a good disputant and orator. His early works, the dates of which we can ascertain, discover an intimate acquaintance with Greek and Latin writers, a facility of quotation which proves most extensive reading, and an apt memory. continually enlarging his mind by study, not foreseeing that such continual sedentary employment as he and his distinguished contemporaries indulged in, would lead to the disease which embittered many years of his life.

He was

"The time at which he took his master's degree is not mentioned; we are only told that this occurred before he went into holy orders. In 1622, when scarcely twenty-three years old, he had a great honour conferred upon him, by being elected to succeed the celebrated Dr. Donne, afterwards dean of St. Paul's in the preachership of Lincoln's Inn.

"In the chapel of this inn of court, reNEW SERIES, No. 21.

These must have attracted considerable attention, not only for the matter, but for the style, which was far more elegant than many of his brethren had attained at that time.

"This employment probably obliged him to reside in London during the greater part of the year; but he frequently visited Oxford. On one occasion (Aug. 5, 1627), he preached before the University, in Merton College Chapel; and in his sermon adverted to the controversy between Dr. Heylin and Dr. Prideaux, taking the part of the latter, who had accused Heylin of a leaning towards popery.

"In March, 1631, Mr. Reynolds was presented to the living of Brampton, in Northamptonshire, by the interest of Isaac Johnson, Esq.; and as the duties of this rectory were, in his opinion, incompatible with the preachership of Lincoln's Inn, he resigned the latter, and was succeeded by Mr. Joseph Caryl, well known as the author of a voluminous commentary on the book of Job, who held the office until the year 1654. Mr. Reynolds took up his residence at Brampton, in April, and held the living until he was made bishop of Norwich.

"On the commencement of the rebellion, which Wood dates from 1642, but which might have been dated much earlier, Mr. Reynolds is said by that author to have sided with the Presbyterians, having been long before that time puritánically inclined.' It is not, perhaps, very difficult to guess what Wood means by Mr. Reynolds's being puritanically inclined." The same, or a similar expression, he has 'employed in the case of many others re corded in his useful biography, who either were, or afterwards became members of 3 Q

the Church of England. It seems most generally to imply that they were Calvinists. The first Calvinists, including most of the reformers, and of the compilers of the Liturgy, have been classed among Puritans. Scruples respecting certain ceremonies of the church, and the vestments of the clergy, when performing duty, created the first distinction known by the name of Puritanism, and afterwards of nonconformity. The latter was the more intelligible, and implied some dislike either to the church government, or to doctrines. Puritianism was originally a nick-name, alluding to strictness of personal piety; but was at length adopted as an honourable title, if not by the parties themselves, certainly by their biographers and historians. According to Baxter, about the time of the restoration, or perhaps sooner, the name of Puritan was very generally exchanged for that of Presbyterian.

"The Puritanical inclination' of Reynolds seems to be discoverable only in his religious principles, or probably in the strict piety and decorum of his life. His character, in these respects, stood high when he was at college, and was well known to the religious world, long before the meeting of the Assembly of Divines, by his explication of the cxth Psalm,' first published in 1632; and afterwards three or four times, by his 'Exposition of the xivth chapter of Hosea,' 1638; and by his Meditations on the Holy Sacrament of the Lord's Supper,' published in 1639."--pp. xix--xxiii.

Dr. Reynolds was chosen a member of the Westminster Assembly, of whose proceedings Mr. Chalmers gives a long, and not altogether uninteresting account. Reynolds does not appear to have taken any very leading part in their discussions, so that the story of the Assembly is rather attached to his name than necessarily connected with his life. The way in which he was led to accept of the bishopric, Mr. Chalmer's thus details.

"It appears that the first offer of a bishoprick was made to Baxter, by a private courtier, who knew that the Lord Chancellor intended to make the offer more publicly, and etiquette required that it should be known whether it would be as publicly accepted. Bishopricks were also offered, through the same medium, to Dr. Reynolds and Mr. Calamy. Baxter demurred, until he should acquire more knowledge of the church-government to be established. The others gave no immediate answer, but were, no doubt, re

volving in their minds the importance of a change which many of their friends might think diametrically opposite to all their former professions. This, we shall see, was considered to be the great obstacle to one of these divines, but not to the other.

"At length, on the same day that the king's declaration was published, the Lord Chancellor asked Baxter if he would accept a bishoprick. Baxter, who had just seen the Declaration, acknowledged, with thankfulness, the moderation of its terms, but desired more time for deliberation, and his principal reason appears to have been that he wished first to see the Declaration become a legal authority. Chancellor acquiesced in his request for more time to deliberate, without noticing what certainly implied a suspicion of the king's sincerity, or rather the sincerity of those around him, by whose advice he was supposed to be guided.

The

"In a conference, however, with Dr. Reynolds and Mr. Calamy, Baxter agreed with them, that a bishoprick might be accepted, without any violation of the Covenant, or owning the ancient prelacy. But it is not easy to discover by what process of reasoning he could arrive at the conclusion, that the acceptance of a bishoprick, even if the declaration had passed into a law, would not be a violation of the Covenant. Baxter, we have already noticed, was averse to the Covenant, and prevented all persons over whom he had influence, from taking it; but instead of putting a meaning on plain words which they cannot pos sibly bear, might he not have acted more wisely in recommending an acknowledgment of error?

"The voice of the city, he goes on to tell us, was for him and Dr. Reynolds to

accept of bishopricks, because they were

'known to be for moderate episcopacy ;' but Calamy's case, he adds, was different. Calamy had preached and written, and done so much against that church-government, that his acceptance of its highest office would be too grossly inconsistent to be tolerated, even for a moment, by his friends and admirers. Baxter, on the other hand, although he seemed determined from the first to refuse, yet professed he did not refuse the preferment, as a thing which he judged unlawful in itself, but for certain reasons, or rather doubts, which had much weight in his own mind.

"While in this humour, Dr. Reynolds and Mr. Calamy consulted him again as to what he purposed himself, and what he would advise in their case. On this occasion, he repeated his opinion of the lawfulness of the episcopacy described in the Declaration, where better cannot be had,* but added, that scandal might make it more unfit for some men than for others;' alluding, probably, to Calamy, to whom,

but bore patiently, the torture of repeated fits of gravel and suppression. He died at his palace in Norwich, between ten and twelve in the forenoon, July 28, 1676, in the seventy-sixth year of his age."pp. lxvi-lxviii.

a

From the life of Bishop Reynolds, we must now turn to his works, in which permanent monument is erected to his character and talents. The first volume contains, besides the memoir, the Vanity of the Creature-the Sinfulness of Sin-and the Life of Christ. The first of these treatises is one of the chief performances of the Bishop's pen. And certainly few human productions contain more striking, impressive, and deeply humbling views of the nature and circumstances of man. In it and the following, which is closely connected with it, we have deseriptions of depravity and infirmity, not more powerful than they are correct, and from the painful assurance of which, we can find no relief but in that Gospel, which Reynolds endeavours to illustrate in the last treatise, under the title of the life of Christ. In his description of sin, he occasionally descends too low, and employs a phraseology, from which the good taste of the present times will revolt. But to compensate for this, there are many beauties of sentiment and style. He comes nearer, in our estimation, to Leighton than any other author of that period. There is not indeed always that inimitable softness and heavenly unction, which distinguish the writings of that saintly writer; but there is much of his spirit, his felicity of expression, and his evangelical tone of thinking. He had mixed more with the world than his distinguished contemporary, from which he derived, perhaps, a greater insight into its deformity, and a greater vigour of character; but from which he could scarcely escape without sustaining injury.

(To be concluded in our next.)

Remarks on Oaths, principally showing the Duty of Legislative Interference to abolish some and to reform others of the Oaths administered in this Country, as being false, or frivolous, or unnecessary. Hatchard and Son, 1826. pp. 92. Price 2s. 6d.

THE continued and apparent increase of our national calamities must press upon every reflecting mind an anxious inquiry respecting the latent causes which have, in the midst of plenty, produced famine, and which, in the midst of exulting confidence and abounding wealth, have spread the most alarming suspicions and distressing embarrasments through the land. We are not politicians -we meddle not with the sudden transition from war to peace-the return to a metallic currency—the necessary effects of over-tradingthe consequences of speculation— the baneful influence of the corn

laws-the repeal of the ancient commercial code, or any other of those topics with which men delight to amuse or to perplex themselves. It is for us to regard, not the speculations of political economists, but the admonitory voice of experience, which, from amidst the ruins of empires, once as prosperous and as proud as our own, proclaims, in the language of revelation, that "righteousness exalteth a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people." Guided in our inquiries by this infallible aphorism, we may easily account for our afflictions; and to avert divine judgments, it becomes the duty of every one who sighs and cries for the abominations of the land," not only to deplore, but publicly to reprobate them, that they may be forsaken. Amongst other national offences, we have been long guilty of the shameless abuse and violation of solemn oaths; yea, "because of swearing the land mourneth." "Lamentable is it," said Sir Walter