od of reasoning adopted by Mr. Barlow, and that into which latitudinarians in religion are prone to fall. In no particular is this resemblance more striking, than in the use of the little word must; a word which proves to be not only an auxiliary verb as heretofore, but to be capable of containing the seeds of a thousand auxiliary arguments. Thus, if an assertion is apparently hard to be proved, Mr. Barlow declares very gravely it must be so; and this puts an end to the controversy at once. "The origin of religious ideas," says he, "must have been in the energies of those visible agents which form the distinctive character of climates." In like manner, the editors of the Improved Version say, concerning the narrative of the miraculous conception, "If the genealogy be genuine," as they admit it to be, "this narrative must be spurious."

If a

thing must be so, of what avail is it to oppose either testimony or argument? Mr. Barlow somewhere speaks of the great improvements which are hereafter to be made, when the contents of a whole volume are to be expressed by a single word. Probably he had his eye on this same word must; and we are free to confess, that by its aid he has settled points, which it would take more than one volume to prove.

Mr. Barlow was once a professed Christian, a candidate for the ministry, a chaplain in the army, and a versifier of the psalms which Dr. Watts had omitted. In versifying these psalms he expressed many solemn religious truths, which he afterwards abjured and vilified. His edition of the psalms was at

In mournful silence on the willows hung; And growing grief prolong'd the tedious day.'

These stanzas are worthy of particular praise. It is a sorrowful reflection, that talents which might have been a credit to any good cause, and any country, should have been utterly perverted and abused; and that a man, born and educated under favorable circumstances, where the true God is known, the Bible is understood, and pure worship offered, should have aposta tized from the religion which he once preached, and plunged into the gulf of Atheism.

The Edinburgh Review is very tender of Mr. Barlow's religious reputation. On the word

cross,

in the passage which has been the subject of our animadversion, the Reviewers have the following singular note.

"We have put this word in Italics, not to insinuate any charge of impiety against Mr. Barlow, but to guard him against that imputation. From the whole strain of his poem, in which he speaks with

warm approbation of reformed Christianity, specifies the purity and evangelical harity of the priesthood as one of the prime blessings of his millennium, and breaks out into a holy rapture_on_the prospect of the coming of the Redeemer, we are satisfied that he here speaks of the cross merely as the emblem of the low and persecuting superstition of the erusaders, papists, and other sectaries, who make the crucifix an object of idolatrous veneration." Ed. Rev. No. XXIX. p. 37.

It is a pity that these Reviewers had not referred to the passages on which they venture to make the above assertions. Had they done so, we should have laid the passages before our readers, that each one might judge for himself. As they have not, we can only give a general denial to their general assertions. We therefore say, that from the whole strain of his poem we should judge the writer to be an Atheist; that he no where speaks with approbation of Christianity in any form; (we do not remember that he speaks of Christianity, or the Gospel, at all;) that he speaks of no priesthood in his millennium; nor has he the slightest hint of any religion existing at that time; and that he does not admit the opinion, that Christ is to come. Columbus, indeed, when the glory of the millennium is rising to view, breaks out into rapture at the prospect of the coming of Christ; but Hesper, who always speaks the opinions of the poet, instantly checks this rapture, and tells Columbus to confine his thoughts to the temporal affairs of his race.

The Eclectic Reviewers are much afraid, that the Columbiad will be 'the standard of imitation in this country, and a stumbling block to genius for ages to

come." And "this," as the Reviewers inform us very kindly, "is not a random speculation." We thank these gentlemen for their concern on account of the perverse taste of our countrymen; and, in our turn, condole with them, on the prospect that Blackmore's Eliza will become a standard of imitation in Great Britain, and a stumbling-block to genius. This is not a random speculation of ours; for the two poems certainly resemble each other in the important article of falling dead born from the press. The Columbiad, to be sure, has been re printed in a smaller form; not because the first edition was sold, but because it would not sell. We have never heard that the poem has had a single admirer in this country; and it is not sufficiently known to have any considerable number of enemies.

Lest the Reviewers should suppose, that the people of this country have no taste for poetry, as they seem to consider Americans as a stupid, ignorant, mercenary set of creatures, we very respectfully inform them, that Milton, Dryden, Pope, Young, Watts, Cowper, Campbell, Montgomery, Scott, have their many thousands of readers and admirers; and that we should think it very proper for candid and liberal Reviewers not to undertake to give a national character, when they know nothing about it.

To concude: It may be ob. jected, perhaps, that there is no occasion for taking notice of a work, which is so little likely to be read as the Columbiad. Our object has not been to coun

*Ec. Rev. for May 1810. p. 403, 404.

teract the influence of this poem; for it is not likely to have any influence. But we have wished to expose the wretched, odious system, on which it is built, and which it was intended to promote. To the defence and propagation of this system the author sacrificed the years, during which he moulded and fashioned, pared, and patched, and chisseled, this very elaborate work; a work by which he plainly expected to lead his countrymen in the path of infidelity, and to be known to all future times, as a great instructor of mankind in their true interests. While we can easily pardon the self-complacency with which authors sometimes regard their own works, we hold that no peculiar tenderness is due to any person, who sets himself up as an opposer of all religion, and attempts to undermine and subvert the blessed Gospel. Such a person declares an impious war against his Maker, and his fellow men; becomes an enemy of all that is good and desirable; and should be held forth to public condemnation, as an example to be shunned. The baseless schemes of infidelity need only to be stated, that their absurdity and folly may be manifest.

The volume before us is allowed to be as splendid a specimen of printing, as any country can produce. We have discovered but four typographical er rors, which, considering the size of the work, is an extremely small number.

LVIII. Fragments, being illus trations of the manners, incidents, and phraseology, of

Holy Scripture; principally selected from the most esteemed and authentic voyages and travels into the East; with additional remarks, observations, and plates, intended as a continued appendix to Calmet's Great Dictionary of the Holy Bible. In four volumes. Charlestown; Samuel Etheridge, jun. 1813. 4to.

IT has afforded us much satisfac. tion to see this very valuable book republished in our country, and in an improved form, with the correction of numerous errors. The work has already been stamped with the public approbation, (especially the approbation of all, who are devoted to the study of sacred literature, and the interpretation of the Scriptures,) so as not to need the recommendation of Reviewers. The third and fourth volumes afford more aid for the illustration of the very numerous passages of Scripture, the explication of which depends on orien tal, or local manners, customs, laws, ceremonies, civil or relig ious, geography, zoology, architecture, arts and manufactures, and other like things, than any other books in the English language, within the same compass. The reader of the Scriptures, who has not been accustomed to seek the explanation of diffi cult passages, which technical words, or others of lim. ited and appropriate significa tion, will be very agreeably sur prised, as well as greatly instructed by the perusal of these volumes. What adds exceedingly to their value, is the great number, (more than 120,) of well executed plates, for the

contain

illustration of the various subjects of inquiry. Every reflect ing reader well knows, that ideas, acquired by means of the eye, make a much more deep and lasting impression on the mind and memory, than those which are acquired by reading, or hearing, a description of the objects. The original compilers of these volumes well understood this principle, and have, to the great profit and delight of their readers, accompanied every illustration, depending on visible objects, with an appropriate drawing, which has been faithfully and beautifully copied by American artists.

It should be made known to the public, also, that the Ameri can edition is not only much more correct than the English, but cast into a much better form, and provided with good indexes.. The third volume, for instance, of the English editions, contains 400 Illustrations, or Essays, which were originally published by centuries, and the index added after each; and, in all the copies that we have seen, bound up in the same manner. This intermixture makes it excessively difficult to find any particular subject, unless a person is intimately conversant with the whole volume. The index moreover is very imperfect, and entirely destitute of a regular account of texts illustrated, which is a deficiency very important. The American Editor has been at the pains and expense of casting the whole index into a regular form, at the end of the book, and making it complete. The numerous incorrect refer ences to scriptural passages, in VOL. X.

the English edition, have likewise been corrected.

We cannot but express our sincere wish, that, for the interests of sacred literature, the aid of biblical interpretation, and the literary honor of our country, such an important publication may not want patrons. The expenses of it, on account of the very numerous engravings, must have been great; and we understand, that booksellers have not hitherto given much encouragement to the Editor, under the apprehension that the expense of the book would, in a great measure, prevent its sale; and because it is a book, but little known as yet to our religious public. With regard to the first particular; the execution of the work is in a style much superior to that of the English edition, and the price much less. The second reason is at present well founded; but we hope it will not long be so. Certainly clergymen, whose occupation it is to expound the Word of Life, will be anxious to obtain possession of every possible mean within their power to aid them in this great business; and we trust there are many laymen, who feel sufficient interest in such a subject, to patronize, and to read, the volumes in question.

If our information be correct, (as we fear it is,) the editor of this work has not as yet been able to sell a sufficient number of copies, to defray the original expense of the edition. It would be matter of regret, if an individual, enterprising in so good a cause, should be left to suffer a loss, through the want of patronIt would afford too much 12

age.

evidence of the truth of what illdisposed foreigners reproach us with, that America can patroniz nothing, by which no money is to be made!

The sale of the work may be

slow; but we do believe it will be sure; and that, when the merits of it are known, there are patrons enough in this country, not only to purchase one edition, but demand a second.

AORDINATIONS.

ORDAINED, July 7, 1813, the Rev. BENJAMIN RICE, over the first church in Marcellus and Skaneateles Religious Society, (N. Y.) Sermon by the Rev. Hezekiah Woodruff, from 2 Cor. v, 20.

At Boston, on the 9th inst. the Rev. EDWARD EVERETT, over the Religious Society, which worship at the Church in Brattle Street. Sermon by the Rev. Dr. Kirkland.

At Pawtucket, (R. I.) the Rev. Mr. HOUGH as an Evangelist.

At Billerica, (Mass.) on the 26th ult. the Rev. NATHANIEL WHITMAN, as colleague with the Rev. Dr. CUMMINGS. Sermon by the Rev. Mr. Flint, of Bridgewater, from Col. i, 7, 28.

Dec. 7, 1813, at Cazenovia, Madison County (N. Y.) the Rev. JoHN BROWN, lately a tutor in Dartmouth University, as Pastor over the first Presbyterian Church and congregation in that place.

At Cambridgeport, on the 19th nlt. the Rev. THOMAS BRATTLE GANNETT, as pastor over the Congregational Church at that place. Sermon by the Rev. Dr. Holmes, from 1 Cor. ix, 22.

INSTALLATIONS.

INSTALLED on the 19th ult. the Rev. JOHN BASCOM, over the church of Christ in Smithfield, (Penn.) Sermon by the Rev. William Wisner, from Acts xx, 28.

On the 21st ult. the Rev. WILLIAM WISNER, Over the church of Christ in Athens, (Penn.) Sermon by the Rev. Samuel Parker, from Luke x, 1.

On the 26th ult. the Rev. WARREN FAY, over the Congregational church and society in Harvard, (Mass.) An appropriate and evangelical sermon was preached by the Rev. Dr. Puffer, of Berlin, from John vii, 46. Never man spake like this man. The audience was unusually large and attentive for the occasion; and the music was grave and devotional.

I have the pleasure to acknowledge the receipt of your favor of Sept. 18th, cov ering exchange on Baring, Brothers, and Co. for 1100, which shall be remitted to India agreeably to your instructions.*

"I shall forward to you some interesting accounts of the progress of the missionaries in Africa, by the first opportunity. Although the Bible Society has taken the highest ground and the most extensive range, yet I am happy to say, that the Society for the support of Missionaries is rapidly advancing, and has already received the most flattering support from Auxiliary Societies, established in some of the most wealthy parts of the country.

The zeal manifested by all ranks of people in this kingdom is wonderful beyond description, and distinctly points to more happy and glorious days, than have as yet dawned upon this fallen world."

DONATIONS TO SUPPORT FOREIGN MISSIONS AND TRANS LATIONS.

Feb. 7, 1814. From the Berkshire and Columbia Missionary

*This sum was a donation from the Hon. Elias Boudinot, Esq. of Burlington. (N. J.)

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