Art. XIII. Body and Soul. cr. 8vo. pp. 392. London. 1822.

WE have always discountenanced that very equivocal sort of production, a religious tale or novel; conceiving that such works tend much more to sanction and promote novel reading in religious circles, than to benefit novel readers out of such circles. We cannot be understood as objecting to the union of religious sentiment and good taste in any form; but we do very seriously protest against mixing up Theology in this shape-an ingredient not to be safely exhibited in quovis vehiculo. We object to making Religion responsible, in the estimation of the world, for these feeble and halting imitations of a style of production peculiarly the world's own, and in which religious truth can hardly fail to escape disguise or mutilation, But we have before us another proof of the danger connected with such indirect expedients of promoting religious knowledge: they may be turned against religion, by being made the insidious vehicle of à false theology and a lax morality, while they still wear the specious semblance of a religious work,

"Body and Soul"-a clumsy body with a very little soulhas for its avowed object, to counteract the errors of that part of the Evangelical world who would exclude from the pale of genuine religion, all who have a cheerfulness of manner, and a liveliness of spirit, because they say, these are sigus ' of a carnal and unconverted mind;' who, moreover,' anathematize as strangers to the heritage of God,' those who conform with those necessary usages of the world, and comply with those innocent amusements and customs of society, which give a zest to the more serious things which belong to their peace.' A still more appropriate motto than the one chosen by the Author from Pliny, would have been: Love the world : if any man love not the world, the love of the Establishment is not in him.' Of the writer's benevolent intentions, as well as of his zeal for the Church of England, there can be no doubt. It is his object to preserve the frequenters of evangelical preaching from that unhappy consequence of overseriousness-insanity; to stop them in the high road to the Lunatic Asylum. The affecting case which he records as a warning, originated entirely in the moral contagion of the example of certain gloomy religionists, who, though not, it seems, quite mad themselves, had the power of biting others with madness. They are thus described:

These young ladies, though well educated, and endowed with all the accomplishments of elegant life, had estranged themselves from every thing that could be construed into cheerfulness of disposition or

If

manners. They were uniformly bent on the prosecution of one design; their music, their dancing, their drawing, were abandoned as unnecessary, or inconsistent with the dignity of a religious life. they worked with their needle, it was for the clothing of any, rather than themselves. Their reading was all of one kind and one cast, and calculated to inspire dread instead of composure. They kept up a correspondence with persons at a distance, whose minds were as sad and gloomy as their own. They inveighed against all amusements, of what nature soever they were, as well public as private. Though un willing to engage in scenes of busy life, they made no scruple of going great distances, and undergoing all the inconveniences of attending large public meetings and committees: and would manifest on these occasions an air for the dispatch of business, supported by no other proof of it. At home, unmindful of the duties of domestic economy, and the exercise of that disposition which should characterise the sex, they were either wholly occupied in devotional contemplations, or compassing sea and land' to make proselytes of the cottagers of the neighbourhood, among whom also, when visiting the sick, although taking upon them the functions of the clergy, they avoided their practice of using the prescribed forms of the Church, or those composed by the most pious and learned of her sons, but gave way to the unrestrained volubility, and unbridled pourings-forth of extempora neous effusions. Their conversation was at all times confined to one subject, their employments to one end; they delivered to others, and they received themselves, nothing but what they called 'expositions of Scripture; they joined only in a pious interchange of sentiment. Now, though I admit the goodness of their intentions, and of their readiness to yield so much to self-denial, yet the tenor of their life and conduct had an opposite effect to that which they intended; for I still maintain, that though actuated by what were meant as the best religious motives, their views of religion were palpably erroneous; for no where do the Scriptures exhibit the Almighty as requiring the whole and uninterrupted solemn service of his creatures.'

pp. 179-181.

Our readers will be at no loss to recognise the description of persons here intended, although the character may be a little out of drawing: some deviation from strict accuracy of representation, must be conceded for the sake of effect, Now nothing can be more alarming to the interests of the Establishment, it must be admitted, than the spread of such a puritanical spirit as this. Bishop Warburton has shewn that an Establishment rests upon what he calls an alliance between the Church and the State'; in other words, Religion and the World. Whatever, therefore, tends to dissolve that alliance, must endanger the Establishment; and therefore it is most reasonable that zealous, orthodox, sound Anti-Calvinistic ministers of that Establishment, should take alarm at the progress of those evangelical' notions which encourage a schismatical

separation between the World and the Church. On this account, drinking wine and water should be discountenanced: it savours of cant. Dr. Freeman, as a clergyman should do, drinks his bumper; but Griper the Methodist, in one of the Tales before us, first poured water into his glass, and then discoloured it with a sufficient quantity of wine to spoil both liquids.'

We cannot make room for further extracts, but to those of our readers who may wish to see the Predestinarians or Calvinists triumphantly cut up, and the questions of Election, Necessity, and Divine Grace, as also the Athanasian Creed, made plain in a few pages to the meanest capacity, we may recommend Body and Soul" as a fair specimen of the spirit, temper, and principles of a sound Anti-Calvinist and Anti-puritan. We have only to complain of a little ribaldry and profaneness here and there, as in the verses given at p. 125; but this is unavoidable in ridiculing the Methodists; and there are worse things in the New Bath Guide and the Spiritual Quixote. An anecdote is told at p. 157, of a man who murdered his wife, and assigned as his reason his being predestinated to do it; he is stated to have been a member of a Calvinistic chapel. Although this tells well, we must think its introduction injudicious: the lie is too palpable.

Art. XIV. 1. An easy Method of acquiring the Reading of Arabic with the Vowel Points. 1s. 6d. 1823.

2. An easy Method of acquiring the Reading of Syriac with the Vowel Points. 1s. 6d. 1828.

TH HESE very convenient tables are printed with great distinctness on sheets of a moderate size, and are continuations of the Plan adopted by the Publisher in his Easy method of reading Hebrew. They are compiled on a plan which makes them of easy reference; and they will be found exceedingly useful to all who may have occasion either to acquire the elements of the Eastern dialects, or, without such knowledge, to decipher the character. A slight acquaintauce with the literal and grammatical forms of a language, will enable a student to consult a lexicon, and to comprehend many an allusion or citation which might otherwise darken his path, and hinder his progress. In all such cases, these tables will be found to facilitate inquiry and acquisition. They are, we believe, compiled by Mr. d'Allemand.

ART. XV. SELECT LITERARY INFORMATION.

Gentlemen and Publishers who have works in the Press, will oblige the Conductors of the ECLECTIC REVIEW, by sending information (post paid) of the subject, extent, and probable price of such works; which they may depend upon being communicated to the public, if con sistent with its plan.

Art. XVI. LIST OF WORKS RECENTLY PUBLISHED