tell, feast, As marble firm, and dazzling as the snow; Ill far'd the traveller through that horrid The gazer's heart, while soft it rose and fell, Beat with a like pulsation to and fro : And oh the moisture of the scarlet lip That clos'd these pearly teeth, it had been heaven to sip. Though perfumes breath'd, and music Full glad was he when all the banquet ceas'd, ground; wove, Here was the feast by Clytemnestra spread, Rare needle-work the colour'd hangings Whose flickering light shows dim an alabaster urn. The silken scene did loyal loves display: Knights in their helmets wore the gage of love, Or at the feet of damsels courteous lay: But all was stilly gloom; what seem'd a bed Rose underneath an arch, with sable pall o'erspread. Till rose the duke in silence from his seat; That sable pall he rais'd,and pointing stood; Who may the stranger's shuddering an- The azure couch blush'd red-it was the "Now go in peace!" he said, and clasp'd privilege of being serious and evan him round With courteous arms; the gates unfolding rang: A barb with golden bit there paw'd the ground, The grateful merchant to the saddle Pensive he left the castle-walls; but thence From these extracts, our readers may judge that the present volume is not to be ranked with the trash that weekly and monthly issues from the presses of this metropolis, and which none, but they who write it, will venture to call poetry. Mr. Elton, how ever, is sometimes an offender against the legitimate usage of the language. Such phrases as "vision'd mount," "health's incarnate dye," and chasm twice used as a monosyllable, with some others of a similar nature, are blemishes which Mr. Elton will do well to remove in a future edition of his volume. To the tales are added various other original poems, among which the best is the Reflections on a Sunday Morning. -The volume is adorned with three good engravings, and it is also elegantly printed. With such recommendations and good poetry besides, Mr. Elton's unambitious wish will probably be gratified; viz. "Lady! whoe'er thou art, that on my lay Shalt haply muse, and the slight crim son feel gelical. Mr. Witherby thinks some of these unincorporated societies have "established a kind of precedent, which, if not controlled, will produce much mischief." Relative to the origin of the Missionary Society, he observes, "the first sermon in its favour was preached Sept. 22, 1795, in Lady Huntingdon's Chapel, Spa Fields, by the Rev. T. Hawes, LL.B. in which many unkind expressions are used concerning the church societies for propagating the gospel; and the preacher concludes his remarks upon them by declaring that, as Missionary Societies, their efforts are BELOW CONTEMPT.' "It hath been asserted, in a late publication, that the Missionary Society hath received upwards of £100,000, and amassed a capital of about £20,000." In page 4, Mr. Witherby observes, "But as the Missionary Society can see the faults or supposed faults of others, we cannot shut our eyes; the directors are truly respectable; but MERCHANTS are not, I conceive, the properest persons to be placed in the chairs of directors of a religious society. Christianity will not receive any aid by the exercise of that worldly policy (in which merchants excel) being employed in its service. Somewhat of this policy, appeared to me to be observable in their sending for their three Hottentot converts from the Cape of Good-Hope, and exhibiting them in so many chapels of the netropolis; somewhat of this policy, appeared to me also observable, in their bringing out the Jew that fell into their hands, as soon as he was taught English, and employing him kingdom to collect for them; which like a little Roscius, to go about the collections he now in his narrative declares amounted to above 30ool.In one journey, he preached thirtyfour times in four weeks! and col'lected 471.; in another tour, he HE Rev. Dr. Wordsworth, to preached one hundred and sevenand col O'er thy transparent cheek in pleasure steal, [bowe While through the lattice of thy secret Gleams the faint yellow of departing day; Know that my wishes here shall bounded be, Of fame unheeding, if I please but thee ! The WISDOM of the CALVINISTIC In a METHODISTS DISPLAYED. lected 1800l.' Enough to kill a one of those rational divines of the Church of England, who disapprove horse. of the power and patronage arrogated "They have, however, experienced by some of the members of the British a great disappointment in this matter, and Foreign Bible Society, and others for an opposition society, viz. the Lonwho claim to themselves the exclusive don, have got hold of him; the col む T lections for which opposition society, now operate to the diminution of their funds, in like manner as their collections in the churches, operated towards the church of England's charities and societies. As they have done unto others, now it is done unto them.' Judges i. 7. This makes them cautious, and it does not appear that the two Jews they proposed to import from Berlin (see their report) are yet arrived; and surely they are wise, for the opposition society would probably get hold of, and employ them to the further diminution of their funds. It is however worthy of observation, that their conduct towards this opposition society, hath not been like that of the church societies towards them; for their pulpits are shut against the ministers who would wish to preach collection sermons, for the benefit of the new society. Why? Because it would hurt their own funds. Surely if there has been too much worldly policy among them, it must be admitted that there has been too little of it in the church societies, who though they may have been harmless as doves, have not possessed so much of the serpent's wisdom as others have. It is however far better to suffer loss of influence, by want of the serpent's wisdom, than to make worldly policy a governing principle of action in religious matters; for where worldly policy is introduced in religious matters, there is no end to the disgrace that it gives occasion to." After noticing the late trial of Kelso, a weaver and ci-devant itinerant preacher, for assaulting and confining a poor Otaheitan named Tapeoe, and making money by him, Mr. W. asks, "Can we read such things without being shocked? Yet wherefore should we? In point of right, surely he had as much legal right to make the collections (during the time Tapeoe was willing to continue with him) as the Missionary Society had when they exhibited the Hottentots;" or, we may add, as the London Society now exhibit the pretended Jews. But whatever might have been the case with Kelso, "certainly no sinister purpose can be attributed to the Missionary Society, they are persons of great wealth and respectability; if they have erred, it has been in the hope to raise money to extend the sphere of their missionaries," &c. "The chief instance in which the London Society can be compared to the Missionary Society, relates to that theatrical policy which, when resorted to in religious matters, disgraces all who employ it. They have taken another foreign Jew (besides Frey) under their patronage, and are teaching him English; and if they permit him to appear in the habit of the country he comes from, the profits produced may be as great as they made by Frey, and the poor fellow may be worked as hard as he was by the Missionary Society. They also re alike in this, that they pretend to be preaching lectures to the Jews, when not one Jew attends; and as the London Society never forget the collection, it looks bad. Few new pantomines or lottery advertisements are placarded on the walls of the metropolis, in more conspicuous characters than are the preaching proceedings of the London Society to the Jews: surely these things tend to disgrace that cause they pretend to serve. 64 As the London Society are Calvinistic Methodists, and well know by what kind of worldly policy their party have risen into consequence, viz. by lessening the bishops and ministers of the establishment in the opinion of the people; it is natural to suppose that they would proceed in the same way in their new society; how then are we to account for the great respect they all of a sudden profess for the bishops and ministers of the establishment? It is clear enough; they want the money of churchmen, they want to collect in all the churches of England, Wales, and Ireland, and in every kirk in Scotland. Is not this object worth a few soft and respectful words? That their POLICY is the same as it was, is evident from their first step towards the Jews, for as their first step to obtain their present great wealth and consequence, was by lessening the bishops and church ministers in the opinion of the people; so their first step towards the Jews has been to calumniate their teachers and to ridicule their venerable rabbies; and they are very angry that the Jews will not be lieve their allegations to the prejudice of their elders. "Christian charity induces me to hope, that most of the members of the LondonSociety actually know nothing of the true state of the Jews amongst us. My intercourse with them hath confirmed me in the belief, that they teach their children universal benevolence; but I must confess that I was much surprised when I found the New Testament in many of their houses, which I observed by havingoccasion to turn to the English Bible. I do not mention this to give any encouragement to the idea that they waver in their faith, but merely to prove that there is not that ABHORRENCE among them to Christians or the New Testament, which ignorant or designing men pretend. I expressed my surprise at this to a learned man among them, who told me, that admitting the general excellency of our translation of the Old Testament and therefore making use of it,they never mutilate the book, but keep it as they buy it with the New Testament in it. If then there are in many if not most Jewish houses the New Testament lying open before them, which they may read whenever so inclined, what use can there be in the Calvinistic Methodists making so much stir in this matter? If they were to be disposed to reinvestigate the questions between us, the churches are open, and every bookseller's shop abounds with books published by church ministers, wherein the truth of the Christian religion is proved far better than it can be by unlearned men." 6 As to the blasphemous book lately translated for the London Society, Mr.Witherby observes, that he found; upon inquiry, that it was of no authority among the Jews; "that it was scarcely, if at all, to be found in any Jewish libraries; and in particular one learned rabbi declared, that though he had never seen it, yet, from what he had heard of it, he believed it to have been written with the base design to injure the Jewish nation. All this is confirmed by the fact, that whoever, even from curiosity, should be induced to look into this book, can only gratify it by means of Wagenselius, a German Christian author, who has had the indiscretion to transcribe it with a Latin translation; for which he is reprehended by a learned man of our own nation; who, having read it more than once, declared that it contained nothing but burlesque and ridicule." Mr. W. asks, "whether this calumny upon the Jews has been published by the London Society through ignorance? If so, it is a proof that they are very improperly employed. But, ignorant or not ignorant, those who have DONE THE DEED, those who have translated blasphemy against.our Savour, cannot have done it without a motive. What has been their motive? Is it alleged that it hath been translated into English with intent to refute it? The excuse is too flimsy to be for a moment admitted; it cannot be: no one can be so deceived; for every one knows that burlesque, ridicule, and blasphemy, not being founded upon argument, cannot be rebutted by argument." The greatest part of Mr. Witherby's pamphlet is occupied with statements of the receipts and the expenditure of the London Society, and an enumeration of the debts they have incurred in consequence of their purchase of the French church, &c. which they now call the Jews Chapel, in Churchstreet, Spitalfields. That Mr. Witherby is no intolerant bigot, may be inferred from the concessions he has made, in page 44, in favour of Methodists, where, speaking of the latter, he observes, "Every man hath a right to form and retain his religious opinions. I have not disturbed them; all I have done hath been directed against their WORLDLY POLICY, which has no necessary connection with their religion. I have ever been of opinion, that there are great multitudes of most truly excelicnt and pious men among the Methodists and Dissenters; and I entirely agree with Bishop Horsely, that their greatest fault hath been want of charity in their opinions concerning the regular ministers of the established church, &c." Mr. Witherby has intermixed several strokes of humour with his serious reasoning. Observing that the evangelical or gospel ministers consider the regular ministers of the esta |