The National Register. — London, England, 1811-04-21 00:00:00

'l'llF4 N • A . . . explained by the term. P rkstrraft. r to which no man can deny . existence who makes' use of his senses : ar.d. here, if I mitibt presume to give my °Onion on a subject of such im.portituce, I would cluezve that the purposes of religion would be better auswere.l, if, instead of brivging young awn up professedly for the church, whether. they have the requisites fox such a study or . no, as is generally the case, no man should be adrniued to ordi- nation who did not. feel an inclination for the service from a serious conviction of its sacredness, and whose.tife had not pre vio4sly exhibited - all the leading characteristics of a Christian. — And on the other band I do not think the Legislature ever pro- duced a worse law than that which obliges a Magistrate Iv giant a licence for preaching to every enthusiast who chooses to ap •,ey for it, and will take the oath of allegiance.—ln the saute of I . leaven is the sacred cause of religious instrectiose to be coin rniqed to those to wheels 99 out of 100 we evotild not commit * the direction of our most ordloary :Airs ? To men who, from idleness, melancholy, or sasiiitual weakness (if I may use the erpreasion,) have neither inclination for social duty, understand ing enough for innocent joy, nor dignity of mind sufficient for CiriJitian humility, which h a very different thing from that mean mockery of it which desponding fanatics exhibit ; for whom the sun seems to shine in vain, whose clouded thoughts no beam of happiness seems to irradicate, and who instead of "'leaking tiwir light to shine before nten," as to prove that the ways of virtue " are the ways of pleasantness, and her paths, the paths of peace," impress the weak and thoughtless with 'an idea that the ascent to Heaven is merely a mountain of iiniscries, and that a Christian reposes only on a bed of thorns ! What did Christ say? "Come to me, ye weary and heavy laden, seal I will give you rest ; fur my yoke is easy and my burthen is light."—Equal enemies to religion are the characters I have just &seethed, and the parson who does not exact that reverential respect due to his cloth, by making his life a practical comment upon his preaching. But to return to the mere moral man, or ke who is astonished at being told that morality without faith does not entitle hint to salvation; thoguh, as Addison observes, it has been thought by the wisest men, that there is more chance tithe salvation of a moral Infidel, than a vicious Believer, still rancidity without devotion is but a lifeless state of philosophy; and we may recommend to the moral man to consider that if Morality will at all save hint, it must be peefi , ct morality, which it is, impossible for a human being to attain ; therefore, he must necessarily look for something that will make amends, for his defects, before he can claim the reward annexed to a virtuous life. He will say God is merciful and will riot expect of man more than he can do ; the answer is, God is as perfectla ieet as Merciful, and perfect justice must be satisfied.—Let him lock then to the Saviour whose merits will gain mercy for hi, im perfections; and as perfect justice required an expiation for the sins of mankind what could exhibit perfect mercy more than Cod" providing such a sacrifice for the 'sins of fallen man as the 51,,0d of the Laub"?' Let his morality be the result of this faith and it will then be a saviug morality, otherwise it will he mere heathen philosophy, and, allowing it all the latitude We cm, at best very, very, doubf; at as to its efficacy fur salvation, whereas the other species of morality is a certain foundation of Lope. And it may here be proper to remark to those who rely so much on faith, as to be remiss in their moral conduct, that though the blood of Christmakes amends for uurdefects, still it is only after we have used our very best endeavours to perfect ourselves in virtue ; that we can rely on its efficacy and virtue rust be practirol ; we must improve the talent given us be tc.re we can look for the reward of a " good and faithful ser- Vent," and that no faith can save that is not accompanied by the industrious ewercise of the moral virtues, to analyze which I shall proceed in future paper s. LAYMA N. • Count Gottorp, late King of Sweden, remains on board ado frigate at Heligoland, though he was offered Lim lac 4wf NlAjesty's resident there. * '• , L . • itti ~...... w DR,414.4T1C REGISTER. LYCEUM. Notwithanding the Proprietors of. this 'Theatre - have heels very particular. in telling the town far theirs together, that tt was " their Cont. - tat practise to introduce novelties iniyatick and rapid succession," there has not been any thing produced for some time, that could be regarded as new. 'A COmic Opera, is, hoWever, to be speedily brought forward, and this, it is said, really contains some scenes, which, if they have been seen on the stage before, are not quits common-place. Mr. BRAILA M has sung several times in the course of the last, • week, and certainly if any thint• could be given more pleasing . than novelty) it would be his skilful and harmonious perform- . ances. On account of its being the holiday week," the Trades man's Tragedy," as it was called by VOLT A " GeOrge Barn- . well," was acted on Monday, in order, I suppose, to teach the apprentices, whO might be present at its representation, that it, was wrong to rob their masters. The play was cast as usual,. and though the performance could boast no extraordinary ex cellence, it certainly was very well, or to use the proper news patier phrase it was highly reipertable. " The Castle of Andalusia" WAS performed on Wednesday.. The cast was very strong, and Mr. Bit lIAM gave great import ance to the character of Alphonso. This Opera is in itself h ie means the shortest I have ever seen, but such additions were. made to it on Mr. Baminat's account, that it was half as long again as it usually is, and twice as long as it (night to be. I can not think it, by any means, a judicious plan, to add so mud) extraneous matter, merely because a performer of eminence is . to appear. It really gives one pain to see an actor compelled to exert himself, so as almost completely to exhaust his physical powers. This, it is trae, is not often the ca ' e, but it v;.•.s so on Wednesday. Before ..he end of the Opera Mr. Braliam became, hoarse, and his efforts to please, howev,r they might be eatitled to admiration, could not be witnessed by a man of molerate sensibility without pain. The audience were humane enough.. not to eneJre him every time, but he was frequently compelled to repeat his songs. Mr. Loy-lc:Rove. is rather too tall for " Little Spada," but he played the part with great humour, and was deservedly ap plauded: IATT ti rws, in Pearillo, was irresistibly comic; an 4 PEN SON, in Dui Scipio, displayed great judgonent, ar4l..concri buted not a little to the entertainment of the evening. , Don Cossar was performed by a Mr. CIIAM /1E11 ) from the Theatre Royal, Birmingham. He has an indifferently good bass voice, and certainly boasts some merit, bur he does E'di tread the stage with the best grace in the world. Ilia walk is awkward ; and like soma: of our other new Performers, he ap pears to think it vcry bnoming to swing his arms biacwarai and forwards as far as he can, whenever he has occasion to doss the stage. If he were to a void this, and endeavour to displat a little more animation, he might prove a useful,if n9t It-valuable acquisition to the Theatre. , Ire, 7,-.)nted MouNTAix sung with all her w , sweetness, fit Lot-emus ; and Miss KELLY displayed great vivacity aDd burnout in Calulina. G. COVENT-GARDEN Has been still morebarrin of novelty than the f.yceutn, bitt new Comedy is promise for the ensuing week, called " The • i r straordiziary Gazette. Monday the Rev. RowLuid Hill preached at Surrey chapel ro boys oily, to the number of between sit and saves - thousand. (Yu Tues.lay he. preached to the same nurab•:r of girls. The fol. lowing was his text on the occasion :—" As uieedient children not fashioning yourselves according to the farrier lusts in you; y in hitt as he Vle) hath calted you is Maly , so be ye 4 1 ,4 in all manner of cnnvorsatien."--=l'tie 'Lev. Gereleman presented all the children with an a i erueriatst. writtea by Liiinscii 1(4 occaaiou. • 1 Art- 4 ...erAtle-iag"