The National Register. — London, England, 1808-10-02 00:00:00

lIMON OCT. 2. the :Norwich Company, with which. he continued about tune years. Whether, as his enemies affirm, Mr. Moore re:Mt purposed to take up the histrionic profession, is not tor me to judge. As a candidate for clerical honours, his coniluct appears to have been in this instance seriously re prehens,bie. de experienced much difficulty in returning to those sacred pursoits which he seemed to have aban doned ; and, what is intinitely to be regretted, doubts have since been entertained, however groundlessly, even of his sincerity. Let him sedulously efface all impressions unfavourable to his own character, and injurious to the ~T eai cause in which he is now engaged. Purity of lile, soundaess of doctrine, and energy of exertion, furnish the best defence that christian teachers can oppose to the accusations of their adversaries. It is not enough if the minister of religion stands chargeable with no positive im proprieties. Ile must not content himself with negative flu:mess. lie must rise above even the imagination of evil imputations. Ile must not only be unimpeached, but • unsuspected ; not only guiltless, but spotless. Mr. Moore, I believe, is indebted for much of his pub licity to the Rev. Nit. Haslewood, a gentleman at whom 1 lately glanced. Mr. Ilaslewood, indeed, is of importance in this metropolis. lle is commonly of importance, as one of those who trade in chapels ; and, considered as the earliest and most efficient friend of Mr. Moore, he de mands mention in this place. The traffic in chapels, to which I have incidentally adverted, is carried on to such an extent as to have become one of the most lucrative blanches cif commerce. There is now as much of religious as ut mercantile speculation. Churchmen and methodists me a most equally competitors in the market of piety. Each ut the- parties erect, or purchase, religious edifices ; leis, actuated by motives as prudential as praiseworthy, they both contrive, while consulting the good of souls, to have constantly reference to " those things which are necessary as well for the body as the soul." \Vise in their geheration, while they manage the affairs relating to another world, they have respect to the chief concern of the world :n which they at present exist. Placed in situation s propitious to the display of his to tems, Mr. Moore was soon ranked among the fashionable divines of the age. He had also the fortune to attract the Committee of the Foundling, who, anxious to secure what Ihev considered to be a superior acquisition to their cha pel, engaged with Mr. Moore, under circumstances mani festing toe most uncommon liberality on their part, as an alternate Kvening Preacher. Ido not say their selection w,,s infelicitous; but l wing assert, that the object of it is in the possession only of factitious popularity. Mr. Moore has committed to the world " A Sermon preaenett, on Tuesday, January 3, 1±40,1, at the Presentn tuill of Colours, by the Countess of Ilarrington, as repre staitatiye of Iler Majesty, to the queen's Royal ltegiment of Volunteers, - &c. &c. The author, it appears, was Ho n:if-au Chaplain to this Volunteer which cir cumstance, most unfortunately for his literary reputation, compelled the Corps to do him the honor of requesting him to print what lie had preached. If any judgment is to be formed of his abilities, front this address, for I cannot dig nify it with the title of sermon, to his countrymen, Mr. Moore has nothing to apprehend trout criticism but its neglect. l'uhlir speakers often Owe so much of their success to ther racquet-, tha t the matter of th eir discourses rewa tus 1 111011 y uninvestigated. This inattention, however, eve riall) as it idled* the pulpit, is most devoutly to be depre cated. While such solicitude is constantly shown as to the thificerN ot' sermons, let us not always forget the materials of which thew happen to be composed. Mr. Moore is a polite preacher. His style is florid and (Whist!, his voice accurately regulated, his person rather preposs-ssimr, his dress calculated to display his personal vares, an d hi s ac ti on stud ie d, lie is throughout artificial. lle enters the pulpit with all imaginable decorum t when he Pra)s. lie tutus up his escs just hit' enough to aliOw Uhnu THE• NATIONAL REGISTER. 6at- to descend with occasional gracefulness; when he preaches i ; he theatrically endeavours to suit the action to the word, and, sometimes, the word to the action. He, however, has his awkwardnesses. Eag er to be animated, he has the appearance of prancing round in his pulpit ; and he ad dresses himself too much to the galleries. He scarcely notices the audience beneath him. Such is Mr. Moore --theatrie in his tones and gesticulation, superficial in hie attainments, and, of course, ineffectual as to the higher purposes of divinity. England does not want frivolous preachers; and the times, the awfully eventful times in which we live, require vines of fur ditierent characters I When " judgments" the most calamitous " are abroad in the earth," if the people,. are to " learn righteousness," it must be from the lips of , those who " minister in huh thin; s." Alas ! who are, &art. are, teo many of those who still serve at our allarg ? Ilovv few pastors will he able to render up faitliful account to the great '• Shepherd of Souls ;" each severally exclaim ing, with almost unutterable transport, in that last and dreadful day,—" Lo ! here am I, and those whom thoo halt given me !" Let us not trifle with the sacerdotal: otfice. It is a terrible trust, an everlasting responsibilit), which preachers assume and incur. Either they are - the most honourable, or they are the most deplorable, of men. If they are not the objects of our highest veneration, they must become the subjects of our most perfect dQtestation. The priesthood, I fear, is regarded too much as a profes sion only. Professional in some respects it certainly may be termed ; but he who goes to a pulpit as to a desk, to a church as to a counter, or who enters into orders as he would into the army, such a one, w however be is, would do well to interrogate and examine himself thoroughly. Should this course of reflection seem severe. let it be re membered that circumstances demand severit3. ONESIMUS. . THE TH EATRES. DRURY LANE. On Tuesday last a . fashionable play, entitled The Mosteriou.: Bride, exactly suited to the present taste, and supported by the kindness of the Nlanagers, anti a judicious audience, dittoing three representations last season, was acted before one of those un fashionable and tasteless assemblies of n EX SON S It LT: be lOgi, W ho tied no wit in Mr. Dibdin's puns, Da probability in Mr. Vey fluid's plots, no interest in Mr. litntles melodramas, arid no novelty in Mr. Kelly's music. The consequences weer such as might he expected, hissing load and long. Th.- antl:or, M 1•. Skellington, of fashionable celebrity, w hit never thought ;ground ing his opinion on the experience of' the past) that so mans- see sible people should meet together in a plat-louse, had in 1. frolicsome humour seized his, painting brirshes, anti apply int.; them to paper traced a hasty sketch, and fancied he had. • depicted men and manners W ith more than Shakespearian ac curacy. This sketch was admired by our wi s e' Malla.zet4, badly perforated by our most iudillerent actors. Raymond, De Camp, and the charming Mrs. 11. Siddons excepted, and on Tuesday last, hissed most heroically by ail the men of sense. perhaps, which this metropolis contains. We say heroically, for there is something bold in daring to °Nm!• folly, in sucti an age as ours, when it is grown a giant, w hick none but adventurous knight-errants ran assail, with seldom any chance of conqaering. The plot of this play is wild and extra vagant, evidently taken from some bad imitation of Mrs. Rat cliff 's romances, or pillaged from the French. The latn:uage possesses neither. st.ength nor elegance : humour and wit, if present, were so Jkgttised that the quickest eve could nat trace them out, and the interest, which ought to base ern-i , ted in the. mystery, was by its developemeat in I!:s! begituting of VA first art, -totally annihilated. However undeserving of public applause we coercive •Iyr: Skeilington's play to have been, we must own that the treatment us bleb it esperienced'from sonic of the perforewrs was shame ral, and calculated to obliterate its merits if it had. :Inv.—, 1i r,. Harlon e, conscious perhaps that site was mi , place(l in' ti . 1 tine lady 'a part, and desirous to give more di-nit v lit bee lip; , ' livers'. resolved to imitate a preacher at a Quakers' treetire„ and left a solenta.pause bekween every !yitabic !SW itrstonner,l,. 2