The National Register. — London, England, 1808-12-18 00:00:00

THE NATIONAL REGISTER. Sit is 66 the young minister of the present - day," the wonder of elders and the admiration of juniors; followed, preach where he list, by promiscuous crowds of both sexes; eiteemed by umnkind, and beloved by womankind, while astonishment gapes at him, affection is absolutely (loafing . upon him ! This is no exaggerated description of the honours attending the profession of evangelical preach ing.. It is the broad way to popular preferment, and the narrow path to private gratification. There remains, however, another point of view in which it may be serviceable to place our present incidental dis quisition. If what we call evangelical preaching is be coming daily more alarming to our ecclesiastical establish ment, it behoves us to enquire into the causes which assist its progress,. and which may contribute to its perma nency. We are too often deceived by mere epithets. ai.gelical preachers, generally spe iking, are no longer what once they were ; they have divested themselves of those. characteristics which once exposed them to the ridi cule of the commen people, and the contempt of the higher orders. It is this circumstance that now constitutes the danger of their opposition to our national church.— The improvenieut of this class of religious instructors having kept pace with the refinement of the age, they tease to be iuconsequential ; they have thereby acquired so► ic. stability, and are not to be estimated as contemptible competitors for popularity, or, perhaps, ascendancy. Their places of worship are seldom inferior to our church chapels, and sometimes surpass them, even in splendour; they always render the melody of devotion' captivating ; many of them, possessing talents, are making , rapid advances in literature, and, at the same time, cultivating, those accom plishments which must make their society acceptable. Since these sectarists are deriving so many advantageous I.s.sons from their clerical superiors, perhaps those su periors would do well not entirely to disdain to investigate the pretensions of their opponents. Our enemies are sometimes 'our most beneficial monitors. It is many puerile to talk, as many people still talk, about the igno rance and impotence of the sectaries; who are, in fact, *Lady (Awing the imputation of being ignorant, and who, it will hardly be denied, are far from being impotent. Consistency dictates what line of conduct is to be pursued. Is it not better to emulate the excellencies of an opponent than to appear to disclaim his merits, without pretending to dispute his success ? 1 shall venture to deliver my senti ments more explicitly. Evidently too much importance is by many Divines at tached to acquisitions merely mental. Human learning is excellent, if cultivated with reference to religious know -if, and 1 am speaking immediately of ecclesiastics, philosophy is engaged only as the hand-maid of divinity. Something more than mortal erudition, however, is justly cliected from those who undertake to illustrate the system that " brought life and immortality to light !" Though the voice of prophecy has ceased to be heard among men, and the pages of inspiration are completed, the teacher of all truth still vouchsafes, by his spiritual illumination, to enlighten and direct the minds of those who devoutly im plore his assistance and guidance. There is no mysticism m this pious dependence. It is the ground of earthly prayer, and the foundation of the hope of glory, so to confide, and, in this holy confidence, to be enabled to live. Here, notwithstanding, is the rock upon which too many teachers of our religion, anxious to avoid the imputation of steering towards fanaticism, continually split. While they denominate themselves, in the most solemn manner, 4 , stewards of the masteries" of faith, they nevertheless d'ecline the illustration of those mysteries; as if they were fearful of involving themselves in difficulties, and of ob scuring, instead of illuminating, the understandings of their hearers. Christianity, after all, is mysterious; but its " mysteries," though seen " through a glass darkly," are still seen and apprehended, as far as the nature of ionnanity will permit, by those who study them " after •, inner man." Why then do so many Stewards of these Mysteries shrink from the duty of imp ar ti ng ledge of them to those concerned in their divi shi ? If they will leave this task to their r i va l s and if these men, however inadequately, em discharge it, they must expect that the result some way or other, unfavourable to themselves. of much avail that these enemies of cur establ' represented as so many evangelical empirics. pears undoubtedly culpable in them is the in gun e, the 66 words without meaning," by continually gloze things otherwise plain, and th ed obscurity even around palpable brightness, then, this deception. Strip truth of its fahricat divest doctrines of their assumed difficulties, refuse to recognize the truth, do nut reject lb, Regular practitioners should disclose the if their aniagonisis without giving up the syster abuses have been only attached. Having thus thrown out some incidental re topics which have lately excited considerable the religions world, I proceed to give my prop( of the Gentleman whose name now stands at this article. He is intimately connected with just discussed. With no inconsiderable shaft nor without considerable defects, he altcrua, plifies the g enius and the errors of the mini WILLIAM BrNGO COLLYEIt, who has a for himself the title of .‘ au t.z angelical Preaci of the most genteely distinguished ministers of professing christians to which he belongs. 1 long the popular Pastor of a Meeting, at Peel owing to the continual interchange of ministe among evangelical teachers, he is also extensi throughout the metropolis and its environs. the parentage of Mr. Collver, I am iminformi his education, I am told, he is indebted to the h demy,—a species of College. supported by th and subscriptions of Evangelical Calvinists. stcrial nursery is tolerably productive, if an esti importance mar be formed from the nuinhe! which it yeilds for the edification of its pious pf Of these Mr. Collyer is not the least conspi, literary acomplishments, if not attainments, arm respectable ; his person is inoffensively pleasing in the pulpit, is winningly graceful ; his voice pathetic and his eloquence is, on the whole. resting. He is, as the ladies would say, an amiab I fear, indeed, that he too much values the coin the fair-sex ; and that, under this predilection, as indifferent to the opinions of men. Le fore adjnre the lovely admirers of this desirai minister," saying, in the laagmage of the p pulpit, 64 Ah, spare your idol ! thick him human " Charms he may have, but he has frantic. " Dote not too much ; nor spoil--4% hat ye There is one perfection in Mr. Coliver, as a which he merits to he distinguished from 0 preachers to which he is attached, and which, time might still be copied with advantage by in men of our established church. --lie really Lord's Prayer ! I am anxious to learn, however, thority he makes what to ►ne appears an un. deviation—from the generally adopted words excellent form of devotional intercession ? Col pray, " Forgive us our trespasses, as we fc , that," &c. Now, Mr. Collver saes, " trespasses, and enable us to forgive those pass against us." Here, indeed is his miser tion from the evident design of this imp( tion ; which, placing our own pardon On I that zee forgive the offences committed by of ourselves, exhibits one of the happiest moral anti enforces one of the sublimes! practical dui DEC. is. g the know- rine steward. Is in religion, ndeavonr to t will be, in Ds. Nor is it ilishment are . What ap. mystical lan- Id) kit I hey throw affect- pss. EN pose, disg•nis e , but do not he doctrines. quackery of In, to sk Inch . eflections on e interest in posed account the head of t the stihject re of talent, Lately cum. welical semi- appropriated cOer," is °el f the class fit tie has been :kitaiii ; anti, erial services sively Respectin;; ied ; but for Holton ca- .he donations 'fills mini- dimate of its or of pastors patrons. icuons. !Ili re sufficiently his ntainier is plaintively , rather init.- hie preacher. untenauce of he may he tt nie then , ble " young - poet of the Mill ; rs too! admit e." a divine, for the order ot , at the same many clergy- pras s the r,by what au- nwa rra it talP le of this most oninionly we forgive them (rive 114 our e that tres- erable des ia- mania peti- the condition Pthrrs ilArdinli I restrictions, [lies vf " ottr