The National Register.
London, England, 1817-03-10 00:00:00

SUNDAY AMUSEMENTS.

IN n fiwiner number '.cu aninuOverea, with 'a 4k.

grue of well-merited severity, on the attempts which •
% c.ertain " wicked and de•i, men" are at this time
making to &Trice the pour of thci.: almost onlYconsola-
film during the present sctson.of dist,.ess and. national
ombarrassment. We pointed out, by name; Feveral
blasphemous and indecent publications,Ahe great end
and aim of which is, by first weakening the bonds of
religious and moral obligation, to prepare t7ie unthink-
ing for those ulterior objects which their seducers have
in view ; namely, their o..rn ao;randisecatnt and mer-
cenary projects.
But let not the peaceable and the religious part of
the community despair. If the sous of infidelity arc
Strainitl-, every nerve to destroy or deface the fair strut.-
' tigire of R:ligion, the advocates Truth and Righte.
'busness.are not asleep at their posts. Howover some
peap'.o may affect to despise the Bible Societies--the
School Societies—the Societies for the Suppression of
Vice, r those for the prenc)tion of Virtue, their hint'.
eree 'ely felt—their effects secretly, •but exten-
sively beneficial. •
It is not for the advocates of Morality and Religion
to'xmst ; but they may point out to their enemies, the

. .
numerous charitable and henevolent•institutions which
owe their origin and support to the-principles of Chris-
tianity alone. On of the best ,answers to the cavils
of Imidelity we know of, is to be found in a work pub-
lished a few years ago, on The Charitable Institations
ellic Metropolis, by A. Highinere, Esq. It is a work
replete with mist valuable and pleasing information.
It consists of many hundred pages in octavo ; though,
in many instances, mere lists of schools and other cha-
rities arc given. The very index to this work is suffi-
cient,to silence the wranglings of the inGdel, who, un-
til he can point out " a more excellent" system than
Christianity, skonld at least abstain from treating the
religion of his coun:ry with scorn and derision. Mr.
ilighmore% work, which posterity will preserve as a
valuable and authentic record of the state of benevolent

feeling in the early days of the i 9th eenturv, together
with Dr. Ryan's admir•hle " History of tke 1;f i,cts of
Religion," should be seriously perused by those who
are told that " Religion has done more harni than
pod in the world," as some ignorant or designing per-
-eons arc apt to nscert.

The Editor of a Newspaper may be called upon to
encounter " the world's dread laugh," in venturing to
recommend to his herders such works as these above-

mentioned ; but, as we have nothing to hope from the
smiles-4 those who scoff at Religion, nor any thing to
Tear from -their favours, we shall not 1- esitate to continue
• "to devote a pylon of the columns of Tits NATIONAL RE-
4IST ER 'o mach subjects as we are persuaded have the
bestpossible tendency to alleviate thepangs of human suf-
fcring to ectifort the weak-hearted," and to " raise
up than that fall." Public writers arc bubject to a
raost awful reTansilility. If the Press is not devoted
4 some innocently pleasing, or eminently useful object,
nine cases out of ten, it is prostituted to the cane
of immorality or sedition.
It is a lamentable and humiliating consideration,
thot we should find it necessary to introdm.e to the no-
tice of the public, by a sort of apology, for their recom-
v.endat. m in a puklic journal, two such works us the
following. But surely, if the sons of Infidelity may
be permitted, as they have tuTti, at least indirectly and
covertly ti r,-...-notend their nostrums of reform,
grounded on disgusting And blasphemous parodies, the
Christian Politician may be allowed to recommend
such means and motives to that patience and hope
which the present distressing times so loudly call
for thy: exercise of among all classes of the com-
mon!. Under this impression, therefore, we have
great pleasure in recommending the fidlowing re-
cently published works " A Century se Christian
Prayers ol Faith, Hope, and Charity, with a Morning
4nd Fccning Devotion ;" 2. " Sacred Hours; or,
Extra. rs tbr Private Devotion and Meddation: compre-
hendin the Pset ins, arranged and classed tiadcr various
heads; together with Prayers, Thunksgii,:nts, H9nais,
c ke."
The first of tlit..se works is an uncommonly neat

firation in Ithno. -Excellently finished cinbi,nitatie en-
s:Wings from desigis by eitthartl, evraved by 6.
eooke, are pre•ixed to the three divisions of " Faith,
Hope, and Charity," and are a very phasing accomp ini-
*sent to the work. As also ore the ucatly executed mu-
/Sento 1 capital letters .begioning each prayer. The work
ttel,f breathes the genuine spirit of exalted pieta ; noel
though strictly orthodox, as to doctrine is sufficiently
writ] m i general fir almost every tletunnination of
Christians. A dissertation on l'rayer is prefixed. It i..

thiefly Pet from Paley's "11oral lihilomnphy," Lis
"Sermo:.s," the " Whole Duty of Man," the " New
flauuni of Devotion," anti more partieu3:u'h• the ;tli
termou ir. tl!e " li:onpton Lectures."

Th, er• nd of these NVorLs i. is two volumes 12ine.
V 4, it .appea-s. is a third eilition. It consists, ill a gnu:
i.egree of " dispersial texts and passups on the tilf.s!
Lunches of moral duty and 1-ructical piety. '
These Lll.4wr approrriate heads 'lli,: Ist
*alarm: contains " Prayers, Thanksgiviiws, &e. selected
tai flay Old tines&wLa.tatucuto -sadr.tium the Ain.