Alexandria gazette & daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1817-1822, 1820-05-23


the Intellectual dignity Of tie argument is
never detased by declamatory extravaganza,
and it's whole machinery is guided by the
hand of master who neither terrifts nor
wheedles; for terror and wheedling are not
the weapons Of the wise The victories
which are won by stunning reason into In
sensibility or lulling 1t into supineness are
unworthy the messengers of truth. Spring
ing from delusion, with delusion they CO.
extend, and when it terminates. as assured
~ it must do, the captive discovers The weak
ness of his chains and bursts into liberty and
sin. This orator, therefore, avoids such
laundering coarseness, but treats his auditors
as men enlightened by reason, and accounta-
Bile for its exercise to the Good Being who
bestowed it.
Whether sermons demand style wholly
unembelIished, hesitate to say. To those
who require only perspicuity and strength
the style Of Mr. Ravensc,oft must seem safe
from eavil; for seldom have ideas been so
little embarrassed by the redundancy, OF OPP
pressed by the weight oftheir expression
Criticism may detect something like super
Gulty in the ideas themselves, and wish that
those only which are necessary might be
used, separated from concomitants which
however intrinsecally good divide the atten-
ton that their principals should engross. -
The preachers object is so grave, that it
may seem idle to examine infinitely the
dress Of his dlscourses. Yet since, as Gray
observes, the slightest speck is discovered
in diamond, the nearer an Grafton approx
mates excellence, the more easily are its
inhrmities perceived; and in the present
instance any blemish, however trivial, at
tracts notice and regret. Salvation is not in
deed matter OF taste, and the penitent can
have but little zeal who is frightened by a
discord or shrinks from solecism. Yet as
superficial defects are the soonest seen they
should be summed or corrected, and nothing
which may dis6gure the vestment of truth is
too humble for regard. venture then to
insinuate that the periods of Mr.. Ravens
croft ase ammusical, that bis diction is often
inelegant and his pronunciation impure.
That one fitted like this orator to advance
the progress of religious truth. so able to in
spire repentance with hope and impiety
with awe, to urge the thought'ess to consl-
deration and give activity to conviction,
should have associated himself to the Epis
copalans, is circumstance 10 which it az
CUES no bigotry that they exult. 1t was well
said by Stubbe that 6 the Church OF Eng
land is the least defining and is consequent
~ taemost comprehensive" Proportional
ly therefore as the energies OF its orators are
thus unshackled by the doctrlnal nIcetles Of
sectarsm, are they promo:ive OF general
usefulness having lew wlredrawn distInc-
lions 10 make palpable, they offend the pre-
judices of no sect, and thus all may listen
with competency because none are outraged
by intolerance. 1t is too that division OF the
Christian Church around which so many re-
collections 81 departed genius and piety and
virtue assemble: it was the religion OF
Hooker and Iillotson, of AtterburY and
Falkland, OF Stafford and Charles. 1t is
the national creed OF that country whence
| we derive our birth and our Institutions. and
great have been the successes which she has
caused il TO achieve. Already has she borne
| il over her subject element to the idolaters
of Asia ALREADY has she persuaded the Mus
SULLIVAN to forget the hope of his voluptuous
paradise ;--already has she consoled the
| Grecian slave by the prospect OF that heaven
where the 6 wicked cease from troubling
and the weary are at rest ;'-already has
| she taught the Arab OF the Desert no longer
to invoke in his burning thirst the aid of his
powerless Prophet already has she intro
duced the Hindoo to a holier sacrament than
to die at the waters of his Gauges. Such
has been the recent agency of the English
Church beautiful is its theory pure be
its practice aud illustrious its orators
ALFIERI.
We understand that Commodore Charles
Stewart, of Pennsylvania, recently return
ed from the command of the Mediterranean
squadron, in the franklin "a, has been ap-
pointed by the President, with the consent
&c tho Sonafo q poarnhar oF tho Roard nf