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PIERS.

Silence, the good priest speaks.

JOHN BALL.

My brethren, these are truths, and weighty

ones:

Ye are all equal; nature made ye so.
Equality is your birth-right;--when I gaze
On the proud palace, and behold one man
In the blood-purpled robes of royalty,
Feasting at ease, and lording over millions;
Then turn me to the hut of poverty,
And see the wretched labourer, worn with
toil,

Divide his scanty morsel with his infants;
I sicken, and, indignant at the sight,
"Blush for the patience of humanity."
JACK STRAW.

We will assert our rights.

TOM MILLER.

We'll trample down

These insolent oppressors.

JOHN BALL.

In good truth

Ye have cause for anger: but, my honest friends,

Is it revenge or justice that ye seck?

Justice, justice!

MOB.

JOHN BALL.

Oh then remember mercy;
And tho' your proud oppressors spar'd not
you,

Shew you excel them in humanity.
They will use every art to disunite you,
To conquer separately, by stratageni,
Whom in a mass they fear-but be ye firm-
Boldly demand your long-forgotten rights,
Your sacred, your inalienable freedom-
Be bold-be resolute-be merciful!
And while you spurn the hated name of
slaves,

Shew you are men!

MOB.

Long live our honest priest!
JACK STRAW.

He shall be made archbishop.

JOHN BALL.

My brethren, I am plain John Ball, your friend,

ART. III.-The Goodness of God Muse Trated in the Appointment of Private and National Adversity. A Sermon preached to the Congregation of Protestant Dissenters, assembling in Hanover Square, Newcastleupon-Tyne, on New Year's Day, 1817. Bv William Turner, Jun M. A. York, printed. Sold in London by Hunter. 8vo. pp. 27.

HIS is a devotional and patriotic

Tsermon; pleasing in it's spirit

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and useful in it's tendency. The preacher discourses from Ps. xxiii. 6. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever." After making many observations on the character of God as our shepherd, he recommends to his hearers pious thankfulness, accompanied with submission to the dispensations of Providence and with " a habit of looking as much as possible on the bright side of every object." Speaking of the national distress, he is encouraged by the general ascendancy of a disposition to confide in the Divine Benevolence, and says,

"There are nations whom calamities and losses such as have been witnessed in this country would have sunk in the gloomy indolence of despair. But here, while labouring under their immediate pressure, there perhaps never was a time when the enlightened and intelligent mind, that mine of wealth and prosperity, without whose successful application all other capital must remain unproductive, was more thoroughly awake and active, more ready to seize every favourable opportunity of opening out [of opening] new sources of profitable employment.

"Not only bas the enlightened mind, but the feeling HEART, been stimulated by the present crisis to powerful and boasting of our own good works, we may, effectual action.-Without unbecomingly of our countrymen, that no nation upon I think, be permitted to affirm on behalf earth, no period in the history of the world, can vie with Britain at the present March we for London. day in the extent and magniscence of her TYLER.

Your equal: by the law of Christ enjoined
To serve you, not command.

JACK STRAW.

Mark me, my friends--we rise for liberty
Justice shall be our guide: let no man dare
To plunder in the tumult.

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labours for the benefit of mankind.

there appears throughout the land a benevolent energy which is ready to hear and listen to the call of the remotest suffering fellow-creature ;"

And Mr. T. pronounces it impossible that "such a marvellous accumulation of the means of usefulness" should fail of accomplishing any valuable end.

In a note, p. 24, he mentions the following as "the dates of five con, secutive communications" occurring in "the correspondence annexed to the Reports of the Bible Society: Sierra Leone, Calcutta, Copenhagen, Jamaica, Philadelphiu,” and adds,

"On being sent backwards and forwards in this manner from one extremity to the other of the earth's diameter, the first impression is a bewildering confusion, which however presently gives way to

admiration on comparing this little island,

scarce [scarcely] a speck on the map of the world, with the magnitude of it's resources and the extent of it's inflaence."

When this preacher beholds "such edifying exertions as have been lately witnessed of generous active benevolence on the one hand, of a calin, patient, and peaceable endurance, not however without the suitable expres sion of a manly independent spirit, on the other," he perceives “little cause for apprehension."

As an example "of a manly independent spirit" under sufferings, he from the memorial of the working makes an extract, in a note p. 25, weavers of Kirkaldy: it is deserving indeed of the praise bestowed on it by the respectable Editor of The Rockingham [published at Hull] of Dec. 14, 1816, and does particular honour to that class of the population from which "such sentiments" and "such language" have pro

ceeded.

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known to the Christian world or neglected and forsaken for the clouds of mystery and the vapours of enthusiasm.

R.

PRICE'S

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ART. V.-Observations on the Nature of Civil Liberty and the Principles of Government. By the Rev. R. Price, D. D. F. R. S. A new Edition. By William Beck. 8vo. pp. 16. Dolby, Wardour Street, 6d. 1817. Observations," DR published during the American War, produced a great impression on the country, and were so well received in the City of London, that the Corporation voted him thanks and Box. The republication is very seathe Freedom of the City in a Gold

sonable. In a Dedication to "the

Rt. Hon. Matthew Wood, Lord "Shall we tacitly and tamely permit our Liberty Mayor," the Editor asks, to be lost?" Let Dr. Price give the

answer:

"The people of this kingdom were once warmed by such sentiments as these.

bled in the cause of liberty. But that Many a sycophant of power have they sacrificed. Often have they fought and time seems to be going. The fair inheritance of liberty left ns by our ances tors many of us are not unwilling tu resign. An abandoned venality, the inseparable companion of dissipation and extravagance, has poisoned the springs of public virtue among us. And should any

The

events ever arise that should render the same opposition necessary that took place in the reigns of King Charles the First, and James the Second, I am afraid all that is valuable to us would be lost. terror of the standing army, the danger of the public funds, and the all-corrupting influence of the Treasury, would deaden. all zeal, and produce general acquiescence and servility.”—P. 15.

ART. VI.-The Contemplative Pl losopher or Short Essays on the Various Objects of Nature. By Richard Lobb. 4th ed. 2 Vols. 12mo. 16s. Sherwood and Co.

1817.

TE are glad to see a new edition

was first published anonymously but is now ascribed to the late Mr. Richard Lobb. We know of no book which so much unites instruction with entertainment.

POETRY.

HYMN TO THE DEITY. There is no sound or language where their voice is not heard."

The heavenly spheres to Thee, O God! attune their evening hymn,

All-wise, All-holy, Thou art praised in song of seraphim;

Let great ones know

Mildness is mightier in the hearts of men.
Than rigour,-mercy than severe account;
Heaven has more lightenings to alarm the
world.

Than thunderbolts to scathe it.:

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Unnumbered systems, suns and worlds Deeds (not duration) measure human life,

unite to worship Thee,

While thy majestic greatness fills space

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Translations from the Portugueze.
NIGHT.

Now joyful Cynthia, beautiful and bright,
Clad in her vestal robes of placid light,
And scattering splendour, silvers as she

flies

The surge-like clouds that roll along the

skies;

By the immortal steeds of midnight driven,

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Wareham, Feb. 9, 1817. SIR, I HAVE lately met with some old manuscripts. Of their author I am ignorant. Their apparent age is a sufficient excuse for the quaintness of their style. I should not, however, have obtruded any of them upon your notice, had they not appeared to me to contain much true poetic feeling and original thought, as well as ardent devotedness to God. Should they appear to you at all suited to the Repository, I shall experience great pleasure in occasionally sending you a few transcripts. J. MORTIMER.

God's Mercies to Man.

The stars do daily labour; and the sun,
(That glorious bridegroom) for ne
shines :

The rivers evermore do run,

The trees do grow,

The vines do flow

They daily flow with precious wines.

All things are full of labour, Lord! for me. The spring rich flow'rs :-the summer bears

She rides across th' eternal field of hea- (What shall I render Lord to thee!)

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Her golden ears:
With these my fears
My cares, my love, my tears.

A feeble harvest, to so great a King;
For joys so endless and divine,
Poor, barren, empty things, I bring !
A feeble man

No riches can

Return to thee, O Lord! but thine.

God's Love.

By thee, O Lord! thy saints do breathe, Thy love alone is life to them; E'en while we live on earth beneath, Thy glory is, O Lord! our only gem.

Let ev'ry breath that I draw in

From thee draw joys, O Lord! to mej

That by thy breath, thy joys within, I praises may return, and breathe to thee.

Thou first in man a soul didst breathe:

His life is breath from heav'n above: Unless thou still, O Lord! dost breathe, His life will straight, his breath, O Lord!

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No antidote can more my soul revive, One smile from thee shall make my soul alive.

While in this wilderness I grow,

Thy face is, Lord, my glorious sun!" While that doth shine I sweetly flowBut that remov'd, my summer's done! Revive each hour

Thy dying flow'r,
Cause me to flourish still;
So all thy rooms,

With sweet perfumes,

With life and praise my joys shall

fill.

My soul to thee sweet odours, Lord, shall breathe,

If thou first shine upon me here beneath.

Though absent in this wilderness
I sojourn as a pilgrim strange,
I love in paths of righteousness
To walk, O Lord!-my woes exchange
My God look down,

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OBITUARY.

Some time since, died at Cockermouth, in Cumberland, in the 85th year of his age, Mr. JOSEPH FAULDER. He was born of Quaker parents, and educated in their principles. He was brought up a painter, and employed in bouse painting; but soon, without any instructions, or opportunities of observation, became by bis own efforts a very eminent artist, painting portraits, landscapes and historical pieces, with the highest execution and art. He became in early life a sceptie in all religion, and was excluded for his opinions from the Society of Friends. His morals were perfect throughout his whole life; he lived single, and never had any intercourse with the sex. Such was his temperance in eating and drinking, that it perhaps has never been equalled, and such, of course, was his contempt for money, that he has been known not to call for pay for his labour for twenty years. His integrity was such, that the word of no one in the town commanded such implicit confidence. Indeed, perhaps, there never was a man more free from every tendency to vice. How then it may be asked became this man an unbeliever, who had no vicious infirmity to oppose itself to the morals of Christianity? This is not difficult to account for. He had never paid the least attention to the historical testimony in favour of the Christian religion, and having been early taught the doctrines of the Trinity, the atonement, and eternal torments, he considered these as too absurd to deserve any notice, and these he considered as the essential doctrines of Christianity, for no other had ever been preached in the place of his residence. The writer of this article has frequently conversed with him on these topics, but he would not listen to different doctrines, hor believe that any other interpretation could be put on the language of the New Testament. Eternal torments appeared to be his great stumbling block. He was a very acute man, and an accurate observer of human kind. He used to argue thus (for he acknowledged a God at all times, but seemed not to believe in a future state), All religionists acknowledge that God is the Creator of all things. He is, therefore, the AUTHOR of all the appetites, passions and circumstances of mankind. The notion of future rewards and punishments has universally been taken from the idea that it is unjust that there should be one lot hereafter for those you call the righteous and the wicked. The justice of God is therefore assumed as a first principle in the argument; but a Being who

shall punish his creatures with everlasting misery, himself being the author of their temptations, has no justice. The argument, therefore, is self-destructive, and it is not only impossible that the doctrine can be true, but it is impossible that a book containing it can have any authority. Why then need I look into the History of Miracles? Again--look at mankind— their constitutions and circumstances differ essentially, and although there may be some who merit reward and some who merit punishment-surely justice requires that all circumstances should be weighed and that punishment should be equitable." The only answer that this argument seems to admit of is that punishment is exactly thus described, in general, in the Scriptures, for it is there again and again declared that men shall be treated according to their deeds, and the strong figurative language which has been thought to teach eternal punishment, occurs but in four or five places in all the New Testament, and no one has ever said that there is No figurative language in that volume. However, this extraordinary man was no reader; he thought much, but he read no books. He had never read one sceptical work; he bad never read the Unitarian interpretations of Scripture, and seemed scarcely to believe that there were such a class of Christians, conceiving their doctrines to be too reasonable to be entertained by any Christians. Let no one suppose that religion does not contribute to the improvement of morality, because this exemplary man did not seem to want its aid. There are constitutions which are in health for nearly a century without the aid of surgery or medicines-but will any one say that surgery or medicines are not necessary to others, and that by their means many lives are saved?

The fair inference from the life and opinions of this excellent man, is, that the time is come when the Scriptures must receive a REASONABLE interpretation, else they will be equally rejected by the virtuous and the vicious. Hence, the value of such men as Hartley, Priestley and others.

Mr. Faulder was universally respected, and treated by all his neighbours in the kindest manner. He never suffered any thing of persecution, and even the Methodists visited him kindly in his last illness. He died with the utmost calmness, saying-" Well! if there be a future state, I think I have as fair a chance as others."

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