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ii. 3. Let the King live for ever :· a salutation addressed by Nehemiah to Artaxerxes, surnamed Longimanus, who reigned over Persia about 420 years before Christ." After briefly detailing the circumstances which occasioned this salutation, the preacher proceeds to the work of the day,-complimenting our sovereign.

"The words may be called the language of loyal congratulation; the language this day expressed by every Briton, alive to the excellencies which adorn the character of our beloved Sovereign; and I would fain hope there are but few to be found, who can hesitate to use this sentence, as the language of the heart.

"It would not be expedient, or worthy of the service in which we are now engaged, to occupy a considerable length of time in pronouncing an eulogium, or relating political advantages; but one thing may, and ought to be mentioned on the present joyful occasion, as a reason why we should be thankful for the long reign of our worthy Sovereign, and pray for its continuance, and that is, his invariable attachment to the cause of civil and religious liberty! This must be considered as an excellence truly admirable, and is peculiarly grateful to the feelings of those, who, on principles of conscience, dissent from the religious establishment of this country."

That some of the scandalous persecuting laws, too long the disgrace of our statute books have been repealed, although not till after repeated refuals from the legislature, we readily acknowledge; but the preacher in stating "as a reason why we should be thankful for the long reign of our worthy Sovereign, and pray for its continuance-his invariable attachment to the cause of religious liberty," discovers either the most lamentable ignorance of the principles of a consistent christian, and a protestant dissenter, or of some of the most important events which have taken place during the present reign. On this sad subject we seriously demand-Did the repeated refusals of the legislature to repeal those profanations of ordi

an

nances the most sacred,--those outrages on the rights of citizens, the Test and Corporation Acts, display, "invariable attachment to the cause of civil and religious liberty?" Did the refusal to repeal other per secuting laws, those more especially which affect the Unitarians, display an "invariable attachment to the cause of religious liberty?" The rejection of the claims of the Irish catholics, the justice of which claims has been acknowledged by our leading statesmen of different partiesthe violation of promises the most solemn, made by his Majesty's privy counsellors to this long op pressed and insulted body of men, to induce them to assent to the UNION of the two kingdoms,-are these the striking proofs of an "invariable at tachment to the cause of religious liberty?"-Was the declaration of Lord Grenville and Lord Grey when the last bill respecting the catholics was debated, just previous to its rejection," that the principal objection the restoration of some of the rights to the bill in the royal mind, was of the protestant dissenters of this kingdom"--was this a proof of "invariable attachment to the cause of religious liberty ?"-Was the pledge required of the two noble lords as the condition of their remaining in office, a peculiar display of " inva riable attachment to the cause of religious liberty?"*-Questions equally mortifying might be put respecting the "invariable attachment shewn to the cause of civil liberty," more especially during the long administration of a man, at the sound of whose name every true Briton, every friend to the peace and the liberties of his country, must feel a peculiar degree of horror-the detested PITT! but as the "reign of terror" in this country expired with its author, we earnestly hope never to be restored, we dismiss this part of the subject..

* Pol. Rev. Vol. I. p. xlix. and Parliamentary Debates in the same Volume.

The preacher adds-" The conduct of his Majesty in many instances has sufficiently evidenced a determination to preserve the Tole ration act inviolable; nor necd we fear that this Magna Charta of seceders and dissenters, will ever suffer the least infringement, while the same liberality of sentiment and just views of religious liberty continue to adorn the throne of our highly favoured nation." That his Majesty has not, although frequently instigated by the priesthood, violated his oath, and his repeated promises "to preserve the Toleration inviolate," we have frequently remarked with pleasure: but when so many persecuting laws remain on our statute books; when the boundaries of Toleration are enlarging all over Europe, and religious liberty is enjoyed in a superior degree, not only in America, but in those European states which for centuries past were the habitations of intolerance and cruelty, surely something more is necessary, than merely preserving Toleration in its present imperfect state in Britain and Ireland, to justify the very high encomiums respect *ing the liberality of sentiment, and just views of religious liberty," which are represented as "adorning the throne of our highly favoured nation."

Our author adds

"A good prince or magistrate not only contributes to the public good, by the propriety of his conduct in managing the reins of government, but the example of his character is a public blessing Example has a powerful influence in every class of society, and according to the extent of influence good example becomes beneficial..... I presume it will not be disputed, that the inhabitants of the British dominions have cause to be thankful for such a King."

As to the beneficial effects of "example," on various branches of the royal family, on the court, the -senate, and the nation at large, we leave others to judge; but when the

preacher bestows such unqualified panegyrick on the general system adopted during the past fifty years, he must have lost sight of the pure principles of that gospel which lay open before him, or have forgotten the chief events which have marked the system of " management" he was thus panegyrising!

If surrounding states are to judge of Britain by the language of the preacher, they will naturally suppose we have arrived at the ne plus ultra of civil and religious freedom Towards the close of his discourse he offers up this aspiration:-" May the same royal firmness which hus hitherto resisted INJURIOUS INNOVA TION descend to posterity, continu ing to distinguish and dignify our exalted island to the latest period of time!" Such abominable flattery proceeding from the body of the clergy of the church of England or the church of Scotland, would not have surprised us; but when we read such language in the sermon of a protestant dissenting minister, and seriously reflect on the present circumstances of the nation, and on the various laws which are the pe culiar disgrace of our statute books, we, for the sake of the integrity of the preacher, indulge the hope that he did not understand his subject; and we earnestly wish all preachers of this class to adopt the maxim professedly laid down by some of them,

-"The Lord's people have nothing to do with politics!" The appellation given by Charles H. to the Presbyterians of the church of Scot land of his day, may be justly claim ed by many of the members of that church as well as of other sects of the present day, who are indeed "The Almighty's silly children!"

The preacher concludes with the exclamation with which he began, "Let the King live for ever;" and our readers may naturally suppose, that the wish here expressed related to a long life in the present state.

equally the subjects of Jehovah, who was not only their civil governor, but the lord and proprietor of the soil, they were all equally independent of each other, and acknowledged no authority but that of the law. It was to prevent the accumulation of landed property, than which nothing is more dangerous to civil liberty, that the Jubilee was instituted; at which season all estates were restored to the original proprietors, and the land was distributed, as at first, in fair and equitable proportions among all the inhabitants; so that none could be enormously rich, and none miserably poor. By this agrarian law recurring every fifty years, an ordinance, which, however incompatible with modern customs, and with the government of extensive empires, was well adapted to the Jewish polity, and to the limited extent of the Hebrew territory, that just equality of condition, and proportion of property were preserved, which are most favourable' both to private and to public virtue.

"The precept for the public reading of the law at the feast of tabernacles, in the sabbatical, and therefore probably in the Jubilee year, has been often and justly remarked as a salutary provision both for making it known to the people, and for preserving its purity.

"Other subordinate ends would like wise be accomplished by the arrangements of the Jubilee. The tribes would be kept separate, and limited to their original districts; exact genealogies / would be necessary for ascertaining the descent of landed property; the pedigree of the Messiah might in consequence of this regulation be distinctly traced, and chronology would be more accurately reckoned.

"The ceremonies of the Jubilee year have been occasionally imitated in modern times.-Notoriously so by the Roman church, which in the papacy of Boniface the Eighth, A. D. 1300, proclaimed remission of sin, and plenary indulgence for future offences, to all who should within that year piously visit the churches of St. Peter and St. Paul at Rome. This cheap and easy method of making peace with Heaven, and of reconciling a life of sin with a certainty of salvation, attracted innumerable multitudes of visitors from all parts of Christendom; which filled the city with riot and debauchery, and replenished the papal treasury with gold. And from that time it was ordained by the highest authority in the church that every century should terminate with a Jubilee

year.

"The experiment however succeeded too well, and was much too lucrative, to admit of deferring its return for so long an interval: and the prudent successor of Boniface, who occupied the papal chair half a century afterwards, fortunately discovered that the fiftieth year was the proper season for a Jubilee to return; and since that time an interval of twenty-five years has been judged sufficient. The last Roman Jubilee, of which I remember to have heard, was celebrated A. D. 1750, in the pontificate of Benedict the Fourteenth, an enlightened, amiable and liberal pontiff, who was desirous of introducing considerable reformations into the Romish church, but whose virtuous endeavours for this purpose were defeated by the blind or obstinate opposition of bigoted or interested ecclesiastics."

To this part of the discourse is added the following note.

"The name of this pope was Lambertini. He endeavoured, but without success, to abolish many useless festivals, for which he acquired the title of the protestant pope. Of the Jubilee celebrated in this pontificate, I heard the account from the late Earl of Milltown, who was present on the occasion: and wl. being in high favour with Benedict XIV. obtained from his holiness a plenary indulgence for all offences past, present, and to come, for himself, his relations, and lordship would name. for any other thirty persons whoin his This indulgence, splendidly emblazoned with the papal arms, Lord Milltown himself showed me, and by his permission, and in his

presence, I took a copy of it, which is now in my possession. The learned pontiff well knew that this respectable nobleman, who was a protestant, would neither be deceived by, nor make an improper use of this indulgence. And when he put it into his hands, he laughed and said, "Do not, my lord, make use of it to seduce a pretty young woman!" In this instance the caution was needless; but it shows to what purposes papal indulgences might be applied; and the levity of the pontiff, who gave as little credit to the validity of his indulgence as his protestant friend, too nearly resembled that of the man who casteth about firebrands, arrows, and death, and saith, Am not I in sport?"

Whether the pope who could thus play the hypocrite deserves the epithet" enlightened," we have our doubts his conduct in the present instance, serves to prove how far men of sense can practise their impositions in religion, when they wish to serve a secular purpose. Whilst the pope was ridiculing his own indulgences to a member of a protes tant church, he was granting them with all the appearance of seriousness and solemnity to the members of that church, of which he was the head! What havoc do not churches, established and supported by the civil magistrate, make with the faith and morals of christians! Need we wonder at the abounding of infide lity and vice, in nations which glory in their excellent church constitutions, the united work of statecraft, and priestcraft?

"These Jubilees are now no more: and probably will never be revived. For Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, like a millstone cast with violence into the sea, to rise no more: (Rev. xviii. 24.) and that Jubilee of the true church, the triumph of truth over error and superstitition, idolatry and persecution, is begun, which we trust in God will never come to an end: but which shall conti nually advance and extend itself on all sides, surmounting every obstacle and subduing all opposition, till the knowledge of the Lord shall cover the earth as the waters cover the seas.

"In this country King Edward the

VOL. VI.

Third, when he entered upon the fiftieth year of his age (not as is commonly supposed of his reign), proclaimed a Jubilee A. D. 1362: and, like the holy pontiffs whose example he followed, he made this festival subservient to the fil ling of his coffers. But he likewise granted to his subjects many immunities. He solemnly confirmed in parlia ment the great charter of English liberty. He issued an act of grace to forgive all offences, to release all prisoners, even those who were charged with high-trea son, and to recall all exiles. In concurrence with his parliament he enacted that pleadings in the courts of law should be carried on in thé English language, which since the conquest had been conducted in Norman French. To this he added a whimsical institution conformable to the superstition of the times, that the kings of England should every year, upon a particular day, wash, feed, and clothe as many poor people as would be equal in number to the years of their

own age.

"No festival of this kind has since

occurred till the present year, when we are called upon by public authority, upon the remarkable event of the monarch's entering upon the fiftieth year of his reign, to give thanks to Almighty God" for the protection vouchsafed to arduous reign" and to implore the conour gracious Sovereign during a long and tinued watchfulness of Divine Providence over him and his dominions.-In this devout thanksgiving and prayer every good subject must cordially unite: for it is hardly to be conceived that an does not venerate the personal character individual can exist in the country, who and virtues of the king."

Our author expresses his admiration of the form of prayer composed for the recent Jubilee, and which he professes to give to his readers; but he has, in our opinion, left out the best part, the conclusion; which deserves to be noticed on account of its christian charity, and for the phraseology which christians in general, have been in the habit of adopting from the earliest and purest ages of the church to the present day." These blessings and mercies we implore for our sovereign, ourselves, our allies, and our enemies, through the merits and mediation of

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