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the lustre of her eye; and it is not very consistent to make glances, hid in slumber, throw lustre on this reflecting dew.

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Every thing, in Mr. Moore's poetry, is liable to be in love. In the following extract from an epistle to the Marchioness Dowager of Donegall, the appropriation of that quality is somewhat singular:

The morn was lovely, every wave was still,

When the first perfume of a cedar-hill Sweetly awak'd us, and with smiling charms,

The fairy harbour woo'd us to its arms. Gently we stole, before the languid wind,

Through plantain shades, that like an awning twin'd

And kiss'd on either side the wanton sails,

Breathing our welcome to these vernal vales ;

While far reflected o'er the wave serene Each wooded island shed so soft a green, That the enamour'd keel, with whis pering play,

Through liquid herbage seem'd to steal its way!

P. 38.

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We readily admit, that there is nothing, however lovely or bright, but what is faint to the smile of affection; but we do not know what is meant by the rays of nature, thrown over the brow of creation. Another stanza of this poem is the following:

But the lays of his boyhood had stolen to their ear,

And they loved what they knew of so humble a name,

And they told him with flattery, welcome and dear,

That they found in his heart something sweeter than fame.

The meaning of this last line is not easily intelligible; but in the concluding stanza, the author, with strange inaccuracy, talks of enjoying the endearments of society, while alone :

The stranger is gone-but he will not forget,

When at home he shall talk of the toil he has known,

To tell with a sigh what endearments he met,

As he strayed by the wave of the
Schuylkill alone.

first reading, but the mind is unIncorrect poetry may please at satisfied and distrustful, and at ev

ery examination it appears more worthless. The lustre of a false first sight, is easily defaced, and brilliant, though it may deceive at Mr. Moore's " gems of poesy," are, many of them, false brilliants.

Among the remaining poems, there is none better than that, in which the author takes leave of our country, and anticipates his welcome at home, from which the following is an extract :

Well-peace to the land! may the people, at length,

Know that freedom is bliss, but that honour is strength;

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ius, to say

How sublime was the tide which had vanish'd away! P. 292.

In his censures upon our country Mr. Moore, in some of his epistles, has been not a little severe. We do not mean to controvert their justness. We know, that in this land, where the spirit of democracy is every where diffused, we are exposed, as it were, to a poisonous atmosphere, which blasts every thing beautiful in nature and corrodes every thing elegant in art; we know, that with us the "rose-leaves fall ungathered ;" and we believe, that there is little to praise, and nothing to admire in most of the objects, which would

first present themselves to the view of a stranger. We have the same feeling with Mr. Moore for that miserable love of power or popularity,

Which courts the rabble's smile, the rabble's nod,

And makes, like Egypt, every beast its God;

and we know, that our country must improve much, before she can hope to

....see her poets flash the fires of song To light her warriors' thunderbolts along.

But there are very few passages in these epistles, which are of equal merit with the two, which we have

just quoted. The weapon of satire is unwieldy in the hands of their author. His indignation is impotent; his invective is frequently little more than low expressions, coarsely applied, “ lusco possit dicere lusce." In his poems in heroick verse there are many lines feeble and prosaick, and many that are tangled together by the continuation of the sense from verse to verse, and from couplet to couplet; and there is, throughout, a lifeless dilation of sentiment, that will not satisfy the taste of the present day, accustomed to the poetry of Pope, in which every syllable is animate with meaning.

There are three poems in this volume, whose titles are, "The Genius of Harmony, an irregular ode," " Fragment of a mythological Hymn to Love," and "The Fall of Hebe, a dithyrambic ode." These resemble, in some degree, the forgotten pindarick odes of the age of Cowley. They are extravagantly irregular in metre, and thought,and expression. The two former are without plan or purpose, and the latter is not very decent.

To speak in general terms, we cannot recommend the poetry of Mr. Moore. Powerful as human passions are, we regard with utter disapprobation the author, who applies a torch to the bonds, by which they are feebly restrained. The publication of such poetry is not one of those errours, which the weakness of our nature admonishes us to be lenient in censuring. There is nothing, which can be more under the regulation of reason, than the morality or immorality of writings for the world; so that it is often that men sanction much better principles of conduct by the authority of their writings, than by the example of their lives. There have been few authors, who have not had prudence to consider, that it would afford no pleasure to reflect on having endeavoured to give seduction to evil; to delude the thoughtless; and make levity guilt.

ART. 2.

An apology for the rite of infant baptism, and for the usual modes of baptizing; in which an attempt is made to state fairly and clearly the arguments in proof of these doctrines, and also to refute the objections and reasonings alledged against them, by the Rev. Daniel Merrill, and by the baptists in general. By John Reed, D. D. pastor of a church and congregation in Bridgwater. Providence, printed by Heaton & Williams. 12mo. pp. $46.

NO subject of controversial divinity has obtained so much attention, during a few past years, in the country parishes of this state, as that which has been excited by the sect of the baptists. Because our Lord did not expressly command his apostles to baptize infants, it

has been contended, that the practice is a subversion of his institution; and because they, who were dedicated to God in their infancy, by their believing and pious parents, cannot discern the necessity of receiving immersion, they are considered, notwithstanding their faith in Christ, and their moral resemblance of him, as certainly excluded from his visible kingdom, if not, likewise, from all the future blessings which he has promised to his followers. We do not hesi tate to confess, that we opened this volume with an expectation of being confirmed in the sentiments which it professes to vindicate; and by the perusal of it, our expectations have not been disappointed.

The work is divided into four principal points. The first part tism; the second, to modes of baphas reference to the subjects of baptizing; the third part is a brief account of the evidence resulting from history, and especially in proof of

the right, of the infant children of believing parents, to baptism; and the fourth part is an appendix, consisting of familiar questions and answers, adapted to persons of different prejudices and capacities, and suited to the present state and circumstances of the controversy.'

Introduction, f. 6.

If we had felt disposed harshly to censure any modes of phraseology which we do not approve, to erase any apparently redundant expressions, or to turn our eyes from proofs which were already familiar, the following modest and benevofent apology would have completely repressed the inclination :

ed reader will perhaps feel disgustThe intelligent and well-informed with the frequent occurrence of repetition, prolixity, and old arguments. My only excuse is, that I

have uniformly endeavoured to avoid obscurity, and to write as intelligibly as was possible; in such a manner, as to be understood even by the weak and ignorant. I have accordingly studied perspicuity, more than comprehensive brevity, and plainness of speech, more than elegance of diction.'

Introduction, p. 7.

The epistolary method which Dr. Reed has adopted, will probably be the most popular, and therefore the most useful. His arrangement of the subject is judicious: the arguments are stated with great clearness and force, and with sufficient precision; and they are applied with the earnestness and candour, which should ever characterise the ministers of Jesus. In proof of the right of infants to the ordinance of baptism, he appeals to an established and approve ed practice of the Jews, a practice which had continued from the time of Moses, of " initiating by circumcision, the offering of sacrifices, and by baptism, all the Gentiles who became proselytes to Judaism. They were all baptized: males and females, adults and infants." It is a sufficient reason for the silence of our Saviour on this subject, that the right was authorised by the usage of so many ages; a silence, which, however, to the baptists, seems tantamount to the loudest declaration, that he designed its restriction to those only, who were capable of making a confession of their faith.

But it is the principal argument by which he vindicates the propriety and the obligation of infant baptism, that "the blessings of the covenant of circumcision, were not wholly, nor principally of a temporal, but of a religious and spiritúal nature; and that this covenant was not abolished, but established

and confirmed by the christian dis pensation. That the blessing of Abraham, that salvation which was of the Jews, is come upon the Gentiles; that they who are of the faith, are the children of Abraham, and blessed with faithful Abraham; and if children, then heirs to all the blessings and privileges of the covenant. They are the seed of the blessed, and their children with them." This argument he has illustrated with much ability; and in the progress of it has explained, to the most common apprehensions of men, numerous passages in the epistles of St. Paul, of which many who are familiar with the New Testament have very inadequate conceptions. We recommend it to very attentive perusal, as a commentary, which will stand the test of examination; and as a defence of the baptism of infants, which cannot probably be evaded.

In the 2d part, "the different modes of baptizing" are considered; and the propriety of administering this rite of our religion by sprinkling is very ably and satisfactorily defended. Dr.Reed does not deny the validity of immersion, nor the propriety of thus administering this ordinance to adults, who have never been baptised, and who consciensciously prefer it: but we think that he has demonstrated, that there is neither an example nor a precept of the gospel, from which the obligation to this practice can be inferred. His criticisms on the verb Car, and on the prepositions, u. ix, and a, are not matters of taste, but of fact; nor do they require even a knowledge of the Greek alphabet to understand them. On readers, who are inteiligent and candid, though unlearned, they will hardly fail therefore of producing

conviction, that the application of water by sprinkling,either to adults or infants, is at least as scriptural, as by total immersion.

The third part contains observations "on the history of baptism," in which he exposes the mutilated quotations, by which Mr. Merrill endeavours to prove the antiquity and universality of the practice of immersion; and by adducing several ancient and unquestionable authorities, evinces, that sprinkling was a mode of baptizing in the second century, that it was applied to the children of believing parents, and that the practice has continued in the churches thro' all succeeding ages. It is mentioned by the fathers of the first and purest ages of christianity, as a practice of which no one doubted the propriety, and in the same terms in which it would have been natural to speak of it, if it had been sanctioned by repeated and explicit commands of our Lord and of his apostles. These observations" display a mind inquisitive for truth, and which will not be satis fied with partial evidence, whenever that which is full and clear can be obtained; and not only will they be read with interest, but produce" confirmation strong" of the doctrine, which they are intended to support.

In the appendix a number of questions are proposed, with which baptists are fond of puzzling those whom they would convert; and the answers, in general, we believe would equally puzzle these zealous catechists. A defence of the baptism of infants, and of the usual mode of its administration, written in the form of a dialogue, and in the most simple language, and embracing all the passages in the bible which have any reference to these subjects, would probably be

more effectual, than all the learned volumes which the controversy has occasioned. With the utmost deference, we therefore venture to recommend to Dr. Reed, a separation of this appendix from his book, and such an enlargement of it, as will furnish to people in common life, a complete and familiar vindication of the propriety and duty of dedicating their children to God, in this way of his appointment. We suggest this plan to Dr. Reed, from a conviction of the ability with which it would be executed, and from a knowledge of his zeal to do good. If an apology for this recommendation be necessary, we think a reference to Dr. Johnson's eulogy of Dr. Watts will be entirely satisfactory. "Every man acquainted with the common principles of human action, will look with veneration on the writer, who is at one time combating Locke, and at another time making a catechism for children in their fourth year. A voluntary descent from the dignity of science, is perhaps the hardest lesson which humility can teach."

We cordially recommend this volume to all who are desirous of obtaining information on the subject of which it treats; and we think no inquirer, who consults it only for the purpose of acquiring truth, will remain unsatisfied...

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