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REVIEW.

"Still pleased to praise, yet not afraid to blame."

ART. I. A Comparative View of Protestants, we deprecate the day the Two New Systems of Edu. when this large discretionary cation for the Infant Poor; in power" shall be entrusted to a Charge delivered to the Clergy gentlemen in the commission of of the Officially of the Dean and the peace or in holy orders. Chapter of Durham, 1811. By That Dr. Bell is "a most rethe Rev. R. G. Bowyer, LL. B. spectable presbyter" of the English Prebendary of Durham, and church, we are neither able nor Official. London. Rivingtons. inclined to question. As little 8vo. pp. 18 1811. ART. II. A Vindication of Dr. Bell's System of Tuition, in a Series of Letters. By Herbert Marsh, D. D. F. R. S. Mar. garet Professor of Divinity, in Cambridge. London, Rivingtons, 8vo. pp. 32, 1811.

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are we disposed to conceal or colour the fact that Mr. Lancaster is a professed dissenter." (8). It is not with the men, but with their comparative exertions, that we are now concerned.

The Madras system," says Mr. Bowyer, (ib.) was read, talked of with wonder and praise; but the relation of it was soon laid aside, and almost forgotten. The men of the world had all of them something else to do."

In our views of the nature and importance of education, we agree, for the most part, with Mr. Bow yer: and we fear that numbers of And is it not strange, beyond indigent children are destitute of belief, that if the established its blessings. We doubt, never- elergy, whom, however, he will theless, whether the evil is such as hardly include under "the men to call for a remedy which "must of the world," were then aware of owe its general efficacy to the sanc- the Madras system being particu tion and support of the legislature:" larly calculated for the service of (p. 7.) nor can we approve of the the hierarchy, they did not bring intimation that the object might it into public use? Either they perhaps be best accomplished by had no such persuasion, or they vesting a large discretionary were criminally remiss, in disrepower in the hands of persons garding their convictions. Will whose residence and employments the Official of Durham also inform give them a competent knowledge us, why, in the mean time, num. of local peculiarities and exigen. bers of "the men of the world" cies." (ib.) To make education were eager to patronize the Lanthe business of the state, is neither castrian plan of education? requisite nor adviseable: facts shew that the efforts of individuals and of voluntary societies, at the same time that they are safer, are likely to be far more useful; and we confess that, a Britons and

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"From this general apathy," he remarks, two or three individuals must be excepted; and one of them had the tice in England, and of exhibiting its merit of first putting the plan in prac. powerful operation in a suburb of the metropolis; on which account, and for

the additions which he made to it, he these questions receive, every claimed the title of inventor, and soon thing of importance in this concollected a very great number of childtroversy is involved. We suspect ren of both sexes, who received most either the sincerity or the justness of accusations preferred at a late

important benefit from his instruction." (ib.) The Prebendary's eulogium on and singular period; a period Mr. Lancaster, will not be sus- when our revered Monarch, the pected of flowing from a partial generous patron of the Lancastrian pen. Yet he ought further to plan, is unhappily, in a situation have excepted from the apathy which forbids him to hear and which he laments, the multitude silence the clamours virtually of persons, of every rank and raised against his patriotism, muname, who countenanced this nificence and discernment, 10, 11, 12. Some remarks most deserving man. Upon the points originally at issue between follow upon the supreme moment the friends of his plan and those and necessity of communicating of Dr. Bell's, our readers will find religious instruction to the young. their advantage in consulting what Few objects are dearer to our has been written by Sir Thomas hearts. However, if Mr. Bowyer Bernard, on the one side, and by proposes to contrast the two sysrespect, his Mr. Joseph Fox and the Edin. tems in this argument, burgh reviewers, on the other. sound as it may be in the abstract, is needless and impertinent.

Ib. and 9. "But objections having arisen from the circumstance of his [Mr. Lancaster] being a professed dissenter, and from disapprobation of some of the additions which he had made to the original system, Dr. Bell was at last prevailed upon to quit his retirement, and to organize some large schools, in strict conformity to his own tried plan; and from that time forward he has practically displayed its advantages, and with indefatigable zeal and unbounded generosity, he has devoted his time, his labour and his fortune, to this most important object."

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Were we to judge of the Lancastrian system from the conversation or the writings of its opponents, we should infer that it does not provide for any kind or degree of instruction in religion. Such are the extent and inveteracy of this prejudice, that in a well edited diurnal print, (the Globe of Dec. 19th, 1811.) the Madras system is represented as combining all the simplicity and economy of Mr. Bowyer will permit us to Mr. Lancaster's, while it ask, what was the interval be- braces, in addition, the religious tween Dr. Bell's retiring to his principle of education." On readbenefice in Dorsetshire, and his ing such language, we are tempted quitting it, in order to organize to ask, is the Bible, or is it not, some large schools?" When was the religion of Protestants? In his scheme first tried in England? the Lancastrian schools, without How long was it before certain exception, the pupils are taught ministers and members of the to read from the Bible, and in church discovered, or thought some the church catechism is also they discovered, in Mr. Lancas- used. If, moreover, the value of ter's system an hostility to our religious instruction can be esticivil and ecclesiastical establish- mated by its efficacy, we may ments? In the answers which take-high ground in our recom

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13. After observing that the expence of furnishing the means of religious instruction, is very trifling in the schools of Dr. Bell, Mr. Bowyer proceeds in the fol lowing strain,

mendation of what Mr. Lancas- spicuous objection, we oppose the ter imparts; none of the young single fact that Mr. Lancaster's persons educated in his seminaries press furnished one of the schools having been charged with a crim- in the metropolis with the church inal offence in any of our courts catechism, printed after the manof justice. ner of his own cards. Now, plainly, what is done in one instance, may be done in all and they who require this catechism to be exclusively taught, may thus engraft it on the system of Lancaster, with the same facility as on Dr. Bell's. So unfounded are Mr. Bowyer's fears and insinuations! He ap. pears indeed, to be as ignorant of this part of his subject as he is inaccurate in another; since to the semicircles in the Lancastrian Schools he assigns a diameter of nine or ten feet, instead of one of less than half that length.

"This brings me to the consideration of one of the additions to, or rather alterations of, the orig nal system upon which the person above alluded to, rests his claim to the merit of invention. And the real and undeniable merit of his having first presented this most use ful method of teaching to the ocular observation of this country, by his early, laborious and extensive practice of it, gives him so fair a title to the gratitude and esteem of the public that I enter with great reluctance, on a statement which must imply a censure on any part of his proceedings; but the danger with which, in my view of them, they menace our church establishment, lays me under an imperious necessity of communicating to you, as its appointed guardians and watchmen, the nature and cause of such my apprehensions."

Irrational fear magnifies its object: persons under its influence are seldom distinctin their perceptions or conclusive in their reasopings; and it is for his readers to say, whether this be not our

author's situation?

For what however is Mr. Lancaster censured? Whence the apprehended danger? Why truly, the founder of the Borough Road school employs reading cards and tables, and saves the expence of binding and stitching! Therefore,

"we must at once renounce all expositions of the church cate ebism, and all tracts of a similar length." 14, 15.

To this novel and not very per

1b. But contemplating Mr. Lancaster as a dissenter,—and

"The very head and front of his offending

Hath this extent, no more"

." here," exclaims the Official,

new difficulties and dangers arise.". Accordingly, having dedissenters in respect of the educa scribed the situation and duty of tion of their own children, he com. plains of those members of the established church, who would voluntarily send the children of the poor by hundreds to be eduunder the effectual controul of a cated by dissenters, or at least dissenter." (16).

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In his statement he is right, but churchmen and dissenters unite in faulty in his conclusion. When without compromising their seve a scheme of general benevolence, the children of the poor are edural tenets, it is unjust to say that cated by dissenters.

yer, "we are to suffer the children of

17. "It seems," observes Mr. Bow

parents belonging to all sects (for our The controversy respecting Dr. establishment is only treated as one of them) to be admitted promiscuous. Bell and Mr. Lancaster, has turn. ly, &c." ed upon four points,-Who is the We repeat that we wish such inventor of the improved system words as sects and sectaries to be of instruction? Which plan is predisused by Protestants. The ferable for simplicity, economy members of the church should and effect? Which is better appliknow, however, that if they apply cable to the uses and wants of the them to dissenters, they may be established church? and--Does Dr. reminded by dissenters of being Bell plead, or does he not, for af themselves a sect from popery. fording to the children of the poor He, afterwards, makes particu- the means of a thoroughly useful lar mention of Unitarians. Why education?

he distinguishes them, we presume On the last of these subjects the not to conjecture; except it be Professor here employs himself. from his persuasion that no class of Mr. Lancaster, in a letter printed Protestants are more conspicuous in a London newspaper, had for bringing their characteristic charged Dr. Bell with proscribing opinions to the test of the Bible. writing and arithmetic to the chilPerhaps, in the spirit of one of the dren of the lower classes. There orators in the council of Trent, he is certainly a sentence to this effears that in proportion as the Sa- fect in the third edition of the cred Volume is read without the Elements of Tuition, which, howLiturgy, Unitarian sentiments ever, is considerably modified in will advance.t a subsequent impression; though it is still very far from unexcepti onable. Now Dr. Marsh heavily complains of Mr. Lancaster for not quoting the amended passage.

So little does he himself adopt the reasoning, the principles and the spirit of Protestantism, that his concluding observations in this pa. ragraph are in substance, and almost verbally, the same with those of one of the ablest of the modern champions of the papal claims.

Thus much for Mr. Bowyer. We add a few words concerning Professor Marsh's Vindication.

Alas! We suspect that Mr. Lancaster is not quite so conver. sant with various editions as Dr. Marsh. No doubt, he would have done well to pause, and ask, whether the author of the Elements, &c. retained, without any qualification, the obnoxious sentiment? On the other hand, Dr. One of these is conventicle, the original meaning of which may be seen in Bell would hardly have conceded Tertullian's Apology: ch. 3. and in Bp. so much as he still does to the preTaylor's Preface to his Life of Christ, judices of some of the members $34; while the modern application of of his church, had his own better it is well exposed in Dr. Rees's Address, &c. affixed to the second volume of his judgment and feelings been his very admirable Sermons. [M. Repos. guides. After all, the general vol. v. pp. 85, 137, 193. merits of the case cannot be af+ F. Paolo's Hist. Con. Trid. 163. fected by any personal altercati. (2d. ed.)

Milner's Consecration Sermon, at

) on.

Birmingham, pp. 15, 29, 34, &c. [M. The wisdom and the duty of Repos. vol. iii. p. 618, &c.] teaching writing and arithmetic te

the poor, are excellently repre- ART. III. Conferences between the sented by Professor Marsh (14, Danish Christian Missionaries, 15). For the rest, there is no. resident at Tranquebar, and thing in his pamphlet that should the Heathen Natives of Hindoo detain our readers and ourselves. stan, now first rendered into It contains, indeed, like his Dis- English from the Original-Ma course, many assertions without nuscript, by an Officer in the Serproof; and we perceive that he rice of the Honourable East Inuses political rather than religious dia Company. 12mo. pp. 212. motives to accomplish his design. Johnson and Co. 1812. The cry of danger to the state he This is a religious romance, de. repeatedly sounds. Yet Archbi- signed to explode orthodox Chrisshop Secker might have taught tianity. We doubt the moral prohim that " whenever religion priety of this mode of warfare, comes to be spoken of merely as an instrument of policy, it will no longer be so much as that:" and he might have learnt from obser. vation that the Dissenters are among the most peaceable and in dustrious subjects of the realm.

The leading members of the hierarchy, have, at length, formed a national society for the instruction of the children of the poor in the principles of the established church. Whatever we think of the time, the manner and the reasons of the undertaking, in the diffusion of the advantages of education we ardently rejoice. The rival systems will now be practi. cally at issue: the public will soon have ocular proof which is the simpler, the more economical and efficient. Zeal will be ani. mated: vigilance will be increased. But we anticipate a still happier and more important result of the experiment. As we believe that the Bible can make men wise unto salvation, so we doubt not that the religion of the Bible-the religion of Christians and Protestants -will be ultimately promoted even by measures apparently inauspicious to its interests. N.

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which may be employed as well against revealed religion itself as against any corruption of it; and which in this instance, however designed, seems to us to militate against the Christian faith. cannot deny to the author or authors of the work before us the praise of ingenuity, but we are restrained from higher commendation by an authority to which we are accustomed to bow: "If a man also strive for masteries, yet is he not crowned, except he strive lawfully.*'

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Tim. ii. 5.

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