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Faith founded on Reason; or a Rational Christian's Profession of Faith; being a Summary of Christian Doctrine, extracted from the Exposition of the

ERRATA,

P 660 line 28, for a high degree not only of read not only p. 676, line 11, for, attention, read affection

681 line, 8. from, bottom for appears read appear.

THE

ECLECTIC REVIEW,

FOR AUGUST, 1812.

Art. I. The Life of the Right Rev. Beilby Porteus, D. D. late Bishop of London. By the Rev. Robert Hodgson, A. M. F. R. S. Rector of St. George's, Hanover Square, and one of the Chaplains in Ordinary to his Majesty. 8vo. pp. 319. Price 7s. Cadell and Davies, 1811. THE contemplation of so eminent a pattern of excellence, as

it is the aim of the performance before us to delineate, must be ranked among the most interesting and improving of human enjoyments. Worth so fervent and uniform, united to talents so cultivated, and accomplishments so fascinating,-honoured with station, and affluence, and authority-recommending our religion, enriching our literature, and adorning and dignifying even the most elevated institutions of our nation, presents indeed a noble and animating spectacle, amidst the disheartening scenes which on every side surround us. By every man of right feelings, it must be viewed with reverence and affection; and we are anxious, for our own part, now to leave the picture enchased, with all its valuable instruction, within the heart of every individual who may distinguish our pages with his notice.

Mr. Hodgson's model in composition has evidently been his patron's Review' of Secker. His arrangement is chronological. In the narrative there is no want of perspicuity; and his remarks and reflections are usually marked with good sense. His long habits of familiar friendship with the departed prelate, gave him peculiar means of intimate observation and of accurate judgement; and from his close family alliance, he has possessed complete access to the most authentic and ample private sources of intelligence and illustration. Mr. H. slightly sketches the prelate's ancestry and education; enumerates the situations and offices in which he employed his protracted life; relates the occasions and the characters of his several publications, and of the various political measures, which, at different times, he recommended or opposed; and then proceeds to adduce some official, and disclose some secret deeds, which more directly exemplified the principles, and embodied the qualities, of his mind and heart.

VOL. VIIL

3 R

We cannot but notice, however, some serious defects in the course of the work. We are told enough of the Bishop as a peer, and enough of him as a bishop,-if a bishop mean nothing more than an ecclesiastical governor: but to learn the history of his studies, the progress of his mental powers, his habits of composition, or his domestic modes of amusement and relaxation, must be here a hopeless attempt. In short, the public wish to know, and from a nephew of the Bishop's have a right to expect, much more respecting his private life and conduct than Mr. Hodgson has thought proper to furnish.

His

Bishop Porteus was born at York, on the 3d of May, 1731, the youngest but one of nineteen children. His parents were both natives of Virginia, in North America, and respectively descended from good families emigrated from Britain. father, born to what was there considered an independent fortune, followed no profession, but lived upon bis estate, in affluence and tranquillity, till 1720; when, induced as well by declining health, as by the desire of procuring for his children a better education, he removed to England, and fixed his resi dence in York. Owing to the negligence or dishonesty of his foreign agents, this removal was succeeded by very considerable injury to his fortune; but he happily accomplished the object first in his ambition, and this rewarded every sacrifice, and amply atoned for all disquietude.

Having attended school at York till he was thirteen years of age, and afterwards passed a considerable time in a respectable seminary at Rippon, young Porteus was sent to Cambridge, where, under the judicious superintendance of an elder brother, he was admitted a sizer at Christ's College. While under-graduate, his attention was directed, mainly, to mathematical pursuits; and he proved his industry and talent, by taking the station of tenth wrangler, among the honorary de grees of his year. Becoming bachelor of arts, in 1752, he carried off the second gold medal for classical eminence, on the first occasion of their adjudgement, upon the election of the Duke of Newcastle to the chancellorship. In the spring of the same year he was chosen fellow of his college, and from that time resided in Cambridge. He has often declared this to have been one of the happiest periods in his life; being placed precisely in the situation which he most wished and wanted, with leisure, means, and motives to prosecute those studies which were best suited to his disposition, and amidst congenial associates, on whom his heart and understanding could alike repose.

From these quiet enjoyments, however, he was soon summoned into Yorkshire, by the sudden death of his mother. Mr. Gray, in his elegant Letters, reminds his correspondent, with a simple tenderness that we have always felt indescribably

affecting, that he never could have but one mother. Dr. P. knew the force of the admirable poet's expression, and was overwhelmed with filial grief; but religious consolations upheld his soul, and the merciful hand of time imperceptibly mellowed and removed his sorrow. In his absence, his friends had been soliciting for him the office of esquire beadle, in the college, which at length they procured. His turn of mind made him averse to the acceptance of it; yet he complied, to honour the flattering exertions of his companions, and to relieve his father from further expence. He retained this situation only two years; determining to supply every consequent deficiency in his income, by taking a few wealthy pupils under his private care and instruction. These, from his acknowledged abilities and established character, he readily obtained; and in this sphere of interesting duty he laid the foundation of several pleasing and honourable connections.

He had long destined his powers for the sublime service of the sanctuary, in accordance at once with the wishes of his fainily and his own deliberate choice. He took orders at the age of twenty-six; was ordained deacon in 1757, by Bishop Thomas, and priest shortly after, by Archbishop Hutton, at York. Resuming at the university his domestic charge, he yet found time, among the cares and toils of tuition and of study, to cultivate his poetical talents, the exercise and improvement of which seem to have been always peculiarly grateful to his pensive temper. The early production of his noted poem on 'Death,' which obtained the Seatonian prize, manifested his success. The subject at the time was particularly adapted to the habits and tone of his feelings and reflections, from the recent afflicting loss of his affectionate father. The poem is doubtless known to most of our readers, and deserves the favourable reception which true lovers of poetry usually give it. He was not less attentive, however, to the immediate duties of his sacred vocation. His able and judicious sermon, on the Character of David, which was composed expressly to counteract the mischievous tendencies of a profane pamphlet then in general circulation, served greatly to heighten and extend his professional attainments in public knowledge and esteem.

Of this he soon received a gratifying illustration, in Archbishop Secker's selection of him to be one of his domestic chaplains, in the summer of 1762. In consequence, he quitted College, and took up his residence at Lambeth. Here also he felt himself again most enviably situated. With much leisure, ausidst the choicest means to enrich his mind, to develope and strengthen his faculties, and to purify and regulate and interest his heart, he had constantly before his eyes, on the very height of professional eminence, a kind and venerated bene