If they were not altogether such as might have been expected from his mind, still they were of some worth, and did more good. Where he failed most, was when he aimed at too much; but, granting these failures, his Lectures on the Liturgy will not lessen the former reputation attached to his name.

Respecting the book of Common-Prayer' itself, particularly its style of composition, perhaps it will be allowed, as Gerrard Andrewes said, that it ranks inferior only to inspiration. Many have thought of it quite as highly. Blessed be God!' exclaims Toplady, 'the Clergy are forced to read it, and to administer the Lord's Supper, and other offices, according to its admirable and animating form of sound words.'

ROBERT HAWKER, D. D.

IMMEDIATELY after the first appearance of the account of Dr. Hawker, the following letter, corroborative of one fact as told by Onesimus, came to hand.-' Attended as he is by his numerous admirers, and though nurtured in the bosom of our church, he has been denied admission into the national pulpits.' See p. 53.

• SIR,

• The first thing that now engages my attention, on reading the National Register, is the article under

"the head" Popular Preachers." I have an aversion to flat

6

tery, or any thing that resembles it; therefore shall say no

thing to Onesimus, but that I admire his impartiality. I

'read with pleasure the criticism on Dr. Hawker: it excited

my curiosity to hear that gentleman; especially when it

was mentioned that he had been refused admission into

some of our pulpits. I have made enquiry, and found your

' statement correct. I have also made it my business to hear

'the rev. gentleman; and really, sir, I am at a loss to know

the cause of the refusal. Does not the rev. gentleman 'preach the doctrines of the established church? or, does he preach something more than mere morality? or, is it a 'crime to preach extempore? Sir, the Ministry of the Gos'pel is a high and sacred office! It appears to me, that the

sermons of the doctor are too evangelical for some of our

pulpits. Good God!-Is it possible? If we believe in the • Redeemer, can we say, or hear, too much of him? Can a ⚫ minister view the Son of God expiring on the cross, and of'fer up the form of prayer of the established church, and con⚫clude nearly every prayer with "through the merits of thy dear Son;" and yet refuse a minister the use of the pulpit because he says too much of the Saviour? Sir, if this should be the cause of the refusal, what may be the effect? My mind has been occupied with considering (I do not decide), whether, at the day of judgment, they may not have

to answer for it.-Sir, the Clergy complain of preaching to

empty pews; but they never will preach to full ones till

‹ they make great improvement in their preaching.

SYDNEY SMITH, M. A.

Ir may be as well to apprise the reader of what is meant by the vexatious bustle of a new Bishop.' See p. 112.

February the 15th, 1808, the Archbishop of York (Dr. Venables Vernon, translated from the see of Carlisle, November 1807, on the death of Dr. Markham,) issued the following Notice to the Clergy of his Diocess:

"Notice is hereby Given

"To the Clergy of the diocess of York, that by the 25th and 26th clauses of the Residence Act, every clergyman who is non-resident by reason of any exemption allowed by that act, is required to notify such exemption, in writing, to the Archbishop or Bishop of the diocess to whose jurisdiction he is subject, within six weeks after the first day of January in every year; and if any person shall wilfully neglect to make such notification as aforesaid, the person so neglecting shall

not be entitled, after the expiration of six weeks, to the benefit of this exemption, until he has made such notification in writing; and if any clergyman of the diocess of York is non-resident without either license or exemption, he will (when the fact is made known to the Archbishop) be proceeded against as the said Residence Act directs."

Sydney Smith, as the reader will see, is Rector of Faston, near York.