opinions of others. The one is an original effort, the other a mere copy.

By this more unfettered course, we conceive that Mr. Scott would insensibly acquire greater freedom and purity of style. The Milners were far from attaining to excellence in this respect. Still, in the portions of the work written by the Dean, there is a nervousness, a vivacity, and a clearness, which bear strongly the stamp of original thought, and frequently carry away the reader by the force of the author's own conceptions. The style is indeed far too diffuse; but the reader never mistakes the writer's meaning, or fails to receive a powerful impression of the subject which he urges; a point of prime importance in historical composition. We recommend it to Mr. Scott to keep this hint full in view. There are parts of his volume exceedingly well written, and the defects of those sentences which are so obscure as to require to be read a second time before their meaning is clearly perceived, probably arise from the haste and interruptions to which the composition of a long work, by an active parochial clergyman, must be exposed. It is a point not wholly unimportant, to pay some regard to the selection and just use of words: there are several scattered in this volume which, though admitted into common colloquial uso, are misplaced in the more elevated style which becomes history. We make these remarks, both on the independence of the composition and the character of the style, with the more freedom, because the volume demands, and will bear any suggestions which may conduce to the improvement of those that are to follow. And yet, after all, we feel that the course pursued by our author is infinitely better than that style of philosophical speculation in writing history, which, idly contenting itself with a few prominent facts, proceeds to construct theories, and to assign motives at pleasure, almost converting history into romance; and where the writer, instead of reporting with faithfulness and impartiality the testimony of contemporary annals and authentic records, frames a narrative chiefly with a view to effect, or to some preconceived theory of his own; or, under the influence either of prejudice or of party feeling, enlargos, contracts, or distorts, as suits his purpose, the transactions ho has undertaken to record. With such an author as Mr. Scott, we feel that we are at least on safe ground. We learn from him the true history of the events we are solicitous to become acquainted with; and though desirous that more of that purity and elevation of style, and that originality of composition, which distinguish the writings of some of our more secular historians, might be infused into the subsequent volumes, we should nevertheless strongly press upon him the duty of prosecuting, to its consummation, the work which he has so creditably commenced.

We have adverted to the manner, in which Mr. Scott succeeds in the development of perplexed and diflicult topics. The first which occurs, the grave question respecting the lawfulness of resistance to the emperor, is well argued, and we think safely determined. On the shameful event of the bigamy of the Landgrave of Hesse, we think it would have been better at once to have admitted that the re

formers acted erroneously in giving an tion, under any limitations, to so grossly nal a proceeding.-The admission or a tion of a direct sin, under the plausible of a comparative case only being submi judgment, is dangerous and unwarra The questions connected with the life o mus, a name so great among the revi learning, and so little in the far more e rank of roligious reformers, are judiciou tled: his dubious movements are well e the tendency of his proposals of reconc detected, and his real character fairly esti Indeed, the views presented generally th out the volume on the subject of the nu conferences and attempts at concord b the Roman Catholic and Protestant which uniformly failed of success, are a the best decisions of our author. Wo willingly quote a specimen or two on thi if we were not reminded, by our cont limits, that we must now confine ourso one or two citations, with which we sh clude this second division of our subject two following are striking passages. The acute, and conclusive reasoning of the fir the unambitious elevation of the secon both equally excellent.

After several pages of remarks on I bre's letter of Melancthon, and on the us of that supposed letter by a modern Catholic writer, Mr. Scott proceeds to r misrepresentation of Bossuet relating ther's imputed intercourse with the dey then advances some general observatio of sound sense on the drift of Bossuet brated, but most unfair, work, directed the Reformation, under the title of "T} tory of the Varieties, &c." He con with the following able passage:—

"It has struck me, in reading the Bis Meaux's work, that a writer equally able, ly unflinching, and, in particular, acting the influence of a misguided conscience, find little difficulty in composing much book, drawn from the New Testament and directed against Christianity, as composed professedly from the writings reformers, against the Reformation. T chapter of St. Matthew would be made nish specimens of the violent and unme: language in which the Founder of the s indulged, even against characters the m nerable for rank and station. The an 'It is not meet to take the children's and cast it to dogs,' and 'Let the dead the dead: but go thou and preach the dom of God,' would be converted into pro insolence and imperiousness: while the tences, I am not come to send peace the earth, but a sword;' 'I am come to fire on the earth, and what will I if it be al kindled;' would be considered as avowal the Author of the doctrine cared not wha sequences followed from his attempts to blish it. The Epistles to the Galatian the Corinthians would be eminently ser ble to the composer of such a work. would detect the same disagreements ring among some principal agents in the (Gal. ii. 11-14), as are objected to the testants; the same divisions and conte

among their converts; and abuses of sacred ordinances not less gross. Nay, the foulest charge of all, that men became more immoral and vile after embracing the Reformed doctrine than ever before, would not be without its parallel from the very words of an apostle- such fornication among you as is not so much as named among the gentiles. Yet who does not see that all would be perversion and misrepresentation, and of no real weight? As it would be in the one case, so is it in the other." pp. 554, 555.

The other passage is of a different order: it is simple and natural, but elevated. It refers to the death of Luther.

"Thus died in peace the man, who, bearing no higher office than that of an Augustinian monk, and afterwards of a Protestant professor of divinity, had shaken to its centre one of the most firmly-seated systems of despotism and delusion that the world ever beheld; who had provoked, and for nearly thirty years together defied, the utmost malice of those mighty pow. ers, which had a little time before made the proudest monarchs to tremble on their thrones; while, for the suppression of his principles, diet after diet of the German empire, aided by the representatives of the papal authority, met in vain. His hand had been against every man that was engaged on the side of reigning error, and every such man's hand was against him; yet not one of them could touch a hair of his head to his hurt: he lived and died unharmed, not only in the presence of all his brethren, but in despite of all his enemies. So marvellous is the providence of God; so inexhaustible is his store of means for accomplishing all his pleasure;' and so secure, under all circumstances, is the man over whom the shield of his protection is extended." p. 478.

We proposed, as the last general division of this article, to make such practical deductions with regard to the duty of Protestant Christians in the present day, as may naturally be drawn from the whole subject.

1. Thankfulness to Almighty God for the blessings of the Reformation, is the first practical duty suggested by the volume before us. What do we not owe, as Englishmen, as Protestants, as Christians, to the heroic constancy and evangelical labours of the reformers! But for their efforts, who knows but some scourge similar to that of the Mahommedan imposture might have been sent into the West, as it was into the East, unless, indeed, which is more probable considering the development of European intellect, scepticism or deism had preoccupied its place? The anti-christian corruptions of the one division of Christendom in the sixteenth century were as gross, and nearly as fundamental, as those of the other division of it in the seventh. But the mercy of God raised - Enthar and his fellow-labourers to reform,

ring provinces of Italy? Where the evangelical aspirations of Spain? And even if we compare our church with those which still retain the Protestant name, how superior our grounds for praising God! For what has been, and is, the state of the Swiss reformed churches; of the Genevese, the German, the Swedish, the Danish, the Norwegian, the Dutch? Where is there so pure and scriptural a national creed in effective operation as in our own country? Where so bright an effulgence of evangelical light? Where, notwithstanding any remaining civil disabilities, is toleration granted so amply to the varying modes of Christian worship, or of religious effort resorted to by tender or misinformed consciences? Where, with many deplorable exceptions, especially in our cities, is education more widely diffused? Where is there a system of doctrine and discipline more freely admitting the practical revival of pure and undefiled religion? Where are the Scriptures more studied, or more purely expounded? Wo are aware, that large, very large, deductions, must be made from these statements; but still our present point, the duty of gratitude to God, is not weakened by the consideration of our failing to make a due use of the vast advantages we enjoy. Let the reader consider only the position of this country in the present day with respect to the conversion of the heathen nations, our civil and religious freedom, our wealth and resources, our extended commerce opening to us an intercourse with every part of the world, our influence, the principles of improvement which are fermenting on all sides, the re-awakened spirit of religious inquiry, the establishment and progress of so many great societies for the diffusion of the Gospel, and the attention which is fixed upon us by other nations, and he will discover abundant testimonies of the Divine mercy, and corresponding reasons for grateful acknowledgment.

There are two points however, relative to our own country, which occur to us as peculiarly demanding our thanksgivings, when we look forward to the conversion of mankindOUR LIBERTY, RELIGIOUS AND CIVIL; AND THE EXTENT OF OUR EMPIRE. Let the considerate reader reflect how, three centuries back, every such attempt at good by individuals would have been crushed by the rude hand of power; let him remember the tyranny by which the popedom secured its usurpation over the understandings and consciences of mankind; let him recollect that, for the first half of his career, Luther could only gain a connivance limited by great hesitation and indecision; and then let him compare this state of things with the almost unlimited range for every Christian and benevolent effort which our national freedom presents to us. Let him consider also the actual resources and extent of the British empire; let him cast his eye on the States of

nations.

We admit most fully that this liberty and this power are not, after all, the leading blessings of the Reformation itself: nor do we present them in this view. We admit, and expressly maintain, that the main benefits of that signal revolution were the emancipation of the human mind, the spiritual illumination and instruction of man, the overthrow of religious ignorance and idolatry, and the development of the peculiar and vital doctrines of the grace and satisfaction of Christ; and we strongly approve of Mr. Scott's remonstrances on this subject we agree with him in protesting against those statements which would represent the chief blessings of the Reformation to be the mere principles of Christian liberty and toleration. Unquestionably, its chief blessings consisted in the assertion of the exclusive and paramount authority of Scripture, and in the knowledge and diffusion of its pure and holy doctrines. But we still think that, in subordination to these primary benefits, the liberty and the power granted to this country are subjects of peculiar gratitude to God, because among many other reasons, they afford us the means of extending and propagating the saving truths of His word to the ends of the earth If abused indeed, these privileges must turn to our deeper condemnation; and England, like Nineveh, and Tyre, and Babylon, may become a monument of power and greatness overthrown. But, if rightly employed, they are most important means of blessing mankind with the light of evangelical truth-so important, that England seems at this moment only to want the will, successfully to lead on the conquests of the Redeemer in every land. No considerable external obstacles present themselves. Obstacles did we say? every external circumstance appears to admit and invite us to the holy effort. And this is the very reason which leads us to hope, that the honour may be granted to our country of conducting the blind and wandering nations of the earth to the light and rest of the Gospel.

2. But, to this end, it will be essential that a right direction should be given to our endeavours and our prayers; and therefore we proceed to deduce, as a second practical conclusion from the history before us, the importance of keeping ever alive in our minds, the great principle of all the Reformed communities. The experience of the whole church of Christ for eighteen centuries loudly proclaims, that all essential error, leading to the ruin of the souls of men, and of the prosperity and even existence of Christian communities, has had its rise in the neglect of the Holy Scriptures. Here then the reformers took their ground. Their grand principle was, that the Scriptures contain all things necessary to eternal salvation; whilst the Papists rested on human authority, the commandments of men, the dictates of fallible

It

the Scriptures to the mass of mankind; testantism has spread them wide as the Popery appeals to fathers and councils, an crees of the church; Protestantism appe the one supreme rule of faith and duty. P works by the arts of the schoolmen, an concealment or perversion of Holy Scrip Protestantism by the simple exposition o unadulterated word of God. We have b look through the volume we have been re ing. to see that the Scriptures were the of the reformers. The book of God was in their hands. Their submission to it wa conditional. They daily read it, and medi upon its contents. It was wrought into whole system. A sacred awe filled their n when treating of the matters which the e God had revealed for the salvation of mai They did not indeed reject the testimo tradition, the opinion of the fathers, the tates of experience, or the aids of sounds and learned criticism when humbly appli aid, under the influence of the Holy Spiri just interpretation of the sacred volume. they assigned to none of these an auth over the book which they were intended lustrate. They gave to none of them equ similar force to the inspired text; much did they, in practice, reject that text, and p the decrees of fathers and councils. most impossible to conceive, now that the pression of the past has so nearly spent how generally the holy writings were unkn neglected, perverted, almost lost, when L first arose. If we cast a view at the Ro preachers of the last century, or even at discourses in the present, what ignoran the Scriptures, what distortion of facts, mere follies do we see imposed upon their ers; the great argument of each portion o sermon is not the word of Christ, but the of Tertullian, Augustine, Jerome, or Ber All intelligent use of the oracies of God s neglected, as if by common consent. And we cannot but observe, that the Protes have not been free from this defect, thoug a different manner; that is to say, from times perverting, as well as neglecting, blessed Scriptures. The Church of Rome be said. in practice, virtually to have de them all authority; the Protestant Church occasionally weakened the simplicity of testimony, by over-straining particular sages, by carrying its simple practical theo to metaphysical refinement, by magnifying doctrine of a few texts to the disparagen of the fair bearing of the whole record, by glecting the proportion, the scope, the spir the different parts of Divine truth. Prob no class of Protestants is wholly free from error. We speak not now of the Socinian our own country, or of those who are ter Rationalists, or Neologists, in Germany; shall advert to this last fatal corruption pres ly:) but we are speaking of the vast bod Protestants who build on the great founda of the sacrifice of Christ, and who yet, for w of a more adequate submission of the wh heart to every part of the holy volume, are times guilty of taking away from its genu efficacy. Let Protestants, then, return m