may not, we cannot confine her to a sect or party, or lead her in chains after the triumphal car of some exclusive and proud philosophy. It is not enough that we satisfy ourselves, and meet the inquiries and difficulties of our own party. We must be prepared for all inquiries and for all difficulties. We may bring inquiries to a pause, and smooth over difficulties in the small orb of our own adherents, by appealing to authorities, and repeating the magic words of established expositions, but this does not stop inquiries in other spheres; this does not remove the difficulties of minds determined to think; this does not scatter the morning light over the broad face of the world. Let Biblical criticism do for Christianity what legitimate and diligent investigation has done for nature-bring out to view her simple facts. And then, if we proceed to philosophize, let our philosophy be like that of Newton, the outgrowth of the facts under the light of reason.

5. Sacred Rhetoric. This is the Rhetoric of the Bible. In teaching to the people at large Bible truth, we ought to copy the methods and the style of the Bible. When Jesus Christ sent forth his disciples "to teach all nations," he had respect to the facts and doctrines of his gospel; and if we seek for a method and style, nothing can be more simple, pure and beautiful than his own.

It would be both a curious and useful work to examine the most celebrated sermons delivered during the different ages of Christianity. The subjects would be exceedingly various. There would be discourses, scientific, physiological, psychological and ontological. There would be opinions and truths of every kind, mingled indeed with Scripture truths. There would be all varieties of style, but for the most part either a stately and florid eloquence, or an elaborate, didactic and logical stiffness and precision, or loud denunciatory thunder, and polemical satire, keen, vivid and blasting as the lightning. There would indeed be contrasted with these, other sermons constructed after the gospel models, exhibiting a rhetoric learned at the feet of Christ, or in the assemblies where the apostles spake. But we fear they would be comparatively few.

Philosophical and even polemical discussions, under certain relations, may become the duty of every minister of the gospel, as it may be his duty to act in a variety of offices: but simply as a preacher, he has the gospel to proclaim and nothing but the gospel,-not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, lest the

cross of Christ should be made of none effect, but in a style so simple, and in a method so directly the reverse of a philosophical method, as to seem "foolishness" to worldly and speculative minds, which have not examined the true intent of the gospel, nor comprehended its genuine authority and power. This true intent is to "convince men of sin, of righteousness and a judgment to come," and to lead them to life and immortality by the cross of Christ: this genuine authority and power are the "wisdom of God and the power of God," manifested in the original inspirations, and the ever present influences of the Holy Spirit.

O great Head of thy Church, hasten the day, when the mitre of the hierarch and the gown of the philosopher shall be laid aside for the simple garment of salvation; and thy ministers shall go forth, without contention and in perfect love, thy lowly and faithful lamp-bearers, to fill the world with thy pure light, and thy zealous and untiring messengers of grace, to call in all the poor and wretched to thy marriage feast!

ARTICLE XII.

CRITICAL NOTICES.

1.-Oxford Divinity, compared with that of the Romish and Anglican Churches: with a special view to the Illustration of the Doctrine of Justification by Faith, as it was made of primary importance by the Reformers; and as it lies at the foundation of all Scriptural views of the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. By the Rt. Rev. Charles Pettit M'Ilvaine, D. D., Bishop of the Prot. Episcopal Church in the Diocese of Ohio. Philadelphia: Joseph Whetham & Son. 1841. pp. 564.

THE far-famed Oxford Tracts, or "Tracts for the Times," first published in England, were, a few months since, reprinted in New-York, preceded by the promise of a large selection of other English publications in support of the doctrines which they advance. The friends of these doctrines, who are understood to be numerous in the Episcopal church in this country, as well as in England, have been zealous in commending

them to the diligent reading and reception of the clergy and laity of that denomination. "Thus," says our author, "has the controversy been forced upon those, who, while the publications were confined to the transatlantic church, and only introduced among us by scanty importations, would have been content to leave it with those to whom it especially belonged, however deeply convinced themselves, that Oxford Divinity was most justly accused."

The "Oxford Divinity," however, is by no means confined to the "Oxford Tracts." It is found in other writings of various authors, some of whom are known as leaders, others as followers, all disclaiming any association with the Oxford divines, as a school or party. None of these publications contained a full and satisfactory development of the "Divinity" in question. Its parts were disjointed and scattered over a wide surface, and mingled with an attractive display of other matter to which none could object. While thus diffused, no one was responsible for all its peculiarities, nor could it be met excepting at detached and disconnected points. But this embarrassment has been, in some measure, removed by the publication in England, and the reprint in this country, of "A Letter by the Rev. E. B. Pusey, D. D. Regius Professor," etc., addressed to the Bishop of Oxford. The object of this work,-which contains more than two hundred well-filled pages,-is to lay before the Bishop, on behalf of the author and his fellow-laborers, "an explicit confession" of their faith on the points whereon they have been accused, and especially to vindicate their doctrines from the charge of a tendency to Romanism.

Bishop M'Ilvaine examines the system as here exhibited. Dr. Pusey proclaims it as the via media of the church of England, "distinct from the by-ways of Ultra-Protestantism on one side, and neither verging towards, nor losing itself in Romanism on the other." By Ultra-Protestantism, a word which occurs with singular frequency in the works of the Oxford divines, our author understands them to mean whatever relates to religion, "negatively or positively, for or against, only excepting Romanism and Oxfordism." And this extended application of the word would seem to be justified by the use of it in Dr. Pusey's "Letter.". The controversy, then, is really between Protestantism in general, or the doctrines of the Reformation, and Romanism. So Bishop M'Ilvaine considers it; and the question which he raises and makes it the object of his work to answer, is this: "Is Oxford Divinity conformed essentially to the doctrine of Rome, on the question

SECOND SERIES, VOL. V. NO. I.

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of justification; or to the opposite doctrine of the standards of the church of England, and of her daughter-church in America?" This question he meets with boldness, and after an Introduction, and statements preparatory to the right estimation of the Oxford doctrine of justification, and its righteousness, he proceeds, in ten chapters, to compare it with the doctrines of the schoolmen, the Council of Trent, the Romish church, and the Anglican church, on the same subject; in the course of which he also exhibits its effects upon other doctrines and parts of Christianity. He claims to have thoroughly studied the system, as it is exhibited in the Tracts and the other sources referred to by Dr. Pusey. The result is a settled conviction that, whatever may have been the intention of those who maintain it, this divinity is in fact an abandon. ment of the distinguishing principles of the Protestant faith, and a systematic adoption of the root and heart of Romanism, from which have proceeded all its corruptions and deformities. The first step of its departure from the Protestant faith, is its rejection of that cardinal doctrine of the Reformation, justification by faith. This is pronounced, by Newman, Pusey and Keble, "an abuse of the doctrine of justification,"-"a real corruption," "another gospel." According to their system, baptismal regeneration lies at the foundation of justification before God. An inherent righteousness, they maintain, is communicated by the sole instrumentality of baptism, and is the only ground of justification; and for sins committed after baptism, they more than intimate their confidence in the Romish doctrine of penances and indulgences, excepting for "mortal sins," for which neither Oxford nor Rome has made provision.

Such are the characteristic doctrines of that Ancient Christianity which is attempted to be restored by the Oxford divines. To these may be added several external forms of worship, the duty of praying for the dead, etc., all of which are in accordance with the usages of the Romish church, and have heretofore been strenuously rejected by Protestants.

In the work before us the whole system is discussed and resisted with much point and directness, and with an accumulation of proof, which shows the Bishop of Ohio to be tho roughly at home in the subject. The book is also written in a spirit of courtesy and charity which is highly creditable to the author. We cordially commend it to the perusal of all who feel an interest in the Oxford controversy, and especially to our brethren of the Episcopal church, whose Protestantism has been, and perhaps still is, not a little endangered by the

specious and learned disquisitions of the Oxford divines. While we thus express our high opinion of the substance of our author's work, we regret that our friend the Bishop has not trained himself to a more condensed style of writing. His argument is unnecessarily expanded, and the volume, we think, is much larger than was needed. It is, however, well "got up" by the publisher, and presents an attractive appearance to such as can afford to gratify a taste for handsome books.

2. Institutes of Ecclesiastical History, Ancient and Modern; much corrected, enlarged and improved from the primary Authorities by John Lawrence von Mosheim, D. D., Chancellor of the University of Gottingen. A new and literal Translation from the original Latin, with copious additional Notes, original and selected: by James Murdock, D. D. In three volumes. Second Edition, revised and enlarged. New-York: Harper and Brothers. 1839. pp. 470, 484, 506.

The original work of Mosheim appeared in 1755. It was originally written in Latin, and such was its popularity that it was soon translated into the English, French, Dutch and German languages; though many distinguished scholars have devoted their lives to this department of investigation, the "Institutes" continue to be held in the highest estimation. Prior to 1832, the only English translation of this work was that of Dr. Maclaine, which was published in 1764. In his preface, the Doctor admits that he has "taken considerable liberty with the author,-following the spirit of the narrative, without adhering strictly to the letter, and often adding a few sentences to render an observation more striking, a fact more clear, a portrait more finished." Indeed, his translation is no translation at all; it is a mere paraphrase; and the liberty taken is the more unpardonable, as he gives us no clue by which to detect the changes he has made.

Dr. Murdock has performed an important service, therefore, in offering to the public "a close, literal version,-containing neither more nor less than the original." But this is far from expressing the full extent of our obligations to him. The translator is himself profoundly learned in all that relates to the Church; and his notes have greatly enhanced the value of the work. Indeed, we know of no single book, in any language, which is so valuable to the student of ecclesiastical history.

In preparing the present edition, Dr. Murdock has compared the translation with the original, sentence by sentence; the