The Declaration of his Sentiments before the States of Holland, and his Apology against Thirty-one Defamatory Articles, In reference to the fifth of Arminius's Orations, Mr. Nichols observes, dates for holy orders; and he very clearly demonstrates, that the course pursued by the bishop is less exceptionable than that of the Dutchmen. Indeed, the text and notes of this Ora“In this most admirable and spirited produc- tion form a striking contrast to each tion, our author not only exhibits an accurate other: for, while Arminius is edifying and profound acquaintance with the human us with his pious designs and peaceful heart, and of the motives which bias it, but thoughts, his translator, mild and modevelopes those sound principles of religious dest though he is generally accounted, liberty which were espoused and defended by his successors, and on account of which the introduces us, in the notes, to the turDutch Remonstrants acquired the best portion bulent scenes of the Dutch Synod, in of their just celebrity. Indeed, whatever was which we seem to hear the brawling subsequently written by them on this interest-president, the thumps of his lay-secreing subject, is little more than an expansion of the sentiments here propounded in the nervous language of Arminius."-p. 370. tary Heinsius, the dissatisfactions of the states' commissioners expressed in bad Latin, and the personal squabbles of Gomarus, Lubbertus, and Hommius. It is, indeed, a most wonderful production, and justifies what one of the greatest divines of the last age said Concerning the Declaration of his about its author: "The uncommon Opinions, which Arminius delivered in mildness and forbearance of Arminius 1608, before the states of Holland, (rendered still more extraordinary by Episcopius asks, “What could any the age in which he lived) is apparent one desire, that was more open, canin every page of his writings.' In did, and nervous?" And the Rev. that oration, Arminius described, in a John Wesley, one of the most compemost charming manner, an impartial tent authorities on this subject, says, Protestant Synod. This formed such that "it serves at once, by facts, to a contrast to that which was convened evidence the unfair usage he met with, ten years afterwards, as induced Mr. and to proclaim to the world as manly Nichols to point out "the amazing and rational a system of divinity as any difference which may be perceived, in age or nation has produced.” many essential particulars, between the heavenly assembly portrayed by Arminius, and the Synod of Dort." He considered this to be "a part of his duty, in order to counteract some late unprincipled attempts at misrepresentation on that very important subject." And he has executed this most laborious task in a style which leaves nothing to be desired. He has condensed all that Brandt had written on the subject, and has presented several important elucidations from Hales and Balcanqual, the Calvinistic Acts of the Synod, and the writings of Grotius, Episcopius, Poelenburgh, Bayle, Vedelius, Jortin, John Goodwin, and others. He has also interspersed some original letters from Bogerman, Niellius, Bergius, M. A. de Dominis, Maccovius, and Vorstius, which have never before been presented to the English reader. We have been much amused with his concluding remarks, in which he compares the inquisitorial conduct of the Dutch Calvinists towards their Remonstrant brethren, with the Inquisition recently instituted by the bishop of Peterborough towards the candi Great though these commendations are from such eminent individuals, they are by no means over-strained; for it is a most interesting composition, as every reader will perceive on perusing it. This portion of our author's Works is likewise elucidated by numerous and long notes, which, derived from various learned sources, shed much light upon the narrative, and the doctrines which it contains. The design of this immense array of authorities, is evidently to prove the coincidence between the doctrines of Melancthon, Cranmer, Bucer, and others of the early Reformers, and those of Arminius; the superior purity of the tenets of even the more deteriorated race of the Remonstrants, and the height to which they carry the grace of God, above that of the most evangelical class of the Calvinists,—and the necessity of some alteration in the Dutch Formularies of that period, These points, and several more, are discussed at still greater length, in Mr. Nichols's Calvinism and Arminianism Compared in their Principles and Tendency, which we reviewed in our Number for November, last year. Nearly the whole of these important elucidations, the result of deep research, are new to English readers, and must have cost the commentator vast labour, for which every ingenuous and liberal mind will tender him due thanks. The late Rev. Thomas Scott, in his "Remarks on the Bishop of Winchester's Refutation of Calvinism," has called Grotius" one of the most able and plausible, yet most decided, enemies of genuine Christianity that modern times have produced." Yet Grotius, unevangelical as he is thus depicted, is shewn by Mr. Nichols to hold such elevated and scriptural sentiments on the grace of assurance, and on the perfection of believers, as neither Mr. Scott, nor any modern Calvinist, has ventured to avow. An avowal of this description, on their part, would be exceedingly inconsistent, so long as they profess the despairing language of an awakened Jew, O wretched man that I am! to be the highest point of their religious experience. A more disinterested witness (among many others) to the piety of Grotius, and to its blessed effects, is adduced by Mr. Nichols in the person of the celebrated John Bowring, Esq. who says, in his Batavian Anthology, "The very name of GROTIUS calls up all that the imagination can conceive, of greatness and true fame. He laid the groundwork of that attention to religious duties which is so universal in Holland. The authority of his great name,always associated with Christianity, with peace, with literature, with freedom, and suffering, and virtue,-has ever been a bulwark of truth and morals." From a note which would fill twelve of our pages, and which still is not one of the longest of those that are appended to this translation, we present our readers with the subjoined extract, as a specimen of Mr. Nichols's manner. and because it conveys some useful reflections: any man in the United Provinces; he, therefore, knew of the propensity in the human mind, while avoiding one extreme, to fly to another, and kindly cautioned Poppius against even the appearance of bare morality in his public discourses: the reply of Poppius will prove that venerable servant of Christ to have exercised, with regard to him, a groundless jealousy. But subsequent events shewed Uitenbogardt's apprehensions to have been correct respecting some others: for while several of the Remonstrants endeavoured to shun the practice of the Calvinistic preachers, (who most injudiciously propounded the grace of God so as to make it a ground of carnal security,) they the defects of their adversaries by inculcating resolved to say little about grace, and to supply the observance of Christian precepts, and the strict performance of religious duties. This observed by Arminius and the early defenders was a complete change of practice, from that of his system; for those able divines avowed, on all occasions, that the preaching of the cross of Christ is, to all those who are called by the gospel, the power of God and the wisdom of God. (1 Cor. i. 24.) The effect of this and ought to be generally known;-not a few change, though deplorable, must be recorded, of the subsequent Dutch Remonstrants, within thirty years after the Synod of Dort, by explaining away many scriptural peculiarities of this description, had made rapid advances towards Semi-Pelagianism, and gave the law in that species of lore to bishop Jeremy Taylor, doctors Heylin, Whitby, and others of our celebrated countrymen. But it must never be forgotten, that several divines of the greatest talents, both in Holland and England, held fast the form of sound words, as delivered by Armithat the doctrines of general redemption are of nius; and manfully demonstrated to the world, a more gracious description, and of a more hallowing tendency, than the unbumbling and restricted grace of the Genevan school, and the absurd pleas of Calvinism, for a stinted and imperfect Christianity."-pp. 623, 624. To do any thing like justice to a thick volume like this, would require more space than we can possibly allow. We can, in conclusion, only express our high approval of the style of the translator, and of the numerous illustrations which he has adduced. Were we required to point out any defect in spirit or manner, we should immediately refer to his notices of the Independents, the strictures upon whom we consider to be, in some instances, far too severe. With this qualification to our praises, we recommend the perusal of this volume to all those who are anxious to become acquainted with what were really the sentiments of Arminius, on Christian doctrines, and with the various impediments they had to encounter, before they reached that extensive sphere of influence they now exert over so large a part of the religious world. REVIEW.-The Plenary Inspiration of which the eye of criticism, and the import contained in its language, the Scriptures asserted, and the Principles of their Composition Investigated, with a View to the Refu tation of all Objections to their Divinity, &c. &c. By the Rev. S. Noble. 8vo. pp. 731. London. Simpkin and Marshall. 1825. WHEN Bishop Berkeley invented his singular theory, which hypothetically annihilated the material world, there can be no doubt that his motives were pure, and when his speculations were submitted to public inspection, even those who thought them wild and visionary, readily gave him credit for his sincerity. He had seen the prevalence of atheism, and while attempting to discover its cause, he found its advocates lying at anchor under the intervention of matter, the opacity of which prevented them from perceiving the Deity, from whom it derived its properties, its motion, and even its existence. On observing their security in this harbour, the intricacies of which prevented their easy dislodgment, he resorted to the unprecedented expedient of sapping the foundation of their defence. This he theoretically accomplished; and having sprung his mine, and demolished the instrument of their protection, they were left in immediate contact with the great first Cause of all finite existence. In a manner somewhat analogous to the preceding, the Rev. S. Noble and his work appear before us. He had long noticed the assaults of Infifidels on the fortress of revelation, and, with an observant eye watched the means that have been adopted for its defence. These he admits to be both laudable and useful, within a certain sphere of operation, but "he has long been impressed with a serious conviction, that fully to meet the difficulties which Infidel writers have raised, it were necessary to put the controversy on a different ground from that which has been taken by the most popular of the Christian advocates. He is of opinion, that the ablest of their works are more adapted to silence than to satisfy, even an ingenuous inquirer," (preface p. 1.) Under this impression he avows his conviction, that in addition to the literal and obvious meaning of scripture, there must be a hidden secret researches of philology, can never discover. He argues that nothing but the admission of a literal and secret meaning, can rescue the scriptures from the charge of contradiction. But this branch of his theory will best appear in his own words, which we give in the following paragraph: "But to resume the analogy between the Word of God and his works. From all that has been advanced it may be seen, that to suppose the literal sense of the Word of God, (upon the assumption that it is rightly so named,) to be all that it contains, because nothing more is obvious to a superficial inspection, is just as reasonable as to affirm, that the human body consists of nothing but skin, because this is all that meets the unassisted eye: but as the researches of anatomists have assured us, that within the skin which covers our frame there are innumerable forms of use and beauty, each of which consists again of innumerable vessels and fibres; whilst, after science has carried her discoveries to the utmost, the principle that imparts life to of the Holy Word, which may he regarded as its skin, includes within it innumerable spiritual truths, adapted in some measure to the apprehension of spiritually minded men, but more completely to the intellects of purely spiritual beings; whilst the Essential Divine Wisdom comprehension of the highest finite intelliwhich gives life to the whole, is beyond the gence, and can only be known to its Infinite Original. And such must be the character of the whole of the Word of God,-as well of tive sense in the letter, as of those which do those passages which afford a clear, instrucnot: for the Word of God, to be truly so, must be like itself throughout, and must every where be composed upon one uniform principle. Every mind that reflects deeply upon the subject, will, I am persuaded, see, that to deny the Holy Word to possess such contents as we have described, is equivalent to denying the whole still eludes the search: so the letter to have God for its author. It makes it nothing more than the word of men;-of men pious, perbaps, and enlightened, but still finite and fallible."-p. 68. Having followed to some length the analogy, of which the preceding passages contain a fair specimen; the author argues, that although the literal import is more obvious, yet the mysterious is by far the more excellent. He does not, indeed, pretend to explain the mystical meaning of scripture for which he contends, and he readily allows, that multitudes, who bave made the attempt, have involved themselves in error. "I undertake not," he observes, "to vindicate the interpretations themselves, but only the general principle which all such interpretations assume; that there is in the scriptures more than meets the eye." p. 96. He also candidly admits, that preposterous errors, and wild absurdities, may be fairly expected while interpretation is without some fixed rule, by the light of which it should always be guided. Having argued at some length the necessity of a permanent rule, the importance of which must be obvious, he proceeds to furnish us with this inestimable gem in the following words: "Such a rule, then, it is conceived, is afforded, in the Mutual Relation which exists by creation between things natural or material, spiritual or moral, and divine; which is such that the lower order of objects answers to the higher, as certainly and immutably, as the reflection in a mirror answers to the substance producing it."-p. 132. From the considerable portion his book which is devoted to the elucidation of the preceding rule, we are led to infer, that the author does not think it to be self-evident; and in this we have no doubt that he will have the concurrent opinion of many readers, as well as of our own. It seems to be involved in much obscurity, and appears but little more intelligible, than the wild rhapsodies of those who have not been favoured with its auspicious light. Dissatisfied with its darkness, we turn to the pages in which its mysterious meaning receives illumination; but unfortunately we grope our way along the palpable obscure, and sink into abysses still more profound. Of this fact, we presume the reader will be convinced by a perusal of the following extract: That there exists, by the laws of creation, a Mutual Relation between things natural or material, spiritual or moral, and divine, may be concluded from the indisputable fact, that every thing in a lower sphere of existence is produced for the sake of something in a higher; and if so, every higher thing, for the sake of which any object of a lower kind is produced, is the proximate cause, by derivation from the First Cause, of the existence of the latter: and there must be an uninterrupted series of such causes and effects, each intermediate effect becoming, in succession, a proximate cause of existence to something beneath it, from the First Cause itself, to the lowest effects of all. Every proximate cause, also, by the urgency, and for the sake of which, something beneath it was produced, is, likewise, the real essence, or ground of being, of such lower production, which, on its part, is thus an outward form, manifesting the existence of such distinct essence. This will lead us to see, that the lower orders of objects must answer to the higher, as certainly and immutably, as the reflection in a mirror answers to the substance producing it.. Thus, for example, every lower thing that exists is produced to serve, either more nearly cond cause of its existence, the thing itself is or remotely, to the use of man: this being the seactually an image, under a different form, of something that is in man: and man himself was produced to satisfy thedivine love of God thus the world capable of receiving, in a conscious for the sake of God, that there might be a being in manner, gifts from God, and of returning them to Him in love and adoration: and God himself thus being to man both the proximate and First Cause of his existence, man must be, in a certain manner, an image of God; and the most immediately so of any thing that the world contains. We accordingly are assured by divine Revelation, that man was created in the image and likeness of God. And if man, altogether, is, in a certain manner, an image of God, it follows evidently, that every particular thing which exists in man, (so far as he stands in the order of his creation,) is an image of something that exists in God: and, indeed, every thing in him which is not in the order of his creation, but which he has introduced by the abuse of his faculties, still has reference to something that exists in God, though not as an image, but as an opposite. In short, as it is evident, that nothing whatever can exist God is the Origin and First Cause of all things, which has not some sort of reference to something that is in Him; which reference is nearer or more remote, in proportion as the sphere in which it stands is nearer to the divine centre or to the extreme circumference of the universe. Thus things natural and material bear a secret Relation to things moral and spiritual, and these again to things divine."-p. 133 to 5. The substance of what this volume contains, was delivered, we are informed," in six lectures, at Albion Hall, London Wall." We know nothing of the congregation assembling in the above place, but unless they possess intellectual powers to which we can make no pretensions, we fear they have been more puzzled than edified, by this branch of our author's labours. We readily allow that Mr. Noble's reasonings are not always involved in so much obscurity as in the specimens we have given, but unhappily the taper shines with greatest brilliancy where its luminous rays are scarcely wanted, while on those points where assistance is required, and where the ideas should be specific and distinct, we find ourselves surrounded with darkness that may be felt. work nevertheless, is written in an amiable spirit, and for the purity of his motive we give him the fullest credit. It is a work of much labour, and the writer has evinced powerful talents, great activity, and unwearied perseverance in prosecuting his researches. The By his appeals to scripture, to the testimony of early writers, and to argument, he has satisfactorily proved, that many portions of scripture contain both a literal and a hidden meaning, and that this belief was generally cherished in the primitive ages of the Christian church. His proofs, however, fail to make either the fact itself or the belief of it universal: and until this be done, his theory, deprived of a foundation, will want that support which it is presumed to impart to revelation. His rule for the interpretation of the mystical import of scripture is vague and indefinite; and it might rather be characterized as unintelligible than erroneous; in addition to which, some parts of the illustration and explanation of his rule have only given an additional shade to darkness. entertainment, and to impart valuable information to the youthful mind. By a copious explanation of terms which the author has given, the words that occur may be easily understood; but time, attention, and perseverance, will all be needful to the pupil's successful proficiency. Attached to the problems on the celestial globe, is an historical account of the constellations, which carries us into the remote periods of antiquity, and spreads before us the ample field of heathen mythology. These details are enlivened with numerous and appropriate quotations from some of our most distinguished poets, and illustrated with the opinions of our most celebrated astronomers. The appendix contains many useful remarks on the different constellations, and assists the reader in discovering in the heavens, in their magnitudes, distances, bearings, and time of appearfound on the surface of the globe. ance, the stars which had been already The fame of this work is too firmly established to be either shaken or augmented by any observations we can make; but we rejoice in having an opportunity of concurring with those who have more largely descanted on its merits, and in congratulating an enlightened public in thus countenancing a work of such vast utility. REVIEW.-Memoirs of the late Mr. James Neil, Shipmaster, Irvine. IN the present advanced state of On the terrestial globe, the problems are 57, and on the celestial 52, making in all 109, with nearly the whole of which the industrious student may become acquainted, with little or no assistance from a master. By the former of these, the principal phenomena of the earth will become familiar, and by the latter, the heavens will add to the reader's stock of knowledge. Connected with the problems on the terrestrial globe, we have many historical incidents, and biographical notices, calculated at once to furnish By the Rev. George Barclay. 12mo. pp. 108. London. Longman and Co. THERE is nothing of particular interest in this little work, to recommend it to notice, beyond the circle of Mr. Neal's friends; but, within this district, we doubt not that it has been very favour Mr. Neil was by profession a sailor, and, during his several voyages, was exposed to many imminent dangers; but not more so, than what thousands endure, of whom no biographer ever took any notice. His voyages and dangers are, however, of secondary consideration, and are only introduced in connexion with the primary object his serious demeanour, and devotedness to God. His life was protracted to an extent of years that rarely falls to the lot of man, he being 95 at the time of his death, which took place in 1820. |