will demand that they should have done more, in the course of twenty-four hours, than to travel some forty miles, fifteen or twenty of which must have been passed in hard fighting. And there is a large number of cities named in the subsequent part of the record, which were overthrown by Joshua and his army, during this expedition; for the doing of which we must have some time, BEFORE "Joshua returns and all Israel with him unto the camp at Gilgal."

Joshua passes from Makkedah unto Libnah, which, with its king, is delivered into his hands; and he does to it as he had done unto Jericho and its king. From Libnah, he passes and all Israel with him unto Lachish, which surrendered to him. on the second day; and to which he did as he had done unto Libnah. From Lachish he passes to Eglon, and overthrew that. From Eglon, to Hebron, and conquers that with all its cities. Next he passes to Debir; and as he had done to Hebron, so he did unto Debir. From this place he makes an excursion into all the hill-country; thence into the south; thence into the country of the vale, and of the springs, and destroyed all their kings; "he left none remaining, but utterly destroyed all that breathed, as the Lord God of Israel commanded." And, after smiting Kadesh-barnea, even unto Gaza, and all the country of Goshen, even unto Gibeon with all its kings, "he returns and all Israel with him unto the camp at Gilgal."

Let any one, now, take a map of Palestine, one on which these different cities are laid down, and after examining their relative positions, and determining their proper distances one from another, let him follow Joshua to the end of his expedition, and say if he would regard it as an enterprise of only one day. Let him say, if he thinks any mode of conveyance, known at that time, or any means of travelling employed, even at the present, in that country, would have enabled a man, without stopping to demolish cities or behead their kings, to pass over that tract of country and return to Gilgal, I will not say in one day, but in one week. We leave, therefore, these difficulties upon the mind of the reader; satisfied that he can

not regard them in any other light than insurmountable, and directly subversive of the passage, which evidently cannot be retained as a part of God's word.

We shall only say in conclusion, whether we have erred or not in the opinion formed of the passage before us, no one will deny, that we have strong reasons for entertaining it. "Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind."

ARTICLE VI.

LUTHERANISM AND THE REFORM; THEIR DIVERSITY ESSENTIAL TO THEIR UNITY.

By J. H. MERLE d'Aubigne, D. D.

"Each of these religions deems itself the most perfect; the CALVINISTIC One believes itself most conformed to what Jesus Christ has said, and the LUTHERAN to what the Apostles have done."-MONTESQUIEU, Esprit des Lois, liv. xxiv., chap. 5.

[THE following discourse on the unity and diversity of Lutheranism and Calvinism, was delivered by Professor Merle before the Evangelical Society of Geneva, Switzerland, at its last anniversary. It is more of the nature of an essay than of a discourse; and the author makes the following apology for its appearance :

"In the first place, it was not written for publication, and is but a series of notes and paragraphs put together. Besides, far from being the exposition of new and peculiar ideas, as some have thought it to be, it is merely the statement of ecclesiastical facts, acknowledged by the highest authorities; this might easily have been proved, had I not thought it better to be sparing of quotations."

However old and familiar the distinguished Professor may think the facts which he here gives, it is certain that the same talented and powerful mind appears in this discourse, as is displayed in the pages of the "History of the Reformation." It may be necessary, also, to add, that much of what is said of Lutheranism applies especially to the Lutheranism of Europe, and not at all to that of this country.-ED.]

THE times are pressing. It is becoming necessary to aim at the useful, not to be involved in useless discussions,

but to seek, according to the Apostolic precept, that which will truly contribute to the edification of the church. This thought has determined me to lay before you the following question :

What in our Reformed French churches has characterized the past year?

It is, if I mistake not, a new manifestation of principles which have frequently been designated by the names of parties opposed to us, but which we desire to mention only in terms of kindness; and for this reason we will call them (using a name dear to us) the principles of Lutheranism.

Lutheranism and the Reform' possess distinct characters, but they are not separated so much by errors as by diversities. God has chosen that this diversity should exist, that in the end the Reformation might be complete. Having in the beginning proposed to make immense bodies move around the sun, his powerful hand impressed them with two contrary forces; the one tending to drive them from the centre, the other to attract them toward it. It is from these apparent contradictions that the motion of the universe and the admirable unity of the heavenly system result. So it was in the days of the Reformation. Opposite tendencies were necessary for this work, and these very tendencies enhance its admirable unity.

"Dans le jardin de mon maitre
Il est toutes sortes de fleurs."2

So wrote a Christian author.3 Shall we then look for one blossom only? Ah! let us not, like unskilful gardeners, tear up those indigenous plants, the culture of which is suited. particularly to our soil and climate, and supply their place

1 The reader must remember that the author uses the term Reformation to designate the grand work of the sixteenth century in general, whilst the word Reform is employed when the work of Zwingle and Calvin is specially referred to.-TRANS.

"In my master's garden there are all kinds of flowers." • Tersteegen.

with exotics which require other soil, and which would perish in our hands.

Yes, let us understand this well: there is not only friendship and harmony between Lutheranism and the Reformthere is more than this-there is unity.

First, they possess that thorough unity which results from the same living faith animating both. They believe alike in man's entire inability to do good; they believe in God manifest in the flesh, in atonement by His blood, and regeneration by His Spirit, in justification by faith in His name, in charity, and in good works by virtue of their communion with Him. But it is not of this unity of identity, respecting which we wish to speak at present. We go much further: we intend to show that Lutheranism and the Reform are one, in their very diversities; whence we infer that, instead of being effaced, most of these diversities-and especially those relating to the Reform which we have to defend-should be carefully preserved. Such is our position.

And those who, hearing us to-day enumerate the characters, so different in themselves, that distinguish Lutheranism from the Reform, would fall into a grave error, should they exclaim with painful surprise: "Of what importance is it, then, that there should be a few friends the less, or a few enemies the more?"-The body and the soul differ vastly in their respective attributes, yet they form but one being. Man and woman have very opposite capacities and duties, yet are but one flesh. In Christ, humanity and divinity were certainly distinct, yet they together constitute but one Saviour. So Lutheranism and the Reform, though very different, are yet in unity.

Shall we speak of their strifes? But is there never any strife between the body and the spirit? between the husband and wife? Was there not strife in Christ Himself, between His humanity and divinity? "My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death. Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me," cried His humanity, shuddering at the approach of the cross. Strife, indeed, but strife when overcome, far from being opposed to unity, is essential to it, at least on earth.

I believe the time is now near at hand when the struggle shall be over, and the union of Lutheranism and the Reform friends of the former do not submit to its laws. Bear in essentially the friend of pro

will be triumphant, if the rash endeavor to force the latter to mind that the Reform, which is selytism, does not strive to make proselytes within the pale of Lutheranism; it loves it; it venerates it; it leaves it to its own strength, or rather to that of its God. But, strange to say, Lutheranism, (certainly not that of Germany, nor of Geneva,) Lutheranism, generally passive in its character, advances heedlessly, seemingly desirous of taking from us our patrimony, and substituting itself for the three centuries' work of our Reformers. Is it indeed necessary, in order to effect unity, to destroy one of the two members? This may be one method, but it is not ours. Lutheranism has important duties to discharge toward the Reform, and too well do we know the noble principles of the excellent men who, in Germany, are its true supporters, not to be convinced that they will perform them well.

If one of two friendly and allied armies has been beaten and dispersed by the common enemy, whilst the other has remained in its camp, marshalled under its leaders and its standards, shall this latter seize that opportunity to assert its supremacy, and impose upon the other its own colors? Will it not rather generously help them to recover the ancient standards of their fathers? It is this that we now ask of Lutheranism.

We need not assert that we have no prejudice against Martin Luther. If there exist in the history of the world, a man whom we love above all others, it is he. We venerate Calvin; we love Luther. Lutheranism itself is dear to us, and for weighty reasons. There are principles in the Reform, which we would fear if there existed not the counterpoise of Lutheranism; as there are also in Lutheranism those which would alarm us, were it not for the counterpoise of the Reform. Luther and Lutheranism have not, even in Germany, not even at Wittenberg, more zealous friends and admirers than ourselves.