had certainly well redeemed. The nobles were enraged at the splendid state which he maintained. "The customs of Germany, the simple habiliments in which the retainers of the greatest houses were arrayed in that country, were contrasted with the tinsel and glitter in which the prelate pranked himself." The nobles, bent on exposing the Cardinal to the derision of the populace, arrayed themselves in a quaint garb of studied coarseness. Egmont was the first who adopted it—a measure for which he afterwards paid dear. "Doublet and hose of the coarsest grey, and long hanging sleeves, without gold or silver lace, and having but a single ornament, comprised the whole costume. An emblem which seemed to represent a monk's cowl, or a fool's cap and bells, was embroidered upon each sleeve. The device pointed at the Cardinal, as did, by contrast, the affected coarseness of the dress." The Cardinal, thus beset on all sides, was glad to leave the country.

(TO BE CONCLUDED,)

ART. V.-RECENT INQUIRIES IN THEOLOGY EXAMINED.

RECENT INQUIRIES IN THEOLOGY. Second American, from the second London Edition. Edited, with an Introduction, by Rev. FREDERICK H. HEDGE, D. D. Boston: 1861.

THIS is indeed "a very significant volume," as the Introduction states, and also a very remarkable production, as we shall attempt to show.

It comprises seven Essays, by seven distinguished scholars, theological and scientific, who, as we are notified, “have written without concert or comparison."

Several of these Essayists are public instructors at Oxford and other great seminaries of learning: most of them hold very prominent and responsible positions,―all, with one exception, are in Holy Orders in the Church of England; and all of them, without exception, are freethinkers, varying in degree from mitigated Rationalism to the rankest Infidelity.

Notwithstanding the special notice by the authors, that they "are responsible for their respective articles only," and have written in entire independence of each other, "without concert or comparison," and the assurance given by the editor, that these writers are "unconnected, save by the fellowship of a liberal faith," these Essays manifest a surprising unity of design and execution. The same mode and even vein of thought, the same cardinal principles pervade them all, and but for the differences of style and degrees of intensity, one would suppose them all to be the productions of one mind.

While each author chooses his own ground and mode of attack, the forces of all are marshalled with consummate skill, as if by a preconcerted plan against a common enemy. This common enemy is our English Bible, considered as the revealed Will of God and the inspired source of man's faith and practice.

One author, with apparent friendliness, enters a plea in behalf of the Sacred Scriptures as a valuable but subordinate

aid to conscience and reason, while others reject them entirely, as unnecessary, on the ground that reason is a sufficient guide to moral truth, and the laws of Nature a sufficient revelation of the Will of God. One qualifies away the Inspiration of the Bible, while others explain it away—or reject it entirely.

Two of these Essays seek to overthrow the genuineness and authenticity of the Scriptures, by a critical examination of its text and history, and by surreptitiously filching away its prophecies; a third boldly tries to batter down the bulwarks of Divine Revelation, by leveling its artillery against Miracles; a fourth artfully attempts to get rid of the Bible, by an improved theory of ideological interpretation, and its author, at the same time, traitorously seeks to sap the foundations of the Church which nurtures him; a fifth Essay makes a fierce charge against the ignorance of Moses and the absurdity of his Cosmogony; while a sixth is content to undermine the fountain of religious thought by the ordinary strategics of Rationalism. The Essay which makes the least direct onslaught on Revelation, is the one which stands first in the order of the series, and which is by far the least objectionable in outward form. This Essay presents a very interesting philosophical dissertation on the progressive education of the world from the time of its infancy, as depicted in Sacred History, to its vigorous manhood, as exemplified in our own day. This pleasing, but insidious production, from the pen of Dr. Temple, is eminently calculated to prepare the mind of the unsuspecting reader for the Rationalistic developments of the subsequent Essays, and for the Infidel conclusions to which they lead by an irresistible logic. We know not how this "new mode of thought" strikes a trained theological mind, but, as a simple layman, we consider Rationalism (so rife in our age of progressive reform) as the latest excuse and pretext which the Devil has furnished to intellectual Christians to enable them to become logically consistent and self-complacent Infidels. Hence, Dr. Temple, who was heretofore considered, and who still is, as the Bishop of London thinks, a pious presbyter of the Church of England, seems modestly aware that his restrained Rationalism accuses his Christianity. But the authors of the other six Essays seem

only anxious to excuse this Christianity, by a vain-glorious avowal of Rationalism.

Thoroughly imbued with what our Boston editor calls "spiritual heroism," but what we think would be more properly termed carnal pride, in the original dialect of his locality,—and certainly pride of reason in any latitude, these spiritual enlighteners of a world long sitting in darkness, trusting to the infallible conclusions of their own reason, are confident, that by searching they can find out God to perfection, and solve all the mysteries of man's moral nature by—the aid of modern science.

Not fearing madly to "rush in where Angels dare not tread," they recklessly invade the Old Testament sanctuary of Divine Revelation, to despoil it of its sacred verities, and substitute their "new mode of thinking," as a surer guide to spiritual truth, a safer instructor in moral duty, and a more rational revelator of those mysteries which lie beyond the grave. Not stopping here, they lay violent hands on supernatural Christianity, and, by the false application of a proud human philosophy, they crucify that faith which, for 1800 years, has never yet failed to satisfy all the spiritual wants of those who have received it; which has always supplied every exigency of the soul in regard to time and eternity; and which challenges the world to produce one well attested case where it has failed to support the honest recipient during life, or where it has disappointed his hopes at the hour of death. Does there need any greater proof than this of its supernatural and Divine origin? But what do these seven

is this new

"Philosophers, who darken and put out
Eternal truth by everlasting doubt,"

offer in exchange for this well-tried anchor of the soul? What "principle or mode of thinking, which is to remedy the unfelt and unrealized "difficulties" and deficiencies of the old faith? The answer of all is best expressed in the language of one of them. It is "the growth and gradual diffusion through all religious thinking of the supremacy of Reason.” The supremacy of reason applied to objects beyond its ken and far without the field of its vision! The ratiocination of

VOL. XIV.-NO. II.

24

the human mind, that ignis fatuus of human pride, which received a fair trial for over 1800 years, from the time of Aristotle to the days of Bacon, and was found incapable of discovering a single truth! Truly these seven are the men to whom Solomon referred, as those "who can render a reason," and it is greatly to be feared that wisdom will die with them.

So varied and divergent are the grounds and modes of their attacks upon Revelation. and so skilfully do these writers play into the hands of each other, that, while we are convinced it is the unity of design and the cöoperation of all which gives power to the book as a whole, yet the authors would restrain us, in accordance with their significant caveat, from holding them jointly responsible. Thus, while no single champion, however skilled in theology or science, can be expected to contend successfully with all these different antagonists upon their own selected vantage ground, we are at the same time required to admit, in virtue of this unity, that unless all are refuted, no one of them is effectually defeated in his joint attack.

The exigencies of the case would seem to require, that in like manner with the assailants, seven defenders of the truth should also simultaneously arise, independently of each other, and unconnected, except by the bonds of a true faith, and each, with remarkable consentaneousness of action, be prepared to encounter and defeat his appropriate adversary. Upon this principle, this book would be very likely to prove an unanswered one, for it is not very probable that there will arise, fortuitously and simultaneously, a corresponding array of champions for the truth, all writing independently and unconnected with each other, and yet each having a perfect understanding of the part he is to take in the contest.

Conscious of our ability to bring home to these authors the charge of literary dishonesty in so many other respects, in their "free handling" of their subjects, in their references to Scripture, in their quotations of exploded opinions, in their special pleading, quibbling criticisms and unfair assumptions, we do not hesitate to say, that this plea of separate responsibility is what is termed, in the expressive Saxon of the day, "an artful dodge," to evade joint legal and official responsibility.