many years a standing topic of argument with a certain class of Episcopalian writers. It is to them one of the most convenient of all the loci communes of controversy. Is the Prayer-book to be commended? Look to Germany; oh, if the church es there had been blessed with our excellent liturgy! Is the argument for diocesan episcopacy to be strengthened? Look to Germany; see what they have suffered there for want of the three orders! Is it apostolical succession that is to be insisted on? Still the cry is, Look to Germany; they lost the succession at the Reformation,-behold the dreadful consequences. Is the Protestant doctrine of the exclusive authority of the Scriptures to be renounced and denounced? Is it asserted that we have no right, when reading the Bible, to exercise our own faculties in ascertaining what it teaches -that we must ask Tertullian and Barnabas to give us a traditionary interpretation? Germany! Germany! see what has happened there in consequence of men's undertaking to study the Bible for themselves. But we do not believe that American Christians will be persuaded by such arguments to renounce either their wits or their intellectual and spiritual liberty. They know that the Bible is a plain intelligible book, as to the general drift of its teach ing; and they will not believe that the free and honest study of the Bible makes men infidels. We have another way of accounting for the lamented prevalence of infidel habits of reasoning in the schools of Germany. The cause of that unhappy state of things is not Protestantism or the right of private judgment; but rather the contrary. It

is formalism, and the union of church and state. It is, that there is no church in Germany, fairly founded on the doctrines of justification by faith, and regeneration by the Holy Spirit-no church consisting of converted and believing men, volunta

rily united for mutual edification and communion-no church of men called to be saints, choosing their own pastors and regulating their own affairs. It is, that the Reformation in Germany has not been permitted to work itself out in its legitimate results. Germany has had no Puritan controversy, and no Puritan age -no Westminster Assembly with its "dissenting brethren"-no Hampden, and Cromwell, and Milton-no Baxter and Owen-no two thousand non-conforming ministers expelled from their parishes and compelled to be dissenters from a Protestant establishment. Germany has had no Wesley and Whitefield, to go forth as apostles of the true succession, to preach in all her provinces the grand and stirring themes of spiritual religion, and to organize a system of permanent evangelical influences, which the state could neither control nor corrupt. It is such influences, and not the Prayer-book, nor the bishops, nor the fathers, that have saved England in part from the triumph of that tendency to skepticism which during the last century affected so widely the general mind of Christendom.

We have no room to proceed in our examination of this pamphlet. We have already said enough, and more than enough to expose its character, and particularly its imbecility as a defense of Bishop Brownell's charge. We have something to say on the two remaining topics handled by the author; but fortunately those two topics are of late so continually discoursed about by writers of his school, that we shall not be obliged to wait long for an opportunity of resuming the discussion. If Juris Consultus does not speak again, doubtless some other champion will appear against "Revivalism," or "New Englandism," or whatever newer name may be invented to stigmatize the doctrine of salvation by the grace of God alone.

A Church without a Bishop. The Apostolical and Primitive Church, popular in its government, and simple in its worship. By LYMAN COLEMAN, author of "Antiquities of the Christian Church." With an Introductory Essay, by Dr. Augustus Neander, Professor of Theology in the University of Berlin. Boston, 1844.

THE Rev. Lyman Coleman, late Principal of the Teachers' Seminary at Andover, is known to the public as the author of a learned volume, compiled from various sources, on the "Antiquities of the Christian Church." Since the publication of that work, this strenuous advocate of Congregationalism has visited Europe, and particularly Germany, for the sake of forming acquaintance with the scholars of that country, observing the customs and usages of different religious communities, and collecting materials for the further promotion of his favorite branch of study. As the result, we have now before us from his pen, an elaborate work on the Constitution and Worship of the Primitive and Apostolical Church. We can truly say, we have perused the volume with high satisfaction, especially, on account of the author's very consistent and correct views of the primitive form and organization of Christian churches.

Prefixed to the work, (pages 13 to 23,) is an interesting Introduction, by Professor Neander, of Berlin, dated April 28, 1843. This great historian says: "In compliance with the request of my worthy friend, the Rev. Mr. Coleman, I am happy to accompany his proposed work on the Constitution and Worship of the Apostolical and Primitive Church, with some preliminary remarks. I regard it as one of

the remarkable signs of the times, that Christians, separated from each other by land and by sea, by language and government, are becoming more closely united in the consciousness that they are only dif ferent members of one universal church, grounded and built on the rock Christ Jesus. And it is with the hope of promoting this catholic union, that I gladly improve this opportunity to address my Christian brethren beyond the waters, on some important subjects of common interest to the church of Christ."

He then refers us to his History of the Planting and Training of the Christian Church by the Apostles, and to the English translation of it, by J. E. Ryland, as containing his own sentiments on the subjects dis cussed in Mr. Coleman's book; and goes on to say: "It is of the ut most importance to keep ever in view, the difference between the economy of the Old Testament and that of the New. The neglect of this has given rise to the grossest errors, and to divisions, by which those who ought to be united together in the bonds of Christian love, have been sundered from each other. In the Old Testament, every thing relating to the kingdom of God was estimated by outward forms, and promoted by specific external rites. In the New, every thing is made to depend upon what is internal and spiritual." After seven pages illustrating this idea, and showing the early deflection of the Christian church towards the Jewish dispensation, he says: "This change in the mode of administering the government of the church, resulting from peculiar circumstances, may have been introduced as a salutary expedient, without imply ing any departure from the purity of the Christian spirit. When, how.

ever, the doctrine is, as it gradually gained currency in the third century-that the bishops are, by divine right, the head of the church, and invested with the government of the same, that they are the successors of the apostles, and by this succession inherit apostolical authority, that, in consequence of that ordination which they have received merely in an outward manner, they are the medium through which the Holy Ghost, in all time to come, must be transmitted to the church--when this becomes the doctrine of the church, we certainly must perceive, in these assumptions, a strong corruption of the purity of the Christian system. It is a carnal perversion of the true idea of the Christian church. It is falling back into the spirit of the Jewish religion. Instead of the Christian idea of a church, based on inward principles of communion, and extending itself by means of these, it presents us with the image of one, like that under the Old Testament, resting in outward ordinances, and seeking to promote the propagation of the kingdom of God by external rites. This entire perversion of the original view of the Christian church, was itself the origin of the whole system of the Roman Catholic religion-the germ from which sprung the popery of the dark ages.

"We hold, indeed, no controversy with that class of Episcopalians who adhere to the Episcopal system above mentioned, as well adapted, in their opinion, to the exigences of their church. We would live in harmony with them, notwithstanding their mistaken views of the true form of the church, provided they denounce not other systems of church government. But the doctrine of the absolute necessity of the Episcopal as the only valid form of government, and of the Episcopal succession of bishops Vol. II.

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above mentioned, in order to a participation in the gifts of the Spirit, all this we must regard as something foreign to the true idea of the Christian church. It is in direct conflict with the spirit of Protestantism; and is the origin, not of the true catholicism of the apostles, but of that of the Romish church. When, therefore, Episcopalians disown, as essentially deficient in their ecclesiastical organization, other Protestant churches which evidently have the spirit of Christ, it only remains for us to protest, in the strongest terms, against their setting up such a standard of perfection for the Christian church. Far be it from us, who began with Luther in the spirit, that we should now desire to be made perfect by the flesh. Gal. 3: 3."

Mr. Coleman's views of the Christian church, appear to be in perfect harmony with those of his learned German patron. And to collect arguments in support of these views, he has literally ransacked Germany, Great Britain, and America. The result is given in the present work. Here, therefore, we may expect to find a real thesaurus of arguments against the jus divinum of the Episcopal hierarchy. In its form, the work is, to a considerable extent, a compilation; for it cites the arguments of a great number of writers, and very much in their own language. It moreover aims to satisfy, alike, the demands of learned inquirers, and the wishes of those who love a popular style of reasoning.

So far as we can judge from a pretty careful perusal of the work before us, the author is true to his own principles, quotes fairly the authors he cites, and actually gives us a good sylloge argumentorum in Pontificios. The style, however, is not equable and uniform. As the author quotes and makes abstracts from writers of all sorts, he seems to have his mind thrown into the attitude of

the writer before him, so that what he adds of his own, is in a similar strain with that of the writer quoted, verbose or dense, declamatory and popular or nervous and solid, explaining every thing minutely and making it comprehensible to a child, or giving no explanation whatever, passing summarily on, and frequently leaving the gist of the argument to be extracted from a Greek or Latin quotation, which is not always translated. We think it a defect in the work, that the author did not dissolve the whole matter of it in the crucible of his own mind, digest it well, and then pour it forth in a stream of uniform and consistent charac ter. But, notwithstanding this imperfection in its style, we would hail the volume as a highly valuable contribution in aid of the discussions now going on respecting the constitution and government of the Christian church. To the great majority of readers, it will suggest many new and important thoughts, new arguments and illustrations, and a mass of evidence for the popular form of church government, which is perhaps no where else to be found in so small a compass, and expressed in so intelligible a manner.

We take the liberty to suggest to those who direct the studies of candidates for the ministry, the impor

tance of such a course of instruction, reading, and discussion, in a theological seminary, as would be secured by making this volume a text-book, and taking up consecutively all the biblical, historical, and ecclesiastico-political questions of which it treats. This is a department too much neglected in all the theological seminaries of New Eng. land, if not in those of the Presby.

terian church.

An Address delivered August 16, 1843, before the Society of Phi Beta Kappa in Yale College.

By WILLIAM B. SPRAGUE, D. D., of Albany. New Haven, B. L. Hamlen, 1843.

WE regret that the publication of this Oration was too late for the Number of our Review, in which we gave a notice of the Address of Dr. Bushnell before the Society of Alumni, pronounced at the same commencement. We have regret. ted this the more, as our intentions were frustrated a second time by the unexpected length of one or two articles in our last Number, which excluded our usual literary notices. But we are not willing to subject ourselves to the imputation of so bad taste, as even to seem to overlook this beautiful production,

We are not insensible to the ap propriateness of the theme, nor to the value of the sentiments, which the author expresses upon "the responsibilities, the temptations, and the reward of men of letters;" but we have been so much charmed with the classic purity and elegance of the style, and with the just taste which pervades which pervades every part and gives completeness to the whole, that we shall follow our own incli nations and confine our remarks principally to this excellence.

It is the graceful and natural style of a cultivated and well-balanced mind. It pleases by excellence alone, and not by those striking faults which are admired in so many of our popular writers. It is without affectation. There are nei. ther antiquated words and phrases, nor foreign idioms, nor transplanted Germanisms. It is without the ambitious vanity of obscure expressions to deceive with a new appearance of acknowledged truths. It is without extravagance. There are no far fetched allusions, no strange figures brought forth from the stores of a retentive memory, no "purpureus pannus," to attract with its scarlet glare, the half barbarous ad

miration of the wonderful and striking, which is the last thing to be extirpated even from a refined taste. But it is the production of a mind, whose expressions of thought must reflect its own habitual sense of the beautiful.

The perfect embodiment in words of the ideas of the beautiful, is the last refinement of every good style, because it is only produced by the gradual rejection of splendid and captivating faults, and by the full and complete development of beauties. It is apparently without art. But those products which have the grace of nature in such high perfection, never grow out of a soil that is not cultivated. It is not, indeed, the mere formalism of art unenlivened by genius; it is rather the result of the many trials, which a sense of the beautiful is continually impelling the refined mind to make, and in which at length art identifies itself with nature. This polish of style too, is without the appearance of effort, yet is it the ultimate triumph of long continued effort, which gives to it this natural ease. If it is no longer an effort, it is the unconscious production of a mind, which has been so much accustomed to effort, that the graceful exercise of habit has come to resemble the unlabored work of nature. In this perfect combination of the purely good qualities of style, the words and sentences flow with a motion so easy, that we are unconscious of the progress we are making. Like the harmonious expression of the feelings of a cultivated and benevolent heart, which, accustomed to sympathy with others, always pleases without in any thing offending, the language of a perfect taste would charm the whole soul, and satisfy completely its instinctive demand for beauty and harmony. All persons recognize more or less distinctly this excellence, though without always being aware of the sources of it. Indeed,

the author himself could not probably analyze the successive steps by which he attained to this perfection, any more than the artist could estimate the influence of each one of his long protracted efforts upon his ultimate triumph in giving the life and grace of nature to a work of art.

We estimate very highly this perfection of style. It is of itself a fine art-and like the other fine arts, tends to give to human character the beautiful harmony and proportions which a just taste requires-checking extravaganciessoftening asperities--rounding off the extremes of conduct, and giving an inexpressible completeness to the whole. Nor is this unworthy of a man of talents. The greatest gen ius, in its highest state of refinement, has the most exquisite perception of the beautiful in expression, and is the most insatiate of this excellence. It is the very last acquisition-and the best writers have continued to make improvement in style longer than in any thing else. We think, therefore, that Dr. Sprague has in this respect, properly appreciated his responsibility as a man of letters, and we trust he will receive his reward, in the assurance that such an example can not but exert a most beneficial influence.

We wish to make a single remark upon the care with which every part of this oration has been wrought. Nothing is left unfinished. Every thing, even the most minute, bears the marks of skill and attention. Dr. Sprague apparently thinks, and in this we can not commend him too highly, that nothing which ought to be done at all, is too insignificant not to be done well. It is a pleasure to read a production, where nothing offends your taste. We hope that this example of so distinguished a writer, who regards nothing pertaining to a work of letters beneath his notice, may have an extensive influence.