their own efforts, a pure and worthy faith, the impossibility of establishing a religion on the direct authority of God,—such a religion as the whole world was crying out for,-without manifestations of the power of God,-all these things our philosophical rejecter of the religion of Jesus, deems worthy of not a moment's consideration. He says, miracles are impossible, a statement just equivalent to a man's calling his own existence an impossibility, and denying that the earth on which he treads can be a real thing. If the miracle of the universe was possible, equally possible was the raising of Lazarus from the dead. But both these things required that the same Almighty hand should move. Any man who admits an eternal Existence and Power, must admit that miracles may be performed on any fit occasion. He who denies this eternal Existence and Power, cannot possibly preserve his consistency without denying all existence and all power.

The infidel says it is impossible to comprehend an Almighty Being. We reply that it is necessary to conceive of and admit his existence, and we ask him which is easier, to believe in the eternity of a Supreme Being, or to believe that nothing exists, not even the mind that believes or disbelieves.

We would, then, inquire of the philosophical infidel whether he has treated Christianity with the mind of a philosopher, whether he has looked at Christianity in its whole broad and glorious character, or whether, with a dishonest will, he has taken but partial glances, and grasped at specious objections, and turned away the eye of his mind from the light of the truth? He seems to think that if he proposes a single plausible objection against some comparatively unimportant feature of Christianity when he has torn it away from its living connections and dependencies, the whole system receives its deathblow at his hand. And what renders this course of proceeding the more unfair, he takes for Christianity anything that has ever assumed its name,-and because some human addition to the oracles of truth seems to him unworthy of God, therefore, in his view, God has never spoken to the world. Thus, if he possess anything like enlargement of mind and has proceeded with deliberate intention, he has boen guilty of two intellectual crimes. They are crimes against himself, and therefore not noticed by human law, but they are crimes against the soul,-the soul which bears in itself the testimony that it is God's noblest work, and to whose perfection all the movements of his creative energy conspire. We would beseech the infidel to come to the Oracles of Truth with his

mind and his heart open, and gaze at all their glorious revelations in their own full harmony and perfect proportion, and we assure him that then he will soon feel his soul swelling with the consciousness of its immortality, and that he will experience a sublimity of spiritual elevation that will make him look down with scorn upon his former faith in the life of his body as the only life of his soul.

Other points may be considered at a future time.

C. A. B.

NOTICES OF BOOKS.

Forgiveness of Sin. A Practical Exposition on Psalm CXXX. By JOHN OWEN, D. D. Abridged by EBENEZer Porter, D. D. Boston, William Pierce. 1834.

THE Compiler of this work of the former Vice Chancellor of the University of Oxford remarks in his Preface, that "it is much to be lamented that the writings of Owen, distinguished as they are by strength of original thought and depth of pious feeling, should be substantially lost to the present and all coming generations, by the pleonastic phraseology with which they are encumbered." He professes to give the sentiments of Owen in the words of Owen, "excepting that the process of blotting has often left a part of his words to represent the whole; and, in a small proportion of sentences, the change of a word or two has been deemed indispensable."

The idea the compiler seems to have of Dr. Owen's writings is this, that they are distinguished for depth and originality of thought, yet rendered obscure and diffuse by what he calls an "endless multiplication of tautologies, aud epithets, and adjuncts."

We agree with the compiler that a strain of pious feeling runs through this book which may render it useful. Wherever we see anything of the spirit of the Christian faith, though this spirit be blended with some doctrines that we deem erroneous, and though its manifestation be not connected with much of intellectual power, we feel it our duty to speak, in the first place, of the exhibition of that spirit in words of commendation. But we

confess we cannot see in this production much evidence of strong thought. The preface speaks of the great diffuseness of the original work. Diffuse indeed it must be, for we never should have supposed the work under our hands to be an abridg ment. And this diffuseness, alone, furnishes a presumption that the work is not marked by strong thought. If the thought be forceful, so will the manner and the style. The manner of the mind's manifestation seems a part of the mind itself. If one reads a book whose value he is capable of appreciating, and if he does not have in himself the sentiment and consciousness of its power, he cannot well conceive that it was composed with great energy of mental action. We should call the thought in this book just and true thought rather than strong thought. Its strength is made weakness by excessive expansion. A piece of solid metallic gold furnishes some resistance to whatever touches , but it loses that quality, though it is still gold, when it is changed into a gas. The mind of our author, as it appears in the work before us, seems to be a magazine furnished with all varieties of thought and knowledge, rather than a strong, logical, reasoning mind. It seems to possess little of that mastering power of intellect, by which all the ideas expressed upon a given subject are kept in a constant state of convergency towards some distinct end. There is, to be sure, a great appearance of method. We have those numberless series of divisions which we so often meet with in the old writers. But every day we see how completely the form of method may be preserved while its spirit is lost. The method of our author is not so much a method regulated according to the universal laws of mind as by the somewhat arbitrary fancies and periods of his own mind. He has the discursiveness with nothing like the richness or power of Jeremy Taylor. We do sometimes meet with a very good thought,—and oftentimes with one that is pleasant from its quaintness. We will make a short extract in illustration.

"Gifts are bestowed to trade with for God; opportunities are the market-days for that trade. To napkin up the one and let slip the other, will end in trouble and perplexities of heart. God loses a revenue of glory by such slothful souls; and he will make them sensible of it."-p. 28.

This whole work, consisting of 252 pages, is employed in an exposition on the 130th Psalm. The Psalm itself, which is comprised in eight verses, is very simple and easy of comprehension. And perhaps the efforts to give such unreasonable extension to the few, though exceedingly beautiful and touching, thoughts of the original, has been one great cause of that dilution of ideas and that want of method of which we complain. Many trains of thought, possessing considerable intrinsic value, have but little of pertinence or direct bearing upon the subject discussed.

It may be said that the intention of such a work as the present being to extend the power of practical religion, all that is wanted is a depth and fullness of pious emotion, and that conciseness of style and a close logical order of thought are qualities of comparatively little importance. Such a remark as this would seem to us to discover very little knowledge of the intimacy and nature of that union which subsists between the intellectual and moral nature. Right thought has a natural alliance with deep feeling. We are strongly moved when there is occasion to be moved. There is a connection between truth and the heart. The character of the life is determined by the influence of truth on the heart. It was in view of truth, presented in a clear and condensed form, that the Athenians cried out, "Let us march against Philip." It was in view of clear and orderly truth, that Paul poured forth a sudden burst of pious feeling in the exclamation, "Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift." And the truth must be impressed upon the heart in a consistent and logical method, in order to excite strong and consistent emotion. Even a pious mind, if it present only those loose trains of thought which may chance to succeed each other in its own experience, can hardly make its reverential and grateful emotions strongly felt by others, or excite in them emotions of a kindred nature. The topic we have here touched we think of great importance. We have hardly stated it, yet we have no space to give it such development as it deserves.

By what we have said, we by no means wish to have it supposed that we believe the work before us to possess no value. The faults which we think we have marked in it are not faults entirely peculiar to itself. But we do wish that works of this description, intended chiefly to move the heart, might have a more just, philosophical adaptation to its character and wants, believing that, with such adaptation, they would effect a vastly greater amount of good than they do. A man must possess and exhibit mental power, to make his moral power act through the press upon the hearts of his fellow-men. B.

CORRESPONDENCE AND INTELLIGENCE.

DEAR SIR,

FIFTH LETTER TO REV. ADIN BALLOU.

Harvard, October 13, 1834.

I did say, "I should be glad if our brethren of the Restorationist denomination could feel justified in giving their distinguishing doctrines a less conspicuous place,-in dwelling on them with less frequency, and in

considering them of less importance. They might insist on a future righteous retribution without defining the duration of it; neither asserting nor denying its eternity in their daily instruction." But it seems from your reply, that you cannot do this conveniently, consistently, or conscientiously. If your peculiar doctrine is so important in your estimation; and if so many reasons urge you to proclaim it, I will submit, without attempting to turn you from what you consider the path of duty. And if you feel constrained to pursue this course, I trust you will not think it strange, if others, who entertain different opinions, do not always sympathize and cooperate with you. I have thought and wished there might be more union, sympathy, and coöperation between us; and I know of no better way to secure it than the one I suggested above. I would not encourage disguise and duplicity, nor counsel one to conceal his sentiments, nor to hide important gospel truths; but we may overrate the importance of those opinions which distinguish us from our brethren. We are very apt to do

It has however afforded me a greater pleasure to observe in how many things others agreed with me, than it has to observe in how many things we differed. I love society; I would gladly have intercourse with all pious persons. I want their sympathy and counsel. It is painful to me to think that our fellowship and communion are so sadly interrupted. How often have I felt the need of Christian associates, to whom I could confidently disclose my hopes and fears, my joys and sorrows; with whom I might earnestly engage in religious conversation, and know that it was equally interesting to them as to myself! And how often has such a privilege been denied me! And why? Were there no pious persons in my neighbourhood? Yes, many. But differences in faith kept them strangers to me.

You mention the course you had pursued as a religious teacher ;-it will be my apology for stating what has generally been my own. I have often gone to preach in those places where many were opposed to my faith; where Unitarianism is identified with all that is vile and odious. I did not, on such occasions, consider it important that I should tell them in so many words, that I was a Unitarian. This was already known to my employers, and it was known also to those with whom I was not connected and who might hear me, if they had the desire and courage. Nor have I been forward to introduce controverted topics. In such places, where I was only to spend a Sabbath or two, or give a single lecture, my preaching has been more generally practical. I have dwelt on those subjects which can never be justly deemed unimportant nor unseasonable. Seldom, if ever, on such occasions, have I laboured to disprove the doctrine of the Trinity. It was no secret to my audience that I was a Unitarian. But many of my hearers knew not what importance I attached to the practical and vital parts of Christianity. They knew that I rejected the doctrine of the Trinity. But rumour had been busy in telling them, that I rejected the Bible also,—that I was an enemy to God and Christ, in disguise, that I was secretly attempting to destroy the authority and influence of religion, that I made no account of repentance, regeneration, prayer, and a holy and devout life, that I felt no solicitude about the spiritual and eternal welfare of my fellow-men,-that my views of religion had nothing in them to arouse the conscience, to touch and warm the heart, to guide the sinner into the way of salvation, and to sustain the soul under all the trying circumstances of life. It has been my wish and endeavour to remove such prejudices, and to efface such wrong impressions, to let it be known that, though I was a Unitarian, I professed and desired to be a Christian also,-that I felt interested and earnest in the cause of religion, and in the progress of virtue and holiness,-that I wished not only to increase the number of those who would be receivers and advocates of the doctrine of the divine Unity, but also to increase the number of those who would be the faithful and humble followers of Jesus Christ, and who would adorn a profession of godliness with a pious life. So I