Keview of New Publications.

For the Oracles of God, four Orations. For Judgment to come, an Argument, in nine parts. By the Rev. EDWARD Irving, M, A., Minister of the Caledonian Church, Hatton-Garden.

(Concluded from page 167.)

It is with Mr. Irving's title page, as with his volume, the more it is examined the better it looks. At first view, there is something quaint, not to say affected, in the lettering of his work all the way through, yet it has so much the stamp of original power, that it can plead many reasons for its departure from the trodden track. Perhaps it is as much from the manner of its movement, as from its inward and beaming light, that this star, which hung for a time scarcely above the edge of the northern horizon, has shot up so brightly into the zenith of metropolitan influence and fame, and left the offspring of the English universities, the earth-destined heirs of the high places, to stand below and draw the horoscope of his fortune, instead of shining forth his rivals in the dominant constellation. We devoutly wish the overwhelming popularity of this evangelical preacher may induce some of the hundreds who issue incessantly from Oxford and Cambridge, to inquire what is that basis of divine doctrine which Mr. Irving endeavors to rest his themes upon. Now, to obtain a title to a living, from a bishop, little more is necessary than to know the system of heathenism taught in Homer, and not to demur at the 87 articles of the Bishop of Peterborough's creed: but after the perquisition we allude to, it will be felt that the people perish for lack of vision, where the priest, who professes at his " ordering," "to be inwardly moved by the Holy Ghost to take upon him this office and ministration," is not deeply and experimentally imbued with all that Moses

and the prophets and our Lord Jesus Christ do report. Then, instead of that meagre Arminianism and morality, which, since the time that the two thousand non-conformists were cast over the Episcopal pale into a persecuting wilderness, has filled the pulpits and emptied the churches in London and elsewhere; we may yearly have in the ministers of that communion those who shall copy the doctrine and example of the present Bishop of Gloucester, and Mr. Sime on, and Henry Martyn.

It is a fact, at once singular and instructive, which strikes the eye of every observer who traverses the metropolis or Island of Great Britain, that in the Establishment, only those churches can boast of regular and attentive and crowded audiences, where the doctrines usually termed Calvinistic, the doctrines of the puritans and non-conformists bear sway in the head and heart of the clergyman. The contrast between the numbers at St. Mary Woolnoth or Percy chapel, and at other places-ancient gothic structures, which we might name, is not unlike that which existed between the well-filled ears of corn, and the thin and withered ones in Pharaoh's dream. We wish this fact were ever remembered by all who occupy stations for preaching, between the archi-episcopal throne in Lambeth and the Moderator's chair in the General Assembly in Edinburgh.

But we were about to remark that a part of the effect of Mr. Irving's discourses originates in his giving new names to old things. This is true of his title-page, as of other parts of his volume. His "orations" are not more strictly oratorical than a hundred sermons we could mention, and his argument is not more precisely logical, or pathetically rhetorical, than many of Barrow's, or Horsley's, or our own President Edwards' discourses. Mr. Hall, or Mr. Foster

his preaching. We allude to the loose way in which he quotes the language of scripture-herein copying the no laudable habit of Dr. Chal

mers.

The importance and sacredness of the holy text require that we should write it out, as nearly as the grammar and the connexion of the argument will allow, in its own words. Its sense is not seldom violated, and its force abated, by its being transmitted from the vague memory of the preacher to the uninstructed ears of the hearer, in a partial form. It is a most reasonable request to make to a a herald, that he know the very words of his commission-it is his first duty to report his sovereign's sayings with an exactness like that of a witness repeating under oath, the most solemn asseveration. Such reverence will be apt to beget like holy dread in the auditors. And although we trust that many of Mr. Irving's readers will know where to set up the inverted commas, many others, we fear, will need some such visible token to note that "I command, yet not I, but the Lord.”

In biblical criticism there is a singular exemplification of the importance of literal quotations, when the scripture phrases, strewed through the writings of the Christian Fathers of the earlier centuries, are gathered up to exhibit the textus receptus of that age. The invention of printing will never allow such another case of necessity to exist, else we might suge gest-if Mr. Irving's book may not be suffered to die by posterity, how difficult it would be for some future Lardner to guess at King James' version from this publication.

We make no pretensions to the power of extracting the marrow from this volume, that our readers may have all its value in the little measure to which these pages confine us; we invite their attention to the book it self, and shall only attempt such a view of its scope and character, as may not quench, but enkindle their curiosity.

VOL. VI.-No. 4.

26

In the first part, Mr. Irving opens with the observation that he pleads before the tribunal of the human understanding :-"not the intellect of man merely, but his affections, his interests, his hopes, his fears, his wishes,-in one word, his whole undivided soul." His instruction, or his brief, he says, "to speak technically is taken from the revelation of God, to which we would not willingly add one idea of our own, as we would not withhold, for the sake of easing the burden of our theme, any one idea which it contains."

The revelation, the whole revelation, and nothing but the revelation, upon the subject of our responsibility, and our ondemnation or acquittal, is the thing which we undertake to argue for, and to justify before every noble attribute of human nature. We hold no question upon the authenticity of the revelation, which we take altogether for granted; we have ado with its matter only; so that our business is not with the believer or the

unbeliever, but with the man. Here is a

certain future transaction revealed. We inquire not how nor whence it hath come; we take it as we find it, and inquire whether it be a just thing, an honorable thing, an advantagious thing to the nature and condition of those to whom it is known. We inquire not with respect to any save such as have had it revealed to them, because we think it is applicable to none besides. It is part of a system of revealed truth-the keystone, as it were, of the system, and cannot be applied but as a part of it. Therefore in justice it is not right, and certainly in point of fact it is not our intention to apply it to any others than to those to whom revelation hath

come.

But whereas an act of judgment pre

supposeth something which is to be judged of, and implies something good or bad which is to follow thereon, it is absolutely necessary to an argument or apology for Judgment to come, that the thing should be developed upon which judgment is to pass, and the consequences to follow after judgment hath been passed. The assize is not the first act, but the second act of a drama which is not yet closed. The first act is the occurrence which is charged upon, the second act is the decision, and the third is the execution of the verdict-and there the matter endeth. But our argument we do not intend to conclude therewith; for, knowing the mighty stake which is in issue to every one who readeth this discourse. we should have

From the earliest dawn of comprehension, our parents lay down to us things to be done and things to be avoided; praising or blaming, rewarding or punishing, In this according to our performances. they are prompted by a regard to our fu ture happiness, so far as they can discern the way to it; otherwise they would never impose painful restraints upon those whom they love. Accordingly, as soon as we are able to weigh the consequences of things, they point out the good they would secure, and the evil they would avoid, by this early discipline, thereby bringing our own will to go along with theirs, and so securing us by two principles, that of parental authority, and that of advantage foreseen. Here from the very first, are all the elements of government-a good end to be secured for the little state-laws drawn out and made known for securing it, one who persuades obedience to them, and sees them obeyed, and if disobeyed, visits the offence with such treatment as may recall the offender, and be a warning to the rest. The parent who is at the head of this little administration is so far from being divested of the sense of responsibility, that he is the one perhaps who feels it most. He makes no regulation according to blind wilfulness, but consults for the future welfare of his offspring-he studies their nature, and so soon as it is ripe, he addresses their understanding-he executes justice amongst them, and preserves consistency in his judgment, and mingles a reasonable allowance of liberty with the painfulness of restraint; so that he is responsible to his own wisdom, to their future welfare, to exact justice, besides being responsible to higher powers, which, for the sake of our argument, we must at present keep out of the question. Now, before we pass on to another topic, I pray you to observe, that no family estate would prosper, however well joined by affection and interest, or well ordered by wise regulations, were there not added a judgment, or calling to account when it is necessary; all the rest would go for nought, were there not in the rear of it, the certainty of judgment to pass upon offences. For consider that the reason which moves you to lay down rules to your children, is not that you love to govern, or to see them restrained of their liberty, or that they have a natural pleasure in obeying ; but that you take pity upon their ignorance of the world, and are acquainted with the tendency of their nature to go astray, and would be wanting in affection, and in carefulness, did you not lay down to them the course which you judged best. Now if you do but make them acquainted, taking no cognizance of their observance and calling no account of it, then you on

ly half obtain your object, or rather you do not attain at all. They know your opinion only, but at first they know not how to value your opinion, they should also know your smiles, your favour, your reward upon the good, your frowns, your discountenance, your chastisement upon the evil. Your commands will be forgotten if not frequently recommended by all the tokens of affection, and the contrary discommended by all the tokens of displeasure, Therefore in every family there goes on, not only a silent operation of law-giving but also a secret operation of law-enforcing, a system of rewards and punishments ;— judgment as well as affection being a standing order of the house.

Now if from the family we pass up. wards to the state, we shall find the same principle of responsibility regulating and ruling its affairs, with this difference, that here every thing is open and visible; whereas in the other, it was silent and invisible, yet not on that account the less certain or strong. The first thing in the state is to obtain a lawgiver, no one being so naturally the guardian of the rest as the father is of the family, who are his offspring and his dependants. Superior wisdom in the infancy of states was wont to confer this distinction of lawgiver which nature had not decided. But as soon as this difficulty is got over, and a code of laws hath been adopted and spread abroad, there begins a general bending of the common will to its obedience, and whosoever does not choose to obey, is fain to take his leave of the Society. The judge is no part of the law, but only the mouth which utters it. The magistrate also is no part of the law, being the hand to enforce it. The law, the naked law, is sovereign over all. And when a necessity arises for amending the law, then the best method is taken of collecting the common sentiment of the community. But no one voice can alter the law, or set the law at naughtno, but the highest personage of the realm, who has his power defined no less strictly than the meanest. Thus men, in order to bring themselves to any condition of prosperity or enjoyment, find it necessary to submit themselves to a law, to disarm themselves of their natural strength and natural freedom, and go into a state of bonbondage and responsibility to the common sense or recorded conscience of those amongst whom they dwell. Now here again we remark, that were there not judgement days, no wisdom nor wise administration could protect the law from being trampled under foot of men. You might preach obedience at every corner, and show how it promotes the good of each,, by securing the wel fare and peace of the whole; but it were