most general, most noble, most divine characteristic? Reason aims to be independent every where; in history, in mathematics, in medicine, in astronomy; and shall every thing in which reason asserts her liberty be called protestantism? Moreover our faith is not reason alone; it would then be pure philosophy; it is reason applied to revelation, and the manner in which it is to be received; and we are thus led to convictions determinate and well defined, which we call our religious faith. In all this there is not the smallest resemblance to what is styled the romantic. This is obscure and indefinable; our faith is just the contrary. ** Our faith is the completion of philosophy, delivering us from its obscurities, and giving us assurance of futurity. We ask for toleration, light, and liberty no less for others than for ourselves; and though scarcely restored, after long misfortunes, we do not withdraw under our tents for repose, but we bear in mind, and labor for all our brethren. My conclusion then is that our opinions, determinate, clear, and active, have no connexion with any peculiar literature, and least of all with the romantic school, a school of uncertainty and vagueness, and with nothing but empty titles to maintain its pretensions.' Vol. I. pp. 159, 160, 161.

We have cited enough from the Protestant Review to show what sort of spirit pervades its numbers. We have perused them so cursorily, that we are not confident that we have given the best specimens for this purpose; but the prominent object in the original communications, is what our readers have now seen. There are not facts enough disclosed to enable us to judge of the progress which protestant principles are making in France. But it is not credible that she can stand still, while the rest of the world is advancing. Ignorance, and especially ignorance of what the sacred scriptures teach, is the greatest safeguard of a church, whose worship calls in the aid of visible and imposing ceremonies, and whose priests are both oracles and interpreters, as well as dispensers of pardon for sin. If therefore knowledge is to prevail more and more over ignorance, and, above all, knowledge of the written word of God, and if toleration continues to exist in fact as well as in name, we see no reason why dissent from the national church should not become at least as common in France, as it has been in England. As long, however, as we see protestant principles actively at work in that country, and fearlessly vindicated by those who embrace and hold them, we are willing to forego all prophecies concerning the future, and would rather trust to

Providence for the accomplishment of a work which promises to go on prosperously.

In regard to the particular doctrines of Christianity maintained in this Review, we have not much to say. In most points, as far as they are disclosed, and this is sparingly, they approximate to what among us is called orthodoxy. But the polemic ground of its contributors is thus far rather ecclesiastical than dogmatical, and whatever is said concerning articles of faith is incidental, and excludes all pretensions to the trammels of creeds and confessions. This negation of authority in matters of faith, is after all the strong hold of liberal Christianity. The indolent, the indifferent, and the hypocritical, may be willing to put their consciences out of their own keeping from a love of ease, or for the enjoyment of a good name, in a safe church. They will always find those who are ready enough to take upon themselves the trust; for of all power over his fellows there is none so gratifying to the pride of man, as power over the conscience and faith of others. It is sometimes called spiritual pride; but it is the same passion which delights to exercise its sway in the social and political relations, and is very far from being spiritualized or sanctified, merely by being transferred to matters of a religious nature. This independence, therefore, we repeat, is the strong hold of liberal Christianity; for, whatever variety of religious opinions there may be amongst those who maintain it, they will be united in one thing; namely, in resisting all ecclesiastical usurpation. This of itself is a bond of union, which must in some degree ensure mutual charity, and kindness, and courtesy, amidst all the minor dissensions which may arise. And it becomes protestants of every communion, glorying as they do in that descriptive name which denotes their severance from the Romish church, to guard and protest against the infringement of that liberty wherewith Christ hath made his disciples free.

But protestants are not altogether exempt from the danger of a spirit of usurpation. Witness the evil days of the episcopal church of England, and the days of our revered, but not immaculate puritan ancestors. And it may not be a word out of season to any dominant party in our extensive republic, to warn them against the tendency which is produced by confidence in their numbers, or in the infallible truth of their doctrines, to contemn or oppress the opposers of their particular sect or peculiar dogmas.

Notices of Recent Publications.

25. A Sermon delivered at the Dedication of the Church erected by the Second Congregational Society in North Bridgewater, August 9th, 1826. By Benjamin Huntoon. 8vo. pp. 32. Plymouth, Allen Danforth, 1826.

Tuis Sermon well sustains the reputation of Mr Huntoon as a popular preacher.. Its style is too ambitious, and the thoughts are not sufficiently condensed to please as much when read as it did when delivered; but notwithstanding this, we have perused it with great satisfaction. Diffuseness is not a common fault in Unitarian preaching, nor do we regard it as so great an of fence as the opposite one of extreme compression. To this last the preachers of the present day are exposed, by the severe exactions of their hearers, more perhaps than to any other; and it may be that the frequency with which it is committed, has been the occasion of the little notice it has received, and made us too sensitive with regard to the fault to which it is opposed.

The church, at the dedication of which this sermon was preached, was for the use of a little band of Unitarians, who had raised it amidst opposition and rebuke. A deep sense of duty, an unshaken fidelity to their religious convictions, and a humble reliance on the blessing of God, were conspicuous among the causes that sustained and animated them in all their trials, and the example of St Paul's frankness in avowing his faith, his sufferings on account of his heresy, and of his adopting and adhering to the standard of the scriptures alone, was a topic well suited to the occasion of the discourse. The text is in the following words; This I confess unto thee, that after the way which they call heresy, so worship I the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the law and the prophets.' But obloquy and opposition are then shown not to have been the peculiar lot of the first preachers of Christianity, but common to them and the reformers of every age. The frankness of the apostle above referred to, and his respect for the scriptures, are successively presented to the disciples of Christ as worthy of imitation. The preacher incidentally gives an exhibition of the leading principles of Unitarians, and notwithstanding what we have said above, we might quote passages from his sermon of great force as regards both thought and expression. But we are obliged to content ourselves with the following.

**

'The plea of many is that we ought to take our religion where the reformers left it; that to be their disciples we should implicitly receive the doctrines which they believed. This might be correct, were we assured that like the Apostles of our Saviour, they were directed by the immediate and miraculous inspiration of God: That they saw with infallible clearness the line between truth and falsehood, and were enabled at once by a single blow to separate from true religion all the errors and corruptions, which had been gathering round it for more than twelve hundred years. [But,] to bring back christianity to its original purity, to restore its native lustre, was not the work of a day, or the labor of a single age. The magnitude and difficulty of the enterprise necessarily required a long time for its accomplishment. Had the whole christian world seconded the exertions of the reformers, and with all the ardor of Luther and Calvin, engaged in stripping off the corruptions of christianity, and demolishing the strong holds behind which error had entrenched itself, still the reformation must have been a work of time. But when was the world, that is, the leaders of the world, ever known to be on the side of reform? "If we wait for improvement," says Dr Paley, "till church governors solicit, or ministers of state propose it, I will venture to pronounce that (without His interposition with whom nothing is impossible) we shall remain as we are till the renovation of all things." Pp. 11, 12.

We hope our readers will make themselves better acquainted with these pages than our limits allow us to make them. They will find much to repay them for the expense of time it will require.

26. An Epitome of Geography, with an Atlas. By J. E. WORCESTER. Boston. Hilliard, Gray, Little, & Wilkins, 1826.

The

It would be difficult to collect within the same limits, so much exact, useful, and well chosen matter as is contained in this little volume and the accompanying Atlas. Mr Worcester's books have all been distinguished for accuracy and clearness. This is no less so than those which have preceded it. most distinctive and important facts relating to each region, country, or state, are expressed in language which is at once simple and exact. The arrangement is clear, and the general facts and conclusions are collected in the end and in the tabular views, instead of the beginning of the volume. The maps,

though on a small scale, are not so crowded with names as to be confused, and yet no names of any consequence are omitted. In many cases the situation of a place is indicated by a letter referring to the name in the volume. A great advantage which it possesses over many works on geography, is its being suited to the wants of inexperienced teachers. Every thing is arranged, we think, with great judgment, in the order in which it should be learnt. In consequence of this arrangement, a person very

little acquainted with geography, and who has not read this book through, may teach it perfectly well. This is no small excellence in a book, and especially in one on this subject. We have frequently had occasion to observe and lament a mode of teaching geography, by which facts which ought to be learnt in connexion, are kept entirely distinct from each other, and consequently fail to make a deep or permanent impression. The mode we speak of, is, there is reason to fear, very common. It is this: To require the questions on the maps to be recited separately, and without any reference to the descriptions and miscellaneous observations in the volume; and at some time afterwards, or even worse, before, to cause the body of the volume to be learnt without any reference to the maps. This is not an entire loss of time; for, however badly so interesting a subject as geography may be taught, something will necessarily be learnt and retained. But it is as nearly a loss as can well be, and this the arrangement of questions in Mr Worcester's Epitome, completely guards against.

The facts to be collected in a small system of geography like this, are of course substantially the same for all authors. The arrangement and mode of presenting the subject to the mind alone can essentially differ. In these respects we have seen no book on the subject, so well adapted to the wants of teachers and learners as this Epitome.

One thing deserving great praise in this volume, is the care and general accuracy with which the right pronunciation of proper names is marked when those names first occur. This cannot be too highly approved, as there is nothing more frequent and more difficult to correct than wrong pronunciation, especially of proper names; and at the same time there is nothing short of false statements, so discreditable to an author or a teacher.

27. A Sermon illustrating the human and official Inferiority and supreme Divinity of Christ. By Isaac Robinson, A. M. Pastor of the Church in Stoddard, N. H. Keene, N. H. 1826. 8vo. pp. 28.

28. Remarks on a Sermon published by the Rev. Isaac Robinson, A. M. Pastor of the Church in Stoddard, N. H. Illustrating the human and official Inferiority, and supreme Divinity of Christ.' By T. R. Sullivan, Pastor of the Keene Congregational Society.' Keene, N. H. 1826. 12mo. pp. 48.

THESE Remarks and the Sermon which called them forth, were not put into our hands till a considerable portion of our present