estimate of her who "divides her income with the unfortunate; " who "brings the afflicted into her house;" if, by her "ill-humoured suspicions," her "captious answers," her "bye-words," she "consume the wounded spirit by perpetual irritation?" St. Paul has determined the question, both for her, and those who, with like evil tempers, neither "suffering long" nor "being kind;"" enviously vexed at each other," ever "seeking their own," "easily provoked," "bearing nothing," enduring nothing,"would yet "sacrifice great things" 66 for the benefit of the meanest of their family: " Though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing" (1 Cor. xiii. 3). To forestall captious objections, allow me to add, that the characters to whom I refuse to concede the noble title of genuine Christians, are those whose demeanour in the numberless little offices of daily life is ha bitually selfish and morose: not those who are deeply sensible of their selfish and morose tendencies; who earnestly and perseveringly pray and strive against them; and who frequently and increasingly, though imperfectly, obtain that victory over them which we are assured is placed within our power. All who are the subjects of Miss Fry's pencil have so much of lofty pretension, united with meagre performance, that they ought not to be classed with those who "esteem others better than themselves; who "please their neighbour for his good to edification;" who "bear each other's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ." Religion, we must never forget, is not a work of epochs and æras; it is not a seventhday work, but a work of seven times a-day, nay, of seventy times seven : that is, we can hardly speak or act, but religion may season the work, and make it good, or disregard of God may render it insipid, fit only to be cast out and trodden under foot. You will probably, Mr. Editor, think it hard measure, that I take fright at a casual expression, especially as it is qualified by the recommendation to cultivate good humour on Christian principles. But the recommendation is indefinite, and you do not precisely and directly animadvert on the defect in Miss Fry's narratives. "Be good humoured," appears, both in the reviewer and the reviewed, rather as a counsel than as a command. It is my persuasion, that the Scripture teaches good humour to be, not merely an ornament, but a necessary Christian grace: and your vocabulary no more than mine will allow a middle term for any tempers which the Bible requires us to exercise. The Scriptures discourse not of "semi-virtues," because there is no semi-salvation. T. B. REVIEW OF NEW PUBLICATIONS. Social Duties on Christian Prin- sent to every principle which they ciples. 3s. 6d. 1830. THERE are some books that interest, that instruct us, that expand our hearts, and that justly demand our warm recommendations to others, which do not however win our as embody. Of this kind is the tractate entitled "Social Duties on Christian Principles." It is an excellent little work, abounding with strong manly sense, honesty, and above all sincere and earnest piety; and deserving to be widely read, and studied, and prayed over; yet partaking of some peculiarities which we do not think founded in truth or Scripture. The writer seems to us to be one of a modern school though he would reject the name of any school, and we do not use the word in disparagement-from which has emanated several publications, chiefly anonymous, on social, political, moral, and spiritual obligation, containing much valuable and Christian remark, but, to our minds at least, unsatisfactory in some of their main principles. To go no further than the little book before us, on what "Christian principles" does the able and respected author ground his "social duties"? Not merely upon the word and ordinance of God, or the example of Christ; but he turns analogies and illustrations -most beautiful and scriptural as such into the reasons and ground of commands; and converts into "principles "what are not, we apprehend, strictly speaking, facts. The result is right; but the logic, or rather the basis of the logic, is wrong. The author lays down as his groundwork, that "all the relationships of life have corresponding duties annexed to them, because they all shadow forth, or are types, or patterns of relationships which God has assumed for the purpose of communicating of His own blessedness to the redeemed from among his fallen creatures." (p. 50.) The word that we object to in this sentence, but precisely that which is meant to be emphatic, and on which the whole work is built, is the inferential "because." So again, "God has appointed, as we have observed be fore, certain duties annexed to certain relationships; because they are types or patterns of the relationships which he has assumed for the purpose of benefitting his creatures." (p. 83.) Here is another unproved "because." And again, "The ordinances of God are patterns of spiritual realities, and consequently the only channels in which blessings can flow." Here we have another "consequently," which does not appear to us well founded. The author grounds the weight of his argument on what is only analogical or illustrative; what may justly supply motives, and quicken to exertion, and hold forth hope and encouragement, but what is not directly a legislative sanction. We have thought it right to premise this matter, for the two following reasons: first, because truth is truth, and in relation to religious matters, if discoverable, is infinitely worth finding, even though it should be thought not to lead to any practical issue; and secondly, because we think that though much truth is rested upon this mistaken basis, it is independent of it, and that considerable error inevitably mixes with the truth thus unsafely posited. The author not only makes heavenly rela tions the counterparts, or even the archetypes to earthly, but the reason of the earthly. Now if a person denies this, in vain he says that he acknowledges and loves his social duties on other Christian principles, especially from the precept and example of Christ; our author considers him far short of the mark; the true "principles," he thinks, of social duty being those above mentioned, and which he attaches to the duty with the strong links of "consequently" and "because." He carries this principle throughout, to the relation between husband and wife, parent and child, master and servant, king and subject: the consequence of which is, that some of his conclusions are untenable unless we grant this basis, which we cannot do without the most dangerous results; as is seen in Mr. Irving's carrying the idea further than our present author has done, even to make the state of West-Indian slavery "the standing type of Christ, the Lord of the election and the reprobation," so that it is "infidelity" to wish to subvert this blessed institution. Our author, in this instance, is at issue with Mr. Irving; but his general basis of argument in many other points is equally unstable; civil and particularly as regards government; for if he is right, then there is nothing forthwith but for a whole nation to lay its head submissively upon the block, and have it chopped off without a murmur, if any ruler happened to be so mad and wicked as to wish it. Kings are, or ought to be, Christ's vicegerents; but not after this fashion; and we cannot but regret that Mr. Irving, or our present author, amidst so much that is excellent, should contend for a basis of argument which, followed out to its conclusions, sets the Bible in opposition to the plain est dictates of common sense. We have felt it right to urge these preliminaries; our more pleasant task will now be to set before our readers some of the duties exhi bited, and most beautifully, by our author, though we cannot advance to the ultraism which pervades the principles of his arguments. The following passage lays down a principle of great practical importance, and which deserves to be duly weighed and acted upon. : "It is not uncommon to hear persons, in every rank of life, speaking as if religion were a thing separate from duty; that is, as if it consisted in the belief of a proper creed, and in the performance of acts of mercy and charity but that all the business of life was a hindrance to the proper spiritual practice of a Christian man. So far, indeed, as religion consists in, or rather is to be acquired by, reading God's word, and meditation thereon, so far is the bu siness of life a hindrance to religion; but so equally is visiting the sick, or any other act of social intercourse with our fellowWe find a labourer hasting to get his daily task finished, in order that he may resume some other occupation which he calls more religious; he fancies that his religion has been left when he quitted his home and his Bible, and that he is not creatures. a religious man until he returns to it. The lawyer hastens to get through his causes, because he thinks that a court of law is not a place in which it is possible to be religious and the merchant leaves his counting-house to attend a committee of a society, supposing that the latter is in performance of a religious duty which the former is not. But digging a field, pleading a cause, and sitting behind a counter, are as much religious duties to persons in those respective classes, as any other CHRIST. OBSERV. No. 347. employments can be. Religion means a system of obligations; of bindings of man to God, and of man to man: the bands which hold are the ordinances of God's appointment; and every individual is religious or otherwise, according as he sees God in the sphere in which he is moving, and fulfils to him the purpose for which he was placed in it. The Bible or word of God, gives indeed an account of God; and the life of the Lord Jesus Christ, as recorded by the Evangelists, and his operations detailed in the Apocalypse, shew God in act; but it is only in his ordinances that the Christian can walk with himhave fellowship with him-live with him. The Bible does not make the ordinances, but reveals them, in order that the servant of God may understand their meaning, and conduct himself in them as unto his Master which is in heaven." pp. vi.-viii. The key-note struck in the conclusion of this extract will prepare our readers for the following. It connects most justly and beautifully all our duties with Christ as our Head, yet with something of that peculiarity before adverted to, and which we do not think tenable as solid argument. The "graces of God" may doubtless, and do, flow in the channels there described; but we see no scriptural reason for saying they flow in these exclusively. It is not the assertion, but the implied "because" that we object to: for on the other hand the blessings may not flow in these channels at all. Are there no bad masters; no wicked fathers? What spiritual blessings was our arbitrary and bigotted Papist, James II., or the bigotted Papist, arbitrary and Charles X. of France, preparing for his people? Surely all that was good in the land did not of necessity flow through them. We lament the ultraism of this doctrine, because it leads to a recoil; for in these lax and revolutionary days, when the fountains of legitimate authority are too much broken up, when neither wives, nor children, nor servants, nor subjects are unreasonably submissive and obedient, it is not likely that men will listen to social duties thus advocated; and what is really good meets with reproof, because placed upon a basis not scriptural, 4 T and followed out to conclusions not solid. But, abating this overstrained application, the passage is highly instructive. "The graces of God are not scattered abroad promiscuously, but ordained to flow in certain channels; first, to Christ as Head, then to the members of Christ; yet not direct from him indefinitely, but through the channels and ordinances of his appointment; to nations, through their sovereign ; to churches, through their ministers; to children, through their parents, to families, through their heads ; to individuals, through preachers, (Rom x. 14.) Hence when nations are sunk in depravity, their rulers are addressed; when churches are corrupt, their pastors; the leader of an army is held responsible for his men; the guide and supercargo of a vessel, for the vessel itself, and all on board.'-Anderson. "Christ is the Head of all things; all things were made by him, and for him; Christ is God, and Christ is man; the end of all creation is the manifestation of God in Christ. All things are seen by the Christian in reference to him: He is the author and source of all rule and government: to pourtray him do all constituted authorities exist as they plan and act with reference to him, so are they holy; as they plan and act without reference to him, so are they unholy, and in rebellion against him. The Christian sees Christ as the Head of all things. He not only, as the natural philosopher, and the heathen man, sees God in the flowers of the field, and the firmament of heaven; but he sees him in all his duties of subject and citizen; in his country, in his county, in his parish, in his home. Whatever his rank or station may be, he sees himself in it as placed there by God to be his ambassador in that particular sphere. The more important the station, the more he sees his responsibility increased; and thus he is secured from pride in the most exalted, and from abjectness in the most humble employ ment." pp. 6-8. We commend to the serious attention of our readers the following remarks upon the duty of exercising Christian honesty in the expression of our opinions, and forbearance towards those who differ from us. The practical application of the lesson must, however, depend upon the facts of the case; and to say the truth, we might in this matter differ a little from our author, for a reason which we will specify after giving the extract. "The principle upon which we over look the provocations we receive, is that alone which distinguishes the conduct of a Christian in this respect from that of amiable and benevolent infidels: and the Apostle states this first inducement, as a motive which is applicable to the whole body of Christians, before he enters into more distinct details. It is not to be expected that Christians will not receive provocation from their brethren; for if they did not, there would be no means of their shewing forth this principle of Christian forgiveness; and the suffering pa tiently, and with a silent prayer for those who offend us, the contumely, or slight, or may be insult, which is cast upon us by a Christian brother, is the partaking of the sufferings of Christ, the imitation and fellowship of his patience of wrong, to which it is our honour to be called. In modern Pharisaism there is no room for the exercise of this Christian grace. Professors of religion have renounced their Christian liberty of speaking freely upon the great and holy mysteries of revelation, as the Spirit shall give them utterance: so that no brother is honoured and valued for his particular gift, but every one has been reduced to the dwarfish dimensions of what the most timid and ill-instructed Christian can bear. This has falsely assumed the name of brotherly love, whereas it is in truth nothing but a contempt of God's truth, and a disrelish for all parts of it which are not palatable to other men, and which will not draw forth their approbation. Instead of speaking the truth in love, it is a system of withholding the truth in hypocrisy. Moreover, if any one does make use of his Christian liberty, and speak at large and without suspicion, his expressions are seized hold of, their meaning perverted, and he himself charged with holding heresies which his soul abhors. Hence every one feels bound to speak, not as in the presence of brethren who will put the most favourable construction upon what is said, but as in the face of an enemy; and hence, also, there is no fruit of the exercise of genuine Christian love to our brethren, for there is no root in genuine love to the truth of God. "The patient endurance of wrong upon this principle is true nobility of soul; it is the unerring mark of being high-born, of being born of God; of being heirs of a kingdom, and of a throne of immortality; in comparison with which, the frowns of this life are as dew-drops on the lion's mane. It is the very opposite of that ma meanness and baseness of spirit, which often puts up with insult from insensibility to a feeling of shame, and which assumes to itself the flattering title of humility. True humility is that which bows alone to the will of God, and commits itself to him that judgeth righteously; does not seek to avenge itself, but appeals to the Searcher of hearts, and looks to It is impossible not to admire the noble, that is to say, the Christian, sentiments expressed in this extract; and yet when we come to the intended application of the whole argument we cannot but differ somewhat from the writer. From various passages which occur elsewhere in the work, it would be affectation to pretend not to discover that the author chiefly alludes to what he calls "the Evangelicals," . and that he thinks them pharisaical, renouncers of Christian liberty, reducing all men to their dwarfish standard, and intolerant towards those who ought to be "honoured and valued for their particular gift" of expounding unfulfilled prophecy, and discovering some other points which have of late formed the subject of much ardent controversy. Now if any of the "Evangelicals," have acted harshly or uncandidly towards "the prophets" (we use neither of these titles as our own, but only as quotations, and chiefly to give ourselves the opportunity of protesting against them), it is their sin and their folly, and we do not justify their deed. But we must in honesty say, that the offence has come chiefly from the other side; for great indeed must be the Christian forbearance of persons attacked as they have been in parlour and in pulpit, in Prophetic Dialogues, and Morning Watches, and Caledonian Orations, and Select Conferences, if none of them had used strong words in return, especially when they conscientiously thought that their assailants were doing serious mischief to religion, and using bad weapons in a bad cause. But it is to no beneficial purpose that we should now look back to see whence the violation of Christian love commenced, or who most exhibited the want of it. Let all parties take the excellent advice of the writer before us, and drop recrimination, and search for truth with honesty and calmness, and in a spirit of love and of prayer, as followers of a meek and lowly Saviour. We have no fears for the result, for the word of God can never be too closely examined; nor does religion ask for spurious candour, under the abused name of brotherly love. Even a few sincere reproofs from the righteous will not break the head of an offending brother, and may by the blessing of God reach his heart. But it is not just in the reprover to assume that those who differ from him are leagued together to prevent discussion, or wish to charge their brethren with "holding heresies which their souls abhor." If any do so, great is their guilt and their shame. But such charges are easily uttered on any side, and in any cause; and we must say that our present author himself seems to us to commit the trespass he condemns, in charging on his friends "heresies which their souls abhor." Take, for example, the following strictures on what he calls "the Religious," or " the Evangelicals." "It is not to be denied that the Chrisof moral duties is enjoined in Holy Scriptian principle, upon which the observance ture, is as much lost sight of by the religious, as by the irreligious, part of the community; and that there is as systematic a violation of them by Evangelicals by their parents, it matters nothing, as as by Papists. If children are abandoned far as their welfare and God's ordinance are concerned, whether the parents profess one creed or another, or whether mittee-room. If parishes are neglected they pass their time in a ball, or in a comby their pastors, it is immaterial as far as the poor are concerned, and as far as the studies of the minister are concerned, whether he is at a fox-chase, or travelling for a society: whether he spends his time at Bath and Cheltenham, or at Geneva and Rome. If the king's vicegerency for Christ, over his kingdom and over his church, is to be gainsaid, it does not signify, as far as the constitution of a Christian state is concerned, whether it |