lished their customs and their principles at home, and afterwards propagated them with success among the Greek and Roman provinces; so that, by the commencement of the Christian era, synagogues of Jews and their proselytes, were to be found in almost all the principal cities of the empire. It is worthy of remark here, that as soon as this purpose was accomplished, the extraordinary interference of Providence, in the affairs of the Jews, ceased. The series of their Prophets was closed, and the fate of their nation followed, and was effected by those of the Greek and Roman governments, in the usual course of things. They were specially cared for, no doubt, till the appearance of Messiah; but it was no longer by any visible departure from the general laws of nature and of society. They had, by this time, attained the capacity of acting for themselves, and of being influenced by new and higher principles of conduct. Among these symptoms of growing intellect, their belief in a future state, and their reference to it for the ultimate rewards of righteousness, was contemporary with their deliverance from their passion for idolatry; that is to say, it was after their restoration from the seventy years captivity.

It has been alleged, that the Jews learned this doctrine, and became convinced at last, of the doctrine of the Divine Unity, by their residence among the Persians, who were not idolators, and who entertained some speculations about the future state. It is highly probable, that these circumstances contributed to the establishment of their faith. They were, during their captivity, separated from the example and seduction of the Canaanites. But the strong hold which the doctrines of the Divine Unity and of a Future State, took on the spirit of the Jews after their restoration, cannot be accounted for, without reference to the authoritative declarations of their own Scriptures, especially on the subject of the former. There is no comparison between the zeal which the Jews manifested in its defence, or between the general prevalence of their belief in the resurrection, and any thing similar shown by the Persians. We are entitled therefore to say, that the doctrine of the Divine Unity, and that of a final judgment, in favour of truth and righteousness, formed the end or object of the Jewish dispensation, and it was attained. There was some darkness, indeed, about the time of the final judgment; and in the early stage of their education,

the Jews looked for it, and in some respects received it in this life. Farther experience and reflection, taught them to extend their views to a future state; and thus the principles of what we now call natural religion were established in the world, through means of the Jewish institutions.

We have said, in an early part of this chapter, that in the first ages of the world, when men are naturally credulous rather than sceptical, religion was a powerful accessary to the influence of authority, and the one was generally taken to the aid of the other. The laws of Moses, and the mission of the Prophets, were founded on this principle; but while other religious systems tended to arrest and even to debase the human mind, the Jewish institute improved and carried it forward. This may be observed in other instances than those already quoted. In the first place, it incorporated and preserved much of what was useful in the patriarchal or domestic age. The ties of brotherhood-the equality of all, in their most essential privileges their general equality even in property-the restoration of inheritances at the jubilee the interdiction of slavery among themselves, and various injunctions in favour of humanity; all these, and similar laws or customs, kept up the sentiment of domestic society. And although this is not a principle which can be extended to all nations, and enforced by law in the ordinary course of things; and therefore, must give way to other principles in the common progress of society; yet the cherishing and preservation of it, under the peculiar circumstances of the Jewish nation, was useful, in furnishing a means by which the more extensive principle of benevolence could, in due time, be illustrated and propagated with more advantage.

In the meanwhile, the laws of Moses provided also a code of justice, suited to the age of the world. And this was a matter of great importance, for in the rude ages of society, men have always found much difficulty in determining and defining, even those simple laws which habit has made us regard as the easy dictates of common sense. The Greeks laboured long under those difficulties, and after Rome had made considerable advances towards empire, she had to send to Greece for the laws of the twelve tables, as a treasure beyond the reach of her own intellectual capacity.

SALTCOATS, July, 1832.

W. B.

REVIEW.

The Church: its Civil Establishment Indefensible, and its claims to a tolerant character disproved. In two Letters; being an answer to a Charge of the late Archbishop Magee. By a lately beneficed Clergyman; p. 118. London, R. Hunter.

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THIS is a very clever pamphlet, and reflects no small credit upon the reason, talent, and candour of its author. In it, there are no traces of a "lingering, longing" after the flesh-pots of Egypt," which the writer has left, nor any indications that he wished to have a spiteful "slap at the Church." His object is far nobler, his design much more Christian. He undertakes to prove, that an Established Church must be antichristian, and that Christianity is opposed to the claims and spirit of a Church established by law; and both these propositions he does prove to be true, by the clearest evidence of Scripture, and the indisputable testimony of notorious facts.

The first Letter, after showing that a church established by law, "demands from the civil ruler the exercise of a function, which he has no adequate faculties to discharge,' proceeds to examine the arguments, and expose the inconsistencies, by which Bishop Magee attempts to uphold the Church of England. The Bishop had said, that "it is the duty of the sovereign to provide a true religion for his people;" and yet he had also affirmed, that it is the principle of the Church of England, to "refer each man to his own judgment and his own conscience, honestly directed to the best means of instruction in the Word of Life, and thereby attach to each his own responsibility; so that (by the Church) religion is made a matter between man and his God." These contradictions of the more zealous than judicious Episcopalian, are held up to view by a steady hand, and their total irreconcileableness pointed out by an accurate finger. In fact, the writer proves even to demonstration, that it is utterly impossible for the Sovereign to provide a religion for his people, and at the same time, leave each man to his own judgment and conscience.

"We are taught by your Grace," says this acute reasoner, "that it is the equal duty of the prince to prescribe, and the people to examine! Why, my Lord, it would puzzle a college of Egyptian conjurers to expound

how these two duties could ever coalesce." The prince may be of one opinion, and the people of another, and what is to be done then? Or, the sovereign may at one period of his reign, adopt a creed which he formerly rejected; and his successor may think that he can provide a much better religion for his people, than that of which he found them in possession! How are matters to be managed? May the prince constantly shift about, and force the people to shift with him? Or, must all the sovereigns and people of a nation continue to receive to the end of time, the religious creed provided for them by one sovereign, at one particular period, and under certain peculiar circumstances of his life?

Such is the dilemma to which the advocate of a civil established church is driven. The present state of the Church and the Dissenters, is adduced as proof of the fallacy, that the sovereign can provide a religion for his people; and as the grand proposition, that "the civil power can regulate every thing in matters of religion, or nothing," is on all hands admitted to be true; and as the Church does not and cannot regulate every thing for the people, in matters of religion, therefore its civil establishment is indefensible.

The second Letter, contends most ably, that the claims set up for the Church, are unjust. "Of this Church," says the writer, "we are told, in a galaxy of epithets sufficiently resplendent, that she presents herself as Scriptural, as Catholic, as tolerant, as social, as loyal, and as Protestant.""

That this Church is not scriptural, is proved by the clear testimony of Scripture; that it is not Catholic, is demonstrated by the fact, that it cannot possibly become universal; and that it is intolerant, is placed beyond doubt, by the language of its canons and creeds. The loyalty and protestantism of the Church, are allowed to pass for as much as they are worth; and the Letter closes in these appropriate words:

Verily, my Lord, in despite of my reluctance, I could almost turn prophetic, and say, 'when the Lord therefore of the vineyard cometh, what will he do unto these husbandmen?' He will let out his vineyard unto other husbandmen, who will render him the fruits in their seasons. May we not add, without being sanguine overmuch, that He will assuredly, and that at no distant day, unseal the

slumbering energies of his people; and causing them to wonder at their inexplicable apathy, and protracted endurance of wrong, will set them, in earnest, to rectify enormities which could only have thriven in the non-age and darkness of the race; but which are destined to perish in that august revolution, when many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased, and man disencumbered of the withes of childhood, and putting away the instruments of his subjection, SHALL KNOW TO REFUSE THE EVIL AND CHOOSE THE GOOD."

Illustrations of Political Economy, Nos. 5 and 6.—Ella of Garveloch, and Weal and Woe in Garveloch; by Harriet Martineau. Charles Fox, London.

FROM the first, we predicted the brilliant success of Miss Martineau; and since then, we have, from time to time, glanced at the different points of her splendid career. But if, month after month, she will continue to shower upon us such a profusion of poetry and pathos, in connection with the most severe and abstract discussions-such profound views of the strength and weakness of the spirit of man, when elevated by knowledge, or debased by ignorance and vice-relieved and heightened by such a power and variety of landscape, as Scott alone can excel-we shall bid adieu to the hopeless and unnecessary task of chronicling her successive advents, as the eye soon grows dim with tracing the upward flight of the eagle. We certainly look upon this unassuming series, as one of the extraordinaries of the day; and the still increasing power and ability displayed in it, as one of the most striking instances of the range and fertility of the female mind. To the general opinion, we have already freely expressed of the singular accomplishments of this amiable writer, we would add, that there is one charm about her writings not yet noticed-it is her affection for humble life-her partiality for laying her descriptions chiefly among the poorer classes. Now to us, this is worth a million. The benevolence of the writer glows, not merely in the design, but in the manner of these "illustrations;" and the profound knowledge which she shows at every step, of the virtues and the vices, the reckless folly, or the generous self-denial—

The homely joys and destiny obscure→→