unison of religion and reason; keep in tone the triple-chorded harmony of faith, holiness, and charity; assert its own full freedom, know the bounds of that freedom, respect the freedom of others. Christianity may yet have to exercise a far wider, even if more silent and untraceable influence, through its primary, all-penetrating, all-pervading principles, on the civilization of mankind." These sentences are not, perhaps, in every respect, perfectly clear. We are not sure, for instance, that the learned author means to draw a distinction between the words of the Saviour recorded by the Evangelists, and those of St. Paul in his Epistles, as to their permanence and authority; though his language seems to affirm that. Neither have we the least suspicion that he means to rationalize on the narratives of events related by those Evangelists, when he speaks of "the constitution of nature, and the laws which govern the world"; though some might be ready to infer that. But there are two points on which we are glad to see that so influential a scholar and divine has planted himself. One is, that the course of inquiry into the Holy Scriptures and the religion contained in them must now go on in its fullest freedom, whatever its perils may be. The Church dictation is deposed. The State supremacy has nothing to command, so far as mere belief is concerned. Not only must there be freedom of conscience, but the religious intelligence must be allowed to scrutinize every written record without stint or fear; only let it preserve its companionship with a religious heart, for there is a spiritual discernment that must be brought to bear upon the things of the Spirit. The second point is, that there is good reason to hope for progress in religious thought; and that there will grow up and go forward worthier apprehensions of the Bible, and a deeper understanding of the faith that rests upon the Bible. We adhere to that cheering persuasion. With so many restraints taken off, so many tyrannical pretensions brought down, so many superstitious abuses put out of the way, it would be strange if there were no improvement to be made in criticism and creed and spiritual life. It would be strange if positive sciences and physical comforts and material interests were the only things destined to advance. It would be strange if the struggles, sacrifices, 1856.] Christianity Progressive. 305 and bitter griefs that have been tearing the world's heart for so many ages, should all tell for nothing upon the divinest knowledge and the highest aspirations of man. Mr. Macaulay, in his review of Ranke's History of the Popes, has played the advocate on the dark side of this question; and he has done it in his dazzling way. He cannot see, any more than Mr. Carlyle, much encouragement in the direction of doctrinal or moral proficiency. He thinks that, so far as religious ideas are concerned, old errors will be returning, or give place only to new ones; and so far as a traditional and book faith are concerned, they must be limited by the terms of the record; and therefore no permanent triumphs are to be secured for truth or practice. But we cannot yield to such misgivings. We cannot so read the intentions of Providence. We cannot so cast the horoscope of human affairs. The course of history is indeed mournful enough; but its lessons are of admonition, not of despair. They will never come back, those days of pontifical and feudal abominations, the violence of ecclesiastical and secular princes, the ignorance and vassalage of the people. They can never be stayed, those courses of instruction that are now setting onward. The discoveries that are making on single lines of inquiry will furnish unexpected contributions to the general wealth and power of the mind. Liberty is of a vital nature that cannot help being productive. We will not doubt of its bearing better fruits than have yet been known, under the increasing light of truth and warmth of humanity. The Dean of St. Paul's, with his fine culture, his liberal sympathies, his genuine Catholicism, is himself a good omen of those brighter times towards which he looks, but which he does not venture to predict with confidence. He can only say, It may be. From his former cloisters of Westminster he looked beyond the enclosures of any establishment or sect. While he is a good Churchman, he is much more than that. Loyal to authority, attached to the past, he is not one of those who think - to use one of his own conversational expressions that the old ruts must certainly be the old road. He does not believe that even an ascertained antiquity is the test of truth, or that there may not be a Church of the Future wiser than any yet. The realm of England has always been refractory to the temporal demands of Latin Christianity; and her preachers have lately come forward into fame with a critical ability and a venturous freedom altogether uncommon. The names of Stanley and Jowett, Kingsley and Maurice, will suggest others. The hopes now glanced at may be long deferred or utterly frustrated. Who can assure us that they will not be? But one thing, at least, is certain, that we must accept the terms on which alone progress is possible. The ancient emblem of the Church, borrowed from the occupation of the fishermen of Galilee, taking shape so often in sculpture and painting, and giving name to the Cathedral NAVE, is a significant emblem of it still. The Church Universal resembles a boat more than a building. It is afloat upon the tides of the centuries. It can be moored to no Italian or Syrian coasts. It must move as it pleases God. "The bark drives on and on, and anchored ne'er shall be." N. L. F. NOTICES OF RECENT PUBLICATIONS. Sermons for the Times. By CHARLES KINGSLEY, Rector of Eversley, Author of "Village Sermons," "Phaethon," &c. New York: Dana & Co. 1856. 12mo. pp. 360. WE should suppose that it must be infinitely refreshing to those who are accustomed to doze under the droning of rectors, vicars, curates, not to speak of lord bishops, to hear such fresh, direct, pointed, and practical discourses as these by the author of "Alton Locke" and "Amyas Leigh." They are not ambitious rhetorical efforts, nor are they attempts at careful doctrinal statement; but they are by no means dull or lacking in the charms of style, and their practical lessons are drawn out from the great facts and truths of the Gospel as Mr. Kingsley understands them. There is one feature in these sermons which distinguishes them from some of the most popular modern discourses by so-called orthodox men. The dogmatic element is not kept out of sight, covered over, and made to give place to gleanings from belles-lettres; on the contrary, it is sedulously put forward, and we are taught that we can have the practical only upon condition of our accepting the doctrinal; 1856.] Notices of Recent Publications. - 307 that, in short, the doctrinal is intensely practical, of the heart and of the life. The doctrine and the improvement are not separated by a deep, broad line in these discourses. We have found them very suggestive and full of wisdom, though we think that Mr. Kingsley is sometimes mistaken in his opinion of the source whence he has derived his wisdom. Narrative of the Expedition of an American Squadron to the China Seas and Japan, performed in the Years 1852, 1853, and 1854. Under the Command of Commodore M. C. Perry, U. S. N., by Order of the Government of the United States. Compiled from the Original Notes and Journals of Commodore Perry and his Officers, at his Request and under his Supervision, by FRANCIS L. HAWKS, D. D., LL. D. With numerous Illustrations. New York: D. Appleton & Co. 1856. Royal 8vo. pp. 624. THE patronage of Congress will give a wide circulation to this highly interesting and valuable volume. To Commodore Perry belongs the praise of having, with much sagacity and prudence, conducted and brought to a propitious result an expedition which was attended by many embarrassments. It was predicted by some that the expedition would be unsuccessful, and it was affirmed by others that its objects, if realized, would not be rewarding. The ill omens have been falsified, and we believe that the results to be expected with confidence will be exceedingly important in a commercial point of view. Dr. Hawks's services, which appear to have been most judiciously and ably performed, were engaged by the Commodore for the sake of giving unity of character to the narrative. As, besides the official documents, rich materials were provided in the journals and reports of various officers, it was desirable that they should be carefully elaborated into a continuous and consistent whole, without needless repetition. The consequence is, that we have the skilful relation of one mind founded on the information presented by many observers. Much of the narrative, however, as we read it, is from the pen of the Commodore himself, and the whole has been submitted to his careful revision. The introductory sketch of the history, government, social life, jealousy, and exclusiveness of the empire of Japan, embraces all the authentic information upon those topics which was within our reach. The rigid policy which for two centuries has repelled all foreign intercourse, with the bare exception of allowing a Dutch trading-post under a careful espionage, stands justified by the poor experience which the empire had had in its dealings with Christians of the worst sort. It is evident, we think, even from the cautious and moderate way in which the introduction deals with a very delicate matter of diplomacy, that, while the Russians made use of the fruit of our expedition to take the ground, or rather the water, for the sake of their own rival interests, the Dutch ventured close to the borders of intrigue for the purpose of making our expedition fruitless. The American Commodore proved himself a most able diplomate, as well as a most accomplished naval officer. He avoided collision with foreign intriguers, and probably secured success, or averted failure, by rejecting the proffered partnership of Dr. Von Siebold. We never have greater cause to regret the limited compass of our journal than when we take in hand a volume like this before us, filled with authentic information upon human beings and human life under aspects unwonted to us, and are compelled to deprive ourselves of the pleasure of transferring whole pages of it to our own sheets. There is very much that is entertaining and suggestive, as well as exceedingly valuable, in this volume. The exaggerations of travellers' tales, and the doubtful speculations of theorists, are all avoided here. Men of good, strong common sense and keen powers of observation, making the most of their opportunities in a new field, relate to us the experiences which days and months developed for them. Bating only the intervention of interpreters, whose aid, however essential, is always a provoking reminder to us that we never get at the exact meaning and views of outlandish people, we can read these pages with an unqualified confidence in their revelations to us of a very strange race of mortals. The abounding illustrations of the volume enrich it with numerous maps, views of scenery, objects of curious interest, and forms of life. For the coming autumn, reading this book will prove a precious resource in many households. The History of Massachusetts. The Provincial Period. By JOHN STETSON BARRY. Boston: Phillips, Sampson, & Co. 1856. 8vo. pp. 514. HAVING devoted his first volume to the History of Massachusetts under its Colonial administration, when "its governors were of itself," Mr. Barry finds a convenient title for the second division of his work in the circumstance which turned the Colony into a Province, whose rulers were sent here from abroad. This volume opens with a sort of summary review and sketch of the elements of life and character that had been developed here by somewhat more than a half-century of the old Puritan government and discipline. The Witchcraft Delusion properly |