on the words, "Why even of yourselves judge ye not what is right?" "It must be clear that we can no more renounce private judgment than we can cease to be men. Reason becomes the ultimate appeal, and so far only can we take the highest human authority for our guide, as, in manifesting the truth, it commends itself to our conscience in the sight of God (2 Cor. iv. 2). It is equally clear that holy Scripture is sufficient, without any foreign aid, to teach all things requisite to salvation; but then, this is on the supposition that it offers itself to a rightlyinformed understanding, guided by an honest heart, and aided by the holy Spirit. In itself it is perfect and complete as a standard or written record of truth.......and that it may be safely and thoroughly understood, a duly constituted interpreter must be, at the least, useful to all (consult Acts viii. 30). Private judgment has proved no security against the most pernicious errors of doctrine; and even in fundamental points, it has not sufficed to produce agreement of opinion. Accordingly, our wise reformers were careful to guard against an abuse of this right by preserving due authority in their own branch of the Church: they quote the ancient fathers with great respect, and appeal to them largely in controversy; in the sixth Article they call attention not only to what is read in Scripture, but also to what may be proved thereby &c.-(222). It is almost superfluous to say that we consider this as a very important work; and that we would recommend it not only as a valuable addition to the library of the clergyman, but as a companion to the Bible in the family or the study of private Christians, or in the closet of the more humble and retiring individuals. Jugurtha. A Poem. Odes. By the Author of "Jugurtha." London: Painter, 342, Strand. THERE are two 'causes, perfectly distinct in their nature, yet actively co-operating, which prevent poetic effort meeting with any degree of public approbation in the present day. The first is the extreme superabundance of the commodity itself, owing to the more general diffusion of education, whereby many individuals, without any natural poetic powers, are but too often tempted to clothe their ideas in a poetic dress, and then to believe themselves poets. The other obstacle to the aspirants' fame is the character of the age. We have all heard of the mathematician, who, after reading Homer, exclaimed “But what does it prove?" The present generation, not truly in a mathematical spirit, but in an all-absorbing practical one, always estimates the merit of any production simply by its probable utility. Whatever opposition Hume's theory-that the utility of an act constitutes virtue may meet with in the abstractions of the metaphysician, it finds a practical support in the habits and opinions of the age. The man who constructs a railroad on an improved principle-who throws a bridge across an estuary, or bores a tunnel under a river is the great man in the present day, and the reason is obvious. His work not only appeals to the senses, but contributes to the convenience of mankind. Men can perceive at a glance the magnificent combinations of columns and arches which compose the stately pile -they behold and wonder. But of all arts poetry appeals the least to the senses. It exists in an ideal world, without the province of sight or touch. What wonder then, that it is little appreciated in an age like this? " Nevertheless, extraordinary efforts will always excite attention; and eccentricity of style, like eccentricity of manner, is not unfrequently attributed to superior genius. We know not whether the author, whose works we are considering, took this view of the question when he composed the " Odes" with which he has favoured the public; but to our minds they appear very extraordinary productions, though, perhaps, there will be a difference of opinion as to the nature of the surprise they are calculated to excite. In the first place, there is a deep mystery about them which we acknowledge is quite beyond our limited comprehension. But what of that? The sublime and the mysterious are so closely combined, that feeble persons may sometimes confound them. In order, therefore, to do the author justice we transcribe a portion of an "Ode to Music": "Grand be the brazen-chiding horn among Echo throughout their boundless stupendous music that aloft broad-rolling on along the burden'd arch We profess our firm belief in the exceeding originality of this and many other similar passages in the book before us. We do not certainly quite perceive either the sense of the verse, or the law of its formation; but, then, even Milton declared that he wrote not for the many; the oi rooiwho love to "run and read" our author seems to have had a still higher aim, and to have written only for himself. If so, there can be no doubt of his success. We would now, however, turn to "Jugurtha" the other effort of his Muse. Of course a poem purely historical can contain nought mystical in its composition: yet we fear that the sublime mysteries in which the author indulged in the compo sition of the "Odes" have communicated a certain indistinctness into his other productions. Thus, speaking of the lessons to be derived from history, he says, "Annals that all immortalize the just And with abhorrence overwhelm."-p. 4. The construction of the third line is somewhat complicated; but no doubt the author had a meaning. We will turn, therefore, to the last poem in the book, which is written in rhyme. The subject is "A Day on Mount Sinai :"→→→ "Here unto Moses from the bush of fire Through ages past, the present, and to come."-p. 71. We certainly cannot sympathize with the expression as applied to the Divine mind" instinct with ire." If the term may be applied at all to the Almighty we should say mercy, not anger, was his "instinctive" attribute. The bold originality of making "span" and "come" paternal rhymes, as in the last couplet, must be obvious to all. The Principles of the Doctrine of Christ. A Sermon Preached in the Parish Church of Kidderminster, on Sunday, August 3, 1845. By the Rev. PIERS C. CLAUGHTON, M.A., Fellow and Tutor of University College, Oxford. Printed by request. London: Whittaker, WE are not surprised that a request should have been preferred to Mr. Claughton to publish this sermon, as it is of a highly practical nature, and very suitable to the times. A short time back we heard little of the elementary principles of the Gospel; baptismal regeneration was a doctrine that would hardly be tolerated: happily, however, that doctrine has been rescued from oblivion amongst us. But, as in the concerns of every-day life we are apt to run into extremes, so it is with the concerns of religion, and lately we have heard little else but this, and its cognate doctrines, Mr. Claughton's endeavour is to remedy this evil, and to teach his audience that, though such doctrines are of the most essential consequence, they are not everything, but that there is a superstructure to be raised up upon them. Hear Mr. Claughton : "My brethren, seek not to lay again the foundation at all, but recur to the one baptism of your infancy, according to Christ's words'Suffer the little children to come unto me,' as your entrance into the Church of Christ. Be assured that in that body, and under the guidance of those who watch over that body, according to the scriptural rules, your minds will have rest, and the grace of God fill your hearts with real gifts of strength. Hearken to me, ye that follow after righteousness, ye that seek the Lord; look unto the rock whence ye are hewn, and to the hole of the pit whence ye are digged. Look unto Abraham, your father, and unto Sarah that bare you; for I called him alone, and blessed him, and increased him.' "And if any have not fulfilled as yet those first conditions mentioned by the apostle, let them delay them no longer. Why should the text stand against them with its single witness? These are the beginnings of the doctrines of Christ. We should advance beyond them, yet we may not neglect them; an error in the principle of our course will have its effect somewhere......the text is to warn us to advance—once secure of the foundation that we have laid even Christ, and having fulfilled those preliminaries which, since God has sanctioned and ordained them, we cannot gainsay, we are exhorted to go forward, and to endure with constancy to the end, always proving our righteousness, holding it fast, and expressing it by the fruits it bears in our lives. Both in doctrine and in practice Christians may ever be making progress. The spiritual, like the natural life, has its stages of infancy, youth, and maturity. The sacrament of Baptism is a sign of new birth, but that of the Lord's Supper is a sign of strength-strength from time to time renewed, and vigour increased. Therefore, it is that there is one baptism; once for all we are born of water and the Spirit.' But in breaking of bread, we read, the believers' continued stedfast. And St. Paul in the text does not mention the bread and the cup, which he calls elsewhere the communion of the body and blood of Christ, as beginnings to be left; and we can see good reason for this, because it is an ordinance that attends us to the last, and to the last we make advance in our knowledge of its spiritual efficacy and value; but of those he mentions we observe that they are of the nature of a beginning, essential indeed as birth is to life, but essential in this manner especially. We are to leave them, not forgetting them (as shown already) for one instant-not omitting them, for they are the principles of Christ, but building upon them-advancing, as from a vantage ground, from them. And advancing to what? To the per fection-the fulness of Christ's doctrine; the mature spiritual state which leaves no part of revealed truth unnoticed, and which learns only to practice and put in force its belief" (pp. 8-10). This is necessarily an imperfect representation of the sermon before us. It will, however, be sufficient to show that Mr. Claughton has some other object in view than the building up of priestly dominion, though he would recommend the highest ordinances to his hearers. And it gives us pleasure to think that a person of such a character is destined to fill the situation of Mr. Faber at Eton, as, though he will necessarily undo any mischief that may have been done by that gentleman, there is no fear of his running into opposite errors. Gray's Poetical Works, English and Latin, Illustrated; and Edited with Introductory Stanzas. By the Rev. J. MOULTRIE. Eton: Williams. 1845. GREAT as is the fame of Eton from the number of men, eminent as divines, scholars, and statesmen, whose understandings had been formed, whose tastes had received the first impulse, and the foundations of whose subsequent distinction was laid within those walls, "where grateful science still adores Her Henry's holy shade". It is probable that she is more popularly known, and more generally remembered, through Gray's beautiful lines on a distant prospect of Eton College, than through the many illustrious. names which she recounts with the pride and the fondness of an alma mater. Eton, as a place, is indebted to Gray for a portion of its celebrity; and it has done well in endeavouiing to show its gratitude to the poet by publishing this charming edition of his poetry. To read works of intrinsic excellence, and of an elaborate finish, in a suitably elegant form, increases the pleasure and hightens the zest. We have before us constantly, in a volume worthy of containing them, writings which may almost be regarded as a standard of composition in their kinds, and which we need, therefore, to have continually at hand, and frequently to take up. The illustrations are very beautiful, consisting of a medallion of Gray, engraved by Freebairn, and many views of Eton, Stoke Church, manor house, and vicinity, in reference to the poemsmost of which are drawn and engraved by the Radclyffes; a few are without any name; and, though good, are not equal to those we mention. Some of the poems are mere fragments; but the editor |