actual belief. Mr. Bartol takes it too much for granted, that we know all about him, and can judge of his printed sentences as if we were standing beside him, and able to watch his countenance, and interpose our questions. He gives unbridled license to the passing emotion, relying on some other chance opportunity for rectifying the erroneous opinions which he has conveyed. We were, for example, not a little confounded by the burst of enthusiasm with which this Pastor of the Congregational Church in Boston, greeted the cathedrals of Europe: "You feel that you are taking the adoring anthem from the lips of some, and sounding it on to the lips of others; or standing, as you grow still with meditation, you appear to be leaning on the staff of the Almighty, by the venerable banner of God that floats in the breezes of eternity." We have selected a single phrase from pages of unqualified adulation, both to the cathedral and its worship, until we expected to hear that our author had taken orders at Rome, and was officiating in the pomp of that gorgeous service, clad in priestly vestments and waving his censer to the chanting of the Sistine Chapel, or beneath the nobler dome of St. Peters'. Thus foreboding, we followed our guide, wondering if he ever could enter again that homely brick meeting house on Lynde street, until our doubts vanished and our confidence was restored after fifty pages of misunderstanding, by a noble vindication both of the Puritan architecture, and of the Puritan worship, with a phillipic on liturgies and printed prayer that did our heart good, and a part of which we quote for the benefit of any readers who may open the volume on our recommendation, and who will require this explanation, to avoid a similar mistake.

We have no space for the description of the service in Westminster Abbey, and of its effect on the worshiper, which was not complimentary either to the liturgical forms or to the preacher. We cannot copy his frank avowal that he returns more independent than ever, but must satisfy ourselves with the following, as the summing of the matter:

"What is essential in the church must of course have, and it will put on some clothing. It will be variously clad in one place or another. Only let those who are called Christians, in every place, beware of taking the clothing for the thing clothed, or of imposing their particular garment of Christianity as the only fit one upon others. Let them remember, too, that as with the human body, the more clothing required to be put on, the lower is proved to be its life; so the more the church is dressed, the less, in actual demonstration, is the vitality of the spirit. An excessive official and formalistic operation of the church may in some respects, be adapted to a low condition of mankind,-of those learning their letters in religion; but, in the name of God and Christ, the moment

Yet, if

they are susceptible of it, let them have a higher teaching and ministration. Otherwise, at length, as the Bible is true, "the letter killeth;" the form will begin to extinguish the soul. In fine, as so much has been said of the moving efficacy of forms, especially in the Romish church, in foreign countries, let one bear witness that nothing in these forms made any remote approximation in power or persuasiveness to the sermons and supplications in the same countries whose sincere accents fell on his ears in the Protestant communion. we are at all to trust to forms more than to the spirit, then I hesitate not to say, let us go to Rome at once. In the Romish services there is often, at least, a warmth and earnestness, to which that of every other formal church in England or America, seems affected and cold. One can but admire the deep policy and masterly working on the human mind of the papal system,-every sense of whosoever, in the stream that is perpetually flowing in and flowing out, enters any of its tabernacles taken possession of: the eye with paintings, statues, alcoves, altars, columns and costume; the ear, with entrancing sounds of tongues, and pipes, and chords; the smell, with fragrance from dexterously swung and adroitly caught, rising and descending censers; the touch with holy water, in the ever-renewed emblem and motion of the cross; and whatever is weak, dependent, confiding in the human heart, at once seized by an ancient authority, held forth in manifold symbols, and a professed everlasting infallibility, now declared from the dogmatic creed, and now stalking, in the shape of ornamented, almost military, officers, through the submissive adoring throng. But you cannot help asking, How would Jesus Christ look in such a scene! Quite at home, think you? How would he, the simple, familiar, loving, and holy, like the strange mixture of superstition and despotism with humility and love? Where would he prefer to stay? Amid this pomp of praise, this aristocracy of rank and caste in religion? or where even two or three in his name, in simple devoutness and modesty of mutual regard, were met together? I can only say, Read the whole New Testament, and answer." pp. 247-249.

The careless utterance of the passing emotion, which so easily besets this author, must be borne in memory, while perusing the volume and deciding in regard to the theories promulgated. We readily concede the important truth enunciated in the chapters entitled "the superiority of art to nature," and "the testimony of art to religion," but they present only one side of the shield, and are therefore calculated to mislead the unthinking, and to induce a misapprehension of the author's opinions. Man, we certainly believe, is commissioned to subdue and cultivate, and adorn the material world; and the fine arts have their office in this grand achievement, while they also minister to the noblest intellectual and spiritual capacities of the human soul. Yet we are disposed to ask an explanation, when met by the assertion in respect to this department of human genius. "But it is worthy of note, that the purely base and wicked things in the world which God abhors, are seldom or never chosen by art for its topics. They are as unfit to be reproduced as they are ever to exist. Art, therefore, in her plans and labors is essentially pure and lofty. One can hardly be in her palaces without a feeling of sanctity." Does Mr. Bartol mean to say, that, in the galleries which he visited and among the masterpieces of art which he beheld, he discovered nothing calculated to debauch the mind and morals?-then is he at variance with

other travelers, and with undeniable history, or we have read wrongly. We grant, that the fine arts have their place among the other gifts of God, but no gift has been more grossly perverted and prostituted. The subject, and the execution of many world renowned paintings, is sensual and demoralizing, and the devotion to the fine arts has hitherto, in the world's history, been synonymous with idolatry. We shall find that the highest attainments in this department have been accompanied with a low standard of public morals, and with a disregard to the public welfare in relation to political and religious freedom. We wish that Mr. Bartol could have listened to a noble and cultivated Italian, mourning in our presence the influence of the fine arts upon his people, and praying for the destruction even of their noblest monuments and museums, that they might learn that the soul was more precious than the body. Yet, one who reads these essays, might suppose that the author really believed that it was nobler to sculpture a hero, than to become heroic; to paint a martyrdom, than to suffer for righteousness sake. We do not imagine that this is the writer's opinion, but loose, unguarded eulogies produce the impression, and are to be rebuked. We had passed the matter silently, if this had been the prophecy of a future for art, but when a professed minister of Christ indulges in such rhapsodies without qualification, over the actual state and influence of this school of human instruction, we must enter our vote on the other side, although compelled to confine our denial to a paragraph.

The real significance of the volume remains unconsidered,that which has induced us to read and review its pages. The author, as we have already remarked, occupies somewhat of an anomalous ecclesiastical position. He claims for his church, a broader and loftier platform than that of any existing Christian denomination. He describes himself as "belonging to no sect in religion," as "unconscious of a wish to plead for or against any section, or denomination of the Christian body," and the inquiry is prompted, what are the views of one so catholic? We do not intend the slightest disparagement of the author, for we have ever heard of him as a sincere and upright man, of humble spirit, and his book awakens our respect for his character and intentions. We are, in fact, curious to ascertain how far he differs from our interpretation of the Gospel,-whether upon essentials or non-essentials; and we suppose that he may be equally interested in discovering how his ideas affect the class to which we belong. Answering but for one, we will frankly declare our impressions, while we have examined the theories presented and illustrated in this vol

ume,--so far as they concern man's religious nature, and wellbeing. The free and uncontroversial style of these essays, exposes more accurately the author's real opinion than any labored argument in defense of one definite proposition, and we infer that we possess his general views on the subjects which he has selected. We have already extolled his true and lofty conceptions of earthly life-his honest and hearty sympathy with truth and virtue-and his appreciation of a simple and spiritual worship. We also believe, like him, in an enduring kingdom, in a history of progress-and in a destiny of peace and love. We, too, acknowledge with admiring wonder and devout affection, "the unearthly sinlessness, the divine and aspiring nature of Him who came to redeem and exalt our race"" the incarnate spirit of God," "the great Prophet of earth and heaven," "a saintly soul whom we call Son of God," "whose countenance is the brightest dawn of hope that ever rose upon the human race,' ""the author of our salvation."

We have abundantly conceded the manly religious sentiment which pervades the work; but we laid it down with the conviction that there is a world-wide difference between the author and ourselves, which affects both our philosophy, our religious feelings, and our regard of the earth, of man, and of the Redeemer;-comprised in the interpretation of that short word, SIN.

Our author takes much pains to vindicate the race from the charge of universal depravity, and narrates the pleasant intercourse of travel, the kind advice which was freely contributed to the stranger, and the amiable traits which were exhibited by chance associates, as evidence of inherent goodness. Thus he argues: "indeed, the general good humor of intercourse among those accidentally thrown together; mutually helpful services freely rendered; pleasant words; affectionate religious salutations heard along road and river; unaffected cordialities of kinsfolk and friends, pointing back to happy homes, did not to me prove man the brute or demon which by bigots and sceptics-who are more akin to each other than we may fancy-he has been called." We confess to something like a smile, when in support of the theory that the race are not universally sinful, we were pointed to the epitaphs on their tombstones, with this sober, though novel assertion: "Than the grave yard there is, indeed, no more striking exposition of the common nature and temper of mankind;" from whose testimony he concludes, "unworthy, guilty men enough there have been for our warning in the great career of time; yet, thank God, for it is important to our fundamental faith, essential

morality, and needful encouragement,-thank God that man himself, in his whole nature and tendency, is not proved false and delinquent, but of a temper generously endeavoring and grandly aspiring." We do not purpose to cast any reflections on this method of observation, by which the character of the race is vindicated from their tombstones, although we cannot help thinking of the witty lines pronounced on the burial place:

"Here lie the dead, and

Here the living lie."

We are desirous, however, of representing fairly Mr. Bartol's doctrine. He thus states his views, speaking of the earth:

*

"It is an adorned abode of a cunning and aspiring, though imperfect and faulty race,—a race, that, in comparison with its capacities of virtue and hap piness, in comparison with its final destiny of more spiritual being and heavenly progress, may indeed be described as wandering and lost, but yet a race, which, with all the wickedness of its offspring and all the weakness of its abortions, has ennobled the sphere it dwells in almost beyond its own knowledge or imagination." "The sons of mischief, who have sought out diabolic inventions, have gained for their doings and monuments a foothold relatively small to the space which the children of worth and genius, as the servants of God, have beautified with constructions of utility, and exhibitions of splendor, and seeds of all wholesome and nourishing growth, for the blessing and honor of their kind. This was God's design from the beginning. And no man shall convince me that the Maker himself has wholly failed of his purpose in man's creation,-that he is quite disappointed in the race of his children, and finds, after all, in the humanity he took pains to fashion and inspire, only a grand mistake, his sentence recorded in Holy Writ only falsified. No! sinners and rebels have abounded; but the whole moral world has not wheeled out of its orbit." pp. 161, 162.

And again:

"Even in this poor world of ours, I have never been able to see sin as the great fact, evil as the centre, or misery as the law. What is bad in the human passions on this lower theatre of time, is indeed always rife, and rages often fearfully. Still it is but an exception,-tremendous and overwhelming, exception though it be. He must be pitied, as narrow minded and not aware of the full love and mercy of God, to whom human existence is only a blight, a mischief, and a curse. The good predominates, and I declare it the more earnestly, because I think it for the glory of God and the welfare of mankind that it should be seen to predominate." pp. 315, 316.

We believe, equally with this writer, in the universality of natural affections as a constituent part of humanity, and should neither expect to meet a ruffian at every crossing in a foreign city, nor to leave all the courtesies of life behind, when we embarked for Europe. We certainly have never discovered any one who denied the facts on which Mr. Bartol grounds the inference, that right and goodness are the common rule of human conduct, but this has not been our method of detecting the nature and presence of iniquity. We go not abroad to discover sin, we tarry at home, and in the secresy of the closet.

VOL. XIV.

39