answer to the common assertion of the Catholics, that, as the time of the Protestant divines is occupied by the care of their families, and their funds are consumed in providing for them, they have no leisure for study, and no money to purchase books, and therefore they are rarely learned. We contemplate it also, we must confess, with a certain feeling of envy; for, however prejudiced we may be in favour of our native country, we own with sorrow that we are quite unable to compete with them on this ground at the present day. It is painful, but marvellous, to reflect with what a scanty store of learning a mythic subject-as, for example, the origin of pagan idolatry-would be undertaken by one of our theologians; how meagrely would the matter be handled; how narrow and confined would be the author's views; how vulgar his sentiments! How remarkable is the contrast between the sober simplicity with which works of infinite labour and solid learning are published in Germany, and the empty but ostentatious pomp that here trumpets abroad the praises of some sacred relics, or other scanty scraps, that are lazily brought forth after immense delays. Of the German divines we may truly say, and it is greatly to their honour, what Origen writes in an epistle concerning a certain priest of Alexandria, that he laid aside the vulgar habit which he used formerly to wear, and assumed the dress of a philosopher, which he still retained, and never ceased to study with all his might the writings of the Greeks.' We admire the erudition of these meritorious persons, and lament our own deficiencies, the more, because we are firmly convinced that learning is, in truth, the best of all things; for although every learned man, unhappily, is not necessarily virtuous, it is amongst the learned that great virtues are chiefly to be found."

We have transcribed the preceding observations from a distinguished contemporary, because they contain the general sentiments of literary men, both on the continent and in our own country, respecting the state of theological learning amongst us. If we dispute the justice of the censure, it is more with reference to its extent than to the foundation: and it is probably not more true, as it relates to the class of theology referred to,than to every other investigation which demands much patient research. The fact is, that superficial periodical literature has absorbed all the intellect of the country. Two companies of booksellers, and the committee of the London University, employ the first writers in the land with drawing up elementary treatises for children, or for the poor; which must in time elevate the least thinking part of the community to a certain mediocrity, and also prevent the other from taking a higher range. The evil from this source is felt and acknowledged to be great in every department of literature; in some more than in others;

and there are said to be at this moment, in London, only two working philosophical chemists; and Mr. Babbage, the inventor of the celebrated calculating machine, has recently published an "Inquiry into the Decline of Science in England.

That, however, which is meant by "the immense erudition of their theologians," is of the same character as that which is displayed by their commentators on the Heathen Classics. The great art, "the art to blot," never yet was acquired by any mortal German. The Excursus, for example, prefixed by Heyne to his Virgil, might have been bound up with equal propriety with any other poet who had made use of the single word, whatever it may be, which serves as a text, or peg, on which the Excursus is hung. The same may be said of Wyttenbach, and many others. Accuracy is what constitutes their truest praise, in comparison at least with the French, who are too apt, upon all occasions, to "trust to their invention for their facts." But that which is considered as the highest order of theology, and to which the "immense erudition" of Germany is devoted, is, in fact, only a branch of Positive Theology, which is its lowest department. It relates to nothing but what are called the evidences of Christianity; and those of the most unattainable kind, and of the most unsatisfactory nature when attained. The term itself is altogether incorrect, for the real subject is Christian antiquities, and not evidences of Christianity at all. Of all evidences, those produced by Paley, in his Hora Paulinæ, are the most conclusive; and we doubt whether there is in the German universities the same habit of comparing conflicting testimony, and of giving its adequate relative weight to both sides, that is to be found in this country, accustomed as are its inhabitants, by the genius of the civil constitution under which they live, to be conversant with judicial and political investigation.

At the head of "the immense erudition of the theologians' of Germany, stands Eickhorn; and below him range Ammon, Schleirmache, and many others. "The free and liberal discussion" which they join to their "immense erudition," is bottomed upon pure infidelity. They set out from the principle that all religious observances, mysteries, ceremonials, &c. are superstitious, and that these superstitions obscure simple Deism, which is their beau ideal of a creed. The necessary basis of Deism is idolatry: because, if God has not revealed himself, then no knowledge of him whatever can be acquired; and each mind must create for itself such an object of worship as it thinks most worthy of adoration.

We shall not stop to vindicate Mr. Faber, whom we presume to be the author of "the Origin of Pagan Idolatry" above alluded to, but proceed to point out the inapplicability of the

censure to the class of works to which his belongs; and no one, who has examined the question, can doubt, that although the German works greatly outweigh in pounds averdupois their English competitors, the latter as much surpass them in conciseness and perspicuity.

It is certainly extraordinary, and not creditable to the clergy, considering how, almost exclusively, the classical education of youth has been confined within their own hands, that, notwithstanding the praiseworthy pains which have been taken to expunge the offensive indecencies of Horace, Juvenal, and other Heathen Classics, by Knox and others, which has been very properly imitated by Mr. Bowdler with respect to Shakspeare, no attempt should have been made, upon any great scale, to explain upon Christian principles the leading facts in Heathen Mythology. Considerable exertions, however, have been made on the opposite side, to inculcate, that all the articles of the Christian faith are mere revivals and modifications of Paganism. Payne Knight made the boldest, and most infamous, in his work on the Worship of Priapus: and Sir William Drummond, in his Edipus Judaïcus, coolly assures us that our blessed Lord and the twelve Apostles, as well as Moses and the Patriarchs, are only expressions for the sun and the twelve signs of the Zodiac. Popery has, indeed, lent great encouragement to this learned infidelity, by having engrafted into itself all the tutelary deities, and purgatory, of heathenism; while Elysium has furnished its prototype of heaven, as it has also to many modern Evangelicals. Something of the kind, however, was projected in Edinburgh a few years ago, but the plan fell to the ground. The most feasible mode, probably, would be to add to some Classical Dictionary-such as that of Lempriere-the Christian explanation of the various subjects as they occur.

All heathen mythology is founded upon the corruption or perversion of some truth. Every falsehood has a true idea in it, somewhere; for it is as impossible for a creature to create an idea, as to create matter. Nothing is pure falsehood, but a simple and unequivocal denial of a positive fact, or the assertion of a fact which has no existence; as poison and medicine, and even food, are only modifications of the same thing according to the old saying, that "What is one man's meat is another man's poison."" When that bond of duty which originally connected man with his Creator was broken, and man became obnoxious to sin, expiatory sacrifices were instituted by Divine command, prefigurative of a more complete atonement. They were afterwards disfigured by many human additions; which, however gross and vain, must nevertheless be considered as attempts, on the part of man, to approach to God; expressing a sense of alienation, the deterioration of man's nature, and a

hope of restitution. To this sense of exclusion from the presence and favour of the Deity was added the fear of excision, as due to sin, and as was actually experienced in the Flood, with a partial exception. This fallen state and merited punishment have been implied, if not directly acknowledged, in every sacred rite of the Gentile world, in their sacrifices and ceremonies, in the fables of their poets, and the devices of their sculptors, which also had their origin in religion." (Christie on the Worship of the Elements).-Tradition can rise no higher than the Deluge; and to some of the actions of Noah and of his immediate descendants every thing may be traced. The very contradictions respecting the same individual prove this position. The histories of the three Bacchuses in Diodorus, of those mentioned in Cicero, and in the Dionysiacs of Nonnus, vary in many points: but the culture of the vine, equally the characteristic of the child of Jupiter and of the conqueror of India, is clearly to be traced up to the common parent of the post-diluvian race. "To many well-thinking persons," observes Mr. Deane, “the examination of these intricate fables may appear useless and unprofitable. But in proportion to the confusion apparent in every early Pagan tradition, the clearness and consistency of the Pentateuch become subject of admiration: the more evident also must it be, that the author of the Pentateuch did not borrow from those traditions, and the greater the necessity for his being divinely assisted."

Mr. Wilkins, in the preface to his work on Magna Grecia, has successfully shewn the identity of the measures of the temple of Solomon and that of Jupiter. He thence proceeds to argue, that as the Jews in the time of Solomon were a very barbarous people, who had not cultivated the fine arts, they were obliged to apply to the Greeks for architects, workmen, &c.; which he thinks is proved by the fact of their sending to the Tyrians, a state of the same origin as many of the Grecian colonies. "The temple at Jerusalem is the earliest of which we have any written documents. Upon its claims to attention, as it is connected with our holy religion, it were surely needless to expatiate. But, independently of the interest excited by its antiquity and sanctity, we shall find that an inquiry into the arrangement and dimensions of its component parts will be amply repaid by the light which it tends to diffuse upon the history of architecture in general. Let us, then, compare the plan and proportions of this celestial structure with those of some of the earliest Grecian temples, such as at Pæstum and Egina. So great a resemblance will be found, upon investigation, to subsist between them, as to afford a presumptive proof that the architects both of Syria and Greece were guided by the same general principles in the distribution and proportion of the more essential parts of their

buildings." (vi.) Mr. W. therefore contends, "that the temple at Pæstum, as well as other Grecian temples of the same æra, were actually designed after the model of the temple at Jerusalem," (xiv.) We have proof" that the second temple had the very same form which in after ages was peculiar to the temples dedicated to Jupiter:" and, however inferior in splendour, there can be no doubt that the second temple was constructed upon precisely the same proportions as the first. There was a very remarkable and unique difference between the temple at Jerusalem and all other temples. It contained one secret part, into which none could enter but the high priest; and this had but one door or entrance: whereas the heathen temples, with the exception of four, enumerated by Dr. Chandler in the Antiquities of Ionia, had no one part more sacred than the other, and had an entrance at both ends of the building.

We need not remind the readers of this journal, that every part of the temple of Solomon corresponded with the tabernacle, which was built according to a plan the whole details of which were given by God to Moses on the Mount. Neither was this considered sufficient to ensure the correctness of the execution, and workmen were specially inspired for the purpose of completing the temple and all the minutia: "David gave to Solomon his son the pattern of the porch, and of the houses thereof, and of the treasuries thereof, and of the upper chambers thereof, and of the inner parlours thereof, and of the place of the mercy-seat, and the pattern of all that he had by the Spirit," &c. (1 Chron. xxviii. 11.) “All this, said David, the Lord made me understand in writing, by his hand upon me; even all the works of this pattern" (ver. 19). We do not at present mean to point out the meaning of these parts, but that every circumstance connected with the temple bore an emblematical signification is not to be questioned.

The earliest buildings erected as objects of reverence to God, were the pillars raised by the children of Seth. These were considered, by those who witnessed them, to be representations of God: hence the single column which is found upon the most ancient coins, and other records; hence too the multiplication, or more properly the repetition, of columns in subsequent temples. These pillars seem to have been often, and perhaps always, raised amongst trees and in groves, in memory of that Eden, or place of delight (ndovn) from which the original possessors had been banished by sin, and to their restoration to which at some future time they fondly looked. The surrounding heathen imitated these also; and sacred groves were the earliest places of assembly, whether for worship or for other important public purposes. Groves and temples were in a great measure synoni