"Revised Bible for the People." This work, two parts of which only had appeared at the time of his death, and of which Alexander Humboldt said, "I have formed the highest opinion. of his Bibelwerk," ("The Supernatural in Relation to the Natural," by Dr M'Cosh, p. 366), was designed to be a book to be read by "the people;" that is, in a popular Commentary to convey down from the clouds of German rationalism to the common mind such views as those to which we have referred in the article of Dr Williams, and which are scattered abundantly in the "Hippolytus," and other writings of Bunsen. It was, perhaps, with reference to such an effect that Humboldt expressed his admiration of the "Bibelwerk," and it is this which gives so much point to a question by Dr M Cosh, ("The Supernatural," &c., p. 366), "Was he (Humboldt) rejoicing because he saw that it would further very different ends from those contemplated by Bunsen?" Who can tell what the effect of a popular Commentary-a Bibelwerk für die Gemeinde-constructed on these principles, with the talent, the -learning, and the fame of Bunsen; with the impression derived from the universal belief that he was a truly pious man- belief which we are not disposed to call in question-would have had on the popular mind of Germany, and ultimately on the popular mind of England, where he was so well known, and so much beloved!

We cannot, therefore, regard the death of the Chevalier Bunsen, pure, and elevated, and learned as he was, as a calamity to the world. It is one of those cases where, in the language of Dr Goodell, missionary at Constantinople, though employed by him with a different significancy from that which we give to the phrase, it is proper to say, "Let us arise, and give thanks to God that good men may die." For, the ground of rejoicing when a good man is taken from the earth, is not merely that he is redeemed and has gone to glory; not merely that another of our race has been rescued from sin, and death, and hell; not merely that another gem has been added to the Redeemer's crown, to sparkle there with increasing brilliancy for ever and ever; it is, not unfrequently, that a good man is removed from the world when, from some peculiarity of opinion and character, even in honest and well-meant efforts, he has been doing, and is doing, more harm than good; when a mingled power of good and evil is withdrawn from the world, in a case in which the good gives sanction to the evil, and in which the good that would be done would be more than overbalanced by the evil; or when a good man is embarked in an undertaking the end of which he cannot foresee, and when the

* Bibelwerk für Gemeinde.

ultimate results, if accomplished, would more than neutralise all the good which he has done in a long life. Indeed, it is a rare case in which the world does not gain something when a godly man dies. Few are the men whose character is such that their influence is wholly salutary and happy. Often, very often, it happens that a man who, on the whole, gives such evidence of piety that we cannot doubt that he has gone to heaven, holds such a form of belief, or is engaged in such plans, or by his position, wealth, rank, or learning, exerts such an influence that the church has little to hope from him except by his removal to heaven.

Such a man, eminently, was the Chevalier Bunsen. We cannot, we would not doubt that he was a good man; that he was sincere and honest in his convictions and in his aims. No one can doubt the reality of his great intellectual ability and his great learning. His rank, and his learning, and his high social qualities, as we have before remarked, fitted him to exert a wide influence over mankind. It is much, too, that he was free from the grosser forms of error which abound in the world, and especially in the circles in which he moved; much, that he placed himself on the side of religion in the view of the elevated ranks of life; much, that his name can never be appealed to in favour of open scepticism. But we should regard the completion of his "Biblework for the People," on the principles in which he commenced it, and which would have been continued if he had lived to carry it out to its completion, as one of the direst calamities which could have occurred to the world; for we can conceive of nothing more fitted to overthrow the foundations of faith among mankind than a commentary "for the people" on the Bible, with lax views of its inspiration, and with a practical and popular embodiment of the sentiments which are expressed in the volume before us. In fact, one of the most dangerous "Essays" in the volume is that of which his writings have been made the basis. Comparatively harmless will be that volume as a volume of "Essays and Reviews," alike in the Old World and the New, in the limited circulation which it will be likely to have, and in the existence to which it is destined; but no one can calculate what would be the influence of these sentiments if they were wrought into a popular commentary on the Bible, and if the Bible were to be explained on these principles.

Our judgment of the Chevalier Bunsen may seem to be harsh, and in some quarters will be set down undoubtedly as bigotry and uncharitableness. It will be charged on "orthodoxy" or Calvinism, as a proof of its dark and bitter spirit; of its want of sympathy with liberal views, with the progress of mankind, and with the age in which we live. Be it so. We

cannot help it if it is. But we are happy to confirm our view by the testimony of one who enjoyed an opportunity of forming an estimate of the character and influence of Chevalier Bunsen by a personal acquaintance with him; who had no prejudices to subserve; who was qualified and prepared to appreciate all that was noble, elevated, and pure in his character, and who, in recording the result of his impressions in regard to him, has uttered no word that tends to depreciate his character, or to do injustice to his great and generous qualities. We refer to Dr James M'Cosh, author of "The Typical Forms and Special Ends in Creation;" "The Divine Moral Government, Physical and Moral;" and "The Supernatural in relation to the Natural."*

In the Appendix to the last volume referred to, he has stated the impression which he derived from the "delightful intercourse" which he had with him "several hours every day for five successive days," in August 1858. From this, we make the following extracts:

"He was now, in his retirement, to give to the world the views on all subjects, historical, philosophical, and theological, which had burst upon him in their freshness when he spent so many of his youthful years in Rome. I confess, however, that, deeply interested as I was in his speculations-as these came forth with such a warmth and radiance from his own lips-I had all the while an impression that he would require to live to an antediluvian age in order to commit all his theories to writing, and also a very strong conviction that his views belonged to the past age rather than the present, and that some of them would not, in fact, promote the cause of religion which he had so much at heart. It ever came out that he drew no distinction between the natural and preternatural. He was a firm believer in mesmerism and clairvoyance (in favour of them he mentioned some circumstances which seemed to me to have no evidential value), and was apt to connect them with the inspiration of the writers of the Bible."-Pp. 364, 365.

"On my reporting to Bunsen how kindly Humboldt had spoken of him, he said, 'I am bringing out a certain portion of my Bibelwork before other parts which should come earlier, in order that it may fall under the eye of Humboldt ere he is removed from us.' The way he said this shewed the great love he had for Humboldt; and he intimated pretty plainly that he hoped the part of the Bibelwork to which he referred might help to draw Humboldt towards deeper religious convictions."-P. 366.

"Whether any such end was accomplished, I have no means of knowing. I have doubts as to whether the means were fitted to attain the object fondly desired. For Bunsen was already in a very ambiguous position in his own country. Respected and beloved by all-except the enemies of civil and religious liberty-his speculations, philosophical or theological, carried, I found, very little weight in Germany. The great divines of the orthodox school, while they loved him for his piety, just regretted the more that in his opinions as to the authenticity and inspiration of the Old Testament he was adhering to views which had been very prevalent in the earlier part of the century, but had been for years abandoned by all who had given their attention to the subject. The Rationalists, who, in the days of their strength, had hated Bunsen for his warm evangelical piety, were rejoicing, now that the tide was against them, that they had in him an unconscious auxiliary in their work of undermining the inspiration of the Bible,-but they set no value whatever on his own speculations and opinions. His venerated name is being extensively used by the Rationalists of this country; it is right that they should know that he ever spoke of Rationalism in terms of strongest disapprobation and aver

In noticing the efforts which are made to adjust Christianity to the present age, we cannot, of course, omit the influence of the Westminster Review. That periodical, not professedly religious, and not openly infidel; not connected with any ecclesiastical establishment, nor pledged to the particular support of any, and not avowedly arrayed against any; nor undertaken with a view to defend the Bible, and yet not pledged expressly or impliedly not to attack the Bible; projected apparently, and conducted with a purpose to represent the opinions of the age, and to record and help forward the progress of mankind, has, from the beginning, regarded with special interest the relation of Christianity to the world at the present time. Its aim is mainly scientific, rather than political; its purpose rather to record the bearings of the discoveries of science, and the progress of literature, than to contend on the arena of metaphysics or theology. It is not a work professedly of sacred criticism, and it looks at theological opinions only as they bear on the existing state of things:-on the modification of old. opinions; on the changes which progress in sacred criticism and science seem to be compelling mankind to make in their religious views. It hails with delight any change which either criticism or science compels men to make, or which may be so employed by the conductors of that journal as to compel them to make in the religious opinions which have been cherished and held sacred for ages. There are, in that periodical, two departments which seem to command all the talent and learning which are employed in conducting the Review. The one is the body of the Review itself, where every thing that science can suggest is employed to undermine the foundations of faith, especially in those things in religion where the "supernatural" is implied, or where the deductions of science seem to be inconsis

sion, and he wished it to be known everywhere that he identified himself with the living evangelical piety of Britain. While Bunsen was able to retain his piety, in spite of the vagueness and wanderings of his speculative opinions, it is difficult to see how any young man trained in the creed left to Bunsen, could ever rise to a belief in the Saviour."-Pp. 366, 367.

"I am able to say-what I believe I can say of no other with whom I had so much intercourse-that we never conversed during these five days, for ten minutes at a time, without his returning, however far he might be off, to his Bible and his Saviour, as the objects that were evidently the dearest to him." -P. 368.

"The last day I passed with him was a Sabbath-a Sabbath indeed—for I never in all my life spent a more profitable day. In the forenoon I sat with him in his seat in the University Church at Heidelberg, where we had the privilege of listening to a powerful gospel sermon from Dr Schenkel. I spent the afternoon in his house, where he read to us in German, or in English translations, out of the fine old devotional works of his country, interspersing remarks of his own, evidently springing from the depths of his heart, and breathing towards heaven-to which I firmly believe, he has now been carried." -P. 369.

tent with miracles, and with the faith of former generations; the latter is what they call "Contemporary Literature," in which all that is furnished by sacred criticism that can be made to bear on the subject, is employed for the same end. It is in this latter department of the "Review" that the hope of success mainly depends. It is, in general, the most elaborate part of the work. It has the advantage of containing more information on the literature of the age than any other publication in the English language. It evinces great acquaintance with German theological literature, and with what religious literature there is in France, and it is prompt to mark and record the result of any labours in either country, or in England or America, that will tend to unsettle the faith of mankind in miracles, in the inspiration of the Bible, or in ancient creeds.

What would be the ultimate creed of the Westminster Review, if it should ever be settled and defined, or what would be the precise theological opinions of the world if science and criticism, under its guidance, had done all that they could do to adjust religion to this age, and this age to religion, it would be impossible to say. The points which have been settled in the estimation of that work, and which are no longer spoken of as doubtful; which are always referred to with the complacency of those who feel that they have fixed points of belief, are such as the following:-That the laws of nature are so fixed that miracles are impossible; that the prophecies were written after the events to which they refer; that the world is much older than the Mosaic records make it; that man has been on the earth for thousands of years longer than those records would allow; that there have been different centres of the origin of vegetable and animal life; that man in his origin has followed the common laws in the development of "Species," as indicated in the work of Dr Darwin; that there are numerous mistakes, contradictions, and absurdities in the so-called sacred books of the Hebrews, and in the New Testament; that no scientific man can speak of the "miracle" of Joshua in commanding the sun and moon to stand still as an actual fact; that the last books of "Isaiah" were written after the return from the exile, and the entire book of Daniel after the events which it seems to predict; and that all proper idea of inspiration in regard to the Bible is to be abandoned. On these, and kindred points, the Westminster Review no longer reasons. They are as much beyond the necessity of argument, as the doctrine of gravitation, or the laws of Kepler.

The work which the Westminster Review has undertaken is, in a great measure, peculiar to this age. Porphyry, in his day, had his field; Celsus his; Julian his. In neither case was it science or sacred criticism. It was ancient philosophy as then