as much, if not more for the substantial happiness of the people, among whom it was administered, than all the other Sciences and Literature of Greece and Rome. I hesitate not to say also, that the real welfare of the nations of modern Europe, has been more effectually promoted by the former, than the latter. That exercised a decided, permanent, meliorating influence over the feudal system of the North. It laid the basis of the law of nations, and of the improved municipal law of continental Europe: and we may justly say, that it was among the ancients, the only great effort of common sense, for the good of the people, in domestic and social relations. One important consideration must not be forgotten-it is, that the Civil Law, as compiled and settled by Justinian, was the work of a Christian prince, for a Christian people. For myself, I rejoice in the belief, that it never would have existed, but for the enlightening, purifying spirit, the mild wisdom, and the practical justice of the Christian system. Had the political constitution of Europe been as much improved, as its civil administration, by this admirable code, our own day of popular rights and popular happiness had not been so long deferred. But while it is expedient, even for despots, that the civil right of subjects should be well defined, generally understood, and faithfully protected; because these are efficient means to ensure domestic peace and order; yet absolute monarchs must ever act the opposite part, as to political rights. PP. 25, 26.

The author next proceeds to a consideration of the influence exerted by the Reformation in rendering science valuable to human happiness. "The essential principle of the reformation was freedom, freedom of mind, freedom of the individual, freedom of the people. The fundamental position was this each man has a right, each is bound to think for himself. This principle and this position were at first the offspring of religious controversy; but it was impossible to limit the circle of their influence to such a field, spacious and fertile as it was."

After some kind and conciliatory

To illustrate this opinion, let us advert to the actual state of Europe, before the French Revolution, bearing in mind the remark of Montesquieu, that Loyola would have governed the world, but for Luther and Calvin. He, in defiance of the Reformers, has swayed Italy, Spain, and Portugal: they, in spite of him, have ruled Holland, England, and Scotland. Ignatius has governed South America: Calvin and Luther, these United States. Is there now an American, whether of the Reformed or Romish Creed, who would exchange the condition of the Protestant Countries, which have been named, for that of Southern Europe or Southern America? Is it not obvious, that Society has been comparatively stationary for 300 years, in these; while Protestant nations have been continually advancing? Look at the wonderful progress of Holland, Great-Britain, and our own country, since the Reformation. Place gal: and assign, if practicable, any adbeside them, Italy, Spain, and Portuequate causes, for the incalculable difference, except the principles of the Reformers. Every student of the philosophy of history, I feel assured, reechoes the sentiment, THESE ONLY ARE THE CAUSES. If then, as I have already said, Science and Art are nothing worth, unless they bless the people, as well as adorn the State, and if in protestant countries, they have thus blessed, as well as adorned, beyond all paresting and momentous, how have the allel; it becomes a question most interprinciples of the Reformers wrought this change, in the use and application of the whole circle of knowledge? I proceed to attempt an explanation; though I believe that every improved mind, already comprehends the developement of my subject.

The freedom of inquiry, applied first to religion, then to politics and morals, developed four conclusions,

1. On Theology.

The Church, as we have already seen, opposed an active resistance to all investigations into these matters. It prohibited, with all its power, the teaching of the Oriental languages, and the reading of the books of the old and new Testament. Its system was founded on passages and terms in these books, interpreted according to its own views; and on traditions, passages from the holy Fathers, decisions of councils, pontifical bulls, decretals, charters and other historical monuments. Such was the noblest of Sciences, according to the judgment of this admirable writer. The Reformers assailed, and overthrew this system. From the acute study of the Oriental and Greek Archeologia, by the Protestant Theologians, applied to the study of the sacred books, a perfection, which it had not before, has resulted to the Science, called Exegesis, or a critical examination of the text of the Scrip

tures.

2. Morality. 3. Political Philolosophy. 4. Metaphysics. 5. Ancient Literature. "Who does not know," says Villers, "that in Protestant countries, the knowledge of Greek is perhaps more common than that of Latin in most Catholic countries ?"

6. Modern Languages and National Literature pass next in review. At the date of the Reformation, the modern idioms, excepting Italian, were rude and uncultivated. In the rest of Europe, a Latin jargon was the language of the schools and of books. The learn

ed might treat in Latin, what scholars only were able to read; and therefore, Mathematics, Physics, Philosophy, might appear with tolerable advantage, have a Literature, without a vulgar tongue, without a people, or, as it may be said, without a public? All classes, all ages, all sexes, are the proper audience of the literary writer. He must speak the language of courts and of taverns, of closets and of camps, of citizens and of peasants. His business is with all minds, all hearts; and more and open to all impressions, with those, particularly with those, most ingenuous who know least of Latin. In order, therefore, that each nation might have in its own language, it was necessary a Literature, it was necessary to write that all parties should be accustomed to read. A great event, a powerful inthe favorite topic of every one, terest, a subject, which should become should agitate all minds, which should which find access every where, was wanted. Then alone would be found authors, willing to write for the people, and a people, who would read their writings with eagerness. The Reformation Brought forth

in this dress. But how could nations

was such an event. within the narrow boundary of a Latinspeaking public, it could never have It was requisite that it should quit been consummated, within such limits. them, and gain millions of heads to

fence. An appeal to the people was the first step of the Reformers; and this must necessarily have been made which had left the schools, and become in their language. This controversy, the great business of Europe, was the first active principle, by which modern languages were fertilized. To these for the restoration of the fine and good disputes on Religion, we are indebted style. The universal animosity between the Papists and Reformists, the long troubles of Germany and Switzerland, those of the League in France, those of the Low Countries, those of Scotland and England, became so many furnaces, in which the different languages of these countries were elaborated and purified. The German Bible of Luther is the principal classical foundation of what is called high German. The same is eminently true of the English Bible of James I. It may be also added, that inhabitants of

arm millions of hands in its de

Within the last three centuries, more than twenty Universities have been founded in Germany, of which three

fourths are Protestant. There are 36Universities in Germany, 19 Protestant and 17 Catholic, while the Catholic population is double the protest.ant. No reasonable person, says Villers, will doubt that the Protestant Universities have the advantage in the instruction given. It will not, says he, be thought very inconsistent to say, that there is more real knowlege in one single University, such as Jena, Halle or Gottingen, than in the eight Spanish Universities of St. Jago de Compostella, Alcala, Orihuela, &c. The Protestants have founded and endowed a great number of schools; because their existence depends upon their being the best informed. The Reformation is essentially learned-it received its impulse from Science, and can only be supported by Science-knowledge is an affair of State in the reformed nations. To the Reformation, the young of that day, and all that have followed them, and all that shall follow us, are indebted for the mildest, and at the same time, the most efficacious methods of instruction. p. 49.

He thus comes to the conclusion,

That more has been done, in three centuries by the Protestants, in the profound, and comprehensive, the exact, rational, and liberal developement,culture, and application of every valuable department of knowledge, both theoretical and practical, with a view to public and private improvement, than has been done by all the rest of the world, both ancient

and modern, since the days of Lycurgus. pp. 49, 50.

In looking from the past to the future, he proposes to establish the position that the principles of the Reformation have become the focal point of the whole circle of knowledge, and that the Reformed writers will always go forward in the career of improvement. This rests on the fact that the grand results of the Reformation are in their nature imperishable. Particularly the universal and practical spirit of investigation on all subjects; the system of education, the diffusion of knowledge; the universality of social and individual effort; religious liberty and equality; and the security of popular rights. On the fourth of these points, that of combination and division of effort, we have these remarks, as true as they are important.

Formerly, the community was a mere bystander, a mere spectator, as to all that was going on. The government, a few ancient, well-endowed institutions, and a handful of individuals, were the only agents. Now, the people are every thing, and do every thing, through the medium of a vast multitude of organized associations, religious, and benevolent,political,civil, and literary, commercial, agricultural, and mechanical. What department of knowledge or business is there, indeed, in which the people are not at once the final and the efficient cause, from the country Sunday school, to the supreme ecumenical council of each denomination; from the village society, to the Parliament of England, or the Congress at Washington? pp. 54, 55.

Mr. G. thus arrives at his cheering and triumphant conclusion:

Such are the principles, which have conferred on Protestant communities, in my judgment, constitutional durabil ity, untiring energy, and inextinguishable enthusiasm, in the cause of improvement, and pre-eminently in the cause of Science, in its noblest and most comprehensive meaning. Such

lents in any department, we have no reason to fear there ever will be.

"While the earth remaineth, while seed time and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer, and winter, and day and night shall not cease," I believe that the human mind shall never again be enslaved; that the Protestant nations shall never again sit in darkness; that the bright career of improvement, begun by the Reformation, shall never terminate; till all the nations shall be gathered into the fold of the one Shepherd, and all sects shall be embosomed, in the holy Sanctuary of the Millenial Church. Then shall the triumph of the principles of the Reformation be complete. Then shall the Christian Religion have become, the only standard of public and private conduct. Then shall the New Testament have established its dominion every where, substantially and practically, as the only fountain of all rights, international, civil and social, as the moral constitution of a world of nations. p. 63.

ar.

We are not fully prepared to accede to all the author's opinions. We are not ourselves so far advanced in the career of free inquiry as to discard all the classical literature of antiquity, though we fully admit the ability with which he has supported his positions. The point is too difficult of proof to be decided, even by the verdict of so acomplished a scholHe says, and we believe justly, "I have devoted as much time to the study of the classics, and with as much zeal and industry, as perhaps most scholars of our country, except Professors and other teachers. I desire to record here, emphatically my opinion, founded on the history of my own mind and the experience of twenty years, that I have derived no substantial improvement from the classics. I owe to modern writers, chiefly English, all that I have or

am." Still we must venture to question, whether any lover of classical literature will be easily persuaded that this oration ever would have possessed its present beauties, thronging and brilliant from the beginning to the end, if its respected author had never drank deeply at the full fountains of antiquity.

But passing this, and perhaps some minor points, on which we are not prepared to go all lengths with our author, we will express the delighted interest with which we have read his address. Principles at once so Christian, and so republican, existing with such distinctness of conception in capacious and cultivated minds, afford the best security for the stability of our free institutions, and of course for the fulfilment of these sanguine anticipations of glory to the republic. We rejoice when we see so many of our best men engaged in advocating the combined principles of the Reformation and of "76. Religious and civil liberty, based upon the religion of the New Testament, and secured by the universal diffusion of knowledge, are topics never foreign to the mind of the Christian republican.

We feel thankful that Mr. G. and several other gifted men, have with so much ardor devoted themselves to the maintenance of these principles. Though they be not followed by a crowd of litigious clients to the contentious bar, though they be not seen in the strifes of the still more quarrelsome political arena, though their names literis majusculis non exarantur, are ornamented with no decorous capitals on the triennial catalogue, yet we see them exerting an influence and acquiring a name, far more eligible than any political elevation, as friends of religion and humanity.