A UNITARIAN ECCLESIASTICAL

HISTORY.*

An ecclesiastical history written from a Unitarian standpoint is a book of a some what rare kind; and, when written with learning, impartiality, and charm of style, it is necessarily rarer still. The energy of modern research transforms so rapidly the face of every branch of historical science that, of the few histories which possess these merits, the most recent will always be the most desirable. M. Naef has kept himself thoroughly abreast of recent research; but his erudition has in no way impaired his literary skill. Nor could a better proof of that skill well be afforded than by compressing the history of nineteen hundred years into 428 octavo pages of large type without ever sacrificing the vigor and vividness of the narrative.

The author is, we believe, a retired pastor of the National Church of Geneva.

The book is divided into four parts: the first, ending with the conversion of Constantine; the second, with the reign of Charlemagne; the third, comprising the seven mediæval centuries; the fourth, bringing down the history from Luther's day to our

own.

To many, perhaps indeed to all readers, the most interesting chapters of this book will be the first and last,-its descriptions of the apostolic period and of our own century. M. Naef deals so impartially and yet so clearly and incisively with the intensely interesting and hotly disputed problems which surround the first two generations of the Church that no one will close that chapter of the book without regretting that the plan of the volume did not admit of more than forty-three pages being devoted to the history of the apostolic age.

From the reticent manner in which M. Naef deals with all questions of the miraculous, we should judge that he belongs to the more advanced wing of liberalism. But his tact prevents him from wounding any susceptibilities; and his historical insight prevents his sacrificing attested facts to a priori sceptical assumptions. All sections of our readers will concur in accepting

the summary with which he concludes this terse and vigorous compendium of ecclesi

HISTOIRE DE L'ÉGLISE CHRÉTIENNE. Naef. Paris: Fischbacher. pp. 440.

Par F.

astical history,- the most important and most interesting of all branches of the history of human life and thought: "The progress already made by the Christian Church is undoubtedly such as to justify us in anticipating her rapid extension in the future. Yet she must expect to meet, on her course, opposition from many influences more or less potent. Among these must be reckoned the energy which Mohammedanism manifests in compensating for its losses in Europe by new conquests in Asia and Africa. Yet, in despite of all obstacles, the religion of Christ, answering better than any other to the deepest needs and noblest aspirations of man's nature, need feel no fear as it pursues its way. To it the future belongs.

"If ages of ignorance have sometimes darkened the divine light brought by its Founder to the human race, they have never succeeded in extinguishing it. No religion, in fact, has proved itself so well able as that of Jesus to bring man to spiritual life, by restoring him to filial dependence upon

the Author of all life and all wisdom; and

none, too, has so carefully preserved to him the fruitful gift of freedom. Nay, more: Christianity has restored to him this freedom in its whole extent and its entire fulness, and has made the exercise of liberty the final aim of his earthly career, according to the promise of the Master himself, 'Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.'

M. Naef thus sketches the life-work of Dr. Channing: "Channing (1780-1842) is one of the truest glories of American Protestantism. Grandson of one of the men who had fought in the War of Independence, he devoted himself to the ministry, and was called at an early age to undertake a pastoral charge at Boston. His tendencies of thought, closely akin to those of Schleiermacher, but strengthened by a more emphatic love of Liberty in all her forms, attached him to the doctrines of Unitarian

ism. But he transformed these doctrines, partly by pruning away some portions borrowed from Calvinistic theory, partly by imbuing them with fresh life from his own spirit of wide sympathy, fervent charity, and quick enthusiasm for every noble cause. The influence of his theology passed beyond the limits of his own denomination,

and made itself felt among the adherents of the older churches of America and England. He had the merit of being one of the founders of home missionary enterprise, establishing a ministry to the poor which aimed at carrying religious influences down to the lowest ranks of society, and reaching those whose desolate poverty had led them to abandon the habit of public worship. He was one of those who showed most courage in protesting against the system of slavery which then sullied the soil of the United States, and degraded the master as much as it did the slave. The great powers which Channing possessed made his death an occasion of universal mourning throughout his country,-a mourning which was shared by all sections of the Christian Church."

Our brief notice will have sufficed to show how valuable and how readable a book M. Naef's treatise is. Its very moderate price (six francs) is another recommendation to it. In these days of Unitarian literary enterprise it deserves careful consideration whether steps might not be taken with advantage, either on this side of the Atlantic or the other, to bring out a translation, which would place this capital compendium within reach of all English-speaking Unitarians.-London Christian Life.

A RECEPTION TO DR. HALE IN LONDON.

On last Thursday evening, at Essex Hall, a most enthusiastic welcome was given to our distinguished visitor, from Boston of the United States, Rev. Edward Everett Hale, D.D. Wherever the English language is spoken Dr. Hale is known. We seldom witness among us in the middle of July, when so many are out of London, so splendid a meeting as that of Thursday night. There were many American Unitarians present to witness the honor done to their countryman,-Senator Hoar, Rev. G. D. Latimer of Boston (a descendant, we believe, of our famous martyr Latimer), Rev. C. A. Staples, Rev. C. J. Staples, and others. The families of the leading Unitarians of London were well represented.

The chair was taken by the president of the British and Foreign Unitarian Association (S. S. Tayler, Esq.). After a voluntary

on the organ, Rev. W. C. Bowie read letters from Drs. Martineau, Vance Smith, Rev. John Hunter of Glasgow, Rev. Messrs. Henry Ierson, Steinthal, Drummond, Upton, and other ministers, and leading laymen, and members of the House of Commons, regretting their absence from London.

The chairman then said: We are met to welcome a distinguished American, and one of our own household of faith. We all feel our indebtedness to gentlemen like Dr. Hale for the broad and sympathetic views that are now so rapidly spreading everywhere; and I think we are the people that have a right to welcome a worker like Dr. Hale, who can look every child of man in the face, and think and speak of him as the child of God. Mr. Tayler then spoke of Dr. Hale's books, and the grand work they had done in enlarging human thought and feeling. It was a pleasure to them all to have him that night among them, and to be able to look on his face. He called upon Mr. David Martineau to move a resolution.

Mr. Martineau said: I have the honor to move the resolution : ·

That this meeting, on behalf of the Uniwelcome to Rev. Dr. Edward Everett Hale tarians of England, desires to offer a cordial of Boston. We greet him not only as

chairman and leader of the Council of the American National Conference, but also as the eloquent preacher, the fearless and patriotic citizen, the earnest and wise philanthropist, whose writings have been a power for good in many lands, and whose name has long been held in honor wherever the English language is spoken. And through him we would send our heartiest greetings to our American brethren, and congratulate them on their increase in numbers and influence, and on the steady progress of the purer Christianity for which they and we together stand.

Mr. Martineau continued: It is now just twenty years ago since I met the deeply revered and loved guest of this evening in America, and since the days of Dr. Bellows he has occupied very much the position of a leader among the ranks of our co-religionists in America. But not only on the side of the Unitarian religion, but also of all truly philanthropic work, he has been one of the foremost men. Among us his books are known and admired: they are, we must all admit, most useful and interesting. Much,

duties and responsibilities for each country. In America their position as Unitarians was different from what the position of Unitarians was here; and yet it was not an easy position with them there. If he might borrow an expression from this side of the Atlautic and a country in which the government is very much interested, if he might use an Irish bull, he would say that the work of the Unitarian Church would not be so difficult if it were not so easy. They had one great truth to declare.

A publisher once said a publisher should never publish more than one book, and he had only published one; but of that he had sold a million and a half of copies. Publishers were not all like that one; and he (Dr. Hale) had published many books. Their work was nothing less than to proclaim the kingdom of God. Other churches had other matters to attend to. Others had to attend to matters of apostolic succession and such like things; but Unitarians had to proclaim the kingdom of God, and see that his will was done on earth as in heaven. This was a very large enterprise to have in hand. It is true that every denomination believed as much in the kingdom of God as the Unitarians did; but every other body had some minor point that absorbed its attention, and so, while pretending to speak upon the great point, was thinking of the minor matters that separated them into sects. The position of the Unitarians was to emphasize the special doctrines they believed,- to speak as members of the Church of the living God. And it was their duty every Sunday and Monday and every day of the week that all men must be at work as messengers, apostles, and ministers of the truth. Their business was to go before men to say that they are all children of God, and that God loves them as much now as he did when he proclaimed the law in the desert, and in the days of Christ. This was, then, their duty and their work. He was disposed to think that nine-tenths of the sensible men - he had not said nine-tenths of the sensible women -now in America and England hold as their working religion the Unitarian faith, and that they do not hold any other tenets. As to the women, they are tender, sympathetic, and, not being so busy in the world, they know more about the special dogmas of the day, and know more about

vicarious sacrifice, and things of that sort, than the most of men; but the man of business knows little about such things. He says, "Well, sir, I don't know much about such things. I go to church because it is a duty to go to church," and he gives to support it; and he says, "It is right, I think, to say my prayers as my mother taught me and I believe in an hereafter." He believes in God. He believes in duty, and he believes in heaven. This is a working religion, and the great body of men in the United States believe in this. "God, man, heaven,”—these are the watchwords and faith of the men of to-day. It is the religion which Jesus Christ lived and died to spread over the world, which the apostles carried over the world, and which for nineteen centuries has been preached: "With God, for man, in heaven." It was their duty to proclaim this sensible religion. They often found in business that men proclaimed themselves as specialists, having specialties for sale; and in the church there had been too much force wasted upon this knick-knack and upon that, but their business was to preach the kingdom of heaven. They had no specialties to put before the world. They had no matters of architecture in their church. They had not to discuss whether the early English or Tudor style was best or the right thing. They had none of the trivial things that troubled some churches to deal with. It was their business simply to proclaim the grand truths embodied in the simple expression, "With God, for man, in heaven." When Newton discovered the law of gravitation, it was found to be true everywhere, and the great fact in all scientific matters. It was true everywhere, eternally true: even so the faith that they taught was the eternal truth of God. It had borne the test of time. It was as true now as when it was first proclaimed, and stood all tests. It was known by its fruits. "With God, for man, in heaven," was the grand faith and doctrine. And the Unitarian Church in America and England had the same faith, and it was the only church known to him that had nothing else to do than to proclaim the simple faith. Other churches had to discuss whether black gowns or white gowns should be worn, or whether candles should be lighted in the middle of the day or not. But the Unitarian Church had got nothing to do but to

proclaim the eternal truth that all men are sons of God, and that the kingdom God may be in the soul of every one. In the capital of Hungary there is shown a stone upon which Francis David, the great reformer, preached. He was standing on that stone preaching the grand Unitarian doctrine, when the people were so impressed with its grandeur that they declared it was too grand to be preached in such a place, and they broke into the cathedral and had it proclaimed there; and for one hundred and fifty years the Unitarians stood in that cathedral, and preached the eternal truth in all its simplicity respecting religion. It was simply that men were the sons of God, and they would have it proclaimed in the cathedral; and it was for the Unitarians of to-day to see that this gospel of the living God should be proclaimed in all its simplicity and power. Referring to the comparisons that were made with other sects, or between other sects, for the Unitarians were no sect,-he said the Church of Rome was, indeed, the first schismatic. It had its splendid ritual; but Unitarians should remember that it was their duty to maintain their pure faith and worship. They had certain advantages on their side. They were no sect. They had got nothing from the Church of England. It has got something from them, since the two thousand ministers left that church because they would not subscribe to its tenets. The fifty starving men on the sound of Plymouth gave the word "Independent," it was not to be found in Shakspere,-and originated the democracy that was the feature of this day. He saw his friend, Mr. Latimer, in the meeting. He was going to see the Martyr Cross at Oxford, where his ancestors suffered for the truth. They went to Oxford on Saturday, and he wanted his friends to spend the Sunday in the Unitarian church, and not at Christ Church; but he could not find out where the Unitarian church was. They asked the porter at the hotel. He did not know where the Unitarian place of worship was. They turned to the "Directory": there were all sorts of churches to be found

in it, but no Unitarian chapel. They turned to seek Dr Carpenter's name; but it was not there, and so they had to go to Christ Church. And they did not find out where the Unitarians worshipped until they

got behind a cabman, and then they found where the Unitarian college was. The new college would be a grand building. They had nothing like it in America. He wondered where the English Unitarians got the money from to put up such a building. He hoped, when Manchester New College was finished, they would let the world know what it stood for, and where it was. This reminded him of a story of Theodore Parker that does not appear in his works. A young preacher once found a thin congregation, and asked if the population had moved from the neighborhood, as there was no one in the gallery. The gallery, he said, was reserved for the invisible church. Parker said, "If you ring the bell loud enough, the people will come." This story applied to them, and let them remember that they as Unitarians had an absolute religion to proclaim, true now and from the beginning, and that they had nothing else to proclaim but "with God, for man, in heaven." (Applause.)

Mr. Edwin Clephan, in the name of the meeting, moved its thanks to the chairman, Mr. Tayler, for giving them all the opportunity of testifying their admiration of Dr. Hale. He had come up from Leicester, one hundred miles, and was heartily glad he had done so. Dr. Herford, by his American ministry and his presence now in London, had formed another link that tied us to America, and helped us to bridge the Atlantic. It was well they should feel their fellowship. This meeting also had helped in the same way.

Mr. Edwin Lawrence of London heartily seconded the thanks to Mr. Tayler. They all appreciated his services now and for many years. When Mr. Lawrence visited Concord, he brought in his pocket many chestnuts from the home of Emerson, to plant in his own ground. They had all got that evening many valuable chestnuts from Dr. Hale, which they would long value. The resolution was agreed to, and the meeting broke up.-London Christian Life.

"Freely ye have received, freely give." That is to say, freely ye have received the Lord's love, which is love to the whole human race: freely show forth that love by acting from it in all your relations with men.-S. S. Seward.