opinion, which has outgrown the beliefs of other days." But, as Mr. Garbett has shewn conclusively, this is an audacious and an untrue assumption. We are haunted by the ghosts of old heresies. Let us not be scared as if some new weapons had been forged against the inspiration, miracles, prophecies, and histories of the book of God-a weapon against which truth may possibly be found to fail. The church is fighting an old and an oft-won battle. Now, as of old, she has many a champion "valiant for the truth;" now, as of old, her Captain and His Spirit are with her. She shall again triumph.

In his concluding lecture, on "Free Thought," Mr. Garbett points out that, in the present phase of the controversy, we have not to meet the charge of wilful imposture on the part of the inspired penmen :

"The argument, which presses for present refutation, admits the comparative antiquity of the books of Scripture, and in regard to many of them acknowledges their authenticity, but denies their infallibility as a Divinely-appointed rule of faith and practice. It asserts them to have grown out of human tendencies, to be subject, therefore, to the approval or disapproval of the human conscience, and alleges that they have no binding authority whatever, beyond what they derive from the decisions of the soul itself." (pp. 354, 355.)

And adds, truly:

"It is the peculiarity of this system that, accepting more or less the outward framework of Christianity, it retains much of the Christian phraseology. It professes to be, not the destruction, but the renovation of Christianity. It speaks for the most part respectfully of Christ and of His apostles. It rejects with indignation the monstrous vices, and even the reckless license, which tended in other days to make the name of infidel opprobrious. It disavows alike the character and the epithet. It uses the old familiar language, which has become entwined with men's dearest associations. It talks of submissive faith, of the inspiration of the Scriptures, of the authority of God's Word, of sin and of reconciliation, of atonement and of the Spirit. So far as the mere words are concerned, its language may be mistaken by the careless observer for that of Christianity itself. It thus becomes eminently deceptive; for it puts on the garb of faith, and hides beneath a mask the real outlines of its lineaments." (p. 355.)

We are glad to find Mr. Garbett remarking, in reference to our retention of old and familiar terms,-dear to us, not for their own sakes, but for the sake of the truths which they express, that the church has a right to her own phraseology, and that the outcry against "cant phrases" "has itself degenerated into a cant of the worst kind." The cant of the Evangelicals is often thrown at them as a reproach. Every theological school and party is driven to the frequent use of particular terms. And if our terms be scriptural, or such as have been appropriated by the church catholic for ages, wo

must beware of surrendering or being ashamed of the terms, lest we surrender and become ashamed of the vital and precious truths which they express. No doubt, when terms are used as mere shibboleths, or as words of course, they become cant terms, whether in the mouth of High Churchman, Broad Churchman, or Evangelical. And assuredly we cannot read the writers of either of the two former schools without soon perceiving that, as preachers, as speakers, and as authors, they too have their technical and party terms, to which it is easy for us, if we will, to affix the opprobrious designation of "cant."

In this closing lecture, the various hypotheses of unbelief, in reference to the origin and rise of Christianity, are examined, and the just powers and limits of man's mental faculties, in reference to religious truth, stated. On no point, as it appears to us, is the case more unfairly put by shallow pretenders to free and enlightened thought. Thus, in an article in a widely circulated provincial paper, now lying before us, we read that Dr. Williams insists that there is no necessity why a really rational view of religion should be inferior to a blind and unreasoning acceptation." Here is the oft-repeated and oft-refuted fallacy. We do not ask "a blind and unreasoning acceptation" -an acceptation opposed to a really rational view of religion. It is not rational to constitute reason the supreme judge of subject matter beyond its powers. "We simply deny the existence of any human powers capable of discerning the realities of the unseen world, and support our denial by the irrefragable evidence of facts." We do not say to a rational being, "Here is a subject on which you are fully qualified to reason; one which is entirely, or in a great measure, within the ken and compass of your faculties, but you are forbidden their exercise, and shut up unto a blind credulity:" rather, "Here is a subject beyond reason, and on which it is rational to receive the accredited revelation of the Most High." And in its dealings with the Bible itself, we are willing, as Mr. Garbett observes, to allow the employment of reason, as upon any other book, if only "the same standard for judgment" be adopted. Every book must be judged upon its own theory." "The theory of the Bible is, that it is a revelation from God." "Our complaint against infidelity is, that it treats the Bible as it treats no other book." "To measure it by the criterion of a human book, is to assume the whole question disputed between the Christian and the infidel."

In our examination of

Here then we lay down the Lectures. them, we have found ourselves at one time grappling with open infidelity, at another time with the Essayists and Reviewers. We have from time to time checked ourselves and asked, " Are we not creating an undue prejudice against the latter by placing them in close and continual juxtaposition with the

former?" But it is so in Mr. Garbett's pages. So true is the assertion of his preface, that "the latent principles on which" their "theological system is founded, and which are necessarily involved in it," are so "closely identified with those of positive unbelief, that I acknowledge myself incompetent to distinguish them." We confess to the same incompetency. Given, Dr. Temple's system of human progress, in which the remedial character of the gospel is ignored-given, the Essayists' view of Inspiration, the preponderance of the human element, the subjectivity of revealed truth-given, Intuition, the verifying faculty, Idealism, and Ideology-given, Mr. Baden Powell's assault on miracles and Dr. Williams's theory of prophecy, Mr. Goodwin on Genesis, and Mr. Jowett as an interpreter and you have fairly surrendered the bulwarks and the citadel. As has often been urged in this unhappy controversy, the surrender of miracles is fatal; for it involves the abandonment of the Incarnation and Resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ.

What is the residuum of a Rationalist's Bible? Mr. Garbett has not dealt with the Essayists, Essay by Essay, point by point, throughout the ramifications of their system of falsehood. But he has chosen his battle-ground well, in directing. his inquiries into the objective reality of revealed truth. He has asserted principles and established conclusions which are fatal to the assumption of a verifying faculty which makes man, in the pride of his à priori speculations and inner light, a Bible to himself and a critic of his Maker's revelation. Fatal too to an Ideology which makes the Bible a kaleidescope, to be turned and shaken at the fancy of every man who handles it, presenting at each turn a new and fanciful combination of ever varying truth. If he has not dismembered Dr. Temple's colossus limb by limb, he has shewn him to be, not flesh and blood, but a man of straw.

We understand that the Boyle lecturer is to hold office for three years. Mr. Garbett, by the excellence of his first series, has placed a formidable difficulty in his own way. He has set up a high standard. But he has shewn his ability to reach it. Not a few able refutations of particular points in the Seven Essays have already been put forth. Other able pens are now busy in defence of the book of God against its critics. We form high expectations of the contributions promised by Professors Mansel, Ellicott, Heurtley, and their colleagues. But we question whether any volume will surpass in varied excellence that which we now heartily commend to our readers. The Boyle lecturer has laid the axe to the root. Were his volume to stand alone, the "Essays and Reviews" are answered.

BEAUFORT'S EGYPTIAN SEPULCHRES AND SYRIAN SHRINES.

Egyptian Sepulchres and Syrian Shrines; including some Stay in the Lebanon, at Palmyra, and in Western Turkey. By Emily A. Beaufort. In two volumes. London: Longman and Co. 1861.

A BOOK of travels used to be estimated by the romance of its adventures. It is now valued by its facts. Perilous exploits and hairbreadth escapes may float a volume through the bookclub; but unless it is found to add something to our stock of knowledge, either by important discoveries or by shedding new light upon the discoveries of others, no amount of personal adventure, no romance of scene or circumstance, will save it from neglect. The world, in fact, is growing old and commonplace; and we are becoming too well acquainted with its features. Before our children have left the nursery, they know more of the Sphinx and Pyramids, the catacombs of Rome and the caves of Elephanta, than their fathers knew when they left the University. The surface of the earth seems to have been explored it is only by digging underground and rooting up the trunks and fragments of a long since decayed civilization, buried beneath the morass, that modern travellers can gain attention. Africa alone, and the heart of China, are unexplored; but we wait with patience till Dr. Livingston shall tell us more about the one, and some yet unknown Medhurst will no doubt give us, and probably grievously disappoint us with, accurate information respecting the hitherto impenetrable recesses of the other.

Here are two volumes of foreign travel; the foreign travel of two sisters, English ladies, who go forth, sans peur et sans reproche, with that strange mixture of feminine delicacy, love of adventure and perfect self-reliance, which makes an English gentlewoman, to those who are not acquainted with her ways, the strangest creature upon earth. A few pages carry us agreeably in their society from the neighbourhood of Hyde Park, on a misty, foggy December day, to the now "fashionable and crowded Nile." Here, with one maid-servant to wait upon them, their pleasure is to purchase a boat. A beautiful boat they say it was; they thought her "the best and most comfortable boat upon the Nile, and only two were larger." The boat must have a name; an English name, of course. So they painted on her side the "Wandering Maiden," greatly to the amusement of other travellers, and not a little, it is evident, to their own. It must have been a formidable affair; for" the crew consisted of the reis, or captain, the mestahmel, or steersman, fourteen sailors, and their cook-boy; besides which

our dragoman had his own servant, a boy called 'Ali; and these, with our cook, our own maid, and a German man-servant, amounted to twenty-three persons on board our Fair Maiden." Thus they sailed about, landing by day and returning to their boat at night. They visited Nubia, and saw the magnificent ruins of Egypt; but here a sad calamity overtook them, which, we must do them the justice to say, they bear with more fortitude, or at least describe with more gaiety, than we should have expected even from the rougher sex. While they are on shore on a visit to the magnificent temple of Edfou ("without hats, for it was a very sultry night"), a mass of flame attracted their attention. Their boat was in a blaze, and within a quarter of an hour their boat was gone. Their attendant, Phyllis

"Had gone out, as she usually did in the evenings, to walk for a few minutes on the bank; she had been ironing till dark in the sterncabin, and had hung up a quantity of clothes on lines across it; on leaving it she omitted to lock the door behind her, and 'Ali, the sailors' cook-boy, seized the opportunity of going in, with a light in his hand, to steal money out of the man-servant's coat, which was hanging up inside, or perhaps to pilfer the store bags of nuts, raisins, &c., which were there also."

In short, he had set the boat on fire, and it burnt to the water's-edge and sank. Our travellers relate with gratitude the courtesies of the English gentlemen sailing on the Nile, in rendering them every assistance; and, we are ashamed to repeat it, the want of courtesy from some English ladies, or those who, from their appearance, should have been such. They had lost their wardrobe, of course; one young lady lent them "all she could spare of the clothes we so much needed;" another shared with them

Everything she possessed with the most unselfish kindness; but from the boats then at Luxsor no other body broke through the formalities of lacking an introduction to English women in distress; and we found our countrymen far more generous and thoughtful for us than our country women; all their little stores of handkerchiefs, brushes and combs, needles and threads, &c. &c., were brought out and pressed upon us, and one gentleman even sent us shawls and green veils!

"There was one very large dahabieh with a small party on board, which came down the river to Luxsor while we were there :--they offered nothing of their own accord, but in our utter distress for some of the common necessaries that gentlemen could not supply, we vehtured to send our maid on board to ask for some common materials requisite for making up the clothes we had contrived out of Arab cotton; the reply to this our first essay in the art of begging wasthe gift of one hook and eye! We sought for nothing more from that boat." (i. 73, 74.)

Sometimes, it is true, the wandering maidens were in danger