Bampton, the Hulsean, and other similar foundations. As to the mode of support, that was of course to be quite different. In the case of a Voluntary body so vigorous as ours, an endowment was out of the question; besides, it is not always easy to get rich Dissenting brewers or bankers to see the importance of learning. Moreover, it is not every pious Croesus that has the public spirit to die at the right time, after having made the requisite testamentary dispositions, even had not the popularity of Mammon' made such post-obituary benevolence decidedly unfashionable. The worst of it was, that not only was it as difficult to lay hold of a golden Curtius of the sort, as Sydney Smith found it to catch a bishop ready to immolate himself on a railway to save the public from concremation; but that even the new and milder doctrine of being one's own executor found no one ready to practise it in this case. No; a handsome list of annual subscriptions was all that was wanted, or, at all events, all that was obtained. Well, we fear that has dwindled down as usual, like the audience at the Lecture, and that after a spasmodic effort or two for life, this admirable institution will be proved to be one of which we are not worthy. The Joseph Fletchers, the Winter Hamiltons and John Elys, the Wardlaws, the Russells, and the M'Alls, are gone, and there are apes of these men amongst us who would burn down our colleges to roast their eggs-to secure their personal glorification, or to satiate their petty spite. There is no denying that the recent 'Controversy' was, in one of its aspects at least, a fierce outburst of Obscurantism-a brutish crusade of barbarism against anything like theological, and indeed general culture. The stupid outcry against 'Germanism' in particular was but the echo of the complaint of the monks at the time of the Reformation, that the men of the movement party had invented a new language which they called Greek.'

How sad is the outlook of our denomination in an intellectual point of view, is proved by the great difficulty experienced in supplying the recent vacancies in our theological chairs. The Principalship of New College is still unfilled as we write, after having been successively offered to the author of the Lectures before us, and to Dr. Lindsay Alexander of Edinburgh. It is said, too, that overtures have been made to Professor Rogers, which have been equally without result. The two latter have already earned high distinction in positions more or less analogous. Mr. Stoughton has had, we believe, no experience in this way. But although his being, to this extent, a novus homo, might not unnaturally suggest misgivings as to the wisdom of the Council in making him the first offer of the appointment, we are convinced that a perusal of these Lectures is well calculated to dispel any apprehensions as to either the competency of his natural gifts, or the extent of his acquirements, should any nervousness on either head have been felt in any quarter. We have gone through them with pride and pleasure, not untinged, it is true, with melancholy, as we have thought that this is not improbably the last of the noble series of works to which it belongs. Absit omen! We trust it may not turn out so; but we cannot get rid of the disagreeable impression, that in writing of this volume we are

318

penning the epitaph of the Congregational Lecture, and that at a time
when so low is the state of letters amongst us, that there are not half-
a-dozen names which could be mentioned for the post Mr. Stoughton
and Dr. Alexander have declined, which would not be received with
universal derision. It would really seem that the Committee of the
Lecture have themselves begun to despair of their own Institution.
In their original advertisement of 1836, which, as usual, is prefixed to
the present volume, they say, 'It was thought desirable to institute a
LECTURE, partaking rather of the character of academic prelections
than of popular addresses. Precisely on the page opposite to this
announcement, we read in Mr. Stoughton's Preface as follows:-
'It will be observed, that these Lectures are not so much prelections
for the learned as discourses for the public. This method of treatment
has been adopted not only from the writer's own preference, but in
compliance with the wishes of the Committee.' This is rather an
awkward contradiction. Has Bobus, the great potato-salesman, had the
honour to be elected amongst these gentlemen, and is this the explana
tion of the change that has come over the spirit of their dream? If
so, we should be disposed profanely to suggest, that the sooner they
give this practical genius the sack, the better will it be for important
interests which men of his kidney can hardly be expected to under-
stand.

Having quoted these sentences from Mr. Stoughton's Preface, we
are bound to express our belief that his modesty is as much con-
cerned in them as the committee's prudent concessions to the 'spirit of
The work is not pedantic; what real scholar is ever
the times.'
guilty of pedantry? It is readable, and in that sense popular, like
most, if not all productions of such persons. But it is no mere crambe
of common-places; no hash-up of second-hand reading; no olio of
clap-traps, such as Dr. Bumptious is ready to produce on any subject
It is erudite, yet anything but dry. Its
at an hour or two's notice.
author is one who has evidently digested many books, without losing
the power or the will to think for himself. Considering the narrow
limits within which he was required to treat the history of fifteen
centuries, the matter is remarkably copious, and there is no absence of
interesting detail. The style is very transparent, notwithstanding the
inherent difficulty of presenting ancient modes of thought in a modern
garb. Indeed, we cannot but regard perspicuity as a main charac-
teristic of Mr. Stoughton's eloquence. Altogether he has given us a
production which is well worthy to occupy the same shelves with the
best volumes of the series.

We have not space to criticise the work in detail; we shall therefore content ourselves with giving the general outline of his arrangement, and adding a few interesting extracts by way of sample, to induce our readers to break bulk for themselves. We may mention that the lectures, which were only eight in delivery, have been judiciously expanded into fourteen in the printed form. Of the ages of Christendom, before the Reformation, Mr. Stoughton reckons five; viz., I. The Ideal and its Realization (A.D. 30—100), contained in two

lectures; II. The Age of Innovation (A.D. 100-325), comprised in three more; III. The Age of Development (A.D. 325-787), which also occupies three; IV. The Age of Traditionalism (A.D. 787-1215), treated in the same number; V. The Age of Agitation and Reaction (A.D. 1215 -1520), to which two are assigned; the last lecture being reserved for the concluding reflections on the whole subject. It strikes us forcibly that the two last ages might have been each advantageously broken up into two. The pontificate of Hildebrand would have afforded the stopping-place in the former of the two instances, and the appearance of Wiclif in the latter. We may say that Mr. Stoughton's handling of the fourth age has seemed to us the least satisfactory of the whole, and we attribute this shortcoming in great measure to his endeavouring to grasp too much in one picture. It would have been much better to have followed Neander's division, which scarcely admits of improvement. Gregory the Seventh (Hildebrand) marks the ideal completion of the Medieval Church system, just as Innocent the Third, and the Fourth Council of Lateran (A.D. 1215), its realization. Then we have the period of decadence and papal schisms to prepare the way for the bright morning-star of the Reformation, that greatest of Englishmen, who, after the lapse of five centuries, is still a long way ahead of us all, the man of Lutterworth. His advent was certainly the striking of an hour in the old church belfry, and the iron tongue never ceased to vibrate till its tones were lost in the thunder of the hour of doom. We may observe too that in our judgment the designations given to the respective ages are by no means happily chosen. 'The Age of Development, for instance, must, one would think, strike the author himself, upon reflection, as being far from sufficiently precise. He shows himself quite conscious of the difference between normal and abnormal development, and, indeed, makes some very sensible remarks upon the subject (pp. 153, 154). Hence he ought not to have fallen into the mistake of employing such an ambiguous term. But we must not be betrayed into special remarks and animadversions of this sort, however just and important we may deem them. We, therefore, break off at once, cordially thanking our author, for what, with all such minor blemishes, we regard as a very valuable contribution to our too scanty denominational literature of the higher class, and will no longer detain our readers from the enjoyment of our promised selections from its pages.

Mr. Stoughton is particularly happy in the presentation of the social phases of Christianity at the various epochs, what we may call the home and private life of the believers. For this much-neglected aspect of ecclesiastical history he evinces a manifest fondness, and we must say that his attention to this matter adds a rare charm to these lectures. The following is his able summary of the information to be gleaned from Clement of Alexandria as to the state of Christian society in that city in his time, which was the close of the second century, and the beginning of the third :

The writings of Clement of Alexandria present a picture of society in that luxurious city. He takes us into the banqueting room of Roman architecture, elegantly furnished, and there are crowds of guests, with dyed air, garlands, and

perfumes-in-dresses of costly material and fashionable shape, wearing strings of pearls and precious stones, and chains of gold. They drink out of the richest cups -the pipe and the flute are heard in their feasts; they delight in birds, dogs, and monkeys. He conducts us into the streets. Here are women with purple veils and gilt slippers. Rebuked for their finery, they ask, "Why should we not use what God has given ?" Some are going to the baths-men and women together -or to the theatre, or to the circus, or to some such place of amusement.

'But are these people Christians? According to what Clement says, some of them profess to be so. He says they change like the polypi on the rock. They are grave in church, but gay when they get out. Having waited on God in worship, they haste to amuse themselves with the love ditty and the stage-play. In contrast with this Clement gives his ideal of a Christian's outward life. He is plain in his habits, indeed very abstemious, eating fish rather than flesh-satisfied with one meal a day, or at most two-and eating dry bread for breakfast without drinking. His clothing is cheap-strong, but not fine. He wears a ring on his little finger, with the device of a dove, a fish, a ship, a lyre, an anchor-all emblems of holy things. His hair is thin, his beard thick--he never stains either, and never puts on a wig. He eschews garlands, flowers, and perfumes, as well as luxury in furniture-also musical instruments and profane songs. But he wrestles, plays at ball, walks, digs, draws water, chops wood, dresses himself, puts on his own shoes, washes his own feet-in short, is self-helpful. He sleeps on a bed neither rich nor soft. He rises at night to pray-gets up early and reads. The Christian lady is moderate in all things. She does not use dyes or ointments, wears no flowers, no purple robe, no embroidered slippers, no gold chains. She performs domestic duties, spins, bakes, cooks, and makes the beds. She is particular in her actions, and in gestures, gait, looks, and tones, avoids the appearance of evil.'

Here is a picture of Constantinople at the close of the fourth century:

'We now arrive at our third point of inquiry respecting the age of development What was the state of religious society?

"The history of Constantinople during the episcopates of Gregory Nazianzen and Chrysostom furnishes abundant illustrations. Founded by a Christian emperor-unpolluted by pagan idolatries-peopled by citizens and courtiers professing the religion of the Redeemer-this new metropolis of the East nevertheless retained the vices, even as it rivalled the luxuries, of the old metropolis of the West. The love of the circus and the theatre, of public shows and imperial processions-the mockery of things sacred as well as of things profane-caricatures of bishops on the stage, and ecclesiastical riots in the streets-were as common on the shores of the Bosphorus as on the banks of the Tiber. The habits of the wealthy were gay and dissipated, and multitudes of the lower classes spent their time in beggary and idleness. When Gregory came, in A.D. 379, the greater part of the people were Arians or Semiarians. The Novatians, Sabbatarians, and Apollinarians, had also their places of worship; so that the orthodox preacher had, at first, but a handful of hearers, the remnant of a flock foldless and pastureless, scattered and torn. From the sermons he delivered, we learn how his righteous soul was vexed by the horse-racing, the play-going, the betting, and the hunting of the Constantinopolitans-their theatrical taste in religious services, their fondness for florid declamation, their dislike to simple, artless discourses-and the tone of moral sentiment, which had sunk to such a degree, that, with comparatively few exceptions, the citizens were composed (so Gregory said) of "the bad who wore a mask, and the bad who appeared without one.' Notwithstanding all this, a keen temper of theological disputation extensively obtained. At the street corners were knots of people discussing incomprehensibilities: in the markets, clothes-sellers, money-changers, provision-dealers, were similarly employed. When a man was asked how many oboli a thing cost, he started a discussion upon generated and ungenerated existence. Inquiries as to the price of bread were answered by the assertion, that the Father is greater than the Son. When one

wanted a bath, the reply was, the Son of God was created from nothing. Gregory of Nyssa draws this picture in one of his sermons.

"The doctrine of the Trinity was the constant theme of Gregory Nazianzen's preaching, who, on account of his skill in that respect, rather than for the comprehensive range of his instructions, was named the Theologian. The accession of Theodosius to the throne did more than anything to subdue Arianism in Constantinople; but no doubt the preaching of Gregory produced some sincere converts. In one of his discourses, he alludes to the impression he had made on his hearers -how, while some were provoked to contradiction, and some to noisy applause, there were others whose silent thoughts only concealed the struggles of their souls. He enables us to see him in his church of the Anastasia, by the river near the bay -the Shiloh, as he calls it-where was set up the ark of the Covenant after a forty-years' wandering, seated in his episcopal chair, with his head almost bald, his form bent, his beard long, his eyes downcast, his expression gentle and thoughtful, with his presbyters seated on either side, and the deacons in white standing round. When he preaches, the people cluster about the pulpit like bees-the virgins and matrons look down from the galleries-crowds come flocking in from the market, towns, and highways. In his farewell sermon he says, "Lift up thine eyes and look around, thou who wouldst test my preaching here. Observe this glorious wreath that has already been woven: see the assembly of presbyters, venerable for their age and intelligence-the modest deacons-the excellent readers-the inquiring, docile people-the men and women alike respected for their virtue. This godly wreath-I say it not from the word, but still I say it-this wreath have I, in a great measure, helped to construct-this crown is, at least in part, the result of my preaching.""

The state of things at the third great city of the ancient Oriental Roman world, Antioch, was no better than at the other two:—

"The state of the times is still more vividly reflected from the pages of Chrysostom. At Antioch he rejoiced to see, on fast days, the circus closed, the shops shut, the forum deserted, and the churches filled. But anon, he mourned that the house of God was empty, and the hippodrome crammed from the floor to the topmost benches. The people could not bear the heat at church. In the circus they would sit bareheaded, to be broiled. They made all manner of excuses for not attending worship, but old and young flocked to the amphitheatre. Numerous are the allusions in Chrysostom's homilies to the corrupt state of society. Though it is not always clear how far he intended his description to apply to those who heard him, and though allowance must be made for the exaggeration of rhetoric, and the flights of zeal in an imaginative, eloquent, and earnest preacher like Chrysostomone receives from his sermons a very unfavourable impression of the state of Antioch and Constantinople. It is remarkable that fourteen out of the twenty-one homilies on the statues, preached at Antioch, conclude with strong exhortations against the use of oaths and common swearing. Chrysostom was more popular than Gregory. His energy, as well as his office, made him at Constantinople a sort of spiritual tribune of the people. They came especially on festal days to hear this preacher of "the golden mouth "-this Joshua of the Greek orators, who stayed the sun of eloquence from going down a whole day. Pickpockets availed themselves of the press to ply their trade: and, according to the fashion of the age, the auditors generally, as though in a theatre, clapped their hands and waved their handkerchiefs in applause of the orator's appeals. By this means, also, after the manner of a modern encore, the admirers of the bishop sought to prolong the entertainment. Not that he approved of this sort of commendation, but severely condemned it; yet it would appear that his rebukes only provoked a repetition of the light-hearted offence. Ladies came to hear him in gilded chariots, drawn by mules richly caparisoned, and attended by eunuchs and slaves. They were dressed in tunics of silk and gold, and were adorned with costly jewels, their robes displaying Scripture scenes wrought in embroidery.

The confusion in the place of worship at times equalled the hubbub of the bath. Chat, joke, witty repartee, mingled with laughter, went on even during prayertime; and the orator sarcastically told his congregation that if they wished to talk