a peculiar delight in these very formalities of the schools. They had not yet invented our way of crushing a heretical opponent with rose-leaves and violets, or turning the dialectic spear into a thyrsus of epigrams. We can never cease to regret that a man so truly admirable as Robert Hall should have allowed himself to disparage our great theologian in words so contemptuous as some which are ascribed to him. The well known remark about the "continent of mud," recorded by Dr. Gregory, is traditionally said to have been repeated by Hall to the late Dr. John M. Mason, who was an enthusiastic admirer of Owen, and well able to vindicate him. Something similar is found in the Reminiscences of a Mr. Greene, prefixed to the fourth American volume of Hall's works; a memoir which up to the moment of this present writing stands clearly first in our list of puerile biographies. Among a score of vapid or foolish sayings (often deriving their quality doubtless from the conduit) perpetuated in this helpless collection, Hall is made to say of Owen; "I can't think how you can like Dr. Owen. I can't read him with any patience. I never read a page of Dr. Owen, sir, without finding some confusion in his thoughts, either a truism or a contradiction in terms." It was adventurous in Mr. Hall, (supposing him to have ever said it,) so summarily to depose the acknowledged champion of English Calvinism from a place accredited to him by the suffrages of theologians, themselves great, and of various and opposing schools. It was a false judgment, perhaps adopted early, in his Socinian days, left uncorrected by any sufficient perusal of Owen's works, and favoured by the strong repugnance of a delicate tasteful scholar for the austere, antiquated and uncouth style of the mighty but slipshod Nonconformist. How unlike this the recorded opinions of Watts and Doddridge, and (not to confine ourselves to dissent,) of Cecil, who said: "Owen stands at the head of his class of divines. His scholars will be more profound and enlarged, and better furnished, than those of most other writers. His work on the Spirit has been my treasure-house, and one of my very first-rate books." Indeed it would be easy to fill pages with extracts, in the nature of testimonials to the esteem in in which Dr. Owen was held first by his contemporaries, and

then by sound and capable theologians of each succeeding generation down to our own day. But he asks no witnesses; his works are before us, to speak for themselves.

ART. II.-Early Christianity in the British Isles.

BRITAIN was first invaded by the Romans, about half a century before the birth of Jesus Christ. The horrible rites of Druidism then prevailed over the Island. With the inhabitants of Britain, and with the appalling rites of this superstition, the Roman people were made acquainted through the Commentaries of Julius Cæsar. Under the Emperor Claudius, who invaded the Island in person, about A. D. 43, the country was for the most part subjugated to the invincible arms of the Romans; and it continued in their possession down to the middle of the fifth century. It is a fact sufficiently ascertained by history, that the Roman conquests led to the extermination of Druidism, and thus, in the providence of God, paved the way for the introduction of Christianity.

Of the first introduction of Christianity into Great Britain we have no authentic information. The legendary records of the monkish historians of the middle ages are unworthy of credit. But while we do not acknowledge the authority of tradition, we may at least listen to its voice, and collect the substance of what it has most unvaryingly handed down to us. Tradition often contains the outlines of historical truth, and while rejecting its amplifications and details, we may in some instances allow the main circumstances to be true.

In the traditionary annals of the British Isles, we find the name of the apostle Paul mentioned as the first who planted the gospel among the Britons. This is one of the most uncertain and vague of the many traditions on this subject. But Bishop Stillingfleet, Adam Clarke, and others, have supposed that this account is corroborated by the words of Clement of

Rome, who wrote in the first century, and whose epistles are generally considered as authentic records of remote Christian antiquity. He tells us in his first Epistle to the Corinthians, that Paul published the gospel to "the utmost bounds of the west." By the utmost bounds of the west, some have argued that Britain must be meant. But this is merely conjectural. There can be little doubt that Clement here refers to Spain. Paul, when he wrote to the Romans, had preached the gospel from Jerusalem to Illyricum; and casting his mind still farther towards the western ocean, he embraces Spain in his generous designs, and says to the Romans, "Whensoever I take my journey into Spain, I will come to you." And again he says, "I will come by you into Spain." The words of Clement prove that he performed this contemplated journey into Spain, and thus became the herald of the gospel from the east to the west, even as far as the shore of the western ocean. So that the tradition of the planting of the gospel in Britain by the apostle Paul, must be rejected as resting on the most dubious evidence. The same is true of another legend, which gives this honour to the apostle Peter.

There is another tradition of high antiquity, which ascribes the introduction of Christianity into Britain to Joseph of Arimathea. Joseph, with eleven other disciples, is said to have been sent into Britain to introduce the gospel of Jesus Christ. He sought permission from one of the kings of the Britons to settle on a rude and uncultivated piece of land called Glaestinybyrig (Glastonbury). This request having been granted, a chapel of wicker-work was built, in which the gospel was preached, and the true God worshipped for the first time in the British Isles. This tradition runs through all the early legendary histories of Britain, and is even to be traced in some of her ancient charters. While there is much that is clearly fabulous connected with this story, it may be that the main circumstances

are true.

According to the learned Dr. Jamieson, the Culdees, of whom we shall have occasion to speak in the sequel, affirmed that they received their evangelical doctrines, and their peculiar modes of worship from the disciples of the apostle John.

There is another tradition handed down to us by the venera

ble Bede, which states that Lucius, king of Britain, having embraced the Christian religion, sent (A. D. 156) to Eleutherus, Bishop of Rome, for instructers in the Christian faith, and that this request was granted. If there be any truth in this, we may safely conclude that the Christian religion had been introduced into Britain long before the time of king Lucius, and having made its way among his subjects, had at length been embraced by the king, to whom tradition gives the honour of being the first of the kings of the earth who embraced the religion of Jesus Christ.

From these traditions there is good reason to conclude, that Christianity was introduced into Britain towards the close of the first century, and by missionaries from the east. But we gladly leave this region of doubt and uncertainty, and turn to authentic history, which clearly indicates the existence of Christianity in Britain at a very early period.

Tertullian, who flourished in the second century, affirms that Christianity had found its way into those places of Britain, where even Roman valour could not penetrate. Discoursing on the words of David, Psal. xix. 4, "Their line is gone out through all the earth," he says, "Even all the boundaries of the Spaniards, and the different nations of the Gauls, and those parts of Britain which were inaccessible to the Romans are become subject to Christ: Britannorum inaccessa Romanis loca, Christo subdita." We have no reason to doubt the testimony of this father, and this is a clear proof, not only that Christianity was established in Britain before the middle of the second century, but also that it had penetrated into the remote and unconquered regions of Caledonia, and that our rude, invincible, northern forefathers had at this early period been subdued into the obedience of the gospel. The traditions of the Culdees, already spoken of, confirm this testimony.

We have the further testimony of Origen, who flourished in the first of the third century, to the existence of Christianity in the British Isles before his time. Speaking of the prophecies of Ezekiel, he says: "When, before the advent of Christ, did the land of Britain agree in the worship of one God? But now on account of the churches which are spread to the uttermost bounds of the world, the whole earth invokes the God of

Israel." This testimony is decisive to the existence, and even to the prevalence of Christianity in Britain at the beginning of the third century. In the fourth century bishops from the British territories were present at the Council of Sardis. In the fifth century we have accounts of three different councils held in Britain, for the regulation of doctrine and worship; thus proving beyond all question that the Christian religion had taken firm root, and was widely spread over the various independent states or kingdoms into which Britain was then divided.

nances.

Meanwhile, the Christian religion had become deplorably corrupt in doctrine and discipline; and there is the clearest evidence of the participation of the British churches in the degeneracy. After the fall of Paganism, Rome began to be regarded as the seat of ecclesiastical government; and efforts were made to bring the whole Christian Church to submit to the supremacy of the Roman bishop. It would seem that the British churches generally yielded. But there is every reason to believe that the simple Christians of Scotland and Ireland retained the primitive simplicity of Christian doctrine and ordiCelestine, Bishop of Rome, is indeed said to have ordained Palladius, and sent him to the Scots as their bishop. But there is no evidence that this mission succeeded. Indeed, nothing further is known of Palladius, but that he died and was buried at Fordoun in the Mearns. St. Patrick, too, is said to have been ordained by Celestine and sent as archbishop to Ireland, where in forty years he converted the whole island to the faith. But of all this there is no proof. It is pretty certain that St. Patrick was a Scotchman, and that he instructed the Irish in the pure faith and simple worship of the Scottish churches. That he established the Presbyterian form of government is very evident. He established 365 churches, and ordained 365 bishops besides 3000 elders. There were thus one bishop and about eight elders for each church;—just the Presbyterian institution of our day, a minister for each church with his session. So that we claim St. Patrick, not only as a Scotchman, but as a good Presbyterian.

It would seem then, that amid the general corruption of the Christian Church, Christianity continued to exist in something