profundities of the Divine nature. Now a complete or even tolerably adequate description of the difference between the Divine Personages, is evidently beyond human reason or perception, and therefore as much above the possibility of revelation itself; and in this sense, the Divine personality certainly cannot be defined. Yet it is equally obvious that a clear statement of what we mean by the term person is indispensable to accurate discussion respecting the Trinity. Something we must mean by the term, and we have merely to define lexically in what sense we use it. At the risk of being deemed presumptuous, and of exposure to criticism-to use no stronger term, we propose the following, as approaching the subject as nearly perhaps as is possible:-Personality, as spoken of the members of the Trinity, may be defined to be a certain mutual relation essentially subsisting within the Godhead; and "persons" are those SUBSTANTIVE FORMS of Deity thus distinguished. This lays the foundation for their distinction as individual beings, and yet preserves their identity of essence. Human persons can only be homogeneous in nature-that is, of like, but not the same, substance. The reason is that each is finite, or bounded off by its individuality. But as God is infinite, and therefore each Divine Person also infinite, they must necessarily overlap each other, so to speak, or appertain to the same substratum of essence. In the case of human beings, of course, this would be an actual exclusion of one or the other, for we cannot conceive of human individuality without attaching to it a species of spiritual impenetrability; but I do not see that this notion is applicable to Deity.

We conclude these remarks with the observation that they have only been written in order to obviate certain prejudices which many feel against the natural interpretation of the Introduction to John's Gospel; the general doctrine of the Trinity we must leave to abler hands. We are aware that exceptions might be taken by captious metaphysicians against some parts of the line of argument pursued in these concluding paragraphs, and it is quite possible that the definition above given may fail to satisfy those who have rejected all the definitions hitherto offered on that topic; still, we have ventured them, believing that the candid Trinitarian will find substantial truth at the bottom of them, and hoping that some professed theologian may yet express that truth in a form free from all reasonable objection. It is to be hoped, that the discussions above alluded to will at least have the effect of leading back theology to the plain statements of revelation. This is the only ultimate appeal, and in view of this we beg that the foregoing exegetical discussion may not be disregarded.

By way of recapitulation, we subjoin the following scheme, exhibiting the course of thought as contained in the successive clauses of John i, 1-18:

THE ESSENTIAL DIVINITY OF CHRIST.
Analysis.

I. His intrinsic character portrayed.

1. His relations with God.

Literal Translation.

a) By reason of pre-existence to creation. (1) In the beginning was the Logos,

b) As to connexion

and the Logos was [associated reflexively] toward the Deity,

and the Logos was Deity.

(2) This Being was in the beginning [thus related] toward the Deity.

a) Direct assertion of his Creatorship. (3) All things came to be through him, b) Negative argument to the same effect.

[1] No other originator found.......................

and apart from him did not even one thing come to be,

that has come to be.

(4) In him was life,

and the Life was the Light of men ;

(5) And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not take it down [into itself].

(6) There came to be a man,
sent from [near] God;
his name was John:

(7) this man came for testimony, that he
might testify concerning the Light:
so that all might believe through him.
(8) That man was not the Light, but came
that he might testify concerning the
Light;

(9) there was [another that was] the Light, the true one,

that lights every man,

[by] coming into the world. #—

(10) He was in the world,

a) As by inheritance...... (13) who were not born out of bloods,
B) Or self-prompted at-

b) Blessings imparted to individuals..... (16) And out of his fulness we all received,

c) Moral elevation of man in general.

[1] Comparison of Judaism with Chris

tianity.

[a] Rigidness of the former....... (17) Because the Law was given through

Life of Algernon Sidney; with Sketches of some of his Contemporaries, and Extracts from his Correspondence and Political Writings. By G. VAN SANTVOORD. NewYork: Charles Scribner. 1851.

THE name of SIDNEY is among the most illustrious in the annals of England. An ancient stock of the Norman aristocracy, the family was first naturalized on British soil nearly a hundred years after the Conquest, when Sir William Sidney, chamberlain to Henry II., accompanied that prince from Anjou into his newly-inherited dominions. The descendants of this adventurer occupied a conspicuous place among the English gentry during the times of the Plantagenets, and of the rival houses of York and Lancaster; and at the demise of Henry VIII. the honoured representative of the Sidneys was tutor to the royal heir, Prince Edward, from whom he afterwards received the park and manor of Penshurst in Kentfrom that time the favourite seat of the Sidneys. A grandson of the royal tutor was Sir Philip Sidney, whose name is still cherished both in political and literary history, and who is especially remembered as the favourite of the court of Queen Elizabeth. He is described as a perfect model of a finished gentleman-virtuous, polite, brave, and accomplished-and such was the goodness of his heart, that he was loved by the lowest persons about him as much as he was admired by those of his own rank. It was he who, when mor

tally wounded at the battle of Zutphen, had called for a bottle of water, of which he was about to drink, when, seeing a wounded soldier carried past, whose languishing looks bespoke his need of relief, he immediately took the bottle from his lips, and directed that it should be given to the man, for, said the gallant soldier, "this man's necessity is greater than mine." Robert Sidney, brother and heir of Sir Philip, was, by James I., created first Baron Sidney of Penshurst, then Viscount Lisle, and finally Earl of Leicester. To him succeeded his son Robert, who married Dorothy, eldest daughter of the powerful Earl of Northumberland, of which marriage, among other children, came Algernon Sidney.

It is a singular fact that, among the voluminous stores of English biographical literature, there is to be found no consecutive history of one of England's most distinguished sons; that while the personal histories of thousands of comparatively-obscure persons have been detailed with all possible minuteness, that of Algernon Sidney has been left to be gathered from the partial and imperfect records of general history. The book named at the head of this paper is designed to fill this gap. It is said to be the production of a young American writer, who now makes his first essay in the field of proper authorship. As a literary production, the book presents but few points for criticism. It has merit, though not of a high order; the style and composition are respectable, and the matter good, though not remarkably so. Without any strong and positive excellences, it is nevertheless a very readable book; exhibiting quite satisfactorily, in a condensed form, the principal events in the life of its subject, and evincing a just appreciation of his character. Though differing from him as to several minor points, we are decidedly gratified with the general tone and spirit of the work.

ALGERNON SIDNEY, second son of Robert, Earl of Leicester, was born at Penshurst in 1622, and was carefully brought up under the personal instructions of his father. Having been educated for the army, he first endeavoured to obtain a commission in Holland; but failing in this he returned early in 1641 to his native country, from which he had been absent, for a long time, accompanying his father on his errands of diplomacy. The political agitations, generally known in English history as the "Great Rebellion," had then begun to convulse the kingdom. The Earl of Strafford, its first great victim, had already been brought to the scaffold, and the lieutenancy of Ireland, vacated by his death, was now offered to the Earl of Leicester. The Irish rebellion was then at its height, and Leicester, still detained in England, sent over his two sons to check the pro