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Protestantism is the form which Christianity took at a particular period, in consequence of having to do battle with this great heresy of Rome.

This, our Christianity, our Protestantism, may be described in three words. It is a Truth, a Life, a Government. As a truth, it has two sides; its peaceful side for the statement of Bible truth, its warlike side for the exposure of unscriptural error. As a life, it strives after the embodiment in man of love to God and love to his neighbour, to be shown in all the personal, domestic, social, national relations. As a government, it sets forth the Lord Jesus Christ as head of the Church and king over the nations; especially does it take the Bible alone for its statute book.

In the sixteenth century, and in times foregoing, there was a kind of opposition offered to Rome, sometimes by monarchs, at other times by men of a bold, reforming spirit, in the course of which its errors were refuted, its abuses exposed-more from a hatred of tyranny and falsehood than from any right knowledge of the truth as it is in Jesus. It is well worthy of our notice, both as a fact and as a warning, that the good effected by these movements was only temporary. They did not, they could not last. They passed away because of the want of that vital element from which the Protestantism we this day celebrate arose in its strength. These temporary attacks upon the Popedom were mere outbursts of contempt or dislike for a system of oppression and falsehood. But no mere human power can contend successfully against that master-piece of Satanic craft which the Father of lies has spent centuries in rearing, in order that it may be his chief instrument for the destruction of men's souls, his chief form of opposition to the kingdom of God's dear Son. Our Protestantism took its rise from no merely human intellect, or passion or principle, but from the working of God's Spirit in the souls of men, to whom he had given much of the old prophetic power. Its abiding life is found in living union to the Lord Jesus Christ. It was this that stirred the trumpet blast of Luther, or woke the warlike clang of Knox, that they found Anti-Christ sitting in the temple of God, usurping the place of Him whom their souls loved, hiding from perishing men the knowlege of that one only Mediator who is the way, the truth, and the life. It was this that nerved the constancy of our martyrs when the noisome dungeon, the flowing tide, or the burning pile, were set in array against their weakness; they knew in whom they had believed; in the time of their anguish they heard his voice, saying, "When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flames kindle upon thee. For I am the Lord thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour." It was this made bold the hearts, and filled with resistless strength the arms of men who went forth from their peaceful, prayer-hallowed homes to contend upon the battle field, that they fought not for the gratification of personal hatred, or of warlike ambition, or even of patriotic feeling, but that they struggled against the tyranny of Rome for full possession unto themselves and their children's children of that precious boon, the priceless liberty wherewith Christ maketh his people free. And I bless God because the reviving he is giving to his Church in our day is of the same inward soulrenewing power. Throughout the realms of Christendom there is a gathering shout of opposition to that Man of Sin who has sat so long enthroned upon the seven-hilled city. But this has been preceded by the mighty working of the Spirit of God in the direct conversion of multitudes, and in the quickening of many who had formerly known the truth. During the last few years there has been an amount of Bible reading, of fervent prayer, of earnest inquiry after the Saviour such as has not been known for centuries.

The Church of God has been renewing her youth. She has come back from the waste land of indifference to seek for the old paths, to take her stand on the ancient foundations. Led in this course by the Divine Spirit, she has gone unto the fountain of life, and there having renewed her covenant with Jesus as a personal Saviour, she has come forth once more "fair as the moon, clear as the sun, terrible as an army with banners." It is not political feeling, or party strife, or sectarian bitterness, that is stirring up the fresh contest with Rome, but the Spirit of God himself, who in the hearts of his believing people is lifting up a standard against Anti-Christ.

We must be careful then not to look on this subject as one of mere speculative opinion; we must guard against the too common delusion that this controversy is only a dispute between two Christian sects. Here we can have no compromise, and no neutrality. Popery is Satan's lie-Protestantism is God's truth. They can never agree. They cannot continue to exist side by side. One of them must perish. We are entering on this great conflict, and dream not ye of an early or an easy ending. Dream not that ye can by any means escape this perilous labour. All persons and things within the bounds of Christendom are being surely drawn within the circle of the battle-field. It has ceased to be merely a discussion of momentous doctrinal questions, and has again begun to mingle in every social or political consideration. At this moment is not the Popish question the standing difficulty of European governments? Within the circle of the British empire there is scarcely a point of importance touching our civil or military arrangements, our social or domestic life, our foreign relations, or our national management, that is not seriously affected by the condition of the Papacy. Does a foreign power assume a threatening attitude towards Britain? Immediately the treasonable cry is raised that England's extremity is Ireland's opportunity, and below the yell of popular clamour may be heard the significant priestly whisper, Give, give for us or Holy Mother Church. But there are sleepy Protestants who will say, Don't disturb us with these passing noises, they will never come to anything, and if they should the army will soon put them down. I tell you no. Depend nothing on the army in such a cause. The Protestant section would be required to watch the Popish section, since our infatuated rulers have handed over their loyalty to the traitorous keeping of Romish chaplains. Do you feel an interest in the question of a sound national education? Then who steps in to mar the settlement but a priesthood which has the effrontery to demand that God's word shall not be read in the schools of this Protestant nation. You meet the same difficulty in the labour-market. The Popish labourer undersells the Protestant, not because he is a better workman, but because he is a lower type of man, and therefore can work cheaper. For similar reasons the Protestant housemaid is supplanted by the Romanist in domestic service. These things are done very largely by those economical employers who are penny wise and pound foolish. They find, too late, that they have surrounded themselves with a troublesome and expensive community, with men and women who increase poor rates and police rates-who in the hands of the priest are spies on every word or act, who outvote you at elections, who are ever ready with perjury for the acquittal of a criminal, or with treacherous aid for the kidnapping of a Protestant child. Besides all these things, look at the unhindered growth of monasteries and nunneries in Britain, contrary to the law of the landlook at their existence here among ourselves. Remember what has been proved regarding their abominations. Remember, too, that time will not permit me to unfold one-hundredth part of our reasons for abhorrence or alarm; and tell me, has not the time come for vigorous, united, prayerful,

persevering exertion to stop the encroachments, to close the very existenee, of the Papacy? What then are we to do? Of late years there have been efforts made, both in the Imperial Parliament and elsewhere, to stop the encroachments of the Popedom on our civil and religious liberties. But these have fallen far short of what they should have been, through the indifference of the Protestant public. Now let us return to the good old ways of our fathers, from which we have unwisely departed. There should be given to our children, and to our adult population, for they equally need it, a most careful training in the grounds of our Protestant opposition to the doctrines and the practices of Rome. Thus might we look for a general outgoing of enlightened, prayerful effort to bring about her speedy downfall. There should be a guard sternly kept on her secret practices with families to lay hold on their children-with statesmen, in order to tamper with public funds and education. We must insist on having uprooted all monasteries and nunneries, those nests of villainy, not only as contrary to the law of the land, but as contradictory to the law of God in his word, and in nature. We must have no more tampering on the part of government, whether Imperial or provincial, with Rome, the darkest, subtilest foe of every free people. We must demand the speedy repeal of that Emancipation Act whereby the emissaries of Rome crept up to political power in the midst of us. We must demand it, not because we would deprive any man of his rights, but because the Romish faction has broken the compact, in virtue of which it obtained certain privileges. Ever since they had the power they have proved in every way that they are not true loyal subjects of the monarch of Britain, but an alien people, owning the sway of an Italian prince. Let them be placed on the same footing as other foreigners in our midst-give them their rights as men, but do not give them those privileges of citizenship which they have no right to expect. I will be told that it is impossible to grant these demands; that to do so would light up the flames of civil war. War is a fearful evil, a calamity to be averted if possible. Nevertheless, there are worse things than war. I would rather encounter its horrors than see the confessional of Rome polluting the families of my country, while her tyranny degraded its liberties, or her false doctrines seduced the souls of my fellow-men to their perdition. As Christians, we cannot seek contention, but we will not be deceived by the flattering tale of peace, peace, when there is no peace. Precious, indeed, is peace, but more precious is peace of conscience than peace of circumstance. Peace that can sit down content with falsehood; that can skin the festering sore of error with a pretended healing; that can look with calm brow, contented heart, on the putting down of truth, such peace is that of the grave-dark, cold, noisome, dead. It is the peace of yonder eastern sea, whose sulphureous waters lie like molten lead above the God-destroyed cities of the plain. Rather let me have the strife of that salt sea when waves lift high their crested heads, and the storm rides forth making the clouds his chariot;— rather the tempest that roots more firm the tree while it snaps away the useless rotten bough;-rather the sweeping breeze that purifies the air, than deceitful, quiet, and pestilential repose. No peace then with Rome while the blood of slaughtered myriads utters its voice against her, and their cry goes up continually into the ears of the Lord God of Sabaoth. No peace with Rome while her foul system of confessional eats out the heart of purity from families, while her monasteries remain like Sodom, with the cry of their abominations reaching up to heaven. No peace with Rome while she stands a treacherous haggler, making merchandise of souls, robbing men of their money here, and with Satanic cruelty plunging them in ruin

hereafter; while her false doctrines contradict the truth of God, exalt a sinful woman to an equality with the Maker of heaven and earth, insult the awful sacrifice of the Redeemer, and block up the only true way whereby fallen man can be restored to the presence of his reconciled God. No peace then from this conflict until the shout of ransomed nations shall echo back the cry of the strong angel, "Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen-rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye holy apostles and prophets."

SPANISH HISTORY.*

IN M. St. Hilaire French Protestantism gained an illustrious convert. The chair of history which he so ably fills, has perhaps in the wide range of subjects which belong to it no more interesting theme than that which he has, in the voluminous book before us, undertaken to recount. Spain needed a historian to bring her annals before the French public, and in M. St. Hilaire she has found one fully competent to the task. The volume before us comprehends the events from 1552 to 1569-the closing years of Charles V., the early years of his son, Philip II.

M. St. Hilaire seldom gives his references- -a defect in every history which claims to be considered original. He does not appear to have had access to papers previously closed to others. His research is not equal to that of several competitors in the historical field. With Prescott and Motley he cannot in this respect be compared. Let not this, however, be laid to the charge of French superficiality-the age that has witnessed the labours of Guizot, Michelet, Barante, the Thierrys, and De Broglie, has seen in them men inferior to none in Europe for laboriousness of preparation for their volumes.

A more careful revisal would have erased some repetitions which occur in the volume before us. Some of these repetitions, however, are evidently intentional, as that of the kindred pride of the Spaniards and the English, which incapacitates them from mutual co-operation! We should have thought that a contest which occurred no farther back than the early part of this century did prove that such co-operation could take place (and against France) with some effect! M. St. Hilaire speaks (p. 23) of Cardinal Pole as descended from the Tudor blood-royal. He was the grandson of George of Clarence, and thus what royal blood he had was Yorkist. It is needless exaggeration to say of the cruelties of Mary's reign that they were without parallel in the history of the Spanish inquisition.

We must take exception to the too epigrammatical character which M. St. Hilaire's style sometimes takes. He says (p. 109)-"The literature of Spain ends where that of other nations begins." This is pointed, but it is untrue. The classical period of Spanish literature, from Garcilasso de la Vega to Calderon, from Mendoza to De Solis, saw every other European literature, except that of Germany, in full vigour and development. Thus, again speaking (p. 325) of the retirement of Cardinal Granvelle-" Philip did not break, but merely lengthened the bond of connection." But, at Besançon, Granvelle was considerably nearer to Madrid than he was at Brussels! There is also an occasional carelessness in giving an account of a matter which needs explanation in one part, and the explanation not for some pages, or even chapters, further on.

Par M. Rossieuw St. Hilaire. Tome Huitième. Paris: Furne et Cie. 1860.

But these are minor points. M. St. Hilaire has been studiously careful against exaggeration. Indeed, he has stopped short, in various instances, of what he might and perhaps ought to have said. Thus he might have used far stronger language than he does as to the ill usage of Mary Tudor by her husband. Nor, in general, has he been less on his guard against disproportion. He has no crowding here, as a set-off against over-minuteness there. There is, however, an occasional want of harmonising in his narrative. Thus he tells us in one page the English submitted, under Mary, to a religion which they detested. We turn the leaf over, and we find him quoting, without dissent, the statement of the Venetian ambassador, that the English were always of the religion of their sovereign! Three chapters further on (p. 169) we are told that England owes to Mary's cruelties her confirmed Protestantism! Again, when the elder Duke of Guise is first introduced to our notice, we have a portrait drawn of him in very dark colours, which to some extent is softened down in subsequent notices of actions in which he was concerned. We differ entirely from M. St. Hilaire in his disparagement of Alva's military talents, and in his condemnation of the Huguenots for having recourse to arms.

The eventful years of which, in this volume, M. St. Hilaire has given the history, brings him in contact with civil, military, and ecclesiastical transactions of great importance. To no part of his subject has he shown himself unequal. The siege of Malta and the Moorish revolt are both described with great spirit. The complications of the Tridentine Council are ably unfolded. Declining to compete with Mignet and Stirling in detailing the last years of Charles in his retreat at Yuste, he has, with great power and equal fairness, drawn that monarch's character. Of a different kind, but equally remarkable, is the chapter he has devoted to the internal condition of Spain at the commencement of Philip's reign. Scarcely so informing or complete as a recent essay of M. Guardia on the subject, his view of the Reformation in Spain is yet both interesting and accurate. The two chapters on the Affairs of the Netherlands ably sum up the narrative to the removal of Granvelle. The subsequent chapter on Don Carlos and Elizabeth of France fully and impartially informs the reader about an often misunderstood and misrepresented portion of Spanish history. "Incontrovertible facts," says he (p. 411), "show that Philip, without employing either poison or steel, was in reality the murderer of his son. Absolute seclusion, the deprivation of air and motion, were sufficient to cut short life. Poison itself would have been less sure, and would have left traces behind it. Philip had a right to exclude from the throne a son guilty of so many acts of folly, but there ended a father's rights; and where those ended, mine commenced."

We are surprised that M. St. Hilaire, in one of his rare references, should quote the "Guerras de Granada" of Hita, and should, at the end of his volume, gravely discuss the historical merits of that romance writer.

We look forward with much pleasure to the future volumes of this important work. Parts of Spanish history have been worthily treated in our language by writers of this age and of a preceding. But we have no firstclass history of Spain itself, and in the absence of any English work, that of M. St. Hilaire, though not, perhaps, in every respect what we could desire, may be without difficulty accepted as filling up the gap. For a century French literature has had at least its due share of influence to the south of the Pyrenees. In this respect the boast of Louis le Grand is not devoid of truth. We hope that the work of M. St. Hilaire may meet with a fair share of appreciation in the Peninsula. There is no Spanish contemporary writer of authority on his voluminous theme.

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