And with regard to literature, the reformed, both in France and in other countries at that time, were eminent for their knowledge and attainments. Comparatively speaking, they were far superior in these respects to their Popish brethren. Even from the Memoirs of the Roman Catholic Bishop, who was strongly prejudiced against the Protestants, it is apparent that they had their full share of men of talent and learning at the very time they were the victims of the king's manifold oppressions. Samuel Bochart was the Protestant and Presbyterian minister of Caen, which was noted at once for its Calvinism and its love of literature. Alexander Morus was minister at Paris, and nobly adhered to his Protestant principles and professions, in spite of the offers of royal bribery. Blondel was a learned Protestant minister, and so was Stephen le Moine and Stephen Morin-the latter of whom had to flee at the Revocation of the Edict, and leave his children a prey to Popery. Benoit, who wrote the History of the Revocation, was a learned refugee minister. Tavernier, the celebrated traveller, belonged to the number of the French Reformed: so did Madame Dacier, so eminent for her classical attainments, that she edited some of the Delphin editions of the classics, for the use of the king's son; and yet she could not escape the royal displeasure for her Protestantism. Madame Tiliac, noted for her attainments in oriental literature, belonged to the same body. Many names might be added to these-such as Rapin, the author of the History of England, an elaborate work. Cameron, who acquired so great fame by his Prelections on the New Testament, that he was esteemed by the most learned men of Europe, and of whom a modern critic, (Dr. Pye Smith,) says that he often anticipates, in biblical criticism, the remarks of later and more celebrated writers. Basnage, of whom Voltaire said that he was fitter to be a minister of state than a minister of a parish, well known for his acquisitions in Church history. L'Enfant, celebrated for his attain. ments in the same line of study, and of whom Voltaire said that he had done more than any other man to spread the knowledge of the energy and beauties of the French language to the extremities of Germany. Saurin and Superville, eminent as pulpit orators and men of learning; besides many who have been already quoted. Most of those here noticed are mentioned in the literary Memoirs of the Popish Bishop of Avranches, and are spoken of with honour. Were it necessary to appeal to learned men belonging to other Pro

testant Churches of the Continent about the same period, it were easy to draw together a long and impressive array. Suffice it to say, that Presbyterian Holland, with its ministers, was a great centre of learning in the seventeenth century, and can produce in the course of her history, names of learned men which no Popish or Prelatical Church ever surpassed. I merely mention Salmasius or Saumaize, who has been already referred to as the advocate of the cause of Charles I. against the republican Milton; Scaliger, Golius, eminent in Arabic and Chinese literature; Heinsius, Spanheim, professor of theology at Leyden; Leclerc of Amsterdam; Madame Shurman, of unrivalled attainments, which seem to have been consecrated to the cause of true religion; Mark, Glass, Vitringa, Witsius, Stock, Mastricht, Reland, Lampe, Vantil, De Moor, Venema, Wetstein. The portraits of the professors of the different chairs, from the earliest times down to the present day, still shown in the University of Leyden, and which I have had the happiness of seeing, exhibit, it is believed, a combination of talent and acquirement which no Christian Church can exceed. As to the universities among the Reformed, Dr. Douglas, professor of divinity at Aberdeen in 1647, gives the following numbers at that date:-In Upper Germany, nineteen; in Switzerland, four; in Holland, six; besides other illustrious schools, as Amsterdam, Middleburgh, &c. &c. In Denmark and Sweden, two; in Prussia, three; in France, eight; in England, two; and in Scotland, four; making in all, forty-eight universities-a highly creditable number, and, doubtless, the fountain-heads of much literature and learning, and, at that day, also sound religion. But I must not enter upon these points. It is abundantly obvious, that the Reformed in France, and their brethren in neighbouring lands, could boast of their full proportion of literary and learned men; and yet, that when they were long and grievously oppressed, the literary men of France, in their most golden age, showed them no sympathy, held out to them no support; nay, Naude, a man of literature, and who is described as candid and without prejudice, vindicated the massacre of St. Bartholomew! What, then, are we to think of mere human learning, as distinguished from that which is divine? Are we not compelled to conclude, that however gratifying it may be to the individual possessors, it is of little use to others-to society at large when it is unable to prevent or check the most crying and atrocious crimes; and does such an experience not serve

to drive us the more to that revealed knowledge of the character and will of God, which corrects the most serious evils, whether affecting individuals or society, and blesses both, with a harmony and love which are the foretaste of heaven? But the French literati not only did nothing for the persecuted Protestants, though they had such strong claims on their sympathy-they yielded the most fulsome and mean spirited flattery to their persecutor. This was the crying, the universal vice of the literature of the age of Louis XIV. He was worshipped by all classes of literary men as a demi-god. Panegyrics in poetry and prose seem to have been the standing topics of the time. Even the Academy bowed to this ignoble employment; and not satisfied with all the praise which his countrymen at home could offer, the miserable monarch pensioned foreigners to extend the degrading flattery. Some of the French sycophants, such as Boileau, felt the humiliation; the loss of liberty to which they submitted for a pension, and confessed it; but the great body of them seem to have gloried in their shame. As a suitable return for such meanness-for such a perversion of those powers and attainments with which God had blessed them-the royal persecutor gave them very humble pay for all their obsequiousness. The greatest annual sum for pensions never exceeded one hundred thousand livres-a sum not the hundredth part of what he shamelessly expended on personal profligacy; and even this sum was always the first to be cut down on any real or supposed emergency; and yet men treated in this way were the men who worshipped Louis, or at least his purse, and were so ambitious and vain-glorious, as to propose to make the French language universal! It may be mentioned that the king expended two hundred thousand livres in procuring Delphin editions of the classics, sixty-two in number, for facilitating the classical education of his son, the Dauphin; but such was his jealousy of freedom, that Lucan, a free-spirited classic, was not translated, like the others. What failure here also in literary views! The Dauphin, in spite of all the pains bestowed upon him by Bossuet and Huet, turned out miserably ignorant, and could never be prevailed on to read any thing; like the son of Chesterfield, who received no training in religion or morality, but in the rules of mere conventional politeness, and who, instead of proving a well-bred man, was noted as utterly unmannerly. What a view does all this give us of the vanity and meanness of an irreligious literature! Tried by

a Christian standard, few pictures are more melancholy than Johnson's Lives of the Poets. Most of them, alas! built on the sand. How striking the contrast between the French literati, doing nothing for the persecuted-praising the persecutor for a wretched mercenary return-the great body of them miserable while they lived, and now forgotten; and the faithful friends of religious and well-principled knowledge, who ranged themselves on the side of the suffering, were themselves part of the sufferers, who, amid poverty and royal frowns, persevered in cultivating sound learning, and diffusing its blessings; and, through their ministry, better prepared the Protestant people to withstand the consuming violence of persecution. How noble the spirit and conduct of similar men in Scotland! Persecuting monarchs may have favoured them with no encouragement. They may have harassed and wearied them. The sufferers may have had to struggle with severe poverty; influential parties, even Universities, may have sided with the oppressor; but they were not ashamed of the principles of the Word of God; they made learning and literature subservient to religion and the spiritual good of men; and when the storm of persecution was over, they had their reward. The names of Melville, and Henderson, and Carstares, and many others, are honoured now; and even should this act of justice be denied them, they themselves shall have their reward hereafter. Yea, long ere this, we may be sure, as Christian men, they are reaping its enjoyment in the heavenly world.

It

From the views which have been presented, we may see how utterly insufficient mere secular knowledge is, whatever its form, to prevent intolerance and persecution. cannot make the possessor truly happy in his own mind. It cannot eradicate his native hatred to the Gospel, nor check and destroy its manifestations in others. If so large a part of the literary and learned classes of France, far from being on the side of the suffering, were on the side of the persecutor, at least, did nothing to restrain persecution, is it to be expected that the secular knowledge of other countries and ages will be more effective? If France failed in its Augustan period, when is any other land to succeed? The truth is, as we have already hinted, the hatred of the Gospel, and the persecution of its adherents, are founded in the very nature of the unrenewed man-a favourable combination of circumstances may restrain, but cannot eradicate them. It is only the love of the Gospel in the heart-in other words, true

religion, which can dispossess the soul of a persecuting spirit; and it is only that deep love to man which the faith of the Gospel inspires, which can lead us suitably to respect the rights and privileges of others, and, while we hate the error or superstition which enthrals the soul, cherish the tenderest compassion for the soul which is enthralled. So far, then, from deep views of religion-as many philosophers have imagined-leading to uncharitableness and persecution; if these views are the views of the true religion, they will be found to conduct to the very opposite result. To all its other honours, Christianity adds that of being the first successfully to inculcate true toleration to those who differ from us in religious sentiment, whether more or less seriously. Philosophy, reason, extensive experience would fain appropriate the honour to themselves; but the history of the suf fering French Protestants repudiates the claim, and makes over the title to the living Gospel. A lesson which, of all others, seems most within the reach of human wisdom, can be taught and learned effectually only by the Revelation of heaven. The best instructions for time, it will be found, must ever be learned in the school which is to prepare for eternity.

CONTEMPORANEOUS HISTORY OF THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND, FROM 1660 TO 1688.

Most melancholy as is the picture of the Church of France. which has just been presented, it is not more dark and terriable than that of the Church of Scotland during the same sad years. I broke off my last notices of the Church of Scotland with the close of the Commonwealth. Cromwell's rule in Scotland had been a ryle of iron. It might be said to be a military despotism; but though the General Assembly had been forbidden to meet, and there had been other unwarrantable interferences, there was no such persecution of the Church as disgraced the reign of previous monarchs; and, moreover, the English judges whom Cromwell sent down, administered justice much more to the satisfaction of the people than the native judges. Coming from a distance and a larger country, they were not open to the same prejudices and local feelings which influenced men born and bred in so small a territory as Scotland. Hence they settled a