the extreme of good sense, and which, in a period of high excitement, we rarely, if ever, see realized. But up to this point was the age of inspiration. After the close of the apostolic period, the transition to a more showy, and, according to our carnal notions, a more attractive righteousness, began to manifest itself, slight indeed at first, but obviously the commencement of that exaggerated self-denying spirit so natural to the human mind when seeking to work out its own sanctification by the mortification of the body. It were surely impossible to mistake the following sentiments for those of St. Paul, or of any of the heaven-directed Apostles. "I beseech you," are the words of Ignatius to the Romans, deprecating their interference for the purpose of preventing his martyrdom, "that you show not an unseasonable goodwill towards me. Suffer me to be food to the wild beasts, by whom I shall attain to God. Encourage the wild beasts, that they may become my sepulchre. May I enjoy the wild beasts that are prepared for me; which

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also I wish may exercise all their fierceness upon me, and whom, for that end, I will encourage, that they may be sure to devour me, and not serve me as they have done some, whom out of fear they have not touched. But, if they will not do it willingly, I will provoke them to it." In these sentiments, however sincerely conceived, I repeat, we detect at one glance a deviation from the meek and unpretending spirit of the apostolical age. But as we recede further from the primitive times, this deviation becomes gradually still more perceptible. Upon turning to the writings of Justin Martyr, we at once perceive (conjointly, indeed, with abundance of sound and fervent piety) a deficiency of judgment, and an absence of critical accuracy and sound sense in his expositions of Scripture, which at once appear to disqualify him from speaking with even the semblance of authority upon mere traditional topics. He who knows not how to convey even a written message correctly, will scarcely speak with much weight when reporting solely from me

mory and from his own private impressions. But it is impossible to read the works of Justin without occasional feelings of astonishment at the strange inferences which he draws from Holy Writ; to say nothing of his verbal inaccuracies, which often appear to mark rather quotations made from memory, than to be references to the recorded text. Take the following specimens of his inconclusive reasoning. What are we to think, for instance, of his deriving the prevalence of moral evil in later times from the influence of demons, the progeny of angels having commerce with the antediluvian females? of his discovering, as he imagines, a prophecy of our Lord's crucifixion in the expression, "I have spread out my hands all the day unto a rebellious people" (Isaiah lxv. 2); or more strangely still, in another passage of the same prophet, "the government (i. e., as he chooses to construe it, the power of the cross) shall be upon his shoulder" (Isaiah ix. 6). Of his discovering

the holy symbol of the cross in the masts of shipping, in the implements of husbandry, in

the tools of the carpenter, and even in the position of the nose and eyebrows in the human face, and of his considering this last mentioned strange idea as actually alluded to in the words of Jeremiah, "The breath of our nostrils, the anointed of the Lord” (Lamentations iv. 20). How, again, shall we defend the accuracy of his theological opinions, when we find him not only arguing in favour of the salvability of the holier heathens (a doctrine in which most Christians will probably agree with him), but even attempting to show that, inasmuch as our Lord was the Aóyos-the impersonation of the Divine wisdom; therefore, all persons possessed of any high degree of wisdom, such as Socrates and others, were actual Christians? I am far, very far, from urging that these, or the many other instances of unsound judgment or ignorance which are to be found in his writings ought to diminish our respect for a holy man, who proved the sincerity of his faith by laying down his life in its cause; but surely one may without cen

sure withhold his confidence and assent, when called upon to accept, as a revelation from heaven, traditionary opinions or doctrines transmitted to us through such a channel.

I have already taken notice of the argument that the early Fathers, as approaching nearer than ourselves to the apostolical age, must be better judges than we can be of what is sound or unsound in theology; and I have assigned my reasons why I conceive this argument unsound. But, perhaps, if there are any points in which proximity of time would appear to give the primitive Christians an advantage over ourselves with respect to the means of better information, it would be those simple historical facts, unconnected with doctrine, which at least might naturally be supposed to descend unaltered through several successive generations. And yet, even upon these very points, at how comparatively early a period do we find traditional accuracy fail us! Irenæus was, we know, the disciple of Polycarp, who again was the disciple of St. John. Surely a plain, single, historical,