Our production of some immediate necessity of the church. divines wrote for her; not for themselves. German divines,— I do not mean to say any thing invidious, or too sweeping, or to suppose that the idea of usefulness is by any means excluded,but as a body, I think, German divines write more because they have something to communicate. There is wanting, or at least, there is less apparent, that devotion to the good of the church as a whole, which was the animating soul of the gigantic efforts of our forefathers, and which still is the moving cause of every thing which our real divines undertake. Of course, in speaking of Germany generally, one cannot mean to include such men as Neander, Tholuck, and some others; in whom this kirchlicher Sinn, the welfare of the church, is the very centre of their actions. I know not how far the independence of our theologians may be in any way traced to the general nature of our education; certainly they present a striking contrast to those of Germany, in the uniform absence of any school, and the originality of each writer; while with the exception of the few leaders, one can hardly open a German book, without seeing how much the writer has been influenced by others. Certainly the most favourable education for a mind of any caliber, would be so much guidance as would prevent its losing time in setting out, without too rigidly prescribing its course; a chart, instead of a pilot. The perfection of the system, I should think, would be a combination of the two methods. If I may be permitted to advert to my own mode of proceeding, I give my exegetical lectures, even to the highest class, catechetically, on the above grounds; so that my lecture-room becomes somewhat like a Seminarium, at least one which I witnessed at Berlin. I find that with some little loss of time, I can communicate as much in this way, as by continued delivery; and I hope to secure thereby a more fixed interest, as well as a more individual study of the portions of the Holy Scriptures. I hope that the above observations will, in some degree, meet your views; and I shall be most glad to explain further any points to which I may not have sufficiently adverted. You are, of course, at liberty to make any use which you please of them. I should be most pleased, if some of your theologians would, on their way to or return from Germany, visit their mother country and see our institutions on the spot. APPENDIX. Translated from the German by the Editor. BEFORE entering upon a description of the present situation of theology in England, I must premise a word upon the different circumstances of Germany and England. This difference I find to lie, first, in the predominating practical spirit and tendency of the English people; secondly, in the very different theological history which Germany and England have had; and thirdly, in the different arrangement of the universities of the two countries. It will not have escaped your notice, how few, if indeed any, of our theological productions, have sprung from a spirit of abstract investigation. Our greatest, yea some of our immortal works, have been called forth by the necessity of the times. The writings of a Chillingworth, Hooker, Butler, Bull, and so most others, did not arise from any interest which the objects they treat of may have in themselves for an inquiring mind; but merely from the circumstance, that at that very time the christian church, and just the English christian church, had need of such writings. Hence, little is published among us, in times when there is no particular necessity. The materials are collected by the learned, their views are more or less circulated, but-nothing is printed. Why? Because no pressing necessity demands it. The German writes, because he has something to communicate; the Englishman, because he hopes to attain some definite useful object. Of course, this also determines the nature of the subjects on which we write. At one time, a whole mass of controversial writings against certain errors will appear at once; at another time, a whole mass of evidences, etc. Thus, recently among us a strong love of reading has been awakened among the lower classes, which alas! has been supplied with miserable food. This is the cause why our clergy are, at present, chiefly occupied with popular works. As to the second point, it may be remarked, that in our earlier theology there never existed so complete a scholastic system, as was the case with you in Germany, according to the Formula Concordiae.† Of course, modern German theologi * See the Preliminary Notice on p. 568 above. One of the most important symbolical books of the protestant church, drawn up by twelve distinguished divines, in compliance ans, even the orthodox, can no longer adopt unconditionally the earlier theological treatises; since they doubtless view these subjects in a more liberal spirit than their ancestors. We, on the contrary, who have ourselves undergone less change, can make much more use of the writings of our ancestors, which also are really composed in a freer manner. To this we may add a national peculiarity. When we Englishmen are once satisfied with a work in general, we admire its spirit, prize it highly, and study it over again and again, although we may have much to censure in it as to particulars. So far as I know, this is not the case in Germany. If a book, in particular points, does not satisfy the Germans, it is very soon regarded as obsolete; and some other one must take its place, which shall reproduce the old materials in a new form. I apprehend, that a great proportion of the modern German books have arisen merely in this way. In our less extensive literature, on the other hand, there are, as I must think, many more original writers. It may have been with us, too, in the theological department, as it was in the mathematical. When a mind so vast as that of Newton appeared, all gazed upon him with astonishment and veneration, and supposed, from the mere feeling of admiration and gratitude, that man could go no further. But more especially unfavourable to the production of new scientific works, is the situation of our universities. What abundant materials for future printed books, does a German professor collect in his written courses of lectures! With us, all instruction is given catechetically. In this way a basis for future printed works is scarcely laid. Besides, the whole of an university education with us, is directed to the general cultivation of the mind, and not to the professional sciences. It is indeed true, that religious or theological studies have a place there; but still, learned theologians are rarely found in the universities. Until the twenty-first year, the course of study is only preparatory; and as no one is obliged to remain longer at the university, so this rarely takes place. We have, in all England, only six theological professors in the whole, the professor of Hebrew included; and these again do not divide themselves among the several branches of theology, but each lectures on any branch, with the wishes of the Elector of Saxony. It was subscribed in 1577 by several electors, princes, counts, estates, etc. and was printed in 1580. EDITOR. or all branches, as he pleases. We must also further consider, that our population has so much increased, that neither the lower clergy nor the bishops have much time remaining for scientific labours. The canonical offices of the church might indeed put many in a situation to live more entirely for science; but these also are mostly held in connexion with important stations, of which the business occupies much time. Properly speaking, we have by no means among us that multitude of university scholars, which Germany possesses; and who are called by their very duties and their daily occupation, to the further advancement of theological science. In giving now a specification of what has actually been done among us in the last thirty years, I will first present a general view, and at a future day perhaps subjoin some details in reference to the more interesting parts. I begin with Ecclesiastical History. This has been, in fact, little cultivated; two branches of it excepted, which have recently been taken up in consequence of the renewed contest with the Romish church; I mean, the history of our own resormation, and that of the primitive christian church. The works upon the first of these, have been called forth by the false assertions of the widely circulated writings of the papist Lingard. His history of the English reformation perverted many of the facts, and made it necessary to come out in defence of the characters of our reformers, especially of Cranmer. The two protestant histories of this period, which have recently been published by Joames and Carwithen, both exhibit great industry and accuracy. The first especially shows extensive investigation. The Bampton Lectures of the same writer, on the doctrines of the Anglo-Saxon church, afford also important illustrations.— I must confess to you, that while perusing German works, I have often had occasion to regret, that your countrymen were not more accurately acquainted with our church history. The Germans have been too much in the habit of regarding the history of our church only from one side, viz. as the production of state policy. It may however, on the other hand, be most clearly shewn, that the great work could never have been accomplished on the part of the state alone, had there not actually been with us, as in Germany, a great majority of the people, as well as of the clergy, who had a lively feeling of the need of true Christianity. In this feeling lay a power far stronger than the power of the state. On the history of the first centuries of the church, we have received at the same time learned works from both universities; and several more still will probably shortly appear. In Cambridge, Bishop Kaye [bishop of Lincoln] has recently published Illustrations of the Ecclesiastical History of the second and third Centuries from Tertullian, with an account of the writings and opinions of Justin Martyr. It is understood that this is only the commencement of a larger series of works. The author has occupied himself particularly with Tertullian; and although the work is rendered heavy by its strict adherence to Mosheim's subdivisions, and still more so because the author has distributed all the doctrinal views of the primitive church under the thirty nine articles of our confession, still it will probably have the effect in some degree to stir up again among us the study of the fathers. It cannot indeed be so much termed an elaboration of precious metals in the German sense, as rather the products gathered from a mine, as the author himself describes it. The work upon Justin is better arranged. He examines the question, yet without reference to Winer: Whether the άnouvημονεύματα τῶν ἀποστόλων are our Gospels? and decides it in the affirmative. The collection of fragments of the Ante-Nicene fathers, made by our learned Dr Routh in his Reliquiae Sacrae, I hardly need to mention. I have wondered, however, that German writers have not taken more notice of this work; and especially of that noble testimony for the Canon, out of the second century, which Routh his reprinted from Muratori, with corrections. We have also not long since received from Dr Burton, the present Regius Professor of Theology in Oxford, a learned work on the Heresies of the apostolic age, (with the particular object of explaining allusions in the New Testament,) and on the Testimonies of the Ante-Nicene Fathers to the Divinity of Christ. There is also an interesting history of the allegorical interpretation of the Holy Scriptures, from Philo down through all the fathers, by Coneybeare; only, that here also merely the facts are given, and not results. New and improved editions of the earlier fathers may also be expected. It will also be a noble contribution to oriental church-history, when we shall receive the Chronicon of Elias of Nisibis translated from the Syriac by Mr Forshall, and the Apostolic Constitutions translated from the Ethiopic by Mr Platt;-for both of which the Oriental Translation Society has opened the way. For the history of God's ancient people Israel, something has |