VI. Kidder's Sketches of Brazil VII. Brownson's Quarterly Review 1. Voyages round the World; from the Death of Cook to the Pre- sent Time; 2. Guy's Principles of Medical Jurisprudence; 3. Barnes' Notes on the Epistles to the Ephesians, Philippians, and Colossians; 4. Halleck's Alnwick Castle, and other Poems; 5. Anthon's System of Latin Versification; 6. Thirlwall's History of Greece; 7. Peck's Scrip- ture Doctrine of Christian Perfection; 8. Plato against the Atheists; 9. The Pulpit Encyclopedia, and Christian Minister's Companion; 10. Barton's Perils of Popery; 11. Cruden's Complete Concordance to the Holy Scriptures; 12. Webster's American Dictionary of the English Language; 13. Wilkes' Narrative of the United States Ex- ploring Expedition; 14. Rohlrauzch's History of Germany; 15. Taylor's Manual of Ancient and Modern History; 16. Hervey's Meditations and Contemplations; 17. Michelet's History of France; 18. Life and Cor- respondence of Thomas Arnold, D. D.; 19. Rowan's History of the 1. Wesley's Notes; 2. Pilgrim's Progress; 3. The Superannuate, or Life of Wm. Ryder; 4. Sketches and Incidents; 5. Life of Susan G. Bowler; 6. The Infant Teacher's Manual; 7. The History of Romanism; 8. Chemis- try, as exemplifying the Wisdom and Beneficence of God; 9. Examination THE METHODIST QUARTERLY REVIEW. JANUARY, 1845. EDITED BY GEORGE PECK, D. D. ART. I.-A Treatise on Justification. By GEORGE JUNKIN, D. D., President of Lafayette College, Easton, Pa. Pp. 328. 12mo. Philadelphia: J. Whetham. 1839. Ir is a consolatory truth, that our faith stands not in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God. So foolish are the wise of this world, so dark the most enlightened, that none could confidently trust eternal interests to such unworthy keeping. In approaching the fountains of heavenly wisdom, we cannot use too much simplicity; here only implicit faith is called for. Nor should this faith. end when it has brought us to the Bible for instruction; we should still look to the inspired word, alone and self-interpreting, to reveal its own philosophy, and to guide us in all matters of faith and morals. A failure thus to esteem the word of revelation has ever been an evil of no inconsiderable magnitude among Christians. We are deeply sensible that too much refinement has been attempted in the elucidation of the gospel, and that an overdoing marks almost every system of theology. It is not enough to know the truths necessary to salvation, men also require the philosophy of the system of grace; not satisfied to know that the sinner may be raised from his fallen estate, they would also know every part of the machinery by which he is elevated and delivered. Doubtless there is a philosophical principle pervading the plan of recovering mercy, but it is equally certain that we but faintly and imperfectly perceive it. It rises too high and sinks too deep, it is altogether too vast for human comprehension. "These things the angels desire to look into," and no doubt find them more than their seraphic intellects can fully understand. Still, the subject is above all others worthy of our attention, not so much, however, as a subject of scrutiny, as of wonder and admiration. It were well could we always decide what is cognizable and what is inscrutable, that we might neither rest in idle ignorance VOL. V.-1 of what should be known, nor rush with heedless steps "where angels dread to gaze." To us the gospel seems to have lost much of its efficiency by appearing in the borrowed trappings of the schools. The philosophy of Plato first palsied its arm, when in youthful vigor it was subduing thrones and dominions; that of Aristotle held it in dizzy trance for a thousand years. The Reformation, by abjuring philosophy and evoking the word of life, broke the spell and restored liberty to the gospel. Such plain truths as the fall of man, redemption by Christ, justification by faith and salvation by grace, are readily apprehended. But when we pass beyond these, and attempt a philosophical explanation of the whole economy of grace, we are in danger of "darkening counsel by words without knowledge." This excess of philosophy is the more to be deprecated, since by reason of it the theory of the gospel is frequently learned before the gospel itself. Then what is afterward learned is interpreted by a preconceived theory, which, acting as a false lens, distorts and deranges the symmetry of the system of saving grace. Nor does the matter end in speculative errors. Man is naturally a logician, and therefore the simplest states of mind afford the purest logic. Persons of speculative habits may so torture their minds as to leave but little sympathy between their opinions and actions; but most men will act as they think. Simplicity may indeed expose to impositions from sophistry; but whatever premises may have been adopted, the unsophisticated mind hastens to the legitimate conclusion. Hence, though the evil tendency of any tenet may lie a little under the surface, it is not therefore the less dangerous; the proper inferences will generally be made. The chief glory of Protestantism is, that it rejects human traditions, and adheres to the word of God-that it replaces the subtilties of the schools by the plain statements of the Bible. But as the Reformation, though the work of the Holy Spirit, was effected through human means, it were not to be expected that a work absolutely perfect would be accomplished through such instrumentalities. Some part of Reformed Christendom never escaped from the shackles of the past; others, breaking wholly away from prescriptive authority, leaned too much to their own understanding. It is acknowledged by his admirers that Calvin never fully lost the influence of the schoolmen, and that his "danger is, pushing his statements beyond the Scriptures." His theological system has been greatly enlarged and refined upon since his time, so that it would not be difficult to show that he was not more than half a Calvinist, according to the present acceptation of that term. The |