ing the baptism of the children of Baptists, unconditionally and without exception, can be justified; whether the baptism of their children ought to be forced upon the Baptists as "a benefit," when they themselves declare it not only without value or meaning, but unjust, sinful and presumptuous; whether preachers may be required to administer baptism under such circumstances, without taking it into consideration whether they do or do not find a collision between their position as the servants of the church and the servants of the law, or an opposition between the letter of the law and the spirit of the gospel. In order to avoid partial and prejudiced replies to these questions, it is specially important to have the main grounds of them distinctly understood. He enumerates three principal ones. The first is that which views baptism as a sacrament, a divine ordinance, the peculiar institution of Christ, to which all born in the Christian church are entitled; so that the church not only may not prevent the baptism of any, but must not consent to its omission. The second is the juridical, according to which the national church, by virtue of the royal code, is immutably bound to the Augsburg Confession, and consequently bound to require the baptism of children, which is expressly demanded by it. The third is the practical view, which justifies the using of force, from a regard to the evil consequences which might follow if children should be permitted to grow up without belonging to any religious community. These are, in fact, the principal grounds on which compulsory baptism is or can be defended; and the author suggests, in respect to each, all that is capable of being said in its favor.

Professor Clausen remarks further, that much may be said against each of these views. If infant baptism is regarded as, in the highest sense, a sacrament, it will be difficult to separate its absolute necessity from a superstitious idea of some magical influence accompanying it. If the validity of the royal code is maintained, still the law of the gospel is to be viewed as the highest and most unchangeable law; and ecclesiastical regulations which bear the impress of the times in which they originated, are to be retained or modified, in conformity with this unalterable standard. Moreover the idea of ecclesiastical unity loses its truth, if men will be so wedded to that which is external as to prevent high-minded advancement,

and maintain unity by menaces and constraint. In conceding that possible bad consequences might arise from the omission of infant baptism, an argument is furnished, not for the forced baptism and admission to the church of the children ot Baptists, but for greater care in their religious education; for in spiritual things, least of all, can the end sanctify the means. This is a question which must be answered in view of the essential nature of a church; it belongs not to the national church of Denmark, but to the Christian, Protestant, evangelical church universally. Here the author triumphantly shows, that it is a violation of religious liberty on Protestant principles, to impose upon a sect which is acknowledged to be a Christian body, and blameless in its civil relations, any thing which interferes with the peculiarities of their faith, or to prohibit any thing to which they think themselves bound by their religion. He establishes his point by referring to Luther's noble dissertations on Christian liberty, and to the practice of the national church of Prussia. He then shows with equal clearness that the compulsion of infant baptism is at war with the meaning and dignity of the sacrament, as has been acknowledged by older and strict doctrinarians, as John Gerhard and J. A. Bengel. After this, with entire correctness, he remarks,-where so different points of view lead to so different results, the question should not be decided without the most careful and extensive examination; and a decisive law should only be the result of such investigations, the expression of a well informed majority, which may be regarded as representing the ecclesiastical body of the realm. But the church of Denmark has nothing which can be viewed as representing the church or the clergy. The ecclesiastical Collegium is a court consisting of mere lawyers, who have only to judge whether and when it is proper to set forth theological opinions and replies, and how far they are to be complied with. But in the present case it is by no means true that every thing has been done to secure a certain and satisfactory decision. The personal rights of the subjects have not been properly regarded by that body. Neither has the opinion of the Theological Faculty been taken, which, in 1740, in a similar case, was asked first of all. On the question of requiring compulsory baptisms, only two clergymen were consulted; these expressed op

posite opinions, and yet an arrangement was adopted of a one-sided character, according to the judgment of one of them. Neither one of them could properly be regarded as the index of the general sentiment. Those best qualified to speak were not heard, and the legal decision was made before the necessary premises were in the possession of those who made it. Such are the grave and energetic expressions of one who was not consulted on an ecclesiastical question so important. For the honor of the church of Denmark, we could wish that the author's closing words might prove true:-'We are confident that there will be no energetic advancement,-and least of all in the church,-without thoroughly considering what modifications can be introduced into the laws, or the application of them. This springs from our fixed conviction that the church of Denmark neither can nor ought to be regulated by the influences of party views.'

The present article, being mostly translated from a Review in the Allgemeine Literatur Zeitung, exhibits not only the feelings entertained in Denmark towards the Baptists, but also the judgment of intelligent Germans in respect to the matter in controversy, and the measures pursued by the Danish government. We have not space to relate in detail the history and progress of the Baptist communities in that country. The facts can be learned from the Annual Reports of the American Baptist Missionary Board, and from the Baptist Missionary Magazine. Suffice it to say, that the Baptist churches in Denmark have enjoyed great spiritual prosperity, and large additions have been made to their members. Persecution has, also, been actively employed to arrest their progress. Mönster, for example, has been five times thrown into prison; and, through the watchfulness of the police, many of the members have been repeatedly arrested, and several of them again and again imprisoned and fined. These measures of the government, however, serve only to draw public attention to those against whom they are directed. They awaken the interest, and, as we have seen, enlist the sympathies of enlightened men. They give rise to discussions among both the clergy and people, and we cannot doubt that they will ultimately hasten the prevalence in Denmark of just laws, an apostolic faith and practice, a liberal and wise policy, and unobstructed religious freedom.

ARTICLE VIII.

LITERARY NOTICES.

1. Die theologischen Lehren der Griechischen Denker. Eine Prüfung der Darstellung Cicero's (The Theological Opinions of the Greek Philosophers; or an Examination of Cicero's account of them.) Von A. B. KRISCHE. Göttingen. 1840.

To the theologian and the metaphysician the treatise of Cicero on the Nature of the Gods is one of great historical interest. The reflections of such a pagan philosopher as Cicero on that subject, would of themselves be valuable as illustrating how much, and at the same time, how little, can be known of it without the aid of divine revelation. But Cicero, who had diligently studied the Greek philosophers, and rather reflected on their speculations than originated any system of his own, has spread before us the sentiments of the various schools of ancient philosophy. Particularly valuable is that part of the first book of the treatise in which the views of the principal philosophers of former times are rehearsed in the order of their succession.

Inasmuch as Plutarch, Eusebius and other Greek writers have given us similar summaries, and many fragments relating to the opinions of individual philosophers have descended to our times, it becomes at once an interesting and an important inquiry, how far the account of Cicero corresponds with what is found on the same subject in the remains of Greek literature. Krische has undertaken, with the usual industry of his countrymen, the investigation of this subject. The volume which contains the result of his inquiries, though complete in itself, is the first in a series of investigations which the author intends to make on several topics connected with ancient philosophy. That he is well qualified, by his extensive classical learning and by his philosophical habits, to do justice to his theme, is proved by every page of the work. His knowledge is both various and exact, enabling him not only to collect whatever is extant on each topic, but to assign to the particulars their proper place in the respective systems to which they belong. Entire success in such an undertaking is not to be expected. We know too little of the formation, progress and gradual modifications of these ancient systems of philosophy, to pronounce with absolute certainty upon every point. But whatever could be done by any one individual, appears to have been accomplished in the work before us. Did our space allow, it would be interesting to draw a parallel between the speculations of ancient and modern philosophers on this great subject of the nature of the Deity. The result would show, that from the time of Bacon to that of Hegel, little-if we except those modifications which Christianity has given to modern systemshas been thought or said on the subject which was not thought and said long before. It is hardly necessary to say, in conclusion, that

Krische has written only for those who have already made considerable attainments in classical learning and in the history of philosophy. We have been anxiously watching for the continuation of this work, but are not aware that a second volume has yet appeared.

2. Die Lehre von den göttlichen Eigenschaften (The Doctrine of the Divine Attributes) dargestellt von I. F. BRUCH, Professor der Theologie in Strassburg. Hamburg. 1842.

This work on the Attributes of God furnishes us the only information we have of the author. From it we learn that he is orthodox in his faith, and well informed on the subject of which he treats. The speculative pantheistic theories are subjected to a severe criticism in his introduction. The older as also more recent orthodox theologians are next examined with impartiality and philosophical power, and then the subject of the attributes themselves, in all their theological bearings, is treated with a thoroughness not inferior to that which distinguishes the works of Schluirmacher, Twesten and Nitzsch. Both in his method and in the results to which he comes, he is much safer and more satisfactory than Schleiermacher. The latter is too ingennius and speculative; and in referring all the attributes to the idea of causation, and our knowledge of them to a pious feeling of dependence, is wholly arbitrary. Bruch approaches much nearer to Twesten, though he is bolder, and less mistifying and hair-splitting. There are a few things in his system which some would pronounce transcendental, as when he makes the divine existence a matter of consciousness. We must agree with him that the necessity of contemplating God under the form of attributes, does not lie in the divine nature in itself considered, but in the imperfection of our capacities; that an attribute, in its strict sense, is the nature of God under some particular manifestation to us, or sustaining a positive outward relation to us, and is therefore to be distinguished from mere modes of existence. Thus there is a formal, though not essential difference between God's nature and his attributes. Infinity is not an attribute; it is a mere mode of the divine existence; it is not capable of being manifested or of acting upon us, as the divine power, love— and the like. The treatment of the primary idea of God, the manner and conditions of his existence, is properly preliminary to that of the attributes, and should not be mingled with them. To the theologian, especially to the theological instructer, this work will form a valuable aid; for the ordinary reader it is too abstract and philosophical.

3. Das Leben Johannes Ockolampads und die Reformation der Kirche zu Basel (The Life of John Occolampedius and the Reformation of the Church at Basle). Beschrieben von JOHAN JAKOB HERZOG, Professor der Theologie zu Lausanne. In zwei Bände, pp. 366 und 307.

Basel. 1843.

Herzog has won an honorable place among the biographers of distinguished men in the church. As is indicated in the title, this work is particularly designed as a contribution to special church history. Nor will it disappoint the expectation thus raised. As a theologian, the author is well qualified to form a just estimate of the true nature and importance of those great questions in doctrine and worship which