too, than were at first intended. They do not relate, however, only to England: Scotland and Ireland have also some separate chapters. By this mass of new and original matter, (of itself sufficient to form an octavo volume of moderate size,) a new character has been given to this edition of Mosheim. It is not, as former editions were, a work essentially German, with a tinge of Scottish presbyterianism: domestic religious history occupies as much space as foreign. It may even occupy more than any single section of foreign history. Thus, unquestionably, the British isles have at length offered to their notice an ecclesiastical history, comprehensive, though not superficial, and arranged with especial reference to their own use. Of course, these large additions will cross the views of many readers. The Editor appears before the world as a clergyman beneficed in the church of England, and he would be very sorry to act in any degree, as if his convictions did not coincide with his interests. But although he is the first person of the Anglican communion connected with this long-established work, he has left his precedessors in possession of all their old ground. The Church of England has displaced nothing. She has only, for the first time, occupied that space among Mosheim's labours, to which her importance fairly entitles her. Thus the whole work really has less of a party character than before. It may now every great section of

be considered as an aggregate, in which protestants is allowed to speak for itself. Objections may be made to the several writers as partizans individually, but no one can deny that they have, in these volumes, a fair chance of correcting and neutralizing each other. It is hoped, also, that whatever may be thought of the new additions, they will at least be considered useful, by giving something of an English appearance to Mosheim's admirable Institutes. Thus, the learned German's labours may no longer provoke that complaint of their continental cast, which has been commonly made of them in this country, and with unquestionable justice.

Another objection, long heard in England against this valuable compilation, turned upon Dr. Maclaine's translation of it.

This, although meritorious upon the whole, was charged with betraying, in various places, the translator's prejudices against episcopacy, and, with a loose and rhetorical character, that really lowers the excellence of a style which it was meant to raise. Hence it has been often said, If we are to have no other ecclesiastical history than Mosheim's, let us, at least, have that better translated.' Such language, it seems, was not heard only on this side of the Atlantic. The great American section of Britain's noble progeny used the ecclesiastical history most consulted in the land of its fathers, and made objections to the dress provided for it by Dr. Maclaine. One of that intelligent, enterprising, and improving nation, has come honourably forward to remove these objections. He is not likely to have disapproved his predecessor as a presbyterian, because it is understood that he is himself no member of an episcopal communion. But, in common with scholars generally, he thought Maclaine's labours injured in their claims both to good taste and confidence, by a needless and suspicious anxiety for ornament. Dr. Murdock has judiciously obviated this objection. His text is in a plain and manly style, more faithful, undoubtedly, to the original than that of the former English translation.

When first reprinted in England, few or no alterations were contemplated in Dr. Murdock's translation. The Editor, accordingly, did not undertake to compare it, either with the original, or with Dr. Maclaine's version. He could not, indeed, have made such a comparison effective, without giving to his task a much greater length of time than it actually consumed. Yet this proved far greater than was anticipated. When the work, however, came before the world, many readers regretted that the translation had not been revised. Various inaccuracies and improprieties were detected in it, which were justly thought to detract from its value. It was, therefore, determined, when the first English edition was exhausted, to revise Dr. Murdock's translation before it should be reprinted. In the second impression this was done. The whole translation was compared with the original, and innumerable alterations were made in it,

both as to style and matter. Of course, the work, after all, will not present the uniform aspect which belongs to the labours of a single hand. But it is hoped that no material error has escaped correction, and that Mosheim's language is much more closely represented in English, than it had been upon former occasions. The Editor's additional chapters and tables are distinguished by an asterisk; his notes are marked [Ed.]. Dr. Murdock's notes are almost entirely untouched.

In addition to his notes, Dr. Murdock has incorporated the substance of Cave's Historia Literaria. As Mosheim intended only to produce a summary of ecclesiastical history, that might guide students into more extensive acquisitions, he contented himself with mentioning the principal authors in each century. His work has, however, become the sole source of information consulted by a large number of readers upon the affairs of the church generally. This may be lamented, inasmuch as a work of such dimensions, though not of the light and unsatisfactory character that has latterly been so popular, must, after all, be very much of an abridgment, when it relates to such a long series of ages. But the misfortune is past remedy in most cases. None but students will even consult, except on rare occasions, very voluminous collections, and such literary appliances are so expensive as to come even within the reach of but few who value books. The great majority of readers must ever, therefore, rest contented with a learned work like Mosheim's, comprehensive, yet reasonably full. But it is obvious that a prevailing disposition to seek information upon the wide range of religious affairs, within a compass so limited, renders it of great importance to crowd as much as possible into the allotted space. Hence Dr. Murdock made a great improvement to his work, as a manual of ecclesiastical history, by completing Mosheim's imperfect catalogues of ecclesiastical writers, from the invaluable labours of Cave. Few of his readers, comparatively, would be found to possess the Historia Literaria, or any similar work of corresponding importance; yet without some acquaintance with the general mass of information accumulated

in the best books of that class, a most imperfect estimate will be formed of the theological knowledge possessed by the church during the several stages of her existence.

The American edition of this work is in three volumes, but the English publishers at once decided upon four, and the great extent of new matter has rendered such a decision necessary. Yet of this large addition little or nothing is really superfluous. Objectors are not likely to maintain that its quantity is greater than the British isles require for a sufficient appearance of their own affairs, even in a comprehensive body of general ecclesiastical history, unless it be also professedly superficial. In distributing the whole mass of information over four volumes, the Editor used his own discretion. It seemed of more importance to render each volume complete in itself by comprising a definite portion of the subject, than to consult merely, or even principally, for its symmetrical appearance by the side of the others. This arrangement, like any other, is immaterial to those who may take the book down for occasional reference; but it may be found useful to those who are regularly reading it. Such individuals, by considering each division of the subject in succession, by itself, will more conveniently gain a knowledge of the whole. Now ecclesiastical history admits of an advantageous division into four portions: it may be considered as primitive, medieval, that relating to the Reformation, or modern. The first five centuries have long been formed into one series, invested with a distinctive character. This period has, in strict accuracy, however, three divisions, parted from each other by features of their own. The first of these embraces the time when the apostles, and such as had conversed with them, ordinarily called apostolic men, were yet alive. The second century gave philosophy an entrance into the church. Thus another division began. The third, which dates from Constantine, exhibits the Roman empire as a community of Christians, but retaining many marks of the Paganism lately overthrown. Of these three divisions the first is obscure, from the scantiness of its literary monuments, and the second glides

almost imperceptibly into the third. It has, therefore, been far from unusual to make citations from the first five centuries as from one definite era. They saw the church's birth and infancy, her struggles through persecution to a civil establishment; the summit and decline of imperial Rome, the transfer of its remaining importance to Constantinople, and the foundation of monarchies entirely new in western Europe. Thus these five centuries really form one continuous and complete action. To them also may be traced most of the germs from which religious movements were unfolded subsequently. Hence the primitive church is usually extended over them, especially by Romanists, who declare it impossible to judge correctly of apostolic doctrine without help from the copious patristic literature, which we owe to the fourth and fifth centuries. Whatever may be the justice of this view, it is an additional reason for designating the history which fills the first volume of the present work as that of the primitive period.

This period also embraces the first four general councils, to which Christendom has all but universally deferred. A single class of theological questions was decided by these assemblies. The times were disputatious, but could find an opening for controversy in little else than our Lord's incarnation. Arius viewed Jesus as only the noblest of creatures. Apollinaris made him really God, but imperfectly man. Nestorius argued for two perfect natures, but strictly parted from each other. By Eutyches they were confounded. These different speculations were severally set at rest in the councils of Nice, Constantinople, Ephesus, and Chalcedon. The sense of Scripture upon questions of paramount importance was now authentically defined, and every one who adopts the settlement may fairly claim the name of Catholic.

In the sixth century opens a course of events with different characteristics. Rome, long abandoned by the imperial family, was daily dwindling in importance, and its powerful, wealthy bishop grew imperceptibly into the principal inhabitant. Paganism appeared extinct in all the best parts of Europe, having