670 



Monthly Review qf Literature, 



This shewy piece is introductory to 

 " The Bridal Night," which is the story 

 of a Greek pirate, whose lady-love is in 

 the hands of a Turkish emir. The 

 emir resolves to marry her, and the 

 pirate to tear her from his arms on the 

 bridal night. The result is very sad. 

 The emir, not pleased with the lady's 

 tears, is beforehand with the pirate, 

 draws his sabre, and gives the bride a 

 stroke that requires no second one the 

 pirate of course has his revenge on the 

 emir ; but that does not bring the lady 

 to life. He carries off -the fair form, 

 however, and the same night is himself 

 wrecked, and both bodies are found the 

 next morning on the shore, and half a 

 score vultures hovering over them. 



The History of the Church of Christ, 

 by the Rev. John Scott, M.A. Vol. III. 

 Mr. Scott is more remarkable for his 

 industry than for skill in working up 

 his materials ; but the production is re- 

 spectable it is honest and temperate. 

 The present volume concluding the 

 Swiss Reformation is chiefly occupied, 

 after tracing the later years of Swingle 

 and (Ecolampadius, with Farel and Cal- 

 vin, whose biography involves the 

 whole story of the Reformation of Ge- 

 neva. Zwmgle certainly appears in a 

 more favourable light than he has usu- 

 ally done and Mr. Scott's industry and 

 good faith forbid us to believe it is not a 

 fairer one. Not only were his talents, and 

 his bold and independent spirit equal, or 

 even superior to any of his eotempora- 

 ries, which all must allow ; but his theo- 

 logy, in Mr. Scott's estimate, is in gene- 

 ral sound, and his evangelical piety more 

 decisive than is commonly represented. 

 He had obviously more temper and a 

 clearer head than Luther. It seems to 

 have been generally overlooked, that his 

 predestination principles were to the 

 full as sweeping as those of Calvin ; but 

 with him, however, they were grounded 

 more upon philosophy than theology, 

 and had but little influence upon the 

 general style of his instructions. He 

 distinctly admits reprobation, as well as 

 election. Speaking of the supposition 

 of Esau's dying in infancy, he says, ex,- 

 pressly, " he could not die, whom Provi- 

 dence created to live, and to live wickedly.? 

 Nor is this a casual expression in a ser- 

 mon or a letter, but a deliberate declara- 

 tion in a sober discussion consecutively 

 argued. After this, of course, Mr. Scott 

 cannot but express his surprise that Dr. 

 Milner a man supposed never to have 

 made an assertion without due authority 

 should say, as he does " On a careful 

 perusal of Zwingle's voluminous writ- 

 ings, I am convinced that certain pecu- 

 liar sentiments, afterwards maintained 

 by Calvin, concerning the absolute de- 

 crees of God, made no part of the theo- 



logy of the Swiss reformer." Of course, 

 if Dr. Milner's perusal was a careful, it 

 was not a complete one. 



The whole odium of these doctrines 

 has, by a singular sort of ill-luck, been 

 cast upon Calvin, though bevond all 

 doubt, before he had ever been" heard of 

 in public life, Luther, Melancthon, and 

 Zwingle, held them in entire perfection. 

 The fact is, they were the common sen- 

 timents of the Catholic Church ; and the 

 earliest reformers were all brought up 

 in the Catholic faith. Augustin never 

 lost any of his credit or authority ; nor 

 did the Council of Trent think of flinch- 

 ing from the confession. 



But Calvin himself was not eternally 

 and exclusively, as people seem to ima- 

 gine, writing upon these topics. It is 

 in his " Institutes" only that he for- 

 mally advocates them a performance 

 that occupies only a portion of one folio 

 volume out of nine. The rest are filled 

 with Commentaries and Lectures on the 

 Scriptures, and his Correspondence. 



The case of Servetus, the Anti-Trini- 

 tarian, who was burnt at Geneva, partly 

 through the agency of Calvin, Mr. Scott 

 has carefully sifted, and stated it with 

 perfect fairness. Calvin was very far 

 from being so omnipotent at Geneva as 

 is olten represented he had power nei- 

 ther to condemn nor to rescue Servetus. 

 When he first published his obnoxious 

 book nine years before his miserable 

 fate he was in correspondence with 

 Calvin, and on that occasion offered to 

 come to Geneva. " If he comes," said 

 Calvin, " he shall not go away alive, if 

 I can help it." To Geneva, however, 

 he finally came nine years after, and 

 not entrapped by Calvin but Calvin cer- 

 tainly gave information to the magis- 

 trates of his arrival, and he was instantly 

 arrested. Nor can there be any doubt but 

 he wished for his execution, though he 

 made efforts to have him hanged instead 

 of burnt. Mr. Scott, with some little 

 reluctance, confesses this was the state 

 of his sentiments ; and obviously Cal- 

 vin's own words will bear no other in- 

 terpretation. Though undoubtedly a 

 stain, it is one upon the age rather than 

 upon the man. Luther, Melancthon, 

 and Zwingle, would probably have acted 

 in the same way under the same cir- 

 cumstances. Melancthon expressed his 

 wonderment that any body could dis- 

 approve. Our own reformers sanctioned 

 similar enormities often enough. Mr. 

 Scott discriminates the man admirably 

 In Calvin we trace not indeed the chivalrous 

 heroism of the great Saxon reformer; nor the 

 sometimes too adventurous elevation of the father 

 of the Swiss reformation ; nor certainly the ge- 

 nius and the tenderness of Melancthon; nor the 

 meekness of wisdom which peculiarly adorned 

 (Ecolampadius. But in some other important 

 ]ualities he excelled them all. Perhaps in learn- 



