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RKY. HERBERT J. R. MARSTOX, M.A., ON 



It is certain that something more than argument was re- 

 quired to stem the tide of irrehgion that had submerged all 

 classes. It is probable that Wesley brought to bear on England 

 forces of which Butler had but a distant and timorous percep- 

 tion. It is possible that in some points the great Bishop's 

 views of Christianity were defective, and that the great Preacher's 

 views on those points were gloriously complete. But the work 

 that Butler accomphshed was a needful work, and without it 

 Wesley and his fellows might have effected much less than they 

 did. Butler endeavoured to show that Christianity is inherently 

 reasonable and authoritative. 



Wesley, convinced of these verities, preached Christianity 

 to multitudes whose minds and consciences owned the appeal, 

 and thereby verified the reasonings of the philosopher. Butler 

 repaired the breaches in the walls of the fortress from which 

 issued confident and secure the champions of the Gospel, which 

 infidels had vainly thought was no more to be feared, and 

 was incapable of defending itself or of assaifing its enemies. 



Thus the two men were fellow-soldiers of Jesus Christ. They 

 occupied different places in the campaign and contributed 

 different elements to the fight, but they shared the stress of one 

 and the same battle, and will wear immortal laurels in the grand 

 re\'iew. 



Our contemporary Evangehcals would be none the worse for 

 a stiff course of the Analogy and of the sermons on human nature. 

 There they would find some truths stated which they are prone 

 to forget, and some points of view commended which would 

 adjust and correct some parts of their thinking or lack of thought. 



The great philosophical Bishop could impart to many a tincture 

 of his inmaense and grave respect for truth, and his sane and 

 large perception of things as they really are, and none of us would 

 be the worse for a good deal of that temper ; least of all our most 

 zealous Evangehsts. 



The combmation of reverence with enthusiasm, of zeal 

 \vith knowledge, rare as it is, is not impossible, and a coahtion 

 between Joseph Butler and John Wesley is a coahtion devoutly 

 to be prayed for. It is surely a gift that may be bestowed by 

 Him who is at once " The Spirit of judgment and the Spirit of 

 burning." 



