Milton and Pope have written in vain, and the energies of Mr. Irving can have their effect only on certain minds; but on such minds they are calculated to exert an immense power.' The burning eloquence of Mr. Irving is as requisite to rouse the torpidity of modern Christians, as was the voice of Knox at the period of the Reformation. The GENTLEMAN'S MAGAZINE quotes from The Museum. We must give a short extract. In argument Mr. Irving rather uses appeal than has recourse to syllogism. His logic does not go directly to the head or the heart. He rouses rather than convinces, and amplifies rather than condenses. His whole thoughts and words glow and burn with inconceivable rapidity and power. What Quintillian says of Julius Africanus (in the 10th book of his Oratorical Institutes) may perhaps be applied to Mr. Irving:-" In cura verborum nimius, et compositione nonnunquam longior." Indeed, it must not be denied, that many of the sentences are cumbrously constructed, involved, and obscure. His pages do not exhibit fine polished writing. There is not the elegance of Atterbury, nor the neatness of Blair, nor the high-wrought finishing of White. Now and then there is a resemblance to the magnificence of Burke, and Mr. Irving is a sort of theological Burke in more senses than one; but he has not the correctness and perspicuity which distinguish that great writer of political ethics. On the other hand, there is, perhaps, hardly any single volume in the modern annals of the press, which displays greater felicity of conception, and greater general eloquence of writing, than Mr. Irving's publication; and yet, sometimes, even in the most vehe ment and overwhelming periods, we notice the introduction of homely words, and quaint and even affected phrases." He 'It is the daring of Mr. Irving with which we are most delighted. He is the very Michael Angelo Caravaggio of living preachers. spares no classes, no individuals, no fashions, follies, or censurable pursuits. Not content with piercing the cuticle, he penetrates to the bone. Vauxhall and Hyde Park, Robert Southey, Lord Byron, and Thomas Moore, figure almost in the same page, and are treated with similar courtesy. Senators, poets, philosophers, and virtuosi, are handled "without respect of person;" and the names of Locke, Boyle, Newton, and Milton, are sometimes found not far asunder from those of our Blessed Saviour, St. Peter, and St. Paul. In one place we find Burns vindicated, and in another a recommendation to the perusal of the old poem of the Nut-brown Maid.' Mr. Irving's literary countrymen on the other side the Tweed are very severe upon him. Do they feel the disgrace into which they have fallen, by allowing Mr. Irving to quit their country without giving him more than the praises of a few intelligent friends at Glasgow, while on his arrival in the metropolis of the British empire, men of all ranks and of the highest talents, have been fascinated by his eloquence, and have combined to spread his fame? It is, certainly, a mortifying reflection upon their discernment; we must, therefore, pardon their rage. The EDINBURGH MAGAZINE, among many other things, says, 'The Christianity of the Rev. Edward Irving is not the Christianity of any body else; instead of entreating sinners to come in, that the fold may be filled, he holds up the Gorgon's head, on which his wild and wayward imagination has delineated a thousand grotesque horrors. He has constituted himself the enlight ener of the great, and for this purpose he has taken leave of that plain and simple but dignified style, in which the gospel has till now been preached, and instead of furnishing them with 'the bread of life as it came down from above," has dazzled them with tropes and figures, feasted them with allusions to profane authors, gratified their malevolence and his own with invective, paraded all the resources of his vague and desultory learning, and, in one word, unchristianized Christianity, in order to make new Christians. With all this, there is a great deal of trickery, and art, and studying of effect. He has disguised, or rather smothered, the Calvanism [Calvinism] of the Scotch Presbyterian church, because he knows it is an utter abomination to the English, who have never been able to fathom the profound philosophy which it involves, or to lower their pride to the just but humiliating view of human nature which it exhibits; and, consequently, he is incessantly floundering on in the dark, sometimes Arminian, sometimes Calvanist,* [Calvinist] oftentimes neither uttering things neither he nor any one else can comprehend, mistaking assertion for argument, rant for rhetoric, half-brought-out similes and wild imaginations for eloquence, and a muster roll of names never before heard from the pulpit, as the "natural method" of preaching.' In conclusion it is said, 'We aver that the volume before us, with a few bright spots scattered over it, is, as a whole, an unwieldy lump of rant, balderdash, and nonsense; intermixed with some : * It is curious enough that this Scotch Calvinist should not know how to spell the name of his leader, which we may judge from the repetition of his mistakes. more than questionable doctrines, and as vile and pestilent stuff as ever issued from the press.' ZINE. One more extract shall suffice, or we shall but travel over similar ground. It is from another Caledonian-BLACK WOOD'S EDINBURGH MAGAThis does concede, that Mr. Irving is a man of some abilities,' but his orations are rather rudely treated. Cobbett's Sermons are a code of theology compared to them. A Bonze or a Mufti might preach them without offence to Foh or Mahomet. This may answer the purposes of popularity among the great, but this ought to be amended, even at the hazard of writing "Sermons." The Cardinal, who would not read his Bible through fear that it might spoil his style, could scarcely have expected to find an imitator. But if Mr. Irving would do his duty, he must overstep this delicacy, and talk downright Christianity at all hazards. I have no doubt of his inclination. He is a man of some ability. The writer, fertile in newer topics, will lead away his superfluous congregation; the newspapers occupied about other things, will look upon him no longer as a kindred resource with a Paddington riot, a coroner's inquest, or a trial for arson; their columns will be filled, and he will have time to recover his composure, and descend to the level of his species. Then will be the period to open the volume, which has hitherto been so heavily eclipsed under pamphlets and magazines, and then alone he will begin to enter on the only course in which he can deserve permanent praise.' Our own opinion of Mr. Irving has been given, and we shall now take breath on the subject, before we publish our review of his volume, lest our readers should have too much of a good thing. HELPS FROM FELLOW LABOURERS.-No. X. David's Lamentation over Saul and Jonathan. Weep, daughters of Israel! weep for your king! Oh, Jonathan! lov'd in thy tenderness more New European Magazine. |