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is exceedingly cramped and painful, and it not unfrequently hap pens that the old students die from excessive fatigue.

The advantages, however, of the Chinese system of education, with all its imperfections, are very great. It forms the basis and the strength of the institutions of the country, and secures as just and equitable an administration of the laws, as is possible in a heathen community.

"Most of the real benefits of Chinese education and of this system of examinations, are reached before the conferment of the degree of kujiu. These consist in diffusing a general respect and taste for letters among the people; in calling out the true talent of the country to the notice of the rulers in an honorable path of effort; in making all persons so thoroughly acquainted with the best moral books in the language, that they cannot fail to exercise some salutary restraint; in elevating the general standard of education so much that every man is almost compelled to give his son a little learning in order that he may get along in life; and finally through all their influences, powerfully contributing to uphold the existing institutions of the empire. Educated men form the only aristocracy in the land; and the attainment of the first degree, by introducing its owner into the class of gentry, is considered ample compensation for all the expense and study spent in getting it. On the whole it may safely be asserted, that these examinations do more to maintain the stability of the Chinese government than any other single cause.-Vol I. p. 448.

The science of the Chinese, including their knowledge of mathematics, astronomy, anatomy, surgery, and military tactics; the general characteristics of the people, and the religion of the country, are topics which are fully and ably treated in the work before us. But our limits will not allow us to dwell upon them. The religion of this people in connection with our missionary labors among them, is a subject to which the_attention of the religious world should be especially directed. For, when we consider the vastness of the Chinese population; the progress they have made in civilization, the arts and education; and the facilities now afforded for introducing the gospel into the Empire, we cannot but see that they have claims upon us which are surpassed by no other nation. The five Ports which are open, afford to the missionary access to five or six millions of the people, many of whom are favorably disposed towards foreigners. Already congregations have been gathered to listen to the Word of Life, and more might be gathered were there only laborers enough in the field to reap the harvest. "Facilities for learning the language are constantly increasing. Dictionaries, vocabularies, phrase books, grammars, and chrestomathics in all the dialects will soon be prepared, and the list now is not small. They have all, with few exceptions, been made and printed by Protestant missionaries."

To see the gospel traversing, on its great mission of love, the hamlets, villages, towns and cities of that immense empire; to see it moulding the opinions, habits and principles of the people; modifying their government; improving their laws; arousing their

mental energies, and elevating them in morals and religion, would be, indeed, a sublime and glorious spectacle-a spectacle which would quicken the church, and give to the missionary cause an impetus which would not spend itself until the kingdoms of the earth had become the kingdom of our Lord.

With regard to the general character of the Chinese we would remark, that while there are many features of an interesting and encouraging nature, there are others which indicate the existence of gross vices. If we compare them with the most enlightened and Christian nations of the earth, we are impressed with their degradation, their idolatry, and their fearful immoralities. On the other hand, if they are compared with other heathen communities, we find much to excite our admiration. By their love of peace and good order, their habits of industry, and fondness for traffic, they have imparted a stability to society, and created a general respect for the laws of the land. Their reverence for their parents and superiors has also had a conservative influence upon the community; and the effects of education, in disseminating among them the principles of justice and benevolence, and bringing together different classes, have been most happy.

Still, if we look at the other side of the picture, we find evidences of human depravity, and Pagan degradation of the most appalling character. While there is an outward regard for decency, the conversation and conduct of the masses are in the highest degree reprehensible. Licentiousness prevails to an alarming extent, and brothels abound in every street. The great sin, however, of the people is that of lying. This has degraded them in the eyes of foreigners, and destroyed much of the interest that would otherwise have been felt in their welfare. Residents among them acquire the habit of regarding all with suspicion, and dealing with them on the principle that no confidence whatever can be placed in their word. Thieving, also, is common, although it is greatly restrained by the punishments which are inflicted on criminals.

"On the whole," says Mr. Williams, "the Chinese present a singular mixture; if there is something to commend, there is more to blame; if they have some glaring vices, they have more virtues than most Pagan nations. Ostentatious kindness and inbred suspicion, ceremonial civility and real rudeness, partial invention and servile imitation, industry and waste, sycophancy and selfdependence, are, with other dark and bright qualities, strangely blended. In trying to remedy the faults of their character by the restraints of lay, and the diffusion of education, they have no doubt hit upon the right mode; and their short-comings show how ineffectual both must be, until the gospel comes to the aid of the ruler and the subject, in elevating the moral sense of the whole nation. This has now commenced, and every day adds fresh proof of the necessity of missionary labors among this remarkable people. Facts of daily occurrence brought to the knowledge of the missionaries, reveal the prevalence of the most fearful immoralities, and furnish a melancholy insight into the desolating horrors of Paganism. Female infanticide, in some parts openly confessed, and divested of all disgrace and penalties everywhere; the dreadful THIRD SERIES, VOL. V. NO. 2

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prevalence of all the vices charged by the apostle Paul upon the ancient heathen world; the alarming extent of the use of opium, (furnished, too, by the British and American merchants,) destroying the productions and natural resources of the people; the universal practice of lying and dishonest dealing; the unblushing lewdness of old and young; harsh cruelty towards prisoners by officers, and tyranny over slaves by masters; all forming a full unchecked torrent of human depravity, proving the existence of a kind and degree of moral degradation, of which an excessive statement can scarcely be made, or an adequate conception hardly be formed."-Vol. II. pp. 98, 99.

The closing chapter of the work is devoted to an impartial consideration of the late war with China, with some of its effects upon the government and people. Although England cannot be justified in waging that war, but must add it to the long catalogue of her national sins, still a higher Power has overruled it, in some instances, for good. It has taught the Chinese many important lessons. It has led to the ratification of commercial and political treaties, which will doubtless be of great benefit to China and to the maritime nations of the earth. It has secured the protection of Christianity, although the hostility felt towards the English is a permanent obstacle to the progress of their religion among that people. The continuance of the opium trade is also attended with many direct and indirect evils. The fact that this trade is so extensively prosecuted by the English and Americans, who in the view of the Chinese are the representatives of the Christian faith, must seriously embarrass the operations of our missionaries, and help to put far off the day when China shall be numbered among Christian nations.

Still, the church has but one course to pursue in reference to this people. Let our missions be enlarged; let the Bible and other religious books be extensively circulated; let Christian schools and churches be organized; and let fervent prayer ascend for the Divine blessing, and there will be hope for China-hope that her teeming millions will be lifted from their moral and intellectual degradation-hope that her chains of political servitude will be broken, her idols overthrown, and Christianity triumphant.

The British Quarterly Review. November 1848 and February 1849. London.

THESE two numbers of this great Quarterly are unusually rich with able, timely, and interesting articles. There is a favorable though discriminating Review of Channing's Memoirs; an admirable sketch of the Life of Keats; a curious and elaborate outline of Spinoza's Life and Writings; a timely and able paper on the Endowment of Romanism; a lengthy historical and philosophical article on the state of Europe in 1848; an able and discriminating, though we think somewhat unjust, critique on Macaulay's History of England; a favorable Review of Baptist Noel's Church and State; a learned and instructive and argumentative paper on Modern Millenarianism, with other articles of no little value.

ARTICLE IX.

CRITICAL AND LITERARY NOTICES OF BOOKS.

BY THE EDITOR.

1.-BIBLIA HEBRAICE, secundum editiones Jos. Athia, Joannis Leusden, Jo. Simonis Aliorumque, imprimis EVERARDI VAN DER HOOGHT, D. Henrici Opitii, et Wolfi Heidenheim, cum additionibus clavique Masoretica et rabinnica AUGUSTI HAHN. Nunc denuo recognita et emendata ab Isaaco Leeser, V. D. M. synagaga Mikre Israel. Phila. et Josepho Jaquett, V. D. M. presbyter Prot. Epis. Ecclesia, U. S. Editio stereotypa. Nori Eboraci: Sumtibus Joannis Wiley. 1849. We have given the whole contents of the title-page of this work, as the best endorsement of its merits, and commendation, that we are capable of giving. HAHN'S HEBREW BIBLE is so well known and highly appreciated in the learned world, that the announcement of a standard American edition of it ought to be hailed with pride and pleasure. Prof. Robinson, in the Bib. Repository for April, 1832, congratulated the public on the appearance of the LEIPSIC edition of this work, hundreds of copies of which have been imported into this country and sold. It is surprising that we have waited seventeen years for an American edition of this great standard sacred classic, especially considering the state of Hebrew literature in this country.

It is a sufficient recommendation of this edition to say, that it is an exact reprint of the Leipsic edition. The typographical execution is also well-nigh perfect; the paper is good; the type is new, clear, and handsome, and the points are beautiful and distinct, while the binding is appropriate and substantial. The price is also low, viz., $4. Certainly no Hebrew scholar need longer deny himself a good Hebrew Bible; and as the means of studying the original Scriptures are thus multiplied or made accessible, we doubt not the number of learners and students will rapidly increase.

2.-Essay on the Union of Church and State. By BAPTIST WRIOTHESLEY NOEL, M.A. New York: Harper and Brothers, 1849.

THIS and MACAULAY'S HISTORY, are the two great books of the season. The social and ecclesiastical standing of the author; his reputation for piety and ability; the noble stand which he has taken, and the recent developments of Providence bearing on the great question herein discussed, lend much circumstantial interest and importance to this work. But the book itself is worthy of the theme-worthy of the man-worthy of the age. We feel, on reading it, the contact of a master-mind; the force of a great argument; the warmth of a large and catholic heart; the glow and attraction of a sincere, earnest, allpervading piety; we had almost said the conviction of a new truth, and the impulse of a new life.

Mr. Noel has certainly executed his task, in a strait-forward, thorough, able manner. He is evidently master of his whole subject; his constant reference to authorities, biblical, historical, and statistical, evinces a thorough exploration of the sources of argument, and a wish to meet the question fairly and fully: his language is clear, terse, and intelligible to all; his spirit is emin

ently kind and Christian, though "no spurious liberality or fear of censure" is allowed to restrain rebuke or dull the edge of truth. His array of facts, especially those bearing on the condition and influence of the Establishment, is exceedingly illustrative of his main argument, and indeed truly appalling; and his final conclusions are sound, irresistible, and seal the doom of the iniquitous Union. So little is self brought into the discussion, that the book furnishes no evidence that the distinguished author had ever sustained personal relations to the Establishment, or been so harshly and cruelly used by the Bishop of London on announcing his determination quietly to retire from it there is no invective in the book, it is all argument, and argument that must carry conviction to many of those "loved and honored brethren" of the evangelical school whom he leaves behind, and from whom he parts in so kind a spirit, and in so sublime a manner.

The book is not faultless. Some parts exhibit marks of haste in putting his thoughts into form; now and then his reasoning may be fallacious, and his principles pushed to unwarrantable lengths; his present views also of ecclesiastical polity will not receive the sanction of a large part of the great body of Dissenters; still these are minor things, and do not in the least affect the integrity or weaken the force of his main argument.

The following is a general analysis of the Essay. Part I.-Principles of the Union between the Church and the State. Ch. I.-General considerations which condemn the Union. In six sections he here shows that it is condemned by the Constitution of the State; by the Pastoral Relation; by History; by the Mosaic Law; by the Prophecies of the Old Testament, and by the New Testament. Ch. II.-Principles of the Union condemned by the Word of God. This is shown in four sections on the Maintenance of Christian Pastors by the State; the Supremacy of the State; Patronage; Coercion. Part II.— Effects of the Union. Ch. I.-Influence of the Union upon Bishops; upon Pastors; upon Curates; upon Members of the Anglican Churches, and upon Dissenters. Ch. II.-Influence of the Union upon the Number of Ministers: the Distribution of Ministers; the Maintenance of Ministers; the Doctrine taught in the Anglican Churches; the Evangelization of the country; upon the Union of Christians; the Reformation of the Churches; the Progress of Religion; influence upon the Government, and upon other National Establishments. These two chapters reveal some startling statements and facts; take one. "What is the actual state of the Establishment? Myriads of its members have nothing of christianity but the name, received in infancy by bap tism, and retained without one spontaneous act of their own; and millions do nothing whatever to promote the cause of Christ. Its 13,000 churches are generally without evangelistic activity, without brotherly fellowship, without discipline, without spirituality, without faith. Of its 16,000 ministers, about 1,568 do nothing; about 6,681 limit their thoughts and labors to small parishes which contain from 150 to 300 souls; while others in cities and towns profess to take charge of 8,000 or 9,000 souls. And of the 12,923 working pastors of churches, I fear, from various concurrent symptoms, that about 10,000 are unconverted men, who neither preach nor know the Gospel!" Part III.— Means of promoting a Revival of Religion in the Churches; its extension throughout the country; Conclusion.

We give a paragraph of his conclusion, in which his argument is summed up and condensed into a burning focus: "The union of the Churches with the State is doomed. Condemned by reason and religion, by Scripture and experience, how can it be allowed to injure the nation much longer? All the main principles upon which it rests are unsound. Its State-salaries, its supremacy, its patronage, its compulsion of payments for the support of religion, are condemned by both the precedents and the precepts of the word of God. We have seen that it sheds a blighting influence upon prelates, incumbents, curates, and other members of Churches. It adds little to the number of pastors, it distributes with a wasteful disregard to the wants of the population, and it pays

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