doctrine of the Incarnation in the fifth book of the Ecclesiastical Polity, which however has the following passage on the question of its necessity. "The world's salvation was, without the Incarnation of the Son of God, a thing impossible, not simply impossible, but impossible it being pre-supposed that the will of God was no otherwise to have it saved than by the death of His own Son." So also Pearson, in expounding the fourth article of the Creed, which he does in much the same manner as the Tridentine Catechism, though at greater length, contents himself with observing; "Salvation is impossible unto sinners without remission of sin; and remission in the decree of God impossible without effusion of blood." Butler, the great ornament of Anglican theology at a later date, while defending, in the fifth chapter of the Analogy, the doctrine of Christ's mediation and Atonement against current infidel objections, expressly disclaims any idea of speculating on the abstract necessity of Atonement, or of attempting to explain the manner of its efficacy. He considers that "Scripture has left this matter of the satisfaction of Christ mysterious, left somewhat in it unrevealed," and that accordingly "all conjectures about it must be, if not evidently absurd, at least uncertain."

The well-known work of Archbishop Magee, on the Scriptural Doctrine of Atonement and Sacrifice, like many others, is mainly directed against Unitarian objections. He enters at great length into the universality and Divine origin of the institution of animal sacrifice and the belief in its expiatory virtue, tracing

it from the time of Abel.

But his argument is drawn

in great measure, like Butler's, from natural analogies, and, with Butler, while insisting on the fact of the Atonement, he disclaims speculations on the reason or manner of its efficacy, viewing it as a means ordained by God, not as the cause of His forgiveness. The notion of the necessity of an infinite Victim for an infinite sin he indignantly repudiates, treating it as an Unitarian misrepresentation. His work, though displaying considerable learning on many detailed points, can hardly be said to throw much new light on the subject as a whole.

Far deeper, though less systematic, and by no means free from his habitual obscurity, is Coleridge's treatment of the subject in the Aids to Reflection. He declines, however, to inquire into what he calls "the causative act of redemption"—that is, the atonement in relation to God—not at all as denying its existent reality, but because he regards it as "a spiritual and transcendent mystery that passeth all understanding." The efficacy of redemption in relation to man-that is, justification—is the point dwelt upon. And this he makes to consist in our renewal or being born again, which is expressed in many different forms in the New Testament. It is often difficult to grasp his precise meaning, but the general tenor of what he says is in substantial accord with the Catholic doctrine of justification rather than the Lutheran.'

1 Coleridge's view is given in a clearer form, if the analysis of it may be accepted as correct, in Shairp's Studies in Philosophy and Poetry, than in his own words.

NOTE TO CHAPTER V.

ON BAXTER'S VIEW OF IMPUTATION.

A CONTROVERSY on imputed righteousness arose in England during the sixteenth century, chiefly among the Dissenters, in which Baxter's name is prominent. His matured views, together with a short history of the controversy from the beginning, will be found in his Treatise On the Imputation of Christ's Righteousness to Believers, (London, 1675), with which the reader may compare some extracts from his Life of Faith in Newman's Lect, on Justif. pp. 427, 428. His teaching on the subject in the Treatise just mentioned, differs little, if at all, except in manner of expression, from that of the Fathers and later Catholic divines; and this he repeatedly implies, though feeling bound to insert frequent protests against language used, or said to be used, by the Papists,' evidently more from educational misapprehensions than from any real difference of sentiment. Even the merit of good works' is expressly admitted, according to the law of grace through Christ.' The Lutheran notions of Christ's vicarious obedience being imputed to us, and of our sins being imputed to Him, so that He took on Himself the person of the sinner, and endured, as such, the wrath and curse of God and the torments of the damned, are explicitly repudiated; and original sin is accordingly explained in a sense widely different from Luther's extravagant theory. On the whole, I conceive that Baxter, prejudices apart, would have found little to quarrel with in the Tridentine doctrine of justification. It need scarcely be observed that, while his style is somewhat technical and archaic, he is one of the clearest and most learned theological writers in our language. In his scrupulous can

dour, and Christian courtesy and moderation of tone towards opponents too often conspicuous for the absence of such qualities, including those to whom he owed his thirteen years' imprisonment, he reminds us of the great and large-hearted Athanasius who is a model for controversialists.1 After Baxter's death, the controversy was carried on by a Dr. Williams, also a Dissenter, who takes the same side, but does not profess to be in all things of the same judgment with him, and is by no means his equal in clearness of statement or correctness of information.

The bitterness of his opponents may be inferred from a statement made by Dr, Williams, after his death (Discourses, vol. i, p, 431); "There he of them that say publicly, 'Mr, Baster is in Hell!'"

CHAPTER VI.

LATER CATHOLIC THEOLOGY.

THE Atonement did not, as has been before remarked, become a subject of direct controversy at the Reformation, nor has it, except in some few instances in Germany to be noticed presently, been distinctively handled by later Catholic theologians. For the most part they either follow the patristic method, as Thomassin and Petavius, or, more generally, the Scholastic, adopting either the Thomist or Scotist system under various modifications. Among Thomists may be reckoned Suarez, Vasquez, Gregory de Valentia, Dominic à Soto, and Tournely; among Scotists, Medina, De Lugo, Frassen, and Henno. All alike introduce the doctrine as falling under that of the Incarnation. Petavius, out of sixteen books on the Incarnation, devotes one chapter only to the satisfaction and three to the priesthood of Christ. Thomassin gives half of one book to His satisfaction and the whole of