infinitely glorious. And yet he is pleased to say, that our sins dishonour him, and our obedience does glorifie him. But as the Sun, the great eye of the world, prying into the recesses of rocks, and the hollownesse of valleys, receives species, or visible forms from these objects, but he beholds them onely by that light which proceeds from himself: So does God who is the light of that eye; he receives reflexes and returns from us, and these he calls glori fications of himself, but they are such which are made so by his own gracious acceptation. For God cannot be glorified by any thing but by himself, and by his own instruments, which he makes as mirrours to reflect his own excellency, that by seeing the glory of such emanations, he may rejoyce in his own works, because they are images of his infinity. Thus when he made the beauteous frame of heaven and earth, he rejoyced in it, and glorified himself, because it was the glasse in which he beheld his wisdome, and Almighty power: And when God destroyed the old world, in that also he glorified himself; for in those waters he saw the image of his justice; they were the looking-glasse for that attribute; and God is said to laugh at, and rejoyce in the destruction of a sinner, because he is pleased with the Economy of his own lawes, and the excellent proportions he hath made of his judgements, consequent to our sins. But above all, God rejoyced in his Holy Son, for he was the image of the Divinity, the character and expresse image of his person, in him he beheld his own Essence, his wisedom, his power, his justice, and his person, and he was that excellent instrument designed from eternall ages to represent as in a double mirrour, not only the glories of God to himself, but also to all the world; and he glorified God by the instrument of obedience, in which God beheld his own dominion, and the sanctity of his lawes clearly represented; and he saw his justice glorified, when it was fully satisfied by the passion of his Son; and so he hath transmitted to us a great manner of the Divine glorification, being become to us the Authour, and the Example of giving glory to God after the manner of men, that is, by well-doing, and patient suffering, by obeying his lawes, and submitting to his power, by imitating his holinesse, and confessing his goodnesse, by remaining innocent, or becoming penitent: for this also is called in

the text GIVING GLORY TO THE LORD OUR GOD.'

On the second of the four classes into which the writings of Taylor are here divided, our remarks must be very brief, since there is no alternative between a slight notice, and a much more extensive examination than we should find convenient. This division includes the greater part of the treatises collected into one volume under the title of Polemical and Moral Discourses, together with the "Dissuasive from Popery," "The Doctrine of Repentance," and some other minor tracts. We have already ventured to give it as our opinion, that Taylor is by no means entitled to the reputation of a consummate divine. He appears to us, though he sometimes reasons

strongly, and almost always eloquently, to be on the whole more of a declaimer than a reasoner. There is more of dexterity than of vigour or consistency, in his logic; his argumentation is too often loose, and so mixed up with authorities and illustrations, as to perplex rather than to enlighten. Even his "Liberty of Prophesying," a noble work with all its deficiencies, argues rather on cases than from principles; or at least, in the selection of the latter, does not adopt such as are of a lofty and uncompromising cast. There is, in the first volume of the present collection, a very curious exemplification of Taylor's embarrassment, when pressed into controversy with a shrewd antagonist, which it had never happened to us to meet with previously. His crude and hazardous speculations on the subject of original sin, had placed him, even with some of his own party, under the imputation of injurious error; and an awkward passage in his "Further Explication,' brought him into contact with Henry Jeanes, the Presbyterian minister of Chedzoy in Somersetshire: the result was, a correspondence, which was afterwards published by the latter. We cannot profess to have given to this whimsical altercation the close attention necessary for entirely comprehending it; but we have read it with sufficient precision to derive much amusement from the dexterous technicality of Jeanes, and the blustering embarrassment of Taylor. The Episcopalian is in a very ill humour, and quite out of his element; the Presbyterian in all his glory, cool, sarcastic, up to the chin in syllogisms, and quite stunning his antagonist with authoritative aphorisms and ontological distinctions. Jeremy Taylor got out of his scrape as he could, and Henry Jeanes had all the honour of the annihilating last word.

The third, or casuistical division of the Bishop's labours, has for its principal and, strictly speaking, only individual, the "Ductor Dubitantium;" styled by Mr. Heber, Taylor's opus magnum, and meriting that distinction by the learning and talent displayed in its laborious investigations. This appears to have been its Author's favourite production: it occupied his thoughts beneath the hospitable shades of Golden Grove; it was the subject of his meditations during his various and troubled sojournings for a considerable period; and it was completed amid the retired and romantic scenery-amanissimo recessu-of Lough Neagh. His immediate patron, Lord Conway, was owner of the magnificent mansion of Portmore, on the banks of that extensive lake; and one of the islands which enrich its surface, was Taylor's usual resort for the purposes of study and devotion. The ruins of an ancient monastery stood on this islet, and one of those lofty towers, of which the

origin and the object are equally uncertain, carried back the mind to times still more remote. The period at which this great work was completed, is fixed by the express date subscribed to the preface: From my Study in Portmore, in Kilfultagh, Oct. 5, 1659.'

The practice of auricular confession among the Romanists, inevitably led to innumerable abuses, and, among them, to the introduction of minute and unprofitable casuistry, in the place of a decided appeal to moral and scriptural principle. It tended to substitute scrupulous hesitancy for conscientious feeling; it raised a question on every contingency of life; and intruded its frivolous inquisition into remote and improbable possibilities. Consequences the most injurious followed upon this wretched system. The confessor was a mere tool in the hands of a master-power; a portion only, though an essential one, of an extensive machinery, artfully and aptly framed for the enthralment of mankind. A sound and strict morality must be at complete variance with the interests of Rome, since its tendency is to invigorate and enlighten the mind, to make it conscious of its real strength, of its entire independence on human canons, and its responsibility to God alone. A scheme which should admit of severe restriction or convenient relaxation at the will of the spiritual director, was better suited to the nefarious policy of the Vatican; and, among its various and well-trained dependents, it found a sufficient number quite willing to engage in the odious task, and perfectly qualified to execute it with thorough-going fidelity to unprincipled commands. The Jesuits were foremost in the work. Escobar, Suarez, and Emmanuel Sa, with others of equal notoriety, have been, for their offences in this way, immortalised to infamy by the wit and eloquence of Pascal. The invention of those subtle casuists seems to have been strained to the utmost, to find palliatives for sin. Their distinction between mortal and venial transgressions, hath ⚫ intricated and confounded almost all the certainty and answers ⚫ of moral theology;' and their doctrine of Probability would, if generally adopted, make fatal havoc both in morals and religion. In this state of things, and while such works as these were influential, it was highly expedient, that a rule of 'conscience' of a more salutary kind should be established in counteraction of this mischievous policy, and that the true springs of moral action should be exhibited to mankind. Much, we believe, has accordingly been effected in this way by Protestant divines; but, as we cannot pretend to be deeply read in this uninviting sort of lore, we shall confine ourselves to the work before us. Taylor's mind was admirably furnished

for his task, as far as knowledge and the power of extending and exercising itself over a wide field, could supply ability; but his habits of thinking were so much of the imaginative and excursive cast, as to unfit him in a great degree for the severe analysis and minute dissection called for by this particular track of investigation.

Taylor was an eloquent reasoner, but he was not an accurate definer; his style of argumentation was oratorical, not scholastic; his genius led him not to macerate and denude the bones and cartilages of his subject, but rather to clothe the skeleton with substance, and colour, and exterior beauty. And it is surprising how much of this has been done in the present instance. He has adorned sterility itself with flowers; and out of a series of discussions primarily unattractive and even repulsive, he has made up a course of extremely pleasant reading. Facts, fables, quaint sayings, and brilliant thoughts, are compounded into a most agreeable olio; and if his decisions are subject to appeal, they are at least conveyed in an interesting form. His passing illustrations have all the peculiar and playful fancy of his more disengaged compositions;-as when he gives as an example of a negative doubt,' that it is impossible to know what little pretty phantasm made us to smile when we hanged upon our inother's breasts;' and tells us of an uncertain obligation, that it is like the colours of a dove's neck, differing by several aspects and postures.' Sin,' he emphatically remarks, makes us ashamed before men and afraid of God; an evil 'conscience makes a man a coward, timorous as a child in a church-porch at midnight.' The different effects of conscience are made the subject of a striking comparison :-' In those sins where the conscience affrights, and in those in which she affrights not, ..... there is no other difference but that conscience is a clock, which in one man strikes aloud and gives warning, and in another, the hand points silently to the figure, but strikes not; but by this he may as surely see what the other hears, viz. that his hours pass away, and death hastens, and after death comes judgment.' He says of a confident conscience under the mask of humility, that it looks in at the door with a trembling eye, but being thrust in, it becomes bold. It is like a firestick, which in the hand of a child being gently moved, gives a volatile and unfixed light, but being more strongly turned about by a swift circular motion, it becomes a constant wheel of fire.' Under the head of erroneous conscience, it is said, that such is, or may be, the infelicity of an abused conscience, that if it goes forward, it enters into folly; if it resists, it enters

into madness; if it flies, it dashes its head against a wall, or 'falls from a rock; if it flies not, it is torn in pieces by a bear.' • Probable arguments' are likened to

little stars, every one of which will be useless as to our conduct and enlightening; but when they are tied together by order and vicinity, by the finger of God and the hand of an angel, they make a constellation, and are not only powerful in their influence, but like a bright angel to guide and to enlighten our way. And although the light is not great as the light of the sun or moon, yet mariners sail by their conduct; and though with trepidation and some danger, yet very regularly they enter into the haven. This heap of probable inducements, is not of power as a mathematical and physical demonstration, which is in discourse as the sun is in heaven, but it makes a milky and a white path, visible enough to walk securely.'

A scruple is a little stone in the foot; if you set it upon the ground, it hurts you; if you hold it up, you cannot go forward; it is a trouble when the trouble is over, a doubt when doubts are resolved it is a little party behind a hedge when the main army is broken, and the field cleared; and when the conscience is instructed in its way, and girt for action, a light trifling reason, or an absurd fear hinders it from beginning the journey, or proceeding in the way, or resting at the journey's end. Very often it has no reason at all for its inducement, but proceeds from indisposition of body, pusillanimity, melancholy, a troubled head, sleepless nights, the society of the timorous, from solitariness, ignorance, or unseasoned imprudent notices of things, indigested learning, strong fancy and weak judgment; from any thing that may abuse the reason into irresolution and restlessness. It is indeed a direct walking in the dark, where we see nothing to affright us, but we fancy many things, and the phantasms produced in the lower regions of fancy, and nursed by folly, and borne upon the arms of fear, do trouble us. But if reason be its parent, then it is born in the twilight, and the mother is so little that the daughter is a fly with a short head and a long sting, enough to trouble a wise man, but not enough to satisfy the appetite of a little bird. The reason of a scruple is ever as obscure as the light of a glow-worm, not fit to govern any action; and yet is suffered to stand in the midst of all its enemies, and, like the flies of Egypt, vex and trouble the whole army.'

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There are few finer things in the whole circle of literature, than the Instance of Moral Demonstration, or a Conjugation "of Probabilities, proving that the Religion of Jesus Christ is "from God;" inserted in the Ductor Dubitantium as an exemplification of the strong bearing of probable argumentation on the certainty of Christianity. In a composition of this kind, Taylor was on his own peculiar ground. His inexhaustible fertility, his well-stored memory, and his command of language, had here an ample field; and their combined result is exhibited in one of the noblest pieces of eloquent reasoning that ever had origin in the human intellect. He has collected and