g
Greatest Circulator orders from the profanest member of its staff "a
rousing article on the Crucifixion," or on the birth of Jesus, as
the case may be. All this, however, is of small account, except as an
indication of the slavery of our "independent" journals to Bumble and
his prejudices, before whom they are obliged to masquerade when he
ordains a celebration of his social or religious rites. But here and
there a more serious voice is heard through the din, with an accent of
earnest veracity, and not that of an actor playing a part. Such a voice
may be worth listening to, and certainly no other can be. Let us hear
the Rev. J. Baldwin Brown on "The Reign of Christ." He is, I believe,
honorably distinguished among Dissenters; his sermons often bear marks
of originality; and the goodness of his heart, whatever may be thought
of the strength of his head, is sufficiently attested by his emphatic
revolt against the doctrine of Eternal Torture in Hell.

Before criticising Mr. Brown's sermon in detail I cannot help
remarking that it is far too rhetorical and far too empty of argument.
Sentimentality is the bane of religion in our day; subservience to
popularity degrades the pulpit as it degrades the press. If we desire to
find the language of reason in theology, we must seek it in the writings
of such men as Newman, who contemplate the ignorant and passionate
multitude with mingled pity and disdain. The "advanced" school of
theologians, from Dean Stanley to the humblest reconciler of reason and
faith, are sentimentalists almost to a man; the reason being, I take it,
that although their emotional tendencies are very admirable, they lack
the intellectual consistency and rigor which impel others to stand
on definite first principles, as a sure basis of operation and an
impregnable citadel against attack. Mr. Brown belongs to this "advanced"
school, and has a liberal share of its failings. He is full of eloquent
passages that lead to nothing, and he excites expectations which are
seldom if ever satisfied. He faces stupendous obstacles raised by reason
against his creed, and just as we look to see him valiantly surmount
them, we find that he veils them from base to summit with a dense cloud
of words, out of which his voice is heard asking us to believe him on
the other side. Yet of all men professional students of the Bible should
be freest from such a fault, seeing what a magnificent masterpiece it is
of terse and vigorous simp