done by the General Assembly and other Church courts, in aiding and encouraging well qualified men in the prosecution of particular studies, and in the defence of assailed truth, whether by public thanks, or rewards, or more substantial assistance;-and now that the influence of the press is so predominant, the call to such measures is the more urgent.

SECTION II.-THE CHURCHES OF FRANCE AND SCOTLAND SHOW LOVE FOR THE WORD OF GOD.

The period of history at present under consideration stretches from 1596 to 1660. This was the chief period during which the Protestant Church enjoyed the protection of the edict of Nantes, poor and imperfect as that protection often was. I am noticing the most interesting points in the character and proceedings of the Church throughout this era; and in the last section, referred to her strong love of theological and other knowledge, and anxiety to diffuse it, as evinced in her encouragement of the publication of good books, and collecting them into libraries.

We must now turn, for a little, to THE LOVE WHICH SHE SHOWED FOR THE WORD OF GOD. Already have we seen that the Reformers in France early discovered a strong partiality for the Scriptures. One of their first steps, four-and-twenty years before they were publicly organized into a Church, was to translate the Word of God into their native tongue; and, after the dreadful massacre of St Bartholomew, the Church encouraged the issuing of improved versions, both at Geneva and Rochelle; and, under God, she was very much indebted to the light thus diffused, for the measure of success with which she stood out the dreadfnl persecution to which she was subjected. When we look into the period of which I at present write, we find the same love for the Scriptures, and anxiety to spread abroad their blessed knowledge. It has been common, of late,

for the advocates of the Church of Rome, feeling how odious is the position which their Church has long occupied as the enemy of the Scriptures, now to turn round and appeal to the various translations which Roman Catholics made of the Word of God, in whole or in part, into many European languages, even before the era of the Reformation. It is certain that such translations were occasionally made, but how often did they consist of mere parts of the Scriptures, and in most expensive forms? How often were they a mere literary curiosity, or a Popish paraphrase? How frequently did the translator and the readers suffer for their pains? And how certainly were the body of the people always prevented, alike by their own inability to read, and the prohibition of the priest, from generally availing themselves of the Word of Life? Not a few were the copies which were ignominiously burned and destroyed. Far different were the spirit and conduct of the Protestant Churches. They were built upon the Bible, rejoiced in it, largely diffused it, and called upon all to read it, and regulate their faith and practice accordingly. Never did they shrink from the Scriptures, and far less destroy them as a noxious book. The Church of France, in 1603, complains of the scarcity and dearness of the Bibles printed at Geneva; and the General Assembly write to their brethren there, not to take amiss that they preferred the Bibles of Rochelle. So zealous were the French Protestants in the cause of Bible dissemination, that they appointed a standing printer and publisher; and, in the year referred to, "exhort him to hasten a new impression, and to vend it at as low a price as possible." And why? That the Word of God might be accessible to all, to the poor as well as the rich. What a contrast to an Italian Popish version of thirteen volumes, and a Spanish one of eighteen volumes! To make the new French version admit of easier reference, one of the ministers is requested to make " a good index to it. There are few better signs of the religious improvement of Ireland, at the present day, than the strong

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demand for Bibles with references, even where a common copy is already possessed. In 1600, we read of the printer at Rochelle bringing out a new edition of the Bible in a lesser form, "and that might easily be carried any where in the pocket," and of lists being added of those texts which are most proper and pertinent for confirming the truth and confuting error. And eight years later, we read of a printer at Montauban publishing an octavo New Testament. In this last case the errata were so numerous, that the Assembly, justly jealous for the honour of the Word of God, and the good of the Church, ordered the pastors to recall and cancel it. All these things indicate zeal for Bible circulation in a right way. And the general result of the translation and circulation of the Scriptures in France, and other nations generally, is well stated by Diodati, professor at Geneva, in a letter to the French Church, asking their permission for his Latin and French translation in the year 1637 :Antiquity reaped much fruit this way, as St Augustine and divers others have witnessed; but the Christian Church in our days hath enjoyed it most abundantly. For the sweet odours disperst abroad by the new translations of the Bible in divers languages, within these 25 or 30 years, is wonderful, and they have largely contributed to the edifying, instruction, and confirmation of saints. The English translation, for its great fidelity and clearness, weareth a shining crown of glory upon its head; those two German ones of Piscator and Cramerus, for their noble qualities and conditions, are exceeding useful, and have done a great deal of good; the new Polonian, made and printed at the instance of the Prince of Radzeville, is of that esteem to allure the present king of Poland to read it, and to enamour him of it, though he be a prince of a contrary religion; the new Dutch translation, which is just now coming into the world, sets persons a-longing for it, because of the excellency of its work, the number and abilities of its workmen, the time they have spent in the doing of it, and for the great helps the Lords' States General have afford

ed them to effect it; and the Old Testament, which is now working off at Zurich, in the purest Switzer language, must needs be of a raised worth, by that taste we had of the New, which is already printed; the new Spanish translation of Cyprian de Vallera hath produced incredible effects in Spain, no less than 3000 copies having penetrated, by secret ways and conveyances, into the very bowels of that kingdom. Let others publish the fruit of my Italian version both in Italy and elsewhere. If it were expedient and becoming me, I could bring forth numerous examples of it, and those also attested by persons of unstained credit and reputation."

We have had occasion to notice many interesting facts in the history of the Church of Scotland, parallel to similar facts in the history of the Church of France, and the resemblance does not fail in the matter of the Scriptures. So early as 1526, many copies of Tyndale's version, which was printed on the Continent, found their way into Scotland, and were very generally read. This, with the use of other means, so hastened on the Reformation, that, in the course of seventeen years, the Parliament decreed it to be lawful to all to read the Word of God. Hitherto it had been death to attempt it; and though this act did not secure a universal protection; though, in spite of it, men continued to be burnt by the Popish priests, for no other crime than possessing or reading the Scriptures, still the decision of Parliament was followed with the best effect. "Then," says Knox, "might have been seen the Bible lying almost upon every gentleman's table. The New Testament was borne about in many men's hands." As might have been expected, under such influences, the Reformation grew in strength, and in 1560 had risen to such a magnitude, that the Protestant Church became the recognised Church of the country. In the same year the English exiles at Geneva made a new translation of the Scriptures, to which many valuable notes were appended.

This version was used by Knox, and was circulated to a great extent, both in England and in Scotland. As printing had originated on the Continent, so it could be executed more cheaply and perfectly there than in this country. Hence, for a long time, editions of the Scriptures, which were chiefly intended for Great Britain, were printed in some of the large Protestant continental towns, and then imported. So early, however, as 1565, the Psalms of David, in Scotch metre, issued from the humble printing press of Scotland; and about the same time an impression of the Geneva Scriptures, to the extent of 7000 copies, was carried to poor Popish Ireland, and sold in the course of two years. This shows how strong was the thirst for Bible knowledge at that early period. It had been well if it had been nourished into growing power through succeeding years. It is a remarkable fact, that our fathers not only fully provided themselves with the Scriptures, but in 1567 had the Book of Common Order, with Knox's prayers, translated into Gaelic; and Dr M'Crie doubts not that, in the same century, they had the Psalms in Gaelic. Óne might be ready to think that books could be of little use to a population in the circumstances of the Highlanders. It appears, however, from the researches of the Rev. Dr Lee, that reading and writing were not, even at that period, very rare accomplishments in Argyleshire, and other parts of the Highlands, and that the complaints were more frequent that there were no good books, than that there were not persons able to read them. If even the Gaelic population formed thus early an object of Christian care and attention to the Church, we cannot doubt that the Lowland population were watched over with, if possible, still more parental affection. Well as Scotland was supplied with the Word of God, both from England and the Continent, she would bring out an edition for herself: accordingly, in 1575, proposals were made, by a printer, to the General Assembly, to publish an edition of the English Scriptures from the Geneva version. The Church cordially entered into the plan,