slight shade of resentment which this remark produced, soon, however, passed away, and never did Marten make himself more agreeable than during the rest of the time which the young men spent together.

CHAPTER XII.

Serious perplexities.

HAVING now given the particulars of one day in Oxford, we will suppose that others have passed, unproductive to the freshman of any very important events. Henry gave certain fixed hours to study, and in the meantime his acquaintance with Darfield and Emery was improved. Lord F- also called upon him, and Wellings once or twice strolled into his rooms. He formed two or three more acquaintances, and was on general good terms with all the undergraduates of the college who fell in his way. He was, however, much with Marten. These young men often read together, especially when the noises in Mr. Griffith's apartments were more than usually disturbing; but as Henry's rooms were always quiet, (the rooms above him being occupied by Mr. Russell, one of the tutors,) Marten thought it best, as he had a refuge, not to take notice of these annoyances. Hence the young men were more together

than perhaps they might otherwise have been; and as man is a social animal and must have acompanion, it was a benefit to both of them.

It may be asserted as an axiom, that ambition is an inherent quality in all human establishments-whether it be an established secular government, an established army, a dissenting chapel, a national church, a college, a school, or what not. In all establishments protected by the government of a country, this principle developes itself more openly, because more creditably, and with the sanction of superiors; but, perhaps, of all earthly establishments, those in which ambition has most influence are such as have originated from, or are in any way tinctured with, the great Antichristian Roman hierarchy. It was in the dark ages, when Popery was triumphant, that the old English universities were first established. To these ages they owe some of their finest buildings, and to the fashions of those times the forms and outlines of nearly all of them. To the predominance of the Latin hierarchy a great part of the names and forms of our universities may still be referred; and it would be well if nought but names and forms were left to mark the maternity of our colleges. But whilst in these now reformed places of education, the ancient Old Testament Scriptures are still left closed up, as it were, under a triple veil- the one of Greek, the other of Latin, the third of English, all three of which must be overcome before the student has either leisure or desire to examine them in the original Hebrew- and therefore

whilst so much of Latin is required of youth as to leave but the exhausted dregs of the intellect to rest upon the pure word of God, how can we say that even our colleges have come out pure from the influence of the great Latin Antichrist? But the day of the papal influence is not past. Man still upholds the ministry of man, and attributes the divine prerogatives of the Redeemer to that ministry, and, although in a specious and modified form, still asserts that he is capable of judging of the expedient and the profitable in the service of God. He asserts that he is to live by faith, and often draws near to God by acknowledging with his lips the words of God, whilst in practice he denies the simplest results which would naturally proceed from those inspired expressions. How have we flattered ourselves, because we acknowledge not the Pope of Rome-because we bow not before the image that can neither see, nor hear, nor walkbecause the Bible has been translated and given to our people-because we have thrown aside multitudes of the grosser absurdities of the Roman Catholic church: how have we flattered ourselves, I repeat, that we are entirely set free from the spirit of Antichrist, and that we have ceased to put human glosses on the inspired text, though we still look rather to the interpretations of those who have gone before us, and are now walking with us in the visible church, than to the examination of the original version without reference to the renderings of man. But let us beware, ere it is too late ere yet our tottering towers have fallen. strength as Protestants lies only in the truth;

Our

and unless our church now arises and preaches Christ, as she never yet has done, perish she must, and confounded she will be in the dust.

But from whence have we wandered? We were speaking of Henry and Marten, and saying that their associating together was a mutual benefit; although in some particulars their opinions wholly differed. Henry, owing to the divine blessing shed on Mr. Dalben's mode of management and instruction, was persuaded that there was nothing in this world worthy of vehement desire, on this principle, that although there are many enjoyments in life, yet these enjoyments are what arise from common and every-day occurrences-from those small agreeablenesses, in fact, which present themselves in social life on innumerable occasions, and which, meeting with a mind at peace, blossom and shed their fragrance for their little day, and pass away to admit another succession of short-lived sweets, which also, in their turn, having performed their work, pass from all records but those of a grateful and pious mind. But Marten's feelings were not thus prepared for small enjoyments—his nobler mind, as the world would call it, was desiring greater things, and every circumstance of the place in which he resided seemed formed to direct these desires to one reigning object, eminence in his proposed profession, the ministry. The means to obtain this eminence were, first, university honours. No author ever talked more of posthumous celebrity and an immortal name, than did Marten of a first class and a