MOSES MAIMONIDES.

THIS celebrated man, who is called Maimonides, from his being the son of Maimon, is also styled Moses the Egyptian, from his long residence in Egypt, and Rambam, from the initial letters of his full name, Rabbi Moses bar Maimon. He was born at Cordova, on the eve of the Passover, in the year 1131; his mother, who was the daughter of a butcher, having died in giving him birth. At the same time, he was a descendant of Rabbi Judah the Holy, the compiler of the Mishnah, and thence by the female line a branch of the royal house of Judah. Young Rambam was in his boyhood of such an unpromising genius, and so little disposed to study, that he was often received with harsh words and blows by his father, and surnamed in anger "the son of a butcher." At last, the son of the butcher's daughter was driven from his father's house. Reduced to extremity, the young man betook himself to a synagogue, where he had a refreshing sleep, and remained over the night: on awaking, Maimonides found himself a new man; the emergency, no doubt, quickened the latent genius of the youth; and He who directs the minutest circumstances of our lot, had now brought him to the turning-point of his earthly existence. Rambam fled from the face of his father, and, repairing to another city, put himself under the tuition of Rabbi Joseph ben Megas, under whose instructions he laid the foundation of those acquirements which afterwards attained so wonderful a height. When many years had transpired, he returned to Cordova; he kept aloof from his father's house; he harangued the synagogue on a Sabbath, when the audience was seized with admiration and astonishment; his father and relations did him honour, and received him with affection and gratitude; the son of the butcher's daughter, who had formerly been considered remarkable only for his slowness and stupidity, had now become a learned Rabbi, and an accomplished orator.

From Spain, Maimonides passed into Egypt, induced, it would appear, from the state of the country that gave him birth. Mohammedanism was, at this period, rife in the Peninsula; and Jews and Christians were compelled to make a profession of Islamism. In these circumstances, Rabbi Moses repaired to Cairo, supported himself by the traffic of jewels, and gave himself to the study of medicine. He, at the same time, assiduously cultivated the Hebrew and Arabic languages, and added an extensive knowledge of the Chaldee, Turkish, and Median. He was in fact possessed of the most varied and accurate erudition; he was an accomplished mathematician, and thoroughly acquainted with the whole body of the civil and canon law of the Jews; and in his treatise, entitled, Yad ha-hhazakah that is, "The Strong Hand," he has reduced the whole system, as huddled together in the Talmud, out of a dialect complicated and variable, and from a condition the most intricate and confused, into a code of exact order, and translucent aphorisms, contained in fourteen books, expressed in a flowing and easy style, and written in the purest and most elegant Hebrew. In these circumstances, from selling jewels of mineralogy, he now

began to sell jewels of wisdom and literature. He opened a school in Egypt, in which he taught philosophy and the Jewish law, with great popularity and applause, his prelections being attended by students from different countries. His friend the Cadi, Al-Phadel Abdol Rakem aben ali Al-Baissaini, patronized the academy; and when Abdol Rakem was raised to the sovereignty, Maimonides was appointed physician tɔ the court. This was the earthly pinnacle of the Rabbi's career.

It would appear from a letter to his intimate friend, Rabbi Samuel Tybbon, that Rambam's official duties as medical adviser were no sinecure. He lived in Egypt, and the sovereign resided in Al-Kairo, a distance of two Sabbath-days' journeys, whither he had to travel every day; and when he returned, he was so oppressed and overwhelmed with attending and prescribing to a crowd of patients of all classes, consisting of Gentiles and Jews, nobles and artisans, judges and taxgatherers, friends and foes, that sometimes he fell asleep from excess of labour, and was so worn out that he could scarcely speak. His professional labours, however, did not prevent him from sending forth. to the light a series of works of extensive and accomplished authorship. A perfect master of Arabic and Hebrew, he composed in both languages, in a style of remarkable purity and ease. And his writings are so characterized by manly sense, and depth and originality of thought, that they constitute a new era in the literature of his nation. He died in Egypt, in the year 1204, and was buried in the Holy Land; but whether in the city of Hebron or that of Tiberias, bas not been ascertained: the Jews in Jerusalem proclaimed a public fast in all their synagogues, and the Mohammedans followed his bier during two days of its progress, and bewailed his loss as that of a common friend.

Maimonides wrote both on medicine and theology; but his great work is bis Moreh Nebuchim, that is, "The Expounder of doubtful and obscure Passages of the Hebrew Scriptures." The author esteemed it to be his chief work, and learned men of all creeds and countries have ever held it in the highest estimation. Its expositions proceed, not upon the occult sciences of the Cabbala, or the mazy labyrinths of the Talmud, but are founded on the Scripture itself, and supported by a well-directed reason and a sound philosophy. Another work of the same nature, and built upon the same principles, is his Maddah, or, "Knowledge."

Immediately on the publication of these works, succeeded a sensation in the synagogue, such as burst amidst the papacy on Jansen's production of his "Augustinus," or when Pascal scattered his Provincial Letters among the swarms of the Jesuits. A yell of despera. tion and bigotry arose from the Rabbis of Montpellier; it excommunicated all the readers of the Moreh and the Maddah; it kindled the flames that consumed the books in the market-place; it flew across the waters of the Mediterranean; it denounced the author as a heretic; it pursued him even to the grave, and erased the inscription from his tombstone, "The choicest of men," and substituted in its place, "The accursed and the heretic." The Rabbis of the province of Narbonne espoused the cause of Maimonides, and excommunicated those of

Montpellier. The schism existed for many years, but was at last brought to a close in the year 1232, by the energetic intelligence and benevolent zeal of another great Rabbi, David Kimchi. The party at Montpellier relented, and caused the epitaph to be restored which they had so unkindly effaced.

The chief, and indeed the only cause of the condemnation of those books by the Rabbis of Montpellier, was the free and manly tone of discussion which, after centuries of intellectual bondage, they had dared to introduce. In treating of the legal precepts and ceremonies, Maimonides had assigned their final cause, on the ceasing of which, the ceremonial law must needs come to an end; and he had spoken of the First Cause, and the mode of His operation on things without, in a manner similar to that of Christian theologians. The freedom and liberality of sentiment were, in fact, deemed too favourable to Christianity.

But both Jews and Christians are now unanimously of opinion that Rabbi Moses bar Maimon was one of the greatest men of the Hebrew nation. "I do not value that book only," says Julius Scaliger, speaking of the Moreh Nebuchim, "but also all the works of that Rabbi, to such an extent, that I am disposed to say, that he alone, among the Jews, has desisted from trifling." And Isaac Casaubon speaks much to the same effect: "Moses Maimonides," says he, "was a man of solid and immense learning, of whom I think I may truly say, what Pliny formerly said of Diodorus Siculus, that he is the first among his countrymen that has ceased to be a trifler." And if the first, he certainly is not the last; for the merits of this great Rabbi are now appreciated by the general mind of Israel. Their affirmation is, that, "from Moses to Moses, there has not arisen one like Moses; " that is, from Moses the man of God, until Moses the son of Maimon, there has been no one who in learning and acquirements is to be compared to Moses the Hebrew lawgiver. By a play upon the initial letters of his name, he is styled Râm Běmǎzal, that is, "one high among the stars," or "born under a happy constellation. And he is called Mōrēh Zědék, "the doctor of righteousness;" and Or Hagōlah," the light of the captivity."

CRANMER, AND THE REFORMATION IN ENGLAND. (Concluded from page 38.)

IN 1536 an occurrence took place which has covered the character of Henry with infamy, and which has tended to place Cranmer himself in a very uncertain and dubious light. The wife whom Henry had made such long and desperate efforts to obtain, had already become distasteful to him; and he had determined to be relieved of her. Her commit. tal to the Tower caused great surprise and anxiety to Cranmer. It was impossible for him to remain silent. He made a pathetic, but submissive, appeal in her behalf; and Henry shrunk from an interview with him on the subject. He forbade him to appear at court. The

* "British and Foreign Evangelical Review."

charge, real or pretended, against the unfortunate Queen was investigated by a Commission, at the head of which the Archbishop allowed himself to be placed. We are quite sure that the process would be conducted with the utmost tenderness. It seems she acknowledged that "certain, true, and lawful impediments" to the marriage did exist; but she was not pressed to " mention what they were." The marriage was declared " utterly void, and of none effect," by an act of the legislature; and Cranmer had to undergo the deep humiliation of pronouncing the divorce "by due order and process of law."

The position of Cranmer was at this time delicate in the extreme. Whether rightly or wrongly, he conceived that this extreme submission to the will of the King was the only method by which he could hope to carry forward the reformation of the Church. The confidence which Henry reposed in him was the ground of his success. Measures were adopted to suppress the superstitious use of images; and to diminish the number of "holy-days," the multitude of which seriously interfered with the industrial occupations of the people, and gave occasion to much evil. The ground was to be cleared, preparatory to the scattering the seed of life among the people in the form of an English translation of the Bible, which he had the hope of obtaining. Such a translation, printed at Hamburg, was forwarded to Cranmer for his inspection and approval. He received it with joy. The labours of the enduring exile and martyr, Tyndale, were "not in vain.” Miles Coverdale, afterwards Bishop of Exeter, had assisted in this great work; and the corrections and explanatory notes were supplied by John Rogers, the proto-martyr in the reign of the gloomy and vindictive Mary. As a matter of policy, the revised translation was denominated "Thomas Matthewe's Bible." The precious treasure obtained, Cranmer's anxiety now was to secure the royal warrant for its circulation, which he happily did through the influence of Cromwell; and, in the year 1538, "the Holy Bible was exposed to common sale, and appointed to be had in every parish church." It was received with the greatest enthusiasm. "Everybody that could, bought the book, or busily read it, or got others to read it for them; and divers more elderly people learned to read on purpose." This general liberty to use the Scriptures was afterwards limited by the strategy of Gardiner. But the Word of God had gone forth, and carried with it the pledge of success to the Archbishop in the great work of his life: the Reformation in England was virtually accomplished.

The part which Cranmer took in the condemnation of Lambert, was the sad result of his clinging to the Popish doctrine of transubstantiation. The unfortunate man had ventured to allege a number of reasons against this false notion; and, through the interference of Gardiner, the King determined to dispute with the "heretic" himself. It is no matter of surprise if Henry and his bishops thought they had conclusively answered the objections of their humble opponent. This poor man was" adjudged to the flames," and died a martyr to the truth. It is possible to offer the apology of a mistaken conscientiousness for the share which the Archbishop had in this cruel business. We may also be allowed to think that he would be opposed to the fatal conclusion, while it is highly

probable that he would not have influence sufficient to avert it. His opposition to Henry's appropriation of the revenues of the monasteries irritated the capricious Monarch; and the occasion was eagerly . employed by the crafty Gardiner to Cranmer's great embarrassment. The notorious and threatening "Six Articles" were passed and enforced at this juncture. By these "Articles," the principal errors of Popery were declared to be" agreeable to God's law; and it was also declared that all persons who should write or dispute against them" were to be adjudged heretics, and to be burnt," or to suffer death as common felons. As a married priest, Cranmer was in danger. The debate on the measure in the House of Lords was long and earnest. The bishops were the principal disputants. Cranmer modestly, but manfully, headed the opposition; and, for three days in succession, reasoned against the Bill with so much learning and power, as to convince the judgment, and to command the sympathy, of a large portion of the House. Henry, however, was determined to carry the measure; and the lay lords were silent. He desired Cranmer to leave the House; but the Archbishop insisted that the cause was God's, and not his; and he remained to the close of the debate, delivering his solemn protest against the measure when it was finally passed. It might be supposed that Henry was greatly incensed by this opposition. But he was a good judge of men and their principles; and, where his own immediate interests were not concerned, he could even sympathize with the enlightened sincerity of Cranmer. A few days afterwards, he actually sent a deputation of noblemen to condole with him, in his name, on the disappointment and pain which he suffered. The " Articles" were soon modified, and allowed to stand in abeyance.

The fall of Cromwell was a serious blow and loss to Cranmer. He seemed now to stand, almost alone, in a critical position. His enemies were emboldened to make a direct attempt upon his safety. The King was induced to cause an inquiry to be made, by a select number of bishops, "into the matters of religion, and" for the purpose "of explaining some of the chief doctrines of it." The Popish bishops were in a large majority; and they skilfully chose for discussion those doctrines on which it was well known that Cranmer and Henry differed. The inquiry was conducted with great warmth. Several articles were drawn up in harmony with the views of the King, who prided himself in his fancied knowledge of theology. The Archbishop resolutely refused to endorse them. This was precisely what his enemies intended and desired: they had placed him in direct opposition to Henry. The danger seemed imminent. The Bishops of Rochester and Hereford-Cranmer's princi pal friends among those who were in the Commission-shrunk from the conflict, and left him without support in the danger. They privately entreated him to consent; and urged the will of the King as a reason for submission. He rose in moral power with the difficulties of the occasion, and calmly accepted the responsibility of his isolated opposition. His enemies were delighted. Speculation ran high as to what the issue would be. Cranmer proceeded directly to the King, and placed the whole question before him. By the force of his represen tations he won him over to his opinions, at least for the time; and he