middle of the last century could never be made a sufficient substitute for the books which President McCosh has written in our day.

We may say then, of this book by Dr. Thompson, that it is a new system and presentation of Christian theology, but not at all a system of new theology. Probably no Old School critic will find in it the New School heresies which were deemed so terrible not very long ago, nor indeed any other alarming novelties. On the other hand, it is not likely that any New School critic will charge its author with the fault of not maintaining the New England theology. The book is written without any apparent consciousness of the questions which, in the youth of some now living and not yet very old, were deemed to be, and were, of great importance to the conservation and the elucidation of evangelical truth. It gives, in a clear and connected arrangement," Christ's theology, from his own words"; and in that sense, it gives the system of theology common to all evangelical believers, while it hardly seems to encounter the questions on which evangelical Christians have heretofore been divided, and on which their opposite opinions have become traditionary, being petrified into formularies and guarded by "denominational" organizations.

The topics of the book are "Christ a preacher," one who preaches positive truth and not mere denial;-"The quality of Christ's preaching," noting, among other things, "the depth, simplicity, and fulness of his teachings;"-"The kingdom of God," as an internal and spiritual kingdom, God's dominion restored in human souls;"The new birth" without which there is no entrance into the kingdom;-"Salvation made possible through the death of Christ," and how much he himself said about the necessity of his death in order to the redemption of men;-"Salvation limited only by unbelief;"-"The nature of religion," holiness of heart which is the true theocracy;-"The spirituality of worship;""A living Providence," or Christ's view of the relation between God and nature, in contrast with the view of irreligious science physical and metaphysical ;--" Prayer," the instinct and its meaning;--" Christ's oneness with the Father," how he asserts it and in what sense;" The Comforter, the Holy Ghost," a divine person;—" Paradise," and what Christ taught or implied about an intermediate state;--" The Resurrection of the dead,"__“ The final judgment;"--The blessedness of the Saints;" -Future punishment," its nature and duration as represented by the

Saviour;-" Christ's doctrine our spiritual sacrament,” the sacraments being symbols and as it were vehicles of his doctrine ;-with a concluding chapter on "The doctrine of Christ complete as a revelation from God." Several incidental discussions, important to the argument of the book, are given in the appendix.

DE PRESSENSE'S EARLY YEARS OF CHRISTIANITY.*-Among the living French Protestants, perhaps there is no name that deserves a higher place than that of De Pressensé. He is a historical scholar who builds his narrative on his own researches, and combines with thoroughness and fairness the vivacity and skill in exposition which belong to the French mind. In his theological tenets he belongs to the same class with Vinet, one of the first of modern theologians, and Godet, whose work on the Gospel of John is one of the best which recent criticism has produced. De Pressensé's work on the first three Centuries is an able history, written with religious feeling, but with the avoidance of exaggeration. It is an auspicious sign that such productions are finding their way, through translation, into the homes of English and American readers. The tone of religious thought will be elevated by them, and valuable instruction be gained at the same time that religious feeling is warmed and liberalized. The present volume relates to the planting of Christianity by the Apostles, and to their several types of doctrine. The Life of Christ, by the same author, is the proper introduction to this work, although this is independent of the first in its plan, and may be read by itself.

A HISTORY OF GOD'S CHURCH FROM ITS ORIGIN TO THE PRESENT TIME.-Dr. Pond has been long and favorably known as an author. His published volumes are very numerous; many of them have passed through repeated editions and have been widely circulated. During his long public life he has also been an habitual contributor to various newspapers, magazines, and quarterlies. While editor of the Spirit of the Pilgrims he himself wrote a large part of its leading articles. A few years ago he published his theological lectures, a work which has already passed through

* The Early Years of Christianity. By E. De Pressensé, D.D. Translated by Annie Harwood. The Apostolic Era. 1 vol. 8vo. New York: C. Scribner & Co.

1870.

A History of God's Church from its origin to the present time. By ENOCH POND, D.D., Professor in the Theological Seminary, Bangor, Me. Hartford, Conn. S. S. Scranton & Co. 8vo, pp. 1066.

more than one edition. His life has been one of extraordinary activity and energy; and the Churches owe him a large debt of gratitude for varied and effective service.

For nearly forty years he has been Professor in Bangor Theological Seminary. During the greater part of this time he was Professor of Theology. Since 1855 he has been Professor of Ecclesiastical History. While he has long been distinguished for thorough acquaintance with the history and polity of the New England Churches, it will be seen that it was not till late in life that he made a special study of the general history of the Church. It could not be expected under these circumstances that the author would make that profound investigation of the original sources, which is the work of a life. The history is not intended to conduct the reader to the original sources, nor to meet the wants of scholars whose studies require them to make learned and profound investigations. It is a clear and compendious narrative including the Old Testament history and that of the period between the completion of the Old Testament and the coming of Christ, as well as the subsequent history of the Christian Church until the present time. It is written in the idiomatic and perspicuous style which is so pleasing and satisfactory in all the author's works; and will prove a valuable work to the many who, without having time and occasion for profound and scholarly investigations, desire to possess a compendious narrative of the history of the Church.

REV. RICHARD METCALF'S LECTURES ON LETTER AND SPIRIT* were delivered in Winchester, Mass., and are hence called Winchester Lectures. They are upon the following topics: The use of Creeds; One God-one Father; What think ye of Christ? The Son of God; The Holy Spirit; What is Man? The Unquenchable Fire; The Day of Judgment; Salvation; The New Birth; The Life that now is; The Life that is to come. The Lectures are doctrinal, and their design is to state and defend Unitarian Christianity as the writer understands it. The exhibition is clear and well phrased, but there is nothing in it which calls for any special commendation or criticism.

THE AMERICAN EDITION OF THE BIBLE DICTIONARY.-The laborious undertaking on which Drs. Hackett and Abbot have so long been engaged, of republishing, with all practicable corrections

*Letter and Spirit: Winchester Lectures. By RICHARD METCALF. Boston: American Unitarian Association, 1870.

and improvements, Smith's Dictionary of the Bible, has been brought to a close by the publication of Part xxxii. We have before spoken with high but not undeserved praise of the conscientiousness, learning, and painstaking with which the American editors have performed their task. With far less effort and expenditure of time, they might have made sufficient additions to the value of the original work to give to the new edition the command of the market. But they have set their aim much higher; they have attempted to make as good a Bible Dictionary as can be made on the basis of the English work. The lexicographer must do a great amount of unappreciated and unrewarded labor. We trust that, in this instance, the contributions to biblical science which Drs. Hackett and Abbot have made will at least secure an honorable and lasting recognition from all theological scholars.

HEROES OF HEBREW HISTORY.*-Even that portion of Christendom which is in no way dazzled by the lawn sleeve is still somewhat under the influence of the imagination, and it cannot look for absolutely common things from a "lord bishop." He must have more grace, or more Greek, than ordinary folk. There must be some reason for the height of the mitre and the length of the crosier. A bishop ought not to come abroad excepting in full canonicals -even we puir Puritan bodies say so. When he publishes a book it should be a superior book, and there have been illustrious books written by bishops. But here comes a book, good enough of its kind, yet why was it written by a "bishop ?" There is nothing in the book itself that tells us why. There is no scholarship, no depth of thought, nothing peculiar in any way good or bad. We had just been reading Dr. Alexander Raleigh's "Jonah," a work very much in the same line—a most delightful work, full of thought, poetry, picturesque description, powerful touches to heart and conscience, making an old and sometimes ridiculed story leap into living light and glow with more than dramatic interest-with absolute inspiration--and then we turned to the "Heroes of Hebrew History." The change was great. A title brings with it perils as well as privileges. Hundreds of as good lectures as these, nay, we venture to say, better, have been preached by humble country ministers, on Sunday or week-day evenings,

* Heroes of Hebrew History. By SAMUEL WILBERFORCE, D.D. Lord Bishop of Winchester. Second edition. New York: Robert Carter & Brothers, No. 530 Broadway. 1870.

upon the prominent characters of Old Testament history. After the splendid and florid but still scholarly and fascinating portraitures by Dean Stanley of the Hebrew patriarchs and prophets, weaving into them every color of history, legend, and poetry, enhancing the pictures by discriminating strokes of the accurate traveler and geographer, there was little need for anything else at present on that subject. But we are spending more space than the volume seems to call for. The writer has an eye to the discovering of types. The ascent of Isaac, bearing the wood for his offering, up Mt. Moriah is a type of Christ's bearing the wood of the cross up Mt. Calvary. The history of Samson is full of types of Christ. In the bishop's style there is a superabundance of epithet. Thus, upon Esau's devoted head are accumulated the words, "that bold, wild, impetuous, generous, spirited, popular Arab.” One of the chapters begins thus: "It was a high day in that old town of Bethel." The following sentence also is slightly ambiguous: Amongst all the noble creations of Greek poetry there is no single figure more vividly portrayed than that of Saul the son of Kish," it is added, it is true--" as he stands before us in the inspired records of Israel." The passage needs reconstructing.

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THOMAS K. BEECHER'S SEVEN CHURCHES* is made up of eight lectures on the seven churches in Elmira, with the following titles: Roman Catholic; Presbyterian; Protestant Episcopal; Methodist Episcopal; Independent; Baptist and Congregational; Liberal Christian; Choosing one's Church; The Church of Christ. These Lectures are all in a very kindly strain, the writer being disposed to say all the friendly things of which he could think, of each of the churches which he discusses. The theme is by no means new or original; F. D. Maurice having anticipated it in his well known work, The Kingdom of Christ. Mr. Beecher, however, treats of Church differences in respect to organization and working, rather than in respect of doctrine and life. His handling is also eminently popular. The only exception which we take to this eminently irenical and charitable work is the lack of positive earnestness which it exhibits, the almost libertine spirit in which it is written in respect to all church differences and the tone of almost banter into which the writer falls, even when he would praise the peculiarities of any church. It would seem that this spirit was

*Our Seven Churches. THOMAS K. BEECHER, Elmira, N. Y. New York: T. B. Ford & Co. 1870.