weightier matters of their sacred profession, or the active duties of their bishopric of souls. The history of the liturgy interferes with the history of the bible: the controversial conferences at Hampton Court and the Savoy disturb the regularity of ministerial conferences with parishioners; and the first and second books of king Edward the Sixth, in connexion with the alterations in the reign of Elizabeth, and the canons and acts of uniformity in those of James the First and Charles the Second, are to be

In the able pamphlet on "The Rubric and Canons," by the late rev. Christopher Benson, canon of Worcester, and sometime master of the Temple, published in 1845, the following graphic introductory remarks, on the evil consequences of the rubrical controversies then raging in the dioceses of London and Exeter, &c., will, in the present deplorable state of the established church, be found to have been too painfully prophetic: "The controversy that has been raised in the church of England, with regard to the rubrical directions of the book of commonprayer, has grown with a rapidity, reached to an extent, and is now carried on with a bitterness which is most deeply to be lamented. One of its great evils is the time, the study, the legal inquiries, and antiquarian researches which it entails upon the whole body of the clergy. At a moment in which all their energy is required to maintain true religion, and promote religious education among the people, they are called upon, either at once to submit to the decrees of their own bishop-opposed as they may be to the practice and opinions of many other bishops and dioceses, or to examine, at great length, and with much difficulty, a number of ceremonial questions in their own nature of very little importance. Whether, or when, the surplice or the gown is to be used in preaching; whether lights are to be placed, and, if placed, when to be lighted, on the communion-table; whether the offertory sentences, and the prayer for the church militant ought to follow every sermon which is preached at the morning-service; in what cases the minister is to turn his face to the east, and his back or his side to the congregation; whether the practice of bowing towards the communion-table when approaching it, and the church on entering or quitting it, is authorized or repudiated by any canonical regulations; whether the bread and wine are to be placed on the sacramental board before or after the service of the Lord's-supper begins-these, and many other liturgical niceties are forced upon the attention of the clergymen of our established church, with a pertinacity in some, and a tone of authority in others, which their comparative insignificance, and the obscurity that attends them, are quite unable to justify. The necessary consequence is that, in order to become acquainted with these lesser duties, men are compelled to sacrifice to them a great portion of those thoughts and hours, which would otherwise have been more usefully devoted to the

Testament, and the harmony of the gospels in the New. Nothing can be imagined more fatal to the spiritual welfare of our church, nothing more adverse to the building up of her people in the faith and holiness of Christianity, under pastors well instructed in the doctrine that is according to godliness, than such a diversion of the clerical mind of the nation from the substance of religion to the forms of external worship. It was not with a view to liturgical investigations like these that candidates for holy orders were exhorted to the daily reading and weighing of the scriptures, that thereby they might wax riper and stronger in their ministry.' (See the form and manner of ordering of priests). Nor is it easy to perceive how such inquiries can help to a knowledge of the same.' Far from it. Both the nature of the controversy itself, and the spirit which it has a tendency to generate, are so contrary to the views and feelings of every one who is seriously interested in a work pertaining to the salvation of souls,' that it must be most burdensome to those who are aware of its comparative insignificance; most injurious to the divine growth and usefulness of those who devote to it their understandings and affections; most dangerous to the young, the weak, and the unwary, by drawing away their cares and studies from God's word, and the higher and holier things of their vocation."

MY MOTHER*.

In this life we can never know how many spirits of just men made perfect now reign in heaven, in consequence of the faithfulness of their mothers. Those now on earth, living by faith, and who "keep the sayings of this book," the most devoted men living, are those who have been led to Christ by a mother's love and faithfulness. You can hardly be aware how deep may be the impression which you make on the mind of your child even in a very few moments of time. For one, I can truly say, I have never met with any loss so great as that of losing the care and instructions of my mother during my childhood, in consequence of the having lost her reason. But I can recollect that, when a very little child, I was standing at the open window, at the close of a lovely summer's day. The large red sun was just sinking away behind the western hills; the sky was gold and purple commingled; the winds were sleeping; and a * From an Address to Mothers, in "Truth made Simple," by the rev. Dr. Todd.

I

soft stillness seemed to hang over the earth. was watching the sun as he sent his yellow rays through the trees, and felt a kind of awe, though I knew not wherefore. Just then mother came to me. She was raving with frenzy; for reason had long since left its throne, and her a victim of madness. She came up to me, wild with insanity. I pointed to the glorious sun in the west; and in a moment she was calm. She took my little hands within hers, and told me that the great God made the sun, the stars, the world, everything; that he it was who made her little boy, and gave him an immortal spirit; that yonder sun, and the green fields, and the world itself, will one day be burned up; but that the spirit of her child will then be alive, for he must live when heaven and earth are gone; that he must pray to the great God, and love and serve him for

ever.'

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Madness returned:

She let go my hands. she hurried away. I stood with my eyes filled with tears, and my little bosom heaving with emotions which I could not have described; but I can never forget the impression which that conversation of my poor mother left upon me. O what a blessing would it have been had the inscrutable providence of God given me a mother who could have repeated these instructions, accompanied by her prayers, through all the days of my childhood! But, "even so, Father; for so it seemeth good in thy sight."

NOTICE OF BOOKS.

AMONG the books which have lately reached us are: "The Ups and Downs of an Old Maid's Life;" by Jemima Compton. London: Bell and Daldy. 1869. This is a story of still life. There are no romantic adventures in it, no thrilling details of hair-breadth escapes, or deadly accidents. The persons introduced are such as we may meet in ordinary society, and they talk and act, some with good sense, and some not very wisely. But there is a vein of pleasant right-mindedness running through the book; the age and infirmities of the writer being sometimes too much dwelt on, and some descriptions introduced which might have been spared. The volume, however, has met with acceptance; for the copy before us is of the second edition; and we will fairly say that there are many good lessons to be learned from it, and a few hours may be agreeably spent in the perusal. "The Ancient African Church; its Rise, Influence, and Decline;" by J. B. Mullinger, B.A., St. John's College, Cambridge. Cambridge, Johnson: London, Hamilton, Adams, and Co. 1869. This volume contains the successful essay for the Hulsean prize in 1867. It is creditable not only to the author, but also to the university of Cambridge that such a book should be the production of one of its members necessarily, by the terms of Mr. Hulse's bequest, a junior member, that is under the standing of M.A. Mr. Mullinger has evinced a good deal of research. He introduces his subject with a chapter "On the Characteristics of the Second Christian Century" he then proceeds to discuss "Tertullian and his Age," "Cyprian and the Development of Church Discipline," "Arnobius and Lactantius," and concludes with " Augustine." A large field of inquiry is offered here; and we think that Mr. Mullinger has done good service for the student of ecclesiastical history in collecting and condensing the information which throws light upon those different periods of the African church. We do not mean to say that we agree with him in every parPedlar. Thus we think that in his first chapter he has

"An Introduction to the Old Testament by Johannes Bleek, edited by Adolf Kamphausen." Translated from the second edition (Berlin, 1865) by G. H. Venables, edited by the rev. E. Venables, M.A., canon residentiary of Lincoln: in two volumes. London: Bell and Daldy, 1869. We have long been familiar with Bleek's Introduction to the Holy Scriptures, and, while differing from cordially acknowledge its high value. We say, there the learned author in many important particulars, we fore, at once that we are glad to welcome an English translation. But we are a little perplexed with the titlepage, which we have copied in full. It will be seen that the work is there said to be Johannes Bleek's. Now our own copy in the original German calls itself the produc tion of Friedrich Bleek, who died Feb. 27, 1859, put forth, with certain modifications-the Introduction to the Old Testament, in 1860, by Joh. Friedr. Bleek, the son of Friedrich, and Ad. Kamphausen, and that to the New in 1862 by Joh. Friedr. Bleek. Ours is the first edition; while the volumes before us are a version of the second edition of 1865; but, though we observe certain addi tions, in the passages we have turned to at random we find the translation agreeing with our own copy. We think some explanation should have been given of the discrepancy of name. Still this is a matter of compara tively-small importance; and we proceed at once to express our opinion of this work, so far as our limited space will allow. It is the Introduction to the Old Tes tament that we have here presented to us. We should be glad to find it followed by that to the New, in which there is much of high value-we may instance a masterly vindication of the genuineness and authenticity of the fourth gospel. When we first made acquaintance with Bleek's work we were at once struck with the reverential spirit in which he handles his sacred themes. He said much, we found, from which we entirely dissented-on the origin of the Pentateuch, for example; but he did not say it in the captious self-applauding tone which discreditably marks the productions of many German bib lical critics-the redoubted Dr. Hupfeld may be instanced. Bleek was evidently an earnest searcher after truth. He did not adopt the decided view which we, on conviction, hold of inspiration; but we cannot doubt that he was a man of piety; and his opinions are always to be seriously and patiently weighed. The theological student ought indeed to be made aware that in reading Bleek he must be upon his guard. Mr. Venables, the editor, prefixes some cautions; but we think they are too weak. He describes the work as one that can be safely recommended to students as "a storehouse of well-sifted and trust. worthy biblical material," and says he at one time thought of appending notes to places where Bleek “diverges most widely from the views that have been generally accepted by the soundest and most unprejudiced scholars in this country." We wish he had carried out this purpose. He has indeed occasionally noted-as es pecially in Daniel-the unsoundness of Bleek's conclu sions; but he might have done so more largely without cumbering the book with (as he seemed to apprehend) a

mass of lengthy notes. The work would have been much safer for young students, who cannot be supposed to be acquainted with all that may be urged in contradiction of Bleek's opinions, and who are ever ready to be swayed by an able writer even when he departs from orthodox truth. To free investigation we are no foes; and we may add that we are no friends to that narrow orthodoxy which would force all minds into a fettered set of notions. Sure we are that the gospel, that the scripture, has nothing to fear from an honest criticism. Still there are great and important truths from which we must admit no departure without a protest; and we repeat our wish that Mr. Venables had urged his protest more emphatically. Carefully and properly used, this manual is of great importance and value; and we are convinced that English scholars who do not read the German so fluently as their mother-tongue will feel themselves under great obligations to the translator. Bleek's own language in the original is perspicuous; and we think, so far as we have been able to examine, the version a good one. Independently of those matters, on which there may justly be a difference of opinion, there is a vast amount of information in this Introduction. We end, therefore, as we began: we cordially welcome the appearance in an English dress of this valuable work: may it be the means of promoting sound knowledge, and may the divine word hence become more dear to the hearts of many among us as they intelligently study its sacred utterances !

"Notes and Reflections on the Second Epistle to the Corinthians;" by A. Pridham. London: Nisbet and Co. 1869. We have had heretofore occasion to speak well of Mr. Pridham's Notes on other books of scripture: we can add as favourable a testimony to these. Mr. Pridham does not pretend to critical research, but he illus trates the sacred word in a plain practical and devotional way; so that we doubt not the volume will be found instructive and profitable to the readers. As the best way of illustrating our opinion we will transcribe a short paragraph on 2 Cor. vi. 21: "An act is here ascribed to God which fully justifies the bold and striking language of his servant. For in giving Christ to death for us he treated him as if sin were to be found and punished only in his sacred person. The world's trespasses were comprehended in that 'sin' which is here placed as a judicial stigma on the Lamb of God. And now let us remark, further, the true force of the expression knew mo sin.' It is not said only that the Lord was sinless, or that none could convince him of sin, or even that God who had searched and known the Man whom he approved could find only truth and goodness in his ways. All this is true and precious in its truth; but what is here said expresses more than this; and to be rightly understood it must be balanced against the opposing phrase for us. For, as we know righteousness only as something foreign to our nature, as fallen creatures, and have no subjective apprehension of it until justified by faith, so Christ knew sin only as a thing entirely apart from him, which indeed as the Holy One of God he hated and would judge, but of which he had no subjective knowledge or consciousness whatever until he had offered himself in his spotlessness as our substitute upon the cross. When numbered with the transgressors he bore the sin of many, confessing, as if they were exclusively his own, things which he had known only by their deadly effects on God's degraded creature, and then personally estimated by the awful weight of that infliction which fell upon him as the willing Surety for his own. In all its horrible reality he took sin on him as his burden and his shame; but it was as strange as ever to himself. Hence the poignancy of his expiring appeal, 'Why hast thou forsaken me?' He knew no sin, but himself bore our sins in his own body on the tree." It would have been a great convenience to the reader of this book had there been a notice at the top of each page indicating the chapter and verse under consideration.

"Minor Chords and other Poems;" by Sophia M. Eckley. London: Bell and Daldy. 1869. There is real poetry in this volume; and the authoress possesses a delicate fancy, uttering very often its imaginings in sweet tones, the lingering music of which will dwell pleasingly in the reader's memory. But she is unequal; and a piece will begin in a happy strain, which is marred after a while by some mean expression, or want of rhythm, or strange phraseology. Thus in a poem entitled "Mater dolorosa," not true, by the way, to scripture history, we have this most inharmonious verse: "Faint with anguish, grief unspoken, O that drear tremendous night, When o'erhung the heights of Calvary The wrath of God, the Infinite!"

Another we had intended to extract. It is headed "He leadeth them," and consists of six verses; but the last two are so inferior to those that precede that we give up our purpose. We shall, however, copy one which we think is very beautiful:

"TRUST.

"To God I lift my heart in praise,
To God I wing my prayer:
No hour is sad, no day is dark
If thou, my Christ, art there.

"No cup too bitter then to drain,
No loneliness too lone,
No pain too wearisome to bear,
Since all by him is known.

"No doubting plaint, no anxious dread,
No murmuring question 'Why?'
"The Lord hath done it:' rest, my soul,
On him eternally."

The authoress writes in a devotional spirit; but exception may be taken, theologically, to some things we find. The virgin is occasionally almost prayed to; and in the hymn "for holy communion" we have not only the lights on the table spoken of with approval, but what we deem unsound doctrine in the lines,

"Here on the altar of his grace
Behold the solemn sacrifice."

But we would not push a point too far. Poets have a certain licence; and perhaps it is the language rather than the sentiment that is at fault. We conclude therefore as we began: there is genuine poetry in this volume.

"Voices of the Church of England against Modern Sacerdotalism; being a Manual of Authorities on the Nature of the Lord's Supper and the Christian Ministry, selected and arranged, with an Introduction;" by the rev. E. Garbett, M.A., vicar of Christ Church, Surbiton. London: Hunt and Co. 1869. Mr. Garbett, in his introduction, says: "The object of the following pages is to present, in one view and in as condensed and succinct a manner as possible, the sentiments of the church of England on the doctrinal questions now agitated within her bosom, and constituting the subject of public action between two organized voluntary bodies, the Church Union on one side, and the Church Association upon the other." The doctrines, it seems, of what is called "sacerdotalism" are stated in the declaration of the first-named body under seven heads. These are taken up in order; and first the statements of those who hold the "sacerdotal" view are given from their own writings, and then succeed three classes of adverse statements, (1) those from the authorized documents of the church of England; (2) those which possess a certain kind of authority, such as Jewel's "Apology" and Bullinger's "Decades"; (3) the writings generally of eminent English divines from the reformation downwards, of varying shades of opinion, all however united in opposing Roman doctrine, or doctrine with Romish colouring. And we must say