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divisions and an enumeration of the mere names of the natural features of a country, but giving a very full account of each region, introducing much relating to Ethnology, Mythology, and general Antiquities, wherever he found occasion so to do. It is hardly necessary to add that the Pupil of Niebuhr and Editor of his works, possessed in an eminent degree the qualifications requisite for preparing these two treatises, and that their contents are the fruit of the author's own studies and of the exact researches of the best scholars of Germany, his native country. Our readers will here find many a venerable blunder of our old books corrected, and many of their misty forms dispelled.

Subjoined to the work is a Map showing the route probably taken by the 10,000 Greeks in their return. This Map and the Notes accompanying it, which fill several pages, were contributed by Gen. Monteith, and will be very useful to the student of Xenophon.

No Atlas is prepared expressly for this Geography, but the author refers the student for such a work to Long's Classical Atlas,1 which, he says, is in every respect the best and most accurate yet published in Great Britain.

11. THE BIBLE AND THE PEOPLE.

In the first place, this book appears objectionable on account of the personalities with which it abounds. It contains no small part of its author's autobiography, scattered throughout the Introduction, the Addenda, and the Notes. The volume is mainly devoted to Mental Science; and the intermixture of so much personal history with so many metaphysical discussions, is at least a violation of the canons of taste.

In the second place, the impression produced by this autobiography is, in some respects, incorrect. For example, those who are acquainted with the theology of Dr. Lyman Beecher, will be slow to believe that he ever adopted the mode of education, or ever sanctioned the mode of religious appeal, which seem to be ascribed to him on pages xvii, xviii, xxiv of the Introduction to this volume.

In the third place, nearly all the historical statements in the book are, at the best, one-sided and incomplete. The history of the " Theological Dogma of a Departed Mental Constitution," is singularly imperfect and wrong. Miss Beecher represents a large class of theologians as believing that Adam and Eve stood as representatives of the human race (pp. 284, 285). The controversialists whom she enumerates as contending for or against this

Republished with additions by Blanchard and Lea, Philadelphia, 1856. For some notice of this work, see this Journal for Jan. 1857.

* Common Sense applied to Religion, or the Bible and the People. By Catherine Beecher, author of " Letters to the People on Health and Happiness,"

"Physiology and Calisthenics," "Domestic Economy," "Domestic ReceiptBook," etc. etc. New York: Harper and Brothers, Publishers, Franklin Square. Montreal: Benjamin Dawson. 1857. pp. 358. 12mo.

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dogma are Pelagius (p. 297), Augustine (p. 298), Arminius (p. 300). Calvin and Edwards (pp. 302-304), Dr. Edward Beecher (p. 304), the New Haven divines (p. 306), and herself; and after introducing her own views on the subject, she devotes twenty pages to her efforts in the cause of education, etc. She ascribes the prevalence of a belief in a vitiated nature, to the influence of the Councils and Emperors who sustained Augustine (p. 300).

In the fourth place, the volume is often unphilosophical in its development of the causes of phenomena. Thus in chapter xxv, it specifies the following causes of the "wrong action of mind:" first, deficient or erroneous views of doctrine; secondly, false teachings; thirdly, the want of good habits and the early formation of bad ones; fourthly, the bad influence of other minds; fifthly, the want of a ruling purpose to do right. But what is the cause of these causes? This want of a ruling purpose is the very thing which is to be accounted for.

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In the fifth place, the volume contains various representations, the mutual consistency of which needs to be proved. Thus we read, on p. 224, that the mind has "a sense of entire inability to obey the laws of the system in which it is placed." "Where is the mother who has not heard the distressed confession, even from the weeping infant, that he was happier in doing right than in doing wrong, that he wished to do well, and yet that he was constantly doing evil? Where is the parent that has not witnessed, as one little being after another passed on from infancy to youth, and from youth to manhood, the perpetual warfare to sustain good purposes and oftbroken resolutions? And where is the conscious spirit that cannot look back on its whole course of existence as one continued exhibition of a conflict that gives unvarying evidence of this truth? Men feel that it is as impossible for them to be invariably perfect in thought, word, and deed, as it is to rule the winds and waves" (pp. 224, 225). This is called a fatal inability," and it is said that "in these circumstances it is as impossible for a young mind to commence existence here with perfect obedience to law, and to continue through life in a course of perfect rectitude, as it is for it, by its feeble will, to regulate the winds of heaven, or turn back the tides of the ocean" (pp. 231, 232). Here and elsewhere, the doctrine of a literal and natural inability to do right and to avoid wrong is asserted; but in very many passages, throughout the book, the common doctrine of the natural and literal inability to do right is denied. It is in vain for the author to reply that the sentences just quoted have reference merely to the finiteness of human powers, to their want of absolute perfection, "to actions which, in all the infinite relations of a vast and eternal system of free agents, are fitted to secure the most possible good with the least possible evil. In this relation, so far as we can judge by experience and reason, no finite being ever did or ever can act perfectly from the first to the last of its volitions. In this relation, every human being is certainly, necessarily, and inevitably imperfect in action" (p. 252). Angels have this kind of inability to do right; but they do not "weep" over it, and make such a "distressed

confession" of it, as (according to our author, p. 224) human "infants" do.

In the sixth place, Miss Beecher proposes a theory of her own, which is liable to the same kind of objections as those which she specifies against certain other theories. She admits that the human mind is often guilty of "disordered action," and assigns for this wrong procedure the following reason: the mind commences action in perfect ignorance, and in want of "all those causes which experience shows to be indispensable to its right action in a greater or less degree" (p. 261). These indispensable prerequisites to right action are "infallible teachers and perfect faith or belief in such teachers" (p. 216), and "the existence of a ruling generic purpose to obey all the laws of rectitude (p. 217). Here we have something like the confused statement, that perfect holiness in ourselves and entire infalli bility in our teachers, are indispensable to our own holiness! But, we are told, these conditions "are wanting;" hence we sin. But who brought us into a state in which we are destitute of the indispensable prerequisites to holiness? Miss Beecher admits that we are brought into this condition by the Deity. Then he introduces us into a state in which we must inevitably do wrong. Then he is, at least, as really the author of sin, as he can be supposed to be, on the theory that he has given us a vitiated constitution. The moral disadvantages of our present state are, by some, referred to our disordered nature; by Miss Beecher they are referred to our circumstances, to our want of the indispensable prerequisites for holiness. This nature is no more the work of the Creator, than are these circumstances. The difficulties which Miss Beecher enumerates on pp. 286, 287 and elsewhere are, mutatis mutandis, more applicable to her own theory than to some of the theories which she condemns.

In the seventh place, a radical fault of this volume is, its loose and inaccurate terminology. Its theological phrases are vague. This will appear probable to any one who notices the looseness of its philosophical terms. On page 60 we read: "Perception is a sensation attended by the belief of a cause; and it is this additional circumstance alone which distinguishes perception from sensation." Again, we read that memory is "either a conception or a perception [?] which is attended with a feeling [?] of its resemblance [?] to A past state [?] of mind" (p. 61). This definition would lead Miss Beecher, if consistent with herself, to agree with Hobbes in confining memory to objects of sense (see Human Nature, ch. 3. sect. 6). Such examples of the indefiniteness of this volume might be multiplied to any extent; but we have cited enough to show that the reasonings of an author must be loose, where the nomenclature is so inaccurate.

We might specify many other objections to this volume. It contains some pages of pure and vigorous English; it is often lucid in its defence of important doctrines; but it utterly fails in its aim to undermine the theory, that we have a disordered moral nature; and it assails this and other truths with an uncandid and sometimes an irreverent spirit.

ARTICLE X.

THEOLOGICAL AND LITERARY INTELLIGENCE.

GERMANY.

Buttmann, Alex., Grammar of the language of the New Testament. First Part. pp. 68.

Drechsler, Dr. Mor., The prophet Isaiah translated and explained. Third Part. 2d vol. After Drechsler's death, continued and finished by Fr. Delitzsch and Aug. Hahn. pp. 209.

Delitzsch, F., Commentary on the Epistle to the Hebrews. pp. 770. Hitzig, Prof. Dr. Ferd., The Proverbs of Solomon, translated and explained, pp. 347.

Knobel, Dr. Aug., Commentary on Exodus and Leviticus. pp. 591. This work is a part of the Exegetical Handbook on the Old Testament.

Weifsbach, The Song of Solomon explained, translated, and shown in its artistic poetical composition. pp. 347.

Böhmer, W., The doctrinal differences of the Roman Catholic and the Evangelical churches. 1st vol. pp. 299.

Hollenberg, W. A.,

The free Christian activity and the ecclesiastical office. A prize essay. pp. 80.

Philippi, Prof. Dr. Fr. Ad., The ecclesiastical dogmatic system. Second Part: The original communion with God. pp. 391. The First Part: Prolegomena, was published in 1854.

Bibliotheca patrum ecclesiasticorum selectissima ed. Guil. Bruno Lindner. fasc. 1. Epp. ad Diognetum, Polycarpi, Smyrnensium de Polycarpi martyrio. pp. 32.

Böhringer, F., The Church of Christ and its Witnesses. 2d vol. 4th part. 2d half. Conrad Waldhausen, Milic of Kremsier, Matthias Janow, John Huss, Hieronymus of Prague, Hieronymus Savonarola. pp. 1062.

Gelpke, History of the Swiss church. In three volumes. 1st vol.: History of the Swiss church during the dominion of the Romans, Burgundians, Alemannians. pp. 416.

Heppe, History of the Lutheran Formula Concordiæ and the Concordia. pp. 738. This is the third Part of the author's History of the German Protestantism from 1555 to 1581, and contains the history of the years 1574-1577.

Kurtz, Prof. Dr. F. H., Compendium of Church History for Students. 3d edition. pp. 724.

Lechler, Dr. Gothard Victor, The Apostolic and post-Apostolic Age 2d edition, thoroughly revised. pp. 536.

Lives and selected writings of the Fathers and Founders of the Reformed

church. With an Introduction by Hagenbach. 1st vol.: H. Zwingli's life and selected writings. By R. Christoffel. pp. 766. 8th vol. C. Olevianus and Zach. Ursinus. By Lü. K. Sudhoff. pp. 643.

Luther on Matrimony. Collected from his writings by Strampff. pp. 434. Luther's doctrine on Confession, exposed systematically with Luther's own words. By Pfisterer. pp. 179.

Mejer, Prof. Dr. Otto, on Roman Catholic Missions. A Lecture. pp. 31. Monumenta Conciliorum generalium sæculi XV. eod. Cæsarea academiæ scientiarum socii delegati. Concilium Basileense. Scriptorum tom. 1. Fol. Vindobona. pp. xlix. and 889.

Its preparations and its en

Noack, Lud., The origin of Christendom. trance into the world. 2 vols. pp. 753. Otto, Dr. Joh. Charles Theod., Corpus Apologetarum christianorum sæculi II. vol. 7, containing the works of Athenagoras. pp. 328.

Schweizer, Dr. Alex., The theological and moral state of the Church of Zurich in the second half of the seventeenth century. pp. 41.

Sixt, Chr. H., Paul Eber: a piece of Wittenberg life in the years 1532 -1569. pp. 95. Sixt is a most able biographer, and has distinguished himself already by his interesting work on P. P. Vergerius.

Tholuck, The merits of Christianity in improving the state of the Female sex. A Lecture. pp. 24.

Wilkers, Peter the Venerable, Abbott of Clugny. A monk's life. pp.

277.

Zimmermann, Dr. Will., History of the life of the Christian Church. In 4 vols. Two volumes are published. This will be a popular Church history, written by an author who is distinguished by a lively and easy style.

To these works on Church history, we may add two documents on the ecclesiastical movements in 1857:

Transactions of the meeting of Evangelical Christians from Germany and other countries at Berlin, 9-17 Sept. 1857. Authentic edition. By K. E. Reineck. pp. 565.

Transactions of the 9th German Evangelical kirchentag, at Stuttgart, 1857. Edited by Biernatzky.

Bender, Descriptions of characters of the Old Testament. In sermons. pp. 360.

Burger, Sermons preached in the Protestant Parish Church at Munich. pp. 315.

Gerok, K., Sermons on every Sunday and feast-day in the year.

Hagenbach, K. R., The nature of Evangelical Freedom and our relation to it. A Sermon.

Kapff, Dr. (of Stuttgart), Eighty-three Sermons on the Pericopes. pp.

834.

Krummacher, F. W. and Krummacher, E. W., several Speeches and Lectures on occasion of the meeting of the Evangelical Alliance at Berlin. Mükensiefen's (of Berlin) Sermons. 2d Collection. 2d ed. pp. 216. Petri (of Hanover), The Light of Life. A year's sermons.

pp. 634.

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