By Charles Siedhof, Ph. D., late Rector of the Gymnasium at Aurich, in the Kingdom of Hanover, now teacher of a private Classical School, Newton IX. MISCELLANY-CORRESPONDENCE, Extract of a Letter from Prof. Rödiger, Extract of a Letter from Prof. Hupfield, Letters from a Correspondent at Rome, Distinguishing Qualities of Chrysostom's Discourses, List of Chrysostom's principal productions.-Comparative estimate of them. Their general Characteristics, Specimens, illustrating the qualities of Chrysostom's Discourses, II. THE FESTIVALS OF THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH COM- PARED WITH THOSE OF OTHER ANCIENT FORMS By Lyman Coleman, D. D., Professor in the College of New Jersey, Princeton. Relation of the Festivals of the Church to the Seasons of the year, Relation of the Festivals of the Christian church to those of the Jews, Analogy between the Festivals of the Christian church and of Pagan By Charles Siedhof, Ph. D., late Rector of the Gymnasium at Aurich, in the Kingdom of Hanover, now teacher of a private Classical School, Newton V. THE PREACHING BY CHRIST TO THE SPIRITS IN PRISON.-REMARKS ON 1 PETER III. 18-21, By John Brown, D. D. Professor of Exegetical Theology to the United Secession VI. LANGUAGES OF AFRICA. - COMPARISON BETWEEN THE MANDINGO, GREBO AND MPONGWE DIALECTS, 745 By Rev. John Leighton Wilson, American Missionary at the Gaboon river, A Dissertation, Historical and Critical, Translated from the Latin, by Irah Chase, D. D. INTRODUCTORY NOTE. [THE author of this Dissertation De Codice Canonum, qui Apostolorum nomine circumferuntur, is Dr. O. C. Krabbe, now a Professor in the University of Kiel. To say nothing of his other highly valuable productions, his work in German on the Origin and Contents of the Apostolical Constitutions ought to be mentioned here, as being akin to the small Latin work now presented in an English dress. It was a Prize Essay at the University of Bonn. It forms an octavo volume of about three hundred pages. It introduces the reader to a dark but deeply interesting period of Ecclesiastical History; and to all who are prepared to enter on a fundamental investigation,it furnishes important aid in solving one of the most difficult problems, and in understanding the state of the ancient church. It is already translated from the German; and, probably, it will soon be published in connection with an English version of the so called Apostolical constitutions and canons of the Apostles. Indeed, from the evidence of manuscripts, the canons of the Apostles seem once to have constituted a concluding chapter (47th) of the Eighth and last Book of the Apostolical Constitutions. But, in the present Article, they are treated as a distinct collection. It is unnecessary here to speak of the mighty influence which these canons have had, or of their importance in shedding light on the history of Christendom. And it would be wrong to detain the reader by apologies, or criticisms, or commendations. few instances in which it has seemed desirable to add anything, it has been added by the translator, and included in brackets.TR.] FROM the time of the Lutheran Reformation, a new and brighter day shone on Ecclesiastical History, as well as on all the departments of Theology. For there have been men now men. tioned among theologians with merited praise, who, when they had received the liberty of thinking and speaking, applied the torch as it were, of criticism to the thick darkness of errors, and summoned to a more accurate examination various statements which, although commonly admitted, were yet not placed beyond doubt. They felt themselves under special obligations to go back to the earlier ages of the Christian church, and inspect carefully the foundation on which the Romish church had been resting. But the more they penetrated into the most interior recesses of Ecclesiastical History, and explored critically the sources themselves, the better they have understood that many things by which the Romish church has assumed her authority, and sustained herself for so many ages, are nothing else than inventions destitute of all firm and stable foundation. When those reformers, therefore, applied themselves zealously to draw from the fountains of history the means of combating the theologians of Rome, it could not but occur that they should not only reject many vain and absurd notions, but even refute and annihilate them. In breaking the supports of the Papal domination, what immortal glory they acquired to themselves by proving the falsity of the Decretal Epistles, to say nothing of anything else, no one needs to be informed. But among the ancient writings which in former times, were advanced to great power and authority, and which helped to sustain the Popes in establishing some of their institutes and decrees, have been also the canons, which were circulated in the name of the holy apostles. Nor have there been wanting in the · Κανόνες ἐκκλησιαστικοὶ τῶν αὐτῶν ἁγίων ἀποστόλων. Thus the book in the French king's library, 1326, is entitled: In Dionysius Exiguus: Regulae Ecclesiasticae sanctorum Apostolorum, prolatae per Clementem ecclesiae Romanae pontificem. And in the king's Greek collection of canons, 2430: Kavóves |