Record, instead of referring at all to the understanding of men who were bathed in the atmosphere, the love, the fervor, the purity of the primitive days, when persecution kept the Church comparatively free from corruption, they take no note of the treasures of wisdom and learning of those Catholic days. Oosterzee, in his Commentary on St. Luke's Gospel, says: "Among ancient expositors, I have chiefly consulted Calvin and Bengel; among moderns, DeWette, Stier and Meyer." Why do not these men refer, if not to the opinions of individual men who lived in the purest ages of the Church, yet at least to those great Symbols of the Faith, the very substance of Gospel Truth, which were held every where and by all? That old maxim of Augustine and Anselm, Fides precedit intellectum; neque enim quaero intelligere ut credam, sed credo ut intelligam, that is, in Christianity Faith is the foundation of true Knowledge-of this, German Philosophy, even in its best phases, has not the slightest conception.

Of course, we have another criticism to make upon this Commentary. It divorces Christianity from Institutions. It knows nothing of Sacraments and the Ministry in their integrity. In its intense subjectivism it overlooks what Jesus Christ Himself established, and what all experience and history prove to be adapted to the two-fold nature of man. Life without Form is, in permanence, impossible in such a world as this.

We ought to add, that the American edition is far more than a translation of the German original, and that Dr. Schaff, with the aid of the gentlemen associated with him, declares it to be his determination "to prepare, on an evangelical catholic basis, the very best commentary for practical use which the combined scholarship and piety of Europe and America can produce."

THE PRINCIPLES OF BIOLOGY. By HERBERT SPENCER; Author of "The Principles of Psychology," "Social Statics," &c. New York: D. Appleton & Co. 1866. 12mo. pp. 475.

Herbert Spencer is one of the most openly pronounced infidels of the age; and in his writings he represents very distinctly the present mode and plan of attack upon Christianity. His works, published by so respectable a house as the Appletons, and puffed persistently by certain of our periodicals which sympathize thoroughly with his opinions, are likely enough to exert considerable influence in this country. The public sentiment of the country however is too well educated, and too sensitive in such matters, to be betrayed by such sophistry, if the Christian press is faithful to its duty. The Universalist" declares Herbert Spencer to be "the foremost among living thinkers." The Unitarian "Examiner" says, "In the works of Herbert Spencer we have the rudiments of a positive Theology." Even the "New Englander," at New Haven, declares, "If we mistake not, in spite of the very negative character of his own results, he has foreshadowed some strong arguments for the doctrine of a positive Christian Theology." On the contrary, we affirm that Voltaire, with all his oozing

venom, and Tom Paine, with all his ribald blasphemy, were not more intensely hostile to Christianity than Herbert Spencer shows himself to be in his works as thus far given to the public. Formerly, infidels used to boast of their philanthrophy as one of their choicest weapons against Revealed Religion. The animus of this later school, as exhibited, for example, in Spencer's "Social Statics," (See Am. Qu. Church Review, Vol. XVII, pp. 302-3), will possibly induce silence on that point for some time to come.

"The Principles of Biology," of which the first volume is before us, is one of a series of works based upon his "First Principles," already published; and the author's plan, as he tells us, is to carry out those "principles," as he calls them, in their application to Psychology and Sociology. Here then we have the real meaning and intent of Herbert Spencer and the men of his school. First, as the result of Evolution or Development, we have Life; next, we have Psychology, the Soul of Man, with its origin, nature, capacities and destiny; and then, as the crowning discovery of this pretty little scheme, we have Sociology, Society in all its forms, the Family, the Church and the State. Now this fairly beats Comte and Buckle, whose logic perpetually runs squarely against facts. So much the worse for the facts, these men say. But then honest people cannot be made to think so. Of course all these forms of Society are to receive a new interpretation, and to be subjected to new laws and conditions, according to the demands of this New Philosophy, of which Herbert Spencer puts himself forward as the exponent. Now, what this new Philosophy really is, has been shown at some length in previous Numbers of this Review, in our examination of the writings of Darwin, Huxley and Lyell; men who belong to the same school with the Author before us. The object of all these men is to get rid of the account of the Creation of Man, as contained in the Bible. They think, or pretend to think, that they have accomplished it. Herbert Spencer says in the work before us, with a suppressed sneer, "Ask any tolerably-informed man whether he accepts the Cosmogony of the Indians, or the Greeks, or the Hebrews, and he will regard this question as next to an insult." We reply, ask any "tolerably-informed man" what he thinks of the theory, that the remote ancestors of Spencer, and Darwin, and Huxley, were baboons and orang outangs, as these men themselves claim? He will perhaps reply, that this is certainly one explanation of the origin of so much superlative nonsense. We say distinctly, and we claim to have proved in the series of Articles in this Review, already referred to, that the theory of Evolution, or Development, as held by these men, and in the uses to which they apply it, is a piece of sheer humbuggery; that it has not the slightest foundation on which it can stand; that it is based only upon fancies, and hypotheses, and assumptions, and not upon scientific facts. We are not arguing with these men now; we have done that before. But we will say, that Herbert Spencer, in the "Principles of Biology," combating the "Special Creation hypothesis," as he terms it, attempts, and pretends to find, an argument for his purpose in Physiology and Philology. And yet, if Herbert Spencer is a "toler

ably-informed" man he very well knows, and if he is tolerably-honest, he will confess, that the great masters in those two sciences do not sustain him in such a position. And as to the modern Infidel theory of the first origin of life by spontaneous generation, Professor Dana, one of the very first of living Naturalists, has proved, that "not the first step is taken" yet, in proving any such thing. (See Am. Journa! of Science for May, 1866, p. 390.) In short, the whole system of Herbert Spencer is a compound of simple, sometimes silly truisms and of baseless hypotheses, so concealed behind a maze of stilted technicalities, that the deception is not apparent to common and superficial readers. It seems, too, that somebody is statedly employed to write the whole thing up, and into the favor of the American people, through the pages of the public press.

We leave the volume here. We suggest to this class of men and their admirers, that if they were a little more modest in their bearing, they would inspire more confidence in their scholarship, their sincerity, and their impartiality. Not improbably, also, it might save them no inconsiderable amount of mortification hereafter. They may, however, exhibit their temper and disposition if they will; but they may not claim the victory over Revelation and the Gospel of Christ until it is fairly won. At present their prospects of such a triumph are not flattering.

Since writing the above, we learn from the Fortnightly Review that Spencer's series of works is likely to terminate with another volume, for lack of pecuniary support. He has underestimated the intelligence of the public. His conceited humbuggery, though muddy, is translucent enough to show that it lacks depth.

HOW TO STUDY THE NEW TESTAMENT. The Gospels. The Acts of the Apostles. By HENRY ALVORD, D. D., Dean of Canterbury. New York and London: Alexander Strahan. 1865. 12mo. pp. 355. The whole tendency and evident design of this volume is to shake public confidence in our present translation of the New Testament. A new translation seems to be a sort of hobby with Dean Alvord; and we remember, a little while ago, he brought the matter forward, publicly, in London, where he was met boldly by men as well skilled and furnished as himself, to deal with such a subject. In this present volume he returns to his ungracious task. He affirms, unqualifiedly, that the English version "abounds with errors and inadequate renderings;" "we are printing for reading in our Churches, we are sending forth into the cottage and the mansion, books containing passages and phrases which pretend to be the Word of God, and are not." Now, why did not Dean Alvord tell his readers, that of the whole number of various readings, thirty thousand, more or less, in the ancient MSS., the natural result of so many copyists during so many hundreds of years, there is not, as he very well knows, a single one of them which involves any essential doctrine of Christianity? Why has be taken such pains to startle the faith of simple-hearted Christians, and give edge to the weapons of sneering Infidelity? But taking the

Dean's list of words and phrases in our Version, and his proposed improvements (?) and corrections, (?) though he has not proved himself such a stupid bungler as our own American Mr. Sawyer, yet one cannot but be struck, in almost every instance, with his silly trifling, his irreverence, his self-conceit, and his want of good taste. If we write plainly, it is concerning one who has dared to provoke the severest censure. We have marked, in his work, scores on scores of illustrations of the truthfulness of our criticism, but we omit them

for want of room. In his thorough familiarity with German Rationalism, if he has escaped its poisonous infection, he certainly has not always avoided its tone and temper.

In respect to a new Translation of the Bible, we have once discussed that question at length; and we see no occasion to change the opinion then expressed. See Amer. Qr. Church Review, Vol. X., pp. 15-34. Most certainly, the Dean has only confirmed our judgment. The age which gave us our present Version, was wonderfully and providentially fitted for just such a service. One has well said :"The full effect of the revival of the study of the Greek language, was at that very day at its highest point-the very ladies of that day were, many of them, rare Greek scholars. Lady Jane Grey was absorbed in reading Plato in the original Greek, when she was summoned to the tribunal that condemned her to death. Queen Elizabeth was well versed in Greek literature; it was the golden age of classical attainments; they had all the classical authors which we have now, but the study of them had a freshness and interest, enhanced by the scarcity of other works in the vernacular, and the fashion of the times, both which causes of fitness for such a work cannot be said of these times.

"The English tongue in those days, was eminently fitted for the purpose. It had emerged from the harshness of the Anglo-Saxon, but still retained in its structure and phrase that robust, honest tongue for its ground-work and substructure. The language may not have attained to the redundancy and excess of fertility which, while it may subserve some of the purposes of literature, has actually detracted from its strength and distinctness. It may have now more scientific terms, but this is not wanted, for the Bible is not a book of science; it may have more latinity and more slang, but not the same power of expression. I appeal to Bacon, Shakespeare, Sir Philip Sydney, Ben Johnson, Sir Thomas More, and Sir Matthew Hale, and I may add Milton, against Carlyle and Dickens, and Moore and Macaulay."

HISTORY OF ENGLAND, from the fall of Wolsey to the Death of Elizabeth. By JAMES ANTHONY FROUDE, M. A., late Fellow of Exeter College, Oxford. Vols. V. and VI. Small 8vo. New York: Charles Scribner & Co. 1866. pp. 474, 495.

These two volumes begin with the death of Henry VIII., and end with the death of the "bloody" Mary, Nov. 17, 1558. It covers, of course, one of the most important periods of English history, both in Church and State. The Protectorate of the Earl of Hertford; Ed

ward VI. and his two Prayer Books; the influence of the Continental Reformation on English Puritanism, and of both on the Church of England; the Papal plots and intrigues to regain power in England; the Council of Trent; the death of Edward; the accession of Mary, and her unfortunate marriage with Philip; the imprisonment of Elizabeth; Mary's reconciliation with Rome, and her persecution of the English Reformers; her miserable life and wretched death; the alienation from her of the sympathies and affections of her people, these are some of the most prominent events of a period reaching through only about eleven years. We have previously characterized Mr. Froude as a writer, and as a historian; and we are confirmed in our judgment of him, in both these respects, by the volumes before us. Defective as he is in a want of appreciation of the great Catholic truths which underlay, and which were developed by those national movements; and failing in historical method, in those philosophical groupings which give unity to History,-his great charm, as a writer is, in his skill in depicting individual character and particular events. Here he has power, unquestionably; and here is the secret of his popularity. We do not rate him high as a historian, according to our estimate of what a historian should be and do; we do rate him high as a portrait-painter, as a clever delineator. For example, the trial and martyrdom of Cranmer are admirably drawn. Here, in few words, is his description of the personal appearance of Mary :-" Her face was broad, but drawn and sallow; the forehead large, though too projecting at the top, and indicating rather passion and determination than intellectual strength. Her eyes were dauntless, bright, steady, and apparently piercing; but she was short-sighted, and insight into character or things was not among her capabilities. She was short and ill-figured; above the waist she was spare from continued illhealth; below, it is enough to say, that she had inherited her father's dropsical tendencies, which were beginning to show themselves. Her voice was deep, like a man's, she had a man's appetite, especially for meat; and in time of danger, a man's promptness of action."

Another volume, to include the reign of Queen Elizabeth, will complete the work.

THE LIVING TEMPLE; or Scripture Views of the Church. By JOHN S. STONE, D. D., Griswold Lecturer in the Divinity School of the Protestant Episcopal Church in Philadelphia. New York: A. D. F. Randolph. 1866. 12mo., pp. 354.

This is a new edition, in another form and with some alterations, of "The Church Universal," published several years ago. We regret the appearance of this work for many reasons. We especially regret, that such teaching should have been given to the students of one of our Theological Seminaries. At a day, when such a theory of the Church as Dr. Stone holds is resulting every where, on the Continent of Europe, in England, and Scotland, in New England, and all over our country,-in the most open and undisguised Infidelity, at a day, when a positive Christianity, when the old Creeds, and the old