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A SYSTEM OF CHRISTIAN RHETORIC, for the use of Preachers and other Speakers. By George Winfred Hervey, M.A., author of "Rhetoric of Conversation," etc. 8vo. pp. 632. New York: Harper and Brothers.

1873.

Mr. Hervey writes in an animated style, and his own fervor enkindles that of his readers. He has evidently examined a large multitude of Essays and Treatises on Homiletics, and has also thought for himself. The whole work bears the impress of an original thinker. When he expresses the thoughts of other men he expresses them in his own way. He has given to the present Treatise a form which is in various aspects a novel one. One feature of his system may be briefly represented thus: Every true preacher is a successor of the prophets; i.e. of those biblical instructors who spoke in behalf of divine truth with a divine commission and with divine assistance; he must follow the example of the ancient inspired prophets; he is in some important, but in no essential, respects different from them; he must find not only his models, but also his materials, in the Bible; he must speak under inspiration; i.e. must have the co-operation of the Divine Spirit, must feel the influence of this Spirit upon his own intellect and will. "This system of Christian Rhetoric begins with the principle that invention, style, and delivery owe their proper life and efficacy to such aid of the Holy Spirit as quickens, directs, and enlightens the heart and intellect of the preacher" (p. 29). As distinct from plenary inspiration, "partial or homiletical inspiration is that assistance of the Divine Spirit which our Lord promised to his ministers in the apostolical commission." Matt. xxviii. 19, 20; cf. Acts xxvi. 18. This inspiration gives to the preacher a love to the truth, also to his hearers; a confidence in God, therefore a proper degree of boldness; a right kind and degree of humility, etc.

We think that many other writers have expressed substantially the same idea with that which Mr. Hervey regards as a distinctive theory of his work. They have said that the first, second, and third requisite for the pulpit orator is such a state of feeling as results from a special divine influence; and that the Bible presents in matter and in manner the true model for the preacher's imitation. Mr. Hervey says that John Livingstone the "great Scottish preacher of the seventeenth century was the first, so far as the writer knows, to catch a true glimpse of the theory of sacred oratory."... "Some three years after he [Mr. Hervey] had conceived, and in part executed this work, he met with those golden words of John Livingstone, which so happily sum up his own that he has adopted them as his motto" (p. 27). These words are: "The light of nature, which is a sparke of the will of God, hath taught many usefull rules even to the Pagans, anent the right way of makeing solemne speeches before others. But the best rules are taken from the preachings of Christ, of the Apostles, and Prophets" (John Livingstone, b. 1603; d. 1672).

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VOL. XXXI. No. 121.

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In advocating the theory that the sacred Scriptures constitute the model for our sermons, Mr. Hervey makes many important qualifications. One of them is the following: As the apostolical epistles "were written in the epistolary style, it is, we think, an error to hold them up as models of pulpit eloquence—an error that is found in writers on preaching as eminent as Chrysostom and Augustine, Vinet and Stier. As models for ecclesiastical letters, they deserve the foremost place; but to regard them as examples of sacred oratory is to confound plain and important distinctions. We have, however, ventured to admit among our materials what is commonly entitled 'The Epistle of Paul, the Apostle, to the Hebrews,' because, with the exception of the short letter appended, viz. xiii. 22–25, the style is oratorical and not epistolary. For the same reason we have likewise admitted the General Epistle of James.' Whether they were first delivered orally to primitive churches, or not, in the form of 'the word of exhortation' (cf. Acts xiii. 15 and Heb. xiii. 22), we cannot now determine. And could we decide the question in the affirmative, we would not, after all, be able by such decision to disturb in any wise the common and well-grounded conviction that, in their ultimate form and destination, they are apostolical epistles. And it is but fair to add, that almost all of these letters were intended by the Divine Spirit to be read aloud to the primitive churches; and, accordingly, their style bears a closer resemblance to that of oratory, than would that of any strictly private correspondence." — p. 5.

HINTS AND HELPS IN PASTORAL THEOLOGY. By William S. Plumer,
D.D., LL.D. 12mo.
pp. 381.
New York: Harper and Brothers.

1874.

Dr. Plumer's suggestions on the various duties of a pastor are judicious. His volume must be useful to those who will peruse it. He says more against metaphysics and philosophy in the pulpit than the times demand. The ministers of our day are not in any peculiar danger of introducing abstruse discussions into their sermons. Many of his remarks against political preaching are wise; but he does not define the words political preaching. His meaning may be wrong when it appears to be right, or vice versa. He is often indefinite in his reference to authors. He says, for example: "Smith, on the Sacred Office, is eloquent," p. 12. "Dr. Taylor of England gave to his students this wholesome advice," p. 84. What Dr. Taylor? Where is the advice found? Dr. Plumer enforces many of his notes by cogent arguments and clear illustrations. He shows us, for example, that theological students and studious pastors should remember that no strange thing has happened to them in their being required to labor with regularity, and even monotonous diligence. He says: "Are not theologians of all degrees of culture often tempted to think too high a price, in the way of diligence, toil, and hardship, is exacted of

them? But the fact is, that after all that is done to arouse them, many are but half awake. Look at the life of a cadet at the military academy at West Point, and see how much more rigorous his service is than that required in any theological school. He sleeps in the barracks, in a room with one other; at five A.M. in summer, and at half-past five in the winter, the reveille awakens him; he immediately arises, doubles up his blanket and mattress, and places them on the head of his iron bedstead; he studies until seven o'clock; at that hour the drum beats for breakfast, and the cadets fall into rank and proceed to the mess hall. Twenty minutes is the usual time spent at breakfast. Guard mounting takes place at half past seven, and twenty-four are placed on guard every day. At eight o'clock the bugle sounds, and the recitations commence. At one o'clock the bugle again sounds, the professors dismiss their respective sections, the cadets form ranks opposite the barracks and march to dinner. Between eleven and one a part of the cadets are occupied in riding, and others in fencing, daily. After dinner they have until two o'clock for recreation. At four o'clock the bugle sounds, and they go either to battalion or light artillery drill. This exercise lasts an hour and a half. After that they devote the time to recreation until parade, which takes place at sunset. After parade they form into rank in front of the barracks, and the names of the delinquents are read by an officer of the cadets. Supper comes next and after supper recreation until eight o'clock, when the bugle sounds to call to quarters, and every cadet must be found in his room within a few minutes at study, and must remain there thus employed until halfpast nine. At half-past nine the bugle again sounds; this is called tattoo; and at the drum-taps every cadet must be in bed, having his light extinguished, and must remain there until morning. Through the months of July and August the cadets are encamped, and during the encampment the instruction is exclusively military. The only furlough allowed to cadets is two months when they are in the third class. See, too, how officers in the army endure hardness, not only in middle life, but down to old age.” — pp. 90, 91.- Would the students of a Theological Seminary endure such a discipline?

INDEX TO SYSTEMATIC THEOLOGY. By Charles Hodge, D.D. 8vo. pp. 81. New York: Scribner, Armstrong, and Co. 1873.

"Perspective is the art of making such a representation of an object upon a plane surface as shall present precisely the same appearance that the object itself would present to the eye situated at a particular point." "Aerial perspective is the art of giving due diminution to the strength of light, shade, and colors of objects, according to their distances and the quantity of light falling on them, and to the medium through which they are seen." "In the contemplation of a landscape, we observe that the objects nearest us are most distinct in outline and color; as they recede

from the view, the forms become vague and shadowy, and the colors lose their intensity and blend together. In painting a picture, therefore, to harmonize with nature, it must not only be drawn in true perspective, but it must also be colored with reference to the proximity of the objects to the spectator." According to the (probably exaggerated) account of Pliny, the rules of perspective were understood and obeyed by the Roman painters so well, that birds mistook for real buildings the pictures decorating the walls of the theatre of Claudius Pulcher, and attempted to alight on the painted tiles.

The art of theological perspective consists in so representing the various truths which concern the divine character and government, that each truth shall exhibit its relative importance, clearness, and practical bearings. Some features of the divine administration are seen directly, others obliquely; some are luminous, others are obscure. We must not place the objects which are seen obliquely on the same line with those which are seen directly, the objects which are partly hidden on the same line with those which are comparatively clear. The principal figures are to be in the foreground, the subordinate figures in the background; the former in the bright light, the latter in the shade. In much of the carved work of the Egyptians, in many of the paintings of the Chinese, we are offended by false representations of nature; and the falseness consists in giving equal prominence to the more and the less important, to the great and the small objects designed to be portrayed. In theology we often notice the same want of perspective. Indirect providences are delineated just as the direct; the same language is used in describing the incidental, as in describing the main, decrees of God. Sometimes the chief criticism to be made on the theologian is, not that he invents forms which the Bible and nature nowhere exhibit, but that he does not put these forms in that relative position which becomes them; he places the receding objects on the same line with those which are approximating; he protrudes the recondite inference into a position as conspicuous as that of the clear premise. The shadow of a house should not present itself by that side which is nearest the sun, but should retire to the rear, which is farthest from the sun. The true perspective does not allow that God be portrayed as hardening the heart just as he softens it; as decreeing sin just as he decrees holiness. He performs one act in accomplishing his main and direct purpose, and he performs another act as indirectly and incidentally connected with that main purpose.

The Index to Dr. Hodge's Systematic Theology gives us a conspectus of his three massive volumes. It suggests to us the fact that he presents the doctrines of theology in more accurate proportions than we find in some other systems. Still, in examining the pages of the Index, as well as in perusing the volumes to which they refer, we perceive a want of the true perspective. The imputation of Adam's sin is too near the fore

ground, and the free agency of Adam's descendants' is too far in the rear. The fairness of the divine law, the equity of the divine administration are not so conspicuous as the nature of the sacraments, the structure of the visible church. The theory that all virtue consists in benevolence forms too dark a background for Dr. Hodge's own theory, which therefore appears too bright. The doctrine that preservation is a continued creation is put near the front of theological errors, and therefore real errors, which ought to appear hideous, are comparatively hidden from view. An innocent sheep appears like a wolf, and a fox may be mistaken for a lamb.

The Index is prepared with care, is a convenient book of reference, and adds much to the value of Dr. Hodge's system. We wish that every system of theology were enriched with an Index so full and accurate.

CYCLOPAEDIA OF BIBLICAL, THEOLOGICAL, AND ECCLESIASTICAL LITERATURE. Prepared by the Rev. John M'Clintock, D.D., and James Strong, S.T.D. Vol. v.-K, L, Mc. 8vo. pp. 958. New York: Harper and Brothers. 1873.

This volume is very rich, especially in the biographical department. We may say the same of the whole Cyclopaedia so far as it has been published. It is of particular interest to the Methodist denomination, but is of great value to every other. It is candid and liberal. It supplies an obvious want. It contains contributions from some of the most eminent scholars in our land. Many Articles in this and in the preceding volumes are the fruit of ripe learning. We have noticed some words which appear to be typographical errors as, on p. 45, metaphorical for metaphysical [?], on p. 505, liberal for literal [?]. In the general, however, the volume is carefully printed, and is in all respects an honor to the Methodist denomination.

THE HISTORIC ORIGIN OF THE BIBLE; a Hand-book of Principal Facts from the Best Recent Authorities, German and English. By Rev. E. Cone Bissell, A.M. With an Introduction by Professor Roswell D. Hitchcock, D.D. New York: Anson D. F. Randolph and Co. 1873. It is creditable to American scholarship that such a work as this has at length appeared. The work bears throughout the evidence of having been prepared with great care. Six years ago we knew the author to be making patient researches and investigations, the results of which are embodied in the volume now before us. The style is simple and chaste, and the statements are clear. The book, though not large, is yet comprehensive in its subject-matter. It contains a Preface by the author; a full Table of Contents; a brief Introduction by Dr. Hitchcock; Part 1. The English Bible: Chap. 1. The English Bible to the time of Tyndale; Chap. 2. Version of Tyndale; Chap. 3-5, Versions of Coverdale, Matthew (Rogers), Taverner, the Great Bible, the Genevan, Bishops', and Rhemish Versions, and the Authorized Version. Part II. The New Testament:

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