filled with war and carnage. For this was the year of the vengeance of Boadicea, when Suetonius had marched against the Druids, leaving the island in his rear unprotected. Then the British queen had gone with her daughters among the tribes, rousing them to revenge. The country fell back into their power. Suetonius was lost to view; and the Roman, looking toward Britain, saw everything hidden from view by the smoke of burning cities. And what was Italy itself, the centre of this ancient world? A vast community of cities, a network of magnificent roads; its land cultivated like a garden, and teeming with population. In the north were the fertile plains at the foot of the Alps, with many stately and populous cities. Next came Etruria, where the olive and the vine grew over all the hill-slopes and throughout the quiet valleys. Campania was then filled with inhabitants; the Pontine marshes were drained and cultivated; and the most beautiful part of all the world was found then, as now, in Naples Bay, where Roman luxury had exhausted all its resources in contriving new sources of delight and new modes of enjoyment. The Pulpit Analyst. Edited by JOSEPH PARKER, D.D. Vol. II. London: Jackson, Walford, and Hodder. THE editor tells us in his preface that "The Pulpit Analyst' is designed to form a medium of intercourse between preachers and thinkers of all denominations. It aims not only to give a fair representation of contemporary English preaching, but to stimulate young preachers to yet higher efficiency in the ministry. It aims to be more than a repertory of skeletons. Texts are regarded Dot as riddles which can be answered only by subtle enigmatists; but, as voices, should mingle with the evervarying story of actual daily life, regulating its tone and directing its courses." So far, the "Analyst," with few exceptions, has fulfilled its mission. It is more practical than doctrinal; yet the doctrine of universal salvation is fearlessly inculcated, without any limitation by eternal decrees. The editor tells us he has not laboured alone, but the volume receives its impress from the stamp of his own mind, and a large propor tion of its matter is furnished by his own ready and affluent pen. The short outlines are pithy and suggestive; the more copious ones are exuberant with thought and felicitous expression. The sketches of character are graphic delineations, warm and bright with the sunshine of a generous nature. The interlinear translations are furnished by Theophilus Hall, and are accompanied with certain elementary rules of Greek syntax, which adds much to their value as helps to a beginner; though, for a competent knowledge of the original neither the translation nor this brief compendium of Greek syntax can be a substitute for a thorough study of the Greek grammar and dictionary. But why should the text of Tischendorf be adopted? seeing the rash and ill-judged alterations of that author have made him differ from himself in 1,292 instances, comparing his edition of the Greek Testament in 1859 with his earlier edition in 1849; and in these 1,292 cases of alteration, there are not less than 595 in which he comes back to the Elzevirian text. The more carefully revised text of Scrivener is much to be preferred. While we think it needful to make this statement, we cheerfully repeat our testimony to the value of the "Analyst " as a very able and suggestive work for young students and ministers generally. We are especially pleased with the author's "Socratic Sermons," one of which we intended to print as a specimen, but want of space compels us to hold it in reserve for our next number. On Both Sides of the Sea: A Story of the Commonwealth. By the Author of "Chronicles of the Schonberg-Cotta Family." London: T. Nelson and Sons. THIS title gives but an inadequate idea of the book. From the correspondence, experience, and conversations of several families of divided political sentiments, and living in the stirring times of the Commonwealth and the Restoration, we have a sketch of the proceedings of Cromwell and Charles and their respective parties, with a narrative of battles and sieges between the contending A FEW years ago Mr. Ker, who is a The Sunday at Home for December. THE topics are the following:- The Leisure Hour for December. THE matter of both these serials is Old Merry's Annual; or, Merry and wise." merry and A VERY good lecture on a very im- BOOKS RECEIVED. Earnest Christian Life; or, Memorials English Monasticism: Its Rise and HILL, F.R.G.S. London: Jack- The Gospel of Peace. By J. A. Old Jonathan; or, The Parish Helper. Monthly Summary. MONTHLY SUMMARY OF GENERAL RELIGIOUS INTELLIGENCE. To stimulate earnest Christian thought and action, is the special object set before him by the present writer, as he proposes to furnish, month by month, a series of articles chronicling the progress of the Church of Christ throughout the world. He will endeavour to give philanthropic and religious intelligence in its most condensed form, multum in parvo, and not parvum in multo. The broadest view of Christianity will be taken; the view which has been so well described and wrought out by that eminently devoted German, Dr. Wichern, the father of the Continental Inner Missions. According to his ideal, Christians ought to seek to infuse new life into every sphere of human existence and activity; nothing human, genuinely human, lies outside their interest and effort; literature, art, popular amusements, visiting the sick, looking after the poor, caring for prisoners and criminals-all are branches to which those interested in inner (or Home) missions ought to direct their attention. In the kingdom of God, whose establishment on earth is the goal of the efforts of all true Christians, all normal modes of human life and activity are to find a place. Heartily sympathizing with these views, and with this understanding of the comprehensiveness of Christian work, he begins his pleasant task. He cannot hope to give news as fresh as the morning journals, for the exigencies of Magazine literature preclude the possibility, but he hopes to do some little service to the Com munity he loves, by gleaning from a host of periodicals those scattered items of religious intelligence, which will be full of sacred and thrilling interest to those numerous readers of the Magazine who have not leisure for research, and who, therefore, would not otherwise be apprized of those many and glorious facts, which prove that the Conquering Hero from Edom and Bozrah is still "travelling," as of yore, "in the greatness of his strength." แ This labour" of love will be most conveniently performed by a threefold division: viz., CHRISTIAN WORK, CHRISTIAN WORKMEN, and CHRISTIAN LITERATURE. Now for a warm pressure of your hand, gentle reader, as you accompany us through this inviting field. CHRISTIAN WORK. Beginning with our own highlyfavoured land, have we any footprints of travel to note? any matter for grateful recognition to the Great Head of the Church? We have, and bless God for it. Our Baptist friends, under the able leadership of such excellent men as Noel, Spurgeon, Landels, and Brock, are wonderfully prospering. With pardonable pride, the Freeman says, "It may not be generally known that our Denomination, during the last fifteen years, has increased its sitting accommodation by sixty-one per cent., which is double what the Independents have done, and more than three times what the Wesleyans have provided during the same period." We cannot verify these figures, but we joyfully accept them in their reference to London, and bid our Baptist friends God speed in their earnest efforts to publish salvation through the Crucified One. Our Presbyterian friends in Scotland are also rejoicing over accessions. At a recent meeting of the Free Church'synod of Fife, ministers were requested to report on the state of religion, when six in succession rose, and testified to having, with their own eyes, seen what they could not but regard as genuine religious awakenings. Two spoke of revivals among farm servants; two told of profound attention to religion among the fishermen of the East Neuk; and one reported the existence of a movement that had been going on for months in a manufacturing village. God is pouring out his Spirit. His "priests are clothed with salvation, and his saints shout aloud for joy." We are glad also to note the noble stand which the Scotch Free Church is taking on the question of religious endowments. Her foremost men pronounce strongly against them, and are exerting their influence upon their Irish friends to induce them nobly to surrender the "Regium Donum," which has been so long a reproach to Ulster Presbyterianism. Our Wesleyan friends are not only generously supporting their foreign missions, but are beginning more freely to honour the claims of their educational institutions. They have two schools for the training of the sons of ministers, one at New Kingswood, near Bath, and another at Woodhouse Grove, near Leeds. Both are effectively managed. Then there is Wesley College, at Sheffield, for the sons of both ministers and laymen. It is gaining much distinction. One of the pupils of this institution, Mr. G. G. Findlay, has just taken an unusually high position, having at the early age of eighteen passed the second B.A. ex amination of the London University, and received the university scholarship of £50 per annum for the next three years. Sir Francis Lycett has munificently founded two scholarships, of £50 and £30 respectively, in connection with this college. The Theological Institution at Richmond is to be used in future solely for missionary students, with the Rev. Dr. Osborn as principal; and a new building is in course of erection at Headingley, near Leeds, for the use of home students. We congratulate our Wesleyan friends on their increased activity in educational matters, and commend their example to our own people. We also rejoice to see the progress that temperance principles making in the Wesleyan ministry, several temperance meetings having recently been held in Wesleyan chapels, addressed by Wesleyan ministers, the Revs. Messrs. Maunder, Garrett, and Stephenson taking the lead in this important movement; a new periodical, The Methodist Temperance Magazine, under their joint editorship, having already been announced for January, 1868, from the publishing house of Partridge and Co. We hope the new magazine will have a wide circulation. are There is great distress existing in the east of London. The district comprises a population of about 640,000. The work houses have 6,374 inmates, and 24,163 are receiving out-door relief. There are 12,000 men out of employment, and about 50,000 altogether in a state of sad destitution, 15,000 of these being children. Strong men are starving, wives and children perishing amidst the severity of this winter. Hundreds crowd the doors where temporary relief is doled out, and wait nearly the whole day for their turn, the strong driving back the weak. These are appalling facts. Most urgent appeals are made to the benevolent on behalf of these our suffering fellow-countrymen, and liberal responses have been made; but £50,000 at least will be required. This is a loud call to the disciples of Jesus to haste to the rescue, and feed and clothe these perishing ones. The secretary's address is S. B. Sanderson, Esq., 26, St. George's Road, London, S.W. Then the spiritual destitution is most alarming, and should call forth the earnest prayers of all British Christians. Since the last number of our Magazine was issued, the venerable Dr. McNeile has delivered a noteworthy address at the Liverpool Bible Society Meeting. He said that, as Dr. Pusey had published an Eirenicon for union with Rome, he wished to put forth an Eirenicon for union with Evangelical Dissenters. Appealing to his Nonconformist brethren, he said, "Have we, the Evangelical body of the Church of England, offended you? Have we been cold and distant, and done anything that you have taken amiss? Perhaps some of us have; and if we have, it is the glory of a man to pass by offences. I am not ashamed to appeal for combination in this crisis, and I am not afraid to avow that, without your help, I see no human means of maintaining in its integrity the Protestantism of England." This is a very honest avowal; and he followed it up by proposing the establishment of a Protestant League. This is a remarkable "sign of the times." His distinguished friend, Dean Close, of Carlisle, strongly disapproves of the proposition. It is high time that Churchmen of all grades abandoned their exclusivism, and decidedly, courteously, and fraternally recognized Nonconformists as "fellowcitizens with the saints and of the household of God." The Broad Church section are most Christianly in this respect. The Low Church is yet much too high in spiritual assumption. From the Record we learn that the six hundred Evangelical clergymen who met recently in St. James's Hall, were unanimous in their protest against Ritualistic vestments, and resolved to raise £50,000 to carry on the legal contest against the High Church revolutionists. The Anglican "Encyclical," translated into Greek, has been forwarded to the patriarchs, metropolitans, archbishops, bishops, priests, and deacons, and other " beloved brethren" of the Eastern Orthodox Church. Folly! Hold out the hand of fellowship to Italian prelates and Muscovite patriarchs, and ignore British Nonconformists! Oh, when will the Bible be better understood and interpreted? When will ecclesiastics cease confounding uniformity with unity? But we hasten to note the progress of the work of God in foreign lands. Crossing the Straits of Dover, we find ourselves in the land of Voltaire. FRANCE has resolved on doing honour to him by the erection of a statue. Subscription lists are to be met with everywhere, and the Protestant pastor, A. Coquerel, jun., has scandalized the best friends of the truth as it is in Jesus, by becoming a member of the Voltairean committee. Let it be understood, however, that Pastor Coquerel has lapsed into a low Rationalism, closely bordering on Deism. Nor let it be forgotten that Voltaire himself was not an atheist. He held that faith in one God, who punishes evil and rewards good, is necessary to the commonwealth, the family, the individual-indeed, to all human relationships. Notwithstanding the intellect of France is turning away in disgust from Catholicism, on account of |