siah Promised, and the First Murderer arrested. The style is ornate—rather too much so for our taste-but graphic and free. The work is to be published in quarterly numbers, at the very low price of one dollar a year.

(35.) AMONG the multitude of books specially adapted to young men, we know none which combines more good qualities than "The Young Man's Counsellor, by Rev. DANIEL WISE." (Boston: C. H. Peirce, 1851. 12mo. pp. 255.) Mr. Wise's style is graphic and agreeable; and his varied reading and observation furnish him with abundant illustrations. The present work shows the absolute necessity, in order to real success in life, not merely of the minor virtues of prudence, energy, industry, &c., but also of early piety, as the only sure basis of character. We hope a wide circulation for the book.

(36.) THE "Pictorial Field-Book of the Revolution, by B.J. LOSSING," (NewYork: Harper & Brothers,) has reached its eleventh number. The interest of the work, and the beauty of its illustrations, increase instead of diminishing.

(37.) WE have received an additional volume of Schmitz & Zumpt's classical series; viz., "T. Livii Patavini Historiarum Libri I., II., XXI., XXII." (Philadelphia: Lea & Blanchard, 1851. 18mo., pp. 343.) It is marked by the same features of neatness, cheapness, &c., that characterize the other works of this valuable school series.

(38.) "The Oration of Æschines against Ctesiphon, with Notes, by J. T. CHAMPLIN, Professor in Waterville College." (Cambridge: J. Bartlett, 1850. 12mo. pp. 182.) Professor Champlin's edition of Demosthenes De Corona is well known; and the present edition of Eschines is prepared on the same principles, and with the same judgment and discrimination.

(39.) WE have received a copy of "Sermons by Wesleyan Methodist Ministers," for the year 1850. (London: John Mason. 12mo. pp. 382.) The volume embraces eighteen discourses, by eminent living ministers of the Wesleyan Methodist Church. It will be followed by other (annual) volumes, including contributions from the foreign mission fields, and from the United States of America.

(40.) A NEW edition of "The Listener, by CAROLINE FRY," has been issued by Messrs. Robert Carter & Brothers. (New-York: 2 vols., 18mo., bound in one.) A book so well known and so widely read, can need no critical notice from us but if there be any of our readers who have never listened to “The

Listener's" wise observation on manners, morals, and religion, we recommend them to buy the book at once and begin.

(41.) ANOTHER book of Daily Readings is given under the quaint title of "Green Pastures for the Lord's Flock, by the Rev. JAMES SMITH." (NewYork: Robert Carter & Brothers, 1851. 12mo., pp. 380.) The book (which has passed through thirty-eight editions in England) has a passage of Scripture for every day in the year, with a brief exposition and application—the whole reading for each day occupying but a single page. As a specimen, we quote the reading for February 9:—

"Be Watchful. Rev. iii, 2.

"Satan is watching to ensnare us, the world is watching to exult over us, and God is watching to protect us. Jesus, our best friend, says to us, 'BE WATCHFUL.' Watch against the spirit of the world, against thy easily besetting sins, against seasons of temptation, and against Satan, the sworn enemy of thy soul. Watch for opportunities to do good, for answers to prayer, for the appearance of God as a God of providence. Unite prayer to God, dependence on His holy word, and watchfulness, together; pray to be kept from sin, in temptation, unspotted from the world; trust in God to answer, but do not leave the throne; and then watch as though all depended upon thy diligence and efforts. Blessed is he that watcheth and keepeth his garments. Watch ye, therefore, and pray always.' But trust not thy watchfulness, but while watching trust in God. He that keepeth thee will not slumber: He is with thee when on guard, as well as when thou art feasting on His word and rejoicing at His table. He withdraweth not his eyes from the righteous. The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, and His ears are open to their cry.' Watch ye, therefore, and pray always.'

'O! watch, and fight, and pray;

The battle ne'er give o'er,-
Renew it boldly every day,

And help Divine implore.""

(42.) "The Annual of Scientific Discovery, or Year Book of Facts in Science and Art, edited by D. A. WELLS & G. BLISS, Jr." (Boston: Gould & Lincoln, 1851.) We renew our cordial welcome given to this " Annual,” a year ago. As a record of the most important discoveries and inventions in the whole range of the arts and sciences, it is indispensable as well to the desk of the merchant and mechanic as to the library-table of the literary man.

(43.) DR. BANGS' " Letters on the Necessity, Nature, and Fruits of Sanctification" have been collected and published for the author, in a neat 18mo. volume. We have only room to say that they are calculated to be eminently useful and deserve a wide circulation in their present form.

(44.) MESSRS. GOULD & LINCOLN, Boston, have published a new edition of "The Old Red Sandstone, by HUGH MILLER," a work which, when first issued, placed its author at once among the ablest writers of the age. It treats a scientific subject with so much frankness and spirit as to make it abundantly attractive even for general readers.

(45.) Of the following pamphlets, sermons, &c., we regret that we can give nothing more than the titles:

An Address delivered before the Amphictyon Association, at Lima, N. Y., July 25th, 1850, by the Rev. W. H. GOODWIN, A. M.

Report of the Pennsylvania Hospital for the Insane, for the year 1850, by THOMAS S. KIRKBRIDE, M. D.

Catalogue of the Printers' Library, under the Direction of the New-York Typographical Society. Rooms, 300 Broadway.

Public Libraries. From the Princeton Review, January, 1851.

Religious Progress; or, Going on to Perfection. A Sermon by E. MILLER, Presiding Elder of Reading District, Philadelphia Conference.

A Funeral Discourse on the Death of Rev. James Reid, by Rev. Bernard H. NADAL, A. M.

The Decline of Popery and its Causes. An Address delivered in the Broadway Tabernacle, on Wednesday evening, January 15, 1851, by Rev. N. MURRAY, D. D.

Education and the Church. An Address delivered at the Request of the Trustees and Faculty of Falley Seminary, of the Black River Conference, Fulton, N. Y., at the Opening of their new Seminary Edifice, Dec. 5, 1850, by Rev. D. W. CLARK, D. D.

A Letter to the President of Harvard College, by a Member of the Corporation.

A Lecture, delivered in the Musical Fund Hall, on Monday Evening, Dec. 23d, 1850, on the Jesuits, by Rev. JOSEPH F. BERG, D. D., Pastor of the First Reformed Church, Race-street.

Methodist Monthly: Devoted to Religion, Education, and Literature. T. N. Ralston, A. M., Editor. W. H. Anderson, A. M., and G. W. Brush, Associate Editors.

Inspiration of the Scriptures: Morell's Theory Reviewed. A Lecture on the Evidences of Christianity, Delivered at the University of Virginia, November 24, 1850, by the Rev. T. V. MOORE, Richmond, Va.

Report to the Smithsonian Institution, on the History of the Discovery of Neptune, by BENJAMIN APTHORP GOULD, Jr.

Free-Schools in Virginia: A Plea of Education, Virtue and Thrift, vs. Ignorance, Vice, and Poverty. "Let there be light." By MONCURE DANIEL CONWAY.

Annual Report of the Normal, Model, and Common Schools in Upper Canada, for the year 1849. With an Appendix, by the Chief Superintendent of Schools. Printed by Order of the Legislative Assembly.

Third Annual Report of the Board of Directors of the Girard College for Orphans, for the year 1850.

A number of notices are omitted for want of room.

ART. XII.-MISCELLANIES.

On the relation of the theory of "inherent properties in matter, working by general laws," to the doctrine of a special Providence, and free agency in prayer and other actions.

TO THE EDITOR :-The writer of Article I. in Quarterly Review of January, 1851, in arguing against the theory of "inherent powers and tendencies in matter," &c., and in favour of the doctrine of immediate Divine agency in all natural events, uses the following language: "The system that excludes the immediate Divine agency from nature, denies, of course, the doctrine of special Providence, and makes prayer, at least so far as relates to temporal blessings, absurd." "With reference to the objection founded on prayer, it may be said, that God, foreseeing all things, had reference to prayer in the original direction given to the properties of matter, and ordered events accordingly. From this it follows, that prayer is a part of the universal scheme of things, and is as directly governed by the law of necessity as matter. When the Almighty created matter, and gave it those laws which make its phenomena fixed and sure, he made provision for a certain number of effectual prayers, neither more nor less, and these prayers must be offered; the stability of the universe depends upon it." I object to this argument, that it is a sophism, sacrificing an elementary principle of Arminian theology, as it is based on a confusion of the ideas of certainty and necessity-of knowledge and causality.

The fundamental questions at issue between Calvinists and Arminians, are: "The power of God to create a free agent,” and “The power of God to foreknow the volitions of such free agent." These being decided in the affirmative, the conclusion is easy that God can foresee the volition of a free agent, under given circumstances, either in one case or in a succession of cases through life; and though the foresight be infallible, it is not causative, leaving the volition free, as if not foreknown. If, therefore, God choose to bring about the given circumstances, the volition is certain though free. Any given circumstances, then, may be thus foreseen as the occasion (not the cause) of a volition to pray; the circumstances being ordained, the volition is sure to arise, and other events may be provided as answers to this prayer, by operation of general laws impressed upon matter. The material changes are forecaused, and necessitated; the volitions are foreseen and free, and woven into the "universal scheme of things."

We say, then, that God can, by constitution of nature, or otherwise, run out a line of necessitated events, which shall be parallel to another line of sure, though free, volitions; that so his special Providence may regulate the machinery of events, with reference to every prayer, and every change of human purpose and spiritual condition.

2. Moreover, the writer's theory of immediate agency does not relieve his difficulties, if his argument against the other scheme be sound. For, admitting God's immediate and particular agency, yet it will be acknowledged that it is excited in accordance with regular laws; that most answers to prayer are wrought by

this regular operation; and the more we know of natural philosophy, the fewer are even the apparent exceptions. But as these laws have always been the same, it follows, that from the beginning the Creator determined to work under these general rules. Yet their working brings special answers to prayers and events coincident with human volitions, and this coincidence cannot be accidental. It was in view, then, of these prayers and spiritual conditions, that these general laws of operation must have been selected, involving a necessary course of natural events to run parallel with the course of foreseen actions. But a rule of operation once adopted in God's purpose is as inevitable as if impressed upon matter. It matters not whether the Creator, so to speak, lays down the invariable lines of his purpose, as a track upon which he will gradually impel the car of events, or whether he so construct that car that, when started, it must take that and no other course. All actual human volitions are equally presupposed in either case, and are equally essential to the completeness of the plan. If, therefore, certainty implies necessity, all human actions are as much necessitated under the writer's theory as under the other; if certainty does not imply necessity, then the whole objection to the other scheme falls to the ground.

I hold to the immediate agency of Him who upholdeth all things by the word of his power. But the writer's argument is useless to his cause, if it were true, and as in reality involving the sacrifice of a distinction essential to Methodist theology. °M°

ART. XIII-RELIGIOUS INTELLIGENCE.

AMERICAN.

METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH, SOUTH. -We extract, from a letter of Bishop Capers to the Southern Christian Advocate, the following statistics of six of the Conferences of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South,

for 1850-51:

1. The Holston Conference stations eighty preachers, of whom fifty-four are elders; and is constituted of sixty-nine circuits, stations, and missions, in eight districts. To occupy this field in its present subdivisions, twenty preachers might be added to the eighty without crowding. Eight or ten more are much wanted. At the late conference there were seven admitted on trial, and five located. The numbers in society are, of whites 35,882, coloured 3,542, and 140 Indians; giving an increase of 825 whites and 17 coloured, with a decrease of 10 Indians. Measures were taken to commence a school among the Indians, and to furnish them, old and young, with catechetical instruction. They have heretofore been served with preaching only; and this in the usual way through an interpreter, once

in two or three weeks. More must be done for them.

2. The Tennessee Conference stations one hundred and thirty-one preachers; of whom, however, the rare number of seventeen are supernumeraries. There are ninety circuits and stations (or charges) in this conference, besides the editorships in Nashville, the agency, and the college and schools. There are ten presiding elders' districts. Nine preachers were admitted on trial, and six located, at our last session, The returns of numbers in society were, of whites 35,980, coloured 7,343; exhibiting an increase of 668 whites, with a decrease of 581 coloured members.

3. The Memphis Conference stations one hundred and seven preachers, exclusive of the schools; and has seventy-five circuits, stations, and missions. We admitted fifteen preachers on trial, and located five. Numbers in society, 29,518 whites, 7,055 coloured. Increase, 796 whites, 101 coloured.

4. The Mississippi Conference stations sixty-eight preachers, and has sixty-five