the awful, and whose flesh creeps when he sees a miracle in the consecration of the sacraments, ends, as is well known, in infidelity, when enlightenment and reason have struck the ground of false reverence from beneath his feet.

It is upon this indisputable basis that the mightiest system of modern Atheism has been built. The great founder of that system divides all human history into three periods. The first, in which the supernatural is believed in: and a personal Agent is believed in as the cause of all phenomena. The second, in which metaphysical abstractions are assumed as Causes. The third, the Positive stage, in which nothing is expected but the knowledge of sequences by Experience; the Absolute, that lies beneath all phenomena, being forever unknowable, and a GOD, if there be a GOD, undiscoverable by the intellect of man.

This conclusion is irrefragable. Granted that the only basis of religion is awe, a worship of the marvellous,-then, verily, there remains nothing for the human race to end in but blank and ghastly Atheism.

Therefore has the REDEEMER'S Advent taught a deeper truth to man. The Apostle Paul spoke almost slightingly of the marvellous. "Covet earnestly the best gifts: yet show I unto you a more excellent way. Though I speak with the tongues of men and angels, and have not love, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal." Love is diviner than all wondrous powers.

So, too, the Sox of GOD came into this world, depreciating the merely myste rious. "An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign. No sign shall be given to it." "Except ye see sigus and wonders, ye will not believe." Nay, His own miracles themselves, so far as the merely wondrous in them was concerned, He was willing, on one occasion at least, to place on the same level with the real or supposed ones of Exorcists among themselves. “If I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your sons cast them out?" It was not the power, nor the supernatural in them, which proved them divine. It was their peculiar character; their benevolence; their goodness; their love, which manifested Deity.

The Hand-Book of Household Science-A Popular Account of Heat, Light, Air, Aliment, and Cleansing, in their Scientific Principles and Domestic Applications. By EDWARD L. YOUMANS. New York: Appletons. 1857. Our readers will see, from the title-page above, that this book treats of matters of great concern to all who have houses of any kind to live in, and anything regularly therein to eat and drink, which includes pretty much all the people of this favoured land,—the main exceptions, so far as we know, being a small class of citizens of our great towns, whom we sometimes hear or read of as taking up their quarters, o' Summer nights, in the public squares and porticos, under "stoups," or in other more out-of-the-way places, to which they lay no claim of ownership, or right of permanent occupation, and where "domestic economy," in the matter of "heat," "light," and "air," would scarcely permit the application of the rules of this book, while of their "aliment," and the way it is got, and of their "cleansing," the degree and fashion of it, perhaps the less said the better.

We have no doubt this book is a good one. We have no doubt that full credit should be given to all that is alleged as fact, offered as scientific explanation, or directed in the way of practical application. We say this, not as of knowledge, but as of faith; for we are laymen in matters of science. But when a person of the author's reputation as a man of science undertakes to instruct us, it is but matter of simple fitness and decency, to take for granted the scientific truth of what he sees fit to say.

So believing, we have read the work with great pleasure, as full of interesting instruction, on matters of great importance. We mean to profit by it ourselves, and we think it our duty to recommend it to others. To follow the good and wise rules laid down, is doubtless the main thing in a practical view. But the scientific explanation of the facts and principles which establish and justify the rules, besides opening up stores of curious and wonderful knowledge to the popular comprehension, tend also both to put the importance of the rules in a more impressive light, and to enable one to follow them all the better, because he knows the reason of them. In this point of view, the scientific explanations are of great value.

A Guide to the Holy Sacraments: In a series of Lectures on the Baptismal Service; delivered in Trinity Church, New Haven, preparatory to confirmation. By the Rector. New Haven: G. B. Basset & Co. 1857.

We here have, in a small volume (only 120 pages 12mo.), a large body of sound doctrine delivered in words of truth and soberness. In these days of theologic smoke and mist and perfumery, it is refreshing to meet, now and then, with a real father, who has the judgment and the strength to set forth plain things in a plain way. Such a father we have in the venerable Dr. Croswell, who lingers among us as a shock of corn fully ripe. He has spent a long and vigourous life in the office of a watchman on the walls of our Zion, and knows, if any man does, what sound the trumpet of such a watchman ought to give; and he has both the courage and the ability to state clearly and unmistakeably what he knows.

Having said thus much, we hardly need add, that Dr. Croswell here follows the old-fashioned course of taking the Bible as his guide, and the Prayer-Book as its expositor. He examines the several parts of the baptismal service, comparing them with the Scriptures, and the other standards of the Church. He also unfolds the nature and meaning of baptism, its essential requirements, and the sacredness of the vows which it lays on the receiver. Simple and orderly statement, pure and lucid reasoning, clean and pertinent induction of authorities, and all done with the utmost candour and moderation of temper,—such is the texture of this little work. There is no affectation of novelties or profundities, no ambition to shine with mock fire, or to startle and captivate with the bubbles and phantoms of popular rhetoric; nothing, in a word, but honest thought honestly spoken, and therefore running, as by instinct, in " a manly style fitted to manly ears." They who will not listen to such a voice, on such a theme, deserve to be deceived; while to those who are really worthy of plain and wise counsel, this legacy of the soul will be grateful indeed. Try it, reader; and if you do not relish it, you may justly suspect that your taste stands in the more need of education.

OUR LEFT-HAND DRAWER.

TO OUR SUBSCRIBERS.-The present number closes the first year, and the second volume, of THE AMERICAN CHURCH MONTHLY. To us it has beer, we confess, a year of pretty hard work and rather small returns; though not more so, perhaps, than was to be expected, and therefore not a legitimate theme of complaint. We knew full well that the enterprise in which we embarked was not to be consummated in a day. Wishing to build solidly, we expected to build slowly. Our mind, therefore, was made up to a course of patient and persevering industry, and to that sober and modest kind of encouragement which stands in the approval of judicious men, who think well before they choose, and then stick to their choice, till they have as good cause for repealing it as they had for making it. That we wished to succeed in the business part of our undertaking, is indeed true; but it is equally true that we wished to succeed by being really useful, and by doing such a work, and in such a way, as the conscience, the honour, and self respect of a Christian man would not afterwards have reason to wish undone. And now, upon a review of the year, toilsome and anxious as its days have been, our thoughts are tolerably at peace both in what we have done, and in the reception it has met with. Our work, to be sure, has not been nearly so well done as we could wish; nevertheless, such as it is, we can look it in the face without blushing: both the labours of the year and the fruits of the year have been such, that the retrospect of them, if not of the most cheering colour, is yet without pain; the remembrance of the one is not dashed by remorse, nor that of the other by regret in short, our present is nowise as "a couch stuffed with the thorny substance of the past for fixed annoyance." So far, at least, our reward is

secure.

Of course, the late hardness of the times, while crushing so many other interests, has not left us altogether untouched. Still, in comparison with many similar undertakings, the positive effect on ours has been slight, very slight the pressure has taken from us but little; how much it may have kept from us, we cannot tell; probably somewhat more. The reason of this we suppose to be twofold. In the first place, our subscribers, taken all together, are the very best that ever, within our experience, gave their patronage to any form or any kind of periodical literature. They are people who know where they stand, and why; who know what they want, and why; and who therefore are not to be humbugged: even if we were disposed to sell smoke (which we trust is not the case), common prudence and the clearest dictates of selfinterest would forbid our offering any such article to them. We say this most unfeignedly; and we hope our readers, from their experience of us thus far, will have no difficulty in believing that our currrency is none other than that of sincere truth; and that honest words out of a plain and simple heart are the only mental coin we feel safe in using. In the second place, the CHURCH MONTHLY probably is not, certainly is not meant to be, regarded as a luxury or superfluity, such as, when the knife of retrenchment has to be used, are commonly

the first to feel its edge. To amuse the idle hours of the thoughtless and the frivolous, has been no part of our aim. Our wish and our endeavour have been, that the CHURCH MONTHLY should be reckoned, by those who know it best, among the solid comforts and utilities of life, such as earnest men, who have to seek even most of their recreation in the walks of duty, do not willingly give up. Judging from the results thus far, and from the voices that have come to us, that wish and that endeavour have in some fair measure reached their mark.

In reference to the late hardness of the times, we have stated that we could not tell how much it had kept from us. In one respect this is literally true, in another it seems to require some explanation. How far it may have hindered the coming in of new subscribers we do not know; how far it has hindered the payment of subscriptions already due, is a thing more even to our knowledge. All things considered, our subscribers as a body have been remarkably punctual; none more so: still a considerable portion of them are in arrears. And there has been a very decided falling off in our receipts, since the pressure began to be felt. We do not wonder that such is the case; still less do we regard it as any fair matter of censure or complaint: we simply state it as a fact, and one that is fraught with real suffering to us. We want our dues, we want them very much; and we doubt not that, if our friends knew how ill we can afford to be without them, they would strain a point in our behalf. While on this subject, it may be as well to add, that we have no local agents: the profits of the CHURCH MONTHLY are so small that we simply cannot afford to have them, however much we might wish to do so. The practical inference from which of course is, that all our subscribers should make their payments directly to our office.

Well, it appears that we have managed to get through the year. And, GOD willing, we shall enter on our second year without any abatement of heart or hope, with some addition of experience, and with a much wider basis of patronage than was ours twelve months ago. As to the character of the CHURCH MONTHLY, we have not yet been able, we confess, to mould it in all respects exactly to our mind. There has been, we think, rather too much of the abstract and the argumentative in its composition. We had hoped, and we still hope, to furnish more matter of a rather light and entertaining quality. But that sort of writing, unless it be very well done, is somewhat worse than nothing; and to find it so done in this country, is not so easy as many suppose. Truth is good without the adornings of art; work is respectable even though lacking the refinements of taste; but play must carry beauty and sweetness in its countenance, it must be informed and apparelled with the attractions of grace, there must be delicacy of taste in its air, and the modulation of art in its step, else it is, in our opinion, very poor stuff to be put in print. As for the general run of magazine entertainment, we should ourselves be ashamed to be entertained with such matter, and therefore cannot think of offering it as entertainment to others. On this point, we can only pledge ourselves to do the very best we can. We should like to have the sternness of our contents relieved with a larger portion of light and entertaining matter; and we have

promises and expectations in this line from sources that never issue anything but what is really good; such as it is no discredit to man or woman to take pleasure in reading.

We resolved sometime ago, and have been making preparations accordingly, to draw more largely into subjects of an historical and biographical nature, that so our readers may be in the way of growing more conversant with facts and things, as well as with arguments and thoughts. Not but that we bave hitherto put forth a reasonable share of such matter; but we think a still larger proportion in that vein will be more interesting to the class of minds we wish to reach, and also more conducive to such habits of thought as, it seems to us, ought to be cultivated; we mean, especially, that habit of mind which holds theory subordinate to life, and so measures things rather by their practical than by their logical consequences.

As to the practical work of the Church, we are not disposed to charge ourselves with any particular deficiency on that head. Much is said now-a-days about the Church's mission being peculiarly a mission of work, and her great want the want of working men. It may be so; we have no quarrel with those who hold thus. Still we question whether, on the whole, much will be gained by setting the hand before the head. A persuasion has somehow rooted itself pretty fast in our mind, that the Church's mission is one of thought no less than of work; and that for the doing of her proper work she has as much need of thinking men as of working men. We cannot stay to rehearse the old fable about the belly and the members; but our readers ought not to forget it; and, but that we hope they already know where to find it, we would tell them they can read it in the opening scene of Coriolanus, a book written by an old friend of ours, who is commonly thought to have known a thing or two.

We have not yet brought all our forces to bear; some of the best of them are still in reserve; and will doubtless be forthcoming in due time, to give increased strength and variety to our pages. The American Church, though she makes no great noise about it, has a pretty liberal stock of mental power and mental furnishing: there are men enough in her fold who have both eyes strong to see the things that belong to truth, and also tongues cunning to tell what they see; only the literary ability that is in her needs to be expressed; and it is no slight thing to arrange the needful means and appliances for bringing it out. We have already made some headway in this undertaking; and can see clearly how, extraordinaries left out, considerable more is to be made, all in good time.

In conclusion, we must again ask those who feel an interest in our enter prise, and wish it success, to remember us. The truth is, we need, and we make no secret of it, we need all the help that all our friends can give us in the way of additions to our list of subscribers. Many of them have done nobly by us in this respect already; for which we are deeply thankful; and shall endeavour with all our might that they may never have cause to regret their action in our behalf. If all who, we have reason to think, wish us well, should do as many of them have done, the CHURCH MONTHLY would soon be