than to follow the speculative dreams of the Corypheus of English positivism. And we can do even a vast deal better than that. The New Testament, standing by itself, is the representative of a moral force, worth more for the solution of the stupendous problem of human life than ten thousand works like "Synthetic Philosophy," though this is very able and very valuable in its place. And taking in connection with the inspired record of Christianity its history and power in the world, we challenge those who stand by the theory of evolution, to give us a tenable denial of the Christologic argument. Even if the New Testament were fiction, from Matthew to Revelations, its contents will not likely be ever equalled by anything the world has produced or will produce, as a molding power in the destiny of the human race. And if materialists can believe that this christologic historic revolution of our era is the result of fiction, or of blind evolutionary forces, we can afford to let them have their own way while we, on the Christian side, take the more reasonable course of ascribing the marvelous government of the world to the beneficent supremacy of a Supreme Being.

The ancient gnostics thought they could create a better Christology than that of the church. They took to speculating and the number of theories grew apace. Christ in every one of these was either all man, or all spiritualistic phantom. The two natures of His personality, according to this highsounding gnosis, were never allowed to meet in real hypostatic unity and power. The infinite, holy personal God could not thus be degraded and cramped, by organic contact with gross sinful matter in man. The etherial religion of ultimate ideas seems to be bewildered in the same kind of dualistic fog. At any rate, it seems to be in mortal dread of degrading the unknown absolute infinity, whatever that may be, by bringing it down to the level of human comprehension and worship. Even a symbolic or approximate concept might be found to be utterly out of range. Hence not gnosis, but ne-gnosis, must be taken as the only tenable hypothesis, and the sincere recognition that our own and all other existence is a mystery forever beyond our comprehension must constitute the essence of true religion. This is of course miserable theology, but it is a vast 37

VOL. VI.

improvement nevertheless on the shallow vulgarity of the unbelief of former times. There must be another advance, however, before philosophy and scientific criticism can lawfully dare to thrust themselves forward as reliable guides of popular thinking. Had the early Christians adopted the theories of the gnostics, they would have made a fine mess out of the great moral, social, and religious issues, with which they grappled in such a masterly historic way under the guidance of their orthodox faith. Spencerian ultimate religious idealism will answer no better now, than did ancient gnosticism in the days of early Christendom.

The human race has advanced, with a firm growth, towards a fixed ethical goal under the plastic power of revealed religion. That goal has been approached with as much certitude as any cardinal point is fixed and touched in the mathemetical accuracy of astronomical calculations. To ignore or deny this, in the face of the evidences of Christianity, is about as fair and as brave as if a man disregarded all the evidences of modern science, and then took to spinning out a scientific web on some favorite hypothesis of his own as an ultimatum of peace.

The present generation will probably pause awhile, before they will exchange their faith in the divinity of Jesus Christ, the divine inspiration of the Holy Scriptures, and a specific divine economy of redemption developed in history, for a materialist abstraction like that of Mr. Spencer.

Gibbon disposed of the history of the church, in the period on which he wrote, with a few bold dashes of his graphic pen. The great Corypheus of the popular English philosophy of the day, has made a very decided advance on this easy method. To his generalizing mind such historic phenomena as Ovid's poetic fiction of Phaëton's famous exploit in the chariot of the sun; the deification of the intellectual giant but moral monster -Alexander the Great; the speculative phantasms of Buddhistic incarnations; and the whole crowd of mythologic and historic creations of Pagandom may be huddled together as of one genus with the awful verities of the Gospel, differing indeed in degree but not in kind. And this is the religious nectar which the race is to sip, when once it will be so happy as to rise to the Olympic level of Herbert Spencer's last datum.

ART. IX.-NOTICES OF NEW BOOKS.

DEVELOPMENT: BY REV. DR. MCCOSH.*-The author's aim is to set forth a doctrine of development cleared from errors and defects in Spencer's presentation. He says: "I have set forth some truths not noticed by that powerful speculator, who is as remarkable for what he has overlooked as for what he has looked at. I think I have helped somewhat to clear up this subject by representing evolution as an organized causation." He shows that mechanical force is inadequate to account for the development, and that any tenable theory of evolution must recognize the appearance of new powers, and constant evidence of intelligent design and agency of God. He says: "I reckon it as a privilege in my declining life to be able to defend God's way of acting by development, which gives a consecutive unity to all nature and as a stream from the throne of God flows through all time, widening and deepening till it covers the earth, as the waters do the sea, with the riches it carries."

A CRITIQUE OF DESIGN-ARGUMENTS.t-After forty-five pages of introduction, unfolding what the argument is, the eighteen chapters of the book consist of a history, analysis, and criticism of design-arguments as they have been presented by ancient, mediæval, and modern writers. The author is an independent thinker as well as a learned critic. The work is valuable to students of theology in presenting what has been done in the development of this argument and indicating in an historical way the lines of thought in which it may be most effective. The author has not included in his plan the examination of German works on the subject, and of works of the last fifty or sixty years, confines himself, with the exception of Janet, to English and American writers.

*Philosophic Series, No. III. Development; what it can do and what it cannot do. By JAMES MCCOSH, D.D., LL.D., D.L. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1883. Paper covers. 50 pages. Price, 50 cents.

A Critique of Design-Arguments: A historical review and free examination of the methods of reasoning in Natural Theology. By L. E. HICKS, Professor of Geology in Denison University, Granville, Ohio. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1883. xi. and 417 pages. Price, $2.00.

QUESTIONS OF THE DAY. V.*-This little work is a manual of information on many matters with which all American citizens ought to be acquainted.

1. The protection afforded by the State to life and property, in which the rights of the citizen and the State are discussed as well as the limitations of the power of the State.

2. The Federal government, its war powers, its foreign relations, its power to regulate commerce, over naturalization, post offices and post roads, the Indians, the public land, and the patent and copyright laws.

3. The functions of the State governments. Under this head are considered the subject of corporations, of education, of charitable institutions, and of immigration.

4. State Finances, under which are discussed taxation and debts, State and Federal, coinage and currency.

The book is written in an easy style, the subjects are discussed in a popular manner, and the information is valuable to every citizen.

OLD TESTAMENT REVISION.t-This volume is designed for English readers. It treats in a popular style the language and contents of the Old Testament, the authorship and date of the Pentateuch, the Apocrypha, the text of the Old Testament, the Septuagint and the Samaritan Pentateuch, the Talmud and the Targums, Versions of the Old Testament since Christ, English versions. The remaining chapters consist of exemplifications of needed corrections of the authorized English version. The author controverts with much ability Robertson Smith's view of the date and authorship of the Pentateuch. The volume is replete with information important to the English reader, which with the new translations of many difficult passages, will render important aid in understanding the Old Testament.

*The American Citizen's Manual. Part II: The Functions of Government (State and Federal). By WORTHINGTON C. FORD. New York: G. P. Putnam's Sons, 27 and 29 West 23d Street. 1883.

Old Testament Revision: A Handbook for English Readers. By ALEXANDER ROBERTS, D.D., Professor of Humanity at St. Andrews, and member of New Testament Company of Revisers. Second Thousand. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons. 1883. viii. and 280 pages. Price, $1.00.

REV. DR. DORUS CLARKE, ON PROGRESS IN THEOLOGY.*—— This paper is well written and will be read with interest as expressing the views of its esteemed and venerable author. The motto on the title page expresses the spirit and thought of the paper. The author says: "The age of creed-making has clearly passed away-probably never to return;" but he comforts himself with the thought that there will be no need of its return, since we have the Westminister Confession; of which he says: "To suppose that it can be improved in any important particulars would seem to be against all probability or possibility." He argues that " any statement of theological doctrine which abandons or modifies the usual terminology, would be a virtual abandonment or modification of the doctrines themselves. Probably of no science, excepting mathematics, is it as true that 'words are things' as that of theology." Unbelievers reproach theology as occupied with abstractions and words, and tell us it is "wordweariness" which is turning men away from it. Paul warns us that "the letter killeth, the spirit giveth life." The best hope for the future of theology is in turning away from abstractions and words to the living Christ and the concrete realities of historic redemption,

THE FREEDOM OF FAITH.-This volume contains seventeen sermons and a Prefatory Essay on "The New Theology." Being desirous to know what "The New Theology" is we turned eagerly to the prefatory essay. In reading the larger part of it, however, we felt something of the same surprise which M. Jourdain felt when he found that he had been speaking prose all his life without knowing it. But so far as the "new theology" identifies itself with the so-called moral theory of the atonement and puts forward Erskine and Maurice as its representatives on that subject, it leaves out the most essential reality and significance of the concrete historical redemption which it emphasizes. If it tries to solve the problems of eschatology by predicating "eter

*The Alleged "Progress in Theology." An address delivered before the Suffolk North Association of Congregational Ministers at Chelsea, Mass., Feb. 20th, 1883. By DORUS CLARKE, D.D. "Whatever is true in theology is not new, and whatever is new is not true." Boston: Lee & Shepard, 47 Franklin Street. New York: Charles T. Dillingham, 678 Broadway. 1883. Pamphlet. 29 pages.

+ The Freedom of Faith: By THEODORE T. MUNGER. Author of "On the Threshold." Boston: Houghton, Mifflin & Co. New York: 11 East 17th Street. The Riverside Press, Cambridge, 1883. vi. and 397 pages.