A work more interesting for its liveliness and more instructive in its lessons than this, has seldom been published. Professor Tholuck gives its history and its philosophy in so piquant and living a form, that whoever begins to read will read to the end. The present volume comprises the following chapters: I. The Decline of Church Orthodoxy. II. The Biblical Orthodoxy of Pietism till its Decline: 1. Pietism in Halle; 2. In Wurtemburg; 3. The Moravian Brethren; 4. Pietism in its Degeneracy; 5. The Diffusion and Influence of Pietism. III. The first Stadium of Illuminism (from the Beginning to the Middle of the Eighteenth Century): 1. Foreign Influences; 2. Inner Factors: Thomasius, Wolff and his theological adherents, Pfaff, Mosheim, and others.

The chapter on Foreign Influences has a peculiar interest for Englishspeaking theologians. It shows us that Germany was once as slavishly disposed to borrow from and be led by England as our (American and English) theologians are by Germany now. German rationalism was to a considerable extent transplanted from England; just as our rising rationalism is an immigration from the " Fatherland." Locke in philosophy, and Tillotson, Burnet, and Watts in theology, were the patterns imitated by Michaelis, Mosheim, Sack, and others. Mosheim in fact gloried in the title of "the German Tillotson." And just as Germans then borrowed our worn-out garments, so are we adopting ideas and theories which have nearly had their day at German universities.

Dr. Tholuck's allusions to English forms of religious life, however, are seldom as just as one might expect from a man who has had so many opportunities of forming an accurate opinion. He speaks of Methodisın, Puritanism, etc., just as our lofty-eyed Episcopal friends do; and seems to sanction modes of conduct which, in our judgment, decidedly clash with the biblical standard of life in Christ.

NEANDER'S LECTURES ON THE HISTORY OF CHRISTIAN ETHICS.1

The design and tendency of these lectures are expressed by Neander in the following words: "The scientific investigation of the History of Christian Ethics will show us how closely connected is the entire development of humanity with the essence of Christianity; and that many efforts now directed against Christianity, would never have been possible but for the world-transforming influence wielded by Christianity. Many in our day think it possible to enjoy the fruits of spiritual culture after rejecting the stem on which they have grown; but we hope to show that the ideas, feelings, customs, in a word the life, of Christendom are outgrowths from the root of positive Christianity, which, though they may last awhile, must eventually wither and perish if historical Christianity itself, or Christ, be

1 Vorlesungen über die Geschichte der Christlichen Ethick. Von Dr. A. Neander. Berlin: Wiegandt und Grieben; London: Asher and Co. 1865.

rejected. We shall see that many intellectual wants by which men are now stirred, and which, being misunderstood, they seek to satisfy by false means, find their true satisfaction in the influence exercised by Christianity on life; and that many a moral task which men seek to accomplish by cunninglydevised plans of their own, can only be accomplished by the aid of Christianity." After an introduction on the relation of a history of Christian ethics to the history of Christian doctrine, and to the history of philosophical ethics, etc., he proceeds to the discussion of the proper subject in hand, under four heads: 1. Christian ethics from the entrance of Christianity into the world till the change in the position of the church brought about under Constantine; in this section, the chapter on the relation of the ethical principle of Christianity to the ethical ideas entertained prior to the coming of Christ is especially noteworthy; 2. From the fourth century to Gregory the Great (seventh century); 3. From Gregory to the commencement of the Scholastic Period (twelfth century); 4. The Scholastic Period till Thomas Aquinas. The work, it will be seen, is not complete; but the torso here presented to us betrays the master-hand of the greatest church historian of the age. As a specimen of the kind of thought it contains, take the following on works of supererogation: "The notion of a perfection higher than that prescribed by the law arises primarily from a false view of the idea of law. The view we take of law will differ, according as we fix our eye on the Mosaic law or on the eternal moral law; according as we pay regard to the spirit or to the mere letter of the Mosaic law; according as we regard the special form or the eternal substance. From confounding these two very distinct things, many Christians fell into the notion that they could go beyond the law. Another root was the false asceticism which led men to regard the kingdom of God as consisting rather in opposition to, than in the appropriation of, the world. The mission of the kingdom of God is to permeate and manifest itself in the various possessions of humanity—in art, science, and so forth; not to flee away from them; the divine principle is the glorification of the human, not something solely superhuman. Such false ideas were a return, unawares, to the old heathen point of view, from which Christianity was meant to draw away the mind." With this very bare notice of its contents and character, we commend Neander's History of Christian Ethics to the attention of our readers.

CHRISTIAN ETHICS, by Dr. G. von Harless.1

The fact that Harless's Christian Ethics has gone through six editions since 1842, ought to be a sufficient guarantee for its worth; but as many of our readers may perhaps never have seen the work, we will give a brief account of its method and general character.

German methods of treating moral science are somewhat different from

1 Christliche Ethik. Von Dr. G. Chr. A. von Harless. Sechste vermehrte Auflage. Stuttgart: S. G. Liesching; London: Asher and Co. 1864.

our own. Our standard works are a commixture of what Germans term philosophical ethics and Christian ethics, which they carefully and properly distinguish. Hagenbach, in his Encyclopedia of Theological Sciences, defines the two as follows: "Christian ethics expound the theory of the inward [disposition] and outward [actions] moral relations of man as growing out of living faith in Christ. Like dogmatic theology, its foundation is positive Christianity, from which it derives its principles. On the other hand, however, it is closely connected with general or philosophical ethics, from which it differs indeed in method, points of departure, and motives, but with whose essential features it can never clash." Schleiermacher (quoted by Hagenbach) gives the following definition: "What Christian ethics enjoin is binding alone on Christians; philosophical ethics claim to be binding on every one who is able to attain insight into the philosophical principles from which they are deduced "; but if we understand it aright, it is incorrect. It is the idea of Christian obligation which, in practical form, vaguely possesses many persons who shrink from becoming professed members of Christian churches, because they suppose that they then undertake new duties. The following words seem to be much nearer the truth a truth which preachers should digest and urge on their congregations: "The more fully we understand the ethics of Christianity and the spirit they breathe, the more fully convinced shall we be that they are nothing but the most faithful reflex of the legislation interwoven with the very essence of the human mind itself"; or, more correctly expressed, a true Christian is nothing more than a true man. Dr. Wardlaw, Congregationalist minister in Glasgow, was, we believe, the first English writer to call attention to the distinction between Christian ethics and general or philosophical ethics. The work of Harless treats of Christian ethics alone.

It is divided into three parts, somewhat strangely designated Redemption as a Good; Redemption as a Possession; Redemption in its Manifestations; which are further subdivided as follows. Under the first head: I. Human life and its standards prior to, and apart from, the appearance of Christ in the flesh 1. The natural form of human life; 2. Life under the law. II. The entrance of the gospel into the history of humanity. Under the second head, I. The entrance of redemption into the spiritual life of the individual; II. Our spiritual struggles for the possession of redemption; III. Personal fitness for maintaining the possession of redemption. Under the third head, I. Christian piety as the mother of all virtues; II. Modes displaying Christian piety; III. The fundamental, divinely-ordained forms of social life on earth in their relation to Christian piety. If space allowed, we should like to give our readers a glimpse of the fulness of beautiful and ripe thought which is gathered around the above skeleton; but this being impracticable, we must limit ourselves to commending Dr. von Harless's work as at once scientific, historical, practical, edifying, and as therefore pre-eminently adapted to the wants of ministers in active service.

LETTERS AGAINST MATERIALISM, by Dr. F. Fabri.1

The author of this refutation of materialism gives the key-note of his work in the words of Goethe: 66 Strictly speaking, the one profound theme of universal history—that theme to which all others are subordinate - is the conflict between unbelief and faith"; not, be it observed, between reason and faith, science and faith, knowledge and faith; but between unbelief and faith. As this saying may perhaps seem enigmatical, we will explain it a little; we shall thus also set before our readers the central feature of Dr. Fabri's earnest book.

Hamann, the magician of the North, as he is styled in Germany, says: "Our own existence and the existence of all things outside of us must be believed, and cannot be established in any other way. Faith is as necessary to reason as reason is to faith." And here we have the key to the entire dispute. All knowledge, all science, is conditioned by faith, in one form or another. Modern writers on natural science profess to accept nothing on authority, nothing which they cannot prove, and yet they assume as certain their own existence, the existence of their own thought, and above all the truth of the substance of their thought. What is the basis of this certainty? We hear the reply: The basis of this certainty is the necessity of thought. But how do you demonstrate this necessity? By thought? Nevermore: that is reasoning in a circle, a fault with which believers may allow themselves to be charged, but which is unbearable in men who aim at demonstrating everything. We are obliged, therefore, to assume the immediate certainty of the fact of our existence and thought: and what is this assumption but an act of faith? Starting at this point, the author goes on to show that every important line of argument of the assailants of faith is reducible back to a beginning of faith, and that in reality the dispute is not one between faith and knowledge, but between more and less faith. In the course of the letters, the main principles, methods, and results of modern science, as expounded by such coryphaei as Carl Vogt, Moleschott, Feuerback, Nirchow, Humboldt, and others are subjected to a searching examination. We cannot, in conclusion, advance a stronger motive for the study of this subject in general, and of Dr. Fabri's book in particular, than what is contained in the words of Hamann: "A reason which confesses itself to be the daughter of the senses and of matterbehold that is our religion; a philosophy which reveals to men their calling to go on all fours-that feeds our magnanimity; and a triumph of heathenish blasphemy is the acme of our genius."

1 Briefe gegen den Materialismus. Zweite, mit zwei Abhandlungen über schengeschlechts vermehrte Auflage. Asher and Co. 1864.

Von Dr. F. Fabri, Missions-Inspector. den Ursprung und das Alter des MenStuttgart: S. G. Liesching; London:

ARTICLE VII.

NOTICES OF RECENT PUBLICATIONS.

SPRAGUE'S ANNALS OF THE AMERICAN PULPIT.1

Each volume of Dr. Sprague's Annals exhibits a peculiar class of excellences. One volume surpasses the others in one particular, and is surpassed by the others in a different particular. The volume now before us excels each of the seven preceding volumes of the Annals in rhetorical grace and finish. It contains the record of clergymen, many of whom were noted for their pure English style, and their character is here delineated by writers many of whom are masters of a truly classical diction.

One of the deepest impressions made by the entire series of Dr. Sprague's "Annals" is this: Some authors are greater than their books, and some books are greater than their authors. There are men whose character entitles them to a smaller degree of influence than their published writings possess, and there are other men whose published writings give no adequate idea of their kingly character. These volumes illustrate the truth, that some men can be accurately known and fitly honored by none except their contemporaries, their perceptible influence dies with them, they live longer than their names, posterity does not know to whom it is indebted for the good which it has received from them. Some characters cannot be described, they can only be felt. "His action was so individual that every case involves a long story and many details, in order to be appreciated"; "I find I cannot tell you the details of his kindness to myself even; for in order to do justice to its genuineness and delicacy I should have to give you my own memoirs for the time"; - such sentences as these, which are written in regard to one man, may be written in regard to many; they are the most faithful portraiture which can be given of a beauty too etherial to be analyzed, or of a majesty too high to be brought down to the inspection of strangers. The "Annals" of Dr. Sprague contain, perhaps, all that it is worth while to say with regard to some of the really greatest men who have adorned the American pulpit; their writings fail to do them justice; they have left no permanent memorial of their worth; their good influence distilled itself through hidden avenues; they

1 Annals of the American Pulpit; or Commemorative Notices of Distinguished American Clergymen of the various Denominations, from the early Settlement of the Country to the close of the Year 1855. With Historical Introductions. By William B. Sprague, D.D. Volume VIII. 8vo. pp. 578. New York: Robert Carter and Brothers. 1865.