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Hades express the power of the unseen world, especially death. This is quite true, but is not this generally overlooked? The every-day explanation of this part of Our LORD's promise is that Satan will not prevail against His Church. True, as far as it goes, but surely it means more than that, that Death will have no dominion over her, that she is everlasting. This is a truth important enough to be emphasised in the body of the text. We are told, on p. 227, that the Church is Holy, (a) in respect to her Head; (b) in respect to the object of her Foundation. Surely she is also Holy in respect to the Sanctification which now goes on in making her members Holy. In other words, between her foundation and her ultimate object, her intermediate work entitles her to the term of Holy. So long as we consider Holiness one of the marks by which we may know what is a branch of the Church, so long must the fruits of Holiness be manifested sometimes to a lesser, sometimes to a greater degree, but still perpetually, among its individual members, so that it may be visible to all men that the sum total of all the influences proceeding from that Branch is, Holiness. It is singular, also, that there is not (as far as we have noticed) any allusion to Confirmation, either under the VIII, IX or X Articles. As to the tone of the work it is perfectly sound, speaking with no uncertain voice on the great Doctrinal truths of the Holy Catholic Church, and we, therefore, heartily recommend it as a manual of instruction, not only for candidates for the ministry, but for Sunday School teachers, and advanced classes in Sunday School.

Guide Marks for Young Churchmen. By RICHARD HOOKER WILMER, Bishop of Alabama. New York: T. Whittaker. This little volume is part of the Bishop's larger work, The Recent Past; or, Reminiscences of a Grandfather. All the practical portions have been omitted, and we have here only what deals with the Church. The Bishop apologises for its familiar style, but this we conceive to be its charm. Though the style be easy, the matter is strong. Vigorous truths are put forward in a simple dress. Take the chapter on the Church of England: where shall we find the history of that Church so clearly put and yet so condensed that it would occupy but three pages of THE CHURCH REVIEW? There is a swing and a dash, owing to the terse, pithy sentences that carries the reader along till-though he may open the book to read any one chapter-he finds himself, to his surprise, at the concluding page.

See how much is condensed in the following few lines:

The fact is, that Romanism and Presbyterianism, in some of their characteristics, are both uncatholic; they have more things in common than would be supposed at a first glance. They both undervalue patristic learning and authority. Presbyterian ministers, although well educated in the general, are proverbially deficient in patristic lore. They find no comfort in reading the Fathers, for they ever find 'Episcopacy,' and 'Episcopacy' is most unsavory to them.

The Romanists, likewise, run away from the Fathers, nowadays. They are always seeking proof of the Pope's Supremacy, and the Fathers did not know anything about so novel a doctrine. The English Church, with her weighty artillery, has driven the Roman controversialists out of their old intrenchments, and they are now seeking a new position of defence in the doctrine of 'Development,' which, as practically interpreted by them, means not development of truth revealed, but revelation of new truth.. . . The only safety is in Catholic truth and the Apostolic Order of the Church, which comes to us with the same universality of evidence that the Holy Scriptures themselves do-Catholic consent, and he who disparages the idea of Catholic consent, disparages the very foundations upon which the Canons of Holy Scripture rests for its authenticity.

These sentences ought to be learnt by heart by our young folks. The position of the American Church against all comers is here defined.

We regret the tone of the conclusion of the lecture on Religious Organisations. The warning which the good Bishop gives we heartily endorse, but deem the manner in which it is given irritating and lacking in charity.

The rule the Bishop lays down in regard to the attitude to be observed by the Christian towards scientific theories is a sound one. That no scientific theory can claim our acceptance until it has received "Catholic (universal) consent," as have, for example, the fixed laws of Astronomy. If many preachers would remember this simple advice, they would not, by their hasty acceptance of the last scientific fad, unsettle the mind of many a devout but shallow-minded believer. In patience possess ye your souls, is an inspired text, conveying much food for meditation in these days. The chapter on Scepticism, Rationalism and Scientism is rigorous, but temperate. The concluding chapter on Christian Manliness is beautiful, leading the reader away from controversy, doubt, and denial, and kindling in him, as he lays the book down, the desire to emulate the manliness of the only manly MAN. Men of the Bible. New York: Anson D. F. Randolph & Co.

Under the heading of Men of the Bible, Messrs. A. D. F.

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Randolph & Co. are giving us the companion series of books to those noticed in the last CHURCH REVIEW, Epochs of Church History. These publishers are laying not only Churchmen, or even Christians, but all intelligent readers under obligation by reprinting these series of English works. Surely, the day ought to be passed when persons even of ordinary sense should deem nothing of interest in history except the lives of kings, or the rise and fall of intriguing statesmen and politicians. The closing years of the century seem to be marked by a keen interest in the relation of the supernatural to the natural; novels and novelettes are written to prove some phase of religious thought, right or wrong. It surely ought not to need argument, that the record of the chequered history of the only continuous organisation that the world has had for over 1,800 years must contain matters of the deepest interest, and food for the profoundest reflections. Even if a person professes disbelief in the claim that organisation puts forward of a Divine origin and a Divine guidance, yet, the very fact of such a claim ought to arrest attention and court investigation. In every branch of history, save this one, such is the case; but, singularly, when a work is presented on an Epoch of Church History, readers of every other kinds of histories pass it by with the mental exclamation, "It's only a Church book," With such airy nonchalance, works, or "It's a religious book." without which all other histories are clueless labyrinths, are thus passed over by our "best" or our "advanced" thinkers, to use the jargon of journalism.

It is still more remarkable that if we pass from the facts in Church History since the Ascension of CHRIST, and dwell in detail on the lives of Old Testament personages, that we are met with greater impatience and disdain. Persons even who profess the greatest reverence for "the Bible and the Bible only," often resent it as an impertinence to have their attention directed to works dealing with such features, times, or personOur fear is, that such persons look ages of the Old Testament. upon the Old Testament as only an antiquated building of which they alone have the key. They do not realise the humanity of the personages spoken of. They forget that in the Sacred Writings only so much, and no more, is given as will enable the Christian believers to see the purpose of GOD in his dealings with a chosen nation. We, on the contrary, claim that there can be no study of more absorbing interest than of the life and times of the

exterest

to the devout believer, since such studies are side lights on Revelation; of absorbing interest to the sceptic or agnostic, since such studies relate to influences which have moulded all thought, their own included. We sincerely trust that the venture of the publishers of these series will be amply repaid. We commended the Epochs of Church History. We commend this series of Men of the Bible. In this latter, we have biographies well written, making use of all the very latest facts which modern research and criticism have to offer. Each volume really deserves an extended review, but we cannot at present do more than give a brief notice. A series of extended articles on these books would, in our opinion, be of great teaching value. It is astonishing, even to a Biblical student, to find how much can be said respecting these men of old, outside of the Bible.

(1) Abraham: His Life and Times. By Rev. WILLIAM J. DEANE, M.A., Rector of Ashen, Essex (England).

Here we have told us, in a charming style, the story of the Friend of GOD. When we read the story in the light of modern discoveries, we feel thankful that we are privileged to have the fruits of such researches at our command. The life of Abraham in the Bible may be compared to a tree we see at a dim distance. While the life of Abraham, as given us in this narrative, is like the tree as we see it when close to us, we see the outline at the distance; when we come close, we see the fulness of form, of coloring, and of life.

Mr. Deane has done wisely in bringing in the legendary matter of the life of Abraham, as found in the writings of Jew and Moslem. It would be as idle to dismiss all these legends as baseless as to put them on the same plane as Holy Writ. They do unquestionably throw great light on what the Patriarch's character was, for most of them certainly can be traced in some form or other to very early times. They do not, either, jar on the fitness of things. The following bears telling even once more, though quoted often from the Koran :

When night overshadowed him, he saw a star, and said, 'This is my LORD.' But when it set, he said, 'I like not those that set.' And when he saw the moon rising, he said, 'This is my LORD.' But when the moon set, he answered, 'Verily, if my LORD direct me not in the right way, I shall be as one of those that sin.' And when he saw the sun rising, he said, 'This is my LORD. This is greater than the star or moon.' But when the sun went down, he said, 'O my people. I am clear of these things. I turn my face to him who hath made the heaven and the earth.'

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Does not this legend teach us that Abraham was faithful to the one GOD, though he lived amid idolatrous people, whose purest form of worship was the created lights of the firmament? It is instructive to note that one of the objections we used to hear much of in former days, as to the veracity of the Bible record, in regard to the gifts made by the Pharaoh to Abram have been shown to be idle by modern discoveries. It was claimed that sheep, oxen, asses, and camels could not have been given, as such animals were then unknown. The record of early monuments But the force of now prove the contrary, with the exception of the camel. So far the camel is not traced earlier than 1300 B.C. the adverse argument is completely broken, for if three out of four of the animals are found to have been in use in Abraham's time, a discovery at any time may prove the correctness as to the fourth. Even if not, it would be no proof that because at this lapse of time we cannot find just at hand a monument recording the use of camels that they were not then in use. They may not have been in common use, but the à priori argument is that they were, since they have ever been found in use in the peninsula of Sinai, where the Egyptians anciently were masters.

The style of Mr. Deane is simple, free from verbiage, and we are thankful to say from "word pictures." In this way he lets the story really tell itself, and it is only on the closing page that he breaks through that sober restraint and gives expression to the admiration he feels, as he looks back on the life he has depicted. An admiration .we make bold to say he imparts to his readers.

Here is a triumph of piety. No temporary bursts of enthusiasm carried persuasion to a body of willing disciples; no force of arms gave unto bewildered people that choice of belief or death. By the grace of GoD acting on an obedient will, Abraham impressed his own faith on his household and on his race; he made it permanent among all who claimed his blood. Thus the great Patriarch looms majestic in the dim past; thus his example brightens the page of Scripture, his holy life and character meet believers in the world beyond the grave, where to lie in Abraham's bosom is to be in Paradise. He is a man of like passion with ourselves, who opened his heart to heavenly influences, who used the opportunities afforded him to good purpose, and thus was well pleasing unto GOD and obtained high reward.

In conclusion, we can only say that if such a life could honestly be written of any Buddhist, Brahmin, Confucian, Roman, or Greek patriarch or sage, the world of letters would go in raptures over it. while simply because he is only a Biblical personage

For