"This history is repeated in almost every prodigal. The counsel of the Most High is contemned, the Father's house is forsaken,.and for a time the sinner is allowed to fill himself with the fruit of his own devices. At first that fruit is pleasant,-'fruit to be desired to make one wise,'-opening up new experiences, revealing new enjoyments: the golden apple, the magical mandragora, the Hesperian lotus, gloriously forgetful of home, of honour, and of duty: the Noachian clustre (), suffusing life with false glamour, and with the lie of the first forbidden fruit cajoling its victim, till the delusion dissipates, till the drunken hero wakes up in the pig-stye, till he to whose last consciousness sounded the whisper, 'Thou art a God!' aroused by a box on the ear, sees scowling over him his terrible taskmaster his demi-god comrades transfigured into hogs, and his own fingers, lately bejewelled and daintily uplifting the goblet, in their gaunt grimy grasp no longer retentive of even such husks as the swine do eat."-(P. 102.) "Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear Him.' 'Like a father.' But how is that? You see yonder dusky tents along the stream, and knots of cattle grazing on the neighbouring hills; but the chieftain stays at home. In the cradle lies the babe whom a foster-mother is bringing up, for his own mother died on the day when he was born, and hand in hand with his widowered sire walks a little boy,full, of love, full of notions bright and strange, asking hard questions, telling dreams, till a sudden change comes across the scene; and in the effort to be playmate to Rachel's little son, for the moment the patriarch forgets his cares and griefs, and, as men would say, his dignity.. How is it that a father pitieth his children? An old king is seated at the city gate: not far away a battle is going forward-a battle on which hangs the monarch's crown, perhaps his very life. And there is panic through the town-the helpless running to and fro, and the fearful looking forth of those who think they already see their houses in flames, and red slaughter rushing through the streets. But now, posting towards the city, are seen the little clouds-the dust of separate couriers-and all rush to hear the tidings. All's well!' exclaims the first. "Victory!' shouts the second; and with fierce impatience demands the monarch, Is the young man Absalom safe?' and transfixed by the fatal truth, in his cry of anguish, the cheers of exultation suddenly subside, and as he staggers up to his solitary chamber, the joyous crowd fall silent, and even the conquerors, when they at last return, like the perpetrators of a crime slink through the gate crestfallen. How is it that a father pitieth his children? For long there has been only one son at home, and you might suppose there never had been more than one, all is so complete and orderly, and the new-come servants and the neighbours never speak of any other. But along the high-road there is at this instant travelling a gaunt and haggard figure: his filthy tattered clothing showing little trace of bygone foppery, and in his looks not much to betoken gentle breeding: so shabby and so reprobate, that those who pity common beggars shake the head or slam the door on this one. But though the dogs bark at him, and charity turns away from him: though the meanest but reject him, and though the passengers scowl at his petitions, one heart awaits him, and keeps for him the original compartment warm, ample, and unfilled. Yonder, as he has surmounted the summit of the hill, and is gazing down on the long forsaken homestead, and hesitating whether he may venture nearer, what quick eye is that which has recognised him a great way off? and what eager step is this which runs so fast to meet him? and who is this that in the folds of his kingly mantle hides the ragged wanderer, and clasps him to his bosom, and weeps upon his neck the tears of enraptured affection, and cuts short his confession with a call for the best robe, and a command for instant festival? Oh, what a love is that which the heavenly Father hath unto His children!"-(Pp. 127-8.) It remains that we say something of the illustrations. They are very effective for the most part. Some little matters we had noted for remark; as, for example, that there is hardly difference enough between the "riotous living" in the early part of the book, and the "high festival of joy" in the sequel. The former should have had perhaps a little less decorum in it, the latter a little more. And when will artists learn to attend to minute proprieties and unities of incident and costume? Comparing the two designs, "the angry brother," page 163, and the father entreating him, page 179, we find that although this scene is of necessity a continuation of the other, "the angry brother" has managed to change his dress and put on buskins meantime. The Higher Education of Women. By EMILY DAVIES. London: Strahan. 1866. MISS DAVIES is the indefatigable secretary of the Committee for obtaining the admission of girls to the University Local Examinations. It is chiefly to her perseverance that we owe the success of the Committee's endeavours up to the present time. Our readers are aware that girls are now admitted to the Cambridge and Edinburgh Local Examinations: and we are happy to say that while the numbers offering themselves steadily increase, none of the bad results so plentifully anticipated have manifested themselves. In the other great English University, the attempt to gain admission was defeated, very little we think to the honour of Oxford. Still less has it been consistent with the objects of foundation of the liberal University of London, that its senate should refuse to girls access to its examinations. We would wish for the "non-placet" members of both senates no other penance than the diligent reading of this thoroughly sensible little book. They would here see well, and to us unanswerably set forth, the futility of their objections to the higher education of women. We believe that the weapon which was used with most effect against the Committee's effort at Oxford, and which served almost to wreck it at Cambridge, was banter. The Saturday Review aspect of a subject on which good jokes might be made, proved too much for the moral courage of the Oxford dons. Let them read this book, and they will see that there is another way of looking at the subject which is weightier than banter, though not so popular, as requiring some knowledge of the matter in hand. In working through the volume, it struck us, that while Miss Davies has noticed and refuted all other objections against the higher education of women, she has said nothing by way of meeting the favourite one of woman's inferior physical power of endurance. It was a pity, while she made all so tight besides, to leave this place undefended. The objection meets with the easiest possible answer: viz., that the physical power of girls is just as much taxed by the present absurd accomplishment-at-all-hazard system, as it ever could be by a well-administered plan of higher education. And the reply does not rest on à priori considerations alone. Experience shows, that in those professions which women already follow with advantage, for example, drawing and music, the highly trained female is enabled, if under wise regulation, to learn and pursue her calling without the slightest danger to health. For one young woman who has suffered from learning a useful employment, hundreds have lost their health and fallen into nervous hypochondria from the pernicious effects of an idle fiddle-faddle existence. The Universal Church: its Faith, Doctrine, and Constitution. London: Trübner & Co. 1866. THIS is a book describing a Universal Church," to be established on an immense scale, and built on the ruin of all existing creeds. Fortunately the book is as weak and foolish as it is wicked and blasphemous. How any respectable London publisher should have allowed his name to be put to it, and why it should have been sent to us to notice, we are quite unable to comprehend. How much it is worth may be surmised from the few following specimens: "the heathen, the ethnoi (sic), the nations."-(P. 210.) The writer calls the last verse of St. John's Gospel, "A very candid confession of the object the writer had in view, namely, to make converts, and to prove that Jesus was a God in whom alone was salvation: and not primarily to speak the truth (!).”—(P. 248.) The writer's fourth reason against receiving the Divinity of our blessed Lord is : “Because He declared Himself empowered to forgive the sins of men, which must clearly render them of effect (?) or forgiveness means nothing, and so John explains it by using the word 'remit,' instead of forgive."—(P. 258.) Any reader the least versed in his Greek Testament need not be told, that the English words remit" and "forgive" represent but one verb in the Greek, ἀφιέναι. Again his twelfth reason is, "Because He teaches that straight (sic!) is the gate," &c.-(P. 259.) We will finish with the author's citation of a Latin distich : "Balnea, vinum (sic), Venus, corrumpunt corpora nostra After these specimens, there need be no question whether this writer is competent to speak on the subjects which he has undertaken to treat. Yet this is the trash which London publishers are found to put their names to, and which, we fear, British geese are found to buy. FROM ROM Messrs. T. & T. CLARK, Edinburgh, we have received the English translation of Bishop Martensen's "Christian Dogmatics," referred to above in "Jottings from Danish Theology." Also the first and second numbers of what promises to be an exceedingly useful series, if well done, "The Ante-Nicene Library;" being translations of the writings of the Fathers before A.D. 325. The first number contains the Apostolic Fathers, more complete than in any other edition already extant. We have in it the "Pastor of Hermas," and the "Epistle of Barnabas," now happily, since the discovery of the Codex Sinaiticus, entire in the original Greek. The introductory notices appear to be carefully done; and Drs. Roberts and Donaldson and the Rev. T. F. Crombie give their names as editors. The second number contains the writings of Justin Martyr and Athenagoras, edited by the Revs. Marcus Dods, George Reith, and B. P. Pratten. The same publishers send the translation of the second and concluding volume of Delitzsch's "Commentary on Job;" and a translation, in four volumes, by Mr Gage, of Ritter's valuable work on the "Comparative Geography of Palestine and the Sinaitic Peninsula." Of this important work we shall say no more now than that the editor has enriched it with notices from the more recent works of our countrymen, Stanley, Bonar, Thomson, and Tristram. We hope before long to notice it fully. From Messrs. LONGMAN & Co. we have received the second edition of Dr. Beke's interesting narrative, "The British Captives in Abyssinia." The book has grown from a pamphlet into a thick volume; an increase symbolic, we fear, of the accumulation of difficulties and obstacles besetting the work which the author had at heart-the liberation of those unhappy persons. From the same publishers we have received a second edition of the book called "The Church and the World." Some highly characteristic additions have been made, and a second series is advertised under the same editorship. The same firm also send "An Introduction to the Study of National Music: comprising Researches into Popular Songs, Traditions, and Customs," by Carl Engel, author of "The Music of the most Ancient Nations." The subject is treated in a very interesting and able manner. The book is of course beyond the reader who is entirely unmusical; but the amateur of every grade will find it agreeable and instructive reading. The author purposes to write another volume, to which we look forward with interest, on the most remarkable musical instruments. NOTE. HUNT'S ESSAY ON PANTHEISM.-The writer of the notice of this book finds that Mr. Maurice's "History of Moral Philosophy," though not mentioned in Mr. Hunt's list of authorities, is referred to by him in p. 253, and quoted in p. 230. These passages had escaped the reviewer's notice, and the inference that Mr. Hunt had not consulted Mr. Maurice's greatest work must accordingly be withdrawn to make room for the conclusion that, knowing it, he has been led to follow other teachers. EXTRAVAGANCE IN DEVOTIONAL WRITINGS. The Churchman's Guide to Faith and Piety. By R. B. London: THIS book seems to us strongly to exemplify the ancient line, #XX μὲν ἐσθλὰ μεμιγμένα, πολλὰ δὲ λυγρά. And unfortunately the mixture is often so complete, or, again, the Avypá are often so prominent, that they go far to destroy the utility of the many signally olá which the book contains. We propose to attempt somewhat more than a review of this work alone; adding a few general observations-illustrating them occasionally from other writings-on the subject of excess and exaggeration in religious works, more or less common in so many periods of Church history, abundant in our own, both in the way of introduction and revival. We hope it is needless to apologise for such an attempt by lay hands. We must, indeed, apologise for venturing to treat the question, with only the scanty knowledge which we can pretend to, of the immense literature to which it belongs. But this we must be bold to say, that it is not a question on which we can admit any authority but that of Scripture and natural good sense. That much precedent can be adduced from patristic, mediæval, and Roman Catholic sources, as well as from our own writers and elsewhere, for all that is in this book, we have no doubt; and there are those who would at once surrender their own judgment on such a point, to almost any one such precedent, still more to all of them combined. But this we cannot do, except in the case of consensus on the essentials of the Faith. Further, we cannot but give expression to the reluctance with which we presume to criticise the works of those to whom we feel our own extreme inferiority in spiritual life and fervour, and in religious perception. We purpose to respect the anonymous, or semi-onymous, disguise which the excellent Editor of this book has assumed. It is, indeed, no disguise at all to a large body of English Churchmen. They know, even without the statements in the Preface, that the initials are those of an able and self-devoted man, who amidst the labour of an arduous profession, has found time to do and to write much, that has placed him in the foremost rank of the laity of the Church. And it is painful, we fear it may be held presumptuous, for us to take exception to anything of his, and in particular to anything in a book so lofty in its aim, and so pure and holy in its general scope as the present. We can but trust that on the whole we may be held justified in doing so, and that nothing that we shall say will appear inconsistent with what we have thus acknowledged of the work and the author.t As we have indicated, it seems to be mainly as Editor and not as author that R. B. is answerable for the book, so that probably much that may be said will refer to him only indirectly. The book is a compilation; and it is a little inconvenient that the Editor has, somewhat capriciously, affixed the names of the authors from whom he has made his extracts, in a few cases only, leaving the rest anonymous. If done at all, we do not see why he should not have done it wherever he could. No doubt many persons will recognise passages here quoted, which our imperfect knowledge does not enable us to do; but the great majority, we conceive, will not do so. We can only say that we understand nearly the whole of the properly devotional part of the work not to be the production of R. B., but quoted by him from others.‡ Generally speaking, it seems to us that the parts of the book to which the names of the writers are attached are the best. But there is very much of it of which we venture to speak with nearly unqualified praise and admiration; and as this is the pleasantest part of our task, we will enter on it the first. We would so speak of the Introductory Essay on Prayer (viii.—xxvi.). Of the Statement of Christian Doctrine (2—24); except that we * P. v. + We should observe that we have been obliged to make use of the first edition, as we have not seen the second: but we believe it is not materially different from the first. See the Preface. |