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they, said Book Committee and General Agent, in the interval of the General Conference, shall have authority to provide and pay for such assistance, having due regard to economy and the ability of the House to sustain the increased expense."

Here the Sunday-school Committee is authorized to do that which the Book Committee and Book Agent are empowered to do. This is certainly a conflict of authority. It may not cause any trouble, and we trust it will not, but the Book Editor had no alternative in the matter. The language is explicit in each case, and the editorial pen is powerless.

A new "chapter" has been inserted upon the subject of Temperance. The law of the Church has been clear enough in the minds of many, but if our position has not been fully understood, the law as it now stands will leave no one in doubt. Intemperance is a fearful scourge, and if, by any means, we may help to "extirpate it," we ought not to hesitate.

The section on Missions has been remodeled and improved. So also that which contains the Constitution of the Woman's Missionary Society. But the insertion of a section upon "Church Extension" is a forward movement which cannot fail to commend itself to the sober reason of the Church. Details may be capable of amendment hereafter, but a sys tem of some kind, by which aid could be extended to weak but growing communities, was absolutely necessary, if we expect to maintain ourselves in the ranks of progress.

Minor points might be noticed, but we refer the reader to the book itself. The price is reduced to twenty-five cents, which places the book in the reach of all who feel any interest upon the subject. W. P. H.

Men and Books; or, Studies in Homiletics. Lectures Introductory to the Theory of Preaching. By AUSTIN PHELPS, D.D., late Bartlett Professor of Sacred Rhetoric in Andover Theological Seminary. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons. 1882. For sale by Wheeler & Osborn, Nashville. Price $2.

It may seem a little out of place for a layman to write a criticism on a preacher's lectures to preachers. I am inclined to think, however, that a little rational criticism from a layman's point of view would be extremely useful to preachers. They are accustomed to captious fault-finding, in which there is no good, but sound criticism is rare.

The preacher that hopes to be successful must know men and books. The ideal range of knowledge required is discouraging to any one not thoroughly in earnest. But only the man that aims at the highest will ever reach it. It is the duty of every preacher to concentrate his powers in an effort to do the best work of which he is capable. It is well to enter upon this task under the guidance of a wise teacher like Professor Phelps.

This book came to hand too late for an extended critical examination.

I have turned to the lectures in which he sets forth the superiority of English literature, both intrinsically and in its relation to the preacher's reaching the minds and hearts of English-speaking people. The English language is a reflex of English thought and feeling. The intellectual life of the preacher must be nourished on English literature. I once heard an eminent Methodist preacher say that he read the daily newspapers of his city regularly, for the purpose of learning the language of his people, and of finding out what they were interested in. Scholarly preachers often fail because they are educated out of sympathy with the people. Their minds are so steeped in the literatures of Greece and Rome that they are not at home in the Christian literature of England. Learning is not the cause of failure; the preacher can never know too much, provided he studies the right things. Professor Phelps tells us of a minister who gave his congregation, during a winter, a series of very able sermons translated from the German: he was, very properly, dismissed the next spring. German and English belong to the same Teutonic family; both are dialects of Protestanism, but so different in their thought processes that a perfect mastery of the one is a bar to a full appreciation of the other. Every great, popular speaker is great and powerful by virtue of his mastery of his mother-tongue and its literature. A knowledge of other languages and their literatures is mainly valuable as an aid to a fuller knowledge of our own.

These lectures are intended for preachers, but are almost equally useful and suggestive to other scholars, to teachers especially. A. B. S.

Kant's Critique of Pure Reason. A Critical Exposition. By GEORGE S. MORRIS, Ph.D., Professor in the University of Michigan, and Lecturer in the Johns Hopkins University. Chicago: S. C. Griggs & Co. 1882.

This is the first volume of a series of "German Philosophical Classics for English Readers and Students," under the general editorial supervision of Dr. Morris, with the coöperation of several eminent English and American scholars. The plan of the series cannot be better given than in the words of the Prospectus:

Each volume will be devoted to the critical exposition of some one masterpiece belonging to the history of German philosophy. The aim in each case will be to furnish a clear and attractive statement of the special substance and purport of the original author's argument, to interpret and elucidate the same by reference to the historic and acknowledged results of philosophic inquiry, to give an independent estimate of merits and deficiencies, and especially to show, as occasion may require, in what way German thought contains the natural complement, or the much-needed corrective, of British speculation.

It is intended that the series, when completed, shall consist of ten or twelve volumes, founded on the works of Leibnitz, Kant, Fichte, Schelling, and Hegel. It will thus furnish in effect a history of the most conspicuous and permanently influential movement in the history of German thought, and its general object may be

stated to be to render reasonably accessible to the intelligent English reader a knowledge of German philosophic thought in its leading outlines, and at the same time to furnish the special student with a valuable introduction and guide to more comprehensive studies in the same direction.

The volumes now contemplated, together with the names of their authors, as far as at present determined, are as follows: Leibnitz's New Essays Concerning Human Understanding; Kant's Critique of Pure Reason (the editor); Kant's Ethics (President Porter, of Yale College); Kant's Critique of Judgment-Esthetics and Natural Theology (Prof. Robert Adamson, of the Victoria University, Manchester, England); Fichte's Science of Knowledge; Schelling's Transcendental Idealism (Prof. John Watson, of Queen's University, Kingston, Canada); Hegel's Logic (Dr. W. T. Harris, Editor of The Journal of Speculative Philosophy); Hegel's Philosophy of Religion; Hegel's Esthetics (Prof. J. S. Kidney, of the Seabury Divinity School at Fairibault, Minnesota); Hegel's Philosophy of History and of the State.

Dr. Morris showed his fitness for this task by his masterly lectures on "British Thought and Thinkers." Every student of philosophy will welcome this volume and the others that are to follow.

A. B. S.

Errors in the Use of English. By the late WILLIAM B. HODGSON, LL.D., Fellow of the College of Preceptors, and Professor of Political Economy in the University of Edinburgh. American Revised Edition. New York: D. Appleton & Co. 1882.

This is the best book of its class that I have seen. The errors selected for condemnation are taken from the writings of well known authors. They are presented in an orderly way under "Vocabulary," "Accidence," "Syntax," and "Rhetoric." In his exposition of principles, the author gives evidence of accurate scholarship and good taste. The fact that these examples are gathered from writers of high reputation shows the need of a more careful study of English by educated men. There are few whose knowledge of English is so critical that they may not learn many things from this book. I once heard a Methodist preacher, in reading the mar riage-ritual, change "woman" to "lady" and "man' to "gentleman.” Dr. Summers was present, and his countenance showed plainly that he wanted to call the man a goose." This genteel vulgarity is worse than that of the Edinburgh tradeswoman who, in the hearing of Dr. Hodgson, reproved her child for speaking of a "ram." "Fie! darling, you should always say 'a male sheep.'" Our author condemns that intolerable vulgarism, the use of the word "female" in the sense of "woman." To name a book "The Ladies of the Reformation" is bad enough, but to talk about "a system of education for females" takes one's breath: it is simply tolerable, and not to be borne." Such errors arise from an affectation of gentility; others come from an affectation of learning, or from imperfect knowledge. A friend of mine, a doctor of divinity, insists on eliminating the truth of a proposition or the meaning of a text, reminding me

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of Mrs. Partington's preacher who dispensed with the gospel. About one hundred words are discussed and fully illustrated under the head of " Vo cabulary." In the etymology of these words the author follows Professor Skeat: hence, the book is free from the etymological blunders usually found in books of this sort. We have a long and interesting note on avocation. It is very desirable to discriminate sharply the meanings of vocation and avocation: vocation, one's calling; avocation (ab, from, and vocare, to call), any diversion or distraction that calls one away from his vocation. Rubens amused himself by becoming an embassador. Painting was his vocation; public service was his avocation. The book is full of most valuable information for any one that desires to avoid errors in the use of English. The large collection of authentic examples from reputable writers will be especially useful to teachers.

A. B. S.

The Model Boy. Millard Seals, the Christian Hero, Magic Orator, and Distinguished Sunday-school Scholar. Nashville, Tenn. Southern Methodist Publishing House. 16mo, pp. 185.

This is a beautiful book. We had the honor of passing it through the press. It narrates the Life, Character, and Tragic Death of a very remarkable youth-son of the editor of the Sunny South, Atlanta, Ga. He lost his life on a railroad, June 1, 1876. He was in his eighteenth year. He was greatly loved and admired, and his tragic death was deeply deplored Specimens of his Speeches and Compositions, Resolutions, Addresses, and Newspaper Comments on his Death, are here given. The profits from the sale of this Memoir are to be sacredly devoted to the erection of a monument in memory of "The Model Boy."

Grace and Glory: A Choice Selection of Sacred Songs, Original and Selected, for Sabbath-schools, Revivals, etc. By D. E. DORTCH, Columbia, Tenn. Edited by W. G. E. Cunnyngham, Sunday-school Editor. Nashville, Tenn.: Southern Methodist Publishing House. 1882.

A careful examination of this book confirms the opinion of the cautious editor that it is "above the average of its kind" Indeed, more may be said: both in its poetry and in its music it takes rank among the best of its kind. The selected songs are those that have stood the test of long use. Many of the new songs cannot fail to become popular. The book may be safely recommended to any Sunday-school wanting a new songbook. Very few similar collections contain so much really good music.

34

NOTES AND QUERIES.

OUR PRESENT NUMBER.

THOMAS O. SUMMERS was one of the truest friends that I have found in life. Unselfish, and free from ambitious schemings, he was always ready to help others in all proper ways. For his many acts of kindness to me, I had, during his life, a few opportunities of making some slight returns. The task of gathering up the threads of his unfinished REVIEW work, and putting this number into shape, has been at once sad and pleasant. In making up the number, I have carried out his intentions as far as I have been able to ascertain them His own article on "Apologetics" was ready for the printer. It takes the place of honor. With what more appropri ate subject could the learned defender of the truth close his life-work! Those whose minds have been enriched by his labors will read this last deliverance of the master with deep, sad interest. The able and schol arly paper on "The Religion of the Druids" comes from a new contributor, who will receive a hearty welcome from the readers of the REVIEW. The article on "Christian Culture" is an admirable summing up of views on a most important subject, by a man whom I have admired since the days of his able contributions to the Home Monthly. The paper on "The Genuineness of the Book of Daniel," by a young man, new to the readers of the REVIEW, is a masterpiece in its line. The thoughtful reader will not complain of its length. It could not be shorter, for it is just long enough to say what ought to be said. These three articles had been read and edited by Dr. Summers.

I found in the REVIEW drawer other able papers on theological subjects, which were not intended for the July number. Suitable articles on scientific and literary subjects were promised, as I learned in part, but they have not come into my hands. The death of Dr. Summers gave a new subject for a paper, and Dr. Kelley was selected, after consultations with wise friends, to prepare a sketch of his life. And right well has he performed this labor of love. His estimate is just. No abler paper has ever come from the pen of Dr. Kelley.

Left thus without a single literary article, I was compelled to supply something myself, and, having no time, under the pressure of other work, to prepare a suitable paper, I have been unable to do better than publish a lecture on "New English." It was prepared for a popular audience, and is not in REVIEW form and style.

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