The Jewish Church in its Relations to the Jewish Nation and to the Gentiles; or the People of the Congregation in their relations to the People of the Land and to the Peoples of the Lands. By Rev. Samuel C. Kerr, M. A. Cincinnati. 1866. 16mo. Pp. 237.

This is certainly a very extraordinary book. Its author claims to have discovered that the Israelitish church and nation were not coextensive, as has always been supposed hitherto; but the church was simply the body of regenerate persons comprising the truly pious of the nation. The reasons urged in support of this novel theory, which is at variance with uniform scriptural representation, with tradition, and with the universal belief of both Jews and Christians, are, so far as we can gather them from the confused and repetitious manner in which they are stated, the five following:

1. The word congregation, is in the Septuagint rendered Exxinaia church, p. 26; whence it is inferred that this term is more limited in its application than the people or nation of Israel. This proceeds, of course, on the tacit assumption of a false definition of the visible church; that it is not composed of those who profess the true religion with their children, but is "a separate body of true saints." (P. 156, comp. p. viii.) This modern idea of a small fragment of Christendom is transferred to the Old Testament, just as the American notion of the elective franchise and the appointment of civil officers by the people on p. 116. The author supposes himself to be erecting new and impregnable intrenchments in defence of pedobaptism, not perceiving that he has abandoned its citadel. Of course this imaginary distinction between the congregation and the people cannot be carried out. As a specimen of the absurdities to which it leads, we read, p. 121, "the expression all the congregation is not the equivalent of the expression all the congregation of Israel."

2. The construction of the temple, p. 29. There was the court of the Gentiles, the court of the Jews, and the holy place, answering severally to foreign nations who had access to the first, to the Jewish nation who had access to the second, and (singularly enough) to the Jewish church or congregation who were not admitted to the third. One would think that the argument, so far as it had any force, lay in the opposite direction. Since no place was at the temple allotted to the church as distinguished from the nation, no such distinction existed, or was recognized there.

3. The proselyte system. And here we are treated to a rare collection of novelties, archæological, exegetical, and philological. No foreigner born outside of the jurisdiction of the

covenant people, it is alleged, p. 25, et passim, could under any circumstances be admitted to the Jewish church. And this in the face of the circumcision of Shechem and all the men of his city, (Gen. xxxiv. 24,) of the statement (Esth. viii. 17) that "many people of the land (of Persia) became Jews," of the mention (Neh. x. 28) of such as "had separated themselves from the people of the lands unto the law of God," immediately after the captivity; of the declaration (Matt. xxiii. 15) that the Pharisees "compassed sea and land" in their zeal to make proselytes, and of the well-known historical facts, to mention no others, of the enforced circumcision of the entire nations of the Idumeans and the Itureans, who had never set foot upon the soil of Palestine.

The sons of resident foreigners born in the holy land might, however, upon giving to the masters in Israel satisfactory evidence of regeneration, become members of the church. Pp. 36, 171. The proof of this lies in the talismanic words Exod. xii. 48, which our poor unfortunate translators are soundly berated for having rendered according to their obvious and undoubted sense, "When a stranger shall sojourn with thee." Our author oracularly declares the meaning to be, "When a land-born shall be born again with thee," and will keep the passover to the Lord, let all his males be circumcised, etc. It is alleged that must mean one born in the land, for no others could partake of the passover (according to the new doctrine). And this conclusion is held fast though Abraham will then declare, Gen. xxiii. 4, that he was born in Canaan, and Moses, Exod. ii. 22, that he was born in Midian, and Lev. xx. 2, will teach that the children of Israel and "land-borns born again," were alone punishable for giving their seed to Molech; foreign residents and their unregenerate descendants, it may be inferred, might do so with impunity. The signification to be born again, is attributed to because "in one instance, Num. xv. 14, it is rendered in the Septuagint πроsтévηταApós over and above, and révyta to be born." P. 34. "Donnegan or Liddell and Scott's Greek Lexicon," is referred to in proof, either of which would inform him that рosréta means no such thing. But whatever it may signify, means to sojourn or dwell, and can mean nothing else in such a connection. It might be vain to refer to commentaries and Hebrew lexicons, which are so contemptuously spoken of, p. 18, but the Bible and concordance will compel to the same conclusion.

It might seem to be difficult to reconcile with these new views of proselytism the directions, Gen. xvii. 12, Exod. xii. 44, to circumcise servants "bought with money of any stranger which is

not of thy seed," and to admit them to the passover. But nothing is easier; and these passages taken in connection with Lev. xxv. 44, afford an opportunity to do away with the impression hitherto well-nigh universal, that involuntary servitude existed among the patriarchs and in Israel. These servants could in no case be foreign born, p. 103, for none such were ever allowed to eat the passover (according to the new doctrine); for strangers we must therefore substitute their descendants. Moreover, they were not servants at all; for is translated as in the Septuagint, and as sometimes means son, hence these were adopted sons. P. 185. They were children of unbelieving foreigners, who upon their conversion left their parents and sought admission to pious Israelitish families, where they were adopted. P. 166. And as to their being "bought with money," this simply means that they were "endowed" by some present made to them on their reception, or that some pecuniary recompense was made to their parents by the adopting father, just as a dowry was customarily given to the parents of a bride. P. 191. To what lengths will not men go, when they have a theory to sustain!

4. The words, or as it is spelled in this volume azurah, which might be thought a mere slip like "Melchisedeck" and "Elisha the Tishbite," p. 146, but for the uniformity with which it occurs. This term, which means simply a native Israelite, is in defiance of etymology, usage, and authority (including even his favourite Septuagint), translated "a Hebrew of the Hebrews," and this is arbitrarily assumed to mean one who belongs not only to the Hebrew nation, but to the Hebrew church. P. 108. The proof offered is the occurrence of the phrase, "native born among the children of Israel," in contrast with those of foreign descent. "If the Hebrew word azurah, which I render Hebrew of the Hebrews,' means home-born, as generally rendered, I ask who 'in Israel,' 'among the children of Israel,' among you,' were not home-born?" P. 107. It must, therefore, he argues, denote a class, and what class can it be but the members of the church as distinguished from the nation? "The azurah was a class among the children of Israel; or, in other words, there were two classes of the Jewish nation, so far as that nation was made up of the stock of Israel, viz., the azurah who was of the people of the congregation," who was clean and ate the passover; and the Hebrew man thy brother,' who was only of the Hebrew nation, who was unclean and did not eat the passover, was only of the people of the land.' P. 108. It were idle to spend words in refutation of such an argument. We simply ask what is to be done with those numerous passages, in which and are combined

TIT

to denote all who reside in the country, whether of foreign or native extraction, e. g., Lev. xxiv. 16? or was blasphemy tolerated in those who were not members of the church?

5. The ecclesiastical penalties of temporary or permanent
separation from the church. P. 127. The confusion of ideas,
which the book betrays upon this subject, presents abundant
matter for comment, in which we might indulge, if this notice
were not already too long. To be unclean until even, or for a
longer period, was not an ecclesiastical penalty. Ceremonial
uncleanness is in the law carefully distinguished from sin. No
one of its causes or occasions involved any act of sin. It might
even arise from doing what duty required or the law itself pre-
scribed, as the burial of the dead or the ceremonies connected
with the red heifer or the day of atonement.
It stands in no
imaginable relation, therefore, to the suspension of an offender
from church privileges. To be "cut off from among (p) his
people," is in defiance of lexicons and commentaries improved
into "cut off from the drawing nigh of his people," p. 129, and
this is at least to be held as a heathen man," p. 130, the
secret of which rendering is revealed on p. 15. He imagines
that in the phrase in question, is from the verb, con-
founding Nun of the Niphal species with a radical letter, and to
this he assigns the meaning "made a ", a foreigner"!

A Commentary on the Book of Ecclesiastes. By the Rev. Loyal Young,
D. D. Presbyterian Board of Publication. 8vo. Pp. 276.

The perplexity which besets the study of Ecclesiastes, lies not so much in the obscurity or intrinsic difficulty of single passages as in its general plan and texture. The work of harmonizing all its parts and utterances into one consistent and connected whole, is attended with many and serious embarrassments. Hence the opinions entertained respecting its structure and design have varied more widely perhaps than in the case of any other book in the Bible. In the judgment of Dr. Young it is "a treatise on the question, what profit is there in this life, if there is no other? and this question is preparatory to the great doctrine of a future life, and a future judgment.' He accordingly finds in it "an argument for a God, for immortality, for a future reward." The exposition, though warped in some instances, by the assumption of this governing idea, is in the main sound and judicious. The practical reflections, to which considerable space is devoted, are good and appropriate. We trust that this volume will have the effect of directing increased attention to a portion of Scripture which is too often neglected or undervalued.

The Life of John Brainerd, the brother of David Brainerd, and his successor as Missionary to the Indians of New Jersey. Par nobile fratrum. By Rev. Thomas Brainerd, D. D. Philadelphia.

A valuable addition to the stores of religious biography. Although the author gives various reasons why he should be comfortably independent of public opinion, approval should not be withheld from the work for its own sake. It is full of interesting information touching early missionary effort on behalf of the Indians; and of Christian life and culture in this country one hundred and twenty or thirty years ago. Although in a few instances indulging in phraseology perhaps a little overstrained, it is well written and entertaining. The description. of boyhood in a New England family, in the youthful days of the missionary Brainerds, reminds one of some of the pictures in Whittier's Snow Bound. David Brainerd, already well known to fame, is the principal figure in the first hundred pages. The remainder of the volume is chiefly occupied with matter entirely new to the public, from the manuscript journal and letters of his brother and successor in the missionary field. John Brainerd, although not marked by the force of intellect, or the heroic enterprise of David, was a self-sacrificing and successful missionary, of high Christian attainments, whose labours associated him intimately with the best and greatest in the churches of his connection. The author, in editing the remnant of Mr. Brainerd's journal, with the letters which have been preserved, wisely gives them as they stand. They are worth more for history than anything which now, at the end of three generations, could be written to illustrate the labours of the missionary, his own character, or that of the times.

We hope the book will be estimated by the reading public as it deserves, as a valuable contribution to the history of the church in our land. But, whether it meets with immediate encouragement or not, its importance will remain unchanged. For its subject matter is information, otherwise unpublished, of a kind which the Christian world, once in possession of, will not willingly suffer to perish.

The Old Flag. American Sunday school Union.

An interesting story, well written, and illustrating the power of religion and patriotism as related to the recent civil war. Isa Greame's World. American Sunday-school Union.

This volume is beautiful in its mechanical execution, and equally beautiful as a narrative, founded mainly on fact, which, in fascinating style, shows the benign influence of true piety on individual and social life.