VIII. Sketches of Ireland Sixty Years ago. 12mo, pp. 198. M‘Glashan,

Dublin, 1847. This is an instructive and interesting book, full of pictures' of Ireland as it was something more than half-a-century since—when a voyage from Dublin to Liverpool frequently occupied ten days, and was a something to be talked of by the man who had made it. The sketches are given with a good deal of sprightliness and artistic skill, and are adapted to do more than many a grave dissertation, to convey to the English reader a vivid impression of the past and present in respect to the sister kingdom. The aim of the book is to cement more closely, rather than to sever, the two countries.

IX. The Power of the Press : is it rightly employed ? Facts, Inquiries, and

Suggestions, addressed to members of Christian Churches. 12mo, pp. 46.

Partridge and Oakey, London. 1847. This is an attempt to ascertain the quantity and quality of the agency which is constantly acting on the public mind through the press, and especially through the newspaper and periodical press. Much of this agency is described as directly antichristian in its aim and result; much more is described as evincing its antichristian or its Romanizing tendencies only indirectly, but as working the more effectually, by working towards its object after that fashion ; while the remaining portion—the portion which may be regarded as really on the side of Evangelical Protestantism, is set forth as being, in this relative view of it, lamentably small. We think that the power of the religious press, taken as a whole, is considerably underrated in this estimate, but after making such deductions as we should be disposed to make from the author's statements, the case is sufficiently bad.

Beside subordinate means, the great measure suggested by the writer, with a view to counteract this state of things, is the establishment of a daily paper of first-rate power, as an organ of Evangelical Protestantism, based on the principle of a complete exemption of religion from all state control. Here, however, three things are wanting—the money, the literary power, and the ear of the public. But the run which has been making for some time past, against what is called “the aristocracy of dissent,' leaves little room to hope that the wealth of dissent would be found to flow with the required freedom in favour of such an object; while in regard to literary power, that could come from combination only, and combination supposes a degree of mutual concession and candour among our most able men, that does not at present exist; and as to the ear of the public at large, alas ! we were never so shut out from that since we have been a people. Such a paper would not be more than partially read even among dissenters, unless conducted in a much greater degree than anything. now existing among us, on the principle of representing the average opinion of nonconformists-and a catholicity of that sort we cannot at present hope to see; while as regards the public generally, we know of nothing that should induce them to become readers of such a journal, however ably conducted, in a sufficient degree to render its continued existence possible. No—we must evince more unity—much more of the power to be agreed among ourselves, before we can reasonably hope to make our power felt elsewhere in the manner proposed. Delighted should we be to see such a journal launched, with all the requisites that might promise it success, but at present those requisites in every material point are wanting.

We earnestly commend this pamphlet to the attention of our readers, and still hope that the day may come when the position of the Protestant Nonconformists of Great Britain in relation to the press of this country, will be all that the author is desirous of realizing—though, judging from present appearances, this consummation is sadly remote.

Since writing thus far, we have seen that Dr. Campbell is about to unfurl his British Banner. This is to be a cheap, popular, and powerful weekly newspaper. For a time, at least, the editor ceases to be a preacher and a pastor, that he may give himself adequately to this enterprise. Exception will no doubt be taken, that the divine should be thus merged, even for a season, in the editorship of a newspaper. But we do not sympathize with such an objection. We have, we think, a becoming reverence for the ministerial character and office, but we are no believers in the maxim-once a priest, always a priest. We believe that men should do that good thing most which they can do best. It would not be difficult to find men who can preach quite as effectivelyļas Dr. Campbell; but it is exceedingly difficult to find men who can do some other things as he can do them. Let the British Banner be the religious organ we hope to see, and the strictly religious good done will be much greater than any amount of pulpit agency could possibly achieve. Dr. Campbell, therefore, has our best wishes—and shall have more than wishes, as occasion may offer-only let him bear with us in entreating him to remember, that to demolish error is certainly not more than half the good man's mission to this world. To be zealous in building up our own truth and piety is the most effective mode of putting down the world's error and the world's wickedness.

X. The Book of Bible Characters. By GEORGE BAKER. pp. 100. This is a small Biographical Dictionary of the Bible, in which least attention is bestowed on the characters in the sacred history which are best known, and most on those which, while well suited to convey instruction, are most likely to be overlooked.

XI. The History of the Fairchild Family: or, The Child's Manual ; being

a collection of Stories calculated to show the Importance and Effects of a Religious Education. By Mrs. SHERWOOD, and her Daughter, Mrs.

STREETEN. Part III. 8vo, pp. 352. Hatchard, London. 1847. This is · Part III.' of the Fairchild Family. The former Parts in this series of Stories' have passed beyond the ordeal of literary criticism ; the public, that great and ultimate critic, has long since decided on their worth. By those who have attached a high value to the preceding volumes, the present will not be less valued, especially as the advanced age of the principal contributor in this instance precludes the hope of her continuing long to bestow her lessons of wisdom and piety on a generation to which she has been so greatly a benefactor.

6

XII. Wanderings of a Pilgrim in the Shadow of Mont Blanc and the Jung

frau Alps. By GEORGE B. CHEEVER, D.D. Small 8vo, pp. 367. Col

lins, Glasgow. 1847. Of the Wanderings of a Pilgrim in the Shadow of Mont Blanc' we have before spoken in words of hearty commendation. The present volume includes the wanderings of the same pilgrim in the shadow of the Jungfrau-the Mont Blanc of the Bernese Alps. The two seasons of wandering brought our pilgrim into contact with all the varieties of social life, and of religion, in the world of the Alps, and he has here given free and powerful expression to his intelligent and Christian impressions about it all.

a

XIII. The Bible Remembrancer ; intended to assist the Memory in the trea

suring up of God's Word; including, among numerous useful articles, a Scripture Numeration; an Alphabetical Index to the Psalms ; Improved Readings; a Key to the Promises; and an Analysis of the Whole Bible.

By the Rev. INGRAM COBBIN, A.M. London. 1847. This is a small and very neatly printed volume, fulfilling the promise of its title-page, which, bearing in mind what that title-page includes, is, we think, saying a good deal in its favour. It is about five inches square, little more than half an inch thick, and in this space presents an Analysis of the Bible, -indicating, in succession, the contents of all the chapters in all the books of scripture, and to a large extent classifying the matter of the inspired volume according to subjects. Many other Bible helps are included in this ingenious little manual, such as should give it value to the private Christian, and even to the Biblical student.

XIV. Memoir of the Rer. Thomas M Kean, M.A., Missionary at Tahiti.

By the Rev. JOSEPH A. MILLER. With an Introduction by the Rev.
ARTHUR TIDMAN, Foreign Secretary to the London Missionary Society.

12mo, pp. 208. Snow, London. 1847. The subject of this memoir, as is known to many of our readers, was killed by a musket-shot, during an engagement between the Tahitians and the French on the 30th of June, 1844. The present publication contains letters and documents, equally illustrative of the piety and devotedness of Mr. M-Kean; and of the care and judgment with which the directors and officers of the London Missionary Society watched over the interests of their mission in Polynesia, during the severe trial to which it has been subject during some years past. It is a book which presents an instructive picture of the trials of missionary life, and shows that the perplexities of the conscientious director at home must sometimes be hardly less distressing than those of the devoted missionary in the field of labour.

XV. The Rock of Israel. 24mo, pp. 176. London. 1847. This small volume is designed as a word in season to the distrustful. The style is simple and perspicuous, and the thoughts are scriptural and judicious. From the exercises of his own spirit the author appears to have acquired the skill wherewith wisely to administer strength to the weak and comfort to the sorrowing

XVI. A Discourse Commemorative of the Rev. Thomas Chalmers, D.D. By of his love for music and poetry, but few are aware that, along with a fine poetical taste, he possessed in no mean degree the poetical talent.' These translations are meant to furnish proof of this statement, and they do so. We feel grateful to Mr. Anderson for that exercise of his taste and judgment, and trust that he will prove to have done something towards making Luther better known to British Protestants in his character as a religious poet.

XVIII. 1. Sketches of Scottish Church History, embracing the period from

the Reformation to the Revolution. By the Rev. Thomas M'CRIE.

Vols. I. II. 2. Memoirs of the Life of the Rev. Thomas Halyburton, with an Appendix

embracing an Account of the Church of Scotland during the times of Haly

burton. 3. The Revivals of the Eighteenth Century, particularly at Cambuslang,

with three Sermons of the Rev. George Whitfield, taken in short hand. Compiled from Original Manuscripts and Contemporary Publications.

By the Rev. D. MACFARLEN, D.D. These are volumes in the cheap series of publications issued by the publication committee of the Free Church of Scotland. A subscription of four shillings a year entitles the subscriber to four of these volumes annually-volumes of some three hundred pages each, with good paper and print, and substantially and even elegantly bound! How this can be accomplished without a very heavy loss, is beyond our understanding. As otherwise published, the price of each volume would be five or six shillings.

XIX. Practical Sermons. By the Rev. W. FitzGERALD, B.A., Curate of

Clontarf. 12mo, pp. 258. McGlashan, Dublin. 1847. The style of these sermons is elegant, but much too elongated and involved, and wanting in the pregnant brevity and point which are of so much importance in popular addresses, and in popular literature. The doctrine is evangelical, and the discriminating and independent thought in them is considerable.

a

XX. Theorie. By Digby P. STARKEY, A.M., M.R.G.A., Barrister-at

law. 12mo, pp. 228. McGlashan, Dublin. 1847. Under this somewhat fanciful title Mr. Starkey has published a volume of miscellaneous poems which bespeak considerable power in his art. Poetic feeling and imagination, and a cultivated taste, impart a degree of spirit and beauty to most of the pieces which few readers can fail to perceive and feel. The bounding description, and the calm philosophic reverie, alternate with each other very agreeably, and should suffice to give the volume something more than a common interest, if in these unpoetic days people could only be induced to become at all readers of poetry. But poets, it seems, will always find it pleasant to write, whether their neighbours condescend to read what they have written or not.

XXI. The Life of Mohammed. Monthly Series. Religious Tract Society.

The author of this Life of Mohammed observes, ' At this day, Mohammed is said to be revered as the prophet of God by one hundred and eighty millions of the human family. If there were no other reason, this would be enough to awaken our curiosity. We cannot but desire to know something of the origin

6

of a dominion which has spread so widely, and of which the foundation has been so strongly laid in so many minds; and especially to know something of the genius and character, the principles and the conduct, of the man who set it up. To gratify this very laudable curiosity is the design of this memoir, and the author has brought to his task not only the learning and the literary taste, but what was of, at least, equal importance-the sound judgment necessary to a just and wise performance of this piece of public service. It is, like most of the books in this series-a far better book than it seems.

XXII. The Bible not of Man; or, an Argument for the Divine Origin of the Sacred Scriptures, drawn from the Scriptures themselves. 8vo, pp. 280. By GARDNER SPRING, D.D. of New York. Religious Tract Society, London.

1847.

The following are the 'Contents' of this volume:

Preliminary Essay. The Fitness of the Time selected by Divine Providence for the Introduction of the Christian Dispensation. Chapter I. The Bible ' above the Invention of the Human Intellect.-II. The Spirit of the Bible a Superhuman Spirit.-III. The Moral Rectitude of the Bible.-IV. The Pe'culiar and Distinguishing Doctrines of the Bible Evidence of its Divine Origin.-V. The Religion of the Bible a Proof of its Divine Origin.-VI. The Unity of the Scriptures.-VII. Adaptation of the Scriptures to the 'Character and Wants of Man.-VIII. The Divine Origin of the Scriptures ' attested by Christian Experience.-IX. The Bible Accordant with Human Reason.-X. Concluding Observations.'

All these topics are discussed with learning, discrimination, and force. The volume is indeed an admirable one, and too much effort cannot be made to secure it a wide circulation.

XXIII. An Essay on Spiritual Baptism and Communion: including some consideration of the proper relation which the Sacraments bear to them. By the Rev. PHILIP GELL, M.A., late Rural Dean, and Minister of St. John's, Derby. 12mo, pp. 132. Hatchard & Son, London. 1847.

Mr. Gell is a clergyman of evangelical sentiments, and announces just views concerning spiritual baptism and communion. While naturally disposed to think as favourably as possible of the formularies of his church, he is too honest not to admit that, as relating to the sacraments, they would be much the better for a careful revision. We respect clergymen who avow thus much; our perplexity is, how to reconcile this ingenuous confession with their 'assent and consent-ex amino-to all and everything,' &c. &c. We rejoice, however, in the evidences of a scriptural piety whenever we find them; and such signs are not wanting in the volume before us.

XXIV. The Typology of Scripture. Mosaic Dispensation. By PATRICK FAIRBAIRN. 8vo, pp. 556. Clarke, Edinburgh. 1847.

We have spoken favourably of Mr. Fairbairn's former volume on this subject. In the present the principles of the previous publication are applied more fully to the Mosaic Dispensation.' The matter of the volume before us is divided into three Parts.

PART I.-The religious truths and principles embodied in the historical transactions connected with the redemption from Egypt, viewed with a special reference to their typical bearing in regard to the higher things of Christ's redemption.

PART II.—The direct instruction given to the Israelites before the erection of the Tabernacle, and the institution of its symbolical services.