Ritschl and Frank, the latter, however, being viewed as an antagonist of the school. A short account of Catholic and old-Catholic theology closes the whole.

Of course, difference of fulness in the treatment of important authors is to be expected. It seems inexcusable to us, however, that Thomasius's theory of the kenosis, for which he is specially distinguished, should be so poorly presented that it is impossible for any reader, no matter how well acquainted with the theme he may be, to gain from Lichtenberger any clear conception of Thomasius's meaning. Ritschl he rightly charges with indefiniteness and obscurity, after a very fair review of his leading ideas.

On the whole then, he who wishes a thorough treatment of the ideas of the great German theologians will not find it in this volume. A history, explaining the influence of thinkers upon one another, and estimating the force and effects of great ideas, it is not; but for easy and light orientation in the subject, and for rich references to the literature, it is warmly to be recommended.

PAPERS OF THE OHIO CHURCH HISTORY SOCIETY. Vol. I. Reports and Papers of the First Annual Meeting held at Ashtabula, Ohio, May 6th, 1890. Edited by Frank Hugh Foster, Ph. D., Professor of Church History at Oberlin, Secretary. Oberlin. 1890. (pp. x. 103.) To be obtained from the Secretary, for 80 cents, post-paid.

This attractive and handsomely printed volume contains an account of the organization and first meeting of the Society, five papers which were read there, and a list of members. A suitable Index is appended. The first paper is by Professor Foster, upon "The Field and Work of a Local Church History Society." It outlines the work which is planned for this Society, and suggests the study of general ecclesiastical movements in the State, the cultivation of the history of local churches, the organization of systematic study of the history of the State, the collection of a library, and the printing of valuable papers read. The paper calls for a broad and liberal, a truly scientific spirit in all this. The second paper is by Rev. W. E. Barton, of Wellington, and discusses "The Early Ecclesiastical History of the Western Reserve." After describing the Reserve itself, the writer goes on to the "Plan of Union" under which early religious work here was done, (a text of which is subjoined in an appendix,) then takes up the organization of the Connecticut Missionary Society, and follows down the history of individual events and personages till he reaches the close of the period studied. Mr. Badger, Mr. Wick, David Bacon, and Thomas Barr stand out prominently. The policy of the Connecticut Society is sharply criticised. Then comes Rev. D. L. Leonard's account of "The Mormon Sojourn in Ohio," in which with constant humor, the settlement of the Mormons at Kirkland, their temple, their revelations, their bank, and all their folly is set forth more fully than has been done before. In Rev. F. M. Whitlock's Bible Christian Church" we have the history of an interesting people, now merging itself in other bodies, which has been but little known

by the American public. Rev. C. E. Dickinson's "History of the First Religious Society in Marietta" conducts us into the very settlement of the State, and reproduces a number of most interesting documents, throwing a flood of light upon the early days. The papers are all original in the best sense, and reflect great credit upon their authors.

The volume proves the high value of such a Society and suggests the richness of the field which it has begun to work. We hope that it is the first of a long series of issues of equal interest.

UNITARIANISM: ITS ORIGIN AND HISTORY.

A Course of Sixteen Lectures delivered in Channing Hall, Boston, 1888-89. Boston: American Unitarian Association. 1890. (pp. xxx. 394. 6x32.)

In this volume we have a series of lectures upon assigned topics by a number of Unitarian ministers covering such themes as Early Christian Doctrine," "Christianity from the Fifth to the Fifteenth Century," "Unitarianism and the Reformation,” “Unitarianism in England,' The Contact of American Unitarianism and German Thought," "The Church and the Parish in Massachusetts" (à propos of the Dedham case), "Early New England Unitarians," "Channing," "Transcendentalism," "Theodore Parker," with a number of additional lectures upon the present condition and relations of Unitarianism. The lectures are all well written, as was to be expected from such men as Dr. A. P. Peabody, Dr. Geo. E. Ellis, Prof. C. C. Everett, and their associates in the task. They convey to the "orthodox" reader the impression that there never ought, in the reason of things, to have been an Unitarian controversy in New England, since the truths here emphasized as constituting the bone and marrow of Unitarianism, are those which New England Theology, as it is technically called, was also striving for, the holiness of the character of God, and the free-agency of man. But they also make perfectly evident what were some of the great causes of difficulty,-the lack of appreciation, because of a complete lack of an understanding, of historical Christianity, and also a constantly growing tendency to deny the supernatural. Dr. J. H. Allen, for example, in the first lecture, does not claim that the early Christians were Unitarians, but when he attempts to describe the growth of the doctrine of the Trinity, he fails completely to grasp the meaning of the various phenomena which pass before him, principally from an entire lack of sympathy with the doctrine itself, and makes the effort to seek out an explanation in some obscure way for that which to the minds of ninety-nine Christians out of a hundred needs no explanation whatever. Theodore Parker hal the same difficulty, though in much larger measure. He mingled all opinions of the early centuries into one confused mass, and then put all upon an equal level, because without any clue in the labyrinth which he had himself largely constructed. Yet one cannot fail to recognize the purity of purpose and lofty moral ideals of the leaders of Unitarianism in this account, nor cease to regret that Unitarians cannot see that some of their most cherished purposes are identical with those of the " orthodox."

KANT, LOTZE, AND RITSCHL. A critical Examination by Leonhard Stählin, Bayreuth. Translated by D. W. Simon, Ph. D. New York: Scribner & Welford. 1889. (pp. xxxii. 327. 6%x34.)

The object of this work is to oppose the school of Ritschl, which has become so influential in Germany, by tracing back his leading ideas to Lotze and to Kant, and exhibiting their inner inconsistency and self-contradiction successively in the three authors considered. It presents no positive contribution to theology in itself, except so far as the suggestion of certain historical lessons may be called such, which are added as a brief conclusion to the work. The author's mind was so firmly fixed upon the contradictions of the systems he was passing in review, and his admiration for his own dialectical skill so great, that he has seriously impaired the value of the book by many subtile discussions of no intrinsic worth. His method is to take two antithetical ideas, to exaggerate them to an extremity of statement which their propounders would never have admitted, and then to perform the easy task of showing that in this form, they are mutually destructive. Thus successively Kant, Lotze, and Ritschl appear as mere tyros by the side of Stählin. But this weakness of method aside, the book gives a really valuable view of the leading positions of Ritschl, and the entire dissimilarity between it and the fundamental ideas which have been derived by all Christians from the Bible from the beginning. The view of the character and tendencies of the Ritschl theology and school does not differ in substance from that already presented in the Bibliotheca Sacra, Vol. xliv. p. 371 ff., to which account the reader is referred. The thanks of the public are specially due Dr. Simon for the elegance and idiomatic character of the translation.

SPINOZA AND HIS ENVIRONMENT. A Critical Essay, with a translation of the Ethics. By Henry Smith, D. D., LL. D., late professor in Lane Theological Seminary. Cincinnati: Robert Clarke & Co. 1886. (pp. clxxix. 244. 7x3%.)

This work, of which one hundred and seventy-nine pages are occupied with Spinoza's environment, and the remaining two hundred and forty-four with a translation of the Ethics, is in a considerable degree a history of philosophy from Francis Bacon to the present time, so far as it bears upon the question of pantheism. The analysis of Bacon's system as contained in the Novum Organon is long (66 pages), Descartes receives a careful review, Spinoza's personality and system are treated by themselves, and then by a somewhat strong figure of speech, Spinoza's environment in the present century is considered, under which Hume, Kant, Coleridge, Hamilton and many others come in for longer or shorter discussion. Thus the treatise touches upon the chief philosophical antithesis to Christianity at the present day, pantheism, and may be considered an historical manual upon that theme, with the translated text of the principal classical treatise upon it. As a translation, the book is careful and readable. Spinoza is peculiarly a writer whom one needs to know in the original, so variant are his forms of expression from

those of common speech. But the assistance of a good translation is much to be desired, and this is offered the student in the volume before us.

Pantheism has now taken on more subtile forms than that of Spinoza, and must be combatted by one familiar with Hegel and with modern development theories. The author before us is therefore less valuable at the present juncture than formerly. But any good discussion of one portion of the field will assist the thorough student of another, and in this sense the work is to be commended to the careful attention of all who wish to make profound studies in this difficult department of thought.

THE THEOLOGY AND THEOLOGIANS OF SCOTLAND, Chiefly of the Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries. Being one of the Cunningham Lectures. By James Walker, D. D., Carnwath. Second Edition, Revised. New York: Scribner & Welford. 1888. (pp. xiv. 203. 6x34.)

If

We have here an interesting and valuable survey of Scottish Theology. the novel results are few, the sturdiness of the thinking of the Scotch, their independence, and the nobler characteristics of their religious life are faithfully and loyally brought out. The book treats of predestination and providence, the atonement, the visible church, the headship of Christ and Erastianism, and apostolical succession; and defends the Scotch from present misrepresentations. It is well worth an attentive perusal.

THE FIRE OF GOD'S ANGER: or, Light from the Old Testament upon the New Testament Teaching concerning Future Punishment. By L. C. Baker, Author of Mystery of Creation and of Man;" Editor of "Words of Reconciliation." Published at Office of "Words of Reconciliation," Philadelphia. (pp. 282. 31⁄2 x51⁄2.) 75 cents.

This little book starts with the assumption that the church has erred in going to the New Testament alone for its eschatology, in the face of the antecedent probability that the Old Testament, a series of revelations extending over a period longer than the Christian dispensation, would contain much on this subject. The author establishes, from a wide generalization of Old Testament passages, two principles: "1. The fire of God's anger must burn against all evil doers;" and "2. This land of the enemy where they lie as outcasts in bondage and gloom is not a territory beyond the reach of His conquering arm. He has provided to ransom in due time and order all these prisoners in the pit" (p. 235). Having read these meanings into Old Testament passages, the author comes to the New with the principle that it cannot contradict the Old at any point, and thus establishes from this, also, what he set out to establish, a mean between Universalism and eternal punishment, by locating Gehenna on this side the resurrection, up to which point there is the possibility of salvation. It is needless to say that we regard the method of the inquiry as fundamentally wrong, and the result as opposed to the teachings of the word of God, both in the Old Testament and especially in the New.

INDEX.