THE LIFE WORK OF THE AUTHOR OF UNCLE TOM'S CABIN. By Florence T. McCray. Square 12mo.; pp. 440. $2. New York: Funk & Wagnalls. 1889. A sketch of the literary career, rather than a biography, of Harriet Beecher Stowe; an outline of each of her works, including a commentary and criticism on them; a digest of the opinions of eminent reviewers. These are the leading features of this handsomely printed and bound volume. That the author admired the character and work of Mrs. Stowe goes without saying, yet it is quite evident that her natural bias in favor of her subject did not close her eyes to her defects and eccentricities. However much one may deplore the most notable work of Harriet Beecher Stowe, and the sweeping application it made of certain exaggerated facts, it is not to be denied that she has made a name in history, and is a character which one may, with the aid of this book, well study. THE ELEMENTS OF ASTRONOMY. With a Uranography. By Charles A. Young, Ph. D., LL. D., Professor of Astronomy in the College of New Jersey (Princeton), etc. Pp. 480, 42. $1.50. Boston and London: Ginn & Co. 1890. This book is intended for use in high schools and academies. It is not an abridgement of the author's recent work on "General Astronomy," although it embodies much of its material and uses many of its illustrations. It is adapted to a younger class of students, but without sacrifice of clearness, accuracy and scientific arrangement and statement. By actual use we have found it extremely satisfactory. A THEORY OF CONDUCT. in Columbia College. By Archibald Alexander, formerly Professor of Philosophy Very different from Newman Symth's book is this of Prof. Alexander, for while he gives proper credit to the philosophies and principles of ethics, the a priori argument of inherent principles existing in the human soul, and the a posteriori argument that conviction is based upon experience, he fully sets forth supernaturalism as the power to mould the life, and the Spirit of God as the giver of the highest motive, and the love of Christ as the greatest constraining principle. A STUDY IN PEDAGOGY, for People who are not Professional Teachers. By Bishop John H. Vincent, D. D., LL. D. Cloth, 60 cts. New York: Wilbur B. Ketcham. 1890. A dainty little book, oddly but prettily bound, and a most suggestive and eminently helpful production from the pen of one who needs no commendation as a wise and popular educator. It deals with pedagogy as the old Romans and Greeks understood the term, and seeks, most happily and successfully, to point out to those who have the early training of children the most natural and effective methods and agencies for accomplishing true education. It discusses the nature and aims of true education, the conditions which affect education, the special educating agencies, and the selection and control of these conditions and agencies. CHRISTIANITY ACCORDING TO CHRIST. A Series of Papers. By J. Munro Gibson, M. A., D. D. London: James Nisbet & Co. 1890. Dr. Gibson is well known on both sides of the Atlantic as an earnest evangeli cal writer and preacher. The present work will increase the esteem in which he is held. It is not a continuous treatise, but a collection of papers and addresses published on various occasions. There is an effort, however, to give them unity, by a judicious arrangement, and the title gives the leading idea of them all. The author is especially happy in showing that the teaching of the Saviour and of the apostles were in complete harmony, the Master giving special prominence to the ethical element, while the apostles brought out the doctrinal, though the teaching of Christ included, in germ and essence, "all that is distinctive of the apostles' gospel of the grace of God." THE FOURFOLD GOSPEL. The Four Gospels Consolidated in a Continuous Narrative, presenting the Life of Christ in the order of its events. By J. Glentworth Butler, D. D. 12mo., pp. 212. Cloth, 75 cents. New York: Funk & Wagnalls. 1890. The sub-title fully indicates the nature of the book. It is faithfully performed by one who has had marked and deserved success in this kind of work. SERMONS BY REV. JOHN MCNEILL. Vol. I. $1. New York: Fleming H. Revell. 1890. A volume from which those who desire to know more of the young preacher whose fame is becoming so widespread, can gratify their curiosity to some extent. Judged of by the standards given in our theological schools, they are decidedly out of line; judged of by their raciness, illustrative style, familiarity even sometimes to homeliness, they are altogether striking, and readily account for the hold the preaching has upon the masses. THE CHIEF THINGS; or, Church Doctrine for the People. By Rev. A. W. Snyder. 12mo. Cloth, $1; paper, 50 cents. New York: Thomas Whittaker. Twenty-six essays on topics that have but little to do with soul-saving, but a great deal to do with making "churchmen." It is aimed against the "sects," and is designed to equip "churchmen" with materials to meet them. If these be the "chief things," what shall we call faith and repentance and love and obedience and charity? ALDEN'S MANIFOLD CYCLOPEDIA OF KNOWLEDGE AND LANGUAGE, With Illustrations. Vol. XXIV.: Memory-Montem; Vol. XXV.: Montenegro-Neutrals. Cloth, 75 cents; half morocco, $1, each. New York: John B. Alden. 1890. A work full of interesting topics, succinctly explained or described, and to be commended for its low price and general usefulness to those who cannot afford the costlier and more voluminous encyclopedias. THE PRESBYTERIAN QUARTERLY. NO. 16.-APRIL, 1891. I. BURNEY'S SOTERIOLOGY AND THE CUMBERLAND THEOLOGY.' DR. BURNEY'S book is, on several accounts, worthy of the attention of the Christian public: 1. Along with a world of sophistries it occasionally exhibits a real truth in a vivid light. 2. It is a most virulent attack on the penal and substitutionary theory of the atonement, and presents a "new theory" of the atonement, which would suit, with only a slight modification, a Unitarian. 3. Its author's position makes the book worthy of consideration; for he is, perhaps, the most distinguished and honored teacher in a great church; and the doctrines of that church can, because of its numbers and aggressiveness, no longer be looked upon with indifference. 4. The production of such a book in such a quarter presents an excellent example of "the logic of events." Our Cumberland brethren set out, in 1810, with the rejection of the doctrine of predestination, professing to receive remaining Calvinism in its integrity. The reader of this volume will see evidence only too good that the Cumberland Church has already moved far out of Calvinism and into Pelagian Unitarianism, or, if not into it, hard by it, and only kept out by gross and ridiculous inconsistencies. 1 Atonement.—Soteriology. The sacrificial, in contrast with the penal, substitutionary, and merely moral or exemplary theories of propitiation. By S. G. Burney, D. D., LL. D., Professor of Systematic Theology in Cumberland University. Nashville, Tenn.: Cumberland Presbyterian Publishing House. 1888. I. Our author is aware that the doctrine of the atonement has many vital connections; and that the adoption of his theory involves our modifying our notions of "the divine attributes, the essential characteristics of moral government, the nature of sin, moral retribution, confession, repentance, faith, regeneration, justification," etc., (p. 132). Accordingly, he proceeds to treat of certain of God's attributes, of moral government, and of sin, before advancing to the more immediate discussion of the great subject of the work. § 1. The proton-pseudos of his whole system is in his conception of justice. On p. 14, in arguing against the Anselmic theory of the atonement, he teaches that if justice is predicable of God in the same sense in which love is, then "Both attributes are immutable, and reconciliation is impossible; for justice requires satisfaction prior to any act of love; but for God to satisfy justice is itself an act of love. This clearly demonstrates the utter absurdity of founding the necessity of the atonement in the divine attributes." And pp. 133, 134, "God's purposes are to him the rule of his action. . . . . Justice, as a divine attribute, is simply God's integrity to his wise and benevolent purposes. Justice and right are coincident." .... (1.) He teaches us here that justice, taking that term in its usual orthodox sense, cannot be an attribute of God, because, forsooth, judicial wrath and benevolence are incompatible, "for justice requires satisfaction prior to any act of love." This is not true, and is a petitio principii. That justice requires satisfaction prior to any act of love which does not satisfy justice, is a less objectionable statement. That benevolence and judicial wrath are compatible affections is beyond a doubt. Righteous human anger and benevolence are frequently felt for the same object at the same moment; e. g., Paul had as deep and tender philanthropy as any living man. He would have been willing to have made any righteous sacrifice to secure the repentance of Alexander the coppersmith, but with a holy wrath he prayed (2 Tim. iv. 14), "The Lord reward him according to his works." When, in the court of war, Washington as a judge condemned Major André to death, he did not necessarily cease to feel benevolently towards him. Paul could entertain along with a holy wrath a true feeling of benevolence. Washington's exercise of judicial wrath was not incompatible with his exercise of benevolence. There is no incompatibility between justice and love, as the experience of many an honest judge can affirm. On the contrary, there can be no such thing as perfect ethical benevolence without perfect justice, whether in God or man. Dr. Burney seems to think that the text, "God is love," teaches that God cannot be justice in the same essential sense. But what, then, do the words of Isa. vi. 3, "Holy, holy, holy, Lord God," mean? What the words of Heb. xii. 29, "For our God is a consuming fire?" Judicial wrath and benevolence are compatible. These texts show it. Justice and love are each essential attributes of God. (2.) We ask, What about the rectitude of God's purposes? The author identifies justice and right. These terms with him have the same content. Justice as an attribute of God is his fidelity to his purposes; right in God is fidelity to his purposes. But may we not ask whether these purposes are just or right? It is to the purpose or intention of a man that we go to find out his morality. Apparently, our author will not permit us to ask whether God's purpose is right. Common sense, however, will ask; and if it concludes, as it must, both from philosophy and revelation, that God's purpose is right, it will ask further, "What made it right?" And it will look for the necessary cause of a right purpose in a right nature, of a just purpose in a just nature. Further, it seems clear that if Dr. Burney is right, then God might have made what we call the moral law-the decalogue— very different, nay, the opposite of what it is; and that the distinction between the "perpetual moral" and the "temporary positive" precept would be reduced to a worthless superficiality. God is just essentially. (3.) According to this teaching God's justice is merely his fidelity to his purposes, faithfulness in making things work out his original purpose. Now, the author himself says (pp. 157, 158), "The fact that the human mind was created in the image of the divine mind seems to authorize the inference that there is at least some similarity in their moral attributes. Hence, that justice, truth, love, |