15 JULY 1865, Page 23

Out Ines of Theology. Outlines of Philosophy and Literature. By

Alexander Vinet. (Alexander Strahan.)—Both these handsome volumes are composed of extracts from the author's various works, pieced together with considerable skill so as to make a connected work by the editor, M. Astie, with whose name we are entirely unacquainted. The list is divided into three sections, entitled respectively, "Man and the Gospel," "Doctrine and Morality of Christianity," and "Historical Christianity." Fillet's theology is, as is well known, evangelical, but less narrow than is common with that school This volume contains a good summary of it. His literary and philosophical writings are, we fancy, very much less read in this country, and M. Astie's book is therefore more of a boon, but in this form it certainly wears a very nn- necessarily didactic aspect, and is not very inviting. This is especially true of the literary section. The remarks are often shrewd, but they are all abstract, without any reference to examples. This is a characteristic which does not indeed detract from the value, but will, we fear, impair the popularity of these volumes, except in the eyes of the lovers of very solid reading indeed, a class not very numerous in these latter .days, and unfortunately not on the increase.