19 NOVEMBER 1870, Page 24

Christ Satisfying the Instincts of Humanity. By C. H. Vaughan.

(Macmillan.)—This is a volume of sermons, in which the preacher sets Christ Satisfying the Instincts of Humanity. By C. H. Vaughan. (Macmillan.)—This is a volume of sermons, in which the preacher sets forth how Christ satisfies "the instinct of Truth," "the instinct of Reverence," and so forth. There is something artificial about the arrangement, which scarcely seems a natural way of grouping together one's conceptions of the nature and work of Christ; but the sermons are otherwise excellent, good examples of those high qualities which have given Dr. Vaughan such fame as a preacher. He contrives to say now things without any appearance of straining at novelty, and touches the difficult topics of spiritual experience without any offence against taste. The most significant of the eight discourses is the last, preached before the University of Cambridge, and treating of "Christ satisfying the

instincts of unity," in which the preacher, among other things, com- pares the various efforts after unity which have been made of late years.

We thoroughly agree with the estimate of the importance and value of the Nonconformist communities, but think that he might have spared his contemptuous epithet to other Churches with which rapprochement has been attempted. And why say, "Fraternity with Sweden, or Greece, or Abyssinia, is a figment'? St. Paul did not think so, we imagine.