THEOLOGL—The Apostolic Age. By James Vernon Bartlet, M.A. (T. and
T. Clark. 6s.)—This subject, in the series of "Eras of the Christian Church," was originally assigned to Dr. A. C. Coxe, Bishop of Western New York. An admirable substitute has been found in Mr. Bartlet, who handles his subject with a corn bination of courage and caution that leaves nothing to be desired. The most important portion of the book is to be found in chaps. 1-6, which are practically an essay on the Book of Acts. Mr. Bartlet accepts the high estimate which Professor W. M. Ramsay has formed of the historical value of the book, and adopts some of the Professor's happy conjectures. He sees, for instance, St. Luke in the iuip TIC MCINEUY, who invited St. Paul into Europe. On the question of St. Paul's imprisonment he differs from most critics, holding that the Apostle was never released, and that his martyrdom took place in A.D. 62. He attributes a very early date to the Epistle of James, and has some e xcellent remarks on the " faith " which St. James found so unsatisfactory. He will probably find more serious dissent when he attributes the Didaehe to the Apostolic Age. As to the authorship of the Hebrews, he thinks that "probabilities converge on Apollos." On the Apocalypse his view is strictly prEeterist. "Its lessons were for its first readers its horizon, therefore, is their horizon. If it has abiding lessons for our age and every age, it is simply as have the other hortatory books of the Bible." We would especially commend to our readers Mr. Bartlet's treatment of the ecclesiastical organisation question. Our necessarily brief and imperfect notice of this book must not be taken as a measure of the value that we put upon it.—Forty Years in the Church of Christ. By Charles Chiniqny, D.D. (Hodder and Stoughton. 7a. 6d.)—Dr. Chiniquy left the Church of Rome, in which he had been an active priest, specially interested in the total abstinence movement, at the age of fifty. This portion of his life he described in a book entitled "Fifty Years in the Church of Rome." This volume supplements it. He took the unusual course of being rebaptised, holding that the baptism of the Church of Rome was not a Christian ceremony. This action indicates his position, and explains the character of the volume. It is a pity, we cannot but say, that it was ever written, or, being written, was ever published. An ex-priest who adopted the attitude taken up by Dr. Chiniquy, and used the language which he himself acknowledges, could hardly expect gentle treatment from his former co-religionists. They, on the other hand, found their principles of toleration, which, however sincerely held, are not of very long standing, put to a very severe test. That the Doctor lived to be ninety, though he did not escape an occasional flesh wound and broken head from too- vigorous controversialists, is practical proof that Rome is not quite so unchangeable as some people say. We do not assert that the book has not something worth reading in it, but it leaves an impression of a deplorable condition of religious feeling. —Two Hands and Two Feet : Our National Church History. By Rev. Ed. htaxlow and Mrs. T. R. Seddon. (The Church Army. 2d.)—The two hands and two feet are ingeniously made to repre- sent four periods of Church history. It is very neat and, if it is not pressed too far, useful. But was the English Church more Roman from 1000-1500 A.D. than from 500-1000? And what is meant by Roman ? The Pope, or the accretion of doctrine which kept on growing from quite early times ? It has been said the all that is distinctive of Roman as opposed to Anglican doctrine is to be found in Gregory the Great.—We may mention a very serviceable little book, Prayers for Use in Hospitals and Infirmaries (S.P.C.K.) It includes some well-known hymns;. hymns, even when there can be no singing, are most useful in the visitatien of the sick.
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