Ecclesiastical Authority in England. By Edward Muscutt. (Miall.) —Mr. Muscutt
tells us that he means to give his readers not arguments, but facts, and that he "has found neither the inclination nor seen the desirableness of even touching upon any point of ecclesiastical polity." He scarcely carries out this programme. The statement, for instance, that "Apostles claimed no higher position than fellow presbyters" falls into the domain of opinion rather than of fact. It seems to us that St. Paul claimed, and held, too, an altogether singular position in the churches which he founded. And there are very decided views expressed elsewhere about Church and State which we, at least, do not feel at all inclined to rank with facts. But there is certainly a mass of information in the book which the author has collected with great industry and with unquestionable singleness of purpose. One thing we must say, in the interest of criticism, that a gentleman who speaks very positively on questions of biblical interpretation would do well to write his Greek a little less grotesquely wrong. We have prejudices against a commentator who writes (three times) gyrstrSorspoua (sic), and on the next page scstrxelreeqsic). It would be as well, too, not to translate regnet by "shall reign."
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