Devotions from the Apocrypha. Edited, with an Introduction, by Herbert
E. Pentin. (Methuen and Co. 2a. net.)—Mr. Pentin con- tinues his work of vindicating the value of the Apocrypha. We wish him all success. We are ready, indeed, to go beyond him in his appreciations. If the term deutero-Canonical is to stand, it must be clearly understood that it does not imply inferiority. The books of Wisdom and Ecelesiasticus are distinctly superior to some of the Canonical books. And the treatment which they have received has resulted in considerable loss. We have to be content with a muti- lated Bible. (Mr. Pentin points out that this exclusion of the Apocrypha was due to the narrowness of a party in Scotland.) But cannot the Bible Society sofas retrace its steps as to give us a cheap edition of the whole Bible? Failing this, why do not the Universities come forward ? Surely it is a most discreditable thing that in four out of five Church households there is no pro- vision for reading the appointed Lessons for three weeks in the year. However, the Revised Version of the Apocrypha. is obtain- able at a modest price, Mr. Pentin justly praises it ; it is beyond all question a great improvement on the Authorised Version.
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