Church Life and Thought in North Africa: A.D. 200. By
Stuart A. Donaldson, D.D. (Cambridge University Press. 3s. 6d. net.)— More than half of this book is devoted to an account of Tertullian. We cannot take this writer as representing the average North African Christian of his day—he stood by himself—but he gives us a very vivid picture of his time. Dr. Donaldson is even disposed to assign him "a foremost place among the Doctors of the Church." It is pretty certain that there was no man of greater genius among them. His want was breadth of view. "All history, all thought, all religion, previous to the advent of Christ was abhorrent." In this he differed entirely from the Alexandrine thinkers, and is certainly less in harmony with modern thought. This, however, does not diminish the evidential value of his writings. But we owe no greater debt to Tertullian than for his preservation of the record of St. Perpetua's martyrdom. Nothing is more characteristic of the time. How splendid the picture of the martyr's constancy and courage! How terrible the glimpse into her thoughts about God when she sees her brother suffering the tortures of Tantalus because he had died unba.ptised ! We may well go to the early Church for lessons of heroism, bat not for spiritual truth.
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