The Christ, the Book, and the Chwr.h. The Inaugural Address
to the Annual Assembly of the Congregational Union of England and Wales. May, 1864. By the Rev. Henry Allen, Chairman, Minister of Union Chapel, Islington. (Jackson, Walford, and Hodder.)—In point of style,. temper, and treatment, this is quite a model of such compositions, and raises in the reader's mind a desire to know something more of the con- stitution of the body. They seem, however, to be opposed to all connection between Church and State, and to claim for every religious body the right to excommunicate. This system no doubt works admi- rably where there is an established church for the excommunicated member to retreat into. But just suppose there were no church with fixed articles, to which therefore a man can claim admission, refusing to give any account of his opinions on points not touched by the articles, the arbitrary power of expulsion for not agreeing with the congrega- tion on all points important or unimportant might be made a perfect, tyranny. A man might find himself a religious parialt,—a condition which in England would almost imply temporal ruin. Mr. Allon of course tenches on M. Renan's "Vie do J6sus," the question of Biblical. inspiration, and Church government, always, we think, with candour and moderation.
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