A History of the Christian Church during the First Six
Centuries. By S. Cheetham, D.D. (Macmillan.)—Canon Cheetham's book is of necessity somewhst dry. To deal with six hundred years in a, space of something between four and five hundred moderate-sized pages requires no small amount of compression. Detail is of course out of the question, and without detail it is difficult to be in- teresting. It is to be remarked also that the period has no homo- geneous character. Doubtless there are satisfactory reasons for the division of time ; but the first three hundred years of Christian history are so different from the next three hundred that they can hardly be treated together except in the fashion of a chronicle. Still, Canon Cheetham, thanks to his thorough knowledge of his subject, has accomplished, in part at least, his object. "As a, guide to those who make themselves acquainted with the principal documents from which the History is drawn," it is eminently satisfactory. The references to authorities are very full.
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