is well sustained. The plea for greater discrimination and care in the selection of books for children is timely. The list of "Selected Books," and the addresses of "Prominent Publishers," appended, will be appreciated by many Superintendents and Librarians.

DARWIN AND AFTER DARWIN, PART III. POST-DARWIN QUESTIONS: ISOLATION AND PHYSIOLOGICAL SELECTION. By the Late George John Romanes. Chicago: The Open Court Publishing Company. 1897. 8vo. Pp. 181. $1.00.

This volume, the third of the series, was half in type at the time of the author's death. The latter half has been selected and arranged by the editor, Mr. C. Lloyd Morgan. There are six chapters and three lengthy appendices and an index. The author regards Heredity, Variability and Isolation as the three basal principles of the Evolution Hypothesis. The last of these is the subject of discussion in Chapters I. and II. Chapters III.-V. contain a discussion of Physiological Selection, which he regards as perhaps the most important form of Isolation. Chapter VI. gives a "Brief History of Isolation as a Factor in Organic Evolution." The discussions are mostly abstract theorizing, with very few concrete examples by way of proof. The work is largely controversial, being directed against the Weismann-Wallace branch of evolutionists, who hold that Natural Selection is sufficient to account for all the phenomena on which the evolutionists build their speculation. The name of the author is sufficient guaranty for the value of the work, which will certainly be interesting and profitable reading to those already familiar with the literature of Evolution from Darwin down, and of practically no service to any others. Probably a careful perusal of the first two volumes will prepare one to appreciate the third. So far as the merits of the controversy between the two Schools are concerned, Romanes' reasoning appears conclusive.

THE CHILDREN OF THE FUTURE. By Nora Archibald Smith. Boston: Houghton, Mifflin & Co. 16mo. Pp. 165. $1.00.

The chapters of this book are largely essays which first appeared in The Outlook and in Table Talk, though most of them are considerably extended from their original form, while others have been written for this volume. The titles are as follows: "The Study of Children," "Training for Parenthood," "The Charm of the Lily," "The Priestly Office," "Sand and the Children," "A Dumb Devil," "An Unwalled City," "Perilous Times," "A Deviser of Mischiefs," "Tell Me a Story," "The Authentic in Kindergarten Training," "The Gospel of Work," "The Brotherhood of Saint Tumbler," "The Kindergarten in Neighborhood Work."

OUR REDEMPTION. Its Need, Method, and Result. By Frederick A. Noble, D. D., Pastor Union Park Congregational Church, Chicago. New York, Chicago, Toronto: Fleming H. Revell Company. 1898. 12mo. Pp. 282. Cloth, $1.25.

The subject, Redemption, is here discussed under three heads, dividing

the volume into as many books. First, Redemption made necessary by sin and its consequences, in which are shown the fact and ground of sin, its universality, its impossibility of final concealment, and its punishment. Second, how Redemption is secured, in which it is first shown that there is no power of self-recovery from sin, and that there is no free pardon for it, and then that the atonement is completely provided in Christ. Third, Redemption in the new spirit and the outlook it furnishes, in the redeemed sinner's nourishing his own spiritual life, in the redeemed sinner in his daily walk, in his work for the kingdom, and in heaven. As in all Dr. Noble's utterances and writings, there are great fervor and evangelical spirit and treatment throughout.

A HARMONY OF THE BOOKS OF SAMUEL, KINGS AND CHRONICLES. In the text of the version of 1884. By William Day Crockett, A. M., Pastor of the First Presbyterian Church of Canton, Pennsylvania. With an Introduction by Willis Judson Beecher, D. D., Professor of the Hebrew Language and Literature in the Auburn Theological Seminary. New York: Press of Eaton & Mains. 1897. Sqr. 8vo. Pp. 365. $2.00. This work embodies first a careful Analytical Outline, and then the Harmony itself, of the books covered. The text used is that of the Revised Version. Suitable tables, indices, etc., are introduced to make the different parts or passages easy of reference. The Introduction, by Dr. Willis Beecher, is nothing more than an introduction of his friend rather than of the subject, and is very cautious as respects the book and its positions. One need not be told that the harmonist must here encounter many difficult problems of chronology, numbers, names, etc., and that there are likely to be departures from almost every reader's views in some point in the structure and arrangement. Notwithstanding this, however, the book is one which is likely to be of special use to students of the historical parts of the Old Testament.

THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCHES. Their Place and Power in Modern Christendom. By the Rev. J, N. Ogilvie, M. A. With a chapter on the Presbyterian Churches of America, by the Rev. Andrew C. Zenos, D. D., Author of "Conpendium of Church History." New York, Chicago, Toronto: Fleming H. Revell Company. 1897. 16mo. Pp. 162. Flexible cloth, 40 cents.

This little work is a succinct account of the history and development of the Presbyterian Church in all its branches, in all lands, in all its career. In respect to its brevity and popular form, we know of no work better. It will be very useful to those who wish to obtain a bird's-eye view of the church which has gone under the name we bear. The account which it gives of the Southern Church is hardly fair, in its emphasis of the slavery question and the territorial idea as being the causes of the separation from the Northern Church. The historical distinctive position of our Church, in its declaration for the spirituality of Christ's kingdom, is evidently not appreciated by the author of that part of the book, a mere paragraph by the way, which deals with our branch of the American Presbyterian Churches.

THE INCARNATE SAVIOUR. A Life of Jesus Christ. By the Rev. W. R. Nicoll, M. A. New York: The American Tract Society. 12mo. Pp. 360. $1.00.

Mr. Nicoll recognizes the excellency of the Lives of Christ which have been written and are now standard; so his object in this work is to narrate in a popular form the chief events in the life of our Lord, and to show how these bear on the doctrines of the incarnation and atonement. These events are not studied critically, but popularly. The studies were delivered to the author's congregation in the ordinary course of his public ministration. The book is published in the interest of evangelical orthodoxy as the author understands it, yet the spirit of humility and charity pervades the entire work. In the selection of the events of Christ's life for discussion, the endeavor is made to illustrate three main propositions: First, Jesus Christ was God and man in two distinct natures and one person; Second, That Jesus Christ came to suffer, in order that he might save; Third, To show the sweet and perfect accord of Christ's words, works and thoughts.

The truth of the gospel history is assumed throughout. Inferences are drawn from the facts as true. Twenty-three chapters compose the book, all of which are interesting reading.

THE PRESBYTERIAN DIGEST OF 1898. A Compend of the Acts and Deliverances of the General Presbytery, General Synod, and the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of the United States of America, 1706– 1897. Compiled by Authority and with the Co-operation of a Commitee of the General Assembly. By the Rev. William E. Moore, D. D., LL. D. Philadelphia: Presbyterian Board of Publication. 1898. Pp. 950, 8vo. $3.50 net.

This volume is the most extensive, and hence the most valuable, of the works on Presbyterian Law issued by the Board of Publication. The contents include the record of all the recent ecclesiastical discussions, and constitute a complete exhibit of the Acts and Deliverances of the supreme Judicatories. The arrangement is excellent. Historical Documents constitute Part I. Part II., Part III., Part IV., and Part V. are respectively the Confession of Faith, the Form of Government, Book of Discipline, and Directory of Worship, printed with the deliverances and decisions of the General Assembly given under the appropriate chapters and sections of each. A good syllabus and full index are furnished. Dr. Moore, as Editor, had the assistance of a Committee appointed by the Assembly, consisting of Drs. William H. Roberts and E. R. Craven.

THE MINISTERIAL DIRECTORY of the Ministers in "The Presbyterian Church in the United States" (Southern), and in “The Presbyterian Church in the United States of America" (Northern), Together with a Statement of the Work of the Executive Committees and Boards of the two Churches, with the Names and Location of their Educational Institutions and Church Papers. By Edgar Sutton Robinson, D. D., Pastor of the First Presby

terian Church of Oxford, O. Oxford, O.: The Ministerial Directory Company. Vol. I. 1898. $1.00.

This is the accomplishment of an undertaking of which most, if not all, of our ministers have been advised. In general, the work has been well done. To make a Directory of this kind was a task involving no little expenditure of money and labor. It is virtually a complete Directory of the Southern and Northern Presbyterian Churches. The data furnished are as follows: Name in full, with present address; place of birth; where and when graduated, or what college or seminary attended; when licensed and ordained, and by what religious body; what churches served and positions held; and author of what books. We have thus given a laconic history of nearly every living minister in these two branches of the Presbyterian Church, together with other information and statistics. For an intelligent acquaintance with the personnel of the ministry, this book is not only amply adequate, but the only compilation of the kind known to us.

NOTES, CRITICAL AND EXPLANATORY, On the Greek Text of Paul's Epistles to The Romans, The Corinthians, The Galatians, The Ephesians, The Philippians, The Colossians, The Thessalonians, Timothy, Titus, Philemon. Text of Tischendorf, with a Constant Comparison of the Text of Wescott and Hort (third edition of Oscar de Gebhardt). By James Robinson Boise, D. D., LL. D., late Professor of New Testament Interpretation in the Theological Seminary, now the Divinity School of the University of Chicago. Edited by Nathan E. Wood, D. D., Pastor First Baptist Church, Boston. Boston: Silver, Burdett & Company. 1896. Pp. 582, 8vo. Cloth, $2.00.

As this title indicates, this book contains mere notes, not a full exposition or amplification of any passages or ideas. They are clear and scholarly throughout, displaying to an unusual extent the most elementary matters of grammar and construction. They were used by the author in his sixteen years of instruction of theological classes. Matters of textual criticism are omitted. Geographical, historical, and archæological questions and doctrinal discussions are left to other books. The author writes from the standpoint of the immersionist. The Epistles are arranged as in our Bibles, not chronologically. That to the Hebrews is omitted, indicating Dr. Boise's disbelief in its Pauline authorship. Certain introductory tables have been added by the editor. In chronology the editor departs from the larger number of scholars in assigning the writing of the Epistle to the Romans to the Spring of A. D. 59, making Paul's Third Missionary Tour extend from A. D. 54 to A. D. 59, and making two years between the writing of the First Epistle to the Corinthians, which was undoubtedly written just before he left Ephesus, in A. D. 57, and writing to the Romans from Corinth. Where did Paul spend these two years, and what shall we do with his hastening so eagerly towards Corinth after writing his first letter to that church? In the brief introduction to the Epistle to the Romans, the editor asserts that "tender personal

allusions of friendship are wanting" in this epistle! These editorial introductions, however, are entirely too scant for notice.

A DIGEST OF THE ACTS AND PROCEEDINGS OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH IN THE UNITED STATES, From its Organization to the Assembly of 1887, inclusive, With Certain Historical and Explanatory Notes. By Rev. W. A. Alexander. Richmond: Presbyterian Committee of Publication.

SUPPLEMENT TO THE DIGEST OF THE ACTS AND PROCEEDINGS OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH IN THE UNITED STATES, Published in 1888, Bringing the Same Down to Date. By Rev. W. A. Alexander, D. D. Richmond: Presbyterian Committee of Publication.

With this Digest our Church is familiar. It has most satisfactorily filled its place for the past decade. Dr. Alexander placed the Church under lasting obligations to himself when he conceived and accomplished the idea of such a work. This volume has been the source of information for all our ecclesiastical bodies since its first publication.

The Supplement adheres mainly to the plan of the original volume. The section numbers are made continuous with the Digest, while a few changes in chapter divisions have been made necessary by changes in the methods and agencies of the Church.

The Supplement maintains the high standard of the Digest for thorough, pains-taking, accurate work. Everything seems to have been done which is in any way essential to a complete, comprehensive, intelligent record. In both Digest and Supplement all Acts and Proceedings are grouped under the nine following heads: Book I., The Constitution; Book II., The Congregation; Book III., Church Courts; Book IV., The Agencies of the Church; Book V., The Ordinances; Book VI., Topics Moral and Secular; Book VII., Relations with Other Bodies; Book VIII., Judicial Cases; Book IX., General Statistical Information.

A wider use of the Digest would be found most beneficial. It would secure greater unity to the deliverances of the General Assembly, answer the many duplicated overtures, and "aid in crystalizing the methods and unifying the constructions of law in different parts of the church." We would wish, therefore, that every church court possessed this Digest, and possessing it, used it.

It is to be regretted that the Supplement could not have been embodied in the Digest. Knowing, however, the expense that this would have entailed, we must rest satisfied with, and be thankful for, what we have. The author is not simply to be congratulated on the excellency of the work, but to have the full gratitude of the Church.

Digest, with Supplement, sheep, $3.00; cloth, $2.50. Supplement, sheep, $1.50; cloth, $1.25; paper, $1.00.