sary or essential part of Christianity. The Gospel's spirit and power are its own self-evident miracle. The marvels of spiritualism, and the supernatural disclosures said to have been made by Swedenborg, show how little miracles avail in authenticating a religion. All of Christianity that is genuinely true is self-evident to the Intuition, and needs no traditional proof.

In his chapter on Penal Theology, Dr. Hedge discloses his doctrine of Retribution. Of the opposite theories, Universalism and Partialism, there is such a counterbalance of proof that no positive decision can be made between the two. The vast preponderance of Theological authorities is in favor of Partialism. Ultra Universalism is artificial and violent, nearly amounting to the supposition of the creating of a new soul at death. Experience shows that there are sinners whose evil nature is intrinsically incorrigible; who are incapable of reformation save by arbitrary reconstruction. On the contrary, Partialism, in the form of the positive eternal misery of the wicked, stands in opposition to the doctrine of Divine Goodness. As a last resort, Dr. Hedge prefers the doctrine, not of annihilation, but of eternal deprivation of consciousness, and the reduction of the substance of the soul to the condition of matter. When a soul has developed to the condition of irrecoverable evil it, perhaps, becomes an evil spirit, a demon, a devil. Its moral nature, which is the life of its consciousness, then depreciates and dies into everlasting death. In the fire of hell the suffering soul relapses from embers into cinder. The substance of the earth may be composed of materalized soul.

Upon all this summary we need only remark, that while it stands immeasurably above the level of Comte and Spencer, it is utterly devoid of power or grapple upon the heart or souls of men. Reduce scripture to a fragmentary scribble of unauthentic documents; strike down the miraculous manifestations of God through miracle in the world; level the Son of God to a mere man, and the virtue has clean gone out from a once living Christianity. Dr. Hedge's book, with all its rhetoric, is but the display of the emasculate character of the Unitarian system. A Unitarian preacher can come before the people with merely his individualisms, his own particular views and conclusions; and the people have a right to reply, What have we to do with this man's singularities? Our guessings are as good as his. When a Methodist preacher comes, he comes with a living word of God in his hand; with a God manifest in the flesh to present; with death, judgment, and eternity at stake. Nor have we the least fear that the power of these realities will fail. They will stand the light of any investigation, they will meet the demands of any age.

Minutes of the Committee on the Centenary of Methodism, appointed by the Bishops in accordance with the Order of the General Conference of 1864. Held at Cleveland, Ohio, February 22-25, 1865. 8vo., pp. 19. New York: Carlton & Porter. 1865.

For her Sabbath Israel had a "preparation" of a few hours; and for our great Centennial Sabbath of 1866, we have a preparation yet of a few months. Our first century of American Methodism draws near its close; and we are to join hands in a great thank-offering for what God hath wrought and for what we are. And, first, let us reconsecrate ourselves to our great mission. Where is the God of our fathers? Him will we serve even as our fathers served, will he but baptize us with a double portion of the Holy Spirit. Wherein we have wandered and lost, let us return and recover. We need not indeed return to the forms and the circumstantials, to the silver-satin bonnet, the stiff-collared coat, and to the Foundry Church. But we may return to the full possession of that hearty, joyous, ever-active religion that constituted our fathers a power in the world. But in this we cannot be so singular and alone as they were. Blessed be the name of our God, we are surrounded with the goodly hosts of our sister denominations, who are very difficult to surpass in labors of Christian faith and love. And, second, we would that in accordance with the resolutions of our bishops, our centennial year could be marked by a reunion of the different fragments of American Methodism. Especially would we rejoice in the return of that Church, the WESLEYANS, who seceded from us rather than make our concessions to the Southern slave-power. We honor and love those men. Their secession, as we believe, saved our Church in 1844 from accepting a slaveholding bishop. They, honorably to themselves, left the Church for the Church's good; and for that same Church's good we trust that they will return, with a full triumphant WELCOME. Never in such a crisis may the Church want those who will desert her ranks and frighten her soul from bowing her knee to Baal. Third, very wisely our Centenary Committee have recognized that our educational department stands most in need of a great revival effort. The record of our laymen in that branch of enterprise is not brilliant. It is much that the liberality of the Church shall be concentrated upon this object for one great year. It is more that her heart is brought to feel upon this subject at this historical point. And if she can reflect concentratedly, so as to yield less to local and meditate more upon great connectional points, we may yet recover from some great errors, and attain some great monumental results. In regard to colleges we need a new spirit and purpose, not to project new foundations so much as to finish the old. There, for instance, is Middletown, with a beautiful location, a splendid beginning, and a most honorable

quarter of a century of history, living and working by the Church's neglect. We would hope not to hear any more trancendentalisms about a College on the Hudson or on Manhattan Island until the University of Fisk and Olin is endowed with a million. And, lastly, while war has been a strange instructor of our people in deeds of lavish benevolent liberality, peace has returned, not only without any commercial revulsion or business stagnation, but with a positive prosperity and a rich augury that render liberality a natural and hearty process. Our laymen will, we have not the slightest doubt, come forth with a thank-offering to lay upon the altars of the Church that will fully demonstrate that the Church will be safe and prosperous so far as its interests are committed to their hands. We venture the prediction that they will roll out a TOTAL which will stand among the many surprises that our history has furnished to the world. will thereupon gird ourselves afresh, and in the name of God put on new strength and take up our line of march toward that next Centennial, at which, not we, but our children's children, shall testify what further hath God wrought, and call to mind the sayings and doings of their fathers.

We

Systematische Theologie, Ein Heitlich Behandelt. Von WILLIAM F. WarREN, Dr. und Prof. der Theologie. Erste Lieferung: Allgemeine Ein leitung. Pp. 186. Bremen: 1865.

We have here the first installment of a book which is destined to make its mark upon the theology of the age. Dr. Warren is well known to the readers of this review by his various contributions to theological literature, all marked by accurate learning, clear dis. crimination, and luminous arrangement. He is also known in narrower circles as one of the most thoroughly cultivated and promising of the younger theologians of the time, whether in Europe or America. But we think that his intimate friends, as well as the public, were hardly prepared to receive from his hands a piece of work so complete, so philosophical, and at the same time so thoroughly scriptural and Methodistic as the book before us.

It forms the General Introduction to a systematic theology. Dr. Warren modestly says in his preface that the work was undertaken for the benefit of his pupils in the mission school at Bremen, and for the use of the younger Methodist ministers of the German Church in Europe and America; and that it may serve the additional purpose of enlightening the German theological public in general as to the true nature of Methodist theology. These are very good views indeed; but we predict for the work, if finished as it is begun, a far wider sphere of influence than the author's modesty has allowed him to anticipate for FOURTH SERIES, VOL. XVII.-39

it. It will, if we are not mistaken, be called for in an English version, and will form the standard scientific text-book of Methodist theology for a long time to come.

We have not space in a mere book notice to indicate the grounds of this judgment. In our next number we expect to furnish an extended review of the book. In the mean time we advise all our readers who are familiar with the German language to order this "Introduction" through Messrs. Carlton & Porter of New York, or Poe & Hitchcock of Cincinnati.

M.

The Sabbath Psalter: A Selection of Psalms for Public and Family Worship. Compiled by Rev. HENRY J. Fox, A.M. 12mo., pp. 236. New York: Carlton & Porter. 1865.

In our notice of the doings of our last General Conference in a former Quarterly we expressed the hope, in behalf of the laity, that the time was not far distant when they would use the privilege of joining responsively in the Scripture part of the Sabbath service. Our agents have agreeably surprised even their editor by the appearance from their press, without any anticipation or supervision on his part, of a full-formed Psalter, by a competent hand, admirably suited to the purpose. Let pastor and official board previously agree in the matter; let some full-voiced brother take the lead; and then let "every person in the congregation" follow, "not one in ten only." We hope that it will be universally adopted; and that before the close of our centennial year the concert of Scripture Psalmody will rise from our assembled congregations like the voice of many waters. We trust that the Methodist Episcopal Church, the Methodist Episcopal Church South, and all Methodist Churches, Episcopal or not, will herein form a reunion.

Philosophy, Metaphysics, and General Science.

Annual of Scientific Discovery; or, Year Book of Facts in Science and Art for 1865, exhibiting the most important discoveries and improvements in Mechanics, Useful Arts, Natural Philosophy, Chemistry, Astronomy, Geology, Zoology, Botany, Mineralogy, Meteorology, Geography, Antiquities, etc.; together with Notes of the Progress of Science during the year 1864, a list of recent Scientific Publications, Obituaries of Eminent Scientific Men, etc. Edited by DAVID A. WELLS, A.M., M.D., author of Principles of Natural Philosophy, Principles of Chemistry, First Princi12mo., pp. 355. Boston: Gould & Lincoln. New York: Sheldon & Co. Cincinnati: George S. Blanchard.

ples of Geology, etc.

The present number of Mr. Wells's valuable scientific summary possesses more than ordinary interest. The scientific harvest of the past year has been rather abundant.

The Fossil Man has been hunted for with great zeal, and found in great numbers in France and in Gibraltar; while in India and California geologic evidences of humanity in long past æons are announced.

We select a statement or two:

CAVE OF BRUNIQUEL, FRANCE.-In the summer of 1863 there was opened on the estate of the Vicomte St. Jal, at Bruniquel, in the department of Tarn et Garonne, a cave, from which the proprietor obtained numerous specimens of remains of animals, flint instruments, bone implements, fashioned and carved by means of the flint-knives, and finally what the Vicomte believed to be human remains, all imbedded in the breccia.

The contents of the cave were exhumed and removed to London. They are understood to embrace some one thousand five hundred fossil specimens, many of them still embedded in the calcified mud in which they were found beneath a coating of stalagmite. The cavern is in a Jurassic limestone, and the soil found in it is formed by the superposition of several layers, namely, first, a stalagmite deposit; then an osseous breccia; then black clay beds repeated several times, in the midst of which was a pell mell of wrought flints of all known shapes; barbed arrow-points; bones of carnivores, ruminants, and birds, and rounded pebbles. Mingled with these were the bones of man. About eighty per cent. of the animal bones found were those of the reindeer, an animal which has not been known within the historic period south of the northern shores of the Baltic. There were besides the bones of two species of extinct deer, a few remains of the red deer, the extinct Bos primigenius, the Rhinoceros tichorinus, and the humerus of a big bird, on which was roughly sculptured different parts of a fish. This seems to have been an amulet or ornament. Some of the other bones also were rudely carved, while most of them bear marks of having been fractured for the purpose of getting at the marrow, or making them into weapons or instruments.

At a meeting of the Royal Society, June, 1864, Professor Owen minutely described the circumstances under which these discoveries were made, and stated that the cotemporaneity of the human remains with those of the extinct and other animals with which they were associated, together with the flint and bone implements, was proved by the evidence of the plastic condition of the calcified mud of the breccia at the time of interment, by the chemical constitution of the human bones, corresponding with that of the other animal remains, and by the similarity of their position and relations in the surrounding breccia. Among the principal remains of the men of the flint period discovered in this cave he described the following:

1. The hinder portion of a cranium, with several other parts of the same skeleton, which were so situated in their matrix as to indicate that the body had been interred in a crouching posture, and that, after the decomposition and dissolution of the soft parts, the skeleton had yielded to the superincumbent weight; 2. An almost entire calvarium, which was described and compared with different types of the human skull, and which Professor Owen showed was superior in form and capacity to the Australian type, and more closely to correspond with the Celtic type, though proportionally shorter than the modern Celtic and the form exhibited by the Celtic cranium from Engis, Switzerland; 3. Jaws and teeth of individuals of different ages.

After noticing other smaller portions of human crania, the lower jaw and teeth of an adult, the upper and lower jaws of immature individuals were described, the characters of certain deciduous teeth being referred to. The proportions of the molars are not those of the Australian, but of other races, and especially those of ancient and modern Europeans. As in most primitive or early races in which mastication was little helped by arts of cookery, or by various and refined kinds of food, the crowns of the molars are worn down beyond the enamel, flat and smooth to the stumps, exposing there a central tract of osteodentine without any signs of decay.

It would thus appear that the human remains from the Brunequil cave stand