The whole book is calculated to be very useful to the young student of the Scriptures, as well as to the Sunday teacher, and all who are interested in obtaining and diffusing a correct knowledge of Jewish history and antiquities. The larger works of Jahn, Calmet, and others are not accessible to the greater portion of the religious community, and are not adapted to general use. We are greatly indebted to Mr. Bulfinch for bringing the information which they contain into a briefer and more attractive form in the volume we are noticing.

We observe a few typographical errors; but, in general, the work is well executed, in the style of the two preceding volumes of the Sunday Library for Young Persons, edited by Rev. H. Ware, Jr.

W. N.

Views of Christian Truth, Piety, and Morality. Selected from the Writings of Dr. Priestley. With an Introductory Notice of his Life and Character. By HENRY Ware, Jr. Cambridge. James Munroe & Co. 1834. 1834. 12mo. pp.

287.

MANY flippant writers of ephemeral discourses and essays have denounced Priestley as a profane critic in theology and a shallow philosopher. Some have even had the rashness to class him, with respect to religion, among infidels. Admitting that he spread himself over too wide a surface of physical and intellectual science, and even of theological inquiry, to be always exact and thorough; yet, upon the various subjects which he handled, it would be difficult, if possible, to single out an individual, in modern times, who has given such an impetus to important philosophical discussions, or who has thrown out so many hints which have been taken up and carried forward, and have ended in great results. But our business with him at this time is as a theologian and Christian. And here we think it must be admitted that he was either remarkable for the firmness and constancy of his faith in the divine origin of Christianity, and for his uniform piety and devotion, -or that he was an arrant hypocrite and deceiver. This seems to be the only alternative.

Amidst all the harsh language of his revilers, we do not remember that he has ever been charged with hypocrisy or deception; the charge would be too obviously absurd. But how does it appear that he was remarkable for his faith and piety? We refer to the extracts from his writings, on various occasions, which are collected by Professor Ware; to which, if it were ne

cessary, might be added similar extracts to a great extent. With such evidence, though we have charity enough to ascribe the asperity with which Priestley's Christian character has been impugned by his enemies to ignorance, yet we have not charity enough to regard their ignorance as wholly excusable. Let them account for his strenuous defence of the divine origin of Christianity, in which he has not been surpassed; for his delight in reading and studying the Scriptures, especially when he "read them with a practical view," of which he speaks most feelingly; for his strict requirements concerning Christian duties, in all the relations of this life, and in the prospect of a future life; for his earnest endeavours to produce reverence for the Lord's day, and for Christian worship and ordinances; for his cheerful and assiduous labours in imparting religious instruction to the young, and in promoting in all persons that elevation of character rising above sin and sensuality and bondage to the world, and fear of reproach, of suffering, and of persecution for conscience's sake, inspired by Christian truth and Christian hopes; in fine, for his habitual devotion, his firm trust in Providence, and consequently heartfelt submission, - his unwavering faith in a future righteous retribution, sustaining him triumphantly through the trials of life. Let all those who profess and call themselves Christians weigh these things, and place in the opposite scale, if they please, his materialism, which appears, in him, never to have stood in the way of the most elevated and spiritual views of Deity, or of thorough faith in a resurrection to a future life, a life of perfect intellectual bliss to the faithful Christian. Let them place in the same scale all his supposed errors concerning the person of the Saviour, the depravity of human nature, the manner in which man's salvation was secured by Jesus Christ, and the whole tissue of metaphysical theology. Of how little importance, after all, do such subtilties and metaphysical niceties appear, compared with those sublime and affecting truths which reach the heart and make the life better, giving us the only true foretaste of heaven!

The closing remarks of Priestley upon "The Duty of Christians respecting the Present Prevalence of Infidelity" show how a righteous man should feel when assaulted either by narrow Christians or by open infidels.

"Let the rational Christian, who justly disclaims such doctrines as those of original sin, arbitrary predestination, the Trinity, and vicarious satisfaction, as the grossest corruptions of his religion, and the principal cause of its present rejection (and which, on this account, his regard for Christianity requires that he should take every opportunity of exposing), be equally prepared to meet the too vehement zeal of the defenders of these doctrines (who are at present the great majority of the nominally Christian world), persons who will not scruple to treat him as a deist or atheist, and also the hatred of the real deists and

atheists of the age. For if he be zealous and active in promoting what he deems to be pure Christianity, their sentiments concerning him will not deserve a softer name. However, the malignity of both are alike insignificant, considering the great object we have in view; and they are infinitely overbalanced by the solid satisfaction which arises from the cordial esteem of a small number of judicious Christian friends, who will approve of our conduct, and join us in it; to say nothing of the exquisite delight which arises from the consciousness of a steady and undaunted pursuit of what is true and right, the hope we entertain of the approbation of our Maker, and the glorious reward of immortality."-pp. 146, 147.

Professor Ware's selections from the religious and moral writings of Priestley appear to us well fitted to fulfil the double purpose he had in view, namely, "to instruct and animate religious readers, and do something [everything necessary] towards vindicating the character of an injured man.' They furnish all the testimony requisite for this purpose from the mouth of the author. The "Memoir of Dr. Priestley" (prefixed to the Selections), which, we think, is very judiciously composed, contains all the additional evidence needed to insure the high respect of all candid men for the subject of it, no less as a Christian than a very estimable man and distinguished philosopher.

S. W.

Illustrations of the Divine Government. By T. SOUTHWOOD SMITH, M. D. Second American from the Fourth London Edition. Boston. B. B. Mussey. 12mo. pp. 288. 1834.

WE are glad to see a second American edition of this work, in so elegant a form. Whatever may be thought of the opinions on those great and difficult subjects, the purposes of the Divine government, the origin and uses of sin, and the final condition of man, which the author has undertaken to discuss, his book will be read with delight, we believe, by every candid person. It breathes throughout the spirit of a beautiful, thoughtful, discriminating and devout mind. The author has seen fit to call it "Illustrations of the Divine Government." And this expresses the character of the work. But its ultimate object, on which everything is made to bear, is to prove the doctrine of the final restoration of all mankind to virtue and happiness. We are inclined to believe that the premises on which he has constructed his most important argument are unsound, nor are we satisfied with the proofs he brings from Scripture. We do not assent to his conclusion. But we have read his work more than once

We do not

with delight. It is a truly Christian discussion. know a book, which touches on controverted topics of theology, more deeply imbued with the spirit of unobtrusive candour. Noth ing of harshness, much less of bigotry, has been suffered to breathe over its pages. We cannot resist the conviction that we have been communing with a truly benevolent and truth-loving mind. To read a book so written is as delightful as it is difficult to find one. The work is characterized by force and fulness of argument, and, at the same time, by great simplicity, and richness of illustration. We might make some beautiful extracts, especially from the chapters on the goodness of God; but as our limits do not permit us to make long quotations, and we cannot otherwise do justice to the author, we forbear.

J. Q. D.

Test of Christian Character. A Sermon by PETER EATON, D. D. 8vo. pp. 16.

JESUS CHRIST would not have men to be even Christians, in any sectarian sense. By whatever name one might be called, whether Jew or Gentile, that man was acknowledged to be of his fold, if he was only a good man. The whole aim of his life, and the one sole purpose of his mission, were to make men good, lovers of God, lovers of one another, pure. As to matters of doctrine, they were insisted upon solely as being subsidiary to this end, helps, through the influence of which upon the mind a man might be made a good man.

We do feel glad when, once in a while, above the perpetual din about doctrines, our ears are permitted to hear, as in the Sermon before us, this, the main truth of our religion, earnestly set forth.

"It is the life," says Dr. Eaton, "that stamps the character. When I see an individual uniformly manifesting love and veneration for the Supreme Being, benevolence and charity to his neighbour, and all the moral virtues in his life, I ask not, What is his faith, or, What his experience."

No, nor does anybody who, from his reading of Christ's words, and the observation of his life, has been able to gather a glimpse of the errand on which he came. That such a man is a Christian, in the only proper sense of that term, is what Jesus laboured and died to make men, everyone, whose mind is not the utter slave of party, must and will at once admit. To set this truth clearly forth, and endeavour to make sectarians believe it, is the object of this Sermon. The reasoning is plain

and forcible, we think no one can go through with it without pronouncing it satisfactory. We conclude with the expression of our thanks to Dr. Eaton for the strong common-sense view in which he has presented this all-important subject.

N.

CORRESPONDENCE AND INTELLIGENCE.

THE PRISON-DISCIPLINE SOCIETY.

THIS Society has for its object the improvement of prisons and of all public criminal institutions throughout the country. Its intention is to introduce Christian principles into the articles of our criminal code, and provide for those convicted of their violation all the means of moral reformation.

This society has two modes of operation. One is, the collection of facts respecting the whole business of criminal imprisonment throughout the world. The other is, spreading those facts before magistrates, judges, philanthropists, and patriots, and inducing them to improve upon the experience and the invention of others.

According to the first mode of operation, it labours to obtain a general expression of opinion and a general communication of information, from benevolent men in England, Europe, and America, respecting the extent to which abuses now prevail, the remedies proposed, and as to what systems of prison-regulation have been found beneficial and availing. It was familiarly known that no two countries or states have the same systems. It was believed that every part of Christendom had something peculiar to itself, of good or of evil, in its police and its prisons. It was confidently expected that a general consideration of a scheme of prisondiscipline successfully carried through in one place might bring about the second operation of the society and lead to its adoption elsewhere, and, ultimately, to benefits almost incalculable to humanity and the world. The collection of information of every kind about the whole subject, the preparation of plans of prison-discipline, the invention of new systems, the examination of criminal codes, the enlisting of public attention in the work, were considered matters of the first importance to the present time and to posterity.

The second mode of operation was of not less consequence. From the increase of population and of crime, institutions of this description are constantly in the process of erection all over the land, and are generally (and were uniformly, before this society began its operations) based on principles acknowledged to be false, injurious, and unchristian. This society aims, as far as possible, to reform the old establishments; but, at least, not to allow the erection of any new ones, in the face of facts which prove conclusively that, if erected as they used to be, they must become pests to society, and the instruments of utter degradation to those shut up in them.