of the Scottish National Church, Crown Court, Covent Garden. London: Hall, Virtue and Co. 8vo. pp. 60.

THE titles of these books are nearly the same, the object proposed is the same, and some of the arguments identical. The latter pamphlet was published first, but the subject was not so discussed as to make Dr. M'Caul's unnecessary, or in a manner which he was likely to imitate or approve. By this time, the public is familiar with the requirements of the revisionists on the one hand, and the objections to the changes proposed on the other. If any of our readers are not familiar with these he will find them stated; the former candidly, the latter clearly and forcibly, by Dr. M'Caul. The objections to the divisions into chapters and verses are, we think, satisfactorily met. In reply to the assertion that these divisions were made haphazard with a view to the use of concordances, Dr. M'Caul shews, that, in general, the division into verses manifests care, deep study of the text, a desire to mark the author's sense, and a deliberate effort to present it intelligibly to the reader. He gives also historic evidence to prove that these divisions are really of considerable antiquity. The hebraisms objected to could not be removed without serious detriment to the version. The alleged want of uniformity is defended on philological grounds, and the words said to be obsolete could not be systematically changed without, on the same principle, modernizing the whole.

With regard to the "new translations" proposed, they are shewn to be in general either "needless" or "uncertain," or decidedly objectionable." The last reason which may be urged for holding fast the authorized version is, that the advocates for revision propose not only to change our existing translations but also the adoption of some improved text of the originals. We think that all who are acquainted with the present state of biblical criticism will agree with Dr. M'Caul that this at present presents an insuperable difficulty. He does not deny the desirableness of approaching, as nearly as may be to perfection, both as to the text and the version. Let the work of biblical criticism and the study of the originals proceed. Let the three societies now engaged in the revision of our English Bible publish, independently, the results of their labours. The whole church, and the people of England will, as is their undoubted right, have the opportunity of judging deliberately of what is proposed instead of their authorized and national Bible.

Dr. Cumming has mixed up with his arguments, on this subject, so much that is extravagant, has shown himself so widely out of his latitude, that he really has chiefly proved his own incompetency. It was a great mistake for one who stands so high in esteem, with a part of the public, for other reasons than his learning, to come forth in an oracular tone with dicta on critical subjects. On the subject of the Textus Receptus, he tells us, "We are absolutely sure that we have the ipsissima verba-the very exact words-that Matthew, and John, and Peter, and Paul wrote and left behind them;" but he does not tell us

where. He tells us, there are about 700 MSS.; these we can compare one with another, and in case of anything interpolated, or altered, or omitted in one, we have 600 and upwards to bring against it. He ventures to say that out of 10,000 of the various readings, 9999 are about letters, particles, points, crosses, such as daßid for david, i.e., there are only about five out of 50,000 variations which are not of this sort. Nay, he ventures to assert that there are in our hands the elements of a conclusion that this is God's book, uncorrupted, unmutilated, uninjured, as thorough and complete as if an angel were to come down from heaven and dictate it, or as if God had written it with stars for letters in the blue firmament above us. This is throughout the style in which Dr. Cumming talks on the subject; and if the matter were not somewhat too grave for amusement, we might refer our readers to this pamplet for a considerable amount of it. Dr. Cumming has decidedly put himself hors de combat in this controversy by coming to the front ranks in armour and with weapons that he has not "proved."

A Letter on the Subject of Natural Philosophy as a part of Clerical EduContributed to the British Magazine, February, 1844, by the late JOHN FREDERIC DANIELL, D.C.L., For. Sec. R.S., Professor of Chemistry in King's College, London, etc., etc. Corrected from the Author's MS., and edited by C. A. SWAINSON, M.A., Principal of the Theological College, and Prebendary of Chichester, Hulsean Lecturer. London: Rivingtons. 1857. 8vo. pp. xiii., 43.

WE fear that the partiality of friendship, on the part of Mr. Swainson, has given to this letter of the late Professor Daniell undue importance. Though in perusing it we cannot but be impressed with the earnest attitude of the Professor's mind, we cannot feel that either the tone or the philosophy of it are worthy of his reputation. It seems as though the author had been vexed, and roused to "something like indignation," by the follies of one or two very foolish opponents of natural science, and was prompted, in an anonymous contribution to the British Magazine, to make charges of ignorance and prejudice on the part of non-scientific men, much too widely, and in a somewhat unkindly tone. We quite agree with the Professor and with Mr. Swainson, that no theologian should be ignorant of physical science, and we do not believe that many reading men of the present day are So. But we are convinced that there could not be a more dangerous error than to make the study of physical science a considerable part of the staple of a university course in clerical education. The subjects essentially connected with theology are themselves, both in difficulty and in range, far beyond the present educational means of our universities; and they are of a kind which are in themselves less attractive till their difficulties are mastered, than most others, and require to be more, rather than less, encouraged by university stimulus. What

specu

chance would most of these difficult subjects have with those pursuits which so commonly carry away, with enthusiasm, those who enter deeply into them? especially if the latter were to be adorned by university honours. We believe, in fact, that the conviction is increasingly strong on the part of those who best know what the requirements of our clergy are, that more of what is commonly called "learning," a deeper acquaintance with the sacred languages, and with all those subjects which class with the moral sciences, is earnestly to be desired for our rising clergy. The want of this has far too much obliged them to go to foreign schools for almost all their professional appliances, and left them, helplessly, to the mercy or the freaks of lation. It is we believe increasingly felt, at least in reference to one of our universities, that if anything in the present system is to give way, it must be a portion of the preference which has, in fact, already been given to physical science, in high encouragement given to mathematics and its applications. If Mr. Swainson, as principal of a theological college, is prepared, as Professor Daniell suggests, to substitute for things which are essential to the clerical profession, "Sublime speculations emanating from minds drilled in the severe school of applied mathematics," and which, we remark, require such drilling to appreciate them he will, we fear, leave but a small margin for those Divine Oracles which make a man wise unto salvation. It is not at college, it is not at a university, it is not during the period of education, that the things which Professor Daniell advocates ought to be seriously entered upon. They may, and perhaps ought in different degrees, to be undertaken after a man has been prepared, by a sound university training, for entering successfully upon any study which may seem most important.

Educational Difficulties; How are they to be met? By CHARLES GREENALL DAVIES, M.A., Oxon, Vicar of Tewkesbury, Honorary Canon of Gloucester, and Rural Dean. London: Hatchard. 1857. 8vo. pp. 49.

We recommend this pamphlet to the earnest attention of all who are, or ought to be, interested in the subject of popular education. It is one step towards the removal of difficulties to know clearly and fully what they are; and on this part of the subject Mr. Davies's statements are clear and convincing. He sets out by declaring his conviction that unless education be religious as well as secular it is more likely to result in mischief than in real good. The problem then is to devise a well-organized system of combined religious and secular instruction, adapted to the wants of all sects and classes of our labouring population. As yet we have, in fact, no such thing as national education. The machinery which Government has at length devised, costly and valuable as it is, has not been brought to bear on the masses of those among whom the need is greatest. This Mr. Davies shews by extracts from the detailed statement of annual grants made to schools in the

chief counties of England. It thus appears that in the case of a vast proportion of the rural population no aid is given.

The first thing to be done is to ascertain by some such method as has been proposed in parliament the nature and extent of the evil. This being understood, there will remain three difficulties,—the financial, the religious difficulties, and that of bringing and keeping young people under instruction.

It appears that the majority of the English people, the well-off, and the fairly-off, never contribute a sixpence, except perhaps once a year at a collection, for this object. In rural districts, where the need is most urgent, the squire may do something, but the clergyman incomparably more; the farmers so little, and often so grudgingly, that it is scarcely worth collecting. "Nor is it far otherwise with the great majority of dwellers in towns and manufacturing districts. They too give little encouragement, pecuniary or personally, to elementary education."

We agree with Mr. Davies, in thinking that the "religious difficulty" has been overrated. "It is a difficulty chiefly with those who write or legislate on the subject. In practice the difficulty is generally slight. It is rarely that children are kept from school on religious grounds, but for widely different reasons, and in the rural districts this difficulty scarcely exists at all. The third it appears is a growing evil, and one which it is most difficult to obviate, that of retaining children at school beyond the age of mere infancy. "The fact is certain that there may be schools, and good schools, and yet the children do not come, or they remain so short a time that their receiving anything like education is impossible.

We can only state, in Mr. Davies's own words, his syllabus of suggestions for meeting these difficulties:

"A compulsory rate should be established in every parish in England; and, in order that religion-the hope and the strength of life, and the only source of morality-may be really taught to the England of the next generation, these funds ought to be distributed among schools attached to the various denominations of Christians, either according to their number, or according to the amount of means raised by each.

"And finally, with a view to make these means available towards the better education of those children who are sent to school, the factory act should be extended, and applied to every kind of employment; and in addition to certificates of merit, prizes should be given, school fees should be remitted in the cases of elder children, and school libraries should be established; these expenses to be defrayed by voluntary contributions."

The New Testament of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ in the original Greek: with Notes, by CHRISTOPHER WORDSWORTH, D.D., Canon of Westminster. Part II. The Acts of the Apostles. London: Rivingtons. 1857. Small folio. pp. 172.

As this edition of the Greek Testament involves principles both of criticism and interpretation of the greatest importance, we intend to

give it a full discussion in this Journal when it is further advanced. In the meantime we apprise our readers of the appearance of the separate parts, and furnish a general idea of their contents. In this portion, the Introduction occupies forty-eight pages, comprising a full examination of the place intended to be held by the Acts in the history and economy of the Church; a chronological synopsis of its events; an account of the Uncial MSS. containing the Acts of the Apostles; a list of editions; a list of authors cited in the work. Dr. Wordsworth has, in this portion, relinquished the plan adopted in the Gospels, of giving notes upon notes in the commentary, and we think he has studied clearness of style, and the advantage of the reader, by doing so. In the Introduction, the author of course adopts the same principles of exegesis as in the Gospels, the same high views of inspiration, and the same deference to antiquity. We are disposed to think that he finds more reasons for the peculiarities of the Acts than are sustainable. Nothing is easier than to ascribe à priori motives and ends to the Divine Mind, as accounting for the phenomena of Holy Scripture; but while it is our duty to do so, nothing demands more discretion, a more frequent checking of our fancy and withholding of our pen. For our own part, our ideas of the full authority of the Acts, as an inspired book, rest quite as firmly on the supposition that St. Luke did not fully carry out his original design, as on the theory that he had special reasons for leaving his work, as it appears to us, unfinished. We will quote a small portion of the Introduction, containing a summary of many proofs and arguments :

"The plan then of this divine book is to enlarge our view of Christ's ministry; to prevent us from confining it to his brief bodily sojourn on earth; to reveal to us Christ sitting in heaven, not like one of the deities of the heathen world, indifferent to human affairs, nor controlled by a fatal destiny, nor sharing his power with rival deities; but enthroned King of kings and Lord of lords, and ever ruling all things by his word, for the advancement of his Gospel and the establishment of his kingdom, till at length he will put all things under his feet, and God will be all in all. Here is a magnificent subject, worthy the pen of an inspired evangelist. The Acts of the Apostles, as thus viewed, is a divine Epinicinium, or Song of Victory, on the triumphant exaltation of Christ. It is an evangelical fulfilment of those holy Psalms, the 45th and 68th, 'Thou art gone up on high, thou hast led captivity captive.' Gird thee with thy sword upon thy thigh, O thou most mighty.' Ride on, because of the word of truth, of meekness, and righteousness. Thy seat, O God, endureth for ever.'

"And in regard to Christ's tender love for the Church, his Bride, it may be called a sacred Epithalamium, in which is celebrated his tenderness for her, whom he has 'purchased with his own blood,' and has delivered from heathen bondage, and has brought near to himself, and advanced to his own right hand, and made her partner of his glory. Here, in this divine book, which describes the espousals of the Gentile Church to Christ, we may behold the prophetical picture displayed to the eye of the world in the fulness of historical truth: Upon thy right hand did stand the queen in a vesture of gold wrought about with divers colours. Hearken, O daughter, and consider; incline thine ear: forget also thine own people and thy father's house. So shall the king have pleasure in thy beauty, for he is thy Lord God, and worship thou him.' Hence we may derive the assurance that no weapon formed against her shall prosper.' The powers of this world may persecute and oppress her, the spirits of darkness may be leagued against her, but he who ascended into heaven, and reigns in majesty on high, works in her and by her. He is in the midst of her, therefore