German Reviews.

THEOLOGISCHE Studien und KRITIKEN. (Theological Essays and Reviews.) 1883. First Number.-Essay: 1. BRÜCKNER, Composition of the Liturgy in the Eighth Book of the Apostolic Constitutions. 2. KLEINERT, Observations on the Composition of the Liturgy of Clement. 3. SCHULTZ, Religion and Morality in their Co-relation. Thoughts and Remarks: 1. FRANKE, The Galatian Opponents of the Apostle Paul. 2. BÖHL, The Ancient Christian Inscriptions according to the Text of the Septuagint. 3. USTERI, Ecolampadius on Infant Baptism. Reviews: 1. ERDMANN'S, The Epistle of James; and BEYSCHLAG, Critical and Exegetical Manual on the Epistle of James; reviewed by Haupt. 2. BöшL, Christology of the Old Testament; or Exposition of the Most Important Messianic Prophecies; reviewed by KLOSTERMANN. 3. KLOSTERMANN, Corrections in the Usual Exegesis of the Epistle to the Romans; reviewed by M. KÄHLER. ZEITSCHRIFT FÜR KIRCHLICHE WISSENSCHAFT. (Journal for Ecclesiastical Science.) 1882. Numbers 7 and 8.-Contents: FRANZ DELITZSCH, The Primitive Mosaic Element in the Pentateuch. ZIMMER, The Codex Vaticanus in the Epistle to the Hebrews. BURKHARDT, New Investigations into Luther's Life. KAWERAN, Comments on Jaussen's Life of Luther. ENGELHARDT, Dietrich's Participation in Theological Questions, (1538-1545.) WENDLAND, the Doctrine of the "ATOKATάOTαGIÇ Havrov." HEUCH, The Official Pastor's Spiritual Care of the Sick. TRANTWETTER, The Nile in the Superstitions and the Customs of the Egyptians. JAHRBÜCHER FÜR PROTESTANTISCHE THEOLOGIE. 1882. Fourth Number. KUTTNER, The Value of Kant's Critique of Pure Reason for the Present. BAETHGEN, The Critical Worth of the Ancient Translations of the Psalms. WEIFFENBACH, Interpolations to the Introduction of Mark's Gospel. BENRATH, The Summa of the Holy Scriptures. BARTH, Tertullian's View of the Apostle Paul and his Relations to the Primitive Apostles. BENRATHI, Supplementary Notice to Roselli. LIPSIUS, On the Acts of Paul and Andrew.

In the "Theological Studies we find an unusual measure of attention to the ancient liturgy on the part of both Brückner and Kleinert; evidently in sympathy with the interest now manifested among German theologians to impart more life and practical effect to the liturgy of the period, which in some regions seems to have become almost a barren machine. Among the rich treasures of the ancient liturgies which have come down from the early centuries of the Christian Church the so-called Clementinian or Apostolic Liturgy, found in the eighth book of the Apostolic Constitutions, holds in every respect a prominent position. Every thing that makes the study of old liturgies attractive and profitable is here found in rich measure. It not only gives the explanation to a multitude of individual points and questions of ancient Church history, bat also shows us the clearest objective picture of the customs and arrangements of divine service; and, what is of more importance, imparts the sense and significance which the Church attached to them. And the fact that they are found in this particular book is a certain guarantee for their high age. The

contents of this book are very rich, but because their disposition is so clear and so well arranged for the various degrees of divine service, there is all the wealth displayed, yet no sense of over fullness.

We refer with very peculiar pleasure to another capital article in the same journal, entitled, "Religion and Morality in their Co-relation." In it the author shows with great force that true religion is in very strict relation to morality, and proves it by numerous illustrations; while he at the same time shows that all false religions are more or less in collusion with immoral aims or results. For every sincere member of the Christian Church religion and morality are conceptions inseparably bound together. All Christian people are alike in the conviction that no individual can be called religious who does not make his life conform to moral laws, and that there is no genuine morality that is not rooted in Christian soil. The Old Testament precepts declare that to be upright means to walk before God; but these two parallel conditions have not always been acknowledged, and are not now absolutely necessary in much of the theology and philosophy of the period, especially among the Germans. We need simply refer to the verdicts of Schleiermacher, Kant, and Fichte in regard to the relations between these two ideas. And the emphatic import of this question to the religious antagonisms of the day may be seen in the attention now paid to the subject in recent publications, namely, Kaftan's "Nature of the Christian Religion," and "The Christian Faith and Human Freedom." According to this zealous and luminous author, religion is a practical affair of the human mind, which reposes on the position which we as living beings assume toward the interests that are working within us. The desire for salvation, security, and life, for which man's own power in his worldly relations offers no satisfaction, seeks its fulfillment through a higher power which controls our temporal life. All religion is originally the desire for this security temporally and eternally. In illustration of his position, and development of his aim, the author goes into a learned and lucid exposition of the history and influence of all false religions on the morality of their adherents, and proves conclusively that the natural or artificial religions have never proved a genial soil for the true morality of a people. Even

the Christian religion, when it is a matter of the State, loses greatly in its moral influence, for it is then the State rather than the Church which executes all religious functions. Thus, the ideas of sin and crime, sacredness and justice, are commingled in a way that mars their true character for a believer. A genuine moral dealing of man to man can only spring from an undefiled religion, and not one which may trace any of its duty directly to the State. The whole tendency of this article is quite salutary at a period when the thinking Christians abroad are more than ever examining the influence of State religion on the masses.

French Reviews.

REVUE CHRETIENNE, (Christian Review.) August, 1882.-1. HOLLARD, Alexander Vinet in his Correspondence. 2. MÉNÉZOG, Schleiermacher's Idea of God. 3. DUPIN DE SAINT ANDRÉ, The Algerian Sahara. And, by the same, Historical Notices. Review of the Month by PRESSENSÉ. September.--1. L. E., A Primate of Spain before the Inquisition. 2. LOYSON, The Psalm Chanted in the Banquet of the Ten Virgins. 3. MALAN, How Treat the Thesis of Conditional Immortality? Review of the Month by PRESSENSÉ. October.-1. E. DE PRESSENSE, Lecture on the Morality of Interest and the Morality of Obligation. 2. DARTIGUE, The Preaching of Lacordaire. 3. DUPIN DE SAINT ANDRÉ, The Algerian Sahara, (Conclusion.) Literary Chronicle, SABATIER, and Monthly Review by PRESSENSÉ.

Saint André yields to the impulse of his countrymen in treating very largely of the Algerian Sahara in the August and October numbers of the "Review." The French are taking refuge in the "Dark Continent" from all their recent losses both in Europe and at the mouth of the Nile. They very ungracefully give up Egypt only to dive with more vigor into the interior of Africa. Having taken possession of the northern coast pretty well up to the Egyptian line, they now propose entering the interior with a view to utilizing it for national aggrandizement. They do not seem at all abashed by the lamentable failure and sad end of the Flatters expedition, and keep on finding all the consolation they can in their brilliant hope of creating inland seas and constructing railways to the rich regions of Central Africa. And Saint André at least ceases to regard the entrance to the Sahara as inviting. He acknowledges that it is a stern climate for those not born on the soil and acclimated to it. Even the European shivers

there in winter, while the air of summer scorches his lungs. In the greatest heat the thermometer ascends to fearful heights, and the traveler lost in the sands would give a kingdom for a cold bath. But water is very rare south of the Atlas range, as the few torrents that descend from the mountains are soon lost in the sands. Even on the southern portion of the present territory of French Algeria one can journey for ten days without reaching a well.

This indispensable water the French are fast obtaining by sinking Artesian wells, and where they are successful they thus obtain great control over the rude inhabitants and the nomads of the desert, who have an immense respect for men who can draw from the bosom of the earth a jet of pure water that springs forth like a captive delighted to find its liberty. The enthusiasm among the rude natives has at times been touching. In their joy they sacrifice a goat on the border of the well, and invoke on the French the benediction of Allah. Young girls hasten to dance at the festival, and poets sing the birth of the miraculous spring.

Notwithstanding the sad fate of the expedition of Colonel Flatters, the French still hope to construct a line of rail across this Algerian Sahara as far as Timbuctoo, and are largely encouraged in this hope by their success in these Artesian wells; for without water they cannot effect the construction nor run their engines, unless electricity should come to their aid. Indeed, the great questions are fuel and water. And but a few superlatively enthusiastic Frenchmen can even imagine the possibility of laying the rail across a barren and burning desert of which they scarcely as yet know the borders. But Duponchel, chief engineer of roads and bridges, declares that he can go from Algiers to Timbuctoo as easily as from Paris to Tours. But this is not bluster; it is something more though; to the credit of said engineer be it said that these wild words. were uttered before, and not after, the total destruction, even to the last man, of the expedition sent out to examine the route and report. One thing seems clear in the present humor of the French nation, and that is, that either in success or failure a good many Frenchmen are destined to leave their bones on the desert before this great object is effected.

Pressensé, in his "Monthly Review," gives a very interesting

account of a reunion in Switzerland of all Protestant Christians in the interest of pure Bible Christianity, in which the French Protestants largely engaged, on the ground that to religious thought there are no boundary lines. And they found in this Helvetian Republic their own troubles in the Church even magnified. The Swiss clergy are remarkable for their virility and cordiality, so that the French visitors found it hard to distinguish them from laymen. Their frankness, theological culture, and delicate mixture of patriotism and piety, were very noted and remarkable. And this judgment of Pressensé is gratifying and encouraging; for these men have to struggle with a disease that seems almost incurable.

The system of union of Church and State is fraught with peril for conscientious and ardent Christians. The radical rule seems to lead to violent results obtained more through policy than religion. The political platform rules the Church more and more; and all religious guarantees disappear in the presence of universal suffrage concerning spiritual things. The vox populi is no longer the vox Dei when it commands the suppression of the Apostles' Creed in public worship. And the proposition to make baptism optional before entrance into the Church is very likely to be adopted by the Synod. The evangelical element in the Church is alarmed at this situation, and feels that it must soon renounce the connection between Church and State if matters go on thus. As yet the two parties meet in the same Synod, but this cannot last when their tendencies are so diametrically opposite. The most practical debate of the session was a grave indication of this; it was nothing less than the confirmation of all children at a fixed age, and their introduc tion as Church members nolens volens. The scruples of the evangelical wing of the Church are very strong in this matter, and the same trouble came up in the recent official Synod of the French Reformed Church. This gathering in of the multitude in flocks is so distasteful to many of the Swiss pastors that they have rebelled against it, and are likely to get into trouble on that account, as the State has the political right to order them to carry out the ordinances according to State law, and the ungodly find quite a pleasure in forcing them so to do. All the Swiss assemblies have agitated this question, turn by turn, and it now reaches the grand Synod. The very FOURTH SERIES, VOL. XXXV.-10