large part of our population see pp. 188 et seq. The remark is severe but true, that the majority of women among us demand the courtesies of chivalry without returning any acknowledgment, whereby they vacate all right to such attentions. The tourist gives us lively descriptions of scenery and society-sufficient to keep up the reader's interest; with here and there a more studied attempt to analyze our peculiarities, and to play the philosopher among us. He makes mistakes, (we have not space to specify them,) yet fewer than most of his class; is kindly disposed towards us, and appreciates our real strength and capabilities. We almost wonder that a countryman of Dr. "Times" Russell should devote a chapter and more to a defence of our side of the War. Mr. Trollope makes a fair case for us, but by no means exhausts its conclusive points. He shows his friendliness, however, and that is something in these days. On the whole, we think that the son has atoned for the mother's petulance, and very well redeemed the family name.

There is some careless writing in this volume, as "speciality" for specialty; "centrical" for central; "strategetic" instead of strategic or strategical; "Augustine age" instead of Augustan age; and other similar slips; but a much greater faultiness lies in the Bacchic proclivities of the traveller, of which he appears, however, to be most complacently unconscious. In the wine and beer and toddy direction, he seems disposed to let his moderation be known unto all men.

The Way to Life. Sermons by THOMAS GUTHIRE, D. D. Author of "The Gospel in Ezekiel," &c., &c. 12mo. pp. 336. New York: R. Carter & Brothers. 1862.

NEITHER the written nor the spoken eloquence of Dr. Guthrie is much to our taste. His mind is sprightly and ingenious: he paints with a free pencil, and without a very careful mixing of his colors. He is too illustrative for the best power of the pulpit - dashes off after too many alluring fancies, makes Christian truth more pretty than subduing. We miss, not evangelical sentiments, and what seems like genuine unction, but a strong enough grasp upon the great pillars of the eternal temple. He does not grapple with the elements of the gospel-system as did Chalmers, as does Candlish. He ornaments and embellishes profusely. We like a simpler taste, a purer style of decoration. But he pleases the popular mind, and is successful both as preacher and author. Doubtless he has done many people much good who would be quite inaccessible to a chaster method of Christian instruction.

ARTICLE XI.

THE ROUND TABLE.

-

DOG-DAYS CRITICISM. It has usually been thought best, in efforts to reclaim the sinning, to begin by bestowing commendation on the offender, if there was anything to commend. So did Paul in his epistles, and wise men have followed in his steps. But a writer in the "Congregationalist," of August 8, reverses this, in a notice of our article on Sabbath-school Literature. He first comes down upon us with such sweeping charges as that the writer of our article "singles out the books of one publisher only" for criticism, because he has "a virulent and unchristian" spirit to gratify, and "a spite against somebody," and moreover, because he "thought it would not be safe" to examine the publications of the "Massachusetts S. S. Society, the American S. S. Union, the Baptist Publication Society, or the Methodist Book Concern ;" and that the Boston Review is just the place for such a spirit and such a criticism. Now since the writer of our article did not single out the books of one publisher only, but did the very thing which this witness says would have been "fair criticism," what does our friend GAIL HAMILTON think a pagan would call the so positive statement we have quoted? And since the thing charged was not done at all, how could it be done in a virulent unchristian spirit, and to gratify a spite? And once more, what shall be thought of this man's fitness to pronounce judgment on another man's spirit?

But having completed his fulmination against ourselves, this writer proceeds to give us his views of our Sabbath-school Literature, after a fashion which seems to us so much like a commendation of our article, that, but for the whirlwind at the outset, we should have accepted it as such without a minute's hesitation, with some slight exceptions. Thus he says, that "all our Sabbath-school Societies turn off from the press a considerable amount of trash;" that the committees of publication are "very loose in their examination of manuscripts;" that the writers are "entirely incompetent; " that "it used to be said of Taunton water (a libel on the place) that it was too weak to run down hill; and it may be said of many of our Sunday-school books, that they are so weak as to turn the stomach even of the young reader."

How large a proportion of all our Sunday-school books are of this sort this deponent saith not, but affirms of all our publishing societies

that they "are not willing to pay for first-class manuscripts;" that "the commonest writers, with few exceptions, furnish the books for them ;" and, finally, that "some private publishing-houses issue a larger proportion of books, well written and well packed with thought for children - bad as some of them are than our Sunday-school De

positories"!

The writer is evidently "smart," although "the mercury in the thermometer ranging too high," as he says, would seem to have muddled his wits or disturbed his temper at the commencement of his article ; but if he will expand his views a little, and put them into a more finished shape, when the mercury ranges lower, and send them to us, we think he may furnish an admirable supplement to our article, causing our readers to exclaim in his own words, if not in his own spirit, "It is no wonder that the author sought the Boston Review as a medium for his thoughts."

ON MINDING YOUR OWN BUSINESS. What a very happy thing it is to have a wise and faithful Mentor, who can see for us all our perils, correct our mistakes, rebuke our faults, and guide us in the true and safe path! Our nation is preeminently blessed in this respect, far beyond the Prince of Ithaca. He had one Mentor; we have many. Chief among these princeps inter nobiles is Dr. John Campbell, of the London "British Standard." From the very commencement of our great national troubles he has seen all things with an almost superhuman perspicacity, and has poured upon us his vaticinations with far more than Delphic assurance.

Let us congratulate ourselves that at length, and for once, he sees us in the right. In his issue of August 1, he says: "If ever men were in earnest, the President and the Congress are; they merit the confidence and the admiration of the whole civilized world. We feel such oneness with them that we make their cause our own." This is most cheering, certainly; but let us not felicitate ourselves too far. Has the astute Doctor come to the conclusion that the American Union is worth saving? Oh, not at all! "Unless as it related to slavery, we never felt much interest in the maintenance of the Union." This is frank and sincere, and we greatly admire it. The good Doctor speaks the honest sentiments of a great multitude of Englishmen. They never felt much interest in the maintenance of the Union,never felt much interest in its maintenance ! Very well, and what then? Why, nothing, we say. We don't care whether they did or not. It is not of the very smallest consequence, though England is good and great above all European nations, and her people are good

and wise, and Dr. Campbell is eminent among her wise and good The American Union will not stand a single day longer for their good opinion, or fall an hour sooner without it.

men.

We are doing to-day the very same thing which we began to do in the spring of 1861, fighting for the "maintenance of the Union." This is the thing which we shall continue to do, and to do in our own way. We shall crush whatever opposes our progress; not only slavery wherever it exists, but, if need be, the constitution of every slave State, reducing all to the condition of territories. In the mean time and thereafter we shall hope to maintain pleasant relations with England and all other foreign States, based on the principles which usually operate in such cases, not a large amount of disinterested benevolence, or magnanimity, or special affection, but a wise self-interest, commercial necessity, and comprehensive State policy, in the spirit of mutual independence, and self-respect, and international comity.

A STRONG desire has lately been expressed that the new Professor ⚫ in Andover shall be a Simon-pure Congregationalist, and that of the old John Robinson stamp. It is well enough to "make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter." But is not the theology within the cup of some value? Shall only the men who guard the latter be called contentious? "These ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone." It is a bad sign to pay tithe of mint, and anise, and cummin, while the weightier matters of the law are omitted. We like, too, this exhortation to return to the old paths, the purer John Robinson ways. But let not those who make changes in Congregationalism call their corruptions "improvements," and the results of the more light" which was to break out from the Scriptures in coming days.

66

Ir may perhaps be worth while to correct a slight error in a former number, and to say, that more knowledge of the recent celebrity who wrote "The Recreations of a Country Parson," than was current among us when our review of that work was published, makes him a minister of the Established Church of Scotland instead of the "Anglican Church," as there intimated.

1

BOSTON REVIEW.

VOL. II.-NOVEMBER, 1862.-No. 12.

ARTICLE I.

PERSEVERANCE IN GRACE.

WE once listened with no small surprise to the statement, from the incumbent of a city pulpit who was not a novice that a person may be an impenitent sinner to-day; may be regenerated to-morrow; may then become perfectly sanctified; next, apostatize from holiness; then die in his sins, and perish in hell forever. This is putting the dogma of "falling from grace" in a more startling way than is common. But, admitting the fact of such a fall, there is a logical consistency in the terms of this category. We rather, on the whole, like its bluntness, on the same principle that an open field engagement is more pleasant than a skirmish through thick woods. We take issue with both premise and conclusion. The "indefectibility of grace," as the fathers confessed it, which is dropping out of the faith of not a few of our modern orthodox Christians, is a part of our creed. We shall begin our discussion by clearing the path of some misconceptions.

This doctrine is not, that every one who supposes himself to be a Christian, or is thus esteemed by others, will ultimately be saved. It is not, that all who seem to furnish good evidence of piety will reach the state of glory. This would deny the possibility of false judgments concerning our spiritual condition. It is not, that all who belong to Christ's visible church will be