mination of all available original authorities, and a thorough acquaintance with what has been written about the topic embraced in Germany, up till the present time. But equally, as usual, there is no notice taken of English literature on the subject. There is no mention, e. g., of Dean Milner's History of Latin Christianity. The canons of the cecumenical councils (of which five are contained in the compass of the volume), are given at length, and also those of the chief provincial synods. Others are noticed briefly. As specimens of the thorough way in which Dr Hefele has treated his subject, we would refer to the two sections on the fourth Lateran and the Lyons General Council. The contemporary councils of the Greek Church receive their due share of attention. The volume is beautifully printed, and has a copious index, as well as table of contents.

Monumenta Vaticana. Excerpsit HUGO LAEMMER. Freiburg: Herder. Zur Kirchengeschichte des 16 u. 17. Jahrhunderts. Von Dr HUGO LAEMMER. Freiburg: Herder.

In these two volumes Dr Laemmer, well known as a laborious historical inquirer, has collected a number of important and hitherto unpublished documents relating to the church history of the Reformation era in Germany, and immediately subsequent times. The papal archives have furnished a considerable amount of the matter therein embodied. Considerable light is thus thrown upon the state of opinion and feeling in the fatherland at a period of undying interest. The remarks of Dr Laemmer are, of course, to be taken with the allowance due to his Romanist stand-point. He has incorporated in the former of these two volumes a variety of most interesting matter from the correspondence of various writers, such as Pole, Compeggio, Contarini, and others, shewing what were the demands made upon the Roman curia for reform, even within the bounds of those who resolved not to separate from the "Catholic" Church.

German Rationalism, in its Rise, Progress, and Decline, in relation to Theologians, Scholars, Poets, Philosophers, and the People: a Contribution to the Church History of the Eighteenth and Nineteenth Centuries. By Dr K. R. HAGENBACH, Professor of Theology in the University of Basle. Edited and translated by Rev. Wm. Leonhard GAGE, and Rev. J. H. W. STUCKENBERG. Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark. 1865.

We cannot too highly commend this interesting contribution to church history. Those who take it up as a dry treatise will be agreeably disappointed at finding themselves carried along a stream of lively narrative, introducing them to a variety of characters, of whom they had previously a very vague conception, and tracing the history of German Rationalism, from its earliest dawn to the present day, in a series of captivating chapters. We cordially thank the Messrs Clark for furnishing us with this excellent translation of a work at once so seasonable and so salutary.

XI.-CRITICAL NOTICES.

Commentary on the Epistle to the Romans. By CHARLES HODGE, D.D., Professor in the Theological Seminary, Princeton, New Jersey. New edition, revised, and in great measure rewritten. Edinburgh. A. Elliot, and J. Thin. 1864. 8vo. pp. 458.

In our last number we called the attention of our readers to the service which the present publishers had rendered to the students of Biblical Theology, by their new and elegant edition of Dr Alexander's Commentary on

Isaiah; and we have now to express our obligations to them for a still greater service, perhaps, by this handsome reprint of the new edition of one of the most valuable Commentaries ever published. Of the first edition of it, for which there was such a demand in America that but few copies reached this country, an abridgment, prepared for popular use, was all that got into general circulation. But, even in this disadvantageous form, the vigour and precision for which its author is so distinguished were marked enough. The author, however, has in this new edition very considerably enlarged and improved the original work; and, in the present reprint of it, the English purchaser enjoys the following advantages over the possessors of the American edition-(1.) Many misprints in the Scripture references have been corrected, and the whole of them verified; (2.) the references to Vinet's Grammar of the Greek Testament have not only been made to the latest edition (instead of an old one, as in the American issue), but to the English translation of it in Clark's series, and where the views of the grammarian himself, or his mode of stating them, have changed, the references to both are retained; (3.) two indices have been given, one, of the principal matters-a sort of brief theological syllabus of the work-the other, of the more important Greek words and phrases, which serves as a kind of synopsis of the usus loquendi of this great epistle; (4.) and, not least, the English reader has all this at less than half the cost of the American edition.

To excel as a biblical interpreter is a great merit; to excel as a systematic theologian is a merit no less; but to excel in both is a merit so rare, that hardly one in an age can be named to whom, by common consent, it belongs in any high degree. In this merit Calvin confessedly towers above all. Not one, perhaps, has ever approached him. But, if called upon to name one living writer who, to something of Calvin's exegetical tact, adds a large measure of Calvin's transparent clearness and grasp of mind, and all his polemic vigour, Dr Hodge is certainly the man whose name would at once rise up before us. Not but that there are certain drawbacks to be afterwards alluded to, in view of which Dr Hodge would suffer by comparison with Calvin; but then, who would not suffer by such a comparison, and who would suffer so little?

The Epistle to the Romans is the noblest field for the display of Dr Hodge's peculiar excellences, as a biblical critic and a systematic theologian, and he did well to throw them all, as he has done, in their fullest vigour into this Commentary. The philological and critical scholarship which it evinces, though not such as to add to the materials already possessed, is the fruit of intelligent and discriminating study of all that is most recent and valuable in the criticism of this epistle, as well as of all the preceding literature of it; nor has anything been neglected, in the shape even of misapplied criticism, which might serve as a beacon to warn off the student of this epistle from what might mislead him. But Dr Hodge's mastery lies, beyond doubt, in his power of seizing and retaining, with rare vigour and tenacity, the great doctrinal turning-points of this epistle, exposing with triumphant dexterity the various subterfuges under which it has been sought to elude them, and so expatiating upon them as to furnish in brief a repository of historic and polemic theology. Were we to seek for examples, we should find them in abundance, under the heads of righteousness, justification, satisfaction, imputation of Adam's sin, and of Christ's righteousness, election, &c. Under some of these heads it is hard to say whether the vindication of great orthodox truth is more convincing as brought out of the text by rigid exegesis, or as discursively treated under the head of "Doctrine," which follows the exposi

tion.

Our space will not admit of giving extracts to illustrate the exactness of interpretation, the polemic vigour, and the masculine orthodoxy of this Commentary. The one thing in it which to many will be no objection, but to us is certainly not a merit, is the predominance of the polemic element. This seems a

characteristic of the author's mind. Not that a particle of acrimony appears either in this or in any of our author's writings with which we are acquainted. Indeed, a certain calmness marks the keenest of his discussions; indicating both his self-control and his conscious mastery of the subjects of which he treats. But what we mean is, that he shews himself to be specially in his element when "contending for the faith once delivered to the saints," and never rises into the same strength when simply expatiating discursively on the truths of this epistle, as when clearing it from obscurities, and vindicating it from perversions. Minds of this character are of the greatest value. The service they are capable of rendering to the truth, in the way of vindication, is of the highest order. But the vindication of the truth is itself not the highest service which it demands. He who, having first brought it clearly out, is still more in his element in expatiating upon it, in its positive and serene character, and enamouring and firing his readers with it, renders it a service higher still. And though we are far from insinuating that Dr Hodge is noticeably wanting in this, we certainly should have liked to see this characteristic not quite so much overshadowed by the more powerful polemic element. In this respect, the Commentary of Calvin shews to advantage. He is great in the vindication of the truth, but even greater still in the truth itself. There is a roll and a grandeur in some of his massive sentences which lifts the soul into the region of divine power, and eternal life, and unshaken tranquillity. In connection with this, we have observed a tendency, natural to such theologians as our author, to ascribe to the theology of the seventeenth century a scriptural accuracy to which Calvin, at so early a period of the Reformation, could hardly be expected to have attained, and to regard such divines as Francis Turretine as the coryphæus of a perfect orthodoxy. In this we cannot say that we altogether sympathise. It is possible for theological distinction to be too finely drawn, and a system of theology to be elaborately constructed. The effect of this is to narrow and stiffen what should be comprehensive and free. But we merely refer to this as the tendency of the school to which Dr Hodge belongs, and traces of which are here and there discernible in the present commentary, without meaning to imply that it comes at all prominently out.

We had marked a few cases in which we think the author has failed to make good his interpretation of particular passages such as his taking "the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus" (chap. viii. 2) to mean the gospel, and "the law of sin and death," from which it makes believers free to mean the law of God (p. 250); also his understanding the words of the next verse but one that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit"-to refer to the justification of the believer, not his sanctification (p. 254). But in a commentary on the most profound and difficult of all the epistles, a commentary extending to between four and five hundred pages, how could it be expected that the interpretation of every passage would approve itself to all, even the best judges ? One thing we can freely say, that no commentary with which we are acquainted contains a greater amount of sound interpretation, and very few even half of its solid divinity. And we conclude by congratulating the biblical students of this country on the appearance of this most admirable work.

Δ

The Shadow on the Sun-Dial. A Letter to the Lord Bishop of London, containing Chronological Evidence supplementary to that lately published in a series of Lectures on Isaiah's Testimony for Jesus. By W. B. GALLOWAY, M.A., Incumbent of St Mark's, Regent's Park, and Chaplain to the Right Hon. Viscount Hawarden. With Illustrations. London: Bell & Daldy, Fleet Street. Cambridge: Deighton, Bell, & Co. 1865. Though this is but a pamphlet of 75 pages, published as the sequel to a larger work, yet it has been prepared with so much care that it demands

the attentive study of all who are engaged in investigating the perplexing subject of ancient chronology. Notwithstanding the partial unsettlement which has recently come over many ancient dates, great weight is still attached to the Canon of Ptolemy, so much so, indeed, that a writer on Egyptology in the London Athenæum of August 13th 1864 terms it "infallible." From that Canon is derived the era of Nabonassar, which fixes the dates of so many ancient events. "That era commenced in the year B.C. 747, and is counted uniformly in years of 365 days each, without any intercalation." In explaining the object of his pamphlet, the author says regarding the epoch in question:-"It has been commonly assumed that the reckoning of it began from a historical event, namely, the accession of Nabonassar, and that the historical succession of the reigns was recorded contemporaneously. I claim to have proved for it an astronomical origin of later date, and that there is an error in its historical adjustment to the reign of Nabonassar. To speak first of the evidence for its astronomical origin. A great solar eclipse, rendered memorable from its having been predicted by Thales of Miletus, occurred on May 28th BC. 585 (Julian time). Counting back from this, nine measures of a Babylonian Saros or cycle of eclipses, we reach the 20th of February B.C. 747 (Julian time), while the commencement of the era of Nabonassar was on the 26th day of the same month and year. If in the calculation backwards, siderial be used instead of Julian years, the six days of discrepancy between the last named dates will vanish; and the commencement both of the Saros and of the era of Nabonassar will be fixed to the 20th February 747." Next, of the failure in correct historical adjustment. Our author thinks that the Alex. andrian astronomers, learning that a great solar eclipse had occurred at the accession of Nabonassar, supposed it to be that on the 20th February 747, when in reality it was the one which took place on the morning of the 8th October B.C. 741, at the close of the third year of King Ahaz's reign. To this it is supposed there is reference back, in the verse which speaks of the descent of the shadow on the sun-dial of Ahaz.

Appended to this primary investigation is another into Daniel's prophecy of the seventy weeks, which Mr Galloway, after suggesting emendations of the Masoretic points, thus translates :

"By weeks it is decreed upon thy people and thy holy city, to finish the guilt, and to fill up iniquities, and to expiate sin, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to fulfil vision and prophet, and to anoint the most holy. And thou shalt know and calculate from the going forth of the commandment to cause to return and to build Jerusalem, unto Messiah prince, weeks seven and seventy. Sixty and two shall it be built again as regards its breadth and entrenchment. And in the narrow pass of the times, and posterior to the sixty and two weeks, shall Messiah be cut off and not for Him shall it be, neither city nor sanctuary. The people shall destroy the prince that shall come and his end shall be with an overwhelminy outburst.~ And war shall be to the uttermost, a decree of desolations.

"And he shall confirm a covenant for the multitude (of mankind) a week; and in half the week he shall cause sacrifice and offering to cease. And upon the invading flight of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until wasting and the decree shall have been poured out upon the desolate."-Pp 52, 53.

Finally there is a dissertation designed to shew that Queen Esther lived at an earlier period than is generally supposed; that moreover she was the grandmother of Cyrus the Great, and that the name of Cyrus's daughter, Atossa, was but the Greek form of Esther's Hebrew appellation, Hadassah. While it would require a professed astronomer to determine whether Mr Galloway's reasonings are in all cases as sound as they are manifestly learned and ingenious, we have no hesitation in strongly recommending his

pamphlet to the careful study of all who, like himself, are doing their best, by patient and persevering effort, to throw new light on the word of God. The Sacred Steps of Creation; or, The Revealed Genetic Theology, illustrated by Geology and Astronomy. In Twelve Lectures. By the Rev. THOMAS MARSDEN, B.A., formerly Mawson Scholar of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge; sometime Vicar of Child's Wickham, Gloucestershire; now Rector of Burston, Surrey. London: Green, Longman, Roberts, & Green. 1865.

The above-named lectures were delivered by their author in the district school of his parish, and being now revised, are offered for publication. They afford evidence that Mr Marsden has read geological works with care, as well as patiently studied the meaning of the Hebrew words which it has pleased the Spirit of God to employ in describing the successive steps of creation. While by no means averse to propound bold, and even fanciful hypotheses, he yet at all times accepts with implicit faith the teachings of Scripture.

He believes that the early part of Genesis tells of two distinct creations, the first by Elohim, "the triune God," and the other by Jehovah Elohim, "the second person of the holy Trinity in his own person." The successive stages of the primal creation are thus described: "The inferential theory I have drawn is, that there were six sacred steps or advances of God in creation, and that they occupied six days or periods. God begins creation with the earth, which was then existing without stratification, either vertical or horizontal. It had an abyss of waters on the side opposite to the sun, and the abyss was consequently dark. The earth also being without rotation, was nearly covered with water on the side facing the sun. The attraction of gravitation from the sun acted on the face of the waters, and was employed during the first day drawing the earth into daylight. This was the first creative advance-an Azoic period. The second embraces the formation of an atmosphere, and consequently comprises the Beginnings of Life. The third advance is a Rotatory Earth, a necessarily ensuing appearance of dry land, and a carboniferous era composed of stemmy herbage and productive trees, distinguished by having their seed not in the fruit, but in the tree itself. The fourth day is occupied in a transition from a variable eccentric orbit, to a primary periodic one, so as to make the sun, moon, and stars to rule over the day and over the night, and to be serviceable for signs, set times, days, and iterations. The fifth advance is the creation of watery reptiles, saurians, insects, pterodactyls, and fliers with winged tails. This period is brought to a close by the creation of Venus, which forms the oolite and cretaceous systems, and causes the earth to revolve in a secondary orbit. The sixth and last sacred step of God is the creation of the tertiary animals, whilst the earth revolves In the midst of this day there is a pause. Merin the secondary orbit

cury is created, a tertiary orbit is the result, and man appears. The whole is closed by a Sabbath of rest." The second creation is thus described: "After this, with a view to redemption, the creation of immortal man occurs, and ultimately a deluge, caused by a diminution of rotation, as may be inferred from 2 Peter iii. 5, 6" (x.-xii.). It will be perceived that the basis of our author's scheme of harmony is the day hypothesis, revived and illustrated by Hugh Miller in his "Testimony of the Rocks." To this, with the view of meeting the alleged evidence for the antiquity of man, Mr Marsden superadds the view that there were two Adams created, the first -the parent of the race whose remains are found in caverns-mortal, the second-from whom we ourselves have sprung-immortal. Besides geological, the author, it will be remembered, also propounds astronomical conjectures, as, for example, that the planet Venus was created and placed in