438 



LITERATURE AND LITERARY PROGRESS IN 1872. 



perhaps in extent of circulation, this class of 

 publications ranks any other, and includes 

 some that are worthy of particular reference. 

 " Humanity Immortal, or, Man Tried, Fallen, 

 and Redeemed," by Laurens P. Hickok, D. D., 

 might, perhaps, have been, with equal pro- 

 priety, included under the head of philosophy ; 

 for Dr. Hickok's plane of thought, whatever 

 his theme, is always on the high level and in 

 the serene atmosphere of philosophic reason- 

 ing. Pie may fail of the reader's assent, and 

 sometimes of his full apprehension, but never 

 of his profound respect and admiration. The 

 Rev. Dr. Thomas J. Conant has added to the 

 series of biblical works for which the religious 

 world is his debtor, " The Book of Proverbs : 

 The Common English Version revised, with 

 Introduction and Copious Notes." It is a 

 monument of sound, varied, and well-digested 

 learning, employed to aid the popular knowl- 

 edge of the Scriptures. " Sermons on Living 

 Subjects," by Dr. Horace Bushnell. is atitle that 

 might be applied to any volume of discourses 

 by that eminent preacher, though, perhaps, 

 more especially appropriate to this. The strong 

 and rich thought has usually an equally forci- 

 ble and racy expression, though now and then 

 his "felicity " of language is over " curious." 

 Dr. Charles Hodge has completed his " Sys- 

 tematic Theology," perhaps the ablest modern 

 statement and defence of confessional Calvin- 

 ism. The Rev. Henry "Ward Beecher has struck 

 a new vein by his "Yale Lectures on Preaching." 

 Those who most incline to criticise his style of 

 pulpit discourse agree to commend his exposi- 

 tion of the theory of preaching. The publi- 

 cation of the seventh series of his reported 

 sermons shows his undiminished hold upon 

 the public mind. Dr. Henry Cowles, author 

 of several commentaries that have been well 

 received, publishes a work on " The Psalms," 

 upon the same general plan. "In Christ, or 

 The Believer's Union with his Lord," by the 

 Rev. A. J. Gordon, has met with a cordial re- 

 ception as an admirable work of devout medi- 

 tation. " The Fourth Gospel, the Heart of 

 Christ," by the Rev. Edmund H. Sears, is at 

 once a critical vindication of St. John's Gos- 

 pel, and an exposition of its Christology, not 

 technically " orthodox " in its definitions, but 

 profoundly spiritual in its tone of thought. 

 " Radical Problems," by Cyrus A. Bartol, 

 D. D., is at the opposite pole of thought, re- 

 garding the most elementary doctrines of 

 Christianity as problematical. The style is 

 brilliant, but rather aphoristic than consecu- 

 tive or logical. " Christianity and Modern 

 Thought " is the collective title of a series of 

 discourses and essays by eminent Unitarians, 

 having for their common object the reconcilia- 

 tion of the scientific and speculative tendencies 

 of the time with religion. " The Genuineness 

 and Authenticity of the Gospels," by B. A. 

 Hinsdale, A. M., presents a popular view of 

 the critical evidence for the credibility of the 

 Gospels, f s against current objections, which, 



with their grounds, are very candidly stated 

 and ably dealt with. "The Resurrection: 

 Sermons by the Rev. Eliphalet Nott, D. D., 

 LL. D.," sets forth the evidence for that car- 

 dinal doctrine of Christianity, in the fashion 

 of eloquence, now obsolete, of which Presi- 

 dent Nott was so great a master. Prof. Tayler 

 Lewis, LL. D., contributes an 'introduction, ar- 

 guing with much force the sufficiency and the 

 present availability of the " evidences of Chris- 

 tianity," as presented by the apologists of the 

 last century. " The Seal of Heaven," by the 

 Rev. J. B. Jeter, D.D., exhibits what is termed 

 the experimental evidence for the truth of 

 Christianity. "Sacred Geography and An- 

 tiquities," by E. P. Barrows, D. D., is a popu- 

 lar manual prepared by a scholar whose name 

 is a voucher for the fulness and exactness of 

 the information communicated. Lange's volu- 

 minous commentary on the Bible, as trans- 

 lated and edited by Dr. Schaff and his' large 

 corps of coadjutors, makes steady progress: 

 volumes on the Psalms and on the books of the 

 Kings have been added, and have met with a 

 warm approval. 



From the mass of religious books we select 

 the following titles : 



The Philosophy of God and the World. By 

 Thomas Mitchell. 



The Holy Spirit's Work. By Eev. G. Draper. 



^The Christian Marriage Ceremony; its History, 

 Significance and Curiosities, etc. By J. Foote Binij- 

 ham, D. D. 



Day unto Day [daily texts, meditation, etc., for a 

 year]. 



The Golden Eule ; or The Book for All. By a 

 Member of a Eeligious Order. 



The Council of the Vatican and the Events of 

 the Time. By Thomas Canon Pope. 



The Young Ruler who had Great Possessions; 

 and Other Discourses, chiefly Practical. By J. A. 

 Spencer, S. T. D. 



Thought Hives. By T. L. Cuyler, D. D. 



The New View of Hell. Showing its Nature, 

 Whereabouts, Duration, and how to escape it. By 

 B. F. Barrett. 



Heart Life. By Eev. T. L. Cuyler, D. D. 



The Healthy Christian. By Howard Croshy, 

 D. D., LL. D. 



Facts in Aid of Faith. By Eev. E. F. Burr, D. D. 



The Christian Use of Money. By J. G. Wyckoff, 

 Esq. 



Modern Skepticism. By Mark Hopkins, D. D., 

 LL. D. 



The Abominations of Modern Society. By Eev. 

 T. DeWittTalmage. 



Light on the Pathway of Holiness. By Eev. L. 

 D. McCabe, D. D. 



The Faith of Abraham and of Christ. By Henry 

 Dana Ward. 



Via Crucis Via Lueis. Forty-six Meditations for 

 Every Day in Lent. Translated from the German 

 of Eev. Dr. John Emanuel Verth, by Eev. Theodor 

 Noethen, D. D. 



Unity in Variety. A Series of Arguments, based 

 on the Divine Workmanship in our Planet, the Con- 

 stitution of the Human Mind, and the Inspired His- 

 tory of Eeligion. By George Warburton Weldon. 



Moses and Modern Science. By Eev. George S. 

 Weaver. 



Agreement of Science and Eevelation. By Eev. 

 Joseph H. Wythe, M. D. 



^ Lectures on the Church. By Eev. D. W. Mer- 

 rick. 



