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What then was our surprise on opening the volume on the Doctrines and Practices of the Catholic Church. A more unfair, one-sided, dishonest diatribe our eyes never beheld than is contained in Lectures VI. and VII. on the practical success of the Protestant and Catholic Rule of Faith in converting heathen nations. It would do honor to the most fervent and sturdy disciple of Inigo de Loyola. We will proceed to substantiate our allegation by sufficient proofs. 1. Criminal want of care in seeking information concerning Protestant missions. Vol. II. p. 166, Dr. W. says "I have not always had the convenience of consulting documents down to the very latest period; and I have therefore been obliged to content myself with such as have come within my reach. I mention this cautionary circumstance for this purpose, that, if I do not always quote the notices received within this and the last year, it may not be supposed that I have been ruled by a wish to avoid what might appear adverse to my assertions." But why did he not get the latest information? Why depend on Reports several years old, when in half an hour, he could have obtained, gratuitously, the Reports of the very year, 1836, when he was lecturing and writing? He quotes the Report of 1828 of a Protestant minister in Canada, Dr. Morse's Universal Geography 1812, from Henry Martyn's Memoir published more than 20 years ago, and from some remarks of Gordon Hall made at Bombay in 1825. On p. 184, he says: "I may briefly mention the mission which was attempted to be established, in the Burmese empire, by means of Mr. Judson and his lady. They resided there and, consequently, these results are from their own confession; that after being there seven years, they had not made a single convert; that, after the seventh year, they received one, and that he afterwards brought another, so that in the end they had four proselytes; when in consequence of the war breaking out, the mission was broken up." This is Dr. Wiseman's account of the American Baptist mission in Burmah, which, by the way, he confounds with the English Baptist mission in Calcutta. This he would give as the present results of the Burman mission, when, if he had consulted the London Missionary Register, with which he seems to be acquainted, he would have found in the No. for February 1836, that four hundred and forty-four natives had been received into the communion of the Baptist churches in Burmah. 2. Dr. Wiseman frequently quotes authorities who are secretly or openly, the enemies of all missions. Such are the London Quarterly Review, the British Critic, the Asiatic Journal, the Noveau Journal Asiatique, Capt. Basil Hall, Klaproth and Gambia. What must we think of a writer who will quote such authorities as the " voyage of H. M. S. Blonde to the Sandwich Islands," "Kotzebue's Second Voyage round the world," and Augustus Toole's " account of a nine month's Residence in New Zealand?" Yet he says he "quotes no authorities which can be considered hostile to missionary societies." 3. When

he extracts from our own authorities, he extracts only what is most discouraging; he dwells at large on the history of a decayed mission; he shows where the Moravians have failed; he parades the most desponding sentiments of a disheartened missionary. 4. He generally passes over in perfect silence the most popular and important missions. He makes not the slightest allusion to the Tinnevelly mission, which in 1829 contained 6243 souls who were so far Christians as to have renounced idolatry. He refers not at all to the Church mission in New Zealand, to the American mission in Ceylon, to none of the missions in South Africa. In respect to the West Indies, where the glorious triumphs of the gospel are recorded and known the world over, unless it be at Rome, he merely says in a note, "I regret being obliged from fear of becoming tiresome, to omit the history of attempted conversion in the West Indies, where the series of failures is as remarkable as in the other parts of the world of which I have treated." 5. When Dr. W. happens to meet with some instances of Protestant conversions, he explains them away by assigning them to secular causes, local influence, etc. 6. He gives the most exaggerated statements of the success of the Roman Catholic missions, past and present. But we have no space to enlarge.

These Lectures of Dr. Wiseman are well worth reading, notwithstanding. There is no want of plausibility, of acuteness, of powers of reasoning, and of information respecting the Roman Catholic Church. We may be sure that the author has made the best of his cause. The subjects of the Lectures are the Protestant rule of faith, the Catholic rule of faith, authority of the Church, practical success of the two rules of faith, supremacy of the pope, penance, satisfaction and purgatory, indulgences, invocations of saints, their relics and images, and transubstantiation.

6.-Life and Select Discourses of the Rev. Samuel H. Stearns. Boston: Josiah A. Stearns, 1838. pp. 410.

Among the thoughts which have crowded upon us in reading this memoir is the truth of the inspired declaration "that the heart knoweth its own bitterness." Not strangers alone, but even intimate friends cannot always "intermeddle" with it. Mr. Stearns generally wore an air of unaffected cheerfulness. Mingled with his habitual thoughtfulness, there was sometimes a playful manner and a joyousness of spirits which little betrayed the tender melancholy and sadness, sometimes amounting to deep depression, which characterized his inward life. We do not mean that there was a contrariety between his feelings and actions. No one was less chargeable with dishonesty or pretension. Neither did he cherish a murmuring spirit at the dispensations of his heavenly Father. But with an uncommon union of the powers of reasoning and of imagination, with a highly

cultivated taste, with a lofty standard of moral and intellectual excellence, with warm and generous feelings, with a peculiarly susceptible temperament, and surrounded by strong-minded and strong-bodied associates who were pressing on, unretarded, in the path of honorable usefulness-Mr. Stearns had, for many years, an adequate cause for melancholy-a broken physical constitution. From his junior year in college till his death, he was a weak, if not a sick man. No dependence could be placed on the fragile tenement. Hope was strong and elastic, only to be disappointed. Many times did he essay to labor in his Master's vineyard, even if it were but for a "little season," but his shattered energies refused their aid, and nothing remained but a suspension or abandonment of the dearly loved pursuit. Yet there were not wanting those who blamed him for not sooner accepting some one of the numerous invitations which were tendered to him to settle as a christian pastor. But such persons did not know him. They mistook his generally serene countenance and upright gait as the index of considerable, if not entire, bodily energies. They did not know that the strings of the pleasant harp were broken. They could not read the secret history of his mind, or if not absolutely secret, known to but few of his friends. He longed for the pastoral office. He "stretched out his hands" towards the good work, but it fled from his embrace.

Mr. Stearns was the eldest son of the Rev. Samuel Stearns, the late beloved minister of Bedford, Ms. He was born Sept. 12, 1801. In 1816, he entered Phillips Academy, in Andover. In June 1817, he became a member of his father's church. In 1819, he entered Harvard University. At his graduation in 1823, he gave the salutatory addresses in Latin. On taking his second degree in 1826, he delivered the master's valedictory in Latin. From the autumn of 1823 to the spring of 1825, he was an assistant teacher in Phillips Academy. In December, 1825, he joined the theological seminary in the same place, where he remained three years. From 1830 to 1834, he preached, occasionally, in various places, always with much acceptance. April 16, 1834, he was ordained over the Old South Church in Boston. But in two or three sabbaths, his strength was wholly gone. After resorting to various means for the recov ery of his wasted powers, a voyage to Europe was determined upon. He sailed for London June 8, 1836. He travelled extensively in Great Britain, France, Switzerland and Germany, and spent the winter of 1836-7 in Italy. In the spring of 1837, he returned to Paris to die. This event took place May 15, 1838. His remains were brought to this country, and interred, with many tears, at Mount Auburn.

Fraternal affection has well performed the biographical office. All is done which we could desire. Every thing is in taste and in excellent keeping with the subject of the memoir. The mechanical

execution of the volume is beautiful. We have seen no American biography which will compare with it, in this respect. About one half of the volume is occupied with the memoir, and the other half with the sermons and other compositions of Mr. Stearns. No cultivated and christian mind will be tempted to stop till the volume is read through.

7.-A Critical Grammar of the Hebrew Language: By Isaac Nordheimer, doctor in philosophy of the university of Munich, Professor of Arabic, Syriac and other oriental languages in the university of the city of New York. New York: Wiley & Putnam, 1838. Vol. I. pp. 280.

Our first remark in relation to this Grammar is the exceeding correctness with which it is printed. The difficulties of reaching, not an immaculate test, for that is out of the question, but a text which may be pronounced accurate, are known only to the few who have made the attempt where there is a profusion of Hebrew, Arabic and Syriac points and letters. The printer, Mr. B. L. Hamlen of New Haven, Ct., and the superintendent of the press, Mr. Turner, deserve great credit for their successful pains. But few books, exclusively English, are more handsomely printed than this Grammar. We have read many pages without noticing any material errors which are not marked in the errata. We have not, however, critically examined the volume in respect to this point.

Our second remark is, that the author evidently possesses rich stores of oriental learning. He familiarly illustrates his positions not only from the dialects kindred to the Hebrew, but from Persian, Sanscrit, etc. He seems to have shared largely in that faculty and diligence in acquiring languages for which the Germans are so renowned. Our author's production exhibits not the mere appear ance, but the results, of extensive and profound personal researches. We presume that the grammar will receive attention in the native land of the author, and not simply in the country of his adoption. While he pays all suitable acknowledgments to the great name and merits of Gesenius, he does not blindly follow him, nor any other master. He gives due credit to Ewald, but is not willing to subscribe to all his theories.

In the third place, the general arrangement appears to us to be perspicuous and well-chosen. Indeed, in many respects, on this point, it does not differ materially from the common Hebrew Grammars. Not a few of the changes may be real improvements, yet in regard to a few, we cannot yet see our way clear. We must prefer, for instance, Gesenius's distribution of the nouns into about a dozen declensions. We would not pertinaciously retain exactly thirteen declensions. Why is it not better, however, to have a sufficient number of distinct declensions to embrace all the im

portant differences in the nouns, rather than to confine them to four or six, and then be obliged to make four or five subdivisions under each of the four? Still, we are aware, that to many minds, the great number of declensions into which the nouns are distributed is in many grammars a stumbling block and a grievance. Such will, doubtless, be pleased with the arrangement of Mr. Nordheimer.

Again, a most important characteristic of the grammar before us is the endeavor to assign the reasons for the various forms and usages of the Hebrew language. The author appears to have brought to this subject a very philosophical and discriminating mind. No inconsiderable light has thus been shed on many intricate paths and dark corners. What, seemed to be mere accident or conventional usage is found to be in accordance with the nature of man and with sound philosophy. Still, we are not sure but that the author has pushed his efforts in this direction too far. Some persons, at least, may think that language is affected in a considerable degree by mere contingencies, or by fortuitous incidents which are incapable of explanation. However, the efforts of Mr. Nordheimer in this department are worthy of all praise. The Hebrew language is full of life and energy, and the grammarian and lexicographer should possess those views and feelings which will enable him to infuse a corresponding vitality and force into his researches.

We conclude this brief notice by expressing our cordial thanks to the author for this valuable addition to our helps in Hebrew study. May he reap a rich reward for his toils. The country of his adop tion will welcome all such strangers as he, who comes to us richly freighted with that which is more precious than gold, yea, than fine gold.

8.-The Life and Times of George Whitefield. By Robert Philip, author of the Experimental Guides, etc. New York: D. Appleton & Co. 1838. pp. 554.

Mr. Philip's works have been widely spread and have produced good fruits both in this country and in England. His style, however, has never been any great favorite of ours. It will do very well for a few pages. But we tire in reading a long book, or successive treatises. There is an affectation of point, terseness, striking terms, acute observations. Mr. Philip is, doubtless, far from supposing that there is any affectation in his manner. But what may seem to to himself to be natural, appears to us to be extremely unnatural. This characteristic comes out in the titles to some of his books. He attempts to entrap the reader by some strange combination of words, which on examination is specious and curious rather than weighty and judicious. The Preface to Whitefield's Life contains eighteen lines, of which the following are the last eight. "In regard to the style of this work I have nothing to say; except that it is

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