Brief Literary Notices. 281 manner of the last-named author is very closely followed; all his measures are repeated; the subjects are frequently identical; and the very headings are similarly set in Gothic type; but the soul of Gothic worship is quite wanting. It is only just, however, to say, that in evangelical sentiment the "Sanctuary' Sanctuary" is at least equal to the "Christian Year;" and would probably have appeared still more so, if the author's power of expression had adequately seconded his sincere endeavours after scriptural truth. Though taken from the PrayerBook, Mr. Montgomery's texts are frequently in the very words of Scripture; and this fact insures a certain tone of intelligent and pure devotion, from which the author, by his unfortunate instinct of imitation, is otherwise inclined to deviate. The following verses occur under the heading of "St. Matthew the Apostle," and may be taken in illustration of our author's manner: "Lost in the gloom of life's tempestuous sea, How anchorless the shipwreck'd heart must be, Who walks the waves, and rules them by His word. "Here is that creed which glorifies their lot Saints cannot live where Christian love breathes not! "Those peopled solitudes, loud cities vast, If there by heaven thy cross of life be cast,- * "O, for a heart which like St. Matthew leaves "When base expediency, like Naaman, bends Earth calls it providence !--but with God 't is crime, "Christ is the income of celestial hearts, When the vain world with its vile gold departs; "Yet need we not from throng'd abodes to fly; But take our cross and try to bear it well. "Heaven shines on earth when souls by faith can see Reposing softly on that secret path, Whose winding still the Saviour's foot-print hath." The above is not an unfavourable specimen of Mr. Montgomery's religious poetry, yet the reader will probably think that its order of merit is only secondary; and if he should remember Mr. Keble's beautiful lines on the calling of the same Apostle, he will sensibly appreciate the difference of its poetic flavour. A Mother's Portrait: being a Memorial of Filial Affection; with Sketches of Wesleyan Life, and of Religious Services. By the Rev. F. J. Jobson. London. 1855. WE cannot defer the expression of our cordial approbation of this work, although an unusual demand upon our columns will preclude a lengthened notice, commensurate with its great interest and merit. The substance, plan, and general style of this biography have almost equally delighted us. Mrs. Jobson was an esteemed and highly useful member of the Wesleyan Church in the city of Lincoln, and eminent for piety, benevolence, and domestic virtues. Though long since gathered to her heavenly rest, the memory of this pious lady is still cherished in the neighbourhood and religious society which she adorned; and her grateful son has not been misled in raising this more public monument to her worth. The plan of this Memorial is very happily conceived. When so many exceptions are taken to the style and substance of religious biographies,-many of which, of course, are of a merely captious or sceptical nature,-an experiment of the present kind, in which the claims of religion and of taste are happily conciliated, is doubly welcome. The character of Mrs. Jobson, as represented in this Memoir, was eminently exemplary; and if the Christian Church is rich in patterns of female piety and worth, Christian literature is only too poor in such "Portraits" as the present. But the peculiarity of this biography is in the associated groups by which the central picture is surrounded. Besides family and local details, always so acceptable in books of this description, we are introduced to sketches of Methodism, in its early efforts to evangelize what may be called the heathen plains of Lincolnshire; to pictures of humble, but religious and well-marked characters, such as Noble Sproule, the military pensioner and pious Class-Leader; and to very pleasing interiors of public and domestic piety. There is nothing which may fairly be stigmatized as religious cant; genuine, simple, earnest, but sober godliness is exhibited and commended in this volume, and nothing more. We sincerely welcome it as the most interesting piece of Christian biography, dealing with feminine and private excellence, which has appeared for many years past. The least of its merits is the elegant embellishment afforded by numerous spirited vignettes. A Tar of the Last War: being the Services and Anecdotes of Sir Charles Richardson, K.C.B., Vice-Admiral of the White. By the Rev. C. E. Armstrong, M.A., Master of Hemsworth Hospital, Yorkshire. London: Longmans. 1855. THIS is a very pleasing account of the adventures of a fine old worthy, who saw much service, and had many adventures, tragic and comical, by sea and by land. It was in 1787 that Charles Richardson entered the navy as a Midshipman. From that time to 1822 he served his country actively in various latitudes. He was with Lord Howe on "the Glorious First of June,"-stood by Duncan in the Mutiny at the Nore,-captured the brave De Winter off Camperdown,-did good service under noble Abercromby in Holland and Brief Literary Notices. 283 Egypt, was with dashing Cochrane in the Brest and Aix Roads,behaved gallantly even at Walcheren,-had a ludicrously narrow escape from being taken prisoner (by a madcap horse) into Flushing, -skirmished with the Chinese, became, as he deserved to be, RearAdmiral in 1837,-and died a calm and Christian death in 1850. The perusal of this volume will, we think, lead many of its readers to entertain deeper respect and more generous sympathy for "those that go down to the sea in ships." For certainly, spite of the unfavourable influences on board a large vessel,-spite of the coopedup cockpit, the huddled hammocks, the frolicsome middies, and swearing officers, (and all these were ten times worse when Richardson first trod a deck,)-spite of all, some of the best and noblest of earth's sons are to be found amongst those who spend their lives on the blue sea. It seems as if, where there is already a grain of religion in the deep soil of a sailor's heart, the open sea life fosters and developes it to a healthy growth, seldom attained among shallow, narrow-minded, higgling landsmen. On the ocean, far away from shore, with no roof between the sailor and the starry sky, nothing but a plank or two between him and the fathomless sea, even a wicked man is led to thoughts of better things, and things which make for his peace. But more especially in the grand and fearful storm are the minds of most men solemnized, and led to earnest trust in Him who alone can save. We look with much satisfaction on the life of the veteran now before us. What more pleasing than to see a man faithful in all his duties, unflinching when death is in front, incurring fearful risk (as Richardson did many times) to rescue drowning men, meeting calmly the ills of life, and at last yielding up his soul, peacefully and trustfully, into the hands of that Saviour who had so long guarded and cheered him in the midst of peril extreme ? There are many passages in this little book which we should like to extract, had we the requisite space at command. Richardson's only (and very harmless) love affair is racily told, as also his exploits with the hounds, and many other humorous adventures. In the following extract we find him taking the Bible as his text-book in a nautical dilemma, with the best results: "In February, 1808, the 'Cæsar,' while cruising off the French coast, anchored one evening about a mile from the shore; and towards night the wind veered round, and raged with the fury of a hurricane. As it blew direct from the southward, there appeared every probability of the vessel parting from her anchors; in which case she would have been dashed to pieces on the rocks. Captain Richardson made it a rule never to retire to rest, when the slightest danger was apprehended in any ship under his command. He always kept himself awake by taking strong coffee: and on this night he was engaged in reading the Holy Scriptures. Often did he feel (he would observe) the support and peace of mind which they afforded, when every sea washed over the ship, and every plunge of the straining vessel seemed to be its last. Listening to each change in the tempest, the Captain sat with his Bible before him, and by chance (or something better) commenced reading St. Paul's shipwreck, in Acts xxvii. As he proceeded, every verse became more interesting, and somewhat similar to their present situation in the very same sea. For instance: And when no small tempest lay on us, all hope that we should be saved was then taken away.' But on coming to verse 29,-"Then fearing lest we should have fallen upon rocks, they cast four anchors out of the stern,'—he jumped up with his authority in his hand, ran to the Admiral's cabin, and awoke him, exclaiming, 'St. Paul is a better sailor than any of us!' In a moment the cause for the interruption was explained, and the verse carefully read over and considered. Five minutes afterwards Captain Richardson's loud voice was heard, ordering anchors to be cast out from the 'Cæsar's' stern. This evidently relieved the ship, and her safety depended entirely upon her cables, which did faithful service until daylight, when the wind got round, and the gale died away." (Page 157.) If the unfortunate "Prince" in Balaklava Bay had adopted the same plan, and then steamed with all her power against the wind, so as to lessen the strain on her cables, she might probably have weathered the storm, and earned a more agreeable sobriquet. We commend this volume to the attention of our readers. We could have wished it to contain more about Richardson himself,— who, in his fourscore years, must have seen a world of adventure not recorded here, and somewhat less of those martial exploits in which the old sailor did not figure. Still it is a pleasant record of many scenes in which British seamen have done their duty. We must not conclude without a word of commendation for the illustrations, which, though by a provincial designer, have a spirit and originality which are rather too rare now-a-days. A General Survey of the History of the Canon of the New Testament during the First Four Centuries. By Brooke Foss Westcott, M.A., late Fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge. Cambridge: Macmillan and Co. 1855. THE readers of a former work by the same Author, under the title of "Elements of the Gospel Harmony," will be prepared to hail the appearance of this volume, on a somewhat kindred subject, as being likely to prove an equally acceptable and valuable contribution to our store of modern Biblical literature. Nor will they be disappointed. The special object of the writer is to present a general history of the New Testament Canon, or "collection of books which constitute the original written rule of the Christian Faith," as distinct from the particular history of the several books of which it is composed; and so to meet what he deems to be the new requirement created by the " new position in Theology," which, in the hands of various modern writers, the question of the Canon of Holy Scripture (that of the New Testament, in particular) has recently assumed. For this purpose, he divides the whole history of the formation of the Canon into three periods; the first of these periods extending to the time of Hegesippus (A.D. 70-170); the second to the persecution of Diocletian (A.D. 170-303); and the last to the third Council of Carthage (A.D. 303-393); each of these periods being assumed to some real step in the progress of the work," as follows: mark 66 Brief Literary Notices. 285 "The first includes the era of the separate circulation and gradual collection of the sacred writings; the second completes the history of their separation from the mass of ecclesiastical literature; the third comprises the formal ratification of the current belief by the authority of Councils." In his examination of the first period, which, from its superior interest and importance, justly occupies nearly two-thirds of the volume, he notices, separately, the age of the Apostolic Fathers, (A.D. 70-120,) the age of the Greek Apologists, (A.D. 120-170,) the early versions of the New Testament, and the testimony of early heretics to the New Testament. And from the whole inquiry, he makes it very clearly apparent, that, although the direct evidence in proof of the early existence of some Canon is fragmentary, yet it is of wide range, of unaffected simplicity, of uniform tendency, and confirmed by the testimony of heretics, as well as by the judgment of Churches; but that, still, partial doubts existed as to certain books, and that the idea of a Canon during this period was implied, rather than expressed. In the commencement of his history of the second period, the author shows, from the testimony of Gallican Churches (particularly those of Vienne and Lyons) in connexion with that of Irenæus, the Alexandrian Church in connexion with Pantænus and Clemens, and the African Church in connexion with Tertullian, that towards the close of the second century, there was a Canon of acknowledged books, admitted throughout the Church, by the common consent of the great Fathers of that time, and by the contemporaneous Churches, to be apostolic and authoritative. And from that time, "with the single exception of the Apocalypse,-the assaults of the Manichees on the books of the New Testament being no exception to the truth of this statement, the books thus acknowledged were ever received, until subjective criticism ventured to set aside the evidence of antiquity." From this point the author passes to the historical problem of the disputed books, and, for the solution of this problem, he cites the testimonies of the Alexandrine Church, and the Egyptian versions; the Latin Churches of Africa, particularly with respect to the Epistle to the Hebrews, the Catholic Epistles, and the Apocalypse; the Church of Rome; the Churches of Asia Minor; and the Churches of Syria; as, also, the testimony of the Church writers, generally, of the period in question, and that of apocryphal and heathen writers. The conclusion of the history of this second period is to the effect that, although it was fertile in controversies, those controversies were not such as to awaken a spirit of historical inquiry on the subject of the Canon. "Tertullian once alludes to synodal disclosures on the Canon; but, as a general rule, it was assumed by Christian writers, that the contents of the New Testament were known and acknowledged. Where differences existed on this point, as in the case of the Marcionites, no attempt was made to compose them by a critical investigation into the history of the sacred records. The age was not only constructive, but conservative: and thus the evidence for the New-Testament Canon which has been gathered from writers of the third century, differs from that of earlier date in fulness rather than But the fulness of evidence for the acknowledged books, coming from every quarter of the Church, and given with unhesi |