The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1857-01-08
though it may be, in this clear-printed and read
able volume.

aDl6 volume.
NorEs, PRACTICAL AND ExPosrrORY Gospels
For the of Bible Glasses, Sunday School Teachers
Catechists, and other Pous Lnynen BY Rev. Charlie:
H. Hall In volumes New York: d Appleton &
Co. 1857 For sale by Taylor & Maury, Washing
ton, D. G.
1t is good sign to see Popular Commenta
ries on the Bible, or portions of it, multiplying
We may take it for granted, that unless there
were an increased sale land so an increased
use) of such books, there would not be so many,
as well as so various editions, larger and small
er, sent forth from the press. Families and Sab.
bath Schools call for more convenient and porta-
BILE volumes than the heavy folies, quartos, and
octavos, of former days. This age is too much
in unceasing activity to be held down to the
long expositions, read with profit by those who
have gone before US. AS railroad literature
is needed to meet the wants of the traveller,
hurrying forward from one place to another, so
there is required a condensed and plain expo
sition, which, in few pages, may furnish the
reader with the sense of chapter or similar
portion of Scripture, and by which, in an hour
or so, he may gather the fruits of years of
study, research, and labor, of men thoroughly
instructed in the history and doctrines Of the
Sacred Word. Every year presents new claim
ants to our notice. The volumes before us are
among the latest and after pretty careful
examination, and especially a reference to such
passages as we suppose most likely to indicate
any peculiarly of the views of the author, we
think we can form proper judgment Of its
merits. 1t has been prepared with care, and the
researches of the later travellers have been kept
in view, as illustrative of the geography and
natural history, with the usages and state OF
society of the East, and especially Palestine.
A fair display of an acquaintance with the best
critical opinions of modern Commentaries also
is made. The author, we think, is occasionally
credulous as respects holy places in Palestine,
or those now shown as such. He is strong advo-
cate for the apostolical succession of the bsh.
ops of his own church; and the illusions to
the Prayer Book, the Gospels and Collects
there arranged, as also to the Feasts and Holy.
days of the Episcopal Church, as well as to
some of its peculiar tenets, are frequent. 1t
is from this point of view he looks, and We do
not blame him for this adherence to his own
creed. Bat we think he errs in sometimes
stating, as the absolutely unquestioned opinion
Of all the Fathers, or of the primitive church,
that there were always three, audi only three,
orders of the ministry bishops, priests, and
deacons and that the universally admitted
view of the church altoays has been that of direct
or Divine Apostolical Succession. We think
it would be easy to point to some bishops in
England, and in this country too, who have not
always held to such Divine right as he claims
and if it were so perfectly universal as he lays
it down, we are not little surprised that there
should have been quite SO much labor laid out
to defend the claim against those who inpugn
it. 1t is all well enough for the author to have
and hold his own views, but were he to use
less sweeping language, it would be as clear an
exhibition of his conclusions, and perhaps would
produce better impression on those who think
that ecclesiastical history, we'll as the Scrip
lures, are not so strictly with him as he as
sumes. There is a very good strain Of practi-
cal and doctrinal instruction contained in these
notes, and theysseem well fitted to reach their
object in this respect. Their sectarian char
acter may tend to limit their circulation and
yet, aside from this, the Sabbath School teacher
and general reader, not agreeing with the au.