The Catechism is the basis of true Theology, and true Christian Nurture. Rightly interpreted, it inculcates all that a Christian needs to believe and to do. Hence, any system of instruction in a Church Sunday School is radically defective, which does not begin with the Catechism as its starting point, and does not follow it as a continual guide. So far from being a barren theme, the wealth of all learning may be used in its illustration. As a primary work, we have seen nothing so good as this Exposition by Mr. Cammann. He is a practical teacher, and his work will be found useful and satisfactory. It can be obtained at the Church Bookstores in New York. MINNIE GRAY. By Rev. RALPH HOYT. New York: Randolph. 1864. 12mo. pp. 37. As we have often said, Ralph Hoyt is a true poet, and a very sweet one. We wish “Minnie Gray" might put many dollars into his pocket. WALTER'S TOUR IN THE EAST. thor of "The Percy Family," York: Sheldon & Co. 1865. BY DANIEL C. EDDY, D. D.. Au"Walter in Constantinople." New 16mo. pp. 222. These incidents of travel, and adventures in Syria, Cyprus, Rhodes, Smyrna, the Dardanelles, the Golden Horn, and Constantinople, are interesting and instructive reading for the little folks. THE COMMONWEALTH, (Boston.) The savans of our "modern Athens" have been obliged, for some reason, to suspend the publication of their Journal, with the above title. As a specimen of the habit of thinking, down in Boston, we give the following extracts from an editorial in that paper on the "Philosophy of the Absolute." The amazing profundity of which these men seem always to be so self-conscious, is very well illustrated in these choice morsels : 66 Thought, in order to be determined, or to manifest itself, or to know itself, or, in short, to be itself,-since its nature is an activity, a 'self moved,' as Plato calls it, a dualism in which there is subject and object, thinks itself, and in so doing, limits or defines itself. "All limitation through an alterum (or other being) makes a thing finite. But limitation of itself merely manifests its infinitude; for the self is both sides of the limit, and hence continued by the limit, instead of negated. "The self says to the self, Thus far shalt thou go, and no farther,' and the self makes reply, I do not wish to go there, for I am already there, limiting myself.' "Just so in space, a limit is posited, and through the same limit, space is posited beyond it, as the logical condition of it. So every limit of space is a proof of its infinitude, for it really demonstrates its continuation-it affirms what it was going to deny. "So the thinking, being its own alterum, is always posited by its limit, instead of being negated. "And thus the essence of the independent being is freedom, or free will. "This is the problem of all Philosophy : 666 How can the limited or determined be the infinite or absolute ?' Its answer is given above, viz: By being a self determined." REV. J. H. ANKETELL'S Sermon, on the Tercentennary of the Adoption of the Creed of Pope Pius IV. December, 1854. Windham, Conn. Mr. Anketell's discourse has several points very strongly put. Speaking of the doctrine of Development, by which Romish teachers try to defend their modern heresies, he says:-"It assumes that the truth of God is not fixed, that the revelation of salvation made in the Gospel is not complete, and thus all Faith becomes unsettled. It matters little whether this development of new doctrines be made by a triple-crowned Bishop, seated on the seven hills of the Eternal City,' or a metaphysical professor, sitting at his desk on the less classic hill at Andover-we cannot accept it as our rule of Faith. We will rather exclaim, in the language of the Abbé Laborde,-when protesting against the dogma of the Immaculate Conception,-I will have no Faith when I am old and gray-headed, into which I was not baptized when I was a child." Illustrated with numeWar of the Revolution. AMERICAN HISTORY. BY JACOB ABBOTT. If much cannot well be said in favor of Abbott as a historian, he certainly writes very entertaining stories for the young. The following publications have been received: LINDISYARN CHASE. A Novel. By T. ADOLPHUS TROLLOPE. New York: Harper & Brothers. 1864. 8vo. pp. 274. MARGARET DENZIL'S HISTORY. Annotated by her Husband. A Novel. New York: Harper & Brothers. 1864. 8vo. pp. 169. BISHOP WHITEHOUSE'S Thirteenth Annual Address at the Convention of the Diocese of Illinois. 1864. Svo. pp. 53. HERBERT SPENCER'S Classification of the Sciences, in which are added Reasons for dissenting from the Philosophy of M. Comte. New York: D. Appleton & Co. 1864. 8vo. pp. 48. JOHN JAY'S Address before the Union Campaign Club in East Brooklyn, N. Y., Oct. 25, 1864. 8vo. pp. 32. Rev. F. C. EWER'S Sermon on Political Sermons, in Christ Church, New York City, Sept. 11th, 1864. 8vo. pp. 23. Rev. Dr. R. A. HALLAM'S Sermon at the Seventh Annual Meeting of the Society for the Increase of the Ministry, at Cleaveland, Ohio., Oct. 3, 1864. 12mo. pp. 34. A FEW WORDS on the Decoration of Churches. By a Layman. New York: 1864. 12mo. pp. 13. A FEW PRACTICAL WORDS in favor of dividing the Diocese of New York. By a Layman. New York: 1864. 8vo. pp. 4. LEONARD B. VICKER'S Pamphlet. The Loud Voice, Rev. x. 3., and The Everlasting Gospel, Rev. xiv. 6. New York: 1864. 8vo pp. 24. Rev. Dr. A. D. COLE'S Reply to the Christian Times, in Defense of the Nashotah Mission. 1864. pp. 4. A NEW FIRST CATECHISM. By a Clergyman's Wife. Syracuse, N. Y. 1864. 24mo. pp. 34. HARPER'S PICTORIAL HISTORY of the Great Rebellion, Nov., 1864. Folio, pp. 24. REPORT of the Standing Committee of the Divinity School of the P. E. Church, Philadelphia. 1864. 12mo. pp. 23. · REPORT of the American International Relief Committee, for Relief of the Suffering Operatives of Great Britain, 1862-3. New York: . 1864. 8vo. pp. 72. TWENTY-FIRST Annual Report of the New York Association for Improving the Condition of the Poor. New York: 1864. 8vo. pp. 87. INFORMATION for Army Meetings. Philadelphia: 1864. 12mo. pp. 36. CONSTITUTION, &c., of the Connecticut Institute of Reward, in behalf of the State's Patriot Orphans. New Haven; 1864. 8vo. pp. 8. THE PERPETUAL CURATE. A Novel. By the Author of "Chronicles of Carlingford." New York: Harper & Brothers. 1865. 8vo. pp. 239. QUITE ALONE. A Novel. By George Augustus Sala. New York: Harper & Brothers. 1865. 8vo. pp. 195. MATTIE: A Story. pp. 157. By the Author of "High Church," "No New York: Harper & Brothers. 1865. 8vo. MY BROTHER'S WIFE. A Life-History. By Amelia B. Edwards. The Rt. Rev. BISHOP H. W. LEE'S Sermon, at the Consecration of Bishop Vail, Dec. 15th, 1864. The Christian Ministry; its Constitution and Duties. 1865. 8vo. pp. 26. Rev. Dr. E. E. BEARDSLEY'S Sermon, in memory of the late Rt. Rev. Bishop Brownell, in St. Thomas' Church, New Haven, Conn., Jan. 15, 1865. Rev. E. L. DROWN's Sermon, in memory of the late Rt. Rev. Bishop Rev. Dr. G. H. HOUGHTON'S Address, in the Church of the Transfiguration, N. Y. City, Dec. 11, 1864. Rev. Dr. W. F. MORGAN'S Address, before the Christian Unity Society, on Church work in Paris, in Calvary Church, New York City. Rev. D. G. HASKIN'S Treatise on Confirmation. Boston: E. P. Dut ton. 1865. 18mo. pp. 35. Rev. E. M. GUSHEE'S Letter on the Lenten Season. New York: Church Book Society. 1865. 12mo. pp. 32. Rev. JOSEPH M. CLARKE'S Sixth Annual Address and Report, in St. James' Free Church, Syracuse, W. N. Y., Oct. 1, 1864. MAJOR-GENERAL BANKS's Letter to Senator Lane, on the Reconstruction of States. New York: Harper & Brothers. 1865. 8vo. pp. 23. ECCLESIASTICAL REGISTER. SUMMARY OF HOME INTELLIGENCE, CONSECRATIONS. The Rev. THOMAS HUBBARD VAIL, D. D., Rector of Trinity Church, Muscatine, Iowa, was consecrated Bishop of Kansas, Dec. 15, 1864, in Trinity Church, Muscatine, Iowa. Morning Prayer was said by Rev. Messrs. Judd, of Iowa, and Ufford, of Ohio; the testimonial of Election was read by Rev. H. W. Powers; the assent of the Standing Committees was read by Rev. Hiram Stone; the consent of the Bishops was read by the Rev. Dr. Clarkson; the Sermon was preached by the Rt. Rev. Bishop Lee, of Iowa; the Rt. Rev. Bishop Kemper was Consecrator, assisted by the Rt. Rev. Bishops Whitehouse, Lee, and Bedell. The Rev. ARTHUR CLEVELAND COXE, D. D., Rector of Calvary Church, New York, was consecrated Assistant Bishop of Western New York, Jan. 4th, 1865, in Trinity Church, Geneva, W. N. Y. Morning Service was said by the Rev. Dr. S. H. Coxe, the Rev. Dr. Beach, the Rev. Dr. Claxton, the Rev. Dr. Hobart, the Rev. Dr. Van Rensselaer, and the Rev. Dr. Ingersoll. The Ante-Communion Service was said by the Rt. Rev. Bishops DeLancey, Hopkins, McCoskry, Odenheimer and Talbot. Bishop Odenheimer preached the Sermon. The Bishop-elect was presented by Bishops Odenheimer and Talbot. Copies of official papers, Testimonials, &c., were read by Rev. Dr. Ingersoll, the Rev. Messrs. A. B. Goodrich, W. A. Matson, and Rev. C. W. Hayes; the Rev. Drs. Jackson and Rankin assisted in vesting with the Episcopal robes; the Rt. Rev. Bishop DeLancey officiated as Consecrator, all the Bishops above named assisting in the imposition of hands. Bishop Hopkins said the Post-Communion Service, and Bishop DeLancey, presiding, said the concluding Prayer, and pronounced the Blessing of Peace. Upfold, DEACONS. Time. Place. Dec. 21, 1864, Chapel, Middletown, Con. 66 Potter, A. Dec. 11, Mediator, Philadelphia, Penn. Adams, Chas. C. Smith, Reeves, Abraham, VOL. XVII. Talbot, Jan. 12, Jan. 29, 66 Odenheimer, Jan. 22, St. Peter's, Spottswood, N. J. Ray, John Wainwright, Whitehouse, Jan. 19, 1 |