cords, for though, according to the decisions of our Supreme Court, the Unitarians, who constitute the majority, and remain, might claim and hold the property of the church, yet not wishing to make any difficulty they have said nothing about it. Here then, is a church removing to another society, assuming another name, choosing and ordaining another pastor, holding the records on which it stands under an entirely different name, yet not re-organized in any way, but supposing itself to be the identical church that it has been from the first. Now if I understand ecclesiastical order, or the decisions of our highest judicial tribunals, this is not the same church that it used to be, nor in fact is it to be regarded as properly a church at all, until it is newly and duly organized. I rest this opinion in part on the following passage taken from the recent Decision of the Brookfield Case, and quoted in a note to the Review of the Framingham case, to which, equally with the case that I have just recited, it seems clearly applicable.

'If then it is asked whether, if a church be dissatisfied with the doctrines taught and the instructions given in the parish in which it is formed, they cannot withdraw, the answer appears to us to be obvious; that the organization of a church in any parish is designed for the edification and benefit of those members who choose to unite in it; and if those members, be they few, many, or all, can no longer conscientiously attend there, they may unquestionably withdraw and provide for the institution of public worship elsewhere. But this they do in another and a distinct capacity, that of a religious society; they may also form a church, but it will be the church of the society thus established, and not the church of the society, from which they had withdrawn. Otherwise the anomaly would be presented of a society, competent to settle a minister and to support public worship, and yet incapable of having a church, or celebrating the christian ordinances; for it is impossible that there should be Two distinct bodies, having no communication with each other, organized under different officers and keeping distinct records, which should each be the same church at the same time.' Decision of the Brookfield Case, p. 45.

Now if the Decision be correct, or if our citizens and

churches are bound by the laws of our land, it is plain that a church cannot remove its relations from one society to another, in other words cannot secede or withdraw as a church, but only as a religious society, and must itself 'form a church' as if none previously had existed. And if so, it becomes a question whether the orthodox churches in the town to which I allude, and some other towns which I believe present similar cases, are in fact churches, and whether the records of churches under different names which they still hold, would avail them either in civil or ecclesiastical law. This question has never occurred to me till lately, and I do not know that it is of much importance. I offer it as a question only, and wish some one would answer it. There ought to be more knowledge than there now is on all these subjects; for many of our churches are dissolving and separating, without regard to any rules, and apparently without any understanding of their own relations and rights.

I intended to give some further account of the 'Review" before me. It is occupied chiefly in an examination of the passages of scripture quoted in the Framingham Confession, &c. as proofs of their Calvinistic doctrines. The examination is conducted in a good temper and with a clear understanding of the points discussed. It extends to nearly or quite all the important passages usually quoted by trinitarians, and makes a useful tract on the subject. I see here that the first text cited by the Framingham church in proof of the trinity, is the text of the three witnesses, 1 John v. 7.—I have observed the same thing in other orthodox confessions and covenants now in use in New England churches. This spurious passage, allowed to be spurious and indignantly rejected by the first orthodox theologians in Europe and America, is yet quoted without one remark, as if it had never been questioned; and half the people of our orthodox societies do not know that it ever was questioned. Such are some of the props by which the trinity and Calvinism are supported! Such are some of the consciences of ministers and professors of Protestant Christianity!

Yours,

* * * * * *

NEW BOOKS.

1

WE continue our notices of recent publications, and we wish it to be understood that we do it not as criticism, but only as information to those who have not the opportunity of becoming at once acquainted with books which they may think of procuring for themselves or others. In the close of our last notice, we referred to two books of which we will now speak more particularly.

Memoirs of Oberlin. This is one of the books which may be commended at once to all kinds of people without any reservation. Not that it will be liked equally by all, for we can conceive of some who may wish to find fault with it, who may say that there are weaknesses, superstitions and follies in the character here presented, the character of Oberlin. But let them resolve to acquire his virtues and accomplish the half of what he accomplished, and they will have no time, if they have heart, to think of his failings.

To us it is a delightful character, and we pity the man who is not made better by reading it, more humble and more useful. We can conceive of the same life being presented in a better form, but we cannot conceive of this being read without interest or profit. It is not a book for children, but for all others, learned and unlearned, it will prove a treasure. This before us is a new and beautiful edition from the Cambridge press, with an Introduction by Rev. H. Ware, Jr. It should belong to every social and religious library.

Contemplations of the Saviour. This, as we intimated before, is designed chiefly to be a manual or help in family devotion; and to most families we think it will prove a great help, at least in varying a little a service which ought to be varied more than it is. It consists of brief extracts from the Gospels, followed by Reflections and Hymns to carry out and confirm the leading purpose of the extracts. It is prepared by Rev. S. G. Bulfinch. The reflections are all original, and more than half the Hymns. The leading events of our Saviour's life are presented in a connected series, which gives the book an additional value, either for family religion or Sun

day School teaching, for which we think it may be sometimes used profitably. The Reflections are natural and practical, and the original Hymus particularly good-better we think than those selected. There is no sectarianism in any part of the book-nothing to offend, but much to gratify and impress.

Adventures of a School Boy. This is a juvenile book, suited to children of almost any age above the very young. It is a pleasant story of a boy who was too much indulged by a fond mother, and whose self-will, indolence and folly brought him into various troubles. The fault of the book is that he gets out of these troubles too easily, and is rather rewarded than punished for having brought himself into them. In other words, the natural bad consequences of his bad conduct have no corrective salutary influence either upon him or his injudicious parents. He becomes good at last, to be sure, but rather by accident it would seem. This is a great fault, and we wonder that any intelligent writer should not have seen and avoided it. In other respeets the book is a very good one. There is nothing positively bad in it, but only this want of a good prominent moral.

Patrick Clary, or the Young Irish Emigrant, and the Carter Family, or ninepence a week is how much a year-are little books just published by the Boston Sunday School Society, in continuation of their series. And they are books for which any Sunday School, and any children who use them, may be the better. They are unexceptionable in style and morals, simple, pure, entertaining, and highly religious. We are altogether pleased with them. They will make a small addition to any collection, and a proportionably small deduction from any purse. But they will give pleasure, and do good by helping to form the best principles.

Times of the Saviour: Third Edition. We mention this not as properly a new book, but as a new, neat, and cheap edition of a very excellent book. It is much reduced in size, and proportionably in price. Of its character we need not speak. No one who has read it will hesitate to recommend it, and all who have not, may look to it for as much pure enjoyment as is often drawn from the same number of pages. Until we saw this book, we did not suppose that fiction could

add such interest without in the least degrading the exalted character of our Lord, and the wonderful events of his time.

The Well-spent Hour; and Sequel to the Well-spent Hour, or the Birth Day. With the first of these books we may venture to suppose all our readers are acquainted. And we think they will welcome a 'Third Edition, corrected and enlarged.' One entire chapter is added to the former edition, called 'Newton Falls.'-The Sequel is a distinct and entirely new book, as large as the first, and corresponding to it in this edition. And we shall be surprised if it is not thought one of the best children's books that has appeared for a long time. We have read it with strong sustained interest, some part with unusual delight. It is a continuation of the former part, and the same characters are kept before us. Four years having intervened, Catharine Nelson is supposed to be four years older than when we left her, and exhibits throughout a natural consistently improving character. The subjects of some of the chapters, such as 'Reverse of Fortune,' a ‘Fine Lady,' 'The Birth Day Present,' and 'Good Manners,' afford opportunities for the introduction of some of the highest principles of religion and life. These opportunities are improved in a manner simple enough for children of any but the youngest age, and yet mature enough for the oldest.-Every family and every Juvenile Library will be not only safe, but rewarded, in procuring both these books.

We must be allowed to make the remark-suggested by the last mentioned books and by many others-that our publishers are either expending too much on the appearance of juvenile books, or demanding too great profits. It has seemed to us for some time that children's books were becoming dearer instead of cheaper than formerly. They certainly are out of proportion to large books. We do not mean to say that they are not worth all that is asked for them; we only express our regret that they cannot be printed and sold for less, knowing how very limited are the appropriations which most societies in the country are able to make to this object, and yet how strong their desire to have every good and useful book.