Quarterly List of New Books and Pamphlets [pp. 463-470]

4es Quarterly List of New Books. [Ju~r
mons, there can be no doubt where or in what connexion they appeared. And
if in doing this it should seem as if he was aiming at a school of theologians
in another part of the country, which he has not at all in his eye, it only
proves that these two classes have one system.
Causes of the decline of doctrinal preaching. A Sermon preached before the
Pastoral association of Massachusetts, in Park Street church, Boston,
May 25, 0841. By Parsons Cooke. Published by request, Boston:
Press of T. R. Marvin.
Considering the occasion on which this sermon was preached, its very
title wins from us a favourable regard. In view of the theological tendencies
in New England for the last twenty years, it is surely cause of joy unfeigned
that God keeps watchmen on the walls of Zion, who descry her declensions
and perils, and are faithful to sound the notes of warning, remonstrance and
alarm. This is particularly gratifying in Massachusetts. In Connecticut,
where doctrinal errors had a more immediate and formidable developement
some years since, the Pastoral Union was 0 ganized to withstand their further
incursions. But unless we are mistaken, most of the Orthodox in Massachusetts have flattered themselves heretofore that this doctrinal declension was an
endemic confined mostly to Connecticut, because its most able and devoted
champions happened to be located there. But the truth is, that whatever be
the residence of its most prominent advocates, the distemper itself has not been
local; but has had a simultaneous development and growth all over the land,
and has infected in greater or less degrees most of the Calvinistic commun.
ions. And it has been obvious enough to the most supeificial observer, that
Massachusetts has not been exempt from her due proportion of the evil. We
are glad therefore that her leading ministers are opening their eyes to this
portentous state of things, and frankly and fully admonishing their leading
ecclesiastical bodies of it before it is too late to recover. We have no doubt
that much good will result from the publication of this sermon. Mr. Cook
is in the meridian of life, and, 1)eo toThnte, may yet do much for the cause of
religion. He is one of the editors of the Puritan, in which he has stated, that
he consented to publish it because some differed from him in opinion, and he
wished to give opportunity for full and thorough discussion. We doubt not
this discussion will be highly salutary. This is a sermon of uncommon
power. It is not like too many sen~ons a dead level of common-place remarks, relieved here and there by a spirited and striking passage. It is a constant succession of racy, stirring, well-timed thoughts. It goes on with a
bounding pulse from beginning to end, without fear or favour he tells the
whole truth, no matter who or what stands in his way. to a few rapid
touches he shows that a hatred of doctrinal preaching has been diffused among
the people; by a timid neglect to preach doctrine on the part of ministers;
by superfi&~ial religious training of the young; by the shallowness of current
literature, secular aiid religious; the stirring character of the age; the pre`ent mode of theological education by the introduction of German writers