Contemporary Literature [pp. 563-580]

1877.] Contemporary Literature. 565
Theology of Christ. For this is most largely given out in St. John's Gospel.
The author shows this to be so in regard to the great doctrines of the
Trinity, Incarnation, Atonement, Sin, Grace, Regeneration, Justification,
Sanctification, Election, in a word, Anthropology, Soteriology and Eschatology. He also shows that Christ in this Gospel furnishes many of the
forms of language and imagery for the due expression of the great truths of
Supernaturalism and Redemption which pervade the Epistles. We notice
'that the author, while thoroughly evangelical in tone, nevertheless is a little
confused on an occasional point of cardinal moment. He holds to justification by imparted as well as imputed righteousness. But his book is, on the
whole, learned and discriminating, and an important addition to Johannean
literature and the supports of sound Scriptural doctrine. Of course, if the
Epistles presuppose St. John's gospel, this must have been of an earlier
date. For sale also by McGinnis & Runyon, Princeton.
Questions Awakened by the Bible, by the Rev. JOHN MILLER, published
by Lippincott of Philadelphia, was received just after all the matter of our
last number had gone to press. Meanwhile the Presbytery of New Brunswick, of which the author is a member, have taken it in hand and found
unanimously that it denies certain important doctrines of our standards, and
have accordingly suspended its author from the ministry. It consists of three
monograms respectively in answer to the questions, "Is the soul immortal?"
"Was Christ in Adam?" "Is God a Trinity?" In regard to these severally the
Presbytery unanimously found: i. "That Mr. Miller teaches that the soul is
not immortal; that at the death of the body it dies and becomes extinct."
2. "That Christ, as a child of Adam, was personally accounted guilty of
Adam's sin; that, like other children of Adam, he inherited a corrupt nature,
and that he needed to be and was redeemed by his own death." 3. "That
there is but one person in the Trinity." This is the last of a comparatively recent series of books published by the author, which certainly indicate a quite
eccentric astuteness, subtlety and industry. They have enforced a transient attention by the amazement they have caused that such extravagances
should proceed from Princeton, and from the son of so illustrious a defender
of the faith they impugn as the Rev. SAMUTL MILLER, D.D., one of the
earliest professors of the Seminary. One of his books, which is written for
the purpose of branding the systematic theology of Dr. Hodge as a system
of Fetichism, under the title of "Fetich in Theology," sufficiently reveals
some strange mental bias or disturbance. In undertaking the role of a great
originator and discoverer of new light in philosophy and theology, it will be
fortunate if he comes to agree with most of those who have examined his
writings most closely, that he has mistaken his vocation.
Scribner, Armstrong & Co. publish, and McGinness & Runyon have on
sale, Christianity and Islam, the Bible and the Koran. Four Lectures by
the Rev. W. R. W. STEPHENS, Prebendary of Chichester. They treat of
the origin of Christianity and Mohammedanism, the life and character of
(New Series, No. 22.) 36