hands of infidels? The National Assembly that met at the close of the Franco-Prussian War was strongly conservative; religious interests were well represented in it; and some of its most honored members were clerics. At the same time, it was a true representative of the prevailing sentiments, ideas, and aspirations of the French people. Yet, in a very short time, that same people began to look with a suspicious eye upon the trend of ecclesiastical activity in political affairs. Events occurred which the radical party were easily able to represent to the country as proofs that the "clericals" were the sworn foes of the existing government, and cherished aims incompatible with the welfare of France. The abbé's exceedingly full and vivid history of the subsequent thirty years leaves us still in the dark as to how it happened that the anti-religious party found it such an easy task to convince the majority of French electors that a profound political truth was epigrammatically expressed in Gambetta's war cry, "Le clericalisme, voilà l'ennemi." We cannot, however, permit ourselves to treat M. l'Abbé Sévestre's reticence on this matter as a reason for diminishing. the measure of thanks due to him for his splendid piece of historical work. Long years must yet elapse before a French ecclesiastic may, without ignoring the dictates of ordinary prudence, write, in full, and without reserve, this last sad chapter in the Gesta Dei per Franços. ENGLISH MARTYRS. This section of England's roll of honor bears twenty-four names, beginning with that of Blessed John Felton, the layman, who, "the five and twentieth day of May, 1570, betwixt two and three of the clock in the morning, set up on the gate of the Bishop of London his palace," the Bull of excommunication launched by St. Pius V. against Queen Elizabeth. The last name is that of Father Richard Thirkeld, a secular priest, who suffered at York in 1583. The lives are written with great fulness; every document. available has been searched, with the result that these biog *Lives of the English Martyrs. Declared Blessed by Pope Leo XIII. in 1886 and 1895. Written by Fathers of the Oratory, of the secular clergy, and of the Society of Jesus. Completed and edited by Dom Bede Cam, O.S.B. Vol. II. Martyrs Under Queen Elizabeth, New York: Benziger Brothers. raphies are much more complete than the corresponding ones to be found in Bishop Challoner's collection, and some names are included here that were not recorded by Challoner at all. The value of the book to those who are not thoroughly acquainted with Elizabethan history is considerably augmented by a carefully prepared Introduction, written by Father Pollen, S.J., for the purpose of explaining the origin, nature, and tendency of the quarrel in which the martyrs lost their lives. He explains the conditions that marked Elizabeth's settlement, the effect of the Northern Rising in 1569, the results of the excommunication, the subsequent increase of missionary zeal, and, consequently, of persecution in 1580. Here he notes the errors committed by Catholic politicians and the Papal Government. By an analysis of the facts Father Pollen demonstrates that those who suffered under Elizabeth were put to death, not because they were politcal offenders, but because of their fidelity to their religion. Father Pollen thereby deprives Protestants of one of their well worn subterfuges from the charge of having stained their hands in religious persecution. We exonerate the Church from the blood of the Albigenses and the victims of the Spanish Inquisition, on the grounds that these people died because they were enemies of the civil government or offenders against the secular law. Protestants argue that the same view holds good of the English martyrs; hence, it is of consequence that an essential difference between the two cases should be clearly established. The scholarly contributors to this volume deserve thanks for a piece of work which, considered either as history or hagiology, is of permanent value, and, in all probability, is not destined to be superseded by any future work on this subject. INFALLIBILITY. OXFORD CONFERENCES. the other lectures were Although these two publications* treat of closely related subjects, and hail from the same source, no organic continuity exists between them. The audiences to which, in the first instance, the one and the addressed, represented, respectively, *Infallibility. A Paper Read Before the Society of St. Thomas of Canterbury. By Reverend Vincent McNabb, O.P. New York: Longmans, Green & Co. Oxford Conferences on Faith. (Summer term 1903.) By Fr. Vincent McNabb, O.P. St. Louis: B. Herder; London: Keegan Paul, French, Trübner & Co. widely different mentalities, aud, as one might expect a teacher of Fr. McNabb's intelligence would do, the lecturer varied his point of view accordingly. The paper on Infallibility-a very modest designation for a solid pamphlet of eighty pages—was read before an Anglican audience. The Society of St. Thomas of Canterbury has for one of its principal aims the removal of obstructions to Reunion by the substitution of conference for controversy, and by conducting discussion on the basis of expositions of doctrines made by properly qualified representatives of them. The precise purpose of the lecture is to explain the Catholic doctrine concerning the Infallibility of the Teaching Church, as distinguished from the Church taught. Though not neglecting the historical aspect of his theme, Fr. McNabb devotes his attention chiefly to the theological side. The tone throughout is, it need hardly be observed, conciliatory; the reasonableness of the Catholic claim, and the arguments that establish it, are unfolded clearly, and adequately insisted upon, without undue exaggeration. In conclusion the author notices briefly the objections usually urged against papal, and conciliar Infallibility; and, without undertaking to refute or criticize them seriatim-a task impossible within the time at his disposal-he suggests some broad general views which tend to reduce to negligible proportions the historical difficulties which are magnified to the vision. of the opponents of Infallibility. The other volume consists of a series of lectures, eight in number, addressed to the Catholic students of Oxford University. The titles are: The Problem of Faith; The Object of Faith (Mystery); The Light of Faith; Authority; The Will and Faith; The Door of Faith (Conversion); The Scruple of Doubt; the Life of Faith. The first lecture begins with a world-embracing review of the historical fact that "at all times, and especially since the coming of Jesus Christ, men have been found to profess or deny the objective existence of supra-rational truths, and the subjective existence of a peculiar power or faculty for believing these truths to be true." Next follows a statement of the present crisis for religious belief, natural and supernatural. Afterward Fr. McNabb dwells chiefly on some psychological aspects of his subject; especially in the views which he puts forth when he faces the problem of the part played by the will in faith. Everywhere he is suggestive. Readers who know how to seize an author's purport, when he frequently leaves them to sum up for themselves a number of appreciations and considerations, will be better pleased with Fr. McNabb's work than they who look to the author to tell them at the beginning or end of a chaper what 'twas all about. The influence of Newman is apparent; though, as a true theorist, Fr. McNabb draws attention to the fact that St. Thomas, too, assigned a predominant part to the will in the act of assent when the object is not a matter of first principles or abstract mathematical judgments. The note which is becoming more and more dominant in apologetics is perceptible every where in Fr. McNabb's expositions, so that the following passage, from the "Will and Faith," might be accepted as a statement of one of his first principles: "In truths of faith our personal will enters at every step, limiting and valuing the premises, accepting, defining, and safeguarding the conclusion. Faith is certitude, but it is certitude in which the personal will holds and turns the scales. Thus faith is a vital action; not a mere mechanical process.. It is not ruled by mere mechanical laws of heaviest and greatest, but by the subtler laws of truest and best." QUESTIONS OF THE DAY. Dr. Alexander MacDonald deserves a great deal of credit for the studious industry with which he is dealing with many intellectual problems which are disturbing and perplexing this present age. Too few Catholics approach these grave disputes, and too little Catholic teaching is brought to bear on them. When, therefore, a capable student like Dr. MacDonald appears in the arena he should be welcomed and encouraged, and we would like to be among those whose voices are most earnest in wishing him well. The latest book from his pen is a collection of essays on the Biblical Question, the Virgin Birth, the Blessed Virgin, and Immortality. These matters are treated from the standpoint of strictly traditional Catholic theology, and are expressed in a clear and agreeable English style. Every student of theology will be stimulated by the book, even if one must differ at times from the learned author. For it must be remembered that there is * Questions of the Day. By Very Rev. Alexander MacDonald, V.G. New York: The Christian Press Association. VOL. LXXXII.—17 a wide region of theological speculation where differences of opinion are permitted and are wholesome. Hence, if we indicate one or two points wherein we would be pleased to see another mode of treatment adopted, no one should think us overcritical. The essay on the Biblical Question aims at giving us a clue to a solution of those ordinary difficulties with which the whole world is now familiar; difficulties arising from apparent contradictions, seemingly mistaken scientific statements, and so on. Dr. MacDonald's method of settling all such troubles lies in the distinction between the noumenal and the phenomenal truth of biblical statements. In one or other form this is a familiar remedy; but we respectfully suggest that it is inadequate, as here stated; though we fancy that it could be adapted so as to cover the case fairly well. Writers on the biblical question should squarely state and squarely face such questions as: What is the historical value necessarily to be attributed to apparently historical statements? Is there any place to be conceded to folklore, legend, or borrowings from non-Hebraic religions? To what extent may we admit implicit quotations? These are the questions students desire to have answered, and Dr. MacDonald does not bring his theory face to face with them. We cannot imagine that Dr. MacDonald has not read Père Lagrange's Methode Historique, or Bonaccorsi's La Verità Storica del' Esatenco, or Hummelauer's Exegetisches zur Inspirationsfrage; but we found in his work no vestige of these Catholic essays, which are simply indispensable to any one who would deal with this difficult and delicate subject. These men confront difficulties squarely, and Dr. MacDonald will not take it ill if we suggest that he has something to learn from them. At all events, theology and theologians as such are powerless to solve the biblical question of to-day. It is a matter for an experienced, critical scholar and for no one else. A priori theology is as impotent to pronounce upon the mode and processes of inspiration as it was to tell us anything concerning the mode and processes of creation. Physical science has told us more of the nature of the universe in the last fifty years than theology had told us in centuries, though it tried hard to provide us with the information. The obvious reason is that matters of physical science are outside the scope of theology. So too are matters of pure criticism outside its scope. The theologian's duty |