himself master of the facts established by the evidence, which amply sustain the following two propositions. 1. That the Slaves, if emancipated, will adequately maintain themselves by their own labour. 2. That the danger of withholding freedom from the slaves, is greater than that of granting it. Upon the present oc casion, we cannot attempt to go into the details of the evidence, either in the shape of abstract or of extracts; and indeed, we earnestly hope that the majority of our readers will lose no time in procuring and attentively perusing the whole of this interesting document.

It may not, however, be so obvious at first sight, as it is true in fact, that upon these two propositions hinges the whole question as regards the expediency of early emancipation. 'The important question of what is due to the fair and equitable con'sideration of the interests of private property, as connected with 'emancipation,' was not investigated by the Commons' Committee; and it may be thought by some of our readers, that this enters, even as a preliminary inquiry, into the general question of expediency. Upon this point, we shall content ourselves with transcribing the following remarks, which have appeared in the Patriot newspaper.

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'This consideration (the interests of private property) ought 'not to be allowed for one moment to embarrass the settlement of 'the question, for three obvious reasons: First, the negro, at ' least, owes nothing to the planter, and the victims of our na'tional guilt ought not to continue to suffer, "while we are 'haggling about the pounds, shillings, and pence." Secondly, ' when it is finally determined that slavery shall cease, it will be 'quite time enough to go into the consideration of those special 'cases of hardship which may possibly require an equitable remedy. The claim to compensation is at present urged only as an argument ad terrorem, as it was during the agitation of the 'slave-trade question; the justice and the impracticability of 'compensation being insisted upon in the same breath. But for 'what is the slave-holder to be compensated? For the loss of 'his power over the person of the negro, or for the loss of his ' command over the labour of the negro? If for the former, he may just as reasonably claim compensation for every abridgement ' of his arbitrary power by humane enactments. If for the latter, ' he has to prove that his command over that labour will be taken away, or even diminished, by the abolition of slavery. Thirdly, 'let it be but admitted, what the evidence condensed in this 'pamphlet triumphantly establishes, that the slaves will, if eman'cipated, maintain themselves by their labour, and that no danger ' would result from granting them freedom; it follows that the 'abolition of slavery would be in two respects a boon to the 'planter: first, by cheapening labour; (free labour being always

6

The controversies which have occasionally sprung up within the Society, have been subdued, rather than determined; and the influence of authority has been more powerful than that of knowledge, in maintaining the forbearance and quietude which prevail in their community. On the other hand, they display no solicitude to enlarge their denomination, and make no exertions to diffuse their principles. In this respect, the Friends of the present day greatly differ from their founders, who were unsparing in the manifestations of an ever-restless and adventurous zeal for the propagation of their opinions. The religious controversies of the times have publicly engaged but little of their attention. There have, indeed, been writers of the Society of Friends, who have given proofs of their application to the study of the Bible; but these have been but few, nor have they been distinguished for any essential services rendered either to the exposition or to the defence of evangelical truth. We have now before us almost the first erudite treatise in support of fundamental Scriptural doctrines, from which we can conclude that the cultivation of Biblical criticism is not wholly neglected by them. Mr. Gurney's volume, for sobriety, explicitness, and learning, must take precedence of the theological productions of the community of which he is an ornament, and is entitled to an honourable place among the numerous works of its own class for which we are indebted to Christian scholars.

The contents of this work comprise Notes and Dissertations,1. On the Canonical authority of the Epistle to the Hebrews.2. On the pre-existence of Jesus Christ before John the Baptist. -3. On Christ, the Redeemer-the Living One-in the time of Job.-4. On the existence of Christ before Abraham.-5. On the existence of Christ when the world was created.-6. On the Eternal pre-existence of Christ.-7. On Christ pre-existent in the form of God, and on an equality with Him.-8. On the Chaldee Targums, and on the doctrine of their authors respecting the Word of Jehovah.-9. On the Creation of all things by the Word or Son of God.-10. God made the world by his Son.11. On the testimony of the Apostle Paul, that the Psalmist addresses the Son of God, as the Creator of the Universe.-12. The Son the Image of the Invisible God, the First-born of the whole creation, and the Creator of all things in heaven and in earth.-13. On the preaching of Christ to the Antediluvians.14. On the Angel who bore the name and displayed the attributes of God.-15. On the Deity of the Word.-16. On the prophecies of Isaiah, in chap. vii. viii. and ix. 1-6.-17. Christ the Branch is Jehovah our Righteousness.-18. On the Various Readings of 1 Tim. iii. 16.-19. Additional Observations on 1 Tim. iii. 16.-20. Jesus Christ our Great God and Saviour.

21. Christ who, in his human nature, descended from the Jews, is "over all God blessed for ever." - Conclusion. On the practical Importance of Faith in the Deity of Christ.

As these are topics which have successively engaged the attention and employed the labours of the most eminent theological controvertists and Biblical critics, the inquirer will scarcely expect to meet in this volume with information or reasonings of a novel kind. After the extensive and minute researches into every branch of criticism, and the unwearied diligence in disposing of the results of their collations and discoveries, for which we owe so much gratitude to authors of reputation, it would be presumptuous to expect from a modern advocate of Christian doctrines, the gratification which is to be derived from original statements and unusual proofs. Yet, although the subjects themselves, and the evidence which belongs to them, are familiar to us, their supreme importance and their vital interest will ever prevent their being regarded as trite and common.

The first of these Dissertations is 'On the canonical authority of the Epistle to the Hebrews.' The Epistle is anonymous; so are the epistles ascribed to the Apostle John, the name of the author not being prefixed to either of them. In this respect, the two cases are similar; but the circumstances in which they otherwise differ from each other, are numerous and important. The anonymous character of the Epistle to the Hebrews, is not the circumstance from which exclusively, or even principally, doubts of its being entitled to canonical authority, have arisen; since we find the authority of anonymous books admitted from the beginning; and on the other hand, there have been many who have denied the claim of books bearing their author's names to a place among the canonical Scriptures. Mr. Gurney is unquestionably correct in stating that, if there are sufficient reasons to convince us that Paul was the author of the Epistle to the Hebrews, we must of course rest satisfied of its canonical authority. But we cannot say that we find in his arguments any better elucidation of the question, or any nearer approximation to a determination of it, than in the statements and reasonings of his predecessors, while he has not noticed in his Dissertation some of the strongest objections which lie in the way of his conclusion. In the first of the proofs by which Mr. Gurney supports the hypothesis of the Pauline origin of the epistle, we are unable to perceive any cogency or closeness of connection. Whatever be the subjects to which the Apostle Peter refers in his second epistle, as being included in the communication which the persons to whom it was sent had received from the Apostle Paul, it is evident that they were not peculiar to it, because they were to be found in all his epistles: -" Even as our beloved brother Paul also, according to the wisdom given unto him, hath written unto

The controversies which have occasionally sprung up within the Society, have been subdued, rather than determined; and the influence of authority has been more powerful than that of knowledge, in maintaining the forbearance and quietude which prevail in their community. On the other hand, they display no solicitude to enlarge their denomination, and make no exertions to diffuse their principles. In this respect, the Friends of the present day greatly differ from their founders, who were unsparing in the manifestations of an ever-restless and adventurous zeal for the propagation of their opinions. The religious controversies of the times have publicly engaged but little of their attention. There have, indeed, been writers of the Society of Friends, who have given proofs of their application to the study of the Bible; but these have been but few, nor have they been distinguished for any essential services rendered either to the exposition or to the defence of evangelical truth. We have now before us almost the first erudite treatise in support of fundamental Scriptural doctrines, from which we can conclude that the cultivation of Biblical criticism is not wholly neglected by them. Mr. Gurney's volume, for sobriety, explicitness, and learning, must take precedence of the theological productions of the community of which he is an ornament, and is entitled to an honourable place among the numerous works of its own class for which we are indebted to Christian scholars.

The contents of this work comprise Notes and Dissertations,1. On the Canonical authority of the Epistle to the Hebrews. 2. On the pre-existence of Jesus Christ before John the Baptist. -3. On Christ, the Redeemer-the Living One-in the time of Job.-4. On the existence of Christ before Abraham.-5. On the existence of Christ when the world was created.-6. On the Eternal pre-existence of Christ.-7. On Christ pre-existent in the form of God, and on an equality with Him.-8. On the Chaldee Targums, and on the doctrine of their authors respecting the Word of Jehovah.-9. On the Creation of all things by the Word or Son of God.-10. God made the world by his Son.11. On the testimony of the Apostle Paul, that the Psalmist addresses the Son of God, as the Creator of the Universe.-12. The Son the Image of the Invisible God, the First-born of the whole creation, and the Creator of all things in heaven and in earth.-13. On the preaching of Christ to the Antediluvians.— 14. On the Angel who bore the name and displayed the attributes of God.-15. On the Deity of the Word.-16. On the prophecies of Isaiah, in chap. vii. viii. and ix. 1-6.-17. Christ the Branch is Jehovah our Righteousness.-18. On the Various Readings of 1 Tim. iii. 16.-19. Additional Observations on 1 Tim. iii. 16.-20. Jesus Christ our Great God and Saviour.

21. Christ who, in his human nature, descended from the Jews, is "over all God blessed for ever." - Conclusion. On the practical Importance of Faith in the Deity of Christ.

As these are topics which have successively engaged the attention and employed the labours of the most eminent theological controvertists and Biblical critics, the inquirer will scarcely expect to meet in this volume with information or reasonings of a novel kind. After the extensive and minute researches into every branch of criticism, and the unwearied diligence in disposing of the results of their collations and discoveries, for which we owe so much gratitude to authors of reputation, it would be presumptuous to expect from a modern advocate of Christian doctrines, the gratification which is to be derived from original statements and unusual proofs. Yet, although the subjects themselves, and the evidence which belongs to them, are familiar to us, their supreme importance and their vital interest will ever prevent their being regarded as trite and common.

The first of these Dissertations is 'On the canonical authority of the Epistle to the Hebrews.' The Epistle is anonymous; so are the epistles ascribed to the Apostle John, the name of the author not being prefixed to either of them. In this respect, the two cases are similar; but the circumstances in which they otherwise differ from each other, are numerous and important. The anonymous character of the Epistle to the Hebrews, is not the circumstance from which exclusively, or even principally, doubts of its being entitled to canonical authority, have arisen; since we find the authority of anonymous books admitted from the beginning; and on the other hand, there have been many who have denied the claim of books bearing their author's names to a place among the canonical Scriptures. Mr. Gurney is unquestionably correct in stating that, if there are sufficient reasons to convince us that Paul was the author of the Epistle to the Hebrews, we must of course rest satisfied of its canonical authority. But we cannot say that we find in his arguments any better elucidation of the question, or any nearer approximation to a determination of it, than in the statements and reasonings of his predecessors, while he has not noticed in his Dissertation some of the strongest objections which lie in the way of his conclusion. In the first of the proofs by which Mr. Gurney supports the hypothesis of the Pauline origin of the epistle, we are unable to perceive any cogency or closeness of connection. Whatever be the subjects to which the Apostle Peter refers in his second epistle, as being included in the communication which the persons to whom it was sent had received from the Apostle Paul, it is evident that they were not peculiar to it, because they were to be found in all his epistles: -" Even as our beloved brother Paul also, according to the wisdom given unto him, hath written unto