THE CATHOLIC WORLD. A MONTHLY MAGAZINE OF GENERAL LITERATURE AND SCIENCE. VOL. XII. NEW YORK: THE CATHOLIC PUBLICATION HOUSE, 9 Warren Street. 1871. Las Casas, Life of Bartholomew de, 573- Lacordaire's Conferences on God, 574. Lacordaire's Conferences on Jesus Christ, 574. Little Prudy's Flyaway Series, 575. Lecture of Archbishop Spalding, 717. Life of Madame Louise de France, 719. Lectiones Quotidianæ, etc., 720. Mitchell's New Series of Geographies, 141. Manual of Composition or Rhetoric, 142. Second French Reader, 860. Suburban Sketches, 858. Simon Peter and Simon Magus, 853. Wonders of Acoustics, 432. Young Catholic's Guide, The, 720. THE CATHOLIC WORLD. VOL. XII., No. 67.—OCTOBER, 1870. UNION WITH THE CHURCH.* THE Mercersburg Review, the wellknown organ of what is called the Merersburg theology, is one of the ablest and, to us, most interesting theogical publications received at this office. The writers are members of the (German) Reformed Church, and Occupy in relation to their own denomination about the same position that the Puseyites, Anglo-Catholics, or Ritualists do in relation to theirs, though they are profounder theologians and, if we may say so, understand far better the philosophy of the church-its relation to the Incarnation, its position in the divine economy, and its office in the work of salvation. In their church theory they approach the Catholic doctrine, and too nearly, it seems to us, for them to be excusable in remaining in a Protestant sect. The article we have referred to in July number of the Mercersburg Rediscusses the question of union. 1. Union with the Church the Solemn Duty and Dessed Privilege of all who would be Saved. By Rev. H. Harbaugh, D.D. Fourth edition. 2 Where is the City? Boston: Roberts Broaers Second edition. 1868. The Mercersburg Review. New Series. Art. III.: Union with the Church." July, 1870. adelphia: Reformed Church Publication Board. Quarterly. with the church, and reviews with. great fairness and ability the two works, the titles of which we have cited in our foot-note. The reviewer, Rev. J. W. Santee, says of them: "The authors of these volumes represent two tendencies in religion; these are wholly diverse, and may be regarded as well as of Christianity. The first one is types of different systems of thought, as a practical treatise on union with the church, and moves in the sphere of Christianity, as apprehended in former ages, and now, to a great extent, in the German Reformed Church, and makes earnest of the church of Christ, as a real order of grace, into the bosom of which souls are to be born-reared-nourished and prepared for heaven. The second moves in an order of thought altogether different, which sees nothing special in the church -nothing in her heaven-ordained means, but seems to regard the church only as a place of safe keeping for the soul, after the work of conversion-the new birthhas taken place, there to be kept safe, until God calls it into another world. The one regards the church as the 'mother of us all;' the other, as a place where nothing is to be had for spiritual support, in the way of growth, but only a place of safety. This may be seen from the following: It would be a difficult and almost endless task to exhibit all the good effects which will result to you from a right connection with the church. They |