All the young people's societies connected with the First Parish, Dorchester, Mass., have been federated together into one general organization. Each retains its own objects, meetings, and officers; but all join together to promote their common interests. They alternate with each other in having charge of the young people's Sunday afternoon meetings. GEORGE W. COOKE. LITERARY NOTES. Studies in Theologic Definition underlying the Apostles' and Nicene Creeds. By Frederick Palmer. New York: E. P. Dutton & Co.-The genial rector of the Episcopal church in Andover gives in this volume a most interesting and readable statement, which will satisfy his theological party, while at the same time it will rejoice the friends of progressive theology; for the book, while true to its author's position in the "Church," is yet permeated with the thought of this modern day, which in some instances drives men away from established creedal churches to find rest in a broader fellowship. The reader is interested to see how the author seeks to justify the retention of phraseology in the creed which modern thinking questions, as, for instance, the famous "I believe in the resurrection of the body." These words are certainly a stumbling-block and offence to the modern mind; but our author has no trouble with them, for, he says, a former generation framed them in the belief that soul without body was inconceivable. Personal identity in a future life was to be had only by preserving the body. So, though our day denies the clothing of the old belief, the Episcopal Church is justified in retaining and repeating words which once meant "preservation after death of personal identity." "Then I may with entire honesty join with them in saying, 'I believe in the resurrection of the body,' and this because abandoning old phraseologies would mean giving up trying to retain fellowship with olden time, and make it necesary that every man should have a church to himself." Mr. Palmer sees no middle ground between uniting on beliefs which are not identical and "the strictest individualism." Therefore, for the sake of union with an early day which believed stoutly in the resurrection of the body, he, while disclaiming that belief and denying its truthfulness, will repeat it several times every Sunday. Our author's Trinity will not trouble the Unitarian, for it consists only in "three sides to his nature," "three moods in which he manifests himself"; and this God was once manifested in a human personality "who authentically represented God under human conditions." In treating of inspiration, our author finds that man or book to be inspired which inspires; and the vehicles of revelation he finds to be institutions, nations, men, books, which have exerted prophetic influence in history. Salvation is defined as moral holiness. "No heaven could be heaven which did not advertise this as its characteristic charm; and any hell would be welcomed which, after however many cycles of torment, should prove eventually a purgatory." Entrance to the kingdom of heaven is not by crisis commonly called "conversion." We enter heaven by education, "the only normal entrance"; and because spiritual life is not self-evolved, but is communicated, the Church exists to aid that communication as by a living personality, so establishing close connection between its corporate life and the life of Christ,-a ministry "of Christ as the ever-present. spiritual and divine element of the world's life," and not simply of a being who is merely a "purely historic figure." All this savors of that modern thinking which many times is apt to criticise such men as Mr. Palmer for seeking to use old bottles to hold the new wine. No matter how far such a writer may depart from the old standards and interpretations thereof, we cannot accuse him of heresy; for by his standard one is no heretic, if so be he earnestly desires to know the truth, and is a loyal servant of that truth so far as he knows it, and "theologic doctrines are always scaffolding, supports to hold temporarily and explain great soul facts which are eternal." Mr. Palmer writes in finest style. The average reader finds no difficulty in understanding him, while the liberal thinker will read between his lines much which tells of the influence of that which we call modernday thought. But our author must know that in his interpretation of theology he is world-wide of the mark of the fathers in the Church. Judged by their standards, his interpretations are rankest heresy. And yet all that is of less consequence than that the truth get spoken. His volume does that well. G. H. Y. History of Dogma. By Adolph Harnack. Boston: Roberts Brothers.- Volume I., of Dr. Harnack's great work on the "History of Dogma" is now before us in a translation of the third German edition, and has already received much critical review. The present volume leads us from a survey of the foundations of Christian faith, as discovered in the Gospels, through the Christianity of Jewish Christians to Gnostic Christianity. It is an admirably clear and readable exposition of the genesis of Catholic doctrine. For the most part, the too technical discussion is confined to notes and appendices, so that the less critical reader can follow the study without confusion. Presumably, the most popular part of the present volume will be the first third, which Dr. Harnack modestly designates as presuppositions. These presuppositions, however, really embody Dr. Harnack's own conclusions from his profound and technical study of the whole field of Christian history. It is not surprising to find most of the orthodox criticisms directed against these presuppositions. When Dr. Harnack condenses the essence of Christ's teaching into such a sentence as this, "Jesus Christ brought no new doctrine, but he set forth in his own person the holy life with God and before God, and gave himself in virtue of this life to the service of his brethren, in order to win them for the kingdom of God,— that is, to lead them out of selfishness and the world to God," it is evident that he sees beyond the genesis of dogma to the union of Christianity in love. Historical and Other Papers. By Grindall Reynolds, D.D. Edited by Alice Reynolds Keyes.-In sending the facts of his life to the editor of the Harvard Graduates' Magazine, Dr. Reynolds said, I "have no desire to spread abroad my exceedingly feeble glories." He was too modest to seek publication; and it is only now, a year after his death, that we have any volume of his collected works. The present book, however, under the able editorship of his daughter, furnishes us with ample evidence of Dr. Reynolds's vigorous literary power. His calm, judicial mind and admirable judgment, so often put to the test in adjusting the difficulties of denominational affairs, is well exemplified in the two papers on "The Church in Concord," its "Planting" and its "Period of Dissension." His historical inclinations were by no means confined even to this famous locality, and the admirable paper on the "Northern Campaigns of the Revolution" gives us a statesman's survey of his country's needs. Appended to the historical papers are seven sermons, lovingly chosen from as many periods in his life-work. One cannot read the earliest of these, written in 1868, without at once feeling the thrill of that fervor for righteousness which was well inbred in the descendant of the old Puritan Archbishop of Canterbury, Grindal, and which all who knew the late secretary of the Unitarian Association recognized as the impelling and burning motive of his life. We think these seven sermons have been admirably chosen; and the last one, written a year before his death, from the text, "Believe me for the work's sake," while extremely short, admirably represents the insight, earnestness, and activity of the writer. Lovers Three Thousand Years Ago. By T. A. Goodwin, D.D. Chicago, Ill. : Open Court Publishing Company. "The Song of Solomon," so often misunderstood, is here presented, and interpreted as a beautiful historical poem. To the ordinary reader of the Bible this "Song" is a perpetual enigma, and many extraordinary efforts have been made to give to it some doctrinal or didactic meaning. Dr. Goodwin here restores to us the original intention of the poem, bringing out in an admirable, appreciative way the purpose of the love story. The interpretation here given is free from any technical textual criticism, and appears at once to the average reader. Ruling Ideas of the Present Age. By Washington Gladden. Boston: Houghton, Mifflin & Co.-To discover and interpret the tendency of the ruling ideas of one's own age is to fathom the philosophy of life. In "Applied Christianity" and "Tools and the Man" Dr. Gladden's purpose was more limited, more practical, and more successful. The present volume, however, while but imperfectly interpreting the complex themes treated, will yet serve to attract attention to many of the ruling influences of modern life. The Poor in Great Cities. New York: Scribner's Sons.-The admirable series of articles concerning the problems of the poor, and "How to solve them," which have recently appeared in Scribner's Magazine, are here published in one volume. A dozen authors of highest repute contribute, men like Sir Walter Besant, Jacob A. Riis. The accompanying illustrations are studies made in the places described, and give a vivid and popular interest to the book. There is very little that is theoretical, every chapter being written by an expert, and discussing or suggesting practical methods of reform or relief. Altogether, the book forms, perhaps, the most important contribution yet made to one of the most widely discussed subjects of the day. The Wage-workers of America. By John Stolze, M.D. Chicago: Columbia Publishing Company. The author says the object of writing this volume was a desire to assist his fellow-citizens in solving the labor problems of the age. The book is a medley of many things, the publisher furnishing neither a "table of contents" nor "index," as we learn from the preface that. to be fully appreciated, the whole book must be read consecutively. Persian Life and Customs. By S. G. Wilson. New York: Fleming Revell Company. This prettily illustrated book is the record of incidents and travel during the residence of Dr. Wilson, for fifteen years a missionary, in the land of the lion and the sun. He gives a new insight into the conditions of Persian life, and shows that even the immutable laws of the Medes cannot resist the innovations of this electric age. An Old New England Town. By Frank S. Child. New York: Scribner's Sons. This exquisitely made volume, with its many beautiful illustrations, is history in a series of word-etchings,-pictures of the life of former days, which make very much alive again the old New England town. Rev. George H. Young of Lawrence, Mass., who has for several seasons given courses of unusually taking lectures upon "Noted Women," adds this year lectures upon Jane Austen, Mary Lamb, Elizabeth Fry, and Madame de Staël to his already well-filled list. Women's Alliance Branches, desiring instructive lectures, will do wisely in communicating with Mr. Young. Magazines. In the December number of the New England Magazine are stories by Edward Everett Hale and his son, Robert Beverley Hale, whose early death is so deeply mourned. Dr. Hale's own story is entitled "From Generation to Generation: A Story of Christmas Christianity," a story beginning on the "Mayflower" and ending with a company of the early New England settlers in Ohio. Mr. Robert Hale's story is entitled "A Middle-aged Woman." It is the last story which he wrote, and is accompanied here by a portrait from a photograph taken during his life as a Harvard student. It is not only his last story, but one of his very best, full of an energetic reform spirit, and will be read with deep interest by all who had watched his promising career. The Arena has reduced its price to twentyfive cents per copy with the December issue, and the current number which opens the new volume is exceptionally strong. Personal recollections of Lowell, Emerson, Holmes, Whittier, and Bryant, by such thinkers as Rev. Minot J. Savage, Rev. Edward Everett Hale, Rev. Frank B. Sanborn, and Rev. John W. Chadwick, will prove exceedingly interesting to those interested in America's great poets. The New World for December completes the fourth volume of this leading review of religion, ethics, and theology, presenting this strong table of contents: "Tendencies of Thought in Modern Judaism," David Philipson; "The Miracles of Jesus in the Synoptic Gospels," Albert Réville; "The Anabaptists," W. E. Griffis; "The PseudoAthanasian Augustinianism," Levi L. Paine; "Tito Melema," Julia H. Gulliver; "Popular Protestant Controversy," C. C. Starbuck; "Local Cults in Homer," Arthur Fairbanks; "The Nomadic Ideal in the Old Testament," Karl Budde. Fifty-five pages of able reviews of prominent books follow. St. Nicholas Magazine recently offered prizes for the best corrections of a misspelled poem. More than ten thousand answers were received; and the committee has been overwhelmed with work, the results of which and the names of the prizewinners will appear in the January St. Nicholas. Answers came from all over the world, from Turkey, from Egypt, and from Europe, from a little countess in Vienna, and from the grandchildren of Emerson and Hawthorne in America. The committee reluctantly make the admission that the penmanship of the English and Canadian children excels that of Uncle Sam's boys and girls. France, Scotland, England, Japan, and the United States are represented by the writers of the five articles in the January number of the International Journal of Ethics. The main articles are: "The Hegemony of Science and Philosophy," Alfred Fouillée, Institute of France; "Social Evolution," D. G. Ritchie, University of St. Andrews, Scotland; "The Ethical Life and Conceptions of the Japanese, Tokiwo Yokoi, Tokyo, Japan; "The Social Question in the Catholic Congress," John Graham Brooks, Cambridge, Mass.; "National Prejudices," John Code Bayly, London. The article by Prof. William James in the October number (Vol. VI., No. 1) on "Is Life Worth Living?" is discussed by Thomas Davidson and Prof. J. Arthur Thomson. The Bachelor of Arts, beginning its second year, has already won a unique place among our magazines. It is unique in appearance, in aim, and in attainment. It has a distinct university flavor, and appeals irresistibly to every college graduate. The American Journal of Sociology has now appeared in three issues, and has certainly proved itself equal to the high standard proposed. The head of the department of sociology in the University of Chicago, Prof. Albion Small, is editor; and the university guarantees financial support. It has thus the power to secure the assistance of the most eminent specialists in the world, and is quite sure to be an invaluable aid to every student. CHILDREN'S CORNER. CHILDREN'S HYMN. Wake, oh, wake! A voice is calling,- Forward, in the fields of duty, Arise, arise, arise! We must strive and toil together Wake, oh, wake! The voice is saying,- Ever hoping, ever praying, Seek to cheer some fainting heart. Wake, oh, wake! The voice will lead you Through the night and through the day. Wake, oh, wake! The voice doth ever Forward, etc. -W. R. Shanks. A DAUGHTER'S PART AT HOME. One of the sweetest things a girl can do is to receive friends graciously, particularly at home. In one's own house a cordial manner is peculiarly fitting. Do not stand off in the middle of the room, and bow coldly and formally to the friend who has called. Walk over to meet her, give her your hand, and say pleasantly that you are very glad to see her again. Stiff, cold, and formal ways of greeting acquaintances are not proper in a girl welcoming guests to her father's house. A daughter's part is to assist her mother on every social occasion. The girl pours the tea in her mother's drawing-room when friends drop in at five o'clock. Quite often, when no maid is present, she helps the guests to the sandwiches and the cakes which are served at a five o'clock tea, and herself hands the cups, and takes them from the guest who would like to be relieved. Apart from and more important even than her manner to a guest who happens in for an hour or a day is the manner of a daughter to her father and mother. The father returns to his home after a wearying day at business. He is tired in body and mind. Coming back, as his latch-key turns in the home door, he throws off care. He is joyous at the thought of the dear ones he will meet after hours of absence. His young daughter, in a pretty gown, with the bloom and freshness only girlhood wears, should be ready to give him the attention he loves, the kiss, the cheery word,—to help her mother and the rest in letting her father see how much he is loved at home. Men give up a great deal for their families,-their time, their strength, the knowledge they have gained in life's experiences, they spend everything freely for their home's sake; and the home should pay its debt in much outspoken love.-Harper's Round Table. SOMEBODY'S BABY. I see each morning as I pass A pretty picture through the glass, A face that haunts me through the day. 'Tis some one's baby there who crows, Along that street, and glances in ; He's taught me one thing that I'd missed. By such a baby of my own. VERY HUMAN. A little three-year-old girl likes very much to go to church, and especially enjoys the singing. One day the choir sang “Rock of Ages, cleft for me"; and after she got home the little one was heard singing, very seriously, "Rock the babies, kept for me." A little girl who had mastered her catechism confessed herself disappointed, "because," she said, "though I obey the fifth commandment and honor my papa and mamma, yet my days are not a bit longer in the land, because I am put to bed at seven o'clock." NEWS FROM THE FIELD. [News items are solicited from all our ministers and other workers. Send them to the EDITOR OF THE UNITARIAN, 141 FRANKLIN ST., BOSTON, before the 18th of the month.] Rev. Walter Knight of Clifton Springs, N. Y., having satisfied the Committee on Fellowship of his fitness for the Unitarian ministry, is hereby commended to our ministers and churches. W. L. CHAFFIN, Chairman. D. W. MOREHOUSE, Secretary. Ann Arbor, Mich.--Rev. J. T. Sunderland and family left Ann Arbor for Europe last July, to be absent a year. During September the pulpit was occupied by Rev. T. B. Forbush of Chicago. October 1 Rev. J. C. Kimball of Hartford came as pastor for the year, and has preached to interested congregations twice each Sunday since that time. The Unity Club has an excellent course of entertainments for the year, three of the lectures already given having been exceptionally good: Miss Wadsworth of Boston, on "Thackeray'; Rev. John Snyder of St. Louis, on "The Evolution of American Humor''; and Prof. John W. Langley, on "Is Electricity in its Infancy?" The other organizations of the churchLadies' Union, King's Daughters, and Young Men's Liberal Guild-seem to be in good working order, though, possibly, a little less active on account of the absence of the regular pastor and his family. Athol, Mass.-Second Church: All the Protestant churches of Athol (Advent, Baptist, Episcopal, Methodist, Trinitarian Congregational, and First and Second Unitarian Congregational) joined in a union Thanksgiving service, which was held in the Second church, and was one of the best attended ever held here. The pastor of the Methodist church, Rev. J. H. Mansfield, preached the sermon. Neatly framed cards, giving the name of the church, its pastor, and Sunday-school superintendent, the time of service, etc., have been placed in each one of the hotels, the post-office, the bank, and the station. A column of Second Church news, which appears in the Athol Transcript every Tuesday, keeps the work of our church constantly before the public, and is doing most effective missionary work for the religion of Jesus. At the head of this column is a cut of the church, with the words, "Here let no man be stranger'; also the pastor's name and residence and the hour of service. Then follow these four items, which appear every week: This church welcomes to membership, irrespective of creed, color, or nationality, all who in the Love of the Truth and the Spirit of Jesus Christ wish to unite for the Worship of God and the Service of Man. "This church is supported by voluntary subscriptions. The pews are all free, and any one may occupy any seat at any time. "All that consider the Second Unitarian Church their church home are requested to share its burdens as well as its privileges. "Members will confer a favor upon their pastor by informing him of any case of sickness or trouble." The ladies of the church held their nineteenth annual fair Tuesday and Wednesday, December 10 and 11. The attendance was unusually large. Upwards of three hundred people sat down to the famous hot turkey supper the first evening. The hall was prettily decorated. Eight booths represented the "Festival of Holidays, "-New Year, St. Valentine, Washington's Birthday, Easter, Christmas, Fourth of July, Labor Day, and Thanksgiving Day. This year's souvenirs consisted of a handpainted Christmas card, with photographs of the church and its minister. Bar Harbor, Me.-Rev. Mr. Cochrane began work as settled pastor of the Liberal Christian Church of Bar Harbor October 1. He has announced in the local papers a series of practical sermons under the general head of "Village Improvement." The Sunday-school has introduced Mr. Horton's new service and song book, and, with the addition of Mrs. Cochrane to the teachers, hopes this winter to do solid work. Battle Creek, Mich.-The installation of Rev. Thomas J. Horner as pastor of the place in the presence of a congregation Independent Congregational Church took which filled the house. The sermon was preached by Rev. Charles G. Ames of Boston. The subject was the mission of a Christian church and the duty of a Christian minister in meeting the requirements of the present age, and its treatment was in every sense worthy of the grandeur of the theme. The discourse was masterly alike in the rugged strength of its thought, the fertility of its practical suggestion, and the aptness and force with which the obligations imposed by the essential teachings of Christianity were presented. The following hymn composed for the installation by Mrs. F. B. Horner, wife of the pastor installed, was sung: "Lord, bless this union which to-night Which through the troubled way |