melioris notæ ex Anglicanâ ecclesiâ in Germanicas confœderatione illâ introduci, SOLITARIAM NOSTRAM CONDITIONEM RETINENDAM esse censeo." P. 21. A conclusion to which we sorrowfully, yet profitably, assent. [Note.--Perhaps this is a place not altogether unsuitable to say something of our relations towards the King of Prussia. In a former article much has been said in vindication of his right-mindedness in the affair of the Jerusalem Bishopric; but we would add a word, to prevent a possible misconception which has been suggested. Every step which the King has taken has been in confidence of the good faith of the English Church; a confidence which has been grievously misplaced. To obtain the Episcopate was no unworthy object for a Christian king; our ecclesiastical and canonical relations he could only understand upon our own interpretation of them; but when he had devoted his money to one purpose, and we have applied it to another, who has most reason to complain? The King of Prussia applied to the Church of England, through two of its principal representatives; his share of the Bishopric endowment has been handed over to the Bethnal-green Society; and, if the King of Prussia is thus committed to the acts of a body, whose faith is as unsound as its responsibility is questionable-who is most to blame? One of Mr. Palmer's (of Magdalene) dedications will explain our feeling: "To His Majesty King Frederick William, &c. who has done us no wrong, but, on the contrary, deserves the respect and esteem of all members of our Church, for the zeal which he has shown, according to his knowledge, for the spread of Christianity, and for the healing of those divisions which are a disgrace to the Christian name, &c."] Mr. Turner's "Class Singing Book" (Parker, Strand), a second part of which has now appeared, we intended to have noticed in our last number. This gentleman, as some of our readers may be aware, had been pursuing a steady course of usefulness in the musical department of education long before the Hullah meteor crossed his path; and were we prophets, we should predict-but we shall content ourselves for the present with a hearty recommendation of his publications as by no means superseded or thrown in the shade by any others which have appeared. We are glad to see a volume of Sermons from Mr. Bowdler (Sharp), for Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany. "An Apology for the Greek Church," by Edward Masson, (edited by J. S. Howson, M.A.) (Hatchard), takes a more liberal tone to the Greek Church than most Protestant writers do it does not think, e. g. that bowing before pictures is ipso facto idolatry. It sees the doctrine of justification by faith in the Greek creed. It objects to proselytizing from it. "Incidents of the Apostolic Age in Britain." (Pickering.) The writer does not master that twilight of retiring heathenism, and dawning Christianity, and the entrance of new ideas into the savage mind, which characterises such an age as he takes up. The story wants interest, and has an antiquarian tone about it. "Lays concerning the Early Church," by John Fuller Russell, B.C.L. (Burns.) A new field for sacred poetry. Mr. Russell's are decidedly pleasing verses. Has not the title, "Lays," rather a fabulous association about it, which Mr. Russell would be the last to wish to convey? Mr. Gleig's "Sermons for the Seasons of Advent, Christmas, and the Epiphany" (Nickisson), are written with his accustomed ease and flow. "An Exhortation addressed to the Church of St. George's, Ramsgate, in behalf of the National Schools," by an English Priest; is to be recommended. "Morning and Evening Exercises for Beginners" (Burns) supplies, in a practical shape at least, one step towards advancement in the religious life; actual forms for self-examination, and a sketch of the several acts of devotion. If recents events have had none other effect, the turn which they have given to the cultivation of the inner walk will be an unspeakable good. "Shepperton Manor," a Tale of the Times of Bishop Andrewes, by the Rev. J.M. Neale, B.A. (Cleaver.) "Shepperton Manor" contains a good deal of information upon the theology of the English Church. The story, we need not say, is only a web on which he hangs it. We rather question the plan, simply as a matter of effect, of making all the dramatis personæ, young ladies included, talk in the style of our old law and divinity books. Mr. Neale aims too uniformly at the conversational style of two centuries back. The reader would readily have pardoned a chronological anticipation, for the greater naturalness and flow which our modern style would, of course, have to him. Scott varies his conversational style according to his characters; and when he wants to produce either a grotesque or picturesque effect, uses the antiquated one; in other cases he makes his characters talk as we do. Mr. Neale hits off Bishop Andrewes's style very cleverly; but the imitation hardly adds to the dignity of the representation. Nor do we think it follows at all, that, because Bishop Andrewes preached in a particular style, that therefore he talked in the same style. He should hardly have been made to quote the Vulgate so much to all persons— young ladies included. Young ladies in those days certainly knew Latin more than they do now; but the effect on the modern ear is grotesque. Mr. Neale will excuse these minor criticisms, which touch only the surface of his book. We need not say that there is much talent in this and every book of Mr. Neale's. We are always glad to see his name, and feel sure that his tone and spirit must do good. Mr. Pindar's "Sermons on the Book of Common Prayer" (Duncan) will be read with interest. "Poems by the Rev. Richard Tomlins, M. A.," have not much to recommend them, except their harmless and unobjectionable tone. Mr. (Charles) Wordsworth's "Catechetical Questions," (Rivingtons,) are a very accurate and full preparation for Confirmation. There is the spirit of old divinity and ecclesiastical devotion in their exactness and detail. We rank in parallel columns, though addressed to different classes, the complete volumes of the "Churchman's Companion," by Mr. Arnold, (Rivingtons), and the "Magazine for the Young," (Burns). Both are equally to be recommended. A new edition of "Middleton's Free Enquiry," (Boone), with a frontispiece, the Oxford "Martyrs' Memorial," is certainly a sign of the times. This edition, of course, intended as an answer to the "Lives of the Saints," aims at extensive circulation, and puts on its title-page "price 1s. or 9s. per dozen!” With respect to Middleton himself, it is not necessary to say more than that he was a simple advocate of unbelief. We were hardly prepared to see so open an alliance with him as we do here; to have it proclaimed that the theology of Conyers Middleton was the theology of the Reformation. There is a painful satisfaction, however, in seeing parties developing; the way is made clearer, and we know where we are. We catch a glimpse now of the ultimate destination of that school which calls itself par excellence the School of the Reformation. It is unfortunate for Mr. Jeremy Taylor that such is his name; for to possess it must provoke comparisons which, to the very highest among us, cannot be other than invidious. With such an abatement, this gentleman's "Anglican Church Vindicated," (Ollivier), is, on the whole, a satisfactory reply to d'Aubigné's "Geneva and Oxford." Satisfactory, that is, rather in the object than in the execution; for we seem to find Mr. Taylor's views on justification not a little clouded. The work seems to have been written for a review, and the style is anything but clear. "An Address to the Members of St. Jude's Congregation, Glasgow, by the Rev. C. P. Miles, Presbyter of the Church of England,” (Glasgow, Bryce), is only another, and, if possible, debased, repetition of the Drummond and Dunbar Schism. In its results this matter is deserving, as it has elicited, a tolerably energetic Pastoral, addressed to the same congregation, from Bishop Russell, (Glasgow, Maclehose), in an Appendix to which will be found a valuable disavowal of the Scotch schismatics by the Bishop of London. We are glad to find that Mr. Robert Montgomery has taken the right side on this question. She was "Half her strength she put not "The Wars of Jehovah in Heaven, Earth, and Hell, in Nine Books" (Baisler), by Thomas Hawkins, Esq. Here we see language in her power. weak in Shakspeare, Spenser, Milton. forth" till Mr. Hawkins elicited it. ture of the terrible and sublime is portentous : In nomenclature, especially, the mix "As Delos Neptune, when he smote it with Enchased were some with lineaments misturned, Blue, black, or red-winged, vult-like gryphons worked Like mounts of flesh, whilst some came serpenting Of nostril, and blood-red their shaggy jaws, Mr. Hawkins gives an index of the " images and proper names used in this Epic Poem," at the end. Under A, we have Acarynthimos, Adrastus, Admetus, Abysm, Abhorrence, Ahithophel, Agayuthimos, Agaphine, Aphonotine, Aphasac, Atropos, Atoncryntal.-A slip out of B runs, Beelzebub, Berenice, Bithymin, Birman, Biscayan, Blanc-Mont, Black-Sea, Blasphemy, Blank, Blackness, Blast. The poem is 14,000 lines long, and never flags an instant. Dr. Jelf's Bampton Lectures, for 1844, "On the Means of Grace" (Oxford, Parker), have appeared. This writer's theology is so well known, that we did not look for more than a technical exposition of the ordinary Via Media doctrines. Our expectations have not been disappointed; though the reading displayed in the composition seems somewhat meagre. It is not to be wondered at, that in a scheme necessarily confined by a strict reference to our actual state, public censure and personal discipline, as means towards regaining lost gifts, or expanding privileges in the baptized, occupy a position so distant and ill-defined in the present inquiry. Such we feel convinced that Dr. Jelf will admit was not the case in the early Church; to say nothing of other ages. Mr. Murray, Secretary of the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, has published a well-meant little book of verses, called "An Alphabet of Emblems,” (Rivingtons). Charges by the Primate, the Bishops of Chester, and Gloucester and Bristol, (Rivingtons) have appeared. These documents will become useful illustrations of present phenomena. Of a temper inconceivably opposite to that almost “ denominational" as well as national one displayed in Dr. Jelf's volume is that of his brother canon. Dr. Pusey's collection of devotional works, of which we have to acknowledge a most subduing volume in Avrillon's "Guide to Advent,”(Burns), will not allow us to despair of our Church,—of which the respected editor has taken occasion to speak so dutifully,-when such are of us, and such works meet with so much success. That they should meet with criticism,—and such criticism !—is not so much disheartening as significant. With the later numbers of the "Lives of the English Saints" (Toovey) we are by no means satisfied. A variety of harassing subjects are introduced, often gratuitously, and generally in a way which seems to us hard, and, we are compelled to say it, offensive. As legends, which some only claim to be, we are not insensible of their use; and their historical value is generally curious and instructive. But had the series continued under the projected editorship with which it commenced, we feel convinced that both the tone and incidents would have been profitably modified. When we allude, more particularly, to the life of St. Wilfrid, we can afford, without misapprehension, to think that even the obvious purpose is defeated by such a mode of treating it. Mr. Merle d'Aubigné has fired another shot, which has been translated under the misleading title, "Luther and Calvin, or the True Spirit of the Reformed Church," (Blackie, Glasgow); a singularly misappropriate one, as its whole gist is to show that there is no "Reformed Church." The original is sufficiently significant, "La Luthéranisme et La Réforme, ou leur diversité essentielle à leur unité." And, since the Swiss preacher has adopted the convenient fallacy of personification, we have a right to inquire what the Auto-Lutheranism is? If Luther's Lutheranism, then what becomes of the old Lutheran anathema, "Rather a Papist than a Calvinist, rather a Mahomedan than a Reformed?" If Lutheranism such as it is, it were useless to spend much time in talking about the diversity between it and la Réforme. Anyhow, the notion of contradictory opposition being essential to unity shows that words are not the signs of ideas in Geneva. By unity, Mr. d'Aubigné means the negation of unity, at least in faith. We hope that this writer is not right in making us symbolize with what he calls "Reform," by reason of the Thirty-nine Articles. The very heaviest book we ever were oppressed with,-and that is saying not a little,-is Southey's "Life of Dr. Bell," (Murray). Even the late Laureate's elastic spirit was bowed down by it, and we do not think that his son, to whom we owe the completion of the work, can claim to have inherited more than the hereditary portion of his father's literary powers. To be tedious, prolix, and ill-arranged are faults with which we are not disposed to quarrel, when we find that the abridged narrations drawn up by Dr. Bell's amanuensis for Southey's use, would, if printed, amount to fourteen large octavo volumes; and that this amanuensis has been incessantly employed since Dr. Bell's death in arranging this "vast and most formidable mass of materials" even into the abridged form of which the present compressed work, of three huge octavos, is the |