MOUNT GARS: OR MARIE'S CHRISTMAS EVE. (Parker.)-This is a translation from the German of a very pleasing story, of poor Marie and her brother losing themselves in a snow storm in going from one valley to another; of the search for them by the whole villagers; of their recovery and the festivities of the Christmas Eve afterwards. It is a pathetic little tale, and told in a spirited manner, and will be very pleasing to children.

THE FISHERMAN'S FRIENDLY VISITOR. (Wertheim and Macintosh.) Is the first number of a magazine intended for those who go down to the sea in ships. It seems to be a good work; and it is certainly well intended. It commences with a brief memoir of that excellent woman Miss Gurney who did so much for the preservation of Shipwrecked Mariners. The price is only one penny.

THE PENNY POST. (J. H. & J. Parker.)-Begins its eighth year's volume with a most excellent review of the events of the year 1857; and brings the principal subjects forward in a fine spirit of true Christian principle. Sorrowing over some events; and rejoicing at others in the improved prospects of the church and the church's work.

THE FOURFOLD PICTURE OF THE SINNER. (Wertheim & Macintosh.)-Is by Rev. Ashton Oxenden; and it is somewhat on the plan of Boston's Fourfold State; but not quite so comprehensive. The four pictures are; The sleeping sinner on earth; The awakened sinner in hell; The penitent sinner on earth; and The saved sinner in heaven. The titles clearly indicate the subjects; and they are very well and convincingly worked out by Mr. Oxenden with his usual felicity of diction and language.

A FEW CHRISTMAS WORDS. (J. & C. Mozley.)-Is the annual address of a priest to his parishioners, to arouse some from their lithargy; to confirm others in their faithful conduct; and to encourage all to keep the feast in church at the Lord's Table; and at home by presenting to their less wealthy friends and neighbours the means of enjoying the feast at their own firesides. It is only one penny, or six shillings per hundred.

THE LITERARY CHURCHMAN. (J. H. & J. Parker.)-Appears to have undergone some degree of change since Christmas; but it still keeps up its Catholic tone and high principles; and it may be considered one of the leading periodicals of the real Church of England school; and it is refreshing to contrast its orthodox statements with the low dissenting twaddle of the Record, which pretends to expound the doctrines of the church so as to harmonise with the conventicle.

[Several Notices of Books are in type, but left out for want of space. They will appear in our next Number.]

ENGLAND AND ROM E.

(Continued from page 79.)

CHAPTER VI.

THE ROMISH ADDITIONS TO THE CREED.

Art. 15 of the Creed of Pope Pius IV. (continued.)

THE next of the five so-called Sacraments-received by the Church of Rome, but disallowed by us - which comes under our notice, is the Sacrament of Penance; and we will proceed in this case as we did in the last; and first consider how far Penance answers to the definitions of a Sacrament given in cap. iv., and then endeavour to shew the sense of the primitive Church on the subject.

"The sacred and holy, oecumenical and general Synod of Trent, lawfully assembled in the Holy Ghost,"-Session xiv., November 25, 1551,-put forth a decree on the "doctrine touching the most holy Sacraments of Penance and extreme unction;" of which the first nine chapters treat of Penance. To this decree were also attached fifteen canons relating to the same "Sacrament."

From the chapters of the decree and from the canons, we subjoin the following extracts. (a)

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Chapter i. On the necessity and institution of the Sacrament of Penance,

If, in all the regenerate, such were their gratitude towards

(a) "The Canons and Decrees of the Council of Trent." Translated by Buckley. London: Routledge, 1851.

VOL. XII,

God, as that they constantly preserved the righteousness received in baptism by His bounty and grace; there would not have been need that another sacrament, besides that of baptism itself, should be instituted for the remission of sins. But, because God, rich in mercy, knoweth our frame, (b) He hath bestowed a remedy of life even upon those who, after baptism, may have delivered themselves up to the servitude of sin and the power of the devil; the sacrament, to wit, of Penance; by which the benefit of Christ's death is applied to those who have fallen after baptism. The prophet saith, Be turned, and do penance from all your iniquities, and iniquity shall not be your ruin. (c) The Lord also saith :— Except ye do penance, ye shall all likewise perish. (d) And Peter, the prince of the apostles, recommending penitence to sinners who were about to be initiated by baptism, said :— Do penance, and be baptized every one of you. (e) The Lord then especially instituted the sacrament of penance, when, being raised from the dead, He breathed upon his disciples, saying, Receive ye the Holy Ghost, whose sins ye shall remit they are remitted unto them; and whose sins ye shall retain they are retained" (f)

"Chapter iii. On the parts and fruits of this Sacrament. The holy synod furthermore teacheth, that the form of the sacrament of penance, in which its force chiefly consists, is placed in those words of the minister, I absolve thee, &c., to which words indeed certain prayers are, according to the custom of Holy Church, laudably joined; which, nevertheless by no means regard the essence of that form, neither are they necessary unto the administration of the sacrament itself. But the acts of the penitent himself, to wit, contrition, confession, and satisfaction, are, as it were, the matter of this sacrament."

"Canon i. If any one shall say, that in the Catholic Church penance is not truly and properly a sacrament, instituted by Christ our Lord, for reconciling the faithful unto God, as

(b) Ps. c. iii. 14.

(c) Ezek. xviii. 30.

(d) Luke xiii. 5.

(e) Acts. ii. 38. The reader will observe that in all these passages the word "penance" is substituted for "repentance.'

(John xx. 22, 23.

often as they fall into sin after baptism; let him be anathema."

"Canon vi. If any one shall deny, either that sacramental confession was instituted, or is necessary unto salvation, of divine right; or shall say, that the manner of confessing secretly to a priest alone, which the Catholic Church hath ever observed from the beginning, and doth observe, is alien from the institution and command of Christ, and is a human invention; let him be anathema."

"Canon viii. enjoins upon every one, under pain of anathema, confession once a-year 'according to the constitution of the great Council of Lateran,' (g), and specifies the season of Lent as the fittest time.

Dr. Challoner, in his catechism quoted in the last chapter (h), has the following question and answer.

"Q. How do you prove that penance, i. e. the confession and absolution of sinners, is properly a sacrament?

"A. Because it is an outward sign of inward grace, ordained by Jesus Christ; which is the very notion and definition of a sacrament. The outward sign is found in the sinner's confession, and the form of absolution pronounced by the priest. The inward grace is the remission of sins promised by Jesus Christ. St. John, xx. 22, 23. And the ordinance of Christ is gathered from the same place, and from St. Matt. xviii. 18."

Such then is the teaching of the Church of Rome on the subject of Penance. Let us briefly examine the position she

assumes.

"The acts of the penitent himself,-to wit, contrition, confession, and satisfaction,-8 are as it were the matter of this sacrament."

But that penance may be a sacrament, we would suggest

(9) The canon (xxi.) concerning confession, inserted among those falsely said to have been passed at the fourth Lateran Council, was framed by Pope Innocent III. The council met A.D. 1215 in the Lateran Church. But even Dr. Du Pin, the celebrated Doctor of the Sorbonne, denies that the so-called canons received the authority of the council.

(h) p. 223. Compare also the "Abridgement of Christian Doctrine," by the Right Rev. James Doyle, D.D. Dublin. Coyne, 1828.

p. 97.

that there must be something more than what can be said to be merely as it were the matter of the sacrament."

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"It is a very absurd thing to imagine that a man's own thoughts, words, or actions can be the matter of a sacrament, how can this be sanctified or applied to him?" "Here is no matter, no application of that matter by a peculiar form, no institution, and no peculiar federal arts. The scene is the mind, the acts are internal, the effect is such also; and therefore we do not reckon it a sacrament, not finding in it any of the characters of a sacrament.” (i)

We surely require no argument to prove that Penance does not answer in any way to the definition of a sacrament properly so-called. We shall content ourselves with subjoining the method of Confession, given in the most popular Roman Catholic prayer-book of the day (j), and the form of Absolution as it is found in Dr. Challoner's catechism, pp. 221, 222; and leave it to the reader to judge of the matter for himself.

"THE METHOD OF CONFESSION.

"Kneeling down at the side of your ghostly father, make the sign of the cross, saying, 'In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.' Then ask his blessing in these words: Pray, father, give me your blessing, for I have sinned.'

"Then say the first part of the Confiteor as follows:

"I confess to Almighty God, to blessed Mary, ever a Virgin, to blessed Michael the Archangel, to blessed John the Baptist, to the holy Apostles Peter and Paul, to all the saints, and to you, father, that I have sinned exceedingly, in thought, word, and deed, through my fault, through my fault, through my most grievous fault."

Then say,

"Since my last confession, which was so many weeks or months ago, I accuse myself, &c."

"After you have confessed all that you can remember, conclude with this or the like form:

(i) Burnet's 'Expositions of the Thirty-nine Articles." London, 185. p 324-5.

Tegg.

(6) The Garden of the Soul." Published "by lawful Authority for the Catholic Book Society. Richardson and Son, Derby. No date. pp. 212, 213. In the preface we are told that this work is partly the composition, partly the compilation, of Dr. Challoner.