it has had to wait, the more eagerly it will seize the least and earliest

occasion.

Some of the facilities of former times are doubtless denied to our modern Anglican Jesuits; they determined, however, at any rate, without loss of time, to make up for the deficiency, by availing themselves at once of all the machinery that belonged to the present. They took possession of the leading journals, the newspaper press, the organs of criticism; or where these were not obtainable, they started new organs of their own. These latter, anonymously edited, stopped at no scurrility, misrepresentation, unfair quotation, or the worst of those execrable resources of the reviewing-craft, which were so deservedly exposed to public contempt by Coleridge in his Biographia Literaria, and which, in consequence, have been in great measure relinquished by the better sort of our periodicals, as disreputable to the literary character. Among other Jesuitical maxims, these Tractarian editors had practically adopted the fatal assumption, that the End justifies the Means; and, acting and writing under this Jesuitical persuasion, they hesitated at no expedients, however unworthy, base, or vile. In the cause which they erroneously considered as that of God, they were willing to calumniate, and even to shed the blood of, the saints themselves; and, without regard to persons, to heap every possible term of abuse, not only on those who were against them, but on those who were simply not for them: in a word, they were ready to go all lengths, except those of resigning the Protestant revenues, from which they derived the sinews of a war directed against the Protestant establishment. The retention of these was, indeed, a shabby mean towards the lofty end at which they aimed, but nevertheless, with others, was supposed to be consecrated by the high and holy purpose which they tacitly cherished-namely, the re-delivery of the Reformed Anglican Church into the loving embraces of the papacy.

From this charge (to which the Tractarians are so righteously subject), the Rev. William Palmer, M.A., of Worcester College, Oxford, has written "a Narrative of Events," to exonerate himself and his colleagues. It will not be expected of us, in a brief article such as the present, to show, historically, that the Church of Rome has either directly employed the Tractarians, or engendered the spirit by which they are actuated, to produce the result asserted. Proofs of one or the other, or of both, such proofs as such a subject is susceptible of, will be given from time to time in the pages of this magazine. Want of space at present compels us to leap from the sixteenth to the nineteenth century. We trust, however, that we shall be soon enabled to put the matter beyond all doubt; for doubt on this point has hitherto acted mischievously. Many well-wishers of the Protestant cause have, for want of this point being sufficiently cleared up, interpreted the high-flown, almost unintelligible, doctrines of the tracts, into mere demonstrations of ultra-high-church principles, somewhat injudicious, indeed, but excusable from a supposed enthusiasm. In fact, the party itself, whenever one of the members has done a bold thing, generally steps forward to enter some such

excuse, designed temporarily to throw dust into the eyes of the suspicious, and afterwards to operate as an apology or defence of the individual. Many instances of this occur in the pamphlet now before us. All these are tricks of Jesuitry well understood by Roman Catholic controversialists; but which, not being so well understood by Protestant readers, have hitherto succeeded in misleading many; and thus the Tractarians have been permitted to make way, as well-meaning, though perhaps misguided, opinionists, whose visionary tenets were not likely to exercise any practical influence. All delusion, however, is destined to close in exposure; and the eyes of authority have, we trust, at length opened, to the real nature of the attempted movement, and the danger of supineness in regard to it.

The well-prepared and subtle manner in which Mr. Palmer's clients and coadjutors from the first contrived, and since continue, to block up some of the most influential ways of literature, has enabled them for too prolonged a period to proceed with perfect impunity. More than one of the channels through which they appealed to the public mind, had been almost immemorially held as authoritative and orthodox, and it was not easy to divest the general reader of his first impression. The new periodicals which they started, gave the appearance of the market being glutted with religious serials of all kinds; and many were deterred, therefore, from adding to the tracts, pamphlets, magazines, and reviews, already in circulation, or seeking it. Another evil also supervened. So very evident was the mischief which these heretical works were doing to the cause of the Church of England, that many thought it wiser, for obvious reasons, to let the controversy die away, than to add to the irritation by new publications. A few (among them, the editors and supporters of the present magazine,) thought differently. Owing, however, to this feeling, we are necessarily later in our appearance than we should otherwise have been. We had designed to have met in the boldest manner this rampant conspiracy early last year; but were induced to delay the project for these and similar reasons. We had determined not to stir on our individual responsibility-not to stir at all until the Episcopacy and Clergy, who acknowledged the true via media of the Church of England, saw the necessity for action, and in some sort authorised, though not formally, the step it was proper to take. We had bound ourselves to this; we knew that the position we sought must ere long be occupied by some one; we cared not who should do the thing, but only that the thing should be done; and waited until we were called upon to take our part, however humble. What we expected, at last happened. The controversy, so far from dying out, grew and spread; the laity were everywhere excited; the friends of the Reformation were manifested in numbers; the conspirators were seen to be but a faction in the church, too many of themselves, but few in regard to the general body; the voice of Authority silenced that of Counter-Reform; and the most eminent of the bishops declared in favour of the existing discipline and recognised articles of the national establishment. Nevertheless, the tendency

to Counter-Reformation still continued, and it was perceived must continue until the Man of Sin be entirely put under the feet of the Son of God. Right and highly expedient, therefore, it seemed to all, that provision should be made against it-that the enemy might not again secure the advantage of a surprise. Needful henceforth it is, to be upon the watch; for, as Ranké observes, "the greatest changes in relation to the Counter-Reformation in Germany took place noiselessly, almost unobserved, unnoticed even in books of history, just as though they were natural and inevitable!" Behoves it, then, that we should be all the more sedulous and scrupulous in the examination of every theological movement; and that an organ should be provided for the Christian reader, that should regard this as its special and appointed service.

It is the condition of the Church Militant, that the Two Tendencies now in conflict should always continue in antagonism. The soldier of Christ must therefore be always prepared to take his part in the inevitable warfare. It is in the field of popular literature that the battle in these days is to be fought. Nor is any branch of such literature exempt from the duty. Not alone are the tract, the essay, the pamphlet, engaged in polemical disputation; but Poetry, Biography, and Romance, are written on Tractarian principles; and even the Drama* is proposed to be controlled to Tractarian ends. All art and science are to be put under contribution to the mighty change; and Philosophy herself to become the handmaid of modern Tractarianism.

* Only a short time ago the following card was actively circulated by tractarian agency at Liverpool.

The moral condition of our theatres is a national reproach.' No wonder the clergy preach against theatrical amusements. Their duty compels them to do so. The fault is not theirs; they merely descry a danger, and warn their hearers against it; and they will continue to do so, so long as the danger exists. With a good understanding created between the drama and the feelings of the religious world, it would do more to elevate its character than any amount of intellectual talent that the dramatist can possess in the delineation of character or the production of scenic effect. It is not enough that a play have a moral. Every play has its moral-vice has its moral-murder has its moral; and that moral acts negatively by repulsion! It is indispensable for the resuscitation of the drama, that it be thoroughly cleansed and purified, and its professors subjected to a moral discipline like the Church and the Bar; that it have a religion-a dramatic Priesthood, a Catholic unity and character. Like the age itself, like religion and politics, it is Protestantised; and by the licentious exercise of private judgement, it has degenerated, like many other institutions, under similar influences, into a moral chaos; and each individual of the profession being at liberty to act as he lists, so far from gaining respectability by this liberty, only renders himself responsible for the sins committed by those of the same craft. How happy would many of our actors be, if they could get rid of this responsibility; and yet nothing can be more simple than the mode, however difficult the accomplishment, on account of prejudices to be removed. That mode is Catholic unity, and corporate organization and character, religion and morality-we don't mean sectarian religion; but artistic religion-the religion of the Poet and the Painter, the sublime and the beautiful; a religion which blends with the religion of the Church, like the religion of nature."

In undertaking, therefore, to oppose this modern essay at an Anglican copy of the monster heresy of the Church of Rome-to counteract these tentative processes toward a Counter-Reformation-a wide field is opened. Not a topic that is usually treated in periodical literaturenot a form of composition that naturally belongs to it but what will necessarily demand a place in a magazine established for the purpose we have in view, and which that purpose will not consecrate. We are rejoiced at this: for, if on the least valued things should be written "Holiness to the Lord!"-surely the more important should be dedicated to his glory in a word, all should be used as media for leading the soul to God. Of such means, among the most significant and the most influential, is LITERATURE, and, as such, it should be most carefully guarded from a profane, secular, and unworthy direction. It should appeal to the spiritual rather than to the natural man: if to the latter, only for his redemption. Every book, in imitation of the Best of Books, should be written for the salvation and advancement of the race-not for the gratification of party spirit, the encouragement of vicious propensities, or the indulgence of idle amusement. It should please, indeed, but to instruct; and instruct, to make men wise in those things which regard their eternal peace. We rejoice, therefore, that the state of the controversy will compel us to give a religious tone to all the forms and kinds of literature, and to present to the instructed reader a periodical in which the pious mind shall see reflected, in every possible way, those high motives which are the springs of a religious life, and that pure spirit which, animating with faith, and hope, and love, the soul of the Christian, works through him to the production of whatsoever is true, honest, just, pure, lovely, and of good report; a periodical that shall serve as an unexceptionable guide to Christian readers, whose hearts' desire is for goodness and truth, without hypocrisy, uncharitableness, or injustice; not calumniating the individual, though exposing the unsoundness of his views; and, while maintaining the cause of God in integrity of purpose, regarding with charity those infirmities which, inseparable from the creature, even at his best estate, are partaken in his degree by every member of the household of Christ, and by every individual of the human family.

Such being our unfeigned sentiments, the reader will readily imagine with what poignant feelings of regret we find ourselves compelled to adopt a controversial tone in treating of those "things that concern our eternal peace." Woe, however, to those by whom the offence has come! The Romanist tendency of the Tractarian movement, long denied by the party, is now confessed by their narrative apologist. Froude's "Remains," and "The British Critic," are readily surrendered to the tender mercies of any objector, whether "Puritan" or "Independent," "Presbyterian" or "Socinian," "Latitudinarian" or "Quaker," "Dissenter," "Infidel," or "Radical." This is exceedingly considerate and well timed; moreover, it is politic-very politic; nay, it is both expedient and needful. If Messrs. Newman, Pusey, and Keble are to maintain their position of spies and traitors in the camp

of the Reformed Church of England, they must resuscitate their longburied declarations and salvoes anent and against the Apostate Church of Rome: for, whatever reserve they may have imposed upon themselves as a prudential duty, the curb of silence has been indignantly torn from the lips of their less patient disciples. Nay, they themselves, also, have spoken out too much, at least too early. They meant to bide their time; but, misappreciating their success, have unfortunately anticipated it. Masters and scholars, then, have both incurred peril, and a repudiation of opinions and publications is accordingly inevitable. Sad necessity; but it must be submitted to. The church, we are told by Mr. Palmer, has really "had reason to feel the existence of a spirit of dissatisfaction with her principles, of enmity to her reformers, of recklessness for her interests." "We have seen," he adds,

“A spirit of—almost servility and adulation to Rome, an enthusiastic and exaggerated praise of its merits, an appeal to all deep feelings and sympathies in its favour, a tendency to look to Rome as the model and the standard of all that is beautiful and correct in art, all that is sublime in poetry, all that is elevated in devotion. So far has this system of adulation proceeded, that translations from Romish Rituals, and "Devotions," have been published; in which the very form of printing, and every other external peculiarity, have evinced an earnest desire for uniformity with Rome. Roman catechisms have been introduced, and formed the models for similar compositions. In conversation remarks have been sometimes heard, indicating a disposition to acknowledge the supremacy of the See of Rome, to give way to all its claims however extreme, to represent it as the conservative principle of religion and society in various ages; and in the same spirit, those who are in any way opposed to the highest pitch of Roman usurpations are sometimes looked on as little better than heretics. The Gallican and the Greek churches are considered unsound in their opposition to the claims of Rome. The latter is held to be separated from Catholic unity.* The "See of St. Peter" is described as the centre of that unity; while our state of separation from it is regarded, not merely as an evil, but a sin-a cause of deep humiliation, a judgement for our sins! The blame of separation, of schism, is openly and unscrupulously laid on the English church! Her reformers are denounced in the most vehement terms. Every unjust insinuation, every hostile construction of their conduct, is indulged in; no allowance is made for their difficulties, no attempt is made to estimate the amount of errors which they had to oppose. Displeasure is felt and expressed if any attempts are made to expose the errors, corruptions, and idolatries, approved in the Roman communion. Invocation of saints is sanctioned in some quarters; purgatory is by no means unacceptable in others; images and crucifixes are purchased, and employed to aid in private devotion; celibacy of the clergyauricular confession, are acknowledged to be obligatory. Besides this, intimacies are formed with Romanists, and visits are paid to Romish monasteries, colleges, and houses of worship. Romish controversialists are applauded and complimented; their works are eagerly purchased and studied; and contrasts are drawn between them and the defenders of the truth, to the disadvantage of the latter. The theory of developement advocated in the writings of De Maistre and Möhler (Roman Catholic controversialists), according to which the latest form of Christianity is the most perfect, and the superstitions of the sixteenth or eighteenth century are preferable to the purity of the early ages, is openly sanctioned, advocated, avowed.† In fine, menaces are held

* I cannot but remark on the improper manner in which this term has been used within the last two or three years. It has become the fashion in some quarters to speak of everything Romish as Catholic.

+ I cannot avoid observing, that the principle of developement, as taught by Möhler, and adopted by "The British Critic," is wholly subversive of that respect for the