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5. Confessions of learned Romanists before and after the Council of Trent, that the Apocryphal Books are no part of the Canon of Scripture.

6. The Apocryphal Books are rejected by the Oriental or Greek Church from the Canon of Scripture.

III. Actual value of the Apocryphal Books."

It is needless, perhaps, to say, that we know of no other synopsis of the controversy which can be compared with Mr. Horne's, either for clearness or fulness.

Very important, too, is the appearance of this argument at the present moment. The recent proceedings at Lincoln's Inn-fields have abundantly proved the readiness of many in the Church to adopt the Trentine decrees on this, as well as on other controverted topics,-regardless of the Divine cautions and warnings,"Add thou not unto His words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar." There probably never was a period in which it was more necessary for our students to be thoroughly instructed on these and all kindred points. There is no stay, no rest for the anxious soul, but on the word of God. Hence the vast, the unspeakable importance, of keeping free from all doubt the momentous question, of, which is God's word, and which is not His word.

The case, as shewn by Mr. Horne, is perfect, and entirely satisfactory. The depravers of God's word have, in fact, effected nothing. He hath carefully guarded His own revelation from any admixture;-and they are "without excuse" who profess any hesitation or ignorance on the subject.

We cannot pass by this new edition of one of the most useful works of our day, without giving vent to an expression of astonishment; that the laborious servant of the Church who has rendered to his day and generation this great service, remains almost unnoticed and unrewarded.

But the disgraceful neglect is not confined to this single case. The editor, for more than twenty years, of the Christian Observer ; --the author of the first great work which fairly crushed the Tractarian heresy, the Divine rule of Faith and Practice;-and Mr. Horne, all remain, up to this moment, scarcely noticed by the heads of our Church! In what other department, would merit and industry such as theirs, have so long passed disregarded?

SERMONS ON THE SCRIPTURAL PRINCIPLES OF OUR PROTESTANT CHURCH. By the Rev. EDWARD HOARE, M.A., Curate of Richmond, Surrey. London: Hatchards. 1845.

THE "MYSTERY OF INIQUITY:" being the Substance of a Sermon preached in the Parish Church of Cheltenham, on Nov. 5, 1845. By the Rev. F. CLOSE, M.A., Incumbent. Fourth edition. London: Hatchards. 1845.

IN five short sermons, Mr. Hoare has given us a clear, earnest, and faithful testimony on the following points-(fundamental between us and the Romanists)-viz. The Scriptures (2 Tim. iii. 15); Justification (Acts xiii. 39); Purgatory (Luke xxiii. 43); Transubstantiation (Heb. x. 12); "The Church in the latter days (2 Tim. iii. 1). The Sermons display very competent learning, sound judgment, and, above all, great Christian simplicity and scriptural earnestness. Their occasion and object are thus stated in the opening of the first sermon.

"To every thing there is a season. There is a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;' a time to be still, and a time to act: and it is the duty of the careful watchman of the Lord, to be ever on the alert in watching the rapid progress of God's providence: to speak, and speak plainly, when he deems it to be the time for utterance. It is a conviction of this, which has led to the commencement of the present course of sermons. There has never been a period since the days of the Reformation, in which greater efforts have been made for the advancement of the influences and power of the Church of Rome agents have been multiplied in every direction: the order of Jesuits has been revived: and a zeal has been shown in all branches of their efforts, which would reflect honour on a better cause. But there are two facts in our present position, which deserve our especial notice,-the one, that our own happy island is the present object of their exertions. Yes, England, our own dear England, is the prize at which Rome is aiming. The other, that at the very point of this remarkable crisis in the history of our nation, it is proposed, in the Parliament of this Protestant country, to give a large and permanent endowment to the Roman Catholic college of Maynooth: that is, to strengthen and increase the priests of a system, which is declared by our constitution to be unscriptural and untrue.

"Surely then the time is come to speak. Surely the watchman is bound to sound the note of warning. Surely the whole company of God's believing people should know well the reason of the hope that is in them, that they may be able to take their place with boldness in the armies of the Lord: and in the last great fearful struggle against Antichrist, be found standing steadfast, amongst the fearless, faithful followers of the Lamb.

"It is my intention, therefore, to preach a short course of sermons on some of the leading principles of our Protestant Church. It will be my endeavour rather to set forth the truth, than to occupy your time in exposing error. God's people come here to be fed with the bread of life, and they must not be robbed of their daily food by the introduction of cold and cheerless controversy. Our constant desire and prayer to God for you all is, not that you should be subtle controversialists, but well-instructed and prac tical believers in your Lord. This great end I now hope to keep steadily in view."-(pp. 1-3.)

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Of Mr. Close's Sermon we need say nothing. We class it with Mr. Hoare's series, merely to intimate that sermons of this kind appear to us not only of great local value, but highly seasonable as contributions to the Church. Would that the example of Mr. Close and Mr. Hoare were more generally followed. "Have we forgotten the history of the Reformation? Is the Preservative against Popery' buried in oblivion and unmerited neglect? Do we remember Mede, and Chillingworth, and Hooker, and Tillotson, and Hoadley, and Sherlock? Can we pass by the phalanx of statesmen, and bishops, and lawyers, who stood forth in 1688 ?"

"The spirit of the system of Popery yet remains unaltered in its great and leading principles. If it perishes, it will perish altogether."

THE UNITY OF THE CHURCH: a Sermon preached at St. Peter's Church, Brighton, on Thursday, December 10, 1840, at the Annual Meeting of the Chichester Diocesan Association: with some Introductory Remarks on Uniformity. By JULIUS CHARLES HARE, Archdeacon of Lewes. London: Parker. 1845.

"THE rock on which we are splitting now, as we have been again and again, ever since our Church asserted her national independence at the Reformation, is the notion that the only way of preserving the unity of the Church is by enforcing a rigid uniformity." This notion has been maintained with a singular consistency and pertinacity by the chief part of the persons who have been called to exercise authority in our Church during the last three centuries; and the recent agitation has shown how widely it is spread at this day. Were a judgment formed from the opinions which have found vent on this occasion, on whatsoever side, and from whatsoever position, at least among the clergy, it would seem to be held by all as an uncontroverted and incontrovertible truth, a truth so plain and self-evident as to need no argument for its demonstration; which in one point of view is lucky for it, as assuredly it is indemonstrable."

Such is the key-note of these able documents. It may not be too late to recommend them to the attention of some of our readers, and we heartily pray that the great essential principle which the excellent archdeacon labours to establish, the counter-truth"One Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all" may develope itself more and more in the high places of our Church.

1 Pursuits of Literature.

QUESTIONS AND PRACTICAL REMARKS ON THE PORTIONS OF SCRIPTURE SELECTED AS THE GOSPEL FOR EACH SUNDAY IN THE YEAR. By the Author of "Bible Stories;" "Questions on the Epistles," &c.

Hatchards. 1845.

London :

SUNDAY EXERCISES ON THE MORNING AND EVENING SERVICES OF THE CHURCH. For the Instruction of Young Persons. By the Rev. B. E. NICHOLS, M.A. of Queen's College, Cambridge, and Curate of Walthamstow, Essex. London: Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge.

A COURSE OF SCRIPTURE LESSONS FOR SUNDAY AND NATIONAL SCHOOLS: embracing a Period of Three Years. With Prefatory Remarks on Scriptural Instruction, and Hints to Sunday School Teachers. By the Rev. WILLIAM DALTON, A.M., Incumbent of St. Paul's Church, Wolverhampton. London: Hamilton.

Ir may be a service to some of our readers to recommend to them the above manuals. They will find them valuable helps in the important work of Sunday School instruction.

"In the education of children in our National and Sunday Schools," Mr. Dalton has well remarked, "there is often an absence of a well-defined system. The Bible itself is frequently used as a mere lesson-book, in which the children are taught to read, without receiving distinct views of divine truth or if it be made the medium of holy instruction, the lessons are too generally conveyed in a desultory manner-the links of divine revelation are neglected—and the child leaves school without even a clear outline of Bible history." The remark applies with almost equal force to the Prayer-Book. Nothing can be more unsatisfactory than the mere memoriter piecemeal tasks of many Sunday schools. They are forgotten almost as soon as learnt, and no more consistent view is obtained of the services of the Church than of the books of scripture. We have therefore classed together the above manuals, the two last of which have already obtained a considerable circulation. The first we owe to the author of "Questions and Practical Remarks on the Portions of Scripture selected as the Epistle for each Sunday in the Year." (Hatchards.) The writer "has been encouraged in her work, by the assurance of some clerical friends, who are foremost in efficient and affectionate superintendence of their Sunday schools, that relief was given to their minds when

they were enabled to supply their young coadjutors in the office of teaching, with authorized explanations, from which no wide departure would be made." We cannot doubt but the helps she has furnished will, judiciously used, be of great service.

STORIES OF THE PRIMITIVE AND EARLY CHURCH. By SOPHIA WOODROOFFE. Edited with an Introduction to the Subject, by G. S. FABER, D. D., Master of Sherburne Hospital, and Prebendary of Salisbury. London: Seeleys.

1845.

OUTLINES OF CHURCH HISTORY. By the Author of "Early Recollections," &c. London: Seeleys. 1845.

GLIMPSES OF THE DARK AGES. Religious Tract Society. Monthly Series. 1846.

D'AUBIGNE'S HISTORY OF THE GREAT REFORMATION. Abridged by EDWARD DALTON, Secretary of the Protestant Association. Vol. 1. (Being an Abridgement of the three first Vols.) London: Protestant Association. Dalton. 1843. THE COUNCIL OF TRENT: comprising an Account of the Proceedings of that Assembly: and illustrating the Spirit and Tendency of Popery. London: Religious Tract Society.

In the above manuals-at the cost of a few shillings-the judicious tutor or parent will find a body of valuable matter for an initiatory course in Church History-a study for the young of deeper interest and importance than any other we could name, excepting thatof which indeed it is but a branch or continuation,-the moral history of mankind as recorded in Holy Writ. It is much to be regretted that the attention of youth is so little directed to this study, and we have thought that it might be serviceable, perhaps, to point out a few outlines as first helps. The above might be read as a connected series, and would be found to present a very comprehensive sketch of ecclesiastical annals from the first age to the Council of Trent, embodying,-Biographical Notices in Miss Woodrooffe's volume-a connected view in the "Outlines,"-the Dark Ages in the third volume, (a very happy specimen of the Tract Society's Monthly Series), the Reformation in Mr. Dalton's valuable abridgment of D'Aubigné,—and, as connected with it, a portraiture of Popery in the Tract Society's abridged outline

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