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of the Council of Trent. The times appear to us to demand that the history of the Church should now be thoroughly studied; and we are persuaded that no branch of education would better repay early attention than this. Profane history has had its day,-the history of the Church must now take its place, or, rather, render it tributary and conducive to its only proper end, the illustration of God's Providence, and an exposition of the scheme of prophecy as contained in holy scripture. We rejoice to observe that there are evident signs of an awakened attention to this subject, and we beg to tender our sincere thanks to Mr. Faber for pointing out its importance in connection with the efforts of the Tractarian party, as also for the very acceptable contribution which he has furnished towards a Juvenile Ecclesiastical Library in the "Stories of the Primitive and Early Church," which we have placed at the head of our list. Three of the Stories are Mr. Faber's own, viz., " the Martyrs of Smyrna,"-" the Prevailing force of a Mother's Prayer," and "the two Culdee Missionaries." The other seven— "the Two Triumphs,"-" the Wanderer of the Sea-shore,' "the Vision of the Cross,"" the Fireside,"-" the Penance," -"the Token,"-" the Monk of Jarrow," are from the elegant pen of his late accomplished niece, Miss Sophia Woodrooffe; while the whole is introduced with a copious preface, and illustrated by notes of great value from the pen of Mr. Faber himself. We cannot better conclude this notice than with an extract from the Introduction, embodying the views of our veteran author on a subject of deep present interest, and giving at the same time an interesting account of the origin and design of the little volume which he has with so laudable a zeal condescended to edit and enrich with much valuable matter.

The following is the substance of the introduction:

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"I must say an explanatory word, as to the object of this little Work, so far as respects my thus producing it.

"The Lives of the so called English saints, like their predecessors the Tracts for the Times, are now following each other in rapid succession: which, on the familiar principle of the division of labour, they may easily do. This seems to indicate, that, through the zeal of the Party, they meet with, at least, a sufficient sale. Yet, wherever they circulate, they are carrying the deadly bane of Popery, and Will-Worship, and Human Meritoriousness.

"Now it is perfectly true, that, by such a farrago, no sound intellect would be seriously damaged much in the same manner, as a modicum of poison may be resisted by a sound physical constitution. And, to a certain extent, it is also true, that the gross absurdity of these Lives is itself so palpable, that the very bane carries along with it its own Mithridatic. But, still, true as all this may be, young and weak and sentimentally romantic minds, under the mischievous influence of morbid and semipoetical feeling, may easily be damaged by what would provoke only the laughter of a sobered and matured temperament. Nay, when we see, that the very author of the Life of Stephen

Harding has been so deluded by his own fantastic lucubrations, as to believe devoutly the predicted Lie of the Man of Sin: and when we note the numbers, who, yet additionally, have been beguiled to their ruin by the unscriptural follies of Tractarianism: the Series, purely on account of its capabilities of mischief, ceases to be altogether contemptible.

"With this impression on my mind, it struck me, when I read Miss Woodrooffe's Stories, that they might very beneficially form the first Number of a Series, which should serve as an antidote to the Lives of the English saints. And, surely, some capable persons, as zealous for the truth as it is in Christ as the Tractarian biographers are zealous for the propagation of popish error, might come forward to the rescue, if a well-known respectable house would undertake to publish their contributions. Even at my time of life, it is not my humour to sound a trumpet to others, and keep back myself. Nobody ought to think the writing of Historic Tales beneath his dignity, when those tales have a good object. For the dissemination of principles whether sound or unsound, the present, as the Tractarians well know, is eminently a day of small books, not of folios: and, as the proverb runs, It is right to learn wisdom even from an enemy. On this ground, I have subjoined three Stories of my own to the seven of Miss Woodrooffe. Had she lived, she would probably, from time to time, have gone on with the series. At all events, from the pure love of concinnity, I can scarcely doubt, that she would have added Polycarp to Ignatius, and Augustine to Ambrose. Perhaps, also, the imperfect and evanescent conversion of Northumbria by the Roman Paulinus would have been followed, as its meet supplement, by the better and more permanent conversion of that Saxon kingdom through the labours of the holy and enlightened Culdee Aidan. These are now supplied by myself: and, though I modelled as far as I could, my style and plan upon hers, I fear, that, even without my acknowledgment of paternity, the three would have been readily distinguished from the seven. I can only say, that, in a new and unfamiliar mode of composition, I have honestly done my best: and if this joint collection of ten Stories, contributed by the young and by the old, by the deceased and by the living, should, as I have hinted above, call forth a continution from better pens than mine, I should rejoice to have been instrumental in drawing out, with a clean bill of health, something like an appropriate counteraction to the Lives of the English Saints. "But it is time for me to conclude.

My walk has been rather in the thorny paths of controversy or quasi controversy, than in the green pastures and beside the still waters of comfort: nor is it altogether easy to shake off habits, which have been so long formed as to have become a second nature. Yet, though the old leaven may occasionally appear, it has, at least, with the inevitably near prospect of the grave before me, been a melancholy satisfaction to my mind, that the efforts of the youthful and the aged should be united in the same volume.

"May God bless them with that measure of usefulness, which the departed would herself have specially coveted!

"G. S. FABER."

INSTRUCTIONS ABOUT HEART-WORK: and a Companion for Prayer. By the Rev. RICHARD ALLEINE, sometime Rector of Batcombe, Somerset. Revised and Corrected, with a Biographical Sketch of the Author. By the Rev. JOHN S. STAMP. London: Mason. 1846.

REPRINTS of the practical and devotional works of the seventeenth century will always be acceptable; and we doubt not some of our readers will feel obliged by our naming to them "Instructions about Heart-work." The author is much less known than his kinsman Joseph Alleine, the author of the "Alarm to the Unconverted;" but they are both of the same school, men of a like spirit and of similar powers. Some of his works were much valued by Wesley, and published in his Christian Library. The volume just edited by Mr. Stamp was, says Dr. Annesly, "the last work of this blessed author, and I wish the improvement of the scope of it may be the first and last of every reader. That his works have done good, very few have so many heart-epistles of commendation." Addressing the reader, he adds-and we know not that we can say any thing better—

"O let nothing be wanting on your part, but that this may do more good! Were all our words of contention beaten into plough-shares and pruninghooks, for ploughing up the fallow-ground of the heart, for pulling up the weeds, and cutting off the luxuriances of the heart-were it the only contention, who should most promote gracious heart-work in themselves and others: it would afford comfort both living and dying. We are every one more ready to find fault with others than to mend ourselves: but were heart-work more minded, we should have no time for such excursions. This treatise will instruct you in downright Christianity, which if all heartily minded who wear the name of Christian, we had no occasion to fear what men or devils could do against us."

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Richard Alleine was one of those who, "when thrown out of the Church, and kept, by an unhappy policy, in silence, turned their leisure to the best advantage in multiplying publications, chiefly on practical devotion." The doctrines which he maintains,' like those of Matthew Henry, as Mr. Bickersteth observes, " are those of the Church of England, and of the whole body of the Reformed Church and it is delightful to see and feel how large and spacious is the territory thus common to all Christians." We trust the present reprint may meet with the encouragement which it deserves.

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THE CHURCHMAN'S MONTHLY PENNY MAGAZINE, No. 1. June, 1846. 12mo. pp. 28. Wertheim. 1846.

Ir is one of the great mysteries, into which we shall never penetrate in this world, and which will probably form a study and an employment in the world to come,-how evil is continually made to produce good.

It is the darkness of night which gives us a clear appreciation of the brightness of day. It is the sharpness and bitterness of pain and suffering, which enables us to feel the happiness of rest and ease. And multifarious are the efforts to do good, which are provoked by some previous attempt to do evil.

The immediate cause of the appearance of this new periodical is no secret. A new magazine came forth, at the commencement of the present year, ostensibly under the sanction of the Congregational Union, and edited, by their desire, by Dr. Campbell. It was cheap, almost beyond a precedent; and it was, generally, full of excellent and useful matter. But its managers could not even curb or temper their fiery zeal against the Church. In the very first number they inserted a paper, (not original, indeed,) distinguished by the bitterest hatred to the Establishment; and shewing that hatred by direct and inexcusable calumny. Thus, while, by the united efforts of the Congregationalists, the new magazine obtained a great circulation,-that circulation was employed to the great and unjustifiable injury of the Church.

This was a provocation, and a cause for effort, which fully justified the present attempt. It appeared to many Churchmen, not just or right, that this new, cheap, and well-conducted periodical, should be left in undisputed possession of the field, to circulate injurious reasonings, and more injurious mis-statements of fact, to the Church's prejudice. Yet they desire not either warfare or rivalry. They merely wish,-as it is proved that such a work can be produced, and will obtain a large circulation,-to offer a magazine to the Christian public, possessing all the good points of Dr. Campbell's Magazine, and none of the bad ones.

This commencing number proves the competency of the conductors for their task. It is both popular and valuable,-it possesses liveliness and solid sense. If universally aided by evange lical Churchmen, it will quickly gain a large circulation, and become a means of important good. Will it be so aided? Let our readers answer that question for themselves.

THE

CHURCHMAN'S MONTHLY REVIEW

AND CHRONICLE.

JUNE, 1846.

1. THE PRESENT POSITION AND FUTURE PROSPECTS OF THE CHURCH MISSIONARY SOCIETY. London:

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2. PROCEEDINGS AT A MEETING held in the Egyptian Hall, Mansion House, on Tuesday, March 17, 1846, to increase the Means of Religious Instruction for the British Colonies, through the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel. London: Clay. 1846.

3. THE JOURNAL OF THE BISHOP OF MONTREAL, during a Visit to the Church Missionary Society's Northwest American Mission. London: Seeleys. 1845.

4. CHURCH IN THE COLONIES. No. I. THE CHURCH IN CANADA. A Journal of Visitation in the Western Portion of the Diocese, by the Lord Bishop of Toronto, in the Autumn of 1842. London: Rivingtons. 1845.

5. CHURCH IN THE COLONIES. No. II. THE CHURCH IN CANADA. A Journal of Visitation to a Part of the Diocese of Quebec, by the Lord Bishop of Montreal, in the Spring of 1843. London: Rivingtons. 1845.

6. PROTESTANT MISSIONS IN BENGAL ILLUSTRATED: being the Substance of a Course of Lectures delivered on Indian Missions. By J. J. WEITBRECHT, Church Missionary. Second Edition. London: Shaw. 1844.

WE have here given another list of Works more or less illustrative of the question recently opened by us-Our present position and

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