ten with a direct reference to the novel and daring pretensions of the Puseyites; and all of them, except the work of Vanbrugh Livingston, are written against them. We have placed at the head of our list the work of Dr. Morison, of Chelsea. This volume reflects honour on Dr. Morison's watchful care for the interests of vital Christianity, his ability for defending the great doctrines of the reformation, his capacity for unwearied exertion in writing, and on his eminent tact and aptness in giving to his reader a distinct conception of the subject before him. The work is called "Homilies for the Times," as meeting the pretensions of the "Tracts for the Times." The substance of these Homilies was delivered in a series of discourses to the author's own church and congregation. We could have wished that the form of lectures in which they were delivered had not been adhered to, as it occasions to the reader some confusion, by finding a homily divided into two or three parts, and then, perhaps, a second or a third part forming a subsequent homily. Had the arrangement been not so, the lucidus ordo would have presented itself with distinctness and elegance to the reader's eye. The subjects of these Homilies are-the Duty of Private judgment— the Popish and Protestant Rule of Faith-the Doctrine of Justification, both Scriptural and Popish-the Apocalyptic Character of the Papal Church, and the Duty of separating from it-the Church of Christ in its Ministry and Sacraments—and the Duty of Protestants at the present crisis. Dr. Morison, with much discrimination and power, enforces the obligations of every Christian to exercise his own judgment in religious matters; partly from the fact that the existence of religion in every age renders such a process of proof necessary to the well-being of every good man; and partly from the circumstance that the very nature of religion, as a "reasonable service," demands that it should be embraced, and held fast, on a personal conviction of its excellence and truth. The Rule of Faith is discussed in three Homilies, of which the first exposes the unsound and nugatory character of the popish rule, as being mixed with apocryphal works, and subordinated to tradition and the language of the fathers; the second explains the Protestant Rule, as being the Bible, the whole Bible, and nothing but the Bible; the third marks out the various deviations from, and the abuses of the Protestant Rule of Faith, as manifested in enthusiasm, rationalism, and Puseyism. Two very clear and able Homilies give to the reader a distinct and full view of the paramount article of the reformation, the doctrine of Justification by Faith. Of these, the first homily states the scriptural doctrine of Justification, and shows that the righteousness by which Paul declares the sinner to be justified is "without law," though attested "by the law and the prophets;" the second exposes and refutes the rival theories of the popish authors, showing that the reformers in their symbols erected a bulwark against such popish theories, and proving that the Puseyites are now endeavouring to destroy these bulwarks against popery. All our readers who wish to go to the heart of the controversy must read these lucid and beautiful homilies. After a homily on the apocalyptic character of the papal church, he gives another on the duty of separation from it. This homily proves that Dr. Morison is a perfect master of his subject. The text on which the homily is founded, are the words proclaimed from heaven, "Come out of her, my people," Rev. iii. 4. This heavenly and solemn injunction implies that the papal church, as Babylon, is a community alien to the true church; and that some of the people of God may be still lingering in its unhallowed enclosures. To all the real disciples of Christ, this voice from heaven interdicts ecclesiastical communion with the pope, and forbids all sympathy with popery. All communion with the church of Rome must be renounced and abjured, because her sins, as a church, are flagitious and accumulated; because she has virtually ceased to hold Christ as the head; because she has deeply involved herself in the abomination of idolatry; because she has always been the opposer and the persecutor of the true church; and because the plagues which await her will fully answer to her aggravated guilt. The homilies ix., x., xi., discuss the constitution of the true church of Christ, in her ministry, and in her sacraments. This discussion leads him to consider what the church of Christ really is, in its universal character, and in its congregational capacity-and proves that in both cases it is not of this world, neither political nor hierarchical. Nothing can be more preposterous and absurd, than for a church to claim to be orthodox, true, and divine, by pretensions to apostolic succession. Dr. Morison has, with much argument and research, demonstrated that the apostles in their express office, could have no successors; that the true idea of succession does not consist in personal sequency, but in the transmission of facts, the founding of Christianity, and the establishing of primary doctrines; that all the lists of ancient bishops are notoriously defective; that the scheme of uninterrupted succession has no countenance from Scripture; that the true marks of a bishop are not to be sought in ancestral descent, or in ecclesiastical pedigree; that the whole charm is a historical fiction; and that all claims to it are opposed to truth, hostile to charity, and destructive to the best interests of Christianity. "To be, or not to be-that is the question," said a man who was once an unworthy member of the church of England. And if such a talismanic charm could be proved really "to be," we should have a good mind to be a little facetious with the Puseyites, and lay a humble claim to it ourselves. Since, in the present times, it is the vogue, even in Bible committees, and on Bible platforms, to treat dissenting pastors as only in "pretended holy orders," the Oxford Tractarians would act a very brotherly part, if in Tract xci., they would just show to the dissenting clergy where, when, and how, they got out of this charming apostolical succession. Very many of the two thousand nonconformist ministers had been episcopally ordained. Now we may suppose that some quantum of this ecclesiastical charm, or shall we call it holy galvanism, in the hands of the bishops, did reach and affect the heads of these nonconformists, who afterwards ordained their successors, and they theirs. Will the Puseyites tell us how this ecclesiastical galvanism was lost among the nonconformists? Is it lost by nonconformity? Is it frittered away by being in so many hands? May not a dissenting pastor have something of it when he ordains by imposition of hands, though he may not have the torpedo touch of a spiritual peer? If we are without it, we never wish to have it. If we have it, we will make the Anglican and the Roman Catholics a present of it. We conclude our review of Dr. Morison's work, by strongly recommending all dissenters to read, and "inwardly digest," his last homily, on the Duty of Protestants at the present crisis. We say that we recommend all dissenters to read it, for we deliberately declare, that, for the interests of Protestantism, in no other party whatever in England have we any decided confidence. The second work in our list is that of Mr. Sortain, of Brighton. This volume consists of eight lectures on 2 Thess. ii. 1-8. Having explained this prophecy with considerable exegetical acumen, he considers it as involving these three propositions : "First, That a polity arch-apostate from the Christian faith was to arise at some distant period. Second, That its germinant elements were already in concealed action, which concealment would continue until the removal of a then existing obstacle. Third, That it should maintain a fluctuating authority until the preliminaries to the second advent of Jesus Christ, by which preliminaries it should be destroyed.”—p. 13. These subjects are treated with great clearness of arrangement, with sound research into ecclesiastical documents, with much "fervency of spirit," and with what would be called, especially in Ireland, impassioned eloquence. The book abounds with what is lovely, sound, holy, and useful; and yet we scarcely know a work that we could so well put into a student's hand, as a specimen of the great disadvantage which a fine and beautiful mind suffers, by neglecting the severe discipline of close and vigorous thought. We think that the Eighth Lecture, particularly, should never have been put to press without having undergone the scrutiny of some faithful censor. It is intended as a summing up of the whole work. The elocution is fervid; if it were not unkind, we would say puerile: it is certainly much in the style of Councillor Phillips's orations some twenty years ago. We will submit a specimen, -a literal quotation : : "It is, indeed, my brethren, a momentous question.. What is our Christian duty towards the church of Rome? The question, I beg to observe, and call you to notice in its distinction, is purely ecclesiastical. It is not my wish, nor my province, at this hour, or in this place, to debate our political duty towards members of this polity. Be it enough that I distinctly avow myself an enemy to religious intolerance, in any way, and in every shape. Shades of my forefathers! shall the two dread days of St. Bartholomew, in their shrieks, or in their prolonged patient suffering ?-shall the groans, 'redoubled by the hills, and they to heaven,' bursting from the valleys of Piedmont, from the bosoms of the brethren of Peter Waldo, awaken within me the feeling of REVENGE? Ay, revenge! for that the Roman Catholic church calls herself a persecuted church, is past-not a cold smile-but,-even a loud scornful laugh. Persecuted, indeed! Yes, our fathers did occasionally forget themselves; but it was forgetfulness; there was no reason in their madness;' it was forgetfulness of their own great principles. But, O! contrast, contrast with these aberrations the massacre of St. Bartholomew, sanctioned, blessed, (God forgive them) by church authorities; contrast the inquisitions in their dark, bloody, infernal cruelties; contrast the pyres of Smithfield. Persecuted church, indeed!”—p. 279. In Mr. Sortain's work we like the discussion, the argumentation, and the animation exceedingly, but we dislike the oratory. We have no doubt, that had we listened to these lectures, instead of reading them, we would have been much impressed; but type cannot convey to the ear the melting tones, nor to the eye the lively action of Mr. Sortain. The faults of the work are purely oratorical-the discussion is able, clear, lively, penetrating, and more than the Roman and the Anglican Catholics will ever master. We, however, seriously demur to two sentiments of Mr. Sortain in reference to the Church of England. The first is that of page 48, where he describes "her confessions and her prayers, pure as the breath of heaven." The second is that of page 287, where he calls "the Church of England, the bulwark of the protestantism of the world." If "confessions" in the first sentence mean confessions of sin, we never knew before that these were ever breathed in heaven. If “ confessions" mean the creeds, they are purer than the Scriptures themselves, and it is blasphemy to renounce the Thirty-nine Articles. We have been frequently annoyed to hear the prayers of any church spoken of as beautiful; for "beautiful" is the most incongruous of all epithets to be applied to prayer. Did the senate or the throne ever grant a petition because it was "beautiful?" Did our readers ever relieve a beggar because his prayer was "beautifully" composed? And can we think that the great God is affected by "beautiful" prayers? The prayer of the pharisee in the temple was fine, gentlemanly, and it may be said "beautiful;" but the prayer of the publican was solemn, heartfelt, sublime, and "having power with God." The "beautiful" prayers have made us almost forget the other subject to which we demurred, namely, calling the Church of England, "the bulwark of the Protestantism of the world." We can consent to 56 call the Church of England the bulwark of Protestantism, only on the consideration that a bulwark is outside, and no part, of the city. As well might Romulus call the feeble hedge around primitive Rome a bulwark. Should any be inclined to controvert our demurrer, let them read the third book on our list, "The true Church," by Mr. Finch, of Harlow. In this work, Mr. Finch, while doing more than justice to his neighbour, has done some injustice to himself. In order to give to his purchasers a full equivalent for their money, he has crammed his pages with small letter, and close letter-press, so that he has produced a book for the thinker rather than for the trifler, who loves only the sweatmeats of the Reading Society. This is a book for thinkers, and a book that will repay the thinkers who read it. In this work, Mr. Finch does not consider Puseyism so much in reference to doctrine, as in reference to discipline, in the Christian church. We cordially wish that one section of this book may be read at every meeting of our Bible classes, until it be read through. Mr. Finch, with sound judgment, and the most lively charity, contrasts the theory of modern high-churchism with the church of the New Testament; and the exclusive pretensions of the English church, with the transparent conscientiousness of Protestant dissenters. After this contrast, he throws very unwelcome light on the aversion of highchurchmen to real Protestantism, as developed in Puseyism. Without enumerating all the topics discussed in this full little book, we say, that if any Puseyite asked us, what do you mean by a real church of Christ? we would reply, "Consult Finch on the True Church, published by Jackson and Walford." The next work on our list takes us to the United States of America. The late grotesque movements of the Church of England have arrested the attention of both worlds, the Old and the New. It is both painful and amusing to read in Bishop M'Ilvaine's preface the tale of the progress of Puseyism in America. When we read it, the lines of Burns came forcibly to our minds; and our friends must find where they are O Jenny, dinna toss your head, Thae winks and finger-ends, I dread, Dr. M'Ilvaine enters at length into the question of Puseyism, as if the salvation of the Episcopal church in the United States depended on this book. He claims attention to his work by distinctly avowing that he has studied the subject; he has, therefore, produced a volume |