series of popular discourses, the principal errors of Romanism. Like Mr. Warter's other publications it is quaint in style, though far from being above the intelligence of the classes to whom it is addressed; and abounds in the ideas and arguments of our elder divines. For the benefit of the more learned, each sermon is preceded by a series of quotations from the early Fathers illustrative of the subject. The Sermons are on the following subjects: The Scriptures-the Church-St. Peter's ConfessionOne Mediator-Christian Sacraments-Confession-The Faith once delivered to the Saints, &c. In the first discourse the principle of Chillingworth that "the Bible alone is the religion of Protestants," is maintained and vindicated in its right sense, as opposed to the Romish notion of a tradition supplementary to Scripture. That doctrine is then referred to, and the dealings of the Church of Rome with Scripture, on which Mr. Warter writes thus:

"What however I would for the present direct your attention to, is the fact, that the Church of Rome permits the use only of one authorized version, whether translated or not-that is to say, the Old Vulgate; and from this if she can establish a doctrine, as more than one she doth, no appeal is allowed; whereas in the Church to which we are privileged to belong, though we have a translation (one of the best ever made) appointed to be read in churches,' yet for all that we are not debarred from the use of the inspired originals, whether in the Hebrew or the Greek. Such as can use them may, and derive comfort, as many do, whilst searching for hidden treasure. Beyond a doubt, with the originals at hand, or such a translation as we have, there is no palming, even upon the most ignorant, what are called in our Homily the stinking puddles of man's traditions, devised by man's imagination, for our justification and salvation.' It was, in fact, by prohibiting, or, to say the least, by so restricting the use of Holy Writ as to amount to a prohibition, that corruptions gained ground in the Church of Rome-such corruptions as almost to overwhelm her, so that the wisest and the best of her own sons called out for redress, and called long in vain.”pp. 13, 14.

In the Sermon on the Church, the claims of the Church of Rome to be the mother and mistress of all Churches is ably discussed; and while it is held that Rome is not altogether excluded from the Church, a similar view is held of dissent-though we have not observed any admission of the lawfulness of dissenting ministrations. The view which Mr. Warter here takes is certainly deducible from the principles laid down by Hooker and many divines. We must refer to the Sermons on St. Peter's Confession, on the practice of Confession and Absolution, and on the One Mediator, as peculiarly valuable and interesting.

11.-A Letter to the Rev. J. F. Wilkinson, Priest of the Roman Catholic Chapel, at Clewer, in answer to Remarks addressed by him to the Purishioners. By the Rev. T. T. CARTER, Rector of Clewer. London: J. H. Parker.

IT is not very often that local controversy presents an interest which entitles it to the public attention; but in the instance before us, there is something which really deserves notice, and will render Mr. Carter's Letter an acceptable gift to all who are interested in the Romish controversy. We never remember to have seen so complete, so popular, and so satisfactory a collection of evidence, as to the mode in which the perusal of the Scriptures is discouraged and prohibited in the Church of Rome. The facts which Mr. Carter has collected with great care and research, are perfectly overwhelming. The contrast between the Christian, and yet firm tone of the English clergyman, and the vulgar, insolent bluster and braggadocio of his Popish antagonist, is truly refreshing; and will, we doubt not, make their due impression in the inhabitants of Windsor. Mr. Carter thoroughly understands his subject, and we anticipate much benefit to the public mind from his being thus called to a discussion of the controversy.

111.-The Progress of Beguilement to Romanism. A Personal Narrative. By ELIZA SMITH, Authoress of "Five Years a Catholic." London: Seeleys.

WE have seldom perused a more instructive and interesting little work than this. It details the process by which a mind of considerable cultivation and thoughtfulness was gradually won over to Romanism by theories of perfection, and anticipations of finding in Rome what could not be elsewhere found. Experience, however, gradually opened the eyes of the mistaken but conscientious inquirer. The tone of Romish society was so far remote from all her anticipations, so worldly, and so artificial; the horrors of the confessional, and the misconduct of those who availed themselves of its power for the most criminal purposes, were so fully confirmatory of all the objections which had been in vain urged to prevent secession to Rome; that at length a reaction took place, and the writer escaped from bondage, and from a system of craft and dishonesty, to the possession of those blessed privileges which she had lost. The details of her experience during her connexion with Romanism, are affecting and instructive in a high degree.

IV.-Letters on some of the Errors of Romanism in Controversy with the Rev. Nicholas Wiseman, D.D. By WILLIAM PALMER, M.A., Prebendary of Salisbury, Vicar of Whitchurch Canonicorum. Third Edition. London: Rivingtons. 1851. IN the present distressed and distracted state of the English Church, assailed at once by foes from without and traitors from within, it is cheering to see any intimation of unswerving faith in her doctrines, and unhesitating devotion to her cause in those whose duty it is to maintain intact and unadulterated the whole counsel of GOD. Alas! that such should be the case! But so it is; and to mince the matter is adopting the device of the foolish bird, which, when hotly pursued by those who seek its capture or death, plunges its head into the nearest bush, and hopes, by avoiding the sight, to escape the grasp of its enemy. We are externally attacked at once-by the aggression of the Roman Churchand the usurpation of the Civil Power-to say nothing of less important antagonists-less important, we mean, at the present juncture; and, at the same time, we have to contend with internal unfaithfulness, more or less fully developed; the unfaithfulness of those who would make the Church of the Living GOD the bondslave of a world that lieth in wickedness; of those who would supplant her Catholic and eternal faith by the novel dogmata of heretics and schismatics, or the form of philosophy, and the reality of infidelity; and, lastly, the unfaithfulness of those, who, from whatever cause, decline to offer a bold, straightforward, honest, and uncompromising opposition to the usurpations, the errors, and the idolatries of Rome.

It is at such a juncture, then, as the present, cheering to find any of our sentinels standing firmly at their posts, any of our watchmen looking out fearlessly into the night, any of our menof-war buckling on their armour, and boldly advancing against the approaching foe.

We are happy, on their own account, to see these Letters printed in a form which makes them accessible to the public at large, instead of their being confined to the libraries of the studious, or the wealthy; and we welcome, with much satisfaction, the "Introductory Letter to the Rev. Nicholas Wiseman, D.D., in reference to the Titular Romish Episcopate," which is, of course, entirely new; and to which, therefore, we shall confine ourselves on the present occasion:

"I trust, sir," says Mr. Palmer, "that any little lack of courtesy, which I and others may have apparently evinced, in hesitating to concede to you a spiritual jurisdiction, which we did not believe you to possess, may be pardoned by yourself, at least, in consideration of the promotion

which you have sought and obtained, with a view to defeat our arguments, and to compel our recognition of your authority."-p. ix.

After citing various passages from the writings of Cardinal Wiseman and Mr. Bowyer, Mr. Palmer expresses a hope that he may be permitted to offer a few comments on them:

"In the first place, then, it is clear, both from your own admissions, and those of Mr. Bowyer, that Romanists felt there was too much weight in the arguments which Churchmen directed against the Romish hierarchy under its late organization. It was felt that there was an advantage of ecclesiastical position' on the part of the Church of England; that many minds were 'influenced by this to continue in the Church of England; that the assertion, that Romanists had no real Bishops, was a 'sarcasm,' which it was a point of no light weight and no indifferent interest' to silence if possible; that this 'standard and favourite topic' had some apparent colour;' and that the system of Vicars Apostolic,' was, no doubt, 'new' and 'anomalous.'

"Such, sir, by your own confessions, was the position of Ronanism in England till the month of October, 1850! Up to that time our arguments against your hierarchy were felt-acutely and bitterly felt-to be such, that it was a matter of no light weight, and no indifferent interest,' to endeavour to elude them by a change in your ecclesiastical organization! Permit me, sir, to remark, that you have, according to your own statement of the motives which induced that alteration, borne the most satisfactory testimony to the force and validity of the arguments by which Churchmen refuted the claims of Romanists to possess a legitimate episcopate. The step you have taken indicates a feeling that your former position in this country was questionable; that it was incapable of satisfactory defence; that you could not hope to succeed in your project of overthrowing the Church of England, while you yourselves laboured under the imputation of possessing no true bishops, and, therefore, no true priests, and no lawful administration of the sacraments.

"Up to the autumn of the year of grace, 1850, then, it appears that Romanism possessed only a questionable episcopate; it did not possess what is held by Romanists themselves essential to the Church; it was without episcopal jurisdiction. Now this state of things, which had only been brought prominently into controversy of late years by our writers, was peculiarly embarrassing to Romanism in this country, because EVER

SINCE THE REFORMATION, THE ONE GRAND ARGUMENT BY WHICH
ROMANISTS HAVE BEEN ASSAILING THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND, HAS
BEEN A DENIAL OF HER EPISCOPAL SUCCESSION AND JURISDICTION."
pp. xi.-xiii.

After enumerating the various controversial writers who have in turn assailed the validity of our orders, or the jurisdiction or mission of our threefold ministry, Mr. Palmer goes on to say: :

"Such then being the favourite system of argument adopted by Ro

manists, I can readily conceive the embarrassment they felt, when, not content, as our predecessors Mason, Bramhall, Prideaux, Burnet, and Elrington had been, with defending our own episcopate as valid and canonical, and truly apostolical in its jurisdiction, we proceeded to retort your arguments, and to prove from the authorities and principles to which you had appealed against us, that you yourselves were without any lawful episcopate.

"It became, then, a matter of no light weight, and no indifferent interest,' to escape from our objections, and to obtain, if possible, such 'an advantage in ecclesiastical position,' as would be subservient to your purposes of proselytism; and hence you submitted, with perfect satisfaction, to the transmutation you have recently undergone."pp. xv. xvi.

"We argued," proceeds the writer of these Letters, "that the Romanists, so far from being the Catholic Church in England, as they claimed to be, were in reality schismatics, besides being involved in the crime of IDOLATRY, which is as grievous a sin as that of infidelity or heresy. It was remarked that the separation of communion which took place in the sixteenth century was their work, and that they then cut themselves off from the true and orthodox Church of this nation."p. xvi.

After giving a succinct sketch of the line of argument here indicated, the author concludes by saying,-" So far, we have nothing more to say on the subject, except this-that you have conceded the non-episcopal character of your hierarchy till A.D. 1850-that till within the last six months, at least, you have had NO LEGITIMATE HIERARCHY."

This is a strong point, and one which ought not to be lost sight of in the controversy. Having thus disposed of the earlier emissaries of the Roman See, Mr. Palmer proceeds to deal with those of later manufacture.

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Now, sir," says he, "let us consider the position of the 'new' hierarchy a hierarchy which dates its origin from A.D. 1850-that is, seventeen or eighteen centuries later than the hierarchy of the Church of England! You have, indeed, it must be allowed, a 'new' hierarchy. It is 'new' in date—it is 'new' in titles and appellations—it is without succession. You have had no predecessors. Each pseudo-bishop of your hierarchy is a novus homo-sprung from no one-possessing no spiritual ancestry-holding no connexion with the ancient and historical sees of this Christian land-separated from the succession of the Apostles. To such it may be said, in the words of Tertullian, addressed to those heretics whose worship of Eons is rivalled by your worship of angels and saints,- -Who are ye? When and whence come ye? Not being mine, what do ye in that which is mine? In brief, by what right dost thou, Marcion, cut down my wood? By what licence dost thou, Valentinus, turn the course of my water? By what