truth requires, to be regarded as a Church,-if a Church at all, and not, rather, a congregation of malignants-intra quam nemo salvus esse potest."

6. The sixth of these determined assaults upon the Catholics, is a somewhat declamatory performance, directed against that Association which was wisely put down by Parliament in the last session; and which, we doubt not, will be effectually repressed, under whatsoever denomination, and in whatever disguise, it may re-appear. To those who have yet to be convinced, the pamphlet affords abundant evidence of the turbulent, insolent, and inflammatory spirit of the leaders of the Catholics: the O'Connell's, the O'Gormans, and the Shiels,— the Doyles, the O'Reillys, and the Dromgoles;-men, particularly the first, who appear to us to be the worst enemies of the cause which they pretend to support; and who, we verily believe, are chiefly instigated by the miserable vanity of thus occupying a share of public attention both in England and Ireland, which, in no other way, they could possibly command.

7. The next Tract in our list professes to be a Dialogue between a Roman Catholic Priest and a Roman Catholic Layman. The subject is the partial or total prohibition of the use of the Bible to laymen, in which the arrogant pretensions of the Papal Priesthood are maintained, on the one side, with their accustomed insolence and bigotry; but are triumphantly refuted, on the other, by the most unanswerable arguments. For example, the Priest says:

"The Church, I affirm, cannot err; Jesus Christ declared that he would always be with her. The Priesthood are the Church, and the tribunal where God himself presides. He speaks to you by the mouths of her pastors, whom, when you hear, you hear him *.”

The layman replies,

"If Judas, one of the twelve, one of the first Church, proved unfaithful, and even if Peter denied his Master, after Christ had prayed over him, and declared him, as you interpret the Text, to be the rock of his Church, and if he erred again, when St. Paul 'withstood him to the face, because he was to be blamed,' Gal. ii. 11. shall the successors of those disciples be considered less fallible than they, who had the benefit of Christ's express sanctification? Sanctify them through thy truth,' John xvii. 17. God does not appear to have promised to exempt any men, that we know of, from the common lot

* Pastoral Church of Irish Romish Prelates.

of error. The Patriarchs, the Prophets, the Evangelists, come short of perfection in practice, precept, and doctrine. Surely, then, it would become you to speak with the same humility which St. Paul did. 'What, then, are we better than they,' Rom. iii. 9. and to permit us, the Laity, to have recourse to the written Word of God, as an authority which cannot err.'

If the question were only respecting the pernicious errors of the Romish Church, this unpretending pamphlet, so far as it goes, would be quite decisive. Were there not so many competitors for the public attention of more imposing appearance, this little champion of our cause would not pass without a large share of notice.

8. The eighth pamphlet has only an indirect relation to the question of Catholic Emancipation. It is simply to prove, from very ancient records, "preserved in the treasury of the Dean and Chapter of Durham," an isolated fact: viz. "that the Holy Communion, in both kinds, was regularly administered to the Laity in the Parish Church of Norham, in the diocese of Durham, previous to the Reformation." It would naturally be thought that a solitary instance of this kind would be any thing but an argument that such was the general practice. A Catholic would, of course, say, exceptio probat regulam. But Mr. Raine, the author, meets the difficulty in this manner:

"I take it upon myself to say, that there is no other Parish Church, either in the county of Durham or Northumberland, whose yearly parochial accounts, antecedent to the Reformation, have been preserved; and it is, consequently, not too much to presume, that Norham did not stand alone in its due observance of our blessed Saviour's injunction, Drink ye all of this.'

How weak must be the understanding of the Catholic Laity, in general, and how profound the artifice of its priesthood, when a tenet so palpably absurd as this, of the denial of the cup to Laymen, can have been maintained for so many centuries over so many millions of men! If any thing could justify the notion that miracles have not ceased in their Church, this strange fact might do it.

9. The next Tract comes from the other side of the water. It is the production of the Rev. C. Ottway, Curate of Lucan. It is printed at Dublin, and is a very indifferent specimen of the state of the press in that capital, being full of typographical blunders, and errors in punctuation. It presents what, we should hope, is a rare occurrence; namely, a controversy

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with one who was "formerly a Protestant student of Trinity College, but is now a Roman Catholic Priest." There is every appearance that this is a fact, and not a fictitious vehicle for exposing Romish errors and absurdities; though Mr. Ottway gives his own name at length, and only the initials M. M. of his correspondent, whom he states to be now sent to the Continent by his superiors." But he informs us also, that the letters of his antagonist "are copied verbatim from Milner's End of Controversy." So that Milner is his real opponent, and not M.M., whom he designates as a "Tyro in Theology. It is but justice to say, that Mr. Ottway has armed himself well for the conflict, with a tolerable share of reading, that he wields the weapons of controversy with much vigour and ability, and that, apparently, he deserves to be promoted from the ranks, from which, at present, his efforts are directed.

The main argument successfully combated in these pages, is the old one: that Christ left an universal and never-failing rule of faith for the establishment of his religion. It is then contended, that in the Churches of England, Ireland, and Scotland, there are three different rules of faith, one of which only can be right. The first is a supposed private inspiration, or inward light, which is the persuasion of various sects of fanatical enthusiasts. For this, of course, Mr. Ottway does not contend, and very properly thinks it might have been omitted in a controversy between Catholics and regular Protestants. The second rule is, "the written Word of God, or the Bible, according as it is understood by each particular reader or hearer of it." These words are marked as a quotation, but we are not referred to their author. It is not the rule of faith of the Church of England-which is the Bible, not as understood by each particular reader or hearer of it, but as interpreted in her Articles and Liturgy. The third rule, which is, of course, that for which a Papist contends, is, "the Word of God, at large, whether written in the Bible, or handed down from the Apostles, in continued succession, by the Catholic Church, and as it is understood and explained by this Church." This resolves itself into that vague and unauthorized tradition, which is the key-stone of the arch of Popery; the removal of which would cause the whole edifice to fall to the ground. The strength of the Papist's argument lies in shewing that various Protestant sects have abused their liberty of reading and expounding the Scriptures, by running into all sorts of fanaticism. But this is most successfully retorted upon bim, by exhibiting, at great length, the more extravagant absur

dities of the Church of Rome. In this part of the correspondence, there is much amusement, if the subject were not of a naturè too serious to be treated with pleasantry. We recommend the tract to the perusal of our readers, as containing much interesting and valuable matter, derived from sources not often resorted to. To sound Protestants, indeed, it may seem hardly necessary to expose, at this time of day, the follies, the nonsense, and the wickedness of Popery. But in Ireland, where, probably, there may be many persons who fluctuate between the two religions, such a publication as this seems, to us, cal culated to be of essential service.

10. The last of these pamphlets to be noticed, is entitled, "Catholic Emancipation calmly considered." It is temperately and ably written, and the question is here discussed chiefly under a political point of view. The main argument urged is this, that the grievance of Ireland consists in its ignorant, impoverished, and half-civilized peasantry,—for which it is contended, the concession of civil privileges to some of the superior classes, would furnish no remedy.

Sixteen Sermons on Practical and Doctrinal Subjects. By the REV. B. T. H. COLE, A. M., Rector of Warbleton, Sussex, and late Fellow of Magdalen College, Cambridge. 8vo. Pp. 322. 8s. London. Rivingtons. 1824.

WE owe some apology to the author of these Sermons, and perhaps to the public, for not having noticed them long ago. They are, in truth, entitled to a place among the best modern volumes in this department of Divinity. Without affecting to enter into any argumentative proofs of debated points, or to seek illustration beyond the usual range, Mr. Cole has contented himself with selecting subjects of universal interest, and treating them in a manner which may impress them on the mind of the general reader. With the becoming boldness of a minister of Christ, he has enforced the great duties of our religion on the principles peculiar to it: and this is done in language pure and eloquent enough for refined ears, at the same time that it is not

above the comprehension of the middle, or even, in common, of the lower classes of which a mixed congregation is composed.

It is said in the "Advertisement: " "The Sermons here presented to the public were composed at various times; and the Author's principal intention was to place in a clear and intelligible light the necessity of these three great requisites for forming the Christian character-Humility, Faith, and Obedience. He trusts, therefore, that they may be found useful in enforcing the union of belief and practice." We think they are well calculated to promote this most important object.

Some Considerations on the Style of the Holy Scriptures. A Treatise by the pious and learned the Honourable Robert Boyle, rendered into modern language, By the REV. P. PANTER, A. M., Chaplain of the Royal Navy. 8vo. Pp. 216. 7s. London. Rivingtons. 1825.

THIS appears to be the result of a very well-intentioned endeavour to clothe an old friend of acknowledged worth, but rather forbidding mien, in a vesture better suited to the fashion of the present times, than his own curled wig, and straight-laced coat. Whether in this guise he will find more ready access to modern studies; or whether we may not lose some little of our veneration towards the man, when we view him close and despoiled of his imposing, ancient, and most dignified habiliment, is a question we shall not now attempt to answer. Mr. Panter has made a dangerous experiment; and if we thought that his example would be widely followed, we should entreat for mercy towards our old authors; as we would stay the hand of a restorer of old portraits. But we are persuaded that to "render into modern language" our writers of the age and style of Boyle, is so awkward a task, that there is no great fear of its being frequently undertaken. In the translation before us there is still too much learning and argument for the profanum vulgus, and who that can understand him will bear to read the work of such a man as Boyle in any language but his own? Yet bare justice awards no small commendation to Mr.