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REVIEWS A SEVEN-FOLD ASPECT OF POPERY.

substantiation, are explained to the Inquirer.

In the next section of the same chapter, the Christian sacrament is farther elucidated by accounts of the ritual of the Jewish sacrament of the Passover. And, in the third section, the Minister gives his parishioner such an account of the introduction, progress, and establishment of the Popish doctrine, as an intelligent person, though unlearned, may be expected to understand, and in some degree to appreciate.

In the fifth chapter, where the Minister has to explain 1 Cor. xi. 24-28, and Luke xxii. 20, he takes care to inform his parishioner that our translators would have rendered the Lord's words more suitably, had they employed the word covenant instead of testament. In fact, the father of our English translation, William Tyndale, was well aware, that in consequence of their priests neither reading nor speaking of the Scriptures, except as they had them in their Latin vulgate, the people had become so exclusively habituated to the use of the Latin word testament, that if he had published his English version with the more correct title of New Covenant, they would have thought it altogether a new book, and no part of the Scripture. He deemed it necessary, therefore, to continue to use the word testament, but took care to inform his readers that they were to consider it as meaning "an appointment made between God and man, and God's promises." (Works, Park. Soc. ed., vol. i. p. 409.) And he farther took care to employ the word occasionally in that same sense in his other writings, that he might accustom his readers to such an use of it.*

A SEVENFOLD ASPECT OF POPERY. By the REV. G. FISK, LL.B., Prebendary of Lichfield, &c. pp. 321. fcp. 8vo. Nisbet & Co.

"Another book on Popery!" perhaps some readers are ready to exclaim, "We are almost weary of the

For example, "When she seeth temptation and peril draw nigh, she turneth to the testament that God hath made to all that trust in Christ's blood." Id. p. 93.

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subject." In this weariness we participate; but we feel that our weariness is no excuse for avoiding it: in one form or another, it is evidently the question of the day. It is no uncommon thing to overhear a remark on Popery as we pass along the public thoroughfare, or to find it occupy a large share of conversation when friend meets friend in the social circle. Romanists themselves are determined that we shall not forget them or their creed: aggression is their business; and the accession of every new convert adds to their hopes, and stimulates them to further efforts. It is then no time for us to weary of the conflict. England, though deeply moved, is not yet quite awake to what Romanism is; and it is the duty of every watchman in Israel to arouse such as are still sleeping, lest the enemy come upon them nnawares. This duty our author zealously labours to fulfil. His preface commences

thus:

"We have entered on one of the most

disastrous passages of our national and ecclesiastical history. An attempt to deal, on a tolerant and liberal policy, with an intolerant and illiberal system such as the Papacy, has been a matter of disadvantage, and has involved us in difficulties which may not be as easily met as produced. The experiment has failed. The triumphant tone of the Papacy, and the indignation of all England, have proclaimed the failure. Rome is progressive, and England is disquieted: for the one long ago discovered, and the other is rapidly diseerning, the position in which both are placed. Viewed apart from the light of prophetic Scripture, the whole affair would be inexplicable. With that light full upon it, all is intelligible and clear. God's hand is on His own work, and men are His instruments. *

"If the Papacy has not yet declared war, she has unfurled her banner, which is tantamount. If she has not established her sovereignty in the land, she has asserted a right. If she has not yet set herself above law in England, she is the bold violator of whatever shred of law there may be yet left for us. And is not every Roman Catholic subject of the British Crown who does not protest against her acts-at this moment in a state of constructive rebellion?"

Further on he remarks,

"Well;-the crisis which every student of prophecy has long foreseen, is come. No man who knows his Bible has any difficulty about interpreting either this Papal act, which has set us all, Papists

and Protestants, in motion, or the state of things in England that opened the way for it. Nor do any such feel the smallest

doubt of what the ultimate fate of the Papacy must be. But during the brief intervening period, between its resuscitation and its destruction,-alas! for all who have not the Apocalyptic seal on their foreheads, and Christ in them the Hope of Glory."

We have long deplored the absence of that amount of united vigorous action among real Christians, which the necessities of the times for some years have demanded. Romanists find no difficulty in uniting, and their union is one grand reason of their success: union in any undertaking will accomplish great things. The famous Catholic league of 1576 produced results of an extensive nature, most favourable to

the Romish Church,-so did the Catholic Institute, presided over by the late Daniel O'Connell, some of the bitter fruits of which we are now beginning to experience; and the same systematic and united action is being pursued at this moment by the Romanists of Ireland. Surely it is incumbent upon all real Christians to join heart and hand against their common foe. We trust the dangers gathering around will, by the blessing of God, lead them to combine in defence of the "faith once delivered to the saints."

The Lectures themselves we have only space to enumerate; they treat of Popery as a deceiver of souls,an enslaver of nations,-a restless tyrant, a helper of infidelity,—a hindrance to spirituality,-subversive of morality—and, foredoomed of God.

We cordially recommend the volume as one of the best that has appeared in relation to the present crisis.

Entelligence.

THE BISHOP OF EXETER'S PASTORAL

LETTER.

AMONG the curiosities of the literature of the year 1851, may be reckoned a publication which bears the title of "A Pastoral Letter to the Clergy of the Diocese of Exeter, on the Present State of the Church. By Henry, Lord Bishop of Exeter." This strange production had reached the second edition before we could get sight of it; and, except as one of the curiosities of the year, we really should not think it worthy of notice for we think that very few persons of any party, except those who have entirely taken leave of their senses, will much concern themselves with what may be said, or can be said, by this blind leader of the blind. But as this is the year of the Great Exhibition, we suppose that Henry of Exeter thought it incumbent upon him to make such an exhibition of himself, as even he never made before; and we think that he has succeeded: for,

1. The first part of this Pastoral Letter of the Bishop of Exeter (which is, professedly, intended to supply the place of an Episcopal Charge, see p. 1) is a

direct attack upon the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council, which pronounced the Judgement against the Bishop in Mr. Gorham's case. Now it is well known, that it was the Bishop's own choice which made it necessary to bring the case before that particular Court. The competence and legality of that Court the Bishop himself had fully acknowledged, by pleading deliberately before it, without any protest against its jurisdiction. Therefore, after its decision was pronounced against him, to arraign the judgement of the Court, and to impugn its jurisdiction (as he has done in this pamphlet, in no measured terms) is an outrageous violation of all propriety and decency.

2. His attack upon the Archbishop of Canterbury, whom he charges with heresy again and again, (pp. 14—45,) is equally unseemly and outrageous. We know not how rightly to describe the insolence of this portion of his letter. Let any one judge whether it be not a direct violation of his oath of due obedience to the Archbishop, as the former part is of his Oath of Allegiance to the Queen, and utterly

PASTORAL LETTER TO THE CLERGY OF HIS DIOCESE.

inconsistent with that acknowledgement of her Supremacy, which he himself has made, and (by the thirtysixth Canon) requires every clergyman whom he ordains, to make also. But, as he had already declared, and now repeats the declaration (p. 14,) that he" could no longer hold communion with his Metropolitan,"—is it not the duty of all and every one of his clergy, who respect that excellent Metropolitan, to let him know distinctly, that they cannot hold communion with him, so long as he refuses to hold communion with the Archbishop?

In short,-if it be come to this, that he will neither submit to the decision of the highest judicial authority which is recognised by the constitution, nor hold communion with his Metropolitan,-ought he not, in common decency, to resign his Bishopric?

Let him do this, and then he may hold his Diocesan Synod as he proposes (pp. 108-113) with those who choose to follow him-without exposing himself or them to any just rebuke or legal censure. But, if he presumes to do anything of the kind, while he pretends to hold the See of Exeter, we hope that Her Majesty's Government will interfere, to prevent such proceedings as would manifestly amount to a setting up of the Church of Exeter in opposition to the Church of England, and could only be regarded as a direct and evident schism in the Church, to which he still professes to belong.

We do not deem it needful to enter into any long refutation or review of the Bishop of Exeter's pamphlet. We do not think that he is worthy of so much trouble. If he had been really respected by any party in Church or State, we might have judged differently but we believe that he has already done for himself, what no enemy or adversary could ever have done for him: we will therefore content ourselves with one remark upon a statement which has been made by others, as well as by himself, namely, that the late decision in the Gorham case is a denial of the Article of the Nicene Creed, "One Baptism for the remission of sins." Certainly it is no

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direct or obvious denial of it: but only of the sense in which some persons profess to understand it: and it is so far from being, as some pretend, a denial of any Article of the Catholic Faith, that we are fully justified in affirming that the words-even as they stand in the Creed-do not form an article of the Catholic Faith at all. For, if they were intended to be so, why is the expression changed from "I believe" (which implies faith), to "I acknowledge?" (Oμoλoyw, Confiteor). This is observable; and yet we would not insist much upon a word, were it not for a far more important point, to which we feel it a duty to call attention. The Athanasian Creed professes to set forth "The Catholic Faith:" it concludes with saying, "This is the Catholic Faith; which except a man believe faithfully he cannot be saved." But, in this Creed, the Church is not so much as named, and Baptism is not so much as mentioned. How then can any one, who professes to believe the Athanasian Creed, pretend, with any appearance of reason, that those points which the Bishop of Exeter, cum suis, so fiercely insists upon, are any portion of "the Catholic Faith?" Shall we be saying too much if we affirm, that they neither believe the Athanasian Creed, nor know what the Catholic Faith really is?

And because these persons are very fond of insisting on the Authority of the Church, we will just tell them what is really the Doctrine of the Church of England on this point;-which will, perhaps, a little surprise them.

In an Exposition of the Articles, "perused, and by the lawfull authority of the Church of England, allowed to be public," dedicated to Archbishop Bancroft, and of which he ordered a copy to be purchased for every parish in the Province of Canterbury, we find it distinctly stated, in the exposition of Article xx.:

"Authority is given to the Church, and to every member of sound judgement in the same, to judge in controversies of faith; and so in their places to embrace the truth, and to avoid and reprove Antichristianity and errors; and this is not the private opinion of our Church, but

both the straight commandment of God himself, particularly unto all teachers and hearers, of God's Word, and generally unto the whole Church; and also the judgement of our godly brethren in foreign countries."

bers of our own Church were placing a Protestant nation, for the Sovereign to speak out through the proper constitutional medium.

The letter from Sir George Grey to the two Archbishops, and which has now been made public, is of a most satisfactory character. Of course it will not satisfy those who are not pre

This is the doctrine of our Church. Can any one pretend to produce any statement of her doctrine, or the authority of the Church, which can prepared to make due allowance for the tend to carry equal weight with this which we have quoted? We need not name the book to any who pretend to learning or research in such matters.

THE ADDRESS OF THE ARCHBISHOPS

AND BISHOPS.

Some of our readers may have been prepared for the appearance of a document which has been issued during the past month, and which bears the signatures of the two archbishops, and twenty-two out of the twenty-four members of the Episcopal Bench. It cannot certainly be denied that the time had more than arrived when a united movement on the part of the ecclesiastical authorities was urgently demanded. The proceedings of the Tractarian party had roused the indignation of an immense body amongst the laity, who saw in rapid progress the development, by the ultra high Church party, of all Romish doctrines and ceremonials; and they felt that if longer undisturbed action were allowed to the working of the heresy, the Church of England must be considered in extreme peril. Our readers are all aware of the great meeting which took place, under the presidency of Lord Ashley, and which resulted in a largely signed, and most influential address to the Crown, praying for the immediate interference of the Sovereign, as the earthly head of the Protestant Church.

This appeal has not been made in vain. We rejoice to feel assured that the Romanizing movement has never found favour with our beloved Queen; and that it has only been necessary for Her Majesty's Protestant subjects to approach the throne, in the dutiful language of a protest against the aggression of Rome itself, and the false position in which treacherous mem

proper reserve and caution of an official communication, embodying the Royal wishes upon such a subject. Its tone and general character we hold to be far more satisfactory than the Pastoral, which we presume to have been issued either in consequence or in anticipation of such a royal admonition. The letter of the Bishops gives immediate and indubitable evidence of the heads, hands, and hearts concerned in its production, and hence it is, that it has almost fallen still-born and inoperative from their Lordships' hands. It is not of that bold, decided, Protestant character which would at once have obtained for it the cordial welcome from a nation which has recently declared itself equally opposed to Rome and its ally- Tractarianism. It does not deal with the questions at issue, as the emergency of the times, and the enlightened and advanced character of the age demanded. It speaks of peace, concession, and obedience to parties who have sufficiently shewn, by their past and present actions, that they are strangers to all three; and that they are determined to agitate the Church, until either they have effected a junction with Rome, or are themselves driven by conscience, or by an indignant people, to join the enemy, without waiting for the success of their plot.

We cannot express pleasure that in so alarming a juncture, such a temporizing and indistinct voice should have proceeded from the Episcopate of England. The limited expression of their Lordships' feelings is hardly worth the trouble which it must have cost them to have arrived even at such a meagre and undignified result; and we feel quite certain that both those who are rebuked and counselled for excess in observing rubrics and cere

INTELLIGENCE-IRISH CHURCH MISSIONS.

monials, as well as those who are evidently pointed out as erring by defect in these matters, will at least agree in forming but one opinion of the Bishop's letter,-fist, that the whole composition bespeaks much of conflicting sentiment in the minds of its authors; and, secondly, that its tone is not of that resolute, unwaver ing character, which evinces a determination to stop the unprotestantizing of the Church of England.

It cannot be concealed that the time of their Lordships might be more advantageously occupied, and the strenuous support of the country at large secured, were they to place themselves at the head of a movement which should have for its object the removal of all those ambiguous canons and rubrics upon which Tractarians build their system; and the timely revision of services which contain expressions causing confusion within the Church itself, and which deprive it of the membership and services of those who might otherwise be its most effective supporters.

THE SECESSION OF ARCHDEACON
MANNING, &c.

In the review of Mr. Dodsworth's pamphlet in another part of this number, we have sufficiently dealt with the body from which the Archdeacon and a numerous party of his brethren have now seceded to Rome.

We can only afford room for a remark or two in reference to the perversions at Leeds. We never looked upon Dr. Pusey's Church at that place in any other light than as another training school for the Romish Church; and we have not been surprised that the masters, with a few of the pupils, should at length have discovered the baseness of the position they were occupying in the bosom of a Protestant Church. But what order is to be taken with the patron of the Church, the presiding genius of the system of treachery there carried on? Is Dr. Pusey to be suffered, during his natural life, or the term of his stifled or sleeping conscience, to work for Rome in the garb of a Regius Professor, and the character and vestments of a Protestant clergyman?

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When are long talked-of proceedings to be instituted, and interdicts to be put in force, against the preaching and ministering of the man who leads others to take that fatal step from which he himself shrinks. Newman has gone, and now Archdeacon Manning,- a man of mind, but of a mind confused and perverted, by dallying with unholy, speculative, and delusive doctrines, he too has sought refuge in a communion which lulls both mind and conscience to the rest of a false security. When will the arch-priest of this system awake to his own duty, and follow his dupes? or rather when will the rulers of the Church, in which he plays so false a part, awake to their duty, and force Dr. Pusey to the proper issue?

THE GREAT EXHIBITION.

We are most sincerely gratified to learn that Her Majesty not only intends opening this Great National Exhibition in person, and in the presence of and amid the rapturous welcome of her subjects, and the throng of foreign guests, but that the undertaking is to be solemnly and most appropriately consecrated by a prayer from the lips of our venerable Primate. This act of homage to the Majesty of Heaven will be welcomed by thou

sands and tens of thousands of our christian fellow countrymen, while the nature of the act itself, in its simplicity, and the absence of all superstitious usages, cannot fail to have a striking effect upon our foreign guests. We earnestly pray and trust that nothing will occur to mar a spectacle which will teach the crowd of visitors,

from all parts of the world, that the gathered thousands of England, while gazing at the national spectacle, and hailing with joy the presence of their Sovereign, are one and all actuated by a fervent desire to "Fear God and honour the Queen.”

IRISH CHURCH MISSIONS. Upwards of twelve months have elapsed since we called the attention of our readers to the efforts making by this Society for the evangelization of the Roman Catholic population of

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