authority of the Church, with that on the limitation of that authority, are fraught with singular good sense and sound argument.

Treating of the doctrine of purgatory, Mr. Griffith remarks, that though the custom of praying for the dead may be traced to the third century, it was not authoritatively inculcated till towards the close of the sixth century; that it was ratified by the Council of Florence in 1439, and enforced in 1545 as an Article of Faith by the Council of Trent. But it has never been admitted into the Greek church. Many scriptural passages are brought to disprove it, which are not necessary to be quoted by The remaining parts are devoted to subjects which have been already discussed to satiety.

us.

Mr. Falloon's book is in the form of dialogues, through which here and there much real learning is strewed. But even were this learning absent, it would be recommended to us as the labour of an attached friend to our church, as that of one opposed to the specious plea of reform, and of one, who, argumentatively and fearlessly authenticates our apostolic origin. In general we do not like the form of dialogue, but here it has been most advantageously and powerfully used. On stated forms the author's evidences are very strong: they are substantiated from the Scriptures in a manner that cannot be controverted, except by those who will causelessly controvert every thing that is at variance with their own absurd and preconceived notions. Indeed, if we examine all the objections made against the church of England, they are of this description. The arguments on either side are here most fairly proposed; and this assertion is forcibly corroborated by them. In the Dialogue on Diocesan and National Churches, where the author proves EKKλnoía, in the singular, to have been used by the Apostles for all the churches in a diocese or province collectively, much in the same manner as we showed in our article on Holden and Holmes (No. III. pp. 190—209), he completely overthrows the system of the Independents: he sets the connexion between Church and State, and fixes the power of the civil magistrate on an immovable basis; he makes the very concessions of sectarians confirmatory of his position; and though by custom we use the term connexion or alliance, when speaking of Church and State, citing Edmund Burke's words, he argues them to be one and the same thing, "being different integral parts of the same whole," inasmuch as the Church is divided into two parts, the clergy and the laity. This dialogue contains an admirable and lucid exposition of the right to tithes, and very properly applies to the point St. Paul's phrase, ik toυ εὐαγγελίου ζῆν, where εὐαγγέλιον, as the writer says, means the gift or reward to be given for good tidings: and those who call this version in question, must be most ignorant of Hebrew and Oriental phraseology. This discussion fully vindicates the

right from the Fathers and primitive usage, in a manner which demands a scrupulous perusal. We defy our opponents to invalidate one argument.

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In the next dialogue the pretensions of the Roman Catholic church are refuted, and the objections which it alleges against us are vigorously overruled; we will quote the writer's criticism on the well-known passage, from which the Romanists arrogate « Πέτρα, to themselves authority for their arch-pontificate. Petra, signifies an immovable, or what naturalists would call a primitive rock; whilst Пerpos, Petros, means only a little piece or splinter of a rock, broken off a great and immovable one." note he justifies his criticism by quotations from Homer, where it is used for the stone or fragment of rock, which the fabulous heroes were wont to throw. It follows then from this criticism, that Christ is the sole foundation and Head of the Church, and that St. Peter was but a portion of his mystical body; which view harmonizes with that confession of the Apostle, which gave rise to the observation. Had Christ intended that Peter should have been considered the foundation or rock of his church, Mr. Falloon very justly says, that analogy would have required the words to be ἐπὶ τούτῳ τῷ πέτρῳ, instead of ἐπὶ ταύτῃ τῇ πέτρᾳ. The expression "binding and loosing," whence have also sprung Romish claims, he has shown from Lightfoot to be a Hebraism, signifying "declaring with authority what was forbidden and what was permitted," and to occur nowhere in the New Testament, except in the Gospel of St. Matthew, which was probably written in Hebrew;-thus, when a man was set apart to be a preacher, the Jews said, Take thou liberty to teach what is bound and what is loose; and when the Jews created a doctor of laws, they put in his hand the keys of the chest, in which the law was kept; nay, the expression would have naturally arisen from the strings which secured their rolls, which were untied when opened to be read, and bound when they were returned to their places. Accordingly, the Roman Catholics have strained a mere phrase into an authority for their pretensions.

We must not longer detain our readers on the other interesting points in this dialogue. That on holy orders yields not to its predecessors; in which the question respecting bishops and presbyters would, by every candid person, be thought to be set at rest; and the usual arguments are supported by many entirely new, and by a profusion of ecclesiastical learning. The theory of popular election in the Church is next completely overthrown; authority is heaped on authority to rebut the sectarian notions on the subject: but after this, the dialogues are for a time changed to an epistolary correspondence.

The first letter is devoted to the polemical questions on baptism. The passage from Plutarch's Roman Questions respecting Aristinus, which shows something correspondent to have been observed

in Greece, when a person supposed dead returned home, is quoted; and the quotation is appropriate, since persons thus baptized or washed were called vareρóπorμol, or postliminio nati, a term which will bear a comparison with the waliyyevería of the New Testament. The Jewish custom of baptism is largely examined; and from this is clearly deduced the propriety of infant baptism. One of the arguments is curious and ingenious:-Let us suppose the seal of the covenant to have been unchanged, and Christ's injunction to have been, "Go and make disciples of all nations, circumcising them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost,"-would infants in such a case be adjudged to be excluded from the rite? or could they, according to the letter of its institution? But as the christian rite is as much the seal of the covenant as was the Jewish, it is evident, no direction to the contrary being found in the New Testament, that both may be received at the same age. The chief objection, that "they must be taught before they are baptized," proceeds from an incorrect version of μalnrévoare, which, in the language of the New Testament, signifies make disciples of: and as baptism is the seal of discipleship, we very properly find this precept in the injunction which ordains it. Mr. Falloon rests not his proofs simply on this passage, but embodying the usual reasonings and examining the testimony of antiquity, enriches both with his own remarks, annihilating the meagre cavils which have been brought against our discipline and opinions in every point relating to baptism.

The eucharist is naturally the next topic. The argument is conducted much as Cudworth conducted it, and is amplified in many points. Indeed, a vast proportion of the connexion between the eucharist and the antecedent dispensation consists in its character of a federal feast. The term kaivǹ dia0ýкn applied to it is conclusive as to the fact.

After this letter the dialogues recommence. These relate to the worship of God, to rubrical injunctions, and to sacred edifices or churches, which are followed by a letter on the king's supremacy. We have exhibited sufficiently the merits of the book not to be under the necessity of analyzing it: but, when we, as reviewers, say, that it is continually our duty to recapitulate the arguments of writers, which we have in times innumerable touched upon when criticising other works, without the detection of one original thought, but that in this production we have received pleasure in our labours from its learning and originality, we feel assured that our opinion of its real value is expressed to the utmost of our ability.

We must now turn our attention to the " Apology for the Church of Scotland," by Mr. Cummins. This commences by showing a similarity in principle between the churches of England and Scotland, and the reception by the latter of all the minutia

in doctrine of the Athanasian Creed. It protests, that the Scottish church presents an aspect of opposition to the corruptions of the Papacy, and an attitude of controversy with all who would introduce its pestilential heresies. It firmly protests against Romanism in all its branches.

Mr. Cummins maintains, though he may startle some members of the sister-church in England, that the government of the church of Scotland is Episcopal; and he rightly says, that without an Episcopacy no one national branch of the Catholic church can exist; denouncing the unnatural principle of independency, as based on the plan of the inferior ruling the superior, of a minister being judged and tried by those over whom he is set; and correctly decides, that in the Church this state of things is exactly the same as republicanism in the State. Such ministers are not independent ministers, but ministers of independent congregations.

But the difference is this:-the church of England lodges the episcopate in one individual; the church of Scotland in successive gradations of assembled presbyters, of which the last ecclesiastical court is the general assembly or supreme synod, being composed of representative presbyters from all the presbyteries of the Church, from whose decisions there is no appeal. We scarcely can concede to these the title of a body of bishops; nor do we think that the conclave of presbyters corresponds to the Episcopal description in the New Testament; for it is clear that the bishops, and the assembled presbytery, were distinct individuals; and we conceive that our church, when its houses of convocation existed, exhibited the nearest possible counterpart to the usage of the apostolic days. We, however, agree with this liberal and judicious writer, that the difference between the two churches is greater apparently than really, and that both widely differ from independency. The church of Scotland contains within itself the principles of a church, and can never be mistaken for a sectarian faction. The English church has never been wanting in just liberality; but the English church cannot recognise every mountebank who may choose to rant, as an authorized preacher of the divine word. Here we and Mr. Cummins agree.

The ecclesiastical researches in this Apology are very valuable, and reflect credit on the zeal and spirit of Mr. Cummins, as the advocate of his church: his views of church discipline are remarkably clear; we are only at issue on the question of the presbytery as equivalent to Episcopacy. He is, however, so strenuous a defender of the necessity of Episcopacy, that we will not quarrel with a friend-one manifestly well inclined to our church-about terms. We trust that we always write our reviews, as we are able to judge of an author's matter and spirit; and we do not think that we have mistaken Mr. Cummins: we

indeed always would divest ourselves so far from prepossessions, as to be fair and impartial. He will, therefore, allow us to recommend his Apology to the members of both churches, as a luminous statement, and one scarcely biassed in the few points of difference-as one which maintains the high and apostolic character of our national church.

Mr. Stephens's Guide to the Morning and Evening Service of the church of England will next occupy our attention. The matter in this book was originally published in the form of dialogues, in the Episcopal Magazine, and acquired a considerable degree of popularity. The author states, that the number of Episcopalians in Scotland is constantly increasing, and gives an historical account of the compilation and different reviews of the English Liturgy, and of the church of Scotland. The historical information is very perfect and ably condensed; we perceive nothing omitted which we would wish supplied: the arguments are conclusive, and the illustrations apposite. The volume is written by a layman, and is capable of imparting useful knowledge to the clergy: its orthodoxy is unquestionable. It will form an admirable companion to the Prayer-book. As such, every one should possess it who is desirous of critically and historically knowing the origin and circumstances of the several parts of our Liturgy.

These commendatory remarks we also extend to another book by Mr. Stephens on our Articles, which is entitled the Confession of Faith of the Church of England in the Thirty-nine Articles; and was published by Fraser, of Edinburgh, in 1836. At the same time we will call the attention of our readers to a Short Exposition of the Burial Service, by an Old CollegeIncumbent; published in 1836 by Seeley, of Fleet-street: and to Mr. Isaacson's Altar Service; published in 1837, by Tegg and Son. But one of the most useful little pamphlets which we have seen, is Mr. Thornthwaite's Index to the Doctrines of the Church of England; published by Groombridge, in Panyer-alley, Paternoster-row, this year, and sold at the cheap price of 4d., or at 3s. per dozen. We are thus minute in directing our readers where to procure these works, from a conviction of their great value in the present times: the last should be stitched in every Prayer-book, and distributed in every school, where the principles of our church are taught. It is a manual, by which children may be instructed to substantiate from the Scriptures all our distinguishing doctrines, and thus to refute the objections which sectarians are ever insidiously ready to make against them.

Covetousness brought to the Bar of Scripture; or a Brief Inquiry into the Nature and Evil of that Sin. By JAMES GLASSFORD, Esq. Edinburgh: Johnstone, 2, Hunter-square. 1837. A Dream of Life; or Augustine and Geraldine. A Poem. By