intended to represent our Heavenly Father; on the other a young man, the intended representative of our Saviour;-both of whom are engaged in placing a crown on. the head of the Virgin Mary ;-whilst the third person in the Trinity, under his emblem of the Dove, is hovering over the scene. This picture never fails to be shown to the traveller with no small degree of ostentation, as a sublime representation of the honour due to the Virgin. St. Paul, it is most probable, would have found no other difference between the idolatrous worship paid to the great Diana at Ephesus, and that paid to the Virgin Mary at Florence, except that the former was paid to an imaginary Heathen goddess, the latter to a deified mortal woman. But in both cases the honour due to the one true God. is invaded; and the command delivered by our Saviour, that the Lord our God only should be worshipped, is equally broken, though in a somewhat different way. Pp. 208-210. The following is a specimen of the doctrine of purgatory as held in the Romish Church; and it is one to which neither Bishop Baines, nor any other Papist, can take any reasonable exception, as it is only a sample of what takes place in the infallible city. That I may not be thought to slander the Church of Rome, I place before my reader a copy of a notice which I saw publicly affixed to a pillar, in a church in the Campo Vaccino, at Rome, for the information of its different frequenters. Being struck with such a public notice, I took it down on the spot, and, in a free translation, it runs thus: "An easy method of providing prayers for the soul when alive, without waiting till after death. Whoever will be enrolled in the number of benefactors to this church, and would receive the prayers of the mass, &c. must address himself to the priest of the church for the proper form, &c. Whosoever shall give the benefaction of one giulio every month, during his life, shall, after his death, receive the prayers of eighty low masses, and two cantatas. Whoever shall give un grosso a month, shall receive' the prayers of forty masses, and one cantata." The reader is then given to understand, that whoever shall have omitted to have done this, supposing he shall be arrived at the age of sixty, may purchase the whole benefit of the masses in a lump, upon the following terms; "ten scudi, for eighty low masses, and two cantatas. Moreover, those who are enrolled, shall be partakers of the masses and cantatas which are every year celebrated in each day of the octave of the death in common, for the benefactors who shall have departed this life. Let every one, therefore, think of his soul whilst he is yet alive, without waiting, in the flames of purgatory, the discretion of another, whilst he is crying out; have mercy on me! have mercy on me! have' mercy on me! at least, you my friends, since my own relations have forgotten me." To this traffic in masses, may be added another trade carried on by the Church of Rome in indulgences; the scandalous grossness of which, as it prevailed previous to the Reformation, principally contributed to the introduction of that salutary event. It is the usage of the Church at Rome, that the host, or consecrated wafer, should be in actual exhibition in one Church or another. There is, therefore, for the information of the public, a rotation list published every six months, of the Churches, with the date of the month and days when the host is to be exhibited for forty-eight hours; which is thence called, the service of Quarante Ore. On this occasion, the church in question is richly decorated, and the altar most splendidly illuminated; whilst in some conspicuous part of the church the following information is put up for the satisfaction of all who may think fit to attend the ceremony: "Whosoever shall visit each (or any one) of the above-named churches, during the service of the quarante ore, and shall stay there so long as he may find it convenient, or of advantage, and having confessed and communicated, he shall acquire a plenary indulgence, and his proposed confession being confirmed, he shall acquire ten years, and moreover forty indulgences for each time: as appears in the Breviary, put forth by Paul V. May 10, 1606.”—Pp. 229—232. Chapter viii.," Respectfully addressed to our governors in Church and State," is an admonition which has lost nothing of its value, though it may somewhat of its influence, by the altered character of our national government. We thank the Romanists, (says Dr. Daubeney), and we shall have but to thank ourselves, if we are not upon our guard against them. But we feel particularly obliged to Bishop Baines, for fairly telling us what the members of his Church would do, if they had it in their power: for in the publication here referred to, Bishop Baines unchurches the Church of England, reduces her Clergy to the rank of laymen, and tells them that they have no proper title to the revenues which they now possess. This, surely, is plain language, which it requires no strength of intellect to comprehend. We trust, therefore, that our governors will profit by the information contained in it. And, considering, (as the Bishop of St. David's, in his excellent speech, lately remarked to their Lordships,) "that, Parliament is convened by the writ of suminons, expressly for the defence of the kingdom and the Church, we humbly trust, that energy and decision will not be wanting to conduct us safely through the approaching dauger, by looking it boldly in the face. Should the case be otherwise, the Constitution must fall; and woe be to those who shall be the unhappy survivors of the ruin. At the same time, it cannot fail to give the greatest satisfaction to every well-wisher to our country, to observe the judicious measures now generally adopted for the religious and moral education of the lower orders, and for attaching them more strongly to the Establishment, by providing a more liberal accommodation for them in our churches. With such support at command, and by the firm maintenance of those Protestant principles upon which our boasted constitution was originally built, the government, under Divine blessing, will have nothing to fear from the outrageous ebullitions of a wild and misguided populace; who, if we are rightly informed, are, for the most part, but senseless tools, in the hands of an artful, interested, and ambitious priesthood.-Pp. 342-343. This is immediately followed by an important statement. I proceed to say a short word on the present alarming growth of Popery in England; which, to those who consider that this country possesses one of the most apostolical Churches this day in Christendom, and are duly sensible of this gracious act of Divine providence in its favour, cannot possibly be a matter of indifference. It is not my intention, however, to enter at large into this subject, not being furnished with adequate information for that purpose; but merely to say sufficient upon it to direct the attention of our legislators to what must be considered to be a national concern. An excellent publication made its appearance some few years since, under the title of "The Revival of Popery, in a Series of Letters to William Wilberforce, Esq.," which contains a large collection of interesting particulars relative to this important subject. In the fifth and sixth Letters of this publication, the reader is presented with a detailed account of the very extensive Establishment of Jesuits at Stonyhurst, near, Preston, in Lancashire; where the work of popish instruction, and protestant conversion, has for many years been conducting on the largest and most systematic plans. The progress which has been made, in withdrawing the neighbouring population from the Establishment of this country, and attaching them to the Romish communion, may be estimated, by the boast at this time made by the Jesuit priest, at Preston, that when he first came there, (a little more than twenty years since,) a sinall room would have contained his whole congregation; but that two large chapels, each holding two thousand persons, are now insufficient to contain the assembling congregations; and that, although before the establishment of this Jesuit's College, there were not half-a-dozen Papists about Stonyhurst,now the greater portion of the population, in that part of the country, to the amount of many thousands, are professed Papists. It may be added, that there has been lately erected in this place a large school, on the plan of the National School, for the training of the rising generation, capable of containing a thousand children; whilst the whole vicinity of Preston, comprehending the principal gentry, and even some Clergy, is described as completely subjected to the influence of the insinuating and intriguing Jesuits. To this alarming statement, in its aspect towards the Protestant Church, the author subjoins the following very pertinent observations: There are two observations, which naturally arise out of the above statement. The first is, the magnitude and danger of such an establishment as this in our own country in the present state of its continental connexions, in the present condition of Ireland, and in the sensible increase of Popery within our own realm. If Jesuitism, like her twin sister Popery, continue what she has been, ever since history has recorded her crimes, it is then a matter of no common importance, that such a society should have gained so strong and central a position, should be proceeding, unmolested, in the holy work of proselytism, and should be annually turning loose upon this nation, so large a number of disciples, imbued with all the doctrinal and practical errors which have been super-added by Jesuitism, to the native corruptions of Popery. It would be absurd to suppose that all their influence has been acquired for nothing; that so many converts have been made, and so many scholars trained, without an object; and that an establishment, whose plan is method itself, and whose union is well worthy even of our own imitation, should be thus concentrating its forces and talents, augmenting its influence and funds, and multiplying its converts and adherents, without danger to our Protestant Church and State. Under these circumstances, it is not, surely, too much to assert, that among the many objects for which this country has a right to look for protection to its Parliament, as the natural guardian of its religious and political liberties, there is, perhaps, no one which stands out more prominently,, which is pregnant with more danger to this nation, or calls for more prompt remedies on the part of the legislature, than the revival of the order of Jesuits." To the preceding statement, I have only to add, what falls within my own knowledge, as an inhabitant of the county of Somerset. There is now at Taunton a nunnery, upon an extensive scale. Previous to its establishment there were no Papists in Taunton. There are now, I am given to understand, upwards of five hundred, and the number increasing. An encouragement held out to the poor inhabitants by the Romanists, of feeding, clothing, and educating their children, has been attended, as it may be supposed, with great success. A very active agent, of insinuating address, in constant communication with Rome, zealously employed in the trade of proselytism, has worked himself into the notice of all respectable families in the town. In Shepton Mallet there is a large chapel, and a nunnery. At Stratton on the Foss, near Shepton Mallet, there is a Roman Catholic seminary, chapel, and Monastic institution, where the young students wear caps and gowns, as at our universities. At Downside, in the neighbourhood of Bath, a convent of Benedictines (if I am rightly informed), upon an extensive and splendid scale, has been lately established, and is now in full action. Such are the public Romish institutions, which have come to my knowledge, within the county of Somerset. It is well known, that the Popish poison which was imported into this country from the French Revolution, has, for these last thirty years, been gradually spreading its infection among us. The institutions above noticed, in open defiance of existing statutes, are some of the fruits which one single county has already derived from it. What steps should, in judgment, be taken to restrain the further progress of this Popish malady, it is not for me to devise. Bat of this I rest fully persuaded, that if the spirit of Roman proselytism proceeds in the way in which it has gone on among us for the last few years, a great body of the 4 G VOL. XVIII. NO. X. lower and uninformed orders of the community, attracted by a worship which addresses itself more to the senses than to the understanding, will be lost to our Establishment.-A prospect, which unless truth and falsehood in religion are become matters of perfect indifference, must, it is presumed, be a subject for serious consideration with a Protestant Government. In making, however, the preceding report, I have discharged what I conceive to be my duty. For though I feel the utmost charity towards all who may differ from me in religious opinions, still truth can enter into no compromise with error. Should I then be considered as having stretched myself beyond my proper line, on this occasion, I have to console myself, that my judgment is with God, who "seeth not as man seeth :" having acted under the fullest conviction, that the Protestant Church of England is a true Church of Christthat it has long been the glory of this nation—and that, under heaven, it is the greatest safeguard to the envied constitution of my country. Having thus borne my faithful testimony to passing events, I trust I may, without offence, make use of the following language of Mr. Southey: "If our physicians think the best way of curing a disease is to pamper it, the Lord in mercy prepare the kingdom to suffer, what he by miracle only can prevent." I conclude this chapter with the short, but energetic speech, made by King George the First, at the opening of Parliament, in 1722" It seems an infa tuation not to be accounted for, to hope to persuade a free people, in the full enjoyment of all that is dear and valuable to them, to exchange freedom for slavery, the Protestant religion for Popery, and to sacrifice at once the price of so much blood and treasure, as have been spent in defence of our Protestant Establishment. Our enemies have long taken advantage of our differences and dissensions; let it be known, that the spirit of Popery, which breathes nothing but confusion to the civil and religious rights of a Protestant Church and kingdom has not so far possessed my people, as to make them ripe for such a fatal change."-Pp. 343-349. The volume concludes with an admirable address to the Clergy, and a curious reprint of an old Saxon sermon, showing what was the doctrine of the English Church before the Conqueror on the subject of the Eucharist. It ought not to be omitted that the excellent and learned Christian to whose pen we are indebted for the sterling work before us, is one, who, on account of his devoted attachment to the constitution of our Church, and his decided and energetic denunciation of schism, has incurred the imputation of a leaning to Popery. It is curious to see one who was thus accused by his enemies, composing, and that too in his 80th year, a work against Popery, which none of his public opponents could have attempted to rival. But it is instructive as well as curious. It shows the true ground on which Popery must be combated. The low Churchman and the dissenter afford the Papist an immense advantage; because, in disputing with the Church of Rome, they contend as well against the truths she has kept, as the abuses she has added. The Romanist seizes this vantage ground, and proving that his opponents are wrong in some points of the argument where he is right, readily obtains credit for superiority in the rest. It is certain that those who will not admit any thing to be right in the Church of Rome, are the very last who will be able to prove that any thing there is wrong. Some of these men are strenuous advocates for what they call "the Literary Report. doctrine of the Reformation;" yet what is the very meaning of the term Reformation? Not surely a destruction and reconstruction; but a retention of the substance, with the removal of the concretions which had obscured and defaced it. We never denied that the Church of Rome had retained the substance of Christianity; all that we affirmed was that she had so obscured the truth by her legends and traditions, that the fair face of religion was scarcely visible through the accumulated rubbish, not to mention that much of the accumulation was actually detrimental to the substance itself. The Church of England, as any national church had a right to do, swept the pernicious additions away, and held fast the substance purified from the foreign alloy. But the substance itself we reject at our peril, whether it be apostolic doctrine, or apostolic discipline. We are happy to find that the truly venerable Archdeacon Daubeney has left a grandson so well disposed to walk in his steps. The editor, as our ordination reports show, has but very recently entered the ministry, and his first professional act is certainly auspicious. We wish him every blessing in his career, and hope he will long be permitted, not only to be useful in the more private duties of his office, but to benefit the Church at large by his theological labours. He is a living witness of the importance of a religious education, being sprung from a good father as well as a good grandfather-Colonel Daubeney, of Bath, who has taken a prominent part in the formation of the Lay Church Association in that city; an institution of the most valuable character; an institution which if it had many parallels, might achieve even the revival of our Convocation. In conclusion, we must caution our readers not to mistake the present work for another of the same name, anonymous, published by Prowett. The latter is an admirable thing in its way, and well calculated to neutralise "the deceivableness of unrighteousness;" but the two works are altogether distinct. Our readers would do well to possess themselves of both. LITERARY REPORT. Family Readings from the Gospel of To introduce the nature of this work than to let the author give his own account, and then subjoin a lecture. This publication was undertaken at quest of a few clerical friends, who had the repeated recommendation and rebeen present at my family readings: to myself it seemed unnecessary, as there are already so many plain scriptural commentaries; and still more so, after the recent and excellent works of the Lord Bishop of Chester, and the Rev. |