is still legal. The singularly efficient service rendered by him to the Tractarian movement in times gone by, precludes us from saying more, with regard to his well-meant pamphlet The Prayer Book as it is, (London: Masters,) than that it is the work of one who is now applying to his juniors advice and counsel, such as when he was a reformer and restorer in past days, he calmly ignored, coming as it did from his seniors, the judicious high and dry theologians of thirty years ago.

Every Anglican priest should procure Mr. Edward Badeley's valuable pamphlet, The Privilege of Religious Confessions in English Courts of Justice Considered, (London: Butterworths,) inasmuch as coming from a Roman Catholic eminently learned in the law, it states the case with remarkable lucidity, great calmness, and unquestionable power.

Mr. Ashley's version of The Advent Homilies of S. Thomas Aquinas, (London: Church Press Company,) exceedingly well translated, and full to overflowing with thoughts for sermon writers, will have been pronounced by many a boon during the recent Advent season. We venture earnestly to hope, therefore, that Mr. Ashley may be induced to publish the remaining homilies for the whole Christian year. No one is better fitted to do the work, and to do it well.

An obvious want has been supplied by the publication of Prayers for Morning and Evening, (London: Masters,) printed on a card, with Albert Durer's crucifixion appended, specially intended for children, the prayers being short, simple, and well selected.

Ten years ago we question very gravely whether the Messrs. Rivingtons would have issued so thoroughly pronounced and remarkably good an altar manual as The Little Sacrament Book. It is a compilation of the highest value, its only drawback being that the type used is too small, a venial fault easily remedied in the second edition, which we learn with satisfaction has just been called for.

Mr. W. Borrow's Four Christmas Carols, (London: Metzler,) for which Mr. F. G. Lee has supplied the words, are clever compositions, in all of which appropriate and original airs with good harmonies are provided to not unsuitable verses. four only cost a shilling, and can be well and appropriately recommended at the present season.

The

We venture to hope that the conductors of the Month will not allow themselves to be seduced from that lofty path of strict impartiality and scrupulous fairness which, until quite lately, they were so careful to take. When the Weekly Register, by the very force of public opinion in a body where public opinion is usually ignored, has been wisely led to change its tone, it would be unpicturesque for the writers in the Month to assume garments which have been happily thrown away in other quarters..

Only those who truly make good use of such seasons as Lent and Advent can properly appreciate the value of a book like. Advent Readings from the Fathers, (London: J. H. and J. Parker,) the second edition of which has just reached us. This selection was made by Mr. Bennett of Froome in 1863, and is in every respect excellent the extracts being eminently suited for the season, of a reasonable length, and full of just such pabulum as is needful either for reading or meditation. We recommend the book most cordially, knowing from experience its great value.

The Norwich Spectator for December contains a pleasant paper on Carols by Mr. Sedding, and a remarkably able article. on Ritual-apropos of the Norwich Congress. Mr. Walker's poem, too, is good.

A Manual of the Te Deum (London: Mozley) will be found useful for the upper classes in schools conducted on sound religious principles. It is thoroughly scriptural and dogmatic.

The Archbishop of Dublin, in his interesting Primary Charge, (Dublin: Hodges, Smith, & Co.,) gives a large amount of information regarding the Irish Church, such as is much needed to be carefully considered by all on this side of the Channel. This may be looked upon as a defence, in reply to the unjust and ungenerous assaults of Lord Russell and Mr. Gladstone, of an important portion of the Christian Family. And Dr. Trench is eminently calculated to be foremost in so good a work. We earnestly trust that our readers will procure this Charge and give it, as it fully deserves, a careful perusal. One point is specially lacking, however, in the Archbishop's plans he does not at all perceive the necessity of visible corporate Re-union, and appears to believe, mirabile dictu! in the West Connaught "conversions." Unless Re-union is heartily and faithfully adopted as an intelligible and rational policy on the one hand, and the disgusting exhibitions of Protestant fanaticism and ribaldry are stopped on the other, there can be no hope whatsoever for the Irish Establishment. It will be speedily swept away as a thing corrupt which cumbers the ground and is valueless.

We can strongly recommend The Canonical Hours, compiled from Ancient Sources, (London: Hayes,) which has just been published. The arrangement is simple, intelligible, and lucid, while the book is well printed and published at a reasonable cost. The "Catholic Priest" may well be congratulated on his

success.

Keenan's Controversial Catechism Refuted, (London: Church Press Company,) is the work of a painstaking clergyman, who appears to us not sufficiently to have mastered the principles of dogmatic theology to enable him to meet a Roman Catholic opponent with undisputed success. Much that he has here written is to the point and clever—the tu quoque argument being

used with singular skill. Controversial works, however, between members of the One Church are not very much to our taste, and seldom do good.

The sermon we have received from Baltimore, by Mr. Parkman, entitled, The God-Man Christ Jesus, present in the Holy Eucharist, is as thoroughly Catholic as it is truly dogmatic, and is written with no small ability, and with considerable power of language.

The sermon, Possibilities of Union, (London: Mozley,) by the Vice-Provost of Cumbrae, is a carefully-written and learned defence of the principles of the A. P. U. C. It treats the question with great skill and judgment, bringing apposite illustrations of what the preacher proposes to teach from the various recesses of a well-stored mind. Mainly intended as an explanation of the work of the A. P. U. C. for the ignorant and wrong-headed Free-Kirk people of Buteshire, who rejected Mr. G. F. Boyle because of his connection with it, this discourse partakes rather of the character of an essay than a sermon. It is, however, masterly in its arguments, and should be procured by all people who are working for visible Re-union.

Mr. Liddon's sermon, Our Founder's Vow, (London: Rivingtons,) preached at the dedication of S. John's Chapel, Hurstpierpoint, is learned, well-reasoned, and eloquent-eminently appropriate for the occasion on which it was delivered. The distinction between natural and revealed religion is very ably brought out. Even more remarkable is a sermon from the same writer, The Secret of Clerical Power, preached at the Bishop of Salisbury's Trinity Ordination. Ably and judiciously touching on many difficulties that are supposed to exist in the present temper of men's minds with regard to Church authority, it sets forth with great ability, precise theological knowledge, and much eloquence, the true secret of clerical power-even the personal presence of our Blessed Saviour. No clergyman should fail to read it.

The Crown Hymn Book, a Roman Catholic publication, issued by Richardson, of Derby, is a marvel of cheapness. It contains just such hymns and devotions as would render it useful and acceptable to all earnest missioners of the sister communion in England.

Many of the almanacks of the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, which have been forwarded to us, are really useful, excellent, and cheap. They are arranged to suit every class, and contain a variety of valuable and judiciously-selected information; not, however, sufficiently ecclesiastical for a society which is presumed to be distinctively Church-of-England in its character. The kalendar on rollers is well printed and arranged, and The Churchman's Pocket-Book remarkably useful.

Mr. W. Baird writes very practically on the revival of the sub-diaconate, in his Plea for the Extension of the Ministerial Office, (London: Rivingtons,) and has contributed a serviceable pamphlet to the general literature of the subject. It is not, however, the sub-diaconate or the lectorate that alone need to be restored. We want all the minor offices reproduced; and the present movement, which originated with Lord Shaftesbury's "Church of England Young Men's Society," is a telling testimony to the unwisdom of the "Reformers," in having root and branch abolished them. The restoration of one order will not serve nor suffice. The man that could attend at the church door, for example, might be unable to chant an antiphon; and the man who could chant an antiphon might still be unfit for the specific work of a sub-deacon. Let the work of reform, then, be undertaken in no narrow spirit; and let us not wilfully and fanatically ignore the wisdom and experience of the ancient Church of England, in order to be unlike Rome. When we bear in mind that of the recent blessed restorations in the English Church, early communions, choral services, special vestments, nunneries, brotherhoods, retreats, missions, and theological colleges, are all common both to Rome and England, we may be safe in ignoring the wretched prejudices of the timid, to whom anything Roman is a bugbear. Page 5 of Mr. Baird's useful pamphlet has produced this needful remark.

Of great advantage have been the Lenten Sermons at Oxford, originated, planned and carried out by the Bishop of Oxford. When the power of scepticism was making itself temporarily felt there, such preachers as were provided did a great and efficient work. The fifteen Sermons preached last Lent, inferior to none that have been delivered on these occasions, are varied, thoughtful, and eloquent, eminently adapted for the congregations in which they were preached, and are important contributions to our best sermon-literature. The volume containing them, The Enduring conflict of Christ with the Sin that is in the world, (Oxford: J. H. and J. Parker,) deserves a wide circulation and careful attention. It is a perfect treatise on this great topic discussing details of importance, while the main principle is never forgotten. The Bishop of Oxford contributes two sermons, and Messrs. R. Milman, H. P. Liddon, T. T. Carter, A. B. Evans, and Dr. Pusey, provide discourses of singular merit. Archdeacon Bickersteth's sermon, The Conflict with the Spirit of Expediency," is simple and forcible; while the last, by the Archdeacon of Westminster, from a text in the Apocalypse, happily contains no statement to the effect that Rome is the Babylon thereof. We have only space to commend the book to the best attention of our readers, feeling confident of receiving thanks for the recommendation.

We cannot pronounce The Catechist's Manual, (London: J. H. and J. Parker,) excellent as it is in some particulars, a success.

Though a painstaking work, and in some, least important, respects, both full and accurate, there is a manifest want of dogmatic accuracy in the whole Sacramental portion-so that many of its statements are not only painfully inadequate, but eminently one-sided; that relating to what the author terms "The Lord's Supper," if weighed in accurate balances, would be found plainly heretical. We recommend him before writing again to study, first, the late Archdeacon Wilberforce's treatise On the Incarnation, and secondly, his remarkable book On the Eucharist. On the other hand, we are glad to see that the author does not, as do some members of his school, regard "Vows as "uncatholic."-(pp. 20-22.) The affectation of humility in the first paragraph of the "Introduction," is ludicrously unreal.

Mr. Gilbert V. Heathcote, the "Literate Priest," as he desires, apparently, to be termed, has published a volume of Sermons (London: J. H. and J. Parker,) far above the average both in dogmatic force and literary ability. They are plain in language and Catholic in doctrine, and though deficient in power of comparison and illustration, no doubt proved attractive to those for whose benefit they were first prepared. The two best are on "New Year's Day" and "Patience;" the least satisfactory (because having no distinct reference to the Midnight celebration) that for "Christmas Eve." One great fault, however-which ought to be carefully and completely overcome-is the author's love of long sentences, which greatly mars the effect and simplicity of village parochial sermons. There are some varying from 15 to 22 lines, at pp. 44, 120, 144, 156, 169, and 226; while at pp. 184, 185, there is a sentence exactly 40 lines in length. All good sermon-writers ever avoid this pitfall. Mr. Heathcote's discourses would have been far better if he had done so. Nevertheless we commend his book-for, as a whole, it amply deserves commendation.

Professor Sach's Lecture, The Synagogue, (Aberdeen: Davidson,) though not very original-being mainly taken apparently from Mr. Litton's writings-is interesting and full of curious facts, well put together, and contains some clever arguments. The Presbyterian system, of course, is founded on the synagogue, but the system of Christian worship in the Church Catholic upon the worship and sacrifices of the Temple. Every type in the latter finds its true and proper antitype.

Mr. Murray has just issued a very attractive and well-got up edition, at a reasonable price, of Curzon's Monasteries of the Levant, with all the illustrations given as of old. This book, in its newest form, will no doubt be acceptable, not alone as a record of travels, or even as bearing on ancient MSS., but as giving a pleasant account of certain Eastern Christians, about whom many English Churchmen desire accurate and faithful