A voice from the Church in Southern Africa reaches us opportunely, and serves as some consolation for a cruel insult offered by the State to the Church at home. In the Trial of Dr. Colenso, Bishop of Natal, before the Metropolitan Bishop of Cape Town (London: Bell & Daldy, 1864), we have an agreeable contrast to the recent judgment of the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council in the case of Dr. Williams and Mr. Wilson, In a case most momentous in all its bearings, the Prelates of one of the youngest branches of the Church of Christ have delivered a judgment weighty, luminous, and orthodox, and have vindicated the right of a spiritual court in a spiritual matter to give sentence without reference to civil authority. But while we rejoice at this judgment, as an indisputable sign of vigorous life in the Church of the colonies, we feel the deeper indignation at the decision by a lay tribunal, partially endorsed by the two Archbishops, contradicting at any rate on two points the judgment of the Synod at Cape Town. The Church of South Africa has ventured to differ from the Lord Chancellor and his assessors-it remains to be proved whether the Church of England will sit quiet under this imputation on her fair fame. We would hope that the contrasted example of the Primate of Cape Town will induce the faithful to make a struggle to deliver their own Mother Church from the servile yoke of a lay tribunal, which indeed has no spiritual authority, but by civil force retains heresies and heretics in our midst. It does not surprise us, though it cannot but cause pain, to observe the way in which the Guardian cries serves you right" to the prosecutors of Dr. Williams and Mr. Wilson. The Church at large owes them a deep debt of gratitude, and there are very many who will thank them for "that they have not despaired of the republic," though it has pleased God that for a time their efforts should be fruitless. Our incomprehensible contemporary apparently would let heresy have its free course unchecked in our midst, for fear, forsooth, lest we should be beaten in the contest. Pretty confidence this in the cause of Christ and his Church! But the faithful can have no fear of the ultimate issue of the strife, however many rebuffs may first be in store, and however Mr. Gladstone's organ may try to persuade its readers that a liberalising of the Church of England will prove an inestimable blessing and advantage.

We welcome with great pleasure The Priest's Prayer-book, edited by two clergymen (London: Masters), as supplying a vacuum in religious literature, and a want much felt by many of our clergy. On running our eye through the contents, we find that it supplies Offices for every occasion likely to occur, and these moreover apt to the purpose. and not too long. The two forms of reconciliation, and the Itinerarium will be found particularly useful; and we think this is the first time any such have appeared in our manuals. The offices for the Visitation of the Sick are many and various, occupying a considerable portion of the book. We are glad to notice, too, that

the form of Anointing, as given in Edward VI.'s First Prayer Book, is inserted, and we commend it for much more general use than it has yet obtained. How Priests can excuse themselves for omitting a Sacrament of Apostolic institution, while the power of restoring it is absolutely in their own hands, we cannot conceive. The Litanies, Hymns, and Notes are well chosen and to the point. If we proceed to criticise, it is with the best wishes for the success of this admirable little manual. May we then observe that we should have liked more space allotted to the private devotions and spiritual life of the priest himself? The morning prayers given are abbreviated from the office of Prime, and those for the evening from Compline. Now those who use these offices in their due course need some other private devotions, in the way of meditations, acts, and aspirations. Some hints on this subject, and a few short forms, would, we think, improve a second edition; and notes and directions on the Priest's daily life would not, we think, be foreign to the subject-matter of the manual, seeing that the life of the Priest infallibly reacts on his people for good or harm. We trust that the first edition will so soon be out of print as to invite a second edition possibly still more complete.

Dr. Wordsworth is a man of gigantic undertakings. In the intervals of repose from his grand scheme of converting the Pope and Cardinals to a belief in the thirty-nine Articles, he has beneficently written, all by himself, a hymn-book for the use of the English Church, which, with transparent modesty, he evidently considers the best which has yet appeared. But if we look at "The Holy Year, or Hymns for Sundays and Holy Days, and other Occasions" (London: Rivingtons. 1863), merely a volume of religious poems, containing some useful contributions to our modern and national hymnology, we shall from that point of view be able to accord to it the praise of high excellency. The first hymn in the book, on Sunday, is equal to any hymn of the kind in English, original, or translated; and the two for the First Sunday in Lent-the first for Easter-Day, and that for All Saints' Day-are also very good. the more ordinary metres, commonly called C.M. and L.M., Canon Wordsworth's muse seems to forsake him, and his sentiments become as tame as his verses. On the whole, however, while protesting against the propriety of imposing this as a hymn-book for public use in any congregation whatsoever, we thank Dr. Wordsworth for a very interesting volume of religious poetry; and may safely predict that more than one of his pieces will become universally popular.

In

The charge, half a century ago, not without foundation, that England had produced no commentaries on Holy Scripture, cannot now in justice be made. Mr. Isaac Williams especially, has enriched the Church with a series of writings on the narrative of the Four Gospels of the greatest merit. He is now turning his attention to the Psalms, and has just given to the world the first volume

of The Psalms Interpreted of Christ (London: Rivingtons. 1864). But we must confess that he does not seem to us to have succeeded quite so well here. It may be that, after Dr. Neale's wonderful reproduction of the essence of all ancient commentators on the Psalms, any other commentary would seem flat. But, at any rate, we do not find in it that deep perception of the mysteries of Holy Scripture, or that cogent application of them to the Church's life and progress which we should have expected from such a writer. Nevertheless it provides sound and wholesome food for general readers, and will certainly serve as a very preferable substitute for that exceedingly "Plain Commentary on the Psalms," published not many years ago by the Messrs. Parker, Oxford.

One of the strangest delusions of modern days is the sect of the Irvingites, who claim, without a particle of real evidence to the justice of the claim, to have restored to the Church the office of Apostles. We have scanned a somewhat wild attempt to justify the position assumed by that sect, intituled The Original Constitution of the Church and its Restoration. By a Presbyter in the Diocese of Pennsylvania, U. S. (London: Bosworth & Harrison. 1864), but fail to detect therein the least shadow of authority for their notion of a fourfold ministry. People must be very far gone indeed who find in "Diotrephes who loveth to have the pre-eminence" a representative of Diocesan Episcopacy at war with the Apostalate represented by S. John! The fascination of Irvingism arises from its imitation of the Catholic Church, but its peculiar dogmas are too frivolous to delude any thinking and religious person. It is bitterly to be regretted that our Bishops do not search out and expel those false apostles, who have in many instances actually undertaken cure of souls in the Church.

There is much that is good and true, though nothing novel, in the amiable Mr. Brownlow's Letter to Friends in the Church of England (London: Burns & Lambert), which is written, we are glad to remark, in an excellent and charitable tone. It hits well enough many palpable blots in our system, which friends as well as foes cannot but allow to exist; but it nowhere proves that the Anglican body is not a portion of the Universal Church, nor that visible intercommunion with the see of S. Peter is essential to salvation. That the normal state of the Church Catholic is that every bishop should be in communion with every other bishop we frankly allow. Whether individual "secessions to Rome" are likely to bring about what Mr. Brownlow desires, remains to be seen. our part we earnestly wish that all good Catholics, whether Latins, Easterns, or Anglicans, should labour in their own spheres, for a restoration of peace and oneness by a corporate Reunion of the separated churches.

For

We record with great satisfaction the departure from the world of realities of that eminently poverty-stricken serial, The Scottish

Ecclesiastical Journal (Edinburgh: R. Grant & Son). It was in every point of view a disgrace to the communion that it professed to represent. Its place, however, has been taken by an octavo sixpenny magazine, well printed, and published monthly, called The Scottish Guardian, and issued by the same publishers. Its literary articles are able and impartial, but its Church tone is weak and negative, and it appears altogether unfitted to be of any great service to members of the Scotch Church in diffusing their distinctive principles in a Presbyterian country, for the simple reason thatjudging from the first number-it seems to have no distinctive principles of any sort to diffuse.

The Established Church in Ireland may be congratulated on the appointment of Dr. Trench to the See of Dublin, and the Sermon (Dublin: Hodges, Smith, & Co.) preached at his consecration by Dr. William Lee, is an eloquent and admirable defence of its true principles and position. It is evident that a change for the better is taking place on the other side of the channel, and this change may produce speedier results than we imagine, if those in power and position, advance such able and conscientious men as the author of the celebrated treatise on Inspiration to places of trust and responsibility.

Our only satisfaction in reading the Report for the year 1863 of the Anglo-Continental Association, printed by Gilbert and Rivington, is that its promoters are evidently spending the subscribers' money in an utterly profitless manner. They happily effect nothing. All must allow that soup is a valuable institution and a powerful engine in Ireland, to which, for a real practical effect, the badly-translated tractates of Mr. Meyrick's Association cannot in any degree be compared.

A new Tory newspaper called The Realm (London: Sharpe) has been set on foot-certainly not before it was wanted. It seems frank and respectable, but neither racy nor brilliant. Since the Guardian, treading in Mr. Gladstone's footsteps, has gone over to the Whigs, a great need has existed for a sound weekly family newspaper for Church-of-England people. The John Bull would be this, were its policy not a little too misty in matters ecclesiastical. Dr. Colenso and the Essayists have been far too tenderly dealt with in its pages.

Hymns and Verses on Spiritual Subjects, being the Sacred Poetry of S. Alphonso Maria Liguori. Translated from the Italian, and Edited by Robert A. Coffin, Priest of the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer, (London: Burns & Lambert), is exceedingly well translated, and though certainly not the style of religious poetry most common or most popular in England, has nevertheless its own peculiar merit, and will doubtless be appreciated by many. The lines headed "To S. Alphonso," are touching and as beautiful as any in the book.

"An English Churchman" has written and published a Letter to the Editor of the Church Times, with Reference to an Article entitled "Brother Ignatius," and "A Plea for the Religious Habit." It is ably written, but considering the many favourable notices that have appeared in our contemporary, he is rather hard on him. If Brother Ignatius received from all other quarters as fair play as he does from the Church Times, he would have no cause to complain. The publishers are in London Mr. J. Wesley, and in Ipswich, Mr. W. Spalding.

We beg to call attention to the edition of the Bollandist Acta Sanctorum now coming out. It is to be completed in fifty-six numbers, six or eight being issued yearly, and the price of each volume (a magnificent folio) is only twenty-five shillings. No Churchman's library will be complete without it; in respect of paper and print, it leaves nothing to be desired. It can be obtained at the above price by an immediate application to Messrs Burns and Lambert.

We have never as yet-which we are now glad to do-placed on record our high opinion of the Church Times (London: Palmer), a weekly penny paper, edited with great judgment and ability, as well printed as any of its contemporaries, and each week steadily increasing in circulation. We shall, no doubt, get little credit for giving our humble meed of praise now the paper has obtained a signal success. We do so, nevertheless, with all good wishes and cordiality, for it is eminently sound both in its religious and political tone.

Mr. Liddon's sermon, preached at the consecration of Mr. Venables to the Bishopric of Nassau, Apostolic Labours an Evidence of Christian Faith (London: Rivingtons), is a masterly production, which we trust had its proper influence on many of those who heard it. An able defence of the cardinal truths of Christianity, from a consideration of the past, it is not only full of suggestive thoughts, but is a very model for imitation, being learned, eloquent, and profound.

Three Years in Central Africa (London: Bell & Daldy) giving a popular account of the Anglican Mission there, deserves consideration. It shall be noticed at greater length on a future occasion. Would that a more definite line had been adopted by the Mission's promoters! From the first to the last we cannot see that a good or wise model has been followed in action and practice; and the consequence is, that-as yet it has proved (however unpleasant it may be to record the fact), very little better than a blank failure.

A new instalment of the Cottage Commentary-The Gospel according to S. Luke, (London: Masters), though plain and ad populum in its aim, is not therefore, slipshod. In doctrine it is perfectly sound, and the pieces of hymns with which it is interspersed, will make it attractive to those for whom it is intended. We are very glad to learn that it will be continued throughout the New Testament. It will be much more beneficial for the poor and aged than "the Bible without note or comment," as the cant phrase runs.