Spanish Armada, taking off men's immediate dread of a violent introduction of the Papal power, left them at leisure to understand that there might be danger in another direction, and to admit and appreciate those safeguards which the Catholic Church, and that alone, provides against both. The disorganizing tendencies of extreme Protestant principles had been largely exhibited in some other countries, and were apparent enough here in the proceedings of the discontented reformers, all through Elizabeth's reign. The Earl of Leicester, who had favoured the Puritans, was dead: the court interfered less, and the Church of England was left freer to right and settle herself on her own proper middle ground. She did not, as some years before she might have done, resist the hand which was commissioned to steady her. Such are some of the facts which, if one may so conjecture without irreverence, would lead to our regarding the Fifth Book especially of The Laws of Ecclesiastical Polity, from which the following extracts are taken, as a providential gift to this Church: how seasonable and how effectual, none can know till the day comes when all such mysteries shall be revealed. One thing, however, is quite certain; that as the Church is responsible for her use of the whole work, so must each individual bear his burden, when once it, or any part of it, has been brought fairly under his notice. He may, if he choose, be content to read it as a classical English book, or as a curious chapter in ecclesiastical or civil history. Or, according to its author's intention, he may suffer himself to be led by it to a thoughtful estimate of his own privileges as a member of the English Catholic Church, and of the degree in which he has hitherto laboured to improve them. In any case, the readers of such books cannot remain just where they were. They must be either the better or the worse. For undoubtedly that grave rule of an ancient bishop,1 concerning those who were admitted to the learning of the four Gospels, will apply in its degree to the readers of all human books also, in proportion as those books reflect or transmit the true meaning and spirit of the Gospels. "Inasmuch as the Lord hath declared that to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more; more exceedingly abundant ought their fear and seriousness to be as the Apostle teaches, saying, We then as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain. And this cometh to pass if we obey the Lord when He tells us, If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.” Hursley, May 2nd, 1839. 1 St. Basil, Reg. Brev. Tract, ccxxxvi. J. K. KEBLE'S SELECTIONS For the benefit of those who, in studying the Fifth Book of Hooker's treatise, desire to follow the line indicated by Mr. Keble in the preceding Preface,' the references annexed may be of use in The pointing out the passages which he selected for his purpose. headings are Mr. Keble's: the references are to the chapters and sections of the Fifth Book. The writer ventures to suggest, that this study should be followed by the perusal of Dr. Paget's Introduction to the Fifth Book of Hooker's Treatise, to which he has` constantly referred in writing the latter part of the present volume, and to which he is greatly indebted. I. Of Divine Service in general-iv. 3; vi. 1, 2. III. Of the Authority of the present Church in V. Of Dedication of Churches-xii. 1, 3, 4, 5. VI. Of the Naming of Churches-xiii. 1, 3. VII. Of the Sumptuousness of Churches-xv. 1-5. IX. Of Public Teaching, or Preaching, in the Church; X. Of the first kind of Preaching: that is, Public XI. Of the second kind of Preaching: that is, 5, 6. XII. Of reading the Apocrypha-xx. 7, 10, 11. XIII. Sermons, in what sense the Word of God— xxi. 2-5. XIV. Peculiar Advantages of the Word writtenxxii. 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 9. XV. Of the manner in which Good Men have always been used to hear the Lessons in the Church-xxii. 13, 14, 15. XVI. Reading not to be disparaged for Preaching's sake-xxii. 16, 17. XVII. Of Prayer-xxiii. XVIII. Of Public Prayer-xxiv. 1, 2. XIX. Of the Form of Common Prayer-xxv. 1–4. XX. Authority for Set Forms of Prayer-xxv. 5; xxvi. 1, 2. XXI. Of the Attire used by the Clergy in the XXII. Of Gesture in Praying, and of Different XXV. Of the Mingling of Lessons with Prayers— xxxiv. XXVI. Of Prayer for Earthly Things-xxxv. 2. XXVII. Of often repeating the Lord's Prayer-xxxv. 3. XXVIII. Of repeating some Prayers after the Minister -xxxvi. 1, 2, 3. XXIX. The Psalms; and what difference there is between them and other parts of Scripture -xxxvii. 2. XXX. Of Music with Psalms-xxxviii. 1, 2, 3. XXXI. Of Singing Psalms by course: that is, the Minister and People answering one another -xxxix. 1, 2, 4, 5. XXXII. Of Magnificat, Benedictus, and Nunc Dimittisxl. 1, 2, 3. XXXIII. Of the Litany-xli. 1, 2, 4. XXXIV. Of the Creeds of the Church, especially the 13. XXXVI. Of the Prayer in the Litany against Sudden Death-xlvi. 1, 2, 3. XXXVII. Of Confession of our Unworthiness in Prayer -xlvii. 1-4. XXXVIII. Of Prayer to be evermore delivered from all Adversity-xlviii. 2-5, 8-13. XXXIX. Of the Prayer in the Litany, Have mercy upon all men-xlix. 1, 2, 3, 5, 6. XL. Of Sacraments in General—l. 1, 2, 3. XLI. Of the Union of God and Man in the Person XLII. Of the Exaltation of Human Nature by XLIII. Of the Presence of Christ, in order to our XLIV. Of the Participation of Christ: that is, of the XLV. Of the Necessity of Sacraments to the Partici- XLVI. What are essential, what accessory parts of a Sacrament-lviii. 1-4. XLVII. Necessity of outward Baptism in particularlix. 1-5; lx. 1–5, 7. XLVIII. Of Interrogatories in Baptism touching Faith and Obedience-lxiii. 1, 2, 3. |