in them, gave orders that injunctions should be made commanding them to be set up in the churches; that in the meanwhile, and before these injunctions were publicly issued, Queen Anne fell under the king's displeasure; that the bible having thus lost its chief supporter, those around the king ventured to represent the danger of issuing a translation that was full of errors; that the king easily swayed by his humour, and having no one to uphold his original intention, allowed the injunctions to be altered; that thus Coverdale's translation was suffered to fall to the ground, being neither prohibited nor sanctioned; and that the remainder were issued from the press with the substitution of Queen Jane, instead of Queen Anne, both because it might have prejudiced the sale, the mention of the king's dearest iust wyfe, and most vertuous Pryncesse, Quene Anne,' and because that Queen Jane might thereby be induced to interest herself in its support."

The Appendix contains some curious documents from the state papers, and an elaborate catalogue of Coverdale's publications.

Lectures on the Establishment and Extension of National Churches. Delivered in London, from April 25th to May 12th, 1838. By T. Chalmers, D.D. London Hamilton, Adams, & Co. Glasgow: Collins. 1838.

THESE lectures will, of course, be useful in bringing before the public in general a great mass of argument in favour of church establishments. It cannot be expected to add much to the arguments which have previously been advanced, and which may almost be said to have settled the question; but everything which is brought forward by Dr. Chalmers must be brought forward with a power and conviction which very few but he can reach.

Caunter and Daniell's Oriental Annual for 1839.

EVERY lover of oriental landscape has regretted Mr. Daniell's death, and the tribute here paid by Mr. Caunter to his memory (highly honourable to Mr. Caunter's own feelings) shews that as a man he is still more to be regretted than even as an artist. The present volume contains very many of his beautiful sketches of Indian scenery and architecture; and those which exhibit to us the gorgeous buildings of the East in all their reality, and yet in an artist-like aspect, have peculiar value. The volume is altogether beautifully got up, and Mr. Caunter's tales add great interest to it.

The Life of Hannah More, with Notices of her Sisters. By Henry Thompson, M.A. of St. John's College, Cambridge, Curate of Wrington. London: Cadell. Edinburgh: Blackwood. 1838. pp. 399.

THIS volume, as it would appear by a title-page inserted at the end, is intended to form an accompaniment to the last edition of Hannah More's works; although, of course, it stands also as a separate book. Viewed in either light, it has its own value: standing by itself, it contains the life of a very remarkable person; and taken in connexion with her works, it serves to explain the circumstances under which they were composed, and consequently to throw light upon the motives &c. which led to them. In these days of biographies of five and seven volumes, it is agreeable to meet with a book of biography not

exceeding reasonable proportions; and the present volume appears to the reviewer to set before the reader the history of this life in its most important features, and to state the circumstances fully which the public are the most interested in knowing. At the present period of time, however, it cannot be needful to enter into any lengthened notice of the life of one who has been so much before the public. As the subject of this biography, it need only be said, that Mr. Thompson has had the advantage of many original letters, &c., and that some particulars not previously known will be found in his pages. The wood-cuts are pretty, and most of them supplied by Mr. Thompson himself. It is perhaps hardly necessary to say, that the tone of piety and good feeling in which this life is written is such as to do much credit to the author.

The True Character of the Church of England, as exhibited in her Antiquity, Orders, and Liturgy. By the Rev. George Ingram, Curate of Chedburgh, Suffolk. London: Longman and Co. Bury St. Edmund's: Deck and Co. Small 8vo. pp. 150. 1838.

THE object of this little volume is to shew the origin of our church, and to prove that it is not really derived from the church of Rome. A great part of it is occupied with quotations and testimonies from old historical writers; and it is very valuable in this respect, as giving in a small compass and an accessible form what is scattered over a variety of books, such as Stillingfleet's "Origines Sacræ," Ussher's "Antiquities," &c. It is the object of the author to shew, that before Augustine the Monk came to England, there was a church in which the pure apostolic doctrines, now held by our church, were taught without the addition of Romish corruptions, and in which there was the authority which belongs to the apostolic succession. The author, in short, maintains that our church derived neither its orders nor its liturgy from that of Rome, and was never justly subject to the dominion of that usurping see. These points have so often been argued, especially lately, that there is no need of entering upon them now; it is only just to remark, that the author has brought forward a very strong body of evidence in favour of all his points. Many, however, of those who are convinced in the main of all the points thus argued, may not be disposed to agree with him as to some of the details, such as the introduction of Christianity into Britain by St. Paul himself. This is, as every one knows, a much-debated point; and those whose principles are the same as Mr. Ingram's will often form different conclusions as to the historical evidence for that circumstance. Mr. Ingram has however, at least, gathered together the testimonies relating to it with creditable diligence. His book is divided into three chief parts, with a general introductory chapter. The three chapters are intended to prove :

1. The protestant character and apostolic foundation of the early British churches.

2. The apostolic succession of orders and doctrines of the British priesthood.

3. The derivation and primitive character of the British ritual.

There is one remark which it is necessary to make before closing the notice of this volume. The reviewer cannot but think it extremely injudicious to press so much upon the word "protestant," and, in order to shew the excellence of protestantism, to extend its signification till it embraces not only the apostles, but our Lord himself, and the Supreme Being upon his throne. This is done by making it allude to "the protest of truth against error." It is clear that, under this definition, the most strict and zealous Romanist might grant that the apostles and our Lord himself were protestants; but what would be gained by that? If we retain the name of protestant without allusion to its first origin, or adherence to everything which that origin implied, and choose to generalize it for ourselves, we are at liberty to do so; but to force the definition till it embraces the Son of God, the Divine Redeemer upon the cross, and even God himself, seems to the reviewer to savour more of zeal for a word than of reverence for the great and awful Being whom we thus introduce. All that the protestant need do is, to shew that what he holds is conformable to that which the Son of God revealed, and his apostles taught, and the early church believed, and that what he rejects was neither revealed by Jesus Christ, taught by the apostles, nor believed by the early church. With this remark, which one is very sure Mr. Ingram will take in good part, because it would not have been made had not the rest of the work been of so different a character as to merit much praise, the reviewer leaves this volume, recommending it at the same time to all those who wish for a compendious collection relating to the early history of our church.

The True Strength of Missions. A Sermon preached before the London Association in aid of the Missions of the United Brethren, &c. By the Rev. E. Bickersteth, Rector of Watton. London: Seeleys. pp. 38.

1838.

THE portions of this sermon which depend on piety and religious feelings are, like Mr. Bickersteth's other works, highly creditable to him; but those which touch on church principles are not entirely in accordance with the notions of the reviewer.

Narrative of Henry John Marks, formerly a Jew, now a follower of the Lord Jesus Christ, written by himself. With an Introduction, by the Rev. Charles B. Taylor, M.A., Rector of St. Peter's, Chester. London: Hatchards; Hamilton and Adams. Chester: Seacome. pp. 165. (Chester printed.) 1838.

THE reviewer knows nothing of the name or circumstances of Mr. Marks, except what he has learnt from reading this volume, but he can honestly state that he thinks it cannot be read without considerable interest. The subject of the narrative, from the account given of his marriage, appears to have belonged to a wealthy family of the Jewish persuasion. On his conversion to Christianity, and his baptism, they discarded him, he was thrown out of business, and, as far as all worldly

prospects were concerned, completely ruined. His family had desired that he might marry; and they thought that if his wife were of a strict Jewish family, it might be the means of preserving him from what they deemed apostasy, which they had some reason to fear; but in this instance they miscalculated. After many struggles, both he and his wife became Christians, and at first entered into communion with one of the Irvingite congregations in London, but after a time became convinced of the unsoundness of that form of Christianity, and their last child was baptized according to the rites of the church of England, at the Episcopal Jews' Chapel, Palestine-place. It is stated in the volume (p. 155), that Dr. M'Caul and Mrs. M'Caul consented to become sponsors to this child,—a circumstance which is likely to weigh most highly as a testimony to the worth and trustworthiness of the author. The hardships, from poverty and illness, which he and his family underwent, in consequence of his change of persuasion, are most affecting; but throughout the book he expresses the most heartfelt joy and satisfaction at the change. The reviewer, as it was before said, knows nothing on the subject but what he gathers from the book itself, and offers no remark on any opinion which may be held by Mr. Marks; he simply speaks of the great interest of the narrative, as portraying the struggles of mind under which this great change was effected, and cannot conclude without expressing a hope that the sale of the work may contribute towards relieving the wants of the author and his family.

The Beauty of Holiness, and other Poems. By George B. Scott, Author of "Leisure Hours," Songs for All Seasons," &c. London: Darton and Harvey. Small 8vo. pp. 157. 1838.

THE task of writing sacred poetry must be one of extreme difficulty, for it is seldom performed with great success. Mr. Scott appears to be a man of piety and very good feeling, and fond of writing poetry on serious and solemn themes. Tastes differ so widely in poetry that no man can fairly decide for others; but the reviewer will merely say, that these poems do not appear to him to possess that high degree of merit which would entitle them to publication, while at the same time he thinks it probable that other persons might think some of them pleasing.

A new weekly sort of Penny Magazine, called, The Wonders of the World, in Nature, Art, and Mind, has been commenced, edited by Henry Ince, M.A. The tendency of those articles which the writer looked at appeared to be good.

Many books must stand over for this month. Jacobson's valuable republication of the Patres Rev. L. V. Harcourt's Doctrine of the Deluge.

Among them, Mr. Apostolici, and the

567

CHURCH MATTERS.

DEAR SIR,-If you think that the following remarks accurately represent, what seems to me, our position of danger with reference to a most vital question, you will oblige me by inserting them: it may serve to rouse us to greater exertion, to see that, if we sleep, we sleep on a volcano. I am, Sir, yours faithfully, RUSTICUS.

NATIONAL EDUCATION.

STATE OF THE QUESTION IN PARLIAMENT.

THE question of education has, for some time past, furnished matter for much idle speculation and vague declamation; but various circumstances have conspired to make it more than probable that it will take a definite shape in the next session of parliament. There are certain preliminaries by which a contest on questions of this nature are ushered in. Folios of inaccurate returns have been laid on the table of the House of Commons; dull speeches, founded on appalling statistical statements, have ended in motions for inquiry; select committees have sat, have collected masses of incoherent evidence, have reported, and come to no conclusion. "It is a dreadful state of things; really something must be done,” says every third man, who has little idea of what are the real evils, still less of what is the remedy for them. But seeing that no two persons are agreed what is the something which must be done, the next step in order is, for several parties to agree to call into existence a new power, which will surely adopt or invent some plan, and then to toss up for whose plan it shall be.

It seems that the question of education has nearly arrived at this point; it will, therefore, not be without its use at the present moment to see how it stood at the beginning of the last session, and how it stands now. Those who read their newspaper hastily over the breakfast table, and measure the progress of mischief by the number of bills which pass a second reading, will probably be surprised to be told that any progress at all was made on the subject. Early in the last session there appeared three leaders on the subject of education,-each firmly persuaded that education is the cure for all evil, and that his own mode of administering it is the only one in which the present state of the patient admits of his taking the infallible specific with advantage.

Mr. Wyse, Lord Brougham, and Mr. Slaney, differ widely in their views, or at least think it expedient to express themselves very differently; and though no one of these gentlemen has any great train of followers, they represent in the main three classes of opinion, under one or the other of which all persons must fall, who agree in the fundamental principle of the nineteenth century-viz., "that the national church is not the educator of the people."

It is not pretended that all who hold this principle do so on the same grounds, nor that they are all equally attached to it. Some hold