Time and space forbid our venturing beyond this passing tribute of affectionate esteem to one without a rival in her sphere, one of whom we may be justly proud as Englishmen, whose life is a record of unwavering self-devotion, of grand unselfishness, whose works combine the passion of the most highly wrought creations of modern France with a purity of feeling and nobility of intention which we may proudly call our own.

We

There are defects, drawbacks, and shortcomings doubtless. are not now in a mood and temper to descant on them. Nor do we envy the man who is, after a perusal of these modest and sterling volumes.

REVIEWS AND NOTICES.

An Argument for not proceeding immediately to repeal the Laws which treat the Nuptial Bond as indissoluble. By the Rev. J. Keble, M.A., &c. Oxford and London: J. H. and James Parker.

THIS is a very closely and patiently reasoned pamphlet; and it is remarkable how, whether we look at the question of Divorce or to that of Marriage with a Deceased Wife's Sister, (the two questions which are now so much pressed amongst us,) they do both need very careful examination if we would desire to arrive at the true sense of Holy Scripture. Undoubtedly on both these questions there is a good deal to be found which seems to sanction the laxer view which is now in vogue; and on the question of Divorce the voice of the Church does not seem at first sight so opposed to it as on the other point referred to. But still we are persuaded that those who seek to know with all earnestness and humility what is "the mind of the Spirit" will be led to see in both instances that there is no countenance given to the modern ideas of laxity, -as Mr. Keble promises to show us on another occasion there is reason to believe that there has been some misapprehension as to what was the real judgment of the Church in the matter. But we will not detain our readers longer from the "argument" of this pamphlet. "of

There are three passages in which our LORD speaks on the subject of Divorce. In the first He represents Moses allowing of it "in case of fornication;" in the second there is no such licence allowed; and in the third the licence is said expressly to have been granted to the Israelites on account of the hardness of their hearts. But then our LORD adds words, "But I say unto you," which seem again to affirm the lawfulness to the Christian of putting away a wife on the ground of unfaithfulness. This appears at first sight to militate against Mr. Keble's argument for the absolute indissolubility of the nuptial bond. But there are two circumstances which tend very strongly to show that he must eventually be right,-first, the undeniable fact that the Disciples regarded it as a new and very stringent law, "Then it is good for a man not to marry;" and secondly, the directions given by S. Paul, which the writer very successfully shows are simply an exposition of

what our LORD Himself had said. We desire very strongly to press upon Churchmen generally the consideration of this very weighty argument, and much wish in conclusion that we could quote what the author has written on page 41 explanatory of the natural affinity between lax views of holy matrimony with low doctrine generally.

The Seven Voices of the Spirit: being the Promises given by Christ through the Spirit to the Church Universal, extracted from the Apocalyptic Epistles addressed to the Seven Churches in Asia: interpreted in a Series of Sermons. By the Rev. GEORGE EDWARD BIBER, LL.D., Perpetual Curate of Roehampton. London: Masters. THESE Sermons, though written nine years ago, owe their publication at the present moment to Mr. Chamberlain's volume on the Seven Ages of the Church. But Dr. Biber shall tell his own tale.

"That the Seven Voices of the SPIRIT,' the interpretation of which is attempted in the following pages, contain a body of Divine instruction wholly distinct from those special messages, was evident to the author's mind from the commencement of the inquiry which he was led to institute into their purport. That the special messages, likewise, had a further meaning, beyond their application to the Churches to which they were severally addressed, and that meaning a prophetic one,-appeared to him highly probable; and a vague notion, the correctness of which he hoped, if leisure were afforded him, to test, was floating in his mind, that in some way or other the future history of the Church was shadowed forth in them.

"It was an agreeable surprise to him to find this impression of the character of those portions of the Apocalyptic Epistles confirmed by the recent appearance of a highly interesting volume, 'The Seven Ages of the Church as indicated in the Messages to the Seven Churches of Asia,' by the Rev. Thomas Chamberlain. By the ability with which that writer has evolved the analogy between the different states of the Seven Churches, and the condition of the Church in the successive ages of her history, the treatment of that subject by any other pen is clearly superseded; and nothing, therefore, remains, on that head, for the author of the present volume, but gratefully to record the satisfaction which the perusal of that valuable exposition has afforded him, and, as an humble and respectful tribute to its merits, to place before the public the present discourses in the shape of a companion volume.” Pp. v. vi.

All that Dr. Biber, therefore, touches upon belonging to "the Apocalyptic Epistles," are the several rewards which are promised by the SPIRIT to those who "overcome" the several temptations referred to, which he refers to three different periods of time, viz., to the Church Militant, the Millennial Period, and the State of Glory. Now with regard to this method of treating the subject, we confess to entertaining two difficulties. 1st, That it is treating it by halves, and omitting the most important half; and, 2ndly, that it is dangerous to build up anything like a minute system of detail on such precarious ground as the interpretation of language which is evidently figurative. In fact, there is no part of Mr. Chamberlain's volume that we more approve than that in which he states his view of the broad principles on which Scripture language1 should be interpreted.

The interpretation that we would ourselves assign to these diversities 1 Seven Ages of the Church, p. 40-42.

of reward, is, that while all express virtually the same thing, that aspect of heavenly bliss is represented in each case, which would seem to render it specially acceptable to those who have come out of the several successive trials of the Church. Thus, (1) immediate intercourse with GOD is offered to those who have known Him most truly now by faith. (2) Not to be hurt by the second death, to those who have endured persecution, and it may be the death of the body in defence of the truth. (3) A hidden life," which no man knoweth," is the reward which would most commend itself to those whose lot is cast in times of worldliness. (4) The privilege of having to judge the heathen, is what they who had seen the heathen triumphant over the Church would specially appreciate. (5) The certainty of being "confessed before men and angels," we may well understand would be the best support to those who had grieved to see the Church as it were overwhelmed by, and absorbed into, the world. In the 6th age men are represented as vainly striving after the certainty of knowledge. What more acceptable reward then, to those who have known these temptations, than to be taken into the inner temple of GOD, and from thence to go no more out into the storms and controversies of the world. And, lastly, in an age where every one is seeking for enjoyment, what greater or more supernatural blessedness than to be assured of a reward far surpassing all earthly enjoyments, even a share in God's own eternal throne!

This, it will be remembered, is exactly the principle on which the rewards in the Beatitudes are affixed to the several graces there enjoined, and so it seems to afford a clue to what we are to look for in the messages to the Churches.

Having ventured so far to differ from Dr. Biber, we will now invite our readers to read his book, and whether they agree with us or him, they will find much in it to interest them.

In Going Abroad, Miss BELLAIRS enters boldly on the social and religious aspect of France and Italy. And if the conclusion at which she arrives on the latter view of the subject is more unfavourable to the Church than we could have hoped, we must at least admit that the authoress is an intelligent churchwoman, and that she appears to have started with the intention of being just and impartial.

Godhold's Emblems, by C. SCRIVER, (Edinburgh: F. and T. Clark. London: Hamilton and Adams ;) is the work of a good old man who lived some two hundred years ago, and was wont to draw very sage moral reflections from the most commonplace occurrences of life. Now, doubtless, the burghers of Magdeburgh had no very keen sense of the ludicrous, and may therefore have profited by his remarks; but to readers of the present day, the absurd associations which are connected with his really excellent advice, must materially mar any beneficial effect. For instance, when we are told by him to "mark the emblem of a pious man with a pain in his stomach," we may be excused if we do not derive any great mental advantage.

Dr. KYNASTON has published an elegant and faithful translation of Peter Damiani's famous Hymn de gloria Paradisi, (Fellowes,) preserving the original Trochaic metre. In his Preface he ought to have done justice to Mr. Neale's labours in this recovered branch of literature.

In Principles of Natural Theology, by ROBERT ANCHOR THOMPSON (Rivingtons: London,) we meet with acute and logical reasoning, combined with considerable felicity of expression. The work is likely to prove very useful to any persons who may have been led to adopt pantheistic errors, or the scarce less dangerous heresies of the German school.

It is scarcely going out of our way to notice Mr. CHARLES READE'S "matter-of-fact romance," It is never too late to Mend, (Bentley,) inasmuch as one main object of it seems to be the suggestion to the Clergy of better ways for getting at the consciences of their people. Whether for this purpose it was necessary to draw such a highly-coloured picture of the interior of a gaol, we do not affirm. But the tale is very interesting, and to many will be profitable.

Mr. SKINNER'S Warnings and Consolations spoken in S. Barnabas' Church (Mozleys) is not only full of interest, under the circumstances of its publication; but may be referred to with satisfaction, as showing that the High Church Clergy at least are but partially open to the censures which are now being so thickly scattered upon the style and manner of preaching.

Mr. DICKSON's Letter to the Bishop of Salisbury on the improvement of Church Choirs (J. H. Parker) is well meant and contains some sensible remarks, but till he has learned to recognize "intoning the prayers" as simply the voice of the Church, and to appreciate her ancient hymns with their tunes, he is scarcely qualified to write on the music of the Church, and we should deprecate a hymnal published by authority which should be constructed on such principles.

The Pastoral Letter (Murray) which the Bishop of EXETER has again issued to his Clergy in the lieu of a Triennial Charge, is concerned with refuting the notion that the Judgment of the Privy Council left the doctrine of Baptismal Regeneration (as Bp. Kaye affirmed) to be an open question. And he assigns two reasons why they could not have done so,-one, because, as has been often pointed out, the doctrine attributed by them to Mr. Gorham and allowed, was not really what he held—and secondly, because his real doctrine had been already condemned by the Council of Ephesus, and therefore is ruled by the English Church to be actual heresy. The words of the Council are exactly to the point,— "Quicunque parvulos recentes ab uteris matrum baptizandos negat, aut dicit nihil ex Adam trahere originalis peccati quod regenerationis lavacro expietur-Anathema sit."

The Denison Case must now, we conceive, come certainly to an end. The whole ground, in fact, is cut from under Mr. Ditcher's feet. He charges the Archdeacon with contravening two of the Thirty-nine Articles, and it now turns out that one of these Articles, for the purpose concerned, has no authority whatever, and the other is declared by the writer who penned it to be consistent intentionally with stronger doctrines even than those put forth by the Archdeacon. The former statement is proved a second time by the laborious pamphlet of Mr. BRITTON, Ditcher v. Denison, (J. H. Parker:) the other, amongst other important matter, is shown by Mr. GRUEBER in his valuable Summary (Masters) which has just been published.

DISCIPLINE THE DEFENCE OF DOCTRINE.

Ir is very commonly remarked, that the Church of England in matters of form and doctrine is in a state of perpetual oscillation. If there were no inferences drawn from this remark, no conclusions deduced from it for the purpose of influencing our practice, one might be content to accept it without inquiring into the accuracy of the terms in which it is expressed. But we have heard it further urged that this state of oscillation is the normal condition of our Church, and that there is in it a security against any essential departure from the central truth.

In like manner as a planet's orbit would be unstable if perfectly circular, whereas it is stable because it is elliptic; or as the deviations from the orbit occasioned by the disturbing forces amount to a certain small maximum, then decrease, and are succeeded by deviations no greater, in the opposite direction, so, it is urged, the progress of our Church is secured in its general correctness by the alternate deviations on the right hand and on the left. In these oscillations is our safety.

If this were so we might regard the deviations with complacence, and bear their accompanying inconveniences at least with equanimity. We might look upon the Brampford-Speke, Pimlico and Taunton controversies with far less concern than that which now attaches to them. Our conviction however of the importance of the matters at stake in these controversies, together with our sense that they do but form a portion of one of these so-called oscillations, prevents us from adopting this self-complacent view, and engages us in a closer observation of the original remark. Beyond a doubt it is, that there are advances and retrogressions in our Church: but we cannot for a moment allow that it is of the nature of truth, or of the constitution of a Church, which is a pillar of the truth, to oscillate. So far as a Church attains to truth, so far does it become more and more fixed; with tenets less alterable, definitions more precise, distinctions more clear, with foundations more firm. The alternate advancing and receding of the English Church then is a sign of weakness and insecurity, not of strength and safety.

And further, when this advancing and receding is described as an oscillation, there is a very serious error introduced. It is thereby assumed that from Apostolical Christianity as the central truth, our deviations are on the one side and on the other; neither of those deviations being so great as to deprive us of our claim to the possession of Apostolical Christianity. The remark, when made in such language, is in fact a proud and vain boast that our central VOL. XIX.-JUNE, 1857.

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