theless is Dr. Massie. His book in fact has been chiefly made up at home from the works of previous travellers, and by copious plagiarisms from guide-books and local historians; and was doled out at the first in the form of lectures, which were rendered attractive to a Dissenting auditory at Manchester, by the most unmeasured abuse of what by his own showing is the only religion (worth the name) existing on the Continent of Europe. Whatever Dr. Massie intended; this certainly must be the result to which his "recollections" will lead all impartial persons that the Reformation, as a religious system, in all the countries which he visited has entirely died away. Thus in Belgium, where Protestantism has now ceased to exist, in the reign of Charles V., he tells us, 50,000 were martyred for their religion, and 100,000 families driven into exile; while 18,000 Protestants remained to share the same fate in the succeeding reign, “besides a much greater number whom the Duke of Alva had put to the sword in the towns that he had taken in the field of battle." From Cologne we learn that the Protestants were expatriated in 1618. Of the utter decay of religion among the Protestants of Switzerland, Dr. Massie only confirms the accounts of Laing and previous travellers; while he ends his book with saying that "Lutheranism and Reform in Germany need reform and new life." Still he is sanguine for Protestantism. Ronge and the Société Evangelique are to convert the Continent. The former, however, he is compelled in a postscript to give up as an infidel; and of the probable efficacy of the latter we may judge by a single instance.

"At Louvain the greatest hostility and most deplorable indifference were evinced towards evangelical worship. No regular auditory had been formed; and the Minister of the Gospel knew not who, if any one, would be there to join him in worship, or to listen to the word preached. Perhaps he might begin in the presence of a couple of hearers; then a group of curious persons having assembled, might wait for a quarter of an hour, and abruptly leave him alone. Sometimes he had the grief of seeing a number of young lads enter the room for no other purpose than to make a noise and to interrupt his proceedings." "The Services now are attended by regular auditors, numbering from ten to twenty-three!!" Louvain is the only post maintained in Flan

ders by the Belgic Society."

Upon France Dr. Massie touches very slightly, but what the tendency of Protestantism in that country is, we propose shortly to give our readers an opportunity of judging.

Religious Liberty, and the Church in Chains; being an attempt to set forth the grounds upon which a number of the Clergy are at present associated, to obtain a restoration of corrective discipline in the English Church. By JAMES BRADBY SWEET, M.A., Perpetual Curate of Woodville, Leicestershire. London: Cleaver.-(8vo. pp. 88.)

THIS is one of those earnest, plain-spoken appeals by which the complacency of our Spiritual Rulers will, we apprehend, with increasing frequency be disturbed till some effectual steps are taken to purify and invigorate Holy Church's discipline. To the fearful lists of scandals adduced by Mr. Sweet, we would beg to add one which lies more at the root of the matter than any he has adverted to; the undisguised

abuse of Patronage by successive Governments. Till Ministers allow the Priesthood to have a voice in the election of Bishops it will be in vain to expect purity and efficiency in the Church. The Clergy will do well, we think, to adopt Mr. Sweet's suggestion and discuss the whole question of discipline at their Decanal Synods, or other Clerical Meetings. The subject is, as yet, very imperfectly understood. And yet it is only second in importance to the question of doctrine which has been already so vigorously mooted by Mr. Gresley.

Mr. Bohn's Books. SCIENTIFIC LIBRARY: Staunton's Chess-Player's Hand-book. ANTIQUARIAN LIBRARY: Mallet's Northern Antiquities. STANDARD LIBRARY: La Martine's History of the Girondists. Vol. 2. There is one great and commendable quality in all the serial works put forth by Mr. Bohn, which is their completeness. Whatever subject he takes up, he spares no labor or expense to carry it through; and thus, though the works themselves may be of more or less general interest in themselves to the reader, they are sure to be carefully edited, and perfect of their kind.

The volumes now in question bear out this remark. Mr. Staunton's work is a compilation from the best English and foreign books of the day, and has the merit of marking out the board with a great simplicity, so that the most difficult problems can be followed out with comparative ease by the learner.

Mallet's Book has been taken from Bishop Percy's edition, but has undergone a thorough revision by Mr. Blackwell, "omitting such portions as were founded on views obviously erroneous, or on authorities which the historical researches of the present age have shown to be fallacious." He has done this with much care and judgment. There are too some Supplementary Dissertations by the editor, and Sir W. Scott's Abstract of the Eyrbyggja Saga, which throw much light on the northern mythology.

But perhaps the most valuable portion of the volume is a 1e-translation of the Prose Edda, with a glossary, which, as far as we have been able to judge, appears to have been faithfully executed.

La Martine's history is in continuation, and is well translated.

The Village School Féte, or Good and Evil Influences, by A. E. CHALLICE, (Ollivier,) is an interesting tale, by one who has learnt the practical value of Church principles. If many have got beyond the need of such instructors, there are still those, we believe, to whom works of this kind will be useful. The Ecclesiastical Tale, however, we would suggest, need not follow the model of the modern novel, in making all its heroes and heroines marry.

We have been much pleased with a Clergyman's Address to his Household, (Masters,) reminding them that "Holiness in the Priest's household is essential to the holiness of the Parish." The subject, we need scarcely say, is one of great practical difficulty.

We are sorry that we cannot recommend CLEAVER's Companion for Churchmen, with Calendar and Table of Lessons, &c., for 1848. In almost every point of difficulty it appears to us to be in error. Thus the Service for the 5th of November is made to supersede that for the 20th Sunday after Trinity; whereas the option only is given between those for Whit-Sunday and S. Barnabas' Day which fall together. Again, it is manifestly wrong, although it appears to have the literal authority of a Rubric, to omit the Collect of a Festival at the Vespers preceding, when the Eve is not fasted. And, once more, the distinction made in our Prayer Book, between Feasts and Abstinences is altogether over-looked; and the black letter Saints'-Days are omitted. It is really very much to be regretted that private theories should be allowed to take the place of the Church's rules.

The Sure Hope of Reconciliation, (Darling,) by the author of "Proposals for Christian Union," is a very uncontroversial work upon a most controversial subject. The author is manifestly in earnest; and if the reader cannot always agree with him in his views of doctrine, or keep pace with his very sanguine expectations, he must at least admire the temper of his mind, and may profit by the practical exhortations with which the work concludes.

We do not know whether Mr. VICARY in calling himself a "Protestant Clergyman" means that he is a Dissenter, or merely a member of the low Church party; but we must admit that there is less of prejudice and abuse in his Notes of a Diary at Rome, (Bentley,) than in the publication of a (so called) High Churchman, which we noticed a few months back. Some points of Roman practice he even ventures to commend, as the College of the Propaganda and the custom of the religious Societies taking the whole charge of funerals. Any traveller who would compare any Foreign Church as seen in action with our own, and candidly set down what was good and what was evil in either, would be doing a real service to the Church at large. We do not mean to say that Mr. Vicary has attained this happy frame of mind.

Still less sympathy have we with Facts and Figures from Italy, (Bentley) purporting to be the production of DON JEREMY SAVONAROLA, Benedictine Monk, and addressed to Mr. Charles Dickens. They combine the impudence of the thorough-going cockney with the profaneness of the latitudinarian.

Selections Spiritual and Moral, from the Poetical Works of Mr. Robert Montgomery, (Nisbet) with a Preface by S. J. H., a notice by J. S. H. and an Introductory Essay by Mr. ARCHER GURNEY, have been received. We are sorry that we cannot subscribe to the favourable judgment of these friends of the author.

It is seldom that we have read a better Visitation Sermon than that preached by MR. ELLISON, Vicar of Edensor, at Bakewell, and published by Hatchard. The subject is The Education of the heart in Childhood. We very warmly recommend it to our readers.

The Story of Waterloo, by the REV. G. R. GLEIG. (Murray.) This is rather a late day for a regular account of the Battle of Waterloo; but it is

beautifully told, and is probably more accurate in some of its details, than many of the earlier histories. But it is not from this reason that we notice it, but from the overwhelming testimony which it gives undesignedly and from the facts themselves, that the victory was from GOD, and that no blunders or faults on the part of the Allies, or the finest tactics on the part of Napoleon, could have altered the event. This is a very healthful principle; but it is one which has been too much cast out of the world's history, and we cordially recommend Mr. Gleig's volume, as strongly bringing it back in the most momentous and important event in the modern history of Europe. It is indeed most strange, that the simple and leading truth which we universally recognise in the wars of Scripture, should be so utterly rejected in the subsequent transactions of the world,-as if GOD could ever act on two principles, and alter His own counsels in the governance of the world, from the first ages to the last. We should greatly wish our readers to take up this work with this idea in their minds. There are some few blemishes of style, which we could wish to see altered. For instance, every cannonade is invariably with murderous effect"-sometimes twice in the same page, and with perfect impartiality in both friend and foe; and musketry never appears except under the form of "iron hail," until the mind longs in spite of itself for a second simile, even though it might be a worse one.

"

ECCLESIASTICAL INTELLIGENCE.

CHURCH OF SCOTLAND.-DIOCESE OF S. ANDREW'S.

Peterhead, August, 1847.

MY LORD, The Rev. Al. Lendrum of Muthill has visited me for the purpose of laying before me your proposal for the erection of a Cathedral in Perth, to be designated

"THE CATHEDRAL CHURCH OF THE APOSTLE S. JOHN," and a collegiate residence for the Bishop of the Diocese,-and a staff of four or five Clergy to conduct the daily and Sunday Services of the Cathedral,and to celebrate Divine Service in surrounding localities, where there are no resident Clergy, as the Bishop, for the time being, may direct and require.

Of this, your Lordship's noble and generous scheme, I have the greatest pleasure, after the most mature deliberation, in expressing my full and unqualified approbation; and therefore I feel bound to convey to your Lordship my heartfelt thanks for the interest you have thus manifested in behalf of this long afflicted Church, and of my Diocese in particular.

Your Lordship's undertaking is a great national work, in which the whole Church is interested; though my Diocese has, for good and sufficient reasons, (as it appears to me,) been selected as the immediate partaker of the benefit. Under this persuasion I earnestly trust that it will receive the hearty prayers and the warm support of the whole body of the Church.

The declining years of my Episcopate have been to me a period of much anxiety; but they have more recently been refreshed with some marked tokens of renovated zeal and strength. The faithful, I perceive, have not labored and prayed in vain. The great Head of the Church has heard the

prayers, and rewarded the labors of His people. I rejoice more especially to think that the present undertaking will conduce in a very high degree to the revival of the Church. I do verily believe that a Cathedral adequately endowed, with a provision for the residence of the Bishop, in so central a locality, and a full staff of working Clergy, would, under the Divine blessing, do more than anything to consolidate the strength of the Church, to quicken the zeal of her members, to set forth the sublimity of her worship, and to exhibit her renewed life and vigor. It would, as from its centre, send forth its branches over the whole land.

No great undertaking can be carried on without a large amount of individual and combined exertion. I, therefore, understanding it to be your Lordship's wish and recommendation, do hereby constitute as a Committee to carry out the plan,—

OF THE CLERGY,

1. The Bishop of the Diocese, for the time being, who shall preside at all meetings when present;

2. The Rev. J. C. Chambers and others, hereafter inducted by me and my successors to the collegiate charge at Perth;

3. The Rev. Alex. Lendrum of S. Michael's Church, Crieff;

4. The Rev. John Macmillan, of Strathtay;

5. The Very Rev. John Torry presently of Meigle, &c.

OF THE LAITY,

6. The Right Hon. Lord Forbes of Castle Forbes ;

7. The Right Hon. Lord Viscount Campden;

8. The Hon. G. F. Boyle;

9. Sir James Ramsay of Banff, Baronet;

10. Sir John Forbes of Pitsligo, Baronet; 11. Stirling of Kippendavie;

with power to add to their number, and to form, if judged expedient, a separate Committee in England for the special purpose of raising funds. And I hereby empower the before-named Committee, to draw up a Constitution for the Cathedral and Collegiate Residence, agreeably to the Canons, consistently interpreted, and in strict conformity with the authorised Formularies of this Church.

I cannot expect to see your Lordship's great undertaking completed, having, already, nearly attained the advanced age of eighty-four; but I will even yet hope, if it be God's Will, to see it fairly begun, and in part executed. In the fullest and most entire faith that it is an undertaking of which GOD approves, and with the mingled feelings of hope and gratitude, I commit the carrying out of the same to the guidance of Him Who can alone dispose of the wills and affections of His people towards any pious or good object.

One thing is certain,-this great work cannot be accomplished without many considerable sacrifices on the part of individuals, and perhaps some acts of self-denial. But, as I am fully convinced it will exercise hereafter a powerful influence on the destinies of this whole Church, I most earnestly commend it to the liberal support of every devout Churchman whom this may reach. Their offerings, whether given of their abundance, or as the fruit of self-denial, will do an amount of good, the consequences or extent of which it is impossible to calculate. Whoever, in the present position of the Scottish Church, undertakes and carries on any great work, which will materially contribute to the consolidation of her strength, is doing more for the promotion of the REDEEMER'S Kingdom than it is, perhaps, possible to do in any other circumstances, or in any other branch of His Vineyard.

Let me then conclude this, my earnest recommendation, in the words of inspiration" He that soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he that soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully: every one as he purposeth