really a most interesting volume. The year's events are narrated by different writers, generally in a clear and succinct style, and the papers are storehouses of information. Some, we think, such as Miss Burdett Coutts's Church,' might have been better left out; but, on the whole, the subjects selected indicate a fair degree of taste and judgment. Besides the papers named, they consist of 'The Hippopotamus in England;' 'Ocean Steamers' and their history; The Mountain of Light;' 'Tornado in the Bahamas;' 'The Nepaulese Embassy;' 'Panoramas; Colossal statue of Bavaria ; Journey to the Mountain of the Moon;' 'A Lion Hunt in Algeria ;' 'The British Museum;' and, lastly, the 'Great Exhibition.' The book would be an interesting and useful present to intelligent young people. Tracts of the British Anti-state-church Association. New Series. 1. Church Property and Revenues. 2. It's the Law; or, the Churchman's Defence of Churchrates examined. 3. The Church in Chains. Address to the Wesleyan Methodists of Great Britain and Ireland. Tracts for the Million. New Series. Nos. 1 to 12. The Almanack for the Times. 1851. A Model Law. London: Published for the Association, at its Offices, 4, Crescent, Bridge-street, Blackfriars. We take advantage of this opportunity to avow our hearty and entire sympathy with the principles, the organization, the aims, and objects of the British Anti-state-church Association.' Although, however, we have been personally a member of the Association for some years, and shall deem it a privilege and a duty to advocate its claims upon the public support whenever it may appear to be necessary, we shall hold ourselves at liberty, if need be, to criticise its operations as freely as though we were not in any way identified with its principle and objects. The Christian Spectator' is not an organ of the Anti-state-church Association. It seeks to be the organ of no Association, sects, or parties. It would be the organ only of principles-principles such as we deem to be righteous, just, fixed in their essential basis, progressive in their developments and operations-in one word, Christian principles. These, whether popular or unpopular, we shall at all times, in season and out of season, advocate; and if any body of men, on good grounds, unite to further the advancement of such principles, and organize themselves into an Association' for that purpose, such association will meet with our support on all occasions when it does not, in our judgment, act inconsistently with its professions. The above tracts, which have been sent to us for review, we can cordially recommend for perusal, and we hope that they will receive the widest circulation which the friends of the Anti-state-church Association can give to them. Written in a calm and dispassionate spirit, they will be found useful in disabusing many minds of an unfounded prejudice against the society; whilst the ability with which they discuss the various aspects and bearings of the Statechurch question render peculiarly fit for producing right convictions on this important subject. They are pre-eminently the Tracts for the Times,' which would be the most fitting title they could receive. We especially recommend Tracts No. 1 and 2, entitled 'Church Property and Revenues,' and 'It's the Law.' The Almanack for the Times' is a handsomely-printed sheet, mounted on rollers, and designed for use in the parlour, hall, counting-house, &c. In addition to the usual calendar, it contains a great amount of information on the property, history, and working of the State Church in England, condensed into the smallest possible compass. The opinions of eminent men, both Churchmen and Dissenters, are also quoted against the principles of a State Establishment of religion. Then we have a statement of the origin and aim of the Anti-state-church Association, and a list of its publications. The work, as a whole, is a complete vade mecum for Dissenters. The Model Law is a reprint of the Act passed in the Assembly of Virginia in 1786, establishing perfect religious freedom in that State. It is handsomely printed in colours, and mounted on rollers, and would form a most appropriate altar-piece for the parish church. From a statement appended to our present number, it will be seen that the Committee of the Association are about to enter upon a new field of activity, and to issue books, some of which, without being controversial in their character, will impart sound ecclesiastical principles, in an indirect form, so as to influence minds not to be reached by the more palpable forms of agitation. It appears to us to be a well-conceived project, and likely, if carried out with the same skill and efficiency which have hitherto marked the operations of the society, to prove highly beneficial. We earnestly commend the appeal to the attention of our readers, and hope that the liberality already evinced by a few individuals will be emulated by Anti-state-churchmen throughout the kingdom. Being a Year's Residence among the The Novitiate; or, the Jesuit in Training. THE character of the reception given to this book has been as varied as the classes by whom it has been read. We are constrained to say that we regard it as an honest and faithful description of actual scenes in the writer's history. Free from all invective, cant, and, we believe, colouring, and written with remarkable ease and fluency, it commands all that respect for its author which such qualities can secure, at the same time that it does not inspire us with great confidence in his stability of purpose and fixedness of principle. The work has been before the public now for some years, and has reached a third edition at a period when, we doubt not, it will be read with greater avidity than that with which it was at first received. Without any morbid fear of the spread of Romanism, we can say that it is one of the books for the times. We think it needs no further recommendation of ours. The Domestic Worshipper; consisting of Prayers, Selected Scripture Portions and Hymns for Morning and Evening, with Prayers for Special Occasions. Edited by the Rev. Samuel Green. 8vo. Pp. 372. London: B. L. Green. THIS work, as its title imports, is designed as an aid to Family Devotion. Regretting equally, we have no doubt, with its editor, that there should be any necessity for works of this character, we can nevertheless recommend this book to all those who, from timidity, or from the want of sufficient facility in the expression of their thoughts, find it desirable to make use of composed prayers. The language of the prayers is simple, and the subjects of petition comprehensive and proper. The hymns also are judiciously selected. We think, however, that the classes for whom it is intended are much smaller than many suppose. Sometimes we are afraid the use of a book is found necessary chiefly from the want of heartfelt religion. In every case in which one is used we trust it will be found after all to be really such an ineffectual aid, that it will soon be cast aside for the more impressive and useful habit of extemporaneous prayer. The Last Enemy, and the Sure Defence: an Earnest Call on Men to prepare for Death. By W. Leask. 16mo. Pp. 174. London: B. L. Green. A WORK for all classes, but especially for the gay and careless. To the Christian it is full of hope; to the unthinking, wandering unbeliever, it utters a faithful and solemn warning, whilst it holds out to him a triumph over his great enemy if he accept the Sure Defence. The work is divided into six chapters, severally entitled, The Cause of Death; Necessity of Preparation for Death;' Nature of Preparation for Death;' 'False Securities;' Dying Testimonies;' and ⚫ The Conqueror of Death.' These topics are appropriately treated, without any affectation of style. The one object of the writer is evidently to do good. We hope that the work may be widely circulated, and that it may be made extensively useful. The British Churches in Relation to the British People. By Edward Miall. Second Edition. 8vo. Pp. 308. London: A. Hall, Virtue, and Co. WE regard this work as one of the most valuable which has issued from the press for many years, and are pleased to see it in a form and at a price which will place it within the reach of persons of the most moderate means. As many of the subjects which it so ably discusses must necessarily come under our notice and remark in the course of our duties as a journalist, we forbear, for the present, a more particular comment on its contents. Objections to the Doctrine of Israel's future Restoration to Palestine, National Pre-eminence, &c. With an Appendix on the Ten Tribes, and the Future Destinies of the World and the Church. By Edward Swaine. Pp. 163. Second Edition. London: Jackson and Walford. We were glad when a second edition of this work was announced, now some months ago. We fully concur with the views presented in it. The doctrine, or rather dogma, of Israel's future restoration to Palestine, we look upon as an error of popular belief, and as an error necessarily injurious. It has always been a wonder to our mind how any careful reader of Scripture could fall into it. To all who think contrarily to us-and we are aware that there are manywe recommend Mr. Swaine's work. In it the author has defended his position with a modesty, clearness, and ability, which do him much honour, and which will command respect, even where his reasoning may not convince. In addition to the foregoing we acknowledge the receipt of the following works, notices of some of which are unavoidably postponed to our next number. British Harmonia Sacra. Vocal Score. Novello. do. Ditto Christian, The. Faith no Fable, By the Rev. Crisis, The. A Prize Essay for Senior Classes. Divine, The, Inspiration of the Scriptures. By Family Prayers. 3 vols. By W. B. Whit- Father's, Our, Voice. A Tale. Ramsay. Lloyd. Hamilton. Food for Lambs. Gilpin. By W. F. Fifty Days on Board a Slave-Ship. By Rev. Guide to True Peace. A Compilation. Gilpin. 1 to 4. Novello. Inventive Drawing. By H. Krüsi and W. J. Kiss, A, for a Blow. By H. C. Wright. New Lighted, The, Valley; or, Memoir of Abby Life, The, of a Vagrant. 2nd Edit. Gilpin. Paper Lantern, A, for Puseyites. By Will-o'- Practical Suggestions to the Church of Christ. Reformation, The, in Spain. A Fragment. By Revelation, The Book of, Explained. Aylott By T. Sabbath, The, School Hymn Book. Voice, The, of the Expiring Year. Ramsay. 7th Thousand. Gilpin. Voyage, A, to the Slave Coast of Africa. By Wilfred; or, Curiosity and Disobedience. A Sutelligence, THE ANTI-POPERY MOVEMENT. THE agitation caused in all ranks of society by the proclamation of the Papal bull, in October last, has been characterised, during the past month, by increased excite ment, and, to our mind, a very one-sided statement of the question. To give a detailed account of the meetings which have been held, the addresses presented, the speeches made, and the correspondence which has taken place, would, besides occupying much more space than we could afford, be quite beyond our intentions, and, we presume, uninteresting to the reader. All that we can do is to present a bird'seye view of the events of the month. The Anti-Catholic Agitation has spread itself into every corner of the land, and every class of society. The general meetings have been the most numerous, but the spirit pervading them has been anything but one of unity. The counties of Cheshire, Wilts, Norfolk, Flint, Worcester, Cumberland, Devon, Surrey, Monmouth, Essex, and Hereford, have pronounced upon the question during the past month. At the Norfolk meeting, Mr. Peto was in the chair, and gave it as his opinion that the duty of Dissenters at the present moment was, to show that Protestantism was not with them a mere idle name, but a living principle; and that they ought, in this matter, to take common ground with their brethren of the Church of England-to merge all their differences in the defence of the greater principle with which each was identified. At the Worcestershire meeting, an amendment to the address to the Crown was moved by Sir E. Blount, a Roman Catholic baronet. which was lost on being put to the vote. Opposition was also offered by the Roman Catholics at the Cumberland meeting, Mr. J. R. Howard, M.P., moving as an amendment to the address, That full religious liberty is the birthright of every Englishman, and that any legislative interference with the spiritual government of an unendowed church, which claims nothing from the State but toleration, is alike impolitic and unjust.' The Devon meeting was distracted by a coalition of Protectionists and Tractarians, but ultimately carried an address, of the usual character, prepared by the Rev. Mr. Gorham, of Brampford Speke. At the Surrey meeting, Sir Edward Sugden, ex-Lord Chancellor of Ireland. spoke, and delivered a legal opinion on the question, stating that, by the Act 9 and 10 Vict., though the penalties and punishments for the offence were repealed, it was still not lawful for any one to affirm or maintain that a foreign person, prince, prelate, or potentate, hath, or ought to have, jurisdiction, spiritual or ecclesiastical, within the realm. Headed by their local chiefs, the Roman Catholics at the Hereford meeting, mustered in strength to about 130, and maintained their cause with great vigour and boisterous cheering. An amendment, proposed by the Rev. J. Venn, as a rider to the original resolution, was carried; its purport was to pray her Majesty to check the novelties' of the Trac tarians, and it ascribed to their practices in the Church, and the Tracts for the Times, the main part of the present disturbed state of feeling. A general meeting of all denominations of Christians has been held at Edinburgh, at which her Majesty was petitioned to resist the outrage offered to her. Meetings of a similar character, and attended with a similar result, have been held at Birkenhead, Wrexham, Sheffield, Stockton, and other places. The meeting at Birmingham, on the 11th, may be regarded as one of the most important that has yet taken place. At this meeting, which is represented to have been one of the largest ever held in that town, and which lasted six hours, Mr. Joseph Sturge moved an amendment to the address which was before the chair, to the effect that, in the opinion of the meeting, the appointment of Cardinal Wiseman required no legislative interference; they therefore earnestly deprecated all restrictions upon the tree enjoyment by every religious body of its spiritual order and discipline, and entreated her Majesty to sanction such measures as might be proposed for securing the maintenance and extension of civil and religious liberty. This amendment, supported by Mr. George Dawson and the Rev. Brewin Grant, on being put to the meeting was declared to be lost. The original motion being put it also was lost, and thus the town of Birmingham signified its opinion that nothing should be done at the present so called crisis." The speeches of Messrs. Sturge, Dawson, and Grant, were able and forcible, and well worthy the principles they defended. Dr. Meison and the Rev. J. A. James were amongst the supporters of the original resolution. At a meeting at Bradford an amendment to the address to the Crown was carried by a majority of two-thirds. At that Nottingham the Rev. G. Syme took the ground that the recent act of the Pope did not call for legislative interference; but his amendment to that effect did not meet with a seconder, and, therefore, fell to the ground. Mr. Bubier, at the Cambridge meeting on the 17th, made a firm stand on the principle of civil and religious rights, in opposition to legislative interference, and defended his cause with much spirit and ability. An amendment which he moved received the votes of about a third of those present. Meetings have also been held in several parts of London, at which the staple addresses " have been carried; but in some instances not without opposition, as in the case of the parish of Shoreditch, when a poll was taken and the amendment to the address lost by a small majority. At Newport (I. W.) the amendment deprecating any interference on the part of Government was carried by a large majority. At Wooton-under-Edge such was the difference of opinion that the chairman was compelled to dissolve the meeting. It will thus be seen that although in the majority of instances the address to the Crown has been carried, frequently, without any opposition; in other places the supporters of an amendment have been so numerous as to be able to defeat the original motion. The Established Church, as a body, has done little more than unite in forwarding the objects of the general meetings. An important gathering of the lay members of the Church took place at the Freemasons' Tavern on the 5th, Lord Ashley in the chair, at which an address was carried, praying the Queen to resist the aggression of the Pope, and more especially to purify the Church of Tractarian practices.' A protest to the Crown against the Pope's Bull, on the part of the hierarchy of the Establishment, has also been presented, but even here, where it was most to be expected, unanimity was wanting, the Bishops of Exeter. Norwich, and St. David's, declining to be parties to the document. The Bishop of Exeter sent a separate pe ition, which was refused reception for reasons of etiquette. The Bishop of Norwich, in an address to his clergy, states it as his opinion that the Papal letter, though insulting, has no inherent importance. Upwards of two hundred of the London clergy have signed a declaration against the Romish Aggression,' in which the charge against the Tractarians is re-echoed. In Ireland any movement in opposition to the bull is discountenanced by Lord Beresford, the chief diocesan, but the Orangemen have met and addressed the Queen on the subject. In Bath a meeting of the laity of the Church has been held, at which the usual address was carried. It is to be regretted that amongst Dissenters a wide difference of opinion should exist in regard to their duty in relation to this movement. We should have expected to have seen them united against the errors of Popery, especially united against the popery of the Established Church. Of the latter, however, some seem to have lost sight, in their intense and natural hatred to the former. The meeting at Leicester, which occurred towards the end of the last month, was characterised by the advocacy of great principles, and of something very inconsistent with great principles. The act of the Pope was regarded as an assumption of civil supremacy, on the part of an Italian Prince,' and strongly denounced The most important expression of opinion on the part of Dissenters, however, is contained in the declaration of the Congregational Ministers of Lancashire, adopted at a meeting held on the 4th. Whilst equal religious rights are upheld and defended in the address, the bull is characterised as an invasion of the civil supremacy by a foreign prince, instituting territorial administration in a manner hitherto unknown to the Crown. This is simply forgetfulness of fact, which the case of the Irish Roman Catholic bishops will illustrate. One paragraph of this address we transcribe :'If the question be now asked, what is to be done? our answer is, that the root of the evil will suggest the means of cure. Let us hear no more about schemes for the endowment of Romanism; on the contrary, let a voice go forth, as from all the Protestant voluntaries of Great Britain, praying that the grants already made to that system, and all similar uses of public money, be henceforth discontinued. Let the commissioners now engaged with the affairs of our universities be apprised that what the age demands is a real, and not a seeming-a thorough, and not a partial-reformation of those ancient seminaries-such a reformation as shall constitute them truly national institutions, fitting them for becoming fountains of health to the community, in place of sending forth those sickly influences which have proceeded from them of late years, until the whole land has become tainted by them.' The Board of Congregational Ministers of London had previously met and adopted resolutions characterising the bull as an act of interference in the affairs of this kingdom. The Dissenting Deputies have taken no action on the question. At Kentish Town, Brentwood, and other places, meetings have been held in which views similar to the above have been urged; but at Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberystwith, and Market Harborough, the connexion between the Church and the |