than those for whom the work was issued in parts. It is of importance to all readers, inasmuch as the author has endeavoured to combine the simplicity of his exposition with the suggestion of thoughts suitable for devotion, and for the exposition of the various subjects of which the gospels are composed, and for reading at the bedsides of the sick. In the preface the author states the object which he proposed to himself in composing this work.

"The present writer, then, did not design his work in the first instance for critical readers; still less did he feel that he was addressing scholars on their own ground; least of all will his pages prove congenial to those who study the gospel in a controversial spirit. Without by any means consciously avoiding real difficulties of any kind, or (as he hopes) overlooking the results of sacred criticism, he desired rather to exhibit the results of learned inquiry, than to expose the process by which those results may be arrived at. He chiefly aimed at affording unlearned readers some real insight into the Gospel; and he called his work a Plain Commentary' not because it pretends to make everything in the Gospel plain; nor yet because the language is always such, as a wholly uneducated person can understand; but, because it contains no words of Greek or Latin,-no allusions which are beyond the reach of an educated person.

"Next, to mark his intention yet more fully, the writer ventured to add that his book was intended chiefly for devotional reading.' He meant thereby, that although he wished that what he wrote might prove useful to learned and unlearned readers, alike; to old and young, wise and simple, the teacher and the taught; his notes were yet chiefly intended for those who study the Gospel in a devotional frame of mind; who read it in order to live by it; and desire, while they read, to have their attention aroused, their hearts informed, and their curiosity in some degree gratified."

These are the author's own statement of the object and nature of his work; and we doubt not that the Plain Commentary will be the means of edification and instruction to many, both in the Church and of those without her pale, who have hitherto been confined to inferior instruction derived from the inferior pages of Scott and Matthew Henry.

THE BRITISH WORKMAN, (Partrdge & Oakey),

Is a well intentioned and well executed folio sheet, price one penny, with beautiful illustrations in wood, designed for the encouragement in the British Workmen, their wives, and children, of soberness, righteousness, and chastity; and it deserves the support of all to whom these cardinal virtues are esteemed worthy of all acceptation.

BAND OF HOPE ALMANAC, 1856,

Is a broadsheet almanac, price one penny, nicely illustrated to inculcate sobriety among the working classes-very neat and very cheap.

THE LITERARY CHURCHMAN, (Parker),

For October 20th, and November 3rd continue the usual sound criticism on the constant issue of religious works, for which the present age is

conspicuous. Its summary of the political and religious events of the intervals between each publication is highly interesting, and more to be depended on than the daily journals.

THE RECRUIT, A TALE. (Parker).

This is a tale of a young Englishman whose love of independence led him into all manner of scrapes; out of the last of which, however, he escaped by enlisting and going to the Crimea as an officer's servant. He was present at the ever memorable battle of the Alma, where his master was killed; and where in searching for him after the battle he relieved the thirst of two of his comrades; and did the same kind act to a Russian who was at the point to die; but whom the draught of cold water restored so far as to take up his piece and severely wound his benefactor. Our recruit was now disabled, and was carried on board ship to be taken to the hospital at Scutari. The horrors of a three days' voyage in rough weather; the deaths of multitudes through the inefficiency of medical attendance; the blaspheming of some and the penitence of others; and the attentions of the chaplains are well described. Our recruit, when cured of his wound, returned to England and to his native village, where, as himself reformed, he aided much in the reformation of others. But our housemaid is very indignant with the author that he did not re-introduce Lucy Martin, and treat his readers to a little bit of a love story before the conclusion.

THE TENANTS OF TINKERS' END. (Parker)

This is another of Mr. Parker's admirable tales for the young men and women of England; and its object is to recommend self-respect. Not self-conceited turbulent independence; but to know and act up to the proper position in life in which it has pleased God to place us. This is well illustrated in the characters of a brother and sister who are left partly as orphans under the tender mercy of a step mother; but who grow up to respectability under the kind advice of an eccentric master and the fastidious snarling of his old maidish sister. The story is good; and the author's faults all lean to virtue's side; and the aforesaid authority gives her opinion that it makes a much more sensible like ending than the previous tale; and besides, that she will follow the advice and entertain more 66 SELF-RESPECT, ," than to fancy that every man with a sheep's-eye in his head is in love with her.

THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND MAN'S COMPANION IN THE CLOSET. A New Edition. (J. H. & J. Parker.)

Bishop Spincke's devotions have been long known and appreciated by people of prayerful habits, and that obey our Lord's injunction that 'men ought always to pray and not to faint;' that is, to persevere in prayer, even though not always at first successful; or as St. Paul recommends us, to 'pray without ceasing.' We may judge of the popularity of this work by the number of editions through which it has gone; we ourselves have the sixteenth edition, published by Rivington in 1772, from which this new edition has been reprinted. The present edition

has grandly illuminated borders, and is got up in the same style as Archbishop Laud's 'Devotions;' and contains devotions for every day in the week, with thanksgivings; for the fasts and festivals of the Church; for the holy Communion; at the Altar; for the Sick; besides other occasional devotions. Bishop Spinckes was Rector of St. Martin's, Sarum, and a prebendary of Sarum; but was deprived of his preferments on account of his refusing to take the oaths to William and Mary. The English non-jurors so long as, they existed, maintained communion with the Scottish Non-jurors or Episcopal Church. In this communion there arose a controversy respecting 'The Primitive Usages. These usages were to mix water with the wine in the Lord's Supper; to commemorate the faithful departed; to consecrate the elements by an express invocation; and to use a prayer of oblation; but absolutely renouncing transubstantiation and the sacrifice of the Mass. The party that opposed these usages, and that adhered to the communion office as it stands in the authorized Prayer Book, was led by Bishop Spinckes. He was consecrated on the 24th of May, 1713, by the non-juring bishops, Hickes, Campbell and Gadderar; the two last were bishops in the disestablished Scottish Church. His collection of prayers have ever been held in the highest esteem; and as they have now appeared in a new and attractive form, we hope the present edition will be soon exhausted and a new one called for.

ROME'S PRETENSIONS TESTED. By the Rev. E. C. Harington, Chancellor of the Cathedral of Exeter. (Rivington.)

Chancellor Harington's name is a tower of strength; on the fifth of November, a day never to be forgot-whereon the Church of England returns thanks for one of the greatest mercies which she has ever experienced; on which the God of battles discomfited our enemies at Inkerman, although they were seven times more numerous; and on which the papal emissaries offered the greatest insult to the religion and the feelings of all sorts and conditions of Christian men in the Queen's dominions, by publicly burning several copies of the holy Scriptures. On this memorable day, Mr. Harington most convincingly shewed that the British Church was perfectly independent of Rome; that the dominion of Rome in the British Islands was entirely an usurpation; and that the Reformation in England both in doctrine and in discipline, was the casting off of this usurped power, and a return to the ancient doctrine of the British Church, as it was originally planted by St. Paul and apostolic men. As usual the notes are most valuable. It is inscribed to the Rev. W. David, Principal of the Exeter diocesan training College; and it is intended to be a guide to the students in it, for training them to defend their religion from the usurpations of modern Papists. We hope it will have, as it deserves, an extensive sale, and require a new edition with extended notes.

THE PRINCIPLES OF THE ENGLISH REFORMATION. By the Lord Bishop of Oxford. (J. H. & J. Parker.)

This sermon was also preached on the ever memorable fifth of November. in St. Mary's Church, Oxford, to the members of the University,

and also a large general congregation; and it was published by request. It is a most just and powerful defence of the martyrs of our Reformation, whose blood moistens the sanctuary which they cleansed, from the augean mass of additions with which the papal usurpation had defiled it. The text is 2 Kings xxii. 2. 'And it came to pass that when the king had heard the words of the book of the law, that he rent his clothes.' From this narrative the bishop draws a parallel betwixt the Mosaical and the Papal Churches; that the very same cause-the suppression of the holy Scriptures-had produced the same effects in both; viz., ignorance of God's will, and additions of idolatrous usages to His worship; and that the same remedy produced the same effect in the Mosaical and in the English Church, namely the dissemination among the people of the holy Scriptures; but which it was the determined design of both the Levitical and the Papal Churches to hide from the knowledge of the people; hence the reprobate and idolatrous condition of both.

This is an excellent sermon; and at this time of little faith it ought to be in every body's hands. It is a pity that a cheaper edition of these two sermons have not been printed for circulation among all classes; but perhaps this may yet be done.

PARKER'S CHURCH CALENDAR AND DIARY, for 1856. (J. H. & J.

Parker.)

The information is very complete and extensive with many important facts connected with Mr. Mann's religious Census; lists of the English, Irish, Scottish, Colonial, and American episcopates; university intelligence; schools; educational statistics; with the royal family and officers small and great of the State; with many other etceteras. At the end of all these, there is a blank ruled space for noting daily occurrences, with all the Sundays duly printed in the color of the beast;' and sixteen pages have been piously devoted to advertise the publisher's publications.

PARKER'S CHURCH CALENDAR AND GENERAL ALMANACK, for 1856. (J. H. & J. Parker.)

The Churchman's Almanack contains the usual groundwork of all almanacks; and it is judiciously and usefully arranged; so as to be extremely handy for clergical purposes, especially in notes on the daily services of the Church; and it includes all and more than the information embodied in the preceding Diary. Both will be highly useful for the clergy.

WINDYCOTE HALL. (J. H. & J. Parker.)

This is another of Mr. Parker's Tales, more illustrious for the moral which it conveys than for the plot which it contains, of which in fact there is none at all. The principal personage, Miss Links, is one of those village busybodies that where there is no real plot she will make a plot; and in one of those exceedingly interesting occasions she got hoist with her own petard; and so ends a very interesting and, if applied, a most instructive narrative.

THE LITERARY CHURCHMAN (Parker) for November and December contains some elaborate pieces of criticism which will be beneficial to the purchasers of books; sketches of the passing ecclesiastical events during these two months; and in especial an analysis of the Austrian Concordat. After contrasting the insane liberality of our government towards the Roman bishops, the writer says, "If the letter of this concordate be acted on, or its spirit adopted, not a Christian who differs from the Roman Catholic bishops of this generation will be allowed to exist in all the Austrian realms. The freedom of the press is entirely forbidden henceforth; the church and the state enter into a 'solemn league and covenant' with each other; and the result is that in strict truth neither of them is free.'

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