The Observance of Holy Days a Duty in the English Church. A Sermon, preached on the Festival of S. Luke, Oct. 18, 1857, in the Chapel of S. Andrew's College, Graham's Town, by the Rev. FREDERICK BANKS, M.A., Principal, with a Correspondence. Graham's Town: Godlonton, White, and Co.

THIS Sermon reveals a distressing chapter in the history of the South African Church. Bishop Cotterill was recommended by the Archbishop of Canterbury to succeed Bishop Armstrong in the See of Graham's Town, and seems at once to have set himself to undo all his predecessor's work. The offertory which had been accepted as the natural and legitimate method of providing for the Church's wants, was at once made to give way to the letting of pews, which every one in England, we thought, had agreed to regard as an evil and an anomaly: and several of the old clergy (we know this from other sources) received hints that their services were not acceptable. The Collegiate Institution, which at present appears to be little more than a school, but was intended to develope into a Diocesan College, appears specially to have attracted the Bishop's ill-will, (Evangelicals, we know, shrink instinctively from anything like systematic training; their doctrines will not stand inquiry). What was to be done? The Principal (a most mild churchman, as his Sermon shows, but yet one who does believe in the Church as an Article of the Creed) could not be got rid of; and so the Bishop begins to preach against him in his own Chapel; and accordingly, each Sunday evening finds him, instead of going to convert Caffres and Hottentots, preaching controversially to Mr. Banks' boys, against "the Judaizing tendencies" and "corruptions of the Gospel," with which they had been made too familiar. There is a point beyond which human nature cannot endure; and so at length the Principal takes advantage of S. Luke's Day falling on a Sunday to vindicate, in a very mild and gentle way, the Church's Institution of Holy Days. The Bishop hears of this, and assumes that it is directed against himself. (Alas! that to defend the Church should be to attack its Bishop!) and writes to inform the Principal, (1) that he shall not allow the Theological Students to come to the College; (2) that he shall claim the appointment of the Vice-Principal, although he thinks the Head ought to have "absolute control" over his subordinates; and thirdly, that in all probability, he shall not license the Second Master, who is coming out from England, to any spiritual charge.

On the second point the Bishop finds subsequently that he has gone beyond his power. But for the rest there seems every likelihood that before long the state of things at Graham's Town will be this: there will be a Missionary College placed under the ban of its Bishop, and a Missionary Priest forbidden to preach-and all because Mr. Banks has ventured to declare "the observance of Holy Days a Duty in the English Church."

simply traitors to the Church: their whole object is to hinder her from doing her work. Wherever we turn it is the same; the Church Missionary Society objects to Bishops; the Bishop of Chichester objects to Sisterhoods; the Bishop of London to Choral Services; the Bishop of Gloucester to observing Lent by special services; the Clergy of Lichfield Diocese and Mr. Golightly to Theological Colleges: from Penitentiaries and Training Schools for Masters and Mistresses all the party stand aloof.

The Threefold Work of Christ. (Churchman's Library.) London : Masters.

STRANGE as the assertion may seem at first sight, it is nevertheless true that our laity of all classes are very generally ignorant of the way of salvation. They know that CHRIST died for them, that is, they have an indistinct notion that there is some connection between His death and the salvation of those who go to heaven; but if they are asked practical questions about the work of CHRIST in saving souls they are quite at sea, and plainly show that though they wish they may be saved, they know very little reason why they should or should not be, or how they are to "make their calling and election sure." The above little tract will be found eminently useful towards informing people why they are to place their hopes in the work of CHRIST, and how they are to bring that work to bear on their souls. Concise and plain in style, solemn in tone, thoroughly sound in its theology, and practical in its directions, we can recommend it confidently for distribution, and are glad to see that its low price makes it available for that purpose. This tract, and a somewhat larger one on the Catechism which forms one of the same series would together constitute quite a manual of theology for young people. They should be made to understand, however, that valuable little books of this sort are the result of considerable labour on the part of the writers, and ought to be read over and over again with great attention if the reader is to gain all the benefit he may from them.

The Bishop of BRECHIN'S Charge (thanks to the Bishop of Glasgow and others) has reached a second edition, and is enriched with (1) several explanatory passages, (2) a Catena of Authorities, (3) a reply to his opponents. These make it to be a very complete Theological Treatise on the Eucharist. But that which after all perhaps is its chief ornament, is the beautifully charitable and humble spirit in which he replies to his brother bishops. It is a perfect model of theological controversy. We quote a passage from the Preface:

"In all that I have written, I trust that I have not used a single expression which a Christian man need be ashamed of, or which can tend in the remotest degree to hurt the feelings of any one. The cause of truth, which I

believe I am advocating, is far too sacred to be injured by the intrusion of personality and soreness, and I feel far too confident in the eventual triumph of my teaching (though perhaps not without personal suffering on my part) to be at all hurt at the opposition that has been raised against me. It is the law of all religious truths not to be asserted without opposition, and when these have been suppressed or have not had due prominence given to them during any age of the Church, there must be in their re-statement misapprehension and hostility.

"I will only, in conclusion, ask those who shall read the Charge to enter upon the study of it in that sober, calm, and prayerful frame of mind which such high themes deserve. I may have spoken unably and unpersuasively; but I am firmly convinced that it is according to the word of GOD, the teaching of the Universal Church, and the mind of the best and most learned doctors of our own branch of it. With this firm belief I can only leave the matter in our LORD's hands, trusting that He will overrule my insufficiency to His greater glory, and to the salvation of the souls entrusted to me, for whom He died."—Pp. vi. vii.

We have great pleasure in announcing the publication of the second and concluding volume of Bishop WILLIAM FORBES' Considerationes Modestæ et Pacifica, (J. H. Parker,) which was due to the Subscribers of the Anglo-Catholic Library in 1851. It is accompanied, as many of our readers will know, by an English Translation, and on this account, will be read, we trust, by others than mere professed divines. On the five subjects on which it treats, (viz., Justification, Purgatory, Invocation of Saints, the Mediation of CHRIST, and the Holy Eucharist,) there are certainly no such authoritative Treatises in English Theology. And as regards the spirit of the writer, it was essentially Catholic and candid. In addition to the present work, we learn from a contemporary Life, given in this second volume, that Bishop Forbes annotated a large part of Bellarmine's great work, which Notes were esteemed so highly of by Baronius, that he contemplated publishing them at length, with the view of giving them their due weight. The copy of Bellarmine is not known now to exist, but the present editor (Mr. George Forbes) has wisely proposed that search should be made diligently for it, not only in this country, but also on the Continent of Europe.

We strongly recommend the Rev. EDWARD STUART's Three Rules for a Christian Life (London: G. J. Palmer.) They are eminently practical and simple. In fact the aim at being simple has led to one or two inconsistencies which should be amended. Thus, Why may not a person attend at the Holy Eucharist without communicating as well at 11 as at 8? And why does not Mr. Stuart tell his people what is the real Rule for Fasting?

Sermons for Lent and Easter, (J. H. Parker,) possess much the same merits and demerits as those by Mr. Monro on the Characters of the Old Testament; but the ground which they traverse, being more beaten, does not afford the same opportunity for originality of ideas. Taken as a whole, the Sermons cross one another a good deal, and are very unequal, but almost all of them contain striking passages, which however sometimes betoken too much of strain on the part of the writer.

in publishing in a cheap form a Sermon preached by hi and S. Barnabas' against the proposal to legalise Marria ceased Wife's Sister (Hayes). As usual it is the High alone who come forward as the vindicators of morality a tegrity of Holy Scripture. The sermon should be widely

We are glad to see evidence that the Clergy are e generally the duty of Almsgiving upon their people. Mr. COOKE, Vicar of Gazely, and four by Mr. SMYTTA the Bishop of Lincoln's approval of the Weekly Offe Parker) are favourable symptoms. Placing them in the s we can also rejoice in a volume of Sermons by Mr. EDWAR Incumbent of Surbiton, (Bell and Daldy,) whose Theology we should say views) it would not be possible to praise. sermon On the Necessity of Consistency in the Access ship," he rightly places the Font as "the first object." balance the Font, "turning eastward," the author gives scarcely credited) not the Altar, but the Lectern. And a specimen of the errors in fact and doctrine and ideas, wh throughout this well-intentioned volume.

Strength and Weakness; or, the Letter and the Spir By NONA BELLAIRS, (London: Masters,) is a story of re humble life, and it contains much both of sound doctrine a good sense in small compass. The subject is treated as it a and we should only have reason to commend this little tale for a very uncalled for interpretation of one of the com which we must notice.-A clergyman speaking to a rough on the second commandment, tells him that it mainly appli due reverence towards pictures, crosses and crucifixes ;" man being prone to idolatry."-His auditor was of an age likely to be tempted to the very reverse of undue reverence, had asked him whether he said his prayers morning and would have taught him the law far better: while in any cas interpretation was the most narrow that could be given of commandment.

We rejoice to see that a new and cheap reprint of Miss Tales has been undertaken by Messrs. Longman. Many a believe, can trace their first real thoughts of practical relig reading of "Amy Herbert" and "Gertrude," and we are that they should be made accessible to a new generation.

We regret very much that we should have overlooked A BICKERSTETH's Sermon preached at Aylesbury before a m the choirs of some twenty villages, which have combined for pose of improving Church music (J. H. Parker). It is a s which we feel great interest; and the time is now come wh efforts of this kind are likely to produce much good. It i to be desired that other persons should follow Mr. Helmore's and deliver popular lectures in our chief towns on the subject, il

by examples. The three things required for making our Services what they ought to be, are: 1. The use of the Monotone as the necessary basis of all: 2. The old Church Chant for the Psalms and 3. Catholic Hymns with a selection of such Tunes as the people can readily catch. Neither Anglican Chants nor Psalm Tunes will serve the purpose nor yet the " Hymnal Noted" taken by itself.

The Seven Works of Mercy, and other Poems, (London: Masters,) do not rise above mediocrity. If it be allowable that persons without any poetic talent should string rhymes together on ordinary topics, surely none but the highly gifted should venture to touch on themes which require powers little short of inspiration ere they can be worthily rendered. That the sentiments of the poetry are right, the name of the Editor is of course a guarantee.

There is nothing very new or exciting in Mr. MALAN's Narrative of a Tour in The Coasts of Tyre and Sidon (Masters). But one feels safe in the hands of a traveller who is acquainted with the language of the country, and of a writer who has faith and reverence. And so we gladly recommend the little volume.

We rejoice most unfeignedly in the increased attention that is being paid to the composition and delivery of Sermons. The Oxford Lent Sermons and the Westminster Abbey Sermons are excellent efforts in their way. But one question suggests itself to us very forcibly in their perusal, viz., Must popular sermons be inexact, and consequently untruthful? In treating of David's repentance there was no mention whatever by either of the preachers of that most characteristic circumstance that it was sealed by Absolution following on his confession of sin. And we are compelled to ask, Does not this amount to tampering with Holy Scripture? A Fact of Scripture (be it what it may) subjected to such a process is no longer a fact of Scripture at all. Suppressio veri may here, least of all, be allowed.

The Westminster Abbey experiment is valuable in showing that in order to drawing large congregations it is not necessary to abridge or modify the service at all. In fact, a good musical service is eminently popular, and the Evening Service is much preferable to the Litany, which belongs to penitential seasons rather than Sundays, and implies presence of deep and earnest feeling in those who are to use it. It is a curious fact connected with the Oxford Sermons that the Low Church preachers, with certain exceptions, appear not to have published their discourses. Is it that they will not bear criticism? or that they will not sell?

the

The proposal to publish the Early Liturgies in a cheap form seems to us an eminently useful undertaking, and a more competent editor than Mr. NEALE could not be found. The Liturgy of S. Mark is now to be had for one shilling! (London: Hayes). It is dedicated to the Bishop of Exeter.

Dr. FLEMING, Professor of Moral Philosophy in the University of Glasgow, has published A Plea for the Ways of God to Man, (Edin