church remove to an open space [sic] and locate itself in a neat and commodious structure-not a hundred yards from its former position -and the larger and more inviting building has been at once crowded by an attentive and settled congregation, and the minister himself has felt the influence of the change on his own spirit, in aiding devotion, animating utterance, and quickening zeal."-P. 57.

The most valuable portions of this book are those in which the writer bears testimony to the fidelity of Catholics to the teaching of the Prayer Book; that the language of the Prayer Book justifies Catholic teaching. For instance, on the word Priest; after giving the views of the Low Churchman, and the High, he says:

Here, instead of giving the reply of the Low Churchman, I might offer to come in and express the views of an outside observer. Doing so, and trying to do it with the utmost impartiality, I should express myself somewhat after this fashion. In some things advanced by the last speaker [the High Churchman] I cannot but agree. In respect for instance, to the inference drawn from the use of the word [priest] by the framers of the Prayer Book, and from the retention of it by those who superintended the revision of the book in 1662. The first, whatever might be their own views, must have felt that they could not safely depart very far from the language and conviction of the people of their time; and the second, though they might not intend by the retention of the term to sanction any notions about the Holy Sacrifice,' they did, doubtless, mean that it should be so understood as to attach a mysterious sacredness to 'Holy Orders.' The idea, however, of the word being intended to be taken as the representative of 'presbyter,' is, I fear, something of an afterthought. The term was not originally used, I suspect, in that sense; though, as the result of the progress of thought, and to alleviate the scruples of those who had to retain the word, while repudiating the thing, it came to an understanding that 'priest' might be regarded as the representative of presbyter, the one word being looked upon as the contraction of the other. I think, too, there is something in what the last speaker said, as to the fact that the deacon cannot read the public Absolution. To which might be added, that if the dying desire to be absolved, it can only be done by one in full orders."-P. 108.

Again, with regard to the Real Presence:

Passing, however, from this mode of argument to the fact in dispute, I assert, that the Real Presence' in the Sacrament is the doctrine of the Church of England. However intangible it may be to some, however attenuated by cautious and purposed repressing phraseology, [sic,] it is there; there, in the Articles, Catechism, and Communion Service. The first two alike presuppose that a change of some kind takes place in the elements, so that the Body and Blood of CHRIST are verily and indeed''given, taken, and received by the faithful in the LORD's Supper.' In the Lord's Supper,' observe, that does not mean, it cannot mean, merely that CHRIST is spiritually pre

sent in that service, as He is wont to be in the midst of His people at all times; and that then the faithful spiritually feed upon Him only as they may do at any time, through realising truth in prayer or discourse. The Church intended it to be understood that in the Supper itself, the ' outward and visible sign' was, as its Catechism teaches, 'the means whereby we receive' the inward and spiritual grace,' that is, 'the Body and Blood of CHRIST.' This idea of a change occurring, or what is equivalent to a change, by which the Presence of CHRIST in the Supper' must be understood to mean a presence, not merely in the midst of the worshippers, but in the elements; that is further indicated by the statement in the Article, that the Body of CHRIST is 'given' to, as well as 'taken' and eaten by the faithful. Now, you well know, that a minister or preacher declaring and setting forth truth, 'lifting up CHRIST,' as you sometimes express it in the preaching of the Gospel, he never supposes that he gives' CHRIST, or the Body of CHRIST,' to any one at such a time, or by such act-that is never spoken of as being then done, though through faith, CHRIST may then, in your sense, be received. But the priest,' the Church says, gives the Body of CHRIST to the faithful; it is given and taken in the Supper,' presented and conveyed in that outward sign, which is the means whereby it is received.' Nothing can be plainer than that the Article refers to a spiritual, indeed, but a real Presence of CHRIST in the sacramental elements, they remaining bread and wine, as distinct from the gross ideas involved in the doctrine of Transubstantiation. But the same idea is prevalent in the Communion Service, &c."-Pp. 140, 141.

As regards Absolution:

:

"My appeal to him [the Low Churchman,] might fall into a form something like this: accepting your interpretation of the words of JESUS to the Apostles, assuming that they belonged exclusively to them, and that the power conferred could not be regarded as continued in the Church, unless the attendant supernatural gift of miracles was also continued admitting this, it is not only much to be lamented that the words got introduced into the Ordination Service, but it is very much to be feared that they were introduced with a purpose; that they were originally intended to countenance the tremendous claims of the priesthood; and that they were retained in the English Service-books because, taken in the literal and plain meaning of the words,' they would justify' the belief that the priests of the Church of England had the same powers, which other priests of the Catholic Church claimed as their inheritance.'"-P. 121.

6

Further on:

"But what can be said for that [form of Absolution] in the Visitation of the Sick? The words are terribly distinct. They express a personal claim, and assert the exercise of a personal power, in language than which nothing could be more positive and precise. power supposed to be conferred in ordination is now seen to be no slumbering force; the words of the bishop were manifestly no mere ac

The

commodation of a Scriptural image. The man speaks of his possession of a supernatural power, and exerts it as his own personal act."-P. 123.

Of the Baptismal Offices:*

Speaking, however, according to my light, and with every wish to be at once charitable and impartial, I must confess that my conviction is that the Ritualistic or High Church doctrine, in respect of Baptism, is that which is contained in the first formularies of the Church. Influencing and modifying all that follow, it pervades and colours the whole superstructure that rests upon it. The Ritualists may be 'exceedingly mad,' as I think they are, in their zeal for 'vestments and lights, banners and incense:' next to idolatrous, as I think they are, in their adorations at 'the Holy Sacrifice;' a peril and a pest, as I think they are, by their use of the Confessional; but, that they have the Prayer Book on their side as to the doctrine of Baptism, is, I think, true, the Court of Appeal, with its Gorham judgment, notwithstanding. The consequence is, that they will always have a valid justification for that which initiates their sacramental system, and for much that grows out of it; though, in their hand it may be often, and in many ways, abused and exaggerated."-P. 195.

Such is Mr. Binney's testimony to the language of the Prayer Book, and to the accordance with it of Catholic teaching and practice. We give the quotation in full, to show that the writer's own opinions are wholly opposed to those of Catholics, as well as to prove that the Catholic teaching and practice is wholly in accordance with the Formularies of the Church. It is positively refreshing to turn to the honest verdict of a Dissenter, after reading the lecture, e.g., of Canon McNeile, whose whole speech was aimed at denying the plain literal meaning of the Formularies he subscribed to.

COOK'S COMMENTARY ON THE ACTS OF THE HOLY APOSTLES.

The Acts of the Apostles: with a Commentary and Practical and Devotional Suggestions for Readers and Students of the English Bible. By the Rev. F. C. Cook, M.A., Canon of Exeter, &c. New Edition. Longmans and Co.

WE Confess to being agreeably surprised with the tone of this work. We expected to find in it a judicious selection from, and condensation of what recent commentators of the moderate orthodox school both in England and Germany have published. But Mr. Cook gives us more than this: he evidences great respect for the

Fathers, and unwillingly differs from S. Chrysostom or S. Cyril, and brings out very fairly the sacramental teaching of S. Luke.

As an illustration of a disposition to do justice to the view last named, we give an extract from a note on the words " "being assembled together," (i. 4.)

"The marginal reading, eating together,' is derived from the ancient versions. It is probable that our LORD met His apostles while they were 'breaking bread,' according to His ordinance, but the word in the original means simply, 'being assembled with.'”—P. 3.

The Introduction is as full and complete and impartial as we could desire, dealing not only with the externals of the book, but also showing "its present uses," which are obviously greater than in those ages when there was no diversity of opinion touching the constitution or discipline of the Church; for it is here especially that the HOLY GHOST speaks upon these matters.1

We pass on therefore at once to the Commentary. The first chapter is annotated in a very satisfactory manner and leaves very little to be desired. Thus the mistaken rendering of the Authorized Version of "an upper chamber," is corrected, the right interpretation is given of " the Kingdom of God," the importance of the Ascension is rightly apprehended, and there is a good note on the "Number of the Disciples."

As an illustration we will give the practical reflection on the Ascension.

"We must meditate upon it as (1) the completion and seal of the work of the incarnate SON of GOD; (2) the glorification of His human nature; (3) the restoration of His divine nature to the majesty which He had laid aside; (4) the inauguration and enthronement of the GODMan in His heavenly kingdom. We must remember that though absent, as man, in the body, He is omnipresent, as GOD, in and by His Spirit; that He ascended (1) to prepare a place for His followers; (2) to receive from the FATHER, and to bestow upon man, all graces, gifts, and powers, needed for the building, maintenance, and extension of His Church; (3) to be our King, ruling the Church by His law, and defending her by His might; (4) to be our Prophet, enlightening our minds, both as to the actual duties and future prospects of the Church, by His divinely inspired and divinely interpreted Word; (5) and to be our Priest, making perpetual intercession, offering an all-sufficient sacrifice on our behalf, and both sanctifying and presenting our prayers."-P, 12,

In giving our general approval to this passage, we take exception to the phrase " by His divinely inspired and divinely interpreted word," because, although in itself not far short of Catholic teaching

1 S. Chrysostom states that the Book was scarcely known to ordinary Christians in his day, and it is very little quoted by the early Fathers.

it belongs to a series of comments which invariably miss the true import of the term "Word," using it simply as a synonym for scripture or for preaching. In Acts vi. 2, there is no note at all on the word, nor yet in the seventh verse of the same chapter, when it occurs in a context which absolutely forbids any such interpretation as Mr. Cook always assigns to it-" the Word of GOD increased." Here it can only mean the kingdom of CHRIST'S grace, which is one of two alternative senses (either the personal Logos or His grace) which the word bears in the New Testament.

In Chapter II. we do not think that Mr. Cook has hit upon the right interpretation of Joel's prophecy, "I will show wonders in heaven above and in the earth beneath; blood and fire and vapour of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness and the moon into blood." Mr. Cook in fact tries two interpretations, one, the literal one, affirming that the signs foretold correspond very remarkably with the description which Josephus gave of what preceded the fall of Jerusalem; the other the figurative one, according to which the sun and the moon are symbols of the ecclesiastical and political establishments of the Jews. But with neither of them is he himself satisfied: in one place referring the reader to Archdeacon Harrison's "Lectures on Prophecy," in another admitting that the words seem to "demand a larger and more universal interpretation" than what he has given.

We will endeavour to show what that interpretation should be. It is just a variety of that law with which we are familiar in the general prevalence of a typical character throughout the language and the personages of the Old Testament. On the principle that the lamb offered by Abel was ordained to prefigure Him Who in the fulness of time should take away the sins of the world; on the same principle that S. John the Baptist was spoken of under the name of Elijah, so it pleased the HOLY GHOST when purposing to foretell any Advent of GOD in His Majesty to employ the same phraseology which in olden times described His descent and the phenomena which attended on it. As an actual account of anything that took place in connection with our LORD's incarnation, the prophecy of Joel would be far from accurate, but when we regard it as an accumulating of all the signs and portents that ever testified to God's presence among men, we recognize at once a mode of expression which pervades the whole of the Old Testament. Not a single new phenomenon is mentioned by the prophet, but there is a grouping together of all the familiar phenomena of Egypt and Mount Sinai, from the histories of Abraham and Jacob, of Joshua and Saul. These are all heaped together in order to indicate that this should be a greater and more glorious manifestation of Divine Power than had ever before occurred.

The important verses which occur at the end of this chapter, descriptive of the condition and habits of the Christian Body are