declarations of all the more important fathers are then given in their own language. In the next place, Dr. Hopkins considers the acts of the councils from the first provincial Council of Carthage to the Popish Councils of Trent and of Milan : in connection with which he discusses the forms of confession which were in use from the sixth to the thirteenth centuries, and the changes made in the words of absolution, from the ancient mode of prayer to the novel form of "I absolve thee." Large quotations are made from the admissions of the most candid Romish ecclesiastical historians; and, finally, the learned author notices the practical proof of experience, to show the total inefficacy of the Romish discipline, and the utter absurdity of placing it in competition with the unerring teaching of the Bible, as a guard of Christian morals or an incentive to Christian piety. What enhances the value of Bishop Hopkins's "Treatise" is the fact that he has successfully endeavoured throughout to base his arguments on the evidence acknowledged by Romanists themselves, in order that their own witnesses might be compelled to prove their innovations. For this purpose, he has generally quoted the Scriptures from the Anglo-Romish or Douay Version of the Bible. He has also cited the Latin fathers from their own editions, and the Greek fathers and councils from their own Latin versions; and at the end of the volume he has appended all his authorities in full, each extract being marked with its own number; so that every scholar who may choose to undertake the task may test for himself the fidelity of the author's translations. The result is, that he has furnished to his readers an accurate and complete "History of the Confessional:" in which the gradual changes are carefully indicated, and its progress is made manifest to any and every reflecting understanding; and the conviction is, a demonstration of the comparative novelty and dangerous errors of the Romish scheme, and the truth and scriptural authority of our own really Catholic and primitive system. As Dr. Hopkins's work is imported and sold at a reasonable price, we hope that his masterly volume will enjoy a large circulation, and be carefully studied in this country.

Examples of the Architecture of Venice. By JOHN RUSKIN. Parts II. and III. London: Smith, Elder, and Co. 1851.

THESE numbers have all the power and graphic excellence which characterized the first number, with even more of variety and interest. The specimens of door-heads form a new and valuable feature in these last portions of the work.

Life in the Sandwich Islands; or the Heart of the Pacific as it Was and Is. By the Rev. HENRY T. CHEEVER. 1851.

A REASON for the second name is, says the author, that these islands bid fair to become the religious Protestant heart of the great ocean. Won, as they have been, from the lowest barbarism by American missionaries-having had expended upon them in the process nearly a million and a half of dollars (upwards of 300,0007.) from America, and the services of fifty families now possessing valuable homesteads there-harbouring a permanent American population foremost in energy and influence now little short of one thousand, besides a floating American population that touch and recruit annually to the number of fifteen thousand in whale-ships and merchant-men, and consuming yearly upwards of 200,000l. worth of American merchandise on all these grounds there would seem to be a propriety in their enjoying an American protectorate, if not an admission under the flag of the American Republic. American enterprise, adds another writer, has invested the group with its present political importance; bestowing upon the inhabitants laws, religion, civilization, and will soon add to these gifts language, for the English language is rapidly superseding the Hawaiian. Annexation to the United States would thus seem to be the destiny of the Sandwich Islands at some time or other, if the wishes or hopes of the American missionaries there are to direct the policy of their Government; but it is a matter of very small moment, we apprehend, politically considered, to the rest of the world, whether the governing power among them resides at Washington or at Honolulu. Be this as it may, if the American missionaries are able to do what they are most earnestly striving to do, and what to a very marvellous degree they have succeeded in doing, of converting, that is, these late warlike heathen islanders into peaceful Christian communities, the great service they render to humanity in consequence entitles them to the recompense they seek, if such is the recompense they desire.

All who take an interest in observing the results of missionary labours among a barbarous people-the slow but perceptible proofs of civilization among them through missionary influence their rapidly increasing prosperity and greatly improved habits of life and modes of thought-will be highly delighted with this volume. It is filled with anecdotes of a more or less pleasing description, and with observations upon natural productions, upon coral formations, upon Hawaiian scenery and literature and manners, and numerous etceteras that are highly interesting and improving. There are numerous incidents, and perils, and adventures recorded of immersions in the sea, of conflicts with sharks, of surf-players and such like matters,

which missionaries always contrive to get involved in themselves or to be witnesses to in others These enliven their narratives, and they serve besides a very useful purpose in teaching those who take but too little interest in the success or failure of their missionary labours with what danger to life, with what severe privations, with what stern self-denials a missionary goes to and goes on with his self-imposed, his arduous, his constant and his almost, at times, fruitless labours in evangelizing the heathen. True conversion is in every instance accompanied with a higher civilization, with a truer and more rational enjoyment of life, and with greatly increased means of enjoyment; and no one can read this very pleasing volume without very clearly perceiving how greatly their worldly prosperity is increased through their conversion to the Christian faith, and how greatly do Christian missionaries contribute to the temporal happiness of men by their exertions and examples. We can do no less than strongly recommend this little book to all who take delight in reading of the increasing happiness of others and of the progress of Christian truth in the world.

The Goth and the Hun. By A. A. PATON. 1851. IN consequence of the late Hungarian contests and controversies, and the still later Kossuth demonstrations, we are necessitated to go to school again to learn something definitely of the Maygar, Daco-Roman, German, and Slovack nations of Hungary. These and many more like these, and far more than these of uncouth and unpronounceable names of places and of persons, we ought to have heard of frequently in our youth; for in our old age this new nomenclature of nations is not easy to learn and is very difficult to remember. We are greatly obliged in consequence to Mr. Paton for presenting to us so excellent a volume on this subject. A visitor to all the places he describes, a tourist through the Pzekler land, through Northern Transylvania, Grosswardien, and Tabreesin, he has seen much and has well described what he has seen; and with his descriptions there are many most excellent reflections upon the inhabitants of Hungary generally. It is not possible to give the reader a sufficiently clear idea of the vast information upon all the recent Hungarian transactions that this volume contains, nor of the many anecdotes of the highest interest which it gives. Never were the horrors of war more fearfully depicted in print, and never were the crimes of those who plunged the country into war more unsparingly condemned. The statesman-like views and the humane and patriotic feelings that are found embodied in the work necessarily enhance its value and make it the more acceptable to the reader who desires truth in a book and not trash

A Catechism, or Institution of Christian Religion, to be learned of all Youth, next after the Little Catechism appointed in the Book of Common Prayer, commonly called the Second or Middle Catechism. By ALEXANDER NOWELL, D.D., Dean of St. Paul's, London. First published in 1572. London: Prayer Book and Homily Society. 1851. 12mo.

It was a charge very frequently but unjustly brought against the early Reformers that they had no definite religious principles; and that the great mass of their followers was practically destitute of any creed, except a blind opposition to the Romish Church. To take away every pretence for such accusations, Dr. Nowell, one of the confessors and exiles for the true faith of Christ during the sanguinary Marian persecution, was engaged to compile his catechisms, of which his biographer, Mr. Archdeacon Churton, has given a long and interesting account in pp. 151-197 of his "Life of Nowell."

Dr. Nowell, who was subsequently appointed Dean of St. Paul's Cathedral, published three Catechisms in Latin (the universal language of scholars at that time), each of which was translated into English by Thomas Norton, an eminent translator of valuable theological treatises from the Latin, during the reign of Queen Elizabeth.

1. The larger Catechism was presented to the Convocation of the Church of England in 1562, by the Lower House, of which it was unanimously allowed and approved; and the intention appears to have been to give to this book and to Bishop Jewel's Apology an authority similar to that of the Thirty-nine Articles of religion, by uniting them together in one volume. Although this design was not executed, Dean Nowell's catechisms are evidently referred to in the seventy-ninth of the canons of 1603, which directs that "all schoolmasters shall teach in English or Latin, as the children are able to bear, the larger or shorter catechism heretofore by public authority set forth." Archbishops Parker, Grindal, and Whitgift, and other English bishops, highly commended this catechism of Nowell's, which seems to have fallen into oblivion during the greater part of the eighteenth century, until the attention of students in divinity was recalled to it by Bishop Randolph, who, in the year 1791, inserted it and Jewel's Apology in his valuable collection of theological tracts, entitled Enchiridion Theologicum" (since oftentimes reprinted), as showing "the genuine sense of the Church of England, both as to the grounds of separation from the Church of Rome, and of the doctrines, which after a long struggle, having entirely emancipated herself from that yoke, she at length finally adopted and ratified." A few years afterwards Bishop Cleaver

published an edition for the use of candidates for holy orders; and more recently, in 1844, the Rev. Dr. Jacobson, Regius Divinity Professor at Oxford, published a very valuable edition in Latin for the same class of students. A neatly printed edition of this larger catechism of Nowell's has recently been published in English by the Prayer Book and Homily Society, after Norton's translation, and is enriched with a copious index.

2. Nowell's "Little Catechism" is now all but forgotten. It may suffice to state that, with the exception of the latter part which is fuller, it differs but little from the catechism in the Book of Common Prayer, the last portion of which, on the sacraments (added in 1604) has evidently been taken chiefly from this catechism.

3. The Middle, or Second catechism (as it is sometimes called), is now before us in the very neat and cheap edition just published by the Prayer Book and Homily Society. It was originally printed after the two catechisms of which we have just given a concise account. In his "Epistle" or dedication to the Archbishops of Canterbury and York, the Bishop of London, and the rest of the Bishops in England, whom he requests "to allow the same," Nowell thus expresses himself:

"I......have applied myself in this Catechism, being of a middle sort, both to further the profit, and to satisfy the minds, of such as may judge the little Catechism, as written for very young children, not fully enough to serve for their instruction; and on the other part may think the larger Catechism to be too long and tedious, either for their capacity or leisure: for their use, I say, and contentation, I have here abridged the largest Catechism in such sort, I trust, as it may seem neither much defective in any necessary points of Christian religion, neither very superfluous in any unnecessary circumstances and amplifications, neither in consequence of matter greatly swerving from good order. That as the least Catechism is most meet for the first entering of children, or others, though of more age, yet not of the greatest capacity; so might this of the middle sort serve for such, as having somewhat profited, were yet desirous of further instruction: and lastly such as not contented to know the chief points of Christian religion briefly set forth, were desirous also to see and understand the reasons and proofs of the same, may find in the largest Catechism wherewith to content and satisfy their minds: so that none should lack instructions of godliness meet for them, of what age or capacity soever they were" (pp. i. ii.)

The following is the plan of this admirable summary of Christian doctrine and Christian duty. Commencing with an acknowledgment of the duty of instructing the young with special diligence in spiritual and eternal things, the author lays down the broad principle, that the word of God is the only