do, as your diocesan, and in the spirit of charity, warn you not to think lightly of your calling as a Minister of that apostolical branch of the church of Christ which is established in these realms, nor again to sanction, by such a step as you have now taken, those divisions against which we are, in our Liturgy, bound to pray." 4. To this letter Mr. Jordan replies, June 11th. His letter is just what it ought to be,-manly and respectful, English and Christian. To his Lordship he states, as in his letter to Dr. Phillimore he had done, the reasons by which he had been influenced; and says, "Lam really desirous of knowing what the law is against which I have offended." He therefore repeats the questions which he had proposed to Dr. Phillimore.biz0c 5. To this the Bishop replies, June 17th; declining to enter into any discussion, and warning Mr. Jordan that "the tone and tenor of his letter are utterly inconsistent with the relative situation in which he stands to his diocesan, and consequently tending to aggravate, rather than mitigate, the INDISCRETION of which he had been guilty." We hope our readers will peruse this letter. They will notice the word we have put in capitals, indiscretion; and remember that it is a reply to a request for reference to the law which had been violated, contrary to his duty "as a sworn Minister of the Church," causing "scandal" and "great offence," and rendering him liable to proceedings in the Ecclesiastical Court. Dr. Phillimore/had distinctly, though kindly, said, that he "had been guilty of a canonical offence, rendering himself liable to ecclesiastical censure and punishment ;"but now that the law is asked for, he is told that no discussion will be allowed, and that his letter aggravates-not his offence, but his indiscretion. An indiscretion may be an offence; but the use of the word in reply to such a request as had been preferred, when it had not been used before, appears to us to indicate a consciousness that to point out the law would be somewhat difficult. As to the tone of his Lordship's letter, we exceedingly regretted to witness it. Higher than all ecclesiastical canons is the inspired injunction," Not as lords over God's heritage ;" and to us the letter seems to breathe anything but the spirit contemplated by the command, The Roman Clement wrote a letter to certain schismatics at Corinth, pointed in its rebukes, but as humble and tender in spirit as it is firm in its language. 6. Mr. Jordan replies, June 20th, that he could not avoid the form in which he wrote, inasmuch as his Lordship had not addressed him on the expediency of his conduct, but denounced it (taking his letter as connected with Dr. Phillimore's) as cognizable by ecclesiastical law: mere explanation, therefore, was out of the question. His conduct had been, in the first instance, taken up in reference to law, and in that reference he had himself written. 7. June 28th, Dr. Phillimore briefly replies, repeating his opinion, and declining to say more, as he might possibly have to consider the point judicially. He adds, however, "that ecclesiastical as well as temporal courts have their unwritten law." 8. Mr. Jordan then gives a case which had been submitted to Dr. Dodson, and the Doctor's reply. This consists of two parts: First, that the mere circumstance of attending and presiding at a meeting of persons friendly to the Wesleyan Missionary Society would not of itself render a beneficed Clergyman liable to ecclesiastical censure. But, secondly, that he could not decide on the particular case without knowing the actual character of the meeting, as whether the person so presiding made himself a party to any measures which could justly be considered as repugnant to the doctrine or discipline of the Church of England; in which case, he would be liable to censure. Of course, the first part of the opinion denies that attendance at a Meeting for the object stated is itself an offence; the repugnancy supposed in the second part must, therefore, go beyond the union, at a Meeting, with persons friendly to the Wesleyan Missionary Society. The documents in the "Watchman" of September 24th, are four : 1. A letter from the Vicar of Chipping-Norton to Mr. Jordan, dated May 20th ; and, 2. Mr. Jordan's reply. Then, 3. Is a short letter to the Bishop of Oxford from the Rural Deans of Deddington and Chipping-Norton, dated August 28th, and accompanying an Address to his Lordship, on the subject of the correspondence already given. This Address is signed by all the Clergy in the two districts, except one, the exception "resulting from feelings of private friendship." The Address is altogether condemnatory of Mr. Jordan, and decidedly approves the Bishop's conduct. 4. The Bishop acknowledges the receipt of this Address, and expresses the pleasure which it affords him. In the Address, however, there is a reference to what has not been touched upon before. Mr. Jordan is said, not only to have gone to this Missionary Meeting, but also to have "withheld himself altogether from the district associations of his brethren, for the Promotion of Christian Knowledge, and the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts." In the "Watchman" of October 1st, there is a letter, dated September 17th, addressed to the Clergymen who signed the Address, and replying to the additional charge thus insinuated, as well as justifying his attendance at the Missionary Meeting. The letter is firm, and contains a challenge for a comparison of conduct, even in reference to canonical consistency, which, we incline to think, few of his assailants will venture to accept. But there is nothing additional as to what may be termed the great question at issue. We may just add, that the " Watchman" contains some extracts from a letter in the "Banbury Guardian" of September 25th, referring to this additional charge, and showing how these Clergymen themselves supported the cause, for " withholding" himself from which, they censured Mr. Jordan; doing so, it will be observed, without any reference to the subject having been previously made, and with the evident intention of making his conduct appear all the worse. The writer prints the names as given in the Address, and puts opposite the sum subscribed by them to the Societies which they censure Mr. Jordan for not supporting, as printed in the "Banbury, &c., Report, &c." There are thirty-six names. Twenty-two do not appear in the Report as subscribers at all; and among the omissions is the name of the Vicar of Chipping-Norton. The remaining fourteen subscribe sums amounting to £12. 13s. Od. They would have done better in omitting all reference to this subject. They were not called to make it; and what have they gained by it? case. Such are the published facts of what we will now call this very important It is our painful duty to make some observations upon them. They will be few, but to the point. SELECT LIST OF BOOKS RECENTLY PUBLISHED, CHIEFLY RELIGIOUS, WITH CHARACTERISTIC NOTICES. [The insertion of any article in this List is not to be considered as pledging us to the approbation of its contents, unless it be accompanied by some express notice of our favourable opinion. Nor is the omission of any such notice to be regarded as indicating a contrary opinion; as our limits, and other reasons, impose on us the necessity of selection and brevity.] Instructions about Heart-Work; and a Companion for Prayer. By the Rev. Richard Alleine, sometime Rector of Batcombe, Somerset. Revised and corrected, with a Biographical Sketch of the Author, by the Rev. John S. Stamp. 8vo. pp. xx, 340. John Mason.The works of Richard Alleine are exceedingly scarce, complete sets being very rarely met with; so that the reprinting and publication of various portions of his writings is a valuable addition to the religious literature of our country. The venerated Founder of Methodism thought so highly of the productions of this Puritan Divine, that he selected from his Vindicia Pietatis, or, "A Vindication of Godliness, in the greatest Strictness and Spirituality of it, from the Imputations of Folly and Fancy,"-his form, or "Directions to Penitents and Believers for renewing their Covenant with God;" and also abridged several of Mr. Alleine's most telling productions in his "Christian Library." The volume on our table, one of the most important of Richard Alleine's works, is a reprint of the second edition, which was published in 1684, under the editorial supervision of the celebrated Dr. Samuel Annesley, father of Susanna, wife of the Rev. Samuel Wesley, Rector of Epworth. The first edition is seldom seen: it was formerly in the possession of Dr. Kippis, and bore the following imprint :-"London: Printed for Jonathan Greenwood, at the Crown, in the Poultry, near Grocers'-Alley, 1681." The Biographi cal Sketch of the author will be read with great interest: it is the only one of the kind that in our opinion is worthy of the man, Mr. Stamp having availed himself of all the sources of information which were within his reach in the libraries of Sion College and Red Crossstreet, London. The volume will not fail to be highly prized by the devout Christian, to whom it will be a constant companion: none can peruse it without being wiser and better. The appeals of the author to the understanding and the heart, are of the most thrilling description during the whole of our editorial career, we have not met with a work which is so calculated to starve the man out of the creature, and drive him to God. We sincerely hope that the reception which this book will meet with from the public will encourage Mr. Mason to present the Christian world with other of Richard Alleine's powerful and practical writings. The Congregational Tune-Book. By Adam Wright. Parts III., IV. Nelson, We lately expressed regret that this work should have proved a failure. The first Part reached us several months ago; and not having been favoured with a sight of any others, we took it for granted that the scheme of the publisher had been thwarted. Our table has often groaned under the load of Part I. of several works, which are never joined by the sequent series. Critical notices of Part I. only, we never give. Our friends, the publishers, therefore, who wish to appear on our pages, must furnish us with the entire, or with such a portion of their works as will enable us to form some just opinion of the whole. Justice to our readers, and a due regard to our own character as critics, peremptorily require this. We have received a communication from the publisher of the TuneBook in question, and are happy in informing our readers that the publication is not stopped, and that it proceeds "more vigorously than ever." "We have examined seriatim the tunes in Parts I., III., and IV., (Part II. not having reached us,) and have been gratified with the judgment and taste of the editor. We wish the enterprise increasing success. A Book for young Women. By the Wife of a Clergyman, Author of "How shall I come to the Table of the Lord?" 18mo. pp. 68. Wertheim.-An excel lent manual, which, on account of its real value and cheapness, may be gratuitously conveyed to those who might profit by a perusal of its contents. Seligmann; or, the Leaven of the Gospel in a Jewish Family: and Nathan; or, the Power of Love and Truth. Two authentic Narratives. Translated from the German. By Sophia Lloyd. 18mo. pp. vi, 63. Wertheim.-Very instructive and interesting narratives, adapted for general good. We cordially recommend them, and intend to make a more extensive use of both at some future period. The Spirit of God in the Conversion of the World: a Sermon, preached in the Tabernacle, Moorfields, before the Directors of the London Missionary Society, May 14th, 1845. By the Rev. Thomas Archer, D.D. 18mo. pp. 36. Snow. A valuable discourse, and admirably adapted for extensive usefulness. The German Shoemaker and his Family; or, the Blessings of Industry. A Narrative founded on Fact. By Margaret Fison. 24mo. pp. 30. Wertheim. We have perused this unassuming and truly interesting tract with real pleasure it abounds with striking incidents and evangelical principles, and will be read with approbation and profit. We shall have no objections to meet our fair author again. The Sherwood Gipsy; or, the blessed Results of the Meeting of the Superintendent of a Sunday-School in Nottingham and a Gipsy Girl on Sherwood Forest, near that Town, on Sunday Morning, June 9th, 1844. 18mo. pp. 18. Aylott and Jones.-A pamphlet well calculated to illustrate the importance of being "instant in season, out of season." "A word spoken in season, how good is it?" (See Eccles xi. 1—6.) A Sermon on the Nature, Importance, Obligations, and Advantages of Christian Communion. By Corbett Cooke, Wesleyan Minister. 12то. рр. 35. Exeter. A good practical discourse, soundly evangelical, and likely to be truly serviceable to the cause of our common Christianity. It reflects credit on the head and heart of the author, as well as on the judgment of those who desired its publication. Female Characters of Holy Writ: in a Course of Sermons preached at the Parish Church of St. John's, Clerken well, London. By Hugh Hughes, B.D., Rector. First Series. 12mo. pp. 392. Hamilton and Co.-This volume possesses many excellencies, and cannot be read without benefit. We sincerely hope that the author will be encouraged to complete his project, by extending the work so as to embrace the whole range of Scripture female biography. Lectures on the Deluge, and the World after the Flood. By the Rev. Charles Burton, LL.D., &c. 8vo. pp. xvi, 372; Appendix, 55. Hamilton and Co. We have, on the whole, been pleased with this volume: we say, "on the whole," because there are a few topics on which, if our time and space permitted, we should desire, perhaps pugnaciously, to break a lance with our reverend author. In the main, we think that Dr. Burton takes a just and scriptural view of the subject to which he has directed his attention. We certainly are of opinion with one of our contempora ries, that the time is come when all the friends of religion, and all who are anxious for the advancement of true science, should make a stand, and resist that scepticism which, under the mask, or rather the pretence, of knowledge, endangers our faith; and that combination of empiricism and dogmatism which threatens the subversion of all right principles of geology, which is, after all, as a branch of science, but in its infancy. The arrogant and confidential tone which has been assumed by many, is truly ludicrous; while the sceptical-we might say, infidel-language that has been adopted, has attained a height which demands the resistance which our author has offered. A Treasury of Biblical and Theological Knowledge: designed chiefly for the Use of junior Ministers. By the Rev. James Wilson. Book I. 8vo. pp. xiv, 204. Hamilton.-The book now on our table justifies the character which it bears on the title-page: it is indeed "A Treasury of Biblical and Theological Knowledge," and is a manifest proof of the industry and perseverance of the compiler, who, while availing himself of the labours of so many individuals, has arranged the whole in a manner which cannot fail to be highly satisfactory to the biblical student, and especially to those whose pecuniary advantages do not permit them to purchase many of those books from whence Mr. Wilson has obtained much of his volume. The work is divided into three parts; namely, essays, common-places, and notes. The essays are devoted to the evidences, doctrines, duties, and institutions of Christianity. The common-places Mr. Wilson would regard as an index to the inspired vo Jume; but an index of a peculiar kind, serving to unfold theological truth, and to direct the less experienced student in divinity to arrange his own ideas, and furnish him with others. The notes are varied, being philological, chronological, oriental, exegetical, &c., and of themselves form a commentary drawn from various sources, and illustrative of many passages of holy writ, which to many are "hard to be understood." This attempt of Mr. Wilson to benefit his junior brethren in the ministry is bold and spirited; and the sale of the work must of necessity be large, in order to shield him from loss. We hope, therefore, that the volumes, as they issue from the press, will meet with a wide circulation. Sketches of Sermons on Christian Missions. Original and selected. By the Author of the "Pulpit Cyclopedia." 12mo. pp. 364. Aylott and Jones.This selection, the compiler informs us, has been made irrespective of the sect or party of the Preacher; the end contem. plated being an exposition of the Missionary spirit, from some of the most able Ministers of past and present times. Those outlines which are the production of the Wesleyan ministry have been taken from an evanescent work, entitled, "The Wesleyan Preacher," where we believe the discourses were furnished by the respective authors. Although we do not approve of the principle involved in publications like the one now before us, inasmuch as all "helps, &c.," tend to cramp the mental energies of the Preacher, and inflict a severe blow on the proper exercise of the duties of reading, meditation, and prayer, without which no one can be an able Minister of the New Testament,—the editor has displayed both judgment and piety in the selection. Temper and Temperament: or, Varieties of Character. By the Author of "The Women of England," &c. Part I. 8vo. Fisher and Son. France illustrated. Drawings by Thomas Allom, Esq. Descriptions by the Rev. G. N. Wright, M.A. 4to. Fisher and Son. We have been highly gratified with this exhibition of the spirit of the publishers, who have furnished the lovers of the fine arts with an exquisite treat in the really beautiful engravings contained in this volume: they stand unrivalled. France abounds in subjects well deserving the pencil of the painter, and the engraver's tool; there is everything connected with her history that is calculated to excite curiosity, delight imagination, and improve the taste. In her halls William the Conqueror held his courts, and Cœur de Leon drained the wassail-bowl. On the plains of Cressy, Poitiers, and Agincourt, the blood of Britons was shed, and the glory of British arms maintained. At Dom remi, an insignificant village in the department of Meuse, our sympathy is excited for the fate of a girl who triumphed over England by the infamy of her assassins. We cannot turn over a page of this book without being reminded of the magnificence of Charlemagne, the tact and prowess of Henri IV., the rascality of Louis XI., and the cruelty of Louis XIV., &c. The project of our publisher deserves support. The Millennium: a Sermon preached on behalf of the Church Missionary Society by the Rev. T. Rankin. 8vo. pp. 28. Whitaker and Co.-A good sermon, and adapted for extensive use fulness. Lady Mary; or, Not of the World. By the Rev. Charles B. Tayler, M.A. 12mo. pp. 319. Longman and Co.An interesting story, and well told: it abounds in incident of a most telling character, is truly evangelical in sentiment, although the doctrines of the Genevan Reformer are by no means concealed; and it strikes a most effective blow at Popery, and its bantling, Pusey. ism, both of which Mr. Tayler appears cordially to detest. The Congregational Lecture. Eleventh Series. The Doctrine of Origi nul Sin; or, the native State and Character of Man unfolded. By George Payne, LL.D. 8vo. pp. xx, 454. Jackson and Walford.-Were we inclined to engage in controversy on the comparatively subordinate topics of theological opinion, these Lectures would furnish us with the opportunity of doing 80. But we are not. Christian union is far more important, at the present time, than any attempts at the settlement of the questions in dispute between Calvinists and Arminians. A contest which, to be successful, requires that all who are assailed should be united, is at hand. It is already begun and the movement is not less momentous than was that which Luther commenced, when he began to preach against Tetzel, and published his theses on indulgences. We now only write to make our own readers aware of the real character of the volume before us, without pronouncing any opinion on its merits or demerits. The doctrine of original sin is a most important one, and Wesleyans are always ready to study any work that |