certainly accompanied their establishment. But he should recollect that all great changes will necessarily produce them in a greater or less degree: it was the evil and corrupt passions of men, and not the Doctrines of the Bible taught by the Reformation, which was the true cause of them. The Reformation itself at most was the occasion only by accident, and not design: and if one side propagated it by violence, it should be recollected that the other rejected it with equal or greater violence. And after all it is but the same argument alleged by Infidels against Christianity itself, when they argue against its truth from the contests, violence and misery, which its impious professors have caused in the world, under a pretence of serving God, and forwarding the interests of Religion.

Our observations on Mr. Butler's work have been only applied to a few particular parts. So vast is the range he has taken, so numerous the assumptions he has made, so often, and. almost universally, when entering into controverted doctrines, has he begged the question, that it were in vain to attempt to be particular, without going through every point of controversy be

tween the Churches of England and of Rome: but we venture to say that a perusal of our good old English Divines, and particularly the works of Jewell, will be able to shew him, that notwithstanding the polite and even charitable exterior with which he has invested the errors of his Church, they are fundamentally opposed to both Reason and Revelation, although he has the authority of a Lutheran University* on his side.

And if he reads the Articles and Homilies of our Church, with Bishop Burnett's Exposition, he will soon see with what utter inconsistency those members of the Church of England havę acted, who have acquitted the Church of Rome of idolatry, as quoted in his XVIIIth Chapter. Those authorities are certainly not of high reputation amongst us, nor are we aware (as asserted) that the disciples of Hoadly" form a large proportion of the clergy." But notwithstanding Mr. B.'s politeness, and tenderness about the rights of conscience, we perceive still repeatedly the uncompromising spirit of the Church of Rome. That Church is still with him the only

Page 328.

true Church the people must still not judge for themselves in matters of Religion, nor read the Bible without the Church's interpretation. But hardly did we expect to find in Mr. B. an apologist for the murder of the Prince of Orange, or for the Tragedy of a St. Bartholomew's day. Never did we expect the inconsistency that the plea for that massacre was admitted by the See of Rome; and yet the Church of Rome is not chargeable with its guilt. Hardly did we expect that he would have made himself ridiculous by calling Rome "The Eternal City," or the Nuns "Celestial Beings."

When treating of the Temporal Power of the Popes we were quite surprised at the opinions. he has brought forward. "From an humble fisherman," says Mr. B. " the Pope successively became the owner of houses and of lands, acquired the power of Magistracy in Rome," &c.* We are quite at a loss how to interpret this sentence. Does "the humble Fisherman". mean the Apostle Peter, or the first individual who took the title of Pope? "Then the Pope," "did not stop, but claimed by divine

he adds,

* Page 93.

gift a right to exercise supreme temporal power over all Christian Sovereigns, when a great good of Religion required it. This claim was unfounded-both the Gospel and Tradition declared against it." Indeed this was a marvellous proof of his infallibility. Still more strangely he adds, "it produced great evil;" and then proceeds to show, both from argument and authority, that it was productive of extensive benefits to Christendom in general! Is this writing like an historian or a partizan? But we must profess ourselves shocked at his language, and contemplate with the utmost regret what we must deem profaneness and absurdity, where he talks of Christ's "voluntary obedience to the Will of his Eternal Father, and to the will of his Virgin Mother, as imitated by the Monks, in a voluntary renunciation of their own wills.*

The strangeness of such phraseology and arguments makes Mr. Butler's book at once ridiculous, and yet curious to the ears of a Protestant Reader: he has a method too of expressing himself on some occasions, and glancing at the most shock

* Christian Remembrancer for February, 1825, p. 94 and 95.

ing transactions in a language so fastidious, refined, and puerile, as is most unparalleled, and yet ludicrous in the extreme. Who would have ever expected to have heard the epithet of illaudable applied to the impious Bulls of Pius V. and Sixtus Quintus? But if Mr. B.'s mistakes on doctrines are so erroneous, he is still more mistaken in his authorities; not appearing to be aware of that mutilation of ancient authors by the Romanists; from whose Editions alone he seems to have quoted; which circumstance fully acquits Mr. Southey.

There is however one assertion made by Mr. Butler which must not pass unnoticed; viz. that "commutations of penance for Money are, at this time, practised in our Church:" and he asks, whether Doctor Glover in his reply to the Bishop of Peterborough has not abundantly shown it? It really is of no consequence what Doctor Glover or any other person can prove upon the subject, since it must be most evident to all, that in whatever sense such a charge can be made, it cannot bear the most distant resemblance to the practice of the Church of Rome. Where there is no penance there can be no

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