Bat what, then, is Romish teaehing, that we should thus speak of it as scinetting to be dreaded? I is, what it always has been, immoral and Satacic. M. Saurestre gives the following passages, from "A Course of Christian Instruction for Catechists and Schools," by M. T. Varútte, Vicar-General to the Bishop of Terdun, published by Laurent, Imperial bookseller, Verdun, 1808:

* Question. Is it allowable to wish a bad action to be committed, or to rejoice over one, because of the benefit which may result from it?

*** A ct. It is never allowable to wish a bad action to be committed, or to rejoice over one, whatever may be the adrantage resulting from it; thos a son cannot rejoice over the murder of his father because he gains a large property. But it is allowable to rejoice over an advantage gained, though it results from a crime; for example, a son may joyfully receice any property procured by the murder of his father,-p. 481.....

* Quátinn. Is it sometimes allowabie to kill an innocent person?

“ Anet. It is never allowable to kill an innocent person DIRECTLY, even to assist the interest of the public. But a person may, in the case of a grare and urgent necesity, do an action that is good in itself, though capable of causing the death of one or many innocent persons : Provided that the person who commits the deed shall have nothing in view excepting the good which will result from it, and that he prevents, as much as is in his power, the mischief he apprehends,-p. 259.....

" Question. Is it always wrong to steal-when we take that which belongs to others ?

“ Answer. No......

Notice this. From the first word 'No,' the child learns to think that it is not always wrong to take that which belongs to another. 'No.' It is not always wrong to steal; that depends on circumstances. Thus the youthful conscience is obscured and deceived, the child learns and repeats by heart that sometimes the property of others may be taken without scruple.

Observe, it is to children from the country that they teach this beautiful piece of Christian instruction.

Now let us examine the rest of the answer, and learn on what occasion it is allowable to take the possessions of other people.

“Question. Are we always guilty of theft when we take that which belongs to another?

"Answer. No. It may happen that the person from whom you take the property has no right to oppose you; for example, this may happen when the person who takes another man's possessions is in extreme distress, and that he only takes what he absolutely requires to deliver himself from it; or when he takes from his neighbour in secret, as a sort of compensation, what he could not obtain in any other way-things which he may consider due to him in justice,-p. 266.....

"550, II. On secret compensation.-Secret compensation is the act by which we take secretly from our neighbour an equivalent of that which he has taken from us, or that he owes us, in order to indemnify ourselves for the wrong which he has done us. The general opinion held by the Doctors is that this species of compensation is allowable under certain conditions.'

“In fact it is impossible to consider as guilty of injustice him who takes, even on his own authority, that which ought to be his, or that which is due to him, when he has no other means of obtaining compensation or of compelling payment.'” (pp. 10–12.)

Now, there is nothing new in all this. The Jesuit casuists have

taught us this kind of morality these two hundred years. The principal thing to be observed is this : Liberals of the present day are constantly telling us that Romanism, like everything else, is in a state of progress-of improvement; whereas every real, solid fact that we can meet with tells us, constantly and year by year, that Romanism has not changed, and will not change. The importance of this fact, as we have already said, arises from the strong probability which now exists, that before long we shall be asked to give £200,000 or £300,000 of the revenues of the Church of Ireland to Dr. Cullen, to enable him to employ a thousand or two of additional nuns and friars to spread this sort of religion and morality through every part of Ireland.

An Historical Exposition of the Book of Daniel the Prophet. By William Harris Rule, D.D. London : Seeleys. 1869.- This is a new book on the prophecies of Daniel ;-that is to say, Dr. Rule has not followed in the beaten track, or borrowed his “Exposition" from any previous commentators. And one principal recommendation of his work, and that which renders it an interesting volume, is that he has made ample use of the antiquarian discoveries of the last thirty years. The Layards and Rawlinsons of Queen Victoria's reign have thrown a light upon this Book of Daniel of which former expositors knew nothing. Chapter by chapter, and verse by verse, Dr. Rule calls in continually the witness of the cylinders and the obelisks, and combines with them the testimony of Herodotus, Xenophon, and other Greeks, until we seem to know the history of Nineveh and Babylon with as much clearness and certainty as we do that of Clovis or of Charlemagne.

Of the unfulfilled prophecies of Daniel, Dr. Rule does not offer himself as an expounder. Those portions which have been fulfilled he handles with clearness and force ; but with reference to the future, he is diffident and speaks with moderation. In some of his expectations we do not concur; but our dissent applies to only three or four paragraphs in the volume. Of the book as a whole we can speak with unreserved approval. It is full of interesting information, conveyed in a very quiet and unostentatious manner; and its readers will find their knowledge enlarged, and their interest increased, in this most valuable portion of God's Holy Word.

(1) The History of Balaam: in five Discourses. By Rev. W. Roberts. London : E. Stock. 1869. (2) Misread Passages of Scripture. By J. Baldwin Brown, B.A. London : Hodder 8. Stoughton. 1869.—Here are twoworks from the Dissenting School, but as evidently “Broad Church” as if Professor Jowett or Professor Maurice had inspired them. Mr. Roberts writes 127 pages about Balaam ;—the reason or motive for which we have failed to discover. At the close, he says, “We must say, that if any man was ever lost eternally, Balaam was lost eternally.” (p. 123.) Mr. Baldwin Brown is equally “broad.” At p. 40, he says,—“Blessed be God, that we can rest in the belief that all will be, in ways that we see not, so wisely and graciously ordered by the Judge of all the earth, as to satisfy the yearning heart, not of the great Father only, but of the Redeemer of humanity, and to fill the universe with praise.” These vague and base

less imaginings are, we fear, becoming very prevalent among the younger Dissenting teachers; and what shall be the end thereof, no man knoweth.

(1) The Works of Robert Leighton, D.D. Edited by William West, B.Ă. In Six Volumes, 8vo. London: Longmans & Co. 1869. (2) A Devotional Commentary on the Gospel of St. Matthew. From the French of Quesnel. London: Rivingtons. 1869.—“The old wine is better." We rejoice to perceive, along with a vast amount of trash of all kinds, romantic, scientific, and religions, that there is still a market for the more solid productions of former days, and that such houses as Messrs. Longmans and Messrs. Rivingtons can venture to give us handsome and improved editions of the works of such men as Leighton and Quesnel.

Christian Hatherley's Childhood. A Tale. By C. E. B. London: Seeleys. 1869.- We have heard that this lady, who has been very successful with a former story, “Work for All," is a daughter of Mr. Legh Richmond. Without possessing that peculiar faculty of simple adornment which has made “the Dairyman's Danghter” as famous as the “Pilgrim's Progress," C. E. B. has a talent of her own, which would at any time, and without any external recommendation, ensure her works acceptance. The present narrative of “ Christian Hatherley's Childbood,” is both pleasant and profitable. A poor carpenter, named Hatherley, is killed by an accident. His wife, just on the point of giving birth to a daughter, falls prostrate from this stroke, and dies, leaving a little girl, who is named “ Christian.” She is first kindly taken up by à neighbour, but on the emigration of this kind protectress, she is handed over to a cousin, who is called her aunt, and with whom the story begins. This aunt, Mrs. Bonar, is an unsympathetic sort of person; but, happily, a Mrs. Clair, a rich customer, and a Christian woman, notices the forlorn little girl, and leads her in the right way. An extract or two will give our readers some insight into the story :

“• Are you apprenticed to her pasked Mrs. Clair, looking with much interest on little Christian, whose calm, thoughtful countenance struck her as unusual in a child.

". No, ma'am, I am a relation. I call her aunt, and I live with her now.'

** Have you no parents ?'

“No, they are dead, and my other parents are gone to Australia,' and the child's lips trembled as she said this, for her heart and eyes filled whenever she spoke of the Gibsons.

“What do you mean by your other parents P said Mrs. Clair, kindly; tell me all about yourself.'

“Her gentle tone of voice and sweet countenance were not easy to resist. Christian soon found herself telling Mrs. Clair all she knew of her own history; of her love for the simple, warm-hearted family with whom she had been brought up, and of the weary, lonely life she led now,

“. And so your mother wished you to be named Christian, and hoped you would be one in deed. Do you know what it means to be really a Christian, little girl p

“ The child did not reply, and the lady continued

"'A Christian must try to be like Christ, you know; and He was gentle and obedient, and did God's will in all things. A Christian must

not murmur over his or her lot, even if it is not a happy one. I find it hard work often not to complain of mine.'

“Christian opened her eyes with surprise at such a remark from one who seemed to have everything in the world to make her happy. The lady noticed it, and said

"*I have to lie on this sofa week after week, month after month. I could walk about as well as you do a year ago. Then I was thrown from my horse, and my back was so hurt that the doctors keep me here, and they say it may be very long before I am well, if I ever shall be again. At first I thought I could never endure it, but then I remembered God would not give me more to bear than He saw I needed, and I can trust Him for the future. So must you, Christian. Try and be patient, and to believe that God loves you dearly, although He has taken your friends from you, and after a time you will be happy again.'

"" And now,' said Mrs. Clair, 'I must not keep you any longer, but I should like to see you sometimes. Your aunt often does work for me, so perhaps she will let you come whenever there is anything to send home, and remember, little Christian, to try and be worthy of your name.'

"Oh, how much can be effected by a few kind words! Christian had walked soberly and without spirit as she came. She skipped and ran as she returned, so light-hearted did she feel; and all because of the lady's kind sympathy with troubles which she could not remove." (pp. 11–13.)

Christian is now in the right path, and here we find her :“Tom was more ill than usual to-day. His mother had not liked to leave him. She thought she saw a change for the worse. Little Nelly was, as usual, seated by his side, and her hand was clasped in his. The poor child was beginning to comprehend that her dear Tom was gradually slipping from her, and she liked to keep hold of his hand, as though she thought her doing so would prevent him from vanishing away.

“Christian's appearance was always a welcome one to the children; and the poor anxious, toiling mother, herself far from strong, felt grateful to the kind-hearted, loving girl, who seemed to do Tom so much good.

“ Christian kneeled down by the bedside, and placed her little basket on the bed, so that Tom could see it.

Look, Tom, what I've got for you. Three large oranges full of juice, and these grapes.' And she put a large purple one to his hot lips, which opened eagerly to receive it. She continued to feed him with them, for she saw how they revived him, and she remembered there were still the oranges for another time. It was a pity that the kind-hearted woman who gave them was not by to see how refreshing was her little gift to the dying child. There were eleven grapes in all. He ate seven, and then asked them to save the other four for night, when he said his mouth got even more parched than in the day. Christian told how kind the woman had been in giving her the grapes, and Tom listened, and then said to his sister

“Nelly, when we say our prayers to-night, let us remember to ask God to bless her.'

“Truly, as she herself had remarked, she would be none the poorer for sending the few grapes to the sick boy.'

"Then Christian read a chapter in the New Testament, as Tom always liked her to do when she came. When she had finished, he told her that he had dreamed the night before that he was in heaven, and that everything looked so like sunshine there, that at first, when he woke,

he felt quite disappointed; the more so because mother, and Nelly, and herself were all there too."

"'I told Mr. Anson about it when he came,' said he, and how sorry I was it was only a dream. He said I must try to be patient, and I should soon be there. But I wish we were going together, instead of all of you coming afterwards.'

«•I don't think I shall be long after you,' said the poor mother, whose hollow cough told that it was from her Tom inherited the fatal disease which was carrying him off. “I have feelings that tell me I shan't be much behind you. God grant I may go where you are going.'

“. Look to Christ, mother dear. He has saved me, Mr. Anson says, and He will save you, and then we shall both be with Him.'

“Nelly at this moment burst into a passionate flood of tears. They tried to soothe her, but at first in vain.

“• Tom is going,' she exclaimed, 'and mother says she feels she is ill, and going too; and I feel quite well, and shall not be able to die, and I shall be left. Oh, mother! oh, Tom !

“ Christian felt that she was the one who could best comfort her at present, so she dried her eyes and kissed her, and promised to try and be very kind to her, if ever the time came that she was left alone; and then, by way of diverting her thoughts, she set her to squeeze the juice of an orange into a mug, that, with a little water and sugar added, Tom might have a nice cooling drink. In five minutes the child's tears were dried, whilst, every sorrow forgotten for the moment, she was engrossed in her novel occupation.

“'I shall bring three more oranges in a short time,' said Christian, 'and some others after that; so do not spare these.' And kissing Tom's forehead, and taking up her basket, the young sister of love left the room.” (pp. 69–72.)

PUBLIC AFFAIRS.

PARLIAMENT has again met, and the real business of the Session has now commenced. The Queen's Speech announced, in general terms, the intention of the Government to propose a measure affecting the Irish Church. The precise nature of that measure has not yet been announced, but there is little doubt but that it will fully carry out the Resolutions of the last Session. We can only express our hope that the measure may be discussed with the moderation which its nature and importance demand, and that the real interests of religion will not be sacrificed to a vain hope of conciliating those whose demands extend far beyond the overthrow of the Protestant Establishment.

When the Nonconformists are neglecting the warnings and departing so far from the principles of their great founders, it will be well if they will consider the words of the most thoughtful of their present ministers. “Some Dissenters, too,” (says the Rev. T. Binney,) “may lay to heart with manifest