13. A Friendly Address on Baptismal Regeneration. By the Right Rev. ALEXANDER JOLLY, D.D., late Bishop of Moray. London: Burns.

1840.

14. Letter to Thomas Phillips, Esq., R.A., on the connection between the Fine Arts and Religion, and the means of their revival. By HENRY DRUMMOND, Esq. London: Fraser. 1840.

15. A Speech read at the Monthly General Meeting of the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge. By the Rev. W. PALMER, M.A. Oxford Parker. 1840.

Ir is but a very brief space that we can afford to tracts and pamphlets; yet there are some of those mentioned in the above list that we cannot pass without notice. The Tracts on Christian Doctrine and Practice, and the Narratives and Tracts published by Burns, scem designed to aid the cause advocated by the Englishman's Library," and we both approve and admire them. Bishop Jolly's excellent "Address on Baptismal Regeneration," is also reprinted in a larger form, and a wellwritten memoir appended by the Rev. Patrick Cheyne.

"

Of Dr. Whittaker's very able sermon (No. 2) it would be difficult to speak in terms of too high praise, and we are much pleased with that of Mr. Bickersteth (No. 10). Those of Mr. Oakley (No. 6) deserve attention; that of Mr. Russell, though possessing much merit, is too Tractarian for our taste. The letters (9, 11, 14), are each very good.

FINE ARTS.

Melancthon's first misgivings of the Church of Rome. Painted by GEORGE LANCE. Engraved by THOMAS LUPTON. London: Leggatt. THERE are those who tell us that the arts are declining, our architecture is becoming insignificant, our sculpture contemptible, our paintings meretricious, and our engravings mediocre. The "laudatores temporis acti" refer to the National Gallery, both inside and outside, to the paintings of Mr. Turner, and the sculptures of stone-masons, and then coolly ask us, "Whether these are to be compared with St. Peter's or St. Paul's, with Rafael or Michael Angelo, or Claude Lorraine with Phidias or Praxiteles?" Now, we profess to be well satisfied with the existing state of things; we think the New Post Office and the New London Bridge, and the projected Houses of Parliament, to be equal to any buildings of old time. We think Westmacott's exquisite group of "Francesca and Paolo de Rimini" the best basso relievo we know; and we rejoice to find that casts of it are to be had at a moderate price.

Then, again, with regard to Mr. Turner, few people know how those extraordinary pictures of his are produced; but when we have explained the mystery, they will, we think, agree that

no other painter who ever lived could have done the same. Mr. Turner never knows, till his paintings are half-finished, what the subjects of them are to be; he prepares his canvas in the usual manner, he then takes a large brush filled with whitewash, and dashes it against the canvas, without allowing the brush itself to touch it. He then does the same with very liquid mustard, and then the same with a smaller brush filled with vermillion; the next process is to give a dash of ultramarine in the same way, and then, according to the general tour which the colours make, it is decided whether it is to be a land or a sea piece. If there should happen to be a large round spot of mustard, it does for a sun; a similar blot of whitewash makes the painting a moonlight scene-a few masterly strokes with the pencil work up these elements into the outlines of a picture; and thus it is that works of art are produced, upon which the world gazes with astonishment; this, too, accounts for the marvellous transposition of colours we sometimes find in the productions of Mr. Turner. Thus we have, in his "Slaves thrown overboard," a purple sea covered with green fishes, and copper-coloured negroes; upon which sea, floating through a pink fog, we see a brown ship; while a crimson sun, beaming through a mustard-coloured sky, throws a magical light over the striated scene. When the picture is finished, Mr. Turner dips into a book which is filled with the names of proper subjects, and that which he touches first is the name of the picture. Thus, a sea piece may be the battle of Trafalgar, or it may be a view of a steamer starting from the Tower stairs. To speak, seriously, however, Mr. Turner, with all his eccentricities, is a man of power and genius; and we now turn, with much pleasure, to the engravers of our day-doubtless there is much trash published, but there are also good engravings. The engraving at the head of this article is one, which merits high praise, we shall speak first of the picture, to which the Liverpool academy awarded in 1837, a prize of 50l. It represents that moment so important to our Protestant Reformation, when Melancthon was first struck with doubt as to the Apostolic character of the Romish Church. Having been lectured by his monastic superior, upon the duty and merits of self-denial, he accidentally passed through that superior's apartments, when he had fallen into a slumber,

66 somno vino que gravatus."

This is the moment seized by the painter, and it is with no small skill that Mr. Lance has availed himself of the attendant circumstances. On a luxurious chair, by the side of a table, groaning with fruits and wines, with costly but empty vessels at his feet, reclines the preacher of mortification. With extremely

good taste he is depicted, not as a coarse bloated sensualist, the jolly friar of ballads and low novels, but as the intellectual, shrewd, and acute bon-vivant. The one would have never occurred to Melancthon as a specimen of Romish ministers—— the other justly excited his mistrust. The figure of Melancthon himself is equally to be admired; he stands with a grave and earnest, yet most sorrowful surprize; that splendid and lofty brow, so magnificenly intellectual, is finely presented in the picture; and the monastic architecture, the clerical dresses, and all the adjuncts of the painting, are in keeping with the same sweet taste. We can only add that Mr. Lupton has equally excelled in his department-the engraving is worthy of the painting.

Napier Sturt, youngest Son of H. C. Sturt, Esq., M.P., and Lady Charlotte Sturt. Printed by John Lucas. Engraved by C. E. Wagstaff. London: T. Boys. 1840.

THE subject of this engraving is less interesting to the general connoisseur than the last; it is the picture of a beautiful youth-we might rather say a beautiful child. The dog by his side almost approaches to Landseer; and the effect of the whole is extremely good. Mr. and Lady Charlotte Sturt may well be excused publishing, or allowing to be published, this engraving of their beautiful boy. An engraving as creditable to Mr. Wagstaff as the painting is to Mr. Lucas.

A Pictorial Plan of the University and City of Oxford. Drawn by Delamotte. Engraved by Fisher. Oxford: Dewe. London: Tilt. 1840.

Or a plan so new as this we can only speak in terms of praise; it is a very novel and a very pleasing idea; for the colleges, churches, and other public buildings are depicted in their respective places. We hope to see this plan followed by similar ones of Cambridge and other picturesque cities.

Illustrations of the Works of Mercy. Parts I. II. III. IV. London: Dolman. 1940.

THESE are very pretty designs by a young lady lately perverted, and are intended to promote the advancement of the Popish nunnery at Bermondsey, to which purpose the profits are to be applied.

Canadian Scenery. Parts IV. and V. London: Virtue. 1840. THESE parts are fully equal to those which preceded them, and we expect that, when complete, the work will be one of the most elegant of its class.

WILLIAM EDWARD PAINTER, 342, STRAND, LONDON, PRINTER.

THE

CHURCH OF ENGLAND

Quarterly Review.

OCTOBER, MDCCCXL.

ART. I.-Lectures on the Church of England, delivered in London, March, 1840. By the Rev. HUGH MCNEILE, M.A., Minister of St. Jude's Church, Liverpool. London: Hatchards. 1840.

2. The Standard of Catholicity; or an attempt to point out, in a plain manner, certain safe and leading principles amidst the conflicting opinions by which the Church is at present agitated. By the Rev. G. E. BIBER, L.L.D. London: Parker. 1840. 3. The Apostolical Jurisdiction and Succession of the Episcopacy in the British Churches vindicated against the Objections of Dr. Wiseman, in the "Dublin Review." By the Rev. WILLIAM PALMER, M.A., of Worcester College, Oxford. London: Rivingtons. 1840.

4. The Church and Dissent; an Appeal to Independents, Presbyterians, Methodists, and other sects, on the Constitution of the Church of England, and the character and unreasonableness of Schism and Dissent. By the Rev. CHARLES BURTON, L.L.D., F.L.S. London: Hatchards. 1840.

AT the time when what was absurdly called "Catholic Emancipation" was passed, a certain distinguished prelate was asked by a foreigner, what was the meaning of the letters "F. D.” at the end of the royal titles. "It did," replied his lordship, "once signify Defender of the Faith;' but now it signifies, "Fiddle-de-dee.'" We have now many defenders of the Faith, and but few in whom the Church has reason to put much confidence there may be, and are, both zeal and talent displayed on her behalf; but no one is qualified to come forward in the cause of the Church, as her defender, unless he be profoundly

:

VOL. VIII.-S

versed in her history and antiquities, filled with a pure love for her ordinances, endowed with a cool and sound judgment, and animated by a tolerant and charitable spirit towards those "who are without." For want of one or other of these requisites, most of the attempts made of late years to restore the Church to her true and legitimate position, have not only failed to effect their own object, but have furnished weapons of offence to the adversaries.

It is a fact that cannot be concealed, and must not be denied, that in every age since the Apostolic, the Church at large has given an undue prominence to some one or other point of doctrine or discipline. The point thus especially insisted upon threw other and equally important matters into the shade, and produced gradually either speculative heresy or practical error, according as the subject, thus brought into extreme relief, was a point of doctrine or one of discipline. This is the natural result of human weakness, and it has only been over-ruled by the especial providence of God. When, however, the error, whether speculative or practical, was made apparent to the Church at large, it produced a re-action, and the tendency of the next period was, consequently, to the opposite extreme. Thus has the Church been kept from destruction by a series of actions and re-actions, like a river whose meandering course is caused by the wearing away, first of one bank, and then of the other. We may take, as an instance of this, the case of our own Anglican Church. But half a century ago, the generality of her clergy were content with the preservation of order; they strenuously resisted innovation, and, provided that all things were thus "done decently," they were willing "to abide in decencies for ever." But when the spirit of a more lively faith began to leaven the whole lump, the formality of the previous period was seen in its true light, and those who contended for evangelical truth became all but despisers of apostolical order. There has been one era in the history of the Anglican Church when a sound state of doctrine and discipline was brought about by extraordinary means when no such tendency to extremes existed-and this wholesome condition would have continued had it not been for the operation of external causes. The period to which we refer was the earlier part of Elizabeth's reign. The Reformation was established, the Marian persecutions had purified the Church, and the true principles, both of theological system and of ecclesiastical polity, had been elicited and investigated by minds of a gigantic capacity. Popery was renounced, while the unity of the Church was preserved, and the task of guiding the public opinion was committed to intellects so ma