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apostolical authority of the sifted matter ?—excepting as far
as it may coincide with the inspired word ? Moreover, we
are required to establish a "consent among the fathers as to
unquestionable relics of the apostles;" but if apostolical tie-
dawn cannot be established until this shall have been effected,
we may continue for ever in the good path which we have
trodden; for it must be manifest to every one who has read
the varying interpretrations of the fathers, and who has
waded through their discrepant traditions, that they cannot
be conciliated without extensive mutilations and. conjectural
emendations; and very few will be inclined to. elevate the
conjectures that will be required for this purpose to the stan-
dard of the inspired Scriptures. As Dr. Wilson says, the
fathers not only disagree in interpretation, but exhibit in-
stances of manifestly unsound critical judgment, and often
seem to quote Scripture for the mere sake of illustration.
Dr. Wilson has also glanced at the apostolical succession,
on which subject his opinion coincides with our own. .The
apostolical character of the doctrines of the church is most
evident; but can the apostolical succession be traced through
all the links of the chain ? We suspect that many interrup-
tions would present themselves to the critical inquirer, and
are sure that the doctrine propounded has been intended to
direct us to the church of Rome, as that through which it
might be traced. It has been a bait offered to the weak-
minded and self-important. The 23rd article of the 13th of
Elizabeth, about the admission of persons below the episcopal
dignity, who had been otherwise ordained into the church, is
not greatly in favour of apostolical succession as now under-
stood. Even in the church of Rome the dictum, " übi vox
apostolorum sooat, ibi, cathedrze apostolorum prmsident,"
snakes not this succession of place or persons independent of
a succession of doctrine is right; and in this sense we may
fearlessly assert the apostolical succession, for it is built on
the foundation of apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself
being the chief corner stone; but if we attempt to maintain
an unbroken and successive priesthood, we shall not be able
to establish our proposition.
The notion of an apostolical succession, in its strictest and
plenary sense, is a part of the foundation of the system which
we are discussing, and we can easily imagine that it is calcu-
lated, by inflaming spiritual pride, to snake proselytes. Never-
theless, the abettors of the notion are bound to produce the
unbroken chain, not through Rome, for there it has been
broken by a deflection from apostolical doctrines, and Rome
scarcely otherwise could exhibit it; much lesS can it be
proved through the native Britons, said to have been con-
verted by St. Paul; for the records are far too scanty for such
an important purpose, and there was a time when the Romish
defection from apostolicity prevailed in this land. It is, how-
ever, curious to perceive the inclination towards infallibility
which we detect in Froude and some others, in connection
with this notion.

By the aid of Mr. Maurice's pamphlet, we are also enabled
to notice some innovations in practice, which have a very
dangerous and Papistical tendency. Some of them appear
to have resulted from Froude's suggestions. Speaking of the
new mode in which the service of the church has been per-
formed by certain ministers, he says, that the officiating mi-
nister "kneels on a low cushion placed on the step of the corn-
munion-table, and turns from the congregation with hiS face
towards the communion-table, in which practice he continues
during the prayers." This is exactly the practice which the
Roman Catholics adopt, and cannot be misunderstood, as in-
dicatiug a closer approximation to the church of Rome than
can be consistent with the safety of the church of England.
In a new chapel of ease belonging to St. Mary the Virgin, at
Oxford, the same practice is observed, according to Mr. Mau-
rice, who properly describes the nakedness of the interior, di-
vested of its reading-desk; may we not ask, when the bishop
consecrated this chapcl, could he have failed to notice the ir-
regularity ? Did be authorize the change?
In this chapel the lessons are read from a small moveable
d esk, which just contains the Bible; and the prayers are of-
fered from a small octavo Prayer-bolk, the clergyman kneel-
ing on the step of the communion-table, with his face turned
from the people towards the east. A plain cross rises up and
projects out of the wall from the centre Of the communion-
table; in the central division of the eastern window is a pane
of glass " like a drop of blood polluting the whole," which is
a representation of an ornamental cross or crosslet. Within
the rails of the Lord's table is a second table or sideboard to
receive the elements, until the priest shall place them upon
the table for consecration.

We again affirm, that there can scarcely be a nearer ap•
proach to Popish practices than these unauthorized changes
of our mode of performing the service : -nor doubt we, that if
they be unchecked, greater liberties will be taken, and that
it will not be long ere images, tapers, and all the abominations
of the Roman idolatry desecrate our churches. Things are
rapidly progressing to this evil. Mr. Maurice adds, that the
innovation is not confined to the churches; but that even in
the chapel of one of the most distinguished colleges at Oxford
the cross, which was in use in the reign of Edward VI., has
made its appearance. It is thus described by Mr. Maurice:
"It is a long strip of silk about two inches and a half in
width, thrown over the left shoulder, where it is fastened by
a pin or button, and extends downwards to the bottom of the
surplice, before and behind, with a fringe of the same mate-
rial at each end, and a cross of black silk raised and embossed
just above the fringed border, the arms of the cross being ex-
tended cornerwise, or in the shape of the martyr's of St. An-
drew's cross."

Might not any clergyman, according to his fancy, by ex-
actly the same right, revive any of the obsolete dresses? If
so, may not our dresses become as particoloured as a clown's
at a pantomime? It is justly inquired, if the bishop has
given his sanction to these proceedings? We affirm, that
unless he prevent them, he is responsible for their conse-
quences; and that if he trouble himself not about them, the
clergy in general should appeal to the archbishop of the pro-
vince. When, in addition to these things, we notice attempts
to defend prayers for the dead, are we wrong in dreading
that this new system will ultimately merge into Popery?
Since the preceding part was written, we have received the
letters of " Misopapisticus," which have some remarks that
are very powerful, satisfactory, and most deeply argumenta-
tive. The subject is too important to be disregarded in any
branch; and the light in which this writer has placed it is
sufficient to show the invalidity of tradition, and the very
small authority of the fathers in many respects. We do not
approve of the latitude of many of his views; but, separting
them from his proofs, we consider his letters unanswerable as
to patristical authority. He perceives, with ourselves, that
the doctrine of apostolical succession has been the allurement
by which many have been drawn into these opinions, and
rightly shows, that Hooker, Crammer, Wake, and other
worthies of our church, had opposite sentiments on the
point; for, as apostolical succession must rest upon tradition,
its admission will wholly, or in great part, cause the admis-
sion of tradition as an authority.*
_ _

It is very manifest from Polvcarp, and the history of his
was t rdurn tiset tr”thirz 58 Sabellth.cd al. that tit... by rria
orthodox church but what the Scriptures taught; conse-
quently, that no tradition which cannot bear the test of the
Scriptures could be accepted. " Misopapisticns," after his
survey of the apostolical fathers, cogently asks, " If these
writings contain no traditions either as to doctrines or prac-
tices, where are they to be found ?" On their silence Dr.
Shuttleworth's argument, that the first link of the chain is
wanting, is also based. In many places the fathers were very
excellent, but in others they were very wild and foolish, and
were certainly unfitted for the conveyance of pure tradition.
When we read in Irenceus, 1. iii., c. 1., that what the apostles
preached they tradited (tradiderunt ) to us in the Scriptures,
and that as they went forth evangelizing the earth, each and
all had the gospel of God (omnes puller el sinyuli enrum ha-
bentes evanyelium Dei), we cannot imagine oral instructions
independent of the Scriptures to have been intrusted by them
to the custody of the churches. Two passages respecting the
heretics, quoted by " Misepapisticus" from Iren,rus most re-
markably apply to the present controversy; the first is in
1. ii. c. 51, "for these (the heretics) are not score competent
(to teach'the truth) than the Scriptures. Nor ought we to
leave the words of our Lord, and Moses, and other prophets,
and to believe those who say nothing that is sane, but dote on
unstable things." The other is in lib. iii., c. 2. " When
they (the heretics) are reproved from the Scriptures, they
turn to find fault with the Scriptures, as if they were not
right, or were not of authority, both because they are various-
ly expressed, and because the truth cannot be found from
them by those who are ignorant of tradition; for that was
not delivered by means of writing, but by word of mouth."
When Trenteus traces the succession up to the apostles,
maintaining that the tradition or delivery of the truth bad
continued the same from the beginning, " he completely shuts
shuts out oral tradition," because, what the apostles preached
poured into the church they delivered to us in the Scriptures,
and thus the tradition, which had remained inviolate, was
the Scriptures themselves. lie could not have alluded to
any oral tradition as a rule of faith ; otherwise (lib. iv., c.
66), he could not have asserted that every doctrine (omnem
ducts loam) was contained in the gospel and the prophets.
Justin's advice (A pol. i., 2,) that we should value and love
only what is true, declining to follow the opinions of the an-
cients, if they be worthless, is very sensible.
In opposition to the doctrine of a transmitted oral tradi-
tion, " Misopapisticus" quotes the words of Bishop Burnet on
the 6th article, in evidence that this is not the doctrine of the
Anglican church. The 20th article describes the church as
the witness and keeper of holy writ; in Mr. Newman's lec-
tures she is the keeper and witness of Catholic tradition.
Mr. Newman's argument, which would hold equally good
respecting the Jewish traditions, that we use tradition to
establish the divinity of the Scriptures, and receive through
it both the Bible itself and the doctrine that is divinely in-
spired, will receive an answer in Bishop Burnet's words on
the 6th article :
_ . _

A great difference is to be made between all this and the
oral tradition of a doctrine in which there is nothing fixed
or permanent, so that the whole is only report carried about
and handed down. Whereas, here is a book that was only
to be copied and read publicly and by all persons; between
which the ditlereuce is so vast that it is as little possible to
imagine how the one (tradition) should continue pure, as

.* We select from this work some of the absurdities con-
tained in the fathers. In the second epistle of Clemens, which
is generally accounted spurious, but thought genuine by Arch.
bishop Wake, we read, the Lord himself being asked " when
his kingdom shall come ?" answered, " When two shall be
one, and that which is without as that which is within, and
the male with the female, neither male nor female ;" the ex—
planation of which by Clemens is even more.absurd than the
tradition. In Barnabas and Hermas the trifling is still worse.
When Ignatius talks of his own soul as the expiatory offering
for the church of Ephesus, of the virginity of Mary, and the
birth and death of Christ having been kept secret from the
Prince of this world, and of all the stars with the sun and
moon having been the chorus to the star which guided the
Magi; when, also, he describes the saints drawn up on high
by,the cross of Christ as by an engine, using the Ilely Ghest
as the rope, and calling himself the wheat of God; say that lie
shall be ground by the teeth of wild beast, that 'he may be
found the pure bread of Christ, we not ohly observe much
which must be rejected, but have evidence that traditions
passing through the hands of one so fanciful:and extravagant
cannot be relied upon.. Justin Martyr, too; one of the most
learned fathers, in more places than one affirms that GOd at
first intrusted the earth to angels, some of whom (Gen. vi.
2) cohabiting with woolen begot deMons, which tradition we
know to, be a Jewish fable. Athena,,oras and Ircomus like-
wise appealed to the same tradition. How many others, then,
may have been equally corrupt? In his interpretation olthe
Scripture. Justin often errs ; ho makes some things propheti-
cal and others typecal which were never intended to be so,
and carries his fancy to a ridiculous extent: 'if he and other
fathers who are censurable on the same ground are claimed
as the traditive interpreters who are to be consulted for the
sense of the New Testament, we imagine the best refuta-
tion would be in a. selection of their interpretations. Ire-
emus is equally prone to speculation in some parts of his
writings, and interprets scriptural passages in' a manner that
is self-evidently ridiculous. He reports that our Lord informed
St. John, St. John certain elders, and elders who had seen
St. John recorded, that "the 'days, (the millennium) shall
come in which vines shall grow each having 10,000 branches
and on each shoot 10,000 clusters, and on each cluster 10,0011
grapes; each grape when pressed shall yield 25 kilderkins
(metretas 12 gallons) of wine : and i• hen any one shall lay
hold of any of these holy clusters, another will cry, lam a
better cluster, take me ; by me bless the Lord.''" This is
tradition ! On the subject of baptis:n some of the fathers
were very wild ; Gregory Nazianzen and others allotted
infants who died unbaptized a middle state, which was neither
Heaven nor Hell; Tertullian said that the baptismal waters
are medicated through the intervention of an angel; and in
allusion to a well-known fanciful acrostic (ichthus,) we con-
tinually find ichthues, or pisces, or pisciculi applied to the
Christians, and piscine to the font. The fathers also strangely
varied in their interpretations.: Chrysosturn called the baptism
Of fire the superabundant grace of the spirit; Basil and Theo-
philus, the fire of hell; Cyril, Jerome, and others, the descent
of the Holy Ghost on the day of Pentecost; Hilary, a fire
that the righteous must pass through on the day of judgment.
Ambrose thought that John the Baptist will administer the
baptism of fire at the gate of Paradise, which he identified
with the flaming sword (Gen. iii. 24.) Origen and Lactantius
affirmed that it is a river of fire at the gate of heaven, whose
liquid flames will divide to give the righteous a free passage,
and that Christ will stand at the brink to receive them, &r,
(See Maurice, p. 63.) If those men thus received such stupid
tradi!tonary fictions, must not we be equally stupid if we trust
to them as custodiers of tradition of a puler intake ?