CURRENT LITERATURE.
Sermons on the Sacraments. By Thomas Watson. With a Preface and Biographical Notice of the Author by the Rev. T. E. Bridgett. (Barns and Oates.)—" The number of English Catholic books," says the Rev. T. E. Bridgett, in his preface, " is not so great that we can afford to lose one so excellent as this." This is a sound reason for the re- printing in modern guise and the rescuing from oblivion of a volume of sermons, printed more than three centuries ago, in black- letter type and uncouth spelling, and "the existence of which is only known to a few antiquarians." The Catholic com- munity ought to welcome this addition to its religious literature. The sermons are very plain, severe, and forcible, and from the circum- stances of the preacher's life they gain additional weight, for Bishop Watson suffered long and sorely for his faith. The sermons are, as the biographer says, in a great measure woven out of Scripture and the Fathers, and it is remarkable that Bishop Watson must have made his translations from Holy Scripture himself, as Mr. Bridgett has compared the quotations with the versions of Tindal and others, and finds them different. The sermons are emphatic expositions of "wholesome and Catholic doctrine " respecting the Seven Sacraments of the Catholic Church, and the proper attitude of the Faithful towards them. The story of the book is curious :—
" The volume of which the present is a reprint," says Mr. Bridgett, " is a small quarto, printed in Gothic or black-letter. There are two or three editions, according to Herbert. The printer was Robert Caley, the chief Roman Catholic theological printer in Queen Mary's reign,' according to Mr Arber. The colophon of the book tells us that it was 'imprinted within the precinct of Christ's Hospital.' Robert and Henry Caley had a patent for printing this book for seven years, dated April 30, the 4th and 5th of Philip and Mary. It seems to have been eagerly. bought up, as two or three editions were exhausted in the few months during which it could be sold. Five months after its publication Mary died, and before it had been published a year its author had been cast into prison and deprived of his bishopric ; and the establishment of Pro- testantism not only prevented its further sale, but caused the destruc- tion of most of the copies already sold. It has therefore become very scarce."
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