Sermons on Moral Subjects. By His Eminence Cardinal Wiseman. (James
Duffy.)—This volume should be read by rabid Protestants. The greater number of the discourses it contains might pass muster in a village church very well, except of course one or two like that on. confession. But it is part of the Romish tactics to drop their ecclesi- astical system out of sight where the Church is really missionary.. Perhaps also it is there really less mischievous. It may be questioned whether the power conceded to the clergy by the Christian congregations was not really salutary up to the date of the conversion of Constantine, and so much as they possessed then might still be salutary in the case of a voluntary church—where the clergy could not invoke the aid of the State to enforce their decrees in invitis. Of course the Roman Church claims now something infinitely more than this, and where she has the civil government at her disposal makes life intolerable to heretics. But you hear nothing of this in English Catholic pulpits, nor in this volume 'of sermons, which is also unspoiled by the turgidity and want of taste which disfigure most of the Cardinal's writing. The sermons would be very creditable to a parish priest. From a Cardinal Archbiishop they are a little disappointing.
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