The Invitation Heeded. By James Kent Stone. (Burnes.)—This book, though
bearing the name of a London publisher, comes from the other side of the Atlantic. The "invitation" which Dr. Stone "heeded" was one which called him to join the Church of Rome. He is anxious to make as many as possible follow his example, and gives his reasons with great energy and vigour of language, which does not, however, pass beyond the limits conceded to, or at least taken by controversialists. We have no disposition to go over the old ground. We are quite prepared to allow that the Roman system of theology and discipline had its beginnings very far back in Christian history; that you will find many signs of its growth in the sixth century; not a few in the fifth, and even the fourth ; some, but quite inconsiderable, in earlier ages. But what does this prove ? We do not wish to say, because we do not believe, that the Roman system is "the mystery of iniquity." But if it were, would not this be exactly what one would expect to find? What could the upholder of such a thesis desire better than to see a gradually strengthening catena of proofs that the principle was at work? Dr. Stone has, we suppose, been a Professor of Divinity, and has made, to gain his present haven, a jactura of his criticism. He must once have known that the Epistle of the Hebrews was not "addressed, of course, to the Church at Jerusalem ;" that there are very grave reasons, the language especially in which it is written, for thinking that it was not; and that the Liturgy of St. James cannot be quoted authoritatively as a document of equal age with the Canonical Scriptures, or even as belonging to the apostolical times.
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