THE0LOGY.--77ie Roman Primacy, A.D. 430451. By the Rev. Luke Rivington.
(Longmans and Co. 7s. 6d.)—Mr. Rivingtou crosses swords with Professor Bright and Dr. Harnack,—impar congressus. He made for himself, years ago, a certain reputation as an Anglican mission preacher ; since his change of faith he has taken up the part of an apologist for Papal claims, and per- forms it with great energy and some skill. The book deals with the two Councils of Ephesus and Chalcedon, and the "Robber Synod." —.1rue Limits of Ritual in the Church. Edited by the Rev. Robert Linklater. (Same publishers. 5s.)—Dr. Linldater, who edits in this volume eight essays on various subjects suggested by the crisis, tells us that it is intended as an Eirenicon. Nothing could be better than this purpose, but we must own that we do not see much in it that accords with this character. Surely, if it is to be effective, it must be homogeneous. What would be the value of a proclama- tion intended to conciliate if each paragraph had the authority of the special writer and no more ? Here "each author is only responsible for his own paper." Such a plan takes the whole significance away. One writer says : "The clergy are bound by the clearest obligation possible both to God and man not to change the form of the services in the Prayer-book either by addition or omission, except as may be allowed by competent canonical autho- rity." Another asks the question where two usages "for which no provision is made in our Liturgy," rinsing of the priest's hands and the censing of the oblations, should come in, and decides the places where the two should be introduced. The first certainly, unless it is subsequently explained away, has something of the " eirenicon " about it, the second gives occasion for any number of usages which the individual celebrant may choose to call "ecumenical." (How can incense be ecumenical when it was not used for the first three centuries ?)—On the same subject we have The Catholic Brief against Sir W. Harcourt and Others, by R. W. Borne (Gay and Bird, 2s. 6d.) Mr. Burne argues, from the legal point of view, that Re- servation of the Elements is lawful. He would be but a poor advocate, if the words of the Rubric, "It shall not be carried out of the Church" were too much for him. Read it along with the Ornaments Rubric, he says.—The Rev. H. C. Powell writes a pamphlet entitled The Church Crisis: its Causes and Opportu- nities (Longmans and Co., la.) His chief remedy may be de- scribed as substituting synodical action for the action of Church societies.—It might be instructive to look at Romefrom Inside ; or, The Priests' Revolt (James Clarke and Co., Is.), a reprint of letters that originally appeared in the Christian World.
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