about the genuine fenfe of our articles, as it may be collected from the known fentiments and conduct of those by whom they were compiled. In the evidence on which alone this question can be decided, the rejection of Calvin's offered affiftance, because the archbishop knew the man, is `indeed a circumftance of the utmost importance; but would it not be ridiculous to conclude, either that Heylin muft have known the truth of this circumftance, becaufe" he was contemporary with facts," which took place a hundred years after it; as that the rejection of Calvin's propofed affiftance, in the reign of Edward the Sixth, can add any thing to facts regarding the royal declaration," iffued by Charles the Firft? Yet one or other of these conclusions is neceffarily involved in the reasoning by which Mr. Skinner attempts to vindicate from anachronism the sentence which we have quoted, as he fays, from his father!

3. On what grounds Mr. Skinner accufes us of " making invidious comparisons as to the literary merits of the epifcopal clergymen of Scotland," it is not eafy to conceive. The writer of the review which has given him fo much diftrefs, envies the literary merits of none of them, while he has no inclination whatever to concern himself with their mutual envy of each other. We were willing to oppofe to the flimfy arguments of our true churchman, the deliberate decifion of the epifcopal church in Scotland; but we were aware that the clergy of that church are not numerous, and that Mr. Overton, or some of his pupils, might object that they are not all learned, and that the decifion of which we boasted, was the decifion of but a few. As we have no pleasure in useless controverfy, we chofe to intimate this objection; while we enumerated as many men of found learning, whom we knew to be clergymen of that church, as we believe are to be found in the feet of true churchmen. In all this we are not aware of any thing which this author can conceive as invidious or difrefpectful to any clergyman in Scotland; unlefs, indeed, it was his opinion that we fhould have claffed himself with his father, bifhop Jolly, and the other clergymen, whom by a natural miftake we denominated a prieft. This we fhould certainly have been glad to do, had not the fpecimen which he had just given us of his talents for dif crimination, rendered it impoffible; and we must now take the liberty to tell him plainly, that if an inference may be drawn from the publication before us, he will never rival his father in literary merit.

4. When a man's purposes are not expreffed by his language and conduct, interpreted as fuch language and con

duct

duct are commonly understood, he has furely no cause to be offended if they be miftaken. We could not fuppofe that any clergyman would have recourfe to Mr. Faber merely for words by which to exprefs his own ideas, which all men, who think with precifion, express, or endeavour to exprefs, in their own words; and as we did not know that it is Mr. Skinner's practice to quote from works into which he has never looked, we fuppofed that he had inconfiftently recommended to his brethren, Mr. Faber's Thoughts on the Calvinistic and Arminian Controverfy, as a tract likely to remove any doubts which they might have of the antiCalvinism of the Church of England.

As we have really a regard for Mr. Skinner, because he is the fon of a very refpectable Bishop, and himself a clergyman in a church which has long exhibited an edifying example to the Chriftian world, we beg leave to advife him never to go to the prefs again, efpecially in controverfy, without previously fubmitting his manufcripts to the animadverfions of his father. Had he done fo on the prefent occafion, much of his appendix would probably have been fuppreffed; whilft there cannot be a doubt that the ftyle and reafoning of the fermon would both have been greatly improved. Should he unfortunately have conceived fuch a prejudice against us as to make him defpife our advice, we trult that his love of ancient literature, fo fully difplayed in the dif fertation, may induce him to ponder on the following truth: Πολλοῖς ἀντιλέγειν μὲν ἔθος περὶ παντὸς ὁμοίως Ὀρθῶς δ ̓ ἀντιλέγειν, οὐκέτι τοῦτ ̓ ἐν ἔθει.

ART. VIII. Hiftorical Outlines of the Rife and Eftablishment of the Papal Power; addreffed to the Roman Catholic Priefs of Ireland. By Henry Card, of Pembroke College, Oxford, 8vo. 3s. Longman and Rees. 180+.

ONE

NE of thofe accidents which unavoidably arife in a concern complicated in itself, and the execution of which is divided among many, has delayed, beyond our wifhes and intention, our notice of this fpirited pamphlet. We are at length happy in pointing it out to the attention of our readers, who will find an important fubject ably and temperately difcuffed, as well as much historical information communicated, with confiderable vigour of ftyle and argument. It is addreffed to the Roman Catholic Pricfts of Ireland,

Ireland, with the idea, that if they will but feriously and candidly weigh the circumftances of the rife and progrefs of the Papal Power, how little difpofed the firft Bishops of Rome were to arrogate to themselves the diftinctions which in later times have been conferred on their fucceffors, they will be more fenfible of the good offices of proteftants, and cultivate with more earnestness than they have hitherto done, the virtues of peace, moderation, and loyalty. Such hopes we doubt are vain; the undertaking is however laudable, and the arguments adduced in this publication will make a fuitable impreffion upon every candid mind. Mr. Card begins by remarking, that few princes have risen to greater plenitude of power by means more unjustifiable, or from beginnings more humble, than the Bishops of Rome. It was not till the fourth, probably the fifth century, that they began to claim fuperiority over other bifhops. The forged donation of the whole of Italy by Conftantine the Great to Pope Sylvefter, laid the firft foundation of their temporal power. Mr. Card traces and defcribes the progreffive increafe of Papal authority and influence from this period to the time of the celebrated Hildebrand, afterwards Pope Gregory the Seventh. The hiftory of this extraordinary man, from his first acceffion to the Papal Throne, to the time when the whole of Europe trembled at his mandate, is detailed with great fpirit, and much circumstantial anecdote. This narrative occupies the largeft portion of the work before us, and indeed with this it terminates, the reader being left to form his own conclufion, that to this reftless, enterprizing, and ambitious Pontiff, his fucceffors owe the confirmation of their temporal authority.

We give one fhort extract to enable the reader to judge of the author's ftyle and manner,

"It might perhaps have been expected that Gregory, efpecially in the opening of his great and difficult undertakings, would have liftened to fome fuggeftions of prudence and caution; but his violent and imperious temper, and the eagerness with which he panted for celebrity of name, were infuperable obftacles to his chufing thefe for his confidential counfellors. The very first step which he took, after he was mounted upon his throne, fully reveals his determination to fignalize his undaunted fpirit and abilities in humbling the power of princes, and exalting the ftate of the church. In the year preceding his pontifical reign, the death of Drogon occafioned a vacancy in the bishopric of Macon. By the unanimous confent of the clergy and people of that city, Landri, archdeacon of Autun, was elected to fill his place, and Philip, king of France, had approved their choice, but his confecration

fecration had been deferred, because the French monarch, with a wife regard to his privileges, had refufed him the investiture of his benefice upon gratuitous conditions. In two letters, addreffed upon this fubject to Roclen, bishop of Chalons *, and Humbert, archbishop of Lyons t, we behold Gregory, with an air of uncommon boldnefs, commencing his fpiritual exploits. "We have received intelligence," obferves the Pontiff, in his first epiftle, "that among the other princes of our times, whose wicked avarice has committed depredations upon the church of God, and reduced to the ignominious condition of a flave their mother, to whom the precepts of God enjoin honour and refpect, Philip, king of France, has applied himself with fuch unwearied affiduity to opprefs the church of France, that he may be con.. fidered to have purfued this deteftable crime to the highest point it can reach. And our affliction is the greater, because we know the wisdom, religion, and strength of his kingdom, and its at tachment to the Roman church." In the fame angry tone he obferves, that he has been only moved to fufpend his fpiritual decrees, which may be filed the canons, by the strong affurance of the chamberlain Alberic, that his royal mafter would correct his abuses, and difpofe of no more churches but by the advice of the pope. This promife is then required to be performed by his allowing Landri, without recompence, to exercife the functions of bishop of Macon; and that it should become his duty, as well as intereft, to obey this pretender to univerfal dominion, declares, that the king should either renounce his fhameful commerce of fimoniac herefy, and permit that perfons fhould be intrufted with the facred offices of proper qualifications, or that his fubjects, ftruck with the fword of a general anathema, fhould withdraw their allegiance, if they were not willing to be expelled from the bofom of the chriftian faith. Gregory concluded, as he began, in the language of infolent command; and the Bishop Roclen was ordered to profit by his familiar accefs to Philip for the purpose of effecting the moderate defires of the pope. But his furious zeal, for the extenfion of papal sway, tranfported him beyond all

See Greg. Epift. lib. i. epift. xxxv. apud Baronium. Annales Eccles, tom, ix. p. 431, 432.

Greg. Epift. lib, i. epift. xxxvi. The good fenfe and candour of Fleury cannot refrain from obferving upon this letter, in fpite of all his papal prejudices, "Nous n'avons point encore vû, que je fache, de telles menaces contre un Soverain." Hift, Eccles. tom, xiii, liv, lxii, p. 261.

+ "Nam aut Rex ipfe repudiato turpi fimoniacæ hærefis mercimonio, idoneas ad facrum regimen perfonas promoveri permit. tet; aut Franci pro certo, nifi Fidem Chriftianum abjicere maluerint, generalis anathematis mucrone percuffi illi ulterius obtemperare recufabunt,”

bounds

bounds of policy, when he armed the archbishop of Lyons with the authority of a fecular judge to procure the confecration of Landri; and in cafe this decifive oppofition to the king fhould be productive of no falutary advantage, he pronounced his determination of investing him at Rome with his facred charge. This laft remedy Gregory was obliged to embrace *, as the bishops of France were lefs difpofed to incur the difpleasure of their fovereign, than to become inftruments of papal ambition." P. 57.

Nothing can be more certain than that Pope Gregory the Seventh bequeathed his fucceffors a fyftem of univerfal dominion, if this had not been counteracted by princes who had the courage to refift the ufurpation of the papal fee. If, therefore, the bishops or popes who preceded Gregory would never have dared to affert any pretenfions to infallibility, or univerfal power, and if the temporal authority of this throne was aimed at, and established by individual ambition, as in the cafe of this Gregory, it must indeed feem prepofterous and extravagant that the priests of the fee of Rome, fhould prefume to hold up to their flocks, that they who do not yield obedience to that fee are guilty of rebellion against it; that they are not to be confidered as members of the church of Chrift, nor entitled to the protection of the Deity. We recommend this pamphlet to the ferious attention of all who wish to comprehend the question which is fo clearly and with fuch ability difcuffed.

ART. IX. Differtations, Effays, and Sermons, by the late Reverend and Learned George Bingham, B. D. Rector of Pimpern and Crotchill, Critchill,] Dorfet; and many Years Fellow of All Souls College, Oxford. To which are prefixed Memoirs of his Life, &c. By his Son, Peregrine Bingham, LL.B. late Fellow of New College, Oxford; Rector of Radclive, Bucks; and late Chaplain of his Majesty's Ship Agin court. In two Volumes, 8vo. Rivingtons, &c. 1804.

THE Rev. George Bingham, though like his name fake, a profound fcholar, and an able divine, muft by no means be confounded with the Rev. Jofeph Bingham, author of the "Ecclefiaftical Antiquities," who died fo

* See Hift. des Papes, tom. ii. p. 430.

+ This book, or rather a particular paffage in it, has given rife to two pamphlets, of which fee an account in our catalogue under Mifcellanies.

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