either Priest or penitent doubt that the pardon pronounced on earth is registered in heaven." How does the positive and sure pardon, under the Priest's words, correspond with the omniscient Judge's possible correction (which is explained to mean reversal) of "the erroneous judgment of His Minister?" It does not correspond: but two pages intervene ; and that is accounted sufficient to conceal the difference between black and white. In the course of some further discussion we find the following revelation: "The holiest men of the English Church have almost universally adopted it [confession]; and, in spite of the existing prejudice against it, it is much more practised in the present time than may be generally supposed." "The present time was seven years ago: to what extent, then, may it not now be practised! Let no one imagine that the recent disclosures are the first buddings of this plant from the Eternal City.

Chapter X. is on "Penance-regarded chiefly as remedial." Even penance! What shall we have next? What can we have, but the seven sacraments, the immaculate conception, and a prayer to the "Holy Virgin?"-The following is another illustration of the manner in which the joys of a really regenerate soul are represented as instantly succeeding the priestly absolution. The language might almost have been taken from some Methodist's account of a sinner's conversion :

"A PARDONED man! how much is included in these words! What an inconceivable change has passed over the soul of him who has obtained GOD's pardon-who is justified by faith, cleansed from his sins, accepted for the sake of JESUS CHRIST!

"A true confession of sins, accompanied by absolution, is commonly followed by the most intense feeling of gratitude to Almighty God—a love before unknown-an astonishment at God's mercy-a want of power to realize it. Whereas, before his conversion, the remorseful sinner awoke each morning with a load on his conscience-a sense of the dull profitless routine of unsanctified labour, or insipid frivolity; now an overwhelming sense of God's infinite love causes him to burst forth into one of those Psalms of praise, in which the holy David gave utterance [after confession, and absolution from the High Priest, no doubt!] to his feelings of heartfelt gratitude: 'Blessed is he whose unrighteousness is forgiven, and whose sin is covered.' Praise the Lord, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless His holy name: praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits.' The change of feeling is indescribable. Before obtaining pardon, the sinner was tempted to entertain the harshest thoughts of his Maker.......But now all is changed. Harsh thoughts of God, blasphemous murmurs, infidel surmises, exist no more; his soul is filled with holy emotion of love and gratitude. God's love, which before was doubted, or deemed applicable only to others, is now felt to have been extended to him; the peace which he enjoys is an evidence and earnest of God's love. He feels that it was in mercy that God created him; he believes that for him CHRIST died—that the HOLY GHOST has indeed sanctified him, and taken up His abode in his heart; that he really has a hope, a good hope of

heaven; a prospect of dwelling with angels, of being admitted to the presence of God. Wonderful thought!” Wonderful indeed, that all this mighty inward and spiritual change should result from the word of a man, -an uninspired man! About as wonderful that any should be found to believe it yet not quite so wonderful that a man too wise to believe it himself should be wicked enough to impose it as truth on others !—“ All these things seem to him great and glorious realities, which before he could not contemplate, or viewed with doubt or despondency.......If he is true to himself, he is sure that God will deliver him from evil. If God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him freely give us all things?' And now, too, he is able to pray. Whereas before, if he prayed at all, it was little more than to beat his breast and say, 'God be merciful to me a sinner;' and that without real contrition or desire of repentance.”—What a medley is here! We should think such a man was penitent, or at least had a desire to become so: but it was said before, that, however imperfect contrition might have been, it became complete and undoubted by frank and full confession; and that the Priest bestowed his pardon, not to make the sinner penitent, but because he was so already.

Mr. Gresley occupies a number of pages with suggestions as to various modes of penance; and many curious quotations might be made. But all would confirin the reader in the opinion that Rome is the parent of these instructions. Nineteen "works of corporal alms," and about as many "works of spiritual alms and mercy," are enumerated. Here, again, is Rome's phraseology; and there is so much of it, throughout, that it must surely be used of set purpose, to see how it will take. The book winds up with a chapter on "Frequency of Confession." The reasons that induced one confession induce another, and many; confession becomes, as it needs to become for the help of feeble saints, frequent, and, at length, habitual. Habitual confession resolves itself into regular" direction," and the individual yields himself entirely to his spiritual guide.

"The new penitent desires to build up his heart in the love of God; to pray more fixedly and fervently; to advance in holiness; to go on to perfection; but finds his efforts much counteracted by his old enemies-the world, the flesh, and the devil: he does not yield to them-nay, he fights manfully; but not with so much success as he expected.”—Having received absolution, he requires "direction,"-another step in the ways of Rome,and all out of the simple Protestant Prayer-Book! But it seems that some persons push this privilege so far as to cast the responsibility of all their actions on the "directing" Priest. Caution is therefore given, and is said to be needed; "for there are persons, females especially, who have brought themselves so entirely to yield their conscience to the guidance of others, that they have no will or choice of their own and it is clear that, if such persons fell into the hands of designing Priests, they might be made the tools of much iniquity." Were Mr. Gresley a Popish Priest, (we beg his pardon for putting this hypothetically,) we could understand how his

experience suggested these cautions; but we should scarcely have thought an English Clergyman's experience in "direction" sufficiently advanced to yield such apprehensions. Such, however, appears to be the case.

Here are a few of Priest Gresley's last words :-" Carefully as I have endeavoured to keep my observations within the limits of our Church formularies, [was ever anything more cool?] yet I am aware that so much prejudice exists on the subject, that I can hardly hope to escape censure:"—that is, we presume, public censure. Having travelled all the way from the "weighty matter" in the "Visitation of the Sick” to a direction in which persons (even women) yield themselves entirely to the guidance of another, the Reverend gentleman could scarcely expect that ; but, so far as appears, he has entirely escaped the censure of his Diocesan. "The very idea of confession is irritating to worldly men :" "yet there are earnest men [and women, too, we presume] in all stations who have [Mr. Gresley's italics] sought and obtained God's forgiveness through the means of the Confessional. GOD's chosen ones seek and find Him, while the world rails and cavils."

These quotations from "The Ordinance of Confession" are made, to place it beyond doubt that AURICULAR CONFESSION is openly taught and practised in the Church of England; and further, that it is so taught, that this author, at least, is either a Roman Priest, or an English Clergyman holding and teaching all Roman doctrine; and perfectly familiar with Roman terms, Roman phraseology, and Roman modes of teaching, excusing, defending, denying, and sophisticating. Seven years the book has been before the public; and within that time a church, built with the money of ladies still truly Protestant, has been placed at his disposal, to which he was inducted, if not presented, by the Bishop of Oxford. Was the Bishop of Oxford deceived by such a man? Could such a man deceive the Bishop of Oxford? Why, then, is his Romish book still abroad? Why is he yet uncensured?-unless, indeed, he possesses the concurrence and confidence of the Right Reverend Father in God, Dr. Samuel Wilberforce.

(To be continued.)

THE TWO COMETS-1618, 1858.*

THE Comet of 1858 has at length left us; and has borne away with it the excitement of those who delighted in its beauty, the alarm of those who dreaded, in the words of Wilson, the historian of James I., that "these apparitions doe all waies portend some horrid events here below, and are messengers of mischief to poor mortals." The interest taken in this brilliant visiter has been great and general. His pedigree and character have furnished subjects for endless discussion; and although we cease to

* Literary Gazette.

look out for the appearance of this strange meteor, whom we were wont to welcome in proportion to the length and beauty of his tail, still we remain intensely alive to his antecedents and everything else that helps to explain the mysteries of this baffling phenomenon. While taxing the ability and ingenuity of our cleverest men, and racking science to tell us, What was the comet? we must acknowledge that our late visiter, although he has withdrawn from us his brilliant tail of ethereal fireworks, has left-if we may venture upon a pun-many a tale behind. It still remains a topic of interest with many, a household word with some; and we think it not unlikely, that, if we say something about a similar visiter that astonished the English people two hundred and forty years ago, it may not be out of place.

That a comet appeared in 1618, most of our readers know very well. It seems to have given rise to the same speculation, the same astonishment, the same alarm, as its late more dazzling and brilliant successor. Perhaps, however, we had better say at once that we have no new theory to put forth, nothing fresh to offer to science about this "great blazing star," but simply some curious verses, which we think will entertain our readers, written at the time, in ridicule of the general excitement caused by the appearance of the comet of 1618. We stumbled across them while poring over some old documents in " Our State Paper Office."

Wednesday, the 18th of November, was the first day that "the great blazing star' was observed in London; at Oxford it had been seen for more than a week. It formed the chief subject of conversation everywhere children on their way to school talked in the streets about it; their elders prophesied many ills and misfortunes on account of it; and many believed that it gave warning of the death of the King or Queen, or that England was soon to be involved in a great war. Here is an extract from a letter written on the 21st of November by John Chamberlain to his friend, Sir Dudley Carleton, the King's Ambassador at the Hague :-“ On Wensday, was the first day, we tooke notice here of the great blasing-star, though yt was observed at Oxford a full weeke before. Yt is now the only subject almost of our discourse, and not so much as litle children, but as they go to schoole talke in the streets, that yt fore shewes the death of a king, or a quene, or some great warre towards. Upon wch occasion (I thincke) yt was geven out, all this towne over, that the Q. was dead on thursday but yesterday [friday] I heard for certain that she is in a fayre way of amendment, and looked out of her window to see the hunting of a foxe."

:

We are indebted to this comet for an admirable specimen of Dr. Corbett's humour, in the following telling and witty verses, written by him on the 9th of December, 1618, and addressed to Sir Thomas Aylesbury; which, although included in an edition of his poems edited in 1807 by Mr. Gilchrist, a transcript from the Ms. will, we dare say, be read with no little interest, more particularly as it has several variations from the printed copy. Some of our readers may not perhaps remember who this Dr.

Corbett was. Let us add, then, that he was a Westminster boy, who took his M.A. degree at Oxford. He soon became distinguished for his wit, and was eventually made Dean of Christchurch by King James. He delivered an oration on the death of Prince Henry in 1612, another on Sir Thomas Bodley in the following year. Went to France in 1618, and wrote

a most amusing account of his journey. Was made Chaplain to the King, and became successively Bishop of Oxford in 1629, and of Norwich in 1632. He died in 1635. As a divine little is known of him; as a poet he is greatly esteemed. Here are his verses :

"My brother, and much more hadst thou ben myne,
Hadst thou in one rich present of a lyne

Enclosed S Francis: for in all this store

Was guifte can cost thee lesse, nor binde mee more.
Hadst thou (deere churle) imparted his retorne,
I should not wth a tardie welcome burne,
But had lett loose my joy at him long since,
Wch nowe will seeme but studied negligence.
But I forgive thee; twoe things kept thee from it:
First, such a freinde to gaze on, then a Comet,
Web Comet wee discerne (though not soe true

As you at Sion) as longe tayld as yo".

Wee knowe alreadie howe will stand the case
Wth Barnavelt and universall grace.

Though Spaine deserve the whole Starr: if the fall
Bee true of Lerma, Duke, and Cardinall.

Marry in France wee feare noe blood but wyne,
Lesse daingers in her sword then in her vyne.
And there wee leave the Blazer comeing over,
For of portents are wise, and ende at Dover.
And though wee use noe forward censureinge
Nor send or learned Procters to the Kinge,
Yet every morneinge when the Starr doth rise,
There is noe blacke for three howers in o' eyes,
But like a Puritane dreamer, towards this light
All eyes turn'd upward; all are zeale and white.
More: it is doubted this newe prodigie
Will turne tenn schooles to one Astronomie,
And this Analysis we justly feare,

Since every Arte doth seeke for rescure there.
Phisitians, Lawiers, Glovers on the stall
The shoppkeepers speake mathematicks all.

And though men reade noe Gospell in their Signes,

Yet all professions are become divines

All measures [weapons], from the bodkin to the pyke,

The mason's rule, the taylor's yard alike,

Take altitudes; and thearby fidlinge knaves

In Flutes and hoeboyes make them Jacob staves.

Lastly, of fingers, glasses wee contrive,

And every fist is made a perspective:

Burton to Gunter writes, and Burton heares

From Gunter, and th'exchainge both tongs and eares