REGISTER OF NEW PUBLICATIONS, CORRESPONDENCE, AND EVENTS. The Editor of the CATHOLIC MAGAZINE AND REGISTER desires that his Correspondents and Contributors may alone be held responsible for the opinions and sentiments that each may express. But he invites our Venerable Clergy and all Catholics to send him information on all matters of religious interest in their several neighbourhoods. NOTICES OF NEW PUBLICATIONS. The Treatise of Albertus Magnus (1193-1280) De adhærendo Deo, of adhering to God; translated from the Latin. Pp. 65. London: Gilpin. 1850. Albertus Magnus was a learned Dominican in the thirteenth century, sometime Bishop of Ratisbon, till he resigned his bishopric and returned to the quiet of his monastery. In his youth he is reported to have been very dull and stupid, till the Blessed Virgin appeared to him and asked him whether he would choose to excel in philosophy or divinity: he chose philosophy, and she promised him all success; but foretold that to punish him for not having selected the nobler science, he should before he died relapse into his pristine stupidity: which accordingly came upon him while he was lecturing in his old age! This story is told by Bayle who does not condescend to refute it; but merely adds that those who believe him will know that he considers it a fable, and those who believe the fable will not alter their opinion in reference to anything he may say! Turn we now to the little book before us; which is much too grave to have recorded such an anecdote. Wherefore it was published we cannot understand. As a book on religious meditation, it contains nothing new or striking; but not knowing who the translator is, we suspect that it has been manufactured out of the original for Protestant purposes, to the exclusion of all reference to practices of Catholic piety. The result is a compound of Jansenism, Spinosism, Protestantism, and Scripture, that is repulsive. We cannot understand why the book was published. Hungary and the Hungarian Struggle. Three Lectures delivered before the Edinburgh Philosophical Institution. By T. Grieve Clark. Twenty months resident in Hungary during 1847-8-9. 1 vol. 8vo, pp. 128. London: Groombridge. So rapid have been revolutions and restorations during the last three years, that this book appears rather after date. All the world feels that General Georgey sold his country, and that the interest now attaching to Hungary is already either historical or anticipative: Hungary exists not at present. But the book is pleasantly written, and gives an animated account of scenes of which the writer was a witness. These are recorded in a light and easy style, the very familiarity of which is acceptable. It agreeably conveys considerable information. A Few Words of Hope on the Present Crisis of the English Church. By the Rev. J. M. Neale, M.A., Warden of Sackville College. London: Masters. 1850. Anything however humble, however insignificant in appearance, must, by a certain portion of our perplexed brethren, be joyfully received as coming from the pen of the learned, pious, but, alas! deluded Warden of Sackville College. Mr. Neale's zeal against the tenets of Holy Church, as also his activity in withholding souls from entering the Kingdom of Heaven, has long been a matter of notoriety; and we can only say, his Few Words of Hope have been read by us with considerable interest. Mr. Neale compares the "history of the Swedish with that of the English Church. The former, to all outward appearances, emerged from the Reformation with far greater likelihood of duration. It was less changed in every respect; it retained greater dignity in its offices; it was less spoiled and oppressed by the State. But every change in Sweden has been in a downward, every alteration in England in an upward direction. Without such powerful enemies, without such narrow escapes, the Swedish Establishment has lost and lost; the English Church, pressed ofttimes out of measure above strength, despairing even of life, has gained and gained." Passing over the untenableness of our learned Warden's position, assumed in the latter portion of this paragraph, we would fain remind him of an argument which, if we mistake not, we learned from one of his earlier works, when he was more Catholically imbued than at present, viz., that the fact of the non-promulgation of the Bull of Excommunication against England as a nation, in the time of Elizabeth, was the cause of her proceeding in an upward direction; while Sweden, Geneva, and the other Protestant countries, having been formally excommunicated, were plunging themselves yet deeper into the abyss of heresy. Mr. Neale was at that time willing to allow some spiritual efficacy to the judgments of the Holy See, and therefore saw much in this remarkable fact; but the pressing of this argument did not suit his purpose in A Few Words of Hope as he well knew that "many would," happily for their souls' health, "forsake their allegiance" to a state Establishment, and therefore anything tending to prove the spirituality of Rome would only weaken his purpose, and perhaps accelerate the departure of many who are now only beginning to doubt. We shall bring these few remarks to a conclusion by quoting Mr. Neale's advice to his doubting brethren :-" Clearly is it their duty to wait. The Church will emerge from this affliction either the better for it or the worse: if the latter, it will be time enough to leave her then; if the former, bitterly will they repent the having left her at all." If, then, our house is on fire, according to this position, we must wait until it be actually burnt down ere we leave, or rather, until the falling_rafters point out our imminent danger. Verily this is a curious argument. But will Mr. Neale kindly tell us which among our converts (saving Messrs. Sibthorpe, Jephson and Conolly) have bitterly "repented having left the Establishment?" On the contrary, from the published writings of Messrs. Newman, Oakeley, Faber, Thompson, Northcote, Bittlestone and others, we learn that they all rejoice with joy unspeakable in having been so far favoured with the Divine grace as to be enabled to leave the Church of England, as established by law; and we sincerely believe that these gentlemen and their brother converts would rather, each and every one of them, shoulder a broom and commence the profession of street sweeping, than be raised to the highest (so called) ecclesiastical preferment in the miserable and helpless body which they have deserted, and which indeed, as Mr. Ward has truly observed, HAS NO DEFINITE DOCTRINE TO TEACH." 66 CORRESPONDENCE. THE CONVERSION OF ENGLAND. To the Editor of the "Catholic Magazine and Register." DEAR SIR.-In my last letter, I brought forward the 37th chapter of Ezekiel, in order to draw from it my answer to the question whether England will ever be Catholic again? I will now go on to some more remarks on parts of that interesting vision of the prophet. I wish to point out how it appears to illustrate what we have seen actually going on among us in these last days; so that I would almost venture to apply to it the words of our Lord, "This day is fulfilled this scripture in your ears." (Luke iv. 21.) About twenty years ago, if it had been asked, where was the spot in all England, where a Catholic movement was least likely to take place, where might Catholic life be considered most completely extinct, and some one had named the university of Oxford, I think all would have agreed he was in the right. To no place, apparently could the similitude of the plain of dry bones, as far as regarded Catholic life, be more appropriately applied. Yet what have we seen? There was heard no prophet's voice indeed to move the bones; but about seventeen years ago, as Mr. Newman dates it in his present course of lectures, "there was a noise and behold a commotion" in Oxford: (see v. 7) a movement commenced then, which as it proceeded attracted more and more the attention and became the topic of discourse of all this kingdom, and of Catholics in other countries. A body of the learned men of the University were setting themselves to inquire for truer, sounder doctrine by ways long disused, and to the generality of people quite unknown, By diligent researches into ecclesiastical antiquity, they were seen gradually shaking off old prejudices against the Catholic Church, embracing one after another Catholic dogmas, following Catholic practices, till at length they had become, as it were, complete Catholics, as Ezekiel saw the bones coming into order, and covered by degrees, with sinews and flesh and then with skin, in short, formed into perfect bodies, but in one case as in the other, for a time "there was no spirit in them." (v. 8.) How were they at length brought to life? The prophet was again commanded to speak; not now to the bones; but to the spirit, "to come from the four winds, and blow upon these slain, and let them live again." He did so and "they stood up upon their feet an exceeding great army." (v. 10.) And how did it happen with the Oxford divines? They also have lived again. But how? By what agency? Not by man's. At least, it was not man's wisdom, eloquence, or efforts which led them home. If man had to do with it, it was the prayer of the good through the world, which caused the great result. Towards the end of the year 1845, Bp. Wiseman visited France, and moved by the wonderful new position in which things were among so many in England, he wrote a circular letter to the bishops of that kingdom to beg the prayers of the faithful for our country. A general movement of prayer was made in answer to it, for ten days or a fortnight, and very soon after-I have not now at hand the means to say how soon-Mr. Newman and his companions at Littlemore were received into the Church. Many more followed, and may we not say, "they stand on their feet, an exceeding great army." Look only at the Fathers of the Oratory under Father Newman's command. An exceeding great army, it is true, they are not, numerically; but in point of ability and of moral influence, is not each of them individually almost a host in himself? Or will not this be the truth, when, helped by further prayers, they come into full action? Yet the prophecy was not to the spirit from the four winds. It was a great voice indeed which called, and it was a noble Catholic people which was invoked, and which heard and responded to the call. But it was only one among the nations of the faith; and the call was made but once, and by one voice. Yet what an effect! Oh! if the Catholics of England would but cry unanimously! Oh! if they would make their cry sound throughout all lands, and repeat and repeat it again, till the whole Christian world should ring again with its sound, and be, as it were, forced to pray for us incessantly! This has not been done: but why should it not now be done? The breath of prayer for England, has not been wholly spent and silenced. Some have persevered in England itself; many in other lands: and by the dews and sunshine of divine grace, which they have drawn upon this country, another harvest has been gradually ripening. The Lord God, merciful and good beyond our hopes, beyond our very wishes, has raised another great commotion, the noise of which is heard in every quarter of the land, and which has set many on the search for a place of rest, who have hitherto been lying at ease in their old state of insensibility and slumber; while many more, who had before been moving towards the truth and becoming by degrees more enlightened, are beginning now to feel to the quick the danger and unsoundness of their position; but either know not as yet where is that firm ground on which they fain would set their feet, or are scared at the difficulties of the step which they must take to reach it. Now, I ask, are we to leave the issue of this new commotion, which the controversy on baptism has excited, to remain doubtful, or shall we, by united unceasing prayers, and by moving all Catholics throughout the world to join us in prayer, make the result sure, and move Almighty God to bring out of the confusion which we see the divinely wise order of the Catholic Church, as his spirit of old moving on the face of the chaotic deep, brought forth this universe with all its varied yet harmonious beauties. Oh! it would indeed be lamentable, if we let pass this crisis unimproved; and what are we to do? some may say. I might be content to answer, where there is a will there is a way. If people will it, surely they can pray, and they can ask others to pray. I will mention here what was done by one steady persevering man. Brother Luke, the Cistercian, was sent, some years ago, into France to beg money for the building of the Abbey Church of Mount St. Bernard, in Leicestershire. He undertook to beg spiritual alms also, and to make his petition for these before he asked for the money. He succeeded well in his two years' begging for money; God fulfilling to him the promise, "Seek first the kingdom of God and his justice and the rest shall be added." And how about the prayers? He showed me a book on his return in which were written promises by the superiors of 500 religious houses of men or women that they would with their communities persevere in prayer for England, besides 300 more who promised without writing. Oh! how much might be done by thousands, if one can do so much! Another case has lately occurred to be added to this. A young gentleman, a convert, who resides in Liege, where, last year, I had the pleasure of making his acquaintance, has taken up the cause, and being employed in business during the week, on Sundays visits in turn one or other of the parishes in the neighbouring country, and begs the pastors to recommend England to their flocks, himself distributing after Mass, little prints to remind them. With a little quiet constancy of purpose, how soon might we see all Christendom in a steady flame of charity for England; and this spirit of zeal once alive, I say for those who care not so much for prayers, we should soon see open to us all the resources of the Christian world, in money and men, to help us. Oh! let us at length begin in earnest. I am, dear Sir, your faithful Servant in Jesus Christ, IGNATIUS OF ST. PAUL, Passionist. St. Peter's Chapel House, Winchester, June 16th, 1850. P.S.-I have not failed to notice the interesting suggestion of your correspondent who signs his name Unus. The idea, which he suggests has struck me before. In due time, please God, something of the kind, with proper authority, may be well organized. CONSECRATION OF THE NEW CHURCH AT ERDINGTON. To the Editor of the "Catholic Magazine and Register." SIR. The new Catholic church of St. Thomas of Canterbury, which, it will be remembered, was opened for Divine service a few months ago, was solemnly consecrated on the 11th inst., by the Right Rev. Dr. Ullathorne. The service commenced at six o'clock in the morning, and extended over four hours. The attendance of the clergy and laity was numerous, and included many distinguished individuals from a distance, and several Pro At half-past ten o'clock, the clergy, regular and secular, and others engaged in the service, assembled on the ground adjoining the church, and from thence proceeded to the west entrance and along the nave to the highaltar. Masters A. L. Phillipps and C. Tucker, as thurifers, first advanced, followed by the cross-bearer, supported on both sides by the Hon. J. Dormer and the Hon. M. Nugent as acolytes; a number of youths in surplices, followed by the choir of St. Chad's, conducted by Mr. Hardman; and after the choir various religious orders, represented as follows:-the Benedictines by the Rev. T. Barber, president-general of the order, the Rev. R. Burchall, president of Douay College, Rev. W. Scott, of Malvern, Rev. T. C. Smith, of Acton Burnell, and the Rev. M. Sinnott, of Coventry; the Dominicans by the Rev. S. Proctor, superior, and Fathers Morwood, Dent, and Maltus; the Oratorians by Fathers Penny, Gordon, Caswall, Flanagan, and several of the brethren from the Oratory, Birmingham; the Rosminians by the Rev. Dr. Pagani, of Radcliffe College; the Oblates of the Immaculate Conception by Fathers Bellon, Tortel, Arnoux, Cook; the Rev. M. McDonough and thirteen of the brethren from St. Mary's Vale,-all wearing the costume, &c., peculiar to their respective orders. The secular clergy, to the number of forty, next followed; amongst whom were the Very Rev. John Moore, president of Oscott College, Rev. F. Amherst, Rev. J. Mayland, Rev. H. Weedall, the Revs. T. Leith, F. Bond, P. Holland, W. Lovie, S. Fox, F. Fairfax, F. Turville, T. Longman, T. Tysan, E. Huddleston, P. O'Sullivan, J. Dalton, J. Parke, J. Jeffries, T. Revill, J. Macarte, R. Bagnall, T. Telford, W. Illsley, T. Flanagan, J. Walker, J. Moore (Sutton), H. Henage, H. Formby, and a number of divines from Oscott College. The bishop, with his deacon, sub-deacon, and attendants, closed the procession, and on arriving at the altar commenced the celebration of high mass. The service terminated at twelve o'clock. Amongst those present were A. L. Phillipps, Esq., of Grace Dieu; Lady Smythe and family, of Acton Bromell; Carrington Smythe, Esq., of Wooten; Maxwell, Esq., of Yorkshire; W. Leigh, Esq., of Woodchester Park; G. Haigh, Esq.; W. Haigh, Esq.; Mr. James Wareing; Mrs. John Poncia, &c. After service the clergy and a select party of the laity proceeded to Oscott College, where dinner was prepared for them. At five o'clock in the evening vespers was sung and benediction given by his lordship the bishop, the service being attended by a numerous congregation. And now relative to the structure, which has not been improperly designated a model of architectural beauty, and well calculated to enhance the fame of Mr. Charles Hansom, the architect, the following brief description may not be uninteresting to your readers:-It is a beautiful VOL. XI, Ꮓ |