published the remarks of the Kirchen Zeitung, but with such misrepresentation as obviously tended to cast ridicule upon the editor of the German paper, and the Freeman's Journal closed the article with these words: "A person who reads German hands us the above paragraph, and suggests that next year the Almanac be printed in Dutch." Such a remark, Mr. Editor, we admit, may draw a laugh from a certain class of persons; but we venture to assert that there are few who will pronounce it an illustration of good manners, or who will not think that it is altogether unworthy of the courteous and dignified tone that should characterize the relation between one editor and another.

These remarks, Mr. Editor, have not been made through any ill-will against the Free

man's Journal: for we should rejoice to see it, after some reformation of its spirit, circulated through every part of the United States: but we have wished to do an act of justice to those who have been publicly wronged by that paper, and whose wrongs it refused adequately to redress, though they had an undoubted right to a public hearing in its columns. Let us hope and pray, Mr. Editor, that the admonition of the apostle, "speaking the truth in love," may be faithfully reduced to practice by the conductors of all our religious periodicals. We cannot expect the people to practise the virtues of justice and charity, if our Catholic papers, which ought to be their guides, set them an example of calumny and scurrility. Yours, respectfully,

M. O.

The work claiming to be the Constitutions of the Holy Apostles; including the Canons: Whiston's version, revised from the Greek, with a Prize Essay, at the University of Bonn, upon their origin and contents: translated from the German, by Irah Chase, D. D. New York: D. Appleton & Co. Philadelphia: Geo. S. Appleton. Svo. pp. 496.

The Apostolical Constitutions are an ancient collection of regulations bearing the name of St. Clement of Rome, and attributed by the compiler, whoever he was, to the apostles. They are believed to have made their appearance in the fourth or fifth century, and are divided into eight books, which contain a -variety of regulations respecting the discipline and ceremonies of the church. Almost all critics agree that these constitutions were not compiled by St. Clement, and were not framed by the apostles; yet that they embrace different portions of the ancient liturgies, and various points of discipline as observed by the primitive Christians. Such is the opinion of Catholic critics, and many of the most learned among Protestant writers. Together with the Apostolical Constitutions appeared also the Canons of the Apostles, a collection of disciplinary enactments, which are equally admitted to be posterior to the apostolic age, and to consist of canons framed by councils or bishops

in the second and third centuries. Thus far, the Apostolic Constitutions and canons are a reliable authority in regard to various points of discipline, which were observed throughout the church at large, or in particular districts, and indirectly they bear witness to different matters of faith. The several orders of the priesthood, the superiority of bishops over priests, the eucharistic sacrifice, prayers for the dead during the oblation, &c., are plainly mentioned in this collection, which consequently affords not the slightest ground for the Protestant to think that his church is that of the earliest Christian times. Hence frequent attempts have been made by learned Protestants to lessen the authority of the apostolic canons and constitutions, and among them the author of the Prize Essay at the University of Bonn, and his translator, the Rev. Dr. Chase. They would lead their readers to imagine that this collection is an evidence of innovations' having been introduced into the church, and a means by which these innovations were afterwards perpetuated. But the reasoning of these gentlemen is of a very singular character, and far behind the age. They lay it down as an incontrovertible principle, that whatever is in favor of Catholic doctrine and discipline must necessarily be at war with the Bible and the practice of the

apostolic age: hence they infer that the collection, passing under the name of Constitutions and Canons of the Apostles, is a fanciful production in regard to those points in which Catholicity is represented to the disadvantage of Protestantism. But there are two considerations which give this collection weight, as a witness, in favor of Catholic discipline and against the innovations of modern reformers. The first of these is that the Catholic discipline there set forth, is on many points confirmed by the testimony of the earliest liturgies and ecclesiastical writers: the second is, that Protestant critics themselves have vindicated the authority of this collection. It is in vain then for the Prize Essayist, or his translator, to treat us to speculative discussions on the subject; it will never cease to be true that the canons and constitutions of the apostles, although not written by the apostles, and although containing various inaccuracies, are in many respects a faithful representation of the discipline which was practised in the very earliest periods of the Christian era.

Lellers to the Rt. Rev. John Hughes, Roman Catholic Bishop of New York. By Kirwan. Baltimore: Methodist Protestant church. 18mo. pp. 103.

The writer of these letters pretends to have been raised a Catholic, and afterwards, when more enlightened, to have become a Protestant. His letters prove him to be either a gross ignoramus or a very shameless deceiver, and the only wonder to us is, that men who lay claim to intelligence and Christian candor, can be so far duped or so reckless as to take part in the circulation of such mendacious productions.

Peace with Mexico, by Albert Gallatin. New

York: Bartlett & Welford, pp. 34.

We know not who has sent us this pamphlet, the political character of which forbids us to express any opinion on the questions of which it treats. But the high reputation of the author, as well as the calm and pacific tone in which he discusses the actual relations of the United States with Mexico, cannot fail to commend his reflections to attentive consideration.

Dublin Review, No. XLVI. January, 1848. London: Richardson & Son.

With some few exceptions, this is an able and interesting number of the Dublin Catholic Quarterly. We regret, however, to perceive,

in the article on Prescott's Conquest of Peru, an instance of carelessness on the part of the critic, which will tend greatly to neutralize the effect of his strictures on Mr. Prescott's style. In noticing certain inaccuracies in the historian's mode of ex

pression, the reviewer says: " We intended

to have noticed these errors at the end of our paper, but we find we shall not have space." (p. 323, note.) Had he reflected a moment, or carefully looked over his paper before committing it to the press, we have no doubt that he would have detected, in the above quoted sentence, a violation of grammar, which is the more remarkable, as the very object of the critic's remarks in this place is to reproach Mr. Prescott with faults of English. Every one will admit that an action is always posterior to the intention of doing it; whence it is correct to say, we intended to notice, but we cannot say, consistently with the rules of English grammar, (see Murray, Rule 13 of Syntax), we intended to have noticed, as, in this expression, the perfect tense of the infinitive mood implies that the action was past when the intention was had; which was neither meant by the writer, nor could possibly be the case. We would not direct attention to this inadvertency of the reviewer, but for the fact that such instances of carelessness are becoming very general, and may be often detected among writers of distinguished abilities. But, if it is important for the purity of our language, that grammatical accuracy should be observed, it becomes the peculiar duty of writers and critics to adhere strictly to those rules which the authority of recognized standards or polite usage has established.

It may be well, perhaps, to state here, especially as the fact has been overlooked in the Dublin Review, that Prescott's Conquest of Peru is characterized by an unusual degree of bigotry and ignorance, in reference to Catholicity.

METROPOLITAN AND CATHOLIC COURIER. We understand that an agent is now soliciting subscriptions to a paper, with the above title, which is to be published in Washington city. The Most Rev. Archbishop has informed us, and to prevent liability to error, we have been authorized by him to state, "that he knows nothing about the paper to be issued in Washington, and that if it be a Catholic paper it has not, of course, the requisite sanction and approbation of the diocesan authorities."