If the English language is to be understood in its plain grammatical sense, _some_ refers to a few, or the smaller portion, and, consequently, Doctor Irons _does not_ differ from the teaching of the Tracts, generally. I have never met a “Tractarian” who did not profess to be at issue with one or more of the ninety Tracts; and I have no doubt but Dr. Pusey himself would unhesitatingly affirm, that there was teaching in _some_ of them from which even he dissented. Could we have asked the reverend gentlemen who have lately apostatized to Rome from one of the churches at Stoke Newington, I can easily imagine that they too would have differed from the teaching of _some_ of the Tracts, though their principles and practices, before they finally left the Church of England, were daily giving evidence how completely (as a whole) they were identified with the party. It must be borne in mind that from the time this “Tractarian” blight came over our Church, it has been the practice of its clerical adherents to deny any affinity with Romish error, and to beguile their congregations with the assurance, that the holding of “Tractarian” principles was the best safeguard to the Church of England. Not only did their most talented men write and preach in this strain, but the literary organs of the party still say so; and when, from time to time, the more honest among them secede to Rome, their friends attribute their apostacy to any cause but the right one, sometimes laying the blame upon the evangelical party for protesting against their unsound and unscriptural teaching. Dr. Irons, in the letter referred to, defends himself from the charge of refusing to sign the Anti-Papal Petition in 1850:—the charge, however, is neither (as the Doctor calls it) “practically unjust, or untrue.” Dr. Irons _did_ refuse to sign the Petition, and the reason given at the time for this refusal was, {6}—that a “rider” was added to it (by a vote at the public meeting); “that the Romanizing principles and practices of a portion of the clergy had encouraged the Pope to act as he had done.” It is not here necessary to prove that the “rider” enunciated a fact; it is sufficient to shew that Dr. Irons refused to sign the Petition, and to state the reasons he gave for that refusal; and then to leave it to the unbiased judgment of his parishioners to decide between his actions, and the paragraph in the letter, which says, “I am not a Tractarian in any sense.” Dr. Irons refers to the ‘_Morning Post_’ and other papers for his sentiments as expressed on the occasion of the meeting. I was present at the meeting, and paid some attention to the speech of the Reverend Doctor. I do not deny but there was indignation expressed against the “aggression,” but this indignation went very little beyond what might have been said, and what was actually said, by sincere Romanists, ere the glorious reformation of the sixteenth century had shone upon our country.