The publication of all of Newman's unpublished sermons (only one volume now remains to be published), some surviving only as fragments but most as full texts, should be welcomed by all Newman scholars, if only because they throw light on his theological development, particularly when the same sermon was used and revised over a number of years. However, it has to be said that their publication adds little or nothing to the author's stature as a preacher. There is only one sermon, Sermon 16, in the present volume – which contains rather less material of interest than the previous three volumes – that Newman might well have considered revising and publishing. That sermon concerns the preaching of the Gospel, which the preacher warns ‘is attended by no promise of great success’ and ‘is a solemn work, as being a work of condemnation as well as of salvation’, ‘death as well as life’ being ‘the ordinary result’. For, when the Gospel is preached,

The editor of this volume, who has been responsible for editing the final volumes of the Letters and diaries and for introducing there the same practice, has chosen to print forty pages of collateral material. I noticed five misprints (pp. 38, 111, 121, 248, 254).