"D-- hopes that the good which may be done by the present happy arrange. ment, will be seen and experienced when he shall have changed his temporary abode and his house of clay made with hands, for a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.' While his friends cor

dially unite in this prayer, they also hope that D- may live to see a blessing upon the new efforts now made for the temporal and spiritual benefit of the parish in which he lives; this would be the greatest earthly reward and satisfaction which he could receive for exertions and sacrifices," pp. 191-207.

It chanced to us one fine morning in June, anno —— to find ourselves some sixscore miles from the distractions of this overwhelming metropolis, in one of the most sequestered and romantic villages which adorn our beloved island. The scenery of that far-famed vicinity, its rich woods and glades, its craggy rocks and undulating hills, its meandering river and its splendid ocean-prospect, we leave to tourists, whose pens have not been infertile upon them. The early bell ushered in the day of sacred rest; and in this retired village we found we had alighted upon one of those spots, richly scattered, we trust, in our rural hamlets, where the blessed effects of pastoral residence, and pastoral affection and piety, are truly felt, and to which gladly would we conduct those of our sceptical dissenting brethren who can doubt whether an ecclesiastical establishment, well planned and well administered, is a blessing to a nation. We heard of no secession, no meeting-house, no Roman Catholics; but we found a parochial temple well filled with attentive and earnest worshippers, who neither frolicked as they entered, nor conversed as with thoughtful air they quitted the sacred edifice : we found a pious and zealous clergyman, whose initials W. J. happen to correspond with those mentioned in the above extract, with enough of Cambrian blood in his veins to give eloquence to the pathos which flowed from a heart full of love to God and man: we found also in this retired spot a Sunday school, an Infant school, and all the apparatus

of Bible, Missionary, Tract, and Jew-conversion societies; we heard of a weekly evening lecture, during which, as we need not say on the Sunday, the village shop (there is and we found other neighbouring but one) and public-house are closed; pious clergymen imitating the zeal of their apostolical friend, and diffusing for miles around the benefits of benevolent institutions and missionary readings and exertions. The pious and indefatigable prelate who presided over the diocese, had recently paid a Sunday visit to the parish, as he was in the habit of doing in different parts of his see; and his conversation, his deportment, and the edifying sermon which he delivered on the occasion, had left behind an impression which proves how much benefit our revered prelates may, by the blessing of God, effect, by those zealous, and, as some may think, extra-official exertions, which add new but appropriate radiance to the mitre. Nor was the satisfaction otherwise than reciprocal; for while the humblest villager found an echo in his bosom to the accents which had delighted a court, or enkindled the pious charitable zeal of crowded metropolitan auditories, the right reverend prelate could not, on his part, but express his gratification at witnessing so interesting an exhibition of a wellordered country village; in which could be fairly and satisfactorily answered many of those well-timed episcopal queries which had grievously perplexed some more populous and opulent parishes. we pass over these matters; only adding, that we failed not to visit the scene of the charitable labours of our respected friend D., whom we found in the full tide of his beloved occupations, and whose edifying, yet simple, not to say rustic remarks, were in just accordance with what we had heard of his character. Had our dear friend Mr. Legh Richmond seen and described this interesting scene, associating it, as well he knew how,

But

craft, we must plead as our excuse, that we thought our readers might not be displeased at our verifying the statement of our anonymous author, or unedified by an allusion to the unknown unlauded annals of a retired English village, as illustrating what many of our rural clergy truly are, and, by the_grace of God and for the benefit of mankind, all might be.

GREAT BRITAIN. WORKS preparing for publication, and in the press: A volume of Sermons; by the Right Reverend C. J. Blomfield, D.D. Bishop of London ;-The Truths of Religion; by Mr. Douglas ;-The Histories of England, Scotland, and Ireland; respectively by Sir J. Macintosh, Sir W. Scott, and T. Moore, for Dr. Lardner's Cyclopædia ;-The Friends' Monthly Magazine. No. I.

The new General Post-office in London has lately been opened. It is a magnificent structure, and excellently adapted to the business of that extensive department. Various arrangements are in progress for affording greater convenience to the public in the receipt, dispatch, and delivery of letters.

The Edinburgh Relief Presbytery have decided, that" the Rev. J. Johnston, having introduced an organ into the public worship of God, which innovation the Synod are of opinion is unauthorised by the laws of the New Testament-contrary to the universal practice of the church, in the first and purest periods of her history -contrary to the universal practice of the Church of Scotland-contrary to the consuetudinary laws of the Synod of Relief, and highly inexpedient," his name shall be struck off their list; and all members of their denomination are prohibited holding any ministerial communion with him. We had hoped that in the nineteenth cen. tury such scruples, if not wholly banished, were at least too weak to give rise to persecuting ordinances. To rend the church of Christ for a surplice, the location of a font, or "a kist fu o' whistles !"

The discoveries made by some of our periodical journals respecting the tenets of "the religious sects," are truly wonderful. Sylvanus Urban has found out, in the last number of the Gentleman's Magazine, that there are "parties of religionists among us," who treat or depreciate morals as unnecessary;-others, who think it indifferent whether men do good or evil; others, who preach that "people are stimulated by Providence to commit the most flagrant atrocities, in order that the punishment of death may excite a sudden conversion, and bring them to heaven." What some solitary knave or madman may profess, we know not, and care not; but such charges as these, applied to "parties of religionists among us," with an inuendo at the "Evangelicals," whom the Gentleman's Magazine so warmly lauds Mr. Irving for reprobating, are utterly devoid of common truth and justice. St. Paul, also, in his day "slanderously" reported to preach "Let us sin that grace may abound," because he maintained the freedom of our justification before God, through faith in Christ, in virtue of his obedience to death, and not by human works or merits. But did he therefore, or do those who follow his steps, inculcate the above atrocious doctrines? Is food unnecessary, because it is not clothing; or good works, because they are not good in that perfect sense which would entitle them to deserve our justification before God?

was

The tenures by which many lands and offices are held are not only absurd, but some of them are of such a character, that they ought to be promptly abolished. For example, in the church of Castor, a market town in Lincolnshire, on Palm-Sunday,

during the time of Divine service, the tenant of an estate at Broughton enters the porch, with a huge heavy whip ten feet long, which he cracks as loudly as possible three times while the minister is reading the first Lesson; and after some other ceremonies fixes a purse containing a small sum of money to the end of it, places himself in front of the reading desk, kneels upon a cushion, and waves the purse backwards and forwards over the clergyman's head like a bait at the end of a fishing lineduring the whole time he is reading the second Lesson, to the great merriment of the thoughtless part of the congregation. It is surely within the competency of the ordinary, the clergyman, or even the churchwarden, to prevent so absurd and profane an intrusion, without any legislative enactment for the purpose, or prejudice to any party. The house and service of God are not to be sported with by any person who may have seen fit to enjoin fooleries as the tenure for holding an estate. The custom in question has been referred to a grant of Vortigern to Hengest to hold as much land as he could encompass with thongs cut from one bull's hide; but in popular estimation it seems to be only a satirical ceremony; a sort of allegorical fly-fishing for a clergyman, with a purse for a bait.

In a history of Norfolk, lately published, are various extracts from the municipal archives of Norwich. One under date of June 26, 1568, says, "Ordered-that the Mayor's seal of office, which now is the picture of the Trinity [an emblem common to the present day in papal countries] which is not only contrary to God's word, but to her majesty's instructions, be altered, and from henceforth be substituted the arms of the city." Our ancestors dealt much in sumptuary laws; and we accordingly find "Edward Drewrye, was reproved by Mr. Mayor and brethren, and committed to prison with a block on his leg, for wearing such great hose contrary to law." The laws against drunkenness appear to have been more leniently enforced than those against preposterous shoes and stockings; for we find, anno 1569, one Robert Ringwood, on being commanded to leave off tippling, allowed to promise that "after this day fortnight" he will do so; and also provide two sureties for his sober behaviour. The gold distributed in the cure of scrofula by the royal touch, appears to have been no small part of the charm; for Rachel Richardson having taken her's from her neck to redeem her husband from prison (such was CHRIST. OBSERV. No. 334.

her story), her pain came again, and she wished for the renewal of the ceremony and of course another piece of gold. Our allusion in the preceding paragraph, to the ancient history of Norwich, leads us to notice a published passage in its modern history which we should be glad to see contradicted; namely, that at the recent opening of a Roman-Catholic chapel in that city the choristers of the cathedral were permitted to assist on the occasion.

FRANCE.

There are in Paris 152 journals, literary, scientific, and religious, and eleven entirely political. About 151 are what, in England, we should call Whig or Radical; the other eighteen high Tory. There are only about seventy-five journals published in the provinces.

Several series of publications are proceeding in Paris, similar to those of the Useful Knowledge Society and Cabinet Library in England. One of the series includes the Gospels.

The Geographical Society of Paris has this year awarded its medal for important discoveries, to Captain Sir John Franklin. It is pleasing to witness, among learned and scientific men, so many honourable instances of the absence of that petty national jealousy which is equally unchristian and injurious to the general interests of society.

The conductor of the Courier Français was lately cited to answer for a paragraph, half absurd, half profane, in which the writer, speaking of the works of the great masters of painting, says, that the Madonnas of Raphael are still divine, though their altars are half overthrown; and that if the fragility of their materials would allow, the pictures of the communion, the transfiguration, and St. Jerome would remain "when Christianity itself shall be abolished." The court decided that this stupid tirade was "an outrage to religious morality, the religion of the state, and of all other Christian sects," and sentenced the conductor of the paper to three months' imprisonment and a pecuniary fine.

SWITZERLAND.

The persecutions in the canton de Vaud have called forth a pamphlet by "a citizen of that canton," anonymous, but written by General La Harpe, the preceptor of the late Emperor Alexander, in which the author strongly denounces the intolerant edict of 1825, and the anomalous proceedings which have taken place under it. Formerly, he says, persons might read 4 N

66

was liable to none of the objections which lie against the theatre. It would keep the young people from worse places, and young people must have amusements." The experiment was tried, and with such results, that before long the societies of mechanics in Hartford and New-Haven united in presenting a strong petition to the legislature for the effectual abolition of these “safe and moral amusements." The effect upon young persons was represented as exceedingly pernicious. It dissipated their minds, rendered them negligent of business, filled them with vain and extravagant wishes, and often tempted them to dishonesty and theft, to procure the means of admission. The legislature, in deference to the wishes of two such respectable bodies of citizens, proceeded to prohibit all such entertainments in the State. The effect has been that now the apprentices and young mechanics of those cities, instead of running to scenes of amusement and dissipation, are seen uniting themselves together in lyceums and societies for mutual improvement.

or sing alone or in chorus as they pleased in their own houses, provided they did not incommode their neighbours; and they may do so now so long as they read only profane books or sing idle songs: "but woe betide them if, any strangers being present, they substitute a chapter of the Bible, or a sermon of Massillon, Saurin, Cellerier, or a Psalm of David." The General wittily points out the legal difficulty of ascertaining whether, instead of innocently reading plays or romances, or singing opera songs, or the ditties of Beranger, a family and their friends should be committing the crime of reading the Bible or singing psalms. We had hoped that the general indignation of Europe would long since have shamed our Swiss friends into the semblance, if not the sentiment, of tolerance; the Baron de Staël's powerful pamphlet was itself more than enough on the subject; but as the hydra still clings to life, we are glad to witness such endeavours as that of M. La Harpe to dispatch it. We are almost content that tyranny and oppression should exhibit a few expiring struggles, for the sake of the memorable lessons which are to be learned during the contest, and the triumphant victory which shall be ob tained over them. Amidst all the opposition of man," the Lord God omnipotant reigneth, and his kingdom shall endure for ever."

AUSTRIA.

A recent traveller in Austria mentions, that among the relics in the monastery of Heiligen Kreutz, the most ancient of all the Cistertian establishments in Austria, he was shewn a large piece of "the true cross," which appeared to be of mahogany! Mahogany, we need not add, was not introduced into Europe till the sixteenth century; yet even well-educated Roman-Catholics either shut their eyes or close their lips to the absurdities which beguile their illiterate brethren.

UNITED STATES.

It has been agreed between the owners of some American whaleships and the crews, that the men shall not carry out ardent spirits; and that the quantity furnished by the owners shall be very considerably diminished, the owners substituting coffee and cocoa as small stores for the crew.

It is stated, that in New York the public disapprobation against theatres has set in so strongly that most of them are reduced to insolvency. A powerful effort was made to introduce a circus into Connecticut. The people were told, that a circus

The editor of the Boston Courier excuses himself from giving a detailed account of a law case of some interest in that city, "as several ladies were present at the trial, and therefore it would be superfluous for him to say any thing." Our American brethren love, it seems, to be facetious. A man advertises in the Zanesville Republican, "Temperance scythes, warranted to cut without whiskey." And an advertisement in the Lehigh Pioneer calls a meeting of the citizens of Mauch Chunk, to form an "Anti-talk-aboutyour-neighbours Society."

There has lately been published a selection of the sermons of Luther and Calvin, never before printed in the United States.

The Americans, who used to import the chloride of lime in large quantities from Europe, for bleaching cloth and paper, now prepare it for their own use. It is manufactured on a very extensive scale at Baltimore. A large chamber lined with lead is made use of, and about five thousand pounds of hydrate of lime are spread on moveable shelves; the chlorine gas is then introduced into the chamber, and is absorbed by the lime. In bleaching, one grain of the chlorine will destroy the colouring matter of two grains of indigo. It is chiefly used in solution; four ounces of the salt to a pint of water, to be afterwards diluted to one part in forty of water. Our readers are aware that besides its bleaching properties, it is the most

powerful disinfecting agent hitherto discovered, and an instantaneous destroyer of effluvia,arising from animal or vegetable decomposition. It is particularly useful for sprinkling apartments in the case of putrescent or contagious disorders; and is largely used by the medical profession for anatomical purposes. It has been also employed with advantage for purifying tainted provisions and water on board ships; and for obviating the inconveniences arising from disagreeable and unhealthy manufactories, to the great benefit of the health of the workmen. It destroys the offensive odour of drains; takes away the scent of paint; and, carefully applied and washed out, is the best remedy for the stains of fruit, or other vegetable colouring matters.

A new cheap edition of Mr. Babington's valuable work on Education has recently been published in Philadelphia. The editor has added some appendices; one of which is on "the religious use of the magic lanthorn," for instructing young persons by means of Scripture transparencies -a plan which the late Rev. B. Allen, of Philadelphia, carried to a considerable extent in his public lectures; but which we should not consider adapted to the circumstances of this country. Another appendix consists of some 66 'papers from the Christian Observer;" of which all we know, for we have not the book, is that the American journalists pronounce them "uncommonly interesting and beautiful."

The Methodist Quarterly Conference of North-Carolina have resolved, that they will not vote for men as members of Congress or the State Legislature, who are intemperate, or who treat for electioneering purposes.

Some of our American brethren do not appear to draw so wide a line of distinc tion as we do in this country between public and private communications. American tourists often amuse their countrymen with details and conversations, which their English friends little thought would ever pass beyond their own fireside or drawing-room; not suspecting that in their transatlantic visitor would be found a Boswell to gather up fragments not worth exportation, and perhaps improper for publicity. The same remark often applies to letters; several of which, highly honourable to the writers, but not intended for publication, have lately met our eye in American journals. We might specify, among others, an interesting one from

Mrs. Hannah More, relative to a change of residence which she had been induced to make; and another from Mr. Wilberforce, from which we venture, in the face of our own observations, to extract the following passage, as it contains nothing of a private nature, and is well calculated to further those blessed objects which it has been the most earnest endeavour of this revered statesman and Christian to promote.

"And now, my dear sir, I return you my cordial thanks for the information contained in your letter. Every well educated man, who is not either utterly inconsiderate, or void of all sensibility, must regard with peculiar interest the spectacle which your country exhibits, enjoying in its infancy the inestimable blessings of civil and religious liberty, and those arts and sciences which formerly have only been found in states that have arrived at their full growth, and too often when they have been verging towards decay. You are rapidly augmenting, on a scale never before witnessed in the civilized world. To any one, who, like myself, believes that Christianity (true practical Christianty, I mean), holds out to men not only the hopes of everlasting happiness in a better world, but, speaking generally of its unobstructed tendency, the prospect of comfort and prosperity of individuals and communities in this life, the intelligence that religion is extending its influence greatly in your immense country, is indeed highly gratifying.

"Among the other blessed effects of this prevalence, may we not confidently indulge the hope, that it will greatly lessen the probability of any such rupture between the two countries as I must say, to the grief and shame of all good men, broke out a few years ago? I delight in witnessing kindred institutions for religious and benevolent purposes arising in both our countries; and as that sad narrowness of spirit which formerly alloyed the character of even truly wise and good men, has now in so great a degree passed away, I trust these various institutions will form connexions with each other, and become bound to each other by the natural ties of common objects and pursuits; and thereby the members of our two countries will habitually learn to consider and feel towards each other as brethren bound to manifest mutual good will, and to assist each other in the promotion of benevolent purposes."