clergyman may preach an occasional sermon any where, with permission of the incumbent . . . We should not wish to see this opinion applied in any case, so as to provoke a hostile and insubordinate spirit, where there ought to be the greatest mutual respect and good understanding. But if an individual prelate, as in the case of the Bishop of Ferns, sees fit, for the sake of opposing Bible and missionary proceedings, and whatever else he is pleased to call puritanism, to issue an ungracious and imperious edict, it is but just that his Clergy should know their rights, and if they see fit, act upon them." Surely this is rather a singular way not to excite an insubordinate spirit, and not to interrupt that greatest mutual respect and good understanding which ought to exist! May I not class this as consistency the third? Now as we are sometimes ordered in Scripture, to avoid and discourage heretics, who confessedly are welcomed in the Bible Society as the only license given to the Clergy confines them to their allotted parishes, and though a man is ordained to the office of a priest in the Church of Christ, the subsequent words restrict the exercise of that office to the congregation, where he is lawfully appointed thereto, (I presume the word lawfully will not be interpreted in a secular sense ;) was my language too strong? or might it not have been made stronger by adding, that in the preceding number, the Bishop is accused of-we had almost said cant and hypocrisy? What can be much greater defiance, than to rise in direct opposition to the spiritual commands of a Bishop, because they cannot be enforced by mere law? What more flagrant assumption of unauthorized powers, than preaching any where, every where, because we are specifically ordained to one congregation? Or what kind of Churchman must he be, that would thus set up, or approve of others setting up, the permission of the law against the justifiable orders of his ecclesiastical superior, for the management and discipline of the diocese confided to him? That custom sanctions the Clergy occasionally exchanging duties, though in different Sees, is indisputable; and as long as they whose high office it is to ordain and superintend those Sees, permit it, so long it is allowable; but mere tolerated custom can never stand against their prohibition, even though we are so complacently and confidently assured, that the Clergy have their "power by the law of the land, the Gospel, common practice, and common sense:" the first and third of these being somewhat impotent as authority, the rest sanctioning it indeed, to the mind of the Editor, but surely by no means therefore necessarily to that of all his readers-those, for instance, who so generally differ from his sentiments, as hitherto, whether justly or no, to have set down what he would prehaps call "old fashioned notions," as lax and neoteric ideas. And this is to be paralleled by Mr. Hook's remonstrance! If the Christian Observer can see no difference, except in his own favour, between his recommending the Clergy to preach if they choose it in a diocese, frustra reclamante episcopo, and your publishing a most quiet letter from a Rector and his Curate to their diocesan, humbly praying him not to encourage within their parish, what themselves disapproved, and what therefore must cause an alienation of their flock from themselves, possibly others can, who may not be able to discover a lordly tone"

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in this "obtrusive and supercilious epistle." The concluding attacks on the advocates of episcopacy I leave; it cannot be supposed to have any relation to a person who had been contending for the exclusively divine appointment of that order; perhaps, as an angry generality, it might have been as well omitted. In closing this long, and I fear tedious letter, I must repeat my regret that the Christian Observer's zeal is so very "liberal," as frequently to be shown, by making a common cause with schismatics, provided they "symbolize with it in their leading views of Christian doctrine and piety," against those Clergy who do not hold these peculiar tenets, thereby demonstrating that its attachment is not to the Church, as a divinely established body, but to those particular doctrines which it would fain persuade the world are her's. With many apologies for having thus troubled you, and sincere hopes that I may not again be obliged to intrude on your kindness in this matter; I am, Sir,

Your very obedient humble servant, and constant subscriber,

E.. B.

SERMONS FOR THE CHURCH SOCIETIES,

99.

MR. EDITOR, I have read the letters signed " A Distant Reader," and "Lincolnshire Curate," in some of your late numbers, and should, indeed, rejoice to see the recommendations therein contained carried into effect; and I hope that, if the Bishop of London has seen those letters, he will be amongst the first to act upon the suggestion of the writers, and recommend and encourage his Clergy to preach periodical sermons for our two Church Societies. We can hardly calculate the immense benefit those Societies would derive from such a source; for the good example would doubtless be followed in other dioceses; and, with increased means and renewed ardour, the societies would go forth, as instruments, in the Divine hand, of promoting Christian knowledge, and propagating the Gospel.

It is an incumbent duty upon every Christian, to labour to promote the glory of God, and to enlarge the boundaries of his Saviour's kingdom; and as the Societies in question have simply these objects in view, and are constitutionally competent to pursue them, they press, most powerfully, their claims for support upon every disciple of Christ; and surely no churchman can refuse to assist them without impeaching his character as a Christian. Now, it seems admitted on all hands, that these Societies are not better supported, because their claims have not been generally set forth, and because, in numberlessinstances, their very existence is unknown. In this state of things, therefore, the attention of Christians must be roused, information must be imparted, and cooperation insisted upon; and this must be done, moreover, through the medium of the Clergy. Let, then, the ministers of religion stand forth simultaneously the advocates of these excellent institutions, and I anticipate a great excitement in their favour. I should like to see the Bishop and Clergy of the diocese of London foremost in the good work; and, Mr. Editor, if a single sermon were preached, once a year, in each church or chapel throughout this diocese only, what a large accession of PERMANENT income would the

Societies receive; and if this were done throughout the kingdom, how INFINITELY Would their means of usefulness be augmented! I would suggest that the sums thus collected should be equally divided between the two Societies.

Let me add that immediate and unanimous exertions should be made; for, whilst we are deliberating who shall make the first move, other parties are zealously engaged (I do not say intentionally, but I fear in effect) in sowing the seeds of discord and schism throughout the world.

That a blessing may attend our labours, is my prayer, who am, Mr. Editor, Hackney, 1830. YOUR CONSTANT READER.

COLLECTANEA.

DUELLING.-The students in divinity, at the University of Kiel, have formed a society, the immediate object of which is the discussion of literary and theological topics. We mention the circumstance, however, chiefly with the view of expressing our gratification at finding that one of the statutes of this society prohibits duelling between any of its members; and, that its violation is accompanied by the expulsion of the offender. It extends, also, to seconds in duels; and one of the members has already been expelled for acting in that capacity. The award of the president and committee is conclusive in all matters of personal dispute between them; and, if conciliation cannot be privately brought about, it is incumbent on the disputants to refer the subject of dissension to the tribunal. The Christian spirit of this precedent is deserving of imitation among ourselves.

THE CRUSADES.-The following observation occurs in Dr. Leo's new work, A Manual of the History of the Middle Ages.'-Is it going too far to affirm, that the Holy Land was positively conquered by the Crusaders, and has remained in safe keeping to the present hour? By this is meant, not the terrestrial surface of Palestine, nor that it has been kept, as against the Turkish power; but, that Holy Land of the intellect, the real liberty of Christian opinion,-which has been maintained against the grinding forms and fetters of the Roman hierarchy, by whom, in times anterior to the Crusaders, the narrowest possible field was allowed for the growth of religious advancement; and in whom, subsequently to their occurrence, existed the great and isolated barrier against the developement of the Christian mind."

CHURCH AND STATE.-Domestic life is the narrow precinct, within which man is first nurtured and moulded; the State extends its shield over domestic life, with a view to protect it against violence from without, and the Church undertakes the task of lending a right and holy direction to human ways, whether they concern the individual or the state. The State regards men as sublunary beings, whose selflove is ever urging them forwards to acquire, enjoy, and exercise dominion; it impedes and protects, for the purpose of preventing hostile collision between families and individuals: but the Church receives men into her bosom, as intellectual and heaven-created

beings, and moulds and consecrates them to an eternal end. Hence it is obvious, that the State has to do with man in his outward ways in life, and the relation in which he stands to others; whilst the Church is required to take charge of the inward and invisible man, in what concerns his heavenly and probationary calling. Education, therefore, is a trust, which falls within the natural, peculiar, and legitimate province of the Church; and where the State interposes and assumes its direction, it forgets its own origin and object; it ceases to be a commonwealth, a status' or 6 res publica,' and is converted into a head of castes,-an engine of compulsion.-Krummacher.

ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH IN GERMANY.-In many principalities this Church is as independent of the See of Rome as the Gallican. Prussia, which possesses a very large Catholic population, prohibits its Catholic Bishops from interfering in matters regarding religion or the clergy, without the sanction of the government: this sanction is also requisite before any papal bulls or briefs, or any orders from foreign heads of the church, are allowed to be made public or carried into effect. The same control is equally exercised by the soverigns of Bavaria, Saxony, Baden, Wurtemberg, Coburg, and Hesse-Darmstadt.

INQUISITION IN THE NETHERLANDS. - Philip's design of establishing this horrible tribunal, so impiously named holy by its founders, had been long suspected by the people of the Netherlands. The expression of those fears had reached him more than once. He as often replied by assurances that he had formed no such project, and particularly to Count d'Egmont during his recent visit to Madrid. But at that very time he assembled a conclave of his creatures, doctors of theology, of whom he formally demanded an opinion, as to whether he could conscientiously tolerate two sorts of religion in the Netherlands. The doctors, hoping to please him, replied that " he might, for the avoidance of a greater evil." Philip trembled with rage, and exclaimed, with a threatening tone, "I ask not if I can, but if I ought." The theologians read in this question the nature of the expected reply; and it was amply conformable to his wish. He immediately threw himself on his knees before a crucifix, and raising his hands towards heaven, put up a prayer for strength in his resolution to pursue as deadly enemies all who viewed that effigy with feelings different from his own. If this were not really a sacrilegious farce, it must be that the blaspheming bigot believed the Deity to be a monster of cruelty like himself.—Dr. Lardner's Cabinet Cyclopædia, Vol. X. History of the Netherlands.

LITANY.-The following curious anecdote was lately communicated by a barrister, (well known by a liturgical publication,) who derived it from the late Bishop of Oxford:

The style of addressing our Saviour in the prayer, "O Son of David, have mercy upon us," has been frequently objected to. The fact is, that in the Latin service, from whence that supplication is borrowed, the words are written " O Fili D. Vi.," meaning Domini Vivi; and the alteration arises simply from a misunderstanding on the part of the translator.