MARRIAGES. At Frickley, Yorkshire, the Rev. John Harding, Fellow of King's College, Cambridge, to Ann, the eldest daughter of the late Rev. T. C. Rudston Read, of the former place. At Crosthwaite church, Cumberland, the Rev. Herbert Hill, M.A. Fellow of New College, Oxford, to Bertha, daughter of Robert Southey, Esq. Poet Laureate. At Newcastle-upon-Tyne, the Rev. William Hey, M.A., Principal of the York Collegiate School, to Emily, youngest daughter of the late Joseph Croser, Esq. of Kenton Lodge, near Newcastle. At Cossington, Somersetshire, William Dowdeswell, Esq. M.A. of Christ Church, At St.George's, Hanover-square, London, the Rev. Abraham Farley Wynter, B.A. to Laura Maria Anne, youngest daughter of the Rev. Valentine Ellis, Rector of Walton, Bucks, and Barnardistow, Suffolk. At Llanvechan, the Rev. Henry Cornwall Legh, M.A. of Brasennose College, Oxford, to Mary, eldest daughter of Martin Williams, Esq. of Bryngwyn, Montgomeryshire. THE FOLLOWING WORKS HAVE BEEN RECEIVED. The Theological Library. Vol. XV. Biography of the Early Church. By W. R. Evans, M.A. Sermons, Doctrinal and Practical; to which is added an Assize Sermon. By the Rev. W. Howorth, M.A. Tracts on the Church and the Prayer Book. By Plain Sermons. By contributors to "The Tracts America and the American Church. By the Progressive Education, from the French of The Call upon the Great. The Poor Man's Advocate. By Herbert Smith, A Brief Apology for the Romish Priests in The Village Pastor's Surgical and Medical "Thy kingdom come." A Sermon, by the Rev. The Religious Origin and Sanctions of Human Plan for a more Extensive Application to Divine 3d Edition. Why you should go to Church. A General Outline of the Animal Kingdom. King maintain a Church where there is no The Christian Library. I. Memoirs of the Rev. Cardinal Bellarmine's Notes of the Church The Christian Examiner for March, 1839. NOTICES TO CORRESPONDENTS. Dr. Hampden is not forgotten, but subjects of graver moment occupy us at present; besides he may repent. Mr. Congreve's excellent and practical "Observations on the Treatment of Pulmonary Diseases, characterised by Asthma," &c. shall have our earliest attention. Dr. Skrimshire's "Surgical and Medical Guide" is far too valuable a work to be summarily dismissed; we shall therefore return to the subject. "G. C." We shall be happy to hear from our friend on the "Tracts for the Times." The Second Letter of Mr. Richard Hart on the Roman Breviary in our next. "A Constant Reader" shall appear. "Presbyter Anglicanus" has our best thanks. "D. I. E.'s" kind assistance is most valuable. "M." Every thing likely to promote the extension of orthodox religion will be acceptable. Spiritualities and Temporalities of St. Paul's Cathedral. A Second Edition, with Notes. By the Rev. R. C. Packman, B.A. Minor Canon of St. Paul's, &c. Published by the authority and under the sanction of the Warden and Majority of the College of the Twelve Minor Canons. Edwards, Ave Maria lane. We strongly recommend to our readers the perusal of the above mentioned pamphlet, as containing an excellent account of our cathedral establishments in the earliest periods. We have not time to review it in this Number, and therefore can only state that it evinces great research, and contains much valuable and useful information. The great and increasing press of matter, and the number and importance of the subjects upon which our numerous correspondents favour us with their opinions, must plead an excuse, if occasionally the publication of their valuable communications may appear deferred too long. THE CHRISTIAN REMEMBRANCER. MAY, 1839. REVIEW OF NEW PUBLICATIONS. ART. I.-A Charge delivered to the Clergy of the Diocese of Chester, at the Triennial Visitation, in 1838. By JoHN BIRD SUMNER, D.D. Lord Bishop of Chester. London: Hatchard. Pp. 63. 2. A Charge delivered to the Clergy of the Diocese of Gloucester and Bristol, in August and September, 1838, at the Triennial Visitation of the Right Rev. JAMES HENRY, Lord Bishop of Gloucester and Bristol. Published at the Request of the Clergy. London: Rivingtons. Pp. 49. 3. A Charge delivered to the Clergy of the Diocese of Oxford. By RICHARD BAGOT, D.D. Bishop of Oxford, and Chancellor of the Most Noble Order of the Garter; at his Third Visitation, July and August 1838. Second Edition. Oxford: Parker. London: Rivingtons. Pp. 29. 4. A Charge delivered to the Clergy of the Diocese of Ripon, at the Primary Visitation of the New Diocese, in July and August 1838. By the Right Rev. CHARLES THOMAS, Lord Bishop of Ripon. London: Rivingtons. Pp. 31. Ir strikes us, as previously observed, that it is a marked feature of the present times of the Church, that so many of the Charges delivered by our Bishops to their Clergy are afterwards presented to the public through the press. Here, for instance, we have no less than four of these authoritative compositions, in addition to the two noticed in our last, published in the course of one year; and we are not sure that there may not have been others; and we must say that all of these, though of course in different degrees, are well deserving of attention. Now, on doubt, the publishing and general circulation thus given to such works have their advantages. Of the clergy, some may have been pre vented from attending the Visitation, to hear the remarks of their own diocesan; and they have here an opportunity of receiving much valuable information, counsel, and encouragement, which otherwise they could scarcely have enjoyed. Those also who were present at the delivery of their Bishop's Charge, may naturally wish to have his statements and sentiments so placed before them, as to receive at their hands a more calm and deliberate consideration than they have been able to give them under the circumstances of a Visitation. Besides, in many cases, the publication of the Charge may be the means, and sometimes the only effectual means, of dissipating those erroneous views and misrepresentations respecting their contents, whether wilful or otherwise, to which newspaper and other reports often give rise, and indeed must ever be liable. The But certainly the publication of Episcopal Charges has also its disadvantages, though we scarcely think these are sufficient to counterbalance the benefits which arise from the present course. disadvantages to which we would more particularly allude, are the comparisons which will thus necessarily be drawn between the abilities, line of conduct, religious, ecclesiastical, as well as political views, of the different Bishops whose Charges are thus brought into juxtaposition and contrast; and the evil which must arise from persons being, as it were, forced to mark, and, as they may be disposed, either to lament over or rejoice at, the diametrically opposite sentiments which they find expressed by members of the same holy college. But after all, this is nothing more than what every one who takes an interest in the affairs of the Church must be previously aware of, and every one who thinks, and remembers what human nature is, and that bishops are but "men of like passions" with themselves, must expect to find. As Dr. Hook has well observed in his Visitation Sermon, if we recollect rightly, there are points, even of a certain degree of importance, in which it is impossible to secure unanimity, and in which difference of opinion need not lead to hostility amongst members of the same church. The diversity of sentiment which we discover in some of the compositions at the head of this article, appear to us to be of this character, and however they may awaken our regret, cannot excite our surprise. It is not our intention to enter into a regular criticism of these Charges, or of the views maintained in them. We shall rather be content with laying before our readers a kind of table of their contents, especially as in our last Number we critically noticed two of those productions; making here and there an extract, when we think the views or language of the author likely to be peculiarly interesting or important. We feel it, however, right to say, that in thus far abstaining from critical remarks on them, we would not be supposed to affix our approval to all their positions. This indeed will readily be understood by those who are generally acquainted with the views which are usually maintained in our pages. In several of these Charges we find, as might naturally be expected, their authors directing their attention more especially to such points as they may themselves feel most deeply interested in:—which was peculiarly the case with that of the Bishop of London, noticed in our Number for April. The remarks which occur in the Bishop of Chester's Charge, respecting, as it is imagined, the views maintained by the authors of the Tracts for the Times, &c. have been misrepresented in the newspapers: we shall give them entire. They appear at the very commencement : Many subjects present themselves, towards which I might be tempted to direct your thoughts: one more especially concerns the Church at present, because it is daily assuming a more serious and alarming aspect, and threatens a revival of the worst evils of the Romish system. Under the specious pretence of deference for antiquity, and respect for primitive models, the foundations of our Protestant Church are undermined by men who dwell within her walls, and those who sit in the Reformers' seat are traducing the Reformation. It is again becoming matter of question, whether the Bible is sufficient to make men wise unto salvation; the main article of our National Confession, justification by faith, is both openly and covertly assailed: and the stewards of the mysteries of God are instructed to reserve the truths which they have been ordained to dispense, and to hide under a bushel those doctrines which the Apostles were commanded to preach to every creature. It is not from any feelings of favour towards these new doctrines that I do not add my voice to the warnings which have been already raised, and ably raised, against them. It is rather because I sincerely believe that the voice of warning, however needful elsewhere, is little needed here. We may regard it as a compensation for urgent and laborious duties, that the business of a diocese like that of which we are members, leaves no time for "folly and endless genealogies," and questions which are not "of godly edifying.' We have too much to do with realities to be drawn aside by shadows.-Pp. 1-3. In the remainder of the Charge the Bishop directs the attention of the clergy, at great length, to "the spiritual state of their diocese and its component districts; the local advancement of religion in the particular field assigned to them for cultivation." In pursuing these subjects, the Bishop enters very fully into the most important question of religious education, and gives a very favourable account of what has been effected in his diocese to meet the deficiency in this point; as well in respect to the building of new churches, as the increase of the clergy in that most extensive portion of the church, expressing their obligations to the National Society, Curates' Aid Fund, and Pastoral Aid Society. To those who take an interest in the work of education,—and we trust that the number of those who do is daily increasing,-the remarks of the The Bishop adds in a note, "See especially Revelation not Tradition," by Dr. Shuttleworth; Capes on Church Authority; Charges, by Archdeacon Browne and Mr. Townsend. Bishop will afford much valuable information, but they are much too extended for our pages. In reply to the declaimers on the almost utter destitution of the country in this respect, we must quote one passage, which strikes us as most satisfactory, coming as it does from one so intimately acquainted with the condition, not merely of some of the more favoured districts of the country, but of an enormous manufacturing population. Speaking of the country at large, I must observe, that in the reports and speeches which I have seen concerning the deficiency of education, the degree of that deficiency is much mistaken and exaggerated. The difficulties are confessedly great, and will continue great till the demand for early labour ceases. But the benefit of education is daily better understood, and but a small number grow up totally illiterate.*—Appendix IV. p. 34. We may add, that the seven Appendices contain some very interesting details. The Charge of the Bishop of Gloucester and Bristol, like that of the Bishop of London, which it preceded by some weeks, is very largely occupied by a defence of the Ecclesiastical Commission, of which his Lordship was also a member. We cannot give more than the following short extracts, by way of showing his Lordship's views on the Commission. My own concurrence in the different Reports, does not of course imply an approbation of every single particular in their multifarious details. I am far from wishing to assert that, in this new and untrodden ground, our steps may never have been erroneous. I claim no merit but sincerity of heart, a singleness of purpose, to effect what might be most conducive to the maintenance of * In accordance with these sentiments, we may quote the following extract from a speech delivered at the great Education Meeting, recently held at Warrington, Lancashire, by the Bishop of Chester." I venture to say, it would be impossible to teach religion and morality, which are, or ought to be, the real objects of education, unless you have those settled principles to go upon, which can alone reach the heart and enter into the practice; and that any religion without peculiarity, is religion without force. It appears to me these are the views we are met to promote to-day; not to undertake that which is now to be undertaken for the first time, not to undertake that now which has been the great object of those who have been most concerned in it for a long time past, but to carry it out with great additional exertion. When I look back at what has been done in this diocese within the last six years in the way of education, I cannot look upon our retention of education as being that which we are about to promote for the first time. I believe that not less than 20,0001.—aye, more, have been spent in Liverpool alone in providing schools for the young, under the superintendence of the clergy, during the last three years; and I am sure that in the diocese at large, and particularly in this county, not less than from 60,000l. to 70,000%. have been expended, not in building school-rooms alone, (though we are anxious to do that now in the beginning,) but in carrying out the principle with a fresh accession of force, and a fresh determination that that force shall only be checked when we find nothing else to act upon. That there is room for improvement and extension, nobody will deny; but when I look around and see that this extensive diocese has sent those who are come to support the cause from the most distant parts, I cannot but admit we begin this day a work, under the most auspicious circumstances, which will be a blessing to future generations." |