fessed he was unable to construe the words. In fact, he felt convinced that they could not by a clause of this description deal with a difficulty of the nature it was meant to obviate. It was of the utmost importance that they should avoid clashing with the Colonial Legislature; but he was quite certain, from what he knew of the temper with which the colonies viewed these matters, that, let them do what they pleased, or say what they could, if they introduced a special provision of the kind proposed into this particular Bill, it could be considered that it was intended, in some way or other, to overrule the Colonial Legislature."

But though thus far acquiescing in the rejection of Mr. Gladstone's and the Bishop of Oxford's clauses, we feel, with the advocates of it, the necessity of meeting the difficulties and evils of the case by some change or other.

Mr. Venn himself, as we have said, is of the same opinion; and in a few sentences suggests what he considers as the first step to be taken in furtherance of such an object.

"The remedy which I would propose is of a very different kind from that which the Resolution suggests. I would, with great deference, submit to those authorities of the Church and State who have the guardianship of the interests of the Church, that a Royal Commission should be issued, consisting of persons well acquainted with the principles of Ecclesiastical Law, and of others experienced in the working of the system of our Church abroad,-to consult upon such a code of regulations as may give to the Church of England in foreign parts freer action for its expansive powers, and for the diffusion of its inestimable blessings. Such a Commission might communicate with each of the Colonial Dioceses, and so obtain the combined wisdom and experience of all the dependent branches of the Church of England. The results of its deliberations, after such communications from abroad, being embodied in a Report to the Crown, would receive such sanction as the Legislature might see fit to decree. If it should be thought advisable that a certain degree of free action, in the way of Synods, should be allowed to the Church abroad, the scheme would be matured upon an enlarged view of the interests of the Church of England. But let the fundamental principle of Colonial Church legislation be the conservation of the integrity of the Church of England, in all her branches, and of the pervading influence of her well-balanced institutions at home." (pp. 16, 17)

In

It is impossible not to agree with the writer in the admiration he expresses of the practical working of the Church of England system, imperfectly as it is adapted to the Colonies. those communities where this has not been the case, the advocates for the recently-proposed changes have not, perhaps, sufficiently considered whether a large part of the evil may not have sprung, quite as much from the character of the Bishop, as from the defects of the Ecclesiastical system. Our Church system in this country appears to work substantially well, where Bishops are at once faithful to their trust, and satisfied with a reasonable amount of Ecclesiastical power. In many of our dioceses, at home and abroad, the Bishops have found an obedient Clergy, and a willing and affectionate Laity. Others of our Ecclesiastical leaders, who have sought to introduce novelties into their Dioceses-to lay new burdens upon their Clergy—to make the Church say what she never meant, and do what she never desired-to narrow her doors of entrance, and widen her doors of exclusion, upon the simple "ipse dixit" of CHRIST. OBSERV. No. 151.

3 X

the Bishop-have not found the Ecclesiastical machinery for such purposes supplied by the mild wisdom of our ancestors. Such persons would, no doubt, be delighted to take the Ecclesiastical sceptre from the Crown, and to place it in the hand of the Bishop. But of such measures, or even of an approximation to them, neither those who are called the inferior Clergy, nor the great mass of the community, approve; and whilst they would rejoice to improve the Church Courts, and arm the Bishops with the strongest weapons of wholesome discipline; whilst they would also rejoice to infuse a larger measure of Episcopal authority and influence into the Court of ultimate appeal, they covet neither a mere synod of Bishops at home, nor of what would be equivalent to it abroad. There are Bishops in the Colonies whom all at home delight to honor. There are others whose views of Church Government would not be tolerated in the mother country. And it is never to be forgotten that some, especially of the Australian Colonies, are communities of a peculiar and most delicate texture. The Bishop of Tasmania, when in this country, appeared both to the Government, and we believe we may add, to the late Primate, not sufficiently to take into account that a large portion of the clergy in his diocese occupy very much the position of gaol chaplains; and therefore must, to a certain degree, be subject (as to discipline at least,) to the civil control of the Governor of the province, who is little better than the chief gaoler.

BRIEF NOTICES OF NEW BOOKS.

Anglo-Catholicism proved against the Right Rev. Samuel, Lord Bishop of Oxford. By Piscator. Seeleys, Fleet Street. 1850.

We hope there is nothing which we have said or done, as the Editor of the Christian Observer, which could lead the author of this pamphlet, who has sent us a copy of it, to think, that its general tone and spirit would be acceptable to us. It is always with pain that we see any attack upon the Heads of that Church of which we have the privilege to be members. And should the necessity arise, as it may, and does, for such an attack, it is most painful to see it conducted, not with the weapons of fair and respectful argument, but with the coarser weapons of calumny and invective. And such, we grieve to say, is, in a measure at least, the character of the, perhaps wellintentioned, pamphlet before us. Let a few examples be taken.

"Being some adept in polemical divinity, he composed his first Episcopal Charge so dexterously and prudently, as to captivate the minds and deceive the consciences of the Calvinistic clergy, by conveying to them the signification that he agreed with them both in orthodox doctrine and practice, agreeably to the mode of conciliatory speech, in which he is accustomed to style himself their faithful friend and brother."

"Instead of fulfilling such expectations, he has become an agent in subverting the

principles of others, under the most plausible pretences, principally among the upper and educated classes of society, and candidates for Holy Orders, as well as collaterally the poor and illiterate, by initiating them into the mysteries and inveigling them in the meshes of Anglo-Catholicism. In proof of these charges, he has been seen travelling in Scotland on board a steamer with the pallium in form of a plaid cloak thrown round him, in the company of a Scotch Bishop, who is known to hold the same heretical sentiments as himself in regard to the IIoly Eucharist, on which occasion he was observed to pay some attention to the child of a Presbyterian minister there present in voluntary condescension of manner, and the conversation of the same Scotch Prelate with himself could not escape from being overheard by another party. In like manner he has been noticed to take his place in a third-class railway carriage with unostentatious simplicity, on his retu: n from presenting himself at the late ceremony of laying the foundation stone of St. Augustine's College, in Canterbury, together with a posse comitatus, and a train of Puseyites, whose piety to their Alma Mater was thus unavoidably acknowledged by the good and Christian Archbishop, when His Grace composed a doctrinal discourse, which was unobtrusively preached to a promiscuous auditory."

But having said thus much of the pamphlet, we feel it right to confess, that we are not ourselves, as to all points, admirers of the public course of the Bishop of Oxford. Raised perhaps, in the first instance, into notice by the venerable name he bears, his great talents, his purity of life and manners, the sweetness of his temper, his singular courteousness of manner, his pensive yet cheerful countenance, and, not least, the deep and extraordinary pathos of his voice-all conspired to give him at once a conspicuous place in the public mind. Very early in life he was admitted to the inner circle of the Court; and, perhaps very early, began in some degree to feel the mischievous influence of his dazzling position. Had he then resolved, in the strength of God, to follow in the footsteps of his revered father, to go forth, not merely as the champion of misery and weakness in every part of the world, but as the apostle of pure Protestant Evangelical Religion-his way was short and sure to the universal love and reverence of his countrymen, and he would, as we believe, have bowed the hearts of the people as the heart of one man. He chose another line. He has, in a measure at least, and by fits and starts, lent himself to the novelties of the times; and from this and other causes has been, in some instances, drawn into circumstances of which it is not easy to give an entirely satisfactory explanation. The bulk of the charges stated or insinuated against the Bishop in the pamphlet before us, can inflict no injury except upon the author of them. The charge, however, that he has been an habitual attendant on Mr. Bennett's ministry, is a matter of some moment. We confess our inability to defend or to explain the conduct of any Bishop of our Protestant Church who gives a decided sanction to a semi-Popish ritual-to doctrines, to say the least, verging upon Romanism-to a minister who leads the van in the procession of Tractarian extravagancies—who has sought eagerly to employ, and did employ, a man with avowed Popish preferences as his curate-whose ritual has been a nursery for the Romish priesthood. If it be the fact, therefore, that the Bishop of Oxford has chosen such a church and ministry, we cannot but regret his indiscretion.-But even such a fact does not destroy our respect for the office, the name, the unusual talents, the occasional bursts of holy indignation at crime, the strong defence of many important and unpopular measures, his singular diligence in his sacred calling, the earnestness of his ministry, the

solemnity and pathos of his public addresses-the spirit of which we could heartily desire to see pervading every diocese of the country. Our earnest hope is, that perhaps recent changes and disappointments-his deep afflictions-his experience of the hollowness and insufficiency for comfort and usefulness of all religion except that of the Cross and of his Protestant forefathers-the apostacy of some of his associates the folly, extravagance, narrowness, and dishonesty of others,-our hope is, that all these circumstances may, under the teaching of the Holy Spirit, bring him back to the camp which he has partially abandoned, and enlist him as the champion of principles of which he has, it must be admitted, been but a doubtful friend. If Mr. Maskell is to be believed, the Evangelical body are the only genuine children of the Church of England. If Mr. Dodsworth is to be credited, Dr. Pusey, and others of his school, are hypocritical to the extent in which they are not avowed Papists, while they have been reaping the harvests of Protestant preferment. The Bishop is of too high a nature, we trust, to hold intimate alliance with men thus faithless both in principle and in practice. In the ranks of old-fashioned Evangelical, or Church of England, religion, he will find men of strong faith, of good hope, and lively charitymen who have watched his wavering career with an aching heart, and who long to feel themselves once more rallying under a banner which bears a name so precious to multitudes of the wise and good. In the mean time, such pamphlets as that which has called forth these observations can have no other tendency than to retard a change which it is impossible not anxiously to covet: and we should therefore earnestly recommend its highlyrespectable publishers to advise their client to put the remaining copies into the fire.

Evening Thoughts, by a Physician. Van Voorst, 1850.

THERE is a class of readers to whom we shall be rendering a service, and affording a pleasure, by mentioning this little book; we mean those whose minds are in some degree drawn towards the higher kinds of philosophy. The title of the work is no imposition, as such titles often are. The author gives us real thoughts, not mere wandering fancies, or common-place prosings. His familiarity with physical science supplies him with effective starting points, arguments, and illustrations; his metaphysics are sound, his faith is genuine and cordial. Let aman place the book upon his table; take it up now and then at his leisure; and he will not fail to be struck with new and bright thoughts breaking out upon him like stars in the cloudy heavens. And oh! the happiness of listening to one musing on man, and nature, and on human life, from whose lips we catch no syllable which slights the supremacy or jars with the simplicity of revealed truth, but who is constantly lifting us, as on angels' wings, into the presence of "Him in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge."

The Physician" is himself a confirmatory exemplification of the hopeful view which he presents in his concluding section on The spiritual tendencies of modern-physical science." At the same time we almost question whether that view be not too sanguine. It is

indeed something that physical science has now penetrated as it were through matter; and fixed her eye on what seem the fundamental forces of nature, the galvanic or magnetic agencies; and abandoning the old notion of subtile fluids, has begun to recognize the immaterial character of these powers. The gross materialism of former generations has therefore disappeared from the schools where it was once maintained: but it is a question whether, in this philosophical process, it has not left the scientific mind in some measure pre-occupied with a sentiment of Pantheism, which may prove an equally powerful means of excluding the revelation of God. It is, however, one of the bright features of the day, that religion, to a great degree, long excluded from all medical instruction, has been admitted into close alliance with them; and that, in some of our most distinguished hospitals, and especially in that attached to King's College, the medical students receive distinctly theological lectures, and are examined in the subjects of them; so that we may venture to hope the charge of scepticism will be wiped away from the medical profession, and that young men may, under the Divine blessing, be sent forth to the beds of the sick and the dying, who are not likely, while they deal out medicines for the body, to administer poison to the soul.

Loci Communes :-Common Places delivered in the Chapel of Christ's College, Cambridge. By C. A. Swainson, M.A., and A. H. Wratislaw, M.A., Fellows and Tutors of the College.

WE have been much pleased with this little Volume; and our pleasure has been heightened by surprise on one side, and by hope on the other, -by surprise at finding addresses of so serious a character in the somewhat uncongenial atmosphere of a College Chapel; and by the hope, that other Colleges may adopt the same plan, and revive, in the same spirit, a custom which may have been allowed to become obsolete. We should have been glad to combine with the short notice of this little Volume, some remarks on a pamphlet which Mr. Swainson has more recently published, on the change to be effected in the Morning Services of the College Chapel on Sunday. But we have space only to say, that his suggestions appear to us honourable both to his head and to his heart; and that we trust they will receive the attention which they so abundantly deserve.

With regard to the present Volume, we are informed by an advertisement prefixed to it, that exercises, termed "Common Places," are delivered in the Chapel of Christ's College, Cambridge, after Divine Service on Monday morning, during a considerable portion of each term, by one of the Fellows in rotation, or by the Junior Dean or his substitute. This office was held by the authors in the year 1845-46, and 1847-48 respectively, and the Essays, we are told, are arranged as nearly as possible in the order in which they were delivered.

With whom this custom originated, we are not informed; but whoever was its author, he unquestionably laid the foundation of much future good for his College; and supposing the office to be always filled as it was, through the four years above mentioned, he deserves to be named as among the benefactors to the University.