various plans for the Fitzwilliam Museum may be most conveniently submitted to the Senate for their judgment and selection," have reported as follows: The several PLANS and MODELS have been arranged in one of the rooms of the Pitt Press for the inspection of the Members of the Senate, in a manner which, it is hoped, admits of their being readily and satisfactorily examined. It appears to the Syndicate highly desirable that ample time should be afforded to the Members of the Senate for forming an opinion of the comparative merits of the several designs. With this view the Syndicate beg leave to recommend, that the intended selection be made at a meeting of the members of the Senate to be holden in the SenateHouse on Thursday, Oct. 29, at nine o'clock in the morning. They further recommend, that on the day and at the hour appointed, each member of the Senate deliver to the ViceChancellor a list of the four designs (neither more nor fewer) which he prefers. That two hours be allowed for receiving such lists. That at the expiration of that time the Vice-Chancellor, Proctors, and Scrutators, examine the lists; and that the four designs which shall be found, on a comparison of the lists, to have the greatest number of votes in their favour, be forthwith announced in alphabetical order by the ViceChancellor, and at twelve o'clock submitted to the Members of the Senate for their subsequent decision; all the other designs being deemed to be finally excluded. That if, in consequence of there being an equality of votes in favour of two or more designs, it should not be practicable to separate the exact number of four designs in the mode now proposed, then those designs only shall be deemed to be finally excluded, which shall have severally in their favour a less number of votes than the least of the four highest numbers. That then each member of the Senate deliver to the Vice-Chancellor a vote in favour of that particular design of the four or more thus reserved, which he prefers. That one hour, viz. from twelve to one, be allowed for receiving such votes. That the Vice-Chancellor, Proctors, and Scrutators, examine the votes thus received; and if there shall be an actual majority of the whole number of votes in favour of some one design, then such design shall be deemed to be selected, to the exclusion of the rest, for the purpose of being referred, for further consideration, to a Syndicate to be subsequently appointed: but if there shall not be an actual majority in favour of any one design, then the design in favour of which the smallest number of votes has been given, shall be deemed to be finally excluded. That the same process be (if necessary) repeated successively, with the three or more remaining designs, until all shall have been excluded, except one, which shall be deemed to be selected for the purpose of being referred, for further consideration, to a Syndicate to be subsequently appointed. That a Syndicate be subsequently appointed to confer with the Architect, whose design shall have been selected, for the purpose above stated; and to report to the Senate whether that design be in conformity with the instructions originally given to the several architects. That if they shall report the design to be in conformity with those instructions, it shall in that case, but not otherwise, be deemed to be adopted, subject, however, to such modifications as may be hereafter sanctioned by the Senate. That, in such case, they further report to the Senate as to the best mode of carrying into effect that part of the design which it is intended to execute at present. A Grace has passed the Senate to confirm the above Report. Institui, currente rota cur urceus exit." Porson Prize.-The Porson Prize (for the best translation of a passage from Shakspeare into Greek verse) has been adjudged to William James Kennedy, of St. John's College; subject, Third Part of King Henry VI. Act II. Scene 2, Beginning, Clif. My gracious liege," and ending, "To hold thine own, and leave thine own with him." Mr. Edward Dearle, of Newark, and formerly of this town, candidate for the degree of Bachelor of Music, having composed an Anthem which has been approved of by Sir George Smart, acting for Professor Whitfeld, it will be performed, as usual, at St. Mary's Church, on the morning of Commencement Sunday, preparatory to Mr. Dearle being presented to his degree in the Senate-House. DEGREES CONFERRED. BACHELORS IN DIVINITY. Rev. J. F. Isaacson, Fell. of St. John's Coll. Rev. Richard Burgess, St. John's Coll. Rev. H. Calthrop, Fell. Corp. Christi Coll. Rev. J. Saunders, Fell. Sid. Sussex Coll. Rev. C. M. Barne, Fell. Sid. Sussex Coll. MASTERS OF ARTS. James Hough, Queen's Coll. James Purvis, St. Peter's Coll. BACHELORS IN CIVIL LAW. Rev. George Fisk, Corpus Christi Coll. Thomas Edward Price, Clare Hall. George Charles Allen, Emmanuel Coll. BACHELORS IN PHYSIC. Alexander Roselle Brown, Trinity Coll. BACHELORS OF ARTS. Richard Hilditch, St. John's Coll. CAMBRIDGE PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY, At a meeting of the Philosophical Society, Dr. Clark, V. P. in the chair. Mr. Willis gave an account, illustrated by models, of the progress of architectural art in the vaulting of churches in the middle ages. He observed that the Romans had devised arrangements by which parallelograms of unequal sides could be covered with vaults; as for instance in the baths of Diocletian. In this case we have parts corresponding to the side-aisles, buttresses, and clustered windows of the churches of later times. But a great revolution took place in the decorative construction of such vaults, when, instead of resting on their supports as a solid mass, the ribs alone were sustained by shafts. Afterwards these shafts were multiplied, to receive the increased number of members of the vaulting, and of the pier arches, so as to form clustered piers. Differences were noticed between the treatment of such piers in England, and in other countries. NOTICES TO CORRESPONDENTS. Why did not our kind friend of Hackney send us the account of the "Tribute of Respect?" We have not been able to procure it in the way we wished, or nothing would have given us greater pleasure than to have inserted it. We beg to assure "J. W." that our Psalmody is progressing with all just speed. THE CHRISTIAN REMEMBRANCER. AUGUST, 1835. REVIEW OF NEW PUBLICATIONS. ART. I.-Spiritual Despotism. By the Author of the Natural History of Enthusiasm. London: Holdsworth & Ball. 8vo. 1835. Pp. 500. (Continued from page 394.) WE redeem our pledge, and resume our analysis of the work before us, by introducing our readers to its third section, which embraces " a sketch of ancient hierarchies, and that of the Jews." We readily admit, (indeed, it would be absurd to deny,) that a just conception of the Levitical church polity is necessary to a right comprehension of the economy of the Christian Church; the one being the legitimate offspring of the other; in the same manner as a full understanding of the New is indissolubly connected with a knowledge of the Old Testament. But we are unable to recognize the propriety of uniting contemporary pagan systems with this discussion; since, in our judgment there appears to be no kindred principles of agency between Paganism and Christianity, to justify an argument from one to the other. The introduction of such a topic, subserves, we think, no practical end in our author's disquisition, and tends to create a feeling of impatience in his readers, to whom these distant and irrelevant matters of Egyptian, Grecian, Roman, and Brahminical hierarchies must be peculiarly distasteful, when they are permitted to interfere with christian systems of absorbing interest, at the present period of ecclesiastical agitation. We therefore forbear to touch even upon these pagan hierocracies,-their despotism, their superstition, and their mummeries,-and come at once to the consideration of the Mosaic economy, the institutes and principles of which, as a social scheme of ecclesiastical and moral government, are intimately connected, not to say, identified, with Christianity. For A divinely originated economy must be held to involve, at the least, some few universal principles, convertible, with due modification, to other instances. It will be strange indeed if a combination of religious and secular elements, moulded by the very hand of God, should be found to yield to our modern eyes no instruction, or none of practical import. Far from admitting so irreverent a supposition, we should boldly advance the principle that, the Mosaic sacerdotal institute, stripped of whatever was special and temporary, and reduced to its pure ideal, or abstract value, would furnish the best possible groundwork of a national religious polity.-Pp. 89, 90. With this sober view of the connexion between Judaism and Christianity, of the influence which may be exercised by the one over the other, and of the family likeness between the two systems, (“ qualis decet esse sororum,") our author lays down the following principles of ecclesiastical polity, as common to the Levitical and Christian dispensations. He shall speak for himself, and give a summary of his statements in his own words. What then were these rudiments of the Jewish church polity? We assume that they may be reduced to the following articles, namely-The independence of the priests in relation to the people ;-space and excitement for the sentiments of religious public spirit;-a partition of religious influence between the hierarchy and some other party; or, as interpreted into a modern sense, a perfect liberty of animadversion upon clerical conduct, exercised by persons not of the clerical order; an effective independence of the clergy in relation to the civil power;-and lastly, a reciprocal authority in the magistrate, exercised over the Church on occasions of manifest necessity. We are bold to conjecture that an ecclesiastical polity founded upon these conditions would at once secure a just and necessary authority to the ministers of religion, and preclude spiritual usurpations; that it would contain within itself the springs of periodic renovation; .... and that it would exert an effective and salutary influence, not merely like our present systems, over portions of the community, but over the whole; and would impart a religious character to public acts, both of the legislature and the administration.-Pp. 107, 108. We have not space to detail the particular steps, by which our author arrives at his general conclusion; but there are two or three points so admirably put, and so brought home to present matters of ecclesiastical rule, that an omission of them would be unpardonable injustice to the author, as well as to our readers. They relate to the hacknied and much misrepresented topics of clerical endowments, and prelatical nobility, and sacerdotal justices. Dissenters, in their jealousy, and infidels, in their hatred, have raised a clamorous hue and cry against all compulsory provision for ministers of religion. Even members of Parliament have moved for the expulsion of our bishops from the House of Lords, upon the ground of the absolute incompatibility of spiritual and temporal offices! And the very dregs of the vials of vituperation have been poured upon the heads of clerical magistrates; as if the union of spiritual and civil offices in one functionary, were an abomination of unmitigable monstrousness,- 66 --- monstrum nullâ virtute redemptum." Are these notions supported by an examination of the Jewish hierarchy? Let our excellent author answer. We seem borne out in assuming that the abstract principle of a national establishment, involving a legal and defined provision for the ministers of religion, and securing also their independence of popular caprice, must not be spoken of as essentially immoral, or as universally inexpedient, and incompatible with those relative sentiments that should connect the pastor and his flock. When the difficulties that attend the general question of a provision for the Clergy are felt, what can be more natural, on the part of religious minds, than to turn toward a heaven-descended economy; and if restrained by peculiar considerations from a close imitation of this pattern, it will be strange indeed if we do not grant it to be entitled to the smallest deference, while employed in working the abstract theorem of a church polity.-P. 101. So much for a legal maintenance, in opposition to the much-vaunted voluntary system, for the Clergy. But what of clerical magistrates? are they too sanctioned by the general principles of the Mosaic institutions? Even so. Let our author's testimony be again adduced. He writes thus: A main circumstance to be set off, in taking account of the duties, dignities, political influence, and revenues of the Levitical tribe, is THAT COMBINATION OF FUNCTIONS, CIVIL AND SACRED, WHICH THEY SUSTAINED. The priests and Levites were not ministers of religion merely. Besides discharging the services of public worship, and besides imparting religious instruction to the mass of the people, upon the sacerdotal and semi-sacerdotal orders devolved THE ADMINISTRATION AND INTERPRETATION OF CIVIL AND CRIMINAL LAW, AND THE BUSINESS OF COURTS OF JUSTIce !— P. 97. But what of spiritual peers? Is that anomaly to be justified by reference to the Jewish economy? Yea, verily. Again call our author into court, and listen to his testimony. Beside their proper spiritual authority with the people, which naturally tempered the civil and military power, the priests and Levites were THE ARISTOCRACY, THE BARONS and the knights of the commonwealth.-P. 105. This Mosaic model of ecclesiastical polity is a complete answer to the senseless objections urged against the corresponding parts of our Church Establishment, and the similar privileges and functions of our clerical order, because "it is impossible to admit the divine origination of that scheme, and at the same time to affirm that its fundamental principles are out of harmony with human nature, and not in any sense capable of extension from one people and age to another." From these rudiments of church polity, which are common to Judaism and Christianity, our author travels, in the fourth section of his labours, to those principles which peculiarly characterize the latter system, and are to be gathered from the New Testament, where they stand either explicitly determined, or reasonably involved in unques |