"When Rome puts heretics to death, and allows their punishment in other countries, their blood (the blood of the Protestants) is not called the blood of saints, no more than the blood of thieves, man-killers, and other malefactors (is so called), for the shedding of which, by order of justice, no commonwealth shall answer."-On Rev. xvii. 6. In another annotation, the exclamation of Queen Mary's Rhemish priests is sanetioned, viz. :—"If St. Paul appealed to Cæsar, not yet christened, how much more may we call for the aid of christian (meaning Popish) princes for the punishment of heretics?"-On Acts xxv. 11. Again, "The Protestants resemble Judas in apostasy."-On John vi. 69. “To all such the apostle giveth the curse, and telleth them that the storm of darkness and eternal damnation is provided for them."-On Jude 11.

For these abominable doctrines, from which every crime of the Romish Church might be justified, there is not even the excuse of antiquity. The Popish Bible, with the preceding notes, was published in the year 1816, and has probably passed through many editions since that period. In the Dublin Correspondent this Bible was advertised as publishing in numbers, at Cork, with "infallible " notes, under the sanction of Dr. Troy, the President of Maynooth College, and other Popish prelates.

CONFIRMATION.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE CHRISTIAN REMEMBRANCER.

MR. EDITOR, I know not where I may more fittingly express my sentiments on an interesting subject, upon which I have long meditated, than in your sound pages, whence I have gathered so much useful instruction for many years of my life. I have ever considered the rite of CONFIRMATION as an important step in the religious education which our Establishment is called upon to provide for her members. She did wisely, when purified from the superfluous and superstitious ordinances of Popery, in retaining this ceremony, "as being well adapted to make a lasting impression upon young minds properly prepared for it."* But, Sir, I forbear to enter upon a defence, or a panegyric of that pious ceremony: your readers need neither the one nor the other. I would rather crave the privilege of suggesting to those venerable Prelates, whose office it is to administer the rite, how utterly hopeless will be the endeavour of persuading catechumens to seek for confirmation at the hands of a Bishop, who shall perform the ordinance only in some larger towns, at a considerable distance from their place of residence, whither it will be inconvenient and expensive for them to go. I am induced, with all humility, to urge this consideration upon the Episcopal Bench at the present crisis, because the parochial purse, whence churchwardens have hitherto, in rural districts, defrayed the expense attendant upon confirmations, will for the future be shut, it is apprehended, against all such charges, so soon as Parliament shall have passed the promised, (or threatened ?) bill, to repeal the law now in force touching church rates. Under such circumstances, no ecclesiastical officer will have the power of taking catechumens for confirmation at Southey's Essays, Vol. II. p. 149. 3 T

VOL. XVII. NO. VIII.

the public cost; the children of the poor, therefore, (constituting a vast majority of confirmees from rural parishes,) will be deprived of that solemn rite, of which, in our days of insubordination and ignorance, the benefit, as it is the more necessary, is also with the more sorrow to be taken from us. What, then, is the remedy for this approaching evil? There seems, in my judgment, to be but one. Confirmations must be held at places to which the catechumens may easily WALK, and whence, on the same day, they may easily return home, without expense or inconvenience. Whatever additional labour, and whatever additional charges, this measure may cast upon episcopal shoulders, be assured, Sir, it must be adopted, or the rite of confirmation be abandoned! Even now churchwardens are generally reluctant, and sometimes afraid, (as well they may be,) to incur the hazard of confirmation assessments; but, Sir, no man will dare, no man will have the power, to lay a rate for this purpose, after the passing of the bill to which I have just alluded! The consequences are inevitable; the mischief palpable; the cure but one! The labour to be incurred by our Bishops will, indeed, be heavy; nor can I devise any means of alleviating it, except the consecration of suffragan Bishops, according to the recommendation of Mr. Newman.* With regard to the expense, (a matter of no trifling moment to some of the poorer Sees,) I am persuaded, Mr. Editor, and I write with an intimate knowledge of the feelings of my clerical brethren, that it will be cheerfully borne, as far as the cost of hospitality reaches, by the respective incumbents of parishes, where confirmation will be held, who will esteem it an honour to have such an opportunity of manifesting their affection and respect for their diocesans! The incidental advantages arising from such parochial visitations, at convenient intervals, would be very considerable. The present crowds sometimes seen at confirmations would be done away with; the diocesan would acquire a more satisfactory knowledge of the Clergy and their parishes, and gain, for himself and his office, a more extended veneration! If some such measure be not adopted, again, I say, confirmation must cease, at least in rural districts, and our Establishment lose another hold upon the hearts and affections of the young. I am, indeed, Sir, a humble "country parson," and can hope to have no influence but what the soundness of my views and advice may happen to vindicate: I therefore again avail myself of the authority of one who deserves well of our Church, and justly challenges a place amongst the ablest defenders of her altar. Upon the subject of this letter, he writes thus :-"There are great numbers who never receive the rite of confirmation, because it is performed only in the larger towns; and persons in humble life are deterred, by considerations of expense and inconvenience, from sending their children, if the distance (as it often is) be such that the journey there and back cannot be performed in a single day. That this is the case we know, and in pointing it out, we are assured that when it is known, it will be remedied. If, indeed, the Bishops were occasionally to visit the smaller towns for this purpose, and even the larger villages, their presence might produce a beneficial effect, operating silently and unseen, yet such that it would be perceived hereafter in the amended

See his Pamphlet on this subject.

state of public morals! I will merely add, by way of conclusion, Mr. Editor, this remark, in the shape of a question,-If such measures seemed advisable in the year 1818, (the date of Mr. Southey's Essay,) are they not infinitely more advisable Now?

I am, Mr. Editor, your obedient servant and admirer,

A VILLAGE RECTOR.

ORGANO-HISTORICA;

Or the History of Cathedral and Parochial Organs.

NO. XXIV.—THE ORGAN AT ST. JAMES'S, BERMONDSEY.

HAVING, in our preceding numbers, given a description of the best old organs in and about London, we now proceed in our task by giving an account of the best new organs in London, according to their respective merits and rank. For this purpose we therefore select the one above referred to, as being one of the first class.

The organ at the church of St. James's, Bermondsey, was erected in 1829, and is the workmanship of Mr. Bishop, of Lisson Grove, Paddington. It was opened with a musical festival, prior to the consecration of the church, by Messrs. Blackburn, Sale, and M'Murdie, who alternately performed upon the magnificent instrument, in accompanying the voices, and by playing several fine solos and chorusses, calculated for drawing forth and displaying its various powers.

The following are the stops it contains:

The compass of the great and choir organs is from G G to F in alt, 59 notes; that of the swell, from G gamut, to F in alt, 47 notes. It has also the novelty and advantage of a fourth set of keys, that act upon the pedal pipes. By this contrivance, a second performer can operate upon them, and, at the same time, play the two lower octaves of the great, or choir organs, by means of a movement that unites them to the pedal organ. There are three separate stops of pipes for the pedal

* Southey's Essays, Vol. II. p. 149.

organ; first, two octaves of double open diapasons, from G G G to G; second, two octaves of unison pipes, open drapans of wood, large scale; third, two octaves of reeds (trombone, or bass trumpet,) of a large scale. These stops may be used by the feet, as well as by the hand.

There are three composition pedals to the great organ, and a coupling stop to unite the swell to the great organ, as well as a stop to unite the swell to the choir organ. It has a separate pair of bellows to supply the pedal pipes. The bass of the choir organ communicates with the swell below gamut. In this instrument the quality of tone is rich and powerful, and the various stops are good when used either in solo or chorus. The treble of the stop diapason in the great organ, is a clarabella, and is exquisitely voiced. The reed stops, also, are very fine, and the wind is remarkably steady; and when all the stops are united by means of the couplers, the effect is truly majestic. Although the church is so favourable for sound, the ponderous effect of the pedal pipes is not felt in the body of the church, in consequence of the large pipes being placed in so unfavourable a situation. They are, strictly speaking, in the belfry-that is, out of the church. If it were brought forward about six feet, the full effect of the pedal pipes would then be felt in the body of the building. At present it is necessary to go out of the church to hear them. We hope, some day, to see the improvement we now suggest adopted.

THE Nineteenth Anniversary of the above Association was holden at Wells, on Tuesday, June 30th. In the morning, the mayor and corporation, and a large number of the clergy and laity of Wells, &c. attended the cathedral, where the sermon was preached by the Rev. Spencer Madan, canon residentiary of Lichfield, and Vicar of BathEaston, taking his text from Revelations xi. 15. The collection at the doors amounted to 181. 18s. 6d.

After divine service, the meeting assembled in the town hall, where, in the unavoidable absence of their diocesan, who had for eleven years constantly presided, the Very Rev. the Dean took the chair.

The Rev. C. M. Mount, the diocesan secretary, in drawing the attention of the meetings to the operations of the diocese since the last anniversary, first reported the several issues of each district within the diocese for the year past, according to the district returns

which had been respectively made to him. They were as follows, viz:—

Bath and Bedminster
Bridgwater
Castle Cary
Crewkerne
Frome
Ilchester
Merston

Taunton and Dunster
Wells, Axbridge, and Glas-
tonbury

Total.... 78,354 75,428

[It is necessary to explain here, that by the above statement there appears to be a decrease in the issues of the present as compared with those of last year, yet there is probably a great increase; but in consequence of no return having been made from Crewkerne up to the time of the meeting taking place, the actual amount cannot be stated.]-The Report after congratulating the diocese upon the nature and extent of the district issues (as far as the returns were made) adverted to the services which, as a subsidiary ally, the Committee of General Literature and Education had rendered to the So

POLITICAL RETROSPECT.