it is) in which we have celebrated the glorious event of the Reformation, be likewise distinguished as that in which the numerous associations of the venerable Society were formed of that Society which, a hundred and thirty-five years ago, was incorporated for the spiritual benefit of our colonial fellow-subjects, who would otherwise be left "without the administration of God's word and sacraments, abandoned to atheism and infidelity, popish superstition and idolatry ;" and to which Society the Bishop of Calcutta not long since bore this striking testimony, that, "the oldest of the Protestant mission bodies in India, it has been the most signally successful, and is now well capable of taking a fresh and vigorous spring, and starting off in a new career of sacred enterprise." In recommending the very strong claims of this Society to the affectionate regards of my fellow-Churchmen, and in calling on the Clergy to second its designs, I am by no means insensible to the predominant claims of our brethren at home. They should certainly have the first, but not the only place in our christian affections; for whether we exert ourselves for the benefit of those at home or aboad, it may with the greatest propriety be reiterated, "This we must do, and not leave the other undone." Indeed our honest labours for the good of others will naturally react upon ourselves, and the more we" abound in every good work," the more certainly we shall find that "God is able to make all grace abound towards us." (2 Cor. ix.) I would also suggest the propriety of some person undertaking the advocacy of the Society, by publishing in a cheap form a concise account of its labours, and causing the same to be circulated throughout the country. A warm-hearted appeal in favour of the Society would at the present time be the means of rendering it an infinite service. And I think, too, that on the occasion of reading the Royal Letter not one recommendatory sermon should be preached, as has been generally the practice, but that two or three sermons, according as the respective churches may be opened twice or three times, should be devoted to the interests of the Society. And this course must be highly expedient where the collections are made from house to house. Oct. 13, 1835. I remain, Mr. Editor, your constant reader, X. THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND IS AN INTEGRAL PART OF "THE ONE CATHOLIC AND APOSTOLIC CHURCH."† THE Dissenters have said to the Churchmen, "You cannot accuse us of schism by quitting your Church, without condemning yourselves; for you quitted the Church of Rome." But they never did quit the holy Catholic Church; on the contrary, they acknowledge it continually in their creeds. They only cleansed it from the corruptions and super See the Bishop's letter to the Society, Report, 1833, p. 152. We presume it to be the wish of our correspondent that we reprint his observations as above. stitions, (and from tenets not warranted by Scripture,) heaped upon it during many centuries by popery! The King, and far the greater portion of the Clergy, and the people of England, at last protested against these corruptions, and superstitions, and against the usurped authority of the pope; and renounced them! Though the Church has since been persecuted (during the wicked rebellion, and the usurpation of Cromwell,) and reduced to the lowest state of degradation, (for a penalty of ten pounds was inflicted for the mere possession of the Prayer-book, and the pious Charles sacrificed as a martyr to its cause,) yet our holy Church has weathered every storm, "being built upon a rock," and I doubt not, with the blessing of God, will continue in its reformed and purified state, "to the last syllable of recorded time!" Many members of our Church (both in and out of parliament) very inconsiderately style the Romanists (or Papists) "Catholics," or "Roman Catholics," not reflecting on its injurious effects; for conceding to them exclusively the term Catholic, either as a title or an adjunct, is tantamount to declaring ourselves schismatics, for we must be the one or the other. The Romanists artfully take great advantage of this unguarded language, by insinuating to the unlearned, that we thus, in common conversation, and in public speeches, virtually allow the Romish communion alone to be the "Catholic Church" acknowledged in our three creeds. This no true member of the Church of England can possibly intend to allow, as he believes the "one Catholic and Apostolic Church" to include all episcopal communions, as its integral parts, (those of England, Denmark, Sweden, Rome, Russia, &c.) among which the Romish communion is perhaps the most corrupt, and therefore the least truly Catholic; though possessing, in common with them all, a duly ordained ministry, derived in succession from the apostles. Without this ministry, indeed, no true Church can exist, nor was a contrary opinion mooted during the first fifteen hundred years of Christianity! This doctrine is well and briefly explained in two small pamphlets, called "An Answer to Why are you a Churchman?" by the Rev. T. Taylor, and "The Threefold Ministry," by Hey ;* and has been ably maintained by all the most sound ecclesiastical writers, as Hooker, Jewel, Horsley, Jones of Nayland, Nelson, Oxlee, &c. &c.— I will only quote one other authority-St. Clement, who is designated by St. Paul, (Phil. iv. 3,) as his "fellow-labourer, whose name is in the book of life."-St. Clement says, "Let all men reverence the Deacons, and the Presbyters (priests,) and the Bishops-without these there is no Church!" So says St. Ignatius. The statutes of Henry the Eighth, and his assumption of the power to enforce the election of Bishops, as head of the Church, has done incalculable mischief to it. No ministers of the crown ought to have the power of enforcing the election of Bishops, as a prerogative of the King; for now, after issuing a congé d'elire to a dean and chapter, if they do not elect the person recommended within twelve days, the King can nominate him by letters patent, and if not elected in eight days more, they are subject to the penalties of a præmunire; and if the Archbishop These pamphlets are published by Rivingtons. and Bishops appointed to consecrate the person nominated should not do so for twenty days, they, also, incur the same penalties. The unbiassed power of electing, or rejecting, those nominated by the King, should be restored to the Archbishops and Bishops, in synod (or convocation) assembled.* This synod should also (as formerly) be vested with exclusive authority to decide all ecclesiastical controversies, all matters of discipline, all alterations of the Liturgy, all presentations to livings, (to the extent of a veto, at least,) and all other things concerning the Church.† Such was the power and authority vested in the apostles by Christ, the Head of the Church, and by them to the Bishops, as their existing representatives in perpetual succession. THE CLERGY. People, even of liberal education, frequently lavish very unmeasured abuse upon the Clergy, as a body, and when asked their reasons, advert to some instances of misconduct, which they assert to be facts; and no doubt were so. But what then? Is a whole profession, and moreover, a sacred profession, consisting of many thousand individuals, to be condemned, merely because some few are worldly, or even irreligious? If those who rail so readily against them could inspect the conduct of the whole of the Clergy, they would find infinitely the greater portion of them to be the benefactors of the poor, of the aged, of the sick, of the dying! For on such do they bestow not only their time, their prayers, their consolations, and advice, (which are anxiously sought for, and gratefully acknowledged by the sufferers,) but food, clothing, fuel, medicine, money, which they dispense with a liberal, yet a judicious and discriminating hand! Besides this, their incomes are not expended amongst foreigners, (to the great injury of England,) or even in London, or other great towns, except to a trifling extent; while the greater part is spread, in the most beneficial manner, over the whole surface of the country, supporting the poorer tradesmen and artists in all the innumerable villages and hamlets throughout the empire! Sufficient might be said of the sacred office of the Clergy,-of their piety, virtue, and learning,-to create for them respect and esteem. Yet there are many persons who grudge the ministers of God their tithes, to which they have, by the laws of England, as good and indefeasible a title as any man in England to his freehold; and above all others by Divine right, the breach of which may not always go unpunished, for it has been said by a wise man, "He who doth not duly pay his tithe, in the end his land shall not yield a tithe of what it was wont to yield." Members of the Church of England would, I think, have greater esteem for the Clergy, if they considered these things; and more especially, if they would recollect that it is to the Clergy they are indebted for the greatest blessings they enjoy in this life, viz. for their baptism into the Church, for their education, for their religious "The King, as head of the Church, (or supreme governor,) need not have de prived the synod of Bishops of their appellant jurisdiction; because his supremacy in the State does not deprive the House of Peers of their appellant jurisdiction, which they exercise without control." ↑ Vide 1st and 15th chapters of the Acts. and moral knowledge, for the superior learning which they have obtained at the greater schools and at the universities; and above all, for the knowledge how they may attain everlasting happiness in the life to come; and finally, for receiving consolation and hope at that awful moment, when the soul is preparing for its departure into the regions of eternity! M. March 31st, 1835. A SUN-DIAL OF ICE. MR. EDITOR,-The other day I read Bishop Burnet's "Life of Sir Matthew Hale," as contained in the last volume of Dr. Wordsworth's "Ecclesiastical Biography," The apt illustrations in p. 68, &c. (second edition) called to my mind those used by Dr. Paley in the beginning of his "Natural Theology;" and then my thoughts became occupied, as they often had been before, with what I once saw, viz. a sun-dial formed of ice. I beg to send you an account of this curiosity, taken from my father's diary, solemnly assuring you that what is described was really seen, and that the account is not at all exaggerated, but strictly agreeable with truth. It was observed in the year 1822, and was as follows. "Tu. Feb. 12th, a most curious gnomon of ice appeared upon our dial-post, exactly in the same direction as the old brass one did appear, viz. due north and south, the old one being removed and its vacant place filled with water about an inch deep. This icy gnomon was nearly the same size as the old brass one, nearly of the same thickness, and exceedingly clear, and transparent, and hard. Lines, too, were drawn from the centre or point of the gnomon to the circumference, as marking the hours. Who can give a probable philosophical account of this strange phenomenon?" The morning of the day above-mentioned being fine, and the sun out, I was walking near the spot, when I observed on the dial-post something shining, which I took to be glass; but, walking up to it, I beheld to my astonishment a sun-dial of ice, which I immediately showed to my father and others. A pail was placed over it, and thus was this curiosity preserved entire till about noon on that day, when the gnomon fell; and where it had stood, we observed a fissure through the surface of the ice which had represented the dial-plate. But the cavity cut in the stone for the reception of the dial-plate was quite smooth, and contained nothing to cause the water to be frozen in that particular form. The situation of the dial is about six yards to the south of our chancel-door, and in all other directions quite open. If you do not think the nature of this subject is such as to forbid its appearance in your" CHRISTIAN REMEMBRANCER," and if you should allow a small space in some future number for the whole or a part of this account, and if you, or any of your ingenious and learned readers, should be pleased to favour us with some curious observations on this extraordinary phenomenon, I doubt not they would be thankfully received by many of your friends, and especially, Mr. Editor, By your constant reader, and very obedient servant, J. T. ISAIAH LX. 12. WISDOM V. "For the nation and kingdom that will not serve thee (the church) shall perish; yea, those nations shall be utterly wasted." Isaiah lx. 12. "Them that honour me, I will honour; and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed." ('ATIwwenσeTai, shall be disgraced.-Sept.) Sam. ii, 30. WHEN by the warning preacher careless stood A world disdainful of his threaten'd flood, Then shall the righteous in great boldness stand,* While his oppressors cower on either hand; The proud ones once who mock'd, and wonder'd where Trembling they pause, and half distrust their sight, "Alas, and once we made his wiser fears Food for our mirth, a proverb for our jeers; Fools, how we deem'd him then without a friend, Him, heir of that unfading glory shed Alas! what boots it now how high our state, • Wisdom of Solomon, the whole of chapter v. |