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tells us, "it was by a constitution of Otho," a thorough Papist. But since Church yards are the main subject, what of them? The custom of burying in and around places of worship was also a Romish practice, originating in priestly cupidity, brought into England about the year 750, by Cuthbert, Archbishop of Canterbury. Originally, there was no connexion between edifices for Christian worship and places of sepulture; and the practice of burying in remoter spots of ground continued to the age of Gregory the Great, when the priests began, for fees, to offer sacrifice for departed souls; and, for their convenience,the bodies of their people were buried near at hand. The British clergy, taking up the matter with great zeal, did not only not wait for an Act of Parliament to authorise them, but went directly in the face of the statute De Religiosis,*-conduct which was thus expressly condemned by the 15th Richard II. c. 5: "Now of late, by subtile imagination, and by art and engine, parsons, vicars, and other spiritual persons, have entered into divers lands and tenements, which be adjoining to their Churches, and of the same, by sufferance and assent of the tenants, have made Churchyards, and, by bulls of the Bishop of Rome, have dedicated and hallowed the same, and in them do make continually parochial burying, without license of the King or the chief Lords."

Not only has the law not provided for its observance, but it has left it without even the verbal body of a settled form. The Convocation of the Clergy, which was held in 1661, drew up such a form; but it did not obtain the sanction of Parliament, neither was it published.+ Again, in 1712, a fresh form was adopted by the Convocation, "which form again, as it did not receive the royal assent, was not enjoined to be observed." The result, therefore, is, that, "in the Church of England every Bishop is left to his own discretion, as to the form of consecrating Churches and Chapels." In Ireland, it is otherwise. During the Lieutenancy of the Earl of Strafford, a law was made for the Consecration, not only of Churches, but also of Churchyards; and a form of Consecration for both was inserted in the Common Prayer-Book, which is now in use in that part of the United Kingdom. It was in substance as follows:-The Bishop approached the edifice at the western door, where persons specially appointed stood, and cried aloud, "Open, open, ye everlasting doors, that the King of glory may enter in." Immediately, parties within threw back the doors, when the Bishop entered, and fell on his knees, and, with uplifted eyes and outspread hands, pronounced the place to be holy. Rising up, he next approached the chancel, several times throwing dust into the air; and, when he arrived at the rails of the communion table, he repeatedly bowed towards it; and then he and his clergy went round the Chureh, repeating the Hundredth Psalm and a form of dedicatory prayer. Returning to the Communion table, he pronounced bitter curses against all who should profane that place, at every curse bowing to the east, and adding, "Let all the people say, Amen." After the same manner, he pronounced blessings on all who should be benefactors. Then came the sermon, followed by the Sacrament. When he approached the "altar," he bowed seven times, and, coming to the bread, he gently lifted up the cloth, but, suddenly dropping it, retreated a step, and again bowed several times; then he uncovered the bread, and bowed as before. He did the same with the wine. Having first taken of the bread and wine himself, he gave them to some of the principal men. To all this, succeeded a number of prayers; and thus the ceremony of consecration ended.§

These remarks we have abridged from some Letters of a Dissenter to The Patriot Newspaper; and though the spirit of the writer is extremely bitter, yet as he here gives his authorities, we have thought it desirable to select the foregoing statements in reference to a practice, very liable to superstitious abuse.

* 7th Ed. I. st. 2.

+ Gibs. 189, Johns. 20.

Burn, Vol. I., p. 327.

Ib. p. 325.

§ 2 Rush. Hist. Col. 77.

NEW CHURCHES AND CHAPELS.-From the twenty-second Annual Report of her Majesty's Church Commissioners, (Aug. 10, 1842,) it appears that 296 Churches have been completed by the aid of grants from the Commissioners during the 22 years, providing for 362,595 persons, including 200,798 free seats for the poor. The Patriot calculates, that among the Independent Dissenters there are 45 new chapels built every year, and 21 enlarged; and among the Baptists 37 built, and 20 enlarged:-this calculation is based on an average of two years, 1840 and 1841.

POPERY.-The Rev. Dr. Wiseman, on his return from Rome, was lately made the bearer of a handsome crucifix, blessed by the Pope, and sent as a mark of special regard to John Hardman, Esq., sen., of Handsworth, near Birmingham. This present was accompanied with a formal document, of which the following is a literal translation:-"The Undersigned, Secretary of the Holy Council for the propagation of the Christian name, having in an audience granted August 28, 1842, laid before his Holiness Pope Gregory XVI., the numerous and splendid benefactions with which J. Hardman, Esq., has enriched the Catholic Church in the central district of England, the holy father has graciously imparted to him and his relations and connexions, to the third and fourth degree inclusively, a plenary indulgence at the hour of death, to be gained by devoutlyinvoking the most holyname of Jesus mentally, if they cannot orally. To Mr. Hardman also is imparted a plenary indulgence, as often as he shall piously and devoutly receive the sacrament of penance and the holy Eucharist. His Holiness has also directed that this formal document of these privileges bestowed on Mr. Hardman should be transmitted to England as a public testimonial of the peculiar goodwill and gratitude of the Holy See towards an individual of distinguished merit. J. A. EDESSEN. Given at Rome, from the office of the Sacred Congregation of the Propaganda, May 31, 1842."-Morning Herald.

PUSEYISM.-There arc said to be 80 tutors in Oxford, 50 of whom are Puseyites, and only 30 Protestants; for a Puseyite can hardly be considered a protester against the Roman Church.—Brighton Herald.

"THE CATHOLIC CHURCH."-This phrase, as designating the united or universal Church of Christ, is of greater antiquity than some suppose. Cyprian, in the third century, uses it.' "The Catholic Church is not divided, but connected and coupled together by the unity of its agreeing bishops." Cypriani Opera, fo. edit. 1593. Epist. 69. p. 209.

THE FATHERS.-Let young men be assured, that to go back by themselves to the ancient Church; to talk boldly of the Fathers; to venture rashly on conforming their opinions and practice to some imaginary standard of perfection, picked out by themselves from some peeuliar age or class of teachers, probably from some one or two insulated writings of some single Father, beyond which their reading cannot have extended, is a very dangerous delusion. It is only a repetition of Puritanism. Substitute "Catholic antiquity" for "God's Spirit," and the words of Hooker are as applicable to one as to the other :

"If the Church did give every man license to follow what himself imagineth that Catholic antiquity doth reveal unto him, or what he supposeth that it is likely to have revealed to some special person, whose virtues deserve to be highly esteemed, what other effect could hereafter ensue but the utter confusion of his Church, under pretence of being taught, led, and guided by Catholic antiquity?"

Is not the danger of private interpretation even greater in the Fathers than in the Scriptures? They who appealed to the Bible as interpreted by their own private judgment, appealed to a small book, of which all was known to be inspired, infallible, and framed by God himself for the purpose of making known the truth; a book which the Church threw open to all her children, and insisted on their studying; and which all could study, and even the humblest, with a teachable spirit, might fairly understand. If even where guidance is required, the guidance not of some self-chosen teacher, but of the "Church in which we live," how much more in launching on the great sea of antiquity-in reading works uninspired, voluminous, uncommented on, untranslated, and which as they come down to us have passed through the hands of Romanists, who, in Bishop Taylor's words, by "their innu

merable corruptings of the Fathers' writings," by "their thrusting in that which was spurious, and, like Pharaoh, killing the legitimate sons of Israel," and at last, by their expurgatory index, have "corrupted the witnesses, and rased the records of antiquity, that the errors and novelties of the Church of Rome might not be so easily reproved."-Quarterly Review.

Review of Boobs.

A POPULAR HISTORY OF REPTILES; or, an Introduction to the Study of the Class
Reptilia, on Scientific Principles. pp. 328.
Religious Tract Society.

A complete Diotionary of one of the most interesting and important sections of the animal kingdom, will be found within the pages of this volume, aided greatly by a number of first-rate wood engravings, and enlivened by narratives of the various creatures brought under notice. This book will take a high rank among the scientific publications of the Society; it is full of interest, and full of useful infor

mation.

KIND WORDS for his Young Friends. By UNCLE WILLIAM. pp. 108. LITTLE ANN: Or Familiar Conversations upon interesting subjects between a Child and her Parents. pp. 108.

Religious Tract Society.

Two admirable little Christmas presents for children. Both of them are full of interesting anecdotes of the most useful description, and both are illustrated by a number of engravings. The subjects of the first of these volumes are-Home Affection, Pride of Dress, Try, Good Temper, Great Doings, Cleanliness, Advantages over others, Play, Right Words, and Attention to others; those in the second are of like variety, but the titles would not, if enumerated, convey so distinct an idea of the topics, to which they relate.

THE ANTIDOTE.

November 1842. Price 3d.
Brindley, Flookersbrook.

We wish well to this " Monthly Magazine, for the refutation of modern delusions, and for the defence of Christian truth." We think the general plan of the work extremely good, and the design excellent, and we heartily wish the undertak ing success; but the articles in the No. before us are too diffuse in style, and several of them have no claim to a place in such a publication. What have recipes for hydryphobia and other complaints, to do in this periodical? With a very little attention the Editor may find abundance of pertinent matter; and the Magazine will succeed, if due pains be bestowed upon it. There is room for such a work.

THE CHRISTIAN ALMANACK. 1843. Price 6d.
THE TRACT SOCIETY PENNY ALMANACK for 1843.

SHEET ditto.

Religious Tract Society.

As this is the season for the purchase of that useful companion-an Almanack, formerly removed by a high tax from the reach of the mass, but now one of the cheapest publications that issue from the press, we take the opportunity of commending these three excellent works to the reader. There is a Penny Almanack for the waistcoat Pocket, and one for the Counting House; whilst those who wish for the useful tables and astronomical calculations, which now accompany the higher class of Almanacks, may have abundance of these in the sixpenny edition. The peculiarity of all of them is, that they present, in addition to the usual matter, a text for every day in the year.

EVANGELICAL REGISTER.

JANUARY, 1843.

THE PROGRESS OF PUSEYISM.

Two documents, among many, which have recently issued from the press, will serve to show how extensively Puseyite notions must be felt to have spread; let any man acquainted with the state of public opinion, consider how such things as these would have been received ten years ago.

In a paper, just published by the Cambridge Camden Society, on "the arrangement of our Cathedrals," we find the following passages:

"A glance into one of our cathedrals as it was two hundred years ago, would, probably, scandalize some, and surprise more, of their frequenters at this day. No laymen admitted into the choir; the nave thronged with worshippers; the altar gorgeously arrayed with tapers and sacred vessels: the officiating priests vested in rich copes or chasubles; none presuming to cross the church without bowing towards the altar; no vestments, vessels, or candlestick used without consecration. All these things afforded matter of much scurrility and loose jesting to the Puritans. They were offended, too, at the wind instruments which accompanied the voices, and at the blowing of the pair of organs' during the pauses. And it is remarkable that these things were not put a stop to by the rebellion, but lingered on till they were lost in the apathy succeeding the revolution, and under the sanction of those Prelates who would have mutilated the Athanasian Creed, abolished chaunting, left the cross in baptism and the posture at the holy eucharist indifferent, and permitted a deacon to pronounce the absolution.

"But we will fix on that which has been the principal cause of the unhappy change in our cathedrals—the admission of the laity in the choir-as the subject of our present observations; leaving the consideration of their being freely accessible to all for another time. To trace the gradual rise of this custom would lead us far beyond our limits; we will only observe that it was considered a very great favour, as late as 1630, that the Magistracy of London were admitted into the choir of Saint Paul's; and that, as late as 1700, women were not admitted, may be gathered from the Galilee in the present Saint Paul's-that part having evidently been designed as an especial favour to them: whereas, from the change since then, women, by this very means, find less easy access to the choir of this than of any other cathedral.

"We will now mention, in order, some of the reasons for returming to the old custom of placing the lay portion of the worshippers in the nave, and providing for them benches and chairs.

"1. By the present system, the greatest irreverence is necessarily introduced. Thus, at Exeter, the whole space between the end of the stalls and the altar is filled with benches having their backs to the latter; so, at Westminster, there are pews and benches eastward of the stalls, and seats even within the sacrarium, as the space between the double rails is called. In Bristol, a large school sits close round the altar, from which it is only kept off by a kind of fence. York is perhaps the worst of all; here we have seen strangers enter by the southern door of the choir, and, after looking about, and resting themselves in a sitting, nay, (we have seen it ourselves,) in a reclining posture on one of the benches, go out again. And many of our readers must have lamented the shocking irreverence of the Sunday afternoon service at St. Paul's.

"2. The total inversion of all ecclesiastical propriety. Thus, whereas the theory of the litany stool was that the priest, during that solemn deprecation, should turn from the people, and turn to God, the case is, in some of the above instances,

VOL. XIV.

21

reversed; and the priests turn away from the few at the west end, to the many at the east end, (and those in an elevated position,) as if offering up their supplications to them. And, in Exeter, the eagle faces the east; this arrangement has been lamented by Dean Lowe. So also at Canterbury, the eagle faces east, and is used for a Litany stool.

"3. The uselessness to which our naves are reduced. Time was, that they have been thronged with worshippers; Peter Smart tells us that two hundred always attended' the six o'clock morning service at Durham; and what must have been the conflux afterwards at half-past ten! But now, while the more sacred part is freely thrown open to all, the nave is sometimes guarded with the most jealous care. At St. Paul's, on grand occasions, it is fenced off: and, in another Cathedral, when requested for the accommodation of the parish where the Church was building, and requested with the sanction of the Bishop, it was refused.

"4. The evils arising from the crowded state of the choir. The cathedral body can sometimes hardly make their way to the altar through the dense crowd which choke up that choir which ought to be completely open. There are, in some cases, pue-openers, who receive money for providing the strangers with seats; and we have ourselves been asked for fees demanded by the Vergers themselves. The Prebendal stalls, the Decanal seat, nay, the Episcopal Throne itself, is occupied by women. The doors are no sooner thrown open, (alas! how many of us have seen this happen!) than a rush and scramble for seats takes place. We remember, on a late occasion, seeing the archiepiscopal throne at Canterbury, occupied in the morning by two females, and in the afternoon, by two privates of dragoons.

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We

5. Hence the pue system has intruded into our Cathedrals. Exeter, Lichfield, Bristol, Westminster, and Chichester, are examples. In the last-mentioned Church, as at Ripon, there are galleries. And those who are not fortunate' enough to secure seats in the pues, take advantage of every vacant corner. have seen the Litany-stool, when not occupied, pounced upon as 'available space;' the altar-rails are used as leaning posts; the clasped hands of a mitred effigy as a hat-peg.

Surely these are grave and trying evils; surely a struggle should be made, by the guardians of such houses, to rid themselves of them."

The other document, which we proceed to subjoin, is stronger and bolder than the foregoing, but comes from a quarter of less repute. In a recent number of The Church Intelligencer, we find this Article on Monasteries, with its suspicious Preface:

"[The following Paper has been sent to us, and we give it insertion to show what is going on. Under a wise constitution and judicious management, institutions of this kind might be of great service to our Church and country, and be a powerful means of bringing back the people from the heresies and schisms of Protestant and Popish Dissent into the Catholic Church of Christ. People will, we hope, be able to distinguish the use of a system from the abuses of it. At all events, it would be some time before any such institutions would be rich enough to tempt the sacrilegious cupidity of the State.]

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REVIVAL OF MONASTIC AND CONVENTUAL INSTITUTIONS ON A PLAN ADAPTED TO THE EXIGENCIES OF THE REFORMED CATHOLIC CHURCH IN ENGLAND.

"A monastery is a school of Christian penitence. It is a little community, having its own officers, in which each has his own post marked out, and in which all are engaged in labours of love; whilst, from its silence and peace, the soul has leisure for contemplation.'-British Critic, No. LX., article, Port Royal.

6

"It is a question which must long have presented itself as a subject of anxious thought to reflecting Christians, in what way the general interests of the Church and the Christian education of her people may best be promoted; and by what means a remedy may be best provided for many of the evils-social, domestic, and personal arising out of the present disordered state of our civil and ecclesiastical relations?'

"The solution of this question which has occurred to many minds, and which seems to be increasingly gaining ground, is, that the wants alluded to would be most effectually met and supplied hy a revival of the monastic and conventual sys

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