NOTICES TO CORRESPONDENTS.

B. M.

Received-A. B. W.-T. W. M.-C. C.-J. C. E.-A. P. R.-W T. T.-W. C.-J. M. D.-J. W. C.-A. C. C.-E. A. H.-W. H.-H. C.-R. J. H. W. D.-A. B. E.-W. C. D.-Invenis-R. R.-W. T.-A. C. W-P P.-C. W.

for this book to need much commendation at our hands. His thought is always original, and often most striking; while his language is nervously robust. Now and then his quaint way of putting things exhibits a sly sense of humour, which on his hearers, even more than on his readers, produces an impression the very reverse of dull. Those who value the thoughts, pressed into a small compass, of a scholarly and eloquent preacher, cannot do better than procure this little volume, which is, we may add, well printed and nicely got-up.

MR.

"R. HORSLEY'S Sermon, preached before a Society of Priests, Are Catholics Catholic? (Knott) is "published by request," and deserves to be better printed than it is; for it abounds in strikingly original thoughts, clothed in eloquent and forcible language. Without committing ourselves to everything which Mr. Horsley advances in support of his position, we can cordially agree with him in the main. Certainly it is the duty of all Catholics to cast out a spirit of narrowness, and to sympathize with good wherever it be found. But when he speaks of "dealing tenderly with error for the sake of the co-existent truth which the eyes of love will everywhere discern," Mr. Horsley is surely a little overstating his case. For the love of Truth and the hatred of Error are convertible terms; and, in proportion as a man loves Truth, so will he abhor Untruth. Conversely, to overlook the latter is to ignore the claims of the former.

MR.

R. BIRKS'S Address on The Uncertainties of Modern Physical Science (Hardwicke and Bogue), delivered before the Annual Meeting of the excellent Victoria Institute this year, fully sustains its author's reputation. With great acumen and merciless severity he carries the war into the enemy's camp by attacking the crude conclusions of men of pretended "science," who assail all faith in a supernatural Revelation; and he treats with deserved ridicule that "extreme of folly, in the Atheist creed, that trillions of atoms were their own creators, that each chose for itself, in the moment of its birth, where it should pitch its ever-moving tent, and whether it should be an atom of matter or one of ether, and endued itself further with the promise and potency of every form of life that exists in the depths of ocean, on earth, or in heaven." The price of the pamphlet is only sixpence.

WE have received from Messrs. Rivingtons a handsome case containing five well and clearly printed little volumes of The English Catholic's Library: "The Imitation of Christ," "The Spiritual Combat," "The Hidden Life of the Soul," "The Spiritual Letters of St. Francis of Sales," and "The Christian Year," which form the first instalment of the Series. The type, though small, is particularly clear and readable, and the whole makes, in an elegant and portable form, a really valuable collection of spiritual books, each of which is an almost indispensable feature of a good Churchman's library. An edition of these little bocks is also issued, in limp cloth, at sixpence,-a perfect marvel of cheapness. We hope they may be circulated by thousands. A more sumptuously printed edition, in large type, is also published.

MR.

R. WASHBOURNE sends us a reprint of Heigham's well-known Devout Exposition of the Holy Mass, which we can cordially recommend as a detailed explanation of the meaning of the several parts of the Service, as well as of the various Ceremonies, used at the Altar. Its circulation cannot

fail to help those who desire to assist at Mass with intelligent devotion. We could almost have desired the omission of the original Preface, which contains a description of horrible sacrileges, committed by our Blessed Reformers, which are too shocking to be mentioned or thought of.

TRANSLATIONS from and into German or
TRA
French, and
Printing and Publishing thereof, done by Mr. W. OSENBRUGGE, 82,
Le mb's Conduit-street, W.C.

A. L.-D. M.—J. J. C.-H. P.-Scoticanus-Lord F.-W. C), N.—N. J.—W. W.H. P. L.-C. C. D.-R. K. N. J.-A. C.-W. P.-R. J.-M. N.

Frank Duncan (Eastover, Bridgwater).-We are not aware of the fact mentioned by you, and can give you no information on the subject. A Latin version compilation-by Messrs. Masters and Co. of it was published by Rivingtons; and the "Priests' Prayer Book "-a private

E. Smith (Haggerston).-Lamps are the most ancient.

We have duly received the Rev. Dr. Lee's obliging communications, which shall be used.

P. C. Hare (Eton).-Any Bishop cannot canonically act in the Diocese of Oxford. Bishop Chapman is, of course, as much a Bishop as Dr. Mackarness, but has no sphere of work. Dr. Mackarness has a territorial sphere, which was given to him by the Church. But since that time all the Bishops have resigned their jurisdiction to Lord Penzance, who is now the Parliamentary Primate of the whole National Establishment. So, as far as we can see, one Bishop has now as much

spiritual jurisdiction as another.

The Rev. Orby Shipley's letter,-protesting against the unfair conduct of the Guardian in having reprinted the untrue announcement of his secession, but declined to contradict it afterwards,-has reached us too late for publication in our present issue.

Rev. H. G.-Surely you forget the changes wrought by the P.W.R.A.

The account of Llanthony Abbey is unavoidably held over.

As a rule, we must decline to insert both personal attacks of every sort and kind, and anonymous letters. If people want to ventilate their opinions (and a newspaper is certainly a proper vehicle for such action,) they must be good enough to sign their names to communications forwarded.

We beg our correspondents and supporters to address all Letters relating to the literary portion of this paper to "The Editor of THE PILOT, 376, Strand, London, W.C.;" and all communications regarding the sale and advertising, to Mr. J. H. BATTY, Publisher, at the same address.

S

O far as can be judged from the various accounts of the fighting in Servia, General Tchernayeff, the Servian commander, by means of a bold and spirited attack commenced last Wednesday, seems to have succeeded in forcing the Turks to abandon some of their positions before Alexinatz-the stronghold upon which the chief interest of the struggle has lately been concentrated. But on Friday the Turks, face to face with their opponents in more open country, resumed the offensive, and, after two days' fighting, once more advanced to Alexinatz. Meanwhile Prince Milan of Servia has consented to request the mediation of the great Powers-a request in which Prince Nicola of Montenegro joins. The terms on which peace is to be negociated are still a matter of speculation; but it seems likely that, with certain reservations, the status quo ante bellum will be restored. But the conclusion of peace will be only the beginning of vast diplomatic difficulties. One thing, however, is certain; and that is that recent events in Bulgaria will play an important part in determining the ultimate fate of Islam in Europe.

SING

INCE we last wrote on the subject of the horrible outrages committed by the Infidel troops on the hapless Bulgarians, the most sickening details, established by evidence which is only too trustworthy, have come to light. The powerfully-written descriptions, from the pen of the Daily News' correspondent,-who is understood to be Mr. Forbesof scenes of slaughter and of worse horrors which he has himCommissioner, have, if we mistake not, aroused a stronger self visited in company with Mr. Schuyler, the American feeling of indignation in this country than anything has done since the days of Cawnpore. And yet, in point of extent, these massacres leave Cawnpore far behind. Here the victims of murder, and of crimes worse than murder, count by incalculable service to humanity! To read these simple relascores of thousands. All honour to the Daily News for an

UNDER

NDER these circumstances we cannot for the life of us conceive what possible object the Standard can have in continually speaking of "alleged atrocities." The effect of the principal Conservative journal having committed itself to the support of Turkey is simply to work untold mischief to the Tory party, who, not unreasonably, though quite unjustly, are supposed to share the Standard's views. Nothing, however, could be, as we are well assured, a greater mistake. As Lord Beaconsfield took pains to explain to the House of Commons, the Government never dreamt of supporting Turkish interests. It is a pity that the Standard should give the Liberals a peg on which to hang their misrepresentations.

Τ

IT has been well known for years that the population of France is surely and steadily decreasing. Thoughtful men amongst French statesmen have been obliged to face the fact which, as shown by official documents, is incontestable; for the Census of 1872 exhibits a decrease of 262,000 inhabitants in six years, exclusively of the population in Alsace and the 134,000 victims of the war. The Rev. Father Sambin, however, has examined the subject ex professo, and, not embarrassed by the difficulties of his investigation, attributes the evil to the following five causes :-(1) The subversive, erroneous, and impious doctrines propagated by the Materialists; (2) the forced subdivision of property in succession; (3) increasing extravagance combined with improvidence; (4) the corruption of morals; (5) lastly, and especially, the diminution of the salutary influence of the Church in families, joined to the deplorable institution of civil marriage. Our own country, in having admitted and welcomed the evils of the Divorce Court, is only following in the steps of France; and with what dark results, let the occasional glimpses of moral filth and debasing morals surely indicate.

SIR IR CHARLES DILKE in his recent speech after the rising of Parliament, criticized the Government with considerable vigour. For Churchmen, however, his remarks about Disestablishment will have the greatest interest. He recommends the cry to all who feel the burden of school rates, (such are increasing in numbers,) and recommends them to take it up with vigour. This may be adroit and politic, but it is not original. The danger of such a policy was pointed out long ago. Our danger as Churchmen, who are both theoretically and practically in favour of a pustian recognition of Christianity, is that Archbishop Tait's Erastian policy has led so many good and true men to stand aloof, and to allow the Orange Tories and Dissenting Radicals to fight out the battle of Disestablishment between them.

NED

EITHER the abolition of Church Rates, the opening of our old Universities to Sectarians, nor the other insane and needless concessions which, from time to time, have been made to Dissenters, have helped (as some shallow nobodies fondly imagined might have been the case,) to buy off their determined opposition to the National Church. So it will be with Churchyards. Give these sanctimonious thieves a legal right to preach and bellow in the Churchyards, and their leaders will at once begin to agitate for an entrance into the Church. Meanwhile the vile language of their organs in the press becomes viler and more bitter. The following, with name, page and date of each "religious" utterance may be of interest to our readers :"The endowed menagerie of Anglican sccts."-The English Independent, June 29, 1876. The virulent superciliousness of Established Anglicanism."-The Christian World, June 30. "The barefaced thorough-going Erastianism of the English Establishment."-Ibid. "That gigantic sham that has betrayed the cause it has been paid to defend."The Baptist, June 30. "The State Church will neither preach the Gospel nor let others attempt it."—Ibid. "The spirit manifested is the same whether we have to do with a

of the Puseyite heresy."-Ibid, July 21. These impressive extracts, uniting the well-known virulence of Dr. Littledale for Cardinal Manning, and the insolent vulgarity of the Church Times towards the Holy Father,-show how truly religious and singularly modest, the various "Baptist" and "Independent" hereticks are. Creatures who could pen sentences like those quoted, have the will to do all that the most unclean Brownist or snivelling Puritan ever did in the way of riot, persecution or destruction at the Reformation or Great Rebellion. They would incite disorder or lead a riot, if they could only tear down the Cross or root up Christianity with the aid of such tactics. There is just as much, and no more, "religion" in them as there is salad oil in a block of Purbeck marble. They need, on the part of Churchmen, rigid and stern resistance: not blarney, nor unctuous cant, nor foolish and useless concessions.

"The

TWELVE years ago Dr. Pusey wrote thus boldly of the Essayists and Reviewers, of which the chief was Dr. Temple of Rugby. Here are Dr. Pusey's words :-" Essayists, Clergymen (with one exception,) staked their characters, although not their positions, on the issue that the Old Faith was no longer tenable; that it was dead and buried, and the stone on the grave's mouth fast sealed. . . . They undermined men's faith without denying it themselves in such definite terms as would materially risk their offices or positions." This is a strong charge, made in the Preface to Dr. Pusey's learned book, "Daniel the Prophet: " but not one whit too strong. And yet, backed by a large and influentialparty, with the whole of the E.C.U. behind him, what have Dr. Pusey and his friends done? We reply "Simply nothing!" Dr. Temple has an official position in the National Establishment, to which neither Dr. Pusey nor any of his allies are likely to attain; and may be said now to speak authoritatively on its behalf. What is so strange to us, however, is the manner in which orthodox parsons in the Exeter Diocese received that unhappy unbeliever as their Bishop, showing how thoroughly demoralised the Clergy have become. The Guardian, for a long while after Dr. Temple's appointment, used most tastefully and constantly to apply the butter-brush, and wrote well-spiced admiration-articles every week, because-alas! that it should have been so!—he was Mr. Gladstone's nominee. Now that the scruples of the country parsons have been successfully soothed with Burleighstreet narcotics, it is taken for granted that Dr. Temple is as episcopally orthodox as anybody else. Perhaps he is.

W Or, to borrow the somewhat redundant words of a HETHER orthodox or not, however, he is now married. contemporary, "the Right Reverend Father in God, Frederick, Lord Bishop of Exeter, has just led to the hymeneal altar the beautiful and graceful daughter of Lady Caroline Lascelles." We must frankly confess, (notwithstanding the reiterated. official assertion by our beloved Church that "St. Peter was a married man") that the wedding of a Bishop has to our mind, (we can't exactly tell why or wherefore,) something instinctively odious and disgusting about it. It seems to us that Bishops ought to have something better to do than to be marrying and giving in marriage. Moreover, as marrying Bishops came in with the Reformation,-when apostate monks married apostate nuns-it is impossible to find many ancient precedents for the custom. In Bishop Temple's case there was a grand function-the Rev. James Fleming, who recently pretended to unite some divorcée to the man with whom she had committed adultery-being the "High-priest of Hymen." It cannot have been exactly a pretty spectacle, though the Hon. and Rev. Francis Grey and many Lords and Ladies condescendingly presided at the orgies. We were not there ourselves, and did not covet an invitation. Whether the episcopal bridegroom assumed the domestic breeches and gaiters, or the more impressive black satin petticoats, with the episcopal ring, we cannot say, for the fashionable news"the bride wore a dress of rich papers are silent. Anyhow white silk, trimmed with Honiton lace, and a wreath of acacias, and a tulle veil fastened by a diamond star,"-beautiful and interesting indeed! Imagine our old English Bishops,

St. Anselm, St. Wilfred or St. Chad, in pontificalibus, leading such "a graceful creature" to the altar. Surely modern prelates must be of a different stamp, if not of a different order. At all events-putting nuptial felicity aside-Ancient Historical Christianity and the "Essays and Reviews" have very little in common. Like the excellent Dr. Thomas Cranmer, "apostle and martyr," however, or like the Borgias in Rome, some of the old Churchmen (as Protestants assert,) may have kept their graceful and beautiful" women in a box. We doubt it however; and do not ourselves believe the scandal-save in Cranmer's case, where it certainly cannot be doubted.

IT

T was upon the conduct of this same Clergyman, the Rev. James Fleming, of St. Michael's, Chester Square, in the matter of the divorced woman alluded to, that we made some observations in our last number. We forgot, by the way, to enquire whether this hussy intends to be "married" afresh -let us say every six months or so, and whether Mr. Fleming means, each time, to say solemnly "Those whom God hath joined together let no man put asunder." By mistake, however, we described Mr. Fleming as a member of the Church Association, a statement which is contrary to the fact. For this error we owe, and hasten to tender, our sincerest apologies to the Church Association. There is, it seems, a depth of degradation at which even that unsanctified organization has not yet arrived.

upon

EAN LAKE'S reply to Bishop Baring's letter-criticised in our last number-is simply crushing. The Dean shows that the Bishop's facts are mere moonshine. The accusation against the Chapter, of "wasting funds intended for the spiritual good of the benefices in their patronage," is proved to be quite false. Nor has the insinuation that they have neglected to meet the "many and urgent" claims made them for assistance any better foundation. As to what really must be called the audacious and barefaced attempt of the Bishop to fix on the Chapter the responsibility for the spiritual destitution existing at St. Oswald's, the Dean's retort is triumphant:-"May I just venture to suggest to your Lordship that this destitution has been caused almost entirely by your own refusal to license any Curates except on your own conditions, which, as St. Oswald's is far beyond the strength of one man, has practically placed a large part of the parish under a sort of interdict. The Chapter long ago expressed to the Commissioners their willingness to assist in erecting a church in the parish, and they would always have been most anxious to meet its spiritual wants if you had made any suggestion on the subject." The Dean then utterly refutes the implied antithesis in the Bishop's letter between "the improvement of the cathedral" and "the spiritual good of the diocese," contending that a cathedral with noble services is itself an instrument of great spiritual good. Dr. Baring's ideas on the subject of Dogmatic Theology are hazy enough: we should be sorry to think that Moral Theology in general, and the meaning of the Ninth Commandment in particular, fared no better at his hands.

WE E have elsewhere dealt with some of the aspects of the Home Rule question. The Convention which met last week at Dublin has received anything but fair play from the English journals. The disorder at the public meeting on the Monday night, caused by the violent speech of Mr. Doran, does not seem to have been much greater than that which happens at some public meetings in England. That the Convention, moreover, should have shewn such a decided dislike for sedition, and should have so emphatically supported the party of Constitutional Reform, is a fact full of significance, and speaks volumes for the discernment and selfcontrol of its members. The second public meeting was most orderly and business-like; whilst the disturbance at the banquet was due to the gross insult offered to a body of Irish gentlemen by the presence-albeit, as the Chief Secretary explains, the unauthorized presence-of a detective. Mr. Butt was right in saying that such a thing dared not be

done to an assembly of English gentlemen. We should think not, indeed!

THESE little contretemps at the Home Rule meetings have

been made by the enemies of Home Rule an excuse for once more trotting out their hackneyed homily as to the obvious unfitness of Irishmen to receive the boon of selfgovernment. Are we to understand, then, that these writers admit that Ireland does not at present possess self-government,-that, in fact, Irishmen are not in a position of political equality with Englishmen and Scotchmen? If so, they are simply conceding all that the Home Rulers have ever asserted. If, on the other hand, they maintain that the Irish already enjoy political freedom, why should the granting of Home Rule-in other words, why should the mere transfer of the scene of legislative activity from Westminster to College Green-make Irishmen more disorderly than they are now? The critics aforesaid are welcome to sit on whichever horn of this dilemma they may prefer.

NE EXT Friday week will be the nineteenth anniversary of the foundation of the A.P.U.C.,-an organization which a narrow clique of unprincipled tricksters has succeeded, of late years, in preserving in an almost moribund state. The complaints on the subject, printed in these pages, have been numerous enough: while those which remain unexpressed and unpublished are more numerous still. It is not to the credit of Lord Eliot and the other officers, that for three years nothing whatsoever has been done. The Treasurer, it is true, goes on advertising for money in the Church Times, and we suppose he gets it: but what is effected in return? There is an empty "office," it is true, which is always locked up, with no one to answer the door; a Secretary who is incompetent-having no powers of organization; a Treasurer (holding the bag,) who is a very "weak vessel," never to be found; a Council which never meets, and a noble but dumb President who, apparently, is only ornamental. Alas! that these things should be so.

WHAT scurrility and impudence can do to push the circulation of a paper, the Church Times has done most admirably and successfully. But for sheer brutality we do not remember ever to have met anything equal to its remarks on Lord Beaconsfield in its last two numbers. In its current issue there is a leading article in which "the Jew Premier" is charged with sympathizing with the Turks, because they are Eastern unbelievers, and with having a corresponding hatred to the Christians; and this, says the Church Times, is the reason why the English Government supported the authors of the Bulgarian massacres in their crimes. Now a writer who could pen such an atrocious lie as this simply forfeits all claim to consideration. The time has long gone by since anything like refinement or generosity could be looked for from the self-appointed leaders of Ritualism. But now it appears that even ordinary decency is, in that quarter, cast to the winds, and the coarsest ruffianism reigns supreme.

IF

F there were any doubt on the subject, our first leading article this week would prove that we are not of the number of those who think that high position ought to screen a culprit. But we protest, in the name of common justice, against the insolent and unbridled licence with which the Church Times criticizes the Bishop of London's appointment to the living of Paddington. The high merits, which recommended the Clergyman in question as a son-in-law, may not unreasonably have seemed to warrant his advancement to this position. And we do not know that any patron of a living is bound to consult the brogue-speaking oracle of Little Queen Street.

E have to express our obligations to Mr. Owen Lewis for

a copy of a correspondence which has taken place between himself and Dr. Littledale on the subject of Clerical Morality amongst Roman Catholics. The pressure on our

of the chancel are intended to illustrate the 23rd Psalm. Under the reredos are the words, "The Lord is my Shepherd ;" and in front of the stalls, "Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever," and, "Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for Thou art with me." The east is typical of Christ, the Lamb of God, who shall feed in green pastures, and lead beside waters of comfort the souls He has converted, who, even in the valley of the shadow of death, "fear no evil." since His rod and staff comfort them. The subject of the window is "The Adoration of the Lamb."

CANON FARRAR AT FOLKESTONE.-On Sunday week Canon Farrar preached at St. Michael's Church, Folkestone, on behalf of the church expenses. Doubtless our readers are aware that the Rev. E. Husband is the Vicar-designate of the church, and this perhaps accounted for the fact of the Canon making certain observations, from which we give a short quotation, at the close of his sermon. We hear that the church was more than crowded and that hundreds of persons stood outside the open doors in order to hear the sermon:-"I am almost ashamed to be obliged to add that it must not be understood from my presence here that I have any especial sympathy with any special school of thought in our English Church. That is emphatically not the case. But for the idle comments which have been made on the matter, and which I have heard on many sides, I should blush for the impertinence of alluding to what is purely personal. I am a stranger to this town; I never set foot before in this church; and in preaching here to-night I have simply performed an ordinary and every-day act of kindness to a brother clergyman, to me personally unknown, as I should do, I hopeas I should blush not to do if it were in my power-for almost any other sincere, hardworking clergymen, whom I believed, whether bis views happened to be the same as mine or not, to be faithfully doing God's work, and sincerely striving to fight sin and lighten sorrow. Surely if the points on which the members of our beloved Church can agree are infinitely broader and deeper than those on which we differ, then in days in which so much moral laxity is sheltered under so much avowed and unavowed scepticism, when one can hardly take up an ordinary magazine without stumbling on some clever article which calls in

the present occupant of the Hall, who with his family appear to have worked hard for the spiritual welfare of his neighbours. For some time Mr. Hurst and his family have taught a Sunday-school, and latterly he has been largely instrumental in providing the people with the ministrations of a Clergyman, who has held cottage services in the hamlet. Success so largely attended the efforts of the curate, that Mr. Hurst resolved to errect a school church, and having purchased a field, with an adjoining cottage (used as an infant school), the first stone was laid on April 20th, and the building opened for Divine worship on August 2nd. The whole adult population (to the number of 150) were entertained with a substantial repast in the Hall park; after which they joined in the evening service in the new chapel, which was tastefully decorated. The service was choral throughout, all the choir being residents in the village. On the following afternoon all the children had a substantial tea at the Hall, received commemorative medals from Mrs. Hurst, and after a distribution of Bibles and Prayer Books to all who merited them, they marched to church in procession, where Canon Ridgway, (a friend of the founder), addressed them on the "Sanctity of the House of God." The chapel has a nearly vested altar, a lectern, prayer-desk, and harmonium. The site, building, and all the fittings are a free gift to the church from the donor, who has only recently come to reside in the parish, and has no property there. It was most gratifying to see how every one heartily threw themselves into the work. The girls of the village secretly and spontaneously worked mats and pede-cloth for the Sanctuary; the donor himself trained and led the choir; his son printed the services, and the boy who assists in the garden had taught himself the harmonium so that he might act as "organist."-The Bishop of Winchester has just consecrated a new church at Awbridge. It is dedicated

to All Saints.

such as these, when perils thicken and threaten on every hand, are not the times for party to be hating party, school denouncing school, and brother Christians and brother clergymen refusing to hold out to each o her the right hand of fellowship, because, forsooth, though they all are Christ's children and for all Christ died, they differ or think they differ about some infinitesimal trifle, or about, perhaps, some important

ruth."

CHURCHES RESTORED AND REOPENED.-The parish church of Glaisdale, near Whitby, has undergone some repairs and alterations, the latter, which is certainly no improvement, being the erection of a spacious gallery. The old high pews have been swept away and open benches have taken their place. The Elder Brethren of the Hull Trinity House, have presented a very handsome chalice and paten.-The church of St. Mary at Bourn, the tower of which is six hundred years old, has been reopened after a restoration, still very incomplete, that has cost £2,200. The Bishop of Ely who preached on the occasion and afterwards spoke at a public luncheon, said that two things had greatly struck him-one, the number of parishioners who had attended the reopening services, and the other the number of labourers and their families whom he had seen occupying prominent seats. He was quite sure that if the Church of England was to be in the future what she had been in the past-if she was to hold her own, to maintain her footing, and to extend her usefulness, she must throw open the churches as the common possession of all the people of the parish.-The first stone of a new church at Longwood has been laid by Mr. Spencer-Stanhope, M.P. It is intended to replace the present edifice, which was erected about a century ago, and which has fallen into a very di'apidated and uncomfortable condition.The Archbishop of York on Thursday reopened, after restoration, the parish church of Hutton Cranswick, near Driffield. The cost of the restoration has been £5,000, towards which the patron of the Living, Lord Oldham, gave £1,800. Some handsome gifts have been made to the church-thus, a lady gave a beautiful stained-glass window, representing the Birth, Death, and Resurrection of our Blessed Saviour; and a gentleman, named Reynard, has presented a handsome font.-The church of the Holy Cross at Gilling has been thoroughly restored and on Wednesday was reopened by the Archbishop of York. The cost of restoration has been about £1,200, in addition to which several gifts have been made by parishioners, including stained-glass windows, a brass lectern, a reading-desk, a newly worked altar-cloth, and some costly hangings for the chancel.

CHURCHES CONSECRATED.-The Bishop of Salisbury has consecrated a new church at Wimborne, which has been erected at the sole cost of the Rev. C. J. Glyn. The building is in the early English style, substantially built of Fareham brick. The scats are all open; the altar, pulpit, and priests' desk, are of oak, and the cost has been £2,500.The Bishop of Hereford has consecrated a church at Burwarton, a retired village in Shropshire. The church with all its fittings has been erected at the sole cost of Lord Boyne, and by him presented to the parish, the old church, much dilapidated, being too small for the accommodation of the parishioners. The Bishop entered the church preceded by the choir and about twenty Clergymen, with his Pastoral Staff borne before him. The Bishop celebrated the Blessed Sacrament and preached. The reredos, in Caen stone, has three panels; in the centre is a beautifully executed Latin cross in white statuary marble, on a back ground of pale blue mosaics, the side panels containing, in relief, figures of the Blessed Virgin and the Child Jesus, and of St. Laurence (the patron saint), with the emblems of his office and of his martyrdom, the whole set under a rich canopy, supported by shafts of coloured marbles.-A new school church has been erected at Copt Hewick, a hamlet two miles from Ripon, and the Bishop of Ripon preached on the occasion of its being opened for service. It has been erected at the cost of Mr. Hurst,

vestry, and the clergyman puts on his robes in the face of the congregation. There is no organ, harmonium, or musical instrument of any sort. A correspondent, who was lately present, says the clergyman preached a charmingly short sermon, lasting seven minutes and a half.-A memorial window has recently been erected in the parish church of Hatherleigh to Frances Elizabeth, wife of J. Oldham, Esq., of Strawbridge. The window, which is near the vault belonging to the family, is of large and handsome proportions, and is situated at the eastern end of the north aisle. At the Church Congress, which is to be held at Plymouth on the 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th of October, the Bishop of Exeter will be the President, and the Bishop of Winchester and Canon Miller the preachers. -The Earl of Northbrook has laid the foundation-stone of a new chancel and transept for the church of St. Leonard, Exeter. The stone bore an inscription stating that it was laid in commemoration of his Lordship's safe return from India, where he held the offices of Viceroy and Governor-General from May, 1872, to April, 1876.-During the Evensong in Winborne Minster, on Thursday afternoon, the Bishop of Salisbury admitted two gentlemen to officiate as Lay Readers in his Diocese. At Saltwood, near Hythe, a new organ, the gift of Mr. Charles Goschen, has been placed in the church.-On Thursday the Bishop of Rochester consecrated an addition to the churchyard of Tolleshunt D'Arcy, Essex.-The Bishop of Guildford has consecrated a chapel at Spa for the use of English residents and visitors.-The Bishop of Colombo, on reaching Ceylon, appears to have found the Church Missionary Clergy unwilling to render him obedience, and he withdrew the licences of all but one. On an appeal, however, to the acting Metropolitan (the Bishop of Madras) they have been provisionally returned to them. -A memorial to the late Bishop Sumner has been placed in Winchester Cathedral, immediately behind the High Altar. The monument is a full-length recumbent effigy of the Bishop chiselled in white Carrara marble, deceased being represented as pressing an open Bible to his breast, and clothed in Episcopal robes, with the mantle of the Garter. The figure rests on a base of Caen stone.

Letters to the Editor.

As 'Brevity is the Soul of Wit' so short Letters are certainly more readable than long ones. In my judgment an Editor should not be pestered with any which are not brief, concise, well-written, and to the point; signed openly and honestly, with their writers' names.”—CHARLES LAMB.

OUR PRESENT DIFFICULTIES.

SIR,-1 should be happy to do anything in my power towards a solution of our present difficulties. I think Ven. Bede's History supplies us with many facts which bear upon those difficulties. To my mind it has become perfectly clear that there are only two sources, or fountains of episcopal jurisdiction in the West. 1st. That which is very ancient, and of the rise of which Church History gives no account, though I am not myself convinced that it is Apostolic: I mean the See and Church of Rome. The 2nd is the State: in England, Parliament.

With regard to the first, Ven. Bede presents a remarkably interesting and important Letter of Pope Gregory the Great to St. Augustine, in which occur the following words

"We give you no authority," says St. Gregory to St. Augustine," over. the Bishops of France, because the Bishop of Arles received the faith in ancient times from my predecessor, and we are not to deprive him of the authority which he has received."

This shows in the most conclusive, because incidental, manner that the