Rash, and bitter, and unscrupulous as this theological partizan hastens to avow himself, he cannot be suspected of the least approach to forbearance or encouragement of either this, or "the more harmless puerilities connected with the service of the Church of Rome." And what are the results of all this? Certainly, no more unexceptionable witness could be found. No Tractarianism, no unseemly questioning on the seventh Commandment, no tendency to an exaggerated ritualism, the dalesmen of Cumberland must be indeed a happy and a moral race! Evangelicism, so called, has had uncontrolled sway,-a perfect preserve for the doctrine of Scott, Venn, and Simeon. Let the result be told in the words of Bishop Villiers himself, and let it be understood that we are not piecing together fragments from different portions of the Charge, but we print from pages 12 and 13; both the thanksgiving for the blissful freedom from theological jars and the assaults of the Church party, and the results as declared by the Bishop :

Work.

"First, I may congratulate you on the all but complete absence from the diocese of those doctrines which, if by subtle reasoning they can be distinguished from, are yet so near akin to, the errors of Romanism, as to have perverted many who were once members of our Reformed Protestant Church. I am thankful that we appear to be clear of the filthiness of the confessional, as well as free, in nearly every parish, from the more harmless puerilities connected with the service of the Church of Rome. Having most carefully read the writings of many of that party to which I allude, and having observed their tendencies, and, I may say, their practical and actual results, I own I felt not a little grateful, under GOD, to him who preceded me, that no encouragement had been given in the diocese to the dissemination of views so diametrically opposed in spirit to the writings of the Reformers, and to the Scriptures of truth."-(P. 12.)

Results. "But I am sorry to say that I must call your most solemn attention to matters for regret which do exist in no ordinary degree: I refer to the sins of drunkenness and unchastity. In the sins to which I have especially alluded, we have, I fear, an unenviable pre-eminence."-(P. 13.) "It is my painful duty to inform you that, without any exception, the counties of Westmoreland and Cumberland exceed, in the number of illegitimate births, any county in England."-(P. 15.)

Here, at any rate, were facts which would have made any, except an unscrupulous partizan, suspect the results of such teaching as

the counties of Westmoreland and Cumberland have been subjected to through the universal prevalence of Evangelicism; or, at any rate, these facts should have made him pause before he uttered such loud notes of gratulation. Carlisle is, and has been, free from all improper questions on the part of the Clergy. Virtually, the existence of the seventh Commandment is forgotten. Fornication and adultery are not alluded to, in order to avoid scandal; and the awful result of this abandonment of duty, the woe that has come upon the diocese through not preaching the Gospel, is this, that sins of the flesh abound in a larger number, and are done openly, unblushingly, and more frequently in Carlisle than in any other diocese in England. Norwich, indeed, where the same repressal of all Church teaching has taken place, under the episcopate of Bishops Bathurst and Stanley, Hinds and Pelham, " is within a small fraction nearly the same.” We commend these home truths to our readers. They certainly present matter for solemn communing with ourselves as to our fidelity to our duty, and the consequences that flow from not declaring the whole counsel of GOD.

We think we are right in regarding this Charge as the most important one of the season. It is truth, fearful truth, extorted from an unwilling witness. We need not linger on other matters. Afterwards, the Bishop is to be met with apologising, to use his own language, for detaining his Clergy "at great length, for the sake of expressing my own opinions, or contrasting them with more Scriptural truth." As we fear there is pretty considerable divergence in Bishop Villiers' views from Scripture truth, we are glad that we have been spared the painful comparison; and take our leave of that prelate in all kindliness, by expressing our opinion that a more careful attention to grammar will not detract from the value of any future Charge.

But the perusal of this and most other Charges makes more than questionable to our minds the value of such triennial expression of opinion. So long as, like the annual addresses of the Bishops of the American Church to their people, a summary is given of progress during the past year, or existing needs and future hopes are dwelt upon, such a document may be of advantage; but to see one who perhaps has never had the cure of souls entrusted to him, sit and decide on matters concerning the care of souls and the government of a parish,—to hear such a Bishop counselling old, toil-worn parish priests, is as ludicrous and a great deal more mischievous than to see our public schools presided over by one who has never mastered the Eton Latin Grammar, or a mathematical class lectured by one who has never advanced to the pons asinorum.

We have placed the Charge of the Bishop of Salisbury at the head of this article with no intention of calling our readers' attention to the very different spirit-we say nothing of opinionswhich breathes through its pages. Charitable, and large-hearted,

and loving indeed it is; but more than this, it is what every Charge should be, a summary of ministerial work. For this reason is such a document of value not only to the diocese in which it was delivered, but to the Church at large. Such earnestness and selfdenial as Bishop Hamilton manifests, must bring a blessing upon the diocese intrusted to him and extend beyond its bounds. The spirit in which it is sent forth, and the solemnity in which the charge which has devolved upon him is administered, may best be understood from the words with which he concludes the Charge, a portion of which we have extracted to the gratification we trust and the edification of our readers :

"And of myself I can only say that the object I have set before me (though I am well aware that I have not reached it) has been to do the duties of my office quietly and impartially. I have wished to clog as little as possible the freedom of your zeal, and only to be a helper (as far as my abilities have enabled me to be so) of your endeavours to do the work committed to you. In the present distracted state of our Church, and having myself very decided and deeply-rooted convictions about what is the true teaching of our Church, I cannot expect to enjoy that unsuspicious confidence of all my Clergy, which the office of a Bishop would secure him in a better state of things, but I can truly say that whilst I have wished not to be guilty of compromising my own principles, I have been equally anxious not to clash unnecessarily with others on account of any of their slighter divergencies from what I believe to be the path in which their Church would guide them, and at any rate to guard against making any separation between us wider through my own many personal faults of disposition."

REVIEWS AND NOTICES.

Homilies on the former part of the Acts of the Apostles, Chap. i.—x. By HENRY ALFORD, B.D., Dean of Canterbury. 8vo. London: Rivingtons.

It is curious to note the variety of phases which the Religious Opinions of the Dean of Canterbury have undergone.

When the Oxford movement first began to be popular, Mr. Alford came out as an æsthetical High-Churchman, restoring his church after the most approved model, and publishing a most elaborate account of it, with interior and exterior polychromatic views, &c. Then, when Germanism made its appearance in England, Mr. Alford was ready to

1 We regret to notice that there are symptoms of a relaxation of zeal in the clergy of this diocese, fewer Daily and Holy Day Services-and no increase of candidates for Confirmation commensurate with the increase of population. We fear that this is what must be looked for in other quarters as the result of the present crusade against earnestness in religion.

follow that lead, and put forth the first volume of his Notes on the Greek Testament, in which he attributes the miracle of Pentecost to Mesmerism, and goes all lengths with the Neologians. In the palmy days of the Palmerston-Shaftesbury alliance, another change came over our Author: he is found at the famous Meeting of the Evangelical Alliance at Berlin, actively taking part in the Celebration of the Holy Eucharist with Lutheran and Calvinistic Ministers-and is made Dean of Canterbury. And now once more the fervid fit has passed away, and we have the present Volume of Homilies, constructed on eclectic principles-professing to defend one strange opinion on the authority of the early Fathers (see Homily V.), and disposing of another doctrine of the Church (see Homily XVI.) on the single authority of Calvin, to whom he twice refers his readers in this matter, "either in the original, or as you will find it equally well in the edition of Calvin, published by the Calvin-translation Society.'

Now it may possibly be that in these "Homilies" there are indications of a return to a sounder (we will not say faith, but) theory or view. At all events there is no talk here of Mesmerism. Mr. Alford, in fact, seems to stand about in the same relation to the religious world, that the Times Newspaper does to the political and social: he takes up-we dare say without conscious dishonesty-the opinions that lie first on the surface. The national mind of England seemed once to be making an experiment as though she really would become religious. She determined however very speedily not to adopt any religion which would fetter her judgment or interfere with her ordinary mode of life; and, finding this to be an unavoidable result of the Catholic revival, she is trying now to settle herself into an easy indifferentism. Mr. Alford has been all along just going unconsciously with the upper surface of the stream; and hence these fluctuations in his opinions, which, unhappily for his own reputation, but not for his worldly interests, he has contrived always to make public.

Of the Volume itself, we will only say, that in our judgment, it is all the more mischievous, for not being so overtly heretical as his Commentary.

Hymns for Little Children. Set to music, with pianoforte accompaniment. By H. J. GAUNTLETT, M.D. London: Masters.

WE are truly glad to welcome, on behalf of the younger members of the Church, this carefully prepared work, in which the well-known and charming "Hymns for Little Children" are set to appropriate music.

In a collection of tunes designed for the use of children, we must not of course judge of them by their scientific merits, but rather of their claims to popularity as melodies at once pleasing to the ear, and easy of execution and we can the better afford to look at them in this somewhat superficial manner as we are well assured that the music of this able composer will always be found correct as to the laws of harmony.

As a whole, we think Dr. Gauntlett has been decidedly successful in this collection; although the sameness of his subject has rendered it difficult to produce the constant variety required along with the

marked character in each melody, which are essential in musical compositions intended to be executed by children. In some instances, it must be admitted, he has failed in producing both requisites. We would instance Hymns III., XIV., XVI., as examples of these. Others, again, seem hardly adequate to the solemnity of the subject, as XIX., XXXIII., whilst some appear to us rather too elaborate for the little untrained performers who are to execute them, as XXXII., XXXVI., XXXVIII. On the other hand, we can offer our unqualified praise to No. II. which is indeed a beautiful hymn, XI. already well known to the public, XXIX., and many others, which we have not time to enumerate; but which we commend to the attention of our readers. We must conclude by thanking Dr. Gauntlett sincerely for this contribution to our sacred music.

Sunshine in Sickness, (Mozleys,) is, undoubtedly, by a female hand, and by one who is not herself inexperienced in the school of sufferings. It will not fail, therefore, to commend itself to those who are similarly visited, and is a valuable addition to the scanty literature of the sick room. The headings of the chapters, (which will best explain the plan of the little work,) are "Spiritual Sunshine;" "the Sunshine of Affecion ;" "of Sympathy;" "of Contentment ;"" of Charity ;""of Intellect ;" 66 of Outward Nature."

If any one desires a little innocent amusement, we recommend them a penny Tract, (published by Clark, Warwick-lane, London,) and entitled More Disclosures about S. Barnabas'. It is quite a Tract, too, to circulate generally.

Mr. GRESLEY has published a volume of Sermons preached at Brighton, (Masters,) which will be found very useful to circulate, as setting forth in a plain and popular form many points of doctrine, and discipline, and ritual, which are very commonly misunderstood at the present day. A single example from the Sermon on "Holy Worship," will serve to illustrate our meaning:

"Yes, Brethren, GOD calls His elect, some in one way, some in another. One is brought to repentance by sickness and the near prospect of death; one by loss of dear friends-disappointment in life-blighted affection; some through the instrumentality of the Word read or preached; some through the Ordinance of Confession. But mingled with these inducements, simultaneously with them, or even taken alone, no call from GOD, I am persuaded, is more effectual than the sight of others offering up their prayers and thanksgivings with an earnest spirit, and showing evidently that they are engaged in a real service. Religion, so viewed, appears a real affair. The sinner wishes that he also could learn to worship GOD. The contagion of reverence spreads from soul to soul. Something of heaven on earth is realized, a holy flame is kindled, which, through GOD's blessing, will not be extinguished."-Pp. 17, 18.

We shall be much indebted to the gentlemen who call themselves "The Confraternity of the Holy Cross," if they will give us a series of sound and able cheap Tracts. The two already published on the Holy Catholic Church, (Painters,) seem rather to want power. They are plain, however, and to the point.