dents, or how do they interest themselves in it, the answer may be made most cherr fully. Not only is the deportment of the young men in the chapel greatly inproved, not only is their feeling towards the services raised and purified, but a holy spell seems to have been thrown over all their academic relations; they are better friends with their instructors, better sons of their Alma Mater; more interested in their work and in hers, than they have ever been. We do not mean that this is universal, or that there are no exceptions, or striking ones; but we mean every word that we utter, when we say that the development of the relig ious element in the college system has been attended by the most striking proofs of its influence and its working among the large majority of the students. THE REV. BENJAMIN HALE, D.D., has resigned the presidency of Hobart College, Geneva. The step became necessary in consequence of impaired health; his physicians judging that entire freedom from the cares and respon sibilities of the office was essential to his recovery. Dr. Hale has been at the head of the College some 21 years. His administration has been able, faithful, and judicious, and his high qualities as a scholar and a gentleman have greatly endeared him to all with whom he has been officially associated. The Trustees, the Faculty, the Students, and the Alumni, will follow him in his retirement with their warmest respect and affection. The Gospel Messenger understands that he will retain a seat in the Board of Trustees, so that the College will still have the benefit of his wisdom and experience. We hope most sincerely that the Board will soon be able to make his place good; for we long to see the day when all Church parents shall send their sons to Church Colleges Hobart College has many strong attractions, in the beauty and salubrity of its situation, in the high abilities of its officers, and in the atmosphere of intelligence and social refinement that invests the Genevan community. The Rev. Dr. Littlejohn, of New Haven, who was elected to succeed Dr. Hale, has declined; a thing that the friends of the College may well regret. THE UNIVERSITY OF THE SOUTH, young as it is in projection, is already experiencing a flood of munificence. Col. John Armfield, of Warren county, Tenn., subscribes $25,000 a-year during life; Dr. Warren, of Edenton, N. C. $25,000; Col. Isaac Croom, Greensboro', Ala., $2.000 a-year during his life, to endow a professorship, and $25,000 at his death. Gentlemen, you have done nobly; in behalf of liberal Christian learning, we thank you; and we hope that among our rich-souled brethren at the South there will be found many more like you. THE LATE MR. JonNs, of Long Green, Maryland, left several munificent bequests for religious and charitable purposes; among others the following: To the Foreign and Domestic Missions of the Church, $5,000 each. To the Theological Seminary and High School of the Church in Virginia, $15.000. The Theological Seminary in Ohio, $15,000. The E. K. Society, $10,000. To the Rev. H. V. D. Johns, of Baltimore, his splendid farm, stock, and everything just as when he died. Also, all the remainder of his large estate, after willing his two sisters an annuity of $367 during their lifetime. His negroes he manumitted at once. Dr. Johns and his son are the executors of the will. THE RT. REV. THE BISHOP of California reached home on the 16th of December, having been absent 8 months. His return was warmly greeted by his friends and parishioners. The following Sunday, he preached to a dense congregation in Christ church, of which he was rector. In the evening, the Rev. F. C. Ewer, who had been ordained deacon just before the Bishop's departure, and elected assistant minister of the parish, presented a class of 35 for confirmation. The next day, the Bishop resigned his rectorship, with the view of giving his whole strength to the Diocese. He had been rector of the parish four years, during which time he had raised it from a state of extreme feebleness, had been instrumental in clearing from it a debt that was threatening its very existence, and had gathered back many a wanderer into the fold of the Church. Mr. Ewer was elected to succeed him in the parish, the 24th of 7 January being appointed for his ordination to the Priesthood. The Bishop's resignation drew forth the following, which was offered by the Hon. Edward Stanley, and unanimously adopted by the vestry: Resolved, That yielding to the necessities of the Diocese, which claim the services of the Bishop, we feel it our bounden duty to submit to the force of the reasons which impel him to resign the Rectorship of Grace church; and in accepting his resignation it affords us pleasure to express our gratitude for his most efficient services, which we trust will bring blessings to him, as well as to his affectionate congregation of Grace church. THE MONITOR furnishes some welcome information touching Immanuel church, Baltimore. The members of that parish, following the lead of their enterprising Rector, Dr. Johns, have lately built a handsome little chapel, 50 feet by 25, which is now occupied by Parochial and Sunday Schools. Though the parish school was but lately started, the roll now contains the names of nearly 100 boys and girls, who are in punctual attendance. An interesting library has been provided for the use and benefit of the pupils. The studies embrace the elementary branches of an English education, and the principles of religion. A part of the structure is two stories high, and the upper story contains rooms for the use of the matron of the establishment.-That is the way to make the Church "take root downwards, and bear fruit upwards."The Sunday School, also, is said to be going on bravely; but the less need be said of that, as it probably is no new thing in the parish. THE SOCIETY for the Advancement of Christianity in Pennsylvania lately held its 46th Anniversary in St. Mark's church, Philadelphia. The Bishop presided. The Report was read by the Rev. H. S. Spackman. The number of missionaries patronized by the Society is 17. The resources of the Society, including a balance of $311 from the previous year, and for the year 1857, amounted to $6278. The amount expended $5142, leaving a present balance of $1136. This balance comprises the $1000 appropriated as the salary for an itinerating missionary. THE RT. REV. THE BISHOP of Pennsylvania was lately reported to have been seized with apoplexy at Greensburg. The Editor of the Monitor has authentic information that the disease was not apoplexy, but a paralysis of the right arm; that the Bishop is already recovering, and that "he has been doing more than the feeble state of his health would warrant." The whole Church has cause to be thankful that the life of this able and excellent prelate still stands in so much of hope. None could contemplate, without extreme grief and alarm, the prospect of losing so conspicuous an ornament of the Episcopate; and it is a great relief to know that his case is not nearly so bad as it was reported to be. THE CHURCH ABROAD. IN OUR RECENT NOTICE of Dr. Livingstone's Travels and Researches in Africa, we ventured, with some hesitation, to question the wisdom of that good man's course in one important particular. We refer to the fact of his requiring the natives to put away all their wives but one before coming to Christian baptism. Since the notice was published, we have received, from very high sources, an unexpected confirmation of the view which we ventured to suggest. Bishop Colenso, of Natal, a South African See, gave out as his opinion, some while since, that in case of a native convert having already more wives than one, the Christian system did not require, nor justify, the repudiation of any of them. Bishop Colenso lately published in the Natal Journal a correspondence on the subject, showing that his view is decidedly sustained by the late Bishop of Norwich, Dr. Hinds, and by Archbishop Whately. Bishop Hinds, writing in May, 1856, speaks as follows: "St. Paul, I am persuaded, would have done, and did, what the Bishop of Natal decides on doing. I have asked Archbishop Whately to tell me what he thinks of the question discussed adding that the writer needs support if he is right, and that his error should be pointed out if he is wrong." The request drew forth an answer from the Archbishop of Dublin, also dated May, 1856, in which he holds the following language: "Puzzle-headed people are apt to confound together the making of a contract which is (in a Christian community) not allowed, and the keeping to a contract which, when it was made, was lawful. I hold with the B that a man who puts away a wife, even though he has another, causeth be to commit adultery.' Not content with this, the Archbishop wrote a second time, expressing himself still more decidedly. "It was my design to give yor says he, "in the very just cause you are engaged in, all the support in my powe of which there seemed to be great need; and accordingly I wished and expected the publication of what I had written with that view. The divorces. whit some of the missionaries advocate, create so manifest and great an obstacle te the propagation of the Gospel, that nothing could justify the adoption of sac a procedure, except its being clearly a point of moral obligation; instead which it is, I am convinced, a procedure decidedly immoral." The Englu Churchman, whose opinion is also entitled to very great weight, republishe the correspondence, and in a brief reference to it says, "We are certain' inclined to think that Bishop Colenso has judged rightly in the matter." The question is evidently one of very serious practical consequence in the mission ary service of the Church, and we are glad that some of her higher authorities are giving us their judgment in it. THE BISHOP of London has organized a band of missionaries to labour at large among the people in the East end of the city. This is a new exper ment in the English parochial system, and it has grown out of the Lorda Diocesan Home Mission.-The same prelate has lately consecrated a new m church, for the Plaistow and Victoria Dock Mission. The exterior of the edific is of corrugated iron, and the interior is neatly and commodiously arranged. the altar being placed in front of an appropriate reredos. There are sittings! for a congregation of about six hundred. Churches of this construction are certainly admirably adapted for missionary purposes. THE BISHOP of Oxford has issued directions to all the surrogates in his Diocese, to grant no marriage license whatever, to any divorced person whos husband or wife is still alive. THE ECCLESIASTICAL COURTS in England, after being open for about 80years, have been finally closed. The event took place on Saturday, Jan. 9th. Mr. WESTERTON, of illustrious memory, has made a munificent donation to St. Paul's, Knightsbridge, having announced it as his purpose to decline a reelection as Churchwarden of the parish. His reasons are, that the Bishop has not sustained him in his efforts to reform the parish; and that his friends leave him in the lurch, saddled with £500 of costs in his appeal to the Judicial Committee. So far as regards his connection with the parish, we may safely affirm that "nothing in his life became him like the leaving it." THE NEW SERVICES in Westminster Abbey were succeeding wonderfully. Archdeacon Sinclair preached the third sermon of the course, and the congregation overflowed so much as to fill the church of St. Margaret's, near by. Best of all, the movement is so popular and so successful, that St. Paul's Cathedral is to be opened too, for similar popular services in the nave. And the spirit is spreading. Everywhere we read of courses of services for the working classes,-energetic preachings,-mighty crowds thronging " like doves to their windows." THE REV. JOHN GUTHRIE, Lord Lansdowne's domestic chaplain, is ap pointed Canon of Bristol. He is a "moderate Evangelical," of high charac ter for ability, earnestness, and laborious zeal. PETITIONS are in circulation, addressed to Convocation, in favour of encour aging lay cooperation in Ruridecanal chapters, and giving a longer time to the deliberations of the two Houses. |