is mainly through the munificent donations of this lady and her sister that the parishioners have been enabled to meet the expense of rebuilding their church. -Salisbury Herald. We record, with unfeigned pleasure, the successful issue of the district meeting held at Marlborough yesterday se'nnight, on behalf of the Marlborough and Great Bedwin branches of the Societies for Promoting Christian Knowledge, and for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts. The Right Rev. the Bishops of Salisbury and Nova Scotia, the Ven. the Archdeacon of Wilts, the Worshipful the Mayor, the Corporation, and a large assemblage of the neighbouring clergy, proceeded in their gowns to St. Peter's church, where a numerous congregation of the gentry had already taken their seats. The service was read by the Rev. E. H. G. Williams, the Rector, and a most admirable sermon was preached by the Right Rev. the Lord Bishop of Salisbury, from Romans, x. 14, 15. After explaining the text, and dwelling on the opportunities afforded to churchmen of fulfilling the duty therein implied, by supporting both societies, his lordship drew a beautiful and comprehensive picture of the various fields in which the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts is labouring-of the difficulties, physical and moral, which its missionaries have to encounter; and the various measures of success which have attended their exertions. He dwelt the more particularly on the operations of this society, because, his Lordship said, its funds at this moment stood most in need of support; and concluded by making a forcible appeal to all classes of churchmen, that they would not suffer its designs to languish, or its resources to fail. After Divine Service, the meeting adjourned to the Town Hall, where the chair was taken by the Bishop of Salisbury. Prayers were read by one of the secretaries. His lordship having opened the proceedings of the day, by stating generally the object of the meeting, called on the secretaries to read the report of the two district committees, which was accordingly done by the Rev. J. WARD, who gave a brief but at the same time a very satisfactory account of their progress and operations in the town and neighbourhood. The several resolutions were then moved and seconded, the principal speakers being, the Bishop of Nova Scotia, (who at considerable length, and with great eloquence, gave a most interesting account of the labours of the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in his diocese); the Archdeacon of Wilts, the Revs. E. H. G. Williams, T. A. Methuen, W. Money, J. Guthrie, W. H Newbolt, J. L. Popham, A. Manning, Capt. Price, W. R. Browne, and B. Merriman, Esquires. We hear, with much pleasure, that the collection amounted, with some after-contributions, to the sum of 56l. 1s. 9d.-Ibid. A very gratifying mark of respect was lately paid to the Rev. H. J. Barton, on his removal from the northern part of this county. The Rev. gentleman preached at Cricklade, on Friday, the 8th inst., for the benefit of the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, when a collection was made to the amount of 15l. 28. 5d. After the service, the clergy of the two deaneries, (all of whom were present,) adjourned to the Rev. Henry Gauntlet's, where an elegant collation was prepared, and the following address, signed by 52 of the clergy and laity, was read by the Rev. J. M. Prower, the newly-appointed rural dean:. : "To the Rev. Henry Jonas Barton, M.A., lately vicar of Latton Eisey, and Rural Dean of the Deaneries of Cricklade and Swindon," "Rev. Sir,-We, whose names are hereunto subscribed, desire to offer you our best and warmest congratulations on your preferment to the rectory of Wicken, in the county of Northampton. "At the same time we must express our sincere regret at the loss which the neighbourhood will sustain in the removal of a clergyman of such activity and zeal, such unwearied perseverance in well-doing and such lively and unaffected piety. But more especially do we fear how greatly the different charitable institutions in the neighbourhood will suffer by the loss of your active and talented services, more particularly the Victoria Medical and Benefit Clubs, which, promoted and fostered by your unwearied care, have conferred so much comfort on our poorer neighbours, and risen to a higher degree of prosperity and usefulness than any similar institutions in the country. "But above all, as individuals, do we feel how much we shall each of us regret the removal of a gentleman of such friendly and social habits, so agreeable and pleasing a companion, and so kind and warmhearted a friend. "In conclusion, therefore, we desire to offer our most sincere and earnest prayer for the future happiness and welfare of yourself and family, and to subscribe ourselves, rev. sir, "Sincerely and faithfully yours."— Ibid. SOCIETIES FOR PROMOTING CHRISTIAN KNOWLEDGE, AND FOR THE PROPAGATION OF THE GOSPEL IN FOREIGN PARTS.-The anniversary meeting of the branches of these venerable church societies, established in the diocese of Sarum, was held in this city on Thursday last.-The leading members and friends of the societies attended divine service at the cathedral in the morning, in the course of which, a beautiful anthem, composed by Travers (the words from Psalm xcvi. 7, to the end) was executed by the choir. Dr. Chandler, Dean of Chichester, preached the anniversary sermon, from the text 1 Cor. xii. 6: The very rev. preacher pointed out the comprehensive nature of these societies, and that they had existed long before any similar institutions were devised. They were venerable in the names of their first promoters-venerable in the steady course they had since held; and were most admirably adapted to fill up that complete circle of Christian benevolence which he considered it the duty alike of the community and of individuals to practise. At the meeting afterwards held in the Council Chamber, the chair was occupied by the Right Rev. the Lord Bishop of the diocese, who was supported on his right by the Lord Bishop of Nova Scotia. The proceedings were opened with prayer, by the Rev. D. I. Eyre. The Lord Bishop of Salisbury said, the principles on which these societies were based had been so admirably stated by his very reverend friend on his left, in his sermon that day, and they had also the advantage of the presence of his right rev. friend on his right,-who had not thought it too much trouble to come there that day, that it was unnecessary for him to detain them. His right rev. brother might indeed be said to have an hereditary connexion with this cause ;-from a child he had been connected with the societies, having been called to succeed his father in that diocese over which he presided, and which formed a very important portion of our colonies. He trusted the object that the right rev. prelate had in view might be much advanced by this meeting. -His lordship concluded by calling on one of the secretaries to read the report. The Rev. W. E. Hony then read the report, which stated that the prosperity of the diocesan branch of the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge is steadily advancing. The plan and operations of the society were briefly recapitulated, and certain statistics given. The report also noticed the appointment of a Foreign Translation Committee, for which a sepa rate subscription list is opened. With respect to the sister society, the report drew attention to the fact, that they are two distinct societies-"labouring as sisters in one common cause, the salvation of souls," but " pursuing this grand design in different ways." The Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Paris had not received the support to which it is entitled; while extraordinary demands had been made on it by the crisis which had lately occurred in the religious affairs of the British colonies. The report embodied extracts from the report of the parent society, to shew at once the wants of, and the demands on, this excellent institution. Amongst the speeches delivered on the occasion, those of the Lord Bishop of Nova Scotia, and of Mr. Elliot, (late Archdeacon of Barbadoes,) and of Mr. Pinder, (also for a long time a minister of the church in the West Indies,) were felt to be deeply interesting, being full of details connected with the operations of the Society for Propagating the Gospel in those countries where they had resided for many years. The attendance at the meeting was not so numerous as might have been expected. This is a subject of regret, as it was next to impossible to bave heard the afflicting accounts of the spiritual destitution which exists in our colonies, and not to have felt a desire to remedy the evil. We trust, however, that a perusal of the speeches delivered on the occasion, and of the documents distributed at the meeting, will be the means of greatly increasing the number of subscribers to the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts. The amount collected was 48. 128., including the sum of 51. 3s. 6d., collected at Amesbury, by the Rev. Mr. Fowle. The plates were held by Mrs. Wadham Wyndham, supported by A. Hussey, Esq.; and Mrs. G. E. Eyre, supported by the Rev. C. Pearson.-Salisbury Herald. At a meeting of the parishioners of Doncaster, just held, a 4d. rate was unanimously granted for the necessary expenses of the church.-Doncaster Chronicle. NEW CHURCHES. At the Visitation dinner at Leeds, the Bishop of Ripon announced that it was bis intention to consecrate seven new churches, recently erected within his diocese, in the month of October next.-Leeds Intelligencer. On the 26th of July, the church just erected in Sheffield Park, and called St. John the Evangelist, was opened for divine service, under licence from the Archbishop of York. Prayers were read, with appropriate solemnity, by the Rev. Edward Goodwin, who had presented the Bible and service books for the reading desk and communion table. A sermon was then delivered by the Rev. Edward Kelly, the appointed minister. NEW CHURCH AT WAKEFIELD. The foundation-stone of a new church, to be dedicated to the Holy Trinity, was laid upon the site of the intended edifice ad. joining George-street, in Wakefield, ou the 9th of August, after the visitation by the Lord Bishop of Ripon, with the customary ceremonial. ST. JAMES'S CHURCH, BRADFORD. —A number of friends of the church of England, admiring the Christian and patriotic conduct of John Wood, Esq., in erecting, at great pecuniary cost, and also liberally endowing, a church in the populous town of Bradford, have subscribed about 120. to purchase a service of communion plate, to be presented to Mr. Wood, for the use of St. James's church.-Manchester Courier. NEW BOOKS. Dewar's (the Rev. Dr.) Evidences of Divine Revelation. 12mo. 7s. 6d. cloth. Carr's (T. S.) History and Geography of Greece. 12mo. 7s. 6d. Osborne's Grand Junction Railway Guide. royal 18mo. 3s. 64. cloth. 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Botany; Library of Useful Knowledge. 8vo. 4s. cloth. Geology as a Science, by John Rooke. 12mo. 6s. cloth. Memoirs of a Prisoner of State, translated by Britton's Dictionary of Architecture. royal 8vo. 56s. half-bound. Henderson's Arithmetical Architecture of the Beauties of the Isle of Wight. 18mo. 3s. swd. Freeling's London, Liverpool, and Manchester Railway Companion. 18mo. 5s. bound. Paul on the Ringworm. imperial 8vo. 6s. cl. Wardreper on the Structure, Diseases, and Treatment of the Teeth. 8vo. 3s. cloth. Curie's Practice of Homœopathy. 8vo. 9s. cl. The Rev. J. C. Crosthwaite has in the press a new edition of Archbishop Potter's Discourse on Church Government, in which the text and notes of the original are corrected from the latest edition revised by the archbishop; the passages referred to as authorities are given at length, and several new notes and illustrations are added. PRICES OF CANAL SHARES, DOCK STOCKS, &c. At the Office of R. W. Moore, 5, Bank Chambers, Lothbury, Ir may appear strange to the readers of this work, that no notice was taken in last month's number of the Church Discipline and the Plurality Bills. The reason was this: the Editor knew nothing of there being such a bill as the first, till he saw it noticed in the parliamentary proceedings, when nothing was said which could lead to any knowledge of its contents, or its being different from that of preceding years. Still he was not easy at being thus behindhand, till he found that so late as July 28th or 29th the editor of the Standard said that he had even then never seen the bill,) owing to the regulations of the House of Lords,) and knew nothing of its provisions except from the speeches respecting it. This, the Editor trusts, will sufficiently explain his silence. He could not discuss that of which he had no means whatever of knowing anything, and any discussion of the bill would now be fruitless. But it is a subject to which he begs to call the attention of clergy, who may in the course of the next few months offer many useful suggestions. With respect to the other bill, there is one clause in it which he feels to be so personally hard, that he was unwilling to enter on any discussion of the bill, as, if there were other parts from which he expressed any dissent, it might be attributed to prejudice or feeling. The Editor hopes to give full abstracts of the Residence and Pluralities Bill, and the Irish Tithe Bill, in the next number. The press of matter has required the postponement of several articles now in type-among them "" on “The Church of England view of the Church of Rome," a letter on The Importance and Mode of Circulating Tracts," besides several Notices and Reviews. Indeed, matters in that department are very much in arrear. An apology is due to Mr. Archdeacon Pott, and Mr. Horne, whose Coronation Sermons have been received, as well as Visitation Sermons by Mr. Vogan, Mr. Dalton, and Mr. Fox, which ought to have been noticed before. "Anglo-Cambrensis" will see that his letter (which did not arrive until the August number was actually published) is inserted. If he will have the goodness to send a line to the Editor, stating his present address, he shall be informed why he has not heard from the Editor in the course of the month. "Siwel's" note arrived only just before the proof of these notices; it is in the hands of the gentleman whom he mentions. There is no motive for publishing it. THE BRITISH MAGAZINE. ОСТ. 1, 1838. ORIGINAL PAPERS. POPISH LEGENDS.-No. I. THERE is perhaps no point in which popery is so open to attack as its legends. Some of them are such outrages upon common sense and decency-so profane and so filthy-so entirely abominable for both falsehood and mischief-that the champions of the Romish church know not what to do with them, and would give their ears to be fairly rid of them. Their only possible shift is to put on a piteous imploring face, and appeal to the candour of their opponents whether it is not unkind and unchristian to taunt them with the folly and ignorance of their forefathers-whether it is right to make them responsible for the productions of ages sunk in ignorance and barbarism. This may sometimes be said by papists who know no better, and then it is simply comical; but if it is said by those who are more educated it is dishonest. It is the pretence of men who have no regard to truth, and no conscience about means-it is their plea for the unclean spirits which are going to and fro in their church, debasing and enslaving the minds of the people, stultifying them into something more diabolical than beasts, and making them in short just what they ought to be in order to meet the requirements of atheistical intriguers-of priests and politicians without creed or principle. It matters not one straw when, where, or by whom, or with what design, or what immediate effect, or why, or wherefore, the profane legends of popery were written. It matters not what degree of forbearance is to be shewn to our foolish ancestors, who, if we may believe those who talk as if they should know, were very absurd persons. The charge is not, that these horrid stories were written by fanatical or drunken monks in the dark ages, but that in this enlightened age when they may be printed by steam-engines, dispersed by railroads, and read in all the glare of gas-light, they are, as they always have been, circulating under the sanction of the church of Rome. The question which includes and decides the whole matter, VOL. XIV.-Oct. 1838. 3 c |