Connecticut, Jan. 10.-The Standing Committee recommended Elisha Whittlesey, late a minister of the Congregational denomination, as a candidate for holy Orders.

Minnesota.-The Rev. Joseph T. Hillmar, for several years pastor of the German Roman Catholic congregations of St. Anthony and Minneapolis, has been received into communion with the Church. The application of Mr. Jacob Totka, late a minister of the German Reformed Church, to be admitted a candidate for holy Orders in the Church, was received.

Omaha, Jan. 15.-Bishop Clarkson advanced to the priesthood the Revs. H. S. G. Young, J. Patterson, and J. H. Rippey. One of the candidates had been a Methodist minister, and the others Presbyterian laymen. Three other candidates, who have been Methodist ministers, are about to be ordained to the diaconate, in Nebraska.

Long Island, Feb. 5.-Bishop Littlejohn ordained to the diaconate Wilbur F. Watkins, for twelve years past a minister of the Methodist Episcopal Church.

Baltimore.-R. A. Holland, late a Methodist preacher, and Associate Editor of the Baltimore Christian Advocate, is now a candidate for holy Orders. Mr. Griffith, a Methodist preacher of Baltimore, is about to receive Orders in the Episcopal Church.

Virginia. Mr. Charles Pearson, formerly a Methodist preacher, has been admitted as a candidate for holy Orders by the Bishop.

Missouri.-In Christchurch, St. Louis, Feb. 12th, the Bishop ordained the Rev. C. P. Jennings, M.D., to the priesthood. Dr. Jennings was for many years a Presbyterian minister."

FIFTH GENERAL SYNOD OF NEW ZEALAND.

THE "General Synod of the Branch of the United Church of England and Ireland in New Zealand" assembled at Dunedin on Feb. 1, under the presidency of the new "Primate," Bishop Harper of Christchurch. There were also present the Bishops of Auckland, Waiapu, Nelson, and Wellington, 17 presbyters, and 20 lay delegates. Bishop Patteson of Melanesia was debarred from attendance by ill-health; Bishop Jenner of Dunedin also was absent.

The Primate began his prefatory address by speaking of the Episcopal changes which had ensued in New Zealand on the resignation of Bishop Selwyn. In speaking of the consecration of Bishop Hadfield to Wellington, he called attention to "the mandate issued by himself on that occasion and received during the ordinal, the declaration made by the Bishop-elect, and the certificate of his consecration ;" these were all new things, necessitated by the new position taken towards the Church in New Zealand by the State. He described as satisfactory the working of the "Church Constitution as accepted at Wellington in 1859 and revised at Christchurch in 1865. It has contributed much to the effectual working and good and orderly government of our Church, and to that unity of action in its several ecclesiastical divisions which is so needful to the maintenance of their union with each other. Each separate diocese has

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ordered itself, and carried out its own plans for the welfare of its people; but it has done this in loyal subordination to the rules and principles sanctioned by the body, and so though acting, in many particulars, apart from the other dioceses, it has maintained the oneness of the body." time was now come he thought, for considering such questions as the appointment of lay-readers, and the adaptation of the Church's services to harvest-festivals, &c., and local requirements. He concluded by laying before the Synod a letter he had received from Bishop Jenner, together with the Archbishop of Canterbury's "Judgment" upon the Dunedin Bishopric case. The latter of these documents has appeared in our pages. Upon it Bishop Jenner wrote in his letter: "While by no means attributing to it the authority of a legal decision, I consider that it sufficiently justifies me in strenuously re-asserting my claim to the Bishopric. That claim, had the judgment of his Grace proved unfavourable to it, I had pledged myself to withdraw. Since, however, the Primate of All England pronounces in my favour, I am amply justified in resuming the contest for my rightful position."

One of the earliest discussions in the Synod was upon a motion by the Bishop of Nelson for a Committee to memorialize "the authorities of the Church at home, asking that such measures be taken as may afford relief to the clergy in the repetition of the Lord's Prayer, Creeds, and Prayers for the Queen in Divine Service." Sir W. Martin pointed out the ambiguity of the phrase "authorities of the Church at home," and the impropriety of trying to place the Province of New Zealand underneath the Provinces of Canterbury and York. The following amendment was ultimately carried:

"That this Synod recognizes the expediency of a certain discretion being exercised by the Bishops in sanctioning from time to time such divisions in the services, and modifications in the manner of celebrating those services, as may be urgently required by the circumstances of the clergy or of the people."

The Synod resolved by a majority, and without much discussion, to request the Primate to transmit to the Archbishop of Canterbury an assurance of sympathy "with the Convocation of the Province of Canterbury in the arduous and important work of revising the Authorized Version of the Sacred Scriptures, and its prayer that the great Head of the Church, Christ Jesus, will bless the deliberations of the learned men engaged therein, to the quieting of needless fears, the increase of light, and the furtherance of piety."

The Bishops on a subsequent day communicated to the Synod the following statement:

"1. In the opinion of the Bishops, a clergyman officiating in the public ministry of the Church may use any one of the public services of the Book of Common Prayer by itself.

"2. On Sundays and Holydays, when the Litany is used in the afternoon or evening service, the latter part of morning prayer after the third collect may be omitted, if the service of the Holy Communion be read.

"3. When the service of the Holy Communion has been said at an early celebration, it may be omitted at the mid-day service.

"4. In places where there is but one service, the clergyman may use at his discretion the Canticles either of the morning or evening service, the morning or evening Psalms, and two Lessons selected either from the morning or evening Lessons.

"5. The above alterations in the mode of conducting public worship will be sanctioned by the Bishop only in cases where the approval of the clergyman of the parish and of a majority of the vestry has been first obtained.

"6. A third service may be used on Sundays, either for children or otherwise, provided that the prayers be taken from the Book of Common Prayer, and the lessons from such chapters as are ordered to be read in the Prayer-book, and that the prayers be used entire and without mutilation. Permission to use such form of service to be obtained previously from the Bishop."

The Synod instituted a "Board of Voluntary Theological Examination for the whole of the Province," consisting of the Bishops and three presbyters and three laymen. To give effect to that part of the Primate's address which concerned lay agencies in the Church, the Synod " recognized the power of the Bishops to grant licences to duly qualified and approved persons to act as lay-readers, and in special cases as lay-preachers," and expressed its hope that clergymen would encourage the laity to give them assistance in the parochial work of visiting their people, and endeavour to organize such assistance as may seem best in each parish."

The question of providing supplementary Forms of Service for special occasions was relegated to a committee, which is to report hereafter.

ROMAN CATHOLIC MISSIONS IN CHINA.
(From the "John Bull.")

UNDER the unattractive title Travels of a Pioneer of Commerce in Pigtail and Petticoats, Mr. T. T. Cooper, late Agent for the Chamber of Commerce at Calcutta, has published a narrative of the journey he performed, in native costume, from Shanghae across China into Thibet, in quest of a trade route to India. Unfortunately the Mohammedan insurrection closed the way at the last moment, and the traveller, after showing enormous courage and endurance, was turned back with no little risk of his life, when some sixty miles more would have accomplished his object.

Mr. Cooper gives a most interesting account of the French Roman Catholic Missions, which have made such wonderful progress that their posts now extend in an unbroken chain from the Yellow River to beyond the western border of China. It was greatly by their assistance that the journey was accomplished. These missions were commenced early in the last century by the French Lazarists after the almost entire extirpation of the Jesuit Missions. They have been repeatedly exposed to similar persecution from the Chinese authorities. Nevertheless, since the arrival of a Bishop at Szechuen, in 1755, the Missions have steadily increased. Hunted often for their lives-a Vicar Apostle was actually martyred in 1814, and ten native priests in the four succeeding years-the heroic

Fathers refused to abandon the country or their labours. From 1822 they have enjoyed a toleration which appears at present to be complete. The Bishop residing as Vicar-Apostolic at Chung-Ching has now four other Bishops under his metropolitical authority-three in the province of Szechuen and one in Yunnan, bordering on Thibet. There are 300 French priests, besides native priests and catechists, working in the missions, and neither Bishop nor priest ever quits the field of labour. The European Missionaries are supplied by the Société des Missions Etrangères at Paris. They land in China newly ordained priests, under vows to devote their lives to the work. They shave their heads, adopt the Chinese costume, and conform in every particular to the customs of the land of their adoption. Any one quitting the country would be arrested by the mandarins and returned to his Bishop. It is this unreserved putting their hands to the plough which has extorted the respect of the Chinese authorities. They have nothing to fear from men who cut themselves off from social and political relations to cast in their lot with their converts for ever. The salary of a Bishop is 100 taels a month, or 4007. a year; of a simple priest 20 taels (807. per annum). All, of course, are celibates, and much food is received in presents from their flocks. Still the ménage must tax the resources even of French economy, and it is impossible not to admire so genuine a picture of Christian self-sacrifice. The Missionaries think it needful to assume with other Chinese usages the customary marks of social rank; the Fathers are addressed as Low-ya, "elder," and Ta-low-ya, "great elder," and the native Christians are expected to bend the knee in saluting them, as to their own magistracy. The Bishops in like manner assume the title and state of mandarins: they are styled Ta-jen, "Excellency," travel in green chairs, and sport the little yellow silk flag, with their names in red letters, which are always carried by the retainers of Chinese men of rank. Mr. Cooper speaks of Monseigneur Despleches and Bishop Chanveau as accomplished and benevolent prelates; he was indebted to them not only for guidance and counsel by the way, but for cashing his letters of credit, and furnishing him with advances, to avoid the perilous charge of treasure on the road; even presents were forced on him by these apostles of another communion, while the heretic on his part did not refuse to attend their worship, and hears honourable witness to the piety and decorum of the native congregation. Huc's estimate of 100,000 converts Mr. Cooper thinks rather too high; but there is no doubt of the number being very large and increasing. The Chinese authorities are not so indifferent to the progress as they affected to be caring nothing for religion, they are jealous of a new social and political influence. The literati class, in particular, are so hostile, that the Fathers find it prudent to keep out of their way when the students collect for the periodical examinations. In Thibet the hostility is mortal. The Lamas resolutely resist the entrance of the Missionaries into the Sacred Land; and though Mr. Cooper carefully separated himself from his Christian friends after leaving the bounds of their influence, it was mainly the suspicion of some proselytizing object which caused him to fail of final success.

We may append some statistics lately given by the Pall Mall Gazette. That journal says:-"The reported success of the first Missionaries is almost incredible. When John de Montcorvin arrived at Pekin in 1300 he found about 6,000 Christians, who had all been converted by two Italian Missionaries. After Montcorvin came Xavier, Ricci, and Adam Schaal, all of whom are said to have been eminently successful. Between 1650 and 1664, Schaal is said to have baptized 100,000 Chinese. Verbiest was the last of the great pioneers of the Roman Catholics. The successes of these men were immense, and they enjoyed the reputation of being devoted Christians and hard workers. Many religious and scientific books written by them are renowned for their accuracy and idiomatic purity. For the last 200 years the literary achievements of the Missionaries and the number of conversions fell far short of the work of the early Missionaries. There are at present in China and its dependencies, including Mongolia, Manchuria, Corea, and Thibet, 34 Bishops; 348 foreign and 453 native priests; 17 colleges with 681 pupils; 1,000 day-schools attended by 15,491 students; 41 orphanages, in which 4,235 souls are lodged and fed; and 9 establishments of the Sisters of Mercy, besides the one destroyed at Tientsin. It is said there are 450,000 Christians in the Chinese Empire in communion with the See of Rome, but various estimates are current, and it is hard to decide."

REVIVAL OF POPULAR PREACHING IN THE CHURCH OF GREECE.

THE Patriarch of Constantinople is urging on his clergy the neglected duty of preaching, stimulated by what is passing within the kingdom of Greece. The wife of Dr. Hill lately wrote from Athens :

"The year before we paid our late visit to the United States there appeared here an obscure individual from one of the monasteries near Jerusalem. He took a very humble position in the choir of one of the principal churches of this city. On the approach of Lent, he obtained from the Synod permission to preach, although he was not one of the city clergy. After he had given one or two public discourses, it became the question of the day among all classes of the community, 'Have you heard Latas?' and the greatest excitement prevailed, caused by the talents and eloquence of the preacher. Dr. Hill and I heard him on Good Friday, 1867, and we thought his discourse one of the most remarkable productions of the kind we had ever listened to; such an astonishing combination of thought, strength of memory, and eloquent manner of delivery, we had never before witnessed.

"It was wished by his friends that such remarkable gifts should be improved by a higher style of mental culture and a more extensive acquaintance with religious development than could be attained in Greece; and a Greek gentleman of wealth having offered to pay his expenses for three years while he pursued his theological studies in the German Universities, he left Athens for this purpose in 1867. He returned in 1869, and is now fully qualified for the great work which has been given him to do.