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Russell is, in itself, a sufficient recommendation to all who are acquainted with his writings, or who know the estimation in which he is held by that Church which he adorns and serves by his piety, learning, wisdom, and zeal.

Schismatic or no Schismatic, &c. By a Clergyman. Edinburgh: Grant. London Burns. Aberdeen: Brown, 1843.

THIS is an ably-written pamphlet. Its object is to convict Mr. Drummond of schism, and answer his accusations against the Scottish Communion Office. Its entire freedom from party views or extreme opinions renders it peculiarly valuable in the present juncture. It is the production, we understand, of a young man of great promise.

The following passage, occurring near the conclusion of the work, is full of wisdom :

"With Mr. Drummond and his congregation I have done, and now turn, for an instant, to the Church they have renounced. That she is at this moment filling her proper place in the nation in which she has been planted; that she is so rich as she ought to be in the fruits of holiness, so firm in the publication of truth, and so fearless of the frown of man, her best and most dutiful children will not pretend. They know that this is not the time for listening to eulogy, but for betaking themselves to prayer and for girding themselves to action. The Church of the North is not the beautiful ideal which those at a distance may fancy her to be. In some directions she is crippled by men who ignorantly joined, and would presumptuously coerce her. In others, she is scandalized by the utter deadness and secularity of persons who look on her worship as a sort of Sunday luxury, and think they may reserve her as a fashionable sect for their own caste, while they recommend her Establishment for the masses. Some, again, repel, by their arrogance and acrimony, those to gain whom would be as life from the dead' to us; forgetting that our brethren are to be won by meekness and gentleness, and that they will never receive the truths we bring them till we recognise in them the truths they hold. Others, it is to be feared, deeply injure the Church by creating an alliance in the popular apprehension between her great and characteristic principles and her fanciful minutiae of ritual. It is not her commission to enlighten the country on the staining of an oriel or the bordering of an altar cloth, the dimensions of a chancel or the constitution of a choir. It is here to innoculate the mind of Scotland with truths to which it is not a stranger; to teach anew a forgotten article of the Creed; to rescue it from faction and to reclaim it to unity. It is here to preach the Gospel of universal redemption for every man- -Christ dying on the cross, and the Spirit in holy baptism claiming for him every age of man. It is hers to revive views of sacramental grace which the land is fast losing. It is hers to lift its people from their isolation and individuality, and restore to them, in its distinctness, the blessed impression that they are one in Christ, and in the Church, which is his body.'

Church Decoration, not Popery but Piety: a Sermon, &c. By the Rev. John Cobbold Aldrich, M.A., Incumbent of St. Lawrence. Ipswich: Pawsey. London: Longmans.

1843.

A MANLY exposition of the truth couched in eloquent language, and characterised by a truly Christian spirit. Mr. Aldrich's case is good, and he pleads it well.

The History of a Ship, from her Cradle to her Grave. By Grandpa Ben. Darton and Clark, Holborn Hill.

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THIS Work not only contains the history of a ship, but many lively incidents transacted in various ships. Grandpa Ben is an amusing old fellow, and evidently such a grandpa as most young children would like to have. He is not one of that class, who, after the toils of vigorous manhood are over, sits in his great arm-chair smoking his pipe, and dreaming the dregs of his life away

by sluggishly pondering over the past. He tells all he knows of his seafaring days; and we would recommend all our young readers to send for his volume, that they may know as much as himself. They would not only be amused with his tales, but instructed in naval matters. Numerous cuts and diagrams are also interspersed throughout the work, which renders it more valuable. The work is calculated to dispel the general ignorance which exists among our youth on naval concerns.

ECCLESIASTICAL INTELLIGENCE.

SOCIETY FOR PROMOTING CHRISTIAN KNOWLEDGE.

A MEETING of this Society was held on the 2nd of January, when liberal grants of books and tracts were made to the Bishop of Barbadoes; to Sır Peregrine Maitland, who is about to proceed to the Cape of Good Hope as Governor of that colony, to Lieutenant-Colonel Johnstone, commander of the 27th regiment of foot at Fort Beaufort, for the use of his soldiers; to the Rev. G. Stokes, chaplain to the British residents at Rouen; to the Rev. W. White, minister of the Episcopal Chapel at Jedburgh, N. B.; to E. A. Lingard, Esq., for the Mersey and Irwell navigators; to the Rev. J. King, of Freemantle, Western Australia; and to the Rev. W. F. Vance, chaplain to the Refuge for the Destitute." A grant of money was made, likewise, to the Rev. A. Mortimer, of Warwick, province of Canada, for the purpose of erecting a new church at Warwick. At this meeting the secretary reported that the standing committee recommend the following members of the Society as the Committee of General Literature and Education, for election at the general meeting on the 6th of February :—

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Very Rev. the Dean of Chichester.
John Leycester Adolphus, Esq.

Rev. John Allen.
Thomas Bell, Esq.
Rev. R. W. Browne.
Rev. Thomas Dale.

Rev. T. G. Hall.

J. R. Hope, Esq.
J. H. Markland, Esq.

J. D. Powles, Esq.
Rev. W. Short.
Dr. Thomas Watson.

The subscriptions and legacies announced at this meeting amounted to £1190 3s. 1d., besides one-half of the residue of the property of Major John Williams, late of the London Road, near Worcester.

INCORPORATED SOCIETY FOR PROMOTING THE ENLARGEMENT, BUILDING, AND REPAIRING OF CHURCHES AND CHAPELS.

AT the last meeting of this Society-the Lord Bishop of London in the chair-grants of money were voted towards building additional churches or chapels at New Swindon, Wiltshire, the principal station of the Great Western Railway; at Norland, in the parish of Kensington, Middlesex; at West Hyde, in the parish of Rickmansworth; and at Yeovil, Somerset : also towards enlarging, by rebuilding existing churches at Bovingdon, Herts, and St. Alkmund's, Derby; and towards enlarging, or otherwise increasing, the accommodation in the churches at Burliscombe, Devon, and Stoke Golding, Leicestershire. The population of these parishes is 43,231 persons, while there is not church-room enough for more than 7167, less than one-sixth of the whole number. By these grants, nearly 4000 additional sittings will be

provided, but 30,000 will still be destitute of a seat in the Church of England. Such facts as these speak volumes in favour of increased liberality and exertion on the part of her devoted members. Much has been done, much is now being performed; but much more remains to be done. While our sympathies are enlisted on behalf of the heathen world-and it is right they should bewe should not forget our brethren at home, who are perishing for lack of knowledge.

ORDINATION.—The Bishops of London, Lincoln, and Ripon, intend holding their next ordinations on Sunday, the 31st of March.

CONFIRMATIONS.-The Bishop of Winchester purposes to hold confirmations throughout the county of Hants, including the Isle of Wight, in the course of the summer.

MISCELLANEOUS.

The representative Irish Bishops in the next session of Parliament are, the Lord Primate, and the Bishops of Clogher, Kilmore, and Killaloe.

An Association has been formed for " Promoting the relief of destitution in the metropolis," and for improving the condition of the poor by means of a parochial and district visiting, under the superintendence and direction of the Bishop of London, who is president of the Association, and his clergy. The object which the Association has in view, is not merely to administer relief in cases of extreme destitution, or of pressing want, but to improve the social, moral, and religious condition of the poor, by means which have been tried on a limited scale in certain districts, and which have been successful in proportion to the completeness of the system which has been put into operation, and the care with which it has been worked. We are glad to see that many nobles are enrolled in the list of the Committee appointed to carry out the designs of this truly Christian Association-an Association which must have the good wishes of every one possessing the feelings of benevolence.

The second annual letter of the Anglican Bishop in Jerusalem has just been received. Its length alone prevents its insertion in our pages. It is an interesting letter, showing there is good hope that Jerusalem will one day again be a praise in the earth."

A monument has recently been erected in the chancel of the parish church of Thurcaston, Leicestershire, to the memory of the celebrated Hugh Latimer, bishop of Worcester. It is composed of Lincolnshire stone, in the style of Louis Quartorze. Over the inscription there is a pleasing bust of the great Martyr, in white marble. Thurcaston was the birth place of this noble champion of the Protestant Faith.

SCOTTISH EPISCOPAL SOCIETY.-The annual general meeting of this Society was held at Edinburgh, on the 6th of December. The chair was taken by the Bishop of Glasgow, and among those present were the Duke of Buccleugh, Lord William Douglas, Lord Beriedale, Bishop Tarrot, Dean Ramsay, the Hon. B. Primrose, the Hon. G. F. Boyle, Archdeacon Williams, Sir James Ramsay, and Sir John Macniel. The customary motions were made and seconded by the Duke of Buccleugh, Bishop Terrot, and others.

CITY PRESS, LONG LANE: D. A. DOUDNEY.

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