denounced in God's Law against sin. To pronounce an offender excommunicate, and then to call in the civil power, is to confess at once that the Church is not invested by its Divine Founder with any external coercive power, and that it is desirous to obtain that which He never intended to confer on it."-p. 28-30,

We commend to the attentive consideration of our readers the subsequent remarks of the learned prelate on this most important subject, and also his just censure of that absurd congeries of sectarians entitled the "Evangelical Alliance." The concluding part of the charge is also replete with excellent advice in reference to the true method of resisting Romish attempts at proselytism, namely, by making our own system as efficient as possible in every way.

XIX.-The Succession of Bishops in the Church of England unbroken; or, the Nag's Head Fable refuted. With a Postscript on the Ordination Services of Edward the Sixth, in reply to the Ninth Letter of the Rev. J. Spencer Northcote. By E. C. HARINGTON, M.A., Prebendary of Exeter, &c. London : Rivingtons.

THE author of this tract, whose research and erudition are well known to the public, as the author of a valuable work on the Object, Importance, and Antiquity of the Rite of Consecration of Churches," has now added to the obligations under which he has placed all good Churchmen by the publication of the seasonable and well written pamphlet of which we have transcribed the title. In this tract Mr. Harington satisfactorily disposes of the absurd and wicked fable of the Nag's Head Consecration,-a fable which is produced and reproduced by those who are fully aware of its falsehood. Mr. Harington's refutation of Mr. Northcote's objections to the validity of the form of consecration in the ordinal of Edward VI. is also most complete. The tract will be found useful for circulation where attempts are made to throw doubt on the validity of the English ordinations.

xx.-Miscellaneous.

A USEFUL tract entitled "Dialogues on Confirmation" has lately been published by Mr. Burns. It explains in a clear and intelligible way the various branches of the Christian covenant, and the vows which are renewed at confirmation. A little manual entitled "A Few Words of Advice to a Public School Boy, by an Assistant Master" (Rivingtons), comprises a series of brief

rules and practical suggestions as to conduct at a public school, which cannot fail to be very useful. A Visitation Sermon on "The Means of Increasing the Efficiency of the Church," by the Rev. James A. Beaumont, M.A. (Leeds: Harrison), assigns reasons for a large increase in the numbers of bishops and clergy. A Visitation Sermon, by the Rev. H. Almack, D.D., describes the defective state of the popular religion of the day, and points out as a remedy an increased faithfulness on the part of the clergy in the discharge of their ordination vows.

We have to acknowledge with thanks the receipt of a copy of a Discourse delivered at Newark, New Jersey, by the Rector, the Rev. M. H. Henderson (New York). This discourse was delivered on the Centennial Anniversary of the granting the Charter of the Church at Newark; and it assumes an historical character, which, on such an occasion, was doubtless full of interest to those who heard it.

Amongst periodical publications we have to notice the "Ecclesiologist" as being continued with unabated interest. "Sharpe's London Magazine" is establishing its reputation as the cheapest, and one of the best of the periodical publications of the day. "The West of England Miscellany" appears to be well and ably conducted. "The Churchman's Monthly Penny Magazine, or Guide to Christian Truth," appears to be "evangelical" in its principles. It is written with spirit and ability, and appears to be, at present, chiefly occupied in the defence of the Church of England against the attacks of Dissenters.

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Foreign and Colonial Entelligence.

AMERICA. Popish Occupation of the Oregon Territory.-Hardly has the dispute between England and America on the division of the Oregon territory been brought to a peaceable termination, when the Popish papers announce the fact that the whole of the territory has been claimed for the spiritual supremacy of the Pope. In the exercise of this assumed universal jurisdiction over the whole earth, the territory has been divided into eight dioceses, one of which is to have an archiepiscopal see, with jurisdiction over the other seven. The Ami de la Religion gives on this occasion a detailed history of the Popish mission which has existed in the Oregon territory ever since November, 1838; containing also a variety of statements respecting the Protestant missions, especially those of the Methodists and Presbyterians: and among others the assertion that the only clergyman of the English Church, stationed for two years at Vancouver, left the country three weeks before the arrival of the first Popish missionaries. We have no means of testing the accuracy of this statement, nor are we aware whether the English Church has at present any mission or ecclesiastical establishment in that part of the world; at all events it is evident that unless efficient measures be at once adopted to plant our national Church there, the ground will be effectually preoccupied by the Romish intruders. Of the eight sees erected, three only are to be filled up at present; viz., the archiepiscopal see, of which M. Blanchet, appointed last year to the newly-created Bishopric of Oregon, is to be the first occupant; a brother of his and his vicar-general will be the other two bishops; one of these will take under his administration the whole of the English, and the adjacent Russian possessions; the other will share with the archbishop the administration of the American part of the territory. M. Blanchet has been perambulating France, with a view to raise money and men in aid of his mission; he is expected to leave France at the end of September, with twelve missionaries and eight nuns; besides four Jesuits and four Frères des Écoles Chrétiennes. The previous force of the mission consists of sixteen missionaries, one half of whom are Jesuits, imported into the territory two years ago, with a superior, Father Smet, at their head. The order will therefore have at once a nucleus of twelve members to commence operations. We sincerely hope that this intelligence will arouse the two Missionary Societies of our Church to active exertion in that quarter.

Roman Catholic Synod at Baltimore-A provincial council was held with great pomp and ceremony, in May last, by the prelates of the Romish hierarchy in the United States, at which twenty-three bishops out of the twenty-seven comprised in the province were present; one, M. Blanchet, Bishop of Oregon, being absent in Europe, and three others

prevented from attending through age or ill health. Several decrees were passed, one of them appointing the next council to be held at Baltimore in 1849. The other decrees have reference to the administration of the sacraments, and to other matters of ecclesiastical discipline; they will not be published until they have received the approbation of the Pope; it is, however, understood that the erection of four new bishoprics is one of the measures in contemplation. A synodal letter to "the faithful of the United States" was agreed to, and the council brought its official acts to a close, by "solemnly placing the United States under the patronage and especial protection of the most holy Virgin Mary."

The following is a list of the sees of the Romish Church in the United States, according to the official acts of the council. The Archbishopric of Baltimore, the Bishoprics of Mobile, Philadelphia, Louisville, Cincinnati, New Orleans, Dubuque, New York, Nashville, Vincennes, Natchez, Richmond, Saint Louis, Pittsburg, Little Rock, Chicago, Axiern, Hartford, Charleston, Milwankie, Boston. Besides the occupants of these twenty-one sees, there are six bishops in partibus, three of whom are coadjutors, and the three others, the administrator of Detroit, the Vicar-Apostolic of Texas, and the Vicar-Apostolic of Oregon, since erected into a separate province. Out of the twentyseven prelates, seven are natives of Ireland, and seven natives of France.

Establishment of the Benedictines in the United States.-A Benedictine mission left France in July last, for St. Joseph in Pennsylvania, where it is to found the first Benedictine monastery in the United States. The mission consists of the superior, three other divines, four scholars, and twenty-five artisans.

AUSTRALASIA. Difficulty of evangelizing the native population.-A letter from one of the missionaries stationed in Western Australia, addressed to the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel, contains a most discouraging account of the difficulty of evangelizing the natives, and urges the establishment of schools for native children, as the only means of introducing Christianity among the indigenous population of this vast continent. "Though," he says, "the adult native population is absolutely inaccessible, through our instrumentality, to the truth of the Gospel, the rising generation may be rescued from this lamentable condition. Four years have now elapsed since I established our school for aboriginal children at Fremantle; and during this period, their advancement towards civilization and evangelical knowledge has been uniformly progressive; and I have no hesitation in stating my conviction, that in moral sentiment, as well as in the attainments of ordinary humble tuition, they are not one degree inferior to the common average of European children. And with this fair field, under the very shadow of the British flag, inviting the culture of British benevolence, what has Britain done? How many missionaries has she sent forth to evangelize the children of the dark wanderers in the Australian bush? Alas,

not one! Are our brethren at home aware of this melancholy fact? And will they not arise, and wipe away this black stain from the page of her history? If you could send us one catechist, at present, together with a suitable apparatus for school instruction, and a provision for the maintenance of some twenty or more native children; under the Lord's guidance we will proceed in the work, and with the blessing of God it will prosper. That the natural erratic habits of the race may be quite subdued by education, our success in the first instance triumphantly exhibits; up to the present they have remained steady, without one exception, and we have no apprehension as to the future."

In another part of the same letter, the inefficient state of the mission, in consequence of its crippled means, is thus urged: "Our humble labours, as you are aware, are confined to the rising generation, the only avenue to which hope seems to beckon our willing advance; and this is extremely narrowed and circumscribed through a deficiency of means. In regard to numbers, our native school is at a stand, and must remain so, except we receive aid from home. The Government grant, which is its sole support, is 50l. per annum, and cannot be augmented. From this sum we pay 25l. per annum to the matron in charge of the institution; and the remaining 251. is our only available fund for the clothing and entire maintenance of eleven youths."

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In the hope of drawing attention to the urgent appeal of the writer of the above remarks, and to the national sin of abandoning our colonial population to be divided between heathenism and popery, we give from the Ami de la Religion the following extracts from a letter written by a Benedictine missionary, within a few weeks, and a few miles' distance of the other', which shows both the activity of the Romanists, and the encouragement which they receive from the Government: "In a few days," says the writer, we shall leave Perth, and proceed to the interior of Australia, towards Moore River. That is the post which our Bishop has kindly confided to us. He has marked out the whole country between the 31st and 20th degrees of south latitude, for the Benedictine Mission; but one of us, M. Zastell, having lost all courage, is determined not to leave Perth, and we are thus reduced to the number of three. This number is very small for the great enterprises we have Let us hope that Providence will send us a reinforcement of some French Benedictines.

before us.

"I have thought it right to propose to the Propaganda at Rome, the establishment of a Congregation of Missionary Benedictines of Australia; by and by it would consist of such natives as might embrace the rule of our Father St. Benedict. The Government has authorized us to select twenty acres of land at Moore River; but we have only our own arms for tilling the ground and for building, and, above all, we have to devote ourselves to the instruction of the poor savages, and to public prayer. Besides, we must forthwith think of preparing others to

1 The letter of our missionary, the Rev. G. King, is dated Fremantle, January 1, 1846; that of the Benedictine missionary, Don Serra, Perth, February 13, 1846.