of joy : at thy right hand there are
pleasures for evermore."
When the golden bowl is breaking,

And all loose the silver cord ;
When the soul its flight is taking

To the presence of its Lord; When the ties to earth are rending,

And Death's angel draweth nigh ; When around the couch are bending

Those who wait the final sigh; When the eyes on earth are closing,

If the eye of Faith but shine, Jesu, in Thine arms reposing,

Thou wilt shield that saint of Thine.

Fre the spirit quits its dwelling,

In its failing house of clay,
From beyond dark Jordan's swelling

There shall burst a glorious ray :-
One bright glimpse of heaven revealing,

From the presence of that throng Which before the Throne is pealing

Forth a joyous, ceaseless song, Pouring floods of light and gladness,

Speeds the soul along its road From the bed of death and sadness,

To its endless, blest abode.

THE SACRAMENTAL AND CEREMONIAL SCHEME. ON THE APPOINTMENT OF THE REV. W. S. BENNETT TO THE LIVING OF FROME. The following is the answer returned “I will only add, in conclusion, that by the Bishop of Bath and Wells, to as you, and all those who have signed the a Memorial from Frome, protesting protest, have done no more than they against the appointment of Mr. Ben considered to be their duty in thus ex. nett:

pressing their opinions to me, and I have

myself as candidly stated my own feel “ Brighton, Jan. 12, 1852. ing on the subject, which I trust will “ Rev. AND DEAR SIR, I have read have the effect of allaying any fears and given my best attention to the me. which they have entertained, it is my morial signed by yourself and some of earnest hope that there will be no unthe clergy, and other persons, forwarded seemnly opposition on the part of the to me from Frome, upon the recent ap clergy, or any of those who have pointment of Mr. Bennett to that living signed the protest, and that Mr. Benby the Marchioness of Bath.

nett will be received with kindly feeling. "I can assure you had I not been sa “ I am, Rev. and dear Sir, your faithtisfied that Mr. Bennett was not attached ful servant, to, or likely to be influenced by, the

“R. BATI AND Wells. doctrines of the Church of Rome; or "The Rev. H. D. Wickham." likely to influence in that direction others of any congregation committed to his

Had not Mr. Bennett, one, if not the care, I should have declined instituting him, from whatever quarter his nomina

very arch-priest of the Tractarian Sation might have come: but as I am fully

cramental scheme, been lately foisted satisfied that Mr. Bennett has a firm into a living in a Church to which he and deep-rooted attachment to our own does not belong, the pages of the Church, and to all the doctrines of the “ Christian Guardian” should not Church of England, repudiating all Ro- have been troubled with this short mish doctrines, I feel that I should be article. The parish of Frome is likely acting unjustly by him, and uncour- to become the arena of religious strife; teously as well as unfairly by the Mar

and who can wonder, when the hand chioness of Bath (whose firm attachment

of patronage, supported by the chief to our Church is so well known), if I were

ecclesiastical authority, forces upon a to refuse him admission into my diocese :

parish a man recently all but expelled I shall therefore adhere as firmly to my intention of instituting Mr. Bennett

from the London diocese? (however respectable the signatures to

Driven from Knightsbridge by pubany protest may be), as I should have

lic opinion, impelling the tardy action objected to have done, had my opinion of an unstable Bishop, Mr. Bennett of his attachment to the Church been has thus, after a twelvemonth's retreat, otherwise.

ré-appeared in the character of a clergyman of the Church of England. he has entered, the awful responsiThe protest of the Frome clergy and bility of admitting a man, who aclaity, addressed both to the Mar- cording to his own statement, would chioness of Bath, and the Bishop of in France be a member of the Gallican Bath and Wells, has appeared in nearly Church, and in Rome a Roman Caall the public journals, and the answer tholic, but who being born an Englishof the latter is given here only because man, feels it to be his duty to be a it contains the distinct assertion of the Romanizing minister in the Anglican Bishop, that Mr. Bennett is considered communion. by him an orthodox son and minister All honest christian Churchmen of the Church of England.

cannot escape this conclusion when Whatever the head that composed, they read the following statement : and the hand that penned that an

“Every one of us is bound to hear the swer, the voice must be considered as

Church. If doubts or difficulties arise the authoritative decision of an En

in his mind. a man must appeal not to glish Bishop, that the complaints of his own learning, reasoning power, or the Frome people are groundless, and judgment, but the Church. In England that the extracts from his lately pub- he looks round hiin for the Church, and lished“ Letters to his Children" form finds it represented by the Bishops and no basis on which to rest any accusation Priests, de facto such, and recognized with of Romanism. It is thoroughly un- jurisdiction, as such ; he has no need of necessary to do more than quote Nii. arguing any matter, it is her business to Bennett in his writings, and in his see that all is right-not his. Provided practices, to prove that if he is not a there be orders and apostolical succession, Roman Catholic priest de facto, he is

- provided there be open profession of not prevented from being so by any

the Catholic faith by the three Creeds, tie of private judgment binding hiin

- provided there be no open denial of

anything essential to salvation, – then in preference to the Protestant Church.

obedience is to come into play, and his At St. Paul's, Knightsbridge, and at likings are to submit to the simple fact of St. Barnabas, Pimlico, he delighted to being where he is, and that by the will of give by a combination of ceremonial God, in the Church visibly existing before observances, and ecclesiastical decora- him. To go out of her would be schis. tions, with a teaching on many points, matical. In the same way, being born in so purely Romish, or tending thereto, Italy, he looks round him for the Church, that he managed to imprint ou the and finds it represented by the Bishops ministrations of both those churches, and Priests, with all things appertaining. more of the character of the Church He has, as an individual, no right to dicof Rome than that of the Church of

tate to the Church, but to hear it. Does England.

it deny anything necessary to salvation ?

Does it insist upon any practice which Our former correspondent, “A

will bring damuation ? Certainly not. Churchman of the Reformation,” in Then, whether he likes what is taught, in his reprint of the letters upon “Trac- detail, is nothing to the point; he looks tarian Practices,” which appeared in to the Church which he sees visibly before the “Christian Guardian, soine months himn; he submits to that Church. To do since, has added a fourth, in which so is Catholic; to do otherwise would be he handles severely, but by no means schismatical. He is to live as though he unduly so, the monstrous anomaly of did not know of the existence of any other a man who thinks, acts, and writes Church than that where he is born ; he is like Mr. Bennett, being verinitted to to act a priori, as though of course, and minister within a Protestant Church. ace

according to our Lord's rule, the Church The one passage quoted by our cor

were ONE. If there be differences, that

is nothing to him. The Churches, with respondent, from Mr. Bennett's “ Let

their Bishops and rulers, must look to ters to his Children," is of itself enough

nough that. It is their sin that unity is broken. to stamp, not only its author with the

It is their duty to restore it. It is his brand of infidelity to the truths of alone to obey. In Rome he obeys, in Scripture, and the real principles of England be obeys, in France he obeys ; our Protestant Church, but it also his obedience makes him a catholic. The throws upon the Bishop of the diocese rest he leaves to God.”

A sentence immediately preceding by reference to the Articles, what the above extract, leaves no doubt as meaning we please to the essence and to the conclusion of Mr. Bennett's effect of the Sacrament of Baptism; mind on this subject..

but so long as our Services, in their “If a man is born in Italy, and is bap

plain, literal, and grammatical sense, tized into Christ's holy Catholic Church

declare what they do, we have not an in Italy, of course he must recognize his unimpeachable vantage ground in bishops and rulers, and the rules of faith protesting against those who choose drawn up for him there; and being of the to adhere to the strict letter of their Church of Rome (though a Church hav- language, unfettered by what we exing some grievous errors,) still, being of plain as the overriding character of the Church of Rome, he would, in Italy, the Articles. This Magazine has rebe a Catholic," &c., &c.

peatedly dealt with the almost endless This dogma of the new incumbent variety of meanings which the Evanof Frome is one which ought to be gelical body attach to the terms and immediately brought before the pro- declarations employed in the Baptisper tribunal, that we may have it de- mal Offices. We refer to the subject termined whether membership with in noticing the obnoxious appointany Church which assumes to itself ment to Frome, only because we sinthe attributes of Catholicity, is to be cerely feel, that as a Church, we cancompulsory or dependent upon the not fight as consistently or successaccident of birth within its pale. For fully as we should, were the positive our own parts we cannot but regard language of those Services less favourit as a treacherous blow against the able to the exponents of this sacraProtestant character of the Church mental scheme. The present Bishop within whose bosom Mr. Bennett of Calcutta, in his last admirable thinks it his duty to remain, although Charge has made the following stateby doing so he is injuring her to ment with reference to Infant Bapthe very utmost, perverting to the extent of his position and abilities “We have not a word in Holy Scripthe truth of her doctrines, and alienat. ture of the effects of Holy Baptism in the ing to Rome the affections of her

case of Infants. We have no direct acchildren.

count of the administration of it to them While we have ever regarded with

-not one and of course none of its apprensive jealousy the new fangled

actual spiritual benefits. All the records

we have are of the Baptism of Adults or rather imitative observances of

professing repentance and faith."-Sixth Tractarianism, we confess to a far Charge of the Bishop of Calcutta. Oct. deeper dread of the enunciation of its 1851. pp. 313. sacramental scheme; and we are all the more disturbed by this branch of

Now, if this be so, and but few will

undertake to deny it, what defence its teaching, because we cannot but

can be offered for declarative statesee that very many, who otherwise

ments of effects, as distinct and posidiffer in toto from these Semi. Papists, are not themselves clear upon the

tive, as if Scripture had plainly and nature of that one sacrament which is

authoritatively spoken? The Article with Tractarians the foundation of

speaks modestly as to the practice; their faith. Not that we imagine for

why cannot our Church consent to a moment that any amongst ourselves. Wenn

speak as modestly in her Services. ascribe to inherent priestly power the

s. We cannot but regard the declaration

in the Office for Private Baptism as

; efficacy of any thing they ministerially perform ; but so long as we retain our

positively indefensible. To fight Mr.

Bennett and his school fairly and sucBaptismal Officesin their present form,

cessfully, we must have our own so long is there more than a shadow

hands unfettered by these equivocal of an excuse for that basis of a sacra

Services.

C. A. mental scheme upon which the Tractarians erect their whole fatally de

fin a few impressions, by a misprint, the

initials of Mr. Bennett are given as “ W. S.," inlusive superstructure. We may affix, stead of “W. J. E.”]

JANUARY—1852.

PRAYER-BOOK EMENDATIONS.

In two former numbers of the “Chris- present must do good in one way or the tian Guardian," there appeared spe- other; either in promoting it, by encimens of Revised Baptismal and abling “the more moderate persons Communion Services. To give the belonging to the ruling party” thus other Services at length would be a to privately gain “an insight into the needless waste of space. The writer, points in which alteration ”is “chiefly therefore, has selected all the passages demanded,” (which the Bishop of St. in them where alteration might be Asaph deems essential to any satisdesirable, and has given them at one factory conference on the subject, view, whereby the public may per- History, s. 701); or, if it be proved ceive how very easy it would be to impracticable, then in making Churchalter the Prayer-book without mate- men better satisfied with what they rially changing its general features. find that they cannot agree how to The present and the emended clauses improve. are given in parallel columns; the În conclusion, the writer will just portions where no change is needed remark, that there are some, perhaps being printed all across the column many, Evangelical clergymen who as common to both. The writer does oppose all proposals to alter the not dogmatize, or lay down these as Prayer-book by authority, but who the exact changes to be made. But yet take the law into their own he hopes they will assist the public in hands, and systematically alter it for settling definitely, and coming to some themselves without authority, such conclusion on these points,-1. Is Re- as by the habitual alteration and vision necessary ? 2. Is it expedient? omission of the Apocryphal lessons ; 3. Is it practicable? And as the the mutilation of the Marriage Serpracticability must in a great measure vice; the omission of Athanasius' depend upon those who think it “ne- Creed; the disuse of the Comminacessary” or “expedient,” coming to tion on Ash-Wednesday; the nonsome sort of an agreement among observance of such days as Ascensionthemselves as to the Maximum or the day, and the ignoring of the Saints' Minimum of the changes which they days; &c. &c. The writer of these would petition to be made, so these remarks feels no sympathy with such. remarks are designed to assist in the While the Prayer-book remains as it promotion of such agreement. The is, he does his best honestly to carry writer here gives his views of the out in practice its obvious proviMaximum of any changes. He leaves sions,--to "conform to the Liturgy it to others to propose a Minimum. as it is now by law established,”—

For himself he does not contend for and to teach the laity rightly to underrevision as “necessary” in itself, if stand its few phrases of dubious imthe Prayer-book can generally become port. And doing this, he claims the properly understood, and carried out right, as a consistent and attached in its present form on Scriptural and churchman, to advocate Revision as Protestant principles. But as he con- expedient, where facts tend to prove it siders such a desirable state of things so. For the Preface of our Prayerto be nearly hopeless, so he considers book defines true Churchmanship to Revision to be highly “expedient,” if be no less opposed to the extreme of practicable. And since, “whenever" “ too much stiffness in refusing," than a subject is “brought under discus- to that of “ too much easiness in adsion" then “it may always be hoped mitting," any variation from the Esthat truth will ultimately prevail,” tablished Liturgy. (Bp. of St. Asaph's History, s. 302), so

C. H. D. he considers that discussions like the Dec. 1851.