of writing and of thought, to the same poetic diction, and in part to the same material objects, the same countries, and the same historical associations. In this sense the Hebrew is not a dead language. By its most intimate connexion with the Arabic, and, we may add, with the Syriac, it is still spoken at the foot of Mount Ararat, on the site of old Nineveh, at Carthage, in the ancient Berytus, and where Paul was shipwrecked. It is reviving in Egypt, and the Bible and the Tract Societies are spreading its literature on the wings of every wind. GENEALOGY. THE whole science of genealogical accuracy is derived from the children of Israel, whose individual families indulged a hope that the promised Messiah might be born from their stock; a pure authenticated pledge became consequently one of the peculiar features of Jewish polity; such a qualification was deemed absolutely necessary to all candidates for power and honour. NECESSITY OF RELIGIOUS EDUCATION, THE Bishop of Calcutta, Dr. Daniel Wilson, has addressed a letter to the Secretary to the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, in which he makes the following most pertinent remarks on this subject. It is, indeed, a disgrace to the country, that Ministers should leave that to individuals which it is the decided duty of every Christian state to promote by every means in its power-the religious instruction of its colonies and dependencies. We make a short extract:" I need not observe," says he, "to the Venerable Society, that the outburst of mere curiosity in a heathen and Mahomedan people, their mere grasp after human science, their attainments in the arts, and learning, and wisdom of this world, if that is all, will only resemble the eruption of a volcano, to bury in ruins the fair fields which stretch around. Knowledge, as introductory to Christianity, I hail with joy; but if divorced from it, with extreme alarm and suspicion. There is a demand all over India for books of religious instruction. Nothing is of service in India but what is pregnant with the immediate Gospel of Christ in all its simplicity, all its grace, all its spirituality, all its holy tendencies. I was very much gratified, some time since, with those tracts which had then been transmitted to Calcutta. Our noble Anglican Church, the glory of the Reformation, and the chief bulwark of Christianity in Europe, is now sorely beset by Papists and Infidels on the one hand, and separatists and heretics on the other. Human Governments seem to be deserting her. Never, therefore, was she more loudly called to union within herself. Blessed are those peace-makers who sacrifice every thing but truth to her stability and safety. God is purifying her indeed. May she come out more spiritual, devoted, and active than ever in promoting christian knowledge both at home and abroad." LAW REPORT. No. LIX.-AN ACT FOR RENDERING VALID BONDS, COVENANTS, AND OTHER ASSURANCES FOR THE RESIGNATION OF ECCLESIASTICAL PREFERMENTS, IN CERTAIN SPECIFIED CASES. WHEREAS it is expedient that certain bonds, covenants, and other assurances for the resignation of ecclesiastical preferments, should be rendered valid in the cases and subject to the limitations hereinafter specified; be it therefore enacted by the King's most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, That every engagement by promise, grant, agreement, or covenant, which shall be really and boná fide made, given, or entered into at any time after the passing of this Act, for the resignation of any spiritual office, being a benefice with cure of souls, dignity, prebend, or living ecclesiastical, to the intent or purpose, to be manifested by the terms of such engagement, that any one person whosoever, to be specially named and described therein, or one of two persons to be specially named and described therein, being such persons as are hereinafter mentioned, shall be presented, collated, nominated, or appointed to such spiritual office, or that the same shall be given or bestowed to or upon him, shall be good, valid, and effectual in the law to all intents and purposes whatsoever, and the performance of the same may also be enforced in equity: Provided always, that such engagement shall be so entered into before the presentation, nomination, collation, or appointment of the party so entering into the same as aforesaid. II. Provided always, and be it further enacted, That where two persons shall be so specially named and described in such engagement, each of them shall be, either by blood or marriage, an uncle, son, grandson, brother, nephew, or grand nephew of the patron, or of one of the patrons of such spiritual office, not being VOL. XX. NO. XI. merely a trustee or trustees of the patronage of the same, or of the person or one of the persons for whom the patron or patrons shall be a trustee or trustees, or of the person or one of the persons by whose direction such presentation, collation, gift, or bestowing shall be intended to be made, or of any married woman whose husband in her right shall be the patron or one of the patrons of such spiritual office, or of any other person in whose right such presentation, collation, gift, or bestowing shall be intended to be made. III. And be it further enacted, That no presentation, collation, gift or bestowing to or of any such spiritual office of or upon any spiritual person, to be made after the passing of this Act,nor any admission, institution, investiture, or induction thereupon, shall be void, frustrate, or of no effect in law for or by reason of any such engagement so to be made, given, or entered into by such spiritual person, or any other person or persons, to or with the patron or patrons of such spiritual office, or to or with any other person or persons, for the resignation of the same as aforesaid; and that it shall not be lawful for the King's most Excellent Majesty, his heirs or successors, for or by reason of any such engagements as aforesaid, to present or collate unto, or give or bestow such spiritual office; and that such spiritual person, and patron or patrons, or other person or persons respectively, shall not be liable to any pains, penalty, forfeitures, loss, or disability, nor to any prosecution or other proceeding, civil, criminal, or penal, in any court, ecclesiastical or temporal, for or by reason of his, her, or their having made, given, or entered into, or accepted or taken such engagement as aforesaid; and that every such presentation or collation, or gift or bestowing, to be made after the passing 4 T of this Act, and every admission, institution, investiture, and induction thereupon, shall be as valid and effectual in the law to all intents and purposes whatsoever as if such engagement had not been made, given, or entered into, or accepted or taken; any thing in an Act passed in the thirtyfirst year of the reign of her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth, intituled "An Act against Abuses in Elections of Scholars and Presentations to Benefices," or in any other act, statute, or canon, or any law, to the contrary in any wise notwithstanding. IV. Provided always, and be it further enacted, That nothing in this Act shall extend to the case of any such engagement as aforesaid, unless one part of the deed, instrument, or writing by which such engagement shall be made, given, or entered into, shall, within the space of two calendar months next after the date thereof, be deposited in the office of the registrar of the diocese wherein the benefice with cure of souls, dignity, prebend, or living ecclesiastical, for the resignation whereof such engagement shall be made, given, or entered into as aforesaid, shall be locally situate, except as to such benefices with cure of souls, dignities, prebends, or livings ecclesiastical, as are under the peculiar jurisdiction of any archbishop or bishop, in which case such document as aforesaid shall be deposited in the office of the registrar of that peculiar jurisdiction to which any such benefice with cure of souls, dignity, prebend, or living ecclesiastical, shall be subject; and such registrars shall respectively deposit and preserve the same, and shall give and sign a certificate of such deposit thereof; and every such deed, instrument, or writing shall be produced at all proper and usual hours at such registry to every person applying to inspect the same; and an office copy of each such deed, instrument, or writing, certified under the hand of the registrar, (and which office copy so certified the registrar shall in all cases grant to every person who shall apply for the same,) shall in all cases be admitted and allowed as legal evidence thereof in all courts whatsoever; and every such registrar shall be entitled to the sum of two shillings and no more, for so depositing as aforesaid such deed, instrument, or writing, and so as aforesaid certifying such deposit thereof; and the sum of one shilling, and no more, for each search to be made for the same; and the sum of sixpence, and no more, over and besides the stamp duty, if any, for each folio of seventy-two words of each such office copy so certified as aforesaid. V. And be it further enacted, That every resignation to be made in pursuance of any such engagement as aforesaid shall refer to the engagement in pursuance of which it is made, and state the name of the person for whose benefit it is made; and that it shall not be lawful for the ordinary to refuse such resignation, unless upon good and sufficient cause to be shown for that purpose; and that such resignation shall not be valid or effectual, except for the purpose of allowing the person for whose benefit it shall be so made to be presented, collated, nominated, or appointed to the spiritual office thereby resigned, and shall be absolutely null and void unless such person shall be presented, collated, nominated or appointed as aforesaid within six calendar months next after notice of such resignation shall have been given to the patron or patrons of such spiritual office. VI. Provided also, and be it further enacted, That nothing in this Act shall extend to any case where the presentation, collation, gift, or bestowing to or of any such spiritual office as aforesaid shall be made by the King's most Excellent Majesty, his heirs or successors, in right of his crown or of his duchy of Lancaster; or by any archbishop, bishop, or other ecclesiastical person, in right of his archbishopric, bishopric, or other ecclesiastical living, office, or dignity; or by any other body politic or corporate, whether aggregate or sole, or by any other person or persons, in right of any office or dignity; or by any company or any feoffees or trustees for charitable or other public purposes; or by any other person or persons not entitled to the patronage of such spiritual office as private property. MONTHLY REGISTER. VALEDICTORY ADDRESS OF THE DEPUTATION FROM THE CHURCH IN UPPER CANADA. HAVING been deputed, with the Rev. Benjamin Cronyn, by the Church in Upper Canada, "to make known to the Archbishops, Bishops and dignitaries of the United Church of England and Ireland, the destitute state of her members in the Canadas, and, with their permission, to take such steps as might be found most expedient to interest our brethren, both of the clergy and laity, in our favour, and excite in their hearts a desire, as they have the ability, to assist us in supplying the spiritual wants of our people, and in building up a branch of the United Church in those extensive provinces;" -and being now on the eve of my return, it will not, I trust, appear inopportune briefly to state the results of our mission. The lamented indisposition and subsequent demise of our beloved Bishop (of Quebec) rendered a direct communication with his Grace the Primate indispensably necessary to our proceedings. I have felt it my duty to maintain uninterrupted that communication, by transmitting to his Grace copies of every letter of importance which I have either written or received. It is scarcely necessary to say that his Grace has unceasingly manifested the liveliest interest in our cause. From the other Archbishops, and from many of the Bishops, we have received similar assurances of sympathy, and full permission to preach and hold public meetings in their dioceses. We have presented our humble memorial to our most gracious Sovereign the Queen. To the imperial legislature our petition for relief has been submitted, which in the House of Peers gave rise to an animated and interesting discussion. With her Majesty's government I have used every legitimate effort to procure a Bishop, and some alleviation to our spiritual wants. We have brought the state of our Church personally under the attention of about two thousand of our Clergy, and one uniform expression of interest has been the result. The Universities of Oxford, Cambridge, and Dublin, have given public proof of their persuasion that the prosperity of the colonial members of the Church is necessary to the well-being of the national Zion. The members of both Houses of Parliament have been supplied with a copy of the "History of the Church in Upper Canada;" and from many I have received unequivocal testimony that the subject is considered by them as worthy of most serious consideration. Several members of both Houses have openly espoused the interest of our deserted Zion. Many of the first newspapers and periodicals in the land have directly, and ably, and gratuitously advocated our cause, given publicity to our proceedings, and drawn attention to our printed statements. About three thousand copies of our "History" have been circulated, and nearly two hundred thousand Appeals. We have preached and held public meetings in more than one-half the dioceses in England, and have travelled little less than six thousand miles. From many of the places, we have visited, petitions have been presented to Parliament. I have now openings in Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Somerset, Gloucester, Wilts, Hants, Surrey, Berks, Warwick, Suffolk, Lincoln, and York; in other words, abundant occupation for another year; but I am induced to decline any farther proceedings for reasons which appear conclusive to my own mind: First, I believe that the great object of our mission has been attained; information has been circulated, and the public attention has been consequently drawn to our destitute state. Relief, therefore, cannot long be delayed. Secondly,-"The Society for the Propagation of the Gospel" has taken up the cause of the British North American Church in good earnest; has pledged itself to send out forty missionaries; is now occupied in holding meetings, and sending preachers throughout the country; and, as I understand, purposes to employ a clerical secretary in every diocese, in order that by a systematic parochial arrangement, the energies of the Church may be called into action. No real lover of his Church can read the published account of the proceedings at Willis's-rooms, in June last, without unfeigned gratitude to God for the prospect of a speedy alleviation to our colonial destitution. (I cannot refrain from remarking here on a most unaccountable mistatement which has been put into the Bishop of London's speech, viz., that we, in Upper Canada, "have already built three hundred and sixty churches, at an expense of 2001. each." I have written, and preached, and printed, and pleaded, that WE WANT that number of churches. Such an error ought not to have appeared under the authority of the Society.) I should fear now, under this altered and most encouraging position of the Society, lest the prosecution of my individual labours in England might be interpreted into an interference with the plans of the Society. Thirdly, It is now certain that a "Queen's letter" has been granted for collections in all churches and chapels, -the proceeds to be distributed by the "Society for the Propagation of the Gospel.' About a year ago I made a most urgent appeal to his Grace the Primate to obtain such a letter for Upper Canada exclusively. We shall doubtlessly have our share in the national bounty, and therefore it might not be considered expedient to anticipate, by my own private efforts, this public appeal. Fourthly, The "Upper Canada Clergy Society" has increased the number of its missionaries. I trust the auxiliaries and agencies which I have formed and established for the society will be diligently visited. I understand from the treasurer and secretary that the committee are resolved to carry on the labours of the society with every possible energy. I am anxious to give publicity to this statement, inasmuch as under an erroneous impression, received at a committee meeting, I observed in my "History," that the society would cease to exist as soon as the "Society for the Propagation of the Gospel had succeeded in effectually relieving the spiritual necessities of the province. Fifthly, My own flock in Upper Canada have reiterated the expression of their desire, to which expression my Diocesan, the Bishop of Montreal, has given the sanction of his assent, that I should return to my labours amongst them. They have patiently endured an absence of eighteen months; and few parishes in England could have more cheerfully sacrificed to the public good, the ministrations of their appointed pastor. On taking leave of our numberless friends in England, I may be permitted briefly to place before them, and the public generally, the actual state of spiritual destitution of Britain's population in Upper Canada, the vast majority of which are of the poorer classes, and consequently utterly unable to procure spiritual instruction for themselves. Upper Canada is equal in extent to England and Wales, and is partially inhabited thoughout this entire extent of country. The roads are always bad, and frequently almost impassable. The population exceeds 500,000. The efficient Clergy, (I say efficient, for many have spent their years and strength in their labour of love,") amount to about sixty. To judge aright of our destitution, it may be necessary to speak of England's spiritual riches. The population of England may be estimated at fourteen millions, and the Clergy at fifteen thousand. Assuming the facilities of communication to be equal in both countries, our proportion of Clergymen, according to the relative state of the population of the two countries, should be six hundred. We have, therefore, sixty attempting in a sphere occupied in England by fifteen thousand, to do the work of six hundred. Or thus: take away thirteen thousand five hundred Clergymen from the Church of England, and then would the destitution here be equal to that which our fellow-countrymen and fellow-churchmen are enduring in Upper Canada. |