founded on views utterly opposed to all just maxims of philosophy, and subversive also of those principles of Christianity which are the only sure basis of individual improvement, and of national prosperity; and we were glad to perceive, that it was the antireligious bearing of Mr. Owen's view which seemed chiefly to weigh with the house in refusing to entertain the worthy baronet's proposition. He indeed endeavoured to defend Mr. Owen from this imputation. He described the morals, education, harmony, industry, cheerfulness, &c. of his people, in strong terins, and declared that he never saw so much religion practised as at his establishment. "It was a fine sight," he said, "to see them on a Sunday proceeding to their different places of worship," &c.---For a solution of this apparent inconsistency we beg to refer our readers to a preceding page (p. 787) of our present Number, where they will find that it is not by "dividing the country into parallelograms," that the major part of the proprietors of New Lanark hope to improve the condition of their labourers; but by the general diffusion of religious knowledge, and by the general inculcation of those Christian principles which shall lead men to perform their duties in the fear of God, and to bear the evils of life as the wholesome discipline of His wisdom and love. We trust, however, that the failure of these attempts to institute inquiry will not discourage other members of parliament from coming forward with propositions, which, carefully avoiding all invidious reference to party topics, shall be exclusively directed to an investigation of the alleged distress, and to a consideration of the most effectual and unexceptionable methods of administering relief. We continue in the firm opinion, that even the measures of restriction now adopted, will only retard the day of convulsion, if the legislature and the government do not set themselves seriously to investigate the state of our population, and to apply wise and appropriate remedies to such social and moral evils as shall be found to flow from the course of domestic and commercial policy which we are now pursuing. We should not be acting an honest and conscientious part, were we to suppress, or even to qualify, in de ference to the prejudices of others, the distinct avowal of this our clear and deliberate conviction. A few circumstances still remain to be noticed before we conclude our view of public affairs; but we have no room for many observations upon them.-A motion, grounded upon the gross corruption of the borough of Grampound, has been brought before the house of commons, and has been acceded to by his Majesty's ministers, for disenfranchising this borough, and transferring its elective right to some large town at present unrepresented. Such a measure, in every light in which we have been enabled to examine it, appears one of sound wisdom; and if pursued on all similar occasions, will not only tend to rescue the legislature and the executive government from many charges currently brought against them, as patrons of public abuses, but will gradually, and therefore safely, amend the inequalities of our present system of representation. -His Majesty, we regret to state, has been indisposed, but is now better, and enjoys as good health as can be expected at his advanced period of life, eighty-two.-The Oldham inquest is declared void ab initio, by the court of King's Bench, on account of some lega irregularities, and is not intended to We are not sorry at this be renewed. result, as any thing rather than impartial justice was sought to be attained, by the promoters of that irrelevant investigation. Every passing week is throwing new light on the Manchester transactions; and, from what has transpired in parliament and elsewhere, the falsehoods and misrepresentations which have been so sedulously obtruded on the public, respecting that unhappy subject, are, we trust, beginning to be very generally discredited.-One sentence will suffice to apprize our readers that Mr. Hobhouse, the late candidate for Westminster, has been committed to Newgate, by a vote of the house of commons, for a gross libel on parliament;— that the notorious Cobbett has returned to England, with a chest of bones, which he alleges to be those of Paine, and which are to be enshrined simultaneous meetings of radicals with all due honour;-and that the threatened for this month, have not taken place, and, thanks to the new laws, are not now likely to do so. 827 ECCLESIASTICAL PREFERMENTS. Rev. W. A. Hartley, on his own presentation, Bucklebury V. Berks. Rev. J. F. Benwell, B. A. Layer, Brereton R. Essex. Rev. Edward Paske, A. M. Norton V. Herts. Rev. Rowland Hill, A. M. Delamere R. Cheshire, created by Act of Parliament for inclosing Delamere Forest. Mr. Hill is the first incumbent: patron, the Crown. Rev. James Tonkinson, LL. B. Davenham R. Cheshire. Rev. Caius Barry, Little Sudbury R. Gloucestershire. Rev. Henry John Hopkins, St. Maurice and St. Mary Callendre RR. Win chester. Charity R. Hants. Rev. R. M. Austin, B. A. (Rector of ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. A CONSTANT READER; W. Y.; R. H.; KIMCHI; M. M.; JOHANNENSIS; ANTIBLASPHEMOS; S. I. H.; and -'s Poems; are under consideration. Y.; and CYMRO; will appear. A LAYMAN remarks; "I have read with great satisfaction the Prayer contained in your last Number, and beg leave to suggest to those whom it may concern, whether some such prayer might not with propriety be appointed to be read, at the present period, in all our churches and chapels." A writer, under the signature of PHILODOXUS, finds fault with the arguments in our Family Sermon for October, as of Infidels and the charges of Socinians," which, at the present moment especalculated to countenance the objections cially, he considers as a proceeding to be peculiarly avoided. In this latter point we agree with him; but if the mode of effecting it is to be by the abrogation of what we consider among the most vital points of Christianity, we neither desire nor dare to adopt the expedient. He objects to our representing Christ as God, and yet speaking of him as "becoming a sufferer and a sacrifice;' as possessing eternal being and power," and yet as We can only say, that we adbered strictly to the language of the text, (Ephes. giving himself for us." V. v. 2); not, however, confounding the Divinity which cannot suffer, with the manhood, which might and did suffer. Our statement simply expressed the fact, (for a fact we still esteem it), that "He who was in the form of God, and thought it no robbery to be equal with God," was "made in the likeness of men, and, being found in fashion as a man, humbled himself to death, even the death of the cross.' "The Word was God." (John i. 1). Yet "The Word was made flesh." (ver. 14). If there be any discrepancy in these statements, or any thing calculated to countenance Infidelity or Socinianism, the objection must be traced to a far more infallible page than ours. For ourselves, we firmly believe both positions, in which, while we behold much that is mysterious, we see nothing irrational, or that can justly shock our faith. We agree with S. I. H. as to the probable evil tendency of such a publication as that to which he alludes. It is, however, too much to make us responsible for every paper which a bookseller may see fit to inclose under our blue cover, and of which we know nothing. Besides this, we would remark, that there is certainly nothing in the mere title of the work to which he refers, which could have excluded it from our cover, or that of any other religious publication. His own strictures, if inserted in our pages, would be a far more conspicuous advertisement to the alleged obnoxious publication than the one he condemns. Several Correspondents have lately obliged us with their sentiments on our "View of Public Affairs." To those whose communications are of a laudatory kind, we can only express our thanks for their obliging construction of our opinions. To satisfy others who think us erroneous in our views, we would willingly enter into a detailed answer to their animadversions, were it possible to do so within any thing like reasonable limits. Unhappily, however, our correspondents differ so widely in their sentiments, that what would be an explanation to one would but magnify our offence in the eyes of others. Thus, in two letters now before us, A CONSTANT READER AND SINCERE FRIEND, who dates from York, 64 expresses his regret at the strong language in the concluding part of the remarks on public affairs in our last Number;" while C. a correspon dent from Royston, after blaming all that the former approves, remarks, “ Į cannot conclude without expressing my entire concurrence in the just and admirable sentiments with which you conclude your last retrospect of public affairs." Most of the compliments and strictures in these and similar letters, are equally contradictory, which we are willing to construe into something like a presumption that we have steered tolerably clear of party spirit, and have rested not very far wide of that golden mean in which truth is wont to reside. While "Tories call us Whig, and Whigs Tory," we may be contented to leave their statements to neutralize each other. But while we are disposed to adhere to the views we have already ventured to express on the subject of politics, we do not mean to defend every expression which may have fallen from us in the course of a necessarily hurried discussion, as if it might not have been advantageously modified. We assure our York friend in particular, that we take in good part his admonitions; and although we cannot consent to change our own opinions for his, we shall be most anxious to cultivate the spirit of Christian moderation which he recommends. We desire to correct an error into which we have inadvertently fallen in our "View of Public Affairs" for October. It was not Mr. Windham, but Mr. Sheridan, who opposed the abolition of Sunday newspapers. Mr. Windham was friendly to the measure, and gave it his support. Our Irish Correspondent 2. is mistaken in supposing that we are remiss or indifferent respecting the condition of that most valuable and useful body of clergymen, the Curates of the United Church of England and Ireland. So far from it, we have repeatedly expressed our opinion on the very subject to which he alludes. (See, for example, our volumes for 1802 and 1803). He is, also, incorrect in supposing that the power of revoking a Curate's licence summarily and without specified cause, is coeval only with the late Consolidation Act. Long before this Act, the Curate's licence was revokable at pleasure; we have two or three old licenses now before us, which are all granted only during the bishop's pleasure. The Act of 36 Geo. III. cap. 83., ordains, that “ the ordinary shall have power to revoke, summarily and without process, any licence granted to any curate employed within his jurisdiction, and to remove such curate for such good and reasonable cause as he shall approve;” subject nevertheless to an appeal to the Archbishop, "to be determined in a summary manner." This does not, indeed, lessen the hardship to the curate, especially if in any case the power has been abused, but it certainly shews that the grievance is not, as our correspondent would seem to think, a novel scheme for obtaining arbitrary power. We are not justifying the provision; for we think that every accused person ought to know both the charge and the evidence on which it rests, and that a licensed curate, removed without cause assigned, may justly feel himself aggrieved. We are only deprecating the charge brought against ourselves, of "remissness" on this subject. The law stands exactly as it did before our work commenced, for the argument of the “Curate's Appeal” might have been written as justly in the last century as the present. We are requested to acknowledge, on behalf of the British and Foreign Bible It is quite impossible for us to devote our pages to lists of charitable contributions. ERRATA. Last Number, page 714, col. 1, line 3 from bottom, for influence, read influenza. 20, for principles, read principle. Present Num. 716, - 2, 27, for arrangement, read arrangements. 760, last line, for courts, read counts, and dele the comma (,). -761, col. 2, lines 26, 27, for acquaintance of, read acquies. cence in. APPENDIX TO THE CHRISTIAN OBSERVER, VOLUME THE EIGHTEENTH, FOR 1819. RELIGIOUS INTELLIGENCE. SOCIETY FOR PROMOTING CHRISTIAN KNOWLEDGE. THE HE Society for promoting Christian Knowledge bas, since the last Report, increased the number of its members to 13,300; and the number of the diocesan and district committees of the Society, established at home and abroad, amounts this year to two hundred and nine. We pass over the list of diocesan and district committees at home, as their transactions consist of details entirely local, and not admitting of analysis. From India, the Calcutta diocesan committee report, that the demand for Bibles, Testaments, Common Prayer-books, and other religious books and tracts, has greatly increased; and many applications have been made for the Family Bible. The district committee at Madras have been actively and zealously engaged during the present year, both in promoting the general designs of the Society, and in the superintendance of the concerns of the East India mission. At Bombay, a large number of books and tracts had been distributed, and almost entirely gratuitously; but still the demand for Prayer-books was much beyond the means of supply: school books were also in great request; and tracts for the use of soldiers and CHRIST. OBSERV. APP. sailors were more required than others. The archdeacon suggests the expediency of translating into Arabic, Persian, and other languages of India, some of the Society's religious books and tracts, and more especially books for the use of children in the native schools. Some plain and short treatise on the evidences of Christianity, he thinks, would be read by some of the more learned natives, and would excite a spirit of thought and inquiry, which could not fail to be attended with good effects. This suggestion is now under the consideration of the Society. From Ceylon, the Rev. G. Bissett observes: The very liberal supply of three hundred Prayerbooks will have a most beneficial effect in attaching the native Christians to our Liturgy, which is alrea dy in great demand, whether the whole be given in English, or detached prayers in Cingalese and English, such as we have already circulated....By the last dispatches from England, the grateful intelligence was received of this island being subjected to the ecclesiastical jurisdiction of the Bishop of Calcutta, and of the erection of an archdeaconry, in the person of the Hou. and Rev. T. J. Twisletou. This measure will, I conceive, not only tend to bring th native Chris5 P tians into the unity of the Church of England, but also greatly promote the general propagation of Christianity.......A wide door is opened in Ceylon for the introduc tion of the Gospel. If it should be the door through which the King of Glory shall enter to establish his blessed dominion in the East, the respected members of the Society will hereafter reflect with joy upon their zealous readiness in contributing to further the gracious designs of Providence." In the diocese of Nova Scotia, the Halifax diocesan committee have forwarded their fourth annual Report. The following is the statement of books and tracts since their last account: 280 Bibles, 284 Testaments, 631 Prayer-books, and 9751 books and tracts. The Report concludes with a very satis. factory account of the progress of education in the diocese. The diocesan Committee at Quebec have transmitted an account of their proceedings; from which it appears, that within a very short period from the institution of the committee, they have forwarded a list of upwards of seventy new members of the Society, and that they were anxious as early as possible to establish a local depository of books. They advert with much satisfaction to an early object of the Society, the fixing parochial libraries throughout the plantations, especially on the continent of North America; and observe, that "if more than a century ago this was considered of essential importance, it is now become a matter of paramount and indispensable obligation. In proportion as emigration from the mother country increases, new settlements are every day advancing into the wilder and more uncultivated parts of the two provinces: and scattered as these people in general are in small detached parties, and not unfrequently in single families, they are of course cut off from every means of religious instruction, except such as books can supply. The inhabitant of a more populous, or a more civilized country, can scarcely appreciate the treasure which a person in such circumstances must possess, in his Bible, his Prayerbook, or the tract which contains the grounds and justification of his faith." The general Board next proceed to state the transactions of the Society at large, with regard to its general designs. In reference to its proceedings respecting education and schools, it appears that the number of returus from the diocesan and district committees amounts to fortysix, and that in the schools to which they relate 110,283 children receive the advantage of a religious education. But this number falls very far short of the number of diocesan and district committees, by whose exertions the several schools throughout the kingdom are wholly or in part supplied with books. The whole number of books, &c. distributed on the terms of the Society, and gratuitously, during the year, is, |