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ordain, that when the said variances, specially byfore our said counsayl, standeth upon theis poyntes following, that is to say, First for Probats of Testaments for the hereditaments of dedd men, and for rentys not being chattall due the tyme of the decesse of the said dedd men for the said hereditaments: Secundly, for lyke probates by reason that the testator the time of his deceasse had goodes oonly (or L debtys oonly) or both goodes and debts in dyvers diocese: And, thirdly, for deputing of praisers for the preising of the dedd man's goodes;-Wol and ordeigne in maner and forme following, that is to say, First that neither for the said hereditaments, nor for rents not beyng chatall due the tyme of the deth of the testatour, for or upon hereditaments, be they oon diocise or moo diocises; neither ye nor the said most revend fadre in God admitte not, take not, medle not, nor intromyte with the probate of any such testament for the said hereditaments, seying that it is (as we be duely informed) contrary to our lawes that ye or the said most revend fadre in God shuld so doo. And in lykewise that neither ye ner the said most revend fadre in God make ner depute from hensforth in no diocise noo preisers to preise dedd mennys godes, considering that by such preisers right great extorcions have bee doon and comitted upon our subjects. Secundly, and finally, for the said secund article above rehersed, we wol and ordeign that if the testatour the tyme of his death out of the diocise that he dwelled in had in oon diocise or dyvers diocises out of such exempt and peculiar jurisdicions, as do not imediatly apperteigne to the said most revend fadre in God and his church of Canturbury, within the province of Canturbury, oonly goodes exceding the value of ten pounds, or oonly debts not beyng desperate exceding the said sum, or both goodes and debts exceding togeders in value the same some; the said most revend fadre in God oonly, and not ye (during oonly the tyme hereafter lymyted) have and take the probate of the testament of the said testatour, and if the said testator have no such goods only, or no such goods and debts togeder, that than, and in that case, ye and your adherents oonly, and eny of you within your diocises and jurisdicions, have and take the probate of the said testament of the said testatour, and that the said most revend fadre in Godd in no wise intromitte ner medle wt the same. And all such ordré and direccion as we have taken as above, bytwixt you and the said most revend fadre, touching the probats of testaments of dedd men dyyng testate, the same ordre and direccion we wol be kept bytwixt you and the said most revend fadre in God for the comission of administracon of the goods and debts of men dying intestate. This our comanndment and ordinnance to endur oonly by the space of thre yerys next comying after the date of theis our lettres. And if during the same tyme ther shal fortune any doubte or difficultye to ryse bytwixt you and the said most revend fadre in God in, of, or upon any mater, woord, or sentence conteyned in of said ordinnances, or any part of the same, We wol that the interpretacon and construccon thereof be referred oonly to us and such of our counseyll as we heretofore deputed to be arbitratours.

ECCLESIASTICAL STATISTICS OF ESSEX.

SIR, My attention has lately been called to the ecclesiastical statistics of the county of Essex, and I send the result of some inquiries on the subject.

There are 415 parishes, which may be arranged thus, in a tabular view, shewing at once the description of the preferment, and that of the patron :

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These 415 parishes are held by 343 persons.

The average population of a parish in Essex (including the large towns) is 740. Excluding 15 towns, containing upwards of 3000 inhabitants, the average population is about 600. I send you a more perfect analysis, as under.

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I should mention that the authorities I have consulted are the last edition of the Clerical Guide, and the Population Returns for 1831. I am, Sir, your obedient servant,

September 23, 1833.

G. W. R.

PARISH AND OTHER SCHOOLS.

SIR,-Your correspondent, "Sacerdos et Tutor," in the last number of the British Magazine, appears to be sceptical as to the utility or practicability of the mode of conducting Sunday and other schools recommended by "H. H." in the May number. Who H. H. or Sacerdos et Tutor may be, I know not; but from the character of H. H's. communication, I have some faint conjecture who he is; and if he be the individual whom I suspect, I can assure Sacerdos et Tutor, that H. H. is no "theorist." The venerable clergyman to whom I

allude as your supposed correspondent H. H., beside a laborious life, has sacrificed some £12,000 or £14,000 in providing for a densely populated district, where the naturally combined operation of dissent and infidelity had divided, torn, and nearly heathenized the population, a sound religious instruction, by erecting and endowing a CHURCH, and by building an extensive room for a national and Sunday school. "Sacerdos" will agree with me in asserting that these are not the "res gesta" of a "theorist," especially of the school of modern liberalism; for theorists and liberals take care that their achievements shall not extend beyond the sacrifice of words of lofty but deluding pretensions.*

That the mode described by "H. H." is not visionary or theoretical, I can further assure "Sacerdos et Tutor," from my own observation. For the plan of conducting a Sunday school, and of commanding attention, "without holding the cane or using harsh language," has been for the last ten years carried on successfully under the observation of the writer, who, from the establishment of the school in 1823, to the present time, has regularly taught a class and superintended the said school before the morning and afternoon full services, every Lord's day. The average number of scholars is from 130 to 140. This number is divided into classes, each class being 12 or 15 children. No rigorous coercion is exercised. The printed rules, which are simple, are attended to; and this is fully understood by both the teachers and the scholars. If a child does wrong, he is reasoned with mildly yet firmly, and this produces the desired effect, without producing a "disgust" to the school or the object of the school. Corporal punishment, and harsh language, I deem incompatible with the character of a Sunday school, (and my observations relate to Sunday schools,) and they will, if used, produce a dislike to the object of the school-namely, RELIGION. Having alluded to correction, permit me to express my own opinion, but with great deference to the opinion of experienced Tutors, that the practice of turning the Holy Bible into a correcting rod, by causing a delinquent to commit to memory a certain portion of the bible as a punishment for his delinquency, is scarcely commendable: for, whether the bible, the cane, or the rod be the instrument of castigation, the feeling will be the same towards the instrument; and feelings produced in childhood and youth are not always eradicated in after years. It is a question worthy of consideration, whether or not there is some danger of producing in a child a dislike to the word of God by converting that word into a correcting rod.

Should "Sacerdos et Tutor" be still doubtful of the efficiency of the plan recommended by "H. H.," and should he deem it worth the trouble to have his doubt removed, it will afford the writer great pleasure to see him, at any time, as a visitor in the school, and to offer to him, most cordially, the rights of hospitality. As I have

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See an excellent Tract, "The History of Mr. Fantom, &c.," by S. P. C. R.

stated some facts, I shall not permit the statement to rest upon anonymous authority, but I shall subscribe myself,.

Mr. Editor, your obedient servant,

Marsden Parsonage, near Huddersfield,

Sept. 2, 1833.

ED. EDWARDS.

ON CONFIRMATION.

SIR, I trust that none of your readers will charge me with affecting to propose any thing new in the present communication. Many clergymen have probably been in the habit of following the plan which I am going to recommend, and I merely wish to state the practical result, so far as my own parochial experience allows me to do so.

I have long thought that a good effect might be produced if persons could be brought to receive the sacrament very soon after they have appeared before the bishop for confirmation; and it having been announced that a confirmation was to be held in my church on Saturday, September the 7th, I also gave notice that the sacrament of the Lord's supper would be administered on the following Sunday. It was explained to the inhabitants, from the pulpit and in private, that this special administration of the sacrament was on account of the persons who were going to be confirmed; and these persons were from the first prepared for both ceremonies. It is, I trust, unnecessary to state, that no persons were required to come to the Lord's table contrary to their own inclination: and the time was quite sufficient for enabling them all to understand the meaning of the sacrament.

The number of persons confirmed from my parish was 45, of whom 23 were males and 22 females; the number of the whole population being 619. On the following Sunday, 24 persons, who had been confirmed, received the sacrament; of whom 11 were males, and 13 females: 3 of the females were married, and had received the sacrament before; all the rest, both males and females, were young persons, averaging the age of 17, none of whom had ever come to the Lord's table. In some cases, the father or mother came with their children; and it was a very gratifying sight to see them thus kneeling down together, to make the public profession of their faith in the death of their Redeemer.

It is the custom in my parish to have the sacrament administered on the two Sundays nearest to Michaelmas day. That festival fell, this year, on a Sunday; so that we had the sacrament administered again after an interval of two Sundays; and on Sunday, the 29th, 8 more persons who had been confirmed, 3 males and 5 females, came to the Lord's table: so that, out of the whole number of 45, 29 are now added to the list of communicants. I may add, that the whole number of communicants on Sunday, the 29th, was considerably greater than I have ever known it to be since I have been rector of the parish. I feel convinced that an impression has been proVOL. IV. Nov. 1833. 4 B

duced upon some of the parents; and not a few persons, whom I never saw before at the Lord's table, came on this occasion.

I am not sanguine enough to suppose that the good effect which was intended to be produced in the children will be equally visible in all of them, nor is it probable that they will all continue as constant communicants as might be wished; but the first step has been taken before they have conceived any undefined and superstitious dread of the solemn ceremony, and before their consciences reproach them for any gross or flagrant sins, they have been brought to feel and acknowledge that they stand in need of a Saviour. We may, at least, hope that some of them have now begun a custom which they will carry with them through life; and if any of my clerical brethren should be induced to try a similar experiment, I hope they will communicate the result of it to your readers.

Ewelme, Oct. 1, 1833.

EDWARD BURTON.

COMMUNION ON GOOD FRIDAY.

SIR,-I can venture to give a very short and easy answer to your correspondent X, who doubts whether or not the festival of the "Annunciation of the Virgin Mary" might expel the solemn fast of Good Friday. In the list of days of fasting and abstinence, we read:

"All the Fridays in the year, except Christmas day." This marked exception seems conclusive of a fast not unworthy of observation even when viewed apart from your correspondent's conjecture, viz. that the festival does, in the intention of our church, always give way to the fast, save when the latter interferes with the Lord's day, or the important solemnity of Christmas. Y.

NOTICES AND REVIEWS.

Zophiel; or the Bride of Seven. By Maria del Occidente. London: Kennett, 1833. pp. 261.

ZOPHIEL is a wild and fanciful tale, full of palm-groves, acacias, palaces. gnomes, fallen angels, heathen gods and goddesses, and human beings of surpassing beauty and supernatural qualities. Zophiel is Apollo orientalized, and, having been captivated by the beauty of the heroine Egla, a Jewish maiden, he kills all who attempt the dangerous experiment of wedding her in despite of him. Heaven had destined her for Helon, and after Zophiel has thus far preserved her from wedding any other, the angel Raphael, under a human form, protects her from his further persecution, and she is duly bestowed upon her destined bridegroom. The poem will please those who like these wild mixtures of human and superhuman, classical and oriental; and the notes contain a variety of very curious and fanciful opinions, chiefly on mythological subjects, evidently derived from extensive reading.

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