court of directors of the bank of Australasia in London, payable to the order of the society the one for £60, the other for £40. The produce of these I request you will oblige me by appropriating as follows:-The former amount (£60) is designed for the purchase of schoolbooks for the use of our parochial and infant schools; in the proportion of £50 for the former, and £10 for the latter purpose. The second bill for £40 is sent on my own account, for the purchase of bibles and prayer-books, for sale on moderate terms or for gratuitous distribution. The want of both in the colony at this time is lamentable-is indeed heart-rending.

"It will be satisfactory to the society to learn, that under all these severe pecuniary embarrassments of the colony during the last few years, the prosperity of our schools throughout the colony has not been in any degree interrupted. In Sydney alone we have at least 1,400 children under instruction in schools, superintended by the clergy; and whenever we can provide means to open an additional school in the town or suburbs, it is instantly filled."

It was agreed to send to the bishop the books for which he had applied; and to place at his lordship's disposal a gratuitous supply of bibles, prayer-books, and books and tracts, to the value of £50.

town, with a beautiful copy of D'Oyley and Mant's Bible, three volumes, royal 8vo. published by the society for Promoting Christian knowledge. The following inscription, which was written in the first volume, will explain the object. "Presented jointly by Charles Spencer, M.A., Vicar, and Charles C. Spencer, B.A., Curate, of Bishop's Stortford, Herts, to Mr. Baker Sargeant, in testimony of his zeal and firmness, under trying circumstances, as an assistant teacher on the Lord's day, in the boys' national school, 1st Sunday in Lent, A.D., 1845."

Liberality.--Mrs. Kaye, of the Grove, Fulmer, Bucks, has presented the liberal amount of £1,000 to endow the national school in that village, which was erected, by subscription, in the summer of the past year. A communication to this effect has been made to the Privy Council Office, by the Rev. W. H. Butterfield, the rector. Mr. R. Kaye, who has caused several improvements to be made in the parish church, has just ordered to be prepared a splendid stained glass window for the chancel.

Handsome Present to an Agricultural Society. We understand that the sum of £140 has been placed at the disposal of the President of the North Staffordshire Agricultural Society, for the purchase of books, periodicals, newspapers, &c., towards the establishment of circulating libraries in the towns of Stone, Newcastle, Stafford, Eccleshall, Uttoxeter, Leek, and Cheadle, for the use of the members of the Society.

Books Received.

Since our last acknowledgment, the following books have been received :— The Mother's Practical Guide in the Physical, Intellectual, and Moral Training of her Children. By Mrs. J. Bakewell. 3rd edition, revised and enlarged. 12mo. pp. 266. (Snow.)

Religious Instruction, in a Graduated Series of Lessons for Young Children By the Author of "Lessons on Objects," &c. Fcap. 8vo. pp. 226. (Seeley.) The Servant Girl in London, Showing the Dangers to which Young Country Girls are exposed on their arrival in Town; with advice to them. By John T. Sinnett. 3rd Edit., carefully corrected throughout by the Rev. Joseph Brown, M.A. 18mo. pp. 74. (Hastings.)

Thirty Chants, arranged for Four Voices, with an Accompaniment for the Organ. Each Canticle is so printed that it may be sung to any of the chants. Imperial 8vo. pp. 24. (Hamilton, Adams & Co.)

Exercises in the First Four Rules of Arithmetic; constructed for the application of new artificial tests by which the teacher may expeditiously ascertain the correctness of the results. By the Rev. J. Hunter, 12mo. pp. 15. (Longman and Co.)

HOW TO ENSURE COMMUNICANTS AS SPONSORS.

(Concluded from page 67.)

WITH respect to the number of godchildren that might be at any one time under the care of a sponsor, the author allows that it would be folly to suppose that all persons in every parish would consider themselves equal to the same charge; but he asks, whether it be too much to say, "that—were circumstances in any particular case to require it— the servant of Christ who entered upon the work in a spirit of devotion to his Master, and with a just but not exaggerated sense of the duties before him, and with a cheerful confidence that as his day so his strength would be, need not shrink from the engagement, even if, at the outset of his labours, he should seem liable to the contingency of having 30 godchildren at one time under his care,” (p. 46). *

This number," he observes, "will no doubt seem very large, but there are many considerations to reduce and qualify the amount of labour involved in undertaking it. In the first place, many years would elapse before the number of godchildren had attained this magnitude, and when it had, the greater portion of them would be of very tender years, and not more, perhaps, than five or six would require that kind or degree of instruction which ought to be given preparatory to confirmation. Then we are to consider the great assistance that is to be derived from schools, and from the teaching and preaching of the clergy; that the business of godfathers and godmothers is rather to remind, to warn, to exhort, than to instruct; and that those portions of a sponsor's duty which are most useful to his charge, namely, a little homequestioning into their conduct, and practical application to their hearts of the sermons they hear, and the passages of scripture they read, and the promises they have made in baptism, occupy but little time, and derive more effect from the seriousness and earnestness with which they are put, than from the frequency with which they are reiterated. We are also to consider, that, should a good work of this kind be set on foot, there is every probability that it would go on increasing, and that numbers would continually be added to those willing to undertake it; that a certain number at least of the children baptized would be furnished with properly qualified godfathers and godmothers from amongst their own relations; and that throughout our calculation we have taken the largest number that could be expected, under ordinary contingencies, to be at any one time under sponsorial superintendence. And who would hesitate to contribute so far to aid the efforts of the clergy, if he contrasted the light labour, and pleasing encouragements, and blessed reward of such a charge, with the overwhelming duties and responsibilities of an individual clergyman having upon his hands the care of ten, fifteen, or twenty thousand souls?

"In the above calculation we have made no account of the slight difference that exists between the number of males and females born in a given district, or of that which exists between their several rates of

* Sponsors for the Poor, by the Rev. M. Hawtrey, M.A. (Hatchard.)

VOL. III.

APRIL, 1845.

H

mortality; as it scarcely appears except upon very large numbers, and we could make no useful application of it to our present purpose. The best supposition is, that the number of male and female sponsors should be equal. More males are born than females; but their rate of mortality during childhood is more rapid, and these two circumstances would probably be found very nearly to counterbalance one another.

"There is another class of contingencies, namely, the removal of sponsors from the objects of their care by death or change of place. This we have not noticed, because we may fairly suppose that there would be a continual supply of fresh sponsors, sufficient to make up deficiences arising from such a cause. It has already been stated, that the special superintendence of each newly baptized child might be made to devolve on that sponsor (of the same sex) who should have the smallest number of children at the time on his or her list. But, by such an event as that just referred to, a sudden increase might be made to that number, in consequence of the addition to their charge of some of the godchildren who had been under the special care of the removed sponsor. In such a case, the most convenient arrangement would be for the sponsor thus casually overburdened, to cease from acting for any other children, until the numbers under charge of the other sponsors of the district had become equal to those under his own. This might easily be arranged, by having lists of the sponsors, with the number of children under the care of each attached to their respective names, and calling on them to act, or leaving them unemployed, according as their numbers should be greater or less," (pp. 46-50).

In speaking of the various expedients that might be adopted for putting the machinery of the proposed plan in motion, the author suggests, that "wherever the incumbent or clergy of a parish* had decided upon the subject, a circular might be addressed to the communicants, stating the exigencies of the case, and exhorting them to engage in this charitable work, and this might be seconded by sermons and sacramental lectures. By means of brief printed addresses, the clergy might state to the people the requirements of the church respecting godfathers and godmothers, the order of the rubric about giving notice beforehand of the intended baptism, and the provision which had been made for the supply of properly qualified godfathers and godmothers. And these addresses might be distributed throughout the parish, or given to the people, whenever they came in contact with the clergy on the occasion of a baptism, a marriage, or a churching. Brief papers of directions might also be printed for assisting the sponsor in the discharge of his duties.

"It is obvious, that for mutual help and advice in carrying forward the object proposed, the communicants willing to undertake the charge would naturally fall into a kind of association under the superintendence of their ministers; and a new and deeply interesting bond of union

"It is in large town districts that the evil most plainly shows itself, and the remedy is at once most needed and most difficult of application. In these cases especially, the united efforts of the several clergy of the place should be directed to its removal."

would thus be established, between the clergy and their most valuable parishioners," (pp. 51-53.)

66

While the proposed plan might be taken up on the largest scale, and promoted by the most extensive agency, it might, in perfect consistency with church discipline, be set on foot by however small a company of private christians, and be carried on without exciting the least public notoriety. Were but a few individuals in any parish to be deeply convinced of the blessed results which might be made to flow from this much neglected institution, and to unite themselves together for the purpose of making known amongst their ignorant neighbours the importance and obligations of baptism, and of furnishing them with such sponsors as the church requires, it would be in strict accordance with church discipline, and tend to the production of blessed fruit," (p. 54.) Each little infant would grow up under the feeling that there were three persons connected with him by a close tie of moral relationship, and anxious for the welfare of his immortal soul," (p. 57.) The benefit conferred upon the family of the child is equally obvious. How many families there are who now pass year after year without any christian intercourse, who would by this means be brought perpetually into contact with the most devout and well-instructed of their brethren! They would thus see that religion is not a dead letter, but a living principle; and it might be expected that the effect of this conviction would be acknowledged, not only by an improvement in their religious belief, but in their general conduct; that evil passions and intemperance would become more rare; diligence, sobriety, and order more universal; that the practice of family prayer and attendance at church would be more commonly adopted; and that the number of conscientious communicants would be increased.

"But it is a blessed truth of Christianity, that in watering others we are watered also ourselves; and we might fairly expect, that this happy consequence would be experienced by all the communicants engaged in this charitable work. This would naturally follow from the peculiar attention which they would be led to pay to those points of faith which are most important, and from the high tone of feeling which would be induced by the dignity and responsibility of their engagement.

"Hence likewise would follow an increased attention to the subject of baptism—a subject which has been so misunderstood, and so neglected, and about which such widely different opinions have been held. And how can we expect to come to a knowledge of the truth respecting this important ordinance, if we do not contribute all that lies within our power to make it efficacious? How can we expect thoroughly to understand the nature of a principle, so long as we allow its operation to be modified and counteracted by heterogeneous and hostile influences? Assuredly, taking the lowest view of baptism, it was intended by our Lord to have a great moral efficacy throughout the world; but to what does its moral efficacy amount as now administered? How far is it now a source of godliness and spiritual understanding among the people? Is it not, to many, a mere object of superstitious veneration? And how can we better remove the superstitious feeling respecting it, and give to it its legitimate religious influence, than by making it contribute to the

growth of christian knowledge and christian principle? By adopting the proposed course, we should at least make it a great moral and religious engine; nor does it at all detract from its mystical efficacy, to give it as great a moral efficacy as we can," (pp. 57-60.)

It is one of the most indispensable, but not always the easiest or most agreeable duty of a christian to visit the poor. It certainly is no easy matter to go into the house of persons of whom we know nothing but that they are in a lower condition than ourselves, to present ourselves without an introduction, and to proceed to question them about the state of their families, and their moral and religious habits. But with what ease and comfort might not this system of visitation be carried on, if each member of the Church of Christ had from ten to twenty or thirty families brought under his superintendence, by having in each of them a godchild?"

66

Another benefit would be, the gradual increase of mutual kindliness and respect between the upper and the lower classes. A valuable connecting link would be established and bind together the various portions of society. There is a kind of instinctive feeling in the human heart of the value and necessity of such amicable relations between the rich and the poor, and a kind of traditionary belief that in some happier age they did exist," (pp. 62, 63.)

'I'he author remarks, that the proposed arrangement presents especial advantages to the church, concerning which he justly observes that what she requires is "to have new vigour infused into all her ancient institutions. The old system restored is the best new system that we can have. But to restore the ancient discipline of the church, there must be co-operation between the clergy and the people, and it must be done by degrees. It would probably be useless, as it would certainly be dangerous to attempt at once to re-establish it in its full extent, and by an arbitrary exercise of ecclesiastical authority. But how can we set about it more simply and less objectionably than in the way proposed? We must begin somewhere, and why not here? What can be more simple than the principle on which we proceed? The church has laid down a certain rule for our guidance; we desire to promote conformity to this rule; but since in the present state of things many would find it impossible to conform to it, we endeavour to procure them such assistance as shall put this conformity within their power. If it would be desirable to restrain from communion, and put to open penance such as stand convicted of notorious sin, it would certainly be no less desirable, and in the present state of things far less objectionable, to restrain from the solemn sponsorial engagements such as wilfully excommunicate themselves.

"The immediate effect of such a system could not but be beneficial. It has already been tried in some places with the happiest consequences.*

*

* "The following statement is made in a charge of the Bishop of Chester :-' A certain degree of ecclesiastical discipline has been put in practice in a very beneficial manner, and with scarcely any difficulty. The administration of the sacrament of baptism, strictly according to the requirements of the church, has been made the means of obtaining such an understanding of church membership, as has