to the bishop. It is not alleged that the Archbishop of Dublin considered the title in question collusive; but collusive titles, we grieve to say, are now disgracefully common; we have even seen advertisements in the newspapers promising a title, on condition of gratuitous service. The best remedy for these inconveniencies would be, an official clerical registry. There are at present no means by which it can be ascertained what clergymen are disengaged and what curacies are vacant, except by private information, or through the medium of advertisements, or by a disreputable resort to an "agency office."

American packets are frequently sent to us (generally newspapers, or reports of societies) directed to be delivered free of charge at our publisher's, but which the parties who undertake to convey them drop into the Liverpool Post office, whence they arrive in London with a postage of from eight or ten shillings, to two or three pounds. A single newspaper, or penny-tract, wrapped in brown paper, is sometimes charged fourteen or fifteen shillings. Such packets we are obliged to decline taking in; and we fear that some of our trans-Atlantic correspondents, in consequence, blame us for supposed negligence in not noticing their favours which are lying useless in the post-office waste-room. We conjecture that among these returned packets are several Temperance Society and Colonization Society Reports; but the London Post-office will not allow any clue to the contents of such a packet without the payment of the postage; and has even the meanness to seal up the ends, lest the party should see that it is only an old newspaper, or something not worth taking in at so heavy a cost, and thus decline receiving it. It were surely but fair in such cases to allow the party to know what are the general contents of a packet thus heavily charged; whether letters, newspapers, a pamphlet, or a deed and valuables, &c.; and then to leave him to take it or not, as he sees fit. It is an extortion unworthy of England to charge heavy sums, at per ounce, for wrappers and packthread, which foreigners, ignorant of our post-office regulations, lavish as freely as if they were sending by an errand cart. We should not have said so much upon so trifling a matter, were it not that it operates as a literary and religious embargo between countries which ought to rejoice in cultivating a mutual friendship. The American Postoffice circulates pamphlets, &c. for a few cents, to a distance of two thousand miles; while in our small island every thing beyond a sheet of paper is charged with a prohibitory postage. Our American friends who carelessly drop huge parcels into English post-offices will be astounded to learn that the charge from

Liverpool to London is three shillings and eight pence per ounce, that is 21. 18s. 8d. for a pound weight, and a large octavo volume weighs several pounds. The whole system is preposterous. A large double newspaper, in virtue of fourpence stamp-duty, pays nothing in postage; whereas the same paper, if inclosed, would pay, in many parts of the island, more than its weight in silver.

Among the valuable curiosities in the British Museum, is a copy of Luther's German Version of the Bible (the last edition superintended by himself), printed in 1541. It was purchased for the Museum for 2551. at the sale of Mr. Hibbert's Library, a few years since. It contains the autograph of Luther himself, and also those of Bugenhagin, Melancthon, and Major, the fellow-labourers of Luther in the great work of the Reformation.

It might be worth the while of some of our newspapers, the majority of which are ready enough to ridicule any thing that passes in courts of justice or police on the side of religion, decency, or morality, to turn their attention to the flippant speeches which they so frequently report of some magistrates and other public officers. For instance, an Italian actress lately came before the court of commissioners of bankruptcy to claim her salary from the estate of Mr. Mason, a theatrical lessee, but was resisted on the ground that she had refused to act a part in male attire, it being repugnant to her feelings, and to the laws of the theatre to which she belonged at Milan. A commissioner of the name of Williams took the opportunity of ridiculing, from the bench in open court, the Signora's decent scruples, in language with which we will not soil our pages; adding, that "the decree of the theatre of Milan was not to govern the whole of the theatrical world in London, Paris, &c.;" and, instead of at once deciding the case, as we should have thought became an Englishman, a gentleman, a husband, a brother, and a father, remanded it till proof should be brought, that an actress is not bound to act in the attire of a man. We have reluctantly noticed Mr. Commissioner Williams's grave judicial decision, which we can only account for upon the supposition that he received his education at Westminster school, and had there familiarised himself to this spectacle of boys and young men acting in women's attire, before a crowded theatre of noblemen, gentlemen, bishops, and clergymen, the part of women of abandoned character, or others of those infamous parts which the masters of Westminster school give boys to perform; not excepting (we must speak plainly, that the crime, for such it is, may be put down by public feeling and decency,) the part of a woman in the hour of her affliction. No man who has

acted the part of a Thais on the boards of Westminster School, needs feel any great reverence for the scruples of an Italian actress. Terence's plays, which the masters of Westminster embrace so fondly, are so disgracefully profligate, that no mother would dare to hold in her hand the book in English which contains what her son is speaking in Latin. The venerable Dr. Valpy of Reading attempted to purify Terence; but found it impossible, except in one instance, the Andria, which he published separately.

There used to be a superstitious notion, as alluded to by Addison in the Spectator, that if a social party happens to consist of thirteen in number, one of the company will probably die before the end of the year. The notion may have arisen from the calculations made in the seventeenth century, that the bills of mortality in London gave about one death in twenty-six of adult inhabitants; so that of any thirteen such persons it was "an even chance," that one would die before the year concluded. Many of the superstitions and strange opinions of uneducated persons have originated in correct ideas perverted by ignorance.

Bishop Warburton says in one of his letters to Bishop Hurd: "Take a plain man with an honest heart, give him his Bible, and make him conversant in it, and I will engage for him that he will never be at a loss to know how to act agreeably to his duty in every circumstance of life. Yet give this man a good English translation of Aristotle's Ethics, one of the most complete works for method in its kind, and by the time he has got to the end of it I dare say he will not understand one word he has been reading."

Dr. Birch says, in his life of Tillotson, that "the homilies drawn up under King Edward VI. are to be considered as a condescension to the capacities of the common people." The majority of our clergy some years since held very singular notions relative to these venerable formularies.

When George III. came to the throne, the Bishop of London, Dr. Sherlock, who was in his eighty-fourth year, addressed his Majesty in a beautiful and affecting letter; in which he says, "Let there be but one contest between the king and the people, whether the king loves the people best, or the people him: and may it be a long and a very long contest! may it never be decided, but let it remain doubtful!" He prays, "May the God of heaven and earth have you always under his protection, and direct you to seek his honour and glory in all you do."

Bishop Horsley says of clerical nonresidence and similar abuses: "The sectaries take great advantage of this; and, what is much worse, the devil also takes advantage of it."

Matthew Poole, the writer of the Synopsis, was at the head of a scheme for maintaining young men of piety and talents at Cambridge, and raised 9007. a year for that purpose. Dean Sherlock is said to have been one of the young men thus educated. The scheme dropped at the restoration of Charles the Second. Can any of our readers give us any further account of the matter?

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Mr. Irving has been deposed from the ministry by the presbytery of Annan. The chief of the allegations in the charges against him, was his perilous statements respecting the person of our Lord. urged in substance in reply, that he did not consider our Lord's nature as peccant but only as peccable; but there cannot be a shadow of a doubt that his whole theological system is at utter variance with the doctrines of the Church of Scotland, under whose authority he exercised his ministry, as, we lament to say, it is with a higher and infallible standard.

A new brotherhood of Knights Templars are trying to revive in Paris the absurd mummeries of the dark ages. They lately came to mass clothed in white tunics ornamented with red crosses, with plumes on their heads, and large swords in their hands, as if they were on their march to vanquish the Saracens. what purpose this phantasmagoria in the nineteenth century? Do they hope that either Popery or chivalry will gain converts by these absurd exhibitions?

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English Protestants in the present day, who view the doctrine of purgatory in an abstracted form, apart from the jugglery and practical absurdities with which it has ever been inseparably connected, can scarcely estimate the magnitude of its evils. We discern these more graphically when we read such statements as the following, which was stuck up three or four years ago in the churches of Madrid. sacred and royal bank of piety has relieved from purgatory, from its establishment in 1721, to November 1826, 1,030,395 souls, at an expense of. 11,402 ditto from November 1826, to November 1827...

1,041,797

"The

£1,720,437

14,276 £1,734,703

"The number of masses calculated to accomplish th's pious work, was 558,921; consequently, each soul cost one mass and nine-tenths, or thirty-four shillings and fourpence."

It would be impossible to imagine any thing more exquisitely absurd if it were not most basely fraudulent, than such a pretended balance-sheet drawn up with all the accuracy of a hospital cash-account, or a Bible Society's Annual Report. It is no wonder that Roman-Catholics found ample funds to support missions, if their reports could detail facts like these. Protestants

can only enumerate the number of their missionaries, schools, catechumens, and communicants, with such hopeful facts as may have occurred within their earthly knowledge of penitent inquirers,consistent converts, and dying believers; but what a peg for a Bible or Missionary Society speech would be a resolution to the following effect: "Moved by -, and seconded by, and resolved unanimously, that during the last year, by means of the Society's labours, 14,276 souls had gone to heaven at an expense of 34s. 4d. each." The newspapers, last year, mentioned a late Spanish law-suit, in which the heirs of a rich man sued the Church for the recovery of moneys paid under the will of the deceased, to purchase at the fair market price, twelve thousand masses for his soul; whereas the priests, though they took the money, objected to the labour, and the Pope, at their request, abridged it, pronouncing that twelve masses should be as beneficial as twelve thousand. The Council for the Church, in answer to this allegation of non-performance of contract, produced the Pope's certificate, that the soul had been delivered by the efficacy of

those masses, and that value being thus received, there was no breach of contract. This argument, we presume, gained the cause; but it does not seem to have occurred to either party to follow out the inference, which is, that if one mass will do, there is no use in paying for so many, and that Popery is in this, as in other respects, the grossest impostor which the world has ever produced. Would that the publication of such facts as the above, would put Protestants upon their guard against the seductions of a superstition which is said to be making many converts in our highly favoured land.

It is common in Germany, and causes no ridicule, notwithstanding the prevalence of Neology and Infidelity, to impose baptismal names; such as were, not with perfect justice, or even accuracy as to the fact, made a ground of reproach to the English Puritans and Parliamentarians. For example: Trangott, trust in God; Gotlib, love God, Theophilus ; Gottlob, praise God; Leberecht, live uprightly; Fridrich, Frederic, peaceful, Irenæus; Gottfried, Peace of God, Godfrey; Gotthilf, help from God.

M. JEAN DANIEL KIEFFER. It is with melancholy satisfaction we present to our readers the following memoir of the late Professor Kieffer, whose lamented decease we announced in our last Number. We prefer translating an interesting notice of him from the Archives du Christianisme to procuring an original memoir, because the conductors of that much-esteemed publication were well acquainted with his sentiments and conduct, and the well-known anti-neologian and evangelical character of their work renders their testimony the more decisive against the aspersions which, with a view to reflect disgrace upon the Bible Society, some misguided men have perseveringly cast upon him.

We shall not, however, advert further to this afflicting subject, but will only most urgently request our readers, by way of introduction to the following memoir, to turn back to our last volume, (pp. 256, 258, 289, 290,) and to re-peruse the strong testimonies respecting the professor, by Mr. Owen, Dr. Pinkerton, Mr. Sibthorp, Mr. Francis Cunningham, and Dr. Henderson, with the interesting facts connected with the Turkish Bible which he edited, and which, by the mercy of God, will be a blessing to thousands who are yet immersed in Mohammedan superstition, long after the indefatigable editor has rested from his labours.

The following is a translation of the memoir in the Archives:

"Our readers will probably have been less prepared than we were for an event which must have occasioned as much grief to them as it has to us; we mean the death of our excellent and worthy friend M. J. Daniel Kieffer. We did not expect so speedy a termination of his valuable life, although general debility had for some months past excited our serious uneasiness.

"Accustomed to labour with him from the moment when the religious revival first shewed itself in France, finding ourselves always side by side with him in many of the religious institutions which have contributed, by the blessing of God, to extend this revival, and availing ourselves for many years, in our common efforts for the propagation of the Gospel, of the assistance of his zeal, his knowledge, his accuracy, and his benevolence, we are deeply grieved at the loss which we have just sustained. Professor Kieffer was so well known throughout France, in so many churches, by so many pastors and faithful Christians, by his correspondence-by his ardent zeal in the dissemination of the word of God-by his Christian courtesy, and the regularity which characterized him in all his transactions, that we are certain we do not assert too much in saying that his death will occasion a general lamentation and that, since the death of our beloved friend M. Le Baron de Stael, no loss has excited grief so general and profound throughout our churches.

"M. Kieffer was born at Strasburg, in

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the year 1767. He early lost his father, and had many difficulties to overcome in his education, but he passed well through the course of study at the Gymnasium, and was admitted among the students of St. William's College. He then, by giving lessons to young people, provided for the wants of his mother, and continued to maintain and take care of her during the remainder of his life. The study of languages, particularly the oriental languages, had for him powerful attractions. progress and good conduct excited the interest of many celebrated professors, such as Oberlin and Schweighauser. He lived in the house of the latter, and assisted him in his labours. Having been for some time at Paris, he entered the Office for Foreign Affairs, and in 1796, was sent to Constantinople as Interpreting Secretary to the Embassy. His residence in that city continued eight years, and it was at this time that on account of the war of Egypt he was shut up in the fortress of the Seven Towers, with the French Chargé d'Affaires, whose instructions were very useful to him during his captivity, in the study of oriental languages, especially the Turkish, to which he zealously devoted his time. M. Kieffer returned to Paris in 1803, being employed to accompany a Turkish Ambassador who was sent to Napoleon, and, on his arrival there, was appointed Interpreting Secretary for oriental languages to the Minister of Foreign Affairs. Soon after, he was appointed to supply the place of his friend M. Ruffin, in the Turkish Professorship of the Collège de France, M. Ruffin being continued in his office of Chargé d'Affaires, at Constantinople, and on the death of this learned man, he was appointed Professor. In 1818, he was appointed Interpreting Secretary to the King, of oriental languages, and in 1829 he was withdrawn by M. de Polignac from this part of his public functions.

"But the love of study, and public duties did not absorb all the time and talents of M. Kieffer; far from devoting himself to his personal gratification, or private interest, he became one of the most useful members of the Consistory of the Confession of Augsburgh, at Paris. He undertook the revision of a translation of the Bible into the Turkish language, and this important labour occupied him during ten years. From the time of the formation of the French Protestant Bible Society at Paris, he took an active and very distinguished share in the business of the committee; and he was until his death one of its most laborious and useful members. The Society of Paris Evangelical Missions was from its foundation the object of his sincere affection; he was one of the most active members of its committee, and contributed every thing in his power towards its prosperity.

"Honoured with the confidence of the British and Foreign Bible Society, and entrusted by it with the care of superintending the printing of various editions of the sacred Scriptures which it has published in France, and to manage the distribution of them, his labours which were continually increasing became immense. It is difficult to conceive how he could carry on occupations so multiplied and various, and a correspondence so vast and incessant. However, by constant attention, admirable order and regular and persevering promptitude, he succeeded so completely, that nothing which depended upon him was neglected, and every part of his business was well executed. He alone suffered. We must state the truth; his inces. sant activity; his perseverance in working day and night, for he often devoted bis nights to his current correspondence, at length undermined his health, which would sooner have given way to the effects of such fatigue, if his habits had been less regular and less retired. Our excellent friend and brother was, we are persuaded, supported by the inward and Christian joy which he felt in being employed in circulating the word of God. He sometimes spoke of this in the most affecting manner. We heard him say but a few weeks ago, It is my life.'

"But a week before his death, he went to the Collège de France; but feeling too weak to deliver his lecture, he had the courage to go, supported by his zeal, to the warehouse of the Bible Society, to dispatch many copies of the sacred volume; but the effort was too much for him; the workmen saw that he could no longer stand, and he was carried from the warehouse to that bed which he was never more to quit, and on which he fell asleep' in perfect peace on the 29th of last January. His friends, and especially his wife and son, had often entreated him to spare himself, in order that he might, as they said, be able longer to devote himself to duties so dear to him. But he replied, How can I? It is my duty and my delight? Yes! it is my delight!' This was in fact the characteristic of his feelings, and it was both affecting and edifying to see how his interest and zeal on divine subjects, and his love towards the servants of God seemed to increase with his infirmities. It was evident, that his great work increasingly absorbed him, because he felt more and more the importance of his labours, in reference to the spiritual and eternal interests of the human soul. Modest and grave, M. Kieffer was not the man to express more or even as much as he felt on such subjects; but the energy and action with which he conversed with his friends, especially of late, on religious subjects, particularly on the special object of his labours, were to them a consoling proof that the

Gospel which he distributed to others was the joy of his own heart.

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During the last days of his life, his weakness allowed him to speak but little; but from his fervent exclamations, and his expressive looks towards heaven, those who surrounded him received the consoling assurance, that 'his conversation was in heaven,' and that his faith and hope were fixed upon him who is faithful, in whom he had believed, and from whom neither suffering, nor life, nor death can separate us.

"The funeral took place on the 31st of January, in the church of the Confession of Augsburg, where a large number of

public and literary men, of pastors and private Christians, were assembled, all deeply afflicted and bearing their testimony to the value of the excellent man whose mortal remains were placed in their view. M. Le Pasteur Gopp, pronounced a discourse, from which we have borrowed many of these biographical anecdotes. At the cemetery, M. Le Pasteur Boissard spoke in the name of religion; M. Le Professeur Letronne, in the name of the College of France and of the Asiatic Society; M. Eyriès, in the name of other Societies; and M. Stapfer, in the name of the Protestant Bible Society of Paris."

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THE Irish Church Reform Bill has to begin its course anew, in consequence of an irregularity in the manner of its introduction to Parliament. A month's further consideration has not in any measure alleviated our apprehensions with regard to several of its enactments. We have often expressed, in no stinted manner, our anxiety for effectual and ample Church Reform; but with the epithet searching, we have always united conservative. The reform which we ask is not that which will weaken the Church, but that which will strengthen it; and it is to our minds a fatal objection to several of the provisions of the present bill, that they are not calculated to fortify the Church, to enlarge her borders, to render her more diffusive, more influential, more national, but quite the contrary; to diminish her weight as a public establishment; spoil her of a portion of her revenues; to say in effect she is not national; that her clergy and the support of her worship ought to be placed upon a lower legislative ground than formerly; that the whole fabric, in short, is to be regarded as an old endowment which cannot justly or decently be at once pulled down, but which is only tolerated from necessity, and is not to be enlarged so as to accommodate an increased number of inmates. Several of the suggestions in the bill, (see our last Number, p. 187,) are excellent, and we hope will be adopted; but the measure as a whole does not wear the aspect of a liberal and friendly act; it seems more intended to gratify enemies, than to satisfy the wishes of friends; it indicates no anxiety that Protestantism should be the religion of Ireland; and the spoliatory parts of its enactments are grossly unjust and fatally injurious. Our objection is not that it is unpopular among the Irish clergy, and that they have zealously remonstrated

against it, for searching reforms are seldom popular in any profession; but in this instance they have strong ground for many of their objections: and we are thankful that the postponement of the bill has allowed time for sifting the evil from the good, so that we hope it will be materially amended in its progress. There is at this moment far more of piety, pastoral efficiency, and anxiety for the souls of their people, among the Irish clergy, than at any former period; and it would be grievous indeed, that the rising hopes of the Protestant Church should be clouded, by enfeebling the energies of what has hitherto been, at least in law, the National Church. Any measure which can be proved to be really of a tonic kind we would cheerfully admit; but will any man say that all the parts of this bill are intended to be so?

No intimation has yet been given of the proposed Reforms in the Church of England.

The Irish Coercion Bill proceeds slowly, being pertinaciously opposed at every stage. It has been considerably modified in some of its provisions: but we would hope enough remains to secure its object; which every passing week proves to be of the most urgent moment, neither property nor life being safe under the present system of conspiracy and terrorism.

Sir Andrew Agnew has brought in his great measure, for the Observance of the Lord's Day, and his Bill is to be read a second time on the 30th of April. We hope that the friends of religion throughout the land will in the mean time, make themselves masters of its provisions, and strongly urge the duty of supporting them upon the Members of Parliament in their several vicinities. We regret that the Bill is not printed in time for us to give an abstract of its clauses in our present Number; but it may suffice