ADVERTISEMENT.

The lamented illness of the late Venerable Archdeacon of Surrey prevented his attending in person his autumnal visitation for the present year. Dr. Haggard, Chancellor of Winchester, having undertaken it in his stead, kindly consented to become the medium of an address to the Archdeacon, expressing the sympathy of the Clergy in the cause of his absence, and their hope that he would enable them to read in print the Charge which they understood he had prepared and completed for delivery. It is to be regretted that the address could not reach the Archdeacon before the aggravated symptoms of his disorder terminated in death. His family, having found the Charge among his papers, have requested me to superintend its publication; and I feel that I shall be acting fully according to the intentions of Dr. Dealtry himself, as well as the wishes of his numerous and attached brethren, in putting the manuscript, as it stands, to press, and thereby affording to the reverend the Clergy of the Archdeaconry of Surrey the opportunity of possessing themselves of so valuable and important a document.

C. J. HOARE,

Archdeacon of Winchester.

GODSTONE, November, 1847.

A CHARGE, &c.

MY REVEREND BRETHREN,

The few months which have elapsed since our last meeting have not been barren as to events of considerable interest to religion, and the Church. Of these events there are some which furnish matter of sincere congratulation to all who feel rightly for the moral and spiritual welfare of their fellowcreatures; and if others are, in any way, calculated to be subjects of regret, rather than of congratulation, we would not, on that account, be either disheartened or surprised. It is but in accordance with the past history of our Church, that it should not be permitted to pursue its heavenly ministry without difficulty and trial; it is but according to the general course of this world, that good should seldom exist without some admixture of evil.

We regard it as an undoubted characteristic of true Christian charity, that it longs to diffuse the blessings of Christian truth, and Christian civilization, wherever Divine Providence shall point the

way. It feels for the whole family of man; it embraces in its regard all the tribes and nations of the earth, whatever be their colour, and however apparently hopeless their degradation. It views them all as participating of the same blood -as created by the same hand-as nourished by the same bounty-as destined alike to an immortal existence. In the schemes of benevolence, which originate from this principle, the Church of England has, especially of late years, taken a noble part and the records of the year which has just gone by, give proof of increased interest in behalf of the heathen world, and tell of encouraging success. This assertion will be amply borne out by the reports which have been published concerning the proceedings of societies engaged in this good work, and especially of the Church Missionary Society. That Society, in connection with the Church, was established with a distinct view to the lands of heathenism; and it has now, for nearly fifty years, carried on its great object, with new fields for sacred enterprise continually opening before it, and with many and most animating tokens of the favour and blessing of God.

The more ancient Society for the Propagation of the Gospel, having, for its immediate design, the preserving and maintaining of the Christian worship, and the knowledge of God in the colonies

of Great Britain, established a principle which has led, during a long period, and especially during the past year, to results of high value "to them that are of the household of faith." Of the twentyone colonial bishops, to whom we can now point as filling that number of sees, erected within sixty years, in different parts of the world, not less than four has been the addition of the present year. By this increase of the chief pastors of the Church, provision, it may be hoped, has, to a great extent, been made for the spiritual benefit, not merely of multitudes now in existence, who, bearing the name of Christians, must otherwise be left without the ordinances of Christianity, but of generations yet to come. When we look, indeed, at the number of our colonies and dependencies, and consider, at the same time, the probably rapid increase of the population, in each case, from a British origin; when we contemplate further the gradual extension of the colonists through the wide territories in which some of them are located, and observe, too, the readiness of many among the surrounding natives to receive Christian instruction, and join in the service of Christian worship, we are constrained to admit, that the whole work is even yet in its infancy; that the appointment of the present number of colonial bishops and chaplains, however justly a subject of con