due effect. At present their prospects are most unpromising. They are discouraged from a due expenditure of capital, not only for the permanent improvement of land, but even for the ordinary course of husbandry, by ap prehensions arising from the immense importations of grain and wool. Unless the warehousing of corn is relinquished, it will be impossible to prevent our markets from being glutted with that article from abroad. Nor will the measures adopted respecting the averages, produce any very essen tial and important benefits. At present foreigners and traders are allowed to enrich themselves to the injury of the British farmers, and the country in general. Those who have not already wasted their capital in unprofitable cultivation of the soil, are withdrawing, or preparing to withdraw it. The expense of tillage has so greatly increased, that if the land cannot be turned to pasture, by which many thousands would be thrown out of employment, they will find it much more prudent to suffer the inferior soils to lie waste, rather than incur the heavy load of tithes, taxes, poor-rates, and assessments, and run the risk of an inadequate price for their unprotected produce.

A SKETCH OF THE CHARGE OF THE LORD BISHOP OF CHESTER, DELIVERED IN THE CHAPEL OF ST. JAMES, WHITEHAVEN, ON FRIDAY THE 14TH OF JULY, 1820.

THE Right Reverend Prelate commenced his Charge by observing, that it could seldom happen that a period of three years could elapse, without the occurrence of important changes, political, moral, and religious; but in the present instance, since he last met his Reverend Brethren, changes of more than ordinary magnitude bad taken place, which, if not originating, had at least been matured, within the period; changes which his Lordship attributed to the almost exclusive agency of the PRESS, by means of which a deluge of blasphemous and seditious writings had been made to overspread the country. Before, however, his Lordship endeavoured to particularise the means of meeting and resisting this great and growing evil, he would, in pursuance of the undertaking which he had begun on a former occasion, advert to some departures from the due discipline of the Church, of which instances were obser

vable within the diocese. His Lordship then called the attention of his Clergy to their several duties, as well, as means of benefitting their congregations and the country, under several heads; as to the due performance of the ordinary service of the Church, the administration of the Sacraments; the care demanded for the prevention of fraudulent marriages; and the efforts to he made, without the walls of the church, for the maintenance of Christianity, piety, loyalty, and morals. His Lordship intimated that some few complaints had reached him, of the want of punc tuality in the attendance of officiating Ministers, at the hours appointed for the celebration of Divine Service; and remarked, that the particular hours themselves should be first accommodated to the convenience of the res pective congregations, and that when fixed, nothing should be allowed to interfere with their regular observance by the Minister. He pressed upon the reflections of his Clergy, how ill they served either themselves personally, or the Church of which they are the ministers, by negligence in this respect. A congregation reasonally displeased with the treatment under review, would be too apt to carry their temper, first to the general injury of the character of their Minister, and next to the very Church and its doctrines from a teacher of which they were personally exposed to this want of decent attention; and his Lordship, philosophically recurring to the structure of the human mind, and consequent force of habit, suggested, as the best means of preventing the evil, that every Clergy man should make it a law with himself, to allow of no commencement, on whatever excuse, of the practice of omitting a scrupulous regard to time. Having thus conducted his Minister into the church, his Lordship next expected from him a due attention to the reading of the appointed service, which should be audible, dis tinct, solemn, and emphatic. As to the sermon, it should be plain, and adapted rather to the views and apprehensions of the hearers, than to the learning of the closet. Plainness, a perfect adapta. tation to the most ordinary understanding, and extent of information, is the unfortunate characteristic of the popu lar publications which aim at the diffu sion of blasphemy, infidelity, and sedition; and here, fas est ab hoste doceriit is lawful to take a lesson from our enemies, and defend the cause in which

we are engaged with an equal condes cension as to the means. His Lordship, therefore, thought it a mistake, bowever good the intention, to bring the objections of more learned disputants before the eyes of those who were previously unacquainted with them, for the sole purpose of entering upon their refutation.

As a part of the Service of the Church, the Bishop adverted to Psalmody, and expressed, in very forcible terms, his regret that any of the Clergy should have so far lent themselves to the wanderings of enthusiasm, as to allow of the introduction into their churches of any unauthorised hymns. These productions his Lordship pointedly described as revolting, from the offensive familiarity with which they treat the divine persons of the Trinity, as well as from the shocking and indecorous pictures which they often draw of the sufferings of our Blessed Saviour. The species of gratification which they afford to persons of vulgar taste and unchas tised feelings was characterised by his Lordship (if we represent one particu lar sentence in his discourse aright) in the remark, that where such hymns are sung, the people absolutely go to church to have their passions extravagantly and unbecomingly excited. His Lordship strongly recommended to his Clergy to content themselves with the use of the Psalms of David, as set forth by the Chorch, either in the old or the new version.

With respect to the Sacraments, the first, in the order of human life is that of Baptism. Here, his Lordship called upon his Clergy to resist the growing disposition, among all classes, to make the celebration of that sacrament private, instead of public, as the Church demands. Not only persons in superior circumstances, but even those in inferior, were falling into this error; and in some parts of the diocese, the irregu. larity was carried to the length, that the child was only carried to the house of the Minister to be named, and the reading of the office was never performed at ali. But the Church dispenses with Public Baptism only in the cases of sick. ness in the child, and even then requires that it should be brought, at a subsequent time, for the completion of the ceremony in the face of the congrega. tion. Neither in the chambers of the sick, nor in the cottages of the poor, can Baptism be so suitably, because

solemnly performed, as in the presence of a congregation. In private Baptism that solemnity is not to be found. Among those of better condition, and others, the occasion often led to the excitement of feelings but little becoming the performance of so serious a ceremony; and among the poor, such a practice leads to neglect and disregard. Another consideration was the qualifi cation of sponsors. It had lately be come the practice for parents to stand sponsors for their own children, an innovation by which the children and parents are deprived of that assistance, in the inculcation of religious knowledge, which the Church particularly contemplated in the institution of the office. Connected, too, with the doctrine of the celebration of Baptism, is a question which has been raised, whether the body of one who has not been lawfully baptised, can be lawfully buried by the Church. On this point his Lordship candidly stated, that his individual opinion was in the negative; but, that the affirmative having been decided for by a county law, to that decision he, as an individual, bowed.

Passing to the celebration of Marriage, his Lordship observed that much negligence was often observable in what related both to banns and licenses. The Marriage Act (26 George 11) requires that at least one of the parties shall be resident in the place where the banus are published, and that where the two parties reside in two different places, the banns shall be published in both. In breach of the law thus laid down, it too frequently happens, that orders for the publication of banns are brought or sent to the clergyman, who, without making the inquiry which the act renders his duty, (and for which it affords him, if necessary, a period of seven days, before the expiration of which he is not obliged to proceed further) immediately performs the publication; and, at the time of celebration, too, he omits the exercise of that discretion with which the law intrusts him, ́when there is reasonable cause of lawful impediment; as, the want of due publication, &c. In regard to licenses, also, the surrogates are sometimes equally deficient in the exercise of the requisite strictness; and in all these cases, the responsibility is incurred, for the misery and mischiefs of those irregular marriages which the law has designed to make impracticable. His Lordship observed,

that he had himself contemplated the introduction into Parliament of a Bill for the further prevention of the evil; but that the difficulties which surround the subject, had, for the present, at least, induced him to defer it.*.

In the celebration of the Lord's Supper, after the taking of the sacred bread and wine, the prayer is often not repeated to each communicant separately, but addressed at once to all who are at the Lord's table. It must be obvious, in the mean time, that this practice de prives the receiver of the benefit of that special application of the devout office to his own heart and wind, and there. fore of that serious impression which it is of the utmost importance to pro

duce.

Arriving, now, at the promised consideration of the means of resisting the diffusion of blasphemy, infidelity, irreligion, and sedition, bis Lordship was of opinion that the first of these was the PRESS; for that which was itself a great engine for creating mischief, might be as beneficially as lawfully applied to its counteraction; and here, with reference to the circulation of writings adapted to the desired end, it was necessary that the Clergy should endeavour, each in his respective district, by personal investigation, to arrive at a knowledge of the description and tenor of those printed books or papers, of an adverse character, which are actu ally circulated, read, and encouraged; for thus only would they be enabled to apply the peculiar antidote to the peculiar poison. Next, the Pulpit; and, in the first place, their discourses ought to exhibit a clear and plain exposition of the first and essential doctrines of our faith-of the divinity of Christ-the efficacy of atonement-the necessity, in the fallen state of man, of divine assistance-of justification-of sanctification-and of salvation. Upon this basis must the moral virtues be raised. We must follow the example of Christ, whose first object was to make converts to the faith, and his next, to teach them their moral duties, and the means of attaining salvation.

But the most important resource, at this day, for resisting the principles of infidelity and anarchy, his Lordship said, is to be found in that system of National

* Lord Ellenborough has at this moment in the House of Lords, a Bill for amending the Marriage Aet.

Education (we are broadly to distinguish this from the Lancasterian System) which is now so widely spreading around us. Every reflecting mind must regard the universal diffusion of reading among the poor as an experiment pregnant with danger. Education, by itself, only makes man a being more powerful, and more capable of mischief, as well as of good. The danger can be averted only by the exercise of the strictest vigilance in imparting the principles of religion, morality, and loyalty with the first elements of instruction.

In prosecuting the great object here considered, a diligent explanation of the principles contained in the Church Catechisin is necessary. It will not be sufficient that the questions and answers are committed to memory; but the principles must be rendered plain to the learners, and imprinted on their minds. His Lordship (if our memory is accurate) expressed his regret that circumstances often rendered the clerical duty of catechising less practicable than the founders of our Church designed.

A further help, and one on which he dwelt at great length, and in the most earnest terms of recommendation, his Lordship stated to be the establishment of Parochial Libraries. Not only must good principles be instilled, but, the power of reading having been imparted, the poor ought to be supplied with innocent instructive, and amusing books; otherwise the former gift might turn out of the worst possible influence, both to themselves and to all about them. For the description of books, it was impossible to lay down a general rule. These must be adapted to the actual state of mental cultivation in the place, as well as to the funds possessed, and to various other circumstances. With respect to the funds, his Lordship exhorted his hearers not to be disheartened by small-by even the very smallest-beginnings. What was well sown, might grow. The Clergyman should, in a greater or less degree, direct the choice. The books might be kept in the vestry, at the Clergyman's house, or elsewhere. Saturday evening would be an appro priate time for the change of books.

Another means, in the hands of devout and well-disposed persons, was the erection of New Churches, as encou raged by Parliament. But besides New Churches, and the enlargement of old onés, much was practicable with the

Connected with the consideration of affording increased facilities of religious worship and pulpit instruction, was the question of Sunday Evening Lectures. His Lordship declared, that he had long been unconquerably averse, for the most weighty reasons, from encouraging or permitting these innovations. He had, at length, with great reluctance, listened to an application for their establishment in a populous city, and, perhaps, in very large manufacturing towns, and with the habits of the times, their introduction might be partially submitted to. Beyond this, his Lordship could not go. In village churches, their use would be most pernicious, young persons of both sexes, being thereby exposed to temptations by returning to their homes at a late hour. The call for these lectures arises out of the sickly desire for amusement out of doors, which characterises the time. The habits of our forefathers were much better: they gave the Sunday evening to the far more useful occupations of family converse and instructive read ing. With reference to the latter, the establishment of Parochial Libraries would beneficially assist to supply the place of Sunday Evening Lectures.

His Lordship concluded the Charge, which the above is an imperfect, but, it is hoped, not unfaithful sketch, which was delivered with the most persuasive grace, and which will be seen to have been replete with topics and observations of the greatest variety and deepest importance, by returning thanks to the Clergy whom he addressed, for the willingness which he had always found in them to conform to his wishes for the benefit of the Church and their congregations, and by the existence of which disposition his own task was so much lightened. An expectation is confidently entertained that the Charge will be printed at the request of the Clergy,

a concession for which the foregoing sketch will doubtlessly increase the general solicitude.

For the EUROPEAN MAGAZINE.
"Ultima ratio Gentium."

Of the PROGRESS of IMPROVEMENT, and
the EXTENSION of the WEALTH and
POWER of NATIONS in the LAST HALF
CENTURY.

been, for almost all the inhabited THE last half century of years has part of the globe, the era the most pregnant of events, in change, revolu tion, science, invention, and improve ment, of any of which there is any record, tradition, or fable, iu the history of mankind. From this extraordinary motion, agitation, and progression, Japan, China, Persia, Turkey, and the savage Continent of Africa, are all that have been exempted. The New World, North and South, has seen two Revolutions; Europe one signal overthrow of long-fixed institutions; and more than one of partial change, or of incipient progress.

The discoveries of COLUMBUS, GAMA, and CHANCELLOR, by which the three great promontories of the Globe were passed, and India, China, and Australasia laid open, the new Continent of America, and the Northern shore of Europe added to the intercourse and riches of the general society of nations, made the way for the activities and energies which have changed all the relations, and improved the means and the faculty, while they have propelled the increase of the numbers of the people of Europe, and added new nations to the influence of industry, and of the advantage of mutual exchanges, in so many products and commodities of use, convenience, or enjoyment, before wholly unknown, or rare, and inaccessible to all but Princes and Grandees.

With the extensions of geography and the increase of numbers, the progress of science, knowledge, and inventions, has kept pace. The Reformation unloosed that powerful lever of moral effect, the Press, to whose activity and freedom so much must be ascribed. lu this period, too, has been felt the improvement in human health and beauty, produced by the substitution of sugar for salt in our general diet, by which that degrading and disfiguring epidemy

of survy, under which all Europe was sinking, bas been mitigated or conquered in its most frightful forms of evil," and of the two fatal lues, great and small. The comfort, ease, health, and duration of life, are all increased by this wholesome innovation in the general diet of Europe. It seems now only necessary to conquer "bile" by a more moderate use of grease in all its forms, and to remit something of the excesses of ardent spirits, and of the acid of wines, disguised by brandy, to mitigate our "chronic" torments; which, with the discovery of some native or other ingredient to colour and flayour with a nourishing or sanative effect, our warm water refections, which deterge the stomach or assist its digestion, would seem to enable us to throw Physic to the dogs," and to want little more than chirurgical assistance for topical malady, accidents, or inju ries of the material frame.

The power and good influence of the new practice of vaccination on our animal frame, are among the whole some innovations of recent years; it is very probable that this simple relief would have failed of its effect, had it been applied to when our temperament of blood was less bland, and before the improvement of our diet in generosity, sufficiency, and "sweetness," had half arrested the evil which this remedy has assisted to mitigate in its abated viruIence.

The experience of Ireland, and the increasing habit of Scotland, England, and Wales, of the use of the American Root, the potatoe, in substitution of the bread, or cake of the meal of the oat or barley grain, is another change, which appears to have had no ill effect on the strength or health of those who use this diet; its assistance to the scant produce of our harvests, for our increased numbers, or the action of this cheap and simple food, on the economy of rent, price, and wages, deserves some consideration, and will soon be enquired, when its influence shall be more felt, and, as usual, all attention to it ridiculed-until then.

Nor have we stopped at the amelioration of the merely animal part of our frame, in its physical conditions. The mind too, the moral faculty, has been offered the powerful medicament of "Education," to form, edulcorate, and refine the temper, the understanding,

and the will. These, however, we have not yet much advanced, and inay require another half century of years, to ripen the fine fruit which a laudable philanthropy has planted, and is now only germinating. The education of the alphabet and of words and numbers merely, is but mechanical-the medium or paper currency" merely, by which sterling knowledge can be spread and circulated; and through which sound religion, morais, manners, science, and letters, may be acquired. To the mechanical means of acquiring knowledge, the faculty of reading written speech, and of communicating our ideas by marks, should be added, a more important part of education, the "training" to good habits, good temper, and disposition; the inculcation of the ** pure and simple" truths of true religion; of sound morals, of honest and benevolent inclinations. These should be impressed in their advantages to the peace, the ease, the prosperity, and the security of this stage of existence, and in their influence on the "blessed hope' of another and a better. Our notions of education are still too narrow, and too precocious in their application, and too limited. To impress habit, without dis. posing the will, through the influence of the understanding, and the persuasions of mental conclusion on the principles, motives, and consequences of action and conduct, is to train, as a dog or a horse are broken in, and is not "teaching" as the human soul should learntraining by habit merely can be used and useful, to ten or twelve years of age; but a well considered teaching, through the persuasions of reason, and the convictions of an apprehension of right and wrong in their principles and consequences, is the Education required from ten or twelve years of age, to sixteen, or longer. Education, even in its most limited degree, if any "training" be meant beyond the habit of a brute, must be extended beyond merely reading, writing, and arithmetic, to rational and real instruction in religion, morals, and the social duties; without this, the advantage of the faculties of letters and numbers becomes quite equivocal in the progress of life, and in the conduct of those to whom these means of good or ill shall be imparted.

Among the most important and determining novelties of the last fifty years in Britain, are the application of