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The frantic storms of human will,

And thrones and powers, and worlds unknown, In freedom thy decrees fulfil,

And tremblingly thy footsteps own.

Then walk, thou Mighty One, o'er all

That thought can reach, or tongue can tell, While nations, ages, rise and fall,

As momentary billows swell.

Only amid the final storm,

When darkest shadows gather round, Do thou reveal thy sacred form,

With mercy's emerald rainbow crowned.

Thy voice, thine eye, thy magic tread,
Shall bid the storms of ages cease,
And o'er the long-tossed waters spread
An atmosphere of perfect peace.
I know not if thy sapphire throne
Is based upon that glassy sea,
Where minstrel saints in glory own
Eternal praises due to thee:

Oh might I find that crystal wave,
The haven from a world like this,
How would my soul transported lave
In waters of unfathomed bliss!

Yet rather let me, Saviour, pray

That thou wilt o'er this troubled breast Omnipotent in mercy, stray,

And calm its swelling waves to rest.

The throbbing brow, the feverish start,
The gushing tear, the hurried sigh,
Shall feel thee glide along my heart,
And sweetly whisper, " It is I."

"It

A DIRGE.

TOMB! take our treasure to thy hoard!
The hand that we so oft have prest,

The eye, whence holy light hath poured,
The glowing lip, the form adored,

Take to thy breast.

Cold, cold, and thankless as thou art!
How can we leave the spirit free,
How can we yield that faithful heart
Which bore in all our joys a part,

Thus unto thee?

Said we the spirit ?—'Tis not thine!

No,-guard the slumbering dust with care,-
Nature with flowers shall deck the shrine,
And be at dewy eve's decline

A weeper there.

Yes, guard thy trust with jealous fear,
Dark steward of the dreamless bed!
For thou, when ruin 'whelms the sphere,
The strong archangel's voice shall hear,
Restore the dead!

H.

CHURCH PATHS.

MR. EDITOR,-Some demur has arisen how the paths and gates are to be repaired, in a parish where a great part of it is situated near three miles from the church; the walk to church, the shortest way, is through fields, in which are above a dozen styles. Some years ago, for the accommodation of the parish, these styles were exchanged for accommodation gates these are now become very much out of repair; the path is totally neglected; in some places it is nearly impassable in the winter. The churchwardens are afraid that they are not sufficiently authorized to repair the gates and the paths; the waywardens of the parish do not consider it belongs to them, but that the occupiers of the land should repair the paths and erect what styles they like; which, from the number of them, and the length of the walk to church, might be very inconvenient. Perhaps, if you think proper to give this a place in your CHRISTIAN REMEMBRANCER, some of your readers might be so kind as to point out whether a church path ought to be kept in repair by the parish when it is through fields, whether it is allowable to erect convenient gates instead of styles,-who the persons are whose duty it is to erect them, and the legal authority for so doing?

W.

BELLS.

THE origin of bells in religious ceremonies dates from Moses, who ordained that the robe of the high priest (Exodus xxviii. 35) should be hemmed beneath with a border of pomgranates of blue, purple, and scarlet, and bells of gold between them hung round about; "a golden bell and a pomgranate upon the hem of the robe round about." The Jewish lawgiver at the same time assigns his reason for this command: "It shall be upon Aaron to minister, and his sound shall be heard when he goeth in unto the holy place before the Lord, and when he goeth out, that he die not." The sound of the numerous bells gave notice to the assembled people that the most awful ceremony of their religion had commenced. It was a signal that they should prostrate themselves at the moment when the High Priest entered the sanctuary with a vessel of incense, in order that their prayers might ascend with the odour of fragrant offering before the throne of heaven.

LAW REPORT.

No. LVIII. AN ACT FOR THE RELIEF OF CERTAIN SPIRITUAL PERSONS, AND PATRONS OF ECCLESIASTICAL PREFERMENTS, FROM CERTAIN PENALTIES; AND RENDERING VALID CERTAIN BONDS, COVENANTS, OR OTHER ASSURANCES FOR THE RESIGNATION OF ECCLESIASTICAL PREFERMENTS.

WHEREAS by an Act made and passed in the 31st year of the reign of Her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth, intituled "An Act against Abuses in Elections of Scholars and Presentations to Benefices," it is enacted in the words or to the effect following; to wit, "For the avoiding of simony and corruption in presentations, collations, and donations of and to benefices, dignities, prebends, and other livings and promotions ecclesiastical, and in admissions, institutions, and inductions to the same, be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That if any person or persons, bodies politic and corporate, shall or do at any time after the end of forty days next after the end of this Session of Parliament, for any sum of money, reward, gift, profit, or benefit, directly or indirectly, or for or by reason of any promise, agreement, grant, bond, covenant, or other assurance, of or for any sum of money, reward, gift, profit, or benefit whatsoever, directly or indirectly present or collate any person to any benefice with cure of souls, dignity, prebend, or living ecclesiastical, or give or bestow the same for or in respect of any such corrupt cause or consideration, that then every such presentation, collation, gift, and bestowing, and every admission, institution, investiture, and induction thereupon, shall be utterly void, frustrate, and of none effect in law; and that it shall and may be lawful to and for the Queen's Majesty, her heirs and successors, to present, collate unto, or give or bestow every such benefice, dignity, prebend, and living ecclesiastical, for that one time or turn only; and that all and every person or persons, bodies politic and corporate, that from thenceforth shall give or take any such sum of money, reward, gift, or benefit, directly or indirectly, or that shall take or make any such promise,

VOL. XX. NO. X.

ance,

grant, bond, covenant, or other assurshall forfeit and lose the double value of one year's profit of every such benefice, dignity, prebend, and living ecclesiastical; and the person so corruptly taking, procuring, seeking, or accepting any such benefice, dignity, prebend, or living, shall thereupon and from thenceforth be adjudged a disabled person in law to have or enjoy the same benefice, dignity, prebend, or living ecclesiastical:" And whereas since the passing of the said act many spiritual persons, or others, before or after the presentation or collation, or appointment by donation, of spiritual persons to spiritual offices, being benefices with cure of souls, dignities, prebends, or livings ecclesiastical, have made, given, or entered into certain engagements by promise, agreement, grant, bond, covenant, or other assurance, to or with the patron or patrons of such spiritual offices, or to or with some other person or persons, for the resignation of such spiritual offices, to the intent or purpose that some person specially named or described in such engagement, or one of two persons so specially named or described, should be presented, collated, or nominated to such spiritual offices respectively, or that the same should be given or bestowed to or upon him, or for the resignation thereof upon notice or request, or otherwise, when a person, or one of two persons, so specially named or described, should become qualified by age or otherwise to accept and take the same: And whereas it has lately been adjudged and determined at law that such engagements as aforesaid come within the intent and meaning of the said recited act: And whereas the spiritual persons and patrons, and other persons, who have been parties to such engagements, will suffer great hardship and detriment unless they be

4 L

relieved from the pains, penalties, forfeitures, loss, or disabilities to which they have erroneously, but without having wilfully acted in contravention of the said recited act, rendered themselves liable, by reason of having given or entered into, or accepted or taken, such engagements: For remedy thereof be it enacted by the King's most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords spiritual and temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, That no presentation, collation, gift, or bestowing of any such spiritual office to or upon any spiritual person, before the 9th day of April in the present year of our Lord 1827, nor any admission, institution, investiture, or induction thereupon, shall be void, frustrate, or of no effect in law, for or by reason of any such engagement made, given, or entered into by such spiritual person, or any other person or persons, to or with the patron or patrons of such spiritual office, or to or with any other person or persons, for the resignation of the same, to the intent or purpose manifested by the terms of such engagement, that some person specially named or described therein, or one of two persons so specially named or described, should be presented, collated, or nominated to such spiritual office, or that the same should be given or bestowed to or upon him, or for the resignation thereof upon notice or request, or otherwise, when a person, or one of two persons, so specially named or described, should become qualified, by age or otherwise, to accept and take the same; and that it shall not be lawful for the King's most Excellent Majesty, his heirs or successors, for or by reason of such engagement as aforesaid, to present or collate unto, or give or bestow such spiritual office; and that such spiritual person, and patron or patrons, or other person or persons respectively, shall not be liable to any pains, penalty, forfeiture, loss, or disability, nor to any prosecution or other proceeding, civil, criminal, or penal, in any court ecclesiastical or temporal, for or by reason of his, her, or their having made, given, or entered into, or accepted or taken, such engage

ment as aforesaid; and that every such presentation or collation, or gift or bestowing, before the said 9th day of April, in the present year of our Lord 1827, and every admission, institution, investiture, and induction thereupon, shall be as valid and effectual in the law, to all intents and purposes whatsoever, as if such engagement had not been made, given, or entered into, or accepted or taken; any thing in the said recited act, or in any other act, statute, or canon, or any law to the contrary in anywise notwithstanding.

II. And be it further enacted, that every such engagement which hath been made, given, or entered into at any time before the said 9th day of April, in the present year of our Lord 1827, for the resignation of any benefice with cure of souls, dignity, prebend, or living ecclesiastical, to the intent or purpose, manifested by the terms of such engagement, that some person specially named or described therein, or one of two persons so specially named or described, should be presented, collated, or nominated to such spiritual office, or that the same should be given or bestowed to or upon him, or for the resignation thereof upon notice or request or otherwise, when a person, or one of two persons, so specially named or described, should become qualified, by age or otherwise, to accept and take the same, shall be good, valid, and effectual in the law to all intents and purposes whatsoever; any thing in the said recited act, or in any other act, statute, or canon, or any law to the contrary in anywise notwithstanding.

III. Provided always, that nothing in this act contained shall extend or be construed to extend to the case of any engagement which shall not have been made, given, or entered into really and bona fide to the intent or purpose aforesaid, and no other: provided also, that nothing herein contained shall be deemed compulsory upon the ordinary to accept the regignation.

IV. Provided always, and be it further enacted, That in every case where any such spiritual office shall after the passing of this act be resigned pursuant to any such engagement, and

the person, or any one of the two persons, so specially named or described therein shall not be presented, collated, nominated, or appointed by donation to such spiritual office within six calendar months next after such resignation, the resignation which shall so have been made pursuant to such engagement shall to all intents and purposes be void and of no effect; and the spiritual person who shall so have resigned shall, without any act or form, and as if such resignation had not been made, be deemed and taken to all intents and purposes to be and to have continued the incumbent actually in possession of such spiritual office, notwithstanding such resigna

tion, and although within the said six months any other person may have been presented, collated, nominated, instituted, or inducted thereto, or received investiture thereof, provided such person so resigning shall not by reason of any other act or thing have become disqualified to hold the same.

V. Provided_also, and be it further enacted, That nothing in this act contained shall extend or be construed to extend to the case of any such engagement, upon or with respect to which any action, suit, bill, plaint, or information shall have been brought, sued out, or commenced and prosecuted before the 9th day of April in this present year.

MONTHLY REGISTER.

CEREMONY OF LAYING THE FOUNDATION STONES OF TWO CHURCHES, AT STALYBRIDGE AND DUKINFIELD.

THE ceremony of laying the cornerstone in the rebuilding of St. George's Chapel, Stalybridge, and of St. John's Church, Dukinfield, took place on Monday last, and proved a highly interesting event to the inhabitants of that populous district. By the arrangements of the committees of management of the two churches, it was determined that these interesting ceremonies should take place on the same day, and, to further their views, the respective owners of the extensive cotton spinning works kindly consented to suspend the labours of their establishments, to afford to their numerous workpeople an opportunity of participating in the events of the day.

At ten o'clock the clergy, magistrates, and gentry of the town and vicinity, the children of the Church Sunday-schools, the Freemasons, and the orders of Foresters, Druids, and Gardeners, met at the Town-hall. On being joined by the Provincial Grand Master of the free and accepted Masons, Lord Viscount Combermere, a procession was formed, and they proceeded towards Dukinfield.

The appearance of the ancient fraternity of Freemasons was particularly striking.

On arriving at the ground at Dukinfield, the corner-stone was laid by

Lord Combermere, with the usual formalities, sprinkled with corn, wine, and oil, and dedicated to St. John the Evangelist.

The orderly and respectful behaviour of the thousands of spectators was most gratifying to the reverend gentlemen, and all who witnessed the ceremony. After appropriate prayers and an eloquent address from the Rev. Rector of Stockport, the procession moved on in the same order to the ground selected for the rebuilding of St. George's Chapel, Stalybridge. The same imposing ceremony was performed by the Right Worshipful Deputy Provincial Grand Master, Thomas Preston, Esq.

The plan of St. George's Church, Stalybridge, consists of a naive with side aisles, separated by arches and columns, a chancel at the east, and a tower at the west end. The building is in the early decorated style of Gothic architecture, which prevailed at the commencement of the 14th century. The side windows have elegant geometrical tracery, supported on light shafts, with neat capitals and bases. The tower is strengthened and ornamented with four octagonal turrets, which, rising through the several stages of the building, terminates in

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