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has been gradually advancing itself in power and influence, as the sons of confusion have been spreading their seductions; and when I tell you that we put in circulation, in the year ending at our last audit, upwards of one million four hundred thousand Bibles, Prayer Books, and religious tracts, by much the larger portion dispersed at home, you will at once see how powerful an antidote is in regular diurnal application against all the evil working among us. But you are not yet in possession of all the criteria for judging of the corrective influence of our society. The extraordinary eruptions of the last year seemed to require an antidote peculiar to themselves. The society felt this; a special committee was formed for the counteraction of infidel publications, and the public were invited to supply the necessary funds; upwards of £6,000 have been subscribed, and about thirty anti-infidel tracts, especially levelled to the capacities of the lower orders, have been composed, and upwards of five hundred thousand of them distributed. And in order to provide the means of permanent counteraction, we passed a vote on Tuesday last, to provide every parish in the kingdom, upon the application of its pastor, with a parochial lending library, composed of such of the books upon our catalogue as he shall deem adapted to the capacity and circumstances of his flock. These are internal arrangements, which do not come before those living in distant regions, and unconnected with us, but which are very material to the taking a true estimate of our circumstances and condition. It is true that, during the tremendous convulsions occasioned by the French revolu

tion, the attention of government was engrossed by the dangers menacing us from without, and had no leisure to exercise domestic vigilance. It is truǝ that a sort of generalized religion has been diffused very extensively, but sound Churchmanship, as well in faith as discipline, has had a stimulus given to it by these defections. The battle between faith and indifference, and unity and amalgamation, has been well fought; and as far as rational conviction goes, the former, in both instances, have triumphed over their assailants; and most certainly the present and the rising generation have been stimulated by the conflict, to acquire the ability to give a much more satisfactory reason for the faith that is in them, than the generation to which they succeeded.

"By a parliamentary grant, and by a voluntary society, the deficiency of churches is progressively diminishing; and many of the late appointments to church dignities have been such as would have done credit to any age of the Church. Our universities, Oxford especially, have been repairing the decays of discipline and of the requisite knowledge for their degrees, and a competent knowledge of the evidences and principles of Christianity is made indispensable to every one. There is a great deal of lost ground to recover, and a great deal of mischief to be warded off and neutralized; but this conviction is both forcibly and extensively awakened. Our only solid foundation is the making it appear that we are what we profess to be, the genuine Church of Christ-that we hold forth the true light, and walk worthy of our vocation. This conviction is operating widely amongst us, and there is a gr

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interest taking in the study of theology, and workmen that need not be ashamed are multiplying.

"The propagation of Christianity abroad is, moreover, engaging much of our attention; and when I tell you that we have, during the last year, collected nearly £50,000 by a king's letter, and that a mission college, upon an extensive scale, is at this time building at Calcutta, to be entirely under the Bishop's management, you will be satisfied that the Church is still in possession of much of the public confidence, and is doing her utmost to substantiate and increase her claim to it. Our danger arises more from the numbers than from the present influence and power of the dissenting interest. ***. Our great defection is from the shopkeeper downwards. The Churchman never inquires into the religious persuasion of those to whom he gives custom, but the Dissenter always does, and those exclusively have his custom who go with him to meeting. Every art of this description has been long in very active operation, and that godliness must prosper in the world which has the most gain attached to it. But, after all, amidst the fluctuations of hope and fear for the political ascendency of the Church, which cannot fail to agitate every reflecting man as he surveys alternately what is doing to strengthen the establishment, and what to undermine it; still, as a spiritual body, the prospect most certainly is progressively brightening; and if called to suffer, my confidence is, that grace will be given her to witness a good confession, and that to those who have eyes to see it, she will be more glorious under persecution than with

the honours which now constitute her earthly splendour.

"That you may have some better criterion of judging than my report, I have begun collecting a small package of books and papers for you, which I shall consign to the care of Mr. Lawrence. I send you, as a present from Dr. Mant, now promoted to the See of Killaloe, in Ireland, a copy of his Family Prayer Book, compiled as a companion to the Society's Bible; from Dr. Kenny, a volume of his, on the Principles and Practices of Reformers in Church and State; from the Editors of the Churchman's Remembrancer, all the numbers of their monthly miscellany, containing authentic intelligence upon all genuine Church concerns; from Archdeacon Thomas I send you his Charge; and besides these, a few other theological works, as specimens of the state of religious opinion, and of the talent at present devoted to the service of the Church; and I send you also the Reports of our Church Societies. Some other things may occur to me before I close the packet, and I shall omit nothing which may enable you to take a true estimate of us. You are in possession of my feelings and my motives. I think we ought to devise means for acting as one body, as far as circumstances will permit; we are, by divine right, one body, and we ought to feel this, and cultivate fellowship with each other-that communion of saints which we all uniformly profess before God as an article of our common faith. I do not know any thing which would more promote this, than if you were to make a visit to this country. My house would gladly greet you with all its hos

pitality, as long as you would continue under its roof; and I think I could accomplish all the introductions which would be gratifying to you. Do therefore think of this project, and if local duties will admit of it, let me hear that the proposal is adopted.

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"Grove-street, Hackney, April 18, 1820."

From Bishop Skinner to Bishop Hobart.

"Aberdeen, 12th August, 1820.

"RIGHT REV. AND DEAR SIR,

"I gladly embrace the opportunity of a vessel going direct from hence to New-York, to return you personally, those thanks which I requested my brother at Forfar to offer in my name, for the interesting communications which you had lately the goodness to send through his hands to the Scottish Bishops. They have all been perused by me, I assure you, with singular satisfaction, and with a heart full of pious affection towards our worthy and zealous brethren in the American Church: nor can any one who has sincerely at heart the interests of pure and undefiled religion, possibly view with indifference the rapid progress which the Gospel of Christ, in its purest and most primitive form, is making throughout the United States. Your exertions in the good cause have long been known and duly appreciated by the Church in Scotland;

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