John Skinner, the ecclesiastical historian, John Skinner, author of the "Annals of Scottish Episcopacy," and of the Treatise on the Scottish Communion Office, and Alexander Jolly. Keeping in view our increased numbers, can we show such a list now?

THE COURT OF APPEAL OF THE CHURCH IN ENGLAND. THE debate in Convocation, upon the present Court of Appeal upon ecclesiastical questions, will be read by our readers with great interest. Our proximity to England naturally imparts a great influence to all the movements that take place there, and recent decisions have been, there can be no doubt, a great blow to all those portions of the Catholic Church connected more immediately with the Anglican Communion. The speech of the Lord Chancellor of England has not in any way improved matters. That the Church of England is rivetted by the bonds of the State there can be no doubt; and it required not the Chancellor to announce the fact in a tone of ribald jest. There can be no doubt also, that the Court of Appeal is one of the most vulnerable parts of the State connection. The question is what remedy to pro vide. According to Archdeacon Randall, there are "two courses 1st, that of having only ecclesiastics for judges; 2d, making them a legal and non-clerical Court.

We incline very strongly to the latter course. It appears to us that the lay judicial mind is essential to any ecclesiastical court. During the period of the Roman ascendancy, the laity were practically deprived of all the Church rights. The records of the early Church always associate the laity with all the movements of the Church; and it was only to aggrandise the authority of the Roman pontiff, that the laity were progressively shut out from all vote in Church affairs.

In the matter of the Church in Scotland we give way out of respect for the authority of cur spiritual Fathers and our admiration for the recent legislation. Whilst fully conscious of the great need of reform in the Church of England as to her Court of Appeal, we are convinced that a great reform is needed likewise in our Court of Appeal in Scotland; that the laity should have a full representation in that Court; and that laity conversant with ecclesiastical and common law should form an important element in it.

If England has sustained injury by a Court of Appeal, representative too much of a Court of Common Law, she has also derived great benefit in many cases. That liberty of thought for which the Church of England has ever been distinguished, has been very much

attributable to the lay element interfering in the part of ecclesiastical discussion, and preventing a minority being trampled upon by a majorityAll the divisions in the Church in early times were very much traceable to a class legislation and class preponderance. We fully grant that the clerical element should form the leading element in the Court, but there should be the salutary check of those more accustomed to deal with great questions, and less influenced by party bias.

The Appeal to Rome we are free to confess was, at the time, a great check upon local injustice and local intolerance. The rule of local "cliques" is always the most intolerable of oppressions from its narrowness and its personality.

But apart from this, there can be no doubt that things in England cannot remain as they are. То say that men are to remain as teachers in the universities of the Church and rectors of parishes, while they deny the inspiration of parts of Scripture, and repudiate the leading doctrines of the Catholic Church, is a state of matters, the mere statement of which proves its absurdity and anomaly. The Church in England must have her Court of Appeal; and it must be no class Court. It must fully represent the Church in her broad and Catholic aspect. Her decisions must be in conformity to the canons of the Catholic Church. The laity must form a part in all the affairs of the Church, whether in a legislative or judicial capacity, or else the Court will not be a fair representation of the Church. Until the public mind is more matured upon this weighty matter, it will be better to postpone all legislation.

In one respect we hold the Churches in the colonies have derived, on the whole, benefit from recent decisions. It appears to us they can no longer be regarded as appendages to their mother Church. They can no longer be borne down by the withering power of state interference. As free voluntary bodies, whilst retaining all filial respect for their Holy Mother, they will be able to do their work more completely. As standing upon their own basis, they will be better able to gather around them the affections of the colonists. As indigenous Churches they will make larger strides, and take a bolder line.

The Bishop of New Zealand said truly, that the withdrawal of the Government grant to him as Bishop was the most fortunate step for the New Zealand Church that ever occurred. The money was made up to him within a few weeks by the Church itself. Now that the Court of Appeal has cut the cable between the Law and the Churches in the colonies, a long range of prosperity is before them, if they do their work like Christians and like men.

We are fully alive to the advantages of a state connection, if it can be arranged upon fair and honourable terms, but in the present

VOL. II.-NO. XVIII.

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political state of the colonies, this does not appear practicable. It will therefore be far preferable that the Church remain free and independent.

THE ROMAN MOVEMENT IN ENGLAND.

WE cannot close our eyes to the importance of the appointment of Dr. Manning to the so-called Archi-Episcopal See of Westminster, as a proof of the untiring hostility of the Church of Rome to our English Sister. Ever since the Anglican Church burst the bonds of Roman tyranny, she has been the most prominent and formidable opponent of her former ally. Anglican theology has ever been antiRoman, and the most formidable polemics Rome has had to deal with have undoubtedly been members of the Anglican Church.

It is to be hoped this last appointment will open the eyes of all those who imagine that Rome has in one tittle abandoned her arrogant pretensions, or suspended her aggression.

In selecting Dr. Manning, the Bishop of Rome has doubtless been wise in his generation. No one knows better than he the English temperament, and the weakness and strength of the English Church. No one will make more of the advantages in his power. No one will do the Church of England more harm if he can. It is well, at any rate, we should have fair warning. So far as we in Scotland are concerned, it can only affect us indirectly. Romanism has never found any footing amongst us, the principal converts coming from the Presbyterian bodies. Those who have left the Church in Scotland were more properly members of the English Church. Still we cannot disguise from ourselves that Scotland furnishes a wide field for Roman missions. The endless and childish divisions which prevail amongst us, the ignorance of all the leading principles of the Catholic Church, the singular sympathy and agreement between Presbytery and Popery, the passion of Scotchmen for a dogma, are all dangers to the nation of which Rome, has she any opportunity, will not be slow to avail herself. The Church in Scotland is the only opponent Rome is really afraid of. Hence the necessity of good works, of untiring zeal, of educating the public mind. We see the deadly struggle going on in Ireland. We cannot be altogether indifferent about ourselves.

This all goes to prove the necessity of union between all the branches of the Catholic Church to resist this determined oppressor, who tramples upon the rights of conscience, and violates the canons of the Catholic Church.

The providing a suitable maintenance for the Bishops and the

Clergy is undoubtedly the first point to be gained. Until this be done, our whole position in Christendom is affected. It is contrary to all common sense, to expect that the people of Scotland can recognize us as the National Church, or that Catholic Christendom can much respect us so long as these first duties are left undone. Christendom only knows us as the richest branch of the Catholic Church which has no missions, and pays its Bishops and Clergy the worst. It is vain explaining the causes or making excuses. The causes and the excuses in

such cases make the matter all the worse.

What greater handle can be against us than the present state of our finance ?

We

This is, forsooth, they will tell us, the old Church in Scotland. "A tree is known by its fruits." A Church which does nothing to propagate the gospel in foreign parts; a Church which, by its seat rents, in many cases excludes the poor; a Church which tries to give as little as it can to God, and that " grudgingly "—all this in the hands of a Dr. Manning will doubtless be a strong argument against us. trust, however, the dawn has burst upon us; that we have seen the worst; that our Church will be no longer the mouldering mass of dry bones of the last half century; that she will be a living body." There may be much to discourage, but there is more to cheer. The awakening may be slow and gradual, but it is no less certain and real. If we will only persevere and be united-not, indeed, bound under a dead uniformity, not chained down by an iron rule, but agreeing to differ, and co-operating upon a common platform-we need fear no opposition or no opponents. But if we return to our fatal sleep; if we rest upon our oars, though it be for a moment; if we neglect our opportunity, it may not return in a century.

The upheaving of the public mind in Scotland, the decided reaction which has set in against Presbytery, the practical repudiation of the Calvinistic dogma, all are signs that the harvest is approaching. The contest lies between us and Rome. Presbytery is dying out; and the question fairly before the people of Scotland is, Shall we return to Roman bondage, having cast off the Presbyterian rule, or shall we welcome the ancient Church which first gave Christianity to Scotland, and which retained her independence of Rome longer than any other Church in Christendom.

That Church is rising from her ruins, whether it be the will of God her resuscitation shall be in a few years, or after a further lengthened struggle. Certain it is, it is our duty to aid in the work. The ancient cathedrals speak to us from the tomb; the memories of our confessors and martyrs all tell us to go onward. A bright future is before us, if we will only follow in their footsteps. Providence only helps those who help themselves.

The trimming, the cowardice, the compromise, the fear of the public voice of the last quarter of a century could carry with it no blessing. We entered upon a new era. A new generation are occupying the ground; and Scotland will be ours if we prove ourselves worthy of holding her—if we cease to be a few quiet English chapels, afraid of ourselves and of all about us, and if we claim to be, as, if we do not claim we have no business to be there at all, the old Church in Scotland, full of glorious memories-the ancient Church of the land.

THE COMING ELECTIONS.

It is in every way expedient that churchmen should have their attention directed to the coming elections, and should throw in the weight of their influence in behalf of candidates friendly to the cause of the Church.

No greater mistake can there be than the Church associating herself with any political party. We have plenty of cases of "put not your trust in princes." Political parties are willing enough to make a handle of the Church so long as it suits their tactics, and are quite as willing to throw her over at the first breath of unpopularity. It is more with individuals that she has to deal, and as such the Church in Scotland, as possessing the great landed interest, holds more power, if she knew how to wield it, than any other body in the country. If she would but act as one, many of the present candidates bitterly opposed to her might be put to the bottom of the poll without much difficulty.

We hope that Mr. Black's services towards the Church will not be forgotten. In no way associated with our communion, his love of fair play induced him to take a very bold and active part in removing that last ray of intolerance-the Disabilities. We trust that all churchmen—no matter what their politics-will record their votes for him, and use every legitimate influence to render his seat secure. Associated with all the great reforms and triumphs over intolerance and bigotry in Scotland, we bid him our heartiest success.

The election of Lord Dalkeith and Lord Henry Scott must stand paramount in the affections of true churchmen. We trust no churchman will be so far forgetful of his duties as not to use every effort to return them to Parliament. Mr. Boyle will, we hope, also receive the support of the members of that Church he has loved and served so well.

There are many others to whom we might refer, whose merits we might discuss. We are rejoiced to say there are few against whom we