the new Church affords that, Englishmen do, after all, give of their best, what they give to God, and think that a house dedicated to God should proclaim its sacred purpose by the beauty and majesty of its architectural character.

And this leads the bishop, fifthly and finally, to say something as to the progress of Italian Reformation. He is quite sure that the movement is real, and (in the South of Italy especially) satisfactory; though he does not think that any very great immediate results are to be expected. In the North of Italy, he much fears that the zealous efforts of various Presbyterian and dissenting sects have occasioned a tendency to rush from one extreme to the other; and in one Vaudois establishment which he visited, he was told that the Italian converts were so opposed to all forms, that it was scarcely possible to get them to tolerate the repetition even of the Apostles' Creed. The principles of the Church of England do not, of course, allow her to rush into the vehement aggressive action which the various Presbyterian sects not only unscrupulously adopt, but even on principle justify. Much good, however, has resulted from the efforts of the Rev. A. B. Strettell, and Rev. L. M. Hogg, to circulate Prayer-books, and to make known the principles of the English Reformation and the true character of the English Church. A liberal grant was made by the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, for Italian purposes at this juncture, to the late Bishop of Gibraltar, and its expenditure was entrusted by him to those excellent clergymen. The present bishop has continued the same trust in the management of a similar grant. He is persuaded that the establishment of dépôts for the sale of the Society's publications in the chief cities of Italy would be attended with good results; and that it is most desirable also to disseminate the writings of Archdeacon Wordsworth on the subject of the untenable claims of the Church of Rome, and the publications of the Anglo-Continental Society. He is very sensible of the great need in England for contributions and exertions; but being placed by Providence in a position in which he sees, both in the East and West, an evident disposition to return to those principles of primitive Christianity, of which unquestionably the Church of England is the truest representative, he cannot but be desirous that her children should hold out a helping hand to those brethren of both branches of the Church who seem turning to her for guidance and example; and it is his prayer that she may not be wanting to her duty, in sharing and responding to the aspirations for the unity of Christendom, which God seems at this time to be kindling in all Christian communions.

May our beloved Church remember only that her peculiar danger

at this time arises from that system of State control which was tolerable, or at least in some degree defensible, when all statesmen and judges were necessarily laymen of the Church; but which, under altered laws, is now by little and little, but really and practically, lessening the faithfulness of her testimony to the Catholic Faith.

AMERICAN CHURCH.

THE Right Rev. Dr. William Heathcote De Lancey, first Bishop of Western New York, died at Geneva, New York, on the 5th of April, in the 68th year of his age, and 26th of his episcopate. His successor is the Assistant Bishop, Dr. Cleveland Coxe.

CORRESPONDENCE.

ST. JOHN'S, JEDBURGH, 11th May, 1865.

SIR,-You ask for information regarding matters relating to our branch of the Church. Perhaps some of your readers may be interested to hear of the Friendly Society and Fund for the Widows and Orphans of our clergy.

was

The annual meeting of the Committee of the Society held in Aberdeen on Wednesday the 3d of May, when the accounts for the past year were examined and passed. During the year there had been paid to seventeen widows £595-half of the allowance to a family, £175; the office-bearers salaries, £35; postages and other incidental expenses, £4; and Income Tax, £17-in all £826. The annual income, arising from interests and the contributions of the members, was £939; leaving a surplus to be added to the stock of £113. To this have to be added some marriage payments by members, and two donations of £5 and £2, making in all an addition to the Fund of £144 on the year.

As I believe the Fund is very little known, I shall add a few particulars regarding its history and objects, hoping thereby to awaken a little more general interest in the Society, and, it may be, to draw to it some of the alms and offerings of the faithful.

The Society which is known under the name of the Scotch Episcopal Friendly Society, had its origin at the convention summoned at Laurencekirk by Bishop Skinner in 1792, to receive the Report of the proceedings in carrying through the Act for the Repeal of the Penal

Laws affecting our branch of the Church. An offering had been made to defray the expenses attending the passing of the Act. After paying all, there remained a balance of £91, which the convention resolved should be set aside for the benefit of the widows and children of the clergy. This was the commencement of the Society's Fund; and, by the good Providence of God, that small beginning has been so blessed that the Fund is now almost £20,000. There was, I believe, a Fund with the same object previously established in Edinburgh, which was united afterwards to the Friendly Society, and from that source a small amount was received. Once or twice also an offering was made throughout the Church for the Society. But the greater portion of its funds has arisen from the contributions of the members, and from donations and legacies which I am sorry to say have been yearly becoming fewer, till now they have almost entirely ceased.

The Society is open to all clergymen serving in the Scottish Church. They must, however, enter within three years after their ordination as priests, or institution to a pastoral charge, if in Scottish orders. The objects of the Society are to provide annuities for the widows of the clergy serving in our branch of the Church of Christ—a provision for their orphan children—and aid for such of the members themselves as from advanced age, or other infirmities, are unable to perform their official duties. The last object has been kept in abeyance as yet, because the Committee have always been very anxious to increase the allowance to the widows and orphans, and because of late the Church Society has, in some measure, taken that work in hand.

The Society is under the management of a Committee, consisting of the Bishops of the Church, and of fifteen of the clergy, being members of the Society. A meeting of the Committee is held yearly in Aberdeen on the first Wednesday of May; and a general meeting of the members every third year in July.

The annuity paid to the widows is £35; and when a member leaves no widow, but orphan children, a sum is paid to them in two yearly instalments, equal to ten years of a widow's annuity, i. e., at present £350.

The members pay, the older ones, an annual contribution of £2 for twenty-five years; and those now entering, of £3 for twenty years. There are also some small marriage payments.

It will be seen at once how inadequate these payments are of themselves to secure such benefits. Indeed, the stability of the Fund is owing to the limited number of our clergy, and to the donations and legacies which the Society has from time to time received from some of the piously disposed members of the Church.

The annuity began at £10, and has gradually risen by five pounds at a time to its present amount, £35. The rule is, that £5 shall be added to the annuity to the widows, and £50 to the allowance to the family, for every £150 of increase in the annual income, while the number of members continues, as at present between eighty or ninety.

Besides the Widows' Fund, the Society has what are called its Special Funds, being sums intrusted to its management for various pious purposes connected with the Church, as the repair and building of Churches-the endowment of particular charges and schools-the poorer of the clergy-divinity students-and the poor. The present amount of these Special Funds is about £8000. These the Society holds in trust for the various objects intended by the donors, manages them gratuitously, and allows on them the current interest.

Within my own experience, I can speak to the great boon which this Society has been, in days gone by, to the widows of our poor clergy. Some I have known who had nothing except what they received from this Fund, and it enabled them to keep themselves in a way humble enough, but decently. I have been frequently of late urged to bring before the Church the claims of this Fund, which I think all must allow to be very strong. For although the Fund has gone on wonderfullyby the blessing of God adding yearly to its little store, and from time to time increasing its allowance to our Widows and Orphans-yet, I need not say how much more speedily we might arrive at something better than we have yet attained, and more adequate to the claims of those whom we seek to benefit, if the members of the Church were to take a little more interest in the subject, and let us share in a portion of their alms and offerings to Almighty God and His Church. Many, I believe, if they thought of it, might, without prejudice to other claims upon them, remember in their arrangement of their worldly affairs this Society, and thereby confer on it a great boon. I have felt reluctant to urge this claim, lest I should appear to be interefering with the efforts making at present to improve the financial state of the Church, and the position of the clergy. The professed object of that movement is to remove some of the anxiety, which however much they may desire to sit loose to the world, straitened circumstances can hardly fail to entail on those who hold the position of clergymen, and are exposed to the claims, which on all hands meet them. I need hardly add that no small part of the anxiety I refer to arises from our inability, owing to our limited means, to provide for those who are near and dear to us. So, in aiding this Fund, I hope we shall be only helping on the general end we have in view; and I trust I may not be thought going much out of the way, if, while we are seeking to improve the position of the clergy generally, I put in a word for the widow and fatherless.

This society had its origin at the time of the first movement for the repeal of the Penal Laws affecting our Church; it would be a happy coincidence if the final repeal of them should see an awakened interest in the Society, and a hearty effort to aid its Funds.

I shall be most ready to give further information regarding the Funds to any one who may desire it, and shall most thankfully receive for the Society any contributions large or small,

I am your obedient servant,

JOHN MOIR.

Treasurer of the Sc. Ep. Fr. Socy.