Candidates for these prizes are examined during two days, for four hours each day, in the following subjects: FIRST DAY. Morning-The Old Testament. SECOND DAY. Morning-Ecclesiastical History. Afternoon-The Creeds, Articles, and Liturgies of the Church of England. Attendance on this examination is voluntary. The Number of Students attending Divinity Lectures will be seen by the following Table : The year 1836-7 not being yet completed, the number of certificates granted cannot be ascertained. PLAN FOR ELECTING BISHOPS IN IRELAND. THIS is the plan alluded to in the last number. It is copied from the "Dublin Record," and is understood to have been widely circulated among the clergy of one party in Ireland, CIRCULAR. "It has been considered advisable, by a number of those who are sincerely attached to the united church of England and Ireland, to endeavour to obtain an alteration in the ecclesiastical polity of the established church in this country, by which, while the constitution of parliament and the royal prerogative would be left untouched, the church should regain her rights. Recurring to the practice of the primitive church, in the purest period of its history, we would suggest, for adoption, the authentic mode of electing bishops, * It is to be observed, that all Scholars, whatever be their future profession, are obliged to attend the first year's divinity lectures, but need not apply for certificates, and restore to the entire body of the clergy the power of free choice; at the same time reserving for the king the right of selecting, from amongst the bishops thus chosen by the church, spiritual peers to take their place in the Upper House. From a measure so free from political and pecuniary considerations we anticipate the most beneficial results, as leading to the revival of all that spiritual influence which the church ought to possess, the invigoration of the clerical character, and the claim upon the respect and confidence of the laity, which would be thus secured, and to which their feelings must respond. "When a measure of such moment is in prospect, we trust that so auspicious an occasion will not be lost, merely on account of disagreements and difficulties relating to the mode of election. Everything, almost, that does not violate principle, ought to be surrendered for the sake of an object so momentous. We therefore appeal to our brethren, in the confident expecta tion that no minor matters will be permitted to divide the strength of those who truly love our church, but that all will unite to accomplish the one great object which is now submitted to their consideration. "After much mature deliberation, and anxious consultation, with wise, and intelligent, and devoted members of our church, the following plan appears to us as the best calculated to secure to the church such a measure of spiritual independence as shall not interfere with her political relations, and at the same time to guard against undue influence, or intrigue and electioneering amongst the clergy : "First-That the ten sees, as annexed to others by the 3d and 4th William IV., c. 37, should be restored to their original independence; that for such suppressed sees as are now vacant, bishops should be immediately chosen by the clergy, and for the rest as vacancies shall occur. "Secondly-That an ecclesiastical board should be formed, consisting of deputies from each of the twenty-two dioceses in Ireland, as they stood before the above-named act of William IV. These deputies to be chosen by the beneficed clergy and curates who have been licensed for the preceding twelve months; who, in every diocese, should meet, appoint a chairman, and each give in the names of three of the beneficed clergy on a slip of paper; when the clergyman who has most votes should be declared duly elected to act as the representative of the diocese; such election to stand for seven years. In case of the death or resignation of any such representative, the clergy of the diocese should proceed to fill up the vacancy-such person continuing in office only during the remainder of the seven years. "Thirdly-That within three months after a vacancy shall have occurred in any of the ten sees, these twenty-two deputies so chosen, should meet, appoint a chairman, and each give in the names of three beneficed clergymen. That the three names which should be found to have the greatest number of votes, should be submitted to the king, to select one. In every instance the chairman to have a second vote in case of equality. "Fourthly-That the ten bishops, thus chosen, should have at least 1,000l. a-year allocated to them out of the revenues of the bishoprics to which the ten sees have been annexed, whenever a vacancy shall occur in the same; and that, until then, they should hold their preferments as a means of support, as it is not contemplated that any part of the revenues originally belonging to the annexed sees should be detached from their present use and allotment. "Fifthly-That the ten bishops, so elected by the clergy, should have the disposal of all the episcopal patronage in the dioceses of which they are appointed overseers; but that they should not sit in parliament, though, as spiritual persons, they would stand on a ground of absolute equality with their parliamentary colleagues-the accident of not possessing a seat in the Upper House not being permitted, in any way, to disparage the episcopal authority or dignity. Lastly--That, as each vacancy shall occur in the other twelve sees, the VOL. XI.-May, 1837. 4 E king should choose one from amongst the bishops who owe their elevation to the clergy, to take his seat in the House of Peers, according to the rotation at present by law established. "Such is the outline of the proposed plan. We entreat the calm, serious, and prayerful consideration of our brethren-we rely upon their support after due deliberation, and we exhort them to zeal and energy in promoting the attainment of an object involving the best interests of our church. The cooperation of the laity is earnestly desired, to assist in carrying the measure through both houses of parliament, and we feel confident that our gracious sovereign will accord the royal assent to a plan which has for its object the renovation and improvement of that church to which he has avowed his attachment, and which he has declared he will support and defend. "May He who, in so many signal instances, has put honour upon the united church of England and Ireland, and has rescued her peace when it seemed gone, and has kept alive within her the pure profession of His gospel -may He now send the spirit of wisdom and power, of moderation and charity, upon some who shall repair her desolations and build her up for ever! "N.B.-The feelings and sentiments of a number of the clergy having been ascertained, the enclosed address has been drawn up in conformity with the same, and has also been approved of by influential laymen. It is intended that a petition should be framed, embodying the subject matter of the address, in order to submit it generally to the respectable laity, and to secure the favourable co-operation aud support of all who are really attached to our church, and interested for its security and increased efficiency. "It is perfectly evident that something must be done to rescue it from its present condition, to prevent it being made a mere tool of faction or political intrigue, and to secure for it public respect and confidence. "It has been observed of the proposed measure, that it was not thought possible to produce a plan against which so little objection could be raised, and, no doubt, it has cost much trouble and anxious consideration to bring it to its present improved form. "Extensive arrangements are being made to obtain influential petitions on the subject, but we wish previously to have the opinion and suggestions of those who are best qualified to judge as to the most advisable mode of proceeding, and shall feel very much obiged to you for counsel and advice, and trust we may also hope for your sanction and support." THE INDEX EXPURGATORIUS OF ROME. In the present day nothing can be more desirable than that Protestants should have the most accurate information relative to the doings of the church of Rome in former days. In opposing so subtle an enemy, every inaccuracy, even if it relate only to some circumstance merely incidental to the argument, is sure to be brought prominently forward, with the palpable purpose of directing attention from the main argument, which may be entirely unimpeachable in all its important points. The disputes relative to the authorization of Dens's Theology, by Archbishop Murray, or to that of the Douay Notes to the Bible of 1816, will give a striking instance of the necessity of accuracy, even in minor details. Now there are many points of great interest on which the information of Protestants is generally either very deficient or very superficial; and among those points is the nature of the Index Expurgatorius of Rome. The Prohibitory Indices of Rome are, indeed, common enough, and copies may be picked up constantly for a few shillings; but these works are not to be confounded with the Index Expurgatorius. There is but one Roman Index Expurgatorius which has ever been published; and a young man of Trinity College, Dublin, who is represented to be a person of very considerable learning and ability, has undertaken to superintend an exact reprint of this very scarce volume. The object of this index was, that its directions, being used secretly, might remove by degrees all that was offensive to popery from the editions of the fathers under the control of papists, and from the margin of the Bible itself, even though that offensive matter were propositions couched in the very words of scripture. The title is Indicis Librorum Expurgandorum in Studiosorum gratiam confecti Tomus primus. In quo quinquaginta Auctorum libri præ cæteris desiderati emendantur, per F. Jo. Mariam Brasichell. Sacri Palatii Apost. Magistrum in unum corpus redactus, et pub. commoditati æditus. Romæ primò ; deinde Bergomi, typis Comini Venturæ, 1608." It consists of 608 double-columned pages, 8vo, and above a third of the volume is taken up with a review of the Bibliotheca Patrum, per Marg. De la Bigne. 1589. The Jesuit, Gretser, unblushingly declares, "Prædicantes toties impudenter mentiuntur, quoties affirmant, quidquam in veterum Patrum libris a nobis deleri, aut ut deleatur ab Indice Expurgatorio præscribi. Nihil delemus in Patribus, nihil obliteramus." (De Jure et More Prohib. Libros. p. 14. Ingolstad, 1603.) The following extracts from the prospectus, published by Mr. Gibbings, will shew the nature and value of this reprint: - "The Council of Trent, in the 18th session, deputed certain divines to draw up a more complete list of prohibited books than had yet been formed. This was presented in the 25th session to the Synod, and then referred to the Pontiff, Pius IV., under whose sanction it was first published in 1564. Some years after this, the Indices Expurgatorii began to appear, which were intended to be secretly used by those who were to execute the directions contained in them, and are fewer in number, and much more important, than the prohibitory indexes. Of their authors, the learned Chamier says, Non meminerunt miseri, nihil esse absconditum quod non reveletur. Hi tamen illi sunt qui nobis Ecclesiam obtrudunt pro salutis normâ. Quòd si hodiè in tantâ luce, in tantâ librorum copià, in tantâ prelorum facilitate, hoc audent; quid credimus factum esse seculis illis obscurioribus, cùm nemo Græcè sciret, vix quisquam Latinè præter monachos, et libri nulli essent nisi manuscripti ?' (Panstrat. Cathol. tom. i. p. 37, Gen. 1626.) "The Roman Index, of which it is now proposed to publish an exact reprint, was, as Dr. James tells us, procured with much ado.' (Mystery of Ind. Expurg. p. 391.) It is remarkable as the only Vatican Index Expurgatorius. There is but one volume extant, for though the author informs us in his preface that a second was in readiness, it never appeared, for reasons which can be easily explained. "Mr. Mendham describes this book as 'perhaps the most extraordinary, and scarcest of all this class of publications. It is the first, and last, and incomplete Expurgatory Index which Rome herself has ventured to present to the world; and which, soon after the deed was done, she condemned and withdrew.' (Literary Policy of the Church of Rome, p. 116. Lond. 1830.)" "The republication of this very scarce Index will be attended with so much trouble and expense, that the editor is unwilling to run so great a risk himself. He undertakes to have the work brought out well, and with the utmost exactness, if a sufficient number of subscriptions can be obtained. "The price of the volume will be 10s. 6d. Subscribers' names will be received by Messrs. J. G. and F. Rivington, St. Paul's Church-yard, and Waterloo-place, Pall Mall, London; and in Dublin by any of the Booksellers." It is to be hoped that this work will not fail for want of encouragement. TRANSMISSION OF FOREIGN REGISTERS. As it may be a fact not generally known to the clergy, and others interested, the readers of these pages are informed, that an arrangement was made in 1816 for the transmission and safe custody of certificates of baptisms, marriages, and burials of British subjects solemnized abroad, as also copies of the registers kept by chaplains attached to the different embassies and others. Under this arrangement such certificates and copies, properly authenticated, are received at the registry of the diocese of London, No. 3, Godliman-street, Doctors' Commons, as the appointed place of deposit, and are there entered and carefully arranged, bound and indexed, so as to be of easy reference. A CASE OF EXTREME DISTRESS. THE REV. RICHARD JENKYNS STONE, of Jesus College, Cambridge, late curate of the parish of Maiden Newton, in the county of Dorset, from attending a parishioner in typhus fever, in the autumn of 1836, contracted the disease, and eventually fell into a consumption, of which he died on the 4th of January, 1837, at the early age of thirty-nine years. He has left a WIDOW and six SONS, the eldest not thirteen, wholly unprovided for. His whole income, besides his curacy, was an annuity of 50%., which ceases with his life; and his personal effects are by no means sufficient to cover the debts, partly incurred during his protracted illness. The last act of the late bishop of this diocese was writing a cheque for 101. on the Barrington Fund, for the immediate necessities of the widow and her orphan children. Several other benevolent persons also, when informed of the case, sent immediate relief, and suggested that an appeal should be made to the public for more permanent assistance to this destitute and unhappy family. Subscriptions will be thankfully received by Messrs. Williams, Deacon, and Co., Bankers, Birchin Lane, London; Messrs. Williams and Co., Dorchester; Messrs. Hetty and Co., Salisbury; and the Rev. W. Dansey, Donhead, St. Andrew, Wilts. DOCUMENTS. THE MEMORIAL OF THE DEAN AND CHAPTER OF LINCOLN, TO HIS MAJESTY'S COMMISSIONERS APPOINTED TO CONSIDER THE STATE OF THE ESTABLISHED CHURCH WITH REFERENCE TO ECCLESIASTICAL DUTIES AND REVENUES. WE, the Dean and Chapter of Lincoln Cathedral, having bestowed much painful attention upon the reports of His Majesty's Commissioners appointed to consider the state of the established church with reference to ecclesiastical duties and revenues, feel it our bounden duty to protest against many of the recommendations therein contained; and to accompany that protest with an earnest entreaty, that the commissioners will re-consider those important topics to which the following observations refer. We acknowledge, with all the deference justly due to eminent piety and high authority, that the name of our excellent Primate stands at the head of the commission, followed by those of other distinguished Prelates, as well as laycommissioners, whose station and attainments entitle them to confidence and respect; and we cannot, therefore, but be strongly sensible of the unfortunate and unfavourable position in which we are hereby placed—a position, leaving us the choice, either of a silent acquiescence in what we deem essentially injurious to the best interests of the church, or of manfully "withstanding to the face" those who are set over us, because we believe they are "to be |