The Sun.
London, England, 1869-06-28 00:00:00

AN IRISH BISHOP'S MEMORANDUM-BOOK.

Some memoranda from the private visitation-book
of an Irish bishop are given by the Times. The
leading journal publishes them as illustrating the
nature of what Mr. Gladstone calls an official congre-
gation. One of . the entries in the bishop's book
refers to certain parishes in which he did duty. The
following remarks are appended :
" Extent of union from east to west about ten miles,
and from north to south about five miles. Church large
and roomy. Population.—Only one Protestant, who can
neither read nor write, but is regular in attending the
.service when his health permits, and receives the sacra-
:neat on the festivals. Communion.—Four times in the
year ; scarcely ever more than two communicants.
Register.—Never any wanted. Confirmation.—None
ever heard of. Mem.—The state of this and of the
neighbouring parishes requires very particular considera-
tion."

---- -
In another union which the bishop visited prayers
were said every Sunday morning, and a sermon was
given when the congregation amounted to four or

" This (the visitation-book goes on to say) seldom
happens, except in the summer, when strangers come to
the country for the purpose of bathing. Extent in length
coastwise about fifteen miles; in a right line not half so far, in
breadth from one to three. Church, at . . . nearly in
the centre of the union ; most convenient for the bulk of
the population. Population (entire) 7,591, Protestants
50 ; proportion to Roman Catholics, about one to 150.
Protestants, gentlemen of landed property and farmers.
Between September 1782 and December 1789 the arch-
deacon (the incumbent) received 47 converts ' • since that
time none. Soon after the repeal of the penal code took
place, which has put an extinguisher on the Protestant
religion in this country. Attendance at church not regular;
not more than ten ever come ; the others, who profess to
be Protestants, neither attend church nor any. other place
of worship. Communion about four times in the year;
about eight or ten communicants at Christmas, fewer at
Easter, none at Whitsuntide and Michaelmas but the
' archdeacon's family. Register kept by the archdeacon in
his glebe house since the year 1800, when a military de-
tachment was stationed at . . . . No parishioners
confirmed during the archdeacon's incumbency" (that is,
from 1782, or ante to 1820, or 38 years).

ARCHDEACON DENISON ON CHURCH AND STATE.

Archdeacon Denison writes to the John Bull de-
claring that Church and State is a thing of the past,
and all that now remains is to throw all the energies
hitherto expended in the endeavour to adopt the
machinery of Church and State into the work
of the Church rejected by the State, and to have no
further concern with what the civil power may do or
not do, but to do the Church's work, trusting that
no such legislation will take place as will render that
impossible. The Archdeacon asserts that, as one
who has long striven to maintain the union of
Church and State, but who is now persuaded that
the action of the State upon the Church is likely to
facilitate the triumph of the Church of Rome, ho
sees nothing left to be done but to serve the Church
in the Church's way, whether such may be recog-
nised or not by the civil power.