The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1844-12-31 00:00:00

UNIVERSITY 4- CLERICAL NEWS.

PREFERMENTS AND APPOINTMENTS.—Rev. C. J.
Hawkins, M.A., rectory of Nunbarnholtne, to the vicarage
of Sutton-on-the-Forest, vacant by the resignation of the
Rev. S. Creyke.—Rev. M. Boothby, curate of Bishop-
thorpe, to the vicarage of Nonbarnholme, lately held by
the Rev. C. J. Hawkins.—Rev. N. J. Ridley, 8.A., to
the curacy of Westmeon-cum-Privett, flants.—Rev. W.
G. Goodchild, head master of the Free Grammar-school
Audlem, Cheshire, to the living of East Tilbury, Essex.
—Rev. J. Congreve, 8.A., late curate of St. George's,
Doug Isle of Man, to the curacy of Harburgb Magna,
near Rugby, Warwickshire.—Rev. D. Jones, 8.D., of
Deptford, domestic chaplain to the late Lord Saye and
Sele, to be chaplain to the present Lord Saye and Sele.
—Rev. J. B. Smith, D.D., head master of Horncastle
Grammar School, to be domestic chaplain to the Duke of
Newcastle.

CHESTER. -On Sunday week, the Bishop of Chester
held an ordination in the cathedral of his diocese, when
the following gentlemen were admitted into holy orders :
—Deacons.—Of Oxford : E. W. Appleyard, S.C.L., and
C. Cutliffe, 8.A., Magdalene Hall; R. W. Bush, M.A.
Worcester; V. G. Driffield, 8.A., and J. Royds, 8.A.,
Brazennose ; W. F. Handcock, S.C.L , and T. P. Nunn,
8.A., St. Mary Hall. Of Cambridge : A. Heslop,
and J. P. Howson. 8.A., Trinity; H. Jarvis, 8.A.,
Christ's; A. P. Luscombe, 8.A., and 11. Wall, 8.A.,
St. John's; E. Marshall, 8.A., Jesus; G. Preston,
Queen's; D. Sutcliffe, 8.A., Catherine Hall. Of Dub-
lin : R. 11. Deme, 8.A., J. Eccles, 8.A., W, Phipps,
8.A., W. C. Magee, 8.A., and W. Guscott, 8.A.,
Trinity. Of Durham: R. Loxam, 8.A., Of Saint
Bees: A. A. Browne, R. K. Bateson, C. Cook, W.
Crump, J. Gillies, G. H. Moore, C. Marshall, J. W.
Pengelly, G. Pinder, P. Rufford, J. Shooter and W.
Wheeler. Priests.—Of Oxford : T. Green, 8.A., Bra-
zennose, and J. Thomas, 8.C.L., Trinity. Of Cam-
bridge : F. B. Danby, 8.A., T. N. Farthing, B.A„ H.
Jones, 8.A., Catherine Hall; W. H. Kemp, 8.A., Cor-
pus Christi ; W. J. Monk, 8.A., St. John's. Of Dub-
lin : J. R. Dunne, 8.A., J. J. W. Jervis, 8.A., and J.
Scott, B.A. Of Saint Bees : W. Grant, W. Hayes,
H. P. Hughes, W. M. Jakes, H. Nembhard, S. G.
Poole, W. H. Pochin, M. Reid, J. Watson, and W. F.
Wicks. Literate : J. Pollitt.

The Rev. Dr. Scoresby's resignation of the vicarage of
Bradford, is said to have arisen out of the fact that the
Ecclesiastical Commissioners have signified their disap-
proval of the Rev. Doctor's plan for the division of his
extensive parish.
THE OFFERTORY AT HURST.—In compliance with
the wishes of his parishioners, the Rev. Mr. Hurst has,
with the sanction of the Bishop of Oxford, announced his
intention of not persisting with the reading of the offertory
sentences every Sunday from the communion table.
We can state it as aide' that the opinion of two emi-
nent counsel in the Ecclesiastical Court has been taken in
relation to the leading measure of the Bishop of Exeter,
the use of the surplice in the pulpit ; and that their opinion
is, that his lordship has exceeded his legal powers in
issuing that order.—Record.
THE OFFERTORY.—In last week's Gazette it was
stated that one of our churchwardens had recently re-
ceived a letter from the Rev. Mr. Nihil, saying that he
should continue the offertory at St. Mary's. Much to
the surprise of many here, the rev. gentleman has since
suddenly altered his mind. On Sunday morning, after
making some very severe and unwarrantable strictures
upon his flock, he announced from his pulpit that the
offertory should cease from that day at St. Mary's Church !
We always thought the " pressure from without" must
be attended with this result.—Somerset Gazette.

SALISBURY DIOCESE.—At the Bishop of Salisbury's
ordination at Wells, on Sunday week, his lordship ex-
pressly charged the candidates to make no doviation
whatever from the accustomed mode of performing divine
service in their respective churches, without first consult-
ing with their diocesan. It is understood that the Bishop
discountenances the introduction of novelties, or, what
is the same thing, the revival of obselete practices. This
is a satisfactory state of th ngs, seeing that his lordship
now exercises episcopal jurisdiction in three counties
proximate to the troubled diocese of Exeter—viz., Somer-
set, Dorset, Wilts.

We have authority to say that the Lord Bishop of this
diocese, in consideration of the strong feeling which sub-
sists in many places against the use of the surplice in
preaching, has withdrawn his order in respect to that par-
ticular. To the enforcement of the rubrics his lordship
firmly adheres. A circular letter to the clergy to this
effect has just issued.—We are authorised to state that
the Bishop of Exeter has withdrawn the postscript of his
letter to the Dean. The statement made to him originated
in a mistake, which has since been explained.—Exeter
Luminary.—[The Record states that, the Bishop has been
induced to take this step in consequence of an intimation
from the Queen. The Bishop has since published a let-
ter in which he says that he withdraws his order respect-
ing the surplice, but still continues his injunctions on the
other subjects.]
VIOLATION OF THE RUBRICS BY THE BISHOP OF
EXETER.—A correspondent in the Exeter Flying Post,
addressing the bishop, says—" In the confirmation ser-
vice the rubric expressly enjoins that the bishop shall
lay his hand upon the head of every one, severally, say-
ing, " Defend, 0 Lord, this thy child, (or this thy ser-
vant,) &c. Now I believe that neither your lordship, nor
any of the right rev. prelates, strictly obey this rubric, by
repeating the words severally to each person who appears
before them, but that you repeat the words in the plural
number, either to each rail, or to the whole body of those
who apply for confirmation. The difference is doubtless
as frivolous as the alterations required by your lordship
in obedience to obsolete rubrics ; but to repeat the words
in the plural instead of the singular form is a decided vio-
lation of the rubric on a subject which is not impractica-
ble ?

SACRAMENT MONEY.—A decision of some importance
to parishes in respect to the disbursements of sacrament
money among the poor has recently taken place. It ap-
pears that on the Ist inst., Mr. Prior, a gentleman resid-
ing at Wandsworth, Surrey, placed in the sacrament plate
a £lOO. note, enclosed in an envelope, as his offering to
the poor of the parish. The clergyman (Dr. Pemberton)
took possession of the whole amount, and, without con-
sulting the churchwardens, went to London, and laid out
the principal portion of the money at a wholesale linen
draper's in' clothes for the poor. The churchwardens,
who bad always been in the habit of receiving half the
sacrament money, to be distributed by them, complained
to the Bishop of Winchester, respecting Dr. Pemberton's
conduct. The bishop's answer was, that he had already
decided in a similar case, that one moiety of the alms
should go to the clergyman, and the other moiety to the
churchwardens, for distribution, and he saw no reason
why the custom should have been departed from in this
case.

INNOVATIONS IN THE CHURCH.—We have been in-
formed that a meeting of noblemen and gentlemen took
piece on Friday week, to consider the propriety of adopt-
ing some active measures with respect to the present dis-
turbed state of the church on those matters which have
recently been so much the subject of discussion. The
meeting, which had been convened by private circular,
took place, as we are informed, at Lord Howard's in
Belgrave-square. The proceedings were all preliminary,
but a committee was appointed to draw up for approval a
memorial, to be addressed either to the Queen or the
Archbishop of Canterbury, as may hereafter be deter-
mined. It was agreed that there should he another meet-
ing, as we understand, at which some definite course will
be determined upon ; but at the time the meeting was
held it was supposed that there was to be a meeting of
the Bishops, to consider the state of the church with
respect to the recent innovations. As it is understood
that the meeting of the Bishops will not take place, the
further proceedings of the parties who met on Friday will
not now be delayed to await its result.— Times.
EXETER DIOCESE.—Dr. Bull, the canon residentiary
of Exeter, has publishes] a dignified and respectful answer
to the Bishop of Exeter's recent letter to the Dean. Dr.
Bull's reply spews that the Bishop has yet, although he
alludes much and often to his old age, a lesson to learn
in the school of discretion. He appears to listen to every
one who is of his party, and immediately to write and
act upon the information he receives. The Residentiary
denies in plain words, from first to last, the heavy charges
contained in the Bishop's letter to the Dean. He does
more—he challenges the Bishop to produce, " to name"
even " any one layman in the city of Exeter who will
state that " he " attempted to prepossess his mind "
against the contents of the pastoral letter. Dr. Bull
absolutely denies that he went out of his way to proclaim
his own sentiments, or make partisans, or promote agi-
tation. He says plainly, " I attended no meetings, I
sought no interviews. I offered no suggestions ; in a
word, I lied no communication whatever with any of the
parties (most of whom I know not even by name) that
have been instrumental in convening the parochial meet-
ings."

A very numerous meeting took place at Newton Abbot,
(Exeter diocese,) on Christmas-eve, at which an address
to her Majesty, as temporal head of the church, was
agreed upon, praying her to take measures to secure the
peace and welfare of the Established Church. This
meeting was held in sight of the sexagon stone, which was
the base of the market-cross, on which the Prince of
Orange ascended, and stated his acceptance of the call to
the throne, on the day after he landed at Torbay, and
slept at Ford-house, adjacent to the town of Newton
Abbot. On the site of this sto e are sculptured his decla-
rations respecting Protestantism, &c., so that a more
appropriate site could not be chosen for expressing those
feelings which now so possess the minds of all men.

WORCESTER DIOCESE. —At the ordination of the
Bishop of Worcester, on Sunday week, his lordship
strongly exhorted the young men assembled for ordina-
tion, against yielding to the innovating spirit of the times,
and showed clearly that the sermon formed no part of the
sacramental service. As to the surplice, his lordship said,
" You are directed to use the surplice only when reading
divine service or administering the sacraments; you then
appear in your proper character of priest or deacon, ap-
pointed to minister in holy things; but when you preach
you assume the character of a teacher, and as such your
proper habit (if, indeed, proper or improper be fit words
for a matter so utterly insignificant) is your academical
gown, with a hood, denoting your degree at the university."
On the subject of the prayer for the Church militant, his
lordship observed, that " upon this point the rubrics are
certainly inconsistent. In that which immediately pre-
cedes that prayer the following words occur : " And when
there is a communion the priest shall place upon the
table so much bread and wine as be shall deem sufficient,
after which is done the priest shall say,' Let us pray for the
whole state of Christ's church militant here on earth."
Did this rubric stand alone, there could be no doubt that
the prayer for the church militant was to be read only
when the sacrament was about to be administered ; but
another rubric occurs inconsistent with the above, at the
conclusion of the communion service, where we read
" that upon Sundays and holydays, if there be no com-
munion, shall be said all that is appointed at the commu-
nion until the end of the general prayer for the whole
state of Christ's church militant here on earth." It is
difficult to account for these two contrary rubrics, which
appear to have been inserted at the same time, that is, at
the second revision of the Prayer-book in the reign of
Edward VI. ; but as they do exist it is not extraordinary
that the clergy should have felt themselves at liberty to
observe which they pleased, and partly on account of the
length of the service, so distressing to those who are in
advanced years, partly on account of the awkwardness of
being obliged again to exchange the gown for the surplice.
this prayer became gradually discontinued. And here I
cannot but observe, that the disuse of this prayer is of
itself a proof that the surplice was not worn in the pulpit.