CHRISTMAS AT THE BROMPTON ORATORY.

F one had wished in London to see Popery in its true colours converting the simplicity of the gospel into an instrument of sensuous bondage, he could not have seen it better than at Christmas time in the chapel of Brompton Oratory. This place has already been made famous in our pages and in other prints; but none have attempted to describe its internal organisation or worship. Nor shall we. We shall merely give a description of the chapel at Christmas time, and of the attempt at pantomimic exhibition, to attract unwary persons-to influence children—and to rivet more securely the chains of superstition.

The first thing that struck us on entering the chapel was its great length, (about 150 feet): this is characteristic of mass-houses, where there is little exposition of anything, few sermons and short, and space required for the altar and the movements of priests and their attendants. A second thing that struck us was the number of side altars-there being no less than three or four of these, and recesses for other purposes, of which we shall speak presently. There are seventeen or eighteen confessional boxes ranged round the chapel, each having its confessor's name painted above, and we were pained to see that one was named Knox. Oh, how unworthy of this name precious to every Scottish Christian! May the God who blessed and crowned his glorious predecessor with success in crushing Popery, save him from the slavery and pollution of a Popish confession-box. The principal or high altar was richly decked with candles and tapestry, and over the chancel were the words, "Sanctus, Sanctus, Sanctus," in letters of gold. Of course, this means holy to the priests who alone tread its beautiful marble pavement, and who are alone the clergy of God, God's heritage, and the Church militant. Another notable thing was the music,-quite theatrical, and from which alone might be gathered the spirit of Popery. Prayer to God, the prayers too of the people,-praise to God, and that in which all should join, are by Rome converted into a solo by a musical artist, or a chorus of select voices, to charm the itching ears of the crowd who hate sound doctrine and love excitement. Had we gone to the Oratory to be delighted with a chorus or a choice selection of sacred music, or to see the conductor waving his stick to and fro with all the enthusiasm of a band leader, we might have been satisfied; and this doubtless satisfies many, and deludes them into the fatal snare of Rome.

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On the left hand, another thing struck us, viz. :—The body of a Romish saint, enclosed in a golden coffin, with many jewels hanging from its lid! Relics, with all the corruptions of pre-Reformation times, are thus being introduced into this country to cozen and mislead the credulous. bones, rags, and rubbish brought from the Roman catacombs, or from nearer places, and which lie in heaps promiscuously on the tables of the Pope's Relic Consistory, are being numerously arranged, baptised, and sainted, and sold to priests to amuse fatally once more the British public. We may expect soon to have duck's blood exhibited in London, as that of a Januarius as in Naples, or a piece of pumice stone as the brains of St Peter, as at Geneva; and possibly the Turks may yet supply us with selections of their dead for veritable saints.

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But on the right hand, were seen the greatest attractions of the OratoriIn one of the recesses before spoken of, is a Golgotha; our Lord

hangs life-size from a cross, and the two thieves are by His sides. Standing below are two models-one of Mary, the other of John-wretched representations of these precious saints of God. On each side of this recess are confession-boxes. And here the most affecting scene took place which we have seen for some time. Many devotees were crawling in the recess on their knees, and waiting their turn to kiss the black and unclean foot of the cross. Mothers were there also with their little children, teaching them the idolatry of which they themselves were too blindly guilty.

And now we come to the crowning proceeding, fitted to make religion a farce, reminding us forcibly of the miracle plays with which Rome deluded the world in its midnight darkness, when the most touching events of the gospel were exhibited by monks and nuns for money,—and even the crucifixion itself was acted as a tragic play. In the recess on the right, nearest the altar, was a grotto, artistically got up, and marvellous as a work of art. Joseph and Mary are seen within gazing on the infant Jesus, laid on a plat with a golden headpiece. The grotto all around has flowers and plants growing up in the fissures of the imitated rock, and the whole has an air of romance never to be forgotten.

As might have been expected, great crowds have visited this birthscene, and we cannot but regret that schools of children are brought to pay their special devotions in their turn to the imagery thus depicted. One school was present during one of our visits, and sadly did we behold the many little ones on their knees saying their "Hail Mary," or "Blessed Joseph' -or looking on that image of the child Jesus as the representation of their Lord and Saviour now in heaven. It is the special duty of the Oratorians to gain children to Romanism, and train them in it; and they are but too successful. In another recess are large figures of the

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dead Christ in the lap of his mourning mother, &c.

Such then was the Brompton Oratory chapel at Christmas time,— and though its grotto may be now removed, yet its idolatries are the same. I am sure the visits we made to it have made us more thankful for the simplicity of our Protestant worship, its truth, its grace, and should lead us more earnestly to pray for those who are thus the dupes of "the Man of Sin," and his false religion. During the last year, Romish chapels have enormously increased in our land, and other such enslaving institutions. Oh, let all Protestants earnestly be found crying on their knees, 66 Deliver us, O God, from the snares of Popery: Oh, have mercy on our country."

LORD CAIRNS' DECISION ON RITUALISM.

LL must admit the importance of the judgment of the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council on the subject of Ritualistic observances. On every point raised the final judgment is now in opposition to the Ritualists, whilst they also have been made to pay the whole costs of the suit on both sides. Henceforth neither bishops, nor churchwardens, nor parishioners, will have any excuse for tolerating the Romish vagaries which have lately been practised by some in the Church of England. It remains to be seen what the Ritualists will do. Rumours of their leaving the Church of England have been rife since the judgment was pronounced; but it seems, from recent indications, that this is too good news to be true. If the Ritualistic conspiracy is, as we believe, of Romish origin,

they will probably submit to a great deal before relinquishing their hold on that powerful institution, in the hope of ultimately securing it. Yet we are confident that they have no great following amongst the people of England, and that their main object is to produce distraction and division, and thus to pave the way for the ultimate triumph of Popery in any

event.

JUDICIAL COMMITTEE OF THE PRIVY COUNCIL. (BEFORE THE ARCHBISHOP OF YORK, LORD CHELMSFORD, LORD CAIRNS, SIR W. ERLE, AND SIR J. COLVILLE.)

THE JUDGMENT IN THE ST ALBAN'S CASE, MARTIN v. MACKONOCHIE.

This was an appeal from the Arches Court as to the Ritualistic ceremonial at St Alban's, Holborn. The case was argued last month before Lord Chancellor Cairns, when his Lordship presided, but in the absence of the Lord Chancellor, the Archbishop of York was at the head of the committee. On the present occasion the learned counsel on both sides were in attendance, and Mr W. M. James, Q.C., made his appearance for the last time at the bar, previous to his elevation as Vice-Chancellor. Judgment was given in another case before "Martin v. Mackonochie" was called on, and the court was much crowded. Lord Westbury, who sat with the members of the committee when the case was heard, was not in attendance.

Lord CAIRNS delivered the judgment of the Court, reading from a printed copy. He said the case of "Martin v. Mackonochie" commenced before the Bishop of London, and was, under the provisions of the Clergy Discipline Act, sent by the Bishop to the Court of the Archbishop of Canterbury for trial in the first instance, and having been fully heard before the Judge of the Arches Court, resulted in a decree made on the 28th of March last. Mr Mackonochie, the clerk in holy orders, against whom these proceedings were directed, was charged with four offences against the laws ecclesiastical.— 1. Elevation of the paten and cup, and kneeling; 2, using lighted candles ; 3, using incense; and 4, mixing water with the wine in the solemnization of the Holy Communion. The learned Judge of the Arches Court, by his decree, sustained the third and fourth of these charges, and admonished Mr Mackonochie to abstain for the future from the use of incense and from mixing water with the wine. Against that part of the decree there was no appeal. As to the first charge, Mr Mackonochie, while admitting the elevation of the consecrated elements, pleaded that he had discontinued the practice before the institution of the suit. The learned Judge, therefore, admonished Mr Mackonochie not to recur to the practice, but as to the charge of kneeling and prostrating himself before the consecrated elements, the learned Judge (Sir Robert Phillimore) held that if Mr Mackonochie had committed any error in that respect, it was one which should not form the subject of a criminal prosecution, but should be referred to the Bishop, in order that he might exercise his discretion. The promoter (Mr Martin) appealed from the latter part of the decision of the learned Judge on that charge, and he also complained in his appeal that the defendant was not ordered to pay the costs of the suit. The questions raised by the appeal were very fully and ably argued, and their lordships had now to state their reasons for the advice which they proposed humbly to offer to Her Majesty. His lordship considered the charge of kneeling before the consecrated elements, and stated the charge and answer, and after reading the rubric and the directions on the prayer of consecration, proceeded to state that their lordships entertained no doubt on the construction of the rubric, that the priest was intended to continue in one posture during the prayer, and not to change from standing or kneeling, or vice versû; and it appeared to them equally certain that the priest was intended to stand, and not to kneel. Their lordships thought that the words "standing before the table" applied

to the whole sentence, and they believed that it was made apparent by the consideration that acts were to be done by the priest before the people as the prayer proceeded, (such as taking the paten and chalice into his hands, breaking the bread, and laying his hand on the various vessels,) which could only be done in the attitude of standing. That being in their lordships' opinion the proper construction of the rubric, it was clear that the respondent by the posture or change of posture during the prayer had violated the rubric and committed an offence within the meaning of the 13th and 14th Car. II., cap. 4, sections 2, 17, and 24, taken in connexion with the 1st Elizabeth, cap. 2, and punishable by admonition, under the 23d section of the latter statute. His lordship adverted to the argument used, and to, he said, the very learned and elaborate judgment of the Dean of Arches on the subject, and further that it was a matter for the discretion of the Bishop. On the whole, their lordships were of opinion that the charge against the respondent of kneeling during the prayer of consecration had been sustained, and that he should be admonished, not only not to recur to the elevation of the paten and the cup, as pleaded in the 3d article, but also to abstain for the future from kneeling or prostrating himself before the consecrated elements during the prayer of consecration, as the same article also pleaded. The other charge involved in the appeal was that of using lighted candles on the communion table, when such candles were not wanted for the purpose of giving light. Lord Cairns next read the charge and answer on "lighted candles," and the point was ceremony or ornaments. The Dean of Arches considered that the use of lighted candles was ceremony. The subject of ornaments was settled by the Committee in the case of "Westerton v. Liddell ;" and the Council of Trent had expressed its opinion, and Dr Donne preached on the point. The use of lighted candles as a ceremony was prohibited by Queen Elizabeth's Act of Uniformity. The learned Judge of the Court of Arches was of opinion that lights were ordered by injunctions, having statutable authority, and that they were placed on the table "for the signification that Christ is the light of the world." After referring to the law on the subject, and the rubric on ornaments, his lordship said lighted candles were not "ornaments" within the words of the rubric, for they were not prescribed by the authority of Parliament mentioned in the first Prayer-book, nor was the injunction of 1547 the authority of Parliament within the meaning of the rubric-they were not subsidiary to the service, for they did not aid or facilitate much less were they necessary to the service, nor could a separate and independent ornament previously in use be said to be consistent with a rubric which was silent as to it, and which, by necessary implication, abolished what it did not retain. After some further remarks on the same subject, his lordship said their lordships would humbly advise Her Majesty that the charge as to lights also had been sustained, and that the respondent should be admonished for the future to abstain from the use of them as pleaded in the article. His lordship concludedAll the charges against the respondent having been thus established, their Lordships see no reason why the usual consequence as to costs should not follow, and they will advise Her Majesty that the respondent should pay to the appellant the costs in the court below, and of this appeal.

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FRENCH FEMALE EDUCATION AND POPERY. MOVEMENT in favour of an enlarged system of female education has recently been initiated in France by the higher classes, under the auspices of the Government. In consequence of the remonstrances received by the Minister of Public Instruction against the limited and inefficient character of the instruction generally supplied in ladies' schools, he published instructions for an extended course of education, which includes mathematics, natural philosophy, chemistry, and the