ciently large for the Episcopalians in that city, and that it may be a handsome, nay, that it may be a very “beautiful building,” I am not prepared to deny; and I greatly rejoice that this may literally be the case. I rejoice that a temple, erected for the worship of God, a place where he records his name, is as noble, and as beautiful a. building, as the means of the worshippers can conveniently afford, that God may In all things be glorified; but that "Christ church," Norfolk, is the largest house of worship in the southern section of the United States, I am not willing to admit, having direct evidence to the contrary before my eyes. It would, indeed, be placing South-Carolina in the back ground, where her friends are not disposed to permit her to stand. We will now see whether factsdo not warrant the opinion I have expressed.

The "Recorder" informs us that "Christ church" is "65 feet front, by 96 feet in length; and that it contains 88 pews below, and 42 in the galleries." Confining my remarks to Episcopal churches alone, I may safely say that some in Charleston are certainly larger than the church at Norfolk. As, for example

St. Philip's church is 123 feet long, and 62 feet wide. It has 90 pews on the ground floor, and 74 in the galleries. This church, then, is 27 feet longer, and contains 34 pews more than "Christ church."

St. Michael's Church is 130 feet long, and 60 feet wide. It has 93 pews on the ground floor, and 45 in the galleries. This church, then, is 34 feet longer, and contains 8 more pews than "Christ church."

St. Paul's church is 164 feet long, and 70 feet wide. It has 132 pews on the ground floor, and 48 in the galleries. This church, then, is 68 feet longer, and contains two pews more on the ground floor than Christ church" has altogether; and in the whole, has 50 pews more than that building.

As to the relative beauty of the several churches, I have nothing to say, because I have not seen the church in Norfolk; I will, therefore, merely transcribe what has been said of the churches in Charleston by different writers.

The celebrated Edmund Burke, in his "Account of European Settlements in America," (vol. ii. p. 258,) says of St. Philip's church, that it "is spacious, and executed in a very handsome taste, exceeding every thing of that kind which we have in America;" and Mr. Gillies, in his Memoirs of Mr. Whitefield, (p. 40,) says of the same church, that it is a 'grand church,resembling one of the new churches in London." St. Michael's and St. Paul's churches have been built subsequently to St. Philip's. "The steeple of St. Michael's church is 168 feet high, and is acknowledged to be the handsomest steeple in

66

America; and, probably, is not exceeded by any thing in London, for the lightness of its architecture, the chasteness of its ornaments, and the symmetry of its parts." St. Paul's church "is a noble building. handsomely finished in the inside. The order is Grecian, with a Gothic tower. These churches are built of brick, and are rough-cast.”—History of the Church of South-Carolina.

As there can be no ill feeling produced by the statement in the "Recorder," so, I trust, it will be believed, that I have made the foregoing remarks simply with the view of placing the matter as it really stands.

F. F.

Charleston Gospel Messenger.

EPISCOPAL ACTS.

In the Diocese of Connecticut. On the third Sunday after the Epiphany. January 25th, 1829, in Trinity church, NewHaven, the Right Rev. Bishop Brownell held an ordination, and admitted to the holy order of deacons Mr. William Croswell, and to that of priests, the Rev. Francis L. Hawkes, assistant minister of that church. Morning prayers were read, and the candidates presented, by the rector, the Rev. Harry Croswell; and a very interesting, solemn, and impressive discourse on the dignity, importance, and responsibility of the Christian ministry, was delivered by the bishop in the presence of a crowded congregation. The Rev. Messrs. Garfield and Potter were also present, and assisted in the laying on of hands.

In the Diocese of New-York.

On Thursday, the 29th of January, 1829, the Right Rev. Bishop Hobart consecrated St. Michael's church, in this village, to the worship of Almighty God. On this occasion, morning prayer was conducted by the Rev. Mr. Beardsley, of Le Roy, assisted by the Rev. Mr. Gear, of Palmyra. The sentence of consecration was read by the Rev. Mr. Smith, of Batavia, and the request from the vestry to the bishop was read by the Rev. Mr. Norton, of Richmond. Seven clergymen from the adjacent villages were present, and a large concourse of people, filling even the aisles to overflowing, listened with great interest and attention to the solemn services. The sermon of the bishop, from these words, Gen. xxviii. 16, "Surely the Lord is in this place," was in a high degree impressive and appropriate. The rite of confirmation was then administered to 14 persons, preceded by an address explanatory of some expressions in the confirmation service, succeeded by another address more particularly to the persons confirmed, and delivered with all that warmth and energy calculated to arouse the conscience, and excite the holiest affections of the heart.

When it is considered how short a time has elapsed since this parish has had the regular services of the church, it is per. haps not claiming too much for them to say, that this edifice is an honourable evidence of their zeal and enterprise.

St. Michael's church is a brick edifice, of the high Gothic order, 60 feet by 44; the wall 34 feet from the ground. The front presents an arcade, decorated with pilasters, and containing a window on each side of the entrance to the vestibule, divided with a mullion. The door is surmounted by a window, from which it is separated by a transom; and the window is divided by three mullions. The arches terminate at the foot of the pediment, the tympanium of which has its appropriate ornament. A square tower rises from the pediment 29 feet, containing two sections, the upper one of which is ornamented with minarets, and from the base of the lower one, on each side, runs a parapet, terminating at the north and south angles with a minaret. There are three windows on each side of the building, similar to those in front, and in the rear a circular vestry. The vestibule of the church extends the whole range of the front; and is 14 feet deep; the gallery over this being of the same dimensions, having two clustered columns rising from its front, with proper bases and capitals. The nave is entered by two doors, and the two aisles, which extend to two corresponding doors on either side of the pulpit, leading into the vestry, are intersected by the transept, which is part of an elevated platform surrounding the desk and chancel. The chancel is a perfect ellipsis, elevated 18 inches from the aisle, the railing support ed by delicate clustered columns. The desk rises from the rear of the chancel seven inches, and the pulpit thence three feet, and is entered from the vestry by a door in the rear. The altar, which is a prominent object of interest in this church, is the figure of a parallelogram, with curved sides, presenting in front several niches. The central ornament is composed of four small niches, comprehended within one Gothic arch, and these sepa rated by mullions intersecting one another in the same manner as the windows over the door in the facade, (which ornament is also expressed on each end of the altar.) On each side of this is a larger niche containing a cross, which, with all the mould. ings, is gilded. Each angle is decorated with clustered columns standing on a pe destal beautified with curious net-work. It is surrounded with a frieze, ornamented with circular fillets crossing each other, and underlaid with velvet of royal purple, which is also the colour and material of the hangings of the desk and pulpit.

This chaste specimen of architecture, in which the pure Gothic is preserved

throughout, is the work of a western artist, Mr. Cyrus L. Warner, of this village. The mason work by Samuel Lewis, also of this village.-Livingston Register.

Zion Church, Palmyra.-This neat Gothic edifice, recently completed, was consecrated by the Right Rev. Bishop Hobart, on Sunday, the first of February, 1829, in the presence of a very crowded and atten tive audience. The clergy present and as. sisting the bishop in the services, were the Rev. Mr. Gear, minister of the parish, and the Rev. Mr. Hubbard, of Sodus. This, our readers will perceive, is the third new church consecrated by Bishop Hobart in the space of eight days.

It is stated, as a peculiar excellence in the internal arrangement of Zion church, that the seats in the gallery are so constructed as to afford every one a very easy and commanding view of the transactions at the desk and chancel. The building is 54 feet by 40. The erection of this edifice reflects great credit upon the few Episcopalians who have exerted themselves for the establishment of the worship of their choice and their ardent attachment. The young ladies of the congregation, anxious to contribute something to the general cause, with a laudable zeal devoted themselves, in their leisure hours, to the production of various articles of needle-work and of dress. By the sale of these articles, funds have been raised for the very rich and appropriate hangings which decorate the church.

There is, we know, with many, a strong prejudice against the exertions of ladies in this way. That the plan of enlisting them in affairs of this kind may be, and indeed is very often carried to unreason-* able lengths, we have little doubt; and that they are sometimes led into efforts which have a tendency to detract from that retiring delicacy which is the highest ornament of their sex, we will not deny; but, with all this allowance, we have never yet been able to discover, why females might not, with the utmost propriety, engage in some undertakings for the furtherance of piety, and virtue, and the interests of the church. In our retired and infant congre gations, a little attention of this kind, while it would create but a momentary suspension of domestic duties, would be produc. tive of interesting and valuable results. That the practice has been abused is no good argument against it; and we are very free to declare our wish, that many of our small congregations would follow the example of the young ladies of Palmyra,

After the consecration service was concluded, the bishop administered the ordinance of confirmation to ten persons. Auburn Gospel Messenger.

St. Andrew's Church, Harlem, New-York. A Protestant Episcopal church, under

Niagara Falls.

A letter from a gentleman at that place, dated December 30, 1828, states, that on the Sunday evening preceding, about nine o'clock, "two or three successive shocks or concussions were felt, the second of which was accompanied with an unusual rushing sound of the waters." The next morning it was discovered, "that a large portion of the rock in the bed of the river, at the distance of about two-fifths from the Canada shore, to the extreme angle of the Horse-shoe, had broken off and fallen into the abyss below." The whole aspect of the falls is said to be much changed by this convulsion. A course of high winds for several days previous to its occurrence, producing an accumulation of water in the rivers, is supposed to have been the immediate cause. The west side of Goat-Island is rapidly wearing away by the action of the stream on its shore, and it is estimated by the writer of the letter, that "two thousand tons of soil, sand, and gravel, have disappeared since he first went there in October." This gradual crumbling away of the rock over which the Niagara is precipitated, adds plausibility to the conjecture, that the falls were once as low down as Lewiston, and they have for centuries been travelling up towards their present position.-Canand. Reposit,

The Calm Sea.

(From Blackwood's Magazine.)

For the Permanent Fund. February 9.-From William H. Harison, esq. to constitute himself a Life Member

slowly died away,

And stretch'd in glassy stillness now, the wide

Is there such calm for mortal breasts when storms have once been there,

When passion wild has swept along, and heart corroding care?

When guilt has once disturbed the soul, and mark'd it with its stain,

Can tranquil softness of the heart be ever ours again?

Yes-But it is not of this world, the peace that must be sought,

And with the soul's repentant tears it can alone be bought;

Then, as it meekly bows to kiss affliction's chastening rod,

The broken and the contrite heart shall feel the peace of God.

W. J.

$7.00

162 17

230 00

5.00

5

5

$414 17

to constitute himself a Life Member

30

$60 00

Treasurer.

BENJAMIN M. BROWN,

Feb. 28, 1829.

Calendar for April, 1829.

5. Fifth Sunday in Lent.

12. Sixth Sunday in Lent. Palm Sunday.. 13. Monday before Easter. 14. Tuesday before Easter. 15. Wednesday before Easter. 16. Thursday before Easter. 17. Good-Friday, 18. Easter-Even. 19. Easter-Day. 20. Easter-Monday. 21. Easter-Tuesday. 25. St. Mark.

26. First Sunday after Easter. Low Sunday.

Ecclesiastical Meeting in April, 1829.

27. Georgia Convention meets.