THE RITE OF CONFIRMATION.

THE FIRST time that we read in Scripture of the rite of Confirmation, was after the conversion and baptism of the people of Samaria. And from the promptitude with which the apostles sent S. Peter and S. John to lay hands on those who had been added to the church by baptism, it is not improbable that our blessed Lord had enumerated this rite among "the things pertaining to the kingdom of God;" of which He spake to the Apostles during the forty days that He shewed himself alive to them by many infallible proofs, after His resurrection. But there is no doubt the Holy Spirit suggested to the minds of the Apostles the institution of this rite for His perpetual collation or gift.

CONFIRMATION is not, therefore, a sacrament of itself, because it has no outward visible sign that was instituted by Christ Himself; and because whilst He was on earth, the Holy Ghost was not given until after His ascension and glorification. But as he promised to send another Comforter Who should be ever invisibly present with them in their hearts; to be their Advocate, Helper and Guide it is reasonable to suppose that there should be some rite instituted for conferring the pesronal gift of the Holy Spirit. S. Paul reckons confirmation one of the fundamental principles of the Christian religion; also a sealng with the Holy Spirit of Promise, Eph. i. 13; which he says is the earnest of our inheritance until the time when the redemtion of His peculiar people purchased by the death of Christ shall be completed. He also calls it an anointing; "Now He which stablishes us [together] with you in [or into] Christ, and hath anointed us [by His Spirit] is God [the Father]; who hath also sealed us [or as above, given us a pledge of our adoption as sons] and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts," 2 Cor. i, 21. S. Pauls practice corresponded with the foregoing extracts from his Epistle; for meeting with some believers at Ephesus, who had received baptism from John the Baptist, and asking them whether or not they had received the gift of the Holy Ghost, and they answering in the negative, he commanded

Christian baptism to be administered to them by some of his attendants; and he imediately afterwards laid his hands on them confirmed or sealed them when the extraordinary gift of the Holy Ghost came on them Acts xix, 6.

BAPTISM being a new creation or new birth, prepares us for the reception of the Holy Ghost in confirmation. Original sin is washed away in baptism when we are spiritually formed into a new man; when we are sanctified and made fit temples for the reception of the Holy Spirit; we are. then renewed by the remission of sins, and framed into a new form by the Holy Spirit. In the primitive Church, therefore, Confirmation immediately, or as soon after as possible, succeeded to baptism; as in the case of our blessed Lord Himself; in the case of Cornelius the Centurion; and in the case of the twelve men at Ephesus already mentioned, who did not receive the Holy Ghost until S. Paul laid his hands upon them. This gift is the Comforter, the Spirit of Promise, whom Christ promised the Father would send in His place to abide with us for ever; who is the earnest of our inheritance or adoption whereby we are sealed till the day of redemption; and are made partakers of the divine nature.

IN CHRIST's baptism in Jordan we behold the whole mystery of our own baptism and confirmation. He had no

sin; and therefore required no cleansing; but it was necessary that he should fulfil all righteousness by sanctifying water to make it sacramental and ministerial in the remission of sin; and to open the kingdom of heaven to all believers. He went down therefore into the water; because it was to precede the anointing by the Holy Spirit. When He had been baptized by John, the whole mystery of the order of our baptism was exhibited; and God the Father completed that, for which God the Son had prayed, The heavens were opened; God the Father anointed his well beloved Son by sending down God the Holy Ghost in the visible resemblance of a Dove, as the spiritual oil; hence he was called Christ or the anointed one; and corresponding to the imposition of hands on His sacred head THE VOICE OF GOD

proclaimed His power and office. He descended into the womb of Jordan, thereby consecrating our baptism unto us, that as by His birth into the world He assumed our nature, so by means of regeneration, He might lift us up to heaven. What befel our Lord at Jordan was a type-if such an expression may be here used, of our baptism and confirmation. We are regenerated at the Font which is the womb of the church; we are sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise by the laying on of the bishop's hands; the heavens are opened to us; and the voice of the Father, though inaudible to us, declares us to be his adopted sons, and inheritors of that kingdom which has been opened for us; the Promise is to us and to our children, and to all that are far off; even to as many as the Lord our God shall call by the ministration of baptism.

REGENERATION is mistically a new creation, and corresponds to the creation of Adam whose animal nature was first made; and then God breathed into him the breath of life; and in baptism we are buried with Christ to the former life of the old Adam, and are spiritually formed into a new man. In Confirmation, by the laying on of the bishop's hands and by prayer, the Holy Ghost is infused into the heart of this recreated person, as the principle of Baptism, therefore, prepares us for the reception of the Divine Spirit who is conferred in Confirmation; and spiritual life must be continued and nourrished by spiritual food in the Lord's Supper.

new and divine life.

BEFORE the water of baptism can wash away sins, the priest must sanctify it by prayer to God; for unless the water be accompanied by the Holy Spirit, it alone of itself can never wash away sin and sanctify a person; but we are made spiritual and perfect, by the union and in-dwelling of the Spirit with the soul and body. The gift of the Holy Spirit in confirmation is His ordinary grace; but not the extraordinary gifts which were bestowed for special purposes on the early converts. It is the vital union and inhabitation of the Blessed Spirit in our hearts, as the "divine nature," and that essential principle of life and immortality

which was lost by Adam's transgression; but which was purchased by the sacrifice of Christ, and restored through this rite after His glorification. It is by the Holy Spirit that the baptismal waters are sanctified and endued with the virtue of washing away sin; and as Adam was at first formed from the dust by the Word and Spirit of God; so by the same Word and Spirit we are new made, formed again, or regenerated in baptism when the Holy Spirit forms us into "temples," fitted for His own Habitation; and in confirmation He enters into, takes possession of His temple, and dwells there, unless He be grieved, wearied, or driven away by our sinful lives...

W. C. P.

PORTUGAL ITS CHURCH AND POLITICS.

RELIGIOUS Controversy within the Portugueze Church is very prevalent; the Nacao and the Revolucao, two leading newspapers, having been employed whilst I was there in charging each other with preaching justification without faith, and justification by faith respectively, concluding with launching & gentle anathema at each other's heads—a spirit of irreligion is very prevalent and the missionary zeal has nearly died out. The people reversing the order of things in England, attend to the rubric-but talk on their knees in the Churches; and that to such an extent, that pious persons prefer having mass in their own Chapels, for which they seldom give the priests more than 4s. 1. and frequently not half so much; while the latter are forbidden to say more than one mass in a day. Toleration does not extend to the Clergy, nor I suppose to the nuns who are still allowed-(tho' Jesuits and monks are strictly forbidden) but their numbers are declining. The Monastic property, of which the Crown obtained the lion's share, has been for the most part sold at a low price and then squandered; some convents, however, have been converted into Charities more consistent with the age; such is the case with the Cass Rei at Belem, a magnificent Asylum for orphans (poor Por

tugese subjects of good character) the arrangements good order and moral training of which, would do honor to England, France or the United States. There is a great deal of immorality-(I mean what the Romanists allow to be such, for incestuous mariarges with Aunts, Nieces, and Sisters in law of both kinds are very common,) in Lisbon, Elvos, and I suppose Oporto; but in the Country, things are much better. And here I must add that, on the other hand, conjugal and all the domestic affections are much stronger than in the Northern nations.

MARRIAGE with a god-daughter is considered a fearful abomination; while the grosser forms of incest are transportable offences; adultery is punishable with imprisonment ;and seduction of very young girls is a criminal offence; and I believe vigorously chastised, without respect of persons. Marriage, beyond a first cousin, is permitted by general dispensation; a fearful comment on the prohibition to persons who stand in that degree of relationship is afforded by the fact, that where they have had illicit intercourse they may get the dispensation gratis. The profits of these dispensations, which are rated according to the fortunes of the parties, are divided between the Pope, the Bishop and the rector. The surplice fees are heavy; and far too often unmercifully enforced ; the Churches are falling into dis-repair; for since the abolition of Church-rates, the Government has taken them in hand; and their excelencies Counts Thom.ar and Tojal, the president of the council and the Foreign Secretary, have, it would seem, taken greater care of their own house than of the House of God, However, I will say no more on that head, least I should expose myself to an action for libel; indeed, I think it would be most prudent to disbelieve three-fourths of what is said of the ministers and of their opponents-for putting party spirit aside, love of truth is not a Portuguese virtue.

THE PEASANTRY are sober and industrious, though fond of holidays-which have been recently reduced from upwards of forty to ten or a dozen an unpopular measure; they make ex