The Church and State Gazette collects facts and gossip respecting
reli- gious "perversions" to the Church of Rome. Confirming the statement that the Reverend Henry Wilberforce, of Farleigh, was "received into the Popish Church on Monday last, at Mechlin," it proceeds—
"There are strange rumours about Mr. Bennett [of St. Barnabas] and others. It is certain that that gentleman has not been at his church for a considerable time. "The Reverend E. Ballard, and G. Ballard, Esq., late of Margaret Chapel, and Wadham and Worcester Colleges, Oxford, have become Oratorians. It is said that more than sixty persons have left Margaret Chapel for the Church of Rome since Father 0 dceley commenced his Romanizing proceedings there, which have been so ally continued by his friend and successor Mr. Richards.
• No less than five of the licensed clergymen of that chapel have become Romanists, and a much larger number of those who occasionally officiated there have 'gone to their own place.' The clergy of this chapel, and also those of St. Andrew's, Wells Street, formed part of Father Newman's audi- ence on the occasion of the delivery of his recent lectures, and it is satisfac- tory that they produced the desired effect in so many eases, The ministers of that chapel now prostrate themselves before the bread and wine at the communion in the same manner that the Romish priests do before the host. They have been seen to prostrate themselves so low that their heads have
• actually touched the ground ! This outdoes Rome completely." "We regret to hear that the Bishop of London, who is absent on the Con- tinent, has been for some time suffering under great indisposition, occasioned in a great measure by the anxiety of mind to wh hehas been subjected by late events in the Church."
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