vineyard? The heathenism of a considerable portion of a population nominally christian, manifestly tends to thin the congregations even of existing churches. But the want of church extension, and the dearth of ministers, tends to produce and increase this heathenism, and therefore it indirectly tends to diminish the numbers of the present attendants upon divine service. And what a mockery, in some instances, has the so-called divine service hitherto been! The director-general of roads in Van Diemen's Land, some years ago, chose to place catechists and clergy under a ban, though there was no great risk of his gangs being much troubled by them, when they had so many other duties to fulfil. And what was the system which this wise manager of roads chose to substitute for the teaching of Christ's ministers? At every road-station, daily, morning and evening, readings of the sacred Scriptures were established, and "devotional exercises" were added on the sabbath. Well, but who officiated? Let Archdeacon Hutchins reply in the very words used by him, when the matter was brought before the notice of the government in 1837. "These readings of the Scriptures were performed generally, if not always, by _some of the very worst of the convicts themselves_, selected, no doubt, for the purpose, not on account of their wickedness, but of their abilities. They are the best readers, or the cleverest fellows; and therefore, amongst rogues, generally the greatest. These are men by whom, as far as the director is concerned, the seed of religious knowledge is scattered among the road parties. How far there may be a rational hope of the Divine blessing accompanying such endeavours, I leave to be declared by any one possessed of common sense and some little acquaintance with Scripture."[209] Even Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin, only "made priests of the _lowest_ of the people;" he did not, that we read of, appoint the _vilest_ characters he could find to that office. [209] See Speech of the Bishop of Tasmania at Leeds, Nov. 28, 1842, p. 16.