12^ A IMAGE fcVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-S) fe. < <;^ / 1.0 I.I 11.25 2.8 \2A i.8 i^ 11 1.6 Pnoio^dphic Sciences Corporation 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. 14S80 (716) S72-4503 £: r ,\ % ^^? ^ A' ( meaning "CON- TINUED"), or the symbol V (meaning "END"), whichever applies. Maps, plates, charts, etc., may be filmed at different reduction ratios. Those too large to be entirely included in one exposure are filmed beginning in the upper left hand corner, left to right and top to bottom, as many frames as required. The following diagrams illustrate the method: L'exemplaire fiimd fut rsproduit grice i la ginirositi de: KicLennan Library McGill University Montreal Les images suivantes ont iti reproduitea avec le plus grand soin, compte tenu de la condition st do la nettet* de l'exemplaire film*, et en conformity avec les conditions du contrat de filmage. 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Las diagrammes suivants illustrent la m^thode. 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 I k H 207 A CHARGE DELIVERED TO THE CLERGY AT THE VISITATION HELD IN "m dlatheanrl %\\\\i\\ of ^t. %>i\\% al %^c^, ON THE 3KD DAY OF JULY, I860. BY HIBBEllT, LORD BISHOP OF NOVA SCOTIA. t i s i ; 5 lublisfetb bg gpttial request of \\t Ctlcrgn. A^ f !J HALIB^AX, N. S. PRINTED BY JAS. BOWES & SONS, HOLLIS ST. 1866. r —'is 1^ This Charge was also delivcre'l, with some alterations, at Chailottetowii, on the first day of August, 18C6, to the Clergy of Prince Ed»var(l Island, who unanimously requested its jmblication. The principal alterations were, the omission of reference to proceedings of the Nova Scotia Legislature, pp. 15-17, and the addition of warnings and exhortations with reference to the prospects of the Church in the Island. The Clergy were urged to endeavor to stir up the peoi)le to do something more for themselves instead of relying upon continued assistance from abroad, both by increased contributions to the Church Society, and by making some provision for the future, by means either of Local Endowments, or of a General Endowment Fund, the latter being preferable because thus the more wealthy congregations will assist the more destitute. They were reminded that, unless provision can thus be made for the future, tiie work in which they are engaged, and most de-ply interested, cannot l)e continued in some of the missions, and that it is not unreasonable to expect the present genera- tion, who receive much aid from English Societies, to do something towards lightening the burdens of their chihlren, who will probably receive little or nothing from the same sources. Some irregularities with respect to the Offertory having become common, the Clergy were informed that, whenever the Holy Communion is to be celebrated, there must be an Offertory collection taken immediately after the sermon, and followed by the Prayer for Christ's Church militant, after which there may be a brief pause to allow of the withdrawal of children and other non-communicants. Any Clergyman who may hare put off' his surplice, before going into the pulpit, must resume it before beginning the offertory sentences, which are to be read by him when he has returned to the Lord's Table as ordered b- he rubric. :^ The following errata require correction : r. 4, line 21, for death read deaths. r. 10, line 5 from bottom, for exultation rend exaltation. r. 30, line 9 from bottom, for convocation read convention. age. A CHARGE. My Eevekexd Brethren, On meeting you again, after an interval of four years, the com- memoration of our brethren, who have been taken from us during that period, may well occupy the fost place in my address to you, and more especially so on the present occasion, when we have to deplore the loss of one who, for many years, occupied a position of dignity in this Diocese. The late venerable Ai'chdeacon was highly esteemed by you all, being distinguished for his kindness and courtesy, and liberality ; and on this visit to the city it will appear strange to you to pass his once hospitable door, without entering the house in which you were always sure to receive a hearty welcome. I desire to avail myself of this opportunity, pub- licly to express my deep sense of his kindness to myself, and of the readiness with which he always endeavored to assist me in the performance of my duties. He might naturally have expected to be appointed to preside over the branch of the Church, in which he had for forty years held high office, but his modesty, and his low estimate of his own qualifications, were such as to induce him to shrink from, rather than to covet, prominent position or heavy responsibilities. Consequently, from the time of my arrival until his^ last illness, he always acted with a deference to my wishes which could hardly have been expected in a man of his advanced age. When I arrived, he was past the time of life at which h« nught have been expected to perform the special active duties of his office, but he was always willing to do what he could. He at length passed quietly away in a good old age, surrounded by his family and friends, with little pain or suffering, and his memory will long be cherished by the many who have in various ways experienced his kindness, and especially by the poor, to whom he -vvas a liberal benefactor. I iU t^ » One of the youngest of the Clergy,* who had given good pro- mise of future usefulness, was called away a few months before the aged Archdeacon, and already, within the first six months of this year, three of our brethren have been removed by death, of whom twof had been for several years incapacitated by sickness and infir- mities, but the other:}: was cut off in the prime of life, in the midst of an active career of usefulness, and it will not be an easy matter to find a worthy successor to fill his place. Of the two former, I need hardly remind you that, for more than three years, one had been grievously afflicted, and that sometimes his mental, were not less than his bodily, sufferings, but at length our merciful Father was graciously pleased to dispel the cloud, and to enable him to rejoice with the full assurance of f;\itli. He frequently testified that all had been ordered for his good, with wisdom and love, that through his sore trial he had been brought nearer to his God, and had been enabled to comprehend the fulness of the Saviovir's love. His was not indeed what ice should term a " light affliction," but doubtless, now that he has entered into his rest, it appears to him to have been so, and we trust that it M'as instrumental in working for him " a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory." Through death and removals we have thus lost ten Clergymen, but on the other hand there have been twenty-one added, of whom one has gone to Prince Edward Island. The vacancy caused by the death of the late Archdeacon has been filled by the appointment of Dr. McCawley, which I cannot doubt must be satisfactory to all the Clergy, many of you having been in time past under his instiuction and guidance, and all of you being acquainted with his kindliness of disposition, and courtesy of manner. Last year, in consequence of the enlargement of this Church, and the alterations which rendered it more suitable than any other Church in the Diocese for a Cathedral, I acted upon the authority contained in the Queen's Letters Patent, and constituted a Chapter for the Diocese, composed of a Dean and four Canons, of whom the Archdeacon is always to hold the first Stall. And I may here observe that, notwithstanding the decision against the validity of the Letters Patent, so far as they profess to grant jurisdiction, no doubt has ever been suggested as to the power of the Crown to * Kev. J. T. Moody, f Key. A. Gray and Rev. Jas. Stewart. J Rev. T. Crisp. > confer titles and dignit^'cs, in any part of the Empire, so that the authority under which the Dean and Canons hold their positions cannot be impugned. That the establishment of a Dean and Chapter was early contemplated, is evident from the grant by the Crown, in 1813, of certain lands for the use of a Dean and Chapter, which are held in trust by the Bishop. As this is a novelty to many of you, it may not be superfluous to mention that the Cathedral is to be regarded as the Parish Church of the Diocese, to which all have a right to resort. It ought therefore to be spacious, and free for every one who is disposed to worship there from any part of the Province, and to be a pattern for all other Churches, while the Dean and Chapter are to act as a Council, at all times ready to give advice to the Bishop in any difficult matters, upon which he may apply for their opinion. This building is not indeed what we would desire, and it is little creditable to this Diocese that, although the oldest, it is almost the only one of the eight North American Dioceses, in which there is not a stone Cathedral, the only one in which when we were honored by the presence of the Prince of Wales, there was nothing more than an ordinary Parish Church which he could be requested to visit. I hope however that the day will come, although I may not be permitted to see it, when men's minds being enlarged by travelling and seeing the magnifi- cent structures of other lands, and old prejudices being swept away, there will be a general desire to erect one fabric, which shall belong not to any one Parish, but equally to the whole Province, which shall bear testimony to the zeal of the members of the Church, and their determination to offer unto the Lord their God of their very best. The contrast between the houses of the present day, and those of fifty years ago, is very striking, the improvement in the Temples of our God ought, at least, to keep pace with those in our own dwellings. I am happy to find that the progress, to which I referred in my last Charge, has continued without check, and that there is generally a determination to act upon this prin- ciple, of which you will find proofs in the two Churches now nearly completed in this city, which show a great advance upon all previous attempts, although they are neither of them in all respects to be taken as models, the one being of wood, the other necessarily 1^ |;"i i if • Si ^, ' |i ' 1 i'. t modified by the nature of the site, and the conditions imposed upon the architect. Some persons appear to grud 4 t..1 ll « .fli 16 marriages, and it will probably be long before they will be careful to furnish the Registrars with the required information ; but you may afford material assistance, by reminding the proper persons of their duty, whenever a birth or a death occurs in any family. Two annual reports have been issued, and it is satisfactory to fand that the returns are much more -complete for the second, than for the first, year, and it is to be hoped that they will become more so, until they are as perfect as we can expect them to be. As you have all received the report for this year, I need not detain you with details, but it may suffice to commend to your notice the observations of the Secretary to the Board of Statistics, by whom the report is prepared. An Act has been passed, remodelling the Divorce Court, and chiefly affecting the mode of procedure. But it is for the first time expressly enacted, that persons divorced may marry again. This however, is accompanied by a provision securing every Clergyman' who may be unwilling to officiate at such a marriage, from liabihty to any penalty, to which he might be liable for refusing to do so or for refusing to publish the banns of such parties. I hope that you will all gladly avail yourselves of this provision, more espe- cially as divorce is allowed here, for some causes for which it is not allowed in England, and in some cases wherein the law appears to be directly opposed to the teaching of Scripture, which does not ad- mit of divorce except in one case. And even in that case, it does not appear that a man may lawfully marry the woman who has been put away as guilty. Increased facihties for divorce must neces- sarily lead to a deterioration of morals, and this appears now to be acknowledged as the effect of the new Divorce Act in England * Let us be careful, if we cannot check the torrent, at least to refuse to do anytnmg which may augment its force and effect. If the law of the S tate conflic ts with the Law of God, our course is clear, " we * Last year in Convocation the Bishop of Oxford «:.id : » That the presenT^t^ oiTthi. iirj:,'? H^'r"' ' *""' ""•'•^ ""^ ^^-"^ «'»"^ ««- brethren wir«fflmllloul Je dissatisfaction in some minds may be deeper than in others I beliovTir ntl . , " '"»' '"' •^•"l«i;= """i D'vo... Act of 1« opemeB mo.> lajurlou.ly on the 17 ought to obey God rather than men," and if at any time you are called upon to officiate in such a case, it will be your duty to refuse, for compliance would be wilful sin. While speaking of marriages, I wish to correct a common mis- apprehension, respecting the force of a license. It is commonly supposed that it obliges a Clergyman to marry the persons who have obtamed it, but its effect is merely to dispense with the publi- cation of banns, and if he knows of any objection to the marriage, he is not relieved of his responsibility by the license. An Act has also been passed, permitting Clergymen ordained m the United States to officiate here, under the Bishop's license, notwithstanding the prohibition contained in the Imperial Act of George III., chap. 84. Considering our proximity to the States, and the fact that the Clergy of our communion are always welcomed there, it has always been an unpleasant duty to treat them other- wise than as we are treated by them, and I rejoice that the disabilities are now removed. You are aware that determined efforts have been made in England to obtain a revision of our Prayer Book, and we have reason to thank God that they have been unsuccessful, for any such revision as was proposed would probably have led to a large seces- sion from the Church. The alterations desired by some would be deemed highly objectionable by others, and it would be vain to expect, for anything new, the feelings which have been engendered by^ the long-continued use of a book, now venerable for its anti- quity, as well as cherished on account of its intrinsic merits. We do not pretend that our Prayer Book is perfect in all its parts, for all human compositions must bear traces of human infirmity, but we believe we have in it a heritage of inestimable value, and we may well be jealous of any interference with it. It may be that the compilers have sometimes omitted what might advantageously moral and Bpiritual character of the nation, bringing the sanctity of The ma7ri«ge~vow7nto dis egard, and mulf.p ying year after year the number of reparations between those whom God hath joined together." It wa, stated in the course of the debate, that Sir Cre sweU Cre.8well had "confessed that the opposition was well grounded, that h; had been talg 1 1 » " essou ofexperience thathehnd come to the conclusion that it was better for soclty to treat marriage as indissoluble, considering it merely as a social question." Canon Selwyn, in concluding h.a speech, said : " If the result of the legislature having ,.,7«"« --^m.arn.-! ..-s^^^ „b l.i.-. a» ihoac oi tnc uomans, should be the same, evil following upon ov ,, „nrt sin upon sin, bringing down the Judgments of an offended Ood, let it not bf Trent of^;;." '' "' '''"'^' °'"'' '''"""' '''''^ ^^ '^'' '""^^ "° «"•-* »« ^^^^^^ I 'it 1 ,i 18 have been retained, or that they have retained expressions which might without loss have been omitted or modified, but we believe that regarded as a whole it is not surpassed by any uninspired book. The most seiious objections that have been raised, have been to some expressions in the offices for Baptism and for Burial. The changes proposed in the former, would involve a denial of the doc- trine held by the Church from the beginning. In the latter no question of doctrine arises, but it is generally admitted that in some cases the service as it stands cannot be used with satisfaction, and two years ago four thousand Clergymen thus expressed their conviction in an address to the Bishops, that "the indiscriminate use of the Order for the Burial of the Dead, as practically enforced by the existing state of the law, imposes a heavy burden upon the consciences of the Clergy, and is the occasion of a grievous scandal to many other people." To which the Archbishop replied : " The Bishops generally sympathise with the memorialists, in the diffi- culties to which they sometimes find themselves exposed with reference to the terms of that service. But I am sorry to report that the obstacles in the way of remedying those difficulties appear to them, as at present advised, to be insuperable." And within the last month, His Grace has repeated the same sentiments in the House of Lords. This subject was discussed at great length in Convocation last year, upon a very full and able report of a Committee, which con- cluded by recommending, "the exercise of spiritual discipline, with modifications of the present law, as the legitimate and effective remedy for the alleged difficulties." This was adopted by a large majority, and was accompanied by a resolution, " that a Committee of this House be appointed, to take into consideration the whole system of the godly discipline of the Church, with a view to the restoration of it in such measure and manner as may be found prac- ticable." In the course of the debate several remedies were proposed, but the same objection applies to all plans based upon an alteration of the existing service, that no form of words can be devised so as to be both suitable for the faithful, and also for the unbelievers and evildoers. If any alternative were authorised to be used at the discretion of the 19 officiating Clergymjm, he would be placed in a very false position, for while there are some at either extreme, with respect to whom there is little or no room left for doubt, there are many concerning whom he ought not to be required to pronounce any decided opinion. O all the plans proposed, I believe that the best would be, the reten tion of our present service for the burial of communicants, and the authorisation of another less jubilant in its tones for non-communi cants. I am aware of practical difficulties in such an arrangement, but I think they may be overcome, and that the objections are less serious than they are to the continuance of the present unsatisfac tory state of things, which would only be partially remedied by the restoration of discipline, for that di./ipline would afford no relief, except in some of the most flagrant cases, whereas the dis tinction proposed is definite, and the most charitable interpretation might be given to the term "communicants," so as to include all who have not yet arrived at years of discretion. By the use of the lower office we should pronounce no sentence upon the departed, and since we do not believe that the future state is affected by the celebration or omission of the funeral rites, designed for the comfort and edification of the survivors, the deceased would sustain no loss, but the living would be benefitted by the warning, and by the decla / ration that something was wanting. "^ In ordinary cases we may use the service appointed, with a quiet conscience : — 1st. Because we are forbidden to judge, and so long as there is any room for a weak hope we ought to exercise it ; 2nd. Because the form does not profess to be specifically applicable to individuals, being appointed by the Church to be used for all who profess and call themselves Christians, if they have remained within her pale ; 3rd. Because the use of a general form is attended with less injury than an extempore prayer or address, which must be regarded as applying to the particular person, and is therefore much more likely to mislead the bystanders, by its expressions of hope and confidence, which will naturally be uttered out of regard to the survivors, except in very extreme cases. We, however, need not be disquieted as our brethren are in England, for their difficulties arise in some measure from their obligations as Ministers of an Established Church, of Avhich every inhabitant is by law a member with a riiiht to claim tl services. Hi \erc no one who is not '\ •1 1^ ih ■' 3 20 actually a member of our congregations can have any cl?ims upon us. You are only answerable to the law of the Church, and I have no hesitation in advising you to refuse to officiate in any case, iwhere death has occurred under such circumstances that there can Jbe no room for hope, and where the use of the burial service would |be a profanation, as for example in the case of a man who has lived I P"^ ^^^^ ^^ infidel, or of one who has been cut off while perpe- Itrating a grievous crime, or of one who having been a confirmed [drunkard has died in a fit of delirium. Only in every such case, it I is your duty immediately to report fully to me 3 and you must be careful as to the ground of your refusal, for if the reasons were not sufficient, I should be obliged to act under the 60th Canon, which appoints three months suspension as the penalty for refusing to bury any corpse. And observe particularly that there must not be / any mutilation of the service ; if you cannot conscientiously use it / as appointed, omit it altogether, and stay away from the funeral. \ If you attend, it is your bounden duty to officiate according to the \jprescribed form without variation or omission. In my last Charge, I had occasion to speak of the Judgment, then lately delivered, upon two of the Essays in the volume called " Essays and Keviews." And I have now to speak of two Judgments of still greater importance to us, inasmuch as they aflfect the Church in the Colonies, so hr as materially to alter our relation to the Established Chui'ch of England. The firs; was in 1863, on the appeal of Mr. Long, who had been suspended and afterwards deprived by the Bishop of Cape- town. The Lords of the Council stated, "we propose to deal with the question, (raised and discussed in the argument,) only so far as may be necessary for the purposes of the present decision, and to abstain as far as possible from saying anything which may prejudice cases that may hereafter arise." Nevertheless the principles laid down must be taken as a guide, and have been already accepted as precedents, and Ave collect from the Judgment the folloAving conclu- sions : — " The Church of England, in places where there is no Church established by law, is in the same situation with any other religious body, in no better, but in no worse, condition ; and the members may adopt, as the members of any other communion may adopt, rules for enforcing discipline within their body, which will ^1 be binding on those who expressly or by implication have assented to them." Also that "a Clergyman, taking the oath of canonical obedience, and accepting a license from the Bishop, submits himself to the Bishop's authority, to such an extent as to enable the Bishop to deprive him of his appointment for any lawful cause." This was followed by the well-known Judgment, delivered last year, on the appeal of the Bishop of Natal, from the sentence pro- nounced by hia Metropolitan and the other Bishops of the Province of Capetown. You are all probably aware, that the effect of this Judgment has been to determine, that the Crown, with the advice of some of the most eminent Lawyers of whom England can boast, has been for nearly fourscore years assuming a power, which does not belong to it, and misleading its unsuspecting subjects, by issuing with all due formality, under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom, illegal documents. I do not think that this decision is to be regretted, so far as it affects the Church ; but it appears to me to ^hrow doubt upon what was supposed to be most certain, and thus to produce a very uncomfortable feeling of insecurity, for we have been accustomed to rely with implicit confidence upon the great legal authorities in the Mother Country, and we may now reasonably feel doubtful how far the exercise of the Royal preroga- tive may be legitimate in any matter whatever. How far the Judgment commends itself to lawyers I cannot say, but I may point out a few extraordinary statements, and errors as to facts. Thus Lord Westbury, who delivered the Judgment, states that the two Bishops are " the creatures of English law," and are dependent upon that law for their " existence, rights, and attri- butes," thus confounding the nomination by the Crown with their consecration, and ignoring the fact, that the existence of Bishops is to be traced to a date long antecedent to the beginning of English Law. Speaking of the clauses purporting to confer ecclesiastical jurisdiction, he says, "the forms of such Letters Patent were probably taken, by the official persons who prepared them, from the original forms used in the Letters Patent appointing the East Indian Bishops, without adverting to the fact, that such last mentioned Letters Patent were granted under the provisions of an Act of Parliament," whereas he might easily have discovered that those clauses appear in the original Patent constituting this Diocese, ■w. 22 twenty-five years before the Act to which he refers, and a few years later in those constituting the See of Quebec. This decision has determined the law of the land, and it is now held that the Letters Patent, when unrecognised by a Local Legis- lature, are only effective so far as they authorise the consecration of a Bishop, conferring a title, and constituting him a corporation.* But there is reason to suppose, that there is a distinction to be made between those Colonies, in which there has been no le^sla- tion respecting the Church, and those in which such legislation has been carried into effect. Now in this Province, when the Diocese was created, the Church of England was the Estahmcd Church ; and the Bishop has been recognised in several Acts, especially in the chapter of the Ilevised Statutes wherein Clergymen of' the Church of England are prohibited from officiating in the Province without his license. It may be, therefore, that we are here in a better condition than our brethren in some of the other Colonies, but still there can be no doubt that our position is not what it was commonly supposed to be. A Bill has now been introduced into the Imperial Parliament, by the Colonial Secretary, and Attorney General, based upon the Privy Council Judgment, of which the intention is briefly, to place the Clergy of the Colonial Dioceses upon the same footing as those of the Church in Scotland and in America, with respect to offici- atmg or holding preferment in England, and to place all Colonial Bishops m the same position as if they had been chosen by the voluntary consent of the Clergy and Congregations in their respec- tive Dioceses, whether they surrender or retain their Letters Patent. Moreover, it is provided that all questions of law respecting the rights and duties of every Bishop, and of the Clergy and Congregations in relation to the Bishop, shall be tried and P..„ *»/"," ^*r"**' l^''"' ^°^*"°°'^^ «* Colonies, issued after the Judgment in Mr. Long', case, ti.e lar. i-,o of xV.vveastle, having consulted the Crown Lawyers, said: ^ to eonl'^to th^u- ?*'"* *'''" """■' ""'■" '■'■'■'* ''"'^ '"""'"^ »'■' «°^ «° '■«'• ««. they purported o convey to the B.shop any power of coercive jurisdiction, irrespeotive'y of the sanction of be e^^rised!'-' "■ "' ""' *'' '°"""^' ^"'^"" °^ '"^^''^^^ ^' ^'^^ -- -^om iflTgl^ " I am aware of no reason whatever for supposing them to be invalid, otherwise than as they may assume to grant this coercive jurisdiction. The IJi.shop's corporate cLracter and any other ir.idents of his Episcopai position, which result from th Le te» pln ' remain untouched by the recent Judgment." ^-nenr, n determined as similar questions with respect to tlie ministers and congregations of any other denomiiiatiou would be determined. The intention of this Act appears to be, to r medy a very mconvenient anomaly, and to place us bojiajide in the same position as other denominations, and so far as it does this it is to be welcomed ; but I fear that, in its present form, it would give occasion to many controversies, ana perhaps lead to the litigation which it is intended to avert.* We have now fresh occasion to congratulate the members of the Church in Canada upon their position, from which they can calmly look down upon us and others who are struggling with difliculties, being independent of Privy Council Judgments, and little affected even by the action of the Imperial Parliament. And we must the more regret the rejection, by our Provincial Legislature, of the Bill which, without interfering with any persons beyond our own pale, would have secured to us the privileges now enjoyed by our brethren. Since my last Visitation, the Convocations of the two English Provinces have accomplished more than had been attempted" for many years, having, with the sanction of the Crown, altered some of the Canons of 1603,t and the question arises, how far are we affected by these alterations ? Since we do not belong to either Province, although we have been commonlv supposed to be in the Province of Canterbury, I apprehend that, 'even if we may stul be regarded as members of the United Church of England and Ireland, we cannot be bound by these new Canons unless we formally adopt them. You are probably acquainted with the alterations, to which I refer, and it will be for the Synod to determine whether we shall * Since the delivery of this Charge, there has been a change of Government and it i« rt:rerrsior ""°""" " "^^^^'^--^ ^^'" - ^^- -'- ^^^--^ ^^^^X llaSZrl'^ "r "'"'■■"'f '^^ *^' ^'■°'^°' ''™''°^y*«gf these new Canons, I.ad passed the Lower House of the Convocation of Canterbury, the Prolocutor said, " I cannot allow InvthTnl further to be put to the House without first expressing my deep gratitude to AlrTirtvGof for lUs great goodness in permitting us to perform an act'whicVl conce vfto bTo'ne of the utmost importance to the interests of ti,e Church of England. If I could te^l the U.Jl T extreme anxiety which has been felt by our Most Reverend p/esiLnt pen t .^l^^c I am sure they would sympathise both with bin, and with me upon the present occasion 1 look upon h s result as an answer to the fervent prayers which have gone uT A om f^thfu members of this House : • Concede igitur ut Spirit„« Tuu«. qui o.HUo olim rfpo4" cf iu^ no^tro etianx nunc insideat, ducatque nos in omnem veritatem, quo, est sec'Hndum p U ';! Ill ■}^ I ff--" li 24 adhere to the Canons as they were, thus diverging from the Mother Church, or shall follow her in her nev> paths, so that we may be governed by the same laws.* The change in the 29th Canon^ allowing fathers to be sponsors at baptism, merely authorises a^ practice which from necessity had become very common here. But it is not the less desirable still to adhere to the old rule, as far as possible, and to teach your people why sponsors arc required, independent of the parents, whose responsibility cannot be increased by any vows. But the alteration, involving the republication of the Canon, extends beyond this, and revives, what may be con- sidered to be partly obsolete, the restriction to communicants of the office of sponsors. The two Convocations had substituted for j communicants, persons capable of receiving the Connnunion, but ' the Government objected to promulgate the Canon in this form, and therefore the Clergy are now strictly required, by this new) Canon, to refuse to admit as a sponf,or any non-communicant. In \ principle, we must all admit that this is right, but we have also unhappily to admit, that the consequence of a strict adherence to it would be that many children would be left unbaptized, because duly qualified sponsors are not attainable. And when we consider that the requirement of sponsors is merely an ecclesiastical rule, we can have no hesitation in deciding, that any impediments to the administration of baptism introduced by it are greatly to be deplored. The other Canons are those relating to the terms in M-hich the Clergy are required to subscribe to the formularies of the Church. You will remember that, in consequence of complaints of the too great stringency of the forms, a Royal Commission was issued to investigate the subject, and the recommendation of the Commis- sioners deserves much weight, from the character of the persons selected, who were fjiir representatives of the several schools, or lines of thought, at present existing. The recommendations of this Commission were embodied in an Act of Parliament,! with the consent of the two Convocations, the 3()th and following Canons being altered so as to be in harmony with it, and the general result is as follows : — The thre(> Articles in the 3()th Canon are cancelled, and the following declaration is substituted, " I do solemnlv make * Tiw tiynod Lns Blncc determined not to accept the new Canons. t This Act does not extend to the Colonies. \ 25 the following declaration: I assent to the 39 Articles of Religion, \ and to the Book of Common Prayer, and of ordering of Bishops, j Priests and Deacons; I believe the doctrine of the United Church of England and Ireland, as therein set forth, to be agreeable to the Word of God, and in public prayer and administration of the sacra- I ments, I will use the form in the said Book prescribed, and none ) other, except so far as shall be ordered by lawful authority." By these changes the declaration of the Queen's supremacy, " as well in all spiritual or ecclesiastical things or causes as temporal," is abolished,— the Articles and the Prayer Book are taken together, the doctrine therein set forth being acknowledged to be agreeable to the Word of God, and an opening is left for the use of any other forms, ordered by lawful authority; this last phrase being intended to relieve the minds of persons who have entertained scruples about the use of special services, on public fast or thanksgiving days. The lawful authority is not specified, but whatever it may be, where the Church is established, I presume that in the Colonies the Bishop of each Diocese would be thus designated, every Bishop being authorised by ancient custom to determine the forms to be used in his own Diocese; and there is no other person who has the semblance of authority to interfere with the mode of conducting our worship. The oaths ordered by the Rubrics to be administered at the time of ordination are no longer to be so administered, and a new oath, substituted in 1858 for the old forms, is to be taken previous to ordination and to admission to any ecclesiastical office or preferment. The new declaration differs much unquestionably from that enjoined by the Act of Uniformity, now repealed, which was required from all Incumbents, "I do declare my unfeigned assent and consent to all and everything contained and prescribed in and by the Book of Common Prayer;" but I am not prepared to affirm, that any real safeguard is lost by the change. Those very stringent and comprehensive words may have becu a stumbling- block <,o tender consciences, while by the careless they have doubtless been accepted and used, with but little regard to details, as a general admission of the soundness of the Liturgy. For any honest man, I think that tht? new form is sufficiently i)inding ; for the subscriber declares not merely that he will use our formularies. CE: npf: ii ' ffi„ 26 but also that he assents to them, and believes them to be agreeable to the wore' -f God. If a man's principles are so lax that he will use a Liturgy which he does not believe to be in accordance with the word of God, it is useless to attempt to keep him out by any declaration ; whereas a thoroughly conscientious man may feel scru- ples about the more stringent form, if there is a single sentence with which he is not altogether satisfied. There is room for difference of opinion as to the merits of these alterations ; but I am persuaded that our wisest course is to conti- nue in stnct conformity with the Mother Church, so long as we can do so without any serious loss or inconvenience therefrom. It has been indeed determined that we are free from all legal obligation in this respect, so that we may continue in the old course, or adopt the modifications introduced there, at our discretion ; but we must not close our eyes to the danger that the several dioceses, being isolated, may in time differ both in doctrine and practice from the parent, and from each other, unless we thus follow the guidance of those from whom we fear that we are to be partially severed. I believe that ultimately the universal adoption of the Provincial system will be accepted as the only security against such variations ; and it may be that the political union of these Lower Provinces with Canada will render it expedient for us to accept the offer, formerly rejected, to be included in the Province of Montreal. The Synod of that Province has addressed the Archbishop, and also the Convocation, of Canterbury, praying that a genera] council of the members of the Anglican communion may be held, in order to devise measures for the preservation of our connection with the Church in England. To one of these addresses a favorable reply has been received from his Grace ; the other having been discussed in the Lower House of Convocation, led to a unanimous resolution, " that his Grace the President be respectfully requested to direct the appointment of a committee of this House to consider and report upon the petition of the Canadian Branch of the Anglican Church." Some persons may be so selfish and narrow-minded as to care little about anything which does not itumediately affect themselves ; but they who understand anytliing of the Communion of Saints, or who coincide with the noble sentiment of the heathen poet,* cannot but feel deeply interested in the trials of their brethren * Homo sum ) Iiumnui ulliil n me nlicuum i)uto. 27 in other parts of the world. Every tnie son of the Church should be anxious to have its status so clearly defined, and its organization so complete, that it may be prepared for all contingencies : we ought not to be satisfied with the assumption that no inconvenience will be experienced, and that no difficulties will occur, during our time, without regard to the future. Every one who has watched the course of events through several years past, must have perceived that a great change has been taking place, and that we are now in a transition state. The branches of the Church of England have been extending in every direction, some of them acquiring much strength and importance ; and it has become evident that they could not continue in the anomalous state, with which they had previously been content. The Colonies have one after another been permitted to manage then- own affairs, enjoying the privileges of self-government, and it has been felt that the Church could no longer be kept in an inferior position, deprived of the advantages and yet subject to the restrictions of an establishment. But we are slow to divest ourseh es of old prejudices : we cling to old associa- tions, and we have been afraid to walk alone. And we should have continued in the same unsatisfactory state, if our confidence had not been j-udely shaken by the occurrence of events, which have proved that we were leaning on a broken reed, and that we have been in reality in a much worse pos'tion than any other body of Christians. Tluu, He who over-rules all things, to the fur- therance of his own purposes, is educ-Ing good out of the evil, and doubtless the Church in the colonies will manifest more life and energy, and will make greater progress, when once these questions are determined, than in time past. The contest, in which the Church in South Africa is engaged, is carried on for the benefit of the whole body, and we have reason to thank God that He has vouchsafed to our brethren there, extraordinary firmness, and we ought continually to offer prayer on then- l)ehalf, that they may be enabled to persevere. We should especially admire the noble metropolitan, who has been called to take his place in the forefront of the battle, and to bear the brunt of the conflict. Some of us may, perhaps, think that, in some of the details of his proceedings, he has not adopted the most judicious course, but we do not expect perfection in man, and we ought to '' IS K., Ml If! i: vl A> . If, y 28 shrink from criticising too sharply the deeds of one who, under most trying and discouraging circumstances, has contended so « earnestly for the faith once delivered to the saints," and for the liberties and independence of our Church. It is satisfactory to all, and must be very cheering to him, to find that the sympathies of his brethren are almost universally with him, the convocation in England, the general convention of the United States, the Provin- cial Synod of Canada, and other similar bodies, having on behalf of those whom they represented sent to him addresses expressive of their approval and admiration. As for the wretched apostate, who has occasioned so much trouble, we can only blush at the thought of his having been one of our chief pastors, and at the spectacle of a man still maintaining his right to an office, and endeavoring to secure its emoluments, amongst a body of which he has repudiated the leading principles, and whose authorised prayers he has publicly declared that he can- not conscientiously use. We have had cause for shame too in the fact that dignitaries of the Church at home have manifested their sympathy with this man, and have aided and abetted him, by fur- mshiug pecuniary assistance, as well as in other ways, although it appears that only one clergyman in his own diocese, and />e not an Englishman, has followed him. We may, however, indulge in the hope that such sympathisers will now separate themselves from him, and will be anxious to free themselves from all suspicion of com- phcity, since he is showing himself in his true colors. We cannot believe that, when he first gave the rein to his sceptical spirit, he had any foresight of the dreadful precipice towards which he would be hurried, although a bystander might have discerned the tendency of his course, and the improbability of any other end than the frightful depths of infidelity. He now stands as a conspicuous warning to all, (may we have grace to profit by it), to beware c ' any tampering with sacred things, and of carrying on our investigations of the truth, with a captious spirit, and with any desire to detect flaws and errors, such as has been manifested by him in all his pub- lications. He has now published a Hymn Book, which, as he admits " does not contain the name of Jesus or Christ irom one end to the other," and he defends himself by the plea that the omission of the name was not intentional, but was owing to an omission 29 which was intentional, of al] hymns containing prayers to Christ, to^ which he objects on "scriptural and apostolical grounds." Can this man still act as the minister of a body, of whose meetings one of the earliest records is, that they sang a hymn to Christ as God ? which thus addresses Him in her glorious hymn of praise, " W* pray Thee help Thy servants, whom Thou has redeemed with Thy precious blood," and in another hymn in her most solemn ser- vice uses these words, " O Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father, that takest away the sins of the world, have mercy upon us?" Is it possible that he can celebrate the Holy Communion, and dare to use this language, if he does not believe it to be justifi- able ? If he denies the propriety of such prayers, if he could not say with the proto-martyr, « Lord Jesus receive my spirit," is it not evident that he has abandoned the faith of the Church ? And yet this man retains his position by force, relying upon the authority of the highest court of appeal, under the protection of the Crown, by which the action of the Church has thus far been paralysed. Surely then we should thank God, that He has raised up m"^ who do not fear boldly to assert, and act upon, the inalienable right, and the unquestionable duty, of the Church of Christ, to purge itself from such a foul stain, and that He has placed in the highest'dignity a primate, who docs not shrink from the responsibility of plainly declaring his opinion of the heresies of this daring sceptic* If we believe the scriptures, we cannot d-aibt that the sentence of excom- munication was most justly pronounced, and that according to our Articles, he who calls himself Bishop of Natal, in reliance upon Royal Letters Patent, " ought, nevertheless, to be taken of the whole multitude of the faithful as an heathen and publican," so that " he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds." I have not yet received an official copy of the sentence, and therefore I have not formally published it, but it is a matter of such notoriety, and the published reports are so reliable, that I have no hesitation * Since tlie delivery of this Charge, the Archbishop of Canterbury, epeaklns of the denlBion of the Committee of Council, is reported to have said • «Pe«'"ngr of the "Of course tlie power given by the patents was null and void; but in no part of the judgment do they refer to the spiritual pastoral authority of th^ Hishops: that Is left entire y free. That there should be any branch of the CafhoUc Church witl out "owe o bS'::^rr.rr;;':,rri^, "'!?^"''''^ T, "t ''''''' °' '''-'''''' '^ '"""-"'•" --^ :\- '' ""« •« ' nm. „, :tnti m.-ihinablc. To Kuppos.i mij branch of tiiat Church to exist w thout the power of deposing « heretical Bishop seems impossible. It 1 iu ons s elt alike with Scripture and History." ii is lutonsistent ! ' u [ 30 in speaking of it. As you have a right to be made acquainted with my .Iccision in this important matter. I have further to state, that I would not recognise any official act performed by him, and that if the Bishops of South Africa think fit to consecrate another Bishop, II am prepared to acknowledge such Bishop as the lawful pastor of fthe Diocese of Natal, although he may not be so designated.* i Thus for example, if a man were to bring me letters of orders, signed by Dr.-Colenso since his return to Natal, I should regard them as absolutely null and void, while I should certainly recognise as valid an ordination by any Bishop appointed and consecrated in his stead, on the nomination, or with the consent, of the church p'ithin the limits of that diocese. Notwithstanding the growth of heresies, we cannot fail to notice amongst the remarkable phenomena of the present age, the increasing desire for unity. Divisions are multiplying, and yet, at the same time, men of earnest minds are generally manifest- ing a sense of the evil thereof. In our own communion, attention has been more parricularly directed towards the ancient Churches, Irom which we have been so long separated, and especially towards the East. By the Convocation of Canterbury, and also by the general Convocation in the United States, committees have been appointed to consider the causes of difference, and the possibility of reunion with the Greek Church. With it we have had no quarrel ; our separation from it was a consequence cf our union with Rome : and since we are now at variance with Rome, we may have the better hope of success in our endeavors to arrange satisfactory con- ditions of communion with the East. Although probably many have not seen, you have all heard of, "* _^°'^^''"_"''''"^':'^ ^° prepare the way for the restoration of the CanterlTuryr""'''"^ resolution was lately adopted by b^;hrH^;;;;;;7th;:c^;;;;;;^ onP iLt^ nl^.I^'r^K'"' ^"''"u "^"™' *^ *"' "'■^'>'''* J"'"'''«' Court in this kingdom on the one hand, that the Church in the Province of Natal, in communion with the United Church of England and Ireland, is in the eye of the law a mere voluntary association ; and on the e iod hv t, Tr IT''-'"'''''' ''^ ""* P'-"'''^^'' *° ''""'•^"- «P*^''"«1 P«^«r, and h;ve been de- dared by the Court to convey no Episcopal jurisdiction, it is the judgment of this House that the acceptance of a new Bishop does not impair the connection, or alter the relations. ex.8 ing between the members of the Church in the Province of Natal and the Church of England, Provided -1 That the Bishop be canonically consecrated, according to the use of the Church of England. 2. That there be no invasion of the title of the Bishop of N.tal conveyed by her Majesty's Letters-Patent." t "The Church of England a Portion of Christ's one Holy Catholic Church and a Means of Restoring Visible Unity. An Eirenicon." By Du. Pusky. 31 long-suspended intercommunion, which has attracted general atten- t.on, havjng been highly approved by some and as decidedly con- demned by others. The scheme may indeed be impracticable and «ome may regard it as altogether visiona-y ; but we ought n^:" th,s account to ,gnore the loving spirit which dictated it, nor to neglect any means by which we may possibly approximate tow rds the des,red object. The following passage in another work of the same wnter shews the spirit by which he was actuated : " God M H,s own everywhere. He is calling more and more to follow Him ( who .s .the way, the truth, and the life.' As we love Him mor?l who . the .-uth, we shall receive, hold, set forth, the truth -as it I Zrr , . ? "■' ' """ "•"> '^ "" "«''• ^"'h a more burning elf-devoted love, we must in Him love His members. And lov! unders ands thoughts of love though iU-cxpressed, and cat he hal utter, T ^ T'"" '°"™^''' '" ''"''»" ^'"^ -^ but hal uttered, and reads the heart with which it sympathizes. As we love our Lord more, we shall love more all whom He loves, and as we love more we shall understand one another better. One gram of love avails more than many pounds of controversy." If ^ s'there ZT' ""'/f " ""^ •™""'^'^'' ^^ ^^-^ " ^P"* - prayer of our Lord, " that they all may be one " - To my mind, however, this very book appears to prove the ™poss>bd,ty of any restoration of communion with the Church somtjlh " " T-''u""r "^^ "™°''"°" *"' ^-^ -i" ''bandon some of the errors which she evidently most fondly cherishes; and U exposes very fu y the evils of her mariolatry, and the vanity of he. clam to mfalhbduy. The writer may sometimes have been b rjhfle ' *°r '""'*• " "'■''"■ '" ■'■•°""'"' *<= "t-J-' "' hear" but whde we repudiate any such concessions, let us bear in mine that the present divisions are essentially an evil, presenting an insu- perable obstacle to the diffusion of the truth and the conversion of unitv'Ti ; > "' '"■"'' T''" '™^"y ^"^ *" '■-'<»■•■''»» "f ^"A onTan!^ '" '7r Tu ' '"''' " ^'^ ^°'' *°^<= Christians love one another. (Cp. John xiii. 35.) We are taught to pray, that-\ y of tratn, and hold (he faith in unity of spirit, in the bond of / peace, and n, righteousness of life." Let us use these and the J r-ji "I .. ■" 4 • "»' 32 / V other similar petitions in our Prayer Book, not as forms, but with earnestness and fervour, and let us each do our part individually, and thus we shall facilitate the attainment of this object, more gen- erally, in the intercommunion of bodies now entirely separated one from the other. A We are sometimes asked why we do not seek for unity with the Protestant bodies around us, in the first place, rather than with these corrupt branches of the Catholic Church. And we cfin give several reasons for our selection ; but it is a sufficient answer, that we could not agree with them upon first principles. We and the Greek and Roman Churches all profess to adhere to the order and discipline, as well as the doctrine, of the early Church ; whereas most of these bodies claim nothing more than a general agreement with the descriptions given in the New Testament of the first Christians. We believe that our present ministers can trace back their authority, as derived by succession, through an unbroken line, from those who received their commission from Christ ; whereas these other bodies cannot pretend to claim any such authority for their ministers. We regard Episcopal ordination as an essential feature of an Apostolic Church, whereas they reject it. Lastly, the name of the several sects who have risen since the date of our sepa- ration from Rome is legion, and their number is steadily increasing, by division and sub-division, so that we cannot in any way make advance toward them. A few of the leading denominations may be supposed to occupy a different position from the others in this res- pect ; but if we we/e to descend to them, we should then have, hi conjunction with them, to descend still lower to others, to depart still furthei from the ancient strongholds of the faith. It appears, therefore, that if ever there is to be anything like a reunion of Christians throughout the world, it must be commenced amongst those who have retained the Apostolic Order ; and I believe that the restoration of intercommunion between the Anglican and East- ern Churches would be the most severe blow that has been inflicted upon Rome. There may be insuperable obstacles in the way, but Ave ought not to allow ourselves to be easily disheartened, and we have a part to perform even in this colony : we can pray, if we can do nothing more, for the speedy coming of the day when " there shall be one fold and one shepherd." 33 Having thus directed yom- attention to ,ome of the subjects wh>eh appeared to me most worthy of notice, I have now to speak mo;e d.rectly of your personal responsibility, and of the manner in which your mmistenal functions ought to be discharged. Upon this topic many of you, my reverend brethren, are probably much be ter quahfiod to .nstruct „. than I am to instruct you; but I must not shrink from the performance of the duty devolving upon me, so long as the great Head of the Church is pleased to retdn'me in h^ office which in His providence I have been called to fill I have at other times advised you strictly to observe the anni-l i^pes^Us«i_2£dinat»^ by reading the exhortatio„slt„ ( addiessed to you and the vows then uttered, with self-examination ' In'Z'nd r "V: """'f "T"^ "" "^^ '■■'"«"»Se more forcible han ,/, « addressed to you by the Church, through the mouth of the Bishop, when you were admitted to the Holy Order of Priests. But those general exhortations are to be applied in detail : the emptations to which we are exposed vary with the course of time; the tendency of nien's minds is at one period towards one form of error, and at another in an opposite direction. • V, 1",°"!' '';y '■■'^'r"'"^ instruction is within the reach of every iinrabitant of the Province; but we are reminded that the diffusion ot education is not an unmixed good. While we endeavor to pro- mote It, we must not be unmindful of the danger to be appre- hended, unless wholesome literature is at the same time provided for those who are acquiring a taste for reading ; and it becomes our duty to supply them as far as possible, so th.at the abilitv to read may be m.ade instrumental in facilitating our ministry. We cannot doubt that upon the whole the dissemination of learning, and the development of the faculties vouchs.afed by God to man must be beneficial,, but the tree of which the fruit was so fatal was the tree of the knowledge of good and evil," and still the evil is min- gled with the good, and unhappily the propagators of error appear to be generally more active than the maintainors of the truth At all events, they are more numerous, ..„d it is to be feared that many of the lax publications of this age are circulated through the coun- try, so that persons become acquainted with sceptical objections and difficulties, who are altogether unqualified for eontroversv and attach undue importance to those objections, merely because' they are themselves unable to refute them. i^ 84 f. You must not therefore be content with such knowledge as might have sufficed for your work a few years ago, you ought to be acquainted with the opinions now current, you must be prepared, not only to give " a reason of the hope that is in you," but also to show the fallacy of the arguments used by the scoffer, and by which the minds of the illiterate may have been seriously perplexed. They who ignore the conclusions of science, properly so called, afford great advantage to the enemy. We cannot be too jealous of any approach towards unbelief, or disparagement of the written revela- tion of God's will, but we must beware of assigning to it a place which it was not intended to occupy. We need not fear to admit that, upon questions of astronomy or geology, or of any other science, information is not to be obtained from the Scriptures, and that the writers adopted the mode of speaking common in their day, and which alone could then have been understood, just as even now scientific men use on ordinary occasions the popular language. The Holy Scriptures treat of man, and the highest interests of man, their teaching is designed to mould the character, rather than to enlighten the intellect. They are fully sufficient to make us *' wise unto salvation, but there appears to be a studious omission of topics, having no direct bearing upon the object with Avhich the sacred books were written. If therefore any scriptural statement appears to be contradicted by facts, we may be sure that either the supposed facts are without foundation, or we have misunderstood the meaning of the statement. We need not be afraid of admitting that there are discrepancies in nuiuuscripts and errors of transcribers, and dif- ficulties in discovering the exact meaning intended to be conveyed in some passages. As has been said by a great critic,* the text "is competently exact, even in the worst MSS. now extant, nor is one rticle of faith or moral precept either perverted or lost in them, choose as awkwardly as you can, choose the worst by design out of the whole lump of readings." Whatever may be the deficiency of our knowledge, respecting some points, we are still satisfied that we have a sufficient guide, for we rely upon His love who, if he had so willed, could have by a miracle preserved for us the indis- putable original text of the divine revelation, and could have so fi'anicd its language, that there might be no room for misconception of • Dr. Beutlcy. 35 to meaning. We do not hesitate to aeeept the Scriptures as inspir-ed upon the an honty of the early Church, of men who being'weii aeqnamted w.th the estimation in which the writers were held Ind w.th the evidences of their divine mission, have handed down Ze documents endorsed with a certificate of their genuineness, and of the certatnty of the evidence on which they were received. Bu as I spoke at some length upon this subject In my last chaage I wU not enlarge upon it now. * ' I would also refer you to that address for other observations beanng upon your public .ninistrations ; but there are Tme st vVdf ■'""'" '"'■ r '""""""^ "■P™'«''> -0 I *»«m" sorry t . d smiss you without at least an attempt to fan the zeal and devc^ron bunung in your hearts, reminding myself as CIu as you of our obhgations, and of the importance of cpiritulty m ourselves, .f we are to influence others for good. Our S duty .s to try by all means to save some. if we have any thmg of the spirit of our Lord and Master, we shall cheerluy devote ourselves to th s work, for He came "to seek and to save that which was lost." He never spared Himself, when He Z .veary and sought rest. He was nevertheless induced, by His com passton for the multitudes to forego it, and to attend to their Cs people, when there is much familiar intercourse between them when ae, have acquired the habi, of going to seek counsel ^i comfort from /,„,,, and /« is in the habit of seeking them out in thTir own homes, and ministering to the whole as well a» to the sick withm his cure We are to <• be instant in season out of season " carefully watching for, and availing ourselves of, every opportun y- he s r P"',';"■'"■'^"' -f-- >•">"■ duty towards'he whole, I; the sick are seldom neglected, but I fear that some of my brethre^ are more remiss with respect to those who are in health. The siek are to have the precedence for several reasons; they have a claim to our sympathy, in some eases the nature of th sick! ness IS such that the time of probation of the patient is evidently nearly at an end, and in the hour of affliction the heart is common v softened, and the exhortations may be thankfullv received which It other times would have been rejected. The wok in their case too IS far easier for the mmister, who is expected, as a matter of course 1,1 i i ■ V 1- I f .1 36 u to deal faithfully with them, but it is often a very difficult thing to obtain access to those who are in health, when we would speak to them of the things which concern their peace. The very persons who appear to be most attentive hearers and admirers of discourses from the pulpit, are often most unwilling to receive the words of warning and counsel addressed to themselves personally ; they ad- mire the earnest denunciation of sin in the abstract, but they would fain avoid the presence of him, who would apply those words by saying, " thou art the man." It would be interesting, were it not painful, to observe how such persons, when they cannot avoid see- ing their minister, contrive to evade the anticipated stroke. They offer suggestions, which give a new direction to the conversation ; they introduce topics upon which you cannot refuse to converse, without apparent rudeness, and by manifold devices they deprive themselves of the benefit which they might have received from the faithful treatment of a skilful physician of souls, while he is grieved by the consciousness, that his interview has been in vain, and by the conviction it may be that one who professed much interest in spirit- ual things is in truth undecided in his course, if not actually opposed to godliness. Nevertheless our duty is clear, we are still to persevere ; they who are least inclined to receive our admonition have the most ^^eed of them, and we recall the exhortation in the Ordination Service, " see that you never cease your labor, your care and diligence, until you have done all that lieth in you, accord- ing to your boundcn duty, to bring all such as are committed to your charge, unto that agreement in the faith and knowledge of God, and to that ripeness and perfectness of age in Christ, that there be no place left among you either for error in religion or for vicious- ness in life." The question may sometimes suggest itself, with respect both to our private and our public ministrations, when we find persons obstinately determined not to give heed ; ought we to continue to repeat the same things? is it not "casting pearls before swine?" There are persons, and sometimes they may be a majority of any given congregation, who are only hardened by the repetition, who appear virtually to say, ' the more frequently you urge what you declare to be my duty, the more determined am I not to accept your teaching, or to comply with your exhortation.' The instruc- tion I very to utl Thert we m give must warni] that t< be to ; to reit Ar to lay incline one ha and on may ke A man coincid( hearers they ar( opinion! example said to younger faithful some of cannot b are guid man rece mind is rather th straight-i God and not be pc are willii ing from hear. 37 tion therefore given to such persons only hardens them »„^ very much tempted to abandon the unproSe t ska'nd t"e "" .0 utter warnings, which only tend to Lease thei ^ondemnXT we may thus act with propriety, still we must beware lesi we tC give up those whom God has not irivon „„ Tt , must rest upon those who refuse to'^hrrZ' If T"""'''""^ waning, we have delivered our ownttld' t ro^TurTlT to reiterate the Zjl^t ^I'lZ ''"' "'''''''' '° ^"™ »" And generally wc may assume as an axiom, that it is our dutv Lc^^er rr::"'Cin:r''t^"'^^^ ** °" ^-^'^ ^ one hand, ^^^^r^:;:^^ ':::^]:::^ ^:i:^^ Tayr^rtiirht "■'" '^ '^-' -eptah'-rndt'h r; may keep it ,„ the back ground; but our action ought to be reversed eoi::rrht-''"^"''™-""''"'^'-^^«'™'="*-^^^^^^^^^ coincides with their own notions, for this is doubly nlcasanf to ,1, h^T;";™:;: -""^ '""-^ ' *>— -''•:" ht ley aic elevated in their own estimation by the feelin- that th.i. -0 to you eight .::v:^rz^z^:^^:i -o of the moriar t:::rii-^^^^^^^^^ r cannot be while human nature continues to be wha it t f are guided by the word of God, we must admit That the nat , man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God "hat " th , mmd is enmity against God," that men natu 1 /T rather than light," and fear to come to he h h ' Y .'"" -aight forward earnest and faithful diJ^^^' .o^I^To'w^^,: God and man, compel the approval of the multitude, bu^Cou m not be popular m the common acceptation of the word, unkss ™u are willing to sacrifice truth for the sake of nopuhr tv 1 /• .ng_froni reproof, and keeping back what they^^t'ttptr: i »i m 38 There is a natural desire to reach heaven as easily as possible, and men like to hear stirring sermons, provided only there is nothing to disturb their oAvn state of self-satisfaction. They like to hear of salvation by fiiith only, for they can easily persuade them- selves that they have faith, provided they are not required to practice self-denial, and nortification, and to shew their faith by their works. Others again, of a different temperament, find satis- faction in any amount of labor and self-denial, and are well pleased, so long as these are insisted upon, and room is left for any claim as of right, but they are dissatisfied and indignant if the doctrine of free grace is brought prominently forward, so that no place is left for pride. In some congregations there may be a tendency to rest much upon externals, and to attach more importance to discipline than to doctrine. In others there may be a very insufficient esti- mate of the use and value of ordinances, and even of the means of grace ordained and appointed for our benefit by the Lord himself. For the former the preaching of the doctrines too little regarded is most essential, and the latter require more frequent instruction con- cerning the parts of the system which are not rightly understood. ^ And withal, brethren, remember that you are to teach as men entrusted with the precious deposit handed down from the begin- ning. We need not enquire about the deficiencies of others, but we are bound to satisfy ourselves, that our branch of the Church is the true representative of that which Christ instituted, that wc are true disciples of those whom He first commissioned. We are not to "judge them that are without," but we are bound to teach in all its fulness that system which the apostles, under the direct inspira- |tion of the Holy Spirit established, to which our reformers con- scientiously adhered. Let us not be of those who call him Lord, and do not the things which He saith. He who knows what is in man, whose wisdom is infinite, is pleased to work by means. Saul was converted by a miraculous intervention, but Ananias must lay his hands upon him that his sight may be restored, and must baptize him. He received his commission immediately from the TiOrd, but the prophets and teachers at Antioch were command(>d to give him his formal mission, to separate him for the work whereto he was called. Let us not then presumptuously imagine that we can be I wiser than God. Many persons think that man can do as well 89 without ordinances a. with them, or perhaps better, and due attenn tion to them is stigmatised as formalism, but if we will not simply' sit at the feet of Jesus, and humbly submit to His teachinj?, our boasted wisdom will be found to have been folly, in that day when we shall see all things as they are. People talk of the " sacramental system " as something very dreadful, without understanding the meanmg of their words. If they mean a system, in which the doctrine of the opus operatum is held, in which the sacraments are put in the place of Christ, they cannot too sharply condemn it, but they often ignorantly thus denounce the very truth of the gospel, from which we deduce the doctrine expressed in the 25th Article * that "sacraments ordained of Christ be not only badges or tokens ot Christian men's profession, but rather they be certain sure wit- nesses aad effectual signs of grace, by the which God doth work invisibly in us." Such persons admit that prayer, and preaching, and the reading of God's word, are means through which spiritual blessings are conveyed to man, but, strange to say, they will not allow an equally high position to the special ordinances of the new covenant. If the latter are forms, so are the former, if the latter have been abuserl, ,o have the former. Wo may respect the feeling to which this jealousy of the use of ordinances may often be attri- buted, but we must not the less endeavor to remove those prejudices, and to shew to those who are in error the more excellent way. If the sacraments be in any way interposed between us and Christ, so as even in the least degree to obscure the view of the Saviour, they are misapplied ; but if rightly regarded and employed, they are the means by which life is imparted, and union with Christ maintained, beyond all others. So far are they from clashing with the doctrine of the efficacy of faith that they imply it, and are only made effectual through its exc>rcise. The cure of the woman who touched the border of the Lord's garment was attributed to her faith, but her fliith would not have procured foi- her the blessing, if she had ' not used the means of con nnunication whereby virtue was conveyed ^ o tne OKI estninont only prvnuxcl a Sanonr.' Upon win,), tj,.. i.roRonf lilsl.oi) of Flv observe,, ' Hero we Lave the rfew of Evnn.n.lie.l Sarraments, wl.ieh perv e ChH, ■ n antiqu ey, viz, : that they differ fron. the ..nlinnnees of the oU, ,aw n t i . " ,i . .^^^^ ^ nt nrT ''*"" "! """"'"'' °' ''"^'"••' •^"-''^'"^^' "■'• ~ <" -"vey the , 1 , .^ra -mU of the nospcl not only pronme Chrint, hut to those who receive them f tl . v ar) means whereby God Lriven fM>,iM. .,. n.. „.,.., , ,..._ rueuvt, tutm in laitli they (■by God gives Chiist to the soul.'— Uvoirnc o», Ai-t, :vxv. 40 'I; Ito her. It is to the want of faith that the disparagement of the Iholy sacraments is to be attributed ; we cannot perceive why they lare appointed, or how they are rendered beneficial, and we have 'not faith to believe the promises. We declare, with our lips, our belief in Christ's presence with His Church, and the continual in- dwelling of the Holy Spirit, both in the congregation and in the individual members, but when we are called upon to believe that, 1 through this operation, the divinely instituted rites and ordinances are replete with life and channels of grace, our faith fails. Be not afraid then of attaching too much importance to the sacraments, if you value them simply because our Lord hath appointed them, discerning Him in them, warning your people against all superstiti- ous views of them, as if they were in themselves efficacious, but at the same time endeavoring to instil such correct opinions, that the full benefit may be derived from these sacred rites. In proportion to our own estimate of the importance of faith, should be our anxiety to have these channels of grace rightly understood and appreciated, for while we believe that many, whose notions are erroneous, and whose estimate of the value of these things is very inadequate, are truly children of God, we are persuaded that they who do not ex- ercise clear and lively faith concerning them, lose some of the blessings, some measure of that grace, which they might have enjoy- ed according to the Lord's appointment. And our lot appears to be cast in days, when we are likely to have need of all the strength that can by any means be secured. I have already referred to some of our peculiar difficulties ; and I have detained you so long that I must omit much that I am tempted to say, but I cannot conclude without briefly directing your attention to the signs of the times. The spirit of lawlessness, of self-will, of hatred of control, of scepticism and infidelity, so evidently prevails throughout the world, that we cannot but regard its growth and powei- as a token that we are living in the last days. We have had premonitory notices of probable judgments, yea we cannot deny that God's judgments are already abroad in the earth. Our belo\ed mother country has suffered grievously within the last few years ; God grant that she may be enabled to keep free from the deadly strife, in which some of the greatest nations of the old world ai-e involved. Wc too have received warnings— the pestilence has been our I 41 ot marauders, who are for the moment discomfitted, are watching Im rr rT' 1''" "'>■"'"■■'-■ 'f -' *e United King- we have b nlV^f "" " " '"' '" "" "gh.eousness that people that they may turn unto the Lord with penitence and prayer hat they may put away from them all evil. Let us lead them tmllZ H "^ ^™? " ''' ^°"'' '- " "-» '"^^ *- >~" This worl w n t r" * • """"'' ""^ ^"*°"' ^'" ™'° -'™tio„." 1 T r u *" " ™"'' ''•'^•'"'^ ^o '^« l""a»y in the last days. ,vhether th. is the beginning of the end or not' Far ett! loLl^^ If"' '" '^ *-PP""'«l in our expeetations a thousa^id t mes, than to run the risk of not being on the watch to Xe ti m:rtu '"' '-'' '"'' ""■'"■"""' - "" -■™ J give to His household " meat in due season." " Blessed is tha se,.vant whom his Lord when He eometh shall find so dotg " o be cvh,: "'''f \°'' ""? ^'^l^' '° ''^ <«%<■"' - our vocation, o becrymg, "awake thou that slcepest." Let it be our care to have th ™°" T"'' " ""^ ''■*'* ''""''"'O' '"" •^-'■8 couton have them s.mply m a .state of salvation, but urging Lm to lim »t the highest degi-ees of holiness. ° Lthren"''l'h'' ""' r"-""'^ '" "'^^ ™^ °'' y™' ™y ■'overend brethren, to beware of g,vu,g your people anMhing resembling- the 'beTo sts^h^r;" ™^" • r" «*^ >''--' "^^ ■■ ">- "™"^ thev -.sk p !'";,"™™''ing food-to give a stone when othces . Chust, as the way, the truth, and the life ; Christ the ot obi: tTf'V*" T^"™"^ ""' "" "' °" 'I"'''-' "'^ Zl r , ".'"■ ■"'P"' "'"' ''"^''•™ f"'- 'i"" »nd eternity Shew that nothmg is of any value except as it is viewed in cot uga,d..d apart from Hun. But we cannot do this to anv purpose unless we ,.«„ speak from our own experience. Wc eanno m k «.en understand how precious He is unless we have found bin precious to our own souls. .;! f 42 Jesu, the hope of souls forlorn, How good to them for sin that mourn ! To them that seek Thee, O how kind ! But what art Thou to them that find ! No tongue of mortal can express, No pen can write the blessedness ; He only who hath proved it knows What bliss from love of Jesus flows. God grant, my dear brethren, that you and I may day by day feel more of this love, and be more conformed to His image. May He . grant unto each of us the spirit of prayer and supplication, without , which we cannot hope to attain our object or to grow in grace. Though " we have this treasure in earthen vessels," yet we are pri- vileged to say, with holy confidence, " I can do all things through "The sword of the IS the fj^x..^Li.<^i,i,. n,t. xiiu swuru oi cne spu'it le' us "search the Scriptures," making them our Christ that strcngtheneth me." word of God constant study, the subject of our meditation by day and by night ; for only by this means can "the man of God be niftde perfect, tho- roughly furnished unto all good works." May we so believe and so love and so labour that we may have a part in the fulfilme.it of that cheering promise: "They that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament, and they that turn many to righteous- X^ness as the stars for ever and ever." The following summary of the conclusions of the committoe on ritual appomted by the Lower House of Convocation, is printed here, for the' benefit of those who liave not access to their report. They lay down the general principle, " that the most important thin- to be done IS to ascertain whether any given practice is, or is not, a-ree''- able to the mind of the Church of England," and they draw attention to the direction in the Prayer Book, that in all cases of doubt, " concernino- the manner how to imderstand, do, and execute the things contained" therem, the parties who doubt or differ in opinion are to resort to the Bishop of the Diocese, who is to decide the question. They then give their opinion upon the six following points of detail • I. Vcstmcnts.-Thoy remark "that it had been the custom of the Uiurcli from very early times, down to the period of the Reformation, to mark tiie superior dignity of the IToly Eucharist, by the use of special vestments, and that under the first Book of King Edward VI tho-^e which had been used in this country for many ages before were retained " They notice the changes in the rubric, with the interpretation of that which is now m force, together with the 24tli and mh Canons, and thus conclude : " On the whole, the committee are of opinion, that the u>X" of the vestments in Parish Churches cannot be regarded as binding, upon the consciences of the clergy, and that the use of the surplice bv the paro<.hiai clergy, at all times of their ministration, is a suHicient compliance with the rule of the Cliurch of Englan<1." II. AUai- L/j/Zi^s.—They quote the injunction of Edward VI that two lights were to be left upon the high altar, but observe, that the use of them has not been generally adopteni»(s to remain dtirhnj Ihu reh- hratwn.—^nch attendance is not distinctly forbi.hlen, but is " contrarv to th spirit and usage of the Cliurch of England, and should •ouraged as an ordinary practici not be e u- i !•':'' s