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Lorsque le document est trop grand pour dtre reproduit en un seul cliche, il est film* d partir de Tangle sup6rieur gauche, de gauche d droite. et de haut en bas, en prenant le nombre d'images n^cessaire. Les diagrammes suivants illustrent la mdthode. 1 2 3 1 6 MICROCOPY RESOLUTION TEST CHART (ANSI and ISO TEST CHART No. 2) 1.0 ^121 12.5 5.0 '""■ 2.2 1^ iiiii^si ^ 1^ iii2.0 IS. 1.8 ^ ^'"r^l-'ED IM^GE he ^^ 1653 East Moin Street S'Si Roctiester, New York 14609 USA •■.ag (716) 482 -0300- Phone ^S (716) 288-5989 -Fax A PASTORAL LETTER TO THE LAITY OF THE DIOCESE OF TORONTO. My Dear Brethren,— The object of this address is to draw your attention to the unsatislactory state of the provision made for fhe maintenance of our clergy, as it is manifesting \ye\f, in many of our parishes and missions. I do not feel that the introduction of this imporlant subject re- quires any apolo{.y_ihe only apology I need to make, and the ordy fault which 1 have to confess, is that you have heard from me so little on so great a duty. I have not however taken it up altogether from my own choice, nor at the solicitation of those in dis- tress, and who may be looking earnestly for relief. No! most of these are, I believe, patiently and meekly bearing no common hardships: but they are silent sufferers. It is those who expect to give, not those who expect to receive, who have been urging me to address you on this subject.and more especially since our day of Thanksgiving for the more than abun- dant harvest vouchsafed to us. Not that I was indifferent to the increasing wants of my clergy, the affecting proofs of which were coming daily before me ; but as much general distress had for a long time prevailed throughout the whole community, I was in- duced to wait, till I should be able to announce some indications of the commencement of the practical effects of the bounty which our heavenly Father had during the last two years bestowed upon us, and I rejoice to say, that examples of generous movements in favour of giving the Lord's portion, where it is so justly due, are niul. tiplying around us. These may not indeed yet be manifested in a way so general and eff'jctive as they might, and, I trust, soon will be j but nevertheless, in sufficient numbers to warrant me in re- garding them as an omen of good, and indicating a growing desire on the part of our people to do something substantial as a grateful answer to God's seasonable interposition. And may we not with all due reverence call it His invitation to return a double portion of his bounty towards the support of his own appointed service ! When the matter has been thus regularly brought before our congregations, and they take it into their own hands, I feel assured that it will be responded to, as the Lord's work, and that their hearts will be stirred up and become alive to the most generous efforts to render it effective. I had another motive for postponing rhis appeal — I waited till Easter Monday, the day appointed by the Church hersell* (ot reckoning with her people, should be indicating its rear approach, because to the faithful working of our vestries I look for relief from all our difficulties. It is the general custom among persons who lo'e order and security in their alTairs, and would neither wrong others nor themselves to make out at the close of every year a correct stateu)onl of iheir receipts and exj)enditure, and carefully to balance their accounts; and from the result to draw rules and inferences for iheir future guidance. This practice is found of so much importance that .nost of those who adopt it prosper, while those who neglect it sooner or later fall into ruin. Now the Church, acknowledging the truth of the Divine maxim, that the cliililren of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of ligln, has adopted an annua! day of reckoning, and for this purpose has appoitited Easter Monday. And 1 speak from experience, when T say that in those parishes where the vestries regularly meet and enter upon this reckoning conscien- tiously, and as before the Lord, and with the same precision and accuracy as faithful Stewards, Merchants, and Bankers do ; the alfairs of such parishes thrive and prosper. Every reasonable want is met and satisfied ; and peace and contentment are estab- lished throughout the parish and congregation. But in |)iirishes where the vestries are not conscientious but careless, and the Churchwardens forgetful and negligent in the dis- charge of their duties, the affairs of the parish soon fall into irre- trievabl.; disorder and distress, and contentions follow. The truth of all this no one acquainted with the workings of our vestries will dispute, for it is of daily experience. You will not therefore be surprised when I avow, that I address myself on this occasion more especially to the vestries, and attribute to them t+ie prosperity or decay of their respective parishes. Hence the remedy for all the parochial evils of which we complain is within yourselves, and may be effectually applied by every congregation which acts con- scientiously. Now, as regards the claim of every clergyman on his congregation for the descent support ol himself and'family, I do not urge it as a claim upon your liberality, but upon your justice ; for he has the same moral claim on his people for an adequate stipend, as the lawyer has on his clients, or the physician on his patients, for their fees, or as the merchant has for his profits, the soldier for his pay, or the labourer for his hard-earned wages. The truth of this no christian can doubt ; for Holy Scripture teaches that it is ordained that they who preach the Gospel should live of the Gospel. Hence your obedience to this command is required not merely fo.r the sake of the clergy, and their households, cast as they have been on the care of Providence, but for your own benefit, as well as the interests of our beloved Church in ■^ J 8 i J general. These are interests wliicli are intiniatoly connected vviili her temporal position ; nor can I vvitliout the most serious aliuni anil apprehension contemplate the comliliori of several ol' my clergy, who are, from the sordidness of their |)eople, sonieliniea reduced to the greatest distress. Not that I helieve such distress is likely to extend, or that the means of maintaining throughout ilie land a Gospel Ministry, shall ever be uiiniitig; imt these may he so curtailed hy selfishness and imhelief as to he the cause of much Buffering. What we wish and pleat! for is, that the amount of support should be sufficient, if not abundant ; it should he like the heart within the body, which distributes its nourishment through all the frame, and warms with its circulating blood extremities which would otherwise grow cold, and die — but into this depth of misery I hope and trust our clergy will never lall, or tlitit they will even approach to it. On the contrary, I feel hopeful, that when you have fairly and honestly weighed the claims of the Church and Ministry you will make them matters of prayer.asi am persuaded many of you already do, and that you will be directed by the Spirit of God how to act and what to give. Under the Jewish or ancient dispensation, the Priests and Leviles were separated from the people and entirely occupied in the immediate service of God. In our times the representatives or successors of these, our Deacons, Priests and Bishojjs, are also set apart from the common business of life ; and being debarred from all secular employment, and shut up within the sacred circle of their spiritual otfices, are expected to dedicate their undivided time, talents and influence to the numerous and momentous in- terests of the Church of Christ. It is for these I am pleading; not that we look to ordained Ministers only for carrying on God's work — the fathers and mothers of all christian families, and indeed all true believers in the Saviour should be daily exercised more or less in the same hallowed work. But we find that both in the Old and New ' ¥tament God does not leave this inestimable duty to chance or il; ^ casual efforts of christian love ; but He enjoins a regular Ministry to supply the necessities of His Church, and discharge the duties which His ordinances require. In imitation of His example, and at His express command a body of devout and able men are appointed to give themselves wholly to the Lord and His word ; and so they are said in the language of Holy Scripture to dwell continually before the Lord. In regard to the ministerial oflice, I remark without hesitation that it is impossible to exaggerate its vast importance. It is to devote our lives to the honour of God and the salvation of men — and since there must be mpn to the world's end, so there must al- ways be an order of men to preach the Gospel ; hence St. Paul impressively asks how shall men believe in Him of whom they have not heard and how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach unless they be cent? If Christ de- H-gned that the belief of the Gospel Should be the way of salvation then he must have designed that there should be men set apart to preat^h and make known that way so long as the world continued. With respect to provision, they have cerlainir no claim to vvealth, but reason as well as Scripture manifestly direct that their p ovis.on .hould be competent, that in pecuniary matters they should be placed above anxiety, and enjoy i suitable position in the commumty m vvh.cb .hey bve-that they should be able, as occasion demands, to sncc^our the poor, and exercise hospitality, as well as maintain m heir households a decent and respectable appearance Moreover, they ought to be enabled to live free from the Tead, the distraction and disgrace of debt; and in truth our love and reverence for Christ, and the welfare of His Church, are identified with the decent and comfortable maintenance of His servants, fnll^.^!, V- "'"^ Clergyman is most trying, who is expected to rnainlam certain appearances in society, and has not the power of doing so.-who IS perhaps frequently thrown with a large and smabil.ty to relieve them; and because of this inability feels h mself exposed to the suspicion of avarice and want of christian charity, while in truth he and his partner pass many a bitter hour indTe?m"after"''^^' ''''' '''''' «=^'"^' ^''^^^^^ ^'^ --»'T» And often when he goes to the house of mourning or to burial appomtments, or to h.s closet, or even to the pulpi,. he is haunted by a spectre ; and that spectre is debt. That' Clergyman may be (as I hope he is) ready with God's grace to carry his Mas er's cro s ; but when vye view him harrassed and distressed in his path with accounts on his table which he does not know how to rJeet! ?n"th7' l-ffi^^,'''" ^'T^ ^''"' '^'PPy '" "'«'•■ ig"o'-«"«e of their fat^^ers difficulties, whom he does not know how to feed and CO he and establish ,n the world, surely such a man is not in I troubled with household cares, to stand by the bed of death, and prepare the dying for approaching dissolution. Is it not true that many a Clergyman's life is one long and painful struggle with straitened circumstances and privation; and does not the know- oThf. *'.t/^;^,'Pf "'"g '^^t often prevent parents, who would ^h^ r^nrof ;^ devote some one of their sons to the Ministrv of the Church, from exposing a hopeful child to a life of continued penury and hardship? Some persons are so foolish as to Zk that poverty is a protection against unworthy Ministers; but a pious dissenter Matthew Henry tells them, that a scandalous maintenLce My earnest ivish in this pleading for ray brethren is to place ( them where in the exorcise of a commendable frugality, thev shnll be above such worldly cares as mar their usefnlnesw, and impair if it do not paralise, their power for good. I wish to place ihcm' in the position for which Agar prayed,— •' Give me ncitlier poverty nor riches — feed me vvitli food convenient for me." I desire, wlien I admit a candidate to Holy Orders, and appoint liim to a setiled parish or mission to be able to say: when von go to the house of poverty go with some bounty in vonr hand,'and if you meet a brother, an old and tried friend, hail him with a frank welcome and an offer of hospitality. I desire that he may be able to wajk the streets without the fear of meeting a needv creditor- to go to his reading desk and pulpit without a blush on' his honest face; and to look around on his conuregation and boldiv preach "owe no man any thing." When he goes to iiis study a'nd there pours out his heart to God, I desire that he may be able to do so with a mind calm and unruffled by pecuinarv vexations; and last of all, when his work is done, and like St. Paul he has fought the good fight, and kept the faith, let him repose on his dyin" bed without fear that the children he blesses, and leaves behind^him shall be cast out destitute on a cold and ungrateful world. ' I am aware that owing to the severe pressure of the times many generous hearts have, for the present, little, or nothing to give ; but what is above all money or money's worth, they can give us their prayers flowing from warm -ind grateful hearts. For our encouragement some are giving to the utmost of iheir power and under great difficulties; and if you, my brethren, take the subject to God in prayer and look at it in the light of conscience, and with a view to eternity, your contributions will increase, and those who never have had the subject fully and seriously before them will see it in a new light and give abundantly. It is a use of riches to which perhaps they have never been accustomed, but of which they never will repent. Like the seed scattered, as it would seem a useless sacrifice in the spring, it returns in the harvest an hundred told. "Honour 'hen the Lord with thy substance, and thv barns shall be filled W: . ;lenty,and thy presses shall burst outwi'th new wine. In order to give practical eflect to these remarks, I suggest to the vestry of each Church, to request from the Minister at the annual meeting on Easter Monday, a report of the unpaid dues of the con- gregation on account of his stipend for the preceding year A committee should then bo appointed, and empowered" to take immediate and elTectuuI steps for the collection of the arrears, that at the adjourned meeting which, according to established rule takes place a fortnight subsequently, the claim of the Minister may receive lull satisficiion : other debts are always considered im- perative, and the necessity for their liquidation readily admitted but surely no debt is more sacred or binding upon the enli(^htened conscience than this. Ifothei debts hav6/& legal remedy, ami the creditor h armed with power under the act incorporatiii({ the veotry to enforce hifl claim in du« process of law, shall the debts we owe to Gou's Minister be more lightly regarded, and occasion be given for the application of :hat startling scripture remonstrunce, " Will a man rob God t " If as a rejoinder the question be ignoruntly put: *» Wherein have we rohbcd Him?" Is not ilie answer supplied by the socred volume " in tithes" or provision for my ministering servants and " oflerings " for the service of my tri^^tuary ? Should my suggestion he adopted, as I hope it universally may, this re- proach, wherever it may exist, will be wiped away, and our churches and congregations enjoy a reputation for honesty and integrity in their dealings, which is now unfortunately too often called in (piestion, to the injury of their own character, and to the vexation, disappointment, and distress of those whu arc set over them in the Lord. In bringing this momentous subject before you, I might have dwelt more on earthly motives ; but I take higher ground, I carry you with me to a purer region and to a nobler principle. Stand- ing by the Cross of Calvary, I appeal to nothing lower than your love of Christ, who putting himself in the place of the poor and needy, has said, ** I was an hungered, and you gave me meat ; I was thirsty and you gave me drink ; I was a stranger and you took me in ; for inasmuch as you did it to the least of these my brethren you did it unto me." 1 remam, My dear Brethren, Your faithful Fiiend and Brother, Toronto, 25th February, 1861. JOHN TORONTO. P.S. — The Bishop requests the Churchwardens and Lay Dele- gates to bring this Pastoral Letter under the special notice of their respective vestries and congregations as soon as possible.