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^OVA SCOTI4
PROVINCE HOUSE
«ffifc
•J^^^m^y-^ 7-"-rp-5'-_'Ti^^-' »jit^
,.< *-, ^'$^0,
fov
/^.r^- 'H 2
THE SYNOD
or TRK
EPISCOPAL CHURCH IN NOVA-SCOTIA.
I'o His Excellency the Right Honorable tub
JiARL OF MULGRAVE.
With the deepest feelings of respect and duty I dedi-
«te this pamphlet to your Exeelleney, not to attract
yvation to myself, nor that I believe it to eontat
ay men m itself; but because the subject is a mattS
fti^^f TT""'' ""t^ ""' ^ ^^^'^^' ^ the represent
T -/j j^^J'^''^' ^ *™^' y<»«- E'^cellency will take
decided stand and with the firmness and fidelity wor!
hyof the royal authority represented by your Exce'-
mcy in this Province, hold fast that whicHs good
md that you may ever use the sword entrusted to you
y our Sovereign the Queen for the maintenance of a.
jue religion established among us; and for theLg UU
kd happiness ot your Excellency, in concert with Z
We Church, your humble servant will ever p^y.
To all the members of the Provincial Parliament of
ova Scotia, in their Legislative capacity a sSLd.
■e following pages are addressed. '
^Ir7fn)L""'f''^^T *"' ""''-"^'l enactments, with
frfbl . T" "^ * """""-y- "'" •"»« important
an those respecting any other department of govern-
,:^.-<«»u^''/
-1
(,
ment,-a„d in this Province, although the Church of
England enjoys no emoluments from%ovLment \e
existmg laws arc sufficient to preserve il rw-;„" f'
changed, to prevent the introduc^Ton J l^ ^ ^''', ""'
uncontrolled the iust au hoi^t 3 V '''"'^^' *° '"''^P
manage the funds'"h a^of ;tf fS^^^ ""'T^ X
Si^ AnJ ? T ■ """"S !»"■ •" "lota Chri^
ernng thear own societies as they pleLe_b m no po^,"'"
over them except sud. as they yield to volunta"uv Zl
no law to enforce obedience. We, mcmC „f it
STto hf ''"^''"^'' ™'^ "^''^^ '» remr 'as' ve we*
and to have no nev power created over us to alrer tl„
r'^r tf'^'f ^"-' T'?" •" --da"rwty' ;!
ture,— nor to enforce obedience to any discipline Imf
mthi^^tSu^rjiS-anki^^^^^
to the laws of God and of ourCnlry which a/e';^^^^
binding on all the subjects of the rellm. The ^0"^
with legislative power lodged in the Synod would he'
come at best a difficult subject ; with no powek but tht
which ,t has enjoyed sincu its introduction into th 1?™
vince It must be the best auxiliary to good gov rnm^nt
^ZX'\
r.
""^^^W.
r.
to
if.
To all Churchmen this pamphlet is addressed, in the
hope that some more ab1or hand will take it up and do
justice to the subject, because it is one of vital importance
to every man of the present day, and your decision upon
it will be felt by many succeeding generations. Shall
the Church establishment in this country remain fixed
as it was given to us at the reformation ; or shall it be
given into the hands of a cunningly made up assembly
to alter according to their own pleasure, and according
to the will of their successors in office ? Shall a Church-
man remain at liberty to exercise his faith and direct his
practice according to his own conscience ? or shall he be
subject to a discipline Ecclesiastical, exercised by he
knows not whom, and to what extent he knows not ; and
transmit this galling yoke to his children after him ? a
bondage from which we were happily delivered at the
Reformation. And will not all Churchmen unite to pre-
the Church of the Reformation, and the liberty
serve
which is your birth-right ; and especially when no rea-
sonable motive can be assigned for its resignation, and
no probable advantage can be expected from the sacrifice.
And as the moving party disdains not to employ
agents of our sex in their Protcstcmt nunneries in writing
their Puseyistic novels, in painting their decorations, in
giving their ritual observances the countenance of the
fashionable, and in bestowing time and fortune to raise
money to facilitate their plans — it cannot be foreign to
our duty to exercise a strong, fiiithful conservative in-
fluence in keeping unchanged our excellent Chmxh, and
in preserving the purity of the faith once delivered to
the saints, which God has entrusted, in some degree, to
every one that is called a Christian; in taking care
that our knowledge shall be drawn from the Scriptiu'es,.
— that it shall be real and practical.
To be far-seeing, in order to avoid evil a? danger,
Is a woman's talentf and the apostolic direction, " Prove
all things, hold fast that which is good," is addressed tO'
I
m^fA
us as well as to our fathers and brothers ; and the
influence which every woman may exert at home in
strengthening the principles, and in animating the virtue
of those engaged in more active life, is not small. And
it is the interest of the wives of the clergy, above all
others, to maintain an entirely Protestant position —
neither to countenance any innovation in practice, nor
error in doctrine ; but to be zealous for the truth, and
to do all things with charity.
^ This tract is intended to lead Nova Scotians to con-
i<ider the state of the Church, and to use their power for
its preservation in this Province before it is too late.
The Church of England in its Articles, its Creed, and
its Liturgy, and in the writings of its principal divines,
holds up a standard of Scriptural truth to the nation
which has promoted principles that have been the foun-
dation of our national glory, honor and happiness. This
Church, established by power of Crown and Parliament,
at the Reformation, has been, ever since that period, the
object of attack from the whole Papal pow^r. And the
.cause of quarrel is evident: the Chuixh of Rome is in
direct antagonism to Scripture. The Church of England
teaches that the Scriptures are the only divine revelation
in the world, that all her members should diligently
study those sacred writings, and hold all their doctrines
from them alone, and all its clergy promise faithfully to
teach them^ to the people. The Church of Rome holds
tliat the unity of the Church consists in submission to a
visible and earthly power consisting of priests, bishops,
&c., acknowledging the Pope as head. The Church of
England holds that the unity of the Church consists in
obedience, love and devotion, to the one only invisible,
immortal, and omnipotent Head of the Church, who has
bought it with His Own blood. To refuse the authority
of the Romish hierarchy they hold to be heresy, of which
5
they accuse us ; and we own ourselves, with g^-atitude to
God, freed from the power of ecclesiastical tyranny, and
only subjfct to the liw of God, as revealed to us in His
Holy Word.
Thus the Church of England has been, for many
years, one of the strongest bulwarks of Protestantism,
and by force or guile llomanism has ever tried to destroy,
to over-reach, or to corrupt it ; but that enemy never
struck a blow more dangerous to the cause of rrotcstant-
ism, under any of its disguises, than it does this day in
the Tractarian heresy, which was introduced at Oxford
perhaps forty years since, it may be more, by Dr. Loyd,
the t'lcn Professor of Divinity in that University. From
St. John Chtrch Witness of 18th of July, 1855, and
.obe- 9th and 16th of the same year, I learn the
. . ing ^ Iculars from the confessions of a Mr.
ond i ■' : July number, and of a Mr. Oxley in the
^, ,. .i-r ir » o'^r. These gentlemen were pupils of Dr.
Loy^ ; tun J spealc of his fascinating manners and of his
wonderfal r fluence with the students; of his having
great intercourse with the French ecclesiastics. They
say that, at that time, there was one Romish book-seller
in Oxford, and presently there was such a call from the
studonts for Romish Missals and Breviaries, that he could
haruly supply them. This Dr. Loyd was afterwards
made Bishop of Oxford, and labored hard for the Rom-
ish emancipation, and died soon after. But the prin-
ciples that were then formed in Oxford came out in the
pupils of Dr. Loyd : the Newmans, Wilbcrforce, Arch-
deacon Dennison, Dr. Puscy, and all the Puseyite party
and these are the men who gave rise to this move-
ment in the Church. Thus its Romish origin can be
traced, and much more clearly, and with more decided
proofs, by persons more intimately acquainted with the
Bubject. I have seen an extract from a historian of the
measures of the Vatican, in which the writer says that
fifty years ago you would make no more impression on a
I
..:.|^
J L
clergyman of the Church of England than on a rock ;
but by inserting our emissaries about ^he Universities
and leading the young men from the study of the Scrip-
tures to such works as Bingley's Antiquities, &c., &c ,
we have had a wonderful influence over them.
Ihese Romanizing Oxonians wrote the Tracts for the
i lines, and these have been the men who have jrone
tTn Ph"" ^^T' "'' ""''^y "'""^ ^".i^T to us, remained in
the Church to cormpt its principles and unsettle its consti-
tmon Iheir doctrines are all intended to raise the
Church into a power independent of the Government,
and really antagonistic to it, as well as to Script.u-e.
1st. 1 he Apostolic succession. 2nd. The sacramen-
tarian doctrines, representing Baptism as the new birth,
and the Lord s Supper as a saving ordinance, and, with
a view of u^ being a sacrifice, nearly allied to Transub-
s^antiation 3d^ The holiness and dignity of PHestly
UMers. 4th. Denying to unordained men the ric-ht of
judging for themselves on religious subjects. 5th Re-
presenting that part of our Chi-istian duty which consists
m mamtammg the clergy and building churches and
keeping them in order, as giving to God. 6th. Making
rehgion to consist in the sentimental, the beautiful in
music and ceremonials, instead of the pure and upright
heart which God requires, .nd the firm, faithful,
unshrinking obedience to all Hi. commandments which
by the influence of the Holy Spirit, He enables all thos^
who seek Him, to perform. 7th. Representing the
Apostolic succession as so essential to the natui-e of the
Church that there car be no salvation without it— then
auncular confession and priestly absolution.
ihese contain errors more subversive of the Christian
wWb . K 7^"Z ^* l"'* ''-^^^ "^^ ^ foundation on
;^hich to build a hierarchy almost equal to that of Rome.
Then they who hold this mighty authority in the clerjnr
teach too, that the Church ought not to be united with
the fc,tate, but should exercise a power of discipline and
1
of esfahlishlng doctrine quite independent of it. I believe
it will be allowed by all acquainted with the Scriptures,
that no Government can make a Church; but, when
God's revealed Word is held as the only foundation of
doc^-inc, when Creeds, Liturgy and Articles carefully
and faithfully framed in accordance with that Wo d, are
established by Government, to be used in all churches
ana subscribed to by all the clergy ; when the Sove-
reign's Coronation Oath obliges him to maintain the
Chm-ch as by law established, and the laws of the land
are in accordance with the same, while every man is
allowed to worship God according to his own conscience :
Such an establishment must be as it has always proved,
— a great national benefit. And this establishment does
not need altering with the times, because man must ever
stand in the same relation to his God, and God's Word
is unchangeable, and the Author of divine revelation is
the same yesterday, to- day, and forever.
But the Romish inventors of this subtle scheme laid to
sap the foundation of the Christian faith, to corrupt and
overturn the National Church, and to substitute a priest-
ly tyranny in its fprm, are Jesuitical emissaries of the
Chui-ch of Rome, employed by the same power that par-
celled out Great Britain into Papal bishoprics. That
aggression called forth a burst of public indignation, but
nonpublic measures to check the progress of such an
enemy. And, no doubt, they have many concealed
agents in the Church of England, under either Pusey-
istical or Low-Church guise, as may best serve their
tui-n, to promote changes in the Church government, to
throw all into confusion both at home and in tho colo-
nies, as may best serve theii' purpose. And let not
Dissenters look on and laugh at our fall, for the same
enemy will enter their gates as soon as they have done
their work with us, if they are not there already. All
Christendom should unite with one heart to preserve
this noble branch of Christ's Church unbroken.
'•^n
8
The iimbitious aims of theso 'IV„„f •
thcr 0,,-n party i„ the cLrch of ^^, r'f' 'f •'" ""''«'
distinguish by iht. n.-r.e of tK I *; >Kl»nfl, which they
"?i"ant as the Chureh of IWc ^^vT.: ''t"^' "' ''''
»"•' at separati,,;, the Ohurcrf^' IV"" "^'^ ""' '^eT
•"(■■lit, whici, m.«n« it, /^' / ^ ,"'" *"•■"'■"'■ f-'»vern-
t^'hurch, and, by the ;^v oTT""," i"^? ""'^ '""^ "f the
to unite tlie Anglican niL) "^f "'«'".'? their power,
ami with the Gre ^ Chi";^' '' "i'"? *" ^^-h o/l{ome
I heard from the late B^h op of No'"-' «''^"«" "^ '■^-'"
Confercuceof theColoninlT? 1. ■ It ^'"'^'"' "fter the
mot there to eonsSte ^ Jt^^ '» fali&x, "'-they
SynodiealaetionoftheChmhinthn T^'"^' ""' *«
for carrying into effect in th^.;. , '"' ''"'"'"™' <»^ "H-er
Xractarian party in En ^and W^"""' t^" '''""^^ "^ the
''hom the Bishop e;^mu"' .ate^^.'" *^<^'"Sy«'an to
surprise, " Why, ^71^' !f "•^'7 *'"""*' »«1, in
Bishop replied. " w7 J /„ f, P";^'""' "y lord ?" the
nial, and they o reeeVTnlrt 7' P'T' "'' *'"■ ^"^^mo-
say o„ the wo^rd of a laX'^a^d In- '^r''"'"'" ™^ I
Bishop professed not to enter inM .?'""•■ ""' ""^ '«e
IS well-known that one p^t of th ""J"' ''^■^'■^- ^nd it
■fe the masses; thaHs To ° n^ '^ "V* '° "«di'-«val-
dependent on the prie ; ° T" J""'''" 'S""™"' ■''nd
The >lan of breaC Lp the r^.^'TV" '^*' ""'^ "S'^^-
rate parts, of shorten?n"'^nd o^ -T^-^"."^" '"«•' «<T>a-
off the confession in one\!,t„ ^'""'.'""'^' '*' "^ gabbling
much on exquisite i^strum'mal "''''•""' "■«' <''-"-g «?
People from understand^ ""^-^e all to keep
the Ch,^eh Service a "d^t^t r ^^"P'™"! doctrines of
which is so exten SeW ret'dlJ.'^"-" '" ""? Word of God
•ervices. And I i^i^e 1 "I %" u™'"^ »"'' ^^''"ing
ment education hasWn raised K^ ?f-*^ ^^^ ''™- govern!
to lessen the educadoTof /C ^ !"' P^'^' '"'h a view
under their influence for the n«7'. '"^ '° '^^^ '' """
-io" by tax must b; tntXltfCo^/at
to mak«
ch they
» as do-
L'w thej
jovern-
acts of
' oi the
power,
Home
^ theirs
er the
n they
it the
ratliei-
of the
lan to
id, in
" the
•emo-
'his I
r late
nd it
cval-
and
iges.
cpa-
iling
gso
:eep
s of
rod,
ing
9
therefore less sought for, to increase goveriiniont patron-
age, to bring np young people without rtligious prin-
ciples, and there fore readily to adopt every error, to
equalize the children of the idle with those of the indus-
trious, that the tax upon the industrious man may render
him unablt! to educate his own children in the principles
which h'^ approves, and force hin to use his substance
in educating his neighbor's children in those principles
which he abhor?, laying the axe to the root of freedom —
and all plans that lessen freedom attac): virtue — but above
all, priestly tyranny.
In the Church of England ithout Synod or Convo-
cation except called by royal . ;hority, there is no room
for tyranny, no temptation to oppression ; and Henry
VIII. showed himself an able man in procuring that Act
of Parliament, which mad'> ro act of Svnod or Convo-
cation legal imless called by royal authority. That act
broke the tyrannical power of the clergy and opened &:.t
way for the Reformation.
The Church of Rome, by acting upon the ambition of
the worldly-minded elergy, and opening this prospect of
?.n ecclesiastical empire to them, aims at the division and
overthrow of the Church, no doubt ; and their agents are
so artfully thrown in, under different disguises, that it is
impossible to dis^^inguish them. Then, at such a time,
and with such an enemy within, to change X\\{: political
constitution of the Church : to empower self-constituted
Synods under Bishops sent out to the colon Jes by the
Romanizing party, on purpose to cairy out their designs
— is nothing less than sacrificing the people and clergy
of the Church of Englanu in the Province, to a set of
conspirators.
The people are imposed upon because they are igno-
rant of the machinations of this party, and feel confi-
dence in their bishops and clergy. The clergy do not
meet this enemy with the open rebuke and burst of
honest indignation which we should naturally expect,
B
i
10
withTv l!;'T '"■'™. ^^°''" ^" '"='"y y^"^ '"•"'""V tampered
«ith by Jeadors of this party, and some have been led by
the books ,vh,<..h bue been sent them, or by some agen^
of tl party, to adopt a part of their views ,■ bceause the
S "r : °' 'v/^^'^'l ''■'"" ''■"^"^ they'recre'heb
reeaus^t. K I '""' ^^ e«rying out these scheme,,
do not know how to resist their authority with any hope
ty, have had their influence upon them.
Chur"eh\o reT'l, '^" P"''-"^ "™'y ^"y ""■■"^"^ of the
Lhurch to resist all innovation, and to unite in support-
ng the eler,^, and in holding up their hands againsU.
If we do not wish the enemy to come in Uke a flood
every man must do his duty.
fl,^'r"'-'r°' ""fi'l'''' the poor clergymen exposed to
pos^^l^n a'". Z tj;y^ng.>ow uncomfortable theii'
position. And mth the active, ambitious, artful, un-
scrupulous ageney of this Puseyistie party mi„gled\,"°h
the clergy, and concealing their principled onl/to intro
duee them more efiectually_the Church il tndy in
noX f,.n'" 'v T ^' ""'"''''^^ ^'-^^^^ l^- ^tandU!
chnr.b! • 5 ' ^^^ ''-•"'' ^""""y •'"^ 'n^»<led their
churches in times past, and will pounce upon them with
Tf tZ Ch,,rr') i *'T ^tf-g'^t-forward Lthful barrlr
pt the Chmxh of England is rendered incapable of do-
ing Its part in the nation.
the'^n,™l''f *" l'."'^"" '.1>'^ •'«"»»>' and firm resistance of
the people to this usui-ping and unscriptural power, that
here is so much pains taken to keep {hem ignorant on
thesubjec : that their- doctrines are so stealthily"
duced, mider the disguise of innocently aopeariifg syl
&c ; thaf tl"s "T^™-"'^ i" the firm' 'of chu'rer,,
&c . that this extensive scheme of church governmen
and tyranny IS represented as necessary to "settle S
}
i
r tampered
eeii led by
omc agent
Dcause the
;eive their
schemes ;
and they
any hope
1 authori-
»cr of the
support-
igainst it.
3 a flood
posed to
s of this
ble theii'
tful, un-
cled with
to intro-
triily in
tandard,
indifler-
led their
em with
1 barrier
e of do-
jtance of
^er, that
rant on
y intro-
tig sym-
mrches,
^rnment
le their
11
internal affairs — as a liberty which other Christians have
of self government, of which they are deprived. Every
one who considers the constitution of the Church of
England with attention, will find how inconsistent this
Synodical action is with its freedom, and with its perma-
nence as a national establishment; with its principles
remaining fixed as a standard of truth ; with the just
balance of power in its several members.
And in this Province there would be a general appeal
to the Legislature from the people against any statutes
to promote the views of this party, if they were known.
But the subject has been represented under unreal colors,
and the Lemslatures of other Provinces have been sue-
cessfully urged to legalize their proceedings. The es-
tablishment of these Colonial Synods by law has been
the grand object of the Puseyite party for many years.
The Bishoi)s of Toronto, Cape Town, and others, were
in England adding their influence to that of the whole
party there, soliciting the Archbishop, and trying to get
an act of Parliament to empower them to meet in Synod,
each in his own diucese, to legislate for the Chui'ch of
his own Province ; and they found means to get a bill
to that effect through the upper house, but the Com-
mons threw it out, after the reading of Sir James Ste-
phens' letter : he was a Colonial Secretary, and inti-
mately acquainted with the state of the Chui'ch in the
Colonies, and has died within the last year.
The objections urged in that letter were, that the
measure was uncalled for ; would certainly destroy the
unity of the Chuixh ; was likely to produce divisions in
every diocese ; to lessen personal freedom in both clergy
and people ; to prevent the Chui-ch from being a good
support to government, and the government from being
the proper check to the introduction of false doctrine
and to ecclesiastical tyranny ; to destroy the confidence
of the people in the clergy and Bishops ; to give the
people a corrupt clergy, and to render the Church inef-
^
f f . f*.**^^^^::'^
^1
12
and thore haf nevrboonTn^'" 'f'^f-^'orify .ns.y'orea :
for the change "' ^ood reason publirly given
When, through the influence of a Mr r'„
bill framed by the Bi.hon of T . Cameron, a
Canada, empo,verin,r the X), TT '"'' 1"'''*"1 '"
mectinSynodTnd wf^f t°P',''' *"'<' Provinces to
nor GenS re Wd fit'"'" ^?'" *^Church, the Gover-
homo government The'™'""",™'' ^^'■""'•■'I '' '» Ae
opiniof. thatTch a J^Z^tZ^^^ '' ^= ^^'"'^
So; tn::^„ ^: ^^, ^«?: tsx
thcy have sbce^obta ned ^th "' "7" ^'^S^^^-^'^'^, and
whfch passe" Cniian' Tr' "''"'''''" '° "^ "^i"
them to meet and legXteTor Ae cr"',; ™f°-^""8
contravene any existfnn^w f ^''''' ""'^ ""^ '°
this bill passed SM' J '? ''"'^""'^ '■''^•'^ ^ but
consent orlotled^e o?r' "^ ^1^^™% without the
people. '"'°''^'"^S^ "^ *" great body of the Church
laifbtfo" e^l''™u^^ "^-^ f ^j^''' l'- -ver been fairly
consider::fif:rotrvTdi4™ti:t^^^^^^^
P-y, would scarcely kno. whr^tLf ^iXrla^
siveZe ?L'f "''T .*" gentlemen, not clergy to
Slot n! ^hef.V "?'"•'" '^'^ P™""^<' information re-
gPectmg the poht.cal s.tuation of the Chm-ch in x\o4
^o^tTsulhTnl^-^yS^^^^^^^^^^^^^
=:i^r:ir^7fi^^^^^^^^^
the wickedne'rL'd corr„; on ^^ '"t" '"f '"""^ ««
We been made s^^^^-^^^^^^
4
ittaimni
designed :
answered :
licly given
imcron, a
passed in
ovinccs to
ic Gover-
it to the
it as their
preroga-
vised the
tui'e, and
to a bill
powering
ty not to
xcs; but
hout the
! Church
en fairly
lave not
moving
nforma-
■^gy, to
tion ra-
il Nova
it at the
3, is ap-
2 of the
for its
10 as to
lony to
Bvnods
er has
4
13
been the ruling motive, from the time when the chief
priests moved the people to call for the crucifixion of
the Lord of Glory, till the establishment of image wor-
ship by a council in the seventh century, and the con-
demnation of Huss by the Council of Constaxice to the
cx)nfirmation of all the unscripturi ^ tenets of the Church
of Rome by the Council of Trent. And what has been
done ^Hthin the last three years by the Synods of To-
ronto and Quebec, promise no favorable result. In the
second Synod of Toronto they assumed power to con-
sider all the Articles of the Ch\irch to be adopted or
not. They adopted the Article for the Queen's supre-
macv, and laid all the others over to the next session for
further consideration. This was assuming a power not
granted them by the act. They then proceeded to alter
the constitution of their Synod, which had been given
out to stand as a security against the introduction of in-
novations.
And in the Diocese of Quebec the double dealing of
some of the clerical and episcopal part of the Synod,
and their prevailing over the laity in the last session,
afford us instructive warning.
Ill this Province great pains were taken to induce the
clergy to unite in voting for the Synod. Many misre-
presentations were made in the old CImrch Times on the
subject, but the greatest pains were taken to conceal its
connection with the Tractarian party, as well as the ex-
tent of power which it assumed, and the disorganisation
of established authority w^hich it involved.
It has been represented to be no more than a Me-
thodist Conference, or a Baptist Association, but the
fact is far different. These Synods are meant to include
a legislative, a judicial, and an executive power, and to
be amenable to no other authority.
Then delegates were ca^' ;d suddenly upon pretence of
deciding whether there should be a Synod or not, but
really to make every parish commit itself by taking
share in the proceedings.
■
I
14k
clerg/e^eeptthofe thrust T "' V^'"- ,^" '"«
pendent of the Bishon v„f Tf ma position to beinde-
of the parish had been ffXaLn tl ^i.'^ *" ''^''°"
passed by a general aedamZttr 'it thl fiT. ""'' • "^
there were only thi-fv fi™ j i . ■*'/"« "St meeting
-e some .hL eitj^— t J^^ ^^^^jj ^W
vt j/r r td tw^ ''''^"' -^ ^-^^^ - hS
ing majority. Butte mlrT°fVl.''"°™"^'-I-
parishci which sentio ^.n "• '^ ''""«™ *« *ose
measure. " ''^•prcsentatives were against the
it IZ^y.ir^ *"^ ""^' '-«"'y-- votes, against
aettdeiniLti; TnlL"': :''\^'^T J? ^ P^"'- '<>
depended on the socfetv hv^Tr I ^'"'^ "<" *"'
and their oath of obed ence LTt' Ti' u''^ ^"^ "■"P'^^^'''
improper persons to vote 'n ^"^''P' """^^^ *em
such importance' dlowW » '1"^"?"'^°"''' 1"''^''°° "f
only inXdes eanontlTblditeel'^ iCl '''''■ "^'^^
forX'chth'"""^ '" -- ^" ^'-'^ ^'^tZlZ
Legislature to aSCL It 1' "" ?'' °^ "" Provincial
^-y win get some "Sr V^^a'tZr^o^'T ''%
Assembly. ""ougn our House of
i I
ay, imme-
AU the
o be inde-
ed though
the action
: must be
it mectinor
ould have
iiie voted
f it there
the other
^nt of the
laymen,
hundred
rwhelm-
at those
linst the
against
sition to
ot their
ployed,
-r them
stion of
lis oath
e is no
canons
that a
ilarge-
Synod
vincial
r that
use of
15
All who' know what ecclesiastical courts are, must
know that the formation of this will be an egregrious
usurpation over the freedom of both church people and
clergy ; and this leads all who think upon the subject to
look with a suspicious eye on those who are thus aiming
to enthral them. And yet there ii great danger that
this active innovating party will represent the establish-
ment of th^'s Synod to the Legislature as the wish of the
Church people, and that we shall be thus robbed of the
fixed standard of truth which the Church presents
against error, and of the freedom necessary to its main-
tenance, through the apathy of oui- intelligent churchmen,
and the ignorance of the masses on such subjects.
I have seen it publicly stated upon episcopal authority
that this Synod is now established, if no incendiary
arise to injure the proceedings of the united Church.
As affairs are at present, it is necessary for all Chm-ch
people to unite in maintaining their Chiu'ch principles ;
by speaking to the members of the Legislature to admit
of no change ; by keeping all the monies which they
can raise in their respective parishes, instead of throw -
ino- them into a general fund, and trusting them to other
hands; in resisting steadfastly all innovations in doc-
trine, ceremony, or church building, however harmless
they may appear. For this active moving party, set on
by Rome, with agents unlinown to us, promotnig their
views everywhere, are all united for our destructiDU.
What has Maturin been but an agent for this party, to
break up the credit and influence of the evangelical
Church in Halifax ? And what influence the clei:ical
strangers who come to us may exert we know not, but
we need not fear if we are only faithful, for greater is
he that is with us than he which is against us. Yet
when this enemy is within our gates, and in high places,
we need watch as well as pray against his power.
To know the Puseyites from others is a difficult task,
as they conceal themselves (but a warm advocacy of the
P-^mt-^-m^
16
Synod ia one marki • tlip ,<R, ^ ^•
of exquisite taste in CWehmf •"""". "/ '■^"'"'^ ^res,,
forms, of u„.i,„ited obedirct"rr"l °- '^^^"'"io''^ and
ty. talking, variably, to dtthl ^ ^''^'i ^P"'""'
ers, instead of a strai<.wl pejudiees of the hear-
se truths of G^dWrd whl' """"'^^ 'l-l"ation"f
whether they ,vill foVbTar ;te .ffo "'^" "'" '''^-' <>'
and ceremonies in religion, instead of T"""""'' ^o™'
■uohng truth, justiee, purity hu^llV ' 'T''" '" ?""
«™at regard for the Cwfr'athr ^ T'' ^'''"-'y' "
Word, and the one Author and Kntr ^ "'^''"■™
thereai revealed; eonsiderin" tl e rl ? '""' '"'™«'»"
the clergy and the building >™;t;^„^'"f> . '» ^°»«i«t of
mstead of a spiritual service of Tel^'^M '^T " ■""te™'
profession of evangeliI^se„t^^„ f *• ' °^ ^l'"'"-' i the
I'otraying far other^ ^10 1^ • /" ''™''"^' ""d
are some -.narks of the party buf To f ."."'^^ ^ "'o^*
lownig every fashion anrl f? • ,• , '°°''* ^^abit of tbl-
■•■' looked up'on as S ^tiretrieT ^T'"'''''^ -'-•'
«ome persons a share in tLltV , " gontlcman—give
ly in the eonsph-aey '™' ^"^^ '•"•« «ot real-
ehe^6Xl^TES'th?'' 't-^ ^^ •"-"- of
excellent establishm'nUn it triT''^ ,'" ^'""■"■'^ *at
posterity as it has been h"ndon ^ "'"^ '° '™°^™' i' to
themselves with its doctrint as eo:" '"/?' '° -<!"-"'
how they accord with Serbtuto ,>f T*^ "? ''' ^^'<^^^'
reso„,.ees, and the means of p'-e^er^:'?'"' P°-tion,it,'
«>uty ; after such a considerat oTn ' ' P""^ ™'l lt»
remove its fortresses and puH; ""?""« ^""''l ^ish to
lar assembly. To preserve fh„ • u '".^"J' «* a popu-
porations and ehmrwarden "'^v'^ "^ ?'' l»™h cL
annually in support of the Cwl -T .*'^ ^"""s wised
•re parishes, inLad of phwi" "'''"• "«'" '-"^Peet-
the moving party; to exert thlv-fl '^' '''^1'°^^' "^
prevent the Provi;cial ITsemX ff "'"^'^ I'™"?^ to
Synod; and to educate youn. mJn rf"^ authorizing (hi,
•' ° ""^° ol our own Provinc.
17
uncontuminatcfl with hercciciil sentimonts, for clergy, arc;
means of rv sisting this conspiracy yet in our power.
When, in the parent country, a siniiLar attempt was
made under the unhappy Laud, and his Romanizing doc-
trines and practices were adopted by his royal master,
('hark^s I., the attempt, together with the dissimulation
and the i)ros(;cutions with which hoth aimed to support
it, at length arouscnl the Protestant spirit of the nation ;
but the Church was thrown down, and did not recover
its integrity and purity for many long years. I'hat
rebellion was altogethc^r the effect of a Homanizing poli-
cy and its consequent tyranny, in Laud an.d the king.
Neither English nor Scots could hav(^ been roused to a
rebellion without that moving cause ': and as much as
posterity may blame the severe sent(•n(^? inflicted on the
archbishop and the king, it was the fruit of a deceitful,
oppressive^ and Romanizing policy in both. x\nd the
lesson stands forth with an impressive warning to (dl
favorers of a ri;ual and nuiterial religion, of the present
diiy. The Parliament, on the death of Laud, abolished
episcopacy, and though, on the restoration, the bishops
again assumed their functions and thtir dignity, how
long the corruptions of the Church showed the effects of
making affinity with tlie h(>resies of Rome ! And should
these enemi(>s'Avithin our C'hiu'ch at the present day so
far prevail as to s(^parate the Chiu'ch from the state, and
corrupt it according to th(?ir own views, a revolution in
the nation must follow, and who can pr(;dict that it shall
be a bloodless one ?
Without the standard of truth and moral sentiment,
which is constantly set forth in tlu^ liturgy of the Church,
the nation would fast deteriorate in both, and all parties
would feel its influence ; avc should lose om- standard in
the scale of nations, and the home happiness of our
people, and the whole of Christendom would be deeply
sensible of its fall. Let not Dissenters boast, for if we
fall they will be assailed by the same enemy, and be far
18
less able to resist. Then we must call upon all parties
^> lend a he pnio- hand to support the Church, the
iNation, and the Throne, against this insidious enemy,
in this 1 rovince all members of the Provincial T.emsla-
tiu-e will do their part by r(>jecting all measures to
empower this Synod to enslave the Church or to unsettle
any law respecting it, and indeed by throwin- out anv
bill that may be brought concerning the Church. And
we all owe it to oui'selves to resist every Pusyistical
doctrine or practice ; and all Church people, and all
• triends of the national institution, will do well to pre-
serve all parish lands unsold, and to lay up all funds
given to support the Church in the parishes. U the
glebes w(>re sufficient for the maintenance of the country
clcTgymen, then every rector would occupy the infJuen-
tial and independent position of a country gentleman,
which would naturally make him conservative, and -ive
him an interest in the good of the country. ]lut''th(^
same sums lodged with the Diocesan Society, or given in
aid to the 1 ropagation Society, according to the plan of
he bishop s circular of last year, would be but to give
the bishop a power of importing or of employing a body
of clergy devoted to his will and bent on carrvin- out his
views ; this would but perpetuate the already too great
power of the bishop of the diocese over the clero-yrand
reduce them to a position that would haidly be oc-
cupied by independent, honorable, high-principled men,
such as we have ever expected to find in the clergy of
the Chiirch of England. And, with all the livings
of the clergy m the hands of the bishop of the diocese
or of commissioners appointed by him, with a power of
discipline and of legislation in the Synod presided over
by the bishop; the clergy having all taken the oath of
obedience to him ; the business of the Synod all prepared
by the bishop or by a committee of his choosing ; the
lay de egates having little or no power in the assembly,
mm their being ignorant of what the business may be
till the very day in which it is to be decided ; coming
>
1
' ;l
19
from (liflfercnt parts of the country, not being known to
each other or as delegates, if any one of them should see
anything objectionable in the thing proposed, he would
luive no"" time to consider it, no opportunity to take th(^
mind of the (>nlightened members of the Church upon it,
no opportunity of uniting his lay brethren in opposing it.
B(>sides that, laymen are unable to cope with the art
► of worldly-managing ecclesiastics, and such must be the
rulers in th(>se Synods. The Synods cannot be con-
sidered as just representatives of the Chui'ch of Christ,
for He declares that His kingdom is not of this world,
and those who yield themselyes up to ecclesiasti' .^1 am-
l)ition are none of His— hence the propriety ol lawmen,
not clergy, legislating for the Chmxh.
The statesman knows that the prosperity and happi-
ness of the nation depends upon the religion of the
people— on the principles of justice, patriotism, bene-
^-olonce and industry, which it inculcates— and every
corruption in its teaching tells rpon the nation ; hence
there is no temptation for a secular government to legis-
late in any manner for the Church, but with an honest
intention ibr its good ; but in an ecclesiastical assembly
with legislative authority, the temptation addressed to
our Saviour and Head of the Church, comes with double
power— ''All these things will I give Thee if Thou wilt
fall down and worship me," and the nature of all men
is the same. It is only by the influence of great faith
that the clergyman rises above such motu'es when he
/vo-idates for his own order; how destructive they are to
tlS^ simplicity and pm-ity of the Gospel, all history bearss
witness. And, hideed, this desire of power m the
( Imrch, if it is considered in its length and breadth, will
],e found to be the fruitful source of all the divisions
which have arisen. A liberal support, an honorable in-
dependence for the clergy, it is the duty of the people
to provide, and for the benefit of both clergy and people
that it should be given; but this ecclesiastical power is
not for the Church's advantage, but for its destruction.
^
<•
-if
%
1
^fj
I
,-r-
'.^r
I
20
Recent changes in the ministry, tho popular outcr^^
against this party, and other causos, may bo supposed to
have broken it ; but this is ratlior tt) be wished than
beheved— when the influence of these doctrines has
been so widely spread, and when ojio of their worst
measures has been so steadily pushed forward in the
colonies, and one so calculated to opcn,tlie door to f;ilsc
doctrine. If a Jewett and a To well in the L^niversity
have succeeded the; Tusyistical paity!, it is only the
rc^su!^ of the first heresy, for Tractariaiiism nuist arise
from unbelic^f in the Scriptiu'cs ; and if superstition and
ambition bear rule in the Church, infidelity must, ol
course, follow ; then the Synod, if allowed to go into
full operation, opens the door for its introduction. Thus
the enemy bas ever prevailtHl over the Churc^h ; that ir
the visible Church has ever thus f\dlen a prny to world-
ly ambition, wlu^never power of a secular natui'c has
been given into ecclesiastical hands. But the promise of
Christ that the gates of Hell shall n-.t ]n'evuil against
His' Church, has ever been personally ratified by Ilim-
iRdf to every true belicrer at all times and in all a^Tcs,
and he has never left himself ivitltoid a witness.
The Jews were the true visible Church in the days of
»ur Saviour's visit to men. But his frequent reproofs
and his crucifixion, prove how far they had forsaktai
the Scriptural standard. The Church of Home at the
present day is almost a parallel case, and tht; authorized
conduct of their priests and rulers, made up of cruelty,
treachery, and deceit, mark the removal of the Divine
presence from their councils, in a voice almost as audible
as that heard hi the Temple : "Let as depart hence!''
What, then, can equal the crime of those p( rsons edu-
cated in a Church with pure doctrines, who run after
the heresies and fooleries of Home, that th^y may share
in her power over the souls and bodies of their brethren,
and distuib the constitution of (Church and nation, in
order to consolidate a temporal authority for themselves ^
i
!'t!f
ll