IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) A 1.0 I.I 11.25 u& Uii |2.2 u lift %^^ Photographic Sciences Corporalion 23 WUT MAIN STillT WniTH.N.Y. 14310 (7I6)I72-4S03 %^ CIHM/ICMH Microfiche Series. CIHM/ICMH Collection de microfiches. Canadian Institute for Historical MIcroreproductions / Institut Canadian de microreprcductions historiques Technical and Bibliographic Notes/Notas techniques et bibliographiques The Institute has attempted to obtain the best original copy available for- filming. Features of this copy which may be bibiiographicaily unique, which may alter any of the images in the reproduction, or which may significantly change the usual method of filming, are checked below. FTi Coloured covers/ UL-l Couverture de couleur I I Covers damaged/ D Couverture endommagte Covers restored and/or laminated/ Couverture restaur^ et/ou pelliculie r — I Cover title missing/ Le titre de couverture manque I I Coloured maps/ D Cartes g6ographiques en couleur Coloured inic (i.e. other than blue or black)/ Encre de couleur (i.e. autre que bleue ou noire) I — I Coloured plates and/or illustrations/ D D D D Planches et/ou illustrations en couleur Bound with other material/ ReliA avec d'autres documents Tight binding may cause shadows or distortion along interior margin/ La re liure serrAe peut causer de I'ombre ou de la distortion le long de la marge IntArieure Blank leaves added during restoration may appear within the text. Whenever possible, these have been omitted from filming/ II se peut que oertaines pages blanches aJoutAes lors d'une restauration apparaissent dans le texte, mais, lorsque cela itait possible, ces pages n'ont pas 4t* filmAes. Additional comments:/ Commentaires supplimantaires: L'Institut B microfilmi le meilleur exempiaire qu'il lui a M possible de se procurer. Les details de cet exempiaire qui sont peut-Atre uniques du point de vue bibliographique, qui peuvent modifier une image reproduite. ou qui peuvent exiger une modification dans la m6thode normale de fiimage sont indiqute ci-dessous. The CO to the |~~| Coloured pages/ Pages de couleur Pages damaged/ Pages endommagtes Pages restored and/oi Pages restauries et/ou pellicuiAes Pages discoloured, stained or foxe< Pages dAcolortes, tachet6es ou piquies I — I Pages damaged/ r~~| Pages restored and/or laminated/ I I Pages discoloured, stained or foxed/ Pages detached/ Pages d«tach«es npj Showthrough/ 2f Transparence Quality of print varies/ Qualiti inigale de I'impression The im possibi of the filminfl Origini beginn the las sion, o other ( first pi sion, a or illus [~n Includes supplementary material/ Comprend du materiel suppl4mentaire Only edition available/ Seule Edition disponible D Pages wholly or partially obscured by errata slips, tissues, etc.. have been refilmed to ensure the best possible image/ Les pages totalement ou pertiellement obscurcies par un feuillet d'errata. une pelure, etc.. ont 4t4 fiimies i nouveau de fa^on A obtenir la mellleure image possible. This item is filmed at the reduction ratio cheeked below/ Ce document est film* au taux de rMuction indiqu4 ol provement upon tho old one ; and I think the synod compe* tent to order its use in the manner in which it did. But this supposal implies that the synod is endowed with power in *he same hasty manner to make other alterations, which may be no improvement at all. We provide that no change made in our constitution or in any of the canons, which from time to time we may pass, shall be of force until it has been confirmed at ;i subsequent meeting of the synod. In this way we guard, and very properly guard, the Agree- ments we have come to from being overthrown by surprise. But the prayer book and the version of the holy scrip- tures to be used in divine worship we surround with no such protection. As our constitution now stands, the prayer book may be in any way mutilated, or a new version of the scriptures substituted for use in divine worship by whoever can obtain at any moment favorable for the carrying of his crotchet a majority in the provincial synod. So reverently, 80 tenderly, we treat the oifspring of our own wisdom ; so lightly and with so loose a grasp we hold the inheritance of the ages ! It seems to me that the use of the prayer book. \i ^ 1 r c as we now have it, and of the authorized version of the holy scriptures should be forthwith enjoined by a canon that we may have security for at least as much deliberation in the recasting of these, as in the changing of the day of our assembling or of the number of a quorum. That this has not been done long ago, is passing strange, and only to bo explained by the supposition that the belief you expressed in your memorial that the prayer book had been already made part of our constitution, was the general belief. It certainly was my own until I had occasion to examine th& point more closely. It is not unlikely that when the Synod of our Province next meets, other changes of a grave character will b& proposed. And it will bo our wisdom to weigh these well before the time to act shall come, that those of us who are members of the Provincial Synod may kuow the mind of the diocese we represent ; and that our own minds, by reason of previous inquiry, discussion and thought, may be furnished for deliberation and ripe to decide. And with this in view I have provided that some of these questions shall come before us for discussion here. It is quite possible, indeed after what we have witnessed in other assemblies of the church we must say it is quito likely, that some attempt will be made among us in respect of the Athanasian Creed to alter either the creed itself or the way of our using it. And the question is one that, whenever it arises, we should be prepared to meet. Ta meet it wisely however is no such easy matter ; neither tho difficulties of its present use, nor ihe difficulties attendant upon the advocated alterations in its use, can safely be ignored. To take a document with such a history as this one has, and with rude hands and rash to thrust it aside^ 10 were to enter upon a course marked by follj) and fraaglit with danger. On the other hand contemptuously to spurn the reasons and the feelings of those who seek for change is not the way to advance any cause, or to maintain any po- sition which is attacked. When a man finds himself opposed by those who treat as having no existence reasons which he knows to be real to him, he is confirmed in his convictions, and angered besides. The only just method of conducting a controversy is to put yourself in your adver- sary's place, to look at the matter from his point of view, to give his arguments their full weight. This is the only fair v^ay of arguing, and it is the only persuasive way, the only way that has a chance of convincing a disputant. When he sees that you appreciate the grounds of his conclusions and resolves, he may listen as you advance other considera- tions calculated to invalidate his conclusions, or to over- power them with conclusions weightier still, and to shake his resolves, but not before. And it is only decent in all <$ontroversy, to assume that the man who differei from you may be as honest a man as youraelf. It may perhaps wear a look of unseemliness for me to be insisting before you upon the first elements of common fairness in discussion, but no man who marks the demeanour of those heated by controversy can fail to note how quickly and how com- pletely they are lost sight of. And the discussion of this question forms no exception to the rule. With all its learning, with all its logic, with all its eloquence, I must say that this discussion has. evolved more blindness, more bitterness, more uncharitableness, than I could have thought possible amongst men professing themselves Ohristians. ^ood reason there is therefore, if we are to be drawn into the vortex, thni we should forewarn ourselves lest, not -% r -\ r \\ I 11 knowing what manner of spirit we are of, wo speak unad- visedly with our lips. In the treatment of this creed we have special reason to put a restraint upon our spirits, and upon our tongues. Intheir jealousy for the doctrines defined in it, some there are who look upon its mutilation, or its displacement, as a step in apostasy. And. for their number and for their character, they are entitled to profound res- . pect. Others are shocked at the public recital of certain portions of the creed which to the mass of our congregations convey, as they think, a meaning which cannot be true. They use them no doubt themselves with reasonable quali- fications and limitations — or they could not use them at all, — but the words, they think, do seem to be so constructed as purposely to exclude such limitation and qualification ; and are so taken by vast numbers of the simple and the uninstructed. And the result, they think, is to be depre- cated, whether, first, these unsophisticated folk repeat the awfnl words without realizing their import ; or, secondly, whether in good faith they believe what they take to be their plain meaning ; or, thirdly, whether they close their lips, and refuse to utter what they think the church proclaims but they cannot believe. Why not, it may be asked, teach to all the limitations and qualifications with which the damnatory clauses are read by the instructed. This no doubt is a solution, or an attempt at a solution, of the pro- blem, worthy of careful consideration. And it is probably what wo shall have to fall back upon in the end. But it is neither easy to be done, nor altogether satisfactory when done. The instructed, themselves, are not in such perfect agreement upon the point as to encourage the notion that the matter can be made plain to all capacities. And, after all, the use of strong language, explained away, is not a 12 wholesome diet for the mind. Those who think thus are entitled to a consideration, not less respectful, kind and candid, than that we accord to those who shudder at what seems to them an act of apostasy. Some of the various as- pects of the question have already been brought before us in the papers read to>day, and I trust that we shall consider them dispassionately, and in the spirit of Christian love, that so we may be able, when the time shall come, if it does come, to deal with this matter and to decide upon it, in the spirit of wisdom and in the spirit of counsel ; and that now and at all times we shall inure ourselves to bear one another's burdens. It is still more probable that attempts will be made, at no distant date, to follow the action of our mother church by such adaptation of the prayer book as will give greater flexibility and variety to our services. A paper will be read upon this subject ; and I shall be glad to learn your minds upon the question. So large however is the question that I can hardly enter upon it here, further than to say that it is very desirable, in my judgment, that something should in this direction be done. The prayer book beara upon the face of it the declaration that it hath been the wisdom of the Church of England, ever since the first com- pilers of her public Liturgy, to keep the mean between the two extremes of too much " stififness in refusing, and " too much easiness in admitting any variation from it ^^ that " it is but reasonable that upon weighty and impor- " tant considerations, according to the various exigencies of " times and occasions, such changes and alterations should ^ be made therein, as to those that are in place of authority ** should from time to time seem either necessary or expe- <* dient." And yet it wonld seem that there has been more '^ r L llJ- > < r '■'X r >, . ' 13 stiffness in refasing than easiness of admitting variations, when we consider that ander all the changed circumstances of society, and in the expansion of the church in other countries and under new conditions, the same has remained stereotyped for two hundred years. By natural consequence much of it has become obsolete ; how much is and remains a perpetual source of dispute, of disquiet, and ground for the growth of sectional uses and the indulgence of indivi- dual caprice I That something should be done to remedy this, I strongly feel. As to what should be done, and how it should be done, I hope to be assisted in forming my opinions by your deliberations. Though upon these points my thoughts have been for some time tending to conclu- sions, I should like, before they crystallize, to receive into them your feelings and your views, the results of your experience and reflections. I pass now to anotner group of subjects, all of them having close relation to the maintenance and the improving of the efficiency of our ministrations. A paper will be read upon Mission Services, in the discussion of which we may hope to elicit some useful information and opinion, as to the feasibility and advisabi- lity of attempting to do amongst ourselves what appears to have been done with advantage elsewhere. The improvement of Church Music, and proper employ- ment of choirs, will also be brought before you. How much the character of the singing affects the tone of a service, I need not say. Every clergyman must be keenly alive to that. From the joint fund of our common experience, each one will carry away no doubt hints and ideas in regard to the modes and methods by which the efficiency of our ser- vices, which we all desire, can be attained and increased. 14 And more closely connected with the warmth and reality of Divine Worship, than at first sight it may seem, is the infusing of life and interest into our Missionary Meetings (which we have discussed in part this afternoon), for by them we must awaiken and keep alive the interest and practical belief of our people in the reality of Christ's Holy Oatholic Church, and of His reign in it. It belongs to the true idea of the Church of Christ that, firstly, her mission is to go into all the world and preach the goeoel to every crea- ture ; and that, secondly, He is with her always even unto the end of the world, and in all quarters of the world, even until all nations shall be baptised in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost. And if we forget this, or treat it as of no meaning or of no consequence, we shall never feel the true vivij^ying i)Ower of the Holy Catho- lic Church upon our own souls, and not possessing it there, we shall not reflect it in our worship. That zeal for, and sympathy with, missionary work reacts upon peraonal piety, and through that upon the vigour and vitality — the depth and spirituality — of all church organization, is a truth which lies folded in the very being and constitution of the church, and a fact of every day's experience. And I do think that we shall do well to measure ourselves and our work, by this rule ; and never to rest content either with ourselves, or with our work, until we feel, and lead others to feel, a keen and lively interest in the spread of Christ's Kingdom, rf stirring of the heart at the thought of those brave ones who, at their Master's call, and to do a work, that must be done by somi ) one, if His words are not to be counted idle words and empty, have " got them out of their country and from their kindred and from their fatlier's house," and "jeoparded their lives unto the death in the high places of the '"A.; n K^ 15 '\; n L field ;" and until we feel, and lead others to feel, a true and tender sympathy with those who, born and brought up in the midst of hatred, lust and all the horrors of heathenism^ have received the good news, and, as little children, are entering the Kingdom of Heaven. Other work nearer home, too, we shall have to consider. A paper will be read relating to the methods of utilizing^ the gifts which we believe to be given by the Holy Spirit to all who are baptized in the name of the most Blessr ^ Trinity. As the church is by divine institution a society or community, it is needful that for the sake of decency and order that society should be duly organized ; and the ministry is of divine institution ; but for all that the clergy are not the church ; and as the principle of mutual help is the great and the divinely appointed instrument for, and method of, advancement in the Christian character, so it is a right which all may claim, a duty which none may neglect. The modes of mutual assistance by which christian feeling is fostered and the Church of Christ built up, are as various- as are the gifts and characters of men, the opportunities and occasions of the times. One man has money at his disposal,, ai other has time, others God has blessed with mental endowments, the faculty of business, the power to organize and administer. To this man is given eloquent speech, to that ripeness of knowledge, on some has fallen the great and healing gift of sympathy, while that combination of faculties and feelings too subtle for analysis which confers personal influence, marks others with their Maker's mark the born leaders and rulers of men. Any and all of these talents should be consecrated to God's honour, and his brothers' help, by each christian man. And in such consecration he will find the advancement of his own 1« salvation. It is for us, my Eeverend Brethren, to promote And to guide the working of this beneficent principle ; and especially to bring and retain under its influence the young, A paper will be read respecting the attitude it behoves the clergyman to assume towards the societies for the suppression of drunkenness by which he finds himself sur- rounded. The prevalence of the vice cannot be ignored. The necessity for doing something to stem its tide is appa- rent. How far we can consistently act with those who are organized for its suppression, or what we can do for ourselves is another question, and one to which you will I am sure Ijive your careful and earnest attention. Our ministerial fruitfulness, however, depends, after all, 'ipon inward and spiritual grace more than upon any out- ward schemes, organizations and activities, useful and necessary as these may be. The organization which our Master provided for the propagation of the christian faith and the perpetuation of the christian life we alwajs have. We are His servants, sent by His command and commission to proclaim in the sinning world His word which is " quick and powerful and sharper than any two edged sword piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit ; and of the joints and marrow, and a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart;" and to minister the holy sacraments which He instituted to be the perpetual channels of His Grace, and streams of endless comfort for penitent and faithful souls. And in the simplicity of this the Lord's own constitution of His Kingdom, whatever may be our turn for adminis- tration, or our skill in organizing, we shall, — if we be full of faith and of the Holy Ghost,— be full of power. Here is the one infallible source of ministerial succ^, needful for all, of all gifts and capacitiesi suitable for all, of -A, > f ' 17 "N, > f / « all dispositions and attainments — in this, that wo giv^ ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word. Some consultation upon topics tending ^o the pro- motion of personal holiness, and therefore of ministerial power, we have had to-day, and more we shall have, if God will, before we part ; not I trust without deriving, each of us, strength of soul and spiritual insight from this mutual opening to each other of our wishes, feelings, hopes, aspira- tions and opinions. The ways in which we promote our spiritual growth must be of necessity manifold, since mani- fold is the spirit of man. Exquisitely sensitive, and infinitely varied in sensibility are the feelings of man. And religious feelings are of all feelings the quickest in susceptibility : in spiritual depths we are most liable to encounter unex- pected shocks. The treatment under which the spiritual side of one man's nature unfolds, expands, and basks as in genial warmth,with manifest increase of health and strength, scorches the delicate tendrils of another's mind and makes them to shrink and shrivel. And setting, as I do set, a high value upon that personal intercourse, in which, with something like the closeness of intimacy, christians, and especially christian ministers, open their hearts one to another concerning the anxieties and joys, the helps and hindrances, the ebb and flow of their inward life, I feel strongly that such intercourse can only be healthy where it i6 natural. Variety therefore in the manner of conduct- ing the meetings for the fostering of a devotional habit would be to my judgment a recommendation rather than a defect, because all of us, whatever the bent and cast of ouf minds, might then be drawn in this direction with advantage — I am su^e none of us can with advantage be forced. The special need the clergy have of such w |8 mutual help and the way to meet it, we shall consider at a later stage of our deliberations. And of all helps to holiness we shall do well to avail onreelyes : we can aflFord to slight no plan that gives any help. But of all contrivances for the brightening and deepening of our spiritual life I am persuaded in my own mind that there is none like the old, old way of reading the Bible — of reading the Bible in the silence of retirement, when we commune with our o%vn hearts and are still. Then wo ci mmune witli Goii. " Though we see not Ilis face, yet "we hear His c<»unsc'ls." The more wo give ourselves to this, the more we shall delight in it. And that which is our solace, refieshmerit, ami repose, will be in truth our best and truest woik. We shall grow in grace the while, and, increasing ever in spiritual strength and stature, we shall increase in courage and ability, as good soldiers and servantsof Christ— we shall be clad in the whole armour of God, and huviiig proved it well, we shall not fear to go foi'th in its miglit to meet the enemies of the Lord ; nor will it fail us in the fight. I fear we are in danger to forget, in these days of activity, hurry and excitement and publicity, that solitude is the cradle of pow^er, and before all of spiri- tual power. Take the whole history of ilie church, and you will fin . that every great religious movement has been set agoing and sustained by those who found their strength , to move the mind8 of men in thtir habits of secret commu- nion with God. So it was with St. Francis, so it was with Luther, so it was with Wesley and those with him ; and to ^o back to the beginning, and mark the risings of the first great and typical upheaval of society by the power of God's word preached, so it was with John the Baptist. Not nn- ' advisedly was the conversion of men enterprised by him, --N -\ ^-./-> •V. -li„ 19 nor lightly taken in hand. He was in the wilderness, until the day of his showing unto Israel. In fast and vigil, in aolitade and privation, in silent prayer and in spiritual com- munion, he prepared himself for the world's encounter, he formed and fashioned the fine edge and the keen point of his conscience, he trained and braced the colossal strength of his God-given power — and the world went down before it. The frivolities and the follies of the weak, the solemn pretences and conventional proprieties of the wise, the world's daily wear — its armour of darkness, its disguises, its pretexts, its speciousness, and its frauds — not for a moment could they stand the collision with truth and virtue and spiritual thoroughness ; they shivered in the shock and fell splinter- ing off, leaving the sin they had clothed, naked and open as well to the sinner as to the bystander. And they came, Publican, Pharisee, Sadduceo and all, they came confessing their sins, and saying what shall we do ? And this, my Reverend Brethren, this is what our preaching and our praying must come to. If souls are not saved, our ministry is vain. Not until they to whom we are sent confess their sins ; and not until the cry that comes from them is ' what shall we do ? ' can we know that we have done the Evan- gelist's work. True, the seed maj'^ lie long in the ground, but we look for fruit. And this is the only fruit that will not be rejected as refuse — the helping onward of souls to salvation ; fo.' this fruit we must look ; for this fruit we must labour ; and no labour that we can bestow will go so far to make us tr'.e sowers of the good seed as the constant and reiterated poring upon the scriptures. Then indeed when we take the Bible into our hands we draw near to God. He speaks, and we hear His Voice. His Holy Spirit is upon us. He breathes into our souls the breath of a diviner life ; and we gather, as we go, the wisdom that winneth sonls.