IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) /. fA 1.0 I.I 1.25 2.:> |50 ■"• m ^ IB m ^ is ^ y£ 12.0 1.4 16 % 4K ■■'< ^^^^ w '/ Photographic Sciences Corporation 23 WIST MAIN STRUT WIBS^IR.N.Y. )4StO (716) 173-4503 ,^^ (maaning "CON- TINUED"), or tha symbol V (maaning "END"), whichavar appilaa. Mapa. platas, charts, ate., may ba filmad at diffarant raduction ratioa. Thoaa too iarga to ba antiraly includad in ona axpoaura ara filmad baginning in tha uppar laft hand cornar, laft to right and top to bottom, aa many framas aa raquirad. Tha following dlagrama iiiuatrata tha mathod: Un daa symbolaa suivants apparaitra sur la damiira image da chaqua microflcha, salon la caa: la symbols —*• signifia "A SUIVRE", la symbols ▼ signifia "FIN". Laa cartaa. planchaa. tableaux, ate, pauvant fttra film^ia A daa taux da riduction diffirants. Lorsqua la document est trop grand pour fttra reproduit wt un saul cliche, il eat fUmi A partir da I'angki supAriaur gauche, da gauche k droita, at da haut 1% baa, •*% prensnt le nombre d'imagea ntcaasaira. Lea diagrammea suivants lilustrant la m^thoda. 'rata o )elure, I a □ 32X 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 %»*^ A CHARGE, DELIVERED AT A VISITATION CLERGY AND CHURCHWARDENS OF THK ARCHDEACONRY OF YORK. Held at Toronto, on Tuesday, Sept. 4; at Hamilton, on Wednesday, Sept, 5, and at London, on Thursday^ Sept- 6, 1856. BY Th« Venerable A. N. Bethune, D. D., ARCHDEACON OF YORK. Toronto: HEMIV ROWSELL. 1855. '■ A CflAtt(ie, delivered at Visitations of the Clergy and Churchwardens of the Archdea- conry of Ybrkf held at Toronto^ on Tuesday, Sept, 4-; at Hamilton on Wednesday^ Sept, 5 ; and at London, on Tfmrsday, Sept, 6, 1855. BY THE YEN. A. N. BETHUNB, D. D<, Archdeacon of York. Rev, Brethren, and Mr, Churchwar- dens: — The lapse of three years brings me again to the duty of assembling the Clergy and Churchwardens of this Archdeaconry, to receive the customary charge; and we may hope that, with the Divine blessing, the counsels thus offered, and the delibera- tions that may ensue, will not be without be- nefit to ourselves, and advantage to the Church at large. The grounu which by usa^e, I am per- mittee spot for holy miuistrations— a place 9 where no words are heard but those of pray- er and praise — no lessons taught but those of Christain ftiith and pr.ictice. For we must be pained bv the incoiiorruity of having the rites of Cliritiauity a-e. And we have, on the other hand, the liard, bal I scep- ticism, that crying evil of the ag'% 'lenying to our material part its due < o-opera ion in this holy work, and refining away its duties into a sort of ethereal feeling, which ex- cludes too surely th(^ practical work of wor- ship from the daily life. In the former case, our Lord's own teach- ino- and appointments show that the work of devotional duty is not to be overburdened by undue ceremonial, nor its sp'rit crushed beneath an overpowerig we-ght of mate- rial coverinjr. The outward anl visible ordinances are few ani simple, which he has ppecially enjoined as symbols of the faith of his Church, and the channel of means tW which His grace should operate to the im- provement and perfection of the believer. And it was from a thoughtful and judiclouH ■ VN tl appreciatiou ■'' ^^ur Lord's meamng in thes^ institutions tliJit the pure and reformed branch of ais Church to which we belonj; has manifested so much simplicity in the order of her devotional work. I may venture, my breihren, 'o analyze this question briefly. Where there is too much of a material dress upon religion— where the work of devotion is mixed up with an undue preponderance of ceremonies and forms; the mind and spirit become, as we may say, materialized: the thoughts and feelings acquire, as it were, a corporeal grossness: there is a sensuality and earth- iness enoendered in the affections thus em- ployed. ''This is but natural, where the eye md = £;;:, for instance, are too exclusively en^-'^'ged: impressions ia this case, play around the senses, and stop short there I theinnermanis not thoroughly reached; the inner life is not adequately aifected. That I am not uttering here a theory onlv, or making a mere ianciful deduction, is evident from what we see and know of ihe practical influence of a system of religion conducted on that almost exclusively mate- rial, or sensual basis. We find in the countries and amongst the people where it prevails, much outward devotion, and much time spent in the work; but the inward soul and life appears not to be correa- pondently affected ; there is but a plaything as it were, with the sympathies and passions of the sensual nature, 'i his is evident, as well from the almost total estrangement from the outward 3I1.I practical duties of 12 devotion of the better educated and intel- lectual classes in such communities, as from Sa gc amount of vice and crime existmg amon.'st the ruder masses, in comparison w.tl, rote'couutr.es where a system o rehg.on Ire .o.,souial to Ihe spiritua part ol man .pursued'. In Uoumn CathoUc countnes-- tl,c i.ro.,orl.on varyn.g, of cou se, wit. e influence of clhnate and the habits of the "eopTe-we Ihid upon authority which is arllv to bo .mcstioued, that the crime ot mder alone is from live lo fifty hU more "evtient than m Orea. Britain, for exain- ,le wliere (he vast preponcerai.ee ol the ' oHalioi. is rrotesumt We l»ve ...deed Vt to look al (he moral '•""•?; '"""f/'^t and Spain, in comparison w.th tnat ol ou own^lvou'red ...other cou.,t,y, t"bejjssure. of the fact, that the Icdency of their sys- ?eni of reh .icn. is (o leave the .nner .nan : .lately ..ntouched, a-.d to cen.-^.^e .-eliiiion in ...o.e an.n.al o.not.on. buper- stitConis (he necessary '-"-':'!»«"'^'=;,^"^ that easy, but dango.ous credu ity, vWich assumes (hat a penance can ''<'«' '^^ „..,mi"ii MuM)ne>t s word can absui e Clime, ainl iiuii ^nc \niy. y "Bifw; ...usl guard ourselves aga.nst a o..e-sidedorpar(.aUiew "'. t^.s . we,^ y lest.on; we must beware ol ru.m.. g into r oppo^Ke e.fenie. The abuse o a good hLdo«s.iol iustilyusin neglcct..ig Its "e!-muchles. does it warrant its entire ,! I ction. There must, incorporeal be.ngs, 1„ a legitimate action lor the senses ; .1 tbt , ?. , ,^.,.. it< ,.,.rt: w th the spirit ii» Uuuy iiiusl lu^'. it ■ i — l 1 I 13 the work of religion, then must the body have its appropriate exercise. And the Lord of all wisdom has himself enjomeU the employment of visible signs and em- blems in religion, in condescension to the cra- vings and necessities of our weaker nature. Prom not carefully considering this na- tural want of our corporeal being, and neglecting a suitable provision for it, many practical evils follow. An abstract con- templati\ religion, a mere intellectual anu spiritual exercise, a simple bare perception hy faith, engenders iny;.ticisni, and by and by inditlbreuce, and at last infidelity. With occupation given, m the work ol religion, to only one jjart ot man, the other is soon overburdened and diseased. The appetite being all for the intellectual, the craving in this case soon comes to be merely for what may gratify the "itchmg ear," and pander to the intellectual taste ; and soon, ^#en this kind of appetite cannot be satistied, there is a sliding oH altogether from the work of religion, because people have measured its value by its mlhience npon their understandings and imaginations. And the direct eflbct of this is, that prayer comes to l)e undervalued, and th(> work of devotion irreverently and negli- o-ently joined in. in spite, perhaps ot what They would be willing to acknowledge, such persons come to (lod^s house almost exclu- sively for the gratilication they may derive from the sermon, the Prayers are a secon- dary consideration, and in many cases, alab, no consideration at all. 14 Now this intellectual and lUystical kind bf exercise into which the work ot devotion has, in so many cases, been allbwed to dege- nerate, is a cause of the great carelessness, and the great irregularity, which members of most Protestant cdmmunions evmce m re&ardto the ordinary duties of public wor- ship, in comparison to those of the llomish faith. It is true that these last are erro- neous in their conception of the eftect and result of such devotional acts ; but the tor- mer are, in another sense, just as erroneous in taking that view of religious duty which drives them from its practical work altoge- ther. This must indeed, be a detective view, wheir it leads to such wrong and inconsistent action amongst Christian professors,-that so large a number in every community, who have been dedica ed to Christ in baptism and formally enrolled as his soldiers and servants, almost give up eoina to Church altogether ; ^hat others content themselves with a rare and very irregular attendance; that so many are listless and indifferent when they are there, that so few will avail themselves of any other* than a Sunday service, and that whole tami- lies live on and die, without becommg r^r- takers of the Lord's Supper. From such a system and such a course, infidelity must follow; and it would not be hard to make a fair comparison between infidelity and superstition, as to their res- pective evil influences upon the tone ot society and the welfare of mankind. In their respecuvfc d«vote«b this evr. »»»«=«—- 4 i 15 no doubt works differently. The one are driven on to crime by animal emotions, which reHgion has not adequately restrained ; the other, in the exercise of «n intellectual cun- ning which the force of religion has not been permitted to counteract, are unscrupulous in the commission of frauds and wicked- nesses, which though not so apparent and palpable, nre just as subversive of the healthy tone and well being of society. The view of the practical work of devo- tion and of religious exercises generally, which our pure branch of the Church of Christ inculcates, would, if carried out, keep from both these extremes. We should thus be devout without superstition, and religious without being sceptical. From the pious occupation of the whole man, sense would gain no victory over the inward and spirit- ual life; and we should be saved from the bareness and desolation of a mere specula- tive faith. The mind and spirit would not, then, be left to wander off alone, and brood by it.self, and gather up fancies, and stray into regions of doubt, and forsake Scripture, and adopt reason, and give up God, and lose heaven. If we use well the religious advan- tages that are provided for us, and guide oursi'lves by the sound princi])al and judi- cious rule whicli our Church has laid down, we should guard ourselves against all these evils. From a sober and judicious view of its spirit and its claims, we should come to a healthful and united action ii\ the work and life of Christian piety. II. We are drawn next, xn, bietUren, to, 16 » ronsideration of tte means of providing L the maintenance of Divine wo..h.p. The hou"e of God, we aveagveed, must not be left to and in nakedness and isolaUon. but tu,:leitssteadyandavpror,nateum..^ tious; and to secuve ll.eso «- ""^^^ ^'^ , „ '^; accredited dispensers ot II s ^-^ '»"; j •vnd aulliorizi'd expositors ot IDs woru ,1 :., .,11 in«t ( mes, must be a And tbese, as in all past uihl , i,„„i,.. tliPiii'^elvs— separated to tlie worn from its eorroding specu at.ons e b to ="'\°'VTbCei..s-f.tes appointed abode and -luty is >>" Z' ' " f f„t"ests r „»iUe from tlie precarim.sness and the Tuamtonante <»r '"^ u;,. nf ills sanf tuarv. W"'"' ^" ;^rChi2n;wbalwasa,>i>oinioam.] mu.ha.N IHW as '"I 1 , . ,,)amlaim'. f) ministrations is as much a duty now as then; and there is nothing to show that less cost should be expended for them in these days <>1 o-reatcr light and i)rivilege, tlian when Ihc faithful groped anrl struggled in the gloom of types ^ind shadows. The sacritic<* which cost him nothing, David, in luder and less cnliglitened times, shrunk from otl'ering: the <'learer hopes ami promises of Ciiristianity should not peimit us to make offerings now, involviufr less expenditure and self-denial. It is no sign of a purer and most earnest Christian sj^irit, that what God had made a bounded obligation, slioidd now become a discretionary oflering. But if human re- strictions have, in our case, been removed, the Divine rule is not on that acccount abol- ished. There may be the absence of direct enactments toconi])el the pnyment; but the tbrce of conscience should be as strong as any human law to bind ns io the obligation. We cannot, with safety lo our soul^, deny to God's service and \vor>hip (he proportion of «)ur earthly gains or curings which he has himself established by an equitable, and as we nmst believe, imnuilablc rnlc; for we cannot gather, from any (jnarter, a hint or indication that it was nJ-anl !<» I'C aholished or \arird„ With tho admi.-sion that tln^ divinely a))- poinlcd rule<»f lontriliution to pious and charilable purposes is binding, a (piestion may arise as to the ap])Hcatiou of this rnle in jiiactice. It may be argued that, from^ the ehantrc in the exterior circumstances of Id Xhe Church, growing out of the varying habits ami organization of society, tliis ap-* propriation should, at the present day, be considered to inchide eveiy oider of gifts to the sanctuary; every thing in short, that «ims at tlie propayaiion and maintenance of the Gospel. 1 am unv.illing to disoups this point of the subject, but would rathef leave it to the conscientious feeling and ac- tion of individual> ; contenting mys* If with the remark, that if this amount be retjular- ly and systematically apportoned, its distri- bution through a variety of channels can liardiy be thought to affect the soundness of the principal upon which it is bestowed* It can hardly matter whether the sum thus apportioned be p;iid directly as a ^oluntary offering, or, in com u* on with this, through the medium of an organized association, or though some local and parochial compact in the shape of a pew-rent, or other self-imposed ecclesiastical charge. There are differences of opinion in regatd to the ^}6tem of l)ews — not always very temperately or judiciously expressed — which n»ay render a few remarks upon the subject desirable. Many regatd the system as indispensable in the j^resent position ff the Church ; and oth' is, pleading ancient prescription. contend for their total abolition. 'J he views of both parties are entitled to everv respect an) and thus assuring to children, while in tlie house of God, tiiat oversight from their parents or guardians, which is indispensable to their order y and devout behaviour. I could not •conceive a greater misfortune to the lising generation," in towns especia'y, than the absence of this parental oversight and con* Irol during Divine service ; but this cannot be exercised unless the means exist of kecp- lUfT a famdy together while thus engaged. ^ "On the other hand, as more loom is usually allotted to families, on the pow system, than they are found liabitually to occupy, we may consider that niunbers ot persons are excluded from the services of the sanctuary at the verv time that there are actually sittings for them* This is on^ objection ; and another is, that a distinction and exclusiveness is t'.us maintained in the bouse of God, very adverse to the charitable spirit of the Gosp- 1 The privilege of a common and eijual home— as the sanctuary ehould be reganled— appears to be marred •A ^ 1 ,11— ,1,. ..i~,..,„.l V'" /«/ »nr'"''i**'^ to H nOl wilUliy uuDtivvc'l, uj v/ii« V -mj^ '-v so ike ricli what is unattainable by the poor: by assigning to the one tlie best seatB. because they can afford to pay for them, and yielding to the otlier such as are inferrior, or perhaps depriving them of a seat altoge- ther. It is doubtrid, liowever, whether ui Churches ostcnsiMy free lo all, this kind of distinction does not sooner or later show itself. There will, as a riue, be a defer- ence shown to rank and station, and it may ])e to mere wealth apart from prescriptive claim; and the probability is, that habitual occupation will generally be found, in such cases, to settle down into a sort of proprietor- ship. Here, then whore nothing is paid by any party for their seats, it avIH perhaps b(^ dis- covered that the rich have a recognized preference to the }) against a sound ircii al Ohristianitv; and, perhaps, the Pt:rmisfortune of excluding any J^jm the house of God from the lact of lamilies ™ere arc two wavs of covrecting the Jw of partiality attached to the presen^ system of letting pews, ^ne is, to throw them open annually to competition, so that In mn o^ment in petition may occasionally h Xed by perU not adv-tageous y ■iccommodated ; another is, that the lessees of pews should a'nnually draw lots for those nr ?o;r.Ud there are^ umUmi- ..blv .rent obiections, as it would mevitabl) ^nl steadily "'veto the rid. a preicreme 22 ofapprc^iHaiing sittings annually, oi at sta« ted peaotls, by lot — assuming that each bore an equal rent — would effectually meet the difficulty, if congregations could but be induced to adopt it. It would be very satis- factory to witness a trial, and tbe result of the experiment. In regard to the disadvantage attendent on the pn'sent system, of excluding a large (lumber from the Church, in consequence of families engaging more room than they can occupy ; this might be obviated by the adop- tion of a plan which, though it may be a novel one, I do not consider i^npracticable ; namely, consent on the part of lessees or proprietois to admit into their pews one or more jersanswho may he unable, from want qf means or other cause to obtain this ac- commodation independently. This might easily be settled into a rule, and made tq form a condition of lease or proprietorship. The immediate tlfect probably would be, th© stated addition to the congregation of just as many us were thus accommodated ; while it could not but .serve to lessen the force of the feeling contplained of, that the system ol pew-letting fosters an exclusiveness and t\arliality in Ciod\ house. The plan, too, I consider a practicable one; for I am sure that a very considerable number in every congregation would be willing to exiend, such accommodation, not merely to their equals in society, but tQ the poor man also^ or some portion of the poor man's family^ The eHect would be particularly benehcial, if in this way certain children or yQuvfx <\ I ^} 23 ^efsons were provided witli s^ats, wlio might not otherwise pdJ^sess them. It Would ensure their more regular attendance, and conduce, as all must admit, to their more reverent and orderly behaviour. (Ireatand undoubted good io the rising gene- ration, and to the Church at large, would i-esult from the adoption of such an arrange- ment. 'J'hese, my brethren, at-fe merely opinions and suggestions ; but if we would make anv ^ain or advance in a dispvUed question like his, we must apply ourselves practically to .he work in some such way as 1 have re-* commended. It will be in vain to set up theores and ideas, and deal with them as fundamental principles ; for while these may be unexceptionable in themselves, they would, from change of circumstances, be found impossible in practice. The great Apostle of the Gentiles hmiself drew a dis- tinction between rules and duties that were the "commai-dment of the Lord," and such as were enjoined by his own authority or judgment ; in other words, he seperaled what was a Divine and unchangeable })rnic!- ple, from that which wajj recommended b) the rulers of the Church as most conducive to present order and edification. And so, there would be modes in worsliij) itnd rules for conducting the business ol the sanctuary, which prevalent a^ they may have been in the primative times, and conducive then, in the best judgment ot the Church, to regu- larity and devotion, present views anil mo^ dern customs would render not only inex^ (^ 2^ pedient but unedifying. Conventional rules and usages will impart their hue even to subordinate ecclesiastical regulations ; and therefore, what would be suitable under a despotic government or a rude state of so- ciety, would scarcely be tolerated in a country of liberal polity and advanced civili- zation. Many things, indeed adopted in the Apostle's days, were soon dropped from the abuse to which, from human iniirraity or the shifting phases of society, they became subject. I need but instance the feast of charity, the kiss of peace, and some subor- dinate offices in the Church, — that of dea- connesses, for example, — which it was soon found inexpedient to retain. And it would be as difficult, and as unwise, to restore such customs now ; as woll as to reestablish certain acts of discipline or re-introduce pe- culiar practices in divine worship, wiiich, though they may have been sanctioned by medieval or even primitive usage, have doubtless in most cases fallen into disuse from the impossibility of maintaining them with any hope of edification or spiritual benefit. We may argue in like manner, in regard to the abolition of pews and perfect freedom in the use of Churches. It would be unwise and injurious to attempt to lay down a universal rule upon this point, or to settle as a principle what can only be safely advanced as a question of practical benefit. Any thing like an authoritative regula- tion might be attended with an abuse and mjury, which would far exceed the c Dnve- • nience of benefit that was exnected to be ) i i i 25 derived from it introduction. To compel the use of rules and customs, of secondary importance and involving no essential pnn- ciple, which are contradictory to the spirit of the age and the structure of society, would be to realize the incongruity, so wisely applied by our Saviour, of putting a piece of new garment upon an old, " where the new ma- keth a rent, and the piece which was taken out of the new agreeth not with the old. I have left myself, my brethren, but little space for adverting to the pecular position in which, as respects pecuniary recources and prospects, the Church in this Diocese is now placed. Our lawful property having been wrested from us through the strength of an outcry and the vehemence of an oppo- sition, which our most zealous friends felt themselves no longei- able to withstand, we are reduced, lor any fi) or permanent en- dowment, to a dependence upon what can be made out of the sum yielded by the com- mutation of the stipends of the Clergy.— Viewing the wreck that has been mevitable it will be eminently beneficial if ^his Cora- mutation fund can be retained in its integri- ty, and faith at the same time kept with the Clergy who have thrown their life annuities upon the hazard of this provision. A systematic liberality, even on a mode- ,ate scale, would be found to secure both. The obtaining of five thousand pounds per annum ^y a voluntary contribution, would, it is believed, remove every risk of infringe- meni upon this capital, or diminishing the fitiper 's of the clergy. This sum, distributed !2d amongst one hundred parishes, — taking these at the lowest estimate, — would require from each an average contribution of only fifty pounds annually, or a capital sum of little more than eight hundred pounds. If there be some few parishes which could Irardly give a fifth of this sum, vhere are not a few which could easily contribute five times the amount. We can hardly, then, have any ground for fearing that the actual deficiency will not be made up: vigorous and united action, follow- ing the intended appeal of our venerated Diocesan, will insure > we must think, even more than what is stated to be neces- sary to place us in a secure postion. For we can hardly be content, as a Diocese, with efl'ecting merely the supply of a defi- ciency, and then stop short. Our popula- tion is not standing still ; and tho demand for laborers in the harvest of the Church will not, as years advance, be just what it is now. We must, then, face at once the duty of creating a fund which will be adequate to- the steady increase of the number of our Missionaries. But it is time to draw to a conclusion though there are many topics still to be dealt with. And 1 cannot conclude better than by referring briefly to the foundation of all Christian action,— the love of God, and the fear of God. Ilis m*^rcy impels us to the one; His truth urges to the other. And these motives unite and blend together, to" assure the iulfilment of our allotted work. The one makes it pleasant, as a thank-ofter- ing which the best emotions of our nature -(K i prompt us to make : the other renders it dutiful and Imperative, even where the infir- mity of the natural man might render it con- strained or distasteful. We have talents committed to us, — some more, some less ; and it should be our joy to apply them to our heavenly Master's honor : it will be our ruin eternally, if we wantonly misapply or neglect them. As Christians, we have our peculiar privi- leges ; and these require that we should be a "peculiar people." From being "children of wrath," we have become " children of grace ;" but the grace by which we are saved through faith, indicates that, as God's workmanship, we are to be " zealous of good works." We are bound to the service of our Lord in heaven, as being bought with the price of his blood : it would not, then, be either thankful in us, or safe, to show ourselves un- fruitful servants. Our Master above has work for us to do, and we have solemnly co- venanted to perform it : it will neither be right not prudent in us to neglect our allot- ted task, and appear in his presence unable to give a satisfactory account of what we have done in the body for his kingdom and people. VVe are, as Christians, and as Christian ministers especially, " stewards" of the high- est and most weighty trust that can be com- mitted to mortal men ; and " it is required ill stewards tba a man be found faithful." — An inestimable and imperishable prize is set before us, as the achievement of the lie- 4 I 28 deemer's sfttisfactfon and obedience ; but there must be a race, and combat, and strug- gle, to secure it. Nothing else than vigor and zeal, during the day of our work be- fore the night cometh, will ensure us this ad- dress of welcome at the last, " Well done, good and faithful servant ; enter thou into the joy of thy Lord."