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Les diagrammes suivants illustrent la m^thode. 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 1 ■ m ' 0" '«***"f rnnrvrr M f i ^r*rfr^rnr^rror>nr' i nr^-rrvr < ff't--f-l-\fl if ^"fn 1 .IT ;4 1 i i i i i « I' I i * i tif 1 A PASTCllAL LETTER, ADDRESSED TO THE CLERGY OF HIS DIOCESE, BT THE RIGHT REV. FRANCIS FULFORD, D,D. Horn SU^a^ of MantxetO. ^ " * S'^r i ~ » 'v>r^-^* ii -rvwM' W^ juM MONTREAL: PRINTED BT JOHN LOVELL, ST. mCHOLAS STREET. 1851. " Occupy till I come." St. Luke, xix. 13, i PASTORAL LETTER, Montreal, 6tk November, 1851. Revsrend and Dear Brethren, In consequence of certain proceedings of the Agents of '*the Colonial Church and School Sockiy'^ in this Diocese, I thought it my duty, having invited several of the Clergy and Laity of this city and neighbourhood to meet me at the National School-room on the 24th of October last, to explain to them my reasons for objecting to the operations of that Society. The character of a Christian Bishop is the property of his Diocese, and so are his opinions on all questions of this nature ; and being anxious to avoid all misrepresentations, I lost no time in taking this method of communicating with various members of our Church, including all those who had taken any prominent part in advocating the cause of ** the Colonial Church nnd School Society^* in Montreal ; and with the same object in view, I now forward to you the statement contained in this Pastoral Let- ter, which is in substance very much itie same with what I said at that meeting. And inasmuch as the name of the Archbishop of Canterbury has been freely made use of, as giving his sanction to their operations, and his approval of Ihe Rules of that Society, I have also forwarded to His Grace, a copy of this letter. Betore I left England to assume the important charge, and heavy responsibilities peculiar to the ofRce of a Bishop, I called on His Grace, the Atxjhbishop, to take leave of him, as my Metropolitan, when he sent me forth on my Mission with many words of kindness, of coun- sel, and of blessing- He exhorted me in these times of trouble, division and controversy, to be " temperate in all things," to strive to gather together in one the members of Christ's flock placed under my care, and to lead them on ** in unity of spirit, in the bond of peace and righteousness of life." Without pretending to make professions for the future, I referred his Grace to my past Ministry, and assured him that I should <-ndeavour to carry out, as a Bishop, the same faithfulness to my trust, the same inoderatioii, tho same charity, which I hoped hail market! my course in an inferior station. You are, I doubt not, well aware of tho state in which I found tho Church on my arrival, its wants and weaknesses, and the various diffi- cuUies I have had to encounter, both in this city and in the Diocese at largo. The immense extent of the old Diocese before its subdivi- sion, and the distance at which yonr late respected Diocesan lesided^ precluded the possibility, even with ail his known activity and expe- rience, of his giving that minute attention to your concerns, which was so desirable ; it was the conviction of this fact that made his Lord>^hip so earnestly seek some relief in his labours. In consequence I was greeted on my arrival, with one jreneral expression of satisfac- tion, from both Clergy and Laity, at the appointment of a Bishop for Montreal, since now they should have a point of unity amongst them, a rpsident head and overseer, who might give life and energy to the whole body of the Church. The Clergy presented me with an address, in which they said : * " We beg to assure you of our hearty desire to co-operate earnestly and " faithfully with your Lordship in your labours for the spread of the Oospel, « and the interests of the Church of God," *#**»»*»♦ The Laity also waited upon me for a similar purpose, (and amongst their names I see several of those who are advocating this *' Colonial Church and School isiociety,^^) and I was told by them s * • * • " As Laymen, we do not presume to enter into your Lordshio's councils, " but sensible of the great bencsfits which must result from comb.iied nction, " and a g«M>d understanding txjtween the Clergy and Laity, we respectfully " tender you our cordi.il co-operation in all mutters in which your Lordship " may be pleased to require our services for the prosperity of the Church," * In replying to the Clergy I said :••••••*••• •' V\ hen I contemplate the wide and arduous field of duty that is opened " before me, and remember my own insufficiencies and weakness, I do indeed " look with strong confidence and hope to your assurance of your hearty •* desire to co-operate with me in my labours for the spread of the Gospel, " and the interests of the Church of God ; and above all, I rely upon your *< continuing to oifcr up constant prayers, that I may be encouraged and " strengthened by God's Holy Spirit in the ilischarge of my important duties." To the Laity I replied :** •••••••••••• " The assurance you have given me of your cordial co-operation with me, »' is a great encouragement to me at the commencement of my administration «' of the affairs of this extensive Diocese :— it is to you. gentlemen, that I i« shall look with hope and confidence." ♦**»»###♦» With this interchange of mutual greeting, I commenced, with good faith, my labours amongst you. I determined to be no party-Bishop, to discountenance in every way a partizan-spirit. You can form some judgment whether I have acted up to that determination. I hoped that by moderation, and temperate administration, and the exercise of charity, that much misunilerstanding of one another might be removed, that good and earnest hearts, though not always agreeing in all particulars, might yet work together for the welfare of our common Mother, and the salvdtion of men. Wherever I saw devotedness and piety I wished to acknowledge and foster it, and '* to live amongst my Clergy, (as I told them in my answer to their address) in the closest relations of confidential intercourse and mutual regard." Oiie of our earliest works was, the reorganization of our " Diocesan Church Society," through the agency of which, it was contemplated that we might develop the energies and powers of the Church amongst us, collect and distribute funds for building and endowing Churches, the establishment of Schools and Libraries, and any other good works of a kindred character. This formed a common centre where we have all met together ; and I believe it is generally acknow- ledged that wc were proceeding in the happiest spirit of harmony. And if I may credit the repeated declarations made to me from all quarters, there was every reason to look with renewed hope and con- fidence to the prospects of the Church amongst us. The Rev. W. Bond, (who is now Agent for the Colonial Church and School Society,) at the General Meeting of our Diocesan Church Society, (of which ho is Societary,) pubiiely expressed himself as follows : • " He remembered thiit when o)i tha Atlantic, the vessel he was in was " thrown on her beam ends, and all was in confusion, until one voice was " heard ordering this aovl directing tiiat, and all again was safe. He hoped " that the Bi.shop wuuUl bu the samu pilot and director to the Church in " C:inaid strife, caused by the introduction of a separate agency in the very same field ; and I could not see my way clear, so as to allow me to accede to his proposal. " The Society for the Propagation of the Gospel " is now engage on such grounds appealed to the Clergy of this Diocese, he had also informed them that he knew that their own Bishop had decidedly objected to the Society's operations here ? He admitted that he had not done so — thia was hardly fair to them or to me. On Friday, the 24th of October, I met certain of the Clergy and Laity, as stated at the beginning of this letter, and declared to them the reasons for my objections, in substance very nearly the same with what I now lay before yon. J have since received from Mr. Bond, as Secretary of the newly formed "Corresponding Committee of the Colonial Church and School Society," a letter dated October 31, in which he announces to me the determination of the Committee to persevere in carrying out their operations ; he also says : " Though the Committee do not view the control which the Society im- " poses upon those it supports, as being likely to clash with your Lordship's " Episcopal jurisdiction ; yet they do not consider a possible contingency, a " just reason for refusing the pruiTcred aid, inasmuch as there is no present " intention on the part of the Society to send out Clergymen or Candidates "for ordination." Putting the cade then of Mr. Gavin out of the question, it is not the present intention of th? Society to send out clergymen or candi- dates for ordination. But at any rate if the *' possible contingency" should arise, *< the control, which the Society imposes on those it supports," will always be carefully held in reserve. At present, however, they merely send out schoolmasters of a Missionary spirit, to act as Catechists also, and Scripture-readers, and to have spiritual charge of the Hospital. The line of distinction becomes hardly per- ceptible ; and when I read in the Society's printed Reports the state- ment of its objects, viz : — " 1. The object of the Society is to make known the Gospel of Christ by " sending Clergymen, Catechists, and Sch(M)l masters to our fellow-subjecis in " the Colonies and Foreign lands. The coiiiexion subsisting between these " three classes of Missionary agency is so intimate, that many advantages " result from their combinations : And when I recur again to the first Rule, as given above, if 1 ac- knowledge their servicer, as now proposed, I really don't see on what possible principle I can refuse entire co-operation. Moreover these schools are not pretended to be under the control of the Bishop or Clergy, as such ; the schools are to be " open to their visits ;" but so they would be to the visit of any subscriber, or any neighbour or respectable stranger ; and the books, and consequently the teaching, are entirely subject to the approval of the Committee in London. It is true it is stated in Rule 3, that every Clergyman is to be subject to the Ecclesiastical jurisdiction of his Diocesan. But what does that mean, if'' the selection, appointment, removal, and field of labour, to- 11 gether with the amount of their respective salaries are to rest entirely with the Committee in London ?" But how is the Society to know any- thing about the merits of the case ? They refuse to trust the Bishop, the Episcopus, the " superintendent" of the Church ; a '* possible con- tingency may arise,*' and it would be unwise not to be prepared. Their own Agent in this Diocese, I see, is styled in their reports a <* superintendent ;" and after he has made his visitation, on his re- port, I suppose, when the Bishop is not quite in their confidence, the control imposed upon those who are supported by the Society is to be exercised ; they are to be subjected to removal, or in case of opposi- tion ,Tom them or the Bishop, to suspension of their salaries. If I withdraw a license from any of the Clergy, they have, as a protec- tion, a right of appeal under my Patent ; but against the decisions of this Society there is no appeal : they are final and absolute. It has been represented to rae that this claim of the Society, under Rule 3, is simply analogous to a case of lay-patronage in England. But there is, in fact, no such analogy between them. A lay-Patron has a certain right vested in him, which he is able to exercise only under certain circumstances, — that is " sede vacante." In such an emergency he presents a Clergyman for institution ; the Bishop is obliged under certain regulations to admit him : but the moment he is instituted, the Patrons' right is dormant as it were, until another vacancy legally occurs. What a state of confusion would ensue, if in any large Diocese every Patron had, not only the right of presenta- tion on a vacancy, but also the right of visitation, suspension and re- moval at will of any clergyman, who held a living in his gift ! Again, I have been urged to accept the aid oflfered, since no case of difference is likely (it is said) to occur, and we are, indeed, sadly in want of help. Now, as I told Mr. Dunn, I have no wish to have every thing left to depend upon the individual responsibility and judgment of the Bishop. I shall be too glad to have assistance, to have assessors, to whom I may delegate a portion of my burden ; so that the decisions of the Church may rest on a broader basis, and ap- prove themselves as the voice of the body at large. But it is one thing to act with the Church here in any recognized capacity ; and a very diflferent thing for a Committee of private individuals in London to claim, as the price of their services, a surrender to them of an im- portant portion of the Episcopal office. Such an act, in my judg- ment^ has the appearance of simony : I feel that I dare not acqui- esce in it. In some quarters, very few I believe, I have been charged with tyranny. I cannot but think that there may be tyranny exercised against Bishops, as well as by them: that there is a tyranny to be 12 i !■ J I' I I'l I feared of a worse description, emanating from an authority less scriptu;al, and establishod for ends less truly evangelical than that of Pishops : viz. the tyranny of a private Committee, either sitting in L )ndon or in Montreal, assuming irresponsible power, against whic I there is no appeal, — narrowing the terms of the Church's comn union, and acting in direct opposition to the principles of the Keformation. The Reformers cast ofTtho foreign usurped jurisdiction of the Pope, and restored Diocesan Episcopacy to its legitimate action and authority ; but here we have a Committee in London seeking again to destroy it, and erecting on its ruins a popedom of their own. As a religious duty, for my own sake, for the sake of the clergy, I must, at once, on principle, resist such an unscriptural and illegal assumption of irresponsible power. Let us suppose a parallel case. There are a great many difficul- ties and differences in the Church at home at present, and in many places spiritual destitution not to be equalled amongst ourselves. Now if a Committee were formed in Montreal for correcting and amending this state of things, and if we sent an agent with a printed report of our rules and proceedings in his hand to any of the English Bishops to ask for his sanction and cooperation in his Diocese, vhat would be his Lordship's reception of such a proposal, when he saw that, according to Rule 3, to provide for certain ** possible con- tingencies," we meant to retain in our power, " the selection, appoint- ments, removal , field of labour, &c.," of all whom we employed ? And what is the difl!erence of the principle, when applied to ourselves here? And here I wish to make an observation respecting the extraor- dinary manner in which this Society has sought to commence its operations. We have recently been formed into a new Diocese, and I have but just entered rpon my Episcopate. A new Society is formed in i-oudon, for the purpose of commencing vigorous opera- tions here and elsewhere in the Colonies ; its Committee profess to be churchmen, acting under high Episcopal sanction at home, and desirous of acting in connection with the Bishop here. Now what knowledge have I got of this Society, or its purposes or proceedings? A gentleman from Newfoundland, in Deacon's orders as I am informed, calls here, and places in my hand a printed Report. Not one line of commendation does he bring even from the Secretary of the Society in London ; much less either from the Bishop of New- foundland or the Archbishop of Canterbury. Is this the way for a Society of Churchmen to act ? Had I no higher ground of objection, I should have been fully justified in declining to act with any agent who produced no credentials. 13 rity less hail that er sitting against Church's les of the risdiction sgitimate London pedom of ke of the scriptural J difficul- ir) many urselves. cling and a printed 3 Ilnglish ise, vhat when he iible con- , appoint- r ed ? And ourselvea extraor- nenco its (?ese, and ociety is Js opera- profess to ome, and fow what einliiigs? as I am oil. Not cretary of of New- vay for a objection, ny agent My" objections, as you will have gathered from this statement, are thus threefold. 1. I object to the Rules of the Society, as being in opposition to the principles of the Church. 2. I object to the conduct of the Agents — to the manner in which the Society's operations have been introduced and conducted. 3. I object to the introduction of the Society into this Diocese, as being calculated to create disunion amongst us, where we were united ; and therefore producing weakness instead of strength. I am well aware that in acting, as I have done, I have subjected myself to animadversion, and I fear to some misrepresentations. But to adopt the language of the mild and excellent Rishop Home, when writing on a somewhat similar subjt;ct : " Writers and teachers •who make it a point to give no offence treat these " things very tenderly ; but he wl o, in certain cases, gives men no offence, " will for that reason give tliem no instruction. Light itself is painful to " weak eyes ; but delightful to them when grown stronger, and reconciled to " it with use ; and he who was instrumental in bringing them, to a perfect " state of vision, though less acceptable at first, may yet for his real kindness, " be more cordially thanked afterwards, than if he had made the ease and " safety of his own person, the measure of his duty" Home's works, vol. 1 p. 466. Those persons who do not know my reasons for objecting, and who look simply at the grievous wants of our people, may naturally think me unjustifiable in refusing the proffered aid. But I feel confident that whatever success may attend the Society's operations here, will be the unnatural developement of one particular limb, and that it will impair the general healthy action of the whole body. I could not have prevented its being a cause of disunion had I remained Bilent, or even joined their Committee. A large body of the Clergy, and many of the laity, would, I know, have still held suspiciously aloof; and that united energy and communion, which we might have looked for in our <* Djocesan Church Society," must be grie- viously disturbed. 1 am not ignorant of our pressing wants ; but my first object was to try and gather together our people, and then seek to develop our strength. A Bishop has to consider his Diocese, as a whclt, and must ponder over many schemes and plans for its good ; which however can never be effectually carried out, if every private device is to be put forth independently of, if not in opposi- tion to, the general working. I may be weak in many ways, and unequal to meet the many difficulties around us ; but my episcopate is yet in its infancy. I have, however, endeavoured to discharge my duty, as best I was able ; and, I believe, I may say that some pro- gress has been making. This Diocese, as now constituted, is about as large as the whole of England, and our missions are scattered over u ft !i i :ii; a large portion of the country. I have traveled about 2000 miles In the fulfilment of official duties. I have visited all the Missions except four. I have preached in nearly every Church, in several two or three times, besides my frequent ministrations in the Ca- thedral. I have consecrated five Churches ; and preparations have been made for building as many more, some of Avhich are advancing towards completion. And five additional Clergymen have been licensed by me, whose salaries are defrayed with smaller aid from England, than perhaps in any five consecutive appoint- ments ever before made. If some causes have been in operation, which have prevented our effecting all we wished in this city, yet here too we have something (o show. I would refer you to the im- proved state of the National School — the Library with 1000 volumes already on its shelves — to the success that has attended " the Diocesan Female school," only opened in May last, in which there are now 38 pupils, 11 of them being daughters of clergymen, — to St. Anne's Church, in ruins last year, and now open again for Divine Service, the second building surpassing the former one— to the reor- ganization and healthy action of our own Diocesan Church Society ; and we only want a farther increase of its funds to enable it, accord- ing to its constitution, to carry out in a legitimate way, all the objects contemplated by this newly introduced " Colonial Church and School Society." I know the wants of our people in the Hospital, and that we require the regular services of a clergyman for that and other duties, as a city Missionary ; and there are three other Missions, which if I had the means, I should wish, as I have been earnestly petitioned to do, to open at once. For these purposes we want at least £500 a year— we want also £500 a year for schools : — and £1000 to assist in building Churches and carrying out the pro- posed plan of partial endowments. But ought we, even to obtain all this help, to sell our birthright? When the clergy come and tell me their ditficulties and wants, and how good works are suspended, and opportunities are being lost, for want of funds, it often pains me, to be able to give them such little aid ; and I have marvelled greatly at the large amount of good that has been eflected, and is doing here, with means so limited. But if we must say to them, "silver and gold have we none," at least we may givu them God's blessihg, and believe that if we * •••»•••»• "Seek first the kingilona of (lorl, and his ri;>hteousness, all these "things shall be actded unto us. Take therefore :io thought for the mo - " row for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient " unto the day is the evil thereof." I have felt obliged for your sakes to speak somewhat of myself } but you will bear with me. I can assure you that I have not been 15 hasty in deciding to take my present course in opposition to this Society. I know the evil of controversy and the difficulties of con- tending, even for the truth, without losing our charity. I have wished to look to principles, not persons, and hope still to have kindly intercourse with those, from whom I diflfer on this subject. May God give us all grace so to act, o.^ becomes the Gospel of Christ. J may possibly subject myself to the chance of being designated, either here or elsewhere, by names intended popularly to affix on me the stigma of a party, or identify me with those who are accused of being innovators and disturbers of the Church. I trust, if this should be 80, that it will not trouble you n ore than it will me. I appeal to twenty three years labours in the ministry, to the manner in which the public services of the Church were conducted by me ; and to the character I left behind me, where I was known. You are judges of my course of action, since I came into this Diocese. I have always laboured to uphold " the truth" as contained in the word of God, and taught by the Church, and quietly and soberly to act on her principles. Ha who iloes less, is not fahhful to his trust. You must be fully aw*ire that there are two distinctive principles connected with our communion : " the Episcopate," and ** the Book of Common Prayer." And in the Episcopate there are two ele- ments — •" orders,'' and ** jurisdiction rnd superintendence." I honor sincerity and consistency in those, who, dissenting from our commu- nion, are faithful to their own principles. But if we ourselves con- sider our '* orders" of no importance, allow Episcopal ** jurisdiction and superintendence" to be over-ruled — and the Prayer Book" superseded, as our Service-Book and Rule of faith, what grounds of consistency, what bond of union remains ? Whatever then may be the consequence, we must maintain each of these principles amongst ourselves, and act upon them. And if, in doing so, it shall happen that our good be evil spoken of, I may lament the fact, as an unhappy sign of the times, but shall not be surprised. You will also weigh such conduct in the balance, and estimate it at its intrinsic value. If I have at all understood the temper of the Clergy and Laity, during that free intercourse which I have had with them during my tour throughout the Diocese, I believe that there are many with honest and true hearts, who, when they know the state of the question, will stand by their Bishop, in opposition to any external, usurped, autho- rity, come from what source it may: and to God's blessing I com- mend you, and them, and all the brethren ; and I ask your prayers. Anxious to the best of my ability, by God's grace assisting me, to discharge faithfully the arduous ministrations of my high and respon- ! ill ] sible office, I fling rayself unreservedly, as I feel I am justified in doing, upon that duty and affection \vhich, as Bishop and Chief Pas- tor of the Church in this Diocese, I have a right to claim from all the Clergy and Laity of our communion. I remain, Reverend and Dear Sirs, Your faithful Brother in Christ, F. MONTREAL. ip H".: ified in ief Pas- from all EAL.