r ^'•^, .r.'j- ^v. LIBRA. RY V. OF THE This olo-gi'Cal Seminar y, PRINCETON, N. J. Case, ..BA5'=120:. Shelf, \ r\^ I ^ Bookf Nq,_.. V -• m « ^- # , # ^^ •V Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2009 with funding from Princeton Theological Seminary Library http://www.archive.org/details/conditionprospecOOayde • # * § f^ t 4' wKf f- THE • CONDITION AND PROSPECTS OF THE PROTESTAIVT EPISCOPAL CHURCH. -;f B. P. AYDELOTT, D. D. ^» Cincinnati: WM. H. MOORE &C0; NEW YORK MARK H. NEWMAN & COj THILADELPHIA HERMAN HOOKER. 1848. t ^ . ...itU^ .TO THE MINISTERS AND MEMB:ER1 " OF THE PROTESTANT EPISCOPAL CHURCH. Never was there a time since the organization of ou:r church, that called more loudly for serious reflection, and prompt, energetic action, than the present. The enemy has come in like a flood. y, We have seen the doctrine of Justification by faith only, and nearly every other great principle of our Protestant church, openly denied and opposed. We have seen leading men among us publicly arraying themselves on the side of Popish corruptions, and giving to them their official sanction. Wo have seen our most important institutions lending their aid to diffuse these evils far and wide. We have seen intro- duced into our ministry men professing their attachment to Romish errors, and rejecting the most precious truths of the ^ 4 PREFACE. gospel of the grace of God. All these, and many similar evils have we seen ; and yet we have not seen a single instance of their authors and abettors being called to account. So far from this, their treachery to Protestantism has been their glory, and their wickedness against God the very ground of their exaltation. » As the result of all this, those among us who earnestly contend for the faith once delivered to the saints are loaded with obloquy and contempt ; our missionary and other benevolent societies become more and more feeble; a painful and para- lysing mistrust prevails through the whole length and breadth of our church; religion daily declines among us; a check is put to our extension; and while christians of other evangelical denominations look upon us with deep sorrow of heart, papists glory in our waning Protestanism, and exult at their acces- sions from our ranks. What a humiliating, sinful spectacle! And yet every observing, thoughtful man will see that we have sketched a mere outline of the present condition of our church, and that faithfully to fill it up, would but add a deeper darkness to the picture. Are we, then, to despair? By no means. Is it not written — " When the enemy shall come in like a Jiood, the spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him?" There is life, there is light, there is piety, there is strength enough among us, were they only faithfully put forth, to work out for us even now, under heaven's blessing, a great deliverance. m ^ PREFACE. 5 Let us then quit ourselves like men, and be strong. Let but our evangelical ministry consider " the great treasure com- mitted to their charge, — that it is their solemn duty to drive away from the church all erroneous and strange doctrine contrary to God's word;" let but each one of us, ministers and people, in his several place faithfully lift up his voice and put forth his hand, and we have no reason to fear the result. The truth as it is in Jesus will triumph. Popery will be exposed and cast out, and a pure Protestantism be established throughout our Zion. It is a great and very injurious mistake to suppose that our present evils have been of sudden growth. The seeds of them were long since sown, and they have gradually taken Toqf,, and grown up '^ while men slept,^^ till the dreadful harvest is now visible in all parts of our church. It is important to be well aware of this fact, in order that we may see the duty and necessity of searching deeply into the causes of our troubles, and making a thorough reformation work. Perad- venture some of us — even the best friends of a Protestant Christianity — may find that we are endeavoring to reconcile impossibilities; that we are cherishing, or at least are very little concerned about, certain things which will be sure to bring upon us future invasions of the papal antichrist, even should we now be able to cast him out. Oh brethren, is it not a time with us for close, faithful self-searching; a looking down deep into our foundation; a thorough scrutiny of the whole superstructure; and a full, I* 6 PREFACE. honest expose of the results? "We must, in this our day of trial, rise above the fear and the favor of man; we must resist every desire of ease; we must quench every ambitious aspiration ; we must be very faithful for Christ and his gospel. — or as a church, we are lost, lost, — and if, indi- vidually any of us are at last saved, it will be as it were by fire. Such being our sad condition, what must we think of those who endeavor to cover up the whole matter, and " cry peace, peace, when there is no peace? " What must we think of such men? Is it not to be feared that the character of too many of them may be learned in the parable of the tares — "While •men slept the enemy came and sowed tares." These professed friends of the church wish us to sleep on. "Why," say they, " disturb the peace of the church? There is no reason for apprehension; all is well; or, at least, will turn out well, if we only keep still." Thus do they, with good words and fair speeches, deceive the hearts of the simple. And when this smooth course fails, and men cannot be cajoled, but will lift up the voice of honest alarm; why then they must be branded as disturbers of the church, and their influence in this way be destroyed. Thus do these men endeavor to quiet every fear, hinder all investigation, and suppress every faithful remonstrance. What, then, must we think of such professed friends of the- church? If it was the evemy that sowed tares while men slept, certainly they must be his friends who would prolong this fata^ sleep. The Lord awaken ■#^ ^* PREFACE. 7 US to a sense of our danger before it be too late! Very many of us, it is to be feared, have already slept the sleep of death. In the following pages an attempt has been made to point out some of the more prominent evils of our church, and the remedy for them. While the writer has sought to do this in all kindliness of spirit and language, he trusts that he has not been wanting in plainness and fidelity. Had he consulted his own ease or interests he would certainly have never again taken up his pen, however strongly solicited. But personal ease and interest ought to be with us a very small thing, when weighed in the balance against the cause of Christ and of never-dying souls. He has endeavored to write with the judgment seat full in view. The different Essays, as they originally appeared in the Episcopal Recorder, of Philadelphia, and were copied into other periodicals, both in this country and in England, the writer has reason to believe were read with serious attention, and were not unproductive of beneficial results. They are republished in their present form, upon the suggestion of valued christian friends, with the hope that they may have a still wider circulation, and contribute, with the blessing of Heaven, yet more largely to advance the gospel of the grace of God among us, and thus bring, in rich abundance, a true 4 peace to our now troubled church. B. P. AYDELOTT.' Cincinnati, Oct. 1, 1847. ^ m '^r^^^ CONTENTS. ADDRESS TO MINISTERS AND MEMBERS, &c. Dangerous condition of the Church, — Necessity of vigorous action, — Startling facts, — Faithfulness may yet save us from total apostacy, &:.c., — Seeds of Romanism long since sown among us, — A thorough reformation called for, — Policy of Romanizers to cover over their designs and doings, &oC. 3-7 INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER. Popish errors and practices rampant, — All our benevolent operations embarrassed and enfeebled, — Distrust and alarm universal, — Causes of our evils must be thoroughly inves- tigated. 13-15 CHAPTER IT. Want of carefulness in admitting to the ministry, — Literary and theological requisitions quite high, but religious char- acter and spiritual fitness for the work little regarded, — An alarming fact. 16-21 CHAPTER III. To preach the Gospel, the great work of the ministry, — The Gospel a simple, clear, definite message, — Its great truths, — Man's natural character and condition, God's counsels of grace and mercy, man's obligations, &c., — The Gospel altogether peculiar, — Is it faithfully preached among us ? — An interesting case, the testimony of a converted lady. 22-29 % m 10 CONTENTS. CHAPTER IV. A most important scriptural principle, — To spiritual men belong spiritual things, — This principle almost entirely overlooked in our organization, — Vestry, — Diocesan and general convention, — Hence we are continually liable to be flooded with error and worldliness, — An infidel may sit in our general convention, — The world and Popery fast friends, — Hence much of our troubles. 30-43 CHAPTER V. The Lord's supper, — Exercises of the converted man in view of it, — Confirmation, qualifications for it, — Abuses of con- firmation and evils growing out of these, — A significant case, — The communion office, — Repentance, faith, holy character essential to the communicant, — Great unfaith- fulness here, and the mischievous consequences,— Pusey- ism and Romanism the natural results of lax communion. 44-54 CHAPTER VI. The church of Christ, — Her duty, honor, position, &c., — The Roman Anti-christ, — Its character, &c., — The Bible lost sight of, universal corruption and despotism, — The dark ages, — The true radical principle of Popery, — The same principle at the foundation of High Churchmanship, — Bishop Hobart's theology, its Romish character and ten- dencies,— Rev. Dr. , — his conversion and faithful preaching, — The history of a candidate, his painful dis- coveries and anticipations, — These last now mournfully realized, — Our only remedy. 55-69 CHAPTER VII. A cunning device of Satan, to fix men's minds on forms and ceremonies, and draw them off" from truth and piety, — Have we been thus deluded ? — Justification by faith,— Let- ter of a candidate indicating a sad state of things, — An- other Carey ordination, — A bishop denying justification by faith, — Regeneration, or a change of heart, — A faithful bishop assailed, — Looseness of discipline, — A shocking case of wickedness, — We must return to Scriptural discipline and preaching, — This alone can save us. 70-83 COiNTENTS. 1 I CHAPTER VIII. What is idolatry ? — Idolatry a great besetting sin of human nature, — Rome, baptized heathenism, — The idolatry of the church, its power among us, — He is no churchman who will not bow down to this idol, — The idolatry of the Prayer Book, — No work of man perfect, — The idolatry of Episco- pacy,— The miserable results of this idolatry, — We must be honest and above the fear of man, we must tell the truth plainly, — The times demand such faithfulness from us, — How this idolatry has grown to such a height among us, — Selfish men, and ambitious men, and easy men, all help on this idolatry, — Hence, so many small men in our high places, they exalt the Bishop and the Bishop exalts them,— Manli- ness specially called for in these days, — The Apostle Paul an eminent example of manliness, — our idolatries are driv- ing us rapidly onward to Rome. 84-104 CHAPTER IX. The wisdom and piety of our Reformers, they were far from supposing the Prayer Book perfect, — They made it as good as a corrupt, civil government and the ignorance of the times would let them, — It is reasonable to suppose the Re- formers did not themselves get rid of all Romish influences, facts show that they did not, — We are now troubled with these remnants of popery left us by the Reformers, — The communion office in the American Prayer Book changed for the worse from the English Book, — The absolution, two-faced, — The baptismal office admits three interpreta- tions,— Baptismal regeneration, ecclesiastical regeneration, spiritual regeneration, — Its aspect and the impression it is calculated to make, are, to some extent, Popish, — We must reform this office or bo continually liable to Popish out- breaks. 105-119 CHAPTER X. An opponent commended, — The Churchman, — Bishop Meade and baptism, — High church views of baptism, the churcji, &c., — Totally opposite to those of evangelical Christians, — Occidentalis, — His candor and manliness, — Two entirely different gospels and kinds of religion among us, — If the one is true, the other must be soul-destroying error, — The great cause of our present troubles, a want of candor and manliness in evangelical men. . _ 120-136 12 CONTENTS. CHAPTER XI. The danger of power, — to be carefully guarded, — Are not our bishopsalmost totally irresponsible ? — Imperfection of our legislation, — A case in point, — Exemplification of grievous oppression, — No adequate remedy for episcopal oppression — A bishop, again and again, under aggravating circumstances, and with nwre than impunity, grossly assails the character of others from the press, — A bishop guilty of lewd conduct could not be called to account, — Episcopal veto upon the diocesan convention, — Hints at the entire exclusion of the laity from our conventions, — Secret sessions of the House of Bishops — A Judge's opinion of this, — It is utterly op- posed to all our civil institutions, — It must result in despot- ism,— Our present evils naturally grow out of episcopal irresponsibility. 137-151 CHAPTER XII. Necessity of deep earnestness, — What ought we to do ? — Preach the gospel, — False gospels, — Reformers to be care- fully studied, — Prayer, special, fervent prayer needed, — The press, — Its power for evil, — The duty of ministers and intelligent laymen here, — Wilberforce's Practical View, — Our religious periodical press, — The wickedness and mis- chief of a selfish, unfaithful editor, — An error to be correct- ed,— The inconsistency between high church views and evangelical principles, — One or the other soon given up, — Sad examples, — Bishop Hobart's theology leads to Popery, — Bishop Wilson's (of India) noble testimony against high churchism and Puseyism, — Our evils ought to be brought up at every convention, — The policy of the enemy to pre- vent discussion,-^If the friends of the gospel are silent, all is lost, — The authors of Popish outrages to be called to ac- count — A general correspondence between the friends of the gospel, — Consultation, &c., — The necessity of a revised book of common prayer, — The need of eminent pel"sonal piety, — A general revival of religion is our great want, — This would speedily destroy Puseyism, &c., — Division per- haps necessary, — False views of unity, — A Popish idol, — The prospect bright for the friends of the truth, if only candid, manly, faithful, — Our present deplorable evils long foreseen and predicted. 152-176 •Wr CONDITION AND PROSPECTS OF THE PROTESTANT EPISCOPAL CHURCH. INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER. The heart of every good man iii our Zion trembles for the Ark of the Lord. Troublous times have come upou us. Popish errors, both doctrinal and practical, supposed to be long since dead, never to be revived again, have become rampant, while truth languishes in our midst, and the Spirit of God withholds his refreshing influences. All complain of the little fruits of their preaching ; a deadness seems to have come over the whole Church ; while here and there a voice is heard to protest against the fatal errors, openly but most often covertly attempted to be spread through our borders. The enemy shows himself in the pulpit, in the Sunday-school, in 14 CONDITION AND PROSPECTS &C. the periodical press. Hence the universal alarm and distrust, and in very many cases, despair of better things. Who does not see that such a state of things must embarrass our missionary and all other be- nevolent operations, prevent the extension of our church, which has grown so much till recently, and ere long cause too many of our best members to quit us in despondency. These evils have already been painfully manifested, and they will soon, it is to be feared, so thicken about us that even the most blind and unconcerned cannot re- main insensible to them. What has produced this state of things? Whence have these calamities come upon us ? But a short time ago none made such strong claims to true Protestant character as we ; none made more encouraging advances in enlightened piety, and none more largely extended their borders. But what a disastrous change has come over us ! Is there no hope for us ? Must we ever sit by the rivers of Babylon? And never again take our harps from the willows? There is hope, mercy is not clean gone for ever ! Let us only be faithful to ourselves, and we shall find a very present help in this our time of need. GO TO THE ROOT OF THE EVIL. 15 But what to is be done? Yes, what is to be done? Let every friend of Christ and his Church among us, think deeply upon this ques- tion, and pray much in view of our evils, and he will assuredly get eyes to see, a heart to feel, and a spirit strong to do — what is to be done. When the faithful physician has a case com- mitted to him, he first endeavors to find out the cause of the disease, with the strongest confidence that if he can get light here he can scarcely fail of bringing relief to his patient. This is wise, all experience confirms it. Let us then imitate it. Is the whole head sick ? and the whole heart faint ? And is there not a cause ? And what hope can we have of a restoration to spiritual health till this cause be thoroughly searched out and faithfully exposed ? # 16 CONDITIONS* AND PEOSPECTS &C. CHAPTER 11. In a former number the writer strove to turn the attention of his readers to the importance of faithfully examining into the causes of the pre- sent deplorable state of our Church. This he did with the deep conviction that unless these causes were thoroughly understood we could have no reasonable hope of deliverance. He now pro- poses briefly to point out some of these causes. But before proceeding to this task, let him dis- claim all intention to speak reproachfully, or in the spirit of fault-finding. He is too sensible of his own defects and unfaithfulness, to dare do this. And the occasion calls rather for sorrow than anger. He would also ask his readers not to judsfe of his opinion of the different topics by the order in which they are presented. He must take up each one as his circumstances admit. And, lastly, he would have no one suppose that there are no other causes, or^j|iat the writer sees none, besides those brought forward in these short essays. Doubtless many more will occur to other and more experienced minds : and should rXCOXVERTED MIXISTERS. 17 his imperfect attempts be the means of calling out such to take a part in this painful but necessary- work, he will think, should he see no other fruit, that his labor has not been in vain. Let our first inquiry then be — Has there been sufficient carefvlness among us in admitting candidates to the ministry? It is not in respect to literary, or theological qualifications this inquiry is made. As it resfards these there are few denominations whose standard, is so high as ours, and only one or two who, per- haps, are somewhat in advance of us. Neither is it in respect to merely moral character, we ask the question. Here also, our provision is, we be- lieve, sufficiently ample. Neither is it concerning the office of ordination the inquiry is suggested. That is full and scrip- tural, and he who sincerely and with an enlight- ened mind assents to the demands which it makes upon him at the solemn moment of presenting himself before God and his people, to be invested with the ministerial commission — such a can- didate cannot but be properly qualified for the holy office. Not one of these things, then, im- portant as they are, have we now in view. It is concerning another matter, and a matter which if neglected or only slightly regarded, will render all 2* 18 CONDITION AND PROSPECTS &C. the rest, however carefully attended to, of no avail. Our question has reference to the sjjritnal cha- racter and call of the candidate. Have v/e been sufficiently careful to ascertain, so far as man in the light of God's word can judge, whether those who apply to be admitted to the ministry are really themselves regenerated men, and called by the Holy Ghost to preach the Gospel ? Do we faith- fully examine them whether they give scriptural evidence of a work of grace in the heart, and v/hether they have those views and feelings in respect to the work of the ministry which the spirit of God will certainly impart to all, whom He calls to so high and holy an embassy? The one grand object of the Gospel ministry is to per- suade men to be Christians. And is it not a great thing to be a Christian ? — to be born again ? — to be turned from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God ? " If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature ; old things are passed away, behold all things are become new." But of all this work of grace the unconverted man knows nothing, as he ought to know it ; he is an utter stranger, experimentally, to this spiritual, glorious transformation, without which none is fitted for, none can enter, the kingdom of heaven. Surel}^, then, he who is admitted to the Christian UXCOXVEETED MI]S"ISTERS? 19 ministry ought himself to be a Christian — a truly converted man. Without this, all his literature, all his theology, will be but '-as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal." How carefully then ought those concerned in admitting men to the ministry — how carefully ought they to examine, not merely into the ability and learning, and morals of the candidate, but, above all and before all things, into his spiritual character and meetness for the work. What folly — to say nothing of the sin and danger — what folly to send a man forth to preach the gospel, who never yet experienced himself its transforming power in his own heart ! What folly to expect one to feel for the souls of others who never yet real- ized the worth and the ruin of his own soul ; — to expect him to "know nothing among men, but Christ and him crucified," in whose own heart Christ has never yet been revealed as "precious — able and willing to save unto the uttermost all who come unto God by him !" Are these things so? Are these things so? Every faithful minister, every truly pious man, knows that they are ; — he knows them by a heart felt experience to be inexpressibly important, solemn realities. Have we then been sufficiently careful in this 20 COXDITION AlVD PROSPECTS &C. matter? Would that we could sav, we had ! But multitudes of facts at this moment crowd upon the mind of the writer, all bearing alarming testi- mony to past unfaithfulness. But one will he here state. He has been somewhat conversant with examinations for the ministry in various parts of our church ; and never, except on a single occa- sion, has he known a question put to a candidate the object of which was to ascertain whether he had proper views of the sacred office and of a call to it, or had" been himself the subject of that spiritual, holy change which is essential to Chris- tian character. The writer cannot but fear, therefore, that there has not been sufficient carefulness in this matter. He cannot but fear that many unconverted men — men who know nothing spiritually of the truth and grace of the Lord Jesus, have been admitted to the ministry of our Church. If this be indeed our sad case, who does not see what a flood-gate of evils has thus been opened 1 It is a divine maxim — '■^Like priest like people ^'^ Can we be surprised then at the rapid spread of Puseyism and other Popish developments through- out our borders ? Why Romanism in all its forms is just the religion of the natural man: an unre- THE GREAT WORK OF THE MI^"ISTRY. 21 generate heart is the very hot-bed in which it will most thrive. Does it not behoove us all seriously to ponder this matter? It may be, as the writer fears, that we have not been sufficiently careful here in times past. If we have not, certainly we may see in this oversight one main cause of the existence and growth of our present troubles. Let each minister then "commune with his own heart;" and let the " spirit of the people make diligent search." Let all remember the injunction of the Apostle, '* Lay hands suddenly on no man." and resolve to do nothing which will promote the in- troduction of any man into the ministry, unless we are persuaded that he feels the necessity of a change of heart, and has passed through such ex- ercises of mind, as one tausfht and called of the Spirit of God might be expected to have. Surely, '• God hath not forgotten to be gracious." He w^ill "guide us by his counsel" if we faithfully seek him. 22 CONDITION AND PROSPECTS &C. CHAPTER III. It will not be denied by any consistent protest- ant that to preach the Gospel is the great work of the Cliristian Ministry. " Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the Gospel." Neither will it be denied that he whom Christ really sends, will fulfil his mission, — he will preach — not " another gospel" but — ^^tlie Gospel." He will not come as the advocate of any scheme of man's devising, however true and good in its place ; or as the promulger of any of the thousand and one forms of error which Satan so successfully uses to beguile and ruin unstable souls ; neither will he be satisfied with a vagne, indefinite statement of the gospel, or rather of something which, for all that appears, is not positively at variance with the gospel ; but he will endeavor, with " simplici- ty and godly sincerity," to declare unto men that peculiarly definite message emphatically denomi- nated by an inspired Apostle — " The gospel of the grace of God." To preach the gospel is, then, the great work of the Christian Ministry ; and it is only in doing this with plainness and fidelity they have any GREAT WORK OF THE MINISTRY. 23 scriptural warrant to expect the blessing of heaven upon themselves and the souls of their hearers. "Sanctify them through thy truth ; thy word is truth," this is a part of the Saviour's last inter- cessory prayer on earth. God no where promises to bless error ; but his word is full of encourage- ment to believe that wherever the truth is faith- fully dispensed, it will prove '• the power of God unto salvation." And is it only through belief of the truth that men can be saved ? The truth must therefore be worth to each one as much as his soul is worth. The latter will always be the exact measure of the preciousness of the former. Hence the solemn admonition of the wise man, "Buy the truth," (give any price for it) " and sell it not," (take no- thing in exchange for it, hold fast to it.) As then a minister values his own soul and the souls of his hearers, it becomes him to preach "the gospel," just because the gospel is " The truth,'^ — the divinely appointed instrument of sanctifying and saving men. What an awful moment was that in the career of the Roman governor when, looking down upon the then despised, but now glorified " messenger of the Lord of Hosts," he put the question to him —"What is truth?" Would that Pilate had 24 CONDITION AND PROSPECTS &C. evinced any feeling befitting the solemnity of the occasion ! Would that he had not so abruptly turned away, and thus perhaps for ever lost, the opportunity of knowing the things which be- longed to his peace ! We also ask, ''what is truth?" And whilst consulting only " the oracles of God," we would humbly pray " the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, to give unto us the spirit of wisdom and revelation, in the knowledge of him : the eyes of our understanding being enlightened, that we may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of his power to usward who believe according to the working of his mighty power." What then is timth ? The natural character and condition of man, — God's counsels of grace, and mercy towards him, — and his obligations in relation thereto ; — these are the unspeakbly im- portant subjects of the gospel. Now the tncth is just what God tells us concerniug these things ; and, blessed be his name, it is written as with a sun- beam upon the pages of the Bible. But few testimonies, therefore, are required to establish it. I. In respect to the first point — man's natural character and condition, — hear God's own testi- WHAT IS TRUTH ? 25 mony — "God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil con- tinually,— they are all gone out of the wslj, there is none that doeth good, no, not one. Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them, — and, the soul that sinneth, it shall die." II. In respect to the second point — God's coun- sels of grace and mercy to man — "thus saith the Lord, — God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law. Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth, — a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, — being justified free- ly by his grace, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. Therefore, being justified by faith, we have peace with God, through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and re- joice in hope of the glory of God. Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." And once more, "If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away ; behold all things are become new." III. But what, lastly, are man's obligations in 3 26 CONDITION AND PKOSPECTS &C. view of this amazing grace and mercy? This is our third inqnir^^ "Jesus preached — repent ye, and believe the gospel. God commandeth all men everywhere to repent. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved. Put oif the old man which is corrupt, — put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness." And to close our examination : " As he who hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation." The doctrines here so explicitly and fully set forth are — man's apostacy from God and utter ruin through sin, redemption by the obedience unto death of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the ap- plication of this in God's justification of the peni- tent sinner by faith only on the sole ground of the Saviour's merits or righteousness, and in his regeneration or change of heart by the sanctify- ing influence of the Holy Spirit; and lastly, that every truly penitent believer, all who are thus justified and sanctified will, through grace, walk in the way of holy obedience, '' looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life." This, then, is ^Hhe truth" — ^Hhe gospel." And does it not lay the axe at the root of all man's pride, and teach him to ascribe the whole glory THE FALL; REDEMPTION, EEGEXERATIOX. 27 of his salvation to the love of God, throuo:h Jesns Christ? "You hath he quickened who were dead in. trespasses and sins. For by grace are ye saved, through faith ; and that not of your- selves : it is the gift of God : not of works, lest any man should boast : for we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before-ordained that we should walk in them." How very plain and simple a thing the gospel is ! How few, grand, and peculiar are its doc- trines ! It stands out clearly and perfectly distinct from all false- religions. It is not idolatry, it is not Romanism, it is not man's morality ; neither is it any of those vague, indefinite, misty systems of religion with which so many nominal Chris- tians have unhappily deluded themselves, — sys- tems however widely differing from each other, yet all agreeing in their acceptableness to the unhumblcd heart of man. The writer would now ask with a deep and solemn feeling of the importance of the question, and in the spirit, he humbly trusts, of a true charity, — is ^^The gospel" always faithfully preached in our pulpits? There can be no diffi- culty in this question to any really honest mind. The gospel is so plain that '• the wayfaring man. 28 CONDITION AND PROSPECTS &C. though a foolj need not err therein." Let each member, then, of our troubled Church put his hand on his heart, and say, as in the presence of Al- mighty God, whether the gospel, as presented in ^ the Scriptural Lessons aud breathed in the Litur- gy, is set forth in the sermons he usually hears, or whether the pulpit and the reading desk are not too often sadly at variance. The writer has vividly in his mind at this moment the recollec- tions of a noble-minded woman, well educated and of high rank. She had been baptized in our Church in her infancy, in youth confirmed, and then admitted to the Lord's Supper. . Afterwards, in another part of the Church, it pleased God to open her eyes to her unconverted state and the perilous delusion in which she had so long lived. Upon looking back upon the unfaithful preach- ing which had so nearly ruined her soul, she ex- claimed with deep emotion to her then Rector, — ^' O, sir, it was neither Law 7ior Gospel !" jFor one thus mercifully awakened, alas, what multitudes sleep on insensible to their sin and danger ! " It was neither Law nor Gospel P^ How em- phatically descriptive! And is such indeed the character of much of our preaching ? If it be, it will go far to account for the troubles that have come upon us. Why the pulpit is the very heart A STRIKI^JG CASE, BUT NOT UNCOMMON. 29 of the Christian Church, and if it be paralysed, what wonder that the members sicken and die ! The Ministry are the appointed sentinels of the Lord's host, and if the spirit of slumber have come over them, the enemy will certainly steal into the camp! And is he not already among us? Has he not gotten even into our high places? And is he not spreading himself far and wide among us, doing his work of darkness and destruction? We are all deeply, vitally interested here. It is therefore our duty and our safty to look faith- fully into this matter. Let each minister, then, '' take heed to himself and to his doctrine." And let the people, like the noble Bereans, not only " receive the word with all readiness of mind," but also "search the Scriptures daily whether those things are so;" that is, let them " take heed" not only " how they hear/' but '• what they hear." Where error prevails to any considerable ex- tent in a church, it is certain that the pulpit has not been faithful. Troubles, such as ours, cannot come upon a people, and the Ministry be entirely without blame. 3 ^ im o 0 CONDITION AND PROSPECTS &C. CHAPTER IV. " Except a man be born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of God. If any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His. The natu- ral man leceiveth not the things of the Spirit of God ; for they are foohshness unto him : neither can he know them, beca'use they are spiritually discerned. But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man. The Kingdom of God is not meat and drink ; but righteousness and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost." What do these and many similar passages of Scripture teach ? Certainly it must be important to understand them. They are a part of God's word. They concern Christian character, the Christian Church, and the things of Christ gene- rally. What then do they teach ? Let us seek, so far as our present purpose is concerned, to know their import clearly and exactly, that we may faithfully obey them. In doing this we consult our own highest interest and that of the Church. To neglect, or but slightly regard these ORGANIC DEFECTS VESTRIES. 31 divine testimonies must be wrong; and such wrong as will certainly be followed by fearful consequences to ourselves and others. We suppose that these and such like passages of God's word plainly teach that a spiritual, holy change must take place in the character of men before they can be truly said to be subjects of Christ's Spiritual Kingdom, or members "of his holy catholic Church, and that only such have a spiritual knowledge of this Kingdom, or can ex- ercise a fight judgment concerning its affairs. How much more instruction these verses may contain, we need not now inquire. What we have deduced from them, we doubt not, will be assented to by every intelligent, serious reader of the Bible. Now as the chief object of the visible Church is to promote Christ's Spiritual Kingdom, so, if we have rightly interpreted the foregoing Scrip- tures, we are authorized to say that they who undertake to manage the affairs of the Church, ought themselves to have a right apprehension of the spiritual nature of that Kingdom and its con- cerns. To this great practical principle will not every pious man at once assent ? Indeed, we sup- pose that no one, who professes a respect for God's word, and regards his own character for candor 32 CONDITION AND PROSPECTS &C. and consistency, would be willing, directly and in words, to deny it. The principle here presented as Scriptural, is simply this, — to spiritual men belong spiritual things. Now have we, as a Church, kept this plain Bible principle ever in view, and been duly care- ful to carry it out in all our arrangements ? Or have we too often overlooked it, and by this neg- lect laid ourselves open to many and sore evils ? There is here required both in the writer and his readers, not only much of charity and candor, but that unflinching fidelity to Christ which can look facts right in the face, honestly interrogate them, and simply report results. Let us endeavor thus to scrutinize some of our ecclesiastical arrange- ments. And first — I. How it is with our Vestries ? These are not, as many unthinking, or ill informed persons sup- pose, merely stewards of the temporal affairs of the Church. They have many other and very grave duties to perform. In almost every parish they choose the minister, and, of course, must judge of his character and preaching, whether these are suited to the spiritual edification and oversight of the church. They generally elect delegates to represent their congregation in the Diocesan Convention. To them, as an organized DEFECTS OF VESTRIES. 33 body, it ordinarily belongs to take one of the first steps towards the admission of a candidate to the holy office. Without their certificate to his piety, he cannot be received. In some dioceses they are required, also, to judge of the conduct of mem- bers of their parish ; and in all cases it would be generally and justly expected of them, should the pastor appear unworthy on account of heresy, immorality, or unministerial conduct, to present him for trial, that in case he be proved guilty, the congregation may be delivered from so great an evil. And, to say no more, — their office must ever make them prominent before the people, and give to their character and example much influence in the Church and in the world about it. Here then, are very important duties, and with- out a faithful attention to them it is impossible for the parish to flourish. They are, nearly every one of them, more or less spiritual in their nature, and demand spiritual qualifications for their due discharge. If not performed aright, how must the spiritual interests of the parish, and the Church generally suflfer ! If a body of pious vestrymen is a rich blessing to any congregation, and cer- tainly none will deny this, how dreadful a curse must an irreligious vestry be ! They will hang as a dead weight upon the feet of a faithful min- ?4 CONDITION AND PROSPECTS &C. ister. They will neutralize nearly all his in- fluence. Hence, for the most part, the cause of Christ will languish in a parish so situated ; or if, through God's special mercy, it be revived, it will be sure to reform or sweep away such a vestry. The latter we have known it, in some cases, silently but efficiently to do. Now, are we careful to provide that none but pious men should be chosen to so important an office ? — men of spiritual character, spiritual dis- cernment, spiritual judgment ? At least, do we provide that only professors of religion should be vestrymen? Scarcely ever is this done. The writer knows of not a single diocese in which, if his recollections are correct, the vestry must be chosen from among the communicants of the Church. The evils which have grown out of this un- happy neglect, it would not be possible in our limited articles to enumerate, much less fully to lay open. What faithful pastor, what pious mem- ber of our Church, has not mourned over them ? Let any serious man read the certificate required of a vestry before a candidate can be admitted to the office either of Deacon or Presbyter — how weighty and solemn the things there asserted ! Surely it demands no small share of spiritual DIOCESAN CONVENTIONS. 35 discernment and spiritual judgment to decide wisely and safely in such a case. How dreadful an injury must carelessness or ignorance here bring upon the Church ! And yet, alas, how often does this important instrument proceed from a body of men, very few, if any, of whom give the least scriptural evidence of piety, and the most of whom make not even a profession of re- ligion! Would that we could add that this was the worst aspect of the case ! But surely enough has been said, to show the need of reform here, if we would get rid of our present troubles, and prevent their recurrence in future. IT. And what is the Constitutional safeguard of our Diocesan Conventions ? This body elects a Bishop, and it alone, in the diocese, has power to present him for trial. It chooses the Standing Committee and the Representatives of the Dio- cese to the General Convention : and, not to go further into detail, the internal or municipal con- cerns of the diocese are all under its legislative control. Surely such a body ought to be composed of wise and good men, in the highest, the Christian, sense of the terms. And yet the writer, after many years acquaintance with most parts of our Church, can find but two dioceses in which mem- 36 CONDITION AND TROSPECTS &C. bers of the Convention are required to be com- municants. He is confident indeed of only one ; it is to be hoped, however, that there may be others. But certainly u\ a great majority of our dioceses, owing to this evil, business of vital im- portance to all our Churches, and much of it of a spiritual character, is thus placed in the hands of those Avho, neither by Constitution nor Canon, are required to be professedly men of spiritual discernment or spiritual judgment. With the knowledge of this sad oversight who can be surprised, however grieved he must be, at what has at times transpired at our Diocesan Conventions 1 Let no one suppose that the humiliating scenes witnessed within a few years past in the New York Convention, and which so shocked the public mind, are without a parallel. But we forbear, — and yet we can scarcely sup- press the conviction that the present awful crisis in our Church imposes upon each one of her members a moral necessity of holding up this subject in all its length and breadth. The soul of piety would indeed weep over it, but the most blind and prejudiced could not long shut out the salutary feeling of our need of reform. • III. How is it with our Standino- Committees ? Their duties are almost entirely spiritual. They STANDING C03OIITTEES. 37 are the authorised counsellors of the Bishop. No one can be ordained without their permission ; and many other duties equally important to the spiritual interests of the Church are imposed upon them. It would seem, then, to admit of no question that they upon whose judgment it so largely de- pends who shall be admitted to the Gospel ministry — to say nothing of their other duties — ought themselves to be spiritually-minded, indeed eminently wise and holy men. It is fearfully dangerous, and no small sin, to commit such a trust to any others. And yej;, are there more than two or three dioceses whose legislation requires the members of this body to be professors of re- ligion ? The writer knows not of so many ; but he is very happy to be able to add, that there ap- pears to be a quite extensively felt propriety that the lay members of the Standing Conm:iittees should be communicants. Hence they are, he believes, for the most part of this character. One fact, however, in connection with this subject, he will mention, and that because it has in a few years past excited so wide and deep an interest among us. It is a legislative provision of our church that the election of a bishop by a diocese must ordinarily be submitted to the Stand- ing Committees of all the other dioceses for their 38 CONDITION AND PROSPECTS &C. concurrence before he can be consecrated. Now such is the state of things among us, or at least was our state not long since, that it became a matter of complaint even in some of our re- ligious periodicals, and among them the Episcopal Recorder, that whenever a minister reputed evan- gelical was presented to the Standing Committees as a Bishop-elect, every possible difficulty was thrown in the way of his consecration, so as to oc- casion long, vexatious, and most injurious delays. But in the case of others no such trouble was ex- perienced. The one seemed to go in upon a flood, wafted onward by every propitious breeze; the other had to pass through a perilous succession of rocks, and straits, and adverse gales, so as '':scarce]y to be saved." IV. We now come to a most important body — the General Convention. This is the grand council of our Church. It is our supreme legis- lative body. The Book of Common Prayer, the Homilies — in a word, the faith and worship of our Church, much of its discipline, and a great va- riety of other matters of vital interest to the whole Church and each member thereof, are subject to the authority of the General Convention. There- can be no appeal from it. Its decisions are final and universally binding. GENERAL C0NVENT10^', ITS KirORTAXCE. 39 Here, will it not naturally be expected by every intelligent, pious person, that we shall find in our Constitution, the most clear, careful and strong provisions made to guard against the ad- mission of any into this body, but men of eminent- ly religious character — men full of faith and of the Holy Ghost? Would that it were so ! . But let any one closely examine the last edition of the Constitution and Canons of the General Conven- tion, as published in Swords' Almanac for 1845, and he will discover not a single line, not a word, requiring even a profession of religion as neces- sary to membership in that body. So that a lay- man, without even the form of godliness, a perfectly worldly man, even an infidel, may take his seat in this our grand Ecclesiastical council, and thus exercise a controlling influence in the most vital matters affectinor our whole Church. The writer has never yet met with a plain, pious communicant, or even with a person of the least serious reflection, who could believe this fact, when first stated in his presence. He would ex- press astonishment and incredulity ; he would suppose that there must be some mistake in the matter ; that it could not possibly be so ! And all this would be changed into deep grief when as- sured that it was really the fact. 40 CONDITION AND PROSPECTS &C. And have we such organic evils among us, — evils not merely in one or two parts, but running through nearly the whole of our Ecclesiastical fa- bric, from the Vestry upward to the General Con- vention ? We are av/are, indeed, that the natural mind — the unreofenerate man — however wise in this world's wisdom, may see nothing in all this to disapprove, nothing to excite apprehension. But can the enlightened Christian, the spiritually-mind- ed man, who seriously reflects upon these things, fail to discern here many and widely open doors at which Romanism, and almost every other form of error, may not only creep in, but stalk in with form erect, and unblushing face, setting at de- fiance the paralysed arm of truth and godly dis- cipline ? And can such a man wonder, in view of these things, that a Yestry, and a Standing Com- mittee, and a Bishop, and his Presbyters, were all found ready and willing — and that in the very face of a solemn, righteous protest before God and his people — to introduce into our ministry a can- didate who had openly avowed his adherence to the doctrinal decrees of the Council of Trent ? Strange would we have thought it, as things are, had this Bishop hesitated to vindicate what he had done at the subsequent Diocesan Convention, or had that Convention censured his doings. DEFECTS OF GENERAL CONVENTION. 41 And yet were we Church-loving and confiding enough to hope that the next General Conven- tion would set the whole matter straight, and fix deeply its brand of righteous condemnation upon such an unprotestant^ unhallowed procedure. But how was our simplicity rebuked! and all our high hopes — so reverentially cherished — cast down to the ground ! It ought to be to us all, and certainly to every enlightened, pious member of our Church, it will be, a matter — not of envious reflection but — sin- cere thanksgiving to the Great Head of the Church, that scarcely any, if any, of the various other evangelical denominations have been betray- ed into our organic error. Whatever their prac- tice may be in regard to admission to the ministry, or to the preaching of the Gospel, or to Church discipline — they have at least kept the manage- ment of these things in the hands of professedly religious men. Sessions, Associations, Presby- teries, Councils, Synods, Conferences, Conso- ciations, or by whatever name the different de- nominations may designate their several ecclesi- astical bodies, — these must all be composed of communicants — men who claim spiritual charac- ter, spiritual discernment, spiritual judgment, and to whom their Church, in the exercise of a chari- 4* 42 CONDITION. AND PROSPECTS &C. table hope, has accorded this high claim. Doubt- less there are many other things which make us to differ in many respects from our fellow Chris- tians of other names ; but no one, we think, of ordinary intelligence and piety, can reflect upon our peculiar organic defects without seeing how closely connected these are with our present ^ec?^- liar troubles. Are not the World and Popery fast friends? And is not the only real antagonist of the latter, and consequently its most effectual preventive — a true, spiritual Christianity ? The Church, therefore, that has unhappily not been careful to entrust her spiritual interests exclusive- ly to the hands of spiritual men, but left almost every door open to the world, — cannot reasonably expect to escape frequent visitations of the "man of sin." How many of these disastrous intrusions can we count since the days of Edward VI.? And how long before we shall shut them out ? The Lord give us wisdom and strength for this neces- sary reformation work ! We say necessary reformation work, for, unless we close our eyes against the teachings of God's Word, and all experience, what expectations can we cherish so long as such organic defects are suffered to remain? Were it possible for us this moment as a Church, " to Avash ourselves with THE WORLD ATSTD POPEEY FAST FRIEr\DS, 43 snow water, and make our hands never so clean," how long could we preserve our purity with these flood-gates of evil opening in upon us? He is no true friend of the Church who seeks to cover over these things, instead of honestly lifting up the voice of warning. He is not wor- thy to approach her communion, much less to minister at her altars, who, in this her most awful crisis, can stand selfishly counting the cost of faithfulness to her, instead of being ready and de- termined to peril all but the salvation of his soul, for her welfare. 44 CONDITION AND PROSPECTS &C. CHAPTER V. At- what a crisis did every enlightened Chris- tian feel he had arrived when about to make a profession of religion ! How important, how solemn, how awfully responsible the step! It is a great thing to be a Christian ; it is a great thing alsOj to profess to be a Christian. He who does it, ceases from that moment to stand alone ; he becomes one of a company which no man can number ; he involves the best interests of millions, he involves Christ's cause, in his individual career. Greatly may he benefit, or greatly must he injure, these interests and this cause. That a man who has reached such a point should therefore pause, and reflect, and search inwardly, and look upward with deep solicitude, is to be expected. To be without these thoughts and feelings, these hopes and fears, would argue a sad state. The mere formal professor of religion — the man who has never known the plague of his own heart and the preciousness of a Saviour, may indeed doubt their sincerity, or despise them as the day-dreams of a weak but honest fanaticism: VIFNVS OF THE EEGE^ERATE SOUL. 45 but every child of God, every truly converted soulj knows them in the experience of his own heart, and by the higher teachings of God's word and Spirit, to be solemn, inexpressibly solemn realities. • Ev§ry regenerate soul knows, also, that ''the heart is deceitful above all things;" and therefore dreads self-delusion, and therefore desires nothing so much as to be faithfully dealt with. He knows how much he may grieve the hearts of God's people, how much injury he may do to the world about him, how much dishonor he may bring upon the name and the Church and the cause of Christ, by an unsound profession, and its conse- quence, an inconsistent, unholy walk : and there- fore, when such a man, after much thought and prayer, goes to a minister to open his mind to him, and to ask counsel of him in respect to a profes- sion of religion, he determines that he will freely and fully unbosom himself, state his whole case just as it is — all God's dealings with him. all his thoughts and feelings, all his hopes and fears^ since first brought seriously to reflect upon " the things which belong to his everlasting peace. And he will expect the minister — as he feels for his eternal interests, as he values his own soul, as he regards the purity and welfare of the 46 CONDITION AND PROSPECTS &C. Church, as he desires the best interests of men — to deal honestly with him, to search him thoroughly and faithfully. So that if he have deceived himself, he may be undeceived before it be too late, and put upon the right path ; and thus he himself, and the Church, and the world, may be preserved from the injury and the perils of an imsound profession. Such, we believe, will be, in a greater or less degree, the views and the exercises of every truly enlightened Christian when about to make a pub- lic profession of religion. But has he been usually met in a corresponding spirit hy our ministers ? How has it been with us in — ■ I. Confirmation? No intelligent Christian can read the office of Confirmation and fail to discern that the qualifications for that rite are "repentance toward God, faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ," — in other words, true piety. He who is not fit in point of spiritual character for the Lord's Sup- per, is not fit for confirmation. And he who has been worthily confirmed ought to approach the table of the Lord at the first opportunity. Not to do so, is to neglect a solemn duty. And yet is it not a fact, that of those confirmed, many never come to the Lord's Supper at all, and many put it off for years? It will be found upon U]\"FAITIIFUL^7.SS IN C0XFIR3IATI0X. 47 inquiry into such cases, that their neglect fre- quently arises from a conviction that they are not prepared for the Communion. And unhappily these convictions are too often well founded. But how happens this? Does it not proceed from the fact that ministers are frequently not careful enough to explain the true nature of Confirmation, and those spiritual qualifications which are in- dispensable to a worthy and profitable participa- tion in it? One incident the writer will relate in illustration of the errors and evils which he fears are too common upon this subject. The Rev. Mr. had notice of an Episcopal visitation of his parish. The Bishop arrived, and when the list of candidates was handed to him, appeared much chagrined that the number was so small. He added, however, ''Never mind, never mind, I recollect that in the diocese of , the Bishop, in the course of his visitation, once came to a Church, where he found to his great disappointment very few to be confirmed. He ap- pointed another day, a few weeks after, to hold a second confirmation, and upon returning he had the satisfaction of confirminof over a hundred more. And as I intend to stay here another Sun- day, we can then have a larger confirmation." "Ah, Bishop!" replied the Pastor, "Such cases as 48 CONDITIOX AND PRQSPECTS &C. you Speak of, it is to be feared, have been too com- mon. The thoughtless, the worldly, and the self-deceived have been pressed forward in throngs to the altar! But have not these occurrences brought great evil upon our Church, and lowered her character in the eyes of serious people of other denominations? The list I have given you, with my name appended thereto, in obedience to the Rubric, comprises all in the parish not confirmed, of whom I can entertain a charitable hope that they possess the spiritual qualifications required by the Prayer-book. I have labored for some weeks among my people with a special reference to this solemn service, and I can see no reason to expect that the catalogue will be much, if at all, increased by next Sunday." II. Have we been faithful in regard to the LorcTs Supper? That Christan character, or true piety is essential in a worthy commilnicant, is manifest from the Scriptures, and with equal clear- ness is required by our Church. Repentance and faith, and an entire consecration of heart and life to the Saviour, are most plainly and fully insisted upon in the Communion Service. Indeed it would, we believe, be scarcely possible for the pen of man to frame anything upon these points more solemn, searching, and heart-alFecting. Un- WORLDLY C03DirNICAXTS. 49 doubted! y the Communion Office, like all other of mail's productioijs, has its defects; there is no perfect book but God's; still may we not safely assert that the principles and spirit of this Office are in most impressive harmony with the views and exercises of the pious heart in relation to the Sacrament? But have the principles and the spirit of this service been duly carried out by us? We do not say that the service is of no avail without such pastoral fidelity; for doubtless, even under the most untoward circumstances, it has, of itself, at times, been the means, under divine grace, of awakening the consciences of impenitent men, of directing the inquiring, and exciting the humble believer to increased diligence in his holy calling. But this we do say, that if our ministers have not in times past been faithful in this matter, very many unconverted men have found their way into our Churches — some thoughtless, some self- deceived, and others still worse, but all worhllv^ worldly. The influence of such communicants is pecu- liarly disastrous. Their spirit, their character, their daily walk, discourage faithful ministers, greatly impair their influence, hinder sincere in- quirers, and prove terrible stumbling blocks to the 5 50 CONDITION AND PROSPECTS &C. worldly and the wicked. Thus they hang, at least, as dead weights upon the cause of Christ, and in too many cases, are its most eiFicient and malig- nant opposers. Better, we have often thought, bet- ter go out into the highways and hedges and preach the gospel, than minister in a Church where a large majority of its communicants are of such a character. The openly impenitent and wicked will generally treat a faithful minister better than such communicants usually do; they will be more accessible to his endeavors to do them ofood, and more likely to find a blessing under his labors. (Matt. xxi. 31, 32.) And when such a minister has, in the course of Providence, been placed in a Church so unhappily situated usually, one of the first, if not the most salutary, effects of his preaching and pastoral labors, is the falling off of the communion. Some will openly quarrel with the truth; and quit in anger; others will quietly cease to approach the table of the Lord, because honestly convinced that they ought not in their present state ever to have gone to it. When the Church has been thus purged, another and a bet- ter state of thinofs will be almost sure to foflow. The tone of piety will become elevated. Those left will appear in quite a different light, both to themselves and to others. They will more deeply EVILS OF LAX COMMUNION. 51 realise their responsibility, and exert a more decided influence for good. And the result of all this can scarcely fail to be large accessions, both to the cono^reo:ation and the communion, and such accessions, in the latter case, as will bring increased spiritual strength and holy influence to the Church, and thus lay the foundation for a much greater prosperity than it ever before wit- nessed. Have we, then, been generally faithful in regard to the Lord's Supper? From long, and careful, and quite extensive observation, the writer is compelled to express his convictions that we have not been. Few things, indeed, are more painful to him than to reflect upon his own personal ex- perience in this matter. He himself was admitted to the communion by one of the most distinguish- ed ministers of our Church without the slightest examination, either as it respected his views of the Gospel, or his experience of its power. He might have been not only spiritually dead, but utterly ignorant of the truth as it is in Jesus, and even an infidel, for aught his Pastor knew. And such, he is pained to add, has been the fact with multitudes, also, with whom he has been con- versant since that day, in diflerent parts of the Church. He thought, indeed, at first, that his own case was peculiar, and was surprised and 52 CONDITION AND TROSPECTS &C. grieved at its occurrence ; but he quickly found that he v/as not alone: and the thirty 3^ears that have since elapsed, while tliey enlarged to a sad extent his sense of the evil, have prepared his mind to view, without surprise, certain very painful results that have frequently forced them- selves upon his notice, a few of which we may here just glance at. The first, is the fact that the religious world about us, very generally suppose that the standard of piety is lower in our Church than in the other orthodox denominations; that it is comparatively an easy thing to get into our com- munion ; and conseqiiently that such a position is but equivocal evidence of piety. Again : it is usually thought among us of little importance to give or require certificates of good standing in the case of those who are about to leave one of our churches, or be admitted to another, in the same, or perhaps a distant diocess. Hence such certificates are seldom asked or given. What a sad state of things does this indicate 1 How easy the access to communion ! And of how little worth the privi- lege ! Indeed, so much a matter of course has this looseness of religious profession become among uSj that the writer has known the bare asking for a letter by a pastor in the case of a professed communicant, who had applied to be received as suchj to be treated as an insult. Pastoral fidelity, GUARD THE LORd's SUPPER CAREFULLY. 53 here, instead of being expected and rightly appre- ciated, was regarded as so remarkable an excep- tion, that it called forth angry remonstrance. One other fact we will mention ; it is the difficulty of making our shrewd, frank, non-professing churchmen feel the importance of requiring a profession of religion in those to whom the atfairs of the Church are to be intrusted as vestrymen, members of Convention, or of other ecclesiastical bodies. They cannot see such a difference be- tween professors of religion and themselves, as would make it a matter of much importance which of them should manage these affairs. Great, however, as these evils are, it was not with a primary reference to them we commenced these essays. It is an ulterior evil we have main- ly in view. It is the fact, that if, through the want of a faithfully administered spiritual disci- pline large numbers of unconverted men — men strangers to the truth, and grace of the Lord Jesus — have been admitted to the communion of our Church, — if these things are so, the wide spread of Puseyism is at once accounted for. Why, such is just the foundation on which any Popish de- velopment would choose to build. The religion of sacraments, and priestly assumptions, and eccle- siastical pomp, finds a congenial home in the 5* 54 CONDITION AND PROSPECTS &C. blindness and self-riglitecusness of the unre- generate professor of religion. The Gospel faith- fully administered would speedily expose the unsoundness of such a professor, and lay all his proud hopes in the dust; but Popish darkness, and Popish superstitions are the very element in which he can breathe and move most freely. And thus it is, that loose views of Confirmation and of the Lord's Supper, and the loose practices growing out of these views, could not but largely lay us open to the sore troubles that have come upon us ; and hence, till we reform these views and practices, we cannot get rid of our troubles. Let each Pastor, and let each member of our Church, lay these things to heart. Do not the times call for close, searching inquiry, and frank, faithful acknowledsfment ? The writer has spoken plainly, but, he trusts, in the spirit of kindness, and with a hearty desire to do good to the Church of his childhood, and the Church in whose weal and whose wo Providence has so long and so largely wrapt up his own. THE CHURCH HER DUTY. 55 CHAPTER VI. The Church of Christ was at first gathered by the preaching of the Gospel, and the obligation rested upon her, from the first, to extend the preaching of the Gospel as widely and as rapidly as possible. This is the Church's mission ; it is the great work which her divine Head has called her to do ; and it can never be said to be accom- plished till "the earth shall be full of the know- ledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea." •• Go ye into all the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature." The Gospel itself is the church's peculiar trea- sure, her true glory. She should guard it with the utmost care; see to it that nothing dims its lustre; and never cease her efforts to make it known to others, so long as there is one spot on earth, one heart not illumined by its heavenly beams. After her own growth in grace, and indeed as a means most effectually subservient to it, this is the Church's first calling, her chief duty. How great, then, how transcendent, the honor put upon the Church ! Her chief concern is with things spiritual and eternal, — the truth, God, 56 CONDITION AND PROSPECTS &C. Christ, the Holy Ghost, immortal souls ! In these matters, indeed, her part is merely a ministry, — she is to make known the Saviour in his person, offices, work and glory. But she has the promise of the Holy Spirit to render her ministry of the truth effectual to the salvation of souls, and the advancement of God's kingdom on earth. Christ is indeed the only law-giver or source of power to the Church, and therefore what he has been pleased to reveal by his spirit, is all the Church is bound to believe or do, and all she is to require of others, or they are bound to receive at her hands. This revelation is contained in the Bible which is therefore to the Church, and through her to the world, the only standard of faith and practice. If these things be so, the true position of the Church is then one of entire subserviency to Christ, and only so far as she faithfully occupies this humble position, is she really honorable in the sight of God and of all holy beings, or can she prove a blessing to the world. So important, then, is the daty^ so precious the treasure^ so high the honur^ and yet so lowly the position of the Church. But suppose, instead of this lowly position of a " witness and a keeper of holy writ,'^ this minis- try of perfect dependence upon Christ and entire THE I3IPI0US CLAIMS OF R03IE. 57 subjection to him, there should be assumed by- some, professing to be members of the visible Church, an exchisive power — exclusive so far as other human agency is concerned — to legislate for men's consciences, and to dispense the grace of the Gospel at their will, so that all who sub- mitted to them were really regenerate, and par- takers of the blessings of the Gospel ; but that all others, however penitent, believing, and holy, had no part nor lot in the covenant of mercy. Arrogant and blasphemous as such an assumption would be, it has been made. What we have stated^ as an hypothesis, it is well known, is really historical fact. Just the power above sup- posed is claimed and exercised by her who "sit- teth on the seven mountains." From Rome there went forth the decree — not that the authority of the Bible was to be denied, O no! but — that the Church had a co-ordinate authority to bind men's consciences ; that all who bowed before this claim were of the true fold of Christ and partakers of his blessing; but that all others, whatever they might profess, were really schismatics and here- tics under the indignation of Almighty God and of his blessed Apostles, St. Peter and St. Paul. Thus instead of being a divinely constituted "witness and keeper of holy writ,'' a servant of Christ, and 58 CONDITION AND PROSPECTS &C. of men for Christ's sake, Rome made herself a sovereign legislator and judge — a '• lord over God's heritage," — dispensing life and death, tem- poral and eternal, at her will and pleasure. In a word, Rome ceased to be a Church of Cli?'ist — she became Antichrist, And need we say, when this other foundation than the Bible was laid, what a monstrous fabric of despotism was built upon it ? To the power of the Roman Antichrist almost all the nations were compelled, sooner or later, to submit. And to secure their allegiance, while she enchanted their senses by her gorgeous ceremonial, and gave in- dulgence to their lusts, she used all her art and power to put out the light and enfeeble the ener- gies of every people, and thus bring a second childhood of ignorance and imbecility upon the world. The Bible became a sealed book, the fountains of knowledge were dried up, and that long night of abject submission, barbarism and wretchedness followed, emphatically termed "the dark ages." Neither need we speak of the mighty efforts of Luther, Calvin and Cranmer, and their noble compeers, to enlighten, and elevate, and purif}^ the nations so long benighted, and crushed down, and corrupted by '• the man of sin." They em- THE M'ORK OF THE REFORMERS. 59 ployed one chief instrument, but that was '-mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds." They restored the Bible to its rightful authority. The Reformation of the sixteenth century was emphatically the work of the Gospel; and it con- tinued to prosper and extend itself so long as the Church relied simply upon the preaching of "the truth." The blessings of popular instruction, freedom and happiness, went hand in hand with the work of the Reformers, and have been trans- mitted to the nations of our day, just so far as each one has faithfully cherished the spirit and the truth of the Reformation. Let us here pause to inquire what it is that constitutes Popery, or rather what is the essence of Popery, its fundamental principle — that from which all its other errors and evils flow. It has been generally thought to consist in the exaltation of the sacraments, of sacerdotal power, and of the merit of works, because these errors naturally introduce that long train of gorgeous ceremonies, debasing superstitions, self-righteous penances, and oppressive exactions which make up practical Popery, or the body of" the man of sin." That these corruptions naturally grow out of the errors of Popery, in respect to the sacra- ments, the priesthood, and human merits, there CO CONDITION AND PROSPECTS &C. can be no doubt. Bat do not they stand related to each other only as the fruit to the tree? — for the root must we not look more deeply? There is, among" the many propliecies of the Bible upon this subject, one which, if we mistake .not, sounds the very depths of "the mystery of iniquity." It is as follows : — " Let no man deceive you by any means; for that day shall not come except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition, who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshiped ; so that he, as God^ diteth in the temple of Go J ^ showing him- self that he is God:'~{2 Thes. ii. 3, 4.) Here the dark abyss is clearly opened up, and we may look down into the very heart of "the man of sin." He first begins with usurping the throne of God, — sitting in the temple of God, — and then puts forth such claims as belong only to God. How opposite is all this to true Christianity! In the latter, God is the only Lord of conscience, and therefore his revealed will, the Bible, is our only rule of faith and practice, and the Church is merely "a witness and a keeper of holy writ." As Christ's servant, her duty is to publish his Gospel to all nations. Here her power and her obligations alike end. Hers is merely a ministry. THE ESSENTIAL PRINCIPLE OF POPERY. 61 She cannot add to the truths and precepts of God's word; she dares not diminish them. She has no sovereign authority over men's consciences; she claims none; she is merely their servant for Jesus' sake. Now let it be carefully noted that the Church in this her rightful, her scriptural position, in whatever age, or whatever part of the world we regard her, — the Church is uniformly found, as a faithful witness and keeper of God's word, to hold up the doctrines of grace, the obligations of the law uf holiness^ and the sacredness of human rights, and especially of the rights of conscience. But when any particular Church begins to usurp the throne of God, to sit in the temple of God, and to claim the subjection of men's consciences to her decrees, the Bible sooner or later becomes a forbidden book, and the power of her priest- hood, and the efficacy of her sacraments, and the merits of her members are really made lo super- sede Christ and the Gospel of his grace. Is it not the root of Popery, then, the claim of divine authority, the usurping of God's throne, the sitting as God in the temple of God ? From this naturally grow the whole idolatry of the priesthood and of the sacraments; the assumption of infallibility; the doctrine of penances and of 6 62 CONDITION AND PROSPECTS &C. human merits, so opposite to the gospel of the grace of God; and that all-comprehensive, crush- ing despotism: which, taken together, constitute the full development of Romanism, the complete body of " the Man of Sin." Wherever, then, we discover this impious claim, however feebly put forth, there we may be certain that Popery is begun, and that unless in some way mercifully checked, it will go on unto perfection : it will attain unto "the measure of the fulness of" Anti- Christ. Suppose, for example, that in certain parts of a Church whose doctrinal standards were essential- ly protestant, there should be put forth not only the claim of a power to bind men's consciences, but, along with this tremendous assumption of an authority co-ordinate with the word of God, a denial also of the doctrine of justification by faith only, and of other great evangelical truths, and the claim of an exclusive possession of sacerdotal au- thority and of Church ordinances. Now who cannot see with the Bible in his hand and the volume of ecclesiastical history before him— who cannot see in such an anti-evangelical party and its lofty pretensions, all the elements of a genuine Popery? It requires only time and favoring cir- cumstances to grow up to the full proportions of THE POPERY OF PROTESTANTISM. 63 the man of sin, and to stand forth in deadly an- tagonism to " the gospel of the grace of God,*' and the Uberty wherewith Christ has made his people free. But has such an unj:rotestant claim ever been put forth among us? And have any been found in our borders seeking to carry out these unscrip- tural and exclusive views? He must be but little conversant w^ith our past history or present state, who can be ignorant that what we have supposed to take place somewhere, has really occurred in our church. Let any one look into the writings of Bishop Hobart, the distinguished oracle of a well known party among us, and he will there find the grand fundamental principle of Popery unhesitatingly laid down — the poicei^ to bind men's consciences vnth the awful force of the highest moral obligation, a power clearly divine, for what more than this as a Lawgiver does God himself ever do? And he will find it also main- tained, as was to be expected, that we are not justified by faith only; that the sacraments are exclusively in the hands of the Episcopal minis- try, and that, as administered by them, they are necessary and efficient to our regeneration, justi- fication, and salvation ; — and therefore that the churches of other denominations, however evan- 64 CONDITION AND PROSPECTS &C. gelical in doctrine, are no churches ; their sacra- ments, no sacraments ; their ministers, no ministers ; and that both ministers and people, however penitent, believing, and holy, have neither part nor lot in the covenant of mercy. Now, who cannot see that the ground here occu- pied is far away from the scriptural position of our protestant church, and scarcely a stone's cast off from the territory of our "Lord God the Pope ?" That very many who embrace this system of Clmrchism should, sooner or later, run up into Puseyism, will therefore surprise no one who considers that the relation between cause and effect is just as fixed in the moral as in the natural world. What element of Puseyism does not the Hobart theology contain? Some of them indeed quite largely developed. It is, in fact, but a step or two, and those very short ones, from the New York school to that of Oxford. No one who stands at the first point has a right to find fault with those who have gone onward to the second. The latter are, so fiir forth, the consistent men: they have merely carried out their princi- ples a little further. We would not, indeed, have the others do this, for we may not wish for evil that good may come. Neither would we counsel CnURCHISMj PUSEYISMj POPERY. 65 the latter to throw themselves openly into the ranks of Rome, though this would be much more honest than their present position, and take away- much of the power they now possess to do mis- chief to the cause of Christ. We would rather exhort them both to abandon their errors alto- gether, and embrace a scriptural Christianity, and thus be really Protestants. Even should the disciples of theHobart school not generally run into Romanism, but remain stationary, we could not but regard ir, on their own account at least, as a happy inconsistency. But can they remain long in their present po- sition ? Must they not flxlt back on the Articles and Homilies of the Church, or, go onward to Rome? Would that wisdom and grace might be given them all to follow in the footsteps of one whom wewell knewand loved, and who was early associated with them — the late Rev. Dr. . He had been brought up at the feet of the great Master, and began his very popular career any- thing but a preacher of the Gospel. It pleased God, some years afterward, to open his eyes to his miserable spiritual destitution, and lead him to a saving knowledge of " the truth as it is in Jesus." He immediately became a new man, and a true minister. But highly honored as he was ' 6* 66 CONDITION AND PROSPECTS &C. from that time as a most successful laborer in the Lord's vineyard, he never lost thehumih'ating recollection of his early dark and unprofitable days. In speaking of these things to the writer, on a very solemn occasion, he added with a sorrowful sigh — "In the first years of my mi- nistry, I preached Bishop Hobart and not Jesus Christ r Another narative may not be here out of place, nor without its use. Some thirty years since a young man commenced the study of Theology in New York. Though brought up in our Church, he had been converted to Christ by the blessing of God simply upon the reading of the scriptures. When he began his preparations tor the ministry, it was without the least idea of the state of things in the Church. He scarcely thought that there could be such a thing as an unconverted professor of religion, or an unrege- nerate minister. The Gospel of the grace of God was so clear to his mind and so precious to his heart, that he verily supposed that all, both mi- nisters and people, who named the name of Christ, saw and felt as he did. In this simple, fervent state of mind — the living impress of God's own word devoutly studied — he commenced his the- ological course. HISTORY OF A CANDIDATE. 67 But he had not proceeded far before he disco- vered that what he had embraced and cherished in the very depths of his soul as the truth and grace of the Lord Jesus was. in the eyes of his instructors, a thing to be despised and abhorred, , — a weak, mischievous fanaticism. This became daily more and more manifest to him as the Bishop Hobart theology was spread out to his view, and he was led through its unscriptural mazes. He was at first astonished, almost stunned; he supposed that he must misunderstand his teachers. But they soon left him no room to doubt. They made their meaning perfectly clear. He soon rallied, and from that time his probation was almost one continued contest with what was manifestly '-another Gospel." He was ordained. But before this it was too plain that he must, when he came to the work of the ministry, give up either " the truth as it is in Jesus," or the friendship of his teachers. It was a painful alternative. On many accounts he felt attached to them, but by the grace of God he was enabled to hold fast to " the faith." And many, very many are the prayers he has since poured out for them, that God would open their eyes and change their hearts before it be too late. Though it was always with pain he alluded to 68 CONDITION AND PROSPECTS &C. New York theology and the state of things there, yet when the occasion seemed to require it of him, he freely expressed his convictions and fears; what he knew was the fact, and what, he appre- hended, must be the result. When placed by Providence in the control of a religious periodical, and harshly assailed by Bishop Hobart, he felt it his solemn duty to lay bare his unscriptural the- ology and to demonstrate, as he believed, that Ro- manism must be the fruits of such churchmanship. In a conference, on a most important occasion, some twelve years since, with a highly esteemed brother, now living, he remarked — "^We are ab- proaching a dreadful crisis. The cloud may ap- pear to many no larger than a man's hand, but soon will it overspread our whole ecclesiastical heavens with the darkness of Popery ? My only hope is that when the hour of trial does come, there will be found among us truth and piety enough to be aroused into such an energetic reac- tion as will sweep away these evils for ever." Scarcely any, however, in those days could sym- pathize with him in the full extent of his fears, thouofh all acknowledofed that there was too much ground for apprehension. His only answer was wont to be : — " Well, brethren, time will reveal the THE CLOUD AS A MAn's HAND. 69 whole matter. You may see, sooner than I fear, the great calamity upon us !" The black vapors which he then saw steaming up from the infernal pit, have now diffused them- selves far and wide among ns, obscuring the light of the truth in our own borders, and bringing a disastrous eclipse over our good name in the eyes of all about us. And the man, who for many years lifted up his voice almost alone, has lived to see the day when multitudes in different parts of the Church are waking up to a sense of the dan- ger ; and the cry of alarm is heard in almost every direction ; and his own writings, of former times are sought after and republished by others, not merely as plain testimonies to Gospel truth, but exact predictions of the terrible evils which were then before us, and have now come upon us. To sum up the whole matter. Has not Church- is7n^ by a perfectly natural process, produced Pa^cyism ? And is not Puseijism rapidly running into Rnman'sm ? And for all these deplorable evils, the legitimate results of the pride and blind- ness of unrenewed human nature, have we not, under God's blessino-, a plain, but sure remedy in Bible views of the Church as " the witness and keeper of holy writ," — the servant of Christ and of men for Christ's sake? 70 CONDITION AND TROSPECTS &C. CHAPTER VII. Satan would, if possible, keep men indifferent to religion. When he cannot do this, and the sin- ner breaks through every hindrance and comes to Christ, the adversary, though baffled, is yet not discouraged. He will strive to win the soul back ; or, at least, retard its growth in light, holi- ness, and usefulness. And, alas, how great has been his success ! How much injury has he done to individuals ! And how grievously has he in the same way marred the purity, the peace, and the efficiency of the Church ! The devices of the arch-enemy are subtle, ever varying and innumerable. But we must here limit our attention to a sinHe one ; for this is all our present occasion requires us to notice. It is the particular device brought to view by the search- ing rebuke of our Lord contained in Matt, xxiii. 23. '' Ye pay tithe of mint, and anise, and cum- min ; and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith : these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other un- done." Here we are taught that while the smaller F0R3IALISM. 7 1 matters of religion — its forms, proprieties, and external observances generally, ought to be at- tended to, its vital doctrines and moral precepts should yet occupy that superior place in our re- gard to which their paramount importance entitles them. Both are indeed duties. The consistently pious man will neglect neither. But the great adversary of souls knowing the deep depravity of our nature and consequent aversion to the duties presented by the holy law of God and the purifying truths of the gospel — "Judgment, mercy, and faith,"— and knowing also that in the pride and blindness of our hearts we would be exceedingly prone to self-righteous- ness ; — he artfully endeavors to fix our minds upon the forms, proprieties and external observ- ances of religion — the "mint, anise, and cummin," all of which may be most strictly attended to without any real humiliation. Thus would he furnish us with an easy foundation on which to build a righteousness of our own, and in this way, too, keep us entirely off from that spirituality and holiness of character which make up true piety. A master stroke this of Satan's policy ! Few de- vices has he ever practiced more frequently, or more successfully. It was the very snare in which he had caught by far the larger part of 72 CONDITION AND PROSPECTS &C. the Church at the time of our Lord's advent; and against which, therefore, on very many occasions, we hear the Savior directing his clearest and strongest rebukes. And no one at all acquainted with the history of the Church needs be told how much she has always suffered from this stratagem of her great enemy. Would it not, therefore, be unwise and inex- cusable, in searching into the causes which have brought our wide-spread calamity upon us, to overlook this grand device of our spiritual ad- versary ? Has he practised it upon us ? And if so, has it in any measure laid us open to our present dreadful evils ? We have said that an attention to the forms of religion, its proprieties, and external observances generally, and to its vital doctrines and moral precepts are both duties; that neither is to be ne- glected. Now in respect to the first class, are we not conspicuous for our carefulness? Certainly none will deny us this character. We have a minute and very extensive code of legislation for externals, and so attentive are we to its ob- servance that it has rendered us, as a Church, altogether peculiar. Hence, while it would be very possible in most other Protestant denomina- tions, to be present on an occasion of public wor- JUSTIFICATIOX BY FAITH. 73 ship without being sensible in what particular church we were, whether Congregational, Baptist or Presbyterian, in any of its very numerous sub- divisions, it would be altogether impossible to confound any of these with an Episcopal Church, so strikingly peculiar are we. Our many rules and punctilious observance of them, keep us in- tirely distinct. Seldom, very seldom, do our most zealous sticklers for Rubrics and other cere- monial laws complain of any observed laxity, or want of conformity, and still less frequently is there any real ground for such complaints. Well were it with us, could we as successfully endure a scrutiny by the second class of requirements. Have we, then, been as careful in respect to the vital doctrines and moral precepts of the Gospel as we confessedly are in all that concerns Rubrics and other ceremonial laws ? Do we, for example, hold up with great plainness, clearness, and ful- ness, in all our teachings, both in the pulpit and from the press, the great Bible doctrine of justifi- cation by faith only ? Would that this were the case ! But the writer would be unfaithful to all his observations and convictions, were he not to express his fears that we have come far, very far, short^of our duty in this matter. The true me- thod of justification is so important, that not only 7 74 CONDITION AND PROSPECTS &C. ought it to be frequently taken up by itself and preached upon, but in every discourse it should be plainly implied. It is not sufficient that no- thing appear contrary to it, but every thing said should be, to any hearer of the least reflection, so obviously consistent with it, and so suggestive of it, that he could receive nothing from the dis- course without perceiving that he must also assent to the doctrine of justification by faith only. In a word, no hearer should be permitted to go away, without wilful blindness on his part, in igno- rance of this fundamental truth of the Gospel. And yet have we never heard this doctrine positively denied from the pulpit? — and more often so obscured and mystified by being mingled up with the works of the law and sacramental observances, as to convey quite other impressions than those of God's word, to the mind? Who, that loves the truth as it is in Jesus, has not been very often grieved to see such unsound teachings sent out from the press? But when and where has a godly discipline ever been brought to bear upon them? One fact we will here mention which occurred some years since, and which affords additional and most sad evidence of our want of fidelity in respect to this great scriptural doctrine. A young THE IXQiriRI^G CANDIDATE. 75 man connected with one of our Theological Seminaries, wrote to an Evangelical minister, a rector of a city parish, frankly and very earnestly requesting of him to state what was the scriptu- ral doctrine of justification ; and added that a compliance with this request would, he hoped, greatly benefit himself and not a few others. Alas, thought the minister, and is it so in our schools of the Prophets ! What must be the state of our Church! Thus far had the writer proceeded when a pamphlet reached him by mail, announcing another Carey Ordination, — or rather worse; the dark indications o{ that having been hopefully relieved by public, solemn, manly protest, but this^ it seems, was suffered to pass off with only a secret shake of the head! How long, at this rate, before as a Church, we "shall die without a sign?'''' AVhat are we coming to? Can such things be much longer endured? If a godly discipline can- not reach the evil and prevent its recurrence, very soon must the whole body of the Church become utterly and hopelessly corrupt. Certain- ly it would seem that an awful crisis is rapidly approaching, when the sound must separate from the unsound, or all perish together. It would seem that in this case the great truth 76 CONDITION AND PROSPECTS &C. of the Gospel and the ^rand distinctive principle of Protestantism, the doctrine of justification by- faith only, (a doctrine, be it noted, against which the Fathers of Trent directed the utmost efforts of their art and strength,) this great doctrine of the Bible and Protestantism, was positively and unequivocally denied by the candidate, and he a deacon applying for presbyter's orders. After re- peated interviews and long discussions with him by one of the examiners, the author of the state- ment, he persisted in his denial. The Bishop, notwithstanding, determined to ordain, and car- ried out his decision. No protest, public or private, was made ! The reverend author of the statement gives us to understand that he sup- posed he did his duty in this unexpected and most painful position, by simply giving a secret sign of refusal to lay his hand upon the candidate's head ; and he seems, in part at least, to have satis- fied himself that this was all he was called to do by having previously discovered to his great sur- prise and regret, that neither did the Bishop himself believe that we were '^completely justi- fied by faith." But so far from making a public objection unnecessary, was not this fact an addi- tional and vastly sorer evil, and a most emphatic call for solemn protest before God and his people? BISHOP — DENIES JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH. / / Why, did it not show that the present instance was not the result merely of misunderstanding? That it was knowingly and wilfully brought about? And that there was no reason, therefore, to suppose that it would be the last? Nay, that we might look for just such outrages upon our Protestant Church whenever such candidates chose to present themselves? Surely, if ever there was an occasion when the voice of re- monstrance should have been lifted up louder than seven thunders, it was then. Nothing but such hurricane blasts will be likely to clear our ecclesiastical atmosphere of that creeping miasma which has already proved fatal to so many in high places and low. Said the Bishop to the reverend author of the Expose, "you ought to have concurred in the ordination, or publicly ob- jected to it at the time !" And so say we ; far, in the language of the Expose, it was a ^^vitaF matter, — the difference between the parties was '■'radical^ fundamental^^'' — if the one held precious gospel truth, the other was in fatal errror. Another essential truth of the Gospel, is the doctrine of the Regeneration, or the new birth, or, as it is commonly called, a change of heart. Have then the nature, the necessity, and the evidences of a change of heart been so clearly, fully, and 7* 78 CONDITION AND PROSPECTS &C. solemnly set before our people, that there is no possibility of any considerable number of them, of ordinary sense and candor, remaining in error or in ignorance respecting it? Or, has the subject of Reojeneration been too often altoofether identi- fied with Baptism, or at least so mingled up with it as to bring over the mind of the hearer such a dark cloud of superstition as eifectually to shut out the light of truth from him, both in respect to the ordinance itself, and to that holy change of heart of which it is a symbol or representation ? Whatever be the cause, it is certainly the fact that there are those in almost every part of our Church, who regard every pretension to a change of heart or conversion as the vile cant of hypo- crisy, or the driveling of a weak though honest fanaticism. It is not long since we read a printed communication from the lay officers of one of our parishes, insinuating a charge of error against their Bishop, and an untimely zeal, and a cruel disresfard to the feelinofs of their candidates for confirmation, because, forsooth, he very plainly and solemnly urged upon these baptized persons, then before him, the subject of spiritual regenera- tion, or that holy change of character without which none can see the Lord ! How must such a people have been instructed? And what must A FAITHFUL BISHOP REBUKED. 79 be the character and influence of a religions peri- odical which would notice and commend such an attack upon ministerial fidelity ? And how is it, also, with us in respect to the moral precepts of the Gospel ? Have these been inculcated throughout our borders with Scriptural plainness and fulness ? And in consequence of this fidelity have our communicants generally been men "diligent in business, fervent in spirit serving the Lord;" ''owing no man any thing, but to love one another ;" though in the world, yet living above the world; ordering their house- holds with prayer and godly discipline ; — in a word, exemplary in all relative duties ? And has the administration of discipline among us been such as to reform or put away unworthy minis- ters and communicants? Or are our altars too often thronged with the lovers of pleasure, more than lovers of God ; — with parents without family altars; with men of lax views and still more lax practice in business transactions, who show no conscientious sense of the obligation of debt where they can find the sheher of law against its claims? And have our Ecclesiastical authorities either not noticed at all, or, at the most, inflicted such slight and temporary punishments upon transgressors, clerical and lay, as seemed but a 80 CONDITION AND PROSPECTS &C. mere mockery of justice? In one instance it was remarked by a merchant to a member of an ecclesiastical coiirt which had just decided upon a case: — " Well, you have acquitted him. Had any one among us been guilty of such conduct, we would have been off of change !" In another case, the offender after having been con- victed of lewd practices, — such as any faithful pastor would have thought abundantly sufficient grounds on which to excommunicate a layman, — the offender was still left in the ministry, and merely suspended from the exercise of its func- tions. If any thing could add to the dark features of such a case, it is the fact that the Church after- wards, as we learn from the public prints, voted him a pension — perhaps for life! If this was not, in effect holding out a premium for wickedness, it would be difficult to say what is. We have never yet met with a simple-hearted, pious man, or even a pure-minded worldly one who could take any other view of it. How then do we ap- pear, as a Church, in the light of our Lord's search- ing rebuke ? "Ye pay tithe of mint, and anise, and cummin, and have omitted the v/eightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy and faith?" Have we been as careful and zealous in respect to the THE CONGENIAL ATMOSPHERE OF POPERY. 81 vital doctrines and moral precepts of the Gospel, as we are about Rubrics and Canons? As much concerned for the life and substance of religion, as for its forms? If we have not, what marvel is it that Romanism has come in like a flood upon us? That the views and practices growing out of such a want of fidelity to the Gospel are entirely con- genial with Popery, — the very state of things it desires; and indeed that this poisonous exotic could not flourish, or even live in any other at- mosphere, must be manifest to every intelligent, pious mind. Only let the Scriptural doctrines of Justification by Faith only, and a holy change of heart by the Spirit of God — to saynothing of other vital doctrines of the Bible — only let these truths be generally and faithfully preached throughout the Romish Church, and an evangelical morality be enjoined by its disipline, — and how long could the Papal Anti-Christ stand? Here and there, it is to be hoped, that some among them might be found to endure the Scriptural test; and others would doubtless, by God's blessing, open their hearts in honest and glad submission to its requirements; but the multitude would be speedily dispersed like chafl" from the summer's threshing floor. Rome would be regenerated, or destroyed by such a pro- 82 CONDITION AND PROSPECTS &C. cess : — she would, in the one way or the other, cease to be Rome. They, therefore, who have kept out of view, or corrupted the great Scriptural doctrines of Justifi- cation by Faith only, and Regeneration by the Spirit of God, and the moral precepts growing out of these, have not merely prepared the way for Popery, but in truth they have laid its sure foundations, and already is the edifice going up, and soon will it rear its proud turrets to the very heavens, and exhibit, inside and out, all that is cunning and gorgeous to captivate the senses, and enslave the souls and bodies of men. Would we then escape our present calamity 7 Let us "earnestly contend for the faith once de- livered to the saints;" — let us hold fast with an honesty and a vigilence, which cannot be de- ceived, and admits no compromise — "the holy, just, and good commandment ," that law which rebukes alike the sins of the ministry, and the people, — which weighs with the same divine and perfect justice both the doings of eclesiastical bo- dies and the conduct of individuals. A course so Scripturally wise and decidedly Christian must, with God's blessing, bring to repentance, or, if needs be, put off that Romish development, which, with shameless front denies the very doc- DISHONESTY OF PUSEYISM. 83 trines it has sworn to support; apes those fooleries it is bound to reject, and reviles that glorious Re- formation which it is pledged, before God and man, to honor and uphold. 84 CONDITION AND PROSPECTS &C. * CHAPTER VIII. To have any other object of supreme regard than the true God, is to be guilty of idolatry. This regard may be manifested in very diiferent ways, and the objects of it may be as countless as the creatures God has made, and the imaginations and desires of man's heart. It may be "the kissing of the hand to the sun when it shineth, or to the moon walking in brightness," — a very an- cient form of idolatry ; or we may come down to the earth, and deify the hills and the valleys, the groves and the fountains ; or we may render divine honors to fire, to the winds, or to animals and vegetables, even the most trivial, as the learned Egyptians did to cats and leeks. One step lower in this humiliating abyss, and we have done, — the enlightened Greeks and Romans dei- fied some of our very infirmities, diseases, and baser passions, as paleness, fever, fear, wanton- ness, (fcc. When one contemplates the idolatry of the heathen, ancient and modern, it is hard to say which most painfully impresses us, its folly or its F0R3IS OF IDOLATRY, 85 wickedaess. And the classical student who, while admiring the genius of the great writers of antiquity, has often shrunk back with horror and disgust at the scenes they unfold, cannot but be struck with the perfect delicacy with which, with- out at all sacrificing his fidelity, the Apostle Paul, in the opening of his Epistle to the Romans, por- trays the idolatry of the Gentiles and its darkly clustering vices. But we are not to suppose that because in a large part of the earth the preaching of the Gos- pel has cast out the idols of wood, and stone, and other such forms of heathenism — that idola- try has there come to an end. By no means. If idolatry is the exercise of supreme regard for any other object than the true God, how manifest is it that the heart itself may become an idol temple, in which worship is daily oflfered at the shrine of pride, covetousness, sensuality, ambition, or some other corrupt affection. This is as really idolatry as was ever exhibited in the Pantheon, and as such we are solemnly warned against it in the word of God. Neither are we at liberty to sup- pose that idolatry has always been confined to the world, — that it has never entered into the Church of God. Far from this. Idolatry is the 2frand, besetting sin of fallen human nature. Hence the 8 86 CONDITION AND PROSPECTS &C. many delineations of this sin, and the almost in- numerable prohibitions, warnings, and threaten- insfs aofainst it, and the varied and affectinof exhibi- tions of its miserable results, to be met with on the pages of the Old Testament. Every attentive reader of the Bible knows that these make up no inconsiderable part of that portion of the inspired volume. It is needless, therefore, to quote any particular passages. But, what is still more painful and humiliating, even the preaching of the Gospel, such is the deep depravity of human nature, has not always been a sufficient barrier against idolatry. The Apostles had scarcely been called from their labors to their reward, before we find many idolatrous joractices creeping into the Christian Church. Many plain and solemn warnings against these, had indeed been left by the sacred penmen of the New Testa- ment. And yet the evil continued to grow and strengthen till it reached that, fulness of develop- ment usually termed the Grand Apostacy. Rome became little more than baptized heathenism. Hence it was impossible to reform it. It might be destroyed, but not reformed. They, therefore, who would escape its evils, must reform/ro??z it. " Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues,"— PAPAL IDOLATRY. 87 was the Divine injiiiiction. And this is just what Luther, Cranmer, and Calvin did. They could not reform Rome, and therefore they reformed from her. But alas! sin is not so easily got rid of, and especially this inveterate sin of idolatry. Has even the Reformation completely excluded it from the Protestant Churches? It requires but little ac- quaintance with their history to compel us to an- swer this question in the neo^ative. We have all, at times, shown ourselves more or less infected with the sin of idolatry. But in this evil, as in that of persecution, we Protestants have one great advantao^e. It is that our relisfion forbids both. If we give in to any form of idolatry, or if we ever persecute, we act in the very teeth of our professed principles ; and, therefore, there is always hope that we may be brought to seethe error of our ways, and forsake it. But the consistent Papist is a conscientious idolater, a conscientious per- secutor, an idolater and a persecutor upon prin- ciple; and therefore he will have his idols, he will persecute whenever he has the power. There is no hope of him till he ceases to be a Papist. Since, then, idolatry is the great "besetting sin' ' of human nature, so that whenever nations have, in the holy, but inscrutable providence of God, 88 CONDITION AND PROSPECTS &C. been left to themselves, they have invariably run into idolatry; and since the tendency to this sin is so strong that the presence of true religion cannot prevent its reigning in the world, and even in- truding itself into the Church, — is it wise, is it safe, for any body of professed Christians to sup- pose themselves entirely exempt fro-Ti it? — Cer- tainly our only security here, as a Church, is in never-ceasing watchfulness, and close, faithful self examination. If the first approach .of the en- emy call not forth a note of honest alarm, it will become, at every step, more and more difficult to make effectual resistance. We propose in this essay to confine our remarks to three particular subjects of inquiry, which have engaged much attention among us. Have we been betrayed into idolatry in respect to these? 1. The Church. Is there nothing like idol- atry of the Church among us? The true scriptural character and position of the Church is that of " a witness and a keeper of holy writ." Her voice is therefore to be rever- ently attended to. The Bible is perfectly clear on this point, and all the best feelings of the Christian's heart are in unison with its teachings. He regards the testimony of the Church, there- fore, as prima facie eY\diQnQ.Q of truth; and in re- THE IDOLATRY OF THE CHURCH. 89 spect to things really indifferent he considers it wise and proper ordinarily to walk " by the foot- steps of the flock.'' Still he acknowledges no sovereign authority in the Church, no right of her own to bind men's consciences. Just so far as the Church follows Christ, will the Christian feel himself under obli- gation to follow her. Should she be found, after careful inquiry, to come into conflict on any point with the Bible, the great fundamental law of God's household, the Christian must consider her un- faithful to her high trust as "a witness and a keep- er of holy writ." In all such cases his allegiance to his only sovereign head, the Lord Jesus Christ, requires the believer to follow Him in preference to the Church. Not to do this, would be to act the part of a traitor to his divine Master; and the whole Church, the Christian knows, would be utterly powerless to save him in the last day from the terrible consequences of such conduct. So long as it is written, " Every one of us shall give an account of himself to God — To his own Master he standeth or falleth," — it is equally the right and the duty of every one to read *' the law of the Lord," and judge for himself It follows, therefore, that all creeds, confessions of faith, and laws of the Church, derive their whole binding 8* 90 CONDITION AND PROSPECTS &C. authority from Christ; and, if they are not accord- ing to his mind, they have no authority what- ever; they are to be resisted, as we vahie his favor to whom alone we owe allegiance, and before whom each one must at last stand in judgment. Such is, we believe, the clear, simple teaching of God's word on this important point. And in exact accordance with it is the lanofuao;e of the Sixth Article of our Church, — '' Whatsoever is not read in Holy Scripture, nor may be proved there- by, is not to be required of any, that it should be believed as an article of faith, or be thought requi- site or necessary unto salvation,'^ Surely it is of the greatest importance to have clear, scriptural views of this point, and a mind well settled upon it, if we would not be betrayed into apostacy from Christ, and become the victims of an idolatry as debasing as it is crushing. But yet is it not the fact that too many among us often speak and act as though the Church really had sovereign au- thority in all matters of faith and practice? — They seem to think that they have given sufficient proof of a point when they have shown, or rather asserted, that the Church maintains it; and that to seek any farther, is presumption; that all are bound to acquiesce without question or hesitation THE IDOLATRY OF-THE CHURCH. 91 in these assumed teachings of the Church; and should any dare, however respectfully, to look for higher authority, — they are at once branded as — no Churchmen I We take but a single spe- cimen of this sort of idol worship from a single discourse of a distinguished divine of our Church, one whom a large class among us acknowledge and glory in as their representative and leader, — • or rather, as the oracle of the Church. "The Church provides^ — the Church prevents, — the Church regulates, — the Church guides, — the Church justifies, — theChurch /or//]^^^, (fcc. " — ^and all this glorification of the Church in the space of only twenty-two consecutive lines! Great is Diana of the Ephesians ! And, be it specially no- ticed, that these aWeged^^prescj-iptions,^^ of the Church are all, forsooth, so many arguments for a more than half popish theology, and a system of churchmanship utterly at war with the doctrines of grace and the liberty wherewith Christ hath made his people free. Such teachers first assert that the Church says so and so; or, what is in their eyes the same thing, that certain favorite authors whom they set up as mouth pieces of the Church do ; and then, forth- with, require that all bow down to this authority "with a submission that knows no limits." The 92 CONDITIOIN AND PROSPECTS &C. man who dares, however humbly and conscien- tious! 3^, to appeal to the Bible, does so under the ban of these self-constituted oracles of the Church. He is pronounced henceforth no Churchman. And let not any suppose that this ban is mere hru- tumfulmen. Far from this. So tremendous is its influence, that when it does not altogether silence, as it generally does, it rarely fails to reduce to the most timid, ineffective whisper. And thus have very many among us sunk down into mere ab- jects, ecclesiastical tools, solemn echoes of some chief priest of the idol. 11. The PRAYER-Book. Have we no idolatry of the Prayer-Book to confess ? The writer is very far from being insensible to the great value of this little volume. He was baptized in its words. Often since, as he trusts, has he wept in penitent gratitude under its ordinary ministra- tions in the Sanctuary, and, times without num- ber, devoted himself to God in its solemn offices at the table of the Lord. He has thus lived under its influence in joy and in sorrow, in sickness and in health, through a life now drawn out be- yond its meridian ; and looks forward to the day, not far distant, when his grave shall be blessed in its words, so full of light, and hope, and holy IDOL^VTRY OF THE PRAYER-BOOK. 93 comfort. This much is said in justice to his po- sition and feelings. Stillj with all his attachment to the Liturgy, he cannot, as he fears too many do, fall down and worship the book. It is man's work, and there- fore imperfect. He sees not many, indeed, but certainly some very serious defects in this vener- able volume — permitted, perhaps, as in the case of Patriarchs, Prophets, and Apostles, and the Church itself, hs a providential warning against superstitious reverence for a creature, and a re- buke to those who might be betrayed into such idolatry. But who cannot see evidence of this idolatry of the Prayer-Book in that language of unmin- gled, indiscriminate, extravagant eulogy so often poured out upon it? — in the continual refusal, even by those who have confessed its defects, to put forth the hand of reform, however conscien- tiously and reverently urged? — and above all, in the frequent attempts and systematic efforts to limit 'even the preaching of the Gospel*, and the circulation of God's word, by the wiUingness of the destitute to receive the Prayer-Book ? Surely such exaltation of our own work, and virtually of ourselves, must be highly offensive to Him, who hath said that He will not give his glory to an- 94 CONDITION AND PROSPECTS &C. Other. Either, then, we must renounce this idol- atry, put this obstacle out of the way of God's cause, or He will be provoked to say, "Ephraim is joined to his idols, let him alone!" III. Episcopacy. How is it here? That we have run into the sin of idolatry in this matter, is beginning to be so obvious to every unprejudiced mind of ordinary discernment, and the least seri- ous feeling, that it needs neither arguments nor instances to prove it. Some have spoken of it in sorrow, and some in sarcasm ; and yet has not the evil gone on with giant strides? But of all the forms of idolatry is not this the one which admits of least excuse ? The antiquity of the Church, its blessings to the world, its martyrs, confessors, and holy men, its labors and perils for Christ ; the general evangelical soundness of the Prayer-book, its meek, calm, devout spirit, breath- ed on almost every page, its venerable compilers sealing their testimony with their own blood: — all these, though they form no justification for worshipping the Church or the Prayer-Book, are ■yet adapted to inspire a reverence so strong, that it would not be wonderful were this reverence occasionally to run into a superstitious, idolatrous veneration. But with one given to his cups, another wal- FOLLY OF EPISCOPAL IDOLATRY, 95 lowing in filthy wickedness, and others, again, advancing doctrines and pursuing measures so opposite to the Gospel of the Grace of God, and subversive of the liberty wherewith Christ hath made his people free ; — how could any one, with such miserable spectacles of immoral, heretical, and self-arrogating Bishops, before his eyes, fall down and worship Episcopacy? (Questions so plain it might be neither wise nor proper to pro- mulge, were not the facts themselves so notorious and did not the awful crisis at which our Church has arrived, demand ''plain speaking." Nothing but close, faithful self-examination as a Church, and an out-spoken honesty can now save us. Verily these are the times that try our professed love for the Church. A true attachment will enable us to rise above every thought of personal ease and selfish interests, and inspire us with a spirit alike frank and fearless, solemn and kind-hearted. Is it asked what has produced this idolatry of Epis- copacy ? Some of the causes of it are as manifest as they are painfully humiliating; others, again, are more obscure, but equally certain in their results. In the Church, as in most other of life's social positions, it requires but very little sagacity to discover " the thrift of fawninij. " " To nosle about the knees of power, " is a much easier, and 96 CONDITION AND PROSPECTS &C. as things unhappily now are, a much surer way to reach the high and desirable places of the Church, than to gain these by labor, study, and ministerial fidelity. AH this is perfectly clear. Hence, even where the ability for the latter effort is possessed, recourse is too often had to the former means. Hence, also, we have so many ex- ceedingly small men in our high places. They exalted the Bishop, and the Bishop exalted them; a process, this, which throws no little light upon the progress of Episcopal idolatry. Again, there are a large class who, though not ambitious, are yet very fond of their ease. Now, quietly to acquiesce in the evil of which we are speaking, and occasionally to lend it a little aid, will secure all their desires. They can thus "swim in smooth waters;" while a manly Chris- tian course would require no little exertion, and expose them to many troubles. And thus this class also, help on the idolatry of Episcopacy. But, perhaps the largest source of this evil, and that without which all others could have very little efficiency, indeed, could not long exist at all — is the unhappy state of many of our people. Partly from the want of due care in admitting men to the ministry, partly because the Gospel is too often not faithfully preached in our pulpits. CAUSES OF EPISCOPAL IDOLATRY. 97 or rather not preached at all, and in part from the want of a Scriptural discipline in regard to admis- sion, to the communion; — from all these and other similar causes, it has come to pass that we have very many among us who profess and call themselves Churchmen, but who, it is mournfully manifest, are utter strangers to the truth and grace of the Lord Jesus Christ. Now who, with only a tolerable knowledge of human nature, cannot see that in the eyes of many such men, Ep'scopacy, as too often exhibited among us, will be likely to present itself with peculiar attractive- ness ? They lift up their eyes to the idol, and are bewitched with its enchantments. Havingr no spirituality of mind whatever, and without any Scriptural ideas of the Gospel ministry, they are prepared to listen with pleasure to every proud claim and superstitious view of the Episco- pal office which may be advanced in their hear- ing. They are thus ready and eager themselves to bow down to Baal, and will henceforth favor, with all their hearts, those measures and those men, and only those, that favor this idolatry. — The minister therefore, who would get along peaceably with such Churchmen, and be ad- vanced by them, must help on the current in this way set in motion. And thus the prophets 9 98 CONDITION AND PROSPECTS &C. and the people mutually corrupt each other, and the idolatry of Episcopacy grows and strengthens by their means. How often have we witnessed, in years gone by, the movements of such churchmen with sad misgivings for the future. The mornings of Sun- days might ordinarily find them in church ; but further than this, they gave little heed to public worship. Family religion was, of course, a mat- ter of little concern with them. In a word, the world ruled supremely in them, and in their house- holds. Thus was it with them nearly all the year round. But what a change an Episcopal visitation wrought, or rather seemed to work in them! It was quite a time of revival with them. None more alive and active than they on the oc- casion. Were one to judge of their piety by their devotion to the Bishop, they must pass for saints indeed. The simple-minded, every-day Chris- tians of the parish, they whose prayers, and whose warm hearts and liberal hands were the life and support of the church — these humble, unobtrusive parishioners would be thrown quite into the background by the new-born zeal of their now officious neighbors. Hence the Bishop, almost as a matter of course, would go away with anything but a true impression. The pious, GOVERNMENT IS OF GOD. practical membersofthe church, itsreal supporters, would scarcely be known to him ; and he would place the very hope of the parish in those who really cared nothing about religion, and mani- fested scarcely the semblance of concern on the subject, except during those periodical revivals of zeal which always happened to coincide with the period of the Bishop's visitation. One, and only one other of the sad influences of this idolatry of Episcopacy will our present limits permit us particularly to dwell upon. It is its power manifested in immanning the mimstry. We believe that government is of God, — a divine institution; and thoroughly disapprove of that ra- dical, atheistic spirit, which rises up in haughty defiance of all authority, or turns away with con- temptuous indifference from "the powers that be." This is as unreasonable, and mischievous, as it is unchristian. It is equally at war with the Bible and common sense ; and is alike destruc- tive of the interests of time and eternity. And yet there is such a thing as a manJi/ spirit, — a spirit which, recognising equally in one's self, as in all others, the great attributes of a com- mon human nature, refuses to bow down in ab- ject servility to any ; and dares to attempt any thing to which Providence calls, whatever diffi- 100 CONDITION AND PROSPECTS &C. ctilties may lie in the way. It is to this spirit the Apostle exhorts us, — " Quit yourselves like men^ be strong. " And Paul himself was pre-eminently an example of it. We see it in him when stand- ing before chief priests and councils, kings and governors, — always respectful, and yet always frank and faithful. If he never lost sight of what was due to others, it is equally manifest that he always felt what was due to himself. He dared to be a man, and desired to be nothing more. Hence while he never crouched down to any, either oppressors or evil-doers, he would not re- ceive for himself such idolatrous prostrations from others. The same Paul, who rejected with ab- horrence the sacrifices attempted to be offered to him by the priest of Jupiter at Lycaonia, with- stood the Apostle Peter to the face, before the whole Church of Antioch, for countenancing a departure from the great doctrine of justification by faith only, and boldly preached of "righteous- ness, temperance, and a judgment to come, " to Felix, that most corrupt Roman governor. Without this manly spirit nothing great, nothing noble was ever done, ever attempted. Human nature, stripped of it, sinks down into a poor, creeping thing. Now we charge upon the idolatry of Episco- EPISCOPAL IDOLATRY UNMANS THE MINISTRY. 101 pacy just this evil, that its continual tendency is to unman the ministry of the Church, — not mere- ly a part, but the wliole ministry. In proof of this, we take a single fact out of the painful and most humiliating number that crowd upon our memory at this moment. And we take it because it is related by the individual who is himself the example. Not long since a candidate for the second order of the ministry had, during his examination, shown himself "radically, vitally, fundamentally" unsound in the faith. A presbyter, who was pre- sent, both at the examination and ordination, re- fused to unite in the imposition of hands, and published the whole matter to the world. How could he do otherwise ? — though this was ruin to the young man in the estimation of all enlighten- ed, pious people. But the examiner, the author of the statement, had discovered that the Bishop also, by his own avowal, had equally departed from the Gospel. Here, then, was a still more sad and fearful fact. Surely the spirit of the man was stirred to its very depths, and he lifted up a voice of warning so loud and solemn, as to make every ear to tingle in the congregation, and throughout the Church ! Not at all. Listen to the unhappy witness himself, — " / was confound- 9* 102 CONDITION AND PROSPECTS &C, ed. It seemed^ for the moment, cither that I must remain silent, pr appear to question the orihodoxy of my Bishop. It would he presumption in me to discuss that point at cdl, — with that I can have nothing ta do. " How profound the prostration ! What a pitiable predicament for an otherwise estimable and excellent minister of the Gospel to present himself in before the public ! The very self-same thing, which in his view was •' radical, vital, fundamental,^^ against the candidate, a Dea- con, and of course an insurmountable obstacle to his ascent, must not afford the sliofhtest ofround even to question the orthodoxy of the Bishop. Is this the "wisdom which is without particdityT^ Surely a simple-hearted, manly, unperverted piety would have thought and felt very differently ! But here the same conscientiousness, which re- fused, with a resolution not to be shaken, all con- currence in the ordination of an unsound Deacon, shrunk back with a mysterious and insuperable dread from the bare thought of questioning the soundness of the Bishop —the patron and ordainer of this very Deacon! O what sad havoc does this idolatry of Episcopacy make of the con- science, the heart, the whole spirit of a minister ! How like a secret current it sweeps him along, often insensibly to himself, far away from the INFLUENCE OF IDOLATRY UPON BISHOPS. 103 true position of duty and of dif^nity ! Verily, we are persuaded that this one evil has done more to unman our ministry than all other causes com- bined ! The unhappy influence of the idolatry of Epis- copacy upon the mdividuals themselves who are the objects of it:-— its effects upon their personal relio'ion. their ministrations generally^ and their whole tone of character ;-— its tendency to pro- duce a grasping after power, and to lead to mea- sures and to practices, which in others, had they dared to attempt them, would have called forth instant and stern condemnation :— -these tliinofs we may only glance at just now. They deserve an extended notice, and the deplorable state of the Church imperiously calls for it. To blink at them any longer is treachery to Christ and his cause. But we must here close for the present and our conclusion needs be but brief. If the idolatry of the Church, the idolatry?- of the Prayer-Book, the idolatry of Episcopacy, — to say nothino^ of other forms of this orreat besettinsf sin of human nature, — have so sadly infected us, is it wonderful that many have already gone to Rome, and multitudes more are movins: in the same di- rection ? Why, Rome is little other than baptized lieathcnism^ — the perfection, if we may be allowed 104 CONDITION AND PROSPECTS &C. an expressive, but inconsistent combination of terms, — the jjerfcction of Christian idolatry. He who takes the first step in superstition, is just so much nearer to mystical Babylon, the mother of harlots and -abominations. No honest, clear- headed man who dulyreflects upon these things, — certainly no enlightened Christian can fail to see, however painful the prospect, — the issue to which our sins have brought us. Either we must shake off the idolatries now so rampant among us, or be driven onward by them with rail-road speed to the Grand Apostacy. WISHES OF THE BEFORMEES. 105 CHAPTER IX. The Reformers of our Church gave evidence of enlightened piety when they claimed not per- fection for the Book of Common Prayer, and inti- mated that future changes might be required. It is indeed wonderful that men brought up in the darkness of Popery should have been able to put forth a volume so evangelical in its doctrines and spirit. We would naturally have expected, in such men, that much of their old errors would cling to them, and not a little of the arrogant, persecuting spirit in which they had been nur- tured. But, to their yet higher honor be it spoken, had they been permitted fully to carry out their views and wishes, we would have had a still better book. Such, however, was the cor- rupt despotism of the civil government of their day, and the ignorance and superstition of the multitude, that these men of God were continu- ally held back, and even, at times, compelled to recede. Hence they did — not what they xcould, but — what they could. They had fondly hoped to be able to do more, and only this hope over- came the reluctance of some of them to accept 106 CONDITION AND PROSPECTS &C. the high places of the Church. But they were necessitatedj after all, to their shame and great grief, to leave to those who should come after them, to complete the good work they had begun. Noble men ! little did you foresee how germi- nant of mischief would be those weeds you were not allowed to pull up ; and that your humble piety, which shrunk back at the bare thought of claiming perfection for the work of your hands, would be succeeded by a proud idolatry impious- ly prostrating itself to the Book, and casting out as evil the names of all those who should dare, however reverently, to suggest the slightest change, even those which you yourselves had wished to accomplish ! But so it is. And the day is now come, when the bitter fruits of this idolatry have so fearfully developed themselves as to make it alike dangerous and criminal any longer to sit still. They must be met, meekly, but firmly met, and put away from us, or, as a Church, our light and life will go .out in utter darkness and spiritual death. " The Episcopal Church, " said a distinguished layman, on a re- cent occasion, with a simplicity of diction emi- nently befitting so solemn a truth, and exactly expressing, we doubt not, the mind of very many REFORBIATION OF THE PRAYER-BOOK. 107 in every part of our Zion, " The Episcopal Church must be purified, divided, or destroyed /" We purpose at this time very briefly to notice a few of those things in the Prayer-book which, if we mistake not, require the hand of reforma- tion. The welfare, indeed the very existence of our Church, as a sound and efficient member of the great Christian body, demands attention to this subject. We must either be brought closer to the standard of God's word, or perish in our own corruption. If this work be not speedily done, many will leave us in despair of better days, and seek a purer Christianity elsewhere ; and the unsound amonsf us be borne onward the more rapidly to Mystic Babylon, the mother of harlots and abominations. But let us yet hope, and en- deavor to come to this necessary reformation work with a wisdom and a fidelity which only God's word and spirit can supply. In the task now before us, we begin with two general remarks, the correctness of which, we suppose, will be acknowledged by all who have carefully and candidly considered the position and writings of our Reformers. First, it was no more possible for them than for Luther and Calvin to get entirely rid of their old errors. More or less of Rome would still 108 CONDITION AND PROSPECTS &C. cleave to them. It would be a miracle were it otherwise. And what is this but merely saying that they were not perfect men? Secondly, with the mass of the people around them, and not only this, but with much the larger part of the clergy involved in Popish dark- ness, prejudices, and superstition, the Reform- ers of our Church would naturally feel themselves constrained to yield as much as possible to Popery, and to seem to yield a great deal more. — Now to suppose that they never gave way to this impulse unduly or unconsciously, would be, man- ifestly, to hold them up as perfect men, a character which the)^ themselves never claimed, and in- deed would have disclaimed in the strongest terms, had they supposed that any could be so foolish as to ascribe it to them. These remarks, so probable in themselves, and so abundantly supported by the testimony of his- tory, will, if candidly and charitably reflected upon, enable us to come to the examination of the work of our Reformers with a Christian faithful- ness v/hich, while it shrinks from no demand of truth, will dispose us to regard with undiminish- ed, yea increasing, reverence and gratitude, those who achieved so much under circumstances so trying and perilous. BEFORMATION THROWN BACK. 109 I. Are not the Communion Office, and ihe first form of Absolution in the morning and evening Prayer so drawn np that, while they contain the evanofehcal doctrine — the former indeed with great fulness and imprcssiveness, — they present so much of a Popish aspect also as tended at first to reconcile Romanists to our communion, and now affords a seemins: orround for the Romish er- rors of Puseyism? And this policy, be it noted, as it respects the first efiect aimed at, was emi- nently successful. The Romanists continued in the communion of the Church till the twelfth year of Elizabeth, when they quit, not from any objection to the servii?.e, but in obedience to a bull of P.ope Pius IV. And yet like all other compro- mises of principle it turned out in the long run a most unhappy policy. For the Romanists them- selves, the party courted, continued in the Church only for a time, but Romanism, thus favored, has ever since more or less troubled us. In respect to the communion office, it is re- markable that the work of reform, since Edward VI., has been in some measure thrown back. For example, the words used at the distribution of the bread and wine were simply, "take and eat this in rcmcmhrance^ " (fee, and '- drink this in r. mcm- brancc,^^ (fee, implying that the Supper was 10 110 CONDITION AND PROSPECTS &C.' merely a eucharistic commemoration, made effica- cioiis only by faith. Thus the service stood at the death of Edward and at the accession of Elizabeth. It was then, however, changed into the present form, " The hody of our Lord, " J JIAY BE NECESSARY. 173 course left — it is to divide. If you cannot reclaim unsound men, if you canilot put off their errors and corrupt practices, you must separate. There is no other alternative. And to continue in alliance with them, is to become partakers of their sin. Such a union is not Christian union ; it is an unholy compromise of Anti-christ. A Church thus made up is not one, livinoTj sanctified, and sanctifying whole ; but a dead, heterogeneous, corrupt, and corrupting mass. But have we not too much lost sight of what is true Christian union 1 Have we not confound- ed a lifeless, stagnant uniformity', the effect of worldly wisdom and external pressure, with that vital union which can result only from a cordial reception of the truth? Yes, it is to a Popish idol falsely called unity ^ we have, too many of us and too long bowed down ; and thus lost sight of the all-important fact that Christian union, so far from being preserved, is necessarily lost, when attempted to be gained or maintained at the sac- rifice of truth. There and there only is Christian union, wliere tlie truth is held in simplicity and godly sincerity, and meekly but firirdy held up he- fore the world, all else is but " a covenant with death, an agreement with hell." Very many of us, there is reason to hope, are beginning to 15« 174 CONDITION AND PROSPECTS &C. waken up to right views of this subject. Hence division is now quite frequently spoken of, — and at timeS; even in our high places, — as that pain- ful, solemn alternative to which both duty and safety will in all human probability, soon shut us up. Should the day come, as come we fear it will, let us "quit ourselves like men; and be strong." "But what,''^ it has been asked, ^^ivill he the prospect before us in case of division ?" We can judge of the future only by the past. The great principles of human nature, and of the govern- ment of Providence already developed in the his- tory of the Church, will still continue to operate. A consideration of these is the only clue by which we can guide our way into the labyrinth of the future. Judging thus — we believe that in case of a division among us, the leaders of the Pusey- ite body, then unrestrained, will speedily travel forward to Rome, their longed for goal ; but the rank and file who, whether in Church or State, are almost always honest, will soon discover how shamefully they have been deceived, and will fall back again upon the truly Protestant part of the Church ; while that freed from the dead load of Popery which now enfeebles and embarrasses it, and having with it the cordial OUR TROUBLES LONG FORESEEN. 175 sympathies of the whole Protestant world, and, we doubt not, the blessing of heaven, will at once press forward in the Christian course with renewed vigor, and grow and prosper beyond all past example. How glorious a body would be such a Reformed Church ! Few denominations, as the world now is, could do more to advance the kinordom of Christ on earth. It would "arise and shine" amonof the brio^htest constellations of those '• new heavens," in comparison with which *' the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind." The writer is done, — not because the subject is exhausted. Far from this. In each essay his greatest difficulty was to be brief Facts con- tinually crowded upon him, but of these he could select only those most fitted, as he believed, to do good, and least likely to give offence. Many ei^Us he has been compelled to pass over entirely; and of those noticed, he is deeply sensible that they have been feebly, very feebly presented. He could only touch the surface, and not go down into the heart's core of the corruption, or follow its deadly streams throughout their wide circulation. More than twenty years have now elapsed since the writer first endeavored to expose these deplo- 176 CONDITION AND PROSPECTS &C. rable evils. But his voice was then too feeble, or the Church's slumbers too deep. Few heeded the warning. And our troubles, at that time, chiefly prospective, have since been fearfully real- ized, and in some parts of our Zion the tide has already spread so far, and risen so high, that only here and there a great Protestant land-markj or 'a faithful traveller, is visible above its desolating flood. It was only after repeated and urgent importu- nities, public and private, the writer again took up his pen. In what he has now done he is pain- fully conscious of having fallen below his own wishes, and very far short of what the present awful crisis demands. But amid no ordinary trials, discouragements, and domestic afflictions, he has persevered in doing the little he could. May it not be said of him again^ some twenty years hence, by any of Zion's faithful friends, then weeping over her ruins — Alas ! Alas ! " the writer showed himself no loose reasoner. no vain alarmist !" Date Due - - f) PRINTED IN U. S. A. BX5930 .A97 The condition and prospects of the Princeton Theological Seminary-Speer Library 1 1012 00050 8434