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ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES
UNITED STATES.
BY THE
REV EDWARD WAYLEN,
LATE RECTOR OF CHRISTCHURCH, ROCKV1LLE, MARYLAND,
ELEVEN' YEARS RESIDENT IN AMERICA.
" The surest pledge of perpetual peace between the two countries is to be found
in their community of Faith, and in the closeness of their Ecclesiastical intercourse."
— Archbishop of Canterbury.
LONDON:
W. STRAKER, ADELAIDE STREET, WEST STRAND.
1846.
CONTENTS.
Chap. Page
1. — Passage, and First Impressions. — New York 1
II. — Long Island Sound. — Newport 7
III.— New Bedford 12
IV. — Boston. — The Bishop of the Eastern Diocess 15
V. — Sister Maty, St. Henry 19
VI.— The North End 24
VII. — Parenthetical 27
VIII.— The Churches of Boston 40
IX. — Boston Sectaries 44
X. — Some Natural and Artificial Features of Boston 47
XI. — Lowell Nashua. — Merrimack. — Amhurst. — Goffs-
town. — Hopkinton. — Contoocockville 50
XII. — Concord Epsom / 55
XIII Dover. — Portsmouth. — Newburyport. — Salem 62
XIV. — Salem Witchcraft Delusion. — Object, and Conception
of the Plot 68
XV. — Salem Witchcraft Delusion. — Developement and Exe
cution of the Plot 77
XVI. — Salem Witchcraft Delusion. — Discovery and Exposure
of the Conspirators. — Fruits of Faith among the
Victims 86
XVIL — Salem Witchcraft Delusion. — The inquisitors Noyes
and Mather 99
XVIII.— Witchcraft Delusion in England Fruits of Faith .. 108
XIX.— General Convention of the Church in 1835 118
XX. — Rhode Island. — Narragansett Bay 140
XXL— The Rhode Island Church.— Dr. Crocker 143
XXII. — Collegiate System of the United States 146
VI CONTENTS.
Chap. Page
XXIIL— Providence Olneyville West Smithfield Fruits
ofthe " Voluntary System " in New England .... 150
XXIV. Rhode Island Convocations 160
XXV My First Parish , 164
XXVI. — Withdrawal from the Eastern Diocess, and Farewell of
New England 167
XXVII. — The Church in New England Retrospect;— Encou
raging Prospect. — Mr. Newton's Testimony 171
XX VIII.— New York Dr. Milnor. — Dr. Wainwright.— Mr.
Colton. — The " Temperance Society." — The Bishop
of Vermont 183
XXIX A Sunday in Philadelphia 193
XXX.— Philadelphia Lions 198
XXXI. — Journey to Washington and Alexandria. — Indian
Chiefs , 202
XXXIL— Baltimore.— Dr. Wyatt 207
XXXIII. — The " Roman Catholic " Society in America. / 212
XXXIV.— Supplementary to the last 227
XXXV.— Dr. Henshaw. — Dr. Dorr. — Philadelphia Female
High School. — Return to New York 238
XXXVI. — Boarding-House Life. — General Convention of 1838.
— General Theological Seminary. — Columbia Col
lege 224
XXXVIL— Philadelphia. — Dr. Tyug. — Journey to the Interior. —
Lewistown. — Harrisburgh. Settlement in my Se
cond Parish 250
XXXVIIL— [Old] York 255
XXXIX. — The Church in Delaware. — Pennsylvania Convention 259
XL. — Andalusia Murder. — Bristol 263
XLI.— The Hudson.— Catskill. — Kinderhook 271
XLII Niagara 280
XLIIL— A Week in New Jersey 286
XLIV. — New York Convention. — Bishop Chase. — Dr. Lan-
cey 293
XLV. — The Pew Nuisance. — The Church versus Fash
ionable Denomination 297
XLVI The Alleghanies 304
XLVIL— The Ohio River Steubenville.— American Climate 309
XLVIII — Pittsburg The Mountains recrossed 313
XLIX.— An Eloquent Preacher. — Reflections 316
L. — Ministerial Preparation in the United States 324
CONTENTS. Vll
Chap. Page
LI. — Rubrical Conformity 337
LII — General Convention of 1841 ; . . . 363
LIII — General Convention of 1841, continued. — The Pastoral
Letter. — St. Paul's Church described 375
LIV. — Journey to Michigan. — Rochester. — Parish Troubles.
— Lake Erie 397
LV. — Detroit. — Bishop M'Coskrv. — Natural Features and
History of Michigan. — Jackson. — The Indians. —
A Missionary Priest 40i
LVI. — " New School" Presbyterianism. — Return to Phila
delphia 412
LV1I — Philadelphia Suburbs.— The Artists' Fund Hall 421
LVIII.— A Mourning Church 428
LIX. — Removal to Maryland. — Two " Puseyite" Rectors. —
"Chapel Royal"" at Washington. — Rockville '-
History of the Maryland Church 437
LX. — Maryland Diocesan Convention. — Anti - Tractarian
Movement. — Result 448
LXI General Convention of 1844. — Spasmodic Action of
Alarmists 445
LXIl. — An Episcopal Consecration. — The Bishop of Pennsyl
vania's Resignation. — The Bishop of New York's
Trial 464
LXI1I. — Bishop Chase and Jubilee College 469
LXIV.— Consecration of the Foreign Bishops. — Bishop South-
gate and the Syrian Church 483
LXV Conclusion 494
MOST REVEREND WILLIAM HOWLEY, D.D.
PRESIDENT;
THE REV, DR. RUSSELL, AND CHARLES J. MANNTM, ESQ.
TREASURERS ;
THE REV. A. M. CAMPBELL,
SECRETARY ;
THE COMMITTEE OF THE VENERABLE SOCIETY FOR THE
PROPAGATION OF THE GOSPEL IN
FOREIGN PARTS;
%i)t following Pages,
EXHIBITING SOME OF THE PRESENT FRUITS, IN THE UNITED
STATES, PRODUCED BY THE EARLY EFFORTS OF THE
FIRST MISSIONARY SOCIETY IN THE WORLD,
ARE APPROPRIATELY DEDICATED.
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PREFACE.
The following sheets are intended to follow up
the design of several recent works on the same
subject ; the success of which, while it affords
evidence of a growing interest amongst British
Christians in whatever relates to the cause of
Catholicity in America, appears fully to warrant
another contribution to the same subject.
The author has made no effort to shape and
adapt his narrative to any established model in
the same department of authorship ; nor is he pre
pared with any apology for the prominence which
is given to himself — unavoidably in a journal
embracing travels and scenes in public and
domestic life, in the latter of which, it will be
observed, he only appears as a " Spectator."
That he has spoken favourably of the Ameri
cans as a people, arises from his long and intimate
acquaintance with them ; during which he has
associated with almost every class in that commu
nity. He cannot lend himself to a falsehood to
make his book sell; though it has to be proved
whether defamation or grotesque caricature, ap-
b
PREFACE.
plied to the people of a country, whose glory and
greatness are our own, furnish the only staple
commodities in this department of authorship.
The Americans, as a race of people, inherit most
of the good, and are free from many of the bad,
qualities which distinguish the nation whence
they have sprung; nor has the free intermixture
of continental blood effected any deterioration in
their mental or physical qualities. The defects
of character (arising solely from education) which
distinguish a portion of them before the world,
and the exhibitions of popular license which the
country occasionally presents, originate in a com
bination of religious and political influences, in
which, as the following pages demonstrate, the
former has decidedly the largest share. The
picture they present is drawn, however, with
far less depth of shade than many which others,
belonging to a different religious communion from
the author, have given before him. It is, indeed,
unnecessary to go any further than to the testi
mony of the public teachers and the printed or
gans attached to the more respectable protestant
sects in America, in confirmation of its accuracy
of colouring ; as well as of the utter inefficiency
of any existing institution, formed by the " union"
of sectarian influence and action, to grapple with
the augmenting evils, social and political, now
threatening that land. It is in this view that the
PREFACE. XI
Church Catholic, growing up so strong amidst
surrounding strife and disunion, possesses an in
creased interest to the Christian philanthropist of
the mother-country, to whom every stage of its
progress, and particulars — perhaps, in themselves
unimportant as matters of record — cannot fail of
possessing some degree of interest. This consi
deration (added to the other, that persons and
scenes as yet but little known to a large class of
English readers, are brought forward in these
pages) has weighed with the author in yielding to
those impulses which an interesting ecclesiastical
relationship in a land where he was politically an
alien, naturally produced, whilst, as he penned
these chapters, the memory recalled seasons of
Christian intercourse never to be forgotten, and
hallowed by many tender and sacred associations.
It was in this relationship that the author first un
derstood, in its full meaning, the reality of that ca
tholic bond of union which — as intended by its
Divine, originator — breaks down and utterly anni
hilates the lines of national prejudice. Viewed,
therefore, in this light — as a familiar narrative of
a religious and social connexion with that' branch
of the ONE FAMILY OF THE FAITHFUL which has
spread out into a great American country from
the larger growth in this, and which already
numbers two millions of members, under twenty-
eight bishops and thirteen hundred inferior
Xll PREFACE.
h
clergy — no apology is necessary for any minute
ness of detail which may contribute to familiarize
the reader with every part of the picture here
sketched. To Catholic readers, nothing relating
to their fellow-Catholics of the United States can
be altogether uninteresting ; and it is for Catholic
readers that this book is written.
These pages are also intended to demonstrate —
if further historical demonstration be necessary —
the Divine character of that glorious institution
of episcopacy, which is the inseparable note and
mark of the Church Universal in all its true
branches, wherever their blessed shade is afforded
to the members of the human family. This, the
wonderful success attending the early, and, more
especially, the later efforts of those who have been
labouring under the banner of Apostolic Order
in the Western Continent ; and the remarkable
manner in which the ark which they guide
(under the pilotage of her Divine Captain) has
been saved from those fearful storms which have
shattered, or greatly impaired, every other vessel
around her, sufficiently prove to the eye of faith.
May we not also hope that amongst all classes
and creeds belonging to the two nations of a com
mon ancestry, whose interests and (it is to be fer
vently hoped) whose destiny are the same, the age
of petty rivalry, for its own sake, is passing away ?
" The rankling ill-will, and mutual backbitings,"
PREFACE. Xlll
that "Regina"* justly "deplores, even more than
the prospect of open hostilities," is now almost
confined to the lowest class of writers and politi
cians in either country. The vulgar brawlers of a
presidential electioneering party in the lower house
of Congress are no more the exponents of the sub
stantial class of citizens in one country, than are the
ultra-radical factionists in the House of Commons
representatives of the intelligence and virtue of
the middle and higher ranks in Britain. Let
this be mutually understood, and nothing will be
wanting to complete a good understanding be
tween the intelligent classes of the two countries.
"Regina" is also correct in affirming — what the
author's own experience has satisfactorily proved
to him — that, even amongst the demagogue poli
tical-capitalists, the arrogance and conceit, which
is erroneously charged upon the whole nation, is,
in fact, only a "defensive" weapon ; resulting from
the contempt which it was fashionable for English
writers and public speakers to express for America
and her institutions long after the war which made
her independent of the mother country. Nothing
can be truer than the assertion of this sagacious
writer : — " Their bragging and blustering is su
perficial ; in their heart of hearts every Yankee
* The entire article in " Fraser " of January last is recommended
to the reader's perusal, as the best paper on our American relations
that has come under the author's notice since his return to England.
XIV PREFACE.
loves and reveres old England. They yearn
towards their fatherland, which they still, in
unguarded moments, call ' home,' with an affec
tion which needs but little encouragement to
become decided enthusiasm ! The sovereign of
these realms is still by them emphatically styled
* the queen,' as if no other female in the world
wore the crown."
Need anything more be added to shew the
unnatural, and it may be added, the unnecessary
alternative of a war with such a country?
The people of the United States, — the author's
experience and intimate knowledge of them enable
him to affirm it, — those who form the mind of
the nation, and who, it is hoped, will yet recover
their legitimate control over the action of the
country — are ready and desirous to join issue with
us in securing a lasting alliance, and in all the
schemes for more enlarged benevolence to which
such alliance must naturally lead. Despite their
"defensive" egotism, the Americans are fully alive
to the fact of British superiority, both in physical
power and the higher achievements of art and
learning; claiming only equality of moral and
intellectual greatness ; the natural ingenuity and
skill which have descended to them, and which
they have undoubtedly improved ; and the com
mercial enterprize which distinguishes both na
tions alike, above all others on the globe. Amongst
PREFACE. XV
the members of the " episcopal " communion this
sentiment is universal ; extending to a profound
deference to England on all points relative to
dogmatic theology and Church polity. England,
as the land of the Mother Church, whose " long-
continuance of nursing care" gave their own a
firm footing in the northern continent of the New
World, is regarded with sentiments of reverence
and love by every Churchman : it therefore remains
with the English nation, and especially the mem
bers of our national Church, to reciprocate a feel
ing based on such high and catholic grounds, in
the spirit of the noble sentiment which forms (ap
propriately) the motto to this volume, and in the
assurance — a well-founded one, as the author's
observation fully convinces him — that "the surest
pledge of perpetual peace between the two coun
tries is to be found in their community of Faith
and the closeness of their Ecclesiastical inter
course." Griston, 6th May, 1846.
ERRATA.
From the difficulty of correcting all the sheets during the pro
gress of this work through the press, the following errors (among
others, which the reader will recognise as typographical) have
escaped the printer's vigilance:
Page 45, line 17, for these orders, read three orders.
76, in the note, for gloss, read gloze.
87, for Salem, read Danvers.
99, line 5, expunge — and colleague to Parris.
241, line 4, for miles, read yards.
344, the following note is omitted :
' ' If the author may be allowed to criticise, where rubrical conformity
and good taste leave nothing else to censure on the clergyman's part, he
would condemn the practice, adopted in a few instances, of his facing the
east at the Creed, unless by a change of position (which would not be
unrubrical) he also faces the altar, with the rest of the worshippers. The
former custom is not only absurd in its effect upon the congregation,
but a manifest innovation. To ' stand towards ' the altar is surely sufficient
for the priest. He would also suggest that when the Eucharist is admi
nistered daily, or on every Gospel day — the lowest requisition of the
Church — the stated participants approach in sets (by an arrangement
with the clergyman) as in the Latin Church ; thus avoiding the undue
press of communicants at one time, and enabling all to communicate once
a month ; or (if the communion is celebrated twice or three times every
Gospel day) weekly."
Page 367, line 10, for such writers, read Latin writers.
„ 369, line 15, for quarter festivals, read greater festivals.
„ 399, line 23, for communion, read community.
„ 411, line 9, for ofthe ages, read ofthe ages of Faith.
„ 421, in motto, for Thabas, read Thebas ; for menec, read
me nee ; for udae, read uda.
„ 427, line 5, for patria, read patriae.
The note on Oregon (p. 119) is founded on a misconception ; the
original appellation of the river, named by the States' citizens
" The Columbia," having been Oregon. The paragraph on the
Oregon dispute, in Appendix No. III., is all of that paper that was
intended to be placed in brackets.
The list of colleges and public schools in the Appendix is as com
plete as, from a variety of sources, it could be made ; but omits nine
or ten of the latter, of which no report could be obtained.
' ECCLESIASTICAL
REMINISCENCES.
CHAPTER I.
PASSAGE, AND FIRST IMPRESSIONS. — NEW YORK.
I sailed from Bristol on the 25th of April, 1834, in the
ship " Copia," a Newburyport merchantman, on its
homeward course from Java. The vessel was making its
first voyage ; and being found, from its peculiar form,
and the faulty construction of its deck, unfit for distant
voyages, was condemned on its return to America, for
foreign trade, and afterwards employed by its owners as
a coaster. Owing to this circumstance the passage was
long and dangerous, attended by great discomfort to
the passengers (four in number with myself) who were
driven from the cabin by the leaking of the deck in that
part of the vessel, to the larger berths of the almost
empty steerage. The constant leaking in the ship's
bottom also obliged every passenger to assist frequently
at the pumps, and kept the more timid on board in a
constant state of apprehension for worse consequences.
These were serious drawbacks from the comfort of the
passage, and made me repeatedly regret having given
the merchantman the preference to a Liverpool 'packet,
which I had been led to do as a saving of one half the
2 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
expense. The Newburyport captain asked twenty
pounds for the passage, and the charge by the regular
packets was then thirty-five guineas ; the journey from
Bath (where I took leave of my relatives) to Liverpool,
making the whole expense by the latter more than double.
Our captain did all in his power to lighten our difficul
ties. He was a man of some intelligence, and strictly
moral in his deportment ; indeed, the whole crew afford
ed a better example of steady conduct than I have
since observed on the Atlantic in five succeeding pas
sages. Not an oath was heard between the two ports,
nor any exhibition of drunkenness or insubordination.
It was the captain's custom to call the sailors together
for prayers twice every Sunday, and every evening that
the weather permitted ; and their exemplary behaviour
was doubtless the effect of this custom, and his own
excellent example.
The other cabin passengers were an elderly gentle
man from Somerset, on his way to Toronto in Canada,
accompanied by his son, an interesting youth in his fif
teenth year, and a medical relative, bound to the same
place. On the 10th of June we reached New York.
The first appearance of this city, as approached from
the sea, after passing the Narrows, is unquestionably,
one of the most picturesque that can be imagined.
This arises more from its situation in the most beau
tiful bay in the world, than from any prominence of
architectural elegance in the city itself; indeed, when
the ship neared the wooden and poorly constructed
wharfs, and I saw nothing but staring red. unsub
stantial looking warehouses overlooking them, I ex
perienced a sensation, which I am persuaded every
Englishman partakes on his first arrival at this port,
NEW YORK. 3
of positive disappointment. Nor do I wonder at the
admiration expressed by an American traveller* on
landing at Liverpool at "the perfection, the beauty,
and the magnificence of the masonry constituting the
quays, docks, and basins, contrasted with the wooden,
feeble, and perishable docks and wharfs " of his own
country. It should be remembered, however, that New York,
though pretty ancient, has not had the benefit of a
municipal government long enough to compete in every
particular with London or Liverpool ; though the
changes I have myself witnessed during the past ten
years afford a good earnest of what may be expected.
Doubtless, within that same period the preference for
stone to any less perishable material, which is showing
itself in the public buildings and churches of America,
will extend itself to the wharfs and quays of the Trans
atlantic seaports.
Our luggage was soon examined by the Custom House
officers, who were as polite and accommodating as could
be wished, and conveyed to an hotel near the steam-boat
wharf, whence my Canada bound friends designed em
barking for Albany the same day. Here we breakfasted
with an excellent appetite ; of which, indeed, the quan
tity and variety of the viands were a sufficient provoca
tive. Leaving our hotel for a stroll through the principal
streets of the city, we shortly entered Broadway, which
may be called its backbone. Here I soon found my first
impressions giving way before those of admiration and
surprise as we pursued our way up this noble thorough-
fate. About two- thirds of its length is lined with shops,
many of which vie with the largest establishments in
* The Rev. Calvin Colton. " Four Years in Great Britain." pp. 21.
4 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
Fleet Street or Holborn, though inferior in size and
outward splendour to the shops of the west end. The
rest of Broadway consists of private residences ; several
of which, as well as numerous houses in the north, or
court end of the town, through which it passes, are ele
gant and sumptuous dwellings. The streets in this quar
ter are well built, and present an air of great neatness
and cleanliness.
If, however, I should express my first impressions of
the general aspect of the streets in the business part
of New York for pedestrian purposes, (and my last
too) it might look, and would be pronounced by Ame
ricans, New Yorkers especially, as ill-natured and ex
aggerated. I therefore, prefer presenting the life drawn
picture, given by the editor of the New York " Com
mercial Advertiser," a daily paper of high character,
and the article written long since the period to which
this chapter refers.
" There is a great difference between New York
and London, in the regulation of side walks for pedes
trians. The difference appears to be decidedly in favor
of London, as people can manage to get along the pave
ments of that city. How much more noble and demo
cratic is the practice in New York. Here, the side
walks are put to their true uses. Wheel-wrights
crowd upon them the damaged carts and waggons which
they mean to repair at their leisure ; vendors of oran
ges, pine-apples, cherries, stale fish and the like, spread
out their stalls upon them ; the boys ' slosh' them
with water, from the hydrants, private and public ;
grocers pile up their empty barrels all over them, six
deep and three high ; stable keepers hitch their horses
along them to undergo the pleasing process of currying,
BROOKLYN. 5
and the ladies get by as well as they can. All this is
delightful to the philanthropic mind, and reflects infinite
credit upon the municipal government."
We passed some churches in the course of our peram
bulations. St. Paul's in Broadway, and St. John's
in the square of that name, claimed at this time the
first notice on the score of architectural merit ; but they
are now eclipsed by the superior grandeur of Trinity,
which has been five years in progress ; and will be,
when completed, the most important ecclesiastical build
ing in the United States.*
As I had not at this time an introduction to a single
person in this wide city, I only remained another day
after seeing my fellow passengers off. We parted with
mutual expressions of good will, and protestations of
friendship, which the companionship of seven weeks on
the ocean is well calculated to engender. I have rarely
felt such keen regret, as on the occasion of this sudden
and final separation from friends in a foreign land,
where everything was new and strange. For the first
time was I fully conscious of my situation, and felt in
a manner which the untravelled reader can but faintly
conceive, the distance of home — the thousand leagues
of ocean that separated me from England. Return
ing to the hotel, I found little appetite for the meal
which was spread, nor could any object or occupation
shake off the excessive weight of gloom which pressed
on my spirits at the close of this, my first day in
America. I employed the next morning in a visit to Brooklyn.
The view from the heights is the finest in the neigh
bourhood ; indeed, I have never seen anything, except-
See Appendix No. 1.
6 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES'.
ing Kattskill and London from Greenwich, which-
equals it. It takes in the entire Bay, covered with
vessels of every size and nation ; promontories, bat
teries, and the city itself lying at your feet, completing
a toup d'ceil of surpassing beauty. Wordsworth's pic
ture of the. latter came in a moment to my recollection,
as with the alteration of a single word, equally descriptive
of the prospect spread out before me :-•-
" Earth has not anything to show more fair,
Dull would he be of soul who could pass by
A sight so touching in its majesty :
The city now doth like a garment wear,
The beauty of the morning ; silent, bare,
Ships, towers, domes, theatres, and churches lie
Open unto the sea, and to the sky,
All light and glittering in the smokeless air,
Never did sun more beautifully steep
In his first splendour valley, rock, or hill.
Ne'er saw I, never felt a calm so deep,
The river glideth at his own sweel will ,
Dear God ! the very houses seem asleep,
And all the mighty heart is lying still."
CHAPTER II.
LONG ISLAND SOUND. NEWPORT.
The steam-boats which ply on the American waters
have been so often described, that I will only record the
important fact that the one which conveyed me from
New York to Newport, belonged to the largest and
most complete of the class. After tea the passengers
formed in groups round the ladies' cabin, or promenaded
the spacious deck. Having secured a berth I remained
above till near midnight, when descending to the saloon
I found the supper tables removed, and all excepting a
whist party retired to their separate berths. I regretted
afterwards that I had not addressed myself to my couch
earlier, as the summons to the "passengers for Newport
to get their baggage ready" broke on my ear when most
inadequately recruited by scarce four hours rest. But
Newport now stands out to view, and in a few moments
more thirty or forty of us are landed at the wharf, and
the huge boat ploughs her way onward towards Provi
dence. We have passed through Long Island Sound
and ninety miles of the open Atlantic, and are about one-
third of the distance up Nanagausett Bay.
The hotel which received our party (all but myself
being southern visitors to this favourite watering place)
was one of the most comfortable I have put up at in
the United States ; and the civility of the servants more
marked, both at the inn, and in the families of Newport,
than I found elsewhere in the northern States. Indeed,
8 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
Newport and its precincts may be considered the Para
dise of Englishmen, which is accounted for by the
English origin of nearly all its citizens, some of whose
pedigree ascends to the best parent stock of the mother
country. I soon found cordial welcomes, and warm
hearted friends : and received on this, my first arrival,
impressions which subsequent visits only helped to
establish. There is nothing wanting in the society of
Newport, that would be expected in the most refined
circle of a fashionable English watering place.
The church was one of the first objects which attracted
my notice. It occupies a central position, and is graced
with a well proportioned spire. Dr. Wheaton was at
this time the rector. He had filled the incumbency
twenty-three years. At a subsequent period of my
residence in America I was admitted to a very near and
advantageous friendship with this worthy man, who is
now deceased. Zion Church (in which I afterwards
received ordination) was not at this time completed. It
is about the same size as Trinity, and occupies a fine
open site in the west end of the town. The Rev. John
West, the first rector of this parish, holds a high place
among the New England clergy. He is a good He
brew scholar, and well versed in oriental literature ; he
has since been transferred to the larger parish of St-
John's, Bangor, in Maine ; of which (newly formed)
diocese he is the most eligible candidate for the office
des?gnedPhim ^ ^ "^ Ksh°P GriSW°ld *"*
Newport possesses more interest tn «,«, ». u
than any other spot in the United sit dra»,aM»
town in Virginia-as hav^ be I VT * ^
dence and scene of the laboufs ofl^ £^ f ^
BISHOP BERKELEY. 9
honored name in the early history of the Rhode Island
Church. When Dean of Derry, in Ireland, he con
ceived the project of founding a university in America,
and with this view, as well as of forwarding the general
interests of the American Church, he obtained from
Sir Robert Walpole, George the First's minister, a
promised grant of twenty thousand pounds, and remo
ved to Rhode Island in September, 1728. " Here,"
writes Bishop Wilberforce, "he awaited the payment
of the £20,000 endowment of his college. But a
secret influence at home was thwarting his efforts.
His friends, in vain, importuned the minister in his
behalf, and equally fruitless were his own earnest repre
sentations. The promised grant was diverted to other
objects. With the vigour of a healthy mind he was
labouring in his sacred calling amongst the inhabitants
pf Rhode Island, making provision for his future college,
and serving God with thankfulness for the blessings he
possessed. ' I live here,' he says, * upon land that I
have purchased, and in a farm house that I have built
in this island. * * * Amongst my delays and dis
appointments, I thank God I have two domestic com
forts, my wife and my little son ; he is a great joy to us,
we are such fools as to think him the most perfect thing
in its kind that we ever saw.' For three years he
patiently awaited the means of accomplishing his- pur
pose; until Bishop Gibson extracted from Sir Robert
Walpole a reply which brought him home. Tf, ' said
he, ' you put this question to me as a minister, I must
assure you that the money shall most undoubtedly be
paid as soon as suits, with public convenience;. but if
you ask me as a friend, whether Dr. Berkeley should
continue in America, expecting the payment of £20,000,
10 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
I advise him by all means to return to Europe, and to
give up his present expectations.' " *
Thus disappointed, Dr. Berkeley returned, and the
wretched minister who had deceived him, continued till
his retirement from office deaf to all appeals on behalf
of the Church in the colonies or any where else ! — The
feeling of the English people at this time was also too
" protestant," and the clergy too thoroughly Erastian to
feel much sympathy for the distant members of the Church
who constantly sent home earnest appeals for a colonial
episcopate. Lulled in the arms of worldly selfishness, no
efforts of Berkeley, assisted by Bishops Butler, Sher
lock and Gibson, proved effectual in rousing either to an
effort for their American brethren. The thing was a
"novelty, — "an "innovation" on the " old" mode. They
doubtless regarded the proposition for supplying North
America with an independant episcopate as a " popish"
scheme — for look ! in South America the Spanish
Church had erected (under a patriarch] and six arch
bishops) thirty-two sees all filled, f
Bishop Berkeley died in 1773. He had left an exten
sive library in Rhode Island, the remains of which still
exist. A handsome tablet to his memory is placed
in Trinity Church. I shall never forget that I preached
my second sermon in his pulpit.
Newport was one of the ports in the possession of the
British during a great part of the Revolutionary War ;
at the termination of which, though the population had
diminished, it was incorporated as a " city." The
* Wilberforce's History of the Amercian Church, pp. 155.
f In Queen Anne's reign the interests of the Church were better under
stood. That admirable and pious Queen favoured a plan for founding
four bishopricks in America ; two for the continent, and two for the
islands ; but her death put a stop to its accomplishment.
NEWPORT. 11
beauty of the waters of the Narragansett Bay on which
the island stands, and which is overlooked at Newport,
is well known. The citizens are hyperbolical in their
terms of admiration of the fine bay before their town ;
but its " superiority to the Bay of Naples, or any other in
the world" asserted by a native writer must be decided
by those who, unlike the author, have had the oppor
tunity of making the comparison. Combining the ad
vantages of a sufficient depth of water for the largest
ships, free access from the ocean, and — notwithstanding
its size, large enough for whole fleets — of being well
land locked by Cananicut Island, it is certainly superior
as a harbour to any other on the eastern coast of
America. Congress has wisely established a navy yard here ; and
government workmen have long been engaged in build
ing extensive forts for the defence of the harbour. The
occupancy of Newport by an enemy would not now
prove so easy a matter as in 1776 !
12
CHAPTER. HI.
NEW BEDFORD.
1 left the hospitable roof of Captain , on one of
the warmest days in June, for a visit to New Bedford
in the neighbouring state of Massachusetts. The first
part of the road lay through the fertile island of Rhode,
which forms, however, an inconsiderable portion of the
state so called. Two miles brought us to the village of
Middletown, like every part of this island, very English
in its aspect. At Portsmouth, four miles further on, a
stone bridge crosses the strait (about a thousand feet in
width at this point) to the main land. The face of the
country was now changed for a stony sandy soil, which
appearance continued nearly till the coach reached New
Bedford, where we found dinner prepared for us at a
comfortable hotel in the principal street of the town,
to which we did ample justice.
New Bedford deserves a fuller notice than the plan
of my notes will allow, er than it has yet received from
any English tourist. It is altogether one of the hand
somest built, and in point both of its fine situation, and
the superior character of its society, one of the most
attractive towns in the United States.
Buzzard's Bay, which indents Massachusetts from the
south for about thirty-five miles, is remarkable for receiving
no river properly so called. New Bedford, situated near
the mouth of a cove or estuary called Acushnet River, is
the entrep6t of this bay. The whale oil business has
NEW BEDFORD. 13
brought a great deal of wealth to this place, which is
seen in the style of many of the private residences,
which, from the position ofthe town on a bank declining
to the water's edge, appear to great advantage from the
river's surface, or the opposite bank, where another town
of about a third of the size stands, called Fairhaven.
The wealthy citizens of New Bedford manifest much
>taste in their dwellings, which are generally surrounded
by spacious gardens, with conservatories, shrubberies etc.
The morning after my arrival at New Bedford, being
Sunday, I worshipped in the congregational meeting
¦house. The '' congregationalists" answer in their views
•of church government and doctrine to the "indepen
dents" among the dissenters in England ; who regard the
•independency of each congregation of Christians as the
correct apostolic model ; and being Calvinists, differ only
from the " particular baptists " in the matters of infant
baptism and open communion. As Massachusetts,
which formerly included New Hampshire and Maine,
was first colonized by the puritans, who were the proge
nitors of the congregationalists, this denomination num
bers, as might be expected, many ofthe most respectable
families and individuals in that section of the country,
and the ministers are proportionably well educated.
The Rev. James A. Roberts, the pastor of the congre
gation, who preaehed on this occasion was a fluent
¦speaker. I heard him again in the evening when, in the
course of an extempore discourse, he showed greater
powers than the morning's sermon had brought to view.
The style was characterised by vigour of thought, united
to great liveliness of fancy, and a good share of elocution.
There was no church under episcopal control erected
at the time of my first visit to New Bedford. The bap-
14 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
tist, congregationalist, and unitarian, with the quakers,
methodists, and a small company of Romanists, embra
cing all the church going portion ofthe town. Mr. Bent,
a presbyter of the diocess, was, however, holding regular
services in a hired chapel lately vacated by a baptist so
ciety to a feeble number. Through the praiseworthy
exertions of that gentleman the number of converts
to apostolic order soon became pretty numerous ; and a
fine gothic church of ample dimensions in the principal
street is now regularly filled with a serious and devout
body of worshippers.
It was at New Bedford that I first heard of the apos
tolic Griswold, with whose name and position in the
American Church I afterwards found the dignitaries and
clergy of the Church of England tolerably familiar. As
the town was embraced within his diocess, he was ex
tremely anxious to establish a congregation at so impor
tant a station, and had several times preached, and held
services himself in the rooms and " upper chambers " of
the primitive disciples, " receiving all that came in unto
him."
15
CHAPTER IV.
BOSTON. THE BISHOP OF THE EASTERN DIOCESS.
Boston is another place which to an Englishman pre
sents on first entering it, a striking and pleasing simili
tude to home. The streets, — the architecture of the
houses, — the very looks of the people abroad, — and the
general aspect of almost every thing that his eye encoun
ters — all contribute to remind him that, though in the
new world, he is in the metropolis of that particular sec
tion of it appropriately styled " New England."
This English aspect which marks every thing in Bos
ton, is no where more strikingly seen than in the
churches, whose sombre coloured walls and oaken wood
work, with the dark rich shade of drapery, and the cur
tained or stained medium, subduing the effect of a Trans
atlantic sky, communicate that "dim religious light"
which in an instant carries the English worshipper back
to the glorious fanes of his native land.
Such were my own sensations on taking my seat
within the walls of Trinity Church the first time I en
tered that beautiful temple, whose battlemented tower,
well decorated and substantial, and superb east window
had several times attracted my notice in my earliest
perambulations. On looking round, the air and appear
ance of the worshippers was sufficiently distingue. Nu
merous family groups occupied the luxuriantly (too
luxuriantly) furnished pews which covered the spacious
area. My immediate conjecture that this was the
16 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
" fashionable church" of the aristocratic quarter where
it stands, proved on after enquiry correct.
But who is that venerable looking prelate seated in the
episcopal chair which occupies the north of the altar ?
His featuies and scanty grey locks, bespeak a man of
perhaps eighty ; but no ! his upright form as he rises to
the awakening notes of the Te Deum, and the fixed ex
pression of his speaking eye tell that only seventy
winters have passed over his head. Right — he has per
formed the work of eighty years during forty years of
ministerial service, twenty three of which have been
devoted to the duties of the episcopate. He is the
" Bishop of the Eastern Diocess," and the Presiding
Bishop of the episcopal church in the United States.
I had heard and read of this distinguished ecclesiastic,.
and had seen his picture ; but the impression I had re
ceived was a faint one of the original, which embodied
all that the imagination paints as peculiar to a patriarch
or an apostle. Frequently as I met him in after days,
and much as I heard of his conversation in the most
retired moments of his life this impression was never
lessened. His features uniformly expressed sanctity and
benevolence, while his carriage combined dignity and the
most childlike simplicity.
The 'good bishop was present on a visitation of the
Boston parishes, and after administering the apostolic rite
of confirmation to a number of interesting youth he
preached a sermon, which received the deepest attention
from the numerous assemblage. The words flowed from
his lips naturally and fervidly, and more than one
moistened eye among the young recipients of the Holy
Ghost, gave testimony to the force of his earnest
exhortations.
BISHOP GTtlSWOLD. 17
The " eastern diocess" it is known to my older readers,
comprised the four states of Maine, New Hampshire,
Massachusetts, and Rhode Island, since erected into
separate sees. At Bishop Griswold's death in 1843,
there were 112 parishes and clergymen in that
district of country. A small number, I admit, com
pared to its population, but considerable when com
pared with the number of clergy at the time he was
consecrated to his office in 1511 ; when (though at that
time the diocess included Vermont) there were only
seventeen ! And what was the entire strength of the
American Episcopal Church at the time of his ordination
to the lower rank in the priesthood in 1795? There
were then only five bishops, and forty-nine clergymen in
the whole United States. The heathen had come into the
inheritance ofthe Lord, and laid Jerusalem on heaps. Her
faithful worshippers were become a reproach to their
neighbours ; a scorn and derision to them that were round
about them. The vine which had been planted in the
land by the Church of England, and watched by her with
" a long continuance of nursing care," * had been broken
down, and almost plucked up. The property of the
Church had been alienated, and applied to secular uses ,
Her enemies had confederated together against hei — Edom
with Moab — the Philistines with the inhabitants of Tyre —
Asshur with tlie children of Lot, and had said, " Come,
and let us cut them off from being a nation, that the name
of Israel may be no more in remembrance.
Such was without figure the position of the Church
in the United States at the time that the late presiding
bishop first entered on his clerical duties, and the future
primate was obliged, in addition to very arduous paro"
* Preface to the American Prayer Book.
18 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
chial labours, to eke out a slender support by taking the
charge of a district school. " During the whole of my
life," once remarked the bishop, " I have been con
strained to be economical of time ; few probably of my
age have spent less of it in amusement and relaxation."
And what was the spectacle which this faithful servant
in the gospel vineyard was permitted to behold before
he was taken from the scene of his labours, after half a
century* of persevering industry, during which he had
risen by successive gradations to the highest post of
ecclesiastical distinction ? —
The Heavenly Husbandman had beheld and visited his
vine, the vineyard which his own right hand planted ; it
has taken deep root, and filled the land ; the hills are
covered with the shadow of it, and the boughs thereof are
like goodly cedars. She has sent her boughs to ike sea, and
her branches to the river. Twenty-one bishops and a
thousand faithful clergy f ministering to fifteen hundred
congregations attested the gracious and protecting care
with which the kind Shepherd of Israel, who neither
slumbers nor sleeps, had watched over the interests of
his American flock !
* Including the period of his lay-readership.
f The number of American bishops is now 28, and of clergy 1240.
19
CHAPTER V.
SISTER MARY ST. HENRY.
Dorchester Heights, occupied by Washington when he
compelled the British to evacuate Boston in the first
campaign of the revolutionary war, overlook the city
from the south, and afford a fine view of the noble har
bour and its numerous islands.
As Boston has increased in population and wealth, the
limits of the city have proportionably extended ; and
Dorchester Heights are now embraced within the regu
lar city boundaries, and united to the old part by two
bridges. The peninsula was, however, at the time of
which I write, but partially covered with- houses, and
possessed many delightful walks with country prospects.
I was several times attracted to this quarter of the town
to catch the sea views, and explore the coves which
indent its southern coast.
There stood on the northern slope ofthe hill, a Roman
Catholic chapel dedicated to St. Augustine. My course
lay by this chapel one Monday afternoon, late in the
autumn of 1834. A throng of people gathered, about
the gates opening on the burying ground, seemed to give
intimation of an interment ; nor had I reached the turn
ing of the road leading to the bridge, before the sounds
of funereal music from beneath caught my ear, and the
spectacle of a lengthened procession crossing it was
distinctly visible.
20 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
The music rose louder on the ear as the procession
moved up the hill. First came a cross-bearer with a
company of juvenile acolothists ; next a numerous choir
of chanters, preceding the coffin, which was followed by
several priests in their altar vestments, and a large con
fraternity of nuns, " men of the holy cross," sisters of
charity, etc. ; the procession being closed by a body of
citizens. So numerous was the latter class, that the line
of procession extended unbroken from the chapel to the
bridge, and was formed, as I afterwards learnt, of more
than five thousand persons.
Curiosity impelled me to ascertain whose death it was
that had called forth this exhibition of sympathy, and
with this view I mingled in the train. I soon learnt
that the deceased was a nun of the Ursuline Convent, of
whose destruction by incendiaries a short time previous
I had heard much.
The erection of the first conventual establishment in
the New England States, where a strong and almost
universal jealousy towards papacy may be said to be an
hereditary sentiment among the native population ; and
that establishment near the capital of the state, and
adjoining Bunker Hill was a highly obnoxious circum
stance to the people of Charlestown ; and some of the
abuses incident to such establishments coming to light,
the buildings were one night burnt to the ground by an
incensed mob.
No good citizen will defend such a breach ofthe peace
in a community where all Christians have an equal claim
on the protection of the laws, in the exercise of their
religious opinions. Bishop Griswold pronounced it " an
enormous outrage, condemned and detested by every
pious protestant in the country, and calculated to excite
SISTER MARY ST. HENRY. 2\
the sympathy of thousands and to tend to the increase
of such institutions. I hope," added the bishop,
'¦' through God's blessing, I may never have ' little
charity' for any denomination of Christians, and especi
ally for those who steadfastly maintain so many of the
essentials of Christianity as do the Roman Catholics."*
The alarm reached the convent, which lay about a
mile from the town, after the inmates had retired to rest.
They were directed to leave the building, no personal in
jury being intended to any one. One of the nuns, called
* It is due to the bishop that I subjoin his.strictures on the conventual sys
tem. "Imprisonment for life is justly deemed the greatest of punishments,
that of death excepted ; many think that even this should not be excepted.
And to me it has seemed strange that a civilised people, Christians even,
should suffer their citizens, without law or conviction of crime to be thus
wholly debarred of their liberty. Isitright ? is it not very great cruelty, that
a young girl — because in a fit of enthusiasm or disgust with the world, or for
any other cause she enters the convent, she should endure in consequence,
this dreadful punishment ? If it is said that she is reconciled to her con
dition and happy in her confinement, why not then tear away the grates,
open the doors of her prison, and release her from all restraint ? Do this
and then — and not till then — shall we ielieve that she has no desire for li
berty. That such hopeless confinement has, in ages past caused a vast
deal of wretchedness is known to the world. How much suffering has
been endured in nunneries we shall rot know till that day when the secrets
of all hearts shall be disclosed, and the works of darkness be brought to
light. But I would not dwell on this ; I am pleased in believing that
those sufferings, and indeed the number of convents are being diminished.
* * No one I believe is more averse to persecution than myself; and though
1 view the vows of those who enter cloisters as sinful, as tempting God, as
swearing that they will never do what may afterwards appear to be their
duty, and the will ot God respeeting them ; and though I view the impri
sonment of nuns as wholly unjustifiable, I am neither authorized nor de
sirous to judge those who think differently. To their own master let them
stand or fall. As convents have been generally managed I view them as
prejudicial to morals, and to religion. Yet if the vows and the imprison
ment were discontiuued they might be rendered useful as charitable insti-
22 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
sister Mary St. Henry, did not, however, receive the
summons so soon as the rest, and fled scarcely dressed
from the building, into which the mob were now rushing,
crossed a high wall, and losing her way among swampy
lands, became greatly exhausted before she at length
found shelter in a cottage. From this retreat she was
removed with the rest of the sisterhood to General
Dearborn's mansion at Roxboro, which, by the polite
ness of its gallant owner, afforded a temporary shelter to
the expelled occupants of the Charlestown convent.
But the fever which the exhaustion of that night produ
ced resisted every effort of medical skill, and Sister
Mary died after a few weeks of patient suffering.
The victim to popular fury was beautiful, and very
accomplished ; and her death excited warm commisera
tion from all classes ; not the less among those who had
shared in the feelings which originated the act of vio
lence than among Romanists themselves : by many of
the former was she attended to her last home. Whilst
we cannot, with justice, charge the event of her death
upon the Charlestown rioters as its purposed instruments,
yet who can help sharing the tear of sympathy that
bedews almost every cheek in that mournful train which
now follows the last remains of one so young and fair ?
The foremost part of the procession has now reached
the chapel, whose portals are opened for the admission of
the body. The De profundis, chanted alternately in its
progress hitherto by the priests and choristers, has ceased
its mournful long drawn notes ; all heads are reveren
tially uncovered as the clergy enter the burying ground,
tutions for the benefit of some whose age, or state of health, or other cir
cumstances render such an asylum both convenient and justifiable. " —
The Reformation, pp. 100-2.
SISTER MARY ST. HENRY. SJ3
and one, whose episcopal habit declares him to be a
bishop, commences the burial service ; the chapel under
whose pavement the body of Sister Mary is to be
interred is soon filled with the immediate followers of
the corpse, consisting of the attendants, the Eeligieuses
and the chief mourners ; and as the lengthened sha
dows of the evening become blended with the increasing
darkness, the crowds which have been augmenting
round the chapel since the procession halted, gradually
and quietly disperse.
PA
CHAPTER VI.
' THE NORTH END.
The quarter of Boston familiarly know as " the North
End," embraces all that part of the peninsula on which
the city is built lying north of Faneuil Hall. Like the
east end of London, once the abode of wealth and state,
it is now deserted by the denizens of fashion. Its narrow
and crooked streets, and the looks of the houses, speak
of an age gone by. In the centre of this neighbourhood
old Christchurch rears its lofty spire, and the brick
tower on which it is based, and which contains a fine
peal of bells, is regarded by the inhabitants with an
affection truly filial.
Salem Street, in which Christchurch stands, is the
main thoroughfare of the North End. Here the matronly
tenant, and the youthful miss of Snow Hill, and the
spinster boarder of Prince Street and the North Square
purchase their finery, to be displayed among the throng
of church goers who jostle each other in Salem Street
on Sunday. In this part of the city old fashioned dwelling
houses meet the eye, with projecting upper stories and
roofs ; windows, with small diamond shaped panes of
glass in leaden frames, and numerous other vestiges of
antiquity. Copp's Hill, on which my reader has doubtless stood ;
transported thither by the magic pen of the novelist
Cooper, on the night previous to the memorable battle of
CHRISTMAS EVE. 25
Bunker Hill, is in this quarter. The greatest part of
the eminence is occupied as a burial ground, covered
with a countless variety of head stones, and ruined monu
ments. On many of these are the crests and other
heraldic emblems of the anti-revolutionary governors,
and titled residents of " Massachusetts Bay colony."
But I must not forget the church, which is nearly a
century and a quarter old. It is in the style of most
English churches, with a spire 175 feet high. Some
years ago the interior was remodelled by the vestrymen ;
the large east window closed up and its place supplied
by an altar piece, the work of a native artist. On the
architrave over the chancel, are the words " tE!)M5 10 HOltC
otljfr tfjan tljc igouse of ©o5, ant> tfjts is tfje (Sate
Of $$t al)£ n," over which is a finely executed representa
tion of the descent ofthe Holy Spirit. In this church is a
monument and bust to the memory of Washington, the
first oue erected in the country.
I had been spending a December afternoon inspecting
the old burying ground on Copp's Hill, and was return
ing to my lodgings through Salem Street, when the bells
of Christchurch broke forth into a merry peal; and
seeing some persons, from different points directing their
steps towards the parish temple, I approached it, and
crossed the venerable portals just as the choir commenced
the rehearsal of a Christmas anthem. I should have
supposed this preparatory musical exercise was the object
of the open church but for the illuminated chancel and
pulpit which gave intimation of the ensuing service.
The practice of keeping Christmas Eve I found to be not
an uncommon one in America"; and the numbers who
soon began to fill the church this evening betokened no
inconsiderable degree of interest in the solemnities of the
26 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
occasion. The service was conducted by two priests, the
youngest of whom delivered an animated address from the
pulpit on the approaching festival of the Nativity. Before
the congregation dispersed, the organ which bad accom
panied a full and very efficient choir of singers in the
Cantati and Deus Misereatur again struck up in the notes
of an anthem paraphased from the second chapter of St.
Luke. This observance of Christmas Eve was an example of
reverence for ancient usage for which I was quite unpre
pared in America. Christmas Eve is a vigil in the
Church of England — or to speak more correctly, it is
marked in the English Prayer Book as such, on the same
table with the evenings preceding fifteen other festivals ;
though (with the exception of Easter Eve) observed, I
suspect, as little as a vigil as either of those evenings.
This table is however expunged in the American Prayer
Book, together with the names of all the Saints in the
English Calendar for whom no Collect and Gospel is
appointed.
Q7
CHAPTER. VII.
PARENTHETICAL.
A few days after, I received an invitation from a vestry
man of the parish to a seat in his family pew whenever
I attended the church, of which I several times availed
myself; but my imperfect acquaintance with the consti
tution and peculiarities of the episcopal Church as
existing in America, gave me at this time a distaste for
its worship which induced my attendance on other
ministrations. I regarded it as a mere branch of the
English establishment, which had survived the revolu
tion ; unsuited in its government, polity, doctrines, and
worship to the country where I had taken up my abode.
Subsequent examination and study showed me the mag
nitude of this error; and brought to my more matured
knowledge that the Church Episcopal as existing in the
United States, is in its framework more adapted to the
genius of American institutions than any other denomi
nation in the country — in its doctrines as pure — and in
its worship more republican. The book of common
prayer is as well suited to the atmosphere of a republican
assembly as to the worshippers in the Chapel Royal.
"I would very briefly show," writes Bishop M'Coskry,*
" the beautiful analogy which exists between the eccle
siastical institutions of the Protestant Episcopal Church
of the United States, and the civil institutions of the
United States.
* In his pamphlet " Bishops Successors of the Apostles." p. 51.
28 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
" At the time of our civil revolution, the Church, as
is well known, separated herself entirely from the juris
diction of a foreign b:shop,* and declared her indepen
dence ; but she never could forget that ' she is indebted,
under God, to the English Church for her first founda
tion, and a long continuance of nursing care and
protection, f
" Having received the apostolic succession from this
Church, by which she could increase her ministry, and
extend her influence, her first efforts were made to
conform her whole human organization and legislation
to that adopted and followed by the people of this
country in reference to their civil government. The
consequence was, that the government ofthe Prostestant
Episcopal Church in the United States, became truly
republican in its character, as we will hereafter see, and
in which I have no hesitation in saying that the rights
of the people are better secured than in any other
ecclesiastical organization ; for there are no permanent
* The Bishop of London. It is in the highest degree creditable to the
prelates who hare since this separation [which Monsieur of " The
Tablet" will please observe was not a dismemberment of one branch of the
Church from its mother stem, but a peaceful creation only of a separate in
dependant legislature, conformable with universal catholic precedent] filled
the see of London, that none of the friendly feeling and co-operation
with the heads of the American Church has been discontinued ; on the
contrary they have voluntarily assumed nearly us much interest in her
affairs, and given as much time out of that demanded by the greatly
augmented duties since attached to the laborious and unenviable post of
Bishop of London to this object as was formerly exacted from them. In
the case of the present diocesan, frequent pecuniary assistance on the
most liberal scale towards the objects of church building, etc. has been
added to those offices of friendly welcome and personal assistance
which are uniformly rendered to the American visitors to England
(not a few) who are introduced to his lordship's notice.
t Preface to the American Prayer Book.
THE AMERICAN CHURCH. 29
officers, so far as the laity are concerned, but fresh repre
sentatives are yearly selected by the people, and have a
voice in all her legislation.
" But I will present the analogy to our civil govern
ment : —
" In both, the power of government resides primarily
in the whole people.
" In both, the forms of government are representative.
In the Church, however, there are no limitations in
the application of the principle of universal suffrage.
" The parish meetings, and the town or district
elections are analogous.
" The parish vestries, and the select men, or common
councils of the towns or cities are analogous.
" The union of parishes into dioceses, and the union
of towns or counties into states are analogous.
" The independence of the several dioceses, and the
independence of the several states are analogous.
" The union of the several dioceses into one General
Convention, and the union of the several states into one
General Government are analogous.
" The Diocesan Conventions with their secretaries ;
and the State Legislatures with their secretaries, are
analogous. " The representation in the Diocesan Conventions and
the representation in the State Legislatures from the
people directly, are analogous.
" The General Convention of the United Dioceses,
and the General Congress of the United States are ana
logous. The House of Bishops in the former corres
ponding to the Senate on the latter, and the house of
Clerical or Lay deputies in the former corresponding to
the house of Representatives in the latter.
SO ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
"But sufficient proof is here given to show how
scrupulously careful the Church has been to guard as
well as secure the rights of every member of her fold.
The poorest member has an equal voice in her councils
with the most wealthy and influential, and no law is
imposed upon any without their own consent." *
The testimony of another American bishop, the Right
Rev, Dr. Henshaw of Rhode Island, to this almost per
fect analogy, and the conservative character of the Church
episcopal on even republican institutions, in an address
at laying the corner stone of a cathedral in the city of
Providence, his see, will be appropriately added to that
of the northern bishop.
"While we intend that the structure now commenced
upon this foundation shall do honour to the liberality of
its proprietors, be an ornament to this beautiful and
prosperous city, and a credit to our common country ;
our chief hope is that it may be, in some humble
measure, worthy of the high and holy uses to which it
is to be devoted.
" The edifice which is to be raised here will have a
character stamped upon it widely different from that ¦ of
the buildings which surround it. They are designed
for the benefit and accommodation of man as an inhabi
tant of the world that now is, this is intended to minister
to his welfare as an expectant of that which is to come.
They have connexion exclusively with the things of
Earth ; this will be chiefly devoted to those of Heaven.
Not only so. It will differ from many of the religious
* That a Church represented by its enemies as incurably aiistocratic in
its polity and constitution, should thus mould itself to republican institu
tions without a change in its essential features is explained by its being
of divine origin, and therefore, intended for " every nation, and kindred,
and tongue, and people."
THE AMERICAN CHURCH. 31
structures around it, not only in its style of architecture,
but also in reference to important points of faith and
order and worship, in whose support and propagation it
will be employed. The Protestant Episcopal Church,
although among us the eldest daughter of the Reforma
tion, has been too often viewed with feelings of distrust
and aversion by her younger sisters. She has been too
little known in this region of our country, and on this
account, has been misapprehended and traduced. She
has no dread of the most rigid scrutiny into her princi
ples and institutions : for this has uniformly contributed
to her elevation in the estimation of the wise and good.
She makes no complaint of those who oppose her with
the weapons of fair and manly controversy ; for they
serve only to illustrate the strength of her position and
the granite durability of her bulwarks and buttresses.
But there is cause to blush for the honour of our com
mon Christianity when, after she has proved impregna
ble in the warfare of calm discussion and dignified
argument, — the appeal is changed from the understand
ing to the passions, from reason to prejudice, and she is
assailed by the shafts of sarcasm and satire pointed by
the wit of the grave orators of New England dinners,
and the Reverend song-makers of the Tabernacle.
" We have reason to be thankful that the day is past
when our good puritan fore-fathers imprisoned the
quakers, ostracised the baptists, and forbade episcopa
lians to use the Book of Common Prayer, because,
forsooth, they had come to this western world to enjoy
religious liberty, and to worship God according to the
dictates of their own consciences ! But we live in an
age of public excitement and gross prejudice, unfavoura
ble to the calm investigation of truth. It may not be
32 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
amiss, therefore, on the present occasion, when we are
surrounded by many fellow Christians of other names,
to take a brief notice of some of the popular objections
to our Church, and attempt to show that it is entitled,
at least, to toleration and respect in a free and en
lightened community.
" One of the vulgar objections to our Church is —
that it is ARISTOCRATIC.
" This objection must be made either with reference to
the nature of its ministry, the character of its government,
or its practical influence in society. And whichever view
may be taken of its bearing, an impartial investigation
will show that it has its origin in ignorance or miscon
ception. " Does the objection arise from the disparity of orders
in the ministry ? Our only answer is — that we consider
the Christian Ministry as a Divine, not a human,
institution. We receive it as it was appointed by the
authority of our Lord Jesus Christ, and transmitted by
his Apostles to succeeding generations. The same
orders of the ministry existed in the New Testament
Church, under the names of apostles, elders, and
deacons. The same orders existed without opposition
in the Church universal for fifteen hundred years ; and
the same orders now exist in every quarter of the globe,
and are acknowledged by nineteen- twentieths of the
Christian world. If the alleged odious feature, there
fore, be inherent in the disparity of orders, we believe it
to be one which no human authority has the power to
remedy. But unless the two lower orders of the mi
nistry universally or generally complain that their
Fathers in Christ become their oppressors, lord it over
God's heritage, and govern them with the rod of tyranny
THE AMERICAN CHURCH. 33
instead of the law of love ; — unless the people complain
that our ministry is more intolerant, bigoted and dog
matical — more disposed to entrap or oppress weak
consciences — and more inclined to impose restraints
upon liberty of thought and action than that of other
names, we shall view the objection as a nullity ; and
continue to believe that the rule established by the
Head of the Church for the regulation of his household
is best adapted to promote the spiritual good and the
true liberty of its members.
" Does the charge of aristocracy refer to the system of
our Ecclesiastical polity and government ? It serves only
to betray recklessness or want of information on the
part of the objector. Let any man examine the consti
tution and canons of our Church, and he will not fail
to perceive the striking resemblance between them and
the civil institutions of this great confederation of repub
lics. In our parochical arrangements for the annual
primary assemblies of the people to elect their vestries
and other local officers — behold the counterpart of our
municipal elections. The Bishop, Standing Committee,
and convention of Clerical and Lay Delegates in each
Diocese, answer to the Governor, Council and Legisla
ture of the respective States ; while the General Con
vention — composed of the House of Bishops and the
House of Clerical and Lay Deputies, representing the
various dioceses, and constituting the supreme legisla
tive power of all, — has an exact resemblance, in its
general character and powers, to the Congress of the
United States, composed of the Senate and House of
Representatives. And the Presiding Bishop may, to a
limited extent, be considered as exercising, in our
ecclesiastical constitution, powers and prerogatives
34 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
resembling those which pertain to the chief magistrate
of the Union. While the rights of the clergy, as an
order of divine appointment, are not infringed upon, the
rights and powers of the laity are sacredly secured. So
much so, that in this Church (which some ignorantly
traduce as a system of priestly domination,) not an
election can be made, from the choice of a vestryman, or
the licensing of a deacon, up to the consecration of a
bishop, without the consent and approbation of the
people ; nor can a canon be enacted or a rubric
changed without their co-operation. The combined
power of bishops, priests and deacons is held in check
by the co-ordinate power of the laity,
" Is the charge of being aristocratic intended to reproach
us with the fact that many ofthe more wealthy and refined
and powerful in society are found numbered in our flocks ?
We consider it no reproach to the Church that so many
of the educated and distinguished are not slow to
acknowledge her excellencies, and feel her attractions.
But her portals are alike open, and her precious gifts
alike offered to the poor and the rich, to the humble and
the elevated. They all meet in her courts as upon a
level before the Maker of them all ; and, in the privileges
of a common communion, realize that they are one in
Christ Jesus.
" Is it said that the influence of our Church is adverse to
popular freedom ? We bless God that his kingdom is
not of this world ; that the ministers of this Church
degrade not their sacred calling by mingling in the strife
and animosity of party politics ; and her people are left
free to choose their own sides, and form their own alli
ances ; while the conservative influence of the whole
body is felt in strengthening the foundations of order —
THE AMERICAN CHURCH. 35
Heaven's first law, — and cementing the institutions which
bind society together.
" If there were any thing in the principles and institu
tions of our Church inconsistent with the genius of our free
government, it is passing strange that it should have
escaped the clear-sighted vision of the Washingtons, the
Hamiltons, the Jays, the Pinkneys, the Madisons and
the Marshalls* of a departed generation — and many of
the brightest ornaments of our legislation and jurispru
dence in the living one — who, while receiving the
* " The Church, I say, which as American Christians ought to be as dear
to every Churchman as that country itself. For as I write these lines the
merry peals of eld Christchurch bells linger on my ear j they have been
welcoming the birth day of our beloved Washington. And George
Washington was a protest&nt episcopalian, a member of the holy Catholic
Church in these United States.
" Here is a claim which the Church has upon us as Americans which
ought not to be forgotten. In her organization, she corresponds most
happily with the organization of our country. Sprung as she has from
the same source whence we derive our national origin, for as Churchmen
and as Americans we look back to old England ; founded as the Church
was by the same hands that laid the corner-stone of our Republic ; boast
ing as she does that her best loved bishop was the chaplain of our Con
gress ; that the leader of the American army was a communicant at her
altar; — these things considered, we do well to think and speak of them,
and to feel an honourable pride both in the thought and speech.
"When, then, you bear the members of the Romish sect boasting of
their Carroll of Carrollton, hear them patiently, for a right honourable
patriot he was, and does honour to the name of Romanist wh:ch he bore :
— but let these friends of ours, be instructed, that to the Church of Lee,
and Rutledge, and Middleton, and Jay, and Hamilton, and Madison, and
Marshall, and Morris, of Bishop White and George Washington, it
belongs to claim the gratitude of this American people.
" Long, then, may old Christchurch bells ring their merry chime, to
welcome the birth day of George Washington, a communicant ofthe Pro
testant Episcopal Church. Old bells, ye have ihe right, for jour music
is the music of ancient days ; ye can chaunt the natal song of all the de
nominations about you ; and may ye remain to sound the glorious requiem,
which shall tell of Romish and dissenting brothers, dead to their viola
tions of the Church's unity, and born again to the privileges of tliat
apostolic branch of the holy Catholic Chuich, the American Protestant
Episcopal Church."— From the Rev. William H. Odenheimer's charming
little volume " The True Catholic no Romanist." p. p. 43.
This talented youDg preacher and true hearted Catholic is the succes
sor of the present Bishop of Western New York in the rectorship of St.
Peter's, Philadelphia.
36 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
reverence and honours due to the ablest supporters and
expounders of the liberties of the country, deemed it
their duty and privilege to attend upon the services of
the Church and contribute to her support."
From arguments like these, my objections against a
eommunion to which (though I had received part of my
education from her ministers — .had constantly worshipped
in her temples — and had been taught from infancy to
venerate) I had never regularly belonged, were effectu
ally removed. But how partial is the work in winning
converts to the Church in her apostolic integrity, to
reconcile them merely to her laws and usages, and acquit
our glorious Mother in the eyes of her new children of
the libellous accusations, and the gross slanders of her
opponents. She needs no "Apology!" Her ministry,
sacrament, and ritual, are the blessed heritage, even of
returning recusant children. As the spouse of Christ
we do the Church dishonour by leaving the argument at
this point, when we retort the foul calumnies of her
schismatic enemies against the purity of her doctrines,
and the soundness of her institutions.
It was, however, more than a year after receiving
orders in the " Protestant Episcopal American Church,"
that the true and actual position of that "denomination"
was understood. That position is well defined by
a distinguished western presbyter* of the same, in
a sermon preached in St. Paul's Church, New
Albany, Indiana, on the ordination of the Rev. Dr.
Wylie, President of Indiana University, (a convert from
"new school" heresy to catholic truth) in 1841, with
which I close this chapter of extracts.
" My western hearers, be not startled by the word,
* The Rev. Samuel Rovsevelt Johnson, Rector of Lafayette.
THE AMERICAN CHURCH. 37
' Catholic.' Our Saviour Christ established but one
Church upon the earth. This extended itself into
various countries, and in them continued one. It filled
the land of England among others, where it kept at
divers times more or less of its original purity; and at
the period of the Reformation especially, while it
adhered to every essential of its primitive ordinance and
belief, dropt certain modern corruptions. It was one
before doing so, one in doing so, one after doing so. Its
bishops led, and the clergy and laity united in the re
form. Of its more than nine thousand ministers, only
one hundred and twenty-seven refused. As the Old,
Great, Common Church of the land, it so acted — that is
as the Catholic Church ; for this word is not strictly a
name, but expresses nature, somewhat as the word
Christ expresses office. This word catholic means
general ; and when applied to the Church in any nation
it testifies that such Church is the true representative in
that land of the ancient General Catholic Church,
which from Jerusalem spread out into all countries ;
that it is a true part and member of that one great
society which Christ Jesus founded, and left upon the
earth as his church ; that it is a rehgious society not
different from that, either by having separated from its
fold, or by being an entirely new invention, or a construc
tion independent and somewhat similar in pattern. Had
the Church in England of itself assumed any other name,
or had another been imposed by the world, it would still
be the old, general (or catholic) Church of Christ in
England. So it remained ; and for some time, the one,
only religious body in the land. From it after certain
years, the followers of the Roman Obedience at the
command of their foreign head, separated into schism ;
38 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
after that, the puritans and others dissenting,, followed
them in the same bad way — .bad because Christ had
forbid such separation, had commanded unity, as a body.
B ut it has ever kept on its steady coirrse, continuing
to be what it ever was,— the Old, Great, Common,
General, Catholic, Apostolic Church of our Saviour
Christ in England.
" We are Anglo-Saxons as a nation, ofthe same stock
and language, and to us the same Church belongs. It
alone had the natural right to be guardian over our spi
ritual welfare, and provide for us Christ's ordinances; and
that care it has exercised. What claim has the Italian
Church over an Anglo-Saxon Christian nation in America,
especially where its own native Church was in possession,
and her chief pastors were " keeping watch ?" What
can elevate separatists in the mother land to be the old,
true Church here ? We who are named " episcopalians"
are the legitimate offspring of that ancient mother ; our
bishops were consecrated by her bishops ; our ministry
is derived from Christ through her ; from her we spring
as child from the mother, of the same blood, nature and
spiritual inheritance. We form not one out of many
Christian denominations, but are the original Christian
Family from which the other denominations separated,
contrary to the Saviour's will and ordinance ; they are
sects — we the church. Christians removing from their
own country into another, never in ancient times thought
of starting as a new " denomination" there, but always
fell into the regular ranks of Christ's common Church.
Thus ours is the true, and only Catholic Church of
Christ in these United States, and to it all Christ's
disciples should belong. This ought to be our only de
signation, and then others and we ourselves would see
THE AMERCIAN CHURCH. 39
our claim and our position aright. The history of a few-
years, or one selected principle should not in any nation
give name to the Church of Christ, which belongs to all
Christian centuries, and which has all the elements of
truth. If it may be named " The Protestant Episcopal,"
because it has protested against Roman additions, and
testified to the Episcopal Succession, as well might it
be named " The Witnessing Baptist," because, beyond
any other religious society in the land, it clearly and
fully witnesses true Christian baptism; — testifying to
the truth of its administration, excluding none of its
lawful modes ; — testifying to the truth as to its subjects,
excluding none of its lawful subjects ; — testifying in its
instructions to the truth of its nature, excluding none of
its lower offices, or its higher and supernatural mysteries
of gift and nature ; — testifying to the very essence ofthe
sacrament, by the unquestionable validity of the ministry
which administers the sacrament. I look for it, that
the churchmen in the West, the plain-spoken, straight
forward West, which ever likes to call known things by
right names, will be those, who knowing that they
have the reality, will take the lead in claiming the
rightful name of the church of christ, the catho
lic, IN AMERICA."
40
CHAPTER VIII.
BOSTON CHURCHES.
Having introduced my readers to two of the Boston
churches, I will add a short historical and descriptive
notice of several others. The next in importance to
Christchurch is St. Paul's ; it stands in Tremont street
facing " the common," as a park-like enclosure of seven
ty five acres laid out and planted like the Green Park,
is familiarly called. This beautiful church, con
structed of fine grey granite, has been built after a
Grecian model. A projecting portico is supported by
six Ionic columns of Potomac stone approached by a
flight of steps. Its general external appearance is pure
and classic.
" The interior of St. Paul's " writes another pen "is
remarkable for its simplicity and beauty, and the mate
rials of which the building has been constructed give it
an intrinsic value and an effect which have not been pro
duced by any imitations of the classic models that have
been attempted of bricks and plaster in other cities. The
erection of this church may be considered the commence
ment of an era in the art in Boston ; and although from its
situation it is somewhat obscured, the beauties it displays
have already had a sensible influence on taste in archi
tecture. "
St. Paul's church was several years in erection ; it
was consecrated by the bishop of the diocess on the
BOSTON CHURCHES. 41
30th of June 1820, and Dr. Samuel F. Jarvis, the first
rector of the parish, was instituted on the 7th of the fol
lowing month. This gentleman has had three successors ;
Dr. Alonzo Potter now Bishop of Pennsylvania, who suc
ceeded in 1826, Dr. John S. Stone, who became rector
in 1832, and Dr. Vinton, the present rector.
Gracechureh stands half way between St. Paul's and
Trinity, in the elevated part of the city. Its design is
extremely chaste ; the gothic towers, and outward em
bellishments making it a great ornament to that section,
which is principally the abode of wealth, and comfortable
independance, though second in its " aristocratic "
pretensions to the south quarter in which Trinity stands.
The interior of Gracechureh is in keeping with its
external appearance. A plain Latin cross occupies the
centre compartment of the chancel wall. Mr. Clark the
pastor of this congregation when I lived in Boston, is
now the rector of St. Andrew's in Philadelphia, where
he succeeded his namesake, to whose skill in popular
oratory he adds chaster, and a more concise and logical
style of composition.
St. Matthew's church. — The parish is situated in the
south suburb of the city, separated from the old town by
an arm of the sea, though now incorporated within its
municipal jurisdiction and called South Boston. It
was organized in 1816 and the church edifice was
completed 1818 ; it is a plain brick building with a
handsome interior. The Rev. Dr. John L Blake, was
the first rector ; lately succeeded by the Rev. Joseph H.
Clinch. Dr. Blake, now at New York, is a scholar of some
eminence, and the author of numerous elementary and
other books used in the, common schools of the United
States.
42 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
Two Free churches, erected at the expense of the
Chnrch Missionary Society, for the use of the poor, and
transient residents in the opposite quarters of the city
where they are situated. All the sittings in these
churches are free ; the clergymen being sustained from
the same source. A Sunday School of six or seven hun
dred children is supported by each, under the superinten
dence of the churchwardens. Dr. Eaton was the minister
ofthe first free church, which stands in Franklin avenue,
at the time of my residence in the city. His place is
now supplied by Mr. Wells. Mr Croswell is minister of
the other.
Church of the Messiah. — I give this " church" a place
in the present list for the sake of completeness. No
building was erected by the parish when I left Boston ;
and I have never been able to learn when it was construct
ed, what site it occupies, or what, (if it is in existence) are
its architectural pretensions. The Rev. George M. Ran
dall, an alumnus of the General Theological Seminary
and a young man of some promise, is the rector of the
new parish.
Trinity Church now contains the episcopal chair. The
present bishop having been elected rector of the same
conjointly with his elevation to the mitre. He is assisted
in the parochial duties by the Rev. John L. Watson.
Bishop Eastburn is the fourth head of the diocese. His
predecessors are Bishop Bass, consecrated 1797, Bishop
Parker, consecrated 1804, and Bishop Griswold, conse
crated 1811. The Church is rapidly gaining in the pre
ference of the best classes in Boston, who have lost their
faith in " unitarianism " since the further defection of
several amongst its principal ministers, in adopting Ger
man Neology . A few years will doubtless see a large
BOSTON CHURCHES. 43
increase to the Church from the ranks, both of Socinian-
ism, and Congregationalism. The present bishop has
been elected on I believe two occasions to the chaplaincy
of the State Legislature — a favourable omen ! He is an
Englishman by birth.
44
CHAPTER IX.
, BOSTON SECTARIES.
For several months after I reached Boston, I continued
a former habit, acquired during a residence in Lon
don, of frequenting different places of worship in turn ;
though an acquaintance formed on my first arrival
with an estimable clergyman of the Roman commu
nion led me oftener into the church where he officiated
than any other. I occasionally attended a baptist,
meeting house in which the distinguished Dr. Sharp
preached, and derived much pleasure from his clear and
happy mode of exposition ; for though belonging to the
old (i. e. Calvinist) school in that denomination, I never
heard him broach the peculiar, and to me, offensive
dogmas of his party.
One evening I found myself within the walls of a
chapel not far from Dr. Sharp's, which had been hitherto
unobserved by me. The preacher on the occasion was
a fervid clear-headed reasoner, whose style of address
enchained me by its abundant, and very apposite
quotations from Holy Writ ; and induced a regular
attendance for a time on his ministrations. He belonged
to the " General Baptist " sect, commonly called " free
will baptists, " from their opposition to the Calvinistic
tenets of necessity, absolute decrees, reprobation etc. In
England, I am informed, this body occupy a respectable
position amongst the dissenters for their zeal and piety,
boston churches. 45
and the learning of their ministers ; excelling in the
latter particular the " Particular " or Calvinistic bap
tists ; though the case with regard to ministerial attain
ments seems to be reversed in the United States. There
are, however, several preachers in this denomination
(amongst whom Messrs. Cheney, Phalen and Hiram
Brooks stand foremost) who have few equals in the
American pulpit. Mr. H , also, the pastor at this
time of the Boston congregation, was an original thinker
and a skilful orator, well armed in all the points of
doctrinal controversy.
The standards of this sect on the subjects of the atone
ment, justification, freewill &c. are strictly Arminian;
similar to those of a large class in the Anglo and Anglo-
American Churches ; after which the form of Church go
vernment is more nearly framed than that of any other non-
episcopal body. There orders of ministers* govern their
congregations, viz. messengers,f elders,:}: and deacons ; ||
the former of whom exercise a species of episcopal over
sight ¦ over the others ; such as the members assert
was assigned to the higher grade of ministers in the early
Church ; though the form of their ecclesiastical govern
ment is nominally congregational. Simplicity, moral
purity, and missionary zeal are the characteristics of these
excellent unobtrusive Christians. No other prefix is ap
plied to their ministers, or used by them than the official
titles of " elder" or " deacon" ; and their aim is, at least,
to conform in every feature of their system to apostolic
precedent. One instance of this exists in the custom of
* The threefold ministry is now almost confined to the English General
Baptists. See Evans' Sketch, p. 83. and Elder Robinson's ''History."
t Philippians ii, 25. Corinthians viii. 23.
X I Timothy v. 17. 22. Titus i. 5.
|| Acts vi. 1—6. Philippians i. 1. I Tim. Hi. 8—12.
46 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
washing each others feet,* which is practised in some of
the congregations.
There are numerous other sects in Boston, many of
whose temples form a conspicuous feature among the ar
chitectural embellishments of the town. The most con
siderable in numbers and influence is the " Unitarian,"
though a considerable portion of this sect has since
lapsed into " transcendentalism," a form of heresy fully
exposed by several late writers. Happily amidst this
confusion of tongues the Church is every day gaining
strength in the New England metropolis.
* St. John xiii. 5—14. I Tim. v. 10.
47
CHAPTER X.
SOME NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL FEATURES OF BOSTON.
A winter in Boston would be very agreeable but for the
extreme cold; which during my first winter there fre
quently caused a fall in the thermometer of 20 degrees
below zero.
It is to strangers a matter of surprise that the climate
of the United States should differ so materially from the
same parallel of latitude in the eastern continents. But
the theory of meteorology as affecting the temperature,
in conjunction with the proximity of mountains and bo
dies of water has been long since satisfactorily explained.
I read an ingenious treatise on the climate of North
America, in which the writer aims to establish that it
exhibits the same specific difference found to exist in si
milar situations in Europe and Asia. However correct
the position, it is difficult to persuade one's self during
the winter season at Boston that you are in the same la
titude with Oporto, Rome, and Adrianople.
This deduction from the pleasure of open air exercise
is greatly counterbalanced by the literary and scientific
institutions with which the city abounds ; which added
to the fact that Boston possesses more schools than any
other place of its size in the world, has doubtless
acquired for it the title of " the literary emporium" of
the western world. The Historical Society, the Athenae
um and the Academy of Fine Arts are well endowed sub
stantial establishments, as I can testify ; possessing each
48 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
an extensive library. There are other minor societies
for the promotion of literature, besides (at the time of
which I write) ten daily, and about thirty weekly news
papers, thirty monthly, or semi-monthly magazines, etc. :
sixty periodical prints regularly issued in a city with
scarce a hundred thousand inhabitants !
Boston, to be seen to the greatest advantage should be
approached from the sea. — European visitants by the mail
steamers, will meet with few sights in their whole tour
through the United States to surpass the spectacle which
is presented on passing Nantasket. The voyager enters
a harbour of nearly eight square miles in extent, covered
with a hundred islands, several of them bristling with
fortifications. The eye is filled with the changing scene
of enchantment, till the Massachusetts metropolis ap
pears in sight. The dome of the State House rises
higher than any other object ; the foundation of the
building being more than a hundred feet above the level
of the water. Around the city, which is almost insular,
are extensive piers and wharves ; and as ships of the
largest class can ride securely in the harbour, Boston
is incomparably better situated for commerce than New
York. Rainsford Island, on which the quarantine hospital
stands, is six miles from the city. The quarantine
system of Massachusetts is famed for being one of the
most perfect in the world ; and this beautiful island is
an evidence that the opinion is well founded. There is
a resident physician at Rainsford from June to Septem
ber inclusive, and a keeper who has oversight of all
property landed. During the quarantine months vessels
are only detained long enough for ventilation. The red
flag is the signal for them to come into the roads for
RAINSFORD. 49
examination. The island is provided with wharves, at
which a number of vessels can discharge their loads at
the same time.
The hospital is plainly but comfortably furnished, and
attached to it are warehouses for the convenience of
ship-masters. The physician's residence is a tastefully
built cottage, seated on a convenient elevation for over
looking the other buildings, and securing an extensive
sea-view. The keeper's house used as a tavern, and
provided with a reading-room well supplied with news
papers. There are also handsome and commodious
edifices, with promenades, piazzas, etc., for fever and
small-pox patients. In brief, Rainsford Island with its
comfortable buildings, its gardens, orchards, and plea
sant walks, possesses as much to reconcile any one to
the delay which the quarantine laws may render neces
sary as a wise and benevolent municipal government
could supply.
50
CHAPTER XI.
LOWELL. — NASHUA. MERRIMACK. AMHURST. GOFFS-
TOWN. HOPKINTON. CONTOOCOCKVILLE.
Towards the close of the summer of 1835 I made a tour
through parts of Massachusetts and New Hampshire.
Leaving Boston by the Lowell railroad, the cars achieved
the distance of twenty miles to the " Manchester of Ame
rica" within the hour. The ride presents few, if any
objects of interest or picturesque beauty. Pine woods,
and hop fields making up nearly all the view.
Carrying the above cognomen in my mind I experi
enced no disappointment on reaching Lowell, where all
the marks of a thriving manufacturing town meet the
eye. About thirty mills of immense size are in full ope
ration. The streets are handsomely built, and at the
regular hour for meals, when the operatives are dismis
sed, present an animated appearance from the crowds
which pour through the public thoroughfares, whose neat
and comfortable appearance certainly contrasts very
strongly with the filthy and squalid looks of the same
class in England.
Here were about nine thousand work-people regularly
employed in these mills, two thirds being females, who
receive, on an average nineteen shillings weekly; the
wages of the other sex averaging at thirty-two shillings.
The principal articles of manufacture are sheetings,
calicoes, broadcloths and carpets ; though in several of
the mills brass, copper and tin wares are produced. The
LOWELL. 51
city is finely situated on the River Merrimack at its
junction with the Concord. The whole fall of water is
thirty feet ; sufficient, it is estimated, to carry eight or
ten moTe mills, which a few years will probably see
erected. Meeting some former associates at Lowell, I extended
my residence much beyond the period I had assigned ;
and thus had an opportunity, which I improved, of
seeing its society, and of learning its moral and religious
aspect. There was a large and influential congregation
of episcopalians, whose church then formed the greatest
ornament of the city, a good example of English rural
church architecture, with heavy battlemented tower, and
a tasteful interior. Mr. Edson, the rector of the parish
had held it since its first establishment. He was inde
fatigable in his parochial labours, an excellent preacher
and — an efficient Sunday School super intendant. The
Sunday School of St. Ann's, which I several times
visited, was at this time, and doubtless continues the
largest in the diocess. I witnessed the first efforts to
originate a new parish in another quarter of the town
where church room was much needed, which has since
been completed. The parish is named St. Luke's.
I also accompanied my host several times to the
" First Congregational" meeting house, in which a Mr.
Blanchard then preached to the largest congregation in
the city. His pulpit talents and learning joined to
unostentatious piety, made him a popular man in the
circles of refinement. I frequently met him at home and
elsewhere ; and am constrained to add that by no one
could the universal favour and admiration of his fellow
citizens be borne with greater meekness, or more unaf
fected diffidence.
52 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
The road from Lowell to Nashua follows the course
of the Merrimack, and constantly afforded us fine views
of that beautiful river. The spectacle which the latter
town presented from an eminence which the coach
reached before entering it, was, however, the most
picturesque one in the ride. It stands on a river of the
same name, which falls into the Merrimack. Nashua
is another manufacturing town. About 1,500 operatives
are employed ; population 6000. I spent the rest of the
day in a survey of the town and its suburbs.
The next morning I took the stage for Merrimack,
celebrated as the place where the first Leghorn bonnets
were manufactured. I was informed that some of these
bonnets made by the inventors, Misses Burnaps,
have fetched fifty dollars in Boston. Finding another
conveyance to Amhurst in the afternoon, I reached that
place just before dark, and was put down at a wide low
roofed inn on the side of a spacious green, occupying the
centre of the town. In the morning (Sunday) I entered
a huge white meeting house standing on the opposite
side of the green ; which, like all the old New England
" meeting houses,"* though rejoicing in a tower with its
single bell; was both externally and internally as unlike
an old English church as possible. The minister de
rived importance from occupying throughout the service
an immense pulpit which filled the place of the altar;
heavy galleries projected from the walls. The sermon
was written, and strongly Calvinistic in its complexion —
or " orthodox," as the predestinarian creed is commonly
termed in New Hampshire, where the congregationalists,
* Or " churches " as they are beginning to be called in the cities and
towns of America, though the term as applied to buildings was repudiated
by the congregationalists till lately.
GOFFSTOWN, H0PK1NT0N. 53
originally forming the established order, though compa
ratively reduced, are still a numerous body.
Amhurst #is an old town, named before the revolutio
nary war after lord Jeffrey Amhurst. It has given birth
to several eminent men; among them the Hon. Moses
Nichols, who served under General Stark in the battle
of Benninton. I left it on Monday morning for Goffs-
town, twelve miles distant, at which place I had pro
mised a friend to make a short tarry. It is a flourishing
village, surrounded by extensive fields of Indian corn,
rye, and barley, though I did not see an ear of wheat for
several days of my ride together. On reaching Goffs-
town I found many of the inhabitants attending a " pro
tracted meeting," held by the methodists, which had
lasted for a fortnight, and which the more intelligent of
the neighbors thought it high time to bring to a close.
But the excitement was still at its height, and fresh re
lays of ministers continued to arrive to further " the
work " which was going on.
Crossing the Piscataguay ; a romantic river, which
branches from the Merrimack, a ride of between twenty
and thirty miles brought us to Hopkinton in the county
of Merrimack, seven miles from Concord, the capital of
the state. It is named after Hopkinton in Massachu
setts, from whiclTplace it received its first settlers, just a
century ago. It was Saturday evening when I reached
Hopkinton, and the next day 1 attended the elegant
parish church of St. Andrew's. The congregation
appeared to embrace merely the elite of the neighbour
hood, and strongly contrasted in numbers with the
crowd which I met on my way back to the hotel,
retiring from a large white frame meeting house, the
most conspicuous object in the town.
54 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
In the evening I took my place in a private con
veyance for the residence of a gentleman who lived on
the Contoocock river, another tributary ofthe Merrimack.
My friend's house was in a retired situation, on the out
skirts of a pretty village named Con toocockville, where
a valuable water power has caused several mills to be
erected. Finding him gone to the only place of worship,
a baptist meeting house, I repaired thither, and was
much gratified by the exercises, which consisted of seve
ral addresses by members of the society, and an exhor
tation from the pastor, which for simplicity, appositeness
and tempered fervor combined, I have never heard sur
passed. Several hymns were sung during the evening ;
and at the close, I was introduced to the minister, who
supped and slept at my host's house. The next morning
he left on horseback for another station which he held
jointly with this. 1 found him in private what he had
appeared in the public meeting. His English Bible
was his text book, and his acquaintance with it was
sufficiently critical to make him on practical points, a
safe and useful expounder of its sacred contents to the
simple flock over whom he was chosen. With good
general information, he was not deficient in scientific
research, and appeared at home on the popular topics of
the day. He belonged to a class of preachers, who
(however defective the ecclesiastical system to which
they are attached) are highly useful in the moral and
religious influence they exert, through their pastoral
labours, in those regions which the supineness or ineffi
ciency of the church would otherwise leave a moral desert.
CHAPTER XII.
CONCORD. EPSOM.
The approach to Concord was manifested by the neat
ness and substantiality of the houses on the roadside.
On reaching the hotel, which proved an excellent one,
I took a view of the State House, Court House, and
State Prison. The former is built of hewn granite,
surmounted by a gilt eagle 1 20 feet from the ground ;
erected, I was told, at a cost of eighty thousand dollars.
The State Prison is of the same material, whose abun
dance in New Hampshire has obtained for it the appel
lation of " the granite State." This substantial article
gives to many of the churches, and public buildings in
New England the same enduring aspect which they
present in Scotland. After dinner I accompanied a
friend to Sewall's Falls on the Merrimack River which
flows past the town, where a considerable water power
keeps several factories in operation. The lands round
Concord present a high state of cultivation.
In the evening, hearing several bells ringing, I fol
lowed the sound of one, and found myself seated in the
congregational meeting house, where the minister, a
bilious looking man, was endeavouring by a pointed
address to get up his audience to the proper degree of
seriousness, the meeting being a " protracted " one.
This was the first time that I learnt that congrega
tionalists employed this instrument, which I had heard
condemned by an eminent minister of that body at New
56 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
Bedford ; who in some excellent remarks relating to the
modus operandi, and its effects in creating converts, exhibi
ted the one as of questionable propriety and the other as
only mischievous.
In the present case, however, the operator seemed a
novice at his work, for little excitement was visible in
the congregation. Many of the younger hearers looked
about with a listless or impatient air ; the preacher was
evidently throwing away his efforts.
I spent several days at Epsom, twelve miles to the
east of Concord, at the hospitable dwelling of a gentle
man to whom I carried a letter of introduction. His
house and extensive farm were seated in the midst of a
rich grazing country. He took me in his chaise on the
following Sunday to a chapel in the neighbouring
village, where we found a number of farmers, with their
families and labourers in groups near the building,
awaiting the arrival of the minister. He shortly appeared
on horseback, and was at once surrounded by his people.
There was only an hour's recess between the two services,
the entire congregation remaining until the close of the
second. The sermons were plain and practical ; though
the afternoon's discourse would be called controversial by
a captious annotator ; being partly directed against the
Calvinian theory of a limited atonement. The preacher
proved demonstratively that the atonement of Christ was
for all; stating that it was necessary to clear this ground
before his message of invitation to all to accept this
atonement. The eminently pious Thomas Thomason relates in the
account which he has given us of his examination before
the committee of the Elland Fund, by which he was
carried through college, and prepared for Orders, that
CALVINIAN HERESY. 57
the points which separate Calvinists and Arminians
were not even pressed by his examiners, though they
were Calvinists themselves,* and he had hitherto be
longed to the Wesley an Society.
In reply to the question by Mr. Cecil, whose opinions
he followed 1 Mr. Thomason replied, " Indeed, Sir, I
have never read a book on the subject, except the Bible,
in my life. I have always made it a point to leave
those things, as I think it productive of evil to dive into
intricacies which can never be perfectly cleared."
" You think very rightly," answered Mr. Cecil, " I
have acted in the same manner myself. I make it a
point never to handle these things in public."
The rule might do for England, where the points of
difference between the national Church and the great
body of dissenters are chiefly political,! and where hyper-
* Messrs. Cecil and Foster.
t Such was, at least, the profession of the more intelligent amongst the
dissenters a few years ago ; and the sentiment has been familiar to the
author from the lips of more than one esteemed relative, now deceased,
by whom all objection to the " establishment" except in what related to its
political shackles, and the secnlarity, and (too justly charged) indolence
and ill-living of its clergy was repeatedly and distinctly disclaimed. What
then is the writer to think of the following statement by an old and
revered friend, which has only come under his eye since the above was
penned ? The Church has since the above period shaken herself from her
lethargic condition, and is beginning again to answer all the purposes of
her glorious institution. Her priesthood are as faithful and vigilant as
they were once slothful and careless ; and the professed ground of dissent
a few years ago is actually removed in the Church's return to her " first
love,'- and the performance of her " first works." Yet Mr. Lucas thus
writes in the close of his exeellent " Observations on the Modern Clergy,
and the Present State ofthe Church." p. 104. —
"The clergy had long been coalescing with the respectable dissenters,
joining them in the Bible and other societies ; and among other bonds of
amity let me notice that once in the year Christians of all denominations
58 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
Calvinism is confined to the lowest and most uneducated
of the latter, but in the United States, and especially in
New England, the case is widely different. The doc
trines of the predestinarian school, formerly the only ones
tolerated in those states, have long since driven thou
sands upon thousands from the meeting houses of the
had been accustomed, under excellent regulations, to partake of the Holy
Sacrament together, according to the service ofthe church of England, in
certain London churches, granted for the occasion ; thus proving their
Christian unity, and their respect for the established worship. And, it
is well known how directly as well as indirectly the clergy favoured the
abrogation ofthe Acts of which the dissenters complained. I might de
cidedly instance the public writings called Evangelical, which, advocating
the cause of dissenters, (aye, in a great degree carried on by dissenters,)
supported a reform of our Church, not to the stricter exclusion of any
honourable dissenters, but to their more ready and conscientious admis
sion within the pale. They opened their pages for the advocacy of the
dissenters' claims to the abolition of the test and corporation acts, and to
the full and equal use of the franchise with themselves. When every
thing the dissenters asked for had been granted them, and the clergy
looked for their co-operation in return, to enlarge and strengthen the bond
of Christianity to the State, they were met by many with decided opposi
tion ; and the most noted dissenting preachers, emboldened by recent
concession, reckless of every grateful and friendly remembrance, and
jealous of one another, came forward, hailed by numbers among them
selves, and, eagerly joined by every irreligious and unprincipled man in
the kingdom , they all banded together, and called the unnatural union
" liberality." Bunyan, a century and a half since, in his inimitable " Pilgrim's
Progress," has described Pope and Pagan as two old giants, with their
claws cut, and their teeth drawn, sitting helpless and harmless, by the
way side, making mouths at the Christian pilgrims, but unable to do them
any injury. Had he seen Infidelity, a third giant since his day, roughly
handled and deservedly exposed to ridicule and scorn, hiding himself and
deserted, what would Bunyan have said while his friends were lifting up
this wretched giant, and worst foe of his faith, wrapping a few moral rags
about him, and bringing him forward as a fellow-claimant ? * * *
" This is a sad feature now so prominent in dissent, never seen before,
but in anger against persecution* It is, in truth, a deadly feature, and was
not expected to be found in such men as Pye-Smith, and Jay of Bath,
and others whom I forbear to name. It has done its mischief, but not in
the way expected ; it has dishonoured themselves. Has it not been
among them " The Discipline ofthe Secret," kept for the occasion as
much as the Roman Catholic one ? Jay, preaching at the tercenary of
the Reformation, sayi — ' The Church of Rome was the frog, the Church
of England is the tadpole ; ' yet, in publishing the sermon, this most ob
noxious and artful sentiment is omitted. Would he have thus spoken to
his friends Hannah More, Wilberforce, and others ? Does he not even
now try, by the very suppression, to conceal it from the public ? But
LAKE WINNIPISEOGEE. 59
once " standing order," and given birth to all the
Socinianism, transcendentalism, universalism and atheism
which is now rife in that section of the country. Many,
however, who are desirous of knowing the truth, and
riving up to the precepts of a pure Christianity, yet for
whose appetites this strong meat is unsuited, are still
under the bondage of those delusions with which early
pulpit teaching has enthralled their minds ; and coming
under the sound of a Gospel not of man but from God,
it is necessary to clear the beclouded judgment, and to
strengthen the understanding before applying the word
of encouragement ; and this the truly " orthodox "
ministers do, imitating the skilful husbandman who pre
pares the fallow ground for the good seed.
The next morning I pursued my way to Dover,
passing through Northwood, and Barrington, and near
several lakes not, however, remarkable for picturesque
beauty. There is, however, a sheet of water, twenty eight
miles long, lying some miles to the north of our road
called Lake Winnipiseogee which is justly celebrated,
both for the beauty of its shores, and the flavour of the
fish with which it is well stocked. On the north of this
though it may shrink from the sight, it has spoken too loud and often to
be misunderstood.
" A national voice of worth and excellence, in Church and State, among
the very highest and the lowest, of all ages, sex, and conditions, has
silenced for a while the cry of these infatuated separaters. No religionist
at present obtrudes the unhallowed sentiment ; few profess it ; many are
ashamed of it ; and the best utterly denounce it. I will exclude none, for
my hopes are sanguine that there are few who bear a good name that
can any longer ' halt between two opinions ;' for the evil is become
apparent ; the spurious claim hath, by these destructives renouncing all
preference for themselves, betrayed itielf ; and now it remains a mark for
the Church — she takes it as a test of our common Christianity — it is the
shibboleth of distinction, by which she proves who is on her side, and who
against her — and 1 trust that the great judge will confirm her appeal
to him, and will apply the words to her that his servant, the Judge of
Israel and Judah, did to the true mother, give hes the living chilb,
and in no wise slay it ; she is thb mother thereof.' "
60 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
inland sea are some dense forests from which the bears,
a native of New Hampshire, are not yet wholly ex>
patriated. The driver of my hired vehicle narrated a
story of one of these sagacious animals which is too good
to be omitted in this place, especially as its literal truth
was afterwards corroborated by most respectable testi
mony at Dover The narrative was again given to me
in nearly the same words at Portsmouth.
" Some years ago a cub bear was caught by a stout
lad near the borders of Lake Winnipiseogee, carried into
the town, and after proper drilling became the playfellow
of the boys of the village, and often accompanied them to
the schoolhouse. After passing a few months in civilised
society, he made his escape into the woods, and in a
few years was almost forgotten. The schoolhouse, mean
time, had fallen from the schoolmaster's into the school
mistress's hands : and instead of large boys learning to
write and cipher, small boys and girls were taught in the
same place knitting and spelling. One winter's day,
after a mild fall of snow the door had been left open by
some urchin going out, when, to the unspeakable horror
of the spectacled dame and her fourscore hopeful scholars,
an enormous bear walked in, in the most familiar man
ner in the world, and took a seat by the fire. Huddling
over the benches as fast as they could, the children
crowded about their schoolmistress, who had fled to the
farthest corner of the room, and there they stood crying
and pushing to escape the horror of being eaten first.
The bear sat snuffing and warming himself by the fire,
showing great signs of satisfaction, but putting off his
meal until he had warmed himself thoroughly. The
screams of the children continued ; but the schoolhouse
was far from any other habitation, and the bear did not
A BEAR STORY. 61
seem at all embarrassed by the outcry. After sitting
and turning himself about for some time, Bruin got up
on his hind legs, and shoving the door close, began to take
down, one by one, the hats, bonnets and satchels that
hung on several rows of pegs behind it. His memory
had not deceived him ; for they contained, as of old, the
children's dinners, and he had arrived before the holidays.
Having satisfied himself with their cheese, bread, pies,
dough-nuts and apples, Bruin smelt at the mistresses'
desk; but finding it locked, gave himself a shake of
resignation, opened the door and disappeared. The alarm
was given, and the amiable creature was pursued and
killed ; very much to the regret of the town's people,
when it was discovered, by some marks in his body, that
it was their old friend and playfellow."
CHAPTER XIII.
DOVER. PORTSMOUTH. NEWBURYPORT. SALEM.
Dover is famed for its cotton manufactories; it 'is seated
on the Cocheoco River, twelve miles from the ocean,
and at the head of navigation. A fall of thirty-three
feet turns 30,000 spindles, and about 800 looms be
longing to one company, besides those of other manufac
turers. After a day or two spent in Dover, I proceeded
to Portsmouth, the largest and oldest town in the state.
I was kindly received by a worthy family, with whom I
remained several days. Every thing about Portsmouth
looked more English-like than any other place I had
seen since leaving Boston. This is, of course, owing
chiefly to its age, having been settled as early as 1623.
The town stands on a peninsula extending into the bay,
or river mouth, where the entrance is guarded by forts.
There is a pier about four hundred feet long, and a navy
yard ; the place being like its English namesake, cele
brated for its naval architects.
On Sunday October 20th, I heard a sermon in one of
the baptist meeting houses from Mr. Mackensie. The
building was large enough to seat fifteen hundred or two
thousand persons, though but partially filled ; owing, I
was informed, to the erection of other places of worship.
Mr. Mackensie is a fervid, warm-hearted man, a clear,
though quaint reasoner, and a ready speaker — wholly
extempore.
NEWBDRYPORT. Go
• I left Portsmouth with many regrets that the neces
sity for my return to Boston made it impossible to pro
long my stay. After a day's visit to North Hampton,
where a relative of my Portsmouth host resided, I
pursued my course by the stage coach to Boston. We
stopped to dine at Newburyport, where the celebrated
preacher Whitfield died after a long career of missionary
labours in 1770. The following inscription is placed on
a handsome monument to his memory.
TniS CENOTAPH
IS ERECTED WITH AFFECTIONATE
VENERATION
TO THE MEMORY OF THE
REV. GEORGE WHITFIELD,
BORN AT GLOUCESTER, ENGLAND,
DECEMBER 16, 1714,
EDUCATED AT OXFORD UNIVERSITY
ORD4.INBD A.D. 1736.
IN A MINISTRY OF THIRTY FOUR YEARS
HE CROSSED THE ATLANTIC THIRTEEN TIMES,
AND PREACHED MORE
THAN EIGHTEEN THOUSAND SERMONS.
AS A SERVANT OF THE CROSS
HUMBLE, DEVOUT, ARDENT,
HE PUT ON THE
WHOLE ARMOUR OP GOD :
PREFERRING
THE HONOUR OF CHRIST
TO HIS OWN INTEREST, REPOSE,
REPUTATION AND LIFE.
We had time to take a general survey of this beautiful
place, in some respects the pleasantest for situation of
any town through which I passed in this tour. It lies
at the mouth of the famed Merrimack, which gives it
great advantage as a trading port.
64 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
At Salem we were detained about an hour, which -I
employed in taking a turn through the principal streets.
The houses of several persons were shown me who fell
victims to the dreadful proscriptions by the puritan
ministers founded on supposed witchcraft.
Salem is another English looking town, or rather city,
with well built but irregular streets, (no deformity
by the way except to quakerly vision) and 15,000 inhabi
tants. The bishop of the diocess held at this time the
rectorship of St. Peter's parish, in connection with his
episcopal duties, though assisted in his parish by
two other clergymen. The episcopal residence, used
temporally as such, was a commodious mansion of
antique appearance. Salem was incorporated as a city
in the year following. To the pious churchman it was
a city some years before, as much as Manchester, Liver
pool, and Birmingham are as yet mere towns.
I have, as yet, seen no good reason assigned for the
departure in the case of several American bishops from
the early, and till these late American examples, the
universal custom of bishops holding a parochial charge
of their own besides the chief pastoral oversight of the
diocess. The precedent is most dangerous ! The rule
of the fifth Council of Carthage* that " Every bishop
shall have his residence at the principal, or cathedral
church, which he shall not leave to betake himself to
* See also the XVIII Canon of the Council of Ancyra, the XIII
Canon of Neocoesarea, and the IX of Antioch. The writer is compelled
to dissent in his view of this matter, from that which seems to be held by
the Bishop of Oxford, in his History of the American Church, but
which is supported by no authorities. The examples the bishop mentions
merely show the need of such a provision as the author recommends
above, by which ministerial assistance could be rendered to the bishop
in his own church and parish.
SALEM. 65
any other church in his diocess, nor continue upon his
private concerns to the neglect of his cure, and hindrance
of his frequenting the cathedral church," has hitherto
held good, and governed the practice of all bishops in
every other part of Christendom. The bishop of a
diocess should be found the greatest part of the year at
his own parish. " The citv* church," writes Bingham
" was to be the the chief place of the bishop's residence."
It is quite doubtful whether frequent visitations counter
balance the evil of episcopal non-residence. The
benefits of episcopal government are not be estimated by
the number of episcopal visitations to a parish, or the
constant presence ofthe crosier and lawn, but by the sta
bility and harmony which the chief pastor gives to the ec
clesiastical operations of the Church in his office as pre
sident in the annual council of the clergy and laity, and
as head of the diocess ; acting as the arbiter in all disputes
between pastors and their flocks, or between contend
ing clergy. A bishop is the representative of the latter,
and his church " the eye of the diocess." His influence
would be more than doubly felt in every section thereof,
were his regular periodical visits triennial only instead of
annual or semi-annual.
If clergymen could only waive their petty jealousies, and
* The original meaning and derivation of the term is understood hy
few in the United States; being applied only to large corporate towns,
with or without a resident bishop. When the population reaches twelve
thousand, a " city " charter is granted on the application of a majority
of the taxable inhabitants. Several cities under old charters have a
much smaller population, viz : Burlington in New Jersey, Newport in
Rhode Island, Munroe in Michigan, etc. Some populous towns on
the other hand with more than the requisite number of inhabitants have
never yet applied for city privileges, e. g. New Bedford in Massachusetts
Hagerstown in Maryland, etc.
66 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
attend episcopal elections on every occasion thoroughly
embued with the spirit of St. John's. General Epistle, and
divested of " that most odious of all hateful corruptions,
ministerial envy"* much time, money, and reputation
might be saved the Church by the election of a resident
clergyman in every vacant diocess,f respectable for years
and standing, and rector of a city parish abundantly able
to support him. Should this be objected to on the
ground of his supposed bias from parochial influence and
ties, (a more imaginary evil than any thing else) the
means which a diocess possesses of creating an episcopal
fund could easily be stretched to make it the perma
nent endowment of a cathedral church. This would be
desirable, if only to dispossess the public mind of the
vulgar impression that a cathedral is necessarily a build
ing of large proportions and peculiar construction ; or,
what is a more common error in protestant communi
ties, that a/Harge churches built cruciform- are cathedrals !
Out of a multitude of authorities to the contrary, the
Encyclopoedia of the " Society for the Diffusion of Useful
Knowledge," will scarcely be questioned, which gives
the following definition ofthe word — " Certain churches
are called cathedrals, or cathedral churches. They are
so called in consequence of having a seat of dignity
(cathedra, a Greek term for such a seat) appropriated
to a bishop or archbishop. Thus, there is the cathedral
church of Canterbury, the cathedral church of Norwich,
the cathedral church of Wells. They have usually also
* Rev. J. Sargent.
t Where such has been the practise, it has been followed by the happi
est results. Witness the examples of the Eastern Diocess ( in the
election of its late bishop, Griswold !) Connecticut, South Carolina,
Georgia, Louisiana, etc.
SALEM. 67
a dean, and body of canons or prebendaries, but this is
not essential to constitute a cathedral church, nor is
every church that has a chapter of canons a cathedral
church.' For a bishop " to be the rector of a parish," said the
late Bishop Griswold, " gives him more the appearance
of being the head of the family ; it makes his house a
better school for candidates, and for the younger clergy ;
he can the better instruct them in what of all human
teaching is the most useful — the pastoral care ; and it
enlarges his means of doing good. Our Church, indeed,
supposes that the bishop will have such a pastoral care,
having in her xxx canon made provision for the supply
ing of his parish while absent on his episcopal visi
tations."* The fault, then, is not the Church's !
Order and duty of Bishops p. p. 17.
68
CHAPTER XIV.
SAI.EM WITCHCRAFT DELUSION. — .OBJECT AND CONCEPTION
OF THE PLOT !
On our way homeward the conversation of the passen
gers turned on the witchcraft delusion, of which Salem
was the scene in 1692. That event was a dark page in
the history of the New England colonists, and the part
that the "standing order " of ministers took in the never
to be forgotten tragedy is important to be preserved in
the recollection of the members of a British community,
who are perpetually reminded by dissenting politicians
of the superstitions and severities which the English
clergy are charged with encouraging, in the reigns of
James and the Charles'. A distant land was furnishing
throughout the whole period of alleged episcopal persecu
tion, including the Cromwellian usurpation, scenes of
priestly cruelty and crime only equalled bythe atrocities
of papal proscription.
To pass over the dark night of congregational tyranny
which immediately succeeded the planting of the Ply
mouth colony, when the long desired object of the
puritan faction was gained, and a Church had been
established " after their own model. " * — To pass over
the executions, f the nose slittings, the ear shearings^
* They longed for something more than toleration ; they desired to set
up churches after their own model of perfection, and to watch their growth
and progress." Wilberforce's History oftheAmericap Church, p. 58.
f " Many quakers in New England were put to death (or the profes-
PURITAN PERSECUTIONS. 69
the tongue borings,* the unmerciful whippings,! the
fines, imprisonments^ starvings,§ and perpetual ba-
nishments|| for conscience sake, which the early history
of the colony affords, the next page in its blood-writ
ten annals reveals a scheme, deep and sanguinary, which
history with her impartial, because unbiassed, pen will
put down as devised and executed solely to uphold
priestly domination — as an assault upon the rights of the
people, — and a combined and fearfully executed plot to
perpetuate the thraldom of a superstitious population to
its spiritual heads. Let us glance at the particulars of
this plot, and again put on record its principal actors and
abettors. The event which was seized upon as giving warrant
to the deeds of cruelty which we have to relate affords a
sion of their faith, until an order from King Charles II. brought this
violence to a close." lb — see also Neal's Puritans, vol. 1, p. 334.
* " Some of the " dissenters" from the Congregational " platform"
were sentenced, " after the first conviction to lose one ear, after the second
another, and after the third to have the tongue bored through with a red
hot iron." — Wilberforce, p. 75
f " Convicted anabaptists were fined twenty pounds, and whipped unmer
cifully."— lb. p. 74.
J "Fines, imprisonments and even death itself were amongst their
remedies." — lb. p. 74,
§ " No food and lodgings shall be allowed a quaker, Adamite or other
heretic."— Blue Code, No. 13.
|| " Two brothers, Church of England men, a lawyer and a merchant,
'who had joined unawares the settlement of Salem, finding how matters
stood, ventured to uphold in their own house for such as would resort
unto them the Common Prayer worship. But such an enormity they
were not long suffered to continue ; for a disturbance arising amongst the
people upon this occasion ' the brothers were called before the magistrates,
and so handled as to be induced to leave the colony forthwith.'" Wilber
force p. 73.
70 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
fearful warning to all persons down to the youngest, to
abstain from the use of deception in any form for the
purpose of making others the victims either of their
amusement, or their schemes of interest.
Cotton Mather, a name that will descend to posterity
loaded with the just execrations of every friend of religi
ous freedom, was foremost amongst his clerical colleagues
in his opposition to the various forms of "heresy" which
had crept into the colony of New England ; and which,
spite of every effort to suppress them, continued to dis
turb the reign of congregational ascendancy. The colo
nial clergy were losing their influence. How was it to
be retained ? ,
A veracious historian, the successor of one of the prin
cipal actors in the drama of the witchcraft persecution,
has recorded the well proved, and now generally acknow
ledged fact, that " Dr. Mather contemplated the witch
craft delusion as the instrument in promoting a revival
of religion, and boasted of the success with which it was
attended as such.*"
Mather was many years minister of the " North
Church," now standing in Boston,f and a man of great
influence in the colony. Dr. Coleman his eulogist, des
cribes him as " the most learned man he ever knew, who
combined an almost incredible amount of vanity and cre
dulity, with a high degree of cunning and policy; an in-
* The Rev. Charles W. Upham, Pastor of the First Congregational
Church in Salem, in a volume of " Lectures on Witchcraft " delivered in
1831, from which (an undoubted source) my principal materials are
taken. t Not Christchurch described in Chap. VI, but an independant meeting
house, built church-like, which has long enjoyed the above appellation ;
being the corporate name of the society.
A PROTESTANT RODIN. 71
ordinate love of temporal power and distinction, with
every outward manifestation of piety and christian humi
lity; and a proneness to fanaticism and superstition, with
amazing acquisitions of knowledge, and a great and re
markable genius."
In plainer English, the Brownist archbishop * was an.
accomplished Jesuit ; and had he been member of a
better devised religious system than the impracticable
"platform" of Congregationalism, he would doubtless?
for a time have effected his pious object, and rivetted
faster the fetters of spiritual slavery on the New En
gland population. But how many whose proper field of
action would be in the ranks of Ignatius Loyola, have
figured prominently under the more convenient, because
unmeaning and undefined standard of " protestant. "
"Mather aspired" writes the same authority before
quoted,f " to be considered the great champion of the
Church, and the most successful combatant against the
prince of the air. He seems to have longed for an
opportunity to signalize himself in this particular kind
of warfare, — seized upon every occurrence that would
admit of such a colouring to represent it as the result of
diabolical agency, — circulated in his numerous publica
tions as many tales of witchcraft as he could collect
throughout New and Old England, — and repeatedly
endeavoured to get up a delusion of this kind in Boston.
* Robert Brown was the founder ofthe " independant" [congregational]
dissenters, who long bore the name of " Brownists" from him. He is
described by Neale the dissenting historian [1-375 376] as being a
" fiery hot headed young man; idle and dissolute," in middle life ; and
in old age, " poor, proud, and very passionate." He died in 1630." —
Wilberforce's History ofthe American church, p. 71.
f Rev. Mr. Upham.
72 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
He succeeded to some great extent. An instance of
witchcraft was brought about in that place by his
management in 1688. There is some ground for suspi
cion that he was instrumental in causing the delusion in
Salem ; at any rate he took a leading part in conducting
it. And while there is evidence that he endeavoured
after the delusion subsided, to escape the disgrace of
having approved of the proceedings, and pretended to
have been in some measure opposed to them, it can be
too clearly shown that he was secretly and cunningly
endeavouring to renew them during the next year in his
own parish in Boston. I know nothing more artful and
Jesuitical than his attempts to avoid the reproach of
having been active in carrying on the delusion in Salem,
and elsewhere, and at the same time to keep up such a
degree of credulity and superstition in the minds of the
people as to render it easy to plunge them into it again
at the first favourable moment."*
The case referred to in this extract was that of a
young girl, named Godwin, who was said to be
" bewitched. " Her talents appear to have been very
remarkable ; " She had" writes Mr. Upham, " a genius
scarcely inferior to master Burke himself, there was no
part nor passion she could not enact." This excellent
instrument for the accomplishment of his schemes was
taken by Dr. Mather into his family, ostensibly to
see " whether he could not exorcise her."t Here our
ingenious actress played off her tricks upon the pu
ritan doctor. By his own published account — "He
once wished to say something in her presence to a
* Upham, p. 106.
t Yet the pretended power of exorcising evil spirits was one of the
principal objections of the nonconformists against the Romish priesthood !
SIGNS OF WITCHCRAFT. 73
third person, which he did not intend she should under
stand. He accordingly spoke in Latin ; but she had
penetration enough to conjecture what he had said ; he
was amazed ! He then tried Greek ; she was equally
successful. He next spoke in Hebrew^ she instantly
detected the meaning. At last he resorted to the Indian
language, and that she pretended not to know. The
evil being with whom she was in compact was acquain
ted familiarly with Latin, Greek, and Hebrew, but not
with the Indian tongue. He handed her a book written
by a quaker; she would read it off with great ease, rapi
dity, and pleasure. A book written against the quakers
she could not read at all. She could read popish books
but could not decipher a syllable of the Assembly's Ca
techism 1 She was very fond of the Book of Common
Prayer and called it her Bible," &c. &c.
So these circumstances, admitting their truth, served
to convince our puritan doctor of divinity that his little
patient was in league with the devil. " She was very
fond of the Book of Common Prayer." — 'Twere well for
Dr. Mather had he been equally fond of a book which a
more learned dissenter * than even Dr. Mather, and one
* The admirable Robert Hall. The opinion of Dr. Clark may also be
cited, who records of the Anglican Prayer Book that " As a form of
devotion it has no equal in any part of the universal Church of God."
" Its great excellences writes Dr. Comben (a presbyterian) have obtained
for it a universal reputation in all the world. It is most deservedly
admired by the Eastern Churches, and in great esteem by the most
eminent protestants in Europe."
" It comes," says Grotius, " so near the primitive pattern, that none
of the Reformed Churches can compare with it."
And the " Religious Intelligencer," the newspaper .organ of the Dutch
(presbyterian) Church of the United States, gives this candid testimony
to the instrumentality of the Anglican liturgy in promoting the doctri
nal purity of the English and American Churches : —
K
74 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
possessing, some will think, as due an appreciation of
the spiritual in public worship, has since pronounced
" the first of uninspired compositions." Had Mather
been imbued with the spirit of that blessed book, instead
ofthe cramped and narrow system embodied in the West
minster Confession and the Assembly's Catechism, much
innocent blood would have been spared, and the cause
of religion would have escaped the dark reproach which
it shortly after incurred through his agency. — But to
proceed with the doctor's account, which is necessarily
condensed. To show that the devil stood in great fear of his
august presence, the puritan saint records that " There
stood open the study of one belonging to the family, into
which entering, she stood immediately on her feet, and
cried out, ' They are gone ! They are gone ! They say
that they can not, — God wont let 'em come here!'
adding a reason for it which the owner of the study
thought more kind than true. She would be faint at
first (after entering the holy and charmed apartment)
and say ' She felt something go out of her, ' the noises
whereof we sometimes heard like those of a mouse.
"When he called the family to prayers, she would
whistle and sing, and yell to drown his voice, would
strike at him with her fist and try to kick him. But her
hand or foot would always recoil when within an inch
" Her evangelical liturgy and a scrupulous adherence to it has preserv
ed the integrity of the Episcopal Church, beyond that of any denomina
tion of Christians since the Reformation. It might be so in our Church —
and why not?"
[The American branches of the Dutch Reformed, and Lutheran Church
es have abandoned the public UBe of their liturgies (though retained in
their ordinals) iu compliance with the practise of surrounding sects. The
extract is from an article by the editor deploring the same.]
PURITAN SAINTSHIP. 75
or two of Iris body ; [thus giving the idea that there was
a sort of invisible coat of mail, of heavenly temper and
proof against the assaults of the devil around his sacred
person.] After a while he concluded to prepare an
account of these extraordinary circumstances where
withal to entertain his congregation in a sermon. She
seemed to be quite displeased at the thought of his ma
king public the doings of her master, the evil one
attempted to prevent his writing the intended sermon,
and disturbed and interrupted him in all manner of
ways. For instance, she once knocked at his study door
and said that 'there was somebody down stairs that
would be glad to see him ; ' — he dropped his pen, and
went down ; upon entering the room he found nobody
there but the family. The next time he met her he
undertook to chide her for having told him a falsehood-
She denied that she had told a falsehood. ' Didn't you
say,' said he, ' that there was somebody down stairs that
would be glad to see me ? ' ' Well,' she replied, with
inimitable pertness, ' is not Mrs. Mather always glad to
see you ? '
" She even went much farther than this in persecuting
him while he was writing his sermon ; she threw large
books at his head. But he struggled manfully against
these ' bufferings of Satan ' and finished the sermon." *
Wonderful man ! to finish a sermon against such
fearful odds, and despite such Satanic interruption !
Verily this modern Dunstan deserves canonization at
the hands of his sect. By what singular oblivion of
memory is it that his conflicts and perseverance in re
sisting the prince of darkness are unnoticed on the
anniversary of his birth ? Have his followers forgotten
* Upham, p. 187.
7G ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
that he once lived ?— or are they desirous tha tthe world
should forget a saint whose feats certainly surpass those
of the monk of Glastonbury ! Something more potent
than red hot tongs must have been used by the puritan
doctor to frighten off the assaults of the evil one ; for mark
another part of his account. — " They * would bark like
dogs, and then again purr like cats. Yea, they would
fly like geese, and be carried with an incredble swiftness,
having but just their toes now and then upon the ground,
sometimes not once in twenty feet, and their arms waved
like the wings of a bird."
This clear case of witchcraft " originated the delusion
in Salem. It occurred only four years before Dr. Mather's
account filled the whole country, and it is probable that
the children in Mr. Parris's family undertook to re-enact
it." f
The doctor preached his sermon and then published
it. He did more ; he sent the narrative to Richard Bax
ter, the celebrated non-conformist preacher, who repub
lished it in London, with a preface in which he affirms
that " he who would not be convinced by all the evi
dence Dr.Mather presented that the child was bewitched,
must be a very Sadducee."J
* Miss Godwin and her sister who seems to have possessed the same
histrionic parts.
t In passing from the conception of the plot to its terrible birth, I
have preferred, in this short paragraph, quoting the guarded but unmistaka
ble testimony of Mr. Upham, who in his notice of these events, aims to gloss
over the part which the congregational ministers acted. His honestyi
however, compels him to admit the facts ofthe case. .
X This gloomy fanatic appears to have taken a lively interest in the
work of suppressing witchcraft in New England. " He kept up," says
Mr. Upham, " a correspondence with Cotton Mather and with hig
father Increase Mather, through the medium of which he stimulated and
encouraged them in their proceedings against supposed witches in Bos-
77
CHAPTER XV.
SALEM WITCHCRAFT DELUSION. DEVELOPMENT AND
EXECUTION OF THE PLOT.
The public mind having now become prepared for the
grand act* a pretext for the work of blood was soon
afforded in the case of two female children at Salem, the
daughter and neice of Mr. Parris, a congregational
minister of the neighborhood. This was in February
1692. Elizabeth Parris was nine years old, and her cousin
Abigail Williams, was twelve. " They would creep in
to holes and under benches and chairs, put themselves
into odd postures, make antic gestures, and utter loud
outcries, and ridiculous, incoherent, and unintelligible
expressions. The attention of the family was arrested.
No account or explanation of the conduct of the children
could be given, and in an evil hour physicians were
called in and consulted. One of the physicians gave it
as his opinion that the children were bewitched."f
ton and elsewhere." Even Dr. Watts, who was doubtless deceived by
Mather's fabrications, writes in a letter to that honest philanthropist
dated Februrary 19th, 1720.—" I am persuaded that there was much
immediate agency of thedevil in these affairs, and perhaps there were some
realwitches too." It is possible that the doctor conceals under this seeming
admission a keen rebuke to his cotemporary ; for he expresses in the same
letter his doubts respecting the sufficiency of the spectral evidence for
condemnation. * "Baxter wrote his work entitled "The certainty of the world of
spirits," for the special purpose of confirming and diffusing the belief.
The writings of Dr. More, of Baxter, and Glaudil had been circulating for
a long time in every direction in New England, before the trials began in
Salem." — Upham, p. 216.
t Upham, p. 17.
78 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
Before continuing Mr. Upham's narrative, the reader
is particnlarly requested to note the circumstances
which preceded this symptom of the presence of witch
craft; which circumstances shall be given in Mr. Up
ham's own language.
" The population of what is now Salem was at that
time, and continued for nearly thirty years afterwards»
to be so small that there was but one religious society in
the place. All the people were' accommodated in the
meeting house of the First Church. A separate religious
society had previously been formed in what was then
ealled Salem Village, now Danvers. This congregation
(the same at present under the pastoral care of the Rev.
Mr. Braman, lately under that of the estimable Dr.
Wadsworth) had for a long period been the scene of one
of those violent and heated dissensions too common in
our [voluntary] religious societies at all times. The
unhappy strife was gradually propagated, until it had
spread alienation and bitterness through the whole town,
and finally became of such moment that it was carried
up to the General Court; and was a topic of discussion
and alteration there. The parties were the Rev. Sa
muel Parris on one side, and a large portion of his con
gregation on the other."
Keeping these events in mind, let us then follow the
narrative in the words of the same writer : —
" One or two other young girls in the neighborhood
soon began to exhibit similar indications of being be
witched. The families to which the afflicted children
belonged immediately applied themselves to fasting and
prayer ; invoking the interposition of the Divine Being
to deliver them from the snares and dominion of Satan.
Mr. Parris invited the neighboring ministers to assemble
SALEM WITCHCRAFT DELUSION. 79
at his house, and unite with him in devoting a day Jo
solemn religious services, and to devout supplications to
the throne of mercy for rescue from the power of the
great enemy of souls. During the exercises of this oc
casion one of the children had frequent and violent con
vulsive fits. These events soon became generally known
in the village, and through the whole surrounding coun
try. The public mind was "prepared to sanction the
opinion of the physician, and it was universally believed
that the evil one had commenced his operations with a
bolder front, and on a broader scale than in any previous
period. " Great numbers crowded to the spot to gratify their
credulous curiosity by witnessing the effect of his inilu-
•ence upon the afflicted children ; and all were anxious
to discover by whose co-operation hethus exercised his
malignant power. The pretended sufferers were inces
santly importuned to declare who afflicted them ? Who
were the witches through whom the evil one acted upon
them ? — At length when they had wrought the people
up to a sufficient degree of excitement, they began to
select and bring forward their victims. They first
accused, or as the phrase was ' cried out upon' an Indian
woman attached to Mr. Parris's family. By operating
upon the old creature's fears and imagination, and, as
there is some reason to apprehend, by using severe treat
ment towards her, she was made to confess that the
charge was true, and that she was in league with the
devil. " All can easily imagine the effect of this confession.
It established beyond question or suspicion, the credi
bility of the accusers, and produced such a thorough
conviction of their veracity in the public mind, that if
80 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
any one still continued to have misgivings or doubts it
seemed to be all in vain, even if he had courage enough
to dare to do it, to give them utterance. This state of
things emboldened the young girls, and they proceeded
to accuse two more decrepid and miserable old women,
who were immediately arrested, thrown into prison, and
put in irons. In the meantime new accessions were
made to the number of the afflicted accusers, owing
either to the inflamed state of the imaginations of the
people, which led them to attribute their various diseases
and ailments to the agency of witches, to a mere love of
notoriety and a passion for general sympathy, to a desire
to be secure against the charge of bewitching others, or
to a malicious disposition to wreak vengeance upon
enemies. " The next person accused was carried into the meet
ing house in the village, and confronted with the
accusers. As soon as the poor old woman was brought
in, they uttered loud screams, and fell down upon the
floor. If in her terror and despair she happened to clasp
her hands, they would shriek out that she was pinching
them. When she pressed in agony her withered lip,
they exclaimed that she was biting them, and would
show the marks of her teeth upon their flesh. If the
dreadful excitement of the scene, added to the feebleness
of age, exhausted and overcame her, and she happened
to lean for support against the side of the pew or the
aisle, they would cry out that their bodies were crushed;
and if she changed her position, or took a single step,
they would declare that their feet were in pain. In this
manner they artfully produced a strong conviction in
the minds of the deluded magistrates, and excited by
standers. On these occasions the proceedings were
WITCHCRAFT DELUSION. 81
always introduced by prayer and addresses from the
most influential ministers of the vicinity, who were de
cided in countenancing, and active in promoting them.
The afflicted, as they were called, did not rest with
merely accusing their victims of having bewitched them,
but testified on the stand that they had been present
with them at their diabolical meetings, had witnessed
them partaking in the visible company of Satan, of his
blasphemous sacraments, and had seen them sign his
book with their own blood.
" The examination of the accused generally took
place, as has always been understood, in the house still
standing at the western corner of North and Essex streets,
then the residence of Jonathan Cor win, Esq., at that
time an acting magistrate. His colleague in the ma
gistracy was John Hathorne, Esq.
"While the delusion was spreading over the colony,
its operations were going on with tremendous efficacy in
Salem, and the neighbouring towns ; additions were
continually making to the number of the accusers by
voluntary accessions, and by those, who, having been
themselves accused, to save their lives confessed and
became witnesses against others. The prisons in Salem,
Cambridge and Boston, were crowded with supposed
witches. All the securities of society were dissolved.
Every man's life was at the mercy of every other man.
Fear sat on every countenance, terror and distress were
injtll hearts ; silence pervaded the streets ; many of the
people left the country ; all business was at a stand ;
and the feeling, dismal and horrible indeed, became
general that the providence of God was removed from them,
and that they were given over to the dominion of Satan.
" To meet the extraordinary crisis, a special commis-
82 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
sion was issued to seven of the principal citizens and
jurists of the colony, constituting them a court to try
the accused persons at Salem. These were the Lieute
nant Governor, Mr. Stoughton, Major Suttonstall, Major
Richards, Major Gidney, Mr. Wait Winthrop, Capt-
Sewall, and Mr. Sargeant. They assembled by particu
lar appointment at the court house in Salem, (supposed to
have stood at the eastern corner of Essex and Washing
ton-streets) on the second of June, 1692. The first
victim, an old woman, was executed on the tenth of
June, the court then adjourned. The government
during their recess consulted several of the (congrega
tional) ministers of Boston and its vicinity respecting the
prosecutions, who while they urged the importance of
caution and circumspection in the methods of examina
tion and the admission of testimony, at the same
time decidedly and earnestly recommended that the
proceedings should be ' vigorously carried on.' And they
were vigorously carried on ! — The court sat again on the
thirtieth of June, and five more old women were hanged
on the nineteenth of July. The court sat again August
the fifth, and on the nineteenth of the same month four
men and one woman were hanged. And on the twenty
second of September two men and six women were
hanged. Eight more were condemned, but this was the
last execution. One man refusing to put himself on
trial was pressed to death, agreeably to the provisions of
the English laws.
(f The principal immediate effect of these summary
and sanguinary proceedings was to render the accusers
more bold, confident, and daring ; they began to feel
that the lives of all the people were in their hands, and
seemed at last to have experienced a fiend like satisfaction
WITCHCRAFT DELUSION. 83
in the thought of bringing infamy and death upon the
best and most honored citizens of the colony. They
repeatedly " cried out" upon the Rev. Mr. Willard, the
author of the "Body of Divinity," one of the most
revered and beloved ministers of the times. They accused
a member of the immediate family of Dr. Increase
Mather, who had recently returned from a special embassy
to the English court respecting the charter, and was
then the president of Harvard College — the man whom
Elliott calls ' the father of the New England clergy,' and
whose name and character have been held in veneration
by his contemporaries, and all succeeding generations.
A writer of that period intimates that they accused the
wife of the governor, Sir William Phipps ; they even
went so far, it is said, as to implicate one of the judges
of the court.
" But that which finally overthrew their power, and
broke the spell by which they had held the minds of the
whole colony in bondage, was their accusation of Mrs.
Hale, the wife of the minister of the first church in
Beverly. Her genuine and distinguished virtues, had
won for her a reputation, and secured in the hearts of
the people a confidence, which superstition itself could
not sully nor shake. Mr. Hale had been active in all
the previous proceedings ; but he knew the innocence
and piety of his wife, .and he stood forth between her
and the storm he had helped to raise. Although he had
driven it on while others were its victims, he turned and
resisted it when it burst in upon his own dwelling. In
crying out upon Mrs. Hale, the whole community was
convinced that the accusers had perjured themselves,
and from that moment their power was destroyed ; the
awful delusion ceased ; the curtain fell ; and a close was
84 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
put to one of the most tremendous tragedies in the his
tory of real life. The wildest storm, perhaps, that ever
raged in the moral world instantly became a calm ; the
tide that had threatened to overwhelm every thing in its
fury, sunk back in a moment to its peaceful bed. There
are few, if any other instances, in history of a revolution
of opinion and feeling so sudden, so rapid, and so com
plete. The images and visions that had possessed the
bewildered imaginations of the people flitted away, and
left them standing in the clear sunshine of reason and
their senses; and they could have exclaimed as they
witnessed them passing off in the language of the great
master of the drama, and of human nature — but that
their rigid puritan principles would not, it is presumed,
have permitted them, even in that moment of rescue and
deliverance, to quote Shakespeare : —
' See ! they're gone —
The earth has bubbles as the waters have,
And these are some of them ! they vanished
Into the air, and what seemed corporal
Melted as breath into the wind.'
"During the prevalence of this fanaticism, twenty
persons lost their lives by the hand of the executioner,
fifty-five escaped death by confessing themselves guilty,
one hundred and fifty were in prison, and more than
two hu,ndred others accused.
"One adventurous and noble' spirited young man
found means to effect his mother's escape from confine
ment, fled with her on horseback from the vicinity of the
jail/ and secreted her in the Blueberry Swamp, not far
from Tapley's brook in the Great Pasture ; he protected
her concealment there until after the delusion had
passed away, provided food and clothing for her, erected
WITCHCRAFT DELUSION. 85
a wigwam for her shelter, and surrourded her with every
comfort her situation would admit of. The poor creature-
must, however, have endured a great amount of suffering,
for one of her larger limbs was fractured in the all but
desperate enterprise of rescuing her from the prison.
Immediately upon the termination of the excitement
all who were in prison were pardoned. Nothing more
was heard of the afflicted or the confessors ; they were
never called to account for their malicious imposture
and perjury. It was apprehended that a judicial inves
tigation might renew the excitement and delusion, and
all were anxious to consign the whole subject as speedily
and effectually as possible to oblivion." *
* Upham, p. 20, etc.
86
CHAPTER XVI.
SALEM WITCHCRAFT DELUSION. DISCOVERY AND EXPO
SURE OF THE PRINCIPAL CONSPIRATORS. FRUITS OF FAITH.
Much as fanaticism, and puritanical teaching accomplish,
when its sway is absolute, in subduing the human intel
lect, and benumbing the moral perceptions, yet there
was sufficient intelligence and enlightenment left in the
community to produce an early reaction of public feel
ing. The triumph of Mather and Ins colleagues was
short lived! — one of the first events that opened the
eyes of a large number as to the motives which were
secondary in the direful transactions, was a " church
council " convened at Salem, to compose the difficulties
existing between Mr. Parris and his congregation, " It
is evident " writes Mr. Upham (Mr. Noyes's successor
be it remembered) " from the documents connected with
the proceedings of these councils, that the disaffected
members of his society regarded his conduct in the
preceding tragedy with an aversion and horror that can
only be accounted for on the hypothesis, that they sus
pected him of having acted, not merely under the influ
ence of an indiscreet enthusiasm, but from dishonest and
malignant motives. This suspicion was very much
confirmed by the circumstance that the old Indian
woman, who by declaring herself guilty of the charge of
witchcraft, first gave credit and power to the accusers,
WITCHCRAFT DELUSION. 87
always asserted that she was whipped by Mr. Parris until
she consented to make a confession. But however it
may have been with him — and in the absence of conclu
sive testimony, we must leave his guilt or innocence to
the decisions of a higher tribunal — so strong and deeply
rooted were the feelings of disapprobation and aversion
towards him which occupied the breasts of his disaffected
parishioners, that all attempts on the part of the other
ehurches to produce a reconciliation, and even his own
humble and solemn acknowledgment of his error, were
unavailing, and he was compelled to resign his situation,
and remove from the place."*
Mr. Burroughs the victim of a local conspiracy, had
officiated as a candidate for the pastoral charge at Salens,
and possessing acceptable talents had received an invita
tion to settle there, which brought him into collision
with several of the inhabitants. The following is the
recantation of a young woman whose testimony had been
used by his enemies. She had also been prevailed upon
to testify against her own grandfather. Both were
condemned and executed upon her evidence.
" The humble declaration of Margaret Jacobs unto the
honoured Court now sitting at Salem, sheweth. — That
whereas your poor and humble declarant, being closely
confined here in Salem goal for the crim e of witchcraft ;
which crime, thanks be to the Lord, I am altogether
ignorant of, as will appear at the great day of Judgment.
May it please the honoured court, I was cried out upon
by some of the possessed persons as afflicting them .
whereupon I was brought to my examination, which per
sons at the sight of me fell down, which did very much
startle and affright me. The Lord above knows I knew
* Upham's Lectures, p.p. 56-7.
88 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
nothing in the least measure, how or who afflicted them ;
they told me without doubt I did, or else they would
not fall down at me ; they told me if I would not confess
I should be put down into the dungeon and would be
hanged ; but if I would confess I should have my life j
the which did so affright me, with my own vile wicked
heart, to save my life, made me make the like confession
I did ; which confession, may it please the honoured
court, is altogether false and untrue. The very first night
after I made my confession I was in such horror of
conscience I could not sleep for fear the devil should
carry me away for telling such horrible lies. I was, may
it please the honoured court, sworn to my confession as I
understand since, but then at that time was ignorant of
it, not knowing what an oath did mean. The Lord I
hope, in whom I trust, out of the abundance of his
mercy will forgive me my false forswearing myself.
What I said was altogether false against my grandfather
and Mr. Burroughs, which I did to save my life and to
have my liberty ; but the Lord, charging it to my con
science, made me in so much horror that I could not
contain myself before I had denied my confession, which
1 did, though I saw nothing but death before me,
choosing rather death with a quiet conscience than to
live in such horror which I could not suffer. When upon
denying my confession, I was committed to close prison,
where I have enjoyed more felicity in spirit a thousand
times than I did in my enlargement. And now may it
please your honours, your declarant having in part given
your honours a description of my condition, do leave it to
your honours' pious and judicious discretions to take pity
and compassion on my young and tender years ; to act
and do with me as the Lord above and your honours shall
WITCHCRAFT DELUSION. 89
see good, having no friend but the Lord to plead my
cause for me ; not being guilty in the least measure of
the crime of witchcraft, nor any other sin that deserves
death from man ; and your poor and humble declarant
shall forever pray as she is bound in duty for your
honours' happiness in this life, and eternal felicity in the
world to come — so prays your honours' declarant.
Margaret Jacobs."
The poor wretch wrote the following letter to her
father after her grandfather's execution,
" From the dungeon in Salem prison.
August 20th, 1692.
" Honoured Father — After my humble duty remem
bered to you hoping of the Lord in your good health, as
blessed be God I enjoy, though in abundance of affliction
being close confined here in a loathsome dungeon ; the
Lord look down in mercy upon me, not knowing how
soon I shall be put to death by means of the afflicted
persons ; my grandfather having suffered already and
all his estate seized for the king. The reason of my
confinement is this : — I having through the magistrates
threatenings and .my own vile and wretched heart, con
fessed several things contrary to my conscience and
knowledge, though to the wounding of my own soul (the
Lord pardon me for it ;) but oh the terrors of a wounded
conscience who can bear ? But blessed be the Lord, he
would not let me go on in my sins, but in mercy, I hope,
to my soul would not suffer me to keep it any longer,
but I was forced to confess the truth of all before the
magistrates who would not believe me ; but it is their
pleasure to put me in here, and God knows how soon I
shall be put to death. Dear father, let me beg your
prayers to the Lord on my behalf, and send us a joyful
90 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
and happy meeting in heaven. My mother, poor woman,
is very crazy, and remembers her kind love to you, and
to uncle, viz. D. A. So leaving you to the protection of
the Lord, I rest your dutiful daughter, " Margaret Jacobs."
The fate of Mr. Burroughs sent a thrill of horror
through the whole community, which it required all the
art and sophistry of the board of ministers to calm. He
was a highly educated man, had received the honours of
Harward University in 1670, of a spotless life, and no
charge of inconsistency as a minister of the gospel had
ever been attempted to be brought against him. On
the day before his execution the unfortunate Margaret
Jacobs obtained permission to visit him, when she made
a full acknowledgment of her perjury and prayed his
forgiveness. This he freely gave her, and spent some
time in prayer with her. When the hour arrived for
his execution, "he was carried in a court with other
convicts from the jail, which is supposed to have stood
on the northern corner of County and St. Peter's streets,
the procession probably passing down St Peter's into
Essex street, and thence onward to the rocky elevation
called ' Gallows hill, ' about an eighth of a mile towards
Danvers, beyond the head of Federal street, where the
executions took place. ' While Mr. Burroughs was on
the ladder' a contemporary writer observes, ' he made a
speech for the clearing of his innocency with such solemn
and serious expressions as were to the admiration of all
present; his prayer was so well worded, and uttered
with such composedness, and such fervency of spirit as
was very affecting, and drew tears from many, so that it
seemed to some that the spectators would hinder the
execution.' To meet and turn back this state of feeling,
WITCHCRAFT DELUSION. 91
the accusers cried out that they saw the evil being stand
ing behind him in the shape of a black man, and
dictating every word he uttered. And the [in]famous Cot
ton Mather rode round in the crowd on horseback, ha
ranguing the people and saying that it was not to be
wondered at that Mr. Burroughs appeared so well, for
that the devil often transformed himself into an angel of
light. This artful declaration, together with the outcries
and assertions of the accusers, had the intended effect
upon the fanatical multitude. When the body was cut
down, it was dragged by the rope to a hollow place ex
cavated between the rocks, stripped of its garments and
then covered with clothes that had belonged to some
poor wretch previously executed, thrown with two others
into the hole, trampled down by the mob, and finally left
uncovered."* The case of Rebecca Nurse affords a glaring instance
of judicial oppression, unsurpassed by any of the acts of
Judge Jeffries. The jury having heard no evidence wor
thy of the name, returned a verdict of " not guilty."
Immediately upon hearing it the malignant and fiendlike
accusers uttered a loud outcry in open court ! The jud
ges were overcome by the general clamour, and intimi.
dated from the faithful discharge of their sacred duty.
They expressed their dissatisfaction with the verdict.
One of the judges declared his disapprobation with
great vehemence, another said she should be indicted
anew, and the Chief Justice intimated to the jury that
they had overlooked one important piece of evidence. It
was this ; — during the trial a woman named Hobbs who
had confessed herself a witch was brought into court*
and as she entered the prisoner turned towards her and
* Upham, p. 102.
92 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
said, ' What ! do you bring her ? she is one of us. ' The
jury were thus prevailed upon to go out again ; they
soon returned, pronouncing the poor old woman ' Guilty.
After her conviction she addressed the following note to
the judges.
'These presents do humbly show to the honoured
court and jury that I being informed that the jury
brought me in guilty upon my saying that goodwife
Hobbs and her daughter were of our company, but I
intended no otherways, than as they were prisoners with
us and therefore did then and yet do judge them not
legal evidence against their fellow prisoners. And I
being something hard of hearing and full of grief, none
informing me how the court took up my words, and
therefore had no opportunity to declare what I intended
when I said they were of our company, ' Rebecca Nurse."
The governor, it appears, wished to grant her a
reprieve, but on discovering his intention the accusers
renewed their outcries against her, and on the earnest
persuasion of his clerical and lay advisers, gave orders
for her execution, which took place within a few weeks
after her conviction.
The case of Giles Cory was also an aggravated exam
ple of cruelty. He was a communicant of the " First
[congregational] Church" in Danvers and probably one of
Mr. Burroughs' supporters. When he saw that trial
was a mere mockery, he indignantly refused to plead to
the indictment, nor could the threat of the torture
change his resolution. He was accordingly conveyed to
the press, under the agony of which he expired. His
executioners showed a refinement of cruelty during the
moments of his suffering. The New England historian
WITCHCRAFT DELUSION. 93
records that " as his aged frame yielded to the dreadful
pressure his tongue was protruded from his mouth. The
demon who presided over the torture drove it back again
with the point of his cane," and adds with an earnest
ness which does him honour, — " The heart of man once
turned to cruelty seems, like the fleshed tiger, to gather
new fury in the mere exercise of ferocity." *
The following touching narrative left by " a respecta
ble citizen of Charlestown" near Boston, will afford a
view of the common methods of examination ; though
in many cases a simple accusation from a " possessed"
person was sufficient to procure a verdict of guilty.
May, 24th. 1693.
" I having heard some days that my wife was accused
of witchcraft, being much disturbed at it, by advice
went to Salem village to see if the afflicted knew her.
We arrived there on the 24th of May ; it happened to
be a day appointed for examination. Accordingly, soon
after our arrival Mr. Hatham, Mr. Curwin, etc., went to
the meeting house, which was the place appointed for
that work. The minister began with prayer, and having
taken care to get a convenient place, I observed that the
afflicted were two girls of about ten years old, and two
or three others of about eighteen ; one ofthe girls talked
most, an d could discern more than the rest.
" The prisoners were called in one by one, and as they
came in were cried out at. The prisoners were placed
about seven or eight feet from the justices and the
accusers between the justices and them ; the prisoners
were ordered to stand right before the justices, with an
officer appointed to hold each hand lest they should
therewith afflict them ; and the prisoner's eyes must be
* Upham, p. p. 88,
94 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
constantly on the justices ; for if they looked on the
afflicted they would either fall into fits or cry out of
being hurt by them. After an examination of the
prisoners, who it was afflicted these girls, etc., they were
put upon saying the Lord's Prayer as a trial of their
guilt. After the afflicted seemed to be out of their fits,
they would look steadfastly on some one person, and
frequently not speak ; and then the justices said they
were struck dumb, and after a little time would speak
again , then the justices said to the accusers, ' Which of
you will go and touch the prisoner at the bar ? ' Then
the most courageous would adventure, but before they
had made three steps would ordinarily fall down as in a
fit; the justices ordered that they should be taken up,
and carried to the prisoner, that she might touch them,
and as soon as they were touched by the accused the
justices would say " They are well," — before I could dis
cern any alteration, by which I observed that the justices
understood the manner of it. Thus far I was only as a
spectator ; my wife also was there part of the time, but
no notice was taken of her by the afflicted, except once
or twice they came to her and asked her name. But I,
having an opportunity to discourse Mr. Hale (with
whom I had formerly acquaintance) I took his advice
what I had best do, and desired of him that I might
have an opportunity to speak with her that accused my
wife ; which he promised should be, I acquainting him
that I reposed my trust in him. Accordingly he came
to me after the examination was over, and told me I had
now an opportunity to speak with the said accuser,
Abigail Williams, a girl eleven or twelve years old ; but
that we could not be in private at Mr. Parris's house, as
he had promised me ; we went therefore into the ale-
WITCHCRAFT DELUSION. 95
house, where an Indian man attended us, who it seems
was one of the afflicted ; to him we gave some cider ; he
showed several scars that seemed as if they had been long
there, and showed them as done by witchcraft, and
acquainted us that his wife, who also was a slave, was
imprisoned for witchcraft. And now instead of one
accuser they all came in, and began to tumble down like
swine ; and then three women were called in to attend
them. We in the room were all at a stand to see who
they would cry out of; but in a short time they cried
out ' Cary ' ; and immediately after a warrant was sent
from the justices to bring my wife before them, who were
sitting in a chamber near by waiting for this. Being
brought before the justices her chief accusers were two
girls. My wife declared to the justices, that she never
had any knowledge of them before that day. She was
forced to stand with her arms stretched out. I requested
that I might hold one of her hands, but it was denied
me; then she desired me to wipe the tears from her
eyes, and the sweat from her face, which I did;
then she desired she might lean herself on me, saying
she should faint. Justice Hathorn replied she had
strength enough to torment these persons, and she
should have strength enough to stand. I speaking
something against their cruel proceedings, they com
manded me to be silent, or else I should be turned out
of the room. The Indian before-mentioned was also
brought in to be one of her accusers ; being come in, he
now (when before the justices) fell down and tumbled
about like a hog, but said nothing. The justices asked
the girls who afflicted the Indian; they answered 'she,'
(meaning my wife) and that she now lay upon him ;
the justices ordered her to touch him in order to his cure,
96 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
but her head must be turned another way, lest instead
of curing she should make him worse by her looking on
him, her hand being guided to take hold of his ; but the
Indian took hold of her hand and pulled her down on
the floor in a barbarous manner ; then his hand was
taken off, and her hand put on his hand the cure was
quickly wrought. I being extremely troubled at their
inhuman dealings uttered a hasty speech " that God
would take vengeance on them, and desired that God
would deliver us out of the hands of unmerciful men."
Then her mittimus was writ. I did with difficulty
and charge obtain the liberty of a room but no beds in
it; if there had been could have taken but little rest that
night. She was committed to Boston prison ; bnt I ob
tained a habeas corpus to remove her to Cambridge prison,
which is in our county of Middlesex. Having been
there one night next morning the jailer put irons on her
legs (having received such a command) the weight of
them was about eight pounds; these irons and her other
afflictions soon brought her into convulsion fits, so that
I thought she would have died that night. I sent to
intreat that the irons might be taken off ; but all entrea
ties were in vain if it would have saved her life, so that
in this condition she must continue. The trials at Sa
lem coming on, I went thither, to see how things were
managed ; and finding that the spectre evidence was
there received, together with idle, if not malicious sto
ries against people's lives, I did easily perceive which
way the rest would go; for the same evidence that served
for one would serve for all the rest. I acquainted her
with her danger ; and that if she were carried to Salem
to be tried, I feared she would never return. I did my
utmost that she might have her trial in her own county.
WITCHCRAFT DELUSION. 97
I with several others petitioning the judge for it, and
were put in hopes of it , but I soon saw so much that I
understood thereby it was not intended, which put me
upon consulting the means of her escape ; which through
the goodness of God was effected, and she got to Rhode
Island, but soon found herself not safe when there, by
reason of the pursuit after her ; from thence she went to
New York along with some others that had escaped their
cruel hands, where we found his excellency Benjamin
Fletcher Esq. governor, who was very courteous to us.
After this some of my goods were seized in a friend's
hands with whom I had left them, and myself impri
soned by the sheriff and kept in custody half a day, and
then dismissed ; but to speak of their usage of the pri
soners and the inhumanity shown to them at the time of
their execution no sober Christian could bear ! They
had also ' trials of cruel mockings, ' which is the more
heinous considering what a people for religion, — / mean
the profession of it — we have been; those that suffered
being many of them church members, and most of them
unspotted in their conversation, till their adversary the
devil took up this method for accusing them.
Jonathan Cary.'
" Every idle rumour, " writes Mr. Upham, " every
thing that the gossip of the credulous, or the fertile me
mories of the malignant could produce, that had an un
favorable bearing upon the prisoner, however foreign it
might be from the indictment, was allowed to be brought
in evidence before the jury. A child between five and
six years of age was arrested and put into prison. Chil
dren were encouraged to become witnesses against their
parents, and parents against their children."
It was the worst feature in these transactions, that
98 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
they were first instigated, and then vigorously prosecu
ted by the clergy. Such is the testimony of the most
prejudiced native historians. " They took the lead in
the whole transaction," writes Mr. Upham. " As the sup
posed agents of all the mischief belonged to the super
natural or spiritual world, which has ever been considered
their peculiar province, it was thought that the assistance
and co-operation of ministers were particularly appro
priate and necessary. It has been mentioned that the
government consulted the ministers of Boston and the
vicinity, after the execution of the first person convicted,
and previous to the trial of the others, and that they
returned a positive and earnest recommendation to " pro
ceed in the good work."*
* Upham, pp. 89.
!>9
CHAPTER XVII.
THE SALEM DELUSION. NOYES AND MATHER.
One Noyes figured conspicuously through the scenes of
the tragedy, and won an execrable repute for his furious
Bonner like oppression of the wretched martyrs to puri
tanical rage. This butcher was the "junior pastor" of
the " First (congregational) Church" in Salem, and col
league to Parris. Rebecca Nurse whose conviction was
obtained by the bullying and threats of the judges,
instigated by Noyes and his clerical colleagues, was a
member of the " first church." " On the communion day
that intervened between her conviction and execution he
procured a vote of excommunication to be passed against
her. In the afternoon of the same day, the poor old wo
man was carried to the great and spacious meeting house
in chains, and there in the presence of a vast assembly
Mr. Noyes proclaimed her expulsion from the Church,
pronounced the sentence of eternal death upon her, for
mally delivered her over to Satan, and consigned her to
the flames of hell ! It is related however, that as soon
as the fanaticism had disappeared, the recollection of her
excellent character, and virtuous and pious life effaced
the reproach of the spiritual as well as the temporal
sentence."* Mr. Upham's further notice of the infamous part
taken by the inquisitor Noyes, is too important to be
omitted in this record.
* Upham's Lectures, p p. 90.
100 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
" Martha Cory, the wife of Giles Cory, was a
member of the (independant) church in Danvers.
A committee consisting of the pastor, the two deacons,
and another member was sent by the church to the
prison to promulgate to her a doom similar to that to
which Rebecca Nurse was consigned the day after her
conviction. Mr. Parris declares in the records of the
church that they found her ' very obdurate, justifying her
self, and condemning all who had done any thing to her
just discovery or condemnation.' Whereupon after a
little, discourse (for says he ' her imperiousness would not
suffer much) and after prayer (which she was willing to
decline) the dreadful sentence of excommunication was
pronounced against her.'
" Mr. Noyes was also very active to prevent a revul
sion of the public mind, or even the least diminution of
the popular violence against the supposed witches. As
they all protested their innocence to the moment of
death, and as most of them exhibited a remarkably
Christian deportment throughout the dreadful scenes
they were called to encounter from their arrest to their
execution, there was reason to apprehend that the people
would gradually be led to feel a sympathy for them, if
not to entertain doubts of their guilt. It became neces
sary, therefore, to remove any impressions unfavourable
to themselves that; might be made by the conduct and
declarations of the convicts. Mr. Noyes and others were
on the ground continually for this purpose."
" One of the most interesting persons among the inno
cent sufferers was Mrs. Easty of Topsfield ; she was
a sister of Rebecca Nurse. Her mind appears to have
been uncommonly strong and well cultivated, and her
heart the abode of the purest and most christian senti-
A PURITAN' INQUISITOR. 101
ments. After her conviction, she addressed the following
letter to the judges and ministers, by which it appears
that she felt for others more than she did for herself. It
is a striking and affecting specimen of good sense of
Christian fortitude, of pious humility, of noble benevo
lence, and of the real eloquence of the heart.
" ' To the honourable judge and bench now sitting in
judicature in Salem and the reverend ministers humbly
sheweth : — That whereas your humble and poor peti
tioner being condemned to die, doth humbly beg of you
to take it into your judicious and pious consideration
that your poor and humble petitioner, knowing my own
innocency (blessed be the Lord for it) and seeing plainly
the wiles and subtilty of my accusers by myself cannot
but judge charitably of others that are going the same
way with myself, if the Lord step not mightily in. I
was confined a whole month, on the same account that
I am now condemned, and then cleared by the afflicted
persons as some of your honors know ; and in two
days time I was cried out upon by them again, and have
been confined and am now condemned to die. The Lord
above knows my innocence then and likewise doth now,
as at the great day will be known by men and angels.
I petition to your honors, not for my own life, for I know
I must die, and my appointed time is set; but the Lord
he knows if it be possible that no more innocent blood
be shed, which undoubtedly cannot be avoided in the
way and course you go in. I question not but your
honours do to the utmost of your powers, in the discovery
and detecting of withcraft and witches, and would not
be guilty of innocent blood for the world ; but by my
own innocency I know you are in the wrong way. The
Lord in his infinite mercy direct you in this great work
102 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
if it be his blessed will, that innocent blood be not shed.
I would humbly beg of you that your honours would be
pleased to examine some of those confessing " witches," I
being confident there are several of them have belied-
themselves and others, as will appear if not in this
world, I am sure in the world -to come, whither I am
going ; and I question not but yourselves will see an
alteration in these things. They say myself and others
have "made a league with the devil." We cannot confess;
I know and the Lord knows (as will shortly appear)
they belie me, and so I question not but they do others ;
the Lord alone who is the searcher of all hearts knows
— as I shall answer it at the tribunal seat — that I know
not the least thing of witchcraft, therefore I cannot — I
durst not belie my own soul. I beg your honours not
to deny this my humble petition, from a poor dying
innocent person, and I question not but the Lord will
give a blessing to your endeavours.
' Mary Easty. '
" The parting interview of this excellent lady with
her husband, children, and friends is said to have been
a most solemn, affecting and sublime scene. She was
executed with seven others. Mr. Noyes turned towards
their bodies, and exclaimed with a compassion that was
altogether worthy of an inquisitor, ' What a sad thing it
is to see eight fire-brands of hell hanging there ! ! ' "
John Proctor of Danvers went to court to attend
his wife during her examination on the charge of witch
craft ; and having rendered himself disagreable to the
prosecuting witnesses by the interest he naturally took
in her behalf, was accused by them on the spot of the
same crime, condemned and executed. Both he and his
wife sustained excellent characters in the village, and in
A PURITAN INQUISITOR. 103
Ipswich where they formerly resided. He wrote the
following spirited and interesting letter to the [congrega
tional] ministers of Boston, requesting to be tried there,
and protesting against the proceedings of the court.
Salem Prison, July 23rrf,1692.
" ' Mr. Mather, Mr. Allen, Mr. Moody, Mr. Willard
and Mr. Baily :—
" Reverend Gentlemen — The innocency of our case,
with the enmity of our accusers, and our judges and
jury, whom nothing but our innocent blood will serve,
having condemned us already before our trials, being so
much incensed and enraged against us by the devil,
makes us bold to beg and implore your favourable assist
ance of this our humble petition to his excellency, that
if it be possible our innocent blood may be spared, which
undoubtedly otherwise will be shed, if the Lord doth not
mercifully step in, the magistrates, ministers, juries and
all the people in general being so much enraged and
incensed against us by the delusion of the devil, — which
we can term no other by reason we know in our own
consciences, we are all innocent persons. Here are
five persons who have lately confessed themselves to be
witches, and do accuse some of us of being along with
them at a sacrament since we were committed into close
prison, which we know to be lies. Two of the five
(Carrier's sons) are young men who would not confess
anything till they tied them neck and heels till the blood
was ready to come out of their noses ; and it is credibly
believed and reported this was the occasion of making
them confess what they never did by reason they said,
' one had been a witch a month, and another five weeks,
and that their mother made them so' — who has been
confined here this nine weeks ! ! My son, William Proc-
104 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
tor, when he was examined because he could not confess
that he was guilty when he was innocent, they tied neck
and heels till the blood gushed out of his nose, and
would have kept him so twenty four hours if one, more
merciful than the rest, had not taken pity on him and
caused him to be unbound.
" These actions are very like the popish cruelties.
They have already undone us in our estates, and that
will not serve their turns without our innocent blood !
If it cannot be granted that we can have our trials at
Boston, we humbly beg that you would endeavour to
have these magistrates changed, and others in their
room ; begging also and beseeching you that you
would be pleased to be here if not all, some of you at
our trials, hoping thereby you may be the means of
saving the shedding of our innocent blood. Desiring
your prayers to the Lord in our behalf, we rest your
poor afflicted servants, John Proctor &c. &c.
The unfortunate man's appeal to the ministers of the
" standing order " was of no avail. No mitigation of
his sufferings was allowed by his iron persecutors, on
the contrary the spirit of the memorial to the Executive
by the congregational ministers " to proceed vigorously
with the work" was carried out with augmented seve
rity ; and the special agent of the Inquisitor General, the
blood thirsty Noyes was the willing agent of the Socie
ties' vengeance against a victim who had the temerity to
remonstrate (though gently enough, God knows ! )
against its barbarities. "When Proctor was in prison"
is the testimony of Mr. Upham " all his property was at
tached, everything was taken from his house, his family,
consisting of eleven children were left destitute, even
A PURITAN INQUISITOR. 105
the food that was preparing for their dinner was carried
away by the sheriff. After his conviction he petitioned
for a little more time to prepare to die, but it was denied
him. He begged Mr. Noyes to pray with him, but he
refused, unless he would confess that he was guilty ! II is
numerous family was not permitted to starve. The cruel
ty that snatched the bread from their mouths was over
ruled by a merciful providence. His descendants who
are found in all parts of the country, occupy at this mo
ment the estate, and cultivate the fields which he owned-
The efforts of the prosecutors to extort confessions
from their helpless victims is specially worthy of the
deepest condemnation ; and completes the portraiture
which the other parts of their conduct bear to that of the
actors in the famed proceedings by the heads and instru
ments of the Spanish Inquisition. "They importuned,
harassed and vexed them continually to acknowledge their
guilt. The public were prejudiced to suspect and con
vict of witchcraft all persons in whose character and
conduct there were any marks of eccentricity or traits of
peculiarity. Sarah Good had for some time previous to
the delusion, been subject to a species of mental de
rangement of which sadness and melancholy were the
prevailing characteristics. She was accordingly accused
of witchcraft, and condemned to die. Mr Noyes urged
her very strenuously at the time of her execution to con
fess. Among other things he told her ' She was a witch,
and that she knew she was a witch.' She was consci
ous of her innocence and felt that ' she was injured, op.
pressed and trampled upon, and her indignation was
roused against her persecutors. She could not bear in
silence the cruel aspersion, and although she was about
to be launched into eternity, the torrent of her feelings
106 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
could not be restrained, but burst upon the head of him
who uttered the false accusation. ' You are a liar ' said
she, ' I am no more a witch than you are a wizard — and
if you take away my Kfe, God will give you blood to
drink.' " *
Such was the conduct of a man whom the New Eng
land " orthodox" congregationalists still hold up as one
of the early ornaments of their communion ; and who
was only a few years ago thus alluded to in a Boston
paper. " It is no wonder that Salem and the adjacent
parts of the country ; as also the churches, university
and people of New England justly esteemed him as a
principal part of their glory." (! !)
Tradition, however, has handed down the circumstances
of Noyes's death ; which in Mr. Upham's own words,
" strangely verified the prediction wrung from the in
censed spirit of the dying old woman" — and which it
were not superstitious to regard as providentially designed
to fix upon him the mark of divine displeasure. One of
his own sect thus sets his seal to the belief which in pro
cess of time extended throughout the community, and is
now regarded as matter of history.
" What are we to think of those persons who com
menced and continued the accusation of the afflicted
children and their .confederates ? Shocking as is the
view it presents of the extent to which human nature
can be carried in depravity, I am constrained to declare,
as the result of as thorough a scrutiny as I could institute,
my belief that this dreadful transaction was introduced
and driven on by wicked perjury and wilful malice. The
young girls in Mr. Parris' family and their associates on
several occasions indicated by their conduct and expres-
* Upham p p. 99, etc.
THE ACCUSORjji. 107
sions that they were acting a part. It would be much
more congenial with our feelings to believe that these
misguided and wretched young persons early in the pro
ceedings became themselves victims of the delusion into
which they plunged every one else. But we are for
bidden to form this charitable judgment by the manife:-
tations of art and contrivance, of deliberate cunning and
cool malice they exhibited to the end. Once or twice
they were caught in their own snare, and nothing but
the blindnesss of the bewildered community saved them
from disgraceful exposure and well deserved punishment.
They appeared as the prosecutors of almost every poor
creature that was tried, and seemed ready to bear testi
mony against any one upon whom suspicion might
happen to fall.* It is dreadful to reflect upon the enor
mity of their wickedness, if they were conscious of impos
ture throughout. It seems to transcend the capabilities
of human crime. There is, perhaps, a slumbering
element in the heart of man that sleeps forever in the
bosom of the innocent and good, and requires the per
petration of a great sin to wake it into action, but which
when once aroused, impels the transgressor onward with
increasing momentum, as the descending ball is accele
rated in its course. It may be that crime begets an
appetite for crime, which like all other appetites is not
quieted but inflamed by gratification. "
* It is obvious that during the prevalence of the fanaticism, it was in
the power of every man to bring down terrible vengeance upon his enemies
by pretending to be " bewitched" by them. There is great reason to fear
that this was often the case. If any one ventured to resist the proceed
ings, or to intimate a doubt respecting the guilt of the persons accused,
the accusers would consider it as an affront to them, and proceed instantly
to " cry out" against him.
' The wife of an honest and worthy man in Andover was sick of a fever
108 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
•It has been stated that Cotton Mather endeavoured to
escape the odium connected with the Salem persecutions.
In his life of Sir William Phipps the governor of the
colony " a man " says Mr. Upham " of an exceedingly
feeble intellect, whom Dr. Mather appeared to have kept
by flattery in complete subserviency to his purposes," he
exhibits a true specimen of his Jesuitical cunning-
During the prosecutions when the fever was at its height,
the governor appealed for counsel and guidance to his
spiritual adviser, who it will be remembered, with the
ministers of Boston, advocated the carrying on of the
work " speedily and vigorously." In quoting the state
papers as evidence that the clergy recommended " caution
and circumspection," Dr. Mather expunged all those
of which she finally died ; during her illness it occurred to him, after all
the csual means had failed to cure her that she might be bewitched. He
went directly to Danvers to ask the afflicted persons there who had
bewitched his wife. Two of them returned with him to Andover. Never
did a place receive more inauspicious visitors. Soon after their arrival
they contrived to get more than fifty of the inhabitants imprisoned,
several of whom were afterwards hanged for witchcraft. A Mr. Eradstreet,
the magistrate of the place, after having committed about forty persons
to jail on their., accusation, concluded that he had done enough, and
declined to arrest any more ; the consequence was that they accused him
and his wife of being witches and they had to fly for their lives. A per
son by the name of Willard who had been employed to guard the
prisoners to and from the jail, had the humanity to sympathise with the
sufferers, and the courage to express his unwillingness to continue any
longer in the odious employment. This was very offensive to the afflicted
children. They accordingly charged him with bewitching them. The
unhappy man was condemned to death ; he contrived to escape from
prison ; they were thrown into the greatest distress ; the news came that
he was retaken ; their agonies were moderated, and at length he was
hanged and then they were wholly relieved. It should be added that
many of the accusers turned out afterwards very badly, becoming profli
gate and abandoned characters. — See Upham, pp. 53.
MATHERS DEFENCE. 109
passages urging the prosecution of the work " speedily
and vigorously." The real spirit of the man, however
leaks out in the following passage, which affords a choice
specimen of that language of cant and hypocrisy* of
which the English nation received such a surfeit dur
ing the Cromwellian usurpation.
" And why, after all my unwearied «ares and pains to
rescue the miserable from the lions and bears of hell,
which had seized them, and after all my studies to dis
appoint the devils in their designs to confound my neigh
bourhood, must I be driven to the necessity of an
apology? Truly the hard representations wherewith
some ill men have reviled my conduct, and the counte
nance which other men have given to these representa
tions, oblige me to give mankind some account of my
behaviour. No Christian can (I say none but evil
workers can) criminate my visiting such of my poor
flock as have at any time fallen under the terrible and
sensible molestations of evil angels : let their afflictions
have been what they will, I could not have answered it un
to my glorious Lord, if I had withheld my just comforts
and counsels from them ; and if I have also, with some
exactness, observed the methods of the invisible world,
when they have thus become observable, I have been but
a servant of mankind in doing so : yea, no less a person
than the venerable Baxter has more than once or twice
in the most public manner invited mankind to thank me
for that service.
" Wherefore instead of all apish shouts and jeers at
histories which have such undoubted confirmation, as
that no man that has breeding enough to regard the
common laws of human society will offer to doubt of
them , it becomes us better to adore the goodness of God?
110 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
who does not permit such things every day to befall us
all, as he sometimes did permit to befall some few of
our miserable neighbours.
" And is it a very glorious thing that I have now to
mention. — The devils have with most horrid operations
broke in upon our neighbourhood, and God has at such
a rate overruled all the fury and malice of those devils,
that all the afflicted have not only been delivered but I
hope also savingly brought home to God, and the reputa
tion of no one good person in the world has been dam
aged, but instead thereof the souls of many, especially of
the rising generation, have been thereby awakened unto
some acquaintance with religion. Our young people who
belonged unto the prayer meetings, of both sexes apart,
would ordinarily spend whole nights by whole weeks
together in prayers and psalms upon these occasions,
in which devotions the devils could get nothing, but like
fools a scourge for their own backs ; and some scores of
other young people, who were strangers to real piety,
were now struck with the lively demonstrations of hellj
evidently set forth before their eyes when they saw per
sons cruelly frighted, wounded and starved by devils,
and scalded with burning brimstone ; and yet so preserved
in this tortured state, as that at the end of one month's
wretchedness they were able still to undergo another;
so that of these also it might now be said — ' Behold
they pray.' In the whole the devil got just nothing ;
but God got praises, Christ got subjects, the Holy
Spirit got temples, the Church got additions, and the
souls of men got everlasting benefits, I am not so vahij
as to say that any wisdom or virtue of mine did contri
bute unto this good order of things ; but I am so just as
to say, I did not hinder this good."*
* Mather's Works.
THE PUBLIC VERDICT. Ill
Mr. Upham's forcible description of the termination
of Mather's career, with the just reflections accompany.
ing it, will form a proper conclusion to a narrative,
which in its origin, its progress, and its results should
never be forgotten !
" I cannot indeed resist the conviction that, notwith
standing all his attempts to appear dissatisfied after they
had become unpopular, with the occurrences in the
Salem trials, he looked upon them with secret pleasure,
and would have been glad to have had them repeated
again in Boston. How blind is man to the future ! The
state of things which Cotton Mather laboured to bring
about, in order that he might increase his own influence
over an infatuated people by being regarded by them as
mighty to cast out and vanquish evil spirits, and as able
to hold Satan himself in chains by his prayers and his
piety, brought him at length into such disgrace, that his
power was broken down, and he became the object of
public ridicule and open insult. And the excitement
that had been produced for the purpose of restoring and
strengthening the influence of the clerical and spiritual
leaders, resulted in effects which reduced that influence
to a still lower point. The intimate connexion of Dr.
Mather and other prominent ministers with the witch
craft delusion brought a reproach upon the clergy from
which they have never yet recovered.
" In addition to the designing exertions of ambitious
ecclesiastics, and the benevolent and praiseworthy efforts
of those whose only aim was to promote a real and
thorough reformation of religion, all the passions of our
nature stood ready to throw their concentrated energy
into the excitement (as they ever will do whatever may
be its character) so soon as it became sufficiently strong
to encourage their action.
112. ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
" The whole force of popular superstition — all the fa
natical propensities of the ignorant and deluded multi
tude united with the best feehngs of our nature to
heighten the fury of the storm. Piety was indignant at
the supposed rebellion against the sovereignty of God,
and was roused to an extreme of agitation and appre
hension in witnessing such a daring and fierce assault
by the devil and his adherents upon the churches and
the cause of the gospel. Virtue was shocked at the
tremendous guilt of those who were believed to have
entered the diabolical confederacy ; while public order
and security stood aghast, amidst the invisible, the
supernatural, the infernal, and apparently the irresisti
ble attacks that were making upon the foundations of
society, in baleful combination with principles, good in
themselves, thus urging the passions into wild operation,
there were all the wicked and violent affections to which
humanity is liable. Theological bitterness, personal
animosities, local controversies, private feuds, Ion"
cherished grudges, and professional jealousies, rushed
forward, and raised their discordant voices, to swell the
horrible din ; credulity rose with its monstrous and ever
expanding form, on the ruins of truth, reason and the
senses ; malignity and cruelty rode triumphantly through
the storm, by whose fury every mild and gentle senti
ment had been shipwrecked ; and revenge smiling in the
midst of the tempest, welcomed its desolating wrath as
it dashed the mangled objects of its hate along the
shore."
113
CHAPTER XVIII.
WITCHCRAFT DELUSION IN ENGLAND.
It is only just to mention that during the seventeenth
century there were numerous executions for witchcraft
in England, and a much larger number in Scotland,
besides other parts of Europe, though most persons were
opposed to this severity. The law authorising it was
first placed on the statute book by James the First's parlia
ment to please that superstitious monarch, whose parti
ality for the study of demonology is well known. It is
worthy of note that the most ultra protestants went the
greatest lengths in these delusions; which has drawn
from a French Roman Catholic critic the following
caustic and truthful censure — " So great folly did then
oppress the miserable world, that Christians believed
greater absurdities than could be imposed upon the
heathens." Thus the number of victims were compara
tively small in England to those who suffered in Scot
land, Sweden etc. — and in our own country the work
was principally encouraged by the non-conformists.
One signal proof, amongst others, of this is afforded in
the case of Matthew Hopkins, who, during the Great
RebelUon travelled through the eastern counties in search
of witches. His expenses were paid, and a fee was given
for each discovery. His mode of detection was peculiar.
— " Besides pricking the body to find the witch mark,
he compelled the wretched and decrepid victims of his
lit ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
cruel practices to sit in a painful posture upon an ele
vated stool, with their limbs crossed, and if they perse
vered in refusing to confess he would prolong their
torture in some cases to more than twenty four hours '•>
he would prevent them from going to sleep, and drag
them about barefoot over the rough ground, thus over
coming them with extreme weariness and pain ; but his
favourite method was to tie the thumb of the right hand
close to the great toe of the left foot, and draw them
through a river or pond ; if they floated, as they would
be likely to do while their heavier limbs were thus sus
tained and upborne by the rope, it was considered as
conclusive proof of their guilt."
Such sagaciousness was doubtless worthy the agency
of the puritanical faction whose reign had then com
menced. Hopkins was sanctioned by the parliament
and stimulated in his career of murder by Richard Bax
ter and some of his colleagues. Hudibras thus me
morializes his exploits —
" Hath not this present Parliament
A leiger to the Devil sent,
Fully empowered to treat about
Finding revolted witches out ?
And has he not within a year
Hanged three-score of them in one shire .'"
The career of this " witch finder " was suddenly ter
minated by some gentleman who employed his mode
of detection on himself. They tied his thumbs and toes
together, and dragged him about in a horse pond, when
as he did not sink he was convicted by his own test.
This put a stop for a time to the work of death and out
rage ; not however till upwards of sixty-four had fallen
through his means.
One of his victims was an aged clergyman named
PURITAN CRUELTIES. 115
Lewis, who had been the exemplary minister of a pa
rish for more than half a century. " His infirm frame
was subjected to the several tests, and even to the trial
by water ordeal, he was compelled to walk almost inces
santly for several days and nights, until, in the exhaus
tion of his nature he was made to assent to a confession
that was adduced against him in court ; which however
he disowned, and denied there and at all times from the
moment he was released from the torments by which
it was extorted from him, to the moment of his death !
As he was about to die the death of a felon, he knew
that the rites of sepulture according to the forms of his
denomination would be denied to his remains. The
aged sufferer, it is related, read his own funeral service
while on the scaffold. Solemn, sublime and affecting
as is this most admirable portion of the excellent ritual
of the Church, surely it was never performed under cir
cumstances so well suited to impress with awe and ten
derness, as when uttered by the calumniated, oppressed
and dying old man."*
The circumstances of his death, so calculated to stir
up all the tenderest sympathies of those filling the same
sacred office, only called forth the sneers and ridicule of
the anti-prelatist Baxter, who gave him in derision the
title of " the reading parson. " So completely does
sectarian hatred extinguish all the kindlier feelings of
our nature when once it takes undivided possession of
the soul.
The cases of two women tried and convicted at Bury
St. Edmunds before Sir Matthew Hale, who sentenced
them to death, has frequently been mentioned in dispa
ragement of that great and virtuous judge. But let it
* History of Witchcraft, pp. 173.
116 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
always be borne in mind, that he was governed in his
opinion by that of Sir Thomas Brown, a man whose
position and celebrity as a scholar were unequalled in his
age. It is the testimony of a reporter of the trial that
" it made this great and good man [Hale] doubtful, but he
was in such fears, and proceeded with jsuch caution that
he would not so much as sum up the evidence, but left
it to the jury with prayers ' that the great God of heaven
would direct their hearts in that weighty matter. ' "
The credit of putting an end to the witchcraft delusion
in England belongs peculiarly to Archbishop Harsnet,
who was raised to the see of York by Charles I. in 1628.
He exerted himself to bring the charges of the puritan
" witch finders" into contempt and discredit, which his
wit eventually did much to accomplish. The following
is one of his descriptions in stating the real motives and
discovering the method of the cheating impostors :
" Out of these is shaped to us the true idea of a witch :
An old weather-beaten crone, having her chin and her
knees meeting for age, walking like a bow, leaning on a
staff; hollow-eyed, untoothed, furrowed on her face,
having her limbs trembling with the palsy, going
mumbling in the streets ; one that hath forgotten
her pater noster, and yet hath a shrewd tongue to call a
drab, * a drab. ' If she hath learned of an old wife in a
chimney end Pax, Max, Fax, for a spell, or can say Sir
John Grantham's curse for the miller's eel's [" All ye that
have stolen the miller's eels, Laudate dominum de cadis ;
and all they that have consented thereto Benedicamus
Domino "] why then beware ! look about you, my neigh
bours ! If any of you have a sheep sick of the giddies,
or a hog of the mumps, or a horse of the staggers, or a
knavish boy of the school, or an idle girl of the wheel,
ARCHBISHOP HARSNET. 117
or a young drab of the sullens, and hath not fat enough
for her porrage, or butter enough for her bread, and she
hath a little help of the epilepsy or cramp, to teach her
to roll her eyes, wry her mouth, gnash her teeth, startle
with her body, hold her arms and hands stiff; then when
an old Mother Nobs hath by chance called her an " idle
young housewife," or bid the devil " scratch her," no
doubt but Mother Nobs is the witch, and the young girl
is owl blasted etc. They that have their brains baited,
and their fancies distempered with the imaginations and
apprehensions of witches, conjurors, fairies, and all that
lymphatic chimera, I find to be marshalled in one of
these five ranks ; — children, women, fools, cowards, sick
or black melancholic discomposed wits."
All praise to the honest Christian prelate who did not
shrink in an age of fanaticism and misrule — England's
" reign of terror " — to expose and denounce the arts and
miserable schemes by which the credulous multitude
were blindfolded !
118
CHAPTER XIX.
GENERAL CONVENTION OF 1835.
This year the General Convention ofthe American Epis
copal Church was held in Philadelphia when seve
ral important measures were consummated. One of these
was to change the constitution of the Church Missionary
Society which had hitherto been a distinct voluntary
association by connecting it with the Church : in other
words — the Church resolved itself into a domestic and
foreign missionary society, every communicant of it to be
a member of the same, and the bishops ex -officio its
governors etc. This step has resulted in the most
signal success ! There are now in the pay of the society
seventy domestic, and thirteen foreign missionaries dis
tributed as follows : —
Maine
4 Kentucky
9
New Hampshire
2 Ohio. .
7
Delaware
6 Indiana .
14
North Carolina .
I Illinois .
14
Georgia
3 Michigan
. 15
Florida
5 Wisconsin
. 8
Alabama
5 Iowa
. 3
Mississippi .
5 Missouri
1
Louisiana .
2 Arkansas
3
Tennessee .
3 Indian Missions
2
These 70 missionaries supply 127 stations, the seeds
of future parishes. Their remuneration is, however,
GENERAL CONVENTION OF 1835. 119
very small, varying from 50 to 500 dollars, proportioned
to the amount raised by the people, which seldom goes
towards the missionary salary till a church building
is erected and paid for, during which time he is with
few exceptions wholly dependant on the missionary sti
pend. These "missionaries," it will be remembered,
are besides the independant parochial clergy of the
country, and are fully under the bishop's jurisdic
tion in whose diocess they are located.
Of the foreign missionaries five are stationed in
Western Africa, with fourteen catechists, ladies, &c;three
besides Bishop Boone in China; two in Greece;
two besides Bishop Southgate in the dominions of the
Sultan ; and three in Texas [now a part of the U. S.]
besides Bishop Freeman. These clergymen ar<3 assisted
by catechists, female teachers, etc.
Bishop Chase having resigned, with the presidency of
Kenyon College, which had been founded by his re
markable exertions, the episcopate of Ohio, and having
been elected bishop of the newly-formed diocess of Illi
nois, the latter was " received and acknowledged as a
diocess in union with the General Convention." Dr.
Hawks was also appointed by the house of bishops
missionary bishop to the South West, and Dr. Kemper
to the North West territory* Dr. Hawks declined the
appointment, which was assigned at the last convention
(in 1844) to Dr. Freeman of Delaware.
This was the last convocation in which the aged patri
arch White presided, after directing its deliberations
* A " Territory" is one of those large sections of country not yet sub
divided, (and organized) into " States." e. g. Oregon, called (I suppose
facetiously) in the English papers, " The Oregon" is a " Territory."
120 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
in that character for forty years.* This venerable man
is I presume known to every English reader, as one
of the principal agents in the hands of providence in
founding and establishing the American Church, of
which he was a most distinguished ornament.
Connected with Bishop Chase's resignation of the
diocess of Ohio, in which he was one of the first mis
sionaries, and on whose soil he had reared up for its
sons, a noble institution of learning which will doubtless
stand many centuries an enduring monument to his
zeal and quenchless love for the Church of his land
* Since 1795 the office of presiding bishop (as established at the first
Convention of the united Church in 1789) is held by seniority of conse-
cration. Bishop White's predecessors were Seabury and Provoost. The
first held the office till the convention of 1792, when the rule was changed
to one of rotation, beginning north, which gave it to Bishop Provoost
who presided at that convention, and at the episcopal consecrations
following, till 1795, when the same rule placed Bishop White in the
presidential chair though against his own avowed, (and recorded) judg
ment. The following year Bishop Seabury died.
At the first Convention of the Church (that of 1789) at which Bishop
Seabury presided, the Constitution of the American Church was established
the Convention regularly organized in two houses, and the Liturgy as
now used was compiled. To his firmness and excellent judgment the
Church is indebted for the slight departure made from the English ordinal
the addition to the Communion office of the Scotch form of conse
crating the elements (similar to the Greek, and other ancient forms) and
numerous other conservative principles embodied in the ritual and canons.
Bishop Provoost resigned the episcopate of New York in 1801, when the
first (good) rule — succession by seniority of conscecration, — became
again established, and stillcontinues. Under this rule, as well as the other,
Bishop Provoost had title of precedency to Bishop White, having been, on
account of seniority in years and in the ministry, first conscecrated at
Lambeth in 1787. The former died September 6, 1815. Bishop White
died July 17, 1836, in the 89th year of his age, the 66th of his ministry,
and the 50th of his episcopate. By his death Bishop Griswold succeeded
to the highest ecclesiastical post, which he left February 15th, 1843
in the hands ofthe present occupant, Bishop Chase.
GENERAL CONVENTION OF 1835. 121
and the best interests of her children, there were several
circumstances of a very painful character ; which the good
bishop made the subject of strong complaint. They will
be found fully detailed, with all the documentary facts
bearing on them, in his " Reminiscences," republishing
in London, and are well worthy of the English reader's
attentive consideration, as illustrating the practical
effects of the democratic principle when carried into
schools of learning. The whole history of the pro
ceeding may be summed up in a few words : — The sys
tem of college government and discipline which Bishop
Chase introduced, and his firm though mild administra
tion of Kenyon, together with his (English framed)
regulations for the rule of the professors, drew upon him
from the subordinates of the establishment the charge of
an arbitrary exercise of power, and the pupils were
most improperly excited to rebellion, and arrayed by
their tutors against the venerable president. " Any one,"
remarks the narrator, " acquainted with human nature,
and the influence of instructors over the minds of their
pupils, may easily suppose they could not fail to be
successful. In this respect perhaps, the world never
witnessed a more complete ascendency of designing men
on the minds of unsuspecting youth. At length there
appeared great boldness on the part of the teachers
against the bishop. They found fault with him for
almost every thing. The magnitude of Jlosse Chapel
was made the subject of great censure among the profes
sors. " The compartment for the chancel" they said,
" was too large — too much in the style of the English
cathedrals" and then it was to be under the rectorial
power of the bishop. One of them went so far as to tell
the bishop that " this chapel was the cause of all his
122 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
troubles." He was amazed at this observation, till then
not knowing that any had complained of him on this
score. At length the conduct of the professors and
teachers became very disrespectful; they wrote him
insulting notes; and to close all, they addressed him
jointly in a most unbecoming letter, written in very bad
taste, accusing him of " exercising arbitrary power," and
signed the same, not with their individual names, but
with these words " The Professors of Kenyon College,"
and published it to the world. '
>. It may be well conceived that this was a heavy blow to
the generous-hearted prelate ; whose single and unaided
exertions had, after a long trial of perseverance, untold
labours, and heavy pecuniary sacrifice, first planted the
college,* to which the last six years of his life had been
unceasingly devoted ; and to whom these very professors
were indebted for their seats. But the circumstances
attending the sequel, make yet a stronger claim on the
sympathies of every generous reader. The bishop was
shortly to meet his convention when this accusation was
brought against him, and made it the subject matter of
his episcopal address as head of the diocess. On the
day before the meeting of this convention the bishop in
the act of crossing the timbers of the unfinished college
chapel, met with a severe accident, in falling between
the joists, which temporally maimed him, and under the
agony of whjch he was suffering during the delivery of
* Bishop Chase commenced his undertaking with ,£6000, which he
collected in England, Lords Kenyon and Gambier being the principal con
tributors ; with which, and the money raised in America, he purchased
eight thousand acres of land, and commenced the walls. The first College
is named " Kenyon," and the village " Gambier: " the chapel " Rosse"
after the Countess Dowager, a benefactress.
KENYON COLLEGE TROUBLES. 123
the address, which in simple and touching language
told the history of his college trials, and exhibited a
defence of every step of his presidential course by an
appeal to the constitution and laws ; dwelling particu
larly on the compact between the donors and the trustees,
which he showed that he had scrupulously adhered to,
and which it was the aim of the professors to set aside !
The bishop firmly opposed the demand of the teachers
to " make and administer laws, by a majority of voices '
in opposition to his constitutional right, which he was
bound to maintain.
" I have not words " concluded the bishop " to express
my astonishmeut at the rash act of these gentlemen*
It is not the uncourteous style, and the instances of bad
taste which it exhibits in addressing me, their father
and friend, as I feel myself to be ; no ! it is the dreadful
consequences which, I fear, are but tqo likely to follow
this unexampled deed, that causes me to mourn sin
cerely. " The peace of God's Church, the peace and honour
of our own communion, and the prosperity of our
College, Oh ! where are they ? Where are they not, if
found on the face of such a letter as this.
" Yet it has gone to the world, and, at this moment,
is doing its dreadful work of destruction to our Semi
nary. { Oh ! tell it not in Gath, publish it not in the
streets of Askelon ! Lest the daughters of Philista re
joice, lest the enemies of my people triumph.'"
The bishop's narrative states that during the deli
very of his address "the wounded limb became so
painful that he was obliged, immediately on its close* to
leave the chair to the senior presbyter, the Rev. Samuel
Johnston, and retire to his residence in the college.
This being the distance of a quarter of a mile, his walk-
121 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
ing thither had well nigh caused him to faint. Mingled
with his bodily pain, was that of his mind, for he had
seen enough, even in this short visit he had paid his
Convention, to convince him that the leading men were
one with the conspirators, and had come prepared to aid
them ' in putting down the bishop.'
" The writer was detained for forty-eight hours by the
extreme pain of his wounded leg, ere he could think of
meeting the Convention again. In that time much had
been done in their own way, both with tools without and
within doors. Both the teachers and the unsuspecting
scholars had been afresh invited by ' the spirit of the
age ' to ' resist and put down authority.' The specta
tors at the meetings of the Convention, seeing what was
going on there, were well prepared to show disrespect to
their bishop, as he walked unattended thither again. As
he crept along, every thing seemed to wear the saddest
aspect. Scarcely a living object passed him without
some signs of disrespect. Even the smallest grammar
school boys, in obedience to the example and faithful
training of the professors and teachers, had learned to
cry out, ' it was too much power to commit to the handg
of one man ; ' and the little guns they were allowed by
the teachers to load with powder, were fired with shouts
of independence of episcopal tyranny. The very clerk in
the college-store had been won over to the cause, and
was heard often to boast of his belonging to the ' Anti-
Bishop Party: "*
The bishop's worst suspicions were confirmed ! On
the ninth day of the session he took his seat in the
chair, and heard the report of " a committee to whom
had been referred so much of his address as related to
the difficulties of Kenyon College ;" in which " Re.
* Reminiscences, p p 742.
KENYON COLLEGE TROUBLES. 125
port " the committee took sides with the faculty. The
apostolic man made no response — he silently allowed
the usual business to proceed, — and, at the stated time
for divine service, he took his way unattended to the
temporary chapel (a school-house) " lingering necessa
rily" as the account describes " by reason of his lame
ness. It was a fine day in the first part of September ;
the elevated part in which he walked gave him that
view of the grounds all around for which the place is so
much admired. Halting for a few moments, with no
arm to lean on but that of a pitying God, who had sup
ported him in all his trials, he gathered strength and
composure to think calmly of the past, to contemplate
the present, and anticipate the future ; in doing which,
never did his breast feel such an assemblage of mingled
emotions. He remembered how, led by the hand of
Providence, he had descried this ' goodly land ;' how, in
laying it out into fit portions for the great purposes in
view, he had for some months together reposed in a hut
without a floor, with a billet of wood only for his pillow.
He called to mind the sleepless nights and the toilsome
days spent, the one in anxious thoughts, the other,
fatiguing labor.
" He contrasted the past with the present, and none
can describe the emotions created in his bosom when he
listened to the voice of duty compelling him to leave all
in the hands of unjust accusers and a misguided diocess ;
the former governed by an unworthy jealousy and mean
selfishness, and the latter blinded by intrigue, and rush
ing on in a course of measures which he could
plainly see (if not arrested by a merciful Providence)
would end in the utter ruin of the institution.
He could not be a partaker with them in this work of
126 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
injustice and destruction! He could not with his
own hand sign his own death-warrant, nor legalize, by
his continuance in office, an interruption of the consti
tution of the Seminary directly contrary to the inten
tion of the founders. He must surrender what he could
not retain, either in honour, justice, or peace. He at
tended chapel, and heard the sermon preached by Mr*
Ethan Allen — went home, and wrote the form of resig
nation which follows :
" RESIGNATION.
" To the Clergy and Laity of the Protestant Episcopal
Church of the Diocess of Ohio, assembled in Conven
tion in Gambier, on this the 9th day of Sept. 1831.
"Brethren — We have heard this day a sermon
preached by the Rev. Ethan Allen from God's word,
which I desire him to publish, — that we must live in
peace, or we cannot be christians ; and that to secure
peace, especially that of God's Church, great sacrifices
must sometimes be made. Influenced by these princi
ples, I am willing, in order to secure the peace of God's
Church and that of our beloved Seminary, in addition to
the sacrifices which, by the grace of God, have been al.
ready made, to resign ; and I do hereby resign the Epis
copate of this Diocess, and with it, what I consider
constitutionally identified, the Presidency of the Theo
logical Seminary of the Protestant Episcopal Church of
the Diocess of Ohio.
"The Convention will make this known to the
Trustees, whom I am no longer to meet in my official
capacity.
" Philander Chase."
KENYON COLLEGE TROUBLES. 127
The resignation was accepted, and the convention, on the
same day elected the Rev. Charles P. M. Uvaine to fill the
vacancy. Thus was suddenly and unexpectedly severed
a connection which had existed for twelve years. In
language not egotistical, the bishop whose services were
thus in a moment forgotten, when " liberty " (that blas
phemed word) and " release from episcopal restraint "
were the objects in pursuit " had organized almost every
parish in the diocess, had baptized the young, and con
firmed the middle-aged, and administered the bread of ,
life to all. He had befriended all the parishes as they
were brought into being, and to his remembrance never
had passed a harsh word or look with any of the paro
chial clergy ; so that, if they were sincere in following
the deceptive persuasions of the college professors, they
could not be blind to these facts, engraven on the tablets
of their memories. They might truly say, " Here is our
bishop, who has never intentionally done us any harm,
but, on the contrary, always endeavoured to do us good.
He came over the high hills, and sought us, when there
was but little or no care for us in the bosom of all the
Church beside. He gathered us together as a diocess,
the first of primitive order and truth in the western
country, and ever since has presided over us without
reproach. Here he now is, our shepherd and friend ;
and to add to these most interesting relationships, he is
also the founder, under God, of a great institution — of
a Theological Seminary surnamed Kenyon College,
which he is now building up on Gambier Hill, — names
most beloved, because they are those of his personal
friends in our mother land, who gave him the means to
do this. (If they did not, who did? surely we did not.)
Thus, by his hand, was this great tree planted, and
128 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
watered with foreign dews — under whose shadow we are
now sitting, and eating the fruit thereof, without being
required to bring the smallest offering as a token of our
gratitude to a heavenly Saviour for such favours, or as a
pledge of our duty to support his minister, our bishop,
who is ever glad to see us, ungrateful as we have
proved ourselves. Here he is happy to minister to us as
a servant to his master, because he thinks we belong to
Christ. When we come hither, the servants of the in
stitution wait upon us. Our tables are supplied by his
orders, and our pillows are smoothed by his command —
at his, not our own cost. All this without one word of up
braiding language ; no, neither for innumerable kindnes
ses which he is shewing unto us, nor for the injuries which
we are doing unto him, by caballing with his enemies.
And while he is thus doing right and suffering wrong, he
maintains his own principles with sincerity and firm
ness ; and, what is still more, for the sake of peace he
waives all pride of contest, and offers to appeal to the
only earthly tribunal left — the heads of our dioceses, as
a Constitutional Committee of Reference of difficulties
between the seminary and him. To this appeal we
refuse to lend a listening ear ! ! We turn from him, as
we did just now when he appealed to us for trial and
justice against his accusers ; and, what is still more
strange, and un-heard of before in a Christian land
THOSE VERY ACCUSERS OF OUR BISHOP ARE PERMITTED
TO SIT IN THE BODY OF THIS CONVENTION, all this while
of trouble, and not only to give a silent vote against
HIM, but TO INVENT, AND SET IN ORDER, AND MANAGE, ALL
THE PLANS AND APPOINTMENTS OF ALL THE COMMITTEES
BY WHICH HE IS TO BE RUINED."
There were several circumstances of an aggravated
KENYON COLLEGE TROUBLES. 129
nature connected with the act of the Ohio clergy in this
unkindly separation with their spiritual father. One was
that nearly all had received their ministerial commission
from him! "To the laity" also the bishop writes
" I might appeal with Samuel : Whom have I de
frauded? — whom have I oppressed? Yea, I have withheld
from them a just maintenance " seeking not theirs, but
them — not the fleece but the flock."
The prospect — so painful to a man whose whole soul
had been long concentrated in a design, every part of
which had, in turn, occupied his waking and sleeping
hours — of a general and total alteration of his plans,
down to the detail of the building operations was not
either a trifling grievance. The English lover of taste
in architectural embellishment, and the proprieties of
college accommodations, will be prepared to sympathize
with the good bishop in one part of his trial in a larger
degree, perhaps, than he received sympathy amongst
his countrymen, whose (mistaken) utilitarian notions
would obscure their judgment in reading this part of
his plaint : —
"In a great and permanent institution, it is necessary
that there be a consistent design ; and not only that the
advantages of nature be tastefully used, but that the
whole plan speak the character of the institution. This
had been the endeavour of the founder of the Theologi
cal Seminary. The grounds had been selected with this
view — the position of the main building had been chosen
for this end. Its material was of the most durable kind,
(stone,) put up in the substantial, manner, in semi-Go
thic style of architecture, as most suitable for an epis->
copal seminary, or college. Fronting this, and a
proper distances, but without obstructing the view, it
130 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
was intended to erect two professors' houses of like
material. One of these was commenced, — the part
erected being intended to be the wing of a larger building.
But scarcely had the Convention risen, before prepara
tions began for putting up on the opposite side a profes
sor's house, of brick, — thus at once destroying the unity
of the plan. [Barbarians !] That this work might pro
ceed more expeditiously, the stones which had already
been hauled, dressed, and numbered, for Rosse Chapel
were taken to build the cellar and foundation of this
house. "Even the workmen who had assisted in preparing
these materials for the house of God, refused their help
to turn them to such a purpose ; and others, less scrupu
lous, were employed.
"The situation, dimensions, and progress of Rosse
Chapel, have been heretofore described. It was not to be
supposed that this could escape, since, in the envious eye
of some, it had been declared to be the cause of all the
writer's troubles. It had been planned and put in pro
gress by him ; but those who followed him were, it
seems, very scrupulous about ' building on another
man's foundation.'
" In the first place, its design was Gothic : as that
savoured too much of episcopacy, it was changed into
the Grecian order, with pillars in front.. Again, its size
Was large, and would occasion too much expense ; there
fore the chancel (another episcopal appendage) must be
cut off, — though double the sum necessary to continue
that be expended in excavating a basement story after
the walls had been built up solid to the floor, and the
sleepers laid. The Corner Stone of the building had
been deposited in the chancel wall, in the name of the
KENVON COLLEGE TROUBLES. 131
Holy Trinity, dedicating the house to be erected thereon to
the service of the Lord for ever. But this formed no
obstacle in the designs of these men ! They were not
bound by forms, or trammelled by superstition. They could
dig up the holy foundation stone, and scatter its contents
about, without fear of the punishment of sacrilege.
Perhaps the documents it contained were offensive to
them, even in their resting-place."
Though all the friends of Kenyon would perceive, ana
take the alarm at what follows : —
" Selfishness now prevailed over great and sacred in
terests. Private dwellings of various sorts now appeared
in progress, instead of the public buildings ; while the
great concerns of the farms, mills, stock, and merchan
dise, were given into the hands of others, to avoid care.
" Under such a state of things, was it not with reason
that the writer felt anxiety for the safety of that institu
tion for which he had labored so long, and generous
episcopalians had given so much ? — anxiety lest its
funds and property should be spent and alienated before
a successor (who, it was hoped, would check such a spirit)
should arrive.
" His solicitude was not lessened when he heard, from
his retirement, that, to relieve their embarrassments, the
persons who had control of affairs, but having no legal
authority to act, had offered the north section for sale !"*
I am, however, getting a little in advance of this
piteous history. Another aggravating circumstance con
nected with the forced withdrawal of Bishop Chase from
his diocess and college, was that the "Gambier Observer''
which from the commencement of the persecution had
been employed to his injury, — the most effective instru-
* Reminiscences. The north section is four thousand acres of rich land.
132 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
ment in the hands of his enemies in the work of prejudi
cing the minds of the parochical clergy, and lay
delegation before their attendance at the Convention
which struck the final fatal bio w, — and whose editor,* the
bishop complained, "excluded every thing from its
columns which could benefit his cause, and since his
resignation had given to the diocess not one word which
could inform them of the state of public opinion, except
ing so far as to publish whatever would contribute to
consolidate the power of his opponents," was printed
on the Ackland Press, presented by lady Ackland to
Bishop Chase, " amd has never yet" he informs us " been
given by him, or sold to the seminary ! !"
One is tempted to exclaim, with all due deference
to the clerical character of the evangelical editor — Cest
infdme !
The Convention, however, was not unanimous. One
noble hearted presbyter, backed by seventeen ofthe laity,
took a determined stand against the operation of " spiri
tual wickedness in high places," and left on the journals
of the house his protest against a proceeding of high
handed outrage. To the resolution " that the Conven
tion proceed forthwith to elect a bishop", C. B. Goddard
Esq., of Zanesville presented as an amendment, two reso
lutions, one declaring " that the Trustees of the Seminary
are the legislative body thereof, and that the President
is the Executive of the Institution, bound to carry into
effect the statutes &c. by them enacted, until the same
shall be reversed by the General Convention ;" and the
other " inviting Bishop Chase to revoke his resignation,
and resume the duties of the episcopate." In an eloquent
speech Mr. Goddard passed a high, and well merited
* The Rev. W. Sparrow.
KENYON COLLEGE TROUBLES. 133
eulogium on his bishop, in which (on a reply, full of
gall and vituperation from Dr. Aydelotte of Cincinnati
a prime mover in the conspiracy) he was seconded by
Mr. Bezaleel Wells, who declared himself " ready to pro
claim to the diocess of Ohio, and to the world that
Bishop Chase was, in all this controversy, an injured
man — his motives, and his conduct misrepresented;"*
which assertions Mr. Wells completely established.
The name of the clergyman who supported, and
voted for the amendment of Mr. Goddard, was Intrepid
Morse, rector of St. Paul's Stenbenville.
Well named ! — Mr. Morse's sponsors must have had
some foresight of his stern virtue in after life. Amongst
his clerical colleagues on the occasion of their defection,
the tribute of a sacred bard to the leige love of a
kindred spirit may be not inaptly rendered : —
Faithful found
Among the faithless, faithful only he ;
Among [his brethren] false, unmoved,
Unshaken, unseduced, unterrified,
His loyalty he kept — his love — his zeal ;
Nor number, nor example, with him wrought
To swerve from truth, or change his constant mind,
Though single.f
Bishop Chase hastened his departure from the hill of
* The numerous English benefactors of Kenyon College, and friends
of Bishop Chase will like to know the names of those laymen who voted
with Messrs. Goddard and Wells ; they are : — T. T. Fraker, John Cle
ments, J. Hickcox, A Holmes, J. H. Viers, J. McCullough, B. M.
Atherton, J. Foster, G. H. Griswold, D. Flipping, Arius Nye, C.
Curtis, J. Glass, R. Maxwell, S. P. Chase.
f I could not resist an inclination, which an acquaintance with the
circumstances of the Kenyon business- through the printed accounts, made
all powerful, to visit this gentleman on the occasion of a western trip (if
the term may now be permitted) so powerfully was I interested in Bishop
134 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
Gambier, though his place of ultimate destination
could not be determined. Retiring to a farm belong
ing to his neice about twenty miles from the scene of
his success and his sufferings, he devoted his attention
to its cultivation, and ministered in the character of a
missionary priest to the spiritual wants of the neigh
bourhood. In this " Valley of Peace " as he named his
retreat he was visited by one of his former friends, (Mr.
Wells) on his way to Michigan, and induced to remove
to a richer soil in that state, whither he transferred his
family on the fourth of July 1882. He left Ohio— into
which he had entered a solitary pioneer of the cross, to
plant the standard of apostolic order— with fourteen
clergymen, eight parish churches, college buildings ad
vancing towards completion standing upon eight thou
sand-acres of land.*
How wonderfully is the wrath of man made to praise
God ! The solitary missionary wandering forth to the
then almost desert wilds of Michigan, the staff of his
apostleship snatched from his grasp by unscrupulous hands,
was to be led by another Hand into a territory far remote
even from Ohio,f where, maintained by the same power he
was to rear up a second school of prophets, exceeding the
former in extent and plan : an institution to which fu
ture generations will point as a trophy of the signal and
Chase's history, and fortunes. This visit will be described in a subse
quent chapter. In Mr. Morse's parlour, with the venerable features of
the good prelate looking down on us from the faithful canvass, I richly
enjoyed 8 long evening's conversation, of which the history and fortunes
of Bishop Chase formed the principal burden. Dear to the heart is such
a reminiscence !
* The Ohio clergy now exceed sixty in number.
f The wide State of Indiana lies between Ohio and Illinois.
GENERAL CONVENTION OF 1835. 135
certain success attending — a faithful trust in divine
providence ! The indomitable perseverance of the
western apostle has overcome every obstacle which
selfishness and infidelity throw around the American
missionary's path in her western territory ; and in
planting another diocess where twenty-two clergymen
look up to him with filial love and unreserved confidence,
and rearing up a second university he has awakened
a zeal among the friends of the Church in the far west
which is seen in the rapid extension of her borders
over countries many hundred miles even from the prai
ries of Illinois.
In the present Convention Bishop Chase's election to
the mitre of Illinois by the six clergymen of that state
was confirmed by both houses, and he again took his
seat in the house of bishops— "A veteran soldier,
a bishop of the cross, whom hardships never have dis
couraged, whom no difficulties seem to daunt, and who
entered upon his new campaign with all the chivalry of
thirty-five, was cordially welcomed to his seat amongst
the councillers of the church." *
It only remains to add, in the merest summary of
facts, the result to the institution on Gambier Hill, of
Bishop Chase's withdrawal from it. Like the vine
yard of Naboth to the King of Israel, " the possession of
an inheritance " violently wrested from its lawful keep
er, " brought evil upon " the Ahabs of Kenyon College.
The indecent haste with which they proceeded, — the
prompt action by which the episcopal vacancy was filled
in the election of Mr. M'c Uvaine — " indicating " as
* Bishop Doane.
136 ECCLESIASTICAL reminiscences.
Bishop Chase remarks " that they had come prepared to
act," — the hurry shown in commencing the work of de
molition and sacrilege, — and lastly, the contempt shown
for the will of the donors, and the open violation of a so
lemn contract made with them in the offer of four thou
sand acres of college lands — were all indications ofthe ho
nesty of the acting " trustees," and significant earnests of
their moral qualifications to undertake the general
superintendance of the institution, and more particularly
the responsible business of tuition !
The new bishop soon found that he was only elected
as a more pliant instrument in the hands of the profes
sors, for accomplishing their projects of aggrandizement.
" Our newly elected bishop" writes one ofthe delegates
of the Ohio Convention in 1832, "is not expected to
take upon himself the immediate superintendance of our
seminary— nay it is asserted by the ' reformers' that he
will do no such thing, — but that he will itinerate and
preach to large congregations, which, it is averred, he
has a wonderful faculty of assembling ; while the semi
nary (which should be in unity with the General Semi
nary, and the Church of America) will be managed by
those who have sacrificed their father and friend — their
benefactor, without whose patronage they would now
have been in obscurity, and almost revolutionized the
character of our Church merely, it is believed, to per
petuate the enjoyment of their salaries/and retain for a
longer space their usurped authority on Gambier Hill."
The scheme of merging the seminary in the college, was
effected without any consultation with the new bishop ;
and an act of the Legislature of Ohio was obtained
without his consent newly incorporating the Theological
Seminary as a separate college, in conformity with the
KENYON COLLEGE TROUBLES. 137
views of the professors. The work was completed in 1839
by an act supplementary to this, by which " the Bishop of
Ohio is denuded and, contrary to the intention of the foun
der and donors, severed from all connection with Kenyon
College ; and what is more still, all the property given by
the donors or the founder,* or otherwise acquired by his
management or industry, is by one sweep thrown into the
hands of a separate body from the designed seminary, and
all this without even naming the bishop."f
This last was an independent action of the trustees ;
done, writes Bishop Chase " contrary to the wishes of
* Bishop Chase's own contributions were munificent. He had given his
farm, library, several large sums of money, — in fact nearly his all ; but, of
course (as in the case of the English donors) conditional upon the non-
alienation of the lands, and the continuance of t'ae original Constitution,
by which the college of Kenyon was essentially a branch, and attached
only to the Seminary, with the presidency of which the episcopal officer
should be (or Lords Kenyon and (rambier would never have contributed
a dollar ) perpetually identified j whereas the institution which Bishop
Chase founded was, to use his own words, "defunct, and those who
were in possession of the property which he gave and collected would
be obliged to surrender were an action, duly setting forth the nature and
evidence of the case brought before a court of competent " jurisdiction."
This the bishop affirmed was the judgment of both American and English
donors. One of the English bishops, who had liberally contributed,
wrote to Bishop Chase : —
' ' Surely they have broken through the terms and conditions on which
your English trustees transmitted our money to your hands. They
have forfeited our money, and can be called on to refund it."
It was a heartless act on the part of these reverend repudiators that
they refused to refund a thousand dollars which Bishop Chase had set
apart for the erection on Gambier Hill of a house for his own residence ;
and the delay attending his getting from them some arrears of salary, etc.,
would have caused him " distressing consequences," but for the timely
assistance of a distant brother.
t Reminiscem^s, pp. 823.
138 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
the present Bishop of Ohio," who "expressed some
words of caution to the trustees lest they should go too
fast and far."
Bishop M'c Uvaine has likewise in his " Address at
the laying the corner stone of Bexley Hall,"* done full
justice to his worthy predecessor ; on which occasion he
stated— that Kenyon College, as originally founded, has
" no incorporation, no property, no trustees, no faculty,
except as it is part and parcel of the Theological Semi
nary; being simply a preparatory branch of that Semi
nary ; having this only for its distinctive college feature,
" that when the faculty of the Theological Seminary are
acting in reference to the affairs of that preparatory branch,
they act as the faculty of a college ; and when they confer
degrees upon the graduates of that branch, they do so, not in
the name of the president and professors of the Theological
Seminary, but of Kenyon College."
As further proof, to use Bishop Chase's words, that
his successor has " endeavoured to throw off the incubus
under which he had been placed at his consecration,
and has been brought to his right understanding of the
matter," he recommended to the Ohio Convention of
1839 a change in the constitution of the Seminary, in
conformity with the foregoing, though without falling
back upon the whole provisions of the original act of
incorporation, obtained in 1824. Though this altera
tion (agreed to by the Ohio Convention) did not receive
Bishop Chase's concurrence in the House of Bishops,
being, as he records, " contrary to the fundamental law
of the Seminary, which neither the Convention, nor Le
gislature, nor any power short of that of the donors can
alter," yet it places the institution at Gambier on a foot-
* Named after Lord Bexley. •
kenyon college troubles. 139
ing more closely in conformity with the design of the
original donors than previously existed, and was carried
into effect contrary to the wish of those who planned
Bishop Chase's removal.
Bishop M'c Uvaine has also greatly exerted himself
in gathering funds for the college and schools, which
have been twice jeopardized by the ill management
of the trustees, whose departure from the original
designs of the founder, has proved nearly fatal to the
existence of the institution. Though still in some degree
under the baleful influence which drove Bishop Chase
into the wilds of Michigan in 1831, Kenyon College it
is hoped may yet be saved from threatening ruin, and
prove an eminent blessing to future generations in
Ohio.
140
CHAPTER XX.
RHODE ISLAND. NARRAGANSETT BAY.
Rhode Island, as all the world knows, was first
founded by Roger Williams, a banished exile from
Massachusetts, where he had advocated sentiments
which were deemed heretical by the puritan magistrates of
that colony. This was in 1634. The " heretical" doctrine
for which the congregational ministers of Massachusetts
obtained Williams's banishment was " that the civil
magistrate should restrain crime, but never control
opinion — should punish guilt but never violate the freedom
ofthe soul."*
However unsafe this doctrine may be in the interpre
tation which Williams's descendants have given it, it
was, at the least, glaringly inconsistent for his enemies
to make it the ground of a capital charge, when the found
ers of their own colony had left England on the alleged
grievance of its violation there, and had established
themselves on the professed platform of religious liberty.
The rigour with which they persecuted all who dared
to dissent from them, even in the smallest matters of doc
trine or Church government, affords a melancholy and a
salutary instance of sectarian intolerance when its leaders
obtain uncontroled power over the persons and consci
ences of the community. The opposition of which they
complained from the " English arch prelate," the " sur-
pliced Laud" in their vexatious labours to undermine
and uproot the church of which he was the temporal
f Bancroft. Williams was a baptist minister
RHODE ISLAND. ROGER WILLIAMS. 141
guardian, though attended with undue severity, was
lightness itself compared to their own proscriptions
almost as soon as they acquired power, and constituted
the " standing order" of a new country : a term still
retained by many of the congregational preachers of
Massachusetts and New Hampshire, though their " or
der" is reduced to an inconsiderable sect amongst a
multitude of others ; and in this their once stronghold
their religious influence as a denomination is lessening
every year.
But to return to Roger Williams. — Driven forth from
the family of his white brethren, he penetrated the
wilderness till he found the habitation of the native
Indians on Narragansett Bay, whose chiefs Pokanoket,
Massasoit, and Cananicut, received him with a friendly
welcome, and in their wigwams he found a temporary
shelter. The bay on whose banks these chiefs dwelt,
indents what is now Rhode Island State about thirty-
five miles, running north from the Atlantic Ocean ; out
of it rise five principal islands, named respectively Rhode,
Cananicut, Prudence, Hope and Patience. The largest
of these, Rhode Island, after which the state is called, is
so fertile, and so picturesque in its scenery that it has
long enjoyed the appellation of " the Eden of America."
Cananicut, the second island in size, is nine miles long,
varying from one to two miles in breadth. There is
nothing like a town or village in this, or either of the
islands except Rhode ; the population being composed
exclusively of agriculturists, who cultivate a soil of ex
traordinary richness.
At the head of this lovely bay Williams established
himself; calling the name ofthe place " Providence," in
token of his dependence on divine favour. There the city
142 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
of Providence, the capital of the state, now stands ; with
its university, its churches, its state house, its arcade, its
harbor filled with vessels, and its twenty two thousand
inhabitants — the second city in New England.
143
CHAPTER XXI.
DR. CROCKER.
Ecclesiastically, Providence has much to recommend it.
Though the congregations under episcopal government
are only five out of fourteen, the attachment of different
non-episcopal denominations of Christians to their peculiar
systems is more entirely the result of accident in Rhode
Island than, perhaps, in any state of the Union. That
spirit of opposition to any restrictions of conscience which
marked its early history, is shown in the favour with
which the rapid growth of episcopacy has been regarded.
From looking on the Church with an unsuspicious eye>
the intelligent part ofthe community soon discovered that
apostolic order and ritual worship were not such neces
sary precursors of prelatical tyranny, and priestly domina
tion as the congregationalists of Massachusetts had
represented them to be ; and on taking a nearer view of
her bulwarks and her towers, many thousands throughout
the state have been led to enter in ; and to make her
ordinances her security, and her peace their own portion,
and the heritage of their children.
The success of the episcopal Church in Rhode Island
has been mainly attributable, under God, to the faithful
and persevering efforts of her ministering servants. The
clergy have banded together as one man, and planted the
standard of the cross in every part of the state. These
indefatigable pioneers have left no place unvisited ; and
whilst they have attracted numbers to the Church by their
144 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
persuasive eloquence, they have held them there by their
examples and holy lives.
The distinguished individual whose name stands above
was one of the first who commenced extending the bor
ders of the episcopal Church beyond the principal towns
of Providence, Newport, and Bristol. His labours in a
cause (in which his services are voluntary and unpaid)
have been arduous and unceasing for more than twenty
years. Rector of a numerous and wealthy parish, and the
popular preacher to a large congregation, his worldly
interests made it unnecessary for him to extend a single
effort beyond the bounds of his own city ; yet with the
aid of several laymen of his congregation he effected the
establishment of another parish in a neighbouring
town. The incumbent of this new parish (the Rev.
John Taft,) and another labourer who appeared in the
field, viz. the Rev John Bristed, rector of Sfr. Michael,
Bristol, now joined Dr. Crocker in the work of domestic
missions. One parish was organized after another : the
completion of one church edifice was followed by laying
the corner stone of a new one ; and the pious and disin
terested originator of the efforts which have been so
signally successful, has now the proud satisfaction of
seeing every town in the state furnished with its parish
temple, and its parish priest.
St. John's church, where Dr. Crocker still officiates,
having been its rector forty one years, is a venerable
looking stone structure, with a square tower and pin
nacles. In the interior good taste has preserved the
. arrangement of European churches. The doctor's preach
ing, though marked by Httle originality of thought, is of
the popular order from the flowing style, and graceful
delivery.
PROVIDENCE PREACHERS. 145
Differing greatly in the latter characteristic from the
rector of St. John's, the Rev. Dr. Vinton rector of
Gracechureh * (another parish in Providence) possesses
Chalmers's strength of reasoning and vehemence of style^
The latter has been carefully improved, as his sermons
evidence in their purity of diction, copiousness, and
terseness of expression. It would be no unqualified
praise to call him the Barrow of the American pulpit ;
nor does he fall short of his great original in the vigour
of his intellect or the fervor of his devotional ardor —
while the peculiarities of Tillotson seemed, in an equal
degree, to appertain to his cotemporary ; with whom,
during the period of my residence in Providence, he
divided the palm of public favour. The comparison
of a discerning writer between the two English
divines will not inaptly apply to doctors Crocker
and Vinton : " While simplicity, languor and ener
vation characterize the productions of one, richness,
vehemence and strength form the chief features in the
diction of the other. To the former belong perspicuity
and smoothness, verbal purity and unaffected ease ; to
the latter, a fervid fancy, and a poetic ear, glowing-
figures, and harmonious cadences."
Since promoted to St. Paul's, Boston.
146
CHAPTER XXIL
COLLEGE EDUCATION IN THE UNITED STATES.
Public attention in the United States has been much
directed of late to the college system of that country ;
which, in the opinion of many amongst her most eminent
teachers, is open to several capital objections : the same
perhaps might be said ofthe British Universities, though
the evils under which they labour are of a different
kind One of the evils deplored by Dr. Wayland president
of Brown University, Providence, is common to both
countries, viz., residence in the college, and boarding in
commons ; but the stricter discipline at Oxford and Cam
bridge relative to hours, and general surveillance from
superiors gives them an advantage in this particular,
which the open doors, and separate residence of the pro
fessors in an American college are without. President
Wayland is, however, opposed to the principle of the
thing under the most vigilant restrictions. He regards
it as equally unsuited, both to the younger students, and
to those further advanced in years. The one it releases
from the wholesome influence of home and friends, and
the other it retains under a system of discipline incom
patible with his age and habits. Residence likewise
favours physical indolence, and engenders the lighter
infectious diseases, while it excludes the comforts and
attendance which sickness requires.
AMERICAN COLLEGE SYSTEM. 147
But Dr. Wayland's principal objection to the present
college system is the large amount of nominal study
required. American schools require three times the
amount of teaching within precisely the same time as
formerly, and yet they do not send out graduates with
half the real learning that they did before the revolution.
The inference is unavoidable that the knowledge ac
quired is more superficial.
Dr. Wayland's own testimony to this fact in a pam
phlet now lying before me, may be received with
confidence as coming from a native professor, and one
who deservedly enjoys as high a place in the estimation
of his countrymen, as any public teacher in the United
States. His remedy for the evil is to designate the
exact amount of knowledge necessary for graduation,
extending the term to five or six years if required, — to
enlarge the requirements for admission, — and to limit
the number of studies. West Point Military Academy
is an example of the true system in this latter particular;
to which, and to the English Universities this candid
writer points attention. " By learning one science well"
he adds " we learn how to study, and how to master a
subject. Having made this attainment in one study, we
readily apply it to all other studies. We acquire the
habit of thoroughness, and carry it to all other matters of
enquiry. The course of study at West Point Academy
is very limited, but the sciences pursued are carried
much further than in other institutions in our country ;
and it is owing to this that the reputation of the
institution is so deservedly high. The English Uni
versity course is, in respect to the number of branches
pursued, limited; and yet it is remarkably success-
148 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
ful in developing the powers of the mind. Observe
the maturity and vigour which the young men there
frequently obtain. They sometimes go from the Uni
versity — as, for instance, Pitt, Fox, and Canning —
directly to the House of Commons, and are competent
at once to take an important part in the labours of that
august assembly "
Dr. Wayland also recommends the English practice
of written instead of oral examinations ; and that most
effective one of stimulants to literary attainments, in the
form of premiums, fellowships etc.
A more important suggestion than either of the fore
going relates to the professional study of pupils. Dr.
W. proposes the creation of other degrees — such as
Bachelor of Science, or of Literature ; a different course
being embraced by each ; also that the degree of master
of arts be conferred only on those who have pursued suc
cessfully the whole circle of study marked out for the
candidates for both degrees ; the affix would then desig
nate a degree of positive attainment, which at present it
does not.
How far any of the suggestions of this honest and
clear-headed writer and scholar will be acted upon, time
will soon show. He is one of those men who have a great
share in the work of directing the public mind, which
even in enlightened republics " needs a prompter."
His " Elements of Moral Science " has taken the place
of Paley in nearly every American College; and
among American authors is only equalled for closeness of
thought and clearness of reasoning by his " Political
Economy " likewise a text book in several universities.
His independauce and contempt of that kind of popularity
so readily gained in republican communities by humour-
AMERICAN COLLEGE SYSTEM. 149
ing every caprice, and appealing to nothing but the vanity
of the multitude is eloquently exhibited in the following
sentiment : —
" If we would be popular, let us remember that we
" can never attain our end by aiming at it directly. The
" approbation of our fellow citizens will in the end be
''conferred, not on those who desire to please them, but
" on those who honestly do them good. Popularity is
" valuable when it follows us, not when we run after it :
" and he is most sure of attaining it who, caring nothing
*' about it, honestly and in simplicity and kindness
" earnestly labours to render his fellow men wiser, and
" happier, and better."
150
CHAPTER XXIII.
PROVIDENCE. OLNEYVILLE. WEST SMITHFIELD. —
FRUITS OF THE " VOLUNTARY SYSTEM."
I received my deacon's orders from Bishop Griswold
on the 15th of March, 1837, previous to which and
during a short ministerial career in Rhode Island I
visited at different times almost every section and corner
of the state ; and, therefore, brought away with me a
tolerably correct knowledge of its geographical, political,
religious and social features. It will be no informa
tion to many readers to state that territorially Rhode
Island is the smallest in the confederation ; though, as
its citizens take care to remind the visitant from the old
world, " much larger than many of the European
sovereignties." The climate is perceptibly milder than
that of the other New England states ; though, except
on the Bay Islands already noticed, the soil is usually
light, and requires much cultivation. Some parts of the
state presents a few natural beauties, but the scenery is
generally tame.
The city of Providence is almost equally divided by
the Providence River which is crossed by two bridges.
The streets are generally well built ; many of them
elegant. The east side has the largest number of private
residences. It rises from the river, and at an elevated
point stands the university, consisting of two ranges of
buildings, with an elegant chapel in the centre. In the
OLNEYVILLE. WEST SMITHFIELD. 151
business or western section of the city, the arcade forms
a distinguishing ornament. It faces on two parallel
streets, the fronts being ornamented with high columns
whose shafts are each a single block of stone.
At the head of Providence River, which is the mouth
of another river by name rising in the north of the
county, a considerable hydraulic power has given rise to
some large manufactories for woollen and cotton goods.
The village thus formed is called Olneyville, and is a
pleasant walk from the city, presenting as you approach
it by the turnpike road the appearance of great mecha
nical ingenuity in the midst of rural beauty. The first
journey I made, after removing to the state was by this
road. From Olneyville, where I spent several days in Chris
tian intercourse with a beloved friend, the road leads
directly to the principal towns in the west of the state.
Several manufacturing villages were passed ; vegetable
and fruit gardens disclosed their stores ; and the usual
signs of cultivation continued for twelve or fourteen
miles, when the face of the country changes for a gravelly
soil, and a broken surface, till West Smithfieldis reached.
Here a worthy baptist minister resided, with whom,
during my residence in Rhode Island, I formed a close
acquaintance. This meeting house which was very
commodious, occupied a square in the centre of the vil
lage, and was the only place of worship it could then
boast. The " village preacher's modest mansion"
stood in a shady lane leading from the main road, sur
rounded by his own land, of which he was the sole
cultivator. Having the spiritual oversight of all the
country within many miles of his dwelling, and deriving
a bare support beyond what his farm produced, nearly
152 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES,
all his time was occupied by parochial duties ; and his
horse was in more constant requisition than the village
doctor's. In addition to this charge he preached every
alternate Sunday at another village twelve miles distant
when the meeting house at Smithfield was closed. I give
this as a fair illustration of the voluntary system: besides
exhibiting the wretched parsimony with which the
ministrations of the gospel are sometimes sustained, and
the total inefficiency of non-episcopal ministrations to
meet the spiritual wants of a large community. Here in
one of the oldest, most thickly settled parts of the
country — a region whose inhabitants think they enjoy
extraordinary religious privileges — a population of about
three thousand souls, besides a distant congregation^
were wholly" dependant on a single minister, to whom
they allowed a stipend so small that, but for his farm
(the portion of his wife,) it would not have supported
him. The consequences of this mode of sustaining religion
are — just such as may be expected! In this, and other
agricultural districts which I have visited, the closed
sanctuary on the returning sabbath drives the idle to
the tavern and the industrious to the plough. Even in
several parts of New England that day is not in any
manner distinguished from the other days of the week.
The farmer, surrounded by his labourers', is seen enga
ged in the customary labours of the field ; the farm-yard
presents the usual busy scene ; flour and saw mills are
going, stores and bar rooms are open, and all the avoca
tions of business and pleasure go on as usual.
But this is only a part of the evil. The absence of
that oral instruction which the excessive cares of many
country ministers, prevent them from communicating to
WEST SMITHFIELD. 153
their people is one, and but one among several circum
stances which expose them to the ever ready approaches
of infidelity and atheism. Add to these hindrances to
the full establishment of Christianity, the perplexity
caused by the number of sects,* conflicting in their views
and modes — the incompetency of any one amongst them,
from their imperfect systems of church government to
make any united movement, still more for the whole to
combine their strength, — and the small degree of rever
ence for the place and forms of religion, which the ex
temporary mode of conducting worship fosters, and who
can wonder at the result, which I give in the words of a
writer in the New York " Churchman," — only remind
ing the reader that till lately, the episcopal Church exer
cised less influence in New England than in any other
section of the Union.
" I do not wish " writes this correspondent " to lessen
the character of the New Englanders in the estimation
of any of your readers ; there is much of real piety and
just views of religion among them ; but I am convinced
that, for some reason or other, infidelity has made rapid
strides during the last twenty years, and that at present,
not one half of the adult population are in the habit of
attending any religious worship, or even belong to any
Christian sect. I am able to state this from statistical
facts, gathered by clergymen themselves, from different
parts of the New England States. In conversation
lately with a physician from a county in Connecticut,
whose practice extends through nearly the whole county,
and whose acquaintance with the people is not sur
passed Jby any man in the state, he remarked, ' I am
* In America their name is legion. In Rhode Island alone there are
thirty shades of religious belief.
154 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
surprised to find how prevalent infidel opinions are
among the farmers of Connecticut. It is very common
to find the works of Paine, and other infidel writings
making up nearly the whole of their libraries, and with
many, the French Philosophical ^Dictionary is a sort of
' Vade Mecum.' The metaphysics of divinity, and the
fanaticism of the new school revivalists, have latterly
tended to the rapid spread of sceptical notions ; and if
things go on for the next fifty years as they have
for the last twenty, Connecticut will be as noted for its
infidelity, as she has been in former days for puritanical
strictness.' "
The same testimony is borne by a sagacious writer*
whose comments under this head have received high
praise from several quarters in America for their correct
ness. I shall make no apology for transcribing a portion
of them.
" Though every where in New England the greatest
possible decency and respect, with regard to morals
and religion, is still observed, I have no hesitation in
saying that I do not think the New-Englanders (or,
indeed, the Americans generally, as far as I can judge)
a religious people. The assertion, I know, is paradoxical,
but it is nevertheless true ; that is, if a strong and earnest
belief he a necessary element in a religious character : to
me it seems to be its very essence and foundation. I am
not now speaking of belief in the truth, but belief in some
thing or any thing which is removed from the action of
the senses. Now I appeal to any candid American
whether^ it be not the receiveddoctrine among nine-tenths
of his countrymen, that creeds (religious dogmas, as they
are called) are matters of no moment ; that, so long as a
* "Letters from America" by J. R. Godley Esq.
WEST SMITHFIELD. 155
man acts sincerely up to what he believes he has as good
a chance of salvation, for he is as likely to be right, as his
neighbour ; and that morality (so called) is perfectly in
dependent of, and infinitely more important than religious
belief. This is, I say, the avowed doctrine of the great
majority now in America ; and as long as such is the
case outward morality may, indeed, prevail to a great
extent (and I freely admit that in no country have I
seen more appearances of it than in New England), un
der the influence of traditionary habits, enlightened self-
interest, and the law of conscience, — but there is no
religion. No man can be said to believe in a religious
system if he believes at the same time that another
religious system has an equal chance of being true in the
points of difference which exist between them ; for all
religions profess to be (as to their distinctive tenets) ex
clusively true, and propound doctrines to be believed as
necessary to salvation : indeed, it is impossible to con
ceive a religion that should not do so ; such a course
would be not only shallow and unphilosophical, but
self- contradictory and suicidal. This is pre-eminently
the case with respect to Christianity; the apostolic
epistles are filled with passages which, had they been
written by a modern theologian, would have been branded
as most intolerant and uncharitable : there they stand,
however, witnessing against the indifferentism which I
have described, proclaiming that if an angel from heaven
preach any other gospel he shall be accursed ; and com
manding us not even to bid ' God speed ' to any that
' bring not this doctrine.'
" I am not trusting to my own limited observation in
arriving at this conclusion : I find in M. de Tocqueville's
work an assertion of the same fact ; he accounts for it,
156 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
indeed, in a different way, and attributes it (like every
thing else, according to his theory) to the operation of
equality. I, on the contrary, am inclined to think that
the materialism thus admitted to exist may chiefly be
traced to the prevailing indifference with respect to
religious creeds ; and that this indifference, again, is
intimately connected with the compulsory neutrality of
the government in religious matters. In public schools,
in the halls of the legislature, in national institutions, all
religions are placed upon an equality; chaplains are
selected indiscriminately from each, as the majority of
the day may happen to determine, (one year, perhaps a
Roman Catholic, and the next a Unitarian) ; and the
smallest preference of one religion to another, that is,
the recognition of any definite, objective truth, would
not be admitted for a moment. Now, this complete
neutrality, entering as it does into so many parts of the
system- -every part, in fact, where men act in a corpo
rate capacity — may be necessary ; indeed, I feel it quite
impossible, under the actual circumstances of the United
States, even to suggest an alteration or a remedy : but
surely the effect upon the public mind must be very pre
judicial to earnestness and zeal ; and without earnestness
and zeal religion is a name — a lifeless form !
" On the other hand, I am quite ready to admit that
(as was, indeed, to be expected) there is Httle acrimony
or bitterness entering into religious controversy in Ame
rica. Whether the absence of odium theologicum be attri.
butable to indifference (as I think,) or to ' charity ' (as an
American would probably contend,) the effect is un
doubted, and, pro tanto, highly desirable. Few things
constitute a subject for more self-gratulatory contrasts
to Americans than the mutual hostility and the prosely-
WEST SMITHFIELD. 157
tizing spirit of of European sects, compared with the
' philosophical and comprehensive tone which is fashion
able among religionists here.' For my part I prefer the
earnest striving after truth, with its accompanying evil,
to the carelessness about it, with its accompanying good.
A party in Boston will comprise, generally, almost as
many varieties of theological opinion as of individuals ;
and there will be no danger whatever of disagreeable
discussions resulting therefrom. Not merely is the sub
ject tacitly suppressed, or set aside, as forbidden ground,
but there is none of that embarrassment and awkward
ness which it is hardly possible to avoid in the habitual
intercourse of parties who, upon subjects which they
have very much at heart, entertain radically opposite
opinions, and which actually do appear, here as else
where, under such circumstances. A man who would
feel himself embarrassed and uncomfortable if his next
neighbour differed from him on the subject of a national
bank, and who would certainly consider particular
opinions about slavery as constituting a sufficient cause
for avoiding the society of the man who held them,
would express the most supreme and contemptuous
indifference as to whether the rest of the party, with
whom he was associating on the most intimate terms,
were Christians or Mahometans, heretics or infidels.
Is this habit reconcileable (I do not say in the case of
every individual, but generally) with a true view of the
relative importance of temporal and eternal interests ? I
have strong suspicions of the nature of that ' charity
which leads to tolerance and ' comprehensiveness ' in
religious matters alone, while upon all other subjects it
leaves political rancour, party-feeling, and personal hos
tility untouched by its influence.
158 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
" Again ; I never heard of a man taking a decidedly
rehgious tone in Congress, — that is, openly professing
Christian motives of action as influencing him in his
legislative as well as his social capacity ; indeed, I have
reason to think that such a profession would expose him
to jealousy and suspicion, as savouring of bigotry. I
hope very many do act from such motives; but that
public opinion cannot be in a healthy state, which would
forbid their being avowed. America ought to ask herself
why she has no such statesmen to boast of as a Wilber-
force, a Gladstone, and many others, who have not
been ashamed to recognise publicly in the British House
of Commons the existence of A LAW paramount to the
code of political expediency, and to avow the duty of
guiding their political career by its dictates. Where this
is not the case — where either from indifference or fear of
offence, the members of the governing body in a state
can consent to exclude, as inconvenient and out of place,
all reference to those religious influences which ought to
be continually present to their recollection, pervading
and colouring every part of their moral being, there is
imminent danger lest that state should sink to the level
of a joint-stock company, combined for the mere purpose
of securing the material interests of the partners, and
political science, the eVicrr^jU.*) a^iTexrovixr;, be reduced
there to the possession of a certain amount of economical
knowledge and administrative dexterity."
The rapid increase of episcopal churches, and epis
copal influence in Connecticut, and throughout the
eastern states, might allay the apprehensions of this
writer. The healing and " ancient regimen of bishops,"
and an evangelical liturgy, will save Christianity, and
preserve its purity too, amidst any influence, infidel or
CHEPACHET. 159
heretical from without. Both were divinely appointed
in the Church for this very purpose, and will yet prove
the conservative leaven which will rescue New England
from utter defection.*
Pursuing the road to Chepachet the country some
what improves in appearance, and the farms bear marks
of good cultivation. Chepachet, (since the scene
of a civil insurrection,) stands on a river of that name,
and contains about a thousand inhabitants. The kind
ness and hospitality of a number of friends in this village
and neighbourhood during a protracted visit amongst
them, will always be remembered with gratitude.
* To this a yankee preacher (of the congregational sect) bears his unwil
ling testimony. The late Dr. Bellamy of Bethlem, remarked when a
Church congregation was gathered in his town " I care nothing for this or
that sect, which coming up in a night will perish in a night ; but once get
that pesky weed of episcopacy in a place, and you can never root it out ! "
" Can we suppose," writes Mr. Franklin (of Newark, Delaware) in his
popular treatise on the Church liturgy " that the unitarian preachers who
wrought a change in the doctrinal sentiments of a arge body of the Con
gregational Church in New England, which is without a liturgy, could
with any conscience or success have continued their operations in a
Church which required them week after week to address the person of the
Triune God — to declare their dependence on the atoning sacrifice of
Christ for pardon, — and on the influence of the Holy Ghost for their Spi
ritual life ? A part, too, if not the whole of the presbyterian sect in En
gland, stabs at the divinity and denies the atonement of Jesus Christ. Had
these bodies been blessed with an evangelical liturgy, the ministers who
dissented from those grand doctrines which form the Christian's hope,
would in all probability, if at all conscientious, have ceased to promulgate
their views in connection with them, and thus have diminished their influ
ence in the spread of their heresy. The most efficient method then of
maintaining the doctrines of Christian truth in the creed of a Church, is
the incorporation of them in a liturgy for public worship, to the use of
which the minister is bound. The grand doctrines of the gospel are thus
necessarily presented to the minds of the people, and the minister who
forsakes and opposes them will betray his inconsistency to others, or be
compelled by conscience to leave the church to whose doctrines he cannot
conform."
160
CHAPTER XXIV.
RHODE ISLAND CONVOCATIONS.
It is the practice of the Rhode Island clergy to meet in
monthly " convocation " for the purposes of deliberating
on the general state of the Church within the borders of
the state, and to devise measures for its extension. It
was under the fostering care of this Convocation that the
greater number of the parishes rose into being, and by
it weak or declining parishes are upheld. Amongst
other means used to sustain the influence, and efficiency
of the clerical office, a fund exists, to which the respective
members pledge sums proportionate to the value of their
own cures, out of which the incomes of clergymen having
poor congregations, or occupying missionary posts in the
state, are raised to the fixed amount of five hundred
dollars if married men, and three hundred if single.
This clerical society, though originating with several
presbyters, had from the commencement of its opera
tions the full countenance and aid of the late venerable
bishop, and is sanctioned by the present diocesan.*
These meetings are judiciously held at every parish
in the diocess in turn. At the first I attended, which
was convened at Woonsocket in the north of the state,
the proceedings commenced with a clerical prayer-meet
ing at the rectory, when appropriate prayers from Bishop
Griswold's admirable collection of offices "for which
provision is not made in the Book of Common Prayer "
* The Rt. Rev. Dr. Henshaw.
RHODE ISLAND CONVOCATIONS. 161
were used ; after which the session was opened by the
president (Dr. Crocker). The secretary then read the
minutes of the last session, and the usual business was
prosecuted till the hour for dinner, when the clergy were
elegantly entertained at the house of the senior church
warden ; whence an adjournment was made to the
church, where full service was held, and a sermon
preached by Dr. Vinton. Another service was held in
the evening, when the Rev. James Pratt, rector of Wes
terly, preached. Mr. Pratt is a native of the south, an
effective preacher, and one of the most indefatigable
labourers in the American field. He has since the
period of which I write received promotion to the im
portant parish of St. Stephen's, Portland Maine.
On each succeeding day the order of proceedings was
nearly the same. The Convocation transacted business,
after early matins in the church, during the morning,
and held public service in the afternoon and evening ;*
the duties of the altar and pulpit being divided between
the attending clergy. The church was filled on each
occasion, and great excitement was manifested to hear
the closing sermon by the eloquent rector of St.
Michael's Bristol.
During the intervals of worship, I took several walks
in the town and neighbourhood. It lies on the Black-
stone River, where there are falls of about twenty feet,
keeping seventeen factories for satinet and eotton in
operation. The situation of this handsome and populous
town, and the quiet beauty of the scenery in the neigh-
* I use these terms in accommodation to a custom of questionable
propriety ; the Evening Prayer of the Church being designed for the
evening (i. e. sun down) and no later. For a public night service only
particular diocesses have provided any form.
162 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
bourhood draw many visitors to it every summer. The
Rev. Henry Waterman, then rector of the parish, has
since been removed to the charge of St. Stephen's in
Providence. The next meeting of the Convocation I attended was
shortly after my taking Holy Orders, when I was ad
mitted to membership, and appointed to a station,
recently organized as a distinct parish. The bishop, on
his way from a southern visitation of the diocess, gave it
by his presence a character of unusual interest ; especi
ally as his coming engagements threatened to lengthen
the period of his expected absence from that part of it.
As the chief pastor descended from the pulpit after the
closing sermon and the apostolic benediction, he was
surrounded by his clergy and many of the congregation,
with each of whom he exchanged a cordial farewell.
Like another sainted father of the American Church,
bishop Griswold's exhortations and example " proved as
powerful incentives to the zeal and diligence of the
clergy under his episcopal superintendance He was
the centre of attraction, and the instrument of blessed
ness and joy in his diocess. Wherever he went he was
received with marked tokens of veneration and love :
and even at an advanced period of life, when most men
desire repose from public duty he was always ready to
preach the Gospel, and to labour for the salvation of
souls. " * They cluster'd round, that listening throng,
The parting hour drew nigh,
And heighten M feeling deep and strong,
Spoke forth from eye to eye.
* Bishop Henshaw's life of the late Bishop of Virginia, p p. 303.
RHODE ISLAND CONVOCATIONS. 163
For reverend in his hoary years,
A white robed prelate bent,
And trembling pathos winged his words.
As to the heart they went.
He breathed the blessing of his God
And full of meekness said ;
" Be faithful in your master's work
When your old bishop's dead.
" For more than fifty years, my sons,
A Saviour's love supreme
Unto a sinful world hath been
My unexhausted theme.
' ' Now see the blossoms of the grave
Are o'er my temples spread.
Oh ! lead the seeking soul to him
When your old bishop's dead."
Full many a sleeper mid his dream,
Beheld in snowy stole,
That patriarch-prelate's stately form *
Whose accents stirr'd the soul.
The boats that ask nor sail nor oar,
With speed majestic glide,
And many a thoughtful pastor leans
In silence o'er their side.
And while he seems to scan the flood
In silver 'neath him spread,
Revolves the charge " Be strong for God
When your old bishop's dead."
* The authoress must pardon the alteration of a word, well applied to
the venerable Bishop Moore, to whom this — part only of a beautiful poem
by Mrsi Sigourney — originally referred ; Bishop Griswold having been
remarkable for his erect form till his death.
164
CHAPTER XXV.
MY FIRST PARISH.
In " the boat that asks nor sail nor oar," by which I
proceeded the following day to my first parish of James
town, (the township name of Connanicut Island,) was
an estimable brother minister named Dfe Wolf, now la
bouring in Illinois under Bishop Chase, with whom I
maintained a frequent and most fraternal intercourse du
ring my occupancy of Jamestown. His parish was on
the west side of Narragansett Bay, (an old station esta
blished by the Venerable Society for the Propagation
of the Gospel) reached, as was Newport, by ferries
which constantly plied between Connanicut and the
main land.
The first Sunday I performed duty in the church I
was somewhat surprised at the good attendance of the
people, having formed my expectations from the scattered
appearance of the dwellings and the distance of many of
them from the sanctuary. On reaching it I found a
good number arrived ; and as the hour for service ap
proached, chaises, waggons, and saddle horses set down
their different owners, while a few stray parties of pedes
trians swelled the concourse who gathered round me,
and to all of whom I was successively made knoAvn by
the old church-warden. I was also gratified at finding
my island congregation very ready in performing their
part of the service, and closely attentive during the
sermon.
MY FIRST PARISH. 165
I soon learnt that the good attendance at church arose
from there being no other place of worship, except a
small chapel for quakers, in the island. —The parish was
in fact one of those fruit bearing branches of the tree
planted in North America by " the Venerable Society "
before mentioned, Here the Rev. Mr. M'c Sparran, an
English missionary sent out in 1719, officiated alternately
with other stations on the Narragansett shore, minister
ing to a district of country which is now supplied with
twelve churches, and the same number of clergymen.
Wherever I went I found traces or records of his assidu
ous labours. In the old parish church on Tower Hill,
supplied at this time by my friend De Wolf, is the
original parish register in Mr. M'c Sparran's hand
writing, and a quantity of interesting documents ; evi
dences of his industry and carefulness. He was sustained,
with the first rectors of Providence, Newport,* and
Bristol, till the war of the Revolution by the Society ;
and from these the Church in Rhode Island has risen
to its present position, with twenty-three churches and
clergymen, and an independant episcopate.f
It is an opinion which I have often heard expressed,
and of the truth of which my observation during eleven
* The Rev. James Honeyman, was rector of Newport from 1704
to 1749.
T To estimate the amount of good accomplished by this veteran society,
the oldest missionary society in the world — would be impossible ! It
now supports three hundred missionaries. If any society have a strong
claim on the liberal contributions of the church's funds, it is this parent
association ; especially when it is remembered that in Canada West alone
there are 240 townships, each equal to twenty average English parishes
without one clergyman of the church ! ! In Australia the bishop visited
three entire counties, in which there is neither minister nor ordinance
of religion. — Messrs. Glyn and Co., are the London bankers of the Society.
166 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
years residence in the United States thoroughly con
vinces me, that if ultimately saved from the worst effects
of the licentious and disorganizing elements unhappily at
work it will be from the counteracting and conservative
influence of that church, which (despite all the op
position it has now to encounter,) is growing up so
strong within its borders ; and every year uproot
ing in its course the weeds of error and schism. How
manifest will be the controling Providence which in this
way promises to make the Church of England the instru
ment of preserving the political existence of the country
which the oppression of the civil government of England
has separated from her ; and how signally will the sup
port of the Church Apostolic be thus proved to be essen
tial to national life.
167
CHAPTER XXVI.
withdrawal from the eastern DIOCESS, AND
FAREWELL OF NEW ENGLAND.
The act of parliament passed at Westminster in the
twenty-sixth year of the reign of George the Third
King of Great Britain, France, and Ireland, entituled
" An act to empower the Archbishop of Canterbury, or
the Archbishop of York, for the time being, to consecrate
to the office of a bishop, persons being subjects or citi
zens of countries out of his majesty's dominions " was so
little known, or so little heeded in some of its restrictive
provisions till another and a more catholic-framed
statute was substituted in its place by the British legis
lature in 1840, that most persons were either ignorant of
its very existence, or regarded it as a dead letter. One
American ordained clergyman* was received through
his dimissary into an English diocess, and presented
to a living ; and all visiting England received invita
tions to preach, or otherwise officiate in the cathedrals
and parish churches without restriction. I had taken
orders in ignorance of the statute, and in the autumn of
1837, urged by a desire to see my family, neither of whom
could be persuaded to join me in America, I consulted
Bishop Griswold on the step of changing my ecclesiasti
cal relations by joining the English Church, should I
determine on remaining in my native land. The
* Dr. G. E. Winslowe.
168 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
bishop's answer was unfavourable, though he added
that what had been done (mentioning Mr. Winslowe's
case) might he supposed be repeated, especially as the
existing restrictions in England on American clergymen
were unpopular with our clerical brethren of England.
I asked him if he would give me a letter ? He said
that he would, if I called the next morning for it ; and
that if I failed in my application for priest's orders in
England, he should be glad to welcome me back to his
diocess. The next day I received a letter dimissory* from the
bishop, when he renewed the expression of his best wishes
for my success. He added, however, " Dr C and
Mr. H speak very highly of your success in Rhode
Island, and I think you had better just visit your family,
and return to this country where we are much in want
of clergymen."On the following Wednesday (Sept. 27th) the Conven
tion of the Eastern diocess assembled in Grace church
New Bedford, when the question of electing an assistant
to the bishop was for the first time brought regularly
before the representatives of the diocess. Out of various
* " I Hereby Certify to all whom it may concern that the Reverend
Edward Waylen has been regularly ordained a Deacon of the Protestant
Episcopal Church in the United States ; that his services as a mini ster
of Christ have been successful, and much approved ; that his character,
moral and religious, is fair and good ; and that by his acquaintance he is
much esteemed. We regret that circumstances require him to leave us,
and return to England ; and we heartily recommend him to the kindness
and favour of all Christian people.
ALEXANDER V. GRISWOLD,
Bishop of the Eastern Diocese.
Boston, Massachusetts,
September 21st, 1837."
DEPARTURE FROM RHODE ISLAND. 169
propositions which had been warmly discussed since the
convention of 1 536, the bishop gave his preference to
the one of New Hampshire and Maine withdrawing,
and becoming separate diocesses ; leaving him in charge
of Massachusetts and Rhode Island. The Rhode Island
clergy seemed, however, to desire an episcopate of their
own, and the controversy afterwards ripened into a
fruitful source of bitterness and party feeling, which in
a special convention of the Rhode Island diocess subse
quently held, was pointedly and severely rebuked by
the venerable bishop, who feared not the face of man.
On the 30th of September I took my leave of New
port, and New England, though not without lingering
several days after the time at first fixed for my depar
ture with my excellent, never to be forgotten, friends in
Newport, amongst whom the pen involuntarily traces
the honoured names of Hazard, Collins, Whitehorne,
Gilliott, Van Zandt, and Mumford, while the memory
treasures the recollection of many others.
My impressions of New England from nearly four years
acquaintance with its shrewd and intelligent people are
so correctly expressed in the following lines by Halleck,
that I can only endorse them, and add that the portrai -
ture, though partially drawn in the last stanza, presents
some striking points of resemblance.
'Tis a rough land of earth, and stone and tree,
Where breathes no castled lord, or cabin'd slave ;
Where thoughts and tongues, and hands are bold and free
And friends will find a welcome, foes a grave :
And where none kneel, save when to Heaven they pray,
Nor even then, unless in their own way.
A justice of the peace, for the time being
They bow to, but may turn him out next year j
170 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
They reverence their priest, but disagreeing
In price or creed, dismiss him without fear ;
They have a natural talent for foreseeing,
And knowing all things — and should Park appear
From his long tour in Africa, to show
The Niger's source, they'd meet him with — "¦ We kno-w '
They love their land because it is their own,
And scorn to give all other reason why ;
Would shake hands with a king upon his throne,
And think it kindness to his majesty ;
A stubborn race, fearing and flattering none,
Such are they nurtured, such they live and die, —
All but a few apostates, who are meddling
With merchandize, pounds, shillings, pence and pedling :
But these are but their outcasts, view them near
At home where all their worth and pride is placed ;
And there their hospitable fires burn clear,
And there the lowliest farm-house hearth is graced
With manly hearts in piety sincere,
Faithful in love, in honour stern and chaste,
In friendship warm and true, in danger bravej
Beloved in life, and sainted in the grave.
171
CHAPTER XXVII.
THE CHURCH IN NEW ENGLAND. RETROSPECT.
ENCOURAGING PROSPECT.
Strange as the assertion may appear, there is no section
of the United States where the episcopal Church is
making more rapid progress, or where there are more
agencies to assist its progress than in the New England
States. Amongst all classes the old " orthodoxy " of
the puritans and their successors has long grown into
very general disrepute ; and it was the opinion of the
late Bishop Griswold that had not the teachers of the
Socinian heresy substituted their system in its place, the
church would now embrace the largest proportion of the
wealth and intelligence of the community — which it will,
notwithstanding, at no distant day.
It is almost the universal testimony of those attending
'' unitarian " places of worship throughout New En
gland, and one that I have repeatedly heard expressed, that
their principal objection to the old order of ministers is
their manner of presenting the truth, and their habit
of dwelling on two or three topics to the exclusion of
others equally important ; added to the unnatural sys
tem of restraint, and of "will-worship" which they
impose on their flocks. The subtleties of any peculiar
doctrine, whether relating to the number of persons in
the Godhead or what not, (which few of the younger
members of " unitarian " congregations understand or
care about) has little or nothing to do with their prefer-
172 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
ence. These, as they settle in the world frequently
become " universalists," another step towards infidelity,
— or avowed deists. Thus we see that an imperfect
ecclesiastical government though classed, in the "liberal"
phrase of the day, amongst " the non-essentials," and
regarded as quite a " minor " point of difference, ex
poses the Christian community to the inroads of infidelity
and atheism.
How few of the advocates for the congregational
system' are aware of the historical fact that their great
progenitor, John Calvin, as well as the founder of
methodism, both admitted the divine institution of
episcopacy, and its superiority as . a mode of Church go
vernment, and were both the advocates of liturgical
worship. In his commentary on the apostolic Epistle
to the Bishop of Crete, Calvin writes : — " We learn from
this place that there was not then an equality among
the ministers of the Church ; but that some one had the
pre-eminence in authority and counsel."
Again " It is highly probable that St. James was
prefect ofthe Church of Jerusalem."*
Again " He who is made a bishop proceeds from God
himself. The office of episcopacy was established by the
authority, and regulated by the laws of God."f
"But Calvin did not engraft episcopacy on the reformed
continental Churches" will be the reply. " He gave up
prelacy for the doctrines ofthe gospel."
True ! so far as the first part of the statement goes ;
and how far his example justifies the advocates of minis
terial parity in this day may be judged by the other
historical fact, that with Bullinger and his fellow re-
* Com. on Gal. ii. 9.
t Letter to a Friend— DareU's View ofthe For. Ref. Churches, p p. 162
THE CHURCH IN NEW ENGLAND. 173
formers, he sought episcopacy for the continental
Churches from the English prelates, which scheme was
frustrated by Bishops Bonner and Gardiner, much to the
grief afterwards of Queen Elizabeth ! *
* The following is from Strype's Life of Archbishop Parker p. 138 etc"
" And this is the account of the popish clergy's letter to the arch
bishop, and his behaviour thereon. There was another letter this year
sent to him from the hands of a great divine, but of another temper
and for another and better end : namely, from John Calvin , the great
Reformer, importing, how he rejoiced in the happiness of England ; and
that God had raised up so gracious a Queen to be instrumental in pro
pagating the true faith of Jesus Christ, by restoring the gospel and
expelling idolatry, together with the Bishop of Rome's usurped power.
And then made a serious motion of uniting Protestants together, [as he
had done before in King Edward's reign.] He entreated the archbishop
to prevail with Her Majesty to summon a general assembly of all the
Protestant clergy, wheresoever dispersed -, and that a set form and
method [i. e. of Public Service, and Government of the Church] might
be established, not only within her dominions, but also among all the
Reformed and Evangelic Churches abroad. [Anno 1560.]
" This was a noble offer ; and the archbishop soon acquainted the
Queen's council with it. And they took it into consideration, and desired
His Grace to thank Calvin, and to let him know that they liked his pro
posals, which were fair and desirable ; yet, as to the government of
the Church, to signify to him that the Church of England would still
retain her episcopacy. This was a great work, and created serious
thoughts in the archbishop's mind, for the framing » proper manner to
set it on foot. But he had considered but a little while of these matters,
when news arrived at court that Calvin was dead.
" And how Calvin stood affected in the said point of episcopacy, and
how readily and gladly he and other heads of the Reformed Churches
would have received it, is evident enough from his writings and epistles.
In his book " Ofthe Necessity of Reforming the Church," he hath these
words : " Talem nobis hierarchiam exhibeant," &c. " Let them give us
such an hierarchy, in which bishops may be so above the rest, as they
refuse not to be under Christ, and depend upon Him as their only
head j that they maintain a brotherly society, &c. If there be any that
do not behave themselves with all reverence and obedience towards them
174 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
" Calvin" writes his friend Monsieur Daille "honoured
all bishops that were not subjects of the pope ; such as
were the prelates of England. We confess that the
there is no anathema, but I confess them worthy of it ! " But especially
his opinion of episcopacy is manifest from a letter he and Bullinger, and
•others, learned men of that sort, wrote, anno 1549, to King Edward VI.
offering to make him their defender, and to have bishops in their
Churches for better unity and concord among them : as may be seen in
Archbishop Cranmer's Memorials ; and likewise by a writing of Arch
bishop Abbot, found among the MSS. of Archbishop Usher; which, for
the remarkableness of it, and the mention of Archbishop Parker's papers,
I shall here set down : —
" Perusing some papers of our predecessor, Matthew Parker, we find
" that John Calvin, and others of the Protestant Churches of Germany
" and elsewhere, would have had episcopacy if permitted ; but could
" not, upon several accounts, partly fearing the other princes of the
"" Roman Catholic faith would have joined the Emperor and the rest of
"the popish bishops, to have depressed the same ; partly being newly
" reformed, and not settled, they had not sufficient wealth to support
'" episcopacy, by reason of their daily persecutions. Another, and a
" main cause, was, that they would not have any popish hands laid over
'" their clergy. And whereas John Calvin had sent a letter, in King
" Edward the VI.'s reign, to have conferred with the clergy of England
"about some things to this effect, two bishops, viz. Gardiner and
' ' Bonner, intercepted the same ; whereby Mr. Calvin's offerture perished .
'" and he received an answer, as if it had been from the reformed
" divines of those times, wherein they checked him and slighted his
" proposals ; from which time, John Calvin and the Church of England
" were at variance in several points: which, otherwise, through God's,
'' mercy, had been qualified, if those papers of his proposals had been
" discovered unto the Queen's Majesty during John Calvin's life. But
" being not discovered until or about the sixth year of her Majesty's
" reign, Her Majesty much lamented they were not made sooner; which
" she expressed before her Council at the same time, in the presence of
" her great friends, Sir Henry Sydney and Sir William Cecil."
" Nor does Calvin stand alone, with respect to the general proposi
tion, as to the necessity of maintaining episcopacy. Melancthon has thus
affirmed'—" I know not with what face we can refuse bishops, if they
will suffer us to have purity of doctrine."
THE CHURCH IN NEW ENGLAND. 175
foundation of their charge is good and lawful, established
by the apostles according to the command of Christ."
And Calvin himself writes again, " If they will give
" Peter Bucer, another presbyterian, wrote thus: " By the perpetual
observance of the Church, even from the apostles themselves, we see it
seemed good to the Holy Ghost that among the presbyters to whom
the charge of the Church is especially committed, one should have the
singular charge of the Church, and in that charge and state govern others :
for which reason the name of BISHOP was conferred upon these chief
governors of the Church."
" Chamier, a French Protestant divine, Professor of Divinity at Mon-
taubon, and who drew up the edict of Nantes, having admitted that
immediately after the decease of the apostles, " began the difference be
tween a bishop and a presbyter," adds immediately , as if correcting him
self: — " What ! the thing itself began in the very time ofthe Apostles, or
rather proceeded from them." — (Mills' History of the Christian Priest
hood Page 336.)
"Anotherpresbyterian, Le Clerc, the Dutch Arminian divine, andeulogist
of the learned layman Grotius says, " I have always professed to believe
that episcopacy is of Apostolical Institution, and consequently, very
good and very lawful ; that man had no manner of right to change it
in any place, unless it was impossible otherwise to reform the abuses that
crept into Christianity ; that it was justly preserved in England, where
the Reformation was practicable without altering it : that, therefore, the
protestants in England, and in other places, where there are bishops, do
very ill to separate from that discipline ; and they would do still worse in
attempting to destroy it, in order to set up presbytery, fanaticism, and
anarchy. Things ought not to be turned into a chaos, nor people seen
everywhere, without a call, and without learning, pretending to inspiration
Nothing is more proper to prevent them than episcopal discipline, as by
law established in England; especially when those that preside in Church
government are persons of penetration, sobriety, and discretion."
" And he further says, " — They who without prejudice read what re
mains of the most ancient Christian writers, know well enough that the
episcopal form of Church government, such as it is in the southern parts
of Great Britain, obtained every where in the next age after the Apostles,
whence we may collect that it is an Apostolic institution."
" To these, I add finally the testimony of M. Le Moyne, a preacher to
z
176 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
us an hierarchy in which the bishops have such a pre
eminence as that they do not refuse to be subject unto
Christ &c, then I will confess that they are worthy of
all anathemas, if any such shall be found, who will not
reverence it, and submit themselves to it with the utmost
"obedience."* Strong language this, which no English churchman I
think, even under the shadow of Oxford (which can
hardly be supposed to be more moderate than Geneva
on the subject of episcopacy) would be found to employ.
Yet what has been the history of the Church in
Switzerland? — what is the present degree of doctrinal
purity in Geneva? Has it extended beyond its first
borders, and planted the standard of the Cross in other
parts of the world ! Alas no ! — " It has done nothing to
spread the knowledge of a Redeemer beyond its own
the Reformed congregation at Rouen, who says — " Truly I believe it is
impossible to keep peace or order in your Church without preserving
episcopal dignity. I confess I know not by what spirit they are led,
that oppose that government and cry it down with such violence ; for, I
beseech you let us not flatter ourselves in'jFrance, where we have a pres
byterian government, that we are not subject to many divisions, which the
equality of pastors is not able to compose ; and which a synod, consisting
of equal persons, and of elders and deacons who have often but little skill
in eccleciastical government, is not able to stop ; because the authors of
the evil hold themselves to be of equal power with those that are of prime
note and despise them that are ordinarily employed to heal those dis
tempers. It is episcopacy which upholds the Lutheran Churches ; for
in Denmark, and Sweden, they are very quiet under episcopal
discipline, and seldom are seen to slander and tear each other — from
the Rev. F. A. Glover's Patriarchate."
M. Le Moyne's opinion would have been strengthened had he lived to
witness the present state of rehgious parties in Scotland and Switzerland.
— Author.* De Necessitate Reformandarum Ecclesiarum.
THE CHURCH IN NEW ENGLAND. 177
limits — it has utterly failed to sustain within itself the
saving doctrines of the gospel." *
Nor can I forbear adding the testimony of one of
New England's sons,f on the history and present aspect
of Congregationalism in those states, and throughout
America : —
" How has the faith of the gospel been preserved in
the keeping ofthe Congregationalist Church here? In
what part of this great nation has it planted itself out of
New England ? What have been the fruits of its pro
duction ? I must here premise, that I have it not in my
heart to say one word that should give just offence to
this respectable denomination. I have in it friends I
exceedingly love and respect ; I honour and admire the
piety and zeal for religion, so many among it have exhi
bited ; but I cannot close my eyes upon the defective
ness, and mischievous workings of its system, and, on
an occasion like the present, when I am called upon to
enforce the claims of the Church of which I am a mem
ber, it is both my right, and my duty, to show its supe
riority, as well by contrast and comparison, as by the
exhibition of its own inherent merits. I must not,
therefore, be charged with wilful and unnecessary offence,
in the prosecution of a warrantable and legitimate
object. I entertain no unkindly feeling towaras any
body of Christians upon earth.
" The origin of the Congregational Church in this coun
try is well known ; fleeing, professedly from persecution in
the old world, it established itself in the new, and closed
* The Hon. Edward Newton of Bo8ton.
t /*. In a speech before the American Church Board of Missions, at
Grace Church, Boston.
178 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES. '
forthwith the door against every competitor. It brought
to its aid the entire strength of the civil power, and the
no less powerful agency of prejudice and resentment ;
though a fugitive itself from alleged persecution, it
became a stern and unhesitating persecutor of others,
and that too, in a day of extended light and liberality.
Nevertheless it could not, and it has not extended itself
beyond its original limits ; it could not and it has not
maintained entire its doctrines and authority therein ;
it has given way, by degrees, to every species of attack,
until made to swarm with almost every imaginable
error. Notwithstanding its assumed claims to scriptural
authority, notwithstanding its possession of the exclusive
influence of the civil power to enforce its claims, it has
declined, and manifests increasing symptoms of still
further decay. How seldom do we hear of a new " or
thodox congregational church" being erected in any of
our towns ! — who witnesses this denomination extending
itself in any part of our broad dominion out of New
England? — Can such an instrumentality, then, be of
divine appointment? Again, has she preserved — does
she maintain uniformly, her own original standards of
faith ? — Look at her " Covenant, " established in this
very city in the year 1680, after most mature delibera
tion, and inquire who acknowledges it now, or if any of
its individual members do, who preach it from the
pulpit ? — Who maintains it publicly ? — Who is honest
enough, and bold enough to dare to do so ? — Can such
be the accredited agent of a Master, the same yesterday,
to-day and forever, with whom is no variableness, nor sha
dow of turning ? The age of miracles is past ; the age
for God's direct interposition in the affairs of men is
alike gone by ; he intends now, as is most apparent,
THE HON. MR. NEWTON. 179
to accomplish all his designs on the earth through
human agency ; he has done all by direct revelation to
his vineyard that can be done for it; and now it re
mains for men to work out the appointed salvation,
always in entire dependence upon divine grace. Will a
weak and inefficient confederacy then, such as the con
gregational society is, be competent to such a service ?
— Has the like been effectual for any great and good
end, for any length of time even ? No, sir, it cannot !
— it may endure for awhile, and do good for a short
period in particular states of society, as we have seen it
do — but to accomplish and sustain permanent, lasting
good, other systems are necessary. This may be shown
by a reference to facts : — Fifty years ago there were as
many " orthodox congregational " ministers in this com
monwealth as there are now. I have no means of pro
curing a precise and entirely accurate statement on this
head, but I have reason to think I am much within the
limits of the truth in this particular, because I hear it
frequently and confidently affirmed, that one-half of the
churches of this order that were orthodox fifty years ago
are the reverse now. — Then let it be considered that,
within fifty years the population of this commonwealth
has more than doubled. During this time, this sect has
put forth all its energies to sustain itself. It has or
ganized innumerable agencies to suit its ends — caused
the laws of the commonwealth to be modified to render
itself more popular, — effected the repeal of that most
righteous article of our constitution, which compelled
every man to support the public worship of Almighty
God according to his ability, because it seemed to ope
rate against its influence, — promoted those religious
excitements which have led to such frightful extrava-
180 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
gancies, and left such fearful results in their train. Still
its object is unattained : it does not increase either in num
bers, or in power, or in spirituality, but the reverse. Sir, it
gives me no pleasure to lay these statements before you.
I do it only under a strong sense of duty, and for just
and high considerations.
"Compare now the Episcopal Church through the
same period. Fifty years ago, the Episcopal Church
out of one or two of the Southern states, had hardly any
existence in this country ; there were in the whole na
tion then, one hundred and seventy of its clergy only.
While in this period, the population of the country has
more than doubled, and Congregationalism has not ad
vanced one step, the Episcopal Church has added one
thousand to the number of its clergy. While Congrega
tionalism is confined within the narrow limits of New
England, the Episcopal Church has posted itself over
the whole length and breadth of the land, and is daily
and almost hourly increasing. While congregationalists
are divided and at variance among themselves, she is
united and harmonious. — She cannot be divided. What
she believed and taught in 1680, and from the period of
the Reformation, she believes and teaches now, and
nothing beside ; no essential error in doctrine or practice
has followed in her footsteps. She is subject to a firm and
decided, though mild and moderate government, — one
of written laws, founded in reason and experience, just
and wise, complete in all its parts. She has a sound
and scriptural liturgy, faithfully guarded against sudden
and improper changes, which all the Christian world
admires. She has also equally well guarded, fixed
and approved articles of faith, which every intelligent
orthodox Christian admits to be scriptural. She has a
THE HON. MR. NEWTON. 181
body of clergy inferior to none in the country for wisdom,
piety, and learning ; - and, where her churches have
gone beyond the point of struggle for existence, she
exhibits the most delightful evidences of sound religious
character in her members ; and even within the circum
scribed influence of her body in our own diocese — yet in
the very spring-time of its existence — her salutary in
fluence on other denominations, by the sobriety, order
and intelligence she manifests, is most decisive. Add to
all this, she is the most tolerant, mild, and forbearing,
towards those who differ from her, of any known body
of Christians on the earth. Can we desire better evi
dences of her being owned and blessed of God ?
" This prodigious increase in the numbers and influence
of the Episcopal Church in these United States, it
behoves her members most seriously to ponder. It has
been wrought in parts seemingly most unfavourable to
it, — to wit, in Virginia and in New England. In the
former, through the influence of infidel politicians, and
the unfaithfulness of the colonial clergy, the Church
there, though powerful before the war of the Revolution,
became afterwards almost extinct. When the late
lamented Bishop Moore became its chief shepherd, about
twenty-seven years ago, there were less than ten effective
clergymen in that diocese, — now there are nearly one
hundred ! Here we see — what never has been or can
be seen in any denomination otherwise constituted,
— a declining Church restored, re-invigorated, and im
proved. In the whole of New England, fifty years ago,
there were about thirty clergy of oiir Church only ; now
there are over two hundred. In New York, there were
then twenty. clergymen only ; now there are over three
hundred. And thirty years ago, when you, sir, were con-
1S2 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
secrated Bishop of the Eastern Diocese, there were but
seventeen clergy therein, and now there are one hundred
and thirteen ;* and let it be remembered, that this in
crease was in places where the most deep-rooted prejudices
and inveterate hostility against it prevailed."
Such testimony and from such a source is invaluable !
* The venerable Bishop Griswold filled the chair on the occasion. In
the short time since the delivery of this address, the number of clergymen
(regularly engaged) in the same section of country has increased to 151.
183
CHAPTER XXVIII.
NEW YORK. — DR. MILNOR DR. WAINWR1GI1T. — MR. COL-
TON. THE TEMPERANCE SOCIETY. — .BISHOP OF VERMONT.
On the first Sunday spent in New York, I made my
way in the morning to St. George's church, to the rector
of which, the late Dr. Milnor, an English friend had sent
me a letter of introduction, which I had not hitherto
had an opportunity oi delivering. It proved to be a
communion day, and the doctor's sermon was designed
to guard his congregation against too high or too low
views of the sacraments of the Church. The former he
designated as " popish," and the latter as tending to
religious indifference, and " practical infidelity." His
remarks under the second head, might be useful to
many who claim to belong to the same party (if I must
use the term) in the American Church of which Dr.
Milnor was regarded as a leader, and a high authority.
In the afternoon I worshipped in St. Thomas's church
Broadway, in expectation of hearing the celebrated Dr.
Hawks. I was not disappointed in the intellectual
gratification I received, though his place was supplied
by Dr. Wainwright of Boston, whom I had frequently
heard before, and alwajs with increased pleasure. The
sermon (from the text " My yoke is easy and my burden
is light,") was a finished and elegant composition, not
the less effective from the quiet, unimpassioned style of
delivery, whush is natural to this gentleman, and from
which he should never depart. " We expect to find "
2 A
184
ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
says Dr. Blair "in the compositions. of one man some
prevailing character of style, impressed on all his
writings, which will mark his particular genius and turn
of mind." The same remark will apply to the manner of
delivery. An earnest or impassioned delivery is unnatural,
and fails altogether of producing any but a disagreeable
effect on the audience when the composition is neither
concise, nervous, or vehement. Dr. Wainwright's style
is not feeble, nor overloaded with finery, but its charac
teristics are elegance and diffuseness ; these are well
adapted to pulpit oratory in the city congregations of
the higher classes, amongst whom his labours are con
fined, and in which -sphere he is eminently useful. A
court preacher, if by the term is understood a sycophantic
time-server, he is not. His rebukes and exposures of
the vices of the rich are frequent and pointed ; and his
fearless defence on a late memorable occasion of what
he holds to be a point of orthodoxy, as well as a fact,*
against a host of inoidious opponents both from
within and without the Church, and, with about three
exceptions, the whole press of the country, religious,
and secular, prove him to be an honest man, and one
whose example would have given lustre to the best days
of primitive Christianity.
On the same day in the ensuing week that Dr. Milnor
. called on me, I received a visit from the Rev. Calvin
Colton, who enjoyed at that time an extensive reput a-
tion as a writer of very versatile order ; a reputation
however, very unenviable to a mere popularity-hunter
which this Erastian divine unquestionably is not. He
combines great honesty of purpose, with singular want
— «-
* Nulla Ecclesia sine Episcopo.
CALVIN C0LT0N. 185
of prudence, and consequently exposes himself to as
many unhandsome blows on the head as parson Yorick
received, though there is no fear of these blows ever
giving him his death !
Colton had just raised a storm about his ears in con
sequence of a book which, though published anony
mously, was immediately recognized as his production
in which, under the head of " Protestant Jesuitism," he
attacked the various voluntary societies for professed
moral reform. He pronounces them all as bearing an
uniform resemblance to the institution of Loyola, which
he regards as their great prototype ; these protestant
crusades being, he says, " all based upon two leading
arguments, viz. alarm and necessity." " If, " he argues
in his preface " Christianity is indeed as well established
in the world as the author has supposed and attempted
to show, these alarms are groundless ; and if his views
of the design and adequacy of the primitive institutions
of Christianity are correct, these other forms of operation
are not only a diversion, and consequent subtraction of
power, but must ultimately prove an embarrassment,
and hindrance to the cause, even if preserved un-
corrupt." Mr. Colton's book, written in a masterly style, con
tains many truisms ; but the caustic irony and pointed
satire which he employs in attacking so large and pow
erful a body as come under his lash, many of whom
were certainly innocent of the ulterior objects which
Colton attributes to them, lost him, in a moment, hun
dreds of friends, and consigned him to the shade of very
generalcondemnation. None of his intimate acquaintances
however, would think the less favourably of him ;
knowing as they do, that a love of truth for its own sake
186 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
instigated the step ;— for surely nothing else could
induce any man, particularly a clergyman, to put forth
such a book as " Protestant Jesuitism," under the very
shadow of the institutions he was attacking ; whose
silent all-powerful influence was at work in the commu
nity of which he was a member. Its merits as a com
position and an argument, were of little avail in
sheltering its author from the avalanche of public
anathema which it instantly brought down on him, and
from which, until the public mind again becomes healthy,
he can never hope to rise.
One third of this obnoxious treatise is directed against
the " Temperance Society." Mr. Colton was stirred up
to write his book by a " Resolution " passed at some
national "Convention " of that body, declaring that the
use of intoxicating liquor in any quantity, was " immo
ral," and disqualified a person from the natural exercise
of his judgment. Under the head of " intoxicating
drinks " it will be remembered the society includes all
wines, beer, cider, or any fermented, or artificial com
pounds, exhilirating or stimulating in their effects.
" This resolution," lemarks Mr. Colton, " arraigns and
condemns the best men that have ever lived — the best that
now live. It spares not divinely inspired men ! it blots
the pages of Revelation I ! it impeaches the moral cha
racter of the Saviour of the world ! ! !"
True, undeniably true ! — and such was the testimony
of several clergymen, present at the convention ; such
the grave offence brought against the framers of this,
and other similar " resolutions " on that occasion ; and
the anticipation of one of them (the Rev. Dr. Mc'Mas-
ters) has proved prophetic. " The effect [has been] to
drive from the ranks a body of men who are in practice.
THE TEMPERANCE SOCIETY. 187
as temperate as themselves." By putting a ban on that
high priest who met Abraham ; by saying that the
" man after God's own heart " when inditing the 104th
Psalm under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, rendered
thanks to God for what was in itself an evil, and could
not be taken without sin ; by making Solomon, taught
by the same Spirit, prescribe it in extreme cases of
mental depression ; by making our Saviour employ it in
working a miracle, and thus, as well as by his example,
incur moral guilt ; by thus voting extreme resolutions
[they have long since] driven from their ranks numbers
who properly belonged to them.* Mr. Colton's stric
tures under this head were true enough ; and the result
has shown most demonstratively that, after all, the
Church of God in the world, is the one great temperance
society, is the only effectual and legitimate instrument
for reforming public morals, and the one by which the
work will ultimately be alone effected. The sentiment
it is true, is scouted by infidel philosophers, but it has
nevertheless been long gaining ground in the belief of
the community at large. Deny it who can — it was
public opinion alone, under the influence of Christian
principles and teaching, that commenced, and has
effected the reformation already wrought in the drinking
* See speech of Dr. M'c Masters at the Saratoga Convention in 1836.
See also Exodus 29. 40. Judges 9. 13—19. 19 II Sam. 6. 19. II Sam.
16. 2. Nehemiah 5. 18. Ps. 104. IS, Isaiah 27. 2. 3—29. 9—55. 1—
Daniel 1. 5. I Timothy 5. 23 : neither of which passages recom
mend, or sanction excess in drinking, which the Bible strongly condemns ;
but they stamp falsehood upon the total abstinence " Resolutions, " which
is all that is necessary. " Oh, sir,'' appealed Professor Potter now Bishop
of Pensylvania at the same meeting, "let us cling to theiruth — let us
pursue an honest, straigh forward policy. Be assured of it we shall never
triumph on any other ground.
188 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
habits of America. The self constituted, irresponsible
body of " temperance reformers " who constitute the
office-holders, editors, and agents of this society, had no
more to do with it, than the fly on the coach- wheel with
the motion of the vehicle, though it exclaimed " see
what a dust I make!" Public opinion, without the
coercion of any " Society " wrought the total change
which took place in the drinking habits of the higher
classes of Britain towards the end of George Ill's reign.
The lengths of the after dinner sittings are much shorter
than formerly, and the habit of drinking to excess on
such, or on any occasions, has long become essentially
vulgar. It cannot be denied, either, that in America the
"temperance" question has become in too many cases
the mere tool of intriguing politicians, and religious
anarchists ; and this to an extent that has made it in
some quarters absolutely disreputable. Its professed
champions now turn it against its first founders, whom
they unsparingly denounce in language which too truly
proves the truth of our Saviour's declaration, that it is
from within, from the heart, that evil thoughts, false witness,
and blasphemies, proceed. It is too frequently the shield
behind which infidelity, and licentiousness entrench
themselves, while aiming their poisoned darts at the
very guardians of public morals, and the best institu
tions of that country. Its system of espionage, is another
most offensive feature in a community calling itself
" free." The whole of each man's closet, larder, and
cellar are laid open to the inspection of the " temper
ance " agent. An inquisitorial court sets up the right
of analyzing his neighbour's affairs, and of an inspection
over his private conduct " and when once," remarks Mr.
THE temperance society. 18!)
Colton " the prying eye and usurping tread of imperti
nence have obtained access within the sacred precincts
of our domestic retreats, and dragged out the secrets of
our closets to view, it is not only less easy to eject the
intruder, than to have barred the door against him, but
he considers himself entitled to that as a right which he
gained by stealth and violence.
" The Church " boldly wrote the gifted Bishop of
Vermont when the question was first mooted " is the true
school of virtue, the true temperance society, the true
preservative from all the vices which infest our misera
ble world ; because the almighty Saviour is its guide, its
pledges are blest by the power of God, and its rewards
are pre-eminent in temporal comfort and eternal joy.
Away from Christ you can have no safety ; out of his
Church you can have no peace. If you have not sought
his forgiveness, through repentance and faith — if you
have not subdued your rebellious will, and taken the
blessed yoke of Christ upon you, and given your inmost
hearts to him, who bought you to himself with his own
precious blood, I testify to you, that equal destruction
will be your portion. The pruning of a single branch
is nothing when the whole tree needs to be grafted ; the
damming up a single stream is nothing when the foun
tain must be cleansed ; and the outward reformation of
a single vice is nothing while the heart continues un-
sanctified." *
Similar sentiments have been publicly expressed by
several American bishops, and are doubtless those of all.
The following arguments by Bishop M'c Coskry in
exhorting some candidates for holy orders, before laying
* Primitive Church Sec. VI.
190 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
hands on them, to " keep aloof from societies designed to
supersede the plans which Christ has given for the
reformation of man," commend themselves to the con
sciences and judgments of all who, having the vows of
the ministry on them,' possess the moral courage to carry
them out into practice :
"You are not to oppose any benevolent effort of men,
but only to show that wherever you go, and wherever
found, you go, and are found ready to preach Jesus.
This cannot be done in these societies ! A minister there
fore loses his influence, becomes secularized, and often
times excited in a manner unworthy of his character
and calling, and soon fails in the performance of the
appropriate duties of his office. The religious world is
full of such instances."*
I heard Mr. Colton several times while in the city and
preached for him once. I was somewhat disappointed
by his pulpit addresses, which being divested of that
playful wit, and that aptness in metaphor, which cha
racterise his writings, and wanting some of the essentials
of a good elocution were, from their metaphysical cha
racter, but little adapted to a mixed city audience. Two
years afterwards he preached in my own pulpit twice,
during a week's visit at York, when his subjects were
much better selected. Mr Colton has long since retired
from parochial duty, and resides in New York, f
* Ordination Sermon preached in St. Paul's, Detroit, March 20th,
1842. p. 39.
t While these sheets are passing through the press a life of Henry
Clay has been announced from Mr. Colton's pen. No one could do bet
ter justice to the subject. From his political predilections, and a long
and intimate acquaintance with that distinguished statesman, both the
EDglish and American public may expect a rich treat in such a biography.
DR. HIGBEE. ~ BISHOP 0NDERD0NK. 191
I was greatly charmed with a sermon I heard one
evening in St. John's church from Mr. (now Dr.)
Higbee. Though the preacher was very juvenile in
appearance, (the consequence of an unbecoming toilet)
his discourse bore marks of a mind well balanced, and a
judgment fully matured ; his language was elegant and
florid ; his descriptions fresh and vivid ; at the same
time free from that " tinsel splendour " which frequently
passes for eloquence in America, and of which some
specimen orations, and congress speeches are choice
examples !
I also, during this visit, saw the Bishop of New York
for the first time in public, though he appeared to far
less advantage than on several subsequent opportunities
I have had of hearing him preach ; the occasion being
the opening of the diocesan convention by the usual
address, a great part of which is a mere journal of his
episcopal acts during the past year. Mr. Colton had
previously made me acquainted with this amiable and
kind hearted prelate ; than whom, for dignity of bearing,
suavity, and frankness of manners, there is no member
of the American episcopate who does the office higher
credit. An evening was spent very agreeably at Dr Berrian's,
the rector of Trinity parish. Present the Bishop of
Vermont, Mr. Phillips, rector of St. Luke's Catskill, Mr.
Higbee, Dr. Berrian's assistant in Trinity parish, Mr.
Loutrell, an active and zealous layman of New York, and
several clergymen whom the Convention had brought
to the city, on the proceedings of which the conversation
chiefly turned, till a book just published by the Bishop
of Vermont, contrasting the early and present state of
the Romish Church, formed the topic of animated dis-
2 B
192 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
cussion and congratulation. It was one of several
volumes of great merit and research, written by this ac
complished polemick, and has been since republished in
London, with high commendations by the English editor
and British reviewers. I expressed my obligation to
the bishop for his book on the " Primitive Church,"
which I had circulated with good effect among my late
parishioners, when he remarked that his last work had
cost him three times the care and study. This may be
well believed from the number of authorities quoted, and
the necessity for the strictest accuracy, in a controversy
with the Romish hierarchy to whom the second volume
is addressed.
Bishop Hopkins has since been replied to by Dr.
Kenrick, the Roman Catholic bishop of Philadelphia ;
to whose work he published a rejoinder, challenging Dr.
Kv to a public oral discussion, on the controverted
points, which was declined. The Bishop of Vermont
therefore, remains master of the field.
193
CHAPTER XXIX.
A SUNDAY IN PHILADELPHIA.
On every priest a twofold care attends
To prove his talents and insure his friends
First, of the first — your stores at once produce,
And bring your reading to its proper use.
On doctrines dwell, and every point enforce
By quoting much, the scholar's sure resource ;
For he alone can show us, on each head,
What ancient schoolmen and sage fathers said.
No worth has knowledge, if you fail to show
How well you studied, and how much you know.
Is faith your subject, and you judge it right
On theme so dark to cast a ray of light ;
Be it that faith the orthodox maintain,
Found in the rubric — what the creeds explain,
Fail not to show us, on this ancient faith,
(And quote the passage) what some martyr saith.
Dwell not one moment on a faith that shocks
The minds of men sincere and orthodox j
That gloomy faith, that robs the wounded mind
Of all the comfort it was wont to find
From virtuous acts, and to the soul denies
Its proper due for alms and charities ;
That partial faith, that, weighing sins alone,
Lets not a virtue for a fault atone ;
That starving faith, that would our tables clear,
And make one dreadful Lent of all the year :
And cruel too — for this is faith that rends
Confiding beauties from protecting friends ;
A faith that all embracing, what a gloom,
Deep and terrific, o'er the land would come I
What scenes of horror would that time disclose !
Ao sight but misery, and no sound but woes I
Rev. G. Cbabbe.
Having determined on a visit to Washington before
sailing for England, I left New York on the 13th of
October in a crowded steamboat, and descending the bay,
entered Staten Island Sound, which separates it from the
main land of New Jersey. At South Amboy, the termi
nating point of the railway across New Jersey, we took
194 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
the cars, and pursued our way in darkness the rest of the
distance to Philadelphia, ninety-five miles, where I was
soon established in one of the comfortable hotels for
which " the city of brotherly love" is deservedly famed.
Dr. John A. Clark was at this date one of the most
popular preachers in Philadelphia ; so having the privi
lege of travellers to follow the erowd, I enquired the
way to St. Andrew's the next morning, which was Sun
day. The appearance of the streets through which I passed
greatly disappointed me, after the encomiums I had heard
on the elegance of this city. Architecturally it possesses
none ; unless the exceptions of some public buildings
are admitted. Uniformity in the direction of streets, and
the size and character of houses, may answer the ends
of convenience and cleanliness, but it can scarcely be
considered as a point of beauty. A high authority tells
us that uniformity is only beautiful when the thing con
structed requires it. " A circle, a square, a triangle, or
a hexagon" says Dr. Blair, " gives pleasure to the eye
by its regularity as a beautiful figure, yet a certain grace
ful variety is found to be a much more powerful principle
of beauty. Regularity seems to appear beautiful to us
chiefly, if not entirely, on account of its suggesting the
idea of fitness, propriety, and use ; which have always a
more intimate connexion with orderly and proportioned
forms, than those which appear not constructed accord
ing to any certain rule. * * * * A straight canal is
an insipid figure when compared with the meanders of
a river. The apartments of a house must be disposed
with regularity for the convenience of inhabitants, but a
garden would be disgusting if it had as much uniformity
and order as a dwelling house."
There can be no reason in the world for laying out a
DR. CLARK. 195
city with more regularity, except in its general plan, than
a pleasure garden. A straight street may do here and
there for variety's sake, and be best adapted for the
business part of a commercial town ; but crescents, cir
cuses, quadrants, and curves, relieve the eye, and afford
opportunity for different styles of architecture. The
almost universal rule of plain unparapeted brick houses,
wholly innocent of ornament or style, may harmonize
with the quaker taste that designed Philadelphia, but
will always disappoint the expectations of strangers,
especially from abroad, who have heard it described as
" the second city in the United States." " Second "
it may be in size and population, but in appearance,
and beauty of situation, it is greatly surpassed by its
sisters New York, Boston, Baltimore, and Washing
ton. Another disagreeable feature in the houses of Phila
delphia are the primitive appendages of outside window
shutters, which, with the doors, lintels, and other wood
work, presenting one unvarying covering of white paint,
afford a severe trial to the eyes, and mark at the same
time the unambitious taste of the citizens.
St. Andrew's church, where I first worshipped, like
most Philadelphia churches belonging to the " protes-
tant episcopal" communion, appears better without than
within. It is a chaste Grecian temple, with a row of
pillars in front. On entering I found the service, which
was conducted by an assistant, commenced. The ser
mon was partly extempore, on the danger of " procrasti
nation in religion," and closed by a fervid and high
wrought appeal to "!the wordly and the pleasure seekers.
I could see at once that the preacher owed much of his
popularity to his delivery, and none of it to his style, or
196 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
intellectual resources. The former was striking and
effective, giving weight to language end ideas generally
common place; and never brilliant. This he made up
for by his elocutionary tact, and the exciting nature of the
topics introduced. In the flowers of rhetoric, and in all
the higher elements of pulpit oratory he is said to have
been greatly surpassed by his predecessor Dr. Bedell, a
distinguished light ofthe American Church ; which, from
a perusal of the sermons of that eminent -divine, I am
well prepared to believe. As a writer on subjects of ex
perimental piety, religious biography, etc., Dr. Clark
was, however, very successful, though his books discover
no genius. His attempts at description are laboured
and ambitious, overloaded with redundances of language,
and emulative of pictorial effect ; but, from the many
unnatural touches introduced, and the sameness that
pervades his scenes, leaving no lasting impress of them
on the reader's mind. Dr. Clark's writings have had
their day with his career as a preacher, and will add
nothing to the standard religious literature of America.
I received a very disagreeable impression on this oc
casion from the custom (unpractised in old or New
England) of turning the back to the altar during the
prayers. To say nothing of its gross irreverence, it is
attended with noise and great inconvenience, both to the
kneelers, and " non-conformists," among which class I
was compelled to class myself during my residence in
the south, resting the crime of violating the rubric on
those churchwardens who, in their solicitude for the
comfort and luxurious accommodation of hearers, over
look the necessary provision for worshippers.
In the evening I accompanied some friends to St.
Stephen's church in Tenth-street a fine stone building
DR. DTJCACHET. lt)T
with Gothic decorations, and two octagonal towers in
front. The interior is for the most part in good taste
the walls, and wood-work of a sombre tint, with several
marble monuments and tablets. The hand of innova
tion, which has since the Revolution despoiled and
transformed nearly all the other churches of Philadel
phia, has hitherto spared this beautiful temple, whose
only defect is in the chancel arrangements, where the
pulpit, and the Holy Table, have changed places, which
makes it bad for the preacher, and bad for his hearers ;
besides depriving the church of an end altar, to which —
were the chancel arranged on ecclesiastical principles —
the fine east window of stained glass would impart an
imposing effect.
Dr. Ducachet, the rector ofthe parish, who preached on
this occasion, was just declining from the zenith of a well
merited popularity. To great scholastic acquirements,
and a fine intellect, he adds the advantages of a good
address, clear, distinct, and emphatic enunciation.
These attractions drew large crowds to St. Stephen's on
his first arrival in Philadelphia, and still attach to him
his regular parishioners, including some of the oldest,
and wealthiest families in the city ; but he has long
ceased to be the lion of the day, and is now almost for
gotten by many of his former admirers.
198,
CHAPTER XXX.
PHILADELPHIA LIONS.
Philadelphia has, perhaps, more historic associations
which make it interesting to a foreign visitor, than any
other city or town in the Union. One of the first
objects which a stranger seeks is the state house, in
which the first congress of the United States held its-
deliberations and from which the Declaration of Inde-
pendance was read to the people, on July the fourth
1776. The building is a little more than a century old,.
a plain brick structure, greatly and deservedly venerated
by the citizens. The extensive garden behind it is now
laid out as a public square, and with its gravelled walks,
and avenues of trees, affords a delightful and favourite
promenade. Chesnut-street, on which the state house and several
other public buildings front, is the present fashionable
street of Philadelphia. The pavement, trottoir, and
shops, are superior to that of any other, and on a fine
day present a very animated appearance, from the num
ber of gay pedestrians, and the elegance of the equipa
ges. It runs, like many parallel streets from river to river
but beyond Broad-street, which crosses it a little more
than half its entire length, the houses are private, and
the signs of business and pleasure cease. Broad-street
promises to form a grand ornament to the city. It runs
from north to south through its centre, and is 113 feet
PHILADELPHIA LIONS. 199
wide. It is not yet half built, but mansions,* churches,
and public edifices are going up slowly; -the double
row of trees on each side are progressing towards matu
rity ; and when buildings worthy of the site line its whole
length, and the dangerous railway tracks which tempo
rarily obstruct and disfigure the causeway, are removed,
the Philadelphians may pride themselves on possessing
the handsomest street in the world.
Near the junction with Broad-street stands the mint,
a fine marble edifice of the Ionic order. Respectable
visitors are allowed free admission to it, and taken round
in single parties by one of the officers, who obligingly
replied to my questions, and gave every necessary ex
planation in our course through the different rooms.
This man would regard the offer of a fee as an insult, —
and in this particular, we are obliged to own the superi
ority of American subordinates over those in our own
country. The free admission which is permitted to
many public places is not merely nominal, subjecting
you, either to the insolent demands of menials for money,
or, what is more offensive still, their cringing importu
nities, and petty obstructions against a free egress after
the performance of a trifling office, till the fee is paid-
in every part of the United States which I visited I
found the persons in attendance at public institutions'
obliging and intelligent, without the expectation of any
reward. The merchants' exchange forms a conspicuous orna
ment in the business suburb of the city. The front
elevation is semicular, with Corinthian columns resting
* And, unlike the rest of the city with some pretensions to style ;
two in particular are fine specimens of the palazzo style, arguing well for
an improving taste in Philadelphia.
2 C
200 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
on a high basement. The principal entrance opens into
a vestibule, which communicates with the city post-office
and other public departments. A double staircase
leads to a landing which opens to a splendid semi-cir
cular apartment, richly embellished with paintings and
fresco work, the roof supported by Corinthian pillars, the
floor composed of mosaic. Adjoining this hall is a large
reading-room, containing all the leading papers of the
country, including the London dailies, and periodicals
This noble structure was erected by the city at an im
mense cost, the material being of the finest marble.
I reached the hotel, about 3 o'clock after a pretty
extensive pursuit of city lions, and found the vestibule
or hall, in which is the bar, crowded with the male in
mates, who all dine in ordinary as at New York and
Boston, unless a separate room is requested, for which
there is an extra charge. The company which was
numerous and select, manifested unusual hilarity after
taking their seats at the dinner table, which, added to the
fashionable toilet generally displayed, seemed strangely
in keeping with the rules of deportment and dress
established by the founders of this quaker city. The
dinner was cooked in the best style, and exhibited no
lack of variety in the viands.
The third course, of which the pastry forms a part, is
not particularized in the bill of fare. This third course
being " the dessert" at all American inns, fruit, sweet
meats etc. form part of it. An English dessert (after
the removal of the cloth) I have never known except at
private houses, nor is it common in those.
I spent the evening at the museum, which was then
exhibited in the buildings of the arcade, a handsome
structure of marble, with a double avenue, fronting on
PHILADELPHIA LIONS. 201
Chesnut street. Amongst the paintings were many
well executed portraits of public characters. The whole
collection of curiosities with large additions, now occupy
a more commodious receptacle in a building of ample
dimensions, since erected for the purpose, which is also
used for concerts a la Musard.
202
CHAPTER XXXI.
JOURNEY TO WASHINGTON, AND ALEXANDRIA. — INDIAN
CHIEFS.
The next morning I pursued my way southward by the
steamboat, which conveyed us down the Delaware. The
view of the city would be very fine from the river but
from the absence of spires and lofty public edifices. The
first place of any note that we passed, after leaving
Philadelphia, was Fort Mifflin, about seven miles dis
tant, where the river Schuylkill joins the Delaware. It
was the principal defence of the latter during the late
war, but is now going to decay. Ten miles further on
Chester appears in sight on the right bank, one of the
first settled towns in the state, and still bearing many
marks of antiquity. We were landed at Wilmington
and transferred to the railway cars.
The railroad crossed the peninsula which forms the
state of Delaware, to Havre de Grace, where we passed
the mouth of the far famed .Susquehanna by ferry.
On the opposite bank we resumed our seats in cars of a
handsomer construction, for Baltimore, the chief city of
Maryland, 110 miles from Philadelphia.
This fine city lies at the head of Patapsco Bay, four
teen miles from the Chesapeake and two hundred from
sea : it is justly admired for its situation and its numerous
architectural beauties. Its size is the same as Boston,
and less than half that of Philadelphia. After a hasty
dinner, I took my place in the cars for Washington,
WASHINGTON. — THE- CAPITOL 203
which city, forty miles distant, I reached by eight
o'clock. A crowd of blacks came round us on alighting from
the cars, each offering to carry the luggage, and cla-
mourously urging the superiority of the respective hotels
to which they were attached. These were chiefly slaves,
yet who would suppose it from their comfortable sleek
appearance, and the look of contented glee that marks ,
every face ? Consigning my portmanteau to one of the
sable tribe, I accompanied him along a wide street, bor
dered with trees, t6 an hotel, where I found comfortable
entertainment, and pleasant companionship amongst the
other lodgers during my stay in the city.
It happened most unfortunately that, delaying my
departure from Philadelphia till Tuesday, I lost the
opportunity of seeing Congress assembled, as it had the
very day of my arrival adjourned, after an extra session.
The members were all gone, or on the eve of departure,
and I walked through the deserted chambers of the
capitol the next morning with feelings of keen regret.
This capitol is well worthy of its national design, being
the finest building I have yet seen in the country, and
equalled by few edifices in the world. It stands on an
elevation, overlooking the city and the broad expanse of
the Potomac river. Its length is 350 feet, and its
height 145. An advanced portico on the front of the
centre building, is ornamented with a triple row of
beautiful marble columns. The wide stone steps ap
proaching this entrance conduct to the rotunda, 95 feet
in diameter, ornamented by superb reliefs, and large
paintings by native artists, representing some of the
principal events in the national history. South of the
rotunda, occupying that wing of the building, is the
201 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
chamber of the House of Representatives, a semi-cir
cular hall, with columns supporting the roof. The se
nate Chamber occupies the north wing, and below the
senate chamber is the supreme court of the United
States; there being, besides these rooms, some sixty or
seventy offices for committees, congress officers, refresh
ments, etc. The grounds round this noble pile of
buildings cover more than twenty acres, tastefully laid
out in walks and shrubbery.
At noon I took the steamboat for Alexandria, a town
six miles further down the Potomac, on the opposite
side. The river at Washington, is very wide, and deep
enough for the largest ships; notwithstanding which,
and the generally excellent position of Washington for
commercial purposes, it has as yet made but little ad
vances as a trading port ; the number of inhabitants
being only twenty thousand, though the plan of the city,
if carried out, would be adapted to a population of a
million souls. The trade of Alexandria is considerable
for its 'size. It lies pleasantly at the foot of verdant hills,
and is built with neatness and regularity. I took tea
with the amiable rector of St. Paul's, who is much be
loved by his numerous body of parishioners. I had
several occasions afterwards of renewing my acquaint
ance with this gentleman and his accomplished lady in
New York. He has since declined the episcopate of
Alabama, which was tendered to him by the Conven
tion of that diocess.
In the neighbourhood of Alexandria is a flourishing
theological seminary tor the diocess of Virginia, in
which it stands, of which the bishop is ex officio, presi
dent, — though more properly the visitor, as he resides
at Millwood, in Clarke county. The professorships are
CHURCHES. — THE WHITE HOUSE. 205
those of Ecclesiastical History and Pulpit Eloquence,
[Rev. Dr. May] Systematic Divinity, [Rev. Dr. Sparrow]
and Sacred Literature. [Rev. Joseph Packard, A. M.]
Besides this seminary, the diocess has an Education
Society, and. two High Schools.
In the morning I returned to Washington, and spent
the day in viewing the churches, and other public
buildings. There are four of the former, viz. St. John's,
Trinity, Christ Church, the Epiphany, * and three in ¦
the adjoining suburb of Georgetown. Besides these there
are about fifteen places of worship for (lifferent religious
denominations. At Georgetown, the Romanists have a
seminary under Jesuit tuition, conducted by twenty
teachers, and accommodating 140 pupils. Columbian
College is a baptist institution, in which are nine
teachers, and fifty pupils.
Friday 20th. — Mr. Hawley, the rector of St. John's,
having offered to introduce me to the President, we
reached " the White House " about noon, where I found
to my chagrin that a special despatch, just received, had
required the attendance of the Secretary of State, with
whom he was in consultation. The attendant, to whom
my guide's person was familiar, invited us into the
drawing-room, and then conducted us through the
principal apartments of the executive mansion, which is
in all respects handsomely appointed. We then visited
the offices of the various departments of state. In one
of these is a gallery of Indian portraits, the original De
claration of Independance, treaties with foreign powers,
and other curiosities.
Later in the day, Mr. Hawley introduced me to a
deputation of Indians from the tribes of the Sauks,
* Three have been since added.
206 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
Foxes, Sioux, and loways. The first two are a finer
looking race than the others, with more expressive fea
tures. I succeeded, without the interpreter (who was
absent) to hold something of a conversation with the
chieftains Kee-o-kuk and Black Hawk who represented
their two tribes ; the former was accompanied by his son
" Whistling Thunder." The whole party were familiar
with my friend's person, .and gathered round us during
our difficult dialogue, which was, of course, carried on
by dumb gesture. At its close I drew out a shirt pin,
and presented it to Kee-o-kuk. He examined it very
minutely, and after handing it round to the other chiefs
proffered it to me with respectful obeisance. On signi
fying to him that it was a gift he placed it with great
care in the folds of his scarlet vest, and extending his
hand to me, held it for a short space while pronouncing
some friendly speech.
I left the city by the evening train of cars, and reached
Barnum's Hotel, Baltimore, at 8 p. m.
207
CHAPTER XXXII.
DR. WYATT.
On Saturday morning, (Oct 21st.) I called with an intro
duction, on the Rev. Dr. Wyatt, rector of St. Paul's ; and
here I have to record one of the most agreeable ac
quaintances I formed whilst in the. country. Dr. Wyatt
has long filled the situation of president in the House
of Clerical and Lay Deputies, to which post no one in
the American Church could impart more dignity ; whilst
his regular election to it at the triennial meetings of the
General Convention is a high testimony of the estima
tion in which he is held by the whole Church. 1 may
add, that such an office confers as much, if not greater,
relative distinction on its possessor than that of bishop,
to which, but for the high state of party-feeling in Mary
land, Dr. Wyatt would have been elected on two occa
sions of a vacant chair. On the last vacancy (in 1839)
the votes were nearly balanced between him and a rival
candidate, but neither party having the requisite majority
of two thirds, the Convention made choice of another,
in the person of the Rev. William Rollinson Whitting-
ham, Professor of Ecclesiastical History in the General
Theological Seminary, a gentleman of the same school
as Dr. Wyatt, under whose firm and vigorous adminis
tration the diocess has since greatly flourished.
I found Dr. Wyatt occupying the old episcopal resi
dence, the property of the parish of St. Paul's, with the
rectorship of which the bishop's office was formerly
2d
208 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
connected ; it is now only the rectory-house of the
parish. Antique in its appearance, it stands back from
the street, and is thickly shaded with trees, like more
than one old parsonage which I recollect in early days,
announcing to the by-passer the abode of piety and learn
ing. Its courteous -inmate received me with dignified
frankness, and after offering me the hospitalities of his
house (which I only partially accepted) invited me to
preach in his pulpit on the afternoon of the next day.
On reaching my hotel I found the Dr's younger son,
a bright intelligent youth, already awaiting my arrival,
having been sent to pioneer me to the principal places
of interest in the city. These are more numerous for
the size ofthe place than in New York, or Philadelphia,
and give evidence of greater taste, and regard to ele
gance than the latter, of which the monuments, public
fountains, and various architectural ornaments which
meet the eye in different parts of the city, afford constant
evidence. Of the former, the colossal statue of Wash
ington by Causici, on a Doric Column and base 180 feet
high, is a superb work of art, and gives a character to
the whole city as seen from neighbouring elevations.
The fountains are also classically embellished with basins
and temples of marble, and the architecture of private
residences, some of which are truly princely, also shows
a prevalence of individual taste to which the Philadel-
phians are total strangers.
St. Paul's church, in which I worshipped the next
morning, is the third in point of dimensions, and beauty
of design in the United States. The main building was
completed in 1817, and the spire, which somewhat re
sembles St. Pancras, has been since added. In this
church the communion-table occupies its proper place
DU. WYATT. '20'J
near the wall ;* but the disproportionate size and situation
ofthe pulpit, immediately in front, almost hides it from
view : a smaller evil, it must be granted, than giving
* This arrangement is of course superseded where, in a large church
the choristers occupy the chancel end ; as in our English cathedrals, the
Temple church etc. ; when the altar should, according to ecclesiastical
rule, and the universal custom of the early Church, stand out somewhat
from the wall. Hence the word choir from modo corona. St.
Paul's church, Baltimore, is well contrived for the choral chancel service.
Who that has worshipped in a church where this primitive arrangement is
observed but has been struck with its simple beauty, and its great supe
riority to the gallery choir mode ? The chapel of St. Mary's (Romish)
College Baltimore affords a fine specimen, which shows how well it can be
adapted even to a small church. I need scarcely add that the plan of
a pulpit in the rear of-lhe altar, (the latter forming its adjunct) would be
even more grotesque in this cse than the present arrangement in many
American churches : the idea, originally, of Bishop Hobart, whose catho
lic creed failed to correct his early puritanical bias and national utilitarian
ism ; and whose strong American prejudices led him to eschew any
European precedent in matters which he considered non-essential. I am
happy, however, to add, that his barbarous innovations in the churches of
New-York are, one by one, being removed ; though the extent to which
the miserable models have been copied in that wide diocess, and all over
the Union is a thing to be deplored by every lover of taste.
While alluding to the subject of detached altars and (antiphonal) choir
music, I will add the statement of my brother, who has made the subject
of ecclesiastical antiquities his study : —
" In many larger churches, and in cathedrals, where the width was
greater [than in small parish churches] the spot usually chosen for the
altar was the middle of the part hence denominated the Choir. In the-
case of a cruciform church such a position was particularly appropriate,
as it affords a direct and uninterrupted view to the worshippers, whether
standing in the transept, nave, or chancel. In the ancient liturgies was a
prayer ' for all those that stood round about the altar. ' The priests and
deacons surrounded it when they officiated, aad Durandus, a catholic wri
ter, informs us that when a bishop consecrates a new altar, h« must en
compass it seven times, from which it was manifest that it could not have
stood against a, wall. Additional evidence to the same effect might be
210 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
the altar a subordinate place in front of the pulpit, but
which is easily remedied by placing the pulpit and read
ing-desk (if reading-desk there must be) at correspond
ing angles of the transept or aisles, and thus— without
any loss in hearing or seeing — throwing open the chan
cel, with its edifying embellishments, to the view of the
whole congregation.
In the vestry-room Dr. Wyatt introduced me to his
assistant, Mr. Hutton, now rector of a parish in Mont
gomery county in the same state, who read morning
prayers, the doctor taking the ante-communion service.
His sermon was directed against duelling, and was called
forth by a fatal meeting which had lately taken place
near the city, and the peculiar circumstances of which
had caused much excitement. Dr. Wyatt's pulpit
style, though adapted to the class of hearers who com
pose his congregation, would be ill suited to the mixed
audience within the walls of an English Church, where
happily (and may it always be so) the Church is the
heritage of the poor man as well as the rich. As a
masterly specimen of style, the doctor's pulpit composi
tions merit high praise. They combine elegance and
idiomatic accuracy, the language being full and harmo
nious, and, though richly ornamented, free from the
faults of that luxuriance of style which too commonly
pervades the American pulpit. For purity of language,
and simplicity of expression he is justly considered to
cited on the authority of Eusebius, Dionysius the Areopagite, Chrysostom,
Athanasius, and in our own country, Austin, first Archbishop of Canter
bury, and Venerable Bede. Railing the altar in is usually dated from the
period ofthe Council of Aix, held in 1583 ; one of whose Canons ordains
! Unumquodque Altare sepiatur omnino septo ferreo vel lapideo vel
ligneo.' " — " Chronicles of The Devizes" by James Waylen Esq. p. 302.
DR. WYATT. — DR. JOHNS. 211
excel his cotemporaries. In force, vehemence, and
poetic imagery Dr/Hawks may stand alone in the class
of popular preachers, and Bishop Eastburn in the
smoothness and melody of his periods, and the manliness
of his conceptions, but for naturalness and purity, Wyatt
has no equal in the American Church. In the language
of an eminent critic applied to the writings of the best
British authors of Anne's reign, " it is pure English
undefiled, flowing in its own native channel, and re
flecting home objects and scenes."
In the evening I entered Christ-church, next to St.
Paul's in point of size and beauty. The preacher was
Dr. Johns, afterwards the rival candidate of Dr. Wyatt
for the bishopric, mentioned above. His sermon was
different in its character from that of the morning, being
wholly extempore, and unmethodical, though delivered
with considerable fluency. It was, however, marked by
a disagreeable redundancy of words, and a want of natu
ralness in the preacher's action, which greatly marred
the general effect, and which are faults only excusable
in a very youthful preacher.
The pulpit in Christ- church is made of white marble,
and stands out from a recess which should be the
chancel, but which is filled with a luxuriant sofa ( ! ! )
raised on a carpeted platform, for the special accommo
dation of the preacher during the time of service ; the
communion table being actually pushed into a corner on
one side of the reading desk to make room for the pul
pit, and its appliances. This looks like man-worship
with a vengeance, and as total a violation of every rule
of good taste, as it is of ecclesiastical propriety.
212
I
CHAPTER XXXIII.
THE " ROMAN CATHOLIC" SOCIETV IN AMERICA.
" What ! shall the vine so nobly brought
With blood and fiery toil,
From Romish Egypt, turn her roots,
Back to its meagre soil ?
Nay, strong in liberty she'll stand
With glorious foliage decked,
For planted by our God's own hand
His right hand shall protect.
Of no Italian bishop, we
The sway usurping own,
Which, in the times true catholic,
The Church had never known ;
But by an apostolic line
Descended from of old,
We yet the traditum divine
Of Bishop Gregory hold.
Be't your's to own Trent's false decrees —
Rome's popish rod to dread, —
We hold the councils catholic,
And Christ our glorious Head ;
A martyr-bearing Church indeed,
We claim our Mother high ;
And we have yet, our Ladds to bleed,
Our Dinotbs to reply.
We pity thee misguided Rome !
In olden time you burned
The brightest beacon of the Faith,
And noble trophies earned ;
But now you've wrapped yourself in night,
¦With error's pall arrayed ;
That Holy Faith once pure and bright
You almost have betrayed.
What ! burned our apostolic light
With such ambiguous blaze,
That ye should dare true sheep invite
In schism's fold to graze ?
Our Shepherds true have roused them quick
To guard their trust divine,
And show we love Church Catholic
More, Arath's lord, than thine."
spent Monday, in a further survey of the city,
in company with Mr. Hutton. The exchange, custom
"ROMAN CATHOLIC" SOCIETY IN AMERICA. 213
liouse, city hall, court house hospital, masonic hall, etc.,
are well worth inspection ; but the most important
edifice in Baltimore is the Roman Catholic cathedral,
which I surveyed at my leisure the next day. It falls
far short of similar buildings in the old world, but is
nevertheless a church of considerable pretensions. The
order is Grecian, which is unsuited to the cruciform
plan. Some pictures of great merit near the west en
trance were presents from Louis XVI. and Charles X.
The archbishop's house is in the rear of the altar. He
is metropolitan of the Romanists, in the United States,
by the title of " The Most Rev. the Archbishop of Balti
more,"* the diocess under his control comprising the
State of Maryland and the District of Columbia.
The Roman Catholic province of the United States, has
about half the number of sees and clergymen as the
Anglo-American Church. It was constituted by Pope
Pius VII in 1808, which year fixes the date of its exist-
* The spirited stanzas at the head of this chapter refer to a letter
which Dr. Kenrick, a bishop in Archbishop Eccleston's province, ad
dressed to the bishops of the American Church, inviting them to join the
Romish schism. Gregory the Great, (referred to in the second stanzas)
was Bishop of Rome, A.D: 590. He affirmed the title of "Universal
Bishop " to be " profane, anti-christian, and infernal, by whomsoever
assumed" (Consult the authorities referred to in Murdock's Mosheim, vol.
1. p. 461.)
At the interview between Augustine and the clergy of the British
Church, Dinoth, Abbot of Bangor (referred to in the third stanza) declined,
on behalf of himself and brethren, to recognize the Bishop of Rome in any
higher character than as a friendly prelate — "We are bound " he said " to
serve the Church of God, and the Bishop of Rome and every godly Chris
tian, as far as helping them in offices of love and charity : this service
we are ready to pay, but more than this I do not know to be due to him
or' any other. We have a primate of our own, who is to advise us under
God, and to keep us in the way of spiritual life."
Dr. Kenrick (referred to in the fifth stanza) styled himself " Bishop
of Arath."
214 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
ence ; being twenty one years after the American Church
had acquired its complete form in the consecration of
three bishops : or should the American Romanists date
the establishment of their Church from the consecration
of their first " Bishop of Baltimore," they are no better
off, as (to say nothing of that prelate's episcopal powers
being confined to the diocess over which he was placed,
whose limits were the same as they now are) the date of
his consecration was two years after that of Bishops
White and Provoost, and five years after that of Bishop
Seabury. As regards the question of priority, therefore,
the Church planted in the United States by England has
the first claim on the support of the nation as an epis
copal Church ; and this, by itself, is a material point.
There are, however, other points of controversy between
the two communions. One of these relates to the validity
of Romish American orders. The society of Romanists
in England, it is well known, date their origin from the
reign of Elizabeth, when the united Holy Catholic
Church of England, one and undivided, including the
whole nation, was disturbed by a schism amongst some
of its members, who dissented from it, and established a
sect in this country, which sect took its rise conjointly
with other sects. The principles of this new sect were
similar to certain exploded tenets, imported from Italy,
which had at one time tainted the national faith, and
which had been lopped off by the regular guardians (the
episcopal heads) of the English Church. In support of
their schism, this dissenting body called in the aid of the
Italian bishop, who gave his countenance and support to
the new society; they in return acknowledging his
spiritual authority, conforming to the forms of worship
used in his province, though in a foreign tongue, unin-
"ROMAN CATHOLIC" SOCIETY IN AMERICA. 215
telligible to them, and placing themselves under his
priests. That the episcopal ordination of these intruding
clergy did not give authority to their acts in England,
nor communicate to the schismatical body at whose
instance they came here, the form or substance of a
Catholic Church, nor alter its character as a dissenting
body from the Catholic Church then established in
England requires no proof, being self evident. Primitive
usage, and universal canon law, making it illegal and
schismatical for one bishop, or one patriarch to interfere
with the province of another ; nor does the elevation of
some of these foreign ecclesiastics to the episcopate by a
form of consecration make them any the less dissenting
ministers amongst us : Romanists in principle — Catholic
only in name.*
* " The alien-vassals of Rome, properly called papists, and improperly
called anything else, have a very adroit method of fixing upon the Church
of England the offensive stigma and imputation of the deadly sin of
schism. Always anxious to assert and reiterate the same iniquitous false
hood, such individuals never trouble themselves about proof. The
offence is altogether the papists', not ours. A point of history proves it >
and this we proceed to set before the reader.
" The case is clear to those who will examine the facts of it ; so clear,
that even Father Barnes, the Benedictine, wrote a book called " Catholi-
cus Romanus Pacificatue," to induce the Roman patriarch to receive the
English Church into his communion, justifying us from the charge of
schism and heresy Palmer, ii. 258.
With respect then to the schism with which we are charged, we will
say a few words, and, for the present leave father Barnes to acquit
us of " heresy." 9
Upon the accession of Queen Elizabeth, anno 1558, the whole body of
the nation conformed to the purified ritual — the ritual of the papists re
trenched, (as Mr. O'Croly, the popish priest, admits) : its errors and
novelties being expunged, its ancient excellencies kept, and parts of other
ancient liturgies being added ; these form the basis of our present Book
2 E
216 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
The "Roman Catholic Church " of the United States
is the offspring of this Romanist society as regularly
and legitimately as the Church episcopal in that country
is the daughter of the Church of England, the Church
of Common Prayer, which has, since that time, undergone no materia
alteration. Out of the whole body of clergy and dignitaries, fourteen bishops and
a hundred and eighty nine priests only, were recusants.
Nor was this conformity objected to (openly at least) by the pope,
For so long as he had any hope of winning Elizabeth to cede the question
of " supremacy," the papists were actually allowed to, and did, conform
to the use of the liturgy, and of the public wor ship— the Common Prayer
— after its method, with the protesting catholics of the purified National
Church, and they were allowed to, and did, receive the sacrament of the
Lord's Supper at the hands of the conforming clergy. It was not until
after successive Italian arch-priests found that there was no chance of
succeeding in their wiles to insnare the Queen into acknowledgment of
vassalage to Rome, that Pius V., in 15 69, issued his " Bull " commanding
all to separate from the Church of England who were still willing to submit
to "his fraudulent falsehood of false-pretended supremacy" — (as the burn.
ing Bishop Bonner had formerly well taught those to say, whom he after
wards burned for believing him, and protesting accordingly). The
papists doing this, ('. e. obeying the Italian bishop, and disobeying their
own metropolitan,) they separated from us ; and, in that act of separation
became papal recusants ; and they are, therefore, papistical schismatics
from the Episcopal National Church. They separated, schismatized,
from us.
They and others affirm, that we are schismatics; but let the fact I
have adduced assure all catholics, (not Italian catholics,) to the contrary.
I repeat it, they, with the secular clergy, conformed to the purified
ritual, and used it for upwards of ten years. If that ritual were effective
then why not now ? and why rend the " Body of Christ " (Col. i. 24)
for points non-essential ? If not ^effective, how came the pope to allow
their use of it ? Their then conformity gives the stamp and character to
their sin, which, as regards their national standing, is SCHISM ; and
which, commencing then, has unhappily continued ever since. A "schism"
indeed there is ! — But they have made it, not we. This is a fact-histori
cal, that no Churchman should ever lose sight of.
SOCIETY IN AMERICA. 217
presbyterial of the Church of Scotland (so called,) the
congregationalists of the English independants, the bap
tists of the English baptists, and the methodists of the
English Wesleyans. Dr. Carroll, the first " Archbishop
" I solemnly protest at this moment, I know not why a papist separates
himself from our Communion : and cf this I am confident, that out of all
the boasted millions of them in this empire, not one could himself give
any other reason for it, save this, — that the Pope ordered him. Of res
pectable authority, sometimes, in Rome, but none here at any time : and
they who disparaged their proper diocesan by swamping his authority, in
upholding the usurpation of a pretender to foreign jurisdiction, will be
accountable for all the sin of weakening the authority of the Episcopate
of Christ, as well as for the guilt, the great guilt, of living in avowed'
constant, determined, and depraved schism. — Rev. Mr. Glover.
The remarks of the excellent Bishop of Toronto (Dr. Strachan) under
this head also put this matter in ittf true light, and in a few words. They
are contained in a Charge to his clergy, delivered June 6 1844 :
" Before leaving this subject, permit me to remind you that the Church
of England is not an offset from the Church of Rome in the sixteenth
century, as many of her enemies assert ; for she never separated from
that Church, but was orginally an independent branch of the Catholic
Church, founded not by missionaries from Rome, but by the apostles or
their immediate successors ; and thus she continued till the eleventh
century, when the Church of Rome assumed an ascendency over her, but
which was never fully recognised, nor was it effected, till after a long and
arduous struggle, — a struggle which was renewed from time to time, and
on the first favourable opportunity, which happened in the sixteenth
century, her independency was regained. The great ignorance which
prevails on this subject, even among educated people, is truly surprising !
They speak of the ' Protestant Church of England ' as if it were a distinct
body from the Church which subsisted before Henry the Eighth, and as
if, at the Reformation, the protestant clergy supplanted the clergy of the
Church of Rome. So far was this from being the case, that when the
Reformation was established in England, all the clergy conformed to the
new order of things, with the exception of eighty out of ten or twelve
thousand, and therefore the Church in England, as composed of the clergy
and laity in the reign of Queen Elizabeth, consisted of the very same
body of persons which formed it in the reign of her father. The real fact
218 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
of Baltimore," was consecrated at Lullworth in Dorset
shire, by Dr. Charles Walmsley, one of the intruding
priests in the Bishop of Salisbury's diocess, and from
that source the Romish clergy of the United States
either derive their orders or their parochial appointments.
Thus, priority of occupation and origin, both give to the
Anglo-American hierarchy an advantage over the rival
episcopate. But the Romish- American orders are further impaired
by another circumstance. It is well known that the
Church, from the earliest period, required the presence
of three bishops in consecrating to the highest office of
its threefold ministry. Consecration by one bishop was
forbidden by the Apostolic Canons, and the canons of the
councils of Aries, Nice, Antioch, Laodicea, and Carthage.
Church history informs us, that the Patriarch of Con
stantinople (Michael Oxites) rejected the ordinations
performed by two bishops on the ground of their own
imperfect consecration, conferred by a single bishop,
and that the first Council of Orange, A. D. 529, directed
of the matter is this : — out of the eighteen centuries during which the
Church of England has existed, she continued about four hundred and
fifty years under the usurped dominion of the Church of Rome, and for
thirteen hundred and fifty years she has been an independent branch of
the Church Catholic. So great is the absurdity and palpable ignorance
of historical facts evinced by those who represent the Church of England
as a branch separated from the Roman communion! Our Reformers
merely brought back the Church of England to the same state of purity
and liberty which it enjoyed previous to the temporary imposition of the
papal yoke. They put forth no new doctrines, but merely divested, the
old ones of the corruptions which had been fastened upon them during
the dark ages. In all essential points, — in the Sacraments,— in the unbro
ken succession of Ministers,— the Church of England is at this day the
same that it was in primitive times."
"ROMAN CATHOLIC" SOCIETY IN AMERICA. 219
that in any case of such departure from universal and
primitive usage both parties should be solemnly de
posed. There are good reasons for this law of the Church : the
principal of which is, that — as from the bishop proceeds
the commission of the priesthood, and the continuance of
the succession in his own order — it is important that
that there be full evidence of his own regular consecration,
which the attestation of two or more consecrators secures,
certainly more effectually than that of one. Be that as
it may, the practice of the Church has been to have two
or more consecrators for each bishop ; and the most emi
nent writers in the Romish Church, with Bellarmine at
their head, question the validity of consecration by only
one. We have, therefore, the authority of that Church in
Europe, in pronouncing the orders of the Romish Ame
rican Church in the United States doubtful, at the least.
The only shadow of a claim to episcopal authority in
the United States, which the doctors of this communion
possess, rests upon the shallow fable of the pope's
supremacy ; Pius VII having sanctioned the establish
ment of a branch Church in the United States by the
English papists, and recognised Dr. Carroll as the arch-
episcopal head of the new province : as though a Bull
from Rome could supply the defect of his consecration, any
more than a decree from Canterbury or London, pro
nouncing Dr. Coke a bishop, by virtue of having received
consecration from John Wesley, could have invested
him with valid episcopal powers !
Judged by these laws and standards of its own mother
Church in Europe, the Romanist society of the United
States is proved to be an unsound and schismatical branch
of the Church Catholic.
220 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
But would the lawfully existing, and lawfully con
stituted catholic Church in the United States deem these
defects in the constitution of the rival communion insu
perable bars to an union with her, and a recognition of
her orders in the three degrees of the ministry ? — This
is an important question at the present moment ! That
union has been proposed on the part of the Romish
" Church" by the present " Bishop of Philadelphia"* in a
letter addressed to the American prelates, in which he
promises, on behalf of himself and his colleagues, that
" nothing shall be wanting on their part to facihtate the
reconciliation ;" — hinting that as " the object merits the
greatest sacrifices the indulgence of the Church would be
extended to the utmost limits, consistent with principle,
and the general interests of religion." f
An excellent and catholic spirit characterises the
language of Dr. Kenrick's proposal, though it is accompa
nied with conditions to which it is impossible for the
American Church to listen. Concessions must doubtless
be made on both sides. On the part of the national
Church the utmost which she could yield would be the
recognition of Romish- American orders, and some tri
fling alterations of the ritual worship, in matters not
affecting doctrine. With regard to the first of these
concessions, it will be remembered, that though neither
the American Church nor her English mother have ever
departed from the good rule of " two or more consecra
tors," yet it is only in her case a matter of discipline,
being bound by no councils or decretals, while the act
of union with her on the part of the Romanist society
* Dr. Kenrick, then " Bishop of Arath" and assistant to the Romish
" Bishop of Philadelphia."
t Bishop Kenrick's Letter to the Protestant Bishops, p. 14.
"ROMAN CATHOLIC" SOCIETY IN AMERICA. 221
would repair the defect in the transmission of the line
of successsion through a schismatical body in England,
possessed by the Romish bishops and clergy ; who, on
their part, must relinquish the dogma of the pope's
supremacy, with all other doctrines not at present held in
common by the two Churches. With this surrender,
hypothetical ordination would no doubt be deemed
unnecessary, and their bishops could occupy sees ; the
conforming clergy under them retaining their present
parochial charges. »
That such an union, however desirable, cannot be
effected till a considerable change has been wrought in
public opinion is self evident. The much abused
" Oxford Tracts," and the discussions to which these
publications have, happily for the cause of truth, given
rise, are, however, doing much to enlighten the mem
bers of the American Church on the subject of catholi
city ; and intercourse with protestants is gradually un
loosening the prejudices of Romanists, and weakenin g
their attachment to a foreign prelate, whose " infallibility"
and " rightful supremacy as St. Peter's successor" (long
discarded as a fable by intelligent Romanist in Germany
and France) is disclaimed as an article of belief by every
educated member of that communion in America. I
have myself heard it personally disavowed on repeated
occasions. It is this dogma, in fact, which now stands
in the way of union. Till the whole Roman Church
alters, of course no particular branch* can make any
essential modifications in her system ; and while the
pontiff retains his temporal sovereignty, reformation we
* It is a favourable circumstance in connection with this question that
the present " Archbishop of Baltimore," Dr. Eccleston, is a Jansonist, and
in open hostility with the see of Rome.
ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
may be sure will never begin in corrupt Italy. Remove
the Austrian bayonets, which now uphold the temporal
throne of St. Peter's present successor, and away it will
be carried by the instantaneous sweep of popular invasion
— the thing is inevitable ! With that event the figment of
Roman supremacy will disappear like a shadow of the
night ; the triple crown (blasphemous emblem) will be
exchanged for the simple mitre, which irradiated the
head of Clement, Cornelius, or Leo the First, in her
earlier and purer days. The Church of Rome will not,
God forbid that it should, become extinct, or shine with
feeble lustre among the Churches of Christendom ; but
purged of its dross and its tin, " its bishop" in the
language of Bishop Whittingham, " the usurper of an
unholy lordship over God's heritage, will be driven back
powerless to the narrow limits of his own true jurisdic
tion ; the prestage of his usurped authority removed ;
the Scriptures, which even now he is unable to
keep from his people, will defalcate the doctrine of
his subjects; and the many valuable remnants of pri
mitive simplicity, and earnestness, and zeal which
still survive, like sparks of holy fire amid the ashes and
rubbish of accumulated corruptions, may blaze forth, to
give light and health, and the vigour of life to those
purer forms of doctrine which are now too like the Alpine
snows in coldness as well as clarity.-)-
Let then this wished for event transpire, and the
Churches in those different countries of Europe and South
* Proved by Mr. Palmer in his Treatise on the Church, to have been
bounded by the Alps.
t This eloquent passage is contained in the bishop's introduction to
the American edition of Palmer's incomparable " Treatise on the
Church."
" ROMAN CATHOLIC" SOCIETY IN AMERICA. 223
America which are still cursed by thraldom to the Ro
man see, will doubtless make early use of their indepen
dence by banishing the corruptions which their connec
tion with it introduced ; and Uke the Churches of England,
Ireland, Norway, Denmark, Sweden, &c, at the period of
their deliverance, will take their stand on the ground of
catholic and primitive verity. This result would re
concile all the discordant elements which now inter
rupt the peace and unity of the Church Militant, and
unite the whole episcopal family , which forms more than
eleven-twelfths of the Christian World, into one great
society : like as it was in the first six centuries of the
Church's existence, till Romish usurpation disturbed its
harmony. Such an event — and we cannot doubt that it is draw
ing near — by releasing the scattered members of the
Romish Communion in countries where an apostolic
Church exists from their allegiance to Rome, and the deci
sions of the Council of Trent, will naturally lead them, if
proper means are employed, to seek communion with it ;
nor can we suppose that such alliance will be, in any
ease, refused.
To prepare the way for this union in the United
States, the members of her Church should cultivate
a spirit and temper of kindness and conciliation towards
the clergy and the numerous laity of the sister com
munion ; avoiding that uncharitable disposition which
deals in nothing but anathemas, wholesale vitupera
tion, or taunting ridicule ; which designates the Roman
Church as unsound in every part of her system ; retain
ing as she does the same ministry, creeds, holy days (and
with some additions) the same ritual as themselves ; or
by going out of their way, and putting an unwar-
2f
224 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
rantable interpretation on prophetic Scripture, — nick
naming her the " scarlet whore " of the Apocalypse, the
" man of sin " etc., etc. " Oh no ! " writes the excellent
catholic-minded Bishop of Michigan in reference to these
ribald attacks, " rather speak of her in kindness— thank
her for the good she may have accomplished in preser
ving the Word of God— tell her of her faults — of her
departure from the old Catholic Church— and endeavour
to persuade her to give up the commandments of men,
and come back to the uncorrupted Church of Christ. I
pray ardently for this happy period to arrive, when she
will give up her errors, and come with all her untiring
energy, her patience under trial, and her self-sacrificing
and self-denying priesthood, and unite in the great work
of bringing the scattered sheep of Christ into one fold
under one shepherd, Jesus Christ our Lord." *
Let the sentiments of this distinguished prelate, so
charitably expressed, be carried out to the letter by
every bishop, clergyman and layman of the American
Church, and by every newspaper and periodical pub
lished under its sanction, and the day is not far distant
when the united Anglo and Romish American bodies
will be cemented into one American Catholic Church ; and
like its common parent, the Church of England, en
lighten the world by the purity of its doctrine, the lustre
of its piety, and the universality of its missionary opera
tions.! * " Bishops Successors of the Apostles," p.p. 33.
¦f- Should the above views be pronounced Utopian by the English
reader, the author begs to say that he is sustained in them by several
distinguished authorities in the American Church. One of these, the Rev.
Dr. Samuel Farmer Jarvis, the Church's Historiographer, thus expresses
himself in a pamphlet (the best that has been written on the subject)
"ROMAN CATHOLIC" SOCIETY IN AMERICA. 225
repelling the malignant charge brought against those who are labouring to
bring the Church up to her proper position, and to exhibit her in her true
character, as moulded by the Reformers, by carrying out her own
excellent provisions, of a leaning to "'popery :"
" There is a large and increasing body of American citizens, who are
now in communion with the see of Rome ;. and upon this body, an
increasing number of bishops and clergy exert a most untiring energy to
make them in all respects submissive to the decrees of the papacy. They
are aided by large sums received from Europe, with which they are
erecting churches, colleges, and monasteries. The greater part of their
bishops and clergy are foreigners by birth and education, brought up
under political influences, very different from the institutions of our
own republic. I except not even Ireland ; for the Irish as a nation are
opposed to the English rule, and are therefore willing to subject themselves
to an Ecclesiastical domination in their own communion, from the exer
cise of which the spirit of an American citizen must and will revolt.
" The present Roman Catholic population in this country, consists in
a very large proportion of adopted citizens. Here they are neither
tolerated nor persecuted. They are not tolerated because they enjoy
equal rights with all other classes of professing Christians. They are
not persecuted unless it be occasionally by a lawless mob. Their feel
ings therefore must necessarily become kinder ; and their children, being
educated among the children of other denominations of Christians, will not
feel such horror of them as they might under other circumstances. Then
comes the general effect of learning, the unrestrained freedom of opinion,
and the occasional intermarriages and other alliances, which must and do
take place.
" Now, under all these influences will it be possible for the Roman
Catholic clergy to bring up their laity to the ultra notions of the Jesuits
and the Court of Rome ? I trow not. At the most, they will only get
them up, I mean the intelligent part of them, to the standard of Bossuet,
and the liberties of the Gallican Church. I doubt even whether, under
the influence of our institutions, they will be made to ascend higher in the
shades of opinion, than the schools of Port Royal, Pascal, Arnauld
Nicole, and the divines of Louvain.
" lt is evident that the scandals which in Italy are seen in the glare of
day, are here kept carefully out of sight. Their clergy in general lead
exemplary lives. The truly catholic doctrines held by the Church of Rome
are prominently brought forward, and those which in reality are hereti
cal, are softened and explained away.
226 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
" For all this I rejoice. Its effect upon the laity of their communion
must be salutary. And I am neither sorry nor alarmed when I hear
them telling their laity, that we are advancing towards them. If they
think that we are advancing nearer to them than the Church of England was
at the time ofthe Reformation, it is the effect of their ignorance, if, on
the other hand, they do not think so, but merely profess to think so, in
order that they may divide and conquer us, they only use the same stra
tagem which the Jesuits used at the Reformation. The present stratagem
may, for the time, have the same effect as the former. It may frighten a
few timid, unstable and ignorant souls to forsake the straight and middle
way, and be swallowed up by the Scylla and Charibdis on either shore ;
but it cannot have the effect upon us which it was designed to have. The
mischief will recoil upon themselves. It will dispose the laity of their
communion, to regard us as their brethren ; and although the time may
be yet distant, when the convulsions of Europe will sap the Papal Throne
to its overthrow ; there may in the meanwhile be a gradual preparation
of hearts and minds, which will ultimately lead to a blessed harmony.
" A great American Catholic Church, equally removed from the extremes
of popery and puritanism ! What a glorious object for the American
Christian's contemplation ! ! Let us hope the present agitation will only
render truth clearer and hearts kinder. Let us hope, that being united
in one holy communion, having one Lord, one faith, one baptism, we as
the American people may go forth under the banners of our divine Lord
' to the breaking down of the kingdom of Bin, Satan, and death ; till at
length the whole of God's dispersed sheep, being gathered into one fold,
shall become partakers of everlasting life, through the merits and death of
Jesus Christ our Saviour.' " — Ao Union with Rome p. 43.
227
CHAPTER XXXIV.
SUPPLEMENTARY TO THE LAST.
Thou canst not, Cardinal, devise a name
So slight, unworthy, and ridiculous,
To charge me to an answer, as the pope !
Tell him this tale * * *
* * that no Italian bishop
Shall tythe or toll in our dominions.
But, as we, under Heaven, our .supreme bead
So, under Him, that great " supremacy"
Whom we do serve, we will alone uphold ;
Without the assistance of a mortal hand.
So tell the pope ; all reverence set apart
To him, and his usurp'd authority. Shakspeare.
Those readers, by whom the circumstance of Bishop Ken
rick's letter to the American Hierarchy, mentioned in
the last chapter, may be regarded (and truly so) as a sig
nificant "sign ofthe times" will not be uninterested to
learn something of the terms in which it was responded
to by the important body to whom the Bishop of Arath
(permissu superiorum) addressed himself. The prelates
who formally replied to the popish legate were New
Jersey, Maryland, Vermont, Illinois, and the presiding
bishop. It must be confessed that these answers were
not, except in the latter instance, couched in such
courteous terms as the Romish bishop employs. Each,
however, contained unanswerable replies to the exceed
ingly shallow arguments contained in the " Call to
Union." The following are extracts from the Bishop of
New Jersey's letter : —
" The ' Letter on Christian Union,' addressed to ' The
228 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
Right Reverend Bishops of the Protestant Episcopal
Church in the United States, by the Right Rev. Francis
Patrick Kenrick, Bishop of Arath,' calling himself ' co
adjutor of the Bishop of Philadelphia' was received, by
mail. It needed but a glance to see that this was but
another form of the ' old trick ;' so clumsily played, that
it must frustrate its own purpose, and ' return to plague
the inventor.'
" Let it be thought by none that he is rash, in charg
ing schism against the author of the ' Letter on Christian
Union.' It lies upon the very title page ! ' Letter on
Christian Union, addressed to the Bishops of the Pro
testant Episcopal Church, by the Right Rev. Francis
Patrick Kenrick, Bishop of Arath.' All well enough, so
far. But what follows, ' and co-adjutor of the Bishop
of Philadelphia,' is unmitigated schism. — There needs
no question here as to the aged bishop now a resident in
Rome, whose co-adjutor Bishop Kenrick claims to be ?
The question is, what business has the Bishop of Arath
in the city of Philadelphia ? Is it not against all catho
lic rule that two bishops should exercise their functions
in one city, unless one be assistant to the other ? Was
there not a bishop having jurisdiction in Philadelphia,
in 1808, when 'the Diocess of Philadelphia,' so called,
' was created ?' Was not the second bishop, called by
whatever name in partibus infidelium, an intruder
there ? Does not the Bishop of Arath, claiming juris
diction, or exercising functions in the diocese of Penn
sylvania, convict himself, before the world, and in the
sight of God, of schism, and worse ?"
*** * * * * * * *
"Enough is cited now to prove, that neither the
" ROMAN CATHOLIC " SOCIETY IN AMERICA. 229
Right Rev. Henry Conwell, D.D., nor the Right Rev.
Francis Patrick Kenrick, D.D. has any business what
ever in the diocese of Pennsylvania, unless they are
summoned; and that the sooner the latter of them
betakes himself to his proper bishopric of Arath — which
he has probably not yet visited — the better.
" We pass on to the ' Letter on Christian Union ;'
a strange topic for a schismatic in the diocese of a catho
lic bishop, and irresistably suggesting the quotation :
" Quis tuterit Gracchos de seditione querentes ?"
Which may be freely rendered :
How strange, a schismatic should rail at schism !"
********** " It is as poor a proof of self-respect, as of the estima
tion in which we are held by him, that Bishop Kenrick
speaks of ' other serious difficulties in the way of union,'
which it were ' premature to treat on this occasion,'
besides the doctrinal concessions and ecclesiastical ad
missions, which he calls on us to make. When he has
brought us to renounce the faith of Cranmer, Cyprian,
Ignatius, Paul, ' the faith once delivered to the saints, '
and embrace the gross corruptions which were mingled
in the festering and fermenting caldron mixed and
stirred at Trent, and to recognize the Bishop of Rome
as 'the true vicar of Christ, and head of the whole
Church, and the father and teacher of all Christians, '
the ' personal interests and claims, which are at stake,'
will not detain us long. God forbid that we should
glory ! But, before that time comes, God grant that
these our bodies, may be ' given to be burned ! ' In
the mean time, permit me simply to inquire, by what
right you, or any of, or even all, your colleagues, make
230 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
these overtures to us ? Who authorised you to answer
for ' the Father of the Faithful ? ' Who made the ser
vant free to give the invitations of his master's house ?
Nay, by what right do you, the inferior and vassal ofthe
pope, approach us, bishops of the Catholic Church of
Christ ; and so— saving the reverence due to occupancy
of the see in which the apostles laboured, preached and
died— the equals ofthe Bishop of Rome ; and, therefore,
your superiors ? We are no vicars of the Apostolic See
as you are ; but vicars of the Lord of Heaven and earth.
We claim no personal regard, but humbly wash your
feet, as well becomes us. But if you touch our office, if
you trench upon our trust, which we received from
Christ, and hold for Him and Him alone, we plainly
say to you, that, if the Bishop of Rome, our fellow
bishop, be your superior, you may choose what name
or place you will, but bishops in the catholic sense, as
we are, we allow you not to be.
" To any proper communication which the Bishop of
Rome shall ever make to the bishops of the Church in
the United States of America, his office and their
own will be a certain guarantee of due reception, and
respectful answer. To such an invitation as the " Bishop
of Arath" undertakes to make for him, we reply not at
all ! We respect our order — we revere the catholic
doctrine — we reverence the Word of God too much !
We place ourselves at once upon the ground of ephestjs,
and utterly repudiate an interference so insulting ! We
are freemen — born free. — We cherish, as a sacred trust,
for those that shall come after us, that liberty, where
with our Lord Jesus Christ, the deliverer of all men, has
endowed us by his own blood. We are bishops of the
Church of God ; and recognising no higher office in the
"ROMAN CATHOLIC" SOCIETY IN AMERICA. 231
Church save His who is the " shepherd, and bishop of
souls" we "give place " to the Bishop of Rome, "by
subjection, no, not for an hour."
" Not knowing what my brethren the bishops of the
"Protestant Episcopal Church" in the United States, to
whom it is also addressed, may say to your extraordi
nary proposition to become romanists, I have the
honour of returning you the following answer for
myself :
" That branch of the Holy Catholic Church, (not
Roman) in America, whose bishops you have thought
proper to address, and invite to leave their parent and
primitive stock, the Vine Christ Jesus, whose only ' Hus
bandman is God the Father,' to be engrafted in the Roman
Church, is cherished by the blood of her martyrs. You
cannot be ignorant that we are all deeply conscious of
the fact of these martyrs having died rather than own
the corrupted creed of the Romish Church, or submit to
the usurpation of her self-created pontiff. That it
should ever have entered your mind to invite us to
return to that Church and submit to their hierarchy,
seems stranger ; and that we should do it with our eyes
shut, and our tongues tied, in obedience to your invita
tion, is no compliment to our understanding, and no
evidence of your humility."
The following morceau from the Bishop of Illinois
is sufficiently characteristic :
" You are pleased to say that ' you cannot come be
yond the precincts of the [Romish] Church to reach us
in our present position, and therefore from afar you
2 G
232 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
raise your voice ' to make us hear your entreaties to
come to the pope.
" Now, right rev. sir, we would spare you the trouble
of raising your voice any higher, by answering forth
with that ive do hear ; and beg leave to assure you that
you being afar off from us might be matter of regret
were we acquainted with your personal and private
virtues ; but as this is not our happy lot — as we know
you only by your present raised voice afar off: inviting
us (I cannot say tempting us) to commit a great sin by
acknowledging a spiritual monarch, in calling the pope
our master, when Jesus Christ is our only universal
bishop, as He and He only was such to the apostles
and first bishops of the Church in the primitive days,
we confess we do not regret your distance from us. If
you must ' raise your voice ' and cry aloud to us on a
subject so repugnant to our conscience and so abhorrent
to our feelings, we can only express our sincere wishes
that the distance between us were much greater than
it is." It is, at least, just to Bishop Kenrick to add that,
however his right reverend opponents might suspect
him of dishonesty in his mode of approaching them, he
did it in all good faith. He is a gentleman of great
Christian virtues; and would surely not intentionally
deceive. His letter only shows to what an extent all
parties in the Christian world— even the Romish adhe
rents—have been misled and hood-winked in reference
to what is called " the Oxford movement ; " and how
universally the falsehood of the semi-dissenting organs
within our own communion, (backed as they are in
their unfounded assertions by the political press) has
succeeded in confounding the sound and healthy refor-
"ROMAN CATHOLIC" SOCIETY IN AMERICA. 233
mation going on in the Church, in a return to true pro-
testant principles, with the extravagant acts, or the
apostacy to Rome of some six or eight half-read or
light-headed divines. The following is Dr. Kenrick's
notice of the severe attacks of the protestant bishops : —
" All this ire was excited by a letter — calm, courteous,
affectionate — inviting to union and peace. Nothing on
the face of it was alleged to be disrespectful ; but it was
intolerable boldness in a catholic prelate to invite pro
testant episcopal bishops to abandon their peculiar
doctrines and claims, even though one of their own
body had seriously advised us, in violation of our solemn
oaths, and steadfast convictions, to renounce our obedi
ence to the successor of St. Peter. My sincerity was
denied, and the letter was considered as ironical. I
took them to be hypocrites. I called on them to be
come traitors. Did Bishop Hopkins think us capable
of perjury, when he urged us to vindicate our indepen
dence of pontifical authority ? I can solemnly aver
that I wrote that letter in all sincerity, and without any
design of calling in question the sincerity of those whom
I addressed. The advances made at Oxford, with some
corresponding symptoms here, raised some faint hope
within my bosom ; and I fancied that there might be
some one among the protestant episcopal bishops, who,
seeing the progress to the ancient . faith in the parent
country, might have some yearnings after union.
Bishop Smith had deplored the evils of schism, and
extolled the blessings of unity, and invited the exami
nation and full development of his principles, which he
professed himself desirous of carrying out to their legiti
mate consequences. I had shewed their just applica
tion ; and my letter was favourably noticed in a paper
234 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
published under his eye, and no answer wits ever at
tempted. Might not he, or some other one, be secretly
mourning over the ruins of Sion, and praying that the
walls of Jerusalem may be built up ? I hoped against
hope, and concluded that my appeal would be, at least
an evidenee of the desire of one catholic bishop — which
I was persuaded was common to all — to procure a re
union at any sacrifice but that of principle ; and would
throw on the protestant bishops the responsibility of
defeating the good work, to which things appeared to
dispose the minds of men."
The quiet irony which twice discovers itself in this
paragraph, applied to the soubriquet of the American
Church, is the only thing in the Romanist doctor's letter
worthy of notice ; beyond the sincerity claimed for his
original intentions, which no one can doubt. It must
be admitted that the tautological blunder contained un
der this clumsy title is not less absurd than the negative
prefix of "protestant, " used (in this case) in contradis
tinction to the term catholic. Both were unwisely
adopted, against Bishop Seabury's judgment, by the
Convention of 1789 in compliance with the demands of
certain radical delegates from Virginia and the south ;
and were deemed in the then state of religious feeling
in the United- States, as due, in courtesy, to the other
" ecclesiastical " bodies of the country. Such squeamish-
ness was, however, wholly uncalled for as, besides the
assumption of the title " Holy Catholic Church in the
United States " by the Romish intruders, the various
dissenting bodies adopted respectively such as the fol
lowing — " Christians " (a Socinian baptist sect) " Pri
mitive Christians" (a methodist sect) " Disciples, " etc.,
the congregationalists retaining their title of " the
"ROMAN CATHOLIC" SOCIETY IN AMERICA. 235
Standing Order." The tenderness shown for the scru
ples and feelings of sectarians who themselves adopted
titles no less " arrogant " than that of " The American
Church, " or " The Church of the United States " was
surely morbid; and the result at this day, in the igno
rant misconception of terms and, the handle afforded
to the papal agents in America against the " catho
lic" claims of her apostolic Church prove too truly that
there is something "in a name." The evil, however,
is easy of cure.
As Bishop Griswold's response to his schismatical
brother prelate's invitation to " union " was introduced
in a work on the Reformation, published in numbers,
and only completed just before his sudden death it
will form a suitable appendix to this. A few days after
these catholic sentences which follow were written but
before they passed through the press, the hand which
penned them was cold in death.
"The Reformation has evidently produced some
reformation in the Church of Rome. Compare the
morals of the court of Rome with what they were
during the three centuries previous, and you will be
surprised at the contrast ! The power of the court has
been very much diminished. The thunders of the Vati
can, at which the world then trembled, are now heard
with pity, mingled with contempt. That infernal and
horrid machine of popery, the inquisition, we trust
in God will not much more be tolerated ! That lucra
tive traffic, the sale of indulgences, has, in conse
quence of the Reformation, become comparatively an un
profitable business. The ungodly spirit, and bloody
hand of persecution have been very much restrained ;
and toleration, on true Christian principles is, happily,
236 ecclesiastical reminiscences.
very much increased. In this good work, the Reforma
tion has uniformly taken the lead, and is now far ahead.
The true spirit of missions, and efforts to convert the
heathen, not by carnal weapons, or by hiding or per
verting the truth — but by that " sword of the Spirit,
which is the Word of God," teaching man generally the
doctrines of Jesus Christ, and him crucified, is also among
the noble fruits ofthe Reformation. The preaching of the
Roman clergy has been changed for the better, especi- -
ally in protestant countries. They now preach less of
saints and relics, of masses and purgatory, of popes and
" mother Church," and more of Christ. * * *
" Should any one ask — seeing the Church of Rome
has, in some degree, reformed — why we should not, as
the Bishop of Arath urges, " return to it ? " I answer : —
" First. It is a reformation forced upon it. The Ro
manists will tell you themselves that they 'never
change ' ! and
" Secondly. Why should we go to them ? Rather
they reject their errors, and unite with us. Have we
not the words of eternal life ?
" Thirdly. We never have departed from the One
Catholic, and Apostolic Church. We have merely re
jected what is unscriptural, superstitious, etc., etc.
"Fourthly. We would gladly, and are ready, to
unite with them and all Christians in whatever "is good
unto the use of edifying," and according to the word of
God; but —
Fifthly. To unite with any Christians in what is
erroneous or unscriptural, is going — not to the true
Catholic Church, but from it." *
May we not hope — nay without enthusiasm believe,
* The Reformation p. 126.
'•ROMAN CATHOLIC" SOCIETY IN AMERICA. 237
— that the day may not be very distant when these words
of the meek successor of " the beloved disciple " will
prove prophetic ; in the return of the apo statized adhe
rents of an intruding see — drawn by the cords of love,
and the accents of affectionate conciliation — to the bosom
of the Catholic Church of America; and when their
incontrovertible truth will find a home in every
breast now enthralled by the claims — unfounded and
vain — of a distant power, whose rule and corrupted
doctrine are incompatible both with their own religious
position, and the due liberty of American citizenship ?
238
CHAPTER XXXV.
DR. HENSHAW. — DR. DORR. FEMALE HIGH SCHOOL
RETURN TO NEW YORK.
Before leaving Baltimore I had an opportunity of hear
ing Dr. Henshaw the rector of St. Peter's, now Bishop
of Rhode Island. The congregation, though on a week
day, was as large as the building would accommodate.
Dr. H. showed great skill in treating his subject, which
was on the practical effect of soundness in doctrine : a
most important subject, less regarded both in America
and England than it ought to be. -The sermon was ex
tempore throughout, and in the best style of pulpit
address. With a portly figure, and prepossessing
countenance, Dr. Henshaw combines a fine voice and
fluent utterance. His idiom is not loose, nor marked by
the vulgarisms, and entire want of dignity which Ame
rican extempore preachers in the non-episcopal deno
minations frequently exhibit. I met with a remarkable
instance of this style while on a subsequent visit to
Baltimore, in a preacher named Knapp, who was conduct
ing a " protracted meeting" at the " First Baptist"
meeting house in Lombard Street. He was a man of
uncommon powers, and skilled in all the tricks of popular
oratory, which he practised with the most complete
success. He preached every day, and three times on
Sundays for a number of weeks, drawing the whole
city to the meeting-house. A church adjoining was
even closed, from the temporary desertion of the wor
shippers to listen to the exhibitions of the revivalist
preacher, and the number of communicants added to the
A " REVIVALIST " PREACHER. 239
society, on whose behalf the visit was made, was more
than quadrupled. His sermons, though frequently ad
mirable, and well adapted to a mixed auditory, were
sometimes marred by the grossest vulgarisms which
even bordered on profanity. Puns, low proverbs, fami
liar anecdotes, and dialogues would succeed each other,
accompanied with gestures, in which the action was
suited to the word ; exciting alternate risibility and sen
sation, and lowering the pulpit to the level of the stage
making " the judicious grieve."
I left Baltimore for Philadelphia on Saturday the
28th. It was a week most agreeably spent ; and I
carried away with me the pleasantest impressions of the
place, and its society. I have since had numerous
opportunities of improving my knowledge of both, which
is only necessary to confirm the best impressions.
Philadelphia, St. Simon and St. Jude. — In the morning
I was attracted by the bells of Christ church, to that
venerable edifice. It stands in the old part of the city,
and is nearly a century and a half old, resembling the
large city churches of England in its general air, and
internal appointments. Christ Church parish has existed
from A.D. 1691, and was the cathedral church during
Bishop White's administration of the diocess. The gilt
mitre still ornaments its graceful spire.
Dr. Benjamin Dorr, the present rector, is a member
of the Standing Committee of Pensylvania, an attractive
preacher, and an author of considerable repute. " The
Churchman's Manual," one of the best treatises on the
doctrine and government of the Church, which has made
its appearance in the United States, is from his pen. It
contains an admirable defence of diocesan episcopacy,
and liturgical worship, and is well adapted to put into
2 H
240 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
the hands of inquirers into the scriptural and primitive
authority for our distinctive principles. The sermon
this morning was a missionary one, and was responded
to by a liberal offering from the large congregation.
I spent the afternoon and evening at the house of the
Rev. Charles Alden, in Spruce-street, principal of the
Philadelphia High School for young ladies. The estab
lishment is a favourable specimen of similar institutions
in the United States, its general plan being similar to a
college ; the pupils are carried through every branch of
useful and ornamental study, including mathematics,
natural philosophy, and the classics, and receive a certifi
cate on the completion of their term of residence. The
teachers, and several of the pupils in this school are
highly accomplished, and everything in the establish
ment appeared to be admirably conducted*
On Tuesday I left Philadelphia by the steam-boat,
and had the opportunity, which my night-journey thither
had prevented, of seeing some of the objects on the
first part of my way. The banks of the river Delaware
above the city, are embellished with numerous farm
houses and country seats, their gardens and lawns sloping
to the water's edge. Twenty miles from the city, on the
right, Burlington, the see town of the diocess of New
Jersey, appears in sight. It is regularly laid out, and
the "Bank" extending along two thirds of the city
exhibits a great variety of handsome dwellings, neat
villas, cottages, etc. The most conspicuous amongst these
is the episcopal residence, which vies with several
English country seats of the medium class. The
New Jersey bishop's expansive doors, communicating
* Mr. Alden has since accepted a chaplaincy in the navy, and the/-
institution is under a different presidency.
BURLINGTON. 2-11
with the entrance hall are always open in fine weather,
to the verdant bank, with its gravelled carriage way,
and the wide bosom of the lovely Delaware, whose
ripples wash the beach within twenty miles of the
house. The building is a combination of different early
styles, with a cross on the highest turret. The grounds
attached to it are well laid out in English fashion, and
everything in, and about the establishment, gives proof
of the well known taste of its proprietor. Just beyond
the bishop's house, the front of St. Mary's Hall appears
from between the trees. This is one of those designs
for the religious and intellectual improvement of the
rising generation, which the enterprising bishop has
brought to maturity in his diocess. The object is to
conduct female education on a Christian foundation, and
the principles of the Church. Bishop Brownell of
Connecticut some time ago declared,- " that he consi
dered female seminaries under the auspices of the
Church hardly less important than chartered colleges ;
and such is becoming the established sentiment in the
United States. The present enterprise of Bishop Doane
has already been singularly successful. With the best
teachers, in every department of science, literature, and
the fine arts, that could be procured in the country, and
a clerical principal and chaplain, and [under episcopal
supervision, St. Mary's is truly a christian household
for the future mothers of New Jersey, for which the
community are, and will be under unspeakable obliga
tions to the excellent prelate, its founder.
A little further, on the Pennsylvania side of the river,
is the town of Bristol. It was incorporated by Sir
William Keith in 1722, under this name, having been
previously called Buckingham. After leaving several
242 ecclesiastical reminiscences.
passengers at Burlington, the boat crossedover to Bris
tol to land several more, and receive others ; it then
pursued its way to Bordentown, thirty miles from Phila
delphia, where we took the railway cars. It was at this
place that Joseph Buonaparte took up his residence in
America. His fine establishment is now running ra
pidly to seed, and bears everywhere marks of neglect
and dilapidation. Forty-five miles, the distance across
the sterile plains of New Jersey, had now to be traversed ;
which with the exception of the two thriving villages
of Hightstown, and Spottswood, where the train stopped,
presented no object worth noticing. At South Amboy
we took the steam-boat for New York : the trip having
occupied me eighteen days.
243
CHAPTER XXXVI.
BOARDING-HOUSE life. — general convention of 1838.
COLUMBIA COLLEGE.
The time passed in New- York, before sailing, and after
my return from England (where I spent the Christmas
of 1837*) gave me an opportunity of improving my
knowledge of that city, and its agreeable society. None
enjoy themselves more, and enter into the social amuse
ments of the winter season with greater zest, than the
New-Yorkers. The boarding-house in which I was
quartered in Murray-street was a favourable example
of a mode of living peculiar to the United States. The
house was of the largest size, being, in fact, two (double
fronted, four story) houses, communicating on each
landing, and accommodating about fifty boarders ; prin
cipally single young men, professional characters, and
store keepers, some being married people. The charge
for board and lodging depends upon the floor, and the
number of chambers occupied, graduating from six dol
lars a week to twenty-five. Meals were taken in a
capacious dining-room on the first floor, -J* which, like the
other public rooms, was furnished in a style of elegance
and luxury. The table afforded every variety ; wines
of all kinds were furnished if wanted ; the servants
were numerous and civil, and the whole establishment
was like that of a large well-regulated family. The lady
at the head of this household, was a strict churchwoman}
* See Appendix No. II.
t Called the " second-floor " in America.
244 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
and a communicant of Gracechureh, under the pasto
ral care of Dr. Lyall, a clergyman of loDg standing in
New York. TJhe regular attendance of our hostess,
with her family, on public worship operated favourably
on her boarders, many of whom frequented the same
church. This boarding-house was much patronized by
clergymen visiting the city, which made it additionally
agreeable. Ecclesiastically, New- York is by far the most import
ant place in the United States. The parishes are thirty-
one in number, one of which (Trinity) is the richest
religious corporation in the country, holding several
tracts of city land, the ground-rents of which yield a
large annual sum. There are two chapels of ease be
longing to the parish, besides the church, now erecting
at a cost of half a million dollars.
On the fifth of September the General Convention of
the American Church assembled in Philadelphia, which
I was (sorely against my inclination) prevented from
attending. The most important act was the appoint
ment of the Rev. Leonidas Polk to the office of " Mis
sionary Bishop " to the south western territory of the
country, south of 36£° with the title of "Bishop of
Arkansas ; " the jurisdiction of the first missionary
bishop* to be confined north of that line. Indiana,
though not a territory, was at the same time placed
under, the jurisdiction of the latter. It was also provided
" that in case of the death or resignation of a missionary
bishop the Presiding Bishop of the Church shall be, and
is hereby authorised to request one of the neighbouring
bishops to take charge of the vacant missionary episco-
* Kemper.
GENERAL CONVENTION OF 1838. 245
pate until the meeting of the next General Conven
tion." Dr. Kemper's appointment, in 1835^fhad been fol
lowed by the best results ! From one missionary who
was toiling single and unaided in his wide field of
labour at the time of the bishop's removal thither, an
increase had been effected of twelve settled clergymen,
and more than thirty congregations. The Indians had
been visited, and many converts made amongst them to
the catholic faith.
It was also determined to add to the foreign mission
aries by sending two to Constantinople, another to the
one already in China, another to Cape Palmas, and
another to Texas. Three new canons were passed and
seven old ones amended. Of the former the first made
candidates for orders ineligible to seats in the General
Convention ; the second related to the organizing of
new dioceses out of existing dioceses, and the third to
repealed canons.*
The Bishop of Ohio, on behalf of a committee
appointed on the subject of emigrating to and from fo
reign Churches, reported " that it is absolutely essential
to the proper discipline of this Church that no clergyman
from a foreign (episcopal) Church, should be received
into union with any diocese in these United States,
except he bring a regular and formal dimissory letter from
the foreign bishop whose diocese he was last connected
with; and further, that when so received, he should
be regarded on all sides as having entirely passed
from the ecclesiastical jurisdiction of the bishop from
whom the letter dimissory is brought to that of
* See Appendix.
246 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
the bishop by whom it is accepted ; and further
that in the opinion of this House no such clergy
man, or any^ other, desirous of passing from the
Church in these United States to that of any foreign
state, ought to be received by any foreign bishop into
connection with his diocese, except upon the receipt of
a regular and formal dimissory letter from the bishop
within whose jurisdiction he was last connected here ;
and that when thus accepted, and only then, he be
considered as discharged from all obligations of a canoni
cal obedience to the discipline of this Church."
Whereupon the Presiding Bishop was appointed to
enter into correspondence with the different foreign
primates, for the purpose of arranging as soon as possible
a general concurrence in the above regulations, and to
report to the House of Bishops at the next General
Convention. Incipient measures were also taken for the formation
of a Bible Society in connection with the Church, which
design was perfected at the General Convention of 1844.
The convention also ratified the act of dividing New
York state into two dioceses.
The Rev. Samuel F. Jarvis, D.D., L.L.D. was ap
pointed " Historiographer of the Church," with a view
" to his preparing from the most original sources now
extant, a faithful Ecclesiastical History, reaching from
the apostles' times to the formation of the Protestant
Episcopal Church in the United States;" and Dr.
Francis Hawks, the " Conservator" of all the books,
.pamphlets, manuscripts, &c, of the Church, was requested
"to prepare at his earliest convenience a condensed
view of the documents he has collected, so as to form a
connected history of the latter."
THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY. 247
The bishops on first coming together at this Conven
tion adopted the following resolutions :
" Resoloed, That in organising the House of Bishops
for the business of another Convention, we cannot
refrain from the expression of the lively sensibility which
we feel at the loss of our Venerable Brother, who has
so long presided over our deliberations.
" Resolved, That we shall ever cherish an affectionate
remembrance of the person and services of our deceased
brother, the Rt. Rev. William White, D.D. ; grateful
to Almighty God for his long continued usefulness to
the Church, and mindful of the bright example he has
left us, in the purity of his life, the integrity of his
purposes, the wisdom and moderation of his counsel and
the benignity of his entire character."
The General Theological Seminary at New- York is
a fine Church institution, which I occasionally visited,
and where I formed an intimacy with several of the
students, whom I found indefatigable scholars. It was
first established through the instrumentality of the late
Bishop Hobart, about twenty years ago, as a divinity
school. All the bishops of the Church are trustees ; the
professorships five. There are also twelve handsomely
endowed scholarships The requirements for admission
are, evidences of being a candidate for orders, and a
college diploma, — or the test of an examination in Latin,
Greek and Hebrew, with natural and moral philosophy,
and rhetoric. To the latter, Sallust, Virgil, Cicero,
the Gospels, and Zenophon's Cyropoedia, and the three
first books of Homer are sufficient. There are three
classes, (senior, middle, and junior) ; and at the comple
tion ofthe full course the student receives a testimonial
of the same signed by the professors, and countersigned
2 i
248 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
by any number of the trustees. The whole expense of
the three years, including board, washing, fuel, lights,
etc., can be comprised within a hundred pounds.
The seminary buildings are of stone, in the plain
Gothic style, and contain the usual departments of
private recitation rooms, library, chapel, refectory, and
professor's apartments ; it is built for 104 students. A
prospect of great beauty is commanded from the win
dows of the swelling bosom of the Hudson River, and
the opposite shores of New Jersey.
On Thursday, October the 2nd, I witnessed the " Com
mencement" of Columbia College, another Church
institution, which Mr. Bristed, in his elaborate work
entitled "America and her Resources" says "ought to
surpass any other college in the Union." Yale and
Harvard, however, have double the number of students.
To give the reader some idea of college pageants in the
United States, I will present the order observed on this
occasion. The procession moved from College Green at
9 a.m. and proceeded to Trinity church as follows : —
Janitor of the College
Students of Arts
Candidates for Bachelor's Degrees
Bachelors of Arts
Candidates for Master's Degrees
Masters of Arts
Members of various Societies
Students of the General Theological Seminary
Principal of the Public Schools
Teachers of the Grammar Schools of the College
Graduates of the Colleges
Faculty of Arts of the College
President of the College
COLUMBIA COLLEGE.
Trustees
Governor of the State
Lieutenant Governor
Members of the Legislature
The Mayor
Foreign Ministers
Judges of the different Courts
City Members of Congress
Strangers of Distinction
Foreign Consuls
City Corporation
Bishop of the diocess
The Reverend, the Clergy
Professors of the Theological Seminary
Officers of the State
City and County Officers
The exercises in the church opened with a prayer by
the president, Dr. Duer ; the candidates for the degree
Artium Baccalaureus next pronounced speeches and
received medals. Other students then received the
degree Artium Magister. Some honorary degrees were
conferred ; the Valedictory spoken by a graduate ; and
the proceedings closed with the benediction^
The candidates for degrees on this, as on all similar
occasions in the United States, wore under graduates'
gowns, which is the only time they are used, and the
principal officers their appropriate college costume, which
is the same in each university where any habit is used.
250
CHAPTER XXXVII.
PHILADELPHIA. DR. TYNG. JOURNEY TO THE INTE
RIOR — LEWISTOWN. — HARRISBURGH. SETTLEMENT IN
MY SECOND PARISH.
Proud Susquehanna ! Thou art still untamed :
Art fails thy noble features to subdue
Since first the red man thy wild waters named,
Or on thy bosom plied his light canoe.
Small change is thine — tho' man has snatched thy vales
To build his cities, and his fields to spread,
Yet all in vain, presumptuous art assails
Thy mountain borders, and thy rocky bed.
Small change is thine — yet, River, tbou hast seen
Races and nations perish on thy shores.
But what to thee is man ? all he has been,
Or all he loves, possesses, or deplores ?
Ephemeral man 1 Thou seest him pass away,
While thy enduring youth time cannot sear.
He labours, loves, and weeps his little day
And lo ! he is not — and yet thou still art here
Here, in the unmarr'd wildness of thy prime :
No imprint of thy Maker's hand defaced
In all thy lineaments unchanged by time,
The finger of Omnipotenee is traced.
Adieu bright River — memory shall the while,
Oft bring thy deep blue waters to my dreams ;
Each frowning border, and each flowering isle,
And eddies dancing in the noonday beams.
I remained some time in New York, in hopes of
obtaining a parochial charge in the south of that state,
where some friends of a younger sister who had accom
panied me on my return to America, resided. By the
bishop's invitation I waited over the meeting of the
diocesan Convention, now at hand, in the prospect of a
vacancy occurring. In this I was disappointed, and
therefore removed to Pennsylvania, recommended by
the bishop to the Rev. Dr. Delancey, rector of St. Peter's
in Philadelphia.
dr. tyng. 251
My stay in Philadelphia introduced me to several of
the clergy, among whom, besides the rector of St. Peter's,
Messrs. Dorr and Clemson gave me encouragement to
settle in the diocess. Dr. Delancey interested himself to
procure me a parish just vacant in Wyoming Valley,
but an incumbent had been appointed on the very day
of his application ; I therefore determined on making a
tour into the interior of the state, to which my clerical
friends furnished me with letters.
The evening before my departure I received high
gratification from listening to a distinguished preacher
and polemic in the person of Dr. Tyng, rector of the
Epiphany. This gentleman enj oys a large share of public
esteem on account of his independance of thought and
action ; refusing to be fettered by any party shackles in
pursuing a course, which frequently places him in a situa
tion equally removed from the two parties which are
represented, (though in very unequal proportions,) in the
American Church. Like a distinguished legal nobleman,
in his parliamentary course, all questions are judged of
by their inherent merit, without reference to the school
or faction whence they emanate, and are supported or
opposed accordingly.
The church of the Epiphany is externally one of the
handsomest in the city, with a large portico in front,
supported by a double row of pillars. Dr. Tyng (who
is now preferred to St. George's, New York) was rector
of the parish twelve years.
I set out on my journey on Thursday the 18th of
October, taking the railroad cars for Columbia, a town
on the Susquehanna. The road lies through one of the
most fertile regions in the United States ; the farms, by
universal acknowledgment, superior to any in the
252 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
country except Western New York. Everything in
this section shows an equal degree of cultivation to the
agricultural districts of England.
The principal place through which we passed, and
which I afterwards visited more lhan once, was Lancas
ter, formerly the capital city of Pennsylvania, and now
the third in importance. Like Philadelphia, the streets
which are well built, cross each other at right angles.
There are a college, and several public schools here,
with the usual complement of public offices, for the
more particular description of which, see the Gazetteer.
St. James church, the only episcopal place of worship,
is a noble structure, attended exclusively by the wealthy
citizens. At Columbia we took the canal boat, which left a
short time after our arrival for the western route to
Pittsburgh and the Ohio river. The views on the Sus
quehanna river are picturesque in the extreme, and are
considered by some equal in grandeur and variety to
those of the Hudson. My own experience, however
belies this overpartial estimate; though it must be
confessed, the finest English river scenery sinks into
insignificance when compared with the numerous views
of land and lake, in almost every state I. have visited in
America. After passing Marietta, Bainbiidge, and York Haven,
three inconsiderable towns, the darkness which came on
apace shut out the view, and on coming on deck in the
morning we were near Harrisburgh the capital of the
state. A few miles beyond Harrisburgh the scenery assumes
a wild and magnificent appearance, which continued
till we reached the confluence of the river with its
SUSQUEHANNA. 253
tributary, the Juniata, seventeen miles beyond Harris
burgh. Here a scene of surpassing grandeur and beauty
presents itself; the canal, which is borne up by an
immense stone wall extending from the Blue Mountain
Gap to Duncan's Island, enters the Juniata valley ;
mountain peaks rise one above another on either side,
and one continuous scene of loveliness enchants the eye
of the traveller till he reaches Lewistown ; — how far
beyond I am unable to say from personal survey, as
there I landed, after travelling seventy-two miles by rail
road and one hundred by canal.
Lewistown is the shire town of Mifflin county, con
tains several thousand inhabitants, and finely situated
on the north bank of the river. I spent a day in climb
ing over the mountains which close it in on the north,
and felt a wish that it might prove the place of my
ministerial labours ; but such was not to be the case. A
former incumbent of the parish, to whom application
had been made to supply the vacancy in the rectorship,
replied by accepting the offer, and his letter reached
whilst I was in the town. I preached twice in the neat
brick church of St. Mark on Sunday, and on Tuesday
morning left for Harrisburgh. Here I met with a cordial
reception from Mr. Peacock, and the Rev Charles V.
Kelly the excellent rector of St. Stephen's, to which he
was just removed from St. Bartholomew's in New York.
He had relinquished a populous parish and a large
salary from his country predilections and aversion to a
city life.
Though I had preached in Mr. Kelly's pulpit while
staying in New York, this was the first time of our
meeting ; and the interview gave rise to a mutual wish
that I should fix myself in the neighbourhood, which
254 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
the agreeable associations of Harrisburgh made addi
tionally tempting. The only vacancy now remaining
in the diocess was York, the county town to the adjoin
ing county of the same name, and twenty miles from
Harrisburgh. The congregation there had been repre
sented to me as much reduced from deaths and the
removal of several of the principal families, and in other
respects as so unpromising a field that I had declined the
offer of a letter to the vestry made me in Philadelphia.
Whilst in Harrisburg I changed my mind, and taking a
letter from Mr. Peacock to one ofthe churchwardens, I
made a visit to York and preached there the following
Sunday. On the next day the rectorship of the parish
was, by an unanimous vote of the vestry, tendered to me,
and the bishop, concurring in the election, instituted me
on his next visitation to that part of the diocess after my
promotion to priest's orders — which latter event took
place in St. Peter's church, Philadelphia, on Sunday the
3rd of February, 1839.
The latter occasion, in opening an acquaintance with
one of my fellow candidates for the priesthood, proved
the first step towards the formation of another connec
tion besides that of a sacerdotal union to the Church.
265
CHAPTER XXXVIII.
[OLD] YORK.
York in Pennsylvania is one of the first settled towns
in that state, coeval with Philadelphia, Bristol, Chester,
Reading, and Lancaster, and laid out by William Penn,
the founder of Pennsylvania ; who if he exhibited but
little taste in the plans of the cities and towns which he
founded, was particlarly happy in fixing their sites.
Of this York is a proof; its situation in the midst of a
fertile, wide extended vale, and on the banks of a navi
gable river, near the centre of the county, render it an
eligible position for a shire town, and a market.
In the old court house, Congress assembled during
the revolutionary war when driven from Philadelphia,
and here a " tory parson " who persisted in prajing for
his majesty George the Third was ducked in the river
for his loyalty, and discharged from his cure by a more
summary and effectual mode of ejectment, than an
episcopal mandate could effect in these days of appeal.
St. John's church, the parish temple of my congre
gation, was built before the Revolution, and had formerly
been one of only four churches in the state. It was a
substantial edifice ; the walls of the same solidity as the
generality of country churches in England, and standing
in a pleasant retired part of the town. Here I minis
tered for two years, observing every canonical day in
the ecclesiastical calender, though frequently on the
lesser festivals with scarce half a dozen fellow worship-
2 K
256 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
pers. My devoted companion proved an admirable
fellow-helper in my pastoral duties, and a sharer in my
schemes of relaxation, which, however, never extended
beyond a day's fishing, or a visit to a country pa
rishioner. Our course was therefore a smooth and even
one, made doubly so by the attentions and liberality of
my congregation. As there are many circumstances
connected with the history of the parish at York highly
creditable to several of my predecessors in the office of
pastor, and to the Venerable Society for the Propagation of
the Gospel in Foreign Parts to which it owes its founda
tion, I cannot forbear in this place giving a brief sketch of it.
The church building was erected in 1766 — 7 at the
same time with the churches at Lancaster and Reading
and when the Rev. John Andrews was missionary from
the "Venerable Society" in this and Cumberland counties.
The pews were let out by the year, which is still a rule
of the parish, and out of these pew holders the vestry,
ten in number, were and still are annually chosen. Mr.
Andrews left York to take possession of the parish of St.
James at Bristol in Bucks county, and was subse
quently made Provoost of the University of Pennsyl
vania. To him succeeded, in 1773, the Rev. Daniel
Batwell, likewise an Englishman, who being a loyalist
and exposed to the violence of the revolutionary agents,
withdrew from this country at the period of the Refor
mation, and was presented by George the Third to a
parish, where he died.
In 1774, the year of Mr. BatwelFs "induction," the
bell was presented to the church by Queen Caroline,
consort of George the Second, with whose character as
delineated by the graphic pen of Scott in the " Heart of
Mid Lothian " it is presumed the reader is familiar.
YORH.
257
After the Revolution, the Rev. Mr. Campbell was
called to the rectorship of the church in 1784, and con
tinued over it for twenty years. To the exertions of this
gentleman the congregatiou are indebted for the par
sonage house, and the county at large for the academy
adjoining it ; the money for erecting which was collected
by him, principally in the cities of Philadelphia, Balti
more, and Lancaster. He served the congregation
faithfully during the period of his incumbency, though it
somewhat declined before he left, through the prosely
ting efforts of sectarian preachers ; a large portion of his
flock were drawn off, and formed into a presbyterian
congregation at the other end of the town. He shortly
afterwards removed to the parish of St. John, Carlisle,
and here he laboured very acceptably till his death.
After Mr. Campbell's departure, the parish remained
without a rector till April 1810, when the Rev. John
Armstrong was chosen; he left in May, 1819. During
his ministry the church was presented with a handsome
brass chandelier by the members of St. Paul's congrega
tion in Baltimore. The Rev. Grandison Aisquith was
next instituted, and served two years. To him suc
ceeded in March 1821 the Rev. George B. Sehaeffer,
who was followed in the year 1823 by the Rev. (now
Dr.) Charles Williams who remained till the spring of
1825; this gentleman was related to Lord Chancellor
Thurlow, and left England in deacon's orders. He
greatly improved the parsonage house by new roofing
and flooring it, and did much for the benefit of the con.
gregation generally. In the spring of 1825 he was
elected principal of Baltimore College. He now resides
in Philadelphia.
The Rev. Richard D. Hall followed Dr. Williams,
258 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
and enjoyed a good share of popularity for three years ;
his wife's remains are in the churchyard.
On Easter day 1829 the Rev. John V. E. Thorn was
engaged as an occasional supply — after which the estate
went very much into decay. Members had died off, or
joined other congregations, and the few remaining were
discouraged by the frequent changes in the rectorship.
In 1834 the Rev. Benjamin Hutchins received an
invitation to take charge of the parish, and greatly were
the congregation indebted to that zealous missionary
labourer for his voluntary and unpaid services. He
exerted himself to gather the scattered members, and
during the eighteen months that he was at York,
expended between eight and nine hundred dollars in
improving both church and parsonage ; besides present
ing the parish with a handsome set of silver com
munion plate. Going hence to another field of labour,
his place was supplied by the Rev. Walter E. Franklin,
who served two years, and left in August 1838, a few
weeks before the writer took charge of the parish.
From this brief outline it appears that within a cen
tury this congregation has had twelve successive pastors,
and that during the last forty years the average term of
residence has been two years each : a good practical
illustration this of the voluntary system.
259
CHAPTER XXXIX.
1HE CHURCH IN DELAWARE. — PEN NSYLVANIAN
CONVENTION.
The time, however, arrived, though much before our
wishes, for my companion to rejoin her English friends.
In the second spring of my connexion with York her
return being deemed necessary, a visit to Niagara Falls
was decided upon before her departure from American
scenes. After a month spent amongst friends in Phila
delphia, I joined her in that city on the 7th of May.
Before commencing our journey, I received a request
from Mr. M'Calla of Wilmington to take his duty the
following Sunday. The distance to Wilmington by the
railroad is twenty seven miles. It is the metropolis of
the adjoining state of Delaware, finely situated on the
river Brandy wine near its junction with the Delaware
river. The road passes through a beautiful country,
and the old town of Chester, settled long before the grant
of the colony to William Penn.
There are two populous parishes and churches in
Wilmington, besides several resident clergy. I received
a hospitable welcome from Mr. Bradford, one of the
churchwardens, whose house surrounded by grounds
laid out in the English style, about half a mile from the
town, proved the abode of hospitality and refinement.
I heard much of the history of the Church in Dela
ware during this visit that awakened my interest and
sympathies. It is one of those regions whose spiritual
260 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
wants were early supplied by the Venerable Society for
the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts, with
that liberality which has marked all its proceedings
from its institution, though the Church of Sweden has
the honour of having first planted it.* Before the Revo
lution there were forty churches in this state erected by
the Society, or through the efforts of its missionaries.
Many of these are in ruins, and only fourteen clergymen
now belong to the diocess besides the bishop, two of
them being attached to the college of Newark. The
bishop's chair is in St. Andrew's church Wilmington.
On Tuesday the 19th of May, the second Convention
of Pennsylvania since my connection with the diocess
assembled in Philadelphia, in which I took my seat.
The proceedings in Pennsylvania conventions are very
similar to those described in a former chapter. The
Convention sermon on this occasion was by the Rev
John Rodney, Rector of St. Luke's Germantown, and
was a sound and masterly defence of the peculiar doc
trines of the Churctn The ministerial commission afford
ed him a theme, on which, in its origin, privileges, and
responsibilities, he enlarged with great fullness and
power; concluding his discourse by exhibiting to the
assembled clergy the Church in her true character, as the
nursing mother of her people, in their infancy, their re
ligious training, their guardianship, their confirmation,
their spiritual sustenance in the Eucharist, their constant
counsellor, and their ghostly comforter in the hour of
death ; exhorting his brethren in the priesthood to
* With the same "nursing care" while Delaware remained a Swedish
co ony that the English Church showed to its western progeny. The
oldest episcopal churches in Delaware, and those in Pennsylvania were
built by the Swedes.
PENNSYLVANIA CONVENTION OF 1840. 261
" make full proof of their ministry," by a faithful and
diligent discharge of their parochial duties.
The diocess of Pennsylvania is the tenth in the
United States in territorial extent, and the third in
population, and in the number of clergy.
The rites of hospitality, though not wholly disregarded
by the clergy and laity of the cities and towns of the
middle states, are less understood than in the north or
south. A convention, or clerical gathering of any kind
in New England is a signal for invitations to every per
son officially attending ; in which there is frequently a
struggle among the good church people of the town for
the largest number of guests, who not only partake of
the hospitality of the table, but are received as temporary
inmates of the family. The contrast to this reception in
Philadelphia is sufficiently striking ; where the country
clergy think themselves fortunate enough if they get a
solitary invitation to dinner during the sitting of Conven
tion, and are driven to the boarding houses and taverns
for lodging, which their slender resources frequently
make a serious tax.
The Convention was attended by the Right Rev. Dr
Kemper " Missionary Bishop of the North Western Ter
ritory." He had been appointed to this extensive over
sight by the general convention of 1835, as stated in
Chapter XIX. Besides taking the temporary jurisdic
tion of Indiana and Missouri, (the latter of which has
now its own prelate.*) Bishop Kemper's regular field of
operation covers several hundred thousand square miles
which has been pretty generally visited by him, and
* Cicero S. Hawks D.D. brother of Dr. Hawks, who at the Conven
tion of 1835 declined the episcopate of the S. W. Territory.
262 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
many parishes planted.- I waited over the next Sunday
to hear this episcopal. pioneer of the cross preach in St.
Stephen's church. The sermon was practical in its
character, delivered with considerable animation. His
language is full and flowing, though the effect is some
what marred by a strained unnatural utterance, in the
more rapid periods. The style and matter are those of
a man whose mind is *well disciplined by study and
observation, and his feelings absorbed by the subjects on
which he treats.
In the afternoon I heard the missionary bishop again
at Christchurch, and preached myself in the evening in
All Saints church ; a plain unsightly edifice in the
south division of the city, belonging to a new parish
to which the extension of the city in that direction had
given birth.
263
CHAPTER XL.
ANDALUSIA MURDER. — BRISTOL.
The journey to Niagara was commenced on Monday,
when the mail line, which takes passengers the whole
distance to New York, was preferred. This gave us an
opportunity of seeing several towns in Pennsylvania and
New Jersey which the other hne of travel leaves out.
The first we passed through was Frankfort, in the same
county as Philadelphia, a lively country place, seated
in the midst of a cultivated plain watered by a river of
that name.
At Andalusia in Bucks county, a few miles beyond,
a dreadful tragedy had been lately perpetrated, in the
murder of a schoolmaster named Chapman by a man
whom his wife had admitted to her favours. It excited
additional sensation by the adulteress's own participa
tion in the act. The moral sense is frequently shocked
by these acts in the United States ; and latterly, assassina
tions, seductions, incendiarisms, highway and house
robberies have increased at a fearful ratio. While it is
admitted that the perpetrators of these crimes are as
frequently foreigners as Americans — perhaps more fre
quently — still it is no less one of the legitimate fruits of
the voluntary principle in religion, and the absence of a
paternal system of religious guardianship, by which the
great mass of the people are left under no religious in
fluence except that which the methodist ministers
acquire over them, which, though beneficial as far as it
2 L
264 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
goes, when the instruments of excitement are not used
too freely, is, after all, a poor insufficient substitute for
the high, enlightened, scriptural, and rational scheme
of popular religious instruction and superintendance,
created by the English parochial system.
In the present case, however, the parties filled a res
pectable rank in society ; and if one cause more than
another gives birth to the laxity of morals, which is
asserted from the American pulpit and in the other
public organs to be spreading amongst this class, it is
unquestionably the inundation of light French literature
which has lately flooded the country, and which is
greedily devoured by almost every class of readers. To
suppose that the youth of a country will have the oppor
tunity of studying the scenes and portraitures with
which these works abound, without imbibing something
of the same spirit, and emulating the models so attract
ively presented, is to suppose human nature different in
America from what we find it in every other clime.
The poison, no doubt, is working rapidly and virulently
through the whole social fabric of that community, nor
are persons in any rank exempt from its influence. The
evil is perpetuated, and made more extensive, by the,
extreme cheapness which the absence of an interna
tional protective law enables the panderers to this cor
rupt taste to furnish the reprints. Any of De Kock's,
Paul Feval's, " George Sand's," or Victor Hugo's novels
can be procured for a shilling, which is doubtless an ex
cellent argument against the foreign copyright.
Of course, I do not exempt, in this aggregate of influ
ence, the novels of Bulwer, who is in high vogue in the
United States ; and (startling as the fact may be to
English readers) is better esteemed as an author than
JOURNEY TO NIAGARA. 265
Scott or Cooper ! The farcical character of his scenes —
as sickly as they are against nature, and the usages of
society, and their maudlin sentimentalism lessens only
in a degree the effect of that " liberalism " in morals
as well as religion and politics, of which he is the apolo
gist. Bulwer among the higher classes is a fit cotem-
porary of Reynolds among the lower. Both are the ene
mies of social order, and the unblushingadvocates of vice.
To this evil may be added that unbridled licentious
ness of the American press, which gives publicity to
cases in the criminal courts of the country and in the
private walks of life which no English paper would ven
ture to print; public opinion would not here tolerate
such exposures in any of the daily journals admitted
into respectable houses. This remark is not intended
to apply universally in the. United States. A large pro
portion of the daily and weekly newspapers, and other
periodicals, are free from the offence of catering to the
worst and lowest passions of human nature ; but from
the absence of any. stamp duty on newspapers, and the
facilities with which they are therefore established by
persons of no character (or capital either) the evils of a
licentious and infidel press are incalculably greater, and
more wide spread in that country than in Britain.
I am sustained in my view of this subject by the fol
lowing article, from one of the most respectable class of
daily journals published in Philadelphia, which city it
may be here remarked, ranks deservedly high for the
moral tone of its newspaper press, though the scenes
lately enacted there show that its influence for good on
the lower orders is very partial : —
" It is the opinion of many philanthropists and statis
ticians, who have closely investigated the causes and the
266 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
progress of crime, that publicity of the revolting or
remarkable murders, etc., that take place, may be
assigned as one reason for their increase. This would
seem to be a well founded opinion. Individuals who
have noticed with care the extraordinary murders which
have been committed in this country within a year or
two, must have perceived the striking similarity in many
of the details. Witness for example, the case of Mr.
Adams, of New York, murdered by Colt ; of Mr. Suy-
dam, in New Jersey, and also the recent murder of a
whole family in Warren county in the same state. In
New England, still more recently, two females, residing
but a short distance from each other, were robbed and
murdered in open day, the guilty in each case adopting
pretty nearly the same means. So with other instances
which we cannot recal to memory. On looking over our
files for a recent week, we find twelve murders com
mitted in different parts of the country. The progress
of crime, indeed, seems frightful ! Is it not possible to
discover some remedy ? Is not the subject worthy the
most serious attention of our authorities and philanthro
pists ? — Cannot the press assist in some way, in checking
the sanguinary spirit which seems abroad in the coun
try 1 Mr. Farr, an English gentleman, who has investi
gated the subject of suicides and crimes generally, with
much attention, suggests that some plan for discontinu
ing by common consent the detailed dramatic tales of
murder, suicide, and bloodshed in the newspapers, is
well worthy the attention of their editors. He says —
" No fact is better established in science than that sui
cide, and murder may perhaps he added, is often com
mitted from imitation. A single paragraph may suggest
suicide to twenty persons ; some particular chance, but
JOURNEY TO NIAGARA. £67
apt, expression seizes the imagination, and the disposi
tion to repeat the act in a moment of morbid excitement
proves irresistible. Do the advantages of publicity
counterbalance the evil attendant on one such death ?
Why should cases of suicide be recorded in the public
papers any more than cases of fever ?
" Others, however, agree, and not without force, that
the certainty of publicity acts powerfully as a preventive.
This may be true in some cases, and with some minds.
It is equally true, however, that many a suicide has been
caused by a newspaper paragraph, or the apprehension
of one. The case of Lieut. Wyche may be cited as an
example. We have known in our own experience,
individuals who have been rendered perfectly mad for
the time, by the appearance in newspapers of erroneous
or unfounded charges. Under such circumsances, the
penalty of publicity is indeed frightful, while the party
being innocent, the press is made the instrument of per
petrating an enormous outrage. Constituted as society
is at present, and vitiated as the public taste is, it would**
be impossible for any journal aiming to be a newspaper,
to omit all notices of crime, and yet receive a liberal
degree of public support. Unfortunately, many of those
who most denounce improper newspaper publications,
so-called, are among the most eager to peruse them. It
rarely happens, for example, that a journalist is com
mended, applauded or patronised for omitting the
details of an exciting and romantic, and yet indelicate
story ; while on the contrary, those who give all the
particulars — who spread them out to the greatest length,
and furnish the accounts in the most vivid terms, are
the most sought for. While we admit the impossibility
of excluding every thing that relates to crime, we think
268 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
that something in the way of reform might be accom
plished. Minute details might be avoided by the repu
table journals ofthe day, and with advantage. But even
this could not be done without some general understand
ing. If it be true, as the majority of reasoners upon the
subject argue, that the publication of all details of sui
cides, murders and "other fearful offences, is attended
with evil to the public morals, the practice is one which
calls loudly for reform. But the best remedy exists
with the community. If our citizens eagerly obtain and
peruse journals which delight in spreading these details
before their readers, and which are known to make a
feature of this particular kind of news, they should hold
themselves responsible for the offence and the conse
quences, at least to quite as great an extent as the
journalists." *
It is indeed a lamentable fact that the most exception
able class of newspapers in America, have by far the
largest circulation, and that amongst the highest class of
readers as well as the lowest. This has been explained
as owing to the superior recommendations which these
very papers possess in all that constitutes the most import*
ant features of a daily paper — viz., copiousness, and
newness of published reports relative to mercantile and
political doings, market prices, variations in the publie
funds, shipping and foreign news, etc., etc. The latest
and most accurate intelligence on these points forms,
unquestionably, the principal, and with many readers,
the sole recommendation of a newspaper : but is it
indeed the case, that the oldest and most respectable
establishments in America suffer themselves to be ex
celled in these most important requisites of a periodical
*Xhe Enquirer, and National Gazette, Nov. 21, 1843.
JOURNEY TO NIAGARA. 269
press by rival penny sheets, started sometimes by adven
turous and needy foreigners,* whose only object is gain,
and with whom the moral feelings of the community is
the last consideration that influences them in catering
for the public appetite ? If such is the apathy or the
want of industrious enterprize which the proprietors of
American newspapers of the more reputable class evince,
their cases afford a startling contradiction of that spirit
of emulation which it is their perpetual boast belongs to
all classes in that country ; and a heavy responsibility
rests on them for the vast and daily accumulating spread
of atheistical and disorganizing principles, produced by
the circulation of the smaller class of irresponsible vehi
cles of news. There is of private domestic scandal —
nothing at which humanity shudders — nothing too pol
luting, too incendiary, or too injurious to youthful
morals, excluded from the columns of these prints, if it
only comes under the department of " news. "
But a truce to these reflections, for Bristol appears in
sight. Few places are so beautifully situated, and
surrounded by so many charming scenes as this thriving
town. It stands on the bank of the river, commanding
an extensive prospect of the swelling stream and its
verdant sides, with Burlington on the opposite shore.
St. James's church, belongs to a parish of early founda
tion, at present under the pastoral care of Mr. Perkins.
The " episcopalians " here are a numerous and influ-
* The " New York Herald," the best newspaper in ?America for all the
purposes of a commercial newspaper, is the property of an unnaturalized
Scotchman, who was first an operative in " The Courier" office in that
city. He commenced his sheet as a penny hebdomadal of the humblest
class.
270 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES. »
ential body. I made several subsequent visits to Bris
tol ; and shortly before leaving the country formed a
very agreeable acquaintance with a clergyman named
Johnson of this place, now settled in Maryland.
At the sudden bend of the river, nine or ten miles
beyond Bristol, we crossed the broad Delaware by a
substantial bridge of five arches, resting on stone piers
and abutments ; which brings us into New Jersey, some
of whose characteristics and principal localities I shall
describe in a future chapter.
271
CHAPTER XLI.
THE HUDSON.
"Tis night — a calm, clear, silvery night,
And hill and vale, and wooded height,
Beneath the moonbeams sleep,
And silence in the haunts of men,
In village gay, and lovely glen,
Doth peaceful vigils keep !
All quietly we swiftly glide
Above thy gentle murmuring tide.
Oh ! bright and beauteous stream !
Yet still I stand with swelling breast,
And eyes that cannot close in rest,
And gaze where dimly in the west,
Catskill, thy mountains, gleam !
It seems a dream — a vision fair,
That I have breathed thy pure free air,
And scaled thy lofty brow,
The snowy clouds beneath my feet,
Thrown as a veil, a radiant sheet,.
O'er all the world below ;
Or, floating by, like thrones of light,
Revealing to my raptured sight,
Scenes such as fancy loves ;
While from that distant, lower sphere,
Rose up, in notes so soft and clear,
An angel might have paused to hear,
The music of the groves. Anon.
At New York we took the steamboat North America for
the village of Catskill, where we had resolved on stop
ping on our way. The palisadoes on the left of the
Hudson, or North river, are one of the first, and among
the most striking objects presented to the traveller's
eye. They commence at Hoboken and continue for
about twenty miles, hke a high wall of unequal height
and broken summit. Well may the American be proud
of his rivers and mountains on moving up this noble
river. The views are ever changing, and always grand
2 M
272 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
and strikng. Fort Independence, Tarry town, Singuai,
Sing, Dunderburgh Mountain, and Peekskill, are passed
in succession, and the famed Highlands now bring every
one on the highest deck to gaze and admire scenery
which surely the world cannot surpass. St. Anthony's
Nose, West Point, Fort Putnam, Newburgh, Ham
burgh, ^Poughkeepsie, and Hyde Park, familiar by des
cription to the reader, are left *behind, and the Catskill
mountains are now seen lifting their giant heads to, and
above the clouds , making the pulse beat quick in an
ticipation of the long-cherished gratification of reaching
that glorious summit, and communicating some of the
inspiration which has given fire to the pen of poet and
legendist, whose glowing descriptions invest its brow,
and the surrounding scenes with a romance almost su
pernatural. Hiring an open carriage and pair in tbe pleasant
village of Catskill, every house and building of which
seemed to speak of Rip Van Winkle and his rusty fire
lock, we were soon on our way to the base of the moun
tain, or rather the heap of mountains, piled one above
the other, their topmost apex being lost ever and anon
in the mist. At a turn on the winding road which brings
you about half way up, stands a humble shed, whose
sign informs the by passer that he has reached the veri
table spot where Rip Van Winkle took his long nap.
Who does not like to favour these " cheats on travellers,
and to dwell with credulous complacency in the full
persuasion that just there — on that very resting place-
shaded by those spreading beech trees, inviting to re
pose, slept Rip Van Winkle after taking that powerful
potion. A few more turns in the winding road, and the toil-
the hudson. ;J73
some ascent is finished, after a ride of twelve miles.
From the summit of the Mountain House, what a view
is spread out before the eye ! The succession of cities ,
towns, villages, hamlets, farms, and fields, with the
silver stream of the Hudson and her tributary branches
seem endless. Distant mountains appear as mere ine
qualities of the surface ; and the numberless vessels on
the river's expansive bosom look like insects playing
and moving about on the surface of the water.
We passed the whole of the evening, till these objects
were all shut out by its gathering shadows, on the
spacious piazza in front of the house of entertainment.
In the morning the eyes were feasted with renewed, and
increased gratification, and the telescope used repeatedly
to bring the different localities pointed out by our host,
nearer to our ' view. At eleven we went in our hired
vehicle to the romantic Kauterskill falls, where two
beautiful lakes discharge their superabundant waters
over a precipice of 210 feet ; the water being broken one
third of the distance makes two falls ; its further course
is concealed among the woods of the ravine below.
More dream-like still, that wild, lone spot,
That ne'er in life can be forgot, -
Where falls thy mountain stream, —
Where, varying, beautiful and bright,
All radiant with graceful life,
Thy foaming waters gleam,
That, to the charmed, and wondering eye,
Seem gushing from the very sky,
To their deep bed below,
While through the silent, listening wood,
That from creation's morn hath stood,
And hath all change and time withstood,
Tby peaceful murmurs flow.
274 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
What rapture did our bosoms thrill,
As trembling, breathless, pale and still,
We stood in that lone glen !
The spirit longed to burst its chain,
To seek its native skies again
Nor mingle more with men !
From earthly stain and bondage free,
To follow its high destiny,
To bathe in heaven's pure light,
To learn from seraph's burning tongue,
More of His skill, whose praise is sung,
By nature's harp to music strung
By every fountain bright.
After dinner at the Mountain House, and again dwel
ling for an hour on the unequalled prospect, we got into
our carriage, and reached the landing place at the village
just in time for the steamboat from New York, in which
we pursued our way up the river, forty-three miles,
which brought us to Albany.
Thy peaks are fading from my view,
A lingering look — a last adieu !
Ye mountain heights farewell !
May we, who gazed with kindling eyes,
With burning thoughts, in mute surprise,
On vale, and stream and dell,
In that fair land by angels trod,
On Zion's hill the mount of God
Once more in rapture stand !
Though never more our paths may meet,
May we again hold converse sweet,
And feel our hearts in oneness beat,
In that far, " Better Land ! "
During the passage we passed several towns and
villages, among them Kinderhook, the country residence
of the then President. It is a small Dutch built village ;
the house, from what we' could see of it, much of the
same character. Mr. Van Buren was at this time be-
THE HUDSON. 275
coming daily more unpopular, as the embarrassments of
the country, the result, as it was said, of his predeces
sor's policy (in which he had co-operated) increased.
Numbers werebreaking from the ranks of " democracy,"
and attaching themselves to the " whig " party ; and as
the presidential term of office was nearly expired, poli
tical feeling was now reaching its highest point. The
occasion of approaching Kinderhook, often celebrated in
election songs, and the political caricatures, seemed to
stir up all the party feeling of the passengers, with
whom the epithets of " King Martin, " " the little ma
gician," with their associates of " kitchen cabinet,''
" cabbage garden," " gold spoons," " paper and twine,"
and other expressions familiar to every one at this time,
through the speeches of politicians, and the rhymes and
pictures of caricaturists, were liberally used. As the
boat rounded the pier to leave some passengers, several
voices struck up the following song to the tune of
" Yankee Doodle." For Harrison and liberty
Let every freeman shout, sirs ;
Let's meet Van Buren at the polls,
And turn the despot out, sirs !
For Harrison then keep it up,
For Harrison and law, sirs :
Too long we have to despots bowed,
Now freedom's sword we draw, sirs.
When war's destructive blaBt came on,
Oh, where was Harrison, sirs !
His country's annals well can show
How he the battles won, sirs.
For Harrison, &c.
276
ecclesiastical reminiscences.
No more we'll trust to cabbage heads,
Or Kinderhook physicians ;
No more we'll bow to cabin ets
Of fox-like sly magicians. For Harrison, &c.
We call the Hero from the plough,
In freedom's cause to cheer us ;
The kitchen cabinet must go,
And Van himself must fear us.
For Harrison, &c.
We strike in freedom's holy cause,
'Gainst those who would enslave us ;
And lo ! our Cincinnatus comes,
From Goth and Van to save us.
For Harrison, &c.
The " Cincinnatus " of this popular doggerel was Ge
neral Harrison, the " whig " candidate for the Presi
dency, whose untimely death a few weeks after his
inauguration spread a universal gloom over the country,
and appeared at the time, as far as poor human foresight
can understand events, the most disastrous one that had
ever befallen the United States. A venerable hero, and
an uncorrupted politician, the federalists of the nation
turned their eyes on him, as what was supposed to be
the effect of Jackson's policy began to work its wide
spread mischief. Harrison was called literally from his
plough, and the quiet avocations of his farm on the
river Ohio, to fill the executive chair ; when summoning
to his Cabinet the most talented men of his party, he
set himself to correct what he regarded as the evil of his
predecessor's acts. Before, however, any one important
measure could be consummated, he was called away to
another world. America mourned one of her truest
patriots, and the Church of America, at the same
time, lost one of her most devout and most attached
THE HUDSON. 277
laymen. The new President had been for many years
an active member of the " episcopal " church in Ohio ;
had sat in her ecclesiastical councils ; and, in his own
parish, had regularly discharged the duties of a vestry
man. Like the first American President, to whom his
political admirers love to compare him, "he was ga
thered to his fathers, having the testimony of a good
conscience, in the communion of the Catholic Church,
in the confidence of a certain faith, in the comfort of a
reasonable, religious and holy hope, in favour with God,
and in perfect charity with the world. " *
The constitution of the United States, which in such
cases makes the Vice President the successor in the
executive chair, gave the reins of power to a man of
very inferior parts, who had been proposed to his first
post by the Convention which nominated Harrison in
order to conciliate certain states, whose local prejudices
it was apprehended would be in some measure awakened
by the nomination of a western man for President ; the
force of accidental circumstances had thrust him into
public life, in which he had played a very secondary
part. His very want of abilities was his recommenda
tion ; as the contingency of General Harrison's death
made it important to provide against any interruption in
the schemes which were to be carried out during his
administration, and Tyler, the new Vice President, was
loud in his professions of whig principles. The " whig "
party greatly erred in this step ! f Whether the country
at large was the gainer or not, has yet to be proved.
The new President had fallen into the hands of some
* Visitation Office.
t It must however, be admitted, that the country has greatly improved
in substantial prosperity since the termination of the national bank char-
278 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
wily politicians belonging to the opposition, and, without
even consulting with his cabinet, vetoed every important
measure which his party carried through Congress.
His ministers perceived too late that they- were not
wanted, and retired from their posts. One only, Mr.
Daniel Webster, remained, at the earnest solicitation of
his friends ; by which, it must be granted, in his admi
rable diplomatic policy in conducting the North-eastern
boundary treaty, the country was saved from serious
difficulties with Great Britain, and other catastrophes
averted. Jackson's and Van Buren's policy was con
tinued by Tyler, whose successor, the present President,
follows out the same line with a bolder and more states
man-like purpose. Whether for good or for evil, Jeffer-
sonian " democracy " has certainly long obtained the
upper hand in the United States, and the opposition
party is hopelessly excluded from any prospect of reco
vering the reins of government.
The reader must pardon this digression from the
simple narrative of a passage up the Hudson river, and
a view of its picturesque beauties. If such a theme as
American politics disturbs or dissipates his contempla
tion of the glorious scenes with which it abounds, though
beheld through the faint medium of a partial description,
let the owner of Kinderhook receive the blame, and the
ter, and that the first shock produced by that act in the disturbance of
the monetary system having past, every department of commercial and
financial operation has acquired greater stability and firmness. Capital
is more epually divided ; exchanges are low and uniform j manufactured
goods are cheap ; labour is sufficiently remunerated ; and the ruinous
system of speculation, which was doubtless a leading cause of the disas
trous re-action in 1834-5-6-7, is effectually checked. Another change in
the monetary system of the country, would, therefore, be a misfortune.
THE HUDSON. 279
reader may find all the sympathy he wants from the
words of another song, in which the male, and a few of
the female voices, are now swelling a new chorus as the
boat makes its onward way : —
Of the little Magician we're tired,
And of the Sub-treasury too ;
We'll scout him, the people are fired
With love for Old Tippecanoe.
When Martin was housed like a chattel,
Opposed to the war as you know,
Our hero was foremost in battle,
And conquered at Tippecanoe.
The fame of our hero grows wider,
And spreads the whole continent through ;
Then fill up a mug of hard cider,
And drink to Old Tippecanoe.
We hear many thousand good farmers.
United together so true,
Shout loudly, " Van Buren will harm us,
We'll vote for old Tippecanoe."
To bring down the price of our labour,
Van Buren is striving to do ;
Then come every man with his neighbour,
And vote for Old Tippecanoe.
The kitchen of filth must be cleansed,
And every thing fitted anew ;
And all the materials amended,
Directed by Tippecanoe.
And now in the month of November,
The people together will go,
To turn out the great money spender,
And put in Old Tippecanoe.
The people with plenty will prosper,
And homewards Van Buren will go,
True principles then we will foster,
Through President Tippecanoe.
2 N
280
CHAPTER XLII.
NIAGARA.
The city of Albany is 240 miles from Philadephia ; a
railroad unites it to Buffalo, the great emporium of the
lakes, 342 miles from Albany where steamboats con
stantly leave for Chicago in Illinois ; thus transporting
travellers to the west from New York 14110 miles of the
way by steam.
From Albany, a place of about the same date as New
York, and now the capital of the state, we took the
railroad to Syracuse, which we reached about noon the
next day ; the rest of the distance to Buffalo was accom
plished by stage, one night being passed at Canan-
daigua, the shire town of Ontario county, seated at the
head of a lake bearing its name. The day afer leaving
Utica, which we reached on the first morning of our
journey from Albany, gave us an opportunity of enjoy
ing a succession of views of rare beauty, as we journeyed
through a country which has well been pronounced by
various travellers unequalled for fertility in the United
States. We reached Buffalo late Saturday evening, and found
excellent accommodation at the American Hotel, a house
of large dimensions, and possessing every comfort
belonging to the most luxurious establishment of the
kind. The view of Buffalo the next morning greatly.
exceeded my expectations. Knowing that it had been
burnt down by the British in 1813, I certainly was npt
NIAGARA. 281
prepared to see a city, handsomely and tastefully built,
with public squares and buildings all wearing a more
European look than half the towns on the Atlantic coast ;
much more so than Philadelphia. Yet such is Buffalo,
its population only two hundred in number in 1820, is
now two thousand eight hundred !
In the morning 1 found my way to Trinity Church, a
fine Gothic structure, where I had the pleasure of hear
ing Dr. Shelton, its worthy rector. The galleries were
half filled with soldiers, part of a regiment then quartered
in the city.
The next morning we left in a steamboat for the
falls, twenty two miles distant. I cannot describe my
feelings when, about noon, the column of spray appeared
in the distance, and the sound of the mighty cataract
first became distinctly audible. They were, in truth,
overwhelming ! Landing within a few miles of the spot,
we soon reached the hotel, where after a hurried repast,
we hastened to Goat Island, and received our first im
pressions. Goat Island divides the cataract ; the fall on the left,
looking down the river, being about twice the width of
that on the right, which is again broken by a rocky
projection. The whole fall made by these three streams
does not roll over a ledge running at right angles from
its course as many suppose, but extends diagonally from
one to another, which makes the American four hundred
yards lower down the river then the Canada or Horse
Shoe Fall, so called from the shape ofthe projecting ledge
over which it tumbles. This feature in Niagara Falls
gives great variety to the views of it, and takes nothing
from its grandeur, as from various points the whole
descent of water is seen at once.
282 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
The evening was spent on the American side ; after
wards we took the ferry to the Canada side to change
the scene. On the deep stream where the boat crosses,
the objects around and above us were grand in the ex
treme. The cataract spanned by its perpetual bow, and
the deep, steady, constant, roll of the measureless volume
of water enchained us in speechless admiration and
wonder.
" The imagination baffled, strives in vain !
The wildest streams that ever poets feign
Thou dost transcend 1 There is no power in song
To paint the wonders that around me throng.' '
On the Canada side we descended the winding stair
case leading to a projecting rock which extends nearly
half way under the Horse Shoe Fall, having previously
made the necessary change in our dress in the frame
building at the summit ; and, accompanied by a trusty
guide, we ventured under the foaming cataract, amidst
a constant descent of spray which several times took my
little companion off her feet, and threatened us both
with being carried away with its force. The office-
keeper had informed us that the river was unusually
swollen, and had suggested that " the lady had better
not venture," but " the lady " was not one to turn back
in the pursuit of such a novel adventure, and was too
intense a lover of natural beauties to be deterred from
enjoying a scene so awfully grand. The following offi
cial certificate possesses, I suppose, the same relative
value as a college diploma, with perhaps greater ve
racity : —
NIAGARA. 283
NIAGARA FALLS, U.C.
THIS IS TO CERTIFY THAT
THE REV. EDWARD WAYLEN
HAS PASSED BEHIND THE GREAT
FALLING SHEET OF WATER,
TO TERMINATION ROCK;
BEING 230 FEET BEHIND THE GREAT HORSE-SHOE FALL'
Given under my hand, at the office of the
General Register of the names of visitors at
the Table Rock, this 3rd day of June 1840.
Isaiah Starkey.
After dwelling amid these scenes of wonder for seve
ral days, and once more crossing to the Canada side,
we reluctantly left them for Lewistown, seven miles lower
down the river, where we took an English steam
boat called " The Great Britain " for Oswego on the
south- east shore of Lake Ontario, a further distance of
150 miles. Opposite to Lewistown is the town of
Queenstown, the scene of a memorable engagement
during the last war, and above it on the hill summit
stands a fine monument, erected to the memory of the
British General (Brock) who fell in that strife.
Our course now lies for the lake, reached by the deep
stream formed by that mighty avalanche of waters on
which we have lately gazed. In an hour or two, the
distant expanse of an inland sea is visible — and now we
are borne on its bosom, the setting sun declining amidst
a halo of glory —
" Curtain'd with cloudy red,
Pillows hiB chin upon an orient wave."
284 ecclesiastical reminiscences.
I certainly remember nothing so beauteous as the
scenes which that lake journey*presented — calm, quiet,
lovely and delicious, I wished it could last for ever, or
that every evening wonld be as pleasant, and the even
ing of life as serene and peaceful. The moon arose in
her splendour as the western horizon grew dim, and we
lingered on deck till the midnight clock reminded us
that our place of destination would be reached by early
morn, when a day's travel was before us.
At Oswego we took the canal boat, which follows the
windings of the Oswego River to Syracuse, thirty-eight
miles distant, from whence Philadelphia was reached by
the same route as before. At New York Miss Waylen
left in a London packet for home.
Before proceeding to York I received a request to
officiate at West Chester on the Sunday that its rector,
Mr. Richard Newton, supplied the then vacant church
of St. Paul in Philadelphia; (and which resulted in
his being invited to assume the rectorship of the same).
I record this incident to express the pleasure which my
visit to one of the prettiest spots in Pennsylvania, and
the acquaintance there formed (though unrenewed) with
the family of Mr. Newton, and the Rev. Mr. Rees of the
same place afforded me. The latter was at this time prin
cipal of a classical academy in the town, to which he now
adds the charge of St. Paul's parish at West Whiteland.
The church at West Chester, built in the Gothic order,
with a graceful spire, is a good specimen of the taste
and enterprize of the parishioners. The east window is
of stained glass. Besides Mr. Rees's Academy, there is
a fine seminary belonging to the Romanists adjoining
the town, the students of which, to my surprise, attended
NIAGARA. 285
church in the afternoon accompanied by one of the
tutors. This town lies nine miles out of the railroad line from
Philadelphia to York. I reached the inn whence the
road diverges from the latter a little before the cars
passed, and got to my parish in the evening, having
travelled in my Niagara trip alone 1377 miles.
286
CHAPER XLIII.
A WEEK IN NEW JERSEY.
Mild were his doctrines, and not one discourse
But gained in softness what it lost in force :
Kind his opinions ; — he would not receive
An ill report, nor evil act believe ;
" If true, 'twas wrong ; but blemish great or small
" Have all mankind ; yea, sinners are we all."
If ever fretful thought disturb'd his breast —
If ought of gloom that cheerful mind oppress'd —
It sprang from innovation .- it was then
He spoke of mischief made by restless men ;
Not by new doctrines : never in his life
Would he attend to controversial strife,
For sects he cared not — " They are not of us
" Nor need we, brethren, their concerns discuss ;
" But 'tis the change — the schism at home I feel j
" Ills few perceive, and none have skill to heal :
" Not at the altar our young brethren read
" (Facing their flock) the Decalogue and Creed ;
" But to their duty in their desks they stand
1 ' With naked surplice, lacking hood and band :
" Churches are now of holy song bereft,
" And half our ancient customs changed or left ;
*' Mistaken choirs refuse the solemn strain
" Of ancient Gregory, which from our's amain
" Comes flying forth from aisle to aisle about
" Sweet links of harmony, and long drawn out. Crabbe.
I continued at York till late in September of the same
year, when the increasing feebleness of aged parents,
and other family considerations created a strong desire
to make a visit to England, for which I obtained the
permission of my vestry, who gave me, with the bishop's
consent, a six month's furlough, accompanied with
*• Resolutions" expressive of their good feeling.
On the Friday before my departure, the Rev. Robert
Davies, rector of Belleville in New Jersey, arrived on a
RIVERSIDE. 287
long promised visit, and preached in St. John's the
Sunday following. On Monday (St. Matthew's Day) I
took leave of my people in a farewell sermon; amongst
those present besides my own congregation were all the
protestant ministers of the town, and as many of their
several congregations as the building would accommo
date. On Tuesday, September 22nd, I bade adieu for a time
to York, and, accompanied by my friend Davies, reached
Philadelphia in the evening, where on the next morning
we became guests of Mr. Neilson, a hospitable and pub
hc spirited citizen. His house, table, and whole domes
tic arrangements are a fair model of the English
gentleman or peer. There was present on this occasion,
besides Mrs. Neilson and several ladies, a brother of
our host's, who holds an official post near the person of
the Governor General of Canada.
Thursday morning, we took the steamboat to Bur
lington, when I first became acquainted with Bishop
Doane, who was one of the passengers ; he invited my
companion and myself to the episcopal residence at
Riverside, which we reached a little after noon. We
met at the dinner-table Dr. Dorr, the rector of Christ
church Philadelphia, an intimate acquaintance and
frequent visitor of the bishop's, and two of his own
clergy. The occasion was a highly agreeable one, en
hanced by the presence of Mrs. Doane, whose manners,
highly polished and full of kindness, render her a fit
mistress of a bishop's house. The conversation related
chiefly to England, in which all present showed them
selves well conversant with the current literature of our
country. Having engaged to be at Hoboken, seventy miles
2 o
,£88 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
distant, the following morning, we left Riverside in the
afternoon for Trenton the capital of the state. The
state house and governor's residence, city hall, and
churches of this pleasant city are all substantial build
ings, which a subsequent visit enabled me to inspect.
Trenton, it will be remembered, is classical ground to
the Americans. Here General Washington in the
campaign of 1776, with his army of five thousand men,
crossed the Delaware at the dead of a winter's night
and taking the British commander's force by surprise,
achieved one of his most signal victories ; numbers
of the Hessians were killed, upwards of a thousand made
prisoners, and the rest fled to Bordentown, while (so,
at least, says the American historian) only nine Ameri
cans fell in the engagement.
Ten miles further brought us to Princeton, celebrated
for its college under the management of presbyterians.
Here another battle was fought during the revolutionary
war. Kingston, New Brunswick, Rahway, Elizabeth-
town, and Newark were passed in the dark.
We found our friend, the rector of Hoboken, occupy
ing a pleasant residence overlooking a great part of that
favourite rural retreat. Hoboken is famed for its woods
and gardens, and is as much frequented by the New
Yorkers as Kensington and Hampstead by the Lon
doners. Here, however, as almost every where in the
United States, the levelling and innovating spirit of
utilitarianism is soon to sweep away its picturesque
beauties. The natural inequalities of the ground, now
covered with trees, and intersected with winding walks
along a most beautiful shore, are already "laid off" —
" planned " — as a branch of the city. The ground is to
be levelled, and filthy unsightly streets, arranged at
NEWARK. BELLEVILLE. 289
right angles like a chess- board, are to take the place of
gardens and shrubberies whose beauty now draws
thousands from the close unwholesome city on every
Sunday and holiday to wander through the verdant
glades, and taste the health-giving breezes from the
bay. The board of health ought to forbid such a spolia
tion !
After an agreea blevisit, which we promised to repeat,
we returned to Newark, where I became acquainted
with Dr. Chapman and Mr. Henderson, the rectors of
the two parishes of Gracechureh and Trinity, in that
city. There are about 19,000 inhabitants in Newark,
which stands on the Passaic river, fifteen miles below
the Falls. Its streets are wide and well shaded, the
greatest architectural ornament is Trinity church which
stands in an open green in the centre of the city.
Dr. Chapman, with whom we spent part of the day,
and whom I have since frequently met on different
occasions, is the well-known author of several volumes
of controversial sermons, which show an uncommon
depth of learning, and are masterpieces of pulpit com
position. No pubhcations have proved so successful in
bringing over members of other denominations to the
Church as Dr. Chapman's ; several of the clergy, for
merly presbyterian and baptist ministers, were converted
by the arguments and proofs in his sermons to " Pres
byterians of all sects."
After being hospitably entertained at Mr. John H.
Stephens's, one of the parishioners of Gracechureh, I
accompanied Mr. Davies to his own parish of Belleville,
four miles up the river. The place is deservedly re
garded as one of the most picturesque and healthy
villages near New York, several of whose wealthiest
290 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
citizens have built their country seats here. We were
received by Colonel West, an English half pay officer,
whose American investments had led him to take up his
residence in the country. He occupied a tasteful villa
on a high bank, thickly wooded, and ornamentally laid
out, overlooking the beautiful stream of the Passaic
where he had also built a Chinese fishing house. In
this charming retreat, commanding a wide expanse of
land and water, very similar to the view from Richmond
Hill. I spent several days visiting families in the
neighbourhood, meeting dinner parties at the Colonel's
house, and fishing in the well-stocked stream.
The Sunday after our arrival I preached for Mr.
Davies, whose congregation was occupying a temporary
building whilst the church, which had been destroyed
by an incendiary, wa's re-erecting. Among the worship
pers was Mr. Peter Stuyvesant, the lineal descendant of
the immortalized Governor of New York of the same
name, whose decision of character, statesmanship, and
prowess are all recorded with historical fidelity in Wash
ington living's " History " of that state. I confess I
never was so interested in a new acquaintance since my
first arrival in America. What man, woman, or child
in England is not familiar with the deeds of " Peter
the Headstrong?" I next day had the gratification of
seeing the original portrait ofthe hero at Mr. Van Rans-
salaer's, and of spending the day in the old hall of the
present worthy representative of this truly noble house.
The occasion was the visit of the Bishop of New
jersey to the parish to administer confirmation, when he
was accompanied by several of his clergy. The clerical
party, with other neighbouring gentry, were entertained
by Mr. Stuyvesant in a manner rarely exceeded in the
MR. STUYVESANT. 291
highest English circles. The house itself is the most
baronial looking country mansion I have seen in the
United States ; and stands in the centre of a park dotted
with clumps of forest trees. Its owner is the third
man in the country for his wealth, which is seen in
every part of his fine establishment. His hospitali
ty is unbounded, and his religious and charita
ble endowments and gifts are on an equal scale of
munificence. The whole party attended the evening service of the
church ; after which music, paintings, books, and works
of virtu occupied the attention till supper, which was
cold, and for its variety and the character of the viands
was as recherchd as the most fastidious London gourmand
could desire.
The next day was a renewal of the social enjoyments
in this delightful abode of refinement and good breeding,
when our host's beautiful niece played and sung several
foreign airs in a superior style. This young lady was in
fact the life of the company ; her extreme loveliness*
greatly set off by sprightly manners and uncommon in
telligence, made her the focus of admiration.
After dinner we set out in different carriages, three of
which were supplied by our liberal entertainer, for
Orange, where the bishop held his next visitation. The
ride took us through a beautiful part of the country, and
on reaching Orange, I was agreeably surprised by meet
ing the new Bishop of Maryland, who had arrived the
same day on a visit to some relatives.
Many of my English readers have seen and heard the
Bishop of New Jersey, and to such, any description of
his appearance and style would be tedious. I have only
in this place, to express the strong gratification I expe-
292 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
rienced when 1 first heard him preach at Belleville,
which was increased on each subsequent occasion. The
deep tones of his musical voice, the graceful character of
his elocution, with the clearness and simplicity of his
style, are no less admired amongst the numerous flocks
over which he is a chief shepherd, than they were in the
noble fanes of England. Whenever he appears, crowds
of delighted listeners attend his preaching, as well out
of his own diocess as in it.
After witnessing part of the religious exercises at
Orange, I left on the following morning, (Wednesday,
Sept. 30th) with Bishop Whittingham and Messrs.
Ward and Davies for New York, to attend the Conven
tion of the diocess whose sittings commenced the same
day.
'£93
CHAPTER XLIV.
NEW YORK CONVENTION. THE BISHOP OF ILLINOIS.
DR. SEABURY.
At the hour of divine service, the spacious church of St.
Paul was filled to overflowing. The Bishops of New
York, Illinois, and Maryland occupied seats in the
chancel, and the clergy and lay delegates filled the body
of the church, the gallery being crowded with spectators.
The bishop of the diocess delivered on this occasion
his triennial charge, besides the address, and the Com
munion was administered by the three prelates to the
vast body of communicants.
I derived the greatest gratification on this occasion
from the long anticipated pleasure, which was enhanced
by its unexpectedness, of seeing the venerable Bishop of
Illinois, and receiving the Communion from his hand.
The first name that I had heard in my own country in
connection with the American Church ; the pioneer of
gospel truth and apostolic order to the western wilds of
the great American continent; the* founder of Kenyon
College — that was enough ! — taking with it the remem
brance of the difficulties which he encountered, the sore
trials he underwent in obtaining the means to com
mence his undertaking, and his patient endurance of
persecution and opposition of every kind, both then and
after his work was commenced, enough to break an or
dinary man's spirit. The founder of Kenyon College was
a title high enough, without that of " bishop," or "right
reverend," to invest him with interest, sufficient to make
294 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
the day that I first saw him a positive era in my Ameri
can history. In person this distinguished prelate (and
now primate) is tall and robust, with flowing hair sur"
mounted by a black silk cap, which is always worn.
His manners are gentlemanly and dignified, and his
whole appearance prepossessing.
While waiting in New York during the month of
October and part of November, I received intelligence
from England which made me again desirous of re
moving permanently to my own country. I therefore,
formally relinquished my parish at York by letter, and
after spending the winter in Philadelphia, set out on a
trip to the west, preparatory to taking, what I intended
to be my final leave of the United States. In both I
was deceived : the western trip, from my commencing it
too early, took me no further than Ohio, and during the
Christmas season the renewal of an acquaintance with
the family of a clerical friend referred to in a previous
chapter, led to a connection which changed my final
return to England to a mere wedding trip.
The lengthened visit at New York introduced me to
some agreeable associations. I preached each Sunday in
the city or neighbourhood. At Hoboken, where I officiated
three Sundays successively, I contracted an intimacy with
the amiable rector (Mr. Ward,) and Mr. Van Boskerck's
family, which will always be remembered as among the
most agreeable of my American reminiscences. I heard
Mr. Price, Mr. Cooke, (Dr. Milnor's assistant,) Mr. Marr
cus, Dr. Wainwright, Dr. Seabury, Mr. Morris, (the
rector of Trinity School,) and Mr. Higbee.
Mr. Price, rector of St. Stephen's, is the third suc
cessor in that parish of the late Bishop Moore of
Virginia. He is one of the loveliest Christian
DR. SEAR WHY.
295
characters I met with in the country, and in addition to
excellent oratorical powers, the best reader of the Church
service I ever heard. In his vestry-room I was intro
duced to the Bishop of Ohio.
Mr. Marcus, who is of Jewish birth, formerly belonged
to the Church of England. He has been about ten
years transferred to the American Church, and is ad
ditionally attached to the country by his own second
marriage, and the marriage of a daughter to one of his
parishioners. Dr. Samuel Seabury is the grandson of the first
American bishop, consecrated in Scotland, and one of
the most distinguished lights of the Church. He in
herits all the devotion to her cause and the staunch*
orthodoxy of his ancestor, with added brilliancy of talent
as a writer and controversialist. No man is better armed
for polemical warfare, both from his ripe scholarship,
extensive reading, and the wide grasp of his mind.
Romanist, non-episcopalian, and infidel have each
entered the lists, and been successively worsted. The
Churchman of which he is the editor, is the official
organ of the New York bishop with his diocess, and in
some respects the established organ of the whole Ame
rican Church. The leading articles of this able senti
nel are not surpassed by the ablest writers in the
British Quarterlies, and Monthlies-
I yielded to a spirit of curiosity on a very unfavour
able afternoon, and set out in a cab for the church of
the Annunciation, of which Dr. Seabury is rector. It
is a plain building in the north-west quarter of the
town, about two miles from Murray- street, my regular
stopping place. The altar in this church occupies its
proper position, raised on a platform of proper height,
2 p
2.')6 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES."
and in the centre of the eastern extremity. At this Dr.
Seabury performed the devotional parts of the service ;
reading the lessons and delivering his sermon from a
lecturn, as recommended by the Bishops of New York,
New Jersey and Maryland. The sermon was equal to
my highest expectations, and was listened to by a full
attendance of worshippers with close attention, which
its argumentation, and skilful context drew forth;
though the preacher aimed at none of the flights of elo
cutionary display. He has little animation, and pre
serves nearly the same tone of voice throughout the
address, but the attention of the hearer is kept up to the
last, by the rich vein of thought that runs through the
whole.
297
CHAPTER XLV.
THE PEW NUISANCE. THE CHURCH versus A
" FASHIONABLE DENOMINATION."
Old Heathendom's vast temples
Held men of every fate j
The steps of far Benares
Commingle small and great ;
The dome of Saint Sophia
Confounds all human state.
The aisles of blessed Peter
Are open all the year j
Throughout wide Christian Europe
The Christian's right is clear —
To use God's house in freedom
Each man the other's peer — Milnes.
They lie in valleys buried deep,
They stud the barren hills ;
They're mirror'd where proud rivers sweep,
And by the humbler rills ;
A blessing on each holy fane,
Wherever they may stand,
W ith open door for rich and poor,
The churches of our land !
Talk not of England's " wooden walls,"
Her better strength is here ;
Here trust around the spirit falls,
Subduing doubt and fear ;
Here her brave sons have gather'd power.
Nerving each heart and hand —
Most fearlefs prove those who best love
The churches of our land.
They stand , the guardians of the faith
For which our fathers died
God keep those temples still from scathe,
Our blessing and our pride !
Our energies, our deeds, our prayers,
All these should they command,
That never foe may lay them low,
The churches of oar land.
Mary Anne Brown.
The day after my return to Philadelphia I met an old
Rhode Island friend and colleague, under the trees
298 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCI S.
fronting the State House, in the person of Lewis Jansen,*
who invited me to visit him at his parish of Manayunk,
to which he had lately been appointed. Mr. Jansen
was a native of England the grandson of a French peer, •
whose title and estates were irretrievably lost during the
revolution in that country. He has resided about six
teen years in America, where he has brought up a large
family. Having long contemplated a visit to the inter
esting and beautifully situated spot which had become
the scene of his labours, I spent the next Sunday at his
dwelling on the banks of the peaceful Schuylkill and
preached in his church. The latter is a good specimen
of rural church architecture, with a high square tower
of fine proportions.
Manayunk is situated seven miles from Philadelphia,
approached by the best Macadamised road out of that
city, which leads to Norristown and Reading. A little
out of this road another diverges to the side of the
Schuylkill river, from which it is separated by a sub
stantial stone parapet. In a few, moments the busy
town of Manayunk with its water-mill factories and
stone built dwellings appears in view, rendered more
picturesque by the variegated foreground of bush, brake,
river and sloping shores, and its distant back-ground of
blue hills. The view, aided as it is by a handsome
bridge, whose arches spanning the stream breaks the
prospect, is one of surpassing loveliness ; often does the
traveller, when he reaches this turn in the road, stop
and gaze involuntarily at its picturesque beauty.
My friend had taken his new charge at the earnest
request of the principal parishioners, to whom he had
* A first cousin to Madame Vestris.
MANAYUNK. 299
been recommended by the last incumbent. His duties
were, however, more onerous than those which fell to
him in his former parish, on account of the large popu
lation of English and Irish protestant emigrants who
were employed in the mills, and nearly all of whom
came under his pastoral cognizance. The church had
been built originally for this class ; to whom it had pro
ved during the rectorship of the former pastor, (the Rev.
Frederick Freeman) an eminent blessing. The princi
pal manufacturer of the town, Mr, Joseph Ripka, aided
by two Philadelphia gentlemen, named Wagner, were
the founders of this praiseworthy design to give to
the poor episcopalians of the town a parish temple.
Several respectable inhabitants formerly from Ireland,
who were owners of property in the town, assisted in
the undertaking. One who was a builder contributed
a portion of the stone ; another, lumber ; and all their
labour. The building rose under the direction of a gen
tleman of considerable architectural skill, who owned a
country seat in the neighborhood.* It was completed
and consecrated in 1838; Mr. Jansen was the third in
cumbent of the parish.
I was much interested in the condition of this parish
from the history of its origin and progress ; and became
more so when, on entering the reading desk, I observed
a spectacle, common enough in England though very
unusual in American episcopal churches, yet which is
the only type of the Church Triumphant — viz., worship
pers of different ranks kneeling at one altar and worship
ping one Saviour. There sat the rich manufacturer, and
there the tradesman, and there the hardy mechanic, and
there the humble, but cleanly looking operative, with
* Andrew Young, Esq.
300 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
his .healthy family — all joining in the responsive acts of
worship, as their fathers had done, and listening atten
tively to the words of instruction from the pulpit. In
an instant I was transported back to my native land •
where,' following the same primitive pattern, the peer
and the peasant, the noble and the very pauper, worship
under the same roof, and listen to the same preacher;
and where in many places church-people now understand
the spirit of Christianity so well that a common bench
serves for all without distinction.
It is a radical fault in the American Church, and, if
countenanced, must work as rottenness in her bones,
that she is oftentimes so exhibited, that the poor are ac
tually repelled from her communion. It is lamentable
to see how this wretched policy sometimes drives whole
communities of emigrant English families into the ranks
of dissent. A church is erected, the whole floor occupied
with pews which are luxuriously furnished, and sold or
let at prices which excludes every poor member of the
Church from the sacred precincts, and in some cases
gives to non-episcopalians of means and wealth the con
trolling influence in the parish affairs ! It is true that
by the xxxi Canon of the Church, every episcopalian
resident within certain fixed boundaries is a parish
ioner, and claims by ecclesiastical law the services and
spiritual care of the rector, yet what accommodation is
made for the poorer churchmen and their families to
worship God in ninety-nine out of every hundred
churches which are built ? Have the poor of the Ame -
rican Episcopal Church the gospel preached to them ? No !
not in fifty parishes out of the twelve hundred which are
provided with parish temples — not in fifty of them on a
fair computation.
a "voluntary" church. 301
Have the great majority of parishioners who frequently
occupy no seats at church, being unable to afford the
exorbitant price required for them, as much of the
minister's attention and guardianship as the more
wealthy ones who are the owners of the pews ? — they
require — they demand more, double the attention of
those whose wealth can purchase a seat in the parish
temple, every foot of which has been solemnly made
common to all worshippers by the act of consecration, and
which it is sacrilege to enclose and occupy with pews
for the convenience of the wearers of silk and jewelry,
whose accommodations occupy so much room that the
poor are thrust out of the Lord's courts.
The constitution, canons, and Prayer Book, and the
pretensions of the Church episcopal in the United States
do not in any place recognize such a thing as a rich
man's Church— a genteel denomination — a. fashionable
sect. Episcopacy is declared to be a divine institution ;
nay, in some of her formularies, and many of her stand
ards, as essential to the very being of a true Church ; the
exclusive validity of her sacraments, whether a true or
false theory, is constantly maintained by her clergy and
laity; and liturgical worship is pronounced the only
edifying one. Yet with these large claims, Church
privileges are in effect extended only to the rich ;* whilst
* The following letter addressed to the Philadelphia " Public Ledger,"
with the accompanying strictures, will serve as an illustration of a crying
evil in the American religious system.
Messrs. Editors : — You will confer a favour by an insertion of the
following, which took place on Sunday evening. A lady and gentleman
from the south went to St. Luke's church, and finding a pew unoccu
pied, went into it. Service commenced, when another gentleman and
lady entered, owners I presume of the pew in question, and caused the
two strangers to be ejected, which ultimately obliged them to leave the
302 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
the poor are suffered to wander into all the mazes of
ruinous schism and even of scepticism. This fact in re
lation to the American Church, which I record in the
deepest sorrow, it must be admitted is a strong argument
in favour of an endowed national religion. The
noble Bishop of New Jersey has done something towards
church. I know you are friends to the proper rules of decorum, and
most sincerely lament such want of courtesy and good breeding. Should
this meet the eye of the lady and gentleman in question, it is sincerely
hoped they will exhibit a better feeling than they displayed on Sunday
evening, particularly at a time when the evening services of the church
are alike open to strangers as well as members. A Citizen of Philadelphia.
On this the " Baptist Watchman " thus comments, under the head of
" Pews, or the Devil's Toll Gates :"—
" Splendidly carpeted aisles, pews to match, cushioned and carpeted ;
with brass spittoons, brass name plates on the pew doors, may be com
pared to the devil's turnpikes in the aisles, and his toll gates in the
labelled pew doors. Let not the pew-seyites call this a rude or harsh
comparison, for not to call things by their proper names is only one
degree removed from worshipping the devil, and St. Lucifer's churches
would be more german to the truth than St. Luke's or St. Phillips', for
all Pew- seyite temples of pride and vanity. God's temples should have
inscribed on their portals, ' Open to All, Closed to None.'
" Velvet and silk, gilt and costly embellishments, — are these necessary to
prayer, to worship ? The Master said, " where two or three are gathered
together in my name, there am I in the midst of them." The inconsis
tency we have thus exposed begets another, and that is the anxiety of
modern Christians to imitate the ancient Jews in loving tbe chief seats
in these synagogues— these pews— as though the seat and its location
were of such importance that without both are to the whim of the church
goers, they cannot worship ! Two or three hundred dollars paid for a
spot in the church to sit in! I Oh! this money changing ! J 'oh ! the
selling doves of modern Christians."
Such a rebuke, though rather coarsely applied, is well merited. Where
will the most costly fanes of England furnish a similar example of effemi
nate luxutiousness, and anti-Christian monopoly ?
st. luke's, Philadelphia. 303
the correction of the evil in the establishment of Sunday
offerings and parochial schools ; let him follow up his
plans of improvement, and let others, instead of weak
ening and endeavouring to embarrass him in his schemes
of far sighted policy, strengthen his hands and second
his efforts.
Christmas Day 1840. — I this day accompanied two
clerical brethren to St. Luke's. It is a new building of
large dimensions, lately erected in the fashionable
quarter of the town. Mr. Spear, rector of the parish,
preached on the occasion to an overflowing audience.
His sermon was a practical one, delivered with good
effect, and particularly appropriate. The building is a
Grecian design, with Corinthian portico and columns
in front, and classic decorations in the interior, but the
bright colours, and prevalence of white throughout the
church, especially at the altar end, was a severe trial to
the eyes, which the sofa-backed pews failed to make
endurable.
2 Q
304
CHAPTER XLV I.
the alleghanies.
On Saturday the 30th of January I set off on my pur
posed western tour, and reached Columbia the same day.
This populous town, which I had before frequently
visited during my stay at York, lies on the west bank
of the Susquehanna, and possesses great facilities for
trade by its canal communication with Havre de Grace
at the mouth of that important river, and the railroad
east and west which passes through it. A bridge of a
mile's length unites it to Wrightsville, on the opposite
bank. The river prospects in this neighbourhood are
particularly fine. I found the same kind receptions
from a circle of private friends in Columbia that I often
before experienced, which will live in my remembrance
as long at least as gratitude and appreciation of worth
is an emotion of my breast. Here I spent Sunday.
The next day, after visiting several of my late parish
ioners* living in Columbia and Wrightsville, I proceeded
to York, where, though fain to prosecute my journey the
same day, I was detained by the importunity of friends
till Saturday. Mr. Campbell, the vestry's secretary,
informed me that several applications had been made
for the rectorship of the parish since my resignation was
* Messrs. Houston, Atkins, Schull, (ex-churchwarden) Shults and
Mifflin. In these worthy families nothing of good English hospitality and
refinement were wanting.
THE alleghanies. 305
received, but that the general preference of the vestry
and congregation seemed in favour of Mr. John H.
Marden, the principal of a young ladies seminary in the
adjoining county of Adams, who was about to resign his
post on account of ill health, which the confinement of
school keeping aggravated. This information gave me
the liveliest pleasure from a knowledge of Mr. Marsden's
devotedness and efficiency. He had been admitted to
Holy Orders in St. John's, and was personally acquainted
with several of the parishioners, whose children had been
trained at his school.
Bidding a final adieu to York, I travelled in a stage
eoach along the turnpike to Chambersburg, distant
seventy miles, where I spent the Sunday. The road
took me through Abbotstown, and Gettysburg, the for
mer a Dutch looking village in Adams county where we
dined, and the latter the shire town of the same, and the
seat of a Lutheran college and Theological Seminary.
Chambersburg is the capital of the next county of
Franklin, situated in the midst of a fertile valley, on one
of the tributary rivers of the Potomac. On looking out
of the coach as we drove up to the inn I perceived that
a heavy fall of snow had commenced since the day
closed, and every object was concealed with the fleecy
covering. The storm continued all day, and was suc
ceeded in the evening by a sharp frost. I began to
question the expediency of prosecuting my journey in
the winter (which seemed to be almost closed when I .
left Philadelphia) but being unable to postpone it, and
determined at all risks to see Cincinnati, I proceeded by
the railroad to Hagerstown, in Maryland, through
which the " National Road " to Wheeling passes.
The covering of snow gave Hagerstown a very dismal
306 ecclesiastical reminiscences.
appearance. The town ranks the third, I believe, in
Maryland ; the houses are handsomely built of stone
and brick, and the inns are commodious and well ap
pointed. St. John's, the parish church, is one of the
largest and best constructed in the state.
The capacious stage was soon filled with male travel
lers, and the journey over the Alleghanies commenced
in good earnest. The national road which we followed
runs in a very direct line through all the middle states
of the Union to the westernmost part of civilized habi
tation, and is intended to be carried to the Rocky
Mountains. It was a government undertaking, and is
well Macadamized ; equal in all respects, except the
absence of any raised side-walks, to an English turn
pike. Our six horses were in excellent condition, and
the passengers (as American travellers always are) were
in excellent spirits.
The ascent was very gradual, and the road undula
ting till we reached Prattsville, a small village at the
foot of Rugged Mountain, which disclosed when we
reached its summit, an extensive and variegated pros •
pect. The snow was melting fast, and the objects
became more defined as we proceeded, till night closed
in. At Cumberland we were detained for some time and
made an early breakfast before proceeding. It is a town
of no particular pretensions, on the north bank of the
Potomac River, and near the foot of another ascent
called Will's Mountain. After a few miles were passed
the road became more precipitous till we reached the
" Back Bone " of the Alleghany range, and beheld on
looking behind a view of astonishing extent. We were
now three thousand feet above the level of the ocean,
THE ALLEGHANIES. 307
and soon descended on the west side with fearful ra
pidity. About twenty miles brought us to the line
between the states of Maryland and Pennsylvania, when
we again entered upon the latter, and refreshed our
selves at a village called Petersburg.
The next twenty-five miles conducted us through the
middle of Fayette county, passing several villages and
numerous farm-houses, to Union, the shire town, which
we reached at eleven o'clock. We now pursued our
way in the dark to Washington, the shire town of
Washington county and seat of a college, thirty miles
further, where we arrived at early dawn. Here we
, found an excellent breakfast ready for us, to which after
the tedious night travel and a biting wind we addressed
ourselves with well prepared appetites. I began now
to find that American stage travelling was no joke ; and
determined that unless the Ohio river was perfectly free
from obstruction, to abandon any further prosecution of
my journey beyond Wheeling. The road continued
very good till we reached that place, which was about two
in the afternoon.
Ths cold had increased ever since we left Cumber
land, and large masses of ice were on the river when we
reached Wheeling. The broad Ohio ! what sensations
it awakens in the traveller's breast when first beheld .
flowing in its onward course for a thousand miles;*
bearing on its bosom the merchandize of a vast country,
and carrying the hving freight of the thousands of tra
vellers and emigrants who annually pour into Western
America. We were comfortably housed at the hotel in front of
* Prom its source in northern Pennsylvania fifteen hundred miles
long.
308 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
the river, and good coal fires made in our private cham
bers. Having discovered that, excepting the episcopal
church, there was nothing in the dirty muddy town
worth seeing, I returned to the hotel and spent the rest
of the day in my bedroom. From the window the view
of the opposite shore of Ohio presented a study for the
painter. A western evening sky, reader hast thou ever
seen one ? American sunsets in the east ofthe Continent
greatly surpass anything seen in England, but they are
exceeded for brilliancy and variety of hue in the west, and
this one will ever remain in my recollection as the
most perfect in its beauty and radiance.
30.9
CHAPTER XLVIL
THE OHIO RIVER. STENBENVILLE. — AMERICAN CLIMATE.
As the river navigation was greatly obstructed by the
ice, I waited till the afternoon of the next day before a
steamboat passed up, which I entered, being desirous of
making a visit to the Rev. Mr. Morse of Stenbenville,
who it will be remembered by my readers, and the rea
ders of Mr. Caswell's interesting American Notes, has
been one of the most active clergymen of the diocess
of Ohio from its earliest origin. Mr. Morse was for
merly one of only three missionaries west of the Ohio
River. Ohio alone now contains above sixty clergy
men, and the same section of country more than double
the number, besides several bishops ; an inadequate
number, it is true, for the wants of the population, but
much greater than the most sanguine amongst that
devoted band of pioneers who, with Bishop Chase, laid
the foundations of the western Church, ever expected
to behold.
We made slow progress in the boat on account of the
obstruction caused by the floating ice to the action of
the paddle-wheels. Eight miles brought us to Warren-
ton, on the Ohio side where several passengers j oined
us. We stopped again at Wellsburg on the opposite
shore, long enough for me to go over it. It had the
usual complement of Court House (being a county
town) county offices, churches, market place, etc., with
glass, cotton and carpet manufactories. Seven miles
310 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
fuither brought us to Stenbenville, which I found a
large, populous, and well built town. I preached in St.
Paul's church, a handsome edifice, the same evening,
and spent the residue till a late hour in the society of
its excellent rector, whom I found one of the most
agreeable men I had met for a long time.
" There " said Mr. Morse, the next day, pointing to
an extensive building overlooking the river, " is the
great secret of success in planting the Church in the
western states, whether ours, or the presbyterian, metho-
dist, or Romanists. There are nearly two hundred
young females instructed under the presbyterian
system. Who can calculate the influence these after
wards exert in every part of the state, as mothers and
teachers." I was greatly interested by several of Mr. Morse's
narratives illustrating the early labours and difficulties
of Bishop Chase, whom he had frequently accompanied
in his tedious and self-denying excursions among the
hills and forests of Ohio. He spoke, however, in
high terms of the present bishop, (M' Ilvain.) I
left Stenbenville after a visit as full of pleasure and in
terest as I had been led to expect.
The steamboat in which I took my passage to Pitts
burgh the next evening had not proceeded far before the
captain began to apprehend a stoppage from the ice, and
about midnight the frost increasing in severity, we were
made fast. We had come twenty-two miles of our way,
and fortunately were opposite to a small town called
East Liverpool on the Ohio side ; but so difficult of
access from the blocks of ice and the numerous holes,
that no one ventured to cross the whole day. Next
morning the ice the whole distance was sufficiently firm,
EAST LIVERPOOL. OHIO.
311
and after numerous falls, and one more serious catas
trophe, in which a lad who exercised less caution than
the rest, was nearly drowned, we reached land with our
light luggage and found temporary accommodation at
an humble tavern.
Here I met with a gentleman who proved to be the
churchwarden of St. Stephen's parish, whose church and
modest spire, I had been told, belonged to the " Lu^e-
rian" congregation. We walked across the field that
led to it, and the warden entertained me with the history
ofthe parish, which was of recent date. They were just
he said deprived of the pastoral care of a Mr. Kelly
who had removed to another and a larger parish, and of
whom he spoke in warm terms of praise. The church
was still hung with its Christmas garlands of evergreen.
Finding that the nearest point through which any
public conveyance passed to Pittsburg was at a village
about twelve or fourteen miles in the interior, I hired a
vehicle, and after an intensely cold ride, the conveyance
being an open one, reached a miserable public house
kept by a Yorkshireman, where I passed the night, and
proceeded by a stage coach from Zanesville at four in
the morning. Pittsburg was reached late in the even
ing. The only place of consequence passed this day was
Beaver, a pleasant town on Great Beaver River, one of
the tributaries to the Ohio. The road for the whole
distance after entering Pennsylvania affords constant
views of the latter.
The marked difference in the atmosphere of the
interior of the continent and the Atlantic coast, is vul
garly attributed to the timber forests, and the absence
of the same degree of cultivation. I was, however,
satisfied from an investigation of the subject, which
2 R
312 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
strongly engaged my curiosity, that this conclusion is
fallacious. A glance at the physical features of the
American continent will, I think, explain the phenome
non. Two ranges of mountains extend from south to
north. The Rocky Mountains or western range, by far
the highest and longest, twelve hundred feet above the
sea's level, are a continuation of the Andes of South
America, and extend to the Arctic ocean. The eastern}
or Appalachian range, commences near the Gulf of
Mexico, and approaches within a short distance of the
River of St. Lawrence, a thousand miles long. Between
these two mountain systems, lies the wide valley, or
basin of the Mississippi, the mountains extending in
pretty exact conformity to the continent, ranging at
right angles to each other. These two lines of moun
tains produce two slopes to the opposite shores ; and the
valley between is formed likewise of two inclined plains,
whose waters are drained by the great Mississippi into
the sea. Thus it will be seen that the superior elevation
of the central parts of North America, accounts for the
difference of temperature, as an elevation of three hun
dred and thirty- eight feet is judged equal to a degree of
Fahrenheit. The western, or more properly speaking,
the interior of the United State's territory, being more
exposed to the influence of an elevated and frozen table
land, the cold is more severe in the winter. To this
must be added the influence of the ocean on the coast,
which is favourable to a milder and more uniform
temperature.
313
CHAPTER XLVIII.
PITTSBURG. THE MOUNTAINS RECROSSED.
The city of Pittsburg is the capital of Western Pennsyl
vania, the seat of a university, the see of a Romanist
bishop and " the Birmingham of America."
The latter appellation if understood as signifying the
largest iron, and greatest hardware manufacturing town
in the United States is correct enough ; and there is
every prospect of its rivalling our own Birmingham in
population, size, and the amount of its manufactures
before many years. There are about a dozen handsome
factories and rolling mills, each sending out from four
to seven hundred weight of goods per annum, worth
collectively about 290,000 dollars, (£60,000) fourteen
foundries, annually converting 300,000 tons of metal
into castings, six brass foundries, and forty steam engines,
and a number of coppersmiths, gunsmiths, blacksmiths,
and silversmiths' shops; cutlery and tin ware and
cotton manufactories ; extensive glass works, tanneries,
and steam flour mills. The estimated annual value of
the manufactories of this Western Birmingham I have
heard stated at upwards of four millions of dollars.
Nothing could be finer, or more advantageous for
trade than the situation of Pittsburgh. It occupies the
point of land at the junction of the rivers Alleghany and
Monongahela at the head of steamboat navigation ; coal
and iron abound all around it, and are daily augmenting
its wealth. Its population is fifty thousand.
314 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
Trinity church, which occupies an eligible position,
was erected under the direction of the present Bishop of
Vermont, formerly rector of the parish, and reflects the
greatest credit on his taste and perseverance. It is a
stone Gothic building of admirable proportions, with a
fine tower. There is also another church called St.
Andrew's erected within a few years. During my visit
in the city I received calls from both rectors Dr. Upfold
and Mr. Andrews. The former was for several years a
popular preacher in New York, and is attended by the
most wealthy families of Pittsburg. Mr. Andrews was
on the point of leaving for a foreign trip to recover his
health, which was shattered by over exertion in his
parish duties. He has since visited Egypt and Greece ; the
parish of St. Andrew's is now supplied by another rector.
After several? days spent in Pittsburgh, I left on
Thursday morning for Philadelphia, taking another
stage route to Chambersburg which led through Greens-
burg and Bedford. The latter is celebrated for its
springs, which are strongly impregnated with mineral
qualities, and are chiefly useful in chronic attacks. In
the summer I was told, Bedford is filled with visitors,
who come for health or pleasure or both. It is charmingly
situated among the mountains.
At Chambersburg I took the railway cars for Carlisle,
where I had an agreeable meeting with the rector
Mr. Greenleaf. I received my deacon's orders at the time
that he was made priest, and had constantly met him in
Rhode Island, but this was our first interview in Penn
sylvania, to which he had removed about two years. I
found him fully engaged in one of the most important
of his duties, viz. catechising the younger members of
his flock.
THE ALLEGHAN1ES. 315
The church of St. John at Carlisle is one of the
finest in the diocess, and several of the first families of
the state for respectability and influence are among the
parishioners. The methodists have established an insti
tution here called Dickinson College, which is a great
ornament to the town.
I reached Philadelphia in one day from Carlisle by
way of Harrisburg, having travelled in my trip 775
miles. It is utterly incompatible with comfort to make
a journey by stage in the United States during the win
ter season. The coaches without an exception are open
at the sides, or only protected by a leather curtain
buttoned to the lower edge of the vehicle ; which with
English ideas of comfort is no protection at all, as the
cold air is freely admitted through numberless crevices,
and the draughts about one's ears, are if anything worse
than the full benefit of the wind, which is not always
the balmiest in the months of January and December.
Why close carriages and coaches, public and private,
should be so universally banished I cannot explain. In
no country of the world, from the changeableness of the
climate, and the severity of the winters, is such a con
venience more necessary for two thirds of the year, but
it is a fact which I can feelingly attest, that during the
whole term of my residence in the United States I never
saw one.
316
CHAPTER XLIX.
AN ELOQUENT PREACHER. REFLECTIONS.
One Sunday, shortly after my return from Ohio, I entered
the church ofthe Evangelist, of which the Rev. Nathaniel
S. Harris was rector. The sermon had reference to the
rite of confirmation, which was to be administered in the
afternoon by the bishop of of the diocess.
The message from the preacher's lips gave no uncer
tain sound. During the first part of his address repen
tance and faith were held up and enforced with the
eloquence of a Paul ; " righteousness, temperance and
judgment to come," were topics in the preacher's hands,
which arrested the attention, while they excited the
terror of the hearers, or caused the tears of penitence to
flow fast and freely down many a cheek. Nothing of
gospel truth was withheld ; no leading doctrine ofthe Bible
connected with this theme was concealed ; and having
reached this point, the Church as the ark of safety — the
body of Christ — the New Jerusalem let down from hea
ven — the expounder and conservator of the divine oracles
— the medium of spiritual sanctification, was next
set forth as part of that truth of God which the
preacher (in common with every minister of the Church)
is unquestionably bound to proclaim; though how
few, comparatively, do so in the faithful and pointed
manner exhibited this morning !
I could not but be forcibly reminded on this occasion, of
a late discussion in one of our periodicals, on the subject
NATHANIEL HARRIS. 317
of the English Church's neglect of popular instruments,
particularly that of preaching, which secondary as it is in
carrying on the spiritual life in the soul, is eminently
successful, when judiciously employed, in calling it into
existence, and in making efficacious the regenerating
principle of baptismal graca. In how many instances —
alas they are countless ! — is that seed allowed to lie dor
mant, from the pastor's tame use of the important
ordinance of preaching. Had our Church the policy of
the Italian, Wesley, Whitfield, and Rowland Hill, would
never have been the founders of sects. They would have
been retained by the episcopal heads of the Church,
though, like Latimer the Reformer, they had been per
mitted to exercise their favourite gift of preaching as
itinerants : of course, under certain canonical restrictions,
to which, we cannot but believe, so long as they could
travel about, they would have readily conformed. Thus
healthy blood might have been injected into the Church
instead of the creation of formidable rival communions.
But it is too late to spend regrets for the past. Rather
let the Church's lethargy during so long a reign of night,
stimulate to redoubled action, and a wiser policy. The
late Bishop Griswold, who was as remarkable for his
sagacity as his piety, thus comments on the superior
policy of the Roman church : —
"Diversities of opinion, which divide protestants
into parties and sects, Rome so uses as to increase her
numbers, and strengthen her power. In this she ' is wiser
in her generation ' than protestants. We are undoubt
edly unwise, in suffering things of little or no importance
to divide us ; and not only unwise but sinful, in suffer
ing such divisions to excite animosities and unchari-
tableness between those of differing views. If we would
318 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
all worship the same God and Saviour, teach essentially
the same doctrines, in the unity of one and the same
Spirit, and if all of us each in his own way were to labour
in love, the ill effect of our divisions would be very much
diminished. They who believe in and practice what is
essential to Christianity and necessary to salvation should
love as brethren ; and especially at the present time,
when the religion of Christ is so powerfully assailed by
those who add to God's word on the one hand, and take
from it on the other, all who build on the foundation of
Christ should unite in one and the same spirit. No
believer in Christ should however permit his faith to
be weakened or disturbed by these divisions ; they were
foretold by Christ and his apostles ; they are a fulfilment
of prophecies ; and however they may disgrace religion
they confirm its truth. And for the encouragement of
protestant episcopalians I would add, that if our Church
adheres stedfastly to her distinctive principles, and her
present standards, she is likely to be a happy asylum
for all who would av.oid the idolatrous corruptions or
the specious infidelity by which the religion of Christ is
beset on the right and on the left." *
I am aware of the objections that would be instantly
raised to any such " innovation "f as I have referred to
by two classes of parochial clergy, viz., the old " ortho
dox," and the modern "evangelical." One would
dislike the interruption to his indolent peace and quiet,
and the other would dread the contagion of doctrines
* " The Reformation," p. 128.
t The public are familiar with this cant term in the mouths of Eras-
tian bishops and indolent priests, applied to that judicious restoration of
rubrical conformity which their more faithful and conscientious col
leagues are aiming to effect.
ITINERANT PREACHERS. 31?
conflicting with his favourite solifidian hobby. While
however, the Church is recognized by both, and its
itinerant preacher's mission does not warrant any
course which is calculated to withdraw the people from
the parish temple, no one, except the resident clergy
themselves, would be inconvenienced. And how many
a parish would thus be awakened through such instru
mentality from its sleep of practical infidelity, and
indifference on the one. hand, and of self righteous inac
tion on the other.
Of these two classes, happily, but few representatives
are found in the American Church. There is a very
small and very feeble minority of evangelicals among the
clergy, and of the old orthodox — " the high and dry "
as Bishop Whittingham calls them — there is only here
and there a surviving representative.* A gratifying
* "Yorick's" description of this class is a just portraiture! —
"They have comfortable livings, backed commonly by snug private
fortunes ; they give exemplary dinners ; pay visits in roomy chariots
with fat wives, fat horses, fat coachmen ; they are condescending to
curates ; in speech rather weighty (not to say authoritative) than ver
bose — if the latter, prosy ; they transcribe their divinity from Stanhope,
Claxton, and Pyle -, Tillotson is the ultima Thule of their theology ; be
yond his period their Church is in nubibus. They call the Church ' ' the
Establishment " ; in rubrical observance they follow their fathers (liter
ally) to return to the practice of their grand-fathers they consider dan
gerous "innovations;" some, indeed, preach in a surplice, but that is from
laziness, for the species delights especiallym the rustle of silk gowns with
huge pudding sleeves ; dissent angers them, but popery terrifies ; and
they would as soon put on the shirt of Nessus as the name of Catholic ;
their high Church principle may be supposed to have some connexion
with ideas of high place, high life, add high living." And he adds with
equal justice, " Really, if the Church is to wait upon these ponderous
divines, she might just as well turn round for another long sleep, duller
' than the fat weed that roots itself in ease on Lethe's wharf.' "
2 s
320 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
proof of this was afforded in the General Convention
held in Philadelphia last October, (which I attended)
when a counter ' Resolution' to one submitted to that
body, deprecatory of " certain writings emanating chiefly
from members of the University of Oxford in England "
was carried by a full convocation ; only two clerical and
three lay votes being given in the negative.
And yet the laity of the American Church understand
their rights as well, perhaps, as the wiseacres of Totten
ham and Ware.
On Sunday, March 21st, I heard Mr. Van Pelt preach
after the morning service in St. Mark's church in Ninth
Street. The preacher and his subject much interested
me, and I only regretted the smallness of the attendance,
it being the poorest congregation I have seen in this
city. Mr. Van Pelt supplied the altar on behalf of the
rector, who was absent from town ; the building de
serves no particular notice. The same evening the
bishop of the diocess preached in St. Paul's, when the
rite of confirmation was administered to a large num
ber. This parish under the care of the Rev. Richard New
ton, before referred to, is one of the oldest in the city.
The building is large and conveniently constructed, and
like St Stephen's and St. Peter's without that glare from
a superabundance of white and red which too many of
the Philadelphia churches reflect. It is some relief to
worship in a church which does not bear marks of being
scarcely dry from the never ceasing operations of painter
and whitewasher. But such a luxury is short lived in
Philadelphia. People in that city treat their churches
and meeting houses like grown up children, who have
no sooner well looked at a toy and got accustomed to
it, than it must be thrown aside for another.
PHILADELPHIA CHURCHES. 321
The same remark will apply to the private houses
in Philadelphia. Next to the quakerly uniformity which
is observable in their architecture and internal appoint
ments, the most wearisome feature to a stranger's eye is
the aspect of newness which is every where, and in every
thing, observable. An old house, like an old coat, is
regarded by the spruce Philadelphian as unfit to be seen
by company. Northumberland House would be con
demned (like a crazy ship) by the city authorities, and
converted into a charitable asylum, or a jail— and St.
James's palace would be presented, as an unsightly
nuisance. The bricks and mortar fronts of the citizens'
dwellings are, therefore, not less bright and fresh to the
eye than the paint and paper within — the latter being
generally preferred, as being, though less costly, more
easily renewed; — and the constant replacing of new
furniture, carpets, etc., for old (i. e. two years or so, in
use,) gives to each house the genuine appearance of an
upholsterer's show rooms. The vulgarity of this taste
is relieved, I admit, by a few, though a very few excep
tions, among the older families.
On Monday, 29th of March, we left Philadelphia for
New York, whence we sailed in the good packet ship
Europe for Liverpool on the following Thursday. *
* THE AUTHOR'S LOG.
Our good ship " Europe," Edward G. Marshall commander, left the
wharf in tow of the steamer " Sampson " on the first of April, at half-
past two o'clock a.m. ; discharged her pilot at 4. Land soon out of
sight before a fresh breeze from W.N.W.
Second day. The win*! which had hauled to the south during the
night continued in that quarter till the afternoon, when it changed to
S.S.E. ; the night is very fine.— Lat. 40.15. Lon. 74.15.
Third day. Wind varied from S.W. to N.W., blowing strong. After
dark there was a thunder-storm with vivid lightning — topsail reefed.
"322 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
After a visit to the paternal home, we spent the rest
of the time in London. Thence we sailed on the 19th
of June, in the packet ship, St. James, and reached New
York on the 29th of July. Fortunate was it that we
Fourth day (Sunday). Wind blew all day from the N.W. Weather
very fine — all sails set. Too indisposed to do duty.
Fifth day. Wind from S. to S.S.E. blowing a heavy gale; top sails
closely reefed, and the fore sail taken in.
Sixth day. Wind continued south till 4 p.m. when it suddenly hauled
to the west, and the ship pitched into a heavy sea, which carried away her
jib-booms, bowsprit, cap etc. — all which were lost ; the straining of the
vessel excessive !
Seventh day. The storm has subsided ; wind in the N.W. A calm
succeeded towards noon ; in the evening rain fell, and the weather has
become squally.
Eighth day. The night was calmer. In the morning a strong
wind sprung up from the south, which continued through the day. Wc
have reached Lat. 41.23. Lon. 50.25.
Ninth day. Wind blew heavy from S. to S.S.W. with a high sea ;
constant pitching ; a great deal of water shipped ; about noon the wind
changed suddenly to N.N.W.
Tenth day. Wind has blown strong from the north all day.
Eleventh day — (Easter Sunday). Weather fine this day, though
strong breezes blew from S.S.W. The " Queen of Festivals " was cele
brated by public worship in the cabin, when I said prayers and delivered
a short exhortation suitable to the occasion. The captain and several of
the crew used prayer books, and all were deeply attentive.
Twelfth day The wind blew from S.W. all this day : all studding
sails set.
Ihirteenth day. Wind continuedin the same quarter ; we are making
good progress.
Fourteenth day. The wind suddenly hauled to the north, and died
calm. Fifteenth day. A dead calm all night ; day rainy ; wind from ths
N.W. We have reached Lat. 47.29. Lon. 21.13.
Sixteenth day. Strong breezes from the N.W. ; top sails reefed ;
night very fine.
PHILADELPHIA CHURCHES. 323
were no later in our English visit, as the first letter after
our return to America, brought the mournful intelligence
ofthe decease of a mother, and the other parent survived
her only a few weeks.
Seventeenth day. Wind still from the N.W. ; raining heavily, with
strong breezes.
Eighteenth day (Sunday). The grateful sound of "land" was the
first that greeted my ear this morning. On reaching the deck our ejes
were cheered by the view of Cape Clear.
Nineteenth day. Occupied in making our way up the Irish Sea ; in
the evening the pilot came on board.
Twentieth day. Landed at Liverpool about 10. a.m.
324
CHAPTER L.
MINISTERIAL PREPARATION IN HIE UNITED STATES.
I had put my hand to the requisite canonical papers of
an old friend (and my groomsman) just before leaving
Philadelphia for England, and a few Sundays after my
return to the city had the gratification of hearing him
preach in St. Stephen's church. William Sydney
Walker is the editor of an edition of the collected Latin
poets, and was for many years private tutor in the family of
Mr. Johnson, a personal friend of George the Fourth
when Regent ; Mr. Johnson's travels in Russia are
well known to the English public. He died of pure
grief, occasioned by the early death of a lovely and ac
complished daughter during a visit to the West Indies
for her health, after which as the family broke up, Mr.
Walker prosecuted the study of divinity, and on the
completion of his term of candidateship was admitted to
orders by the Bishop of Pennsylvania. The American
Church does not possess a riper scholar, or a man more
thoroughly read in general and, theological literature.
The preparatory exercises of a candidate for holy
orders in the United States, when fully carried out, are
more severe than in England ; though the bishop, with
the concurrence of his council, the Standing Committee,
possesses the same power of dispensation with regard to
the higher branches of learning. The indulgence (as
required by circumstances) is more generally extended
in the western dioceses of the country than in the At-
CLERICAL PREPARATION. 3'25
lantic States. The advantage secured by family influence
and other accidents are, also, pretty much the same as in
England, both with regard to examinations and titles*
* Though I may safely affirm that the specimen of an examination by
the excellent Bishop Douglass of Salisbury, narrated by a worthy clerical
friend of mine in that diocess, has scarcely yet found its parallel in the
United States j and this through the check which the institution of the
" Standing Committees " have upon the action of American bishops.
Bishop D. " Did I not examine you a twelvemonth ago for deacon's
orders, Mr. L. ? "
Mr. L. " Yes, my lord, you examined me yourself in this room."
, Bishop D. " Then I'll not trouble you any further."
Though the candidate in this instance was fully prepared for any cano
nical literary test, being a scholar, and afterwards an author of some
repute, yet the cases, I am informed, were quite numerous in which one
of Bishop Douglass's successors admitted dissenting ministers to holy
orders, after a scarcely severer scrutiny. In a volume on " The present
State of the Church," by the Rev. Charles Lucas, is the following : — " I
cannot say the number of dissenting ministers admitted to holy orders
by the late Bishop Burgess ; yet is it not unj ust towards the clergy of the
establishment who have sons willing and qualified to undergo a ministerial
examination and ordination, that if there be an exception to the general
rule of a university degree they are refused a trial of their fitness because
their fathers have not been able (from some imperious cause) to send them
to the university ; while the dissenting ministers, the moment that they
are willing to conform, are admitted ; and yet more early is the admission
in the case of a popish priest ! The qualification of one of these dissent
ing ministers, (I have it from the best authority) for the orders of deacon
and priest was of the literary kind, most contemptible. It is proper for
my brethren's sake, I should state this. We, on our part, have a most
memorable and hard case in which Bishop Burgess refused to advance his
own great nephew to priest's orders. This gentleman, the son of an En
glish clergyman, had devoted himself to the Church, had acted as a zealous
missionary, had beenmost regularry and episcopally inducted into [deacon's]
orders by an American bishop, who himself had his episcopal consecration
from the Archbishop of Canterbury ; and exclusive of all this, the Ame
rican Episcopal Church is an original flow from our own pure stream, —
yet Dr. Lushington (O, pudor!) is referred to, and interprets theecclesi-
526 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES,
Mammon likewise has the same power in both Churches.
It would be unfair to a large class of talented and
learned clergy not to admit the notorious fact, that pro
minence of position and the occupancy of city parishes in
the American Church episcopal is no more a criterion
of talent or general qualification than in the Church of
England; though it must be admitted that a higher
standard exists in American cities than the patrons of
London livings require, and that several of the most
talented among the American clergy chance to be at this
moment holders of city cures. It would be no difficult
matter to point to a score of London preachers in the es
tablishment attended by good congregations, who would
not obtain half a dozen hearers in New York or Phila
delphia ; nor are there more than half a dozen London
clergymen, if the odiousness of a comparison may
be permitted, who for elocution and pulpit tact, can
be considered as at all equal to a fair proportion of
the regular preachers in the churches of Boston, New
York, Philadelphia and Baltimore, which are a sort of
metropolises to the several sections of country where
they are situated. It may be argued that this fact is
creditable to the religious feeling, if not to the taste of
the L°ndon congregations, who rightly consider the
mere act of preaching a very secondary part of the busi
ness of the sanctuary, and are satisfied with the other
qualities of pastoral diligence, viz. aptness in private oral
instruction, with (what is admitted to be a very essential
astical law of England against his admission into our Church. It seems
that this true churchman suffers for his conformity. Had he entered
the popish priesthood, there would have been no objection to him. While
such anomalies check our extra zeal, and narrow our usefulness, they
weaken the best efforts of the laity." p. 79.
CLERICAL PREPARATION. 327
qualification in the spacious fanes of the English metro
polis) a good voice for reading and chaunting. These,
it is true, are greater desideratums with a large class of
Church people than the mere art of preaching ; but it is
equally true, that with another class, constantly aug
menting by accessions from the ranks of dissent, there
is a great and increasing pansion for preaching, which
the London pulpit at present fails to satisfy. The pas
sion may be the result of bad education and love of
excitement, but as it exists it should be turned into a
good channel. A Massillpn in the pulpit will never
lessen the reverence of the congregation for the regular
service, nor elevate his office of preaching above that
which he fills at the altar.
I take this opportunity of inserting the canonical
requisitions for deacons in the American Church, which
is made fitting from the fact, honorable to my friend
Walker, that he passed the ordeal of the severest scrutiny
in every article ; his examiners in the persons of Bishop
Onderdonk and the standing committee of Pennsylvania
being reputed as more stringent in their requisitions of
literary qualifications than those of any other diocess in
the United States.
CANON V.
Ofthe Preparatory Exercises of a Candidate for Deacons'
Orders.
Section 1. There shall be assigned to every candidate
for deacon's orders, three different examinations, at such
times and places as the bishop to whom he applies for
orders, shall appoint. The examination shall take place
in the presence of the bishop and two or more presbyters,
on the following studies prescribed by the Canons, and by
2 T
328 ecclesiastical reminiscences.
the course of study established by the House of Bishops.
At the first examination, on the Books of Scripture ; the
candidate being required to give an account of the
different books, and to translate from the original Greek
and Hebrew, and to explain such passages as may be
proposed to him. At the second examination, on the
Evidences of Christianity, and Systematic Divinity. And
at the last examination, on Church History, Ecclesiasti
cal Polity, the Book of Common Prayer, and the Con
stitution and Canons of the Church, and of the diocese
for which he is to be ordained. In the choice of books
on the above subjects, the candidate is to be guided by
the course of study established by the House of Bishops.
At each of the forementioned examinations, he shall
produce and read a sermon or discourse, composed by
himself, on some passage of Scripture previously as
signed him, which, together with two other sermons
or discourses, on some passages of Scripture selected by
himself, shall be submitted to the criticisms of the bishop
and clergy present. And before his ordination, he shall
be required to perform such exercises in reading, in the
presence of the bishop and clergy, as may enable them
to give him such advice and instructions as may aid him
in performing the service of the Church, and in deliver
ing his sermons with propriety and devotion.
Section 2. The bishop may appoint some of his
presbyters to conduct the above examinations ; and a
certificate from these presbyters, that the prescribed
examinations have been held accordingly, and satisfac
tion given, shall be required of the candidate : Provided,
that in this case, the candidate shall, before his ordinar
tion, be examined by the bishop, and two or more
presbyters, on the above named studies.
CLERICAL PREPARATION. 329
Section 3. In a diocese where there is no bishop, the
Standing Committee shall act in his place, in appointing
the examining presbyters required by this canon ; and
in this case the candidate shall be again examined by
the bishop to whom he applies for orders, and two or
more presbyters, on the studies prescribed by the
canons. Section 4. A clergyman who presents a person to the
bishop for orders, as specified in the office of Ordinations
without having good grounds to believe that the requisi
tions of the Canons have been complied with, shall be
liable to ecclesiastical censure."
The following is the course of ecclesiastical studies
referred to in the foregoing canon : —
COURSE OF ECCLESIASTICAL STUDIES.
" In attending to this subject a considerable difficulty
occurs, arising out of the difference of the circumstances
of students, in regard not only to intellectual endow
ments and preparatory knowledge of languages and
science, but to access to authors, and time to be devoted
to a preparation for the ministry. For, in accommoda
ting to those whose means are slender, we are in danger
of derogating from the importance of religious know
ledge ; while, on the other hand, although we should
demand all that is desirable, we shall be obliged to
content ourselves, in some cases, with what is barely
necessary. " In consideration of the above, it will be expedient
to set down such a course of study as is accommodated
to a moderate portion of time and means ; and after
wards to suggest provision, as well for a more limited,
as for a more enlarged share of both.
330 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
"Let the student be required to begin witn some
books in proof of the divine authority of Christianity, such
as Grotius on the Truth of the Christian Religion ; Jen
kins on the Reasonableness of Christianity ; Paley's Evi
dences ; Leslie's Methods with the Jews and Deists ;
Stillingfleet's Origines Sacra; and Butler's Analogy.
To the above should be added some books which give a
knowledge of the objections made by Deists. For this,
Leland's View may be sufficient ; except that it should
be followed by answers to deistical writers since Leland,
whose works and the answers to them may be supposed
known to the student. It would be best, if circumstan
ces permit, that he should read what the deists them
selves have written.
"After the books in proof of Revelation, let the
Student, previously to the reading of any system of
divinity, study the Scriptures with the help of some
approved commentators, such as Patrick and Lowth on
the Old Testament, and Hammond, or Whitby, or Dod
dridge, on the New ; being aware, in regard to the last
mentioned author, of the points on which he differs from
our Church, although it be with moderation and candor.
During such, his study of the Scriptures, let him read
some work or works which give an account of the design
of the different books, and the grounds on which their
respective authority is asserted ; for instance, Father
Simon's Canon of Scripture ; Collier's Sacred Interpreter ;
Gray's Key to the Old Testament, and Percy's Key to the
New. Let the student read the Scriptures over and
over, referring to his commentators as need may require,
until he can give an account of the design and character
of each book, and explain the more difficult passages of it.
He is supposed to know enough of profane History, to
CLERICAL PREPARATION. 331
give an account of that also, whenever it mixes with the
sacred. There are certain important subjects which may
be profitably attended to, as matters of distinct study,
during the course of the general study of Scripture. For
instance : the student jhaving proceeded as far as the
deluge, may read some author who gives a larger account
than the commentators of the particulars attached to that
crisis ; and also the principles on which are founded the
different systems of chronology, all which will be found
clearly done in the Universal History. In reading the
book of Leviticus, it will be useful to attend to some con
nected scheme of the Sacrifices ; such as is exhibited by
Bishop Kidder, in his Introduction to the Pentateuch, and
by Mr. Joseph Mede in some of his discourses. A more
full and interesting interpretation of the Prophecies than
can be expected from the commentators, will be desi
rable, and for this purpose let Bishop Newton's work be
taken. — Between the study of the Old Testament and
that of the New, should be read Prideaux's and Shuck-
ford's Connections. With the New Testament should be
taken some book relating to the Harmony ofthe Gospels,
as McKnight's or Bishop Newcome's. Let the student
before entering on the Gospels, read Dr. Campbell's
Introductory Dissertations. Toward the close of the Gos
pels the subject of the Resurrection should be particularly
attended to; for which purpose, let there be taken
either Mr. West on the subject, or Bishop Sherlock's
Trial ofthe Witnesses.
" After the study of the Scriptures, let attention be
given to Ecclesiastical History, so far as to the Council of
Nice. This period is distinctly taken, from a desire that
the portion of history preceding it, as well as the opinions
then entertained, may be learned from original writers,
332 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
which may be considered as one of the best expedients
for the guarding of the student against many errors of
modern times. The writers of that interval are not nu
merous or bulky. Eusebius is soon read through ; and
so are the Apostolic Fathers. Even the other writers
are not voluminous, except Origen, the greater part of
whose works may be passed over. The Apostolic Fathers
may be best read in Cotelerius' edition ; but there are
translations of most of them, by Archbishop Wake and
the Rev. William Reeves. — Cave's Lives ofthe Apostles
and Fathers may be profitably read at this period.
" This stage of the student's progress seems most
proper for the study of the two questions, of our Lord's
Divinity, and of episcopacy. The aspect of early works
on these subjects, best enables us to ascertain in what
shape they appear to the respective writers. And it is
difficult to suppose, on the ground of what we know of
human nature, that, during the first three centuries, either
the character of Christ should have been conceived of
as materially different from what had been the represen
tation of it by the first teachers of our religions ; or, that
there should have been a material change of Church
Government, without opposition to the innovation. For
the former question, let the works of Bishop Bull and
the Rev. Charles Leslie be taken : to which may well
be added the late controversy between Bishop Horsley
and Dr. Priestly ; and for the latter, Mr. Hooker's Ec
clesiastical Polity, Archbishop Potter on Church Govern
ment, and Daubeny's Guide to the Church. As the Lord
Chancellor King published a book on the Discipline of
the Primitive Church, in which he has rested episcopacy
on insufficient grounds unwarily admitted by many on
his authority — let the student read his book, and the
CLERICAL PREPARATION. 333
refutation of it in Mr. Slater's Original Draft ofthe Primi
tive Cliurch.
" After this, let the student go on with the history of
the fourth century, from Mosheim. But it will be of ad
vantage to him to turn to Fleury's History, for the
epitomes there given of the writings of the eminent men
who abounded in that century and part of the next. Let
him then return to Mosheim, and go on with that writer
to the Reformation. Here let him pause and study as
the main hinges of popery, its pretences to supremacy and
infallibility, on which there will be found satisfactory
matter in Mr. Chillingworth's Religion of Protestants a
safe Way to Salvation, and Dr. Barrow's Treatise of the
Pope's Supremacy. Here also let there be read Father
Paul's History of the Council of Trent. Then let the
student resume Mosheim. But it will be best, if, for a
more minute knowledge of the History of the Church of
England, since the Reformation, he take along with him
Collier's History — a very able work, but in the reading
of which some allowance must be made for peculiar pre
judices. On coming, in the reign of Elizabeth, to the
questions which arose between the divines of the Estab
lished Church and the presbyterians, then known by the
name of puritans, let recourse be again had to Mr.
Hooker's work, and to the London Cases. Then let
Mosheim be proceeded with to the end.
" After these studi.es, and not before, let Divinity be
read in a systematic method. Bishop Pearson's Exposi
tion of the Creed may be considered as a small system,
and, on account of the excellence of the work, is recom
mended; as also, Bishop Burnet's Exposition of the
Thirty-nine Articles. Then let a larger system be taken ;
suppose Stackhouse's Body of Divinity, with the addition
334 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
of the following modern works : Elements of Cliristian
Theology, by the present Bishop of Lincoln, and Tlie
Scholar Armed. That many works of this sort are not
mentioned, is because we think their utility is prin
cipally confined to arrangement, and suppose that the
knowledge they convey is to be obtained from the Scrip
tures, and judicious commentators."
It seems necessary to this course of study to recom
mend the Sermons of some of the distinguished preachers,
who have so abounded in the Church of England for
some ages past ; and the only matter will be, from among
many of great name, to select a convenient number.
"It seems unnecessary to require attention to the
history of the Common Prayer, the grounds on which the
different services are constructed, and the meaning of the
Rubrics. Perhaps a careful study of Dr. Wheatty on
the Common Prayer, and the late work of Mr. Reeves
will be sufficient.
Some books should be read on the Duties of the Pas
toral Office; such as St. Chrysostom On the Priesthood,
Bishop Burnet on the Pastoral Care, and Bishop Wil
son's Parochialia. It is however to be remembered that
one reason for studying carefully the Book of Common
Prayer, and its Rubrics is, that by the help of these, in
connection with what belongs in Scripture to the Minis
terial character, sufficient information of its duties may
be had.
" A knowledge of the Constitution and the Canons'
should be held absolutely necessary. And it is to be
hoped that they will on this account be soon published
detached from the journals.
" To set down what books shall be essentiaT, no stu
dent to be ordained without being fully prepared to
CLERICAL PREPARATION. 335
answer on them, is more difficult. The lowest requisi
tion is as follows : — Paley's Evidences ; Mosheim with a
reference to Mr. Hooker for the Episcopacy ; Stack-
house's Body of Divinity and Mr. Reeves on the Common
Prayer ; the Constitution and Canons of the Church ; al
lowing in the study of the Scriptures, a latitude of choice
among approved Commentators : it being understood that
if the student cannot, on the ground contained in some
good commentary give an account of the different books,
and explain such passages as may be proposed to him,
this is of itself a disqualification.
" During the whole course of study, the student will
endeavour by the grace of God, to cultivate his heart by-
attention to devotional and practical treatises."
This course of studies was established by the House
of Bishops in 1804, and usually occupies a student three
years. It is that which, with such substitutions as are
preferred by the tutor, is followed by private students of
theology, and ministers from dissenting denominations
who enter the Church. The latter are considered as
" candidates," and read English theology for at least six
months, when they are eligible to orders on meeting the
usual examination for deacons : the period of time du
ring which they were themselves students in such de
nomination, 'added to this period of six months, being
allowed to make up the canonical requisition of three
years' candidateship. In such cases the course of study
is necessarily abridged, though the order is observed-
To instance a case within my own knowledge : two
books only on the evidences of Christianity (Paley and
Mc'Ilvaine) were read, with the " Analogy." 0' Doyle and
Mant, Mc' Knight on the Epistles, with Ernesti's Interpre
tations were the only companions in studying the Scrip-
2 u
336 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
tures; a smaller Church History was substituted for
Mosheim; Hooker's Ecclesiastical Polity, and Bishop
Hopkins's " Primitive Church," were the only books
read on the Church; and in the divinity course the
same student read Pearson on the Creed, Burnet on the
Articles and the Sermons of Bishops Seabury and Gris
wold. Time would not allow of a more extended course,
and the candidate had already studied divinity system
atically ; — but it may fairly be questioned whether a
very large proportion of , the English clergy have given
more than a cursory glance at the leading standards in
the foregoing list, while not a few have confined their
reading to Paley,
337
CHAPTER LI.
THE RUBRIC.
Habit with him was all the test of truth ;
" It must be right : I've done it from my youth."
Questions he answered in as brief a way ;
" It must be wrong — it was of yesterday." Chabbii.
On Sunday the 25th of September I attended the morn
ing service of St. John's church, in a part of Phil
adelphia called the Northern Liberties. Like London,
the city proper comprehends only a limited district,
beyond which houses have extended, and now take in
several adjoining villages. The Northern Liberties is
one of the out districts, holding much the same relation
to its progenitor as Islington to the city of London.
The church of St. John is a cumbrous piece of build
ing. In its interior the churchwardens have, however,
shown their good taste as well as their good sense and
~ intelligence by excluding the useless reading desk. The
whole sacrifice of prayer and praise was offered from
the Altar.
The laxity of the English bishops in enforcing the
rubrical law, and permitting the grotesque inconsist
ences of costume and ritual observances which our
churches exhibit to become by long usage familiarised to
the public eye, and consequently regarded by vulgar
ignorance, as essential parts and features of " a protes
tant Church," is now felt in the American communion,
and has already produced much dissension in certain
local districts. The inconsistency of practice in the
338 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
mother Church with the written canon and rubric law
induced the framers of the American canons to omit any
legislation on the subject of chancels and vestments.
What is the result? Clergymen and churchwardens
have felt themselves at full liberty to transform, " mo
dernise," and metamorphose their churches to such an
extent that scarcely two can be found similar in design,
and scarcely one which bears any resemblance to a
primitive model. Some look like drawing rooms, others
like music saloons, more like methodist meeting houses,
and several bear a close resemblance to a theatre, which
appearance is aided by the prevalence of bright colours
tinsel and glare. A stranger to church forms, stares to
see an officiating minister make three distinct exits and
entrances, transformed on each occasion from black to
white, or white to black; and inwardly asks himself
whether a change of dress, and the pomposity of six
journeys to and fro,* are amongst the essential features of
* To the incredulous, who instead of using their own eyes and
ears in this rubrical strife, take for granted the slanderous calumny
of infidel editors, and dishonest party churchmen, that the confor
mist clergy seek to multiply " forms and ceremonies,'' and who,
perhaps, almost start at the above picture of frivolous, and worse than
popish,' (because meaningless) parade, the regular journeys and changes
of an anti-" innovating" clergyman on each sacrament day are sub-joined.
Were such follies even sanctioned by law, and the more than partial
usage of a century and a half only, no lover of a simple and protestant
framed ritual could object to their abandonment, especially on the
grounds stated by the Bishop of London :
" First from the vestry to his pew in the black gown ; secondly (at
the end of the Litany) from his pew to the vestry, to put off the
gown, and put on the surplice; thirdly from the vestry to the altar
in the surplice ; fourthly, (at the end of the Nicene Creed) from the
altar to the vestry to put off the surplice, and put on the black gown ;
fifthly, from the vestiy to the pulpit in the black gown ; sixthly, (at
THE RUBRIC. 339
" the true Church ;" and whether a liturgical form of
worship requires the use of three or more places at which
to perforin the ordinary duties of prayer and oral
instruction ?
The evil of this neglect on the part of the Church
law makers in the United States is begining to be felt
and admitted, notwithstanding that some affect to treat
the matter with contempt, as unworthy of serious consi
deration. It is felt, particularly by the laity, that if
uniformity in the words of the public worship is a
desirable object, the same uniformity should pervade the
internal structure of churches as to their main features.
Taste and means may regulate the dimensions, height,
and costliness of the altars, but their restoration to the
spots whence they have been in many churches sacrile
giously torn down, and the nature of the furniture and
decorations belonging to them, should be placed beyond
the caprice or idle whims of rectors and chuichwardens,
or, as frequently happens, female committees, -whose know
ledge of ecclesiastical proprieties is usually very profound.
The late Bishop of Pennsylvania strongly recommended
the entire rejection of the reading desk, on the ground of
its manifest uselessness, and the gain effected in additional
room, and the Bishop of New Jersey wishes to abolish
both in the smaller churches and chapels confining the
whole of the devotional part ofthe service to its proper
place, the altar, and using the eagle or moveable bible
the end of the sermon,) from the pulpit to the vestry, to put off the
black gown, and put on the surplice ; seventhly, (when the Communion
is over) from the altar to the vestry-room, to put off the surplice when
the black gown is again resumed to walk home in, rejoicing in anti-
' Posey ite" simplicity, and despising " Puseyite pomp." — English
Churchman.
3401 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
stand, from which the Proper Lessons are read, for the
sermon, homily or exhortation.* The practice of the
latter prelate is to deliver the sermon or exposition
immediately after the Gospel, (the Nicene Creed being
thrown out in this place in the American Prayer
Book,) and then to proceed to the Offertory as the
English rubric enjoins. This course, especially when
no metrical hymn or anthem is sung before and
after the sermon, does not allow of any change of
dress, which the rubric preceding the Offertory impli
citly forbids, the Prayer Book no where sanctions, and
the custom of the Church immediately after the Reform
ation, stamps as anti " protestant." By Bishop Doane's
plan, which is similar to the Bishop of London's, of
which, indeed, it had the precedency (being, in fact,
nothing more than a return to the practice of our fathers)
the full service is seen in its beauty and simplicity, as
designed by the framers of our ritual, and as the primi
tive Christians beheld it. Surely ignorance the most
* " For what does the pulpit in most of our churches serve but to-
set the preacher to the greatest disadvantage with the people over
whose head he is elevated ? For what is a pulpit needed mere thru.
a desk ? Why not remove the Holy Table back (again) and set it
up a step or two on a broad platform, with the chancel space before
it ? Then, as the prayers are offered from the altar why not let
the sermon or exhortation be delivered from the reading stand at
which the lessons are read ? Why should the human exposition be
elevated above the word of God ? Why should that which should
be simple, familiar, pastoral, parental, be forced into formality by the
position of the speaker. Would there not in such an arrangement
be less of declamation, and more of exposition ; less exhibition of the
man, more of the message which he brings ? * * * In our smalleE
churches, where room for the chancel is with so much difficulty ob
tained, the plan may be adopted to the very best advantage." — Con
ventional address 1840.
THE RUBRIC. 341
unpardonable ofthe intention .and history of ecclesias
tical ceremonies and vestments, or a most factious spirit
¦of opposition against constituted authorities, would
object to a return to the decent practice of the English
Church when first reformed, which is likewise in close
conformity to the order of the primitive — antecedent be
it remembered to the days of popery — especially when
that return ensures greater simplicity, and less display
than the practice long in vogue, though at no period
sanctioned in the cathedral worship. Our sublime ser
vice, in itself complete, is broken in upon by the use of
two metrical hymns, set to jig tunes, for the sole purpose
of enabling the officiating priest to robe himself in his
university habit ; which if he be a graduate is a piece of
ill-timed display on such an occasion and if not is a
positive cheat. Why should the work of the ritualists of
the Reformation be marred, and the devotion of the
Faithful be disturbed, and the attention of all be diverted
from its proper object, by the addition or introduction of
two or more modern hymns, set to modern tunes, and the
treble exit and re-appearance of Mr. priest to and from
his frippery, for the sake of announcing to the gaping
beholders, " Hear the words of a doctor of canon law, graduated
at the famous University of ?
Common sense, and common propriety rebel against
such pedantic and popish absurdity !
The New Jersey prelate did not probably foresee when
he made his excellent suggestion relative to the pulpit
the opposition it has received on the ground of the reve
rence which is said to be felt for that piece of furniture
from long association, and the ulterior aim which it is
asserted he conceals under it, viz — to banish preaching
342 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
altogether. To both these objections we may reply in
the Yankee mode, by asking the question — What is a pul
pit? A dictionary lying before me defines it as " The desk
where the sermon is pronounced." Is not, therefore,
the stand, eagle, or lecturn supporting the Bible, where
the lessons are read, as much in every conceivable sense
a pulpit as any other form of stand? — If reverence is
felt for any particular style or pattern of pulpit, that
feeling is certainly outraged in the modern rostrums
which are as little like the pulpits once in use, or a "desk"
(which the dictionary defines a pulpit to be) as a read
ing stand or eagle is unlike the former ; nay more so.
The octagonal or the six sided pulpit, the most con
venient and handsome form, where, (as in most Enghsh
churches) an elevated pulpit is needed, has long since
disappeared in the United States, except from a few of
the older churches ; and the rage for something new has
brought up a countless variety of preaching boxes, all
differing from each other in size and decorations, but
maintaining a wondrous resemblance in their uniform
ugliness, and the luxurious accommodation afforded to
the preacher. An English friend of mine entering St.
Andrew's church, Philadelphia, for the first time, in
which one of these architectural anomalies rears its
cumbrous and tasteless form in the chancel, supposed it
to be a high altar, richly and gorgeously decorated (which
illusion, the candlesticks, or lamps for gas burners re
sembling candlesticks, at the top, renders complete) till
the sermon, when — as he was speculating what place the
preacher would occupy — no pulpit (like one) being in
view, his appearance at the summit of the supposed altar,
produced the strangest effect imaginable. Several pul
pits in which I preached in the same city form a com-
THE RUBRIC. 343
plete saloon, where the easy couch, the mellowed light,
and partial seclusion invite to soft repose. In others
the hanging drapery and festooned canopy impart to
them the appearance of a royal throne. In this parti
cular our American brethren might with great advantage
copy the more becoming English examples.
Another feature in the externals of public worship in
the American Church, claims a passing notice, viz. — the
music. Though choir singing is better attended to as a
general rule in the United States than in this country, yet
the want of an uniform standard in the style and character
of the music, is felt in the same degree as by English
congregations. The love of variety creates a constant
change in the selection of chants, anthems, and metre
psalm tunes ; in which a correct ecclesiastical taste is
more the exception than the rule.* In the larger
* Since my return to England I have attended service in the following
churches, and chapels of the metropolis, viz : St. Mary's, Lambeth ;
Eaton Square church ; St. Peter's, Queen-square ; St. John's, West
minster ; Christchurch, Broadway ; the Abbey ; St. Martin's, Trafalgar
Square; St. Giles's; the Temple; St. Mark's, North Audley-street ;
Percy Chapel; the Savoy ; St. Andrew's, Holborn ; St, Anne's, Soho;
St. George's, Hanover-square ; Hanover Chapel ; Archbishop Tenison's
chapel ; St. Mary's, Woolnoth ; St. George's, Bloomsbury ; All Souls,
Regent-street; Margaret chapel ; St. Paul's, Foley-place ; St. Bride's,
Fleet-street; St. Pancras, New-road ; Regent-square chapel ; Christchurch
Albany-street ; Fitzroy chapel, London-street ; St. Marylebone, New
Road ; Trinity, Brompton ; St. Paul's, Knightsbridge ; Trinity, Upper
Chelsea ; the Normal School chapel.
The contrast in the manner of conducting the service, both in the desk
and the pulpit, in several of these places of worship to the care
less and irreverent performances once exhibited, affords a gratifying
evidence of that spirit of improvement which has latterly shown itself in
the public performances of the national clergy. But what a fearful
falling off, all but about half a dozen out of these thirty two London (|j|
churches present in the altar service, from what our national Church once
2x
344 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
churches of the city, however, a laudable preference has
latterly been manifested for the Gregorian tones ; which
are (as they are designed to be) slower than in those
English churches where they have been introduced ;
though not in the measured and feeling strain that
gives them their beauty and effect in the Latin Church.
In only one church in which I have worshipped
supplied to her children ! ! In only four, besides the Abbey, is the
catholic ritdal of England's Church beheld as the Reformers moulded
it ; and in these four, as a natural consequence, the devotion of the
crowded attendance of worshippers, attests the preference which the in
telligent of the English community give to the services of the Church of
England when properly exhibited, and their excellent effect — so exhibited
over the minds of the worshippers. To suppose, indeed, that any commu
nity would deliberately give the preference to an ill executed, slovenly
performance over one conducted in the manner prescribed by its composers
is to pronounce that community destitute, both of taste and common
sense. I May add, in parenthesis, that the music at several of the
largest of these churches — little as there is of it — is another disgrace to
the incumbents : or to the parish authorities who oppose themselves to
the wishes ofthe incumbents, to purge the ritual of innovation, and pro
duce something like an approach to decency in the public worship of
Almighty God ; and who, with the full ability and material for conforming
to the model of St. Paul's, Knightsbridge, care so little for their public
duty as to leaye the whole musical and responsive worship in the unskilled
hands of that worse than superfluous functionary, "the clerk" and the
charity children (en masse) the screaming treble of these loft-y warblers in
the former, and their mechanical monotone in the latter, are sufficient to
dissipate the devotional feeling of any but the most inveterate •' protestant' '
What a scandal is it to the Church authorities, that the opera house and
the popish chapels, sustained as the latter are for the most part by the
voluntary contributions of the poorest class in the community, should
furnish better music than our own richly endowed parish churches ! ! !
In the other department of preaching, the names of Bennett, (the
model of a parish priest) Burgess, Cooper, Dale, Dodsworth, Duk infield,
Harness, Ions, Montgomery, Page, Richards, Tyler, and Villiers, occupy
Lmost deservedly) too high a place in public estimation, to be further
raised by any panegyric in this note.
THE RUBRIC. 345
(in Maryland) in which the plain song was used
for the whole service, (appointed to be sung) was
the time observed, at all in keeping with the character
of these beautiful tones, and the effect produced was
corresponding. At first pronounced " monotonous " the
congregation in this instance soon became so attached
to the primitive metres of Ambrose and Gregory that
the more modern chants, unless partaking of their cha
racter, proved distasteful to the worshippers and were
wholly laid aside. " Who," asks a Scotch writer, " that
has ever heard the music of the Gregorian chant in the
Latin Church, can forget the solemnity, not unmixed
with sadness with which it fills the soul of the worship
per ? Whether intoned by devout priests consecrated to
God, or by the artless voices of children in the sublimest
act of Christian adoration on earth, or at the vespers of
each closing day, it seems ever to breathe holiness and
heavenly peace. It is related of many devout souls now
with God, that they could never hear the Mixolydian
song of the Preface without being melted in tears.
Sooth, no tongue can be adequate to give an idea of
the impression produced by the plain song of the choir.
It is full of history, full of sanctity. While the Grego
rian chant rises, you seem to hear the whole Catholic
Church behind you, responding. It exhales a perfume
of Christianity, an odour of penitence, and of compunc
tion which overcome you. No one cries ' How admira
ble ! ' but by degrees the return of those monotonous
sounds penetrates one ; and, as it were, impregnates the
soul, without one's ever dreaming of judging, or of
appreciating, or of learning the airs which one hears."
It must be a source of regret to every right minded
catholic, both in England and America, but particularly
346 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
in this country, that the wretched practice of blending
the three services of the Morning Prayer, the Litany, and
the Holy Communion, should have received the sanction
of such general custom ; and the regret is increased that
a practice so manifestly opposed to the intention of the
compilers of our liturgy, and so utterly at variance with
the spirit of their general appointments for the public
worship of this nation, should find adoocates even among
the clergy ! It is to accomplish the task of getting
through the heavy duty within the allotted period that
the musical part, where the choral service is used, is
executed with such railway speed : destructive alike of
religious enjoyment, and intelligent participation in the
language of those portions. In the United States, the
revisers of the Prayer Book have so arranged the three
services when performed together, as to meet the diffi
culty in some degree, by avoiding repetitions, and a
permitted omission of a portion of the Litany [placed in
parenthesis] which permission clergymen universally
avail themselves of. An increasing number, however,
adopt the better plan of celebrating the first two services
at the (intended) hour of early morn, and offering the Eu-
charistic sacrifice at eleven ; a practice which has the sanc
tion of one entire diocess, where, at the annual meetings
of the Convention, the clergy and laity attend matins be
fore breakfast, and celebrate the Communion during the
recess after the morning's sitting for business.
The advantages of opening the churches for several
services during the day, are so great and so obvious, that
arguments seem wholly superfluous addressed to con
scientious parish priests, whose desire is to do the great
est amount of good to the greatest number of their flock
At a time when want of church-room is severely felt in
THE RUBRIC. 347
the populous districts of the town and country, how
happens it to have been so overlooked that by this mode
the number at present accommodated may be trebled, or
even (if there are two clergymen) quadrupled ? To say
nothing of the advantages of affording servants, and
persons from a distance an opportunity of attending
church more than once, and of receiving the Commu
nion as often as the rich; (a consideration I would press
home to the labour-saving anti " Puseyite " gentlemen,)
the different services could then be executed in a manner
more suited to their importance, producing no fatigue to
the worshippers ; and the temple of God would, by its
open porch — its oft recurring tolls of invitation — and the
acceptable incense of the sacrifice of prayer and praise,
sent up with due intermissions, from morn till eve — pre
sent certainly a more fitting type and emblem of the
Temple above during the eternal Sabbath, than the pre
sent wearisome practice of a compound triple service.
Part of a communication which has just come
under my eje, in the columns of a London Church
journal, advocating this alteration —or rather this return
to the orthodox custom of our ancestors — furnishes most
completely all the additional arguments in its favour : —
" We would strongly urge the desirableness of offering
to the inhabitants of populous districts, especially if there
be a want of church room, the opportunity of attending
shorter services and at a greater variety of hours on
Sunday mornings than they have at present, in the
combined and, to many persons, tedious and fatiguing
service of Morning Prayer, Litany, and Communion,
with a sermon of three quarters of an hour, or an hour
long. Where there are several churches and a due pro
portion of clergy, this boon might surely be granted,
348 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
without any difficulty ; and even where there is only
one church, provided there are two clergymen, we do
not see any insurmountable difficulty. It would not
perhaps be desirable to interfere much with the arrange
ment of our ordinary Sunday Morning services, but
we would suggest whether some such plan as the fol
lowing might not be adopted :
" At 8 the Order for Morning Prayer.
" At 9 the Litany.
" At 10 the entire Communion Office, including, of
course, the administration of the Eucharist. This Com
munion would be especially convenient for invalids and
others, for whom ' early Communions ' (at eight o'clock)
are too early.
" At half-past 1 1 Morning Prayer, (no Litany) and
the an ti- Communion Office, with a sermon, but with no
administration of the Eucharist, except on the great fes
tivals. In the afternoon there might be the Evening Service
with Catechising, and in the evening, the Litany might,
we presume, be used, and a sermon or lecture after it.
[The Greater Litany was recommended by Bishop Gris
wold as forming an appropriate third service, before a
lecture, when a night service is necessary, and so used
by Doctor Vinton at Gracechureh, Providence.]
" To many persons, we are aware, these suggestions
and alterations will appear strange and wholly unneces
sary, but, from practical experience, we are convinced
that some such division and shortening of our Sunday
services would be a most welcome and valuable boon to
invalids, aged and infirm persons, mothers who are
nursing infants, medical-men, attendants on invalids,
THE RUBRIC. 349
aud children, persons having any particular physical
infirmity,* domestic servants, and young children, all of
whom, by our present system of combined, unbroken
services, and long sermons, are deprived of many privi
leges and opportunities, which the Church had consider
ately and affectionately provided for them.f Invalids
* " Long services and long sermons not only counteract medical treat
ment, and aggravate disease, but send new patients to the doctors. Fe
males, of susceptible and weak constitutions, are especially liable to injury,
in various ways, particularly by attendance at churches in the evening,
where an " overflowing congregation," stoves, and gas-lights combine to
render the atmosphere both insufferably hot and most unhealthy ; and
where, after listening to the exciting harangue of a popular preacher, they
emerge into the open air, which is, by comparison, perfectly freezing, we
might say killing. To this source, and to public meetings, and evening
parties, may, in a great measure, be traced the fearful increase of con
sumption in the present day".
f " We feel it to be too doubtful a point to be introduced otherwise than
in a note, but we would venture to suggest whether some consideration
might not also be bestowed upon those who have really no valid excuse
for staying away from church, or for being wearied or annoyed by the
length of the services on Sundays. As a fact, many persons, especially
young men of active habits, volatile minds, and restless temperaments,
are guilty of such conduct ; and the question is, whether we may treat
them as we would weak brethren, and make such concessions as the laws
of the Church admit of, in order to bring them gradually to a better state.
Again, there are some persons who, with more or less excuse, occasionally
take the opportunity of their only weekly holiday to go and see their
friends at a distance. On sueh occasions they omit going to church,
because it would so materially interfere with their plans, but they might
very likely be induced to attend an early service, of short duration, and
some would be heartily glad to do so. We cannot prevent persons, who
are confined all the week, from making a holiday of Sunday, occasionally,
and therefore it is, we think, worth while to consider whether we should
not provide them with an opportunity for public worship which will leave
the majority of them without excuse if they neglect it. We have not
much fear that by so doing we should sanction or increase holiday-making
on Sundays, while it is certain that a considerable amount of good would
350 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
and aged persons are often tired out, and their ailments
very seriously aggravated, by long confinement in nar
row pews, and continued exposure to either extreme of
heat or cold ; while young children are wearied, and
very frequently disgusted, with the monotony of remain
ing in one narrow place for two hours, with little that
can interest them, and thus' they become an annoyance
to every one near them. When we say this, we must
not be understood to deprecate the value of discipline for
children, but we question the propriety of trying their
patience unduly in a place which we wish them to re
gard with reverent affection. They should certainly be
accustomed gradually to the services of the Church, and
not, as many at present have, at their early attendance,
to sit for two long hours in a strange place, where they
must neither move nor ask a single question. How often
have we pitied poor little charity-children, thrust up
into the highest and most distant and dark corner of the
church, where they can hear nothing but the organ, and
where they must, in warm weather, be almost stifled
with the closeness of the atmosphere ; without permis
sion, and almost without power, to movej during two
services, (one of great length,) and two long inaudible,
or unintelligible, sermons. We can hardly wonder, if
after they leave school, they avoid a place which must
be effected. Then there are others, who follow their callings the greater
part of Sunday, such- as cabmen, omnibus-men, policemen, watermen,
barbers, etc., who, from their very numbers, are worth a thought."
This suggestion deserves a more prominent place than that of a note,
But if the London clergy do not speedily second the large minded plans
of their diocesan, and to (use an Americanism) " walk up to the work "
before them, the " City Mission Society " which is practically a per
fectly organized episcopal association, will be beforehand with them
amongst this hitherto neglected class.
THE RUBRIC? 351
be associated in their minds with irksome monotony, and
unrelieved weariness. Upon domestic servants, a division
and shortening of the services must confer a most valua
ble benefit, as nearly all might then go once, if not
twice, to church on Sunday, if their employers were
disposed to afford them facilities. Where there was the
daily service, say Morning Prayer at 8, and Evening
Prayer at 7, there might be Litany at 10 or 11, on
Wednesdays and Fridays, and this latter would afford
two more opportunities a week for the classes whose
claims we have been urging. We are quite confident,
that if the plan we have here suggested were tried, and
persevered in, we should, in time, obtain many worship
pers, and those more willing, cheerful, and sincere.
This would be the most legitimate, the most immediate,
and the most economical ' Church Extension,' even
though an additional clergyman or two were required
in large parishes. We are no great admirers of novelty
in our public services, except where novel obedience is
substituted for * old-fashioned ' disobedience, but we
cannot help thinking that the novelty, as well as the
variety of this arrangement, would be no undue or ill-
timed concession to the temper and spirit of the times.
This would not be against the law of the Church ;
whereas concessions are constantly being made • in the
very teeth of her laws, and in violation of the conscien
ces of the clergy, and the privileges of the laity."
With regard to a distinct hour of service for the
Litany, recommended by this writer, it may be remarked
that it is the opinion of eminent rubricians, that the
word " Sundays " in the rubric appointing when the
longer Litany shall be sung, was originally either a
clerical or a typographical error : that service being
2 Y
352 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCFS.
peculiarly a penitential supplication designed exclusively
for Wednesdays and Fridays (hence called " Litany
Bays ") and on other fast days " when it shall be com
manded by the ordinary." On Sunday, as a festival,
the Shorter Litany in the Morning Prayer was alone
designed to be used by the Church. The conjecture is
more than reasonable ; and accords with the opinions of
Bishop Griswold (expressed at the Convention of his
diocess during my connection with it) on the inexpedi
ency of lengthening the period of worship by the com
mon practice of lumping the three offices in the
morning worship : " a powerful obstacle " he stated " to
the increase of the Church in America." Bishop White
also recommended the correction of this abuse. The
evil is magnified in England by the greater length of the
Litany, the unavoidable repetition of Creeds, Pater
Nosters, and Collects, and the introduction of the An
them ; which, added to the metre singing, forms a
service of such fearful length, that (whilst its oppressive
weariness, especially when all read * does not warrant
* The indolent practice of reading what is designed and set down to be
sung cannot be sufficiently deprecated. Thus the beautiful variety of our
service is unperceived, unenjoyed by the catholic worshipper. When in
the metropolis, for instance, every parish church and chapel possesses the
materials (with proper training doubtless among the school children) of as
good a choir as that at the cathedral, the Temple church, Broadway and
Margaret-street chapels, etc., how culpable is the negligence which omits
all attention to this important part of the public worship of Almighty
God. How are the three hundred well paid clergy of London employed
that they leave an important part of the duty which is especially assigned
to then by the laws ofthe Church, to the direction of ignorant and incom
petent parish subordinates ? Was the unrivalled worship of the Anglican
Church thus burlesqued in the days of King Edward.and Queen Elizabeth ?
The following directions, from the latter's memorable " Injunctions" to
the clergy of her realm, show that the slovenly practice of reading (and
THE RUBRIC. 353
desertion of the Church, and a relinquishment of her
privileges) fully accounts for the extensive disrelish for
the services ofthe national sanctuary — so different from
the attachment manifested by Romanists to their public
worship, and the preference given to the shorter reli-
in wretched style too, in nine out of every ten of our churches) forty
or sixty pages of ritml. by parson, clerk, and charity children, was
never the mode of worship intended by the martyr Reformers, when they
framed the offices of England's Reformed Apostolic Church : —
" Item. Because in divers collegiate, and also some parish churches
heretofore, there have been livings appointed for the maintenance of men
and children to use siugiug in the church, by means whereof the laudable
service of music hath been had in estimation, and preserved in knowledge :
the Queen's Majesty, neither meaning in any wise the decay of any thing
that might conveniently tend to the use and continuance of the saitl
science, neither to have the sane iu any part so abused in the church,
that thereby the Common Prayer should be the worse understandcd of the
hearers, willeth and commandeth, that first, no alterations be made of such
assignments of living, as heretofore hath been appointed to the use of
singing or musick in the church, but that the same so remain. And that
there be a modest and distinct song so used in all parts of the Common
Prayers in the church, that the same may be as plainly understanded as
if it were read without singing, and yet, nevertheless, for the comforting
of such that delight in musick, it may be permitted, that in the beginning'
or in the end of the Common Prayer, either at Morning or Evening,
there may be sung an Hymn, or such like song to the praise of Almighty
God in the best sort of melody and musick that may be conveniently
devised, having respect that the sentence of hymn may be understanded
and perceived.
" Item. That the churchwardens of every parish shall deliver unto our
Visitors the inventories of vestments, copes, and other ornaments, plate,
books and specially of grayles, couchers, legends, processionals, manuals,
hymnala, portuesses, and such like, appertaining to the church.
" Item. That weekly upjn Wednesdays and Fridays, not being holy
days, the curate at the accustomed hours of service shall resort to church,
and cause warning to be given to the people by knolling of a bell, and'say
the Litany and Prayers." — Queen Elizabeth's Injunctions, p. 10.
354 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
gious exercises of the conventicle. The present Bishop of
Chester has remarked that a few, very few alterations in the
liturgy would " reconcile millions of dissenters to the
Church ;" an assertion which no one can doubt. How
tremendously responsible are those parties who oppose
every effort on the part of some of our clergy to correct
an existing evil by conforming their practice to the ju
dicious directions of the rubric, for the multitudes who
are lost to the Church on account of an evil so easily
corrected !
It will not, perhaps, be considered as irrelevant to
notice in this place, that unhappy and unnecessary
strife which has latterly disturbed the peace of the
Church at home on the subject of rubrical conformity.
Never was a civil war commenced and prosecuted on
such trivial and absurd grounds ! Several diocesan
bishops acting in their lawful capacity as ordinaries,
—with the simple and obvious purpose of correcting an
useless irregularity in the mode of conducting public
worship, and of directing the parish funds for benevolent
objects, through the legitimate channel of the Offertory
— directed, or merely suggested to their clergy the ob
servance of certain neglected rubrical directions in the
Prayer Book relating to the celebration of the Commu
nion office. Who, but the open contemners of law would
resist such an injunction from the episcopal head ? Ad
mitting that these proposed "changes" in one (and
only one) of the public services are in no possible de
gree prejudicial to the established " protestant " prin
ciples of the English Church, and intrinsically unimpor
tant, which many of the non-complying clergy concede,
then, — on what ground, it may be confidently asked, is
the refusal to introduce them justified, provided clergymen
THE RUBRIC. 355
hold themselves bound by the laws of their own Church ?
This is the only light in which to view the matter. It is
a simple question ; which is easier evaded than answered.
To quote a text of Scripture, or to broach an irrelevant
discussion on " the comparative claims of doctrines and
ceremonies," etc., are only the evasions of shuffling ex
pediency. We cannot believe that a tenderness for the
consciences of their people is the acting motive with men
whose course of action stirs up in their parishioners all
the latent feelings of rebellion against the constituted
authorities of the Church. If the episcopal mandate
required any thing calculated to wound the most tender
conscience, the case might be different — but this is not
pretended. The only obstacle urged, is the distrust
which so slight an alteration in the order of the public
service is calculated to produce amongst the laity in their
spiritual teachers — an apprehension that the movement is
towards Rome. But who first suggested this bugbear,
is the question ? Was it not made the watchword of a
party 1 — though the proposed improvements have no pos
sible symbolical reference to any thing peculiarly Ro
manist either in doctrine or practice ; and it may be
confidently asked, Would a general and simultaneous
compliance with episcopal directions by all parties
in the clerical ranks, accompanied (if necessary) with a
simple explanation of the reasons for the alteration, have
produced any dissatisfaction, or opposition amongst the
laity ? Not, it may be confidently affirmed, in a single
instance ! Nay, if the public mind were not in so great
a degree misled by those filling the ministerial office,
who, forgetful of their obligations, encourage popular
resistance to episcopal authority, the intelligent laity
would see in the highest officer of the Church, a guar-
356 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
dian of their own rights and privileges against priestly
encroachments ; and in the strengthening and upholding
of the full dignity and prerogatives of the episcopal
office, a certain security against an abuse of the pastoral
office. It will scarcely be irrelevant to suggest the
enquiry, — what does a minister of the episcopal Church
of England promise before he receives his commission
from tbe hands of the chief pastor ?
Let the office of ordination furnish the answer : —
After assenting to the searching question whether " he
thinks he is truly called according to the will of Jesus
Christ, and according to the Canons of the Church to the
ministry of the same ? " and promising in detail a com
pliance with the Church's requirements, the bishop asks
the candidate : — -
"Will you reverently obey your bishop, and other
chief ministers, who, according to the Canons of the
Church may have the charge and government over you,
following with a glad mind and will their godly admo
nitions ?
To which the candidate for the diaconate replies be -
fore the witnessing congregation :
" I will endeavour so to do, the Lord being my helper."
' To make this engagement doubly binding, the same
party when advanced to the higher office in the sacred
ministry — the full priesthood — renews this vow of obe
dience to the bishop, adding another " to submit him
self (also) to the godly judgment of his superior."
Which engagements, so publicly and emphatically
made, and inseparably bound to his soul by the seal of
the Holy Eucharist — then partaken on his bended knees
—an honest man will respect.
A knave only, and an arrant one, will set his bishop's
THE RUBRIC. 357
injunctions at defiance ; treat contemptuously his bro
therly suggestions ; and claim it a mark of his " gospel
freedom " that he is independent of episcopal interfe
rence. Nor does the "evangelical" preaching and
creed of such a man exonerate him from the imputation
of wilful dishonesty.
But there are other engagements binding on every
instituted minister of the Church (" evangelical " as well
as " Puseyite ") which, however little regarded by those
whose resistance to " episcopal interference " is a test of
their " evangelical " soundness bears still more expressly
on this subject.
In the " Letter of Institution" which a rector or vicar
receives from his bishop the new incumbent is only
" licensed and authorised " to hold his cure while " com
plying with the rubrics and canons of the Church, and
with such lawful directions as he shall at any time re
ceive from the bishop." He is further admonished
" faithfully to feed that portion of the flock of Christ
intrusted to him ; not as a man pleaser, but as continual
bearing in mind that he is accountable to [his bishop]
here, and to the Chief Bishop, and Sovereign Judge of
all hereafter."
Nor is this all : The interpretation of the rubrics, by
the Church's rules, rests with the bishop, who is the only
and, if he chooses to exert the legal as well as inherent
powers of his office, the final arbiter in every dispute
which may arise between a minister and his congregation.
In addition to which the Canons of the Church, by which
every clergyman is solemnly bound, as distinctly assign
to the episcopal officer the jurisdiction in all matters re-
latiog to the Ritual. The directions for the regu
lation of our public worship are few and simple ; their
358 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
observance easy, and if even complied with minutely
would never have awakened the hostility of the laity
but for the factious objections of indolent or demagogue
priests, to whom the peace of the Church was a secondary
consideration when their own ease or temporary popu
larity was the object to be secured. That some few
have acted ignorantly it is charitable to believe ; not so
with those who took a prominent lead in their resistance
to " episcopal interference."
A more upright and catholic minded course on the
part of those clergy whose act of contumacy has been a
signal for the lower ranks of Church officials to copy
their spirit, would have saved the latter from that unenvi
able fame which they have in several cases obtained, by
their delicate apprehension of the relation subsisting be
tween subordinate parish authorities and the episcopal
heads of the Church. Had they informed themselves
of the historical, as well as the received meaning of the
term " protestant, " and of the custom of other " pro
testant " Churches and Communions ; had a little infor
mation on these points been obtained from the proper
source, before memorialising the episcopal officer, and
in said memorials, protests, and vestry speeches deter
mining what are, and what are not, the distinctive fea
tures of a Reformed Church, they would have escaped
the position which they now occupy : a better course
this than taking the sagacious judgment of the Sunday
newspaper press, or even than forming their opinion on
the partial decisions of the more respectable daily jour
nalists, whose sphere of criticism, however wide, is cer
tainly not legitimately extended to this discussion. If
these gentlemen of the daily and weekly press do not
write ignorantly when they take up their pens to pro-
THE RUBRIC. 359
scribe " Puseyism " even in the innocent form of rubri
cal conformity, they only show how glaringly truth, and
facts are perverted for party purposes. — But a steady
perseverance in the path of duty on the part of the
clergy, will neutralise this (usurped) influence in the
Church, and in time reconcile even her now malcontent
members to those admirable provisions for their spiritual
wants, and that decent and significant formulary, which
the English Reformers bequeathed to this nation.
Though the former has been criminally neglected, and
¦the latter obscured by modern innovations, the duty is
no less binding on the clergy to cairy out the one, and
exhibit the other to the letter. In this they are justified
in resisting to the utmost the unauthorised interference
of official subordinates and their mobbish backers ; strong
as may be (for a time) the faction which instigates the
opposition, and influential as may be the political organ
which sanctions and applauds the outrage.
The following from Dr. Jarvis's work entitled " No
Union with Rome," is deserving the attentive regard of
these open-mouthed advocates for "a protestant Church,"
who, as Dr. Jarvis's account shews, must, to be consistent,
be contented to rank themselves with the dissenters from
the Church, and the opponents of protestantism on the
continent, its original birth-place.
" I pass on to that third definition of popery which
Mr. Hallam calls ' the last and most enlarged sense' and
' which' he says ' the vulgar naturally adopted ;" I mean
that which makes it extend to ceremonies and eccle
siastical OBSERVANCES.
" Under this head must be included, 1 . The presby-
terians of Scotland of all sects ; 2. The independents
and other dissenters in England calling themselves
2 z
360 ecclesiastical reminiscences.
" protestants ;" and 3. the congregationalists of this
country [America] and the descendants of the Scottish
presbyterians, with the various sects which have ema
nated from them. All these accuse the Church of England
and our Communion of popery in our ceremonies and
ecclesiastical observances. The use of a prescribed
ritual, from which it is not lawful for the minister to
depart ; the celebration of festiv als, such as Christmas,
Circumcision, Epiphany, Easter and Whitsuntide ; the
observance of fasts on stated days and seasons, such as
Wednesdays and Fridays, Ember-days, Lent, Passion
Week, etc. ; the commemoration of saints on special days;
' daily worship without sermons, etc. ; the wearing of
surplices, and other ecclesiastical habiliments ; the sign
of the cross in baptism, the use of altars, kneeling at
the reception of the elements in the Lord's Supper, and
communion of the sick ; the ring as a token and pledge
in marriage, and bowing at the name of Jesus ; are all
objected to as ' popish,' consequently any increase of such
observances, as reverence in entering a church, bowing
towards the altar, placing a cross over or upon the altar,
burning lights upon the same, are all looked upon as
the sure indications of a desire to return to " popery."
But they who make popery to consist in these things
are little aware of the dilemma into which they bring
themselves ! There is not one of these observances, which
is not in use among some one or other of the protestants either
ofthe Evangelical or the Reformed Communions on the con
tinent of Europe. The use of a prescribed ritual is, I
believe, universal. One of the pastors of Geneva told
me they were about to alter their liturgy ; and upon my
asking — in what respect ? he said, to bring it nearer to
the Church of England, especially in responsive worship.
the rubric. 361
This desire to make their worship more fervent by the
united voices of minister and congregation, has already
shown itself in the liturgy of the Canton of the Grisons
to which reference has been already made, as published
by their synod in 1831. They have a Litany which, in
substance, accords with ours ; and in many of their ser
vices, especially in that for the Communion, the respon
sive mode of worship is introduced. At Zurich, though
the old system of prayer by the minister's voice only is
preserved, I held the prayer book in my hand through
the whole service, and can aver that not a word was
uttered which was not in the prescribed ritual. The
festivals of Christmas, Easter. Ascension and Whitsun
day, with the Mondays following Easter and Whitsun
day, are celebrated. Passion week is observed by
services every day, and there are special services for
Palm Sunday, Holy Thursday (or High Thursday as it
is called, in commemoration of the institution of the
Eucharist) and Good Friday. There are also regular
week day services, morning and evening, and lectures
two or three times a week. Such is the practice of the
Calvinists. " Among Lutherans, there is the closest conformity to
us in rites and ceremonies. They observe all the fes
tivals and fasts and saints' days which we do. In some
of their churches, as for example, in Wirtemberg, and I
believe iu Baden, they wear surplices ; not merely the
simple garment of white linen which we use, but the
more ornamented and costly garment used in the Church
of Rome. They use the sign of the cross, not only in
baptism, but in consecrating the elements in the Lord's
Supper. They have altars with lights burning upon
them, and not merely a cross, but a crucifix, in the
&fi2 ecclesiastical reminiscences.
centre. They kneel when they receive the elements,
and administer the wafer, as the Church of Rome does,
by putting it into the mouth of the- recipient. The
Communion is administered in private to the sick. The
ring is used in marriage, and they bow at the name of
Jesus. Let it be observed that these are the original
protestants. If our ceremonies and ecclesiastical ob
servances are popish, then were Luther and Melancthon
eminently papistical."
363
CHAPTER LI I.
general convention of 1841.
The following week the General Convention of the
Church commenced its sittings in St. Paul's, New
York. As this meeting of the great council of the
Church is perhaps the most interesting and important
occasion recorded in my American journal, a detailed
account of it may not be unacceptable.
St. Paul's is the second church for size in New York,
and well adapted for the services which were solemnized
within its walls on Wednesday, October 6th. The
entire body ofthe church was filled by the clerical and
lay delegates, the former in their collegiate gowns
occupying the middle portion. At ten o'clock the
bishops, full robed, entered through the great western
door, and proceeding up the centre aisle, took their
places in the chancel. What an interesting group was
that ! The first in the procession was the venerable
presiding bishop, his head whitened with seventy-five
winters, twenty of these spent in the active, unceasing
labours of the episcopate ; his form still erect and manly,
though his countenance is deeply furrowed, bear
ing the marks of intense concern, inseparable from "the
care of all the Churches," and a field of diocesan labour
more severe than any other in the country. Following
the primate, the reverend form of the Bishop of Vir
ginia appears " with shaking hands and whitened
locks, an appropriate representative and successor of
364 ecclesiastical reminiscences.
the apostles." * Next comes the Bishop of Illinois,
athletic in form, yet showing the lines of care, and an
aspect of ill-concealed restless anxiety. How instantly
does the imagination follow him to the hills and prairies
of the west, where his pastoral crook, swayed with wis
dom and judgment, has gathered so large a company of
converts " obedient to the faith," whose children shall
call him blessed ; and where his persevering industry
has raised up tivo universities " Ever witness for him
Those twins of learning."
Bishop Griswold occupied the right of the altar, and
Bishop Moore the left. Two priests read the Morning
Prayer and Litany at the reading desk, and four deacons
served the table by lifting the oblations, and distributing
the remaining elements after all had communicated.
The Communion service was divided between the two
senior prelates.
The sermon was preached by the Bishop of New York
from the text " For whom he did foreknow them he also
did predestinate." It was a note of peace, like the
Articles of the Church ; and was designed to produce har
mony and peace among the assembled representatives of
the Church, by pointing out the common ground on which
they stood with regard to controverted points of theo
logy ; and the effect was apparently such as was intended.
After 1075 persons had communicated, there was an
interchange of greetings between the members of the
Convention. This affecting scene was thus described by
a clerical eye witness : —
" What a meeting of Christian brothers ! Brethren
beloved, long separated, and labouring in different
Bishop Henshaw's Life of the late Bishop of Virginia, p. 310.
GENERAL CONVENTION OF 1841. 365
portions of their master's vineyard, were permitted to see
each other again in the flesh. It is not. for the pen to
tell what was felt amidst this brotherly shaking of hands
— the affectionate smiles, salutations, enquiries, congra
tulations and rejoicings— God be praised for such a
meeting, — such a privilege. It was worth travelling a
long tedious journey for — a type of what God's children
will experience in the land of life and bliss."
The session of the General Convention lasted a
fortnight ; the house of clerical and lay deputies occupy
ing the body of the church, and the bishops a con
sistory room adjoining, which was appropriately fitted
up for the occasion . Some alterations were made in
existing canons, and five new- canons were passed. One
of these related to the absence of a clergyman from his
diocess without sufficient cause ; another to the election
of missionary bishops to the office of diocesan bishop,
in which the canon directed that a majority of the
bishops and standing committees should concur before
such translation should be legal ; and another, on the
trial of bishops, requiring the concurrence of two
thirds of his own rank, and fixing seven as the quorum
of episcopal judges, besides the presenting prelate.
Many things were debated, and much eloquence lost
in an effort to obtain the enactment of a canon to
authorize the consecration of foreign bishops under
certain limitations, in order to give Texas and Liberia
episcopal supervison ; but a large majority of the lower
house withstood the proposition, and likewise returned a
proposed canon, sent it by the house of bishops to
create a new class of unpreaching deacons.
The Rev. Dr. Jarvis, as Historiographer of the Church
366 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
submitted a collection of manuscripts, with the accom
panying note which will speak for itself :
" Right Reverend Fathers in Christ,
" Having been honoured by the General Convention
of 1838, with the appointment of 'Historiographer of
the Church,' I think it my duty to report to the House
of Bishops, with whom the resolution originated, the
progress which has been made.
" It seemed to me that in order to effect the object
proposed, it would be necessary if possible to settle
several contested points, in such a manner as to satisfy
both learned and unlearned readers. This could be done
in no other way than by laying before them in English,
that evidence which is now locked up in foreign
languages, and scattered* through a great number of
volumes, and which, from the scarcity of public libraries
in our country, is inaccessible even to persons who by
their education are fitted to examine the original authors.
It is obvious, indeed, that this cannot be done in the
whole course of ecclesiastical history, without swelling
the work to an enormous extent. It must be confined,
therefore, to points of great importance ; and with
respect to the rest, much must be left to the fidelity
and accuracy of the historian. But if he be found faith
ful and accurate in the discussion of these important
points, he will establish a character, both as a reporter
and a judge, which will make his readers more ready to
trust him when called upon to credit his assertions.
" The exact time of the birth and death of our Saviour,
the key stone by which prophecy as well as history must
be sustained, seemed to be one of those important points.
This I have attempted to ascertain ; and the attempt
has succeeded beyond my most sanguine expectations.
GENERAL CONVENTION OF 1841. 367
With no theory to sustain, and fearing to be misled by
the theories of others, I have made use of modern
writers, only so far as to be led by them to their
authorities. In all cases where it was possible, I have
gone back directly to ancient heathen as well as
Christian authors, as being in the language of your
resolution, ' the most original sources now extant.'
Not only has every question been setted on their testi
mony, but the testimony itself has also been exhibited
with regard to such writers, the original text has been
generally subjoined. The fear of swelling the work too
much, and increasing the expense of publication, has
prevented the addition of Greek quotations ; an omission
which I regret, but which I have endeavoured as much
as possible to remedy by exact references.
" I have laboured hard to finish the work before the
session of the present Convention ; but the cares of a
parish, the necessary instruction of pupils, and domestic
afflictions have rendered it impossible to get it ready for
the press. I am obliged therefore to lay it before you in
an imperfect state, but it is sufficiently advanced to
show its plan, its object, and its success.
" If it be honoured, Right Reverend Fathers, with
your approbation, I propose, after it is published, to add
some other dissertations which are nearly ready for the
press, and then to go on with the Ecclesiastical History
down to the great schism by which the Catholic
Church was rent in the fifth century. Whether I shall
be able to accomplish this, or more than this, depends
upon the will of Him ' to whom alone belong the issues
of life and death.'
" Being unable myself to attend the General Conven
tion, I have requested my assistant, the Rev. John
3 A
36» ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
Williams, to proceed to New York, for the purpose of
submitting my manuscript to your venerable body.
I have the honour to remain,
Right Reverend Fathers,
Your faithful Son and servant in the Lord,
Samuel Farmer Jarvis.
Rector of Christ Church Middletown."
The letter and manuscripts were referred to a com
mittee, consisting of Bishops Hopkins, Doane, and
Whittingham, who reported —
" That they regard with great satisfaction the progress
which the learned author has made in' preparing for the
press the first volume of the series, which his appoint
ment as Historiographer was designed to bring forth ;
and consider it a duty on the part of the Church to give
all the encouragement in their power to its publication.
It appears to them, as well from the synopsis of its con
tents, as from the best examination which their limited
time would allow, to be a thorough and comprehensive
analysis of all the evidence extant, whether sacred or
profane, upon the most difficult and important points in
ecclesiastical chronology, namely the precise years of the
birth and death of our Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ.
And the committee take pleasure in the acknowledg
ment, that notwithstanding their familiarity with the
author's long established reputation for deep and accu
rate learning, they were struck with the extraordi
nary research and exact fidelity exhibited in the
work submitted to them, and hail its production as
being calculated to reflect honour upon himself, and
the body to which he belongs. With these views the
committee respectfully recommend the following re
solution : —
GENERAL CONVENTION OF 1841. 369
" Resolved. That the House of Bishops receive with
great satisfaction the first volume, introductory to the
Ecclesiastical History of the Rev. Dr. Jarvis, their His
toriographer, now ready for publication. They have
examined, and approve the plan of the work, and com
mend it to the patronage of the Church."
A correspondence conducted by the presiding bishop
with the Archbishop of Canterbury and other foreign
prelates, on the subject of clergymen passing to or from
the jurisdiction of different national Churches in
Christendom was laid before the House of Bishops, and
the canon relating to letters dimissory was remodeled to
meet the case ; copies of which accompanied by expres
sions of fraternal regard from the American bishops, were
directed to be sent to the said prelates. May the day be
not far distant when the communion of all Churches as
parts ofthe one spiritual body of believers, shall be
as it was in the first three centuries. " Each bishop"
we are informed, " could then give to any member of his
Church who might visit foreign countries, commendatory
letters which, on being presented to the most remote
Churches, secured his immediate admission to aU the
privileges of Christian fellowship,"* This fraternal inter
course, it is believed, will soon arise when the Roman
bishop exchanges his triple crown for a mitre, and the
various Churches now in bondage to that prelate
renounce their condition of dependance on a modern
and usurped headship.
Another resolution which was taken at this Conven
tion, related to the preservation of the records of the
consecration of bishops, which directed that the librarian
of the General Theological Seminary should be the
* Palmer's History of the Church.
370 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
Register of the same, to be kept in the Seminary library.
But the most really important resolution to the Church
population of the country, passed by both houses at this
Convention,was the following, which will speak for itself:
" Resolved. — That in view of the rapid increase in the
population of the United States, and also in order to
carry out fully her parochial organization, it is the opi
nion of this Convention that the Church should call the
attention of her members to the duty of providing more
ample free sittings."
The American Church has been (unfortunately for
the millions which her exclusive system of church ac
commodation has lost to her) much too late'Jn the day in
this part of her duty. But is not our own Church to
blame for setting the example, though in a modified
degree to her American daughter of " uppermost rooms"
and "chief seats in the synagogue," a practice perfectly
antagonist to the parochial system and the spirit of our
national Church, To carry the parochial system out on
Catholic (i.e. Christian) principles, pews ; board partitions,
separating patrician^ from plebean worshippers ; . fee'd
attendants, and sundry other anomalies which still linger
about our parish temples must be banished from the
sanctuary of the "poor man's Church." The catholic
minded Church benefactor who will chair a new church or
chapel, confers the benefits of public worship and pulpit
instruction on thousands, while he who pews it excludes
thousands from these inestimable benefits; while securing
(illegally) accommodation to only a few hundred. "The
squire's pew" though very convenient and agreeable to
those who desire to carry into the temple of God the
privacy, exclusiveness and personal luxuries of home
is one of the most odious and un-catholic anomalies of
GENERAL CONVENTION OF 1841. 371
our rural sanctuaries ; and the elevated box-pens set
apart for the wearers of silks and jewellery are as un-
picturesque as they are auti-Christian. In what other
country of Christian Europe is this "protestant pew-sy.
ism to be witnessed ? Where else but in "protestant
England" is the altar, and the priest, and the pulpit par
tially obscured, and the sound of the worship intercepted?
and the tout ensemble of each beautiful church destroyed
by similar deformities ? In this much needed reforma
tion, the strictures of Mr. Gresley, in his recent work on
" The real danger of the Church of England " on those
who " dare to aver that the restoration of the genuine
service of the English Church is an approximation to
" popery" equally apply. "The folly and falsehood of the
accusation" he writes " would be its own refutation, if
it were not for the incredible prejudice that abounds.
No doubt it is right to make due allowance for honest
prejudice. But when thousands of souls are perishing
around us for lack of Christian sympathy ; when many
are leaving our ranks for dissent, and some beguiled to
Romanism ; when too many of our old hereditary wor
shippers in the Church of their fathers, are, it is to be
feared, dragging out their lives in a listless indifference,
making no progress in warmth or vital godliness, and
this mainly in consequence of the absurd negligence and
want of propriety which prevails in our Church service
— it is surely no time to listen to the prejudices, or
regard the calumnies, of those who maintain the mon
strous paradox, that the restoration of the genuine ser
vice of our Church is a recurrence to popery. Honest
prejudice deserves to be respected, but such mischievous
absurdity must be confronted and exposed. — But it is
not only the public service of the Church that needs to
312 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
be thus revivified. The whole personal intercourse
between the clergy and the people requires to be placed
on a better footing ; and this as regards all classes, but
especially the young. How almost universally does the
parochial pastor lose all influence over the youth of his
flock as soon as they leave the Sunday-school ! How
commonly do they fall into sin or indifference, and
never, alas, return to the fold! Much, very much is
wanting to give the parochial pastor that religious influ
ence over his parishioners which shall enable him to be
their guide through the thorny paths of life, and train
them for Heaven and happiness."
The sad truth of these remarks is verified in the
success of a dissenting society styled " the London City
Mission" ! The success of this league in the large
parish of Islington was made the subject of boast at a
late public meeting which curiosity and the name of a
clerical secretary (//) on the printed circulars led me to
attend. In a populous district of Islington a woman,
though " sitting under the ministry of one of the most
evangelical clergymen " in that favoured region, " was
unable to answer the most simple questions relating to
her belief as a Christian propounded to her by the dis
senting ' missionary ' from the want of oral instruction.
The mere preaching to which she had been accustomed
to listen having never communicated to the mind of this
benighted person a single definite idea: a statement
which, judging by a discourse delivered in my own
hearing from a preacher of some celebrity in the same
quarter I am fully prepared to credit. This may be a
digression ; but will it be believed by a future genera
tion that in a parish containing 56,000 souls all the
churches were in the nineteenth century closed against
GENERAL CONVENTION OF 1841. 373
the parishioners, famishing for their "daily bread,"
morning, noon, and evening of each day except Sundays
and the * quarter Festivals V — and that the Holy Com
munion was only celebrated once a month ? The practice
of the clergy of Islington, whose solemn engagements
are thus slighted (while they make no scruple to re
ceive the comfortable incomes of their cures) is shamed
by the example of a dissenting congregation in that
parish, which for the last ten years has maintained
daily service at 6 a.m. and 5 p.m. ; on Sundays, prayers
at 6 a.m., again at 9 with Communion and a sermon ;
at 10 the Communion, prayers at 3 p.m., and at 6
(with preaching) ; on Wednesdays and Fridays (in ad
dition to the stated matins and even-song) the Litany
at 9 a.m. with preaching, and catechising at 3 p.m. By
this arrangement a small unendowed chapel, furnishes
through its irregular channels, spiritual food to a larger
number in that neglected ecclesiastical section of the
metropolis than any three of the churches, of whose use
meanwhile the 56,000 parishioners are illegally de
frauded by their authorised ministers. Oh ! shame,
where is thy blush. Compare with this specimen of
evangelical indolence and dishonesty on the part of
priests who, as the condition of receiving the emolu
ments of their office, have promised " to minister the
doctrines and sacraments, and the discipline of Christ
as the Lord hath commanded, and as [their] Church
hath received the same," and " to use both public and
private monitions and exhortations, as well to the sick
as the whole within their cures, as need shall require"
with the hourly labour of the papal agents in London :
The Romish chapel of St. Mary in Moorfields,
with four clergymen, supplies the benefit of public
374 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
worship, to a congregation of 30,000 souls. To accom
plish this, there are four daily, and six Sunday services.
Trinity church, Bermondsey, is used by 9,000 Romanists;
and the new cathedral of St. George, in Lambeth, is
designed for the stated accommodation of 20,000 regular
worshippers. I call the attention of my London readers
to the example of Dr. Doyle with his two assistants,
ministering to the spiritual wants of such a flock, at the
altar, in the confessional, and by private instruction, as
contrasted with the cathedral establishment on the north
of the river. Attached to the latter are a dean and fifty
prebendaries, twelve being " resident " canons ; who
receive the ample endowments of the church in trust for
performing a corresponding amount of duty, public and
oral. Yet these unfaithful stewards not only keep the
principal doors of the metropolitan cathedral closed
against worshippers the whole year round (except on the
occasion of two exhibitions) but use the body ofthe church
as a public show, for which the visitor — whose right to
it at all hours of the day is unquestionable — is charged
admission ! ! The bishop, it appears, under our imper
fect canon law, cannot; reach this monstrous abuse. How
long will the public sanction so gross a perversion
of one of its most sacred trusts ?
375
CHAPTER LIII.
THE PASTORAL LETTER. ST. PAUL'S CHURCH.
During the meeting ofthe General Convention, a pas
toral letter from the bishops, addressed to the
members of the Church generally throughout the coun
try, is submitted to the upper house by the presiding
bishop, and if approved by that body, is read by him in
an assembly of both houses. This is the last act of the
Convention before breaking up — except the supplemental
resolution directing the printing of a large impression of
the said Letter, to be distributed among the different
states ; when it is again read in every parish church.
The bishops wait for a notice from the other chamber
that they are ready to hear the Pastoral Letter, when
they adjourn thither, and occupy the chancel end of the
church. Such was the order observed on this occasion ; as the
patriarchal Griswold for the second and last time pre
sided in the council of that Church of which he had
long been the brightest ornament. The interest of the
scene reached its height when the presiding bishop rose
in his place in the centre of the episcopal group, and
commenced the Pastoral Letter. The following extracts
will give the reader a sufficient conception of the usual
character of this triennial document, and exhibit its most
reverend author as a true catholic and a sound divine : —
3 B
376 ecclesiastical reminiscences.
"Brethren and Friends, beloved in the Lord:
" It again becomes the duty of your bishops, being
assembled with your clerical and lay deputies in Ge
neral Convention, and at their request, to address to you
a Pastoral Letter on the state of our Churches.
" Since the last meeting of this Convention, it has
pleased the Lord, in his merciful goodness, to continue
them generally in a state of prosperity and increase.
But with deep feelings of sorrow we find another vacant
seat in our House. We have to lament the decease of
our much respected brother, the Right Rev. Nathaniel
Bowen, D.D., who, in the midst of his useful labours,
departed this life on the 25th of August, 1839.
" Still, in the midst of judgment, the Lord remembers
mercy. We are happy in being able 'to report, that,
through his goodness, no less than six others have been
added to our number. The Right Rev. Leonidas Polk,
D.D., was consecrated to the episcopal office in 1838,
as Missionary Bishop of the South West, having for his
jurisdiction, Arkansas, and some part of the Indian
Territory, with the provisional supervisions of the dio
ceses of" Alabama and Louisiana. And at the request of
our Foreign Missionary Committee, he has extended his
visitations to the republic of Texas, of which we have
been favoured with interesting information.
" The Right Rev. William H. Delancey, D.D., was
consecrated Bishop of Western New-York, on the 9th
of May, 1839 : under whose administration that new
diocese is highly prosperous.
"The Right Rev. Christopher E. Gadsden, D.D., the
successor to our much lamented brother, Bishop Bowen,
was ordained to the episcopate of South Carolina, on
the 21st of June, 1840.
the pastoral letter. 377
" The Right Rev. Wm. R. Whittingham, D.D., was
consecrated Bishop of the Diocese of Maryland, Septem
ber 17th, 1840.
" The Right Rev. Stephen Elliott, Jun., D.D., was, on
the 28th of February last, ordained Bishop of Georgia.
" And during the session of this Convention, the Rev.
Alfred Lee, D.D., has been ordained Bishop of Dela
ware. " You will, we doubt not, rejoice with us, and bless
God for these additions to our apostolic ministry ; and
that they have been made with unanimity, and .to the
great satisfaction of the Churches over which they are
appointed to preside ; and for the lively hope which we
already have, that the work of God will prosper in their
hands. Our brethren, now in all parts of the United
States, have the benefit of episcopal supervision.
" We would again ' write unto you of the common
salvation ' which is in Jesus Christ, ' and exhort you,
that you should earnestly contend for the faith which
was once,' by inspiration of the Holy Ghost, ' delivered
unto the saints,' and faithfully perform those things
which are required in the word of God, that we may
obtain eternal life.
" The religion taught us in the holy Scriptures may
be included under two heads : — What we must believe,
and what we must do. Under the former head is in
cluded a belief in all things respecting our religious hope,
and final; salvation, which are revealed to our under
standing in God's holy word ; such as the creation and
fall of man ; the character of the Saviour, and what he
has done to redeem us from sin and eternal death ; the
merits and other doctrines of his cross ; the institution
and nature of his Church and its Ministry ; the number
378 ecclesiastical reminiscences.
and efficacy of his Sacraments ; the persons of the Deity ;
the agency of the Divine Spirit ; and the light and im
mortality brought to light in the Gospel, which his
ministers are sent to preach. These are among the
principal things which we are to believe, and which are
essential to that faith which is required of those who
would have a sure hope of salvation in Jesus Christ.
" But the great practical question for those who have
this faith ; the question, which, in different forms, was
often put to Christ, and his apostles, and which his
ministers still should be willing and prepared to answer
to all who ask it, and to all who have ears to hear, is,
What must we do to be saved ? This, in the same Scrip
tures, we are clearly and so fully taught, ' that whatso
ever is not read therein, nof may be proved thereby, is
not to be required of any man, that it should be believed
as an article of faith, or be thought requisite or neces
sary to salvation.'
" Our Church has taught in her catechism what are
' the first principles of the doctrines of Christ,' and in
her articles and homilies, what is most necessary to the
obtaining of a sure hope of salvation in Jesus Christ,
and to the perfection of the Christian character. The
more carefully you, as Christ commands, ' search the
Scriptures,' the more will you see and have cause to ad
mire the wisdom and piety of those holy men, who were
instrumental in reforming the Church of England, and
who compiled, on true scriptural grounds, Articles of
Faith, and a Book of Common Prayer. Since this
branch of the one catholic and apostolic Church, to
which we have the happiness to belong, became inde •
pendent of the Church of England in its ecclesiastical
polity, our fathers ofthe American Episcopal Church, as
the pastoral letter. 379
we may now well call them, made some few alterations
and improvements, that our worship and discipline may
be better adapted to the state of this country, and the
manners of the age ; but, as you may easily see, they
have carefnlly adhered to the sure word of God.
" But though all Christians may agree that our reli
gion is included under two heads : — what are we requi
red to believe, and what to do, that we may be saved in
Jesus Christ ? — on the comparative importance of these
two parts, and what influence they have in our justifica
tion and acceptance with God, there is unhappily some
diversity of opinion, to which we deem it expedient to ask
your attention. Many Christians, indeed, seem to find
some difficulty in reconciling or in clearly understanding
what the Scriptures teach of faith and of works. To
remove any doubts or uncertainty of this kind must
evidently be of high importance,
" The principle or ground on which we are accepted
of God, and may hope to be blest in Heaven as righteous
in his sight, is what chiefly distinguishes Christian the
ology from all other religions. On the much controverted
question, what influence our works have in our justifica
tion, some have erroneously thought, that the apostles
even are not wholly agreed ; as when one ' concludes
that a man is justified, and not by faith only.' But not
only are the apostles, on this momentous doctrine,
agreed ; but among Christians, truly pious, the difference
is probably less than is generally supposed.
" The Scriptures teach us that man is naturally in a
fallen, sinful state, from which God, in his merciful
goodness, sent his Son to redeem us. By the sacrifice
of himself, he made expiation for our sins ; by rising
from the dead, he has raised our hopes to life immortal ;
380 ecclesiastical reminiscences.
and through faith in him, as ' the way, the truth, and
the life ;' as our advocate with the Father, and ' the end
of the law for righteousness to those who believe,' we
are authorised to look for pardon and acceptance,
" This is indeed an ' unspeakable gift ; ' it is a work
of mercy and grace which passes man's understanding,
and that Christians of honest hearts and sincere piety
should have views somewhat different respecting what
is required of men, that they may obtain the salvation
offered us in the gospel, is a matter of regret rather than
of surprise. Respecting the councils of God in the vast
work of redemption, we know in part only, and can
prophecy but in part. In that plan of Divine love which
clothed ' the Lord from Heaven ' in human flesh, there
are depths of wisdom and knowledge, which no genius of
man can in this life wholly investigate, nor human
reason fathom. God is graciously pleased to reveal to
our understanding, what is necessary for us to know
during this present life ; and with this should we be
contented, and for it thankful ; not indulging any pre
sumptuous curiosity, nor pretending to be wise beyond
what is written for our learning.
" They who carefully read the Holy Scriptures, cannot
be ignorant that salvation is of grace ; — that it is not of
works, lest any man should boast, and that we are
justified through faith in the redemption that is in Jesus
Christ. Nor is it less evident that we are required to
work out our salvation, — to save ourselves, — to make our
calling and election sure. These, and other like passages,
all appertain to the sure Word of God, and that is their
true sense which reconciles them, and shews their agree
ment with each other, and with the whole of the sacred
volume.
the pastoral letter. 3sl
" In searching the Scriptures, our great desire should
be to know what God has taught, uninfluenced by what
we may prefer, and without any attempt to circumscribe
' the power of God and the wisdom of God ' within the
narrow limits of our own understanding. If we search
the Scriptures for texts or for arguments to confirm
wliat appears to us the most reasonable, or what we have
already adopted as our opinions, we shall be less likely to
come to the knowledge of ' all the counsel of God.'
Sincere and pious Christians, by regarding chiefly, (what
certainly merits very much regard) the gratuitous dis
pensations of God's mercy in Christ, — the hopeless,
spiritual state of fallen man, — the predominence of his
selfish, worldly, and carnal affections— , and many
passages of God's word, which speak of our works as
unprofitable to God, and in his sight without merit, may
naturally be led to make too little account of good
living, and of what we must do to be saved. A simple
belief in the merits of Christ may be so relied upon, as
to ' make void the law through faith.' * * * It
appears that St. Paul's remarks on the doctrines of grace,
were misunderstood in his day, as they also have been
in ours. They were considered, St. Peter says, as hard
to be understood, and were wrested from their true sense
to the support of error. We have also reason to believe
that others of* the apostles, as St. Peter and St. James,
St. John and St. Jude, designed, in their epistles, to rectify
the erroneous notions which some Christians even then
began to entertain respecting the necessity of godly
living ; — ' to vindicate, (as St. Augustine says,) the true
doctrine from the false consequences charged upon it,
and to shew that faith without works is nothing worth.'
St. James, in his bold manner and strong language,
382 ecclesiastical reminiscences.
speaks very decidedly on this point; — he shews the
dangerous error of supposing that a mere belief in Christ
rendered the works, which God's word requires of
believers, unnecessary, or that we can have a good hope
of being saved in Christ, while we neglect what Christ
himself commands.
" Faith is required not as a substitute for good living,
but rather as necessary to our living according to the
word and will of God. The works which the gospel of
Christ requires, that men may be saved, they cannot, or
certainly they would not perform without a belief in
him as their Saviour. Who could truly pray in the
name of Christ ; or in his name, and from love to him,
give a cup of water, if he does not beheve in him ? Who
could truly pray in the name of Christ, or in his
name, and from love to him, give a cup of wa
ter, if he does not believe in him ? St. James
teaches what' St. Paul taught, that we do not
through faith make void the law. The unprofitableness
of faith, without submission to God's righteousness, he
illustrates by the case of one who should give the needy
nothing but fair words and empty wishes ; — c Be ye
warmed and clothed.' There is no more of true justify
ing faith, in believing the Scriptures to be the Word of
God, while we live in the neglect of what they teach}
than there is of charity in knowing the 'wants of the
poor, while we refuse or neglect to relieve them. St.
James teaches us that the faith which justifies,
is a living faith, fruitful of good works : it is that
faith of the heart, by which ' man believeth unto
righteousness." St. Paul teaches the same doctrine when
he says, « Though I have all faith, so that I could re
move mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.'
the pastoral letter. 383
And again, ' If ye live according to the flesh, ye
shall die ; but if ye, through the Spirit, do mortify the
deeds of the body, ye shall live.' Our Saviour teaches
this doctrine when he says, ' Not every one that says
unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of
Heaven, but he that doeth the will of my Father.
And St. Peter says to the same purpose, ' It is better
not to know the way of righteousness, than having
known it, to turn from the holy commandment.' He
shews the necessity of adding to our faith, virtue,
knowledge, temperance, patience, godliness, brotjierly-
kinduess, charity ' If — he says, ye do these things, ye
shall never fall.'
" A careful study of the holy Scriptures, with prayer,
will convince you of their perfect harmony and agree
ment on the doctrine of faith and works. You have
but to observe well, in what sense we are justified by
faith only ; and also how it is that good living is
essential to our salvation in Christ. By the apostles
St. Paul and St. James, you are warned of two opposite
errors. By the former you are taught not to rely on any
works which you do, as profitable to salvation, but such
as are wrought in a Christian faith ; while the other
shows that faith, without the works which the gospel
requires is unavailing. This doctrine he had learned from
his Divine Master, who was careful to teach that the tree is
known by its fruits ; that the man whose heart is truly
renewed by a lively faith in Christ, will shew it by his
submission to God's righteousness ; ' will shew his faith
by his works' * * * This doctrine of faith and
works you may find to be fully taught and sustained in
the Articles and Liturgy, and in all the standards of our
Church. She has taken the true mean or middle way be-
3 c
384 ecclesiastical reminiscences.
tween the two opposite extremes, and is careful to teach
you not to turn to the right hand or to the left. * *
"This subject rightly considered will teach you profitably
to use the means of grace. Because circumcision now
avails nothing you must not infer that the Christian or
dinances are of but little importance — that without peril
to your soul you may neglect Baptism, or Confirmation,
or the Lord's Supper, or Prayer. By a right use of these
means, as our Church teaches, and the Scriptures teach
your faith will be strengthened and grace increased.
GocLhas commanded the use of them, and they who
neglect them must either think that they are wiser than
God, or they must be in want of that faith which produ
ces obedience to his commands.
" Thus ordinances appointed by our Saviour Christ
and administered by his apostles, should not be viewed
merely as duties, but rather as blessed privileges which
claim our thankfulness to God. In mercy to mankind
and to help our infirmities they are given us as sanctified
means of bringing us to himself, and by which we may
obtain his heavenly benediction.
" Your bishops ask your attention to this subject the
rather, because, in our visitation of the Churches under
our care, we are often and much pained in observing
how large a part of the people of our congregations ap
pear to be in doubt, or undecided respecting the use of
these means ; how many of them live in the neglect of
making an open and public profession of their faith in
Christ and submission to his righteousness : and this we
the more regret, from considering that not a few of them
manifest a sincere regard for religion and a serious
sense of its importance. Their morals, too, and their
lives in other respects, are, in a happy degree, such as
the pastoral letter. 3s5
we desire to see in the disciples of Christ. They appear
to have a reverence for God and right views of the
Saviour's character and office ; and they shew such
benevolence and charity towards their fellow men, that
we may say of thousands what Christ said to one,
" They are not far from the kingdom of God," Our
sorrow is that they are not visibly in his Kingdom. For
reasons known perhaps to themselves and to God only,
they do not confess Christ before men and become mem
bers of his Church. While they so continue they are
not assured of God's favour and goodness towards them,
" and that they are members incorporate in the mystical
body of his Son, which is the blessed company of all
faithful people." Into a Church so apostolic as this,
having a faith so primitive, doctrines so evangelical, a
worship so scriptural, and other institutions so truly
liberal, we might reasonably hope to see people crowding
as doves to their windows.
" Our Saviour Christ sent his ministers to preach,
' He that believeth and is baptized, shall be saved ; ' and
so far as we know of their acts and their history, they
who did beheve immediately made that profession of their
faith. It is also evident in the Acts of the Apostles that
they confirmed baptized believers by laying their hands
upon them, and praying for the aid of God's Holy Spirit
to strengthen them in the performance of their baptismal
engagements, and enable them to ' lead the rest of their
lives according to that beginning.' And it is the re
quest and the command of your Saviour that you re
ceive the other sacrament in remembrance of him, in a
thankful and devout commemoration of his ' one sacrifice
for sin.' In that sacrament you shew forth his death —
you manifest your faith in the merits of his cross, and
386 ecclesiastical reminiscences.
your thankfulness for such unspeakable mercy. By
faithfully receiving these memorials of his love, you are
also authorized to hope for the strengthening of your
souls by the spiritual efficacy of his body and blood,
broken and shed for your sins, as your bodies are by the
bread and wine.
" Some seem to think that the rivers of Damascus are
better than the waters of Israel, or that if they live
honest and good lives they shall not be ' the worse for
neglecting religious ceremonies. And who does truly
live an honest and good life ? Who loves God with all
his heart and soul and mind, and his neighbour as
himself? Who has in all things done to others as he
would have others do to him ? In many things we all
offend : there is none good but one. Christ died to save,
and his gospel is sent to call ' not the righteous but
sinners.' Are you so whole, that you need not this
Divine Physician ? We might remind you of the ines
timable benefits, visibly signed and sealed in Baptism to
those who rightly receive it. We might say much to
you of the fitness and Divine authority of Confirmation,
and the blessings ichich have evidently attended its right and
faithful ministration. We might shew that communing
in the Lord's Supper is a great comfort to those who
believe in Christ, and that it strengthens them much in
their Christian zeal. — But is it not enough to know that
it is the will of your Saviour Christ that you should sub
mit to his ordinances ? — that he, who so loved your soul
as to die for its salvation, has appointed his sacraments
for your benefit ? Such a Saviour, you may well believe,
has not ordained rites which are unnecessary, or which
may safely he neglected ; nor has he required you to do
that which is useless. Our wisdom, when opposed to
THE PASTORAL LETTER. 387
God's word, is but foolishness ! He has ' chosen the
foolish things of the world to confound the mighty.'
When some inquired of Christ, 'What shall we do that
we might work the works of God; he answered and
said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe
on him whom he hath sent.' We are to believe in him
as the great Prophet — as the word or wisdom of God, by
whom the Divine will is made known to men ; and as
the only true Priest who has made expiation for our
sins, and ever lives to make intercession for us. ' Through
him we have access, by one Spirit, unto the Father.'
And we are to believe in our King, unto whom all power
was given in heaven and earth. Him we are bound in
all things to obey. He is ' made both Lord and Christ;'
and well may he ask, as he does, ' Why call ye me Lord,
Lord, and do not the things which I say ? ' While we
disobey his commands, by our actions we deny that he
is Lord ; we rebel against him. * * * We ' beseech
you then, brethren, suffer the word of exhortation.'
Consider well what you must do to be saved; — how
great is the peril of halting between two opinions, and
of neglecting this great salvation. We would.be ever
cautious not to encourage an undue reliance on religious
rites ; but without the use of those which God has
graciously appointed for our use, how can we hope to
increase in grace and in godliness of living ? ' Except a
man be born of Water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter
into the kingdom of God. ' We know well that you
cannot change your own hearts ; — that God alone can
renew a right spirit within you. But he has promised
to bless your sincere efforts to know and to do his will.
' Ask and you shall receive ; seek and you shall find.'
While you are faithful to do what he commands, you
388 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
may humbly hope that he will enlighten your mindj
and sanctify your affections. To him that hath shall be
given. To those who ' order their conversation right,
shall be shewn the salvation of God.'
"The Kingdom of God, or his Church, is the spiritual
ark, which Christ, the true Noah, has prepared for the
saving of his house ; and your safety requires that you
be not only ' not far from, ' but in it. The promise of
salvation is to those who are within its pale. The sense
in which, as St. Peter says, ' Baptism now saves us, ' is,
ils being ordained of Christ, as the entrance into this spi
ritual ark, where we are entitled to all the means of
grace, and, if we are faithful iu the use of them, to all
the promises to those who are '' members of Christ chil
dren of God, and inheritors of the kingdom of Heaven.'
As our Church teaches, — 'They that receive baptism
rightlj, are grafted into the Church, and the promises of
forgiveness of sin, and of our adoption to be the sons of
God, by the Holy Ghost, are visibly signed and sealed.'
We should use this and the other Christian ordinances
as a manifestation of our faith in Christ, of our trust in
his merits, of our hope in the promises of God, and of
our submission to his righteousness. In the right use
of them there is great comfort ; for they are tokens of
his love of our souls, and of what he has done to save
them. They are sanctified means, of God's appoint
ment, whereby we may draw nigh to him in full assu
rance of faith, and obtain his heavenly benediction.
Where these ordinances are devoutly and faithfully
observed, we may well hope that true religion is in
creasing. It is encouraging to all who love the gates of
Zion to see multitudes thus openly confessing the name
of Christ ; coming to Baptism, and bringing their chil-
ST. PAUL S CHURCH
38!)
dren ; renewing in Confirmation their Christian cove
nant, and regularly communing in the Lord's Supper.
' For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness,
and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.'
This paper is signed by the presiding bishop on behalf
of the whole episcopal bench.
St. Paul's chapel, in which this Convention was held
is (since the removal of old Trinity) the oldest church
edifice in the City of New York. It was erected by the
vestry of Trinity parish (to which it is attached) anterior
to the Revolutionary war, and was first opened for
divine service in 1766, the clergy of the parish then
being, Dr. Samuel Auchmuty, rector ; and Mr. Charles
Inglis, A. M. (now Bishop of Nova Scotia,) and Dr.
John Ogilvie assistant ministers. " It is," writes Mr.
Henry M. Onderdonk, in his History of the New York
parishes, and church edifices, " a very imposing, spacious,
and handsome edifice, constructed of grey stone, princi
pally of the Corinthian order of architecture, and is one
of the richest ornaments of our city. Its foundations
were commenced in 1764, and when completed in 1766,
its interior anangements differed somewhat from the
present, and a small and ill-proportioned dome occupied
the place of the steeple, which now adds so much to the
harmony and beauty of the view. The walls are thick
and massive, and form a parallelogram. On the front
facing Broadway, a portico composed of four columns of
the Roman Ionic style, supporting a well proportioned
pediment, extends from the building to the depth of
eighteen feet and a half, which, with the tower projection
of seven feet and six inches, and the addition of the
tower-portico of thirteen feet, make the extreme length
of the edifice out to out, one-hundred and fifty-one feet.
390 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
The pediment which rests upon the columns above
mentioned, is ornamented by handsome projecting cor
nices, and by two circular windows, with a pitch mid
way between them, containing a richly carved colossal
figure of St. Paul, leaning on a sword. Beneath the
pediment a large altar window of three compartments,
the centre of which runs in an arch, and is separated
from its laterals by two Ionic pilasters, .gives light to the
chancel, and is the most striking feature of the east
front. In the middle of this window, a monument
sculptured in basso-relievo, erected to the memory of
Major General R. Montgomery, bears an appropriate
inscription. With the exception of the pediment, and
portico, but little or no ornament decorates the main
body of the church. The sides are perfectly plain, being
constructed of dark grey stone, without buttresses, or
any other projection, except the sills and architraves of
the windows, and a continuous line of brown stone
between the first and second stories. The windows
number fourteen on a side, and are arranged in two tiers
of seven each, the lower ones lighting the aisles, and the
upper ones the galleries. A balustrade divided every
ten feet by a pedestal, supporting an urn, extends along
the roof, above the side walls, from the western extre
mity of the structure, to the front of the pediment.
The tower rises to the height of one hundred feet,
and is built of stone, similar to that used for the
rest of the building. It is divided, above the roof,
into two sections, the lower one, with the exception of
rusticated corners, being perfectly plain, and the upper
one, having antse, or pilasters on the angles, and two
Ionic columns in the centre, supporting a small pedi
ment, over which, between two inverted consoles, is the
ST. TAUL's CHURCH. 391
dial of the clock. The steeple rises from the tower to
the top of the vane, one hundred and three feet, making
it, in connection with the tower, two hundred and three
feet from the ground. This steeple, which is not sur
passed for beauty of appearance, and fine proportions by
any in the city, or even in the country, was erected
subsequently to the Revolution, and many years after
the completion of the remainder of the edifice. As
before stated, it occupies the place of a small and ill-
shaped dome, in former times a covering for the tower,
and, with the exception of the section containing the
clock, is modelled [like many other parts of the build
ing] after the steeple of St. Martin's church, Trafalgar-
square, London.
" The interior of St. Paul's for general effect, and
happy harmony, will yield to that of no other church
in the city of New- York, excepting Trinity. In enter
ing the edifice a richness of appearance first strikes the
eye, which, combined with a deep and all-pervading
solemnity, peculiar to St. Paul's, brings to the mind,
mingled feelings of pleasure, and veneration ; and though
one may dwell with delight upon the handiwork of the
skilful architect, he cannot divest himself of the forcible
impression, that it is at the same time, the house of God.
A double range of columns, in the richest style of the
Roman Corinthian order, runs the whole length of the
church, supporting the galleries, and the ceiling of the
nave. The capitals of the columns are richly and
elaborately carved, after the usual pattern of the order
to which they belong, and may be considered as hand
some specimens of workmanship.
"The nave is well-proportioned, being thirty-nine
feet in width, ninety-two feet in length, and sixty feet
3 D
392 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
in height. The ceiling above it, consists of a simple
arch sprung from the entablatures of the columns on
either side. From the centres of the circular panels
upon the crown are suspended three large and elegant
cut glass chandeliers. In the ceilings over the galleries
arches spring from the entablature of one column to that
of another, and to a corresponding entablature, sup
ported by a very rich console, on the side walls of the
chapel. This arrangement of arching, makes a groined
ceiling of regular sections, from the centres of which,
hang from foliated bosses cut glass chandeliers.
" The chancel is situated in a recess, fifteen feet deep,
separated from the nave by a large arch thrown across
the body of the church, from the entablatures of two
Ionic pilasters against the inner wall of the eastern ves
tibules. It is raised one foot and six inches above the
ground floor, and is enclosed by a richly carved railing
extending between the walls, which are twenty-nine
feet apart. The altar, standing directly under the great
al tar window, is of wood handsomely painted in imitation
of stone, and above it, in the centre compartment of the
window, now curtained with heavy drapery, are the two
tablets of the law, in letters of gold, surmounted by rays
of light, proceeding from a representation of the visible
manifestation ofthe Deity on Mount Sinai. The walls
on either side of the chancel are perfectly plain, with the
exception of six mural monuments of chaste sculpture,
erected at different times."
The first of these monuments, mentioned by Mr
Onderdonk, bears the arms of Elenor Huggett, and con
tains a Latin inscription. Next to this, another, also
bearing an heraldic device wrought upon an urn of
white marble, standing out from a back ground of veined
st. Paul's. 893
Italian marble in the form of a pyramid, is inscribed a
tribute to the memory of Mrs. Franklin, wife of the
British governor of New Jersey, who died at the com
mencement of the revolutionary war. On the opposite
side of the chancel, is a cenotaph in memory of Sir John
Temple, containing his arms, and the motto ' Templa
Quam Dilecta.' Sir John was the first consul general
sent by Great Britain to the United States, after the
war of independence. He died at New York in 1798,
aged 67. The next monument contains the following
inscription : — WITHIN THIS CHANCEL
IN CERTAIN HOPE OF A RESURRECTION TO GLORY
THROUGH JESUS CHRIST,
ARE DEPOSITED THE REMAINS OF
MARGARET, THE WIFE OF
CHARLES INGLIS, D.D.
FORMERLY RECTOR OF TRINITY PARISH IN THIS CITY.
SHE DIED THE 21ST SEPTEMBER, 1783,
AGED THIRTY-FIVE YEARS.
NEAR HER IS INTERRED ALL THAT WAS MORTAL, OF
CHARLES,
ELDEST SON OF THE SAID MARGARET AND CHARLBS INGLIS,
WHO, ALAS1. AT AN EARLY PERIOD WAS SNATCHED AWAY
JANUARY THE 20TH, 1782
IN THE EIGHTH *YEAR OF HIS AGE.
THE HUSBAND AND THE FATHER,
SINCE BECOME BISHOP OF NOVA SCOTIA
AS TESTIMONY OF TEN DE REST AFFECTION
TO A DEAR AND WORTHY WIFE
AND ESTEEM FOR A DEVOUT CHRISTIAN ;
AND THE FONDEST REGARD
FOR AN AMIABLE SON,
394 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
WHO, ALTHOUGH IN AGE A CHILD,
WAS YET IN UNDERSTANDING A MAN,
IN PIETY, A SAINT,
AND IN DISPOSITION AN ANGEL,
OAUSED THIS MONUMENT TO BE BRECTED
IN THE YEAR OF OUR LORD, 1788.
There are two other monuments in the chancel, one
to the memory of Colonel Thomas Barclay, son of the
Rev. Henry Barclay, formerly rector of Trinity parish,
and the other to Anthony Van Dam, Esq., grandson of
the Honourable Rip Van Dam. Upon the wall, near
the southern vestibule door, is a plain marble tablet to
Thomas Barrow, and his wife Sarah, which, with another
in the gallery to Christiana, wife of George W. Chapman
complete the whole number contained in the church
The ground floor of St. Paul's is divided into four
parts, by three aisles paved with tesselated marble, and
is pewed throughout ; the pews painted in imitation of
mahogany. I may here remark that the pews in all
American churches are most properly made much lower
than in ours. The ridiculous height of the straight-
backed boxes called pews (more properly pens) in the
English churches where these" protestant" nuisances are
retained, would only be endurable if the evil did not
promise, in the case of nearly every new erection, to be
perpetuated. In this single, respect we may copy very
advantageously from America.
The reading desk and pulpit face the centre aisle
which branches off to allow a free passage around them,
being seven feet in advance of the chancel;* and, like
* In the engraving it will be seen that the artist has taken the liberty
of remo\ ing this piece of furniture to one side, in order to exhibit some
thing more edifying.
ST. PAULS.
395
similar deformities in English churches of the same
" orthodox " age, affords a picturesque protestant screen
to the altar. A portion of the west-end gallery forms
the organ loft, and contains a fine toned organ built in
England nearly fifty years ago. Above it are two smaller
galleries, separated by the organ, for the accommodation
of the Sunday-scholars. Behind the organ, a door opens
into the second section of the tower> whence stairs as
cend into the steeple ; which with the tower, is two
hundred and three feet high. This steeple has with
stood many a severe gale, and has twice been struck
with lightning, each time the electric fluid passing off
by the lightning rod, doing no further damage, than
defacing one of the dials of the clock. The church seats
about a thousand persons.
St. Paul's church-yard occupies the whole " square '»
bounded by Broadway, Vesey, Church, and Fulton
streets. A square in America, I may just remark, means
the space ordinarily occupied by a block of buildings.
Thus persons occupying houses fronting on a gafden
enclosure like Belgrave, Berkeley, &c, are described as
living on, or fronting such or such a square. This in
teresting cemetery is enclosed on three sides by an iron
railing, and on the fourth by a high brick wall, with
entrances, of a very unpretending character from each
street. Amongst the monuments and tombstones,
which are very numerous, the most beautiful in design
and workmanship is that of Thomas Addis Emmet. It
is a white marble monolithe of thirty feet elevation, and
has upon the face fronting Broadway, a bust of " the
patriot " sculptured in basso-relievo. It is inscribed on
three sides in three different languages. The English
inscription was written by the Hon. Gulian C. Ver-
398 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
planck of New York; the Latin inscription by Dr. John
Duer, and the inscription in the Irish language, by the
late Dr. England, the Romish " Bishop of Charleston,"
South Carolina. There is also a monument of chaste
proportions to the memory of the French General Roche-
fontain, who fought in the republican army in the War
of Independence.
The English reader cannot but be interested in even
these minute particulars, relative to a spot of such
historical as well as sacred interest as St. Paul's. May
the day be not far distant when our Trans-Atlantic
brother catholics of New York will fulfil their long
cherished expectations of rearing a cathedral church in
the centre of their fair city, whose ample proportions
rivaling those of St. Paul's on Ludgate Hill, shall form
the distinguishing ornament of the great commercial
metropolis of the New Worldt This magnificent design,
the great wealth of Trinity corporation and the known
liberality of New York churchmen, renders by no means
improbable.
897
CHAPTER LIV.
JOURNEY TO MICHIGAN. ROCHESTER. LAKE ERIE.
As, since the date of the last chapter, I spent a short
time in Michigan, the reader may, perhaps, wish to be
conducted into that new and rising: state.
We took the same course in reaching Utica, four
hundred miles of our journey, as when I accompanied Miss
Waylen to Niagara. Here we entered a canal boat, and
followed the Erie canal to Rochester, ninety-eight miles
further, where we spent a Sunday. Rochester is the
great northern metropolis of the state, and one of the
best built cities in the country, standing on both sides
the Genessee river, not far from its northern outlet
in Lake Ontario ; and with a water power equal to two
thousand streams of twenty horse power, in the mids*t of
the finest wheat growing country in America, it has
everything to make it a great and wealthy city. Yet it
seems scarcely credible to the stranger who walks
its beautiful streets, teeming with a busy population,
that in 1820 the same spot was a poor village of
fifteen hundred inhabitants ! — there are now twenty
thousand ! !
The Genessee Falls at this place are 273 feet in
height. The view of these falls and the city in the
background is beautiful in the extreme. We walked
for a mile above the principal point of view by the
river side amidst scenery which, had we time, would
have tempted us much 'farther.
398 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
Trinity church is a fine English looking edifice near
the courts of law and the other county offices. Dr.
Whitehouse, the present rector of this parish, has held it,
I believe, for many years, and enjoys a good reputation
for his pastoral diligence and popular manners-. We
heard him officiate at the altar, but were disappointed
in our expectations of seeing him in the pulpit, which
was filled by another.
Gracechureh, the other catholic place of worship,
was at the time of my visit closed. The rector of the
parish was my former friend, and fellow deacon in
Rhode Island, and I had anticipated much pleasure in
meeting him amongst his parishioners. A letter written
with his usual frankness and hospitality had in part
induced me to take Rochester in my route. An appeal
to " old associations" as forming an inducement to visit
Rochester was sufficiently irresistible. " This" the
letter added " is a country well worth visiting — a city
which has 21,000 ; planted and grown too within thirty
years ! I do assure you a visit will afford me the
greatest pleasure imaginable, and you must hold forth in
my cathedral church ; —so don't say me nay, at your
personal peril ; come if you would retain my friendship —
we all, male and female, say come."
Who could " say nay" to such a warm and brotherly
invitation ? — but what was my disappointment on
reaching Rochester to find that the " cathedral church"
was closed, and my good friend retired from the city in
consequence of difficulties with his parishioners.
The worthy rector of Gracechureh was open handed
and generous to a fault ; and having a private fortune
of his own independant of his parish income, a design
ing female in his congregation, who had fallen an easy
ROCHESTER CHURCH TROUBLES. 3i)9
prey to a needy profligate, temporarily residing in the
city, charged her minister with her seduction, and the
jury, on the most slender circumstantial evidence — fully
disproved by the statements of a brother clergyman, and
other witnesses of high character — mulcted him in heavy
damages. An ecclesiastical court, held by the bishop
of the diocess, pronounced Mr. Van Zandt " not guilty,"
and a short time after the plaintiff had pocketed her 3,000
dollars, facts came out in reference to the case which
fastened the act on the true party, and re-established
Mr. V. Z. in the confidence and good opinion of the
public. But what an agony of mental suffering, must th©
affair in its whole progress have occasioned the persecuted
party ! Besides his heavy pecuniary loss (which was
the smallest ingredient in his cup of suffering) how must
the distrust and desertion of his flock, and the odium of
a credulous public, joined to the circumstances of a pro
tracted trial in an open court, have gone like iron to
the soul of a man more than ordinarily sensitive, and
acutely alive to good or bad treatment ! I classed it as
another proof that the generous and the unsuspicious in
the Christian communion are the most open to the
attacks of interest or malice.
The " cathedral church," as Mr. Van Zandt was
pleased to style Gracechureh, answers very well to such
appellation .in the appearance of some parts of the
interior of the edifice, which displays a variety of de
coration in carved oak ; " but we must cease to think "
judiciously remarks d writer in the Canadian Church*
* " The Church,'.' a weekly ecclesiastical journal of great ability,
vublished at Toronto.
400 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
" that retiring aisles, and oaken stalls make a cathedral.
The church that contains exclusively the cathedra (chair)
of a bishop is a cathedral church, just as much as that
part of the church that contains the bells is the belfry."
This is a truth, and happily being understood in the
British colonies. The popular error that a building of
certain proportions, with a dean and a chapter of canons
is essential to constitute a cathedral church prevails,
however, pretty generally in the United States ;
though the churches belonging to the American
bishops have, in fact, more the character of the early
Christian cathedrals than the spacious minsters of
England ; and are each of them as much " the eye of
the diocess."
We took the canal boat for Buffalo, which place we
reached in twenty four hours, having been conducted
by or through Ogdenj Brockport, Albion, Medina, Lock-
port, Pendleton and Tonnowanto. This canal in its
whole length from Albany to Buffalo is three hundred
and sixty five miles, and was six years in progress : it
was completed in 1825.
At Buffalo we took passage in a steam-boat bound for
Detroit, which we were three days in reaching, owing
to stress of weather. We stopped at Dunkirk, Erie,
Cleveland and Sandasky on the Pennsylvanian and Ohio
shores. Erie was formerly a French settlement called
Presgue; the old French fortifications still remain.
Cleveland is a well built city, situated on a flat promon
tory standing out to the lake ; the views of which are
uncommonly fine. Trinity church was the only epis
copal place of worship then existing in Cleveland. Ano
ther church has been since erected. Sandusky is un
attractive enough. When we left this place the evening
LAKE ERIE. 401
was far advanced, and I lost, on this occasion, the many
beauties which the approach to Detroit, the capital of
Michigan, presents.
40:;
CHAPTER LV.
DETKOIT. — BISHOP M'COSKRY. — NATURAL FEATURIS AND
HISTORY OF MICHIGAN.
On getting out of my berth the next morning (which
was Sunday) I found the boat closely moored to the
wharf at Detroit, and nearly deserted of its passengers.
We had received an invitation to the bishop's house,
where we found a friendly and cordial welcome. Never
did the service of the Church appear more Heavenly than
on that Sabbath morning, in the beautiful cathedral of
Detroit. It was conducted by the bishop's assistant,
the Rev. Chauncey W. Fitch, and the sermon delivered
by the bishop. The latter was adapted to the occasion
of the sacrament which was afterwards administered to
several hundred communicants. In the evening I oc
cupied the pulpit myself.
During my stay in Michigan I had numerous oppor
tunities of observing the truth of another testimony t6
Bishop M'Coskry's universal popularity. " One could
hardly desire " writes Dr. Clark, " a larger measure of
popularity, either with his parish or in his diocess, than
Bishop M'Coskry enjoys. Everywhere the highest
testimony is borne to the lovehness and excellency of
his character, and the faithfulness and evangelical spirit
of his ministry. This I heard from all quarters — from
clergy and laity. Indeed I think the bishop's greatest
danger lies in this quarter." *
* Gleanings by the Way.
DETROIT. -103 •
Detroit is also the seat of a schismatical Romanist
bishop, who has a cathedral church of the most singular
proportions and general appearance I have ever seen.
The present occupant of the assumed see was described
to me by the Bishop of Michigan, who lives on the best
of terms with him, as a very excellent, liberal minded
man, and a good public speaker.
It is a neatly built city, with some handsome public
buildings, and a noble main thoroughfare, called Jeffer
son Avenue, which is thronged on a fine day with
carriages and light vehicles. A regiment of the regular
troops was quartering in the town on our arrival, which
added considerably to its liveliness and gaiety.
After a week spent under the bishop's hospitable
roof, we pursued our way as far as Jackson, eighty miles
westward. This was the westernmost termination of
our journey, and just a thousand miles, by the route we
had taken, from Philadelphia.
The soil of Michigan is alluvial ; and, except on the
west coast, free of rocks. There are also few large
forests like the other western states, and the climate in
winter is, owing to its peninsular form, milder than it is
to be found at several degrees south. Its general
character is undulating, gentle mounds constantly jising
on every side with groups of trees, presenting what are
called "oak openings." This appearance is exceedingly
pleasing to English eyes, resembling as they do the
cultivated parks of the nobility and gentry. I have
travelled through many miles of wild^ lands on horseback
every foot of which bore this appearance of culture, and
every tree looking as if it was planted by the hand of
taste. Such a country requires comparatively little
capital to render it fit for the farmer's crops, and is,
• 40-1 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
unquestionably, the best for the settler of small means.
The land in these oak openings yields heavy crops of
wheat and barley. Clearing is generally unnecessary
at first, as by girdling the trees they immediately decay,
and, having no foliage, present little obstruction to the
effect of the sun's rays on the ground. In this neighbour
hood the average quantity of grain produced is — of
Indian corn, sixty bushels to the acre ; of oats, forty-
five ; and of wheat, twenty five .
Another beautiful feature in Michigan is the carpet
of red, yellow, purple, and white flowers, which every
where covers the ground in summer. Add to this, a great
number of most picturesque lakes, whose banks are
clothed with verdure, and their waters filled with fish,
and it will be readily admitted that Michigan is a very
pretty country. And such it is — Unlike the other
western states, every part of it, except the newly built
towns and villages, looks but for the odious rail fence,
like an old well cultivated country. That a few years
will see it a very wealthy and populous state, no one
who has visited it, or is acquainted with its resources
and the enterprize and industry of its inhabitants, can
doubt. Michigan has had several masters. It was first
settled by the French in September 1641 ; the shores
were visited by Jesuit missionaries, several of whom
paid the penalty of their lives in their efforts to plant
the cross among the savage tribes on the western lake
country, and " during the following years, " writes
the historian, " these missionaries were employed in
strengthening the power of France over the possessions
which she claimed from Green Bay to the head of Lake
Superior, and in collecting information respecting the
MICHIGAN. 405
region extending towards the Mississippi." * Detroit
was founded in 1791, during the reign of Louis XIV.
After the great battle of Quebec in 1759, it fell, with
the whole country, into the hands ofthe British ; though
not without the most bloody opposition on the part of
the Indian allies of the French, when Poritiac, a name
which fills a fearful page in the history of Michigan,
achieved wonders of skill and daring. In the revolu
tionary struggle, Michigan passed over to the republi
cans, and was recovered back by the British during the
war of 1814. Perry's victories on the lake, however,
put General Harrison and himself in possession of the
Peninsular, since which time it has been rapidly rising
to its present prosperous condition. Its history in every
stage, is, perhaps, more full of striking incident than
that of any other state in the Union.
In our journey to Jackson, we stopped several hours
at Ann Arbour, and slept one night at Lyma. The
first is a charming town with well built streets, the
State University, a handsome church, and several meet
ing houses. The Rev. Francis Cuming, whom I after
wards met on more than one occasion, was at this time
rector of the parish ; he has since removed to Grand
Rapids in the west of the state. He is (next to his
diocesan) the most active and energetic clergyman in
this diocess.
The first view of Jackson from its eastern approach,
is one of the most picturesque I have ever gazed upon.
Lying in a valley marked by the swellings and
inequalities of this part of the country, crowned with
verdure, with the silvery current of the Grand River
* Lanman. chap. 2.
406 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
pursuing its serpentine course in full view for several
-miles, there was something in the general aspect of the
scene, as I several times viewed it from the same emi
nence, which always impressed me in a peculiar degree.
It is unquestionably one of the best situated towns in
the state ; and being intended to take the place of
Detroit as the future seat of the local government, is
rapidly increasing in population and wealth. The
state prison is already erected and a site chosen for the
Capitol. During our stay here, we frequently met the principal
town's-people, who afford a more favourable specimen
of western society than I was prepared to expect ; indeed,
I have never received more agreeable impressions than
I carried away with me from this pleasant circle. . Mr.
D wight, an early settler in Michigan, and his excellent
lady, pressed the warmest hospitalities upon us, and
made us acquainted with many other families in the
neighbourhood. This gentleman entertained us with
numerous anecdotes in his own experience, illustrative
of the Indian character. The last tribe had been
bought out, and sent across Lake Michigan about three
years previous, and the place that then knew them,
knows them no more.
" Ye say they all have passed away,
That noble race and brave ;
Their light canoes have vanished
From off the crested wave.
That, mid the forests where they roamed,
There rings no hunter's shot j
But their name is on your waters
Ye may not wash it out.
Yes, where Ontario's billow.
Like ocean's surge is curl'd,
THE INDIANS. 407
Where strong Niagara's thunders wake
The wonder of the world j
Where red Missouri bringeth
Rich tribute from the west ;
And Rappahannock sweetly sleeps
On green Virginia's breast.
Ye say their cone-like cabins,
That clustered round the vale,
Have disappeared as wither'd leaves,
Before the autumn gale ;
But their memory liveth on your hills,
Their name is on your shore ;
Your everlasting rivers speak
Their dialect of yore."
By a tabular statement of General Cross, made to the
United States War Department several years ago, it
appears that the
Number of Indians now east of the Mis
sissippi is 49,365
Number of Indians who have emigrated
from the east to the west side, 51,327
Number of indigenous tribes, 231,806
Aggregate 332,498
It is estimated by Mr. Harris, the " Indian Com
missioner," that these Indians can bring into the field
upwards of sixty-six thousand warriors : that is, when
emigration is completed, and they choose to coalesce.
To resist such a coalition, General Cross thinks a force
of 7000 men would be necessary on the western frontier
distributed thus : —
Fort Snelling, - - 300 men
Fort Crawford, - - -300 "
Upper forks of the Des Moines, 400 "
3f
408 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
Fort Leavenworth, - 1,200 men
Fort Gibson, - - 1,500 "
FortTowson, - 800 "
The 8 posts of refuge proposed, 800 "
The protection of 4 depots, 200 "
Jefferson barracks as a corps of
reserve ... 1,500 "
Total, 7000 men
Larger than the whole standing army of the United
States, rank and file !
" So that it remains a question," writes a Philadel
phia pamphleteer, " for the able financier as well as for
the able philanthropist, what is to be done with these
332,498 Indians who yet live to claim a place upon earth ?
Is a standing army of 7000 men the cheapest as well as
the most honourable way of getting rid of these red men,
who pretend to rights, and have had a faith in treaties ?
From New York, Ohio, Georgia, are all to be driven to
coalesce in the western wilderness ? and are we so bound
that we dare not raise a voice for a remnant of the
mighty fallen ? In these three states, as in others, a
few have lifted their heads, and have adopted the cus
toms and manners of their civilized neighbours ; many
have good houses, barns, cattle, fenced fields, yet a
drunken chief may sign, to a no less unworthy receiver,
all another's earthly treasures, save the lives, for whom
these alone were valued. And is there no restitution ?
Are the Senecas, the Onandaguas, the Creeks, with
others, to be driven at the point of the bayonet into the
western wilderness, to coalesce there ? and be driven
from thence by a standing army of 7000 well equipped
fighting men ? And for this is it that every male Indian
A MISSIONARY PRIEST. 409
over eighteen years of age is to be furnished with a
blanket and a gun ? Forbid it heaven ! Let not the
escutcheon of our nation be defaced by so foul a blot !
Let the people learn that righteousness, or as our fore
fathers wrote it, " right-wiseness exalteth a nation, but
sin is a reproach to any people."
I greatly enjoyed a ride while in Jackson, with a
gentleman named De Mill, through a portion of the
south of the state, which took us by a number of those
beautiful features in nature, the lakes. On the banks
of one of these , in Lenawee county, my companion (whose
acquaintance extends to every clergyman and every
parish in Michigan) introduced me to the residence of a
missionary priest, employed by the American Chinch
Missionary Society, under the Bishop of Michigan's
direction, -to exercise his office amongst the scattered
members of the Church in the counties of Lenawee,
Hillsdale, and Southern Washtenaw ; besides officiating
alternately at three churches, many miles distant from
each other. Here was a man of education and birth,
the nephew of an Irish prelate, devoting his whole
energies to the cause of the Church — travelling, fre
quently in all weathers, from one post of labour to
another, himself the occupant of a log cabin, ministering
to the spiritual wants of single families in the depths of
the forest, and on the solitary prairie. Wherever the
sons and flaughters of the Church were to be found
within his wide district was our missionary periodically
present, to minister to their spiritual need, to feed them
with the body of their God, and admit their offspring to
the fold of Christ ; and all this was undertaken, and has
been for many years prosecuted for love ofthe ioork alone,
as the missionary salary is small, and the missionary
410 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
has sacrificed, together with the comforts and luxuries
of his British home, no inconsiderable amount of money.
And his labours are shared, and his hands and spirit
are strengthened, and his duties are lightened by that
graceful and accomplished female who receives us, and
is spreading with her own hands (for she has no domes
tic) a snow white table-cloth, on which is soon placed a
simple, yet excllent meal. How sweet is this bread, and
how light and wholesome these cakes, how well-pre
served these fruits, and how delicious are these fresh
fish, drawn from the lake whose waters ripple against
the very foot of the well-cultivated garden — cultivated
by the missionary's own hands. When did beauty and
grace, set off by enlightened piety, appear less beautiful
or less graceful in a checked apron ? Such a garment
our hostess wears ; and she but lately adorned and
shone amidst a circle of the highest and most distin
guished in her own country.
And there are more missionaries like L r, in
Michigan ; and a number such throughout other neigh
bouring states. What marvel that catholicity should so
increase in the west, when its settlers see before them
such examples of self-denying zeal, and quenchless love
for their best interests ?
Let the faithful pioneers of the cross, spending their
lives in Western America, but persevere in the course
which experience has proved to be the only successful
one — of preaching the gospel hi the Church ; carrying out
all the principles of the Church as she is, without
diminution or addition, and it is as morally certain that
catholicity will cover the continent of North America,
and the American Church episcopal become the greatest
light of Christendom within a few years, as that the
A MISSION ART I-R1EST. -ill
foundation of God standeth sure ! Happy tlay for
America, when, from Maine to Texas — from the Atlantic
to the Pacific — from every city fane, from every rural
village and solitary hamlet — one altar will be raised —
one Sacrifice offered thereon ; when one voice of praise,
the united voice of a united Church, will ascend (meet
offering) in the language of one ritual ; when the prayers
of the Apostles and their immediate successors, the
venerable liturgy of the ages, will be the medium of all
America's supplications. That day shall come if the
Church is true to her principles.
412
CHAPTER LVI.
RETURN TO PHILADELPHIA. BFLLEV1LLE REVISITED.
I left Michigan, after a most agreeable sojourn, sooner
than I expected, being hurried back by family matters.
I heard the bishop preach several times, both in his
own church and during a visitation of the diocess, and
every occasion enhanced my admiration of him. When
1 left the state he was in the midst of a controversy
with a presbyterian opponent, who had been pleased
to take exceptions at some passages in a sermon preached
by the bishop at an ordination held in Detroit, pub
lished at the request of the clergy, and many of the
laity present. Why a sermon preached in the bishop's
own cathedral, and stating most properly the views of the
Catholic Church and the Prayer Book in reference to
the solemn act then transacted, should give offence to
those holding different views, so as to draw down
on its author the attacks which this printed sermon
provoked, it is difficult to conceive — except on the pre
sumption that the " reverend " fulminator of the
most malicious of -those attacks supposed himself to
be invested with the power and prerogatives of an
inquisitor general, whose peculiar office it is to exer
cise a censorship on the religious 'press, and to sup
press, as far as the laws of the United States permit,
the free exercise, and quiet enjoyment of private
judgment. '1 he spite and vexation manifested by the American
"NEW SCHOOL" PRE8BVTER1ANISM. 413
presbyterians at the vapid growth of the Church, exceeds
that of any other sect. The weakness which their own
recent divisions into " old " and " new school," — the
latter embracing several shades of opinion on some of
the most vital points of doctrine — while it has led seve
ral of the ministers of that denomination, and a large
number of laymen to attach themselves to the ranks of
episcopacy, seems, at the same time, to increase the
rancour of those who remain against the rival com
munion. Two specimens, out of a multitude such,
will suffice to exhibit the extent of this feeling of op
position. The first is an extract from a letter issued by
the synod of the " New School Presbyterian Church,"
in Michigan : —
"We want you, beloved brethren, to beware of
Satan's devices. Never be satisfied with the mere form
of godliness. Beware we beseech you, of that spirit of
Antichrist which has grown up within these few years
to such giant strength in a denomination of religious
people, which we have been accustomed to consider
evangelical, but which we fear must, hereafter, be
treated as fundamentally erroneous. We now refer you
in plain English, to the episcopal denomination. We
likewise exhort you not to be deceived with regard to the
fatal tendency of those most palpable errors which have
taken possession of what is termed the " low church " por
tion of that mischievous establishment. Even that portion,
in our estimation, has in connection with it, no little false
theology and exclusive sectarianism [! ! !] and Jesuitical
proselytism ; together with opposition to temperance,
and revivals of religion, intermingled with a dependance
on forms and successions ; all of which we consider
highly^ injurious to the cause of human salvation."
414 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
The other is from the New York " Evangelist," an
organ of the " New School presbyterian Church." The
absolute falsehood which marks every statement, and
the tolerant Christian spirit which characterises the whole
extract, are too prominent to. require any exposure be
yond that which it bears on its face. Its evident design
is to entrap a class of readers as ignorant of history as
they must be of ecclesiastical and civil polity. Out of
such material, we opine, is the " new school " sect mainly
formed. " The Episcopal Church, Anglican and Anglo-Ame
rican, is in many respects .very questionably protestant
at all. Among the Reformed Churches she was late in
the day, in her awkward and ambiguous affiliation ; she
never protested originally at all herself, but was whirled
about by the imperious caprice of her corrupt and tyran
nical monarch ; and so prudent in acquiescing, if not in
taking originally or at all her own position, she re
mained less acting than acted upon, and surrendered all
her prerogatives, as a Church of Christ, to the usurping
and monstrous headship of one of the vilest beasts of
a king, the second Tudor and the eighth Henry, who
subdued her as the minister of his will and the panderer
to his lawless gratifications — against the honours of his
proper wife, and more against the prerogatives of her
lawful head, the Lord Christ, the only legitimate
King of his own Church. In her protestant relations
she was mainly the passive creature of her wicked and
hateful king ; she came late, and very gradually, and
as we have said, very awkwardly, into the conformity
and the confederacy of protestant churches. There are
several peculiarities to be noted, in her original not-half
reformed adhesion to the protestant cause ; peculiarities
" NEW school" PRESRYTERIANISM. 415
in which she was solitary and peerless, as well as incon
sistent, raw, and ridiculous, among the sisters of the
protestant world ; peculiarities, like those of a felon in
the striped uniform of the state prison, worn on the
Erastian principle of conformity to the will of Ceesar,
that is, of King Henry, the Blue Beard monster, and
master, and dictator of her changes.
" So true is it that the hierarchy of England is old
popish ; that it was never reformed ; that all other
changes left its popish, clerical compagination un
changed, in every important or characteristic particular ;
and that the dark ages, by dark and gradual accretions,
and by Romish prescriptions and conformities, made it
what it is, stamped with the image of the beast, and then
left it unreformed among the glories of the glorious Re
formation. It is also a known fact that many of the
clergy conformed at the time, who were avowed papists ;
and of all orders, from the lofty and the lordly, to the
starveling curates and pensioners of pampered prelacy.
They conformed on the Erastian principle ; false, con
temptible, and unchristian as it is ! They prudently
acquiesced — and saved their places and their purses ; in
a way of which we shall speak more hereafter.
" Now, it is another fact that of all the nominal
churches ofthe protestant world, England alone retained
her miserable popish hierarchy. All the other churches
insular or continental, revolutionized and reformed their
order as well as their doctrine in a more Christian style.
Whether Lutheran, or reformed, all the protestants
were anti-prelatists [! !] They never thought of reform
ing away the popish doctrine and retaining the popish
hierarchy. They made a thorough purgation. * * *
As for bishops of the diocesan mould attempting or
3g
416 . ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
originating a reform, and consummating it, the idea is
Utopian ! What history records any such thing ? It
never happened. Their collective history is the other
way. They have always been badly conservative in
respect to reforms. They always hang on the traces of
the age, oppose all reforms in the main, and magnify
antiquity and the wisdom of the ancients. They are
always, like Bishop Bonner, for " what the Church
believes." They teach us to worship the authority of
the fathers, and infallibility of their oracles of tradition,
and their own divine right to do what they please — to
govern, dictate, and dogmatize to the wotld. * * *
" They and theirs were all tories in our Revolutionary
war — with few exceptions. They retarded it, prayed
against it, denounced it, and now acquiesce in it — on
the Erastian principle probably, or from some policy
even more selfish. Their whole history shows them
anti-reformers, anti-Americans, anti-protestants. It is
the genius and spirit of their order, to oppose all reforms
in Church, and in state ; as if innovation were always a
crime ; and never can be an improvement and a virtue !
and as if old error was better than eternally older truth ?
" Let the American people open their eyes to its true
character. This same prelacy is the foe of man and of
God. It is essentially un-protestant, and hostile to the
simple rationality and righteousness of our republican
institutions. It is analogous to the assumed divine
right of kings, and other arrogant and wicked assump
tions of the feudal system, lt is a shoot from the trunk
of the pagan Caesar, not from Jesus Christ."
Attacks in a precisely similar strain * are weekly made
* The hostility of this miserable sect against a liturgy so purely
evangelical as that of the Anglo and Anglo-American Churches is easily
"new school" presbyteriamsm. 417
in this sagacious organ upon the order, the liturgy, and
the other features of the Church, nor are the other sects
backward in taking up and repeating the oft refuted
charges ; justifying the complaint of Dr. Jarvis, which to
English readers may otherwise appear an exaggerated re
presentation : " The present is a period of rebuke and"blas-
phemy. We are assailed on the one hand by the prelates
of the Roman communion, on the other, by countless
numbers among the protestant sects. All unite in no
thing but in animosity towards us ; and that, too, in a
accounted for in the peculiar views which they entertain touching the sub
lime mystery of the atonement, reaching even to the moral greatness of our
Saviour's character. The following genuine paragraph from the same print
will sufficiently indicate how " New School Presbyterianism " is gelling
on. Irving's notion relative to the peccability of Christ, is not a touch to
it ! Yet the sentiments it contains are, I can assure the English reader,
growing much in vogue in the " protestant " ranks in America. Very
similar opinions, variously expressed, have been at different times put
forth by other heresiarchs.
" What is the example which the sufferings and death of Christ afford '
— an example, if unexplained by any other circumstance, the most
frightful and disgusting the world ever saw. If this were Christ's object'
he has most miserably failed. He never manifested any extraor
dinary exemplary deportment, — his anguish and cries, his bloody
sweat in the garden, and his pitiful cry on the cross, seem to be entirely
' unmanly. The desertion of his friends, and the cruelty of his enemies,
he might have borne with far greater composure. ^Many of his followers,
in all ages, have endured much sorer evil than he experienced, with far
more apparent magnanimity and self-possession. So far from setting an
example ot patience and self-possession in the hour of suffering and trial,
he might be commended to the example of some of his own followers."
" Can anything " truly remarked a Church journal, commenting on the
article whence this is extracted, " be conceived more atrocious than such
language ? We venture to say that the apostate Julian never expressed
himself in more irreveient terms of the adorable Saviour ofthe world, nor
was even Voltaire, in his infidel ravings, guilty of worse profanation than
this.''
418 „ ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
country, which professes to tolerate every shade of reli
gious faith and opinion. The protestant sects raise the
alarm cry that we are papists, either openly or in dis
guise ; the prelates of the Roman communion help on
the clamour in hopes of profiting by our discord, and re
pelling the more easily our claims as the reformed
branch of the One Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church."
I saw more of Cleveland on our return eastward, as
the boat stopped there for half a day to receive the
Columbus mail. It promises to be the most important
port on the south shore of Lake Erie, and unlike most
sea [lake] ports, its high state of morals keeps pace with
its commercial prosperity. One proof of this was af
forded to our view in the well-ordered and cleanly
appearance of the streets adjoining the quays, which are
wholly free of dram-shops.
While sitiing with a group of passengers on the boat's
deck, as she left Cleveland behind her, and the proud
Erie with its numerous sails opened to our view, its
south shore as far as the eye could reach disclosing the
cultivated furrows and broad pastures of a civilized and
well-peopled region, one of our party repeated the lines
of an English poet, * whose eyes never witnessed what
(in the licensed hyperbole of poetic language) he so*
beautifully pre-figured :
On Erie's banks, where tigers f steal along.
And the dread Indian chants a dismal song —
Where human fiends on midnight errands walk,
And bathe in brains the murd'rous tomahawk ;
Ihere shall the flocks on thymy pastures stray,
And shepherds dance at Summer's closing day.
* Campbell,
f The tiger is not a native of North America. Though the wild cat be
longs to the same genus, and possesses equal ferocity.
PATTERSON. 41!)
Each wandering genius of the lowly glen
Shall start to view the glittering haunts of men j
And silent watch on woodland heights around,
The village curfew as it tolls profound.
Ill a few more short years Lake Superior will cease to
be navigated by the Indian canoe, and its banks will
swarm like these, with the busy crowds of civilized
habitants. I made another visit to " the great Falls " on our jour
ney homeward, and varied our course by taking the
stage to Rochester, (where we remained ten days) and
the canal thence to Schenectady, near Albany ; so that
I have followed the entire course of that celebrated work
of art.
Before reaching our Philadelphia friends, we made a
fortnight's visit in New Jersey ; where I witnessed the
consecration of the church at Belleville, which had been
completed chiefly, through the liberality of Mr. Stuyve
sant, who, as is his wont, afterwards entertained the
attending clergy, numbering on this occasion sixteen or
eighteen, at his house. Among the company were Drs.
Eastburn, Wainwright, Milnor and Anthon of New *
York. The latter is the Greek professor at Columbia
College, and author or editor of nearly all the grammars
lexicons and classical school books used in the United
States. His manners and conversation are quiet and
prepossessing. .
I also took a day to visit Patterson, the seat of some
considerable manufactories, and the beautiful Falls of the
Passaic. Here I met with a friend of former years in
the person of the Rev. Alfred Loutrel, the son of Mr.
Loutrel before-mentioned, who was supplying the
paiish of St. Paul, of which he has since been instituted
420 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
rector. The congregation -of this church is large and
public-spirited. Mr.W e a vestryman, at whose house I
stayed, is a strong advocate of the free-sitting system,
which it is my fervent prayer his influence may prove
effectual in introducing in the parish church. — " We
should then," said Mr. W. " have to erect another place
pretty soon, as there would not be church room for the
influx which the primitive mode would create."
" But where would the money come from for that
purpose?" " The money " replied my host, the colour mounting
to his cheek— " It is this selfish pew system which
closes up the hearts, and tightens the purse strings of
churchmen. Our laity are rich enough to give church
room to every episcopal family in the United States,
and a good support to every minister, without feeling
it. But they never will, under the present system.
There is money enough in the Church, and it will
flow into its proper channel if we only come back to
Christian principles."
I was reminded of the late Earl of Aylesfbrd's remark
" that, as we cannot fix our places in the next world, we
ought not to attempt to fix them in our churches in this
world, and that if the poorest man in the village sat side
by side with him, he would be satisfied."
Patterson has, at least, one Earl of Aylesford.
421
CHAPTER LVII.
PHILADELPHIAN SUBURBS.
** Laudabunt alii claram Rhodon aut Mitylenen,
Aut Ephesum, bimarisve Corinthi
Msenia, vel Baccho Thabas, vel Apolline, Delphos
Insignes, aut Thessala Tempe.
*****
Menec tarn patiens Laced rem on,
Nee tarn Larissse percussit campus opinio?,
Quam domus Albunea? resonantis,
Et prseceps Anio, et Tiburni lucus ; et udse
Mobilibus pomaria rivis. — Hor. Carmen, VII.
Having several times repeated my visit to the rector of
St. David's, Manayunk, and rambled with him among
the scenes of beauty, for which the banks of the Schuyl
kill are celebrated, I resolved in the summer of 1842, to
select a place of residence in that ni ighborhood. The
Schuylkill had always been a favorite river with me ; it
is indeed a lovely stream, flowing in its whole course
from the mountains of Carbon to the Delaware through
scenes of surpassing beauty. The invitations of my
friend were added to the promptings of my own inclina
tion to reside in his parish.
On the first of July, therefore, I took" possession of a
liouse which chanced to be vacant, within a few minutes
walk of both church and parsonage; and for the two
ensuing years divided my time between the pleasing
office of assisting J n in the duties, public and
private, of a large and populous parish, and the quiet
422 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
enjoyments of home, while regular arrivals of English
papers gave us an opportunity of keeping pace with
every event transpiring in the old world, as fast as her
majesty's semi-monthly mail reached the ports of New
York and Boston. " The two countries now" remarked
Daniel Webster in one of his speeches, "lie side by
side." One of the most attractive places where 1 occasionally
did duty, when not officiating in Manayunk, was Phce-
nixsville, situated like our own town, on the banks of
the silver Schuylkill, twenty miles distant, and sustained
also by manufactures ; though having as few of the dis
agreeable adjuncts of a manufacturing village as I ever
saw. The houses occupied by the operatives form seve
ral neat and comfortable rows on the main street, and
evidence in their general appearance and the cheerful,
healthful looks of the inmates, the care and considera
tion ofthe mill owners. One of them, Mr. Mason, has
extensive rolling mills, which, in their admirable con
struction and the beauty of the machinery, are not sur
passed by any English establishment of the same kind.
About a mile from the village is one of the most English
looking and English kept residences I have met with in
the United Statets, standing in the midst of a fine es
tate and commanding an extensive south view. It is
the property of a Mr. Morris, the senior churchwarden
of the parish. Here I was each time entertained, and
found in the owner of the mansion — a true son of the
Church of the genuine Sir Robert Inglis stamp— every
attraction, intellectual and literary, that could make a
visit agreeable.
At Emanuel church, Kensington, in which I had
preached about two years previously to a select few, col-
THE *F0ST0LIC SYSTEM.
423
lected under the old (i. e. the exclusive or pew) system,
I was gratified to find a change made in accordance with
the "Resolution" of the General Convention. By a
vote of the vestry, the doors were taken from the pews,
and finials placed at the seat ends ; the church doors
were thrown open (not in mockery) to the people, with
out any other tax than their voluntary offerings on each
Lord's Day.* — In other words — the drawing room for
the use of a select circle of genteel " episcopalians," was
converted into aparish church. What was the immediate
result ? — A larger congregation, filling closely every
part of the building, as well dressed, and more devo
tional than before. What further result 1 —
A larger treasury !
Such has been the effect in America, wherever the
apostolic sytem has been tried. One after another of
the Romanist churches has adopted it, invariably with
the best results to the success of that sect. By it the
methodists gather multitudes into their communion,
many of whom would, — if not repelled from our fold —
greatly prefer its worship and ministry. Let but the
different rectors and vestries of newly organized parishes
give sanction to the practice, and it would soon become
universal ; and the American Church would then have,
in her possession of an Offertory, a mode of sustaining
the clergy, assisting the objects of parochial education,
and parochial charity, as well as of swelling the mission
ary exchequer, which none of the sects possess. One
that will at least guard against the fluctuations and pre-
cariousness of the present supplies to these objects ;
though it may fail of achieving the larger schemes of
* 1 Cor. 16. 2.
3 H
424 ECCLESIASTICAL RE VUXIKCEN'OES.
benevolence which a national endowment enables its
trustees, the clergy, to accomplish.
My clerical engagements also took me several times up
the Delaware. ' One of these excursions, which lives in
my memory as the most interesting in the incidents
which marked it, was to Burlington, the residence ofthe
Bishop of New Jersey. I had promised an English
friend who, at the joint instigation of D- s and myself,
had made choice of the Church as his profession, to be
present at the ceremony of his admission to deacon's
orders. His term of candidateship, which was made in
New Jersey, expired in the summer of 1843, and on
Trinity Sunday the bishop, whose canonical practice in
this respect is (almost necessarily) single, held an ordi
nation in St. Mary's.
It was a bright siiuny day, and the ample doors of
Riverside were thrown open, discovering the bishop's
family at breakfast, while enjoying the prospect spread
out by nature's most lavish hand before the house. The
sober quiet refinement, and social comfort, presented by
the family group, and the unambitious elegance of the
mansion, imparted to the scene a character peculiarly
English. Several beautiful children occupied their
places at the family board, whose deportment gave
evidence of their good breeding, and the happy influence
of private and maternal training under the check of
religious principles.
After breakfast, I accompanied C n to the garden,
spread round the house, where the gravelled walks,
winding their serpentine course through borders of well
trimmed shrubs, and the closely shaven lawn, completed
the picture, which instantly carried our thoughts home
ward.
ST. MAItY's CHURCH. 425
The church of St. Mary fronts a street a little out of
the closest part of the city- It is cruciform in its plan,
but unpretending in its architectural design, and rather
low. Surmounting the central elevation is a stone cross,
announcing to the by-passer that the building is neither
a Mahomedan nor a pagan, nor (by its appropriate sym
bol, the weather vane) a sectarian place of worship, but a
Christian temple, belonging to the One Universal
Church of the Apostles. Groups were gathered in the'
pleasant churchyard at the time of our arrival, and many
had taken their seats in the consecrated place where the
Trinity are worshipped. It was the festival of that
Holy Mystery, and the bishop's sermon embraced a
notice of the sublime doctrine of the Three in One,
which he treated practically in the evening's discourse
at three o'clock.
The evening's service was also celebrated at eight p.m.
in the chapel of St. Mary's Hall, when the bishop
summed up the arguments, and enforced the exhorta-
tations used in his previous discourses ; adding an
appeal, couched in most feeling language, to his female
auditors to carry to their closets the recollection of the
instructions received during the day. At the end ofthe
chapel service the young ladies of the school, numbering
about two hundred, each shook hands with the bishop
on their way to the supper room.
The pleasing spectacle which this, and other opportu
nities presented to me of Bishop Doane's efforts to carry
out in his diocess a system of religious education on the
principles of the Church brought forcibly to my mind
the eloquent and truthful sentiments expressed in my
hearing, during my last visit to England in 1841, by one
of our most catholic minded bishops before the as-
426 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
sembled thousands at the annual meeting of the London
Sunday schools. With the vital importance of the follow
ing query the republican prelate seems deeply impressed :
— " Amidst all the difficulties and disadvantages to
which ill-devised and ill-directed schemes of instruction
are liable, some system of education will go forward. The
great question is not, therefore, whether the rising gene
ration shall be educated, but how it is to be educated?
Whether in sound Christian principles, or merely in un
holy ones ? Or, if it be at once determined — as Christians
are bound to determine — that the education shall be Chris
tian ; whether it shall be built upon the foundation of
the Apostles and Prophets, Jesus Christ being the chief cor
ner stone, as explained by the Church, or as preached by
sectarians and enthusiasts 1"
Bishop Doane has nobly encountered the popular view
of this question, and the factious opposition of the
expediency advocates in the Church's ranks, in his own
field of operation, by the establishment of a system of
parochial education for the poor, on the plan of the
National Schools of England, as well as of high schools
for the wealthier classes : [another college of preparatory
education for boys having been during the present year
(1836) commenced at Burlington under most flattering
auspices in addition to St. Mary's Hall.] " For we may
rest assured," was the logical deduction of Bishop Allen,
" that if we do not exert ourselves in the good work of
educating the poorer members of our own communion in
the principles of our Church, and teach them to love it
by constantly frequenting it, and by feeling they are be
nefited by it, they will be led away from it, by those who
are more zealous for their sectarian tenets than we are
for the orthodox doctrines of our own Church." If good
artists' fund society. 427
seed be not diligently and extensively sown amongst them,
the enemy will sow tares, and the good seed will be
choked and bring forth no fruit to perfection."
The Bishop of Ely's emphatic appeal to the true amor
patria of his auditors on the same occasion, — of " those
who loved their country ; who wished virtue and true re
ligion to flourish and abound in it ; -who would turn many
to righteousness, and in consequence of so doing shine
themselves as the stars forever and ever" — meets, happily,
with a warm response from more quarters than one in the
United States ; and in finding an echo in the breasts of
his brother prelates of New Jersey, Maryland, Michigan,
North Carolina, etc., proves them to be the real patriots
in a community where mere wordy and vaunted " patriot
ism" is, notoriously, a superabundant commodity.
Amongst the objects of public patronage which are
especially worthy the notice of a visitor to Philadelphia
is the Artists' Fund Society ; a similar establishment, on
a smaller scale, to the Annual Exhibition of native
artists at the National Gallery of Trafalgar Square.
The buildinp- is in Chesnut Street. Were it consistent
with the design of these notes, I should be tempted to
give a particular description of its plan with some dis
cussion on the relative merits of the artistic contributions
of this gallery, which I successively visited during several
years of its early existence. Among the best I may
mention the names of Sully, Lambdin, Neagle, Dickin
son, Barratt and Officer in portrait painting; and
Grunewald, Holmes, Neale, Walker, Shaw, Williams,
and Hamilton in landscape designs. Some small pieces
by Mrs. Newton of Roxbury, were worthy a place in a
more national exhibition of design than the Artists'
Fund Hall of Philadelphia.
428
CHAPTER LVIII.
A MOURNING CHURCH.
This wilderness, the world, like that poetic world of old,
Bears one, and but one branch of gold,
Where the blest spirit lodges like the dove ;
And which, to Heavenly soil transplanted, will improve,
To be, as 'twas below, the brightest branch above;
For whate'er theologic lev'lers dream,
There are degrees above I know,
As well as here below,
Where high patrician souls dress'd heavenly gay,
Sit clad in lawn of purer woven day ;
There some high Spirit's throne to Sancroft shall be given
In the metropolis of Heaven.
Chief of the mitred saints, and from arch-prklatb here.
Translated to arch-angel there. Swikt.
On February 20th, 1843, the Church papers came to us
dressed in mourning, The presiding bishop had de
parted this life on the previous 15th, in the house, and
in the arms of his suffragan, and now successor in the
apostolic office, Bishop Eastburn. And the American
Church's appreciation of his uncommon worth, and her
own loss was now evinced in the unusual marks of regret
and respect to his memory, visible on all sides. In
several dioceses the interior of all the churches were
hung with black, and the clergy wore crape for thirty
days, whilst in nearly every church throughout the
country the event was improved from the pulpit by a
funeral sermon or an appropriate address.
Fortunate has it been for the Church of America that,
BISHOP GRISWOLU's DEATH. 429
in God's providence, she has hitherto been under the
presidential control of four such men as Seabury, Pro
voost, White, and Griswold. The first three led her
feeble host through the storms of opposition and rebuke
that followed to the catholic communion after the Revo
lution ; and by their joint wisdom, their moderation, and
their most exemplary piety, they disarmed the opponents
of episcopacy, and successively presiding during the
period of the church's early struggles, piloted her chil
dren into the full possession of the promised land. Their
office (descending by seniority of consecration) devolved
on Bishop Griswold at Bishop White's death : he may
well be said to have caught the mantle of his predeces
sor who had held the post forty-one years. Bishop
Griswold succeeded to his primacy in 1838, having then
been Bishop of the Eastern diocess twenty-five years.
He presided at two General Conventions.
One of his brother bishops* paid his memory the
following just tribute in announcing the melancholy
event of his death to his diocesan flock : —
"The venerable prelate who has thus passed from
among us was a man of primitive simplicity and piety.
Through a long life he gave wholly to his master's
service, rare endowments of mind, and rare attainments
in learning, acquired under great and, to an ordinary
man, discouraging disadvantages. There has seldom
been so indefatigable a student ! He was one of the
few in this or any country who could read, under
stand, or enjoy the great work of La Place, as made
accessible by our own Bowditch. As a parish priest he
was a pattern of pastoral diligence and fidelity ; and
* Doane.
430 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
through his long episcopate, even to the latest of his
days, he continued abundant in labours ; not sparing
himself that he might feed the flock of which the Holy
Ghost had made him overseer. As presiding bishop
the Church is indebted to him for two Pastoral Letters
of the House of Bishops ; the latter of which, that for
1841, is a document of the highest value,* and will
testify to the remotest generations, his firm adherence
to the catholic faith, and his fearlessness and force in its
assertion. He has gone from us in a good old age, as a
shock of corn when it is fully ripe."
The place and manner of Bishop Gris wold's death
were both remarkable, and have given rise to much
comment and improvement. The following picture of
that last scene, drawn at his funeral in Trinity Church
by his successor in the apostolic office, the present
Bishop of Massachusetts, is too graphic to be with
held :—
" Amidst the shock which we have all experienced,
by this startling termination of the earthly ministry of
our revered Ruler and Guide, will not every voice unite,
with one consent, in the exclamation, that the exit of
him whose remains' now lie in our view, — whether that
exit be considered in reference to the precise period of
his life when it was made — to the spot on which it was
witnessed — or to the manner in which his sainted spirit
took its flight,— is marked throughout by circumstances
of almost unparalleled sublimity and beauty ? Let us
contemplate together, for a few moments, this striking
spectacle. As if to call our hearts, in a more than ordi
nary manner, to a sense of the presence and the provi-
* From this Letter copious extracts are given in chapter 53.
BISHOP GRISWOLD's DEATH. 431
dence of God, it pleased Him to take to himself our de
parted Overseer, within a few short days after the con
summation of a wish which had occupied the thoughts
of our venerated Head through long previous years.
The desire of his soul had just been accomplished. He
had seen the council of his diocese, which had been
assembled at his own earnest summons, meeting in
harmonious brotherhood, and appointing his official suc
cessor. He had received the kind voice of confirmation
to this choice from the near and the distant portions of
that spiritual Body, of which we are a parcel and a part.
And, when all these preparatory measures had been
completed, he had, in company with some of his bre
thren in office, and in the presence of his assembled
clergy, performed the last finishing and apostolic cere
monial, within the precincts of this consecrated temple.
And now, having been permitted to behold all things
done, he walks to and fro, for a few weeks, in the midst
of us ; and then, in the fulness of years, he passes
instantly away, and enters into an everlasting rest from
all his labours. And, to invest with still farther inte
rest and solemnity the closing moments of his career, it
is so ordered, in the course of Providenee, that his spirit
shall escape from its earthly prison-house beneath the
very roof of him, who had been destined to stand in his
room, and to continue his. labours, and thus, by a most
singular concurrence of circumstances, the father lays
down his dust, literally speaking, at the feet of the son.
But the glorious picture is not yet completed. You
have seen this good old man separated from those over
whom he presided, immediately after the fulfilment of
his dearest wish and prayer. You have seen him yield
ing up the ghost within the actual dwelling of his
3 I
432 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
successor in duty. And now, how does he die ? Could
any departure have been imagined, more entirely in
harmony with the previous tenor of his character and
life ? After a lengthened course of calm and meek ex
ertion, he resigns, without a struggle, his ransomed soul
into the arms of his Redeemer. He sweetly falls asleep
in Christ. And as I stood over that noble and majestic
form, and watched the almost imperceptible ebbing of
existence as it hastened to its close, I could not but
inwardly exclaim to myself, in the feeling, though not
in the language, of the bard of life, death, and immor
tality : — ' ' ' Starts timid nature at the gloomy pass -?
The soft transition call it ; and be cheered ! ' "
Bishop Eastburn's tribute to the humility and quiet
virtues of his episcopal predecessor will complete a por
trait, which cannot fail to interest in a strong degree
the catholic readers of this country :
" My personal recollection of our venerated bishop
dates from the period of my early youth. Thrown into
his society, at that time, by circumstances of a most
interesting character, a near view was thus afforded me,
at this season of my opening life of that wonderfully
'meek and quiet spirit,' which accompanied him at all
times, and through all places ; and it is impossible for
me ever to lose the impression which it produced. It
was this quality, in truth, that gave such attractive
beauty to his fine countenance, which had an expres
sion upon it such as we frequently see upon the canvass,
in the embodied conceptions of the great masters ; but
which we seldom witness in our daily walks among
men. That the habitual feeling of that sainted man,
whose loss we are now deploring, was one of entire self-
BISHOP griswold's DE<\TH. 433
renunciation, all who knew him will bear witness ; and
how instructive for us to survey such an example, in a
world where eminent models in that department of
Christian virtue are so rarely to be found, I need not
surely remind you. To this spirit of humiliation the
whole current of the world is so utterly opposed, that it
is considered as of slight account in men's estimate of
human excellence. And yet who can forget, that, when
our Divine Master pronounces his beatitudes upon the
mountain, he numbers this same lowly mind among the
most resplendent endowments of the creature ; and holds
it up to our contemplation as the object of his choicest
benediction. " Blessed are the meek ; for they shall inhe
rit the earth ;" " Blessed are the poor in spirit ; for theirs
is the kingdom of Heaven." Or how can we likewise for
get, that this humbleness of soul, so little esteemed by a
vain and self-seeking world, is the very mind that was in
Christ ; ' who, being in the form of God, made himself
of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a ser
vant?' To this chastened and unpretending spirit,
therefore, so pre-eminently characteristic of the departed
servant of God, whose remains are now before us, let
our thoughts be turned this day. Let us seek to form
it within ourselves as he formed it, — by daily walking
with God, in the secret and subduing exercises of medi
tation and prayer. There was something majestic in
the simplicity of that venerable man ; something whichj
while it awakened love, kept at a distance all profane
intrusion, and compelled from others that deference
which was his due ; something, which one could never
be in the presence of, without an immediate conscious
ness of beholding the perfect exemplification of that
sentence, ' He that humbleth himself, shall be exalted.' "
434 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
The following was Bishop Chase's notice of his brother
prelate's death, in a letter addressed to a clergyman of
Philadelphia : —
" Yesterday the news of the death of our senior bishop
arrived in our midst. I speak so because of our little,
compact, fraternal, and insulated character. When the
mail arrives we hail it as the messenger of good or ill to
us all : for what affects one moves the whole ; and often
is heard the prayer, that God would enable us to bear
the ill, as well as give us grace to keep us humble under
the effects of good tidings. If I remember right,
yesterday I had forgotten to pray in this manner,
when the papers were all poured out of Jubilee mail
bag on my table. I say I had forgotten to pray, — •
' Merciful Lord enable me to submit with resignation
to whatever of woe may be herein contained,' when
the Boston paper was discovered to be in mourn
ing. It was immediately opened^ and my wife ex
claimed — ' Bishop Griswold is dead!' — It was indeed
so : our dear dear senior bishop has, indeed, passed
suddenly to his high reward. The short story told in
the ' Witness ' was read and re-echoed from mouth to
mouth, till the whole number of our faithful ones were
in possession of all that now could be known of this
melancholy event, — for such it is to me. I knew
Bishop Griswold — I believe he is in 'Paradise. But I
know also myself; and the consequent miserable ex
change the Church must sustain in receiving me in the
place of so good, and great a man. Oh, God of mercy,
take pity on thine elect one —thine own Apostolic Church
— thine espoused bride ; whose garments when steeped
in the blood of martyrs, thou hast so often cleansed in
thine own atoning blood !"
BISHOP GRIS WOLD'S DEATH. 435
Another brother remarked — " Our departed friend and
father was ready to be offered. He had fought a good
fight — he had kept the faith. All things in the diocess
over which he presided were 'set in order.' But six
weeks ago a man after the bishop's own heart was con
secrated to assist and succeed him in the apostolic office ;
and, by a singular providence, the venerable prelate lays
himself down to die in the study of his successor, as
though he came to leave his mantle with his younger
brother, and to resign to him with his own hands the
commission which he had so long and so faithfully dis
charged." " Yes, the good old man is gone,
He is gone to his saintly rest,
Where no sorrow can be known,
And no trouble can molest ;
For his crown of life is won,
And the dead in Christ are bless'd."
Most truly, when the sainted Griswold gave up the
ghost a great man fell in Israel ! A man great in intel
lectual powers, great in learning, great in his untiring
efforts in the cause of Christianity, great for his piety and
holy zeal, great as a prelate of the Church, — in his primi
tive life, and the abundance of his apostolic labours, — and
pre-eminently great in that singular humility which was
the crowning grace of his character. His eloquence —
so natural and so winning on the attention of his hearers
— and his varied gifts as a divine and a Christian teacher
were, however, as remarkable as this shining grace ;' and
well is it for the Catholic Church of America that he is
succeeded in his responsible office by one who so closely
copies that humility, and possesses, also, so large a share
of industry and patient perseverance. No one, in
the whole company of her spiritual fathers, was better
436 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
fitted to preside in the Church councils. Though mo
derate and mild, he was yet firm if occasion required ;
he cared not for the face of man whilst engaged in his
Master's work. How faithful he was with his own
clergy, his numerous conventional addresses, and
episcopal charges bear testimony. No bishop, from the
apostles downwards, has been more beloved by his
clergy, and this love was felt by all who were placed
under his spiritual guardianship. In his death the
Church of America was wounded at the heart ! Like
the solitary city, become a widow, it could be said of
her, Her tears are on her cheeks ; she smites her breasts in
desolation, her priests sigh, her virgins are afflicted, and she
is in bitterness.
" Kind star ! still mays' t thou shed thy sacred influence here,
Or from thy. private peaceful orb appear ;
For sure we want some guide from Heaven, to show
The way which every wand'ring fool below
Pretends so perfectly to know.
Mistaken idiots ! see how giddily they run ;
Led blindly on by avarice, or pride—
What mighty numbers follow them,
Each fond of erring with his guide."
437
CHAPTER LIX.
REMOVAL TO MARYLAND. — A " PUSEYITE " RECTOR.
" CHAPEL ROYAL" AT WASHINGTON. — ROCKVILLE. —
THE CHURCH IN MARYLAND.
In the summer of 1844, I received a joint invitation
from the vestry of Rockville parish in Maryland, and
the bishop of that diocess, to succeed an old incumbent
who was transferred to the rectorship of a parish in the
city of Washington, from which Rockville is fourteen
miles distant. I readily responded to this invitation as
my friend Jansen had now left Manayunk, having
received an appointment to a more lucrative post in Ten
nessee, through the interest of his brother-in-law Dr.
(now Bishop Freeman.) We had already directed our
eyes to the more genial atmosphere of Maryland, and the
appointment was regarded as very opportune. Nor were
we disappointed in any of our expectations. Maryland
more nearly resembles England in its climate, and
(notwithstanding the institution of slavery) in the
general framework of its domestic and social institutions,
than any section of the Union, the cities of Boston and
Newport excepted. The customs of its first settlers, and
the high tone of character they gave to its infant society,
still exist in the upper and middle classes, untouched
even by the shock of the Revolution, and the political
changes to which that event is constantly giving rise.
I passed a few days at the bishop's residence in
Baltimore, and several more at Elkton, Cockeysville, and
Washington, before taking charge of my parish. Mr.
438 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
Goldsboi'ough the rector of Trinity, Elkton, is one of
the most active clergymen of the diocess. He has been
singularly successful in reviving the condition of a large
and populous parish, embracing two congregations, by
whom he is deservedly beloved. It is one of the parishes
in which the provisions of the Church are fully carried
out, and the rubrical directions of the prayer-book are
followed on occasions of public worship verbatim et
literatim. Their admirable propriety, and the superior
effect upon the worshippers, was agreeably manifested
on several occasions of public worship at which I was
present. The substitution of the Church system, in
every part of parochial economy, for the " old " (?) system
of innovations, has in this case resulted in a large
increase of activity and spiritual prosperity amongst the
parishioners, and that in a soil of singular sterility.
Such results have appeared in each instance where the
same course — the only honest one — has been pursued.
Of what importance then are the ignorant and factious
cavils of semi-dissenting objectors ?
At Cockeysville, I found a hearty welcome under
the roof of Mr. Callahan the Rector. This parish, previ
ously in a declining condition under the " old " system,
and an "evangelical" regimen, was fast awakening
from the long-drawn slumber of anti-" tractarian"
torpor, under the energetic superintendance ofthe excel
lent rector. Mr. Callahan is a sound scholar, and
biblical critic. He was elected to the wealthier and
more populous parish of " William and Mary," just
before my withdrawal from the country. May God,
in mercy, grant that his disconsolate people in Balti
more county, may be saved from any declension from
the fervour of their first love !
" CHAPEL-ROYAL," WASHINGTON. 439
In Washington I met a former acquaintance in the
worthy rector of St. John's, from whom I received a
renewal of kindness. I found him much changed in
appearance, and labouring under an attack of fever,
the result of exposure to the rays of a powerful sun,
which made him request me to fill his place in St.
John's church on the Sunday following my arrival in
the city.* The church stands in President square,
facing the executive mansion. In the morning the
president and his daughter, with several ofthe cabinet,
and a large number of government officers, were
amongst the worshippers. The British minister, Mr.
Packenham, occupied the pew which has from the
first erection of the building belonged to our repre
sentative. In this church a recent judicious alteration
has banished the useless reading-desk. The whole
service is performed at the altar, and a lecturn in the
front centre serves the celebrant both for lessons and
sermon-stand. This arrangement possesses the ad
vantage of extreme simplicity, as well adapted to a
church or chapel of limited proportions ; especially as
the lecturn (unlike the cumbrous pile of carpenter's
work — those fearful eyesores — in front of many English
chancels, with their three square boxes rising pic
turesquely one above the other, for the use of preacher,
* Mr. Hawley died a few months after the above date, after a
ministry of thirty years in Washington. Whilst recording my acquaint
ance with him, I cannot withhold a passing tribute to the names of
Pyne, Gilliss, French, and Harris, amongst the clergy of that city ; from
each of whom I received the kindest attentions, the more gratifying from
their being purely voluntary. Such I can guarantee to any clergyman
from this country who may visit the American capital.
3k
440 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
reader, and clerk,) presents no perceptible obstruction
to the view of God's altar.
The parish of which I now took charge was for
merly within the limits of St. John's, Washington.
With the formation of the chapelry in 1719 the " Book
of Records" begins. There were two rectors before
the revolutionary war,* when the Rev. Thomas Read
took charge of the parish, which he held for forty
years ; during which time, as appears from a minute
in his own handwriting, he had only been absent
from it thirty months. A commendable instance of
ministerial fidelity, and the more remarkable in America
from its extreme rarity .f
The history of the church in Maryland is coeval
with its existence as a province and an independent
state. The liberal and enlightened policy of Lord
Baltimore — " the wisdom of which," writes Dr. Hawks,
* The Rev. George Murdock, " inducted" (by the governor) in 1726,
and the Rev. Alexander Williamson, inducted in 1761.
T Mr. Read was succeeded in the rectorship by the Rev. Alfred
Henry Dashields, when the parishioners being increasingly dissatisfied
with the location of the church (two miles from Rockville, on the Balti
more road), commenced a subscription for the erection of a new one.
Before this design could be carried into effect Mr. Dashields withdrew
from the parish, in August 1817. The project of changing the situation
of the church was, however, soon renewed by the vestry, and a committee
appointed to examine the old building and report on the subject. In
1820 the Rev. Thomas G. Allen, now of Philadelphia, was elected ; and
the project of " a church in Rockville" was prosecuted with spirit. A
grant of land in an eligible situation was conveyed by Soloman Holland,
Esq., upon which the present substantial and commodious structure
stands. In March, 1828, Mr. Allen withdrew, to become assistant-minister of
St. Paul's in Philadelphia; and the Rev. Henry C. Knight, of the
diocess of Massachusetts, was appointed to the pastoral charge. He
THE CHURCH IN MARYLAND. 441
" was the more remarkable as it was far in advance
of the spirit of the age" — -encouraged the. emigration
to the new colony of numerous members of the Church
of England,, and the Protestant sects from Virginia
and the mother country, who in time outnumbered
the adherents of the Roman see. In 1664 an Act
passed by the Assembly against blasphemy and pro
fanity, describes a motley brood : " Schismatic, Idolater,
Puritan, Lutheran, Calvinist, Anabaptist, Brownist,
Antinomian, Barrowist, Roundhead," &c. The moral
aspect of society does not seem to have improved
with the multiplication of sects, if a letter addressed
by the Rev. Mr. Yeo to the Archbishop of Canterbury
in the year 1675 may be relied on. He writes : " The
province of Maryland is in a deplorable condition for
want of an established ministry. Here are ten or
twelve counties, and in them, at least, twenty thousand
held it for one year, when the Rev. Levin J. Gilliss assumed the rector
ship, and retained it fourteen years.
Mr. Gilliss' term of residence in Rockville appears to have been
marked by great harmony amongst his numerous parishioners, whose
attachment to him was the result of his zeal for their spiritual welfare,
and the uniform kindness and urbanity of his deportment (of which I
had repeated examples during my occasional intercourse with him). His
name and character will be long cherished by his former people with
affectionate regard. During the period of his residence in Rockville, the
parishioners erected a commodious and tastefully arranged parsonage.
The land on which it stands was the gift of the Hon. Judge Kilgour (now
deceased), a liberal friend ofthe Church. The family of Kilgours are of
Scottish origin, and descended from the learned and pious Bishop Kil
gour, primate of the Church of Scotland, predecessor of the late Bishop
Skinner (the present Bishop Skinner's father) in the s.ee of Aberdeen and
the primacy. Bishop Kilgour, it will be recollected, was Bishop Sea-
bury's chief consecrator in 1784, by which act the American Church first
acquired its complete form.
442 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
souls, and but three Protestant ministers ofthe Church
of England. The [Romish] priests are provided for,
and the quakers take care of those that are speakers ;
but rio care is taken to build up churches in the
protestant religion. The Lord's day is profaned,
religion is despised, and all notorious vices are com
mitted, so that it has become a Sodom of uncleanness
and a pest-house of iniquity. As Lord Baltimore is
gone to England, I have made bold to address this to
your grace, to beg that your grace would be pleased
to solicit him for some established support for a pro
testant ministry."
The want of sufficient support for protestant minis
ters, and the high official distinction many Romanists
deservedly held, and which they had never abused,
did not, however, warrant the grossly unjust act of
King Charles the Second, who ordered the proprietary
"to put all the offices into the hands ofthe protest
ants." The cry of "No Popery !" had been raised
in the province, provoked by the religious contentions
in England on this subject, and Charles was very
willing to seize upon this, or any thing else, which
furnished him with a pretext for taking away the
charter of the proprietary. Be that as it may, as
soon as Sir Lionel Copley, the protestant governor,
arrived, in 1692, the first act of the Assembly, after a
recognition ofthe royal authority of William and Mary,
was to pass a bill " for the service of Almighty God,
and the establishment ofthe Protestant religion in the
province of Maryland," This law provided, that " the
Church of England should have and enjoy all her
rights, liberties, and franchises wholly inviolable, as
they then were, or thereafter should be established by
THE CHURCH IN MARYLAND. 443
law ; that the several counties should be laid out into
parishes, and that a record of the metes and bounds
thereof should be deposited with the several county
courts, and also with the governor and council ; that
the freeholders of each parish should meet and appoint
six vestrymen ; that a tax of forty pounds of tobacco
per poll should be laid on each taxable person in the
province, and that the sheriffs should collect the
same ; that from the proceeds of this tax the vestries of
the several parishes in which there were no churches
built should forthwith cause houses of worship to be
erected, after which the tax was to be applied to the
support of the minister ; but if no minister had been
inducted, then to be applied by the vestrymen to the
necessary repairs of the churches, or other pious uses
in their discretion." * The vestries were also made
bodies corporate to receive and hold property ; and it
was provided also, probably to secure perpetuity to the
system adopted, that each vestry should have power to
fill all vacancies occurring in it.
Thus Anglo-Episcopacy became the established reli
gion of the province.
Under this statute, the ten counties ofthe province
were divided geographically into thirty-one parishes.
An arrival of clergymen from England supplied those
newly formed, and the machinery of a state Church
was actively put into operation by the executive.
Though there are some evils inseparable from this
Aind of alliance, and the constitution of that, general
government, of which Maryland is now only a federal
branch, is framed on principles which forbid, and make
* Hawks's " Ecclesiastical Contributions," vol. ii.
444 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
impracticable, a rejunction of the civil and religious
office, yet truth obliges the historian to record that the
Church once established in Maryland, both in its early
operations, in the fulness of its growth as a state-
establishment, and in its later fruits, gathered from
the maturity of those seeds so plentifully and assidu
ously sown before she was humbled in the dust, proved
most eminently a blessing to the community, and was
the spiritual mother of many thousands, whose children
or descendants, however since tossed about by the ever-
conflicting winds of schism, will yet bear testimony to
the maternal care with which she tended those en
trusted to her guardianship. Her gold, seven times
purified, shews now, in her renewed youth, brighter
than when supported by the law, sanctified by persecu
tion, and meeter for the Master's use.
With the return of peace after the revolutionary
war, the remaining clergy made laudable and self-
sacrificing exertions to recover the lost ground occa
sioned by its distractions and the accompanying in
roads of sectarianism, whose preachers had drawn off
a number of families from their attachment to the
Church. The old complaint made by the clergy of
Maryland was again renewed, viz. " that there were a
sort of travelling pretenders to preaching that came
from New England, and other places, which delude,
not only the protestant dissenters from our Church,
but many of the Churchmen themselves, by their ex
temporary prayers and preachments, for which they
are admitted by the people, and get money of them."*
Times, it is true, are changed! Though the latter
* In a letter found by Dr. Hawks, in thearchives of Lambeth Palace.
THE CHURCH IN MARYLAND. 445
part of this plaint is correct enough, yet the dissenting
ministers of Maryland now number amongst them
many who are more than mere " pretenders to preach
ing" — eloquent expounders, possessing respectable
scholarship. It may, however, be stated, that the
number of seceding sects has since increased in that
one section of the United States from about five to
fifty, differing more widely from each other than the
first separatists differed from the Church which they
left : a strong argument for those who have adhered to
Apostolic Order to continue steadfast in " the old paths
and the good way."
The amended act of the legislature, incorporating
" the Episcopal Church of Maryland," strikes out of
the old statute all the articles which connected it with
the state as a civil institution. Vestries are chosen in
the same way, the oath being differently worded.
Vestry meetings are to be held on the first Monday in
February, May, August, and November, at eleven
o'clock, a.m. The rector is a member of the vestry
and chairman thereof, with power to call special meet
ings. The powers of churchwardens, as civil officers of.
the peace, inspectors of tobacco, &c, were taken away,
and their duties limited to the preservation of the peace
in the church and chapels ofthe parish, and lifting the
oblations at the communion. Elections for vestrymen
and churchwardens to be held, as before, on Easter
Monday. " Every free white male citizen above
twenty-one years of age, resident of the parish where
he offers his vote six months next preceding the day of
election, and a member of the Protestant Episcopal
Church, and who shall also contribute to the charges
446 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
of the said parish in which he offers to vote," &c, has
a right of suffrage in said election.
The old parish bounds remain, except where the
Diocesan Convention, at the request of adjoining pa
rishes, alters them ; and the parochial rights of the
rectors are secured in Maryland by the double protec
tion ofthe ecclesiastical and civil law. The former in
her thirty-first canon makes it penal for " one clergy
man belonging to this Church to officiate, either by
preaching, reading prayers, or otherwise, in the parish
or within the parochial cure of another clergyman,
unless he have received express permission for that
purpose from the minister of the parish or cure ; or, in
his absence, from the churchwardens and vestrymen ;"
and the latter subjects the party who violates its pro
visions to a penalty of eight dollars for each offence,
" recoverable before any justice of the peace, to be
applied to the use of the parish in such manner as the
vestry may direct."
Under a succession of catholic bishops, pre-emi
nently distinguished amongst her sister-diocesses for
their learning and the vigour of their administration,
the Maryland Church has, since receiving an episcopal
head, " lengthened her cords and strengthened her
stakes." The present excellent prelate who presides
over her destinies reports to the last General Convention
a hundred clergymen ; five of them instructors in in
corporated seminaries of learning, and six, teachers of
classical schools, in addition to ministerial duty. Since
called to the high office which he has, with such re
markable wisdom and prudence, filled, twenty-five
deacons have been admitted to the priesthood, sixteen
THE CHURCH IN MARYLAND. 447
candidates have been ordained deacons, and there are
eighteen candidates now on the list. There are 1 18
churches, many of them elegant structures of stone,
affording accommodation for 37,500 persons. Eleven
churches are now building, and eleven new churches
now awaiting consecration. There are parsonages in
twenty-nine parishes 'and glebes in sixteen, varying in
size from six to 600 acres ; 3793 Sunday-school chil
dren, under strict Church teaching, by 615 catechists.
A fine college (on an ample tract of land), has been
established, and is in active operation through Bishop
Whittingham's untiring efforts; to whom, with the
Standing Committee of the diocess, the donors have
made it over in trust as a Church institution. It has
already nearly fifty students under seven professors,
four of them clergymen ! There is an incorporated
institute for girls, under the bishop's visitation, and
four others (Church schools), partially or wholly en
dowed; and a preparatory school for candidates for
holy orders; five parochial schools, held in school-
houses erected for the purpose; five female orphan
asylums, and a fund for the education of poor children ;
a diocesan " Prayer- Book and Homily Society," which
distributes more than a thousand prayer-books an
nually, besides a proportion of the large size for aged
persons. Add to these statistics, that the contributions
of the faithful in the diocess, for religious and charit
able purposes, during the last three years, has been
43,906 dollars; and what Maryland Churchman can
help exclaiming, " Surely God is good to Israel!" He
has, indeed, visited the vine of his own right hand's
planting. 3l
448
CHAPTER LX.
A MARYLAND CONVENTION.
The Convention of the Church in Maryland was held
in Baltimore shortly after my removal to that diocess,
but the engagements attending the removal of the
family to Rockville prevented my attendance, beyond
part of a day, on its sittings. I was much gratified in
witnessing the entire proceedings of this body the year
following, just before taking, my departure from the
United States. The session, in both cases, lasted four
days, several questions of considerable interest having
to be settled. One of these related to the proposed ad
mission of a new congregation, out of the ancient parish
of St. John, Hagerstown. The memorialists had with
drawn from the pastoral care of the rector* on the
ground of his introducing "novelties" in the internal
construction ofthe church edifice, and "innovations"
on the " old mode" of conducting the service. The
" novelties " consisted in restoring the chancel to
the original plan, as it is seen in many of our Eng
lish churches, and as it was invariably arranged in
American churches before the Revolution ; and the
" innovations" in a compliance with the bishop's re
commendation to lay aside the gown, and use the
Offertory every Sunday ! The Convention, however,
sustained Mr. Lyman, by a vote of forty-four clergy to
twenty-one ; and of laity, twenty-seven to seventeen ;
* The Rev. Theodore B. Lyman, A.M.
MARYLAND CONVENTION OF 1844. 449
and on the renewal of the application in 1845, it was
rejected by more than two-thirds of both orders.
And yet the laity of Maryland understand their
rights as well as the wiseacres of Tottenham- and
Ware! The laity! — Why, the clerical party in the two
Conventions I attended, expressly abstained (at the
bishop's suggestion) from taking any part in the dis
cussion on these rubrical points. The worn-out charge
of "clerical infringement on popular rights" having
been trumped up by the factionists, whose aim was,'
too evidently, to use the uninformed classes amongst
the people as the instruments of their own party pur
poses, the question was left entirely in the hands of
laymen; and well was the contest sustained by the
friends of Church order ! The dogmatic expounders
of ecclesiastical rule and precedent who figure so
learnedly in the editorial columns of certain secular
prints in the English metropolis, and their blinded
dupes in the "refractory vestries of suburban parishes,
would have been put to the blush by the historical
knowledge, and the intimate acquaintance with the
whole subject of ritual and rubrical law, displayed by
the intelligent laics of Maryland on these occasions.
The triumph of principle, truth, and common sense was
complete! — and, but for the dogged obstinacy of party
prejudice, would have been followed by an unanimous
vote. But in religious as well as in secular disputes,
the old couplet too generally applies : —
" A man convinced against his will
Is of the same opinion still."
It is due, however, to the Church convocations of
America to add, that they are, with only occasional
450 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
exceptions, conducted with great good humour, and
that but little ofthe acerbity of temper which is engen
dered by party spirit in the height of debate, remains
after the members have risen from their seats. The
interchange of friendly offices continues, even in the
intervals during the session, when business is sus
pended ; while the greetings on coming together, and
the farewells at separation between opposing cham
pions in a vexed question, would lead an indifferent
spectator to suppose that no hostility could possibly
exist between opponents. That much of this appear
ance is merely the result of good breeding, and a
deference to the laws of Christian courtesy, cannot be
doubted ; yet the very existence of this aspect of har
mony every where but on the floor of convention, is a
sufficient argument (when we look at the many good
effects of the institution itself,) against the objections
which the Erastian in our own Church, and the timid of
every class, urge against the revival of Convocation.
Circumstances are, however, daily proving the incom
petency ofthe Church of England to act efficiently with
out her Convocation, and exhibiting the absolute neces
sity, on many grounds, to convene it at an early day.
The conventional debates in the diocesan, as well as
the General Conventions in America, bring out some
of the first talent in the country. In Maryland, Judges
Magruder and Chambers, Messrs. Hugh D. Evans,
Alexander, Coxe, and Schnebly, are as distinguished at
the bar, and in the legislative assembly, as in the coun
cils ofthe Church. Judge Chambers has few equals in
the United States for his ability in forensic debate.
His powers of logic are well set off by a large share of
humour and wit, which were brought into play with
GENERAL CONVENTION OF 1844. 451
great effect on the occasion of the Hagerstown contest.
Mr. Evans is the editor of the " True Catholic," a
monthly review, which holds the same rank in Ame
rica as the best of our English Church periodicals, and
is surpassed in the brilliancy of its articles by none.
He is likewise a prominent member of the bar, and an
able writer on jurisprudence. Mr. Schnebly belongs
to a family distinguished for the ability of its members.
He is editor of " The Hagerstown Pledge," and enjoys
an extensive reputation as an elegant writer and a
popular lecturer on scientific subjects.*
Bishop Whittingham's opinion on the subject of the
Hagerstown controversy may be learnt from the fol
lowing allusion to ritual matters, in the course of his
Address: like every thing from his practised pen, a
most masterly document, of which, though the prin
cipal feature of the conventional discussion on this
occasion calls for only this quotation, it was the least
important in the whole Address : —
" On Wednesday, July 26th, I had the great plea
sure to officiate in laying the corner-stone of St. Ste
phen's church, Lee Street, in Baltimore, using for the
purpose an office prepared (principally from the form
put forth by the late venerable Bishop of the Eastern
diocess) and published by me for use on such occasions
in this diocese. I delivered an address to a large and
* The brother of this gentleman, Mr. William Schnebly, has recently
visited England, where he has succeeded in bringing before the public
some important improvements in the steam-engine, as applied to railway
locomotives ; and the direct application of steam to the periphery. He has
also invented a new printing-press, constructed on an admirable plan,
combining many advantages over those now in use, with greater sim
plicity.
452 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
attentive assemblage. It was pleasing to observe how
decidedly favourable an impression was produced by
these services, and in particular by the attendance of
several of the clergy in the proper ecclesiastical gar
ment, the surplice.
" The edifice commenced on that occasion, has been
since happily completed. In it we have a remarkable
proof how much can be accomplished by a judicious
and economical use of very slender means. For less
than 2500 dollars, an edifice has been provided, fur
nishing every desirable accommodation for all the rites
and ordinances of the Church. If any think its style
of arrangement and decoration faulty, it is for them to
consider the tendency of a gradual relinquishment of
all old practices, usages, and ornaments to ah usurping
body that stands ready to claim them, and with them
the style and title of ' the Catholic Church ;' of which
in our creeds we profess to assert our right of member
ship. None of the reformed communions, except the
English Puritans and Scotch Presbyterians, have ever
shrunk from emblazoning the cross, as distinguished
from the crucifix, on buildings and furniture used for
sacred purposes. It is, to say the least, an unwise
policy in us, placed as we are between the Scylla of
Popery and the Charybdis of Dissent, to be more
squeamish than Martin Luther and John Calvin. The
same remark applies to the arrangement of the chancel
furniture, by which, in St. Stephen's, the most has
been made of a little room, and a degree of simplicity
and solemnity attained which it would be difficult
otherwise to combine. If there be a ground of objec
tion to the usage of offering the morning and evening
prayers at the altar, it is that of an approach to irreve-
MARYLAND CONVENTION OF 1844. 453
rence and an unseemly encroachment on the high dis
tinction of the Eucharistic service. To that I do not
think it justly liable ; while it removes one stumbling-
block out of the way of our dissenting brethren, who
are accustomed to express dislike of the change of
place necessary when the rubrics are duly observed in
a church furnished with a reading-pew and pulpit
without the chancel rails. Within the chancel those
fixtures never were introduced until within the last
sixty years.
" Change of garment, too, is an objection often made
against our services when the surplice is laid aside for
the purpose of preaching in the gown. It may be
obviated by doing as the reformers did, performing all
sacred duties in the one sacred garment. The fact is
indisputable ; Ghest, one of the revisers of the Prayer-
book in the reign of Elizabeth, having argued, in his
official report on completing the revision, in favour of
the use ofthe surplice in the 'Communion office from its
use in preaching. * * *
" Thursday, October the 6th, at the request of the
rector, churchwardens, and vestry of St. John's,
Hagerstown, I dedicated that church under circum
stances similar to those of St. John's in Georgetown.
Very great improvement has been made in the church,
and, in particular, the chancel for spaciousness, com-
modiousness, and tasteful arrangement of its beautiful
communion table, pulpit, and lecturn, is, in my judg
ment, among the best I have ever seen. Let me not be
misunderstood in thus commending it. I well know
of how little moment matters of taste and convenience
in the material edifice and its appurtenances are, in
comparison with the weightier matters of faith and
holiness. But where the latter are not left unattended
454 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
to, surely it is but a bounden duty to superadd the
lesser things pertaining to adornment, and fitness; and
old time-honoured usage ! To substitute punctilious
nicety in robings and furniture and architectural pro
prieties for the Gospel in its fulness and the Law in its
heart-searching power, were madness ; but the Law is
not less stringent, the Gospel not less powerful and full
of comfort, because proclaimed in a church built, fur
nished, and adorned according to the strictest prin
ciples of ecclesiastical Jaste and primitive antiquity ;
and why should we forego those advantages, when
they may be conjoined with such as we already have 1
The folly and the sin is in rating them above their
due ; and that is done equally by superstitious dread as
by superstitious regard. It is because I feel sure that
there is no tendency among us to swear by the gold of the
temple that I feel safe in urging, on all due occasions,
more attention to the externals of religious worship —
to those things which distinguish the house of God and
the service of God from all other places and occasions
of assemblage."
One practice of the Maryland Conventions must not
be passed by. It is worthy of imitation in every clerical
gathering; and its good effect has, since its introduction
in this instance, been visible in the happy union of feel
ing beginning to appear amongst the Church legislators
of this diocess : it is to assist daily at the Holy Commu
nion, which (rubrically) forms a distinct mid-day ser
vice. The pious clergy of Maryland, like those of a
primitive age, regard the Holy Sacrifice, as indeed it is,
"an holocaust of perfect love; propitiatory for sins
past, expiatory of pains and punishments due to them,
impetratory of new gifts and graces, eucharistical for
blessings and benefits received."
455
CHAPTER LXI.
GENERAL CONVENTION OF 1844.
In October of this year I attended the General Con
vention of" the Church, which held its meeting in
Philadelphia. At this convention the aged Bishop of
Illinois presided. The following tribute was paid by
the House of Bishops to the memory of the late senior,
with whose name was appropriately associated the
late Bishop of Virginia, whose death had occurred on
November 11th, 1841:—
" Whereas, since our last meeting in General Con
vention it hath pleased the Almighty, in his wise
Providence, to remove from their probation the two
senior members of the House of Bishops — the Rt.
Rev. A. V. Griswold, D.D., and the Rt. Rev. R. C.
Moore, D.D. ; and whereas it has been usual, under
like dispensations of Divine Providence, for this
House to make a record of its sentiments in relation
to them :
" Resolved, That we reverently bow to the will of
God ; that in the lives and labours of these, our de
parted brethren, we recognise the good Providence
and Grace of God, without whom no one is holy, no
one is strong ; and that we regard their example of
unreserved and cheerful devotedness to their high
calling, of meekness, humility, and charity in word
and deed, as a valuable legacy to the Church, and
especially to the clergy."
3 M
456 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
The House df Clerical and Lay Deputies unani
mously passed the following : —
" That this House cannot adjourn without express
ing its painful sense of the loss which this branch of
the Church of Christ has sustained in the death of
its late presiding Bishop, the Right Reverend Alex
ander Viets Griswold, D.D., Bishop of the Eastern
Diocess, whose humble piety, fervent zeal, and
Christian prudence, during a long life of usefulness,
rendered him an eminent blessing to the Church,
and endeared him to all who were privileged to
enjoy the benefits of his ministerial and episcopal
labours." This Convention was only surpassed in its interest,
since the American Church's first General Convention,
by the memorable meeting of 1835. Two new canons
were passed,* and seven of the old ones amended.f
The first of the new canons allowed the admission to
deacon's orders of a class of persons without the usual
literary qualifications. The persons so admitted to be
assistants to the rector in whose parish they resided,
and ineligible to seats in Ihe General or Diocesan Con
vention. A similar canon was sent down by the bishops
to the lower house in 1841, but was returned. It was
designed exclusively for the western and southern dio-
cesses, neither of whose bishops can avail themselves of
it without the consent of their conventions. It was,
doubtless, a hastily concocted measure ; and would, if
carried out, more embarrass the bishops than forward
the operations of the Church in those districts. 1 be-
* See Appendix, No. V.
t Viz. the II., XXIII., XXXII., XXXV., LIV. of 1832 ; the IV.
of 1841; and the II. of 1835. See Appendix, No. V.
GENERAL CONVENTION OF 1844. 457
lieve that only one diocess has made the canonical
request to the episcopal head to admit persons to
orders under this act.
The other new canon was highly important ; it
related to foreign missionary bishops. It directed that
" the House of Clerical and Lay Deputies may, from
time to time, on nomination by the House of Bishops,
elect a suitable person or persons to be a bishop or
bishops of this Church, to exercise episcopal functions
in any missionary station or stations of this Church,
out of the territory of the United States, which the
House of Bishops, with the concurrence of the House
of Clerical and Lay Deputies, may have designated."*
Under this canon, the bishops nominated and the
deputies elected the Rev. Horatio Southgate as mis
sionary bishop in Turkey, the Rev. William J. Boone,
as missionary bishop in China, with the title of
" Bishop of Amoy,"f and the Rev. Alexander Glennie
* See Appendix for the remaining clauses.
t Bishop Boone sailed for his interesting field of labour on the 15th of
December. The following account of some parting services, &c, is taken
from the Philadelphia" Episcopal Recorder :" —
' ' Farewell Missionary Meeting This meeting was held on Sunday
evening, the 8th December, in St. George's church, the Rt. Rev. the
Bishop of Virginia presiding.
" There were present also the Bishops of Ohio, Kentucky, and Georgia,
the Missionary Bishops to China and Turkey, all the Missionaries to
China, and a large number of the clergy of our Church, and an over
flowing congregation.
" After prayers by the Bishop of Kentucky, the Bishop of Virginia
stated the object of the meeting, and with affectionate earnestness com
mended the cause of Missions to all present.
" The Rev. P. P. Irving, as Secretary and General Agent of the Foreign
Committee, then stated that he was about to present to this Mission the
instructions which they, as the constituted representatives ofthe Church,
458 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
as missionary bishop in Western Africa, with suitable
salaries. The latter gentleman declined the appoint
ment, and the two first were consecrated in St. Peter's
church a few days after the close ofthe Convention.
The Rev. George W. Freeman, D.D., was also elected
to the south-western missionary district (including
Texas) south of 36^° parallel of latitude, and Bishop
Polk's jurisdiction limited to the diocess of Louisiana,
had adopted at a meeting recently held, and which were signed by the
Bishop of Virginia, then present and presiding.
" The instructions were then read to the missionaries, and were listened
to by the audience with great attention. As these instructions will doubt
less be published at length in the ' Recorder,' your readers will be able to
judge for themselves as to their character.
" The circumstances under which this mission is sent out, with a chief
pastor at its head, the interest it has excited in the Church throughout the
country, the importance of the field, and the numbers to be engaged in it,
as well as the state of feeling and sentiment within our borders, were all,
we trust, considered by the Foreign Committee in the preparation of their
instructions. After an experience of nine years, they have given the
Church a transcript of the principles and polity on which its missions will
be conducted, so far as committed to them for the future, and the voice of
the Church will decide whether to approve or condemn them.
" The Missionary Bishop to China then addressed the meeting upon the
religious and social condition of the Chinese, and made a most interesting
and powerful appeal to the Church to sustain and enlarge this promising
mission. " The Bishop of Ohio, in a short and forcible appeal, urged on all the
members of Christ's Church the duty of consecrating themselves to the
work of spreading the Gospel, though all were not privileged to bear its
glad tidings as Christ's ambassadors. This deeply interesting and impor
tant meeting was closed by the benediction from the Bishop of Virginia.
" Embarkation of the Missionaries. — The Rt. Rev. Dr. Boone, Mrs.
Boone and son ; the Rev. Mr. Woods, Mrs. Woods ; the Rev. Mr. Gra
ham, Mrs. Graham ; Miss Gillett, Miss Jones, and Miss Morse, with the
Chinese teacher and attendant, sailed from New York in the ship Horatio,
Capt. Wood, on Saturday the 15th December.
GENERAL CONVENTION OF 1844. 459
which had greatly increased in importance since his
appointment in 1841.*
The number of clergymen in the north-western
missionary territory (under Bishop Kemper) having
increased to twenty-seven, Missouri (in which were
now twelve) had by her own action become an inde
pendent diocess, and had elected the Rev. Cicero S.
Hawks to the episcopal office ; which separation and
election was confirmed by the General Convention, and
Mr. Hawks, with the bishop elect of the newly
formed diocesses of New Hampshire and Alabama,
were consecrated at Philadelphia during the conven
tional session.
The Convention refused to ratify the election of the
" They were accompanied by several of the clergy and many friends in
the ship to the lower bay. Before parting, all were assembled in the cabin
and united in singing the beautiful hymn, ' Blest be the tie that binds,'
after which the rector of St. George's offered appropriate prayers.
" The Bishop of China briefly addressed all present, affectionately ex
horting them to prepare for a future meeting in that world where parting
would be unknown ; and was followed by the Rev. Dr. Boyd [the catholic-
hearted divine and scholar of St. John's, Philadelphia, whose daughter is
the wife of one of the missionaries] , in words full of comfort to friends about
to part, while he recited to them the precious promises of the word of God.
" The Bishop pronounced the benediction, and we then bade each other
farewell ; and as the vessel receded from us we could see them smiling
through their tears, as the favouring wind wafted this beautiful missionary
ship with its precious burden toward its distant haven. May God's bless
ing go with them !"
* Since the previous Convention in 1841, five new parishes had been
added in Louisiana, the number of clergy had increased to eleven, and 3000
-dollars had been contributed within the diocess to benevolent objects.
" In the city of New Orleans," reported Bishop Polk, " two or three new
parishes might be immediately organised, and church edifices soon after
erected." The bishop's residence is now at Thibodoux, where he owns a
large estate.
460 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
Rev. Dr. Francis S. Hawks to the newly formed
diocess of Mississippi, on the ground of unsettled
difficulties between that gentleman and the contractors
of some seminary buildings in Long Island (who op
posed his election), and referred the matter back to
the diocesan convention of Mississippi. An incom
petency to conduct business involving complicated
money transactions was evidently the sole foundation
of Dr. Hawk's difficulties, and the impediment to
his long looked-for elevation to the episcopal bench
communicated the strongest mortification and dis
appointment to his numerous friends! Whether with
or without the mitre, Dr. Hawks is incomparably
superior in fiery eloquence and general talents to any
other ecclesiastic in the United States.
The following letter from Dr. Jarvis was communi
cated to the Upper House by Bishop Kemper : —
" Philadelphia, Oct. 2, 1844.
" Right Rev. Fathers in God,
" Encouraged by your approbation of his labours at
the last General Convention, your Historiographer
proceeded to prepare for the press his ' Chronological
Introduction to the History of the Church.'
" The disastrous condition of our country at that
time delayed the publication, and finally induced the
author to go to England, that, the work might be
stereotyped there, and be published simultaneously in
both countries.
"This measure has been eminently successful, and
he is now enabled to lay before you a proof copy,
hastily prepared the day before he sailed, for your
inspection.
GENERAL CONVENTION OF 1844. 461
" If, after due examination, you, Right Reverend
Fathers, shall be pleased to continue your approbation,
your Historiographer begs leave to express the hope
that.ajoint committee of both houses may be appointed
to confer with him as to its publication, and the future
progress of his Ecclesiastical History.
" He has the honour to remain,
Right Reverend Fathers,
Your faithful son and servant,
S. Farmer Jarvis,
Historiographer ofthe Church."
Dr. Jarvis's suggestion was promptly and unani
mously acted upon, and Bishops Whittingham, Doane,
and Hopkins, were appointed a committee on the part
of the Upper Chamber.
Rumours having been long rife touching the ten
dency of the instructions, and the practices of the
students in the General Theological Seminary (which
was charged by the " low church" partisans with being
under "tractarian" influence), a formal investigation
was made by the bishops in reference to both points,
which resulted in a complete vindication of the pro
fessors of any departure from the orthodox standards
of the Church in their teachings, or in the selection
of books used in the seminary ; and the " popish "
practices of the students — the alleged "penances,''
" seven prayer hours," " severe vigils," " image
worship," "midnight masses," &c. &c, resolved them
selves into a cross in the chancel of the seminary
chapel, and an early morning service on Christmas-day,
"conducted according to the use of the Protestant
Episcopal Church in the United States of America !"
462 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
The mountain was delivered of a mouse, and the
gaping spectators discovered-they had been made the
dupes of a miserable party intrigue. Like Oxford, the
f^ew York 'Seminary has its vigilant friends, whose
favourite amusement is
" To watch at Mary's porch, and well count out
Those bad young Sophs who dare to be devout."
It is scarcely worthy of record, in connexion with
this movement, that a querulous member from Ohio
endeavoured, by a " motion," to draw the house of
deputies into the Puseyite controversy ; but the poor
gentleman utterly failed. His "resolution"'* was
negatived, and the house decided by a vote of twenty-
five diocesses to two, —
" That the House of Clerical and Lay Deputies con
sider the Liturgy, Offices, and Articles ofthe Church,
sufficient exponents of her sense of the essential doc
trines of Holy Scripture ; and that the Canons of the
Church afford ample means of discipline and correc
tion from all who depart from her standards.
* " Whereas the minds of many of the members of this Church,
throughout its Union, are sorely grieved and perplexed by the alleged
introduction among them of serious errors in doctrine and practice,
having their origin in certain writings emanating chiefly from members of
the University of Oxford in England ; and whereas it is exceedingly
desirable that the minds of such persons should be calmed, their anxieties
allayed, and the Church disabused of the charge of holding, in her
articles and offices, doctrines and practices consistent with all the views
and opinions expressed in said Oxford writings, and should thus be freed
from a responsibility which does not properly belong to her ; therefore, —
" Resolved, That the House of Bishops be respectfully requested to com
municate with this House on this subject, and to take such order thereon
as the nature and magnitude of the evil alluded to may seem to them to
require."
GENERAL CONVENTION OF 1844. 463
"And further, that the General Convention is not a
suitable tribunal for theitrial and censure of, and that
the Church is not responsible for, the errors of indi
viduals, whether they are members of this Church or
otherwise." With which sop the " popery" bitten minority had
to return home to their constituents ; and the presby
terian prints, which stood ready with their paper-artil
lery charged and primed, waiting for the result of this
momentous discussion, which was to split and divide
the Church (like their own headless sect), instantly
discharged their fiercest volleys of editorial invective
against the Convention, and the "denomination" it
represented, which they pronounced " Puseyite to the
core," " popish in spirit as well as practice," &c. &c.
3n
464 *
CHAPTER LXIL
an episcopal consecration. — the bishop of penn
sylvania's resignation. the bishop of new
york's t^rial.
At the close of this important Convention, the two
houses, as is customary, met to hear the Pastoral
Letter, which was read by Bishop Chase, and in a
manner the most impressive and dignified. He thus
reverted to the changes in the episcopate : —
" Since our last Pastoral Letter to you, our Hea
venly Father has seen fit, in his mysterious providence,
to take from us two of our number, — our venerable,pre-
siding brother of the Eastern diocess, and the no less
highly esteemed Bishop of Virginia.
" Very worthy persons having succeeded in their
respective diocesses, the tears which their deaths occa
sioned were in a measure dispersed by the hand of
divine mercy, which often strikes but to heal.
" The association of states which had composed the
Eastern diocess, over which the Right Rev. Alexander
V. Griswold presided, has, by his death, been dissolved,
and three others consecrated to take the pastoral charge
of separate portions of the same flock, viz. the Rev.
Doctors Manton Eastburn, over Massachusetts ; J.
P. K. Henshaw, over Rhode Island ; and Carlton
Chase, over New Hampshire.
"Thus the spirit of heaviness at the loss of our senior
bishop has been exchanged for the ' garment of praise;'
and the same may be truly said of Virginia. In the
EPISCOPAL CHANGES. 465
place of mourning for good Bishop Moore, the oil of
joy has brightened the t face of that beloved diocess,
and caused all hearts to rejoice in the consecration of
the Rev. Dr. John Johns to be the assistant-bishop, and
the elevation of the Right Rev. William Meade, D.D.,
to be bishop of that diocess. Two other bishops
have been consecrated during this Convention, viz.
the Rev. Nicholas H. Cobbs, to fill the episcopate of
Alabama, and Cicero S. Hawks that of Missouri.
Thus are we comforted in announcing to you the
decease of our beloved brother - prelates. As with
Elijah and Elisha of old, the mantles of those whom
God hath taken to himself, we trust, have fallen on
others whom He hath left with us.
" The members of our communion, in all places of
our extensive country, have cause for fervent gratitude
to the Great Head ofthe Church in Heaven, that, by
the mighty power of his Holy Spirit, the present
Convention of a portion of his Church here on earth
hath been overruled for good, and has concluded in
great peace ; especially in that He hath inclined the
hearts of the members thereof to elect, with great
unanimity, a missionary bishop for Arkansas, and other
territories of the United States, who is likewise to
exercise supervision over our missions in Texas; and
also three brother-bishops to spread abroad in foreign
lands the glorious Gospel of Jesus Christ our Lord."
At the close of the Pastoral Letter, which was
listened to in the deepest silence, the two houses
united in singing the Gloria in Excelsis, and joining
in a prayer by the presiding bishop, who then lifted up
his venerable hands and pronounced the apostoljc
benediction.
466 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
The first three named of the additions to the epi
scopal ranks, mentioned in the Pastoral Letter, received
their consecration on Sunday, October the 20th, when
the unusual spectacle was presented of nineteen bishops,
full robed', around the altar of that sacred 'edifice ; an
altar at which William White had officiated during
the whole of his long episcopate. The scene was in
vested with uncommon interest, from the reflection
that the prelates there assembled would in a short
time be spread again over a continent, engaged in their
apostolic duties, and the three candidates be them
selves stationed at such opposite points of labour.
Amongst the other acts of the House of Bishops at
this Convention, was that of ratifying an act of the
Pennsylvania Church, in accepting the resignation of
its aged bishop. Dr. Onderdonk had tendered his
resignation on the ground of ill-health, which his
statement accompanying the resignation shewed to
have afflicted him from the earliest date of his
episcopate. The severe labours attending his visit
ation journeys, commenced long after he had passed
middle life, attended by a total change of habits, with
the accompaniments of ague and other epidemic
attacks, common in many parts of Pennsylvania,
required medical remedies incompatible with the
nature of his incessant duties. The case of Bishop
Onderdonk, who had accepted his laborious post very
reluctantly, excited warm sympathy amongst his
nearest friends. Twenty-eight of the Convention
refused to accept his resignation, and proposed the
election of a suffragan ; especially as less than half of
the clergy attended the Convention to which the
resignation was made. Bishop Onderdonk is the
THE BISHOP OF NEW YORK'S TRIAL. 467
author of " Episcopacy tested by Scripture," " The
Causes of Unbelief," " The Atonement," and other
tracts, whose reputation, for the compass of mind and
strength of reasoning which they discover, is as high
in Britain (where the first-named treatise has had
three editions) as in the United States. He has, also,
stood alone in advocating the ecclesiastical prohibitions
of unscriptural marriages ; which it is, perhaps, new to
the English reader to learn, are very common in
America, extending to marriages with wives' sisters.
Dr. Onderdonk, in an able pamphlet on this delicate
subject, recommends the restoration of the entire
English table, which was rejected by the compilers of
the American Prayer-book. The public opinion, he
argues, which tolerates such connexions, will in time
sanction closer alliances. This question is one which
certainly belongs to the Church ; and is another of
those matters which were left amongst the " unfinished
business " in the first stage of her legislation.
Another event of a most painful character followed
the sitting of the Convention, which it is the historian's
duty (though reluctantly performed) to record. I
shall do no more. The Bishop of New York was
charged by a clergyman, formerly of his diocess, with
whom he had had a disagreement,* with having made
improper advances to four females — the affidavits of
two (sisters) being prepared by him : and on the
accused's presentment to the presiding bishop, by the
* The Rev. James C. Richmond, whom the bishop thwarted in a
project to obtain episcopal consecration from the British primates ; or,
failing here, from the Eastern bishops. Bishop Onderdonk addressed
private notes to Drs. Howley, Skinner, Beresford, &c, which brought
Mr. Richmond home.
468 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
canonical number of prelates, he took his trial in New
York. After a long sitting, amidst the greatest excite
ment without, the Court, on the evidence before them,
convicted the bishop, and passed a sentence of suspen
sion from the exercise of episcopal functions. The
acquitting judges, in the persons of the Bishops of
Western New York, New Jersey, Maryland, North
Carolina, Georgia, and the North Western Territory,
entered on the official journals ofthe Court their pro
test against the sentence, founded on the trivial nature
of the charges ; the character of the witnesses, as exhi
bited by their equivocal and conflicting testimony ;
their (admitted) friendship and professed regard for
the accused several years after the alleged freedoms ;
his own unblemished character during a long minis
terial career ; and, principally, the manner in which
the " evidence" was collected. The Bishop of Michi
gan, the only prelate who was absent from the bench,
has been, meanwhile, invited by the standing com
mittee to perform temporary duty in the extensive
diocess of New York.
469
CHAPTER LXI1I.
BISHOP CHASE AND JUBILEE COLLEGE.
Those of my readers whose sympathies have been
enlisted by the history of Bishop Chase's early epi
scopal labours in Ohio, narrated in a former part of
these reminiscences, will, doubtless, feel interested in a
passing sketch of his later efforts in the same cause, in
Illinois : the cause of ministerial education, and youth
ful training in the principles of the Church.
On taking charge of his new diocess, he lost no
time in addressing himself to this important object.
The language of his first address to the public, after
entering on the duties of his see, exhibits the spirit of
the man, —
"What doth the Lord, the Great Head of the
Church, require of me ? and how shall his glory be
promoted by my feeble efforts ? While, like David,
I have nothing save the truth as it is in Jesus, may I
not, like him, trust in that truth alone to hurl destruc
tion in the face of the great Goliath of Gath, who now
presents himself in the valley of the Mississippi, defying
the armies of Israel ? But the scrip and the sling are
wanting. Give me, therefore, but an episcopal school
in Illinois, and the great enemy whom the pope and
his Austrian allies have sent among us, with all his
boasting blasphemies, will fall to the ground as did
Goliath, and the religion of the Son of David shall
triumph.
470 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
"This school, the Lord being my helper, shall be
founded. It shall be raised and shall stand; that
unto it all who are on the Lord's side may flee, and in
which they may prepare for battle."
" This question," writes a western missionary priest,
" thus presented, and so solved, may be regarded as
an exponent of all that followed. An institution of
religion and learning must be had, and, under God, one
should be had. This full realisation ofthe responsibility
which his appointment to the episcopate rolled upon
him, — and an unwavering determination, under God,
to discharge it, — can alone throw light upon the
privations, sacrifices, and toils, of the Bishop of Illi
nois. Having yielded to this responsibility, he has not
shrunk from its discharge."
In 1839 the corner-stone of the chapel and school-
house of Jubilee College (significant title!) was laid
by Bishop Chase, being thirteen years from the laying
of Kenyon College, and Rosse chapel, in Ohio. " Its
nature," said the bishop, in his address on that occa
sion, "is theological; its end is the salvation of the
souls of men by means of a Christian education. It is
to be a school of the prophets : ministers of the
Gospel of Jesus Christ are to be trained there. This is
its primary object, and without attaining this, it fails of
its end; which end, therefore, is never to be * merged'
in any other. Persons of all liberal professions in the
arts and sciences are also to be educated here, provided
they be willing to be taught the religion of the God of
Christians, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, the Eloim,
the Jehovah. All things being conducted according to
the well-known principles and worship of the ' Pro
testant Episcopal' Church of the United States of
bishop chase and jubilee college. 471
America, the design and will of the donors and
founders of this institution will be answered, and not
otherwise." Without going through the history of Bishop Chase's
appeals, journeyings, and personal labours, to obtain an
ample investment for his college, sufficient to put the
institution on a solid and permanent foundation,
which would fill a volume, it is due to the generous
donors of land to put their names on record in this
place. Of a tract of 4000 acres of excellent land,
now belonging to Jubilee College, 3160 were selected,
purchased, and entered by the bishop, with money
collected in the United States and England (in, I
believe, about equal proportions) ; 320 acres were
given by Messrs. Imlay and Beach, of Hartford, Con
necticut; 160 acres by Mr. Ebenezer Rhoads, of
Boston ; 160 acres by Dr. M'Knight, of Washington ;
80 acres by Mr. John Kinzie, of Chicago.
The bishop wisely obtained a security against the
diversion ofthe college property to uses foreign to the
intention of the donors and his own, as well as against
all the other evils which had followed his previous
foundation of Kenyon, both in his manner of settling
the property, and in the laws for the internal govern
ment of the schools. Knowing that the holders of
fiduciary trusts are invariably more alive to a sense of
their obligations than trustees under charters obtained
from the state legislature, from the greater facility of
reaching them when their trust is violated, he confined
himself to a simple deed of trust, setting forth the
conditions in his address, on laying the corner-stone of
Jubilee College; "which becomes," writes one of
his advisers, " ipso facto the deed in virtue of which
3o
472 ecclesiastical reminiscences.
the Church is made the owner of the property for the
uses and purposes therein set forth ; and, in the event
of his death, it will become de jure the deed of trust,
and as such may be proved in any court having juris
diction in such cases. The diversion or alienation of
the property -to any other than the purposes therein
avowed, cannot occur in any supposable contingency.
Every measure has been taken by Bishop Chase to
preserve inviolate, and carry into effect, the wills of
the donors and the intention ofthe founder."
This writer, however, thus qualifies this assertion in
another reference to the same subject, — " So long as
faith prevails in the Church, or law reigns in the
land." Another most important reason for preferring the
deed of trust to a charter is found in the rule of the
legislature of Illinois, to grant no charters for institu
tions of learning without a prohibitory clause, that
"nothing sectarian should be taught!" Thus in the
charters of Illinois College, and four others, it is pro
vided, that " nothing herein contained shall authorise
the establishment of a theological department in said
college." In the charter of Shilo College, in the same
state, a provision is inserted, that "the said institution
shall be open to all religious denominations, and the
profession of no particular religious faith shall be
required of either officers or pupils " (! !) ; while in
that of Chatham college, in the same state (a manual
labour school), the anti-" sectarian" legislature, wishing
to carry out the "voluntary" principle to its fullest
extent, require that " no religious doctrine peculiar to
any one sect of Christians shall be inculcated by any
professor in said sehool ; but said institution shall at all
dissenting toleration. 473
times be conducted upon free, liberal, and enlightened
principles." " Free, liberal, and enlightened," with a vengeance !
The legislators of Illinois ought to know that the
Church Episcopal is no " sect ;" and she claims
exemption from these provisions on the twofold ground
— first, of having never called herself a "sect," which
in all the formularies, laws, and standards of the
Church, is repeatedly disclaimed ; secondly, and princi
pally, as being, from the character of those laws and
formularies, as well as in her essential doctrines, incom
petent to coalesce with the sects.
This rule of the legislature of Illinois affords to the
English Churchman an example of the kind of tolera
tion we, in Britain, may expect from a " liberal" legis
lative body, in which dissenting influence has any pre
ponderance of influence. I point the attention of my
countrymen to it — especially of those baptized mem
bers of England's Catholic Church, who, unmindful of
her rights and their own responsibilities as her
children, would undermine her bulwarks (not her
original foundation, that " standeth sure,") by neglect
ing her provisions at a time when their observance is
necessary for her very existence as a national insti
tution; of those who scruple not to join the rabid
pack which raise the cry of " popery," " Puseyism,"
and "innovation," at all who minister at her altars
conformably with those provisions. The legislature
of Illinois, in thus prescribing religious opinion,
"seems," in the words of a citizen of that state, "to
have been guided by a rule, which not only renders
them guiltless of protecting any religious institution,
as such, but even innocent of toleration."
474 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
After nine years' occupancy of his see, we find Bishop
Chase more than fulfilling the expectations, and merit
ing in a still higher degree the tribute of Bishop Doane,
on the occasion of his resuming his seat in the House
of Bishops in 1835, — " A veteran soldier, a bishop of
the cross, whom hardships never have discouraged,
whom no difficulties seem to daunt ; he [had] entered
upon his new campaign with all the chivalry of thirty-
five." The Herculean labours of these nine years had,
however, made serious inroads on the physical powers
of the bishop. Wearisome travels over the wide terri
tory of the United States, and another voyage to Eng
land in the prosecution of his object, added tp constant
personal superintendence of the works when at home,
shewed their effects on his frame, on the occasion of his
visit to Philadelphia, to preside as senior prelate at the
great council of the Church, the duties of which office
were no sooner closed than he again addressed himself
to the great object of his closing life. Never shall I
forget the affecting character of his appeals on this
occasion ; gathering up his strength, as it seemed, for
a final effort to secure, if- possible, the consummation
of his darling object before his departure from the
world. On one of these occasions I assisted in the
altar service at my friend Quinan's church (the Evan
gelists), and accompanied the bishop to his host's resi
dence after the service. The feebleness of limb which
made his journey from the carriage to the vestry
a painful process, and required our united support to
enable him to mount a very steep staircase, did not
prevent him from employing a whole hour in an appeal
to the congregation on behalf of Jubilee. His public
addresses on the occasion of this visit were nearly all
BISHOP CHASE AND JUBILEE COLLEGE. 475
of the same character. After giving a sketch of his
labours and their results,* he adopted the following
mode of appeal : —
" I am required — it seems I am expected — to spread
the Gospel, through the blessing of God on the mi
nistry of our Apostolic Church, in the diocess of Illi
nois, which is larger than all England, without the
clergy necessary to such an end ! And whence, dear
hearers, can these be obtained ? We cannot get them
*
* The following shews how the estate stood at the time of this appeal
of the bishops.
The sums of money received by Bishop Chase from England and Ame
rica amount in the gross to 37,530 dollars. The lands in fee-simple owned
by the college comprise a little within 4000 acres, well proportioned in re
ference to timber and pasture. About 500 acres are well fenced, and 150
under cultivation, from which the college already receives a considerable
portion of what it consumes upon its table.
The domain around the immediate vicinity of the college site is " un
surpassed both for beauty arid salubrity, agreeably diversified, and well
supplied with the purest water. There are also inexhaustible beds of bitu
minous coal, of the finest quality, within a distance of one-fourth of a mile,
from which the college receives its daily supply of fuel."
The buildings are the Chapel and School-House, of stone, entirely com
pleted, having, exclusive of the chapel, two school-rooms, with dormito
ries above. This building constitutes, in part, the south front of the con
templated quadrangle. The west wing, also of stone, 27 by 83, is entirely
closed in, and the joiners are now engaged in laving the floor and finishing
the inside. The College Hall, two stories exclusive ofthe attic; entirely
finished. The lower story is occupied for culinary purposes ; the remainder
for dormitories. Jubilee Cottage, main building three stories high. This
building is, and will continue to be, occupied by the female department,
until the west wing of the quadrangle is completed. A Professor's House,
entirely finished. This was the first building erected on the hill, and at a
time when labour and all materials commanded the highest price. A Brick
Dwelling for students in divinity, completely furnished, containmg four
rooms. A Warehouse, two stories high, 16 by 28, entirely finished. (The
goods in store here are sold at a reasonable profit for the sole benefit of
476 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
from the Atlantic states. All you here educate are
engaged before they cross the mountains. Hence re
sults the necessity of training up our clergy in the
West. Sons of the soil," exclaimed the speaker, with
energy, — " sons of the soil must cultivate the wide-
spreading fields in the West. Grounded in this truth,
Kenyon College was built in years that are past and
gone, and now, Jubilee College, five hundred miles
further westward, is rising on the same basis of unde
rlie college.) A Saw-Mill, with thirty acres of land attached ; cost origi
nally 1600 dollars ; but failing to furnish lumber in sufficient quantity to
meet the wants of the college, was repaired at an expense of 800 dollars.
" The repairs," says the Report, " were of apermanent character, consist
ing of Parker's patent wheel, of massive cast-iron, weighing upward
of 26 cwt., and heavy and durable timbers. But with all the additional
expenses, the saw-mill brings in more than the interest of the money it
cost, and will eventually pay for itself." A Barn, 36 by 24, having
stables in .the basement and a granary and scaffolds for hay above. Also
an additional one, 20 by 24, containing carriage-house, stables, &c, in
course of erection.
In addition to the foregoing improvements, the college owns, — of live
stock, four horses, constantly engaged in the service of the college ; eight
cows and some smaller stock ; a flock of about six hundred and fifty sheep,
the wool of which is sent to the east, manufactured on shares, and sold for
the benefit of the college.
' ' The farming interest as yet, ' ' says the Report, ' ' from the limited scale
on which it has been necessarily conducted, has been attended with but
little profit. The common labourers and teams have been employed upon
the farm only when not needed in preparing and hauling materials for
building ; but when it can be made a more direct branch of business,
a larger amount of lands brought into cultivation, and the stock increased,
it cannot fail to bring in large returns."
The library of the college (constantly augmenting) now makes near
two thousand volumes, and the bishop's generous friends in England have
presented to the chapel a superb set of communion plate, including one
flagon, two patens, and two chalices, valued at seventy pounds ; with
mounted maps, charts, &c, ancient and modern.
BISHOP CHASE AND JUBILEE COLLEGE. 477
niable truth : the necessity of educating in the West,
Western labourers. But whence are to be obtained
pupils devoted to the priesthood ? The rich, who only
are enabled to pay, will not send their children for that
purpose. We turn then to those who are less wealthy.
But here, alas! we find few who are able to pay the
stipend, small as it is, for their sons' expenses at col
lege. Not one out of many whom we could obtain
can pay a hundred dollars per annum. This accounts
for the paucity of our numbers. We have, indeed, six
candidates for holy orders ; but the number of classical
students is altogether too small to supply the wants of
the diocess.
" We must, then, have scholarships established in
Jubilee College corresponding to the vast demand, or it
is more than idle to boast of success. We are not now
in ' the full tide of successful experiment.' 'Tis true
we have a college out of debt (kept so by a long course
of self-denial), but the fact of its being so adds pain to
the pang that, through the want of liberality and a
sense of justice in our Church people, so little good
comes of all our pains. Thus oppressed, I feel as the
children of Israel felt when ' they were required to
make bricks without straw.' I feel as my hired ser
vants would feel were I to send them into the field
without implements of husbandry wherewithal to
plough the stubborn ground, to scatter the choice seed,
or gather the golden harvest, and yet demand of them
that my barns be filled with grain ! In such a case I
ought to take shame to myself, instead of blaming
them. " Be assured, Christian friends, that Illinois resem
bles — too nearly resembles — a baronial manor en-
478 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
dowed by the God of nature with the richest soil, yet
ruined for want of labourers to till it. The weeds of
spiritual blindness and vice are at this moment every
where growing and increasing. The trees of God's
planting are not watered. The tender flowers of our
vast prairies, full of Christian fragrance, are seen, for
want of timely care, every where to wither and die.
" And is it always to be so ? Is there no end to this
long road of stumbling by reason of the darkness of
despair? When, oh, when will it be morning to the
aged, weary labourer in the field of Christ, now soli
citing your kind attentions? Are the sects and parties,
ever embittered against each other, as they all are and
always are against the Church, for ever to trample
under foot every tender blade transplanted from the
East? Is there never to be a struggle made to seek
the lost sheep? — not ' one,' for instance, ofthe ten
thousand lambs whom deceitful men have decoyed
from the English fold into the fangs of the wolves of
Nauvoo? Are the disciples of Joe Smith, now enraged
by bis murder ; are the Romanists, always dangerous
to the state, because they owe their allegiance to a
foreign prince; are these jarring extremes, error and
schism, to take eternal possession of the prairies of Illi
nois ? and is the primitive Church of Christ destined,
by your neglect, to possess thereon no dwelling-place ?
— and all for the want of a few scholarships given to
an institution of acknowledged merit ; now ready to
teach all who are sent to her care on terms of unexam
pled cheapness ?
" Bear with me, I beseech you, a little further. There
is another view, which should never be taken but in
extreme cases, when the glory of God and the success
BISHOP CHASE AND JUBILEE COLLEGE. 479
of his cause require it, and that is, to mention what
one's self has done, by way of inciting others to good
deeds. Do 1 wish to dwell at ease when exhorting
others to work ? Do I enrich myself and family while
I make you poor by demanding your assistance ? Let
the answer to these questions be redd in the history of
my whole life. Look at the congregations which were
founded by my unworthy hand in the western parts of
New York, in the city of New Orleans, in Ohio, and in
Illinois ! Who, in these various places, will tell you
that I sought ' the fleece and not the flock ? ' Have I
ever received anything as a salary since a bishop, from
either or both of my diocesses, of sufficient value in all
to maintain my family for one or even a half of a year ?
With regard to both I can truly say, as did Samuel to
all Israel, ' Behold here I am ; witness against me be
fore the Lord. Whose ox have I taken? whom have I
defrauded? or of whose hand have I received a bribe to
blind mine eyes therewith ?' And with the Apostle I
can say, ' These hands have ministered to my neces
sities.' But the time has come when I can do so no
longer. Nearly threescore years and ten — spent nearly
all in the service of the Church, planting her banners
in those places where few else would go — have now
' brought down my strength in the journey ' of life.
The knees which were once strong are now feeble, and
the hands which once directed and sustained others
need to be held up by benevolent friends.
" I come before you, then, with the permission of
your worthy pastor, as a pleader for your countrymen
in the west. The relation I have long borne to it — I
say it without egotism — as its father and friend, em
boldens me^ not to ' ask an alms,' but to stir up your
¦ 3p
480 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
minds, my brethren, by way of remembrance, to pay a
debt long since due. l'ask eighty-six scholarships for
Jubilee College, having obtained fourteen already in
coming here. I ask other sums, small and great, to
enable me to complete the work which God has given
me to do before I die."
This and similar appeals were promptly responded
to by the Church's friends in Philadelphia. One thou
sand six hundred and sixty-six dollars, the sum neces
sary for a professorship, were subscribed before Bishop
Chase left the city ; one-sixth being the contribution of
a lady.* At the conclusion of the above address, num
bers of the congregation pressed forward to the altar
with their gifts; and the hand of the "aged, weary
labourer," who then took his place near the chancel-
rails to receive the greetings of his friends, was pressed
by many, who felt too truly while offering up the silent
prayer for many more days to their most loved, as well
as " most reverend," father, that, in all human proba
bility, they should " see his face no more" in the flesh.
As the fact, now fully proved in the past half-century's
history, is undeniable, that the voluntary contributions
of the friends of religion in a Church- endowed and
tithe-paying country are on a far larger scale (even
admitting the disproportion of means) than in one in
which voluntaryism is established by law, it may, per
haps, assist in forwarding this last great effort of the
American bishop to remind many liberal souls who
have not yet contributed towards the cause of ministe
rial education in the west, that " the past conduct of
Bishop Chase (to adopt the words of one of his presby-
* Mrs. Kohne, a liberal benefactress to the Church.
TRIBUTE TO BISHOP CHASE. 481
ters) inspires future confidence that, whatever funds
may be entrusted to him for the completion of Jubilee
College, will be judiciously and economically expended
in furtherance ofthe object." It is one not undeserv
ing the notice of English Christians, from the multi
tude of emigrants who annually leave our shores for the
western territory of America ; to say nothing of those
who drop down from Canada into the United States.
The same writer adds : — " Long acquaintance with
Bishop Chase, an intimate knowledge of his plans,
while they enable him to speak, entitle him to a hear
ing. For twenty years he has known him in his sea
sons of adversity as well as prosperity ; he has been
with him when his most cherished expectations have
been blasted — his fondest hopes crushed : and yet in
all this the writer has seen no faltering — no distrust.
' Jehovah- jireh ' has been his watchword, and it has
been embodied forth in renewed exertions and greater
efforts. Recognizing and owning the obligations
which his station in the Church imposed upon him
he has not failed to discharge them, whether they
procured for him ' good or evil report.' The ser
vant of the Church, he has regarded not his own but
her welfare. A steward in the household of Christ, he
has counted nothing as his own, but used it as a talent
for which he must render an account. Without any
salary or stated income from any source whatever,
Bishop Chase has laboured with his own hands for the
support of himself and family. During the year end
ing June, 1843, he received from his diocess the sum
of one hundred and seventy-nine dollars, scarce the
fourth part of his travelling expenses for the same time.
Instead of realizing anything from his landed property,
482 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
it is a source of expense to him. All of his available
means have been consumed in his current expenses.
But these sacrifices and privations have been and still
are endured by himself and his family with patience
and resignation, while they in any way enable him to
build up the college. Of these sacrifices and privations
the writer might enumerate many instances; but
though related with all fidelity, they could be scarcely
appreciated unless actually beheld. From first to last
the founding and rearing up of Jubilee College has been
but one scene of unremitting labour and self-denial to
Bishop Chase and his pious and devoted family. Will
not the Church, then, again respond to the call of the
diocess of Illinois, made through her bishop? He
seems in an especial manner, in the providence of God,
to have been singled out as one through whom the
Church of the blessed Saviour both makes the call and
gives the response. Since, then, in the common course
of events, he may not hereafter often repeat this call,"
will not the members of the Church of England deem
it at once a duty and a privilege to assist in fulfilling
this scheme of Providence for the rapidly augmenting
population of the western prairies? What English
heart does not fervently respond to the deeply breathed
aspiration of this writer, " that . Bishop Chase, ere
HE DIE, MAY SEE THE COMPLETION OF JUBILEE COL
LEGE
?
483
CHAPTER LXIV.
CONSECRATION OF THE FOREIGN BISHOPS. BISHOP
SOUTHGATE AND THE SYRIAN CHURCH.
On the following Friday (Oct. 25th) the missionary
bishops elect for Texas, Turkey, and China, received
consecration from the presiding bishop, assisted by
eight other prelates, in St. Peter's church of the same
city. I was fortunate enough to get a seat near the
chancel, which gave me a good view of this deeply
interesting, never-to-be-forgotten ceremony. The ser
mon was preached by the Bishop of Georgia, founded
on the text, " Enlarge the place of thy tent, and let
them stretch forth the curtains of thine habitations:
spare not, lengthen thy cords, and strengthen thy
stakes ; for thou shalt break forth on the right hand
and on the left ; and thy seed shall inherit the Gentiles,
and make the desolate cities to be inhabited."* It was
a masterly production, and correctly described by a
literary critic, himself a finished pulpit orator,f as "one
of the most beautiful and scholar-like performances
heard for many a long day." In the course of his
sermon the bishop made the following allusion to Eng
land, and the call for joint action on the part of the
English and American Churches : —
" Since our existence as a Church, we have been per
mitted to witness no such exhibition of faith as that
* Isaiah liv. 2, 3.
f The Rev. William Suddards, editor of the " Episcopal Recorder."
484 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
which now engages our attention. And if faith be the
principle of the Church's growth, and the measure of
the Church's strength, then will this day ever consti
tute an epoch in the Church's history. What England,
in the fulness of her power, in the immensity of her re
sources, in the depth of her piety, has just begun to do
for her own children, we are bold to imitate, not for our
own children, but for the children of our Heavenly
Father, of whatever blood and whatever lineage !
Catching from her the noble spirit that has marked
her recent efforts, — or rather, I should say, drinking
with her at the same fountain of divine inspiration, we
have hastened to obey the injunction of our Lord and
the practice of the apostles, and send forth men, full,
as we trust, of faith and of the Holy' Ghost, confiding
to them all the powers which our Lord has confided to
us, that they may lack nothing which we can confer
upon. them of authority, or grace, or blessing. We
lay our hands upon them and separate them for the
work whereunto the Holy Ghost has called them, in
full confidence that Christ will sustain us in our efforts
and bless ^e?^in their labours — that he will furnish
his Church with an abundance of treasure out of the
self-denial of his faithful people, and fulfil to the minis
try of his word his gracious promise of being with' them
always to the end of the world ! Had Reason, with her
cold, calculating spirit, been permitted to shape our
counsels — Reason, which narrows everything to the
sphere of sense and sight— we might have hesitated
about the mighty labours to which we have pledged the
Church; hat Faith was our instrument of vision— Faith,
which keeps before her eye one single object, the com
mand of her divine Lord, and in obeying that, embraces
BISHOP ELLIOTT. 485
things not seen, and realizes the visions of hope. Un
der her guidance we commission these, our brethren,
to take possession of the kingdoms of this world, as
sured that they will one day become the kingdoms of
Christ. We send them forth, armed only with the Cross
of Christ and the foolishness of preaching, satisfied that
they will vanquish the" philosophy and subdue the feel
ings of man. We look not at the human strength
which is behind us ; we reckon not the hosts, nor the
might, nor the associations that are before us. Our
power depends not on the one, nor is our courage
daunted by the other. Our trust is in the arm of the
Lord, and we see as the prophet's servant did when his
eyes were opened — not chariots and horses of fire — but
what is mightier than all chariots and all horses, the
fire of the Holy Ghost, ready to go forth with the minis
ters ofthe Lord and with the truth of his Christ."
" Nor can 1 think that we have entered rashly into a
position which might have been more advantageously
occupied by another branch of the Church of Christ.
It seems as if God, in his wise providence, has cast
upon England and these United States the conversion
of the world. None other of the civilized nations of
the earth are in a Condition to take any larger part in
this glorious enterprise. Some are hindered by posi
tion, having but little maritime connexion with the
rest of the world, and lacking the missionary zeal which
would lead them to seek it. Others are disabled by the
withering blight of rationalism from doing more than
preserving alive upon their own altars the light of
Gospel truth. Others, again, are overlaid by super
stition and idolatry, and in their missionary ardour are
disseminating falsehood instead of truth, — are dealing
486 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
out death instead of imparting life. With the English
and American Churches alone are found those gifts of
nature and of grace which make them proper, through
the grace of God, to enter with hope and confidence
upon the evangelizing of the world. Embodying in
their liturgies and formularies, plainly and fully, the
truths ofthe Gospel — preserving almost everything of
primitive practice which was worth preserving, and re
taining very little, if any, of its corruptions — organized
upon the closest model ofthe apostolic times — hindered,
especially among us, by very few restraints upon religi
ous action, we have been evidently set apart for the
missionary work. And the enterprise of these nations,
and their commercial connexions and the roving spirit
of their people, and the rapid growth of both govern
ments, all indicate that God is preserving them, and
building us up for this very end of spreading his Gospel
among the nations of the earth. And, besides all this,
a common lineage, and a common language, and a com
mon faith, and a common commission, point us to the di
vision of this work without any rivalry, save the generous
one of spreading the truth — without any jealousy, save
a holy jealousy for Zion and for Jerusalem. Wherever
our Missionaries meet, it will be as brother meeting bro
ther ; souls, united by the ' one Lord, one faith, one bap
tism, oneGod and Father of all,' will go out to each other
in sweet communion ; and the Church will find that
there is in her a stronger bond than that of interest or
nature — the bond of a holy faith and a divine charity.
" And just as clearly as God has marked out these
two nations for the conversion of the world, does He
seem to have overruled their policy in such a manner
as to give the fullest scope to that particular form of
BISHOP ELLIOTT. 487
ecclesiastical organisation which has grown up in each.
An establishment, connected so strictly with its govern
ment as is the English Church, could not move in its
integrity as a Church, upon the great Mahometan or
heathen empires, without at once exciting political
jealousy. Her bishops and ecclesiastics would be
looked upon with a more suspicious eye even than those
of Rome, inasmuch as her power is infinitely greater,
and the claims of Rome are spiritual rather than tem
poral. Wonderfully, therefore, has it been arranged of
God, that the English government should have steadily
pursued for ages a commercial system which has led
her to plant and cherish colonies in many islands and
on every continent. Empires have grown up around
her emigrants in almost every quarter of the globe, and
hundreds of millions of heathen — nearly one-third of
the world's population — are linked directly with her, as
subjects or dependents. Upon these and over these
can her establishment have full dominion, and to feed
these growing empires with the bread of life, to pour in
light upon the barbarism which surrounds her and be
longs to her, will call for all her energies and absorb
all her resources. She cannot, for centuries to come,
do more — if she can do that, it will be a mighty work
— than satisfy the cries of her own children and the
necessities of her actual dependents. The heathen
world, so far as it lies disconnected from her gigantic
embrace, and the great empires of Western Asia, are
cast upon us for the knowledge ofthe Lord. We must
answer their demand for the Gospel, or it will be an
swered from papal Rome, and Christianity will mourn
and perish in the house of its friends. While England
has opened China, she cannot fill it ; nay, for the rea-
3q
488 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
son given just now, she cannot touch it in her ecclesi
astical integrity. Besides her Indian empire, her Afri
can colonies, her island continents, her red and black
subjects of British America, would feel that every pound
and every missionary that was turned towards the
heathen was so much taken from them. What are
three bishops, with perhaps as many hundred clergy
men, among the many, many millions of Hindostan?
What is a single bishop for such a world as Australia ?
or such an island as New Zealand ? And see what a
boundless field spreads away north of the Canadas to
the Frozen Ocean, covered with her Indian subjects !
No, we cannot, and we must not hope that England
can do and will do everything. She will do the part
which God has allotted to her, — evangelize her empire
colonies, and rejoice that we are in a condition, from
our unshackled ecclesiastical arrangements, from the
anti-colonial and peaceful policy of the government
under which we live, to make up what is lacking of
her ability. She will rejoice that our bishops can go,
simply as heralds of the Cross, representing nothing
but the Body of Christ, seeking no foothold upon the
soil, asking for no privileges save those of scattering
the seeds of truth, and preaching the unsearchable
riches of Christ."
Turning homewards, to a survey of the domestic
operations of the American Church, the preacher drew
a picture, in which one of his distinguished hearers
stood foremost on the canvass ; and to which allusion
the emphatic delivery of the bishop, and his position —
facing the altar, at the opposite end of the church —
imparted an effect which may be readily conceived.
'.' In strong contrast with these fields of foreign la-
BISHOP ELLIOTT. 489
hour, yet equally interesting and equally important,
stand out the scenes of labour of our domestic Mis
sionary Bishop. But neither its interest nor its import
ance belong to the present, nor yet have they any con
nexion with the past ; it is in the future that they lie ; it
is through a vista of years that they must be viewed and
calculated ! Could the churchmen of a generation back
rise from their graves, and look upon the country which
they scorned and neglected, how bitter would be their
sorrow, how deep their repentance ! It would be hard
for them to recognise in the teeming valley of the Missis
sippi, with its powerful states, and its swelling popu
lation, and its abounding wealth, the far-off land
which they deemed it visionary to contemplate and
fanaticism to evangelize. It would amaze them to behold
eight bishops clustering around that missionary whom
they deemed an enthusiast for turning his thoughts, and
his prayers, and his footsteps , westward — looking up to
him as their ' presiding ' father, as their pioneer, and
their guide to the diocesses over which they rule — diocesses
whose very names would strike upon their ears as novel
and unnatural! Could they speak to us, how anxiously
would they exhort us, how earnestly would they pray
us, as we loved our Church — as we loved our country
— as we loved the name of Christ — not to be to that
rising world the cruel step-mother which the Church of
their day had proved herself! They would tell us to
measure the future by the past, and in that virgin
valley to behold the mistress of this western world.
They would bid us watch the rolling tide of popula
tion, bearing on its bosom the bold, and the enterpris
ing, and the reckless of every nation, and commin
gling them into one mass of vigorous thought and irre-
490 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
sistible energy, and calculate its power for good or evil
to all futurity. They would warn us to ponder upon
the reflex influence which must throw back from this
seat of political dominion upon the institutions of the
East, strengthening their moral power and preserving
their religious character, or else corrupting, debasing,
and overthrowing them. They would bid us meditate
upon the relation this ever-swelling mass of thinking,
reasoning, moving creatures must have upon the
Church of Christ and the condition of His kingdom,
and awake to duty — to zeal — to self-denial — to self-
devotedness." Bishop Elliott's elocution is as good as his style ; and
afforded me another confirmation of an opinion I have
already felt constrained to express in favour of the very
striking superiority of American to English preachers
in the department of pulpit delivery ; though in the
composition of sermons the advantage is, as a rule, on
the side, of the latter. Free, however, from those con
ventionalisms of pronunciation and tone, which very
commonly mar the public performances of our own
clergy, the American clergyman, both in the desk and
the pulpit, exhibits a simplicity* in his reading and de
livery that secures the attention, while it never offends
the taste ; evidencing the severe study and culture
which has been bestowed on this important branch of
clerical preparation.
As it was one of the latest, so one of the most inte-
* " The last degree of refinement is simplicity ; the highest eloquence is
the plainest; the most effective style is the pure, severe, and vigorous
manner, of which the great masters are the best teachers." — Nicholas
Biddle.
BISHOP SOUTHGATE. 491
resting incidents attending my residence in America,
was an introduction to the intelligent traveller and de
voted missionary, on whom apostolic hands were this
day laid. The name of Horatio Southgate, the Ameri
can Martyn, is already familiar to the English Church
man, who has, I cannot doubt, followed him through
his wide wanderings, and sympathized with him in his
arduous labours and severe sufferings among the down
trodden Christians of the East. Armenia, Kurdistan,
Persia, and Mesopotamia, have successively witnessed
the untiring zeal of this laborious missionary; who
now returns to the ancient Syrian [Jacobite] Church —
into which the American Church has already introduced
some healthy blood, — as a missionary bishop of the
same Catholic family, to aid the Anglican Church in
rebuilding its waste places, and restoring, by friendly
advice and assistance to its apostolic heads, and their
faithful but persecuted flocks, the ancient glory of
Antioch's see.
I received a volume of Bishop Southgate's recent
" Visit to the Syrian Church of Mesopotamia," (the
second* book of travels he has sent to the press,) at
his hands during our short acquaintance, which details
numerous facts relative to that ancient Catholic com
munity, f as interesting to the antiquary as to the
* The first work (in two volumes) details some of Dr. Southgate's
journeyings in Armenia, Kurdistan, and Asia Minor, with observations
on the condition of Mahomedanism and Christianity in the East.
t I use the word Catholic here, as elsewhere, in the sense in which our
Church uses it — its literal, primitive, and only sense; in the sense in which
it was used by Christians universally in the first six centuries, and in which
every part of the regular Christian family, save only that section of it
paying allegiance to the Roman bishop, continue to use it at this day. I
492 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
Christian. Its patriarch, whose residence is at Mardin,
possesses in a record of unknown antiquity the annals
of his predecessors in the patriarchate of Antioch, back
to St. Peter, its first bishop. The signatures of the
greatest part of their names, which number 141 , is in
the handwriting of the patriarchs themselves ; and are
traditionally the entries of each, including St. Peter
himself. The fact is not impossible (though Bishop
Southgate does not undertake to assert its undoubted
authenticity), as the materials and appearance of the
manuscript prove its extreme age ; and it is well known
to have been (who can doubt, by a providential control ?)
the custom of all the early Churches to keep a similar
record : by which we are now in possession of the line
of bishops in every apostolic see.
The sympathy which English and American Church
men ought to feel towards this ancient communion is
increased by the striking points of similarity between
the two Churches, — a similarity extending to almost
every part of government, worship, and doctrine. It is
to be trusted that the English Church will actively co
operate with her American daughter in the great work
of Christian unity, nor be turned aside by the ignorant
cavils of short-sighted unread objectors, whose visions
are filled with a "protestant establishment," and their
sympathy for these desolate and forsaken daughters,
the first-born of the glorious mission of our ascended
leave to the ignorant the commission of such a blunder as " Roman
Catholic," which term, remarks Bishop Chase (commenting on the Visita
tion Service in the Prayer-book), like French or British Catholic, would
be an absurdity ,-" and to the deliberate falsifier of language, the exclusive
application ofthe term " Catholic " to the adherents ofthe Roman see.
THE EASTERN CHURCHES. 493
Lord, is extinguished in their unutterably doltish ap
prehensions that, being catholic and apostolic, they are,
necessarily, "popish."
" The position of our Church," writes Bishop South-
gate, " is one in which she appears as chiefly intent
upon a unity of faith, and yet as wanting in nothing
which is essential to her character as a. branch of the
Church Universal. It is one in which we must feel
compelled to stand upon the sure basis of what is evi
dently necessary to Christian communion ; one in which
we have little temptation to form alliances upon inci
dental resemblances in things of minor importance ;
one in which it is most needful for their own good that
we should appear to the Eastern Churches ; one in
which we may sustain the exalted character of seeking
a restoration of unity on truly primitive grounds. May
we have grace to understand and improve our advan
tages, turning neither to the right hand nor to the left ;
presenting the Church in her pure faith and her un
sullied worship to eyes which will not fail, the more
single their vision becomes, to be attracted by the one
and love the other ! There is no Church on earth which
has the power for good among the Eastern Christians
which the Church of England and the sister Church
in the United States possess. May we use it as an
inestimable treasure, as a precious talent for which we
must give account!"
494
CHAPTER LXV.
CONCLUSION.
One year only was occupied in the duties of my new
parish, when domestic affairs abruptly terminated my
connexion with Maryland and the American Church.
I took final leave of the United States on the 10th of
June, in the " fast-sailing packet-ship Switzerland"
(commanded by Captain Knight), from New York,
being the same month and the same day of the month
on which I first arrived at that port, eleven years previ
ously. After an agreeable passage, unmarked by any
events worth recording, we reached London on the 1st
of July ; with which event this record, for the most
part hastily compiled, and deprived of many materials
which would have additionally assisted me in the illus
tration of my subject, is brought to a close.
From the foregoing scattered reminiscences, and the
statements appended to them, it will be manifest to the
reader that the only drawback to the complete effici
ency of the Catholic Church in the United States is
the want of permanent endowments. Though in its
origin and the functions of its episcopal heads an
apostolic communion, yet it should be remembered
that we do not live in the apostolic age, when, through
the faith of believers, produced by the display of
miracles, they gave up their entire substance, and
had " all things in common." A country professing
to be Christian is ¦ under a solemn obligation to provide
BLESSINGS OF AN ESTABLISHED CHURCH. 495
a national fund for the support of Christian Institu
tions, the maintenance ofthe preached Word, and the
dispensation of the grace-giving Sacraments. Without
such a provision, she is nationally delinquent : violat
ing her pretensions, and keeping bach what is the Lord's.
That the Great Head of the Church has abode with his
American flock, is evidenced in her wonderful preser
vation during so long a period of oppression and trial ;
in her resurrection, phcenix-like, from what appeared
to be the very ashes of her temple ; and in her present
almost incredible aspect of prosperity.* But her efforts
are, notwithstanding, enfeebled — her arm is shortened,
her zeal is prevented from the full accomplishment of
its ends, by the national aversion to religious endow-
* It has already even gained on the rapidly increasing population of
the United States. Between 1814 and 1838, whilst the population of the
Union has httle more than doubled, it has quadrupled itself. Should its
increase continue at this rate, it would in fifty years outnumber the
mother-church, and before the end of a century would embrace a majo
rity of all the people of the West. What is there but want of faith to
limit this* progress, or to prevent its dispensing every spiritual and social
blessing to the busy people round it? To say that it is beset by peculiar
dangers, is only to assert of it that which may be said of the Church
Catholic at every period since her first foundation. Never has she been
free from danger ; never has it seemed less than imminent and menacing.
At one time persecution from without has threatened to beat down and
root it out ; at another heresy has raised against her its parti-coloured
banner, and seemed ready to swallow up the faithful. Schism has some
times divided her ; and sometimes the friendship of the world, and the fair
speech of men have almost robbed her of her jealous love for truth, and
sullied her virgin holiness. Yet in all trials, and through all opposition,
God has ever held her up. And so it must be ; ever ready to fail, but never
failing ; leaving it may be one land to rise in splendour in another ; out of
weakness waxing strong : this has been and this must be her course.'- —
Bishop Wilbebforce's Historyof the American Church, p. 454.
3 R
496 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
ments, and an uniform system of certain support for
the clergy. These possess not a twentieth part of their
legitimate influence and authority. Dependent upon
the wills and caprices of the people over whom they
are placed as instructors and spiritual guides, the very
qualities which disqualify them from the efficient dis
charge of their responsible duties too frequently — and
to some extent in all cases — form their principal recom
mendation in the eyes of those who elect them ; and
often is the permission of the bishop reluctantly yielded
to a choice which his judgment tells him is every way
unfortunate. A talent to please — to adapt his views,
his policy, and his very doctrines to those of his con
gregation, founded as they frequently are on false
teaching and lax practice ; a subserviency of habit and
demeanour ; a pleasing address in the pulpit ; super
ficial oratorical powers, — these are the qualifications
which most of the congregation seek ; and a pious
pastor of acknowledged talents and tried faithfulness —
with whom, I undertake to affirm, the most fastidious
congregation in England would be more than satisfied —
is not unfrequently " starved out," to make way for
some inexperienced stripling in deacon's orders, who
has caught the fancy of the " leading members," as
more likely to attract a larger attendance to the church
and to raise the value of sittings. All this is lamentable !
but how it can be separated from the voluntary system
I have yet to know. No defence of that system, with
all the abuse which its advocates discharge against the
English Church and her " temporalities," has yet
solved this difficulty. But, in fact, we need not add
anything to the testimony of dissenting writers in
TRIBUTE TO THE AMERICAN CLERGY. 497
our own country, to exhibit the secularising effect of
voluntary ministerial support.*
" That under such a system the American clergy
should be what they are, is surely the fruit of God's
especial mercy ! In the midst of the busiest people on
earth, where all are getting, or expecting to get money,
there has been no want of young men ready to devote
themselves to the service of their brethren, though they
have no security of receiving even the necessary com
petence for ordinary domestic life, and are not led on
by any possible expectation of obtaining one amongst
some few great prizes, or allured by the expectation of
learned leisure, or promised an opportunity of leading
thereby a literary life. They choose their lot, knowing
that in it their days must be spent in constant and
exhausting labour, with the smallest earthly recom
pense. On such a ministry, God's blessing must rest
abundantly ; and in its high character is, no doubt,
found the practical escape from many evils inherent in
the theory of the constitution of their church."
Such is the candid testimony of Bishop Wilberforce
to the character ofthe American clergy .-f A testimony
the more valuable as coming from one who fills an
office of dignity in a Church, both amply endowed and
supported (as it ought to be) by the state. With such
* A volume could be filled with them. Amongst the authorities of
most weight are James of Birmingham, Jay of Bath, (see the " Life of the
Rev. Mr. Winter,") Vaughan, &c. &c. And for illustrations in every variety
see the " Evangelical Magazine," the " Eclectic Review," the " Chris
tian Witness," and other dissenting organs.
t In the Bishop's " History of the American Church;" a work of
singular merit, which displays much research and a close acquaintance
with his subject.
498 ECCLESIASTICAL REMINISCENCES.
inherent powers of extended action — such a well-orga
nised and well-disciplined array of force as her eccle
siastical frame-work presents to our view — especially
when the posts of dignity are occupied by men quali
fied in the high degree that the Bishop of Oxford is to
discharge trusts so deeply responsible, from their eleva
tion and the resources at command — I am constrained,
in borrowing the sentiment, to transpose the language
of a prelate of the Transatlantic Church, on his return
to his country from a visit to England — " I revere and
love A merica and its Church ; but I love my own Church
and country better."
APPENDIX.
No. I. -
TRINITY CHURCH, NEW YORK.
(Abridged from Mr. Onderdonk' s History of the New York churches.)
With the erection of this magnificent structure may be said
to commence a new era in the church architecture of Ame
rica. Heretofore, as a general rule, attention to the pure and
uncorrupted style of the ancients has been but little regarded
in the construction of our churches ; and the symmetrical
proportions and flowing lines of the fine old classic models,
which might be adopted in very many cases without increased
expense, are passed over with indifference, or sacrificed to
capricious fancy. With the advancement of the arts, how
ever, architectonic taste must necessarily become more culti
vated and refined, and it is to be hoped that ere long it will
be considered as much a reproach to dispense with the rules
of architectural composition in the construction of an edifice,
as it now is to dispense with the rules of perspective in the
delineation of a drawing.
The structure we are now treating of displays elegant pro
portions and admirable uniformity, and is in all respects truly
creditable to the age and nation, as well as a lasting monu
ment of the munificent character of its venerable corporation.
The whole of this immense fabric, including the tower and
spire, is constructed of solid stone. It was quarried expressly
for this church at Little Falls, New Jersey, four miles beyond
Patterson, on the Passaic, and contiguous to the Morris
Canal, through which it was conveyed to Newark, and thence
by vessels to New York. The quarry was originally opened
500 APPENDIX.
a few years since, to furnish stone for the construction of an
aqueduct over the Passaic, and has there proved to be of a
very superior quality, not only in its tone and colour, but for
its capability of resisting the action of water and of frost.
Throughout the building this stone is laid on its natural
bed, the most durable position in which it can be placed,
and will, unless destroyed by some unforeseen calamity,
almost defy the mouldering hand of Time. The style of
architecture is the perpendicular Gothic, the peculiar cha
racteristic of which is, that the mullions of the windows and
the ornamented panellings run in perpendicular lines. This
term originated with Mr. Thomas Rickman, a celebrated
architect of Liverpool, and was applied by him to all
English buildings erected after the accession of King
Richard II., down to the final disuse of the pointed arch,
and seems to designate more forcibly than any other the
desired distinction. The pointed arch, struck from two cen
tres on the line of its base, was adopted by Mr. Upjohn, the
architect, and has been strictly adhered to throughout the
building ; its simple form having been preferred to the Tudor
or flat arch, as more in harmony with the general design.
Several fine views of this church may be had from the
contiguous streets. In approaching it from the lower part of
Broadway, the south side of the edifice and front of the tower
appear to very great advantage. The most picturesque ap
pearance, however, is presented from the corner of Rector
Street and Trinity Place. Here the chancel and south-aisle
windows, the clerestory, the tower, and the spire, are seen
rising in succession one above the other, each exhibiting its
fine proportions and exquisite symmetry, and all alike bewil
dering the eye with the plenitude of their ornament and the
finish of their decoration. In passing round the church, the
extent and arrangement of the plan are more readily discern
ible, and an opportunity is given to examine the detail and
character of the workmanship.
APPENDIX. 501
[When will the same be said of St. Paul's cathedral?
whose situation, with shops and warehouses crowding upon it,
concealing its fair and matchless proportions, and the dis
graceful state of all the approaches to it, are a scandal both to
the civic and the ecclesiastical authorities ; besides reflecting
on the public spirit of the citizens of London, who pull down
a church to improve the site of a merchant's exchange, whilst
they voluntarily submit to the inconvenience of an obstructed
thoroughfare in their indifference to the situation and aspect
of their diocesan temple ! ! So Mammon has the chief wor
ship in London, whilst the temple of God, cold, damp, de
serted, like a tomb ; its untrodden vestibule and steps green
with their unused decay ; and the banished altar,* stands, in
its prison-like aspect, a fit emblem and monument of a "pro
testant " age I]
The aisle wall of Trinity, which rises to the height of forty
feet, is supported by eight substantial buttresses? graduated
into three stages by set-offs, and capped by richly crocketted
gables terminating with a finial. Between the buttresses,
pointed windows, elaborately ornamented by bold but deli
cately cut stone tracery, and divided into three bays by two
perpendicular mullions containing metal sashes glazed by
panes of stained glass in the lozenge and other forms, rise to
the height of twenty-four feet from the sill to the apex of the
arch. A moulded battlement surmounts this wall, extending
its whole length, harmonising with the general style, and giv
ing a finish and beauty to its appearance.
The clerestory, which is supported by massive piers of
hewn stone and a succession of arches springing from them,
* The glorious dome of St. Paul's was designed by the architect to
canopy the principal altar. It looks down upon the money-changers'
tables, and the daily sacrilege of a show for the entertainment of the sight
seeing, paying visitors ! ! ! Westminster Abbey, also, with its disfigur
ing concealments outside, and its dust and dilapidation within, is another
national disgrace.
502 APPENDIX.
rises in magnificent proportion above the aisle, and contains
nine ornamented windows, giving light to the nave, varied in
detail, but similar' in general design to those already noticed.
The buttresses between them are graduated into two stages
by a single set-off, and are crowned, in addition to a gable,
by light and airy pinnacles, with crockets at the angles and
terminating with a finial. An embattled parapet extends
along the top of the wall, from the tower to the extreme west
end. The extent of the chancel is denoted by two large
octagonal pinnacles, richly ornamented, and rising above the
roof to a greater height than any of the others.
On the north and south sides of the church lateral porches,
supported at the angles by buttresses setsquare,and surmounted
by parapets pierced with quatrefoil and other suitable en
richments, give entrance to the interior by three doors each
The chancel end of the church possesses great merit, and
presents to the eye a chastity and simplicity of effect, in strict
accordance with architectural taste. It also proves that the
beauty and symmetry of a design does not depend so much
upon the amount of ornament introduced into its composi
tion, as upon the adaptation and fitness of its various parts,
and the perfection of its outline and general contour. No
ornaments are introduced simply as such, but the whole
grandeur and artistic effect of the view arises from that pecu
liar harmonising of all the parts, which results from master
like arrangement and an intimate knowledge of true archi
tectural principles. It is at once perceived that the altar
window is the most striking and magnificent feature of this
view. Its elaborate and beautiful tracery attests the skill of
the architect, and affords also to the admirer of the arts a
subject worthy his contemplation and his study. It is distant
from the ground twenty feet, and rises to the apex sixty-five
feet, and is twenty-five feet in width. Its great breadth is
distributed into seven bays by two principal and four subor
dinate mullions, and its length divided from the sill to the
APPENDIX. 503
spring of the arch into two grand sections by a transom mul-
lion in the centre. The heading is distributed into minor
lights or openings, formed by numerous sub-divisions, orna
mented by feathered tracery exhibiting much skill in the
cutting. The jambs and arch mouldings are well executed,
bold, and characteristic of the age and style of the architec
ture ; the label or weather-moulding is tasteful and appro
priate, and the splay on the back is made very effective by
the receding of the wall above. Directly over this window
is another of small dimensions, which serves to ventilate the
roof, cut in quatrefoil, and deeply set in the wall. Above
the whole extends a perpendicular perforated parapet, soften
ing the asperity of the solid lines of the high pitched roof,
and crowned upon the apex by a cross. The centre portion
of this front, or that containing the windows just described,
is separated from its laterals by buttresses set square, gradu
ated and fitted into several stages, and terminating by octa
gonal crocketted pinnacles, enriched by finials. The cleres
tory, as seen in this view, is supported by flying buttresses
springing from the walls of the vestry, which is lighted by
the three homologous windows near the ground.
In the tower the proper proportion between it and the
body of the church is carefully maintained. It measures at
the base, outside the walls, thirty feet on each side, and is
strengthened on the outer angles by double buttresses four
feet in width, set square from the wall, and projecting at their
bases seven feet and six inches. These buttresses are gradu
ated into four sections, with panelled work upon the face,
and rise to the height of one hundred and twenty-six feet,
where they terminate by ornamented gables. About sixty
feet from the ground the sides of the tower pinnacles com
mence, and as the buttresses in their ascent diminish in
size, are increasingly developed, until at last the' whole of
them is formed. The walls of the tower are six feet nine
inches thick at their commencement, and four feet thick
3 s
504 APPENDIX.
under the embattled parapet. The tower porch which leads
into the vestibule is twenty feet in width including the but
tresses, and thirty feet in height to the top of the parapet.
In passing through the wall, which is here eight feet and six
inches thick, these dimensions are gradually decreased by a
receding arch richly ornamented by carved tracery, which
renders it at its termination but ten feet wide in the clear
and eighteen feet in height. On either side it is flanked by
panelled buttresses, with moulded set-offs, terminating in a
gable of elaborate workmanship, and is covered by a deco
rated label, upon which is sculptured in a chaste and beautiful
manner a continuous wreath, formed of oak-leaves and acorns.
Over the whole is a perforated moulded battlement, of quatre-
foil and trefoil, with the centre compartment running into an
open arch, under which is placed a pedestal supporting a
bishop's mitre, and continuing the associations connected
with the one that crowned the apex of the circular portico of
the former edifice.
Immediately above this door, and occupying the greater
portion of the lower section of the tower, which is sixty feet
in height, is a noble window, divided into four lights by mul-
lions, and into three stories by a main transom in the centre,
and another at the springing of the arch. The compartments
thus made form each a pointed feather-arch, into which, as
in the other windows of the church, are set metal sashes
glazed with stained glass panes. A crocketted ogee label,
elaborately sculptured, and crowned at the apex by a finial,
runs over this window, and presents a striking and beautiful
appearance. Upon either side of this section of the tower
are two canopied tabernacle niches, with pedestals containing
statues of the four evangelists cut in stone. The next story
of the tower contains the clock, which is encompassed by
a richly ornamented frame of the lozenge form, with the
moulding receding as far into the massive walls as was prac
ticable for its uses. Above are the belfry windows, composed
APPENDIX. 505
of two independent compartments, separated by a strong
pier, and each surmounted by a decorated ogee label, similar
to that over the great window below. The belfry contains a
chime of eight bells. The coping of the tower cbnsists of a
cornice, ornamented at regular distances with clusters of
foliage sculptured upon the ends of the long-headers, which
pass as braces through the thickness of the wall, and is
crowned with a handsome embattled parapet one hundred
and twenty-seven feet from the ground, divided at the angles
by octagonal crocketted pinnacles rising from the buttresses
below, and terminating by richly sculptured finials.
Four arches are sprung from the angles of the tower to
receive the superstructure of the spire, which for fine propor
tion and admirable effect is perhaps not inferior to any here
tofore constructed, and may, without suffering by the con
trast, be classed with those splendid English archetypes of
Salisbury and Chichester. It is of octagonal form, and rises
from its base in the centre of the tower, to the top of the
cross which surmounts it, to the height of one hundred and
thirty-seven feet, which makes it, in connexion with the
tower, two hundred and sixty-four feet from the ground. Its
base is ornamented by four tabernacle windows, and by the
same number of flying buttresses springing from the corners
of the tower. Each face of the octagon is decorated at
regular intervals by lozenge-shaped openings, and the angles
are embellished by crocketted mouldings, which serve to
enhance the beauty and effect of its needle-like appearance,
without in any way marring its fine proportions. Near the apex,
very delicate and beautiful net-work tracery extends around
the spire ; and over all, surmounting the very capstone, stands
in bold relief against the sky the Christian's emblem — a
plain, unornamented cross.
A spiral staircase, composed of stone steps projecting from
the wall, and lighted by narrow pointed windows between the
western buttress of the tower and the body of the church,
506 APPENDIX.
leads to the clock and belfry, whence by other stairs access
to the spire is had, where an ascent to within twenty feet of
the apex is practicable.
Having now described the exterior of this magnificent
church, at present the finest and most costly in our country,
we will proceed through the front porch into the vestibule or
tower. This vestibule is eighteen feet square, and nearly
twenty feet in height. Its ceiling is constructed of oak
beams, resting upon corbels projecting from the walls, and
strengthened by perforated spandrils, and has an opening in
the centre to allow the admission of bells, &c. into the inte
rior of the tower. Continuing onward, we pass through the
inner door of the vestibule, into a passage under the organ-
loft, leading directly to the body of the church. This view is
very imposing to the eye, from the fine perspective produced
by beholding at one glance the full length of the nave from
the choir to the great altar window, a distance of one hundred
and thirty-seven feet, and by the beautiful effect of the light
thrown into the church by means of the aisle and clerestory
windows. The nave is thirty-six feet in width, and rises to
its extreme height, sixty-seven feet and six inches. It is sup
ported on either side by a colonnade of seven perpendicular
English piers of cut stone, which serve also, in connexion
with massive and substantial arches springing from them, to
maintain the clerestory walls. The capitals of these piers are
of simple design, consisting merely of foliated headings to
slender cylindrical shafts rising between their principal pro
jections, and the bases of them are formed by three courses of
appropriate mouldings. Between every two arches, reeded
columns, springing from the principal members of the piers,
join with the clerestory wall, and finish with foliated capitals ;
from which branch off, in different directions, the ribs of the
vaulting. Directly over the arches are the clerestory windows,
numbering nine on a side, ornamented by moulded labels,
resting upon corbels, and exhibiting in other respects the
APPENDIX. 507
same beautiful divisions and feathered tracery already noticed
in treating of their exterior appearance. The vaulting of the
ceiling over the nave is elegantly pitched, and the ribs
diverging from the slender columns before mentioned, spread
themselves gracefully over the groining, and are decorated at
their various intersections by bosses formed of clustered foli
age. The vaulting of the aisles is of the same character as
that of the nave, and equally as good, but not so effective on
account of the difference in elevation and length.
The chancel, which comes next in order, deserves parti
cular notice for its grandeur and elaborate decoration. It
is raised two feet above the level of the ground pavement
and is situated in a recess thirty-three feet deep, separated
from the body of the church by a noble arch springing from
two great piers on either side the nave. Its walls are richly
ornamented by tracery and panel work covering all their
space, and it is lighted by the great altar window and four
others in the clerestory. Immediately above its centre, in
the ceiling of the nave, at the intersection of the ribs, is a
large and beautiful boss formed by the letters 3». H. S>.
encircled with foliage of different patterns. The altar is
situated near the western wall, directly in front of the altar
screen, which is thirty feet wide and twenty feet high, and is
constructed of oak richly and splendidly carved. The chan
cel railing, which is also of carved oak, extends between the
two great piers that support the chancel arch.
From the chancel a fine view of the nave looking east is
presented, taking in the choir and the interior of the tower,
which is exposed to sight through a massive arch in its rear
wall, to the large front window immediately above the porch.
The light from this window, which comes in through stained
glass panes, is rendered radiant by the many apertures and
projections of the organ, and brings out in bold relief the
ornamented pinnacles and handsome perforated work with
which this instrument abounds. The choir is supported by
508 APPENDIX.
beams laid upon corbels projecting from the side walls of the
tower, and is so situated that it does not encroach upon the
interior of the church. The screen in front of it, like all the
wood work, is of oak, handsomely designed and carved.
The organ, a magnificent instrument, is from the manu
factory of Mr. Henry Erben, by whom, under the superin
tendence of Dr. Hodges, the musical director of the parish,
it was constructed. The case, which is of oak, was designed
by Mr. Upjohn, and its exceedingly rich appearance adds
an important feature to the interior view of the church.
The stops of the organ, so far as the stops of pipes are con
cerned, barely exceed thirty ; with the couplers, a little over
forty : but the range or compass ofthe instrument is altogether
unparalleled in this country. There are four diapason and
two reed pipes, each sixteen feet in length, a double diapason
pipe, thirty-two feet in length, measuring internally thirty by
thirty-six inches, besides an innumerable quantity of smaller
pipes of various dimensions. The swell is an invention of
Dr. Hodges, and is of the most approved kind.
From the choir you look down upon the floor of the
church, the pews of which are constructed of oak ; and the
aisles, which are eight feet in width, are paved with tessellated
brown stone. The desk and pulpit stand upon opposite
sides of the nave, somewhat in advance of the chancel, and
are of beautiful design ¦ and elaborate workmanship. No
galleries have been erected in the church, and in fact there
should be none, for in an edifice like Trinity, galleries,
unless of the character of the ancient triforiutn, would
only detract from the grandeur and magnificence of the
building. The extensive cemetery in which the church is erected is
one of the most ancient in the city, having been the resting-
place of successive generations for about one hundred and
fifty years. It is crowded with monumental records, some of
them bearing as early a date as 1704, and others supposed to
APPENDIX. 509
be more ancient, but with their inscriptions entirely effaced.
Among their number are two, erected to men, the one a
statesman and the other a warrior, whose memories are
enshrined within the hearts of all America. The monument
of Alexander Hamilton consists of a polyedron of white
marble, ornamented at the edges by fluted pilasters, and
surmounted upon the corners by four urns, and upon the
centre by a handsome pyramid. It bears the following
inscription : —
to the memory of
ALEXANDER HAMILTON.
THE CORPORATION OF TRINITY CHURCH HAS ERECTED THIS
MONUMENT,
IN TESTIMONY OF THEIR RESPECT FOR
THE PATRIOT OF INCORRUPTIBLE INTEGRITY,
THE SOLDIER OF APPROVED VALOUR,
THE STATESMAN OF CONSUMMATE WISDOM;
WHOSE TALENTS AND VIRTUES WILL BE ADMIRED
BY GRATEFUL POSTERITY
LONG AFTER THIS MARBLE SHALL HAVE MOULDERED INTO
DUST.
HE DIED JULY 12TH, 1804, AGED 49.
The charter of Trinity church, a document which makes
some thirty printed pages, was granted by letters patent,
under the great seal of the colony of New York, and bears
date the sixth of May, 1697. It incorporates the parish into
a body politic, under the name of the " Rector and Inhabit
ants of New York in communion with the Protestant Church
of England, as established by law," and grants the plot of
ground now occupied by the church and cemetery, together
with certain specified privileges aiyi immunities, for the
yearly rent of" One Pepper Corn," to be paid on the " Feast
510 APPENDIX.
Day of the Annunciation of our blessed Virgin Mary," pro
vided the same be lawfully demanded.
After the United States had cast off their allegiance to
Great Britain and established their independence, the legis
lature of New York, by an act passed the seventeenth day of
April, 1784, made such alterations in the above charter as
were necessary to conform it to the constitution of the state.
By the same act, the doubts which had previously arisen on
those parts of the charter relating to the inhabitants of the
city in communion of the Church of England, were removed
for all future time, by the explicit enactment that such
persons only as professed themselves members of the Epi
scopal Church, and held or enjoyed a pew or seat in the
church concerned, and regularly paid for its support, and
such others as received the Holy Sacrament of the Lord's
Supper in the said church, at least once in every year, being
inhabitants ofthe city and county of- New York, should alone
be entitled to the rights and privileges originally secured
without distinction to all the inhabitants of the city in
communion with the Church of England. In 1788, by
another act of the legislature, the corporation of Trinity
church was allowed to assume a new title ; which title,
however, was not to invalidate any of the grants made to or
by it under the former name, nor to abrogate in any mariner
its existing rights and privileges. By a subsequent similar
process in 1813, the title was again altered to " The Rector,
Churchwardens, and Vestrymen, of Trinity Church, in the
city of New York."
[The vestry of Trinity have proved themselves faithful
trustees, not only in furthering the immediate objects of
the Church in their own parish, buHn the aid which they are
ever prompt to render to the general cause of religion and
benevolence.] The communion - plate belonging to Trinity parish is
massive and valuable, and consists of a number of flagons,
APPENDIX. 511
patens, chalices, and plates, some of which bear the royal
arms, and were presented by William and Mary, and Queen
Anne. Other pieces, engraved with a like device, contain the
simple initials G. R. It seems probable that George I.,
George II., and George III., were also presenters. There
are also a few articles from private donors, among which are
two plates, presented one by a Mrs. Mary Leaver, and the
other by the Rev. Henry Barclay, a former rector of the
parish. Trinity is the parish- church ofthe parish of that name,
which includes also, at the present date, St. Paul's and
St. John's chapels, the former erected in 1766, and the
latter in 1807. From the years 1752 to 1811, St. Georges
church in Beekman Street was a chapel of the parish. The
three congregations of Trinity church and its chapels formed,
for all parochial purposes and in reference to pastoral over
sight, but one ; and the rector and ministers officiated in the
church and chapels in rotation until the year 1836, when, by
an enactment of the vestry, the assistant-ministers had each
assigned to him a particular church, in which he was regu-
Jarly to perform the morning services on Sundays and holy-
days, and whose congregation was to be considered as under
his individual pastoral charge : the exchanges, therefore,
which were formerly made promiscuously, were confined
thereafter exclusively to Sunday evenings.
The churchwardens and vestrymen of the parish are
chosen by ballot from the three congregations, without
distinction, on every Tuesday in Easter week; and pew-
holders and members of the congregation, being communi
cants, are electors. The rector of the parish, or, in his
absence, his assistant, if he have one, is the president, and
the only clerical member of that body, and sustains, in refer
ence to parochial duty and public administrations, an equal
connexion with all three congregations. Divine service is
uniformly celebrated in the parish, not only at the Usual
3 T
512 APPENDIX.
hours on Sunday, but also on the morning of every Wed
nesday and Friday, and of every festival and holyday of the
Christian- Church.
The present rector is the eighth that has held that office.
The succession is as follows :—
William Vesey
from
i 1696 to 1746
Henry Barclay, D.D.
?>
1746 „ 1764
Samuel Auchmuty, D.D.
»
1764,, 1777
Charles Inglis, D.D.
>>
1777 „ 1783
Samuel Provoost, D.D. bishop .
»
1783,, 1800
Benjamin Moore, D.D. bishop,
j>
1800,, 1816
John Henry Hobart, D.D. bishop
»
1816 „ 1830
William Berrian
»
1830
Of the above, Dr. Inglis, after leaving Trinity parish,
became Bishop of Nova Scotia, and all except Mr. Vesey
and Dr. Barclay were previously assistant - ministers ; in
addition to whom, besides the present incumbents, the follow
ing gentlemen have at different times held that office :—
John Ogilvie, D.D. ; John Bowden, D.D. ; Abraham Beach,
D.D; John Bisset; Cave Jones; Thomas Y. How, D.D. ;
Thomas C. Brownell, D.D., LL.D. (now Bishop of Con
necticut) ; Benjamin T. Onderdonk, D.D. (now Bishop of
New York) ; John F. Schroeder, D.D. ; and Henry
Anthon, D.D.
The following is a list of the present clergy and vestry of
the parish : — Rector:
William Berrian, D.D.
Assistant Ministers :
Jonathan M. Wain wright, D.D.
Edward Y. Higbee, D.D.
One vacancy.
appendix. 513
Churchwardens :
Thomas L. Ogden Adam Tredwell.
Vestrymen:
Teunis Quick Henry Cotheal
Jonathan H. Lawrence John D. Wolfe
Edward W. Laight Thomas L. Clark
Peter A. Mesier William Moore
Anthony L. Underhill William H. Hobart
William Johnson Henry Youngs
Philip Hone Alexander L. McDonald
William E. Dunscomb Samuel G. Raymond
William H. Harison Gulian C. Verplanck
Robert Hyslop Philip Henry.
No. II.
To the reader who may possess any desire to learn the result
of my application for admission to the English Church, the
circumstances attending it may perhaps afford sufficient
interest to warrant my appending them to my American
journal. Having been furnished by Dr. C r with a letter expla
natory and recommendatory to the Bishop of London, I
forwarded the same, accompanied by Bishop Griswold's
Dimissory, to his lordship, who gave me an interview at
Fulham on New Year's Day ; when he told me that the then
statute of the 26th of George III. (which he read to me)
was fatal to my plans, unless the special consent of the pri
mate could be obtained for a dispensation in my favour,
which he discouraged my expecting. Dr. Lushington, he
said, had recorded a formal protest against the legality of
Mr. Winslowe's ordination to the priesthood, and the title by
514 APPENDIX.
which he held his cure. It was in contemplation, the bishop
added, to obtain the enactment of a new statute, which would
put American ordained clergymen on a different footing in
England; the provisions of this Act would make no distinc
tion between bishops, priests, or deacons. " His lordship,
therefore, recommended me " at all events," to obtain my
full orders in America, — and I acted on his recommendation.
Before, however, returning to the United States, a cle
rical friend and neighbour of my father's volunteered to assist
in obtaining for me my desired object ; and kindly enlisted
Archdeacon Lear and his diocesan (Bishop Denison) in my
cause. The latter made an application to the Archbishop for
the legal dispensation, which was courteously refused on the
ground, — 1st, that none had been yet granted under the Act
of Geo. III. cap. xxvi ; and 2ndly, that the newly framed
statute, intending to apply to similar cases, was shortly to
become law. Finding, therefore, all prospect of an early
change of ecclesiastical relationship hopeless, I prepared to
return to America, when accidentally meeting my true-hearted
friend in London, he determined on making another effort in
my behalf by a personal appeal to the primate, who gave
him an interview at Lambeth, when, admitting my " case"
to be a " hard one," he repeated his refusal to depart from
the rule he had laid down, and I returned to Wiltshire to take
leave of ray friends. Here a letter followed me from a gen
tleman ecclesiastically connected with the Newfoundland
mission, whose acquaintance (one of the most delightful I
have ever formed) had commenced under the paternal roof,
during the previous winter : — '" 4 Exeter Hall, May 31**, 1838.
" My dear sir,
" Although I was aware that you left town with the inten
tion of proceeding to the United States, yet I cannot resist
the impulse to write to you, which I feel produced by the
impression that you determined to take that course, from the
APPENDIX. 515
conviction that ne door of usefulness could be opened to you
here, in your native land ; and at the request of a friend who
has desired me to make you acquainted with a vacancy,
which from my description he thinks you could and would
like to fill.
" Mr. D s has built a church, and I believe endowed
it with £1000, in N d, M x, which he hopes to
get licensed and consecrated ; in this he is disappointed, and
will not allow it to be occupied by a dissenting minister, but
would give it to a person circumstanced like yourself, willing
to conform to Episcopal orders, so far as you are permitted
by the higher powers : that is, "in all things in which the law
at present will allow you to comply with it requisitions. I
believe this is your case.
# # # #
* # * #
" Having given you this hasty and rough outline, I will
add the address of the patron of the church, who expects
to hear from, or see you ; he has desired me to say there is
a bed at his house for you, and he would wish you to see
the place and church. It is but four or five miles from
town. " May the great Head of the Church guide and bless you
for his own glory and the increase of his kingdom.
" Will you present my Christian respects to your family,
who, I hope, are all well.
" I am, my dear Sir, in haste,
1 " Yours faithfully,
" M— K W Y."
I responded to the suggestion contained in this letter by
making a visit to N d ; but the uncanonical and some
what anomalous position in which tlie proposed relationship
would place me, both towards the regular ecclesiastical autho
rities and the parish in which Mr. D -a church was built,
516 APPENDIX.
presented to both of us, when the matter came to be dis
cussed, insuperable difficulties to a pastoral connexion with
the latter, and after a visit to Wales and the Isle of Wight I
sailed for New York.
This voyage to England, though resulting unsuccessfully in
my own individual case, fully tested the impracticability of
getting Church preferment in England with foreign orders,
and had the effect of deterring more than one from making a
similar attempt. The disappointment was in a great' measure
counterbalanced by the high gratification I received in the
intercourse of numerous friends who took a lively interest in ¦
my case ; nor can I forbear recording that of an esteemed
clergyman, whose pastoral tutorage and sound instructions
had first sown in early youth the seeds of that preference for
the order and worship of the Church which had ripened to
maturity in a foreign land. In this work of education my
excellent tutor was ably assisted, particularly in the biblical
studies of the pupils (nearly all of whom are now in holy
orders), by his' accomplished lady ; whose writings, adapted
so admirably to the juvenile capacity, have diffused the
sweet fragrance of their sanctity, like blossoms and flowers
of Eden, into many families of our isle. The pen would fain
transcribe several souvenirs from this quarter, did not delicacy
forbid ; but the following, so well calculated to assist in
lightening the heart when the widening distance from Eng
land's ocean-bound shores widened the separation from home
and friends, is, I hope, not improperly or inappropriately
inserted : — " R y, A 29*A, 1838.
" My dear friend,
u. Your communication by this post conveys to us two
streams of feeling, the one of pleasure, the other of regret :
the latter, that of not being allowed to meet ere your return
to America ; the former, the consideration of that vital prin
ciple of godliness which will, I rest assured, spring up as a
APPENDIX. 517
well in your soul unto eternal life. Blessed be our God, the
streams from the smitten rock in the wilderness will follow us
all the way ; and though it must for our benefit sometimes
have the bitter wood thrown into it, yet it will flow to refresh
us all our journey, till Jordan's stream itself divides to let us
pass over unto the promised ' land of pure delight
Where saints immortal reign.'
' Sweet fields beyond the swelling flood
Stand dressed in living green.'
" Again assure your dear sister she will share our prayers
with you for the abundant blessing of the Lord to rest upon
each of you. Tell her I send to her, with my Christian love,
the little book entitled ' Extracts from Mr. and Mrs. Gutz-
laff's Letters.' I knew Mrs. G. previously to her going
out, and have put the extracts together for the use and
encouragement of missionaries. She was a self-denying
missionary, going out alone; and, on her own account,
giving herself and her property to the service of the
Lord in foreign climes ; and it prospers in and through
her labours.
But I find God has and does not only honour me by tokens
of making my weak labours useful, but he blesses me through
them in enabling me to open my purse wider than I could
otherwise do for the use of the poor around us. Mr. M k
will write to you himself.
" With my kindest regard to your parents and family, and
every good wishes for a safe voyage, believe me to remain,
" Your very sincere friend,
" E. A. M k."
The other letter referred to, closed with an injunction to
" Remember who sits at the helm, and guides the ship.'- It
518 APPENDIX.
accompanied a volume of the writer's " Plain Sermons oh
Important Subjects for the use of Seamen," whose relative
value, though great to the author, scarcely exceeded their
intrinsic merit, as admirably designed for persons of the nau
tical profession. Their perusal delightfully employed many
a leisure hour during the monotonous period of a steam-
passage. I am fain to add to this narration and record, two
other documents : one a characteristic missive from my Rhode
Island friend, under whose instructions I had prosecuted my
theological studies, received a few days after our arrival at
New York ; and the other, the first renewal of a most valued
correspondence with the good vicar of Salisbury Plain,
received after my settlement at York : —
" P e, 1838.
" My very dear sir,
" I had like to have said son ; doubtless, because .1 have
felt for you so long the solicitude of a father. A thrill of
pleasure came over me when your arrival was announced,
and I shall be exceedingly glad, to see you and your self-
sacrificing sister in Providence. A sacrifice, indeed, it must
be to follow your fortunes and share in your labours. "I
was in New York several days after the arrival of the Great
Western. How glad would have been our meeting I * *
Your mother's letter, like all I have seen from her practised
pen, was delightful. I owe her much; and am absolutely
ashamed that no letter has reached her or yourself during
your absence. My only apology is, perhaps, a poor one.
* * * * Your little parish is supplied at present ; and
should you wish to take some other one in Rhode Island,
I doubt whether we have a church to offer which would
meet your acceptance. But, at any rate, I hope you wiil
make us a visit. We know not what may transpire. I
should be glad to have you once more a resident of this
State, and the rather because of the excellent coadjutor you
APPENDIX. 519
bring with you. Please to make my compliments accept
able to her, and believe me
" Your very sincere friend and brother,
" N. B. C r."
" Vicarage, T d, J 13, 1839.
" My dear Waylen,
" I am truly glad to hear that you are so comfortably
settled in communion with your own Church. No doubt by
this time you haver eceived your priest's orders and are
a ' full-dressed ' clergyman. Both our bishop and arch
deacon have several times inquired after you, and seemed
glad to hear that your episcopal principles had prevented
you from joining the English dissenters. His lordship
regrets very much the position in which both he and his
brethren are placed in respect to ordaining American cler
gymen. ' The unity of the Church,' says he, ' is thereby
sadly broken.'
" A project is on foot for the more direct union of the clergy
here, the commencement of which has taken place in our
diocese. We agree to meet our archdeacon in parties of
twenty or thirty, as locality permits, at stated periods, to
take into consideration public measures affecting the church
and local matters concerning our parishes. By which ar
rangement, when completed, the whole clergy of the kingdom
can communicate their wishes to the bishops on any subject
affecting the interests of our commission in a few days. I
cannot but hope, under the Divine blessing, much good from
the plan both to ourselves and our people.
" Mrs. J n and I often speak of you, and wish that we
could enter your church some Sunday and witness your
proceedings. I shall be glad to hear of your elevation as
high as honours and degrees can do so ; still more, that your •
congregation increases in grace and numbers.
" Mrs. J. requests me to beg the favour, if such creatures
3 u
520 APPENDIX.
are to be found (which I doubt) in your part of America,
of a humming bird or two, when your convenience will allow
you to send them, or indeed any other foreign curiosity
that may be rare here. This is a strange request, but, as
in duty bound, I make it. But I beg you will not put
yourself to much expense or trouble in such matters.
It occurs to me that the ' Ecclesiastical Gazette' will be
acceptable. I will from time to time forward some for the
information of your American friends. I send all I have by
me with this note to your sisters at D s, leaving them to
pack them up. This will give them an opportunity of
previously looking them over, if desirable.
" Believe me,
" My dear Waylen,
" Yours truly,
« J. H. J N."
No. III.
AMERICAN CHURCH STATISTICS BEYOND THE UNITED
STATES.
Though the term "American" is commonly used amongst
us to designate the people and country of the United States,
the reader is reminded that the Church in that country is
only one branch of the catholic family in the northern con
tinent of America. In the vast empire of British North
America, one-third larger in territory than the United States,
there are upwards of two hundred thousand members of the
Church of England, under the spiritual care of five bishops
and three hundred clergy (a most inadequate number), with
a theological seminary in each diocess. In the West Indies
APPENDIX. 521
— exclusive of Guiana, which is a diocess with a bishop — are
three bishops and 171 clergy. It is to be hoped that our
numerous and destitute countrymen in Oregon, and the fer
tile Vancouver, will also soon receive the benefits of episco
pal supervision and missionary instruction. A territory so
incalculably valuable from its geographical position, and
upon which millions of British money have been expended
for other purposes, certainly deserves the nursipg care of the
Church at home ; and makes a louder call upon the commit
tee for endowing colonial bishoprics than others which have
lately received the preference. It is impossible for the Bishop
of Toronto, whose visitations already extend north and west
of Lake Superior, to cross the Rocky Mountains. The
United States will soon send a bishop to the south of the wide
valley beyond ; and is the vast territory northward, covered
with our forts and storehouses, inhabited by thousands of
British subjects and the friendly tribes of red men, to lift up
its hands in vain for want of spiritual oversight ? Let British
Christians make the response 1
[The importance — nay, the coming necessity — of aHiGHWAY
across the continent, requiring a navigable outlet, seems
wholly hid (by some extraordinary obliquity of vision) from
a great portion of the English nation, to whom it is chiefly
valuable. The politicians ofthe United States are, however,
fully alive to its advantages, and are adopting a stratagem,
which, however desperate the risk they run, is deemed neces
sary to secure the only thing that makes Oregon, as a colonial
possession, worth the trouble of negotiation to Britain'; and
are we prepared, by a voluntary and uncalled-for relinquish
ment of our share of this advantage, to surrender to the
United States the exclusive monopoly in an immense car
rying trade ? and to be indebted to them (as we now are to
Mehemet Ali) for the shortest, and ere long the only, pas
sage to and from China, and our Indian and Australian pos
sessions? After expending incredible sums on two ship
522 APPENDIX.
canals to secure a river and lake navigation for nearly one-
half of the distance, and, by a long course of liberal expendi
ture and honourable dealing, having secured the friendly
alliance of the Indians throughout the west of America, will
any British minister in his senses dare to sacrifice so much of
the future interests of the British crown, and to cut off our
great and rising colony of Canada from the only means of
competing with her southern neighbour in manufactures and
exports ? Better assist the States in honourably acquiring
California (a compromise they would willingly accept), which
by the natural laws of accretion they must ultimately possess,
and which the imbecile Mexican is unable to improve, than
relinquish the navigation, in perpetuity, of the Columbia, or a
foot of territory north of it. This arrangement will secure to
the United States two important outlets, besides their share
of the Columbia (to which they have honestly no claim at
all), and in the Bay of St. Francisco, the finest port and
harbour, without dispute, in the world. It will do more — it
will allay the national jealousies and mutual apprehensions
relative to the now unoccupied provinces of New Mexico,
and reconcile all American parties : thus guarding against
the recurrence of any possible misunderstanding between the
two countries. The speedy settlement of this question rests
with Lord Aberdeen. A skilful agent at Mexico city, ac
quainted with the ground, could effect a treaty advantageous
and satisfactory to each ofthe three parties concerned. I feel
warranted also (from living near the seat of government, and
frequent intercourse with official persons) in adding, that Mr.
Pakenham, if invested with full powers and untrammelled in
the exercise of them, could do the same. No one can now sup
pose that the United States has had, from the commence
ment of the Oregon dispute, any expectation of a war.
In Russian America there are about a thousand members
of the Russian Church among the whites, besides Indian
converts. The Indians number 50,000. A bishop resides
APPENDIX. 52
here, whose laboursand zeal for the spiritual interests of his
flock formed the subject of a high panegyric in a late num
ber of a Philadelphia Church Journal, which I have mislaid.
He is assisted by itinerating priests and sub-officials.
The Mexican Church, it is no information to the reader to
mention, is still under the papal yoke. The following ac
count ofthe consecration of its present primate, Senor Posada,
Archbishop of Mexico, from Madame de la Barca's inte
resting journal of a residence in Mexico, may interest a por
tion of my readers. The detail of the preparations describes
the old Bishop of Linares as presiding on the occasion, as
sisted by two younger brethren of the episcopal bench ; and
General Bustamente, the then president of the republic, act
ing as " padrino," or god-father to the archbishop elect.
The ceremony occupied three hours. The candlesticks and
the basins for holy water were pure gold, and the vestments,
&c. of " the most elaborate and costly description."
" Magnificent chairs were prepared for the bishops near
the altar, and the president, in uniform, took his seat among
them. The presiding bishop took his place alone, with his
back to the altar, and the SeHor Posada was led in by the
assisting bishops; they with their mitres, he with his priest's
cap, on. Arrived before the presiding bishop, he unco
vered his head and made a profound obeisance. These
three then took their seats on chairs placed in front. After
a short pause they arose, again uncovered their heads, and
the bishop Moralez, turning to the presiding bishop, said,
' Most reverend father, the Holy Catholic Mother Church
requests you to raise this presbyter to the charge of the
archiepiscopate . '
" ' Have you an apostolical mandate ?'
" ' We have.'
" ' Read it.'
" An assistant- priest then read the mandate in a loud
voice ; upon which they all sat down, the consecrator saying,
524 APPENDIX.
' Thanks be to God.' Then Posada, kneeling before him,
took an oath upon the Bible, which the bishop held, conclud
ing with these words, ' So may God help me and these, his
Holy Gospels.' Then, all sitting down, and resuming their
mitres, the examination of the future archbishop took place.
It was very long, and at its conclusion Posada knelt before
the presiding bishop and kissed his hand. To this succeeded
the confession ; every one standing uncovered before the
altar, which was then sprinkled with incense. . Then followed
the mass chaunted.
" Led from the cathedral by the assistant-bishops, Posada
was clothed with the episcopal robes, and read the service of
the mass before the altar. Again brought before the conse
crator, he saluted him with reverence, and sat whilst the pre
siding bishop declared to him the duties of the episcopal
office. Again they all rose, and the consecrator prayed for
God's blessing on the newly-elected primate. Prostrate be
fore the altar, they all listened to the singing of the Litanies.
These ended, the presiding prelate, taking the crosier in his
hand, prayed three times that grace might abound in the
chosen one, each time signing him with the symbol of the
cross. Posada alone now knelt, the rest sat on their episco
pal chairs.
" The Bible was then placed on his shoulders, while he
remained prostrate; the bishop, rising up, pronounced a
solemn benediction on him, while the hymn of Veni Creator
was sung in full choir. Then dipping his hand in the holy
chrism, the bishop anointed the primate's head, making on it
the sign of the cross, and saying, ' Let thy head be anointed
and consecrated with the celestial benediction, according to
the pontifical mandate.' The bishop then anointed his hands,
making in the same manner the sign of the cross, and saying,
' May these hands be anointed with holy oil ; and as Samuel
anointed David a king and a prophet, so be thou anointed
and consecrated.' This was followed by a solemn prayer.
APPENDIX. 525
Then the crosier was blessed, aud presented to the elected
archbishop, with these words, ' Receive the pastoral crosier,
that thou mayest be humanely severe in correcting vices, ex
ercising judgment without wrath.' The blessing- of the ring
followed, with solemn prayer, and, being sprinkled with holy
water, it was placed on the third finger of the right hand,
the bishop saying, ' Receive the ring, which is a sign of faith ;
that, adorned with incorruptible faith, thou mayest guard in
violably the spouse of God, his holy Church.'
" The volume of the Holy Scriptures, which during these
last ceremonies had remained on the shoulders of the kneel
ing prelate, was then removed and presented to him, with an
injunction to receive and preach the Gospel. The kiss of
peace was then bestowed, and Posada retired to his ablutions ;
after these he returned, bearing two lighted tapers, which,
with two small loaves and barrels of wine, he presented to the
consecrator in a reverential attitude. The presiding prelate
then washed his hands, mounted the altar-steps, and adminis
tered the sacrament to the primate elect.
" The mitre was then blessed and placed upon his head,
with a prayer from the bishop, that thus, with his head armed
and with the staff of the Gospels, he might appear terrible to
the adversaries of the true faith. The gloves were next con
secrated and drawn on his hands, the bishop praying ' that
his hands might be surrounded by the purity of the new
man ; and that as Jacob, when he covered his hands with
goats' skins, offered agreeable meats to his father, and received
his paternal benediction, so he, in offering the Holy Sacra
ment, might obtain the benediction of his Heavenly Father.'
The archbishop was then seated by the consecrating prelate
on his pontifical throne, and at the same time the hymn Te
Deum laudamus was chaunted. During the hymn, the
bishops, with their jewelled mitres, rose, and, passing through
the church, blessed the whole congregation, the new arch
bishop still remaining near the altar, and with his mitre.
526 APPENDIX.
When he returned to his seat, the assistant-bishops, includ
ing the consecrator, remained standing till the hymn was con
cluded. The presiding bishop then, advancing with his mitre
to the right hand of the archbishop, said, ' May thy hand be
strengthened. May thy right hand be exalted. May justice
and judgment be the preparation of thy see !' Then the
organ pealed forth, and they chaunted the hymn of Gloria
Patri. Long and solemn prayer followed, and then they all,
uncovered, stood beside the Gospels, at the altar. "The arch
bishop rose, and, with the mitre and crosier, pronounced a
solemn blessing on all the people assembled. Then, while
all knelt beside the altar, he said 'for many years.' This he
repeated three several times ; the second time in the middle
of the altar, the third time at the feet of the presiding bishop.
" And then bestowing the kiss of peace on each of his epi
scopal brethren, the new primate concluded the long and
interesting ceremonies of the consecration.""]
No. IV.
INSTITUTIONS CREATED BY THE GENERAL CONVENTION.
THE GENERAL THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY, NEW YORK.
Trustees. — All the bishops of the American Church, one
trustee from each diocess, one additional for every eight cler
gymen, one more additional for every two thousand dollars
contributed, until the same amounts to ten thousand dollars,
and one for every additional ten thousand contributed.
Treasurer. — W. H. Harison, Esq., New York.
Secretary — The Rev. E. Y, Higbee, D.D., New York.
The Standing Committee. — All the bishops, the secretary
APPENDIX. 527
and the treasurer, together with an equal number of clergy
men and laymen.
Professorships — Nature, Ministry, and Polity of the
Church ; Biblical Learning and the Interpretation of Scrip
ture; .Systematic Divinity; Oriental and Greek Literature;
" St. Mark's Church in the Bowery," Professorship of Eccle
siastical History ; Pastoral Theology and Pulpit Eloquence.
Students in 1844, about 70. Volumes in the library, 7500.
The seminary opens on the first Monday in October, and
closes on the Saturday next succeeding the fourth Tuesday in
June.
THE DOMESTIC AND FOREIGN MISSIONARY SOCIETY.
The Board of Missions. — All the bishops of the American
Church, thirty members elected by the General Convention,
the elected members of the two committees below, and such
persons as were patrons of the society in 1829. Secretary :
The Rev. P. Van Pelt, Philadelphia.
Domestic Committee of the Board. — All the bishops, with
four clergymen and four laymen. A secretary and trea
surer. The latter office is well filled by Thomas N. Standard,
Esq., one of the worthiest men in the country.
Foreign Committee of the Board. — All the bishops, with
four clergymen and four laymen.
In the Domestic Department ; two missionary bishops and
ninety-four missionaries. Receipts, June 1843 to June 1844,
28,266 dollars. Expenditures, 34,182 dollars.
In the Foreign Department ; two bishops, twelve mission
aries and twenty assistants. Receipts, June 1843 to June
1844, 31,032 dollars. Expenditures, 29,045 dollars.
Official Organ.—" The Spirit of Missions," 20 John
Street, New York.
The stations and missionaries are as follows : —
Greece.— The station at Athens, under the Rev. John
Hill ; patronised and encouraged by the king, and the excel-
3x
528 APPENDIX.
lent Bresthenes, Bishop of Sellucia and Metropolitan of the
Greek Church. There are two other missionaries in holy
orders, and four ladies ; at the head of the latter, Mrs. Hill is
indefatigable in her efforts in the cause of female education.
The African Mission. — At Liberia and Cape Palmas
are two missionary priests, and four female teachers, with
catechists, &c.
Coma. — Bishop Boone, and five clergymen ; catechists.
Turkey. — Bishop Southgate, and two missionaries.
THE CHURCH SUNDAY-SCHOOL UNION.
Board of Managers. — All the bishops, and sixty members,
elected triennially by the society, together with a secretary
and treasurer.
Executive Committee. — All the bishops, with seven cler
gymen and five laymen ; a secretary, and editor of the
" Children's Magazine ;" a " general editor and agent."-
The Church Sunday-School Union publishes books of in
struction and library books for Sunday-schools, the " Chil
dren's Magazine," and other periodicals.
No. V.
CANONS PASSED IN 1844.
Of a Discretion to be allowed in the Calling, Trial, and
Examination of Deacons in certain cases.
Section 1. It shall be lawful for any bishop, upon being
requested so to do by a Resolution of the Convention of his
diocess, to admit to the holy order of deacons persons not
tried and examined as prescribed in the canons " Of Can-
APPENDIX. 529
didates for Orders," " Ofthe Learning of those who are to be
Ordained," and " Of the Preparatory Exercises of a Candi
date for Deacon's Orders," under the following limitations and
restrictions, viz. : —
1. Every such person shall have attained the full age of
twenty-four years.
2. He shall have presented to the bishop the certificate
from the Standing Committee, required by Section 2 of
the canon " Of Candidates for Orders."
3. He shall have remained a Candidate for Orders at
least one year from the date of such testimonials.
4. He shall have presented to the bishop a testimonial
from at least one rector of a parish, signifying a belief
that the person so applying is well qualified to minister
in the office of a deacon to the glory of God and the
edification of His Church.
5. He shall have been examined by the bishop and at
least two presbyters, on his fitness for the ministrations
declared in the Ordinal to appertain to the office of a
deacon.
Section 2. A deacon ordained under this canon shall not
be allowed to take charge of a parish.
Section 3. In every parish in which a deacon ordained
under this canon shall officiate, he shall be subject to the
direction of the rector of the parish, so long as therein
resident, and officiating with the approbation of the bishop.
Section 4. A deacon ordained under this canon shall not
be transferable to another diocess without the request of the
bishop to whom he is to be transferred, given in writing to
the bishop to whose jurisdiction he belongs.
Section 5. A deacon ordained under this canon shall not
be entitled to a seat in any Convention, nor made the basis
of any representation in the management of the concerns of
the Church.
Section 6. A deacon ordained under this canon shall not
530 APPENDIX.
be ordained to the priesthood without first going through all
the preparatory exercises of a candidate for deacon's orders,
as required by the canon thereto relating, in addition to those
required of a candidate for priest's orders, nor without pre
senting all the testimonials required by the canon of testi
monials to be produced on the part of those who are to be
ordained. Section 7. In all respects not provided for by this canon,
the deacons who shall be. ordained under it shall be under
the same direction and control as other deacons.
Of Foreign Missionary Bishops.
Section 1. The House of Clerical and Lay Deputies
may, from time to time, on nomination by the House of
Bishops, elect a suitable person or persons to be a bishop or
bishops of this Church, to exercise episcopal functions in any
missionary station or stations of this Church out of the
territory of the United States, which the House of Bishops,
with the concurrence of the House of Clerical and Lay
Deputies, may have designated. The evidence of such
election shall be a certificate, to be subscribed by a con
stitutional majority of said House of Clerical and Lay
Deputies, expressing their assent to the said nomination;
which certificate shall be produced to the House of Bishops,
and if the House of Bishops shall consent to the consecration,
they may take order for that purpose.
Section 2. Any bishop elected and consecrated under
this canon ' to exercise episcopal functions, in any place or
country which may have been thus designated, shall have no
jurisdiction except in the place or country for which he has
been elected and consecrated. He shall not be entitled to a
seat in the House of Bishops, nor shall he be eligible to the
office of diocesan bishop in any organised diocess within the
United States.
APPENDIX. 531
Section 3. Any bishop or bishops consecrated under this
canon shall, on presentment by two-thirds of the missionaries
under his charge for immorality or heresy, or for a violation
ofthe constitution or canons of this Church, be tried, and, if
found guilty, punished, in all particulars, as if he were a
bishop of this Church resident within the limits of the
United States.
Section 4. Any bishop or bishops elected and conse
crated under this canon may ordain as deacons or presbyters,
to officiate within the limits of their respective missions, any
persons of the age required by the canons of this Church,
who shall exhibit to him or them the testimonials required by
Section 2 of Canon IX. of 1841, signed by not less than two
of the ordained missionaries of this Church who may be
subject to his or their charge.
Section 5. Any foreign missionary bishop, consecrated
under this canon, may, by and with the advice of any three
missionary presbyters under his charge, at his discretion,
dispense with those studies required from a candidate for
deacon's orders by the canons of this Church ; Provided
no person shall be ordained by him who has not passed a
satisfactory examination, in the presence of two presbyters, as
to his theological learning and aptitude to teach. And pro
vided further, that no person shall be ordained by him until
he shall have been a candidate for at least three years. Nor
shall any deacon so ordained be advanced to the order of
presbyters, who has not been in deacon's orders for at least
one year. Nor shall any deacon or priest, who shall have
been ordained under this canon, be allowed to hold any cure,
or officiate in the church in these United States, until he
shall have complied with existing canons relating to the
learning of persons to be ordained.
Section 6. Any foreign missionary bishop or bishops
elected and consecrated under this canon, shall have juris-
532 APPENDIX.
diction and government, according to the canons of this
Church, over all missionaries or clergymen of this Church
resident in the district or country for which he or they may
have been consecrated.
Section 7. Every bishop elected and consecrated under
this canon shall report to each General Convention his pro
ceedings and acts, and the state of the mission under his
supervision. He shall also make a similar report, at least
once every year, to the Board of Missions of this Church.
No. VI.
" THE HOLY CHURCH, THROUGHOUT ALL THE WORLD."
As the word Catholic is, through the modern perversion of
it, an indefinite term to the apprehension of many readers,
and is still applied by some English and American writers
and public speakers (in the plenitude of their ignorance),
exclusively to the members of one branch of the Church Uni
versal, — notwithstanding that the different branches of the
Church throughout the world have never abandoned the
appellation, nor conceded it for a moment to the sole pos
session of the Italian branch and its dependencies : never
theless, as this ignorance prevails amongst persons otherwise •
intelligent, and a Bishop of Norwich is found, in the nine
teenth century, dishonest enough to authenticate the false
hood on the platform of Exeter Hall, and to unchurch his
own communion, the following table from the United States
"Church Almanac," published officially, is subjoined to
these addenda, as shewing to the reader, in black and white
(by an authoritative document), what portions of the Christian
APPENDIX. 533
communion throughout the world are recognised by that
apostolic branch of the Church in the United States as
lawfully constituting the existing Catholic Church, which was
planted by the Apostles in "all the world." It will be
found to embrace eleven-twelfths of the nominally Christian
community : all bound together by the tie of a common
uninterrupted apostolic descent, the same creed, the same epi
scopal government, and the same three orders of ministers. It
will be observed that this tabledoes not include Romanists, i.e.
those adherents of the Roman see in Britain and her colonies,
or the United States, Russia, Sweden, Asia, &c, who are —
either by dissent and separation from the national Churches,
or by naturalization, without conforming to them — in a state
of recusancy, like other non-conforming dissenters. If these
are included the proportion will be larger.
The subjoined table (corrected, as far as I have the
means, to this date) was put forth by the " Protestant
Episcopal Tract Society," in conformity, I presume, with a
declaration ofthe House of Bishops in their Pastoral of 1838
(prepared by Bishop Griswold), in which the members of
the American Church are reminded by their spiritual
fathers that, though small in number compared with the
aggregate of the " denominations around them" it should not
be forgotten that, in all the points which we deem essential
to Christianity, we agree with what has been and still is
held by far the greater part of Christians throughout the
world." The necessity, as English and American Church
men, of comprehending the Churches under the papal yoke,
where they legitimately exist— as in France, Spain, Portugal,
&c. — in this Catholic family of the visible Church of Christ,
is shewn by Mr. Palmer in his " Treatise on the Church,"
dedicated, by permission, to the primates of England and
Ireland ; while the practice of the Church of England, in
admitting clergymen of the Roman communion to our altars,
534 APPENDIX.
without re-ordination, gives the lie to those " false prophets "
who deny our younger sister's * claims. The unsound
doctrines, arrogance, and uncatholic exclusiveness of that
Church, lies at her own door, and dates from the Council of
Trent. We, as a branch ofthe one Catholic Church, — recog
nised as such by a Bishop of Rome since our .separation from
that see— admitted to possess valid orders by the most learned
writers of the Roman communion — we lose nothing by
making such a charitable, such an historically correct admis
sion, on behalf of this continental communion. Of course, I
do not include in the lawful Church of Rome the Romanist
sect of this island, to which Mr. Newman has attached him
self, the schismatical position of which is the more sinful as it
is taken (on the part, at least, of the usurping priesthood) in
the face of light and knowledge ; on the part of the unhappy
clerical apostates a sacrifice of duty and conviction to senti
ment and feeling. It is due, however, to these lapsing
brethren to add, that a morbid sympathy for the unreformed
branch of the Catholic Church under papal sway, is not con
fined to the clerical ranks "in England. The readiness with
which the recent fabrications of the pretended " Abbess
Makrena Mieczyslawska," the popish Maria Monk, and her
" Basilian nuns" at Minsk, were adopted by the " liberal" part
of the English community and press, and the commiseration
expressed for the fabled " martyrs," whose supernatural suf
ferings and incredible feats (better suited for the nursery
books than a sober narrative) are still, in spite of their full
refutation, professedly credited by those who are foremost in
their opposition to the Church of England in her integrity as
a Catholic communion, affords a mournful illustration — either
* The episcopal Catholic Church of England, as now governed and con
stituted, and in her faith and doctrine, is nine years older than the Church
of Rome.— See Bishop Burgess, and the honest "Roman Catholic"
writers.
APPENDIX.
535
of an increasing preference for the Romish Church, amongst
the laity of this country, or of the equally dangerous indif-
ferentism which pervades all ranks of politicians and nominal
" protestants."
Bishops.
Presby
ters and
deacons.
Laity,
The Church of England
IrelandBritish India
AustraliaVan Dieman's Land
New Zealand
West Indies
British North America
Other British dependencies
The Church of Scotland
The Church of Rome
States of the Church
Italy, Sicily, and Corsica
Spain
Portugal France Austria beyond Italy
Bavaria, Belgium, Cracow
Prussian Poland, with
the European countries
in which the established
religion is sectarian
South America
Mexico Cuba Porto Rico
The Church of Sweden
" Greek Church" or Church
of Constantinople
PontusAsia Minor
Thrace
The Church of Russia
Missionary Settlement
The Church of the Kingd.
of Greece
The Church of Georgia
The Armenian Church
The Chaldean Church
Mountain Chaldean
The Syrian Church (called
Jacobite)
The Maronite Church
The Coptic Church
The Abyssinian Church
3 Y
2 archbps. 25 bishops
2 archbps. 12 bishops
3 bishops
1 bishop
1 bishop
1 bishop
3 bishops
5 bishops
1 bishop
1 primus,
5 bishops
1 pope, 67 bishops
39 archbps. 265 bps.
8 archbps. 47 bishops
2 archbps. 13 bishops
15 archbps. 65 bishops
4 archbps. 25 bishops
1 archbp. 11 bishops
1 patriarch, 116 bps.
4 metropolitan, 34 bps.
1 bishop
10 archbps. 30 bps.
42 archbps. 150 bps.
1 patriarch, 6 bishops
1 patr. 1 metr. 8 bps.
1 patr. 21 metr. 65 bps.
1 patr. 5 metr. 13 bps
1 patriarch, 10 bps.
1 patriarch
14,600 1,964 229 5422 18
185
300 19
86
35,934
16,000,000 1,100,000
301,000
2,500,000
19,500,000 13,500,000 3,700,000
30,000,00022,000,000
3,500
12,000,000
11,000,000 1,000,000 195,000
3,000,000
190,000
47,810,525 1,250,000 100,000
115,000 50,000
536 APPENDIX. No. VII.
COLLEGES AND PUBLIC SCHOOLS IN THE UNITED STATES
UNDER EXCLUSIVE CHURCH CONTROL.
Washington College, Hartford, Connecticut. — Dr.
Totten, President. Professorships : Ancient Languages ;
Moral and Intellectual Philosophy ; Chemistry ; Mathe
matics and Natural Philosophy ; Botany ; Law ; Lecture
ships in Anatomy and Physiology.
Connecticut Episcopal Academy, Cheshire The
Bishop, President ; the Rev. S. P. Paddock, Vice-president
and Principal.
Columbia College, New York. — Dr. Duer, President.
Professorships : Moral, Intellectual, and Political Philosophy;
Greek and Latin Languages, Literature, and Antiquities ;
Natural and Experimental Philosophy, and Chemistry ; Ma
thematics and Astronomy. . The holders of these professor
ships form the Board of the College for the administration
of its discipline. Besides them there is an " Adjunct Pro
fessor of the Greek and Latin Languages," who is Secretary to
the Board. The Faculty also embraces a Professor of Law,
Professor of Hebrew, Professor of the Spanish Language and
Literature, Professor of the French Language and Literature ;
Manipulator in Chemistry ; Instructor in Drawing and Per
spective ; and Librarian.
Trinity School, New York. — The Bishop, President;
the Rev. William Morris, Rector ; and Assistants.
St. Paul's College, Flushing, Long Island. — Dr.
Muhlenburg, Rector. Professorships: Evidences and Ethics
of Christianity ; Hebrew, Greek, and Latin Languages ;
Mathematics and Natural Philosophy ; Chemistry and Miner
alogy ; Assistants to the Latin and Greek Professor ; and Ma
thematical Professor; Teachers in the French, German,
drawing, and music ; Chaplain, &c.
APPENDIX. 537
St. Ann's, Female Institute, Long Island. — Dr. Schroeder,
Rector. Assistants. An institution of the highest class.
Astoria Female Institute The Rev. John W.
Brown, Rector. Female teachers in the various departments.
Geneva College, Western New York Dr. Hale,
President. Professorships : " Startin professorship of Evi
dences of Christianity;" Mathematics and Natural Phi
losophy ; Statistics and Civil Engineering ; Latin and Greek
Languages and Literature; Chemistry; History, Modern
Languages, and Belles Lettres ; Latin and Greek Lan
guages. Hobart Hall Institute, Oneida County. — The Rev.
Marcus A. Perry, Principal.
Lockport Seminary. — Rev. Ebenezer H. Cressy,
Principal. De Lancey Institute. — A Principal and Assistants.
St. Mary's Hall, Burlington. — A female institution of
a high character. See pages 241 and 425.
St. Mark's Hall, Orange, New Jersey. — The Rev. A.
Ten Broek, Rector. The Bishop, Patron.
St. Matthew's Hall, Port Colden, New Jersey. — The
Rev. P. L. Jacques, Rector. The Bishop, Patron.
Newark Female Seminary, Delaware. — The Bishop
of Delaware, Patron ; the Rev. W. E. Franklin, Principal ;
efficiently assisted. A favourite institution of female tuition.
St. James's College, Hagerstown, Maryland. — The
Rev. John B. Kerfoot, Rector and Chairman ofthe Faculty.
Professor of the Evidences and Ethics of Christianity, the
Rev. Reuben Riley, Vicar-rector and Chaplain. Other pro
fessorships : Latin, Greek, and Hebrew Languages and
History ; Rhetoric, Intellectual Philosophy, and Political
Economy ; Mathematics, Natural Philosophy, and Chemistry.
Five other tutors, a steward, and a curator. There is (as in
several other colleges) a preparatory department, or grammar
school. The following is the daily order observed in this college : —
538 APPENDIX.
' " The waking bell rings at six o'cloek-r-in summer earlier —
when the pupils rise, and in eight minutes appear at roll.
Then they go to the washing-room, superintended by a
prefect. "¦¦ At twenty minutes before seven all the household are in
chapel for the morning prayers, which on Wednesday and
Friday, and on all the Holydays, are the regular morning
services of the Church. Immediately after they proceed to
breakfast in the refectory, where the students take their
meals, always in company with all the members ofthe family.
From breakfast until about eight they are at liberty in the
open air, or, in bad weather, in the house. About eight the
bell calls them to the study-hall, where half an hour is spent
in exercises in English grammar, orthography, and elocution,
in which all the pupils unite. The succeeding four hours are
spent in alternate study and recitation, with ap interval of a
few minutes between each for recreation. During study and
recitation hours the strictest silence is enjoined, and no inter
course allowed among the boys.
" At twelve the boys wash for dinner, and at ten minutes
past twelve the chapel bell rings, to remind all of the duty of
devotion at that hour. Some repair to the chapel, where a
short service is performed ; attendance on which is wholly
voluntary. " At twenty-five minutes past twelve, the dinner-bell calls
them to the assembly-hall, when they go in order to the
refectory. Immediately after dinner they assemble for a
short time, when the* reports by the professors, instructors,
and prefects of delinquencies in lessons or conduct, are ex
amined into, and are followed with such discipline as the
cas.es require.
" From one to two, recreation.
" From two to four, study and recitation,
" From four to five, recreation.
" From five to seven, study and recitation.
" Tea at seven.
APPENDIX. 539
" During the months of June and July, this arrangement is
changed to suit the season.
" After tea a short space of silence is set apart for reading
the Holy Scriptures ; immediately after which are the even
ing family prayers in the chapel. The remainder of the
evening is spent in reading, study, or quiet amusement, and
by nine all are in the dormitories, where each sleeps in a
separate bed."
The religious education of the students is also strictly
attended to in St. James's ; and " as the sons of churchmen,"
says the " Register," " the pupils are carefully taught the cha
racter and claims of their own communion, as a part of the
One Catholic Church of Christ. All attend the morning
prayer in the chapel before breakfast, on Sundays and week
days; and on Sundays the Litany and Communion, and
Evening Prayer. Every canonical-day is rubrically ob
served. There are, as usual, four classes. The candidates
for the Freshman class are examined in Sallust, Virgil, the
grammar, &c. ; Zenophon's Anabasis, the Greek Testament ;
Algebra (through simple equations), Geography, History,
&c. The senior class read the most difficult books used in
the English Universities, and review their previous studies ;
besides attending lectures on Geology, Mineralogy, Consti
tutional Law, and the higher sciences. Terms, 225 dollars
(£45.) per annum, payable half-yearly. The charges in
clude everything but clothing, books, stationery, &c.
Virginia Theological Seminary. — The Bishop, PresU
dent; his Suffragan (Dr. Johns), Vice-president; and three
Professorships. See page 204.
Fairfax Institute, Virginia.— The Rev. G. A. Smith,
Principal. Georgia Episcopal iNSTiTUTE.T-VThe Rev. Charles Fay,
Principal. The Bishop of Georgia, Visitor.
Theological Seminary, Gambier, Ohio.^The Bishop,
President, and Professor of Ecclesiastical Polity and Pastoral
Divinity ; three other professorships.
540 APPENDIX.
Kenyon College, Gambier. — Four professors and two
other tutors. To this college are attached a senior and a
junior grammar school.
Kentucky Theological Seminary, Lexington. — The
Bishop, President ; three professorships.
St. Mary's Seminary (Female), Indianapolis, Indiana.
— The Rev. Samuel L. Johnson, Principal; Dr. Monro,
President ; three female teachers ; five trustees.
Columbia Female Institute, Tennessee. — The Bishop
of the diocess, President, and Lecturer on Moral Philoso
phy ; the Rev. F. G. Smith, Rector, and Lecturer on the
Physical Sciences, and Teacher of the Higher Mathematics ;
the Rev. John W. Brown, Lecturer on English Literature ;
with four other male, and nineteen female teachers, a Li
brarian, Accountant, and Secretary. This institution is the
largest of its kind in the country, established through the un
tiring exertions of Bishop Otey, its founder. The buildings
are extensive and substantial, of the Gothic order.' There
are three departments of study, — a " Pestalozzian," " Junior,"
and " Senior." The course of study embraces, besides
French, Italian, and the classics (excepting Hebrew, &c),
Algebra, Theology, Ecclesiastical Polity, with the usual elegant
accomplishments ; and, unlike many " young ladies' schools "
in the United States, the training in every branch is thorough.
The Church in the West will find the benefit of such instruc
tion to her daughters another day ; to estimate it now is
impossible. Kemper College, St. Louis, Missouri. — The Rev. E. C.
Hutchinson, President ; three professorships.
Jubilee College, Poria, Illinois. — The Bishop, Presi
dent ; the Rev. Samuel Chase (the bishop's nephew), Princi
pal ; two professorships only founded. If the magnificent design
of the presiding bishop (now in its infancy) be completed,
this willJae one of the most important Church institutions in
the country. His nephew reports that " The several depart
ments are in operation. In the theological two have pursued
APPENDIX. 541
the prescribed course and been ordained, and are now actively
engaged as missionaries ; in the collegiate department the
Freshman and Sophomore classes have been formed, the
members of which were prepared here ; in the preparatory
department others are in course of preparation for the next
Freshman class." There is also a female department, one
mile from the college, under the charge of the bishop's
daughter, assisted by himself and Mrs. Chase. In western
America, where the weeds of schism and atheism luxuriate,
such an asylum for the education of the daughters of Illinois
within the Church's own bosom, as " polished corners of her
Temple," is a greater boon than the more favoured of their
sex in Catholic England can easily estimate.
COURSE OF STUDY AT JUBILEE.
Preparatory Department. — Reading ; Spelling ; Writing ;
Modern Geography ; English Grammar ; Latin Lessons (An
thon's First and Second Parts) ; Cassar ; Cicero ; Virgil
(Anthon's); Greek Lessons (Anthon's First and Second
Parts) ; Greek Reader (Anthon's) ; Arithmetic (Davies's) ;
Algebra (through Equations of the first degree).
Freshman Class. — Ancient Geography (Butler's); Greek
and Roman Antiquities ; Sallust (Anthon's) ; Livy ; Horace
(Anthon's Carmina and Epodes) ; Xenophon (Anabasis and
Memorabilia) ; Herodotus (begun) ; Algebra (Davies's Bour
bon finished) ; Geometry, Plane, Solid, and Spherical (Da
vies's Legendre).
Sophomore Class. — Outlines of Ancient History, Sacred
and Profane, with Chronology ; Elements of Rhetoric and
Oratory ; Horace (Anthon's Epistles and Satires) ; Tacitus ;
Herodotus (finished) ; Homer ; Euripides : Acts of the
Apostles (in the original) ; Trigonometry, Plain and Spher
ical, and their applications (Davies's Legendre) ; Nature and
Use of Logarithms ; Navigation and Surveying ; Analytic
Geometry (Davies's commenced).
542
APPENDIX.
junior Class-. — Outlines of Modern History, Sacred and
Profane, with Chronology ; Evidences of Christianity (Pa-
ley's) ; Intellectual Philosophy ( Upham's and Abercrombie's) ;
Cicero de Oratore and de Officiis ; Horace (Anthon's Epistola
ad Pisones) ; Demosthenes ; iEschines (de Corona) ; iEschy-
lus ; St. Paul's Epistle to the Romans (in the original) ;
Analytic Geometry (finished) ; Natural Philosophy ; Me
chanics ; Hydrostatics ; Pneumatics ; Electricity ; Theory of
Storms ; Magnetism ; Optics.
Senior Class. — Elements of Criticism (Karnes's) ; But
ler's Analogy ; Ecclesiastical Polity ; Philosophical Works of
Cicero; Plato (Crito and Phcedo); Sophocles (CEdipus
Tyrannus) ; Chemistry; Astronomy (Cambridge); Exami
nation of the Geography of the Heavens.
Alabama Female Institute. — The Bishop, Visitor;
the Rev. A. S. Smith, Rector ; four Assistants.
No. VIII.
COTEMPORARY PRESIDENTS AND PRESIDING BISHOPS.
Presidents.
Inaug.
Presiding Bishops.
Sue.
George Washington
1789
Samuel Seabury
1789
Samuel Provoost
1792
William White
1795
John Adams
1797
Thomas Jefferson
1801
James Madison
1809
James Munroe
1817
John Quincy Adams
1825
Andrew Jackson
1829
Alexander V. Griswold
1836
Martin Van Buren
1837
William H. Harrison
1841
John Tyler
1841
Philander Chase
1843
James K. Polk
1845
THE END.
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