absolving sentence be thought either wholly unbearable or worded too strong, they would wish that their ordination perhaps had given less as a trust, provided it furnished thereby less for a scandal, that it had been more of a "setting apart" to a ministry otherwise derived, than the very giving, and only visible giving, of the stewardship conferred, they could wish (it seems to me,) that our liturgy had more of the "milk" which can be drunk pleasantly alike by the healthy and the feeble, and had shut out altogether (or nearly so,) the "strong meat" which though once received for refreshment and invigoration, is in our times deemed unsavory, they would have our services say less, and assume less, out of all the riches of God's truth and promises, and then the discrepancy would be less scandalous and apparent, when a sinful generation dishonors them by want of faith, or profanes them by evil living, and with the unbending, unabridged declaration of the faith once delivered to the saints, they feel themselves encumbered, and almost utter (with a different reference,) the words of the apostle. I would that we only had the prayers so rich in scriptural sentiment and deep devotional feeling, that we could have, omitted what seems too hard, and modified what seems offending, that the strong could be diluted, and objectionable removed, I would that we were altogether such as we are, except these bonds,"" these bonds," the profession which strains us higher towards truth disliked and neglected, than we comfortably reach, which turns us too closely to the primitive church, and bows not to the "index expurgatorius" of the modern, which has dared to retain the "doctrine of baptisms" and of "laying on of hands" along with the other four fundamentals, and elements of the christian doctrine, with which the apostle has connected them, and which throws us

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upon the early and consentaneous church, for the upholding of many doctrines, when the axes and hammers, of modern improvement are so ready against that "pillar," and ground of the truth among us, to smite down at least the "carved work thereof" little heeding how they may weaken the column! that would thrust away two foundations of it, being quite persuaded that it can rest as well upon the other four, and who to simplify the edifice, disregard their witness who knew and testified the pattern that was shewed them in the mount! Men and brethren are these things so? have I set up an image merely to tilt at it, or are there many of our sacred order, to whom the prayer book is in many parts of it, a stone of stumbling and a rock of offence? who would seal up many of its pages, who dread to be pressed with its tenets, and who would gladly writhe out from many of its folds? And can this be a happy state to any of us, or an honorable one? The lay people have never been required to profess any assent and belief of the whole of it, but we have, how wretched, how humiliating, when its services can be drawn forth against the conscience smitten subscribers thereunto, when they who pity or trouble us can thus "cast us in the teeth," when they can draw out our own sword to smite us withal, when they urge and we are abashed at, the "doctrine of baptisms," when they plead for greater liberality and less "popish corruption," and we think of the prayer book, wistfully looking but unable to get out,―words have some meaning (after all,) great is their ductility, marvellous I know their flexible power, but our formularies will not accord with the sacraments being mere signs and nothing more, things seemly but unnecessary for salvation, matters which like the laying on of hands just referred to may be admitted or declined," and he who believes they

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were not given as means of grace, and channels whereby it is to be conveyed, finds his prayer book with unconquerable obstinacy, set against him. Rev. brethren, I speak to you respectfully though plainly,-hoping and believing that you rather concur with me in such admonitions, than need their reproof,—but our day does call for no mincing in what a man has to say, the times in which we live turn up proofs abundant that my witness is needful as well as true,-for certain we are that not a few clergymen would hide various parts of our formularies in a napkin, and bury it deep in the earth, and would dread to be turned upon our services and their doctrine, in the manifest grammatical meaning of them, fearing to adventure out of them, reproof or instruction in righteousness, keeping aloof from certain passages, and trembling at certain words, uncomfortable under their present views and reluctant to examine the old paths," and almost approaching the prayer book as the seven sons of Sceva might the man whom they rashly essayed to exorcise, lest whether in teaching the catechist, instructing the enquirer, or convincing the opponent, they should be painfully assaulted and "fly from that house naked and wounded." I lament distinctive names among the clergy, such as "high church" and "evangelical," if "believing the book" marks the one, and "preaching the gospel prayer denotes the other, why are we not all of us, both?, such may God grant us all to be, these two "agree in one ;" but there is and must be a distinction when, all of us having subscribed that our church's doctrines are all agreeable to the word of God, some still hold that faith and others do not; when all having taken it once for "bread " lo some find it is a "stone," all at one time called it a "fish" but there is a misgiving afterwards if it be not a "serpent," at the ordination it was

believed an

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egg," in the pamphlet or letter it is sometimes reckoned a "scorpion!" scorpion!" And the benefice is as comfortable as it ever was, but as to the "doctrines" professed at receiving it, some of them have become changed! Are these things so?

But is there not an awful discrepancy between the aspect of the church and her constitution? between the members of the church and her doctrine? There is, awful indeed! a discrepancy which is the "issue" of blood (more than) twelve years" draining her vitals, the cause of her weakness, the loss of her most pious members, the hurt of tender consciences, and the only weapon against her which she need in any wise fear. The ruin of the Church is, that she is mocked by faithless professions, the many who approach the font come with a lie in their right hand, and practically she now has no power to "put away from her (afterwards) the wicked person," the mass of the nation are the baptized and none are the excommunicate, the visible church among us has been stripped of her primitive privilege, she admits the professor freely, he is found the reckless and ungodly, and she cannot expel,-her bosom is like the absorbing cave, "nulla vestigia retrorsum," and this, infinitely more than any other cause, has produced the schisms over which we grieve, from without; and the too small supply of spiritual joyfulness which we realize within; and this too, has brought about the lax state of opinion on our prayer book declarations of scriptural truth, which I have just been leading you to consider. Bethink you, Rev. brethren, of this truth, and trace (as easily you may) its natural and inevitable working: the church of Christ has come down to us the depository of God's best gifts, the society endowed with all the blessings which Heaven has showered upon Earth, the ever living body though made up of dying men, which has the adoption, and

C

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the better covenant and the promises, and there is a rite to admit members, the washing of regeneration" there is a ministry to instruct and edify and guide them, a laying on of hands to strengthen and bless them, a holy feast to nurture their faith, "the communion of Christ's body and blood,"(the Holy Ghost working by such means,)-and there is a power withal of suspending or rejecting notoriously unworthy members from this visible fellowship, a power not for destruction, but for penitence, amendment and peace! The society has its charter, and its laws, the profession of its members is not indeed purity, but a progress towards it, they are baptized into his death who died unto sin once, by baptism they are buried with their Saviour unto sin to rise with him to righteousness, they renounce the wicked world with its pomps and vanities, because all such are "not of the Father, but of the world:" they abjure fleshly and sinful lusts because these are the very corruptions from which Christ died to redeem them, and they "war against the soul," they renounce the devil and all his works, lord of this world as he is, roaming over it

seeking whom he may devour :"-the forgiveness of all sin through the atonement of Jesus, the cleansing from its stain by his blood, and its practice by his spirit, the mortification of it, and the practice of righteousness, being their avowed duty, and professed aim, nay (through God's help,) the life which they live in the flesh is devoted to him who died for them and rose again, and the blessed Sacraments as channels of grace, God's word read and preached, and prayer heartily offered, and acts of love and faith humbly wrought, these are the privileges and the conduct marking whose they are! The church when planted in any land, is the Epistle of Christ, "known and read of all men," the children of God's family