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superseding of the local schools, or for the finishing of the education of the scholars, as might be expedient. It is to be hoped, that the other plan, after having been generally adopted, will be universally, and with effect, supported.

On the subject of improper amusements, there was a controversy of some warmth, in the House of Clerical and Lay Deputies. In the House of Bishops, there was unanimity in the course taken. This course as recorded on the journal, and including some sentiments in the Pastoral Letter, addressed to the members of the Church generally, and read as usual in the House of Clerical and Lay Deputies, was said to have conciliated to their disappointment, those in the latter house who had pressed for a stronger measure, which had not been carried. There having been misrepresentations of what passed on this subject from speakers on each side; and, as what finally proceeded from the bishops was said to have been satisfactory to each, there may be use in presenting it at large; accordingly, it is given in the Appendix, No. 31..

The proposal for the adopting of a standard edition of the Bible, was in consequence of the discovery of a large edition, extending very widely a corruption of Acts vi. 3. by perverting it to a sanction of congregational ordination. Instead of "whom we may appoint over this business," which is the exact translation of the original, the edition has it "whom ye may appoint over this business." While the matter was before the House of Clerical and Lay Deputies, a lay member, standing in a pew, and observing a Bible, took it to turn to the place in question, when he perceived it to be a copy of the edition in which the corruption had been detected. The proposal of determining on a standard edition, had been made without the expectation of its being acted on during the session. It was closed with a joint vote of the two houses, to hold the next triennial meeting in the city of Philadelphia, and with prayer by the presiding bishop, before both houses, as usual.

Although the object of the " Additional Statements and Remarks" is limited to the proceedings of the General Convention of 1817; there being no subsequent transactions which have bearings on the doctrine, or the worship, or the discipline of the Church; yet it may not be irrelevant to record, that, since that period, there have been consecrated the Rev. Philander Chase, D. D. for the state of Ohio, and the Rev. Thomas C. Brownell, D. D. LL. D. for the state of Connecticut: the former, on the 11th day of Fe

bruary, 1819, in St. James's Church, Philadelphia, by the presiding bishop, assisted by Bishops Hobart, Kemp, and Croes; and the latter, on the 27th day of October, 1819, in Trinity Church, New-Haven, by the presiding bishop, assisted by Bishops Hobart and Griswold.

As the act of the convention of 1785 was authenticated by the signatures of all the members of the body; as it laid the foundation of the succeeding transactions; and as it has never been given in full to the public; the only evidence of it being the original, in the possession of the author; it has appeared to him, while the preceding sheets were in the press, that the object of this work calls for the editing of the instrument in its proper form. The address to the English prelates is referred to, but not comprehended in the act. Delicacy having dictated the allowance of reasonable time for the delivery of it.

Neither of the instruments entitled "Alterations, &c." has been before published; although the results of them have appeared, in what has been called the Proposed Book: but, as the book is gradually disappearing, it may be hereafter important, to have an exhibition of them as they stand in the original act. The constitution as then proposed, as ratified in 1786, and as done away in 1789, is in the book of printed journals, but not in any preceding part of this work.

For the said act, see Appendix, No. 32.

POSTSCRIPT.

In the foregoing statements and remarks, the more immediate object was the recording of facts, throwing light on the measures of conventional bodies; and the expressing of opinions, which arose out of the various subjects under notice the opinions being proposed, with the hope that they will have such weight, as on examination may be thought their due. The work being brought to a conclusion, and the reader being qualified to judge of the merits of another motive to be disclosed; it is now declared to be the conviction, that instruction may be gathered from the detail.

1st. On a retrospect of the low condition in which the Episcopal Church had been left by the revolutionary war; of her clergy, reduced almost to annihilation; of the novelty

of the business arising out of the existing crisis; of the despair of many, as to the perpetuating of the communion, otherwise than in connexion with an establishment, from which it was for ever severed; of an unwillingness to recognize such a severance, although brought about by the providence of God, and the recognizing of it agreeable to a prominent principle in the institutions of the parent Church; of a difficulty, to be done away only by legislative acts, which perhaps it would be impossible to obtain, and which we could not apply for, consistently with our civil duties; of the apprehension of conflicting opinions in different sections of the United States, between which there had been hitherto no religious intercourse; of the existence of known differences, on some points; and with all these things, of danger from selfish passions, so apt to intrude under imposing appearances, defeating the best intended endeavours in collective bodies; it must be perceived, that there were formidable obstacles to be surmounted, in combining the insulated congregations with the respective clergy of those who had any, under an indisputable succession of the Episcopacy; and with an ecclesiastical legislature, necessarily differing in form from that under which we had been from the beginning, yet the same with it in principle. The difference between what has been thus looked back on, and the present circumstances of the Church, is a ground of gratitude to Almighty God. In what degree, this change of prospect has been promotive of piety and of correct conduct, will not be known until the day which will "try every man's work, whether it be of gold, and silver, and precious stones," or, "of wood, and hay, and stubble." In the mean time, we have encouragement to proceed, in humble dopendence on him, without whom, even "Paul may plant, and Apollos may water" in vain.

2d. It is trusted that there will be no indecorum in recalling the attention of the reader to the absence of selfish passion in all the preceding records of the results of ecclesiastical legislation. If those who have been engaged in the proceedings have been supposed in this work to have fallen into error in some instances, it is hoped that the noticing of it will not give offence; especially as it is by one who, in the same work, has occasionally acknowledged error in himself, and who is ready to believe, that it may have happened to him in many instances, in which he has not sufficient sagacity, nor sufficient distrust of himself, for the detecting of it. He confidently believes of the mem

bers of the conventions generally, that they have been actuated by upright motives. Of his brethren in the Episcopacy he bears testimony, that he has not seen any occasion on which any one of them has manifested a disposition to sacrifice principle to any selfish gratification. If there be thought correctness in these remarks, let the example be influential in similar proceedings in future. In all the affairs which interest the human mind, there is the danger of estimating measures, according to their bearings on some purposes, prompted by ambition or by vanity. The purposes are not always discernible; and there can scarcely occur a question, on which talent, even if it amount to no more than cunning, may not be capable of drawing to itself a party. In this way, there have arisen most of the dissentions which have torn Christendom into sects. As yet, we have been preserved, by the grace of God, from any material inroads of it: and the noticing of the fact may serve, among other weighty considerations, to vigilance against it in future counsels.

3d. Another lesson arising out of the review, is that of mutual concession in small matters, and even in regard to others more important yet not essential, the bearing with what may not be approved of, under the expectation that it will be found on trial better than had been expected; or, that it will be corrected after more mature consideration. Of the latter especially, many instances have occurred, on questions which, without such forbearance, would assuredly have divided the Church into communions censuring, and perhaps perpetuating hostility to one another. As to the other branch of the recommendation, it is clearly the dictate of a due consideration of the various casts of the minds of It would indeed be surprising, that any should run into the opposite error; did we not know, how unbending some are in favour of their own opinions, even in matters which cannot be brought before the tribunal of conscience; so that on a question of taste, they are impatient under every decision not conformable to their wishes. The way to bear down the influence of men so fastidious, and under so evident a propensity to disorder, is for those more reasonable to make sacrifices to one another.

men.

4th. It will be a most important use of the review, to notice the undeviating intention of the Church, to make no such alterations, as shall interfere with the maintaining of the doctrines of the gospel, as acknowledged at the reformation. That point of time should be kept in mind, in order

to protect the Church, not only against threatened innovations from without, but also against others which have occasionally showed their heads in the Church of England, and may show their heads in this Church, betraying a lurking fondness for errors which had been abandoned. Neither have there been wanting some among us, who would have drawn our system towards opinions which we consider as an approach to infidelity, and a mean of reconciling the mind to it. We were under the suspicion of intending this, in our first efforts for the organizing of the Church. It is impossible to verify the suspicion by any of the transactions recorded, or by any of a more private nature; and if individuals harboured the design, which is not here known to have been the case, they saw no opening for the accomplishing of it; and accordingly, permitted it to die within' their bosoms. There is this further use in the reference to the reformation, that it frowns disapprobation on endeavours tending to debase our forms of worship, by the intermixture of devotional exercises of a contrary cast of character How far this abuse calls for the exercise of ecclesiastical authority, and how far it may be borne with, under the expectation that it carries in itself the seeds of its dissolution, is a question partly of conscience, and partly also of religious prudence. It is a property of the past proceedings of our newly organized Church, that the gold found by her in possession, has not been adulterated by any debasing alloy; but that, on the contrary, she has followed the counsel given by the prophet Jeremiah to the Jews, to "ask for the old paths and to walk therein." In one who has kept this object steadily in view, it will not be thought inadmissible, to express his wish, and to put up his prayer, that the same integrity of principle may be sustained by those who are now his fellow-labourers, and may be expected to survive him, and by those who may succeed.

If any thing were wanting to confirm him in his sentiments on the present subject, the deficiency would be supplied by the many occasions which have occurred to him, of remarking the vanity and the love of self-exhibition manifested in endeavours to the contrary; a fault, which, if it be sometimes seen to subsist with general rectitude of intentions, is only one instance out of many, verifying our Lord's reproof of another species of misdirected zeal"Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of."

5th. These Memoirs may serve for a check to the unnecessary exercise of authority; and may sustain the

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