The venerable Bishop White, at the termination of the convention addressed the two Houses in the following terms:

"Brethren of this Convention, "I take the liberty of giving vent to the feeling which possesses me, at the conclusion of our session.

"I have attended all the meetings of the General Conventions, from the beginning of our organization. On some of those occasions, we assembled with apprehensions in the minds of many judicious men who had the interests of the church at heart, that the deliberations would be disturbed by angry passions, and end in disunion. In every instance, the reverse was the issue: which led me to hope, that there was in this matter a verifying of the promise of the great Head of the church, of being with her to the end of the world.

"The reason of this call of your attention to the fact stated, is the harmony with which we are concluding the present session; after having met with diversity of sentiment on some important points; on which, in consequence of mutual concession, and the merging of local attachments in the great object of general good, we are now separating with confirmed zeal for the great cause in which we are engaged; to be followed, it is to be hoped, by renewed endeavours for its advancement, each of us in his proper sphere.

"With this prospect before me, I invite you to lift your hearts and your voices, in singing to the praise and glory of God, a psalm appropriate to the occasion."

That our readers may form some notion of the plan of education to be pursued in this new Seminary, we extract a Report made to the Convention of New York by their Education Committee.

"The various branches of sacred erudition are divided into seven classes:

"1. Biblical Learning: comprising whatever relates to the original languages of the Holy Scriptures, and the knowledge which is neces-4 sary to the critical study and interpretation of them, including Jewish and oriental literature, profane history in its connection with sacred, and biblical chronology and geography.

2. The Evidences of Revealed Religion; establishing the genuineness, authenticity, and credibility of the Scriptures with the interpretation of them so far as may be necessary to the full exhibition of the evidence of their Divine authority and inspiration, and a view of the character and effects of Christianity, and of moral science in its relations to theology.

"3. The Interpretation of the Scriptures; exhibiting the principles of scriptural interpretation, and the meaning and practical application of every part of the sacred writings.

"4. Systematic Divinity; presenting a methodical arrangement and explanation of the truths contained in the Scriptures, with the authorities sustaining these truths; a statement and refutation of the erroneous doctrines attempted to be deduced from the sacred writings; and a particular view and defence of the system of faith professed by the Protestant Episcopal Church; thus affording a minute exhibition of controversial and practical theo. logy.

་་

5. Ecclesiastical History; displaying the history of the Church in all ages, and particularly of the Church in England, and of the Protestant Episcopal Church in this country.

"6. The Nature, Ministry, and Polity of the Church; comprising a view of the nature of the Christian Church, and the duty of preserving its unity; of the authority and or. ders of the ministry; with a statement and elucidation of the principles of ecclesiastical polity, and an

explanation and defence of that of the Protestant Episcopal Church; and also an exhibition of the authrority and advantages of liturgical service, with a history, explanation, and defence of the Liturgy of the Protestant Episcopal Church, and of its rites and ceremonies.

"7. Pastoral Theology; explain ing and enforcing the qualifications and duties of the clerical office, and including the performance of the service of the church, and the composition and delivery of sermons.

"The professorships for instruction in these branches are arranged as follows, for the seminary in the city;

"A Professorship of Biblical Learning the department of the Interpretation of Scripture being added.

"A Professorship of Revealed Religion, and of Moral Science in its relations to Theology.

"A Professorship of Systematic Divinity, and Pastoral Theology.

"A Professorship of the Nature, Ministry, and Polity of the Church, the department of Ecclesiastical History being added.

"The office of Librarian is also instituted, whose duty it is to take charge of the books, and assist the students in their references to them. It is his duty to attend at least one hour a day for three days in the week. Also, in conjunction with the Library committee, of which he is, ex officio, a member, he is to take measures for increasing the Library.

"With the fundamental regulation, that the expenditures of the Society shall in no case encroach upon its capital, or exceed its income, it has been resolved, that as soon as the funds of the Society admit, the salaries of the above professorships shall be at least 1200 dollars per annum, and that of the Librarian 300 dollars per annum, and that in the mean time such arrangements be made by the Board, with respect to the salaries of the Professors, as circumstances REMEMBRANCER, No. 40.

may render expedient and properit being understood, that until adequate funds are provided the services of the Professors and Librarian shall be gratuitous-and that, when such of them as may have parochial

cures are to receive salaries from this Society, arrangements shall be made with their parishes for a proportionable relinquishment of the parochial duties and emoluments.

"The professorships for the Interior School of Geneva are as follows;

"A Professorship of the Interpretation of Scripture, of Ecclesiastical History, and of the Nature, Ministry, and Polity of the Church. "A Professorship of Biblical Learning.

"A Professorship of Systematic Divinity and Pastoral Theology.

"As soon as the funds of the Society admit, the salaries of these Professors will be at least 800 dollars per annum; and, in the mean time, and while they are engaged in other duties, and receiving other emolu. ments, their salaries are to be fixed by the Board of Managers as circumstances may render expedient.

"The office of Librarian for the Interior School is also instituted with the same duties as are assigned to the Librarian of the School in the city of New York.

Until statutes shall be prescribed for the regulation of the two Schools respectively, they are to be governed by such rules as the professors in each, with the approbation of the Bishop, shall adopt.

"The following professors have been appointed for the Seminary in this city, viz.-The Right Rev. John Henry Hobart, Professor of Systematic Divinity and Pastoral Theology; Mr. Clement C. Moore, Professor of Biblical Learning, the department of Interpretation of Scripture being added; Mr. Gulian C. Verplank, Professor of the Evidences of Revealed Religion, and of Moral Science in its relations to Theology; and the Rev, Benjamin Ff

T. Onderdonk, Professor of the Na. ture, Ministry and Polity of the Church, the department of Ecclesiastical History being annexed-and the Rev. Hen. J. Feltus is the Librarian. For the Interior School of Geneva, the following are the appointments made by this Board, viz. The Rev. Daniel M‘Donald, Professor of the Interpretation of Scripture, Ecclesiastical History, and the Nature, Ministry, and Polity of the Church, and Librarian; the Rev. John Reed, Professor of Biblical Learning; and the Rev. Orin Clark, Professor of Systematic Divinity and Pastoral Theology."

To the Editor of the Remembrancer. SIR,

upon

It was with some degree of surprise, that I read a letter, signed Bla, in the Number for February of your publication. It is, to be sure, short, and not likely, I should hope, to effect a change in the very laudable prac. tice of the illustrious individuals to whom it is principally addressed; but I am too great an admirer of your useful and orthodox pages, to permit what I consider its erroneous tendency to pass entirely unnoticed, Your correspondent observes, that "it is the custom of the judge, after passing sentence of death the criminal, strongly to exhort him to pass the few remaining hours of his life in prayer, and such other offices of religion, as may be most likely to make his peace with God." It is; and it is a custom which I hope never to see abandoned, for it seems better calculated to bring such a sinner to a sense of his most awful situation, than any other means which could possibly be adopted. It teaches him a doctrine-a characteristic, and to him, a most important doctrine of Christianity, which, probably, in the hurry and dissipation of his sins, he had never before had leisure or inclination to attend to, viz. that till the gates of death be finally closed upon the

sinner, it is never too late to offer the sacrifice of a deep and sincere repentance.

What can be better calculated to arouse the workings of a seared and deadened conscience, than the solemnity of the situation in which he is placed; the momentous interests which he feels to be involved in it, and the religious sanctity of charac ter with which the judges of the land are most beneficially and most deservedly invested in the imagi nations of the people?

But says your correspondent, "does not this tend to confirm the notion of the value and efficacy of a death-bed repentance?" And afterwards," does not this practice, in some measure, account for the confident assertions that we so fre

quently hear expressed by the most atrocious criminals, of their hopes of salvation?" Had he written assurance, and could have shewn that such a delusion had arisen from a misinterpretation of the judge's exhortation, I should have cordially agreed with him as to the dangerous tendency of the practice; but his statement of the grievance seems to me to shew nothing dangerous in the practice of the judge, and nothing to be rashly discouraged on the part of the criminal.

The true doctrine with respect to a deathbed repentance I conceive to be this-that it is then only effectual, when it is of such a nature as would lead the penitent, should life be prolonged to him, to renounce his sins, and to lead a new life *. Now as

I may here, perhaps, be allowed to remark, what a practical proof this consideration must give every one who has been afflicted with a dangerous illness, of the great and awful risk that attends a reliance upon a death-bed repentance. If he has (as too many of us have) returned to the commission of sins, of which he then imagined himself to be sincerely penitent;

how strong must be his conviction of the danger which he has so providentially escaped, and how fearful should he be of again relying upon a support, which has already so fatally deceived him.

this is a point which can be known only to God, it excludes the presumptuous doctrine of assurance, though it affords no ground for absolute despair. And why should your correspondent wish to exclude hope from the breast of a criminal, even though his offences may have been of the deepest dye? The feeling of assurance ought certainly to be discouraged, because it may lead him presumptuously to reject those means of salvation which may be yet within his reach; but hope, even though it may be founded upon an unsafe foundation, can never be injurious to him, and may perhaps snatch a few brief moments of his existence from the torments of a settled despair. Physicians are wont to administer lenitives and soporifics to the patient, when all hope of a permanent recovery has vanished; and I trust the judges, in the discharge of their high and important functions, will never neglect that not least important one, of exhort ing the condemned criminal to MAKE HIS PEACE WITH GOD. Feb. 16th 1822.

R. P.

for an introduction into the Institution. Each member is expected to remain one year in it, and indeed, from the assiduous attention of the Superintendant, that period, with corresponding diligence on the part of the student, is long enough.

The men are divided into two classes. Those of the first are men who are noviciates-whose studies are chiefly confined to the rudiments of the Christian religion. Those of the second are men who, having gone through the first series of Lectures, and having passed the final examination in them, have gone on to more extended readings. For this purpose the works of Paley, Pearson, Butler, and some other authors are well got up. There is an excellent library attached to the Institution, to which the students have free access.

The eulogia passed upon these men by the different Bishops by whom they have been examined for ordination, have been highly flattering; insomuch that at some Sees they have been upon the whole preferred to University men. From a letter in the "London Chronicle,' for the 29th September last, it appears that there has not been a single rejection on application for

Sir, IN one of your early Numbers, I recollect meeting with an account of the Clerical Institution at St. Bees, in Cumberland. The particulars of that account I have for gotten, but it has lately been my good fortune to see the Institutionwitness the course of study in itand perceive the beneficial effects that have already and are likely to accrue from it. The principle is good, and equal to any thing of the kind I have seen before. The members go through a regular course of divinity, and are extremely well grounded in it. A good acquaintance with the Greek and Latin languages is indispensably necessary

letter I lament that no preference is given (if indeed no preference is given) to these men. Their labours have already been productive of advantages in the church: and more advantages may be expected from them than from men who have not "like them gone through a syste matic course of theological educa tion." In the four northern dioceses, I believe, they are consi dered as equally qualified for the sacred ministry, upon the general score, as the candidates from either University. Nor do I think it beneath the consideration of the Episcopal bench to reward these men by some preference. The safety of the church might be by this means in a greater measure secured. The con