The Missionary's manuscript.

form their estimate of the Church from looking at her standards, rather than the lives of her unworthy members.

As this volume is designed more especially for those who have little or no knowledge of the church, I have thought it might be well to devote a chapter or two to the consideration of some minor objections, which not unfrequently are raised against the Episcopal Church.

To invest this subject with the more interest, I purpose to avail myself of a manuscript in my hands containing "The reminiscences of a Missionary, while laboring to make known the unsearchable riches of Christ.”

Who in surveying the edifices and public buildings of a town, or the various towers of some magnificent fortification, has not found some portion of the architectural group involved in partial obscurity by the position in which he happened to be placed? To see those particular parts to the best advantage to understand their design, and see the relation they have to the whole, it is necessary to change one's position, and view them from another point. It is precisely so in one's walk about Zion. Some, who have walked partially around this city of the Great King, and who have considerable knowledge of several of its parts, have beheld other parts from points where they could not form any just idea of their beauty, design and propriety. We think that this manuscript will enable the reader to take a view of our Zion from a number of new points, where various colonades, arches, turrets and pinnacles, that may hitherto have been thought an incumbrance, will be seen to add greatly to the beauty, and glory, and safety of this blessed place, whose "gates the Lord loveth more than all the dwellings of Jacob."

Without any farther preliminary remarks, therefore, I shall introduce the reader at once to this Manuscript.

"Some of the happiest hours I have ever known on earth, have been passed amid the toils and privations of a missionary life. It is true that the missionary who goes out to labor amid the moral wastes of our land, encounters comparatively few of those hardships and dangers, which beset the daily path of him who goes to labor among the benighted heathen. Still the home missionary has his trials;

The moral destitution of a country place.

and he has his seasons of joy too,-pure, holy, uninterrupted joy!

"In looking back, here and there one of those happy seasons rise up to my view like so many lovely oases in the fountainless desert, furnishing a grateful object to the eye amid wide-spreading fields of desolation. Memory now lingers with fond delight over one of those bright spots in my past labors.-The time referred to, was an evening spent at the house of a friend, in the midst of a little group who had assembled to obtain more definite information in reference to the Episcopal Church. The circumstances which had convened them for this object were fraught with peculiar interest.

"In the fulfilment of the duties of my office as an ambassador for Christ, I had been led to visit a place where the population was dense, the people wealthy, and many of them intelligent and well-educated. This place was located in the centre of one of the loveliest and richest countries in the world. If the hearts of the people could have been touched, and drawn heavenward by a view of the finest and boldest scenery that ever stretched around the dwelling of man, or a display of the most luxuriant productions of nature, there would have been in this community no lack of grateful emotions to the Author of all good.

"But alas! amid this profusion of beauty and loveliness amid this tide of blessing rolling around them, they forgot the source whence they came. These people full of enterprise and enlarged worldly views, and pressing on with diligence in every path of industry for the ac quisition of wealth, were living in the entire neglect of Christ and his salvation. The gospel was seldom preached among them, and when preached, was usually heard with perfect indifference. As I before intimated, I had been led to visit this place in the discharge of my duty as a herald of the cross. Upon my first arrival I saw much to deplore, but I knew that the grace of God was mighty. I endeavored to "hold forth the word of life" among them. The effort was not in vain. In infinite condescension, the great and glorious God saw fit to accompany my humble and worthless labors with such a display of divine power, that many were awakened from the deep slumbers of spiritual

Instruction in relation to the Church.

death. And now one and another began to inquire, 'What must I do to be saved?' They were pointed to the bleeding 'lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the world.' But a short time had elapsed before twenty or thirty individuals were cherishing a hope of pardon through the blood of the everlasting covenant. I had not been particularly anxious to lead this community to become Episcopalians. My first wish was to bring them to Christ. Hence I had sought in every discourse, to hold him up to their view. My principal theme was 'Christ and him crucified.' And I found that the preaching of the cross was indeed the power of God unto salvation.'

"There existed however now a manifest reason why I should give some instruction in relation to the Church; for a number of persons were desirous to receive the seals of the covenant, and enter within its sacred enclosure, I proposed to meet these persons and give them an opportunity of ma king any inquiries they chose. We were kindly invited to the residence of one with whom 'old things had passed away, and all things had become new,' for the purpose of holding this interview. It was a Monday evening-an evening which I shall never forget. The hallowed spirit of the preceding Sabbath seemed to have diffused itself through all that day, and to have shed its sweet and sacred influence over the minds of all those who were assembled on that occasion. The whole company strikingly reminded me of what our blessed Saviour said, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of Heaven.' They all gave the highest evidence that they were converted, and by nothing more than this-in that they were so humble and meek and docile-willing to be taught, and anxious to know what was duty. They were told that they ought not to enter any church without carefully examining its doctrines, understanding its discipine, and making themselves thoroughly acquainted with all its peculiarities and arrangements, and forming a calm and deliberate conclusion, whether these were in accordance with the word of God. They were reminded, that the Prayer Book, if attentivly examined, would show them the character of the Episcopal Church in these several particulars. And they were also assured that if they desired at this time to propose any questions in relation to the Church

The enquiries of Mrs. W

or Prayer Book, it would afford the speaker great pleasure to answer those questions.

"An interesting conversation immediately ensued. Mr. R-, the gentleman at whose house we were invited, was a shrewd and intelligent man. It seemed to be his desire to elicit all the information he could in relation to the church, partly for his own satisfaction, but principally for the instruction of those present. He thus commenced, addressing himself to me.

"You know that till your late visit here, we were entirely strangers to the Episcopal Church-and I may also add, strangers to Christ. I hope some of us now, however, who were once far off, have been brought nigh by the blood of Christ.' We wish to unite ourselves to him in the bonds of the covenant. We think it no less a privilege, than a duty to connect ourselves with his church. We have no reason to doubt but the Episcopal Church is founded on the Apostles and Prophets,' Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone. But for one, I must say, I do not yet see my way clear to unite with this church, though I am free to confess I am prepossessed in its favor. There are many of us that have read the service of the Prayer Book who yet do not fully understand the design of several parts of it. We want explanations in reference to several things. Here is Mrs. W—— who has several inquiries to make, I wish she would be free to state her difficulties fully.'

"I turned to Mrs. W and begged that she would feel at liberty to ask explanations in relation to any features of the Episcopal Church, which seemed to her to be involved in the least obscurity or error.

"In reply Mrs. W- remarked, 'I see from the Prayer Book that the Episcopal Church holds to infant baptism. My mind is not fully made up upon that subject. In the event that I should connect myself with the Episcopal Church, and could not conscientiously see it my duty to offer my children in baptism, how would this affect my standing in the church? -could I still retain my membership?"

"Undoubtedly'-I replied. You would not be cut off for declining to do what you conscientiously thought was not proper. The church inculcates the doctrine, that christian parents ought to give up their children in covenant, even as

Infant Baptism.

Abraham and Moses, and all the members of God's Ancient Church did theirs. The church goes on the ground that God has ever had a chosen people-and that these people were in covenant with him; that the covenant which he made with Abraham is still in force-and that this covenant which was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law which was four hundred and thirty years after cannot disannul, that it should make the promises of none effect.' And that under this covenant there is neither Jew nor Greek, bond nor free, male nor female; for they are all one in Christ Jesus-and if they are Christ's then are they Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.' The old olive tree which God planted when he made this covenant with Abraham, has not been dug up-is not dead. Some of its branches have been broken off, and new ones grafted in, but the old stock still remains. All who are made members of the christian church are described by St. Paul as a wild olive tree which is grafted in among the branches of this old tree, and with them partaketh of the root and fatness of the olive tree. And the Jews when they are again brought back from their rebellion and wanderings, and incorporated with the christian church, are to be grafted in again into their own olive tree. Which shows most conclusively that the church to which the Jews formerly belonged, and that into which they will be introduced when they become genuine christians is one and the same.

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"Now if the infant seed of the professing people of God were members of the church under the Old Testament economy, and the church under that dispensation and the present, is the same, it is proper that they should still be members, unless some positive divine enactment excluding them can be found. It was a positive enactment that brought them in, nothing short of a positive divine enactment can exclude them. If the ancient members of God's Church were permitted and commanded to have their children, while in infancy, grafted into this olive tree, and the members of this church now do not enjoy that privilege, where is the command or intimation that shows that they are to be denied this privilege? None can be produced. We must then conclude that this is still their privilege. How did the primitive church view this subject? Why, from time immemorial, all the world over, whereever the banner of the cross was set up-and parents came