The delectable mountains: port the reader to some such chamber as that in which Pilgrim was lodged, whose window looked out over the towers, and palaces, and bulwarks of Zion: or to the top of that stately palace, where he beheld the delectable mountains, which were a part of Emanuel's land, and were beautified with woods and vineyards, and every description of fruits; with perennial flowers, and orchards, and fountains of water. But as we possess no such magic gift, we must be content to go along in the plain beaten path, which leads round about Zion, and form our opinion of this mountain of the Lord, from the successive views which we take of it. As I have alluded to Bunyan's Christian, in his journey to Mount Zion, I will add, that what he saw in his walk, may help us to form some idea of what we ought to look for, in our proposed ramble. May the Lord grant that our walk may resemble that of Christian and his friends, "when their way lay just upon the bank of the river of life. There they walked with great delight. They drank also of the water of the river, which was pleasant, and enlivening to their weary spirits. On the banks of the river on either side, were green trees for all manner of fruit; on either side of the river, was also a meadow curiously beautified with lillies, and it was green all the year long. In this meadow, they lay down and slept; for here they might lie down safely. When they awoke, they gathered again of the fruit of the trees, and drank again of the water of the river, and then lay down again to sleep. Thus they did several days and nights.-Then they sang: Behold ye, how these crystal streams do glide, What pleasant fruit, yea, leaves, these trees do yield, Our humble prayer to God for the reader and ourselves is, that while we attempt to walk about Zion, we may be led by the great Shepherd of Israel; and that whatever may be the result of this walk, we may be able at every step in our future pilgrimage, to say with one of old-The Lord is my shepherd: I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures; he leadeth me beside the still waters. He Letter of an Episcopal Clergyman. restoreth my soul; he leadeth me in the path of righteousness for his name sake. It has been already intimated, that it was not our design to follow any preconcerted or systematic plan in the walk be fore us, but to enter just such avenues, and pursue just such paths, as happened at the moment to be open before us, still, however, keeping on in our course round about Zion, till we had seen her towers, and palaces, and bulwarks, from so many points, that we might form a just and true idea of the whole, and tell it to the generation following. If, in the view of any, it be considered a defect in the present work, that the various subjects touched upon, are not discussed with any special reference to dialectical order, it may also, perhaps, be regarded as an advantage that will, in some measure, compensate for this defect, that the materials, of which this volume is composed, coming from several different pens, and written in the familiar style of epistolary communication, will have something of the ease and freeness of colloquial discourse. The following communication will call the attention of the reader to several points of interest, which it will be our business to examine and survey more minutely, as we pass on, and look at them from other positions. This letter was written by an Episcopal Clergyman to a friend, attached to another denomination, who had requested of him some account of the Episcopal Church: "Dear Friend: In reply to your communication, requesting of me some account of the peculiarities of the Episcopal Church, and proposing several queries in relation to its scriptural character, I would say, that it gives me great pleasure to furnish you with the information you desire. But before I touch on the subject of the Episcopal Church, let me look up to our great and adorable Redeemer, and entreat him to illumine my understanding with the brightness of his own eternal truth, and to fill my heart with the influence of his holy spirit-that my perceptions may not be clouded by prejudice, nor my feelings embittered by bigotry-that in this whole communication, I may not write a line or word, "That dying, I would wish to blot.” Archbishop Leighton: Tendency of controversy. I am aware how apt, even good and holy men are, in vindicating their own peculiar denominational views, to become inflamed with a spirit of sectarianism. How well it would be, if all ministers were living so continually under the sweet, gentle, serene breathings of the Holy Spirit, that what is said of Archbishop Leighton could be affirmed of them. Such was his kindness, and gentleness, and tenderness of heart and manners, that it is said, "He would not have handled a rose-bud too roughly; a terrified bird would have flown to his bosom." Oh! that we had among us vastly more numerous and multiplied exhibitions of such patience, meekness, compassion, and sweet and affectionate mildness! But how often, when we begin to speak of our own particular church, does a deadly blight come over all the kindly feelings of the heart—and the lovely spirit of the gospel droops and expires beneath the scorching heat of sectarian zeal! I have often witnessed, and wept over, instances of this kind. I have been shocked to see those who ministered at the altar, desecrating the sanctuary of God by the violence of sectarian feeling, and by thundering forth, from amid sacred things, war and wrath upon their christian brethren who differed from them in some minor and unessential points: and the thought then occurred to me-how very different will those men feel, when they come to stand before the bar of Christ! I fully believe there is an essential and everlasting diffe rence between truth and error, and that all christians ought to contend earnestly for the truth. Yet should they seek to do it in a spirit of love and kindness towards those who hold error. My earnest prayer to God is, that I may say nothing in this communication that will savor of sectarian bigotry. I am an Episcopalian; and one from conscientious conviction. I am just as much convinced that the primitive church was Episcopal, as that the church was established at Jerusalem, Antioch, and Ephesus. In my view, the whole testimony of antiquity is on this side of the question. But were not this the case, had the Episcopal Church no better claim to an apostolic origin than other protestant churches, I should be an Episcopalian. The idea is rife in some places, and with some people, that Episcopalians, and especially the more spiritual part of them, are really ashamed of many things connected with their Erroneous impressions: Prayer meetings. church, but that they continue to adhere to those things because they are so time-honored, and bear upon them the sacred seal of antiquity. The idea is indeed current among many, that the only defence that Episcopalians think of setting up for their church, is its antiquity. Now let me say, that these ideas are wide from the truth. Were it revealed from Heaven, that Christ did not establish in the beginning, any particular form of church government-that he left it to the christians of each age, to give it what form they thought most expedient, Episcopalians would, nevertheless, give a decided preference to the present form of their church, over all others. They believe that, on the ground of mere expediency, the very best mode of propagating christianity in the world, is through a christian body constituted as the Episcopal Church is. I will presently glance at some of the peculiarities of our church, and give you a reason for them. Let me first, however, remove from your mind some false impressions that may be there. To form an idea of what the Episcopal Church is, you must not receive this or that man's opinion, whether he calls himself an Episcopalian or not, but you must learn, what the Church is, by consulting her Articles, Homilies, Prayer-Book, and Canons.-These are her standards. Various objections are often raised against the church, based upon entirely false premises. I will briefly advert to some of these. 1. You may have heard it said that the church is opposed to prayer-meetings; or at all events, to the use of extemporary prayer in social meetings. This is not so. The church has never legislated upon this subject. She goes upon the liberal principle of allowing her ministers to pursue that course in relation to this matter, which they think will tend most to spiritual advancement, and the cultivation of a sound and enlightened piety. Bishop Griswold, in his "Remarks on Prayer Meetings"a work well worthy of an attentive perusal, on account of the candor and delightful christian spirit, that pervade it, says "Laymen may conscientiously, with the rules and usages of Episcopalians, pray before any number of people in public or in private. If a clergyman be present, they should not lead the devotion in a church, or in a prayer meet Extemporary prayer: Dr. Bedell. ing, but at his request, or with his approbation. Their praying in these meetings extempore is no infringement of any rubric or canon. There are, frequently, occasions when propriety, and the interests of religion, and the honor of the church, all require that other prayers than those in our Prayer Book, should be used."*-These last remarks of course apply to other occasions than those of ordinary public worship. Some Episcopal clergymen do, undoubtedly, sincerely think, that prayer meetings are attended with many evils, and they, of course, oppose the introduction of them into their own churches. Others there are, who believe that they are a powerful means of keeping alive a spirit of piety and zeal among the members of the church. They, therefore, do all that they can in their own congregation to countenance and encourage prayer meetings. Thus, the church wisely leaves this matter to the discretion of every minister, taking it for granted, that he will act conscientiously, and do what he supposes will tend most to the glory of God, and the good of souls. The same remark may be made in relation to the use of extemporary prayer in social meetings.-Some prefer a form, and others think that the ends of devotion on these occasions, can be attained by giving utterance to their thoughts in the words that present themselves to their minds at the moment. I might adduce numerous instances, where clergymen of the Episcopal Church, who were thoroughly attached to the Liturgy, have been in the habit of promoting prayer meetings, in which the services were conducted altogether without a form. A case in point now occurs to me, and will illustrate my meaning. The biographer of Dr. Bedell, “whose praise is in all the churches," remarks of this distinguished and worthy minister of our church, that "no clergyman of the church more highly valued the Liturgy than he, and no one could be more regular in its use, as the form of public worship for the church. But, upon private occasions, and in meetings for social worship, he felt himself at liberty, and this liberty he always used, to lead the worship of others without a form." * Remarks on Prayer meetings, p. 61. See also chap. 7th, 8th, and 9th. |