Change of heart: Want of Spirituality.

iary to the American Bible Society. And again we find others directing the operations of associations made up exclusively of Episcopalians, banded together for the express object of giving more extensive circulation to the word of God. In reference to the path of duty in these matters, the injunction of the Church is, "Let every one be fully persuaded in his own mind."

Upon the subject of missionary efforts, I must confess with shame, that, as a church, we have not done what we ought to have done. While our Prayer Book has ever been breathing forth a most holy and expansive missionary spirit, somehow or other we have not, till of late, inhaled that heavenly breath, but slumbered on insensible to our obligations to the pagan world. But the cry of six hundred millions of Heathen, perishing for lack of knowledge, has broken upon our ear. Several students in our theological seminaries stand pledged to go upon foreign missions. Already have two ministers of our church embarked for the shores of China. And two of our missionaries have, several years since, planted the banner of the cross amid the ruins of Grecian glory,—and are now "teaching and preaching Jesus Christ," upon those classic grounds, where once stood the proudest temples of Heathenism.*

4. Again: You may also have heard it said, that the Episcopal church does not hold to a change of heart—that there is no vital piety, or true spirituality in the bosom of her children—and that her ministers do not preach the Gospel, but merely dole out cold, dry, prosing essays upon morality.

Now, I have no doubt that the course in many instances pursued by members and ministers of the Episcopal church, has furnished too just grounds for this allegation. But oh! what a departure every such instance was, from the spirit and standards of the church! And you might just as well condemn christianity unheard and unexamined, because the Papists fell into all the monstrous errors which characterize

It may now also be added, that at our late general Convention 1885, the work of missions was declared to be the appropriate business of the church. Resolutions were passed declaring the church to be a missionary society, and every one within her communion, a member of the missionary society, and bound by the most sacred obligations to engage hear tily and vigorously in this cause.

Causes of former deadness in the church.

the pseudo-form of christianity which they have adopted, as condemn the Episcopal church because some of her ministers and members have so sadly departed from the spirit of her standards-retaining the form of godliness while they denied the power thereof. I would ask, is it not so in all churches? Were it necessary, I think I could show, that the Episcopal church is not peculiar in this. We mourn over these things in our Zion, and thank God that a better day has begun to dawn upon us.

There has existed a special reason for this deadness in the Episcopal church. This church sprung from the Church of England. It was established in this country by the Enlish. Consequently all the evils, incident to a union between church and state, were transplanted along with it. The moment the American Revolution broke us loose from the mother country, however, causes were put in operation to liberate us from those evils, which were manifestly incidental. Though in some parts of the country, even to the present time, a coldness and deadness have been perpetuated and have continued to sit upon our Zion like the incubus of death, yet now, almost every where, the church is throwing off every symptom of apathy, and putting on the vestments of strength, and standing up in the energy with which she was clad in the days of the Reformation, when she was baptised in blood, and placed herself in the thickest of the battle in protesting against papal usurpation. Every one now begins to see that the principles of our church are in most delightful harmony with the principles of a republican government.

But I will glance at each one of the particulars contained in the objection.

First, as to unsoundness in our views on the subject of a change of heart. No one can read our Articles or Prayer Book and think far a moment that there is the slightest foundation for such an accusation. If the necessity of a change of heart be not taught in the Prayer Book, it is not taught in the Bible.

Secondly, as to a want of vital piety and spiritual religion in the hearts of our communicants,- -a word here may not be amiss. I fear we do indeed fall far short of the requisitions of the Gospel. I see it, and mourn over it in myself and my people. Oh! that we did live nearer to God! Oh! that we

The liturgy truly spiritual.

had more of the spirit of Christ! I hope all other churches have far more of that heavenly spirit than we have. It would give me real pleasure to find among them more spiritu. ality, more heavenly mindedness, more devotedness to Christ, than can be found within the pale of our communion. But as far as my acquaintance extends, I am led to think that we are not alone in these sad spiritual declensions. I see precisely the same things to lament among christians of other churches. Their ministers make complaint of, and mourn over, the same evils. I fear, that in this matter, we have none of us any thing of which to boast.

And, finally, as to the neglect of clear exhibitions of Gospel truth on the part of those who dispense the word—I have no doubt there have been some grounds for this accusation in times past. The doctrines of the cross in some congrega. tions were not preached, and, very likely, were but imperfectly understood by those who attempted to guide lost and err ing sinners to heaven. There may be individual instances where this is even now the case; where men, wearing the sacred vestments, are "blind leaders of the blind." And I presume that there is not a denomination of christians in the world, of which the same thing may not be affirmed. Such instances are truly melancholy, wherever they occur. I, myself, have sometimes been to the sanctuary, and heard, from the lips of him who professed to be an ambassador for Christ, nothing about Christ or salvation. What did I say? I am mistaken. The sermon had not a solitary ray of light reflected from the cross, but the prayers that preceded it, were full of Him who was crucified on Calvary. Episcopalians have an antidote by which they can counteract the deadening influence of such spiritless pulpit exercises. They open their prayer book, and immediately feel refreshed. The strains of devotion that they find there, have an unction from the Holy One. Every word is instinct with spiritual life.

Such a style of preaching as that just adverted to, is at perfect antipodes with the doctrines and spirit of every part of our liturgy. That is full of experimental religion-full of Christ-full of the doctrines of grace-full of the breathings of the Holy Spirit. So true is this, that we have known in. stances where persons have been converted, and led to the adoption of correct doctrinal views, with no other sanctuary

The Episcopal church truly Protestant.

privileges, than our spiritual liturgy read by a 'blind leader of the blind.' The Episcopal Service not only teaches the truth, but indirectly pronounces a most severe rebuke, and stern reprimand upon the man who reads it, if afterwards in his pulpit exercises he fails to proclaim the whole counsel of God. Only think of a dull, prosing preacher, first giving utterance to the rich, and spiritual, and highly evangelical strains of devotion embodied in our Liturgy, and then doling out to the people his jejune, miserable, moral essays! Whythe contrast would be such that no one could fail to observe the difference!

5. And finally, you have probably heard it charged upon the Episcopal church, that she has strong affinities drawing her towards the Romish church. But let the well known fact stand forth in bold relief, that no church in Christendom has protested against the usurpations of the papal hierarchy, with a more steady and unyielding testimony, or at greater expense, than the Episcopal church. Hundreds of her noblest sons have sealed their testimony with their blood. Can it be said in view of such men as Cranmer, Latimer, and Ridley, going to the stake to maintain protestant principles, that the Episcopal church, favors papal Rome? Let those who thus impugn the church, look into her Articles and her Homilies, and see if there be one of the protestant churches that has taken such high and decided ground against the pestiferous doctrines of Rome, as the Episcopal church. Her very frame-work* must be taken down, and her institutions annihilated, before she can assimilate with that mother of abominations, whose character has been delineated with such wonderful accuracy by the pen of inspiration.

I wished to call your attention to some of these popular objections, and to dispose of them before I attempted to give you even a cursory view of the frame-work and peculiarities of the Episcopal church. I wish you to understand, however, most distinctly, that we have no desire to exalt the church above the Saviour. We love her for no other reason than because we love Christ, and firmly believe this church is truly

* See the 6th, 11th, 14th, 18th, 19th, 22d, 24th, 25th, 28th, 29th, 30th, 31st, 32d Articles of the Episcopal Church, all of which are constructed with a special reference to counteract some error of Popery.

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Episcopal church will bear examination.

his spouse. Those institutions and arrangements connected with the church, which are of human appointment, unques. tionably partake more or less of human imperfection. Her members and ministers are only frail men, and are, unquestionably, as liable to go astray as other christians. I ask you to judge of the church from an examination of her stan dards.

If she does not hold all the great doctrines of the cross in their integrity-if she does not exalt the Saviour, and make him all in all—if she does not place before her children a high standard of holiness-if she is not obviously that church which Christ bought with his blood, then I will not ask you to give to her any countenance. But if the Episcopal church can bear the test of the most rigid examination, and commend herself more and more to those who will take the trouble to look into her peculiarities, I am sure you will not regret the trouble of the investigation to which I invite you.

I will now proceed to give you a cursory view of the distinctive features of our church, and leave you to judge whether we can claim for it a scriptural and apostolic origin or not." The conclusion of this communication will be found in the next chapter.