and idolatrous world, but they must Some Quotations from the Rev. Mr. also come out and be separate from Baxter. Messrs. EDITOrs, IN In your last number I observe a piece with the title "Gleanings," in which there are extracts from that eminent Puritan divine, Richard Baxter. The subject of those extracts was the rights of conscience; and the writer who sends them to your Journal thinks, that in pleading those rights there is often a degree of "self" in the form of latent pride. I was the other day looking over the same work of Mr. Baxter, and found several passages which express very nearly the same opinion: and the object of this communication is to offer you these passages for publication, should you deem them worthy of it. The paragraphs I send you from this work, were doubtless aimed by Mr. Baxter, like those contained in the article Gleanings, against the wilder sectaries; while it seems never to have occurred to his thoughts, that the church had but to borrow his ammunition for his own complete discomfiture. Mr. B. is describing the " signs of pride ;" and the following occur, among numerous others : "A proud man is unsatisfied with his standing in communion with the church of Christ, and is either ambitiously aspiring to a dominion over it, or is inclined to a separation from it: they are too good to stand on even ground with their brethren: if they may be teachers or rulers, they can approve the constitution of the church; but otherwise, it is too bad for them to have communion with: they must be of some more refined or elevated society. They are not content to come out and be separate from the infidel VOL. X. the churches of Christ; consisting of men that make a credible profession of faith and godliness. They think it not enough to forbear sin themselves, and to have no fellowship with the works of darkness, but reprove them; nor to separate from men as they se parate from Christ, but they will also separate from them in their duty, and odiously aggravate every imperfection, and fill the church of Christ with clamours and contentions, and break it into fractions by their schisms; and this not for any true reformation or edifying of the body, (for how can division edify it?) but to tell the world that they account themselves more holy than the church. Thus Christ himself was quarrelled with as unholy by the Pharisees, for eating with publicans and sinners; and his disciples, for not washing before meat and observing the traditions of the elders, and for rubbing out corn to eat on the Sabbath day: and they that will not be strict in their conformity to Christ, will be righteous overmuch, and stricter than Christ would have them be, where pride commandeth it; they will be of the strictest party and opinions, and make opinions and parties that are stricter than God's command; and run into errors and schisms, that they may be singular, from the general commu nion of the church: and will be of a lesser [flock] than Christ's little flock." P. 190. To me it appears strange, nay, almost unaccountable, that, with such instruction, the Puritans should have become separatists. One can scarcely believe that Mr. Baxter himself should sanction their doing so by his own example! Were the rights of conscience concerned? or was it only what Mr. 29 1 226 Baxter has termed "pride"- "A prouď man is apt to overvalue his own knowledge, and to be much unacquainted with his ignorance; he is much more sensible of what he know eth, than how much he is wanting of what he ought to know: he thinks himself fit to contradict the ablest divine, when he hath scarce so much knowledge as will save his soul. If he have but some smattering, to enable him to talk confidently of what he understandeth not, he thinks himself fittest for the chair; and is elevated to a pugnacious courage, and thinks he is able to dispute with any man; and constantly gives himself the victory. If it be a woman that hath gathered up a few receipts, she thinketh herself fit to be a physician, and ventures the lives of dearest friends upon her igno rant skilfulness; when seven years study more is necessary to make such novices know how little they know, and how much is utterly unknown to them; and seven years more to give them an encouraging taste of knowledge: yet pride makes them doctors in divinity and physic by its mandamus, without so much ado: and as they commenced so they practise, in the dark; and to save the labour of so long studies, can spare, and gravely deride that knowledge which they can not get at cheaper rates. And no wonder, when it is the nature of pride and ignorance to cause the birth and increase of each other. der for an ignorant person to be humIt were a wonble, when he knoweth not what abundance of excellent truths are still unknown to him, nor what difficulties there are in every controversy, which he never saw. learned, holy divines, would go many How many studious, thousand miles (if that would serve) to be well resolved of many doubts in the mysteries of Providence, decrees, redemption, grace, free-will, and many the like, and that after twenty or forty years study; when I can take them a boy or a woman in the streets, that can [No. &. words, and pity the ignorance or error duced the ". "lesser sects." pride in that larger sect or church Was there then no which he calls dissenters ?" he of them as learners and disciples of Christ: quar pleas of conscience, in behalf of error, which the individual affected does not see in their true light, and will not take ́ pains to understand more correctly. I cannot think myself guilty of any breach of Christian charity, when I wish all thus deluded to perceive, with Mr. Bax Admirable maxims, I think. And yet the individual who penned them, and his compeers, were guilty of en-couraging the very fault here condemned: they set the people upon criticising their teachers in the established church, that they might be drawn within the pale of dissent. Can it be quester, that to follow a conscience in error tioned, that this class of teachers stirred up multitudes of the weak and ignorant against their mother church, and called the objections thus created those of conscience? Yet in what did such a conscience differ from the pride which is pourtrayed, by Mr. Baxter, in the last extract? I would not willingly make offensive remarks; yet I cannot but agree with Gleanings, that there is much of self, though in a latent form-and with Mr. Baxter, that there is much pride [I mean, hidden pride] in the case of many of those who are most earnest for the rights of conscience. The cause of truth will be essentially promoted by exposing the incorrect views of this subject too génerally entertained. For, the reformation from Popery, and a sound profession of the Gospel, were, and are still based on the genuine rights of conscience; and to preserve these, the pretended rights of conscience ought to be stripped of their veil, Let the pretended rights be once abandoned, let self and pride be once detected and quelled; and conscience will have much less difficulty in perceiving its true rights, and in learning the truth and acting in accordance with its dic tates. The deceptiveness of the heart renders a candid investigation and a true understanding of this matter very necessary. The heart may be wrongly affected towards the truth by causes of which a man is scarcely sensible; most fanatics have an overrunning measure of self-conceit, yet it would be very hard to convince them of it. This is the kind of pride of which I speak-a latent pride, wearing the disguise of conscience. If the person knew that he was proud and opinionated, yet pretended conscience, he would be a wilful hypocrite. With such hypocrisy I am not at present concerned; but with those is sin-whatever they may think to the contrary. Saul of Tarsus "obtained mercy" for opposing the church "ignorantly, in unbelief:" it was as strong a case of the rights of conscience" as need be supposed: yet he never justi- ' fred his course on that plea: no, when he acknowledged the "mercy" he had obtained, he, by so doing, acknowledged his sin; for, if conscience alone could have justified him, he would not have needed "mercy" I am very respectfully Your obedient servant, Bishop Ravenscroft's Charge, deliver- THE important interests to which your attention has been directed during the session of this convention, are calculated to engage the most earnest endeavours, that the counsels agreed upon for the advancement of the church and the kingdom of the Redeemer, should be successful. But to this end, it is not only necessary that the measures directed by this body should be correct in principle, and required by the interests of the church, but practically attainable also by the reasonable ability of the members. That such is the character of the resolutions you have now come to, must be evident to all who consider the magnitude of the objects to be attained, with the means which are at the reasonable disposal of the representatives of the church. Past experience, however, teaches us, that neither the necessity or the advantage of a particular measure, nor yet the ability to carry it into effect, are in themselves sufficient to ensure general co-operation. The convention of the church, though the proper re presentative of the particular congregations comprising it, and in fact a legislative body; yet, as it is clothed with no coercive power, is liable to find its best devised and best intended measures paralyzed, if not altogether defeated, by the negligence or indifference of its constituents. That this every way indefensible, and, if much longer continued, most ruinous state of insubordination to the fundamental principle of all regularly associated bodies, is, in our particular case, my brethren, the consequence of inconsideration in some, and want of proper information in others, I am well persuaded, and am, therefore, induced to give my annual charge to the diocese such a direction as may tend to obviate this evil, by laying before the members of the church such a plain, yet concise view of the popular nature of our frame of ecclesiastical government, as shall tend to engage and secure the ready concurrence and co-operation of all our members in favour of the measures agreed upon, either for particular or general good, by the regularly elected representatives of the particular congregations and of the diocese at large. The first delegation of power and authority by the members individually, is that committed to the vestries of each particular congregation. These are bodies of men varying in number according to the constitution of particular dioceses, but most commonly limited to twelve, annually chosen by a majority of the votes of each particular congre. gation, and form, as it were, the legislative council of the parish or congregation by which they are elected. To the vestries it appertains to direct and transact the secular concerns of the congregation; to assess and collect the pecuniary contributions required of the members; to appoint the delegates to the diocesan conventions; to elect the church-wardens out of their own body; and to act as counsellors and assessors with their clergyman, if required, in cases of discipline, and other matters of common concern. They are also required to keep a regular record of the members of the congregation; of the marriages, baptisms, and burials in the congregation; and to enter a statement of their proceedings at every meeting. To the church-wardens it more especially belongs, to take care of the church buildings; of the communion plate, books, and vestnients; to provide the elements for the holy communion, at the common expense; to maintain order and decorum during public worship; and to regulate the necessary provision for the poor of the parish. it is their duty also, in the absence, or at the desire of the minister, to preside, according to seniority of appointment, at all meetings of the vestry; to direct the entries to be made by the secretary, according to the determination of the majority; to sign the proceedings of each meeting; and to certify all extracts from the records, particularly all certificates of delegation to the diocesan conventions. From this brief view of the appointment and purpose of vestries, it must be evident, I think, that provision is made for the administration of parochial affairs upon the most popular model compatible with order and effect. The vestrymen being themselves members of the congregation, must be intimately acquainted with the condition and circumstances of their constituents; and as they must themselves be affected, in a proportional degree, by the resolves of the vestry, every security is obtained that nothing like oppression or injustice towards the rest of the members will be attempted. But even if such a case should occur, the congregation retains the remedy in their own hands, in the annual elections. The next delegation of power and authority from the members of the church, is that which is exercised, me diately through the vestries, in the appointment of lay delegates to the diocesan conventions. These bodies are to the diocese at large, what the particular vestries are to the several congregations composing them; the only difference between them being that which arises from the charge and management of general and particular interests, and the conse quently superior importance of their determinations. To the diocesan conventions, and of course to this body as such, it appertains to consult and provide for the general interests of the diocese; to enact, amend, or repeal canons or laws ecclesiastical, for the regulation of the members at large; to elect the bishop; to appoint the standing committee, or council of advice for the bishop; to choose the clerical and lay delegates to represent the diocese in the triennial conventions of the general church in these United States; and to assess and regulate the pecuniary contributions which are required for the general interests. And as the particular vestries are the organs through which the enactments of the diocesan conventions ̈are carried into effect, so are the diocesan conventions also the organs whereby the General Convention fulfils its still higher and more comprehensive duties. Through these, as links in the chain, the frame of our ecclesiastical government is compacted together by joints and bands which are essentially popular. It is based upon the will of the majority of the members, personally exercised in the immediate election of the vestries, and it returns to them again in the annual control which they retain over those elections; and that they may act with judgment on their affairs, provision is made for their full information, by the public manner in which the conventions hold their sessions, and by the general dissemination of the annual journal of their proceedings. With a frame of ecclesiastical government as directly assimilated to, and equally congenial with the civil institutions of our country, as that of any other known religious denomination in it, Episcopalians may surely be permitted to express their sorrow, that so persevering an effort should have been made to impress upon the public mind the false and unfounded persuasion, that the principles of their government, and the tenets of their religious belief, are alike hostile to the free and happy institutions of this favoured land; and to indulge the hope, that both those who circulate, and those who receive so injurious and uncharit. able a misrepresentation, will at least take the pains to be more truly informed. As, however, this remainder of a most unhappy prejudice has been widely spread and long entertained, I feel it due to the interests committed to me, to show farther, that in the administration of the frame of government adopted by the Protestant Episcopal Church in these United States, nothing contrary to the will of the individual members of the church, expressed by a majority of their representatives, can be forced upon them. Every bishop is elected by the votes of the clergy and laity of the diocese assembled in convention; every pastor of a particular parish or congregation is called to the charge by the vestry of the parish; and the vestry being elected by the members themselves, every precaution is taken, that as the whole is instituted for the common benefit, common consent shall be the basis from which all necessary power and authority to administer the system with advantage and effect shall spring. Nothing des potic, nothing unregulated by laws passed by the representatives of the members of the church, is admitted in the constitution of the Protestant Epis copal Church. Even the bishop is only an executive officer, restrained and directed by express canons in the exercise of the authority committed to him; the only absolute power possessed by him being that of a negative nature, and this confined to matters purely conscientious; such as the refusal to admit a candidate for ordination, although recommended by the examiners as, in their judgment, qualified to receive orders, and cases of a like nature. A bishop can neither suspend, displace, or degrade a clergyman, otherwise than as the carons direct. Nor can a clergyman exercise the discipline of the church upon a communicant, except according to the rubrics and canons, and ultimately liable to the decision of the bishop, to whom, in every such case, an appeal lies. Every security being thus taken against the oppressive exercise of the authority confided to the different officers who are appointed to administer its affairs, and no authority being conferred but what is absolutely necessary |