path now cautioned against; and have gradually settled down, if not in known hypocrisy; yet, in a cast of conversation and of conduct, necessary for the maintaining of consistency; but not sufficiently distant from the pharisaical character held out to our disapprobation in the Gospel. For the avoiding of misapplication of the distinction, and for the securing of correct conduct in relation to it, the direct course, is to open "the whole counsel of God;" which requires the insisting on faith and on morals, in their bearings on one another; that is, the constituent doctrines of the Gospel should be opened, with their influence on the life and conversation; and the graces of the Gospel should be displayed, in accompaniment with the motives which arise from the disclosures of Gospel truth. These matters are associated in Scripture, and they cannot be disjoined, without dereliction of our trust. It is to be lamented of some religious persons, that, without being chargeable with doctrinal error, they commend evangelical preaching in such a manner, as tends indirectly to the disparagement of morals: the word being here understood not as limited to act, but as comprehending the cast of character of the inward man. It is in many cases a great snare. For while there are some immoralities, the temptations to which are sufficiently guarded against by the profession of religion, and by the view of sustaining it before the world; there are certain malignant movements of the mind, not only so, there are certain covert species of lying, and even of fraud, within the limits of the laws, which enter, at least as much as the more open sins, into the composition of that "carnal mind" which is "enmity against God." Now, it is possible to insist on the insufficiency of moral conduct in such a manner, as that the matters taught may be strictly true, and yet the hearers shall be exposed to the danger intimated where it is said of the enemy of souls-"We are not ignorant of his devices." It would be similar, if a man, sustaining the sanctity of Christian morals, should announce, as he well may, that, without due regard VOL. VI. to them, no acknowledgment of Christian doctrine will avail; and if this should be a subject of habitual declamation with him, not attended by sufficient care against misconstruction. In such a case it might reasonably be concluded, that while he avoids the contradicting of the truths of Scripture, he has no deep sense of their importance; and that he designs to render them of little value in the estimation of his hearers. The principle may also be illustrated with a reference to our Liturgy. Nothing can be more true, or more worthy of being taught, than that forms of prayer, without the spirit of it, are of no avail in the sight of God. Yet, if a minister make this a favourite theme, and always with a bearing on the prescribed service; not guarded by the intimation, that formality may attach to devotions of any description; it is impossible, but that in the minds of hearers whose attention is chained to his instructions, and with whom he is perhaps a sort of oracle, there will ensue an ideal association, between our Liturgy and deadness to the life and power of godliness. Such may be the abuse of truth in a partial view of it. In a return to the subject, let it be remarked, that the discourses of our Saviour abound with lessons of morality: not indeed as a mere regulation of manners, but as the issue of religious graces in the mind. And, indeed, what we justly censure under the name of mere moral preaching, while it is barren of the constituent doctrines of the Gospel, is also defective in its want of tendency to interest the affections. But that Christian morality, in its extent, falls short of the design of its being preached, is owing, not to its being wanting in any particular necessary to the perfection of being, but to the condition of human nature. The whole end of the Gospel is satisfied, in its bringing of men to "live soberly, righteously, and godlily, in this present world." But to accomplish this, it must be taken in connexion with "the grace of God, that bringeth salvation." Thus, the whole body of divine truth is addressed to us as sinful beings, who have need of the mercy of God; and, 36 It is not an object of this address, to go extensively into a delineation of the duties of the ministry: the sentiments presented being merely accommodated to the design intimated in the beginning. But it will not be thought unsuitable to the stand here occupied, to press on the consciences of the students, most earnestly and affectionately, that during the course on which they have entered, they may look well to the discipline of their hearts. This can only be by ha bitual prayer, and by constant recourse to God for the supplies of his Holy Spirit. During intermission of this, there can be no reliance on any strength of understanding, even when aided by any extent of useful reading, for the being grounded in "the truth as it is in Jesus." It is not, that in such a case, there is the want of a kind of inspiration otherwise to be expected, but because of the vitiating influence of our frailties. While the prominent place is thus assigned to religious culture, let it not be thought a dispensing with a sufficiency of literary information. It is a fact too notorious to be concealed, that our Church has suffered from some admissions to the ministry, without sufficient time and a due course of preparatory study. This was the result of the state, almost approaching to annihilation, in which our ministry was left by the War of the Revolution. It will rest with our young hearers, and with those who shall join or come after them in the classes, to raise the reputation of our communion in this particular. We live at a time, when there is an extraordinary excitement to religious inquiries; and, when a minister of the Gos pel is more than ever liable to be assailed by infidels; and by professors of Christianity, under forms materially different, as we think, from that of "the faith once delivered unto the saints." If he should be unequal to such occasions, truth must suffer fromhis inability to sustain it. Young Men, To him who now addresses you, it is a source of consolation to find brighter prospects opening on him; although he cannot expect to see them realized in any considerable degree: and that you who now listen to him may contribute your respective shares to the extension of the influence of true religion, is his wish, and will be the subject of his prayers. [The foregoing address was procured and handed to us for publication at the request of several of the Trustees and others who were present at its delivery; and, since that time, the following resolution in relation to the same has been passed at a meeting of the Board of Professors.] General Theological Seminary of the At a meeting of the Faculty of the Protestant, Episcopal Church in the United States of America, held in the Recitation Room of the said Seminary, on Monday, November 18th, 1822, since the examination in July last, the being the first meeting of the Faculty following resolution was unanimously passed: Faculty be presented to the Right Rev. "Resolved, That the thanks of the Bishop White, for the address delivered by him before the officers and students of the Seminary, at the late examination; by which, as well as by his prefested the interest which he takes in the sence on that occasion, he fully maniwelfare of the institution; and that he be requested to furnish a copy of the address for publication." (From the Gospel Advocate, for Sept. 1822.) Concordate, or Bond of Union, between the Catholic remainder of the ancient Church of Scotland and the Church of Connecticut. Ir will perhaps be recollected by ber for March, 1821, we republished, some of our readers, that, in our numfrom the Churchman's Magazine, the address of the Scottish Bishops, "to the Episcopal Clergy in Connecticut." In that address, mention is made of "a * See Christian Journal for June 1821, p. 187, Concordate drawn up and signed by the The original copy is in the possession of the Bishop's son, the Rev. Charles Seabury, rector of Caroline Church, Setauket, Long-Island, and has been lately seen by the gentleman who gives us this information-Ed, C.J. my power to enclose for you a correct copy of the Concordate which you mention as likely to prove a very ac ceptable present. This interesting document forms a pleasing record of the perfect harmony and unanimity which subsisted between the Bishops of our Church at that time, and the worthy Bishop Seabury; and distinctly proves the soundness of their sentiments and opinions on the most important points of theology. The circumstances of our Church are indeed considerably altered since that period; a change for the better, which is in a great measure to be ascribed to the part which its governors took in contributing to lay the foundation of your American Church, By this means they were made known to some of these worthy friends in England, through whose benevolent exertions we were relieved from the severe penalties of legal restriction, under which our pious predecessors had been so long depressed: and although, in. point of numbers, we are greatly inferior to our Presbyterian and Sectarian countrymen, yet, in the respectability and rank of our members, we are, to say the least, fully on a level with the establishment. Those anomalous intruders of English or Irish ordination of whom the Concordate complains in such very severe terms, are now reduced to a very few congregations, not above six or seven in the whole kingdom; and in no long time there will ot, I hope, be any in Scotland, professing themselves Episcopalians, who are not really such by submitting themselves to the spiritual authority of their indigenous Bishops.". IN THE NAME OF THE HOLY AND UNDIVIDED TRINITY, AMEN. The wise and gracious providence of this merciful God, having put it into the hearts of the Christians of the Episcopal persuasion in Connecticut, in North-America, to desire that the blessings of a free, valid, and purely ecclesiastical episcopacy might be communicated to them, and a Church regu larly formed in that part of the western world upon the most ancient and primitive model: and application having been made for this purpose by the Rev. Dr. Samuel Seabury, presbyter in Connecticut, to the Right Rev. the Bishops of the Church in Scotland; the said Bishops having taken this proposal into their serious consideration, most heartily concurred to promote and encourage the same, as far as lay in their power, and accordingly began the pious and good work recommended to them, by complying with the request of the clergy in Connecticut, and advancing the said Dr. Samuel Seabury to the high order of the episcopate; at the same time earnestly praying that this work of the Lord, thus happily begun, might prosper in his hands, till it should please the great and glorious Head of the Church to increase the number of Bishops in America, and send forth more such labourers into that part of his harvest. Animated with this pious hope, and earnestly desirous to establish a bond of peace and holy communion between the two Churches, the Bishops of the Church in Scotland, whose names are under written, having had full and free conference with Bishop Seabury, after his consecration and advancement as aforesaid, agreed with him on the following articles, which are to serve as a CONCORDATE, or BOND OF UNION, between the Catholic remainder of the ancient Church of Scotland, and the now rising Church in Connecticut: ARTICLE I.-They agree in thankfully receiving, and humbly and heartily embracing the whole doctrine of the Gospel, as revealed and set forth in the Holy Scriptures: and it is their earnest and united desire to maintain the analogy of the common faith once delivered to the saints, and happily preserved in the Church of Christ, through his Divine power and protection, who promised that the gates of hell should never prevail against it. ART. II. They agree in believing this Church to be the mystical body of Christ, of which he alone is the Head and Supreme Governor; and that under him the chief ministers or managers of the affairs of this spiritual society are those called Bishops, whose exercise of this sacred office being independent on all lay powers, it follows of consequence that their spiritual authority and jurisdiction cannot be affected by any lay deprivation. ART. III. They agree in declaring that the Episcopal Church in Connec ticut is to be in full communion with the Episcopal Church in Scotland, it being their sincere resolution to put matters on such a footing, as that the members of both Churches may with freedom and safety communicate with either, when their occasions call them from the one country to the other: only taking care, when in Scotland, not to hold communion in sacred offices with those persons who, under the pretence of ordinatlon by an English or Irish Bishop, do or shall take upon them to of ficiate as clergymen in any part of the National Church of Scotland; and whom the Scottish Bishops cannot help looking upon as schismatical intruders, designed only to answer worldly purposes, and uncommissioned disturbers of the poor remains of that once flourishing Church, which both their predecessors and they have, under many difficulties, laboured to preserve pure and uncorrupted to future ages. ART. IV. With a view to this salutary purpose, mentioned in the preceding article, they agree in desiring, that there may be as near a conformity in worship and discipline established between the two Churches, as is consistent with the different circumstances and customs of nations; and in order to avoid any bad effects that might otherwise arise from political differences, they hereby express their earnest wish and firm intention to observe such prudent generality in their public prayers, with respect to these points, as shall appear most agreeable to apostolic rules, and the practice of the primitive Church. ART. V. As the celebration of the Holy Eucharist, or the administration of the sacrament of the body and blood of Christ, is the principal bond of union among Christians, as well as the most solemn act of worship in the Christian Church, the Bishops aforesaid agree in desiring, that there may be as little va riance here as possible. And, though the Scottish Bishops are very far from prescribing to their brethren in this matter, they cannot help ardently wishing, that Bishop Seabury would endeavour all he can, consistently with peace and prudence, to make the celebration of this venerable mystery conformable to the most primitive doctrine and prac tice in that respect, which is the pattern the Church of Scotland has copied after in her communion office, and which it has been the wish of some of the most eminent divines of the Church of England that she also had more closely followed, than she seems to have done, since she gave up her first reformed Liturgy used in the reign of King Edward VI.; between which and the form used in the Church of Scot pure and upright in their intentions, In testimony of their love to which, Sic subscribitur, (L. s.) ROBERT KILGOUR, Bp.& Primus. · Account of the first institution of Mis- land, there is no difference in any point, ART. VI. It is also hereby agreed and resolved upon, for the better answering the purposes of this Concordate, that a brotherly fellowship be henceforth maintained between the Episcopal Churches in Scotland and Connecticut, and such a mutual intercourse of ecclesiastic correspondence carried on, when opportunity offers, or necessity requires, as may tend to the support and edification of both Churches. ART. VII.-The Bishops aforesaid do hereby jointly declare, in the most solemn manner, that in the whole of this transaction they have nothing else. in view but the glory of God, and the good of his Church; and being thus It was in the last calamitous war, in the year 1815, that the spirit of missions struck its first roots in the hearts of some Christian friends at Basle, in Switzerland. In this eventful year, a Russian army encamped on one side of our town; and, on the other side, the fortress of Hunigen began to pour out a dreadful torrent of bombs against our dwellings. In these sorrowful moments, the Lord of the elements sent a very As this is the copy of the Concordate in possession of the Bishops of the Church of Scotland, the signature of Bishop Seabury is properly put last; but we presume that in the copy sent to the Church of Connecticut, Bishop Seabury signed first, and the Scottish Bishops. last; this interchangeable mode of signature being customary in all agreements between equal parties. [The signatures in the original copy brought over by Bishop Seabury, are in the same order as printed above.-Ed. C. J.] |