Trusting to your good sense and love of right, I shall address your judgment and self-respect, treating you as young men of principle, whenever it may be necessary to take cognizance of any infraction of the laws. To the simple exercise of authority I shall never resort, except when no other course is open. I give you my hand in pledge of sincere devotion to your highest interests, and my heart would ever confide in your integrity and manliness. May the ties that shall be formed by daily intercourse here, increase in strength with advancing life, and unite us in the bonds of a sacred friendship that death alone

can sever.

Franklin and Marshall College, }

E. V. G.

ART. III. THE QUESTION OF THE DAY, IN THE PROTESTANT EPISCOPAL CHURCH.

AMONG the very interesting and important subjects, now engaging particular attention in the Episcopal Church, that which has most prominence, and which, from a general solicitude with regard to it, has been called the question of the day, is that of increasing the efficiency of the Church among the masses. A fumber of questions in the recent circular of the Commission of Bishops, invite a contemplation of the subject in a variety of bearings. And the venerable authors of them are, most properly, far from understanding by the masses (an expression which they do not here use) any particular classes of society. They contemplate all classes and avocations, for the interests of which present ecclesiastical provisions may seem to need some extended adaptation. All the points involved

concern every Christian denomination, which has not an overweening confidence in its own perfect and thoroughly furnished adaptation to the mission of converting the world. And where is there one, which does not require other appliances than it now wields, to grapple with the peculiar difficulties besetting the Church of Christ in these days,-to say nothing of the increase of those difficulties, at a rate of progress, of which the superficial Christianity of the time is unable to take due cognizance?

There are two branches of inquiry, as to ministerial efficiency, on which we here offer some observations, designed to be rather suggestive of reflection, than either instructive or controversial; and these mainly in the direction marked out by certain of the questions in the circular referred to. One of these branches, which may be indicated as charitable ministration, we shall attempt presently, as connected with the question: "How can the influence of our ministry be made to reach the multitudes?" * * * * The other comprises the kindred subjects of preaching and influence on Churchattendance, the consideration of which, first of all, we propose in connection with the following questions (the second, eleventh, and twelfth, in the first series :)

"Could any change be advantageously made in the prevalent character of our preaching? If yea, state what, and by what means. What modes of instruction, besides sermons from the pulpit, have you found specially beneficial and effective?"

"Ought not young men to be seen in our churches in much larger number? Please to suggest means."

"How can the proper influence of our Church over men engrossed in business be secured?"

We do not attempt specific replies to these questions, but merely take notes on their collective topics.

1. Sermons are in general too long. Their usual length not only is an impediment to a sustained interest in them, but contributes less than anything to agreeable associations, in the minds of the many, with an attendance on divine service; particularly among young people, who cannot but connect such occasions less with the idea of privilege than with that of im

posed discipline. But of course there are occasions, when a subject requires, that a discourse upon it should be a kind of treatise in its way.

The causes of lengthy preaching in ordinary cases seem to be these. One is, that professional culture in this department is rather unfavorable to the compression of matter. Another is, that, lengthy discourses being in vogue, most preachers would rather not risk the appearance of having but little to say, or of being supposed to treat lightly the office of preaching, or to be seemingly doing less work than their fellow-laborers in this form,-it being but too probable that the work of the study, as such, will be popularly rated as much with reference to the quantity produced, as to any other grounds of estimate.

It can hardly be denied, that the several departments of public speaking-certainly the pulpit, and the halls of legislation-exemplify a more than proportionate cultivation of dif fusiveness. It is a natural result of the almost universal policy in education, to task the faculties with discussion or with composition, antecedently to the possession of a store of ideas. The aim, in these early efforts, is to acquire a facility in finding something to say,-as if writers and speakers do not find that out soon enough, and if, on occasions of duty, anything should be found which is not suggested by the business or subject in hand.

2. Our academic culture tends apparently to the production of too much uniformity of judgment in relation to intellectual types and models of writing-to too much conventionality. We have no personal acquaintance with the process of that culture, but judge of it from its fruits. There is not room enough on our professional platform of taste, for any great variety in the intellectual and literary cast of the theological mind among us. It may be doubted whether we should have any place for a Kingsley, or even a Melville-minds not of the prevalent mould; for it is as foreign specimens that their productions have an interest here. Emerson, too, if he were a Christian divine, and that in every sense, would be nobody; for how could he, possessor of "Apollo's lute," submit to the

trammels of conventional homiletics? An ordinary professional judgment, on sermons for delivery in our pulpits, has less reference to their character as reflections of the mind of the preacher, than to the question whether they are after the approved models of sermonizing. Yet the fact that published sermons are scarcely ever read in this country, and that a volume of native sermons is the last thing a book-seller would undertake to publish at his own risk, whatever be their merit, is a sign that the public mind is so familiar with the sameness of their character, as regards form and matter, that, with all its curiosity on the subject of religion, it has little expectation of either adding materially to its ideas, or of forming new associations through such a medium.

3. The preceding observations lead to some remark on the question of a clergyman's use of other sermons than those of his own composition. If the preparation of more than one sermon in the week limits his sphere of usefulness in other respects, undoubtedly the labor of preparing his discourses. should be lightened: provided that, whatever use he may make of the productions of others for this purpose, if he does it in such a manner as tends to advance his own credit as an original writer, it becomes those who are aware of it to write him down a thief. We submit whether it would not be a good practice for those of the clergy who deliver more than one discourse in a week to take a volume of useful sermons into the pulpit on the extra occasions. But as this practice has never been common, though it is not without precedent, the advantages connected with it should be enumerated. They appear to be these: (1.) The time of the clergyman could be better divided, for the greater good of the greater number; for it

* On the other hand, those who allow nothing to be original which has been previously said by another, may learn something from the following sentiments of Pascal: "Il y a des gens qui voudraient qu'un anteur ne parlät jamais des choses dont les autres ont parlë; autrement, on l'accuse de ne rien dire de nouveau. Mais, si les matières qu'il traite ne sont pas nouvelles, la disposition en est nouvelle. Quand on joue ä la paume, c'est une même balle dont on joue l'un et l'autre; mais l'un a la place mieux. J'aimerais autant qu'on l'accusät de se servir des mots anciens: comme si les mêmes pensées ne formaient pas un autre corps de discours par une disposition differente, aussi bien que les mêmes mots forment d'autres pensées par les differentes dispositions."

should be borne in mind that, as his parochial duties are not confined to the church, so his professional duties are not confined to the parish-unless his personal capacity for usefulness is thus confined. (2.) His mind would be more free-a state better adapted to do justice to the various duties engaging his attention.* (3.) The congregation would be sure of hearing good discourses, on all those occasions when they would otherwise have but the hurried supplement to the main preparations of the preacher. (4.) The laity, few of whom read many sermons, would be made acquainted with those minds of the Church, who being dead yet speak, and with a select corps of contemporary divines who are remote from them. (5.) Those members of the congregation whose minds, more enlarged than that of their pastor, need illustrations of doctrine above the level of his capacity, would thus have advantages, which an attention to his productions exclusively would not procure to them.†

The only objections to the plan appear to be these: One is, that some members of other congregations may chance to come in the afternoon, expressly to hear the minister of the church, and of course one of his sermons. Let them come at the right time for their own purposes. Besides, how common it is, when a stranger has heard a preacher for the first time, and that in the afternoon, to hear it said, "But you should hear him in the morning !”—which of course implies that, so far as hearing him to advantage is concerned, you might as well, and better too, have heard him deliver a select discourse of another divine. Another objection is, that hearers may have read several of the printed sermons. Now this objection

carries with it more than one answer to itself. While but few are likely to have read such sermons, at the same time, if a sermon has been read to any purpose, its tendency will be to edify the more when preached, by virtue of the promises to a faithful hearing of the word; for which profitable hearing, the

* Men of questionable gifts are very apt to affect indifference with respect to the diminution of their mental labors. Perhaps they take little trouble.

If we are here told, that minds of every capacity should have nothing but "the plain gospel," we call on the objector to be consistent, and to exclude everything which is above the simplicity of a Sunday school book.