for it, should be well considered before the making of the attempt. One great discouragement, is the direction given to the public mind, by the use made of the same test in England. Among us, it has been gone into in one diocese only, and was subsequently abandoned. Should any diocese again undertake the matter, they would seem to be competent. These were the answers made to Bishop Chase: and the responsibility in which it involved the penman of them, induces to the present record.

BB. Page 50.

Among the documents delivered by the writer of this, to be deposited among the materials for a future history, was a body of transcripts from the archives of the diocese of London, made by Dr. Alexander Murray; and given into the hands of the writer. The said Dr. Murray had been an officiating clergyman in the province of Pennsylvania before the revolutionary war, and in the service of the society for the Propagating of the Gospel. He made the transcripts, with the view to their being of service to those who were coming to England for consecration. They were of no service, in reference to that object; but Dr. Murray having subsequently returned to this country, where he died, the transcripts were delivered into the hands which have now deposited them in the conventional collection. The preserving of them may contribute to the doing of justice to those English bishops, who exerted themselves for the extending of Episcopacy to the colonies; and may also show, that the neglect of it was owing to the indifference of statesmen, not aware of the importance of the subject to governmental views; and doubtless comprehending (what there has been given reason to believe in the Memoirs,) apprehended danger of offence taken by the dissenters; and the consequent decline of their support, in elections to seats in parliament.

CC. Page 50.

The canon was intended for any case of insufficiency of a candidate, in classical and scientific literature; and with the view of arresting him at an early period of his intended devotion to the ministry; and to prevent disappointment, after considerable time spent in theological study.

DD. Page 51.

The report of the society shows too clearly that the executive committee have not been so supported, as an establishment by the general authority of the Church gave reason to expect. It is true, that there have been since instituted several diocesan societies, which, of course, advantageously lessen the sphere of the operation of the other. This, however, ought not to prevent their aid to the general scheme, in consideration of the many states in which their fostering care is so much needed; especially, as the known existence of the institution is a cause of claims, which, asmatters are, cannot be complied with.

EE. Page 51.

In the House of Clerical and Lay Deputies, there were some members from Virginia, very ardent in pressing on the convention the concerns of the Colonization Society. It may be perceived that the proposal was waived, on the ground that it was rather of a political than of a religious nature. In addition to this, there exists in the community of Pennsylvania, and probably elsewhere, a variety of opinion on the subject; many contending that the object is not the lessening of the evil of slavery, but the getting rid of a free coloured population. The writer of this believes, that the motives of the men prominent in the design, are precisely what they profess. Of this, it is to be hoped, there will be gradually a general conviction; but in the meantime, it would be unwise to take a part in a controversy on a subject not within the sphere of ecclesiastical legislation.

FF. Page 51.

There is a prevalent sentiment in the public mind, and perhaps is more diffused among Episcopalians than among other denominations, that collegiate education should be without regard to differences of religious profession. No wish is here cherished, of obtruding on young persons forms of profession disapproved of by those who have lawful authority over them. But, in a country where every denomination may take its own course in this matter, why should there be lost the opportunity of instilling religious principle during the season in which it is the most likely to be effec

xual? If this is to be done, it must be in some form, and they who take a broader ground, never act consistently with what they profess. Those societies flourish most who are aware of this, and who therefore conduct religious education conformably with their respective plans of doctrine, of discipline, aud of worship.

GG. Page 52. Of the Convention in 1826.

The proposal was considered an inconsistency in them by some, who, in so judging, did not distinguish between their sustaining of existing rubrics, and the inference that there may be some changes for the better-especially in this particular. Of the morning service, the bishops were aware, that it consisted of three services; and this has occasioned repetitions, which otherwise would not have been admitted by our reformers. Further, the bishops knew of complaints of the length of the morning service, coming from various portions of their respective dioceses; and they had witnessed, with sorrow, a wayward disposition in many of the clergy, to make such omissions as the fancies of themselves or of some influential laymen might suggest. It was thought, that by a moderate measure of compliance with existing circumstances, there might be the effect of giving a check to those extravagances.

As for the reluctance to the deviating in any instance from the old paths, it seems to have been worthy of consideration, that there is an higher antiquity than that pleaded. It has been stated, that the morning prayer, and the communion service, were designed for different hours of the day. Besides, the former, as at first established and used, was without the initiatory sentences, the exhortation, the confession, and the absolution; which is not now noticed, as a denial of the expediency of the introduction of them. The prayer for the king, that for the rest of the royal family, that for the clergy and people, and the two final prayers, were not in the morning service, until the reign of Charles II. -more than a century after the compiling of the service; the conclusion of it, until then, being with the collect for peace. At the same period was composed the "General Thanksgiving," ever since used with morning and with evening prayer. So was the prayer "For all Conditions of Men," to be used only when it is allowed to omit the

litany. The communion service was without the commandments; which ought not to be remarked, without an acknowledgement of the edifying effect of the introduction of them; and when this service was used with the comprehension of any one of the services of ordination, the prefatory rubric did not, as at present, require the precedent use of the morning service. This requisition was introduced at the aforesaid period, and has added greatly to the time occupied on the occasions referred to.

As for the litany, although it was a part of the Book of Common Prayer from the beginning, it does not appear to have had an early introduction into the use of the morning service. The first we read of the litany, from the beginning of the reformation, is the command of Henry VIII. to Archbishop Cranmer, for the translation of it into the English, in order to its being understood by the people, when used in processions, for which solemnities and the like, it was originally designed; or, at least, it became associated with them at an early period.

Perhaps it may be suggested, that there would be a removal of all difficulty, if there were introduced the use of the two distinct services for morning prayer and for the communion, at different hours in the first division of the day. But if this, the original design in England, was obliged so generally and almost universally, to give way to a combining of the two, notwithstanding the demarcation of the parishes, and the small distances around the churches within which their respective parishioners reside; it would be far more difficult to be accomplished in America, where not to mention the scattered population in the country, even in our cities, a man's relation to a particular house of worship is not a proof that he lives within a mile of it; and in general the greater number of the worshippers may not be within convenient walking distances, to be traversed six times in the day. Yet it is to be wished, that in future, as at present, the form of the Prayer Book may be such, as to permit the severance unquestionably contemplated by the compilers.

It may be said-why not then dispense with the antecommunion service, on there being introduced a rubric to the effect? The answer is-better this, than the leaving of it on the present footing; which tends to the producing of two different books in substance, and eventually in form. But it would be far from tending to edification, to forego the moral use of a weekly recital of the commandments,

and the reading of selections of scripture adapted to the times to which they are assigned, and of such early use in the Christian Church: and this, for the abbreviation by one half of a quarter of an hour: which is about the average of the time spent in the recital of that portion of the service.

HH. Page 52.

Had there been an accomplishment of the wish of the bishops, the services of the morning would have been abbreviated, it is thought, to desirable limits. This would have been conformable to the purpose, for which litanies were originally framed. In the English Church, the litany stood in the first book of Edward, after the communion service, with a rubric agreeable to the sentiments here entertained; and it was placed between that service and the office for baptism. In the second book of Edward, it took its present station, with a rubric extending the use of it to Sundays. For these facts, see Wheatley.

Further; the writer of this ought not to be backward to confess, that however convinced of the propriety of the worship of the adorable Redeemer, as sanctioned by the word of God, he considers it as consentaneous with the same high authority that worship should be principally addressed to the Father, through the merits of the Son. Ali of the litany, between the first four petitions and the Lord's Prayer are to the Son exclusively. At least, this is here conceived to be the correct opinion, and it is sanctioned by the sense of the commentators on the liturgy; although there are some, who think that the Father is addressed through the greater part of it, beginning at-"We sinners do beseech thee, &c." To show the want of consent in this matter, it may be proper to notice, that when it was discoursed of among the bishops, there appeared an opposition of interpretation on the point.

II. Page 53.

It must be acknowledged, that after the withdrawing of what the bishops had contemplated in regard to the litany, the abbreviations are very inconsiderable. Yet it is difficult to perceive, with what consistency the mere permission of them was argued against, by speakers who advocated indulgence to the much larger extent of the omission of the ante-communion service; not because they considered it to