readers has been already called to this subject, in several numbers of the Gospel Advocate, the last year. But the importance of the topick affords an ample apology for again alluding to it: and, indeed, it ought to be enforced again and again, until its magnitude is duly appreciated, and the feelings of Christians warmly enlisted in its behalf. Our diocesan has repeatedly and urgently solicited the attention of the clergy and laity to this subject, and has invited them, in the most affectionate and persuasive manner, to exert their influence in adopting and prosecuting energetick measures to afford effectual aid to destitute parishes, and to establish churches where none now exist. I will not say, that these calls and exhortations have been entirely disregarded. Something has been accomplished in accordance with them; but will it be pretended, that enough has been done, or that the efforts, already made, have been proportionate to the immense importance of the object? I fear, there is still prevalent in our communion, much indifference to missions and missionary efforts.

The spirit of missions is, emphatically, the spirit of Christianity. It was this which prompted the holy apostles and primitive martyrs fearlessly to encounter difficulties, trials, and dangers. It was this spirit, which warmed the heart of Brainerd, Swartz, and Martyn, and it is this, which excites the mighty efforts now in operation to evangelize the world. The cause of missions is the cause of God, and it will prevail. Let not Episcopalians, then, withhold their aid in this great work of Christian benevolence.

It should be kept distinctly in view, that to missionary efforts the Episcopal Church in this country is indebted for its very existence. Almost all the churches which were established before the revolution, were planted and supported by the liberality of the Society in England for propagating the Gospel in Foreign Parts. The missionaries of that venerable society were scattered over our country, and the good seed sown by them is now producing a plentiful harvest.

C.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE GOSPEL ADVOCATE.

THE importance of curiosity, considered as one of the elements of the human character, is obviously great. If, as has been asserted by some philosophers, mankind in general learn more the first four years of life, than during all the remainder, and if, as will readily be admitted, the knowledge thus early acquired, is absolutely essential to the preservation and comfort of the unconscious learner, it is easy to see the benevolent design of divine Providence, in furnishing the mind of man with this powerful instinctive propensity. By its silent, unobserved operation, he is not only constantly accumulating valuable knowledge, but is led unintentionally to give his mind a very wholesome, and necessary discipline, by employing it upon subjects, which, though trifling in themselves, are important as giving scope and exercise to the intel

lectual man. The mind is thus trained to vigour and activity, by the kind provision of God himself, and a natural education (if the phrase may be allowed) is made to supply the deficiencies, and sometimes. to take the place, of an artificial one.

But, the best things may be abused, and this propensity may be too much indulged. As its utility is most remarkable in childhood, and as there are some situations and pursuits in later life to which it seems more especially adapted, so there are departments, into which, if it ever be suffered to intrude, too much care cannot be taken to guard against its undue influence. In matters of religion, it is generally detrimental, and with devotional exercises, in particular, it ought to have little or nothing to do.

Not

As I have lately had an opportunity to observe the operation of this propensity, particularly in regard to attendance upon publick worship, and its deleterious influence upon the devotions and character of the worshippers, I beg leave to offer a few remarks on the subject. withstanding all that can be said in favour of hearing a variety of preachers, and of being able to judge, from one's own observation, of the claims of different religious denominations for the peculiarities of their publick services, more hurt than good will be found to result from the practice of constantly changing one's place of worship. I think it will appear, that the indulgence of a curiosity, that leads to a partial and irregular attendance upon all kinds of religious meetings, has a tendency to counteract devotional feeling, and to unsettle the mind.

When we profess publickly to engage in the worship of God, who, being a spirit, can regard with acceptance only the sincere and earnest exercises of the heart and soul, surely, the great work ought to command our undivided attention, and to call forth all the powers and faculties of our minds. Whatever is entirely foreign to the intercourse between the spirit of man and the Spirit of God, when it offers itself to the attention at such seasons, must not be permitted to intrude. Whatever it be, and however good in its place, which tends to draw off the mind from its spiritual work, cannot be welcomed by the true worshipper. But, what is the exercise of a speculative disposition, what the gratification of a literary taste, what the indulgence of a religious curiosity? Are not all these things, though very pleasing in themselves, and very plausible in their pretended claims to our attention, yet utterly distinct from a devotional, spiritual exercise? Do they not, as long as they have place in our minds, monopolize its powers, and distract its other operations? Do they not often rifle the very soul of our prayers, and leave us with the unhappy reflection, that having deprived our worship of its life, they have robbed it of all its value? Where is the real worshipper, who is not struggling hard against the propensity of his mind to indulge these unworthy guests, and who does not complain of wandering thoughts and inappropriate affections, while in the house, and even in the act, of prayer?

If, then, distraction of mind, and improper thoughts, are the crying sins of Christians, while assembled for publick worship, is not religious curiosity one of the great occasions of these crimes? Let any Christian examine his heart, with this subject in view, and, I am persuaded, he will find, that while he has been delighted with hearing some great preacher, or interested in witnessing some extraordinary religious ceremony, he was cherishing a disposition destined to give him no small degree of trouble and perplexity. By long indulgence, this feeling becomes a passion, too strong for any ordinary curb, and so imperious in its demands, that the once humble and prayerful heart can no longer endure the most affecting strains of devotion, or the happiest expression of its wants, unless there be something new or extraordinary for curiosity to feed upon. Sameness in religious service becomes at length disgusting, and a repetition of requests in which all are most deeply interested, and in which all ought to be most fervent and importunate, are no more than idle forms, which produce no corresponding emotions in the heart.

It needs not many words to convince men, that there are a great many ways in which the mind may be entertained in religious assemblies, which are not only themselves perfectly aside from devotion, but which are hardly compatible with it. All that intellectual pleasure, which an infidel may enjoy in common with a Christian, the interest which is merely the result of novelty, or the offspring of taste, all this is entirely different from that peace and satisfaction, which the Christian is allowed to seek in his attendance upon Divine worship. And yet, how often does he rest satisfied with these inferiour enjoyments, or even mistake them for religious joy. How often, when he has been only gratified, does he draw the unwarrantable inference, that he has been edified. I am no sceptick on the subject of religious enjoyment. I believe that it may sometimes rise to great height, even in the present evil world. But it is certainly important that we we should learn to distinguish between the true pleasures of religion, and those various excitements, which have nothing of religion but the name. Is it uncharitable to suggest the fear that much, which passes for pure religious pleasure, is merely the gratification of curiosity? I have no doubt that this alloy enters more or less into the purest state of publick religious worship on earth. But, like all other propensities, it increases by indulgence. The more we give way to it, the more difficult we shall find it to rid ourselves of its influence, and the oftener we take it for the genuine grace which it counterfeits, the more is the danger that the latter will be entirely supplanted by it.

The practice of going from one place of publick worship to another, in the gratification of a vain curiosity, is, in fact, religious dissipation. Children, who are accustomed to go any where, and every where, to worship, are forming characters in which there is no security for worship of any kind, either publick or private. They have no ark, the sacred repository of their earliest and strongest religious associations, no sanctuary, consecrated to meditation and to God. There is no lo

cality to their religion, and it cannot be found. But the man who has been from his youth accustomed to a regular constant attendance at one and the same place of publick worship, has acquired a habit, which, little as it may be able to do towards his salvation, will be likely to do much towards putting him within the influence of the means of grace. He feels an uneasiness at staying at home on Sunday, or in openly profaning the day, which makes him choose to attend Divine service, even though no religious considerations lead him thither. He feels as if something had gone wrong, as if some urgent duty had been neglected, if the week has been commenced without his accustomed visit to the house of prayer.

The good effects of such a habit, upon the character of the individual, will be sufficiently obvious. I shall offer one or two considerations to show, that the habit is formed only by a constant and regular attendance at the same place of worship, and is weakened, and finally destroyed, by that change and variety, which a religious curiosity always delights in.

We plead for a habit that will secure an attendance upon publick worship. But a habit is contracted only by the repetition of those practices, concerning which the habit is predicated. Moreover, the several actions, comprehended in the habit, must be repeated in much the same order, and bear the same, or nearly the same, relation to each other. By frequently changing the place of our attendance upon worship, we change the objects of association, and disturb their order; and, just in proportion to the variety effected by the change, is the forming habit weakened. True, if a person accustoms himself to attend publick worship every Sunday, and yet goes to as many different places, he gets into the habit of going out on Sunday, and will be uneasy at staying at home. But, so various have been the kinds of worship, which he has attended, that there is nothing particular in either, which he finds necessary to his feelings. The habit, which he has contracted, does not then necessarily lead him to any place of worship at all. It is only the habit of going out, and of gratifying curiosity. This may be done by a ride, or a social visit, or, indeed, in many ways besides attending upon publick worship. Accordingly, as we too often see, such attendance becomes merely an accidental thing, either as it respects the place where the individual attends, or his attending at all.

at one

With this view of the subject, and seeing the people around me, time, going in crowds to this place of worship, then leaving it for that, and afterwards deserting that for another, I cannot avoid very gloomy anticipations of the miserable influence of such habits, upon their future character and condition. We very justly commiserate the destitute situation of the scattered families of new settlers in our western states. Deprived of the regular ordinances of religion, the ministration of the word and sacraments, the stated recurrence of Divine service, their condition, in respect of these things, must indeed be unhappy. But, far more unhappy and deplorable, is the condition of those, who, by their incorrigible, vagrant habits, have deprived them.

selves of these blessings, though brought to their doors. The former, feeling their deprivation, and thirsting for the publick ordinances of religion, gladly "draw water from the wells of salvation," whenever the providence of God directs to their mountains, the "feet of him who bringeth good tidings ;" but the latter, having familiarized their ears to every differing form of doctrine, have become indifferent alike to all; and, having exhausted the various modes of worship, have lost their preference, and never think of joining sincerely in any. Like the houseless Arab, who, by his wandering habits, has for ever incapacitated himself for enjoying the endearments of home, these have wrought into their very nature such a disgust, and even contempt, for all the ordinary, and regularly returning means of grace, as condemns them to perpetual estrangement from the house and exercises of publick worship. Happy are those, who are shut out of the house of God by their local situation-happy, in comparison with those, who, by their inveterate habits, are deprived of any participation of its spiritual blessings.

FROM THE LITERARY AND STATISTICAL MAGAZINE FOR SCOTLAND.

THE following Letter is from a clergyman of the Church of England, who resided a considerable time in Italy.

I sit down at length, as you have repeatedly desired, in order to give you a short account of the origin and progress of the publick worship which was celebrated at Rome in the winter 1817-18, according to the order, &c. of the Church of England; and I leave you at perfect liberty to make what use of it you please, if indeed you shall think it of any use.

I arrived in Rome on the 11th of November 1817; there were many English already there, of all descriptions, individuals, and fami lies, male and female; some who were transient passengers,—the greater part fixed for the winter, while many more were arriving daily. My compatriots seemed to me, especially on the two Sundays, the 16th and 23d of November, to be wandering like sheep without a shepherd, and sauntering, from mere vacant curiosity, from church to church, and from sight to sight. I learned from a respectable family which had been more than a year in Rome, and with whom I was long and well acquainted, that they had had pretty regular worship the winter before, through the kindness of a clergyman then there; on which I proposed that we should attempt something similar, and offered to become responsible for the regular performance of the duty during the period of my stay, which would continue, as I thought, at least till after Easter. I was introduced by my friends to a military gentleman of rank and respectability, who had also been in Rome the winter before, and had taken an active charge in what was then done. Our preliminaries were soon settled. The gentleman álluded to, took upon himself all the trouble of hiring a house, and of making the necessary arrangements, and our service commenced with a crowded