apprehension. Although we avoid enlarging on the merits of the expedients thus adopted for the furtherance of piety, and to which we have given our aid in our respective dioceses, it is not from a diminished opinion of their importance: since we still contemplate them as entering into the groundwork of what is represented in the apocalypse, under the image of " an angel flying in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and tongue, and kindred, and people." But, instead of enlarging on these topicks, we rather, at this time, call the attention to the source from which they have issued-the excitement in late years given to the publick mind, prompting the expedients which have been devised for the evangelizing of the world.

It is not many years ago, when infidelity was seen waving high her standard; first erecting it in the old world, and glorying in the prospect of the extirpation of the name of Christ from under heaven. Who would have believed, if it had been foretold, that the providence of God was then laying a train of causes, which should speedily end in successful expedients for the extending of the religion of the gospel, wherever commerce unfurls her flag, and wherever political interests open the door of communication of one nation with another? not only this, but that in countries professing Christianity, with apathy to the spiritual wants of the lower orders of society, the time was now come, when, in every cottage, and in every hovel, so far as endeavours can accomplish, there shall be the book which contains the glad tidings of salvation? and even not these things only; but that for the giving of the greater effect to its inestimable contents, there shall, if possible, be none advancing to the age of maturity, without having this treasure unlocked to their perusal by ability to read? Such are the plans of the moral government of God, by which he verifies the saying indited under the inspiration of his Spirit" Surely, the wrath of man shall praise thee."

It was not in the old world only, that infidelity had spread its poison, in every department of politicks, of science, and of manners; threatening ruin to our institutions in their infancy; which it were folly to think to sustain, under its demoralizing influence. That the friends of religion should mourn over the increasing epidemick, was to be expected. But, in addition, all friends of social order have been alarmed at the prospect of the gulf to which they saw the publick mind advancing. The effect is the conviction, that the interests of time, even if those of eternity be put out of view, demand the retracing of the steps. That, in addition to this, many have been drawn to a serious weighing of the things which belong to their peace, is evident in an increased regard to the ordinances of religion, among all denominations of professing Christians; and in a growing concurrence in all promising endeavours for the extending of the kingdom of the Redeemer. We may perceive the operation of this spirit, in the many societies formed for the increase of religious knowledge and were no such societies to be seen among us, the same fact would be established by the mass of bibles, which, of late years, have been printed

and sold with a view to honourable gain-in number, far beyond proportion to the increase of population, great as it unquestionably is. In these events, we may perceive a crisis, similar to that which drew from our Saviour the saying-"Lift up your eyes and look on the fields, for they are white already to harvest."

Brethren, we consider the excitement noticed, as adding immense weight to the obligation always lying, of our contributing in our seve ral spheres, to the extending of the influence of true religion. For although there are never wanting opportunities to this effect; yet they especially abound, when the spirit of inquiry is awake, and when there are appearances of a verifying of the promises of God in scripture. These promises will be fulfilled; but it will be by the mean of human agency; and it is the province of religious wisdom, to mark the seasons of sensibility, and to suit its efforts to the occasions.

:

On the clergy in particular, we make the call to put forth their zealous exertions, in reference, not only to the point the last pressed, but to all the matters comprehended in this address and while we wish the admonition to be brought home with power to our own hearts, we entreat the prayers of all orders of persons in this Church, for our baving of wisdom to discern, and grace to execute, whatever may conduce to her spiritual welfare, and to the glory of her divine Head. Signed by order of the House of Bishops,

WILLIAM WHITE, Presiding Bishop.

Philadelphia, May 26, 1823.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE GOSPEL ADVOCATE.

ABOUT thirteen or fourteen years ago, Dr. Burgess, the present excellent bishop of St. David's, formed within his diocese a society for promoting Christian knowledge and church union. The objects of this society were various. One of them has been to offer premiums for the best written essays on subjects connected with the designs for which the society was instituted. These premiums have in some instances, been as high as 501. sterl. ($222) and they have produced the effect of bringing before the publick, a series of valuable treatises, upon subjects which every Christian, and especially every Churchman, must consider of great importance. Among the competitors for these prizes, the Rev. Samuel Charles Wilks, now the editor of the Christian Observer, holds a distinguished rank; for he has obtained the prize three times. His first essay to which the society adjudged their premium, was written in 1811, previous, as it would seem, to his admission into holy orders. The subject was, "the Signs of Conversion and Unconversion in Ministers of the Church." A second edition was called for in 1814; and it attracted the notice of the Christian Observer, in which work it was warmly commended in the number for April, 1815.

In December, 1820, Mr. Wilks obtained the premium of 50l. for what is modestly called an essay. It is a volume of 461 pages in 8vo.,

and its whole title is as follows: "Correlative Claims and Duties; or an Essay on the Necessity of a Church Establishment in a Christian country, for the preservation of Christianity among the people of all ranks and denominations, and the means of exciting and maintaining among its members a spirit of devotion, together with zeal for the honour, stability, and influence of the Established Church." This work is dedicated, by permission, to the Right Hon. the Earl of Liverpool. In 1821, Mr. Wilks again obtained the prize for an essay "on the Influence of a Moral Life on our Judgment in Matters of Faith." This essay has been reprinted in Boston, by Mr. Ingraham, and the greater part of a large edition has in a short time been sold. Your readers will derive so much edification from the perusal of this well-written, and for us well-timed publication, that I most earnestly hope they will avail themselves of the opportunity to purchase it while it is to be had. Its sound and sober views of the origin and progress of religion in the human soul, are admirably well adapted to guard the inexperienced mind from the contagion of that enthusiastick spirit which would resolve all that is spiritual in religion into the excitement of strong feelings and ecstatick raptures; while they must equally protect the more sedate and sober from the worse extreme of a cold and dead formality. My object is not, however, to analyze or exhibit specimens of this interesting pamphlet. It is short and cheap, and may therefore be possessed by all your readers. My object is, rather, to call their attention to the still more important work which obtained the premium of 1820, and of which I have given the title at full length. The first part of it, on the necessity of a church establishment, is, in general, neither adapted to the condition, nor consonant to the feelings of the vast majority of our countrymen. The experiment is here exhibiting on a large scale, of a nation professing itself Christian in its individual, and not in its corporate character. What will be the result, time only can determine. The prospect before us is in many respects gloomy, and portentous of danger; but God can bring light out of darkness, and bend reluctant evil to become the minister of good. Perhaps the feeling of mutual wants and weaknesses may abate the pride and self-confidence of sects and parties, and may lead the disciples of one common master to see that by schism they are defeating the great object of converting the world to the faith of Christ.

On the subject of a church establishment, therefore, the work of Mr. Wilks would, I fear, produce but little, if any, influence in this country. Not so, however, that part of it which relates to the exciting and maintaining among the members of the Church a spirit of devotion, together with zeal for its honour, stability, and influence. All that is there said is strictly applicable to the Protestant Episcopal Church in America.

In saying this, let me guard against misconstruction. To become an establishment in a political sense, is, I presume, neither the object nor the wish of any member of our Church. There is always danger, that a worldly spirit may be substituted for the higher principle of devotion; and that the clergy, when connected with the state, may

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become the engines of political expediency. But to promote a uniform national religion is certainly the tendency of Episcopacy and a liturgy. Our distinctive character, therefore, as a society, is the promotion of church union. And I think we may add with confidence, that there is no other system which can bind Christians together, but that which is peculiar to Churchmen.

Considering then, as I do, the object of the Protestant Episcopal Church in this country to be the same as that of the society in the diocese of St. David's, viz. the promotion of Christian knowledge and church union in the American nation, I shall conclude these hasty remarks with some extracts from the work of Mr. Wilks, which I think applicable to the state of things here; premising merely, that I shall take no other liberty with them, than that of substituting the words Protestant Episcopal Church, wherever the application may render such a change necessary.

Speaking of "the actual condition and probable tendencies of most dissenting communities," Mr. Wilks observes, that he shall not "dwell upon a topick, the discussion of which could not fail to wound and irritate the feelings of our dissenting brethren without any adequate benefit. It is, however, a question," he continues," which ought to be well weighed by all who feel disposed to quit the communion of the [Protestant Episcopal] Church for the sake of the superiour religious advantages which they expect to secure by uniting themselves with some particular class of dissenters. While they contemplate the alleged benefits, let them also remember the countervailing evils." What those evils are, the author refrains from attempting to detail at large; especially, as many pious and soberly reflecting dissenters lament them not less than Churchmen themselves. Mr. Wilks leaves them to be inferred, however, from the tendency to fixedness and sobriety which exists in the Church, and on the advantages of which he thus comments:

"A young Christian grows up in the [Protestant Episcopal Church] as it were in the shade: he has little to excite a false or premature development of spiritual attainments; he is not particularly noticed or applauded for his religious profession; he has comparatively few temptations to spiritual pride and the love of paradox or disputation: he may find wholesome aliment in abundance to nourish his piety, but not much of condiment to vitiate it; and though he may not appear to shoot to full-blown maturity in so short a space of time as under a more exciting system, yet if his piety be really genuine, his growth will usually be the more uniform and lasting, and his fruits the more abundant and well-matured. The author has frequently heard clergymen of piety and zeal lament that young persons, who at one time seemed to have hopefully begun a religious course, and to be growing with humility and steady advancement in grace and in the knowledge of their Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ,' after quitting the Church in expectation of higher religious advantages in some dissenting society, have lamentably fallen off in the lowly retiring graces of the Christian character; have acquired a taste for stimulant rather than

sober doctrine; have fancied themselves wise above their teachers; and have evinced but too clearly how little they had practically studied the character of their divine Master, by the absence of that meek and unostentatious spirit, for which their apparent increase in zeal and speculative knowledge was but a poor equivalent. It is not intended to apply these remarks generally, and much less in an unkind and uncandid spirit of exaggeration. They are only suggested, with a view to lead those who are undecided as to the comparative spiritual benefits to be gained in the Church or among the dissenters, to examine both sides of the question."

I propose, in a future paper, to give some further account of this interesting publication. The passage I have quoted is from that part of the work which treats of the lawfulness, expediency, and necessity of a church establishment, and which may therefore be called its controversial part. No work, however, is more truly free from a controversial spirit; and the author seems to be relieved when he can escape from censuring the errours of his brethren. The second part of the work" on the means of exciting and maintaining among the members of the Church a spirit of devotion, together with zeal for her honour, stability, and influence," is altogether practical, and cannot fail of giving pleasure and instruction and edification to every true and

ORTHODOX CHURCHMAN.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE GOSPEL ADVOCATE.

I AM One of the many who, I understand, have received copies of the Theses published by the candidates for the degree of bachelor of arts, at the late commencement of Transylvania university. As these theses are not now publickly defended, they are merely a remnant of ancient forms; and I seldom take the trouble to read them. But as I carelessly cast my eye over them, my attention was arrested by the Theses Theologica. Presuming that these theses are not allowed to be published without having undergone the scrutiny of the president and professors, I felt some curiosity to know whether the current sentiments of the college accorded with those which professedly belong to its ingenious and inventive president. You can better judge whether I am correct in my inferences when you have read the theses themselves, of which I submit a literal, though not servile, translation.

THESES THEOLOGICE.

1. Theology teaches the existence of God and what are the duties of mankind towards him.

2. It is divided into two parts, Natural and Revealed.

3. Natural theology demonstrates both the existence and attributes of God from the substance of things (ex corpore rerum.)

4. That religion which is taught by the sacred writings is called revealed.

5. The existence and attributes of God are shown no less by natural, than by revealed religion.