domestick connexion, and diffusing around them happiness and peace. And when the eternal distinction will have been made between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God, and him that serveth him not, we may humbly hope that many subjects of the great salvation will have been made such, through the merits of Christ's atonement, by the divine blessing upon the ordinances and instructions to which they will have here had access.

Requested by the rector of this parish, who is necessarily absent, to add to the solemnities of the present occasion an appropriate address, I have thought that it would be neither uninteresting nor useless to take a brief notice of the erection, in this city, of the several churches and chapels in our communion.

An hundred and sixty years ago, to wit, in the year 1664, a chapel, attached to a fort erected on the spot now occupied by the range of buildings in front of the south end of the bowling-green, in which, while this was a Dutch colony, the service of the church of Holland had been performed, became, of course, with a change of government, a place of worship according to the rites of the Protestant Episcopal Church, then the Church of England in America. This chapel was destroyed by fire in 1741.

But the first church erected expressly for the members of our communion, was TRINITY CHURCH, built in the year 1696. It was originally a small edifice; but was enlarged in 1735, and again in 1737, These enlargements increased its dimensions to the length of 148 feet, and the breadth of 72 feet, with a steeple 175 feet in height.

This noble and venerable edifice was destroyed in the memorable fire of September, 1776, which laid waste a great part of the southern and western sections of the city.

After the revolution, Trinity church was rebuilt in its present form, and consecrated in the year 1791.

The increase of the parish of Trinity church led, in 1752, to the erection of St. GEORGE'S CHAPEL. The congregation worshipping in this edifice became, by terms of agreement with the vestry, a distinct parish in 1811. In January, 1814, their church was so nearly destroyed by fire as to render necessary almost entire rebuilding; which was soon effected, and the church consecrated in November, 1815.

Fourteen years after the erection of St. George's, to wit, A. D. 1766, St. PAUL'S CHAPEL was built. This still continues in its original connexion with Trinity church.

These three edifices, Trinity church, and St. George's and St. Paul's chapels, were the only buildings erected for the worship of our communion prior to the revolution. Since that event, the following have been added.

For the accommodation of the members of Trinity church inhabiting that section of the parish, the vestry erected, on ground appropriated to the purpose on the estate of Peter Stuyvesant, Esq. St. MARK'S CHURCH, which was consecrated in 1799. This, however,

The Rev. William Richmond.

which he can never be properly fitted for the high duties of his holy office ; for undeserved praise of a vain man always encourages him in idleness, while the well-earned approbation bestowed on a modest and industrious man as surely stimulates him to greater activity. "You cannot long lade water out of a tub, without reaching the bottom," was the saying of an uneducated, but a modest and pious clergyman of my acquaintance; and he showed his sense of the justness and importance of his maxim, by refusing to assume the pastoral office. He had strong natural powers; and these, enforced by great worth of character, and earnestness of purpose, enabled him to preach a few sermons with no small ability and effect. But he was too old to begin to study, and too conscious of his limited knowledge to suffer himself to be placed in a situation where he should soon be reduced to the necessity of only repeating what he had already said, while it would be constantly diluted and weakened by every repetition. The minister who goes on writing sermons with but little or no diligent study, soon gets to feeding his people neither with milk, nor with strong meat, but with chaff.

FROM THE CHRISTIAN JOURNAL.

An Address, delivered at the laying of the Corner Stone of St. Mary's Church, New York, on Tuesday the 15th of June, 1824. By BENJAMIN T. ONDERDONK, A. M. an Assistant Minister of Trinity Church, New York, and Professor of the Nature, Ministry, and Polity of the Church, in the General Theological Seminary of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States.-Published at the request of the Wardens and Vestry of St. Mary's Church, and of the Clergy present at its delivery.

THE Occasion which has drawn us together at this time, is one of very interesting importance. It is to witness the ceremony of laying the corner stone of an edifice, to be consecrated to that service of Almighty God which consists in the due administration of the sacraments, ordinances, and institutions of his holy church. The usage of solemnizing such an event, is agreeable to both the dictates of sound reason, and the sensibilities of true piety. A church may be considered as a centre, whence the blessings of religion, in reference to both time and eternity, are to be diffused through a portion of the community. Year after year, and age after age, we may hope that this spot will be hallowed to the true service of that God who delights to honour the people who honour him, and who, for ten righteous men therein, would have arrested the execution of his just purpose against the wicked cities of the plain ;* and to the dissemination of those principles which are the most effectual in forming faithful magistrates, good citizens, and virtuous members of society, adorning every social and

* Genesis xviii. 32.

domestick connexion, and diffusing around them happiness and peace. And when the eternal distinction will have been made between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God, and him that serveth him not, we may humbly hope that many subjects of the great salvation will have been made such, through the merits of Christ's atonement, by the divine blessing upon the ordinances and instructions to which they will have here had access.

Requested by the rector of this parish,* who is necessarily absent, to add to the solemnities of the present occasion an appropriate address, I have thought that it would be neither uninteresting nor useless to take a brief notice of the erection, in this city, of the several churches and chapels in our communion.

An hundred and sixty years ago, to wit, in the year 1664, a chapel, attached to a fort erected on the spot now occupied by the range of buildings in front of the south end of the bowling-green, in which, while this was a Dutch colony, the service of the church of Holland had been performed, became, of course, with a change of government, a place of worship according to the rites of the Protestant Episcopal Church, then the Church of England in America. This chapel was destroyed by fire in 1741.

But the first church erected expressly for the members of our communion, was TRINITY CHURCH, built in the year 1696. It was originally a small edifice; but was enlarged in 1735, and again in 1737, These enlargements increased its dimensions to the length of 148 feet, and the breadth of 72 feet, with a steeple 175 feet in height.

This noble and venerable edifice was destroyed in the memorable fire of September, 1776, which laid waste a great part of the southern and western sections of the city.

After the revolution, Trinity church was rebuilt in its present form, and consecrated in the year 1791.

The increase of the parish of Trinity church led, in 1752, to the erection of St. GEORGE'S CHAPEL. The congregation worshipping in this edifice became, by terms of agreement with the vestry, a distinct parish in 1811. In January, 1814, their church was so nearly destroyed by fire as to render necessary almost entire rebuilding; which was soon effected, and the church consecrated in November, 1815.

Fourteen years after the erection of St. George's, to wit, A. D. 1766, St. PAUL'S CHAPEL was built. This still continues in its original connexion with Trinity church.

These three edifices, Trinity church, and St. George's and St. Paul's chapels, were the only buildings erected for the worship of our communion prior to the revolution. Since that event, the following have been added.

For the accommodation of the members of Trinity church inhabiting that section of the parish, the vestry erected, on ground appropriated to the purpose on the estate of Peter Stuyvesant, Esq. St. MARK'S CHURCH, which was consecrated in 1799. This, however,

The Rev. William Richmond.

not being designed to be retained as a chapel, was conveyed to the corporation of St. Mark's, on the legal establishment of that body.

În 1802, the churches in union with this diocese received the accession of CHRIST CHURCH. This building had been erected in 1794, by certain members of Trinity church, seceding from that parish; and the services of our ritual had been performed therein by a presbyter of our church. The receiving, however, of the congregation into union with the convention, did not take place until the year abovementioned, 1802.

The corporation of this parish, with a zeal and enterprise highly creditable to them, have erected, in another part of the city, a new parish church, which, of course by the name of Christ church, was consecrated on Easter-even, 1823. Their former parish church, baving been sold, is now occupied by another congregation, in which the services of our church are performed by a clergyman of this diocese. This parish is not yet in union with the convention. It is to be hoped that all obstacles to an event so desirable to the friends of the unity and harmony of the church of Christ, will soon be removed.

In 1803, an ancient building, the oldest religious edifice in the city, was added to our number of churches, by the name of the CHURCH DU St. ESPRIT. This building was erected as early as the year 1704, by the French Protestants, who fled from their country after the revocation of the edict of Nantz, and who here worshipped in their native tongue. The interiour, having been destroyed during the war of the revolution, was renewed subsequently to that event; and in the year 1803, the minister and congregation having determined to conform to the Protestant Episcopal Church, their church was consecrated, and the pastor, who, as well as his predecessors, had been ordained on the principles of the Reformed Church of Geneva, was admitted into holy orders by the then bishop of the diocese. In this church, our services are performed in the French language.

The pastor of the English Lutheran Church in this city having carried into effect a determination to receive episcopal orders, and connect himself with our church, several members of his former congregation, in connexion with a number already belonging to our communion, erected St. STEPHEN'S CHURCH, which was consecrated in 1805.

In 1807, St. JOHN'S CHAPEL, erected by the vestry of Trinity church, was consecrated; and at a subsequent period of the same year, St. MICHAEL'S CHURCH.

In 1808, the same solemnity was performed in Grace Church, then just erected by the vestry of Trinity church. This, like St. Marks, not being designed for a chapel, was transferred to the corporation of Grace church, when duly constituted.

In 1810, the English Lutheran congregation abovementioned, with their then pastor, having determined to connect themselves with our communion, their church, which was erected in 1801, and had been known as ZION CHURCH, was consecrated by the same name; their

pastor admitted into holy orders; and the parish duly organized as a Protestant Episcopal church.

This church, too, was destroyed by fire. The event occurred in August, 1815; and involved in its consequences, added to the incumbrance of a large debt, the removal of the rector, and the extinction of the parish.

In the same year, 1810, St. JAMES'S CHURCH was finished and consecrated.

A very worthy and liberal member of our communion, at the sale of its property which was made at the dissolution of the corporation of Zion church, purchased the ground on which the building had stood, together with as much of a new edifice as the vestry had been enabled to complete, with the laudable design of retaining them until some purchasers presented themselves, who would finish the rebuilding, and restore an Episcopal church to that part of the city. Six gentlemen of the old parish of Zion church became the purchasers at cost; and with aid from the funds of Trinity church, completed the present ZION CHURCH, which was consecrated in October, 1818; and the congregation of which, in due time, became legally organized.

At an early period of the church in this city, the spiritual care of her coloured members occupied the attention of the mother-church of England. Clergymen of that church, besides rendering general assistance in the parish of Trinity church, were employed by the Society for Propagating the Gospel in Foreign Parts, as catechists for the special instruction of the blacks. For many years, too, after the revolution, that portion of our fellow members of the church were allowed to assemble by themselves, in a suitable apartment, every Sunday, at an hour not interfering with the stated morning and evening services of the church. In these assemblies, laymen (the last of whom was a coloured man) were, from time to time, licensed by the bishop officiate, in the absence of a clergyman, by conducting the evening prayer, reading approved sermons, and catechising the children.

Our coloured members, however, so increased in number, that the accommodations assigned to them in our several churches and chapels became insufficient. The benevolent project then began to be entertained of following the example of the Epicopalians in Philadelphia, by providing them with a church and pastor of their own. The former branch of this plan was carried into effect, partly bý a donation from Trinity church, and partly by individual beneficence, in the erection of the building which was consecrated by the name of St. PHILIP'S CHURCH, in July, 1819; and the latter, by the subsequent ordination of the coloured layman, who, as before mentioned, had been licensed to act among his brethren, as catechist and layreader.

In the case of this church, also, we were called to lament over the ravages of the destroying element. In less than three years after its erection to wit, in December, 1821-it was consumed by fire. This fact, however, ought not to be recorded, without noticing the