University of Virginia Library

CONCLUDING REMARKS.

If I may be allowed to express an opinion as to the present state
and prospects of our Church, I should say that some are now as
much disposed to undervalue her efficacy for good, even without the
proposed changes, as many were formerly to overrate it. Very
soon after my entrance on the ministry, I read a sermon by one of
our most distinguished Bishops on those words of the Psalmist,—
"Walk about Zion; mark well her bulwarks; consider her palaces,"
&c. They were applied to our Church in this country, and her
praises highly spoken. It was confidently affirmed that she must
greatly prevail over others by reason of her divine organization
and many excellencies. The same glorious things were continually
spoken of her by such as claimed to be her true sons; and those who
did not firmly believe that she must outstrip, or perhaps overwhelm,
all others, were considered as wanting faith in the promises of God
to his Church, and a hearty zeal in her behalf. Just at this time I
met with a sermon, on the same text and in the very same style, by
one of the oldest and most respectable Baptist ministers in Virginia,
showing that the Baptist Church was so clearly the true Apostolic
Church—of course after God's own heart—that it must carry every
thing before it; that the signs of the times could not be mistaken.
Shortly after this I went to the West, and heard of an eminent
Presbyterian minister who was preaching from place to place a sermon,
or series of sermons, if not from the same text, yet on the
same subject, in which he declared his firm conviction that his Church
was, as to her constitution, doctrine, and discipline, so scriptural
and so suited to the genius of our government that in twenty years
the whole land would embrace it. At this time also a favourite song
with many Methodists was,—

Doubtless all these were most sincere in their belief that what
they earnestly desired would surely come to pass. Forty years
have since elapsed, and no one of them has taken the place of the
other. On the contrary, all of them have, by God's blessing, done
much good on the different theatres assigned them, are still doing
good, and will do more good. Moreover, they have sustained very

much the same relation to each other as to numbers and success.
All of them have had their trials, their declensions, their reverses,
which should make them humble, and cause them to refrain from
taunts and reproaches, rather remembering the admonition that

I believe that there are very few now to be found who would venture
the prophecy that their own denomination must soon swallow up
all others. Our own Church has not been favoured with the same
abundant opportunities of preaching the Gospel to the poor, (except
on Southern plantations,) while she has enjoyed greater opportunities
of presenting it with acceptableness to the wealthy and educated.
Nor have her evangelical Liturgy and the faithful preaching of
many of her ministers been unblessed in the behalf of such. Sadly
has she been afflicted for the last fifteen years with the hankerings
of some of her ministers and people after Rome. Their apostasy
has indeed been most mortifying, and is well calculated to punish
her for much vain boasting, and to lead to a more chastened estimate
of her character and mission. She has certainly lost much in the
confidence of the community, and given to her enemies, both in
the Church and the world, occasion for increased opposition and
condemnation. It is needless to close our eyes on this most notorious
fact. It will be wisdom, honesty, and good policy to acknowledge
it freely. Sins must be confessed as well as forsaken, in
order to be fully forgiven and their evil consequences prevented.

We must also adopt the most effectual means for recovering what
has been lost. It is most encouraging to know that all of God's
favour has not been lost. On the contrary, never has the Gospel
been more faithfully and earnestly preached by greater numbers of
our ministers in England and America than during our recent fiery
trial. Though the enemy came in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord,
speaking from thousands of pulpits, has lifted up the standard of
truth against him. The heretical movement has been arrested, and
now stands, covered with shame and confusion, seeking to find out
some object on which to lay the blame of its own mischievous proceedings.

Together with many who are guiltless of the evil sought to be
removed, some of those who have contributed to it are now proposing
certain changes in the mode of the Church's worship, in
order to regain what is lost and press forward in the duty assigned
us by God. It is believed that an abridgment of the usual worship,
[OMITTED] a partial separation of services once distinct, will remove one

stumbling-block out of the way of the Church's popularity, and I
hope that it may be found practicable to do so. But whether the
service be longer or shorter, if ministers preach the Gospel faithfully
and perform all other duties piously and zealously, great will
be the effect. Numbers will be added to the Lord of such as shall
be saved. Too many instances of a true conversion and most exalted
piety are to be found in our own and Mother-Church to allow
of a doubt on this point. The great want of the Church is more
pious and zealous ministers, who understand and preach the Gospel.
Let them be sons of the Church,—not converts, except they be
young,—not proselytes from other ministries. It is not reasonable
to expect many useful and acceptable ones from the pulpits of other
denominations. All experience is against it. If respectable, influential,
and happy in the places of their birth, training, and ministry,
it will not often happen that either conscience, choice, or
judgment will induce them to leave their old associations. Most
honourable exceptions there are. I have known such,—have laid
my hands on such, and highly esteem them. But, at the same time,
I have ever made it my boast, that if in any thing I have done good
service to the Church, it has been in dissuading from our ministry
those who would have gladly entered it, but who, like too many
others, might have done us evil instead of good,—might either have
been drones in our hive, or else have taken our ministry on the way
to Rome. When I have heard it boasted that hundreds have left
other ministries, drawn by the superior and exclusive claims of
ours, and have known who and what too many of these were, I have
mourned over the fact instead of rejoicing at it, and regarded it as
the judgment of Heaven upon us for urging, to an extreme which
neither Scripture nor our Protestant fathers nor our standards
justify, the exclusive claims of the Episcopal ordination. At the
same time, when I have heard some of other denominations declare
that none but the unworthy ever leave them, I could not forbear
the hint that there must be something most defective in the training
of their ministers, when they have so many unworthy ones to spare.

The great complaint of those who desire some change is, that
our Church does not, as at present administered, operate on the
masses,—especially that we have so few of the very poor in our
congregations, although some have laboured very faithfully to this
end. It ought certainly to be regarded as a great unhappiness and
defect to be without a due admixture of such. Ministers ought to
covet the poor for their congregations, and seek them by all proper
means. They should do it for their own sakes, and for that of the

rich of their flock, as well as for the benefit of the poor. The presence
of the poor will help them to preach the Gospel in a plainer
and more effective way,—will exercise all their ministerial graces,—
will call forth the alms of their parishioners the more abundantly.
Our services, rightly understood and used, are admirably adapted
to the poor and ignorant. It is deeply to be lamented that so much
prejudice exists in the minds of the great mass of the American
people against our Church and her peculiarities, so that thus far but
little success has attended even the most zealous efforts of some who
have devoted themselves to the work. Various circumstances connected
with our political and religious history have contributed to
this. With all the republicanism of our country, there is as much
of social and religious prejudice, caste, and division among us as
in any nation of Christendom, although it differs considerably in
some of its modes. Political and religious demagogues are continually
fostering it in order to promote their ends. Religious
associations are hard to be broken. "Can a people forsake their
gods?" may be asked now in relation to the religious sects of our
country, as formerly concerning the sects in pagan lands. Two or
three denominations among us have absorbed almost all of the
poorer classes, and claim them as their birthright. To induce even
a few of such to unite with us is attended with great difficulty, for
against no denomination of Christians are their prejudices so strong
as against our own. Still, let us endeavour to allure as many as
possible of the more neglected ones into our fold, and tend them
well. If any modifications of our system can adapt it the better
for this purpose, most assuredly let it be done. In ordaining men
for the purpose, however, let us beware of lowering our standard
too much. Our Lord and the Apostles, who preached so well to the
poor, were filled with all knowledge by the Spirit. All other denominations
are raising their standard of ministerial qualification.
Some expressions have been used among us which have excited fears
that we were about to err in this respect. I have no such fears
myself. At any rate, I am confident that a few mistakes in ordaining
ignorant and unsuitable men would soon correct the error.

I have thus in a most imperfect manner completed my recollection
of such things in the diocese of Virginia and in the General Church
as seemed most worthy of being recorded. I had thought, in view

of death, to leave behind me some such notices; but it may be
better to have been surprised into this earlier statement, so that if
I have fallen into any mistakes I may have the opportunity of correcting
them, as I should be grieved to misrepresent even in the
slightest degree the Church of my affections, or any member
of it.