University of Virginia Library

CONCLUDING REMARKS.

Having thus presented a brief sketch of some of the most interesting
incidents in the past history of the Church of Virginia, let
us with deep humility and lively gratitude compare together our
past and present condition, saying, "What hath God wrought!"
Toward the close of two hundred years after its first establishment
there were nearly one hundred ministers and one hundred and
sixty churches, and then in seven years after only a few fainthearted
ones serving in the few remaining and almost deserted
sanctuaries; now again, after the labours of less than half a century,
our hundred ministers are restored and more than one hundred
and seventy churches are open for the people of God. For
two hundred years not a Bishop ever visited the diocese, and even
after one was sent only a few ministrations were performed; now,
two Bishops have full employment in visiting two hundred churches
or stations. It was for years found impracticable to raise sufficient
funds for the consecration of one Bishop; now, funds are raised for
the annual support of two, independent of parochial charges. It
was once proposed, in a declining state of the Church, but in vain,
to raise funds for the education of only two candidates for the
ministry; now, numbers are annually receiving preparatory instruction
at our Seminary. Formerly we were entirely dependent
on foreign parts for our supply of clergymen, insufficient as to
numbers and worse as to character; now, by the blessing of God
on our Seminary, we are enabled to send forth to the decayed
churches of Greece, or to the heathen of Asia and Africa, a goodly
number of faithful and zealous missionaries of the cross. Formerly,

and for at least a century, numbers were deserting our communion,
as that which had deserted God, and was deserted of God; now,
for the last forty years, either themselves or their children or children's
children have in considerable numbers been returning to our
fold, as to one which God himself was keeping and blessing.
Whereas once almost all men thought and spoke ill of our clergy
and communicants as devoid of piety, now, only those who are
misinformed, or most prejudiced, refuse to acknowledge that
through God's grace there is at least as large an amount of true
piety in both ministers and people as is to be found in those of any
other denomination. Whereas once we had for many years no
Conventions and then for some years a few faint-hearted ministers
and people meeting together, now, what numbers of clergy and
laity delight to assemble, not for the dry business of legislation
only, or for religious controversy, but chiefly for the blessed privilege
of joining hearts and voices in the sweet exercises of God's
word and worship, and thus becoming knit together in love! Thus
graciously hath God dealt with us. Out of gratitude to him, and
that we may continue to enjoy his smiles, it becomes us ever to
bear in mind by what means this hath been done; how our Jacob
arose, when he was not only so small, but crushed to the earth,
trodden under foot of man, after having been betrayed by friends
and dishonoured by the very ministers of God who were appointed
to defend him. In the character, habits, views, and history of the
man whom God sent to us from a distance to be our head and
leader in this work, and in the views of those, whether from our
own State or elsewhere, who entered into the service, may be seen
the religious principles and methods of action by which, under God,
the change has been effected; and it need not be said how entirely
different they were from those by which the disgrace and downfall
of the Church had been wrought. Of the efficacy of these means
we are the more convinced from the peculiar and very great difficulties
to be surmounted, which have nevertheless in a great measure
been surmounted. We are persuaded that in no part of our
own land were there such strong prejudices and such violent oppositions
to be overcome as in Virginia, in consequence of the former
character of the Episcopal clergy, and the long and bitter strife
which had existed between the Church and those who had left its
pale, which latter were never satisfied until the downfall of the
former was accomplished.

Let me briefly recapitulate the means used. Bishop Moore, in
his previous correspondence, and his first sermon and address,

declared his determination to preach as he had ever done, when
God so greatly blessed his ministry, the glorious doctrines of
grace, instead of a mere morality, such as many of the English
clergy had once preached, and such as had been but too common
in Virginia. The young clergy, who engaged in the revival of
the Church of Virginia, took the same resolve and made the great
theme of their preaching "Jesus Christ and him crucified," on the
ground of a total apostasy from God on the part of man which
required such a sacrifice, as well as the renewing of the Holy
Ghost in order to meetness for the joys of Heaven. But they
did not turn this grace of God into licentiousness and think that
either priest or people might indulge in sin. Among the first
acts of the earlier Conventions, it was at once set forth before the
world that the revival of the Church was to be undertaken on
principles entirely different from those which had hitherto prevailed,
and under the influence of which religion had been so
much dishonoured. It was plainly declared that there was need
of discipline both for clergy and laity, and canons were provided
for the exercise of the same. Not merely were grosser vices stigmatized,
but what by some were considered the innocent amusements
of the world and which the clergy themselves had advocated
and practised were condemned as inconsistent with the
character of a Christian professor.

Baptism, by which we renounce the pomps and vanities of the
world as well as the sinful lusts of the flesh, and which had been
customarily celebrated in private, directly in opposition to the
rubric and often amidst ungodly festivities, was now sought to be
performed only in the house of God, and with pious sponsors
instead of thoughtless and irreligious ones. Candidates for confirmation,
instead of being presented because they had reached a
certain age and could repeat the Catechism, were told what a
solemn vow, promise, and profession they were about to make,
and that it was none other than an immediate introduction with
full qualifications to the Lord's Supper. Of course very different
views of the Lord's Supper and of the conduct of communicants
were inculcated, and the ministers bound, by express canon, to
converse with each one before admitting for the first time to the
Lord's Supper. Thus were the whole tone and standard of
religion changed, to the dissatisfaction and complaint, it is true,
of some of the old members of the Church, and not without the
condemnation of some from abroad. In due time, the important
measure, requiring that all who enter our Convention to legislate

for Christians and Christian ministers should themselves be
Christian professors, was adopted, though there were those at home
who feared the attempt, and those abroad who prophesied evil in
such a manner as to encourage disaffection at home. But God
was with us and has granted most entire success.

As to the manner of exciting zeal in Christians and awakening
interest in those who were not, it was thought that no better
example could be followed than that of the apostles, who
preached not only in the temple and synagogues, but from house
to house, as occasion required and opportunity offered. As to
the manner of preaching, written sermons were generally preferred
in the pulpit, while extemporaneous exhortations were
often resorted to in smaller assemblies. Without slighting the
excellent prayers of our Liturgy, there were many occasions, both
in private families and in social meetings, when extemporaneous
petitions seemed edifying both to the pastor and his flock. As to
the great benevolent and religious institutions of the age, our
ministers felt that they were doing well to encourage their people
to a lively participation in them. The Missionary and Bible
Societies, the Colonization and Temperance Societies, received
their most cordial support, and they considered it a subject of
devout thankfulness to God if their congregations took a deep
interest in the same. To provoke each other and their congregations
to zeal in all good works, and especially to awaken the
careless to a sense of their lost condition, the ministers would
meet together occasionally, and for several successive days make
full trial of prayer and the word, expecting the blessing promised
to two or three who come together and ask somewhat of
God.

To these I will only add a few words as to the spirit cherished
and the course pursued toward our Christian brethren who walk
not with us in all things of Church order and worship. Long and
bitter was the strife that subsisted between them and our fathers,
violent the prejudices that raged against us, and it would have
been easy to enter on the work of revival in the spirit of retaliation
and fierce opposition. But would it have been right, and as
our Master would have had us do? Our forefathers had done
religion much and them some wrong. God made use of them for
good. Many of them were doubtless most sincere in their fear
of us and opposition to us. It became us rather to win them over
by love, and secure their esteem by living and preaching differently
from our predecessors. Such was the conciliatory course

pursued by our deceased father in God, and followed by those
who perceived the good effects of his example, and most happy
was the effect of the same. But while we have reason, at thought
of our present by comparison with our past condition, to exclaim,
"What hath God done!" "to thank him and take courage," yet
should we beware of boasting, or of supposing that all is done, or
that what remains will certainly and easily be done. I consider it
as the great error of many in our Church, that we are too much
given to boasting, too apt to overrate our own successes, and calculate
too largely on far greater, while underrating the present or
probable future successes of others. God will, in his own way,
correct us, if we be guilty of presumption. Our Jacob is still
small, and it becomes us now, as of old, to ask, By whom shall be
arise? Much is yet to be done, and there are many difficulties in
the way. Though we have a goodly number of ministers, yet there
are by no means enough to carry on the work of enlargement as
we could wish, and as the door seems opening to us. Although
we have many churches, yet how many of the congregations are
small and not rapidly increasing, being still unable to afford even
a moderate support to the ministry! Many are the discouragements
which meet us in our efforts to sustain some of the old and
to raise up new congregations. Among the most painful is the
difficulty of attaching the poor of this world to our communion.
When our Lord was on earth he gave, as one of the signs of his
heavenly descent, the blessed fact that "to the poor the Gospel
is preached," and "the common people," it is written, "heard
him gladly,"—"the multitudes followed him." Such should be
our constant endeavour; and if, from the causes alluded to in the
past history of our Church, one description of the poor of Virginia
have been almost entirely alienated from us, let us rejoice
to know that there is another description not less acceptable
in the sight of Heaven, who, if we are kind to them and will
take due pains to win them over, may more easily be led to come
under the faithful preaching of the word. The poor servants will,
if we persevere in our labours of love toward them, and be to
them what God's faithful pastors in every age have been to the
poor, be benefited by our ministry, and may—if we will, in conjunction
with their owners, attend to them betimes, as we do to
our own children—become regular and pious members of our communion.
But whether we think of the rich or of the poor, or
of those of any and every condition and character among us,
with the hope of converting them to Christ and attaching them to
the communion of our Church, we need not expect much success
without great zeal and diligence, such as was put forth in our first
efforts for its resuscitation. Our State is not one of those whose
population is rapidly increasing, in which flourishing villages are
springing up in every direction calling for neat churches to fill up
the measure of their beauty and excellency, and where the support
of the ministry is sure, so that our Zion must needs lengthen
her cords and strengthen her stakes. Very different is it with us
now, has it been for many years, and will it in all probability be
for many years to come. It is only by patient perseverance in
well-doing that we can hope to make advances in the establishment
of our Church. Much self-denial and enduring of hardship
and abounding in labours and itinerant zeal and contentedness
with a little of this world's goods, on the part of many of our
ministers, are indispensable to the growth of the Church in Virginia
much beyond her present attainment. Without these things
she may, except in the towns, continue stationary, or even retrograde
in some places, during years to come.

To the foregoing I only add that in the summer of 1829 I
was consecrated Assistant Bishop of Virginia, and continued to
perform the duties of that office until, by the death of Bishop
Moore, in 1841, I succeeded to the place which he occupied.
During all that time, I can with truth say that not the slightest
circumstance ever occurred to interrupt for a moment a most harmonious
and pleasant relation between us. Bishop Johns was
consecrated Assistant Bishop in the fall of 1842; and I can as
truly say that thus far the same harmony has existed, and I feel
confident that it will exist until death or some other circumstance
shall dissolve the connection. Such is the extent of the Diocese,
and such was the difficulty of traversing it, that, for the first
twelve or thirteen years, I was engaged in visitation during eight
months of each year, travelling over large portions of it on horseback,
or in an open one-horse carriage. During the latter period,
six months suffice for such duties as devolved upon me, and these
could not possibly be performed but for the greatly-improved
modes of conveyance. I need not add, what is so well known,
that they are most imperfectly performed.