if it should be thought unsound in speculation, to inculcate, with St. James, that "God giveth to all men liberally" but how is it possible for a weak brother, who believes in elec tion as a general truth, but humbly doubts concerning his own, to fulfil the prescribed condition, and "ask in faith, nothing wavering?" It is no less practically safe to teach that all shall be rewarded according to their works; and so our Saviour must have thought when he repeatedly described the day of judgment in a mode which defies any other interpretation; while, on the contrary, to leave an impression that works have no concern with any man's salvation, is a kind of sophism, which the illiterate cannot be expected to unravel; and though in one sense it is the truth, it is by no means the whole truth of Scripture. In short, the dangers arising from the doctrine of predestination, under any of its modifications, are so practical, so plain, and so favoured by the sloth ful and self-excusing principles of human nature, that it ought to be read in St. Paul with the plainness of the command to believe in Christ, or to love our neighbour, before it is inculcated to a congregation. It matters not that a pious Calvinist disclaims the natural results, or acute disputant can explain them away: it is notorious that the illiterate enthusiast believes, and the sinner flatters himself with expecting, that, if he is one of the elect, he shall some how or other be finally snatched out of the fire: and if he is not, that no exertions of his own can ever avail. Thus the real conclusion and the practical evil of the doctrine of election meet together.* an * I do not consider this as a matter of argument, but of historical experience. The passage in Burnet is often referred to: "The Germans soon saw the ill effects of the doctrine of decrees. Luther changed his mind about it, and Melancthon wrote openly against it; and since that time the whole stream of the Lutheran churches has run the other way; but both Calvin and Bucer were still for maintaining the doctrines, only they warned the people not to think much about them, - since they were secrets that men could not penetrate into. Hooper, and many other good writers, did often exhort the people from entering into these curiosities; and a caveat to the same purpose was put into the Article about predesti. nation." On Reform. part. ii. p. 113. Luther, in his answer to Erasmus's Diatribe, certainly maintains, in strong terms, the absolute decrees of God. But experience afterwards taught him the wisdom of using great moderation on this Caspar Aq. which is translated by Milner, head. See his letters, particularly one to vol. v. p. 514. In the year 1657 Baxter wrote, "One objection I find most common, in the mouths of the ungodly, especially of late years they say, we can do nothing without God, we cannot have grace if God will not give it us; and if he will, we shall quickly turn: if he have not predestinated us, and will not turn us, how can we turn ourselves or be saved? It is Thus they think they are excused." Call not in him that wills, nor in him that runs. to the Unconverted, Preface, xxii. Whitefield in several places candidly acknowledges that many of his followers destruction, and that he grew cautious, which he had not been thirty years be fore, "of dubbing people converts too soon". Eighteen Sermons. Several excellent papers have also recently appear ed in the Christian Observer, strongly exemplifying the dangerous consequences of Calvinistic theology. The writer of one says, "Election and final perseverance were the never-ceasing topics of all the conversations and sermons I formerly heard; and, indeed, they were soon the only topics of a religious nature that I could endure. Then my mountain of selfsufficiency stood so strong, I was a stranger to self-examination, and, of course, knew not what manner of spirit I was of A contention and strife about words suited my then unsanctified temper: and if ever one man was disposed to make ano ther an offender for a word, it was myself." Ob. February, 1815. had wrested his doctrine to their own dresses as "the elect of God," persons who were his only worshippers in large districts, or even extensive nations; persons who had been called to the knowledge and faith of Christ from the actual exercise of idolatry and habits of the grossest wickedness, by which they were still surrounded on every side; persons who had relinquished, for the sake of the Gospel, the religious worship in which ail the rest of their countrymen were persevering: lastly, persons who for the same object had given up their kindred and their father's house, and were either suffering, or destined to suffer, the severest privations and the heaviest loads that pain or imprisonment can lay on nature; and who, if they did not believe themselves especially favoured and beloved by God, were indeed of all men most miserable." It is our inestimable privilege, that there is nothing similar to circumstances such as these in the situation of modern Christians: and genuine imitation does not consist in borrowing detached expressions, but in applying them to the cases and circumstances in which they were employed originally. In the month of July, I visited the Church at Yonkers, Westchester county, which has recently, in the interior, been repaired and altered in a very handsome manner. In the month of August, I visited Christ Church, Ballston-Spa, and the Churches at Milton and Charlton, Saratoga county; Trinity Church, Utica, Oneida county; St. Paul's Church, Turin, on the Black River, Lewis county; St. Paul's Church, Waddington, on the St. Lawrence, and the Church at Russel, St. Law. rence county; Trinity Church, Fairfield, Herkinier county; St. John's Church, Johnstown, Montgomery county; and St. George's Church, Schenectady; and also performed divine service in the course of this visi tation, in Lowville, Lewis county; and Ogdensburgh and Potsdam, St. Lawrence county. In the month of September, I visited the Churches at Duanesburgh, Schenectady county; Paris, and the Oneida Castle, Oneida county; Manlius, and Onondaga, West-Hill, Onondaga county; Auburn, Cayuga county; Geneva, Pultneyville, Canandaigua, Victor, Pittsford, Rochester, Richmond, and Avon, and performed divine service at the town of Pennfield, Ontario county. The congregations at Le Roy and Batavia, Genesee county, and Buffalo, Niagara county, were also visited. In all of these places I preached, in most of them held confirmations, and in seveLord's Supper. ral administered the sacrament of the On my return from visiting the churches at the westward, I assisted, at Philadelphia, in the consecration of the Rev. Dr. BOWEN, the Bishop elect of the Church in South-Carolina. The following new churches have been consecrated: St. Paul's Church, Windham, Greene county; Christ Church, Ballston-Spa, Saratoga county; St. Paul's Church, Turin, Lewis county; St. Paul's Church, Waddington, St. Lawrence county; Zion Church, Onondaga, West-Hill, Onondaga county; and St. Paul's Church, Richmond, Ontario county. New churches, erecting at Paris, Oneida County; Butternuts, Otsego county; and Binghamton, Broome county, are nearly ready for consecration. I have held the following Ordinations:-On the 23d of October last, in Trinity Church, New-York, the Rev. Samuel Johnston was admitted to the Holy Order of Priests, and David Brown to that of Deacons. On the 17th of March last, in Christ Church, New-York, the Rev. Charles Smyth, of the Diocess of Connecticut, Deacon, was admitted to the Order of Priests. On the 25th of April last, in Trinity Church, New-York, Kodney Rossetter, of the Diocess of Connecticut, was admitted to the Order of Deacons. On the 26th of May, at Stamford, Connecticut, Augustus Fitch, of that Diocess, and Leveret Bush, of this Diocess, were admitted to the Order of Deacons. On the 26th of June, at Windham, Greene county, the Rev. Ezekiel G. Gear, Deacon, Missionary in Onondaga county; and on the 28th of the same month, in Christ Church, Hudson, the Rev. Gregory T. Bedell, Deacon, Minister of that Church, were admitted to the Order of Priests; and on the latter day, Thomas Osborne to that of Deacons. On the 10th of September, at Duanesburgh, the Rev. Nathaniel F. Bruce, M. D. Deacon, Minister of the Church in that place, was admitted to the Order of Priests; and Intrepid Morse, and Charles McCabe, to that of Deacons. On the 18th inst. in the French Church Du St. Esprit, New-York, Alexis Peter Proal was admitted to the Order of Deacons; and yesterday, at the opening of the Convention, George Upfold, M. D. John Grigg, jun. James W. Eastburn, George B. Andrews, of this Diocess; and Peter G. Clark, Origen P. Holcomb, and James Keeler, of the Diocess of Connecticut, were admitted to the same Order. The following persons are Candidates for Orders:-William Rich mond, Diodatus Babcock, James P. Cotter, James Bowden, Jumes P. F. Clark, William P. De Lancey, George W. Doane, Moses Burt, G. M. Robin son, and Eleazar Williams. George W. Woodruff, a candidate for Orders, has been regularly transferred to the Diocess of New Jersey, and Alonzo Potter to Pennsylvania. The Rev. James Montgomery, from the Diocess of New-Jersey, has been instituted Rector of Grace Church, in the city of New York, vacated by the removal of the Rev. Dr. Bowen to the Diocess of SouthCarolina; the Rev. Henry U. Onderdonk, M. D. Rector of St. John's Church, Canandaigua; the Rev. Evan Malbone Johnson, Rector of St. James's Church, Newtown, LongIsland; and the Rev. Nathaniel F. Bruce, M. D. Rector of Christ Church, Duanesburgh, Schenectady county. The Rev. Samuel Johnston, Missionary in the western parts of the state, and the Rev. Intrepid Morse, recently ordained Deacon, have removed, by letters dismissory from me, to the state of Ohio; as also, the Rev. Gregory T. Bedell, from Hudson, to Fayetteville, North-Carolina; and the Rev. Parker Adams, from Waterford and Lansingburgh, to the Diocess of South-Carolina. The Rev. Samuel Nicholls has removed from Fairfield, and resides at present in the Diocess of Connecticut; and the Rev. Petrus S. Ten Broeck has removed from Fishkill to the Eastern Diocess. The following changes have also taken place in this Diocess:-The Rev. Asahel Davis, Deacon, has removed from New-Berlin, Chenango county, and resides at present at Geneva, where he has the charge of a school established by the Vestry of the Church in that place; and the Church at New-Berlin is now under the charge of the Rev. Daniel Nash. The Rev. John M'Vickar has been appointed Professor of Moral Philosophy and Rhetoric in Columbia College; and the Church at Hyde-Park, of which he was the Rector, is at present supplied by the Rev. David Brown, Deacon. The Rev. William A. Clark, for several years Missionary at Manlius, and parts adjacent, has removed to Buffalo. The Rev. Amos Pardee, from the Diocess of Massachusetts, acts as Missionary_at_Manlius. The Rev. William B. Lacey, the late Missionary at Oxford, Che nango county, has removed to Albany; and the Church at Oxford is now supplied by the Rev. Leveret Bush, Deacon. The Rev. Amos G. Baldwin has removed from Utica, and has charge of the congregations at Waddington and Ogdensburgh, on the St. Lawrence, and in parts adjacent. The Rev. William H. Northrop, Deacon, on account of hill health, has relinquished the charge of the Church at Auburn. The Rev. Thomas C. Brownell, late Professor in Union College, has been elected an Assistant Minister of Trinity Church, New-York. The Rev. Samuel Phinney has produced to me the requisite testimonials from the Bishop of the Church in Pennsylvania, and has been chosen Rector of St. Andrew's Church, Coldenham, Orange county. The Rev. Eli Wheeler has resigned the Rectorship of St. John's Church, Johnstown, Montgomery county, and been chosen Assistant Minister of St. George's Church, Hempstead, Long-Island. The Rev. Thomas Osborne, Deacon, has removed, by letters dismissory, to South-Carolina. The following Missionaries are employed:-The Rev. Daniel Nash, in Otsego and Chenango counties; the Rev. William 4. Clark, at Buffalo, Batavia, and parts adjacent the Rev. Samuel Fuller, Albany and Greene counties; the Rev. James Thompson, Windham, Greene county, and other places in that and Delaware county; the Rev. Stephen Jewett, in Hampton and Granville, Washington county; the Rev. Alanson W. Welton, Ontario, and adjacent counties; the Rev. Russel Wheeler, Butternuts and Unadilla, Otsego county, and parts adjacent; the Rev. Ezekiel G. Gear, Onondaga county, and parts adjacent; the Rev. Charles W. Hamilton, Sandy-hill, Washington county, and parts adjacent; the Rev. Charles Seabury, Brookhaven, Huntington, and Islip, Long-Island; the Rev. Joshua M. Rogers, Turin, Lewis county, and parts adjacent; the Rev. George H. Norton, Deacon, Seneca and Ontario counties; the Rev. Leveret Bush, Dea con, Oxford, Chenango county, and arts adjacent. Under a Canon of the late General Convention, the Rev. Thomas Y. How, late an Assistant Minister of Trinity Church, New-York, has been suspended from the ministry. The Canon being in some respects of a doubtful tenor, I proceeded in the exercise of discipline, on this occasion, as far as I conceived the Canon fully authorised. A presentment of this gentleman, containing a most serious charge against his moral conduct has, within a few days, been made to me under the Canons of the Church in this state. I have often expressed an opinion, that if a presentment, containing that charge, should be made, it would be incumbent upon me, on conviction, to inflict the sentence of degradation from the ministry. I shall, without delay, discharge my duty in this business. It is a subject of congratulation, that our Church has resumed the labours, which for a long period before the revolutionary war, the Society in England for Propagating the Gospel in Foreign Parts, directed to the religious instruction of the Indian tribes. Those labours were not wholly unsuccessful; for on my recent visit to the Oneidas, I saw an aged Mohawk, who, firm in the faith of the Gospel, and adorning his profession by an exemplary life, is indebted, under the Divine blessing, for his Christian principles and hopes, to the Missionaries of that venerable Society. The exertions more recently made for the conversion of the Indian tribes, have not been so successful, partly because not united with efforts to introduce among them those arts of civilization, without which the Gospel can neither be understood nor valued; but principally because religious instruction was conveyed through the imperfect medium of interpreters, by those unacquainted with their dispositions and habits, and in whom they were not disposed to place the same confidence, as in those who are connected with them by the powerful ties of language, of manners, and of kindred. The religious instructor of the Oneidas, employed by our Church, enjoys all these advantages. Being of Indian extraction, and acquainted with their language, dispositions, and customs, and devoting himself unremittingly to their spiritual and temporal welfare, he enjoys their full confidence; while the education which he has received, has increased his qualifications as their guide in the faith and precepts of the Gospel. Mr. Eleazar Williams, at the earnest request of the Oneida chiefs, was licensed by me about two years since, as their Lay Reader, Catechist, and Schoolmaster. Educated in a different communion, he connected himself with our Church from conviction, and ap pears warmly attached to her doctrines, her apostolic ministry, and her worship. Soon after he commenced his labours among the Oneidas, the Pagan party solemnly professed the Christian faith. Mr. Williams repeatedly explained to them in councils which they held for this purpose, the evidences of the Divine origin of Christianity, and its doctrines, institutions, and precepts. He combated their objections, patiently answered their inquiries, and was finally, through the Divine blessing, successful in satisfying their doubts. Soon after their conversion, they appropriated, in conjunction with the old Christian party, the proceeds of the sale of some of their lands to the erection of an handsome edifice for divine worship, which will be shortly completed. In the work of their spiritual instruction, the Book of Common Prayer, a principal part of which has been translated for their use, proves a powerful auxiliary. Its simple and affecting exhibition of the truths of redemption, is calculated to interest their hearts, while it informs their understanding, and its decent and significant rites, contribute to fix their attention in the exercises of worship. They are particularly gratified with having parts assigned them in the service, and repeat the responses with great propriety and devotion. On my visit to them, several hundred assembled for worship; those who could read were furnished with books; and they uttered the confessions of the liturgy, responded its supplications, and chanted its hyinns of praise, with a reverence and fervour, which powerfully interested the feelings of those who witnessed the solemnity. They listened to my Address to them, interpreted by Mr. Williams, with so much solicitous attention; they received the laying on of hands with such grateful humility; and participated of the symbols of their Saviour's love with such tears of penitential devotion, that the impression which the scene made on my mind will never be effaced. Nor was this the excitement of the moment, or the ebullition of enthusiasm. The eightynine who were confirmed, had been well instructed by Mr. Williams; and none were permitted to approach the communion, whose lives did not correspond with their Christian professions. The numbers of those who assembled for worship, and partook of the ordinances, would have been greater, but from the absence of many of them at an Indian council at Buffalo. I have admitted Mr. Williams as a Candidate for Orders, on the recommendation of the Standing Committee; and look forward to his increased influence and usefulness, should he be invested with the office of the ministry. There is a prospect of his having, some time hence, a powerful auxiliary in a young Indian, the son of the head warrior of the Onondagas, who was killed at the battle of Chippewa, and who, amiable and pious in his dispositions, and sprightly and vigorous in his intellectual powers, is earnestly desirous of receiving an education to prepare him for the ministry among his countrymen. I trust that means will be devised for accomplishing his wishes. We ought never to forget, that the salvation of the Gospel is designed for all the human race; and that the same mercy which applies comfort to our wounded consciences, the same grace which purifies and soothes our corrupt and troubled hearts, and the same hope of immortality which fills us with peace and joy, can exert their benign and ce lestial influence on the humble Indian. In my visitation of the Diocess, I |