worship, as well as to her evangelical doctrines; you know how I have mourned over the desolations of our Zion in your State, and how my heart has grieved at beholding that Liturgy, which was the delight and glory of holy saints now in that paradise for which its sacred devotions prepared them, neglected, mutilated, despised, almost trodden under foot. On all these subjects I have had full, unreserved communications with Dr. Moore, which bave resulted in an entire persuasion that should he settle in Virginia, it will be his unremitting endeavor, combining prudence with zeal and firmness, to restore our Church to purity and vigor in her doctrines, institutions, and worship.

It is this joyful hope that, by the Divine blessing, he will be instrumental in repairing the waste places of our Zion, and in building her up in the beauty of holiness that leads me to wish him God-speed.

I trust, my dear Mercer, he will receive your influence in his endeavors to remove the prejudices which subsist against our Church; that you will aid him to present the Liturgy unmutilated, by stating among your friends and acquaintance, when necessary, that this is required, not only by consistency of character, but by fidelity to his ordination vows; and by reminding him of those days, when, amidst clergy often negligent and lukewarm, and sometimes immoral, it was this Liturgy which drew, and attached their forefathers to the Church.

Mr. Moore's character justifies the expectation that he will display all the pious zeal and activity required by the arduous stations in which he will be placed. But certainly, were I not persuaded that his zeal for God's glory, and for the salvation of men would be regulated by the form of sound words professed by our

Church, by her order and institutions, I should not anticipate, as I now do, any good to our Church from his going among you. I hope he may find you in Richmond, and that I shall hear from you on his return.

Be assured, that, different as are our pursuits, and distant as we are in place,

I remain, as ever, dear Mercer,
Most affectionately,

JOHN H. HOBART.

CHAPTER XIII.

A. D. 1814. Et. 39.

General Convention - Motion for a General Theological Seminary opposed by Bishop Hobart-Reasons--Standing and Influence in that Body-Sermon preached at its Opening--Review of it-Sentiments touching the Church of England--General Constitution of the Protestant Episcopal Church-Prospects--Rite of Confirmation-Administered at Hyde Park-Influence--Eulogium on the Prayer-bookLetters-C. F. Mercer-President Smith.

Of his course as Bishop, Mr. Hobart had already given warrant to the Church, in the numerous publications that had preceded his elevation; it was, to maintain the vital truths of the Gospel in connection with the distinctive principles of the Church, or as he himself was accustomed to indicate it, the union of evangelical truth with apostolic order.' He doubted the expediency of teaching ano Church' Christianity; he distrusted 'modern liberality;' he regarded it but as the cloak of indifference, the language of infidelity, or, at best, the apology of a mind too indolent to examine, or too little interested to choose between the conflicting claims of Christian truth. Such a spirit in the Church he regarded as a fatal symptom, he therefore deprecated its existence, and fought

against its extension under every form in which it presented itself.

How, he would say, can Christianity be taught in the abstract? one might as well propose to put into the hand of the child who is to learn it, a Bible, that shall be neither large, nor small, nor medium size, and of which the binding shall be a color partaking equally of all colors; but Christianity has its form, and has its color, and man has no right to vary from either the one or the other. The Gospel generalized, is no Gospel; if all creeds be admitted, no creed can be held, and if no creed be held, there is no standing ground for the Christian reasoner, no foothold against infidelity; once entered on that slippery descent, the mind glides insensibly, but, necessarily, onward; all behind, becomes bigotry; all before, liberality; nor can we stop, upon this principle, till all truth is generalized, and all opinions, however heretical or infidel, are put upon an equal footing. But where then will be the Gospel? where will be the Christian? The Gospel will then be ranked among the many marvellous histories of a dark and fabulous age; and the Christian, at least he who bears such name under this extension, will find himself sitting down, not only with the Arian and the Socinian, but with the Moslem and the Gentoo, as having equal rights and equal claims with himself, and, worse

than all that, even with the utter infidel and atheist. Such must, demonstratively, be the result, unless we stand upon Christian truth, for if we arbitrarily stop short, what becomes of the principle contended for. There is, therefore, but one security in the Christian Church: there is, and there can be none other, THE TRUTH, THE WHOLE TRUTH, AND NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH.

What that truth is, is matter of inquiry to learn, and matter of duty to inquire what in any individual case it will result in, depends upon the care and diligence of the search; but the Christian who ventures to advance any other principle than that of 'truth,' is a traitor to the cause he professes to advocate; he opens the gates to the foe. Thus did not Bishop Hobart :and the Church of CHRIST at large, by whatever name known, has yet to learn the full debt it owes to him who stood fearlessly in the gap, and fought a good fight' against that insidious enemy who was for changing the Gospel banner from TRUTH, to―LIBERALITY.

This uncompromising tone was in him a Christian, not a sectarian spirit, and they who deemed it such, still more they who inveighed against it as such, and would have held him up to odium for maintaining it, do now owe to him, yea, rather to themselves, an honorable amend' for such misconstruction.