(Matt. xv.)

"From the days of your fathers ye are gone away from mine ordinances, and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you, saith the Lord of hosts." (Mal. iii. 7.)

"Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues." (Rev. xviii. 4.)

"He that testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly; Amen. Even so come, Lord Jesus."

As a striking instance of the necessity and importance of the proposed reformation, we present the following extract from the Boston Anthology, which, with too many of the same kind that might be adduced, furnishes a mournful comment upon the text-we mean upon the sorrowful subject of our woful divisions and corruptions. The following reply to the Rev. Mr. Cram, missionary from Massachusetts to the Senecas, was made by the principal chiefs and warriors of the Six Nations, in council assembled at Buffalo Creek, state of New York, in the presence of the agent of the United States for Indian Affairs, in the summer of 1805: "I am come, brethren," said the missionary, "to enlighten your minds, and to instruct you how to worship the Great Spirit agreeably to his will, and to preach to you the gospel of his Son, Jesus Christ. There is but one way to serve God, and if you do not embrace the right way, you cannot be happy hereafter." To which they replied, "Brother, we understand your religion is written in a book. You say that there is but one way to worship and serve the Great Spirit. If there be but one religion, why do you white people differ so much about it? Why not all agree, as you can all read the book? Brother, we do not understand these things. We are told your religion was given to your forefathers. We also have a religion which was given to our forefathers. It teaches us to be thankful for all the favors we receive, to love one another, and to be united. We never quarrel about religion. We are told you have been preaching to the white people in this place. Those people are

We will wait a little, to see what effect your preaching has upon them. If we find it does them good, makes them honest, and less disposed to cheat Indians, we will then consider again what you have said." Thus closed the conference! Alas! poor people! how do our divisions and corruptions stand in your way? What a pity that you find us not upon original ground, such as the apostles left the primitive churches! Had we exhibited to you their unity and charity; their humble, honest, and affectionate deportment towards each other, and towards all men, you would not have had those evil and shameful things to object to our holy religion, and to prejudice your minds against it. But your conversion, it seems, awaits our reformation-awaits our return to primitive unity and love. To this may the God of mercy speedily restore us, both for your sakes and for our own; that his way may be known upon earth, and his saving health among all nations. Let the people praise thee, O God; let all the people praise thee. Amen and amen.

Upon the whole, we appeal to every candid mind, that has one serious thought upon the great subject of Christianity: is not the necessity of a religious reforma. tion among professed Christians most convincingly evident, and universally ac knowledged, by the serious of all denominations? We appeal, then, to all concerned, what should be its character? Should it be divine or human? Should it be the simple belief and obedience of the word and testimony of God, or of the opinions and dictates of men? You will, no doubt, say, Of the former. So say we; and yet, strange to tell, all the sects are offended. And why? We shall leave it to them to say; for they have not yet, no, not one of them, presented any relevant reason, why we should desist from urging the indispensable duty, absolute necessity, and vast importance of the reformation for which we plead. They have not presented us with the detection of one single error in our premises. We shall conclude our humble appeal by respectfully assuring all concerned, that if they, or any of them, will convince us of any error, either of faith or practice, that we will candidly re

linquish it, and thank God and man for the discovery. Also, that if they will show us how we may, without giving offence, plead the cause of a reformation, which involves the glory of God and the happiness of mankind, we shall thankfully adopt it.

For the assistance and satisfaction of our inquiring friends, who wish to avail themselves of the luminous fulness of the holy scriptures upon the great subject under consideration, we subjoin the follow ing analysis of the sacred oracles, and the great salvation which they exhibit; by the due consideration of which the scriptural evidence and certainty of what is intended, will, we hope, be apparently obvious.

ANALYSIS OF THE SACRED ORACLES.

The Bible consists of two volumes-the Old Testament and the New. Each of these consists of histories, prophecies, moral dictates, divine institutions, and devotional exercises. The Old Testament contains three distinct dispensations of religion, and predicts a fourth, which is contained in the New; viz. 1st. The primitive or Edenic delivered to our first parents immediately after their creation. 2d. The Patriarchal-also delivered to our first parents immediately after their fall. 3d. The Israelitish or Mosaic-delivered to the Israelites by Moses. And the 4th, called the Christian,-exclusively contained in the New Testament. Concerning these two volumes we observe, that although the scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are inseparably connected, making together but one perfect and entire revelation of the divine will, for the edification and salvation of the church; and, therefore, in that respect cannot be separated: yet as to what directly and properly belongs to their immediate object, the New Testament is as perfect a constitution for the worship, discipline, and government of the New Testament church, and as perfect a rule for the particular duties of its members, as the Old Testament was for the worship, discipline, and government of the Old Testament church, and the particular duties of its members.

Also, that in order to enjoy a clear and comprehensive knowledge of what we read

upon every subject in the sacred volume, the following things should be duly considered: viz. Who speaks; to whom he speaks; what he says; why he says it; when; and where he said so.

ANALYSIS OF THE GRAND DOCTRINAL TOPICS CONTAINED IN THE BIBLE.

1. The knowledge of God. 2. Of man. 3. Of sin. 4. Of the Saviour. 5. Of his salvation. 6. Of the principle and effects and consequences. means of enjoying it. 7. Of its blissful

which the scriptures were specially deThese are the grand doctrinal topics signed to teach, in the knowledge, belief, and practical influence of which, consists our present salvation.

ANALYSIS OF THE GREAT SALVATION.

I. Of its concurring causes.-1. The prime moving or designing cause the love of God. 2. The procuring causethe blood of Christ. 3. The efficient cause-the Holy Spirit. 4. The instrumental cause the gospel and law of Christ, or the word of truth. II. Of the principle and means of enjoyment.

1. OF THE PRINCIPLE.

The sole principle of enjoyment is belief or faith.

2. OF THE MEANS.

I. The prime instituted means of enjoy. ment is baptism. 2. Prayer. 3. Church fellowship in the social ordinances. 4. The Lord's day. 5. The Lord's Supper. 6. The prayers. 7. The praises. 8. The teaching of the word. 9. The contribu tion for charitable purposes. 10. Religious conversation. 11. Studious perusal and meditation of the holy scriptures. 12. All manner of good works-called works of faith and labors of love, &c., all of which are but means of enjoyment-not of procurement. "For eternal life is the gift of God, through Jesus Christ our Lord."

race.

mortality.

In attempting to sketch an outline of the Rise and Progress, Faith and Practice of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States, the writer feels how impossible it is in so brief a space to give an account that will be regarded as accurate and impartial by those belonging to that body, or which shall convey an accurate and impartial idea of the same to others. The principal reasons of this, are: (1) the extent of the field; (2) the variety of topics necessarily embraced in it; (3) want of acquaintance with many of them, on the part of readers in general; and (4) more than all, the different senses in which theological language is employed, by those different schools of theology which represent the various religious denominations in the land. These, and other causes of less consequence, render it impossible to make full or complete statements in regard to all the topics brought into view; and the writer has chosen to give the most concise, and as the best adapted to this work, a brief account of the doctrinal system of the church, as seen in its practical operation; divested as much as possible of technicalities, and avoiding, so far as practicable, the use of terms that bear different senses in the

mouths of those professing different systems of faith. This will be done as strictly as possible in the language of the Liturgy, Articles, Offices, and Homilies of the Protestant Episcopal Church; and on points where any thing else is necessary, to combine its practical theory into a logical system, the writer has followed that author who is regarded by all parties as being the best exponent of the teaching of the church, the judicious and immortal Hooker.

On only two points has the writer of this article ventured language which may seem to differ from that of Hooker. It is generally conceded, that in the doctrine of Election, Hooker has not spoken with his usual clearness and force; a deficiency which has been supplied by Faber in his Treatise On the Primitive Doctrine of Election, the truth of which is assumed in this account. The other point, upon which the language of this article may seem to be different from that of Hooker, but which is intended to convey the idea clearly involved in what he says, is in regard to what is meant by the grace of the Sacraments. And as here lies one great cause of misapprehension of the church's teaching, a word of explanation seems to