the demolition of such churches in the reign of Dioclesian, and among these of the great church at Tyre, which was afterwards rebuilt by Paulinus; of the consecration of which we read, when the bishops of many distant Churches were collected, in order to mark the unity and correspondence of the Christian Church as well as to add splendour to the celebrations of that day. There are few things on record more striking or remarkable than the eloquent oration * which was composed, it is thought, by Eusebius himself; in which he exhausted all the stores of rhetoric, and displayed at full the common sentiments which glowed then in every Christian breast. The Churches which succeeded when the kingdoms of the world became the kingdoms of the Lord, were beautiful and spacious. They were calculated, and accordingly divided, for every class of Christians. The font was placed there for those to be first dedicated to the Lord by baptism, who kept their places on the forms of well-instructed scholars as they advanced in riper stages of proficiency to the table of Communion. If much of these forms of distribution in the ancient churches is now disused, yet something is retained. The portion of the church, toward the western end, once used for the instruction of children, is in some instances so occupied in our own land, both in Sunday Schools, and Weekly Schools, to the present day. We have now, indeed, most * Euseb. Hist. Eccles. lib. 10. chap. ii. iii. thankfully to contemplate more suitable accommodations, which have been furnished for such purposes. By the national provision, rightly so denominated, and happily established in all parts of the land, the congregations of our country will be suitably replenished from their seed-plots, subsisting as they do in such circles of religious culture and instruction. It is thus that they who have been trained to learn and to repeat the form of sound words, and the elements of Christian truth, may know how to hear the preacher's word with profit, and how to take their part with readiness in the public exercises of religion. A greater blessing has not been conferred upon the land since the happy era of the Reformation, when the Parish Schools began to rise, and in this great city more especially. We may observe now, that it was most fitting and becoming that in every Diocese there should be a central edifice, the chief seat of the See. These were placed in cities, and sometimes in smaller towns and villages, of which we have had instances in our own country. Many might resort to those distinguished churches for ministerial dispensations, although the building could not hold all comers if assembled at one time. Increasing numbers rendered it more necessary to build churches for parochial congregations. Long before the separation into parishes, attributed to Honorius, who presided in the See of Canterbury in the seventh century, "we read in the British times," says a good author, "of an appropriation of diverse churches, with their endowments to Dubritius, archbishop of South Wales, under the Britons, as is collected by Mr. Selden out of a very ancient manuscript of the first state of the Church of Llandaff: adding ingenuously thereupon, though it made something against his own propositum, that no doubt can be but that churches were built here in those times, neither is it to be conceived how Christianity could in any nation be much ancienter (if generally received, or by any number) than churches, or some convenient houses, or other places in the nature of churches, appointed for the increase of devotion* " Evident it was, however, in all cases, that there was no departure by such new provisions, from the single altar of communion, or the seat of spiritual jurisdiction t. Impossible it is, when such considerations rise before us, not to pay another debt of gratitude, with a just acknowledgement for the measures taken in our day by the Legislature of our country for providing for the exigencies of its fast increasing population. The means for their assembly and accommodation in our consecrated buildings, have been happily augmented, and with a more particular attention to the poorer classes of the Christian household. Much has been done, much is doing, and will it may be hoped be further done, to meet necessities which became so importunate, and to apply the needful remedy to mischiefs which were every where increasing. Stavely's History of Churches in England, p. 65. + See Note II., subjoined to this Charge. If the first churches in the Christian world were large and noble, it was not for the sake of viewing distant pageants and processions, that they were so constructed. Such things have unhappily been substituted for the simple forms of religious, fellowship in public worship and communion. But the consecrated edifices of the earlier ages, were raised for the purposes of prayer, for joint exercises of devotion, for the ministries of the word and sacrament. Nor was it possible that such benefits could be enjoyed with any orderly decorum, or with the becoming forms of an united service, without multiplied and convenient places of assembly, dedicated to such uses, and adapted to the joint communication of large portions of the Christian flock. The same offices are kept in view in our own Courts of Assembly, and most strictly should they be guarded from needless, and much more from unbecoming, deviations from the main design. And here, my Reverend Brethren, I might close these observations, having already trespassed much upon your time, and touched what relates to leading principles, about which we have most cause to be vigilant and careful. ( There are many more particulars which might be applicable to the subjects which have been set before you. I might call now upon the wardens of the churches in this city, to exercise their best care in maintaining in their pristine form and beauty, those sacred edifices which subsist among us. I have not burdened them as yet with parochial visitations. In a country district once committed to my care, I held such visitations at no distant intervals; but the necessity for such inspections is not here perhaps so pressing. In this metropolis there is for the most part, (there always should be) a regular attention to stated periods of repair, and for the renewal of those embellishments by which such buildings are adorned. If I have hitherto preferred giving a personal attendance (and I have always given it most gladly) in cases where it has been called for, rather than by parochial visitation through the district, it has been because (for the reason above mentioned) conference and counsel may be preferable where they can be found sufficient, and because the cost and labour, which would be considerable, in many instances would be found unnecessary. Where authoritative interference becomes needful, it shall not be wanting; but it must be where a departure from the good custom to which I have alluded shall have obtained; and I trust that there are none here that would willingly endure that scandal with relation to the charge for which they are entrusted. Should the course which I have not yet adopted appear to be more necessary, I shall readily pursue it. Yet I feel persuaded, my Reverend Brethren, that I shall not have occasion to provoke you or the wardens of your churches to jealousy by producing the warning of the heathen poet for the purpose of reproof. "Delicta majorum immeritus lues, |