asunder what God hath joined together. He therefore regarded wrong views of the ministry, authority, and order of the Church, as material errors. He looked upon separation from this ministry as the sin of schism-upon a disregard to this authority as disobedience to Him from whom it was derived-upon a violation of this order as a presumptuous exaltation of private opinion over public law, a breach of sincerity and truth, and a contempt of the most solemn obligations both to God and man. On all points connected with his views of duty, he proclaimed his opinions fearlessly. He acted upon them firmly and consistently. He would never listen for a moment to the suggestions of policy. He would compromit nothing. He would yield nothing. He despised a timid prudence. He shrunk from no responsibility. He met error directly, and was sure that truth would always triumph, if manfully defended. In the contemplation of the moral sublimity of his character, we feel a respect for it approaching almost to veneration.

And yet this man, so stern and inflexible in his defence of the truth, and so lofty in the eyes of his fellow-men, was like a child in his lowliness in the sight of God.

His talents were suited to his character. His bold thoughts were expressed in a strong and masculine style, and his controversies were conducted with great ability and spirit. With less theological learning than many others, and in a great measure by the acuteness and vigour of his natural powers, he established his own positions well, triumphantly exposed the weakness and fallacies of his anta

gonist, and wit, sarcasm, and reasoning, all blended together, made him one of the most formidable assailants of Presbytery which our country has produced.

But while, as one of the most sincere and devout men that ever lived, (even those who differed from him being the judges,) and one of the most zealous and able defenders of evangelical truth and apostolic order, he is worthy of the utmost admiration; yet it must be acknowledged by his warmest friends, that his great qualities were alloyed by some of those infirmities which seem to be inseparable from our nature. He was undoubtedly too harsh and violent in the condemnation of those who differed from him in opinion, and too unqualified in the judgment of their motives; and in his noble zeal for the cause of truth, he sometimes lost sight of Christian charity. These exceptions, it appears to me, are the only ones which need to be made in regard to the following letter of Bishop Ravenscroft, or of any other which may be afterwards introduced.

"RIGHT REV. AND DEAR SIR,

"Raleigh, May 30, 1827.

"Your favour of the 25th reached me to-day, accompanied by two copies of the address on the present bug-bear of high and low Church-the watch-word of a party, too unprincipled, I fear, to be wrought upon by fact or argument. I trust I do not exceed, in thus expressing myself; but, what with their cant, and what with their artful adaptation of their outcry to popular delusion, I can see nothing of sincere though misdirected opinion, but

much of reasoned and calculated contrivance to overthrow that polity which the most solemn obligations require them to defend. Though providentially defeated for the present, and for which the Church cannot be sufficiently thankful, I agree with you in opinion, that this defeat is not decisive as to the fate of the party. It still exists, and will continue to mature its plans with more caution and deeper counsels, waiting for the next vacancy in the episcopate to try their strength, and either gain their object in a bishop after their own heart, or obtain occasion against the bishops, from their refusal to admit an improper person into their body. This, I doubt not, is a part of their plan-a kind of reserve to appeal to public feeling upon, as a persecuted body of pious men, denied the rights of conscience. I trust, however, that there will be firmness enough in a majority of the bishops to commit the cause to God, by cleaving to principle at every hazard-refusing every attempt at compromise. In the meantime much may be done to give more correct views to the great body of our laity, and to expose their artful and dangerous proceedings.

"On the subject of the Liturgy I have but one fear, and that is, that the bishops are not prepared to apply the only remedy, which is, no longer to wink at infractions of the Rubricks, but to stand prepared to enforce the discipline of the Church against all offenders. Let this be done in one or two plain cases, and I doubt not the result; whereas, by continuing to act upon the present principle of forbearance, those who act irregularly are encouraged to

persevere, from the calculation that it is fear which operates with the bishops-that they are too strong a party for the law to meddle with; and thus a double evil is produced; the government is weakened, and its opponents increased, both numerically and in confidence. I trust you will pardon the freedom with which I venture to show mine opinion: but, as I am sure that we (the bishops) possess, individually and collectively, the means to put a stop to this increasing and ruinous evil, I had rather it should thus be met, and promptly too, than by further temporising, feed the flame of discontent and disunion, until we have to mourn over a catastrophe which firmness and decision would have averted.*

"While happily free myself from the remotest cause of uneasiness as to this point, I yet feel for those who are otherwise situated, and would gladly aid in any way to bring about a more favourable

* The firmness of Bishop Ravenscroft was once, as he himself informed me, put to a severe test, which, however, was found sufficient for the occasion. One of the dioceses had elected a presbyter as an assistant bishop, on the express condition that he should not, as a matter of course, on the demise of the bishop, succeed to his jurisdiction. Bishop Ravenscroft looked upon this as utterly wrong; and though a canon was passed at the time to prevent its recurrence, he would by no means give his consent to the act. Besides, in reference to the presbyter elected, though he was his dear and personal friend, and though with a single exception, he had never known one whose walk was nearer to God, yet it was his opinion, that he had not that regard to the distinctive principles and usages of the Church which fitted him to be one of her principal overseers. On both these accounts, therefore, Bishop Ravenscroft disapproved of his appointment to the office, and accordingly he neither could be prevailed upon to sign his testimonials nor to assist in his consecration.

state of things. With the help of God I shall watch to keep my diocese free from this infection. Nor will I ordain any man whom I have sufficient ground to suspect of laxity or disaffection to the distinctive principles of the Church. Let all walk by this rule, and Dr.'s increasing evangelicals will disappear like the morning dew.

"Your affectionate friend and brother,

“ JOHN S. RAVENSCROFT.”

In the summer of 1827 Bishop Hobart set out upon his tour of Episcopal duty, with the intention of extending it to Green-Bay, in order to visit the Oneida Indians, whom he still considered as under his pastoral charge; but finding it impossible to accomplish the journey consistently with other necessary duties in his diocese, he did not reach this remote point, and postponed it till the following summer. He proceeded, however, as far as Detroit, where he gratified the people of our communion exceedingly, by the novel visit of a Protestant Bishop, performed the interesting ceremony of laying the corner-stone of the first Episcopal Church, and administered the rite of confirmation.

No man was ever more careful than Bishop Hobart to regulate his public conduct by general principles, nor more ready in applying these principles to particular cases. And when his mind was clearly made up as to the correctness of the rule, he never suffered himself to be moved by temporary expedients, by personal feeling, by popular excitement, by the desire of praise, or fear of clamour and reproach, but went on steadily and firmly in his