Lord, seemed to him an imperative act of delicacy, dness, and duty, not permitting a moment's

besitation.

"For admitting that the evil would not," as he was fully persuaded it would, " very much overbalance the good; yet in all plans of disputed policy, the decisive question ought to be-Can we do without them, and thus avoid the evils which there is reason. to fear will ensue from them? And who will for a moment pretend that associations of the description of the one under consideration, are essential to the personal piety, official usefulness, and edification of the clergy? To suppose so, would be to cast a libel on the thousands and hundreds of thousands of ministers who, without these means, have pursued, as burning and shining lights, their luminous course to the bright day of heavenly glory. Let a clergyman in private read, and meditate and pray. Above all, let him cherish the spirit of supplication; lifting up at all times, and in all places, unseen and unnoticed by the world, but seen and heard by his heavenly Master, his heart and affections in prayer for every spiritual blessing which he needs as a Christian and as a minister of the Lord. In the social circle of his brethren, in those clerical meetings which the various exigencies of the Church render necessary, and in the more confined groupe of those whom congeniality of temper and views, or other circumstances draw together, let him indulge, as opportunity offers, in converse as to all the points by which he may be excited or edified. He will enjoy sufficient means of personal piety and edification.

"In these exercises, which have been tested and

found adequate to their holy end, by a series of the most pious and faithful ministers who, in successive ages, have adorned the Church, there can be no unhallowed intrusion of vanity, ostentation, or vainglorious strife, of the selfish spirit of ambition, and of the disorganizing purposes of restless faction. To the constant and fervent use of these means of promoting personal piety, official usefulness, and edification, I would urge myself, I would call my brethren of the clergy and laity. Under the agency of the Divine Spirit, by them, in connexion with the worship and ordinances of the Church, we shall be excited and advanced in the spiritual life; animated and strengthened to the faithful discharge of the duties of the stations in which God, in his providence, has placed us; and finally secure, through the merits of our divine Lord, the great end of our calling, the salvation of our souls.

"In these exercises every clergyman may unexceptionably and effectually advance his spiritual improvement. And therefore he has no warrant for pursuing those means which are reasonably ob noxious to his brethren, or to those to whom, in unessential points, many considerations suggest the propriety of deference; which subject them to misapprehension or to odium; and which, however fraught with partial good, portend in their results a great preponderance of evil. No man liveth to himself,' is a maxim most applicable to a minister of the Church. He has brought himself under many obligations, and subjected himself to the influence of many considerations, which materially affect his private rights.

"There is no reason for supposing that there is such a deficiency of piety and zeal among us as to render necessary these associations. Without their aid the assiduous labours of the clergy have been blessed to the prosperity and general harmony of the diocese. Why run any hazard of interrupting this prosperity and union?"

The publication of this Letter was the occasion of great embarrassment and perplexity to the members of the Clerical Association. The exposition of the means which the Bishop had employed to prevent its formation, and the mild and conciliatory manner in which his arguments had been urgedthe courteous, respectful, and dignified tone of the Letter itself-the strong and sagacious views which were taken of the subject-the plausibility, the clearness, and force of his reasonings-the justness and pertinency of his illustrations-and the sympathy which was felt for him in the painful attitude which he had been compelled to take-all made a most powerful impression in his favour, and led to a very general disapprobation of the association itself. It was impossible for the society to continue without a great violation of delicacy, decorum, and respect towards the Bishop; and more happily for him than he expected, without the strong and decided censure of the great body of the members of our Church. How far the members of the association were influenced by the latter circumstance in their subsequent proceedings, or how far by feelings of courtesy and kindness, it would be as unbecoming in me to give an opinion, as it would perhaps be impossible for themselves to determine. It appears,

however, from their own answers, that they acted under the operation of both. There was for some time a pause, which left the issue of the matter in uncertainty. From their attachment to the scheme, from the pride of consistency, and from the natural tendency to defend a course which has been entered upon deliberately, in whatever light it might be viewed by others, there was no doubt a violent struggle in their minds before they could bring themselves to abandon it. Whether it were to be looked upon as an act of deference and submission to their ecclesiastical head, or as a compliance with public opinion, there would probably, in either case, be some sense of humiliation on their part, though in reality had it been done frankly and promptly, it would have been regarded by others as noble and honourable.

Before any steps were taken, the constitution of the society and the forms of prayers were published, accompanied with some prefatory remarks. In them it was stated, that the members of the association had supposed that a small society of clergymen, ten in number, meeting in the privacy of their own houses, for social intercourse, conversation on missionary and other religious subjects, and prayer, would not excite much public attention, or require any defence of the motives and conduct of those who were engaged in it." They were anxious not to subject themselves to the charge of resistance or disrespect to ecclesiastical authority on the one hand, nor on the other to relinquish their privilege of thinking and acting as Christians and presbyters in regard to points left free to individual judgment.

They apprehended little danger, from the measures which they had adopted, to the legitimate authority of the Church, where there was such a diversity of opinion among themselves. Their association was for good and not for evil, for union and not for discord and strife, all conversation on disputed points of Church principle and policy having been prohibited by mutual consent. They were convinced "that peace and brotherly love were to be maintained not by enforcing uniformity of opinion upon points left free by the Church to the exercise of individual judgment, but by a mutual and generous toleration of opinion in regard to such points."

But a few copies of their constitution and forms of prayer had been published, and these for their own use, and not with a view to disseminate them. The mention of the existence of their little association in the Philadelphia Recorder had not been anticipated, and they were not prepared for the strong public disapprobation of it in the Pastoral Letter; as their meetings were held in their own houses, and not in any public place, they could have wished that they had remained unknown and unnoticed, except by their Maker, and their brethren who maintained similar opinions in regard to clerical intercourse. But as there had been a kind of arraignment of them, before the bar of the religious community, this community had a right to know from themselves on what grounds the arraignment was made. For this reason the constitution and prayers were made public, which before had been exclusively designed for private use.

To the provisions of the constitution they attached