tained by the liberal contributions of the pious, the wise, and the learned I am an old man, and it has been a mighty satisfaction to me to witness the rise of our Church from the desolation, with which it was well nigh overwhelmed by the American revolution; and to observe the neat little edifices springing up, here and there, in New England, and destined for the worship of God according to the ritual of the Protestant Episcopal Church: and still more to notice those more costly, substantial, and elegant structures, which, within a few years, have been erected in Boston, Portsmouth, Providence, New Haven, Windsor, &c.

I have occasionally attended publick worship in most of those churches, as well as in many others. On those occasions it was natural for one, accustomed, from his infancy. to the service of the Church, to notice any, the slightest, variance in the performance of it. The more perfect the uniformity of different congregations, the greater has been my satisfaction in associating with them and I am always more or less annoyed, when the officiating clergyman betrays a disposition to be wise above what is written. Indeed I can hardly excuse the slightest deviation from the directions of the rubrick. It betrays an unbecoming levity in a minister to neglect, in the smallest degree, the solemn obligations he is under to adhere to this plain directory; and no little vanity to suppose he can improve, in matter or manner, a form of worship at first compiled by some of the most pious and enlightened men in Christendom, and from time to time improved and perhaps perfected by their successors.

It is my intention, if sufficient faculties remain to me, and you shall countenance the design, to suggest such of these deviations as I may have observed: and, in executing this humble task, I hope not to lose sight of that respect, which every true Churchman attaches to those whom he is wont to consider as legitimately and apostolically authorized to lead in the devotions of the sanctuary, and to point out, to their fellow Christians, the way that leads to eternal life.

At present, I propose to offer some observations on a change, which is growing too prevalent in our churches, injuriously affecting, as I apprehend, the grave and orderly performance of publick worship. I allude to the disuse of the office of parish clerks. I am aware that one principal use of this officer is now done away in most of our larger congregations, by the introduction of organs, and in all of them by a more or less cultivated choir of singers and I am not so wedded to antient usages, as to regret this decided improvement in our chants and melodies. But a clerk is wanted in other parts of the publick service. In all our congregations, there are more or fewer who have not prayer books, or who are not sufficiently conversant with them to be able to turn at once to the places which may be in recital. To such the audible and distinct voice of the clerk is a great relief; as they are by that means enabled, in the alternate reading of the psalms and hymns by the minister and people, understandingly to join in the rational worship of the Church. To others, also, who are better versed in their prayer books, it would be very pleasing to

be led in their reading and responses, by the grave, clear, and welltoned recital of a worthy parish clerk.

I know it has been thought, that, when the responses are audibly made by a clerk, the congregation are apt to neglect the reading of them, and thus are in danger of withdrawing their attention. But, in my own experience, I have been led to believe that an effect directly contrary is produced; and that the congregation are more likely to keep their attention fixed upon the service, when the clerk reads in a devout and audible manner. I have myself felt many inconveniences from the want of this assistance in various ways. How often have my ears been annoyed, and my devotions disturbed, by the drawling tones of one, the hurried and gabbling manner of another, and the various mistakes and blunders of others, all endeavouring to supply the want of a clerk, and who would otherwise never have thought of making themselves heard in the church. It is not long since I accidentally fell in at a country church on a Sunday, where many of the congregation seemed labouring to be heard above the rest, because there was no clerk present. In a pew adjoining that in which I chanced to be placed, was a person who attracted my attention by the loudness of his voice, and the quaint manner of his reading. When, however, the litany commenced, I suddenly missed the tones of my neighbour, and found that he omitted the three suffrages following the first, in that most beautiful and comprehensive piece of devotion. Upon inquiry, I learned that this person had lately fallen in with one of those seducing tracts, with which this part of our country is inundated by the Socinians; and had learned that it was idolatrous to address petitions to the Saviour who has redeemed us, or to that blessed Spirit who sanctifies those who duly seek his gracious influence. Yet this good man did not hesitate to join in every other part of the service, notwithstanding the prayers to the Saviour, and the ascriptions to the ever-blessed Trinity, which occur so frequently

in that service.

In other places I have heard the shrill voice of some pious female overtopping that of a whole congregation, and apparently intending to supply the place of a clerk: and, in most churches, where there is no clerk to officiate, I have witnessed many persons, in different parts of the house, exerting themselves to make up the deficiency; but in such a variety of tones, such discordant pitches, and such unequal time, to say nothing of the sad mistakes often made, as greatly to interrupt that seriousness and singleness of heart, so desirable in every exercise of devotion.

To prevent these, and many other unpleasant occurrences, I heartily wish each of our congregations to be supplied with a clerk, whose religious character should stand high, and whose manner of reading should be approved by the minister and acceptable to the people. In many of the English churches, the office of parish clerk is handsomely endowed, and in some it is filled by persons in holy orders; which shows the estimation it has been held in by pious Christians in former times. Nor can I conceive it would at the present day dero

gate from the rank of any pious layman of education, thus to assist the devotions of his fellow Christians.

What I have always considered decidedly the best manner of reciting the hymns and psalms, and those other versicles directed to be repeated by the people, next to that of chanting them, is for the clerk to pronounce them audibly and distinctly, and for every person in the congregation, old and young, male and female, learned and unlearned, to accompany him, in a voice just above the breath, forming what I would call (if I might be allowed so mean an expression upon so grave a topick) a universal hum or susurrum. Thus all would be engaged as they should be, and none would be annoyed, in the manner that many others besides myself, I doubt not, have frequently been. SENESCENS.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE GOSPEL ADVOCATE.

As the advocate of the gospel is of course the advocate of peace and good will to men, I shall, I conceive, be within the spirit, if not within the letter of your design, when I offer for insertion in your work the following remarks upon the Quarterly Review, and the increasing good feeling towards this country, among the better classes of people in England. They are copied from a letter which I have lately received from a valued correspondent.

A CONSTANT READER.

"I much rejoice to trace the dawn of a more kindly feeling between our two countries. In this country, more especially, a more just estimate of America is every day gaining ground, and there are many who avail themselves of every opportunity to fan those feelings of warmth and cordiality which are now often visible in the best society here.

"The Quarterly Review is much blamed and reprobated by many even of those of the same party politicks. Its scurrility is really disgraceful.

"I lately received a letter from Mrs. Hannah More, in which she says, I forgot whether I told you in my last, that I had spoken to Lord Sidmouth, who visited me at that time, of the shameful conduct of some of our newspapers, reviews, &c. in their unwarrantable treatment of America. He expressed the utmost indignation, and said it was highly offensive in itself, and dangerous in its consequences. I since spoke to another man in power who said he wished much to check it.' "In a note which I received the other day from Mr. Wilberforce, he says, 'I can scarcely express, in language sufficiently strong to do justice to my feelings, the indignation I feel at the attempts I sometimes witness, to produce a mutual spirit of alienation between the inhabitants of this country and the United States, and my endeavours are used to the utmost to cultivate a mutual spirit of good will between them.'

"I think you will be gratified by these extracts, as demonstrating the feelings of those whose feelings you would most regard.”

TO THE EDITOR OF THE GOSPEL ADVOCATE.

THESE lines came to me, in a letter from a female friend, without the slightest supposition, on her part, that they would ever be presented to the publick. I have translated them into Latin verse; and, after a candid comparison, you will probably agree with the wicked earl of Rochester, that nothing was ever benefited, by translation, but a bishop. Both are yours, to be disposed of, as you please. L.

HAPPINESS.

All pray for happiness, on earth,
And ah, how vainly pray!
Forgetting she's of heavenly birth,
And they of mortal clay.

Vain beings cease, nor dare suppose
A nymph, so fair and bright,

For your sad world of pains and woes,
Will leave her realms of light.

Be virtuous, and, with patience, yield
To each decree of heaven;

Then happiness, to thee reveal'd,
Hereafter shall be giv❜n.

VERSIO LATINA.

Mortalis, sit vita sibi fausta, invocat omnis ;
Ah, semperque rogat, sperat inutiliter!
Nec memorat natu divam faustam esse supernam;
Terrigenam sese nec memorat humilem.
Vos homines precibus vestris nunc parcite vanis ;
Credite, nec proprias liquerit alma dea
Ipsa suas sedes nitidas, descendere cælo,
Vivet ut in terris, conscia mæstitiæ.
Vivite, vos, sceleris puri; concedite virgæ,
Quidque Deus voluit, vos patienter ei:
Qui Domino moriuntur, iis Pater ipse revelat,
Immortalis erit vita beata suis!

FOR THE GOSPEL ADVOCATE.

EXTRACT FROM THE MESSIAH.
BOOK II.

Translated from the original German of Klopstock.

(CONTINUED FROM VOL. II. PAGE 290.)

Satan, meanwhile, in cloudy mists enwrapp'd
Pass'd o'er Josephat's valley, and the sea

Of death attain'd. Thence to the cloud-capt top
Of Carmel mounted he; and scanned the skies.
With the grim look of demon, did he eye
The all stupendous pile; yet once he wish'd,
Once more, to view the holiness wherein
He first was formed. To etherial light
His murky form he changes, that the stars
Of morn, as each pass'd still, migh, not perceive
His black exterior. But soon the blaze

Of this etherial vesture grew too much
For hell-accustom'd members to support.
On wings of darkness fled the fiend away,
Towards his native realm. And now he sank
Deep 'neath the world's extremes. With hollow sound
Op'd as he came th' unmeasurable depths

Of murkiest space. 'Tis here that but begins
The infernal kingdom. Here might yet be seen
The transient glimmering of creation's stars,
Whose brilliancy just palely broke upon

The unending void.

But Satan saw not yet

His hell; For deep, O deepest, hath the God
Of all created from his presence set,

And those that tread his works, the dwelling place
Of those rebellious spirits. Deep confin'd
In dark'ning depths terrifick is it rear'd!
Since ne'er the space compressed of our orb,
That scene of heaven's mercies, could contain
Those subjects of perdition. Stretching wide,
Itself th' end of every punishment,

Stands the fiend's kingdom. In three awful nights
The hand creative shap'd it; and then turn'd
His face for ever from the sick'ning sight.

Else had he ne'er more look'd with pity down
Upon the race of Adam.
Arm'd with might

Eternal, watch o'er hell two spirits blest ;

To end, that Satan, rous'd to bold emprise,
Should ne'er, from out his dangerous gloom, emerge
Creation to disturb; or waste the form

Of smiling nature. There they sit and gaze
Above the infernal gates, where yawning sinks
A steep way, glimmering like twin streamlets fair,
And looking toward heaven, thro' the works

Of God's creation; that the eyes of hell

May still perceive His power. "Twas down this way Of glimmering light, the arch fiend sought his throne Envelop'd round in gloomy vapour, pass'd

His gates the lord of hell; and, as he went,