ica is acknowledged by Great-Britain. It is not from such, but from men of an illiberal turn, in whom prejudice gets the better of a sense of justice and right, that danger is to be apprehended; and of this latter sort there are too many in all places.

We flatter ourselves that the impediments to the consecration of a bishop, who is to remove out of the British dominions will be got over, when the necessity of the case and the peculiarity of our situation are considered. Regulations which are merely local, and designed to preserve order in a particular state, should certainly be observed with regard to bishops who are to reside in that state. But we humbly conceive they do not apply to extraordinary emergencies like the present; nor ought they to interfere with the general interests of christianity, especially when no inconvenience can ensue. On this principle the practice of the christian church, for many ages, seems to have been founded. For the light of the gospel has been diffused and the christian church planted and established in most nations of christendom, by bishops and other missionaries from such as had no temporal jurisdiction in those nations. But should it be thought that peculiar difficulties in the present instance, must arise from the constitution of the church of England, we doubt not but the king, as supreme head of that church, is competent to remove them. His royal permission would fully authorize your grace to consecrate Dr. Seabury. And when we reflect on his majesty's undeviating regard, as well to the practice as to whatever may tend to promote the influence of true religion, we cannot hesitate to believe that his permission for the purpose may be obtained. Give us leave to add, that such an indulgence, in a matter so earnestly desired by people, whose attachment to his royal person and government has involved them in many and great difficulties, would be worthy of his princely disposition and paternal goodness.

It may be proper to inform your grace that the late confusions have been fatal to great numbers of the American clergy. Many have died; others have been banished; so that several parishes are now destitute of incumbents. In the four colonies of Connecticut, New-York, New-Jersey, and Pennsylvania, we know at this time, of no less than seventy vacant churches-to say nothing of many large tracts of country, where several congregations might immediately be formed and churches built, were there clergymen to officiate. We believe the case of other colonies, in this respect, to be nearly similar; and it would be very difficult, perhaps impossible, to procure such a number of clergymen from England as are wanted, even supposing the former intercourse were restored; yet we are of opinion that all those vacancies would soon be filled, were bishops here to confer holy orders. The demand for clergymen will be further increased by the general disposition that prevails among dissenters, at present, to join the church of England. This is most remarkable in Connecticut, where numbers are daily added to the church, and from the best information we are assured that a similar disposition appears in other colonies.

We cannot omit another circumstance which is of great moment. Some alterations in the liturgy must be made in consequence of in

dependency; particularly in the collects for the king and royal famly. The offices for November 5th, January 30th, May 29th, and October 25th, must be omitted. A revision of the canons will be expedient, because many of them, as they now stand, are wholly inapplicable to the state of things here. But it must be the wish of every sound churchman that no alteration may take place, except where it is indispensably necessary, and that an entire uniformity be preserved among all the churches in the several colonies. How these desirable objects can be obtained without bishops, we are unable to see. It would be improper for presbyters to make those alterations, supposing they were perfectly unanimous. But divisions will be unavoidable where all are equal, and there is no superior to controul. The common bond which united the clergy being now dissolved, some will think themselves at liberty to use only such parts of the liturgy, and adopt such rules as they choose; and hence the several congregations may become so many independent churches, each varying from the other, as the fancy of the clergyman may direct. We are sorry to inform your grace that some symptoms of this kind have already appeared, though it is only in a few individuals. The superintending authority of a bishop will guard against those evils-it will secure unanimity and submission, prevent dangerous innovations, and all unnecessary departure from the established articles, rules, and forms of our excellent church.

But we shall not protract this letter by inserting more particulars relative to the state of the clergy and churches here, of which Dr. Seabury will be able to give you any information your grace may desire. We shall only beg leave to remind your grace that several legacies have been successively bequeathed for the support of bishops in America; and to express our hopes that some part of those legacies, or of the interest arising from them, may be appropriated to the maintenance of Dr. Seabury, in case he is consecrated, and returns to Connecticut. We do not conceive that the separation of these colonies from the parent state, can be a bar to this appropriation, or invalidate the title of bishops of the church of England to the benefit of those legacies. And perhaps this charitable assistance is more necessary now, than formerly; since American bishops must have more difficulties to struggle with in consequence of the separation; and no other mode of support can be provided for them, until our confusions subside, and the government of this country assumes a more settled form.

Having thus with all plainness and sincerity represented our case, we shall urge no farther arguments for a compliance with our request, as it would imply a doubt of your grace's readiness to promote a measure, in which the interests of christianity in general, and of the episcopal church in particular,, are so much concerned. A miscarriage on this occasion would preclude all hope of succeeding hereafter in England, where duty and inclination lead us to apply for an episcopate, and many bad consequences would unavoidably follow. It would forward the pernicious scheme alluded to by the clergy of Connecticut, in their letter to your grace-it might probably give rise to applications for an episcopate to foreign states,

which must be attended with many inconveniences; or possibly, the issue might be a total extinction of the episcopal church in the United States of America.

We shall only add, that we have consulted his excellency Sir Guy Carleton, the commander in chief, on this subject, and on the ap pointment of a bishop to Nova-Scotia ; both of which have his entire approbation. As Nova-Scotia is to remain a part of the British dominions, it was necessary that application should be made to gov ernment before the appointment there could take place; and the commander in chief has, at our request, written very pressingly to administration, and warmly recommended the measure. We took the liberty at the same time to recommend our worthy brother, the Rev. Dr. Thomas B. Chandler, as a person well qualified to discharge the duties of the episcopal office in that province with dignity and honor. And we hope for your grace's approbation of what we did in this matter, and for your kind assistance in promoting the design; of which we should have given information to your grace sooner, had we not waited for Dr. Seabury's departure for England, and we judged that the safest and best conveyance. If both these appointments should succeed, we trust that, with the blessing of heaven, the church of England will yet flourish in this western hemisphere.

With sincerest wishes for your grace's health and happiness, that you may long continue an ornament and blessing to the church over which you preside, and with the most perfect respect and esteem, we have the honor to be,

Your grace's most dutiful sons,

and obedient humble servants.

[There are no signatures to this letter, but it is presumed to be from the clergy of New-York.]

* The British troops appear to have been in possession of New-York when this letter was written. EDITOR.

Obituary.

DIED, at his seat near New-Brunswick, on Saturday the 20th of De cember last, in the 84th year of his age, JOHN DENNIS, Esq. a respectable zealous and liberal member of Christ Church, in said city, and for many years a faithful and active warden of the same.

- At Arlington, Vt. on the 28th of November last, Mr. JoнH GRAY, of that place, in the 80th year of his age. He was originally from the county of Barnstable, in Massachusetts, had resided a number of years in Connecti cut, and removed into Vermont in the early part of the settlement of that state. He was remarkable for strict integrity, honesty and benevolence, and for a sincere attachment to christianity.

The Life of the Right Rev. Thomas Wilson, D. D.

LORD BISHOP OF SODOR AND MAN.

THIS venerable and apostolic prelate was born at Burton, in the county of Chester, Dec. 20, 1663; and as he says himself in his manuscript diary, "of honest parents, fearing God" His father died in 1702; his mother, whose maiden name was Sherlock, and nearly related to the celebrated Dean of St. Paul's, survived her husband a few years; so that both his parents lived to see him a bishop.

In his diary he always speaks of his parents in the most dutiful and affectionate terms, and it appears to have been his daily practice, to offer up prayers for their temporal and eternal welfare. Great care was taken of his education; and, at a proper age he was ! placed under the tuition of Mr. Harper, a very eminent school maser, in the city of Chester, with whom he continued till he was suficiently qualified for the university He was then removed to Trinity College, Dublin, whither most of the young gentlemen of Lancashire and Cheshire, were at that time sent, with an allowance of twenty pounds year; a sum which, however small it may be thought, was in those days sufficient for a sober student in so cheap a country as Ireland. Upon Mr. Wilson's admission to the university, it was his intention to have studied physic; but he was persuaded by archdeacon Hewetson to dedicate himself to the church, for which he seemed by nature more particularly designed. He did not however, entirely relinquish the pursuit of medical knowledge. A circumstance that was afterwards productive of much benefit to the people of his diocese.

During his residence at Dublin, he conducted himself with the utmost regularity and decorum, and by his diligent application, made a great proficiency in academical learning. He continued at college till the year 1686, when, on the 29th June, he was, at the immediate * See "bishop Wilson's prayer for his parents," in this number.

L

instance and desire of his friend the archdeacon, ordained a deacon by Dr. Moreton, bishop of Kildare. The ordination was held for him alone, on the day of the consecration of the church of Kildare, in the presence of a very numerous congregation; and our pious divine, ever after, kept the anniversary of it holy, and poured forth his heart to God in a particular prayer on the occasion, which he left in his memorandum book. This book was given to him by his friend Hewetson, soon after the ceremony of his ordination. Mr. Wilson carefully preserved it, and continued to enter in it minutes of such occurrences as he thought worthy of notice; as well as his prayers on particular occasions. From this and other books of the like kind, this account of his life is compiled. Mr. Wilson's good conduct, and his consequent preferment, gave great pleasure to the archdeacon, who continued to correspond with him till the year 1704.

The exact time of Mr. Wilson's leaving Dublin is not known; but it is understood, that he quitted the university sooner than he first intended, on account of the civil and religious disputes of those days; nor could it have been long after his ordination that he took his leave of Ireland; for on the 10th of December, in the same year (1686) he was licensed by Thomas, Lord bishop of Chester, to the curacy of New Church, in the parish of Winwick, in Lancashire, of which Dr. Sherlock,* his maternal uncle, was then rector. His stipend was no more than thirty pounds a year; but being an excellent economist, and having the advantage of living with his uncle, this small. income was not only sufficient to supply his own wants, but it enabled him to administer to the wants of others; and for this purpose hc set apart one tenth of his income.

On the 20th of October, 1689, Mr. Wilson was ordained a priest by Nicholas Lord Bishop of Chester; an event that occasioned the following resolutions, to which he ever after faithfully and religiously adhered.

"Certain things to which, after serious consideration, I think fit to oblige myself in the beginning of my days, that I may not be tempted by any worldly advantage to sin against God, to do violence to my conscience, scandalize that holy profession of the ministry, to which it has pleased God to call me, nor bring a curse upon what it shall please him to put into my hands."

1. "I resolve never to give any person any manner of bribe or gift, nor make any manner of contract or promise, for a church preferment, though never so good, and the consideration how inconsiderable soever it be."

2. "That I will never give a bond of resignation upon any condi tion whatever; being fully persuaded, that when God sees me fit for such an employment, he can bring me into it without subjecting me to these conditions-(which I verily believe are unlawful) and if I can never have ecclesiastical preferment but upon these terms, I am satisfied it is God's will I should have none."

This Dr. Sherlock was a very pious and worthy divine. He was the au thor of some excellent prayers and meditations, entitled "The Practical Christian; or Devout Penitent," of which several editions have been printed. To the sixth of which there is prefixed a short account of his life, written by "bishop Wilson.