thoughts of the most judicious writers, and though far from every thing like pedantry, he could readily produce from them authority for such opinions as he might advance.

He was an able and instructive preacher. His discourses were prepared with care and patient reflection. He did not view the duty of the pulpit as one which might be carelessly and hastily performed. It was not to produce excitement, but to convey instruction, which he sought. When, as was sometimes the case in the varied circumstances in which he was occasionally placed, he was called on to address a congregation without time for preparation, he generally confined himself to an exposition of some chapter of the Scriptures, when, with his thorough knowledge of them, fluent speech, and impressive manner, he would fix the attention of all his auditors. His sermons were, generally, of a practical kind. He avoided himself, and discountenanced in others, the introduction of controversial topics into the pulpit. He loved to dilate on the sacrifice of the blessed Jesus-on the mercies of redemption offered to sinners by the Gospel-and the various duties required of those to whom it is offered. His own mild and subdued feelings led him to set forth a compassionate God and merciful Saviour, rather than the terrors of the Lord-to dwell on the blessings of the Gospel, rather than to display the awful denunciations of the law. Of a pure and guileless disposition, he was able to form but limited conceptions of the depravity of human nature, and was perhaps too ready to believe that others had hearts as readily accessible to, and as much under the restraint of divine grace, as his

own.

Still he shunned not to declare the whole counsel of God, and he did it earnestly, feelingly, as one who knew and felt its inestimable value to those committed to his charge.

was never obtrusive, but it could be readily seen to be a habit of his mind, exhibiting itself naturally, and in the most attractive way. His faith was strong and abiding, leading him to overcome the world, and to look forward, in the full assurance of hope, to the rest that remaineth for the people of God. His benevolence was of the most enlarged description. No call was more welcome to him, or met with a more ready attention, than those which led him to the bed-side of the sick, the dwellings of poverty, or the house of the mourner. And, amid the many and varied employments of his latter days, these were never forgotten. His humility was such as to enable him to walk consistently before the Lord in the land of the living, and was conspicuously seen in his conduct in the episcopal office. No. presuming acts pointed him out as one placed above his fellows. While all proper deference was required, and generally yielded, the rein of authority was not felt, and no act, which could be construed into unkindness, ever distinguished in his intercourse, the " times disobedient," from the unvarying friend. Without the affectation of proclaiming himself "the servant of all," he was such in reality. Without telling others what should constitute the character of a Christian bishop, he placed before himself the models in the Scriptures, and endeavoured "so to walk as those who have them for an example." The mildness and urbanity of his manners are familiar to all who have been admitted to his society, and won for him general esteem.

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But he, who, with such meek and unaffected grace, adorned his station, has been removed from us. In the full vigour of life, and all his faculties— when his character had developed the fulness of its virtues-when the tongue of slander had ceased its busy defamations, and none withheld the meed which was his due-when he had attained an eminence of office and of character which gave ample influence and operation to every quality of his mind, and every virtue of his heart, a sudden and awful Providence has spread gloom and sorrow over the fair

prospect. We yet feel the chilling sensations which ran through our frame, when suddenly told, that he, from whom but a few hours before we had parted so cheerfully, was already gone to the world of spirits. We cannot yet realize the mournful truth. And yet an afflicted family, a mourning parish, a bereaved diocese, show to us, and prove to us, its reality. Death hath done his work, and borne away one whom they and we have been called on to yield up, alas! too soon. But the dispensations of God are lessons of wisdom. Let us set ourselves meekly down at his feet to learn. Unwise, indeed, is he, who will not now write upon his heart the characters-Be ye also ready; for in such an hour as ye know not, the Son of man cometh. ED.

For the Christian Journal.

Auxiliary New-York Bible and Com

mon Prayer Book Society.

THE twelfth anniversary of this society was held in St. Paul's chapel, on Wednesday, the 14th of November, 1827, when the annual report of the managers was read, and several resolutions passed, among which were the following:

Resolved, That this society sincerely sympathize with the members of its board of managers, in the afflicting bereavement they have sustained, in the death of their late friends and associates, the Rev. Cornelius R. Duffie, and Mr. Henry Bicker.

Resolved, That the thanks of this society are due, in a pre-eminent degree, to our respected diocesan, for the promptitude with which he undertook, and the zeal and efficiency with which he discharged, a most laborious duty, in the delivery of a sermon in the several episcopal churches" in this city, for the benefit of this society.

Resolved, That the grateful acknowledgments of this society are also due to the several rectors, by whose consent the sermon was preached, and collections made in their several churches; and to the members of the congregations thereof, for their liberal contributions on those occasions.

• We are requested to state that it was omitted to be mentioned in the printed report, that the society was indebted to the kindness of the Rev. Dr. Milnor for the sermon in St. George's church.-Ed. C. J.

Resolved, That the thanks of this so

ciety are due to the Rev. Mr. Jones, chaplain in the United States' navy on the beneficial mode adopted by him of distriNew-York station, for the judicious and buting the books of this society, which have heretofore been placed at his disposal

Resolved, That the time of holding the annual election of the officers of this so

ciety, be changed from the second Wednesday of November to the evening of the first day of the meeting of the convention of the Protestant Episcopal Church of this state.

The report is highly interesting, but as it is already in the hands of many of our readers, we shall make but few extracts. In the opening part we are presented with the following beautiful sentiment of gratitude and thankfulness:

In taking a retrospective view of the concerns of the society during the twelfth year of its existence, we are especially called upon to acknowledge our obligations to the goodness of God, in that he hath been graciously pleased to bless and prosper our affairs-in preserving amongst us a mutual regard and esteem, and a perfect unanimity of sentiment as to the most expedient mode of performing the great duty committed to our hands.

Then follows a tribute of respect to departed members, which, for the sake of distant readers, we copy entire.

Many as have been the tokens of Divine favour which we have received: prospered and blessed as we have been; yet hath it pleased the same almighty and beneficent Being, in his wise providence, to visit us with a most afflicting bereavement, in the death of our late beloved and lamented friend and associate, the Rev. Cornelius R. Duffie. Although, at the time of this melancholy event, he was not a member of this board, yet was he one of the founders of the society, and for many years one of its most consistent, persevering, and efficient managers-and up to the period when it pleased HIM, whose glory and honour he ever sought to promote, by the instrumentality of this institution, one of its most valued and steady friends. Those of us who have been long associated, and were on terms of familiar friendship with him, can with melancholy joy recall to our remembrance the many and substantial evidences he gave, of how closely identified in his heart were the interests of religion and the

church with the prosperity of this society. The loss of such a friend to our society was indeed an afflicting bereavement; but it is not only as such a friend that we are called upon to deplore his loss; as our individual friend and coun. sellor as one who enjoyed in the highest degree our confidence and esteem-we contemplate this mysterious dispensation in humble submission: yet as a dispensation which has touched the tenderest chords of our hearts, and made us deeply sensible of the frailty of the tenure by which we hold and enjoy the happiness of this everchanging world, and by which we humbly hope we have, in some good degree, been taught the salutary lesson of" Be ye also ready."

Possessed, as was our friend, of talents of the highest order-of a mind of singular purity and vigour-of the most exemplary morals and manners-of a warm and ardent, yet rational and consistent pietyof a most sincere devotion to the best interests of religion and the church-kind and amiable in his disposition-meek and modest in his deportment-true and sin cere in his friendship; frigid indeed must be our hearts, if such exalted qualities did not inspire them with an affection so true, and a veneration so sincere, that nothing but that awful event which should still their pulsations in the "gloom of the grave," could ever extinguish.

Scarcely had our first emotions of grief begun to subside, and our feelings to resume somewhat of their wonted compo. sure, when we were again summoned to pay the last sad office of friendship to another of our esteemed associates. In the person of Mr. Henry Bicker, the members

of our board have sustained the loss of an

intelligent, liberal, and useful coadjutor; and one who had won upon their kindness and affection by the urbanity of his manners, and his exemplary deportment. Warm and decided in his attachment to the Protestant Episcopal Church, yet, like our revered friend Mr. Duffie, he was brought up in another communion-like him, did he fairly and patiently examine the grounds on which she founded her claims to apostolic origin-and, like him, yielded himself up, to be conducted whithersoever the light of truth and the force of fair and honest argument would lead him. Need we be surprised that the result of such a course was the full confir. mation of his attachment to our venerable church? When has it happened otherwise? Never; fearlessly we answerNever.

The reader will look with pleasure on the account given of those to whom the bounty of the society has been extended.

Wherever, in our new and rapidly extending settlements, the voice of the messenger of God was heard proclaiming the gladsome sounds of salvation through the merits of a crucified Redeemer-and wherever the accents of prayer and thanksgiving have been heard, and to ascend to heaven from the lips of the little congre gation collected by his care-thither have we sped our bounty with unsparing hand; and much have we been delighted with the glowing accounts returned to us of their gratitude, and of the happy effects of our kindness and liberality. To all the public institutions of the city, as they were required of us, have we extended our benevolence: indigent individuals, both of our own and other communions, have been duly remembered; and the seamen of both the merchant and public service have been participants in our charity and we are gratified to say, with the most encouraging success.

We close our extracts with the notice taken of the communication from the Rev. Cave Jones, from which we would gladly make large draughts, were we not prevented by our circumscribed limits. We may be permitted, however, to say, that it affords abundant evidence of the pious zeal of Mr. Jones-of his ardent attachment to our excellent liturgy, and of his anxious desire to promote both the temporal and eternal welfare of a class of people shut out in the ordinary course of events from participating in religious exercises, by placing in their hands a ford comfort to the afflicted, and to formulary every way calculated to aflead the sinner to the footstool of repentance, and, as it is trusted, to the throne of grace.

The board have again been favoured with an interesting communication from the Rev. Mr. Jones, chaplain in the United States'. navy on this station, in which is exhibited his mode of distribution, and the most gratifying evidence of the continued usefulness of our bounty among that neglected class of our fellow-beings, but the gallant defenders of our country's rights and honour. Mr. Jones is so immediately connected with the seamen of our navy, and is favoured by such excellent opportunities of judging of, and describing the effect of a free distribution of our invaluable formulary of public devotion among them, that the board feel it a duty to make his communication constitute a part of their report.

The issues from the depository for

gratuitous distribution during the last year, have been 295 Bibles, 214 Testaments, and 1,713 Prayer Books; and the sales during the same period amount to 65 Bibles, 36 Testaments, and 2,100 Prayer Books. The monied transactions of the society during the same time amount to $2,118 89. A debt of $349 80, due to the publishers at the close of the last year, has been discharged and the permanent fund has been in increased from $928 66 to $1,017 73, which is safely invested. The objects of this society every. way commend themselves to the notice and patronage of all the members of our church.

:

tion.

An elderly gentleman, who has figured considerably in the melancholy political changes of his country, an acquaintance with whom I have had the privilege of forming, borrowed one of the copies of the Common Prayer; and, after two or three days, when I saw him again, he said to me, with great animation, 'Sir, this little book enchants me it absolutely enchants me -and he who compiled it deserves the gratitude of all men.' Another gentleman, very much reduced in circum stances, formerly an advocate, and certainly a very excellent Spanish scholar, (who, indeed, forms one of a little company in which we use your copies of the Common Prayer every Lord's day afternoon,) has often expressed his full approbation in very high terms; and the few who join us are delighted with the simplicity, the plainness, and the devotion of the prayers."

In another letter the same correspondent says—

"I was quite rejoiced on receiving the extracts from the liturgy: the spirit of pure and simple devotion which so strikingly pervades these prayers, is that with which our poor Roman Catholic brethren need to be imbued; and the contrast presented by these unincumbered and intelligible formularies must cast into the shade their own superstitious ritual. The Spaniards who have seen them, and whose sentiments I have heard, are very much pleased with them; and as I think I can trace in some the incipient symptoms of a love of prayer, these little books will present most seasonable aid.

"On the subject of printing the articles you desire me to express my thoughts: I say, without hesitation, that to me it appears exceedingly desirable. I have been repeatedly asked, What are the tenets of the English church? If I tell them they are contained in the Apostles's Creed, the an-' swer is, 'We believe that too;' and it is in vain to point them to the Scriptures, because these are considered common to all. We hear,' say they,

6

a great deal about the English church: we wish to know what is its creed, that we may compare it with our own, and judge how far we differ.' I only beg to express the hope, that, if they are translated, the same spirit of moderation and scriptural mode of expression which pervade the original may be carefully preserved."

The same gentleman adds―

"Our excellent friend, the elderly Spanish gentleman whom I have mentioned before, has been called away, as I doubt not, to a happier world. I little imagined, indeed, that Providence was directing me with the Common Prayer to him for the purpose of preparing him for a speedy death: yet such was the fact. I know, from himself, that the Prayer Book was rendered a great blessing to him; and I know, too, from the state of his mind, that it was just fitted to be so. He was dying of a broken heart, on account of the miseries of his unhappy country; and much under the influence of fear, not of death as a natural evil, but of judg

ment and eternity. He could find nothing in the obscure and complicated scheme of popery, with respect to a sinner's justification, which could satisfy his reason, and comfort his heart. Still he was a decided Roman Catho

lic; yet decided, as I firmly believe, by habit without inquiry: for the distinguishing tenets of Protestantism, so far as I could make myself intelligible on these points, drew forth from him nothing but approval. But I am not in the habit of contending on these points, and generally labour to bring forward those which are more import ant; and it would delight you could I but convey to you an adequate idea of the eagerness with which, as he lay upon his bed very ill, he listened to my attempts to explain the doctrine of free justification, through faith in the blood of Christ-the ardour with which he conversed of the hopes and the rest of heaven--and the affection with which he embraced me when I took leave of him the last time I saw him, though neither of us imagined the least probability of its being the last."

Newly discovered Islands. On the 12th of September, 1824, Capt. Coffin, of Nantucket, discovered in lat. 26. 30. N., long. 141. E., a group of six islands. Between two of them was a fine bay, in which he anchored, in 15 fathoms water. Three of the islands he named Fisher's, Skidd's, and South. Turtle and pigeons were plentiful-pure water in abundance, and fish and lobsters. Capt. Coffin did not, however, discover any quadruped, reptile, or insect, not even an ant. The islands are covered with large and beautiful forest trees, but no trace of human footsteps could be found,

Duffie's Sermons.

It is intended to publish, under the patronage of the wardens and vestry of St. Thomas's church, a selection of the sermons of the late Rev. Cornelius R. Duffie. They will be comprised in two octavo vo lumes, neatly printed on fine medium paper, and delivered to subscribers in extra boards at four dollars and a half a set. A memoir of the life of Mr. Duffie will accompany the work. This undertaking is projected with the sole view of benefiting the orphan children of the excellent and amiable founder of the parish of St. Tho

mas's church, and it is hoped the members of that parish, Episcopalians generally, and his friends in particular, will evince their attachment to him, and their regard for his memory, by aiding with their subscriptions the meritorious cause now presented to their notice. The work will be published by T. & J. Swords, No. 127 Broadway, where subscriptions will be received, and subscription papers handed to those who may feel inclined to use their influence with their friends in extending its circulation.

Schulz's New Testament.

Such of our readers as have engaged in will be gratified to learn, that the first vothe critical study of the New Testament,

lume of the edition which has been some

time preparing by Dr. Schulz, has at length appeared, and that copies of it have reached this country. It does not, as we had expected, assume the character of a new critical edition, but merely pretends to be an improved re-impression of that of Griesbach. Improved it most certainly is, and greatly. The minutest accuracy has been studied in the punctuation, division, and even accentuation, of the text. The authorities have been examined anew, and greater part of Griesbach's quotations of very many errors corrected. The marks of reference (which are necessarily numerous) have been rendered both more full and more convenient. Very considerable additions have been made to the critical apparatus, from sources not accessible to Griesbach, A learned preface has been prefixed by Schulz, containing an account of the peculiarities of his edition, and an able essay on Griesbach's system of recen sion. The text is printed (like that of the London edition of Griesbach, by Taylor) all across the page, and the notes in columns, but with the very important improvement of making each note a separate paragraph. The paper and types are good, and superior to those of the generality of German works.

St. Paul's Church, Albany.

WE announce with great pleasure, that, on Monday, the 12th of November, 1827, a second episcopal congregation was organized in the city of Albany, to be under the pastoral charge of the Rev. Richard Bury, and designated by the title of "St. Paul's church." Of this undertaking the following particulars are communicated in a letter from one of the vestry to the publishers of this Journal :

"The wardens and vestry of this congregation intend, as soon as sufficient funds shall have been raised, to erect a

*Not, as was erroneously stated in our October number, Scholz, the traveller.