LETTER FROM HIS GRACE THE ARCHBISHOP OF ARMAGH Armagh, March 18, 1845. MY DEAR LORD,-I have received your lordship's letter, requesting me to give you my opinion as to certain changes introduced in the mode of performing Divine Service in your parish church, and expressing the dissatisfaction felt by yourself and by the parishioners generally at these alterations. My respect for your lordship's high station, and the kindness which I have ever received from you, lead me at once to comply with your wishes. I am not, let me premise, invested with any power to interfere, authoritatively, in this matter, nor is this expression of my opinion, which I freely give, at your lordship's desire, to be construed as an attempt at such interference. I cannot, however, refrain from saying how deeply I regret that dissensions upon questions of this kind should arise to interrupt the harmony that ought to subsist between a pastor and his flock. I lament it, because men's minds cannot be occupied in such controversies without drawing away their thoughts from the consideration of more profitable and edifying subjects, and also because the energy of the church, while thus engaged in strife about what is of comparatively trifling importance, will be slackened in those efforts for the advancement of true religion in this country, which require the hearty co-operation of all its members in order to be successful. That the laity of the diocese in which your lordship resides have not been hitherto indisposed to unite together in furtherance of those higher and nobler objects which are so much more worthy of the attention and the exertions of a Christian people, is manifest from the munificent contributions given within the last few years for the erection of additional churches, and from the persevering exertions which have been made to support the schools which are in connexion with the church. In the advancement of these great objects the counties of Down and Antrim have been foremost, and have set a laudable example to the rest of the country. It would pain me to think that such zeal was checked, and such charity interrupted, by disputes about matters of little moment, and that the wishes and predilections of persons who deserve so much respect, and have shown so great attachment to the church of their fathers, were not treated with the utmost possible deference by their ministers. With regard to the introduction of changes in the manner of performing Divine Service, by restoration of customs or modes of celebration which had long fallen into disuse, the greatest caution and forbearance ought, in my opinion, to be observed. The effect of usage in setting aside the obligation of the letter of a law is admitted in the ordinary concerns of life. A Christian is indeed bound, as the Apostle teaches us, to submit himself to "every ordinance of man," not only for wrath but also for "conscience" sake. Yet there are many "ordinances" in the statute-book of this realm which, through common consent and the allowance of the executive, have become so utterly obsolete, that no man's "conscience" impels him to obey them, and no magistrate's "conscience" would prompt him to enforce them. Several such statutes, your lordship will remember, were repealed only last year. In ascertaining whether any of the statutes of the land had fallen into this desuetude, and thereby ceased to be imperatively binding, a person would look, not to the wording of the statutes themselves, which are generally sufficiently clear and precise, but to the common opinion and the custom of the nation. In this way only could such a point be ascertained. The laws which regulate the peculiar ceremonies belonging to our national church, are, in my opinion, no more exempt from this effect of long usage than are the laws of the land. And if the rulers of the church have, for successive generations, allowed of that disuse, and do not now command a revival of them, I would hope that the peace of the church will not be distracted by attempts to return to ་་ ancient customs, in cases where the feelings of the people are repugnant to them. The Archbishop of Canterbury, in his admirable provincial letter, lately issued, has justly observed, respecting the laity, that “in fairness to them we must allow that this dislike of alterations in the manner of worship to which they have been accustomed from their infancy-proceeding as it does from attachment to the ordinances of the church-ought not to be visited with unkindly censure; and we can hardly be surprised at any change being regarded with suspicion, when so many attempts have been made to introduce innovations which are really objectionable, and tend, as far as they go, to alter the character of our church." At various times in my own diocese, clergymen have made changes for the purpose of bringing the performance of public worship into nearer conformity with the directions in the Book of Common Prayer. But in all such cases it was with the concurrence and good-will of the people. Had the lay members of the church manifested repugnance to such alterations, I would have, at once, recommended the minister to return to former custom; and I coincide with the opinion which the Archbishop of Canterbury has expressed, "that the service in our churches has in general been conducted, in conformity to the Apostle's direction, with order and decency; and, whether performed with exact regard to the letter of the rubric or with the variations established by general usage, will still be decent and orderly." With the Archbishop of Canterbury, I would say, "I am fully alive to the importance of uniformity in the celebration of Divine Service, but I think it would be purchased too dearly at the expense of lasting divisions ;" and most heartily do I concur in the advice which the English Primate has given, in the following words, to the members of the church in the province of Canterbury-" What I would earnestly recommend, for the present, is the discontinuance of any proceedings, in either direction, on the controverted questions. In churches where alterations have been introduced with general acquiescence, let things remain as they are; in those which retain the less accurate usage, let no risk of division be incurred by any attempt to change, till some final arrangement can be made with the sanction of the proper authorities. In the case of churches where agitation prevails, and nothing has been definitively settled, it is not possible to lay down any general rule, which may be applicable to all circumstances. But is it too much to hope that those who are zealous for the honour of God and the good of His church will show, by the temporary surrender of their private opinions, that they are equally zealous in the cause of peace and of charity?" In compliance with this recommendation, the changes which had been made in the dioceses of London, Exeter, and Oxford have been given up. I had, for my own part, been rejoicing in the fact, for such I believe was the case, that in no part of Ireland was there uneasiness or dissatisfaction among the people on account of changes introduced, or attempted to be introduced, by any of the ministers. And most thankful I felt to Him, who is the Author of Peace, for having given such concord to His church in this country. Had it been otherwise, I should have felt it to be my duty to have sent forth the letter of the Archbishop of Canterbury through my province, with an earnest recommendation from myself that the advice conveyed in it, with all “the meekness of wisdom," might be attended to. It has grieved me to hear from your lordship, and from some other quarters, that unpleasant feelings have been excited in a few parishes, by reason of changes which are unacceptable to the people. I would hope, however, that the paternal advice contained in the letter of the Archbishop, to which I have referred, and which has tended to restore tranquillity in England, will not be without good effect in leading to such concessions and arrangements, even if they be but temporary arrangements, as will heal these unhappy divisions in your neighbourhood. The course which his Grace has pointed out is manifestly that which good sense and kindness of feeling would dictate. VOL. XXVII.-May, 1845. 2 P And now, my dear lord, having thus frankly and fully given you my sentiments on this subject, I will pray our Heavenly Father to give grace to us all, that we may endeavour earnestly, and in sincerity, to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.—I remain, with much respect, your lordship's faithful servant, JOHN G. ARMAGH. To the Marquis of Downshire. THE BISHOPRIC OF THE UNITED CHURCH OF ENGLAND AND IRELAND IN JERUSALEM. THE following is a copy of the instructions given by the King of Prussia to his Extraordinary Envoy, with respect to the establishment of the bishopric of the united church of England and Ireland in Jerusalem : "Should the government of Great Britain appear disposed, upon certain conditions, to enter with the King's Majesty into an engagement, from which the attainment of these objects may be rationally expected, his Majesty then entrusts his Extraordinary Envoy in this special mission with the following commission: "The Envoy shall, in such form as is approved by the English ministry, and is strictly confidential, by means of a conference with the Archbishop of Canterbury, as Primate of England, and the Bishop of London, as immediate head of the several congregations of the English church in foreign parts, endeavour to ascertain "In how far the English national church, already in possession of a parsonage on the Mount Zion, and having commenced there the building of a church, would be inclined to accord to the evangelical national church of Prussia a sisterly position in the Holy Land. "Inasmuch as an accord of this kind concerns the most delicate points of the national life of both peoples, and the subject itself is of such exceedingly high and holy interest, his Majesty considers it necessary, for the avoidance of all misunderstandings, to speak out plainly and openly the convictions by which he is guided. "His Majesty, in the first place, proceeds on the conviction that evangelical Christendom has in the east, and particularly in the Holy Land, no hope of full and lasting recognition, nor of blessed and continued fruit and extension, unless it presents itself in those countries as much as possible as one united body. In the first place, both government and people in those countries have been accustomed to see those who acknowledge each other as co-religionists appear, and act together, in their spiritual affairs, as one body, with a common discipline and order. Thus Judaism presents itself. Thus, also, the corporations of the Latins, Greeks, and Armenians. If, therefore, protestant Christendom were to present itself by the side of these, and demand recognition as an English episcopal, a Scotch presbyterian, an evangelical-united, a Lutheran, a reformed, a baptist, or independent community, and such like, the Turkish government would certainly hesitate to grant such recognition, inasmuch as this act implies, for the heads of such recognised corporations, the highest political privileges. Thus, in the preceding month, the bishops of the various Christian communities of Syria, in Damascus, were summoned together, with the mufti and the cadi, to deliberate upon the future administration of government in the land; and to each it was granted to name five deputies, of his own confession, for the supreme administrative council of Syria. Before the Porte can resolve to grant, even provisionally, such a position and such power to the different evangelical congregations, it will first inquire after the number and condition of her subjects, who are members of each of the new corporations, and after the guarantees which a community of the kind can offer for its continuance for it is of natives, subjects of the Sultan, that those privileged corporations have been, and are still composed. But, at present, all evangelical communities together can point only to a few individual natives who have joined them. It is true, that of late years, in Armenia and Beyrut, severaland some natives of consideration-have expressed themselves inclined to come over to evangelical christianity, or to have their children educated in it; but have been prevented, chiefly, by the impossibility which the missionaries experience of granting to such persons protection and safety. And yet it is certain that equality with the ancient corporations must be demanded, without the power of exhibiting a sufficient number of persons of whom the new corporations are to be composed. But as to the guarantees, which they have a right to demand, what government could and would grant them for such a crowd of communities? And, in this unwillingness the Porte would, beyond all doubt, be confirmed by the solicitations of the already existing religious corporations. But, even looking away from this, to what disadvantage would evangelical Christendom, in such a state of division, appear beside the ancient churches? Whatever these latter may want in internal life, they form a compact body, holden together by church discipline, liturgy, and the apostolicepiscopal respect of their see, and operate, by the power of church unity, still more than by the advantage of immemorial possession. "Such are the political reasons which have brought his Majesty to the conviction, that, in this business, unity, in the first onset, must be the first, the indispensable condition of success for the evangelical church. "But the conviction of his Majesty that, on the present occasion, the evangelic church must come forward as one in faith, rests essentially upon still higher considerations. The shape which Turkish affairs have at present assumed-most certainly not without the over-ruling Providence of God, and especially the political position of England and Prussia, in reference theretohave, for the first time, afforded evangelical Christendom the possibility of demanding, as equal child of the universal church of Christ, a position in the cradle of Christianity and in the Holy Land, by the side of the primitive churches of the east, and in the presence of the Roman church, which would secure for the gospel a free proclamation, and for the professors of evangelical truth free confession and equal protection. The present moment is an era in the history of the world; and accordingly as it is recognised and improved, the evangelical church will be judged by history and by the Almighty. His majesty entertains not a doubt that the evangelical church owes it to herself, and to her Lord, at such a moment, and on such a theatre, not to present the stumbling-block of her disunion and dividedness; but, on the contrary, the good example of her unity in faith, and her union in action. Her object in appearing there, beside the elder church communities, and in the presence of Jews and Mahometans, cannot be to persecute, to invade, to exclude; not to strive, to scatter, to dissolve; her wish cannot be to proclaim to the world her mission as a work of hatred and jealousy, but as a message of love, of peace, and of concord. How, then, can it be the will of her Lord that she should, for such a purpose, with such words in her mouth, on this her first appearance in the Holy Land, unfold the banner of internal separation and discord? Are not her missions already, besides being the pulse of her common life, so also a witness of the difficulty, in such a state of isolation and separation, of founding churches properly so called, and of forming and conserving Christian nations? And where would this internal disease be revealed more sadly than in that land, where all Christian opposites are crowded together in the face of three patriarchates and the colony of rabbies-in sight of the mosque of Omar, and the foundations of the temple of Jerusalem ? Is it not much rather in the purpose of God, that in their missions the feeling of the internal unity and concord of all the members of evangelical Christen dom should be kindled? May not, especially at the present moment, the favourite thought of the church's lord be this: that in the old land of promise, on the place of his earthly course, not only Israel should be led to the knowledge of salvation, but also the individual evangelical churches, built upon the everlasting foundation of the gospel, and upon the rock of faith in the Son of the living God-forgetting their divisions, remembering their unity-should offer to each other, over the cradle and the grave of the Redeemer, the hand of peace and concord? "His Majesty, for his part, will not hesitate, on this occasion, in full confidence, to hold out his hand to the episcopal church of England, which combines with evangelical principles, an historic constitution, and a church existence, significant of universality. "His Majesty, in accordance with apostolic catholicity, and in expectation of similar dispositions on the part of the English church, entertains no fear in expressing his readiness to allow the clergy and missionaries of his national church, in all mission lands, where a bishopric of this church exists, to unite themselves with it; and, for this purpose, to obtain for themselves episcopal ordination, which the English church requires for an admission to an office. His Majesty will take care that such ordination shall always be acknowledged and respected in his dominions. In the Holy Land, in particular, his Majesty is determined to do everything which can, on Christian principles, be required, in order that united labours may be possible. The English church is there in possession of an ecclesiastical foundation on the Mount Zion, and his Majesty considers it to be the duty of all evangelical princes and communities to join this foundation, as the beginning and central point of conjoined operations; for his Majesty regards this as a ground of great hope for the futurity of evangelical Christendom. In the first place, their missions acquire thereby, throughout the extent of the whole Turkish empire, and in the primitive habitations of Christianity, a visible centre and a living lever, whose power, once set in motion, will soon make itself felt even to Abyssinia and Armenia. But beside this, another object of the utmost importance, and most earnestly to be desired, will also be attained. In the simplest manner possible, a Christian neutral-ground will be acquired, far removed beyond the bounds of narrowing nationality; and upon which, with God's blessing, by the conjoined operations of believing love, a gradual union of evangelical Christians may be prepared with greater facility than under any other circumstances. "Of course it cannot be his Majesty's intention by such an union to sacrifice or endanger the independent existence of the national church of his country. According to his Majesty's view, an evangelic, true, and living representation of catholicity, is that only which supposes this unity to be upholden by the divinely ordained multiplicity of tongues and peoples, and in accordance with the individuality and historic development of each several nation and country. Every national church has, without doubt, like the people belonging to it, its own peculiar vocation in the great order and unfolding of the kingdom of God. Yea, every narrower, smaller Christian community in a Christian land, has undoubtedly, in like manner, the vocation and the duty to seek within the circle of the universal church, a peculiar sphere for the extension of love, and for which a particular opportunity and a particular blessing are given to her. "But especially his Majesty, as German prince and king of his country, is penetrated with the liveliest persuasion, that the evangelical Christendom of the German people is called to occupy an independent position in every representation of such evangelic apostolic catholicity as long as the Word of God is proclaimed in German speech, and his praise sung in the German tongue. His Majesty lives in the hope, especially, that in the present century the position of the evangelical Christendom of Germany, as soon as it becomes conscious of its vocation, will hold a position proportionate to the general intel |