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about bishops and prayer-books, whose renunciation of their present "connections" and whose adhesion to the "uninterrupted succession," and the "apostolic order," the "valid administrations," and the "excellent liturgy," would be very little regretted by those whom their "conformity" would leave behind.

Mr. Colton gives us something like a history of the psychological process by which he became an Episcopalian. He went to England in the summer of 1831; he came home in the spring of 1836. When he landed in our great commercial metropolis,as we learn from his communications in the New-York Observer,— every thing seemed changed. Broadway, the City-Hall, the Exchange, the roar of business in Pearl-street, the wilderness of masts in the harbor, the marble dwellings of Bond-street, every thing which met his now English eye, seemed marvelously reduced in its dimensions. Instead of the magnificent emporium which he thought he left in 1831, he now seemed to see only as it were a thrifty village. He felt, as we judge, much like a John Bull first arriving on these shores; or like Captain Lemuel Gulliver, just returned from his residence at the court of Brobdingnag, and shouting to the pigmies around him to get out of his way lest he should step on them. So, as we gather from this book, he was not long in finding, that things were sadly changed in the religious state of the country. He saw all the religious institutions and usages. which characterize the country, in a new light. The experiment of the pilgrim fathers had failed. His "country was spoiled," and it was clear, that salvation must come out of Episcopacy and the prayer-book. So he submitted himself to the ordaining power of bishop Onderdonk.

"the

In this connection, Mr. Colton has some remarks "on the advantages and disadvantages of foreign travel." He tells us, that when he was about leaving this country, "a ministerial brother," in conversation on this subject, suggested to him the idea, that American ministers are sometimes none the better in respect to piety and christian character, in consequence of traveling in England and Europe. "Indeed, said he, it sometimes spoils them." This remark mortified" our author; and he regarded it as offspring of a weak and narrow mind." "As if God and his grace are not the same every where; as if the increase of knowledge could be purchased only at the expense of virtue." "Foreign travel enlarges the scope of one's vision, and gives him new views of men and things." "I see no necessary reason in experience, or within the range of my observation, why, with the world before him, with his bible in his portmanteau, with the ocean or the land, town or country, as his place of prayer, his christian graces should not be improved and invigorated, with the increased advantages of that enlargedness of mind, which a knowledge of the world, seeing it as it is, affords him." Therefore the Rev. CalVOL. VIII. 62

vin Colton is the man to pronounce upon the religious state of the country; and if he forswears the Puritan strictness of doctrine and discipline in which he was educated, and goes over to the latitudinarianism of the all-embracing Episcopal church, this comes of the enlargement and illumination acquired by foreign travel.

It may seem to indicate in us "a weak and narrow mind;" but we must be allowed to suggest, that notwithstanding this argumentation, a christian, or even a christian minister, may spend his six months, or his year, or his four years, in Europe, without any increase of spirituality or devotion; nay, that he may return from his travels with something like a positive disrelish for the humble, every-day work of preaching the gospel to plain men. We may suppose, that relinquishing the proper work of the ministry, he goes abroad, not upon some business connected with his sacred calling, but to indulge his curiosity or gratify a roving disposition. We may suppose, that during his absence he lives for months and years without a home, without a regular employment, a hanger-on with no very definite relations to society, a random wanderer upon the face of the earth, strolling hither and thither for nothing but to find adventures and wonders. We may suppose, that at London he lounges in the club-rooms, and affects the connossieur in the picture-galleries, and haunts the concerts, not of prayer, but of music; or, that at Paris he goes to the theaters "just to see the evil of the thing," and perhaps, that he may see even the worst of it, goes on the Lord's day. We do not say, that this is the case of Pres. Humphrey, or of Dr. Codman, or of Dr. Spring, or of Mr. Colton. We are only supposing a case; and we say, that in such a case, the traveler, though "God and his grace are the same every where," and though he may carry his bible in his portmanteau," will return from his travels pretty nearly spoiled in respect to those habits of mind which make a man a good minister. "The scope of his vision" is indeed enlarged; and his travels have given hin "new views of men and things," but his qualifications for deciding between Puritanism and Episcopacy are not necessarily of a higher order than before. His "opinions brought three thousand miles," his

Sense, in no common way to mortals given,
But on Atlantic travelers breath'd by heaven'

cannot make it certain that "his christian graces are improved and invigorated." Indeed no man's christian character can be improved and invigorated, who has not about as much work to do as he can do, or who is not, as a working man, doing with his might the work which Divine Providence assigns to him. In an important sense, God and his grace are not the same at the theater, and in the saloons of fashion, as in the workshop of the artizan, or in the study and pulpit of the minister.

There is, however, no "necessary reason" why traveling beyond the seas should have an unfavorable effect upon a man's spirituality and devotional feelings. There are travelers whose views of the religious state of the country deserve to be regarded. Men who have visited remote lands in the service of the gospel, and who, after years of toil and peril, come back to bring their report to the churches, are men of whom it may reasonably be expected, that their travels have not made them less spiritual in their "views of men and things," or less fervent in their feelings of devotion. When our returning missionaries, still in love with their self-denying work, cry out, that "the country is spoiled," and that there is no hope but in the forms of Episcopacy, it will be time to look into the matter. Then there will be reason to think, that the psychology of conversions to Episcopalianism, is assuming a new aspect.

The volume of Mr. Colton is the publication of a man returned from his travels. The pamphlet of Mr. Connelly is the production of a man setting out on his travels. It contains a letter to Dr. Otey, bishop of the Episcopalians in Tennessee, written on the occasion of the author's resigning his pastoral charge, and a farewell sermon preached in Trinity church, Natchez, with notes appended to each. We learn, partly from the pamphlet, and partly from some statements lately published by bishop Otey, that Mr. Connelly was rector of an Episcopal church in Natchez, Mississippi, prosperous in the prosperity of his parish and in the affections and kindness of his people; that the recent discussions and alarms in this country about popery, led him to "a laborious study of the controversy;" that being agitated in view of the religious state of the country, and pursuing his duties under the influence of a somewhat erratic temperament, and having no professional brethren near, whose sympathies and counsels might guide his judgment, his faith in Protestantism was shaken, and at last overturned; that he thereupon, like a conscientious man, ready to deny himself for the truth's sake, resigned his parish, and bade farewell to his loving and beloved congregation; and that he has now gone beyond the Atlantic, to see Rome itself, and to pursue his studies under the shadow of St. Peters.

The psychology of this man's conversion to popery, is an interesting and important study. Between his change and Mr. Colton's, there are some striking differences. Mr. Connelly had a parish, and a home; Mr. Colton had neither. Mr. Connelly was receiving from his people, in addition to his salary, more than fourteen hundred dollars yearly, in fees and presents; Mr. Colton had nothing to lose by change, except his consistency. Mr. Connelly was converted to a church in which there seems to be but little scope for such talents as his; Mr. Colton was converted to a church

in which there seems to be a great demand for all sorts of talent, and in which talent is sure to be appreciated. Mr. Connelly's conversion consisted in carrying out his principles, fearlessly, to their results; Mr. Colton's consisted in the renunciation of his former principles, and the adoption of entirely another scheme of polity and discipline. Dr. Otey charges Mr. Connelly with derangement, though we confess we see no marks of derangement, in his pamphlet, unless it be assumed, that every enthusiast is deranged. Mr. Colton might be insured, at a cheap rate, against being charged, by friend or foe, with being beside himself.

Not to dwell too long on Mr. Colton's book, considered as a biography, we proceed to inquire into its merits as a historical work, professing to exhibit facts respecting the religious state of the country. Regarding the work in this aspect, we are arrested, at ence, by a statement in the introduction, which may show satisfactorily, what credit is due to the author on the score of historical accuracy. That the statement to which we refer, may be fairly before our readers, we copy the entire paragraph.

The author has ever felt and manifested a deep sympathy for those, who are oppressed by the operation of the church establishment of England. His sympathies carried him so far in his earlier communications on this subject, as to find fault with the better and more exemplary class of clergymen in the church of England, when he thought their zeal for the establishment blinded them to a sense of justice towards dissenters; and when he saw them taking their stand against those degrees of reform, which were necessary to remove the most obvious occasions of complaint. And he is of the same opinion still, though he no more doubts the honesty of these excellent men, or their sincere concern for the interests of religion, than he doubts the virtue of the standing order in the state of Connecticut, when they took their stand against the proposal to place all christian sects on an equal footing. The cases are precisely parallel; and the scene is now acting over in England. In the same manner as in Connecticut, both parties will be glad when they are through with it; and it will be seen and admitted on all hands, that they who claim to support only the religion of their own choice, do it with good reason; and that it is better for society to allow this privilege to all.' pp. 12, 13.

"The standing order in the state of Connecticut," took their stand against the proposal to place all christian sects on an equal footing! This is nothing else than a piece of sectarian or anti-christian tradition, which Mr. Colton has picked up, probably in the same company in which he has been receiving his impressions about the religious state of the country. In what respect are we to understand that the christian sects" in the State of Connecticut," were ever on any other than "an equal footing?" In the same respect certainly, in which the church of England, and the dissenters there, are on un

equal footing,-for, says Mr. Colton, "the cases are precisely parallel, and the same scene" that was once acted in the State of Connecticut," is now acting over in England." If it be inquired more particularly, how the cases are parallel, Mr. Colton is ready with a still more explicit answer. "In the same manner as in Connecticut, both parties will be glad when they are through with it; and it will be seen and admitted on all hands, that they who claim to support only the religion of their own choice, do it with good reason." In other words, there was a time in the State of Connecticut, when it was proposed to allow to members of the various christian sects, the privilege of supporting only the religion of their own choice,-and when "the standing order," or, to speak in good English, the Congregationalists, "took their stand against the proposal." We have no doubt, that Mr. Colton believes as he says; but the fact, that he believes thus, shows, not only, that he has been keeping doubtful company, but also, that as a historian, he is not competent to describe the religious state of the country. We say again, Mr. Calvin Colton, "of America," who published a book in London against the union of church and state, doubtless believes, that sometime since the colony of Connecticut became a State, the Congregationalists have lorded it, with a high hand, over the poor Episcopalians, Baptists and Methodists, who could not flee from their oppression into the wilderness; and we can easily imagine, that he and many others will open their eyes wide in astonishment, at our temerity in saying, that the tradition of such a state of things is more fabulous than the Talmud. The story which our neophyte deacon has taken up, about "the standing order," is one of those fables, which, by dint of impudent repetition, are sometimes forced into currency, and passing, for a while, uncontradicted, because their falsehood is supposed to be too palpable to need contradiction, at last gain a residence among historic verities, pleading prescription, and that the memory of man runneth not to the contrary of their being there. We take this occasion, therefore, to state summarily the leading points in regard to the history of religious liberty in Connecticut.

It is not denied, that, at the first settlement of Connecticut, religion was supposed to be a proper subject of legislation. The first collection and revision of the colonial statutes, A. D. 1672, contained such provisions as the following. Idolatry, witchcraft and blasphemy, were punishable with death, and profane swearing with fine or with the stocks. Any person in the colony, that should give "unnecessary entertainment unto any Quaker, Ranter, or other notorious heretic," was liable to a penalty of five pounds; any person unnecessarily falling into discourse with them, might be fined twenty shillings; the governor, deputy governor or assistants were authorized to imprison such heretics, or to send them out of

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