weeks after the British troops took possession of it, in the autumn of 1776.

In the spring of the year 1783, when it became known that the preliminary articles of peace with Great-Britain had been signed, an intercourse began to take place between the city of New-York, and the adjacent country. On the commencement of this intercourse, many of the old inhabitants of the city returned from their ex

"effect of design, and strongly marks their enmity to those "societies."

Concerning the Middle Dutch Church, in Nassau-street, which in the beginning of the war, was used by the British garrison as a Prison, and afterwards turned into a Riding School, the venerable Dr. Livingston thus expresses himself in a sermon, delivered July 4, 1790, when it was for the first time opened for public worship, after being repaired: "I dare not speak of the wanton cruelty of those "who destroyed this temple, nor repeat the various indig"nities which have been perpetrated. It would be easy ❝to mention facts which would chill your blood! A recol"lection of the groans of dying prisoners, which pierced "this ceiling; or the sacrilegious sports and rough feats "of horsemanship exhibited within these walls, might ❝raise sentiments in your minds that would, perhaps, not "harmonize with those religious affections, which I wish, ❝ at present, to promote, and always to cherish."

ile; and among these were some of the members of the Presbyterian churches. In the course of the ensuing summer a few more returned. But the larger portion remained in their various places of retirement until the evacuation of the city by the British troops, which took place on the 25th of November, 1783. On the 26th, the day after the evacuation, Dr. Rodgers returned with his family to the city; and in a short time afterwards, the great body of the exiles were restored to their former habitations.

In taking a retrospect of the conduct and character of Dr. Kodgers, with reference to the revolutionary war, it will be nothing more than justice to his memory, and and may not be unprofitable to others, to make two or three general remarks.

The first is, that, although constitutionally, as well as by habit, a prudent and cautious man, and perhaps sometimes so to an extreme; yet when the path of duty became perfectly plain, he pursued it with fearless intrepidity. This was the case with respect to the American contest. The decision with which he acted in that contest, was beyond what was usual with him.

A gentleman of great political eminence in the United States*, who was much with him, and had the best opportunity of o serving his conduct, during that interesting period; and who is also of a different religious denomination, expresses himself, in a communication on the subject, in the following respectful terms. "The late Dr. Rodgers "appeared to me a christian and a gentleman. Believing the opposition of America to be right, "he adhered to her cause; and was a good whig, because he was a good christian.

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Be

ing chaplain to the Convention, he followed "that body from place to place, with much per"sonal inconvenience, and I believe, too, at a "considerable pecuniary sacrifice."

A second remark is, that, while he was a firm, and even an ardent whig, yet he did not forget that he was a Minister of Jesus Christ; and never failed to make the latter his prominent character.

When a Christian minister ventures much into the society of political men, and suffers his attention to be habitually occupied with their schemes and measures; and especially when he undertakes, in his public prayers and sermons, to expatiate freely on the political events of the day,

* The Hon. Gouverneur Morris, Esq.

he attempts a task as difficult as it is delicate. Nay, it may not be going too far to say, that he undertakes a task in which his ministerial feelings and character will seldom wholly escape injury. The truth of this remark, if the writer is not greatly deceived, was often exemplified during the revolutionary war. The conduct of many of the clergy, and especially of those of the Presbyterian church, in the course of that struggle, was indeed nobly patriotic, and eminently useful. Yet it may be seriously doubted, whether some of them, in their zeal, did not, now and then, in their public ministrations, as well as in their private intercourse, overstep the bounds of propriety; and appear more like politicians, pleading an earthly cause, than servants of the meek and benevolent Jesus, referring every thing to his wise and holy government, and breathing peace on earth and good-will toward men*. It

It has been said, and doubtless with truth, that while many pious ministers, and other christians in America, during the revolutionary war, were praying, in public and in private, that the councils of Great-Britain might be overthrown; that defeat and destruction might attend their military and naval armaments; and that victory, in every quarter, might crown our arms; thousands of pious persons, on the other side of the Atlantic, were praying, in

would, perhaps, be extravagant praise to say, that Dr. Rodgers, amidst the contagion of the times, was, in this respect, wholly free from fault. But he was certainly much more free from the fault in question, than most of those active clergymen of the day, who took the same side, and possessed as much ardour of mind, as himself. Wherever he went, he set a noble example of devotedness to the ministry of reconciliation. Whether he addressed Conventions, or Legislatures, brigades of soldiers, or christian churches, the peculiar and precious doctrines of the Gospel were not only the constant, but the leading subjects of dis

the same language, against America, and in favour of British oppressions. Is it possible to suppose that such opposite petitions, on the same subject, were equally acceptable to Him who hears prayer? It is not possible. But it may be asked, where is the remedy for such occurrences? The remedy lies in ministers and others, when they address the throne of grace, being less of politicians, and more of christians. It is plain that, if men were less prone to prescribe to the Most High in prayer, and more ready to adopt those humble, submissive, and filial forms of petition, of which the Sacred Volume gives so many noble examples, real christians, in different countries, even in the midst of war, might meet at the throne of grace, as on common territory, and unite in precisely the same requests. Some have been inconsiderate enough to allege,