Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

I cannot close this interesting account, without going back, and noticing more particularly the influence of this good man upon the church of which he was a member. His charities were judi. cious and systematic; to him it was a pleasure to do good. It will be remembered that he was comparatively a poor man. His example had an effect, not so much from the amount which he actually contributed, as from the spirit with which it was done, and its proportion to his income.

At a time when less than thirty dollars a year was contributed at the Monthly Concert, in aid of foreign missions, Mr. R- put in regularly one dollar per month. When this was known, others more able began to say, "If brother R- can give one dollar per month,

I can ;" and these collections soon increased to one hundred and fif ty dollars a year. Moreover, the salary of their own minister was now more punctually paid than it had ever been, while, for the various benevolent objects of the day, nearly one thousand dollars a year have been raised by this church, which, but six years ago, was scarcely able to raise seventy five. All this, too, while the real strength of the society has, if any thing, decreased, by deaths and removals.

[ocr errors]

-.

In producing this happy result, nothing, probably, has had greater influence than the example of this benevolent man; and as I cast my eyes over the multitude of feeble churches scattered through our land, I am constrained to exclaim, O that each of them were blessed with one such character as the good Mr. R Let me also appeal to the heart and the conscience of every member of all our churches, and ask, will not some one or more in every church, raise out of the selfishness, the covetousness, and worldliness with which most Christians are enthralled, and be to the church and to the world what this good man was. Then your example would bless a whole community; then you might confidently expect the full assurance of immortal glory in a dying hour, and by the side of your sleeping dust, a devout son, in the full tide of filial respect and affection, might pour forth the utterance of a grateful heart in thanksgiving to God, that he has had such a father.—American Pastor's Journal.

[ocr errors]

PRAYERS FOR THE DEAD.

It is stated in the London Times of July 23d, that the clergyman who preached the funeral sermon of his late majesty, offered pray. ers for the repose of his soul ! and that the Bishop of Bath and Wells did the same at the funeral of the Princess Charlotte. We are surprised that these popish, superstitious rites should be resorted to by Protestants on any occasion Even if it be supposed that the spirit of the old leaven, adheres in some instances to those protestants who have more of ceremony and prescribed forms, in their worship than others, yet, as abuses of this kind were one of the principal causes of the reformation, it is remarkable that one of

the reformed should introduce them when they are known to be directly contrary to the doctrine of their church. In the liturgy, it is said, there is nothing that sanctions the use of prayers for the dead; and we are gratified to see that this unexpected resuscitation of a popish rite is condemned by winters of the Episcopal Church. The British Magazine remarks in speaking of this fact-We think it of such importance as to call for an explicit declaration from our church on the subject. We think it is a considerable approximation to the doctrine of purgatory, which our articles declare to be afond thing vainly invented," and we shall soon see the "orate pro animabus" revived upon our tomb stones.

NOTICES OF THE PAPAL CHURCH IN THE UNITED

STATES.

(Continued from No. 10. Page 317.)

"The same Pontiff, in his instructions to his agents in Poland, given in 1808, professes this doctrine, that laws of the Church do not recognize any civil privileges as belonging to persons not Catholic, that their marriages are not valid that they can live only in concubinage; that their children, being bastards, are incapacitated to inherit; that the Ca tholics themselves are not validly married, except they are united according to the rules prescribed by the Court of Rome; and that, when they are married according to these rules, their marriage is valid, had they, in other respects, infringed all the laws of their country."

[ocr errors]

Instead, therefore, of joining in the laudatory acclamations with which some appear ready to greet the emissaries of the Court and Church of Rome, we must be permitted, from a sense of the dangers of our spiritual Zion, and of our immunities and blessings, arising from this quarter, to continue a little farther the translation of such lately published documents as appeared in a previous number of this Journal. These, it seems to us, must open the eyes of our brethren and fellow citizens, and urge to renewed and evange lical effort.

The following letters and extracts relate to the "Mission of Ohio." From Cincinnnati. the Bishop remarks to a friend in Europe: "I am consoled, and filled with gratitude toward the noble and benevolen Monarch of France. I beg you, on every occasion that may offer, to be the interpreter of my sentiments and sincere thanks to the patrons of the mission; answer them that I daily pray for them, and that while I live I shall not cease to pray the Lord to reward their zeal and charity.

"I have at last yielded to the solicitations of my friends, and the,

*Pp. 66, 67; 129, 130.

necessity caused by a visible increase of Catholics. I have resolved to build a cathedral; it is already covered; our new chapel, though very small, will become my seminary. But I expect to enlarge it, if I can procure a contiguous spot of one hundred and fifty feet, for which two thousand dollars are demanded: we greatly need it, to complete our establishment; and I hope that, with the aid of Divine Providence, you will assist me in accomplishing this design.

"During the summer, I visited a part of my diocese, as far as New Lisbon, preaching on the right hand and on the left, and administering all the sacrements, orders excepted. In all the congregations I have at times administered three or four different sacraments* to the same persons, in the same day. I cannot recollect how many I have baptised and confirmed. I have neither a priest nor domestic to accompany me across these thick forests: our poor people could hardly lodge and feed two ecclesiastics, without famishing themselves. Sometimes they are obliged to give up their own wretched beds. My journey lasted three months; and I was often so exhausted in talking, praying and preaching, that I had hardly enough resolution to take my nourishment. You know by experience how it is. How many times have you not breakfasted and dined on the same meal, at four or five in the afternoon! Well are you able to repeat: Non ignara mali, miseris succurrere disco.

"I have found that all my congregations increase, so to speak, daily. We have eleven churches or chapels built or building, and two more are in prospect. At Zanesville, Canton, and near New Lisbon we have well-built brick churches, but they are covered only, for want of pecuniary means. They have neither floors nor windows. Every body applies to me for assistance, as if I had transported Peru from Europe. My resources, at present, are only the funds which the charity of my benefactors has procured for me in Europe. But the great and indispensable expenses for building my cathedral; the cost of journeys, conveyance of articles, tolls, &c. have already consumed the greater part. I have with me three priests, one female domestic, her husband, and a single child belonging to the choir, whom I must feed, clothe, &c. You see I have enough to do in organizing the diocese, and making preparation for a Seminary. If I can only finish my cathedral, and buy the adjoining land in order hereafter to enlarge it, when necessary and practicable, I shall be satisfied. For a legacy to my successor I have no goods but this establishment only-and it is hardly half finished. As soon as the funds on which we subsist at present shall be exhausted, I shall be obliged, if more be not furnished, to quit the country, or undergo the lot of insolvent debtors. I do not receive enough from my chapel and the whole of my diocese to pay simply the expenses of my horse or of my letters. I could never have imagined that the postage of letters would have amounted to three, four, and sometimes five dollars a week; while the collection made

*The Papal Church, as is known, reckoning seven sacraments.. Vol. V. No. 11.

17

on Sundays in the Church, and which composes all my episcopal provision for the table, amounts only to about four dollars a week. You see what my distress is; do the best you can for us."

The letter concludes as follows: "Present my compliments and the assurance of my very sincere gratitude to my benefactors. I do not fail to pray daily both for them and you, who have given me so many substantial proofs of your friendship."

[ocr errors]

The King, whose bounty is in the beginning of this letter so feelingly acknowledged, has since become, in the province of Almighty God, a wanderer, and that, it seems, through his own imprudence as well as the evil counsel of interested courtiers, themselves, apparently, the willing instruments, in religious concerns, of wily Jesuits. What permanent effect on the Papal Church at large will be produced by the present deeply interesting state of things in France, we must wait for time to develope. While the State dis cards a national subjection to the religion it has for so many ages professed until the revolution of 1792, and which, after the restoration of the Bourbon family, and especially since the accession of Charles X. to the throne, had been reinstated in its influence and power-it is not impossible that a greater number of expatriated Jesuits and priests will seek a home in these United Strtes, and give fresh energy to the Romish enterprize in the West.

The next two letters are from M. Reze, a priest, and pupil of the Propaganda, addressing a mutual friend in Europe; and as they exhibit the view of things taken by the writer on the spot, and his consequent feelings and anticipations, they are given entire, and will, we doubt not, be found of no inconsiderable interest.

"In a few days we shall put our hand to the work of commencing the cathedral. When we shall have paid our debts, bought lots, finished our new church, and converted the old one into a habitable mansion or a German church, there will remain but little to form the college, which must become our principal resource. Behold us, then, always in arrears. He who does not actually know our situation can hardly form an idea of it. America is rich, it is true; but then it is in the towns on the sea-coast; for in the interior she is so only in productions of the earth and articles of living. Yet if one reflects that our churches are not yet established, he will easily see of what importance to us are articles of food, especially if we are stitute of other things, and of persons to prepare them for us. "Mgr. has the happiness of governing his church without churchwardens. By this method you see we are at peace, althongh without help. Were we to establish them, they might be very useful to us, but we should fear schisms and dissensions, of all evils the greatest. Despotism exercised against the pastors, and division and disorder, in many other churches, assure us fully of this. Better

*Annals, etc. Numero xvi., Jan. 1829, pp. 279-282.

The difficulties in Philadelphia arising from these officers are alJuded to in a subsequent letter.

then is poverty, and dependence on the charity of the faithful, than tyranny!

"I recollect that you requested to know of me what was the origin of our capital of this State. Its existence, you know, is not very ancient. I have been told, that, during the war of independence, the Americans, in order to defend the country from the incursions of the English, built a fort on the banks of the river Ohio, called at that time Fort Washington. Thither, at evening, the inhabitants of the country, and those who dwelt in the small houses around under its protection, were accustomed to retire. During the day they cultivated the earth. The resemblance of this mode of life to that of the illustrious Roman, who was taken from the plough to be placed at the head of armies when the republic was in danger, gave to the new fort the name of this great man. The population of Cincinnati increases daily; they reckon in it more than 18,000 inhabitants. Oh that Religion were also making there a rapid progress! This we have a right to expect from the zeal and piety of the holy Bishop whom Heaven has granted it, and seems to accompany with its own favors. Listen, with submission to the will of Providence, to a circumstance that will afford you proof of this.

"A worthy and very rich Catholic of Ohio, Mr. Dugan, having learned that Mgr. had arrived in America, and was preparing to journey to his diocese, came to meet him, with his own equippage, as far as Baltimore, about three hundred miles. Having found Mgr. he takes him in his carriage, together with M. Richard, and Father Young, a nephew of the Prelate, who had likewise come to meet him. Hardly had they started, before the horses, being affrighted without any known cause, champ their bits, and ran off violently, whatever effort be made to stop them. The carriage is broken, the baggage scattered along the road, and the worthy owner himself is first dragged on, and then falls dreadfully crushed-dying but a few hours after, under circumstances which render the scene one of the most tragical. Nevertheless, the three ministers of the Most High escape, as it were by miracle, from this imminent danger. Still, Mr. Dugan's death, which the world would call deplorable, subserves the designs of God, who, when He pleases, brings good out of evil. The instructions, which it afforded an occasion for giving, the examples of resignation and patience, and the godly death of the good Catholic, became the cause of many conversions to our Religion."

[ocr errors]

If we here see a fixed and persevering determination to make the Divine Providence a party in spreading the empire of Papal Rome in this Protestant community; the following letter of the same gentleman will, we think, excite some few reflections.

66

Mgr. will depart to-day, in order to visit, during two or three months, a part of his diocese. I am to accompany him, and we go on a mission among the savages. At my return I shall be able to give you ample information respecting their mode of life and customs. While I was going to give instructions at a distance from

*Annals, ect. Numero xvi. Jan. 1829, pp. 282-284.

« AnteriorContinuar »