CHAPTER XV.

A. D. 1815. Et. 40.

Formation of Church Societies-Their Objects and InfluenceBishop Hobart's Zeal for them-The Principle on which they were founded-Tract Society-Character of its Tracts-Pastoral Charge on the Christian Ministry-Frequency of Bishop Hobart's Instructions on this Point justified-Peculiar Traits of Character-His Notion of the Church explained and vindicated -Publication of the Christian's Manual '-Ejaculatory Prayer -Prayers in the Language of the Liturgy.

INDIFFERENCE on the part of the laity toward the concerns of the Church, has already been noted as one of the evils resulting to the Diocese over which Bishop Hobart presided, from early government patronage. To overcome this apathy in the rising generation of the laity, was a task in which Bishop Hobart long laboured, and, finally, succeeded. One by one he gathered around him a band of pious young laymen, attached and zealous coworkers in every good cause. Out of these materials, at first scanty in amount, and influential only through piety and zeal, were formed by degrees, with his sanction, and under his guidance, CHURCH societies for all the varied objects of Christian benevolence.

Thus arose the Bible and Prayer-book Society in 1809; the Protestant Episcopal Tract Society, in 1810; the Young Men's Auxiliary Bible and Prayer-book Society, in 1816; the New-York Sunday School Society, in 1817; the Missionary Society; the Education Society; the Protestant Episcopal Press; and many other minor associations, by which the Church in this Diocese has ever since been banded together in harmonious and concen

trated action. It is due to them, as well as to the Bishop's memory, to give the picture of his interest in them in the words of one who was of them.

'Humble as they were in their infant operations, they were not beneath his paternal care. Backward as our people were in their support, he was never discouraged he attended the meetings of all our societies whenever it was practicable, and was among the first to be present, and the last to retire. He entered into the minutest details of their business, took a lively interest in all their proceedings, noticed every change in their condition, suggested expedients for their improvement when they were languishing, and rejoiced at every appearance of their growth and

success.

The Bishop delighted in this little band. He animated them on all occasions by his approbation and praise. He looked to their example for a succession of active labourers in those societies which were so essentially connected with the welfare of the Church. And many of them, in the recollection of his paternal watchfulness and regard, still feel the impulse which he gave to their exertions, and go on in their course with unabated ardour and zeal a.'

But there is a further and a higher view. If these societies exhibit in their origin Bishop Hobart's influential zeal, no less do they, in their peculiar organization, his prospective wisdom. They all emanated from the Church, and were bound to the Church, and thus constituted an integral part of it. The Bishop placed himself as the official head of each, not, as some superficial observers thought, from the wish to accumulate power in his own hands; but from a wise and settled policy, in which he may be said to have anticipated the now almost united voice of Christendom, viz. that the Church, in its spiritual and united character, is the true society for Christianizing and improving the human race; and that societies emanating from her authority, and operating in con

a Dr. Berrian's Memoir, p. 180.

nection with her ministry, will be found in the long run more efficient, as well as more safe, than those which rest upon temporary excitement, and voluntary association. It is the gradual growth of this once proscribed sentiment, which is now giving unity and strength to all the movements of our Church: first, they are made sound by emanating from episcopal authority; and, secondly, energetic by connection with the general councils of the Church.

Such was the history of the General Theological Seminary, of the General Sunday School Union, of the General Domestic and Foreign Missionary Society; and such, we trust, will be the eventual form of the Bible and Prayer-book Society, the Education Society, and the Press; which as yet are but in their chrysalis state:" they have yet to receive a higher form, and a fuller development.

The Tract Society, next to the Bible and Common Prayer-book, was the earliest of these associations. The amount of good resulting from its labours may truly be said to have been incalculable; since its tracts have been the precursor of the missionary in all parts of our country, finding their way to the heart, where the voice of the living preacher could not be heard, or would not be listened to. In the character of its tracts, Bishop Hobart ran counter as usual to the popular current: that went for excitement, he went for instruction; that was for incident, he was for doctrine; that looked to the present, he looked to the future. In this latter point we have struck upon a leading peculiarity of his mind, which was to make light of immediate results when compared with final ones. He was for looking always to the rule, and not to the case he must see that the principle was right before he could applaud; he must sum up the account before he could subscribe it, or place to its credit any temporary isolated balance. It was, in short, such a peculiarity of mind as always sets a man at variance with the multitude around him-for men taken in the mass

are ever short-sighted: to look beyond, and judge according to the great and permanent consequences of action, is the attribute of the few, and the criterion of the wise; and their reward is, as might be expected, to be esteemed bigots in their own age, and sages in that which follows them. Such is the fate of all sound reformers; it was that of Bacon: the language of his last will is proud and touching,-'I bequeath my fame,' said he, 'to posterity, after that some ages shall have gone by.' In the principle at least of this legacy, Bishop Hobart might have joined; for seldom if ever did a man throw himself more confidingly than he did upon the eventual success of unpopular principles. But in the worldly spirit that craved such fame, the Christian was far above the philosopher. With him it was, in truth, a light thing 'to be judged of man's judgment,' whether present or future.

But to look at this matter in a more intellectual light. Bishop Hobart's mind seemed as if it never could rest on half-way points: wherever he took up his position, you found him standing upon principle and final results; perhaps he had jumped to them, as he often did, by a kind of instinct; and then the steps of his argumentation were not perhaps very clearly or logically arranged-for it was giving to others a road he had not himself travelled. But when he came to principles, here he was ever at home, and dwelt and expatiated among them as a spirit might be supposed to do in its native element.

So, too, in plans of Christian benevolence. Compared with the principle involved, he rated lightly all present advantages; so much so as to have been often charged with preferring on these points the form to the spirit; with how little truth, the story of his life may show, while the ground of his justification may be given in the words of one whom he admired, and often quoted. 'The happiness of the world,' says Butler, 'is the concern of Him who is the Lord and Proprietor of it; nor do we know what we are about, when we endeavour to promote

the good of mankind in any way but those which he has directed".'

Nor, while he thus devoted himself to arousing the laity, was Bishop Hobart less attentive in directing and counselling his clergy as became his office, in all matters where he either saw error or apprehended danger, This brings up the subject of the 'Charge' he delivered to the clergy, on 'The Nature of the Christian Ministry, as set forth in the Offices of Ordination.'

On this subject of the apostolic constitution of the Church, Bishop Hobart wrote so much, and spoke so much, that many were ready to cast upon him the old slur of being all Church and no CHRIST;' how unjustly need not now be said, for his life and death disproved it. Still, however, the charge is one that merits a few words of explanation and disproof.

In the first place it is to be remembered, in explanation of his frequent reiteration of it, that the whole subject was one little understood, at that time, in our country, and greatly undervalued. By the opponents of the Church, its Episcopal form of government was confounded with the novelties and corruptions of Popery; by the ignorant multitude it was believed to have sprung from a royal government, and to form part of it; and, even by its friends, generally regarded as but one of the chance forms of human institution, suitable, and perhaps, binding, as a matter of expediency, but indifferent as a matter of principle.

Analogy.

That readers of the present day may judge of the contemptuous tone in which the Church was then treated by some of its opponents, the following is the manner in which the consecration of Bishop Seabury was spoken of: Having been invested, or imagined himself invested, with certain extraordinary powers, by the manual imposition of a few obscure and ignorant priests in Scotland.'-American Unitarianism, p. 15.