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MEMOIR OF THE LIFE 
 
 OF THE 
 
 RIGHT REVEREND 
 
 JOHJV HEJVRY HOB ART, D.D. 
 
 BI8H0P OF THE PKOTESTANT EPISCOPAL CHURCH 
 IN THE STATE OF NEW-YORK. 
 
 BY THE 
 
 REV. WILLIAM BERRIAN, D. D. 
 
 RECTOR OF TRINITY CHURCH, NEW-YORK. 
 
 NEW- YORK: 
 
 PUBLISHED BY SWORDS, STANFORD, AND CO. 
 No. 152 Broadway. 
 
 1833. 
 
•^A-r^, !CfW& 
 
 Entered according to the Act of Congress, in the year 1833, by William 
 Beruian, in the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States for the 
 Southern District of New-York. 
 
 EDWARD J. S WORDS, PRINTER, 
 No. 152 Broadway. 
 
ADVERTLSEMENr 
 
 The great delay in the appearance of this Memoir lias 
 been occasioned by circnmstances which were entirely 
 beyond the control of the writer. Shortly after he had 
 been requested to prepare it, he wrote to a number of the 
 early friends of Bishop Hobart for information in regard 
 to that part of his life with which he himself was personally 
 unacquainted. A few promptly and cheerfully complied 
 with his request. But from the inexcusable neglect of 
 some, and the unaccountable tardiness of others, a year 
 and a half passed away before materials enough were 
 procured to form a connected narrative. At length, in the 
 month of July, last summer, it was commenced, amidst an 
 unexampled pressure of parochial duties, during the pre- 
 valence of a raging epidemic, and prosecuted since amidst 
 all the ordinary distractions and labours of an ardous and 
 responsible station. 
 
 New-York, May, 1833. 
 
ERRATA. 
 
 Page ]36, line 9, for " wliould" read would. 
 200, . . 3, for " here" read her. 
 30G, . . 11, for " and" read or. 
 
MEMOIR OF THE LIFE 
 
 or THE 
 
 RIGHT REV. JOHN HENRY HOBART, D. D. 
 
 In attempting to sketch the life and character of 
 the distinguished subject of this Memoir, it is im- 
 possible to avoid a feeling of embarrassment, both 
 from the difficulty of the task in itself, and from 
 the apprehension that it may not represent him 
 according to the just measure of his fame. The 
 close and intimate relation of the writer to him, 
 while it affords great advantages for the delineation 
 of those peculiarities in his mind, feelings, and 
 habits which may have escaped more general ob- 
 servation, at the same time brings the object too 
 near for the strong lights and bold relief in which 
 he appeared to the world at large. There he was 
 viewed in the practical wisdom collected from all 
 his experience, in the efforts of an acute and power- 
 ful mind invigorated and sharpened by continual 
 exercise, in the great and glorious results of a life 
 spent entirely in the laudable ambition of doing 
 good. To those who were honoured by his confi- 
 dence and friendship, he appeared in the simplicity 
 and frankness of a child — there was not the slightest 
 
 1 
 
Z MEMOIR OF THE LIFE OF THE 
 
 disguise. They saw the progress of that practical 
 wisdom which, distinguishing him in early life, at 
 length gave him such a superiority over other men. 
 They saw the workings of that mind which, some- 
 times wavering from misgivings and distrust, finally 
 acted from confidence in itself. They saw the 
 process by which, with the aid of things both im- 
 portant and trifling, he arrived at tlie most noble 
 ends. Observing him, therefore, in the whole com- 
 pound of his character, and in all the various aspects 
 of his busy life, adorned with the brightest perfec- 
 tions, yet shaded by infirmities, errors, and defects, 
 they looked upon him as a great and extraordinary 
 man, but not with such an unqualified admiration 
 as those who only witnessed his beneficent and 
 unwearied labours, and the unexampled success 
 with which they were accompanied. It was, how- 
 ever, his peculiar felicity and glory to retain the 
 greatest ascendency over those to whom he was 
 best known, and, even where they might not be as 
 much dazzled as others by the splendour of his 
 talents, to have the highest place in their aff'ections. 
 There is another difficulty in regard to his bio- 
 o-raphy, which is common to that of most clergymen 
 who are not cast on troublesome times. His life 
 has none of the romantic interest nor strange vicis- 
 situdes which so frequently mark the course of 
 illustrious men. The early period of it was quiet 
 and peaceful, attended by none of the struggles 
 with which a gifted and ambitious mind so often 
 makes its way to eminence. Even then, however, 
 there was observed in him an ardour of tempera- 
 ment, a depth of feeling, a restlessness of disposi- 
 
RIGHT REV. JOHN HENRY HOIJAIM'. 8 
 
 tion, an impatience of case, a perseverance of pur- 
 pose, a moral courage, which, if Providence had 
 thrown him into some other course, would probably 
 have given to his life all the interest of romance. 
 But he was reserved for higher purposes tlian 
 heroes or statesmen are destined to achieve. The 
 qualities which were fitted for the admiration of the 
 world, in meekness and simplicity of heart he de- 
 voted to the glory of God. With a passionate 
 fondness for the beauties of nature and rural pur- 
 suits, it was liis earliest plan to [)ass his days in 
 the calm and unambitious occupations of a country 
 clergyman's life, and to the last he sighed for re- 
 tirement and peace. But though such was the 
 natural bent of his inclination, the sphere was too 
 narrow for the exertions of his ardent and active 
 mind. He was soon drawn from his retreat, and 
 entering with characteristic vivacity and zeal upon 
 the duties of his new situation, he at once attracted 
 general notice, acquired an influence in the councils 
 of the Church beyond his years, and at a very early 
 period was called to direct them in tliat high office, 
 which he so pre-eminently honoured and adorned. 
 From that time his life was full; but it was for the 
 most part spent in an uniform succession of labours, 
 differing only from year to year in the greater ex- 
 tent to which they were carried, and the increasino- 
 promptitude and diligence with which they were 
 performed. There were but few of those incidents 
 in it which amuse the general reader, though it 
 abounded with circumstances which interest the 
 Christian and divine. In the uiaintenance of the 
 peculiar and distinctive principles of the Church of 
 
4 
 
 MEMOIR OF THE LIFE OF THE 
 
 which God had made him an overseer, and in the 
 defence of a policy which in some instances brought 
 upon him an unmeasured degree of odium, but 
 which more regarded as his glory and his crown, 
 he was almost continually involved in controversies, 
 upon which he never hesitated to enter, and from 
 which he generally retired with success. The no- 
 tice of these questions, and a fair representation of 
 his views on all prominent points, will be considered 
 essential to the vindication of his principles as a 
 zealous defender of the truth, and to the honour 
 which is due to his character as a Christian, whose 
 life and whose death were "precious in the sight of 
 the Lord." These discussions — which, for the most 
 part, were unsought, though never declined — were 
 often mixed up with personal considerations, con- 
 necting them with the memory of the dead and the 
 feelings of the living. On account of the respect, 
 therefore, which is due to both, the writer of the 
 Memoir looks forward to this part of his work with 
 a trembling solicitude. His anxiety is also in- 
 creased by the unaffected persuasion, that neither 
 the habits of his life, nor the daily and pressing 
 calls of his station, will enable him to do that 
 justice to the subject which its delicacy and im- 
 portance demand. But in a spirit of charity, and 
 at the same time with a sacred and awful regard 
 to what he conscientiously deems the interests of 
 truth, he will employ that ability in the work which 
 God has given him, most earnestly hoping and 
 praying that it may be to the honour of both. 
 
 John Henry Hobart, the second son of Enoch 
 and Hannah Hobart, was born in Philadelphia, on 
 
RIGHT REV. JOHN UENUY HO!} ART. 5 
 
 the 14th day of September, 1775. His paternal 
 ancestors were originally from the county of Nor- 
 folk, in England. In the reign of Charles I., urged 
 either by the spirit of enterprise so common at that 
 period, or by religious considerations, they removed 
 from their native country to Massachusetts Bay. 
 It appears from the early history of the town of 
 Hingham, that his grandfather, Joshua Hobart, 
 took a conspicuous part in the affairs of that infant 
 settlement. The Rev. Peter Hobart, a Presbyte- 
 rian divine, who was the brother of Joshua, and 
 who had received his education at the University 
 of Cambridge, was employed as a minister of the 
 Gospel for several years at home. " His parents, 
 brothers, and sisters had, to his great affliction, 
 embarked for New-England. Some time after, 
 owing to the persecutions in England, he also 
 resolved to move to New-England. Accordino-ly, 
 in the summer of 1635, he embarked with his wife 
 and four children, and after a tedious voyage, and 
 constant sickness, he arrived at Ciiarlcstown on 
 the eighth of June, where he found his relations, 
 who had safely arrived before him. Several towns 
 nq\v addressed him to become their minister; but 
 he chose, with his fatlier's family and some other 
 Christians, to form a new plantation, which they 
 called * Hingham.' There gathering a congrega- 
 tion, he continued in the faithful discharge of his 
 duties for about forty-three years."* He was an 
 indefatigable student. His acquirements were va- 
 
 * Extracted from the parish record in Hingham, kept bv the 
 Rev. Peter Hobart. 
 
6 MEMOIR OF THE LIFE OF THE 
 
 rious and extensive. His sermons were well stu- 
 died, and, independent in his own feelings, they 
 partook of the vigour and strength of his character. 
 Five of his sons were educated at Harvard Univer- 
 sity. Four of them embraced his own profession, 
 and one* attained to such a degree of eminence, 
 as to be held, by the pious and learned, in peculiar 
 veneration and esteem, as a scholar, gentleman, 
 and Christian. 
 
 The father of the subject of this Memoir, though 
 less extensively known than some of the members 
 of his family, sustained, however, the respectability 
 of his name by his uprightness, piety, and worth. 
 He married an estimable woman, of a family of the 
 name of Pratt, who, long surviving him, fulfilled 
 the double duties towards her children which de- 
 volved upon her, with the prudence of a father's 
 judgment and the tenderness of a mother's love. 
 Left with a small competency in troublesome times, 
 she was enabled to bring them up in a way which 
 was gratifying to maternal pride, and, by a rigid 
 economy and great self-denial, to give to onef of 
 them that liberal education which, in its first-fruits 
 fulfilling her hopes, repaid her, during her own 
 life, for all her sacrifices, and which afterwards, 
 had that life been long enough, would have recom- 
 pensed her an hundred fold. 
 
 It is but seldom the case, in regard to the most 
 eminent among men, that childhood presents much 
 that is worthy of notice at the time, and it is still 
 more rare that there should be any thing so strik- 
 
 * Dr. Nchcmiah Hobart. f John Henry Hobart. 
 
RIGHT REV. JOHN HENRY HO BART. 7 
 
 ing as to be recollected in after-life. The fond 
 anticipations of friends, indeed, often attach a great 
 degree of importance to circumstances which are 
 trifling in themselves, but which are regarded as 
 indications of future greatness. Even these are 
 apt to be forgotten by the most partial, unless they 
 happen to correspond with the event. In respect 
 to Mr. Hobart, it is known that the most flattering 
 expectations were indulged by those who were 
 near to him ; that some of them lived to witness 
 his growing reputation; that others were spared 
 long enough to behold the fulfilment of all their 
 wishes: — but it appears that these things were re- 
 served for the secret and cherished enjoyment of 
 their own hearts — for the free communications of 
 the domestic circle, or the correspondence of fiimily 
 friends. I have learned from one who knew him 
 in youth, and who was intimate with his family, 
 that his deportment, conversations, opinions, and 
 habits were the frequent and favourite theme of 
 their discourse, and that they often dwelt with de- 
 light on those incidents which shadowed out the 
 very character that he finally established. But the 
 relatives who were his elders or cotemporaries, 
 are all dead and gone: no note is left of those 
 circumstances on which they so fondly dwelt; and 
 in the lapse of more than forty years, the very cor- 
 respondence which they kept up with him and each 
 other, is, for the most part, either lost or destroyed. 
 This is peculiarly to be regretted in regard to his 
 correspondence with a sister, of whom he was often 
 heard to speak with admiration, as a person of a 
 highly gifted mind, and whom he loved with more 
 
8 MEMOIR OF THE LIFE OF THE 
 
 than a brother's tenderness. The only notices., 
 therefore, which can be gathered of his childhood 
 and youth, are from those who were more remotely 
 connected with him, and which can hardly be ex- 
 pected to have the individuality and interest which 
 belong to the records of domestic affection. 
 
 " He received his first instruction in English in 
 the school of a Mr. Leslie, who was considered a 
 respectable teacher, and who was deservedly held 
 in esteem; but he often lamented to one of his 
 earliest friends,* that in consequence of the dis- 
 tance of the school from his residence, and from 
 the strictness observed in the appointed hours, he 
 was obliged to hasten so fast from his meals, as to 
 lay the foundation of that dyspeptic complaint with 
 which he was afflicted during the whole of his suc- 
 ceeding life." In his ninth year he commenced the 
 study of Latin in the Episcopal Academy, the charge 
 of which, soon after his admission, was committed 
 to the Rev. Dr. Andrews. The eminent qualifica- 
 tions and strongly marked character of the teacher 
 are deemed worthy of a passing notice, inasmuch 
 as they are thought in some measure to have given 
 a peculiar impress to the mind and character of 
 his distinguished pupil. It cannot be better done 
 than by introducing the lively and spirited sketch 
 of one of Mr. Hobart's companions in boyhood 
 and youth, who has himself risen to an honourable 
 distinction in another profession rf " I think Master 
 Hobart and myself were among the earliest pupils 
 
 * The Right Rev. Dr. White. 
 
 t William Meredith, Esq. of the Pliiladelpliia bar. 
 
RIGHT REV. JOHN HENllY HOBAiJT. 9 
 
 of the Rev. Dr. Andrews, Principal of the Academy 
 of the Protestant Episcopal Church in this city, 
 and afterwards successively Vice-Provost and Pro- 
 vost of our University. We were known to each 
 other sooner, from our parents residing in the 
 same vicinity, and being conducted by them to the 
 same ancient and venerable church,* and from 
 being often companions in what has been called 
 the street education of our community of little ones. 
 We were then, however, very children, and so 
 thought and acted. 
 
 " The Academy was first opened early in 1784. 
 We entered it in different forms; he in the fifth or 
 sixth, and I in the second or third. His first studies 
 were Latin grammar, SGntentise Pueriles, &c.; so 
 that he started ex limine. 
 
 " My school-fellow could have hardly set out 
 under greater advantages, or under better auspices. 
 Dr. Andrews was known to be one of the ripest 
 classical scholars in the country. He had great 
 skill and experience in teaching, and never spared 
 himself in the performance of duty: besides, in his 
 very manners and appearance there was that which 
 * bespoke a man;' all that conciliates affection and 
 esteem, and challenges profound respect. He was 
 a Churchman by education and conviction, of ex- 
 alted piety, and of that loftiness of character which 
 was above the reach of the grovelling or crafty. 
 No man was at a loss to infer his motives or pur- 
 poses, either from his speech or actions. He was 
 consistent, open, and direct; for he was never of 
 
 * Christ Church. 
 2 
 
10 MEIMOER OF THE LIFE OF THE 
 
 that school of time-serving philosophers, with whom 
 policy is of more worth than sincerity and truth. 
 His passions and affections were powerful and ar- 
 dent, and appeared the more so, as the constitu- 
 tional temperament of his body was nervous; but 
 he governed them well, observing the apostle's 
 precept, * Be ye angry and sin not.' Malice and 
 vindictiveness were unknown to him, and arrogance 
 was contrary to his nature. In short, a more frank, 
 honourable, and upright man, or a better specimen 
 of a Christian gentleman, has never fallen within 
 the range of my observation. In the early history 
 of the American Church, it is well known that he 
 was among the most able, sound, and zealous of 
 her sons." %, 
 
 The resemblance, in many respects, of the pupil 
 to the master, when his mind was more fully deve- 
 loped and his character thoroughly formed, is re- 
 markably striking. They were alike in candour, 
 opermess, and honesty of purpose — in their winning 
 and conciliatory manners, in their warm and gene- 
 rous feelings, in the elevation of their sentiments 
 and views, in their faithful and persevering industry, 
 in their deep and unaffected piety, in their devoted 
 attachment to the Church at whose altar they mi- 
 nistered. Such an example, for several years, be- 
 fore the eyes of one whose heart was peculiarly 
 susceptible, and whose judgment, even in youth, 
 had almost the penetration and vigour of manhood, 
 may easily be supposed to have exerted a powerful 
 influence over him, and more especially as the 
 respect whicii he entertained for his teacher was 
 united with affection. 
 
RIGHT REV. JOHN HENRY HOB ART. 11 
 
 " He continued at the Academy," according to 
 the account of the same companion and friend, 
 "until late in 1788. Durin^ the last year or ei"-h- 
 teen months, the upper classes, including his and 
 that to which I belonged, were separated from the 
 mass of the school, and placed in one room: this 
 brought us nearer together, increased our intimacy, 
 and gave me a better opportunity of remark. ' La- 
 bor vincit ojnnicC was one of his earliest lessons 
 and his ruling sentiment. His improvement was 
 marked accordingly. His class-mates were all, I 
 believe, his seniors; but he soon gained, and kept, 
 during his whole course, the enviable distinction of 
 being head in all their studies. He was often 
 honoured by the open approbation of tlie Principal, 
 and his example commended to imitation. The 
 trustees, too, at the stated examinations, were libe- 
 ral of encomium, and the popular voice of the scliool 
 echoed their praise." 
 
 The following notices from the same source^ 
 though scarcely comporting with the respect and 
 dignity which are now universally associated with 
 his name, are thought worthy of insertion, because 
 they serve to illustrate that fearlessness and intre- 
 pidity for which he was remarkable through the 
 whole course of his life :■ — 
 
 " Among boys, rank is generally conceded more 
 to bodily than intellectual power. It was less the 
 case, in regard to him, than usual. There were 
 few of his years who were not taller and more 
 robust than he, but it is true, he was active, mus- 
 cular, and well-set, and what was more than all 
 these, he was of approved courage : hence he was 
 
1'2 MEMOIR OF THE LIFE OF THE 
 
 looked upon as a combatant to be respected, if not 
 to be feared. Besides, he was ever anxious to have 
 his quarrel just; and in our little squabbles on the 
 play-ground, and more serious rencounters, we often 
 heard him maintaining its justice by impassioned 
 harangues, which, in vehemence, might have well 
 suited one of Homer's heroes. The singularity of 
 these exercises, whether they convinced or not, 
 amused us, and often made strife and anger give 
 place to mirth and good humour: the parley at 
 least afforded time for cooling and diversion from 
 the cause of irritation; but if the onset were once 
 made, I cannot remember an instance in which our 
 young friend turned his back upon the foe, whether 
 he was destined at last to be crowned victor, or to 
 yield in defeat. 
 
 "There was also a manly robustness of intellect 
 seldom seen in boyhood, perseverance which a 
 feeble discerner might call obstinacy, a high sense 
 of honour, and an independence of spirit and action 
 which only humbled itself before lawful authority. 
 He was as valiant as Caesar. He set great value 
 upon reason and justice, and thinking they ever 
 sJiould prevail, he always seemed to believe they 
 icould prevail, if properly enforced. 
 
 " One instance, and but one, is recollected, in 
 which he was the subject of corporal chastisement 
 in the Academy. It was inflicted by a Mr. Ewart, 
 a tutor, who was an exceeding good scholar, but a 
 most unamiable man. There had been some dis- 
 orderly conduct, and Hobart was charged as being 
 a party to it. He replied with coolness and re- 
 spectfulness, ' I had nothing to do with it.' Such 
 
RIGHT REV. JOHN HENRY HOBART. 13 
 
 was the fact. * Who made the noise then V in- 
 quired the angry tutor. ' I did not,' answered the 
 accused. Punishment followed for his refusal to 
 inculpate others. There was profound silence ; he 
 submitted ; and I remember the stateliness with 
 which he returned to his place, while a buzz of 
 applause sounded through the room. The triumph 
 was his, and the defeat was Ewart's, who was 
 shortly after dismissed. 
 
 " His powers as a declaimer were considered on 
 all hands as very remarkable; yet in this he would 
 be his own teacher, and have his own way, which 
 was somewhat peculiar. One of his favourite pieces 
 was the popular speech of Cassius, on the occasion 
 of the murder of Julius Csesar. He had studied it 
 well, and gave it with admirable effect; but there 
 is one line in which, though never failing to pro- 
 duce ill-timed smiles, and sometimes laughter, 
 among the other dramatis persona, he ever per- 
 sisted in perpetrating the same ludicrous fault." 
 This turn for elocution was not only striking to his 
 youthful companions, but was also noticed with 
 admiration by those whose judgment was chastened 
 by sobriety and taste. Bishop White, who was a 
 trustee of the Academy, and was always present at 
 the examinations, unites in the commendation of 
 this talent, as well as in the testimony to his dili- 
 gence and proficiency in every other branch of his 
 studies. The same honourable memorial is pre- 
 served in the records of the institution, which still 
 remain. 
 
 He was naturally of a quick and ardent temper; 
 but it was observed at an early period, that this 
 
14 
 
 MEMOIR OF THE LIFE OF THE 
 
 was brought under better discipline with the ad- 
 vance of his mind, and that he was then, as ever 
 after, generous and forgiving. He was remarkably 
 free from the jealousy which torments the young, 
 who are ambitious of distinction, and from the 
 vanity which is so apt to follow its attainment. 
 His memory was singularly retentive and exact; 
 his imagination sufficiently vivid, but surpassed by 
 an active and powerful judgment; his industry un- 
 tiring; his character full of energy and force. Thus 
 he appeared to the companions of his studies and 
 sports in boyhood and youth: he mingled in their 
 amusements with cheerfulness and freedom, at- 
 tracting their regard by his sociability and kind- 
 ness, but at the same time avoiding, in a remark- 
 able degree, both in conduct and language, the 
 faults which are so common at that age, and pre- 
 serving great purity of mind and manners. Without 
 being austere or uncharitable towards the ftiilings 
 of others, he had an utter abhorrence of every 
 thing that was mean, deceitful, base, or vicious; 
 but his amiable dispositions, his sense of filial duty, 
 his fraternal love, his social feelings, were very 
 imperfectly known, except where they were freely 
 exercised in the bosom of his family, and among 
 his chosen and familiar friends. 
 
 A remark which was made of him at a later 
 period, by one who was intimately acquainted with 
 him for nearly forty years, " that he had in as high 
 a degree as any person whom he ever knew, the 
 happy talent of attracting friends around him, in- 
 fluencing their understandings, controlling their 
 inclinations, and regulating their conduct," was 
 
RIGHT REV. JOHN HENRY HOHAUT. 15 
 
 Strictly applicable to him, even from his tenderest 
 youth. A striking instance of this peculiarity will 
 be seen in the following communication from one 
 of his earliest companions and friends:* 
 
 " I first met with him in the month of September, 
 1791, when he was about sixteen years of age. 
 He had, a short time before, left the University of 
 Pennsylvania, and it was decided by his family, 
 and approved of by himself, that he should finish 
 his collegiate education at Princeton. I then re- 
 sided in the family of Robert Smith, of Philadel- 
 phia, who, in the month of July, was married to a 
 sister of Mr. Hobart. It was in this family that I 
 became acquainted with him. I have at this time a 
 distinct and lively recollection of our first meeting, 
 and of the general tenour of our conversation dur- 
 ing the evening which we spent together; and be- 
 fore we parted, I formed an attachment to him, 
 which I have never ceased to cherish. He was 
 between two and three years younger than I was, 
 and had been, from the usual age, employed in the 
 appropriate studies preparatory to a classical edu- 
 cation : on the other hand, mine had been very 
 limited, confined to our own language, and what 
 was usually taught in a common English school. 
 Notwithstanding these differences, however, in our 
 previous occupations and pursuits, and in our views 
 and prospects for after-life, we became friends at 
 once. At the very first interview we felt entire 
 confidence in each other, and entered fully into 
 .each other's feelings, wishes, and hopes. He 
 
 * James Robertson, Esq. of Richmond, Virginia. 
 
16 MKMOIR OF THE LIFE OF THE 
 
 looked forward with pleasure to the many advant- 
 ages which Princeton College then held out to 
 young men who would faithfully avail themselves 
 of them, while I, with a strong desire for improve- 
 ment, was doomed to drudge at an employment 
 always irksome to me, but which necessarily occu- 
 pied the most of my time and attention. He cheered 
 me, however; and, even at that early period of life, 
 he pressed upon me, from the weightiest of all 
 considerations, the duty of being reconciled to my 
 situation; urging, that while I faithfully discharged 
 the duties which it imposed upon me, and made 
 the best use of the leisure that might be left, I 
 would probably be gaining that kind of information 
 which would contribute as much to my own happi- 
 ness, and to my usefulness in society, as if I were 
 to devote the whole of my time to literary pursuits. 
 I have never forgotten his suggestions; and if I 
 have not realized the hopes which his animating 
 conversation encouraged me to indulge, my disap- 
 pointment has not lessened my confidence in the 
 soundness and in the sincerity of his advice." 
 
 I have not been able to obtain any thing more 
 than some very brief and imperfect notices of him 
 during his connexion with the University of Penn- 
 sylvania. Only two or three of his class-mates still 
 survive. One* of these, who was extremely young 
 when Mr. Hobart left it, has a general recollection 
 that " he was then regarded as an excellent scholar, 
 and discovered the ardent and active mind which 
 
 * The Rev. Dr. Wilson, Professor in the General TheologicaJ 
 Seminary of the Episcopal Church. 
 
RIGHT KEY. JOHN HKNUY HOliAltT. 
 
 17 
 
 was so fully developed in subsequent life." Another* 
 observes, " that although among the youngest in 
 the class, he was considered one of tlie best and 
 most promising scholars; and that, in a debating 
 society which was established in the College, he 
 held a high rank among his fellow-students." Here 
 all remarked his great ambition to excel in the 
 exercises, and felt his power when they came to 
 contend with him. In tlie early part of his life 
 he often spoke of this society, and the advantages 
 which he derived from it, with great satisfaction. 
 In 1791 he removed to Princeton: he there passed 
 through his collegiate; course with great reputatiofs, 
 and on taking his bachelor's degree, in 1793, di- 
 vided with another the first honour of his class. 
 
 While he was in Princeton College, he con- 
 tracted a friendship for one of his companions in 
 study, Abraham Skinner, which was of the most 
 romantic character: in intensity and fervour it re- 
 sembled that of Jonathan for David, ichose " love 
 teas wonderful, passing the love of icomen.^^ There 
 are more than sixty letters remaining, which young 
 Hobart wrote to his friend, that are in a great 
 measure filled with the most tender and passionate 
 expressions of his attachment, imd with allusions 
 to their happy and delightful intercourse in college 
 days. Mr. Skinner was an amiable youth, of great 
 mildness of character, sweetness of disposition, 
 and purity of manners, and in every way worthy of 
 the affection which was cherished for him. It 
 seems to have been returned with a corresponding 
 
 • David B. Ogden, Esq. 
 
 3 
 
18 MEMOIR OF THK LIFE OF THE 
 
 ardour, and to have suffered no interruption during' 
 the short period in which it was allowed to be in- 
 dulged; for he was cut off in the flower of his days, 
 and in the opening prospect of wealth, reputation, 
 and happiness. 
 
 A few extracts from the letters of Mr. Hobart 
 can scarcely fail to interest the reader, since they 
 will serve to show the deep and tender sensibility 
 of that heart in youth, which, notwithstanding the 
 chilling effects of time, always continued to beat 
 with a generous warmth. His notions of friendship 
 were undoubtedly enthusiastic and extravagant, but 
 it will be recollected that they were formed at the 
 season when the imagination and passions are at 
 their height, and the mind labours for terms which 
 may suitably express the strong feelings of the heart. 
 Dear friends he considers ought to have but one 
 heart; their feelings, their wishes, their pleasures, 
 their happiness should be the same; their inmost 
 thoughts, their most retired actions, their favourite 
 plans should be laid open ; nothing which passes 
 in the bosom of one, should be concealed from the 
 other; there should be the most unreserved and 
 unbounded confidence in each other. " These are 
 the only foundations of true and perfect friendship. 
 With what delight can I dwell on ours ! Yes, my 
 dearest friend, I look back to former scenes; I 
 recollect the happiness we enjoyed, the affection 
 which united our engagements, our amusements, 
 our desires, our hearts ; how often we have pursued 
 our studies together; how often we met in each 
 other's rooms; how often, on a summer's evening, 
 we have walked together, and shared the pleasure 
 
KIOHT UEV. JOHN HENiiY H(>BAKT. 19 
 
 of a beautiful prospect. * * *. The happy hours of 
 collegiate study, void of anxiety and care, are past, 
 and can never again be realized." But " thono-h 
 we are separated in person, no circumstance can 
 disunite our hearts. * * *. There are, indeed, but 
 few kindred souls; I have found but two like mine; 
 on these my affections are fixed; and I hope my 
 love for them is not incompatible with that general 
 benevolence which, as a Christian, I ought to feel 
 for all mankind." 
 
 Mr. Skinner left College before him. It is sur- 
 prising with what acuteness he felt the pangs of 
 separation from his friend; it was so obvious" and 
 distressing, that it checked all raillery among his 
 remaining companions, and excited only their sym- 
 pathy and kindness. One of the letters, which was 
 written soon after on this subject, is in some parts 
 rendered almost illegible by the tears which had 
 dropped upon it. He never alluded to the separa- 
 tion but with tenderness and regret. He formed 
 more than one affectionate, but visionary plan, for 
 renewing their intimacy, by engaging together in 
 similar pursuits. These feelings were revived in 
 all their force, when he came back, in the following 
 year, to pursue his theological studies at Princeton. 
 He revisited the place of his education, where he 
 had passed so many delightful hours, with mino-jed 
 emotions of joy and regret. He saw many persons 
 who were dear to him, but not his chosen and 
 familiar friend. He entered his room— he entered 
 his study— the recollections of former happiness 
 rushed upon his mind, and sunk it in dejection and 
 gloom. But when he was thus indulging in un« 
 
20 HhMoii; OF THi: i.irF, of rnn 
 
 availing regrets on the checks and disappointments 
 to whicli his romantic passion was subjected, he 
 woLiM often suddenly pass to the contemplation of 
 that better order of things which, like its blessed 
 Author, is " icithout variableness or shadow of turn- 
 ing.'''' He endeavoured also to direct the thoughts 
 of his friend to that future state of existence, where 
 all their faculties and affections would be exalted, 
 where their holy nature would be rendered suscep- 
 tible of the highest enjoyment, and where, without 
 any alloy, they would indulge, throughout eternity, 
 in the most pure, perfect, and beatified friendship. 
 One of his earliest letters to his friend was written 
 on the first appearance of the yellow fever in Phila- 
 delphia, which was the introduction of a calamity 
 among us that excited the deepest sympathy and 
 concern throughout the country at the time; and 
 the repeated visitation of which to other cities after- 
 wards, is still vividly remembered by thousands, 
 and associated with the most direful images of 
 human suffering and distress. 
 
 " Princeton, AugJist SOt/i, 1 793. 
 " I write a third time from this place, and am 
 uncertain how long I shall remain here. I had 
 intended to go to Philadelphia to-morrow, but I 
 received a letter from my mother this morning, 
 which informed me that Dr. Rush thought it would 
 be imprudent for me to come, in the present un- 
 healthy state of the city. The fever still rages 
 there, and the present exceedingly hot weather will 
 rather increase its ravages. To such an alarming 
 stage has the disorder advanced, that the dead are 
 
RIGHT RKV. JOHPt IIKNHY HOBAUT. 21 
 
 buried privately, for fear of distressing and terrify- 
 ing the citizens by the number of funerals presented 
 to their view Terror and anxiety are, I hear, de- 
 picted on the countenances of all, and every pre- 
 ventive which the skill of physicians can suggest, 
 is used without staying its progress. What a ne- 
 cessity there is for every person to be prepared to 
 exchange a temporal for an eternal state ! * * *. 
 The Scriptures inform us, that the pleasures of 
 the world sink into nothing, when compared with 
 the happiness that arises from a sense of pardoned 
 guilt, the enjoyment of the favour of God, and from 
 the prospect of eternal happiness in his presence. 
 * * *. Let us bless God for his mercy in not cutting 
 us off in our course of sin, but allowing us time for 
 repentance.* * * *. Let us endeavour to secure 
 an interest in that Saviour who shed his blood to 
 wash away our sins. * * *. O my dear boy, let us 
 not neglect to implore God to grant us his Holy 
 Spirit to withdraw our affections from the vanities 
 of this world, and place them on himself, the inex- 
 haustible source of excellence and perfection. 
 
 " The heart of my dearest Skinner is, I know, 
 full of anxiety for the welfare of my relations. 
 They were all, when I last heard, in as good health 
 as usual, and all out of town, except my mother and 
 her family. I feel very much alarmed on her ac- 
 count, and will entreat her to leave the city. She 
 seems concerned for every body but herself, not 
 considering how very dear her life is to her family. 
 I hope, however, that Providence, who has hitherto 
 
 * Mr. Skinner afterwards fell a \nctim to this very pestilence. 
 
22 
 
 MEMOIR OF THE LIFE OF THE 
 
 preserved her in many trying afflictions, will still 
 continue to make her his care." 
 
 Mr. Skinner had determined to pursue the study 
 of the law under the direction of his father, who 
 practised at the New-York bar, but resided at 
 Jamaica, on Long-Island. This neat and peaceful 
 vilhage is situated on the borders of an extensive 
 plain: it has a degree of rural beauty from the 
 high cultivation of the country around it, and is 
 enlivened by the prospect of woodlands on a range 
 of hills in its immediate neighbourhood. Mr. Ho- 
 bart had once visited this place, and from the 
 pleasure which he enjoyed there in his rambles 
 with his friend, his imagination had invested it 
 with unreal charms. In the letters which he wrote 
 to Skinner, he often alludes to them, and enlarges 
 on the opportunities of this quiet retreat for the 
 improvement of his mind. *' It rejoices me to think 
 that you have every advantage for study which 
 retirement can afford. * * *. You can pursue" it 
 with " more vigour, and acquire habits of serious- 
 ness and reflection which may prove of inestimable 
 benefit. * * *. Every thing around you naturally 
 leads to reflection. To a mind like yours, the 
 works of nature have peculiar charms; and in the 
 contemplation of them, peace, serenity, and con- 
 tentment unite to make you happy. * * *. Retired 
 from the noise and interruption of a city life, 
 beyond the reach of its fascinating pleasures, and 
 its temptations to swerve from the line of duty, 
 you, my dearest friend, have a very favourable op- 
 portunity for mental and moral improvement. My 
 ardent prayers are offered up, that you may advance 
 
RIGHT REV. JOHN HENRY HOBART. 23 
 
 in both as far as human weakness can go." But 
 these just and beautiful observations, which are 
 extracted from various parts of his correspondence, 
 and which so advantageously exhibit both the cor- 
 rectness of his taste and the benevolence of his 
 heart, almost uniformly end in a higher strain. 
 
 "But, after all your acquirements, you will not be 
 happy if you endeavour to derive that happiness 
 from either mental or sensual enjoyments alone. 
 These cannot satisfy an immortal soul intended for 
 another and more exalted state of existence. There 
 will be a void, which God alone can fill. As in a 
 future life the enjoyment of our Maker's perfections 
 will constitute a great part of our happiness, so in 
 this life true happiness can alone be derived from 
 the same source. Think on these things. Endea- 
 vour to learn your duty from the Scriptures, wliere 
 alone it is to be found. * ^ *. Read the word of 
 God and comments upon it. Pray earnestly that 
 he would guide you by his Holy Spirit into the way 
 of truth. Seriously inquire after the way of salva- 
 tion. ' Ask, mid ye shall receive,' is a declaration full 
 of comfort to every inquiring soul. But then we must 
 ask fervently, anxiously, and importunately. * * *. 
 If we are not feelingly convinced that of ourselves 
 we can do nothing, that the Spirit of grace must 
 subdue and purify our nature, and that the atoning 
 merits of our blessed Redeemer alone can give us 
 a title to immortal happiness, and reconcile us to 
 an offended God, all our works and righteousness 
 will avail us nothing. O may we both find in him 
 fulness of joy, and found all our hopes of forgive- 
 ness, favour, and happiness, in him alone." 
 
24 MKMOIR OP THE LIFE OP THE 
 
 It was an occasion of some regret to Mr. Hobart, 
 that his friend had determined to study the law, 
 not from any weak and groundless prejudices 
 against it, but from the fear that he might be ex^ 
 posed to greater temptations in that profession than 
 in the retired and holy vocation which he himself 
 had chosen. With congenial feelings, dispositions, 
 and habits, he was anxious that their hearts should 
 be drawn still closer together by kindred pursuits. 
 " How I should rejoice," he remarks, " were we 
 both to embrace, from pure and holy views, that 
 sacred office, in which, if we faithfully performed 
 our duty on earth, we should enjoy the greatest 
 happiness here, and hereafter shine as the stars in 
 the Jirniament of heaven.''^ 
 
 It appears, however, that Mr. Skinner had chosen 
 this profession, both from his own predilection for 
 it, and in compliance with the wishes and interests 
 of his father. The point, therefore, was pressed 
 no farther; Mr. Hobart was not only satisfied with 
 the course which he had taken, but thought it 
 worthy of the highest commendation. " If any 
 thing, my dearest friend, could render you more 
 dear to me than you already are, it would be that 
 filial affection which warms your soul. * * *. Next 
 to a sense of our accountableness to God, there can 
 be no greater spring to good action than a desire of 
 being useful, especially to those connected with us 
 by the ties of nature. * * *. As this is particularly 
 your motive to the study of the law, I would not, for 
 a moment, think of advising you to any thing else. 
 No; that is the profession which it is your duty to 
 pursue, and in which, with your feelings, you can 
 
RIGHT REV. JOHN HENliY llOBAKT. 25 
 
 best serve your Creator. It rejoices me to tliink 
 that it is your wish and intention to serve him. * * *. 
 God has given you talents, which are capable, by 
 due cultivation, of advancing you to honour and 
 usefulness. * * *. May you attain every grace and 
 virtue which, in dependence on his mercy in Christ, 
 will render you acceptable in his sight. * * *. May 
 God qualify you for every duty, and enable you so 
 to live in this life, that you may finally live with 
 him in life everlasting." 
 
 It is delightful to observe, notwithstanding the 
 difference of their vocations, what a lively interest 
 was taken by Hobart in all the engagements of his 
 friend. " Your letter (of the Slst October, 1794) 
 yielded me peculiar pleasure: while it was expres- 
 sive of the warmest affection, it conveyed informa- 
 tion relative to your studies and pursuits. Sepa- 
 rated from you, a very principal consolation to me 
 is, that you are engaged in the improvement of 
 your mind; and that your prudence and goodness 
 lead you, in a rcdiance on the assistance of the 
 Almighty, to avoid every cause which would tend 
 to the abasement of your mental fjiculties and your 
 moral taste. I do not wonder, that the farther you 
 progress in the study of the law, the more you are 
 pleased with it. This is the case in every jmrsuit; 
 the mind becomes more interested, and its advant- 
 ages more conspicuous, the farther you advance. 
 * * *. Continue, my dearest friend, in that noble 
 and laudable resolution to improve every moment 
 of your time. To keep to it in your situation,* 
 
 * He had then removed from Jamaim tn Now-Ynrk. 
 
 4 
 
26 MEMOIK OF THE LIFE OF THE 
 
 where so many pleasures court your acceptance, 
 great self-denial will be necessary; but your merit 
 will be the greater. How just your observation 
 with respect to the generality of young men ! and 
 how great my satisfaction in knowing that you con- 
 demn and shun their example ! Society is desir- 
 able and necessary; but say not that I am severe, 
 if I add, that I think it should not, at our age, ex- 
 tend beyond relatives and select friends. Company 
 prevents study. Youth should be devoted to im- 
 provement — manhood more immediately to the ex- 
 ercise of our talents, with a view to be useful to 
 our connexions and country. To study to advant- 
 age, a person should have that alone in view; and 
 every power of his mind should, if possible, be 
 directed to the subject before him." 
 
 In these juvenile thoughts, thrown out at ran- 
 dom in a correspondence the most free and undis- 
 guised that can well be imagined, we can easily 
 perceive the early ambition of the writer's mind, 
 and discover the germs of that greatness which it 
 finally attained. 
 
 But its premature growth in that religious know- 
 ledge, which, as it was the first in importance, so 
 he placed above all natural gifts and human ac- 
 quirements, forms the most striking peculiarity in 
 these letters to his friend : here he rises greatly 
 above the ordinary powers of his mind, uniting, 
 as it were, all the tenderness of youthful persua- 
 sion with the dignity and authority of riper years. 
 It appears that Mr. Skinner was amiable, inge- 
 nuous, correct, and piously disposed, but that he 
 had not entered deeply into the subject of reli- 
 
 —^^t; 
 
IIIGHT KEV. JOHN HENRY HOlJAltT, 
 
 27 
 
 gion, which he himself regarded as his supreme 
 concern. 
 
 In one of his letters he remarks, that it gives 
 him the greatest pleasure to find that his friend 
 intends to make the care of his soul the principal 
 object of his attention; "it ought to be the most 
 so of any thing that can engage our thoughts. 
 * What will it profit a man, if he should gain the 
 whole world, aiid lose his own soidV Indeed, when 
 we think that our bodies will live only for a few 
 years, and our souls for an eternity, huvv do the 
 vanity and absurdity of attending to the former, 
 and neglecting the latter, force themselves upon 
 our minds! You lament that we are not together: 
 it indeed deprives us of much pleasure, and per- 
 haps of much mental and spiritual improvement. 
 But you should not rest on any one, much less on 
 me, for the formation of rtdigious impressions in 
 your soul: this must be the work of the Spirit of 
 grace; and as God communicates his grace through 
 the channel of appointed means, have recourse to 
 them: yet beware, at the same time, of trusting to 
 them for pardon and acceptance with God. You 
 must pray that he would restore you to his favour, 
 not because you use the means which he has ap- 
 pointed, but for the sake of his blessed Son, who 
 died that God might be reconciled to sinners. You 
 must feel your own unworthiness ; you must ac- 
 knowledge, that, were God to judge you according 
 to your works, he could not but condemn you, and 
 that Christ Jesus alone can save you. By the cor- 
 ruption of our nature, and the sinfulness of our 
 lives, we are exposed to the wrath of God. We 
 
28 MEMOIK OF THE LIFE OF THE 
 
 are unable to fulfil the law which he has appointed 
 to be the rule of our conduct: this law requires 
 perfect obedience, which we are unable to give. 
 We are therefore subject to the penalty of the law, 
 which is eternal death. Herein was the love of 
 God displayed: Christ Jesus took upon him our 
 nature, fulfilled this law, became subject to its pe- 
 nalty ' for others,' and washed away their sins in 
 his atoning blood. God can now consistently with 
 his justice pardon sinners. When, by the assist- 
 ance of his Holy Spirit, they repent and believe in 
 the Saviour, God accepts of his obedience to the 
 law instead of theirs. Thus they receive the par- 
 don of their sins, and become inheritors of ever- 
 lasting life. This is a brief and imperfect sketch 
 of the plan of redemption, at least as far as I com- 
 prehend it. •. • ^ 
 
 " Consult the Scriptures, and your duty will be 
 made clear. Address yourself fervently to God, 
 that he would enlighten your understanding, sub- 
 due your stubborn and rebellious will, and change 
 all your corrupt affections. Pray that he may give 
 you an interest in the atonement of the Redeemer, 
 and make you pure and holy. And do not imagine 
 that the blessed Saviour is unwilling to receive 
 you: * Him that cometh unto me, I will in no wise 
 cast out.' * Whosoever will, let him come and drink 
 of the waters of life freely.' ' Come unto me, all ye 
 that are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you 
 rest.' * His yoke is easy and his burden is light.' 
 < O taste and see that the Lord is good ;' that the 
 ways of religion * are ways of pleasantness, and all 
 her paths are peace.' Unworthy as I am, feeble as 
 
RIGHT REV. JOHN HENRY HOBART. 29 
 
 my belief is in the Saviour, I would not exchange 
 the peace I feel, from my trust in him, and from 
 the consciousness that, by his intercession, God 
 beholds me with favour and compassion, for all the 
 honours, pleasures, and enjoyments of the world. 
 * * *. Let me then press you (as I would urge 
 myself) to be diligent in working out your salva- 
 tion. Remember that if you perish, you will be 
 without excuse. God forbid that this should be 
 the lot of my dearest friend. Delay not, then, 
 the great work of repentance till it be too late. 
 Begin with the reformation of your heart and life 
 — with the abstaining from every known sin, and 
 the practice of every known duty; and let all your 
 exertions be accompanied with sincere and fervent 
 prayer to God for his grace, without which they 
 cannot be effectual. May he who is abundant in 
 mercy and grace, form our hearts to his most 
 blessed image, and our lives to his most holy law, 
 that when this mortal life is ended, we may be 
 received into life eternal, through the all-sufficient 
 merits of Christ our Saviour. Do not our hearts 
 answer, Amenl" 
 
 This youthful attachment, productive of so much 
 advantage and happiness to both, and exalted by 
 an union with piety and virtue, was of brief dura- 
 tion. A letter was received from the father of Mr. 
 Skinner, in the autumn of 1795, announcing the 
 sudden and unexpected death of his son. There is 
 something peculiarly simple and touching in the 
 endorsement on the back of this letter, in the hand- 
 writing of Mr. Hobart: " Abraham Skinner, Esq. 
 New-York, September 5th, 1795; containing infor- 
 
60 RIEMOIR OF THE LIFE OF THE 
 
 mation of the death of his son, my clearest friend, 
 who was first united to me in the bonds of a close 
 friendshi{), in the summer of 1793, at Princeton 
 College. 
 
 " I did not receive this letter at Frankfort till 
 the 14th September, the day I entered on my nine- 
 teenth year — melancholy birth-day! 
 
 " I write down these circumstances, from a wish 
 to preserve, on a tablet more durable than memory, 
 every thing relating to this melancholy event." 
 
 The letter itself is a burst of grief, which goes 
 to the heart. 
 
 ' ^ ■'■'... . 
 
 " MY DEAR HOBART, 
 
 " How shall I begin this sad epistle l My darling 
 boy is now no more! Yes, my friend, his race, 
 though short, is run; and he is gone, I hope, to 
 meet his merciful God! O sad lesson! bitter cup, 
 how shall I swallow iil I will — I will bow sub- 
 missive to him who cannot err — who gave to me, 
 and who has taken from me — blessed be his holy 
 name! Teach me, O gracious God! to bear my 
 affliction: support and strengthen me. 
 
 " But, amidst this direful confusion and distress, 
 what a consolation that he had his reason almost 
 to the last! and in his lucid intervals, very shortly 
 before his dissolution, his expressions and ejacula- 
 tions exhibited strong proofs of his resignation to 
 the will of heaven, and a firm reliance on God, 
 through the merits of a blessed Redeemer. Let 
 these things, my friend, comfort you. 
 
 " Your letter of the first of September he re- 
 ceived on his death-bed : it was read to him by his 
 
RIGHT liEV. JOHN HENKY HOBART. 31 
 
 mother; but the invitation came too late. You 
 have our blessings for it. Though my child is 
 dead, I know his memory will survive. He had a 
 place in your heart, and it will not be effaced. 
 
 " On opening his desk this morning, the first 
 thing that presented itself to me, was the enclosed 
 scrap. I am induced to think it was part of a letter 
 intended for you. Keep the essay— it is his last. 
 Write me, IJobart— it will console me— it will give* 
 . his mother some ease." 
 
 The following is an extract from Mr. Hobart's 
 reply:— 
 
 Princeton, Oct. 9th, 1 795. 
 "Abraham Skinner, Esq. 
 
 " MY DEAR SIR, 
 
 " How can I feel otherwise than interested in the 
 welfare of those who were so dear— to one whom 
 I loved as my own soul \ I sincerely hope and 
 pray, that the weight of grief which overpowered 
 you, has been rendered lighter by those consola- 
 tions which a trust in the wisdom and goodness of 
 the gracious Parent of the universe never fails to 
 inspire. Never did a father lament the loss of a 
 niore amiable son. To cease to mourn altogether 
 for It, IS impossible. Religion requires us not to 
 smother the feelings of nature, and while she per- 
 mits us to mourn, she teaches us not < to mourn as 
 those who have no hope;' for we enjoy the blessed 
 assurance, that the souls of those whom we love 
 exist beyond the grave; and we trust that the vir- 
 tue and piety of him whose loss we lament, has 
 procured him, through the merits of his Saviour, an 
 
32 MEMOIR OF THE LIFE OF THE 
 
 admittance into those blissful regions where 'sorrow 
 and siffhinjr are done away.' Thither let us aspire. 
 Convinced of the uncertainty of earthly enjoyments, 
 let us seek those which are at God's right hand; 
 and we may then hope once again to enjoy the 
 affection of him whose loss we deplore. Strangers 
 and pilgrims upon earth, he has arrived before us 
 at the end of his journey. He has left us to struggle 
 with many difficulties in our pilgrimage. These he 
 has escaped. Why then should we repine] His 
 crown of glory was attained with little toil. Infi- 
 nite Wisdom sees fit to try us longer." 
 
 I happened to be at Bishop Hobart's many years 
 after this event, when he mentioned that the recol- 
 lection of Mr. Skinner had just been called up in 
 a most singular manner. In attending the funeral 
 of some one of his connexions, the remains of his 
 friend had been disinterred, and laid strewn before 
 him, around the grave. Notwithstanding the lapse 
 of lime, it was an affecting and painful sight. 
 
 Just after Mr. Hobart had graduated at Princeton 
 College, all the promise of his aspiring genius was 
 on the eve of being blighted for ever, by an unex- 
 pected change in his pursuits. From the begin- 
 ning, the whole bent of his mind had been directed 
 towards the acquisition of knowledge. Childhood 
 had been spent in assiduous study; reading was 
 his delight; every species of information attractive 
 to young minds was sought with avidity. After 
 having passed through the preparatory stages of an 
 academical education, in a way which encouraged 
 the hope of success, and finally surpassed the fond- 
 est anticipations of his friends, he was induced, by 
 
RIGHT REV. JOHN HKNRY HOBAUT. 33 
 
 their solicitations and advice, to resign the fruits 
 of his labour, to change the aim of his life, and to 
 prepare himself for a new vocation, in which, with 
 all his hright gifts, he would probably have sunk 
 below the mere drudges of business. With an 
 affectionate heart, which was alive to the comfort 
 and happiness of all around him, he yielded to do- 
 mestic considerations, and resolved to enter upon 
 mercantile pursuits. Nothing could be more fo- 
 reign from his taste, predilections, and habits. In 
 the establisltment which he entered, there was an 
 early friend,* who was strongly attached to him, who 
 had a just estimate of his character, and had watched 
 with delight the development of those faculties, of 
 which he had loiig before formed a pleasing augury, 
 and who now rejoiced in the fulfilment of his hopes. 
 This friend, who had been brought up in Scotland, 
 and imbued with tiiat love of literature which often 
 gives a liberal cast even to those who are not destined 
 for the learned professions, regarded the plan with 
 pain and regret. He knew that a mind thus trained 
 could not be subjected to so new a discipline; that, 
 with whatever fidelity and diligence these duties 
 might be discharged, they would not be pursued 
 with ease and pleasure; and that, finally, after a 
 great loss of valuable time, they would be relin- 
 quished in weariness and disgust. Though, there- 
 fore, a beloved and cherished companion was thus 
 brought near to him, he still lamented that he was 
 out. of place. The motives, however, which led to 
 
 • James Robertson, Esq. 
 
 5 
 
34 MEMOIR OF THK LIFE OF THE 
 
 the sacrifice were too delicate and commendable 
 to admit of any opposition. 
 
 Mr. Hobart commenced his new employment 
 with all the industry, ardour, and zeal for which he 
 was distinguished in after life. In consequence of 
 the yellow fever, which prevailed in Philadelphia 
 in the fall of 1793, business was suspended till late 
 in the season; so that, when it came on, it was 
 unusually pressing, and engrossed his whole time 
 from morninir till night. For two months there 
 was scarcely an hour's leisure, except on Sundays. 
 Not only, therefore, were the severer studies and 
 elegant pursuits of the scholar interrupted, which 
 he must have made up his mind to abandon, but 
 even those lighter recreations to which the man of 
 letters always looks for occasional relief from the 
 fatigues of business. Still, however, he pursued 
 it in good spirits, and with an earnest desire to 
 be reconciled to an irksome employment: but the 
 effort was vain — it was against the whole bias of 
 his nature, and, would it be presumptuous to say, 
 against the designs of Providence 1 A season of 
 leisure came, which gave him an opportunity of 
 resuming, at intervals, his favourite pursuits. The 
 return of these pure and intellectual enjoyments 
 revived all his love for them: he could endure his 
 vocation no longer — his repugnance was invincible. 
 His friends perceiving it, yielded to his wishes, and 
 he abandoned it for ever. 
 
 When he left the counting-house of his brother- 
 in-law, Mr. Smith, his mind reverted to his original 
 purpose of preparing himself for the ministry in 
 the Episcopal Church. It was then determined 
 
RIGHT UEV. JOHN HENUY HOBART. 35 
 
 that he should prosecute his studies under the care 
 of Bishop Wliite; but that phin was soon changed 
 fur another. About th.is period he received a letter 
 from Dr. Smith, the President of Princeton College, 
 inviting him to give his assistance in the labours of 
 that institution, and at the same time representing 
 to iiim the superior advantages which he would 
 enjoy for study in that quiet retreat. He thus no- 
 tices this proposal in one of his letters to Mr. 
 Skinner: — 
 
 " At length my line of life for some time to come 
 seems fixed. While I was thinking of going to 
 Princeton to pursue my studies, I received a letter 
 from Dr. Smitli, a copy of which I will write on 
 the next page, and also my answer to it. By them 
 you will see that I have very unexpectedly had the 
 offer of an office, arduous indeed in the execution, 
 but which diligence, assisted by prudence and a 
 degree of judgment, might enable me to fulfil. 
 Tiie opportunity which it will afford me for im- 
 provement, in many respects, induced me to ac- 
 cept of it, though contrary to the wishes of some 
 of my relations. My dear sister's affectionate heart 
 could not bear the idea of parting with me, after 
 she had indulged herself in the expectation that I 
 should remain with her for a considerable length 
 of time. And the fears of my friends, that I would 
 leave the Episcopal communion in which I have 
 been educated, was another obstacle to my accept- 
 ing of the office. But these difficulties have been 
 overcome." 
 
 The following are the copies of the letter of Dr. 
 Smith, and of Mr. Hobart's reply: — 
 
36 MEMOIR i)F Tllb: LlFli OF THH 
 
 " Princeton, Nov, 18, 1793. 
 
 " DEAR SIR, 
 
 " It has been suggested that your own inclina- 
 tion would lead you to pursue your liberal studies 
 to a greater extent, and that a residence at Prince- 
 ton would not be disagreeable to you, in order to 
 have the more leisure for improvement. Although 
 I have reason to believe that advantageous propo- 
 sals will be made you by Mr. Smith,* yet I have 
 been desired to inquire whether or not you will 
 accept of an appointment in the College, in the 
 room of Mr. Abeel. I know not your private views, 
 nor how such a situation would accord with your 
 ideas; but if you were willing to accept the ap- 
 pointment, there is no person who would more 
 unanimously obtain it; and I must say for myself, 
 that it would be peculiarly agreeable to me. Your 
 answer to this inquiry, by the first post, will very 
 
 much oblige, 
 
 "Dear Sir, = 
 
 " Your very humble servant, 
 " SAM. S. SMITH." 
 
 '' Philadelphia, Nov. 2'^, 119^. 
 
 " SIR, 
 
 " I must acknowledge the receipt of your letter 
 of the 18th instant, and should have sooner paid it 
 the necessary attention, had not its contents, in- 
 teresting in a high degree to my future welfare and 
 happiness, required consideration. The confidence 
 of the Faculty, with which I am so unexpectedly 
 
 • The brother-in-law of Mr. Hobart. 
 
I{1(;HT I5KV. JOHN HKMiY HOBAUT. 5? 
 
 honoured, excites in my mind a lively gratitude, 
 accompanied by a feeling conviction of the neces- 
 sity of the most unremitted exertions on my part, 
 to fulfil with honour the office they would confer 
 on me. A desire to pursue, with advantage, studies 
 of a liberal nature, and also to have leisure for 
 reflection and improvement, have induced me to 
 look upon a residence at Princeton as desirable ; 
 and I had it in contemplation, with the consent of 
 my friends, to remove there, to pursue my studies 
 in a private capacity. But as the ofler to which 
 your letter has reference, would afford a greater 
 scope for improvement, my own wishes, and, of 
 consequence, the consent of my friends, lead to the 
 acceptance of it. At the same time I repeat the 
 declaration, that I am fully sensible the greatest 
 exertions on my part could alone qualify me for 
 the honourable discharge of its important duties: 
 these I can safely promise, from a principle of duly, 
 shall not be wanting. The wish of the Faculty on 
 this subject should be handed to me by the first 
 opportunity, as immediate preparations will be ne- 
 cessary. With a high sense of the honour con- 
 ferred on me by the confidence of the Faculty, and 
 of your kind wishes with respect to my future en- 
 gagements, I remain 
 
 • " Their and your 
 ^ " " Most obliged servant, 
 
 " JOHN H. IIOBART." 
 
 The letter of Dr. Smith had been orouglit to him 
 by a private hand, and from some conversation that 
 took place between the bearer of it and himself, it 
 
38 MEMOIR OF THE LIFE OF THE 
 
 was erroneously concluded that, if t!ic nppointment 
 were made, it would not be accepted. The Fa- 
 culty, therefore, supposing that their application 
 was fruitless, at once filled up the vacancy by the 
 temporary appointment of anotiier. On the receipt, 
 however, of Mr. Hobart's answer, the President 
 wrote a letter to Iiim, which was couched in very 
 polite and flattering terms, assuring iiim that, in 
 the offer of the Faculty, the greatest fairness and 
 respect were meant towards him; that the proposal 
 of Mr. Wood would neither have been brought for- 
 ward nor accepted, had they not been under the 
 impression that he had declined; and that it was 
 their unanimous wish that he would not give up his 
 intention of going to Princeton, but that he would 
 still take the place in the spring, when, by the 
 terms of the engagement, it would be resigned. 
 He again replied, that if there should be no change 
 in his views, he would then accept the office. In 
 the meantime, however, the matter had been care- 
 fully considered in all its bearings, and his mind 
 was thrown into the greatest perplexity and doubt. 
 He had been struck with the advantages which this 
 situation ofTered for study and reflection,* but then 
 he feared, notwithstanding the support and indul- 
 gence which he hoped to meet with from the Fa- 
 culty, that the duties of the office would require 
 
 * He also pointed out, in a letter to his mother on this subject, 
 another important advantage:— " All the duties of the office, by 
 leadin<^ me to associate much with men of talents and information, 
 and to direct and inHuence the conduct of others, will be of great 
 service in preparing me for active intercourse with mankind in 
 future life." 
 
RIGHT REV. JOHN HENRY HOB ART. 39 
 
 more ability and experienco than could reasonribly 
 be expected at his early age;* that he should be 
 obliged to siiake off his former pleasing intimacy 
 with some of the students, and perhaps draw on 
 him the ill will of others; and that he should not 
 participate in th.e enjoyments and improvement to 
 be derived from that favourite societyf in whose 
 business and discussions he had always taken so 
 conspicuous a part. These are some of the reasons 
 which led liim to waver in regard to this step; but 
 there were others still more weighty which increased 
 his hesitation. " My friends," he remarks, in a let- 
 ter to Mr. Skinner, " though they acquiesced in 
 this scheme, were averse to it. It is their wish 
 that I should be with them. My mother also would 
 lose a great part of her happiness were T to be 
 away from her: she is now in the decline of life. 
 Her children's happiness and interests have been 
 the objects of all her exertions, and these now de- 
 mand from them every attention which it is in their 
 power to render. Uncertain how long she might 
 be witli us, I could not think of leaving her. She 
 and all my other relations, however, wished me to 
 go, if I thought it would be most to my advantage 
 and interest. 
 
 " I considered, also, that if I were to go to Prince- 
 ton and engage as tutor, it might be expected that 
 I should join the Presbyterian communion, and 
 enter the ministry in that Church. As this would 
 not be my wish, I am apprehensive that my situa- 
 
 * He was at that time only eighteen years old. 
 f The Whig Society. 
 
40 MEIWO[R OF THE LIFE OF THE 
 
 tion there would not be altofrether aoreeable. * * *. 
 There was another reason, which I forgot to men- 
 tion. As I intended to enter the ministry in the 
 Episcopal Church, it would be most proper that I 
 should study under an Episcopal minister. Having 
 thus made up my mind, I feel an ease which I have 
 not enjoyed since fall." 
 
 This subject takes up a considerable part of five 
 different letters which he wrote to his friend Mr. 
 Skinner. It is somewhat remarkable, that he who 
 at this time was so slow, hesitating, and doubtful, 
 at a later period of his life was as quick as lightning 
 in thought and action. 
 
 Dr. Smith, on learning the change which had 
 taken place in his sentiments, endeavoured to ob- 
 viate the reasons upon which it was founded ; and 
 with respect to his religious opinions, he assured 
 him that no improper bias should be given to his 
 mind. 
 
 The President was aware of his attachment, from 
 principle and habit, to the Episcopal Church ; so 
 far, therefore, from wishing to influence him in 
 favour of another, he remarked, that it would be 
 his duty to have a constant reference to his estab- 
 lishment in the Church for wliich he was designed, 
 and that, agreeably to these views, he would furnish 
 him with every facility in his power. This letter, 
 which reflected so much honour on the mind and 
 heart of the writer, and gave so flattering a testi- 
 mony to the scholarship and worth of Mr. Hobart, 
 led him finally to comply with the request ; and 
 accordingly, in the spring of 1794, he went ta 
 Princeton. - 
 
RIGHT REV. JOHIV HENRY HOBART. 41 
 
 It was the impression of Bishop White, that he 
 entered immediately upon his duties as a tutor in 
 the College; but, according to the account of an- 
 other, who was a member of the institution, this 
 did not take place till the fall of 1795, when he 
 had attained his twentieth year. The manner in 
 which he performed the duties of this office, and 
 the impression which he made on his youthful 
 companions, have been both beautifully and accu- 
 rately described by the Rev. Dr. Beasley, who was 
 one of his earliest and dearest friends. 
 
 " Immediately after I had contracted an acquaint- 
 ance with Mr. Hobart, one of the tutors of the 
 College having resigned his post, he was induced 
 by President Smith to supply his place ; and in this 
 manner he was numbered among the officers of the 
 Seminary. In this capacity he acquitted himself 
 with remarkable address and ability, uniting the 
 utmost vigilance and activity in the maintenance of 
 discipline, to a winning affability of deportment, 
 which gained the affections and secured the respect 
 and esteem of the students. In all his public per- 
 formances he was listened to with pleasure and 
 admiration ; in his class he was a diligent and 
 efficient instructor; and in conducting all the oper- 
 ations of the College, a leading and influential 
 member of the board of Faculty. He seems to 
 have been formed by nature rather for action tiian 
 contemplation. He never was prone to those habits 
 of close attention, severe application, and persever- 
 ing inquiry, by which alone extensive erudition 
 may be attained, and philosophy successfully culti- 
 vated ; but his executive powers were of a high 
 
 6 
 
42 MEMOIR OF THE LIFK OF THI^ 
 
 order ; and when he chose to interest himself in 
 any subject of scientific or literary investigation, 
 he could make as great a proficiency in it, in a 
 limited time, as any one I ever saw. He united all 
 the properties of an efficient man, in the discharge 
 of active duties ; his judgment was sound and clear; 
 his mind prompt in its decisions, and unvarying in 
 purpose; his constancy inflexible, and his persever- 
 ance not to be overcome by difficulties or discour- 
 agements. From the earliest period of life, in 
 whatever sphere he might be moving, he would 
 always become one of the principal agents in con- 
 trolling its transactions. 
 
 " A single instance may serve to exemplify his 
 vigilance and activity in the government of the in- 
 stitution. Upon a certain day in the autumn, the 
 students had been in the habit of making application 
 to the Faculty for a holiday ; and, more in compli- 
 ance with custom than law upon the subject, it had 
 been uniformly granted. On the occasion, however, 
 to which I refer, Dr. Smith and his colleagues 
 thought it not adviseable to intermit the regular 
 exercises of the classes, and the holiday was re- 
 fused. Some of the more bold and refractory 
 amonfT the young men, who are always to be found 
 in such an assemblage, irritated at the denial of 
 a customary indulgence, called a meeting of the 
 classes in the College-hall, and proposed, that since 
 the officers of the College had refused them an 
 enjoyment to which established usage had given 
 them a right, they should partake of the indulgence 
 without permission, refuse to appear in their reci- 
 tation-rooms, and proceed with those amusements 
 
RIGHT REV. JOHN HliNRY HOBART. 43 
 
 usual on days of relaxation. The proposal was 
 adopted at the meeting, as was to be expected from 
 young men, with but few dissenting voices. Mr. 
 Hobart soon had information of the measure, and 
 at once saw the mischievous effects which the ex- 
 ample would produce upon the future government 
 and order of the institution. He passed without 
 delay to the house of the President and informing 
 him of the particulars, the Faculty were convened, 
 who commissioned the President immediately to 
 assemble the classes separately, and present to 
 them, individually, the alternative of submission to 
 the laws, or an immediate dismission. The prompt- 
 . ness and decision upon the part of the board, had 
 the desired effect. The students, not having been 
 allowed time to organize a party, or concert a plan 
 of opposition to the government, abandoned the 
 measure which they had adopted with so much 
 precipitation, and, with one single exception, re- 
 turned to their studies, and the order of College 
 sustained no further interruption on this account. 
 •It may not be without its advantage to remark, that 
 the young gentleman who, on this occasion, per- 
 sisted in maintaining his stand in opposition to the 
 authorities of the Seminary, although, in all other 
 respects, of unexceptionable character and conduct, 
 found this ill-advised obstinacy the source of much 
 injury and unhappiness to him in future life. 
 
 " In all other departments of the Seminary his 
 influence and activity were equally felt. I remember, 
 upon an occasion in which an attempt was made to 
 expel a member from the Whig Society, on account 
 of some misdemeanours, Mr. Hobart made a speech 
 
44 
 
 MEMOIR OF THE LIFE OF THE 
 
 against him, which was compared by some hearers 
 to the celebrated address of Mr. Pitt, in the British 
 Parliament, when it was proposed by some member 
 to let loose the savages upon the American Colonies. 
 Although in this estimate large allowance must be 
 made for youthful enthusiasm, and incompetency to 
 a just decision, yet I can still recollect with satis- 
 faction the effect produced upon the minds of us 
 all, by this display of a fervid eloquence." 
 
 The account of the first interview of Dr. Beasley 
 with Mr. Hobart, represents him in a very striking 
 and interesting light. 
 
 " In the fall of 1795 commenced my acquaintance 
 with Bishop Hobart. Never shall I forget the im- 
 pression which was produced upon my mind by my 
 first introduction to him, and the conversation which 
 followed; having just entered the College at Prince- 
 ton as an under-graduate of the junior class. Upon 
 some occasion of business in which his advice was 
 solicited, I was conducted into the room which he 
 occupied as his study, and saw a youth of no very 
 prepossessing appearance, at least to me at that 
 period, seated at his desk, and engaged in the study 
 of theology. I beheld before me a figure of mid- 
 dling size, sallow complexion, features somewhat 
 irregular, a countenance obscured in its expression 
 by the use of glasses to correct the deficiency of 
 short sight, a contracted forehead, and a head 
 thickly covered with hair, while all its proportions 
 were imperfectly defined. I had been previously 
 informed that he was a youth of uncommon parts, 
 and had graduated in the College, a few years before, 
 with the highest honours of the institution. His 
 
ItlGHT REV. JOHN HENRY HOBART. 45 
 
 first appearance but little accorded with the expec- 
 tations which had been awakened of his talents and 
 interesting properties. These unfavourable pre- 
 possessions, however, were immediately removed 
 when I was introduced, entered into conversation 
 with him, and caught the silver tones of his voice 
 He received us with that frank, cordial, and ardent 
 manner by which he was so peculiarly distinguished 
 and in a few moments I was convinced ihat°he pos' 
 sessed remarkable clearness of understanding, and 
 readiness and power of conversation. He a^ once 
 entered with the deepest interest into the business 
 upon which we had been induced to seek an inter 
 view, gave us satisfactory information upon the 
 subject, explained the best mode of proceedino- in 
 the case, tendered the offer of any services in future 
 and Heft him so much gratified and delighted, that 
 a foundation was then laid for the subsequent inti 
 macy between us, which has formed one of the 
 highest sources of satisfaction in life, and the loss 
 of which at this moment, presents to my imagina- 
 tion and feelings one of the widest vacuities in the 
 series of earthly enjoyments." 
 
 In this spirited and striking sketch we behold the 
 touches of one who was fond of his subject, but who 
 nevertheless, has not overstepped the modesty of 
 nature Even strangers, as it were, participated in 
 these feelings, and their lively impressions and 
 general recollections give the fullest confirmation 
 to the testimony of friends. One of these remarks :* 
 
 Stat^' ""■ "''*'' ^"■'""^' "'"''^ of the Senate of the United 
 
46 MEMOIH OF THE LIFE OF THE 
 
 "I was not iiis cotemporary at Princeton; he pre- 
 ceded me by several years. When I first arrived at 
 the College, he v/as living at the town as a graduate, 
 engaged in the pursuit of his theological studies. I 
 rarely saw him, but the place was full of his fame. 
 Every one who had opportunities of knowing him, 
 dwelt upon his talents and power of application. 
 He had gained whilst in College the first honours 
 of his class, and gave every presage of the intellec- 
 tual eminence that awaited him in after life. He 
 continued to keep up an occasional connexion* with 
 one of the literary societies to which he had be- 
 longed, where his abilities were always usefully and 
 signally displayed." 
 
 Another eminent person also observes if " Bishop 
 Hobart graduated before my entrance into College, 
 which was in the spring of 1794. In the full he 
 returned, to pursue the study of divinity. It was then 
 I saw him for the first time, and regarded him with 
 great interest, on account of the distinguished re- 
 putation he had established in College; but lie 
 being a graduate, which separated him from asso- 
 ciation with the students, and I being very young, 
 we seldom met. My chief recollection of iiim is as 
 a member of the Whig Society; he generally at- 
 tended the meetings, and always maintained there 
 a decided ascendancy. From that period till his 
 death I seldom saw him, but observed his course at 
 a distance, as marked by the same elevation which 
 distinguished him in early life." 
 
 • It was intimate and constant. 
 
 t The Hon. Richard Rush, late Minister to tbo Court of St. 
 James's. 
 
RIGHT REV. JOHN HENRY HO BART. 4? 
 
 The following communication to the same effect, 
 is from the Hon. William Gaston, of North-Caro- 
 lina: " I had not the honour of being an associate 
 of the late Bishop Hobart during his collegiate 
 course; he graduated in 1793, and I entered as a 
 member of the junior class, at the beginning of the 
 winter session of 1794. He was still, however, 
 residing in College when I reached Princeton, and 
 was tome a subject of deep interest, because of the 
 animated contest in which he had been engaged for 
 the first honour of the class. It was understood 
 that the Faculty had been a long time equally divid- 
 ed on the question ; one half voted for Mr. Hobart, 
 and the other half for Mr. Bennet Taylor, a young 
 gentleman of great promise, from Virginia ; neither 
 party being willing to yield to the other, it was ulti- 
 mately agreed that Hobart and Taylor should be 
 declared equal, and that chance should decide which 
 of them should deliver the Latin Salutatory, the 
 ordinary reward of the best scholar, and which the 
 English Salutatory, usually regarded as the second 
 distinction. Dr. Smith, it was said, who espoused 
 Taylor's pretensions, threw up a quarter of a dollar, 
 and Dr. Minto, who headed the other party, cried 
 out, ' Heads for Hobart ;' and there were some coarse 
 rhymes in circulation, expressing the joy of the old 
 gentleman, when he found that he had called aright. 
 The alarm about the yellow fever at Philadelphia, 
 prevented, however, any public commencement. 
 Between the graduates and students there were 
 very few ties; although I saw him every day, no- 
 thing occurred to bring about between us any thing 
 like intimacy; I retain, however, a vivid and distinct 
 
48 MEMOIR OF THE LIFE OF THE 
 
 recollection of his face, person, gait, manners, and 
 voice; these all rendered him interesting; they in- 
 dicated quickness of perception, activity, kindness, 
 depth, and ardour of feeling. With respect to his 
 merit there was but one opinion — all esteemed him 
 for his genius, learning, and virtue." 
 
 I shall add only one more communication, from the 
 Hon. George M.Troup, late Governor of Georgia. 
 
 "The impressions made in early life of the purity, 
 worth, and piety which distinguished the late Bi- 
 shop Hobart, are yet lively, and can never be effaced. 
 He was our tutor at Princeton, and was as much 
 respected and as universally beloved as ever tutor 
 was, or as the relation between preceptor and stu- 
 dent permits. His after course truly corresponded 
 with the hopes then entertained of him ; and he 
 seems to have fulfilled to the last, and to the last 
 tittle, the sanguine predictions of those senior 
 friends whose sagacity predicted the future, and 
 detected the germs of that usefulness and loveliness 
 which it is your province, as it will be your pleasure, 
 to record." 
 
 In a country like ours, where religion is uncon- 
 nected with the state, receiving no support from 
 the civil power, ancient endowments, or from pa- 
 tronage and Aivour, but depending entirely on the 
 free-will offerings of those who hold it in reverence 
 and honour, there are but few worldly inducements 
 to enter into the ministry. The respect attached 
 to the sacred office is strictly dependent on the 
 character and talents of those by whom it is filled. 
 The highest emoluments of clergymen, though 
 sufficient to make life comfortable, in most cases, 
 
RIGHT RKV. JOHN HENRY HOBART. 49 
 
 leave only an inheritance of poverty and dependence 
 to their families. The prospect of advancement is 
 too limited in its range for mere worldly ambition. 
 The life of a clergyman, in the correct and whole- 
 some state of public opinion which prevails among 
 us, is a life of labour, of watchfulness, and self- 
 denial ; not greater, indeed, than he is pledged to 
 lead by his sacred vows, but which would be found 
 intolerably irksome to an unsanctified mind. When, 
 therefore, we see those entering upon it to whom, 
 from their talents and advantages, every other path 
 is open, we feel an involuntary respect for the mo- 
 tives by which they are influenced, and honour them 
 for the sacrifice. There are but few instances in 
 which this disinterestedness has been more strik- 
 ingly displayed than in the case of Mr. Hobart. 
 He has laid open the workings of his mind and 
 the feelings of his heart on the subject, in the most 
 ingenuous manner; and never, perhaps, did any 
 one take this step with more simplicity of intention, 
 greater humbleness of spirit, or a higher degree of 
 solemnity and awe. 
 
 In his letters to a friend, while he was engaged in 
 mercantile pursuits, he observes: — "You will now, 
 perhaps, ask me whether I intend to continue in 
 my present business. It pleases God, and O how 
 grateful should I be to him for it, to continue to me 
 impressions of the necessity of repentance, * * * 
 to give me daily convictions of the danger of liviug 
 in this world without being prepared, through the 
 mercies of a Saviour, to leave it; and also to direct 
 my view to another, in which my happiness or misery 
 depends upon the use of my time and talents here. 
 
 7 
 
50 ME!VIorU OF THE LIFE OF THE 
 
 It is but too true, that these impressions are not 
 cultivated as they ought to be, and on this account 
 I ought to be the more grateful for their continuance ; 
 but I hope the time will soon arrive, when they will 
 be cultivated to a better purpose. * * *. Though 
 engaged in business, * these things' are continually 
 rising to my thoughts, and 1 often think it is my 
 duty to prepare for the ministry — prepare for it, I 
 say, for I now want every requisite. * * *. Far am 
 I from thinking that I am qualified for it, either in 
 mental or moral acquirements ; but, by the goodness 
 of God I may attain those qualifications which would 
 fit me for entering upon the study of that profession. 
 * * *. Sacred, awful, and important would be my 
 duties; the grace of God could alone enable me 
 to execute them. O pray with me, that in my en- 
 trance on this important office I may have a single 
 eye to his glory and the salvation of immortal souls ; 
 pray that he would subdue within me every desire 
 of honour, of emolument, and praise, and that I 
 may serve him with sincerity and truth. 
 
 "I am afraid that my motives are not sufl[iciently 
 pure for the ministry, that I have not sufficiently in 
 view the ends for which it was instituted ; but I hope 
 that God, for Christ's sake, will bless me, and that 
 he will make me, in his hands, the humble instru- 
 ment of turning many unto righteousness." 
 
 How simple and aflfecting those devout eff'usions 
 of his soul! How tender and scrupulous this search- 
 ing of his heart and reins before he could presume 
 to meddle with holy things! How far beyond his 
 thoughts or his hopes the answer to his prayers! 
 How gloriously was he exalted for his humility! 
 
RIGHT UEV. JOlliX HKiNKY HOBAllT. SW^ 
 
 As his spiritual views of the sacred office were 
 high, so also was the intellectual standard which he 
 thought it necessary to reach before he should be 
 fitted to adorn it. " Like you," he writes to his 
 friend, " I have ever felt an almost insatiable desire 
 after knowledge, and should consider myself fortu- 
 nate, were my exertions equal to my desire. * * *. 
 I shall, however, endeavour to make a diligent use 
 of my time ; having the ministry in view, I am under 
 tbe most powerful obligations to study and improve- 
 ment, and may it please God to bless my exertions. 
 * * *. General knowledge is very necessary in all 
 the professions, but I shall always wish to make 
 human science subordinate to divine." * * *. 
 
 Yet, as the moral and spiritual qualifications for 
 this sacred calling were always uppermost in his 
 thoughts, he considers it a matter of little moment 
 that his mind should be stored with useful know- 
 lodge, unless he should also make greater progress 
 in the amendment of his heart and life. " In fact, 
 the improvement of the heart," he adds, " should 
 be the end of all our acquirements; and to no pur- 
 pose are we made wiser, if we are not made better 
 men." 
 
 Among the numerous traces in these youthful 
 letters, of that sound and practical wisdom for which 
 he was so distinguished in later life, the following 
 remarks will furnish a favourable example : " I have 
 received directions for a course of study in divinity 
 from Dr. White. * * *. The Bible is ranked first, 
 and I think I shall not be more than able to go 
 through it attentively, with the assistance of a com- 
 mentary, (together with Locke,) this winter. I mean 
 
52 MEMOIR OF THE LIFE OF THE 
 
 not to leave any author till I have made myself 
 nearly master of his subject. My sphere of reading 
 may be contracted by this method, but it will not 
 be made less improving. 
 
 " Dr. Smith, who is very attentive to me, seems 
 to wish that I should begin to study his system of 
 divinity ; but 1 am entirely opposed to studying any 
 system whatever till I understand more of that 
 sacred volume from which all their conclusions, if 
 just, must be drawn. When the fountain is open, 
 why have recourse to the streams which it supplies'! 
 Dr. White earnestly recommended it to me to study 
 the Bible, in order to form my opinions. It seems 
 too generally studied in order to support those 
 which are pre-conceived, and perhaps this is the 
 reason why many doctrines which are thought in- 
 consistent with it are maintained. When the 
 study of the Bible is gone through, systems may 
 then advantageously be taken up." 
 
 With a piety of the most exalted cast, which led 
 him to regard the knowledge of sacred things as 
 our supreme concern, he united a soberness and 
 wisdom which always kept him from undervaluing 
 human learning ; he looked upon this as the hand- 
 maid of religion, and considered that all just know- 
 ledge would contribute to illustrate the truth, and 
 to glorify God as its fountain and source. With 
 this view, he remarks to his friend — " I shall endea- 
 vour to connect with the study of divinity, the study 
 of moral philosophy in all its various and extensive 
 branches, and the reading of history." And he 
 proposes to do this chiefly on account of the inti- 
 mate relation which these subjects bear to the 
 
RIGHT REV. JOHN HENRY HOBART. 53 
 
 former, and the light which they throw upon theo- 
 logy itself. " I mean also to attend a part of my 
 time to those authors who treat on the human 
 mind. * * *. I have just begun to read Locke. I 
 find he requires great attention; I am determined, 
 however, as far as possible, to make myself master 
 of him, let the time necessary to do this be what it 
 may. * * *." He makes a similar observation in re- 
 gard to Reid's Essays. I think he writes in another 
 place : " If you were to read books on metaphysical 
 subjects, you would not only extend your informa- 
 tion, but improve the powers of your mind. These, 
 you know, are perfected not only by the study of the 
 mathematics, but also by those writings which ap- 
 proach near to them in certainty and accuracy of 
 demonstration." Though it does not appear that 
 he pursued this branch of learning to any great 
 extent, yet, from the importance which he attached 
 to it in early life, and the thorough and effectual 
 manner in which it was studied, we may, in a mea- 
 sure, ascribe to it that acuteness of intellect, and 
 justness of discrimination, which, together with his 
 natural turn for generalizing and readiness in re- 
 ducing all subjects to their principles, gave him 
 such an advantage over men of confused and im- 
 methodical minds. 
 
 In this familiar correspondence, where every 
 plan and every occupation was freely laid open, I do 
 not discover many traces of that fondness for the 
 lighter forms of literature which are generally so 
 attractive to youthful minds. Tiie study of meta- 
 physical works, and treatises on moral science, 
 divided his attention with the study of theology ; 
 
54 MKMOIR OF THE LIFE OF THE 
 
 and history and criticism appeared to have been his 
 chief relaxation from the severity of both. Though 
 there was apparently therefore, no waste of his time 
 in frivolous reading, yet his improvement never 
 seemed to keep pace with his desires. He " la- 
 mented extremely that he had not formed, in the 
 early {)art of his education, habits of intense study;" 
 and while the successful result of his labours was 
 attracting general admiration, he was constantly the 
 subject of self-reproach. 
 
 It appears that Bishop White was anxious to have 
 him enter, as soon as practicable, into the sacred 
 office, and to settle at Lancaster, in Pennsylvania, 
 in the spring of 1797. The proposition, however, 
 which at first was readily accepted, was afterwards 
 declined, on the ground of his imperfect preparation 
 for the ministry, and of some unexpected disadvant- 
 ages which would necessarily retard his improve- 
 ment in the situation itself. The reasons are given 
 for this change of his views, in the following letter 
 to Bishop White : — 
 
 " Princeton, Dec. 2Atk, 1 796. 
 
 " DEAR SIR, 
 
 " My willingness to take charge of the congrega- 
 tion at Lancaster arose from the opinion that it was 
 an eligible situation, where a clergyman might be 
 useful, and which, on that account, duty called on 
 me in some degree to accept. My plan, however, 
 had been to remain much longer a candidate for 
 orders, and to pursue both general and particular 
 studies to a greater extent. I did not know, till I 
 received your letter, that the congregation could 
 
RIGHT REV. JOHN HENRY HOBART. 55 
 
 not support a minister without his having recourse 
 to instruction. As the situation does not appear so 
 eligible as I expected, it has become a question with 
 me, whether I ought to sacrifice my present inclina- 
 tion for study, and my desire to be more fully pre- 
 pared before I come forward. These are favourite 
 objects with me, for I consider that the duties of a 
 professional life, and the cares of the world, will 
 not allow me as favourable an opportunity for im- 
 provement as I now enjoy: I am therefore disposed 
 to decline coming forward in the spring. 
 
 My choice of the ministry has arisen, not only 
 from a fondness for a studious and literary life, but, 
 I trust, also from a sincere regard to the sacred ob- 
 jects which that profession contemplates; when I 
 have, therefore, farther indulged my inclination for 
 study, and am, as I conceive, more fully prepared, 
 I shall not consider it as an objection to any con- 
 gregation that the salary is small, or even inadequate 
 of itself to the purposes of a maintenance. 
 "With sincere respect and regard, 
 ' " I am, dear Sir, 
 
 " Yours affectionately, 
 
 " JOHN HENRY HOBART." 
 
 His great indifference in regard to the compen- 
 sation which he should receive for his services, 
 seems to have been noticed by his mother with a 
 prudent caution against it, and ho therefore states 
 his views to her on this point more explicitly: — 
 
 "My dear mother does not seem properly to 
 understand what I wrote to Dr. White. I have no 
 intention of remaining with any congregation that 
 
56 MKMOIU OF THE LIFE OF THE 
 
 will not afford me a decent maintenance: I only 
 meant that I would not insist on this at first, as a 
 condition, before they knew my abilities or charac- 
 ter, or whether I would please them. I considered 
 also, that most of the Episcopal congregations are 
 in such a deranged situation as to need the sedulous 
 exertions of a settled minister to put them in away 
 of affording a maintenance. I would always wish 
 my income from a congregation to rest on tho 
 opinion they had of my intentions and exertions. 
 Thus explained, I think you can have no objection 
 to my sentiments." 
 
 His fond admiration of the beauties of nature 
 and the peaceful seclusion of rural life, and the 
 shyness of his natural disposition, which I have 
 often heard him remark, continued to embarrass 
 him long after he had mixed extensively in society, 
 are represented with great simplicity and feeling in 
 the following letter to one of his college companions 
 and friends: — * 
 
 *' Philadelphia, May Sth, 1797. 
 
 - MY DEAR FENTON, 
 
 " I wrote a few lines to Forsyth the day before I 
 went out of town, and was beginning to write to 
 you, when I was called off. I returned, a few days 
 ago, from Pottsgrove, where I passed my time 
 more agreeably than in the city. My relish for this 
 latter place decreases every time I visit it. My 
 former familiarity with it, which was a principal 
 ground of my attachment, wears off. So great is 
 
 * Tho Hon. Charles FeiUon Mqrcer. 
 
RIGHT REV. JOHN HEJVUY HOBAUT. 67 
 
 the alteration in the city, and in the manners of its 
 inhabitants, that I cannot now recognise the scenes 
 of cliildhood which were the sources of much 
 thouglitless enjoyment. Tlie bustle of business, 
 the parade and pride of wealth, the affectation of 
 politeness, smoothing the exterior only — what are 
 these to one whose taste is formed to intellectual 
 improvement, who values, above all the splendour 
 of wealth or power, the sympathy of a feeling heart, 
 and the undisguised expression of its affection I 
 Pottsgrove was the first place in the country at 
 which I had ever been, and when I visited it in the 
 glow of youth and health, the scenes were so novel 
 and interesting, that I seemed to be in a new world, 
 where every object was formed to enchant tiie 
 senses and delight the heart. I have thus formed 
 for this place an attachment, for which an indiffer- 
 ent person would probably be at a loss to account. 
 I find that, until I am much changed, I can be 
 happy only in the country. Ignorant of the arti- 
 ficial forms of politeness, and having never had 
 much intercourse with tiie world, I am daily placed 
 in situations where I am embarrassed, and my sen- 
 sibility, as yet under no control, is wounded; per- 
 haps 1 should rather say, that a pride of sentiment 
 and feeling is mortified. 
 
 " There are but two families that tie me to the 
 city; without them it has no allurements. I long 
 to be at Princeton, where 1 shall be under no re- 
 straint in the indulgence of my feelings, and under 
 no fear of deviating from the rules of fashion; and 
 let me add, that I long again to press to my bosom 
 my disinterested friend." 
 
58 MEMOIR OF THi: LIFE OF THE 
 
 The extreme sensibility of Mr. Hobart, and the 
 romuntic character of his youthful attachments, 
 though the source of the purest happiness and joy, 
 were very often, also, the occasion of the greatest 
 anguish and distress. He loved his friends with so 
 much tenderness, that when he lost them, he was 
 completely overwhelmed. Shortly after Mr. Skinner 
 had left College, he formed an intimacy with an 
 amiable and interesting young man, Robert For- 
 syth, of Augusta, which grew into the most perfect 
 friendship during the life-time of the former, and 
 which afterwards, in some measure, filled up the 
 void that had been made by his death. This tie 
 also was soon broken. Nothing can be more pa- 
 thetic than the following notice of the event: — 
 
 ^^ Princeton, Aug. 18, 1797. 
 
 " My dear sister has no doubt seen, from the 
 paper, that her brother is called to another trial — 
 yes, he has again lost the object of a sincere and 
 ardent affection. It seems as if I love with tender- 
 ness, only to be made miserable by the loss of those 
 I love. But my idols are taken from me. I am 
 taught that this is not my home; that here are not 
 my joys. Ah ! if you knew with what tenderness 
 and fidelity I have loved and been loved, however 
 enthusiastic my language might be, you would judge 
 it to be sincere. 
 
 " I have received from those here who knew my 
 affection for Forsyth, every attention and kindness. 
 If it should please Providence to give me resigna- 
 tion to his will, and to save me from depression of 
 spirits, I feel inclined, with greater zeal than ever, 
 
KIGHT REV. JOHN HENRY HORAWT, 59 
 
 to perform the duties of life; and while I am mind- 
 ful of the uncertainty of its rational pleasures, to 
 receive and enjoy them with humble thankfulness. 
 Happy indeed should I be, under every loj=s, !iow- 
 ever severe, that I have still affectionate relations, 
 to whose kindness and care I owe so much." 
 From Mrs. R. Smith to Mr. Hobart: — 
 
 " Frankford-Hill, August 22, 1797. 
 " You judge well, my dear brother, in assuring 
 yourself of the entire sympathy of my heart in your 
 present afflictive trial. I am sensible that the par- 
 ticipation of grief, though soothing to the soul, 
 avails little to lighten the weight of the blow. I 
 need not present to you those motives of consola- 
 tion which your own well-grounded piety will sug- 
 gest; nor will it lessen the pangs of a henrt like 
 your's, to point out the grief which the unhappy 
 mother of your deceased friend must experience: 
 the first, when the burst of sorrow has subsided, 
 will bring the consolation it never fails to impart, 
 and the other consideration will be a spring of ex- 
 ertion to your own soul, to enable you to offer a 
 support and comfort to her's. And I w;ould entreat 
 you, for the sake of your own dear parent and those 
 friends who tenderly love you, not to yield to that 
 depression of spirits of which you speak ; exert every 
 faculty of your soul against that cruel languor into 
 which it^will sink you — that death of usefulness and 
 active virtue. Alas ! even in its happiest state, how 
 many trials does this probationary being present to 
 us, which nothing but an early acquired fortitude, 
 the result of a rational and well-grounded hope of 
 
60 31EMOIR OF TME LIFE OF THE 
 
 a better life, can enable us to support! Let this, 
 my dear brother, while it teaches you resignation, 
 temper the fervour and ardency of those affections, 
 which, however amiable in themselves, will embitter 
 too much your passing days, unless calmed by the 
 full persuasion that tliey extend beyond the grave. 
 They were given us by tiie eternal Author of our 
 being, as sources of enjoyment, and not misery, 
 while we look for their full fruition only in a more 
 exalted state of existence." 
 
 In the course of this year he made a visit to Vir- 
 ginia, in company with Mr. Mercer. Tiie kind and 
 gratifying attentions which he received from the 
 family of his friend, the frankness, warmth, and 
 hospitality of the southern people in general, and 
 the union of education, refinement, and taste with 
 the simplicity of rural life, made so pleasing an 
 impression on his mind, that the state of society 
 seemed to him more like those visions of domestic 
 bliss which the imagination sometimes forms, than 
 a reality which he himself should ever have wit- 
 nessed and enjoyed. The recollection of it was 
 constantly before him, and he was daily and hourly 
 confirmed in the plan which had occurred to him 
 of settling in Virginia. This scheme, however, was 
 by no means agreeable to his friends at home. 
 Besides the opportunities which were offered of 
 procuring a settlement in one of the vacant parishes 
 in the neighbourhood of Philadelphia, there was 
 some reason to expect that he might receive an 
 appointment in the city itself. The prospect of 
 this appointment, it is to be inferred from a letter 
 which he wrote to his sister about this time, was 
 
 WF' 
 
RIGHT REV. JOHN HENRY HOBART. 6l 
 
 peculiarly pleasing to her and his mother, as it 
 would bring him once more into the bosom of hia 
 family; but so great was his repugnance to a city 
 life, that he could neither indulije their wishes nor 
 hopes. In order, however, to gratify them by a 
 nearer residence, he relinquished his design of 
 settling in Virginia, and concluded to take charge 
 of some vacant churches in the vicinity of Phila- 
 delphia. 
 
 " Princeton, Feb. 2d, 1798. 
 " If my dear sister had opposed my strongest 
 prejudices and wishes, the affectionate manner in 
 which her reasons were addressed to me, would 
 have operated strongly on my feelings ; but when 
 my plans for my future life were far from being 
 settled, reasons drawn from the highest motives 
 of usefulness and duty, and urged by one whose 
 tender regard for my happiness I have so often 
 felt, could not fail of determining my mind. In the 
 hope, then, of uniting usefulness with retirement, 
 so valuable to me, both as it subserves to study 
 and cherishes virtuous feelings; and with the strong 
 desire of yielding happiness to my friends, and 
 deriving it myself from all these sources, I have 
 concluded to direct my views solely to the congre- 
 gations near the city: and I will inform Dr. White 
 that, if they should be willing, I will engage with 
 them for a year. If this determination affords you 
 any pleasure, I wish you to believe, that one of its 
 principal enjoyments to me will be, the opportunity 
 it will afford of an interchange of affectionate 
 attentions with those to whom nature and duty so 
 strongly attach me. 
 
62 MEMOIR OP THE LIFE OP THE 
 
 " In all my plans, worldly objects have had bat 
 little place. If this be an error, it is one which my 
 feelings make natural, and, I believe, invincible. I 
 believe a life in the country can be more happy 
 than one in the city ; and though I do not say that 
 no considerations will induce me to submit to the 
 latter, yet they must be those of high commanding 
 duty. In an unreserved and affectionate intercourse 
 with my near connexions, in mutually bestowing 
 and receiving kind and tender offices ; more espe- 
 cially, in reclining with confidence on some sincere 
 and feeling friend ; — such are the enjoyments which 
 I desire. Scenes of bliss like the last have for a 
 moment delighted me, and passed away. It is only 
 in a higher state of being that I can hope for the 
 permanent possession of them. • 
 
 " There is no duty more in unison with my feel- 
 ings, nor of stronger obligation, than that which 
 regards the tender parent to whose unwearied and 
 solicitous care I owe so much. Whatever comfort 
 I can afford her, will not compensate her for her 
 kindness and goodness to me. For her faithful 
 discharge of her duty to us all, I trust there is in 
 reserve for her much higher happiness than she 
 can receive here. 
 
 " I shall not be able to make the necessary pre- 
 parations for taking orders until the fall, but, as I 
 mean to leave College in the spring, I shall have an 
 opportunity of embracing, in part at least, your plan 
 of amusement and exercise for me. I often antici- 
 pate, with lively feelings, the pleasure I shall enjoy 
 from the society of my friends, of which, of late 
 years, 1 have had so little. Your last aon has a 
 
RIGHT REV. JOHiN HEISRY HOBART. 63 
 
 claim to my attention from being named after me, 
 but I will not promise to love him more than the 
 rest. May my dear sister derive all that happiness 
 from her children of wliich her affection and atten- 
 tion to them make her so truly deserving." 
 
 Among the youthful and cherished companions 
 with whom Mr. Hobart was surrounded, there was 
 one who did not appear to yield in attachment to 
 the rest, though differing from him in his system of 
 faith, which is so often the occasion of alienation 
 and dislike. This was the distinguished Dr. Kollock, 
 who enjoyed the highest reputation at College, was 
 made divinity professor at an early age, and rose 
 to an almost undisputed pre-eminence among his 
 Presbyterian brethren as a preacher, by his glowing 
 and impassioned eloquence. The following letters 
 from him, which are by turns both gay and grave, 
 breathe that spirit of kindness and liberality which 
 marked all his communications and intercourse with 
 his valued friend: — 
 
 " Nassau- Hall, June Wth, 1798. 
 
 " I have too long neglected to answer your agree- 
 able letter, but you know that our resolutions on this 
 subject are often unavoidably broken within the 
 walls of a College, though our affection may remain 
 undiminished. 
 
 " I have at length finished Patrick, and begun 
 Lowth. The former is like a desolate field, where 
 the soil may produce some valuable plants, butiall 
 the surrounding scenery appears unengaging; whilst 
 the latter resembles those fields of Arabia which he 
 describes, where the lofty cedar, the medicinal balm, 
 
€4 MEMOIR OF THE LIFE OF THE 
 
 and the fragrant flower bloom beside each other. I 
 think, however, that he is too lavish of his correc- 
 tions of the sacred text; for though some of them 
 are absolutely necessary, yet I do not think that any 
 should be introduced merely to cause a parallelism 
 of the lines, or to add to the beauty of an expression. 
 It is of too much consequence to establish the belief 
 of the people concerning the general authenticity of 
 the Scriptures, to permit such freedom. 
 
 " H has been confined to the house by his 
 
 foot; he frets and fumes about it, to borrow Fal- 
 stiiff's expression, * like a piece of gummed velvet.' 
 
 M studies yet extremely hard ; every day I see 
 
 new cause to admire the strength of his judgment 
 and the tenderness of his heart. 
 
 " I suppose that by this time, my dear friend, you 
 have become a minister of Christ. I pray God that 
 you maybe happy, zealous, and successful; that the 
 blessed Spirit of grace may rest upon you, and make 
 your preaching efficacious for arresting the pre- 
 sumptuous and deluded sinner, for pouring consola- 
 tion into the wounded conscience, and for building 
 up the saints in holiness and faith. May you pass 
 through this life supported by your Saviour; and 
 when you stand before his tribunal to render your 
 final account, may you see many souls who have 
 been converted by your ministry, and who shall be 
 crowns of your everlasting rejoicing. Oh ! my friend, 
 may we both meet there, and, though bearing dif- 
 fer3nt names here below, may we both be interested 
 in the salvation of the common Redeemer." 
 
^' niGHT REV. JOHN HENRY HOB ART. 65 
 
 " Elizahcth-Toicn, Oct. 24//?, 1798. 
 
 " The letter of my dear friend would not have 
 remained so lonjj unanswered, had not a fit of sick- 
 ness debarred me from the use of my pen ; I now 
 resume it for the first time after my recovery. 
 
 ♦' What is tliat undefinable charm which attaches 
 us so strongly to the scenes of our youth, and so 
 higidy endears to us our native home \ Five months 
 have swiftly flown; they were spent with friends 
 most dear to me, and in occupations most pleasing, 
 yet I return with joy to Elizabeth, and visit with 
 delight those places which recall times that are 
 past. 
 
 *' My principal study during the last session, was 
 * Warburton's Divine Legation.' He seems to have 
 chosen this topic, that he might display his almost 
 unlimited knowledge, since there is scarcely a sub- 
 ject of science which he has not introduced into it. 
 He abounds with much rude railing, and has a num- 
 ber of very singular paradoxes, but his leading pro- 
 position is proved with a strength of argument 
 which is, I think, irresistible. Whatever may be 
 your opinion of his primary argument, you will be 
 highly pleased in reading him. 
 
 •* The question so bitterly agitated between our 
 Churches on the question of original sin, has been 
 the subject of my meditation for some time past; 
 and you will, perhaps, smile when I tell you that I 
 have found myself obliged to renounce the senti- 
 ments of the rigid Calvinists. The doctrine of im- 
 putation, as held by them, appears to me inconsist- 
 ent with the justice of God. I can very readily 
 grant, that, in cons<;quence of the sin of Adam, 
 
 9 
 
66 MEMOIR OF THE LIFE OF THE ^ 
 
 mankind should become subject to temporal dentli, 
 since imtnorlairty was not a debt hut a free gift, and 
 we couhl have no claim to it, though we had re- 
 mained for ever innocent. lean likewise allow that 
 mankind have hence received a moral taint and in- 
 fection, by which tliey have a propensity to sin; but 
 my mind revolts from the idea, that I should be 
 sentenced by a God of justice and mercy to an 
 clernily of misery, because of the transgressions of 
 om; wi>o sinned before I was born, and in a capa(tity 
 of knowing or hindering what he did. On this 
 ground I think we may both meet. 
 
 " H lias left Mrs. Knox's, and taken up his 
 
 residence in a solitary hamlet entirely encircled by 
 the woods. He thinks, perhaps he thinks with pro- 
 priety, tiiat he can there cultivate the better affec- 
 tions of his nature, and prosecute his studies with 
 greater advantage than at Princeton. He may plead 
 Milton's authority for the latter part of his senti- 
 ment, who very elegantly tells us ilnit 
 
 • Wisdom's self 
 
 Oft seeks to sweet retired solitude, 
 
 "Where with Hrt best nurse. Contemplation, 
 
 Shs plumes her feathers, and lets grow her wings. 
 
 That in the various bustle of resort 
 
 Were all too ruffled.' 
 
 I should have preferred for my retreat, however, 
 that season wlum all nature puts on an aspect of 
 cheerfidness. But I b(dievc that my disposition is 
 not snfficicmlly romantic to be invariably pleased 
 with reiirement; for, afier the novelty of the land- 
 scapes has ceased, I have beheld them with a sigh, 
 
RIGHT REV. JOHN HENRY HOBAKT. 67 
 
 acid cxclaimefl, * Tho society of one dear friend 
 would be wortli tliem ;dl.'" 
 
 He resided at Princeton until the spring of 1798, 
 ■when lie returned to Philndelpliin, .ind was ordained 
 in the month of June, by Bishop White. There he 
 had frequent opportunities of enjoying the society 
 of this most amiable man and distinguislied divine, 
 and of profiting by his counsels concerning his 
 studies. In allusion to this period, the Bisho[), with 
 that modest simplicity which is natural to him, 
 makes the followinij remarks: — 
 
 ** Although his signal proficiency was the fruit of 
 ids own talents and industry, yet I have even* since 
 pleased myself with the hope that he rnay have de- 
 rived some little aid from what it oecnrred to me to 
 suggest to him. To this satisfaction I have i>iven 
 v-ent in my printed sermon, delivered nearly twenty 
 years ago, at his consecration to the Episcopacy." 
 
 Havitig known him from his childhood, watched 
 Jiis progress in the various stages of his education, 
 /ind rejoiced in the success of his literary efforts, 
 the Bishop now felt a deeper interest in his young 
 friend than ever, from the paternal and sacred rela- 
 tion in which he had been broun^ht to him. He was, 
 therefore, exceedingly anxious to keep him near to 
 him, with a view to his settlement, either in the parish 
 of which he was Rector, in case of a vacancy, or to 
 add to the number of his clergy, in the event of the 
 building of a new church in Philadelphia, which was 
 then in contemplation. In compliance with these 
 kind views and wishes, Mr. Hobart accepted the 
 charge of Trinity Church, Oxfor<l< and All Sn'mi3% 
 Pfiquf»stan. 
 
W MEMOIR OF Tlia I.irP- OF THK 
 
 It was remarked of him,* with the fond partiality 
 of friendship, from whicli there must alvvnys be a 
 degreo of abatement, " that no clergyman ever 
 commenced his pul[)it exertions under better aus- 
 pices, and with more distinguished success. He 
 was universally admired both as a preacher and a 
 man, and every vacant church was at his choice. 
 His melodious, full, and powerful voice, just and 
 eloquent conceptions, and impassioned manner of 
 delivery, gave a charm to his appearances in the 
 pulpit that gratified all hearers, and afforded the 
 prognostics of that eminence to which he afterwards 
 attained as a sacred orator." 
 
 Upon his settlement in this parish, the friend who 
 was his associate during his preparation for a mer- 
 cantile life, had here an opportunity of renewing that 
 intimacy with him, which, amicrst dissimilar occu- 
 pations and pursuits, and the different circumstances 
 in which they were placed, was found to be in no 
 degree impaired; and the recollection of which, 
 amid all the changes and chances of this mortal life, 
 is still most fondly cherished by the survivor. They 
 were for some time, at Frankfort, inmates of the 
 same family, and occupied the same room. Tliis 
 friend saw him constantly, also, in the exercise of 
 his ministry, and had abundant opportunities of 
 learning in what high estimation he was held by his 
 parishioners. The result of these personal obser- 
 vations agrees With the accounts which have been 
 given by others. During the time that he officiated 
 in these churches, he discharged all his duties with 
 
 * By the Rev. Dr. Beasley. 
 
niCIIT REV. JOHN HENRY nOBART. 
 
 the greatest, fidelity and zeal, and acted under l!ic 
 influence of the same Iiiu^li motives by wiiicli he was 
 uniformly governed in after-life. The peoph; were 
 entirely satisfied with liis labours, attentive to his 
 instructions, and returned his pastoral kindness 
 with the warmest affliction; hut as they were scat- 
 tered over a considcrahle extent of count rv, so much 
 time was consumed in travellinrr through Ids parish 
 to fierform the important duty of visiting the differ- 
 ent members of his congregations, that he found 
 but little was left for study. Fie soon perceived the 
 utter impossil)ility of reconciling the disadvantages 
 of his situation with that high standard in the know- 
 ledge of his profession to which his ardent and am- 
 bitious mind aspired : under the influence of this 
 consideration, therefore, he determined to leave it. 
 
 The congregation of St. Paul's Church, in Piii- 
 ladelphia, were anxious to appoint him an Assistant 
 Minister to their Rector, Dr. Magaw; but adhering 
 to his original [)lan of a more retired life, he ac- 
 cepted, in 1709, an invitation to Christ Church, 
 JNcw-Brunswick. 
 
 This new arrangement, where the [)arish was 
 confined within narrow bounds, and consequently 
 required less of his time for paro(ddal duties, eii- 
 nbled him to prosecute his studies with <n-eater 
 diligence and effect. It also gave him an of)por- 
 tnniiy of making frequent visits to his friemis at 
 Princeton, and of enjoying the advantages of the 
 College library. Here, among the Professors and 
 his former companions in study, he both imlulged 
 those social feelings in which his heart delighted, 
 and engaged in those literary and scientific discus- 
 
70 MEMOIR OF TJIE LIFE OF THE 
 
 sions by wliicli liis mind was strongtbonerl nnd 
 improved. He w.is nno of a litllo knot — Kollock, 
 How, Bc!isl(!y, and Mcrcor— who at that lime jjavc 
 fl.itlL'rini]: prcsairos of llicir ftitiiro famo, and who 
 aft«;rwards, with somo difftTnnct; in ihc measure, 
 justified the expectations of them wiiicli were then 
 ciilcrtaitjed. 
 
 The siliiMlion at New-Brunswiek, however, did 
 not correspond wiili his wishes: the lowr), tliough 
 small, had mu(di of ilie noise and bustle of a city, 
 and even the environs were witliout any degree of 
 rural beauty. His attention was then turned towards 
 Hempstead, on Long-Island ; but, from a letter which 
 he wrote to Mr. Mcercer, it does not appear that ho 
 looked forward to this change with any expectation 
 of realizing his imaginary [)icture of contentiniMit 
 and bliss. Tiie congregation was large, wealthy, 
 and respectable, zealous in their attachment to the 
 Church, kind and attentive to their minister, hos- 
 pitable, affectionate, and generous, but, for the most 
 part, plain and rustic in their manners, and with 
 ft;wer persons in it of education and refinement 
 than are usually found in conntry towns so near to 
 a populous city. This was particularly the case in 
 that part of the parish where the church and par- 
 sonage were situated. He had just declined an 
 opportunity of settling in St. Mark's Church, which 
 had been recently built in the suburbs of New- 
 York, from his desire for greater reliremerjt; but 
 Iterc he dreaded a solitude. There would be but 
 little of that intellectual pleasure in his intercourse 
 with the people, which he had always been accus- 
 tomed to enjoy in the society of his friends; and 
 
RIGHT UEV. JOHN HENRY IIOBART. 71 
 
 Ills only rP55oiirco would 1)0 in occnpying liij? mind 
 wholly with study nnd tiin (hitios of liis proffssioii. 
 The vi!l.i;r(; of HcMupstiNid, .-dso, lyiugon iIk; border 
 ofnu uncuhivated [)iain, possessed hut few of those 
 rural chartns whiidi were the; chicd* ground of his 
 nllaeliment to a country life. Notwithstanding', 
 however, its want of attractions, he nccejjted the 
 invitation to the parish, and [)assed in it some of 
 liis calmest and happiest days. 
 
 In tlie s[)ring of 1800 In; married Mary Goodin 
 Chandler, daughter of the Rev. Dr. Chandler,* for- 
 
 • Tlio incidental connexion of Dr. Chandler witli the subject of 
 this biotfiapliy, it is thought, will be a sufficient reason for introducing 
 a few hr'ittf notices of his life and character into a work to which 
 they do not strictly belong. 
 
 He was born at Woodstock, Massachusetts, on the 26th of April, 
 172S, and was cdiicatod at Yale College, New-H iven. In 1751, 
 he went to England for holy orders, and, as his family think, 
 received them from the Bishop of London. 
 
 On his return he was made Rector of St. John's Church, Eliza- 
 beth-Town, New-Jersey. In that humble and quiet retreat he was 
 enabled to indulge bis passionate fondness for study, and to make 
 such large acquisitions both to his professional and general know- 
 ledge, as to give him a very high rank among his clerical brethren. 
 A question of deep interest to the Episcopal Church in America had 
 been much discussed among her friends, and it was at length thought 
 expedient that it should be presented to the consideration of the 
 civil and ecclesiastical authorities in England. The want of Bisiiops 
 in the colonies was found, on many accounts, to be a serious evil. 
 The rite of confirmation, established by primitive usage, and re- 
 garded as a matter of Christian duty, could never be administered. 
 The Clergy, independent of each other, had no ecclesiastical supe- 
 riors to unite or control them. Discipline could not be exercised 
 without so man}' difficulties as would often aflbrd an opportunity to 
 the unworthy to escape from the punishment which they deserved. 
 The expense and danaers of a vo3'age to England, for the purpose 
 of obtaining orders, deterred many from entering into the ministry, 
 
72 MEMOIR OF THE LIFE OF THE : 
 
 morly Rector of St. John's Cliiirch, Elizfibetli-Town, 
 Ncw-Jorscy. Never Iiave I known a choice that 
 
 wlio would have adorned it ; and tlie impossibility that a Bishop, 
 residing at that distance, should procure accurate information, in all 
 cases, of the characters of the candidates for orders, was the causo 
 of many being admitted into it, by whom the Church was disho- 
 noured. All tiiese things tended to alienate from her the affections 
 of her members, and to retard her growth. 
 
 At the request, therefore, of his brethren. Dr. Chandler wrote a 
 work on the subject of American Episcopacy, in which he showed, 
 witli great force of reasoning, the expediency and advantage of having 
 Bisiiops consecrated for the colonies. From his decided attachment 
 to the Churcli and State, and from his strong desire to promote the 
 welfare of both, he treated the subject with that judgment and temper 
 which entitled it to consideration at home, but wiiich, it appears, 
 however, from the neglect of his counsel, it did not receive. 
 
 He also wrote another interesting work, the Life of Dr. Johnson, 
 first President of King's College, New-York, which, though merely 
 intended as a biographical sketch, is, nevertheless, a history of the 
 early state of the Episcopal Ciuirch in Connecticut, and of the dif- 
 ficulties which she encountered, from prejudice and ignorance, in 
 her establishment and progress. 
 
 The salary of Dr. Chandler as a INIissionary of the Society for 
 the Propagation oftiie Gospel, was £59 sterling a year; on which, 
 with soma slight contributions from th'; congregation, a parsonage, 
 and small glebe, he lived with such a degree of ease and conjfort, 
 and with such a free and unlimited hospitality, as are remembered 
 by many who are still living, both with wonder and pleasure. I 
 have scarcely ever met with any aged person belonging to our 
 Church who had visited Elizabeth-Town, that did not delight m 
 recalling the many happy hours which he had spent in that agreeable 
 family, and at that hospitable board. 
 
 Extensively as Dr. Chandler was known and respected by stran- 
 gers, he was still more beloved by his parishioners and friends. 
 Cheerful in his temper, easy and accessible in his intercourse with 
 others — fond of study, of retirement, and all rural pursuits, but yet 
 of blending and sweetening them with social enjoyment, remaining 
 much at home, and, from an aversion to preaching elsewhere, never 
 out of his own pulpit, it was natural that his affability, his kindness. 
 
CI 
 
 RIGHT REV. JOHN HENRY HOB ART. 7' 
 
 was more happy, nor a union more blessed. She 
 united with her personal attractions, a simplicity of 
 
 his constant presence and unintermitted labours, should greatly en- 
 dear him to his people. 
 
 He was exceedingly intimate with the Rev. Mr. Learning, witlr 
 Dr. Wilkins, who was then a lawyer, but who, at a later period of 
 life, entered into the Church, and with Dr. Seabury, who was after- 
 wards Bishop of Connecticut. When the storm of the revolution- 
 was gathering, and so many important interests were at stake, they 
 frequently met at each other's houses, and in the discussion of the 
 agitating questions of the times, and in intellectual and social enjoy- 
 ment, made dearer to them by their union of sentiments, and the 
 uncertainty how long it might be continued, they never knew when 
 to part. I have heard it stated, that they generally sat up till a 
 very late hour at night, and that the day has often dawned upon 
 their conversations. 
 
 Mr. Wilkins, who was a man of an ardent temperament and mas- 
 culine mind, and Dr. Chandler, who held a ready and vigorous pen, 
 warmly espoused the loyal cause. Tiiey wrote a number of political 
 pieces, and circulated them with great activity and diligence, in the 
 hopes of checking the progress of what they conscientiously believed 
 a rash rebellion and a crying sin. The current, however, soon set 
 so strongly against them, that they were compelled to yield to it ; 
 and political excitement was so violent, that they were under the 
 necessity of leaving the country. Mr. Wilkins went to Nova- 
 Scotia, and Dr. Chandler to England. 
 
 The loyalty, fidelity, and zeal of the latter, wexe there held in 
 high estimation by government; and his attachment to the Church, 
 his reputation as a scholar, and his attainments as a divine, procured 
 for him the most gratifying attentions from the Clergy. From a 
 brief diary which he kept, it appears that he was often consulted by 
 those in authority, on questions of the greatest importance in relation 
 to the colonies. He was received with such a marked and universal 
 respect into the society of the most distinguished persons, as has verv 
 rarely been rendered to any one from our country in private life. It 
 is a mark, both of his literary reputation in England, and of the 
 degree of influence which he was supposed to have with persons in 
 power, that he drew up a petition to the queen in favour of Dr. 
 Dodd, at the request of his friends; but considerations of public 
 
 10 
 
74 iWEWOIR OF THE LIFE OF THE 
 
 character, a gentleness of manners, an evenness of 
 temper and sweetness of disposition, a kindness of 
 
 policy overpowering all private feelings, this petition, like every 
 other, proved unavailing, and answered no other purpose but that 
 of a new and soothing expression of sympathy and commiseration 
 for his unhappy fate. 
 
 During the ten years which he passed in London, he received, 
 in addition to his salary from the Society for the Propagation of the 
 Gospel, an annual allowance from government of £200 sterling. 
 He was made a Doctor of Divinity at the University of Oxford. 
 He was appointed to the Bishoprick of Nova-Scotia, an office which 
 he was compelled to decline, from the progress of a cancerous affec- 
 tion in his face ; and upon his death, a pension was allowed to his 
 widow until the day of her own. 
 
 When Dr. Chandler wrote to the Archbishop of Canterbury that 
 it would be impossible for him to take charge of the diocese of Nova- 
 Scotia, he received from him a very kind and courteous reply, ex- 
 pressing his respect for his character, and his regret for his affliction, 
 and begging him to point out some suitable person who might be 
 appointed in his place. Upon his recommendation the Bishoprick 
 was conferred on Dr. Inglis, who, previous to the peace, had been 
 Rector of Trinity Church, in New-York. 
 
 While there were so many things to gratify him in his protracted 
 absence from his family, it was also a delightful circumstance to him, 
 that, amidst all the troubles and distresses of the times, they met 
 with nothing but favour and kindness at home. He was enabled to 
 spare enough from his income for their comfortable support. His 
 people retaining a grateful recollection of his services, and an un- 
 diminished respect for his character, notwithstanding the difference 
 of his political course, exerted their influence to protect them from 
 the depredations and violence of the revolutionary army, when any 
 part of it happened to be quartered in the town ; and the British 
 soldiers treated them with the courtesy and respect which were due 
 to friends. In the fluctuations, therefore, of success between the 
 contending parties, the parsonage was often made a place of com- 
 mon refuge. 
 
 Dr. Chandler returned to Elizabeth-Town in 1786, but the cancer 
 in his face continuing to increase, he was never able to resume his- 
 pastoral duties, and finally died of it in 1T90. 
 
 & 
 
inCIIT REV. JOHN IIENUY HOnAUT. 75 
 
 heart, a depth of humility, devotion, and piety, that 
 not only fitted her to be a pleasing companion and 
 helper to one whose duty it was to " frame and 
 fashion himself and family according to the doctrine 
 of the Gospel, but to be with him a wholesome 
 example and pattern to the flock of Christ." In the 
 most retired and lowly situation, she adapted herself, 
 without difficulty or constraint, to the circumstances 
 in which she was placed, and won the good will and 
 regard of those around her; she adorned prosperity, 
 repressing all elation of spirit, and making others, 
 as far as possible, partakers of her happiness; and 
 now, in her widowhood and desolation, by her 
 meekness, her submission, her trust in God, and 
 faith in his promises, she is at once an object to her 
 friends of sympathy and admiration. 
 
 The situation at Hempstead was probably found. 
 
 The different pamphlets and fughive pieces winch were written 
 by him in this country before the revolution, and during his resi- 
 dence in England — the innumerable letters which he received from 
 eminent persons abroad, and from his friends at home, and those 
 wliich he himself sent to his family — would have formed a valuable 
 collection of papers for the illustration of our civil and ecclesiastical 
 fiistory, and furnished ample materials for an interesting account of 
 his own life. But some time after his death, when the fierce passions 
 •excited by civil broils, had, in a great measure, died away; when 
 those who had been separated in unhajjpy times by diflerent views of 
 duty, once more met as brethren and friends, and when no reasonable 
 danger could have been apprehended from retaining these papers 
 in the possession of the family — they were alarmed by the timid and 
 ill-timed advice of a person whom they respected and loved, and 
 the whole collection, with some few exceptions, was entirely de- 
 slroyed. Thus the fullest memorial that will ever be given of one 
 of whom so much might have been said, will, perhaps, be found in 
 this brief and imperfect sketch. 
 
W' MEMOIR OF THE LIFE OF THE 
 
 upon trial, as Mr. Hobart had apprehended before- 
 hand, neither suited to his taste nor wishes. It was, 
 in fact, too limited a scope for the talents and ener- 
 gies of his restless and aspiring mind. He was not 
 apparently aware of the source of his weariness and 
 disquietude, nor of the higher part which, in the 
 designs of Providence, he was destined to fill; but, 
 under the influence of these undefinable feelings, 
 of the very existence of which he seemed uncon- 
 scious, he took the first step in that more useful 
 and glorious career which he afterwards ran. 
 
 In the month of December, 1800, he received an 
 invitation as an Assistant Minister to Trinity Church, 
 New- York; a most desirable settlement, on every 
 account, to any one who was fitted for a participa- 
 tion in such an extensive and weighty charge. From 
 a letter which he wrote shortly after to Mr. Mercer, 
 he seems to have entered upon his duties with ac- 
 tivity and zeal, but without the slightest degree of 
 self-complacency or pride. Indeed, among all his 
 letters which I have seen, there is not one besides 
 which is so shaded with dejection and gloom. This 
 was certainly the consequence of the nervous irrita- 
 bility of his system, and by no means the habitual 
 or prevailing temper of his mind ; for in company 
 there was generally a remarkable cheerfulness both 
 in his air and conversation, and occasionally the 
 greatest exuberance of spirits. 
 
 Mr. Hobart's letter to Mr. Mercer. 
 
 "Neiv-York, 31arch ISth, 1801. 
 
 " My long silence is indeed without excuse. It 
 
 would be folly in me to pretend that engagements 
 
RIGHT REV. JOHN HENRY HOBAUT. 77 
 
 have prevented me from writing to you, though 
 these, from my change of residence, have been 
 numerous. My mind, however, has generally been 
 so depressed, that I have not had the resolution to 
 take up my pen. Though I have not lately had those 
 fits of melancholy to which I was formerly subject, 
 yet I seem to be the victim of a languor that indis- 
 poses and disqualifies me for exertion. This state 
 of my mind I attribute partly to constitutional ma- 
 lady, but particularly to my having been of late 
 hurried through scenes so novel and so wholly op- 
 posed to my former sentiments, habits, and pursuits. 
 From a wise law of nature, however, which gradually 
 bends the mind to the circumstances in which it is 
 placed, I am becoming more reconciled to my situ- 
 ation ; and I am awakened from this fatal torpor by 
 the reflection, that I am sacrificing to it the highest 
 duties and enjoyments of life. 
 
 " I moved to town last December, at which time 
 I entered on the duties of my oflice as one of the 
 Assistant Ministers of Trinity Church. I find enough 
 to occupy my thoughts and my time. I have so many 
 interruptions, and so many engagements, that my 
 mind and feelings become relaxed and dissipated. 
 I am endeavouring to introduce order and energy 
 into my studies and duties, which will, no doubt 
 have a favourable eflfect on my mind. I can, how- 
 ever, never like a city. I pant for the enjoyments 
 of the country, and still indulge the hope of being 
 one day able to realize a plan of happiness some- 
 what like my wishes. Who is there that does not 
 indulge this hope? 
 
 " Yet do not suppose that I am unhappy ; from 
 
MEiVIOIR OF THE LIFE OF THE 
 
 the lofty regions of inexperienced fancy, in which 
 we often soared, I have sunk down to the plain, but, 
 perhaps, more valuable enjoyments of common life. 
 Except when under the uncontrollable influence of 
 constitutional melancholy, I can generally find tran- 
 quil happiness in the endearments and duties of 
 domestic life — in the enlivening hopes of friendship 
 — in plans of literary improvement and professional 
 duty; and, if I know my own heart, I can say, that, 
 regarding this world as the scene of much vice and 
 misery, and containing no bliss but what will be in- 
 finitely exalted in that which is to come, I cherish 
 always with pleasure, and sometimes with triumph, 
 the prospect of leaving it, and entering on the per- 
 fection and unutterable happiness of my everlasting 
 existence." 
 
 In this new and important situation Mr. Hobart 
 fully sustained the reputation, as a preacher, which 
 he had already acquired. His discourses were 
 written with all the freedom and glow of youthful 
 feeling, and, though not bearing the test of rigid 
 criticism, nor suiting the taste of the more scrupu- 
 lous and refined, were yet exceedingly acceptable 
 to the great body of the people. The evangelical 
 spirit which they always breathed — the bold and 
 direct appeals which they addressed to the hearts 
 and consciences of men — the infusion of his own 
 tenderness into religious truths, which gave to them 
 their native impressiveness and force — the indiffer- 
 ence which he himself felt to the world, that made 
 others more sensible of its emptiness and vanity ; all 
 these things were calculated to arouse the attention 
 of his hearers, to awaken their zeal, inflame their 
 
RIGHT REV. JOHN HENRY HOBART. 79 
 
 piety, and urge them on with increasing diligence 
 in their Christian course. Though he had not 
 studied elocution with such care as to be always 
 accurate in emphasis and accent, yet nature had 
 gifted him with a voice but seldom equalled in com- 
 pass, richness, and melody; so that, by the variety 
 of its intonations, he could give such an effect even 
 to the most common sentiments, as very often could 
 not have been produced by the highest eloquence in 
 others. There was not the slightest appearance of 
 labour nor effort, even when he was most impas- 
 sioned ; and he could throw into expostulation all its 
 earnestness, into terror a thrilling energy, into per- 
 suasion a soothing tenderness, into pathos the very 
 plaintiveness of woe. The effect of his manner was 
 also increased, in the early part of his ministry, by 
 his preaching memoriter, a practice which he 
 adopted from his extreme short-sightedness, and 
 which gave to his sermons the ease and animation 
 of extemporaneous discourses; and after this prac- 
 tice was abandoned, he still made himself so familiar 
 with them, as to avoid embarrassment and confusion 
 in their delivery. This is a just description of him 
 as he appeared upon his first settlement in the 
 parish, when free from the restraints of that sober- 
 ing influence which crept upon him in maturer age, 
 and from that regard which he felt to be due to the 
 gravity of his office, when raised to a more exalted 
 station. But the striking characteristics of his elo- 
 quence were never materially altered; and while 
 his discourses were greatly improved in their ar- 
 rangement, matter, and style, they^were, to the last, 
 delivered with remarkable animation and force. 
 
80 I>[EMOIR OF THE LIFE OF THE 
 
 He also performed his duties as a pastor with the 
 utmost promptitude, fidelity, and zeal. He attached 
 great importance to this part of his sacred functions, 
 both on account of the edification and comfort which 
 were thus administered to the people, and the 
 respect, affection, and influence which these atten- 
 tions were so apt to secure for the clergy them- 
 selves: He was, therefore, always ready for any 
 parochial call. No considerations of ease or plea- 
 sure were suffered to interfere with it; the engage- 
 ments of company, whether at home or abroad, 
 were interrupted; study was laid aside; every 
 occupation or pursuit, however agreeable, gave 
 place to this important duty. The cheerfulness with 
 which it was performed cannot be duly appreciated, 
 unless it be remarked, that he was settled in a 
 parish consisting of three large congregations, in 
 which there were, at all times, so many of the sick 
 and the dying who needed the consolations of reli- 
 gion, and where the cemeteries which belonged to 
 it were the common burial-places of nearly all the 
 Episcopalians in a populous city. 
 
 He was singularly happy in his visitation of the 
 sick, as I have often had occasion to observe when 
 I have chanced to be with him. The ease and 
 freedom of his manner, united with the greatest 
 tenderness and delicacy, at once removed embar- 
 rassment, and drew forth from those with whom he 
 conversed, an unrestrained expression of their feel- 
 ings and views. The readiness with which he 
 applied his general observations, and the felicity 
 with which he adapted his quotations from Scripture 
 to the respective circumstances of their case, gave 
 
RIGHT KEV. JOHN HENRY HOIJART. Sl 
 
 to all that he said a peculiar interest and force ; 
 and the impression was made still deeper, by the 
 solemnity and fervour with which he offered up the 
 prayers. Regarding also his vow not only to visit 
 the sick but the well within his cure, he devoted as 
 much of his time to this duty as could conveniently 
 be taken from his other numerous and pressing en- 
 gagements. Among these he mingled with the easy 
 familiarity of a friend, imposing no restraint upon 
 their cheerful conversation or innocent enjoyments^ 
 but securing their good-will and aifection by his 
 sociability and kindness, and at the same time not 
 losing sight of the dignity of his character, nor the 
 obligations of his calling, but often availing himself 
 of suitable opportunities to season common dis- 
 course with such words as might " minister grace 
 unto the hearers." How often are the recollections 
 of these happy hours awakened in thousands, with 
 a gush of tenderness that they can be enjoyed no 
 more ! 
 
 The following letter of Mr. Hobart to the Rev. 
 Dr. Boucher, vicar of Epsom, was sent by Mr. 
 Mercer, on a visit which he made to England in 
 1802 :— 
 
 " Neic-York, Nov. 22d, 1802. 
 " Rev. John Boucher, 
 
 " SIR, 
 
 " 1 am sensible that an apology is due to you 
 from a stranger, for the liberty which he takes of 
 addressing you. As a minister of the Episcopal 
 Church, cherishing a warm interest in its welfare, 
 I have been led to esteem your character as one of 
 
 11 
 
82 
 
 MEMOIR OF THE LIFE OF THE 
 
 its principal defenders, and from my connexion, 
 by marriage, witli one of the late Dr. Chandler's 
 daughters, to revere you as his valued friend. 
 
 " My acquaintance with Dr. Chandler's family 
 did not commence until several years after his 
 death. I regret this circumstance the more, as all 
 his papers, which I conceive would have thrown 
 considerable light on the history of the Church in 
 this country, have been destroyed. I am persuaded 
 that a Church in which you once so zealously la- 
 boured, must still be the object of your solicitude; 
 and if, amidst the profound literary pursuits in 
 which you arc at present engaged, you could find 
 leisure for other objects, no person could be better 
 qualified for recording and elucidating the early and 
 the more advanced history of the American Church. 
 Such an account of its origin and progress as you 
 would be able to give, would be a valuable acquisi- 
 tion to literature, to ecclesiastical history, and to 
 the cause of sound principles in religion and 
 government. Should your engagements forbid the 
 prosecution of an extensive plan, such hints as you 
 might be able to put to paper, would be a valuable 
 present to any friend of the Church here, to whom 
 you might think proper to transmit them. I have 
 often deeply regretted that the venerable clergy are, 
 one by one, passing away, without any exertions 
 being made to secure for posterity the important 
 information which they possess on the past affairs 
 of the Church."* h 
 
 Mr. Hobart to Mr. Mercer. 
 
 * An answer to this letter was received, but it cannot be found 
 among the Bishop's papers. 
 
ItlGHT REV. JOHN HENRY HO BART. 83 
 
 " Neic- York, Dec. \st, 1802. 
 
 *' Thanks be to Providence, my clearest Mercer, 
 the weather since you sailed has been uncommonly 
 fine, and though we have now a north-easterly 
 storm, I trust you are out of its reach. I have 
 followed you constantly with my thoughts, my affec- 
 tions, my prayers. Though I cannot think without 
 apprehension and gloom of your encountering the 
 dangers and lonely terrors of the deep, yet I believe 
 that your resolution and your virtue will bear you 
 up in cheerfulness and good spirits; at any rate, 
 before this letter reaches you, you will have landed 
 in the country of our forefathers; and in the 
 various and interesting scenes which open to you, 
 you will find ample compensation for the fatigues 
 of your voyage. Accuse me not of repining, if I 
 say, that I long to be with you : to travel with such 
 a friend — to share with him the exalted pleasure of 
 contemplating the beauties of nature, and the sub- 
 lime productions of art — of viewing the manners, 
 and beholding the eminent personages of one of 
 the most celebrated countries in the world — would 
 almost be the height of my earthly ambition." 
 
 When Mr. Mercer called on Dr. Boucher to pre- 
 sent the letter which was written by Mr. Hobart for 
 information in regard to the history of the Episcopal 
 Church in America, he was gone on a journey to 
 the west of England. 
 
 The manner in which Mr. Mercer was received 
 by his family, and the agreeable picture which he 
 draws of his domestic arrangements, character, 
 and habits, will not, perhaps, be unacceptable to 
 the reader. 
 
^4 MEMOIR OF THE LIFE OF THE 
 
 " London, July 29th, 1803, 
 " Leicester Place. 
 " Since my return from France I have spent my 
 whole time in London, with the exception of only 
 two excursions, one to Windsor, Eaton, Twicken- 
 ham, Richmond, and Kew; and the other, to see 
 Dr. Boucher, at Epsom. The Doctor and his wife 
 were from home. She had accompanied him in a 
 visit to Cumberland, which he had been induced to 
 undertake by the advice of his physician. He had 
 been recently alarmed by a paralytic stroke, which 
 had injured his speech. It did not otherwise affect 
 his health, which has been uncommonly good for a 
 man of his advanced age. His step-daughter, the 
 child of his present and third wife, who is about 
 eighteen, received me very politely ; and she and 
 her young companions induced me to spend the 
 greater part of two days at Epsom. A young Scotch 
 linguist, and a clergyman of the same age, appeared 
 to be inmates of the family. There was a young 
 lady from Cumberland, the niece of the Doctor, 
 who had been making a long visit to Epsom, and 
 two other ladies, one of whom was the governess 
 of the little girls who are placed under his instruc- 
 tion. I dined in the school-room, and became 
 quite domiciliated in this hospitable and respectable 
 mansion before I left Epsom. I believed, for a 
 moment, that I saw the old patriarchal simplicity 
 revived; and I felt deeply interested in the journey 
 which the venerable head of this amiable family 
 was performing. His garden, his grounds, his 
 house, his library, and the affection with which he 
 seemed to be regarded by all around him, gave me 
 
RlfiHT REV. JOHN HENRY HOBART. 85 
 
 a very pleasing view of liis character. They tohl 
 me that he used to say, that his three temporal 
 blessings were his family first, his books next, and 
 his garden. He preserves an affectionate remem- 
 brance of our country. His daughter pointed out 
 to me many American plants and trees which he 
 had nurtured with great care. I was particularly 
 pleased with his library, which is the largest I ever 
 saw in a private house — it must contain five thou- 
 sand volumes. The most interesting object in it 
 was a pile of quarto manuscripts, two feet high, 
 which comprised, I was told, the first part of his 
 Archaeological Dictionary. The unfinished remain- 
 der, 1 understood, would occupy as many more, 
 and require his unremitting attention for several 
 years. All the books, amounting to six or seven 
 hundred volumes, which he had consulted in the 
 course of his labours, were neatly arranged in the 
 middle of his library, on a separate stand of shelves. 
 The linguist, who went with me to the library, and 
 who represented the Doctor in his school during 
 his absence, told me that he had occasionally 
 assisted him in his work ; and his niece, who came 
 in while we were conversing, to see what had be- 
 come of me, said that she had written some part of 
 those manuscripts. This amiable and ingenious 
 young lady, who is a native of Ireland, had also 
 assisted him in selecting the words peculiar to her 
 country and the west of England, which she now 
 calls her permanent residence. From the windows 
 of his library the Doctor has a prospect of some of 
 his American trees, and of a beautiful green sur- 
 rounding a sheet of clear water ; this is itself en- 
 
86 MEMOIR OF THE LIFE OF THE 
 
 compassed by a walk, consisting of a double row 
 of evergreens and tall trees, which obstructing the 
 view of every outward object, must peculiarly dis- 
 pose the mind to abstract study. I bade adieu to 
 this charming retreat and this worthy family, which 
 reminded me sorrowfully of my distant home and 
 friends, on the evening of the second day after I 
 entered Epsom." 
 
 Mr. Mercer went abroad at a time of great 
 political excitement in this country, when the two 
 parties which divided it blended all domestic ques- 
 tions with foreign partialities and dislikes ; the one 
 inclining to favourable views of England, the other 
 to an enthusiastic admiration of France. That 
 time has happily passed by, and with a greater 
 degree of national character and feeling among 
 ourselves, there is also much more of impartiality 
 and justice shown towards others. He visited 
 England with unfavourable impressions, which, not- 
 withstanding a few agreeable circumstances that 
 he met with, were for the most part confirmed. In 
 replying to some communications on this head, 
 Mr. Hobart endeavours to combat his prejudices, 
 both in a serious and playful strain. 
 
 " New- York, July 9th, 1803. 
 " I can enter perfectly into the state of your 
 feelings with respect to the English. You never 
 were very partial to them, and the selfish pursuits 
 and pleasures of a dissipated commercial metro- 
 polis are not well calculated to increase your 
 esteem for them. In London you certainly see 
 the English character at the worst. Among the 
 
RIGHT REV. JOHN HENRY HOBART. 87 
 
 genteel country families, I am told, it wears a very 
 different and far more amiable aspect. The Eng- 
 lish are certainly not quick in their feelings — it is 
 not easy to obtain a place in their hearts — they even 
 view strangers with jealousy till they find them 
 worthy of their esteem ; but I have always supposed, 
 that when a person once obtained a familiar footing 
 with them, they would go great lengths to please 
 him. And they certainly possess, above every other 
 nation in the world, the means of doing so. It is 
 one thing to possess those qualities that in an in- 
 stant seize upon your affections ; it is another, to 
 possess those that preserve and increase permanent 
 regard. The pride of the English may be inordi- 
 nate and repulsive, but it is a pride that disdains 
 affectation, that scorns to use the easy coin of pro- 
 fessions, that refuses to take to the bosom every 
 person whom they see, at the very instant that he 
 makes his appearance among them. Scrutinizing 
 and suspicious, they weigh character, and then 
 extend regard in proportion to merit. I am per- 
 suaded that, were you thrown out of those selfish 
 and cunning circles in which business now leads 
 you to move, and to remain some time out of the 
 metropolis, your amiable heart would find those on 
 whom it would repose. Did I wish to flirt away a 
 few weeks, to awaken and gratify my volatile feel- 
 ings, I would visit France. Did I wish to obtain 
 permanent enjoyment, to expand my mind where the 
 most noble principles, the most useful pursuits, and 
 the most solid virtues have flourished for centuries, 
 I would take up my abode in England. I was par- 
 ticularly pleased with your account of St. Cyr- 
 
88 MEMOIR OF THE LIFE OF THE 
 
 Cocquard. You must forgive me, if I say I think his 
 letter had a little the appearance of that extravagant 
 sensibility for which the French have always been 
 remarked. Oh ! you will say, poor St. Cyr-Cocquard 
 is not an Englishman. Well, my dear Mercer, I 
 must go to England to get cured of my undue 
 prejudices in favour of that nation. The account 
 you gave me of Dr. Andrews was very interesting. 
 I find they have some good 2^'^^<^<^^^^'*'s in England. 
 You were not very civilly treated, to be sure, in St. 
 James's Church; but do reflect, that in a church of 
 so much eclat, if all the strangers and all the poor 
 people were immediately accommodated, the church 
 would, after a short time, become so thronged, that 
 the lawful possessors could not get seats." 
 
 The strong attachment of Mr. Hobart to the dis- 
 tinctive principles of the Episcopal Church, and his 
 bold, active, and persevering defence of them at all 
 times, through good and through evil report, were 
 striking peculiarities in his character and life. He 
 was constantly endeavouring to rouse others to a 
 sense of their importance, and by his indefatigable 
 labours, his noble enthusiasm, even in the cause of 
 soberness and truth, and the influence of his talents, 
 character, and station, he revived the languid zeal 
 of Episcopalians, gave a new tone to their senti- 
 ments in this diocese, and stamped the impress of 
 his own mind and feelings on thousands through- 
 out the Church at large. Fro Ecdesia Dei he 
 adopted in as full a sense as the "venerable prelate* 
 by whom these words were first chosen, as the 
 
 :' * Archbishop Whitgift. 
 
RIGHT REV. JOHN HENRY UOBART. 89 
 
 Standard of his wishes, his duties, his labours, Km 
 dying prayers." There are no means of ascertain- 
 ing what gave this strong bent to his mind in regard 
 to the distinguishing! principles of the Church: lie 
 was nurtured in her bosom indeed, but at a very 
 early period of his life he was removed to a Pres- 
 byterian college, withdrawn for many years from 
 the services of his own communion, and evidently 
 estranged in a measure from his " first love," though 
 it was never entirely discarded or forgotten. While 
 acting as a tutor at Princeton, he performed in his 
 turn the prescribed services in the chapel, accord- 
 ing to the Presbyterian mode; but he was always 
 apprehensive of the dangerous influence of his 
 residence at that institution on his attachment to 
 the Church, and with a view, perhaps, of fortifying 
 himself in her principles, he often entered into dis- 
 cussions on these points with Dr. Smith and Mr. 
 Kollock, in which he was aided and sustained by 
 some of his Episcopal friends. Perhaps this very 
 circumstance of contending with the president, who 
 was so greatly his superior in age and attainments, 
 may have led him to a stricter examination of the 
 subject than he would have otherwise made, with 
 a view to a more able and successful defence. But 
 his warm, decided, and unchangeable attachment 
 to the Church in her peculiar and distinctive cha- 
 racter, must, no doubt, be chiefly attributed to the 
 course of his reading in the further progress of his 
 ecclesiastical studies. 
 
 In promoting her welfare, the most humble efl^orts 
 were exalted in his sight by the dignity and import- 
 ance of the object. Much that ho has done in this 
 
 12 
 
90 MEMOrii OF THli LIFE OF THE 
 
 way was never publicly known. The hope of doing" 
 good was his only motive, and the advantage of it to 
 others his only reward. With this view he revised, 
 with great care, the excellent treatise of Stevens 
 on the Nature and Constitution of the Christian 
 Church, and republished it in 1803. Instead of 
 retaining its original form of a general dissertation, 
 lie altered it into one which would adapt it more 
 especially to the young, by prefixing questions to 
 the several parts, am[)lified the topics which had 
 been treated with too much brevity, supplied new 
 matter where it appeared to be defective, and so 
 enlarged and improved it, as to give it an air of 
 originality and freshness, and greatly to enhance the 
 value of the work. This, however, is only learned 
 from the manuscript before me, for it was published 
 without any allusion to himself, or the pains which 
 he had bestowed upon it. 
 
 In the spring of 1804 he published his Companion 
 for the Altar, a work which, though humble in its 
 pretensions, was raised to an unexpected degree 
 of importance by the notice which it attracted 
 among tlie Clergy of other denominations, and by 
 the obloquy which it brought upon him for the 
 fearless expression of his sentiments. It was written 
 with the purest and holiest intentions, and with an 
 especial view to the spiritual advantage of the 
 members of our own communion. After having 
 explained the nature of the Lord's supper, and 
 directed the meditations of the reader to every 
 point, both in faith and practice, which is connected 
 with a due preparation for this sacred ordinance, 
 he then states from whose hands alone it could 
 
UIGIIT UEV. JOIIIN UENIIY IIOUAUT. 
 
 properly be received. He considers it essential to 
 the efficacy of tiie sacrament, that it should be 
 administered by those who are invested with lawful 
 authority to administer it, and that this authority is 
 only derived, by an outward comuiission, from the 
 Bishops of the Church. For this opinion, which 
 appears to have been regarded as a novelty, though 
 as old as Christianity, and which, though rejected 
 by some, is still the prevailing sentiment of the 
 Christian world, the author was attacked in the 
 public press, charged with bigotry, intolerance, and 
 pride, and reviled with the utmost bitterness and 
 scorn. He repelled these attacks in a better spirit, 
 and was also vindicated by others, with no less 
 dignity and calmness, than ability and force. The 
 whole question was set in its true light by a layman 
 of distinguished talents, who had examined the 
 matter with the greatest care. " Let it be recol- 
 Jected," he remarks, " that the Companion for the 
 Altar, and the Companion for the Festivals and 
 Fasts, (for these censures are equally applied to 
 both,) are intended solely for the members of the 
 Episcopal Church. They are not addressed to the 
 public at large; and but for the severe remarks 
 which have been made upon them, it is probable 
 they would have found their way into the hands of 
 very few persons of other denominations. Besides, 
 they are works which are very common in our 
 Church, being designed as an illustration of her in- 
 stitutions and services. Into these treatises, indeed, 
 is incorporated a summary view of the priesthood 
 of the Christian Church, stating its powers and 
 tracing them to the source from which they are 
 
92 MEMOin OF THE LIFE OF THE 
 
 derived. In illustrating the Festivals and Fasts, 
 what could be more proper than to show the foun- 
 dation of the authority that instituted them? In a 
 work designed as preparatory to the most solemn 
 ordinance of our religion, what more correct or 
 more natural than to show the divine right of the 
 priesthood, at whose hands it is received by the 
 communicant"! And if it be particularly objected, 
 that the question of ecclesiastical authority is thrown 
 into a meditation, let it be remembered, that in the 
 shape of a note or appendix it would probably have 
 received but little attention ; and that it is a sub- 
 ject of great moment, involving nothing less than 
 the due performance of the highest acts of worship 
 known to the Christian dispensation. Bread and 
 wine have no intrinsic efficacy to convey the graces 
 of the Spirit. We see in them the appointment of 
 God, and it is from this they derive all their value. 
 In the holy supper it is necessary to adhere to the 
 system which God has established. Man has as 
 much right to change the sacrament as to change 
 the priesthood by whom it is to be administered. 
 Both are of divine appointment, and any reasoning 
 which should prove human authority to be com- 
 petent to the alteration of the one, will prove it to 
 be no less competent to the alteration of the 
 other. These opinions are most sincerely enter- 
 tained by our Church, and to refuse her the right 
 of maintaining them, is to refuse her the common 
 privileges of religious toleration. Can this in jus- 
 tice be made a ground of complaint while we are 
 permitted to exist? The right cannot be called in 
 question; and the decent exercise of an admitted 
 
lUCHT REV. JOHN HENRY IIOBART. 9.'^ 
 
 right, ought not to draw upon us a vindictive 
 attack. 
 
 ^^ The discussions contained in the works under 
 examination are conducted in an unexceptionable 
 style. There is nothing of abuse, of sneer, or of 
 invective. It is not the manner, but the matter of 
 these treatises, that has given offence. And has 
 the time arrived, when we are to be violently 
 assailed for claiming and exercising the right of 
 judgment on a subject the most interesting that 
 can possibly engage the attention of the human 
 mind? I trust not. We believe that Episcopacy 
 is an apostolic institution — that it is the appointed 
 mode of conveying the sacerdotal power — that this 
 mode, being established only by God, can be 
 changed only by God — and that all authority ceases 
 the moment a departure takes place from the 
 system ordained for its transmission. We consider 
 Bishops as the successors of the Apostles, and as 
 possessing alone that power of ordination by which 
 the ecclesiastical office is continued and preserved. 
 These doctrines we maintain, and no reasonable 
 man can consider such conduct as giving just cause 
 of offence. How do Presbyterians themselves act 
 in this matter ! Are they not in the continual prac- 
 tice of illustrating and enforcing their distinguishing 
 tenets \ But you unchurch us. How do they act in 
 regard to others'! They believe the priesthood, and 
 the ordinances of baptism and the holy supper, to 
 be essential parts of the Christian dispensation — 
 they consider baptism as the only mode of initiation 
 into tiie Church of Christ, and as generally neces- 
 ;sary to salvation. But do you presume to unchurcii 
 
94 MEMOIR OF THE LIFE OF THE 
 
 US? say the Quakers. Will the Presbyterian, then, 
 give up the right of thinking for himself on the 
 important subjects of the priesthood and the ordin- 
 ances of the Gospel, or of decently supporting the 
 opinions which he conscientiously entertains l Can 
 he do so without debasing that rational faculty 
 which God has given him, and neglecting the im- 
 portant duty of instructing his people in what he 
 deems to be a most interesting branch of religious 
 truth 1 
 
 "Let us follow the Presbyterians one step further, 
 and see how they treat that Church, of whose want 
 of charity in persisting to think for herself they so 
 loudly complain. 
 
 " Take, for an example, the language of this very 
 writer :* — 
 
 " * The Classical or Presbyterial form of Church 
 Government is the true and only one which Christ 
 has prescribed in his word. The custom of having 
 diocesan Bishops is corrupt and injurious.' The 
 very men who thus reproach the Episcopal Church 
 for denying the validity of Presbyterial ordination, 
 hesitate not in representing her system of govern- 
 ment as corrupt, as unscriptural, as anti-christian ! 
 This is one of the rarest specimens of contradiction 
 that the annals of human inconsistency have ever 
 exhibited."t 
 
 To this temperate and able defence of Mr. Ho- 
 bart, it may also be added, that the opinions which 
 he advanced in regard to the necessity of a lawful 
 
 * The Rev. Dr. Lynn, who was one of the assailants of Mr» 
 Hobart. 
 
 t Essays on Episcopacy, pages 31,32, 33, 84. ' ' 
 
RIGHT REV. JOHN HENRY HOB ART. 95 
 
 commission for the due administration of the sacra- 
 ments, is in exact correspondence with that which 
 is set forth in the Confession of Faith.* " There be 
 only two sacraments ordained by Christ our Lord 
 in the Gospel, that is to say. Baptism and the Sup- 
 per of our Lord ; neither of which may be dispensed 
 by any but by a minister of the word lawfully or- 
 dained." The principle is the same in both cases; 
 the only difference is as to the source from which 
 ministerial authority flows ; Episcopalians consider- 
 ing it as derived by an external commission from 
 the order of Bishops, and Presbyterians believing 
 that it is conveyed by a similar commission through 
 the order of Presbyters. 
 
 The Companion for the Altar, which was made 
 the subject of such severe and unmerited censure, 
 has, however, accomplished, in an eminent degree, 
 the excellent purpose for which it was designed. It 
 has, in a great measure, superseded every other 
 work of the kind in this section of the Church, and 
 there is good reason to believe that it will long con- 
 tinue to sustain the popularity which it has already 
 acquired. Thousands and thousands have found it 
 a help to their meditations, and a guide to their 
 devotions; and have risen from a perusal of it with 
 a kindling of soul, and an elevation of sentiment, 
 which have prepared them to receive the supper of 
 the Lord with the greatest advantage, comfort, and 
 delight. It has associated the author, who was so 
 beloved and respected by them on other accounts, 
 with their holiest feelings; and many, no doubt, 
 
 * Presbyterian Confession of Faith, p. 131. 
 
96 MEMOIR OF THE LIFE OF THE 
 
 who are now united with him among " the spirits of 
 just men made perfect," look back upon this humble 
 work as one of the means by which they were 
 brought into a closer communion with their God 
 and Saviour. 
 
 It is not, however, intended to raise this unpre- 
 tending performance beyond the rank to which it is 
 entitled. As a correct explanation of the holy sa- 
 crament, as a devout effusion of the heart, and as 
 an aid to meditation and prayer, it is certainly de- 
 serving of high commendation ; but if it be regarded 
 merely in a literary view, and examined with the 
 severity which is commonly applied to other works, 
 it might undoubtedly be shown, that it abounds in 
 violations of correctness and taste. It was written 
 in great haste,* amidst the pressure of parochial 
 engagements, and with all the exuberance of youth- 
 ful feeling. The style is, therefore, too loose and 
 diffusive — the thoughts are drawn out to an undue 
 length — and the passionate expressions of devotion 
 lose much of their force and effect by frequent 
 repetition. There is not only a want of condensa- 
 tion in the matter, but also of simplicity in the 
 language ; so that, while it is not as fit as it might 
 be for the illiterate, it is also apt to offend the taste 
 of the fastidious and refined. Yet the great mass 
 of readers who take it up for the sole purpose of 
 improving the heart, and not of exercising the 
 critical acumen of the mind, and whose feelings are 
 in unison with the spirit in which it was penned, 
 will always regard it as a precious book ; and as 
 
 * In about four weekso •■' s >. 
 
RIGHT REV. JOflN HENRY HOBART. 97 
 
 often as they go to the altar, will make it their 
 guide, companion, and familiar friend. 
 
 There need not be a stronger proof of its excel- 
 lence than the encomiums which it received from 
 the pious and learned editor of the Christian Ob- 
 server, in a letter which he wrote to Bishop Hobart 
 more than twenty years after its first publication. 
 
 " St. John's, Woodroad, Aug. 20, 1825. 
 
 " RIGHT REV. AND DEAR SIR, 
 
 " I feel greatly obliged and gratified by your very 
 kind letter, and am most anxious for my handsome 
 present from Mr. Hatchard's, which I am sure I 
 shall value highly.* The work certainly needed 
 some addition to its devotional qualities ; and in 
 this respect, the frequent perusal of your Companion 
 to the blessed Eucharist convinces me it will have 
 gained much of unction from the required revision. 
 Schools of divinity will and must differ; and it is 
 in vain to deny, that even devotion will take a 
 strong tinge from doctrine ; so that I am satisfied 
 the purest liturgical compositions of the evangelical 
 and orthodox, so called, (would they were not so 
 called !) will not thoroughly please the other, but 
 each may gain from eacii; and it will be well, if all 
 may learn from 7/our devotional compositions, that 
 deep humility, that profound reverence towards 
 God, that deep repentance, that implicit faith in 
 the sacrifice of the Saviour for pardon and justifica- 
 tion, and those earnest resolutions and endeavours 
 
 * Some devotional work, it is presumed, which the Bishop in- 
 tended to revise and improve. 
 
 13 
 
93 JIEiMOIR OF THE LIFK OF THK 
 
 after a devout and lioly life, which they breathe in 
 every page. On some other points connected chiefly 
 nith the discipline of Christ's Church and the holy 
 sacraments, tlierc will be differences of opinion, 
 (even among sincere, though you will say, ill in- 
 formed Churchmen,) which ought not to separate 
 good men on any side * * *. 
 
 " Your very faithful and obliged 
 ,, ** Friend and servant, 
 
 " S. C. WILKES." 
 
 About this period, also, Mr. Hobart republished 
 the work of the pious Nelson on the Festivals and 
 Fasts of the Church, which, from its great popu- 
 larity in England, had already run through twenty- 
 eight editions. The additions which he made to it 
 on the important points of the evidences of Chris- 
 tianity and the constitution of the Church, were so 
 material as to impress on it a new character, and to 
 give it the air of originality which it has since as- 
 sumed. I cannot forbear, in this place, from making 
 some remarks on a peculiarity in the conduct of 
 this faithful and devoted servant of the Lord, which 
 showed itself upon his very entrance into the mi- 
 nistry, and which continued to be more and more 
 strongly marked till it was finally closed. Utility 
 seemed to be the sole end of his labours- — mere 
 literary fame was regarded as nothing. With a mind 
 of a highly original cast — with a thorough education, 
 which might have enabled him to accomplish even 
 great undertakings — with a soaring ambition which 
 raised him, in many respects, to an undisputed 
 pre-eminence above his brethren — he still never 
 
RIGHT RKV. JOHN HENllY HODAIIT. 99 
 
 found any work too humble for him, in which there 
 was a prospect of doing good. Whatever was in 
 any way connected with the spiritual edification of 
 others, however little it might contribute to his 
 personal reputation, seemed to be of sufficient im- 
 portance, in his eyes, to make it worthy of his la- 
 bour and care. With this view the Companion for 
 the Altar and the Companion to the Book of Com- 
 mon Prayer were written. With the same view the 
 Companion for the Festivals and Fasts, the Clergy- 
 man's Companion, the Christian's Manual, and the 
 Commentary of Mant and D'Oyly, were republished. 
 He even took pains to adapt the simple Catechism 
 ■of the Church to the tender minds of those wlio 
 were too young to give the answers which are therein 
 required, and enlarged it for those who were more 
 advanced, with a comprehensiveness and skill which 
 made it almost as profitable an exercise to tho 
 teacher as the learner. If the time wliich was spent 
 in makiofy material alterations in some of these 
 works, and laborious additions to others, had been 
 employed in systematic study, and in the execution 
 of anyone of the original plans which were floating 
 in his mind, he would not only have had the repu- 
 tation of an eloquent preacher, an acute polemic, 
 and a sound theologian, but also of a finished scholar 
 and profoundly learned divine. 
 
 About this time Mr. Hobart received an invitation 
 to the rectorship of St. Paul's Church, Philadelphia, 
 where, many years before, the congregation were 
 desirous that he should accept the appointment of 
 an Assistant Minister. The proposition, however, 
 for the reasons which he states in the accompanying 
 letter, was respectfully declined : — ■ 
 
100 MEMGIli OF THF. LIFE OF THK 
 
 " New-York, Feb. 10, 1804. 
 " Levi HollingsiDorth, Esq. 
 
 " SIR, 
 
 ** I received your letter of the 1st instant, and 
 have since given it that consideration which its im- 
 portance demands. 
 
 " My situation in New-York is an eligible one. 
 It affords every opportunity for the exercise of what- 
 ever means of usefulness I may possess; and the 
 property of the Church is amply sufficient for the 
 independent support of the clergy. Various con- 
 siderations of expediency and duty, therefore, op- 
 pose, at present, what would otherwise be very 
 gratifying to me — a residence in the place of my 
 nativity, and among my nearest friends. 
 
 " I sincerely regret the visitation of Providence, 
 which has deprived the congregation of St. Paul's 
 of the services of its late worthy Rector; and I beg 
 you to believe, that I properly appreciate the mark 
 of confidence which yourself and others of the 
 vestry are disposed to bestow on me. 
 "With sincere respect, 
 " 1 am, Sir, 
 
 " Your obedient servant, 
 
 " J. H. HOBART." 
 
 The following note is a proof of that practical 
 good sense and accurate knowledge of the work- 
 ings of the human mind, for which the writer was 
 always distinguished. It is in relation to a lady, 
 who, on a visit to Italy, was so much affected by 
 the kind and soothing attentions which her husband 
 received during his last illness, and which were 
 
RKIHT REV. JOHN HENRY HOBART. 101 
 
 continued to herself after his death, that she was 
 led to entertain a most favourable impression of 
 the religious sentiments of the persons by whom 
 they were rendered. She was of an ardent and 
 enthusiastic temper, and the disposition to a change 
 of her faith was attributed rather to the influence 
 of her imagination and feelings, than to a sober 
 conviction of her mind upon a cool and deliberate 
 investigation of the subject. 
 
 " New- York, July 6, 1804. 
 **Mrs.H . 
 
 "MADAM, ■;: 
 
 " From the interest which, in your conversation 
 with me, you appeared to take on the subject of 
 
 Mrs. S 's supposed change of religion, I think 
 
 it will give you pleasure to hear, that whatever may 
 be her sentiments in regard to the Roman Catholic 
 Church, she has never wished those sentiments to 
 be known, nor has she ever made any public avowal 
 on the subject. I also know, that, since her return 
 
 to America, she has never seen Mr. O'B , nor 
 
 any other Catholic clergyman ; nor has she, directly 
 or indirectly, taken any step that would finally con- 
 nect her with the Roman Catholic Church. I am 
 fully satisfied that she will make no decisive deter- 
 mination in this business without that sincere and 
 thorough examination which she is strongly im- 
 pressed it is her duty to make. I am persuaded 
 you will join with me in thinking, that, should the 
 reports on this subject extend beyond the circle of 
 her intimate friends, the effect upon her feelings 
 may possibly be unfavourable; and my own opinion 
 
102 MEMOIR OF THE LIFE OF THE 
 
 is, that the less at present that she hears, directly 
 or indirectly, from any person on the subject, the 
 greater the probability is, that she will not be hurried 
 into a premature and erroneous decision. Your 
 having introduced this subject to me in conversation, 
 with strong marks of interest and concern, has led 
 me to believe that the communication of these 
 facts will give you pleasure." 
 
 Mr. Hobart took unwearied pains to prevent this 
 measure, and drew up, as it appears, a summary of 
 the arguments which should fortify her in her 
 own faith, and guard her against the errors of the 
 Church of Rome. This was intended only for her 
 private examination, without any view of provokino- 
 a public controversy. The former was his duty, as 
 a faithful shepherd of the flock of Christ ; the latter 
 was not called for by the occasion. An attempt, 
 however, was made to draw him into a controversy, 
 which was thus declined : — • - .. ; 
 
 " Mr H states to Mr. F the following 
 
 decisive objections to the manuscript given by him 
 
 to Mrs. S being sent to Bishop C . Mr. 
 
 H has no wish to commence any controversy 
 
 with Bishop C , with whom, in this business, he 
 
 has certainly nothing to do. The sending of the 
 manuscript would most probably lead to a contro- 
 versy, to which Mrs. S' also is in the highest 
 
 degree averse. She rests her present determina- 
 tion on the simple fact, that the Church of England 
 and the Protestant Episcopal Church in America 
 possess the orders of the ministry instituted by 
 Christ and his apostles, viz. Bishops, Priests, and 
 Deacons, deriving their authority by regular sue- 
 
RIGHT REV. JOHN HENRY HOBART. 103 
 
 cession from Christ and his apostles. The Bishops 
 of the Church of England, at the reformation, were, 
 in fact. Bishops of the Church of Rome, and con- 
 veyed their authority to others down to the present 
 time. The lists of these Bishops, with the times, 
 the places, and the Bishops by whom they were 
 consecrated, have been recorded. They have been 
 printed from these authentic records, and are in my 
 
 possession. If Bishop C , at your instance, 
 
 chooses to contest the validity of the ordinations of 
 the clergy of the Church of England, the way is 
 open for him to do so ; but Mr. H would con- 
 ceive it indelicate and improper for him to take any 
 step that would have the appearance of inviting 
 
 Bishop C to any controversy on the subject. 
 
 Mrs. S has heard the Church of Rome ably, 
 
 fully, and ingeniously advocated. It is, indeed, in 
 the highest degree improbable that the friends of 
 that Church at Leghorn would permit her to come 
 to this country without the most full and the best 
 defence of that Church which could be given. She 
 has heard it advocated under circumstances calcu- 
 lated most powerfully to interest her feelings at the 
 expense of her judgment. She has now made up 
 
 her mind, and Mr. H believes, that in doing 
 
 homage to what she believes the truth, she acts in 
 opposition to feelings of gratitude and affection, 
 which in no mind can operate more powerfully 
 
 than in her's. Mr. H cannot, in conscience, 
 
 consent to be in any way accessary to any measure 
 that would, in his opinion, throw her into a state o 
 perplexity and agitation, from which, certainly, 
 after what she has suffered, she has every claim to 
 
104 ; BiEMOIR OP THE LIFE OF THE 
 
 be at rest. Mr. H trusts to Mr. F 's polite- 
 ness to excuse this note, dictated by the simple de- 
 sire to state the objections to the measure which 
 
 Mr. F solicited."* 
 
 My personal acquaintance with Mr. Hobart com- 
 menced in the winter of 1805, when I was in my 
 eighteenth year; and as the circumstances which 
 led to it were somewhat peculiar, I trust that a 
 slio-ht notice of them may not be altogether unin- 
 teresting to others. My own mind always reverts to 
 this period with delight ; not only from the kindness 
 and reorard with which I was favoured in the very 
 beginning of our intimacy, but from the important 
 influence of Mr. Hobart's friendship on the whole 
 course of my life. I was at that time most anxiously 
 engaged in examining the great truths of religion ; 
 endeavouring to settle and fortify myself in the prin- 
 ciples which, from childhood, I had been taught to 
 venerate, and to carry them out in practice. In this 
 state of my mind, every thing on these important 
 subjects that I could procure from public libraries, 
 or private friends, was read with eagerness; but 
 having no judicious guide to direct me, I found that 
 much of my time was lost in this desultory course, 
 and that very often, instead of being enlightened, I 
 was embarrassed and perplexed- The high repu- 
 tation of Mr. Hobart, even at that early period, had 
 rendered him an object of general admiration ; but 
 his fervent and impassioned eloquence, his tender 
 and touching appeals, made a powerful impression 
 
 * The efforts of Mr. Hobart, however, were finally unavailing ; 
 her feelings overpowered her resolutions and judgment, and she 
 afterwards left our Communion for the Church of Rome. 
 
RIGHT r.EV. JOHN HENRY HOnAUT. 105 
 
 on the hearts of the young. The deep interest, 
 therefore, which he showed for the spiritual wants 
 of his flock in general, persuaded me that he would 
 not be indifferent to mine; and this persuasion was 
 strengthened by the favourable accounts which I 
 had heard of his personal character, and the warmth 
 and kindness of his heart. I had been drawn into 
 the Church by a train of circumstances which it 
 would be foreign from my present purpose to ex- 
 plain. I was, as it were, a solitary and unknown 
 worshipper in that parish in which it has now been 
 so long my happiness to stand in a most interest- 
 ing and endearing relation to thousands. In this 
 state of perplexity then, on questions of the deepest 
 import to my peace, I wrote a letter to him, stating 
 my difiiculties in regard to a proper course of theo- 
 logical reading, and begging the favour of his direc- 
 tion and advice. It was answered immediately with 
 his characteristic promptitude, and is now intro- 
 duced, both as a memorial of his kindness and a 
 most valuable guide to the inquiries of others. 
 
 " New- York, Feb. 14, 1 805. 
 
 "SIR, ' v '^:. 
 
 •» " I certainly cannot be indifferent to the request 
 of a young man, who, in this degenerate day, when 
 most young men are occupied with corruptino- 
 pleasures, and satisfied with superficial acquire- 
 ments, devotes his time to solid reading, and ap- 
 pears sensible of the value of that knowledge which 
 is able to make him wise unto eternal life. I con- 
 clude your wish is to. read some books on theology, 
 both as a scholar "and a Christian, to study the 
 
 14 
 
106 . KIEMOIR OF THE LIFS OF Tllli 
 
 elements of theology as a science, and to apply that 
 science to its proper and only valuable end — the 
 improvement and regulation of the heart and life. 
 Under this impression, I shnll mingle, in the fol- 
 lowing list, some books of a practical nature with 
 others that respect more properly the theory of reli- 
 gion. 
 
 "' The Scholar Armed,' a work which contains 
 several valuable tracts on the evidences of Chris- 
 tianity, on the constitution of the Christian Church, 
 and on some of the most important of its doctrines, 
 and which, if carefully studied, will store the mind 
 with the most sound and valuable information on 
 the most important topics of divinity; Paley's Evi- 
 dences; Butler's Analogy, Campbell on Miracles; 
 Leland's View of Deistical Writers; Porteus' (Bi- 
 shop of London) Summary of the Evidences of the 
 Christian Revelation; Bishop Newton on the Pro- 
 phecies; Gray's Key to the Old Testament; Percy's 
 Key to the Now Testament; Collyer's Sacred In- 
 terpreter; Prideaux's Connexions; Bishop Lowth 
 on Hebrew Poetry — a learned and elegant work; 
 Jones on the Figurative Language of Scripture — 
 all the works of this writer, (the Rev. William 
 Jones, of Nnyland,) published in twelve volumes, 
 are eminently good ; Stackhouse's Body of Divi- 
 nity ; Stackhouse's History of the Bible ; Daubeny's 
 Guide to the Church, and A})pendix; Wilberforce 
 on Christianity ; Archbishop Seeker's Works; Bar- 
 row's Sermons — an old, but a most glowing, elo- 
 quent, and pious writer; Bishop Home's Sermons* 
 Bishop Home's Commentary on the Psalms — Bi- 
 shop Home is an elegant and pious writer ; Porteus' 
 
 M 
 
UM.'iri' !:!;v. j<)n,\ Ji!;.\i:v lior.AUi". 107 
 
 Lecturers on tiie Gospel of St. Mattlievv; Porteus' 
 Sermons; Massilion's Sermons ; Bishop Seabui7'3 
 Sermons — excellent; Bishop Wilson's Sermons; 
 Gisborne's Sermons — which are excellent; Sher- 
 lock on Death, Judgment, Providence, and a Future 
 State; Bishop Wilson's Sacra Privata. 
 
 " As I presume you arc either of the Episcopal 
 denomination, or are not averse to bccominar ac- 
 quainted with its peculiar characteristics, I will add 
 one or two works on tiiis subject. 
 
 '• Reeves, or Shepherd, or Whoatley, on the 
 Common Prayer; Stanhope on the Epistles and 
 Gospels; Companion for the Feasts and Fasts of 
 the Church; the Orthodox Churchman's Maarazine. 
 (published in England.) 
 
 "The above books (several of them at least) will 
 be found at Mr. Peter A. Mesier's, bookseller, 
 Pearl-street, opposite to the Old-Slip, and at Messrs. 
 Swords's, booksellers. Pearl-street. Those of the 
 above list which they have not now, they expect in 
 the spring. 
 
 " I should be happy in an acquaintance with a 
 young man of the character and dispositions of 
 which, from your letter, I should suppose you to be. 
 
 -. " Your obedient servant, 
 
 " J- H. H." 
 
 It may easily be imagined with what gratitude 
 this ready and courteous answer to my request was 
 received, and with wiiat eagerness and pleasure I 
 availed myself of the privilege which he freely 
 offered. 
 - Shortly after the commencement of my acquaint- 
 
108 WE3I01H OF THE lAFE OF TUli 
 
 ance with him, he made some inquiries in regard 
 to the education which I had received. I informed 
 him that it had been sufficiently good for the calling 
 in life to which I was destined ; and that, in addition 
 to what was strictly required to fit me for business, 
 I had also enjoyed the advantage of some partial 
 instruction at a Latin school. Tlie eagerness with 
 which he listened to the latter circumstance, and 
 the advice which he gave to me in consequence of 
 it, seem like the things of yesterday. He urged 
 nie at once to resume my classical studies, which 
 had been laid aside, to improve the intervals of 
 leisure in my daily occupations, and to prepare my- 
 self for any unexpected turn which, in this changeful 
 world, might give a different direction to my pur- 
 suits and hopes. A new scene opened upon my 
 view — it was a decisive point in my life — and the 
 whole course of it was, as it were, instantaneously 
 changed. That very night I acted upon his advice. 
 I continued my preparation, under every disadvant- 
 age, for that favourable turn, of which, at the time, 
 1 had no reasonable expectation, but which, very 
 soon after, actually occurred. He encouraged me 
 by his kindness, guided me by his paternal counsel, 
 employed his influence in procuring for me an easy 
 admission into College, superintended my theolo- 
 gical studies, continued his friendly offices upon my 
 entrance into the ministry, till, at length, it was my 
 privilege to be associated with him at the same 
 altar, connected by domestic ties, and honoured 
 with a confidence and affection which were never 
 more fully and gratefully returned. 
 
 The recollections of him at a period of his life 
 
KKJUT KEY. JOHN IlENliY HOBART. ' 109 
 
 which was so interesting to myself, are so fresh 
 and vivid, that I cannot forbear from representing 
 him in the soft and pleasing lights in which he then 
 appeared. In after years, when the labours and 
 cares of his liigh and responsible office were con- 
 stantly increasing, and vexations of various kinds 
 rose up to disturb his peace and thwart his useful- 
 ness, and each wearisome day was closed, as I have 
 often heard him remark, with some anxious thought 
 for the morrow; there were very frequently observed 
 in him an abstraction of mind, an abruptness of 
 manner, a hastiness of expression, and a sudden 
 transition from one subject to another, which broke 
 in upon his own social enjoyments, and lessened 
 the degree of that pleasure which he was wont to 
 impart in his intercourse with his friends. But 
 then the frankness which never forsook him, not- 
 withstanding it was so often most ungenerously 
 abused, was shown without restraint — his warm 
 heart poured out its feelings in all their fulness — 
 his buoyant spirits M^ere never depressed. In his 
 family he was affectionate to a degree of almost 
 feminine tenderness, playful as his children, and 
 fond even of the domestic animals with which he 
 was always surrounded. His guests felt no re- 
 straint in his company, nor was he at all restrained 
 by theirs, but just suffered his character to appear 
 in its natural light, and gave utterance to his 
 ihougiits and feelings as they rose up in his mind, 
 according to the varying mood of the moment. 
 Notwithstanding he was never idle, he always 
 seemed to have time for his friends, welcoming 
 them with unfeigned cordiality, and letting them go 
 
no 
 
 MEMOIR OF THE LIFE OF THE 
 
 with reluctance and regret. For many years I was 
 in the habit of spending a portion of almost every 
 Sunday evening at his house, where the conversa- 
 tion generally took a serious and appropriate turn, 
 or was always so rational and innocent as to make 
 me insensible how rapidly the liours flew on. 
 Though often detained too long by the pleasure 
 and advantage of this discourse, he never betrayed 
 the slightest symptoms of weariness and impatience ; 
 and I have often since, when exhausted by tiie la- 
 bours and excitement of the day, recalled his kind 
 indulgence with mortification and surprise. But his 
 warm and benevolent feelings were never so en- 
 gagingly shown to the young, as when in a friendly 
 ramble or a ride to his favourite and beautiful 
 retreat in New-Jersey; he entered with a paternal 
 interest into all their views and plans, encouraoinnc 
 them by his praise, and edifying them by his counsel, 
 or else with a flattering confidence laid open to them 
 his own. All the barriers between age and youth, 
 between wisdom and ignorance, were broken down ; 
 and where he saw, in the young, ingenuousness, 
 piety, and worth, even though mingled up with im- 
 perfections and follies, he seemed to anticipate the 
 fruits of promise, and to commune with them at 
 once as companions and friends. The heart melts 
 at these recollections, and is poured out like water. 
 The subject of theological education had, from an 
 early period of his ministry, much engrossed his 
 thoughts. The usual preparation for tlie sacred 
 office, under the private direction and care of a 
 clergyman whose qualifications might not always 
 fit him for the task, and whose ordinary duties, 
 
RIGHT REV. JOHN HENRY HOB ART. Ill 
 
 even under different circumstances, were usually so 
 engrossing as to leave but little time for it, was evi- 
 dently a very imperfect manner of training up young 
 men for this most weighty and important charge. 
 The growth of our communion, from the rapid in- 
 crease of our population — the opportunities of ex- 
 tending it, which were lost from the want of 
 clergymen to secure our advantages — the limited 
 education and scanty acquirements of many who 
 were already in orders — and the attention which was 
 given to theological education by several denomi- 
 nations of Christians around us — impressed him 
 strongly with the great and urgent necessity of es- 
 tablishing a seminary on such a large and liberal 
 scale as would be suited to the wants, the interests, 
 and dignity of the Church. The first evidence of 
 his solicitude on this point, was shown in the forma- 
 tion of a society, in 1806, which was to be an humble 
 handmaid to that better system which, even then, 
 had probably been floating through his mind, and 
 which, shortly after, he attempted to bring into 
 form and existence. The objects of this association, 
 which was styled " The Protestant Episcopal Theo- 
 logical Society," were the advancement of its mem- 
 bers in theological knowledge, in practical piety, 
 and in all those principles, duties, and dispositions, 
 which would fit them for being orthodox, evangelical, 
 and faithful ministers of the Protestant Episcopal 
 Church. The business of every meeting, which 
 was held weekly, was opened by the presiding 
 clergyman with an office of devotion prepared for 
 the purpose. A sermon, or portion of a sermon, 
 from some approved author, was then read by one 
 
112 MEMOIR OF THE LIFE OF THE 
 
 of the members, with a view to improvement in em- 
 phasis, accent, and general propriety. Afterwards 
 a portion was read by another, of some treatise on 
 the evidences of Christianity, the constitution of the 
 Christian Church, the doctrines of the Gospel, or 
 of any work which from time to time might be ap- 
 pointed by the presiding clergyman, with the appro- 
 bation of the Bishop. In regard to this passage, it 
 was exj)ected that every member should be ready 
 to answer any questions that might be proposed to 
 him. The third exercise was the reading, by a 
 different member, of an essay on some religious 
 topic, or a sermon of his own composition ; and 
 this was to be delivered memoriter at the ensuing 
 meeting, or an extract from some other sermon or 
 essay that might be appointed. It was the duty of 
 the clergyman who presided, after the performance 
 of this exercise, to call upon the members present 
 for their remarks on the pronunciation, emphasis, 
 style, and delivery, and to sum up the whole with 
 his own. ' ... 
 
 Questions on theological topics were then to be 
 proposed by the members, and the president was 
 to choose one of these, or such other as he might 
 think proper, and appoint four to discuss it at the 
 following meeting. This discussion was to take 
 place in the absence of the clergyman, but no deci- 
 sion to be made on the question; and at a subse- 
 quent meeting, the next one who should preside 
 was also to deliver his sentiments concerning it, 
 for the information of the members. This part 
 of the business of the meeting was closed with 
 prayer. i ' '■[ 
 
RIGHT REV. JOHN HENRY HOBART. 113 
 
 ' There was also one other general provision, too 
 important and interesting to be passed over without 
 notice. 
 
 ■ It was made the duty of the clergymen who pre- 
 sided successively at the meetings of the society, 
 from time to time " to impress on the members the 
 usefulness, the dignity, and the high consolations 
 and rewards of tiie Christian ministry; to enforce 
 the necessity and duty of acting at all times with 
 that circumspection and propriety which were de- 
 manded equally by their Christian obligations, and 
 by the sacred profession which it was their intention 
 to assume ; to urge them to acquire and to cherish 
 a practical view of the exalted plan of salvation 
 through Jesus Christ, its conditions, its aids, and 
 rewards, in order that they might be fitted in after 
 life for proclaiming and enforcing them with suit- 
 able fidelity and zeal; to explain to them the ex- 
 cellence of that Apostolic and Primitive Church to 
 which they had the happiness to belong; and above 
 all, to impress on them that, as they could hope for 
 salvation only through the merits of their Lord and 
 Redeemer Jesus Christ, they should be frequent and 
 earnest in invoking the grace of God to enlighten 
 and purify their hearts, to strengthen them against 
 the temptations of the world, and to enable them to 
 discharge the public duties of the ministry as well 
 as the private duties of the Christian life." 
 
 The constitution, containing the provision for 
 these useful exercises, and for the general regula- 
 tion and government of the society, was drawn up 
 by Mr. Hobart; and the prescribed forms of devo- 
 tion which he compiled and composed, were so 
 
 15 
 
114 MEMOIR OF THE LIFE OF THE 
 
 beautiful, appropriate, and impressive, that, as they 
 were never joined in without emotion, so I think 
 they cannot be read without admiration. 
 
 Having been a member of this society myself for 
 many years, it may be that the sacred recollection 
 of them, now doubly hallowed by their association 
 with my departed friend, invests them with an 
 interest which they may not in reality possess; but 
 still it is thought that the insertion of them may be 
 gratifying to some readers, and at least preserve 
 another memorial of the deep, uniform, and fervent 
 piety of their author. 
 
 " Offices of Devotion for the Episcopal Theolo- 
 gical Society. 
 
 <' Office of Devotion at the opening of the busi- 
 ness of each meeting. 
 
 " The minister to recite some appropriate sen- 
 tences of Scripture, and then to say — 
 
 " Let us approach the throne of the heavenly 
 grace with the confession of our sins. 
 
 " The Confession in the Liturgy to be then re- 
 peated by the minister and the members of the 
 society, kneeling. 
 
 " After which shall follow the collect or the first 
 prayer for Ash- Wednesday, and then the Lord's 
 
 Prayer. 'j 
 
 " Here, all standing up, the minister shall say — 
 "Praise ye the Lord; , 
 
 " Answer, The Lord's name be praised. 
 "The minister and the members of the society 
 shall then recite, alternately, the psalm in the Office 
 of Devotion for the morning of Whit-Sunday, in 
 the American edition of the Festivals and Fasts. 
 
 i_. 
 
RKJHT REV. JOUIS HENKY HOBAUT. 115 
 
 " And after the lesson, the prayer following, all 
 devoutly kneeling, the minister first pronouncing — 
 
 " Let us pray. 
 
 " Almighty God, forasmuch as without thee we 
 are not able to please thee, grant us the aids of thy 
 heavenly grace in the important duties in which we 
 are now to be engaged. Blessed be thy holy name 
 that thou hast inspired these young persons with the 
 resolution to devote themselves to thee in the sacred 
 ministry of thy Church. Aid them, O Lord, in their 
 preparation for this most important and honourable 
 work. Open to their minds the treasures of thy 
 everlasting Gospel. Imprint on their hearts the 
 great truths of salvation through thy Son Jesus 
 Christ. May they, in all their studies, and in all 
 their exercises, be diligent, zealous, and faithful ; 
 may they aim at advancing thy glory and the im- 
 mortal interests of their fellow-men ; may their only 
 emulation be, who shall love thee best, who shall 
 serve thee, the greatest and the best of Beings, 
 with the purest zeal ; and may they advance in that 
 divine knowledge by which they will finally save 
 their own souls and the souls of those to whom 
 they may hereafter minister, through the merits and 
 mediation of thy Son Jesus Christ. Amen. 
 
 " Then shall follow the Apostolic Prayer. 
 
 " The grace of our Lord Jesus Clirist, &c. 
 
 " Office of Devotion at the conclusion of the 
 business of each meetino-. 
 
 " The minister shall first say — 
 
 " Let us pray. 
 
 " And then, all devoutly kneeling, shall be said 
 the Lord's Prayer. 
 
116 
 
 MEMOIR OF TIIIC LIFE OF THIS 
 
 " Here, all standing up, the minister shall say — 
 ■ " Praise ye the Lord. 
 
 " Answer. The Lord's name be praised. 
 
 " The minister and the members of the society 
 shall then recite alternately the psalm in the Office 
 of Devotion for the evening of Whit-Sunday, in the 
 American edition of the Festivals and Fasts. 
 
 " Then shall follow a short portion of the New 
 Testament as a lesson. 
 
 " And after the lesson, the prayer following, all 
 devoutly kneeling, the minister first pronouncing — 
 
 " Let us pray. 
 
 " Most gracious and merciful God, we render 
 
 thee most humble and hearty thanks as for all thy 
 
 mercies, so especially for the inestimable plan of 
 
 salvation through thy Son Jesus Christ, in whom 
 
 we have access unto thee, our offended Judge, in 
 
 whom vv^e receive the spirit of truth and grace to 
 
 enlighten and purify our nature, and in whom we 
 
 enjoy a title to an everlasting inheritance of glory 
 
 beyond the grave. Look graciously, we beseech 
 
 thee, upon these young persons, who, depending 
 
 upon thy grace, are humbly desirous to prepare for 
 
 receiving the glorious ministry of reconciliation, 
 
 and to become the heralds of mercy and salvation 
 
 to a fallen world. Strengthen and increase, we 
 
 beseech thee, the good desires which thy grace has 
 
 enkindled. Impress on them the exalted dignity, 
 
 the everlasting importance, and the rich rewards of 
 
 the Christian ministry, that no prospect of worldly 
 
 advantage, no enticements of sensual pleasure, may 
 
 seduce them from the service of thee. Amen. 
 
 " Blessed Jesus, the divine Head of the Church 
 
ItlGHT UEV. JOIIiX HENRY HOUART. 117 
 
 which thou hast purchased with thy blood, behold 
 with thy favour these young members of thy fold. 
 May they ever cherish a deep sense of their own 
 unworthiness and depravity, and a lively view of 
 thy grace and mercy, that they may be fitted, as the 
 ministers of thy everlasting Gospel, for leading the 
 guilty children of men to thee, their all-sufiicicnt 
 and compassionate Saviour. Amen. 
 
 " Holy Spirit, Almighty Sanctiiier of the faithful, 
 enrich these persons with thy heavenly graces. 
 Inspire them with deep humility and distrust of 
 themselves, with ardent piety and love to God, 
 with humble and holy confidence in their Saviour. 
 Teach them constantly to invoke thy enlightening 
 and sanctifying power, and in thy strength to war 
 against all the temptations of the world. May 
 they regard all its highest pleasures with holy in- 
 difference, and press forward for the prize of their 
 high calling in Christ Jesus. Sanctify them by thy 
 truth, that they may be preserved from the evil that 
 is in the world. Amen. 
 
 " Holy, blessed, and glorious Trinity, unto thee 
 we commend them. Fit them for the holy office 
 of displaying the manifestation of thy glory and 
 mercy to the world ; and when they have been the 
 successful instruments of turning many to righte- 
 ousness, and of advancing the Redeemer's kingdom, 
 may they receive a crown of glory that fadeth not 
 away, and be admitted to the participation of thy 
 ineffable felicity. Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, for 
 ever and ever. Amen. 
 
 "Unto God's gracious mercy and protection we 
 commend you. The Lord bless you and keep you. 
 
118 MKMOm OF THK LIFE OF THI3 
 
 The Lord make his face to shine upon you, and be 
 gracious unto you. The Lord lift up his counten- 
 ance upon you, and give you peace both now and 
 evermore. Amen" 
 
 This society was merely an humble eifort to im- 
 prove the imperfect system of theological education, 
 and was certainly an important aid to the private 
 instruction of clergymen, which was still continued. 
 Many look back with gratitude to the helps and 
 advantages which it afforded to them ; and some, 
 perhaps, may number these among the means by 
 which they have been raised in the Church to use- 
 fulness, respectability, and honour. 
 
 About two years after the establishment of this 
 society, Mr. Hobart purchased a farm near Spring- 
 field, in New-Jersey, which is beautifully situated 
 on a commanding eminence, overlooking a wide 
 extent of country, with the intention and hope of 
 being one day able to found there an Episcopal 
 College, in connexion with a Theological Semi- 
 nary. But the slumbering zeal of Churchmen was 
 not yet awakened. He never ceased, however, to 
 call public attention to this subject, till, by his con- 
 versation, his writings, his influence in procuring 
 benefactions from some during their lives, and 
 prevailing on others to leave a lasting memorial of 
 themselves, when all things else might be forgotten, 
 the great and noble work of a foundation for theo- 
 logical learning was auspiciously begun, and, as we 
 trust, will at length be gloriously accomplished. 
 
 In the summer of 1807, Mr. Hobart published his 
 Apology for Apostolic Order. This work was oc- 
 casioned by the strictures and denunciations of the 
 
RIGHT REV. JOHN HENRY HOBAUT. 119 
 
 Christian's Magazine, and addressed to its editor, 
 the Rev. Dr. Mason. The reputation of this gen- 
 tleman as an accomplished scholar, an eloquent 
 preacher, and learned divine, had been long estab- 
 lished in this country, and widely spread abroad. 
 With a vigorous mind, a forcible style, and the full 
 confidence of genius, he delighted, on all occasions, 
 in bold and striking expressions; and when contend- 
 ing on theological points, he was apt to infuse into 
 them a strong portion of bitterness and contempt. 
 Rooted in his attachment to his peculiar principles, 
 he was thought by many to have too little respect 
 for the right of judgment in others, and to give to 
 the defence of what he deemed the truth, too deep 
 a tinge of prejudice and passion. 
 
 It was, therefore, an act of boldness, and almost 
 of temerity, in Mr. Hobart, who was then so much 
 less known, and but little skilled in controversy, to 
 encounter the champion of the Presbyterian cause; 
 but confiding in the goodness of his own, more than 
 in his ability to defend it, he entered fearlessly upon 
 the contest, and retired from it with credit to him- 
 self and advantage to the Church. 
 
 After noticing the general tone of the Christian's 
 Magazine in regard to all who differ from the editor 
 in their religious views, he asserts, " that it does 
 not present a decided, yet decent defence of divine 
 truth, and exposure of error, but an unrelenting 
 system of intemperate denunciation ;" and he makes 
 out the point so clearly, that it must be acknow- 
 ledged by every impartial reader. He fully justifies 
 the assertion, " that throughout its pages there is 
 an entire want of that delicacy of feeling, that 
 
120 MEMOIR OF THE LIFE OF THE 
 
 modest recollection of human infirmity, that tender 
 regard for the character of others, which are strictly 
 compatible with the sternest devotion to the cause 
 of truth." This is more especially the case in re- 
 spect to the review of the Collection of Essays on 
 Episcopacy, and to the remarks on its advocates 
 and defenders. Instead of a calm and dispassionate 
 inquiry into the abstract truth or falsehood of their 
 opinions, they are tortured into extreme conse- 
 quences, which are not more odious than they are 
 uncharitable and unjust. He then shows, that in 
 defending their peculiar principles, they have only 
 availed themselves of a common right, which it is 
 the duty and the practice of all Christians to exer- 
 cise; that no greater stress is laid upon external 
 order in the Episcopal Church, than in the Presby- 
 terian; and that all the censure which may be 
 heaped upon the former for exclusive pretensions, 
 is equally applicable to the latter in reference to 
 other denominations. These points are treated 
 with great dexterity and skill, and yet with perfect 
 fairness and candour. In the remainder of the 
 work, the general subject of Episcopacy is ably 
 discussed; the concessions of the Continental re- 
 formers and later divines in favour of it are adduced, 
 and the popular objections against it refuted. - ^-^ 
 From the circumstance of Mr. Hobart having' 
 followed the reviewer's train of remarks, the Apology 
 is necessarily of a desultory character, and there- 
 fore less useful than if it were an orderly and well- 
 digested work. It was long his wish and desire to 
 divest it, as far as practicable, of its controversial 
 form, in order to give it a general and permanent 
 
lUGHT REV. JOHN HENRY HOB ART. 121 
 
 interest ; but in the constant succession of liis 
 labours and cares, this good intention was never 
 accomplished. Had it passed through his hands 
 when his style had acquired more precision and 
 force, and been pruned of the redundancies with 
 which it abounds — had the sallies of imagination 
 and feeling which sprung out of temporary excite- 
 ment been suppressed, and the whole chastened 
 with the sober judgment and better taste of his 
 riper years, it would have been worthy, not only of 
 a much higher degree of admiration than it has 
 already received both at home and abroad, but 
 would have probably ranked among the best works 
 on evangelical truth and apostolic order. 
 ii From Dr. Hobart to Archdeacon Daubeny. 
 
 i,i ■ " New- York, Dec. 11, 1807. 
 
 " Archdeacon Daubeny. 
 
 ■ " REV. SIR, 
 
 " About two years ago I took the liberty to trans- 
 mit to you two productions of mine, to which I was 
 emboldened to solicit your attention ; as they af- 
 forded an evidence that I was anxious, according to 
 my humble talents, to diffuse, in my own country, 
 those principles of primitive truth and apostolic 
 order, for the extension of which, in Britain, you 
 have so honourably and successfully laboured. 
 Will you pardon the further liberty which I take of 
 troubling you with some copies of a work in de- 
 fence of my former productions against the attacks 
 of a bitter opponent of Episcopacy in this city'? 
 One copy you will do me the favour to keep for 
 yourself, and the others, should you think them 
 
 16 
 
V22 ' MF.MOIU OF THK LIFK OF THE 
 
 worthy of so mucli ultenlion, to bestow on such of 
 your friends as you may think proper. 
 
 " We have reason to believe that the Dissenters 
 in England are active in the circulation of works 
 written in this country against Episcopacy; and we 
 have observed a notice in some late London perio- 
 dical publications, that one of these works will be 
 republished in that city. The principal motive, 
 therefore, which leads me to trouble you with the 
 books wliich accompany this letter, is to satisfy one 
 so much interested as you must be in the welfare of 
 the Apostolic Church throughout the world, that 
 that branch of it which subsists in this country does 
 not want sons determined to defend her to the best 
 of their abilities. Should you honour my book with 
 a perusal, you will find that the liberal use which, 
 in my former productions, I made of your writings, 
 induced an attack upon you, which I have endea- 
 voured to repel. ■='- 
 
 " To you, indeed, the cause of apostolic order is 
 greatly indebted, and you merit the veneration and 
 gratitude of all its friends. That Providence may 
 preserve you for long and increasing usefulness in 
 the Church of which you are so distinguished an 
 ornament, permit me to say. Rev. Sir, is the sincere 
 prayer of "k. iiOiB-riiv":* "Mil •*«•: . 
 
 " Your very respectful ■ v! o-. 
 " And obedient servant, 
 ■^':h' i "J. H. HOBART." 
 
 To this letter the Archdeacon sent a full and 
 gratifying reply in the following spring. 
 
RIGHT KEY. JOHN HENRY HOUAUT. 123 
 
 ., .f <' Bath, March Q, inOQ. 
 
 " REV. SIR, 
 
 " I have received, and read with great satisAiction 
 and interest, the contents of the two packets you 
 have done nie the honour to transmit to me from 
 New- York ; for the favour of which you would 
 certainly have received a much earlier acknow- 
 iedgment, had my bookseller in London properly 
 discharged the commission with which he was in- 
 trusted by me two years since. Indeed, he is a 
 man whose head seems to be taken up with such a 
 multiplicity of business, that I cannot, at this time, 
 be perfectly satisfied whether my commission has 
 been executed or not ; but if it has, it is evident from 
 your last letter, that it has been executed in vain, 
 -as what was intended for my respectable corres- 
 pondents in New- York, has not come to hand. 
 It is only left for me, therefore, to hope that the 
 present conveyance, through Captain Rossiter, may 
 prove more successful, that at length I may not 
 appear to be inattentive to your valuable coinmu- 
 nication. 
 
 " Believe me^ Sir, I have read with particular 
 satisfaction, and not without profit, your Apology 
 for Apostolic Order, and am only sorry to think, 
 that the prevailing dissensions among those who 
 ought to be joined together in the same mind and 
 in the same judgment, render such an Apology 
 necessary. At the same time, I have pleasure in 
 saying that the cause you have undertaken has not 
 suftered in your hands : indeed, I consider myself 
 indebted to you for a still more confirmed judgment 
 (if that were possible) on the subject of apostolic 
 
124 MEMOIR OF THE LIFE OF THE 
 
 order, than I actually possessed before the reading 
 of your pages. At the same time, it is to be deeply 
 lamented that a subject upon which good men have 
 differed, and will continue to differ in opinion, till 
 such time as the great Head of the Church shall 
 have subdued all her enemies, cannot be fairly en- 
 tered upon with a view to the just appreciation of 
 its merits, without such a mixture of uncharitable 
 censure as cannot fail to disgrace the party who 
 has recourse to it. On this head, however, it is a 
 satisfaction to think that the advocates for Epis- 
 copacy have little to answer for. God grant that 
 they may ever bear in mind of what spirit they 
 ought to be. 
 
 " At the same time, it has always been a matter 
 of some surprise to me, that the opponents of 
 Episcopacy — those I mean, who have manifested 
 abilities when handling other subjects — should have 
 proved themselves to be so deficient when engaged 
 on this, as apparently not to know, or at least not 
 to consider, that sneering and invective constitute 
 no part of sound argument ; and that nothing can 
 so demonstrate the weakness of the cause under- 
 taken, as the use of such weapons in its defence. 
 Certain it is, that Dr. Campbell lessened his estab- 
 iished reputation by his Lectures on Ecclesiastical 
 History; whilst, from the manner in which he com- 
 mitted himself in the subjectof Episcopacy, nothing 
 is more clear to my mind, than that the Doctor 
 felt the weakness of the ground which, as a Pro- 
 fessor of the Scotch Kirk, he considered himself 
 obliged to take. For the subject in dispute, between 
 Episcopacy and Presbytery, does not turn upon 
 
UIOHT REV. JOniV HENRY HOBART. 125 
 
 Opinion, but upon/«ct; and fact is to be determined 
 by its proper evidence. 
 
 " On the supposition, then, that Dr. Campbell 
 was qualified for reading lectures on ecclesiastical 
 history, (and I venture to say the same for your 
 American opponents, admitting that they stand in 
 that predicament,^ he must have known that*' the 
 evidence of ecclesiastical history, both ancient and 
 modern, was most decidedly against the point which 
 he so much laboured to establish. 
 
 ** In such case, we are sorry to say, it is the cause, 
 not the truth, for which such writers contend. 
 
 " I have a pleasure in sending you five of my 
 volumes, accompanied with some occasional publi- 
 cations of minor Consequence, which, however, 
 may serve to employ a vacant hour. Should you 
 be already furnished with them, you will make them 
 acceptable to some friend, who may deem them 
 worthy his attention ; at all events, they are at 
 your service, and in any way at your disposal; 
 happy on my part, if I can be made in any degree 
 instrumental in promoting, directly or indirectly, 
 the great cause which we equally have at heart. 
 The * VindicijTB Eccles. Anglican,' perhaps you may 
 not have seen. The publication was occasioned 
 by an illiberal attack on the clergy by one of our 
 own body; a person who distinguishes himself and 
 those who think with him, by the exclusive title of 
 evangelical ministers. The object of Mr. Overton's 
 publication seems to be, that of bringing back the 
 Church of England to the days of Calvinistic puri- 
 tanism. But there are not, and I trust never will 
 be, wanting among us, ministers of the Church 
 
126 MEMOIR OF THK 1.IFE OF THE 
 
 qualified to draw the line of just discrimination 
 between the genuine doctrines of our reformers, 
 and that early corruption of them, which, in process 
 of time, proved so ruinous both to Church and 
 State in this country, at a most unhappy period of 
 her history. 
 
 " The life of Dr. Johnson is a most interesting 
 publication. In the late Mr. Boucher the Church 
 lost a dutiful and affectionate son, and I a most 
 esteemed friend. I lament, on both our accounts, 
 that he was so soon removed from among us. Be- 
 lieve me, Rev. Sir, with best wishes for the further 
 success of your valuable labours in the cause of 
 the Church, 
 
 " With much regard, 
 
 *' Your sincere and affectionate 
 " Brother in Christ, 
 
 " CHARLES DAUBENY." 
 
 The Apology for Apostolic Order was also noticed 
 in terms of high commendation by the Rev. Charles 
 Crane, of Stockton Priory, near Southam, Warwick- 
 shire, in a letter to William Poyntell, Esq. of Phi- 
 ladelphia. . f ; 1 
 
 ■ I ly . " 22d August, 1S09. 
 " 1 am a good deal interested in an American 
 tract which I began to read yesterday, upon a sub- 
 ject I little expected to have seen so ably handled 
 on your side the water. It contains some letters 
 from Mr. Hobart to Dr. Mason, upon the subject of 
 Episcopacy. It seems to have been occasioned by 
 the animadversions of Dr. Mason upon some former 
 
RIGHT REV. JOHN HENRY HOBART. 127 
 
 pieces of the author, which I have not seen. The 
 tract in question appears to possess uncommon 
 merit; and whoever Mr. Hobart is, he writes like a 
 gentleman, a scholar, and a Christian. 
 
 " But the chief reason of my mentioning this tract 
 is, to congratulate you upon the fair progress which 
 literature seems to be making with you, (taking it 
 for granted, that Mr. Hobart was educated in 
 America,) of which the work in question is a most 
 laudable specimen." 
 
 Besides the original works wliich he wrote, his 
 emendations of others, and his numerous compila- 
 tions, he undertook, in 1808, a periodical publica- 
 tion, entitled the Churchman's Magazine, which was 
 strictly devoted to the maintenance of the same 
 sound principles that had hitherto been the ruling 
 aim of his labours, exhibiting the truth as it is in 
 Jesus, and the Church which he purchased with his 
 blood, in all her integrity, purity, and glory. Though 
 aided in this work by many of his brethren, whose 
 views and feelings were in harmony with his own, 
 yet he contributed largely to it himself, and he con- 
 tinued to conduct it for several years with a good 
 degree of ability and success. In what way he 
 found time, amidst the pressing duties of his paro- 
 chial charge, to unite with these literary labours 
 many other engagements and cares, was always a 
 matter of admiration and surprise. He was a 
 Trustee of the Society Library, and of Columbia 
 College; a Member of the Standing Committee, and 
 the Committee for the Propagation of the Gospel; 
 Secretary of the Society for Promoting Religion and 
 Learning, of the Bible and Common Prayer Book 
 
128 
 
 .-i MEMOril OF THE IJFE OF THE 
 
 Society, of the Convention of the Diocese, and of 
 the General Convention. And in all these bodies 
 he was an active and efficient member, thoroughly 
 versed in their constitutions and laws, interested in 
 their objects and designs, skilled in their business 
 and attentive to it, anxious for their welfare, prompt 
 in his suggestions, fluent and eloquent in debate, 
 sound, judicious, and practical in all his views. In 
 addition to all this, he was an accurate observer of 
 human nature. He penetrated at once into the 
 character of others, saw their weakness and their 
 strength, and knew how to direct and control them 
 both. With an almost intuitive perception, he com- 
 prehended at a glance all the bearings of any sub- 
 ject under discussion, seized upon the leading 
 points, and anticipated its results. If there were 
 any time for preparation, he also brought to it the 
 fruits of mature reflection and industrious research. 
 It may easily be imagined, then, how soon he began 
 to acquire an influence in all the institutions with 
 which he was connected, and prepared the way for 
 that ascendency which he finally gained in the 
 counsels of the Church. ,-, ^ . )•. = j';;{firt 
 I now come to a painful part of my subject, 
 which could not, however, be passed over without a 
 misconstruction of my own views, and some injury, 
 perhaps, to the memory of Dr. Hobart; and a brief 
 notice of which, may not be without its bitter and 
 wholesome uses to those who, on light and trivial 
 grounds, may hereafter be disposed to disturb the 
 peace of the Church. When, after a long series of 
 useful labours, and a constant exhibition of those 
 eminent gifts and qualifications which fitted him 
 
RIGHT REV. JOHN HENRY HOBART. 129 
 
 for a station of honour and power, it was perceived 
 that there was a general disposition to elevate him 
 to the Episcopal office, from the exercise of which 
 Bishop Moore had withdrawn on account of his 
 infirmities ; the Rev. Mr. Jones, who was one of his 
 associates in Trinity Church, published a pamphlet 
 against him, entitled " The Solemn Appeal," with 
 the design and hope of defeating his election. It 
 was a great shock to public feeling ; exciting, in the 
 first instance, universal regret, and a loud burst of 
 indignation against the author. The piece, how- 
 ever, contained such charges as were calculated to 
 gratify the malevolent curiosity of some, to create 
 temporary prejudices in others of a more generous 
 cast, and to produce in a few who had no previous 
 good will towards Dr. Hobart, a groundless and 
 lasting dislike. The Church was therefore thrown 
 into a ferment. Parties were formed in behalf of 
 the assailant and the assailed ; and many, doubtless, 
 defended the one or vindicated the other with more 
 warmth and violence than b^^came the Gospel of 
 peace and good will. Another class, who were of 
 a quiet and pacific temper, without a due consider- 
 ation of the merits of the case, condemned them 
 both. But the overwhelming sense of the commu- 
 nity was in favour of the accused. Dr. Hobart, for 
 years, was not aware of the unfriendly feelings of 
 Mr. Jones, nor was he fully apprised of the extent 
 of his injurious opinions, and his deep-rooted hos- 
 tility, until the appearance of his " Solemn Appeal." 
 The subjects of complaint, which, in some cases, 
 arose out of misapprehension, or which, when fairly 
 understood, were of the most trifling nature, may, 
 
 17 
 
It50 MEMOIR OF THE LIFE OF THE 
 
 for the most part, be traced to the different temper 
 and character of the parties themselves ; they were 
 not of congenial feelings, dispositions, and habits, 
 those elements of harmony and love. It has seldom 
 happened that two persons have been brought into 
 so close a relation to each other, who were more 
 entirely unlike, than Mr. Jones and Dr. Hobart. 
 The first was cold, formal, and stately in his man- 
 ners; the last, all freedom, cordiality, and warmth. 
 The one was sensitive, suspicious, and reserved ; 
 the other communicative, frank, and confiding. 
 The one nurtured resentment — kept a record of 
 hasty sallies of feeling and unguarded sayings, and 
 magnified infirmities into glaring faults ; the other 
 never received an offence without seeking at once 
 to have it explained, in order that it might be over 
 and forgotten, and never gave it without making a 
 prompt and ample atonement. It is not surprising^ 
 then, that there should have been occasional mis- 
 understandings and differences between them ; and 
 these divisions were Gat easily healed, for the con- 
 ciliatory spirit of the one was not always met with 
 a corresponding temper in the other, but the man- 
 ner was so unkind, and the exactions so rigorous, 
 as to leave nothing to the generous impulses of his 
 own nature. 
 
 A correct judgment of the case, hov/ever, can 
 only be formed by a notice of the charges which 
 were brought against him, and of the way in which 
 they were repelled. Mr. Jones asserted, that pre- 
 judices had been excited against him throughout 
 the state, and insinuated that they were created by 
 Dr. Hobart, but brought no proof of the truth of his 
 
HIOMT UEV. JOHN HENRY IIUBAllT. 151 
 
 conjecture. He stated it as a fact, that the young 
 men who were designed for the ministry, to wiiom 
 he had given his assistance, advice, and direction 
 in their studies, and the hospitality of his house, 
 had, for the most part, upon their entrance into 
 orders, broken oft" their intercourse with him; and 
 this defection he evidently supposed was to be 
 traced to the same source, though no attempt was 
 made to show the justness of the suspicion. The 
 third charge related to the publication of a piece 
 in the papers, to correct a misstatement in regard 
 to some circumstances connected with General 
 Hamilton's death, which had been inserted without 
 his concurrence, after a previous consultation with 
 himself and another, and which differed in some 
 degree from a paragraph that had been already 
 prepared and met with their joint approbation. 
 The alteration, however, was not made upon the 
 authority of one alone, but of two out of three. 
 The fourth charge was the refusal of Dr. Hobart 
 to preach on his leisure Sunday for Mr. Jones 
 without a return, when the latter had been requested 
 by the Bishop to supply some vacant churches in 
 the country, on the ground that he himself was 
 always very exact in requiring an equivalent for 
 similar oflices. In respect to both these cases, 
 some playful and careless, as well as some irritating 
 expressions, were said to have been used ; but 
 though a frank apology was made for them, which 
 should have buried them for ever in oblivion, they 
 were, many years after, published to the world. 
 The next was in regard to a censure of Mr. Jones's 
 conduct as a member of the Standing Committee, 
 
132 MEMOIR OF THIS LIFB OF THE 
 
 for recommending a person as a candidate for 
 orders, of whose fitness he knew that doubts were 
 entertained by two of the members, who, at the 
 time of his admission, were absent. This also led 
 to some remarks which were deemed offensive, 
 though, from his own statement, not stronger, it 
 would seem, than were justified by the occasion. 
 Another ground of complaint, was an intimation 
 from Dr. Hobart that an interchange of pulpits on 
 his part with two clergymen, one of whom was in 
 the habit of deviating from the regular services of 
 the Church, and both of whom had condemned the 
 proceedings of an ecclesiastical court in the degra- 
 dation of an unworthy minister, would necessarily 
 lead to an interruption of their friendly intercourse ; 
 for he considered that conduct so censurable in 
 both respects, ought to receive no countenance 
 from one of his associates. Mr. Jones regarded 
 this intimation as a species of dictation, to which he 
 was not bound to submit, though this was repeatedly 
 disclaimed ; and he then recounted new instances 
 of harshness and unkindness in the frequent conver- 
 sations which arose out of this subject. The most 
 offensive of all the provocations which he com- 
 plained of having received, was a remark that was 
 made in regard to an indication of his own violence 
 of temper towards another clergyman, though he 
 acknowledged that he felt indignant, and evidently 
 thought that the feeling was natural and just. 
 Another ground of accusation was, that through 
 the same unfriendly influence towards him, he had 
 been turned out of the Standing Committee of the 
 diocese ; and finally, that when the time approached 
 
RIGHT KEV. JOHN HENRY HOBAllT. 1S3 
 
 for the election of an Assistant Bishop, Dr. Hobart 
 declined any conversation, in reference to this sub- 
 ject, with one who had been selected to oppose his 
 advancement, and favoured the measures which his 
 friends had adopted to secure his own. 
 
 This is in substance a full and fair statement of 
 all the charges which could be reduced to a specific 
 form. Several of them are mere matters of infer- 
 ence and surmise ; others of so trifling a nature, 
 that a lofty mind would have scorned to notice them. 
 Some of the accusations relate to points in which 
 every one has a right to think and act for himself, 
 and the only things of the least degree of serious- 
 ness and weight which were alleged against him 
 with any semblance of proof, were a quickness of 
 temper, an unguardedness of speech, and occasional 
 unkindness of manner, which are often observed in 
 the most noble and generous natures, and are found 
 to be the only infirmities, amidst all the other per- 
 fections and graces of the Christian character. 
 Besides, the matters complained of were, with one 
 single exception, personal wrongs, where, from self- 
 love, the party who thought himself aggrieved ought 
 to have entertained a great distrust of his own judg- 
 ment, and not rashly intruded them on the notice of 
 the public; and much more should have been borne 
 in meekness and silence, before he furnished such 
 a subject of scandal to religion, and of grief to the 
 Church. The ambition, intolerance, and tyranny 
 which he ascribed to Dr. Hobart, had there been 
 sufficient grounds for the charge, would liave been 
 an effectual barrier to his elevation ; for these- are 
 qualities too conspicuous and glaring to escape 
 
134 MEMOIR OF THE LIFli OF THE 
 
 public observation, and too odious to meet with 
 public favour and reward. 
 
 Dr. Hobart completely vindicated himself against 
 all the charges of the *' Solemn Appeal." He 
 showed that there was not the slightest ground for 
 the suspicion of Mr. Jones, that he had raised up 
 prejudices against him throughout the diocese. He 
 established this point, not merely by the most solemn 
 denial of it on his own part, but by the full and ex- 
 plicit testimony of others. He proved, by the written 
 declarations of a great number of his most intimate 
 clerical and lay friends, to whom he was in the habit 
 of unbosoming himself without restraint, that, for 
 a long course of years, he had never, even in the 
 freest moments of social converse, uttered a single 
 word to his disadvantage, but had always spoken of 
 him with kindness and respect. And he did not 
 alter his course towards him until he discovered, 
 from various quarters, in a way which left no room 
 for doubt, that his friendly feelings were not reci- 
 procated — that Mr. Jones decried his controversial 
 writings — accused him of ambition and self-gratu- 
 lation — made the most injurious representations 
 against his character — declared that he had drawn 
 up charges against another clergyman that he was 
 not able to substantiate — and favoured a plan, as 
 there was good reason to believe, for turning him 
 out of the office of Secretary of the Convention. 
 Even then, from his earnest desire to preserve the 
 peace of the Church, it was shown by the state- 
 ments of friends with whom he was in habits of daily 
 intercourse, that he spoke of these matters with 
 great delicacy and reserve, and acted with remark- 
 
RIGHT REV. JOHN HENRY HOBART. 135 
 
 able forbearance and kindness. The intimation of 
 his having employed unworthy means to estrange 
 from Mr. Jones the affections of most of the young 
 men who were designed for the ministry, was dis- 
 proved by their denial of the fact ; and the cause 
 assigned by some of them for the alienation, was 
 the disrespectful, unjust, and calumnious manner in 
 which he was accustomed to speak of his brethren. 
 In the several cases in which it was alleged that 
 Dr. Hobart had acted with discourtesy and unkind- 
 ness, he gave the most satisfactory explanations of 
 his conduct; and, where he himself had disapproved 
 of his colleague's, he showed that it was not from a 
 censorious temper, nor a spirit of dictation, but to 
 preserve friendship and harmony among themselves, 
 and to vindicate the authority of the Church. And 
 with respect to the numerous accusations of bitter- 
 ness and asperity in his language, and to the impu- 
 tations of violence, impetuosity, and passion in his 
 manner, he utterly denied that there had been any 
 breach of civility and decorum, or any warmth but 
 what naturally arose out of the earnestness of de- 
 bate. Some conversations had been misunderstood, 
 others changed in their character by omissions, all 
 exaggerated and discoloured. And finally, he con- 
 trasted his conduct with that of Mr. Jones, show- 
 ing with how little justice and propriety he could 
 complain, who, at the very time that he was treated 
 with unsuspecting confidence, was secretly attempt- 
 ing to destroy the reputation and influence of his 
 brother, who, on one occasion, in a conversation 
 with a clergyman, intimated " that he was pursuing 
 a system of favouritism and denunciation — enlarged 
 
13(5 MEMOIR OF TIIR LIFH OF THE 
 
 on what he deemed his imperfections and vices — 
 and produced the impression that he was a hasty, 
 ambitious, and ill-bred man, notworthy of the minis- 
 terial character, nor deserving of the confidence of 
 his brethren ;" who, on another occasion, observed 
 that " this ambitious young man was aiming at the 
 top of the ladder, and they must pull him down; 
 that if he should be elected to the Episcopate, 
 they whould have such a scene of tyranny exercised 
 in the Church, as had not been seen since the days 
 of Archbishop Laud;" and who, in the "Solemn 
 Appeal," asserted that '' his ruling motive of action 
 was the attainment of power, influence, and self- 
 exaltation; that his advancement would be promo- 
 tive of a system of intolerance and tyranny, and 
 subject the clergy to a state of servile submission." 
 How were these odious traits of character to be 
 reconciled with the warm, enthusiastic, and general 
 admiration which it had always been his happiness 
 to enjoy'? May I not appeal to every one who has 
 read this account of his life, and followed him from 
 childhood to youth, and youth to manhood, whether 
 there be not a strong presumption even against the 
 charges of the minor faults which were attributed 
 to him, in the extent to which they were carried ] 
 It has been a source of the highest gratification to 
 me, in every stage of my inquiries, that all which I 
 knew of him myself, has been confirmed by the 
 accounts of others, and furnished new reasons for 
 admiration and love. Parity of heart and life, the 
 kindliest domestic affections, the warmest attach- 
 ments in youth enduring till death dissevered them, 
 disinterestedness in his views, elevation of senti- 
 
RIGHT REV. JOILN HENRY HOBAUT. 137 
 
 ment, singleness of purpose, fervent piety, devotion 
 to the Church of the living God; all is beautiful, 
 consistent, and harmonious throughout. Friendship 
 was the solace of his life, and no man whom I ever 
 knew so quickly inspired and so fully enjoyed it, 
 amidst the checks and interruptions which it is apt 
 to meet with in this selfish world. 
 
 The dark picture, therefore, which was drawn of 
 him in the " Solemn Appeal," was so much at 
 variance with his general character, that it would 
 be an utter violation of probability to suppose it 
 faithful and correct. 
 
 Such was the prevailing sentiment at the time 
 when it appeared. Dr. Hobart was elected to the 
 Episcopal office by the suffrages of the great body 
 of the clergy and laity; and none had more reason 
 to deplore the effects of this rash and intemperate 
 publication than its unhappy author, whom it de- 
 prived at once of an enviable situation, and irre- 
 parably injured in the public esteem. 
 
 And here I will take occasion to remark, that I 
 entered upon this subject with unfeigned reluctance, 
 and have reviewed it with the utmost pain and 
 regret ; but it was so intimately connected with 
 an important period of Bishop Hobart's life, as to 
 make silence impossible. I have not written under 
 the influence of early prejudice and dislike. In 
 my youth I entertained a respect for Mr. Jones's 
 character, and had a due sense of his kindness. 
 The change in my opinions arose entirely out of 
 his public conduct. But, much as I disapproved of 
 this, it was not without commiseration for its con- 
 sequences to himself; and God knows, that, if it 
 
 18 
 
1^8 MEMOIR OF THE LJFE OF THE 
 
 could have been avoided, I would neither have 
 followed him beyond tlie grave, nor revived the 
 sorrows of the living. 
 
 But after the settlement of tliis important ques- 
 tion, the Church was still kept for some time in a 
 state of agitation. The restless and discontented 
 made the most violent attacks on her authorities, 
 endeavoured to thwart the exercise of discipline, 
 and seemed to take pleasure in prolonging disturb- 
 ance and confusion. Tiiese measures received a 
 degree of countenance from some persons of weight 
 and consideration, who either had formed, as we 
 conceive, erroneous opinions on the points in dis- 
 pute, or allowed their commiseration for the case 
 of an individual to prevail over their regard for the 
 general good. Bishop Ilobart met these assaults 
 with promptitude and vigour, preserving great cool- 
 ness of temper under the strongest motives to ex- 
 citement, and not only vindicating his cause with 
 success, but heightening the reputation which he 
 had already acquired by new proofs of his intellec- 
 tual power. The various controversies, however^ 
 which arose out of this unhappy contention, em- 
 barrassed him for a while in the discharge of his 
 Episcopal duties. In the following year he entered 
 upon them with an ardour and zeal which were never 
 afterwards abated by similar discouragements, but 
 uniformly excited and cherished by the countenance, 
 support, and approbation of those who were com- 
 mitted to his charge; and even some of the clergy 
 who were conspicuous in their opposition to him 
 during the controversy with Mr. Jones, as well as 
 several among the laity, not only changed their 
 
u!(;iir Ki;v. .ioun iiErsuv iiuBAin, 139 
 
 unfavourable o[)inions of him, but were afterwards 
 numbered among his wannest supporters and 
 friends. 
 
 In consequence of the turbulent scenes through 
 which he had recently passed, it will be seen, by 
 the following letter, that he felt a more ardent 
 desire than ever for rural retirement and peace. , 
 
 From Dr. liobart to the llev. John ^I'Vickar. ; 
 
 '^ New-York, Nov. 9, ISn. 
 
 '• REV. AND DEAR SIR. 
 
 *< It gives me the greatest pleasure to see you so 
 seriously engaged in the labours of your ministry. 
 I almost envy you your happy retirement ; with suf- 
 ficient calls of duty to admit of your usefulness, and 
 none of those perplexing cares that encroach on the 
 plans of study and the joys of domestic life. A 
 clergyman, usefully situated as you are, surrounded 
 by all his friends, and with all the pleasures of 
 rural life, has many things for wiiich to be thankful. 
 Terhaps hereafter the calls of duty may lead you 
 to more public scenes, and then I think, if you 
 should feel as I do, you will more fully appreciate 
 your present enjoyments. 
 
 "I am, 
 
 " Very sincerely yours, 
 
 " J. H. IIOBART.', 
 
 From Dr. Kollock (at Savannah) to Bishop Hobart. 
 
 " MY DEAR HOBART, ' , 
 
 " It is late on Saturday afternoon, and my ser- 
 mons are not finished for to-morrow, yet I cannot 
 
140 MEMOIR OF THE LIFE OF THE , 
 
 permit the Juno, which sails in the morning, to 
 depart without a few lines to assure you that 
 neither interposing seas nor difference of commu- 
 nion can diminish my love and esteem for you. 
 Wherever my lot may be cast during the years I 
 have to spend on earth, my heart shall ever be 
 warmed with affection to you, and till its last throb 
 I shall not cease to regard you as a faithful, tender, 
 and long-tried friend. 
 
 *' Since my return 1 have been unusually occupied. 
 I arrived in the height of the sickness, and for some 
 time was standing at the couches of the dying and 
 over the graves of the dead. How deeply ought 
 such scenes to teach us to look for a more durable 
 portion than this world can give! 
 
 " My health has never been better than since my 
 arrival, and I hope soon to acquire again the habits 
 of a student. I have become a true Presbyterian 
 in my regimen. This produces such a lightness of 
 body and vigour of mind, that I shall persevere in 
 it during my life. 
 
 " I have begun to my people, the life of our Sa- 
 viour, in the form of sermons. I hope that the study 
 and contemplation of this ' great Exemplar' will not 
 be lost upon myself, and will be useful to my flock. 
 I shall devote all my powers to this course of ser- 
 mons. They embrace subjects which deserve to 
 engross all the energies of the mind. If you meet 
 with any new works that are really good, and that 
 will assist me, be so kind as to purchase them for 
 me; and also (if you are not using it, and if you do 
 not feel any apprehension of its being lost on so 
 long a voyage) lend me Bishop Taylor's Great 
 
RIGHT IIEV. JOHN HENRY HOBART. 141 
 
 Exemplar. It shall be carefully used and safely 
 returned. 
 
 " The pews of my church were rented about a 
 fortnight since at public auction, (which has always 
 been the custom here,) for the ensuing year. The 
 rents amounted to seven thousand six liundred and 
 eighty-eight dollars; a strong proof that the people 
 are not indifferent to the public ordinances of reli- 
 gion. We want more churches here very much ; 
 and I find, with great delight, that the vestry of the 
 unfinished Episcopal church have at last resolved 
 to complete it. Next year they expect to have it 
 ready for public worship, when they intend sending 
 on a call to Mr. Beasley. Were he with me, I should 
 indeed be happy. 
 
 " How proceeds the ' bellum Episcopale V Have 
 any new champions appeared on either side 1 Write 
 me particularly concerning the progress of the con- 
 troversy. Though it does not appear to me of the 
 same consequence as to you, yet I must be inter- 
 ested wherever you are one of the combatants. 
 
 " Adieu, my dear Hobart; it is so dark that I 
 cannot see to proceed. 
 
 . ; (( Your sincere friend 
 
 " H. KOLLOCK." 
 
 About this period a very accomplished scholar 
 and divine of our Church submitted to Bishop 
 Hobart the plan of a periodical publication, in which 
 it was intended to treat only of those subjects in 
 which most Christians agree, and to exclude from 
 it all those more controverted points which would 
 hinder its general circulation. This it was thought 
 
142 MEMOIR OF THK LIFE OF THE 
 
 would still leave an opportunity of presenting the 
 Church in many respects very advantageously to 
 persons of other denominations, and, without en- 
 dangering her principles, would tend to promote 
 Christian peace, unity, and love. The Bishop en- 
 tirely disapproved of the plan; and stated his ob- 
 jections to it with great clearness and force. 
 
 « New-York, Dec, 12, 1812. 
 
 " REV. AND DEAR SIR, 
 
 " I was on the point of writing to you yesterday, 
 when your letter of the 8th instant, enclosing the 
 prospectus of your magazine, was put into my 
 hands. 
 
 " Your proposals in your first letter placed me 
 under no small embarrassment. On the one hand, 
 I could not be insensible to the singular advantaere 
 which any publication would enjoy from talents, 
 erudition, and taste so distinguished as yours. But, 
 on the other hand, it appeared to me (and your pro- 
 posals evince the truth of my conjecture) that you 
 contemplated a miscellany very different in design 
 from the Churchman's Magazine. It is the object 
 of your publication to support and enforce the points 
 of coincidence among Christians, 'discarding those 
 on which there must be a difference of opinion.' 
 Whether such a plan, however feasible in theory, is 
 capable of being reduced to practice, or whether, if 
 vigorously carried into execution, it would not ex- 
 clude from the work many important doctrines of 
 Christianity, are inquiries which appear to me wor- 
 thy of consideration. But, in my view, the points 
 on which our Church differs from other societies of 
 
RIGHT REV. JOHN HENRY HOCART. 143 
 
 Christians, constitute hor beauty and her glory. 
 That the offering of Christ is a perfect redemption, 
 propitiation, and satisfaction for the sins of the 
 whole world, both original and actual ; that the work 
 of renovation begun in baptism — the sacrament of 
 regeneration, is gradual and progressive ; that, after 
 grace given, we may finally fall away ; with other 
 doctrines that might be enumerated — appear to me 
 fundamental tenets of our Church ; in which, how- 
 ever, there is very far from being a coincidence 
 between her and other denominations of Christians. 
 That it is evident unto all men, diligently reading 
 Scripture and ancient authors, from the apostles 
 times there have been three orders of ministers, 
 Bishops, Priests, and Deacons; and no man is to 
 be accounted a lawful minister in the Church who 
 hath not had Episcopal consecration or ordination; 
 that a liturgy for public worship is sanctioned by 
 Scripture, by primitive practice, and is most decent 
 and proper; that the rites and ceremonies of the 
 Church are agreeable to primitive usage, and tend 
 to edification — are points in regard to which it is 
 not to be supposed that Churchmen can differ 
 from one another, however they may differ from 
 Dissenters. 
 
 " In my humble judgment, a publication which 
 does not support and defend these points, gives up 
 the distinctive principles of our Church, which her 
 brightest luminaries defended while living, and con- 
 secrated in their deaths, and ceases to contend for 
 Christianity in her primitive, purest, and fairest 
 form. Some of these principles, indeed, may be un- 
 popular, and though in reality they only can per- 
 
144 MEMOIR OF THE LIFE OF THE 
 
 manently secure 'the unity of the Spirit in the bond 
 of peace,' the advocates of them may be supposed to 
 be influenced by a sectarian spirit; but this imputa- 
 tion ought not to have any more effect in deadening 
 his zeal, than the opprobium of being a sect every 
 where spoken ' against' had on the first defenders 
 of the Christian Church. 
 
 " Satisfied, too, I am, that the display of these 
 principles, and the zealous defence of them, have 
 most essentially contributed to revive and increase 
 our Church. In a late visitation through the diocese, 
 in company with Dr. Bowden, I found some of the 
 most enlightened and zealous members of our 
 Church, and persons of influence and standing in 
 society, who traced either their conversion to the 
 Church, or the confirmation of their attachment to 
 it, to the display and defence of its principles in the 
 various writings which from time to time have 
 appeared ; and most certainly to the same cause 
 may be traced the zeal and spirit of the young men 
 in this quarter who have lately entered the ministry, 
 and of others who are preparing for it. 
 
 " These views, in connexion with other circum- 
 stances, naturally excited the desire that the Church- 
 man's Magazine should continue to support the 
 principles which it has hitherto maintained, and that 
 it should be conducted on a plan which, without 
 aspiring to high literary merit, would give the plain 
 people of our communion what they much want — 
 plain and solid religious information; and that, of 
 course, it should be afforded at a price which would 
 render it accessible to persons of this description. 
 Your publication appears to aim principally at 
 
RIGHT REV. JOHN HENRY HOBAUT. 145 
 
 gratifying readers of a higher order, and the price 
 will necessarily prevent its general circulation. 
 
 " My cares and duties always prevented that at- 
 tention to the work which was necessary to raise it 
 even to the humble standing which I was desirous 
 it should attain, and the change of my situation, and 
 consequent increase of my cares and duties, en- 
 tirely interfered with my charge of the work. I 
 have at length concluded to fall in with a sugges- 
 tion of the Rev. Mr. Rudd, and to transfer the 
 publication of it to Elizabeth-Town. From the 
 pressure of the times, and from other circumstances, 
 I shall not be surprised if there is a falling off in the 
 subscriptions, even to so great an extent as to 
 occasion the total failure of the work ; still, however, 
 it appears adviseable to attempt, at least, to prolong 
 the existence of the only miscellany devoted to the 
 discriminating principles of our Church. When 
 these are forgotten, or when they cease to influence 
 the members of our communion, that Church which 
 we have been accustomed to revere as apostolic 
 and primitive, will be merged in the mass of Chris- 
 tian sects, certainly having very inferior pretensions 
 to these sacred titles. 
 
 " I know you will not be displeased with the 
 candour with which I address you. I cannot repress, 
 however unpleasant, the apprehension, that your 
 views of the best mode of advancing the interests 
 of our Church, differ in some respects from those 
 which, in common with many others, I have been 
 accustomed to entertain. Yet that very liberality 
 which I sometimes fear will lead its votaries into 
 an indifference to those distinctive principles which, 
 
 19 
 
14G 
 
 flIEMOIR OF THE LIFE OF THE 
 
 the glory of our Church, have preserved her from 
 the assaults of heresy, schism, and enthusiasm, will 
 prompt you to excuse in me this honest difference 
 of opinion — to believe me sincere in the sentiment, 
 that the prudent, the resolute, and dispassionate 
 defence of those doctrines, of that ministry, and of 
 that worship, which distinguish onr Church from 
 other Christian societies, is not incompatible with 
 the promotion of the endearing charities of life, 
 with strengthening the bonds of society, but is, in 
 fact, the surest way of extending the kingdom of 
 the Redeemer. Accuse me not, my dear Sir, of 
 assuming the office of a senior, in regard to one for 
 whom, on many accounts, I feel veneration and 
 esteem; but it did not appear to me possible, with- 
 out this candid exposition, to account to you for 
 my wishing to continue the Churchman's Magazine 
 under its present title, and on its original princi- 
 ples. And, independently of this consideration, 1 
 felt prompted to indulge the liberty, which I trust 
 you will excuse, of expressing to you my fears (I 
 wish they may prove erroneous,) that little good is 
 to be expected to our Church from a publication 
 which, though it may not ' abandon an iota' of her 
 discriminating tenets, discipline, and worship, cer- 
 tainly asserts its claim to patronage, on its deter- 
 mination to keep them entirely out of view, as 
 those * subordinate subjects on which there must 
 be a difference among Christians,' as the only 
 means of discarding that sectarian spirit so long 
 
 at variance with the spirit of amity and the bond of 
 peace. 
 
 " You see, my dear Sir, I have occupied the whole 
 
illGHT llEV. JOHN HENRY llOliAHT. 147 
 
 of my paper, and I have trespassed long on your 
 patience. I conclude with assuring you that 
 
 " I am, 
 
 " Very truly, &c." 
 
 A 
 
 During this year* he held confirmation in twenty- 
 three churches, visited twelve others, consecrated 
 four to the worship of Almighty God, and ordained 
 four deacons and seven priests. In administering 
 confirmation, he added to it every circumstance 
 which could heighten its effect. He prepared the 
 minds of the candidates for it, in the first place, by 
 preaching an appropriate sermon. In the adminis- 
 tration of the rite his manner was easy and dignified ; 
 and the tones of his voice, which were at all times 
 solemn and impressive, received a thrilling interest 
 on these occasions, from the intensity of his own 
 feelings. After the administration of the rite, he 
 delivered a simple and practical address to those 
 who had been confirmed, in so paternal and aftec- 
 tionate a strain, as seldom failed to touch their 
 hearts, and to awaken corresponding emotions in 
 their parents or friends; and very often, indeed, a 
 large proportion of the assembly was melted into 
 tears. 
 
 The objects which he had in view in visitino- 
 other churches without performing any Episcopal 
 office, were to preach to the people, to encourage 
 their pastors, to show a parental solicitude for their 
 welfare, to aid them by his counsels, to stimulate 
 them in their exertions, and to strengthen the bonds 
 
 C' :.''■ -. •'C! .'.■ * 1812. _■ ;. , ■■ -' ' . 
 
148 JtlERlOIU OF THE LIFE OF THE 
 
 of unity and love, both between themselves and 
 their common head. 
 
 The peculiar and numerous cares of his public 
 station did not materially interfere, however, with 
 his faithful and vigilant discharge of the more hum- 
 ble duties of a pastor, after his elevation to the 
 Episcopal office. His visitation of the diocese, 
 though often extending to the most remote parts of 
 the state, and comprehending a vast field for exer- 
 tion — from the celerity of his movements, and his 
 power of enduring both mental and bodily fatigue, 
 was accomplished in so short a period, as to seem 
 almost incredible to those who read the account of 
 his labours. The rest of the year was in a great 
 measure devoted to the ordinary duties of the 
 parish. And here, though both Bishop and Rector, 
 he claimed no exemption from any of them on ac- 
 count of his multiplied engagements, but preached 
 as regularly in his course as the ministers who were 
 associated with him, and attended with the same 
 cheerfulness to every parochial call. Indeed, he 
 seldom availed himself of those opportunities of 
 leisure which it might have seemed that he needed, 
 but took more pleasure in giving relief to others, 
 than in enjoying it himself. I have especial reasons 
 for a grateful recollection of his kindness in this 
 respect, which was so often shown to me during a 
 season of declining health, as to lighten labours 
 which would otherwise have been oppressive. 
 
 It was a peculiarity of his mind, to fasten with the 
 same tenacity upon the object before him, whether 
 it were minute or important, and to feel that tem- 
 porary interest, in either case, which was sure to 
 
RIGHT REV. JOHN HENRY HOIiART. 149 
 
 procure for it a due degree of attention. For ever 
 restless and active, it seemed to be constantly re- 
 volving within it all the different objects with which 
 he was concerned, so that nothing escaped his 
 recollection and notice. He was, therefore, not 
 less prompt in attending to the minor objects of his 
 parochial charge, than to the more weighty cares of 
 his extensive diocese. If any thing also were proper 
 to be done, he never listened to the suggestions of 
 false delicacy nor selfish prudence, but performed 
 his duty, regardless of the consequences. An illus- 
 tration of this point in his character, as well as of 
 his pastoral vigilance, will be found in the following 
 letter to a lady, who, it appears, on slight and in- 
 sufficient grounds, had come to the resolution of 
 leaving our communion. 
 
 " New- York, 3Iarch 19, 181 3. 
 
 "MADAM, 
 
 " I have no doubt that you do not suppose me 
 ignorant of your disposition to leave our Church, 
 and to join the communion of another. I have 
 made some unsuccessful efforts to see you, in order 
 to converse with you on this subject; and should 
 have persevered in my intention, if I had not sup- 
 posed that such an interview would not be agree- 
 able to you. Considering, however, my station in 
 the Church, and the relation which I bear to you as 
 a minister of the congregation to which you belong, 
 I hope you will not deem it a violation of esteem 
 and respect, if I earnestly entreat you to review 
 very seriously the motives which induce you to for- 
 sake the Church which has nurtured you, and in 
 
150 MEMOIR OF THE LIFE OF THE 
 
 which your first vows were made to God. To for- 
 sake a Church sound in its doctrine, apostolic and 
 valid in its ministry, and primitive, pure, and evan- 
 gelical in its worship, can never be justifiable. I 
 make no invidious comparisons of our Church with 
 others; but certainly, whatever may be the imper- 
 fections of the preaching of its ministers, its doc- 
 trines are sound and scriptural, and its ministry 
 apostolic; and it possesses a blessing which cannot 
 be too highly prized — a pure, primitive, and evan- 
 gelical form of worship. In this Church Providence 
 has cast your lot. To leave it because you think 
 you derive more edification from the preaching of 
 others, believe me, Madam, can be in no respect 
 justifiable. Our communion with the Divine Head 
 of the Church is to be kept up principally by a 
 participation in the ordinances and the worship of 
 that Church, and not merely by attendance on 
 preaching. If any person does not derive edifica- 
 tion from the service of our Church, in every part 
 of which Jesus Christ and his merits and grace are 
 set forth as our only hope and strength, the fault 
 must be in himself, and not in the service of the 
 Church, or in its ministers. 
 
 " But this plea of greater edification from the 
 preaching of others, makes the feelings of each 
 individual and not his judgment, the performance 
 of the minister and not the nature of the Church, 
 the standard by which he determines with what 
 Church he shall commune. A Church may be very 
 unsound and erroneous in its doctrine, the consti- 
 tution of its ministry, and the mode of its worship ; 
 and yetj if a person thinks he is edified by the 
 
RIGHT REV. JOHN HENRY HOBART. 151 
 
 preaching of a minister of that Church, according 
 to this plea of edification, he is justifiable in joining 
 it. This same plea of edification may therefore 
 lead a person to attach himself to any Church in 
 which his feelings happen to be interested. I have 
 known it urged as a reason for joining ihe Roman 
 Catholic Church. 
 
 " Our Church certainly makes the fullest pro- 
 vision for the spiritual wants of her members ; and 
 would they but humbly, diligently, and faithfully 
 unite in the services of that Church whenever there 
 is an opportunity, they would not fail of being 
 advanced in the Christian life, and prepared for 
 heaven. 
 
 " Let me then earnestly and respectfully ask you. 
 Madam, if you are able to prove, that the Church in 
 which Providence has placed you, is unscriptural 
 in doctrine — that its ministry is not valid — or that 
 its mode of worship is not primitive and evangelical ? 
 Unless you are satisfied that this is the case, believe 
 me — and pardon my plainness — in leaving that 
 Church, you will discover to the world a changeable- 
 ness which will cause your ' good to be evil spoken 
 of;' and you will be guilty of the sin of schism, 
 which, however it may be considered by the world, 
 an inspired apostle considered as a ' deadly sin.' 
 
 " And, Madam, let me also respectfully remind 
 you, that, even if you were justifiable in leaving our 
 Church, you would not be correct in joining any 
 other until you had read its confession of faith, and 
 ascertained that all its doctrines, as well as its 
 ministry and mode of worship, were scriptural, 
 apostolic, and primitive. 
 
152 MEMOIR OF THE LIFE OF THE 
 
 " 1 have thus endeavoured to discharge my con- 
 science of the guilt which, I conceive, will be in- 
 curred in forsaking the communion of our Church ; 
 and believe me, that all my remarks have been 
 directed by sincere esteem and respect for you. 
 On this subject you and I will both have to render 
 an account to our Master in heaven. 
 
 " To his grace and blessing I commend you. 
 " 1 remain, 
 (,v " Very sincerely, 
 
 J " Your friend and brother, 
 j . " J. H. H." 
 
 Among the subjects which the Bishop presented 
 to the notice of the clergy and laity in his annual 
 address at the meeting of the Convention of the 
 diocese in 1813, he introduced one which for years 
 had occupied his own mind, and which he hoped 
 would at length excite some interest in others. 
 
 " The importance of an establishment for the 
 
 instruction, for the religious and moral discipline, 
 
 and, in some cases, for the support of young men 
 
 designed for holy orders, has always appeared to 
 
 me essential to the prosperity of our Church ; nor 
 
 were exertions and arrangements wanting on my 
 
 part, when in a private station, to carry this object 
 
 in some degree into effect. As the responsibility 
 
 of the admission of persons to holy orders ultimately 
 
 rests on the Bishop, and as, from the nature of his 
 
 office and the provisions of the canons, it is his 
 
 duty to exercise a general direction of their previous 
 
 studies; the necessityof a theological school presses 
 
 with greater force upon my mind in the station 
 
RIGHT REV. JOHN HENRY HOBART. 153 
 
 which I now occupy. It is an auspicious circum- 
 stance, that the attention of the clergy, and of 
 Episcopalians generally, appears to be awakened 
 to the importance of this object; and I trust it will 
 not be long before a theological school is estab- 
 lished." 
 
 From an early period of his ministry he had also 
 been deeply impressed with the necessity of estab- 
 lishing an Episcopal college, in which those young 
 per/sons who had been nurtured in the bosom of 
 the Church, might enjoy the advantages of a liberal 
 education, not only without endangering their reli- 
 gious principles, but where, in connexion with 
 human science, those principles might be inculcated 
 and confirmed. His anxiety on this subject had 
 doubtless been increased by his own observation 
 and experience during a long residence in a Pres- 
 byterian institution, as a student, graduate, and 
 tutor, and in a town where there was no Episcopal 
 service. He was convinced that under such circum- 
 stances there would, in most cases, be the risk of a 
 growing indifference among young men to their 
 peculiar opinions, and in some a complete estrange- 
 ment from that communion winch had once been 
 the object of their veneration and love. Regarding 
 the Church as " the pillar and ground of the truth," 
 he therefore considered the interests that were put 
 in jeopardy as more precious than human learning 
 itself. The religious influence of almost every 
 college in the country was unfriendly to our system, 
 while, at the same time, there were abundant re- 
 sources among Episcopalians to establish one of 
 their own, if they could only be aroused to a sense 
 
 20 
 
 / 
 
154 MEMOIR OF Tin: LIFK OF THE 
 
 of its importance. With the view of attracting their 
 attention to this subject, he drew up a plan of an 
 humble institution, which might be the beginning of 
 this good work, and which he hoped might eventu- 
 ally be placed on that more extended scale which 
 would be suited to their wealth, their numbers, and 
 their wants. 
 
 Accordingly, in the spring of 1814, he proposed 
 to institute a Grammar School, to be conducted 
 under his superintendence, and in which were to be 
 taufifht the various branches of an English and 
 classical education. It was to be amply supplied 
 with instructors and ushers; the pupils were to 
 board and lodge in the institution, to attend regu- 
 larly upon divine service, and to go through such a 
 course of religious instruction as should be particu- 
 larly suited to their capacity and years. 
 
 This, however, was only to be made subservient 
 to the more useful and important scheme which he 
 had so long been anxious to accomplish. The 
 whole profits of the establishment were to be appro- 
 priated to the support and endowment of a Theolo- 
 gical Seminary. The instruction in this seminary 
 was to be conducted according to the canons of the 
 Church, and the course of study prescribed by the 
 authority of the same. It was to be placed under 
 the patronage of the General Convention, and under 
 the immediate care of a board of trustees, who 
 were to render an account of the state of the insti- 
 tution to that body at its regular meetings. The 
 Bishops were to be ex officio members of the board ; 
 to nominate the trustees in the first instance, con- 
 sisting of an equal number of the clergy and laity; 
 
KHiii!' i;i:v. JOHN nr.iMiy moiuut. 155 
 
 and the board itself was to fill up all vacancies. 
 The Bishop of New-York, and the Bishop of New- 
 Jersey, were to be superintendents of the school ; the 
 former in the capacity of President, and the latter of 
 Vice-President. The objects of the establishment 
 were to train up the young men designed for holy 
 orders in the spirit of evangelical piety ; to establish 
 them in habits of close thinking and accurate re- 
 search ; to advance them in theological attainments, 
 and to instruct them in the proper mode of cele- 
 brating holy offices, in pulpit eloquence, and in the 
 important practical qualifications which constitute 
 a faithful, laborious, and zealous parisii minister. 
 For this purpose there were to be ample theological 
 instruction and recitations, exercises in the compo- 
 sition of sermons, and in reading and speaking, as 
 well as devotional services. None were to be ad- 
 mitted into the institution until the superintendents 
 were satisfied, from personal acquaintance or the 
 fullest testimony, of their pious and amiable dispo- 
 sitions, the correctness of their morals, their fitness 
 for the sacred office, their desire of entering into 
 the ministry, as the means of advancing the glory 
 of God in the salvation of man, and their attachment 
 to the doctrines, order, and worship of the Protest- 
 ant Episcopal Church. It was to be the duty of the 
 officers, not merely by exercises of devotion, but by 
 frequent practical addresses, and by all other means 
 in their power, to cherish these dispositions in the 
 young men designed for holy orders, to impress upon 
 them the origin, the duties, and the difficulties, as 
 well as the aids and rewards of the Christian minis- 
 try, that they might be devoted to the sacred work, 
 
156 MEMOIR OF THE LIFE OF THE 
 
 and prepared to exert, with prudence, fidelity, and 
 zeal, all their talents and attainments in the service 
 of their divine Lord and Master, and of the Church 
 which he purchased with his blood. Theological 
 scholarships were to be established for the educa- 
 tion of young men who might be destitute of pecu- 
 niary means, and the benefits extended to them 
 during the term of their classical as well as of their 
 theological preparation. The sums contributed 
 towards the seminary by the pious beneficence of 
 individuals or corporations, were to bo equally 
 divided, and one half appropriated to the endow- 
 ment of professorships, the erection of buildings, 
 and the general purposes of the institution; and 
 the other to the endowment of scholarships, bearing 
 the names of the donors. 
 
 It was another part of the plan, that the location 
 of the Seminary and Grammar School should be in 
 such a position as would be most convenient to 
 Episcopalians in general, as the former was designed 
 for the benefit of the Church at large, and as the 
 latter, in case it should become a college, might 
 then attract students from various parts of the 
 Union. But in regard to both, he deemed it of the 
 utmost importance that they should be in a retired 
 situation, where there might be but few temptations 
 to the pleasures of social life, and none to the dissi- 
 pation of a city: for he not only thought that the 
 ease and social enjoyments of a city life, but even 
 its literary pleasures, and the literary vanity which 
 those pleasures tend to cherish in the youthful mind, 
 were apt to be unfavourable to those modest and 
 humble tempers which are the ornaments of the 
 
RKJHT REV. JOHN HENRY HOBART. 157 
 
 Christian, and the peculiar graces of the Christian 
 minister. The self-denying, devoted, and zealous 
 spirit of the ministry, was to be formed in retirement, 
 by study, meditation, and prayer. 
 
 With this view he had, many years before, as 
 has been already noticed, purchased a place in a 
 beautiful and secluded spot in New-Jersey, on which 
 he had proposed to locate these institutions; and 
 it had been his determination partially to withdraw 
 from the city, and to devote to them his principal 
 attention and labours. But though the change in 
 his situation had made that scheme impracticable, 
 yet he did not think that a general and faithful 
 superintendence of them, and an occasional parti- 
 cipation in their instruction and discipline, would 
 be incompatible with his other duties. 
 
 In these outlines of a plan for educating our youth 
 in such a way as to combine literary improvement 
 with religious culture, agreeably to our own views 
 of rational worship and primitive truth, we perceive 
 with what fond solicitude he always dwelt upon 
 every subject connected with the extension and 
 prosperity of the Church. The Theological Semi- 
 nary, from the immediate and urgent call for well- 
 trained ministers in every part of our country, had 
 engaged more of his thoughts and attention, and 
 accordingly, in the brief sketch which he exhibited 
 to the public, we find almost all of those general 
 provisions for such an institution, which might have 
 been expected from mature and anxious reflection, 
 and to which little has been added by experience. 
 
 Notwithstanding the multiplicity and the import- 
 ance of his engagements, yet, for the promotion of 
 
358 . MEl^!oll^ of the life of the 
 
 those useful ends, he was willing to give a portion 
 of his invaluable time, and to increase the weight 
 of his oppressive labours, without any view to 
 emolument and reward. The period, however, in 
 which ihese proposals were made, during the diffi- 
 culties and embarrassments of the late war with 
 England, was still found to be unpropitious ; and 
 the only effect of this scheme was to excite in Epis- 
 copalians a sense of their duty and their interests, 
 and to prepare the way for another, which has since 
 been so liappily accomplished. 
 
 The notice which he had taken of this subject 
 the year before in the State Convention, and the 
 proposal of a specific plan for the establishment 
 and regulation of the seminary, had now awakened 
 such an interest in the minds of Churchmen, as to 
 create a great anxiety for the adoption of the mea- 
 sure. The matter was immediately after bpought 
 up in the General Convention, and after some dis- 
 cussion, it was resolved " that it should be referred 
 to the Bishops— and in those dioceses where there 
 were no Bishops, to the Standing Committees there- 
 in — to inquire in the respective dioceses or states, 
 and to consider for themselves, concerning the ex- 
 pediency of establishing a Theological Seminary, 
 to be conducted under the general authority of the 
 Church." These steps were thought to be prema- 
 ture by Bishop Hobart and the delegation from 
 New-York, for the reasons which he gave in his 
 address to the Convention of his own diocese in 
 the following fall. 
 
 " The opposition from the deputation of the 
 Church in New-York to the establishment of a 
 
IlIGHT REV. JOHN HENRY HOBAUT. 159 
 
 General Theological Seminary, by an act of that 
 body, did not arise from disaffection to a measure 
 of vital importance to the Church, but from an 
 opinion that the same object could be accomplished, 
 on the most correct and enlarged principles and 
 views, by private concert and co-operation among 
 the influential friends of the Church in various parts 
 of the Union, without encountering many difiiculiies, 
 to which the measure would be liable, if taken up, 
 under present circumstances, by the General Con- 
 vention." 
 
 In his annual addresses to the Convention, the 
 Bishop did not confine himself to a mere detail of 
 his Episcopal acts, and a description of the state 
 of the diocese, but touched upon any points which 
 he deemed material — suggesting projects for the 
 extension of the Church — encouraging the pious 
 and sober attempts of others — discountenancing all 
 doubtful schemes — restraining every tendency to 
 irregularity and enthusiasm — animating the zeal of 
 the correct and diligent by his notice of their 
 labours — giving gentle admonitions to the remiss — 
 and endeavouring to promote unity of principle and 
 practice throughout his charge. It was his opinion, 
 that the most fervent and elevated devotion could 
 have ample scope within those limits which the 
 Church had prescribed, and that there was no 
 ground for separating evangelical piety from primi- 
 tive order and truth; yet as he laid great stress 
 upon matters of external order, in some cases, on 
 account of their decency, propriety, and utility ; 
 and in others, because he deemed them of apostolic 
 and divine authority, and therefore did not dare to 
 
160 MEMOIR OF THE LIFE OF THfi 
 
 "put asunder what God had joined together;" he was 
 often misunderstood by those without, and some- 
 times most uncharitably misrepresented and reviled 
 by those within. There were a few who differed 
 from him widely in many respects, but who still 
 had discernment enough to take a just view of his 
 opinions, and candour enough to acknowledge the 
 evangelical character of his preaching, and to be- 
 lieve in his deep and unaffected piety ; but how 
 many regarded him with blind and incurable pre- 
 judice, as one having merely " the form without the 
 power of godliness!" 
 
 And yet he was so careful in explaining his views, 
 as to leave no room for misconception and error. 
 No one could mistake his opinions on the points 
 which we have just noticed, that would dispassion- 
 ately read these passages from his address to the 
 Convention in 1814. 
 
 " My Clerical and Lay Brethren, I should enjoy 
 little satisfaction in congratulating you on the in- 
 creasing attachment to the Christian principles of 
 our Church, and veneration for her institutions, if I 
 could not also congratulate you on the increase of 
 that evangelical piety which these principles and 
 institutions, when faithfully observed and practised, 
 are calculated to produce. He, indeed, must enter- 
 tain very inferior and erroneous notions of the 
 nature and design of the ordinances of the Church, 
 and of the high objects of the ministerial calling, 
 who does not extend their influence to the excite- 
 ment and preservation of the power of godliness, of 
 that vital and productive faith which, through the 
 agency of the Divine Spirit renewing the soul and 
 
RKJHT llliV- JOHN HENRY HODAUT. 161 
 
 confonning the life to the holy standard of Christian 
 morals, can alone authorize the elevated hope, that 
 we are the subjects of God's favour, and in a state 
 of preparation for his kingdom of glory. 
 
 ** Tliat your ministrations, my Clerical Brethren, 
 may produce these exalted effects in the present, 
 holiness and eternal salvation of the people com- 
 mitted to your charge, is, I am confident, the subject 
 of your earnest solicitude and constant prayers. To 
 endeavour to produce these effects by any other 
 means than those which our Church authorizes, and 
 which the piety and wisdom of ages have sanctioned, 
 would be a departure from the most solemn obliga- 
 tions of duty, and would not ultimately produce that 
 fervent, and, at the same time, that humble, that 
 unassuming, that consistent, that permanent piety, 
 equally remote from the extremes of lukewarmness 
 and enthusiasm, which alone the real friend to our 
 Church, and the substantial interests of religion, 
 would wish to see prevail. 
 
 " It is cause both of gratitude and of boast, that 
 what arc considered by some the dull round of 
 Church observances, in the hands of a faithful 
 minister, prove, by the blessing of God, effectual 
 in converting sinners, and in establishing believers 
 in tiie holy faith of the Gospel. 
 
 " Such means of grace, and such only do I exhort 
 you to employ; and these means, my Brethren of 
 the Laity, it is my duty to impress upon you , if they 
 do not prove to you ' the savour of life,' will cer- 
 tainly prove to you, in the strong language of an 
 inspired apostle, * the savour of death.' May we 
 all then, in our respective stations, so adorn the 
 
 21 
 
162 MEMOin OF THE LIFE OF THE 
 
 doctrine of God our Saviour in all things, that we 
 may bring honour to his name and his holy Church, 
 and finally save our own souls." 
 
 In 1815 the Bishop published a Pastoral Letter 
 to the Laity of the Church in his Diocese, on the 
 subject of Bible and Common Prayer Book Socie- 
 ties. Here he took the unpopular ground, that our 
 institutions for religious purposes should be con- 
 ducted in our own way, and on our own principles, 
 without any union or amalgamation with those of 
 other bodies of Christians. The great indifference 
 to the distinctive principles of the Church, even 
 among many of our own people, from an ignorance 
 of their nature and importance; the false notions 
 of liberality prevailing among tiiose who were better 
 informed, and the general disapprobation at that 
 time, among other denominations, of a policy which 
 was regarded as narrow, selfish, and almost intole- 
 rant, would have made such an appeal to the clergy 
 themselves, a bold and startling measure. But, 
 confident that he was right, and sure of their general 
 support when the matter should be duly weighed, 
 he determined to address himself at once to his 
 people at large, to whom it was still more new and 
 strange. He always had a strong reliance on the 
 good sense of the community, and was persuaded 
 that the just and reasonable cause, when properly 
 supported, would prevail over prejudice and error. 
 In the present instance he was not deceived. The 
 laity, engrossed in a great measure with other 
 pursuits, are but little accustomed to think on those 
 disputed points of principle and policy which divide 
 divines; but if they can only be induced to give 
 
i;i(;nT hex. John henuy hucaut. 163 
 
 them a careful and serious examination, they are 
 not only apt to come to just and sound conclusions, 
 but to be zealous, uniform, and consistent in their 
 support and defence. Their opinions are adopted 
 for themselves on their own merits, without regard 
 to what may be thought of them by others. Their 
 reputation, their interests, and comfort, are in no 
 way affected by the particular cast of their religious 
 views, and therefore they can entertain them in 
 quietness and peace. But it is not always so with 
 the clergy: the prevailing tone of public sentiment 
 where they may happen to be placed ; the pride of 
 maintaining consistency in their course, even though 
 it may have been commenced in ignorance and 
 error ; the fear of censure in the uncompromising 
 defence of the truth ; and, above all, the love of 
 popular praise — often exert a strong but insensible 
 influence over their minds, and give them such a 
 wrong bias as no force of reasoning can correct. 
 This is no impeachment of their honesty and sin- 
 cerity; it is the almost unavoidable operation of 
 circumstajices on the infirmity of human nature. 
 The laily have their own temptations, but they are 
 not exposed in the same degree to these ; and hence, 
 as a body, they are more free and unembarrassed 
 both in the adoption and in the maintenance of their 
 religious principles. .^ •. , , . 
 
 The Bishop, therefore, though he had entire con- 
 fidence in the sound and correct views of almost 
 all his clergy, thought it of the utmost importance, 
 also, that the laity should be led to attend to this 
 subject, well knowing that, if they thought justly, 
 they would act boldly and independently. Their 
 
164 MEMOIR OF THE LIFE OF THE 
 
 co~operation would strengthen his own hands, em- 
 bohlen the timid and wavering among the clergy, 
 and give union, force, and effect to all their efforts. 
 
 After noticing the particular circumstance which 
 induced him to write this Pastoral Letter; the un- 
 paralleled exertions which were making for the 
 distribution of the word of God; the precious cha- 
 racter and blessed effects of this word, both in 
 regard to the life which now is, and the life which 
 is to come ; he then remarks, " that the members of 
 the Protestant Episcopal Church who constituted 
 the Bible and Common Prayer Book Society, were 
 deeply impressed with the duty which seemed to 
 call forth all the energies of the Christian world, of 
 diffusing the knowledge of God's revealed will by 
 the gratuitous distribution of the sacred volume 
 which contains it. They were, however, naturally 
 led, at the same time, to consider that the Book of 
 Common Prayer contains the purest exhibition of 
 that evangelical truth which the Bible reveals, and 
 therefore resolved, in conjunction with that sacred 
 volume, to devote their exertions to the distribution 
 of this invaluable summary of divine truth and for- 
 mulary of devotion." 
 
 He then sets forth the various reasons which 
 justify this union. 
 
 " The first consideration which enforces the pro- 
 priety of the measure, is, that among Episcopalians 
 there is a greater want of the Book of Common 
 Prayer than of the Bible. Few families belonging 
 to the Church are destitute of a Bible : one of these 
 may answer for a family, while several Common 
 Prayer Books are necessary, in order to enable all 
 
KIGHT REV. JOHN HENIIY HOBAUT. 165 
 
 its members to unite in public worship. Many too 
 are desirous of becoming acquainted with the prin- 
 ciples and worship of the Church, and perhaps 
 disposed to attach themselves to it, who are yet 
 unwilling or unable to purchase a Prayer Book. 
 These remarks are particularly applicable to con- 
 gregations recently formed, and to new settlements. 
 " The joint distribution of the Bible and this 
 book appears proper, because the connexion is a 
 natural and judicious one. 
 
 " Both these volumes exhibit divine truth — the 
 one, as the original code, which contains the various 
 commands of the Most High, and which alone, as 
 the law and the testimony, speaks with supreme 
 authority ; the other, as the invaluable digest, in 
 which the truths and precepts of the sacred volume 
 are arranged in lucid order, set forth with sim- 
 plicity, embellished with the graces of diction, and 
 animated by the purest fervours of devotion. 
 
 " In distributing the Prayer Book, we circulate, 
 in a conspicuous and interesting manner, large 
 portions, and those the most important, of the 
 sacred word. 
 
 " We present the Bible at large ; and with the 
 Bible, in the Book of Common Prayer, an abstract 
 of it, comprising, in the words of inspiration, a suc- 
 cinct but complete summary of the plan of redemp- 
 tion ; of the character, the history, and the offices 
 of its Divine Author ; of its principles, its duties, 
 and its hopes. Many of these the Psalter displays 
 in the affecting strains of penitence, supplication, 
 and praise. They are all fully exhibited in the 
 Epistles and Gospels contained in the Book of 
 
106 . MEiMOIK OF THE LIFE OF THE 
 
 Common Prayer. Many important passages of 
 Scripture," also " establishing faith, or enforcing 
 obedience, are scattered through the various offices 
 in the Book of Common Prayer. 
 
 " The evangelical truths of Scripture are set forth 
 in this book with clearness, fidelity, and force ; 
 those truths, which are considered fundamental — 
 the corruption and guilt of man — the divinity, the 
 atonement, and the intercession of Jesus Christ — 
 and salvation through a lively faith in him, and 
 through the sanctifying power of the Holy Ghost. 
 To quote all the passages which set forth these 
 doctrines, would be to transcribe the liturgy. They 
 constitute the spirit that gives life to every page, 
 that glows in every expression of this inimitable 
 volume ; they are set forth, not in a form addressed 
 merely to the understanding, but in that fervent 
 language of devotion which reaches the heart. 
 What greater service, then, can we render to a 
 benighted world, than to circulate, in conjunction 
 with the Bible, this admirable summary of its 
 renovating truths 1 
 
 " Against a measure justified and enforced by so 
 many irresistible considerations, the objection can- 
 not be admitted, that it would prevent Episcopalians 
 from associating with other denominations of Chris- 
 tians in Bible Societies. 
 
 " But what are the objects of Bible Societies'? 
 The general object, the diff*usion of religious truth 
 — the particular object, the distribution of the Bible. 
 In Bible and Common Prayer Book Societies, Epis- 
 copalians make provision for the distribution of the 
 Bible, and thus discharge this part of their duty ; and 
 
liKJHT UEV. JOHN HENIiV HO BART. 1G7 
 
 by providing also for the distribution of the Prayer 
 Book, they fulfil the general duty of diffusing reli- 
 gious truth more effectually than by the circulation 
 of the Bible alone. What particular reason, then, 
 can be urged for their relinquishing the most effec- 
 tual mode of diffusing religious truth, in order to 
 unite in Bible Societies with other denominations 
 of Christians'! Is this measure necessary to enablo 
 these denominations to accomplish their pious and 
 benevolent designs'! By no means. Numbers, in- 
 dividual wealth, and a liberality worthy of praise 
 and of imitation, render our aid unnecessary. Is 
 the union of Episcopalians in Bible Societies with 
 other denominations desirable and proper, because 
 the only differences between them and us are on 
 subordinate and non-essential points \ Let me en- 
 treat your candour, my Brethren, while I point out 
 the fallacy and danger which lurk under this speci- 
 ous profession of liberality. 
 
 "There are differences among Christians ; and 
 differences there will be, until it shall please the 
 great Head of the Church to lead all his people to 
 * glorify him with one heart and one mouth.' That 
 all the differences among Christians are on points 
 subo7'dinate and non-essential, is an unfounded as- 
 sertion. It is not demanded by Christian charity, 
 for this very reason, because it is unfounded. Chris- 
 tian charity can never demand the sacrifice of truth. 
 It can never be inconsistent with Christian charity 
 to obey inspired injunctions; and to 'hold fast the 
 form of sound words,' * to contend earnestly for 
 the ffUth once delivered to the saints,' to keep the 
 ' unity of the spirit,' and to abide in the * fellowship 
 
168 MEMOIR OF THE LIFE OF THE 
 
 of the apostles,' by submitting to that ministry which, 
 in pursuance of the power committed to them by 
 their divine Master, they constituted in the Church. 
 What that form of sound words, that faith, that 
 fellowship are. Christian communities must deter- 
 mine for themselves. But this determination being 
 made, each member of that community is bound, as 
 well by the principles of social order as by the sa- 
 cred claims of truth, not merely to act in conformity 
 to this determination, but to justify and advocate it, 
 until he is convinced, after full and honest inquiry, 
 that it is erroneous. 
 
 " Christian charity is violated, not by contending 
 for what each individual deems the truth, but by 
 conducting the contest under the influence of an 
 improper spirit. In this alone consists that bigotry 
 with which the advocate of controverted opinions is 
 generally branded, however mild and catholic his 
 spirit, and decorous and liberal his manner. 
 
 " To apply these remarks to the case of Episco- 
 palians. They are distinguished from other deno- 
 minations of Christians, among other things, by 
 three orders in the ministry. Bishops, Priests, and 
 Deacons, which, they declare, have been since the 
 apostles' times ; and by a liturgy, or form of prayer, 
 which, they think, as a form, is sanctioned by apos- 
 tolic and primitive usage ; and, as to its materials, 
 is in great part of primitive origin, and of unequalled 
 excellence. Is it not due to these principles — is it 
 not a dictate of prudence, to decline associations 
 which may insensibly weaken his attachment to 
 these principles, and in which he may be compelled 
 either to act inconsistently with them, or to engage 
 
IllGliT 11L;V. JOHN IIF.NliY IIOBART. 169 
 
 in unpleasant collisions with those who think dif- 
 ferently from himself! It is certainly correct, as a 
 general remark, that Christian truth and Christian 
 harmony are best preserved when Christians of 
 different relii?ious communions endeavour to ad- 
 vance the interests of religion in their own way. 
 
 " Considering too the general division between 
 those who receive Episcopacy and those who are 
 opposed to it, between those who adopt a liturgy 
 and those who reject one, it is not difficult to deter- 
 mine with whom, in any association, would be the 
 strensfth and advantage of numbers. In all associa- 
 lions of bodies of men professing different principles, 
 the most numerous will silently, gradually, but effec- 
 tually, bear sway; and the minority will glide in- 
 sensibly into the larger mass, unless they are 
 constantly on their guard ; and then their safety can 
 be secured only by a tenaciousness which may 
 incur the stigma of bigotry, and interrupt unity and 
 harmony. A profession of liberality pervades all 
 such associations, which would render it unfashion- 
 able, unpleasant, and unkind for the Episcopalian to 
 doubt the equal excellence of Presbytery and Epis- 
 copacy, of extempore worship and a liturgy. 
 
 " When Episcopalians are brought into this state 
 of liberal indifference, if they are not prepared to 
 renounce their principles, they are at least deterred 
 from laying peculiar stress upon them, and from 
 advocating and enforcing them. The power of 
 habit is wonderful, and the progress is not difficult 
 or uncommon from indifference to neglect, and 
 even to dislike. 
 
 " Fidelity to our principles, and an earnest desire 
 # 22 ' 
 
I /^ IMEMOIU OF THE UFA OF THE 
 
 to preserve Christian harmony, seem to justify us 
 in the separate management of our religious con- 
 cerns. But the important points of difference 
 among Christians should never interrupt the har- 
 mony of social and domestic intercourse, nor check 
 the exercise of Christian benevolence." 
 
 The reasons alleged in the Pastoral Letter for 
 the distribution of the Prayer Book with the Bible 
 by Episcopalians, appear to be so just and forcible, 
 that, did we not know the contrary, v.'e should 
 suppose that they would be regarded as conclusive 
 by every sober and reflecting mind. The dangers 
 apprehended from an association with other deno- 
 minations for religious purposes, might be consi- 
 dered by some as problematical and extravagant, 
 and therefore, in regard to them, there might natu- 
 rally be expected greater diversity of opinion. But 
 the Bishop was opposed on both grounds by an 
 Episcopalian, in an anonymous reply to his Pastoral 
 Letter. The writer, however, by the extravagance 
 of his positions, proved himself to be an injudicious 
 advocate of the cause which he espoused. Besides 
 maintaining the very common sentiment that it was 
 the interest and duty of Episcopalians to unite with 
 their fellow Christians in spreading the knowledge 
 of the word of God, he also endeavoured to show 
 that " the Book of Common Prayer ought not to 
 accompany the Bible in its universal distribution," 
 and '* that Prayer Book Societies should appro- 
 priate no part of their funds to the purchase of 
 Bibles." 
 
 Bishop Ilobart shows, in the clearest and most 
 convincing manner, that there are no circumstances 
 
UIGIIT REV. JOHN MENIIY HOBART. 171 
 
 in which the Book of Common Prayer may not be 
 advantageously distributed with the Bible. In 
 regard to those who do not belong to our commu- 
 nion, but are favourably disposed towards it, this is 
 the readiest way to cherish and strengthen their 
 attachment to it, and to convince them of the ex- 
 cellence of the doctrines and worship of the Church. 
 In reo-ard to those who object to our form of go- 
 vernntent, and disapprove of our sacraments and 
 rites, this would be one of the most effectual 
 methods of Hiving them correct views of our prin- 
 ciples, disabusing them of their prejudices, and 
 subduing their opposition. In regard to the Heathen, 
 this would be the best key to the proper understand- 
 ing of the Scriptures; improving and confirming the 
 knowledge which the Bible gives of their Saviour, 
 and at the same time furnishing them with the most 
 affecting invocations to implore the mercy of that 
 Saviour on their perishing souls. - One invaluable 
 characteristic of our liturgy, is its admirable fitness, 
 not only for worship, but instruction. It is not 
 only a guide to devotion, but a formulary of faith ; 
 a correct exhibition of evangelical doctrine, in lan- 
 guage gratifying to the taste of the most refined, 
 and^level to the capacities of the most humble; en- 
 lightening the understanding and swaying the aff-ec- 
 lions of the heart. Can a book, unrivalled in its 
 simple, correct, and forcible display of the truths 
 contained in the Bible, be an unfit companion to 
 this sacred volume t The Prayer Book is the best 
 religious tract that can accompany the Bible." 
 
 If every consideration, drawn from the character 
 and relations of the two l)ooks, enforces their joint 
 
172 MEMOIR OF THE LIFE OF THE 
 
 distribution, then the second position of the author 
 of the reply, " that Prayer Book Societies should 
 appropriate no part of their funds to the purchase 
 of Bibles," is as extraordinary as the first; for this 
 would be debarring" Episcopalians, as a separate 
 religious community, from all efforts for the distri- 
 bution of the sacred volume. ■ 
 
 Bishop Hobart then attempts to show the fallacy 
 of the last position in the .reply, that it is " the 
 interest and duty of Episcopalians to unite with 
 their fellow Christians in spreading the knowledge 
 of the word of God ;" and contends, that an union 
 of all denominations for the purpose of circulating 
 the Scriptures, will not more eftectually advance 
 the object than a generous emulation among them 
 to out do each other in this labour of love. 
 
 The Pastoral Letter details the reasons which 
 justify Episcopalians in the separate management 
 of their religious concerns ; and the principal one 
 against their union with other societies, was " the 
 apprehension that such indiscriminate associations 
 would tend to bring Episcopalians into that state 
 of liberal indifference in which, if they are not pre- 
 pared to renounce their principles, they are at least 
 deterred from laying peculiar stress upon them, 
 and from advocating and enforcing them." The 
 author of the reply, in order to justify his own 
 arguments, and to justify his view of the subject, 
 quotes with approbation the warm commendations 
 which Dr. Bathurst, Bishop of Norwich, bestows 
 on the British and Foreign Bible Society — *' Here, 
 Brethren, learn to dwell together in unity. We do 
 not ask, Are you a Cliurchman or a Dissenter, but 
 
IlIGHT REV. JOHN HENUY HOBART. 173 
 
 do you love vital Christianity 1 Do you prefer that 
 the word of God should be circulated without note 
 or comment, rather than the increase of your own 
 particular party 1 If this be the case, we hail you 
 as a brother and a friend in the Lord." " Is not 
 this a case in point fully establishing" Bishop Ho- 
 bart's " reasoning? Is not this the profession of 
 liberality, which deems it unfashionable, unpleasant, 
 and unkind, for the Episcopalian to doubt the equal 
 excellence of Presbytery and Episcopacy; of ex- 
 tempore worship and a liturgy? Is not this the 
 liberal indifference, not advancing by slow progress, 
 but at once plunging into that renunciation of prin- 
 ciple which" Bishop Hobart " deprecated ? Orders 
 of the ministry which the Church maintains God 
 established ; and a liturgy sanctioned by Scripture, 
 antiquity, and reason, are thus placed in opposition 
 to vital Christianity. Nay; for the Churchman to 
 desire the increase of the Church, is branded with 
 the stigma of designing only the increase of a par- 
 ticular party." 
 
 " Christian liberality extends its charity, not to 
 opinions, but to men; judging candidly of their 
 motives, their character, and conduct. Tenacious 
 of what it deems the truth, it earnestly endeavours, 
 in the spirit of Christian kindness, to reclaim others 
 from error. But iliere is a spurious liberality, whose 
 tendency is to confound entirely the boundaries 
 between truth and error. It acts under the influence 
 of the maxim, not the less pernicious, because it 
 allures in the flowing harmony of numbers. 
 
 " For modes of faith let graceless zealots fight, 
 He can't be wrong whose life is in the right." 
 
174 MEMOIR OF THE LIFE OF THE 
 
 ^' Christian unity is a fundamental principle of the 
 Gospel, and schism a deadly sin. But Christian 
 unity is to be obtained not by a dishonourable 
 concealment or abandonment of principle, where 
 there is no real change of opinion, nor even by an 
 union in doctrine, could such an union be sincerely 
 effected, of religious sects who continue to ditJer in 
 regard to the ministry of the Church. The Epis- 
 copalian believes, in the language of the Church, 
 * that Bishops, Priests, and Deacons, have been from 
 the apostles' times ; that God, by his providence 
 and Holy Spirit, appointed these orders.' He knows 
 no Christian unity but in submission to this minis- 
 try. Judging the heart, and still less determining 
 the final destiny of no individual, he deems it his 
 duty to avoid and to discountenance separation 
 from this ministry, which he considers the sin of 
 schism ; that sin from which, in the litany of the 
 Church, he prays to be delivered. He declines, 
 with mildness and prudence, but with decision and 
 firmness, all proffered compromises and associa- 
 tions which do not recognise these orders of the 
 ministry, and which may tend to weaken his attach- 
 ment to the distinctive principles of his own Church. 
 He respects the consciences of others. He guards 
 their rights, but he \m'\\\ not sacrifice or endanger 
 his own. He defends and enforces those true 
 principles of Christian unity which characterize his 
 Church. He does his duty, and leaves the rest to 
 God — in the prayer and in thebelief that the gracious 
 Head of the Church will, in his own good time, 
 overcome the errors, the prejudices, and the pas- 
 sions of men, to the advancement of Christian 
 
lilGHT REV. JOHN HENRY HOBAIIT. 175 
 
 fellowship and jDeace ; so that at length ' the whole 
 of his dispersed sheep shall be gathered into one 
 fold, under one Shepherd, Jesus Christ our Lord.' " 
 Shortly after the publication of his Pastoral 
 Letter, and his notice of the reply which was made 
 to it, the American Bible Society was established. 
 Notwithstanding the imposing array of overwhelm- 
 ing numbers, of rank, talent, and influence, which 
 that society presented, he was neither intimidated 
 nor silenced. The principles which he had before 
 advocated, were now rendered still more unpopular 
 by this general union in opposition to them. It not 
 only had the cordial support of all the other reli- 
 gious denominations, but of some of the respectable 
 clergymen and influential laymen of our own com- 
 munion. But as the love of what he deemed the 
 truth had always prevailed over his regard for 
 popular favour, he was only roused to a more 
 vigorous defence of it, by the danger to which it 
 was exposed. No man ever acted on higher and 
 nobler principles. This was a question connected 
 not only with his opinions, but his oflicial duty, and 
 therefore all personal considerations were disre- 
 garded. He knew that among those who were 
 opposed to our Church, he would subject himself to 
 odium, misrepresentation, and reproach. He knew 
 that the expediency and policy of his conduct would 
 be doubted by many of her friends. But none of 
 these things disturbed him ; for though he was 
 covetous of approbation and praise on true grounds, 
 yet, in defending a good cause, he was wholly indif- 
 ferent to censure. On this subject he had thought 
 most anxiously, he had come to the most fixed con- 
 
J 76 MEMOIR OF THE LIFE OF THE 
 
 elusions, and he had nerve enough not to shrink 
 from the convictions of duty, but to press them with 
 boldness and zeal upon the minds and consciences 
 of others. 
 
 Shortly after the appearance of his Pastoral 
 Letter, therefore, he published an address to Epis- 
 copalians, on the subject of the American Bible 
 Society. It was an earnest dissuasive against their 
 uniting with this institution. Already there were 
 Bible Societies in every part of the United States, 
 and others were constantly organizing. These in- 
 stitutions were adequate to all the purposes for 
 which they were wanted. A National Bible Society, 
 which was, in fact, to represent every part of this 
 country, was perfectly visionary. In its spirit and 
 management it would be the Bible Society of the 
 particular city or district where it was established. 
 This was proved by the circumstance, that the 
 persons named as the managers of the "American 
 Bible Society," with two or three exceptions, resided 
 in the city of New- York, or its vicinity. 
 
 If this were so, what necessity could there be for 
 another in this city] Already there were four here, 
 besides others in almost every county of the state. 
 No object was to be accomplished for our own 
 purposes, to which these institutions separately 
 were inadequate. 
 
 There was not a perfect accordance of opinion 
 even among the Bible Societies and their friends, 
 as to the necessity of this national institution. 
 
 The Bible Society in Philadelphia, which ranked 
 decidedly amongst the first in the United States, 
 was opposed to it. They must have been influenced 
 
RIGHT RKV. JOHN HENUY HORAU'l'. 177 
 
 by a conviction that it was neither necessary nor 
 expedient. Some denominations, also, may have 
 feared that there was a spirit of proselytism in the 
 measure. If, indeed, this national society were to 
 be national in any thing more than name, it could 
 only be so by delegation, and the general attend- 
 ance of the delegates, without some other business 
 or more powerful motive, could not reasonably be 
 expected. The time fixed for its meeting was 
 about the time of the meeting of the General As- 
 sembly of the Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia. 
 This circumstance alone could secure the attend- 
 ance of persons from all parts of the Union, and 
 give it the semblance of a national institution; and 
 then, however others might be honoured with offices, 
 the spirit, and influence, and credit of the institution 
 would eventually be that of the very numerous and 
 respectable Presbyterian denomination. • 
 
 But if this denomination and others should think 
 proper to institute another Bible Society, yet the 
 patronage, the wealth, the influence, and exertions 
 of Episcopalians were needed for similiar institu- 
 tions in their own Church. The New- York Bible 
 and Common Prayer Book Society was establishedj; 
 as it was believed, before any Bible Society in the 
 United States. Its Auxiliary, instituted by young 
 men of our Church, called for the support and 
 countenance of Episcopalians. By encouraging 
 these institutions, and connecting themselves with 
 the proposed Bible Society, they would at least 
 avoid the risk of injuring the interests of their own 
 Church, interrupting her harmony, damping the 
 zeal for her principles, which was leading her to 
 
 23 
 
178 iMEMOIR OF THE LIFE OF THE 
 
 prosperity, and at the same time of coming into 
 unpleasant collision with others. 
 
 The Bishop then reiterates many of the argu- 
 ments in his Pastoral Letter against the evils of 
 indiscriminate associations, and most affectionately 
 and earnestly entreats his people to shun them. 
 
 This is a mere abstract of his reasonings, which, 
 from its brevity, must necessarily deprive them of 
 much of their force, and which cannot be fully felt, 
 except from a perusal of the pieces tliemselves. 
 The effect of them was very soon perceived in our 
 own Church, and a change has since taken place 
 in the opinions of many in other denominations, 
 which forms a strong presumption in favour of 
 their justness and truth. Whether it be from the 
 overwhelming ascendency which Bishop Hobart 
 predicted would be gained by some large society 
 over every other, or from the want of harmony in 
 carrying on their operations together, or from the 
 discovery, that the liberal indifference arising out 
 of general efforts was paralyzing their zeal for 
 their peculiar principles, it is with good reason be- 
 lieved, that, in two respectable bodies of Christians 
 at least, there has been a great abatement of 
 interest in the American Bible Society, and a 
 growing dislike to all similar associations for re- 
 ligions purposes. 
 
 But it was particularly gratifying to Bishop Ho- 
 bart to perceive the favourable influence which 
 these publications were exerting over the minds of 
 Episcopalians; leading some to reflect on the in- 
 jurious tendency of general societies to the interests 
 of the Church, directing the bounty of others into 
 
RIGHT REV. JOHN HENRY HOBAUT. 179 
 
 its proper channels, and rousing many who had 
 hitherto been indifferent, to active and zealous ex- 
 ertions in behalf of our own institutions. Several 
 Auxiliary Bible and Common Prayer Book Socie- 
 ties were immediately formed in various parts of 
 the state ; in the institution of whicii many of the 
 distinguished laymen of our Church co-operated 
 with the clergy. He encouraged others to an imi- 
 tation of their example, by noticing the fact with 
 marked approbation in his address to the Conven- 
 tion. He enforced the reasonings of his Pastoral 
 Letter and Address in private communications to 
 those persons from whose discriminating minds 
 and sound principles he might look for a correct 
 decision, and from whose personal attachment he 
 might hope for countenance and support. Nor in 
 his intercourse with the people did he suffer the 
 work to rest, but by argument, persuasion, and all 
 the just influence of his station, urged it on with 
 diligence and success. 
 
 The effects of these publications extended also 
 beyond the immediate object for whicli they were 
 written. As the general principles which they 
 contained were alike applicable to all associations 
 with other denominations for any common purpose; 
 so the tendency of them was to restrain Churchmen 
 from this amalgamation in every case, and to with- 
 draw them from such a connexion where it had 
 already been formed. The operation of them, in 
 both respects, though gradual, was plainly perceived 
 in the more wholesome tone of public sentiment 
 among our people, and in a greater degree of union 
 in their eifort^ for our own institutions:. 
 
180 IMEMOIR OF THE LIFE OF THE 
 
 But Bishop Hobart did not merely confine his 
 solicitude to the exclusive character of our institU' 
 tions, but was unwearied in his exertions to promote 
 their useful and important ends. Humble as they 
 were in their infant operations, they were not be- 
 neath his paternal care. Backward as our people 
 were in their support, he was never discouraged. 
 He attended the meetinsfs of all our societies when- 
 ever 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 expe- 
 dients for their improvement when they were lan- 
 guishing, and rejoiced at every appearance of their 
 growth and success. The most of these societies 
 were originally established, with the approbation of 
 the ecclesiastical authority, by a few young men, who 
 united with the activity and ardour of youth much 
 of the prudence and judgment of maturer years; 
 whose pious zeal was tempered by an enlightened 
 attachment to the distinctive principles and usages 
 of our Church, and whose efforts were as earnest 
 and persevering in promoting the cause of sober- 
 ness and truth, as those of others in spreading en- 
 thusiasm and error. 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 parental watchfulness and 
 regard, still feel the impulse which he gave to their 
 
RIGHT REV. JOHN HENRY IIOBART. J 81 
 
 exertions, and go on in their course with unabated 
 ardour and zeal. 
 
 At the opening of the Convention in 1815, Bishop 
 Hobart delivered a Charge to his clergy on the 
 Nature of the Christimi Ministry, as set forth in the 
 Offices of Ordination. The first part is a lucid ex- 
 position of the views of our Church on this subject, 
 and an admirable epitome of the whole argument 
 on Episcopacy. In the other parts there are some 
 things deserving of a more particular notice. 
 
 In presenting this succinct account of the senti- 
 ments of our Church in regard to the Christian 
 ministry, he states, that it is his principal design to 
 impress upon his brethren the caution, that we do 
 not rank these opinions among the non-essentials 
 of Christianity. 
 
 " There is often an invidious distinction made 
 between the doctrines and the institutions of the 
 Gospel ; and yet they have both a divine origin, 
 and they are inseparably connected as means to the 
 same end — the salvation of man. Justification by 
 a living faith in the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, 
 and through the sanctification of the Divine Spirit, 
 is a fundamental doctrine of the Gospel. It per- 
 vades all the articles, and animates all the offices of 
 our Church; and her ministers should make it the 
 basis of all their instructions and preaching. 
 
 " But it hath pleased God to constitute a visible 
 Church, and to make its ministry and ordinances the 
 means and pledges of this justification. ' The Lord 
 added unto the Church,' we are told, ' the saved.' 
 Believers are always spoken of as members of 
 Christ's mystical body; and it is the Church which 
 
182 MEMOIR OF THE LIFE OF THE 
 
 Christ hath purchased with his blood, and which he 
 sanctifies by liis spirit. 
 
 " But if you destroy the ministry, what becomes 
 of the visible Church? If you render an external 
 commission unnecessary, what becomes of the mi- 
 nistry? And if you change the mode originally 
 constituted for conveying this commission from the 
 Divine Head of the Church, what assurance can we 
 have that we enjoy it? 
 
 " Our Church, on these subjects, speaks unequi- 
 vocal language. * « *. Let us not go beyond her 
 language, but let us not refrain from avowing it; 
 let us not diminish its force through that most un- 
 dignified and unworthy motive, a wish to obtain a 
 transitory popularity with those who reject the 
 claims of Episcopacy. 
 
 " But it is of the utmost importance that the 
 duty of inculcating Episcopal principles should be 
 discharged with prudence. They should not be 
 urged at improper seasons or places, nor expressed 
 in language harsh or violent, or admitting inferences 
 not intended or warranted. Let these principles 
 be inculcated in the spirit of liberality, rendering 
 respect to the motives, the talents, and the piety of 
 those who reject them. Let them be inculcated 
 with humility, carefully avoiding all appearance of 
 arrogance, and in the spirit of fervent affection for 
 the Redeemer's kingdom. 
 
 *' Let us not only inculcate these principles, but 
 let us cherish in our own minds a sense of their 
 importance. Let us avoid, as far as possible, all 
 situations which may require us either to estimate 
 as non-essential these principles, or to appear 
 
JIKHIT REV. JOHN HENRY HOHAUT. 183 
 
 inferior to others in Christian liberality, and vvhicii 
 may place the benevolent and social feelings of 
 our nature at variance with our fidelity to truths 
 solemnly avowed by our Church, and considered 
 by her essential to her polity; and which we are to 
 guard as the rallying points which will finally bring 
 into one fold the dispersed and discordant Israel of 
 God." 
 
 In this Charge Bishop Hobart also sets another 
 point in a clear and proper light, as he had done 
 before in several of his works, which has been the 
 occasion of much confusion in the dispute on Epis- 
 copacy. > 
 
 " Let me detain you while I illustrate the great 
 importance of distinguishing between the miiiistry 
 and the government of the Church, properly so 
 called. 
 
 " ^he ministry of the Church necessarily includes 
 only the orders of Bishops, Priests, and Deacons, 
 with their subordinate and appropriate powers ; 
 and these are of divine institution. 
 
 " But the govei'nment of the Church, including 
 these orders of the ministry, and thus far being of 
 divine origin, extends to all those other offices which 
 the Church may deem it expedient to organize ; to 
 the mode in which her ministers are elected and 
 vested with jurisdiction; and to the particular 
 organization by which her legislative, executive, 
 and judiciary powers are exercised. Considered 
 in reference to these latter objects, the government 
 of the Church is of human origin. 
 
 " It is expedient, then, that we speak of the divine 
 institution of the Episcopal ministry, or of Episco- 
 
184 .iui<:!>[ont of the life of the 
 
 pacy, and not of the divine institution of Episcopal 
 government. 
 
 " In avowing the" latter, " there is danger of 
 being misunderstood, and of being represented as 
 maintaining the divine institution of that ecclesias- 
 tical establishment, in all its parts, which subsists 
 in the country from which we are descended." 
 
 He then remarks, that the spiritual Church of 
 England and the civil are entirely distinct; and 
 shows, at length, in what respects we agree with her 
 in the former character, as to all essential points of 
 doctrine and discipline. In the remainder of the 
 Charge he notices the care with which our Church 
 guards the entrance to the ministry; the literal, the 
 theological, the moral, and spiritual qualifications 
 which she requires of those who are to be admitted 
 to orders; the barriers which she opposes to the 
 unworthy, and the nature of the priest's and dea- 
 con's office ; and he concludes with a most lively 
 and eloquent description of their duties, and a most 
 earnest and affectionate persuasion to diligence, 
 fidelity, and zeal in their solemn charge. 
 
 In a funeral sermon which was preached by 
 Bishop Hobart on the death of his predecessor, 
 Bishop Moore, some allusion having been made to 
 Paradise, he was led by this circumstance to write 
 a Dissertation on the State of Departed Spirits, 
 and the Descent of Christ into Hell. The reasons 
 which he states for the discussion of this subject 
 are, " that the doctrine is not generally understood ; 
 that it is regarded by many as a doctrine of little 
 importance, and of curious speculation only ; and 
 by others as a dangerous novelty, nearly allied to 
 
KIGHT REV. JOHN HENKY IIOIJAUT. 185 
 
 the tenets concerning purgatory held by the Church 
 of Rome." 
 
 It is tlierefore his object to show — 
 
 " That it is a doctrine of the Protestant Episcopal 
 Church ; 
 
 "That it may be traced to the apostolic age; 
 and, 
 
 " That it is clearly revealed in the sacred vvritingSc 
 
 " The doctrine is — that the souls of men do not 
 go immediately to heaven, the place of final bliss, 
 r\ox io hell, tlie place of final torment, but remain 
 in a state of enjoyment or misery in the place of 
 the departed, until the resurrection at the last day ; 
 when, their bodies being united to their souls, they 
 are advanced to complete felicity or woe in heaven 
 or hell." 
 
 The first point is proved by a reference to the 
 Apostles' Creed, in which it is stated, that Christ 
 " descended into hell," or, as it is explained in the 
 rubrick, into the ''place of departed spirits;'''' by the 
 passage in the prayer for Christ's Church militant, 
 where we are taught to beseech God " that we, with 
 all those who are departed this life in his faith and 
 fear, may be partakers of his heavenly kingdom;" 
 and by an expression in the burial service, where 
 we pray that " we, with all those who are departed 
 in the true faith of his holy name, may have our 
 perfect consummation and bliss, both in body and 
 sold, in his eternal and everlasting glory." 
 
 In the second place, he shows that this doctrine 
 has been maintained not only by the divines of our 
 own Church, but by many also of other denomina- 
 tions, who were eminent for their learning and piety. 
 
 24 
 
J 86 MEMOIR OF THE LIFE OF THE 
 
 Dr. Campbell, of the Presbyterian Church, in his 
 able Dissertation prefixed to his Translation of the 
 Four Gospels ; Dr. Macknight, of the same Church, 
 in his new Translation of the Epistles ; Dr. Dod- 
 •dridge, in his Commentary; Dr. Wilson, in his 
 Notes on Ridgely's Body of Divinity; Dr. Adam 
 Clarke, and the Rev. Mr. Wesley— all maintain this 
 opinion; and proofs of the assertion are given by 
 extracts from their works. A number of authorities 
 are also adduced in favour of the same opinion from 
 the writings of some of the most illustrious divines 
 of our own Church. 
 
 The doctrine is then proved from the Scriptures 
 themselves. " 1st. These uniformly represent that 
 there is but one judgmetit at the last day ; that the 
 souls of men are not allotted to heaven or hell 
 until this final judgment; and that, previously to 
 that event, the soul must be in some other place. 
 2d. The happiness of heaven and the misery of hell 
 are represented in Scripture as complete, both of 
 soul and body ; but, until the resurrection, the body 
 is subject to corruption. Previously to the resur- 
 rection, then, the righteous and tiie wicked can 
 neither be in heaven nor hell. They must be in 
 some other place. Their state of happiness must 
 be different from its character in the final heaven 
 of happiness, and hell of torment. 3d. The apostle 
 asserts, that the saintsof the patriarchal and Jewish 
 dispensations have not yet arrived to the full glory 
 of which they, with the saints of the New Testament 
 dispensation, will finally partake. * These,' says 
 he, (the saints of old,) ' all having obtained a good 
 report by faith, received not the promise; God 
 
UKJIIT U!:V. JOHN HENllV llOIJAliT. 187 
 
 having provided some better things for us, that they 
 without us should not he made ])C7'fect.'' " Several 
 of the best commentators refer this to their ^^ final 
 glory in the heavenly state, to the full consummation 
 of theii' hojjes in Christ Jesus, at the time of liis 
 triumphant appearing." . 
 
 " As therefore these saints of old vvlio are de- 
 parted all live to God — for God is ' their God,' and 
 ' God is not the God of the dead, but of the living;' 
 and as they do not live in that state of final glory 
 in heaven, on which they will not enter until the 
 saints under the Gospel are admitted to it, at the 
 judgment of the great day; it follows, that all de- 
 parted saints must live to God in some place sepa- 
 rate from heaven, anticipating with joyfid hope 
 tlieir final glorification." 4th. Another argument in 
 favour of this opinion is drawn from that expression 
 of our Lord, * No man hath ascended up to heaven 
 but he that came down from heaven, even the Son 
 of Man, who is in heaven.' Though, therefore, it 
 is said that Enoch was translated, and Elijah went 
 up by a whirlwind into heaven, yet this cannot sig- 
 nify that heaven which is the scene of the more 
 particular display of the divine glory to which Christ 
 hath ascended, and to which he will finally exalt his 
 saints, but to some separate abode of blessedness 
 and peace. Any other construction of the word 
 would make the passage of the inspired historian 
 directly contradict the assertion of our Lord. 
 
 " Thus also it is said — ' David is not yet ascended 
 into the heavens.' His soul, therefore, must abide 
 in some separate region of hope and enjoyment. 
 
 " All these considerations prove that there must 
 
188 MEMOIR OF Tin: LIFE OF THK 
 
 be an intermediate state between death and the 
 resurrection, where the souls of the departed abide. 
 5lh. Tiie place of the departed is particularly de- 
 signated in Scripture. 
 
 " The language of our Lord to the penitent thief 
 — ' This day shalt thou be with me in Paradise,' 
 determines the fact, that the soul of the blessed 
 Jesus after death went to some place, to which, as 
 the habitation of the departed spirits of the righteous, 
 the soul of the penitent thief was also admitted ; and 
 this place is called Paradise. 
 
 " ' Thou wilt not leave my soul in hell ; nor suffer 
 thy Holy One to see corruption.' This passage of 
 the sixteenth Psalm is expressly applied by St. Peter 
 to our Saviour. According to this prediction, the 
 soul of Christ was to be in hell. But he was not 
 in hell before his death, neither was he there after 
 his resurrection. It follows, that in the interval 
 between his death and his resurrection, his soul was 
 in hell. There is no escaping from this conclusion 
 but by maintaining, according to the opinion of some 
 commentators, that the soul here meant is not his 
 rational or sjnritual soul, but merely his animal 
 soul, or life,"" This word, both in the Hebrew and 
 Greek, undoubtedly admits of this double signifi- 
 cation. 
 
 But there are several reasons to justify the in- 
 terpretation of it in this passage, according to the 
 former sense. 
 
 " 1. If the soul" here "does not mean the spiritual 
 and immortal part of maji, but is synonymous with 
 animal life, or dead body, the obvious meaning of 
 the passage, as referring to the two distinct parts 
 
UIGIIT REV. JOHN IIENUY IIOBAIIT. 189 
 
 of the human nature of Christ, is lost. The last 
 clause would only bo a redundant repetition of the 
 first. Whereas there is plainly such an opposition 
 between them, as that they convey distinct meanings, 
 and refer to different things. * Thou wilt not leave 
 my soul in hell ; nor suffer thy Ploly One to see 
 corruption.' 
 
 "2. According to the interpretation which is here 
 opposed, there is no account given of the soul of 
 Christ, in the interval between his death and his 
 resurrection — the whole passage merely affirms the 
 condition of his body. But if the former clause of 
 the passage be interpreted of the soul or spiritual 
 part of the human nature of Christ, as the latter 
 undoubtedly is of his body, there is then a full 
 account of the condition of both parts of his nature. 
 His soul was in hell, but not left there — his hod[f in 
 the grave, but did not see corruption. 
 
 " 3. It is evident that some part of the human 
 nature of the blessed Jesus, called his soul, was to 
 be left in some place called hell. But i^ soul means 
 merely his animal life, this not being a distinct 
 subsistence, there was no part of his nature in hell. 
 The term soul, therefore, cannot mean his body, 
 his animal life, but the spiritual and immortal part 
 of his human nature. This, his soul, properly so 
 called, was in hell, but was not left there. 
 
 " 4. This passage was understood of the descent 
 of the rational and intellectual soul of Christ into 
 hell, by the primitive Church. Bishop Pearson, in 
 his learned work on the Creed, asserts, that tlierc 
 is nothing in which the Fathers more agreed than 
 this, a real descent of the soul of Christ unto the 
 
190 MEMOIR OF THE LIFE OP THE 
 
 habitation of the souli of the departed " though tliey 
 diftered as to the persons to whom, and the end for 
 which they descended ; and he quotes their opinions 
 at length. 
 
 " 5. By denying that the descent of Christ into 
 Iiell, in this passage, is meant of the descent of his 
 sold, properly so called, we give up the principal 
 argument from Scripture, of the existence of the 
 huma7i soul of Christ. Apollinaris, an early heretic, 
 denied to Christ an intellectual or rational soid, 
 the place of which was supplied, he said, by the 
 Word, or Divinity. Against this heresy, the ortho- 
 dox urged the text relative to Christ, * Thou wilt 
 not leave my soul in hell.' Christ's descent into 
 hell they considered as an undeniable proof that 
 he had a reasonable soul: For it could not be his 
 Deity that descended into hell ; that being omni- 
 present, was incapable of any local transition. It 
 could not be his body, for that was committed to 
 the tomb. It must therefore have been his reason- 
 able, human soid.''"' 
 
 The same passage was also urged against the 
 Eutychians, who altogether denied the human na- 
 ture of Christ, asserting that there was in him but 
 one nature, the divine. 
 
 " But it is of primary importance, in this discus- 
 sion, to ascertain the correct meaning of the word 
 which, in this passage, and many others, is translated 
 hell. If this mean a place of departed spirits, then 
 the descent of the spirit, or soul, of Christ into the 
 same abode is established. 
 
 " The word hell, in our English translation of 
 the Bible, answers in the original to two distinct 
 
JIKJHT REV. JOH^' llENilY IIonASiT. 191 
 
 words, a^$, hades, denoting merely a secret in- 
 visible place, and hence applied to the place of 
 departed spirits ; and yeswa, gehemia, signifying 
 the place of final torment." 
 
 It is made evident, from an elaborate examination 
 into which the Bishop enters, of the meaning of the 
 former word a8^g, or hades, among the Greeks, and 
 the corresponding word 07'cus among the Romans, 
 and sheol among the Jews, and also from the signi- 
 fication which the authors of the Septuagint trans- 
 lation of the Old Testament annexed to the term 
 in above sixty places where it occurs, and from the 
 obvious import of it in those passages where it occurs 
 in the New Testament ; that when the apostles spoke 
 oUiades, they used it in its settled, universal, and ap- 
 propriate sense of the place of departed spirits. And 
 this is the word which is rendered hell in the passage 
 relating to our Saviour in the sixteenth Psalm. 
 
 Some observations are then made in regard to 
 the situation of the place of departed spirits, and 
 to the probability of the souls of the righteous and 
 the wicked existing there in different conditions 
 and different regions of that unknown abode. 
 
 "That region of the departed where the souls of 
 the righteous repose, in the interval between death 
 and the resurrection, is denominated by our Saviour 
 Paradise — * This day, says he to the penitent thief, 
 * thou shalt be with me in Paradise.' Not in heaven, 
 the abode of the blessed — for to heaven our Lord 
 ascended not till after his resurrection, as appears 
 from his own words to Mary Magdalene — but to that 
 region where the righteous abide in joyful hope of 
 the consummation of their bliss." 
 
192 ilIEMOIR OF THE LIFE OF THE 
 
 The objections to this opinion, drawn from other 
 parts of Scripture, are then answered; the ends for 
 which our Saviour descended into hell are shown 
 to be of the most important nature ; and the dis- 
 tinction is pointed out between this doctrine and 
 the Papal doctrine of {)urgatory. 
 
 The whole argument is thus concisely and admi- 
 rably summed up by the Bishop himself: — 
 
 " As the souls of men are not admitted into 
 heaven, the place of happiness, nor into hell, the 
 place of final torment, according to the representa- 
 tion of the sacred writings, until the resurrection 
 and judgment of the great day; and as the soul, 
 both from reason and Scripture, is not previously in 
 a state of unconsciousness — it follows, that during 
 this interval, it must subsist in a separate state. 
 
 "As the happiness of heaven ; and the misery of 
 hell, the place of final torment, are represented in 
 Scripture as the happiness or misery of the ichole 
 man, of his body united to his soul ; and as this 
 union, dissolved by death, is not renewed until the 
 resurrection and judgment of the great day; it 
 follows, that previously to this event, the soul can- 
 not be a subject of the happiness of heaven, or of 
 the misery of the final hell of torment, but must be 
 in a separate state of incomplete, though inconceiv- 
 ably great felicity or woe. 
 
 " And that there is a place of the departed, 
 denominated, in allusion to its secret and invisible 
 character, «5>7$, hades, or hell, where, in distinct 
 abodes, the souls of the righteous and of the wicked 
 experience inconceivable happiness or misery, ex- 
 pecting the consummation of their felicity or woe, 
 
RIGHT REV. JOHN HENRY HOBAUT. 193 
 
 at the day of judgment, is placed beyond doubt by 
 the fact that Clirist's human soul was in hell (hades), 
 in the place of the departed, and in that part of 
 this place denominated Paradise, in the interval 
 between his death and resurrection. 
 
 *' For, during this interval, his human soul was in 
 some place; since, independently of every other 
 consideration, it was declared of him by the prophet, 
 tiiat ' his soul was not to be left in hell.' 
 
 " Bui his soul, during this period, could not have 
 been in heaven; for he did not ascend to heaven, 
 agreeably to his own declaration, until after his 
 resurrection. 
 
 " Nor could his soul have been in the hell of 
 torment; for he declared, as matter of triumph and 
 joy to the penitent thief, that after death they should 
 be toirether in Paradise. 
 
 "In Paradise, then, that region of peace and joy, 
 in hades, the place of the departed, was the human 
 soul of tlie blessed Jesus in the interval between 
 death and the resurrection. 
 
 " And where the human soul of Jesus was during 
 this period, there, during the same period, must be 
 the souls of the liuman race whose sentence of mor- 
 tality he sustained, and of whom he was the repre- 
 sentative." 
 
 The abstract which I have made of this disserta- 
 tion, though large enough to give the reader a 
 general idea of the manner in which the subject is 
 treated, is, however, but an imperfect representation 
 of the piece itself. It does not exhibit the full force 
 of his reasonings, the aptness and variety of Jiis 
 iliustrationb-, the imposing and overwhelming array 
 
 25 
 
■194 ME.MOIU OF THE LIFE OF THE 
 
 of his authorities. He had examined the question 
 with great care, and knowing how little it was un- 
 derstood, and how much less it was regarded, and 
 at the same time considering that it was a doctrine 
 of Scripture, and an article of the Church, he was 
 anxious to place it in such a clear and convincing 
 light, that it might be both fully comprehended and 
 devoutly believed. He therefore brought to it all 
 the powers of his mind and the fruits of his research, 
 that every position might be fortified, every objec- 
 tion overthrown, every doubt removed. And it does 
 appear to me that no one can read it, who is not 
 wholly indifferent to the subject, or blinded by pre- 
 judice, without a conviction of the truth of the doc- 
 trine in general, however he may differ in regard to 
 certain speculations with which it is connected. It 
 was from the persuasion that some service might be 
 rendered to the cause of truth, on a point which is 
 but little examined, that the notice of this disserta- 
 tion has been so much extended ; and the hope is 
 entertained, that it may still more effectually serve 
 it by leading many to a perusal of the treatise 
 itself 
 
 The labours of Bishop Hobart in his extensive 
 diocese, where the points to be visited were often 
 very remote from his place of residence and from 
 each other, and in the large parish of which he was 
 Rector, where both the temporal and spiritual cares 
 were more weighty than usual, would have been 
 enough to break down the physical strength of most 
 men, and to have distracted and overwhelmed tiieir 
 minds. But, in 1816, he received an invitation to 
 visit the diocese of Connecticut; and deeming it 
 
RIGHT REV. JOHN HEi\RY HOB ART. 195 
 
 important to the interests of that section of the 
 Church, that Episcopal duties should not be inter- 
 mitted there, he cheerfully consented to make this 
 new addition to his labours. In a previous year, 
 during a short visitation of six weeks in our own 
 state, he held confirmation in twenty churches, 
 preached forty times, and travelled eleven hundred 
 miles. During this he confirmed, in thirty-five 
 churches, thirteen hundred and twenty persons, 
 visited ten other congregations, consecrated seven 
 edifices to the worship of God, and ordained twelve 
 deacons and seven priests. 
 
 Nothing can be more dry and uninteresting than 
 this naked detail, and yet nothing less so than 
 the circumstances themselves to which it relates. 
 What is thus stated in a few lines, occasioned pro- 
 found emotion in thousands. Wherever the Bishop 
 was expected for confirmation, the clergyman was 
 roused to extraordinary exertion, and felt all the 
 tenderness of his pastoral care ; parents were filled 
 with anxious wishes for their children, or with 
 gratitude to God for inspiring them with a sense of 
 their duty; the young were withdrawn from the 
 world in which they so naturally delighted, engaged 
 in reading, meditation, and prayer, and agitated 
 with the complicated feelings of joy and hope, 
 timidity and awe. 
 
 Wherever he came, though merely to visit the 
 congregations, there was always a degree of ex- 
 citement. From the respect which was entertained 
 for his sacred ofHce, the persuasion of his superior 
 wisdom, and the advantages of his ripe experience, 
 
196 MEMOm OF THE LIFE OF THE 
 
 his discourses were heard with that deep attention 
 which is due to the exposition of God's word, and 
 his suggestions received as the counsels of paternal 
 authority. In consecrating churches he came to 
 mingle his congratulations with the joy of the people 
 upon the crowning of their labours, their efforts, 
 and ardent prayers, and to raise their thoughts from 
 the house of the Lord on earth, which was so dear 
 to their hearts, to the beauty and glory of the Church 
 triumphant in heaven. And when new labourers 
 were sent forth into the vineyard of the Lord, both 
 he and others indulged in the delightful anticipation 
 of a more abundant and joyful harvest. 
 
 Besides, there was something in the social cha- 
 racter of the Bishop which heightened the interest 
 of his official intercourse with his people. His 
 sympathies were always with the company in which 
 he chanced to be, and his heart in the business in 
 which he was engaged. With persons of education 
 and refinement he was at his ease, and he accom- 
 modated himself without any effort to those of low 
 degree. Frank, courteous, and accessible, no one 
 was embarrassed either by the dignity of his station 
 or the superiority of his talents. Even his pecu- 
 liarities, which were somewhat remarkable, his 
 abruptness in conversation, his absence of mind, 
 the quickness of his movements, the playfulness of 
 his remarks, and his occasional neglect of the 
 ordinary forms of society, did not materially lessen 
 the reverence for his character, while, at the same 
 time, they increased the affection for his person. 
 Without a spirit of adulation, he had a singular 
 
RimiT llEV. JOHN lIICiXfiY lIOi'.AIlT. 197 
 
 faculty of making men pleased with themselves, by 
 directing the conversation to the subjects in which 
 they were interested, or to the pursuits or studies 
 in which they excelled. From the keenness of his 
 discernment, a slight acquaintance was sufficient 
 for him to gain an accurate knowledge of the 
 character of those into whose company he was 
 thrown ; and from the importance of this knowledge 
 in the station which he occupied, wherever he had 
 any doubts, he was very careful to correct, or 
 confirm his own observations by the information 
 which he could procure from others. Seldom, 
 therefore, forming an erroneous estimate of men, 
 he mingled among them on an easy footing, with 
 great gratification to them and advantage to him- 
 self. 
 
 From the Rev. John Skinner to Bishop Hobart. 
 
 " Forfar, North- Britain, Feb. 26, 1816. 
 
 " REV. SIR, 
 
 " I have for a long season meditated the making 
 my acknowledgments to you for ' the Armour In- 
 vincible' which you put into my hands, when called 
 upon, as a son, to defend the character of a revered 
 father; and as a sound Churchman, to repel one of 
 the most malignant attacks ever made upon ' the 
 truth as it is in Jesus,' and the divinely instituted 
 * pillar of truth,' the Catholic Church — her ministry 
 and discipline. 
 
 " Having observed, at last, a ship destined to 
 proceed direct from Dundee, in my vicinity, to New- 
 York, I gladly embrace the opportunity afforded 
 me of testifying my humble admirnlion of your 
 
198 rik:\ioir of the lifi: or ruv. 
 
 invaluable ' Apology for Apostolic Order and its 
 Advocates.'* 
 
 "In circmnstances and situation almost precisely 
 the same, the Episcopal Church of America and 
 Scotland ought ever to feel a lively interest in each 
 other's prosperity. It gives mc heartfelt pleasure 
 to inform you, as an approved friend of * Primitive 
 Truth and Order,' that the venerable portion of 
 the mystical body of Christ to which I belong, 
 after having been subjected to a whole century of 
 ignominy, contempt, and scorn, is hourly advancing 
 in respectability at home, and in esteem abroad. 
 The exertions of her friends, not more distinguished 
 by their rank in the state than by their own personal 
 worth, have procured for the Episcopal Church in 
 Scotland even royal patronage. An Episcopal fund 
 has been established, to which the whole bench of 
 Bishops in England, as also the Universities of 
 Oxford and Cambridge, have liberally subscribed. 
 This produces already £100 per annum to the Bi- 
 shop of Edinburgh, with £50 to four other Bishops, 
 and £60 to my venerable father, as Primus, who 
 would receive no more, besides an allowance to 
 the poorer clergy. Two new chapels are about to 
 be erected in Edinburgh, which will cost £30,000. 
 The son of the late estimable Bishop Horsley offi- 
 
 * It was a curious circumstance, that tiie character of the attack 
 made on Bishop Skinner, in Scotland, was so much like that which 
 was made by Dr. Mason on the advocates of Episcopacy in this 
 country, that his son literally used what he terms the unanswerable 
 reasonings of the Apology for Apostolic Order, in putting to silence 
 a champion of Presbytery, more bitter in his invectives than the 
 editor of the Christiuu's M<igfVZinQ 9,\ I^CW-Y9rk. 
 
lUGUT KEV. JOHN UENUY UOBAUT. 199 
 
 ciates in a chnpel in Dundee, which cost, about five 
 years ago, £7000 ; and my father and brother are 
 about to erect one in Aberdeen, at nearly an equal 
 expense. In fact, no town in Scotland, of any 
 respectability, is without a handsome Episcopal 
 chapel, and a clergyman of talents and acquire- 
 ments ; so that, contrasted with those troublous 
 times, when three or four Episcopalians were not 
 permitted to meet together, the change in our 
 situation is great. To God alone the praise is 
 due. * * *. 
 
 " Your hearty well wisher, 
 
 " And truly faithful servant in Christ, 
 
 " J. SKINNER." 
 
 From Dr. Samuel S. Smith, formerly President 
 of Princeton College, to Bishop Hobart. 
 
 " Princeton, Jan. 27, 1817. 
 
 " DEAR SIR, 
 
 ^' It should be no subject of surprise, that I re- 
 member you and other gentlemen who were asso- 
 ciated with you at any period during your residence 
 at this place. It has not been my fortune to meet 
 with those who were more amiable, nor have others 
 more estimable in literature or religion fallen in my 
 way. Some of those, especially, with whom I am at 
 present surrounded, are far from effacing the agree- 
 able recollections of those remote moments. I too 
 often see austerity, gloom, and harsh suspicion, 
 where candour, taste, aiid benevolent sentiment had 
 prevailed. *• * *. 
 - " I have been thinking seriously, since I received 
 
200 MEMO Hi OF THK LIFE OF THE 
 
 your letter, of your plausible demonstrations of a 
 secondary heaven. I am inclined to believe that 
 the pious mind cannot enjoy here complete felicity 
 till the resurrection of the body re-unites the whole 
 man. The human soul appears to be of that 
 order, that it receives all its ideas, sentiments, and 
 emotions through the medium of the body. The 
 unembodied mind may think on the stock of ideas 
 acquired in life, and disposed by the fancy in 
 beautiful images; but to derive information in a 
 new state of being, and to enjoy its 'peculiar felici- 
 ties, seems to require our ichole nature, endowed 
 with proportionably new and peculiar powers of 
 perception and combination. But it is in vain for 
 us, in this state, to philosophize on a condition of 
 being of which we have no means afforded us to 
 judge. The inferences which you and your excel- 
 lent authors have drawn from the Scriptures, have 
 proceeded as far, and perhaps as justly, as they can 
 be pursued. 
 
 " I have the pleasure to be, with the utmost cor- 
 diality, 
 
 " Your most obedient, 
 
 " And most humble servant, 
 
 " SAM. S. SMITH." 
 
 In his address to the Convention this year, Bishop 
 Hobart notices, with great satisfaction, "the increase 
 of the numbers and the piety of several congrega- 
 tions, which had been effected by assiduity in paro- 
 chial labours, and by the frequent performance of 
 the service of the Church, without a departure from 
 her prescriptions, or the introduction of modes of 
 
RIGHT REV. JOHIN ilENRY HOBART. 201 
 
 exciting the feelings, which her sober institutions 
 do not warrant." He then remarks, that " the ad- 
 vancement of piety in our Church does not demand 
 a recourse to any other means than those which 
 she has prescribed, and which the wisdom of ages 
 has sanctioned. Let the minister, as frequently as 
 circumstances will admit, assemble his congregation 
 for divine worship; let him be faithful in proclaim- 
 ing to the people committed to his charge, the 
 whole counsel of God, and the distinguishing truths 
 of the dispensation of mercy and grace through a 
 Redeemer; let him diligently attend to parochial 
 visitation and catechetical instruction ; let him pub- 
 licly and privately call his people not only to a 
 devout attendance on those public ordinances by 
 which, in the exercise of penitence and faith, their 
 union with their Redeemer is maintained, but to 
 private and constant intercourse with iieaven, in 
 pious reading, meditation, and prayer; let him thus 
 be instant ' in season, out of season,' and his labours 
 will be blessed, generally, in the increase of the 
 numbers of his congregation, but always, in their 
 establishment in substantial piety, agreeably to the 
 principles of the Church. This should be the great 
 object, and this is the best reward of the services of 
 her ministers. 
 
 " No opinion is more unfounded than that there 
 is a deficiency as to the means of pious instruction 
 and devotion in the forms of our Church. She has 
 provided daily morning and evening prayer; and 
 hence her ministers, when circumstances admit and 
 require, can assemble their flocks for any purposes 
 of Christian edification, not only daily, but twice in 
 
 26 
 
202 MEMOIR OF TTIF. T.IFE OF THE 
 
 the dav, and lead tlieir devotions to heaven m 
 prayers, to the use of which he hatli bound himself 
 by the most solemn obligations, and than which 
 surely no one of her ministers will presume to think 
 that he can make better. But to suppose that our 
 Church, while she thus furnishes public edifices for 
 the celebration of the social c'evotion of her mem- 
 bers, w-arrants their meeting elsewhere, except 
 where peculiar circumstances — in the want of a 
 building, or in the size of a parish — render it neces- 
 sary; or to suppose that while she thus fully pro- 
 vides in her institutions for the Christian edification 
 of her members, she thinks it can be necessary for 
 this purpose to have recourse to private meetings, 
 the devotions of which tend to disparage the liturgy, 
 and eventually to lessen the relish for its fervent 
 but well-ordered services, would be to impute to 
 her the strange policy of introducing into her own 
 bosom the principles of disorder and schism, and, 
 perhaps, of heresy and enthusiasm. 
 
 '* My Brethren of the Clergy — suffer me seriously 
 and affectionately, with a view to guard, not against 
 present, but possible evils, to fortify these senti- 
 ments by an authority to which an appeal ought 
 never to be made in vain. It is the authority of 
 one whose piety was as humble and fervent as hia 
 judgment was penetrating and discriminating, and 
 his learning extensive and profound. It is the au- 
 thority of one, too, who lived in those times when 
 the private associations commenced, the effects of 
 which he deprecated, but which were finally awfully 
 realized in the utter subversion of the goodly fabric 
 of the Church whose ministry he adorned, and in 
 
KltaiT KEV. JOHN IIEJN'KV IloIIAIlT. 203 
 
 the triumph, on her ruins, of the innumerable forms 
 of heresy and schism. The judicious Hooker thus 
 speaks, in that work on Ecclesiastical Polity in 
 which he delivers so many lessons of profound 
 wisdom: * To him who considers the grievous and 
 scandalous inconveniences whereunto they make 
 themselves daily subject, with whom any blind and 
 secret corner is judged a fit liouse of common 
 .prayer ; the manifold confusion which they fall into, 
 where every man's private spirit and gift, as they 
 term it, is the only bishop that ordaineth him to this 
 ministry; the irksome deformities whereby, through 
 endless and senseless effusions of indigested prayers, 
 they who are subject to no certain order, but pray 
 both what and how they list, often disgrace, in most 
 insufferable manner, the worthiest part of Christian 
 duty towards God ; to him, I say, who weigheth 
 duly all tliese things, the reasons cannot be obscure, 
 why God doth in public prayer so niucii regard the 
 solemnity oi places where, the authority and calling 
 of persons by ichom, and the precise appointment, 
 even with what words and sentences, his name shall 
 be called on, amongst his people/" 
 
 In this address, the Bishop also endeavoured 
 to impress un the minds of the members of the 
 Convention, and, through them, on the Episcopa- 
 lians uf the diocese, the immense importance of 
 the Theological Seminary which it was proposed to 
 establisii. The sclieme, wiiich for years he had so 
 fondly cherished, at length b(;gan to meet with the 
 co-operation and support of others; he tiierefore 
 prosecuted it with greater earnestness than ever. 
 He set forth the various advantages of such an 
 
204 MEMOIR OF THE LIFE OF THE 
 
 institution — held up the munificence of other deno- 
 minations in this respect as a noble example, and 
 endeavoured to rouse Churchmen to a generous 
 emulation of their liberality and zeal. 
 
 While he was thus anxious about the education 
 of those who were to be the guides and instructers 
 of others, he was not inattentive to the wants of the 
 most humble members in his spiritual charge. At 
 a meeting of the superintendents, teachers, and 
 scholars of the Sunday Schools of St. John's 
 Chapel, for the purpose of conferring premiums, 
 he delivered an address on the nature, design, and 
 advantages of Sunday Schools, which, from its just- 
 ness, simplicity, and beauty, cannot now be read 
 without admiration, and which, at the time, must 
 have given a new impulse to the exertions of all 
 who were engaged in this benevolent work. 
 
 In the same year, also, he delivered an address 
 before the New-York Protestant Episcopal Mis- 
 sionary Society of Young Men and others, in which 
 he explained the character of the institution, gave 
 an interesting statement of facts in regard to the 
 benefits of missionary labours in our diocese, and 
 showed the pressing necessity for their extension. 
 He concluded with a most earnest appeal to the 
 pious bounty of those whom God had prospered 
 in their worldly concerns, and sanctified by his 
 heavenly grace. 
 
 " In this painful crisis, to whom shall the Church 
 look but to those on whom Providence, in his be- 
 nignity, pours temporal abundance, and to whom 
 he opens the full treasures of grace? The hearts 
 of the young turn from those pursuits and pleasures, 
 
UlGllT KEY. JOHN HENRY HOCAUT. 
 
 205 
 
 to which youthful feelings impel them, and glow 
 with pious ardour to aid in the apostolic work. 
 To this holy work their elder brethren, who should 
 be examples to them of pious zeal, will not surely 
 advance with hesitating step and reluctant hand. 
 Would that I commanded the heart and the hand 
 of every Episcopalian! Could I open them to a 
 more exalted object of benevolence than the ex- 
 tension of that kingdom of the Redeemer which 
 bestows peace on the guilty, and salvation on the 
 lost children of ment 
 
 " Let me then, with the deepest solicitude, call 
 on them to consider whether, when the Church to 
 which they belong., pure in her doctrine, apostolic 
 in her ministry, and edifying in her worship, needs 
 all the bounty that they can appropriate for the 
 purposes of religion, that bounty should be directed 
 into other channels 1 This Church is worthy of the 
 undivided support, beneficence, and zeal of those 
 whom she nurtures in her fold. By promoting her 
 prosperity, they hasten the time when that Church 
 shall appear as when first she rose under the hand 
 of her Divine Founder, ' all glorious within.'" 
 
 From the Rev. Henry Hadley Norris to Bishop 
 Hobart. 
 
 « " Hackney, April 1, 1818. 
 
 " RIGHT REV. SIR, 
 
 " Though personally unknown to you, your name 
 has been for many years familiar to me, through 
 the intervention of Archdeacon Daubeny, witli 
 whom I am intimately acquainted ; and the respect 
 excited by his report, has been most fully confirmed 
 
206 
 
 MEMOIIJ OF THE LIFE OF TlIK 
 
 by an Apology for Apostolic Order, whicii 1 have 
 long considered as the most condensed and luminous 
 statement of the argument in support of that vital 
 point of Christian theology that has fallen under 
 my observation. Under the influence of this feel- 
 ing, I was anxious to convey a pledge of it to you; 
 and during the late unhappy differences which in- 
 terrupted the friendly intercourse between this 
 country and America, I availed myself of the return 
 of Dr. Inglis to Nova-Scotia, to intrust him with a 
 volume I had recently published, and which he felt 
 confident he could find the means of conveying with 
 safety from Halifax to New- York. 
 
 " The claims of that volume to your attention 
 were merely the facts which it contained relative 
 to a question, in the issue of which, not England 
 alone, but, I verily believe, the whole world is 
 interested — I mean that of the Bible Society ; and 
 I sent it to you, that you might have a body of 
 evidence before you, which even here could only 
 be obtained by the most vigilant and persevering 
 inquiries, facilitated by peculiar circumstances most 
 favourable to the investigation. The volume, it is 
 highly probable, never reached you, and therefore 
 I take the liberty of making you a renewed tender 
 of it under a more auspicious state of things, which 
 has freely opened the channels of communication ; 
 and, together with it, I enclose several publications, 
 all treating upon the same important point — some 
 as presents from their respective authors, and the 
 remainder selected for the ability with which they 
 are written, and for the information which they 
 contain. I hope you will receive this little packet 
 
IlICHT REV. JOHN IlENUY lIOr.AHT. 207 
 
 as holding out the right hand of fellowship, and 
 
 respectfully soliciting confidential intercourse, such 
 
 as should subsist at all times between the several 
 
 parts of the Church of Christ, and which is more 
 
 than ever necessary, in my apprehension, at the 
 
 present time, when a specious design is most 
 
 actively prosecuting, of substituting the unity of 
 
 indifference for the unity of faith, and incorporating 
 
 the universe in one community, in which, by a 
 
 solemn act of compromise, the various imaginations 
 
 of men and the truth of God are to be blended 
 
 together, and the Bible is to be received as the 
 
 common text-book, equally authenticating them all. 
 » * * 
 
 • 
 
 " The strong feeling of my mind has long been, 
 that the reformed Episcopal Churches ought to 
 unite as the Primitive Churches used to do — that 
 professing our belief in the communion of saints, 
 we should act up to the spirit of that profession. 
 Under this impression, I hailed, last year, with a 
 pleasure I cannot adequately convey to you, the 
 proffered friendship and correspondence of the 
 South-Carolina Protestant Episcopal Society for 
 the Advancement of Christianity, and I was de- 
 lighted to see the interest with which the communi- 
 cation was read, and the eagerness expressed to 
 embrace the proposition with cordiality, and to 
 convey, in the most unqualified terms, the high sense 
 which our Society for Promoting Christian Know- 
 ledge entertained of the alliance proposed, and the 
 assurance that it would at all times cultivate the 
 correspondence of its sister society with the utmost 
 assiduity, from a powerful conviction that both 
 
208 .MEMOIR OF THE LIFE OF THE 
 
 societies would thus materially promote the welfare 
 of each other, and more especially of that just cause 
 which in their respective spheres of action they 
 were simultaneously exerting themselves to promote. 
 I have had my thoughts bent upon a similar propo- 
 sal to you for several years past, indeed, I may say, 
 have had my pen in hand to execute it; the convic- 
 tion, however, that I fill no station sufiiciently osten- 
 sible to sanction the proceeding, has repeatedly 
 induced me to forego my purpose ; but I can refrain 
 no longer, our m.utual interests make it almost in- 
 dispensable ' that this wall of partition should be 
 broken down, that we should take sweet counsel 
 together, and walk to the house of God as friends,' 
 as fellow-members of the body of Christ, as fellow- 
 soldiers enlisted under one Captain of our salvation, 
 and now, especially called upon to contend earn- 
 estly and in concert for the common faith. * * *. 
 I am sure, that if in the other dioceses of America 
 there are Episcopal Societies formed upon the 
 model of ours, that is not liberalized according to 
 the distempered charity of the day, we shall as 
 heartily give them the right hand of fellowship, as 
 we have given it to tliat of South-Carolina ; and I 
 am not without hopes that some sort of alliance 
 might be effected with the Society for the Propa- 
 gation of the Gospel in her missionary exertions. 
 Of course we cannot look to your unestablished 
 Church for pecuniary contributions, but must rather 
 prepare ourselves for supplying your wants from our 
 abundance ; but you might be able to supply men 
 trained to endure the hardness which the missionary 
 should be inured to, nnd withal sound in the faith 
 
IIICHT llEV. JOHN IIENUY iiOIJAllT. 209 > 
 
 and economy of the Gospel ; at all events, an inter- *" 
 change of sentiments and of information upon the 
 religious phenomena of the day in our respective 
 dommunions, might be established ; and even this 
 could not fail of being mutually beneficial in a very 
 high degree. 
 
 " In Bishop Dehon's communication there was 
 some mention of a library forming at Charleston 
 for the benefit of the clergy. If I knew what books 
 are already procured, and what were chiefly want- 
 ing, I might have it in my power to assist the ;- . 
 Bishop in accomplishing his object ; and 1 beg you 
 to assure him, that I should have great pleasure in 
 doing so. And in conclusion, I beg to assure 
 yourself that I am, with much respect, and with 
 ■every sentiment with which a subordinate clergyman 
 should regard the Bishops of the Christian Church, 
 
 " Very faithfully yours, 
 
 " HENRY HADLEY NORRIS." 
 
 From Bishop Hobart to the Rev. John M'Vickar. 
 
 " New- York, June 7, 1818. 
 
 " MY DEAR SIR, 
 
 " It gives me unfeigned pleasure to hear, in various 
 ways, of your increasing usefulness. I know no 
 greater source of gratification than to view the 
 progress of real piety, in connexion with the prin- 
 ciples, the order, and the worship of our Church, 
 and to perceive tha! this advancement is cfllected by 
 those sober but zealous parociiial labours which, in 
 their uUimate success, far exceed the mure noisy 
 but less transient pretences of enthusiasm. May 
 
 27 . 
 
210 IMEMOIU OF THE LIFE OF THE 
 
 your example, my dear Sir, long afford this gratifi- 
 cation. 
 
 " I send you two pamphlets, the principles and 
 views of which are the result of much serious re- 
 flection, and which I hope will accord with your 
 judgment. I am extremely solicitous that you 
 and your friends at Hyde-Park should unite with 
 the friends of the Church at Poughkeepsie, in es- 
 tablishing a Dutchess Bible and Common Prayer 
 Book Society, on the principles of that contem- 
 plated on Long-Island. * * *. The Bible and 
 Common Prayer Book Society in this city was es- 
 tablished before the Bible Society, and it would be 
 unfortunate if the Church people in this diocese 
 should oppose the principles and views of that in- 
 stitution. Union among ourselves is an object, to 
 effect which each one should be prepared to make 
 some sacrifices of private opinion. * * *. 
 
 " Believe me, 
 
 " With much regard, 
 " Yours, &c. 
 
 " J. H. HOBART." 
 
 The following letter, which was written to myself 
 on occasion of a contemplated journey to Europe, 
 which it was thought expedient I should take for 
 the recovery of my health, will furnish a proof of 
 the kind and tender interest which the Bishop 
 always felt in the welfare of his friends. 
 
 " New-London, August 26, 1817. 
 
 " I received your letter, my dear friend, and the 
 
 information of Bishop Dehon's death, at this place, 
 
RIGHT REV. JOHN HENRY HOBART. 211 
 
 and they occasioned a greater depression of spirits 
 than I have felt for a long time. With regard to 
 yourself, it is some consolation that you are awak- 
 ened to a sense of the danger of your situation, 
 before it is too late to avail yourself of the means of 
 restoration. You have every reason to hope that, 
 by the blessing of God, these means will be effec- 
 tual. You should endeavour to keep up your 
 spirits. There is something inexpressibly consola- 
 tory in the assurance that God is our Father, and 
 that he watches over us with more than a parent's 
 love. Life is short and vain at best, but while we 
 have God for our Friend and Father, we can rejoice 
 in the midst of all the tribulations of the world. 
 Good may come out of temporary evil. Your health 
 may be restored completely, and then your voyage 
 may have been a source of gratification to you. 
 " In haste, 
 
 " Ever and most affectionately yours, 
 
 " J. H. IIOBART." 
 
 The following letter was written to me while I 
 was in Europe. 
 
 ■ - '* New- York, Jul 1/17, 1818 
 
 " MY VERY DEAR FRIEND, , 
 
 " You must not conclude, because I have not 
 written to you, that I am indifierent to you; on the 
 contrary, I believe a day has rarely passed, in 
 wiiicli I have not thought of you with interest and 
 affection. But something or other lias always pre- 
 vented my carrying my resolution to write to you 
 into effect. Procrastination, an aversion to writing, 
 
212 ;\TEMom of the life of the 
 
 bodily and mental languor, and I may add, more 
 than the ordinary pressure of duties and of cares ; 
 and besides, I was desirous that when I did write, 
 you should receive my letter ; and you seemed 
 moving about so much, that I thought hitherto the 
 chance was very much against your receiving letters. 
 I knew also that Jane* was constantly writing to 
 you, and acquainting you with all our domestic and 
 Church affairs. Be assured, however, that my heart 
 has been with you, and that no person has been more 
 delighted than myself with the news of the restora- 
 tion of your health. How gratified I should have 
 been to be with you. I think I could have seen with 
 an eye and an heart as much alive as your own to 
 the beauties of nature and art, the sublime and 
 interesting scenery through which you have passed, 
 and the stupendous monuments of human genius, 
 taste, and industry, with which you have been for 
 the year past conversant. How much pleasure do 
 I anticipate from your return, as well from again 
 enjoying your society, as from the accounts which 
 you will give me of your travels ! After all, England, 
 because there is the Church in her apostolic and 
 primitive purity of doctrine and ministry, is the most 
 interesting country to me. Get as much information 
 there as you can concerning the Church, its minis- 
 ters, &c. &c. I enclose two letters — one to Arch- 
 deacon Daubeny, and the other to Mr. Norris, of 
 Hackney, near London, who has recently com- 
 menced a correspondence with me; and who, Dr. 
 Inglis, of Nova-Scotia, informs me, is a most exem- 
 
 * MrSo Bcrrian. .Oo'*'' 
 
RIGHT REV. JOIIIV HENRY II013AIiT. 213 
 
 plary clergyman, of large fortune, which, as well as 
 his health, time, and talents, he is spending in the •* 
 service of the Church; and he is os good a Church- 
 man (which, by the by, is saying not a little of 
 him,) as your friend. I shall write him a long 
 letter in answer to his, but do not wish to delay this 
 letter containing an introduction to him. Assure 
 him that I value, most highly his communication, 
 and that I shall not ftiil to avail myself of his prof- 
 fered correspondence. And let him know all that 
 you may think interesting with regard to myself 
 and the clergy and Church here. * * *. 
 
 " My family are well, as are yours and all your 
 friends here and at Elizabeth. Your letters are 
 grateful to us all. Shall we not hear from England 1 
 That God may bless you, and return you to us in 
 good health, is the prayer of 
 
 " Your sincere and affectionate, 
 
 " J. H. HOBART." 
 
 From the Rev. Dr. Inglis, now Bishop of Nova- 
 Scotia, to Bishop flobart. 
 
 " Halifax, Nova- Scotia, May 18, 1818. 
 
 " RIGHT REV. SIR, 
 
 " The Rev. Mr. Norris, of Hackney, near London, 
 supposing me to enjoy the honour of occasional 
 intercourse with you, has requested me to mention 
 him, as an introduction to some inquiries with 
 which he is desirous to be permitted to trouble you. 
 
 " And although I have never enjoyed this satis- 
 faction, and can scarcely be known to you, unless 
 merely by name, as the son of a person formerly 
 
214 MEMOIR OF THE LIFE OF THE 
 
 well known in some of the churches over which 
 you preside, I take the liberty of complying with 
 Mr. Norris's request. 
 
 " He is a clergyman of independent fortune, 
 which he devotes to the service of religion ; and is 
 one of the most zealous defenders and supporters 
 of our National Church. He has been made more 
 generally conspicuous by very bold attacks upon the 
 structure and tendency of the Bible Society, which 
 begin to excite much uneasiness in many, although 
 it cannot be denied that a large number of excellent 
 hearts are still its supporters and advocates. 
 
 " In his private circle of acquaintance Mr. Norris 
 is known as a pattern of all good works. Living 
 in a very populous parish, whose means of accom- 
 modation for its parishioners on Sunday are very 
 insufficient, although its church is of enormous 
 size, he has built, chiefly at his own expense, a 
 beautiful chapel, with large accommodations for the 
 poor. He has affixed it to the parish church in the 
 most constitutional manner — serves it himself, with 
 the assistance of a curate, whom he supports, and 
 has endowed it, that it may never be unserved. 
 His whole time, and health, and talents, are devoted 
 to public objects of the noblest kind ; and I lament 
 to say that he is wearing himself away by his un- 
 ceasing labours. The present Bishop of Llandaff, 
 Dr. Marsh, gave him the first vacant stall in his 
 cathedral, which was an honourable testimony to 
 his character and principles. 
 
 " You will, I doubt not, feel an interest in the 
 prosperity of our Church in your neighbourhood. 
 We are not without our trials, but draw forth en- 
 
RIGHT IJEV. JOHN HENUY HOHART. 215 "** 
 
 coLiragement from the promises, in which we humbly 
 
 hope we have a share. Before the death of my 
 
 lamented father, a very considerable addition was 
 
 procured to the insufficient salaries of our clergy, 
 
 all of whom now receive a clear income of £200 
 
 sterling from England, in addition to whatever 
 
 local advantages they can obtain. When disabled 
 
 by infirmity, they have a pension of £100 sterling; 
 
 their widows have pensions of £50 each ; and 
 
 scholarships of £30 sterling per annum are founded, 
 
 both at our college and preparatory school, for 
 
 candidates for orders, with a preference to the sons 
 
 of missionaries. The benefits of these arrangements 
 
 begin to be felt, and we have now twenty young 
 
 men of fair promise preparing for ordination. Our 
 
 committee of the Society for Promoting Christian 
 
 Knowledge flourishes beyond our hopes, and has 
 
 proved a powerful bond of union among ourselves, 
 
 so that not one clergyman, and very few Churchmen 
 
 in this diocese, have joined the Bible Society. The 
 
 Madras system of education is daily extending itself 
 
 from a central school of the first character in this 
 
 parish, which is attended already by four hundred 
 
 children, and their number receives daily increase. 
 
 * * * 
 
 • 
 
 " With humble prayers for the blessing of God 
 upon every part of that branch of the Christian 
 Church which has the advantage of your watchful 
 care and able direction, I have the honour to be, 
 " Right Rev. Sir, 
 
 " Very respectfully, 
 
 " Your dutiful servant, 
 
 " JOHN INGLIS." 
 
216 i\IEMOni OF TilK LIFE OF TiiK 
 
 Among the subjects iioticcd in the Bishop's 
 address to the Convention this year, there was one 
 in regard to which he had for a long time shown a 
 most affectionate and paternal concern, and which 
 it is thought may not be without a degree of interest 
 to the reader. 
 
 " It is a subject of congratulation, that our Church 
 has resumed the labours which, for a long period 
 before the revolutionary war, the Society in England 
 for Propagating the Gospel in Foreign Parts, 
 directed to the religious instruction of the Indian 
 tribes. Those labours were not wholly unsuccess- 
 ful; for, on my recent visit to the Oneidas, I saw an 
 aged Mohawk, who, firm in the faith of the Gospel, 
 and adorning his profession by an exemplary life, 
 is indebted, under the Divine blessing, for his 
 Christian principles and hopes to the missionaries 
 of that venerable society. The exertions more re- 
 cently made for the conversion of the Indian tribes, 
 have not been so successful, partly because not 
 united with efforts to introduce among them those 
 arts of civilization, without which the Gospel can 
 neither be understood nor valued ; but principally 
 because religious instruction was conveyed through 
 the imperfect medium of interpreters, by those un- 
 acquainted with their dispositions and habits, and 
 in whom they were not disposed to place the same 
 confidence as in those who are connected with them 
 by the powerful ties of language, of manners, and 
 of kindred. The religious instructor of the Oneidas, 
 employed by our Church, enjoys all these advant- 
 ages. Being of Indian extraction, and acquainted 
 with their language, dispusitions, and customs, and 
 
KlUHT REV. JOHN HEMJY IIORAIIT. 217 
 
 devoting himself unremittingly to their spiritual and 
 temporal welfare, he enjoys their full confidence ; 
 while the education which he has received, has in- 
 creased his qualifications as their guide in the faith 
 and precepts of the Gospel. Mr. Eleazar Williams, 
 at the earnest request of the Oneida chiefs, was 
 licensed by me, about two years since, as their 
 lay-reader, catechist, and schoolmaster. Educated 
 in a different communion, he connected himself 
 with our Church from conviction, and appears 
 warmly attached to her doctrines, her apostolic 
 ministry, and her worship. Soon after he com- 
 menced his labours among the Oneidas, the Pagan 
 party solemnly professed the Christian faith. Mr. 
 Williams repeatedly explained to them, in councils 
 which they held for this purpose, the evidences of 
 the divine origin of Christianity, and its doctrines, 
 institutions, and precepts. He combated their ob- 
 jections, patiently answered their inquiries, and was 
 finally, through the divine blessing, successful in 
 satisfying their doubts. Soon after their conver- 
 sion, they appropriated, in conjunction with the 
 old Christian party, the proceeds of the sale of 
 some of their lands to the erection of a handsome 
 edifice for divine worship, which will be shortly 
 completed. 
 
 " In the work of their spiritual instruction, the 
 Book of Common Prayer, a principal part of which 
 has been translated for their use, proves a powerful 
 auxiliary. Its simple and afi^ecting exhibition of the 
 truths of redemption is calculated to interest their 
 hearts, while it informs their understanding, and 
 its decent and significant rites contribute to fix their 
 
 28 ■ 
 
218 iMEftioiu OF THE LiFi: OF thl: 
 
 attention in the exercises of worship. They are 
 particularly gratified with having parts assigned 
 them in the service, and repeat the responses with 
 great propriety and devotion. On my visit to them, 
 several hundred assembled for worship; those who 
 could read were furnished with books ; and they 
 uttered the confessions of the liturgy, responded its 
 supplications, and chanted its hymns of praise, with 
 a reverence and fervour which powerfully interested 
 the feelings of those who witnessed the solemnity. 
 They listened to my address to them, interpreted 
 by Mr. Williams, with such solicitous attention; 
 they received the laying on of hands with such 
 grateful humility; and participated of the symbols 
 of their Saviour's love with such tears of penitential 
 devotion, that the impression which the scene made 
 on my mind will never be effaced. Nor was this 
 the excitement of the moment, or the ebullition of 
 enthusiasm. The eighty-nine who were confirmed, 
 had been well instructed by Mr. Williams ; and none 
 were permitted to approach the communion, whose 
 lives did not correspond with their Christian pro- 
 fession. The numbers of those who assembled for 
 worship, and partook of the ordinances, would have 
 been greater, but from the absence of many of them 
 at an Indian council at Buffalo. ; - • 
 
 " I have admitted Mr. Williams as a candidate 
 for orders, on the recommendation of the Standing 
 Committee; and look forward to his increased in- 
 fluence and usefulness, should he be invested with 
 the office of the ministry. 
 
 " There is a prospect of his having, some time 
 hence, a powerful auxiliary in a young Indian, the 
 
 
RIGHT REV. JOHX UKMiY liOBAKT. 219 
 
 son of the head warrior of the Onoiidagas, who was 
 killed at the battle of Chippewa, and who, amiable 
 and pious in his dispositions, and sprightly and 
 vigorous in his intellectual powers, is earnestly de- 
 sirous of receiving an education to prepare him for 
 the ministry among his countrymen. I trust that 
 means will be devised for accomplishing his wishes. 
 We ought never to forget that the salvation of the 
 Gospel is designed for all the human race ; and that 
 the same mercy which applies comfort to our 
 wounded consciences, the same grace which puri- 
 fies and soothes our corrupt and troubled hearts, 
 and the same hope of immortality which fills us with 
 ])eace and joy, can exert their benign and celestial 
 influence on the humble Indian." 
 
 Shortly after this notice, the chiefs of the Oneidas 
 sent an address to Bishop Hobart, marked by the 
 peculiarities of style belonging to that race, and a 
 child-like and touching simplicity, which was an- 
 swered by him with a happy accommodation to 
 their customs and taste. 
 
 " Right Rev. Father, 
 
 " We salute you in the name of the ever-adorable, 
 ever-blessed, and ever-living sovereign Lord of the 
 universe; we acknowledge this great and almighty 
 Being as our Creator, Preserver, and constant 
 Benefactor. 
 " Right Rev. Father, 
 
 " We now, with one heart and mind, would ex- 
 press our gratitude and thankfulness to our great 
 and venerable father, for the favour which he has 
 bestowed upon this nation, in sending Brother 
 
220 MEMOIR OF THK LIFE OF THE 
 
 Williams among us, to instruct us in the religion 
 of the blessed Jesus. When he first came to us, 
 we hailed him as our friend, our brother, and our 
 guide in spiritual things; and he shall remain in 
 our hearts and minds as long as he shall teach us 
 the ways of the Great Spirit above. 
 " Right Rev. Father, 
 
 " We rejoice to say, that by sending Brother 
 Williams among us, a great light has risen upon 
 us : we see now that the Christian religion is in- 
 tended for the good of the Indians as well as the 
 white people; we see it, and do feel it, that the 
 religion of the Gospel will make us happy in this 
 and in the world to come. We now profess it 
 outwardly, and we hope, by the grace of God, that 
 some of us have embraced it inwardly. May it ever 
 remain in our hearts, and we be enabled, by the 
 Spirit of the Eternal One, to practise the great 
 duties which it points out to us. 
 " Right Rev. Father, 
 
 " Agreeably to your request we have treated our 
 brother with that attention and kindness which you 
 required of us ; we have assisted him as far as was 
 in our power, as to his support: but you know well 
 that we are poor ourselves, and we cannot do a 
 great deal. Though our brother has lived very 
 poor since he came among us, yet he is patient, 
 and makes no complaint: we pity him, because we 
 love him as we do ourselves. We wish to do 
 something for his support ; but this it is impossible 
 for us to do at present, as we have lately raised 
 between three and four thousand dollars to enable 
 us to build a little chapel. 
 
UKJUT liEV. JOHN HKiNRY llOIJAKT. 221 
 
 " Right Rev. Father, - 
 
 " We entreat and beseech you not to neglect us. 
 We hope the Christian people in New-York will 
 help us all that is in their power. We hope our 
 brother will by no means be withdrawn from us. 
 If this should take place, the cause of religion will 
 die among us; immorality and wickedness will pre- 
 vail. 
 " Right Rev. Father, 
 
 " As the head and father of the holy and apostolic 
 Church in this state, we entreat you to take a 
 special charge of us. We are ignorant, we are 
 poor, and need your assistance. Come, venerable 
 father, and visit your children, and warm their 
 hearts by your presence, in the things which belong 
 to their everlasting peace. 
 
 " May the great Head of the Church whom you 
 serve, be with you, and his blessing ever remain 
 with you. 
 
 " We, venerable father, 
 
 " Remain your dutiful children, 
 '' HENDRICK SCHUYLER, 
 " SILAS ANONSENTE, 
 " WILLIAM TEHOIATATE, 
 " DANIEL PETERS, 
 " NICHOLAS GARAGONTIE, ; 
 " WILLIAM SONAWENHESE, &c. 
 '' Oneida, Jan. 19, IS^S.'' 
 
 The Bishop's answer : — 
 
 '' My Children, 
 
 " I have received your letter by your brother and 
 
S22 MEMOIR OF THE LIFE OF THE 
 
 teacher, Eleazar Williams, and return your affec- 
 tionate and Christian salutation, praying that 'grace, 
 mercy, and peace,' from God the Father, and from 
 our Lord Jesus Christ, may be with you. 
 *^ My Children^ 
 
 " I rejoice to hear of your faith in the one living 
 and true God, and in his Son Jesus Christ, whom he 
 has sent, whom to know is life eternal ; and I pray 
 that, by the Holy Spirit of God, you may be kept 
 steadfast in this faith, and may walk worthy of him 
 who hath ' called you out of darkness into his 
 marvellous light.' 
 " My Childre7i, 
 
 " It is true, as you say, that the Gospel of our 
 Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ is intended for In- 
 dians as well as white people. For the great Father 
 of all ' hath made of one blood all the nations of 
 the earth ;' and hath sent his Son Jesus Christ to 
 teach them all, and to die for them all, that they 
 may be redeemed from the power of sin, and brought 
 to the acknowledgment of the truth, and to the 
 service of the living God. 
 "Ml/ Children, 
 
 " It is true, as you say, that the religion of the 
 Gospel will make you happy in this world as well as 
 in the world to come ; and I join in your prayer, 
 that you may profess it inwardly as well as out- 
 wardly ; that by the power of the Holy Spirit, you 
 maybe 'transformed by the renewing of your minds,' 
 and acquire the holy tempers, and practise the holy 
 duties which the Gospel enjoins. And for this 
 purpose I beseech you to attend to the instructions 
 of your faithful teacher and brother, Eleazar Wil- 
 
RIGHT UEV. JOHN HENUY HOr.AUT. 22t5^ 
 
 liams; to unite with him in the holy prayers of our 
 apostolic Church, which he has translated into your 
 own language ; to listen with reverence to the di- 
 vine word which he reads to you ; to receive, as 
 through grace you may be qualified, and may have 
 an opportunity, the sacraments and ordinances of 
 the Church ; and at all times, and in all places, to 
 lift up your hearts in supplication to the Father 
 of your spirits, who always and every where hears 
 and sees you, for pardon, and grace, to comfort, to 
 teach, and to sanctify you, through your divine 
 Mediator, Jesus Christ. 
 " My Children, 
 
 " Let me exhort you diligently to labour to get 
 your living by cultivating the earth, or by some 
 other lawful calling; you will thus promote your 
 worldly comfort, you will be more respected among 
 your white brethren, and more united and strong 
 among yourselves. And when you are thus en- 
 gaged, you will be saved from many temptations ; 
 and you will prove yourselves to be good disciples 
 of Him who, by his inspired apostle, has enjoined, 
 that while we are fervent in spirit, we be ' not 
 slothful in business.' 
 " Mij Children, 
 
 " Continue to respect and to love your brother 
 and teacher, Eleazar Williams, and to treat him 
 kindly; for he loves you, and is desirous to devote 
 himself to your service, that, by God's grace, he 
 may be instrumental in making you happy here 
 and hereafter. It is my wish that he may remain 
 with you, and may be your spiritual guide and in- 
 structor. 
 
224 MKMOIii OF Till': LIFE (JF THE 
 
 " My Children, 
 
 " I rejoice to hear that your brethren, the Onon- 
 dagas, are desirous of knowing the words of truth 
 and salvation. I hope you will not complain if your 
 teacher, Eleazar Williams, sometimes visits them, 
 to lead them in that way to eternal life, which, from 
 God's word, he has pointed out to you. ' Freely you 
 have received,' you should ' freely give ;' and being 
 made partakers of the grace of God through Jesus 
 Christ, you should be desirous that all your red 
 brethren may enjoy the same precious gift. 
 " Mij Children, 
 
 " It is my purpose, if tlie Lord will, to come and 
 see you the next summer ; and I hope to find you, as 
 good Christians, ' denying ungodliness and worldly 
 lusts,' and living ' righteously, soberly, and godly' in 
 the world. I shall have you in my heart, and shall 
 remember you in my prayers ; for you are part of 
 my spiritual charge, of that flock for v/hom the 
 Son of God gave himself even unto the death upon 
 the cross, and whom he commanded his ministers 
 to seek and to gather into his fold, that througii 
 him they might be saved for ever. 
 " 3Iij Children, 
 
 " May God be with you, and bless you. 
 
 " JOHN HENRY HOBART, 
 
 " Bishop of the Prot. Epis. Church in the State of New- York." 
 
 From the time that this unhappy people placed 
 themselves under the Bishop's pastoral charge, until 
 he rested from his labours, he showed the kindest 
 solicitude both for their temporal and spiritual wel- 
 fare. He visited them at their settlement — corres- 
 
RIOHT REV. JOHN HENRY HOBART. 
 
 225 
 
 ponded with tlieir chiefs and their teacher — acted 
 as their friend and counsellor in all their difficulties; 
 and when a plan was proposed for the emigration 
 of part of the tribe to Green-Bay, he wrote more 
 than once in their behalf to the Secretary of War — 
 made many judicious and useful suggestions for 
 the improvement of their condition ; and after their 
 removal to that remote region, still extended to 
 them his watchful and protecting care. 
 
 During this year. Bishop Hobart published a 
 Charge, which had been delivered to the clergy in 
 New- York at the opening of the Convention in 1817, 
 and subsequently in the state of Connecticut. It 
 was entitled " The Corruptions of the Church of 
 Rome contrasted with certain Protestant Errors." 
 , The object of it was to show that there was no 
 ground for the vulgar prejudice which is entertained 
 by many against our Church, on account of its 
 resemblance in some particulars to the Church of 
 Rome ; to point out in what material respects they 
 differed from each other, and to make it appear 
 that we Iiad adopted the true medium between the 
 extravagant pretensions of the Papacy on the one 
 hand, and the unbounded license of private judg- 
 ment on the other. The whole subject is well 
 managed, but the last point is treated with so much 
 good sense, and such just discrimination, as to 
 make it worthy of especial notice. 
 
 There was a period when the decrees of eccle- 
 siastical councils were received as the infallible 
 decisions of truth; when it was supposed that they 
 were directed by the unerring Spirit which presided 
 in the assembly of the iiispired apostles, and were 
 
 29 
 
226 MEMOIR OF THE LIFE OF THE 
 
 therefore entitled to the same implicit reverence as 
 the oracles of the living God. These pretensions 
 were too impious and absurd to receive general 
 credit, except in an ignorant and superstitious age. 
 But when, at a more enlightened period, their 
 fallacy was discovered, it was likewise found that 
 the rejection of error did not always lead to the 
 adoption of truth. 
 
 " The throne of infallibility, from which one oracle 
 was displaced, was usurped by another ; and private 
 judgment, renouncing all that the wisdom of ages 
 had sanctioned, all regard to the voice of the Church 
 catholic, not in the restricted sense in which the 
 Church of Rome claims that title, but in its exten- 
 sion, semper, uhique, apud omnes, always, every 
 where, among all, claimed for itself almost all the 
 prerogatives of Papal infallibility. Hence we have 
 seen, and continue to see, any number of Christians 
 who choose to associate together, and even any in- 
 dividual Christian, claiming the right to interpret 
 the word of God, and to deduce from it the unerring 
 articles of doctrine, without any regard to the faith 
 of the universal Church, which constitutes the best 
 exposition of the sacred volume. 
 
 " God forbid, my brethren, that I should say aught 
 against the right of private judgment in matters of 
 religion, when properly exercised. The doctrine 
 that every man, being individually responsible to his 
 Maker and Judge, must, in all those concerns that 
 affect his spiritual and eternal welfare, act according 
 to the dictates of his conscience, is that cardinal 
 principle of the Protestant faith which should be 
 most soundly guarded. But there is a wide differ^ 
 
RIGHT REV. JOHN HENRY HOBART. 227 
 
 ence between the unlimited and the 7'estricted right 
 of private judgment; between each individual form- 
 ing his code of religious doctrine, without employing 
 as a light, amidst the innumerable and jarring 
 opinions that perplex his researches, the faith of 
 the universal Church, as far as he can ascertain it; 
 and the same individual, while he claims the right, 
 which no intelligent creature can surrender, of 
 judging for himself, seeking with humility and with 
 deference that guidance which is to be found in the 
 faith of the Church universal. He may, indeed, fail 
 in his efforts; he must depend frequently on the 
 learning and information of others; and liability to 
 error is inseparable from our present fallen state. 
 But there is much less danger of error, when he 
 follows the light, as far as it is disclosed to him, 
 which has shone on the Church universal, than when 
 he proudly violates that order of Providence by 
 which, in the present world, the less informed must, 
 in some measure, depend on those more enlight- 
 ened ; and takes for his guide, in matters of religion, 
 his own judgment, taste, and fancy; disregarding 
 entirely the faith of the great body of all Christians 
 in all places and at all times. 
 
 « It is on this sound principle, as well as on those 
 declarations of Scripture which pronounce the 
 Church to be the ' pillar and ground of the truth,' 
 and which commands us to ' hear the Church,' that 
 our Church declares, in her articles, that ' the 
 Church is a witness and keeper of holy writ,' and 
 has ' authority in controversies of faith.' " 
 
 After having pointed out the errors into which so 
 large a portion of the Christian world had fallen, by 
 
228 MEMOIR OF THE LIFE OF THE 
 
 the lofty and unwarrantable pretensions to infalli- 
 bility and power on the one hand, and by a total 
 disregard and contempt for the practice and autho- 
 rity of the Cliurch universal on the other ; and 
 showing the conformity of our own communion to 
 tha pattern of the Primitive Church ; the Bishop 
 then boldly meets the popular objection of our 
 Protestant brethren, which is such a hinderance to 
 the adoption of the truth. 
 
 " What though it may be said, that these princi- 
 ples would limit the communion of the Church to a 
 small proportion of professing Christians, and place 
 in a state of schism a large number of the Christian 
 family 1 If these principles be true, their obliga- 
 tion cannot be weakened, nor their importance 
 diminished, by the number, the piety, and the zeal of 
 their opponents. The prevalence of error hitherto 
 permitted by the counsels of an inscrutable Provi- 
 dence, is a trial of our faith, but ought not to weaken 
 or subvert it. Was not the revelation of God's will 
 confined from the beginning to a small number of 
 the human race, in the plains of Shinar, and in the 
 fields of Jordan ? Are not large portions of the 
 globe still under the dominion of the prince and 
 powers of darkness 1 It is not for man to arraign 
 the dominion of the Most High. For purposes wise 
 and good, but inscrutable by us, did he not permit 
 heresies early to stain the purity of the faith ] Was 
 there not a period when the divinity of his blessed 
 Son was doubted and denied by a large portion of 
 the Christian world 1 Did not the dark cloud of 
 Papal superstition for ages disfigure and conceal 
 the primitive splendour of the Christian Zionl 
 
RIGHT REV. JOHN HENRY HOBART. 229 
 
 And need we wonder, then, that the Sovereign of .. 
 the universe still permits heresies to corrupt, and 
 schisms to distract the Christian family 1 He will 
 finally do right. He searches and mercifully judges t^ 
 
 the purposes of the heart ; and, assuredly, honest 
 purity of intention, and zealous endeavour to know 
 and to do his will, will not fail of a reward from 
 him who is no respecter of persons, but is the 
 equal and kind Parent of all the human race. Still 
 charity, though it should always soften the rigid 
 features of truth, cannot change her divine character, 
 nor dispense with her sacred obligations. 
 
 " Never, indeed, let us be guilty of worse than 
 folly, of separating the means from the end — in 
 placing the Church, which is to be preserved, and 
 to spread the truth, superior to the truth itself — 
 in advocating the ministry which was constituted 
 for the salvation of the sheep of Christ, whom he 
 bought with his death, solely for the sake of the 
 powers with which it vests us, and not for the in- 
 finitely important objects which are the end of all 
 its functions and its duties. Let us, then, provoke 
 one another, by kind counsel, to greater fidelity in 
 proclaiming to corrupt and sinful men, salvation 
 through the merits, and sanctification through the 
 grace of a divine Redeemer. But they are Christ's 
 ' sheep.' In order then that they may hear the 
 voice of their heavenly Shepherd, and be led by his 
 grace in the pastures of life, and beside the waters 
 of salvation, let us gather them, as he has com- 
 manded us, into his fold. They are ' the congrega- 
 tion of Christ' — let us unite them, in his body, to 
 him their divine Head," 
 
230 MEMOIR OF THE LIFE OF THE 
 
 In the following year he delivered another Charge 
 on the same subject, in which the principles of the 
 Churchman are more fully stated and explained, in 
 contradistinction to the cornjptions of the Church 
 of Rome, and to the errors of certain Protestant 
 sects. It was his design in this, as in the former 
 Charge, to show that in defending the scriptural 
 and primitive claims of Episcopacy, we have no 
 reason to fear the vulgar reproach, that we are 
 verging towards Popery; and that others, in retreat- 
 ing from it as far as possible, do not on that account 
 approach nearer to the truth. 
 
 From the Rev. J. H. Sprey to Bishop Hobart. 
 
 " Birmingha7n, England, March 20, 1819. 
 
 " RIGHT REV. SIR, 
 
 " Some apology is due to you for the liberty 
 which, as a perfect stranger, I take in addressing 
 you, but I cannot resist the opportunity afforded 
 me, of sending this letter by a confidential friend, 
 who is on the point of sailing for Philadelphia, to 
 express the very sincere respect and admiration 
 which I feel for your character, and your exertions 
 in support of the Apostolic Church, in which you 
 hold so important a station. 
 
 " It is but common gratitude in me, who have 
 derived so much benefit as well as satisfaction from 
 your labours, thus to return you my thanks; and at 
 the same time permit me to request your accept- 
 ance of the accompanying volume, in which I have ' 
 humbly endeavoured to contribute my mite to the 
 support and defence of the truth. In the present 
 dangerous days, when the enemies of the Church 
 
RIGHT REV. JOHN HENRY HOBART. 231 
 
 are combining on all sides against her, it is highly 
 desirable tliat she should derive all possible benefit 
 from the associated labours of her friends ; and it 
 would be an event most beneficial, most desirable, 
 could some regular channel of communication be 
 opened between the zealous members of your 
 Church and ours. 
 
 " On this subject I believe my excellent friend, 
 Mr. Norris, of Hackney, has already addressed you ; 
 and I hope you will allow an humble individual like 
 myself to add, that I shall be most happy in any 
 way to further so good a work. 
 
 *' Humbly praying that the great Head of the 
 Church may pour down his blessings upon you, 
 and all whom he has called to bear rule in his 
 spiritual kingdom, in every quarter, 
 " Believe me. Right Rev. Sir, 
 
 " Your very faithful and humble servant, 
 
 " J. H. SPREY." 
 
 In 1819, when the temporary connexion of Bishop 
 Hobart with the Church in Connecticut ceased, by 
 the election of a person to the Episcopate of that 
 diocese, he received the following letter of thanks 
 from the Convention, for his disinterested and faith- 
 ful services. 
 
 " To the Right Rev. John Henry Hobart, D. D. 
 Bishop of the Protestant Episcopal Church in 
 the Diocese of New- York. 
 
 " RIGHT REV. AND DEAR SIR, 
 
 " We have the honour to tender you the thanks 
 of the Convention of the Protestant Episcopal 
 
232 MEMOIR OF THE LIFE OF THE 
 
 Church in the Diocese of Connecticut, for those 
 temporary services which are this day terminated 
 by the consecration of the Rev. Dr. Brownell to the 
 Episcopate of this Diocese. 
 
 " In performing this duty, you will permit ns to 
 express the high sense entertained by the Conven- 
 tion, by ourselves, and by the Church generally, of 
 the distinguished benefits which have resulted from 
 your provisional connection with the diocese. When 
 we reflect on the sacrifices which you made, and the 
 labours which you incurred, in adding the care of the 
 Church in this state to the arduous duties which 
 devolved on you, in the large and extensive diocese 
 of New-York ; when we consider that the sacrifice 
 was made, and these labours undertaken, without 
 any view to pecuniary compensation ; and when we 
 call to mind the eminent services which you have 
 rendered, the new impulse which your visitations 
 have given to our zeal, and the general success 
 which has attended the exercise of your Episcopal 
 functions — we feel bound to ofter to the Great Head 
 of the Church and Supreme Disposer of all things, 
 our sincere and heartfelt acknowledgment of the 
 distinguished blessings which he has been pleased 
 to confer upon us, through the medium of your 
 services. We shall ever cherish a grateful recol- 
 lection of these services. And although we are no 
 longer connected by oflicial ties, we indulge a hope, 
 that there may be no diminution of the friendship 
 and affection which have grown out of your occa- 
 sional visitations among us. 
 
 " Accept, Right Rev. and dear Sir, from ourselves 
 personally, and from the body in whose behalf we 
 
RIGHT REV. JOHN HENRY HOBART. 233 
 
 address you, the assurances of our highest respect; 
 
 and permit us to add, that it is with sentiments of 
 
 the most cordial esteem, that we bid you an aftec- 
 
 tionate farewell. 
 
 " HARRY CROSWELL, 
 " NATHAN SMITH, 
 " S. W. JOHNSON." 
 
 From the Rev. H. H. Norris to Bishop Hobart. 
 
 " RIGHT REV. AND DEAR SIR, 
 
 " I have now before me two obliging letters of 
 yours, written within two days of a year after each 
 other; the former conveyed to England by Mr. 
 Berrian, and the latter by Mr. Lawrence. Mr. 
 Berrian has probably told you that he put the letter, 
 of which he was the bearer, into the post at Liver- 
 pool, and (I conclude) never came to London,* so 
 that I was disappointed of the pleasure I anxiously 
 looked forward to, of giving you a sample, through 
 him, how cordially you would be welcomed if your 
 great engagements on the American Continent 
 would admit of your visiting this country. The 
 same fatality has hitherto attended your second 
 confidential representative. He forwarded the case 
 of books to Hackney, and announced by letter his 
 having despatched it; and I had the mortification to 
 learn by it, that I had actually been at Liverpool at 
 the time he was addressing me from thence. * * *. 
 The books with which you have favoured me, in 
 
 * I called on Mr. Norris, but he was at that time, I believe, 
 absent on his usual summer's excursion. 
 
 30 
 
284 MEMOIR OF THE LIFE OF THE 
 
 some measure conveyed the information which I 
 looked for frotn your own pen, and they may be 
 pleaded with unanswerable evidence as an excuse 
 for your not using it more punctually to your cor- 
 respondents. I rejoice to see the Church of Christ, 
 with no other aid but its own spiritual energies, so 
 efficiently answering nil those great purposes for 
 which it was constituted by its Divine Founder. I 
 survey, with especial delight, the American edition 
 of our Family Bible made your own by the additional 
 notes interspersed among those of the English 
 edition. You have done us the honour of making 
 no erasures, but need not, I think, have been so 
 scrupulous. The work is equally capable of im- 
 provement by omission as well as insertion. It 
 commenced upon the spur of the occasion, and cir- 
 cumstances did not allow of that extensive research 
 and deliberation which, had the completeness of 
 the work been the only object in view, ought to 
 have been a previous labour, before the compilation 
 had been entered upon. * * *. I hope you will be 
 more copious in your additional notes when you 
 come to the Gospels, as there I think we are par- 
 ticularly scanty and superficial. Some of the old 
 English divines might be well exchanged for the 
 modern. I rejoice to see also that you have bodies 
 of young men incorporated in your religious socie- 
 ties, and that in these societies the genuine Christian 
 principles are so well defined and supported, that 
 your Church is spreading together witii the spread 
 of your population, and that so much zeal is called 
 forth in the prosecution of all these important 
 objects; but, above all, I rejoice in your Convention, 
 
RIGHT REV. JOHN HENRY HOIJAUT. 235 
 
 and in the wisdom which governs all its delibera- 
 tions. * * *. 
 
 " You will expect to hear from me what our 
 present circumstances and exertions are. Alas! 
 our great grievance is, that we iiave not, like you, 
 a Convention. Our Convocation is only the page- 
 antry of what formerly so materially contributed to 
 the purity and consolidation of the Church. * * *. 
 Our newspaper details of the last year, read at the 
 distance you read tlicm, and without that practical 
 knowledge which a residence amongst us only can 
 aftbrd, must convey to you frightful ideas of the 
 state of our country, as well religious as political. 
 I would not be understood as intending altogether 
 to dispel those ideas, but only to qualify them with 
 others calculated to throw in gleams of hope into 
 the gloominess of your almost necessary conclu- 
 sions. It is probably true that infidelity has been 
 most extensively propagated, and with too abundant 
 success among the lower orders, especially in our 
 thickly peopled manufacturing districts; and that 
 they have been bereft of all hopes and fears of an 
 hereafter, that they might be let loose from all 
 moral restraint, and be prepared for those desperate 
 acts of violence which their seducers must find 
 hands to perpetrate. But tiiere is amongst us what 
 has been very happily described as the quiet good 
 sense of Englishmen, which, without showing itself, 
 still retains a mighty influence, and diffuses its 
 correctives in streams as copious and as diffusive 
 in their currents as those in which the poison 
 flows. 
 
 " Our Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge 
 
236 MEMOIR OF THE LIFE OF THE 
 
 has been gradually advancing itself in power and 
 influence, as the sons of confusion have been spread- 
 ing their seductions ; and when I tell you that we 
 put in circulation, in the year ending at our last 
 audit, upwards of one million four hundred thousand 
 Bibles, Prayer Books, and religious tracts, by much 
 the larger portion dispersed at home, you will at 
 once see how powerful an antidote is in regular ' 
 diurnal application against all the evil working 
 among us. But you are not yet in possession of 
 all the criteria for judging of the corrective influence 
 of our society. The extraordinary eruptions of the 
 last year seemed to require an antidote peculiar to 
 themselves. The society felt this ; a special com- 
 mittee was formed for the counteraction of infidel 
 publications, and the public were invited to supply 
 the necessary funds; upwards of £6,000 have been 
 subscribed, and about thirty anti-infidel tracts, espe- 
 cially levelled to the capacities of the lower orders, 
 have been composed, and upwards of five hundred 
 thousand of them distributed. And in order to 
 provide the means of permanent counteraction, we 
 passed a vote on Tuesday last, to provide every 
 parish in the kingdom, upon the application of its 
 pastor, with a parochial lending library, composed 
 of such of the books upon our catalogue as he shall 
 deem adapted to the capacity and circumstances of 
 his flock. These are internal arrangements, which 
 do not come before those living in distant regions, 
 and unconnected with us, but which are very material 
 to the taking a true estimate of our circumstances 
 and condition. It is true that, during the tremen- 
 dous convulsions occasioned by the French revolu- 
 
RIGHT REV. JOHN HENRY HOBART. 237 
 
 tion, the attention of government was engrossed by 
 the dangers menacing us from without, and had no 
 leisure to exercise domestic vigilance. It is trua 
 that a sort of generalized religion has been diffused 
 very extensively, but sound Churchmanship, as well 
 in faith as discipline, has had a stimulus given to it 
 by these defections. The battle between faith and 
 indifference, and unity and amalgamation, has been 
 well fought; and as far as rational conviction goes, 
 the former, in both instances, have triumphed over 
 their assailants; and most certainly the present and 
 the rising generation have been stimulated by the 
 conflict, to acquire the ability to give a much more 
 satisfactory reason for the faith that is in them, than 
 the generation to which they succeeded. 
 
 " By a parliamentary grant, and by a voluntary 
 society, the deficiency of churches is progressively 
 diminishing; and many of the late appointments to 
 church dignities have been such as would have 
 done credit to any age of the Church. Our uni- 
 versities, Oxford especially, have been repairing the 
 decays of discipline and of the requisite knowledge 
 for their degrees, and a competent knowledge of 
 the evidences and principles of Christianity is made 
 indispensable to every one. There is a great deal of 
 lost ground to recover, and a great deal of mischief 
 to be warded off and neutralized ; but this conviction 
 is both forcibly and extensively awakened. Our 
 only solid foundation is the making it appear that 
 we are what we profess to be, the genuine Church 
 of Christ — that we hold forth the true light, and 
 walk worthy of our vocation. This conviction is 
 operating widely amongst us, and there is a growing 
 
238 
 
 MEMOIR OF THE LIFE OF THE 
 
 interest taking in the study of theology, and work- 
 men that need not be ashamed are multiplying. 
 
 " The propagation of Christianity abroad is, 
 moreover, engaging much of our attention; and 
 when I tell you that we have, during the last year, 
 collected nearly £50,000 by a king's letter, and that 
 a mission college, upon an extensive scale, is at this 
 time building at Calcutta, to be entirely under the 
 Bishop's management, you will be satisfied that the 
 Church is still in possession of much of the public 
 confidence, and is doing her utmost to substantiate 
 and increase her claim to it. Our danger arises 
 more from the numbers than from the present 
 influence and power of the dissenting interest. * * *. 
 Our great defection is from the shopkeeper down- 
 wards. The Churchman never inquires into the 
 religious persuasion of those to whom he gives 
 custom, but the Dissenter always does, and those 
 exclusively have his custom who go with him to 
 meeting. Every art of this description has been 
 long in very active operation, and that godliness 
 must prosper in the world which has the most gain 
 attached to it. But, after all, amidst the fluctua- 
 tions of hope and fear for the political ascendency 
 of the Church, which cannot fail to agitate every 
 reflecting man as he surveys alternately what is 
 doing to strengthen the establishment, and what 
 to undermine it; still, as a spiritual body, the pros- 
 pect most certainly is progressively brightening ; 
 and if called to suffer, my confidence is, that grace 
 will be given her to witness a good confession, 
 and that to those who have eyes to see it, she 
 will be more glorious under persecution than with 
 
RIGHT REV. JOHN HENRY HOBART. 239 
 
 the honours which now constitute her earthly 
 splendour. 
 
 " That you may have some better criterion of 
 judging than my report, I have begun collecting a 
 small package of books and papers for you, which I 
 shall consign to the care of Mr. Lawrence. I send 
 you, as a present from Dr. Mant, now promoted to 
 the See of Killaloe, in Ireland, a copy of his Family 
 Prayer Book, compiled as a companion to the So- 
 ciety's Bible; from Dr. Kenny, a volume of his, on 
 the Principles and Practices of Reformers in Church 
 and State; from the Editors of the Churchman's 
 Remembrancer, all the numbers of their monthly 
 miscellany, containing authentic intelligence upon 
 all genuine Church concerns ; from Archdeacon 
 Thomas I send you his Charge ; and besides these, 
 a few other theological works, as specimens of the 
 state of religious opinion, and of the talent at pre- 
 sent devoted to the service of the Church; and I 
 send you also the Reports of our Church Societies. 
 Some other things may occur to me before I close 
 the packet, and I shall omit nothing which may 
 enable you to take a true estimate of us. You are 
 in possession of my feelings and my motives. I 
 think we ought to devise means for acting as one 
 body, as far as circumstances will permit; we are, 
 by divine right, one body, and we ought to feel 
 this, and cultivate fellowship with each other — that 
 communion of saints which we all uniformly profess 
 before God as an article of our common faith. I 
 do not know any thing which would more promote 
 this, than if you were to make a visit to this country. 
 My house would gladly greet you with all its hos- 
 
240 MEMOIR OF THE LIFE OF THE 
 
 pitality, as long as you would continue under its 
 roof; and I think I could accomplish all the intro- 
 ductions which would be gratifying to you. Do 
 therefore think of this project, and if local duties 
 will admit of it, let me hear that the proposal is 
 adopted. 
 
 " I remain, 
 
 " With great respect and affection, 
 " Very truly yours, 
 
 " H. H. NORRIS. 
 
 " Grove-street, Hackney, April 18, 1820." 
 From Bishop Skinner to Bishop Hobart. 
 
 ^'Aberdeen, 12th August, 1820. 
 
 " RIGHT REV. AND DEAR SIR, 
 
 " I gladly embrace the opportunity of a vessel 
 going direct from hence to New- York, to return 
 you personally, those thanks which I requested my 
 brother at Forfar to offer in my name, for the in- 
 teresting communications which you had lately the 
 goodness to send through his hands to the Scottish 
 Bishops. They have all been perused by me, I 
 assure you, with singular satisfaction, and with a 
 heart full of pious affection towards our worthy and 
 zealous brethren in the American Church : nor can 
 any one who has sincerely at heart the interests of 
 pure and undefiled religion, possibly view with in- 
 difference the rapid progress which the Gospel of 
 Christ, in its purest and most primitive form, is 
 making throughout the United States. Your ex- 
 ertions in the good cause have long been known 
 and duly appreciated by the Church in Scotland ; 
 
RIGHT REV. JOHN HENRY HOBART. 241 
 
 and nothing could afford greater pleasure to me, 
 as an humble individual of that Church, and I may 
 safely venture to add, nothing could more gratify 
 the Episcopal Church at large, than having the 
 honour of occasionally corresponding with our ven- 
 erable brethren in America, and mutually commu- 
 nicating what may at any time seem interesting in 
 ecclesiastical affairs. * * *. That your valuable life 
 may be long preserved to the Christian Church, and 
 to that portion of it in particular over which you so 
 worthily preside, is the earnest and devout prayer of, 
 " Right Rev. and dear Sir, 
 
 " Your most faithful and affectionate 
 " Brother in Christ, 
 
 " W. SKINNER," 
 
 In 1820 Bishop Hobart addressed a Pastoral 
 Letter to the Clergy and Laity of his diocese, rela- 
 tive to measures for the theological education of 
 candidates for orders. From the earliest period of 
 his ministry he had felt a deep solicitude on this 
 subject. It iiad at length excited a degree of in- 
 terest in the Church at large. The expediency of 
 establishing a Theological Seminary had been re- 
 ferred, by the General Convention in 1814, to the 
 consideration of the Bishops in the several dioceses, 
 and to the Standing Committees in the states where 
 there were no Bishops; and though from a variety 
 of circumstances the season was not altogether au- 
 spicious, yet in the succeeding Convention of 1817 
 a committee was appointed for the purpose of 
 carrying the plan into execution. Some of the 
 most respectable clergymen of our Church were 
 
 31 
 
242 MEMOIR OF THE LIFE OF THE "• 
 
 appointed to solicit donations for this important 
 object in various sections of the Union, but their 
 efforts were followed by no adequate results. 
 Though the experiment was unsuccessful, the in- 
 stitution was, nevertheless, organized ; and the hope 
 was entertained that the next meeting of the General 
 Convention might afford the means of awakening 
 the attention of the members and friends of the 
 Protestant Episcopal Church to an object so essen- 
 tially connected with its honour and prosperity. 
 Thus far Bishop Hobart, as a member of the com- 
 mittee, interested himself sincerely in the establish- 
 ment of the General Seminary. 
 
 At the General Convention of 1820, the measure 
 was adopted of removing the institution from New- 
 York to New-Haven, in Connecticut. This measure 
 could not have been carried without the co-operation 
 of the Bishop and deputies from New- York. They 
 yielded to it, however, from the persuasion that 
 diocesan institutions would ultimately be estab- 
 lished — that a general institution would rather be 
 acquiesced in than cordially supported — and thus, 
 while the principal part of the funds of the general 
 institution would be raised in New- York, that dio- 
 cese might be one of the few which would not have 
 a Theological Seminary subject to her own control. 
 The removal, therefore, of the General Seminary 
 was consented to, on their part, as a measure of 
 conciliation, it being understood, as was supposed, 
 that a theological institution would be organized in 
 New- York, for which the resources and contribu- 
 tions of the Episcopalians in that state were to be 
 exclusively reserved. ; 
 
RIGHT REV. JOHN HENRY HORART. 243 
 
 After this explanation, Bishop Hobart entered 
 into a consideration of the right of every diocese 
 to make provision for the theological education of 
 candidates for the ministry; the expediency of this 
 provision being made by the diocese of New- York, 
 and the mode in whicii it should be effected. 
 Having discussed these points in a way which he 
 thought would be satisfactory to the great body of 
 the clergy and laity, he earnestly urged upon them 
 the immediate formation of a diocesan seminary, 
 and made such suggestions as he supposed might 
 be useful in the definitive settlement of the plan at 
 the approaching Convention, in case his proposal 
 should be adopted. The subject was brought up 
 in his annual address to that body, and while he 
 anxiously guarded against the suspicion of his 
 cherishing any hostility to the general institution, 
 he again set forth the reasons in favour of the 
 establishment of one for ourselves. The extent 
 of our resources, arising from the numbers, the 
 respectability, and the wealth of the individual 
 
 embers of the Church — the munificent g-ift of a 
 
 m 
 
 to' 
 
 generous individual, of sixty lots of ground in the 
 immediate vicinity of New-York, for the benefit of 
 a theological school — the faults in tiie organization 
 of the general institution, as to the appointment of 
 trustees, in which no proportional regard was paid 
 to the relative numbers of the Episcopalians of the 
 several dioceses, nor to the amount of thoir contri- 
 butions, and in consequence of which our own 
 would be deprived of her just degree of influence 
 and control ; all these considerations seemed to 
 make it a duty to adopt a measure which was so 
 
244 . MEMOIR OF THE LIFE OF THE 
 
 vitally connected with the prosperity and honour 
 of the Church in this extensive diocese. These 
 reasons appeared so forcible and conclusive to the 
 members of the Convention, that the " Protestant 
 Episcopal Theological Education Society" was im- 
 mediately established, and went into operation the 
 following year. 
 
 The following letter from Mr. Cornelius R. Duffie 
 to Bishop Hobart, it is thought, will be read with 
 interest even by those who were not acquainted 
 with the writer, but it will awaken in those who 
 were, the tender recollections of one who, from his 
 eminent piety and worth, and his unwearied and 
 successful labours, was regarded with universal 
 esteem, and by a large circle of friends with enthu- 
 siastic admiration and love. 
 
 '' New- York, October 10, 1Q21. 
 
 " RIGHT REV. SIR, 
 
 " I come to give you notice of my desire to pre- 
 sent myself as a candidate for holy orders, and of 
 my readiness to enter upon such preparatory exer- 
 cises as you may appoint. 
 
 " If the time of life at which I have arrived is not 
 without disadvantages, I believe it has brought a 
 due sense of the responsibility of the sacred office, 
 and of the importance of deliberating well before it 
 is assumed. 1 hope I have not deceived myself in 
 judging of the motives which govern me ; but lest I 
 may have overlooked any objection to the reason- 
 ableness of my intention, or to the prospect of my 
 usefulness, I submit my purpose, with entire defer- 
 ence, to your consideration and revision. 
 
RIGHT REV. JOHN HENRY HOBART. 245 
 
 " I cannot, however, avoid perceiving that the 
 events of my life for some time past, and the dis- 
 positions they have produced in my mind, tend 
 strongly to point out the path I have chosen; and 
 as far as these may be regarded as indications 
 proceeding from the Spirit of God, I am compelled, 
 though it be with apprehension and self-distrust, to 
 allow their influence. 
 
 " A few years of practical acquaintance with tlie 
 world, by showing me that fortune and the fairest 
 prospects were often vain and deceptive, and that 
 even success and prosperity were less to be desired 
 than feared for their tendency to make men for- 
 getful of themselves, had forced upon me a sober, 
 and perhaps a severe estimate of life. But that 
 last and most overwhelming of all earthly bereave- 
 ments* which I have recently suffered, has made 
 me feel the uncertain tenure even of the most 
 cherished and valued happiness, and by disconnect- 
 ing me in a great measure from the ordinary motives 
 to exertion, has taken from me all inclination or 
 ability for mere worldly pursuits. 
 
 " It is now not less necessary to my health and 
 tranquillity, than to my sense of duty, that I should 
 place before me some great and useful object, in 
 the prosecution of which I may occupy my time 
 
 • The loss of his companion and partner in life, who, from the 
 sweetness of her disposition and the heavenly frame of her mind, 
 was the object of the most pure and exalted affection during her 
 life, and whose memory was cherislied by him with such a tenderness 
 and sacredness after her death, as seemed to soften all his feelings, 
 to hallow all his thoughts, and to wean him completely and effectually 
 from that world which he had long before renounced. 
 
246 MEMOIR OF THE LIFE OF THE 
 
 and my thoughts ; and I am confirmed in believing 
 the one which I have now in view to be that to 
 wliich, in the providence of God, I am called, be- 
 cause in no other can I be sure of the permanent 
 approbation of my own mind, or find motives suffi- 
 ciently powerful to excite its exertions. 
 
 " If you, Right Rev. Sir, shall approve my deci- 
 sion, my former habits of study will be revived and 
 pursued with a diligence proportioned to the im- 
 portance of their object; and though I do not 
 expect by these means to escape from the recollec- 
 tions which depress me, yet I hope they will become 
 less painful by being improved to the same great 
 purpose. 
 
 " My highest wishes will be gratified, if I shall 
 be able to fill up the residue of my life in the 
 conscientious endeavour to incite all within my 
 power to the love and service of Him who has 
 ever continued to me the conviction and acknow- 
 ledgment of his infinite wisdom and goodness; 
 and who has made me to see and to know that in 
 the Gospel of Jesus Christ there is unfailing sup- 
 port under all the circumstances of life, as well as 
 abounding consolation and triumph for the mortal 
 hour. 
 
 " I beg you to excuse the detail of motives and 
 views into which this letter has extended, but which 
 I thought necessary, to enable you to come to a 
 proper determination upon the subject of it. 
 ** With perfect respect, 
 
 "I am, Right Rev. Sir, 
 
 "Your most obedient servant, 
 
 " CORNELIUS R. DUFFIE." 
 
RIGHT REV. JOHN HENRY HO BART. 247 
 
 Mr. Duffie was verging towards middle age when 
 he made his application to be admitted as a candi- 
 date for orders. He had received a liberal educa- 
 tion, and prepared himself for the profession of the 
 law; he never, however, entered upon the practice 
 of it, but spent the greater part of his life in mer- 
 cantile pursuits. But he still kept up his literary 
 habits, associated with his college companions, and 
 frequently employed his pen in writing the annual 
 reports of our religious societies (of all of which he 
 was an active and zealous member), in such a way 
 as was equally creditable to his piety and taste. He 
 was therefore prepared, without any extraordinary 
 effort, for the change which he contemplated in his 
 habits and pursuits. When he entered into the 
 ministry, he was immediately surrounded by a num- 
 ber of his personal friends, who formed a small but 
 select and interesting congregation, harmonizing 
 with him for the most part, as well in their devoted 
 attachment to sound Church principles, as in piety 
 and zeal. In a short time the congregation was so 
 much increased by his assiduous and faithful labours, 
 as to enable them to erect a spacious and splendid 
 edifice,* which they completely filled; when, in the 
 midst of his usefulness, he was suddenly called to 
 render an account of his " stewardship," and to 
 enter, as we doubt not, " into the joy of his Lord." 
 It was my lot, as one of his early companions, to 
 preach his ordination sermon, and within a few 
 short years to unite in the last offices for him in his 
 dying hours, and in the deep and heartfelt grief of 
 
 ' ^. : : * St. Thomas' Church, New-York. ' 
 
248 MEMOIR OF THE LIFE OF THE \ 
 
 his parishioners and friends at this sudden termi- 
 nation of his useful career. 
 
 A most interesting circumstance connected with 
 theological learning in our diocese, occurred in the 
 course of this year, which, from the agency that 
 Bishop Hobart had in it, may very properly be 
 noticed in an account of his life. Mr. Jacob Sherred, 
 one of the Vestrymen of Trinity Church, who, by a 
 long course of successful industry, had amassed a 
 considerable fortune, and by his unostentatious but 
 abundant charities was constantly relieving the poor 
 and the needy, and drawing down upon him the 
 blessings of those who were " ready to perish," 
 closed his life by an act of munificence which, we 
 trust, will be a memorial of him throughout all suc- 
 ceeding generations. He was without children, and 
 with the exception of the pious and estimable lady 
 to whom he was united, there were but few who had 
 any very pressing claims on his recollection and 
 kindness. Bishop Hobart regarded this as one of 
 the cases where delicacy might be waved in the ac- 
 complishment of a great and important object, and 
 he therefore urged him to make a bequest to the 
 Theological Seminary, which might bear some pro- 
 portion to his ample means. He was the more em- 
 boldened in this application, because it met with the 
 rare and disinterested support of the person who 
 was chiefly concerned to prevent any diversion of 
 the fortune from its natural course. - 
 
 On the day of Mr. Sherred's death, or on the fol- 
 lowing day, the Bishop was dining with me, and his 
 mind naturally turning to this subject, he indulged 
 in a variety of conjectures as to the amount of the 
 
RIGHT REV. JOHN HENRY HOBART. ^49 
 
 bequest. The modesty and silence of the former 
 in regard to his intentions, made the Bishop some- 
 what apprehensive of the result. " I am afraid," 
 he remarked, '•' that it may not be more than a 
 scholarship or a fellowship ; but if it should be a 
 professorship* — I always thought well of him — but 
 I shall then think that he has acted nobly." The 
 Bishop was impatient to learn what had actually 
 been done, and left the table early. In a short time 
 he returned almost breathless with haste, and, full 
 of gratitude and joy, cried out, " He has left us half 
 his fortune !" - ; 
 
 From the great respectability and importance of 
 the State of New- York, and the increasing number 
 and resources of the Episcopalians in it, Bishop 
 Hobart had before been strongly disposed to favour 
 the establislmient of a diocesan seminary. The 
 munificent bequest of Mr. Sherred, together with 
 the valuable grant of land from Mr. Clement C. 
 Moore, which alTorded a beautiful and convenient 
 site for tlie institution, rendered this at once a 
 practicable scheme. A regard to the promotion of 
 those sound principles which he considered as 
 vitally connected with the best interests of our 
 Church, increased his anxiety for this arrangement. 
 But still, from a spirit of conciliation, he was willing 
 to give up the unrivalled advantages which, through 
 the good providence of God, our own diocese en- 
 joyed, and to share them with the Church at large. 
 The constitution of the General Seminary was ac- 
 
 * Twenty thousand dollars were required for the establishment 
 of a professorship. 
 
 32 
 
250 / MEMOIR OF THE LIFE OP THE 
 
 cordingly re-organized in such a way as to give a 
 just degree of influence and control to the several 
 dioceses; and tlie institution was transferred from 
 Connecticut to New- York. The magnanimity of 
 his conduct on this occasion has never perhaps 
 been duly appreciated by those who differed from 
 him in their views, while the policy of it was doubted 
 by some of his friends. From the profound respect 
 which was entertained for him by most of the clergy 
 and laity of his own diocese, from their general 
 accordance with his opinions, or their readiness to 
 acquiesce in his wishes, an institution of our own 
 would have been in a great measure subject to his 
 control. The appointments would have been made 
 with an exclusive view to the support of the prin- 
 ciples and policy which it had been the ruling aim 
 of his life to i)romote — to the inviolable union of 
 evangelical truth and apostolic order. But though 
 in the new arrangements great influence was given 
 to the diocese of New-York in the management of 
 the General Seminary, yet, if Bishop Hobart had 
 attempted to act as he undoubtedly would have 
 done in a diocesan seminary, it would soon have 
 been seen that this influence was altofrether im- 
 potent. The whole plan was formed in a spirit of 
 compromise. There might be opposition to his 
 views in the board of trustees, which he could not 
 control. There might be reserve and silence in 
 the faculty on points which he himself would have 
 loudly proclaimed. He had given up what he might 
 easily have retained, and never did any man make 
 a greater sacrifice of his private feelings and wishes 
 for the sake of general harmony and peace. 
 
lilGHT KEV. JOHN HENUY HOBAHT. 251 
 
 During this year also, a residuary legacy of con- 
 siderable amount was left to Bisliop Hobart by Mrs. 
 Sarah Stariin, in trust, for the purposes of promot- 
 ing religion and learning in the State of New- York. 
 A portion of it, agreeably to the will, was appro- 
 priated to the endowment of a professorship in 
 Geneva College, bearing the name of her husband, 
 and the income of the remainder was to be applied 
 in such ways as the Bishop might deem most con- 
 ducive to the interests of our Church. This bequest 
 was likewise made in compliance with his sugges- 
 tions and wislies. She was in a great measure free 
 to dispose of her fortune according to her pleasure, 
 for there was no material interference with it on 
 the score of relationship or duty. She had no 
 children of her own, and a suitable provision was 
 made for an orphan whom she had adopted. Sim- 
 ple, prudent, and even economical in her own habits, 
 she had always been profuse in her bounty to others. 
 Her respect for the Bishop amounted almost to 
 veneration, and her attachment for his family was 
 truly maternal. They had received many substan- 
 tial proofs of her kindness during her life, and a 
 still more important one was furnished by a liberal 
 provision which she made in their behalf in her 
 last will. She wanted to carry this farther, and to 
 leave the whole of the residuary legacy, which the 
 Bishop had prevailed upon her to apply to public 
 purposes, for his private benefit; but though she 
 pressed it upon him with the greatest earnestness, 
 yet, with a delicacy, disinterestedness, and consis- 
 tency which would not perhaps have been shown by 
 
252 MEMOIR OF THE LIFE OF THE 
 
 most men, he decidedly opposed this diversion of it 
 from its original and laudable designs. I received 
 this account, shortly after her death, from the Bishop 
 himself. 
 
 From the Rev. Henry H. Norris to Bishop Ho- 
 bart. 
 
 "MY DEAR SIR, 
 
 "Your obliging favour reached me about a week 
 ago, and this morning the bnlbs have all been 
 planted in my garden; and should they prosper, of 
 which there is every promise, I shall take great de- 
 light in looking at them as a sort of connecting link 
 between our two divisions of the Catholic Church, 
 and in being reminded by them of yourself, whose 
 kindness so promptly gratified my wishes to possess 
 them. I have scarcely any science in this depart- 
 ment of physicks; indeed I have no time to do more 
 than make the circuit of my garden before I sit down 
 after breakfast to my books, or go to London to 
 attend upon committees ; but it is still a great 
 delight to me, and the more so from the circum- 
 stance of my store of plants being a confluence of 
 the contributions of distant friends. * * *. 
 
 " 1 rejoice to hear that your Theological School 
 is settled so much to your satisfaction, and I pray 
 God it may prosper, and that you may live to see it 
 rear up a body of clergy such as you would wish to 
 see ministering in your congregations. Notwith- 
 standing the times, which I am feeling very materi- 
 ally with all landed proprietors, 1 shall most gladly 
 make my offering whenever you call upon me for it ; 
 
RIGHT REV. JOHN HENRY HOBART. 258 
 
 and I wish I could employ it as an excitement to 
 others ; but there are great calls upon us at this 
 time, which will appeal in vain. * * *, 
 
 " Very truly and affectionately yours, 
 
 " H. H. NORRIS. 
 
 "February A, 1822." 
 
 From the same to the same. 
 
 " MY DEAR SIR, 
 
 " I have had the pleasure of receiving two letters 
 from you in the course of the present year.* * *. 
 To both of these I have replied, and have been 
 expecting your list, that I might put it into my book- 
 seller's hands, and complete the collection, so as to 
 have shipped it during the present season, which I 
 am now fearful will not be the case, as I am just 
 about to commence my summer's excursion amongst 
 my friends, and shall not be at home again before 
 October. In my last letter I told you that I was 
 very busily occupied in writing a letter to Lord 
 Liverpool upon the subject of his speech, which you 
 told me had operated so mischievously in America, 
 as of course it has done here. I published that 
 letter on the first of July, and the same day for- 
 warded a copy to Mr. Lawrence, to be transmitted 
 to you, and have since heard that it was on its way 
 to New- York; so I hope by this time it has nearly 
 reached its destination. * * *. The American 
 branch of Christ's holy Catholic Church is filling 
 at this time a most important station upon the earth. 
 What our future fortunes are to be, it would be pre- 
 sumptuous to calculate upon. There is amongst 
 
254 MEMOIR OF THE LIFE OF THE 
 
 US a large measure of genuine Christian zeal and 
 decided Church principle, and both are upon the 
 increase ; but then there is a tremendous confedera- 
 tion, topped by false brethren, and bottomed by 
 Socinians, who are working incessantly and syste- 
 matically upon all departments of the community. 
 * * *• The specific object of it is to make schism 
 catholic instead o^ unity ; unity therefore must fall, 
 unless those who are its divinely appointed guardians 
 cherish it with more than ordinary solicitude, and 
 exercise an apostolic jealousy in maintaining one 
 mind and one mouth amongst themselves. 
 
 " Believe me to be, 
 " Very truly yours, 
 
 " H. H. NORRIS. 
 
 July 30, 1822." 
 
 ti 
 
 In the fall of 1822 Bishop Hobart had an attack 
 of bilious intermittent fever at his country-seat in 
 New-Jersey, which excited the utmost apprehension 
 in the minds of his people, and which was the 
 precursor of that series of attacks which gradually 
 impaired his constitution, and finally occasioned 
 his death. A number of his clergy and personal 
 friends, as soon as they heard of his danger, went 
 out immediately to see him, as well for the purpose 
 of testifying their affectionate concern for him, as 
 of rendering those kind and assiduous attentions 
 which, in a place of retirement, were so much 
 needed. As to myself, I was in a state of the most 
 anxious apprehension about the issue of the disease. 
 With all my efforts, when I entered the sick room, 
 I could not conceal my agitation. He himself how- 
 
RIGHT REV. JOHN HENRY HOBART. 255 
 
 ever was perfectly calm, and with a view of soothing 
 me he said, " Do you think I am afraid to diel" 
 The composure, the simplicity, and dignity of that 
 scene, I shall never forget. 
 
 But though he was so unmoved at the probable 
 approach of death in his own case, yet I remember 
 to have seen him on one occasion overwhelmed at 
 the prospect of this event in regard to another. 
 Though naturally quick in his sensibilities, he had 
 generally a great mastery over his feelings; at any 
 rate, he did not often exhibit, even on the most 
 melancholy occasions, strong outward expressions 
 of emotion and grief. But at the time to which I 
 allude, nature entirely subdued him. I had accom- 
 panied him on a visit to the Rev. Mr. Bulkley, at 
 Flushing, on Long-Island, who was lying danger- 
 ously ill. This clergyman was a man of humble 
 attainments, but of a sound mind, correct principles, 
 and deep and unaffected piety. I never knew any 
 one who surpassed him in meekness and lowliness, 
 in simplicity of character, in purity of thought and 
 intention, or who was more entirely free from all 
 dissimulation and guile. For these engaging quali- 
 ties every body respected and loved him. We 
 found him on the very eve of his departure. The 
 Bishop, after a few moments' conversation with him 
 in a calm and soothing strain, withdrew; but no 
 sooner had he got out of his hearing, than he burst 
 into a flood of tears, and was literally convulsed by 
 the violence of his grief. 
 
 From the Rev. Henry H. Norris to Bishop Ho- 
 bart. 
 
256 MEMOIR OF THE LIFE OF THE 
 
 " Grove-street, Hackney, Feb. 14, 1823. 
 
 "MY DEAR SIR, r 
 
 " * * *. I send you the several Archiepiscopal 
 and Episcopal Charges delivered last year. * * *. 
 The Bishop of London's Charge, and tlie two of 
 the Bishop of Calcutta,* are the most worth your 
 perusal. There you will see genuine Christian 
 wisdom exhibited ; and when you have read the 
 latter, you will be prepared to appreciate the loss 
 which Christianity in general, and the Church of 
 England in particular, have sustained by his sudden 
 and premature death. This sad catastrophe is the 
 most calamitous event that could have befhllen us; 
 his profoundly wise measures for the Christianizing 
 of India were rapidly advancing towards maturity, 
 and wanted his finisliing hand. * * *. I was much 
 rejoiced to see, by the documents you sent me, that 
 a noble benefactor has enabled you to establish 
 your College with such fair promise of its being an 
 efficient nursery for your Church. I pray God he 
 may be the first of a long line of benefactors to 
 sustain it, and extend its benefits; that you may be 
 thus furnished with a succession of men well ex- 
 ercised in Christian discipline, and well seasoned 
 with knowledge, both human and divine, to hold 
 forth the word of life in the midst of the present 
 Babel of error and vain conceit, and make pure and 
 apostolic Christianity famous among you. In this 
 country the present omens are by no means au- 
 spicious. The policy of the day, with respect to 
 religion, is precisely that of Gallio — all restraint, not 
 
 * Bishop Middleton. 
 
RIGHT REV. JOHN HENRY HOBART. 257 
 
 merely upon religious opinion, but upon the propa- 
 gation of it, is to be taken away, and God is either 
 to be honoured or dishonoured according to the 
 private judgment or private perversity of every 
 individual. * * *. 
 
 " Believe me 
 
 " Very truly yours, 
 
 " H. H. NORRIS." 
 
 Towards the close of the summer Bishop Hobart, 
 feeling the need of relaxation, proposed to make 
 an excursion to Quebec, and wished me to accom- 
 pany him. The weather was remarkably fine, the 
 scenery throughout a great part of the route, though 
 familiar to us both, was too varied and beautiful to 
 be reviewed with indifference, and the latter part 
 of the journey had all the freshness and charm of 
 novelty. The Bishop, disencumbered for a while 
 of his ordinary cares, was placid and cheerful, and 
 disposed to derive enjoyment from all the objects 
 around him. He was peculiarly interested when, 
 on crossing our own border, we got at once among 
 a people differing in language, costume, and habits, 
 from our own, who appeared to be not only con- 
 tented and happy, but to have all the characteristic 
 vivacity and gaiety of the nation from which they 
 had descended. I was perhaps still more interested, 
 as every thing around me awakened the recollec- 
 tions of France, through which I had travelled a 
 few years before with so much pleasure and delight. 
 The passage from Montreal down the St. Lawrence 
 was particularly pleasant, for though the banks are 
 for the most part neither bold nor romantic, yet the 
 
 33 
 
258 MEIVIOIR OF THE LIFE OF THE ' 
 
 rich verdure of the fields, the constant succession of 
 bright and cheerful villages, the varied form of the 
 spires and towers of the cliurches, with which they 
 were all adorned, and the neat and often spacious 
 rectory which usually adjoined them, made the 
 whole a very novel and enlivening scene. The sight 
 of these churches, in which all worshipped by the 
 same ritual, professed the same faith, and were of 
 one heart and one mind, made a very pleasing im- 
 pression upon the Bishop, notwithstanding he re- 
 garded this unity in many respects as merely an 
 agreement in error. It had been the earnest endea- 
 vour of his life, and the prevailing passion of his 
 soul, to promote unity in the truth. He was led into 
 a train of beautiful reflections upon this subject, 
 the substance of which, even after the lapse of so 
 many years, I distinctly remember, though the ex- 
 pressions are forgotten. 
 
 The antique and foreign aspect of the city of 
 Quebec, so different from the appearance of our 
 own cities, where all is so new and fresh, and for 
 ever changing, is a source of amusement to every 
 one who has not been abroad; and the magnificent 
 views which it commands from its heights, can be 
 seen by none who are fond of nature in her gran- 
 deur, without admiration and delight. We visited, 
 in company with Mr. M'llvaine, of Philadelphia, 
 Colonel Biddle, of the United States army, and 
 Colonel Hunter, of the Royal Horse-Guards, the 
 Falls of Chaudiere and the Falls of Montmorency, 
 and enjoyed in a high degree both the romantic 
 beautiesof these striking scenes, and the agreeable 
 and intellectual society into which it was our hap- 
 
RIGHT REV. JOHN HENRY HOBART. 259 
 
 piness to be thrown. Colonel Hunter, who had 
 served under Lord Wellington throughout the 
 Peninsular war, had just made an extensive tour 
 through our own country. With taste and refine- 
 ment, and a mind enlarged by foreign travel, he had 
 noticed every thing amongst us with such a spirit of 
 liberality and kindness, as was calculated at once 
 to flatter our national pride, and to make our brief 
 intercourse with him an occasion of sincere regret 
 at our parting. 
 
 The Bishop received very kind and respectful 
 attentions from the most distinguished persons in 
 Quebec, in which, as the companion of his journey, 
 I of course participated. During the short time 
 which we spent there, we dined with Lord Dal- 
 housie, the Bishop of Quebec, and Chief Justice 
 Sewell ; breakfasted with Colonel Harvey, near the 
 plains of Abraham, and spent a most agreeable day 
 at the country retreat of Dr. Mills, the chaplain of 
 the forces. We saw less than we wished of the 
 estimable Archdeacon, Dr. Mountain, who, by a 
 serious accident which happened just at that time, 
 was confined to his house and his bed. The Bishop 
 was requested to preach at the cathedral in the 
 morning of the only Sunday on which we were 
 there, and myself in the afternoon. 
 
 But the pleasure of the first part of our excursion 
 was a singular contrast with the pain and suffering 
 of our return. We set out by land, and before the 
 close of the first day the Bishop was seized with a 
 most violent bilious attack, which filled me with 
 anxiety and alarm. We travelled in wretched ca- 
 briolets, which were sufliciently uneasy vehicles for 
 
260 MEMOIR OF THE LIFE OF THE 
 
 those who were well, but which were agonizing to 
 one who was deadly sick. We had to stop fre- 
 quently on the road ; but, upon the slightest inter- 
 mission of suffering, the Bishop was impatient to 
 proceed. Five hundred miles were before us, and 
 each one seemed almost intolerable. At Three 
 Rivers, I think, we got into tiie steam-boat, which, 
 from its greater ease and speed, was a sensible 
 relief. Still there was a considerable distance to be 
 travelled by land. At Whitehall the Bishop was so 
 unwell that he was unable to sit in a carriage, and a 
 mattress was placed in it, on which he laid till we 
 came to Albany. I rendered him every attention 
 which sympathy and friendship could suggest; but 
 when I considered the value of his health and life, 
 I was almost overwhelmed with the responsibility 
 of my temporary charge. It was this attack, from 
 which he did not entirely recover after his return, 
 that suggested the thought of his visit to Europe. 
 
 At the meeting of the Convention in 1 822, Bishop 
 Hobart, in his annual address to tliat body, made 
 an extract from an address of Bishop White, in 
 which the latter endeavours to discourage Episco- 
 palians from uniting with other denominations of 
 Christians for religious purposes, and states the 
 reasons upon which his objection to tiiis union is 
 grounded. As the avowed friend of general Bible 
 Societies, Bishop White did not mean to apply his 
 remarks to these associations, but as Bishop Hobart 
 thought his reasonings were no less applicable to 
 them than lo others, he introduced them with a view 
 of strengthening his opinions against all general 
 associations. 
 
KIGHT REV. JOHN HENRY HOBART. 261 
 
 " A Strict adherence to these principles and views, 
 stated with so nnnch interest, must indeed be con- 
 sidered as * required by the exigences, and even the 
 existence of our Church.' The spirit of them seems 
 to me applicable to all associations for religious 
 purposes where Episcopalians unite with those 
 * severed from them by diversity of worship, disci- 
 pline, or by contrariety in points of doctrine.' We 
 ou-ght indeed to ' treat every denomination in their 
 character as a body with respect, and the indivi- 
 duals composing it with degrees of respect or esteem, 
 or of affection, in proportion to the ideas entertained 
 of their respective merits.' But a due regard both 
 to principle and sound policy, and even Christian 
 harmony, requires, in the judgment of him who 
 addresses you, that we avoid intermixture with them 
 in efforts for religious purposes; and that for the 
 propagation of the Christian faith, by whatsoever 
 particular mode, we associate only among ourselves, 
 and act exclusively under the guardianship and au- 
 thority of our own Church. . 
 
 «' The views founded on this opinion, the pro- 
 priety of which seems to me so obvious, which 
 originally influenced me with respect to the union of 
 Episcopalians with other denominations in Bible 
 societies, have gained strength by subsequent reflec- 
 tion and observation. These societies seem to me 
 erroneous in tiie jprinci'ple on which, in order to 
 secure general co-operation, they are founded — the 
 
 separatiofi of the Church from the word of God 
 
 of the sacred volume from the ministry , the worship, 
 and the ordinances which it enjoins as of divine in- 
 stitution, and the instruments of the propagation 
 
262 WEMOIR OF THE LIFE OF THE 
 
 and preservation of gospel truth. As it respects 
 Churchmen, the tende7icy of these societies has 
 appeared tome not less injurious than the principle 
 on which they are founded is erroneous. They in- 
 culcate tiiat general liberality which considers the 
 differences among Christians as non-essential; and 
 they thus tend to weaken the zeal of Episcopalians 
 in favour of those distinguisliing principles of their 
 Church which eminently entitle her to the appella- 
 tion of apostolical and primitive. 
 
 " The success of institutions which are erroneous 
 in the principle on which they are founded, or in the 
 measures which they adopt, cannot vindicate them, 
 except on the maxim, that ' the end justifies the 
 means.' Nor is this success to be considered as 
 evidence of the favour of lieaven ; for then, divine 
 sanction would be obtained for many heretical and 
 schismatical sects, wliich, at various times, have 
 obtained great popularity, and corrupted and rent 
 the Christian Church. 
 
 " It is a satisfaction to me, that in withholding my 
 support from Bible societies, I act with those in the 
 highest stations in the Church from which we are 
 descended, and with the great body of its clergy. 
 But it is a source of painful regret to find myself 
 differing on this subject from many of the clergy 
 and members of our own communion whom I greatly 
 esteem and respect. I would wish to guard against 
 the supposition of any design on my part to censure 
 those Episcopalians who deem these societies wor- 
 thy of their support, and the proper channels of their 
 pious munificence. Among the Episcopalians of 
 this description, I recognise, in the president and 
 
RIGHT REV. JOHN HENRY HOBART. 263 
 
 acting vice-president of the American Bible Society, 
 individuals who are not for a moment to be suspected 
 of acting from any other principle than a sense of 
 duty, and whose pure and elevated characters adorn 
 the Church of which they are members. My object 
 is not to censure others, but, in the discharge of my 
 official duty, to state and defend the principles on 
 which I think Churchmen should act in their efforts 
 for the propagation of the Gospel ; and to ask for 
 those who do act on these principles, the credit of 
 an adiierence to the dictates of conscience, and an 
 exemption from the imputation of being unfriendly 
 to the distribution of the oracles of truth. No im- 
 putation can be more unjust, injurious, or unkind. 
 It is not to the distribution of the Bible, but to the 
 mode of distribution, that our objections apply. We 
 deem ourselves not warranted in sanctioning what 
 appears to us a departure from the apostolic mode 
 of propagating Christianity — in the separation of 
 the sacred volume from the ministry, the ordinances, 
 and the worship of that mystical body which its 
 Divine Founder has constituted the mean and the 
 pledge of salvation to the world. And we think 
 that Episcopalians will best preserve their attach- 
 ment to the distinctive principles of their Apostolic 
 Church, and thus best advance the cause of primi- 
 tive Christianity, and most effectually avoid all col- 
 lision with their fellow Christians who differ from 
 them, by associating for all religious purposes only 
 among themselves." 
 
 Nothing can be more decorous and becoming 
 than the language of this address. The sentiments 
 were such as any individual had a right to express, 
 
264 , MEMOIR OF THE LIFE OF THE 
 
 without any reasonable ground of offence to those 
 who might entertain different views, and such as a 
 Bishop who attached great importance to them, 
 was in his official character bound to express. The 
 personal allusions were so kind, and delicate, and 
 respectful, that it might well have been supposed 
 not even the parties themselves would be hurt by 
 them, and of course that no pain would be given to 
 others. 
 
 But it was otherwise. The address was made 
 the occasion of an attack on the part of an anony- 
 mous writer, under the signature of a Churchman 
 of the diocese of New-York, in a temper and style 
 which were altogether unsuitable to his own char- 
 acter and pretensions, to the subject itself, and to 
 the sacredness and dignity of the person assailed. 
 It is this spirit which, provoking recrimination, often 
 renders religious controversy so odious as to indis- 
 pose men to inquiries after the truth, and to make 
 them prefer ignorance and error to discord and 
 strife. The time we hope will come, when these 
 discussions will be conducted in a better spirit, and 
 when the defence of truth may be reconciled with 
 charity and peace. 
 
 But though no circumstances can altogether justify 
 the harsh tone which too commonly prevails in con- 
 troversial writings, yet if the misrepresentations, 
 the fallacies, the disingenuousness, the indelicacy, 
 discourtesy, and intolerance with which Bishop 
 Hobart charged " a Churchman of the diocese of 
 New- York," in those masterly pieces signed " Cor- 
 rector," were, in the main, fairly made out; and 
 such, so far as I have learned, though not the 
 
UKiHT REV. JOILN ilENUY HOliAUT. 265 
 
 universal, was the very general opinion of those 
 who liad read the controversy ; then it is not sur- 
 prising that, under the peculiar provocations, he 
 felt a degree of honest indignation at this unpro- 
 voked attack, and that he treated his assailant with 
 severity and scorn.* 
 
 His constitution was now so much impaired that 
 there seemed to be no prospect of the renovation 
 of his health, except from a thorough change of 
 scene, and a long and complete recreation from his 
 laborious duties and distracting cares. Arrange- 
 ments were immediately made for his departure, 
 and no one perhaps ever left Iiis home with so 
 many public and private testimonials of affection 
 and concern, or with more devout and earnest 
 prayers for his happy return. 
 
 He set sail on the 24tii of September, in the ship 
 Meteor, Captain Gardiner, and arrived at Liverpool 
 on the 29th of October. 
 
 J The Bishop kept a very minute journal of all 
 those particulars, in regard to the passage, which 
 tend to relieve the dulness and ennui of the sea, 
 but which, when unaccompanied by dangers or 
 calamities, are in general not very entertaining to 
 the reader. The following letter, which he wrote 
 to me a few days after his arrival, contains a brief 
 account of his voyage. 
 
 * In the heat of controversy-, and with a view of strengthening 
 his argument, the Bishop made some personal allusions to the family 
 of " A Churchman of the diocese of New-York," which I have 
 always regretted, and of which it seems proper to state, I entirely 
 disapprove. 
 
266 MEMOIR OF THE LIFE OF THE 
 
 " Liverpool, Nov. 1, 1823. 
 
 "MY DEAR AND EXCELLENT FRIEND, 
 
 " I have thought of you daily — many times every 
 day since I left you — with the tenderest affection ; 
 and I am happy in the reflection that such is the 
 feeling which you cherish for me. 
 
 " We had scarcely left Sandy-Hook when we got 
 
 into a more heavy sea, the Captain says, than he 
 
 ever experienced so soon after leaving the Hook. 
 
 I stood out longer than some of the passengers, but 
 
 was finally compelled to yield. In thirty-six hours 
 
 the sickness almost entirely passed away, and I 
 
 read and studied several hours every day during 
 
 the passage, which was a long and a rough one ; 
 
 though, as it regards all the terrors of the ocean, 
 
 my imagination had much heightened the reality. 
 * * * 
 
 • 
 
 " I have recovered my strength surprisingly, but 
 dyspepsia still torments me as much as ever, not- 
 withstanding my close attention to my diet. I 
 shall set off" for London on Tuesday. Remember 
 me to all friends, and especially to my brethren of 
 the clergy, and to my venerable friend Dr. Harris, 
 to whom I will write before I leave Liverpool. The 
 sensibility which he and they discovered when I 
 left them 1 shall never forget, and it has drawn 
 them closer to me than ever. To Jane* my most 
 cordial love, and believe that you have the warm 
 
 affection of 
 
 " Your friend, 
 
 •' J. H. HOBART." 
 
 • Mrs. Berrian. 
 
RIGHT REV. JOHN HENRY HOBART. 267 
 
 From Bishop Hobart to Mrs. Hobart. 
 
 « Ship 31eteor, Oct. 30, 1 823. 
 " I had hoped to have written before this time to 
 my beloved wife, from Liverpool. Our passage 
 from light and contrary winds, has been unavoidably 
 a long one. We are now lying to, about five or six 
 miles from the Skerries light-house, near Holy-Head, 
 which is sixty miles from Liverpool. The moon is 
 shining beautifully in a clear sky, and at daylight 
 we hope to take a pilot and to see the mountains 
 in Wales. * '^ *. I stopped writing and went on 
 deck at half-past five, and found the day had so far 
 dawned, as to give a tolerably dictinct view of Paris 
 Mount, backof Point Linus light-house, in the island 
 of Anglesea. I could see with a spy-glass some 
 houses, and the hills cultivated to their summits, 
 though the land seemed poor. At sunrise the view 
 was delightful. The sun rose full orbed under a 
 heavy cloud, in which its beams were soon hid, but 
 not till they had illumined some high hills in the 
 fore-ground, called the Table Hills, and cast a few 
 faint rays on the far distant mountains of Caernaer- 
 vonshire, in Wales. * * *. As the vessel advanced 
 in her course, our view became extended from Point 
 Linus light-house to the west, to the hills of Den- 
 bighshire in the east. Directly abreast was the bay 
 of Beaumaris, with the high hills back of Great 
 Ormes and Little Ormes' Head, and far distant the 
 mountains of Penmanmaur and Penmanbauch tow- 
 ering like the Catskill amidst heavy mists. The 
 clouds that hung on the summits of the mountains 
 which spread over the horizon, soon increased in 
 
268 MESrOIR OF THE LIFE OF THE 
 
 blackness, and we have now squalls and rain like 
 one of our roughest March days. * * *." 
 
 From the same lo the same. 
 
 " Liverpool harbour, 8 o^clock, 
 " The ship is now lying off Liverpool harbour, in 
 the stream. The bells of the churches are ringing 
 most melodiously, and every now and then the peals 
 of another set of bells in a church on the opposite 
 shore of Cheshire come delightfully upon the ear, 
 cheering the silence and gloom of a dark evening 
 that has succeeded a squally and unpleasant day. 
 I hope to get a better night's rest in my berth than 
 I have had since I left New- York. Instead of the 
 noise of the waves, the whistling of the wind, and 
 the tossing of the ship, the silence of the evening 
 is only interrupted by the occasional voices of the 
 sailors, or by the delightful ringing of the bells. I 
 hardly know how to realize that I am in England, 
 and three thousand miles from my beloved family 
 and friends. 
 
 "Friday, October St. I set foot on English ground 
 yesterday morning about eight o'clock, and was 
 soon conveyed to an excellent hotel, called the 
 King's Arms, where I am exceedingly well accom- 
 modated. Mr. Bolton, the friend of Mr. Jonathan 
 Ogden, who waited on me immediately, pressed my 
 staying at his house; but I felt that at present I 
 should be more easy where I am ; but have promised 
 him to stay some days at his house before I leave 
 the country. I received a great many calls yester- 
 day from those to whom T had letters, and from 
 others. * * *." 
 
RIGHT REV. JOHN HENRY HOBART. 269 
 
 It is delightful to perceive with what joy the 
 annunciation of Bishop Hobart's visit to England 
 was received by several of the clergymen with 
 whom he had been in habits of correspondence, 
 with what cordiality and warmth he was welcomed 
 there, and with what marked and delicate attentions 
 they endeavoured to make his journey pleasant and 
 comfortable. 
 
 From the Rev. Henry H. Norris to Bishop Hobart. 
 
 " MY DEAR SIR, 
 
 " Your very welcome letter greeted me on my 
 arrival at home on Saturday evening last, and 
 enhanced the joys of returning to my own fireside, 
 after an absence of eleven weeks passed most 
 agreeably, partly in exploring the beauties of the 
 country, and partly in enjoying the hospitality of 
 friends. I lament the cause which brings you 
 hither, but the effect I look forward to with most 
 delightful anticipations ; and I hope this will get into 
 the hands of Mr. Lawrence before your packet 
 reaches our shores, that it may meet you on landing, 
 and assure you how glad I shall be to see you here, 
 and how much pleasure it will afford me to do all 
 in my power to advance the purposes of your visit, 
 and to testify that affection and respect which is of 
 much older date than our epistolary intercourse, 
 and which I have never been able hitherto adequately 
 to express. Let me now chalk out for you your 
 route to Hackney. You should be carried forward 
 in the primitive way, by the Church. Your first start 
 from Liverpool should be to Birmingham, where I 
 am sure Mr. Sprey, whom I left lately, would open 
 
270 MEMOIR OF THE LIFE OF THE 
 
 his doors wide to receive you. I shall apprise him 
 of your arrival, and tell him where he may address 
 you. You should next proceed to Mr. Sikes's, at 
 Guilsborough, who will, I am sure, send his carriage 
 to Dunchurch, to which one of the Birmingham 
 coaches will convey you in four hours ; and from 
 thence you should go to Archdeacon Watson's, at 
 Digswell, your course to which place Mr. Sikes will 
 direct; and I will arrange with the Archdeacon for 
 your safe conduct from thence hither, when you 
 have given these three pillars of sound religion as 
 much time as you can spare. * * *. 
 
 " In anxious expectation of soon taking you by 
 the hand, 
 
 " I remain, 
 ' " Very truly yours, 
 
 "H. H. NORRIS. 
 
 " Grove-street, Hackney, Oct. 13, 1823." 
 
 From the Rev. Mr. Sprey to Bishop Hobart. 
 
 " Birmingham, Oct. 14, 1823. 
 
 " REV. AND DEAR SIR, 
 
 " It is with sincere pleasure that I find, by your 
 letter of the 8th of September, that we shall see 
 you in England, and that you will do me the honour 
 of paying me a visit here. I heartily wish that 
 impaired health was not the immediate cause of 
 your voyage ; but I hope that the change of air, 
 and the hearty welcome which you will assuredly 
 receive from the Church of England, will produce 
 all the good effects on your constitution which you 
 anticipate. I consider myself singularly fortunate 
 
RIGHT REV. JOHN HENRY UOBART. 271 
 
 in being so situated as to be one of the first to show 
 you how highly your character and labours are 
 appreciated here, by every personal attention in ray 
 power. This letter will, I hope, meet you on your 
 landing, and find you able to prosecute your journey 
 inland as soon as your Liverpool friends will permit 
 you; and I shall be anxiously looking out for a line 
 from you to say when we may expect you. 
 
 " I heard this day from Mr. Norris, who is at 
 Hackney, after his summer's ramble, and partakes 
 with me in all the satisfaction with which I look 
 forward to the opportunity of a personal acquaint- 
 ance with you. The packet which you were good 
 enough to send me has arrived safely; of its con- 
 tents we will talk when I have the pleasure of 
 welcoming you here. 
 
 " Believe me, my dear Sir, 
 
 " With the truest esteem and respect, 
 " Ever faithfully yours, 
 
 " J. H. SPREY." 
 
 A letter of the same kind and hospitable character 
 was received by Bishop Hobart, on his arrival, from 
 the Rev. Mr. Sikes. 
 
 From the Rev. Henry H. Norris to Bishop Hobart. 
 
 " MY DEAR SIR, 
 
 " I am indeed sorry that my letter, in company, 
 I apprehend, with several others, is sent to tell your 
 family* what it would have been much more useful 
 
 * The Bishop not having arrived at Liverpool as soon as was 
 expected, these letters were forwarded to New- York. 
 
272 MEMOIR OF THE LIFE OF THE 
 
 you yourself should have been informed of, that a 
 line of posts was formed for you at the houses of 
 good and true men, who would have made you 
 welcome all the way to London, and greatly light- 
 ened the tediousness of your journey; but as all 
 this is defeated, we must make you what amends 
 we can, now that you have reached our metropolis. 
 Had you informed me by what Liverpool coach you 
 travelled, my carriage should have been in waiting 
 for you ; but as it is, I scarcely know what to do but 
 to expect you here, where Mrs. Norris and myself 
 shall be most glad to see you, and where accom- 
 modations are provided for your reception. * « *. 
 In the very gratifying prospect of a speedy meeting, 
 " I remain, 
 
 " Your affectionate friend, 
 
 " H. H. NORRIS. 
 
 " Grove-Street, Nov. 4, 1823." 
 
 From the Rev. Mr. Sprey to Bishop Hobart. 
 
 "Birmingham, Nov. 4, 1823. 
 
 " RIGHT REV. AND DEAR SIR, 
 
 " Though I am in great doubt whether this letter 
 will reach you, I am determined to take the chance 
 of it, as it is now evident to me that I have mistaken 
 the purport of yours of November first, and I am 
 most anxious that you should not suppose me in- 
 different to the news of your safe arrival in this 
 country, and the probability of soon seeing you. 
 
 " I understood your letter to say that you pur- 
 posed to take the coach for Birmingham on Monday, 
 and with that persuasion we were very anxiously 
 
RIGHT REV. JOHN HENRY HOUART. 273 
 
 looking out for you yesterday evening, and waited 
 until all the coaches had arrived before I gave you 
 up. I cannot now suppose tiiat Monday was the 
 day you intended, unless indeed it was Monday 
 next, in which case this letter may be in time to 
 say, what the letter so unfortunately forwarded to 
 America was meant to say, how happy we shall be 
 to see you under our humble roof, and to become 
 personally acquainted with you. 
 
 " 1 still hope to be able to persuade you to stay 
 more than one day with us. After the fatigues of 
 a sea voyage, a long journey by land to an invalid 
 cannot be very proper, without due rest by the way ; 
 and as we lie just half v/ay between Liverpool and 
 London, we hope you will improve that circumstance 
 into a means of recruiting strength and health. 
 
 " Mrs. Sprey begs me to say, that she hopes you 
 do not travel alone; she has found in a subscription 
 list at the end of one of the pamphlets which you 
 were so good as to send me, the name of Mrs. 
 Hobart, and she thinks that you have done as the 
 English clergy always do, who travel in company 
 ; with their wives ; she therefore anticipates the 
 pleasure of seeing you not alone. Be this as it 
 may, be assured, my dear Sir, that whether alone 
 or in company, it will give us the greatest satisfac- 
 tion to see you, and the longer you can stay with 
 us the better. 
 
 " Believe me, 
 
 " Very faithfully yours, 
 
 " J. H. SPREY. 
 I " If there is time between the arrival of this and 
 Mhe commencement of your journey, to write, (and 
 
 35 
 
274 MEMOIR OF THE LIFE OF THE 
 
 a letter written one day reaches me the next,) pray 
 say what the name of the coach is by which you 
 travel, and when it sets out, and my servant shall 
 meet you at the inn and conduct you to this house." 
 
 From Bishop Hobart to Mrs. Hobart. 
 
 " London, Nov. 22, 1823. 
 
 " I forget, my beloved wife, whether I wrote to 
 you by the last packet mentioning my arrival in 
 London. You cannot tell the emotions of delight 
 with which I was filled, when, on seeing Mr. Norris, 
 he told me he had a letter for me, and on finding 
 that it was from you, dated the seventh of October. 
 God be thanked that you and my dear children are 
 well. 
 
 " Mr. Norris had a room and every thing prepared 
 for me; had sent his carriage to meet me, (but it 
 missed me,) and it was with extreme difficulty that 
 I could get oir from staying with him entirely, and 
 making his house my home. Mr. Norris is one of 
 the best of men, simple in his manners, kind, 
 tender, and affectionate. I am as intimate with 
 him as if I had known him all my life. He lives in 
 a large family mansion, on an estate of his fore- 
 fathers, of about thirty acres, as near to the thickly 
 settled part of London as Mr. Stuyvesant's is to 
 New-York; and his grounds and his garden are 
 most beautifully improved, with extensive walks, 
 green-house, hot- house, &c. He entertains the first 
 clergy and people in a style of suitable elegance, 
 having a large fortune, the greater part of which he 
 spends in pious and charitable purposes; and at 
 
UICIIT HEV. JOHN HENRY HOIIART. 275 
 
 the same time, having thus the means of indulgence 
 to the extent of his wishes, he is a most laborious, 
 zealous, and faithful parish minister, as much so as 
 any clergyman in the city of New- York. One day 
 I dined with him with several clergymen, and he 
 left tiie company twice, once to visit an afflicted 
 family who had lost a relative, and afterwards to 
 see a sick man. There is no clergyman of greater 
 influence in all Church affairs. * * *. 
 
 " God bless you, my dearest wife and children. 
 This letter will wish you, I trust, a happy Christ- 
 mas. Happy may it be in every sense. May that 
 blessed Redeemer who took our nature upon him 
 to redeem and save us, bo here our guide, refuge, 
 and defence, and leading us in his service, bring 
 us all finally to his heavenly kingdom ! 
 
 " Your ever affectionate husband and father, 
 
 " J. H. HOBART." 
 
 The following letter to myself, which contains a 
 brief notice of two distinguished persons, will not 
 perhaps be uninteresting to the reader. 
 
 " London, Nov. 29, 1823. 
 *' I wrote to you, my dear Berrian, a day or two 
 after I arrived at Liverpool. I am still, as you see, 
 in this endless city, detained here partly by a slight 
 return of my chills and fever, which has now left 
 me, and partly by Church matters, which have 
 troubled me not a little. I am much pleased with 
 the physician (or apothecary as they here call him,) 
 who has attended me, and he advises my going 
 north in ihafin^t instance. I expect, therefore, this 
 
276 MEMOIR OF THE LIFE OF THE 
 
 week to go to Edinburgh, and to spend my Christ- 
 mas in the Scotch Episcopal Church ; after that I 
 shnll make all speed for Italy. 
 
 " I have already made some interesting acquaint- 
 ance among the clergy here. Mr. Norris is more 
 than I expected, and I was going to say, all that I 
 could possibly wish. The Rev. Mr. Coleridge, 
 (nephew of the poet,) the editor of the Christian 
 Remembrancer, and the secretary of the Christian 
 Knowledge Society, and the Rev. Mr. Campbell, 
 the editor of the British Critic, are most excellent 
 men. The Bishop of London is, altogether, one of 
 the most humble, unaffected, meek, and modest 
 men that I ever met with ; and his lady, what shall 
 I say of her"? — elegant in her person, artless in her 
 manners, yet truly dignified, sensible, and pleasing 
 in her conversation. They are the most interesting 
 couple I ever met with. The contrast between 
 their affability and humility, and the splendour of 
 the palace and attendants at Fulham, was very 
 striking. After dinner we passed into a large room, 
 where were seated Mrs. Howley and thirteen young 
 people from three years of age to fifteen, healthy 
 and handsome; two of them her children, and the 
 - rest the children of her sister, Lady Carrington, 
 lately deceased. It was an interesting sight. 
 
 " I am also exceedingly pleased with the Bishop 
 of Llandaff, Dr. Van Mildert, who is as unassuming 
 as the Bishop of London. The Rev. Mr. Coleridge, 
 whom I have mentioned, called on me one day, and 
 observed, that Mr. Southey was in the city, and 
 desirous of seeing me, and of conversing with me 
 respecting America, and of course I felt gratified 
 
niGlIT REV. JOHN HENRY HOUART. 277 
 
 with the opportunity of forming an acquaintance 
 with him. He is very unaffected in his manners, 
 and I was much pleased witli him. He pressed me 
 to visit him at Keswick. * * *. 
 
 " Most affectionately yours, 
 
 " J. H. HOBART." 
 
 From Bishop Hobart to his eldest daughter, Jane 
 Chandler Hobart. 
 
 " York, Dec. 9, 1823. 
 
 " MY DEAR DAUGHTERS, 
 
 " I have directed this letter to Jane, but you are 
 to consider it as addressed to both of you, and to 
 convey to you both my best affection and my thanks 
 for your letters. I have written to your mother, 
 or to some one of my friends in New- York, by 
 every packet; and by this time, I conclude, you 
 have received the letters which I wrote on my 
 arrival in Liverpool. Your mother and my dear 
 family daily occupy my thoughts. I do not see 
 any object which interests me, but I wish that they 
 were with me to enjoy it ; and in passing through 
 this astonishing country, something constantly 
 strikes you, which is a source of gratification. 
 Even at this season, which, in this country, from 
 the haziness and cloudiness of the atmosphere, 
 and the short time that the sun remains above the 
 horizon, is particularly gloomy — the fields present 
 a cheerful aspect, and are as verdant as they are 
 with us in the spring. This is owing to the great 
 and constant moisture arising from the surround- 
 ing sea, which corrects and moderates the cold, 
 
278 MEMOIR OF THE LIFE OF THE 
 
 which otherwise, from the higher northern latitude, 
 would be greater than with us. The first day that 
 I rode into the country from Liverpool, on my 
 way to London, I seemed in a new world. The 
 hedges, not then stripped of their leaves, which 
 divided the farms into numerous compartments, 
 verdant as the finest meadow is with us in the 
 richness of the spring; the substantial and neat 
 farm-houses, with their barns and other buildings, 
 their stacks of grain and hay arranged with a neat- 
 ness of which our country affords no example ; the 
 large mansions of the gentry and nobility towering 
 in an extensive and beautiful lawn studded with the 
 stately oak and elm, among which you sometimes 
 perceived the deer roaming ; and even the humble 
 cottage, with its little court-yard, sometimes scarcely 
 large enough to turn in, fenced with a liedge, and 
 crowded with flowers and rose bushes, the ever- 
 blooming rose appearing as full as the monthly 
 rose does with us in the spring; the towns, with 
 their thickly arranged buildings, which, from their 
 antique appearance, brought to my mind the ages 
 that were past long since ; the stone churches, 
 with their pointed arched windows and doors, and 
 their stately towers, or lofty spires ; and the rude 
 hamlets, with their thatched houses moss-grown, and 
 which looked as if they were built centuries ago, 
 with vines creeping along and covering their stone 
 walls and concealing their Gothic windows, partly 
 raised into their roofs, and the shrubbery and the 
 grass-plot which almost invariably meet the eye : — 
 this was the novel scene which struck me with 
 astonishment and delight; and if it be thus in the 
 
RIGHT REV. JOHN HENRY HOBART. 279 
 
 autumn and winter, when the beauties of the country 
 are departed, what must those beauties be when 
 shining forth in the light, and splendour, and rich- 
 ness of spring! 
 
 " London presented a scene entirely different. 
 A mass of houses crowded together, and covering 
 an extent of ground six miles long, and I think three 
 or four broad, so full of people that in the principal 
 streets you are sometimes stopped by the crowd; 
 rows of carriages often so close together that the 
 horses go on a walk, and at times stand still. Here 
 again I was lost in astonishment. London, properly 
 so called, neither in its public buildings nor its 
 private exhibits any thing superior to New- York, 
 the Cathedral of St. Paul's excepted. But the west 
 end, which is called Westminster, has many streets 
 wide and straight, and distinguished by handsome 
 buildings; and Westminster Abbey, externally and 
 internally, excited emotions to whicii before I was 
 a stranger, but which have been exceeded by the 
 awfully grand and magnificent Cathedral of this 
 city. * * *." 
 
 The similarity of the Scotch Episcopal Church to 
 our own in its separation from the State, and in its 
 claims to regard from its spiritual character alone, 
 together with the interesting fact, that the first 
 bishop of our Church received his consecration from 
 the Episcopal Church of Scotland, had created a 
 very peculiar and endearing relation between them. 
 The greeting of Bishop Hobart therefore, in that 
 country, though it could not be more cordial than it 
 had been in England, was, however, more universal. 
 
280 MEMOIR OF THE LIFE OF THE 
 
 He was not only heartily welcomed by those with 
 whom he had corresponded, but with the same 
 demonstrations of joy by all. 
 
 From the Rev. John Skinner to Bishop Hobart. 
 
 " Inchgarth, near Forfar, Dec. 19, 1828. 
 
 " RIGHT REV. AND DEAR SIR, 
 
 " I cannot express the mingled emotions of 
 surprise and delight with which, by a letter from 
 Aberdeen, I learn that you are actually among us, 
 and that you mean to gratify the clergy of the north 
 of Scotland with a visit, as you are now gratifying 
 our fathers and brethren in the south. 
 
 " That my humble roof may be honoured by such 
 a distinguished guest for at least one day, is the 
 purpose of the present letter; the nomination of 
 which Mrs. Skinner and I will be glad to obtain, 
 in order that nothing which can be prevented from 
 interfering may interfere, to deprive us of a pleasure 
 so truly gratifying, and in order also that I may 
 summon to my humble (though on such an occasion 
 joyous) board, two co-presbyters of mine in this 
 neighbourhood, who are equal admirers with myself 
 of Bishop Hobart's great exertions for the mainte- 
 nance of the ' truth as it is in Jesus.' 
 
 " My brother, in his letter received by this day's 
 post, kindly invites me to be your guide northward, 
 and God is my witness, that on no journey did I 
 ever contemplate travelling with such unfeigned 
 self-gratulation. To me this recalls sensations of 
 a nature not to be described, but in which you will 
 participate with me, when I tell you, that I am old 
 enough to remember Bishop Seabury's consecration, 
 
RIGHT REV. JOHN HENRY HOBART. 281 
 
 and to have been among the first to have received 
 his blessing. 
 
 " With sentiments of the most filial reverence, 
 love, and esteem, 
 
 " I have the honour to remain, 
 " Your truly faithful, &c. 
 
 JOHN SKINNER." 
 
 Extract from a letter from Bishop Low to the 
 Rev. Dr. Walker. 
 
 " I almost envy you your present happiness, which 
 must be great and pure. I request that you will 
 offer my best respects and regards to the venerable 
 Bishop of New- York, and say, that I expect, with 
 real delight, to meet him either in Edinburgh or in 
 Fife; in the former, either before or on his return 
 from the north, or at the priory here, which, though 
 shorn of all its splendour, I shall endeavour to make 
 as comfortable as I can. Should the Bishop take 
 me in his way north, I would accompany him to my 
 Lord Kellie's, who you know would be highly 
 gratified by a visit from his reverence, and after- 
 wards to St. Andrew's, for the purpose of viewing 
 the melancholy remains of Knoxian desolation. 
 You must be upon the watch, and give me due 
 notice, as far as they shall be known to you, of the 
 Bishop's intentions and motions." 
 
 Extract of a letter from Bishop Jolly to the 
 same. 
 
 36 
 
282 MEMOIR OF THE LIFE OF THE 
 
 "Fraserburgh, Dec, 22, 1823. 
 
 " MY DEAREST REV. BROTHER, 
 
 " Your truly surprising letter gives such a trans- 
 porting diversion to my thoughts, as more resembles 
 a pleasing dream than the expectation of a reality. 
 To meet the most amiable and most excellent 
 Bishop Hobart, (for such is the idea which his highly 
 valued writings have impressed of him upon my 
 mind,) I would go to Edinburgh, even at this day 
 of the year; and to make the journey to Aberdeen, 
 could I find no vehicle, I would set forward on foot, 
 although it should cost me the six days to accom- 
 plish the walk. 
 
 " This will impart to you how I am affected and 
 inclined upon the occasion, as if I expected to meet 
 Bishop Seabury revived, a name I never mention 
 but with the highest veneration." 
 
 From Bishop Torry to Bishop Hobart. 
 
 Jan, 5, 1824. 
 
 " RIGHT REV. AND DEAR SIR, 
 
 " It is with painful feelings I have to deplore the 
 circumstances that prevent me from enjoying the 
 happiness of meeting you at Aberdeen, which my 
 worthy colleague there had kindly invited me to do, 
 but I beg to be considered as bearing towards you 
 the warmest sentiments of fraternal regard. 
 
 " The visit with which you have honoured us, 
 will strengthen the cords of affection already sub- 
 sisting between the American and Scottish Episco- 
 pal Churches, so similar in many respects, and will 
 tend to enlarge the intercourse between them in 
 
RIGHT UEV. JOHN HEIVRY HOnAUT. 283 
 
 such a way as may, it is hoped, be not only mutually 
 gratifying, but beneficifil to both. 
 
 " Accept of my warmest wishes for your health 
 and happiness, and the continued blessing of God 
 on your official labours, and believe me to be, 
 " Right Rev. and dear Sir, 
 
 " Your very affectionate brother, 
 " And faithful servant, 
 
 " PATRICK TORRY." 
 
 From Bishop Low to Bishop Hobart. 
 
 " Priory, Pittcnwcem, Dec. 30, 1823. 
 
 " RIGHT REV. AND DEAR SIR, 
 
 " I congratulate myself on your happy arrival in 
 Scotland, and on my expectation of having the hon- 
 our of a personal interview before your departure. 
 
 " Our friend, Mr. Walker, of Edinburgh, mentions 
 your motions northward, and your intended return 
 south by St. Andrew's, where I purpose, please 
 God, to meet you, and after viewing the curiosities, 
 the antiquities, and the melancholy remains of the 
 departed grandeur of that once far famed archi- 
 episcopal city, to accompany you to Cambo, the 
 seat of the venerable Earl of Kellie, whom you will 
 find a nobleman of easy and primitive manners, and 
 a staunch friend of the Church. 
 
 " From other friends I have applications also for 
 the pleasure of your society, but on that head I 
 shall at present only say, that the more of your 
 time you can spare, the greater will be the compli- 
 ment and the gratification to us all. 
 ' " If you leave Aberdeen on Monday, the fifth, it 
 
284 MEMOIR OF THE LIFE OF THE 
 
 may be the afternoon of Tuesday, or the morning 
 of Wednesday after, before you can meet me ; but 
 that I may have some certain knowledge of your 
 motions, and of the time that you can afford to us 
 in Fife, I take the liberty to request that you would 
 write a note by the return of post, addressed to me 
 at Dr. Melville's, St. Andrew's. 
 
 " I beg the favour of you to make my best 
 remembrance to all my brethren whom you have 
 gone to meet at Aberdeen ; and requesting your 
 prayers (as you have mine) for the speedy, complete* 
 and permanent re-establishment of your health, I 
 have the honour to remain, with sincere esteem 
 and regard, 
 
 *♦ Right Rev. and dear Sir, • 
 " Your very faithful 
 
 " And very aftectionate servant, 
 
 " DAVID LOW, 
 
 '• Bishop of Ross and Argyle." 
 
 From Bishop Hobart to Mrs. Hobart. 
 
 " Ediiiburgh, Dec. 24, 1823. 
 
 " MY DEAREST WIFE, 
 
 " I have just finished my solitary dinner, the 
 only one which I have eaten at the hotel where I 
 lodge, for this week past, having dined out almost 
 every day since I came to this city, where I arrived 
 last Friday week. It was by candle-light, for the 
 sun sets here a quarter before four o'clock, and it 
 is generally so hazy and foggy that candles are 
 lighted some times before that hour. * * ». Sitting 
 by myself, my thoughts turned on my dear home 
 
RIGHT REV. JOHN HENRY HOBAUT. 285 
 
 and family, on the occupations of the day before 
 Christmas-eve, the decking the rooms with ever- 
 greens, &-C. &c. I endeavoured to see you all as I 
 thought you might be now engaged. While melan- 
 choly thoughts at my distance from you were steal- 
 ing over me, a hand-organ struck up some plaintive 
 Scotch airs, the same as those which I have heard 
 played in the streets at New- York — I was obliged 
 to turn my thoughts to other subjects, or my feelings 
 would have been too much excited for my comfort. 
 I must indeed break off, by wishing you and my 
 beloved children all the blessings of this happy 
 season; and earnestly do 1 pray, that while they 
 indulge in temporal enjoyments, it will be their 
 supreme aim to secure those which are spiritual 
 and eternal. 
 
 "Your affectionate husband, 
 
 "J. H. HOBA^RT." 
 
 It will doubtless be no less a matter of surprise 
 to the public than of unfeigned regret, that a portion 
 of Bishop Hobart's life, so replete with interest to 
 himself, as that which he passed in Europe, must 
 in a great measure be a blank to others. He made 
 notes, indeed, of the objects on the route with which 
 he was struck, in every country which he visited, 
 but they were, with a few exceptions, naked and 
 unfinished sketches. While his recollections were 
 fresh and vivid, he himself might have filled them 
 up in such a way as to form many a delightful 
 picture, but he never found time for it, and they 
 are now therefore lost for ever. These notes were 
 for the most part written with a pencil, and are 
 
286 MEMOIR OF THE LIFE OF THE 
 
 very often faded and illegible ; and even where they 
 can be read with ease, they are too broken and im- 
 perfect for publication. They are chiefly confined 
 to the general aspect of the country through which 
 he was passing, to its beautiful and romantic scenery, 
 and to those varieties in its modes of agriculture, in 
 the style of its buildings, and the costume and man- 
 ners of its inhabitants, in which it was distinguished 
 from our own. He was a passionate admirer of 
 nature in all her diversified and changing forms. 
 He was enthusiastically fond of rural pursuits. That 
 he dwelt so much then on these things in the notes 
 which he took, is not surprising to those who knew 
 him. The rural charms, the tasteful improvements, 
 and perfect cultivation of England, the rugged 
 grandeur of Switzerland, and the blending of all 
 beauty and glory in the enchanting scenes of Italy, 
 were a source of exquisite enjoyment to him ; and 
 many a delightful recollection of tiiese countries 
 have we called up together, which had been so 
 pleasant to us both. 
 
 But it is somewhat remarkable that he made no 
 memoranda of those things, in which he was still 
 more deeply interested than in nature itself. The 
 business of life, the study of mankind, and the great 
 interests of religion, were the objects which were 
 always uppermost in his mind. But though he 
 mingled with the most eminent personages, contem- 
 plated society under forms so different from our 
 own, observed such a variety of characters, and 
 heard so many things which were worthy of note, 
 yet he neither drew the portraits of those whom he 
 saw, nor left any record of their opinions. Whether 
 
RIGHT REV. JOHN HENRY HOBART. 287 
 
 he was influenced in this by motives of delicacy, 
 or whether it arose out of neglect, it is impossible 
 to determine. Among his personal friends these 
 things were the frequent and delightful theme of 
 his conversation. 
 
 From Bishop Hobart to Sir John Sinclair. 
 
 " Dec. 31, 1823. 
 
 " DEAR SIR, 
 
 " I had left Edinburgh the day before that on 
 which you and Lady Sinclair honoured me with a 
 note of invitation to dinner, and you favoured me 
 with a letter and an accompanying pamphlet, and 
 the valuable present of your Code of Healih ; all 
 which I found on my return to this place last even- 
 ing. This explanation will account to you for my 
 apparent neglect of your favour. ^ 
 
 "I had possessed myself of your Code of Agri- 
 culture, which had been re-printed in the United 
 States ; and shall value highly the * Code of Health,* 
 which evidently contains a condensed summary of 
 very important information on this subject. With 
 respect to the proposed * Code of Natural and 
 Revealed Religion,' were I competent to suggest any 
 remarks worthy of your attention, the importance of 
 the subject would require more time than I can 
 command, as I resume my journey next Thursday. 
 But it occurs to me to suggest, what doubtless 
 however has received your consideration, whether 
 there be such a system as natural religion, strictly 
 so called, that is, a system of divine truth actually 
 discovered by human reason. The fact that there 
 was at the first a revelation of the being and attri- 
 
288 MEMOIR OF THE LIFE OF THE 
 
 butes of God, which has been handed down and 
 dispersed by written records and by tradition, one 
 would tliink would decide this question in the nega- 
 tive. The arguments a priori and a posteriori, in 
 proof of the being and attributes of God, so ably 
 discussed by Clark and others in the sermons at 
 Boyle's lectures, serve to confirm the truths origin- 
 ally revealed ; but it is questionable whether men 
 would have attained a knowledge of the Supreme 
 Being, such as natural religion now presents, by 
 any process of their intellectual powers, if this 
 knowledge had not been originally revealed. There 
 is much ingenious observation and reasoning on 
 this point, in a treatise by an Irish writer, entitled 
 * The Knowledge of Divine and Spiritual Things 
 from Revelation, not from Reason or Nature.' 
 
 " With my thanks for your kind attentions, and 
 with my best compliments to Lady Sinclair and the 
 family, I have the honour to be, 
 " Very respectfully, 
 
 " Your most obedient friend and servant, 
 
 " J. H. HOBART." 
 
 From Bishop Hobart to myself. 
 
 " Aberdeefi, Jan. 8, ] 824. 
 
 " MY DEAR BERRIAN, 
 
 " I have received your welcome letter of November 
 last, and hope that I shall find at London, on my 
 return, (to which I shall set off" to-morrow,) much 
 more recent letters from New- York. 
 
 " I have passed nearly a week here most delight- 
 fully with Bishop Skinner and one of his venerable 
 
RIGHT REV. JOHN HENRY HOBART. 289 
 
 colleagues, who came here for the purpose of seeing 
 me, Bishop Jolly, one of the most apostolic and 
 primitive men I ever saw, and with Bishop Skinner's 
 brother, the Rev. John Skinner, of Forfar, (at v*?hoso 
 house I also was,) the author of the Annals of 
 Scottish Episcopacy. From them, and from the 
 hospitable gentlemen of the congregation, I have 
 received the kindest attentions. * * *. 
 
 " During this season my heart is with my family, 
 with you, with my reverend brethren, with the 
 vestry, with my congregations — I may say, with my 
 diocese, praying for every blessing on them. 
 
 " Yours most truly and affectionately, 
 
 " J. H. HOBART." 
 
 From Bishop Skinner to Bishop Hobart. 
 
 " Aherdem, Jan. 13, 1824. 
 
 " RIGHT REV. AND DEAR SIR. 
 
 " I most gladly fulfill my promise of sending you 
 a letter of introduction to my excellent and deeply 
 learned friend. Dr. Nicol, the Regius Professor of 
 Hebrew at Christ Church, Oxford, and in him I am 
 certain you will find one most ready and willing to 
 show you whatever is worthy of being seen, and to 
 explain to you whatever you may wish to know with 
 respect to our system of education, whether theolo- 
 gical or classical, in that far-famed university. I am 
 still of opinion that next month will be by far the 
 best season for your visiting Oxford, as then you 
 will find all ranks and degrees at their posts, and 
 occupied, as usual, in their literary pursuits, Lent 
 term being generally the busiest season. Dr. Nicol 
 
 37 
 
290 i MEMOIR OF THE LIFE OF THE 
 
 must be greatly altered since his elevation, if he be 
 not a man much to your mind, and much to your 
 purpose at the same time, and I shall feel greatly 
 disappointed if he fail to show you, in the way most 
 agreeable to you, the attentions which you may wish. 
 We deeply lamented the very uncomfortable day 
 on which you left Aberdeen, and sincerely hope you 
 may have felt no inconvenience from so unpleasant 
 a journey as you must have had to Dundee. I 
 shall be much more anxious now to hear of your 
 welfare, after having enjoyed the pleasure of be- 
 coming personally acquainted with you, and receiv- 
 ing ample and abundant confirmation of all those 
 pleasing anticipations of your character which I 
 had been previously led to form, as well from your 
 very valuable writings, as from the concurring 
 report of all who had seen you. I certainly shall 
 not soon forget the first week of 1824, but will 
 recur to it with the fondest recollection, as em- 
 bracing within its brief limits some of my happiest 
 days. When you can find leisure during your 
 travels, it will always be a high gratification to Mrs. 
 Skinner and me to be informed of your welfare, 
 and to hear that you continue to enjoy the many 
 novel scenes which must present themselves to your 
 observation. We shall look forward with anxious 
 interest to your promised return to Aberdeen ; and 
 when we join in the prayers of the Church for the 
 preservation of all that travel by land or by water, 
 the Bishop of New- York shall not be forgotten by us. 
 "My brother left us on Friday morning, and was 
 fortunate in a day very favourable for travelling. 
 In visiting St. Andrew's, I hope you found Bishop 
 
RIGHT REV. JOHN HENRY HOBART. 291 
 
 Low in waiting for you, and not disposed to be very 
 severe on you for the disappointment of a day. 
 
 " My wife and daughter beg earnestly to be 
 united with me in every expression of kind regard 
 and pleasing remembrance, and in again offering 
 you my cordial thanks for your delightful visit to us; 
 (but O how short it was !) and requesting a place 
 in your prayers, I ever remain, with most sincere 
 esteem, my dear Sir, 
 
 " Your most faithful 
 
 ''And warmly attached brother, 
 
 " WM. SKINNER." 
 
 From the Rev. Mr. Sprey to Bishop Hobart. 
 
 '' Oxford, Jan. 26, ia24. 
 
 " MY DEAR SIR, 
 
 ** It is, I assure you, a great disappointment to 
 me, to find that I shall not have the pleasure of 
 meeting you in Oxford, and personally introducing 
 you to many of my friends here, who will be very 
 happy to render you any civility in their power. 
 I shall leave Oxford myself this morning, having 
 indispensable public engagements in Birmingham 
 to-morrow ; but my friend. Dr. Copleston, the Pro- 
 vost of Oriel College, has requested me to write 
 to you and say from him, that it will give him very 
 great pleasure to receive you and show you the 
 University ; and he hopes you will take a bed at 
 his house during your stay. He will be in Oxford 
 till the end of this week, but on the following Mon- 
 day he will be necessarily absent until the Friday 
 following. If you can so contrive your visit as to 
 
292 MEMOIR OF THE LIFE OF THE 
 
 suit this arrangement of his time, he will, I know, 
 be most happy to hear from you that you will 
 accent of his hospitalities. And I very much hope 
 that you will also do me the favour, if possible, of so 
 contriving your visit as to fall in with the Provost's 
 time. He will not be absent from the University 
 at all during the term, with the exception of those 
 few days from the first to the fifth of February. 
 
 " I am rejoiced to hear that you will still allow 
 me to expect the pleasure of seeing you at Bir- 
 mingham before you quit this country; it would 
 have been a sensible mortification to me to have 
 had no opportunity of showing how sincerely you 
 are respected and esteemed by, 
 
 " My dear Sir, 
 
 " Yours very faithfully, 
 
 " J. H. SPREY." 
 
 From Bishop Jebb to Bishop Hobart. 
 
 " March 24, 1824. 
 
 " MY DEAR BISHOP, 
 
 " I sent yesterday from Mr. CadelTs, twelve 
 copies of my Sermons on Sacred Literature, and of 
 Mr. Forster's Discourses, which I hope you have 
 received ; ten copies of the several books are re- 
 spectively inscribed for the ten American Bishops, 
 each bishop's parcel being separately made up. 
 There is an eleventh parcel directed to you, con- 
 taining two copies of each book; these I beg you 
 will have the kindness to cause to be deposited in 
 any two public ecclesiastical libraries that you may 
 think fit. Enclosed is my ordination card. The 
 
KIGHT REV. JOHN HEIVKY HOBART. 29?^ 
 
 course is meagre enough, but sufficient to try 
 whether candidates for orders have made tolerable 
 proficiency. It may hereafter be extended. 
 
 " I wish you every happiness and comfort in your 
 continental tour, and hope for the pleasure of again 
 meeting you early in June. 
 " I an), my dear Bishop, 
 
 " With sincere respect and esteem, 
 " Your faithful and obedient servant, 
 
 " JOHN LIMERICK." 
 
 From the same to the same. 
 
 '' March '26, 1824. 
 
 " MY DEAR BISHOP, 
 
 " I beg to return my best thanks for your kind 
 and valuable present. Your volumes I shall read 
 with much interest, and I trust not without some 
 profit. The acquaintance and friendship which have 
 commenced here, will, I am hopeful, be continued 
 after you have crossed the Atlantic; and it will at 
 all times give me sincere pleasure to hear of the 
 progress and prosperity of the Episcopal Church 
 in America. 
 
 " Had I imagined you would remain in town tilL 
 to-morrow morning, I should have requested tiie 
 favour of your company that day to meet a few 
 friends, whom I think you would like to see : I hope 
 I am not now too late. 
 
 " Any hints respecting my ordination course will 
 be thankfully received by, 
 
 " My dear Bishop, 
 
 *' Yours very faithfully, 
 
 '■' JOHN LIMERICK." 
 
294 MEMOIR OF THE LIFE OF THE 
 
 From Bishop Hobart to Mrs. Hobart. 
 
 "Rome, May 29, 1824. 
 
 " MY DEAREST WIFE, 
 
 " I have seen a great deal in a few weeks in Italy, 
 which almost every traveller considers it the summit 
 of his ambition to visit and to explore. In most 
 respects my expectations are realized — in some dis- 
 appointed. The climate and the sky are delightful, 
 and the scenery unites in a high degree the grand 
 and the beautiful. But this last has to my eye a 
 most cardinal defect. It wants the farm house, 
 surrounded by out-houses and barns, indicating an 
 industrious and happy yeomanry. From the top of 
 the Catskill mountains I have looked down at one 
 view on one hundred or more neat and higiily cul- 
 tivated farms; from the top of the Appennines you 
 only discover walled towns, while the plains, rich 
 as they are in verdure, want that variety and beauty, 
 and that moral charm, which are excited by a 
 prospect of a similar description in our own country. 
 In the famous Campania Felix around Naples, you 
 may travel a dozen miles and not meet with a single 
 house. The people live in towns, from which they 
 go out in the day to cultivate the fields. These 
 are rich and fertile, almost beyond description ; 
 but even here I became tired. I passed for miles 
 and miles through a succession of fields with small 
 trees, up which twined the grape vines, which were 
 led like net-work from one tree to another. This 
 for a little while was beautiful, but I often longed 
 for a sight of some clover, and timothy, and grass 
 fields, such as at this season render our country 
 
RIGHT REV. JOHN HENRY HOBAUT. 295 
 
 SO pleasant. Nor have they orchards, except of the 
 olive, which is a very ugly tree. The verdure is, 
 however, most delightful, and the wild flowers along 
 the roads and in the fields numerous and beautiful 
 beyond description. Sometimes there are planta- 
 tions of the orange and the lemon. * * *. 
 
 " You must tell Mr. Berrian that since I came on 
 his route his book has been my constant companion. 
 In this city, from various unavoidable circumstances, 
 I have seen but little ; but in the kingdom of Naples 
 I believe I have gone beyond him. I made a most 
 interesting excursion through a country, for a con- 
 siderable distance more picturesque than any 1 
 have seen, to Psestum, an ancient city, of which 
 nothing is left except a few of the gates, a small 
 portion of the walls, and two large temples, and 
 another building, supposed to be for civil purposes, 
 which are considered as the finest remains of 
 antiquity in Italy. I also visited twice the Camaldoli 
 hill and hermitage back of Naples, from which 
 there is a prospect said to be the second in the 
 world. * * *. 
 
 " Your aftectionate husband, 
 
 " J. H. HOBART." 
 
 From the Rev. Mr. Sprey to Bishop Hobart. 
 
 " Birmingham, Aug. 2, 1824. 
 
 " RIGHT REV. AND DEAR SIR, 
 
 " Be assured that I feel deeply sensible of the 
 kindness which you have always shown me in con- 
 sidering me as one of those friends whom you have 
 honoured by sending them copies of your valuable 
 
296 MEMOIR OF THE LIFE OF THE 
 
 works. I received the two volumes of your sermons 
 with great satisfaction, convinced before, and now 
 rendered doubly certain, by the kind expressions 
 contained in your letter of the 24th instant, that 
 neither the continual engagements nor the many 
 unfortunate interruptions of your pleasure and com- 
 fort, which have attended your visit to this country, 
 would alter your feelings towards those whom 
 before your arrival you had honoured with your 
 notice. I have read some of the sermons in your 
 two volumes with great attention and pleasure, and 
 hope soon to find time to finish them. Surely they 
 aflford a sufficient answer to the adversaries who 
 have ventured to include you in the calumnious as- 
 persion thrown out against many of us on this side 
 the water, that no clergy preach the Gospel but 
 themselves. But I believe that the majority of the 
 Church of England, (and in that majority not a few 
 of the wise and good may, I hope, be included,) 
 have long ceased to require any answer to that 
 calumny. As for others who have long been brayed 
 in the mortar of controversy, and have come out as 
 they want in, to give an answer to tiicm is a most 
 unprofitable task. But whatever harm they may 
 have done, or can do, they have at least produced 
 one effect, which is very interesting to all, in that 
 they have made us all better acquainted with the 
 real sentiments and doctrines of the soundest part of 
 our sister Church in America, by forcing her to speak 
 for herself through the medium of her authorities. 
 
 " I look forward with great pleasure to the chance 
 of seeing you here, and to facilitate this object I now 
 write to say, that we shall cortainly be stationary 
 
RIGHT REV. JOHN HENRY HOBART. 297 
 
 here till after the 23cl of this month, and probably 
 to the end of it. Then all the discomforts of a re- 
 moval will begin to press upon me, for the Bishop 
 of London wishes me to be there in the month of 
 October, and it will take the greater part of the month 
 of September to wind up my affairs here, and to 
 loosen the bonds of duties, both civil and ecclesias- 
 tical, which have bound me to this place for eleven 
 years. I am much obliged by the flattering manner 
 in which you speak of my preferment. I trust it 
 will place me in a situation where some good may 
 be done ; and it has been bestowed in a manner 
 which has gratified me ten times more than any 
 contemplation of advantages which may result from 
 
 the change. 
 
 " Hoping soon to have the pleasure of seeing you, 
 and conversing on many subjects which I do not 
 like to trust to my pen, 
 
 " I remain, my dear Sir, 
 
 " Yours most faithfully and affectionately, 
 
 " J. H. SPllEY." 
 
 From Bishop Hobart to Mrs. Hobart. 
 
 " Manchester, Aug. 20, 1 824. 
 
 " MY DEAREST WIFE, 
 
 " Though daily occupied in the many interesting 
 things which I see in Iraveiling through this won- 
 derful country, my ihouglits almost hourly turn to 
 you, to my beloved family, and to my home. And 
 sometimes I feel as if, without regard to conse- 
 quences, I must immediately return to them, and to 
 my congregations and my diocese, where I have so 
 
 38 
 
298 "^ JVIEMOIU OF THE LIFK OF THE 
 
 much to do. But the very consideration of the 
 increased duties which will then force themselves 
 upon me, occasions tlie serious apprehension, that 
 with the discharge of them will return the debility 
 and sickness which disqualified me for them, and 
 which led to my absence. The causes of my com- 
 plaints are by no means removed. Whenever I use 
 extraordinary exertions, and engage in much thought 
 or mental labour, they assume more virulence, and I 
 sensibly feel my debility. It would seem, therefore, 
 as if I ought not to return until I make a longer 
 and more decisive effort to remove the causes of my 
 complaints, and to renovate my constitution ; and 
 yet again I feel as if I could not procrastinate my 
 return. Travelling has lost much to me of the 
 charm of novelty, and I begin to be tired with seeing 
 so many new objects. Gladly, did my circumstances, 
 and above all, my sacred duties, permit, would I 
 retire from that perpetual intercourse with the 
 world which was never agreeable to me, and at the 
 Short Hills, in the bosom of my family, heightening 
 every enjoyment by the society of my friends, which 
 gives such a zest to them, be forgotten by the 
 world, and the world forget. But these are feelings 
 which I ought to suppress in gratitude to that Al- 
 mighty Being who, while he has placed me, since 
 my entrance on public life, in the midst of trying 
 duties and cares, has solaced and supported me by 
 so many comforts and privileges, and next to my 
 domestic bliss, with wiiat is so grateful and animat- 
 ing, the confidence and affection, as I have reason 
 to suppose, of those among whom my duties have 
 been discharged. * * *. 
 
UIGIIT liEV. JOHN HENRY HOBAIIT. 299 
 
 *' I expect to be in London in two or three weeks, 
 when I shall write to you again. You and the family 
 must write ns usual to me. That God may bless 
 you and them, is the prayer of 
 
 " Your ever affectionate, 
 
 "J. H. HOBART." 
 
 From the same to the same. '. 
 
 " Amhleside, Lakes of Westmoreland, 
 
 "Aug. 24, 1824. 
 " I wrote to my dearest wife a few days since 
 from Manchester, but an opportunity unexpectedly 
 offering to Liverpool, I cannot avoid writing a few 
 lines to say, that I passed yesterday in company with 
 Mr. Wordsworth, one of the celebrated poets of the 
 Lakes, the most delightful day which I have enjoyed 
 since I left home. More romantic, beautiful, and 
 picturesque scenery than tliis part of England affords 
 can scarcely be conceived, and a more rural and 
 delightful spot than Rydal Mount, the seat of Mr. 
 Wordsworth, I scarcely ever saw. He devoted the 
 whole day to rambling with me through the vales 
 and on the sides of the mountains adjoining his 
 residence, and the only drawback was, that I was 
 much more fatigued than I sliould have been in 
 former times, when my strength was greater. His 
 conversation, as you may suppose, was highly in- 
 teresting, and his manners, and those of his family, 
 were marked by the utmost simplicity and kindness. 
 The views from his house and the grounds adjacent 
 have almost all the characteristics of beauty and 
 sublimity, softness and ruggedness, in strong con- 
 
SOO MEMOIR OF THE LIFE OF THE 
 
 trast. When I said there was only one drawback 
 on my enjoyments, I was wrong. There was an- 
 other much greater — the absence of my beloved 
 family. This solitary enjoyment is not according 
 to my feelings. * * *. 
 
 " In a few minutes I set off for Keswick, where I 
 expect to see Mr. Southey, with whom I formed an 
 acquaintance last winter in London. 
 
 " Your ever affectionate, 
 
 " J. H. HOBART." 
 
 From the Rev. Dr. Walker to Bishop Hobart. 
 
 " 22 Stafford-street, Edinburgh, 
 
 " Aug. 30, 1824. 
 
 " MY DEAR SIR, 
 
 " For the last two months I have been very 
 anxiously expecting to hear something of your 
 motions, and I vi^as indulging the hope from day to 
 day, that you might make your appearance amongst 
 us again without warning. I received your short 
 letter of the 2d of April, and about a fortnight after, 
 a copy of your sermons, for which 1 now beg leave to 
 express my sincerest gratitude. They are eloquent 
 and orthodox. The funeral address and dissertation 
 strike me, particularly the former, as singularly 
 affecting and appropriate; and the latter as esta- 
 blishing your point in the clearest manner. Were 
 the public guided by sober reason, these volumes 
 would completely answer the purpose which you 
 had in view in publishing them. They are a fair 
 specimen of your ordinary manner of preaching, and 
 each sermon may be termed a Gospel sermon, in the 
 
RI(;HT RLV. JOHN IIENKY HOBART. 301 
 
 genuine import of the term. The most important 
 truths are happily brought forward, and there are 
 some specimens of able and acute discussion. But 
 the public are not in this respect guided by sober 
 reason, and forasmuch as your sermons have not the 
 peculiar phraseology to which those who assume the 
 exclusive distinction of Evangelical give the name 
 of the Gospel, the calumnies which have been 
 circulated will still continue, though I trust that the 
 publication will do good, and that it will attract the 
 attention of those who may most profit by it. * * *. 
 " Believe me ever, with the greatest sincerity 
 and respect, &,c. 
 
 " Yours, 
 
 "JAMES WALKER." 
 
 From Bishop Hobart to his daughters Jane and 
 Rebecca Hobart. 
 
 " Dover, Sept. 20, 1824. 
 " I address this letter to both of my dear daugh- 
 ters. * * *. This country is delightful on account 
 of the general richness of its cultivation, the beauty 
 of its verdure, its lawns, its trees, its hedges, and, 
 above all, the court-yards filled with flowers and 
 shrubs, and its houses often covered with ivy or 
 jessamines, or some otiier creeping plants. Its 
 majestic cathedrals and its ruined castles give an 
 air of solemn grandeur to the scene, of which we 
 can scarcely form an idea in America. And yet, on 
 the whole, I prefer the scenery of my own country 
 in many respects. We have a greater number of 
 comfortable farm houses, land with us being more 
 
302 MEMOIR OF THE LIFE OF THE 
 
 equally divided ; our rivers are larger, our ranges 
 of mountains more extensive, and we have woods 
 and forests, of which here they have none. * * *. 
 
 " That God may bless my dear daughters, prays 
 their 
 
 " Affectionate father, 
 
 "J. H. HOB ART." 
 
 From Bishop Hobart to William H. Hobart. 
 
 ''London, Sept. 16, 1824. 
 
 " MY DEAR SON, 
 
 " I have thought much of you at this interesting 
 period, when you are about to leave college and 
 choose a profession, and lament most deeply that 
 it seems to be my duty, in justice to my health, to 
 remain longer abroad. I could have wished that 
 both of my sons had embraced the clerical profes- 
 sion, which is the best and the happiest of all. But 
 if the medical profession be your deliberate choice, 
 I make no objection. Only whatever you enter on, 
 engfige in it heartily, remembering that your success 
 will depend solely on your own exertions. 
 
 Suppose that, before you engage in study with 
 any particular physician, you devote your time until 
 my return, to the study of the French and of the 
 Italian, and of mineralogy, chemistry, and botany, 
 not neglecting classical and general reading, par- 
 ticularly a course of history. On this subject take 
 the advice of Mr. Berrian. 
 
 " Above all, my dear son, forget not that the care 
 of your soul is the one thing needful, and that the 
 whole world will not profit you if you lose this. 
 
■v^ 
 
 RIGHT UEV. JOHN HENRY HOBART. 303 
 
 Neglect not pious reading; and, above all, prayer. 
 Make a point of reading at least every evening, a 
 chapter, or a portion of a chapter, of the Bible, with 
 the commentary in the Family Bible. Do tliis as my 
 particular request — do it for a still stronger reason, 
 as a means of making you wise utito salvation. 
 
 " In a few days I shall set off for the Continent, 
 by the way of the Rhine, to Switzerland, and reach 
 tlie south of France by winter. * * *. Let the 
 family, however, write as usual. I shall make 
 arrangements for their letters reaching me. 
 
 " That God may bless, protect, and save you, my 
 dear son, is the constant and fervent prayer of 
 
 " Your affectionate father, 
 
 " J. H. HOBART." 
 
 From Bishop Hobart to Mrs. Hobart. 
 
 " Basle, (Switzerland,) Nov. 24, 1824. 
 
 " MY DEAREST WIFE, 
 
 " The difficulty of sending letters to New-York 
 from the Continent, by the way of England, has 
 prevented my writing to you ; but Mr. Iselin, of this 
 place, who lived for some time in New- York, in 
 connexion with the house of Le Roy, Bayard, Sl Co. 
 and who lias been very attentive to me, has offered 
 to take charge of letters and to forward them to 
 Havre, whence th<'y will go by the packet. 
 
 " I am now able to say what I could not have 
 said before since I left home, that I feel myself 
 materially, anil 1 Iru^t, substantially improved in 
 health. I attribute this, under the blessing of Pro- 
 vidence, not a little to the country and climate of 
 
304 ilEMOIR OF THE LIFE OF THE 
 
 Switzerland, in which I have been travelling for 
 some time past. The climate is muc!i better than 
 that of England, and the country is in all respects 
 delightful ; but it was a sad drawback on my grati- 
 fication, that my family and friends were not with 
 me to share it. My journey is solitary ; I have no 
 person \vith whom to reciprocate my feelings. I 
 find it necessary to be moving. If I stay a few days 
 in a place, I get low spirited, become bilious, nnd 
 my dyspepsia increases; I have concluded, there- 
 fore, as France is an uninteresting country, not to 
 spend so much lime in it as I intended, but to go 
 into Italy, where the climate at this season is mild 
 and healthy, and travel in those parts which my sick- 
 ness last summer prevented me from seeing, and 
 return through the south of France. * * *. I sent 
 to you, from Amsterdam, some bulbous roots, which 
 I conclude before this you have received. Mr. Iselin 
 is so good as to take charge of two boxes for you, 
 which he will send from Havre. One is a box of 
 honey from the foot of Mont Blanc, in the valley of 
 Chamouni, which is celebrated throughout Europe. 
 When I was there I thought of your fondness for 
 it, and procured a box of it, and conclude, that the 
 circumstance of its being sent by me from so great a 
 distance, and that it is an evidence of my constant 
 recollection of my wife and family, even in trifles, 
 will not render it less palatal)le. The otlier box 
 contains an herbarium of Alpine plants of Mont 
 Blanc and its vicinity, with some seeds and mine- 
 rals, which I wish delivered as directed. * * *. 
 
 " Your ever affectionate, 
 
 "J. H. HOBART." 
 
RIGHT REV. JOHN HENRY HOBART. 305 
 
 From Bishop Hobart to myself. 
 
 " Venice, Dec. 11, 1824. 
 
 " I wrote to you from Basle a few weeks since ; 
 and have just received, my dear Berrian, your 
 letters of September last. * * *. 
 
 " I have made since I left Basle an interesting 
 journey (as far as a solitary one can be so) through 
 the Tyrol — a country more sublime and picturesque 
 in its views than any which I have seen. Constant 
 change of scene, and occupation of mind with new 
 and interesting objects, I find of great benefit to 
 me ; but to get entirely rid of my bilious complaints, 
 and of this long and deep-seated dyspepsia, must 
 be a work of lime. 
 
 " I find the climate of Italy more exhilarating 
 and strengthening at this season than when I was 
 here in the spring ; when I enjoyed very little, the 
 little which I saw. This city is striking in the 
 highest degree. There seems to be a kind of 
 magic about it. * * *. 
 
 " Much joy to you on the addition to your family! 
 * * *. Alas! 1 can smile sometimes, but many, 
 many are my lonely moments. * * *. 
 
 " Truly and affectionately yours, 
 
 " J. H. HOBART." 
 
 From Bishop Hobart to Mrs. Hobart. 
 
 '' Rome, Dec. S] , 1S24, 
 " Friday evening, 9 o^ clock. 
 " I have just returned, my dearest wife, from a 
 moon-light ramble among the ruins of ancient Rome, 
 
 39 
 
306 MEMOIR OF THE LIFE OF THE 
 
 and perhaps, all things considered, the world does 
 not afford a sight more interesting. And I could 
 not have wished a finer evening for enjoying it, after 
 one of the most lovely days I ever witnessed at this 
 season of the year — the air being so mild that the 
 thermometer has been up to temperate. I took the 
 opportunity of seeing, in the light of the moon, which 
 is so congenial with ruins of every kind, the majestic 
 remains which surround the Forum Romanum, as 
 well as the Forum Trajanum and the Pantheon. 
 The Coliseum and the Amphitheatre of Vespasian 
 appeared grand even to awfulness; and the last 
 evening of the year was not an uncongenial time for 
 wandering among the memorials of the departed 
 greatness of the once mistress of the world. I cer- 
 tainly think more of Rome than I did last spring. 
 The fact is, I am now in better health, and the season 
 is incomparably finer. It was then relaxing. It is 
 now bracing and invigorating, and yet so mild that 
 I am almost tempted to think it spring. Mr. and 
 Mrs. Dash, who are here, and myself, took a ride 
 to-day to the Monte Mario, near the city, which it 
 overlooks, as well as the whole of the campagna to 
 the Appennines, north and east, forty or fifty miles, 
 to Mount Albano south-east, and to the ocean south 
 and south-west. Not a cloud nor a mist dimmed 
 the atmosphere, and we enjoyed a panoramic view 
 of the whole of this interesting and classical ground. 
 The villa itself is delightfully situated on the summit 
 of the mount, in the midst of groves of the cypress, 
 the pine, the olive, and the ilex. There are beautiful 
 ravines and slopes on the sides of the mountain, wild 
 with trees and bushes in some spots, and in others 
 
niGHT UEV. JOHN HENKY HOBART. 
 
 307 
 
 exhibiting the luxuriance of a gay spring garden ; 
 all kinds of vegetables as in the spring, peas just 
 ready to blossom, and wild flowers under our feet of 
 various and beautiful kinds. In the space of a few 
 feet, Mrs. Dash picked eight or ten different kinds, 
 of great delicacy and beauty. But, alas! they pay 
 dearly for all this in the intense heats of sunnmer 
 and the pestilential exhalations of autumn. * * *. 
 
 " For to-morrow, the first day of another year, 
 receive, my dearest wife, for yourself and our dear 
 children, the devoted prayers for your happiness 
 and theirs here and hereafter, of 
 
 '* Your affectionate 
 
 " J. H. HOBART." 
 
 From the same to the same. 
 
 " Rome, Feb. 2S, 1825. 
 
 " MY DEAREST WIFE, 
 
 " In the absence of all letters from New- York of 
 a later date than one from Mr. Stanford of the 13th 
 of November, I was delighted to hear Mr. Rogers 
 read an extract from a letter from his sister, Mrs. 
 Murray, of the 31st of December, in which she 
 stated that you and all the family were well. * * *. 
 
 " The English physician whom I have consulted 
 here, strongly pressed me, on my first arrival, not to 
 think of travelling in the north of Italy, or of cross- 
 ing the Appennines and Alps, until the weather had 
 become settled and mild in the spring. I told him 
 that this was out of the question, as that by the time 
 he mentioned I must be in England, and preparing 
 for returning home. He thought I would do so at 
 
308 MEMOIR OF THE LIFE OF THE 
 
 the risk of my healthj and of losing the benefit 
 which I niight derive from the climate of the south 
 of Italy, which at this season is so genial. I set 
 out, however, for the north of Italy near three weeks 
 since, but when I got among the Appennines, the 
 climate was so different, and the inns so comfortless, 
 that I took cold, and was induced, as a matter of 
 common prudence, to act according to the advice of 
 my physician, and to return to Rome. The proper 
 time for leaving here, where the weather this winter 
 has been more genial and reviving than any I ever 
 experienced, will be in April, and before the relax- 
 ing heats which soon follow. * * *. I believe, that, 
 with proper prudence and care, I shall return home 
 substantially better than when I left it, but I fear 
 that dyspepsia will be my constant companion. 
 However, I have got along hitherto with it, and, 
 through God's good providence, I trust I shall here- 
 after. I have fully ascertained that a mind at ease, 
 free from agitating and oppressive cares and duties, 
 is of as much, if not of more, importance to me 
 than even change of scene, of climate, or medicine. 
 This I must endeavour to have when I return home, 
 and on this, with God's blessing, I rely for the pre- 
 servation of the renewed health which I trust I shall 
 bring with me. To this agreeable occupation of 
 mind do I attribute, in a great measure, my better 
 health here. In England, its most unpropitious and 
 depressing climate, with other causes, operated 
 against the favourable influence of the interesting 
 society there. But here I find that which is more 
 delightful and cheering than any other can possibly 
 be, the society of Americans. ♦ * *. My residence 
 
RIGHT REV. JOHN HENRY HOBAUT. S09 
 
 here has been made more pleasant by the circum- 
 stance of there being regular English service every 
 Sunday ; the congregation consisting of tvi^o or three 
 hundred persons. Tiiere are always a great many 
 English clergymen here, with some of whom I have 
 become acquainted, and with one* (of fine talents, 
 most amiable disposition, and sound Church princi- 
 ples) particularly so. From Lord St. Vincent and 
 his family (to whom you recollect I took letters 
 from Mr. Ricketts) I have received the kindest at- 
 tentions. He has now gone to Naples. Mr. Ricketts 
 has no doubt heard of the death of Lord Boling- 
 broke, at Pisa. * * *. Before many months I shall, 
 Providence permitting, tell you in person much 
 more than I can by letter. With what joy shall I 
 again be in the bosom of my family, and renew my 
 duties to conffregations and to a diocese to which I 
 owe so much i * * *, 
 
 " Before this time an eventf to which I gave not 
 only my consent, but expressed my earnest wish 
 and request, has taken place, and the number of my 
 family increased. To my dearest daughter and my 
 son-in-law, to both of whom I wrote from some of 
 the places I have mentioned, give my most affec- 
 tionate remembrance; and I need not say, that you 
 all have the blessing and constant prayers of 
 
 " Your ever affectionate 
 
 " Husband and father, 
 
 " J. H. HOBART." 
 
 • The Rev. Hugh James Rose. 
 
 f The marriage of his second daughter to the Rev. Mr. Ives, 
 now Bishop of North-Carolina. 
 
310 MEMOIR OF THE LIFE OF THE 
 
 From Bishop Hobart to William H. Hobart. 
 
 "Rome, March 4, 1825. 
 
 « MY DEAR SON, 
 
 " I wrote to your mother a few days since. I 
 cannot say that the symptoms of dyspepsia have 
 much abated, or that I can do without the use of 
 medicine to counteract my bilious tendency ; but 
 my appetite is good, the season most delightful, 
 the air fresh and reviving, admitting of my using 
 constant exercise in roaming among the * Seven 
 Hills,' (of which you have read and heard so much) 
 of this long and far-famed city. The interest which 
 I take in some pleasant English and American 
 society here, removes that tedium of solitude which, 
 in a great measure, marred the salutary effects of 
 my previous travelling on the Continent. 
 
 " Your letter of the 20th of October was very 
 grateful to me, particularly from its minuteness, 
 though I wish you had said more about the studies 
 and engagements of yourself and your brother 
 Dayton. This is a subject which is near to my 
 heart, for your advancement and happiness in life 
 will depend essentially on the improvement of 
 your time now. I arn most anxious that you should 
 both become hard students, devoting at least eight 
 hours a day to close study. We often know not 
 the value of our present advantages till it is too 
 late to avail ourselves of them. I now think that 
 if I could be as you are, having nothing to do but 
 to study, how diligent and how happy I should be. 
 You have so far, I trust, acquired the elements of 
 general knowledge, that you will be able advant- 
 
RIGHT REV. JOHN HENRY HOBART. 31 1 
 
 ageously to prosecute your studies more in detail. 
 I am deeply solicitous that, with an accurate know- 
 ledge of your particular professions, which will be 
 essential to your success in them, you should unite 
 that general science which will so much increase 
 your usefulness, your reputation, and your enjoy- 
 ment in after life. Of the importance of an intimate 
 acquaintance with the classics, as the depositaries 
 of fine sentiments (doubtless with some ti-ash, and 
 worse than trash,) but as the unrivalled and unim- 
 peached standards of all that is eloquent and correct 
 in taste, 1 trust I need not say any thing to you, and I 
 have no doubt you both pursue these most important 
 studies. Of physical and moral science you learned 
 only the elements at college, and these you must 
 enlarge, particularly in physical science, mineralogy, 
 and botany, which will increase so much, to say no 
 more, your enjoyment of the works of nature. The 
 knowledge of the modern languages of French and 
 Italian is, on many accounts, important, and almost 
 indispensable ; and I hope by my return that you 
 will understand both, and be able to converse at 
 least in the former. Various studies may be carried 
 on at the same time, provided this be done steadily 
 and systematically. I rejoice to learn from Dayton's 
 letter, that Professor M'Vickar has been so good 
 as to give you his advice. * * *. 
 
 " But what, my dear son, affords me the highest 
 consolation, is the belief that you and your brother 
 do not neglect what should be paramount to every 
 other concern, the securing of your Christian privi- 
 leges, and preparing for that future life which is to 
 be the final destiny of our being. 
 
 • • • 
 
312 MEMOIR OF THE LIFE OF THE 
 
 " A long letter which I wrote to your sisters in 
 November last, from Basle, in Switzerland, gave 
 you some of those details with respect to my travels 
 which you desired. To attempt to tell you all that 
 I have seen, is out of the question. I keep a kind 
 of diary in travelling, and make notes in the guide 
 books which I have, which may perhaps hereafter 
 afford me and my family some amusement. 
 
 "You wish to know whether I have had a servant. 
 I got one soon after I arrived in England, and he is 
 still with me. And yet I have often wished that I 
 could do without him, for though much better than 
 the generality, he is in some respects a great plague 
 to me. But, situated as I have been, particularly 
 in regard to health, a servant was indispensable. 
 Terrible indeed would have been my situation, if I 
 had been without him when I was sick last June on 
 the lonely mountain of Radicofani, and afterwards 
 at Sienna, when he was my only nurse. I bought 
 a carriage last spring at Paris, which I still have, 
 and in which I travel post. The roads are excellent 
 wherever I have travelled, far superior to ours in 
 America. The countries which have most interested 
 me were Switzerland and the Tyrol. But the cities 
 of Italy are more interesting than any others. * • *. 
 
 " Your affectionate father, 
 
 " J. H. HOBART." 
 
 From Bishop Hobart to Mrs. Hobart. 
 
 " Rome, April 23, 1825. 
 
 " I shall set off in a few days for the north of Italy, 
 
 in company with Mr. Dash and his family, which 
 
UI(;HT rev. JOHN HENRY HODART. 313 
 
 circumstance will add much to the comfort and 
 pleasure of my journey, which hitherto, from my 
 travelling alone, has not contributed as much as it 
 would probably otherwise have done to my health 
 and spirits. It is dreary travelling any where alone, 
 and especially in a strange land. Some time in 
 June I expect to reach England, and I am exceed- 
 ingly desirous to be present at the commencement 
 of the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge, after 
 which I shall lose no time in returning to my home, 
 which I am impatient to see, and to my duties, on 
 which I long again to enter. * * *. 
 
 " Ever most affectionately yours, 
 
 " J. H. HOBART." 
 
 From the same to the same. 
 
 " Geiioa, May 21, 1825. 
 " I found my health so much improving at Rome, 
 that I was induced to prolong my stay there. * * *. 
 I am in hopes that I have got rid of my bilious 
 complaint, and wish that I could say the same of 
 the dyspepsia. I intend to pass through Switzer- 
 land on my way to England, and to try riding on 
 horseback among the mountains, with a view of 
 strengthening my system. This exercise I am 
 persuaded would be of the greatest service, but 
 hitherto I have not been strong enough to use it 
 for any length of time. I expect to be in England 
 towards the latter end of next month, and then, 
 after passing a few days in Ireland, to take my 
 passage from Liverpool for home to join my beloved 
 family, my friends, my congregations, and my 
 
 40 
 
314 MEMOIll OF THE LIFE OF THE 
 
 diocese, never more, I trust, during life to be 
 separated from them. 
 
 I shall have a great deal to say to you about 
 Italy. When I was here last year, I was so unwell 
 that I could not enjoy it; but I must now join the 
 general voice, and pronounce it a most lovely 
 country and climate. I left Mr. Dash and his 
 family at Florence, and may probably see them 
 again in the north of Italy, on their way to Geneva; 
 but this is uncertain. The road from Florence to 
 this place passes through a most delightful country, 
 and affords the richest views — the fertile vale of 
 Arno, and then the Appennines on the Gulf of 
 Genoa, the summits of which, lofty and picturesque, 
 but naked, finely contrast with their sides, which 
 are loaded with olive, fig, chesnut, and other trees, 
 and with vines and grain, exhibiting the most 
 crovvded and luxuriant vegetation I ever saw. 
 
 " This is a remarkable and splendid city, but not 
 perhaps as much so as Venice, in some respects. 
 Your information of the health and improvement of 
 our children delights me. That God may bless you 
 and them, is the prayer of 
 
 ** Your ever affectionate, 
 
 "J. H. HOBART." 
 
 From Bishop Hobart to myself. 
 
 " Geneva, July 12, 1825. 
 
 " I am really apprehensive that you will begin to 
 
 think that your friend is not disposed speedily to 
 
 return to his fiimily, his congregations, or his diocese. 
 
 Bui the truth undoubtedly is, that had I done so 
 
KIGHT KEV. JOHN HENKY HOBAKT. 315 
 
 at an earlier period, I could not have indulged the 
 reasonable expectation that I should have been able 
 permanently to enjoy my family, or to have dis- 
 charged my duties to my congregations or to my 
 diocese. My health, indeed, had been gradually 
 improving through the winter, but I had still frequent 
 and serious monitions that my complaints were not 
 substantially removed. * * *. 
 
 " I had every reason to believe that a return to 
 the cares and duties which, in an increased degree 
 would press upon me at home, would bring on a 
 renewal of my former complaints. I felt it a duty 
 to make a decided and vigorous eftbrt to renew my 
 constitution, and I was induced to believe that 
 exercise, on foot and on horseback, among the Alps 
 of Italy and Switzerland, would produce this effect. 
 The winter, however, lingers so long in those high 
 regions, as you know, tiiat travelling there is not 
 safe or practicable until June. For nearly this 
 month past I have been among ihe Alps, and with 
 the happiest effect on my health, of which I can 
 give you no better proof tiian that, between the 
 16th of June and the lOth of this month, I have 
 passed over, in different places, the Alps of Italy 
 and Switzerland twenty times; have travelled about 
 three hundred miles on foot, often several days 
 successively between twenty and thirty miles up 
 and down steep and lofty mountains; concluding 
 this Alpine expedition by passing over the Great 
 St. Bernard and round Mont Blanc to this place, 
 where I arrived on Saturday last; and 1 now feel 
 myself as well as I ever was. The fact is, that my 
 complaints are of a nature only to be removed by a 
 
316 MEMOIK OP THE LIFE OF THE 
 
 cessation of cares and duties for some time, and by 
 that kind of exercise which I have taken, in which 
 a succession of interesting objects agreeably occu- 
 pies the mind. The only remaining excursion 
 which I am desirous of making, is to that interest- 
 ing people, the Waldenses, with whose primitive 
 character, as Christians, you are well acquainted, 
 and for whom a collection was made in the English 
 congregation at Rome last spring, on which occa- 
 sion I preached. I must give up seeing much of 
 Paris, through which as yet I have only passed, and 
 also many parts of England, which I was desirous 
 of visiting, and take one of the packets next month 
 from Liverpool for home: after all, there is nothing 
 like it, not even in Switzerland, which, take the 
 people and the country together, perhaps tiie most 
 resembles our dear native land. 
 
 " I am sensible that for my protracted absence I 
 need the indulgence of the vestry, my congregations, 
 and my diocese. Explain to the former when they 
 meet, and to the latter as opportunity offers, the 
 reasons of it. U these appear insufficient, I must 
 throw myself on that kindness which has often 
 overrated my exertions, and been lenient to my 
 deficiencies and my faults, promising in future an 
 increased devotion to their interests, which ought 
 certainly with me to be paramount to all other 
 considerations. * * *. 
 
 " And now, my dear Berrian, you must not sup- 
 pose that I have been unmindful of the additional 
 duty and responsibility which my absence has im- 
 posed upon you. I trust and hope that you have 
 not suffered by it, but that I shall find you, on my 
 
RIGHT REV. JOHN HENRY HOBART. 317 
 
 return, at least in your usual health. I think I am 
 desirous, and I think I shall be able on my return, to 
 do at least as much duty as I have ever done. * * *. 
 " Most truly and affectionately yours, 
 
 " J. H. HOBART." 
 
 From the Rev. G. S. Faber to Bishop Hobart. 
 
 " RIGHT REV. SIR. 
 
 " Allow me to convey my thanks to you for the 
 present of your sermons, which I safely received 
 last Saturday. Sincerely do I hope that they may 
 be made as extensively useful as their author him- 
 self can wish. 
 
 " It is impossible not to regret that species of 
 alienation between members of the same Church, 
 which I fear exists far too much in England, and 
 which, from your preface, as well as from the inti- 
 mations of Dr Jarvis, appears also to exist in 
 America. I have known so many good men, both in 
 what is termed the high Church partij and in what 
 (not very wisely) is denominated the Evangelical 
 party, that I cannot help thinking a little mutual 
 intermingling might tend much to abate prejudices 
 on both sides. Hills, when seen through a fog, 
 look like mountains; and, in numerous instances, 
 I am convinced that it is equally through a false 
 medium that the two parties view each other. If 
 bigots on each side would be a little more moderate, 
 (and they, in truth, are the persons who do all the 
 mischief,) we should not give our enemies so much 
 reason to exult over us. 
 
 " If it were at all necessary to recur to the allega- 
 
318 MEMOIR OF THE LIFE OF THE 
 
 tion mentioned in your preface, certainly the pub- 
 lication of your sermons, so far as I can judge from 
 the six first which I have had the pleasure and, I 
 trust, the benefit of reading, will effectually answer 
 that purpose; and most heartily do I rejoice that 
 the Church of New- York should hear, from the 
 mouth of her chief pastor, our blessed Saviour thus 
 fully and excellently set forth in his various offices. 
 In any legitimate sense of the phrase, no person can 
 say that you atleastdonot preach the Gospel. For, 
 in reality, what is preaching the Gospel 1 I can 
 annex no other intelligible idea to the phrase, than 
 that of enforcing Christian duties upon Christian 
 principles. These two are united by God in his 
 word; and, whenever man presumes to separate 
 them, mischief inevitably follows. If we preach 
 doctrines without duties, we effectually do little 
 better than administer the anodynes of Antinomian- 
 ism ; if we preach duties without doctrines, we are 
 vainly labouring to build a house without laying a 
 foundation. I do not think that either of these 
 mutilated styles of preaching can be truly designated 
 as a faithful preaching of the Gospel ; each, though 
 in an opposite way, swerves from declaring the 
 whole counsel of God. But I fear you will think me 
 very presumptuous in thus seeming to read a lecture, 
 when I ought rather to hear one. You will, how- 
 ever, I am sure, do me the justice to believe, that 
 what I have said is nothing but a statement of those 
 views which led me to rejoice in the circumstance 
 that the Church of America shows herself a sincere 
 daughter of her venerable parent, the Church of 
 England. * * *. 
 
RIGHT REV. JOHN HENRY HOBART. 319 
 
 "I have nearly finished a work under the title of 
 The Difficulties of Anti-Trinitarianism, which I 
 hope, through God's blessing, maybe of some little 
 use against the most dreadful of all the perversions 
 of Christianity. Adopting the idea which the Bishop 
 of St. David's suggested in regard to the difficulties 
 of infidelity, I have chosen the plan oi attack rather 
 than of defence. Whenever the work is published, 
 I will have the pleasure of sending you a copy. 
 On the ground of emdence, which is the only 
 legitimate ground of discussion, Anti-Trinitarianism 
 cannot stand a single moment. 
 " I have the honour to be, 
 
 " With much respect, 
 
 " Your obliged and obedient 
 " Humble servant, 
 
 " G. S. FABER." 
 
 From the Rev. J. H. Rose to Bishop Hobart. 
 
 " MY DEAR SIR, 
 
 " If I had not received your welcome letter this 
 morning, I should have ventured to direct a few 
 lines to Liverpool, to thank you for your present — 
 acceptable as containing a memorial of regard from 
 you, and doubly acceptable, as being your own 
 works. I have already read your charges, and I 
 hope you will not think I have done wrong in 
 sending oflTto the printer an additional note to my 
 sermons, mentioning especially that of 1815, and 
 also the very admirable one on Popish and Protest- 
 ant Errors, which teaches so much on the very 
 subject I was handling. The charge of 1815 is so 
 
320 MEMOIR OF THE LIFE OF THE 
 
 important, because it expressss so forcibly, and yet 
 so succinctly, the nature of Episcopacy and the 
 duties of the clergy, that if I can at all persuade 
 the booksellers here, I should like to get it re- 
 printed as a manual for the younger divines. * * *. 
 I shall hope to receive any other v/orks you may 
 print, because I well know what their worth and 
 value will be. I am not sorry you could not get 
 Wordsworth, for I shall take care, as soon as the 
 new edition comes out, that a copy is sent to Mr. 
 Miller, as a little token of regard on my part; a 
 regard which, I trust, will be preserved by such 
 intercourse as our distance allows, while it pleases 
 God to continue us in this world. I have too many 
 blessings to repine at any ordinations of Providence ; 
 but, as far as it is lawful to indulge human feelings, 
 most ardently could I have wished to have been 
 thrown near you, to whom I should have looked 
 with affection and regard as a friend. * * *. But 
 though we are too far distant for me to benefit by 
 your friendly counsels, or enjoy the happiness of 
 your society, you will not, I am sure, forget me in 
 your prayers ; but when you entreat for the assist- 
 ance of the Great Head of tiie Church to ihe 
 discharge of your arduous duties, you will implore 
 Him to give me the aid necessary for me in my 
 humble and more limited sphere. That it may 
 please God to restore you in safety to your Church, 
 your country, and your family, and that he may long 
 continue such a blessing to them, is and will be 
 my warm and earnest prayer. We in all human 
 probability shall meet here no more, but my heart 
 and thoughts will often be turned to you and to 
 
RIGHT REV. JOHN HENRY HOBART. 321 
 
 your Church. I shall expect, with anxiety, news of 
 your arrival, and after that, sucli accounts, and at 
 such intervals, as your important avocations will 
 allow. Whatever I can send in return which will 
 interest you, you may depend on receiving. * * *. 
 " Mrs. Rose joins me in every kind of good wish, 
 and believe me ever, 
 
 " My dear Sir, 
 
 "Your affectionate friend, 
 
 " JAMES HUGH ROSE. 
 " Aug. 25, 1S25:' 
 
 From the Rev. B. Bridie to Bishop Hobart. 
 
 " >S^^. Peter's College, Cambridge, 
 
 ''Aug. 21, 1^25. 
 
 " MY DEAR BISHOP, 
 
 " It was not till Tjcsterday (when I received a 
 letter from my curate, Mr. Veasey, who passed 
 through London, a iaw days ago, on his way to 
 Brighton,) that I heard of your arrival in England, 
 althougli Dr. Ciark had given me some hopes of 
 seeing you before I left London. It was, I can as- 
 sure you, a very great disappointment to me, when I 
 found, from Mr. Veasey's letter, that you were likely 
 to leave London in a few days for America; but 
 my feelings have been somewhat relieved by your 
 letter of this morning, as it gives me an opportunity 
 at least of communicating with you before you 
 leave the shores of Old England, and of expressing 
 my sincere regret that it has not been permitted me 
 to have the gratification of shaking hands with you 
 before you set off. From the month of March (beimr 
 
 - 41 
 
322 MEMOIR OF THE LIFE OF THE 
 
 the time you mentioned in your last letter when I 
 might have had reason to expect you in London) till 
 the middle of July, when I came down to Cambridge, 
 I was daily looking out for you most anxiously, and 
 I may say, that after Dr. Clark's arrival in London 
 I was raised to the pitch of hourhj expectation. 
 
 " As I am now deprived of a personal visit from 
 you, be pleased, my dear Sir, to accept my most 
 heartfelt congiatulations on the recovery of your 
 health and spirits, and may you long live to enjoy 
 that inestimable blessing in the midst of your family 
 and friends ; and if it should not be in my power 
 to accept your kind and friendly invitation to visit 
 you in New- York, (of which I have very great fears,) 
 be assured that I shall never forget that it was with 
 the Bishop of New-York I ascended Vesuvius, ran- 
 sacked the ruins of Psestum and Pompeii, and as- 
 sisted at the solemn mummery of the Sistine Chapel. 
 *' But our intercourse must not end tlius. There 
 is one subject at least upon which, I trust, we feel 
 a common interest — I mean that of the poor Vaudois. 
 You have preached a sermon in tiieir favour at 
 Rome; /have been appointed treasurer to the fund 
 which is now raising in this country for their relief; 
 this fund is now become considerable, and in the 
 course of a fortnight I am going to London to 
 attend the sub-committee, when I shall have the 
 pleasure to report a further increase. It is a subject 
 which has very much occupied my attention since 
 Christmas last, and I have more to say upon it than 
 can come into the compass of an ordinary letter. 
 I have written to the Rivingtons this evening, to 
 request that they will send me your sermon, and I 
 
RIGHT REV. JOHN HENRY HOB ART. 823 
 
 have no doubt that in the course of a few weeks I 
 shall have the opportunity of transmitting a copy to 
 our worthy friend Mr. Bert. Had I no other reason 
 — but I have many — for writing to you at New-York, 
 but to report the proceedings of our committee 
 here, you may be sure to hear from me again before 
 many months. * * *. 
 
 " That you may find Mrs. Hobart and all your 
 children in the enjoyment of health and happiness, 
 is the earnest prayer, 
 " My dear Sir, 
 
 " Of your faithful and affectionate friend, 
 
 " R. BRIDLE." 
 
 From the Rev. E. J. Burrow to Bishop Hobart. 
 " The Grove, Ejjpijig, Aug. 29, 1825. 
 
 " RIGHT REV. AND DEAR SIR, 
 
 " I thank you very cordially for your letter, and 
 for the valuable packet which has followed it. In 
 truth I began to despair of gaining any tidings of 
 you, so long is it since I heard even in what country 
 you were probably to be found. I feared that sud- 
 den illness might have kept you a prisoner, or that 
 some accident had befallen you by the way. I 
 rejoice to learn, or rather to infer from your letter, 
 that this is not so; though my satisfaction is much 
 diminished by the regret that I have no opportunity 
 of congratulating you in person, on the safe termi- 
 nation of your travels. That your remaining voyage 
 may be prosperous, you have, I am sure, abundance 
 of ardent wishes from both sides of the sea. The 
 friends you leave behind, and among them those at 
 
324 MEMOin OF THE LIFE OF THE 
 
 Epping, will continue to feel an interest, a deep 
 interest, in one who has done so much in support 
 of true religion ; and those to whom you return 
 seem to be quite aware of the value of your pastoral 
 services and presence. Should it ever be my lot 
 to cross the Atlantic, and there is no saying what 
 may be in store, I shall hope to visit you in the 
 scene of your exertions. In the mean while it will 
 be a great gratification to me to be favoured with 
 any communications which your other engagements 
 will permit you to make relative especially to the 
 progress of the Theological Seminary, and to the 
 affairs of the Church in general. I shall rely upon 
 your kind promise of an account of the American 
 Episcopal Church, when you have leisure sufficient 
 to draw it up. It will always be my object, so long 
 as I remain editor of the Theological Review, to 
 avail myself of every opportunity to promote the 
 good understanding which now exists between the 
 Episcopalians of America and England ; for I am 
 persuaded that nothing will more tend to rouse us 
 to activity, than the emulation which friendly inter- 
 course is calculated to excite. I am much obliged 
 by the present of your edition of the Family Bible, 
 and will certainly make mention of it in the Review 
 before long. I should like to see a work of the 
 same sort, but more compact and more practical, 
 published at New- York. I would engage to edite 
 it in London. Notwithstanding the great sale that 
 D'Oyly and Mant's Bible has had, there is still a 
 want of something more condensed, and suitable 
 to those who have very little time to read and yet 
 desire instruction. May I beg that you will be 
 
RIGHT REV. JOHN HENRY HOBAUT. 325 
 
 good enough to direct your bookseller to forward 
 any American publications on divinity which may 
 come out, and which you think deserving of notice, 
 to Rivingtons' for me. I am anxious to render our 
 Review as generally acceptable as possible, for 
 though frustra lahorat qui omnibus placere studct, 
 I am confirmed, by the experience we have already 
 had, in my persuasion, that no real good can be 
 effected by such a publication, unless it be readable 
 by all parties, and be as impartial towards all as 
 sound principle will allow. 
 
 " Mrs. Burrow and my family desire to offer their 
 respectful compliments with those of, 
 "Dear Sir, 
 
 " Your very faithful friend and servant, 
 
 " E. J. BURROW." 
 
 There are a great number of notes also from the 
 highest dignitaries of the Church of England, from 
 several of the nobility and gentry, and some of the 
 most eminent literary men of the age, to Bishop 
 Hobart, containing proffers of hospitality, or of 
 other acts of civility and kindness, which, while they 
 were doubtless very grateful to him, were neverthe- 
 less due to his talents, character, and station. 
 
 During his visit to England, he published two 
 volumes of his sermons, which were also soon 
 after re-printed in this country. They were his 
 ordinary parochial discourses, which were designed 
 merely for the pulpit, without the slightest view 
 to publication. From the multitude of his avoca- 
 tions and cares, but little time was left for the 
 preparation of his sermons, and even when he hap- 
 
326 MEIVIOIU OF THE LIFE OF THE 
 
 pened to have more leisure, from the mere force of 
 habit and his remarkable facility in this species of 
 composition, they were generally written in the same 
 haste. They are by no means, therefore, the best 
 specimen either of his style or of his powers. Be- 
 sides, many of them were composed when he was 
 comparatively young, before the first had attained 
 its final form, or the last their full maturity and 
 vigour. These discourses, however, are written in 
 an easy, flowing, and popular style, which, with the 
 freedom and animation of his manner at the time of 
 their delivery, gave them almost the air of extem- 
 poraneous discourses, and made them very captivat- 
 ing to the hearers. But though they have in many 
 respects great excellencies, yet they cannot be 
 regarded as finished compositions. The style is 
 often wanting in precision, elegance, and grace. It 
 is in general too much encumbered with epithets, 
 which weaken its force. And occasionally it is 
 deformed by the use of false and common-place 
 ornaments, or by a confusion of figures. But not- 
 withstanding these blemishes and defects, their 
 merits are of a high order. The topics are well 
 selected for the edification of a Christian people. 
 They are practical, useful, and evangelical, in the 
 best sense of that sacred but often misapplied term. 
 The leading doctrines of the Gospel are continually 
 set forth in the clearest manner, and Christian duty 
 is always inculcated on Scriptural principles. A 
 fervid glow pervades them, which even now is felt, 
 but which once the kindling and stirring spirit of 
 the speaker transfused through every heart. With 
 all this warmth and freedom, the union is still pre- 
 
RKJIIT REV. JOHN IIENUY IIOHAUT. 327 
 
 served witli soberness and truth. The thouo^hts 
 are natural and just; the general treatment of the 
 subject is always clear and intelligible ; the divisions 
 are sometimes singularly striking and happy; the 
 reasonings arc acute and convincing; the practical 
 appeals and final application are often exceedingly 
 affecting and impressive. Had the sprightliness of 
 the Bishop's imagination been under the guidance 
 of a severer taste — had there been as much felicity 
 as there was freedom of expression — had there been 
 as much vigour of style as there was boldness in his 
 conceptions, he would have made one of the most 
 powerful and eloquent preachers of the age. 
 
 His Charges and Pastoral Letters, which were 
 written with greater care, and sometimes under 
 stronger excitement, are among the most chaste 
 and forcible of his writings ; and some of his con- 
 troversial pieces are the fairest exhibition of his 
 theological learning and intellectual powers. 
 
 Bishoj) Hobart left England on the first of Sep- 
 tember, in the ship Canada, Captain Rogers, from 
 Liverpool. He arrived early in the month of Octo- 
 ber, and was received with so warm a greeting that 
 his heart melted within him, for the cordial con- 
 gratulations of all seemed to confound the degrees 
 of affection towards him, and each one whom he 
 met appeared like a dear and personal friend. 
 
 From Bishop Croes to Bishop Hobart. 
 
 " New- Brunswick, Oct. 14, 1825. 
 
 " DEAR AND RIGHT REV. SIR, 
 
 " Having read in the Evening Post of yesterday, 
 the very agreeable intelligence of your arrival from 
 
328 RIEMOIR OF THE LIFE OF THE 
 
 Europe, I avail myself of the earliest opportunity 
 to congratulate you on that happy event, and to 
 express the great pleasure and satisfaction I feel 
 that you are, by the goodness of God, restored to 
 the bosom of your family, to your friends, your 
 diocese, and to the Church generally, after so long 
 and painful an absence. I hope, my dear Sir, that 
 your health is entirely restored, and that you may 
 be enabled to resume the duties of your diocese 
 with that vigour, energy, and usefulness, so pecu- 
 liarly yours. 
 
 " I intend, with Divine permission, to make you 
 a short visit as early as possible, perhaps next week, 
 towards the close of your Convention. 
 
 " With my best respects, and the respects of my 
 family, to Mrs. Hobart and your children, whom we 
 sincerely congratulate on this very happy occasion, 
 " I am, my dear Sir, 
 
 " Your sincere and affectionate 
 " Friend and brother, 
 
 " JOHN CROES." 
 
 From Bishop White to Bishop Hobart. 
 
 " Philadelphia, Oct. ] 7, 1825. 
 
 " RIGHT REV. AND DEAR SIR, 
 
 " The bearer, the Rev. Mr. Howell, has called to 
 inform me, that he is starting this morning for 
 New- York. I will not lose the opportunity of con- 
 gratulating you on your safe return, which I should 
 have done by Mr. Montgomery, had not the infor- 
 mation of his going early in the morning reached 
 me late on the preceding evening, and when I was 
 engaged in company. 
 
RKJHT REV. JOHN HENRY HOBART. 329 
 
 " I also beg leave to present my congratulations 
 on the occasion to Mrs. Hobart and to all the mem- 
 bers of your family, and remain 
 
 " Your affectionate brother, 
 
 " WILLIAM WHITE. 
 
 " P. S. You will easily believe that all the mem- 
 bers of my family share in the saiisfaction which I 
 
 feel in the event. 
 
 "W. W." 
 
 From Bishop Ravcnscroft to Bishop Hobart. 
 
 " Raleigh, Oct. 22, 1825. 
 
 •• RIGHT REV. AND DEAR SIR, 
 
 " The public prints having announced that the 
 wishes and prayers of many in your behalf are 
 answered in your safe return to your country and 
 family, I beg leave to present my congratulations 
 on the happy event, and to assure you, that I feel 
 thankful, not only for your safe return, but that it 
 hath pleased God to sanctify the means used for 
 the restoration of your health with full success. 
 
 " I cannot, I think, accuse myself of any tendency 
 to enthusiasm, yet 1 am constrained to view the 
 providences of the great Head of the Church to- 
 wards you, as a speaking indication of his watchful 
 care over his Church, and of his favour and goodness 
 towards that branch of it planted in this country. 
 
 " From past experience we may flatter ourselves 
 that the renewed health and strength conferred on 
 you, with the watchful care which has preserved 
 you by land and by water, will operate to produce 
 yet more devoted exertions for the extension of that 
 
 42 
 
330 MEMOIR OP THE LIFE OF THE 
 
 kingdom, which is to progress in its conquests, 
 until the ends of the earth see the salvation of our 
 God, and with one heart and one mouth confess 
 Josus to be Lord, to the glory of God the Father. 
 
 " In this arduous hut happy work, permit the 
 youngest of your brethren to offer his most sincere 
 co-operation, and to add his earnest prayer to the 
 supplications of many, that as you are restored, so 
 may you be guided and supported in every endea- 
 vour for the advancement of the glory of God, the 
 good of his Church, the safety, honour, and welfare 
 of his people. 
 
 " Your affectionate brother in Christ, 
 
 " JOHN S. RAVENSCROFT." 
 
 On the Sunday after his return from Europe Bishop 
 Hobart preached a sermon, which, from its novel and 
 peculiar character, was heard with a great diversity 
 of feeling and opinion among ourselves, and which 
 attracted a considerable degree of attention abroad. 
 He seemed to be perfectly aware of the effect which 
 it would produce, but having deliberately made up 
 his mind as to the propriety of the step, with his 
 usual fearlessness he gave himself no trouble about 
 the consequences. He remarked to the Rev. Dr. 
 Montgomery and myself, who accompanied him 
 that morning to Trinity Church, that he had intended 
 to confer with us and a few others on the subject, 
 but as the measure was a bold one, he had concluded 
 that it was best to take the whole responsibility of 
 it upon himself. The train of observations was so 
 entirely out of his ordinary course, (for in general no 
 one confined himself more scrupulously to the topics 
 
RIGHT llEV. JOHN HENRY HOBART. 3S1 
 
 which are strictly appropriate to the pulpit,) and 
 some of the opinions wiiich he advanced were so 
 opposed to the predilections of many of his warmest 
 admirers and devoted friends, that I well remember 
 to have listened to the discourse with agitation, 
 anxiety, and fear. But though the sermon was the 
 occasion of some surprise and remark, it was fol- 
 lowed, however, by no harsh censures, nor any 
 degree of unkindness and ill will. The well-known 
 sincerity of the Bishop, his elevation of sentiment 
 and freedom from vulgar prejudices, were a sufficient 
 assurance to his hearers that he had expressed the 
 honest and settled convictions of his mind; and if 
 there were any among us who doubted the expe- 
 diency of the measure, there were none who ques- 
 tioned the purity of his motives. The object of the 
 discourse was to institute a comparison between the 
 United States of America and some of the countries 
 in Europe through which he had travelled, and to 
 show that the people of this infant nation, so infe- 
 rior in the arts which adorn and embellish life, in 
 the munificent foundations of learning, in the ven- 
 erable monuments of glory and power, in the re- 
 finements of polished society, were still favoured in 
 many respects with such distinguishing advantages 
 as ought to make them grateful, contented, and 
 happy. I am persuaded, from my own observation, 
 after a journey through these very countries, where 
 I travelled with a delight which softened down the 
 prejudices of education and habit, and the recollec- 
 tion of which has thrown a reflected charm over the 
 rest of my life, that no one could return to our own 
 without strong feelings of complacency and pride. 
 
332 WEMOIR OF THE LIFE OF THE 
 
 The Bishop takes only a rapid glance of the 
 points of comparison between some of the countries 
 ©n the Continent of Europe and our own; and had 
 his observations been confined to these, they would 
 have excited but little interest, and led to no ani- 
 madversion. But he entered into a discussion of 
 the most delicate nature, where it was much more 
 easy to arouse a jealous sensibility than to secure a 
 sober attention to reason and truth. He ventured 
 to compare this country with England, and to dis- 
 pute her pre-eminence in some of those very respects 
 in which she places her chief glory and pride. 
 Though not withholding the acknowledgment, that 
 as from the first of European nations we have 
 drawn our origin, so we have also derived from it 
 our admirable principles of civil freedom ; yet he 
 contends that we have carried them to a higher 
 point, elevated the character and condition of the 
 great mass of the people, and increased incalculably 
 their peace, their comfort, and happiness. But, 
 much as he values our civil liberty, it is the religious 
 freedom of our country which, in his view, consti- 
 tutes our highest boast. Protected in her privileges, 
 without the slightest degree of control and restraint, 
 religion is suffered to make her own way to the 
 hearts and consciences of men, and the cause of 
 truth, unembarrassed by political arrangements or 
 popular prejudices, proceeds without obstruction to 
 that triumph which it must eventually obtain. Here 
 the connexion between the pastor and his flock is 
 voluntary on the part of both. The former is 
 brought into this relation entirely from esteem for 
 his talents, piety, and worth, and the latter are dis- 
 
RIGHT REV. JOHN HENRY HOBART. S33 
 
 posed to be pleased with the object of their choice. 
 But there the livings, being in the gift of individuals, 
 corporations, or the government, are liable to be 
 made subservient to the private views of individuals 
 or families, and to present an inducement very often 
 to enter into the holy ministry with a great admix- 
 ture of worldly motives. 
 
 Besides, there is no easy or practicable mode in 
 which this connexion, that is entirely independent 
 of the choice or wishes of the congregation, can be 
 dissolved. For " such are the gross and lament- 
 able obstructions to the exercise of discipline, from 
 the complicated provisions and forms of the eccle- 
 siastical law, that common and even serious clerical 
 irregularities are not noticed." 
 
 The Bishop proceeds to observe, not in a spirit 
 of censoriousness, but of unfeigned regret, that 
 " the mode of support by tythes, though part of the 
 original tenure of property, is still calculated to 
 prevent, in many cases, that cordial and affectionate 
 intercourse between the minister and people" which 
 is so common and endearing among ourselves. He 
 then attempts to show that the arrangements of our 
 own Church are decidedly preferable, both for the 
 maintenance of the clergy and the exercise of dis- 
 cipline. 
 
 He afterwards adverts to the extraordinary and 
 inappropriate prerogative of the king, through his 
 ministry, to designate the persons who shall be 
 chosen for the Episcopal office, whose authority is 
 entirely divine, and the absolute incapacity of the 
 clergy to exercise their ecclesiastical power inde- 
 pendently of the state. But here no secular au- 
 
334 MEMOIR OF THE LIFE OF THE 
 
 thority can interfere with our high ecclesiastical 
 assembly, nor control her legitimate powers. 
 
 And finally, he contends that the theological re- 
 quisitions for the ministry, and the provisions for 
 theological education in the Episcopal Church in 
 America, are much superior to those in the Church 
 of England. 
 
 These several positions are illustrated with as 
 much clearness, and supported with as much force 
 of argument as could reasonably be expected within 
 the brief compass of an ordinary discourse. The 
 treatment of the whole subject is kind, respectful, 
 and decorous, without the slightest infusion of bit- 
 terness, malevolence, or scorn. Though, therefore, 
 to those who were brought up in loyal attachment 
 to the civil institutions of England, and in habitual 
 reverence for the Church, these pretensions might 
 have seemed high and unwarrantable, yet there 
 was nothing in them to provoke the indignation of 
 a generous mind. They should have been answered 
 in the frank and liberal spirit with which they were 
 made; but the fi:rst notice of them was steeped in 
 wormwood and gall. There never was any thing 
 from the British press which was more unworthy 
 of it, and never any thing which called forth, in 
 England itself, a more noble and generous vindica- 
 tion.* A few instances of this magnanimity on 
 each side of the Atlantic would put away all bitter- 
 ness and wrath, and make us no longer feel like 
 aliens, but brethren. 
 
 It has been ascertained that the critique on the 
 
 * From the Rev. J. H. Rose. 
 
RIGHT REV. JOHN HENRY HOBART. 335 
 
 sermon, which appeared in the Quarterly Theolo- 
 gical Review, was written by a Mr. Croley, from 
 Ireland, residing in London — v^ho had previously 
 published one or two poems, which gave the promise, 
 in any future productions, of a better style and taste ; 
 for the review is a tissue of vulgarity, ignorance, 
 presumption, and folly. He represents the Bishop 
 as " signalizing his first appearance in the American 
 pulpit on his return from the hospitality and mark- 
 ed attentions of the British clergy, by a laboured, 
 unmeasured, and most unfounded attack on the 
 Church of England," as " sacrificing the conven- 
 tional honour of society, and the still more delicate 
 honour of his cloth, to the sovereign mandate of 
 his majesty the mob ;" as " thinking only of a vulgar 
 flourish to announce his arrival in America ;" as 
 " laying upon his cushion for a sermon a political 
 pamphlet, and calling upon his congregation to 
 rejoice in the superiority of their obscure Church 
 over the fallen and decrepid grandeur of the mighty 
 Church of England." He looks upon the sermon 
 as a painful proof that every public man in America 
 " is under mental duress,^'' and that the high road 
 to authority is to please the populace. " Popularity 
 is there the supreme good, the twenty thousand of 
 the wheel, that ' richest and golden merchandise' 
 that justifies every man's venture and submission 
 to all the capricious fluctuations of the wave and 
 wind. It is this that has compelled so respectable 
 a man as Dr. Hobart to consult its will, even in his 
 absence, by gleaning up abuses palatable to the 
 popular taste, and by employing the first moments 
 of his return to assure his countrymen that neither 
 
336 MEMOIR OF THE LIFE OF THE 
 
 the brilliancy of France, nor the classic glories of 
 Italy, nor the hereditary wisdom, power, and pru- 
 dence of England, have shaken his inborn admira- 
 tion of the land of swamps, the yellow fever, and 
 universal suffrage." 
 
 But he endeavours to account for this on the 
 supposition that " those vague and clamorous foole- 
 ries about government and religion which pass 
 from the lips of noisy ignorance into the ears of 
 ignorance silent and submissive — that kind of dis- 
 quisition which flourishes in the columns of a news- 
 paper, gives an hour's importance to the debates of 
 the ale-house, or a desperate consistency to an 
 Atheistical review, must have come athwart the 
 stranger's first perceptions." But " for all this, it 
 might be but fair to make a handsome admission 
 for the surprise of faculties new to the topic — for 
 the natural unacquaintance of a man, born and bred 
 three thousand miles off, with the spirit, literature, 
 and laws of England — and most of all, for the vision- 
 ary weakness and pastoral simplicity of the gentle 
 shepherd of an obscure flock on the edge of the 
 wilderness." " This American Prelate, dispensing 
 his Sunday sermon to his city congregation in his 
 fashionable chapel, little knows the life of the 
 measureless majority of the clergy of England." 
 
 After this preliminary strain of vulgar abuse, the 
 very coarseness of which is surpassed by its absur- 
 dity and folly, the reviewer attempts to overthrow 
 the positions advanced in the sermon by argument ; 
 but he does not meet the subject with fairness and 
 candour, turning most disingenuously and sophisti- 
 cally the liberal concessions of the Bishop against 
 
RIGHT REV. JOHN HENRY HOBART. 337 
 
 himself, disregarding his distinctions between the 
 spiritual character of the Church of England and 
 the evils which it suffers from her connexion with 
 the State, evading some of the points at issue, and 
 relying more upon ridicule in all, than upon reason 
 and truth. 
 
 The review, however, is so rambling and discursive 
 as scarcely to admit of a regular analysis, and no 
 fears need be entertained of the impression which it 
 will make, in referring the reader to the article itself.* 
 
 The writer, who appeared in the course of the 
 article on the Bishop's sermon to have collected 
 together all the topics of abuse which have beei 
 so common against our country itself, mounts up 
 by a regular gradation to the very climax, and 
 concludes it with such an exhibition of ignorance, 
 absurdity, and madness, that we can neither restrain 
 our laughter nor contempt. 
 
 " Dr. Hobart came to England under peculiar 
 circumstances. We must acknowledge, that what- 
 ever may be the labours or the learning of the 
 Episcopal Church in New- York, it had hitherto 
 much escaped notice in England. Wlmtever may 
 be the merit of its virtues, it had lost none by a 
 too ambitious publicity. We hear a good deal in 
 the Doctor's pamphlet of the literary education of 
 its pastors. But their literature had confined itself 
 to the modest but doubtless meritorious cultivation 
 of the native mind ; and content with fame on one 
 side of the Atlantic, it apparently scorned the 
 clamorous competitions of European theology. 
 
 * Christian Journal, New- York, for 1826. 
 
 43 
 
338 MEMOIR OF THE LIFE OF THE 
 
 " We confidently hope tliat this gentleman will 
 feel the suitableness of henceforth abjuring politics, 
 and be content with the popularity for which he 
 has paid so hard a price. We shall probably hear 
 no more of him than we have heard of his associate 
 theologians. His faculties may be well occupied 
 in America; for, after all, it is from Episcopacy 
 that we must expect whatever of religious decorum 
 and sound doctrine is to be the portion of the 
 Western world. All things there are too much 
 tossed about in the yeasty ocean of Republicanism. 
 The religious chart of America is still the melan- 
 choly counterpart of its pliysical one ; here and 
 there little traces of life among endless sweeps 
 of sectarian barbarism ; the land overspread with 
 Dunkers and Thumpers, and Memnonists and Jum- 
 pers, enthusiasts gay and gloomy, yet all counting ; 
 the slaves of strange and unscriptural folly, or giddy 
 and presumptuous ignorance, or reckless and re- 
 volting passions ; a vast hilarious and holy rabble, 
 drugged by the cup of Fanaticism." 
 
 Before I proceed to notice the answer to this 
 article by the Rev. Mr. Rose, which appeared in 
 the Christian Remembrancer, and which evinced 
 the generosity of a true Briton, proud of his country, 
 and yet, with a mind enlarged and liberalized by 
 foreign travel, not insensible to the excellencies of 
 others, it will not be amiss to state under what 
 impressions Bishop Hobart visited England. From 
 my earliest recollections of him, he carried his 
 respect for that country to a degree of veneration, 
 which, with narrow and prejudiced minds among 
 ourselves, might have almost rendered his patriot- 
 
RIGHT REV. JOHN ilKISRY HOBART. 
 
 339 
 
 isin questionable, lie looked upon her, as he has 
 sincerely declared in his sermon, as the first of 
 European nations; surpassing all others in her 
 institntions, her laws, and the moral worth of her 
 people. He regarded tiie Church of England as 
 the bulwark of Christendom, and felt almost as 
 deep an interest in her concerns as our own. I 
 never knew any one who more deeply deplored the 
 late unhappy contest between the two countries, 
 which, enkindling former animosities, and breaking 
 up the friendly relations which had been reviving 
 between them, seemed to pnt tiiose more widely 
 asunder than ever, who were bound to each other 
 by so many endearing and common ties. But, 
 greatly as he valued that nation, he did not regard 
 it with a blind admiration. His intimate acquaint- 
 ance with the politics, the literature, the social and 
 religious state of England, derived from his reading, 
 his correspondence, and his large and constant 
 intercourse with strangers, and the habit whicii his 
 acute and discriminating mind had formed of 
 viewing every subject in its true and proper light, 
 had left but little for him to acquire from personal 
 observation in visiting that country. The opinions 
 wl'.ich he advanced in his sermon, on the defects 
 and abuses in the Church of England, which stood, 
 as he conceived, in the way of her spiritual advance- 
 ment and glory, and the superiority in certain points 
 of our own, were in the main such as he often 
 expressed to his familiar and coiifitlcntial friends. 
 t!^ome of them indeed, in regard to the former, 
 were strengthened beyond his wishes by a nearer 
 inspection; but they were not, however, in any 
 
340 MEMOIR OF THE LIFE OF THE 
 
 respect very materially chanj^ed. He remarked 
 also, after his return, that he had freely expressed 
 the same sentiments in England to the true and 
 zealous friends of the Church, some of whom saw 
 the evils with regret, but lamented that they could 
 devise no remedy for them. 
 
 I well remember a conversation which took place 
 at a dinner party in Montreal, a short time before 
 he left this country, which will show tiiat one of 
 the positions which he afterwards took in his ser- 
 mon was not a novelty. The company consisted 
 of two or three officers in the British army, a few 
 American gentlemen who were settled in Canada, 
 a highly respected clergyman and scholar of the 
 Church of England, who was educated at one of 
 the Universities, the Bishop, and myself. I do not 
 recollect in what way the discourse took a turn, 
 which was so new and surprising to several of the 
 guests, though I have a distinct impression that 
 the discussion to which I allude was not introduced 
 with discourtesy and unkindness. The Bishop 
 took the ground, that the provision for theological 
 education in our Church was more ample, and the 
 preparation for the ministry more thorough and 
 effectual for general usefulness, than in the Church 
 of England. He yielded without reserve to the 
 great and acknowledged superiority of the latter in 
 all other branches of human learning. He did not 
 pretend to compare the results of this infant system 
 with the splendid labours of some of their divines. 
 The advantages which they enjoyed from a more 
 enlarged plan of academical education, from situa- 
 tions of learned leisure, and entire freedom in 
 
RIGHT REV. JOHN HENRY HOBART. 341 
 
 many instances from parochial cares, enabled tliem 
 very often to rise to sucii a degree of eminence as 
 few of ours could ever expect to reach. But he, 
 nevertheless, maintained that the course of theolo- . 
 gical study prescribed for all who were destined for 
 the ministry in our Church, and the opportunities 
 for extending this course in our General Seminary, 
 were calculated to make our clergy, as a body, 
 much better theologians than the great mass of the 
 clergy in England. There, in fact, there was no 
 indispensable standard which all must attain. The 
 divinity lectures in the Universities, which were 
 common to all the students, must of necessity be 
 attended by those who were designed for orders, 
 but there was no other public provision for theo- 
 logical education. Private instruction, personal 
 diligence, and the high rewards which awaited 
 professional distinction, must accomplish the rest. 
 The discussion was free and animated, and the 
 novelty of these pretensions, it appeared to me, did 
 not occasion more surprise, than perplexity in an- 
 swering them. 
 
 When Bishop Ilobart also was in Rome, he had 
 a conversation on a subject very nearly allied to 
 this, with a distinguished personage, for whose 
 rank and character, as well as for the kind atten- 
 tions which he had received from him, he enter- 
 tained the highest respect. In a very frank and 
 friendly manner it was suggested by Lord Sandon, 
 that probably tiie state of society in the United 
 States was not so favour.ible to literary excellence 
 as in England. The Bishop, in reply, did not 
 contend that it was so generally, but he ventured 
 
342 IMliMOm OF THE LIFE OF THE 
 
 to express his opinion of our superiority in pulpit 
 eloquence. He did not mean to apply the obser- 
 vation to the ?olid qualities of that art, but merely 
 to the mode of exhibiting those qualities in the 
 matter, the arrangement, and tlie general style and 
 delivery of sermons, so as to produce the greatest 
 impression on a mixed auditory. 
 
 It is a pleasing circumstance, however, that the 
 defence of Bishop Hobart was not left to his own 
 clergy, but was most triumphantly made by a 
 clergyman of the Church of England. His opinions 
 on this question being entirely uninfluenced by any 
 other consideration than a regard to the interests 
 of justice and truth, were therefore received with 
 no more suspicion on one side of the Atlantic, than 
 with gratitude on the other. In noticing the answer 
 to the review, by Mr. Rose, I am at a loss to know 
 what parts of it to select, where all is so admirable. 
 " Bishop Hobart," he remarks, " had been com- 
 pelled by ill health (brought on by over exertion in 
 his arduous duties,) to seek the benefit of an 
 European climate. His return was marked by a 
 greeting so cordial and heartfelt, as to do honour 
 alike to those who gave, and him who received it ; 
 and on his first appearance in his church, he 
 addressed his congregation on the comparative 
 merits of the countries he had just been visiting, 
 and that which had so afiectionately welcomed his 
 return. 
 
 ** When it is insinuated that he deceived those 
 who treated him with kindness, with hypocritical 
 pretences of respect — that while he quietly sub- 
 mitted to be loaded with attentions, he was intend- 
 
RIGHT REV. JOHN HENRY HOBART. 343 
 
 itig to repay them with abuse — when it is said, that 
 he did this to curry favour with a mob ; and that to 
 the same paltry motive he sacrificed the honour of 
 a gentleman and the character of a clergyman ; I 
 may well ask, what worse could be said or in- 
 sinuated 1 If there is one man on earth to whom a 
 charge of insincerity applies less than another — if 
 there is one man who, from his native and honest 
 simplicity, can look down on it with more lofty 
 contempt — if there is one man who has more 
 entirely despised popularity, and set himself with 
 honest vigour to stem the current of popular 
 opinion — that man is Bishop Hobart. From the 
 very hour in which his career commenced, lie has 
 been in principle the open defender of the most 
 extreme high Church principles — principles cer- 
 tainly not likely to be popular with Americans. He 
 has defended them against open foes from without, 
 and against not less dangerous foes in the garb of 
 friends within. He has ever set himself, in a 
 country where all sects are tolerated alike, to oppose 
 that union of sects for the distribution of the Scrip- 
 tures which has caused so much dissension in this 
 country, and he has in consequence been assailed 
 with abuse and reviling almost unparalleled. No- 
 thing, indeed, but entire ignorance of facts, could 
 have induced the reviewer to charge an American 
 divine, who has opposed the Bible Society and 
 advocated high Church principles, with making 
 sacrifices to popularity. That ignorance of facts 
 shows itself still more clearly when he next speaks 
 of Bishop H. as a chapel preacher to a city audience 
 Let him take down his map, and when he has 
 
344 IMKMOIR OF THE LIFE OF THE 
 
 measured the distance from the Falls of Niagara, let 
 liim be informed that that place, with others almost 
 equally distant, is in tlie round of Bishop Hobart's 
 visitations, and then let him blush for having spoken 
 of a man whose unsparing exertions in his profes- 
 sion have rendered a valuable life precarious and 
 painful, as ' a dispenser of Sunday sermons to a 
 city congregation in a fashionable chapel.' But 
 the most intolerable part of the review is the in- 
 sinuation, that while Bishop H. was receiving all 
 sorts of civilities, and even ' took leave with decla- 
 rations of respect and grateful remembrance,' he was 
 hunting for abuses, and preparing to pour out a 
 flood of vituperation on the Church of England. 
 The charge is most unjust and unfounded. 
 
 " Bishop Hobart did not come here to hunt for 
 abuses, but to revive wasting spirits and recruit 
 departing strength; so far from coming with a 
 prejudice against us, he came with the strongest 
 admiration of England, and the strongest belief of 
 her superiority on most points ; and, whether wrong 
 or right, the conviction of her inferiority on some 
 points was forced on him, against his former belief, 
 during his residence here. He came as a traveller 
 of ample fortune,* and of high station in a Church 
 nearly allied to our own ; he received no attention 
 and no mark of respect which were not due to his 
 
 * In tJiis the writer was mistaken. The unlimited hospitahty 
 and charity of the Bishop, even with an ample income, never 
 allowed him to acquire a fortune. The munificence of the wealthy 
 and liberal corporation of which he was the head, furnished him 
 with a carte blanche for the extraordinary expenses of his tour in 
 Europe. 
 
RKJHT REV. JOHN HENUY HOBART. 345 
 
 station, his character, and his talents; — he made no 
 declarations of respect and grateful remembrance 
 which he did not feel; and, lastly, he openly and 
 unreservedly expressed, ichile in England, precisely 
 the same opinions on our policy in Church and 
 State ichich he has expressed in his sermony* 
 
 * In regard to the connexion of the Church of England with the 
 State, he not only entertained, but long before had publicly declared, 
 these sentiments, accompanied, at the same time, with expressions 
 of profound admiration and respect for that Church in her appro- 
 priate and spiritual character. And to show their sincerity, it is 
 only necessary to remark, that those favourable opinions were 
 published at a most delicate and critical juncture, during the late 
 war between England and the United States. In a sermon which 
 he preached in 1814, at the consecration of Bishop Moore, he 
 alluded with complacency and pride to the origin of our Church. 
 
 " In boasting of our origin from the Church of England," he 
 observes, that " he does not contemplate her as enriched with 
 secular wealth, adorned with secular honours, or defended by the 
 secular arm. Of the poZicy of this union of the civil and ecclesias- 
 tical authority, so that the latter, in commutation for the wealth 
 and patronage of the former, relinquishes a portion of her legitimate 
 spiritual powers, and is in danger of being viewed as the mere 
 creature of human institution, and of being made the engine of state 
 policy, there have been sound Churchmen, even of her own com- 
 munion, who have entertained serious doubts. 
 
 " Nor is the Church of England contemplated in connexion with 
 the character or conduct of the government or nation where she is 
 established, concerning which wise and good men, and within the 
 knowledge of him who addresses you, correct and exemplary 
 Churchmen, entertain very different opinions ; and your preacher 
 would deprecate, as unsound in principle and most impolitic in its 
 results, any connexion of our Church, as a religious communion, 
 with the principles and views of political parties. 
 
 " Nor does he contemplate the Church of England in that par- 
 ticular organization of her government, and those local ecclesiastical 
 appendages which involve no essential principle of Church order, 
 
 44 
 
346 MEMOIIl OP THE LlPE OP THE 
 
 " I make this public contradiction of these things 
 out of a mere sense of duty to one whose friendship 
 I vakie in the highest degree, and of whom, though 
 the ' wide waste of waters' between us forbids any 
 hope of personal intercourse, I shall ever cherish the 
 most lively and affectionate remembrance. Many 
 more learned men I have known — some men as 
 amiable — some men as deeply, as unaffectedly 
 pious — some men as much and as piously devoted 
 to their holy calling: but it has not very often been 
 my lot (and J thitdc the declaration might be made 
 by most men) to know one who united so many 
 claims to respect and affection. 
 
 " Let us now proceed to the sermon itself; and I 
 do not hesitate to say, liowever much I may dissent 
 from the opinions contained in it, that if even one 
 part be produced, written, as the reviewer asserts 
 the whole is, in a malevolent spirit — in a petty feel- 
 
 " But in boasting of our origin from the Church of England, he 
 views her merely as a sjjiritual society, possessing the faith, the 
 order, and the worship which were the characteristics and the glory 
 of the primitive ages of the Church. 
 
 " We boast then of our origin from a Church which, in renounc- 
 ing the despotic claims of the Church of Rome, tempered with such 
 singular felicity, zeal and ardour, with prudence and moderation, 
 as to reject the errors, the superstitions, and corruptions of that 
 Church, while she retained the primitive faith, order, and worship, 
 which those errors, superstitions, and corruptions, had debased and 
 disfigured, but with which ihey were so intimately mingled as to 
 render the separation a work of extreme difficulty and imminent 
 hazard. We boast of our origin from a Church which, in reference 
 to the soundness of her principles, the talents and piety of her 
 clergy, and her efforts in the cause of the reformation, still maintains 
 the' proud title which at the fu;it she acquired, of being the glory of 
 the reformed Churches.'^ 
 
UIGHT KEV. JOHN IIENKY HOBAllT. 347 
 
 lug of national dislike — in a wish to fan national 
 prejudices — I give up t!»e cause. Such a charge 
 comes with peculiar justice from a reviewer who 
 believes and has causelessly repeated every calumny 
 put forth by the outcasts of English society who 
 have travelled in America — by a reviewer who 
 talks of the * tavern existence of America — of her 
 captains and colonels who serve out their own gin 
 — of judges who give up their duty to practise with 
 rifles for their next duel — of the slave markets, 
 gougings, scalpings, and otlier abundant and brilliant 
 proofs of the forest blood and Indian inheritance of 
 the virgin soil of liberty.' The reviewer is one of 
 that enormous class of Englishmen who are exas- 
 perated into fury by a hint that any thing among us 
 falls short of perfeclion. * * *. This belief and 
 these feelings make us deservedly objects of dislike 
 and ridicule among our neighbours." 
 
 Mr. Rose then takes a most calm and dispassion- 
 ate view of the subject matter of the discourse. 
 The occasion of it he considers reasonable; the 
 preference which, on many accounts, the Bishop 
 gives to his own country, was natural; and though 
 some of the conclusions to which he came might be 
 erroneous, yet they were not to be regarded as 
 proofs of malevolence or ill-will. 
 
 He notices, in the same candid and liberal spirit, 
 the Bishop's remarks on the Cimrch of England. 
 He differs from him widely on several points,* but 
 
 * For fuller information on these points, the answer itself should 
 be consulted, which was republished in the Christian Journal fof 
 November, 1826, vol. x. p. 341. 
 
348 MEMOIK OF Till: LIFE OF THE 
 
 agrees with him entirely in others. He regards it 
 as " a serious evil that there is no regular education 
 for the ministry in the Ciiurch of England," and 
 considers it a great hardship that she has not the 
 power " of regulating her own affairs, and that she 
 is subjected to lay-legislation ; while in practice 
 the grievance is not lessened, since even bishops' 
 ordination questions have been canvassed in Parlia- 
 ment by radical peers and infidel commoners." 
 
 " On the other complaints made by Bishop 
 Hobart, the opinions of true and zealous Church- 
 men will be more divided. By some, the matters 
 to which they relate may be judged to be necessary 
 evils; by some, to be difficult or impossible of 
 remedy; by many, to be no evils at all." " But 
 still, the points on which he has spoken are not 
 fancies of his own creation, but have often obtained 
 the notice of the sincerest friends of the Church." 
 
 " For myself I can only say, that if, after a sojourn 
 in America, in speaking of American Episcopacy, I 
 were to urge the strong tendency of an election for 
 the high office of bishop to produce intrigue, party 
 feeling, and dispute among the clergy — if I were to 
 state my exceeding dislike to make the clergy de- 
 pendent on the voluntary contributions of the laity 
 for support, and my belief that such a mode of pro- 
 vision would deprive them of that freedom of rebuke 
 which I judge essential to the character of a Chris- 
 tian minister — if I were to object to the mixture of 
 laymen in their lower house of convention — if I 
 were to state these things in the honesty of my heart, 
 in a deep conviction that these were evils, and in an 
 iin£^ected regret to see them in a Church, for the 
 
RIGflT REV. JOHN HENUY HOBART. 349 
 
 excellencies of which, as a true Episcopalian, I had 
 the strongest respect, and for whose continuance 
 and extension I devoutly prayed ; I should feel both 
 surprised and grieved that any man could be found 
 who would proclaim me an abuse hunter for thus 
 expressing my honest belief. But if he went on to 
 charge me with hypocrisy, because, believing these 
 things, and stating my belief of them to my American 
 friends while ainong thein, I nevertheless hailed the 
 friendship of the worthy and the good there as a 
 boon and a blessing, and enjoyed that Christian and 
 rational intercourse with them, which is indeed one 
 of the world's best blessings, and which is never 
 diminished or destroyed between noble minds by 
 difference in opinion, while each is assured of the 
 truth of the other's heart and the soundness of his 
 principles; if my accuser so misrepresented me, 
 that those who read his statements believed me to 
 be mean enough to court hospitalities in a foreign 
 land, and to repay the hospitalities with abuse; my 
 grief and surprise would not rise into indignation, 
 but subside into contempt. A lofty mind may be 
 led to love and to be indignant wrongfully; for love 
 and indignation arc passions of the noble mind, and 
 it is the lot of man to err and to be deceived ; but 
 such a mind never lightly entertains suspicions of a 
 mean and unworthy bearing, and is only brought by 
 clear and irresistible proofs to admit that others can 
 be guilty of conduct which it would spurn with 
 indignation itself." 
 
 I conclude that after this free and noble vindica- 
 tion of Bishop Hobart, some extracts from Mr. 
 Rose's private letters on this subject will nof be 
 
350 MEMOIR OF THE LIFE OF THE 
 
 considered a violation of thai delicacy and respect 
 to which he is so peculiarly entitled. 
 
 " Horsham, March 16, li'>26. 
 
 " MY DEAR FRIEND, 
 
 " I received your letter on the first of March. I 
 had been impatiently expecting it, but still I re- 
 membered how many calls you must have on your 
 time, and checked my impatience as well as I could. 
 I was heartily glad to find that your spirits and 
 health (except the temporary attack of cold) were 
 good; but I beseech you not to give too loose reins 
 to your active mind and disposition, for you will, I 
 fear, suffer if you do. I have learned, by bitter 
 experience of the last five or six years, that an 
 abstinence from mental exertion is often quite 
 necessary to keep the stomach, that spring of life 
 and activity, in any order, if it be disposed to be 
 weak. I acknowledge the pain and the difficulty 
 of such an abstinence, but your life is loo valuable 
 to be trifled with ; for though you may not be able 
 to effect all that you would with stronger health, 
 what you do, what you support, and what you pre- 
 vent, is of incalculable good. 
 
 " 1 have read your sermon with very great plea- 
 sure, and I concur in the greater part of all you 
 say as to our Church, though on one or two points 
 I hardly know that I like your plan so well. If the 
 patronage of livings were in the hands of bishops, 
 I should think all objections obviated on that head." 
 (The election of bishops Mr. Rose regards as a 
 perplexing question. He is aware of the objections 
 to their method, but he still thinks " iu a dominant 
 
RIGHT REV. JOHN HENRY HOBART. 351 
 
 Church a free election would not be tolerable." 
 He then points out an error into which the Bishop 
 has fallen in regard to the general causes of the 
 elevation of clergymen in the Church of England 
 to the Episcopal office ; and he mentions the names 
 of several by whom it is now most honourably 
 filled, who rose to this exalted station without any 
 influence either from interest or noble alliance. 
 " One of these, it is true, was a tutor in a noble 
 family; but where a man receives five or six pupils 
 he is very highly paid ; and as he does not devote 
 himself to one family, he is never considered as 
 having any claim to patronage. As another minor 
 error," he remarks, that " there are three professors 
 of divinity at Cambridge, who all lecture either 
 regularly or occasionally.") 
 
 " The part of your sermon from which I most 
 dissent, is the statement that the abject condition 
 of the poor here, is the necessary consequence of 
 our having privileged orders, or at least men far 
 exalted above others. I am unable to trace any 
 necessary connexion between the two things. In 
 my mind, the low state of our poor arises from the 
 poor laws, which make the rich the slaves of the 
 poor, and the poor the slaves of the parish officers. 
 As they have the parish relief to rely on, they lose 
 all provident habits ; and their masters, for the 
 same reason, do not pay them sufficient wages. 
 On the other hand, the parish gives them a mere 
 and bare sufficiency, so that they suffer in all ways. 
 But this is too long a topic for a letter. * * *. I 
 must conclude, though I do so reluctantly. Cut off 
 as I am from all hopes of personal intercourse with 
 
352 MEMOIR OF THE LIFE OF THE 
 
 you, I enjoy the more keenly this imperfect com- 
 munication, with one whom I view with so much 
 respect and affection. I shall depend on hearing 
 from you. 
 
 " Believe me ever, 
 
 "Most truly and affectionately yours, 
 
 ♦' H. J. ROSE." 
 
 In a different letter Mr. Rose observes to the 
 Bishop, that if another edition of the sermon were 
 called for, he would do well to correct one or two 
 inaccuracies. He had asked whether a portion of 
 the immense wealth of the universities should not 
 be appropriated to the increase of the accommoda- 
 tions for students, as many were now excluded who 
 applied for admission. Mr. Rose replies, that it 
 would only be just in regard to Cambridge to state, 
 that this had very recently been done to a great 
 extent. The new Observatory had been built, cost- 
 ing nearly £25,000 (sterling); the new court at 
 Trinity, which contains one hundred and twenty 
 persons, costing £40,000; the splendid new build- 
 ing at King's, costing £80,000; and the college of 
 Benet, near £40,000. A new court was just com- 
 mencing at St. John's, Downing, had been half 
 built within five years, besides, many new edifices 
 had been erected at other colleges. 
 
 The following letter, which appears to have been 
 written subsequently, is without a date. 
 
 " MY DEAR FRIEND, 
 
 " I have received from you your report to the 
 convention, and your charge, which show you un- 
 
RIGHT REV. JOHN HEPfRY HOBART. 353 
 
 wearied in labour and unshaken in principle ; but I 
 have not received, what I wished for excessively, a 
 letter from you; pray let me have the satisfaction 
 of seeing, under your own hand, that you are as 
 well as I wish you may be. 
 
 " With the report there came also two answers 
 to the attack on you in the Quarterly Theological 
 Journal. I was sorry that any of your friends in 
 America took the trouble of replying to it." 
 
 He then adds, with regard to his own notice of 
 the sermon, that he should not have thought any 
 answer necessary, had the Bishop been half as well 
 known in England as he was in his own country. 
 
 "I must tell you that I was sorry to see one thing 
 in the Christian Guardian, and that was a general 
 attack on the beneficed clergy of England, and a 
 statement that curates are the only persons who 
 have any spiritual influence over the people. This 
 I am sure is not your opinion. I can conscientiously 
 say, that it is wholly founded in error; for though 
 it is certainly true, that, in theory, tithes are most 
 objectionable, yet, in practice, a conscientious and 
 Christian clergyman, by not insisting on his full 
 rights, avoids dispute, and lives on terms of peace 
 with his parishioners as much as if tithes were not 
 in existence. You told me, I remember, that, prac- 
 tically, the payment of your clergy by voluntary 
 contributions does not diminish the freedom of 
 speech which they ought to have, but which tlieory 
 would make it probable that, under such a system, 
 they had not. And so it is with us — practice and 
 theory, in short, do not coincide more accurately in 
 this than in other matters. Believe me, therefore, 
 
 45 
 
354 MEMOIR OP THE LIFE OF THE 
 
 that a conscientious and pious incumbent with us,- 
 has as much spiritual influence as a priest can have; 
 and, from his suj)erior power of doing good, far more 
 influence than any curate can possibly enjoy. I 
 notice this at some length, because general reflec- 
 - . lions on a body always excite irritation, and it is, I 
 am sure, most desirable that the Church of this 
 country and yours should entertain a sincere and 
 genuine affection for each other. In some points 
 they differ, indeed, from external circumstances, but 
 in spirit they are one. * * *. 
 
 " We talk of you, think of you, and wish for you 
 every week of our lives. Alas ! how vainly. How 
 improbable is it that I shall ever have the happiness 
 of seeing you again ! Yet, to the last hour of my 
 life, unless I am strongly deceived in myself, I shall 
 think of you with affection, and be grateful to Pro- 
 vidence for giving me the advantage of knowing one 
 whose advice, whose energy, and whose example 
 will, I trust, not be lost on me. * * *. 
 
 " Most truly and affectionately yours, 
 
 " H. J. ROSE." 
 
 There are likewise some general allusions to the 
 sermon of Bishop Hobart in a letter from the Rev. 
 Dr. Walker, professor of divinity, and now Bishop 
 of Edinburgh, who, being a clergyman of the Epis- 
 copal Church of Scotland, which has no connexion 
 with the state, and who, standing in a similar relation- 
 to the Church of England as ourselves, was enabled 
 to view this subject with the utmost impartiality. 
 
 " When I was in London I of course saw Mr. 
 Norris ; while I was with him he showed me your 
 
RiailT REV. JOHN HENRY HOB ART. 
 
 355 
 
 «ermon, preached on your return to New-York. I 
 met at Cambridge your friend Mr. Rose, with whom 
 also 1 had some conversation on tlie same subject. 
 The dedication and the introduction to that sermon 
 are indeeci admirable, both in conception and in 
 expression. I am as much disposed as any man " 
 can be to lament certain circumstances and numer- 
 ous legislative restraints in the Church of England, 
 in the enactment of which tiie Church, as a body, 
 was never consulted ; nor do I at all wonder that 
 you should prefer the arrangements of your own 
 Church and country with which you are accustom- 
 ed, and the good effects of which you liave experi- 
 enced, to the different arrangements observed in 
 England. I entirely despise the prejudices which 
 would confine all good to England, and deny all 
 participation to other lands. With these feelings 
 in full operation, and blessing God, as 1 do daily, 
 for the happy progress of genuine religion in 
 America, which is so much indebted to your zeal 
 and labours, I am still of o[)inion that some of the 
 remarks in your sermon have been rashly hazarded, 
 and witliout a sufficient knowledge of the circum- 
 stances of the case. But these are errors into 
 which all travellers are apt to fall, while, with re- 
 spect to your country, it has too frequently happened 
 that malignity has been mixed up with the errors of 
 hasty observation. Every man who knows you, or 
 who, without knowing you, reads your sermon in a 
 Christian spirit, will at once acquit you of inten- 
 tional error, and of unfriendly retnark. I therefore 
 was exceetlingly shocked with the shameless ma- 
 Jiguity which, in the shape of a review in the Quar- 
 
356 MEMOIR OF THE LIFE OF THE 
 
 terly Theological, has been poured forth against 
 
 you." 
 
 Dr. Walker concludes his letter in that kind and 
 affectionate strain which it was almost the uniform 
 and enviable lot of the Bishop to draw forth even 
 from casual acquaintances, as well as from his oldest 
 friends. 
 
 " Most happy shall I be to learn that your health 
 is renovated, and that you are as happy as you 
 could wish in the bosom of your family and in the 
 midst of your affectionate flock. Mrs. Walker re- 
 collects your visit to Edinburgh with singular satis- 
 faction, while I myself feel all the warmth, not of a 
 recent acquaintance, but of a long-tried friendship, 
 which I am most anxious to cultivate by occasional 
 correspondence, since I cannot now hope for that 
 which I would so highly value from further personal 
 intercourse." 
 
 There are also some observations on the Bishop's 
 sermon in a letter from Sergeant Sellon, a distin- 
 guished lawyer, who is no less advantageously 
 known in our country than in his own. 
 
 " Chapter-House, St. PauVs, May 1, 1826. 
 
 " MY DEAR SIR. 
 
 " I was much gratified by the sight of your hand- 
 writing, for the next blessing to personal intercourse 
 with a friend, is a letter from him. I had been for 
 sometime in expectation of hearing from you, find- 
 ing from the public papers that you had safely 
 arrived at New- York, and been most cordially 
 received by your countrymen. 
 
 " Many thanks for your sermon — but one had 
 
RIGHT REV. JOHN HEJXRY HOBART. 357 
 
 reached my hands before yours arrived. It is 
 written with great nerve and spirit, as if the heart 
 felt what the mind dictated. I almost fancied you 
 in your Episcopal arm-chair at the Chapter-House 
 fire-side, expressing, in your usual animated style, 
 eulogiums on your country. But I rather expect 
 that your animadversions will not pass sub silentio. 
 Some, I believe, have taken umbrage at the sermon, 
 but chiefly on account of the notes. 
 
 " With regard to the work itself, I concur with 
 you in many main points, but not in all. Whatever 
 faults may be inherent in our constitution by reason 
 of the aristocracy, I look upon an hereditary no- 
 bility as a defence and ornament to a state. 
 
 " And although evil does in some respects result 
 from the disposition of our Church preferment of 
 pluralities and the like, I cannot but disapprove of 
 ministers and pastors being placed in a dependent 
 state on their congregations, and even exposed to 
 the temptation of seeking the favour of men rather 
 than of God. As to your mode of training young 
 men to the Church, and electing your ministers 
 and bishops, it may be fir preferable, I think, to 
 ours; but, I should like them, when elected, to be 
 perfectly independent by a fixed stipend or endow- 
 ment." 
 
 In another letter he writes, " I have often la- 
 mented the uncomfortable sensations which I fear 
 were excited in your mind by the irascible and ill 
 founded criticism which a[)peared in the Theological 
 Quarterly Review ; but I think they sank into in- 
 significance by the side of the sound, manly, and 
 sensible answer wliich afterwards appeared in an- 
 
558 MEMOIR OF THE LIFE OF THE 
 
 Other periodical publication. At the same time, rf 
 every one knew your heart, temper, and disposition 
 as well as myself, every ill-natured observation 
 would have been spared."* 
 
 In the review of the sermon in the Theological 
 Quarterly, the writer of it speaks in the most con- 
 temptuous terms of that spiritual society which 
 derived its existence and authority from his own. 
 He seems neither to have been aware of its origin 
 
 • There are a few touches in these lettei-s which depict so hap- 
 pily some of the personal pecuharities of the Bishop, that though 
 they have no connexion with the present suhject, and cannot he 
 supposed to have any interest for the general reader, yet will he 
 striking and agreeahle to his particular friends. 
 
 " My wife and children often talk of you, and particularly re- 
 quested me to give their kind rememhrances when I wrote to you. 
 We mean to spend the autumn at our homestead-cottage, and 
 should be happy to see you stretched along the sofa, pulling ofl" 
 your spectacles and rubbing your head, as if you felt yourself at 
 home. I enjoy these recollections. But yet somehow the time 
 passed over without my receiving that profit from your visit which 
 I ought to have done — there was too much hurry — always on the 
 wing — and although I felt myself benefited by occasional serious 
 conversation, yet it was but occasional. Want of time, broken 
 calls, interruption of others present, and accidental circumstances, 
 disturbed the calm and composure of private intercourse, and 
 checked as it were in its progress, the stream of instruction which 
 would have otherwise flowed from your lips. 
 
 " Your sermons still afford me much pleasure and satisfaction ; 
 and your appendix hath fully confirmed my ideas of the state of tlic 
 departed. It is, I think, clear and convincing. So that, though 
 absent, you are with me ; and if I find any thing in which I do not 
 coincide, though I cannot argue the point with you, I note it down 
 against the passage: But, in truth, that very rarely occurs; for 1 
 find our theology so congenial, that there is not above one or two 
 points in which there is any difference." 
 
RIGffT REV. JOHN HENRY HOBART. 359 
 
 nor progress. He speaks of it as " an obscure 
 Church, the labours of whose pastors have much 
 escaped notice in England, and been entirely con- 
 fined to the cultivation of the native mind ;" and he 
 represents that particular portion of it which was 
 committed to Bishop Hobart's care, as " a little 
 flock on the edge of the wilderness." But though, 
 numerically, it is indeed small, and the labours of 
 its pastors in the undivided and daily duties of 
 their calling, allow but little opportunity for acquir- 
 ing literary fame, yet both have attracted a degree 
 of observation in quarters which may console us 
 for his profound ignorance and unworthy contempt. 
 It is hoped that the introduction of a note from one 
 who is raised as far above the reviewer in liberality 
 as in station, may not be deemed a breach of the 
 respect which is due to him, since it is calculated 
 to do him that honour in our country which is, on 
 all accounts, so universally yielded to him in his 
 own. It was written by the late Bishop of London, 
 Dr. Howley, who is now the Primate of England. 
 
 " The Bishop of London presents his respectful 
 compliments to the Right Rev. Bishop Hobart, and 
 requests his acceptance of a few copies of a charge 
 delivered last summer to the clergy of the diocese 
 of London. The Bishop takes the further liberty of 
 requesting that, should an opportunity offer, Bishop 
 Hobart will have the goodness to present a copy to 
 each of his brother prelates, and to the Rev. Dr. 
 Dalcho, as a testimony of the Bishop of London's 
 high respect for the Episcopal Church in the United 
 States of America, and for the distinguished indi- 
 viduals through whose exertions it is rapidly ac- 
 
360 MEMOIR OF THE LIFE OF THE 
 
 quiring that pre-eminence in the public estimation 
 which is due to the superior purity of its doctrine, 
 and to its apostolic form of government. 
 "London, Jan. 20, 1823." 
 
 When the health of Bishop Hobart had been im- 
 paired by excessive labours both of body and mind, 
 and a temporary relaxation from his duties having 
 been found unavailing, it was thought indispensable 
 to his restoration that lie should travel abroad, 
 there was such a general manifestation of sympathy 
 and concern as was never perhaps exhibited among 
 us on any similar occasion. An address from the 
 clergy was put into his hands on the eve of his 
 embarkation, expressing, with no less sincerity 
 than warmth, their affection for his person, their 
 respect for his character, their prayers for his safety 
 during his journey, for tiie restoration of his health, 
 and for his return to the useful, zealous, and faithful 
 labours by which his diocese had been so signally 
 blessed ; offering up likewise prayers for them- 
 selves, that they might have grace to preserve the 
 Church in his absence from declining from that 
 degree of unity, prosperity, and purity, to which it 
 had been raised under his administration. A throng 
 of parishioners and friends pressed around him at 
 the moment of his departure, with anxious and sor- 
 rowing hearts, to bid him farewell ; and some felt 
 but little less than the Ephesian converts in parting 
 with St. Paul, from the painful apprehension that 
 they miglit see his face no more. The most of his 
 clergy who were resident in the city accompanied 
 him many miles, and then watched with fond and 
 
RIGHT REV. JOHN HENRY HOIJART. 361 
 
 lingering regret the last glimpse of the sails which 
 bore him hence. During the first few months ihey 
 waited for news from him with eager impatience ; 
 and through the whole course of his journey and 
 protracted absence, according to the varying ac- 
 counts of his health, they were by turns both cheered 
 and depressed. But when he came back renovated 
 in constitution, buoyant in spirits, and overflowing 
 with kindness towards all whom he met, he was 
 hailed with universal joy. A more deep and heart- 
 felt welcome was never given to any one on his 
 return to his native land. 
 
 The annual convention of the diocese was held 
 shortly after his return. The feelings of the clergy 
 and laity from all parts of the state were in unison 
 with those which prevailed in the city, and there 
 was therefore a general desire to make a public 
 demonstration of them on th.is interesting occasion. 
 But though there were none who did not wish to 
 unite in this testimony of gratitude for the happy 
 return of the Bishop, yet there were a few who, not 
 agreeing with him in some of his opinions, and in 
 the main points of his policy, were anxious that the 
 resolutions should be so framed as merely to express 
 their sentiments of personal attachment and respect, 
 and their high sense of his usefidness, piety, and 
 worth. With a view, therefore, to render it an 
 unanimous act, some of his friends, who agreed with 
 him in all points, unha[)pily yielded to this consider- 
 ation, and in a spirit of accommodation, as unusual 
 as it was unwise, drew them up in such a vague and 
 general form as deprived them of all the force, 
 character, and value which could make them wor- 
 
 46 
 
"% 
 
 862 MEMOIR OF THE LIFE OF THE 
 
 thy of his acceptance. The Bishop had met his 
 clergy and people witii a generous warmth, which 
 was most cordially reciprocated. He knew that, 
 with very few exceptions, they were of one heart 
 and one souL He knew on what accounts he was 
 particularly distinguished and esteemed. Any good 
 and amiable prelate, however weak, irresolute, and 
 wavering, might have received this praise, and there- 
 fore, on the day after the resolutions were adopted, 
 he rose in his place, and in the bitterness of a jeal- 
 ous and wounded affection rejected it with scorn. 
 Never did I hear any person, in voice, manner, or 
 expression, so eloquent. It was all nature, feeling, 
 and passion, wrought up to the highest pitch. He 
 represented this proceeding as a crafty device of his 
 opposers, and an act of weak compliance on the 
 part of his friends. Under the appearance of con- 
 gratulation and praise, it left out all those notices 
 of the characteristic and prominent points in his 
 principles and policy which it had been the labour 
 of his life to extend, through good and evil report, 
 and in which he placed his glory and pride. It 
 neither exhibited him as he was known at home, 
 nor as he was valued abroad. It was not agreeable 
 to the just and affectionate tribute which had been 
 presented to him on his departure, nor was it the 
 kind of commendation which he coveted on his 
 return. It was a diluted and weakened praise^ 
 which was in no way applicable to one who had 
 always stemmed the current of popular opinion, 
 and he therefore requested that the resolutions 
 should be expunged from the minutes. 
 
 This is the mere faint and imperfect recollection 
 
B 
 
 UKJHT REV. JOHN HENIiY irOBAUT. 363 
 
 of a speech which was so bold and powerful, as to 
 bow llie hearts of the whole assembly as of one 
 man. The justness and force of it were in the main 
 universally felt. The particular friends of the 
 Bishop were grieved at the pain which they had 
 given him, and mortified by the error into which 
 they had fallen. The resolutions were modified in 
 such a way as to give them an appropriate character; 
 and this fearless vindication of his fame, so far from 
 being regarded as a display of arrogance and pride, 
 was only considered as a proof of that elevation of 
 mind which glories in an honourable course, rather 
 than in undisiinguishiiig and popular applause. 
 
 From the Rev. Alexander Goode to Bishop Ho- 
 bart. 
 
 ^' London^ Jan. 6, 1826. 
 
 " RIGHT REV. AND DEAR SIR, 
 
 " Amidst the universal joy which awaited your 
 arrival at New- York, I trust the humble congratu- 
 lations of the companion of your sojourn in the 
 ^avoy cottage may not be unacceptable. Permit 
 me then most truly to sympathise in those feelings 
 which I know must have glowed in your bosom at 
 the affectionate expressions of delight on the part 
 of your countrymen at your safe return to them. 
 Such must indeed be the highest reward that can 
 await the faithful steward in this life. May it be 
 but the prelude to that joy unfading which awaita 
 the righteous in a beUer world ! While reading the 
 account of your reception and of your address to 
 the convention, I could well imagine what were 
 your feelings at the moment. Th<3 chill climate of 
 
364 MEMOIR OF THE LIFE OF THE 
 
 St. Bernard, the pelting storm of the Bonhommie, 
 and the inhospitable reception of the Savoy cottage, 
 might well be forgotten in the rapturous enthusiasm 
 of your countrymen. May it please the Almighty 
 long to continue to them the life of their good 
 Bishop, and to bless him with health and strength 
 to fulfill the duties of his office ! Your kind letter 
 to Mr. Norris I presented two days since. He 
 received me in a most friendly manner, desired to 
 see me as soon as my present duties with Lord 
 St. Vincent would allow me leisure, and assured 
 me that it would give him pleasure to be able to 
 serve me. * * *. 
 
 " Accept, my dear Sir, the grateful assurances of 
 regard from 
 
 " Yours faithfully and affectionately, 
 
 " ALEXANDER GOODE. 
 
 " Lord St. Vincent begs his kindest remem- 
 brance." 
 
 From Bishop Ravenscroft to Bishop Hobart. 
 
 " Raleigh, 3Iarch 18, 1826. 
 
 " RIGHT REV. AND DEAR SIR, 
 
 " It was my anxiety not to appear indifferent to 
 the happy event of your restoration to health, to 
 your family, and to the Church, through the mis- 
 carriage of a letter (which is a very common thing) 
 that prompted me to write the second time. I 
 well knew that you could have time for nothing but 
 to meet and answer the congratulations of your 
 numerous friends. 
 
 " I thank you very gratefully for the favourable 
 
RIGHT REV. JOHN HENRY HOBART. 365 
 
 opinion you are pleased to entertain and express 
 of my principles and conduct. It is refreshing to 
 the spirits in an arduous contest, to find that one is 
 not alone ; and it is strengthening to the resolution, 
 to meet the approval of the wise and good on those 
 points of duty to which the many are opposed, and 
 those who are not so are doubtful, timid, or in- 
 different. 
 
 " The situation of this southern country, surren- 
 dered for the last forty or fifty years to the exclusive 
 influence of the Dissenters, left me no alternative, 
 but to increase that influence by adoptiug half-way 
 measures, or, by a decided course, to call into action 
 what was left of predilection for the Church, to 
 rally her real friends around her standard, and to 
 strike fear into her enemies by the unqualified 
 assertion of her distinctive character; and I have 
 cause of thankfulness beyond expression, that it 
 has pleased God to give success so far to the little 
 I have been enabled to do. The predictions of the 
 lukewarm and the timid, that I was premature — that 
 the minds of the people were not prepared for it — 
 that even those who were called Episcopalians 
 would revolt at the consequences drawn from the 
 principles I inculcated — have all been falsified ; and 
 the cause of the Church has been strengthened 
 from day to day, as consideration of her truly divine 
 character and purpose in the plan of salvation has 
 been forced upon public attention. Multitudes have 
 owned to me, that but for tlie imperious call upon 
 their most serious consideration, occasioned by 
 the announcement of the doctrines of the Church, 
 they might have gone dreaming through life, without 
 
366 MEMOIR OF THE LIFE OF THE 
 
 once realizing their practical use to the assurance 
 of faith. To this course I was prompted also by 
 having no periodical publication through which to 
 awaken attention to the subject and direct the 
 judgment. I was therefore obliged to construct my 
 more official discourses in such wise as to call 
 forth discussion ; but I did not anticipate that the 
 wily Presbyterians would have swallowed the bait 
 so readily. * * *. Their opposition has done more 
 for the cause in a year, than without it could have 
 been done in ten. It is now, however, too late for 
 them to retrieve their error, attention is awakened, 
 feeling is roused, and investigation will for ever be 
 in our favour. 
 
 " Our progress nevertheless is comparatively slow 
 in organizing new congregations. * * *. We want 
 missionaries, and have funds to employ two, but 
 cannot obtain them ; yet my hope is strong — it is 
 not my cause but the Lord's, and his providence is 
 so distinct in his overruling direction of events for 
 the furtherance of that cause, that both my clergy 
 and myself are greatly encouraged. That we 
 should be of one mind and of one heart, is an 
 unspeakable blessing ; and that with this they should 
 be zealous, evangelical in the just sense of that 
 word, and the majority, men of more than respect- 
 able literary attainments, and other qualifications 
 for the pulpit, renders my station pleasant amid the 
 severe labour I have to encounter. * * *. 
 
 " I feel much indebted to Mr. C and to Mr. 
 
 O for the help and countenance they have given 
 
 me. I need it all. The habits and occupations of 
 my best years were not favourable to the retaining, 
 
RIGHT REV. JOHN HENRY HOBART. 367 
 
 far less to the improvement of a good education. 
 Every hour I have cause to regret that improvidence 
 which abandoned the continuation of mental im- 
 provement, and in a good degree threw away the 
 fruits of care, and pains, and expense in my early 
 education. But I foresaw not the use the Lord 
 had for me. Wonderful it is that he should have 
 sought me out, and what is left of me I wish to be 
 all his. Remember me in your prayers — help me 
 with your counsel — reprove me where I am in error 
 or wrong — and believe me, 
 
 " Very truly and affectionately, 
 
 " Your friend and brother in the Lord, 
 
 " JOHN S. RAVENSCROFT." 
 
 In the General Convention of 1826 a proposition 
 was made by the House of Bishops for sundry alter- 
 ations in the Liturgy. The measure was adopted 
 by the House of Clerical and Lay Deputies, but, 
 according to the constitution, it was to be commu- 
 nicated in the recess of the sittings of that body to 
 the conventions of all the dioceses, and then to be 
 acted upon at the following meeting of the General 
 Convention. It was understood to have been brought 
 forward by Bishop Hobart, and it is therefore neces- 
 sary to explain by what motives he was influenced 
 in the suggestion of a plan which was much more 
 likely to open a boundless field for discussion than 
 to lead to any satisfactory results. It was entirely 
 contrary to all his predilections and habits. His 
 love of the Liturgy was a passion. His admiration 
 of it in every part was so great, that it had even been 
 the occasion of charging him with a want of due 
 
368 MEMOIR OF THE LIFE OF THE 
 
 veneration for the word of God. He had at all times 
 enforced the observance of it among his clergy with 
 the utmost earnestness, solicitude, and zeal. I do 
 not remember an instance under any circumstances 
 in our parish, of his omitting even those parts which 
 are left to the discretion of the minister, nor do I 
 believe that if the alterations which he proposed, 
 and which were also to have been discretionary had 
 been adopted, that he would have changed his own 
 practice. 
 
 But in certain sections of the Church it had been 
 alleged that the service was too long, and in ac- 
 commodation to this opinion, many of the clergy, in 
 disregard of their solemn obligations and vows, had 
 substituted their private will for the public law. 
 This appeared to Bishop Hobart to be such a sub- 
 version of principle as would eventually bring all 
 authority and all order into utter contempt. If, 
 therefore, the pretext of the undue length of the 
 service could be removed, and whatever was doubtful 
 in the construction of a certain rubrick,* by which 
 a very common irregularity was justified, were made 
 clear and indisputable, then every violation of the 
 order of the Church would be without excuse ; and 
 he not only believed that it would be without 
 excuse, but he was even disposed to indulge the 
 hope, that it would in a great measure be without 
 temptation. 
 
 The modifications proposed were such as would 
 make no striking alteration in the daily service of 
 the Church. In its general form it was to remain 
 
 * The rubrick relative to the Ante-Communion Service. 
 
inCHT REV. JOHN HENRY HOBART. 369 
 
 the same as it liad ever been. The cliange was to 
 be entirely confined totlie Lessons and the Psalms. 
 These were either to be reduced in length to a 
 certain extent, or retained in the way originally 
 prescribed, at the discretion of the minister. Tire 
 Preface also in the Confirmation Service was to be 
 slightly altered, and the Rubrick in relation to the 
 Ante-Communion Service to be made so explicit 
 as to render the observance of it a matter of the 
 clearest and strictest oblisfation. 
 
 No change could have been made with less vio- 
 lence to the devout feelings and endearing associa- 
 tions of our people. It would have been so slight 
 in appearance as scarcely to be noticed, and yet the 
 abridgment of the Lessons and the Psalms would 
 have been so material as to bring the service within 
 reasonable bounds, to secure greater uniformity in 
 its observance, or to expose its violators to the 
 severest censure and reproach. 
 
 The measure was brought forward by Bishop 
 Hobart, with the view of promoting universal har- 
 mony and order, and in a spirit of the utmost con- 
 ciliation and kindness; which was met with great 
 cordiality by some who differed widely from him in 
 his general views. It was, however, with singular 
 frowardness and perversity strongly opposed by 
 many of those who were in the constant habit of 
 mutilating the Liturgy, as well as by others who 
 sacredly observed it, and who dreaded the effects of 
 innovation and change. From this double opposi- 
 tion, therefore, it was finally rejected. 
 
 The following letter to Bishop Hobart from 
 Bishop Ravcnscroft, is exceedingly characteristJc 
 
 47 
 
370 MEMOIR OP THE LIFE OF THE 
 
 both of the style and temper of the writer. There 
 was something remarkable and striking in the history 
 of his life, in the character of his mind, and in the 
 boldness and loftiness of his spirit, which notliing 
 could daunt. He was nearly of middle age when he 
 entered upon the ministry. The early part of his 
 life had been spent in guilty pleasures, his later years 
 in mere worldly pursuits, and the vvliole in such a 
 forgetfulnes* of God, that when he was awakened 
 to a sense of his condition, he regarded himself as 
 the chief of sinners. There was, therefore, such a 
 profound abasement at the recollection of his 
 offences, such a broken and contrite heart, such a 
 deep sense of the divine mercy and grace in reclaim- 
 ing him so late from the error of his ways, that his 
 Boul broke out with the most fervent love to God, and 
 the short remnant of his days was entirely employed 
 in redeeming the time which he had hitherto mis- 
 pent. A monument of mercy himself, he preached 
 the unsearchable riches of Christ with the utmost 
 ardour, fidelity, and zeal, holding him up continually 
 in all his gracious offices, and through the divine 
 blessing winning many souls to him, which are 
 now the crowns of his rejoicing. But though his 
 sanguine temperament was enkindled with all the 
 glow of pious feeling, he was not hurried on into 
 the extravagances of enthusiasm. He loved and he 
 preached the Gospel of Christ as the power of God 
 unto salvation to every one that believeth, but he 
 also loved the Church which the Son of God had 
 purchased with his blood. He looked upon these 
 tilings as essentially and vitally connected with each 
 other, and thought that no man had a right to put 
 
RIGHT BEV. JOHN HENRY HOBAUT. 371 
 
 asunder what God hath joined together. He there- 
 fore regarded wrong views of the ministry, authority, 
 and order of the Church, as material errors. He 
 looked upon separation from this ministry as the sin 
 of schism — upon a disregard to this authority as dis- 
 obedience to Him from whom it was derived — upon 
 a violation of this order as a presumptuous exalta- 
 tion of private opinion over public law, a breach of 
 sincerity and truth, and a contempt of the most so- 
 lemn obligations both to God and man. On all 
 points connected with his views of duty, he pro- 
 claimed his opinions fearlessly. He acted upon 
 them firmly and consistently. He would never 
 listen for a moment to the suggestions of policy. 
 He would compromit nothing. He would yield no- 
 thing. He despised a timid prudence. He shrunk 
 from no responsibility. He met error directly, and 
 was sure that truth would always triumph, if man- 
 fully defended. In the contemplation of the moral 
 sublimity of his character, we feel a respect for it 
 approaching almost to veneration. 
 
 And yet this man, so stern and inflexible in his 
 defence of the truth, and so lofty in the eyes of his 
 fellow-men, was like a child in his lowliness in the 
 sight of God. 
 
 His talents were suited to his character. His 
 bold thoughts were expressed in a strong and mas- 
 culine style, and his controversies were conducted 
 with great ability and spirit. With less theological 
 learning than many others, and in a great measure 
 by the acuteness and vigour of his natural powers, 
 he established his own positions well, triumphantly 
 exposed the weakness and fallacies of his anta- 
 
372 MEMOIR OF THE LIFE OF THE 
 
 gonist, and wit, sarcasm, and reasoning, all blended 
 together, made him one of the most formidable 
 assailants of Presbytery which our country has 
 produced. 
 
 But while, as one of the most sincere and devout 
 men that ever lived, (even those who differed from 
 him being the judges,) and one of the most zealous 
 and able defenders of evangelical truth and apos- 
 tolic order, he is worthy of the utmost admiration ; 
 yfit it must be acknowledged by his warmest friends, 
 that his great qualities were alloyed by some of 
 those infirmities which seem to be inseparable from 
 o-ur nature. He was undoubtedly too harsh and 
 violent in the condemnation of those who differed 
 from him in opinion, and too unqualified in the judg- 
 ment of their motives; and in his noble zeal for the 
 cause of truth, he sometimes lost sight of Christian 
 charity. These exceptions, it appears to me, are 
 the only ones which need to be made in regard to 
 the following letter of Bishop Ravenscroft, or of 
 any other which may be afterwards introduced. 
 
 ''Raleigh, May 30, 1827.. 
 
 " RIGHT REV. AND DEAR SIR, 
 
 " Your favour of the 25th reached me to-day, 
 accompanied by two copies of the address on the 
 present bug-bear of high and low Church — the 
 watch-word of a party, too unprincipled, I fear, to 
 be wrought upon by fact or argument. I trust I do 
 not exceed, in thus expressing myself; but, what 
 with their cant, and what with their artful adapta- 
 tion of their outcry to popular delusion, I can see 
 nothing of sincere though misdirected opinion, but 
 
RIGHT REV. JOHN HENRY HOBART. 373 
 
 much of reasoned and calculated contrivance to 
 overthrow that polity which the most solemn obli- 
 gations require them to defend. Though provi- 
 dentially defeated for the present, and for which 
 the Church cannot be sufficiently thankful, I agree 
 with you in opinion, that this defeat is not decisive 
 as to the fate of the party. It still exists, and will 
 continue to mature its plans with more caution (md 
 deeper counsels, waiting for the next vacancy in 
 the episcopate to try their strength, and either gain 
 their object in a bishop after their own heart, or 
 obtain occasion against the bishops, from their 
 refusal to admit an improper person into their body. 
 This, I doubt not, is a part of their plan — a kind 
 of reserve to appeal to public feeling upon, as a 
 persecuted body of pious men, denied the rights of 
 conscience. I trust, however, that there will be 
 firmness enough in a majority of the bishops to 
 commit the cause to God, by cleaving to principle 
 at every hazard — refusing every attempt at com- 
 promise. In the meantime much may be done to 
 give more correct views to the great body of our 
 laity, and to expose their artful and dangerous pro- 
 ceedings. 
 
 " On the subject of the Liturgy I have but one fear, 
 and that is, that the bishops are not prepared to 
 apply the only remedy, which is, no longer to wink 
 at infractions of the Kubricks, but to stand prepared 
 to enforce the discipline of the Church against all 
 offenders. Let this be done in one or two plain 
 cases, and I doubt not the result ; whereas, by con- 
 tinuing to act upon the present principle of forbear- 
 ance, those who act irregularly are encouraged to 
 
374 MEMOIR OF THE I-lPE OP THE 
 
 persevere, from the calculation that it is fear which 
 operates with the bishops — that they arc too strong 
 a party for the law to meddle with ; and thus a double 
 evil is produced ; the government is weakened, and 
 its opponents increased, both numerically and in 
 confidence. I trust you will pardon the freedom 
 with which T venture to show mine opinion : but, as 
 I am sure that we (the bishops) possess, individually 
 and collectively, the means to put a stop to this 
 increasing and ruinous evil, I had rather it should 
 thus be met, and promptly too, than by further tem- 
 porising, feed the flame of discontent and disunion, 
 until we have to mourn over a catastrophe which 
 firmness and decision would have averted.* 
 
 " While happily free myself from the remotest 
 cause of uneasiness as to this point, I yet feel for 
 those who are otherwise situated, and would gladly 
 aid in any way to bring about a more favourable 
 
 * The firmness of Bishop Ravenscroft was once, as he himself 
 informed me, put to a severe test, which, however, was found suffi- 
 cient for the occasion. One of the dioceses had elected a presbyter 
 as an assistant bishop, on the express condition that he should not, 
 as a matter of course, on the demise of the bishop, succeed to hig 
 jurisdiction. Bishop Ravenscroft looked upon this as utterly wrong ; 
 and though a canon was passed at the time to prevent its recurrence, 
 he would by no means give his consent to the act. Besides, in 
 reference to the presbyter elected, though he was his dear and 
 personal friend, and though with a single exception, he had never 
 known one whose walk was nearer to God, yet it was his opinion, 
 that he had not that regard to the distinctive principles and usages 
 of the Church which fitted him to be oneof her principal overseers. 
 On both these accounts, therefore, Bishop Ravenscroft disapproved 
 of his appointment to the office, and accordingly he neither could 
 be prevailed upon to sign his testimonials nor to assist in his con- 
 secration. 
 
RIGHT KtV. JOHiN UENUY IIOBAKT. 375 
 
 State of things. With the help of God I shall watch 
 to keep my diocese free from this infection. Nor 
 will I ordain any man whom I have sufficient ground 
 to suspect of laxity or disaffection to the distinctive 
 principles of the Church. Let all walk by this rule, 
 
 and Dr. 's increasing evangelicals will disappear 
 
 like the morning dew. 
 
 " Your affectionate friend and brother, 
 
 " JOHN S. RAVENSCROFT." 
 
 In the summer of 1827 Bishop Hobart set out 
 upon his tour of Episcopal duty, with the intention 
 of extending it to Green-Bay, in order to visit the 
 Oneida Indians, whom he still considered as under 
 his pastoral charge; but finding it impossible to 
 accomplish the journey consistently with other 
 necessary duties in his diocese, he did not reach 
 this remote point, and postponed it till the following 
 summer. He proceeded, however, as far as Detroit, 
 where he gratified the people of our communion 
 exceedingly, by the novel visit of a Protestant Bi- 
 shop, performed the interesting ceremony of laying 
 the corner-stone of the first Episcopal Church, and 
 administered the rite of confirmation. 
 
 No man was ever more careful than Bishop 
 Hobart to regulate his public conduct by general 
 principles, nor more ready in applying these princi- 
 ples to particular cases. And when his mind was 
 clearly made up as to the correctness of the rule, 
 he never suffered himself to be moved by temporary 
 expedients, by personal feeling, by popular excite- 
 ment, by the desire of praise, or fear of clamour and 
 reproach, but went on steadily and firmly in his 
 
376 MEMOIR OF THE LIFE OF THE 
 
 course. To men of narrow and wavering minds, 
 who could neither comprehend a subject in all its 
 bearings, nor act with resolution even upon their 
 own convictions, his conclusions at times seemed 
 rash and j)reciptate, his conduct harsh and ungra- 
 cious, and his perseverance and consistency mere 
 obstinacy and pride. But he generally secured at 
 once the approbation of the bold and sagacious; 
 and notwithstanding temporary opposition, very 
 often succeeded in finally carrying with him the 
 public mind. 
 
 The following letters are striking illustrations of 
 the peculiarity in his character which we have just 
 described. 
 
 "Answer of the Right Rev. Bishop Hobart to an 
 invitation to a public dinner given in this city on 
 the 8th of January, 1828, in honour of the victory of 
 New-Orleans." 
 
 " New- York, Jan. 2, 1828. 
 
 " GENTLEMEN, 
 
 " Professing a most warm and decided attach- 
 ment to the republican institutions of my country, 
 I have yet always deemed it expedient, considering 
 my particular office and station, never publicly to 
 connect myself with any of the political parties that 
 have divided the nation. I hope you will think that 
 this rule is, for me, a safe and proper one ; and in 
 conformity to it, I must beg your permission to de- 
 cline the distinction which you so politely offer me, 
 of being present at the public dinner on the 8th 
 instant. 
 
 " I trust you will believe my assurance, that in 
 
RIGHT REV. JOHN HENRY HOCART. 377 
 
 thus declining the honour which you intend me, I 
 am not influenced by any want of sensibility to the 
 importance of the event which you design to cele- 
 brate; and, least of all, of respect for you, or for 
 the numerous class of citizens whom you represent. 
 " 1 have the honour to be, gentlemen, &c. 
 
 " J. H. HOBART. 
 
 « To Wm, M. Price, Esq. Sfc. S^c" 
 
 " Letter from the Right Rev. Bishop Hobart to 
 the Mayor of New- York, in reply to a request of 
 the Corporation of the City, that the Clergy would 
 notice in their pulpits the recent decease of his 
 Excellency the Governor of the State." 
 
 " SIR, 
 
 " I have this day received from the Clerk of the 
 Corporation of the City a copy of a resolution of the 
 Common Council, in which * the Reverend the 
 Clergy of the City are respectfully requested to no- 
 tice, in an appropriate and solemn manner, in their 
 respective churches to-morrow, the deep bereave- 
 ment sustained by our common country, by the 
 death of our chief magistrate and fellow-citizen, 
 De Witt Clinton.' 
 
 " As I feel myself under the necessity of declining 
 to comply with this request in Trinity Church, and 
 at St. Paul's and St. John's Chapels, of which I have 
 the parochial charge, I hope you will permit me, in 
 order to prevent misconception, to state the reasons 
 which have influenced me in this determination. 
 
 " The prostitution of religion to the purposes of 
 secular policy has produced the greatest mischiefs ; 
 
 48 
 
378 MEMOIR OF Tllli LlFli OP THE 
 
 and I conccivo that the studious separation of the 
 Church from tlie State, which characterizes our re- 
 publican constitution, is designed to prevent religion 
 and its ministers from being made subservient to 
 the views of those who, from time to time, may ad- 
 minister public affairs. But if the civil or munici- 
 pal authority may desire the clergy ' to notice, in an 
 approj)riate and solemn manner,' the death of the 
 chief magistrate of a state, the request may be ex- 
 tended to every distinguished citizen who has filled 
 a public office; and thus the ministrations of the 
 clergy may be made to advance the influence of 
 political men and political measures — an evil from, 
 which, in the old world, the most unhappy eflfects 
 have resulted, and against which, in this country, we 
 should most sedulously guard. 
 
 " The character of the individual, too, whose 
 memory is to receive these high religious honours, 
 may not render him worthy of this sacred distinction ; 
 or, in seasons of great political excitement, he may 
 be as obnoxious to one portion of the community as 
 he is the idol of another; and thus the clergy, who 
 should be devoted to the exercise of their spiritual 
 functions, may be drawn into the ranks of party> 
 and suffer in its rude conflicts. In almost every 
 case, from the varying opinions of the relative merits 
 of public men, the ministers of religion, in the capa- 
 city of eulogists, may as much fall short of the 
 ardent expectations of some, as they may exceed 
 the more sober estimate of others. There is no 
 view of this matter which does not, in my judgment, 
 present serious objections to a compliance with the 
 request of the Corporation. 
 
IIIGIIT UEV. JOHN HENRY II()!]Ai:'r. 379 
 
 " As far as my private feelings arc concerned, it 
 would be most grateful to me to bear my public 
 testimony to the eminent talents, the civil services, 
 and the private virtues, of the lamented chief magis- 
 trate of the state — and, most certainly, great defer- 
 <^nce is due to a request of the functionaries of the 
 city in which i am a minitster: but paramount 
 considerations of duly will prevent my compliance 
 with a request which, in the principle ihtxt it involves, 
 and in ihe j^yccedent which it will establish, appears 
 to me of dangerous tendency, in regard to the spirit 
 of our free constitutions, an<:l to the interests of 
 religion, and the character and influence of its 
 ministers. 
 
 " I have the honour to be, 
 
 " With great respect, 
 
 " Your most obedient servant, 
 
 "J. H. HOBART. 
 
 " Saturday, Feb. 16, 1828." 
 
 From Bishop Ilobart to the Rev. Mr. Ives.* 
 
 " Warsaw, Sept. 15, 1828. 
 
 "MY DEAR SIR, 
 
 •" I received your letter containing the melanciioly 
 news of Dr. Feltus' death, of whicii, however, I was 
 previously apprized, by a letter from Dr. Onderdonk. 
 It is truly, privately and publicly, a severe dispensa- 
 tion of Providence. He was exceedingly useful in 
 his congregation, and daily Lieconiing more and 
 more attached to the cause of sound Church prin- 
 
 * Now Bishop of North-Carolina. 
 
380 MEMOIR OF THE LIFE OF THE 
 
 ciples ; and to me uniformly and warmly kind. God 
 grant that his congregation may be saved from one 
 of different views and policy. Rumour is often un- 
 founded in her reports; but it has been whispered 
 that your name has been mentioned; of course I 
 conclude you cannot think for a Dioment of leaving 
 St. Luke's, even should it be in your power. 
 
 " I have not heard from home, except through you, 
 since I left Troy. I hope to find a letter at Geneva. 
 Let some of the family write to me immediately, 
 directing to Unadilla, Otsego county^ New-York, 
 The country through which I have passed has been 
 more sickly than ever was known ; but, thank God, 
 I have been well. 
 
 *' Every day I am led to exclaim — ' The harvest 
 is great, but the labourers are few :' with such a 
 harvest at home, such a want of labourers hercy 
 must we be searching for a harvest abroad \ To 
 me it seems not only absurd, but wrong. * * *. 
 
 " Affectionately yours, 
 
 " J. H. HOBART." 
 
 From Bishop Ravenscroft to Bishop Hobart. 
 
 " Williamshorough, N. C, Nov. 13, 1828. 
 
 "RIGHT REV. AND DEAR SIR, 
 
 '' I have been balancing for weeks whether to 
 write to you or to wait for a clearer indication of 
 the disturbance to the Church, which I anticipate 
 from the measures contemplated in the diocese of 
 Virginia. Perhaps I fear without cause ; perhaps 
 I am doubtful where I might be confident. I confess 
 I am full of apprehension. 
 
RHJHT rev. JOHN HENRY HOB ART. 381 
 
 " I learn from a source entitled to credit, that the 
 change proposed in the ecclesiastical constitution 
 of that diocese will be carried, though not without 
 opposition; and if so, what in such event is likely 
 to be the course pursued by tlie House of Bishops I 
 what ought to be their course under existing cir- 
 cumstances ? and what the probability that the real 
 interests of the Church and of true religion will 
 prevail against the specious but fallacious pretence 
 of maintaining peace by yielding to innovation? 
 
 " These are subjects which haunt me, I may 
 almost say, and which even the anxiety consequent 
 on the daily decline of my poor wife's health cannot 
 shut out. Is it proper that some interchange of 
 opinion between tlie bishops should take place I 
 * * *. Is it proper and prudent that precautionary 
 measures should be set on foot, while the danger 
 may be considered as only possible? And may I 
 request your view of the whole ] * * *, 
 
 " I greatly regret that so little intercourse takes 
 place between the bishops, as I have reason per- 
 sonally to lament. I do not think it is right, offici- 
 ally speaking, and certainly the late and present 
 state and temper of the American Church calls fur 
 concert, union, and firmness amongst those who, as 
 watchmen, stand answerable not only for present 
 but for future interests, and these such as involve 
 the glory of God and the salvation of men. 
 
 " I need not say, I trust, that I shall rejoice to 
 hear from you, to receive the benefit of your greater 
 experience, more extended range of observation, 
 and intimate knowledge of character, and that I 
 shall most readily communicate that information 
 
S82 MEMOIR OF THE LIFE OF THE 
 
 which a knowledge of the principles and views of 
 
 tlie leaders in Virginia, acquired by a service of 
 
 six years as their fellow presbyter, has given me. 
 * « « 
 
 " For the re-establishment of my health, now 
 much improved, I am debarred from my usual 
 course of visitations during the winter. But it 
 would still have been thus, in the providence of 
 Almighty God, by the serious, I fear 1 may say, 
 hopeless state of Mrs. Ravenscroft's health, over 
 whose daily decaying frame I have to watch con- 
 tinually. She is, however, patient and cheerful, 
 possessing * the confidence of a certain faith, and 
 the comfort of a reasonable, religious, and holy 
 hope,' for which I heartily thank an ever gracious 
 God, and pray that the like consolation may be 
 yours and mine in that trying season. 
 
 " Your affectionate friend and brother, 
 
 " JOHN S. RAVENSCROFT." 
 
 There is a very important feature in the public 
 character of Bishop Ilobart, which, perhaps, in the 
 first place, contributed more than any thing else to 
 his elevation to the Episcopal oflice, and after he 
 had attained it, to the increase of his influence and 
 consideration, that I find myself unable to represent, 
 except in a very imperfect and general manner. 
 His talents for public business were of the highest 
 order. Fond of its excitement, patient of all its 
 details, clear and sagacious in his views, prompt in 
 action, full of resources, there was nothing which 
 he did not understand, and nothing which he was 
 not at all times prepared to engage in with interest, 
 
RIGHT REV. JOHN HENRY HOBART. 383 
 
 and to act upon with decision. He was, therefore, 
 one of the few who form the life and soul of every 
 public assembly, and who influence, direct, and con- 
 trol its deliberations. Without being forward or 
 assuming', he was always self-possessed, confident 
 in his own powers, prepared for any emergency, and 
 roused to a more vigorous exertion of his intellect 
 when taken by surprise. On occasions of this kind 
 he not only spoke with ease and fluency, but some- 
 times rose to a high and commanding eloquence.* 
 But though it is well known that he took a most 
 active part as a presbyter in the business of our 
 State Convention, that from an early period of his 
 ministry he made himself conspicuous in the general 
 councils of the Church, and that he exercised a 
 great degree of influence at a later period in the 
 House of Bishops, yet it is difficult to point out tho 
 
 * The late Rufus King, who was an admh-able judge of the wisdom 
 and eloquence in others, of which he himself furnished so illustrious 
 an example, entertained the most favourable opinion of Bishop 
 Hobart in regard to both. In a communication which I have re- 
 ceived from Charles King, Esq. he remarks, that he has " heard his 
 father more than once, in adverting to the influence which the 
 Bishop exercised in various deliberative bodies where they met, 
 speak with high admiration of his powers and promptness as a 
 debater. He often used to say, that if the Bishop had been a 
 politician instead of a clergyman, he could not have failed of 
 obtaining and preserving a great ascendency in public assemblies, 
 by those qualities of his mind which enabled him to perceive with 
 intuition the weak points of an adversary's argument, and urge with 
 convincing earnestness the strong points of his own. When lo this 
 was added that sincerity of purpose which was so obvious in all 
 that he said, it may readily be believed that it was difficult to w Ii!i- 
 stand him." 
 
384 ftlEMOIR OP THE LIFE Of THE 
 
 important questions in which he was engaged, or 
 the occasions on which he was particularly distin- 
 guished ; for no record is kept of the debates in 
 our conventions, and little else can be learned from 
 the Journals than the result of their proceedings. 
 The persons with whom he acted before his eleva- 
 tion to the Episcopal office, are for the most part 
 dead, and at this distance of time accurate informa- 
 tion on these points cannot be obtained from those 
 who are living. The same remarks may in a great 
 measure be applied to the more private discussions 
 in which he was engaged in the House of Bishops. 
 In the autumn of 1828 the plan of a clerical as- 
 sociation was formed by a few of the clergy in the 
 city of New- York and its immediate neighbourhood ; 
 the object of which was declared to be " the promo- 
 tion of the personal piety and the official usefulness 
 of its members by devotional exercises, and by con- 
 versation on missionary and such other religious 
 subjects as might conduce to mutual edification." 
 The purity of intention on the part of those by whom 
 it was instituted, and the fair promise of usefulness 
 which it held out, would have commended it to the 
 favour of common observers ; but the Bishop, with 
 his usual penetration and sagacity, observed in it 
 those seeds of evil and discord which would inevit- 
 ably spring up amidst the good fruits, and endea- 
 voured at once to check its establishment and growth. 
 Fond of the good old ijaths^ and witnessing the 
 happy effects of a strict adherence to all the usages 
 of our Church, he was not easily led astray by spe- 
 cious appearances, but preferred the sure advant- 
 ages of experience to the uncertain hopes of novelty 
 
ItlGHT REV. JOHN HENRY HOBAIiT. 385 
 
 and innovation. He therefore regarded this scheme 
 with a scrutinizing eye, and when he had surveyed it 
 in all its tendencies and probable results, and was 
 satisfied of its inexpediency, he communicated his 
 opinions to the clergyman by whom it was originally 
 proposed, with the earnest desire that it might be 
 abandoned. After a kind discussion of the subject 
 between them, the Bishop entertained the hope that 
 there would be an end of the matter, and the un- 
 doubted conviction that it would not be finally re- 
 solved on without further communication with him. 
 In this, however, his frank and confiding nature 
 misled him.* The Bishop soon learned that a meet- 
 ing of several of the clergy had been called, with a 
 view of organizing the plan. He immediately re- 
 solved on seeing two of them, and stated eartiestly 
 and solicitously, but with as much mildness as was 
 in his power, the reasons which convinced him that^ 
 laudable as was their object, the plan which they 
 proposed for accomplishing it was inexpedient and 
 unnecessary. A statement nearly similar was also 
 made on a different occasion, in a spirit of frankness 
 and kindness, to another of the clergymen who took 
 the lead in the measure. But notwithstandinsr all 
 these conciliatory and precautionary measures, not- 
 withstanding his objections, his wishes, and almost 
 his solicitations, he found that his endeavours were 
 unavailing. The association was organized. Eifurts 
 were made to extend it. It was publicly announced 
 
 * Something must have been said, probably in a courteous way, 
 and with a view of getting rid of the subject, which admitted of this 
 inference, though it might not have been so thought nor intended 
 on the part of the speaker. 
 
 49 
 
386 MEMOIR OF THE LIFIi OF THE 
 
 and applauded in a religious paper, without any 
 authority indeed on the part of the society, but at 
 the same time without any expression of displeasure 
 at the publicity which was given to it. 
 
 Under these circumstances, what was the Bishop 
 to dol Was it to be expected that he who never 
 shrunk from the discharge of his duty on account of 
 the consequences, who had struggled through his 
 whole life with difficulties, and overcome them, whose 
 spirit always rose up to the emergency and prepared 
 him to meet it with firmness and vigour, was to 
 sink down on this occasion in timidity and silence'? 
 Such, however, in contradiction to his well known 
 character, appears to have been the conclusion of 
 those by whom his wishes were opposed ; and such, 
 indeed, would have been the conduct of an ordinary 
 man : for it was a most delicate and critical con- 
 juncture. He was called upon to express his dis- 
 approbation of the course which had been pursued 
 by some of the most popular and influential of his 
 presbyters, for whom he entertained a sincere es- 
 teem. He was to act in opposition to a scheme 
 which, having for its avowed object the promotion 
 of their personal piety and ministerial usefulness, 
 would seem to those who only looked at the surface 
 of things, without considering all their bearings and 
 consequences, worthy of the highest approbation and 
 praise. He saw that his conduct would be liable to 
 misconstruction on the part of those honest and 
 sincere persons who would not give themselves the 
 trouble to think, and to the perversion of the self- 
 righteous and Pharisaical, who would not view it 
 according to charity and truth. While contending 
 
RIGHT KEV. JOHN HENIIY HOBART. 
 
 337 
 
 for what be deemed the best interests of religion, 
 he was aware that his piety itself might be called m 
 question. In the prospect, therefore, of the pam 
 which he must give to those from whom he differed, 
 and the misconception, odium, and abuse which he 
 knew that he would draw upon himself, he might 
 well consider the step which it was necessary for 
 him to take as " one of the most harassing events 
 of a trying episcopate of eighteen years." 
 
 But these considerntions did not move him. He 
 prepared an exposition of his conduct and views, in 
 the form of a Pastoral Letter to the clergy and laity 
 of his diocese. In order to make himself still more 
 sure of the propriety of his course, he read it to a 
 few of those friends in whom, from their respect for 
 Ins character, their admiration of his policy, and 
 long-tried attachment to his person, he could en- 
 tirely cpnfide, and who valued him too much to 
 encourage him in any measure of which they did not 
 honestly and cordially approve. They all agreed^ 
 in opinion, that the pu^)licalion of the Letter was 
 due to himself and the Church. For my own part, 
 having looked upon the line of distinction which 
 was about to be drawn by this society between 
 those who should unite with it and those who should 
 not, as one which, in the spirit of the day, would 
 necessarily bring some odium on the latter, and 
 perhaps hinder their usefulness, I not only re- 
 garded it with dislike, but with a degree of anxiety 
 and dread. The conduct of the Bishop, therefore, 
 m thus interposing himself as a shield for the pro- 
 tection of others, and bearing the whole, reproach 
 iiimself, struck me as a noble and magnanimous 
 
388 MEMOIR OF THE LIFE OF THE 
 
 act ; and I could not forbear from telling him, that 
 the course he was pursuing seemed to me no less 
 generous than correct. He replied, that his life had 
 been a scene of constant agitation, that he longed 
 for repose, and that he had never before taken any 
 step with so much reluctance ; but that his duty 
 was plain, and it must be done. 
 
 I shall now give the substance of the Pastoral 
 Letter. The Bishop first remarks, that " a minority 
 of the clergy have thought themselves warranted in 
 assuming" the title of the Protestant Episcopal Cle- 
 rical Association of the city of New- York, " of which 
 the Bishop, and a large majority of the Protestant 
 Episcopal clergy of the city are not members." As 
 he ought certainly not to be inferior to others in 
 solicitous efforts to promote his own piety, official 
 usefulness and edification, as well as of the clergy, 
 he thinks it essential that he should exhibit the 
 reasons why those efforts have not been directed in - 
 favour of an association whose object appears so 
 commendable, but against it. After an account of 
 his endeavours, which I have already related, to 
 prevent the organization of the society, he proceeds 
 to state the arguments which he then briefly urged 
 somewhat more in detail. 
 
 " 1. Though every clergyman should aim at the 
 greatest piety and zeal, and with this view should 
 devote himself habitually, and earnestly, and fer- 
 vently to private reading, meditation, and prayer, 
 and should avail himself of occasioTiaZ opportunities 
 of counsel and converse with his brethren ; yet 
 organized clerical associations for prayer and spiri- 
 tual conversation, and expounding of Scripture, have 
 
RIGHT REV. JOHN HENRY HOBART. 389 
 
 a strong tendency to become the theatres of spiritual 
 vanity and ostentation, and of that peculiar and 
 artificial language of religion which is significantly 
 denoted by the term cant; and than which there is 
 not any thing more offensive to the delicacy, sim- 
 plicity, and purity of genuine piety. 
 
 " 2. As in these associations, excitemejit is the 
 object, a more than ordinary glow of religious feel- 
 ing, begin, as they may, in chastened spiritual con- 
 versation, in a well ordered prescribed form of 
 devotion, the excited fervour of some at least will 
 soon require conversations more impassioned, and 
 devotions more ardent. The heats of enthusiasm 
 will soon inflame religious conversation, and ex- 
 tempore prayers, stirring up the animal passions, 
 displace the dull routine of prescribed formularies. 
 Some may oppose and strive to check the departure 
 from sobriety, but they will soon be set down as 
 formalists; and retiring from a whirlwind which 
 they have been instrumental in exciting, but which 
 they cannot control, they must see it assailing and 
 weakening, if not subverting, those barriers which 
 public reason has established against private fancy, 
 and those provisions which the wisdom and the piety 
 of the Church have settled for the preservation of 
 Christian unity and the regulation of the devotion 
 of her members. All this is in the ordinary course 
 of human nature — all this is abundantly exhibited in 
 the history of the Church of England in the reigns 
 of Elizabeth and the first Charles."* 
 
 * At that time, according to the account of Fuller, it was cus- 
 tomary for " the ministers of the same precinct, by their own 
 appointment, to meet at the principal place therein. The junior 
 
390 IMEMOIR OF THE LIFE OF THE 
 
 " At a much more recent period, in the earlier 
 part of the last century, clergymen of the Church 
 of England, with precisely the same plea which 
 is now urged, the defective piety and zeal of the 
 clergy, formed an association for the * promotion of 
 personal piety and for mutual edification,' which 
 produced a schism in that Church, and led to the 
 rejection both of her worship and ministry." 
 
 divines went first into the pulpit, and for half an hour, more or less, 
 treated upon a portion of Scripture, formerly, by a joint agreement 
 assigned unto him. After him four or five more, observing their 
 seniority, successively dilated on the same text. At last a grave 
 divine, appointed on purpose, made the closing sermon," and after- 
 vi^ards delivered his remarks upon the discourses of the rest. " Then 
 all was ended, as it began, with a solemn prayer, and at a public 
 refection of those ministers, the next time of their meeting was 
 appointed, text assigned, preachers were deputed, a new moderator 
 elected, or the old one continued, and so all were dismissed." 
 
 These prophesyings, as they were called, were attended with 
 manifold evils, a departure from the established ritual of the Church, 
 an unbecoming rivalry among the clergy, the depression of modest 
 merit in those ministers who " were profitable preachers in their 
 private parishes, but who were loath to appear in this public way, 
 which made them undeservedly slighted and neglected by others ;" 
 the encouragement of vanity in many young men, who having 
 " more boldness than learning, readiness than solidity, carried away 
 the credit, to the great disheartening of those of more age and 
 ability;" "jarring and personal reflections," which often disturbed 
 the harmony of this concert of preachers, impertinent excursions 
 from their text, to inveigh against the discipline and government of 
 the Church," and various other inconveniences, which made them 
 prejudicial to the ordinary services of the sanctuary on the Lord's 
 day, and to the interests of true religion and virtue. 
 
 " It is to be observed, that as these prophesyings were public, 
 and those of the Clerical Association private, the above remarks will 
 not apply to the latter. The attentive observer, however, will not 
 fail to see in how many respects" they " are strictly applicable." 
 
RIGHT REV. JOHN HENRY HOBART. 391 
 
 "3. Conversation on religious subjects" " among 
 clergymen, on the spirit and the duties of their 
 office," and " the various topics of theology, when 
 it takes place in their ordinary intercourse," " and 
 especially that converse, in which congenial friends 
 pour into each other's bosoms their thoughts and 
 their trials," " which a delicate mind would" feel a 
 reluctance in exposing more publicly, " is highly 
 inspiriting, consolatory, and edifying. These art- 
 less unpremeditated effusions, this 'sweet counsel,' 
 these ' words in season,' * how good they are !' But 
 send me to a meeting organized with its presiding 
 officer, its secretary, its book of minutes, &c. &c. in 
 which I must talk spiritually, in which I am to prepare 
 to talk spiritually, in which the emulation may be 
 who can talk most spiritually — the charm is gone ; 
 formality takes the place of simplicity, stateliness 
 of ease, artificial or enthusiastic fervour of genuine 
 feeling, the clergyman as he would fain others 
 should think him to be, of the clergyman as he 
 really is. And as there is to be discussion — dis- 
 cussion on subjects formally proposed, it is well if 
 a spirit does not creep in very different from that of 
 mildness, meekness, and humility — well if * they 
 who are of like passions with other men,' do not 
 begin to contend for victory instead of truth ; and 
 to take the field as opposing champions of this or 
 that opinion, this or that system of policy, this or 
 that minute point of theological criticism, this or 
 that mode of phraseology. Well will it be if what 
 began for * mutual edification' does not end in 
 mutual strife. Is all this imaginary I A clerical 
 association which once existed in our own country, 
 
392 MEMOIR OF THE LIFE OP THE 
 
 would prove that the picture here drawn is taken 
 from the life." 
 
 " 4. But most exceptionable are these clerical 
 associations when viewed as to the ease with which 
 they may be made the powerful instruments of 
 intrigue, and engines of party, 
 
 " That such is the tendency" or " design" of the 
 present, " he is far from asserting." " But no fal- 
 lacy is greater than that which views a measure in 
 itself independently of its remote consequences, 
 and of its operation as a precedent, and which 
 determines the character and tendency of associa- 
 tions in their long continued and changing effects 
 from the particular cast of the one which at the 
 moment is before us. What are the associations 
 now under consideration] Bands of clergy united 
 by the strongest ties, those of spiritual feeling and 
 religious zeal. Give an impetus in any direction to 
 one of these associations, and with what force and 
 efficiency would it move ! Let the power that gives 
 the impetus be acquired by one or more members 
 of these associations, and who will say that they will 
 not be made the instruments of faction, and the 
 engines of party 1 And most to be dreaded are they, 
 under the popular form in which, in many respects, 
 our Church is in this country organized. Our 
 bishops, various officers intrusted with important 
 duties, standing committees, &c. &c." and deputies 
 to the General Convention, " are elective. When 
 then our ecclesiastical system is thus popular in 
 its organization, of how great importance is it to 
 guard against the operations of faction and party 
 influence 1 
 
RIGHT REV. JOHN HENRY HOBART. 393 
 
 " Nor is the danger ideal, that these associations 
 will travel beyond their professed designs. The 
 glory of God, the extension of the kingdom of Christ* 
 the good of the Cliurcii, are objects so momentous, 
 that they will, in those periods of excitement which 
 these associations aim at producing, be considered 
 as a complete justification of recommendations, and 
 finally resolves and plans of various and probably 
 conflicting kinds. 
 
 " The laity have cause to fear the power of the 
 clergy only when that power is exercised in self- 
 created, irresponsible associations. The legitimate • 
 Episcopal authority is liable to most danger from 
 the clergy in these easily perverted societies, whicli 
 may soon be applied to influence and control not 
 only the Bishops, but the diocesan convention of 
 clertry and laity. Counsel which, if given individually 
 by clergymen, a bishop ought to receive with respect, 
 and to consider with deference ; he would feel it his 
 duty to decline if it assumed the imposing and con- 
 trollinof character of a resolve or recommendation 
 from organized associations, who, even if they should 
 not encroach on the powers of the convention of tho 
 diocese, would prove in this body dangerous instru- 
 ments of intrigue and faction. 
 
 " 5. These associations for promoting personal 
 piety and mutual edification, by devotional exercises 
 and religious conversation, &c. will become not only 
 the instruments but the invidious badges o^ jjartij. 
 
 " Those who engage in them, however they may 
 disclaim the representation, will be held up as more 
 evangelical, more spiritual, more devoted to their 
 Master's service, than those who do not avail them- 
 
 50 
 
394 MEMOIR OF THE LIFE OF THE 
 
 selves of these plausible means of personal piety 
 and mutual edification. These latter must explain 
 and justify themselves — criminations and recrimina- 
 tions ensue — party spirit is engendered — and soon 
 the clergy will be ranged in the parties of spiritual 
 and pious, and secular and formal. No person can 
 doubt that such must be the issue, who attends to 
 the principles of human nature, to the workings of 
 the human feelings, or to the facts which daily pre- 
 sent themselves. Are not certain bishops and clergy 
 now constantly charged with being bigotted, and 
 formal, and anti-evangelical, because they resolutely 
 maintain the distinguishing principles and institu- 
 tions of their Church, in opposition to opinions and 
 practices which, in their judgment, would weaken 
 and finally subvert both? And will not they who, 
 for whatever purpose, employ these weapons of 
 attack, find a new and powerful one in the charge, 
 that what they will doubtless extoll as a most 
 laudable plan of promoting clerical piety and edifi- 
 cation, is not only discouraged, but disapproved of 
 by a bishop and many of his clergy? 
 
 "It was this last consideration which" the Bishop 
 "pressed with the most earnestness on the valuable 
 and respectable clergymen whom he addressed, 
 with the view of inducing them to relinquish the 
 plan of a clerical association in this city, which they 
 had formed. For admitting that they could not see 
 the force of his objections, and that, in this proposed 
 measure, one of disputed policy, and not certainly 
 of conscience, no deference was due to the opinions 
 and feelings of the individual who holds the most 
 responsible station in the diocese ; yet the contem- 
 
IJKJHT REV. JOllW IIKIN'UY llOBAUT. 395 
 
 plated association would certainly occasion divisions 
 among us, and become a new source of party spirit. 
 Those of the clergy and himself who did not join 
 in the association, would appear before the public 
 in the unpleasant light of not participating in the 
 means which others of tiieir brethren use and extoll 
 for tiie promotion of personal piety and mutual 
 edification. And he, tlierefore, with all deference, 
 submitted to them, whether, as a matter of peace 
 and unity, of delicacy and kindness to their Bishop 
 and brethren, inasmuch as it would not be pre- 
 tended that the association proposed was essential 
 to personal piety and edification; and as both could 
 be promoted by other modes to which there could 
 be no possible exception ; as the measure therefore 
 could not be absolutely necessary, it was not expe- 
 dient to relinquish it. 
 
 " They seemed at the time affected by the con- 
 sideration ; and he was sanguine in the hope that 
 they would be conclusively so. For thus he reasoned 
 with himself Mere men of the world engaged in 
 any association, would deem it unkind, if not inde- 
 corous, to adopt any measure not essential, which 
 was disagreeable to a respectable portion of their 
 associates, and which might subject those associates 
 to misrepresentation and odium. On Christians 
 this delicate consideration towards tiieir brethren 
 in the family of the same divine Lord, is a duty 
 much more obligatory. On the ministers of Christ 
 this ready relinquishment of whatever is not essen- 
 tial, m deference to the wishes, the feelings, and 
 the characters of a respectable portion of their 
 brethren, and of him who is set over them in the 
 
396 MEMOIR OF THE LIFE OF THE 
 
 Lord, seemed to him an imperative act of delicacy, 
 kindness, and duty, not permitting a moment's 
 hesitation. 
 
 "For admitting that the evil would not," as he was 
 fully persuaded it would, " very much overbalance 
 the good ; yet in all plans of disputed policy, the 
 decisive question ought to be — Can we do without 
 them, and thus avoid the evils which there is reason 
 to fear will ensue from them "? And who will for a 
 moment pretend that associations of the description 
 of the one under consideration, are essential to the 
 personal piety, official usefulness, and edification of 
 the clergy? To suppose so, would be to cast a 
 libel on the thousands and hundreds of thousands of 
 ministers who, without these means, have pursued, 
 as burjimg and shining lights, their luminous course 
 to the bright day of heavenly glory. Let a clergyman 
 in private read, and meditate and pray. Above all, 
 let him cherish the spirit of suppVicaiion ; lifting up 
 at all times, and in all places, unseen and unnoticed 
 by the world, but seen and heard by his heavenly 
 Master, his heart and affections in prayer for every 
 spiritual blessing which he needs as a Christian and 
 as a minister of the Lord. In the social circle of 
 his brethren, in those clerical meetings which the 
 various exigencies of the Church render necessary, 
 and in the more confined groupe of those whom 
 congeniality of temper and views, or other circum- 
 stances draw together, let him indulge, as opportu- 
 nity offers, in converse as to all the points by which 
 he may be excited or edified. He will enjoy suffi- 
 cient means of personal piety and edification. 
 
 " In these exercises, which have been tested and 
 
KIGHT REV. JOHN HENRY HOBAUT. 397 
 
 found adequate to their holy end, by a series of tlie 
 most pious and faithful ministers who, in successive 
 ages, have adorned the Church, there can be no 
 unhallowed intrusion of vanity, ostentation, or vain- 
 glorious strife, of the selfish spirit of ambition, and 
 of the disorganizing purposes of restless faction. 
 To the constant and fervent use of tiiese means of 
 promoting personal piety, official usefulness, and 
 edification, I would urge myself, I would call my 
 brethren of the clergy and laity. Under the agency 
 of the Divine Spirit, by them, in connexion with the 
 worship and ordinances of the Church, we shall be 
 excited and advanced in the spiritual life; animated 
 and strengthened to the faithful discharge of the 
 duties of the stations in which God, in his providence, 
 has placed us ; and finally secure, tlirough the merits 
 of our divine Lord, the great end of our calling, the 
 salvation of our souls. 
 
 " In these exercises every clergyman may unex- 
 ceptionabiy and effectually advance his spiritual 
 improvement. And therefore he has no warrant for 
 pursuing those means which are reasonably ob- 
 noxious to his brethren, or to those to whom, in 
 unessential points, many considerations suggest the 
 propriety of deference; which subject them to 
 misapprehension or to odium ; and which, however 
 fraught with partial good, portend in their results a 
 great preponderance of evil. ' No man liveth to 
 himself,' is a maxim most applicable to a minister 
 of the Church. He has brought himself under many 
 obligations, and subjected himself to the influence 
 ot* many considerations, which materially affect his 
 private rights. 
 
398 WEMaiR OF THE LIFE OF THE 
 
 " There is no reason for supposing- that there is 
 such a deficiency of piety and zeal among us as to 
 render necessary these associations. Without their 
 aid the assiduous labours of the clergy have been 
 blessed to the prosperity and general harmony of 
 the diocese. Why run any hazard of interrupting 
 this prosperity and nnion f 
 
 The publication of this Letter was the occasion 
 of great embarrassment and perplexity to the mem- 
 bers of the Clerical Association. The exposition 
 of the means which the Bishop had employed to 
 prevent its formation, and the mild and conciliatory 
 manner in which his arguments had been urged — 
 the courteous, respectful, and dignified tone of the 
 Letter itself — the strong and sagacious views which 
 were taken of the subject — the plausibility, the clear- 
 ness, and force of his reasonings — the justness and 
 pertinency of his illustrations — and the sympathy 
 which was felt for him in the painful attitude which 
 he had been compelled to take — all made a most 
 powerful impression in his favour, and led to a very 
 general disapprobation of the association itself. It 
 was impossible for the society to continue without 
 a great violation of delicacy, decorum, and respect 
 towards the Bishop ; and more happily for him than 
 he expected, without the strong and decided censure 
 of the great body of the members of our Cliurch. 
 How far the members of the association were 
 influenced by the latter circumstance in their 
 subsequent proceedings, or how far by feelings of 
 courtesy and kindness, it would be as unbecoming 
 in me to give an opinion, as it would perhaps be 
 impossible for themselves to determine. It appears, 
 
RIGHT REV. JOHN HENIiY HOBART. 399 
 
 however, from their own answers, that they acted 
 under the operation of both. There was for some 
 time a pause, which left the issue of the matter in 
 uncertainty. From their attachment to the scheme, 
 from the pride of consistency, and from the natural 
 tendency to defend a course which has been entered 
 upon deliberately, in whatever light it might be 
 viewed by others, there was no doubt a violent 
 struggle in their minds before they could bring 
 themselves to abandon it. Whether it were to be 
 looked upon as an act of deference and submission 
 to their ecclesiastical head, or as a compliance with 
 public opinion, there would probably, in either case, 
 be some sense of humiliation on their part, though 
 in reality had it been done frankly and promptly, it 
 would have been regarded by others as noble and 
 honourable. 
 
 Before any steps were taken, the constitution of 
 the society and the forms of prayers were published, 
 accompanied with some prefatory remarks. In 
 ihem it was stated, that the members of the asso- 
 ciation " had supposed that a small society of 
 clergymen, ten in number, meeting in the privacy of 
 their own houses, for social intercourse, conversa- 
 tion on missionary and other religious subjects, and 
 prayer, would not excite much public attention, or 
 require any defence of the motives and conduct of 
 those who were engaged in it." They were anxious 
 not to subject themselves to the charge of resistance 
 or disrespect to ecclesiastical authority on the one 
 hand, nor on the other to relinquish their privilege 
 of thinking and acting as Christians and presbyters 
 in regard to points left free to individual judgment. 
 
400 MEMOIR OF THE LIFE OF THE 
 
 They apprehended little danger, from the measures 
 which they had adopted, to the legitimate authority 
 of the Church, where tiiere was such a diversity of 
 opinion among themselves. Their association was 
 for good and not for evil, for union and not for 
 discord and strife, all conversation on disputed 
 points of Church principle and 'policy having heen 
 prohibited hj/ nintnal consent. They were convinced 
 " that peace and hrotherhj love icere to he maintained, 
 not hy enforcing miiformity of opinion upon points 
 left free hy the Church to the exercise of individual 
 judgment, hut hy a mutual and generous toleration 
 of opinion in regard to such jjoints^ 
 
 But a few copies of their constitution and forms 
 of prayer had been published, and these for their 
 own use, and not with a view to disseminate them. 
 The mention of the existence of their little asso- 
 ciation in the Philadelphia Recorder had not been 
 anticipated, and they were not prepared for the 
 strong public disapprobation of it in the Pastoral 
 Letter; as their meetings were held in their own 
 houses, and not in any public place, they could 
 have wished that they had remained unknown and 
 unnoticed, except by their Maker, and their bre- 
 thren who maintained similar opinions in regard to 
 clerical intercourse. But as there had been a kind 
 of arraignment of them before the bar of the re- 
 ligious community, this community had a right to 
 know from themselves on what grounds the arraign- 
 ment was made. For this reason the constitution 
 and prayers were made public, which before had 
 been exclusively designed for private use. 
 
 To the provisions of the constitution they attached 
 
RIGHT KEV. JOHN HENRY HORART. ^K^' 
 
 but little importance, except as to that one of them 
 which required that every meeting should be opened 
 and closed with a form of prayer. The name of 
 the association was adopted without much con- 
 sideration. It was not understood that any disap- 
 probation had been expressed of its object, but 
 only of the manner in which it was to be attained, 
 through an organized association. The society was 
 in all respects as informal as could possibly consist 
 with its existence as a society. There was no 
 elected president, no balloting for members — it was 
 open to all. That an organized system so very 
 feeble might not afford facilities for the exercise of 
 a refractory spirit towards the authorities of the 
 Church, they were not prepared to deny. But if 
 men were never to unite but in associations exempt 
 from this liability, they must for ever live discon- 
 nected, and indulge a constant and heart-chilling 
 distrust of each other. If the presbyters of the 
 Church had no regard to the dignity of their own 
 character nor the duty of Christian love, neither the 
 privation of o[)portunities to meet together in such 
 associations, " nor even a system founded on the 
 example of some civil governments, and prohibiting 
 more than three from conversing together at the 
 corners of the streets, would keep them in control. "^ 
 They would not seek for occasions to accomplish 
 their hateful work in an association open to all, 
 where controversial points were prohibited, and the 
 presence and influence of God's spirit were sought 
 in the sober use of forms of prayer. 
 
 This is a faithful summary of the defence of the 
 society, which was made by its members, but it 
 
 51 
 
402 
 
 MEiMOIR OF TIIC f.lFE OF TflE 
 
 scaicfcily touclied npon the points at issue, and the 
 objections of the Bishop remainer! rn all their force. 
 It not only failed to accomplish the purpose of jus- 
 tifying their course, but made tlie apology an aggra- 
 vation of the offence. For it indirectly charged the 
 Bishop witii the intention of enforcing uniformity of 
 opinion, by the influence of his station, on points 
 which were loft free to individual judgment, and 
 with an unexpected and indelicate arraignment of 
 their private designs, their doings, and the tenden- 
 cies of both before the bar of the public, and with 
 the desire of exercising a tyranny like that which 
 prevails in some despotical governments, of " pro- 
 hibiting more than three from conversing together 
 at the corners of the streets." The indecorum, un- 
 kindness, and arrogance of this last intimation were 
 without excuse, and excited the indignation of every 
 unprejudiced and generous mind. If such were the 
 first fruits of that society, whose object was the pro- 
 motion of Christian upity and love, how completely 
 did they verify, in one respect at least, the appre- 
 hensions which were entertained of its tendency 
 and results! 
 
 There was nothing authoritative in the conversa- 
 tions which the Bishop held with certain clergymen 
 before the formation of the society. He represented 
 ihem as kind, and courteous, and conciliatory; and 
 the truth of his representation was not denied. 
 There was nothing authoritative in his Pastoral 
 Letter, for it was a most temperate appeal to the 
 reason and good sense of the people of his diocese. 
 He said nothing more than any presbyter would 
 have been jpstified in saying to his brethren; and 
 
rtlGHT UEV. JOHN HENRY IIOISAIIT. 403 
 
 had his reasoning been weak and fallacious, the 
 charge would never have been made, for the cause 
 would certainly have fiilud. But it was strong and 
 decisive; the respect for his wisdom was in most 
 mirds implicit; and the effect therefore of the ex- 
 pression of his opinions, was to give such a direction 
 to the public mind as to put down opposition, or to 
 make it feeble and unavailing. The influence of 
 his character and talents was too apt to be regarded 
 as the mere exercise of arbitrary power. 
 
 Bishop Ilobart noticed the prefatory remarks. 
 He showed that the society was not a retired and 
 unobtrusive body, which was fond of privacy and 
 quiet; but that it aimed at publicity, sought for its 
 extension, and i)rovided not only for the admission 
 of any Protestant Episcopjd clergyman in the city 
 of New-York or its vicinity, but for the invitation 
 of all to its regular meetings, who might happen to 
 be here from the remotest borders of our Church. 
 No pains were taken to conceal it, but many efforts 
 were made to bring it into notice. 
 
 How could they have been but " little prepared" 
 for the appearance of the Pastoral Letter! Did 
 they think that they could " triutnphantly establish 
 a society, from which he predicted, as a precedent, 
 great evils would ensue to the Church, which he 
 could not conscientiously join, and whicii would 
 affect his character and influence, by subjecting him 
 to the charge of discountenancing measures for the 
 spiritual improvement of his clergy ?" did they think 
 " that they could carry forward this institution with 
 increasing numbers and strength, a proud trophy 
 of their victory over the counsels, the wishes, the 
 
404 MLMOIR OF THE LIFE OF THE 
 
 earnest requests of their Bishop, and that he would 
 be silent and treacherous to his vows, which bound 
 him to watch over the order, purity, and peace of 
 Christ's fold]" 
 
 Little had they marked the fearlessness and in- 
 trepidity of his character, or much had they calcu- 
 lated on the strength and influence of their own 
 combination, if they supposed that he dared not to 
 discountenance an institution which he thought 
 liable to great evils, even though it appeared under 
 a guise so pious and imposing. 
 
 The security against " the facilities for the exer- 
 cise of a refractory spirit," which it was admitted 
 that the association might afford, and against its 
 being " perverted to the purposes of party by de- 
 signing persons," was stated to be " the dignity of 
 character and Christian love" which should charac- 
 terize the clergy. But conceding them in their 
 fullest extent to those who were then members of 
 the Association, would there be any security for the 
 uniform continuance of these qualities in the persons 
 who might afterwards have the management of it I 
 This liability to abuse, however great and injurious, 
 would be no argument against these associations, if 
 they were essential ; but so absurd a pretension 
 would not be advanced. The most godly ministers 
 that ever lived were fitted by other means for the 
 paradise of God. 
 
 Another security against their perversion to party 
 purposes, was stated to exist in " the prohibition 
 of all conversation upon disputed points of Church 
 principle and policy, which were left free to the 
 exercise of individual judgment." 
 
RIGHT llEV. JOHN HliNllY HOBART. 405 
 
 But would not the very determination which were 
 these points lead to discussion, which might end in 
 excitement and strife? 
 
 Are all those disputed points of Church principle 
 and policy unimportant! The studied exclusion 
 of them would naturally lead to this opinion; and 
 thus, unless this position be correct, there would 
 necessarily be a growing disregard to the cause of 
 truth. This circumstance constituted in itself a 
 cardinal objection to these associations. 
 
 It is well known that the differences of opinion 
 which prevail among Churchmen do not merely 
 relate to questions of minor consequence, but to 
 many things which are respectively deemed by those 
 who are opposed to each other, of great and funda- 
 mental importance. Some of these respect the true 
 views of Christian doctrine ; others, matters of 
 Church policy ; some, the construction of rubricks 
 and canons ; others, innovations upon order and 
 discipline in practice. It was no recommendation, 
 therefore, of the Clerical Association, which was 
 instituted for the purpose of mutual edification, 
 that these things, vvhicli so essentially affected the 
 distinguishing character of the Church, were, by 
 mutual consent, left entirely out of view ; for even 
 peace should not be bought at so great a price as 
 the toleration of error, or the slightest sacrifice of 
 the interests of truth. 
 
 " But none, it is said, would band together, in 
 such an association, for the hateful work of faction, 
 so holy in its objects, and so guarded in all its pro- 
 visions. These are the very associations which 
 ^ designing men' would pervert to the purposes of 
 
406 MEMO! [I OF THE LIFE OF THE 
 
 unprincipled faction, and which even honest men 
 would sometimes think it right to employ to promote 
 what they considered correct party views. Asso- 
 ciations expressly and solely for refractory or factious 
 purposes would never be formed. Faction, espe- 
 cially religious faction, 
 
 " Is a monster of such frightful mein, 
 That to be hated, needs but to be seen." 
 
 He did not impute these purposes to the members 
 of the Association, but only meant to state, that 
 " designing persons, with these views, would not 
 find it expedient to avow them, but would choose 
 an association with this fair exterior, which they 
 might make a powerful engine of their party de- 
 signs, should they obtain influence in it." 
 
 Let the plausible theory of these associations be 
 carried into practice. Let them branch out into 
 different parts of the state. Was it without the 
 range of probability, that, on the occurrence of a 
 vacancy in the Episcopate, an event so important 
 and exciting as the election of a bishop, would not 
 be brought under their consideration \ " And then 
 let it be asked — Will the agitations which that event, 
 it is to be feared will stir up, be likely to be allayed 
 by organized bands of clergy V 
 
 " Apart from this event, is it not to expect more 
 than human nature, that these associations should 
 never in any way interfere with the legitimate 
 Episcopal authority, and what is certainly of not 
 less importance, with the powers of the clergy and 
 laity in convention 1 Our ecclesiastical system gives 
 the bishops, the clergy, and the laity, co-ordinate 
 
RIGHT REV. JOHN HENRV HOBART. 407 
 
 power." Any organized associations for religious 
 purposes of one of these orders separately from 
 the others, should be looked upon with extreme 
 jealousy. " The laity have cause to fear the power 
 of the clergy only when that power is exercised in 
 self-created and irresponsible associations." 
 
 In conclusion, the Bishop remarked, that there 
 was the most gratifying evidence that the sentiments 
 which he had expressed, and the course which he 
 had pursued in this matter, met with general and 
 strong approbation in the diocese. They little 
 knew him who supposed that, in defending and 
 advancing his own, it gratified him to impugn the 
 policy or conduct of those whom, as his brethren, 
 he wished to hold in all possible esteem and 
 honour. A man far greater than he could claim to 
 be, the venerable Hooker, at the close of his useful 
 but in some respects agitated life, exclaimed — "I 
 have lived to see that this world is made up of 
 perturbations !" Who would court them "? Bishop 
 Hobart, however, would be unfit for his station if, 
 when duty were concerned, he feared them. " Short- 
 sighted and treacherous is that policy which, through 
 the dread of slight temporary evil, and least of all, 
 any personal difficulty or odium, would endanger 
 the order and peace of the Church, and ultimately 
 sacrifice her best and permanent interests." 
 
 The first who withdrew from the Association was 
 the member by whom it was originally projected. 
 This was as much to have been expected from the 
 general correctness of his views, as his temporary 
 departure from them had been a matter of surprise. 
 But while he stated the reasons for the change of 
 
408 MEMOIR OF THE LIFE OF THE 
 
 liis course, lie attempted to justify himself for its 
 previous adoption. He still approved of the objects 
 of the society. He apprehended none of the evils 
 which were predicted in the Pastoral Letter. He 
 neither acknowledged the justness of its reasonings 
 nor the pertinency of its illustrations. But though 
 he had not felt bound to yield to the paternal 
 counsel and persuasions which were given by the 
 Bishop in his private character, yet he could not 
 resist his public official advice. 
 
 The society was shortly after dissolved by com- 
 mon consent, not because, as was stated by the 
 members, there had been any alteration in their 
 views, but principally because " the Pastoral Letter 
 would be the means of preventing several of their 
 brethren from joining with them, and consequently 
 of preventing that general interchange of sentiments 
 on religious points, which was one prominent object 
 in forming the Association." This act was accom- 
 panied with the publication of a defence of the 
 Association. From the great length of this piece, 
 an abstract of it could not be given without ex- 
 tending the present subject beyond all reasonable 
 bounds. It was no doubt deemed satisfactory by 
 some; but I think that it may be said, without any 
 injustice to those by whom it was prepared, that it 
 produced no material change in the public mind, 
 but, on the contrary, that the Bishop's answer to it 
 served to strengthen the impressions which had 
 already been made. 
 
 The Pastoral Letter was an appeal to reason and 
 common sense. It was made by one who has rarely 
 been equalled in judgment, sagacity, and foresight. 
 
RIGHT REV. JOHN HENRY HOBART. 409 
 
 The arguments were drawn from the principles of 
 our nature, the common workings of the human 
 mind, and the observations of experience. And tlie 
 only test of their justness and truth was the prevail- 
 ing sentiment of the public at large. When this is 
 clear and decided, it is but seldom wrong. I have 
 never known a case where there was so little diver- 
 sity of opinion among the clergy as in regard to the 
 Pastoral Letter. Among all classes of our laity, 
 also, it met with marked and general approbation. 
 It was admired by many in other denominations. 
 It commended itself every where to the lovers of 
 order and peace. And so strong was the sense of 
 Churchmen in particular against these self-created 
 and irresponsible associations, that we may venture 
 to hope no future efforts will be made for their re- 
 establishment. Indeed, we are assured that there 
 never will, if any regard be paid to the well known 
 opinions and wishes of him who is now over us in 
 the Lord, and who, with a spirit of kindness and 
 conciliation which should win the love and submis- 
 sion of all his clergy, will never yield in matters of 
 duty to the firmness and intrepidity of his illustrious 
 predecessor. 
 
 The remainder of Bishop Hobart's life was spent 
 in the active and unwearied discharge of his im- 
 portant duties; but though it was full of usefulness, 
 yet there was nothing in it which seems to call for 
 any especial notice, or which would be likely to 
 interest the general reader. From the rapid growth 
 of the Church, his labours were constantly increas- 
 ing, but with renewed healtlj, with buoyant spirits, 
 and greater energy than ever, both of body and mind, 
 
 52 
 
410 MEfm)lR OF THE LIFE OF THE 
 
 he went through them with such ease and cheerful- 
 ness as led us all to hope that they might long be 
 continued, when, in the inscrutable providence of 
 God, they were about to be closed for ever. He left 
 the city in the month of August, 1830, on his 
 visitation of the diocese. The last occasion on 
 which I was with him was at the communion. 
 How often and how fondly docs my mind revert to 
 that hallowed hour! How little did I think that I 
 should see him no more, until the eternal supper 
 of the Lamb! 
 
 In the early part of September J received a letter 
 from the Rev. Dr. Rudd, informing me that the 
 Bishop was ill at his house, and requesting that 
 either his son, Dr. Hobart, or myself, would come 
 immediately to Auburn. It was thought that there 
 was nothing alarming in his case, and that he was 
 even in a state of convalescence. His son, how- 
 ever, aware of the insidious nature of the autumnal 
 fevers in that part of the state, was not without a 
 degree of apprehension, and pursued his journey 
 with the utmost haste. The accounts continued to 
 be encouraging for a day or two, but as soon as it 
 was found that an unfavourable change had taken? 
 place, I immediately followed him. Knowing that 
 the Bishop had repeatedly recovered from similar 
 attacks, and trusting in the strength of his constitu- 
 tion, I still clung to the hope, that a life so dear and 
 valuable to us all might once more be spared ; but 
 in each stage of my journey, with every successive 
 rumour, it grew fainter and fainter, and before I had 
 reached the end of it, I met the messenger of death 
 — without the last look or parting blessing, which I 
 
RIGHT RKV. JOHN HENRY n01$A.UT. 411 
 
 had been hastening to receive. Tlie agony of that 
 monient can never be surpassed. 
 
 I will not dwell upon the circumstances of his 
 dying hours, which, though soothed by filial atten- 
 tions and the offices of friendship, were still, in the 
 absence of so many who were dear to him, peculiarly 
 affecting; nor can any language express the pro- 
 fouFid and universal grief which was felt at his 
 death. But it is consolincr to know, that it was a 
 blessed conclusion to a well-spent life, serene, and 
 holy, and happy ; that it was marked with the hu- 
 mility, the devotion, the faith, and the hope of the 
 saints, whose death is jjrccious in the sight of the 
 Lord; and that the Church which he so long 
 edified by his labours, has still reason to rejoice 
 in their consummation at his bright- and glorious 
 example.* 
 
 * There were two instances of delicate attention to the feelings 
 •of others in Bishop Ilobart's last illness, which excited the deepest 
 emotions in the persons towards whom they were shown, and which 
 cannot fail to heighten the admiration of that kindness of heart which 
 enthroned him in the affections of thousands. The first was a letter 
 of condolence to George Griffin, Esq. on the death of his son, the 
 •Rev. Edmund D. Griffin, whose ripe scholarship and rare attainments, 
 even in youth, gave the promise of the highest literary eminence in 
 after years, and of the greatest usefulness in the Church, to whose 
 service he had just consecrated his extraordinary gifts. 
 
 " Auburn, Sept. 3, 1830. 
 " Mr DEAR Sir, 
 
 " I cannot resist the impulse of my feelings, deeply to sympathize 
 with you in the most unexpected and severe dispensation of God's 
 providence, which has removed from you, by death, your most 
 excellent son. It was n severe stroke to me^ for I cherished the 
 
412 MEMOIR OF THE LIFE OF THE 
 
 Bishop Hobart died in the fifty-fifth year of his 
 age, leaving behind him a widow, three sons, and 
 four daughters.* His remains were brought from 
 Auburn, and deposited beneath the chancel of 
 Trinity Church. In a recess behind it, a large and 
 splendid monument has been erected to his memory, 
 which is beautifully and tastefully adorned, in basso 
 relievo, with an emblematical representation of the 
 
 sincerest regard for him, and looked forward with high satisfaction 
 to the distinguished usefulness and reputation to which his eminent 
 talents, attainments, and virtues, would raise him in future life. But 
 what are my feelings compared with yours ? Wliat can we say, but 
 that ' God's will be donel' Faith in the wisdom and goodness of 
 all his dispensations, however dark or afflictive, will allay the pangs 
 of nature, and Christian hope opens that blessed state to which 
 your departed son will be admitted at the resurrection of the just, 
 and where it should be our prayer and our aim that we may join 
 him before the throne of God, never to be separated. 
 
 *' I wifite in the hurry of a journey. Accept, my dear Sir, my 
 most sincere condolence for yourself and your family, 
 
 " And believe me 
 
 " Most truly yourg, 
 
 " J. H. HOBART." 
 
 Tho second instance was a special message to his early friend 
 and revered guide, the Right Rev. Bishop White, renewing the 
 assurances of the respect, the affection, and veneration which he 
 entertained for his character ; and enjoining it on one of his attend- 
 ants, almost with his dying breath, that he should deliver it in person. 
 It is scarcely necessary to remark, that a request so sacred met 
 with a prompt and literal compliance, or to describe with what 
 tenderness and gratitude the message was received. 
 
 * The eldest of these has since died, Jane Chandler Hobart, who, 
 by the gentleness of her character, the simplicity of her manners, the 
 sweetness of her temper, and her deep and unaffected piety, was 
 greatly endeared to her family and friends. 
 
RIGHT REV. JOHN HENKY HOBART. 413 
 
 hopes and consolations of religion,* on which there 
 is the following inscription : — 
 
 Beneath this Chancel rest the Mortal Remains of 
 
 JOHN HENRY HOBART, 
 
 Rector of Trinity Church, in this City, 
 
 Bishop of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the State of 
 
 New- York ; 
 
 Born in Philadelphia, September xiv, mdcclxxv, 
 
 Died, during a Visitation to the Western Parts of his 
 
 Diocess, in Auburn, September xii, niDCCCXXX. 
 The Vestry, in Behalf of the associated Congregations of 
 
 Trinity Church, 
 
 Have caused this Monument to be erected 
 
 In Memory of the Public Services, Private Virtues, and 
 
 Christian Graces of their beloved and lamented 
 
 PASTOR ; 
 
 In Testimony of their Respect for the Wisdom, Energy, 
 
 and Piety of their revered 
 
 DIOCESAN; 
 
 In Honour of the faithful and valiant 
 
 " SOLDIER OF CHRIST," 
 
 Who, on all Occasions, stood forth the able and intrepid 
 
 CHAMPION OF THE CHURCH OF GOD. 
 
 In concluding the life of Bishop Hobart, it lias 
 appeared to me that it might not be uninteresting 
 to give a summary view of his character. There 
 will doubtless be the risk of wearying the reader by 
 an unavoidable repetition of what is already suffici- 
 ently familiar ; but, at the same time, it may afford 
 
 * Designed and executed by Mr. Ball Hughes, a young sculptor of 
 genius and talent, who, in this work, as well as others, has already 
 given the earnest of great eminence in his profession. 
 
414 WEMOm OF THE LIFE OF THE 
 
 an opportunity of touching upon some points which 
 have not been embodied in the narrative itself. 
 
 His chihlhood and youth presented a rare assem- 
 blage of the most engaging qualities of heart and 
 mind, wiiich were the sure presages of eminence 
 and respect in after life. 
 
 Modesty, ingenuousness, purity of thought, and 
 blamelessncss of manners, secured for him the 
 esteem and aflection of all tliose early companions 
 whose friendship he valued, and screened him from 
 the malevolence and censure of those whose society 
 he shunned. His industry in all his studies, his 
 ambition to outstrip his competitors, and his uniform 
 success, his acknowledged superiority, and the open 
 approbation of his teachers, appear neither to have 
 excited the ill-will and dislike of those whom he 
 humbled by his proficiency, nor to have provoked 
 the jealousy of those with whom the contest was 
 more keenly maintained. In fact, with the innate 
 consciousness of genius, he concealed the marks of 
 triumph, which it cost him but little labour to 
 achieve; and bearing his faculties meekly, he was 
 the favourite of his school, the idol at college, and 
 the oracle of every society with which he was con- 
 nected. In the sports of childhood, or in the recre- 
 ations of youth, he mingled with his companions on 
 a common footing, assuming no consequence, and 
 expecting no deference ; but with all the ease, and 
 freedom, and sprightliness of his character, he 
 entered into the mood of the moment, and con- 
 tributed his full share towards their innocent en- 
 joyments. Indeed, there seems to have been a 
 charm in his manners and conversation, which was 
 
RIGHT REV. JOHN HENRY HOBART. 415 
 
 almost like fascination, for no one in early life 
 ever inspired friendship more readily, or was more 
 happy in retaining the regards which he had once 
 secured. 
 
 But in those deeper affections of the heart, in those 
 dear and kindly feelings which centre in home, 
 how amiably and engagingly did he always appear! 
 What a tender love do all his letters breathe for the 
 fond and anxious mother who sacrificed so much of 
 her personal ease, her comfort, and enjoyment, for 
 his education and advancement in life! How cheer- 
 fully did he abandon his literary pursuits and his 
 flattering hopes, when her interests required it, to 
 engage in a vocation which was repugnant to his 
 taste, his habits, and all his predilections! And how 
 readily again, after his entrance upon the ministry, 
 did he accommodate himself to the wishes of his 
 friends, in the choice of a settlement, though in 
 opposition to his favourite plans! 
 
 From the active part and lively interest which, at 
 a later period, he always took in the business of life ; 
 from his practical wisdom, and profound views, and 
 politick measures, which are more frequently seen 
 in men of the world than in his retired and contem- 
 plative profession ; from his zeal for the polity, dis- 
 cipline, and outward order of the Church ; and from 
 his utter abhorrence of enthusiasm, cant, and every 
 species of religious ostentation; there were some 
 who entertained doubts of his personal piety, or who 
 at least regarded it as too much blended with 
 worldly motives and worldly views. How strong a 
 presumption is furnished against this uncharitable 
 opinion by his delightful and ingenuous correspond- 
 
416 MEMOIR OF THE LIFE OF THE 
 
 ence with his early friends ! There his devout 
 thoughts and feelings were exposed with the same 
 simplicity and freedom as they were poured out be- 
 fore God. And who can read these letters — who 
 can observe tiie steadfastness of his faith in our 
 Lord Jesus Christ, the depth of his humility, the 
 tenderness of his conscience, and the effusions of 
 his sorrow at the recollection of his faults, and not 
 look upon his youth as a pure and acceptable offer- 
 ing unto Godl With what elevated views did he 
 regard the ministry! With what holy intentions, 
 and resolutions, and prayers, and with what a 
 trembling anxiety did he enter upon the duties of 
 the sacred office, feeling that of himself he was not 
 sufficient for these things, but still encouraged by 
 the persuasion that his weakness would be made 
 perfect in the divine strength, and that his sufficienci/ 
 was of God! 
 
 In every stage of his ministerial course we follow 
 him with admiration and delight; we find him always 
 active, useful, and beloved — throwing his whole heart 
 and soul into his duties — sparing himself in nothing, 
 but running beyond the strict measure of his engage- 
 ments — calling forth the energies of his restless and 
 powerful mind in every public labour or plan which 
 might contribute to the interests of the Church and 
 to the glory of God. While he thus rendered him- 
 self, in the earlier years of his ministry, a general 
 favourite, and enjoyed an almost unbounded popu- 
 larity, he was not corrupted by adulation. No man 
 whom I ever knew had a heart more open to all 
 human sympathies, nor valued more highly well- 
 merited praise ; but with him it was rather a stimulus 
 
niGIIT ItEV. JOHN HENRY HOBAUT. 
 
 417 
 
 to laudable exertions than an encouragement to 
 vain-glory and pride. 
 
 It was not in the course, however, of human things, 
 that he should escape the obloquy and censure which 
 are the uniform attendants of eminence and worth. 
 When, from his long and useful labours, and his ex- 
 traordinary gifts, the eyes of the Church were fixed 
 upon him as the person who was peculiarly fitted to 
 direct her councils and to advance her growth, he 
 was assailed with unmeasured abuse, and his exal- 
 tation was ushered in with every evil omen of 
 tyranny, misrule, and wo. He soon passed through 
 this eclipse, and emerged from it with a brightness 
 which continued to increase till his career was 
 closed. 
 
 The ardour of the Bishop's feelings, " that sacred 
 fire which is the incentive to noble deeds," urged 
 him on with the greatest devotedness and zeal in 
 the discharge of his duties, and sustained him in 
 his unexampled labours. But the same sanguine 
 complexion also hurried him at times into those 
 sallies of impatience, those unguarded expressions 
 and sudden starts of temper, which gave an advant- 
 age to his enemies, and momentary pain even to 
 his friends. They were, however, mere passing 
 clouds, and in an instant all again was bright and 
 serene. It was not in him to hate the person whom 
 he had offended, nor to irritate the wounds which 
 he had given. He hastened at once to make atone- 
 ment, and no noble mind could ever resist the 
 frankness of his apology, nor the overflowings of 
 his returning kindness. His very infirmities, there- 
 fore, cave occasion for the display of a magnanimity, 
 
 53 
 
418 MEMOIR OF THE LIFE OF THE 
 
 which heigthened the admiration of his general 
 worth. 
 
 There was something wonderfully winning and 
 attractive in the social character of the Bishop, 
 and even in the peculiar cast of his manners. He 
 seemed formed for the enjoyment of society, and 
 the delights of friendship. Ardent in his feelings, 
 frank and undisguised in the expression of them, 
 generous, affectionate, and confiding, he captivated 
 all hearts, and bound those to him who were of 
 congenial taste and temper, as with links of iron. 
 His manners were in harmony with his dispositions, 
 full of freedom, cordiality, and warmth. No one 
 who has seen him, though but for a moment, will 
 ever forget the benignant and playful expression of 
 his countenance, the heartiness of his greeting, his 
 words of kindness and good will. But to those 
 who communed with him as friends, who saw him 
 in the lighter moods of social festivity, or in the 
 graver moments of deep and tender feeling, who 
 remember the charms of his conversation, the en- 
 dearments of his friendship, his wise and wholesome 
 counsels, his acts of sympathy and kindness — to 
 those his image is ever arising with all the dear, 
 departed joys of which it reminds them, and with a 
 sense of dreariness and vacancy which nothing else 
 on earth can fill. 
 
 In the bosom of his family all the perturbations 
 of his busy life were calmed, and there, at least, he 
 found a temporary relief from the cares and anxieties 
 with which he was constantly harassed. But even 
 this respite was comparatively sliort. for he exercised 
 an unbounded hospitality; and while he was in the 
 
RIGHT IlEV. JOHN ilEI^UY HOBAUT. 419 
 
 city, he was scarcely ever alone. Ho did not, how- 
 ever, suffer the interruptions of company to interfere 
 in any material degree witii his domestic enjoyments, 
 but treated his guests with all the familiarity of 
 friends. It was to him a happy liome ; blessed with 
 ,a companion who, from a sense of duty as well as 
 the ijnpulse of love, was ever watchful to gratify his 
 wishes, regardless of her own, and to adorn, in every 
 respect, the relations which she sustained, and made 
 still happier by the dutifulness, afiection, piety, and 
 worth of his children, who were to him, in every 
 sense, as an heritage and gift that cometh of the 
 Lord. Here the dignity, the watchfulness, the cau- 
 tion, and restless anxiety of the Bishop, were com- 
 pletely lost in the free and unfettered feelings of 
 the man ; they were poured out in all the fulness of 
 his overflowing heart. Every thing was an object 
 of interest to him ; the studies of the younger 
 members of his family, the occupations and amuse- 
 ments of ihose who were older, the rambling and 
 discursive conversation, the innocent gaiety, and 
 harmless merriment of all. He was himself as play- 
 ful as a child, but in a moment could resume all the 
 seriousness and dignity which became him, when 
 the conversation called for a different turn, or the 
 performance of solemn duties required the feelings 
 to be directed into another channel. 
 
 The Bishop's colloquial powers were marked by 
 promptness, ease, pertinency, and good sense ; but 
 it was neither his turn nor his ambition to say pithy 
 things, which might strike the hearers ; to display 
 the extent of his reading or the depth of his erudi- 
 tion; and though he occasionally indulged in sallies 
 
420 MEMOIR OF THE LIFE OF THE 
 
 of humour and sprightly repartee, yet his conversa- 
 tion was not distinguished by felicitous allusions 
 nor pungent wit. It always took its character easily 
 and naturally from the cast of the company in which 
 he might be placed, and the varying circumstances 
 by which it might be suggested. But in one respect 
 it surpassed that of any person with whom I have 
 ever been acquainted. In the discussion of any 
 knotty and disputed point in theology, or question 
 of Church policy, or any other perplexing subject 
 to which his attention had been directed, it seemed 
 as if the sluices of his mind were opened, and as if 
 his tongue could scarcely keep pace with his 
 thoughts. His ingenuity was sharpened in propor- 
 tion to the keenness of his adversary. His watchful 
 eye ranged over the whole scope of the argument. 
 He detected in a moment any flaw in the reasoning, 
 or any sophism in the illustrations, and pointed out 
 immediately the inconclusiveness of the one or the 
 fallacy of the other. He was singularly happy in the 
 application of particular cases to illustrate and 
 support the general principles which he himself 
 was attempting to establish, and in repelling the 
 objections of others. But it must be acknowledged 
 that he did not in his impetuosity allow a due ad- 
 vantage to men of slower minds, but would often 
 entangle and overwhelm them in the mere hurry of 
 the argument; and that sometimes in the desire of 
 victory, he was unwilling to yield even under 
 apparent disadvantages, and continued to contend 
 for points with great ingenuity and skill, which to 
 others ai least seemed weak and indefensible. 
 But there was one trait in his character which 
 
RIGHT UEV. JOHN HENKY HOBART. 421 
 
 shines out with peculiar gh^ry : it was his moral 
 courage. Nervous in the temperament of liis body, 
 his mind was as firm as a rock. He feared none 
 but God. It was tljis which marked his course in 
 the Church with a track of light which, we trust, 
 will grow brighter and brighter unto the perfect 
 day. He saw the true grounds upon which the 
 Church rested, and he had firmness enough to 
 avow his opinions without qualification or disguise. 
 He saw the true policy by which she was to be sus- 
 tained, and he pursued it without regard to the 
 anxious fears of her temporizing friends, or the 
 clamours of her secret or open foes. He kept the 
 principles of apostolic order in connexion with 
 evangelical truth perpetually in view, explaining 
 them in his writings, inculcating lliein in his dis- 
 courses, enforcing them in his conversation, uiid 
 fortifying them by a steady and unalterable ad- 
 herence in practice. He pressed upon his people 
 the uncompromising and exclusive claims of the 
 Church, and left the consequences of their rejection 
 to others, not without pity indeed for their errors, 
 nor charity for their motives, but with a desire that 
 was stronger than any other feeling, that all should 
 come to the knowledge of what he deemed the truth. 
 In contending for Episcopacy as the primitive 
 pattern of the Church and the appointment of God, 
 in enforcing her order and discipline, in guarding 
 against all direct violation of her principles and 
 usages, and discouraging all amalgamation with 
 other denominations for religious purposes, which 
 might even remotely endanger the interests of truth, 
 it is almost Incredible to relate with what contumely, 
 
422 MEMOIR OF THE LIFE OF THE 
 
 f^corii, and reproach ho was assailed, from the very 
 outset of his course till its triumphant close. But 
 tione of these thinfrs moved him. He lived Ions: 
 enough lo see what, in the beginning, he was con- 
 vinced of, that a just cause, when manfully defended, 
 would never want supporters; that truth would 
 gradually pr(;vail over prejudice and error; and that 
 a bold and honest policy would be ultimately 
 crowned with success. The impress of his mind 
 was stamped upon thousands; a new tone was 
 given to the Church at large ; and we may con- 
 fidently hope, that his opinions will be extended, 
 and his labours be blessed for generations to 
 come. 
 
 God in his providence seemed to have endued 
 him with all the qualities, both mental and physical, 
 which fitted him for his exalted station, and which, 
 in a spirit of piety and faith, he consecrated entirely 
 to his service ; quickness of perception, vigour and 
 manliness of thought, the most tenacious memory 
 in connexion with the soundest judgtnent, a keen 
 and almost unerring penetration into the character 
 of others, and very often a remarkable ascendency 
 over their conduct, promptness in action, wisdom in 
 counsel, skill and eloquence in debate ; an energy 
 of character which nothing could repress; an ac- 
 tivity of mind and body which was never suspended ; 
 a perseverance which rested only when its object 
 was attained ; a noble and insatiable desire of doing 
 things more excellent than those which he had already 
 accomplished. Oh! had his life been spared to the 
 term which is so often meted out to others, how 
 completely and gloriously would it have been filled ! 
 
RIGHT REV. JOHN HENRY HORART. 425 
 
 But God's will must be done, and man's duly is 
 silence and submission. Let this sentiment be our.-', 
 which he himself so devoutly expressed on the bed 
 of death. 
 
 THE END. 
 
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