condemnation passed by himself, upon himself, if he happens to be wrong. True it is, that two things, which are opposite in themselves, cannot both be right at the same time, and every person who differs from me, must think that I am wrong, or that he himself is wrong; and woe unto them who shall make no difference between right and wrong! But let each one say for himself in the language of the Poet, "Let not this weak, unknowing hand, And deal damnation round the land, If I am right, oh! teach my heart If I am wrong, thy grace impart While a member of College, I left the congregational Presbyterian religion, in which my parents and I had been brought up, and joined the Episcopal church; and I did it because I then thought, and now think it was my duty. I thought that the Episcopal church was of divine appointment; that in it the sacraments were administered by divine and undoubted authority; that the doctrines taught in that church were in every point of view honorable to God, and useful to man, and supported by the authority of God's word; that the worship of God in that church did not depend upon the discretion or indiscretion of any one man, and was not as various and as discordant as the tempers, dispositions, and abilities of all those who should lead in their devotions; but was founded upon the temper and disposition of the gos pel and supported by the authority of the holy scriptures. In this church, there is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in all, working in due season, that we should bring forth the fruits of a virtuous and good life. Constantly to unite in the same forms of worship has a tendency to bring us all to the same disposition, and a sameness of disposition creates friendship in all beings and in all worlds, (so far as my knowledge extends) and by this, says our blessed Saviour, shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye love one another. A PRAYER. “O, Almighty and Everlasting God, who alone can govern the unruly wills and affections of sinful men, make me, beseech thee, at all times to love those things which thou dost command, and to desire those things which thou dost promise, that so, among the sundry and manifold changes of the world, my heart may surely there be fixed, where true joys are to be found, through Jesus Christ iny Lord." my Our Father who art in heaven, &c. CHAPTER II. BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH CONTINUED. I was graduated at Yale College, in New-Haven, Connecticut, in the year 1790 ; and soon after, was placed under the direction of the Rev. Mr. Jarvis in Middletown, (afterwards bishop Jarvis,) in the study of divinity and ecclesiastical history, and boarded in his family. My situation soon became unpleasant in consequence of his churlish behaviour in his family and neglect to give me suitable instruction. I left his house and was placed under the direction, in my studies, of the Rev. Edward Blakeslee, of North Haven, and the Rev. Doctor Mansfield, of Derby. At this, Mr. Jarvis appeared to be mortified and displeased; his endeavors to excite a disgust against me, in the minds of some of the clergy and laity of the Episcopal Church, were soon communicated to me, and I soon became sensible of the effects of them. Application was made to me, to perforın divine service, and to preach, under the direction of the Rev. Doct. Mansfield, in the churches in Waterbury, in Woodbury, and in Salem, which I did to the unanimous approbation of the parishes. But Mr. Jarvis, by the consent of bishop Seabury, soon sent Mr. Hart, then a candidate for the ministry, to take charge of these parishes. This excited uneasiness, and a division among them. I declined performing service there, the church in Salem refused to employ Mr. Hart, and unfriendly feelings were excited. In the year 1791, I attended the Convention or Convocation of the church, in Watertown with a view of being examined and admitted as a candidate, but perceiving the hostile disposition of Mr. Jarvis, and the influence he had gained with some of the clergy, I withdrew without offering myself, or making my intentions known. And wishing to avoid any thing unpleasant, I received letters of recommendation from the Rev. Dr. Mansfield, the Rev. Mr. Blakeslee, and others; also from the church in Branford, Northford, and others, and went into the state of New York, and commenced a Reader in he churches in Schenectady and Ballston, under the direction of the Rev. Mr. Ellison, of Albany. In this situation, having given notice to the bishop of New York, I remained until the next year, when I was recommended to the said bishop of New York, and standing committee of the church in that state, for deacon's orders, by the Rev. Dr. Mansfield, and the Rev. Mr. Blakeslee, in whose families I had resided, and studied divinity and ecclesiastical history; by the church in Branford, where I had been born and brought up, and where I had been known from my infancy, and where public notice had been given to the congregation, assembled in the church, for public worship on Sunday, the 15th day of April. 1792, that in the month of June, in that year, I should apply to the bishop and standing committee of the church, in the state of New York. to be ordained a deacon, and they were then solemnly called upon in the name of God, if they knew any thing scandalous in my conduct or character, or any just cause or reason why I should not be ordained, to let it be known within one month, that it might be communicated to the proper authority. I was also recommended as aforesaid, by the church in Northford, by the church in Guilford, by the church in Ballston, and by the church in the city of Schenectady, where I then resided, and by the Rev. Mr. Ellison of Albany, under whose care and direction I had been employed as a reader for about one year; with these recommendations, and my diploma from college. I offered myself to the aforesaid bishop and standing committee, to be examined and ordained a deacon; and on the 18th and 19th days of June, 1792, I was examined by the Right Rev, Bishop Provoost, and the said standing committee, at the house of the Rev. Dr. (afterwards bishop,) Moore, in the city of New York. First,on my internal call, and views in regard to the ministry; on that change of the natural disposition, which is necessary to fit us for God's heavenly kingdom; in my knowledge and belief in the holy scriptures, and my earn est intention by God's grace to conform my heart and practice to them; in my knowledge of the English, Latin, Greek, and Hebrew languages; in my knowledge of a general system and body of divinity, and ecclesiastical history; in my knowledge of the lives and travels of the apostles and primitive fathers of the church; in my knowledge of the general and liberal arts and sciences, &c.; and after two days strict trial and full examination and with the aforesaid recommendations, I was honorably approved, accepted, and recommended to the said bishop, as the canons directed, to be ordained. The day after this recommendation, the Rev. Mr. Jarvis, of Middletown, in Connecticut, came to New-York and informed the Rev. Dr. Beach, one of the said standing committee, that I was a very unworthy young man, and had actually been refus. ed holy orders in Connecticut. I assured Dr. Beach, that Mr. Jarvis was my enemy, because I had left his house, and refused to live and study with him, and that what he had said was not true. I requested him to suspend his judgment, and not to mention what Mr. Jarvis had said, until I could go to Connecticut and obtain further recommendations, and a certificate from the secretary, that I had not been refused orders in that state. This he consented to do, and I accordingly went to the Rev. Dr. Dibble, of Stamford, stated my case to him; requested him to examine me and my documents, and if he should find me worthy and well qualified, to recommend me to the bishop and standing committee of New-York, to be ordained. This he very freely did, and at the same time expressed his astonishment at the conduct of Mr. Jarvis. I then went to the Rev. Mr. Oglesvie, of Norwalk, made the same statement and request, and obtained the same recommendation. I then went to the Rev. Mr. Shelton, of Newfield, to the Rev. Mr. Clark, of Huntington, and to the Rev. Mr. Marsh, of New-Milford, made to them in B ed by the said bishop. And in Trinity church, in the city of New-York, on the 19th day of October, A. D. 1794, I was ordained a PRIEST, by the Right Rev. Samuel Provoost. D. D. bishop of the Protestant Episcopal church in the state of NewYork. Before this, it was known that Dr. Beach and Mr. Jarvis had become reconciled in regard to the falsehood communicated relative to me; and he was left out of the said standing committee, though he attended, and assisted at my ordination as a PRIEST, and received the sacrament of the Lord's supper with me at that time. But the same night, after the ordination, he complained to the bishop that I had brought to him a forged certificate, before I was ordained a DEACON. The next day the bishop called us both before him, and caused an inquiry. I stated to him the case as it was, relative to the certificate which Mr. Davis had given to me, in the absence of Mr. Perry; that on my way home I called on Mr. Perry, informed him what was done, and gave him the certificate; that he approved of it and gave another to the same purport, in his own hand writing, which I then laid before the bishop, with the letter of Mr. Davis, dated August 7th, 1792. Dr. Beach acknowledged, before the bishop, that the facts were true, as I stated them, but said he thought there ought to be an investigation. The bishop replied that he did not know how that could be brought against me as a PRIEST, which took place before I was a deacon; that Dr. Beach was present, and assisted at my ordination as a priest, and if he had any objection, then, or before, was the time to make it; that I had undergone a better examination, and was amply recommended, by more clergymen, and more churches than any one he had ever ordained, and the result of my ministry proved that he had not been imposed upon; that in all forgeries, there must be some falsehood, but in this case, there is no pretence of falsehood, and it would be very unlikely that so many respectable clergymen and parishes would recommend me to be ordained in NewYork, if I had been refused orders in Connecticut or if I was unworthy of the ministry; that the certificate itself was a mere evidence of fact, such as any one might have given, who had examined the records; that it was obtained, and used, |