happy effect in stimulating others to follow his example."

We fervently hope, and solicitously pray, that the light of such an example may, throughout, continue to irradiate not only the family of our departed friend, in its several members, but his neighbours and acquaintance universally. May they, like him, learn to live the life of the righteous, that so their last end may be like his. May they, like him, be "not slothful in business, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord."

From the Charleston Sunday Visitant. THE BOOK OF COMMON PRAYER.

At morn, and eve, within that hall, Where family and friends repair,This book devoutly speaks for all;

THERE is a book which Christians prize,
Next to the blessed book of heaven;
Its words inspir'd beyond the skies;
Its faith, the faith by Jesus given.

No crafty work, nor hasty zeal,

Was e'er employ'd in this design; The blood of Martyrs forms its seal,

And Jesus crucifi'd its sign.
0! how I love this blessed book,
Companion of my childhood's day;
For when the course of sin I took,

It taught my infant lips to pray.
In thoughtless boyhood's playful hour,
A mother's pious gift bestow'd;
She bade me praise that heav'nly pow'r,
To whom so much for this I ow'd.

Here first I learn'd that blessed pray'r,
Which little children love to read;
And soon, by help, and faithful care,
The fam'd Apostle's sacred creed.
The ten commandments next in turn
Were soon engraven on my mind;
What better precepts could I learn
Than those which God himself design'd?
And O! upon that morn so blest,
That saw the light of glory rise;
'Twas joy with this dear book to rest,
From cares and life's anxieties.
When sabbath bells, with cheerful sound,
Rang on my anxious list'ning ear,
Above all else was quickly found

"My little book of Common Prayer."
At church, ah! yes,-'twas there indeed
I found the help of such a guide;
For though a child, I yet could read,
And on my faithful book reli'd.
I was a child, and God has said
That such to him should always pray;
How then could I have him obey'd,
Unless my book had shown the way?
Yes! blessed be his holy name,
In such a worship I could join;
My life a service here could frame,
To offer to his love divine.
And now to manhood's sober year,
My life on wings of time has flown:
This holy form I still revere,

And hold its treasures as my own,

William B. Lacey was instituted, by the Bishop, Rector of the said Church.

Utica, September 28.

On Sunday, the 19th instant, the Right Rev. Bishop Hobart performed divine service in this town, and administered confirmation to 22 persons. On the day following, St. Paul's Church at Paris was consecrated, and 69 persons received confirmation. On Tuesday last, the Chapel erected for the Oneida Indians, at Oneida Castle, was consecrated by the Bishop, by the name of St. Peter's Church, and 56 Indians, who had been previously prepared for that purpose by their Instructor, Mr. Eleazar Williams, received confirmation. At the visit of the Bishop the last year, 94 Indians were confirmed. Too much praise cannot be bestowed upon the exertions and pious zeal of Mr. Williams, in his successful efforts to bring into the Christian Church his infidel brethren. When he arrived among them, two or three years ago, more than half of the Oneidas were of that character.

On Thursday, September 2, 1819, the Right Rev. Bishop Griswold, of the Eastern Diocess, held an ordination in St. John's Church, Providence, Rhode-Island, and admitted the Rev. George Taft, of Providence, and the Rev. Patrick H. Folker, of North-Kingston, Deacons, to the holy order of Priests; and Edward R. Lippitt, of Providence; Jasper Adams, Professor of Mathematics, Natural Philosophy, and Astronomy in Brown University; and Addinson Searle, of New-Hampshire, to that of Deacons. Divine service was performed by the Rev. Mr. Marshall, and an appropriate discourse delivered by the Bishop, who was also assisted in the solemnities of the occasion by the Rev. Mr. Crocker, and the Rev. Mr. Blake, of RhodeIsland, and the Rev. Mr. Wheaton, of Maryland.

On Trinity Sunday last, June 6, the Right Rev. Bishop Chase held an ordination at Worthington, Ohio, and admitted Mr. Benjamin Birge, of Lexington, Kentucky, to the holy order of Deacons. On the same day 79 persons were confirmed.

At the annual commencement of Brown University, Providence, Rhode-Island, on Wednesday, September 1, the degree of Doctor in Divinity was conferred on the Rev. William H. Wilmer, Rector of St. Paul's Church, Alexandria, District of Columbia.

DIED.-Lately, the Rev. JOHN CAMPBELL, Rector of Church, Carlisle, Pennsylvania.

On Monday morning, September 20, after an illness of six days, the Rev. THOMAS P. MAY, Rector of St. John's Church, Norristown, and St. Thomas's, Whitemarsh, Pennsylvania.

A clergyman, long and intimately acquainted with Mr. May, and in whose church, while on a visit to him, Mr. May had officiated but a few weeks before his death, noticed that event in the sermon he preached the following Sunday, in these terms:

"The Rev. Thomas P. May, a faithful and laborious servant of Christ, who but a few weeks since visited your pastor, and dispensed with general acceptance from this place the offers of redeeming grace, is no more. On this day fortnight he was in the apparent enjoyment of perfect health. With a constitution unusually ro bust, and at a period of life when it had just obtained its utmost vigour, no man seemed to have a surer promise of length. ened days, and a long course of usefulness in a work to which he was most fervently devoted than himself. One week before his endeared flock beheld their friend and instructor a pallid lifeless corpse, he had three times proclaimed his Master's message in different churches in Philadelphia, with even more than his accustomed energy and zeal. On the following day he returned to his family, was suddenly assailed by a fever, which baffled the physician's skill, and in a few days he fell a submissive vistim to the unlooked for dispensa. tion. Blessed be God, that affection to a departed brother requires not that we should mourn for him. For his bereaved family, for his shepherdless flock, for ourselves, for the church, which he adorned, the voice of lamentation may well be heard. But for him we mourn not. He was a man taught by that heavenly Instructor of whom we have this day spoken. Under the powerful ministrations of one whose praise is in all the churches where his worth is known, he was a few years ago awakened from a state of sinful security, and brought, a mourning, afflicted penitent, to the foot of his Redeemer's cross. There he poured out the lamenta. tions of a burdened sin-sick soul, and in the Lord's own time found that mercy which he needed. He now turned his back upon a vain and thoughtless multitude, the recent companions of his folly, devoted himself to a life of self-denial, assumed the cross, and, amid the scoffs of a deriding world, declared his purpose to follow Christ whithersoever he should lead. In obedience to the inward calls of his spirit, and the pointings of his providence, he sought the required preparatives for the Gospel ministry, was in due time, with much approval of his talents for the work, invested with the office, and the spiritual prosperity of his parish attests that his labours were attended with no ordinary blessing by the Master whom he served. In the midst of usefulness he has been suddenly cut off. Such was the will of God. Thy will, O God, be done."

The Life of the Right Rev. JOSEPH BUTLER, LL. D. late Lord Bishop of Durham.

Dr. Joseph Butler, a prelate of the most distinguished character and abilities, was born at Wantage, in Berkshire, in the year 1692. His father, Mr. Thomas Butler, who was a substantial and reputable shopkeeper in that town, observing in his son Joseph an excellent genius and inclination for learning, determined to educate him for the ministry, among the Protestant dissenters of the Presbyterian denomination. For this purpose, after he had gone through a proper course of grammatical literature, at the free grammar school of his native place, under the care of the Rev. Mr. Philip Barton, a clergyman of the Church of England, he was sent to a dissenting academy, then kept at Gloucester, but which was soon afterwards removed to Tewkesbury. The principal tutor of this academy was Mr. Jones, a man of uncommon abilities and knowledge, who had the honour of training up several scholars, who became of great eminence, both in the established church and among the dissenters. At Tewkesbury, Mr. Butler made an extraordinary progress in the study of divinity; of which he gave a remarkable proof, in the letters addressed by him, while he resided at Tewkesbury, to Dr. Samuel Clarke, laying before him the doubts that had arisen in his mind, concerning the conclusiveness of some arguments in the Doctor's demonstration of the being and attributes of God. The first of these letters was dated the 4th of November, 1713; and the sagacity and depth of thought dis

* He was the youngest of eight children. VOL. III.

[VOL. III.

played in it, immediately excited Dr. Clarke's particular notice. This condescension encouraged Mr. Butler to address the Doctor again upon the same subject, which likewise was answered by him; and the correspondence being carried on in three other letters, the whole was annexed to the celebrated treatise before mentioned, and the collection has been retained in all the subsequent editions of that work. The management of this correspondence was intrusted by Mr. Butler to his friend and fellow-pupil, Mr. Secker, who, in order to conceal the affair, undertook to convey the letters to the post-office at Gloucester, and to bring back Dr. Clarke's answers. When Mr. Butler's name was discovered to the Doctor, the candour, modesty, and good sense with which he had written, immediately procured him the friendship of that eminent and excellent man. Our young student was not, however, during his continuance at Tewkesbury, solely employed in metaphysical speculations and inquiries. Another subject of his serious consideration, was the propriety of his becoming a dissenting minister. Accordingly he entered into an examination of the principles of nonconformity; the result of which was such a dissatisfaction with them, as determined him to conform to the established church. This intention was, at first, disagreeable to his father, who endeavoured to divert him from his purpose; and, with that view, called in the assistance of some eminent Presbyterian divines; but finding his son's resolution to be fixed, he at length suffered him to be removed to Oxford, where he was admitted a commoner of Oriel college on the 17th March, 41

doth not appear, nor who the Bishop was by whom he was ordained; but it is certain that he entered into the church soon after his admission at Oxford, if it be true, as is asserted, that he sometimes assisted Mr. Edward Talbot in the divine service, at his living of Hendred, near Wantage. With this gentleman, who was the second son of Dr. William Talbot, succes. sively Bishop of Oxford, Salisbury, and Durham, Mr. Butler formed an intimate friendship at Oriel college; which friendship laid the foundation of all his subsequent preferments, and procured for him a very honourable situation when he was only twenty-six years of age. For it was in 1718 that, at the recommendation of Mr. Talbot, in conjunction with that of Dr. Clarke, he was appointed by Sir Joseph Jekyll to be preacher at the Rolls. This was three years before he had taken any degree at the university, where he did not go out bachelor of law till the 10th June, 1721; which, however, was as soon as that degree could suitably be conferred upon him. Mr. Butler continued at the Rolls till 1726; in the beginning of which year he published, in one volume octavo, "Fifteen Sermons preached at that Chapel" In the meanwhile, by the patronage of Dr. Talbot, Bishop of Durham, to whose notice he had been recommended (together with Mr. Benson and Mr. Secker) by Mr. Edward Talbot, on his death-bed, our author had been presented, first to the rectory of Haughton, near Darlington, and afterwards to that of Stanhope, in the same diocess. The benefice of Haughton was given to him in 1722, and that of Stanhope in 1725. At Haughton there was a necessity for rebuilding a great part of the parsonage-house, and Mr. But ler had neither money nor talents for that work. Mr. Secker, therefore, who had always the interest of his friends at heart, and acquired a very considerable influence with Bishop Talbot, persuaded that prelate to give Mr. Butler, in exchange for Haughton, the rectory of Stanhope, which was not only free from any such incumbrance, but was likewise of much

the richest parsonages in England. Whilst our author continued preacher at the Rolls chapel, he divided his time between his duty in town and country; but when he quitted the Rolls, he resided, during seven years, wholly at Stanhope, in the conscientious discharge of every obligation appertaining to a good parish priest. This retirement, however, was too solitary for his disposition, which had in it a natural cast of gloominess. And though his recluse hours were by no means lost, either to private improvement or public utility, yet he felt at times, very painfully, the want of that select society of friends to which he had been accustomed, and which could inspire him with the greatest cheerfulness. Mr. Secker, therefore, who knew this, was extremely anxious to draw him out into a more active and conspicuous scene, and omitted no opportunity of expressing this desire to such as he thought capable of promoting it. Having himself been appointed king's chaplain in 1732, he took occasion, in a conversation which he had the honour of holding with Queen Caroline, to mention to her his friend Mr. Butler. The queen said she thought he had been dead. Mr. Secker assured her he was not Yet her majesty afterwards asked Archbishop Blackburn if he was not dead; his answer was, "No, madam; but he is buried." Mr. Secker continuing his purpose of endeavouring to bring his friend out of his retirement, found means, upon Mr. Charles Talbot's being made lord-chancellor, to have Mr. Butler recommended to him for his chaplain. His lordship accepted, and sent for him; and this promotion calling him to town, he took Oxford in his way, and was admitted there to the degree of doctor-of law, on the 8th December, 1733. The lord-chancellor, who gave him also a prebend in the church of Rochester, had consented that he should reside at his parish of Stanhope one half of the year.

Dr. Butler being thus brought back into the world, his merit and his talents soon introduced him to particular notice, and paved the way for his

:

rising to those high dignities which he afterwards enjoyed. In 1736 he was appointed clerk-of-the-closet to Queen Caroline; and, in the same year, he presented to her majesty a copy of his excellent treatise, entitled " The Analogy of Religion, Natural and Revealed, to the Constitution and Course of Nature." His attendance upon his royal mistress, by her especial command, was from seven to nine in the evening every day: and though this particular relation to that excellent and learned queen was soon determined by her death, in 1737, yet he had been SO effectually recommended by her, as well as by the late lord-chancellor Talbot, to his majesty's favour, that, in the next year, he was raised to the highest order of the church, by a nomination to the bishopric of Bristol; to which see he was consecrated on the third of December, 1738. King George II. not being satisfied with this proof of his regard to Dr. Butler, promoted him, in 1740, to the deanry of St. Paul's, London; into which he was installed on the 24th of May in that year. Finding the demands of this dignity to be incompatible with his parish duty at Stanhope, he immediately resigned that rich benefice. Besides our prelate's unremitted attention to his peculiar obligations, he was called upon to preach several discourses on public occasions, which were afterwards separately printed, and have since been annexed to the latter editions of the Sermons at the Rolls chapel.

In 1746, upon the death of Dr. Egerton, Bishop of Hereford, Dr. Butler was made clerk-of-the-closet to the king; and on the 16th October, 1750, he received another distinguished mark of his majesty's favour, by being translated to the see of Durham. Our prelate, being thus appointed to preside over a diocess with which he had long been connected, delivered his first, and indeed his last charge to his clergy, at his primary visitation in 1751. The principal object of it was, "External Religion." The Bishop having observed, with deep concern, the great and growing neglect of serious piety

in the kingdom, insisted strongly on the usefulness of outward forms and institutions, in fixing and preserving a sense of devotion and duty in the minds of men. In doing this, he was thought by several persons to speak too favourably of Pagan and Popish ceremonies, and to countenance, in a certain degree, the cause of superstition. Under that apprehension, an able and spirited writer, who was understood to be a clergyman of the church of England, published, in 1752, a pamphlet, entitled, " A serious Enquiry into the Use and Importance of External Religion: occasioned by some passages in the Right Rev. the Lord Bishop of Durham's Charge to the Clergy of that Diocess;-humbly addressed to his Lordship." Many persons, however, and we believe the greater part of the clergy of the diocess, did not think our prelate's charge so exceptionable as it appeared to this author. The charge, being printed at Durham, and having never been annexed to any of Dr. Butler's other works, is now become extremely scarce; and it is observable, that it is the only one of his publications which ever produced him a direct literary antagonist.

By this promotion our worthy Bishop was furnished with ample means of exerting the virtue of charity; a virtue which eminently abounded in him, and the exercise of which was 'his highest delight. But this gratification he did not long enjoy. He had been but a short time seated in his new bishopric, when his health began visibly to decline; and having been complimented, during his indisposition, upon account of his great resignation to the Divine will, he is said to have expressed some regret, that he should be taken from the present world so soon after he had been rendered capable of becoming much more useful in it. In his last illness, he was carried to Bristol, to try the waters of that place; but these proving ineffectual, he removed to Bath, where, being past recovery, he died on the 16th of June, 1752. His corpse was conveyed to Bristol, and interred in the cathedral there, where