though undefiled, an ignominious death, was only some superior created being, couldst thou help feeling the most ardent affection for him? Would not thy adoration and praise in worship be often turned to him? If we are as greatly blessed in redemption as in creation, he who redeemed us must have, by similar reasoning, a claim to our hearts. It was, therefore, determined in the councils of wisdom, that the Redeemer of man should be one with the Creator. God of God." He introduces the above consideration "as the point which has ever had great weight in convincing me that the author of my salvation was the author of my being-that the Son and the Father were one in the Godhead."

The doctrine of unconditional election was, in the opinion of Bishop Dehon, altogether without scriptural foundation. The terms election, elect, predestination, and the like, in the scriptures, had reference, in his opinion, either to a national election, or to a conditional election of the individual, founded on the divine foreknowledge of his faith and obedience. In the former sense, the Hebrews, and afterwards Christians, were called the elect people of God, not as elected to eternal life, but to religious privileges in this world. In the latter sense, the Apostle says, "whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate;" that is, whom he foreknew would comply with the terms of salvation, them did he choose as his people. The election, therefore, is not unconditional, as Calvin maintained, but, as it is expressed in our seventeenth article, it is a doctrine "full of comfort to godly persons," and "a dangerous downfall to carnal persons lacking the spirit of Christ." The seventeenth article can never be properly interpreted in a Calvinistic sense, for these two unanswerable reasons. First, in that sense it would contradict the liturgy of the Church, and in a palpable manner, the consecration prayer, in the office for the holy communion, and also the thirty-first article, in which it is declared that the offering of Christ is "a satisfaction for all the sins of the

whole world," whereas the Calvinist maintains that it is a "satisfaction for the sins of the elect only." Now, it can never be supposed that the framers of our articles and liturgy intended to contradict themselves.

The second reason is this: the authors of the articles are known not to have held the sentiments of Calvin, and the Calvinists of the day were so dissatisfied with their articles, that they proposed a substitution for them, commonly called the "Lambeth Articles," in which the tenets of Calvin are contained.*

Having briefly traced the conduct of Bishop Dehon, in relation to his own Church, and to other Christians, in concluding this chapter, I would observe, that his designs, both pious and benevolent, were crowned with remarkable success. They were generally formed after much inquiry and serious reflection-were prosecuted with zeal and perseverance-and made the subject of earnest and frequent prayer to Him who controleth the wills of all

men.

He originated the "Society for the Advancement of Christianity in South-Carolina," and its success exceeded the expectations of its most sanguine friends. He attempted the revival of the Church in parishes,‡ seemingly gone to decay and had the happiness to behold that there were yet sparks of life. He suggested the establishment of a Church at Sullivan's Island, and another at Columbia, (a most important station, the capitol of the State, and the seat of its college,) and soon the business was accomplished. He proposed the institution of a Theological Seminary, and, notwithstanding an active opposition, lived to see it in a fair train of success.

He

* See "Lawrence's Bampton Lectures," and "How's Vindication of the Protestant Episcopal Church."

+ See Chapter V.

Those referred to, are Christ Church; All-Saints; St. James', Santee; St. Paul's, Stono; St. Luke's; St. Mark's, (two congregations); St. John's, Colleton; St. Matthew's; Prince William's; and Prince George's, NorthSantee.

suggested the erection of a Church in the heart of the city, more particularly for the accommodation of the poor, which purpose, a few years after his death, was happily effected.

These circumstances are mentioned as illustrative, not only of the wisdom of his purposes, and the zeal of his character, but of that divine blessing, which seemed, in a remarkable manner, to attend him in his undertakings, and to crown them with almost unexampled success.

CHAPTER VÌÍ.

Miscellaneous.

IN private life, Bishop Dehon was a pattern both to the clergy and the laity. He instructed his flock by his example. In all the important transactions of life, he sought, by prayer, the direction and blessing of the All-wise and All-mighty. A pure piety prefers to be alone with God, and therefore we are prepared to expect that he would find more delight in private than in social worship, which is often indebted for its effect to the power of sympathy. He loved to perform his devotions at the silent hour of midnight, as most favourable to an undisturbed communion with his Maker. He eminently fulfilled the precept to "pray without ceasing." God was in all his thoughts, and the ejaculation of praise to his divine benefactor often escaped his lips. It was justly remarked by one who had studied his character, that he "carried about with him, as the daily subject of his thoughts, and the very garment of his soul, a living sense of God's presence." He was an attentive observer of the dispensations of providence. But he always spoke modestly respecting them, and conceived that it is a common error to suppose that men, in general, understand the design of those events which are daily occurring. It is undeniably true, that individuals are often following their own imaginations, when they think that they are following the leadings of providence. The scriptures are a sure light in the path of duty; and they who have that light cannot wisely seek any other. He searched them daily, and few men have ever been

so thoroughly acquainted with them. In preparing his sermons, he had little occasion for a concordance, and in conversation he could readily draw from the treasury either of the Old or New Testament. He had bestowed scarcely less attention on the Apocrypha, and he would often quote the admirable maxims it contains. The prayer for wisdom in the ninth chapter of the Book of Wisdom, was much valued by him, and it is known that he made it his own in his supplications, with an application in his mind to his high and holy office. He read the scriptures with a special view to his own practice, and therefore knew accurately and fully what the Lord his God required of him in the several relations which he filled, and, also, how those good men, whose lives are recorded for imitation, had acted under similar circumstances. Among the Old Testament saints, it is believed that the character of Moses in particular had attracted his admiration, and it is known that among the New Testament saints, he felt chief veneration and affection for the Apostle John. He succeeded in attaining, to a wonderful degree, the prominent virtues of these two persons, meekness, and a devoted love to God and man; and in his discourse on the character of St. John, it is impossible for an acquaintance not to trace his own likeness.* But there is a character with whom the lesser lights of goodness are not to be compared. The Star of Bethlehem is without a

spot or a passing cloud. Bishop Dehon was a follower of Christ. "In whatever condition thou art, still ask thyself what would my blessed Saviour have thought, said, or done, in this case." This maxim he made for himself. All the delicate features of this superlative character, he had marked with a most careful vision. He had looked at them again and again. He thought that no occurrence in which the Saviour of the world had been concerned could be considered trivial, and he often gathered valuable

* See Sermon 62. vol. ii.