The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1836-1851, 1849-04-04

friends and neighbours III pIaee of As guy
Ind teemminp Streets, we see bdt This ride hill Il
4, i came from the bands Or naiuSe. III place
ofihe towering spires, We esbehold but The state.
ly pine; while Ihe breeze thai gently murmurs
through lis foliage is all 10 supply the tones Of
The pealing bell. Our ceremony is eraced here
by no masonic pageants, and in place Of the
marble and adanant, we heb i'd but q pile or
trail and perisbabe material. ,Sa
Bu, my friends, display is no part of our
object in these services. Its, ON The contrary,
spirit Of humility that brings US TO their per-
formance. - 80 ,'',
ThelbuihIing which eibope blythe aid of
divine providence TO erect on thisfnundation,
may soon crunlble and to,ter to its fall. The
"Esto perpetua" may be stamped on the rocks
that support il, but decay, and feetins existence
are inscparably incorporated with the material
that is to compose the superstnictnre." We
cannot hope that It will carry doNn 10 any
remote posterity the feeble mefnento we deposit
here; but we nnw unite to invoke that Being
who safely conducted the ark and tabernacle,
and who is the great high ruler Of the Church. 4
10 take this under his divine guidance, and to
make il the holy vehicle that will bear its Por.
ton of the ransomed to ''lhat building not made
| with hands, eternal in the Heavens" sd
This, my friends, may not be a fit occasion
for the discussion of any doc,rlnal points, nor
could we wish 10 invade The pleasing harmony
of these services by any polemIc dsputatlons.
II would De more consomanr with our feelings,
and compatible with the occasion, TO notice
briefly the progress Of our Church. 1'E 80
While other dpnnm: m:nati6ns behold their
houses Of worship thickly scattered over this
newly settled portion of"country, this little
. chapel, standing alone in ifs simplicity, may
be destined FIR timr, like llpionerrs, TO huf.i
fet the sorrns of rorble, and op2osilion.y The
origin and early establishment otsonr church,
in this country, gives to the world hut a history
ofthe toll, and difficulty Of the establishment Of
| orr holy religion. The iiardshiPs and PrIya1i
lions endnred by the early Bishops, show them
! tokbave been composed of the right material
for martyrs# But difficulties will beset the ac'
compIisbment of every great and. good cause,
and the course nf our Church too like that of
! all great and good causes has tcen onward and
4 triumphant Her progress may no, have been
marked by those rapid and brilliant advances,
which an over wrought enthus:asm W.. sorr,e- :
times produce, yei'the orbit in which, she re-,
wolves has not been eccentric like that of the
Z, blazing vapor, b1s,hes rarher Uniform and
regular, like that of the clear and steady planets.
Ii is true her triumphs may have sometimes
been ,ardy, ye, the f.ct has been often remark.
ed lha, whenever our liturgy has fairly uniolded
its pages lie Church has never, undergone
re,rograde movement Her doines and her
spires are .thickly scattered over all the older
portions OF our country. and steadily is she en-
4 lars,ng her borders---nnr has she been al all,
wanting in The spirits oI missionary enterprise,
| Tile gospel has issued from her portals, and
zone vending its way on the great highway OF
nations 10 distant and benighted climrs. I'm.
der her lavoring auspices an acaderny has bern
erected among the crumblihg rtIinsof Athens,
and hon its rich streams, IF knowledge and
religion are improving the descendants OF So.
lon and Percles. A fountain better than her
old Pieria has been openvd and there e;sonl
of the. young Greek is refreshed ly.a stream af
pi.,y, lar surprising all the .prccep.s Of morali-
ty that flowed froai the lips of Sncrates.. ~ a
She has taken position amoog lhs ,donin-
ions and dependencies oftbe Turkish Sultan,
and the hammer OF the Cross is partially gaining
is triumphs over the Crescent of Mahomet.-
The Ligurgy has heen carried too, to the rocky
and inhospi,able region Of MesoPotamia and
the rude native of Asia Minor is becoming sen;
sible Of its refining influence through time. while
he feels il vital connection with eternity. ithas
heen borne too over the world Of waters to the
Chinese, and the Hindoo, and there has lent no
m"asre aid, in working o,,t the mighty moral
reform which has begun. 1.-The dark shade Of
supers tilion investing the grand Lama are lie:
ginning to vanish. The Bramins already feed
it's influence and tremblc; and the Molock idql
OF Juggernaut is now. so often stated, with the
blood Of rnangled martyrs. 1t has gone to the
swarthy Indian. and the Church is steadily full
filling its noble and humane work among the
aLorigines of our native land. On The distant
? point of Cape ,Palmas her benlgpant light is
shining, and the savage African is forgetting
his f'rocious pursuits. Hers loo was the first
christian standard that ever waved DER The, ice
bo6nd shores of Greenland. Episcopaliaps
9 cannot recur, hut, with gratitude to that hardy
Norwegian who first bore the glad id;ngs tothat
frozen land, and with an ardor nnchIlled hy'its
eternal SHOWS, pavedthe way for the ameliora
ton of people once not less rude than their
own bleak and cherries climaie. But in ibis
connection it may not he amiss to notice an event
relating, 10 our Church both novel and pleasing
in its character and one which we hopernay fulfil
the great end contemplated by the pious be:
nevolence that, prompted it. The waters Of
the Delaware which have SO long been whiten-
ed by the sails the merchant man and plough
ed with (oamng track by majestic steamer,
have recently borne on their surface the proud.
eN bark that ever was waited on any current.
The "Aoating Church oflhc Redeemer" has
! ascendcd that noble stream, and now at her
rnoorng, in the por, Of Philadelphia, she stands
in original grandeur. amid the stately ships Of
trade, and the gayer barks Of pleasure, a truly
novel and sublime spectacle. The Liturgy has
sought out the seaman on his own element, and