much, like any other hired man, he can do it; though I should strongly object to such a departure from ecclesiastical usage, except under very peculiar circumstances. Every congregation that can sustain a minister, ought to have one permanently settled. But the plan of hiring preaching by the year, is on some accounts less objectionable, than that of three or six months' warning. It savors very much of solemn mockery, to invite a candidate to preach upon trial; to give him a regular call for settlement; to receive and consider his answer; to convene the presbytery, or other ecclesiastical council, for the express purpose of putting him over the church and congregation; to give him the apostolic charge and the right hand of fellowship-in short, to install him with all the solemnities of ancient usage, and at the same time virtually to undo it all, by sanctioning a written contract for a dissolution of the union, at the will of either of the parties. I do not believe, the great Head of the Church will ever approve such egregious trifling with holy things. It has done infinite mischief already. While it retains the forms of permanent settlement, it explicitly prepares the way for frequent and capricious changes. What, under this system, becomes of the sacredness which belongs to the pastoral relation? How can a minister ever feel himself at home anywhere, or leave a home for his family when he is taken away by the stroke of death? How can the people love him as their pastor and teacher; nay how can they dare to love him, when the connection may be so easily dissolved?

You do not tell me, whether your call contains the

three months' proviso, or not. If it does, I hope you will anxiously enquire, how far it is right to sanction it in your answer. I do not mean absolutely to advise you to decline on this ground alone; for I am well aware, it is not in the power of a single young man, or of many who are just entering the ministry, to resist the current. Public opinion must be gradually changed by argument and experience. But you can at least express your disapprobation of the plan, as hostile to the best interests of the church, and exert your influence hereafter to bring things back to their former state.

Wherever you may settle, you will need some little vacation occasionally, for recruiting your health and visiting your friends. What the common law of K— is on this point, or whether any such indulgence is offered in the call which you now have under consideration, I do not know. If nothing is said about it, and you are inclined to accept the call, I advise you to make it one of the conditions of settlement that you may be absent two, three or four sabbaths, in each year, without either expense, or responsibility in providing a supply. This is so reasonable, that if the people of Lare really anxious to secure you, they will readily accede to your wishes. If they decline, it will be a pretty clear indication, that they are, upon the whole, quite willing to try another candidate. When you have got the liberty, however, use it in the fear of God, and with an eye steadily fixed upon the best interests of the church. Never leave your pulpit, merely because you have a right by contract to be absent for a longer or a shorter time.

Some years the state of things in your congregation may forbid your leaving them at all, without the most urgent necessity; and then again, in other years, you may want more time than you have stipulated for, which will no doubt be readily granted. You may perhaps think me over anxious and careful in regard to this point, or even wonder why I have touched upon it at all. But I have lived nearly twice as long in the world as you have, and I do assure you, there is nothing like having a full understanding between a minister and his people at the outset. If nothing is said about allowing him an occasional vacation when he needs it, they may be willing to give him the indulgence, or they may not.

Before you give your answer, make yourself well acquainted with the condition both of the church and the congregation. If any are opposed to your settlement, or are luke-warm about it, consider who they are, what is their standing, what is their influence, what are the grounds of their opposition, and what the probabilities of its gaining strength, or being I do not think that a candidate ought to be frightened away by every groundless prejudice, or unruly tongue, for then in many congregations, it would be impossible ever to secure the blessings of a stated ministry; but on the other hand, it is worse than folly, to go where there is no reasonable prospect of comfort and usefulness.

overcome.

It not unfrequently happens, especially where churches have been for some years vacant, that bad cases of discipline accumulate, to the great perplexity of young and inexperienced pastors. How it may

be in the church of L-, I do not know; but I advise, I charge you as a father his son, to enquire. There may be chronic cases of the very worst kind— so inveterate, that it would be in the highest degree imprudent for any young man to settle, till they are disposed of. If cases of less difficulty linger, try to have them issued before you assume the pastoral care, or if that cannot be done, get a promise that they shall be carried through, as soon after as possible. These precautions may save you a vast deal of trouble.

Extend your enquiries to everything pertaining to the state both of the church and the congregation. It is your right, and every body will like you the better for it. I should be very sorry to see you placed in so awkward a position, as I myself was, after I had given my answer to the church and society of F———. When all the arrangements for the ordination were made, it occurred to me, that I had not seen the Confession of Faith and Covenant. I accordingly enquired for the church records; and judge of my surprise when I found, that the articles were so extremely indefinite and general, as to admit almost any person into the church, who might choose to apply. What was to be done? I could not take the oversight of a church resting upon such a platform; and how was it possible in the few days that were left, to substitute a new Confession and Covenant ? My mind was soon made up. I went to one of the wisest and most respectable members of the church, and after stating my objections to the articles as I found them, told him frankly that I could not pro

ceed. He received me kindly, but seemed alarmed. I proposed calling the whole church together to see what they would do. He and others whom I consulted were afraid of the consequences, but finally consented, and arrangements were made for drawing up and presenting a new Orthodox and Calvinistic Confession. The church met. The two confessions, the old and the new, were taken up, examined, and explained. The new one was adopted, I believe unaninmously. Some of my best friends had urged me to wait till after the ordination. But I felt it my duty to bring the matter to an issue at once, that I might "go to the right hand or to the left." Settle I would not, upon such uncertainties; and had I waited, I am quite sure the change would not have been made.

As the church to which you are called is a presbyterian church, you know what the creed is without asking; and I refer you to my own experience in the case just stated, merely to illustrate the importance of having a mutual understanding on all points, before you take the last step, and to have everything done that can be, to save future difficulty.

There is but one topic more, so far as I can now recollect, which I wish to touch upon in this letter, and that is pecuniary support. This I know is regarded by some as too delicate, or too mercenary a topic, to be mentioned by a father to his son, in such a connection. But why so? An Apostle has told us, that "the laborer is worthy of his hire." And again; "do ye not know that they which minister about holy things, live of the things of the temple? and