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The Charles P. McIlvaine letters were written in the 18th and 19th century and therefore may contain language that we understand today as harmful or offensive. You may encounter paternalist descriptions of Native Americans, racial slurs, or sexism. For more information, see our policy page.
Description
CHURCH: reading "Truth & Life", "Christ in the Church", similar views of doctrine, disciples; Wilson ill; Dr. Smith, McDougal, Queen's mandate, First Episcopal Consecration out of England since the Reformation, Jacques Brooke, Potter, Doane, Wilberforce
Date
11-7-1855
Keywords
letter, McIlvaine, Wilson, church
Recommended Citation
Wilson, Bishop, "Letter to Charles P. McIlvaine" (1855). Charles Pettit McIlvaine Letters. 377.
https://digital.kenyon.edu/mcilvaine_letters/377
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Transcript
Nov. 7th 1855
My beloved + honored Brother-
Few things have given me more pleasure than your affectionate letter of January 1 and your “Truths + Life” (which however never reached me till July 6th) I have just been reading in course the first part of “[Christ] in the Church” pg 295-318 — I began the 1st [Sermon] the very day the volume arrive, and shall soon come to the end of a work which I most highly esteem. Indeed I can hardly tell you how completely I agree with you in all your views of doctrine + discipline. Especially every thing touching the [?] is to my heart’s [?] My delay in answering your letter + acknowledging your volume has arisen partly from advanced age (July 2nd 1778 to [Nov] 1855) partly from attacks of sickness, especially the alarming obstruction of which the [?][Fred] the Wise died in 1525; + partly from [?] of Diocesan + [private] affairs. However, the first clear day since your book arrived is given to such a trembling, shaky answer as a [?] will allow. I trust it may meet [your] eye on January 1st, 1856, neither before nor after; and then if [you] should forgive my delay + favor me with another New Year’s gift. I will endeavor to be more alert in my reply — I have [?] [home] [to] my…[son] [?] [?] 200 copies of my 7th [?] delivered on Oct. 23rd, of which a copy will [wait] after [you] so [soon] as N.L. Latitude 20°: [?] + East L 85° can reach NL 40° and West Long: 85°, for such I “[?]” to be [?] your position in Ohio - though ou have never told me the name of your Metropolis, nor the number + age of your children, + the number of your Clergy, that I remember. I left Calcutta (22°: ‘34 & 88°: ‘20) on Monday on a 4 months’ Visitation, if God should grant me life / health — I begin with the Coast of [?] + visit Akbyab [sic?—Akyab in Myanmar] , Rangoon, [?] [?] (6 days in V[?] [?] [?] up the I[?]) Mo[?] & Amherst - then, taking Calcutta on my way, [?], + the [?] of Malacca; to be back at the end of [February]. No long land journies —
We have had a most interesting Meeting last month of the Bishop of Madras + Victoria ([?] formerly my Anchodecenan + Dr. Smith of Hong Kong) with Dr. McDougal the Bishop of Labadean + myself—four Chief Pastors in the heart of [?] [?] India in a Protestant Cathedral Church erected + consecrated in 1847 — on occasion of the Queen’s Mandate & the [?] Commission addressed to the Bishop [?] to consecrate the said Bishop [Elect] to his fine Missionary [field] of duty. It is supposed to be the first Episcopal Consecration out of England since the Reformation. His Title is “[?]” as the only spot proposed by the Crown.— [?] is the private property, under the [?] King, of Sir [James] [Brooke]. I wish his spirit (the Bp’s) were more [?] & evangelical; but he is an able, vigorous person, in tall health, under 40, full of [buoyant] [enterprise]—a [?] of [Medicine] before he took Orders—just the man for rough work. We have [tried] to [vaccinate] him with the mild evangelical [infections] since he has been at Calcutta, & I hope with success—for he was [?] before, & [free] from [both] [?] & [?].
I have had a [?] of [books] from Bishop Potter of [?] [?], but without a letter, so that I hardly know how to thank him. His [?] appear to me [dull], but sound, I have [?] for the Quarterly Journal of which he [favored] me with the 1st No, January 1854, + which I can [?] a mass of information about American [?] + persons very interesting + [?] - the papers against [?] are capital. In the [appendix] I board for the first time the merit of the long [?] boat against Bishop [?]. In as I [?] [?] were engaged. The whole day [?] gave me an agreeable view of [?] + [?] P?] in good Courts. Nov 20 Bps [?], [Willowforce], + London awaken any hopes in my mind of the spiritual benefits of a revived [Convocation] in England. In the [?] of Lord there are the [?] [?] who appear & this art the good + excellent Lord [?] (what an improvement on Lord [?] of old!) and his quiet but effective measures of immediate usefulness. Our [?] p?[ frightens me completely - nothing works well - the Democratic + [?] Elements [?] every religious measure - for example, the Court of [?], the [?], the [?] [?] of London had been brought, after [7] years, to concur in an [?] [?] (for any Diocese is about 2,000 miles [?] 1,000 [?] but when it comes to the [?], the President ([?]) though favorable, [?] from encountering the [?] in Parliament, + I have to [?] [?] from Calcutta to [?] on one side, to [?], + then [?] of Malacca on the other. I do what I can [by] visiting [?] where no land-journies are involved + [by] requesting my [?] [?] Bishops to take all the regions above [?] - about the size of Europe -
What a wonderful time we live in, my beloved brother! What intercommunications! What electric rapidities! - Soon Calcutta + London will be united, or [?] and [?] will envy their [?] in a few days, instead [?] 7 months as I will remember. Even [?] [?] are about to [?] your [?], + write the Atlantic + Pacific, and [?] to make the journey from Calcutta to London in 7 days, instead of 34 as now. [?] commotions in Turkey, [?] [?] are rarely [?]; and before 1866 (the date of [?] able [?]. To which I do not commit myself) [won] [?] changes may be [?]. [?] is hopeful - the Pope infatuated, if ever man was, with his abroad [?] of Immaculated [?] folly - the Nationalities uneasy, + having as the land before [?] Earth-quake - the Colonies over[?] the [?] State in Canada + Australia - every thing out of place + laboring to bring for the the Manifestation of the Love of God. Labor, beloved Brother, lift up our [?] for perhaps our redemption [?] [nigh]. Above all, let us stand by Christin in these [wild] days; I let us in and [?] [affection] and spirit [?] [?] to [?] in LOVE; that we at least may stand in our lot at the end of the days - To walk with God and the commendations of [?] - it is the same of all sanctifications. I am sending Dr. [?] life, the [?], and Mr. [?] [Geology], which [?] [?] highly approves. German of [?] Life has [?] appeared = he succeeded me at St. John’s in 1824, but soon left, first for [?] & then for [?]. [?] have for the good * excellent [?] A. H. [?[ + J. H. [?], + many, many others [?] back must give in England - [?] “[?] thoughts” is a first-rate Book - [?] [?]’s Life as [?] [?] of a [?] worldly priest - and [got] it [?] [?] [?]! [?], [?] for the [early] times. In [?], there will be recognition [?] and [Separation]. I cannot conceive what it will be: I have no idea - But to be with [Christ] [meant] he [?] better than any thing this life can offer - D. L.