integrity, firm in his just demands, and spurning the questionable expediency of ordinary diplomatists, he has wrought for himself a name for uprightness and inflexibility of purpose and principle which even the lax Turks have learned to honour and to applaud.
The hot season having set in before our preparations for departure were fully made, we decided to remain at Constantinople, where for the space of three months, I had frequent opportunities, in company with Mr. Southgate, of conversing with many of the Greek and Armenian Clergy, and of explaining to them the doctrine and discipline of the English Church. For the reasons already given, they were profoundly ignorant of us, and in most cases looked upon us as a sect of Protestants, differing little, if at all, from the Independents. It has appeared to me, that, if a treatise were written with the sanction of our Bishops at home, and dedicated to the Patriarchs and other clergy of the East, in which our Church and her relations to other Churches should be fully explained, the effect thereof would greatly tend to remove the many suspicions, misconceptions, and erroneous notions, which at present exist among them in regard to ourselves. The following should be among the points treated of:—History of the foundation of the British Churches; the commencement of Papal domination; the different conduct of our Church under the Papal yoke; causes which led to a reform; the Reformation explained and vindicated; the doctrines and corrupt practices which were then discarded; why others not corrupt were suspended or disallowed; an exposition of our faith as contained in the Creeds, Articles, Rituals, Homilies, and Canons; causes of our little intercourse with the Oriental Churches, arising out of our former subjection to the Pope, the Reformation and subsequent events, extensive colonies to provide for, our isolated position, &c.; attempts formerly made to bring about communion with the holy Eastern Church: these altogether distinct from the late efforts of Dissenters which are not recognized by our Church; what are the religious principles of Dissenters in the United States and in England; the Church of America shown to be a sister Church; our amicable designs and wishes on behalf of the Eastern Churches; the blessings which may be anticipated by a re-union
