Excerpt from A Sermon, Preached in St. George's Cathedral, Kingston, on Tuesday, June 21st, 1864, by the Rev. J. B. Worrell, M. A., Before the Synod of the Diocese of Ontario

But whilst regarding the facts of the increasing energy of the Church at home, and the extension of it in the Colonies, we must confess that it does not present a scene of unmixed brightness, there are some disturbing influences that seem to threaten the peace, and unity, and welfare of the Church at large; and at the same time make more apparent the need of its action being fully revived and left untrammelled. About twelve years ago one of the profes sors of Divinity in King's College, London, published heretical Opinions in regard to the non-eternity of future punishment; and with the approbation of the whole Church, he was promptly degra ded from his professorship. Then about four years ago appeared the celebrated Essays and Reviews, in which doctrines were enunciated which strike at the root of the Christian religion. The Church was still further scandalized about two years after by the publications of the late Bishop of Natal, in which, besides a large portion of the Holy Scriptures being treated as a myth, many of the heretical opinions of the former publications were reiterated, and in particular the non-inspiration of Holy Scripture, and the non-eternity of future punishment. That these publications should call forth able replies, and that these replies should establish, to the thoughtful, that the whole of the unsound writings were but the revival of old errors clothed in modes of thought adapted to the present age, was only what might have been imagined, and so fawere satisfactorv. But this seems hardly sufficient. When the Church has been publicly scandalized by any of its ministry pub lishing opinions that would tend to destroy the foundations of Christianity, it is hardly sufficient that those writings should be dealt with like mere erroneous treaties in science, and be left to be confuted by individuals. It certainly seems that if the Church will not, to some extent, by silence, participate in their guilt, it ought to arise and vindicate its own purity by a public condemna tion of the errors, and by the deposition of its unfaithful officers from their-position in the sacred ministry. This is no more than the exercise of a power which every society must possess for its own security. I think I am not in error in affirming that to C'hurchmen in this Colony the tidings at first came as something incomprehensible that two of the contributors to the Essays and Reviews, after having been condemned in the Church Courts, should have been restored to their position in the sacred ministry, and their condemnation reversed by a Committee of the Privy Council; and that henceforth it may be given forth to the world that clergymen may use the creeds of the Church, subscribe its articles and formularies, and yet may or may not believe the inspi ration of the Holy Scriptures and the eternity of future punish ment. And it has not diminished our wonder to find that such cases may be referred for final adjudication to a tribunal composed mostly of laymen, and that these may even not be members of the Church.

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