THE AMERICAN CHURCH MONTHLY, SUCCESSOR TO "THE TRUE CATHOLIC." FROM JANUARY TO JULY, 1857. THE REV. HENRY N HUDSON, M.A., EDITOR. HUGH DAVEY EVANS, LL.D., REGULAR AND INDEPENDENT CONTRIBUTOR. JAVERSITY LIBRARY PUBLISHED FOR THE PROPRIETOR, BY EDWARD P. ALLEN, 9 SPRUCE STREET, WE here offer ourselves to the brethren as a sort of NewYear's gift, in the shape of a monthly periodical devoted to the cause of sound piety, pure morals, and liberal thought. Our resolution to do so has not been taken lightly nor hastily, but is the result of long and anxious deliberation. In the outset of our course we wish to foreclose, as far as practicable, all just grounds of disappointment. In pursuance of this wish, we will proceed to mark out, as nearly and clearly as may be, what we propose to do, and how; though we do not mean to shut ourselves up too closely, but must reserve a pretty wide margin for such discretionary action as varying circumstances and exigencies may suggest, or may seem to require. In the first place, then, we go unreservedly for the whole Church, with all her present freedom and variety of membership. Hence, though decided in our views, and frank in expressing them, we cannot engage nor indulge in any theological partisanship or warfare with any class or description of her members; but must hold it as a settled point, that in all open questions and matters of opinion they have just as good a right to differ from us, as we have to differ from them. Whom she admits into her fold, them, all of them, we gladly recognize as children of the same Father and the same Mother as ourselves: whatsoever fashion they may see fit to dress their |