ligious opinions and feelings, though somewhat dif ferent from the prevailing notions, were not one whit less deeply seated and efficacious;-nay, if you might judge from results, were even more so: and people came at length to acknowledge, that his way of thinking, and his habits, were quite as scriptural as those which were in current vogue; that the good which he aimed at effecting was of a more permanent character, and the means which he employed certainly more in accordance with the ordinances and usages of the Church.

CHAPTER IV.

MR. WALTON PROVES HIMSELF A PRACTICAL CHURCHREFORMER. SOME ACCOUNT OF THE NEW CURATE.

What pleasure can the miser's fondled hoard,

Or spendthrift's prodigal excess, afford,
Sweet as the privilege of healing woe,

By virtue suffer'd combatting below?

That privilege was thine; Heaven gave thee means

To illumine with delight the saddest scenes,

Till thy appearance chased the gloom, forlorn

As midnight, and despairing of a morn.

Thou hadst an industry in doing good,

Restless as his who toils and sweats for food.

Yet was thy liberality discreet,

Wise in its choice, and of a temper'd heat.
And though in act unwearied, secret still-
As in some solitude the summer-rill
Refreshes, where it winds, the faded green,
And cheers the drooping flowers, unheard, unseen.
COWPER.

ABOUT the time at which we have arrived, the good people of Churchover were in some perplexity. Churchover is a vicarage of about 1207. per annum. Mr. Latimer, the vicar, who succeeded Mr. Walton's father, had been a good and zealous pastor, and had worn out the best years of his life in the care of his flock. But, alas! age and infirmity had crept upon him, his eye had become dim, his voice impaired, and his natural force abated: still, being utterly unable, from poverty, to maintain a curate, he went on, week after week, and month after month, getting with difficulty through his two services, and attending as he was best able to the duties of his parish.

One of the greatest blemishes in our national establishment is the want of retiring pensions for aged and infirm clergymen. It is a blemish which might, one would think, be easily remedied; but

little has at present been done. The consequence is, that where the income of the living is small, as it is in most of our town vicarages, a zealous clergyman, like Mr. Latimer, when he finds his strength decaying, and feels himself incompetent to perform his duties with that energy and activity which he once exerted, has the additional grief of seeing the more ignorant and unstable portion of the congregation, who have itching ears, and are fond of novelty, go off to the dissenting meeting-house; and even the most stanch and well-affected Churchmen, though they still continue, of course, to attend the Church service, yet have cause to lament the decay of his powers.

It is surprising how extremely inconsiderate many persons are with regard to this matter. If the Church of England is the true Church—if her doctrine and discipline are, as we believe, apostolic, surely no circumstances can be conceived under which it is safe or right to separate from her communion. When persons complain of the clergy, I am disposed to ask them whether the fault may not be in a great measure their own. Have they ever earnestly prayed to God for them? have they piously offered up the supplications which are directed to be used every day in Ember-weeks for those who are about to be admitted to holy orders,— that God in his mercy "will so guide and govern the minds of his servants, the bishops and pastors of his flock, that they may lay hands suddenly on no man, but faithfully and wisely make choice of fit persons to serve in the sacred ministry of his Church?" and for those who are already ordained, and for their own particular minister, have they prayed that God will "give them his grace and heavenly benediction," and "replenish them with the truth of his doctrine, and endue them with innocency of life?" If all Christian men would fervently join in these prayers,

we cannot doubt that a great blessing would result to the ministry. Take, however, if you please, the worst case which can be imagined: suppose, what cannot fail to happen, unless it be by a miracle, in a body of fifteen or sixteen thousand men (for such is the number of the clergy of the Church of England), suppose a clergyman of scandalous life, or grossly negligent habits; what is the duty of religious and serious Churchmen in the parish? Unquestionably their only course, their bounden duty, is to complain to the bishop, and request his interference; and if the bishop does not attend to their complaint, then they should apply to the archbishop. If all remonstrance fail, or if legal hinderances, which unfortunately sometimes stand in the way of Churchdiscipline, prevent the immediate removal of the offender, still they should remember that "the effect of Christ's ordinance is not taken away by the wickedness of ministers [as the papists vainly imagine], nor is the grace of God's gifts diminished from such as by faith and rightly do receive the sacraments ministered unto them; which be effectual because of Christ's institution and promise, although they be administered by evil men.”* As a last resort, persons scandalised by the conduct of their clergyman might attend the church in the next parish, or even remove themselves and their families from the place; but on no account,-under no circumstances conceivable in this country,-is it safe or proper to separate from the one Catholic and Apostolic Church, and join a schismatical communion. Nothing but the most extreme case,-such, for instance, as that of a ship's crew wrecked on a desert island, can warrant a man who is not episcopally ordained, in taking upon himself the office of the

* Article XXVI.

ministry. Who can say what vengeance God may bring on those who, without authority, pretend to consecrate the bread and wine, and administer the sacrament of the Lord's supper? Have we forgotten the case of Uzzah,* who was struck dead because he touched the ark, even though to save it from falling, when the oxen stumbled? Have we forgotten the dreadful punishment inflicted on Korah, Dathan, and Abiram,† when, contrary to the law of God, they aspired to the priesthood? And it should be remembered that, not only themselves, but all their " company," and "all that appertained to them," went down alive into the pit, and perished from among the congregation. These are but examples of God's wrath visibly and openly executed, which, under the present dispensation, is reserved for the judgment of the last day. How strangely ignorant of their danger do those persons appear, who make no scruple of leaving the communion of the Church, and joining themselves to some dissenting congregation, because perhaps they like the dissenting preacher better than their own! as if truth or falsehood depended on skill in preaching! as if the Church, with her beautiful Liturgy, her pious formularies, and divinely ordained sacraments, did not remain the same, whatever were the merits or demerits of some particular local minister. It is a fearful and dangerous thing, if people would but consider it, to leave the communion of God's people, and desert Christ's ordinances, and the sacraments of his Church, under any circumstances. What, then, must be the folly and guilt of those who capriciously separate from the Church, under the frivolous pretext that the preacher does not happen to suit their fancy?

* 2 Sam. vi. 7.

+ Numbers xvi.