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very glad that he has. The labour of the parish was getting quite beyond me; one sermon a week, I think, is as much as any man can undertake, and some of my parishioners were eager for two. Then the visiting I felt, in wet weather especially, very troublesome; and Mrs. Wallis was continually telling me that I was not sufficiently careful of myself. So, on the whole, I think myself very fortunate in so efficient and valuable a helper as my friend on the other side of the table."

The truth was, that Mr. Wallis's inactivity, partly the natural infirmity of increasing years, partly the besetting sin against which he had never sufficiently struggled, had been a source of great triumph to the Dissenters. The Wesleyans, ever ready to profit by the weakness of the Church, had been enabled to enlarge and beautify their conventicle; a small Independent meeting-house had sprung up, and proselytes were added to each of the sectarian bodies. Nor could this be matter of wonder. Mr. Tomkins, of the New Connexion, and Mr. Jupp, of Cave Adullam Chapel, both in their visits to the members of their respective congregations, and in their sermons, gave ample proof that they were, at all events, in earnest; Mr. Wallis, on the contrary, never visited a parishioner except in case of extreme danger, and then only when he was sent for; and as to his morning discourse on the Sunday, it was much of such a description as might have been delivered by an enlightened follower of Plato. If he did not, with

Paley, actually say that such expressions as a new creature, a new life, a new man, meant "nothing at all-nothing, that is, to us, and in our circumstances;" nor, with another divine, that Socrates was "made wisdom and righteousness" to mankind; he contented himself with exhortations to avoid viceto follow virtue, since even heathens had agreed that the former was misery, the latter, happiness: he exhorted his hearers to do their best, and to trust to a merciful God, and not to doubt but that if, on the whole, their virtues preponderated over their vices, He would accept the one and overlook the other.

This kind of preaching, though not calculated to do much harm among a poor and illiterate congregation, who could not understand above one sentence in five, was as little likely to retain those in the fold of the Church, who were daily exposed to the temptations arising from the more attractive forms in which schism displayed itself. When Mr. Tomkins, following the cowardly and most deceitful craft which will eventually render Wesleyanism a bye-word even among other schismaticks, declared that Wesleyan Methodism was not dissent from the Church, nor schism in it, but the offspring of an extraordinary outpouring of the Spirit of GOD; when Mr. Jupp dwelt on the liberty of extemporary prayer, and the privilege of a free ministry, not set aside by man, but acknowledging an immediate call from GOD; how were the villagers of Monk Teynton to meet these arguments? The trumpet gave an uncertain sound;

and who could prepare himself for battle? All that were really earnest-minded among them, with one or two exceptions, fell off into the ranks of schism; the careless and worthless, who were content with any form of religion, retained that in which they had been educated, since a change would have involved some trouble. Of course, the character of the respective parties was an additional cause of glorying to those who were in arms against their Church.

Mr. Wallis, finding that the defections increased weekly, after having in vain had recourse to the expedient of making his extracts from Tillotson, and Clarke, and John Taylor, larger than usual, determined on preaching a sermon in defence of the Church. This production he elaborated with extreme care, and hoped that a considerable effect would arise from it. He began by stating that the origin of every government was from the necessity felt for every individual giving up some of his own liberty, political, moral, and religious, for the safety and good order of the whole; that the government thus formed was henceforth the representative of the state at large; that it was charged with its welfare, and must answer for its happiness. Consequently, that this government, after a fair and candid view of all religions, would choose that which it thought most likely to be conducive to the publick weal; that, for example, after inquiring into the principles and pretensions of Paganism, Mahometanism, and Christianity, it would probably feel inclined to embrace

the latter; that among the various persuasions included in this common name, it had made choice of Protestant Episcopacy; that to Protestant Episcopacy, therefore, it was the duty of every good citizen to conform; that there were, indeed, those who from conscientious scruples were unable to do so, and that such were no doubt perfectly justified in serving GoD as they thought best, since, doubtless, all worship, if it come from the heart, is equally acceptable to the Supreme Being; but that where conscience interposed no obstacle, for the sake of peace, good order, and good citizenship, individuals should conform to the established religion.

This discourse, though it seemed to produce no further effect in the parish, than the delivery of sermons at both the meetings against the discipline of the Church on several succeeding Sundays, was yet considered by its author as so convincing, that he could not resist the temptation of committing it to the press. It was his first and last publication: and he was not a little surprised on receiving, some short time subsequently, his publisher's account, with a per contra of only six sold copies; copies which Sir John Morley had considered it but a mark of proper respect to purchase.

It was at this season that George Morley entered on his parish work, as Mr. Wallis's curate. He was eager at once to commence the daily service; but the rector, instinctively opposed to all change, and perhaps actuated by a little natural jealousy of his

future successor, would not hear for a moment of such a proposal. Nor was it without considerable reluctance that he allowed the church to be opened for service on saints' days, and that he gave his consent, if this (to use his own expression) should be "found to answer," to the commemorations of Wednesday and Friday in a similar manner. Indeed, to say the truth, Mr. Wallis felt considerable apprehension as to the tendency of certain of his curate's doctrines. Having passed all his days in the seclusion of a very retired living, and having confined his theological reading within very narrow limits, he was by no means prepared for the bold and uncompromising claims which George Morley put forth in behalf of the Church. Not that he found anything in them to which he could object; on the contrary, as he had latterly begun to doubt whether Dissenters could successfully be met with any weapon in his own armoury, he was glad to be furnished with some which promised to stand in better stead. Still, when he heard of the graces which it had pleased GOD to bestow upon man being laid up for him in the Church alone; when he found the Power of the Keys vindicated to Her Ministers, to the exclusion of all others, he began to reflect, that either the ground he had formerly taken was miserably low, or that now occupied by his curate most dangerous and false. Yet he had the satisfaction of finding, that though met with the greatest opposition, his curate not only succeeded in maintaining his own position, but gradually appeared

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