The Sun.
London, England, 1823-10-20 00:00:00

FOR THE SUN.

Mit. EDITOR—If ,by any term more appro-
priate than another we were asked forn serious definition of
the present age, we would not call it ley the fine poetic names
of old, or go so far into the bowels of the earth as to fetch it
from the mines of gold, of silver, or iron, nor even of brass,
but denominate it front that substance more or less refined
which comes from rags—the paper age. We do not apply
this term to it, however appropriately it might be so called from
the great prevalence of paper currency over the gold, notwith-
standing the late introduction of the latter in the fascinating
form of Sovereigns and double Sovereigns, to .prove to the sa-
tisfaction and delight of the people that our own credit will
even preponderate, if they were to presume upon a competition,
over the Holy Alliance itself of Sovereigns—but chiefly be.
cause there is such a redundance of sense and nonsense, which-
ever comes uppermost, put down immediately to paper—no
matter what, so long as there are readers to buy the boOks,
booksellers to sell them, and stationers and men of the trade to
fatten upon the spoils, while the poor author is in rags, which
are only waiting for a fresh set, to be manufactured into more
paper for Other books and pamphlets. Next to this Cacoethes
scribendi, this itch of scribbling, is the evil habit of speaking
whatever comes into the mind—and what indeed does not seem
as if it had been in the mind at all, but rushes merely from
the tip of the tongue—that slippery member, so much nimbler
in the heads of some than even thought, with which it often
has so little intercourse. Out fly the words irrevocably, not
caring whether it may prove to the amusement or the instruc-
tion, to the devotion or the ruin, of those who are within their
reach.
.All this even might be tolerated, if these great talkers would
confine their exertions to the proper time and place—but, alas !
so firmlyrooted is this habit in some, that they cannot refrain
from its indulgences in season and out of season, by night and
by day, at home and abroad, in the highways, and in the holy
temple itself. There, even men of the lower orders, having no
longer the patience.to hear, take their spirit of impatience for a
spirit to preach.; and even women, who are commended by
apostolic authority not to speak In the church, raise their voices'
as loud as the other sex, and with as much edification to their
hearers. When they are not to. be silent meetings, due notice
is given in cards to the gentry around them, that they are to be
moved by the spirit on such a day, and on such an hour, to
speak ; and when the movement once begins, on they go, in
one continued rhapsody. of pious nonsense, that any-stranger
coming in would imagine, if it were not for some texts
of scripture quoted at random, that they were the Sybil'
dealing out their demoniacal inspirations,_ with plenty; of
rhyme, but not an iota of reason.—No one at least
would take them for the same people, who, in their general
deportment out of the temple, are apt to conduct them-
selves with so much good sense every where else, but seem
to leave it all behind them at the door, as if they thought, with
some of their brother enthusiasts, that faith only begins where
reason ends, and that true religion is chiefly shown in the ab-
sence of good sense and common understanding. While such is
the company of preachers, " to whom the Lord has not given
the Word,' and who are only moved by their own spirit, when
they take the inspiration to deliver it to their people—where is
the wonder thatthis Word should not be preached in that pu-
rity which it was in those earlier ages of the church, when
there were none of the licences granted by the State at one
shilling n-lieuk for any one to mount the rostrum, whom
a congregation pleased to set up on high for their amusement
or their edification ?
In former times men were not allowed to open their lips
in public addresses to the people upon their spiritual
concerns, but such as had been properly tried and ex-
amined, 'and had been some time utter their probationary
state admitted to Holy Orders. Then the Word had a
fai: chance of being properly handled in the true evan-
elical spirit, when there were but few ordained to preach in each
diocese even of them that were admitted; and the Deacons
were only licensed to read, till . they had been tried in their
parish for several years, anti examined in the proper qualifica-
tions, which they were obliged to display at certain seasons
before their visitor, as now they do their letters of orders. And
even then, however qualified, they were only at first allowed to
preach once a quarter, for some time after their licence, or once
a month, with still further limitation of certain doctrines,
not so abstruse, and more fitted to his common understanding,
while the rest were reserved for the higher orders, and the more
experienced of the Sacred Body. In this spirit the Book of
Homilies was composed ; every licentiate was obliged to read
at least once a week, upon pain of forfeiting all his prospects.—
Such was the high notion which our fathers entertained of the
qualifications requisite for a preacher, and much it is to be re-
gretted that these have sunk so low in our time, that any man,
however young among the dissenters, and a man of 23 among
us, should be thought qualified M deal with the higher mys-
teries- of oar Church, and to apply them with a proper and
correct feeling to the hearts and minds of his congregation.
It is true that the novice in Divinity may now profit by the
numerous sermons and commentaries which his ancestors in
the Church have left behind them ; and if he adheres to them,
With the least spark of judgment, he cannot well those amiss ;
and in modern times some of our brethren have taken the pains
to examine the candidates for orders thoroughly as to the main
and fundamental point of the Christian doctrine before they
are allowed to preach the Gospel. A young man, therefore,
now does not run:the risk that he might formerlyt—when the
" liberty of prophecying" was taken up,—of running wild and
loose into all the vagaries of enthusiasm ; he may not demand I
so long a period for his probation, or be required to display
such a degree of talent and learning, now that he is assisted by
the pious labours of his fathers, after lie has entered into orders,
and has previously been fully tried and examined as to his
moral and religious qualifications. Still, however, there is a
strong necessity for superintending more especially the younger
Clergy to a great degree—as some of them are known to be
falling back from-the sober spirit of their fathers into the narrow
precincts of a blind superstition—or soaring with the northern
lights above the common atmosphere of sense and reason, into
the airy regions of a wild fanaticism.
iVith all the care arid anxiety of the Bishops to do their duty
by the Church, it is still impossible but such offences must
come into it in the lapse of time. If the Catechumen has
answered the questions sincerely at the moment of his exami-
nation, which some have been known not to do, and to laugh
at thee. Prelate in his sleeve, who was simple enough to believe
that on so serious a subject he must be speaking truth,—yet
in the many revolutions of opinion that may happen to the best
of men, especially when they are admitted so young, a Priest
may alter his ttentimems,, and quite unknown to the Bishop
of his Diocese, may be preaching doctrine altogether opposite
to that which he professed in his presence as a candidate. This
we know is now practised to an alarming extent, and men have
been admitted into holy orders who either at the time of ad.
mission, or since, entertained certain tenets which were quite
contrary to the tenets of the Bishop that ordained them, and to
the entiments. of the Church in general. They have been
eithex hypocrite*, who have concealed their real opinions while
they were.before their Diocesan, or they have been converted
since by one or other of those extraordinary impulites,whielt come,
no one can guess whence, or whither they go, but by the dies
estrous effects which they produce, by the torrent of preaching
which isSiies forth from theirpulpne, m doctrines as opposite to
the orthodox as they tae dangerous to the very morals of time I
people. Much good has been done in endeavouring to stem
this torrent, in first preventing, by a strict examination, what-
ever might contribute to increase it, end then by restraining
it, when it cawburestrained, whenever it diverts its stream into
other dioceses.' But still this is not enough. The Bishop's eye
and hand cannot be every where, and to supply his necessary
presence other superintendents should be appointed, when the
diocese is extensive, to see the different streams of error before
they gather into a torrent, whether it be in doctrine or in lime.
Lice, or in both.—iVitether it may affect the outworks or the cita-
del, the exterior or interior order of the Church itself.
I.cannot help thinking, if this had been done, which is no
more than Is required by the canons, and wits the custom
strictly observed by our fathers of old, that much of the mis-
chief might have been prevented that has lately been done, I
and is still doing, bah in and out of the church, both by those
who proclaim theintelves dissenters, not within its pale, and by
those who are within it—dissenters in disguise. In this view I
understand that one, at least, of our Bishops has thought pro.
per to revive the good old custom of Rural Deans, which were
formerly appointed to superintend the moral and religious elm-
teeter of the people, and more especially the clergy within
their Aistri et,.andreport progress to the Bishop of the diocese
at particular seasons ; and I am glad taxes time venerable Arch-
deecon of Bath performing a course of parochial visits, to ascer-
tain the state of the churches in, the 'diocese,, external and in.
ternal for whicissibject he has sent circulars, with the neces.
eery queries to the officiating Minister and Church.wardents
of the several Parishes, which lie mutinies to visit, in their re.
gular order. Now, if ho could be assisted by. Rural Deans,
he would be able to perform his duty with mote etactness,
and much more to his own satisfaction, and the satisfection of
the Bishop, than by going alone, as there are an many inter-
esting points whh respect to church property, order,., charac-
ter, tee, which cannot well be known,,and ,dioroughly.sifted,
but by many, and those who are id the habit of living either
upon' the'spot or in the neighbourhood. 'lf this had been the
practice more generally in these last thirty years, many more
churches would have been built long ,iigo, with fit minis.
tens appointed, and the people wtiuld nott-liave been 'reduced
to the necessity of resorting to the next Meeting-houie for the
sake of associating with some congregation near them in pub-
lic worship. .