had been the victim of Bishop Horsley's intemperate invective, he wrote, 'I must look to him as something more than a mere lucky experimentalist, when I know that his virtues in private life were acknowledged by his neighbours, admired by his congregation, and recognised almost by the unanimous suffrage of his most powerful and most distinguished antagonists.'1 Of Bishop Hoadly, the terror of High Churchmen, he wrote. 'The mild and heavenly temper which breathes through his works had spread its conspicuous influence over the minds of those who do and of those who do not accept his speculative opinions."2

Of another well abused dignitary of the Church he wrote, 'Archdeacon Blackburn suspected that opportunities might arise when the transition from the Church of England to the Church of Rome would not be difficult to a certain class of ecclesiastics whose stiffness in theology, and whose predilection for a hierarchy, he was not accustomed to treat with much tenderness.'

For the Evangelical Clergy Parr had as little affection as for the stiff theologians. He spoke of them contemptuously as believing they were 'taught of God.3 The Holy Spirit, according to some divines, had long ceased to work, and God was not now the Teacher of men.

The next name is that of Thomas Gisborne,1 Prebendary of Durham. He was famous as a poet, preacher and moralist. His theology might be called Evangelical, but with a liberal tendency which prevented his identification with any party. He defended those who preach doctrine from the charge that they did not also preach morality. He found no form of Ecclesiastical polity in the New Testament, and he advocated a free subscription to the Articles, or better still a revision.

Gisborne wrote a treatise called 'The Testimony of Natural Theology to Christianity.' It was intended as a supplement to Paley. The arguments were drawn from the new science of geology. The earth was full of disorders and ruin. As it could not have come in this state from the hand of the Creator, there was evidence of the fundamental doctrine of Christianity that man is fallen. Such desolation could only proceed from 1 ' Works, vol. iii, p. 284. 2 Ib. iii, 686. 3 Works, vol. iv, 544-5

.

the transgression of God's law. It is a punishment for sin. The disturbed state of the strata is a confirmation of the record of Noah's flood.

Robert Fellowes, an unbeneficed clergyman, wrote some books which would even now be reckoned very advanced theology. In one of them2 he advocated the setting aside all creeds and all doctrines except such as concerned life and conduct. Religion and morality are independent of dogmas: The avowed object of the writer was to delineate the character of Jesus, and from that to show that Christianity was something simple and practical. The method of the argument was to deny that Jesus had taught doctrine, and to depreciate the theological bias of St Paul, on the assumption that he taught merely doctrine and not practical religion. His followers were the Evangelical clergy, who, while they profess to preach Jesus, set forth doctrines about Him which they call the gospel.' The conclusion is, that 'whether we square our faith by the Creed of Athanasius, Arius, or Socinus we shall enter into life if we keep the commandments.'

Yet another variety of religious thought may be found represented by Vicesimus Knox.3 He may be taken as mediating between the other parties. He duly appreciated Paley's arguments for Christianity from external evidences, but their force was limited to meeting the objections of gainsayers. The evidence, which is convincing, is that which moves the heart, and through the heart the understanding. The Evangelical clergy assumed, though they did not say, that the devout man had an inward faculty by which things spiritual were discerned. We should, therefore, instead of preaching external evidences addressed to the intellect, habituate men to the temper and precepts of Christianity. Successful preachers believed in a divine influence, and spoke to the heart. Till the rise of the Methodists this was never reckoned fanatical or enthusiastic. It is the old doctrine of the Church of England in the Prayer Book, which taught that there was an inspiration and a regeneration of the Spirit. To this truth we have the testimony of the Elizabethan and Jacobean 1 B. 1771, d. 1847.

2 A Picture of Christian Philosophy, 1799.

divines. Bishop Hall spoke of the deep mysteries of godliness, which were 'a sealed book to the great clerks of the world.' They knew of whom they had heard, but 'the spiritual man knew in whom he had believed.' Jeremy Taylor said that 'every man must do in his station that which God requires of him, and then he shall he taught of God all that is fit for him to learn.' Again he says, 'theology is rather a divine life than a divine knowledge.' John Smith says that 'the best acquaintance with religion is the knowledge taught of God.' Bishop Pearson spoke of an internal illumination of the understanding.' The reaction against Puritan theology in the time of Charles II tended to regard religion as nothing more than morality, and all teaching of the Spirit as mere enthusiasm. The doctrines of the true Churchmen are now chiefly to be found among the Dissenters.

the transgression of God's law. It is a punishment for sin. The disturbed state of the strata is a confirmation of the record of Noah's flood.

Robert Fellowes,1 an unbeneficed clergyman, wrote some books which would even now be reckoned very advanced theology. In one of them2 he advocated the setting aside all creeds and all doctrines except such as concerned life and conduct. Religion and morality are independent of dogmas: The avowed object of the writer was to delineate the character of Jesus, and from that to show that Christianity was something simple and practical. The method of the argument was to deny that Jesus had taught doctrine, and to depreciate the theological bias of St Paul, on the assumption that he taught merely doctrine and not practical religion. His followers were the Evangelical clergy, who, while they profess to preach Jesus, set forth doctrines about Him which they call the gospel.' The conclusion is, that 'whether we square our faith by the Creed of Athanasius, Arius, or Socinus we shall enter into life if we keep the commandments.'

Yet another variety of religious thought may be found represented by Vicesimus Knox.3 He may be taken as mediating between the other parties. He duly appreciated Paley's arguments for Christianity from external evidences, but their force was limited to meeting the objections of gainsayers. The evidence, which is convincing, is that which moves the heart, and through the heart the understanding. The Evangelical clergy assumed, though they did not say, that the devout man had an inward faculty by which things spiritual were discerned. We should, therefore, instead of preaching external evidences addressed to the intellect, habituate men to the temper and precepts of Christianity. Successful preachers believed in a divine influence, and spoke to the heart. Till the rise of the Methodists this was never reckoned fanatical or enthusiastic. It is the old doctrine of the Church of England in the Prayer Book, which taught that there was an inspiration and a regeneration of the Spirit. To this truth we have the testimony of the Elizabethan and Jacobean 1 B. 1771, d. 1847.

2 A Picture of Christian Philosophy, 1799.

divines. Bishop Hall spoke of the deep mysteries of godliness, which were a sealed book to the great clerks of the world.' They knew of whom they had heard, but 'the spiritual man knew in whom he had believed.' Jeremy Taylor said that 'every man must do in his station that which God requires of him, and then he shall he taught of God all that is fit for him to learn.' Again he says, 'theology is rather a divine life than a divine knowledge.' John Smith says that 'the best acquaintance with religion is the knowledge taught of God.' Bishop Pearson spoke of 'an internal illumination of the understanding.' The reaction against Puritan theology in the time of Charles II tended to regard religion as nothing more than morality, and all teaching of the Spirit as mere enthusiasm. The doctrines of the true Churchmen are now chiefly to be found among the Dissenters.