seem to have been designed for the middle and higher orders, and to have given no direct aid to the humblest class of society. It is well known, too, that very many of the colleges at Oxford and Cambridge were founded by clergymen.

After the Reformation, the clergyman of every parish (in England), in the capacity of a catechist, was required to be the instructor of the poor and laboring classes in all things necessary for the great purposes of life. According to primitive usage, too, the sponsors of children were accustomed to give considerable aid in this way. All curates were to instruct and examine children on Sundays and other holidays, publicly in the church, and the afternoon seems to have been devoted to this object.* All parents and masters were to bring their children, servants, and apprentices, to be instructed by the clergyman at the church. This plan, though less effectual than had been hoped, still did much good; but it was not until the year 1698, that a school for the laboring classes was founded in England. This was a charity school, and was opened at Westminster, in the year just named. The time, however, was now come, when "a constellation of noble designs" brightened the prospects of the religious world; and the forming of societies for advancing religion, for the reformation of morals, for promoting Christian knowledge, for propagating the Gospel in "Foreign Parts," for establishing parochial libraries, and for the increase of the livings of the poorer clergy, all about the year 1700, gave a lustre to a few short years, the beneficial influence of which is still felt over the Christian world. The names of the Hon. Robert Boyle, the Rev. Dr. Thomas Bray, Robert Nelson, Dean Humphrey Prideaux, and Bishop White Kennet, are intimately connected with these noble undertakings.

Equally disinterested, persevering, and successful, have been the efforts of the clergy in establishing schools, colleges, and universities in this country, from its first settlement. In fact, much the larger number of our colleges and universities have been established directly or indirectly by the clergy, their chief offices have generally been filled by them, and the best conducted and

* Hawks's History of the Protestant Episcopal Church, in Virginia, p. 26.

most flourishing of them, have been entirely or substantially under clerical direction and influence.*

3. Besides the arduous labors and sufferings of the clergy in planting and building up Christianity, in every country which has enjoyed its manifold blessings, and their zeal, perseverance, and success in raising up institutions of education and charity of every kind, the general influence of the parochial clergy on manners, morals, and whatever else is ranked under the comprehensive term civilization, has been most effective and most salutary. Scattered over every country where Christianity has prevailed, living on intimate and confidential terms of intercourse with their parishioners of every rank and condition, the Christian clergy have been, not an aristocracy of pride, oppression, licentiousness, hereditary rank, and overgrown wealth;-such as has afflicted many countries permanently, and almost all countries at a certain period of their history; but (in the best sense of the term) an aristocracy of talents, of learning, of virtue, and of piety, and the chief and honored instruments of diffusing these blessings around them, and among all ranks and orders of people. This claim, in behalf of the general good influence of the clergy on society, is not advanced on light grounds; it may be sustained by proof the most unexceptionable; I content myself with selecting two authorities.

"A benefit higher and more universal," says Dr. Arnold, "than any of these (to wit, schools, libraries, hospitals, &c.), is, to secure for every parish the greatest blessing of human society, - that is, the constant residence of one individual, who has no other business than to do good of every kind to every person. Men in general, have their own profession, or trade, to follow; and, although they are useful to society, yet it is but an indirect benefit, not intended for society in the first place, but for themselves; so that no one feels obliged to them for their services, because there is nothing in them which partakes of the nature of a kindness. Those again, who possess an independent fortune, are not only raised too high to be in perfect sympathy with the majority of their neighbours, but are exposed to moral temptations Spirit of the English

* Pitkin's History of the United States, Vol. I. p. 153. Religious Magazines, for the 17th of January, 1835.

of a peculiar kind, which often render them an inadequate example to others. Whereas, it is impossible to conceive a man placed so favorably for attaining to the highest perfection of our nature, as a parochial minister. Apart from all personal and particular interests, accustomed by his education and habits to take the purest and highest views of human life, and bound by his daily. business to cherish and sweeten these by the charities of the kindest social intercourse, in delicacy and liberality of feeling on a level with the highest, but, in rank and fortune, standing in a position high enough to insure respect, yet not so high as to forbid sympathy; with none of the harshness of legal authority, yet with a moral influence such as no legal authority could give, - ready to advise when advice is called for, but yet more useful by the indirect counsel continually afforded by his conduct, his knowledge, his temper, and his manners; he stands amidst the favor and selfishness of the world, as one whom the tainted atmosphere cannot harm, although he is for ever walking about in it, to abate its malignant power over its victims."*

Again, the Edinburgh Review, which has never, I believe, been complained of for being too favorable to the clergy, says, "It is no ordinary national benefit, to have a number of welleducated men dispersed over every part of the kingdom, whose especial business it is to keep up and enforce the knowledge of those most exalted truths, which relate to the duties of man, and to his ultimate destiny; and who, besides, have a sort of general commission to promote the good of those among whom they are settled, in every possible manner, to relieve sickness. and poverty, to comfort affliction, to counsel ignorance, to compose quarrels, to soften all uncharitable feelings, and to reprove and discountenance vice. This, we say, is the theory of the business of a parochial clergy. That the practice should always come up to it, it would be utter folly to assert or to expect; but, such is the innate excellence of Christianity, that even now, amidst all the imperfections of the existing establishment, its salutary effects are clearly felt." †

*

Quoted in Walsh's National Gazette, of the 23d of March, 1833. + Quoted by Dr. C. E. Gadsden, Life of Dehon, p. 152.

Two defects have been so generally imputed to the clergy, that I cannot well omit adverting to them.

1. One of these defects is professional narrowness of mind. It must be remembered, however, that this is a defect, common, in a greater or less degree, to all the professions and employments of life. The opinions and sentiments of all men run very much, and sometimes exclusively, in the channel of their own habitual pursuits. This seems to be almost inevitable, where attention, sufficiently patient and earnest to insure success, is given to any one profession or pursuit. And it may well be doubt ed, whether this is more emphatically true of the clergy, than of men of the other learned and liberal professions.

2. Again, the clergy have been extensively accused of passing by the facts and plainer doctrines of Christianity, of making and pursuing speculative, wire-drawn, and useless distinctions, and of ascribing a degree of importance to them, to which they can have scarcely the shadow of a claim. The reproaches of Gibbon against the clergy, in this particular, are well known. But while it may be admitted, that the clergy have sometimes speculated and refined injudiciously on the doctrines of Christianity, and that they ought always to be distinctly on their guard against falling into errors of this kind; still it must be remembered, that it would be in vain for them to satisfy Mr. Gibbon and other men like him, unless they would consent to abandon every doctrine and every duty, peculiar to the religion which they preach. They cannot expect to satisfy every one, as long as they hold fast the integrity of their profession. *

*Mr. Wheaton, in his "Elements of International Law," just published, says, "The stern spirit of the Stoic philosophy was breathed into the Roman law, and contributed to form the character of the most highly gifted, virtuous, and accomplished aristocracy the world ever saw." p. 21. I concur with this learned author in thinking very highly of the Roman patricians; but assuredly, in claiming for them the greatest virtue, the rarest accomplishments, and other the highest gifts" the world ever saw," he has forgotten the just claims of the Christian clergy.

CHAPTER IV.

MORAL INFLUENCE AND DUTIES OF MEN OF LETTERS.

MEN of letters, that is, men whose chief pursuit and profession is literature and the sciences, including the presidents and professors of our universities and colleges, and other instructers; authors of every description, editors of reviews and other periodical works, are considerable in point of numbers, and still more so in respect to the influence which they exercise on society. M. Arago, the celebrated French astronomer, was right in saying, at the great dinner of the literati at Edinburgh in 1834,"It is the men of study and thought, who in the long run govern the world. The grandest moral truths spring from their discoveries; it is their writings which render these truths fruitful, which popularize them, which make them penetrate the minds of the people." * It is this class of men, who chiefly employ, and consequently control and direct, the press,—the mightiest instrument of evil or of good ever known, and the power of which is continually increasing. And in proportion to the power which they wield, is the moral obligation which rests upon them, to use it for beneficial purposes, and for such purposes only. Like all other blessings, too, with which Providence has favored us, the evil, which may be done by its perversion and abuse, is in proportion to the good, which it may accomplish when used with skill, integrity, and wisdom. Men of letters are chiefly responsible to God, to their country, to their own consciences and to mankind, for the good or evil use which is made of this mighty instrument.

In general terms, the duties of men of letters, in respect to their writings, of whatever kind, may be stated thus ;- they are to avoid the perversion and abuse of the press, while they are to use it for all the beneficial purposes which it is capable of ac

* National Gazette, 8th of November, 1834.