INTRODUCTION.

...that most endears man to the world, and the world in all its freshness and beauty to mankind. England must be careful: by allowing a narrow theology to be forced upon her, she risks discouraging her best thinkers and most moral individuals from seeking a place in her ministry. These are men who cannot overcome their doubts and difficulties simply by "taking a job as a curate" original: "curacy"; a position as an assistant clergyman. The author is referencing a common advice to "work through" doubt by performing duties.*; nor can they be kept from switching to the decaying and overly sensory original: "effete and supersensuous"; worn out and excessively focused on outward ritual or physical sensation Church of Rome The Roman Catholic Church† by higher promotions—that is, by richer bribes.

Blind belief and mysticism have lost their hold upon the educated minds of the 19th century. Anyone who has made any progress in reasonable religion, as distinguished from dogmatic religion, finds no satisfaction for the longings of their spirit toward the Infinite in ritual ceremonies, in repeating set prayers like a parrot, or in a dishonest surrender of their moral sense and understanding—terms that depict God as a tyrant and man as a slave.

If matters are unfortunately pushed to the limit by the narrow-minded among her overseers original: ἐπίσκοποι (episkopoi); bishops or guardians, there will inevitably be a tear in the beautiful fabric of the Church of England. However, if a split were to happen here, it would not have the same effect as the one that recently occurred in a neighboring country—which only served to lock the chains of superstition even more tightly onto the soul. In our Father's house are many mansions A reference to John 14:2, suggesting diversity within faith; there is an endless variety in the way the human mind is formed. Yet all people, despite their most different theoretical views, may meet on the common ground of reason, justice, and charity.

GOD the creator, ordering and ruling from eternity by laws that are harmonious and unchanging; CHRIST coming into the world in time, as the example and the teacher of mankind; LOVE OF GOD, which means obedience to his eternal decrees on the one hand, and NEIGHBORLY LOVE, which means doing to others as we would have them do to us on the other; to which let us add a sense of accountability for the deeds we have done here, and the hope of immortality hereafter—and we have the...

* See The Life of Dr. Arnold.
† See the report of a discussion between a certain Bishop and the late Prince Albert, in the Examiner Newspaper of December 21st, 1861.