§. IV. Badness of this substitute in every respect : 1. as to faithfulness. No tests of it.

That which a formulary, employed in the way in which this Catechism is employed, ought to be, that which it of course professes to be, is-a true picture of the religion of Jesus: a miniature picture indeed; but, as far as it goes, a true one.

Of the religion, of which they thus undertook to give a picture, to give a true picture did not suit the personal interests, nor therefore the pur

"convenience, and at reduced prices, the Committee” (says the Report, p. 192) "have ordered to be deposited at Messrs. Rivington's, St. Paul's Church-Yard, Books of that description, in sets "of 50 each, for 100 Children, of which a list is subjoined.

In p. 193, after other matter, without any further title, comes what follows

"50 dozen Cards or Leaves, or National Society Central School Book, No. 1. "50 National Society Central School Book,

£. s. d.

043

And MRS. TRIMMER'S " Teacher's Assistant,

poses and designs, of the authors of this formulary. From external circumstances this will, it is believed, be seen ere this Introduction is at an end; and from the formulary itself in the body of this work.

That which did suit their purposes was-to employ it as an instrument of corruption, for corrupting altogether the intellectual part, and to a great extent the moral part, of the minds thus impregnated: the intellectual, through the medium of the sensitive part, that by weakness they might be rendered unable, because by terror they had been rendered unwilling, to discern the mischievousness of the dominion exercised at their expense: the moral part, that by their being themselves habituated to the practice of mendacity and insincerity in their own sphere, the spectacle of those vices, when practised at their expense in higher spheres, might in their eyes be rendered an object of indifference.

Not only that this object was pursued, but in particular by what precise means it was pursued, may be seen in the body of this work.

For those purposes, what was necessary was -that, in the composition of this formulary, their hands should be as free as possible from all checks, the effect of which might be to obstruct them in the pursuit of those same purposes.

For the fidelity of any picture, undertaken to be given of any mass of the matter of discourse, the nature of the case offers a sort of security, of which

neither the nature nor the importance, nor, in so far as the reputation of sincerity is regarded as necessary, the necessity, either is now, or was then unknown to any one. This is-need it be mentioned?-an accompaniment, composed of references and quotations. Intimately connected as are those two securities in their nature,-frequently as they are connected in practice, either of them is, however, not the less capable of being afforded without the other.

References without quotations present the most

common case.

Quotations without references are much less common, because much less natural: much less natural, because the object is not merely that misrepresentation may not have place, but that all suspicion of its having had place may be excluded.

On ordinary ground-in the case of an ordinary history for example-references without quotations are commonly and may reasonably be accepted, as affording a security, sufficient for the nature and importance of the case. i

But, in the instance here in question, no security, short of the very best and most efficient that the nature of the case affords, could either be sufficient, or by any intelligent person be regarded as sufficient, or by any honest person by any person who were not, for the sake of the profit of misrepresentation, content to expose himself to the just suspicion of it-be offered as sufficient.

References with quotations,quotations, that it might be seen by every one, whether the picture were a faithful, or if unfaithful, how far an unfaithful one-references, that it might be seen that the quotations were, as far as they went, genuine, and, at the same time, untainted with partiality-with that sort of deficiency, which, whether it has design or accident for the cause, has misrepresentation for its effect,—such and such alone could be the securities, to which, in a case such the present, any such quality as that signified by the word adequate, could be ascribed.

The importance of the subject, is it not suchthat, in comparison of it, all others put together shrink into insignificance?..

Proportioned to this real importance, was not the sense entertained of it in the minds of all classes of the community ?-proportioned to that sense, the warmth of the dissensions that prevailed?— proportioned to that warmth, were not the suspicions of misrepresentation?-of misrepresentation, intended as well as unintended?

Here for the second time, may be seen the difference between Church-of-Scotlandism and Churchof-Englandism:-between Puritanism, since that must be the name, and Impuritanism: between Presbyterianism and Episcopacy: between the management of the equal many, and the domination of the ruling few.

By no British-by no Scottish-by no Irish

but above all by no English readers, ought this contrast to be lost sight of. In no part of this work has it ever been lost sight of. It runs through the whole extent of the field of Church discipline. It will present itself again and again in the course of these pages: and all along what purity and impurity are, will be shewn-not by declamation, but by example.

The Scottish Church has, as above (§ 4.), its two Catechisms. In the one, as in the other, not a proposition without its quotation: not a quotation without its reference.

How far the pictures drawn under these checks are correct, is matter of debate. But that about which there can be no debate is-the conclusiveness of the proof thus afforded of the sincerity of those who draw them.

By the penners of the Church of England Catechism,-unless the Creed, the Ten Commandments, and the Lord's Prayer be taken for quotations,neither quotation is given, nor so much as a reference. They made their choice. They chose rather to incur the just suspicion of misrepresentation, than to forego the benefit of it.

In the order of time, the date of the contents of the Scottish Catechisms was posterior to that of the English: the state of the public mind, maturer.— True: but, at least since printing came into use, at what period was the state of the public mind-of the lettered part of it at least-so immature as not to