,,letters                               
,,to ,,the ,,clergy                     
,,on                    ,the ,lord's    
,prayer and the ,church                 
,,by ,,john ,,ruskin1 ,,ll4,d41         
,d4,c4,l4                  ,,with       
,,replies ,,from ,,clergy ,,and ,,laity1
 ,,and                       ,,an       
,,epilogue ,,by ,,mr4 ,,ruskin          
,,edited1 ,,with ,,essays ,,and         
,,comments1 ,,by ,,the                  
,,rev4 ,f4 ,a4 ,,malleson1 ,m4,a4       
,,vicar ,,of ,,broughton-,,in-,,furness 
,,third ,,edition                       
,,with ,,additional ,,letters ,,by ,,mr4
 ,,ruskin                               
,,london                  ,,george      
,,allen1 #aef1 ,,charing ,,cross ,,road 
#ahif                         ,all      
rights reserved                         
,printed by ,,ballantyne1 ,,hanson  ,,co
                        ,at the         
,ballantyne ,press                      
,,introduction   ,the first reading of  
the ,letters to the ,clerical ,society  

to which they were first addressed in   
,september #ahgi1 twenty-three clergy   
being present1 was prefaced with the    
following remarks3--       ,a few words 
by way of introduction will be          
absolutely necessary      before ,i     
proceed to read ,mr4 ,ruskin's letters4 
,they originated      simply in a       
proposal of mine1 which met with so     
ready and willing a      response1 that 
it almost seemed like a simultaneous    
thought4 ,they      are addressed       
nominally to myself1 as representing the
 body of      clergy whose secretary ,i 
have the honour to be2 they are1 in     
fact1      therefore addressed to this  
,society primarily4 ,but in the course  
of      the next month or two they will 
also be read to two other ,clerical     
,societies1--the ,ormskirk and the      
,brighton 7junior71--who have           
acceded to my proposals with much       
kindness1 and in the first case         
have invited me of their own accord4 ,i 
have undertaken1 to the best      of my 

ability1 to arrange and set down the    
various expressions of      opinion1    
which will be freely uttered4 ,in so    
limited a time1 many      who may have  
much to say that would be really        
valuable will find no      time to-day  
to deliver it4 ,of these brethren1 ,i   
beg that they will      do me the favour
 to express their views at their        
leisure1 in      writing4 ,the original 
letters1 the discussions1 the letters   
which      may be suggested1 and a few  
comments of the ,editor's1 will be      
published in a volume which will appear1
 ,i trust1 in the beginning      of the 
next year4       ,i will now1 if you    
please1 undertake the somewhat dangerous
      responsibility of avowing my own  
impressions of the letters ,i am        
about to read to you4 ,i own that ,i    
believe ,i see in these papers      the 
development of a principle of the       
deepest interest and                    
importance1--namely1 the application of 
the highest standard in the             

interpretation of the ,gospel message to
 ourselves as clergymen1      and from  
ourselves to our congregations4 ,we have
 plenty elsewhere      of doctrine and  
dogma1 and undefinable shades of        
theological      opinion4 ,let us turn  
at last to practical questions presented
 for      our consideration by an       
eminent layman whose field of work lies 
quite as much in religion and ethics1 as
 it does1 reaching to so      splendid  
an eminence1 in ,art4 ,a man is wanted  
to show to both      clergy and laity   
something of the full force and meaning 
of ,gospel      teaching4 ,many there   
are1 and ,i am of this number1 whose cry
 is      ,exoriare aliquis4       ,i ask
 you1 if possible1 to do in an hour what
 ,i have been for the      last two     
months trying to do1 to divest myself of
 old forms of      thought1 to cast off 
self-indulgent views of our duty as     
ministers      of religion1 to lift     
ourselves out of those grooves in which 
we are      apt to run so smoothly and  

so complacently1 persuading ourselves   
that all is well just as it is1 and to  
endeavour to strike into a      sterner1
 harder path1 beset with difficulties1  
but still the path      of duty4 ,these 
papers will demand a close1 a patient1  
and in some      places1 a few will     
think1 an indulgent consideration2 but  
as a      whole1 the standard taken is1 
as ,i firmly believe1 speaking only     
for myself1 lofty and ,christian to the 
extent of an almost ideal               
perfection4 ,if we do go forward        
straight in the direction which ,mr4    
,ruskin points out1 ,i know we shall    
come1 sooner or later1 to a      chasm  
right across our path4 ,some of us1 ,i  
hope1 will undauntedly      cross it4   
,let each judge for himself1 ,greek3 to 
telei pistin      pheron4               
,,preface                           ,,to
 ,,the ,,third ,,edition   ,having been 
urged to bring out a new edition of the 
volume first edited by me in #ahhj1 and 
having willingly accepted the invitation

 to do so1 it will naturally be expected
 that ,i should give some account of the
 circumstances which have led me to take
 the somewhat unusual step of reviving a
 book which has for twelve years been   
lying in a state of suspended animation4
  ,on the first conception of this      
volume ,i applied to ,messrs4 ,strahan1 
to produce it before the reading and    
thinking world4 ,i should have done more
 wisely1 no doubt1 had ,i offered the   
publication to ,mr4 ,george ,allen1 ,mr4
 ,ruskin's well-known publisher4 ,it    
avails not to explain why ,i chose a    
different course1 of which subsequent   
events only too soon showed me the      
error2 for after the first edition had  
been sold off in a week1 and while the  
second was partly sold and partly in    
preparation1 ,messrs4 ,strahan's failure
 was announced1 greatly to my surprise2 
my somewhat isolated position in the    
north country so far from ,london       
keeping me very imperfectly informed as 
to what was passing in the literary     

world4  ,reasonable1 business-like      
people would ask1 why did ,i not make an
 effort to rescue my little barque out  
of the general wreckage1 and why did ,i 
not1 remembering that ,mr4 ,ruskin had  
with much kindness freely bestowed the  
copyright on me1 save the second edition
 and arrange with another publisher to  
carry the work on8 ,but ,i was failing  
at the time with the illness which was  
effectually cured only by a long sojourn
 amidst or very near to the ice and snow
 of the ,alps4 ,i was incapable of much 
exertion1 and1 in fact1 did not much    
care4 ,besides which ,i am not a        
professed literary man1 being chiefly   
interested in the work of my rural      
parish on the borders of the ,lake      
,district1 and should not think it fair1
 or even possible1 if ,i may use an     
equestrian metaphor1 to attempt to ride 
two horses at once4  ,so ,mr4 ,ruskin's 
letters1 etc41 as edited by the present 
writer1 came to be entirely laid by1    
though not forgotten by the hosts of    

,mr4 ,ruskin's friends1 followers1 and  
admirers1 who regretted the suspension  
of so valuable a work and so rich in    
great thoughts1 teachings1 and          
suggestions4  ,so things remained until 
,august #ahie1 when a new friend1 ,mr4  
,smart1 gave me the pleasure of a visit1
 and we talked over the circumstances   
just narrated4 ,passing over several    
very pleasant meetings in ,london1 let  
it be sufficient to mention that under  
the impulse of ,mr4 ,george ,allen's    
encouragement1 and cheered by the       
valuable assistance and co-operation of 
another friend1 ,mr4 ,t4 ,j4 ,wise1 ,i  
agreed to carry forward this ,third     
,edition with the full approbation and  
consent of ,mr4 ,ruskin himself1 though 
it should be said that on account of the
 state of his health1 ,i have been      
unable to consult him on any of the     
details of the publication4  ,but it    
will not be exactly the same volume4    
,mr4 ,allen and ,mr4 ,wise1 having gone 
over much of my correspondence with ,mr4

 ,ruskin1 were good enough to express a 
desire that some of those letters       
addressed to myself as a friend should  
be embodied in the present volume1 as   
being strongly illustrative of his views
 on the subjects dealt with in his more 
formal ,letters to the ,clergy4 ,i may  
claim pardon for a feeling of great     
satisfaction with the circumstance that 
in the course of so long and so delicate
 a correspondence as is contained in    
this volume1 never has a cloud          
overshadowed our paths in this matter1  
never has a cold blast from the east    
sent a shiver through my system1 nor1 ,i
 presume1 his4 ,for had ,mr4 ,ruskin    
felt any resentment at anything ,i      
wrote1 with his usual downright         
frankness he would not have been        
backward for an hour in expressing in   
vehement language what he felt4 ,but    
from first to last my intercourse with  
that kind and eminently distinguished   
friend has been kept bright and happy by
 his unvarying serenity4  ,the ,letters 

from ,clergy and ,laity in this ,third  
,edition occupy much less space than in 
the original one4 ,it was ,mr4 ,ruskin's
 wish that they should be subjected to  
some process of abridgment2 besides     
which the allowing of space for the new 
feature of additional ,ruskin ,letters  
made a curtailment in another direction 
necessary4 ,the plan which seemed to me 
the least discourteous to my numerous   
correspondents of that time has been to 
make a selection of passages from a     
certain number of the ,letters4         
,f4 ,a4 ,,malleson4        ,,the        
,,vicarage1                             
,,broughton-,,in-,,furness1             
,january #ahif4                         
,,contents                              
,,page    ,,introduction                
v    ,,preface ,,to ,,the ,,third       
,,edition                               
xi    ,,mr4 ,,ruskin',s ,,letters--     
,,letter    ,i4                         
#c                    ,,ii4             
#e                   ,,iii4             

#h                    ,,iv4             
#i                     ,v4              
#ab                    ,,vi4            
#ae                   ,,vii4            
#ai                  ,,viii4            
#be                    ,,ix4            
#cb                     ,x4             
#cf                    ,,xi4            
#db    ,,essays ,,and ,,comments4 ,,by  
,,the ,,editor                          
#di    ,,extracts ,,of ,,letters ,,from 
,,clergy ,,and ,,laity                  
#aca    ,,letters ,,from                
,,brantwood-,,on-,,the-,,lake ,,to ,,the
   ,,vicarage ,,of                      
,,broughton-,,in-,,furness              
#bai    ,,epilogue ,,by ,,mr4 ,,ruskin  
#bhg    ,,appendix                      
#cbc                              ,,mr4 
,,ruskin',s ,,letters                   
,i                                      
,,brantwood1 ,,coniston1 ,,lancashire1  
#bjth ,june1 #ahgi4  ,,dear ,,mr4       
,,malleson1--,i could not at once answer
 your important letter3 for1 though ,i  

felt at once the impossibility of my    
venturing to address such an audience as
 you proposed1 ,i am unwilling to fail  
in answering to any call relating to    
matters respecting which my feelings    
have been long in earnest1 if in any    
wise it may be possible for me to be of 
service therein4 ,my health--or want of 
it--now utterly forbids my engagement in
 any duty involving excitement or acute 
intellectual effort2 but ,i think1      
before the first ,tuesday in ,august1 ,i
 might be able to write one or two      
letters to yourself1 referring to1 and  
more or less completing1 some passages  
already printed in ,fors and elsewhere1 
which might1 on your reading any        
portions you thought available1 become  
matter of discussion during the meeting 
at some leisure time1 after its own main
 purposes had been answered4  ,at all   
events1 ,i will think over what ,i      
should like1 and be able1 to represent  
to such a meeting1 and only beg you not 
to think me insensible of the honour    

done me by your wish1 and of the gravity
 of the trust reposed in me4            
,ever most faithfully yours1            
,j4 ,,ruskin4      ,,the ,,rev4 ,f4 ,a4 
,,malleson4                             
,,ii                                    
,,brantwood1 ,,coniston1                
#bcrd ,june1 #ahgi4  ,,dear ,,mr4       
,,malleson1--,walking1 and talking1 are 
now alike impossible to me2#a my        
strength is gone for both2 nor do ,i    
believe talking on such matters to be of
 the least use except to promote1       
between sensible people1 kindly feeling 
and knowledge of each other's personal  
characters4 ,i have every trust in your 
kindness and truth2 nor do ,i fear being
 myself misunderstood by you2 what ,i   
may be able to put into written form1 so
 as to admit of being laid before your  
friends in council1 must be set down    
without any question of personal        
feeling--as simply as a mathematical    
question or demonstration4       #a ,in 
answer to the proposal of discussing the

 subject during a      mountain walk4   
,the first exact question which it seems
 to me such an assembly may be earnestly
 called upon by laymen to solve1 is     
surely axiomatic3 the definition of     
themselves as a body1 and of their      
business as such4  ,namely3 as clergymen
 of the ,church of ,england1 do they    
consider themselves to be so called     
merely as the attached servants of a    
particular state8 ,do they1 in their    
quality of guides1 hold a position      
similar to that of the guides of        
,chamouni or ,grindelwald1 who being a  
numbered body of examined and           
trustworthy persons belonging to those  
several villages1 have nevertheless no  
,chamounist or ,grindelwaldist opinions 
on the subject of ,alpine geography or  
glacier walking3 but are prepared to put
 into practice a common and universal   
science of ,locality and ,athletics1    
founded on sure survey and successful   
practice8 ,are the clergymen of the     
,ecclesia of ,england thus simply the   

attached and salaried guides of ,england
 and the ,english1 in the way1 known of 
all good men1 that leadeth unto         
life8--or are they1 on the contrary1 a  
body of men holding1 or in any legal    
manner required1 or compelled to hold1  
opinions on the subject--say1 of the    
height of the ,celestial ,mountains1 the
 crevasses which go down quickest to the
 pit1 and other cognate points of       
science1--differing from1 or even       
contrary to1 the tenets of the guides of
 the ,church of ,france1 the ,church of 
,italy1 and other ,christian countries8 
,is not this the first of all questions 
which a ,clerical ,council has to answer
 in open terms8                         
,ever affectionately yours1             
,j4 ,,ruskin4                           
,,iii                                   
,,brantwood1 #fth ,july1 #ahgi4  ,my    
first letter contained a ,layman's plea 
for a clear answer to the question1     
,what is a clergyman of the ,church of  
,england8 ,supposing the answer to this 

first to be1 that the clergy of the     
,church of ,england are teachers1 not of
 the ,gospel to ,england1 but of the    
,gospel to all nations2 and not of the  
,gospel of ,luther1 nor of the ,gospel  
of ,augustine1 but of the ,gospel of    
,christ1--then the ,layman's second     
question would be3  ,can this ,gospel of
 ,christ be put into such plain words   
and short terms as that a plain man may 
understand it8--and1 if so1 would it not
 be1 in a quite primal sense1 desirable 
that it should be so1 rather than left  
to be gathered out of ,thirty-nine      
,articles1 written by no means in clear 
,english1 and referring1 for further    
explanation of exactly the most         
important point in the whole tenor of   
their teaching1#b to a ,homily of       
,justification1#c which is not generally
 in the possession1 or even probably    
within the comprehension1 of simple     
persons8                                
,ever faithfully yours1                 
,j4 ,,ruskin4       #b ,art4 xi4        

#c ,homily xi4 of the ,second ,table4   
,,iv                                    
,,brantwood1 #hth ,july1 #ahgi4  ,i am  
so very glad that you approve of the    
letter plan1 as it enables me to build  
up what ,i would fain try to say1 of    
little stones1 without lifting too much 
for my strength at once2 and the sense  
of addressing a friend who understands  
me and sympathizes with me prevents my  
being brought to a stand by continual   
need for apology1 or fear of giving     
offence4  ,but yet ,i do not quite see  
why you should feel my asking for a     
simple and comprehensible statement of  
the ,christian ,gospel as startling4    
,are you not bid to go into all the     
world and preach it to every creature8  
7,i should myself think the clergyman   
most likely to do good who accepted the 
,greek3 pase te ktisei so literally as  
at least to sympathize with ,st4        
,francis' sermon to the birds1 and to   
feel that feeding either sheep or fowls1
 or unmuzzling the ox1 or keeping the   

wrens alive in the snow1 would be       
received by their ,heavenly ,feeder as  
the perfect fulfilment of ,his ,feed ,my
 sheep in the higher sense47  ,that's   
all a parenthesis2 for although ,i      
should think that your good company     
would all agree that kindness to animals
 was a kind of preaching to them1 and   
that hunting and vivisection were a kind
 of blasphemy to them1 ,i want only to  
put the sterner question before your    
council1 how this ,gospel is to be      
preached either ,greek3 pantachou or to 
,greek3 panta ta ethne1 if first its    
preachers have not determined quite     
clearly what it is8 ,and might not such 
definition1 acceptable to the entire    
body of the ,church of ,christ1 be      
arrived at by merely explaining1 in     
their completeness and life1 the terms  
of the ,lord's ,prayer--the first words 
taught to children all over the         
,christian world8  ,i will try to       
explain what ,i mean of its several     
articles1 in following letters2 and in  

answer to the question with which you   
close your last1 ,i can only say that   
you are at perfect liberty to use any1  
or all1 or any parts of them1 as you    
think good4 ,usually1 when ,i am asked  
if letters of mine may be printed1 ,i   
say3 ,assuredly1 provided only that you 
print them entire4 ,but in your hands1  
,i withdraw even this condition1 and    
trust gladly to your judgment1 remaining
 always                                 
,faithfully and affectionately yours1   
,j4 ,,ruskin4      ,,the ,,rev4 ,f4 ,a4 
,,malleson4                             
,v                 ,greek3 pater hemon  
ho en tois ouranois4                    
,pater noster qui es in caelis4         
,,brantwood1 #ajth ,july1 #ahgi4  ,my   
meaning1 in saying that the ,lord's     
,prayer might be made a foundation of   
,gospel-teaching1 was not that it       
contained all that ,christian ministers 
have to teach2 but that it contains what
 all ,christians are agreed upon as     
first to be taught2 and that no good    

parish-working pastor in any district of
 the world but would be glad to take his
 part in making it clear and living to  
his congregation4  ,and the first clause
 of it1 of course rightly explained1    
gives us the ground of what is surely a 
mighty part of the ,gospel--its first   
and great commandment1 namely1 that we  
have a ,father whom we can love1 and are
 required to love1 and to desire to be  
with ,him in ,heaven1 wherever that may 
be4  ,and to declare that we have such a
 loving ,father1 whose mercy is over all
 ,his works1 and whose will and law is  
so lovely and lovable that it is sweeter
 than honey1 and more precious than     
gold1 to those who can taste and see    
that the ,lord is ,good--this1 surely1  
is a most pleasant and glorious good    
message and spell to bring to men--as   
distinguished from the evil message and 
accursed spell that ,satan has brought  
to the nations of the world instead of  
it1 that they have no ,father1 but only 
a consuming fire ready to devour them1  

unless they are delivered from its      
raging flame by some scheme of pardon   
for all1 for which they are to be       
thankful1 not to the ,father1 but to the
 ,son4  ,supposing this first article of
 the true ,gospel agreed to1 how would  
the blessing that closes the epistles of
 that ,gospel become intelligible and   
living1 instead of dark and dead3 ,the  
grace of ,christ1 and the love of ,god1 
and the fellowship of the ,holy         
,ghost1--the most tender word being that
 used of the ,father6                   
,,vi                    ,greek3         
hagiastheto to onoma sou4               
,sanctificetur nomen tuum4              
,,brantwood1 #abth ,july1 #ahgi4  ,i    
wonder how many1 even of those who      
honestly and attentively join in our    
,church services1 attach any distinct   
idea to the second clause of the ,lord's
 ,prayer--the first petition of it--the 
first thing that they are ordered by    
,christ to seek of their ,father8  ,am  
,i unjust in thinking that most of them 

have little more notion on the matter   
than that ,god has forbidden bad        
language1 and wishes them to pray that  
everybody may be respectful to ,him8    
,is it any otherwise with the ,third    
,commandment8 ,do not most look on it   
merely in the light of the statute on   
swearing8 and read the words will not   
hold him guiltless merely as a          
passionless intimation that however     
carelessly a man may let out a round    
oath1 there really is something wrong in
 it8  ,on the other hand1 can anything  
be more tremendous than the words       
themselves--double-negatived3           
,greek3 ou gar me katharise 444 kurios8 
,for other sins there is washing2--for  
this--none6 the seventh verse 7,exod4   
xx471 in the ,septuagint1 marking the   
real power rather than the ,english1    
which 7,i suppose7 is literal to the    
,hebrew4  ,to my layman's mind1 of      
practical needs in the present state of 
the ,church1 nothing is so immediate as 
that of explaining to the congregation  

the meaning of being gathered in ,his   
name1 and having ,him in the midst of   
them2 as1 on the other hand1 of being   
gathered in blasphemy of ,his name1 and 
having the devil in the midst of        
them--presiding over the prayers which  
have become an abomination4  ,for the   
entire body of the texts in the ,gospel 
against hypocrisy are one and all       
nothing but the expansion of the        
threatening that closes the ,third      
,commandment4 ,for as the name whereby  
,he shall be called is ,,the ,,lord     
,,our ,,righteousness1--so the taking   
that name in vain is the sum of the     
deceivableness of unrighteousness in    
them that perish4  ,without dwelling on 
the possibility--which ,i do not myself1
 however1 for a moment doubt--of an     
honest clergyman's being able actually  
to prevent the entrance among his       
congregation of persons leading openly  
wicked lives1 could any subject be more 
vital to the purposes of your meetings  
than the difference between the present 

and the probable state of the ,christian
 ,church which would result1 were it    
more the effort of zealous parish       
priests1 instead of getting wicked poor 
people to come to church1 to get wicked 
rich ones to stay out of it8  ,lest1 in 
any discussion of such question1 it     
might be1 as it too often is1 alleged   
that the ,lord looketh upon the heart1  
etc1 let me be permitted to say--with as
 much positiveness as may express my    
deepest conviction--that1 while indeed  
it is the ,lord's business to look upon 
the heart1 it is the pastor's to look   
upon the hands and the lips2 and that   
the foulest oaths of the thief and the  
street-walker are1 in the ears of ,god1 
sinless as the hawk's cry1 or the gnat's
 murmur1 compared to the responses1 in  
the ,church service1 on the lips of the 
usurer and the adulterer1 who have      
destroyed1 not their own souls only1 but
 those of the outcast ones whom they    
have made their victims4  ,it is for the
 meeting of ,clergymen themselves--not  

for a layman addressing them--to ask    
further1 how much the name of ,god may  
be taken in vain1 and profaned instead  
of hallowed--in the pulpit1 as well as  
under it4                               
,ever affectionately yours1             
,j4 ,,ruskin4                           
,,vii                     ,greek3       
eltheto he basileia sou4                
,adveniat regnum tuum4                  
,,brantwood1 #adth ,july1 #ahgi4  ,,dear
 ,,mr4 ,,malleson1--,sincere thanks for 
both your letters and the proofs sent4  
,your comment and conducting link1 when 
needed1 will be of the greatest help and
 value1 ,i am well assured1 suggesting  
what you know will be the probable      
feeling of your hearers1 and the point  
that will come into question4  ,yes1    
certainly1 that ,his in the fourth      
line#d was meant to imply that eternal  
presence of ,christ2 as in another      
passage1#e referring to the ,creation1  
when ,his right hand strewed the snow on
 ,lebanon1 and smoothed the slopes of   

,calvary2 but in so far as we dwell on  
that truth1 ,hast thou seen ,me1        
,philip1 and not the ,father8#f we are  
not teaching the people what is         
specially the ,gospel of ,christ as     
having a distinct function1 namely1 to  
serve the ,father1 and do the ,father's 
will4 ,and in all ,his human relations  
to us1 and commands to us1 it is as the 
,son of ,man1 not as the power of ,god  
and wisdom of ,god1 that ,he acts and   
speaks4 ,not as the ,power2 for ,he must
 pray1 like one of us4 ,not as the      
,wisdom2 for ,he must not know if it be 
possible ,his prayer should be heard4   
#d ,in a proof sheet of a book of the   
,editor's at that time in the           
press4       #e ,referring to the       
closing sentence of the third paragraph 
of the      fifth letter1 which seemed  
to express what ,i felt could not be    
,mr4 ,ruskin's full meaning1 ,i pointed 
out to him the following      sentence  
in ,modern ,painters3--           ,when1
 in the desert1 ,jesus was girding      

,himself for the work of          life1 
angels of life came and ministered unto 
,him2 now1 in the          fair world1  
when ,he is girding ,himself for the    
work of death1          the ministrants 
came to ,him from the grave2 but from   
the grave          conquered4 ,one from 
the tomb under ,abarim1 which ,his own  
hand          had sealed long ago2 the  
other from the rest which ,he had       
entered without seeing corruption4      
,on this ,i made a remark somewhat to   
the following effect3 that ,i      felt 
sure ,mr4 ,ruskin regarded the loving   
work of the ,father and of      the ,son
 as equal in the forgiveness of sins and
 redemption of      mankind2 that what  
is done by the ,father is in reality    
done also by      the ,son2 and that it 
is by a mere accommodation to human     
infirmity      of understanding that the
 doctrine of the ,trinity is revealed to
 us      in language1 inadequate indeed 
to convey divine truths1 but still      
the only language possible2 and ,i asked

 whether some such feeling      was not 
present in his mind when he used the    
pronoun ,his in the      above passage  
from ,modern ,painters of the ,son1     
where it would be      usually          
understood of the ,father2 and as a     
corollary1 whether1 in      the letter1 
he does not himself fully recognise the 
fact of the      redemption of the world
 by the loving self-sacrifice of the    
,son      being in entire concurrence   
with the equally loving will of the     
,father4 ,this1 as well as ,i can       
recollect1 is the origin of the         
passage in the second paragraph in this 
seventh letter4--,,editor ,,of          
,,letters4       #f ,yet hast thou not  
known ,me1 ,philip8 he that hath seen   
,me hath      seen the ,father 7,john   
xiv4 #i74--;,,editor4  ,and in what ,i  
want to say of the third clause of ,his 
prayer 7,his1 not merely as ,his        
ordering1 but ,his using71 it is        
especially this comparison between ,his 
kingdom1 and ,his ,father's1 that ,i    

want to see the disciples guarded       
against4 ,i believe very few1 even of   
the most earnest1 using that petition1  
realize that it is the ,father's--not   
the ,son's--kingdom1 that they pray may 
come1--although the whole prayer is     
foundational on that fact3 ,for ,thine  
is the kingdom1 the power1 and the      
glory4 ,and ,i fancy that the mind of   
the most faithful ,christian is quite   
led away from its proper hope1 by       
dwelling on the reign--or the coming    
again--of ,christ2 which1 indeed1 they  
are to look for1 and watch for1 but not 
to pray for4 ,their prayer is to be for 
the greater kingdom to which ,he1 risen 
and having all ,his enemies under ,his  
feet1 is to surrender ,his1 that ,god   
may be ,all in ,all4  ,and1 though the  
greatest1 it is that everlasting kingdom
 which the poorest of us can advance4   
,we cannot hasten ,christ's coming4 ,of 
the day and the hour1 knoweth no man4   
,but the kingdom of ,god is as a grain  
of mustard-seed3--we can sow of it2 it  

is as a foam-globe of leaven3--we can   
mingle it2 and its glory and its joy are
 that even the birds of the air can     
lodge in the branches thereof4  ,forgive
 me for getting back to my sparrows2 but
 truly in the present state of ,england1
 the fowls of the air are the only      
creatures1 tormented and murdered as    
they are1 that yet have here and there  
nests1 and peace1 and joy in the ,holy  
,ghost4 ,and it would be well if many of
 us1 in reading that text1 ,the kingdom 
of ,god is ,,not meat and drink1 had    
even got so far as to the understanding 
that it is at least as much1 and that   
until we had fed the hungry1 there was  
no power in us to inspire the unhappy4  
,ever affectionately yours1             
,j4 ,,ruskin4  ,i will write my feeling 
about the pieces of the ,life of        
,christ#g you have sent me in a private 
letter4 ,i may say at once that ,i am   
sure it will do much good1 and will be  
upright and intelligible1 which how few 
religious writings are8       #g ,the   

,life and ,work of ,jesus ,christ4 ,ward
 and ,lock4                             
,,viii      ,greek3 genetheto to thelema
 sou1 hos en ourano1 kai epi ges4       
,fiat voluntas tua sicut in coelo et in 
terra4                                  
,,brantwood1 #ith ,august1 #ahgi4  ,i   
was reading the second chapter of       
,malachi this morning by chance1 and    
wondering how many clergymen ever read  
it1 and took to heart the commandment   
for them4  ,for they are always ready   
enough to call themselves priests       
7though they know themselves to be      
nothing of the sort71 whenever there is 
any dignity to be got out of the title2 
but1 whenever there is any good1 hot    
scolding or unpleasant advice given them
 by the prophets1 in that self-assumed  
character of theirs1 they are as ready  
to quit it as ever ,dionysus his        
lion-skin1 when he finds the character  
of ,herakles inconvenient4  ,ye have    
wearied the ,lord with your words2 7yes1
 and some of ,his people too1 in your   

time71 yet ye say1 ,wherein have we     
wearied ,him8 ,when ye say1 ,every one  
that doeth evil is good in the sight of 
the ,lord1 and ,he delighteth in them2  
or1 ,where is the ,god of judgment8     
,how many1 again and again ,i wonder1 of
 the lively young ecclesiastics supplied
 to the increasing demand of our west   
ends of flourishing ,cities of the      
,plain1 ever consider what sort of sin  
it is for which ,god 7unless they lay it
 to heart7 will curse their blessings1  
and spread dung upon their faces2 or    
have understood1 even in the dimmest    
manner1 what part they had taken1 and   
were taking1 in corrupting the covenant 
of the ,lord with ,levi1 and causing    
many to stumble at the ,law4  ,perhaps  
the most subtle and unconscious way in  
which the religious teachers upon whom  
the ends of the world are come1 have    
done this1 is in never telling their    
people the meaning of the clause in the 
,lord's ,prayer1 which1 of all others1  
their most earnest hearers have oftenest

 on their lips3 ,thy will be done4 ,they
 allow their people to use it as if     
their ,father's will were always to kill
 their babies1 or do something          
unpleasant to them2 and following       
comfort and wealth1 instead of          
explaining to them that the first and   
intensest article of their ,father's    
will was their own sanctification2 and  
that the one only path to national      
prosperity and to domestic peace1 was to
 understand what the will of the ,lord  
was1 and to do all they could to get it 
done4 ,whereas one would think1 by the  
tone of the eagerest preachers nowadays1
 that they held their blessed office to 
be that1 not of showing men how to do   
their ,father's will on earth1 but how  
to get to heaven without doing any of it
 either here or there6  ,i say1         
especially1 the most eager preachers2   
for nearly the whole ,missionary body   
7with the hottest ,evangelistic sect of 
the ,english ,church7 is at this moment 
composed of men who think the ,gospel   

they are to carry to mend the world     
with1 forsooth1 is that1 ,if any man    
sin1 he hath an ,advocate with the      
,father2 while ,i have never yet1 in my 
own experience1 met either with a       
,missionary or a ,town ,bishop who so   
much as professed himself to understand 
what the will of the ,lord was1 far less
 to teach anybody else to do it2 and for
 fifty preachers1 yes1 and fifty        
hundreds whom ,i have heard proclaiming 
the ,mediator of the ,new ,testament1   
that they which were called might       
receive the promise of eternal          
inheritance1 ,i have never yet heard so 
much as one heartily proclaiming against
 all those deceivers with vain words    
7,eph4 v4 #f71 that no covetous person  
which is an idolater1 hath any          
inheritance in the kingdom of ,christ1  
or of ,god2 and on myself personally and
 publicly challenging the ,bishops of   
,england generally1 and by name the     
,bishop of ,manchester1 to say whether  
usury was1 or was not1 according to the 

will of ,god1 ,i have received no answer
 from any one of them4#h       #h ,fors 
,clavigera1 ,letter lxxxii41 p4 #cbc4   
#acth ,august4  ,i have allowed myself1 
in the beginning of this letter1 to     
dwell on the equivocal use of the word  
,priest in the ,english ,church 7see    
,christopher ,harvey1 ,grosart's        
edition1 p4 #ch71 because the assumption
 of the mediatorial1 in defect of the   
pastoral1 office by the clergy fulfils  
itself1 naturally and always1 in their  
pretending to absolve the sinner from   
his punishment1 instead of purging him  
from his sin2 and practically1 in their 
general patronage and encouragement of  
all the iniquity of the world1 by       
steadily preaching away the penalties of
 it4 ,so that the great cities of the   
earth1 which ought to be the places set 
on its hills1 with the ,temple of the   
,lord in the midst of them1 to which the
 tribes should go up1--centres to the   
,kingdoms and ,provinces of ,honour1    
,virtue1 and the ,knowledge of the law  

of ,god1--have become1 instead1         
loathsome centres of fornication and    
covetousness--the smoke of their sin    
going up into the face of heaven like   
the furnace of ,sodom1 and the pollution
 of it rotting and raging through the   
bones and the souls of the peasant      
people round them1 as if they were each 
a volcano whose ashes broke out in      
blains upon man and upon beast4  ,and in
 the midst of them1 their freshly-set-up
 steeples ring the crowd to a weekly    
prayer that the rest of their lives may 
be pure and holy1 while they have not   
the slightest intention of purifying1   
sanctifying1 or changing their lives in 
any the smallest particular2 and their  
clergy gather1 each into himself1 the   
curious dual power1 and ,janus-faced    
majesty in mischief1 of the prophet that
 prophesies falsely1 and the priest that
 bears rule by his means4  ,and the     
people love to have it so4              
,,brantwood1 #abth ,august4  ,i am very 
glad of your little note from ,brighton4

 ,i thought it needless to send the two 
letters there1 which you will find at   
home2 and they pretty nearly end all ,i 
want to say2 for the remaining clauses  
of the prayer touch on things too high  
for me4 ,but ,i will send you one       
concluding letter about them4           
,,ix        ,greek3 ton arton hemon ton 
epiousion dos hemin semeron4            
,panem nostrum quotidianum da nobis     
hodie4                                  
,,brantwood1 #aith ,august4  ,i retained
 the foregoing letter by me till now1   
lest you should think it written in any 
haste or petulance3 but it is every word
 of it deliberate1 though expressing the
 bitterness of twenty years of vain     
sorrow and pleading concerning these    
things4 ,nor am ,i able to write1       
otherwise1 anything of the next         
following clause of the prayer2--for no 
words could be burning enough to tell   
the evils which have come on the world  
from men's using it thoughtlessly and   
blasphemously1 praying ,god to give them

 what they are deliberately resolved to 
steal4 ,for all true ,christianity is   
known--as its ,master was--in breaking  
of bread1 and all false ,christianity in
 stealing it4  ,let the clergyman only  
apply--with impartial and level         
sweep--to his congregation the great    
pastoral order3 ,the man that will not  
work1 neither should he eat2 and be     
resolute in requiring each member of his
 flock to tell him what--day by         
day--they do to earn their dinners2--and
 he will find an entirely new view of   
life and its sacraments open upon him   
and them4  ,for the man who is not--day 
by day--doing work which will earn his  
dinner1 must be stealing his dinner2 and
 the actual fact is1 that the great mass
 of men calling themselves ,christians  
do actually live by robbing the poor of 
their bread1 and by no other trade      
whatsoever2 and the simple examination  
of the mode of the produce and          
consumption of ,european food--who digs 
for it1 and who eats it--will prove that

 to any honest human soul4  ,nor is it  
possible for any ,christian ,church to  
exist but in pollutions and hypocrisies 
beyond all words1 until the virtues of a
 life moderate in its self-indulgence1  
and wide in its offices of temporal     
ministry to the poor1 are insisted on as
 the normal conditions in which1 only1  
the prayer to ,god for the harvest of   
the earth is other than blasphemy4  ,in 
the second place4 ,since in the parable 
in ,luke1 the bread asked for is shown  
to be also1 and chiefly1 the ,holy      
,spirit 7,luke xi4 #ac71 and the prayer1
 ,give us each day our daily bread is1  
in its fulness1 the disciples' ,lord1   
evermore give us this bread1--the       
clergyman's question to his whole flock1
 primarily literal1 ,children1 have ye  
here any meat8 must ultimately be always
 the greater spiritual one3 ,children1  
have ye here any ,holy ,spirit8 or1     
,have ye not heard yet whether there be 
any8 and1 instead of a ,holy ,ghost the 
,lord and ,giver of ,life1 do you only  

believe in an unholy mammon1 ,lord and  
,giver of ,death8  ,the opposition      
between the two ,lords has been1 and    
will be as long as the world lasts1     
absolute1 irreconcilable1 mortal2 and   
the clergyman's first message to his    
people of this day is--if he be         
faithful--,choose ye this day1 whom ye  
will serve4                             
,ever faithfully yours1                 
,j4 ,,ruskin4                           
,x          ,greek3 kai aphes hemin ta  
opheilemata hemon1 hos kai              
hemeis aphiemen tois opheiletais hemon4 
,et dimitte nobis debita nostra1 sicut  
et nos dimittimus                       
debitoribus nostris4                    
,,brantwood1 #crd ,september4  ,,dear   
,,mr4 ,,malleson1--,i have been very    
long before trying to say so much as a  
word about the sixth clause of the      
,pater2 for whenever ,i began thinking  
of it1 ,i was stopped by the sorrowful  
sense of the hopeless task you poor     
clergymen had1 nowadays1 in recommending

 and teaching people to love their      
enemies1 when their whole energies were 
already devoted to swindling their      
friends4  ,but1 in any days1 past or    
now1 the clause is one of such          
difficulty1 that1 to understand it1     
means almost to know the love of ,god   
which passeth knowledge4  ,but1 at all  
events1 it is surely the pastor's duty  
to prevent his flock from               
mis-understanding it2 and above all     
things to keep them from supposing that 
,god's forgiveness is to be had simply  
for the asking1 by those who wilfully   
sin after they have received the        
knowledge of the truth4  ,there is one  
very simple lesson1 also1 needed        
especially by people in circumstances of
 happy life1 which ,i have never heard  
fully enforced from the pulpit1 and     
which is usually the more lost sight of1
 because the fine and inaccurate word   
trespasses is so often used instead of  
the simple and accurate one1 debts4     
,among people well educated and happily 

circumstanced1 it may easily chance that
 long periods of their lives pass       
without any such conscious sin as could1
 on any discovery or memory of it1 make 
them cry out1 in truth and in pain1 ,i  
have sinned against the ,lord4 ,but     
scarcely an hour of their happy days can
 pass over them without leaving--were   
their hearts open--some evidence written
 there that they have left undone the   
things that they ought to have done1 and
 giving them bitterer and heavier cause 
to cry and cry again--for ever1 in the  
pure words of their ,master's prayer1   
,dimitte nobis debita nostra4  ,in      
connection with the more accurate       
translation of debts1 rather than       
trespasses1 it would surely be well to  
keep constantly in the mind of          
complacent and inoffensive              
congregations1 that in ,christ's own    
prophecy of the manner of the last      
judgment1 the condemnation is pronounced
 only on the sins of omission3 ,i was   
hungry1 and ye gave ,me no meat4  ,but1 

whatever the manner of sin1 by offence  
or defect1 which the preacher fears in  
his people1 surely he has of late been  
wholly remiss in compelling their       
definite recognition of it1 in its      
several and personal particulars4       
,nothing in the various inconsistency of
 human nature is more grotesque than its
 willingness to be taxed with any       
quantity of sins in the gross1 and its  
resentment at the insinuation of having 
committed the smallest parcel of them in
 detail4 ,and the ,english ,liturgy1    
evidently drawn up with the amiable     
intention of making religion as pleasant
 as possible to a people desirous of    
saving their souls with no great degree 
of personal inconvenience1 is perhaps in
 no point more unwholesomely lenient    
than in its concession to the popular   
conviction that we may obtain the       
present advantage1 and escape the future
 punishment1 of any sort of iniquity1 by
 dexterously concealing the manner of it
 from man1 and triumphantly confessing  

the quantity of it to ,god4  ,finally1  
whatever the advantages and decencies of
 a form of prayer1 and how wide soever  
the scope given to its collected        
passages1 it cannot be at one and the   
same time fitted for the use of a body  
of well-taught and experienced          
,christians1 such as should join the    
services of a ,church nineteen centuries
 old1--and adapted to the needs of the  
timid sinner who has that day first     
entered its porch1 or of the remorseful 
publican who has only recently become   
sensible of his call to a pew4  ,and    
surely our clergy need not be surprised 
at the daily increasing distrust in the 
public mind of the efficacy of ,prayer1 
after having so long insisted on their  
offering supplication1 at least every   
,sunday morning at eleven o'clock1 that 
the rest of their lives hereafter might 
be pure and holy1 leaving them conscious
 all the while that they would be       
similarly required to inform the ,lord  
next week1 at the same hour1 that there 

was no health in them6  ,among the much 
rebuked follies and abuses of so-called 
,ritualism1 none that ,i have heard of  
are indeed so dangerously and darkly    
,ritual as this piece of authorized     
mockery of the most solemn act of human 
life1 and only entrance of eternal      
life--,repentance4                      
,believe me1 dear ,mr4 ,malleson1       
,ever faithfully and respectfully yours1
                                        
,j4 ,,ruskin4                           
,,xi   ,greek3 kai me eisenegkes hemas  
eis peirasmon1 alla rhusai hemas apo    
tou ponerou2 hoti sou estin he basileia 
kai he dunamis kai he doxa              
eis tous aionas2 amen4   ,et ne nos     
inducas in tentationem2 sed libera nos a
 malo2 ,quia tuum      est regmum1      
potentia1 et gloria in saecula          
saeculorum4 ,amen4                      
,,brantwood1 #adth ,september1 #ahgi4   
,,dear ,,mr4 ,,malleson1--,the gentle   
words in your last letter referring to  
the difference between yourself and me  

in the degree of hope with which you    
could regard what could not but appear  
to the general mind ,utopian in designs 
for the action of the ,christian        
,church1 surely might best be answered  
by appeal to the consistent tone of the 
prayer we have been examining4  ,is not 
every one of its petitions for a perfect
 state8 and is not this last clause of  
it1 of which we are to think to-day--if 
fully understood--a petition not only   
for the restoration of ,paradise1 but of
 ,paradise in which there shall be no   
deadly fruit1 or1 at least1 no tempter  
to praise it8 ,and may we not admit that
 it is probably only for want of the    
earnest use of this last petition1 that 
not only the preceding ones have become 
formal with us1 but that the private and
 simply restricted prayer for the little
 things we each severally desire1 has   
become by some ,christians dreaded and  
unused1 and by others used faithlessly1 
and therefore with disappointment8  ,and
 is it not for want of this special     

directness and simplicity of petition1  
and of the sense of its acceptance1 that
 the whole nature of prayer has been    
doubted in our hearts1 and disgraced by 
our lips2 that we are afraid to ask     
,god's blessing on the earth1 when the  
scientific people tell us ,he has made  
previous arrangements to curse it2 and  
that1 instead of obeying1 without fear  
or debate1 the plain order1 ,ask1 and ye
 shall receive1 that your joy may be    
full1 we sorrowfully sink back into the 
apology for prayer1 that it is a        
wholesome exercise1 even when fruitless1
 and that we ought piously always to    
suppose that the text really means no   
more than ,ask1 and ye shall not        
receive1 that your joy may be empty8    
,supposing we were first all of us quite
 sure that we had prayed1 honestly1 the 
prayer against temptation1 and that we  
would thankfully be refused anything we 
had set our hearts upon1 if indeed ,god 
saw that it would lead us into evil1    
might we not have confidence afterwards 

that ,he in whose hand the ,king's heart
 is1 as the rivers of water1 would turn 
our tiny little hearts also in the way  
that they should go1 and that then the  
special prayer for the joys ,he taught  
them to seek1 would be answered to the  
last syllable1 and to overflowing8  ,it 
is surely scarcely necessary to say1    
farther1 what the holy teachers of all  
nations have invariably concurred in    
showing1--that faithful prayer implies  
always correlative exertion2 and that no
 man can ask honestly or hopefully to be
 delivered from temptation1 unless he   
has himself honestly and firmly         
determined to do the best he can to keep
 out of it4 ,but1 in modern days1 the   
first aim of all ,christian parents is  
to place their children in circumstances
 where the temptations 7which they are  
apt to call opportunities7 may be as    
great and as many as possible2 where the
 sight and promise of all these things  
in ,satan's gift may be brilliantly     
near2 and where the act of falling down 

to worship me may be partly concealed by
 the shelter1 and partly excused1 as    
involuntary1 by the pressure1 of the    
concurrent crowd4  ,in what respect the 
kingdoms of the world1 and the glory of 
them1 differ from the ,kingdom1 the     
,power1 and the ,glory1 which are ,god's
 for ever1 is seldom1 as far as ,i have 
heard1 intelligibly explained from the  
pulpit2 and still less the              
irreconcilable hostility between the two
 royalties and realms asserted in its   
sternness of decision4  ,whether it be  
indeed ,utopian to believe that the     
kingdom we are taught to pray for may   
come--verily come--for the asking1 it is
 surely not for man to judge2 but it is 
at least at his choice to resolve that  
he will no longer render obedience1 nor 
ascribe glory and power1 to the ,devil4 
,if he cannot find strength in himself  
to advance towards ,heaven1 he may at   
least say to the power of ,hell1 ,get   
thee behind me2 and staying himself on  
the testimony of ,him who saith1 ,surely

 ,i come quickly1 ratify his happy      
prayer with the faithful ,amen1 even so1
 come1 ,lord ,jesus4                    
,ever1 my dear friend1                  
,believe me affectionately              
and gratefully yours1                   
,j4 ,,ruskin4                           
,,essays ,,and ,,comments               
,,on ,,the                              
,,foregoing ,,letters                   
,,by ,,the ,,editor                     
,,essays ,,and ,,comments   ,feeling    
deeply1 and anxiously1 the greatness of 
the responsibility laid upon me to act1 
as it were1 the part of an envoy between
 so eminent a teacher as ,mr4 ,ruskin   
and my brethren in the ,ministry1 ,i    
have thought that it might not be taken 
amiss if ,i prefaced my account of the  
origin of the series of letters placed  
in my hands for publication 7see ,letter
 #hth ,july1 #ahgi7i with just a mere   
allusion to one written to me four years
 ago4       #i ,no4 ,,iv4  ,one or two  
imperfect conversations1 leading up to  

the subject of the ,resurrection1 which 
had been broken off by accidental       
circumstances1 together with the letter 
alluded to1 had stimulated in me a      
feeling of something more than          
curiosity--rather one of anxious        
interest--to learn more of ,mr4         
,ruskin's views upon matters which are  
at the present day giving rise to a good
 deal of agitated discussion among      
intellectual men4  ,i am thankful to be 
able to avow that1 for my own part1 ,i  
am a firm and conscientious1 not a      
thoughtless and passive1 believer in the
 doctrines of the ,church of ,christ as 
held by the majority of serious-minded  
religious men in the ,established       
,church4 ,mr4 ,ruskin was mistaken in   
his much too ready assumption that ,i   
7simply because ,i am a clergyman7 am a 
believer on compulsion2 that for the    
peace of my soul ,i have only to thank  
religious anaesthetics1 and that ,i ever
 preach against the wickedness of       
involuntary doubt4 ,god forbid that ,i  

should ever take on myself to denounce  
as wilful sin any scruples of conscience
 which owe their origin to honest       
inquiries after truth4 ,i trust that he 
knows me better now4  ,feeling thus     
decided and certain as to the ground ,i 
stand upon1 and earnestly desirous on   
every account to investigate the nature 
of ,mr4 ,ruskin's doubts1 whatever they 
might be1 in a most fraternal spirit1 as
 a kindly-favoured friend and neighbour 
7for1 in our lake and mountain district1
 an interval of a dozen miles does not  
destroy neighbourhood between spirits   
with any degree of kinship71 ,i sought  
for a more lengthened conversation1 and 
obtained the opportunity without        
difficulty4 ,the occasion was found in a
 very delightful summer afternoon on the
 lake1 and up the sides of the ,old ,man
 of ,coniston1 to view a group of       
remarkable rocks by the desolate1       
storm-beaten crags of ,goat's ,water1#aj
 that saddest and loneliest of mountain 
tarns1 which lies in the deep hollow    

between the mountain and its opposing   
buttress1 the ,dow ,crags4 ,this most   
interesting ramble in the undivided     
company of one so highly and so         
deservedly valued in the world of       
letters and of art and higher matters   
yet1 served to my mind for more purposes
 than one1 while we wandered amidst     
impressive scenes1 passing from the     
sweet and gentle peaceful loveliness of 
the bright green vale of ,coniston and  
its charming lake to the bleak          
desolation1 the terrible sublimity of   
the mountain tarn barriered in by its   
stupendous crags1 amongst which lay     
those singular-looking1 weather-beaten1 
and lightning-riven rocks which were the
 more immediate object of our visit4    
#aj ,deucalion1 p4 #bbb4  ,but to myself
 the chief and happiest result of our   
conversation was the firm conviction    
that neither the censorious and         
unthinking world1 nor perhaps even ,mr4 
,ruskin himself1 knows how deeply and   
truly a ,christian man1 in the widest   

sense of the word1 ,mr4 ,ruskin is4 ,it 
is neither the time nor the place1 nor  
indeed would it be consistent with      
propriety1 to analyze before others the 
convictions formed on that memorable    
summer afternoon4 ,it must suffice for  
the present to say that the opinions    
then formed laid the foundation of a    
friendship on a happier basis than that 
which had heretofore been permitted me1 
and prepared my way to enter with       
confidence upon the plan of which the   
present volume is the fruit4  ,last     
,june1 in the course of a short visit to
 ,brantwood1 ,i proposed to ,mr4 ,ruskin
 to come to address the members of a    
,northern ,clerical ,society1 a body of 
some seventy or eighty clergy1 who have 
done me the honour to appoint me their  
honorary secretary1 now for about nine  
years1 since its foundation4 ,on the    
ground of impaired health1 the legacy   
left behind it by the serious illness   
which had1 two years before1 threatened 
even his life1 ,mr4 ,ruskin excused     

himself from appearing in person before 
our ,society2 but proposed instead to   
write letters to me which might serve as
 a basis for discussion amongst us4     
,letter ,i4 will explain the origin of  
the series that come after4             
,,on ,,letter ,,ii   ,the question laid 
down in this letter1 cleared of all     
metaphorical ornament1 is1 as is        
perfectly natural and instinctive with  
,mr4 ,ruskin1 one which goes down to the
 foundation of things--here1 the        
character and mission of the ,christian 
ministry4 ,are we 7,mr4 ,ruskin implies1
 ,are we not87 bound to believe and to  
teach after certain formulae1 which1    
being many of them peculiar to          
ourselves1 separate us from the national
 ,churches of ,france and ,italy8 ,are  
we free1 or are we bound8 ,or do we     
enjoy a reasonable amount of liberty and
 no more8 ,on the platform we occupy do 
we allow none but ,english ,churchmen to
 stand8 ,must we keep all other         
,christians at arm's length8 ,do the    

conditions attached to the emoluments we
 receive prohibit us from holding or    
teaching any other opinions than those  
we have subscribed to8  ,it is a        
question not to be approached without a 
tremor4 ,but no abstract answer can well
 be given4 ,human nature replies for    
itself in the spectacle of the clergy of
 the ,church of ,england divided and    
subdivided2 here deeply sundered1 there 
of different complexions amicably       
blending together1 holding every variety
 of opinion which the ,church allows or 
disallows within her borders4 ,human    
nature absolutely refuses to be shackled
 in its positive beliefs4 ,authority may
 try1 or even appear to perform1 the    
feat of fettering thought and making men
 march in step to one common end in     
orderly ranks2 but she has invariably at
 last to confess her impotence4#aa      
#aa ,the clergyman who subscribes still 
whispers to himself1 or      soon will1 
,nullius addictus jurare in verba       
magistri4  ,the ministers of the ,church

 cannot safely be set free by ,act of   
,parliament to teach whatever seems good
 to each4 ,some respect must be shown to
 congregations too4 ,if the clergy claim
 on their side the right of independent 
thought1 which they are quite justified 
in doing1 the congregations on their    
side have a much greater right to a     
consistent teaching1 which shall not    
distract their minds with strange and   
unwonted forms of ,christianity4  ,mr4  
,ruskin1 as he often does1 is going too 
deep4 ,he asks for that which we shall  
never see in this world1--the simple1   
pure religion of the ,bible to be taught
 in all singleness and simplicity of    
mind by men whose only commission is    
held from ,god1 by or without the       
channel of human authority1 to show men1
 women1 and children the way to the     
summit of the celestial mountains1 and  
to set an awful warning by conspicuous  
beacons against the crevasses which go  
down quickest to the pit4 ,but who shall
 say that he is wrong8 ,nay1 rather1 it 

is we that are wrong in resting         
satisfied with our low views of things1 
while ,ruskin soars above our heads4    
,,on ,,letter ,,iii   ,i would preface  
the few remarks ,i wish to make upon    
this letter by an extract from a letter 
just received from a dear good friend3  
,i have already read these deeply       
interesting letters five times4         
,they are like 'the foam-globes of      
leaven4' ,i must say they have          
exercised my mind very much4 ,things in 
them which at first seem      rather    
startling1 prove on closer examination  
to be full of deep      truth4 ,the     
suggestions in them lead to 'great      
searchings of heart4'      ,there is    
much with which ,i entirely agree2 much 
over which to      ponder4 ,what an     
insight into human nature is shown in   
the remark      that though we are so   
ready to call ourselves 'miserable      
sinners'      we resent being accused of
 any special fault6                     
,s4 ,b4  ,by the side of this1 it will  

be instructive1 though strange1 if ,i   
place an extract from another note from 
one whom ,i have long known and highly  
esteemed2 and it will be seen what a    
singular discerner of hearts and divider
 of spirits is this series of letters3--
       ,if they are really meant au     
serieux1 ,i could not express any       
opinion of them without implying a      
reflection upon you also1 as you        
seem to endorse them so fully4 ,i       
prefer1 therefore1 to say merely        
that1 as a whole1 they offer one of the 
most remarkable instances ,i      ever  
met with of the old adage1 ',ne sutor   
ultra crepidam4'#ab       #ab ,let me   
say here1 once for all1 that ,i have    
already three times      had this       
proverb quoted against ,mr4 ,ruskin2 and
 no proverb could be      more remote   
from the purpose4 ,for while it is the  
shoemaker's      business1 as a         
livelihood1 to make shoes1 a painter's  
to paint      pictures1 the merchant's  
to sell goods1 and perhaps ,mr4         

,ruskin's to      write books which     
every one reads1 religion is everybody's
      business4 ,christian men and      
women1 of all classes and professions1  
make the ,bible their study1 because of 
its inestimable importance2      and who
 shall say that they are not absolutely 
right8 ,for my part ,i      should be   
very glad to hear that my bootmaker was 
a religious man3      his boots would be
 none the worse for it4 ,i hope the     
sutor will      be brought in no more1  
unless he can appear with a better      
grace4   ,in spite of this ,i retain all
 my old high opinion of the writer of   
these lines1 and feel convinced that he 
will soon think very differently4  ,yes1
 it is as my first correspondent has    
said1 ,things which at first seem       
startling1 on examination prove to be   
full of deep truth4 ,in the short       
compass of this ,letter ,,iii4 lies     
enfolded a vast question1 which1 in the 
midst of the friction and conflict of   
ages of strife1 has been shuffled away  

into odd corners1 to be brought out into
 life only now and then1 when a man is  
born into the world who sees what few   
will even glance at1 and who will say   
out that which ought to be spoken1      
though but few may listen4 ,what is the 
question which is put here so tersely   
and so pointedly8 ,it is this1 which ,i 
am only putting a little differently1   
not with the most distant idea of       
improving upon ,mr4 ,ruskin's felicitous
 touches2 but1 because expressed in     
twofold fashion1 what has escaped one   
may strike another in a different form4 
,is a clergyman of the ,church of       
,england a teacher of the doctrine and  
practice and discipline of the ,church  
of ,england within her limits only1     
narrow as they are1 when compared with  
,christendom8 or is there not rather a  
wider1 more comprehensive ,church       
yet--that of ,christ upon earth--which  
he must serve1 which he must preach1 in 
forgetfulness of the limited boundaries 
within which by his education and his   

ordination vows he is apparently bound  
to remain8 ,is there not enough of      
,christianity common to all the         
,christian nations upon earth1 and which
 ought to be made the subject of        
teaching to the ignorant and the        
castaway8 ,is it quite a right thing    
that the natives of ,madagascar1 for    
instance1 should see parties of         
missionaries arriving amongst them3 one1
 in all the gorgeous trappings and with 
all the elaborate ritual of ,rome2      
another in rusty black coats and hats   
and dirty white neckties1 repudiating   
all but the very barest necessary       
ceremonial2 a third1 possibly disunited 
in itself1 coming as ,high ,churchmen or
 ,low ,churchmen1 with differing        
peculiarities8 ,is this an edifying     
spectacle for the ,malagasy8 ,and can   
the ,gospel be preached as effectually  
in this highly diversified fashion as it
 would be with the simplicity of a      
reasonable and just sufficiently elastic
 uniformity8  ,coming before many people

 of infinite diversity of mind1 it      
cannot be doubted that ,christianity    
must necessarily take a variety of      
forms1 to suit different intelligences1 
and adapt itself to differing           
situations4 ,but in all this large      
variety of forms of religion1 ranging   
from mere paganism at one end1 just a   
little unavoidably altered by the       
contact of ,christianity1 and at the    
other extremity a pure religion1 but    
refined and intellectual1 ,i do not see 
exactly what is the form of             
,christianity which the ,church of      
,england is to preach to the masses at  
home and abroad4 ,as long as ,england   
takes the ,gospel to the ignorant in    
such infinitely diversified forms1 it is
 as if an incapable general were to     
divide his forces preparatory to an     
assault upon a compact and well-defended
 stronghold4  ,it is enough to make one 
weep with vexation and humiliation to   
see what sort of religion would be      
presented to the world if some who claim

 to have all truth on their side could  
have their own way4 ,i say to have the  
truth on their side1--which is a very   
different thing from being on the side  
of truth4 ,there is even a new          
religion--for it is certainly not the   
old--growing popular with thinkers1 who 
write and read in the three great       
half-crown monthlies1 which is evolved  
in the most curious variety out of their
 inner consciousness by religion-makers1
 whose fertile brains are the only soil 
that can bring forth such productions4  
,what is the vast uneducated world to do
 with these extraordinary forms of      
religion which are as many-sided and    
many-faced as their inventors8  ,now    
,mr4 ,ruskin and many others see this   
state of things with pity and           
compassion1 and ask1 ,cannot this       
,gospel of ,christ be put into such     
plain words and short terms as that a   
plain man may understand it8 ,why is    
there no such easy summary provided by  
authority to teach the poor and simple8 

,the ,apostles' ,creed is good for its  
own end and purpose1 but it requires    
great expansion to be made to include   
,gospel teaching1 and it contains       
nothing practical4 ,the ,thirty-nine    
,articles are not even intended 7as ,mr4
 ,ruskin by some oversight seems to     
think they are7 to be a summary of the  
,gospel4 ,we have no concise and plain1 
clear and intelligible form of sound    
words to answer this most important end4
 ,the ,church ,catechism1 from old      
associations1 belongs to childhood4     
,every reasonable person must agree with
 ,mr4 ,ruskin1 that there could be no   
harm1 but much good1 in ,christians     
making a little less of their           
,churchmanship1 and a little more of    
their broad ,christianity4              
,,on ,,letter ,,iv   ,mr4 ,ruskin pleads
 in this letter with touching eloquence 
for the guidance of the law of love1    
that irresistible law1 one effect of    
which is to give to the highest         
probability the force of a sufficient   

certainty1 and establishes in the man   
the mental habit best described as      
certitude4  ,in ,cardinal ,newman's     
,history of ,my ,religious ,opinions1 p4
 #ah1 he quotes some beautiful passages 
from ,keble's conversations with himself
 7disagreeing with him all the time71 in
 which he had quoted1 ,i will guide thee
 with mine eye 7,psalm xxxii4 #h71 as   
the expression of the gentle suasive    
power that directs the steps of the     
child and friend of ,god1 as            
distinguished from the bit and bridle   
laid upon horse and mule1 who represent 
unwilling slaves recognising no law but 
that of force or coercion4 ,it is an    
,eye whose gaze is ever fixed on us1 the
 ,eye of ,god's ,word1 like that of a   
portrait uniformly fixed on us1 turn    
where we will4#ac ,and ,keble is right  
so far as concerns the true children and
 friends of ,god1 subject1 as their     
highest control1 to the law of love4    
,pure and exalted minds ever strain for1
 and yearn after1 a general and outward 

manifestation of the witness that man is
 the image and glory of ,god 7#a ,cor4  
xi4 #g74       #ac ,christian ,year1    
,st4 ,bartholomew's ,day1 with          
quotations from      ,miller's ,bampton 
,lectures4  ,unhappily1 we are not so   
constituted by nature4 ,the inroads and 
ravages of sin are but too evident1 as  
well in those upon whom episcopal hands 
have been laid1 as in the ranks of the  
laity4 ,are not wilfulness and pride of 
intellect and glorification of self ever
 exercising such a power in the earth1  
that checks and restraints are found    
absolutely necessary to curb and control
 the determination of many of the       
ministers of the ,church not only to    
think as seems good to them 7which they 
have a perfect right to do71 but openly 
to teach and to preach whatever         
doctrines they may have conceived in    
their own minds1 or have learnt from    
others1 contrary to the received        
doctrines of the ,church of ,england2   
which they have no right to do as long  

as they remain ministers of the ,church 
whose doctrines they impugn8  ,mr4      
,ruskin correctly assumes that the terms
 of the ,lord's ,prayer1 being in the   
very words of ,christ1 do contain a body
 of ,divine doctrine2 and they would be 
the fittest to adopt as a standard of   
,christian teaching1 if only all men    
were as candid1 sincere1 and            
straightforward as himself4 ,but because
 there is no certainty that any large   
and preponderating body of men will     
exhibit these graces of ,christianity in
 themselves1 and combine with them      
gentleness1 tolerance1 and forbearance1 
therefore they must be held in with bit 
and bridle1--that is1 with ,articles and
 ,creeds and declarations1--lest they   
fall upon thee1 and fill the ,church    
more full of sedition1 disaffection1 and
 disquiet than it already is4  ,cardinal
 ,newman himself is an example of the   
necessity of the restraints of creeds1  
as well1 indeed1 as of their general    
inefficiency to maintain unity4 ,his    

,history of my ,religious ,opinions1 at 
least in its beginning1 is but the story
 of a long succession of phases of      
belief and disbelief1 originating       
in--what8 ,in study of the ,word of     
,god8 in ,divine contemplation1 or in   
devout and thoughtful meditation8 ,no1  
indeed2 but in walks and conversations1 
now with one friend1 now with another1  
now round the ,quadrangle of ,oriel1    
then in ,christ ,church meadows2 in     
fanciful1 and apparently causeless1     
changes in his own mind1 of which       
sometimes he can give the exact date1   
sometimes he has forgotten it1 but which
 lead him out of one set of opinions    
into another in a helpless kind of way1 
as if he knew of no motive power but the
 influence of other men's minds or the  
momentary and fitful fluctuations of a  
spirit ever too much given to           
introspection to maintain a steady and  
uniform course4  ,what a contrast       
between the downright1 manly            
straightforwardness of a ,ruskin and the

 fluttering1 uncertain flights of a     
,newman1 ending in the cold1 dead fixity
 of the ,roman faith1 whereof to doubt  
is to be damned6                        
,,on ,,letter ,v   ,the next paragraph  
to the last in this letter1 contains a  
statement which at first might seem to  
be rashly expressed4 ,but ,i was not    
long in apprehending that when ,mr4     
,ruskin alludes to a scheme of pardon   
for which we are supposed to be         
thankful1 not to the ,father1 but to the
 ,son1 he was far from impugning that   
doctrine of the ,atonement in which1 as 
it is generally understood among        
,christian people1 the whole plan of    
salvation centres4  ,but there seems to 
have been a fatality about this         
sentence4 ,numbers have read it and     
commented upon it1 myself amongst the   
number1 as if ,mr4 ,ruskin were here    
expressing his own view2 instead of     
which1 he is here quoting other men's   
opinions1 to condemn them with severity4
 ,the ,record called it some of ,mr4    

,ruskin's dross2 but it is other        
people's dross1 for which he would offer
 us pure gold4  ,i happened1 a very     
short time previous to receiving this   
letter1 to have had my attention        
attracted by the following passage of   
,mr4 ,ruskin's own3--,when1 in the      
desert1 ,he was girding ,himself for the
 work of life1 angels of life came and  
ministered to ,him2 now1 in the fair    
world1 when ,he is girding ,himself for 
the work of death at the                
,transfiguration1 the ministrants came  
to ,him from the grave4 ,but from the   
grave conquered4 ,one from that tomb    
under ,abarim1 which ,his own hand had  
sealed long ago2 the other from the rest
 which ,he had entered without seeing   
corruption4  ,pleased with the truthful 
eloquence of this passage1 ,i placed it 
at the head of the chapter on the       
,transfiguration in my book on the ,life
 and ,work of ,christ 7still in the     
press74 ,having done so1 it struck me   
that ,mr4 ,ruskin1 whether intentionally

 or undesignedly1 had made the pronoun  
,his to apply either to ,god the        
,father1 or to ,god the ,son4 ,it may   
grammatically refer to either4 ,from    
this ,i drew the conclusion which ,i    
expressed in a short letter to my       
friend1 that1 discarding the strictly   
human uses of language1 which1 from its 
unavoidable poverty1 lacks the power of 
marking the true nature of the          
difference between the ,divine ,persons 
of the ,holy ,trinity1 he had spoken of 
the ,father and of the ,son             
indiscriminately or indifferently1 i4e41
 without a difference4  ,and so it      
really is4 ,how shall a man1 though at  
the highest he be but a little lower    
than the angels1 know and comprehend the
 ,godhead in its true and exact nature8 
,the names father and son express an    
earthly relation perfectly well         
understood when belonging to ourselves1 
but when applied to the ,supreme ,divine
 ,being1 they must of necessity fall far
 short of expressing their true         

connexion with one another4 ,they are1  
when applied to ,heavenly beings1 merely
 anthropomorphic terms used in          
compassion to our infirmities1 and      
conveying to us only an approximation to
 the ideas intended4 ,we say the ,father
 sent the ,son2 the ,son suffered for   
our sins4 ,but since ,father and ,son   
are ,one1 we are plainly expressing     
something short of the exact state of   
the case when we speak of our           
thankfulness to the ,son as if we had no
 reason to be equally thankful to the   
,father4  ,the ,athanasian ,creed makes 
no great demand upon our mental powers  
when it requires of us1 in speaking of  
the ,trinity1 neither to confound the   
,persons nor to divide the ,substance2  
for1 in truth1 ,i suppose we are equally
 incapable of doing either4  ,these are 
,divine matters1 of which1 while the    
simplest may know enough1 the wisest can
 never fathom the whole depth4 ,for the 
,divine power and love1 knowledge and   
compassion1 will never be fully         

comprehended until we know even as we   
are known4  ,but1 as ,i am abstaining   
from questioning ,mr4 ,ruskin as to his 
meaning in any passage1 if it happens to
 be slightly obscure1 awaiting his reply
 at the close of the book1 ,i may here  
say that ,i believe that this sentence  
refers to a wild and unscriptural kind  
of preaching1 happily becoming less     
common1 in which undue stress is laid   
upon the wrathfulness of ,god1 as       
contrasted with the mercy of the        
,saviour1 as if we had only the ,son to 
thank1 and not our loving ,father in    
,heaven1 for the blessed hope of eternal
 life4 ,some there are1 and always will 
be1 who habitually err in not rightly   
dividing the ,word of ,god1 and giving  
undue prominence to a dark portion of   
doctrine1 which is true enough in       
itself1 but would be relieved of much of
 its gloom1 if due prominence were given
 to other parts of the truth of ,god4   
,i do not mean to praise caution at the 
expense of courage4 ,i have a           

constitutional aversion to that caution 
allied to timidity and cowardice which  
prompts a man to look to his safety1    
comfort1 and worldly repute as the first
 social law that concerns him4 ,i admire
 rather the brave man who is ready to   
sacrifice all that1 if he can1 by so    
doing1 gain the desired right end4  ,but
 in the case before us1 it is not so4   
,men talk as if all we had to do to     
convert a sinner from the error of his  
way was to give him a good talking1     
forgetting that we have not a plastic   
material to work upon1 but a most       
stubborn and intractable one1 wherever  
interest is concerned2 and that a bold  
bad man is generally proof against talk1
 and yields to no power but the grace of
 ,god exercised directly1 and seconded  
by ,his heavy judgments4 ,have we not   
all seen1 with shame and astonishment1  
the wicked rich regularly in their      
places at church1 much oftener than the 
wicked poor1 who have less interest in  
playing the hypocrite8 ,and have we not 

felt our utter powerlessness1 whether by
 public preaching or by private         
monition1 to find a way to those        
case-hardened hearts8 ,what are we to do
 with such a man as ,tennyson describes 
in ,sea ,dreams1 who            began to
 bloat himself1 and ooze     ,all over  
with the fat affectionate smile         
,that makes the widow lean2  when his   
victim--      ,pursued him down the     
street1 and far away1     ,among the    
honest shoulders of the crowd1     ,read
 rascal in the motions of his back1     
,and scoundrel in the supple-sliding    
knee4  ,here is all that we can do--told
 us in the last sweet lines3--          
',she sleeps3 let us too1 let all evil1 
sleep4     ,he also sleeps--another     
sleep than ours4     ,he can do no more 
wrong3 forgive him1 dear1     ,and ,i   
shall sleep the sounder6'               
,then the man1     ',his deeds yet live1
 the worst is yet to come2     ,yet let 
your sleep for this one night be sound3 
,i do forgive him4'                     

',thanks1 my love1' she said1     ',your
 own will be the sweeter2' and they     
slept4                                  
,,on ,,letter ,,vi   ,as is the manner  
of our friend1 he concludes a letter    
which was begun with thoughtful wisdom1 
with a proposal which1 if gravely made1 
will seem to most of us both unpractical
 and impracticable4  ,very forcible and 
very true is the emphatic declaration   
here made of the deep1 perhaps          
unpardonable sinfulness of taking in    
vain the holy name of ,god4  ,but1 to my
 mind1 the irremediable fault in the    
latter proposition in this letter is the
 assumption that every honest clergyman 
of average capacity1 and of ordinary    
experience of life1 is1 of course1 wise 
enough to discern men's characters and  
to judge them with that unerring        
sagacity that will enable him to        
pronounce without favour or distinction 
of persons the severe sentence3 ,you    
shall not enter this house of ,god4 ,i  
interdict your presence here4 ,the      

comforts and privileges of religion are 
for other than thou4 ,i deny thee the   
prayers1 the preaching1 and the         
sacraments of the ,church4 ,more        
briefly--,i excommunicate thee4  ,even  
in the case of a very bad man this would
 be found impossible to accomplish      
without the direst danger to the        
clergyman's usefulness and influence1 to
 say nothing of his peace4 ,for our     
experience abundantly shows that let a  
bad man but be audacious1 and even      
ruffianly enough1 helped by his         
position1 he will always find plenty of 
support among the powerful and          
influential4 ,the poor and honest       
clergyman1 if he has attempted to       
enforce ,church discipline1 will be     
gravely rebuked for his want of charity1
 for his sad lack of discretion or tact1
 for his utter want of worldly wisdom2  
he will very soon find1 to use the      
familiar phrase1 the place too hot for  
him1 and he may be thankful if he       
escapes with some small remainder of    

respect or compassion from the          
nobler-minded of his flock1 who are     
always in a very small minority4  ,i    
know not how it really was in the time  
when the rubrics of the ,communion      
,services were framed4 ,one would think1
 judging from these1 that the clergyman 
possessed unlimited power to judge and  
punish with spiritual deprivation1 and  
that he was alone to unite in himself   
all the various offices of accuser and  
police1 counsel1 jury1 and judge4 ,we   
are required to say every ,ash          
,wednesday that we regret the loss of   
the godly discipline of the ,primitive  
,church--under which1 at the beginning  
of ,lent1 all such persons as stood     
convicted of notorious sin were put to  
open penance2 and that it is much to be 
wished that the said discipline may be  
restored again4 ,but few can seriously  
view a realization of that wish without 
fear for the certain consequences4  ,the
 truth is1 the world moves on4 ,human   
nature may remain the same2 but the laws

 and usages of society are subject to   
changes which it is useless to          
withstand4 ,at the present day1 great1  
rather too great1 perhaps1 are the      
claims of charity4 ,we are told to hope 
for the best in the worst of cases2 we  
are to forgive all1 even the still      
hardened and unrepenting2 we are to     
smile upon heresy and schism2 we are to 
treat the rude1 the churlish1 the hard  
of heart1 amidst our flocks1 as if we   
had the greatest regard for them6 ,i am 
not prepared to say that this is in     
every way to be regretted2 for these are
 errors that lean perhaps to virtue's   
side4 ,but ,i certainly do think that   
often a little more fearlessness in     
rebuking vice would not come amiss4     
,but1 on the other hand1 suppose for a  
moment the clergy to have the undisputed
 power to bar out both the wicked rich  
and the wicked poor from their churches1
 this power would be of very little use2
 nay1 it would be full of mischief and  
danger1 without a sound judgment1 a     

fearless spirit1 and a heart little used
 to the melting mood4 ,the clergy1 as a 
class1 may perhaps be a trifle superior 
to the laity in moral character1 in     
spiritual knowledge1 and in judgment in 
dealing with people1 because their      
profession has early trained 7or at any 
rate1 ought to have trained7 them in the
 constant and imperative exercise of    
self-examination and self-control1 and  
the careful discernment of character in 
their intercourse with men4 ,but that   
superiority1 if it exists at all1 is so 
trifling as to make very little         
impression on the laity1 who would      
naturally be ready at any step to       
dispute the wisdom or expediency of the 
judicial acts of the clergy4  ,further1 
again3 given both the wisdom to judge   
and the power to doom1 would it be      
desirable to establish a rule that the  
open and notorious sinner 7though there 
would always be differences of opinion  
upon what he really is1 even among the  
clergy themselves7 should be prevented  

from coming where he might1 above all   
other places1 be most likely to hear    
words that would touch his heart and    
bring him to a better mind8 ,from the   
pulpit1 words of counsel1 of holy       
doctrine1 and of heart-stirring precepts
 of the ,gospel1 fall with a power and  
weight which are rarely to be found in  
private conversations4 ,many an open and
 notorious sinner has first yielded up  
his heart to ,god under the powerful    
influence of preaching4 ,when ,jesus sat
 in the ,pharisee's house1 all the      
publicans and sinners drew near to hear 
,him2 and the orthodox sinners1 the     
,pharisees1 made bitter complaints that 
,he received and ate with the scorned   
and rejected sinners4 ,god forbid that  
the day should ever come when spiritual 
pride and exclusiveness shall shut out  
even the hardest of sinners from the    
house of ,god2 for who can tell where or
 when the word may be spoken which shall
 break the stony heart1 and replace it  
with the tender heart of flesh1 soon to 

be filled with love and devotion to ,god
 the ,saviour and ,redeemer8  ,but1 as  
this is a subject of great importance1  
may ,i also say a word in support of    
,mr4 ,ruskin's own view that the wicked 
should be discouraged1 or even          
forbidden1 to enter the house of ,god8  
,we have #b ,cor4 vi4 #ad-ah1 which     
seems to point out that1 in the         
primitive ,church1 the wicked were not  
allowed in the assemblies of the        
faithful4 ,and we remember ,david's ,i  
have hated the congregation of evil     
doers1 and will not sit with the wicked 
7,psalm xxvi4 #e74 ,is not ,mr4 ,ruskin1
 perhaps1 after all1 only advocating a  
return to primitive usage8  ,mr4 ,ruskin
 says in the ,preface to his selected   
works3 ,what ,i wrote on religion was   
painstaking1 and ,i think forcible1 as  
compared with most religious writing2   
especially in its frankness and         
fearlessness4 ,unfortunately he adds1   
,but it was wholly mistaken4#ad ,he is  
still equally outspoken1 frank1 and     

fearless2 but what he wrote upon        
religion1 as far as ,i know it1 in the  
days which he now condemns1 will live   
and do good1 as long as the noble       
,english language1 of which he is one of
 the greatest masters1 lives to convey  
to distant generations the great        
thoughts of the sons that are her       
proudest boast4       #ad ,sesame and   
,lilies1 p4 iii41 #ahgf4                
,,additional ,,remarks ,,on ,,the       
,,censures ,,of ,,the ,,church4         
,,by ,,the ,,editor4   ,since writing my
 notes on ,letter ,,vi41 in which ,mr4  
,ruskin gives such vehement expression  
to his desire to see the ancient        
discipline of the ,church restored1 ,i  
have in conversation with himself       
learned this to be one of the objects he
 has most at heart in writing these     
letters2 and ,i have also read in the   
,life of ,bishop ,selwyn1 by the ,rev4  
,h4 ,w4 ,tucker 7vol4 i41 p4 #bda7 that 
admirable prelate's view of this        
disregarded question4 ,i believe ,selwyn

 to have been the greatest uninspired   
missionary since the days of ,st4 ,paul 
7if indeed we can with truth consider so
 great a man wholly uninspired74 ,but   
the great ,bishop of the ,south ,seas1  
in the charge from which copious        
extracts are there given1 distinctly    
recommends the revival of spiritual     
discipline and the censures of the      
,church upon unrepenting offenders4 ,he 
refers for authority to apostolic       
example and precept1 and to the         
discipline rubrics of the ,communion    
,service1 and adds the undeniable fact  
that our ,anglican communion is the only
 branch of the ,christian ,church where 
such discipline is wanting4  ,i must ask
 leave to refer my readers to ,mr4      
,tucker's book for the grounds in detail
 of the ,bishop's wishes4 ,i am not     
aware that any ,english prelate has     
ventured upon so hazardous an           
experiment2 one1 ,i should rather say1  
so certain to fail disastrously4 ,the   
infancy of the ,christian ,church1 and  

the ,divine guidance directly exercised1
 rendered such discipline in the first  
centuries both practicable and          
effective4#ae ,but ,i do not remember   
that any parish priest of the ,reformed 
,church has ever attempted to enforce   
the ,communion rubrics1 except1 as we   
have learned from the public papers1 in 
recent times1 with disastrous           
consequences to the promoters4 ,and what
 kind of wickedness is to be so visited8
 ,to prove drunkenness1 or impurity1 or 
fraudulent practices1 or false doctrine 
7,canon #aji71 a judicial inquiry must  
be resorted to4 ,rebukes for lesser     
offences would certainly lead to        
disputes1 if not even to recrimination6 
,the irresistible circumstances of the  
age would entirely defeat any such      
endeavours4 ,in towns1 parochial limits 
are practically unknown or ignored1 and 
families1 or individuals1 attend        
whatever church or chapel they please1  
no one preventing them1 thus making all 
exercise of sacerdotal authority        

impracticable4 ,in the country1 even    
where only the parish church is within  
reach1 it is highly probable that an    
offender would meet priestly            
excommunication by the easy expedient of
 cutting himself off from communication 
with his clergyman and his church2 and  
even if he did not1 it would be a very  
new state of things if the sentence were
 received with submission on the part of
 the offender1 and acquiescence on that 
of the congregation4       #ae ,as these
 sheets are passing through the press1  
,i happen to      meet with these words 
of ,bishop ,wilberforce3--,the more ,i  
have      thought over the matter1 the  
more it seems to me that it was         
providentially intended that discipline1
 in the strictest sense of      that    
word1 should be the restraint of the    
early ,church1 and that it      should  
gradually die out as the ,church        
approached maturity1 or      rather turn
 from a formal and external rule to an  
inner work in the      spirit--should   

run into the opening of ,god's ,word and
 its      application to the individual 
soul and life4--,life1 vol4 i41 p4      
#bcj4  ,in short1 the thing is simply   
impossible2 and ,i do not find that even
 ,bishop ,selwyn himself visited        
immorality with ecclesiastical censures1
 or supported his clergy in doing so2   
and ,i am using the word immorality in  
its full and proper sense1 and not with 
that restricted meaning which confines  
it to a particular sin4 ,it is true1 as 
he says1 that our ,church stands alone  
in refraining from the exercise of such 
power4 ,but in other religious bodies1  
the discretionary power to use such     
dangerous weapons is not left to        
individuals however gifted4 ,it rests in
 a constituted body1 on whom the whole  
responsibility would lie4 ,but the      
isolation of the ,english clergyman in  
his church and parish forbids him thus  
to risk his whole usefulness and his    
social existence4 ,who would confirm him
 in his judgment8 ,who would stand by   

him in the troubles which he would      
assuredly entail upon himself8 ,would   
his churchwardens1 his rural dean1 his  
archdeacon1 or his bishop8 ,i think     
there would be little comfort to be     
found in any of these quarters4         
,,on ,,letter ,,vii   ,excellent as is  
,canon ,gray's letter 7p4 #afi71 ,i do  
not at all concur in his somewhat severe
 censure on the second paragraph in this
 letter1 in which ,mr4 ,ruskin1 as ,i   
conceive1 with complete theological     
accuracy1 points out how in ,his human  
nature our ,lord accepted and received  
some1 perhaps many1 of the deficiencies 
of our nature1 human frailty and        
weakness1 even human liability to sin1  
without1 however1 once yielding to its  
temptations4 ,i have everywhere in my   
,life of ,christ endeavoured to give    
reasons for my faith in this view1      
which1 even if held1 ,i know is not     
often professed4  ,if ,christ had been  
perfectly insensible to the allurements 
of sin1 where would be ,his             

fellow-feeling with us8 ,it would be a  
mere outward semblance2 nor would there 
then be any significance in the         
statement that ,he was in all points    
tempted like as we are1 if ,he had been 
able to view with calm indifference the 
inducements presented to ,him from time 
to time to abandon ,his self-sacrificing
 work and consult ,his safety4 ,the     
captain is not to go securely           
armour-plated into the fight while the  
private soldier marches in his usual    
unprotected apparel4 ,nor will the      
,captain of our salvation protect       
,himself against the dangers which ,he  
invites us to encounter4 ,if ,he knew   
nothing of sin from experience of its   
power1 how could ,he be an example to   
us8 ,therefore ,i believe ,mr4 ,ruskin  
to be perfectly right in affirming that 
in the words of ,jesus we listen not to 
one speaking entirely in the ,power and 
,wisdom of ,god1 but to the ,son of     
,man1 bowed down1 but not conquered1 by 
afflictions1 firm and unbending in ,his 

great purpose to bear in ,his own body  
the sin of the world--,son of ,man1 yet 
,god ,incarnate4  ,nor does it seem to  
me a hard way of speaking when ,mr4     
,ruskin rightly and plainly affirms the 
perfect humanity of ,christ1 which1     
however1 ,canon ,gray correctly points  
out to be assumed and borne in          
accordance with ,his own will as perfect
 ,god4 ,i am afraid that1 good and kind 
as he is1 it is ,canon ,gray himself who
 is a little hard in unconsciously      
imputing thoughts which had no existence
 in the writer's mind6  ,i cannot help  
being amused at the gravity with which  
certain critics shake their heads       
ominously over the last paragraph in    
this letter1 and seriously ask1 ,what   
can ,mr4 ,ruskin mean by the peace and  
joy in the ,holy ,ghost enjoyed by the  
birds8 ,the ,poet ,laureate would hardly
 care to be brought to book for each    
poetical flight with which he charms his
 many appreciative readers1 and to be   
asked to explain exactly what he means  

by each of those noble thoughts which   
are only revealed from soul to soul1 and
 dissolve into fluid1 like the beautiful
 brittle-star of our coasts1 under the  
touch of a too curious hand4  ,how do we
 know but that the animal existence of  
these charming companions of our quiet  
hours is not accompanied by a spiritual 
existence too1 as much inferior to our  
own spiritual state as their corporeal  
to ours8 ,and therefore shall we boldly 
dare to say that they perish altogether 
and for ever8 ,we may neither believe   
nor disbelieve in matters kept so       
completely secret from us4 ,but we must 
be pardoned for leaning to a belief that
 the feathered creatures which spend    
most of their brief life in singing loud
 praises to the loving ,creator and     
,giver of all good1 do not live quite   
for nothing beyond the dissolution of   
their little frames4 ,there are no means
 of ascertaining this by scientific     
experiments1 or even by the most        
ingenious processes of induction        

carefully recorded and duly referred to 
as occasion may arise4 ,but certainly it
 is a harmless fancy which many have    
indulged in before ,mr4 ,ruskin1 without
 being charged with such unsoundness in 
doctrine as denying the ,personality of 
the ,holy ,ghost6 ,by-and-by it may be  
found that what men have believed in    
half in sport will be realized wholly in
 earnest4 ,just outside the churchyard  
wall of ,ecclesfield may be seen 7at    
least ,i saw it a few years ago7 a      
little monumental stone to a favourite  
dog1 with the text1 ,thou1 ,lord1       
preservest man and beast4 ,and in       
,kingsley's ,prose ,idylls ,i have just 
met most apropos with the following     
beautiful passage1 which many will read 
with pleasure1 perhaps some with        
profit3--       ,if anyone shall hint to
 us that we and the birds may have      
sprung      originally from the same    
type2 that the difference between our   
intellect and theirs is one of degree1  
and not of kind1 we may      believe or 

doubt3 but in either case we shall not  
be greatly moved4      ',so much the    
better for the birds1' we will say1 'and
 none the      worse for us4 ,you raise 
the birds towards us3 but you do not    
lower      us towards them4' ,what we   
are1 we are by the grace of ,god4 ,our  
own      powers and the burden of them  
we know full well4 ,it does not lessen  
their dignity or their beauty in our    
eyes to hear that the birds of      the 
air partake1 even a little1 of the same 
gifts of ,god as we4 ,of      old said  
,st4 ,guthlac in ,crowland1 as the      
swallows sat upon his      knee1 ',he   
who leads his life according to the will
 of ,god1 to him      the wild deer and 
the wild birds draw more near2' and this
 new      theory of yours may prove ,st4
 ,guthlac right4 ,st4 ,francis1 too--he 
called the birds his brothers4 ,whether 
he was correct1 either                  
theologically or zoologically1 he was   
plainly free from that fear      of     
being mistaken for an ape1 which haunts 

so many in these modern      times4     
,perfectly sure that he himself was a   
spiritual being1 he      thought it at  
least possible that birds might be      
spiritual beings      likewise1         
incarnate like himself in mortal flesh2 
and saw no      degradation to the      
dignity of human nature in claiming     
kindred      lovingly with creatures so 
beautiful1 so wonderful1 who 7as he     
fancied in his old-fashioned way7       
praised ,god in the forest1 even      as
 angels did in heaven4 ,in a word1 the  
saint1 though he was an      ascetic1   
and certainly no man of science1 was yet
 a poet1 and      somewhat of a         
philosopher2 and would possibly--so do  
extremes      meet--have hailed as      
orthodox1 while we hail as truly        
scientific1      ,wordsworth's great    
saying--                                
',therefore am ,i still           ,a    
lover of the meadows and the woods      
,and mountains2 and of all that we      
behold           ,from this green earth2

 of all the mighty world           ,of  
eye and ear--both what they half create1
           ,and what perceive2 well     
pleased to recognize           ,in      
,nature and the language of the sense1  
,the anchor of my purest thoughts1 the  
nurse1           ,the guide1 the        
guardian of my heart1 and soul          
,of all my moral being4'                
,charm of ,birds4                       
,,on ,,letter ,,viii   ,what generous   
and enlightened spirit will not be      
stirred to its innermost depths by these
 words1 burning as they are with a      
well-grounded indignation8  ,i dare say 
some of the clergy will have a word to  
say on their claim to the priesthood as 
implying a sacrificial and mediatorial  
character4 ,on this point ,i will say   
nothing at present4  ,but it is an      
awfully solemn consideration put before 
us here1 whether instead of the pure    
blessings and the bright countenances   
intended to be ours1 our accursed       
blessings and defiled faces are not the 

natural consequences of our wilful      
misunderstanding of what the will of the
 ,lord is4  ,thy will be done is a      
petition which can be offered up in two 
quite distinct senses4 ,in the one1 it  
is an expression of resignation to the  
,father's afflictive dispensations2 in  
the other1 the heartfelt desire to work 
out the revealed will of ,god in all the
 many-sided aspects of life4 ,in the    
first sense1 when sorrow or death has   
entered our door1 our first impulse1 if 
we are ,christians1 is to give evidence 
of1 and expression to1 our resignation  
by recognizing the will of ,god4 ,hence 
,mr4 ,ruskin interposes3 ,are you so    
sure that it was the will of ,god that  
your child should die1 or that you      
should have got into that trouble8 ,i   
look in my local paper in the column of 
deaths1 and see in a neighbouring large 
town how extraordinary a proportion of  
deaths are those of children4 ,i have   
taken occasional cemetery duty in one of
 the busiest centres of industry in     

,yorkshire1 and was shocked at the large
 numbers of funerals in white4 ,am ,i to
 believe it was the will of ,god that so
 many young children should perish1     
especially as ,i look to my own         
beautiful parish1 with its sweet sea and
 mountain breezes mingled1 where the    
deaths of children are comparatively    
rare8 and am ,i not forced to believe   
that1 even without the assistance of    
destitution--neglect and overcrowding1  
and quieting mixtures and ardent        
spirits1 and kicks and blows have filled
 most of those little graves8 ,i fear   
that the will of ,satan is here being   
accomplished vastly to his satisfaction4
 ,and seldom does the ,government do    
more than touch the fringe of these     
monstrous evils4 ,of course they say ,we
 cannot interfere1 or ,legislation in   
these matters is impracticable4 ,but can
 we not all remember when it was just as
 certain that free trade in food was    
impracticable8 but who does not see that
 it is saving us from famine this dark  

year #ahgi8--that compulsory education  
was revolutionary and full of           
unimaginable perils to the country1 and 
yet who are so glad as the poor         
themselves1 now that it has been carried
 into effect8 ,it used to be thought    
that if people chose to kill themselves 
with unwholesome open drains before     
their doors1 there was no power able to 
prevent them4 ,but we are wiser now4    
,legislators have generally been1 or    
chosen to appear1 like cowards till the 
time for action came1 very late1 and    
then they were decided enough4 ,now let 
us hope that a way may be found to save 
infant life from premature extinction by
 wholesale4  ,let me use this           
opportunity of saying that in the       
letters we are now considering there is 
a feature which ought not to escape     
those who are desirous of deriving good 
from them2 and that is that in their    
very condensed form no time is taken for
 explanation or expansion4 ,mr4 ,ruskin 
speaks as unto wise men1 and asks us to 

judge for ourselves what he says4 ,but  
my own experience1 after frequent       
perusal of them1 shows me that there is 
a vast fund of truth in them which      
becomes apparent only after patient     
consideration and reflection4 ,without  
desiring at all to bestow extravagant   
praise on my kind friend1 or any other  
distinguished man1 it is only fair and  
just to own that the truth that is in   
these letters shines out more and more  
the more closely they are examined4 ,it 
is a gift that ,god has given him1 which
 has cost him far more pain1 worry1 and 
vexation1 through all kinds of wilful   
and envious1 as well as innocent and    
unconscious misrepresentation1 than ever
 it has gained him of credit or renown4 
,this principle leads me to view now    
with approbation what ,i could not read 
at first without an unpleasant feeling4 
,the sentence3 ,nearly the whole        
,missionary body 7with the hottest      
,evangelical section of the ,english    
,church7 is at this moment composed of  

men who think the ,gospel they are to   
carry to mend the world with1 forsooth1 
is this1 ',if any man sin1 he hath an   
,advocate with the ,father4' ,and when  
,i first read it to my reverend         
brethren1 hard words were spoken of this
 passage1 because in its terseness1 in  
its elliptic form1 it easily allows     
itself to be misunderstood4 ,yet the    
paragraph contains the essence of the   
,gospel expressed with a faithful       
boldness not often met with in pulpit   
addresses4  ,if any man sin1 we have an 
,advocate with the ,father4 ,we have    
here a solemn and momentous truth1      
expressed in few words1 as clearly and  
as briefly as any geometrical           
definition4 ,but is this all the        
,gospel8 ,will this alone mend the      
world1 forsooth8 ,now the extreme men of
 one particular school in the ,english  
,church do really preach little else    
beside this4 ,when they are entreated to
 preach upon good works1 too1 and unfold
 a little of their value and beauty1--if

 they have any at all1--the answer is   
always to the effect1 ,oh1 of course2   
faith in ,christ must of necessity beget
 the love of good works4 ,these are the 
signs of that4 ,preach ,christ          
crucified1 and all the rest will be sure
 to follow4 ,and this is what is        
exclusively called preaching the        
,gospel4 ,the preacher who teaches us to
 love our enemies1 to live pure lives1  
to be honourable to all men and women1  
to bring up our families in the truth1  
is frowned upon as a legal preacher4 ,as
 a clergyman myself1 ,i am not afraid of
 saying that ,i look upon this so-called
 ,gospel-preaching as fraught with not a
 little of danger4 ,god knows1 wicked   
sinners are found in every congregation 
and class of men1 kneeling to pray1 and 
singing praises1 exactly like good men4 
,now ,i can hardly conceive a style and 
matter of preaching more calculated to  
excuse and palliate1 and almost         
encourage sin1 than this narrow and     
exclusive so-called ,gospel-preaching4  

,neither ,christ nor ,his apostles      
taught thus at all4 ,the whole ,sermon  
on the ,mount is moral in the highest   
and purest sense4 ,every epistle has its
 moral or legal side4 ,woe is me if ,i  
preach not the ,gospel6 and ,i cannot be
 preaching the ,gospel unless1 along    
with the great proclamation1 ,if any man
 sin1 we have an ,advocate with the     
,father1 ,i also do my utmost to teach  
what the will of the ,lord is concerning
 a pure1 holy1 and blameless life1 full 
of active1 good works1 done in deep     
humility and self-abasement2 because    
,christ loved me and died for me1 and   
asks me1 in love to ,him1 to walk in    
,his steps4                             
,,on ,,letter ,,ix   ,i fancy ,i can    
still hear the murmur of angry dissent  
pass round as ,i read to my reverend    
brethren this indignant plea for a      
higher interpretation of the petition   
for daily bread than that which passes  
current with the unthinking1            
self-indulgent world4 ,nevertheless1    

this manifestation of feeling was not   
general1 and ,i thoroughly agree with   
,mr4 ,ruskin that the world has1 from   
the first1 used this prayer             
thoughtlessly and blasphemously2 and    
probably will continue to do so to the  
end1 when the thoughts and imaginations 
of all men's hearts shall be revealed1  
and no more disguises shall be possible2
 when the masked hypocrite's smile shall
 be torn from him and reveal the        
covetousness that breeds in his heart to
 its core2 when the honourable man shall
 no longer be confounded with thieves1  
nor the usurer and extortioner be       
courted and bowed to like an honest man4
  ,the veil that hid the true ,christ1  
as ,mr4 ,ruskin has well remarked1 was  
removed in the breaking of bread with   
the disciples at ,emmaus4 ,as the       
,master1 so the true disciples4 ,they   
too may be known both by the spiritual  
breaking of the ,bread of ,life in the  
,holy ,communion 7though the canting    
hypocrite too may be found polluting    

that holy rite72 but more especially in 
the union of the sacred ordinance with  
obedience to the scarcely less sacred   
command of ,christian love and charity  
to the poor4 ,there may be the empty    
profession1 but there will be none of   
the reality of the religion of the      
,gospel1 unless we are partakers of the 
bread broken at the ,lord's ,table1 or  
unless we eat the bread earned by the   
honest labour of our hands or of our    
brains1 or share some of our bread with 
those1 the ,lord's brethren1 whom ,he   
has left for us to care for in ,his     
name4 ,the absence of either of these   
three essential conditions just lays us 
open to the charge of flaunting before  
the world a false and spurious          
,christianity4 ,in the plain words of   
our friend1 our bread not being fairly  
got or fairly used1 is stolen bread4    
,but ,i would willingly believe that it 
is only by a strong figure of speech    
that we clergy are here again           
emphatically called upon to act the part

 of inquisitors by pointedly demanding  
of every member of our flock a precise  
account of the manner in which he earns 
his livelihood4 ,still1 if the answer   
was not a surprised and indignant stare1
 ,i believe the great mass of men would 
probably be able to give an answer which
 should abundantly satisfy themselves   
and us1 until ,mr4 ,ruskin threw his own
 light upon the answer and demonstrated 
that the notions of modern civilized    
society are not in accordance with the  
highest teaching4 ,according to our     
ideas1 the artisan1 the tradesman1 the  
merchant1 the members of the learned and
 the military and naval professions1 all
 those engaged in the various           
departments of government work1 from the
 cabinet minister down to the last      
office clerk1--all these use the labour 
of body or of mind1 and in return       
receive the necessaries or the luxuries 
of life for themselves and their        
households4 ,men who are1 if they       
please1 exempt altogether from such     

labour1 as large landed proprietors1 are
 certainly under a temptation to lead a 
life of ease and leisure4 ,but it is    
very seldom that we are offended with   
the sight of a landlord so unmindful of 
social duties as to take no personal    
active interest in the welfare and      
conduct of his tenants1 or forgetful of 
the responsibilities to his country     
imposed upon him by his rank and        
position4  ,it is to be hoped that ,mr4 
,ruskin does not in all solemn          
seriousness really expect that after a  
fair examination of the modes of life of
 all these people1 an entirely new view 
of life and its sacraments will open    
upon us and them4 ,is it indeed a fact  
that the great mass of men calling      
themselves ,christians do actually live 
by robbing the poor of their bread1 and 
by no other trade whatsoever8 ,mr4      
,ruskin is always terribly in earnest in
 whatever he says1 and we must look for 
an explanation of this sentence in the  
very decided views he holds upon        

interest of money1 which he calls usury4
  ,mr4 ,ruskin classes ,usury and       
,interest together4 ,here are some of   
his strong words upon this subject3     
,there is absolutely no debate possible 
as to what usury is1 any more than what 
adultery is4 ,the ,church has only been 
polluted by indulgence in it since the  
#afth century4 ,usury is any kind       
whatever of interest on loan1 and it is 
the essential modern force of ,satan4   
,this was written ,september #ith of    
this year4 ,in ,fors ,clavigera1 ,letter
 lxxxii41 p4 #cbc1 he challenged the    
,bishop of ,manchester to answer him the
 question1 whether he considered usury  
to be a work of the ,lord8#af ,in the   
same letter1 to place his heavy         
denunciation against the wickedness of  
usury in the best possible company1 he  
pleads3 ,plato's scheme was impossible  
even in his own day1--as ,bacon's ,new  
,atlantis in his day1--as ,calvin's     
reform in his day1--as ,goethe's        
,academe in his2 but of the good there  

was in all these men1 the world gathered
 what it could find of evil4       #af  
,see ,contemporary ,review1 ,february   
#ahhj4  ,let us look a little closer    
into this matter4 ,it is not because a  
man with fearless frankness breasts the 
full torrent of popular persuasion and  
universal practice that he is to be     
thrust aside as a fanatic1 with hard    
words and unfeeling sneers concerning   
his sanity4 ,here1 again1 ,i avow my    
persuasion that ,mr4 ,ruskin is1 in one 
sense1 too far in advance1 and1 in      
another1 too far in the rear of the     
time2 and while ,i attempt an           
explanatory justification of the modern 
practice1 ,i admit that it is only for  
the hardness of our hearts and because  
the golden age is still far off4  ,the  
,mosaic law was severe against usury and
 increase1 forbidding it under heavy    
threatenings among the faithful         
,israelites1 but allowing it in lending 
to strangers4 ,if thy brother be waxen  
poor1 then thou shalt relieve him 444   

take thou no usury of him1 or increase  
7,lev4 xxv4 #ce1 #cf74 ,thou shalt not  
lend upon usury to thy brother2 usury of
 money1 usury of victuals1 usury of     
anything that is lent upon usury4 ,unto 
a stranger thou mayest lend upon usury2 
but unto thy brother thou shalt not lend
 upon usury 7,deut4 xxiii4 #ai1 #bj74   
,lord1 who shall abide in ,thy          
tabernacle8 444 ,he that putteth not out
 his money to usury 7,psalm xv4 #a1 #e4 
,see ,ezek4 xviii4 #g1 etc47 ,and to    
come to the ,christian law1 we have the 
mild general principle3 ,if ye lend to  
them of whom ye hope to receive1 what   
thank have ye8 for sinners also lend to 
sinners1 to receive as much again4444   
,lend1 hoping for nothing again1 and    
your reward shall be great 7,luke vi4   
#cd1 #ce74  ,so far the ,law of ,moses  
and the ,gospel4  ,but our ,lord1 in the
 ,parable of the ,talents1 appears to   
actually sanction the practice of loans 
upon interest3 ,thou oughtest1          
therefore1 to have put my money to the  

exchangers1 and then at my coming ,i    
should have received mine own with usury
 7,matt4 xxv4 #bg74 ,the preceding      
verse1 the #bfth1 may well be understood
 to be a question--,didst thou indeed   
think so8 ,it does not even indirectly  
attribute hardness and oppression to our
 ,lord4#ag ,i am quite aware that it may
 be replied that this is an instance of 
those strong audacious metaphors1 where 
the fact used by way of illustration is 
instinctively overleaped by the mind of 
the hearer to arrive at the lesson which
 it marks and emphasizes2 as when the   
,lord is represented as an unjust judge1
 or ,paul speaks of grafting the wild   
olive branch upon the good1 or ,james   
refers to the rust and canker upon gold 
and silver1 or ,milton speaks of certain
 bishops as blind mouths4#ah ,but in all
 these cases1 the hyperbole is manifest2
 it is an untruth or a disguise1 which  
not only does not deceive1 but teaches a
 great truth4 ,our ,lord's reference to 
money-lenders or exchangers appears to  

lend an indirect sanction to a familiar 
practice4       #ag ,the owners of five 
talents and of two talents are commended
      for making cent4 per cent4 of     
their money2 but the man who hid away   
his one talent1 as ,french peasants do1 
and brought it to his ,lord             
untouched and undiminished1 received a  
severe rebuke4       #ah ,lycidas4 ,see 
,sesame and ,lilies1 p4 #bg4  ,the ,law 
of ,moses1 therefore1 rebuking the      
practice of lending for increase among  
brethren and encouraging it in dealing  
with strangers1 combined with the       
well-known avarice of the ,jews to make 
them money-lenders on a large scale1 and
 at high rates of interest1 to the      
prodigals and spendthrifts1 the bankrupt
 barons and needy sovereigns of the     
middle ages4 ,money was rarely lent for 
commercial purposes1 and to advance the 
real prosperity of the borrower4 ,it was
 generally to stave off want for the    
time2 and principal and interest1 when  
pay-day came1 had generally to be found 

in the pastures or strongholds of the   
enemy4 ,high interest was charged1 on   
account of the extraordinary            
precariousness of what was called the   
security4 ,grinding and grasping        
undoubtedly the money-lenders would be1 
from the hardship of their case4        
,reckless extravagance and lavish       
profusion were1 in those non-commercial 
ages1 highly applauded4 ,the spendthrift
 and the prodigal was the favourite of  
the multitude2 the rich money-lender was
 hated and abused1 while his money-bags 
were sought after with all the eagerness
 of hard-driving poverty4 ,they reviled 
the careful and economical ,israelite2  
they looked with horror upon his vast   
accumulations of capital1 and never     
remembered to thank him for the safety  
they owed to him from the violent hands 
of their own soldiers and retainers4    
,all this went on until the sixteenth or
 seventeenth century4 ,i have before me 
a very curious old book1 lent to me by  
,mr4 ,ruskin1 entitled1 ,the ,english   

,usurer3 or1 ,usury ,condemned by the   
most learned and famous ,divines of the 
,church of ,england4 ,collected by ,john
 ,blaxton1 ,preacher of ,god's ,word at 
,osmington1 in ,dorsetshire1 #afcd4     
,the language throughout the book is of 
extreme violence against all manner of  
usury4 ,the compiler gives a collection 
of the most emphatic testimonies of the 
greatest preachers of the day against   
this detestable vice4 ,bishop ,jewell   
calls it a most filthy trade1 a trade   
which ,god detesteth1 a trade which is  
the very overthrow of all ,christian    
love4 ,there is1 it must be admitted1 no
 sort of argument attempted in the long 
extract from ,bishop ,jewell's sermon to
 demonstrate the wickedness of the      
practice against which he launches his  
fierce invectives1 but he certainly     
brings his sermon to a conclusion with a
 threat of extreme measures if they     
continue therein4 ,i will open their    
shame and denounce excommunication      
against them1 and publish their names in

 this place before you all1 that you may
 know them1 and abhor them as the       
plagues and monsters of this world2 that
 if they be past all fear of ,god1 they 
may yet repent and amend for worldly    
shame4  ,this was ,bishop ,jewell       
preaching in the middle of the #afth    
century2 and such were the strong terms 
very generally employed by good and     
thoughtful men at that day4 ,bacon      
7,essay #da7 says that one of the       
objections against usury is that it is  
against nature for money to beget money6
 ,antonio1 in ,the ,merchant of ,venice1
 asks3                   ,when did      
friendship take     ,a breed of barren  
metal of his friend8  ,and his practice 
was neither to lend nor borrow by taking
 nor giving of excess1 which brought    
upon him the malice and vindictiveness  
of the ,jew--                  that in  
low simplicity     ,he lends out money  
gratis1 and brings down     ,the rate of
 usance here with us in ,venice4        
,philip1 in ,tennyson's ,brook --a      

simple man in later times--      ,could 
not understand how money breeds1        
,thought it a dead thing4  ,but there   
were men1 too1 who saw that the taking  
of moderate interest was a blameless    
act4 ,calvin was a contemporary of      
,bishop ,jewell1 and his mind exhibits a
 curious mixture of feelings upon the   
subject4 ,blaxton triumphantly places a 
sentence from ,calvin's ,epistola de    
,usura as a battle-flag in his          
title-page3--  ,in republica bene       
constituta nemo faenerator tolerabilis  
est2 sed omnino debet e consortio       
hominum rejici4 ,an usurer is not       
tolerable in a well-established         
,commonwealth1 but utterly to be        
rejected out of the company of men4 ,so 
again1 in his ,commentary on            
,deuteronomy4 ,but again1 in a passage  
quoted from the same author1 without    
reference1 in ,dugald ,stewart's        
,preliminary ,dissertation 7,encyd4     
,brit47 we come across a different view4
  ',money begets not money6'--,what does

 the sea beget8 ,what the house for     
which ,i receive rent8 ,is silver       
brought forth from the walls and the    
roof8 ,but that is produced from land1  
and that is drawn forth from the sea1   
which shall produce money2 and the      
convenience of a house is paid for with 
a stipulated sum4 ,now if better profit 
can be derived from the letting out of  
money than by the letting of an estate1 
shall a profit be made by letting       
perhaps some barren land to a farmer1   
and shall it not be allowed to him who  
lends a sum of money8 ,he who gets an   
estate by purchase1 shall he not from   
that money derive an annual profit8     
,whence then is the merchant's profit8  
,you will say1 from his diligence and   
industry4 ,does anyone suppose that     
money ought to lie idle and             
unprofitable8 ,he who borrows of me is  
not going to let the loan lie idle4 ,he 
is not going to draw profit from the    
money itself1 but from the goods bought 
with it4 ,those reasonings1 therefore1  

against usury are subtle1 and have a    
certain plausibility2 but they fall as  
soon as they are examined more narrowly4
 ,i therefore conclude that we are to   
judge of usury1 not from any particular 
passage of ,scripture1 but by the       
ordinary rules of justice and equity4   
,to come at once to modern days and     
practical views4 ,let us suppose lending
 on interest forbidden by the ,church   
and the law4 ,then sums of money        
required for good and legitimate        
business purposes must be begged as a   
great favour4 ,no honourable man would  
do this4 ,the instinctive repugnance    
felt by an independent man to place     
himself under pecuniary obligations     
which he could not reciprocate would    
stop many a promising young man of      
slender means from going to college1    
many a good man of business from using  
the most favourable opportunities4 ,i am
 not speaking of borrowing money to gain
 temporary relief from pecuniary        
embarrassment1 but of money honourably  

desired to realize advantages of        
apparent life-value4 ,so the necessitous
 would be doomed to remain in hopeless  
necessity until some benevolently-minded
 person with a mass of loose unemployed 
capital came to his rescue1 and such men
 are not to be met with every day4  ,so 
far for the man who would like to       
borrow1 but that the law will not allow 
it except as a free loan or gift4 ,then 
for the willing lender1 if he dared4 ,he
 has1 say1 a few thousands in hand1     
which he does not wish to spend4 ,he    
looks round1 if he is anxious to use it 
for good1 for an object of his charity  
who seems least likely to disappoint    
him4 ,does our experience of human      
nature teach that a sense of gratitude  
for benefits received is a good security
 for honourable conduct8 ,alas6 in a    
multitude of cases--,i fear the         
majority--the lender would only be met  
with cold and alienated looks when he   
expected to receive his own again1 if   
indeed he found anywhere at all the     

object of his kindness4 ,the memory of  
past ingratitude1 the fear of worse to  
come1 would dry the sources of          
benevolence1 and make the upright and   
honest to suffer equally with the       
swindler and the hypocrite4  ,but there 
is no such fear now4 ,the recognized    
system of lending upon approved security
 for a fair and moderate rate of        
interest removes the irksome1 galling   
sense of obligation1 and enables any man
 to borrow with a feeling that if he    
receives an obligation he is also       
conferring one2 that if he makes ten per
 cent4 by trading1 or a good stipend by 
his degree1 he will divide his profits  
fairly with the man who served him1 and 
that he is helping him in his turn to   
keep his money together for the sake of 
his children after him4 ,take away these
 benefits1 and what good is done by free
 lending8 ,not any that we can see with 
ordinary eyes1 but a good deal of       
suspicion1 disappointment1 ingratitude1 
and loss4  ,an honourable man would a   

hundred times rather accept a loan as a 
matter of profit to the lender than as a
 charity to himself4 ,the right result  
of an honourable system of borrowing and
 lending with equal advantage to both1  
is the will of ,god1 and not contrary to
 sanctification4 ,the result of a       
compulsory system of charitable loans   
would lead only to the destruction of   
credit and mutual confidence1 and the   
sacrifice of a multitude of ,christian  
graces and virtues4  ,we cannot help    
observing with what vehemence ,mr4      
,ruskin constantly thrusts the thief1   
the adulterer1 and the usurer all into  
the same boat to be tossed against the  
breakers of his wrath4 ,now ,i would ask
 some one of those numerous disciples of
 his1 whose affection almost prompts    
them to say to him1 ,i will follow thee 
whithersoever thou goest1 ,pray1 my good
 friend1 what is your own practice8     
,providence has blessed you with ease   
and affluence far more than you need for
 daily bread4 ,what do you do with your 

money8 ,of course you would never think 
of investing in consols1 in railway     
shares1 or dock-bonds1 would you8 you   
would not lend money upon mortgage1 or  
exact rent for your household and landed
 property8 ,i see that you hesitate a   
little2 you have something to confess4  
,come6 what is it8 ,and my amiable      
friend replies1 ,oh1 but you see all the
 world is gone after interest of money2 
all our mutual relations are so         
intimately bound up with that accursed1 
abominable practice1 that ,i have no    
alternative4 ,i have large sums lodged  
in various safe investments1 and employ 
an agent to collect my rents and settle 
with my tenants4 ,and so ,i am forced to
 exclaim1 ,what6 you who are persuaded  
that usury1 and theft1 and adultery1 are
 all of equal blackness1 if you find    
that one sin is unavoidable1 what about 
the other two8 ,would you then invite   
the robber and the licentious to sin    
with impunity1 as you practise your own 
convenient iniquity1 with the applause  

of the world and your own acquiescence8 
,positively ,i see no escape from this  
argument4 ,it is the argumentum ad      
hominem1--generally an uncivil mode of  
address2 but here1 at any rate1 it is   
impersonally used4  ,these are my views 
frankly stated4 ,if ,i am wrong1 even by
 the highest standard of ,christian     
ethics1 ,i shall be thankful for ,mr4   
,ruskin's corrections4                  
,,on ,,letter ,x   ,the letters which ,i
 have received up to the present time   
7,october #cast7 in reply to ,mr4       
,ruskin's have not failed to bring me   
not a little of disappointment4 ,on the 
one hand1 ,i see a man noble and        
elevated in his aims1 and with highest  
aspirations1 desiring nothing so        
fervently as to see the world and its   
pastors and teachers rising to the      
highest attainable level of religious   
and moral excellence2 fearlessly        
rebuking the evils he sees so clearly2  
clothing thoughts that consume him in   
words that stir our inmost hearts2 and  

yet ,i see him unavoidably missing his  
aim as all men are liable to do1 through
 the defect of possessing human language
 alone as the channel to convey divine  
meanings2 and1 moreover1 who cannot at  
every turn stay the course of their     
reasoning to explain that that which    
they speak apparently1 and from the     
necessities of language1 to all1 is1 as 
the most ordinary apprehension would    
perceive1 really addressed to some4  ,on
 the other side1 while ,i hear many     
expressing their thankfulness that      
things are now being said that wanted   
saying1 and are being spoken out with   
uncompromising boldness1 others receive 
them with impatience1 with irritation1  
with exasperation4 ,i have been gravely 
advised to recommend ,mr4 ,ruskin to    
withdraw these letters1 to wash my hands
 of them1 etc4 ,sometimes this arises   
from unfamiliarity with ,mr4 ,ruskin's  
most famous works2 sometimes from entire
 unacquaintance with their number and   
their nature2 as when a friend wrote to 

me before he saw or heard a word of the 
letters3--  ,if ,mr4 ,ruskin thinks we  
have generally read his publication     
7sic7 ,i think he is mistaken2 all ,i   
know of it is that ,i have occasionally 
seen it quoted in newspapers1 from which
 ,i gather that he holds peculiar       
opinions4  ,a lady1 who looked well to  
the ways of her household1 but knew very
 little of books1 once asked me if ,mr4 
,ruskin had not written a book called   
the ,old ,red ,sandstone4 ,i hinted that
 probably she meant the ,stones of      
,venice1 which was indeed the case4 ,she
 knew it was something about stones6    
,but she was an excellent creature      
nevertheless6  ,these two traits may    
fairly be paired together4  ,it should  
be observed1 by clergymen especially who
 read these letters attentively1 that   
they contain just what we clergy ought  
to be told sometimes by laymen1 to whom 
we preach with perfect impunity1 but who
 as a rule rarely make reply4 ,i have   
just read ,lord ,carnarvon's excellent  

address on ,preaching1 delivered at the 
,winchester ,diocesan ,conference1 and  
thank him as ,i thank1 and for the same 
reason that ,i thank1 ,mr4 ,ruskin4 ,we 
need to be told wholesome though        
unpalatable truths sometimes1 when we   
have descended from our castle-pulpits  
to meet1 it may be1 the eyes1 and hear  
the voices1 of impatient1 irritated1 and
 prejudiced critics4  ,i do not remember
 that so bold an attack1 and yet so     
friendly1 has ever before been made upon
 our weak points in modern times2 and ,i
 may justly claim for ,mr4 ,ruskin's    
letters a calm1 self-searching1 and1 if 
need be1 a self-condemning and          
self-sacrificing1 examination4 ,we are  
all too apt to cry ,peace1 peace1 where 
there is no peace4 ,why should the      
shepherds of ,britain claim for         
themselves a more indulgent regard than 
the shepherds of ,israel1 whom ,ezekiel1
 by the word of the ,lord1 addressed in 
the #ccrd and #cdth chapters of his     
prophecy8  ,concerning the letter before

 us on the forgiveness of sins--each    
other's sins or debts1 and our sins     
before ,god--it is not a question of    
theology1 but of simple moral right and 
wrong2 and ,i defy ,mr4 ,ruskin's       
bitterest censors to deny1 that1 in this
 wicked world1 men are more in earnest  
in deceiving1 injuring1 and swindling   
their friends than they are in seeking  
the love of their enemies4 ,has not our 
,lord told us long ago that the children
 of this world are wiser 7that is1 more 
earnest1 consistent1 and thorough-going7
 in their generation than the children  
of light8  ,it is of extreme difficulty 
to understand the clause1 says ,mr4     
,ruskin4 ,replies some slow-witted      
preacher3 ,where is the difficulty8 ,i  
both understand it and explain it with  
perfect ease6 ,what6 understand the     
precious conditions on which forgiveness
 will be extended to us6 ,the question  
of ,god's forgiveness is not a simple   
question4 ,it is complicated by its     
relation to men's mutual forgiveness of 

each other1 and that again by the       
practical difficulty of knowing when we 
can1 and when1 from the very nature of  
the case1 we cannot1 forgive4 ,here are 
surely elements of difficulty quite     
sufficient to justify the remark that   
the clause is one of such difficulty    
that1 to understand it1 means almost to 
know the love of ,god which passeth     
knowledge4  ,but we may1 at any rate1   
guard our people against                
misunderstanding it2 and they are       
guilty1 and full of guilt1 who live in  
sin1--sins of avarice1 of ill temper1 of
 calumny1 of hatred1 of sensuality1 and 
of unforgivingness1 and yet daily ask to
 be forgiven1 because1 forsooth1 they   
are innocent of any bad intention6  ,no 
man or woman who sins with the knowledge
 that it is sin can have ,god's         
forgiveness4 ,it is no use to plead the 
frailty of the flesh4 ,it is wilful1    
knowing1 deliberate sin2 and it will not
 be forgiven without a very living1     
earnest1 and working faith indeed4  ,i  

question much whether we preachers of   
the ,gospel say enough upon this        
point1--not at all that we underrate its
 importance1 nor that we overrate the   
importance of that which we are apt to  
call ,gospel preaching ,greek3 kat'     
exochen1 namely1 the doctrine of the    
atonement by the ,blood of ,christ1     
which is the brightness and glory of the
 ,gospel message1 but is no more all of 
it than that the sum of the ,lord's     
,prayer is contained in one of its      
clauses4  ,as we forgive them that      
trespass against us4 ,shall ,i be       
pardoned for venturing here upon a      
remark which seems needful to make in   
the presence of so much that appears to 
be erroneous on the subject of human    
forgiveness8 ,and it is more especially 
necessary to be understood in the case  
of the clergy1 because such large       
demands are made upon their forgiveness 
as it is impossible to satisfy4 ,i do   
not at all say that there are trespasses
 which men cannot forgive1--sins1 ,i    

mean1 of the ordinary type1 and not     
crimes4 ,but ,i do say that there are   
times and circumstances under which     
forgiveness is a moral impossibility4   
,and yet the world expects a clergyman  
to be ever walking up and down in       
society with forgiveness on his lips and
 forgiveness in both his hands4 ,our    
,lord said1 ,if thy brother trespass    
against thee1 rebuke him2 and if he     
repent1 forgive him 7,luke xvii4 #c72   
and forgiveness is to follow each       
successive profession of repentance4    
,and in ,matt4 xviii4 #bb1 though       
repentance is not named1 it is          
manifestly implied4 ,in #b ,cor4 ii4 #g1
 again1 sorrow for the sin is a         
condition of forgiveness4 ,this1 then1  
is the rule and condition of            
forgiveness1 that our brother repent2   
and manifestly it must be so2 for the   
act of forgiveness requires a           
correlative disposition to seek and     
receive forgiveness1 just as a gift     
implies not only a giver but a receiver1

 or it cannot be a gift1 do what we     
will4 ,i think this is extremely apt to 
be overlooked even by the larger1 that  
is1 the more emotional and impulsive    
part of the world1 though not1 of       
course1 by the more thoughtful2 and     
clergymen especially are asked to speak 
fair1 and sue for peace1 and all but ask
 for forgiveness of those who are       
habitually and obstinately bent upon    
doing them all the wrong and injury in  
their power1 and using them with the    
most intolerable harshness4  ,what1     
then1 does true religion require of us  
if such circumstances make forgiveness  
impossible8 ,to be ever ready1 ever     
prepared to forgive2 to seek every      
opening1 every avenue to peace without  
sacrifice of self-respect and manly     
independence2 to watch for opportunities
 to do kindnesses to the most inveterate
 enemy1--even where a change of heart   
appears hopeless4 ,this is possible to a
 ,christian1 and this is what ,christ   
demands4 ,but ,he does not demand       

impossibilities4 ,he does not ask us to 
do more than our ,heavenly ,father      
,himself1 who forgives the returning    
sinner even a great way off1 if his face
 be but homeward2 but says nothing of   
forgiveness to him whose back is towards
 his home1 and whose heart dwells far   
away4  ,i am sure ,mr4 ,ruskin does not 
mean that no clergyman is sensible of   
the guilt of sins of omission4 ,but he  
is speaking as a layman1 who has heard  
in his time a great many preachers1 and 
it is very probable indeed that he has  
not heard many dwell long and forcibly  
on the fact1 which is indeed a fact1    
that the guilt of sins of omission is   
the burden of ,christ's teaching1 and   
that more parables and more preaching   
are directed against the sin of doing   
nothing at all than against the positive
 and active wickedness of bad men4 ,if  
we will be candid1 we must agree with   
him that in our general teaching we do  
lay much less emphasis on such sins than
 our ,lord does in ,his teaching4  ,but 

in the paragraph which follows1 ,i      
confess that1 following up a charge     
which is sadly too true1 that there is a
 grotesque inconsistency in the         
willingness of human nature to be taxed 
with any quantity of sins in the gross1 
and its resentment at the insinuation of
 having committed the smallest parcel of
 them in detail1 there comes a sentence 
in which the ,christian philosopher     
loses himself in the caustic satirist1  
and that this vein continues to the end 
of the letter4 ,in satire1 such is its  
very essence1 truth is ever travestied4 
,it is truth still1 but the truth in    
unfamiliar1 and1 for the most part1     
unacceptable guise4 ,there is just an   
undercurrent of truth1 and no more1 in  
the statement1 not very seriously made1 
one would suppose1 that the ,english    
,liturgy was drawn up with the amiable  
intention of making religion as pleasant
 as possible1 to a people desirous of   
saving their souls with no great degree 
of personal inconvenience4  ,if the     

whole naked truth were spoken with the  
deepest gravity that the awful pressure 
of our sins demands1 the ,english       
,liturgy would be a continuous wail of  
grief and repentance4 ,for if anything  
is great1 and loud1 and urgent1 it is   
the cry of our sins4 ,but co-extensive  
with our sins is the love of our        
,father2 and1 therefore1 our mourning is
 changed into rejoicing and             
thankfulness1 and this picture of the   
sinner dexterously concealing the manner
 of his sin from man1 and triumphantly  
confessing the quantity of it to ,god1  
is merely a satire4  ,the next paragraph
 is more bitter still2 but happily for  
the cause of sober truth1 it is satire  
again2 and nothing can be more obvious  
than the fact that prayer1 to be ,common
 ,prayer1 cannot at the same time suit  
every condition of mind1 the calm and   
the agitated1 the strained and the      
relaxed1 the rejoicing and the          
sorrowful4 ,but we are not dependent    
upon public worship for the satisfaction

 of our spiritual wants1 as long as we  
can resort to private prayer and family 
prayer4 ,and1 indeed1 it requires no    
wonderful stretch of our powers of      
adaptation to use the most strenuous    
private prayer in the midst of the      
congregation2 and the remorseful        
publican and the timid sinner are not   
bound to the words before them1 or if   
they do follow these words1 ,i am sure  
there is enough depth in them to satisfy
 the views of the most                  
conscience-stricken4 ,common ,prayer is 
calm to the calm1 and passionate to the 
passionate4 ,it is all things to all    
men1 just according to their frame of   
mind at the time4  ,but alas for my good
 kind friend6 as we get nearer to the   
end of the letter1 the satire waxes     
fiercer1 and the adherence to the truth 
of nature grows fainter4 ,does ,mr4     
,ruskin seriously1 or only              
sarcastically1 tell us that the assaults
 upon the divine power of prayer gain   
any force from the circumstance that we 

are constrained to pray daily for       
forgiveness1 never getting so far as to 
need it no longer8 ,from the first day  
that we lisped at our mother's knee1    
,forgive us our trespasses1 until1 bowed
 with age1 we still say1 ,forgive us our
 trespasses1 we have never stood1 and   
never will stand1 one day less in need  
of forgiveness than another day--or our 
,lord would have provided a thanksgiving
 and a prayer for the perfected4  ,i    
believe everywhere else ,i recognize1   
even in the most startling passages1 an 
element of truth4 ,but in the latter    
half of this letter1 not even the large 
amount of acrimony and severity allowed 
to the mode of address called satire can
 quite reconcile us to its marvellous   
asperity4                               
,,on ,,letter ,,xi   ,i cannot but feel 
astonished and grieved at the perversity
 of those who#ai persist in looking upon
 ,mr4 ,ruskin as altogether a noxious   
kind of a scribbler1 and likely to do   
much injury by the unflagging constancy 

with which he perseveres in pointing his
 finger at all our weak and sore places4
 ,and yet it cannot be said that even if
 he does lade men with burdens grievous 
to be borne1 he himself touches not the 
burdens with one of his fingers4        
#ai ,it was but yesterday that a voice  
reached me from one of the      remotest
 of our ,ultima ,thules amongst these   
mountains1 affirming1      with         
something like self-gratulation1 that he
 cared less than      nothing for       
anything ,mr4 ,ruskin might write       
outside the subject of      ,art6 ,yet  
one of the best of our ,bishops--and we 
have many good      ones--wrote by the  
same post3 ,mr4 ,ruskin's letters are   
full of      suggestive thoughts1 and   
must do anyone good1 if only in getting 
one out of the ruts4 ,but1 alas6 against
 this ,i must needs set the      dictum 
of another dignitary of the ,church1 an 
intensely practical      man3 ,i have a 
great reverence for ,mr4 ,ruskin's      
genius1 and for      what he has written

 in time past1 and on this account ,i   
would      rather not say a single word 
in comment upon these letters2 and      
again--,i really could not discuss them 
seriously4  ,but let us consider this   
last letter4 ,is not every word of it   
true--severely and austerely true1--but 
still true8 ,but yet here still the     
fault remains 7though ,i say it with the
 utmost deference1 remembering that1    
after all1 ,i have infinitely more to   
learn than ,i have to teach71 the fault 
remains that the truth is put too       
keenly1 too incisively1 to be classed   
with practical truths4  ,yes1 the       
petitions of the ,lord's ,prayer are for
 a perfect state in this life4 ,we do   
pray for a ,paradise upon earth1 where  
either temptation shall no longer exist1
 or where sin shall have lost its power 
to injure by losing its power to allure4
 ,but will the most incessant prayer1   
individual1 combined1 or congregational1
 ever bring us to perfection8 ,alas6 my 
friend1 you would gladly persuade us so2

 you would lead the way yourself1 but   
that the first half-dozen steps you take
 would have1 or have long ago1 proved to
 you that sin is ever present1 even in  
the best and purest of men4  ,i trust   
they are very few indeed who are so     
easily persuaded by the conceited       
self-sufficiency of the scientific      
people to cease from prayer under the   
belief that all things move on under the
 control of inflexible laws1 which      
neither prayer nor the will of ,god1 if 
,god has a will1 can change or modify4  
,magee#bj has a valuable note on the    
subject of the ,consistency of ,prayer  
with the ,divine ,immutability1 in which
 he puts this truth in a mathematical   
form4 ,he says1 ,the relation of ,god to
 man  prayer is different from the      
relation of ,god to man - prayer4 ,yet  
,god remains constant4 ,it is man who is
 the better or the worse for prayer or  
no prayer4       #bj ,on the ,atonement4
  ,it is pleasant to reflect that with  
the simple-minded ,christian the belief 

in ,christ1 because he knows that       
,christ loved him and died for him1 is  
exceedingly little moved by these       
so-called scientific doubts4 ,the       
propounders of these entangling         
questions move in a region where he     
would feel cold and his life would be   
crushed out of him1 and he declines to  
follow science at so great a cost1      
believing besides that science might    
often be better termed nescience1 for he
 has no faith in such science4 ,instead 
of being presented with clear           
deductions1 drawn from observation and  
experience1 he sees but too plainly     
that1 as each philosopher frames his own
 belief out of his inner consciousness1 
there cannot fail to come out a very    
large variety of beliefs1 and that1 if  
the religion of the ,bible were exploded
 and became an obsolete thing1 its place
 would be usurped by a motley crowd of  
infinitely varied creeds of every shape 
and hue1 each claiming for itself1 with 
more or less modesty and reserve1 but   

with just equal rights1 the supremacy   
over men's consciences4 ,and in the     
meanwhile1 women and children and the   
poor1 and in fact all who are not       
altogether highly1 transcendentally     
intellectual1 must1 for want of the     
requisite faculties and opportunities1  
do without any religion at all4 ,i      
suppose most people can see this1 and   
therefore will pay a very limited       
attention to the claims and pretensions 
of science-worship4  ,i come to a       
sentence where once more the proclivity 
for satire breaks out for a minute3 ,but
 in modern days the first aim of all    
,christians is to place their children  
in circumstances where the temptations  
7which they are apt to call             
opportunities7 may be as great and as   
many as possible2 where the sight and   
promise of 'all these things' in        
,satan's gift may be brilliantly near4  
,i was reading this from the ,,ms4 to a 
mother1 accomplished and amiable1 who of
 course thought in a moment of her own  

little flock of sons and daughters1 all 
the objects of the tenderest care and   
solicitude2 and she felt that she at    
least had not deserved this stroke4 ,but
 the truth is that we must read this    
sentence as we read our ,lord's1 ,think 
not that ,i am come to send peace on    
earth3 ,i came not to send peace1 but a 
sword 7,matt4 x4 #cd74 ,the sword was   
not the object of our ,lord's coming1   
but the unhappy result through sin4 ,he 
came to bring peace on earth1 yet was   
,he set for the fall of many in ,israel4
 ,the wisest and best of parents place  
their sons in the profession or position
 in life where temptations abound1 not  
because they desire to see them bow     
before ,satan1 and become the possessors
 of all these things which he promises  
,i will give thee1 but because there is 
no position in the active life of the   
world that is free from temptations2 and
 those temptations are the strongest and
 most numerous often just where the real
 and undoubted advantages are the       

greatest and most numerous4 ,mr4        
,ruskin1 with a strong and legitimate   
figure of speech1 is simply putting an  
inevitable result as the work of        
apparent design4  ,if the distinction   
between the glory and the power of the  
kingdom of ,god and the false lustre of 
earthly power and worldly allurements is
 not sufficiently dwelt upon in our     
pulpits1 none will regret it more than  
the earnest preachers in whom the modern
 ,church of ,england abounds4 ,if it be 
granted1 as ,i think it must be granted1
 that the highest wisdom is not always  
exercised in the choice and preparation 
of our subjects of preaching1 every     
true-hearted and loyal ,churchman must  
be grateful for the fearless candour of 
the writer of the letters we have been  
considering1 in pointing out to us our  
prevailing deficiencies1 even if he does
 not1 which is not his province1 point  
out how to attain perfection4           
,f4 ,a4 ,,malleson4                     
,,letters ,,from ,,clergy ,,and ,,laity 

7,,from ,,the ,,first ,,edition7   ,the 
following letters have been entrusted to
 me for publication in this work4 ,the  
writers of twenty-two of them are       
clergymen1 of whom sixteen are members  
of three ,clerical ,societies1 all of   
whom have read their letters before the 
,societies to which they belong1 except 
in the case of one ,society1 where it   
was impracticable4 ,the remaining six   
have been kind enough to write in       
acceptance of the invitation in the     
,contemporary ,review for ,december1    
#ahgi4 ,the remaining letters are from  
members of the laity1 attracted by the  
same proposal4 ,many others have been   
received2 but it would not have been    
possible to include them all in a volume
 of moderate size1 some of them besides 
being of great length2 and ,i was       
therefore1 with regret1 obliged to      
decline them4  ,it was not originally   
intended that the invitation to discuss 
these questions should be extended to   
laymen4 ,but several so understood it   

from the preface in the ,contemporary1  
and when ,i came to examine the letters 
sent on this understanding1 ,i felt a   
conviction that a true and safe light   
would be thrown upon the subject by     
their assistance2 and1 using the        
discretionary power allowed me by ,mr4  
,ruskin1 ,i thought it1 on the whole1   
best to give admission to a certain     
number of communications from laymen4   
,besides1 as they themselves are1 in    
great measure1 the subjects of the      
discussion1 and1 therefore1 must feel a 
lively interest in it1 it seems but fair
 that they too should have a voice in   
the matter4 ,another reason yet had     
considerable weight with me1 that their 
letters evince a larger and more liberal
 sympathy with ,mr4 ,ruskin himself than
 those of some of my clerical brethren1 
in whose letters there is but too       
perceptible a degree of irascibility1   
not unnatural to us1 perhaps1 in finding
 ourselves rather sharply lectured by a 
layman--the shepherds by the sheep4 ,and

 ,i hoped that a more fraternal spirit  
would be promoted by my free acceptance 
of their ready offer4  ,the same        
consenting spirit is all but universal  
in the notices of the press upon ,mr4   
,ruskin's letters4 ,but ,i do not wish  
to anticipate the judgment of the       
,church and the world upon the whole    
series of letters here presented4       
,notwithstanding the peculiar and       
sometimes rather bewildering effect of a
 variety of cross lights1 they appear to
 myself to be invested with singular    
interest as a faithful reflection of the
 opinions of the clergy and the laity   
upon some of the most stirring religious
 questions of the day4  ,moreover1 it   
will1 ,i am sure1 please readers who    
have endeavoured in vain to extract some
 meaning out of many of the sometimes   
tedious and unintelligible essayists of 
the day1 to observe that the discussion 
in this volume at least is carried on in
 language perfectly clear and within the
 reach of ordinary understandings4 ,at  

any rate1 ,i hope it will not be said of
 any of the writers who have together   
made up this little volume3 ,who is this
 that darkeneth counsel by words without
 knowledge8  ,before the sheets are sent
 to press they will be perused by ,mr4  
,ruskin1 who will then use his privilege
 of replying1 thus bringing the volume  
to a conclusion4  ,i could not undertake
 to classify these letters2 and have1   
therefore1 as the simplest mode1        
arranged them in the alphabetical order 
of the writers' names4                  
,f4 ,a4 ,,malleson4         ,from the   
,rev4 ,,charles ,,bigg1 ,d4,d41 ,rector 
of ,fenny ,compton4   ,mr4 ,ruskin      
compares the clergyman with an ,alpine  
guide1 whose business it is simply to   
carry the traveller in safety over rocks
 and glaciers to the mountain top4 ,he  
is not to trouble himself or his charge 
with needless refinements of doctrine4  
,he is not to exaggerate the dignity of 
his office1 or to give himself out as   
anything but a guide4 ,in particular1 he

 is not to assume anything of a         
mediatorial character4 ,he is to preach 
the ,gospel--not of ,luther nor of      
,augustine1 but of ,christ2 in plain    
words and short terms4 ,he is to        
proclaim aloud1 boldly and constantly1  
,this is the will of the ,lord1--to     
apply1 that is1 the morality of the     
,gospel1 stringently and                
authoritatively1 to the lives of his    
people4 ,to effect this application with
 more power1 he is to exercise a rigid  
discipline1 and exclude from his        
congregation all who are not acting up  
to what he conceives to be the ,gospel  
ideal4 ,he is not to hamper himself with
 any set and formal ,liturgy1 which can 
never be copious or flexible enough to  
meet the varied needs of a number of men
 differing widely in knowledge and      
attainment4  ,every one will feel what a
 crowd of perplexities start up here at 
every sentence4 ,in what sense is a     
clergyman like a ,chamouni guide8 ,there
 is a resemblance1 no doubt1 but not of 

a kind on which it would be possible to 
build any argument4 ,it is not the      
business of the ,alpine guide to        
exercise any supervision over the morals
 of his employers1 or to ask how they   
earned the money with which he is paid4 
,again1 what is meant by the ,gospel of 
,christ not according to anybody8 ,it is
 easy to reject the authority of ,st4   
,paul or ,st4 ,john1 or of ,luther or   
,augustine1 but there is one commentator
 whose influence cannot be shaken off1  
and that is ourselves4 ,and our         
experience of those who have professed  
to preach the ,gospel pure and simple is
 not reassuring4 ,does ,mr4 ,ruskin mean
 that we are to burn all our            
theology1--even apparently the ,epistles
 of ,st4 ,paul1--and to forget all      
,church history since the day of the    
,crucifixion8 ,does he mean that we are 
each to set up a theology--a ,church of 
his own8 ,it would be but a poor gain to
 most of us to exchange the great lamps 
of famous doctors for the uncertain     

rushlights of our own imaginations4     
,then again1 what is this new and more  
than ,genevan discipline that the       
clergyman is to enforce8 ,he is to take 
more pains to get wicked rich men to    
stay out of the church than to persuade 
wicked poor ones to enter it4 ,after    
putting his own interpretation upon the 
,gospel1 he is to lay under an interdict
 all whom his own fire-new formula--for 
a formula he must still have--excludes4 
,he is to force1 by the method of       
,procrustes1 the visible ,church into   
co-extension with the invisible4 ,no    
community of ,christians has ever       
attempted such a task4 ,any zealous     
7surely over-zealous7 parish priest who 
should so narrow the limits of his fold1
 who should exclude the usurer from the 
ordinary means of grace1 for fear lest  
he should take ,god's name in vain by   
joining in the public prayers1 would    
expose himself1 may we not think8 to the
 reproach of being less merciful than   
,he who sends rain on the just and the  

unjust4 ,nor1 as he looked round upon   
his carefully-selected congregation1    
could he easily flatter himself that he 
was preaching the ,gospel to every      
creature4  ,again1 what is the will of  
the ,lord1 and what does ,mr4 ,ruskin   
mean by proclaiming it8 ,that ,he loves 
righteousness and hates iniquity we     
know4 ,the difficulty is in applying    
this general rule in detail4 ,what is   
its bearing upon the policy of the      
,government1 upon any particular trade  
strike1 upon the tangled web of good and
 evil motives which makes up the moral  
consciousness of an average shopkeeper8 
,i conceive ,mr4 ,ruskin to be thinking 
of preachers like ,bernard1 ,savonarola1
 or ,latimer1 of denunciations like     
those of ,isaiah1 or of our ,lord4 ,he  
seems to mean that the clergyman should 
stand on a clear mountain summit1       
looking down over the whole field of    
life1 discerning with the eye of a      
prophet every movement of evil on a     
small scale or on a large4 ,there have  

been such teachers in whose hands       
science1 economy1 politics1 seemed all  
to become branches of theology1 members 
of one great body of ,divine truth4 ,but
 not every man's lips are thus touched  
with the coal from the altar4 ,many an  
excellent and most useful preacher would
 make but wild work if he took to       
denouncing social movements or the      
spirit of the age4 ,a singular          
illustration of the danger that besets  
these sweeping moral judgments is to be 
found in ,mr4 ,ruskin's own denunciation
 of usury1 that is1 of taking interest  
for money4 ,few people will agree either
 with the particular opinion that every 
old lady who lives harmlessly on her    
railway dividends ought to be           
excommunicated1 or with the general     
principle implied in this opinion1 that 
every prohibition in the ,old ,testament
 is still as valid as ever under social 
circumstances altogether different4     
,people who need denouncing do not1 as a
 rule1 come to church to be denounced4  

,and it would be a great error to       
conclude1 from our ,lord's language to  
the ,pharisees and ,sadducees1 that the 
tone in which ,he addressed the         
individual sinner was harsh or scathing4
 ,the preacher must remember that he is 
a physician of souls1 and the           
physician's touch is gentle4 ,think for 
a moment what worldliness is--how easy  
it is to say bitter things about        
it6--and then picture to yourselves a   
little tradesman with a wife and seven  
or eight children to keep on his scanty 
profits4 ,what wonder if he sets too    
high a value on money8 ,how difficult   
for him to understand the words which   
bid him take no thought for the morrow6 
,there is a time1 no doubt1 for fierce  
language1 but it does not often come4   
,the preacher is no more exempt than    
other people from the golden rule to put
 himself in his neighbour's place1 and  
try to see things with his neighbour's  
eyes4  ,another difficulty arises out of
 the manner in which ,mr4 ,ruskin speaks

 of the relation of his ,chamouni guides
 to dogmatic teaching4 ,they ought not1 
he says1 to be compelled to hold        
opinions on the subject1 say1 of the    
height of the ,celestial ,mountains1 the
 crevasses which go down quickest to the
 pit1 and other cognate points of       
science1 differing from1 or even        
contrary to1 the tenets of the guides of
 the ,church of ,france4  ,it is        
difficult in the extreme to know exactly
 what is here meant4 ,no doubt it is    
needless for a guide to drop a          
plumb-line down every crevasse that he  
has to cross4 ,it would be great waste  
of time to lecture his travellers on the
 laws that regulate the motion of       
glaciers or the dip of the mountain     
strata4 ,but what are the doctrines that
 stand in this relation1 or this        
no-relation1 to the spiritual life8 ,is 
it meant that all theology should be    
swept away like a dusty old cobweb8  ,i 
would go myself as far as this1 that the
 fewer and simpler the doctrines that a 

clergyman preaches1 the better2 that all
 doctrines should be required to pass   
the test of reason and conscience1 which
 are also in their degrees ,divine      
revelations1 so far1 at least1 as this1 
that no doctrine can be admitted which  
is demonstrably repugnant to either one 
or the other4 ,and in the third place1  
the greatest care should be taken to    
discriminate matters of faith1 real     
axioms of religion1 from pious opinions 
or venerable practices which have no    
vital connection with the ,christian    
faith2 which1 to use ,burke's phrase1   
all understandings do not ratify1 and   
all hearts do not approve4 ,a grave     
responsibility rests upon those who     
neglect this discrimination4 ,it is also
 a point of the highest importance that 
when most doctrinal a clergyman should  
be least dogmatic2 that he should       
remember that all doctrine1 by the      
necessity of the case1 is cast into an  
antithetical1 more or less paradoxical  
shape2 that he should never lose sight  

of the harmony and balance between      
intersecting truths1 or of that         
unfortunate tendency of the human mind  
to seize upon and appropriate points of 
difference in their crudest and most    
antagonistic form1 to the exclusion of  
points of agreement2 that he should     
always do his best to show the          
reasonableness of the ,christian        
teaching1 its analogy and harmony with  
all the works of ,god2 that where his   
knowledge fails1 he should frankly      
confess that it does fail1 and not try  
to eke it out by guesses1 or to disguise
 its insufficiency by rhetoric4  ,but   
after all these allowances it remains a 
fact that the clergyman is not a guide  
only1 but a teacher1 an ambassador4 ,he 
is to teach his people all that he knows
 about ,god and ,his relation to the    
soul of man4 ,he is to study and        
meditate himself1 and to set forth the  
conclusion he has reached fully and     
fearlessly4 ,and if he discharges this  
duty reasonably and zealously1 he need  

not be afraid of finding that there is a
 gulf fixed between doctrine and        
practice4 ,these two must go together4  
,there can be no conduct deserving the  
name without a philosophy of conduct1   
and that philosophy is a sound divinity4
 ,even the loftiest and most abstruse   
doctrines must have an influence upon   
life4 ,it is a common remark that       
scientific truth should be pursued for  
its own sake1 and that the most valuable
 practical results have often followed  
from investigations carried out with a  
single eye to the truth4 ,it is an      
equally common remark that those teach  
the simplest things best whose range of 
knowledge and belief is widest4 ,we     
might point to ,mr4 ,ruskin himself as a
 striking illustration of this4 ,what is
 simpler than beauty8 what more         
universally apprehended8 what at first  
sight more incapable of analysis8 ,yet  
as we listen to the great critic1 what  
wonderful laws does he point out--what a
 wealth of knowledge does he bring to   

bear--how clear he makes it to us that  
the power of feeling 7still more the    
power of creating7 beauty is the        
hard-won fruit of labour1 study1 and    
devotion4 ,so it is with life3 those who
 would create a beautiful life must know
 the laws of spiritual beauty1--and     
those laws are theology4  ,but criticism
 is a thankless task4 ,it is a more     
gracious and1 towards a great man1 a    
more respectful office to note those    
points on which our debt to ,mr4 ,ruskin
 is acknowledged1 and our sympathy with 
him unalloyed4 ,these letters are1 in   
spirit at any rate1 not unworthy of the 
man who has exercised a deeper and wider
 influence upon the morality of our time
 than any other1 except perhaps ,thomas 
,carlyle4 ,and the great lesson of each 
of these eloquent teachers is the duty  
of ,reality4 ,there are many points in  
which we do not agree with them3 let us 
be all the readier to acknowledge the   
debt that we owe4 ,both laymen1--like   
,amos1 neither prophets nor sons of     

prophets1--they have done a work which1 
perhaps1 under the altered circumstances
 of society1 no professional preacher   
could have achieved4 ,any one who       
considers the earnestness and reverence 
of modern intellectual literature2 the  
anxious desire even of the ,agnostic to 
lay the foundations of his moral life as
 deep as possible2 the manifold efforts1
 while denying all religion1 yet to     
maintain the union of imagination and   
reason1 without which there can be no   
loftiness of character1 no nobility of  
aspiration1 yet which nothing but       
religion can consecrate and             
fructify1--and compares all this with   
the sneering1 self-satisfied flippancy  
of ,gibbon and ,voltaire1 will feel how 
vast is the change for the better2 and  
these two writers have been the chief   
instruments in bringing that change     
about4  ,let me notice briefly two      
points on which ,mr4 ,ruskin insists in 
these letters with great force and      
beauty4 ,the first is the love of the   

,father4 ,no text is more familiar than 
that which tells us that ,god is love4  
,it is not indeed inconsistent with that
 other text which tells us that ,he is a
 consuming fire4 ,but if its meaning is 
fully imbibed and allowed to bear its   
natural fruit1 it must result in the    
abandonment of those forensic views of  
our blessed ,lord's atonement1 which all
 the subtlety of ,canon ,mozley cannot  
bring into harmony with the dictates of 
our consciences4 ,if the ,father is     
love1 there can be no division1 no      
antithesis between the ,father and the  
,son4 ,if ,he is love1 then the idea of 
sacrifice1 which is of the essence of   
love1 must enter into our conception of 
the ,father also4 ,i say no more about  
this1 because any one who chooses to do 
so may find the ,fatherhood of ,god1 and
 all that it implies1 treated of with   
great fulness and a marvellous depth of 
spiritual insight in the letters of     
,erskine of ,linlathen4  ,it can hardly 
be doubted that the kind of language    

which ,protestants of a certain class   
have been1 and still are1 in the habit  
of using1 about the ,scheme of          
,redemption1 constitutes a most serious 
stumbling-block in the way of many an   
earnest spirit4 ,there are few preachers
 probably1 and few congregations        
now1--in the ,establishment at any      
rate1--who would not revolt against the 
hideous calmness with which ,jonathan   
,edwards contemplates the little spiders
 dropping off into the flames4 ,but a   
great deal of mischief remains to be    
undone4 ,those who are acquainted with  
the biographies of ,shelley1 of ,james  
and of ,john ,stuart ,mill1 know well   
what effect the fierce doctrines of     
,calvinism have produced upon minds     
which for the issues of morality and1   
surely1 even of religion1 were finely   
touched4 ,and who can tell what horror  
and indignation have been wrought in    
some minds1 what agonies of despair in  
others1 who1 when at last the blessed   
work of repentance began to stir within 

them1 and they turned their eyes for    
comfort to the cross1 were met by the   
terrible warning that none but the      
select few can call ,god their ,father1 
and that in all probability their own   
eternal tortures were decreed before    
ever they entered the world8  ,the other
 point to which ,i must briefly advert  
is ,mr4 ,ruskin's protest against the   
use of words which imply--which leave   
the least possibility of hoping for--a  
mechanical absolution1 a pardon of sins 
that have not been abandoned4 ,i do not 
indeed think that the reproach of using 
such language falls upon those who are  
fond of the title of priests alone1 for 
the doctrines of ,calvinism are far more
 liable to abuse4 ,nor do ,i think that 
any preaching of our clergy on this     
subject can be said to have turned our  
cities into loathsome centres of        
fornication and covetousness4 ,but here1
 if anywhere1 we ought never to forget  
the danger of even seeming to set       
,theology against ,reason and           

,conscience1 of allowing the least      
pretext for thinking that a mere        
intellectual assent to abstract truths  
on the one hand1 a mere acceptance of   
ecclesiastical ordinances on the other1 
can wipe away sins2 or that a heart     
unpurified by charity and obedience1    
could be at rest even in the kingdom of 
heaven4          ,from the ,rev4 ,,canon
 ,,cooper1 ,vicar of                    
,grange-over-,sands4   ,thank ,god1 all 
good men are broader and better than    
their creed1--better and broader1 ,i    
mean1 than those parts of their creed   
which they insist upon most1 because    
they distinguish them from other people4
 7,these distinguishing points are      
always of the least importance1 in my   
opinion47 ,and with my experience of    
sermons for nearly forty years 7for ,i  
was very early called upon to hear      
sermons71 ,i am not conscious of such   
universal omissions on the part of the  
priests of the ,church of ,england as   
,mr4 ,ruskin affirms4 ,the universality 

of the love of ,god the ,father1        
embracing even the wicked rich as well  
as the wicked poor1 is largely dwelt    
upon by all schools4  ,the kingdom of   
,god in this present sinful world is    
preached and is laboured for4 ,in the   
present1 however1 it is more correctly  
described as the kingdom of ,christ4    
,when the end comes1 ,he shall deliver  
up the kingdom to ,god1 even the ,father
 7#a ,cor4 xv4 #bd1 and seqq47 ,as for  
denouncing the sins of the rich1 this is
 largely done1 and especially by lively 
young ecclesiastics in great towns4 ,and
 as to preaching forgiveness without    
amendment1 no man of common sense can do
 that2 but ,mr4 ,ruskin may say that    
common sense is rare among the clergy2  
and some may be afraid to preach        
morality1 because of an old-fashioned   
superstition that morality is opposed to
 the ,gospel4 ,however1 ,i do not hear  
much of such preaching4 ,as for the duty
 of every man to do something of the    
work of the world for his daily bread1  

that is largely taught2 and ,i believe  
that the kingdom of ,god is coming in   
that respect4 ,a great deal of the      
drudgery of the world is done by big men
 now4 ,also ,i think that the sinfulness
 of omission is much insisted on by the 
clergy1 as it is abundantly noticed in  
the ,prayer ,book1 in accordance with   
the clear teaching of ,christ4 ,and the 
same may be said upon the personal guilt
 of sin4 ,a good clergyman never allows 
his people to shelter themselves in a   
crowd4  ,i do not feel the force of the 
taunt about our saying every week1      
,there is no health in us1 because the  
most healthy ,christian finds out always
 fresh failings as his conscience grows 
more healthy 7not morbidly sensitive71  
and he is always ready to join in the   
general confession to his dying day4    
,there is some value in the remark about
 ,christian parents putting their       
children into situations where they will
 be tempted to worship the devil in     
order to win the kingdom of the world2  

but here1 as elsewhere1 the             
exaggeration1 for the sake of being     
forcible1 is too marked4                
,from the ,rev4 ,,henry ,m4 ,,fletcher4 
,yes1 ,i should say1 it is possible to  
put the ,gospel of ,christ into such    
plain words and short terms as that a   
plain man may understand it1 and plain  
men do understand it4 ,and it is not    
left to be gathered out of 7any of7 the 
,thirty-nine ,articles1 which are meant 
not for simple but for clerkly people4  
,you seem to have felt it startling that
 ,mr4 ,ruskin should ask for a simple   
and comprehensible statement of the     
,christian ,gospel--at least ,mr4       
,ruskin represents the case so4 ,what   
,christ's ministers are bidden to go    
into all the world and preach is--the   
good news that ,god has reconciled the  
world unto ,himself in ,jesus ,christ   
,his ,son2 and that whosoever will      
accept this ,jesus as ,his ,lord and    
,saviour shall have eternal life through
 ,him4 ,you could not1 ,i think1 arrive 

at a definition of what the ,gospel of  
,christ is by explaining the terms of   
the ,lord's ,prayer4  ,you must tell    
first about ,jesus1 our ,lord1 and what 
,he has done1 before child or man can   
have any proper notion of the ,gospel4  
,the ,gospel is a message from ,our     
,father which is in ,heaven1 of ,his    
love1 and of what ,his love--the love of
 ,father1 ,son1 and ,holy ,ghost--has   
devised and executed for the redemption 
and glorification 7through              
sanctification7 of ,his rebellious      
children4  ,there can be small objection
 taken to ,mr4 ,ruskin's proposal to    
make the ,lord's ,prayer a foundation of
 ,gospel teaching1 as containing what   
all ,christians are agreed upon as first
 to be taught1 if the ,gospel teaching  
is understood to be teaching the truth  
to ,christians4 ,but the ,gospel        
teaching or preaching1 which is spoken  
of by ,mr4 ,ruskin1 is ,gospel preaching
 to the world not yet ,christian1 either
 ,jewish or heathen2 and the ,lord's    

,prayer cannot properly be taken as a   
foundation of ,gospel teaching to it4   
,it must be told first of ,jesus and    
,his work1 and must have owned ,him     
,lord1 before it can rightly be taught  
from ,his prayer4 ,this prayer can have 
no authority but to those who have      
become ,his disciples4 ,those who are   
already ,his disciples learn naturally  
from ,him their relation and their duty 
to ,his ,father and their ,father4 ,st4 
,paul1 in preaching to the ,athenians1  
dwells not on the ,fatherhood of ,god1  
but on the need of repentance as a      
preparation for the judgment which      
awaits all4 ,jesus and the ,resurrection
 was what they heard of first from this 
model preacher4                         
,from the ,rev4 ,a4 ,t4 ,,davidson4     
,,my ,,dear ,,sir1--,permit me to say   
one thing with regard to the            
correspondence which has passed between 
,mr4 ,ruskin and yourself4  ,profitable 
as it is to listen to ,mr4 ,ruskin1 the 
student of ,mr4 ,maurice's writings will

 merely find in these remarkable letters
 an additional plea on behalf of those  
truths for which ,mr4 ,maurice so       
bravely and so passionately contended4  
,it is most refreshing to find two such 
teachers in accord2 and probably there  
will be many who will learn from ,mr4   
,ruskin what they never would have      
learnt1 or even sought for1 from ,mr4   
,maurice4 ,it is1 of course1 for the    
truth1 and not for his individual       
statement of it1 that ,mr4 ,ruskin1 even
 as ,mr4 ,maurice did1 contends4 ,it    
will1 ,i am sure1 be a matter of small  
moment to him so long as the truth be   
sought for1 whether it be arrived at by 
means of these letters1 or by means of  
,mr4 ,maurice's books on ,the ,lord's   
,prayer1 ,the ,prayer ,book1 and ,the   
,commandments4  ,believe me1 my dear    
,sir1 to be yours faithfully4           
,from the ,rev4 ,,edward ,,geoghegan4   
,,bardsea ,,vicarage1 ,,ulverston4      
,open rebuke is better than secret love4
 ,faithful are the wounds of a friend4  

,let the righteous smite me1 it shall be
 a kindness3 and let him reprove me1 it 
shall be an excellent oil1 which shall  
not break my head4  ,it is in the spirit
 which is expressed in these words that 
,i desire to offer the following notes  
on ,mr4 ,ruskin's ,letters4 ,among the  
charges which he brings against the     
clergy are the following3--  ,that we   
have no clear idea of our calling1 or of
 the ,gospel of ,christ 7,letters ,,iii4
 and ,,iv47  ,that we profane the name  
of ,god in the pulpit 7,letter ,,vi47   
,that we teach that every one that doeth
 evil is good in the sight of the ,lord1
 and ,he delighteth in them 7,letter    
,,viii47  ,that we hold our office to be
 that1 not of showing men how to do     
their ,father's will on earth1 but how  
to get to heaven without doing any of it
 either here or there 7,letter ,,viii47 
,that we neither profess to understand  
what the will of the ,lord is1 nor to   
teach anybody else to do it 7,letter    
,,viii47  ,that we pretend to absolve   

the sinner from his punishment1 instead 
of purging him from his sin 7,letter    
,,viii47  ,that we patronize and        
encourage all the iniquity of the world 
by steadily preaching away the penalties
 of it 7,letter ,,viii47  ,that we      
gather1 each into himself1 the curious  
dual power and ,janus-faced majesty in  
mischief of the prophet that prophesies 
falsely1 and the priest that bears rule 
by his means 7,letter ,,viii47  ,that we
 do not exercise discipline by keeping  
wicked people out of church 7,letter    
,,vi47  ,that we do not require each    
member of our flocks to tell us what    
they do to earn their dinners 7,letter  
,,ix47  ,that we encourage people in    
hypocrisy1 by inviting them to the      
authorized mockery of a confession of   
sin 7,letter ,x47  ,i cannot examine the
 evidence which ,mr4 ,ruskin possesses  
in support of these charges1 as he has  
not produced it in these ,letters4      
,neither can ,i attempt to refute the   
accusations4 ,to prove a negative is    

always difficult2 it becomes an         
impossible task when the indictment is  
laid not against any individuals        
mentioned by name1 but against a whole  
order4 ,i will only observe1 that even  
if all these charges be true1 the people
 of ,england are not in such evil case  
as ,mr4 ,ruskin fancies4 ,the laity of  
,england possess the inestimable        
advantage of not being dependent on the 
sermons of their clergy for either      
doctrine1 or correction1 or instruction 
in righteousness4 ,even though a        
clergyman should never utter certain    
doctrines of ,christ from the pulpit1 or
 reprove certain sins1 he is obliged to 
do so at the font1 at the lectern1 and  
at the altar4 ,although from the pulpits
 of the fifty hundreds of clergy whom   
,mr4 ,ruskin heard1 he never heard so   
much as one clergyman heartily          
proclaiming that no covetous person1    
which is an idolater1 hath any          
inheritance in the kingdom of ,god1 he  
must have often heard this proclamation 

from the altar1 in the epistle for the  
third ,sunday in ,lent1 and from the    
lectern whenever the fifth chapter of   
the ,epistle to the ,ephesians is read  
for the lesson4  ,again1 if any         
clergyman teaches from the pulpit that  
for the redemption of the world people  
ought to be thankful1 not to the        
,father1 but to the ,son 7,letter ,v471 
he is obliged to publicly contradict his
 own teaching as often as he says the   
,general ,thanksgiving1 and the collects
 in the ,book of ,common ,prayer4       
,again1 if any clergyman teaches from   
the pulpit that any one who does evil is
 good in the sight of the ,lord1 or that
 there is any other salvation except a  
salvation from sin1 he is obliged to    
publicly contradict that teaching by    
everything which he says in the church  
out of the pulpit4  ,again1 if any      
clergyman preaches away the penalties of
 sin 7,letter ,,viii471 he is obliged to
 publicly contradict his preaching every
 ,ash ,wednesday1 when he reads the     

general sentences of ,god's cursing     
against impenitent sinners4  ,mr4       
,ruskin asks 7,letter ,,iii471 ,can this
 ,gospel of ,christ be put into such    
plain words and short terms as that a   
plain man may understand it8 ,i answer  
that the ,english ,church has tried to  
do this in the ,catechism1 in which     
every baptized child is taught in very  
simple and plain words the gospel1 or   
good news1 that ,god the ,father has1 in
 ,his ,son ,jesus ,christ1 adopted him  
or her into ,his family1 and therein    
offers him or her the continual help of 
the ,holy ,ghost4  ,mr4 ,ruskin         
complains that the clergy do not teach  
the people the meaning of the ,lord's   
,prayer 7,letter ,,vi47 ,he must assume 
that the clergy neglect to teach        
children the ,church ,catechism1 in     
which is an answer to the question1     
,what desirest thou of ,god in this     
prayer8 ,it is an answer which would    
probably satisfy ,mr4 ,ruskin4 ,he would
 see that ,hallowed be ,thy name does   

not merely mean that people ought to    
abstain from bad language4 ,and in the  
explanation of the third commandment1 he
 would see that something more is       
forbidden than letting out a round oath 
7,letter ,,vi47  ,mr4 ,ruskin complains 
that the clergy do not prevent the      
entrance among their congregations of   
persons leading openly wicked lives     
7,letter ,,vi47 ,before this can be     
charged on the clergy as a sin1 he      
should show that they have power and    
authority to do this4 ,in the service   
for ,ash ,wednesday he will find that   
the clergy express their desire for a   
restoration of the godly discipline of  
the primitive ,church1 which ,mr4       
,ruskin also desires4 ,but he ought to  
know that such restoration must be the  
work not of the clergy only1 but of the 
whole body of the faithful4  ,mr4       
,ruskin insinuates that the clergy have 
no clear idea of their calling 7,letter 
,,iii47 ,if this be so1 it is certainly 
not the fault of the ,church1 seeing    

that the nature of the calling of a     
clergyman is plainly set forth in the   
,offices for the ,ordering of ,bishops1 
,priests1 and ,deacons4 ,but if one may 
form an opinion from many published     
sermons by ,english clergymen of various
 schools of thought1 and from their     
speeches in ,church ,congresses and     
elsewhere1 and from their pastoral work 
as parish priests1 ,i should be inclined
 to think that they are not quite so    
ignorant of the nature of their calling 
and of the ,gospel of ,christ as ,mr4   
,ruskin supposes them to be1 and that of
 some of the sins1 negligences1 and     
ignorances which1 in these ,letters1 he 
lays to their charge1 they may plead not
 guilty1 or at least not proven by ,mr4 
,ruskin4                                
,,bardsea1 ,,ulverston1                 
,november #crd1 #ahgi4  ,,dear ,,mr4    
,,malleson1--,i thank you for your      
letter1 which ,i received this morning4 
,second thoughts are not always the     
best4 ,your own first thought about the 

motto which ,i prefixed to my notes was 
right2 your second thought was wrong4   
,it never occurred to me that anyone    
could possibly suppose that that motto  
was by me intended to be applied to     
myself1 inasmuch as in these notes there
 is no wound inflicted on ,mr4 ,ruskin1 
or even any rebuke4 ,on the contrary1 ,i
 assume that he has evidence in support 
of his charges1 although he has not     
produced it4 ,the rebuke to which ,i    
alluded was ,mr4 ,ruskin's rebuke4 ,he  
is the friend whose wounds are faithful1
 and whose smitings are a kindness4 ,for
 ,i have not the least doubt of his     
good-will towards the clergy1 or of his 
earnest desire to see them all          
performing their sacred duties with zeal
 and knowledge4 ,and it was as my       
acknowledgment of this that ,i prefixed 
the motto4 ,with you ,i firmly believe  
that the standard which he takes is     
lofty and ,christian1 and that it is one
 towards which we ought all of us to    
aim4 ,the object of my notes was to show

 that the laity of ,england have1 in the
 authorized teaching of the ,church1 a  
sufficient safeguard against any        
erroneous teaching which they may       
possibly hear from the pulpit or in the 
private ministrations of the clergy1 and
 also a supplement to any defective     
teaching4                               
,very truly yours1                      
,,edward ,,geoghegan4                   
,from ,,joseph ,,gilburt1 ,esq4         
,christmas ,day1 #ahgi4  ,the words ,thy
 will be done are generally coupled with
 resignation1 and very often with       
patience under chastisement4 ,it is     
always to us a sad-coloured sentence1   
and a sentimental illuminator of the    
,lord's ,prayer would in all probability
 make it so4 ,now1 if we think for a    
moment what the state of things would be
 if the will of the ,lord were done1 we 
shall see it should be the brightest    
sentence we could conceive4 ,god's will 
is our weal4 ,aspiration1 not           
resignation1 is the characteristic of   

its doing4 ,there would certainly be no 
death1--that is decidedly contrary to   
,his will2 and by-and-by1 when ,his will
 is done1 there will be none4 ,for the  
present1 while ,his will is not yet     
done1 we have the sure and certain hope 
that death will be--nay1 is--conquered  
by anticipation4  ,if ,his will were    
done1 all beautiful things would        
flourish1 and all minds would           
answeringly rejoice in them4  ,our men  
of the piercing eye--,turners1 ,hunts1  
,ruskins1 etc4--show us1 till we almost 
worship the state of things in cloud and
 mountain1 river and sea1 in hedgerow   
and wayside1 even in cathedral and      
campanile1 where ,god's will is done1   
and we are enchanted with their beauty4 
,it is ,god's will that stones should be
 laid truly and carven well1 and aptly  
described4 ,and our men of the probe and
 the lens1 the scientific openers of    
nature's secrets1 are daily             
demonstrating new beauties in which the 
will of the ,lord is done in the        

formation of bodies and working of      
forces4 ,it is mere truism to add to    
this that the will of the ,lord being   
done1 none of the ills that are all of  
them indirectly or directly the result  
of not doing it could occur1 and        
resignation would have no scope for     
exercise4 ,there was ,one who always did
 it1 and ,he for three years made sundry
 parts of ,palestine a heaven1--with    
what results a many quondam poor folk   
testified4 ,this leads me to say that ,i
 like to look upon the word heaven as a 
participle instead of a noun1 as the    
state of being heaved or raised1 rather 
than a place3 and for this reason4 ,the 
experience of every one of us suffices  
to prove that we are never so heaven1 or
 raised in true happiness1 moral        
dignity1 and worth1 as when we are in   
the company of one greater1 wiser1 or   
better than ourselves4 ,those who lead a
 humdrum life among mean persons1 can   
testify what a heaven it is to be       
transplanted for ever so short a time to

 the company of a great and good man4   
,now the culminating1 indeed            
all-absorbing1 attraction of the heaven 
we all look to1 is the presence and the 
companionship of the greatest and best2 
and the experience of ourselves tallies 
with the promise of ,st4 ,john that it  
will have the effect of making us like  
,him1 when we shall see ,him as ,he is4 
,surely being heaven1 or raised like    
that1 is superior to any ,mahomet's     
paradise that we can invent or distil   
out of the poetical parts of the        
,scriptures4                            
,from the ,rev4 ,,archer ,,gurney4      
,mr4 ,ruskin's view as to the duty of   
basing all upon the ,father's love is   
essentially sound and orthodox2 and he  
is also right in bidding all men lead   
self-denying lives1--in this sense1 that
 they should give up time and labour to 
the endeavour to help their brethren2   
but he fails utterly1 hopelessly1 to    
realize the ,incarnation and its        
glorious consequences1 how all human    

life and love1--how art1 science1       
knowledge1 enjoyment1 are sanctified by 
,god's becoming man2 sharing this human 
life of ours1--not to trample upon it as
 an unholy thing1 but to consecrate it  
to ,god's service4 ,such is our call4   
,we must enjoy the beautiful to         
vindicate enjoyment4 ,we do not please  
,god by casting all ,his choicest gifts 
away4 ,to give all we have to feed the  
poor is the way to make men poor1 and is
 false charity4 ,use rather the mammon  
of this world to ,god's honour and      
glory1 and when ye fail1 the good works 
that you have done shall plead for your 
entrance into everlasting habitations2  
for the way to clothe the naked and feed
 the hungry1 permanently1 is to teach   
men and women to help themselves1 and to
 find employment and reward for the     
exercise of their powers and energies4  
,from the ,rev4 ,j4 ,h4 ,a4 ,,gibson1   
,brighton4   ,to ,mr4 ,ruskin1 then1    
asking us to define ourselves as a body1
 ,i reply1 ,we are presbyters and       

deacons1 deriving our authority from the
 episcopate1 who themselves form links  
in that spiritual chain which binds both
 ourselves and them1 by perpetual       
succession1 in one communion and        
fellowship1 with the ,apostles1 and to  
whom has been committed the office of   
consecrating and sending forth labourers
 to work in the ,lord's vineyard4  ,but 
,mr4 ,ruskin proceeds1 ,and our business
 as such4 ,our business as such6 ,well1 
if we have in any satisfactory manner   
proved our first point--that is1 the    
authority with which we act--we may     
fairly say to ,mr4 ,ruskin1 ,do you put 
this question1 ',what is your business8'
 to your lawyer or doctor8 ,does he ask 
the same question of the clergy of any  
other portion of the ,catholic ,church8 
,we shall not wish to insult ,mr4       
,ruskin by attempting to explain to him 
the duties of the priesthood1 with      
which1 doubtless1 he is well acquainted4
  ,but he asks1 ,do we look upon        
ourselves as attached to any particular 

,state1 and bound to the promulgation of
 any particular tenets8 ,we are         
undoubtedly attached to the particular  
sphere to the which we are sent by those
 whose office is to provide the various 
parts of ,god's vineyard with labourers4
 ,the ,anglican ,church is the          
legitimate representative of the        
,catholic ,church of ,christ in         
,england2 and we1 as clergy of this     
,church1 minister for the most part to  
our countrymen at home1 and only in     
other countries as the necessities of   
our colonists and others may require4   
,and1 as subscribers to the ,prayer     
,book and priests of the ,church of     
,england1 we are certainly bound to     
teach faithfully and honestly her       
doctrines1 neither adding to them nor   
taking away from them according to our  
own individual idiosyncrasies4          
,from the ,rev4 ,,canon ,,gray4         
,,wolsingham1 ,october #acth1 #ahgi4    
,,my ,,dear ,,penrhyn1--,will you please
 to thank ,mr4 ,malleson on my behalf   

for the ,letters on the ,lord's ,prayer8
 ,i have ever admired ,ruskin1 and learn
 much even when ,i most differ from him4
 ,but if ,i had the good fortune to be  
with you to-morrow1 ,i fear that ,i     
should constantly be demurring to his   
teaching1--e4g4 7,letter ,,iii47 his    
supposition that the ,thirty-nine       
,articles were meant to include a       
summary of the ,gospel2 7,letter ,v47   
his belief that there is need now to    
warn men against being thankful not to  
the ,father but only to the ,son1--a    
remnant of the teaching of his youth2   
7p4 #bj7 his hard way of speaking as to 
the ,son of ,man1 ,whose human soul1 as 
that of perfect man1 received its       
knowledge in steps according to ,his own
 will as perfect ,god2 7,letter ,,vii47 
his confused distinction between the    
,kingdom of ,god and the ,kingdom of    
,christ 7see ,eph4 v4 #e in the ,greek1 
and remember tradendo tenet on #a ,cor4 
xv4 #bd72 his belief that because no one
 knoweth the hour of ,christ's coming1  

it cannot be hastened by prayer2        
7,letter ,,viii47 his seeming           
identification of claiming interest from
 a poor man who is in need and          
necessity1 and from a railway company   
who borrow money to make                
more1--speaking1 as far as ,i can see1  
of money as if it had no market value   
like other things2 7,letter ,x47 the    
belief that we clergy are not awake to  
the guilt of sins of omission2 7,letter 
,x47 the inability to see that the      
nearer and nearer by ,god's grace we    
come1 in answer to prayer1 to purity and
 holiness1 the more we realize our      
distance from them2 and that his        
objection to our ,liturgy might be      
adapted into one against the ,lord's    
,prayer1 in which we pray daily for     
forgiveness of sins1 and deliverance    
from evil1 showing that we never shall  
be so delivered as no longer to need    
forgiveness2 7,letter ,,xi47 the        
supposition that any one state of life  
is necessarily more full of temptations 

than another1 as though the fruit of a  
tree were not to ,eve what the glory of 
the world was to the ,son of ,man1 at   
least in the eye of the ,tempter4  ,i am
 ashamed to jot down thus obscurely the 
points on which ,i should have liked to 
speak1 and ,i know that our brethren can
 fully deal with them4 ,on the other    
hand 7,letter ,,viii47 there is much to 
move us1 and lead to searchings of      
heart4 ,as to the timidity and coldness 
with which the ,church is attacking the 
crying sins of our day1 one often feels 
how we need some among us to speak as   
the prophets did to the men of their    
generation1 and we may be thankful to   
have our shortcomings brought home to us
 by words like ,ruskin's4  ,i wish ,i   
were not writing so hurriedly4          
,remember me most affectionately to all 
my old and true friends who are with you
 to-morrow4   ,,note4--,march #abth1    
#ahhj3--  ,mr4 ,malleson has kindly     
brought this letter of mine again before
 me4 ,hasty and concise as it was1 ,i   

have no wish to expand it1 as ,mr4      
,ruskin's ,letters are now publici      
juris1 and in the hands of many a       
critic1 who will rejoice to deal with   
them according to his wisdom4 ,i should 
be thankful1 however1 for leave to add a
 few words on one point4 ,i cannot help 
having misgivings as to whether ,i was  
right in demurring without hesitation to
 the supposition that one state of life 
is necessarily more free from           
temptations than another1 for ,i well   
know that in favour of such a           
supposition there is a strong consensus 
of just men4 ,i am1 however1 one of     
those who believe that the shorter      
,beatitude1 ,blessed be ye poor1 7,luke 
vi4 #bj7 is explained by the longer1    
,blessed are the poor in spirit4 ,i see1
 also1 that the difficulty with which   
they that have riches enter the kingdom 
of ,god is reasserted with a            
qualification in the very next verse1   
which speaks of those who trust in      
riches 7,st4 ,mark x4 #bc1 #bd74 ,who   

then can be saved8 asked the disciples1 
who1 poor men indeed themselves1 first  
heard of this difficulty1 instinctively 
perceiving1 it may be1 that it has its  
root in temptations from which in one   
shape or other no one is free4 ,i read  
that the cares of this world1 as well as
 the deceitfulness of riches1 choke the 
,word2 and ,i am sure that into the     
number of those who will be rich1 or who
 are wishing to be rich1 and so fall    
into temptation1 a poor man may but too 
easily find his way4 ,i like to remember
 that when the beggar died1 he was      
carried into the bosom of one who had   
been very rich in cattle1 in silver1 and
 in gold2 and ,i think that very deep   
and far-stretching may be the meaning of
 the words of the wise man1 ,the rich   
and poor meet together1 and the ,lord is
 the ,maker of them all4       ,from the
 ,rev4 ,h4 ,n4 ,,grimley1 ,norton       
,rectory1 ,bury ,st4 ,edmunds4   ,mr4   
,ruskin's ,letters have already been    
closely scrutinized4 ,what have seemed  

to be blemishes in them have been       
commented on4 ,they have been spoken of 
as somewhat random utterances--as       
utterances such as are pardonable in a  
layman1 but would be inexcusable in a   
clergyman who should endeavour to       
instruct his brethren4 ,it has been said
 of them that they manifest a want of   
knowledge of teaching constantly being  
given from ,church of ,england pulpits4 
,it would be quite possible for the     
present paper to be devoted to a        
continuation of the like free criticism 
of the ,letters4 ,i might ask1 for      
instance1 whether ,mr4 ,ruskin1 after   
7in ,letter ,v47 speaking with          
condemnation of a plan of salvation     
which sets forth the ,divine ,son as    
appeasing the wrath of the ,father in   
heaven1 does not himself give expression
 to words1 as to the love of the        
,father1 which almost imply that in his 
estimation the ,divine mind is not in   
unity in itself8 ,i might further ask   
for ,mr4 ,ruskin to put more            

definiteness into his remarks on usury1 
and to particularize the special forms  
of that condemnable practice which the  
clergy should boldly denounce4 ,the few 
hints which he throws out on this       
subject show that to his own thoughts   
there is present an exalted socialism4  
,he himself in previous writings1 while 
shadowing forth a social system based on
 unselfishness1 has carefully deprecated
 any revolutionary attempt to hasten the
 establishment of such a system1 and    
would prefer that it should be waited   
for while it quietly and with           
orderliness evolves itself out of the   
present imperfect order of things4 ,is  
it not so evolving itself8 ,does not the
 co-operative movement1 now steadily    
advancing1 spring out of the recognition
 of the fact that mutual welfare is a   
far more excellent thing to be attained 
than the enrichment of the few at the   
expense of the many8 ,and if1 with      
regard to the land question1 any        
readjustment of relations is made1 will 

it not be made in the light of the same 
beneficent principle8 ,if1 however1 the 
clergy were to give heed to ,mr4        
,ruskin's words1 and at once proceed to 
the indiscriminate excommunication of   
usurers1 would they not be initiating a 
social revolution1 altogether different 
from that orderly upgrowth of a better  
state of things which has commended     
itself aforetime to ,mr4 ,ruskin        
himself8 ,my own impression is that ,i  
shall be giving voice to a wish that    
will spring up wherever ,mr4 ,ruskin's  
,letters may be read1 if ,i say that a  
clearer1 more definite utterance on the 
usury question would be welcomed4 ,the  
clergy everywhere would receive with    
thankfulness any hints as to how they   
might hasten the coming of the day when 
the ,church of ,christ will no longer   
embrace within her borders the few1 with
 a useless excess of wealth1 and around 
them the unhappy many1 hopelessly1      
squalidly destitute2 along1 too1 with a 
vast number of toiling teachers1 clergy1

 artists1 and literary workers1 living  
mostly on the verge of                  
pennilessness--men of whose existence   
,mr4 ,ruskin has1 in earlier writings1  
expressed himself as keenly and         
sympathetically conscious4  ,but ,i will
 not linger on such parts of ,mr4       
,ruskin's ,letters as may seem to       
display inconsistency1 or to need more  
precision of language before they can be
 practically useful4 ,i will proceed to 
speak of those for which1 as it seems to
 me1 the clergy may unhesitatingly be   
very grateful to ,mr4 ,ruskin for laying
 them before them4  ,and first1 ,i think
 we cannot be other than thankful to    
,mr4 ,ruskin for sounding at the outset 
a note of catholicity4 ,he asks the     
clergy of the ,english ,church 7let me  
say he asks us1--he asks you and me71   
whether we look upon ourselves as the   
clergy of a mere insular ,church1 or as 
the clergy of the ,church ,universal4   
,is the teaching we are continually     
giving utterance to as to the conduct of

 life in harmony with1 or different     
from1 the teaching of the ,christian    
,churches on the ,continent of ,europe8 
,mr4 ,ruskin's tone1 in asking these    
questions1 is such as implies that it   
would be no satisfaction to him to hear 
from us that we rejoice in considering  
ourselves as severed from the clergy of 
the ,christian ,church abroad4 ,indeed1 
he goes on to assume that we1 with one  
consenting voice1 admit our fellowship  
with the rest of ,christendom--that we  
recognize as our brothers the clergy of 
the ,church of ,france1 and of the      
,church of ,italy1 and of the ,church   
everywhere4  ,mr4 ,ruskin thus does not 
lend the support of his name to any     
useless ,protestantism4 ,there are      
senses in which the whole ,christian    
,church must ever be a ,protestant      
,church1 and in which even individual   
members may from time to time raise     
protesting voices4 ,the ,church must    
ever lift up her protest against all    
influences that work in the world for   

evil--against whatsoever tends to       
overthrow the ,christian ideals of      
individual1 family1 social1 national1   
and international life4 ,she must       
protest against all hindrances1 even    
though they may spring up within her own
 borders1 which tend to prevent her from
 putting any beneficent impress upon    
human handiwork and upon manifestations 
of human genius4 ,she must protest      
against the very ,protestantism in her  
midst which has served to paganize art  
and to demoralize the drama1 by         
banishing both to an outer region of    
darkness which ,gospel rays cannot be   
expected to illumine4 ,she must protest 
vigorously against the mischievous      
,protestantism which impoverishes the   
intellect and chills the affections1 by 
causing men to devote the whole energies
 of their lives to protesting against   
systems of thought with which they are  
very imperfectly acquainted1 and to     
maintaining an attitude of perpetual    
suspicion as to others' aims and        

motives4 ,under the influence of such   
,protestantism as this1 many have been  
possessed with the assurance that a vast
 number of the clergy of ,christendom   
live for no other end than to conspire  
against freedom1 to disseminate         
falsities1 and to work ruin amongst     
human souls4 ,this ,protestantism is    
fast ceasing to have any power amongst  
us2 still1 as it is not quite extinct1  
it is comforting to find that ,mr4      
,ruskin does not attribute it to the    
main body of those whom he addresses4   
,to me it seems that an habitual        
protesting attitude on the part of those
 who are called upon to be the teachers 
of the ,church implies that they have   
not themselves properly entered the     
temple of ,christian truth4 ,he to whom 
,christian doctrine has revealed itself 
in all its wondrous harmony cannot do   
other than devote himself to unfolding  
to others what is ever present to his   
own mind1 so that he may aid in building
 up their thoughts consistently and     

symmetrically1 and thus help to         
establish them firmly in the ,christian 
faith4  ,we may1 then1 it seems to me1  
express our thankfulness that ,mr4      
,ruskin has spoken1 though ever so      
briefly1 a word of encouragement to the 
clergy of the ,english ,church amongst  
whom the thought of a future of reunion 
for ,christendom has been welcomed4 ,mr4
 ,ruskin is familiar with the practical 
working of the ,christian ,church in    
,italy and elsewhere on the ,continent1 
and seeing1 as he has seen1 that her    
influence is exerted towards securing an
 orderly and healthy state of social    
life1 he does not give circulation to   
the indiscriminate calumnies which were 
once wont to be uttered1 and which were 
alike at variance with the truth and    
provocative of a mischievous severance  
of ,christians from one another4  ,but  
we must1 ,i think1 be more especially   
grateful to ,mr4 ,ruskin for his calling
 widespread attention to the great      
,christian doctrine of the ,fatherhood  

of ,god4 ,there is especial need for    
this being uplifted before the thoughts 
of men at the present day1 and it is    
being so uplifted4 ,the more it is      
upheld1 the more fully will it be       
discerned4 ,it cannot be said that the  
doctrine is not accepted within the     
,english ,church4 ,still1 it has not yet
 been received in all its fulness4      
,amongst the separatists outside the    
borders of our ,church1 the doctrine    
that ,god is the ,father of all         
humanity1 and the loving ,father too1 is
 rejected in two extreme ways4 ,the set 
of believers who adopt the one extreme  
view consider that the ,lord's          
,prayer--so luminous1 as ,mr4 ,ruskin   
reminds us1 with the thought of ,god's  
fatherly love--should be used only by   
the elect1 such as themselves1 and that 
all others have no right to address ,god
 as their ,father4 ,the other set of    
so-called believers considers with a    
deplorable ,pharisaism that they have   
arrived at such a stage of perfection as

 to be beyond the need for using words  
which require them to ask every day for 
forgiveness of their trespasses4 ,why   
should they ask for such1 they say1 when
 their trespasses are non-existent8 ,if 
they are children of the ,father they   
are not so in the same sense as those   
who conscientiously use the prayer      
addressed to the ,father in heaven4 ,i  
regret that ,mr4 ,ruskin's facile pen   
has betrayed him into writing some words
 with reference to our ,liturgy which   
bring him momentarily into sympathy with
 these self-righteous ones who have no  
need to confess that they want more     
health of soul4  ,but the doctrine of   
the loving ,fatherhood of ,god1 as      
revealed to us in ,christ1 is one that  
is unfolding itself more and more       
clearly to the ,christian world4 ,if it 
has unfolded itself to us we may aid in 
its increased discernment4 ,it is one   
that involves the acceptance of the     
thought that all human life and every   
sphere of human endeavour are under     

,divine patronage4 ,god is in every way 
our ,father4 ,all human excellences     
whatsoever exist in their fulness and   
perfection in ,him4 ,as they are        
manifested in us and in our brothers and
 sisters around us1 they are ,divine    
excellences becoming incarnate on the   
realm of humanity4  ,childhood1 for     
instance1 as it manifests its sweetness 
and winsomeness in ,christian homes1 is 
an outcome of the eternal childhood     
which dwells in ,god1 and which was     
manifested supremely to the world in the
 life of the ,divine ,child at          
,bethlehem and ,nazareth4  ,so that the 
doctrine of the loving ,fatherhood of   
,god has sheltering beneath it the      
thought of the divineness of childhood4 
,clustering with it are many kindred    
thoughts4 ,there is the divineness of   
youth1 the frankness of ,christian      
boyhood1 the tender grace of ,christian 
girlhood1--these are manifestations of  
the eternal youth abiding in the ,divine
 ,lord of humanity4  ,i might speak to  

you in like manner of the divineness of 
manhood and of womanhood1 and of the    
divineness of old age4 ,all womanly     
excellences1 as well as all manly       
virtues1 reside in the ,divine ,one4 ,i 
might speak to you of the divineness of 
wedded life1 the divineness of          
,christian fatherliness and             
motherliness4 ,the divineness of the    
student's life and of the teacher's life
 might also be dwelt upon4 ,the         
divineness of the ministry of           
reconciliation1 in which ministry all   
may take part who help others to        
separate themselves from sin and        
selfishness and to enter into union with
 ,god and ,his life of love1--this ,i   
present to you as a fruitful thought4   
,the divineness of all efforts tending  
towards the solace and comforting of    
suffering human souls1--that too is one 
of the beneficent thoughts involved in  
the great ,christian truth that ,god is 
the ,father of humanity4  ,but the same 
great truth leads us to the discernment 

of other useful thoughts4 ,i might speak
 of them as connected with the          
divineness of all toil which has for its
 object the increase of human knowledge1
 the gathering together of the stored-up
 lessons of the past1 the beautifying of
 the daily life1 the refining and       
spiritualizing of the daily thoughts of 
the great brotherhood and sisterhood4   
,it would thus be quite justifiable to  
speak of the divineness of scientific   
toil1 inasmuch as that has for its aim  
the unfolding of the thoughts of ,god1  
of which all appearances of the material
 world are the outcome and              
manifestation4 ,thus too ,i might speak 
of the divineness of the work of those  
who enable us to see the results of the 
,divine guidance bestowed on the world  
in the ages past4 ,i might speak of the 
divineness of the work of the artist who
 devotes himself to acquiring skill in  
subtly entangling in the colours he puts
 on canvas the sentiment underlying the 
landscape he reverently looks at1 which 

to him is a manifestation of a heaven of
 beauty unseen by heedless eyes4 ,i     
might also speak of the divineness of   
the labours of the ,christian poet1 who 
presents to the world truth in its      
feminine and most winning aspects4      
,when ,i should have spoken of all these
 things they could all be summed up into
 one phrase--the divineness of          
,humanity4 ,and this is what ,i have    
faintly attempted to show necessarily   
springs up for recognition as the       
doctrine of the ,fatherhood of ,god     
presents itself to us in all its        
impressiveness4  ,i must hasten to a    
close4 ,i have said that ,mr4 ,ruskin in
 what he asks us with reference to our  
relation to the ,church in other        
countries sounds a note of catholicity4 
,in what ,i have myself said as to      
,protestantism ,i have urged nothing    
inconsistent with a thorough loyalty to 
the principle of ,christian             
individualism4 ,but individualism in    
utter revolt against authority leads    

only to confusion and to a multiplicity 
of tyrannies4 ,individualism thrives    
best under the protection of a generous 
all-embracing authority4 ,individualism 
before taking up the attitude of revolt 
should consider that it1 by brave       
patience and a reverent submissiveness  
to all higher influences around it1 may 
contribute beneficently to the authority
 of the future1 and increase the        
generousness and catholicity of its     
sway4  ,i will further remark that ,mr4 
,ruskin's words as to the ,fatherhood of
 ,god are also a catholic utterance4    
,for the ,fatherhood of ,god when       
pondered upon helps us to see that no   
sphere of human effort is beyond ,his   
control2 that ,his house is one of many 
mansions of thought and affection and   
loving toil2 that ,his heavenly kingdom 
is one including all domains on which   
human energies can be directed1 over    
which human thoughts can roam1 on which 
human love can lavish itself4           
,from the ,rev4 ,,canon ,e4 ,h4         

,m',,neile1 ,liverpool4   ,what is the  
exact question asked in ,letter ,,ii48  
,is it whether the clergy are or are not
 teachers of universal science8  ,if so1
 we answer1 ,yes1 we are teachers of the
 science most universal of all1 namely1 
the knowledge of ,god1 which is eternal 
life3 and of the way to attain it1 which
 is holiness2 and the principles of this
 science1 which are universal1 are not1 
as in other sciences1 discovered by     
human research1 but are revealed by     
,god4  ,does the question imply that    
there are points of science on which it 
is of no consequence what opinions a    
teacher holds8 ,and if so1 does it      
further mean that all matters of        
doctrine1 such as are defined in the    
,thirty-nine ,articles1 are of this     
nature8  ,if so1 ,i answer that it is   
only the theories or speculations of    
scientific investigators about which    
variety of opinion is immaterial1 not   
the essential principles of the science2
 and that we cannot exclude all         

questions of doctrine from among those  
principles4 ,i do not know what is meant
 by holding different opinions on points
 of science4 ,about the facts of science
 there can be no difference of opinion2 
but there may be about the bearings1 and
 the inferences to be drawn from them4  
,,letter ,,iii  ,here is a definite     
question4 ,my answer is1 ,yes1 but we do
 not refer to the ,thirty-nine ,articles
 for a statement of the ,gospel1 but    
rather to the ,apostles' ,creed1 which  
contains the simplest summary of the    
facts on which the ,gospel rests4 7,see 
#a ,cor4 xv4 #a1 etc47   ,,letter ,,iv  
,here ,i answer1 ,no4 ,the ,lord's      
,prayer was not intended to be a        
statement of the ,gospel1 but the       
language of those who have accepted it4 
,no doubt the terms of the prayer may be
 so explained as to bring in a          
definition of the ,gospel1 working      
backwards2 but a complete explanation   
would be longer than the ,thirty-nine   
,articles4 ,there seems to be a serious 

confusion of thought here between the   
offer of salvation to sinners estranged 
from ,god1 and the utterance towards    
,god of ,his reconciled children4       
,,letter ,v  ,the ,lord's ,prayer is    
elementary teaching for ,christians1 but
 it is not the first thing to be taught 
to those outside the family of ,god4    
,the truth that we have a ,father in    
heaven is a fundamental part of the     
,gospel4 ,it is assumed in the ,lord's  
,prayer2 and so is the further truth    
that our ,father of ,his tender love    
towards us has given ,his ,son to die   
for us1 that we may be delivered from   
the consuming fire which sin1 not ,god1 
has kindled2 and thus we have indeed a  
blessed scheme of pardon for which we   
are to be thankful to both the ,father  
and the ,son4 ,this makes all the       
clauses of the apostolic blessing       
intelligible and living4   ,,letter ,,vi
  ,page #ad3 ,for other sins1 etc4 ,i   
think this is an incorrect comment4 ,the
 force of the threat is positive1 not   

comparative4 ,the language of the law is
 similar towards every sin4  ,in what is
 said about the abomination of hypocrisy
 in prayer we cordially agree4 ,god give
 us grace to avoid it ourselves1 and to 
warn our brethren faithfully against it6
 ,but in what follows there is an       
assumption of a power of discipline     
which the clergy do not possess1 and    
which ,i fear the laity would be most   
unwilling to concede to them4 ,mr4      
,ruskin seems also to slip into the old 
error of the servants in the parable of 
the tares4   ,,letter ,,vii  ,on page   
#ba ,st4 ,john xiv4 #i is incorrectly   
cited1 and it is difficult to know the  
exact drift of the writer4  ,i object to
 the statement that in all ,his         
relations to us and commands to us1 etc4
 7,see1 e4g41 ,st4 ,matt4 xxviii4       
#ah-bj47  ,as to ,his not knowing       
whether ,his prayer could be heard1 see 
,st4 ,john xi4 #da1 #db4  ,i think it is
 incorrect to say that our ,lord        
,himself used the prayer ,he gave us1 at

 least in its entirety as it stands4    
,pages #bj1 #ba3 ,mr4 ,ruskin seems to  
me to draw most strongly the very       
comparison to which he objects4 ,surely 
the kingdom of ,christ is the kingdom of
 ,his ,father4 7,rev4 xi4 #ae1 xii4 #aj2
 ,eph4 v4 #e47 ,does not an             
unwillingness to accept the true        
divinity of our ,lord underlie this     
passage8   ,,letter ,,viii  ,page #be3  
,there is surely a mistake here4        
,personal sanctification and national   
prosperity are very different things4 ,a
 nation has no existence except in this 
world2 therefore its prosperity is the  
chief end to be aimed at2 and this is no
 doubt promoted by the holiness of its  
people4 ,but a man has another life     
hereafter2 and comfort and wealth are   
not the end of his being4 ,if granted1  
they are means to his sanctification1   
not vice versa4  ,it seems to me that   
,mr4 ,ruskin in this ,letter writes     
somewhat recklessly1 and that he must   
have been singularly unfortunate in his 

experience of preachers if he has never 
heard a faithful sermon against         
covetousness1 which is the idolatry of  
our age4 ,on page #bf he seems to fall  
into a great error in supposing that the
 proclamation of a free pardon for sin  
tends to encourage it4 ,if a man is to  
be delivered from the power of his sins1
 he must first be delivered from the    
guilt of them4  ,no doubt the grace of  
,god has been abused by some2 and ,st4  
,paul himself felt that his doctrine was
 open to such abuse 7,rom4 vi4 #a1 #ae74
 ,it is not1 ,i think1 just to attribute
 the corruption of our great cities to  
the teaching of the clergy4 ,it is      
rather to be ascribed to the absence of 
that teaching4   ,,letter ,x  ,whatever 
justice there may be 7and no doubt there
 is much7 in ,mr4 ,ruskin's accusations 
against us clergy1 he is surely under an
 entire misapprehension in the charge   
which he here makes against our         
,liturgy4  ,our ,prayer ,book is        
doubtless constructed for the use of    

believing ,christians1 and is not fitted
 for the impenitent2 but its adaptation 
to the needs of the repentant publican  
and of the advanced ,christian is most  
wonderful4 ,and that a form of prayer   
may be so adapted is surely proved by   
the ,lord's ,prayer itself1 which ,mr4  
,ruskin says is the first thing to be   
taught to all1 and which1 with all his  
practice in thinking1 he feels that he  
cannot adequately expound4  ,surely the 
repetition of a confession of unholiness
 casts no slur upon the efficacy of our 
prayers for holiness when we recognize  
that holiness is progressive1 and that  
spiritual growth may express itself not 
merely in new words1 but in a heartier  
utterance of the old ones4 ,as to the   
particular expression1 there is no      
health in us1 it needs either the       
explanation of ,st4 ,paul--,i know that 
in me1 that is1 in my flesh1 dwelleth no
 good thing1--or else to be understood  
according to the old meaning of health1 
viz41 saving health1 salvation1         

deliverance 7,psalm cxix4 #abc1 ,prayer 
,book2 ,isa4 lviii4 #h2 ,jer4 viii4     
#ae74  ,it needs further to be remarked 
that repentance is not only a single    
definite act1 but a state of mind4  ,i  
think that underlying all these comments
 of ,mr4 ,ruskin on the ,lord's ,prayer 
is a failure to recognize the truth of  
man's fall4  ,human nature is a ruin1   
not to be restored by a rearrangement of
 its fragments4 ,god has provided a     
remedy1 by sending ,his ,son to be the  
foundation of a new spiritual building2 
and every man who is to be built upon   
that foundation must himself become a   
new creature by the operation of the    
,holy ,ghost4 ,all efforts to improve   
humanity in the mass1 without the       
renewal of each separate soul1 must     
fail2 and no doubt the clergy often fall
 into this mistake4  ,the ,lord's       
,prayer is not the prayer of all mankind
 as they are by nature4 ,it is a prayer 
to the possession of which they are     
brought by regeneration1 and to the     

enjoyment by conversion4                
,e4 ,h4 ,m',,neile4                     
,from the ,rev4 ,p4 ,t4 ,,ouvry4   ,on  
the meaning of usury1 ,i would add a few
 words4 ,i start with this proposition4 
,there is nothing contrary to the will  
of ,god for one free man to buy from    
another free man anything he wants4 ,i  
have two houses1--one ,i live in1 one ,i
 let4 ,my tenant pays the market rent of
 houses to me1 and so both parties are  
benefited4 ,i have two thousand pounds4 
,i have no capacity1 or opportunity1 or 
desire to use more than one thousand    
pounds in trade on my own account4 ,my  
neighbour has energy and activity to use
 more money than he has in trade4 ,he   
gladly offers me five per cent4 for my  
spare thousand pounds4 ,i willingly lend
 it on those terms4 ,he makes ten per   
cent4 by using it4 ,he gives me five    
pounds and has five pounds for himself4 
,if this be usury1 it is lawful and     
right4  ,a number of small cultivators  
of land have no capital4 ,a money-lender

 supplies what they require on condition
 that they sell their crops to him at a 
price which he is able to fix4 ,from the
 circumstances of the case the          
money-lender makes an enormous profit4  
,the cultivator has barely the          
necessaries of life4 ,this is usury1 in 
the bad sense of the term1 but is more  
correctly called oppression or          
extortion4  ,again1 a man lends money to
 ignorant inexperienced youths1 on      
promise of repayment when they come of  
age4 ,this1 too1 is oppression or       
extortion4  ,similar oppression is      
witnessed when bad houses are let to    
poor people at high rents4  ,it is not1 
then1 that usury1 in the sense of       
oppression or extortion1 is inherent in 
money-lending2 but it belongs equally to
 every transaction between man and man1 
where any unrighteous dealing is        
practised4                              
,p4 ,t4 ,,ouvry4                        
,,grange-,,over-,,sands1                
,october #ast1 #ahgi4  ,,dear ,,mr4     

,,malleson1--,i protested strongly      
yesterday against our remarks1 made on  
the spur of the moment1 being printed   
and submitted to ,mr4 ,ruskin's         
criticism1 and what ,i said then ,i feel
 as strongly still4  ,but ,i have no    
objection to send1 as a comment on his  
,letters1 a volume of sermons which ,i  
published last year1 because ,i think   
that1 in that upon the hallowing of     
,god's name1 ,i have not taken the      
restricted view which ,mr4 ,ruskin      
accused the clergy of taking1 and ,i    
think also that 7except in the sermon   
upon the doctrine of the ,trinity1 which
 was written before the others1 and is  
tinged with the prejudices of early     
training71 ,i have set forth ,god the   
,father as a ,being of infinite1 tender1
 fatherly love4  ,so far as snails may  
follow in the footsteps of greyhounds1  
and bats look in the same direction as  
eagles1 ,i think some of us clergymen   
are getting our feet and our eyes into  
the same track as ,mr4 ,ruskin's4  ,it  

seems to me that all of us who think    
upon religious matters1 laity or clergy1
 whether men of genius or commonplace   
people1 are feeling our way at present  
to something better and truer4 ,men like
 ,mr4 ,ruskin1 like steamships1 dart on 
to their destination2 and feebler minds1
 like sailing vessels1 are a good deal  
at the mercy of the popularis aura and  
the winds of doctrine1 but both are on  
their way to the same point4  ,i send   
the volume by the same post as this     
letter4                                 
,yours very faithfully1                 
,h4 ,r4 ,s4                 ,from the   
,rev4 ,a4 ,g4 ,k4 ,,simpson1 ,brighton4 
,we are convinced that the love of ,god 
is the originating cause of all ,his    
dealings with mankind1 and are glad to  
meet him on the broad platform of ,our  
,father which art in heaven2 only       
premising that it is a platform not new 
to us1 but on which we have long taken  
our stand4  ,but beyond these somewhat  
general statements of our faith1 ,i     

doubt whether it would be possible to   
put ,divine truth into such plain words 
as would meet with general acceptance4  
,in proportion to the minuteness would  
be the disagreement4 ,to take one great 
truth 7perhaps the greatest of all71    
would it be possible to put forth a     
plain and simple statement1 such as all1
 or the majority1 would receive1 of the 
,atonement8 ,such a mind as ,mr4        
,ruskin's would not be content with the 
forensic view more popular some years   
ago than now4 ,wiser1 it seems to me1 it
 is to accept some such teaching as that
 of ,coleridge in ,aids to ,reflection4 
,the mysterious act1 the operative      
cause1 he says1 is transcendent4 ,factum
 est1 and beyond the information        
contained in the enunciation of the     
fact1 it can be characterized only by   
its consequences4 ,it is these          
consequences which 7according to        
,coleridge7 are illustrated by the four 
metaphors3--      #a4 ,sin-offering or  
expiation4      #b4 ,reconciliation4    

#c4 ,redemption4      #d4 ,payment of a 
debt4  ,now1 would not a plain1 a simple
 statement1 be apt to press the metaphor
 too far1 and attempt to put into words 
one aspect of the truth as though it    
were the whole8 ,such a reverent mind as
 ,bishop ,butler's reproved the         
curiosity which sought to find out the  
manner of the atonement4 ,i do not find1
 he said1 that it is declared in the    
,scriptures4 ,and yet the atonement is  
only one1 though perhaps the chief1 of  
the many points of which a true and     
simple statement must take cognizance4  
,it would be comparatively easy for the 
private clergyman to put into words his 
thoughts on this subject or that1 but   
then he would be continually liable to  
have it urged against him that he had   
not sufficiently considered some given  
point--had not walked round it1 and seen
 it in all its bearings2 that his view  
was inadequate and incomplete2 and1     
being fallible and human1 some of the   
objections would doubtless be true1 and 

the simple and plain statement be1 in   
that respect at least1 misguiding4      
,from the ,rev4 ,g4 ,w4 ,,wall1         
,bickerstaffe4                          
,,letter ,,ii  ,this ,letter professes  
to contain an exact question1 which is  
somewhat singularly inexactly put4 ,in  
its strict grammatical form it asks for 
a definition of the members of a        
,clerical ,council1 and their business  
as such4 ,this exact question is in fact
 an illustration of the fallacy of      
asking two questions in one1 though a   
question demanding to be answered with  
mathematical precision should have been 
set with mathematical accuracy4 ,but    
here at the outset a protest must be    
entered against being called upon to    
answer a question set in ambiguous words
 and misleading phrases1 and based upon 
assumptions which those questioned would
 reject4 ,it is impossible to deal with 
a so-called axiomatic question which    
instantly passes into a cloudy          
rhetorical illustration4  ,the attached 

servants of a particular ,state4 ,does  
that expression mean1 ,england1 with all
 thy faults1 ,i love thee still8 or1 is 
it used in the same sense as attached to
 the staff8 ,but are there many of the  
clergy who would say1 ,i am an attached 
and salaried servant of the ,state1 and 
nothing more8 ,are there many who would 
allow that they were salaried by the    
,state at all8 ,are there many who would
 grant that they had been examined and  
numbered and admitted into a body of    
trustworthy persons either by the ,state
 or by its agents8 ,and yet all these   
previous questions must be answered     
before we can consider at all the       
axiomatic question which the clergy are 
earnestly called upon to solve4 ,the    
question set down for solution implies  
some such inquiries as these3 ,is not   
the ,church of ,england merely a        
,department of the ,state of ,england8  
,does not a clergyman belong to the     
,ecclesiastical ,service just as an     
employe of the ,treasury1 or the ,home  

,office1 or the ,post ,office1 belongs  
to the ,civil ,service8 ,for example1   
the authorities at ,chamouni examine and
 approve of certain men as guides for   
mountaineering3 does not the ,english   
,state similarly examine and approve of 
certain men as guides for ,england and  
the ,english in the way known of all    
good men that leadeth unto life8 ,a most
 fallacious employment of a universal   
for a particular1 for either the clergy 
must be excluded from the number of all 
good men1 or the assertion that all good
 men agree in their knowledge falls to  
the ground1 seeing that in the fourth   
,letter the clergy are charged with not 
having determined quite clearly what the
 way that leadeth unto life may be4     
,but taking this ,alpine illustration   
for what it may be worth1 we may ask1   
,what does it mean8 ,is it not intended 
to exalt practical questions1 and to    
depreciate all doctrine and dogma and   
theological opinion1 either from its    
liability on the one hand to be narrow  

or insular1 ,chamounist or              
,grindelwaldist1 or on the other from   
its tendency to be vague and            
transcendental1 dealing with celestial  
mountains and unfathomable crevasses8   
,will it not admit of some such         
paraphrase as this1 ,your teachings as  
to ,episcopacy or ,congregationalism1   
seven sacraments or two1 and the like1  
are mere local opinions1 and so away    
with them2 your doctrines as to the     
,holy ,trinity1 the ,incarnation1 and   
the like1 are mere transcendentalism1   
and so away with them also1--      ',for
 modes of faith let zealous bigots      
fight1      ,he can't be wrong whose    
life is in the right4'  ,still it may be
 allowable to hint that the             
qualifications of a guide as laid down  
in this ,letter are somewhat peculiar4  
,it might have been supposed by a plain 
man that a ,chamounist guide was        
expected to know at least something as  
to the localities of the ,mer de ,glace1
 the ,jardin1 or the ,grand ,mulets1 but

 he is seemingly to rise superior to any
 ,chamounist opinions on geography1 and 
to be prepared to rely only upon a      
universal science of locality and       
athletics1 a reliance which has been the
 fruitful cause of mountaineering       
fatalities4  ,the reply which most      
,clerical ,councils would return        
respecting the axiomatic question of    
this ,letter would probably be1 ,we     
cannot answer a fallacy2 we are not     
careful to answer thee in this matter4  
,,letter ,,iii  ,a second question is   
now propounded respecting the ,christian
 ,gospel4 ,the ,gospel of ,christ is    
spoken of in a connection which seems to
 indicate that ,luther and ,augustine   
were equally1 in the writer's opinion1  
the setters forth of a gospel4 ,is this 
an unintentional disclosure of his      
estimate of our blessed ,lord1--,rabbi1 
we know that ,thou art a teacher come   
from ,god1 and no more than that8 ,for  
the eighth ,letter contains a sneer at  
the ,gospel that ,he is our ,advocate   

with the ,father1 as one to mend the    
world with4 ,a confused question        
follows1 which may mean either1 that it 
is in the first place desirable that the
 ,gospel should be put into plain words1
 or1 that the first principles of the   
,gospel should be put into plain words4 
,its probable meaning is1 ,is it not    
desirable that religious teaching should
 be divested of any mysteries8 ,the     
extraordinary supposition that the      
,gospel is intended to be set forth in  
the ,thirty-nine ,articles can only be  
equalled by a supposition that a        
treatise on military tactics is embodied
 in the ,articles of ,war4 ,perhaps even
 some of the axiomatic principles of    
mathematics1 such as that a point is    
that which hath no parts1 though laid   
down in plain words and short terms1    
might sorely perplex simple persons4    
,but several fallacies underlie this    
second question4 ,the fallacy that the  
moral principles of our nature are      
necessarily connected with the extent of

 our intellectual capacities2 the       
fallacy that ,divine ,truths can be     
adequately expressed through the        
inaccurate instrument of human language2
 the fallacy that deep things are       
necessarily made plain by the use of    
plain words2 the fallacy that everything
 upon which we act is necessarily       
understood4 ,a plain man does not refuse
 to use the telegraph because he may    
know nothing about the ,correlation of  
,force1 or a simple person to travel    
because space is beyond his             
comprehension4 ,if the ,gospel is1 as   
,st4 ,paul says it is1 a revelation of  
the power of ,god unto salvation1 an    
amount of mystery must necessarily      
surround it4 ,since it is impossible    
that the ,divine ,nature should be to us
 other than a mystery1 a revelation of  
,divine purposes such as is the ,gospel 
as understood by the ,church1 must      
remain mysterious also4 ,only upon the  
supposition that our ,lord was the      
teacher of a high but still human       

morality can we remove all mystery from 
the ,christian ,gospel1 if it still     
deserve the name4 ,such teaching might  
be conveyed in plain words and short    
terms1 but it would cease to be a       
,gospel which angels desire to look     
into1 and could hardly be described as  
the manifold wisdom of ,god1 or be the  
story of the love of ,christ1 which     
passeth knowledge4  ,the ,gospel1 as the
 ,church understands it1 rests upon the 
revealed fact of the ,incarnation1 or   
the union of the ,infinite with the     
,finite1 that ,he who is very ,god of   
very ,god became man in order to        
introduce the ,divine possibility of    
manhood being made to partake of the    
,divine nature2 and so long as the      
triumphal chant ascends that the        
,catholic ,faith is this1 so long will  
the ,church's ,faith be veiled indeed   
with mystery1 and so long will she      
continue to gather within her bounds the
 humble and holy men of heart1 who are  
content to say1 ,i cannot understand3 ,i

 love4 ,that ,god sent ,his             
only-begotten ,son into the world that  
we might live through ,him are short and
 plain words enough1 and ,gospel enough1
 surely1 but the depth of their meaning 
is unfathomable by even the most        
cultivated understanding1 to which the  
power of ,god and the wisdom of ,god may
 appear to be but foolishness4          
,,letter ,,ix  ,this ,letter1 after     
endorsing the expressions of the        
preceding one1 deals apparently with    
,capital and ,labour4 ,the clergy1 if   
not required to divide the inheritance  
among their brethren1 or to actually    
serve tables1 are1 taking ,property is  
theft as their text1 to resolutely and  
daily inquire how the dinners of their  
flock are earned4 ,the gist of the      
,letter seems to be that the worker     
earns and the capitalist steals his     
dinner4 ,it is really possible that the 
clergy do constantly speak the truth1   
boldly rebuke vice1 and patiently suffer
 for the truth's sake1 even though they 

may not subscribe to all the articles of
 some peculiar schemes of social        
science1 nor hold some singular         
doctrines as to political economy4      
,doubtless were they to assimilate their
 conduct to that of an injudicious      
district-visitor1 they would have to    
take a new view of life and its         
sacraments1 whatever this expression may
 mean4  ,it would seem as if the writer 
had yet to learn that a ,christian      
,church may exist teaching the most     
dogmatic definitions of doctrine1       
binding1 even in this respect1 burdens  
on men's shoulders grievous to be borne1
 while its members may be patterns of   
self-denial in offices of temporal      
ministry to the poor4 ,he does not      
appear to regard with favour the        
,evangelistic sect of the ,english      
,church2 if this is intended for the    
,evangelical sect1 ,charles ,kingsley   
could say1 in a certain place1 of its   
founders1 ,they were inspired by a      
strange new instinct that ,god had      

bidden them 'to clothe the hungry and   
feed the naked4' ,yet these men thought 
that justification by faith only was the
 ,gospel they were to carry to mend the 
world with1 forsooth4                   
,,letter ,,xi  ,this concluding ,letter 
calls but for slight remark1--of many   
portions we feel ,o si sic omnia6 ,that 
there is much sorrowful truth underlying
 the unmeasured denunciations which have
 gone before few will care to deny4 ,few
 there are who will not pray to be kept 
from the evils which the writer         
discerns1 and against which he inveighs4
 ,such will be the first to regret that 
the ,letters1 as they read them1 seem to
 fall short of the fulness of the       
,catholic ,faith4 ,the holy teachers of 
all nations3 was our blessed ,lord but  
one of them8 ,there is nothing in the   
,letters to show that the full force and
 meaning of ,gospel teaching is         
concerned with anything beyond wealth1  
and comfort1 and national prosperity1   
and domestic peace4 ,preaching the      

acceptable year of the ,lord is         
something more surely than an invective 
against usury4  ,we read that in old    
times ,bezaleel was filled for his own  
work with the ,spirit of ,god1 but we do
 not read that he aspired to become a   
religious teacher2 and when we are told 
by one eminent in ,art that a ,church   
nineteen centuries old has yet to learn 
that the will of the ,lord is a         
sanctification which brings comfort and 
wealth in its train1 we think of a      
,moses who esteemed the reproach of     
,christ greater riches than all the     
treasures of ,egypt1 and then of a ,paul
 who counted all things but loss for the
 excellency of the knowledge of ,christ 
,jesus his ,lord4                       
,g4 ,w4 ,,wall4                         
,from ,,oxoniensis4   ,,dear ,,mr4      
,,malleson1--,many thanks for the       
pamphlet4 ,you ask me to send you any   
remarks ,i may have to make on the      
,letters1 and ,i gather from your note  
at the beginning of the ,letters as they

 now stand1 that you intend making use  
of any remarks sent you that may commend
 themselves to your judgment4 ,i am not 
vain enough to think mine of any special
 value4 ,i will1 however1 write you my  
feelings about them1 encouraged to do so
 by your statement in the note to the   
pamphlet1 that the use made of remarks  
sent you will be anonymous1 if it is so 
desired4  ,first1 as regards the general
 tone of the ,letters4 ,you tell me that
 the majority of the comments you have  
received have been hostile--people not  
taking their medicine without making wry
 faces4 ,i am only surprised at the     
gentleness of the ,letters1 and ,i      
believe that if anyone will take the    
trouble to put down for himself on paper
 the sum of their contents1 he will find
 it as difficult to gainsay as for      
careless readers it is easy to cavil at4
 ,on the other hand1 the hostile spirit 
is readily provoked by the way in which 
some of the teaching of the ,letters is 
put4 ,passages like the sixth paragraph 

in ,letter ,x4 appear an objectionable  
joke to some--perhaps to most--people2  
they do not see that it is really a     
serious jest1 so put for brevity's sake1
 and that ,ruskin might have put the    
same note to it as he has put to a      
passage in the ,crown of ,wild ,olive1  
p4 #he1 #hvo ed43 ,quite serious all    
this1 though it reads like jest4 ,i     
remember once asking ,ruskin if his     
apparent joking in some ,oxford lectures
 was not likely to lessen his influence1
 and he at once said to me1 ,remember   
that most of my apparent jokes are      
serious1 ghastly jests4 ,i think he     
would be less often misunderstood1 if   
this were more often understood4  ,your 
own preface marks the two main points in
 the spirit of the ,letters4 ,they are  
sternly practical1 and at the same time 
their standard is one of an ideal       
perfection4 ,people don't see that      
because the goal cannot be reached1 the 
road towards it can still be trodden1   
and therefore they apply to the road an 

epithet which applies only to the goal4 
,in this respect ,ruskin's teaching     
might be mottoed with ,george           
,herbert's--                      ,who  
aimeth at the sky     ,shoots higher    
much than he that means a tree4  ,in    
fact1 ,ruskin's teaching1 like that of  
the ,bible1 is not unpractical1 but     
unpractised4  ,i will now take the      
,letters in detail4 ,the first four of  
them are merely introductory to the main
 matter of the eleven4 ,in these first  
five two questions are asked--  #a4     
,what is a clergyman of the ,church of  
,england8 ,and to this the suggested    
answer is 7whom does it offend871 ,a    
teacher of the ,gospel of ,christ to all
 nations4  #b4 ,what is the teaching of 
the ,gospel he is to teach8 ,what is    
that teaching1 clearly and simply put8  
,then ,letter ,,iv4 suggests that the   
,lord's ,prayer may be taken as         
containing the cardinal points of that  
teaching1 containing not all that is to 
be learnt1 but what all have to learn4  

,and so we come to ,letter ,v42 and ,i  
tried1 in reading the ,letters for      
myself1 to do for them what ,letter     
,,iii4 asks clergymen to do for the     
,gospel4  ,letter ,v4--,a clergyman's   
first duty is to make the ,lord's       
,prayer clear and living to his people4 
,this is what ,ruskin has elsewhere     
insisted on in other matters--clear1    
know your duty and your belief2 living1 
realize it in your life--realize it as a
 ,captain's order1 to be obeyed 7,crown 
of ,wild ,olive1 ,introduction1 p4 #ac4 
,the whole of this ,introduction reads  
well with these ,letters74 ,then the    
first clause of the ,prayer is set forth
 as putting before us ,god as a loving  
,father4  ,letter ,,vi4--,hallowed be   
,thy name4 ,how do we fulfil the hope in
 our lives8 ,how do we betray it8 ,not  
in swearing only1 as we are apt to      
think1 but in the blasphemy of false and
 hypocritical prayer to1 and praise of1 
preaching about ,god 7last paragraph of 
the ,letter74 ,clergymen1 it is added1  

can prevent openly wicked men from being
 in their congregations 7they are       
supposed to do so3 ,rubrics #b and #c   
before the ,holy ,communion ,service72  
they can not only compel the wicked poor
 into1 but expel the wicked rich out of1
 churches4 ,god sees the heart3 the     
clergy should look to the hands and     
lips4  ,letter ,,vii4--,thy kingdom     
come3--not an allusion to the second    
coming of the ,son1 which we cannot     
hasten1 but to the coming of the kingdom
 of ,god the ,father1 which we can4     
,this is again illustrated by the ,crown
 of ,wild ,olive 7,i daresay it is by   
others of ,ruskin's books1 but it is    
convenient to refer chiefly to one1 and 
that the one which contains what he     
calls his most biblical lecture71 p4    
#ef3 ,observe it is a kingdom that is to
 come to us2 we are not to go to it4    
,also it is not to be a kingdom of the  
dead1 but of the living4 ,also it is not
 to come all at once1 but quietly 444   
without observation4 ,also it is not to 

come outside of us1 but in our hearts3  
'the kingdom of ,god is within you4'    
,this is the sense in which we can      
hasten it4  ,letter ,,viii4 begins with 
a hit at the pleasure priests take in   
their priesthood's dignity1 and at their
 avoidance of its unpleasant duties1 and
 at their sometimes wearisome preaching4
  ,have they ever taught ,thy will be   
done1 as it should be--#a4 ,in our own  
sanctification2 #b4 ,in understanding   
that will1 and doing it1 and striving to
 get it done 7knowing their duty and    
doing it1 and it alone78  ,the remarks  
about the mediatorial                   
7absolving-from-punishment7 and the     
pastoral 7purging-from-sin7 functions of
 a pastor1 seem to me quite admirable4  
,the end of the ,letter is subsequently 
amplified1 ,letter ,x4  ,letter         
,,ix4--,give us this day our daily      
bread4 ,yes1 but we must work for it4   
,the man that will not work1 neither    
shall he eat4 ,a cardinal point with    
,ruskin3 ,but if you do 7i4e41 wish for 

,god's kingdom71 you must do more than  
pray for it1 you must work for it       
7,crown of ,wild ,olive1 p4 #ef74  ,and 
the clergyman has to teach 7,letter     
,,ix4 goes on7 what that work is and how
 it is to be done2 and the life1 to     
which their teaching should lead1 is one
 moderate in its self-indulgence1 wide  
in its offices of temporal ministry to  
the poor1 in the absence of which1      
prayer for harvest is mere blasphemy4   
,for the spiritual bread is the first   
thing1 and a clergyman's first message1 
,choose ye this day whom ye will serve4 
,letter ,x4--,forgive us our trespasses4
 ,the explanation of trespasses1 and    
substitution of debts for it1 is        
admirable 7,dimitte nobis debita        
nostra71 and admirably illustrated by   
the sins of omission being condemned in 
,christ's judgment1--,i was hungry1 and 
ye gave ,me no meat4  ,the remarks on   
the pleasantness of the ,english liturgy
 recall those on the avoidance of       
unpleasantness by the ,english clergy in

 ,letter ,,viii4  ,i pass over the notes
 on the advantage of forms of prayer1   
and come to the end of ,letter ,x4 and  
,letter ,,xi41 which go together1 and   
say practically1 ,pray honestly or not  
at all4 ,faithful prayer implies always 
correlative exertions2 dishonest prayer 
is blasphemy of the worst kind4  ,crown 
of ,wild ,olive1 p4 #ee1 again3         
,everybody in this room has been taught 
to pray daily1 ',thy kingdom come4'     
,now1 if we hear a man swear in the     
streets1 we think it very wrong1 and say
 he 'takes ,god's name in vain4' ,but   
there is a twenty times worse way of    
taking ,his name in vain than that4 ,it 
is to ask ,god for what we don't want4  
,he doesn't like that sort of prayer4   
,if you don't want a thing1 don't ask   
for it2 such asking is the worst mockery
 of your ,king you can insult ,him with2
 the soldiers striking ,him on the head 
was nothing to that4 ,if you do not wish
 for ,his kingdom1 don't pray for it4   
,in fact1 prayer is worse than useless  

if not sincere1 and it is insincere if  
not carried out in the life of the      
pray-er4 ,thus1 ,one hour in the        
execution of justice is worth seventy   
years of 7insincere7 prayer 7,mahometan 
maxim1 ,crown of ,wild ,olive1 p4 #di74 
,i must stop4 ,only the fifth paragraph 
in ,letter ,,xi41 about parents looking 
for opportunities for their children1 is
 exactly parallel with ,sesame and      
,lilies1 #hvo edition1 p4 #b 7,sub4 #a1 
,sec4 #b71 which might be added in an   
illustrative note4 ,i must apologize for
 my long and rambling letter1 but if it 
is of the least service to you ,i shall 
be content4 ,i feel how inadequate it is
 to what ,i meant it to be1 only ,i have
 no time just now to do more than write1
 as this letter is written--at the point
 of the pen4                            
,,oxoniensis4                           
,,letters ,,from                        
,,brantwood-,,on-,,the-,,lake           
,,to ,,the                              
,,vicarage ,,of                         

,,broughton-,,in-,,furness              
,,preface   ,some apology will naturally
 be expected for setting the following  
letters before the searching eye of a   
critical and possibly censorious public4
 ,i can only plead that the suggestion  
of their publication did not emanate    
from myself 7for the idea of making     
these letters public property had never 
once in fifteen years crossed my mind71 
but was made to me by friends to whom it
 appeared that much in these letters is 
strongly characteristic of ,mr4 ,ruskin1
 and illustrates 7much too indulgently1 
alas67 the estimate he is good enough to
 form of a correspondent who does not to
 this day clearly understand to what    
happy circumstance he is indebted for so
 fortunate a partiality4 ,at the same   
time it must be confessed that ,laudari 
a viro laudato is a harmless ambition   
for the possession of a stimulus which  
is good for every soul of man4  ,i will 
say no more upon that subject1 lest my  
self-depreciation should be set down to 

vanity4 ,nevertheless it has always been
 a source of innocent pleasure to me    
that ,i have been enabled to bring my   
ship without damage through so perilous 
a voyage to port in a safe and          
honourable harbourage4  ,the matters    
discussed in the following letters range
 only over a narrow field2 but it will  
be found that they present a truly      
life-like picture of the writer with his
 shrewd common-sense and deeper wisdom1 
enlivened in no small measure by a quick
 impulsiveness which is sometimes rather
 startling4 ,some of his sudden sallies 
serve the purpose of the condiments1    
which displeasing if taken alone1 give  
piquancy to our ordinary food4          
,f4 ,a4 ,,malleson4                     
#a4                                     
,july #hth1 #ahgi4  ,,my ,,dear ,,mr4   
,,malleson1--,you must make no public   
announcement of any paper by me4 ,i am  
not able to count on my powers of mind  
for an hour2 and will absolutely take no
 responsibility4 ,what ,i do send       

you--if anything--will be in the form of
 a series of short letters to yourself1 
of which you have already the first3    
,this the second for the sake of        
continuing the order unbroken contains  
the next following question which ,i    
should like to ask4 ,if when the        
sequence of letters is in your          
possession you like to read any part or 
parts of them as a subject of discussion
 at your afternoon meeting1 ,i shall be 
glad and grateful4                      
,ever faithfully yours1                 
,j4 ,,ruskin4                           
#b4                                     
,undated4  ,i am so ashamed of keeping  
,r4's book--but it's impossible for me  
to look at it properly till ,i have done
 my lecture1 so much must be left undone
 of it anyhow 99 99 99  ,yes--you were  
glad to find we were at one in many     
thoughts4 ,so was ,i4 ,but we are not   
yet1 you know1 at one in our sight of   
this world and the dark ways of it4 ,i  
hope to have you for a ,st4 ,george's   

soldier one day4                        
#c4                                     
#bcrd ,july1 #ahgi4  ,thanks for your   
note and your kind feelings4 ,but you   
ought to know more about me4  ,i profess
 to be a teacher2 as you profess also4  
,but we teach on totally different      
methods4  ,you believe what you wish to 
believe2 teach that it is wicked to     
doubt it1 and remain at rest and in much
 self-satisfaction4  ,i believe what ,i 
find to be true1 whether ,i like or     
dislike it4 ,and ,i teach other people  
that the chief of all wickednesses is to
 tell lies in ,god's service1 and to    
disgrace our ,master and destroy ,his   
sheep as involuntary ,wolves4  ,i1      
therefore1 am in perpetual effort to    
learn and discern--in perpetual ,unrest 
and ,dissatisfaction with myself4  ,but 
it would simply require you to do twenty
 years of such hard work as ,i have done
 before you could in any true sense     
speak a word to me on such matters4 ,you
 could not use a word in my sense4 ,it  

would always mean to you something      
different4  ,for instance--one of my    
quite bye works in learning my business 
of a teacher--was to read the ,new      
,testament through in the earliest      
,greek ,,ms4 7eleventh century7 which ,i
 could get hold of4 ,i examined every   
syllable of it and have more notes of   
various readings and on the real        
meanings of perverted passages than you 
would get through in a year's work4 ,but
 ,i should require you to do the same   
work before ,i would discuss a text with
 you4 ,from that and such work in all   
kinds ,i have formed opinions which you 
could no more move than you could       
,coniston ,old ,man4 ,they may be wrong1
 ,god knows2 ,i trust in them infinitely
 less than you do in those which you    
have formed simply by refusing to       
examine--or to think--or to know what is
 doing in the world about you2 but you  
cannot stir them4  ,i very very rarely  
make presents of my books4 ,if people   
are inclined to learn from them1 ,i say 

to them as a physician would--,pay me my
 fee--you will not obey me if ,i give   
you advice for nothing4  ,but ,i should 
like a kind neighbour like you to know  
something about me1 and ,i have         
therefore desired my publisher to send  
you one#ba of my many books which1 after
 doing the work that ,i have done1 you  
would have to read before you could     
really use words in my meaning4         
#ba ,crown of ,wild ,olive4--,,ed4      
,if you will read the introduction      
carefully1 and especially dwell      on 
the #ajth to #aeth lines of the #aeth   
page1 you will at least know      me a  
little better than to think ,i believe  
in my own      resurrection--but not in 
,christ's3 and if you look to the final 
essay on ,war1 you may find some things 
in it which will be of      interest to 
you in your own#bb work4       #bb      
,translating some of                    
,erckmann-,chatrian's4--,,ed4           
#d4                                     
,,venice1 #hth ,september1 #ahgi4  99 99

 99 99 ,there is nothing whatever said  
as far as ,i remember in the ,july      
',fors1' about people's surrendering    
their judgment4 ,a colonel does not     
surrender his judgment in obeying his   
general1 nor a soldier in obeying his   
colonel4 ,but there can be no army where
 they act on their own judgments4  ,the 
,society of ,jesuits is a splendid proof
 of the power of obedience1 but its     
curse is falsehood4 ,when the ,master of
 ,st4 ,george's ,company bids you lie1  
it will be time to compare our          
discipline to the ,jesuits4 ,we are     
their precise opposites--fiercely and at
 all costs frank1 while they are calmly 
and for all interests lying4            
#e4                                     
,,brantwood1 ,,coniston1                
,july #cjth1 #ahgi4  ,,dear ,,mr4       
,,malleson1--,i fear ,i have kept the   
proofs too long1 but ,i wanted to look  
atain4 ,i am confirmed in my impression 
that the book will do much good4#bc ,but
 ,i think it would have done more if you

 had written the lives of two or three  
of your parishioners4 ,such an answer   
would ,i give to a painter who sent to  
me a picture of the ,last ,supper4 ,you 
had better1 it seems to me1 have painted
 a ,harvest ,home4 ,i am gravely        
doubtful of the possibility1 in these   
days1 of writing or painting on such    
subjects1 advisedly and securely4       
,ever affectionately yours1             
,j4 ,r4       #bc ,life and ,work of    
,jesus ,christ4 ,ward  ,lock4--,,ed4    
#f4                                     
,july #cast1 #ahgi4  ,i have received   
this week the two most astonishing      
letters ,i ever yet received in my life4
 ,and one of them is yours1 read this   
morning--telling me--that you don't     
think you could write the life of an old
 woman6 ,yet you think you can write the
 life of ,christ6  ,if you can at all   
explain this state of your mind to me ,i
 will tell you more distinctly what ,i  
think of the piece ,i saw4 ,but ,i don't
 think you will communicate the thought 

to your publisher2 and ,i never meant   
you to use my former one in that manner4
  ,mind a publisher thinks only of      
money1 and ,i know nothing of           
saleableness4 ,the pause in my other    
letters is one of pure astonishment at  
you2 which at present occupies all the  
time ,i have to spare on the subject1   
and has culminated to-day4  ,i am so    
puzzled4 ,i can scarcely think of       
anything else till you tell me what you 
mean in the bit about being called late4
  ,have you done no work in the vineyard
 'yet' then8                            
#g4                                     
,august #bnd1 #ahgi4  ,i am still simply
 speechless with astonishment at you4   
,it is no question of your right to the 
best ,i can say2 it is all at your      
command4 ,but for the present my tongue 
cleaves to the roof of my mouth4 ,i can 
only tell you with all the strength ,i  
have to read and understand and believe 
#b ,esdras iv4 #b1 #bj1 #ba4bd       #bd
 ,thy heart hath gone too far in this   

world1 and thinkest thou      to        
comprehend the way of the most ,high8   
,then answered he me1 and      said1    
,thou hast given a right judgment1 but  
why judgest thou not      thyself also4 
,for like as the ground is given unto   
the wood1 and      the sea to his       
floods3 even so they that dwell upon the
 earth may      understand nothing1 but 
that which is upon the earth3 and he    
only      that dwelleth above the       
heavens1 may understand the things that 
are      above the height of the        
heavens4                                
#h4                                     
,august #dth1 #ahgi4  ,it is just       
because you undertook the task so       
happily1 that ,i should have thought you
 unfit to write the life of a ,man of   
,sorrows1 even had he been a ,man only4 
,but your last letter1 remember1 claims 
inspiration for your guide1 and         
recognizes a personal call at sixty1 as 
if the ,call to the ministry had been   
none1 and the receiving the ,holy ,ghost

 by imposition of hands an empty        
ceremony4  ,in writing the life of a    
parishioner and in remitting or         
retaining their sins you would in my    
conception have been fulfilling your    
appointed work4 ,but ,i cannot conceive 
the claim to be a fit ,evangelist       
without more proof of miraculous        
appointment than you are conscious of4  
,i know you to be conscientious1        
yes--but ,i think the judicial doom of  
this country is to have conscience alike
 of its ,priests and ,prophets hardened4
 ,why should any letter of mine make you
 anxious if you had indeed conscience of
 inspiration8                           
,ever affectionately yours1             
,j4 ,r4                                 
#i4                                     
,august #gth4  ,i hope to be able soon  
now to resume the series of letters2 but
 it seems to me there is no need        
whatever of more than three or four more
 respecting the last clauses of the     
,lord's ,prayer4 ,those in your hands   

contain questions enough1 if seriously  
entertained1 to occupy twenty meetings2 
and ,i could only hope that some one of 
them might be carefully taken up by your
 friends4 ,i think1 however1 in case of 
the clerical feeling being too strong1  
that ,i must ask you1 if you print      
letters at all1 to print them without   
omission4 ,and if you do not print them1
 to return them to me for my own        
expansion and arrangement4              
,ever affectionately yours1             
,j4 ,r4                                 
#aj4                                    
,august #ith4  ,i have got to work on   
the letters again2 it would make me     
nervous to think of all these plans of  
yours4 ,suppose you leave all that till 
you see what the first debate comes     
to8#be ,and in the meantime ,i'll finish
 as best ,i can4       #be ,my clerical 
friends and brethren must not be        
displeased with      me if ,i here      
mention the fact that at the meeting of 
twenty-three      clergy where ,i       

proposed to read ,mr4 ,ruskin's letters 
to them1 ,i      was only authorized to 
do so by a majority of two4 ,i can      
scarcely      describe the dismay and   
consternation with which the letters    
themselves were received1--though of    
course not universally1 in      another 
meeting of the same number4             
#aa4                                    
,september #bnd4  ,that there are only a
 hundred copies in that form1#bf is just
 a reason why the book should be in your
 library1 where it will be enjoyed and  
useful2 and not in mine1 where it would 
not be opened once in a twelvemonth4 ,it
 is one of the advantages of a small    
house 7and it has many7 that one is     
compelled to consider of all one's books
 whether they are in use or not4        
#bf ,grosart1 ,poems of ,christopher    
,harvey4  ,i yesterday ordered a ',fors'
 to be sent you containing in its close 
the most important piece of a religious 
character in the book--this ,i hope you 
will also allow to stay on your shelves4

 ,the two that ,i sent with this note   
contain so much that is saucy that ,i   
only send them in case you want to look 
at the challenge referred to in the     
,letters to the ,bishop of ,manchester1 
see ,october1 #ahgg1 pp4 #cbb1 #cbc1 and
 ,january #ahge1 p4 #aa4 ,you can keep  
as long as you like1 but please take    
care of them1 as my index is not yet    
done4 ,the next letter will come before 
the week end1 but it's a difficult one4 
#ab4                                    
,,the ,,vicarage1                       
,,broughton-,,in-,,furness1             
,september #dth1 #ahgi4  ,,my ,,dear    
,,mr4 ,,ruskin1--,these parish          
engagements having been discharged which
 have taken up my time very closely     
since ,i came back from ,brighton1 ,i am
 returning to your letters1 and ,i think
 you would like to know what ,i am      
doing4 ,i am copying them down1 first1  
as ,i can read them aloud better in my  
own handwriting1 and secondly1 because  
,i shall not place the originals in the 

printer's hands4  ,then many thoughts   
arise in my mind as ,i re-peruse them1  
and ,i must needs 7and ,i think ,i am   
allowed7 give expression to my thoughts4
 ,hence each letter is followed by my   
own comments or reflections upon it4    
,but this need not make you feel        
nervous4 ,on the whole there is much    
agreement between your modes of thought 
on religious subjects and my own4  ,if  
this is thought a piece of cool         
assurance1 ,i may reply in the words or 
sense of ,euclid1 ,that similar         
triangles may have the most various     
areas4 ,i am not equal to you1 but ,i   
claim to be similar4 ,these comments ,i 
sometimes think ,i ought to show to you 
before publication2 but perhaps you will
 agree with me that if ,i am fit to be  
trusted at all1 ,i had better be left   
unconstrained4 ,i shall certainly come  
to you first1 if ,i find myself         
seriously at variance with you1 which   
has not happened yet as far as the first
 clause of the ,lord's ,prayer4 ,then it

 is likely that ,i shall read the       
letters before two or three ,clerical   
,societies1#bg including my own1 the    
,furness4       #bg ,at ,liverpool and  
,brighton4  ,the opinions delivered by  
those clergy it will be my duty1 and ,i 
hope it will be my pleasure1 to collect 
and to record4 ,i propose also to invite
 the clergy who have not time or        
opportunity to speak in the meeting to  
write to me1 and ,i will use my best    
judgment in selecting from their        
correspondence all that seems worth     
preserving4  ,i am very sensible that   
this is a most delicate and responsible 
task that is laid upon me1 and ,i wonder
 to find myself so engaged4 ,it will    
need tact1 discretion1 and kindness of  
heart1 and ,i trust ,i may be endued    
with the necessary qualifications to a  
much larger extent than ,i think ,i     
naturally possess4  ,i find no small    
comfort at the foot of the first page of
 the ,preface to ,sesame and ,lilies4   
,there ,i feel ,i am at one with you4   

,ever affectionately yours1             
,f4 ,a4 ,,malleson4                     
#ac4                                    
,,brantwood1 ,september #eth1 #ahgi4  ,i
 shall be delighted to have the         
comments1 though it will be well first  
to have the series of letters done--the 
last but one is coming to-morrow4 ,i    
have only written them in the sense of  
your sympathy in most points1 and am    
sure you will make the best possible use
 of them4                               
#ad4                                    
,september #gth1 #ahgi4  ,it is rather  
comic that your first reply to my       
challenge concerning usury should be a  
prospectus of a ,company#bh wishing to  
make #e per cent4 out of ,broughton poor
 men's ignorance4 ,you couldn't have    
sent me a project ,i should have        
regarded with more abomination4         
#bh ,a projected ,public ,hall4         
#ae4                                    
,september #ith1 #ahgi4  ,there is      
absolutely no debate possible as to what

 usury is any more than what adultery   
is4 ,the ,church has only been polluted 
by the indulgence of it since the #afth 
century4 ,usury is any kind whatever of 
interest on loan1 and it is the         
essential modern form of ,satan4  ,i    
send you an old book full of sound and  
eternal teaching on this matter--please 
take care of it as a friend's gift1 and 
one ,i would not lose for its weight in 
gold4 ,please read first the ,sermon by 
,bishop ,jewel1 page #ad1 and then the  
rest at your pleasure or your leisure4  
,no halls are wanted1 they are all rich 
men's excuses for destroying the home   
life of ,england4  ,the public library  
should be at the village school 7and ,i 
could put ten thousand pounds' worth of 
books into a single cupboard71 and all  
that is done for education should be    
pure ,gift4 ,do you think that this rich
 ,england1 which spends fifty millions a
 year in drink and gunpowder1 can't     
educate her poor without being paid     
interest for her ,charity8         99   

99       99       99       99  ,at the  
time of writing this the following      
letters passed between ,mr4 ,ruskin and 
myself3--                               
#af4                                    
,,the ,,vicarage1                       
,,broughton-,,in-,,furness1             
,september #abth1 #ahgi4  ,,my ,,dear   
,,mr4 ,,ruskin1--,i feel in a great     
strait4 ,i have before me a task of the 
utmost delicacy1 and one before which ,i
 feel that ,i ought to shrink1--that of 
editing your letters1 with the          
accompaniment of comments of my own4    
,you trust me1 evidently1 or you would  
have laid down limitations to guard     
yourself against misrepresentation4 ,my 
anxiety is lest ,i should abuse that    
large and generous confidence you have  
so kindly placed in me4 ,let me explain 
my position1 as ,i see it myself4  ,the 
series will consist of eleven letters1  
when you have sent me your last4 ,i have
 now copied nine1 and written concisely 
the views ,i have presumed to form upon 

each4 ,with every letter ,i mostly agree
 and sympathize1 looking on them as     
counsels of perfection1 and viewing the 
great subjects you deal with from a far 
higher standpoint than 7in my           
experience7 either laymen or clergymen  
generally view them4 ,all that there is 
in me of enthusiasm rings in answering  
chords to the notes you strike4 ,yet ,i 
do not always agree4 ,but when ,i do    
disagree1 ,i acknowledge it is because  
your standard is excessively high--too  
high for practical purposes4  ,now1 ,i  
ask1 shall you consider it strictly fair
 and honourable in me to receive your   
letters1 read them or send them to      
assemblies of clergy1 gather their      
views1 both adverse and favourable1 and 
add diffident animad-versions of my own8
 ,if you will allow this to be right1   
and if you will trust to my sense of    
what is proper1 to deal with your       
letters in the spirit of a ,christian   
and a gentleman1 then1 hoping to fulfil 
your expectations1 ,i shall proceed in  

my work with a mind more at ease2 for ,i
 could not endure the thought that1     
after all was done1 ,i had written a    
single sentence or word that had        
inflicted pain upon you4  ,then comes   
another question4 ,do you wish to hear  
or read my comments before they are     
printed8 ,i say frankly1 if you trust   
me1 ,i would prefer not2 for it would   
not1 perhaps1 be pleasant for me either 
to read your praises1 or my poor        
criticisms1 to your face4 ,but still1 if
 you wish it1 ,i shall be ready at your 
bidding2 for ,i recognize your right to 
require it4 ,only ,i would rather read  
them to you myself some quiet autumn    
evening or two4                         
#ag4                                    
,september #acth4  ,,dear ,,mr4         
,,malleson1--,i am so very grateful for 
your proposal to edit the letters       
without further reference to me4 ,i     
think that will be exactly the right    
way2 and ,i believe ,i can put you at   
real ease in the doing of it by         

explaining as ,i can in very few words  
the kind of carte-blanche ,i should     
rejoicingly give you4  ,interrupted     
to-day6 more to-morrow1 with1 ,i hope1  
the last letter4                        
,j4 ,r4                                 
#ah4                                    
,sunday1 ,september #adth4  ,i've nearly
 done the last letter1 but will keep it 
to-morrow rather than finish hurriedly  
for the earlier post4 ,your nice little 
note has just come1 and ,i can only say 
that you cannot please me better than by
 acting with perfect freedom in all     
ways1 and that ,i only want to see or   
reply to what you wish me for the       
matter's sake4 ,and surely there is no  
occasion for any thought for waste of   
type about me personally1 except only to
 express your knowledge of my real      
desire for the health and power of the  
,church4 ,more than this praise you must
 not give me1 for ,i have learned almost
 everything ,i may say that ,i know by  
my errors4                              

,ever affectionately yours1             
,j4 ,,ruskin4                           
#ai4                                    
,september #afth1 #ahgi4  ,i should have
 returned these two recent letters      
before now1 but have been looking for   
the earlier letters which have got      
mislaid in a general rearrangement of   
all things by a new secretary4 ,i am    
almost sure to come on them to-morrow in
 my own packing up for town1 where ,i   
must be for a month hence4 ,please      
address1 c4                             
#bj4                                    
,undated4  ,i am sincerely grieved by   
the first part of your letter1 and      
scarcely like to trouble you with answer
 to the close4 99 99 99 ,surely the     
first thing to be done with the letters 
is to use them as you propose1 and you  
may find fifty suggestions1 made by     
persons or circumstances after that1    
worth considering4 ,i do not doubt that 
,i could easily add to the bulk of      
,,ms42 but should then1 ,i think1       

stipulate for having the book published 
by my own publisher4                    
#ba4                                    
,october #acth4  ,i did not get your    
kind and interesting letter till        
yesterday1 and can only write in utter  
haste this morning to say that ,i think 
nothing can possibly be more            
satisfactory 7to me personally at least7
 and more honourable than what you tell 
me of the wish of the meeting to have   
the letters printed for their quiet     
consideration4#bi       #bi ,canon      
,rawnsley kindly offered to print them  
at his own      expense2 only as many   
were printed as would be sufficient for 
three      or four clerical societies4  
,had ,i known how valuable those little 
pamphlets were destined to become1 ,i   
should have had many more               
printed6--,,ed4  ,they are entirely at  
your command and theirs--but don't sell 
the copyright to any publisher4 ,keep it
 in your own hands1 and after expenses  
are paid of course any profits should go

 to the poor4 ,please write during this 
week to me at ,st4 ,george's ,museum1   
,walkley1 ,sheffield4                   
#bb4                            ,from   
,,canon ,,farrar4                       
,october #bith1 #ahgi4  ,i am much      
obliged to you for your courtesy in     
sending me the letters4 ,i am not1      
however1 inclined to enter into any     
controversy1 being painfully overwhelmed
 with the very duties which ,mr4 ,ruskin
 seems to think that we don't           
do--looking after the material and      
religious interests of the sick1 the    
suffering1 the hungry1 the drunken1 and 
the extremely wretched4                 
,yours very truly1                      
,f4 ,w4 ,,farrar4                       
#bc4                                    
,,sheffield1 ,october #agth1 #ahgi4     
,,dear ,,mr4 ,,malleson1--,i am         
sincerely interested and moved by your  
history of your laborious life--and     
shall be entirely glad to leave the     
completed volume as your property1      

provided always you sell it to no       
publisher--but take just percentage on  
the editions3 and provided also that an 
edition be issued of the letters        
themselves in their present simple form 
of which the profits1 if any1 shall be  
for the poor of the district4#cj ,it    
would lower your position in the whole  
matter if it could be hinted that ,i had
 written the letters with any           
semi-purpose of serving my friend4 ,on  
the other hand you will have just and   
honourable right to the profits of the  
completed edition which your labour and 
judgment will have made possible and    
guided into the most serviceable form4  
#cj ,this1 of course1 with ,mr4 ,allen's
 concurrence1 is my                     
intention4--,,ed4  ,i am thankful to see
 that the letters read clearly and      
easily1 and contain all that it was in  
my mind to get said2 that nothing can be
 possibly more right in every way than  
the printing and binding--nor more      
courteous and firm than your preface4   

,yes--there will be a chasm to cross--a 
tauriformis ,aufidus#ca--;greater than  
,rubicon1 and the roar of it for many a 
year has been heard in the distance1    
through the gathering fog on earth more 
loudly4       #ca ,sic tauriformis      
volvitur ,aufidus1           ,qui regna 
,dauni praefluit ,appuli                
,quum saevit1 horrendamque cultis       
,diluviem meditatur agris4              
--,,hor4 ,carm4 iv4 #ad4  ,the ,river of
 ,spiritual ,death in this world--and   
entrance to ,purgatory in the other1    
come down to us4  ,when will the feet of
 the ,priests be dipped in the still    
brim of the water8 ,jordan overflows his
 banks already4         99       99     
99       99       99  ,when you have got
 your large edition with its            
correspondence into form1 ,i should like
 to read the sheets as they are issued1 
and put merely letters of reference1 a1 
b1 and c1 to be taken up in a short     
epilogue4 ,but ,i don't want to do or   
say anything till you have all in       

perfect readiness for publication4 ,i   
should merely add my reference letters  
in the margin1 and the shortest possible
 notes at the end4  ,please send me ten 
more of these private ones for my own   
friends4                                
,ever affectionately yours1             
,j4 ,,ruskin4                           
#bd4                   ,extract of a    
,letter from the late                   
,,miss ,,susanna ,,beever4     7,the    
,younger ,lady of the ,thwaite1         
,coniston1 to whom ,mr4 ,ruskin         
dedicated ,frondes ,agrestes47          
,october #bhth1 #ahgi4  ,,dear ,,mr4    
,,malleson1--,my sister has asked me to 
write and thank you for two copies of   
,mr4 ,ruskin's ,letters1 which you have 
been so good as to send to her4 ,it is  
curious that before the post came this  
morning ,i had been wondering whether ,i
 might ask you for a copy4 99 99 99 ,i  
have already read these deeply          
interesting ,letters five times4 ,they  
are like the foam globes of leaven1 ,i  

might say they have exercised my mind   
very much4 ,things in them which at     
first seemed rather startling1 prove on 
closer examination to be full of deep   
truth4 ,the suggestions in them lead to 
great searchings of heart4 ,there is    
much with which ,i entirely agree2 much 
over which to ponder4 ,what an insight  
into human nature is shown in the remark
 that though we are so ready to call    
ourselves miserable sinners1 we resent  
being accused of any special fault4 99  
99 99                                   
#be4                                    
,november #gth1 #ahgi4  ,i am so glad we
 understand each other now and that you 
will carry out your plan quietly4  ,i   
think you should correct the present    
little book by my revise1 and print     
enough for whatever private circulation 
the members of the meeting wish1 but    
that it should not be made public till  
well after the large book is out4 ,for  
which ,i shall look with deepest        
interest4                               

#bf4                                    
,november #aith1 #ahgi4  ,,my ,,dear    
,,malleson1--,i have not been able to   
answer a word lately1 being quite       
unusually busy in ,france--and you never
 remember that it takes me as long to   
write a chapter as you to write a book1 
and tries me more to do it--so that ,i  
am sick of the feel of a pen this many a
 day4 ,i'm delighted to hear of your    
popularity1#cb being sure that all you  
advise people to do will be kind and    
right4 ,i am not surprised at the       
popularity1 but ,i wonder that you have 
not had some nasty envious reviews4#cc  
#cb ,meaning in the press notices of the
 ,editor's ,life of      ,christ4--,,ed4
       #cc ,seventeen very good1 five   
good1 five fair1 six bad1      two      
nasty1 envious6--,,ed4  ,i like the     
impudence of these ,scotch brats4#cd ,do
 they suppose it would have been either 
pleasure or honour to me to come and    
lecture there8 ,it is perhaps as much   
their luck as mine that they changed    

their minds about it4 ,i shall be down  
at ,brantwood soon 7,d4,v474 ,poor ,mr4 
,sly's#ce death is a much more troublous
 thing to me than ,glasgow ,elections4  
#cd ,glasgow ,university4       #ce ,of 
the ,waterhead1 ,coniston4              
#bg4                                    
,january #eth1 #ahhj4  ,a ,happy ,new   
,year to you4 ,if ,i may judge or guess 
by the efforts made to draw me into the 
business1 it is likely to be a busy one 
for you6 ,will you kindly now send me   
back my old book on ,usury8 ,i've got a 
letter 7which for his lordship's sake   
had better never been written7 from the 
,bishop of ,manchester1 and may want to 
quote a word or two of my back letter4  
,i send the letter with my reply this   
month to the ,contemporary4             
#bh4                                    
,january #gth1 #ahhj4  ,so many thanks  
for your kind little note and the book  
which ,i have received quite safely2 and
 many more thanks for taking all the    
enemies' fire off me and leaving me     

quiet4 ,i've been all this morning at   
work on finches and buntings2 but ,i    
must give the ,bishop a turn to-morrow4 
,this weather takes my little wits out  
of me wofully2 but ,i am always         
affectionately yours1                   
,j4 ,r4                                 
#bi4                                    
,may #ajth1 #ahhj4  ,,my ,,dear         
,,malleson1--,yes1 the omission of the  
',mr4' meant much change in all my      
feelings towards you and estimates of   
you--for which change1 believe me1 ,i am
 more glad and thankful than ,i can well
 tell you4 ,not but that of course ,i   
always felt your essential goodness and 
rightness of mind1 but ,i did not at all
 understand the scope of them4  ,and you
 will have the reward of the ,visitation
 of the ,sick1 though every day ,i am   
more sure of the mistake made by good   
people universally--in trying to pull   
fallen people up--instead of keeping yet
 safe ones from tumbling after them1 and
 always spending their pains on the     

worst instead of the best material4 ,if 
they want to be able to save the lost   
like ,christ1 let them first be sure    
they can say with ,him1 ,of those ,thou 
gavest ,me ,i have lost none4           
,ever affectionately yours1             
,j4 ,,ruskin4  ,the ',epilogue's' an    
awful bother to me in this ,may time6 ,i
 have not done a word yet1 but you shall
 have it before the week is out4        
#cj4                                    
,april #ag4  ,the letters seem all very 
nice--,i shall have very little to say  
about them1 except to explain what you  
observe and have been misunderstood4444 
,of course my notes shall be sent to you
 and added to when you see need4 ,but ,i
 cannot do it quickly4                  
#ca4                                    
,april #ad1 #ahhj4  ,thanks for nice new
 proofs4 ,i haven't found any false     
references1 but ,i didn't look4 ,i'll   
have all verified by my secretary4 ,i'm 
busy with an article on modern novels   
and don't feel a bit pious just now2 so 

the responses have hung fire4           
#cb4                                    
,may #i4  ,you are really very good     
about this1 and shall have the notes    
7,d4,v47 within a fortnight4 ,the ,scott
 could not be put off1 being promised   
for ,june #ai1 ,nineteenth ,century1 and
 ,i could not do novels and sermons     
together4 ,i don't think the notes will 
be long4 ,the letters seem to be mostly 
compliments or small objections not     
worth noticing4                         
#cc4                                    
,may #adth1 #ahhj4  ,i've just          
done--yesterday with ,scott1 and took up
 the letters for the first time this    
morning seriously4  ,i had never seen   
yours at all when ,i wrote last4 ,i fell
 first on ,mr4 ----1 whom ,i read with  
some attention1 and commented on with   
little favour2 went on to the next1 and 
remained content with that taste till ,i
 had done my ,scott4  ,i have this      
morning been reading your own1 on which 
,i very earnestly congratulate you4 ,god

 knows it isn't because they are        
friendly or complimentary1 but because  
you do see what ,i mean1 and people     
hardly ever do--and ,i think it needs   
very considerable power and feeling to  
forgive and understand as you do4 ,you  
have said everything ,i want to say1 and
 much more--except on the one point of  
excommunication1 which will be the      
chief1 almost the only subject of my    
final note4  ,i write in haste to excuse
 myself for my former note4             
,ever affectionately                    
and gratefully yours1                   
,j4 ,,ruskin4  7,,note4--,a legal friend
 remarks that in his opinion ,i should  
refrain from printing extracts from     
letters1 and always print the whole2 or1
 indeed1 in the present case1 the whole 
series of letters1 lest it should be    
suspected that ,i am making a           
self-indulgent selection only of the    
good words which ,mr4 ,ruskin is kind   
enough to use in his communications with
 me4 ,let me here say1 however1 that had

 there been in all these letters any    
which conveyed censure1 stricture1 or   
blame of any kind1 ,i should not have   
withheld my hand from including them4   
,but no such letters ever came to me4   
,mr4 ,ruskin is the very pink of        
courtesy with his friends1 and he may   
have suppressed remarks which he thought
 might wound me4 ,but ,i am reproducing 
here not my friend's secret thoughts1   
but only those of his letters which     
remain in my possession4--,,editor47    
#cd4                                    
,may #bfth1 #ahhj4  ,i'm at work on the 
',epilogue1' but it takes more trouble  
than ,i expected4 ,i see there's a      
letter from you which ,i leave unopened1
 for fear there should be anything in it
 to put me in a bad temper1 which you   
might easily do without meaning it4 ,you
 shall have the ',epilogue' as soon as  
,i can get it done2 but you won't much  
like it1 for there are bits in the      
,clergymen's letters that have put my   
bristles up4 ,they ought either to have 

said nothing about me1 or known more4   
,i should give that rascally ,bishop a  
dressing au serieux1 only you wouldn't  
like to godfather it1 so ,i'll keep it  
for somewhere else4#cf       #cf        
,needless to say that in this energetic 
language1 the ,master of      the       
,company of ,st4 ,george is referring to
 nothing whatever in the      stainless 
character of the great ,bishop1 of whom 
it is justly      recorded in the       
inscription on his monument in          
,manchester ,cathedral      that he won 
all hearts by opening to them his own2  
except only in      the matter of       
house-rent and interest of money1       
opinions which the      ,bishop shared  
with the great mass of civilized        
humanity4                               
#ce4                                    
,june #gth1 #ahhj4  ,your letter is a   
relief to my mind1 and shall not be     
taken advantage of for more delay4 ,the 
wet day or two would get all done3 but  
,i simply can't think of anything but   

the sun while it shines4  ,and ,i've had
 second1 third1 and seventh thoughts    
about several things3 as it is coming   
out ,i believe it will be a useful      
contribution to the book4  ,i shall get 
it in the copyist's hand on ,monday1 and
 as it's one of my girl secretaries1 ,i 
shall be teased till it's done1 so it's 
safe for the end of the week 7,d4,v474  
,i am sadly afraid she'll make me cut   
out some of the spiciest bits3 the girl 
secretaries are always allowed to put   
their pens through anything they choose4
 ,please drop the ',mr4'2 it is a matter
 of friendship1 not as if there were any
 of different powers4 ,god only knows of
 higher and lower1 and1 as far as ,i can
 judge1 is likely to put ministry to the
 sick much above public letters4        
,thanks for note of ,menyanthes         
,trifoliata4  ,i haven't seen it1       
scarcely moving at present beyond my    
wood or garden4                         
#cf4                                    
,june #acth1 #ahhj4  ,you are really    

very good to put up with all that       
vicious ,epilogue4 ,but it won't        
discredit you in the end1 whatever it   
may do me4 ,i hope much otherwise4  ,i  
will send you to-morrow the ,lincoln1   
or1 possibly1 ,york ,,ms4 to look at4   
,you will find the ,litany following the
 ,quicunque vult1 and on the leaf marked
 by me #hc1 at the top the passage ,i   
began quotation with4 ,it will need a   
note2 for domptnum is1 ,i believe1      
strong ,yorkshire ,latin for ,donum     
,apostolicum1 not ,dominum4  ,the e in  
,ecclesie for ae is the proper form in  
medieval ,latin4  ,the calendar and     
,litany are invaluable in their splendid
 lists of ,english saints1 and the      
entire book unreplaceable1 so mind you  
lock it up carefully6                   
#cg4   ,there's a good deal of interest 
in the enclosed layman's letter1 ,i     
think4 ,would you like to print any bits
 of it8 ,i cannot quite make up my mind 
if it's worth or not4                   
#ch4                                    

,june #bgth1 #ahhj4  ,the ',epilogue' is
 all but done to-day1 and shall be sent 
by railway guard to-morrow 7,d4,v471    
with a book which will further interest 
you and your good secretary4 ,it is as  
fine an example of the coloured print   
,prayer-,book as ,i have seen1 date     
#aejg1 and full of examples of the way  
,romanism had ruined itself at that     
date4 ,but it may contain in legible    
form some things of interest4 ,i never  
could make out so much as its ,calendar2
 but the songs about the saints and     
rhymed hours are very pretty4 ,though   
the illuminations are all ridiculous and
 one or two frightful1 most are more or 
less pretty1 and nearly all interesting4
 ,you can keep it any time1 but you must
 promise me not to show it to anybody   
who does not know how to handle a book4 
99 99 99  7,,note4--,i may mention here1
 once for all1 that wherever there are  
omissions left in ,mr4 ,ruskin's        
letters1 there is nothing of interest or
 importance in those passages for any   

one but for the receiver of that        
letter47                                
#ci4                                    
,july #aeth1 #ahhj4  99 99 99 ,it is a  
further light to me1 on your curious    
differences from most clergymen1 very   
wonderful and venerable to me1 that you 
should understand ,byron6               
#dj4                                    
,june #beth4  ,,dear ,,malleson1--,no1  
,i don't want the letter printed in the 
least2 but it ought to have interested  
you very differently4 ,it is by a much  
older man than ,i1 who has never heard  
of our letters1 but has been a very     
useful and influential person in his own
 parish1 and is a practical and         
acceptable contributor to sporting      
papers4 ,he is an able lawyer also1 and 
knows far better than ,i do and far     
better than most clergymen know1 what   
could really be done in their country   
parishes if they had a mind4  ,the bit  
of manuscript is perfectly fac-similed  
by your niece1 but ,i can't read it3 and

 it will be much better that you mark   
the places you wish certification about1
 and that ,i then send the book up to   
the ,british ,museum1 and have the whole
 made clear4 ,the dompt is a very       
important matter indeed4  ,i have got   
the last bit of epilogue fairly on foot 
this morning1 and can promise it on     
,monday all well4                       
,ever affectionately yours1             
,j4 ,r4                                 
#da4                                    
,april #cjth1 #ahha4  ,,dear            
,,malleson1--,it will be many a day     
before ,i recover yet--if ever--but with
 caution ,i hope not to go wild again1  
and to get what power belongs to my age 
slowly back4 ,when were you in the same 
sort of danger8 ,let me very strongly   
warn you from the whirlpool edge--the   
going down in the middle is gloomier    
than ,i can tell you4  ,but ,i shall    
thankfully see you and your friend here4
 ,visiting is out of the question for   
me4 ,i can bear no fatigue nor          

excitement away from my home4 ,i pay    
visits no more--anywhere 7even in old   
times few74 ,it is always a great       
gladness to me when young students care 
about old books--and ,i remember as a   
duty the feeling ,i used to have in     
getting a ,missal1 even after ,i was    
past a good many other pleasures4 ,you  
made such good use of that book too1    
that ,i am happy in yielding to any wish
 of yours about it1 so your young       
friend#cg shall have it if he likes4    
,the marked price is quite a fair market
 one for it1 though you might look and  
wait long before such a book came into  
the market4 ,the ,british ,museum people
 were hastily and superciliously wrong  
in calling it a common book4 ,it is not 
a showy one2 but there are few more     
interesting or more perfect service     
books in ,english manuscript1 and the   
,museum people buy cart-loads of big    
folios that are not worth the shelf     
room4                                   
,ever affectionately yours1             

,j4 ,,ruskin4       #cg ,rev4 ,j4 ,r4   
,haslam1 now ,vicar of ,thwaites1       
,cumberland4 ,see      ,appendix4--,,ed4
                                        
#db4                                    
,april #bcrd1 #ahha4  ,,my ,,dear       
,,malleson1--,these passages of         
description and illustration of the     
general aspect of ,ephesus in ,st4      
,paul's time seem to me much more       
forcibly and artistically written than  
anything you did in the ,life of        
,christ2 and ,i could not suggest any   
changes to you which you could now carry
 out under the conditions of time to    
revise1 except a more clear statement of
 the ,ephesian goddess4  ,i really do   
not think ,mr4 ,ruskin would wish that  
all he wrote in the next sentence about 
the ,ephesian ,diana should be placed   
before the public eye4 ,but ,i resume in
 the middle of a sentence4  444         
practically at last and chiefly of the  
,diabolic ,suction of the ,usurer2 and  
her temple1 which you luckily liken to  

the ,bank of ,england1 was in fact what 
that establishment would be as the      
recognised place of pious pilgrimage for
 all ,jews1 infidels1 or prostitutes in 
the realm of ,england4 ,you could not   
conceive the real facts of these        
degraded worships of the mixed ,greek   
and ,asiatic races1 unless you gave a   
good year's work to the study of the    
decline of ,greek art in the #crd and   
#dth centuries ,b4,c4  ,charles         
,newton's pride in discovering          
,mausolus1 and engineers' whistling over
 his ,asiatic mummy1 have entirely      
corrupted and thwarted the uses of the  
,british ,museum ,art ,galleries4 ,the  
,drum of that ,diana ,temple is         
barbarous rubbish1 not worth tenpence a 
ton2 and if ,i shewed you a photograph  
of the head of ,mausolus without telling
 you what it was1 ,i will undertake that
 you saw with candid eyes in it nothing 
more than the shaggy poll of a common   
gladiator4 ,but your book will swim with
 the tide4 ,it is best so4              

#dc4                                    
,july4444  ,i'm not in the least anxious
 about my ,,ms41 and shall only be glad 
if you like to keep it long enough to   
read thoroughly4 ,there must surely be  
published copies of such extant1 though1
 and worth enquiring after8  ,partly the
 fine weather1 partly the heat1 partly a
 fit of ,scott and ,byron have stopped  
the ,epilogue utterly for the time6 ,you
 cannot be in any hurry for it surely8  
,there's plenty to go on printing with4 
,i don't think you will find the n's and
 m's much bother2 the contractions are  
the great nuisance4 ,but ,i do think    
this development of ,gothic writing one 
of the oddest absurdities of mankind4   
,the illumination of the fool hath said 
in his heart1 snapping his fingers1 or  
more accurately making the indecent sign
 called the fig by the ,italians1 is a  
very unusual one in this ,,ms41 and     
peculiarly ,english4                    
#dd4   ,there is not the least use in my
 looking over these sheets3 you probably

 know more about ,athens than ,i do1 and
 what ,i do know is out of and in       
,smith's ,dictionary1 where you can find
 it without trouble4  ,for the rest you 
must please always remember what ,i told
 you once for all1 that you could never 
interest me by writing about people1    
either at ,athens or ,ephesus1 but only 
of those of the parish of               
,broughton-in-,furness4  ,that new      
translation could not come out well2    
that much ,i know without looking at it4
 ,one must believe the ,bible before one
 understands it1 7,i mean1 believe that 
it is understandable7 and one must      
understand before one can translate it4 
,two stages in advance of your          
,twenty-,four ,co-operative ,tyndales6  
#de4                                    
#bfth ,may4  ,,dear ,,malleson1--,i     
should be delighted to see ,canon       
,weston and you any day3 but ,i want    
,j---- to be at home1 and she is going  
to town next week for a month1 and will 
be fussy till she goes4 ,she promises to

 be back faithfully within the week     
after that--within the ,sunday1 ,i mean4
 ,fix any day or any choice of days if  
one is wet after the said ,sunday1 and  
we shall both be in comfort ready4  ,if 
,canon ,weston or you are going away    
anywhere1 come any day before that suits
 you4  ,in divinity matters ,i am       
obliged to stop--for my sins1 ,i        
suppose4 ,but it seems ,i am almost     
struck mad when ,i think earnestly about
 them1 and ,i'm only reading now natural
 history or nature4  ,never mind        
,autograph people1 they are never worth 
the scratch of a pen4                   
,ever affectionately yours1             
,j4 ,r4                                 
#df4                                    
,august #bfth1 #ahha4  ,i'm in furious  
bad humour with the weather1 and cannot 
receive just now at all1 having had     
infinitely too much of indoors1 and yet 
unable to draw for darkness1 or write   
for temper4 ,but ,i will see ,mr4 ----  
if he has any other reason than         

curiosity for wishing to see me--what   
does he want with me8                   
#dg4                                    
#bast ,october4  ,i am fairly well1 but 
have twenty times the work in hand that 
,i am able for2 and read--,virgil1      
,plato1 and ,hesoid1 when ,i have time6 
,but assuredly no modern books2 least of
 all my friends'1 lest ,i should have   
either to flatter or offend4 ,still less
 will ,i have to say to young men       
proposing to become clergymen4 ,i have  
distinctly told them their business is  
at present--to dig1 not preach4  ,let   
your young friend read his ,fors4 ,all  
that he needs of me is in that4         
#dh4                                    
,,annecy1 ,,savoy1                      
,november #aeth1 #ahhb4  ,i have got    
your kind little note of the #aath      
yesterday1 and am entirely glad to hear 
of your papers on the ,duddon4 ,i shall 
be very happy indeed if you find any    
pleasure in remembering our walk to the 
tarn4#ch ,i hope ,i know now better how 

to manage myself in all ways1 and we may
 still have some pleasant talks1 my     
health not failing me4       #ch ,goat's
 ,water1 under the ,old ,man of         
,coniston4                              
#di4                                    
,,talloire1 ,,switzerland1              
,november #bjth1 #ahhb4  ,,my ,,dear    
,,malleson1--,i am sincerely grieved    
that you begin to feel the effect of    
overwork2 but as this is the first      
warning you have had1 and as you are    
wise enough to obey it1 ,i trust that   
the three months' rest will restore you 
all your usual powers on the conditions 
of using them with discretion1 and not  
rising to write at two in the morning4  
,i am very thankful to find in my own   
case that a quiet spring of energy      
filters back into the old well-heads--if
 one does not bucket it out as fast as  
it comes in4  ,but my last illnesses    
seriously impaired my walking powers1   
and ,i'm afraid if you came to          
,switzerland ,i should be very jealous  

of you4  ,certainly it is not in this   
season a country for an invalid1 and ,i 
believe you cannot be safer than by     
,english firesides with no books to work
 at nor parishioners to visit4          
,ever affectionately yours1             
,j4 ,,ruskin4                           
#ej4                                    
,january #bbnd1 #ahhc4  ,,dear          
,,malleson1--,i am heartily glad to hear
 that you are better1 and that you are  
going to lead the ,vicar of ,wakefield's
 quiet life4 ,i am not stronger myself1 
but think it right to keep hold of the  
,oxford ,helm1 as long as they care to  
trust it to me4  ,i've entirely given up
 reviewing1 but if the ,editor of the   
,contemporary would send me ,mr4 ,peek's
 ,article1 when set up1 ,i might perhaps
 send a note or two on it1 which the    
real reviewer might use or not at his   
pleasure4 ,in the meantime it would     
greatly oblige me if the ,editor could  
give me the reference to an old article 
of mine on ,herbert ,spencer1 7or at    

least on a saying of his71 which ,i     
cannot find where ,i thought it was in  
the ,nineteenth ,century1 and suppose   
therefore to have been in the           
,contemporary before the ,nineteenth    
,century ,athena arose out of its cleft 
head4  ,the ,article had a lot about    
,coniston in it1 but ,i quite forget    
what else it was about4 ,i think it must
 have been just before the separation4  
,kindest regards and congratulations on 
your convalescence from all here4       
,ever affectionately yours1             
,j4 ,,ruskin4                           
#ea4                                    
,,brantwood1 ,february #fth1 #ahhc4     
,,my ,,dear ,,malleson1--,i'm nearly    
beside myself with a sudden rush of work
 on my return from abroad1 and          
resumption of ,oxford duties1 and ,i    
simply cannot yet think over the        
business of the letters1 the rather that
 ,i certainly never would re-publish    
most of those clergymen's letters at    
all4  ,my own were a gift to you1 and ,i

 am quite ready to print them if you    
like1 and let you have half profits1 the
 ,st4 ,george's ,guild having the other4
 ,but that could not be for some time   
yet4                                    
,ever affectionately yours1             
,j4 ,,ruskin4                           
,,epilogue ,,by ,,mr4 ,,ruskin          
,,brantwood1 ,,coniston1 ,june #ahhj4   
,,my ,,dear ,,malleson1--,i have glanced
 at the proofs you send2 and can do no  
more than glance1 even if it seemed to  
me desirable that ,i should do          
more1--which1 after said glance1 it does
 in no wise4 ,let me remind you of what 
it is absolutely necessary that the     
readers of the book should clearly      
understand--that ,i wrote these ,letters
 at your request1 to be read and        
discussed at the meeting of a private   
society of clergymen4 ,i declined then  
to be present at the discussion1 and ,i 
decline still4 ,you afterwards asked    
leave to print the ,letters1 to which ,i
 replied that they were yours1 for      

whatever use you saw good to make of    
them3 afterwards your plans expanded1   
while my own notion remained precisely  
what it had been--that the discussion   
should have been private1 and kept      
within the limits of the society1 and   
that its conclusions1 if any1 should    
have been announced in a few pages of   
clear print1 for the parishioners'      
exclusive reading4  ,i am1 of course1   
flattered by the wider course you have  
obtained for the ,letters1 but am not in
 the slightest degree interested by the 
debate upon them1 nor by any religious  
debates whatever1 undertaken without    
serious conviction that there is a jot  
wrong in matters as they are1 or serious
 resolution to make them a tittle       
better4 ,which1 so far as ,i can read   
the minds of your correspondents1       
appears to me the substantial state of  
them4  ,one thing ,i cannot pass without
 protest--the quantity of talk about the
 writer of the ,letters4 ,what ,i am1 or
 am not1 is of no moment whatever to the

 matters in hand4 ,i observe with       
comfort1 or at least with complacency1  
that on the strength of a couple of     
hours' talk1 at a time when ,i was      
thinking chiefly of the weatherings of  
slate you were good enough to show me   
above ,goat's ,water1 you would have    
ventured to baptize me in the little    
lake--as not a goat1 but a sheep4 ,the  
best ,i can be sure of1 myself1 is that 
,i am no wolf1 and have never aspired to
 the dignity even of a ,dog of the      
,lord4  ,you told me1 if ,i remember    
rightly1 that one of the members of the 
original meeting denounced me as an     
arch-heretic#ci--meaning1 doubtless1 an 
arch-pagan2 for a heretic1 or           
sect-maker1 is of all terms of reproach 
the last that can be used of me4 ,and ,i
 think he should have been answered that
 it was precisely as an arch-pagan that 
,i ventured to request a more           
intelligible and more unanimous account 
of the ,christian ,gospel from its      
preachers4       #ci ,only a            

heretic6--,,ed4  ,if anything in the    
,letters offended those of you who hold 
me a brother1 surely it had been best to
 tell me between ourselves1 or to tell  
it to the ,church1 or to let me be      
,anathema ,maranatha in peace1--in any  
case1 ,i must at present so abide1      
correcting only the mistakes about      
myself which have led to graver ones    
about the things ,i wanted to speak     
of4#dj       #dj ,i may perhaps be      
pardoned for vindicating at least my    
arithmetic1 which1 with ,bishop         
,colenso1 ,i rather pride myself upon4  
,one of your correspondents greatly     
doubts my having heard five             
thousand assertors of evangelical       
principles 7,catholic-absolvent or      
,protestant-detergent are virtually the 
same74 ,i am now sixty years      old1  
and for forty-five of them was in church
 at least once on the      ,sunday1--say
 once a month also in afternoons1--and  
you have above      three thousand      
church services4 ,when ,i am abroad ,i  

am often in      half-a-dozen churches  
in the course of a single day1 and never
 lose      a chance of listening to     
anything that is going on4 ,add the     
conversations pursued1 not unearnestly1 
with every sort of reverend      person 
,i can get to talk to me--from the      
,bishop of ,strasburg 7as      good a   
specimen of a town bishop as ,i have    
known71 with whom ,i was      studying  
ecstatic paintings in the year          
#ahej--;down to the simplest            
travelling tinker inclined ,gospelwards1
 whom ,i perceive to be      sincere1   
and your correspondent will perceive    
that my rapid      numerical expression 
must be far beneath the truth4 ,he      
subjoins his      more rational doubt of
 my acquaintance with many town         
missionaries2      to which ,i can only 
answer1 that as ,i do not live in town1 
nor set      up for a missionary myself1
 my spiritual advantages have certainly 
not been great in that direction4 ,i    
simply assert that of the few ,i        

have known1--beginning with ,mr4        
,spurgeon1 under whom ,i sat with       
much edification for a year or two1--,i 
have not known any such      teaching as
 ,i speak of4  ,the most singular one1  
perhaps1 in all the ,letters is that of 
,mr4 ----1 that ,i do not attach enough 
weight to antiquity4 ,my reply to it is 
partly written already1 with reference  
to the wishes of some other of your     
correspondents to know more of my       
reasons for finding fault with the      
,english ,liturgy4  ,if people are      
taught to use the ,liturgy rightly and  
reverently1 it will bring them all good2
 and for some thirty years of my life ,i
 used to read it always through to my   
servant and myself1 if we had no        
,protestant church to go to1 in ,alpine 
or ,italian villages4 ,one can always   
tacitly pray of it what one wants1 and  
let the rest pass4 ,but1 as ,i have     
grown older1 and watched the decline in 
the ,christian faith of all nations1 ,i 
have got more and more suspicious of the

 effect of this particular form of words
 on the truthfulness of the ,english    
mind 7now fast becoming a salt which has
 lost his savour1 and is fit only to be 
trodden under foot of men74 ,and during 
the last ten years1 in which my position
 at ,oxford has compelled me to examine 
what authority there was for the code of
 prayer1 of which the ,university is now
 so ashamed that it no more dares compel
 its youths so much as to hear1 much    
less to utter it1 ,i got necessarily    
into the habit of always looking to the 
original forms of the prayers of the    
fully developed ,christian ,church4 ,nor
 did ,i think it a mere chance which    
placed in my own possession a manuscript
 of the perfect ,church service of the  
thirteenth century1#da written by the   
monks of the ,sainte ,chapelle for ,st4 
,louis2 together with one of the same   
date1 written in ,england1 probably for 
the ,diocese of ,lincoln2 adding some of
 the ,collects1 in which it corresponds 
with ,st4 ,louis's1 and the ,latin hymns

 so much beloved by ,dante1 with the    
appointed music for them4       #da ,see
 ,appendix4  ,and my wonder has been    
greater every hour1 since ,i examined   
closely the text of these and other     
early books1 that in any state of       
declining1 or captive1 energy1 the      
,church of ,england should have         
contented itself with a service which   
cast out1 from beginning to end1 all    
these intensely spiritual and passionate
 utterances of chanted prayer 7the whole
 body1 that is to say1 of the authentic 
,christian ,psalms71 and in adopting    
what it timidly preserved of the        
,collects1 mangled or blunted them down 
to the exact degree which would make    
them either unintelligible or           
inoffensive--so vague that everybody    
might use them1 or so pointless that    
nobody could be offended by them4 ,for a
 special instance3 ,the prayer for our  
bishops and curates1 and all            
congregations committed to their charge1
 is1 in the ,lincoln ,service-book1 for 

our bishop1 and all congregations       
committed to his charge4 ,the change    
from singular to plural seems a slight  
one4 ,but it suffices to take the eyes  
of the people off their own bishop into 
infinite space2 to change a prayer which
 was intended to be uttered in personal 
anxiety and affection1 into one for the 
general good of the ,church1 of which   
nobody could judge1 and for which nobody
 would particularly care2 and1 finally1 
to change a prayer to which the answer1 
if given1 would be visible1 into one of 
which nobody could tell whether it were 
answered or not4  ,in the ,collects1 the
 change1 though verbally slight1 is thus
 tremendous in issue4 ,but in the       
,litany--word and thought go all wild   
together4 ,the first prayer of the      
,litany in the ,lincoln ,service-book is
 for the ,pope and all ranks beneath    
him1 implying a very noteworthy piece of
 theology--that the ,pope might err in  
religious matters1 and that the prayer  
of the humblest servant of ,god would be

 useful to him3--,ut ,dompnum           
,apostolicum1 et omnes gradus ecclesie  
in sancta religione conservare digneris4
 ,meaning that whatever errors          
particular persons might1 and must1 fall
 into1 they prayed ,god to keep the     
,pope right1 and the collective         
testimony and conduct of the ranks below
 him4 ,then follows the prayer for their
 own bishop and his flock--then for the 
king and the princes 7chief lords71 that
 they 7not all nations7 might be kept in
 concord--and then for our bishops and  
abbots1--the ,church of ,england proper2
 every one of these petitions being     
direct1 limited1 and personally         
heartfelt2--and then this lovely one for
 themselves3--  ,ut obsequium servitutis
 nostre rationabile facias4--,that thou 
wouldst make the obedience of our       
service reasonable 7which is your       
reasonable service74#db       #db ,see  
in the ,appendix for more of these      
beautiful prayers4--,,ed4  ,this        
glorious prayer is1 ,i believe1         

accurately an early ,english one4 ,it is
 not in the ,st4 ,louis ,litany1 nor in 
a later elaborate ,french fourteenth    
century one2 but ,i find it softened in 
an ,italian ,,ms4 of the fifteenth      
century into ut nosmet ipsos in tuo     
sancto servitio confortare et conservare
 digneris1--that thou wouldst deign to  
keep and comfort us ourselves in thy    
sacred service 7the comfort1 observe1   
being here asked for whether reasonable 
or not672 and in the best and fullest   
,french service-book ,i have1 printed at
 ,rouen in #aebj1 it becomes1 ut        
congregationes omnium sanctorum in tuo  
sancto servitio conservare digneris2    
while victory as well as concord is     
asked for the king and the              
princes1--thus leading the way to that  
for our own ,queen's victory over all   
her enemies1 a prayer which might now be
 advisedly altered into one that        
she--and in her1 the monarchy of        
,england--might find more fidelity in   
their friends4  ,i give one more example

 of the corruption of our ,prayer-,book1
 with reference to the objections taken 
by some of your correspondents to the   
distinction implied in my ,letters      
between the ,persons of the ,father and 
the ,christ4  ,the ,memoria de ,sancta  
,trinitate1 in the ,st4 ,louis          
service-book1 runs thus3  ,omnipotens   
sempiterne ,deus1 qui dedisti famulis   
tuis in confessione vere fidei eterne   
,trinitatis gloriam agnoscere1 et in    
potentia majestatis adorare unitatem1   
quesumus ut ejus fidei firmitate ab     
omnibus semper muniemur adversis4 ,qui  
vivis et regnas ,deus1 per omnia secula 
seculorum4 ,amen4  ,almighty and        
everlasting ,god1 who hast given to ,thy
 servants1 in confession of true faith  
to recognize the glory of the ,eternal  
,trinity1 and in the power of ,majesty  
to pray to the ,unity2 we ask that by   
the firmness of that faith we may be    
always defended from all adverse things1
 who livest and reignest ,god through   
all ages4 ,amen4  ,turning to our       

,collect1 we find we have first slipped 
in the word us before ,thy servants1 and
 by that little insertion have slipped  
in the squire and his jockey1 and the   
public-house landlord--and any one else 
who may chance to have been coaxed1     
swept1 or threatened into church on     
,trinity ,sunday1 and required the      
entire company of them to profess       
themselves servants of ,god1 and        
believers in the mystery of the         
,trinity4 ,and we think we have done    
,god a service6  ,grace4 ,not a word    
about grace in the original4 ,you don't 
believe by having grace1 but by having  
wit4  ,to acknowledge4 ,agnosco is to   
recognize1 not to acknowledge4 ,to see  
that there are three lights in a        
chandelier is a great deal more than to 
acknowledge that they are there4  ,to   
worship4 ,adorare is to pray to1 not to 
worship4 ,you may worship a mere        
magistrate2 but you pray to the ,father1
 ,son1 and ,holy ,ghost4  ,the last     
sentence in the ,english is too horribly

 mutilated to be dealt with in any      
patience4 ,the meaning of the great old 
collect is that by the shield of that   
faith we may quench all the fiery darts 
of the devil4 ,the ,english prayer      
means1 if it means anything1 ,please    
keep us in our faith without our taking 
any trouble2 and1 besides1 please don't 
let us lose our money1 nor catch cold4  
,who livest and reignest4 ,right2 but   
how many of any extant or instant       
congregations understand what the two   
words mean8 ,that ,god is a living ,god1
 not a dead ,law2 and that ,he is a     
reigning ,god1 putting wrong things to  
rights1 and that1 sooner or later1 with 
a strong hand and a rod of iron2 and not
 at all with a soft sponge and warm     
water1 washing everybody as clean as a  
baby every ,sunday morning1 whatever    
dirty work they may have been about all 
the week4  ,on which latter supposition 
your modern ,liturgy1 in so far as it   
has supplemented instead of corrected   
the old one1 has entirely modelled      

itself1--producing in its first address 
to the congregation before the ,almighty
 precisely the faultfullest and         
foolishest piece of ,english language   
that ,i know in the whole compass of    
,english or ,american literature4 ,in   
the seventeen lines of it 7as printed in
 my old-fashioned1 large-print          
prayer-book71 there are seven times over
 two words for one idea4      #a4       
,acknowledge and confess4     #b4 ,sins 
and wickedness4     #c4 ,dissemble nor  
cloke4     #d4 ,goodness and mercy4     
#e4 ,assemble and meet4     #f4         
,requisite and necessary4     #g4 ,pray 
and beseech4  ,there is1 indeed1 a shade
 of difference in some of these ideas   
for a good scholar1 none for a general  
congregation2#dc and what difference    
they can guess at merely muddles their  
heads3 to acknowledge sin is indeed     
different from confessing it1 but it    
cannot be done at a minute's notice2 and
 goodness is a different thing from     
mercy1 but it is by no means ,god's     

infinite goodness that forgives our     
badness1 but that judges it4       #dc  
,the only explanation ever offered for  
this exuberant wordiness      is that if
 worshippers did not understand one term
 they would the      other1 and in some 
cases1 in the ,exhortation and          
elsewhere1 one      word is of ,latin   
and the other of ,saxon derivation4#dd  
,but this is      surely a very feeble  
excuse for bad composition4 ,of a very  
different kind is that beautiful climax 
which is reached in the      three      
admirably chosen pairs of words in the  
,prayer for the      ,parliament1 peace 
and happiness1 truth and justice1       
religion and      piety4--,,editor4     
#dd ,the repetition of synonymous terms 
is of very frequent      occurrence in  
sixteenth century writing1 as for ever  
and aye1      ,time and the hour ran    
through the roughest day 7,macbeth1 i4  
#c74  ,the faultfullest1 ,i said1 and   
the foolishest4 ,after using fourteen   
words where seven would have done1 what 

is it that the whole speech gets said   
with its much speaking8 ,this ,morning  
,service of all ,england begins with the
 assertion that the ,scripture moveth us
 in sundry places to confess our sins   
before ,god4 ,does it so8 ,have your    
congregations ever been referred to     
those sundry places8 ,or do they take   
the assertion on trust1 or remain under 
the impression that1 unless with the    
advantage of their own candour1 ,god    
must remain ill-informed on the subject 
of their sins8  ,that we should not     
dissemble nor cloke them4 ,can we then8 
,are these grown-up congregations of the
 enlightened ,english ,church in the    
nineteenth century still so young in    
their nurseries that the ,thou1 ,god1   
seest me is still not believed by them  
if they get under the bed8  ,let us look
 up the sundry moving passages referred 
to4  7,i suppose myself a simple lamb of
 the flock1 and only able to use my     
,english ,bible47  ,i find in my        
concordance 7confess and confession     

together7 forty-two occurrences of the  
word4 ,sixteen of these1 including      
,john's confession that he was not the  
,christ1 and the confession of the      
faithful fathers that they were pilgrims
 on the earth1 do indeed move us        
strongly to confess ,christ before men4 
,have you ever taught your congregations
 what that confession means8 ,they are  
ready enough to confess ,him in church1 
that is to say1 in their own private    
synagogue4 ,will they in ,parliament8   
,will they in a ball-room8 ,will they in
 a shop8 ,sixteen of the texts are to   
enforce their doing that4  ,the next    
most important one 7#a ,tim4 vi4 #ac7   
refers to ,christ's own good confession1
 which ,i suppose was not of ,his sins1 
but of ,his obedience4 ,how many of your
 congregations can make any such kind of
 confession1 or wish to make it8  ,the  
eighteenth1 nineteenth1 and twentieth   
7#a ,kings viii4 #cc1 #b ,chron4 vi4    
#bf1 ,heb4 xiii4 #ae7 speak of          
confessing thankfully that ,god is ,god 

7and not a putrid plasma nor a theory of
 development71 and the twenty-first     
7,job xl4 #ad7 speaks of ,god's own     
confession1 that no doubt we are the    
people1 and that wisdom shall die with  
us1 and on what conditions ,he will make
 it4  ,there remain twenty-one texts    
which do speak of the confession of our 
sins--very moving ones indeed--and      
,heaven grant that some day the ,british
 public may be moved by them4  #a4 ,the 
first is ,lev4 v4 #e1 ,he shall confess 
that he hath sinned in that thing4 ,and 
if you can get any soul of your         
congregation to say he has sinned in    
anything1 he may do it in two words for 
one if he likes1 and it will yet be good
 liturgy4  #b4 ,the second is indeed    
general--,lev4 xvi4 #ba3 the command    
that the whole nation should afflict its
 soul on the great day of atonement once
 a year4 ,the ,church of ,england1 ,i   
believe1 enjoins no such unpleasant     
ceremony4 ,her festivals are passed by  
her people often indeed in the          

extinction of their souls1 but by no    
means in their intentional affliction4  
#c4 ,the third1 fourth1 and fifth 7,lev4
 xxvi4 #dj1 ,numb4 v4 #g1 ,nehem4 i4 #f7
 refer all to national humiliation for  
definite idolatry1 accompanied with an  
entire abandonment of that idolatry1 and
 of idolatrous persons4 ,how soon that  
form of confession is likely to find a  
place in the ,english congregations the 
defences of their main idol1 mammon1 in 
the vilest and cruellest shape of       
it--usury--with which this book has been
 defiled1 show very sufficiently4  #f4  
,the sixth is ,psalm xxxii4             
#e--virtually the whole of that psalm1  
which does1 indeed1 entirely refer to   
the greater confession1 once for all    
opening the heart to ,god1 which can be 
by no means done fifty-two times a year1
 and which1 once done1 puts men into a  
state in which they will never again say
 there is no health in them2 nor that   
their hearts are desperately wicked2 but
 will obey for ever the instantly       

following order1 ,rejoice in the ,lord1 
ye righteous1 and shout for joy1 all ye 
that are true of heart4  #g4 ,the       
seventh is the one confession in which  
,i can myself share3--,after the way    
which they call heresy1 so worship ,i   
the ,lord ,god of my fathers4  #h4 ,the 
eighth1 ,james v4 #af1 tells us to      
confess our faults--not to ,god1 but one
 to another--a practice not favoured by 
,english catechumens--7by the way1 what 
do you all mean by auricular            
confession--confession that can be      
heard8 and is the ,protestant pleasanter
 form one that can't be87  #i4 ,the     
ninth is that passage of ,st4 ,john 7i4 
#i71 the favourite evangelical text1    
which is read and preached by thousands 
of false preachers every day1 without   
once going on to read its great         
companion1 ,beloved1 if our heart       
condemn us1 ,god is greater than our    
heart1 and knoweth all things2 but if   
our heart condemn us not1 then have we  
confidence toward ,god4 ,make your      

people understand the second text1 and  
they will understand the first4 ,at     
present you leave them understanding    
neither4  ,and the entire body of the   
remaining texts is summed in ,joshua    
vii4 #ai and ,ezra x4 #aa1 in which1    
whether it be ,achan1 with his          
,babylonish garment1 or the people of   
,israel1 with their ,babylonish lusts1  
the meaning of confession is simply what
 it is to every brave boy1 girl1 man1   
and woman1 who knows the meaning of the 
word honour before ,god or man--namely1 
to say what they have done wrong1 and to
 take the punishment of it 7not to get  
it blanched over by any means71 and to  
do it no more--which is so far from     
being a tone of mind generally enforced 
either by the ,english1 or any other    
extant ,liturgy1 that1 though all my    
maids are exceedingly pious1 and insist 
on the privilege of going to church as a
 quite inviolable one1 ,i think it a    
scarcely to be hoped for crown and      
consummation of virtue in them that they

 should tell me when they have broken a 
plate2 and ,i should expect to be met   
only with looks of indignation and      
astonishment if ,i ventured to ask one  
of them how she had spent her ,sunday   
afternoon4  ,without courage1 said ,sir 
,walter ,scott1 there is no truth2 and  
without truth there is no virtue4 ,the  
sentence would have been itself more    
true if ,sir ,walter had written candour
 for truth1 for it is possible to be    
true in insolence1 or true in cruelty4  
,but in looking back from the ridges of 
the ,hill ,difficulty in my own past    
life1 and in all the vision that has    
been given me of the wanderings in the  
ways of others--this1 of all principles1
 has become to me surest--that the first
 virtue to be required of man is        
frankness of heart and lip3 and ,i      
believe that every youth of sense and   
honour1 putting himself to faithful     
question1 would feel that he had the    
devil for confessor1 if he had not his  
father or his friend4  ,that a clergyman

 should ever be so truly the friend of  
his parishioners as to deserve their    
confidence from childhood upwards1 may  
be flouted as a sentimental ideal2 but  
he is assuredly only their enemy in     
showing his ,lutheran detestation of the
 sale of indulgences by broadcasting    
these gratis from his pulpit4  ,the     
inconvenience and unpleasantness of a   
catechism concerning itself with the    
personal practice as well as the general
 theory of duty1 are indeed perfectly   
conceivable by me2 yet ,i am not        
convinced that such manner of catechism 
would therefore be less medicinal2 and  
during the past ten years it has often  
been matter of amazed thought with me1  
while our ,president at ,corpus read    
prayers to the chapel benches1 what     
might by this time have been the effect 
on the learning as well as the creed of 
the ,university1 if1 forty years ago1   
our stern old ,dean ,gaisford1 of the   
,house of ,christ1 instead of sending us
 to chapel as to the house of           

correction1 when we missed a lecture1   
had inquired1 before he allowed us to   
come to chapel at all1 whether we were  
gamblers1 harlot-mongers1 or in         
concealed and selfish debt4  ,i observe 
with extreme surprise in the preceding  
letters the unconsciousness of some of  
your correspondents1 that there ever was
 such a thing as discipline in the      
,christian ,church4 ,indeed1 the last   
wholesome instance of it ,i can remember
 was when my own great-great uncle      
,maitland lifted ,lady ---- from his    
altar rails1 and led her back to her    
seat before the congregation1 when she  
offered to take the ,sacrament1 being at
 enmity with her son4#de ,but ,i believe
 a few hours honestly spent by any      
clergyman on his ,church history would  
show him that the ,church's confidence  
in her prayer has been always exactly   
proportionate to the strictness of her  
discipline2 that her present fright at  
being caught praying by a chemist or an 
electrician1 results mainly from her    

having allowed her twos and threes      
gathered in the name of ,christ to      
become sixes and sevens gathered in the 
name of ,belial2 and that therefore her 
now needfullest duty is to explain to   
her stammering votaries1 extremely      
doubtful as they are of the effect of   
their supplications either on politics  
or the weather1 that although ,elijah   
was a man subject to like passions as we
 are1 he had them better under command2 
and that while the effectual fervent    
prayer of a righteous man availeth much1
 the formal and lukewarm one of an      
iniquitous man availeth--much the other 
way4       #de ,in some of the country  
districts of ,scotland the right of the 
,church to interfere with the lives of  
private individuals is still            
exercised4 ,only two years ago1 a       
wealthy gentleman farmer was            
rebuked by the ,kirk ,session of the    
,dissenting ,church to which he         
belonged1 for infidelity to his wife4   
,at the ,scottish half-yearly ,communion

 the ceremony of fencing the      tables
 used to be observed2 that is1 turning  
away all those whose      lives were    
supposed to have made them unfit to     
receive the      ,sacrament4  ,such an  
instruction1 coupled with due           
explanation of the nature of            
righteousness and iniquity1 directed    
mainly to those who have the power of   
both in their own hands1 being makers of
 law1 and holders of property1 would1   
without any further debate1 bring about 
a very singular change in the position  
and respectability of ,english          
clergymen4  ,how far they may at present
 be considered as merely the ,squire's  
left hand1 bound to know nothing of what
 he is doing with his right1 it is for  
their own consciences to determine4     
,for instance1 a friend wrote to me the 
other day1 ,will you not come here8 ,you
 will see a noble duke destroying a     
village as old as the ,conquest1 and    
driving out dozens of families whose    
names are in ,domesday ,book1 because1  

owing to the neglect of his ancestors   
and rackrenting for a hundred years1 the
 place has fallen out of repair1 and the
 people are poor1 and may become        
paupers4 ,a local paper ventured to tell
 the truth4 ,the duke's agent called on 
the editor1 and threatened him with     
destruction if he did not hold his      
tongue4 ,the noble duke1 doubtless1 has 
proper ,protestant horror of auricular  
confession4 ,but suppose1 instead of the
 local editor1 the local parson had     
ventured to tell the truth from his     
pulpit1 and even to intimate to his     
,grace that he might no longer receive  
the ,body and ,blood of the ,lord at the
 altar of that parish4 ,the parson would
 scarcely--in these days--have been     
therefore made bonfire of1 and had a    
pretty martyr's memorial by ,mr4        
,scott's pupils2 but he would have      
lighted a goodly light1 nevertheless1 in
 this ,england of ours1 whose           
pettifogging piety has now neither the  
courage to deny a duke's grace in its   

church1 nor to declare ,christ's in its 
,parliament4  ,lastly4 ,several of your 
contributors1 ,i observe1 have rashly   
dipped their feet in the brim of the    
water of that raging question of ,usury2
 and ,i cannot but express my extreme   
regret that you should yourself have    
yielded to the temptation of expressing 
opinions which you have had no leisure  
either to found or to test4 ,my         
assertion1 however1 that the rich lived 
mainly by robbing the poor1 referred not
 to ,usury1 but to ,rent2 and the facts 
respecting both these methods of        
extortion are perfectly and indubitably 
ascertainable by any person who himself 
wishes to ascertain them1 and is able to
 take the necessary time and pains4 ,i  
see no sign1 throughout the whole of    
these letters1 of any wish whatever1 on 
the part of one of their writers1 to    
ascertain the facts1 but only to defend 
practices which they hold to be         
convenient in the world1 and are afraid 
to blame in their congregations4 ,of the

 presumption with which several of the  
writers utter their notions on the      
subject1 ,i do not think it would be    
right to speak farther1 in an epilogue  
to which there is no reply1 in the terms
 which otherwise would have been        
deserved4 ,in their bearing on other    
topics1 let me earnestly thank you 7so  
far as my own feelings may be permitted 
voice in the matter7 for the attention  
with which you have examined1 and the   
courage with which you have ratified1 or
 at least endured1 letters which could  
not but bear at first the aspect of     
being written in a hostile--sometimes   
even in a mocking spirit4 ,that aspect  
is untrue1 nor am ,i answerable for it3 
the things of which ,i had to speak     
could not be shortly described but in   
terms which might sound satirical2 for  
all error1 if frankly shown1 is         
precisely most ridiculous when it is    
most dangerous1 and ,i have written no  
word which is not chosen as the exactest
 for its occasion1 whether it move sigh 

or smile4 ,in my earlier days ,i wrote  
much with the desire to please1 and the 
hope of influencing the reader4 ,as ,i  
grow older and older1 ,i recognize the  
truth of the ,preacher's saying1 ,desire
 shall fail1 and the mourners go about  
the streets2 and ,i content myself with 
saying1 to whoso it may concern1 that   
the thing is verily thus1 whether they  
will hear or whether they will forbear4 
,no man more than ,i has ever loved the 
places where ,god's honour dwells1 or   
yielded truer allegiance to the teaching
 of ,his evident servants4 ,no man at   
this time grieves more for the danger of
 the ,church which supposes him her     
enemy1 while she whispers               
procrastinating pax vobiscum in answer  
to the spurious kiss of those who would 
fain toll curfew over the last fires of 
,english faith1 and watch the sparrow   
find nest where she may lay her young1  
around the altars of the ,lord4         
,ever affectionately yours1             
,j4 ,,ruskin4                           

,,appendix   ,mr4 ,ruskin having kindly 
entrusted me with his valuable ,english 
thirteenth century ,,ms4 service book1  
referred to p4 #bie1 ,i have thought it 
would be interesting to the readers of  
this volume to see a little more in     
detail some of the origins of our       
,litany and ,collects4 ,i think it will 
be owned that our ,reformers failed to  
mend some of them in the translation4 ,i
 am quite unversed in the reading of    
ancient ,,mss41 but ,i hope the         
following1 with the translation1 will   
not be found incorrect4 ,i have         
preserved neither the contractions nor  
the responses repeated after each       
petition1 and have changed the mediaeval
 e into ae1 as terre into               
terrae4--,,editor4         99       99  
99       99       99  ,ut dompnum       
apostolicum et omnes gradus ecclesiae in
 sancta religione conservare digneris4  
,te rogamus1 audi nos1 ,domine4  ,ut    
episcopum nostrum et gregem sibi        
commissum conservare digneris4      ,te 

rogamus4444  ,ut regi nostro et         
principibus nostris pacem et veram      
concordiam atque victoriam1 donare      
digneris4  ,ut episcopos et abbates     
nostros et congregationes illis         
commissas in sancta religione conservare
 digneris4  ,ut congregationes omnium   
sanctorum in tuo sancto servitio        
conservare digneris4  ,ut cunctum       
populum ,christianum precioso sanguine  
tuo conservare digneris4  ,ut omnibus   
benefactoribus nostris sempiterna bona  
retribuas4  ,ut animas nostras et       
parentum nostrorum ab eterna dampnatione
 eripias4  ,ut mentes nostras ad        
celestia desideria erigas4  ,ut         
obsequium servitutis nostrae rationabile
 facias4  ,ut locum istum et omnes      
habitantes in eo visitare et consolari  
digneris4  ,ut fructus terrae dare et   
conservare digneris4  ,ut inimicos      
sanctae ,dei ecclesiae comprimere       
digneris4  ,ut oculos misericordiae tuae
 super nos reducere digneris4  ,ut      
miserias pauperum et captivorum intueri 

et relevare digneris4  ,ut omnibus      
fidelibus defunctis requiem eternam     
dones4  ,ut nos exaudire digneris4      
,agnus ,dei1 qui tollis peccata mundi1  
,parce nobis ,domine4  ,agnus ,dei1 qui 
tollis peccata mundi1      ,exaudi nos4 
,agnus ,dei1 qui tollis peccata mundi1  
,miserere nobis4  ,deus cui proprium est
 misereri semper et parcere suscipe     
deprecationem nostram et quos delictorum
 cathena constringit misericordia tuae  
pietatis absolvas1 per ,jesum ,christum4
  ,ecclesiae tuae ,domine1 preces       
placatus admitte ut destructis          
adversitatibus universis secura tibi    
serviat libertate4  ,omnipotens         
sempiterne ,deus qui facis mirabilia    
magna solus pretende super famulum tuum 
episcopum nostrum et super cunctas      
congregationes illi commissas spiritum  
gratiae tuae salutaris et ut in veritate
 tibi complaceant perpetuum eis rorem   
tuae benedictionis infunde1 per ,jesum4 
,deus in cujus manu corda sunt regum qui
 es humilium consolator et fidelium     

fortitudo et protector omnium in te     
sperantium1 da regi nostro et reginae   
populoque ,christiano1 triumphum        
virtutis tuae scienter excolere1 ut per 
te semper reparentur ad veniam4         
,pretende ,domine et famulis et         
famulabus tuis dexteram celestis auxilii
 ut te toto corde propinquant atque     
digne postulationes assequantur4  ,deus 
a quo sancta desideria recta consilia et
 justa sunt opera1 da servis tuis illam 
quam mundus dare non potest pacem ut et 
corda nostra mandatis tuis et hostium   
ublata formidine tempora sint tua       
protectione tranquilla4  ,ure igne      
sancti spiritus renes nostros et cor    
nostrum1 ,domine1 ut tibi corde casto   
serviamus et mundo corpore placeamus4   
,,translation  ,that it may please ,thee
 to keep the apostolic lord 7i4e4 the   
,pope7 and all ranks of the ,church in  
,thy holy religion4      ,o ,lord1 we   
beseech ,thee1 hear us4  ,that it may   
please ,thee to keep our bishop1 and the
 flock committed to him4  ,that it may  

please ,thee to give to our king and our
 princes 7or chief lords71 peace1 and   
true concord1 and victory4  ,that it may
 please ,thee to keep our bishops and   
abbots1 and the congregations committed 
to them1 in holy religion4  ,that it may
 please ,thee to keep the congregations 
of all saints in ,thy holy service4     
,that it may please ,thee to keep the   
whole ,christian people with ,thy       
precious blood4  ,that it may please    
,thee to requite all our benefactors    
with everlasting blessings4  ,that it   
may please ,thee to preserve our souls  
and the souls of our kindred from       
eternal damnation4  ,that it may please 
,thee that ,thou wouldest lift up our   
hearts to heavenly desires4  ,that it   
may please ,thee to make the obedience  
of our service reasonable4  ,that it may
 please ,thee to visit and to comfort   
this place1 and all who dwell in it4    
,that it may please ,thee to give and   
preserve the fruits of the earth4  ,that
 it may please ,thee to restrain the    

enemies of the ,holy ,church of ,god4   
,that it may please ,thee to look upon  
us with eyes of mercy4  ,that it may    
please ,thee to behold and relieve the  
miseries of the poor and the prisoners4 
,that it may please ,thee to give       
eternal peace to all the faithful       
departed4  ,that it may please ,thee to 
hear us4  ,lamb of ,god1 that takest    
away the sins of the world4      ,spare 
us1 ,o ,lord4  ,lamb of ,god1 that      
takest away the sins of the world4      
,hear us1 ,o ,lord4  ,lamb of ,god1 that
 takest away the sins of the world4     
,have mercy on us1 ,o ,lord4  ,o ,god1  
whose property it is always to pity and 
to spare1 receive our supplications1 and
 by the mercy of ,thy fatherly love1    
loose those whom the chain of their sins
 keeps bound1 through ,jesus ,christ our
 ,lord4  ,o ,lord1 receive with         
indulgence the prayers of ,thy ,church1 
that all adversities being overcome1 it 
may serve ,thee in freedom without fear4
  ,almighty1 ,eternal ,god1 who alone   

doest great wonders1 grant to ,thy      
servant our bishop1 and to all the      
congregations committed to him1 the     
healthful spirit of ,thy grace2 and that
 they may please ,thee in truth1 pour   
out upon them the perpetual dew of ,thy 
blessing4  ,o ,god1 in whose hand are   
the hearts of kings1 who art the        
consoler of the meek and the strength of
 the faithful1 and the protector of all 
that trust in ,thee1 give to our king   
and queen and to the ,christian people  
wisely to manifest the glory of ,thy    
power1 that by ,thee they may ever be   
restored to forgiveness4  ,extend1 ,o   
,lord1 over ,thy servants and           
handmaidens1 the right hand of ,thy     
heavenly aid1 that they may draw near   
unto ,thee with all their heart1 and    
worthily obtain their petitions4        
,kindle with the fire of ,thy ,holy     
,spirit our reins and our hearts1 ,o    
,lord1 that we may serve ,thee with a   
clean heart1 and please ,thee with a    
pure body4  ,o ,god1 from whom are all  

holy desires1 right counsels1 and just  
works1 give unto ,thy servants that     
peace which the world cannot give1 that 
both our hearts 7may obey7 ,thy         
commands1 and the fear of the enemy     
being taken away1 we may have quiet     
times by ,thy protection4         99    
99       99       99       99  ,upon one
 of the blank leaves of this ,,ms4 are  
some interesting remarks upon its       
probable date1 furnished by ,mr4 ,ruskin
 himself4 ,the style1 and pieces of     
inner evidence in all this book speak it
 clearly of the first half of the       
thirteenth century4 ,the architecture is
 all round arched--the roofs of ,norman 
simplicity--unpinnacled--the severe and 
simple forms of letter are essentially  
,norman1 and the leaf and ball          
terminations of the spiral of the       
extremities1 exactly intermediate       
between the ,norman and ,gothic types4  
,the ivy and geranium leaves begin to   
show themselves long before the end of  
the thirteenth century1 and there is not

 a trace of them in this book4 ,this    
evidence of early date1 however1 is     
qualified by the further statement1 old 
styles sometimes hold on long in        
provincial ,,mss4                       
,j4 ,,ruskin4      ,,brantwood1 ,april  
#adth1 #ahha4                           
,,the ,,end                  ,printed by
 ,,ballantyne1 ,,hanson  ,,co4          
,edinburgh and ,london                  
,,works ,,by ,,john ,,ruskin            
,,modern ,,painters4 ,in #e vols4 with  
all the ,woodcuts1 #a ,lithograph1      
and the #hi ,full-,page ,steel          
,engravings4 ,the text is that of the   
#ahgc      ,edition1 with ,notes1 and a 
,new ,epilogue4 ,cloth1 ,l#f1 #fs4 the  
#e      vols41 imp4 #hvo4       ,,the   
,,stones ,,of ,,venice4 ,complete       
,edition4 7,imperial #hvo47 #c vols4    
with the #ec ,plates and the ,text as   
originally issued1 and ,index4          
,cloth1 ,l#d1 #ds4 the #c vols4         
,,examples ,,of ,,the ,,architecture    
,,of ,,venice4 ,with the ,text and the  

#af      ,plates as originally          
published4 ,cloth cover 7unbound71 atlas
 folio      7about #be in4 by #ag in471 
,l#b1 #bs4       ,,the ,,poetry ,,of    
,,architecture2 or1 ,the ,architecture  
of the ,nations of      ,europe         
considered in its ,association with     
,natural ,scenery and      ,national    
,character4 ,with ,frontispiece in      
,colour1 #ad ,plates in                 
,photogravure1 and #i ,full-,page and   
other ,woodcuts4 #dto1 cloth1      #bas4
       ,,verona1 ,,and ,,other          
,,lectures4 ,delivered principally at   
the ,royal and      ,london             
,institutions between #ahgj and #ahhc4  
,with ,frontispiece in      colour and  
#aa ,photogravure ,plates4 ,med4 #hvo1  
cloth1 #aes4       ,,on ,,the ,,old     
,,road3 a ,collection of ,miscellaneous 
,pamphlets1 ,articles1      and ,essays 
7#ahcd-hd74 ,in #c vols41 #hvo1 cloth1  
#cjs4 7,not sold      separately47      
,,arrows ,,of ,,the ,,chace3 being a    
,collection of the ,scattered ,letters  

of      ,john ,ruskin 7#ahdj-ahhj74     
,with ,preface4 ,in #b vols4 cloth1     
#hvo1      #bjs4 7,not sold separately47
       ,,praeterita4 ,outlines of       
,scenes and ,thoughts perhaps ,worthy of
 ,memory      in my ,past ,life4 ,vols4 
,i4 and ,,ii4 of this autobiography now 
ready1      in cloth1 #acs4 each1 med4  
#hvo4       ,,the ,,art ,,of ,,england4 
,six ,lectures delivered at ,oxford in  
#ahhc4 ,with      ,appendix and ,index4 
,cloth1 #fs41 #dto4       ,,unto ,,this 
,,last4 ,four ,essays on the ,first     
,principles of ,political      ,economy4
 ,tenth ,edition4 ,cloth1 #cs42 roan1   
gilt edges1 #ds41      fcap4 #hvo4      
,,selections ,,from ,,ruskin4 #b vols4  
crown #hvo1 with ,index4 7,sold         
separately71 cloth1 #fs4 each2 roan1    
gilt edges1 #hs4 #f;d4 each4            
,,the ,,first ,,series 7from ,works     
written between #ahdc and #ahfj71 with  
engraved ,portrait4          ,,the      
,,second ,,series 7from ,works written  
between #ahfj and #ahhh71 with          

,photogravure ,portrait4       ,,frondes
 ,,agrestes4 ,readings in ,modern       
,painters4 ,thirteenth ,edition4        
,cloth1 #cs42 roan1 gilt edges1 #ds4    
,crown #hvo1 cloth1 #es4 each2 roan1    
gilt edges1 #gs4 #f;d4 each4            
,,sesame ,,and ,,lilies4 ,a ,small      
,complete ,edition1 containing the      
,three      ,lectures1 with long        
,preface and ,index4       ,,munera     
,,pulveris4 ,six ,essays on the         
,elements of ,political ,economy4       
,second ,edition1 with ,index4          
,the ,,eagle',s ,,nest4 ,ten ,lectures  
on the ,relation of ,natural ,science   
to ,art4 ,third ,edition1 with ,index4  
,,time and ,,tide1 by ,,weare and       
,,tyne4 ,twenty-five ,letters to a      
,working      ,man of ,sunderland on    
,laws of ,work4 ,fourth ,edition1 with  
,index4       ,the ,,crown of ,,wild    
,,olive4 ,four ,essays on ,work1        
,traffic1 ,war1 and the      ,future of 
,england4 ,with ,articles on the        
,economy of the ,kings of      ,prussia4

 ,ninth ,edition1 with ,index4          
,,queen of the ,,air3 a ,study of the   
,greek ,myths of ,cloud and ,storm4     
,sixth ,edition1 with ,index4       ,the
 ,,two ,,paths4 ,lectures on ,art and   
its ,application to ,decoration      and
 ,manufacture4 ,delivered in #aheh-ei4  
,with ,new ,preface and ,added          
,notes4 ,third ,edition4       ,a ,,joy 
,,for ,,ever 7and its ,price in the     
,market74 ,the ,substance of      ,two  
,lectures on the ,political ,economy of 
,art4 ,with ,new ,preface and           
,added ,articles4 ,third ,edition1 with 
,index4       ,,lectures on ,,art1      
delivered at ,oxford in #ahgj4 ,with    
,preface4 ,seventh      ,edition1 with  
,index4       ,the ,,ethics of the      
,,dust4 ,ten ,lectures to ,little       
,housewives on the      ,elements of    
,crystallisation4 ,eighth ,edition4     
,the ,,elements of ,,drawing4 ,in ,three
 ,letters to ,beginners1 with ,index4   
,illustrated4       ,the ,,stones of    
,,venice3 ,selections for the ,use of   

,travellers4 #b vols4      cloth1 #es4  
each4 ,sixth ,edition1 with ,index4     
,small post #hvo1 cloth1 #gs4 #f;d4     
each2 roan1 gilt edges1 #ajs4 each1     
complete with all the ,plates4          
,the ,,seven ,,lamps of ,,architecture4 
,the #ad ,plates for this ,edition      
have been specially prepared from the   
larger ,work4 ,sixth ,edition4          
,,aratra ,,pentilici3 ,seven ,lectures  
on the ,elements of ,sculpture4 ,with   
#a ,engraving on ,steel and #bj         
,autotype ,plates4       ,,val          
,d',,arno4 ,ten ,lectures on ,art of the
 ,thirteenth ,century in ,pisa      and 
,florence4 ,with #a ,steel ,engraving   
and #ab ,autotype ,plates4              
,,ariadne ,,florentina3 ,six ,lectures  
on ,wood and ,metal ,engraving1 and     
,appendix4 ,with #d ,full-,page         
,facsimiles from ,holbein's ,dance of   
,death1 and #ab ,autotype ,plates4      
,,lectures on ,,architecture and        
,,painting4 ,delivered at ,edinburgh in 
,november1 #ahec4 ,with #ae ,full-,page 

,illustrations drawn by the             
,author4       ,,the ,,harbours ,,of    
,,england4 ,with the #ab ,illustrations 
by ,,turner1      reproduced in         
,photogravure1 and an ,introduction by  
,t4 ,j4 ,,wise4                     99  
99       99       99       99           
,,fors ,,clavigera3 ,letters to the     
,labourers and ,workmen of ,great       
,britain4 ,a ,new ,cheap ,edition1 with 
all the ,illustrations4 ,in ,four       
,volumes1 each with an ,index1 crown    
#hvo1 cloth1 #fs4 each2 roan1      gilt 
edges1 #hs4 #f;d4 each4          ,,vol4 
,i4 containing ,letters ,i4 to ,,xxiv41 
#ecj pages4 ,just out4         ,,vol4   
,,ii4 containing ,letters ,,xxv4 to     
,,xlviii41                              
about #ejj pages4   ,in ,may4           
,,vol4 ,,iii4 containing ,letters       
,,xlix4 to ,,lxxii4           ,in the   
,,vol4 ,,iv4 containing ,letters        
,,lxxiii4 to ,,xcvi4          ,autumn4  
,,letters ,,to ,,the ,,clergy3 ,on the  
,lord's ,prayer and the ,church4 ,edited

      by ,rev4 ,f4 ,a4 ,,malleson4      
,third ,edition1 with ,additional       
,letters by      ,mr4 ,,ruskin1 crown   
#hvo1 cloth1 #es4 ,the last ,edition1   
published in      #ahhc1 has long been  
out of print4       ,,three ,,letters   
and ,,an ,,essay on ,,literature1       
#ahcf-ahda4 ,found in his      ,tutor's 
,desk4 ,crown #hvo1 cloth1 #cs4         
,,letters ,,to ,a ,,college ,,friend1   
#ahdj-ahde1 including an ,essay on      
,death before ,adam ,fell4 ,crown #hvo1 
cloth1 #ds4       ,,hortus ,,inclusus4  
,messages from the ,wood to the ,garden4
 ,being      ,letters to the ,sister    
,ladies of the ,thwaite1 ,coniston4     
,second      ,edition4 ,cloth1 #ds4     
,,the ,,oxford ,,museum4 ,by ,sir       
,,henry ,,acland4 ,with ,letters from   
,,john      ,,ruskin and ,new ,preface  
by ,sir ,,henry ,,acland4 ,with         
,portrait of ,mr4      ,ruskin1 taken in
 #ahic1 an ,engraving of ,capital1 and a
 ,plan4 ,crown      #hvo1 cloth1 #ds4   
,,ruskin ,,on ,,music3 being ,extracts  

from the ,works of ,,john ,,ruskin4     
,intended for the ,use of all interested
 in the ,art of ,music4          ,edited
 by ,miss ,a4 ,m4 ,,wakefield4 ,with    
,frontispiece in ,colour4         ,med4 
#hvo1 cloth1 #es4 net2 half-parchment1  
#fs4 #f;d4 net4       ,,studies ,,in    
,,ruskin3 ,some ,aspects of ,mr4        
,ruskin's ,work and ,teaching4      ,by 
,,edward ,t4 ,,cook4 #ac ,woodcuts4     
,crown #hvo1 cloth1 #es42 roan1 gilt    
edges1 #gs4 #f;d4 ,second ,edition4     
,also a ,large-,paper ,edition1 crown   
#dto1 price #abs4 #f;d4                 
,containing1 in addition to the         
,woodcuts1 #ac ,autotypes of            
,drawings by ,mr4 ,,ruskin4 ,with       
,descriptive ,text4       ,,the         
,,principles ,,of ,,art4 ,as            
,illustrated by ,examples in the ,ruskin
      ,museum at ,sheffield4 ,compiled  
by ,,william ,,white from ,mr4 ,ruskin's
      ,works1 with some unpublished     
,matter and #f ,photogravure ,plates4   
,demy      #hvo1 #ajs4 #f;d4 net4       

,,miscellaneous ,,publications          
,,old ,,french ,,romances4 ,done into   
,english by ,,william ,,morris4 ,with an
      ,introduction by ,,joseph         
,,jacobs4       ,king ,coustans the     
,emperor4 ,the ,friendship of ,amis and 
,amile4 ,king      ,floras and the ,fair
 ,jehane4 ,story of ,over ,sea4 ,crown  
#hvo1 cloth1      gilt top1 #ds4 #f;d4  
net4       ,,through ,,the ,,dolomites1 
from ,,venice to ,,toblach4 ,a          
,practical1      ,historical1 and       
,descriptive ,guide-,book4 ,by the ,rev4
 ,,alexander      ,,robertson1 ,d4,d4   
7of ,venice74          ,with #db        
,full-,page ,illustrations reproduced   
from ,pictures by ,w4                   
,,logsdail1 ,h4 ,g4 ,,keasbey1 and from 
,photographs1 with a ,map of the        
,district4 ,also an ,appendix giving    
,tables of ,railway and ,diligence      
,stations1 ,times1 ,fares1 c41 ,carriage
 ,tariffs1 ,charges for ,guides1        
,hotels1 c4 ,small crown #hvo1 cloth1   
#gs4 #f;d4          ,this is intended to

 be a supplementary volume to ,mr4      
,,hare',s         ,cities of ,northern  
,italy1 and is the only guide of the    
kind         dealing with the great     
highway through that beautiful mountain 
district1 which is becoming more and    
more the resort of         travellers4  
,,as ,,others ,,see ,,us4 ,a ,series of 
,volumes giving ,impressions of         
,england and of ,english ,life by       
various ,continental ,authors4 ,edited  
by ,,joseph ,,jacobs4 ,crown #hvo1      
cloth1 #es4 each4       ,i4 ,,the       
,,england ,,of ,,to-,,day4 ,from the    
,portuguese of ,,oliveira ,,martins4    
,translated by ,c4 ,j4 ,,willdey1 #cdj  
pages4       ,,ii4 ,,across ,,the       
,,channel4 ,from the ,french of         
,,gabriel ,,mourey 7,,gil      ,,blas74 
,,other ,,volumes ,,to ,,follow4        
,,browning ,,and ,,the ,,christian      
,,faith4 ,on the ,evidences of          
,christianity      from ,browning's     
,point of ,view4 ,by ,,edward ,,berdoe4 
,crown #hvo1 cloth1      #es42 #bef     

pages4                                  
,just out4       ,,browning ,,studies4  
,by ,bishop ,,westcott1 ,professor      
,,corson1 ,mrs4      ,,ireland1 and     
other ,members of the ,browning         
,society4 ,with an      ,introduction by
 ,,edward ,,berdoe4 ,demy #hvo1 cloth1  
#gs4 #f;d4       ,,spenser',s ,,faerie  
,,queene4 ,with over #ij ,full-page     
,illustrations1      besides #aej       
,headings and ,tailpieces by ,,walter   
,,crane4       ,a limited ,edition on   
,arnold's ,hand-made ,paper1 large post 
#dto1 in      ,,nineteen ,monthly       
,parts1 price #ajs4 #f;d4 net each      
,part4 ,no odd      ,parts supplied     
separately4       ,the ,text 7which has 
been collated from ,four ,editions1     
including      that of #aeij7 is edited 
by ,,thomas ,j4 ,,wise4       ,,books   
,i4 to ,,iv41 price ,l#a1 #aas4 #f;d4   
each2 cloth1 ,l#a1 #ads4      each4     
,,part ,,xiii41 with #d ,full-page      
,designs1 #e ,canto ,headings1 and #d   
,tailpieces4                            

,just out4       ,,the ,,merry ,,wives  
,,of ,,windsor4 ,in ,eight ,designs4 ,by
 ,,walter ,,crane4      ,printed on     
,japanese silk paper1 and mounted on    
cardboard4 ,each copy      is signed by 
,mr4 ,,crane and numbered4 ,buckram1    
gilt top1 plates      guarded1 imperial 
#dto1 #bas4 net4       ,,old-,,world    
,,japan3 ,legends of the ,land of the   
,gods4 ,by ,,frank ,,rinder4      ,with 
#cd ,pictures and ,cover designed by ,t4
 ,h4 ,,robinson4 ,cloth1 gilt      top1 
#fs4       ,,jacob ,,and ,,the ,,raven4 
,by ,,frances ,,mary ,,peard4 ,with     
other ,stories for      ,children1 and  
#ci ,illustrations by ,,heywood         
,,sumner4 ,large crown #hvo1      cloth1
 gilt edges1 #es4       ,,the ,,history 
,,of ,,huon ,,of ,,bordeaux3 ,a ,legend 
of the ,time of      ,charlemagne4 ,by  
,,robert ,,steele4 ,with #bb            
,illustrations by ,,fred4      ,,mason4 
,antique ,paper4 ,fcap4 #dto1 cloth1    
#ajs4 #f;d4       ,,pride ,,and         
,,prejudice4 ,by ,,jane ,,austen4 ,with 

#ajj ,illustrations by ,,hugh           
,,thomson1 and an ,introduction by      
,,george ,,saintsbury4 ,crown #hvo1     
cloth      gilt1 #fs4                   
,,marmontel',s ,,moral ,,tales4         
,selected and ,re-translated1 with      
,biographical and ,critical             
,introduction and ,notes by ,,george    
,,saintsbury1 and #de ,illustrations by 
,,chris4 ,,hammond4 ,crown #hvo1        
cloth1 gilt top or edges1 #fs4          
,,sir ,,charles ,,grandison4 ,by        
,,samuel ,,richardson4 ,the ,letters    
being      ,selected and ,arranged to   
form a connected ,narrative1 with       
,biographical and ,critical             
,introduction and ,notes1 by ,,george   
,,saintsbury1 and #fj ,drawings by      
,,chris4 ,,hammond4 ,in #b vols41 crown 
#hvo1 cloth1 gilt tops or edges1 #abs4  
,,hans ,,andersen',s ,,stories ,,and    
,,fairy ,,tales4 ,translated by ,h4     
,,oskar      ,,sommer4 ,with over ,one  
,hundred ,pictures and ,initial ,letters
 by      ,,arthur ,j4 ,,gaskin4 ,in #b  

vols41 large crown #hvo1 #fs4 each4     
,sold      separately4       ,a few of  
the ,special ,large-,paper ,copies on   
,arnold's ,hand-made ,paper      still  
remain4 ,crown #dto1 ,l#b1 #bs4 net1 the
 #b vols4       ,,legends ,,from ,,river
 ,,and ,,mountain4 ,translated from the 
,roumanian and      ,german by ,,carmen 
,,sylva 7,h4,m4 the ,queen of ,roumania7
 and ,,alma      ,,strettell4 ,with #dj 
,illustrations by ,t4 ,h4 ,,robinson4   
,large crown      #hvo1 cloth1 gilt top1
 #fs4       ,,slav ,,tales4 ,translated 
from the ,french of ,,chodsko1 and      
,illustrated      with #fj ,drawings by 
,,emily ,j4 ,,harding4 ,large crown     
#hvo1 cloth1 gilt      top1 #fs4        
,,the ,,memories ,,and ,,thoughts ,,of  
,a ,,life4 ,by ,judge ,o',,connor       
,,morris4 ,this      book is chiefly    
conversant with ,ireland during the last
 ,sixty      ,years4 ,demy #hvo1 cloth4 
#abs4 #f;d41 with ,portrait4            
,,lullabies ,,of ,,many ,,lands4        
,collected and rendered into ,english by

      ,,alma ,,strettell4 ,with #gg     
,illustrations and specially designed   
,cover      by ,,emily ,,harding4 ,fcap4
 #dto1 cloth1 #gs4 #f;d4       ,,the    
,,disagreeable ,,duke4 ,a ,christmas    
,whimsicality for ,holiday ,girls       
and ,boys4 ,by ,,ellinor ,,davenport    
,,adams4 ,crown #hvo1 cloth1 #cs4 #f;d4 
,a ,,model ,,wife1 ,,and ,,other        
,,stories4 ,by ,mrs4 ,,comyns ,,carr4   
,crown #hvo1      cloth1 #cs4 #f;d4     
,,the ,,life ,,and ,,letters ,,of       
,,thomas ,,pelham ,,dale4 ,by ,,helen   
,,pelham ,,dale4      ,with #d          
,photogravure ,portraits1 #f ,plates in 
,colour1 and other      ,illustrations4 
,in #b vols41 crown #hvo1 cloth1 #abs4  
#f;d4       ,,songs ,,of ,a ,,parish    
,,priest4 ,by ,rev4 ,,basil ,,edwards4  
,with ,woodcut of      ,churchyard      
,cross4 ,third ,edition4 ,fcap4 #hvo1   
parchment1 #bs42      cloth1 #bs4 #f;d4 
,,revolution ,,and ,,reaction ,,in      
,,modern ,,france4 ,by ,g4 ,,lowes      
,,dickinson4      ,the ,substance of    

,lectures dealing with the ,history of  
,france1 from      #aghi to #ahga4      
,crown #hvo1 cloth1 #es4       ,a ,,book
 ,,of ,,pictured ,,carols4 ,with #ab    
,full-,page ,designs by ,members of     
the ,birmingham ,art ,school4           
,hand-printed on ,hand-made ,paper1 #gd 
pages4 ,fcap4 #dto1 #es4       ,,the    
,,garden ,,of ,,japan3 a ,year's ,diary 
of its ,flowers4 ,by ,f4 ,t4            
,,piggott1 ,m4,a4 ,with ,two ,full-,page
 ,plates of ,japanese ,flowers in       
,colour1 and other ,illustrations by the
 ,author1 including some      ,coloured 
,ornaments on ,title-,pages4 ,also ,four
 ,pictures by ,,alfred      ,,east1     
,r4,i4 ,hand-printed1 demy #dto1        
,japanese ,vellum1 #ajs4 #f;d4          
,,works ,,by ,,augustus ,j4 ,c4 ,,hare  
,,life ,,and ,,letters ,,of ,,frances1  
,,baroness ,,bunsen4 ,third ,edition4   
,with      ,portraits4 #b vols41 crown  
#hvo1 #bas4       ,,memorials ,,of ,a   
,,quiet ,,life4 #c vols41 crown #hvo4   
,vols4 ,i4 and ,,ii41      #bas4        

7,nineteenth ,edition72 ,vol4 ,,iii41   
with numerous ,photographs1      #ajs4  
#f;d4       ,,days ,,near ,,rome4 ,with 
more than #ajj ,illustrations by the    
,author4      ,third ,edition4 #b vols41
 crown #hvo1 #abs4 #f;d4       ,,walks  
,,in ,,rome4 ,thirteenth ,edition1      
revised4 ,with ,map4 #b vols41          
fcap4 #hvo1 cloth limp1 #ajs4           
,,walks ,,in ,,london4 ,sixth ,edition1 
revised4 ,with additional               
,illustrations4 #b vols41 fcap4 #hvo1   
cloth limp1 #abs4       ,,westminster4  
,reprinted from ,walks in ,london1 as a 
,handy ,guide4      #abj pages4 ,paper  
covers1 #f;d4 net2 cloth1 #as4          
,,wanderings ,,in ,,spain4 ,with #ag    
full-page ,illustrations4 ,fifth        
,edition4 ,crown #hvo1 #gs4 #f;d4       
,,cities ,,of ,,southern ,,italy ,,and  
,,sicily4 ,with ,illustrations4 ,crown  
#hvo1      #ajs4 #f;d4       ,,cities   
,,of ,,northern ,,italy4 ,second        
,edition4 ,with ,illustrations4 #b      
vols41 crown #hvo1 #abs4 #f;d4          

,,cities ,,of ,,central ,,italy4 ,second
 ,edition4 ,with ,illustrations4 #b     
vols41 crown #hvo1 #abs4 #f;d4          
,,sketches ,,in ,,holland ,,and         
,,scandinavia4 ,crown #hvo1 with        
,illustrations1      #cs4 #f;d4         
,,studies ,,in ,,russia4 ,crown #hvo1   
with numerous ,illustrations1 #ajs4     
#f;d4       ,,florence4 ,third ,edition4
 ,fcap4 #hvo1 ,illustrated1 cloth limp1 
#cs4       ,,venice4 ,third ,edition4   
,fcap4 #hvo1 cloth limp1 #cs4 ,with     
,illustrations4       ,,paris4 ,with    
,illustrations4 ,crown #hvo1 cloth1     
#ajs42 or in #b vols1      cloth limp1  
#ajs4 #f;d4       ,,days ,,near ,,paris4
 ,with ,illustrations4 ,crown #hvo1     
cloth1 #ajs42 or      in #b vols41 cloth
 limp1 #ajs4 #f;d4                      
,,north-,,eastern ,,france4 ,crown #hvo1
 cloth1 #ajs4 #f;d4 ,with ,map and      
#hf ,woodcuts4 #ecb pages4              
,picardy--,abbeville and ,amiens--,paris
 and its ,environs--,arras and          
the ,manufacturing ,towns of the        

,north--,champagne--,nancy and the      
,vosges1 c4        ,,south-,,eastern    
,,france4 ,crown #hvo1 cloth1 #ajs4     
#f;d4 ,with ,map and #agf               
,woodcuts4 #fjj pages4          ,the    
different lines to the                  
,south--,burgundy--,auvergne--,the      
,cantal--,provence--,the ,alpes         
,dauphinaises and ,alpes ,maritimes2    
c4       ,,south-,,western ,,france4    
,crown #hvo1 cloth1 #ajs4 #f;d4 ,with   
,map and #bcb      ,woodcuts4 #ffd      
pages4          ,the ,loire--,the       
,gironde and                            
,landes--,creuse--,correze--,the        
,limousin--,gascony and ,languedoc--,the
 ,cevennes and the ,pyrenees1         c4
       ,,north-,,western ,,france4      
,crown #hvo1 cloth1 #ajs4 #f;d4 ,with   
,map and #gc      ,woodcuts4 #daj pages4
          ,normandy and                 
,brittany--,rouen--,dieppe--,cherbourg--
,bayeux--,caen--                        
,coutances--,chartres--,mont ,s4        
,michel--,dinan--,brest--,alencon1 c4   

,,sussex4 ,with ,map and #dj ,woodcuts4 
,crown #hvo1 cloth1 #fs4       ,,the    
,,story ,,of ,,two ,,noble ,,lives3     
,,charlotte1 ,,countess ,,canning1 and  
,,louisa1 ,,marchioness ,,of            
,,waterford4 ,in #c vols4 of about #dej 
pages      each4 ,crown #hvo1 cloth1    
,l#a1 #aas4 #f;d4 #cb ,plates in        
,photogravure from      ,lady           
,waterford's ,drawings1 and #cb         
,woodcuts4          ,also a ,special    
,large-,paper ,edition1 with ,india     
,proofs of the         ,plates4 ,crown  
#dto1 ,l#c1 #cs4 net4       ,,the       
,,gurneys ,,of ,,earlham3 ,being        
,memoirs and ,letters of the ,eleven    
,children of ,,john and ,,catherine     
,,gurney of ,earlham1 #agge-ahge1 and   
the ,story of their ,religious ,life    
under ,many ,different ,forms4          
,illustrated with #cc ,photogravure     
,plates and #ai ,woodcuts4 ,in #b       
vols41 crown #hvo1 cloth1 #bes4 #gab    
pages4       ,,biographical ,,sketches3 
,being ,memorial ,sketches of ,,arthur  

,,penrhyn      ,,stanley1 ,dean of      
,westminster2 ,,henry ,,alford1 ,dean of
 ,canterbury2      ,mrs4 ,,duncan       
,,stewart2 and ,,paray ,,le ,,monial4   
,illustrated with #g      ,portraits and
 #ag ,woodcuts4 #a vol41 crown #hvo1    
cloth1 #hs4 #f;d4              ,,george 
,,allen1 #aef1 ,,charing ,,cross ,,road1
 ,,london     ,transcriber's ,notes3    
#a4 ,p4 #cg3 ,mis-understanding is      
chosen to be written with a hyphen      
7,but1 at all events1 it is surely the  
pastor's duty to prevent his flock from 
mis-understanding it4447  #b4 ,p4 #e of 
the ,appendix3 ,miscellaneons changed to
 ,miscellaneous in the header of the    
page4  #c4 ,the words that were chosen  
to be written with a hyphen3            
mustard-seed 7p4 #bc71 ,janus-faced 7p4 
#ca71 thorough-going 7p4 #aaf71         
slow-witted 7p4 #aaf71 simple-minded 7p4
 #abf71 so-called 7p4 #abf71            
animad-versions 7p4 #bde71 ,hand-made   
7p4 #f1 ,appendix71 ,hand-printed 7p4   
#g1 ,appendix7  #d4 ,the words that were

 chosen to be written without a hyphen3 
overcrowding 7p4 #ia71 shortcomings 7p4 
#agb71 overthrow 7p4 #agh71 widespread  
7p4 #ahj74  #e4 ,added quotes 7p4 #aec1 
'444 for clerky people4'7  #f4 ,added   
period after the ,greek epigraph to     
letters ,,vii 7p4 #ai7 and ,x 7p4 #cf74