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MyforemostdesigninwritingthisPrefaceistoaddressawordofexhortationtotheSocietyforPromotingChristianKnowledge.Intheessaywhichfollows,thereaderwilloftenfindBishopWilsonquoted.TomeandtothemembersoftheSocietyforPromotingChristianKnowledgehisnameandwritingsarestill,nodoubt,familiar.Buttheworldisfastgoingawayfromold-fashionedpeopleofhissort,andIlearntwithconsternationlatelyfromabrilliantanddistinguishedvotaryofthenaturalsciences,thathehadneversomuchasheardofBishopWilson,andthatheimaginedmetohaveinventedhim.AtamomentwhentheCourtsofLawhavejusttakenofftheembargofromtherecreativereligionfurnishedonSundaysbymygiftedacquaintanceandothers,andwhenSt.Martin'

sHallandtheAlhambrawillsoonbebeginningagaintoresoundwiththeirpulpit-eloquence,itdistressesonetothinkthatthenewlightsshouldnotonlyhave,ingeneral,averylowopinionofthepreachersoftheoldreligion,butthattheyshouldhaveitwithoutknowingthebestthatthesepreacherscando.Andthattheyareinthiscaseisowinginpart,certainly,tothenegligenceoftheChristianKnowledgeSociety.IntheoldtimestheyusedtoprintandspreadabroadBishopWilson'

sMaximsofPietyandChristianity.ThecopyofthisworkwhichIuseisoneoftheirpublications,bearingtheirimprint,andboundinthewell-knownbrowncalfwhichtheymadefamiliartoourchildhood;

butthedateofmycopyis1812.Iknowofnocopybesides,andIbelievetheworkisnolongeroneofthoseprintedandcirculatedbytheSociety.1Hencetheerror,flattering,Iown,tomepersonally,yetinitselftoberegretted,ofthedistinguishedphysicistalreadymentioned.

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ButBishopWilson'

sMaximsdeservetobecirculatedasareligiousbook,notonlybycomparisonwiththecartloadsofrubbishcirculatedatpresentunderthisdesignation,butfortheirownsake,andevenbycomparisonwiththeotherworksofthesameauthor.OverthefarbetterknownSacraPrivatatheyhavethisadvantage,thattheywerepreparedbyhimforhisownprivateuse,whiletheSacraPrivatawerepreparedbyhimfortheuseofthepublic.TheMaximswerenevermeanttobeprinted,andhaveonthataccount,likeaworkof,doubtless,fardeeperemotionandpower,theMeditationsofMarcusAurelius,somethingpeculiarlysincereandfirst-handaboutthem.SomeofthebestthingsfromtheMaximshavepassedintotheSacraPrivata.Still,intheMaxims,wehavethemastheyfirstarose;

andwhereas,too,intheSacraPrivatathewriterspeaksveryoftenasoneoftheclergy,andasaddressingtheclergy,intheMaximshealmostalwaysspeakssolelyasaman.IamnotsayingawordagainsttheSacraPrivata,forwhichIhavethehighestrespect;

onlytheMaximsseemtomeabetterandmoreedifyingbookstill.Theyshouldberead,asJoubertsaysNicoleshouldberead,withadirectaimatpractice.Thereaderwillleaveononesidethingswhich,fromthechangeoftimeandfromthechangedpointofviewwhichthechangeoftimeinevitablybringswithit,nolongersuithim;

enoughwillremaintoserveasasampleoftheverybest,perhaps,whichournationandracecandointhewayofreligiouswriting.M.Micheletmakesitareproachtousthat,inallthedoubtastotherealauthoroftheImitation,noonehaseverdreamedofascribingthatworktoanEnglishman.Itistrue,theImitationcouldnotwellhavebeenwrittenbyanEnglishman;

thereligiousdelicacyand,theprofoundasceticismofthatadmirablebookarehardlyinournature.Thiswouldbemoreofareproachtousifinpoetry,whichrequires,nolessthanreligion,atruedelicacyofspiritualperception,ourracehadnotdonegreatthings;

andiftheImitation,exquisiteasitis,didnot,asIhaveelsewhereremarked,belongtoaclassofworksinwhichtheperfectbalanceofhumannatureislost,andwhichhavetherefore,asspiritualproductions,intheircontentssomethingexcessiveandmorbid,intheirformsomethingnotthoroughlysound.OnalowerrangethantheImitation,andawakeninginournaturechordslesspoeticalanddelicate,theMaximsofBishopWilsonare,asareligiouswork,farmoresolid.Tothemostsincereardourandunction,BishopWilsonunites,intheseMaxims,thatdownrighthonestyandplaingoodsensewhichourEnglishracehassopowerfullyappliedtothedivineimpossibilitiesofreligion;

bywhichithasbroughtreligionsomuchintopracticallife,andhasdoneitsallottedpartinpromotinguponearththekingdomofGod.

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Withardourandunctionreligion,asweallknow,maystillbefanatical;

withhonestyandgoodsense,itmaystillbeprosaic;

andthefruitofhonestyandgoodsenseunitedwithardourandunctionisoftenonlyaprosaicreligionheldfanatically.BishopWilson'

sexcellenceliesinabalanceofthefourqualities,andinafulnessandperfectionofthem,whichmakesthisuntowardresultimpossible.Hisunctionissoperfect,andinsuchhappyalliancewithhisgoodsense,thatitbecomestendernessandferventcharity.Hisgoodsenseissoperfect,andinsuchhappyalliancewithhisunction,thatitbecomesmoderationandinsight.While,therefore,thetypeofreligionexhibitedinhisMaximsisEnglish,itisyetatypeofafarhigherkindthanisingeneralreachedbyBishopWilson'

scountrymen;

andyet,beingEnglish,itispossibleandattainableforthem.AndsoIconcludeasIbegan,bysayingthataworkofthissortisonewhichtheSocietyforPromotingChristianKnowledgeshouldnotsuffertoremainoutofprintandoutofcurrency.

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Andnowtopasstothematterscanvassedinthefollowingessay.Thewholescopeoftheessayistorecommendcultureasthegreathelpoutofourpresentdifficulties;

culturebeingapursuitofourtotalperfectionbymeansofgettingtoknow,onallthematterswhichmostconcernus,thebestwhichhasbeenthoughtandsaidintheworld;

andthroughthisknowledge,turningastreamoffreshandfreethoughtuponourstocknotionsandhabits,whichwenowfollowstaunchlybutmechanically,vainlyimaginingthatthereisavirtueinfollowingthemstaunchlywhichmakesupforthemischiefoffollowingthemmechanically.This,andthisalone,isthescopeofthefollowingessay.Andtheculturewerecommendis,aboveall,aninwardoperation.

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Butweareoftensupposed,whenwecriticisebythehelpofculturesomeimperfectdoingorother,tohaveinoureyesomewell-knownrivalplanofdoing,whichwewanttoserveandrecommendThus,forinstance,becausewehavefreelypointedoutthedangersandinconveniencestowhichourliteratureisexposedintheabsenceofanycentreoftasteandauthorityliketheFrenchAcademy,itisconstantlysaidthatwewanttointroducehereinEnglandaninstitutionliketheFrenchAcademy.Wehave,indeed,expresslydeclaredthatwewantednosuchthing;

butletusnoticehowitisjustourworshipofmachinery,andofexternaldoing,whichleadstothischargebeingbrought;

andhowtheinwardnessofculturemakesusseize,forwatchingandcure,thefaultstowhichourwantofanAcademyinclinesus,andyetpreventsusfromtrustingtoanarmofflesh,asthePuritanssay,--fromblindlyflyingtothisoutwardmachineryofanAcademy,inordertohelpourselves.FortheverysamecultureandfreeinwardplayofthoughtwhichshowshowtheCorinthianstyle,orthewhimsiesabouttheOnePrimevalLanguage,aregeneratedandstrengthenedintheabsenceofanAcademy,showsus,too,howlittleanyAcademy,suchasweshouldbelikelytoget,wouldcurethem.Everyonewhoknowsthecharacteristicsofournationallife,andthetendenciessofullydiscussedinthefollowingpages,knowsexactlywhatanEnglishAcademywouldbelike.Onecanseethehappyfamilyinone'

smind'

seyeasdistinctlyasifitwerealreadyconstituted.LordStanhope,theDeanofSt.Paul'

s,2theBishopofOxford,3Mr.Gladstone,theDeanofWestminster,Mr.Froude,Mr.HenryReeve,--everythingwhichisinfluential,accomplished,anddistinguished;

andthen,somefinemorning,adissatisfactionofthepublicmindwiththisbrilliantandselectcoterie,aflightofCorinthianleadingarticles,andanirruptionofMr.G.A.Sala.Clearly,thisisnotwhatwilldousgood.Theverysamefaults,--thewantofsensitivenessofintellectualconscience,thedisbeliefinrightreason,thedislikeofauthority,--whichhavehinderedourhavinganAcademyandhaveworkedinjuriouslyinourliterature,wouldalsohinderusfrommakingourAcademy,ifweestablishedit,onewhichwouldreallycorrectthem.Andculture,whichshowsustrulythefaultstobecorrected,showsusthisalsojustastruly.

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Natural,aswehavesaid,thesortofmisunderstandingjustnoticedis;

yetourusefulnessdependsuponourbeingabletoclearitaway,andtoconvincethosewhomechanicallyservesomestocknotionoroperation,andtherebygoastray,thatitisnotculture'

sworkoraimtogivethevictorytosomerivalfetish,butsimplytoturnafreeandfreshstreamofthoughtuponthewholematterinquestion.Inathingofmoreimmediateinterest,justnow,thananyquestionofanAcademy,thelikemisunderstandingprevails;

anduntilitisdissipated,culturecandonogoodworkinthematter.WhenwecriticisethepresentoperationofdisestablishingtheIrishChurch,notbythepowerofreasonandjustice,butbythepoweroftheantipathyoftheProtestantNonconformists,EnglishandScotch,toestablishments,wearecalledenemiesoftheNonconformists,blindpartisansoftheAnglicanEstablishment,possessedwiththeonedesiretohelptheclergyandtoharmtheDissenters.Morethanafewwordswemustgivetosh