ation. But the whole contest, which is so fully described in the ensuing letters as not to need further comments here, was one of the most characteristic passages of his life. It was the only occasion on which he was brought into direct collision with the extreme section of the Liberal party; and with the tendency to keep the principles of the Christian Religion distinct from national literature and education, which he had long regarded as a great and growing evil in English society. Nor was it the less interesting at this time from its connexion with his longer contest with the Oxford School, as showing how his antipathy to one extreme had only made his antipathy to its opposite more intense; how complete was the isolation in which he found himself, when he was almost equally condemned, in London as a bigot, and in Oxford as a latitudinarian. On either side his public and private experience converged into the deep feeling expressed in one of his letters:-"When I look round upon boys or men, there seems to me some one point or quality, which distinguishes really noble persons from ordinary ones; it is not religious feeling-it is not honesty or kindness;-but it seems to me to be moral thoughtfulness; which is at once strengthening and softening and elevating; which makes a man love Christ instead of being a fanatic, and love truth without being cold or hard."

CXV. TO MR. JUSTICE COLERIDGE.

Rugby, November 18, 1835.

You are by this time, I suppose, returned to London; and perhaps you may wonder what induces me to write to

you again so soon. My reason is, that, if I find that you have time to do it, I meditate a yet farther encroachment on your leisure, on a matter of public interest, as I think, as well as one which concerns me personally. The “Idea” of my life, to which I think every thought of my mind more or less tends, is the perfecting the "idea" of the Edward the Sixth Reformers, the constructing a truly national and Christian Church, and a truly national and Christian system of education. The more immediate question now is, with regard to the latter. The Address of the House of Commons about the London University, is to be answered by appointing a body of Examiners by Royal Charter, with power to confer Degrees in Arts, Law, and Medicine, on students of the London University and of King's College, and of such other places of education as the Crown from time to time may name. I have accepted the office of one of the Examiners in Arts,-not without much hesitation, and many doubts of the success of the plan, but desirous, if possible, to exercise some influence on a measure which seems to me full of very important consequences for good or for evil. Before I knew any thing about this, I had written a Pamphlet on the Admission of Dissenters into the Universities; not meaning to publish it directly, if at all; but wishing to embody my view of the whole question, in which, of course, I take the deepest interest. Now, if I act with this new Board, I am more disposed to publish my own views for my own justification, lest any man should think me an advocate for the plan of National Education without Christianity; which I utterly abhor. But I am well nigh driven beside myself, when I think that to this monstrosity we are likely to come; because the zealots of different sects, (including in this term the Establishment, pace Archiepiscopi Cantuarensis,) will have no Christianity without Sectarianism.

Now, if you have time to look at it, I should like to send you up my MS. for your full and free comments, including also your opinion as to the expediency of publication or

no. Tell me also, particularly, what points need fuller development. I have so thought over the whole question, and believe that I see my way in it so clearly, that I may perhaps state, as self-evident propositions, things which to others may be startling. Our Church now has a strict bond in matters of opinion, and none at all in matters of practice; which seems to me a double error. The Apostles began with the most general of all bonds in point of opinion-the simple confession that Jesus was the Son of God-not that they meant to rest there; but that, if you organize and improve the Church morally, you will improve its tone theoretically; till you get an agreement in what is essential Christian principle, and a perfect tolerance of differences in unessential opinions. But now, the true and grand idea of a Church, that is, a society for the purpose of making men like Christ,-earth like Heaven,—the kingdoms of the world the kingdom of Christ,-is all lost; and men look upon it as "an institution for religious instruction and religious worship," thus robbing it of its life and universality, making it an affair of clergy, not of people—of preaching and ceremonies, not of living-of Sundays and synagogues, instead of one of all days and all places, houses, streets, towns, and country. I believe that the Government are well disposed, and I wish at any rate to try them. I know at least what I mean myself, and have a definite object before me, which, if I cannot reach, I would at least come as near to it as I can.

CXVI. TO REV. DR. HAWKINS.

Rugby, November 4, 1835. [After stating his acceptance of the office in the London University.] I hold myself bound to influence, so far as I may be able, the working of a great experiment, which will probably in the end affect the whole education of the country. I hold myself bound to prevent, so far as in me lies, the establishment of more sectarian places of education, which will be the case if

you have regular colleges for Dissenters; and yet Dissenters must and ought to have Degrees; and you shut them out from Oxford and Cambridge. No man can feel more strongly than I do the necessary imperfection of the proposed system, and its certain inferiority to what the old Universities might be made, or even to what they are, I suppose, actually. No man can more dread the cooperators with whom I may possibly have to work, or the principle which an active party are endeavouring to carry into education, that it shall or can exist independent of Christianity. But the excuse of these men, and their probable success, arises out of the Oxford sectarianism. You have identified Christianity with the Church of England, andas there are many who will not bear the latter,-indifferent men, or unbelievers, believe that it must follow that they cannot be taught the former. The question goes through the whole frame of our society. Nothing more reasonable than that national education should be in accordance with the national religion; nothing more noble or more wise in my judgment than the whole theory of the Reformers on this point. But the Established Church is only the religion of a part of the nation, and there is the whole difficulty. The Reformers, or rather their successors in Elizabeth's time, wished to root out Dissent by the strong hand. This was wicked, as I think, as well as foolish: but then, if we do not root out Dissent, and so keep the Establishment co-extensive with the nation, we must extend the Establishment, or else in the end there will and ought to be no Establishment at all, which I consider as one of the greatest of all evils. But I see every thing tending to sectarianism: and I heard a very good man speaking with complacency of the state of things in America, where the different sects, it seems, are becoming more and more separated from each other. And this is a natural and sure consequence of having no Establishment, because then the narrow-mindedness of every sect plays out its own play, and there is no great external reason for union.

But on the present Oxford system or spirit, the Establishment is merely identified with a party, and makes half the nation regard it as a nuisance. I believe that that party and the party of the Dissenters are alike destestable, alike ignorant, narrow-minded, and unchristian; only the Church party are the least excusable, because they sin against far greater opportunities and means of light. My own firm belief is, that every difference of opinion amongst Christians, is either remediable by time and mutual fairness, or else is indifferent: and this, I believe, would be greatly furthered, if we would get rid entirely of the false traditional standard of interpretation, and interpret Scripture solely by itself. I think that in your Sermon on Unauthoritative Tradition, you have unawares served the cause of error and schism: for I should just reverse that argument, and, instead of saying that we should bring in tradition to teach certain doctrines, which Scripture appears to recognise, but does not clearly develope,-I should say, that, because Scripture does not clearly develope them, therefore they ought not to be taught as essential, nor with any greater degree of precision than is to be found in Scripture and then I believe that we should have Christian truth exactly in its own proper proportions ;—what is plain, and what is essential, being in effect convertible terms;—whereas, I am satisfied, that Church authority, whether early or late, is as rotten a staff as ever was Pharaoh king of Egypt's,-it will go into a man's hand to pierce him.

CXVII. TO THE REV. F. C. BLACKSTONE.

Rugby, November 11, 1833. My attention has been drawn lately, by one or two circumstances, to the spread of Henry Drummond's party, who claim to possess a renewal of the spiritual gifts of the Apostolic age, and, as a consequence, call themselves the only true Church. I should like to know whether you have lately heard any more of the ques

VOL. II.

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