Roman Catholic, the preceding must give way; and, if "the Pagan Church" preponderate, then Paganism must be the Established Religion of the Empire.

The total population of the British Empire may amount to more than 250 millions; and, of those millions, who can doubt that, according to this great principle, "THE PAGAN CHURCH" constitutes an overpowering majority.

The learned Prelate probably did not contemplate such an an application of his principle and his argument; but, could he resume the pen, now that the extent and the circumstances of the British Empire are so terially altered, I am disposed 1 to think he would seriously reconsider both his principle and his argument.

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As to the absolute necessity of a test-law to guard against the encroachments of the unesta

blished sects, he would undoubtedly be somewhat surprised to find that the Government had slighted all his assertions and all his arguments: and, perhaps, he would contend that, in so doing, it had opened the door for the re-establishment of "THE PAGAN CHURCH." But, upon his own showing, the Government, in return, might answer, that it was but paving the way for the application of his great principle of an Ecclesiastical Establishment of the majority; and, when that mighty result of the principle had been effected, the test-law should be again enacted, and Episcopalians, Presbyterians, &c. &c. must be rendered eligible to offices of trust and emoluments in the State, by a declaration of belief in the Hindoo Shasters, and the transmigration of souls, and by certain offerings presented at the altars of Vishnu and Brahma!

Q.

H—, Jan. 27, 1829.

MY DEAR Young Friend,

As I have this opportunity of writing, I avail myself of it to give you some hints which you have requested me to offer, as a guide to you in the very responsible and highly important situation which you now occupy. No one who believes the truth of Revelation, and seriously reflects on what ought to be the character of its ministers, can, for a moment, think lightly of their office. That it has been frequently disgraced is both true and lamentable. It has been made a mere stepping-stone to worldly honours and priestly influence-a method of obtaining a competence, or of

securing wealth-a means of affording a suitable arena for the bustling activity of a restless spirit, or of furnishing a retired and quiet abode for the enjoyment of literary and learned leisure. Many of those who have assumed the ministerial character, have displayed their want of every suitable qualification for the discharge of its duties, both in the pulpit and in the parlour. As to the pulpit. It has furnished a pillow for the drone, a stage for the mountebank, and a place of display for the actor, where the

start theatric, practiced at the glass," has been exhibited to the delight of the ignorant, the grief of the pious, and the scorn of men of sense. As to the domes

May feel it too; affectionate in look, And tender in address, as well becomes A messenger of grace to guilty men."

But you will be ready to say, what is all this to me? I have, indeed, the work of the ministry as my ultimate object; but the prospect I take of it is a distant one, and years must roll away, before I am called upon to fulfil its duties. Allow me to reply to this, that it is the part of the wise man to keep the main object of his life constantly in view-that old father Time flies with no sluggish wing-and that every study to which you devote yourself, which does not bear either nearly or remotely on your proposed ministerial engagements, will be a loss of time and of energy. I am perfectly aware that preparatory studies are both numerous and important; and that very many of these are not only without any direct bearing on the work of the ministry, but also, that not a few are unfavourable to that spirituality of mind, the cultivation of

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which should never, by a theological student, be omitted even for a single day. For, let it be observed, that the very first qualification of a minister of the Gospel is personal religion. Without this, the most splendid talents, the most profound erudition, will not only be useless, but, in all human probability, injurious to the church. If, then, you are indeed desirous (and I have no reason whatever to believe you are not) that the great end of your studies should be attained, and thus the wishes of those who have placed you in your present situation as a student, be fulfilled, and their prayers for your usefulness answered, I am persuaded that you will make daily prayer and habitual munion with God at once your duty and your pleasure. This will ensure your happiness, and evince to your own mind the safety of your state before God; for to draw near to Him by earnest and habitual prayer, is the very best proof we can possibly have that we are His. And the duty I am now merely glancing at, will be found necessary to you, not only for your own comfort and assurance of faith and hope, but for your preservation too. There are no circumstances by which we can be encompassed which may not prove to us either temptations to sin, or occasions of our transgressing. You are not exempted, even in a college devoted to religion and learning. I say nothing of gross sins. Inferior motives may serve to preserve you from these. There are more insidious, though not less dangerous, enemies, to which you will, in all probability, be exposed. Ever recollect that there are sins of the spirit as well as sins of the flesh. Some of us feel inclined, from the society in which we have

subject of your studies; and, indeed, did I feel inclined, I am not sufficiently acquainted with the plan pursued at W College to render it suitable for me to offer you any advice on this head. For this your pious and highly respected tutors are infinitely better qualified than I can possibly be; since this is a work to which their best energies are devoted. From them I feel assured, if there be no obstacle in your own mind, you will derive information and direction in all the studies in which you are called to engage. I have only one word here. It will be highly desirable for you to obtain an extensive and correct acquaintance with the English language. I mention this, because in some Colleges devoted principally to classical and mathematical instruction, it not unfrequently happens that young men, left to themselves as to their progress in the above important particular, in their zeal to acquire those languages which it will never be necessary for them to speak, neglect that which they need every day, and almost every hour. The present is not a period in which our tongue is to be neglected. The editors of the lowest of our daily and weekly prints, write the language in a manner equal to many of the best authors of the early part of the last century-the colloquial, the diffuse, the elegant, and the terse style are to be met with in publications in which, had they existed as periodicals fifty years since, no style but the vulgar had been discoverable. For one, therefore, who professes to be a scholar, to be ignorant of his own mother tongue, is as if Xenophon had studied Persic till he could not write Greek; or, as if Horace had turned over so frequently and

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exclusively the writings of Xenophon, and the rest of the illustrious Grecians, as to have disqualified himself from composing in the Roman tongue. While I make these passing remarks, I ought to add, that a knowledge of the learned languages will very materially aid you in acquiring an extensive and accurate acquaintance with your own. Our scientific terms are, with few exceptions, derived from the Greek; and some of our most eminent authors have employed a style abounding in words derived from the Latin, and characterized by much of what an Englishman would call the involved and parenthetical idiom of that language. As to the choice of words, however, it is worthy of notice that some of our best old writers, Milton in particular, appear never to have employed a Latin, when a Saxon word could be found to express their idea.

As to the best method of becoming a good English scholar, a very few observations will suffice. To know the principles and detail of the English grammar is well; but to hold intercourse with the best society, and to read the standard authors is better. Mere grammatical precept may do much for us in the study of a dead language, but there is nothing but practice which will avail us in learning with accuracy a living tongue. It were well were every passage of an indecent and of an impious kind expunged from the pages of Addison, of Steele, and of Swift; as the first is always elegant, the second always expressive, the last succinct, forcible, and pointed. The histories of Hume and of Robertson, the sermons of Walker, (of Edinburgh,) the pages of Paley, and all the writings of Hall of Bristol, are deserving of careful and

repeated perusal. You will not forget to read with attention the Lectures of Blair, and the Philosophy of Rhetoric by Campbell; these will give you much valuable information on the subject of books and authors, and at the same time, furnish your mind with many useful ideas on a variety of other topics. This leads me to add, that you ought to read extensively on all subjects of importance, mastering, so far as time and circumstances will permit, one or two books on any given topic. For if you do this, you will find on that particular subject very little that will appear new to you in the authors you may subsequently read. It It is to this that Erasmus alludes, when he says, "Timeo hominem unius liber," I fear to encounter in disputation the man who has made himself thoroughly conversant with one author on the point in question. This practice will give you that habit of fixed attention, of close thought, of comprehensive view, which will save you from the character of a mere prater about many things, who is completely master of none.

Young men are very apt to value themselves on a knowledge of the learned languages and of mathematical science. Without uttering a word in deprecation of these two branches of useful knowledge, you must allow me to remind you, that the former is only the key to open to you the door of wisdom; and the latter, in the greater number of instances, only a valuable mode of affording discipline to the mind, and, therefore, not to be regarded as the ultimate object, but as that which gives keenness and vigour to the instrument of study. A mere linguist will never be a wise man; and he who is proud

of his skill in mathematical demonstration, and regards this as the ne plus ultra of argumentation; will never be a good reasoner on moral subjects. A valuable minister of the Gospel must be far superior to the man who is merely skilful in languages: and if a mere mathematician assume the sacred calling, as he knows not how to weigh moral as well as demonstrative evidence, there will be room to fear that he will become a wavering sceptic, rather than an humble and well grounded believer in the Gospel revelation. For while the word of God has all the evidence for its divine authority which moral certainty can give, the give, the arguments which support it are not of that kind which admit of mathematical demonstration. Nor will the two branches of knowledge of which I am now writing, sufficiently inform the mind of the theological student as to that which is most intimately connected with the discharge of his ministerial duties. They may indeed show us something of what man can do as an intellectual being, but do not afford the least information as to his moral and religious circumstances. They do not teach us the science of human nature, than which, none is more useful to him who acts as God's minister in "holy things." There is this striking difference also between these two species of knowledge; the merely scientific is too apt to inflate with vanity and pride, while the knowledge of what is "in man," and an acquaintance with our own particular imperfections, infirmities, and sins, will tend to induce humility. Let me, however, add, that it is only the mere smatterer in science who will be proud of the knowledge he has acquired; he who