IT was not till great part of the preceding pages was compiled, that I discovered in the Bishop of London's first volume of Sermons, fome obfervations, fo much in point to our present purpose, and fo much more able than any thing I have faid, or can fay; that I am confident every impartial reader will thank me for inferting them; and it is no fmall fatisfaction to me to be able to produce fuch high authority for several opinions, of the truth of which though convinced myself, I feared I might fail to convince others.

"It may be thought, perhaps, that the regulation of drefs, and diet, and amusement, and fuch like trifles, is below the notice of a great and learned body. But it is a miftake to think fo." Sermons, vol. i. p. 176.

"In those points which relate immediately to morals, the leaft relaxation must tend to fubvert our credit, and even endanger our existence. In a place facred to virtue and religion, no fpecies of vice, no kind of temptation to vice, can for one moment be tolerated or connived at. We shall not be allowed to fay in our defence, that we only keep pace with the manners of the age; this will be deemed our reproach rather than our excufe. It is our bufinefs, not meanly to follow a multitude to do evil;" not to conform to the corrupt fashions of the times, but by

our

our precepts, and our example, to fortify our young difciples against them. It is evident that the world expects from us a more than ordinary degree of watchfulness over our conduct. It expects that the correction of national abufes fhould begin here; and the expectation is not unreafonable. Whence fhould general reformation take its rife, if ever it rife at all, but from the two great sources of Learning and Religion? We are as lights fet on an eminence, shining at prefent, indeed, in a dark place, in the midft of luxury and profufion, but able, perhaps, by degrees, to difperfe the gloom of the furrounding profpect. If we cannot check the exceffes of the prefent age, we may at least crush future extravagances in their, birth, by infufing into our youth thofe leffons and thofe habits of fru gality, abftinence, and fober-mindednefs, which are essential to the welfare both of the Univerfities, and of the State." Page 177.

"Under the impreffion of fuch reflections as thefe, it is obvious that there cannot be a properer time for carrying the young academic ftill one step further, and giving him fome infight into the nature, the defign, the evidences, and the precepts of the CHRISTIAN REVELATION.

"But here unfortunately we are obliged to ftop. For this most important part of education, no adequate, no public provision is yet made in this University. Revealed 'religion has not yet a proper rauk affigned it here among the other initiatory fciences; is not made an indispensable qualification for academical honours and rewards; has not, in short, all that regard paid to it, which its own intrinsic worth, and the peculiar circumstances at prefent attending. it, seem to demand." Page 190. f

"Does it not then feem highly advifable for us to turn our thoughts a little more towards this great object than has hitherto been deemed requifite? It is true, indeed, that

fome

fome acquaintance with the abftruser sciences may be a very proper foundation even for theological learning. But it cannot furely be neceffary to lay this foundation fo exceedingly deep as is here generally done. It cannot be neceffary to confume the flower and vigour of the youthful mind, in the very firft ftage, as it were, of its literary progrefs; to occupy it wholly for three entire years in these preparatory ftudies, when it fhould be going on to the 'principles' and elements at least of the doctrine of 'Chrift;' fhould be advancing gradually from the foundation to the superstructure; fhould be learning, under wife and experienced mafter-builders,' to erect that facred edifice of divine knowledge which must be its strong bold and fortress against the many adverfaries it will foon have to contend with. If this great work is not carried on to a certain point, during the course of education in this place, when can we hope that it ever will? They who come here with a view to the means, not of acquiring, but of adorning a fortune, no fooner quit this literary retirement, than they engage with ardour in the various pursuits of fashionable life, and have feldom either inclination or leisure for ftudies of a serious nature. They who are deftined to fecular profeffions, or other active employments, find themselves, after leaving this place, fo fully occupied, first in learning, and then discharging, the duties of their respective vocations, that they can scarce ever bring themfelves to bestow that degree of attention on religious inquiries which their importance deferves. It is here then, or no where, that this great object must be brought home to their thoughts, and made a part, an essential part, of their academic acquirements. And this neceffity (as I have already remarked) is ftill more apparent with respect to thofe who are fent here to qualify themselves for the paftoral office; whofe peculiar province and bufinefs it will

be,

be, to inftru&t the people committed to their care in the <words of eternal life; and who muft therefore never expose themselves to the hazard of that insulting question, • Thou that teachest another, teachest thou not first thy•felf?"" Page 193.

Such are the fentiments of this no lefs mild and prudent, than pious and learned Prelate. Sentiments not of his younger days only, but publifhed, and re-published again and again, in his riper years. And be it remembered too, that they were delivered in a Commencement Sermon at Cambridge-a time and place when certainly nothing but a strong sense of duty, grounded on the neceffity of the cafe, and on the importance of the fubject, could have induced fuch a man to state any objections to the System of Education purfued in that University.