the doctrine of the sacraments, deny baptismal regeneration, and the real presence of our Lord in the eucharist, from their excessive zeal for the doctrine of justification by faith. I verily believe that some men dwell on this great and true doctrine, to the exclusion of all others, with almost as much fanaticism as the poor stranger, whose story I have related to you, dwelt on the notion that' our God is a consuming fire.' No sobriety of doctrine or certainty of truth can be attained, except by adherence to that form of sound doctrine collected by the Church from holy Scripture, and received from the Apostles themselves. In this the just relation of doctrine to doctrine, the proportionate magnitude of each, is set forth; and those essential truths which are necessary for salvation are distinguished from such as may be lawfully held in different ways, without the imputation of heresy. Keep to the Church's teaching, so long as she teaches out of God's word, and we are safe; but so soon as we leave her guidance, and choose one doctrine in preference to another, and endeavor to group all religious truth around one or two favorite doctrines, after some system of our own selection, we are liable to be lost in a sea of doubt and difficulty, and become heretics, separatists, and fanatics; or, to say the least, very indifferent Churchmen."

CHAPTER XVI

If blessed wedlock may not bless,
Without some tinge of bitterness,
To dash her cup of joy, since Eden lost,
Chaining to earth with strong desire

Hearts that would highest else aspire,
And o'er the tenderer sex usurping ever most;

Yet by the light of Christian lore,

"Tis blind idolatry no more,

But a sweet help, and pattern of true love,

Showing how best the soul may cling

To her immortal Spouse and King,

How He should rule, and she with full desire approve.

KEBLE.

MARRIAGE AND COMPETENCE.

I HAVE now to record two important changes in my circumstances. One was, my removal to another parish, of which I was appointed rector; the other, my marriage. Thus, while my duties as a minister of the Gospel remained the same, my situation in life, my views and prospects, were greatly altered. Instead of being an unmarried curate of very limited meanswedded, if I may so speak, to my parish-I had become the head of a household, the rector of a parish, and in a worldly view, advanced to that respectable station which is occupied by the well-endowed English clergyman.

Was I, or was I not, the better for this change ?— that is the question. Most ungrateful, indeed, should

I be to the affectionate and devoted partner of my joys and sorrows-nay, most thankless to the Giver of all good gifts-if I did not bless and praise Him for His mercies, and acknowledge that to Him I am indebted for the manifold comforts of a happy home, and also for increasing opportunities of promoting His glory. Still the question, Was I, or was I not, the better for my change is one which may be asked: or perhaps it would be more fitly proposed in general termsWhich is best circumstanced, a poor and unmarried, or an affluent and married, clergy?

There are excellent and worthy men who, seeing the lamentable state of our population, and the slight influence which in many places the clergy exercise over the poorer classes, attribute the evil not to that cause to which it is commonly assigned, namely, the inadequacy of the number of the clergy to cope with the population; but to their wealth and competency, which induces them to marry, and occupy themselves in worldly pursuits, and become secularised in their habits, instead of devoting their lives to their ministerial labors.

I had a correspondence not long ago with an excellent friend, on the lamentable inadequacy of the number of the clergy, and the insufficiency of the provision made in new endowments even to secure to the minister the decent comforts of life. He admitted the inadequacy of the clergy in point of numbers, but contended that it required a higher motive than a good endowment to recruit them. "The motive," he said, "for which a clergyman enters the Church at present is, decent provision, an easy life, opportunity of marrying earlier than other professions would

admit, the chance of getting the great prizes. But surely these inducements are not such as will insure an adequate supply of competent persons." My friend had lately been travelling in Belgium and Prussia, in which countries the parochial ministers are miserably endowed, forty pounds per annum being in general the maximum for a parish priest. In Prussia he had introductions to many ecclesiastics; and found them, without exception, far better informed persons than the majority of clergy in this country. It is possible, however, that his introductions may have been to some who were more distinguished than the rest; as a stranger coming to England would be more likely to have introductions to the more distinguished and intelligent of our clergy than to others. But so far as my friend's observation went, he found the Prussian clergy attentive to their duties-really good men."

In England, on the contrary, he thinks that the bestendowed benefices are occupied almost exclusively by clergy below the average in attention to their duties. Endowments are universally considered as the private property of the incumbent, to be employed for his own purposes. An increase in the income of a benefice does not generally increase the advantages to the people of the parish, but merely the comforts and luxuries of the incumbent. The incumbent of 2007. per annum has, perhaps, one female servant; of 4007. per annum, two maids and a boy; at 600l. a pony chaise is added; at 8007. or 1000l. per annum, the servants are in livery; and beyond that, horses and close carriages appear;-but the actual attention and duty towards the parishioners is about the same in all. The cause of this, he considered, to be the

erroneous notion, that the endowment is the private property of the incumbent, and not a trust for the benefit of the parish.

Now there is certainly too much truth in this picture; and there can be no doubt, that a married clergyman is more liable than an unmarried one to have his attention diverted from his ministerial duties, and his worldly means forestalled, by the necessities of his family. We have divine authority for this statement: "He that is unmarried careth for the things that belong to the Lord, how he may please the Lord: but he that is married careth for the things that are of the world-how he may please his wife."* A clergyman marries, perhaps, the daughter of a gentleman in the same station with himself, and considers himself in some degree bound to maintain her in the style of life to which she has been accustomed. She is to have her furniture, and servants, and comforts, and conveniences, like her neighbors. And then comes a family, who are to be provided for; money is to be laid by, or a considerable insurance to be paid. The friends and relations of his wife would, perhaps with justice, complain if this were not done. There can be no doubt, that a clergyman who, if unencumbered, might devote his time and wealth to his flock, is, in a manner, obliged to employ a considerable portion of each differently, if he has a wife and family.

There is, however, a great deal to be said on the other side. Compare Prussia and Belgium, and their poor impoverished clergy, with England and her endowed Church; and if we find much to lament in

1 Cor. vii. 32.