-where the mischief, produced by subscription to articles of faith, was, though but incidentally, brought to view,-a remedy to that mischief was, with like care, pointed out.* But, of every abuse and every imperfection, which has place in the field of religion,-not to speak of the field of government, the main root-not to say the only root-has all along been seen to lie in that remnant of Popery, the Excellent Church, as viewed in its present state. For the application of a

radical remedy to this radical evil, the times, even by the confession, or rather proclamation, of those by whom it is most cherished, seem ripening apace.

On this subject, and on this state of things, remediation, the object thus all along looked to as a first principle of direction-requires that something should be said: were it only in the view of giving some intimation, how slight so ever, of the course necessary to be pursued, for reducing to its minimum the mass of evil inseparable from so great a change.

At the same time, consideration being had of the scattered state, in which the grounds of the demand for this change, such as in the course of this work will have presented themselves, will have been brought to view,-a task, which could not

See Preface, p. xxiv.

wholly be put by, has been-the giving a sort of compressed recapitulation of those grounds; together with a few additions, to give roundness to the whole.

Short title-Remedy to all religious, and much political mischief-Euthanasia of the Church.

XI. Appendix, No. V. Conscious-if not of the primeval, at any rate of the present, rottenness of the whole fabric-alarmed by the symptoms of dissolution which have been continually pressing themselves upon observation,-men in power have, of late years, betaken themselves to several expedients for warding off the impending catastrophe. Of these expedients, the adoption thus given to the new system of instruction, with the exclusionary system grafted upon it, may be stated as being by far the one best adapted to the purpose. Of the others, a short view will form the fifth and last article of this Appendix.

Short title-Measures recently instituted or proposed for meliorating the state of the Church-efficient to bad, inefficient to good purposes.

END OF THE PLAN OF THE WORK.

INTRODUCTION.

PART I.

THE CATECHISM-A BAD SUBSTITUTE TO THE
BIBLE-IS SUBSTITUTED FOR IT.

§ I. Church of England Catechism-this perhaps the first Censorial Commentary ever applied to it.

THE Catechism forms part of that authoritative system of religious discourse, which, by the style and title of "The Book of Common Prayer, and "Administration of the Sacraments, and other Rites "and Ceremonies of the Church, according to the "use of the Church of England," has now, for about two centuries and a half, possessed the exclusive privilege of supplying the matter of devotion to the members of that established church: and this in particular is the part, and the only part, the imprinting of which, or rather the words of it, on their memories, has generally been the object of the first literary task, which, at the commencement of the career of intellectual, or at any rate

A

of literary, instruction,-has given exercise to the faculties and patience of children of both sexes.

Under the pretence of exposition, i, e. explanation, yet not the less in the style and tone of eulogy, it has received comments in abundance, in all which those merits have been ascribed to it, with the existence of which, supposing them to exist, the existence of any utility, whether on the part of the exposition in question, or on the part of any thing else that could have been exhibited in the name or character of an exposition, would have been incompatible.

The thing thus undertaken to be expounded is, in so far as it has any claim to regard, an extract—and that, so far as it goes, a correct onefrom the sacred original. Correctness-clearness— does it fail in either of these points? It fails of answering any good purpose to which it can have been directed. Instead of being expounded, it should be discarded. Were it the original, yes: in so far as, by change in language or manners, obscure allusions to past events or states of things, exposition is found to be requisite. But, an exposition?-expound an exposition?-No: absurdity is involved in the very idea of it.-Expound the inadequate exposition?-No: but, instead of it, give an adequate one, and send the inadequate one to the trunk-makers.

The Scottish Church has its Catechism. It has