4

of education' that we should expect grèater perfection from them in that point "" But it will be faid' that as it is more neceffary to the clergy' in order to the pro`per difcharge of their public duty' they ought to take more pains to render themselves pèrfect in it "" 'Tis granted" and as it is evidently their i̇`ntereft to be poffeffed of this accomplishment' fo it is their with" and I believe that numbers of them have tried all the means in their power to attain it "" But will all the pains in the world make men fee their own habi`tual faults contracted from childhood" or if they see them' will they point out the ways of ame`nding them If a perfon were early taught to fi`ng in a very ba`d taste' and continued to practice in that ftyle to manhood' would he find it easy to change it' upon being told that his manner was bad""" Could he have any hopes of doing fo' without put

ting himself into the hands of a proper ma'fter""

Cc 2

mafter" This is enough to elucidate the whole" The man who has been ill taught to fing' or contracted a bad manner from imitation may be fet rìght' because there are skilful maters to be found in the art of mufic "" But the man who has been ill taught to read' or has contracted a bad habit of speaking' has no hopes of a cùre' because there are nò fkilful masters in the art of delivery to be found" and without fuch aid' he muft ever ufe that mode of utterance' which is habitual to him If indeed there were establishments made for the regular teaching of that art' fo as that it should become a neceffary part of education" any one destined to holy orders' who fhould neglect the means of improving himself in fo impòrtant a branch of his profeffion' would juftly deserve cenfure" nay in that cafe' it is highly probable that it would become a neceffary qualification to the admiffion into the holy office"

If there be any one who should' in oppofition to what has been advanced' make ufe of the common-place arguments to shew' that oratory is not only unneceffary' but even unfi`t to be used in the pulpit" I shall answer him in the words of a man' who must be allowed to be of undoubted authority' I mean St. Auftin" who in his fourth book on the Chriftian doctrine has the folSince it is by the art

lowing paffage

' of rhetoric that people are enabled to ' establish trùe and fàlfe opinions' whò ⚫ shall dare to say that truth should be with'oùt arms' in the perfons of those who ' are to defend it against falfehood"" Ca`n

it be believed that those who endeavour ⚫ to enforce a fàlfe doctrine' fhould be • fkilled in the art of conciliating to them• felves the good-wi`ll and atte`ntion of their 'hearers' by their addrefs" and that those 'who fupport the caufe of truth' should 'no't be poffeffed of this skill" That the

'o'ne!

o'ne' fhould fpeak of what is falfe" with bre'vity and verifimilitude" and the other' 'fhall difcourfe of what is true' in fo tèdious' difgufting' and unnatural a manner' as to give pain to their hearers' and make them think their doctrines not cre''dible" that thòfe' fhould combat truth

with fàlfe arguments' and establish fàlse ' opinions" and that thèse should neither be capable of defending' what is true' nor of confùting' what is fàlfe" that the fòrmer fhould have fuch power over the

' minds of their hearers' as to lead them

whither they please" that they should be able to excite in them afto`nishment' fa`d'ness' or jo`y" that they should a`nimate' 'mòve' and turn them as they think pro''per" and that the latter' should remain "cold' unaffecting and without power"

who can be fo abfurd as to admit fo extravagant a thought "" Since therefore eloquence' which has a prodigious power

f

read by the laity, to whom, in other refpects, it will be found equally useful and neceffary.

upon

If my Lords the Bishops would pitch this book as part of their examination for holy orders, and make propriety of reading, in all future candidates, an effential requifite to their admiffion into that facred office, they would do a more real service to the cause of religion, than the most celebrated of their order ever have done by their polemical writings.