THE RECTOR IN SEARCH OF A CURATE

Is a theological tale, designed to exhibit some of the leading classes of modern clergymen, to canvass some of the different views mooted among Protestant religionists, to display rather than to argue with the peculiarities of the Puseyites and the formalism of the old school, as well as to exhibit the writer's idea of what an Anglican clergyman ought to be, and the doc- trines he ought to uphold. The germ of the story is indicated in the title, The Rector in Search of a Curate; but the expansion of the theme is made a vehicle for introducing many pictures of a religious character : a country-town, with a worldly, respectable, "good sort" of Rector, by whose practice the idea of religion, ex- cept as a weekly ceremony, became disconnected from the character of Church people, with a consequent spread of Dissent—the effect produced by the establishment of an Episcopal chapel of ease with a religious minister, and the still more beneficial influence of the author's beau deal of a " Rector," who succeeds to the living on the death of the old Doctor. This incident introduces the hero of the tale, with a description of his character and family, and an account of his plans to reestablish the Church in the town of Ecclesbourne. Of course a Curate is necessary as an assistant ; and thence arises the principal circumstances of the tale, and the means of passing various aspirants and characters in review. Mr. Chirpingley, the actual curate, is a pleasant man and a popular preacher, but without clear Christian principles or sound doctrine and given moreover to social gayeties; so he is weighed in the balance and found wanting. Another gentleman is strongly recommended by a lay friend ; but he has failed in his University examination, through attention, as he asserts, to the more practical part of a clergyman's duties, attending prayer-meetings, &c.; and this candidate gives rise to a discussion respecting the character of University honours and the necessity of learning in a clergyman. One competitor is an extreme Evangelical; which causes an ex- position and disquisition on the principles of that party : another is a deep scholar, a friend of the Rector, lately induced to con- sider religion as the one thing needful ; but he withdraws to a smaller parish, after feeling his practical deficiencies in the lay duties of a clergyman during a day or two's visits among the parishioners and schools. One of the candidates is a Millenarian; which gives rise to a consideration of the prophecies respecting the restoration of the Jews : another is an Anglo-Catholic or Puse,site ; and he, we think, is over-done in his superstitions and his personal sordidness. Of the character of the rejected we learn plenty ; of the qualities of the approved not much-

" What to shun, will no great knooledge need, But what to follow is a task indeed."

The treatment of the tale is didactic rather than dramatic ; that is, the scenes and incidents, or more properly the circumstances, are contrived to exhibit the views of the author, or to introduce conversations that may facilitate the display of his opinions. But though the basis of the book is didactic, the materials are presented in the form of fiction. The characters are chosen so as most naturally to exhibit particular sentiments ; which are brought for- ward in the most fitting manner. The scholar discusses questions of learning, the more experienced divine matters of religion; the family and neighbours throw in remarks on general matters; the probable conversion and restoration of the Jews to Jerusalem is disputed by the Rector and the heads and patronesses of the Mil- lenarian Society, at a tea-party. There is also a mixture, if not to many a sufficient mixture, of description and narrative with dis- course.

The Rector in Search of a Curate is not, of course, a book for the circulating-library reader; to us it has the attraction of novelty and substance. It is not a mere repetition of improbable events factitious sentiments, and melodramatic distresses. The sociat sketches are drawn from life ; many of the characters are derived from the same source, if they are deprived of their individuality to become the representatives of a class or to point a covert ridicule; and the matter is the result either of observation or of study. The style of the writer is finished without being laboured ; and he has a quiet clerical irony, which exhibits the weakness of the originals be depicts, without straining or very obvious effort. Here is a good picture of the religious results of

OLD HIGH cnoiten IND/FFERENCE.

The wealthy and independent inhabitants of the place and its vicinity, nearly all the doctors and lawyers, and most of the higher order of tradespeople, still continued to attend the church. But these Isere, with hardly any exceptions, worldly and dissipated, and without any pretensions to a religious character. Of the poor, very few beside those who were dependent upon parochial charities were ever seen to enter the church-doors ; but nearly all of them, even those who were living in the open neglect of their duties to God and man, would profess, if interrogated, that they belonged to the Church ; for they had been christened, married, and expected to be buried, with its ceremonies. The result of this was, that by common consent no Church-going people were accounted or expected to be religious ; while on the other hand, many among the Dissenters and Methodists were too apt to consider themselves necessarily religious because they were not Church people.

• POPULAR HIGH CHURCHMAN.

Mr. Chirpingley was curate of Ecclesbourne at the time of Dr. Priestly's

decease. For more than six years he had discharged the duties of his office to the Doctor's entire satisfaction. Ile was gentlemanly and agreeable in his manners, endowed with a handsome person and sonorous voice, graceful and dignified in the performance of his clerical functions, possessed of much general information, fund of society, and pronounced by ell who knew him to be "ex- cellent company."

These qualifications were sufficient to recommend him to Dr. Priestly ; who

bad, however, the reputation of being extremely particular in the choice of his curate. But he was chiefly induced to offer Mr. Chirpingley the curacy, by the assurance which he had received from a clerical friend, that he was a popu- lar preacher, and, without being at all Low-Church in his doctrine or habits bad the faculty of rendering himself acceptable to many who were, and even to actual Dissenters, some of whom in his former parish attended his ministra- tions. The Doctor bad long felt, though perhaps he would not have admitted it, even to himself, that the old established and strictly orthodox system of preaching—its style, method, tones, and matter, to which he and his former associates had closely adhered—was somehow not adapted to the present state of his congregation and parish. He was too old and too dignified to think of entering upon a new course himself; but he considered that he might, without any departure from his principles, so far sacrifice to expediency as to avail him- self of the services of a curate whose preaching should be more calculated than

his own to meet the requirements of the times. Accordingly, he appointed Mr. Chirpingley; and had the satisfaction of finding, that not only did the regular congregation of the parish-church ap- prove his choice, but that many began to resume their attendance there who

bad fallen away of late to the various meeting-houses. These spread abroad among their Dissenting friends the astounding intelligence that Dr. Priestly's curate preached the Gospel : upon which the congregation at the church was greatly increased for several Sundays, by the attendance of a considerable num- ber of Methodists chiefly, who came to ascertain the truth of the report. Of these, however, the more experienced soon decided that Mr. Chirpingley was not really a Gospel preacher. He brought forward essential truths, they ad- mitted, but only occasionally, and without entering deeply into them, or press- ing them upon the especial attention of his hearers. And they complained that what he taught in one sermon was sometimes almost directly contradicted in the next. They particularly noticed that he was not at all clear upon the great doctrines of justification and the influences of the Holy Spirit. Besides, they said, there were sufficient indications already in his conduct that he was a worldly man, like his superior, and his predecessors. Consequently, in a short time nearly all of them again forsook the Church; yet the congregation had re- ceived a permanent increase. It continued larger during the whole of Mr. Chirpingley'syastemte than it had been for many years previously.

The rector, 'upon hearing of the sensation which had been produced among the Meeting-house people by his curate's preaching, had become rather alarmed lest it should turn out that he had been patronizing a downright Evangelical. But his suspicions were speedily removed; for Mr. Chirpingley entered with spirit into the amusements and convivialities of the higher circles in Eccles- bourne, and soon became a general favourite. He did not, however, hunt, or shoot, or go to races. He gave time and attention to the composition or rather the compilation of his sermons; visited the sick, when sent for, with gravity and decorum ; and took an active share in the management of the charitable institutions of the town. But he lived in the world, and as the world; and al- though allowed to be the best preacher that had ever been remembered in Ec- clesbourne church, it was settled by every party that he was a regular Church parson after all.

A HITCH IN THE APOSTOLICAL SUCCESSION.

' " Anglo-Catholics," said Mr. Merton, "must either give up our certain claim to the Apostolical succession, or its use and importance in the trans- mission of the sacraments. If you ask them what is the necessity or benefit of the succession, since it is a matter of experience that men may preach well, and successfully, and souls be converted and saved without it—they will reply, that it is ordained in order to insure the right and due administration of the sacraments. I have then inquired whether it is necessary to baptism. And here they are obliged to hesitate and shuffle ; for they know that several Bishops of our Church were baptized by Dissenters ; and that, therefore, if there can be no true baptism unless it be administered by a successor of the Apostles, these were never baptized ; therefore, were never of the Church ; therefore, not Christian men, much less Christian ministers, or Bishops ; and therefore, their ordination was invalid; and, therefore, any minister of the English Church may, for aught we know, be not of the succession, for he may have derived his orders from some of them."

FEMALE STUDENTS OF PROPHECY.

When the rest of the gentlemen, not long after, obeyed the summons to tea, they found Mr. Weatherhead engaged in reading aloud a letter from Jerusalem, not yet published, which had been just received by the society, and forwarded to the deputation by that day's post. It stated, that there was every reason to expect the speedy commencement of the restoration of the Jews, and of that great prosperity which, according to the prophecies, would attract the cupidity of the Northern Powers, and so bring on the battle of Armageddon ; far that a rich Jew had purchased land in the city, and was beginning to build houses. When the letter was finished, and the due amount of comment and exclama- tion bestowed upon the information it contained—as, that it was " highly in- teresting," "most gratifying," and a " wonderful fulfilment of prophecy "— Lady Tattleton, in the name of the company, begged Dr. BI'Cloud, to whom she offered a seat next her, to explain to them -his views of the duties and privileges of the Gentile Church with respect to Israel.

"Before I do that," said the Doctor, "it will be necessary for me to say a few words upon the intentions of God towards his people. They form the basis of our society, and indeed of all operations in favour of the Jews; but I believe they are not so fully understood as they ought to be, though so very plainly and prominently set forth in Scripture. You are a student of prophecy, Lady Tattleton." "Oh dear ! yes ; it is a sweet subject." "Delightful!" exclaimed Mrs. Whimlingley.

" Very, oh very!" cried three or four other ladies ecstatically. "Difficult," observed Mr. Merton, in a quiet tone.

"Not so very difficult," said Mr. Boughton, rather morosely, "if you have the true key to it."

In a religious story, the opinions of the author become of conse- quence, and some readers may wish to know those of this "Church- man." But that he bears rather hard upon the Evangelical; we should have ranked him among the moderate of that sect. He can scarcely be considered a Iligh Churchman spiritualized, but is what he perhaps would say a true Anglican Churchman. He is thoroughly opposed to the Tractarians ; he rejects the Apostolica/ succession ; he is willing to unite in common objects with any- other denomination of Christians : but he disapproves of all worldly and some social amusements in professors of religion, and strongly upholds justification by faith and the operations of grace.