with those of the greater number of individuals who have watched the course of things, the advancement of the times, and have satisfied themselves that the old state of affairs could not last. As to the Church of England, I would support it to the uttermost of my power, not to advance its temporal power of possessions. I would do all that was possible to rest the Church of England on a less perishable basis, on the hearts and affections of the people; let no one say Money and Power are the support of the Church, these have been the bane of our Church, our clergy have exulted too much in their wealth. Religion must not be forced down people's throats, to be profitable, it must be taken as a precious cordial, to envigorate and strengthen poor frail mortality; it must be the crutch to rest on and help our tottering steps through the world. We want it not to be gilt to answer this purpose. The Scotch saying I believe to be partly true, that 'a pure clergy is a poor clergy.' Religion is an essence, and must be in the heart and not in the purse. But I do not advocate the present Church-rate Bill. I speak without any allusion to that, but the anxiety displayed by our Church, where their temporalities are concerned, speaks more of Mammon than of God.
"When I go up to Exeter, I hope to be able to keep my tongue between my teeth for your sake, for, if it was not for that, I should not remain the passive creature I am. Under these feelings it is my anxious desire and my design to leave this part of the country, and go to any place, in fact, where there is a little more toleration to be found."
It was not solely due to disparity of politics that dissatisfied my father with Bratton neighbours, but the main reason consisted in this—that he could find none possessing like interests, or who had any interests at all beyond the bounds of their acres or their parishes.
He would say—but that was at a later period—"Look at Gurney. He exercises his legs and arms, the former so vigorously, and so often, that he is obliged to have a fresh pair of boots every year. He wears out shoe-leather, but not brains. As to his arms they swing like pendulums when he walks. There is no activity in his head. His sermons are so unlike his ordinary diction that I am convinced they are mere transcripts from Blair.
