Produced by Paul Murray, Elizaveta Shevyakhova and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net LETTERS TO THE CLERGY ON _The Lord's Prayer and the Church_ BY JOHN RUSKIN, LL.D., D.C.L. WITH REPLIES FROM CLERGY AND LAITY, AND AN EPILOGUE BY MR. RUSKIN EDITED, WITH ESSAYS AND COMMENTS, BY THE REV. F. A. MALLESON, M.A. VICAR OF BROUGHTON-IN-FURNESS THIRD EDITION _WITH ADDITIONAL LETTERS BY MR. RUSKIN_ LONDON GEORGE ALLEN, 156, CHARING CROSS ROAD 1896 [_All rights reserved_] _Printed by_ BALLANTYNE, HANSON & CO _At the Ballantyne Press_ INTRODUCTION The first reading of the Letters to the Clerical Society to which they were first addressed in September 1879, twenty-three clergy being present, was prefaced with the following remarks:-- A few words by way of introduction will be absolutely necessary before I proceed to read Mr. Ruskin's letters. They originated simply in a proposal of mine, which met with so ready and willing a response, that it almost seemed like a simultaneous thought. They are addressed nominally to myself, as representing the body of clergy whose secretary I have the honour to be; they are, in fact, therefore addressed to this Society primarily. But in the course of the next month or two they will also be read to two other Clerical Societies,--the Ormskirk and the Brighton (junior),--who have acceded to my proposals with much kindness, and in the first case have invited me of their own accord. I have undertaken, to the best of my ability, to arrange and set down the various expressions of opinion, which will be freely uttered. In so limited a time, many who may have much to say that would be really valuable will find no time to-day to deliver it. Of these brethren, I beg that they will do me the favour to express their views at their leisure, in writing. The original letters, the discussions, the letters which may be suggested, and a few comments of the Editor's, will be published in a volume which will appear, I trust, in the beginning of the next year.