What are the words there for, except to be understood? All of you call
people foolish, who submit to have prayers read in their churches in a
foreign language, which none, at least of the poor, can understand. But
what right have you to call them foolish, if you, whose Prayer-books are
written in English, take no trouble to find out the meaning of them?
Would to Heaven that you would try to find out the meaning of the
Prayer-book! Would to Heaven that the day would come, when anyone in
this parish who was puzzled by any doctrine of religion, or by any text
in the Bible, or word in the Prayer-book, would come confidently to me,
and ask me to explain it to him! God knows, I should think it an honour
and a pleasure, as well as a duty. I should think no time better spent
than in answering your questions. I do beseech you to ask me, every one
of you, when and where you like, any questions about religion which come
into your minds. Why am I put in this parish, except to teach you? and
how can I teach you better, than by answering your questions? As it is,
I am disheartened, and all but hopeless, at times, about the state of
this parish, and the work I am trying to do here; because, though you
will come and hear me, thank God, willingly enough, you do not seem yet
to have gained confidence enough in me, or to have learnt to care
sufficiently about the best things, to ask questions of me about them.
My dear friends, if you wanted to get information about anything you
really cared for, you would ask questions enough. If you wanted to know
some way to a place on earth you would ask it; why not ask your way to
things better than this earth can give? But whether or not you will
question me I must go on preaching to you, though whether or not you care
to listen is more, alas! than I can tell.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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