The Sheepfold and the Common; Or, Within and Without. Vol. 1 (of 2)East, Timothy
Religion
The Sheepfold and the Common; Or, Within and Without. Vol. 1 (of 2)
East, Timothy
Christian life; Christian life -- Pictorial works
"Yes, Sir, one, a very amiable and learned man, with whom I had been
carrying on a literary correspondence, wrote me a long and rather
severe letter. He said that he was astonished that a person of my
distinguished reputation should condescend to take up the crude and
unphilosophical notions of the modern fanatics. Pause, Sir, said
he, and think of the fatal step you are taking--a step which, if
actually taken, will tarnish the lustre of your character, blast
for ever all hope of your preferment, and doom you to associate
through life with those whom to shun is a virtue, and esteem a vice.
I replied to his letter, stated the doctrines which I believed,
and the reasons why I believed them, and assured him that he was
labouring under a powerful misconception, from which I was happily
delivered; and concluded by saying, that if it were vile in the
estimation of my friends to revere and love such men as Newton,
Cecil, Venn, and Ingleby, I was resolved to become viler still. This
closed our correspondence."
Mr. Guion, who was naturally very facetious, amused us with a
drollish story about two ladies, on whom he had called in the course
of his pastoral visits. These were two maiden sisters, who had
resided together for rather more than half a century, and possessing
an independent fortune, were persons of considerable consequence
in the parish. They were now too far advanced in life to take _the
lead_ in fashion, but they did not _lag far behind_; and though
their opinions on some subjects were regarded as rather antiquated
by their juvenile friends, yet they were usually treated with very
great respect. They were considered as very religious, _particularly
so_; and were very devout, when _seen at their devotions_. The
preparation week was to them a week of very great importance, and
very toilsome mental labour; and it is rather remarkable, that
neither of them had been detained from the sacrament for the space
of thirty years, _except when they had company_. At the time of Mr.
Guion's visit, the eldest, Miss Susan, was sitting in the breakfast
parlour, reading.
_Mr. Guion._--"Good morning, Madam, I hope you are well."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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