APPENDIX 309 



found to be like the action of any other mental and, 

 therefore, physical power (for all physical action of 

 living beings is but the expression of a mental action), 

 but I can throw no light upon its origin any more 

 than upon the origin of life. This, too, must be noted 

 and passed over. 



Ill 



See Page 25 



How different from the above uncertain sound is 

 the full clear note of one who truly believes : 



" The Church of England is commonly called a 

 Lutheran church, but whoever compares it with the 

 Lutheran churches on the Continent will have reason 

 to congratulate himself on its superiority. It is in 

 fact a church sui generis, yielding in point of dignity, 

 purity and decency of its doctrines, establishment and 

 ceremonies, to no congregation of Christians in the 

 world ; modelled to a certain and considerable extent, 

 but not entirely, by our great and wise pious re- 

 formers on the doctrines of Luther, so far as they are 

 in conformity with the sure and solid foundation on 

 which it rests, and we trust for ever will rest the 

 authority of the Holy Scriptures, Jesus Christ himself 

 being the chief corner stone." ("Sketch of Modern 

 and Antient Geography," by Dr. Samuel Butler, of 

 Shrewsbury. Ed. 1813.) 



This is the language of faith, compelled by the 

 exigencies of the occasion to be for a short time con- 

 scious of its own existence, but surely very little 

 likely to become so to the extent of feeling the need 

 of any assistance from reason. It is the language of 

 one whose convictions are securely founded upon the 

 current opinion of those among whom he has been 

 born and bred ; and of all merely post-natal faiths a 



