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.
I will now, if you please, undertake the somewhat dangerous
responsibility of avowing my own impressions of the letters I am
about to read to you. I own that I believe I see in these papers
the development of a principle of the deepest interest and
importance,--namely, the application of the highest standard in the
interpretation of the Gospel message _to_ ourselves as clergymen,
and _from_ ourselves to our congregations. We have plenty elsewhere
of doctrine and dogma, and undefinable shades of theological
opinion. Let us turn at last to practical questions presented for
our consideration by an eminent layman whose field of work lies
quite as much in religion and ethics, as it does, reaching to so
splendid an eminence, in Art. A man is wanted to show to both
clergy and laity something of the full force and meaning of Gospel
teaching. Many there are, and I am of this number, whose cry is
"_Exoriare aliquis_."
I ask you, if possible, to do in an hour what I have been for the
last two months trying to do, to divest myself of old forms of
thought, to cast off self-indulgent views of our duty as ministers
of religion, to lift ourselves out of those grooves in which we are
apt to run so smoothly and so complacently, persuading ourselves
that all is well just as it is, and to endeavour to strike into a
sterner, harder path, beset with difficulties, but still the path
of duty. These papers will demand a close, a patient, and in some
places, a few will think, an indulgent consideration; but as a
whole, the standard taken is, as I firmly believe, speaking only
for myself, lofty and Christian to the extent of an almost ideal
perfection. If we do go forward straight in the direction which Mr.
Ruskin points out, I know we shall come, sooner or later, to a
chasm right across our path. Some of us, I hope, will undauntedly
cross it. Let each judge for himself, [Greek: to telei pistin
pheron].