is given us in profusion; it remains for us to catalogue,
sort, distribute, select, harmonize, and complete. We have more than we
know how to use; stores of learning, but little that is precise and
serviceable; Catholic truth and individual opinion, first principles and
the guesses of genius, all mingled in the same works, and requiring to
be discriminated. We meet with truths overstated or misdirected, matters
of detail variously taken, facts incompletely proved or applied, and
rules inconsistently urged or discordantly interpreted. Such indeed is
the state of every deep philosophy in its first stages, and therefore of
theological knowledge. What we need at present for our Church's
well-being, is not invention, nor originality, nor sagacity, nor even
learning in our divines, at least in the first place, though all gifts
of God are in a measure needed, and never can be unseasonable when used
religiously, but we need peculiarly a sound judgment, patient thought,
discrimination, a comprehensive mind, an abstinence from all private
fancies and caprices and personal tastes,--in a word, Divine Wisdom."

The subject of the Volume is the doctrine of the _Via Media_, a name
which had already been applied to the Anglican system by writers of
repute. It is an expressive title, but not altogether satisfactory,
because it is at first sight negative. This had been the reason of my
dislike to the word "Protestant;" viz. it did not denote the profession
of any particular religion at all, and was compatible with infidelity. A
_Via Media_ was but a receding from extremes,--therefore it needed to be
drawn out into a definite shape and character: before it could have
claims on our respect, it must first be shown to be one, intelligible,
and consistent. This was the first condition of any reasonable treatise
on the _Via Media_. The second condition, and necessary too, was not in
my power. I could only hope that it would one day be fulfilled. Even if
the _Via Media_ were ever so positive a religious system, it was not as
yet objective and real; it had no original any where of which it was the
representative. It was at present a paper religion. This I confess in my
Introduction; I say, "Protestantism and Popery are real religions ...
but the _Via Media_, viewed as an integral system, has scarcely had
existence except on paper." I grant the objection, though I endeavour to
lessen it:--"It still remains to be tried, whether what is called
Anglo