You will be glad to hear--what will become
public in a few days--that of the 29 Royal Commissioners, 18
at least--including the Archbishop of Canterbury and the
Bishops of St. David's and Carlisle and the two Regius
Professors of Divinity--have declared themselves against
continuing the use of it.

I found your note here when we arrived last night to assist
at the coming of age of young Lord Elgin. We were obliged to
pass rapidly through Edinburgh, in order to reach this by
nightfall. In case I am able to come over this week to
Edinburgh, should I find you at home, and at what hour?

It would probably be on Thursday that I could most easily
come.--Yours sincerely,

A.P. STANLEY.

DEAN RAMSAY to Rev. MALCOLM CLERK,

Kingston Deverell, Warminster, Wilts.

23 Ainslie Place, Edin., Sept. 5 [1872].

My dear Malcolm Clerk--Many thanks for your remarks touching
the Athanasian Creed. I agree quite, and am satisfied we gain
nothing by retaining it, and lose much. You ask if I could
help to get facsimiles; I am not likely--not in my line I
fear. Should anything turn up I will look after it. One of
the propositions to which unlimited faith must be given, is
drawn from an analogy, which expresses the most obscure of
all questions in physics--i.e. the union of mind and matter,
the what constitutes one mortal being--all very well to use
in explanation or illustration, but as a positive article of
faith in itself, monstrous. Then the Filioque to be insisted
on as eternal death to deny!

People hold such views. A writer in the _Guardian_ (Mr.
Poyntz) maintains that God looks with more favour upon a man
living in SIN than upon one who has seceded ever so small
from orthodoxy. Something must be done, were it only to stop
the perpetual, as we call it in Scottish phrase,
_blethering_!

I am always glad to hear of your boys. My love to Stuart, and
same to thyself.--Thine affectionate fourscore old friend,

E.B. RAMSAY.

I am preparing a twenty-second edition of _Reminiscences_. Who would
have thought it? No man.

I have not hitherto made any mention of the Dean's most popular book,
the _Reminiscences_. I cannot write but with respect of a work in which
he was very much interested, and where he showed his knowledge of his
countrymen so well.