DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.47334#0028
2
inurovoci'ion.
pur8ued witk a 8mg1e and undeviating determination to ascertain trutk: kut wken
employed in tke eau8e of tkeor^, 8Uper8tition, or an^ 8eetarian dogma, it i8 repug-
nant to reason, and Ko8tile to good 86N86. ^ke 8tatel^ colonnade and decorated
friers of a Oreeian temple, or Ike rude and ponderou8 eirele8 of Oruidieal cu8tom8,
ean onl^ Ke properly appreciated and under8tood k^ tko86 wko kave diligently
and 8erupulou8l^ anal^red tke Ki8tor^ of tke relined people wko elevated tke
former to excite our admiration, or of tke m^8teriou8 Keing8 wko reared tke
enormou8 ML8868 of tke latter to awaken a8toni8kment.
Ike eeel68ia8tica1 edilie68 of Oreat Britain, and of klurope, are alike interring
to tke anti^uar^ and to tke arti8t; for tke^ alford permanent evidenee8 of tke pro-
grs88ive ekang68 and improvement in an important kranek of art; and al8o 8kew
tke power and inlluenee of religion on mankind, ^ke^ tend Iikewi86 to indicate
tke marek of civilisation, and to exemplify man^ of tke eu8tom8, manner8, and
pur8uit8 of tke people. Vl^itkout occupying our page8 witk tkeorie8 and eon-
trover8ie8, man^ of wkiek di8pla^ more of tke ingenuity tkan tke good 8en8e
of tke writer8 ; witkout diverging into tke region8 of romance, or placing muck
credit in tke lietion8 of monktk ekronie1er8, witk tkeir irrational interventions of
miraculou8 agency, we 8kall kave ample material8 for an ext6N8ive 688a^ on
tke 8ukjeet now under notice. Um greate8t dilkcult^ indeed will Ke to concentrate
tke mattered ra^8 of fact and prokakilit^ into a clear loeu8, and to 86parate tke
rea8onakle and genuine from tke improkakle and tke lalm.
^ke en8uing narrative will Ke founded on tke Ke8t and mo8t approved
autkoritie8 ; and in no in8tanee will implicit credit Ke given to an^ 8ingle writer,
wken otker8 of ec^ual credikilit^ ean Ke found, eitker to conlirm or 8trengtken Ike
M08t rational evidence. It will al8o Ke regulated k^ a ver^ 8crupulou8 attention to
nams8, date8, and pa88ag68 referred to; and witk a cea86le88 endeavour to give
kotk tke 8pirit and tke letter of all tke eitation8 adduced.
Ike numker and variety of religiou8 edili668 tkat were raimd in England
ketween tke llftk and kfteentk centurie8, 8erve in a material degree to mark tke
ekaraeter and art8 of tke people, Ike Ki8tor^ of religion and of 8eienee in our
country we 8kall tkerefore 6nd to Ke intimately klended. It pre8snt8 in it8 long
and eventful eour8e an amazing variety of doctrin68, ereed8, opinion8, 68takli8k-
ment8, U8urpation8, and revolution^ wkiek, pitiakle or ridieulou8 a8 man^ ot tkem
ma^ appear, wken 8eparatel^ con8idered, ^et karmonire in retro8peetion, into
a general di8pla^ of tke gradual, kut 8low improvement of tke kuman mind.
inurovoci'ion.
pur8ued witk a 8mg1e and undeviating determination to ascertain trutk: kut wken
employed in tke eau8e of tkeor^, 8Uper8tition, or an^ 8eetarian dogma, it i8 repug-
nant to reason, and Ko8tile to good 86N86. ^ke 8tatel^ colonnade and decorated
friers of a Oreeian temple, or Ike rude and ponderou8 eirele8 of Oruidieal cu8tom8,
ean onl^ Ke properly appreciated and under8tood k^ tko86 wko kave diligently
and 8erupulou8l^ anal^red tke Ki8tor^ of tke relined people wko elevated tke
former to excite our admiration, or of tke m^8teriou8 Keing8 wko reared tke
enormou8 ML8868 of tke latter to awaken a8toni8kment.
Ike eeel68ia8tica1 edilie68 of Oreat Britain, and of klurope, are alike interring
to tke anti^uar^ and to tke arti8t; for tke^ alford permanent evidenee8 of tke pro-
grs88ive ekang68 and improvement in an important kranek of art; and al8o 8kew
tke power and inlluenee of religion on mankind, ^ke^ tend Iikewi86 to indicate
tke marek of civilisation, and to exemplify man^ of tke eu8tom8, manner8, and
pur8uit8 of tke people. Vl^itkout occupying our page8 witk tkeorie8 and eon-
trover8ie8, man^ of wkiek di8pla^ more of tke ingenuity tkan tke good 8en8e
of tke writer8 ; witkout diverging into tke region8 of romance, or placing muck
credit in tke lietion8 of monktk ekronie1er8, witk tkeir irrational interventions of
miraculou8 agency, we 8kall kave ample material8 for an ext6N8ive 688a^ on
tke 8ukjeet now under notice. Um greate8t dilkcult^ indeed will Ke to concentrate
tke mattered ra^8 of fact and prokakilit^ into a clear loeu8, and to 86parate tke
rea8onakle and genuine from tke improkakle and tke lalm.
^ke en8uing narrative will Ke founded on tke Ke8t and mo8t approved
autkoritie8 ; and in no in8tanee will implicit credit Ke given to an^ 8ingle writer,
wken otker8 of ec^ual credikilit^ ean Ke found, eitker to conlirm or 8trengtken Ike
M08t rational evidence. It will al8o Ke regulated k^ a ver^ 8crupulou8 attention to
nams8, date8, and pa88ag68 referred to; and witk a cea86le88 endeavour to give
kotk tke 8pirit and tke letter of all tke eitation8 adduced.
Ike numker and variety of religiou8 edili668 tkat were raimd in England
ketween tke llftk and kfteentk centurie8, 8erve in a material degree to mark tke
ekaraeter and art8 of tke people, Ike Ki8tor^ of religion and of 8eienee in our
country we 8kall tkerefore 6nd to Ke intimately klended. It pre8snt8 in it8 long
and eventful eour8e an amazing variety of doctrin68, ereed8, opinion8, 68takli8k-
ment8, U8urpation8, and revolution^ wkiek, pitiakle or ridieulou8 a8 man^ ot tkem
ma^ appear, wken 8eparatel^ con8idered, ^et karmonire in retro8peetion, into
a general di8pla^ of tke gradual, kut 8low improvement of tke kuman mind.