Untitled - Electric Scotland

5aa LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP TAIT [CH. xvm.
this last be the line of my duty, under whose auspices and in
what manner may I best begin ? If your Lordship has the
patience and sympathy to read thus far, I will only add that any
advice you may be pleased to give me will be much esteemed.
... I ought to add that I have never attached myself to any
Nonconformist body ; but, as I urged my old friends, on leaving
them, to abide in the Church of England, so my family and I
have been worshippers therein throughout the year."
The Bishop of London to the Rev.
"OROMER, NORFOLK, ^th Oct. 1862.
" MY DEAR SIR, Your important letter of the 2d has followed
me. It reached me two days ago, and very pressing business has
since so engrossed my attention that I have not been able to sit
down to answer till now.
"
First, let me express my thankfulness to God for having so
far guided you. This is a fresh confirmation of the promise, that
they who will do God s will shall know of the doctrine whether it
be of God. And indeed, seeing what our minds are, there is an
unspeakable satisfaction in thinking that He is near and ready to
guide in such great difficulties.
"
As I understand your letter, that scepticism which was the
real cause of your resigning your functions in the ministry, and
which went much deeper than those amongst whom you min
istered were aware, has passed away, and a peaceful acceptance
of the fundamental doctrines of the Gospel has succeeded to that
great trial of doubt or disbelief.
" You see no reason now why you should not with a good
conscience declare your acceptance of the formularies of our
Church, return to its ministrations, and preach the doctrines,
your belief in which had before given way, but is now happily by
God s guidance re-established. If this be a true account of your
state, I cannot doubt that you will do well to seek to return to
ministerial duty, and I should not hesitate (while adopting of
course all due caution) to sanction your entering on a sphere of
duty in my diocese.
" Two things, however, strike me :
"
i st. That as it was in the Bishop of s diocese that you
felt yourself constrained publicly to lay down your ministerial