THE

POSTHUMOUS LETTERS

OF THE

REV. RABSHAKEH GATHERCOAL.

LATE VICAR OF TUDDINGTON,

NOW FIRST PUBLISHED, WITH EXPLANATORY NOTES,

AND DEDICATED TO

THE LORD BISHOP OF LONDON.

By R. M. BEVERLEY, Esq.,

Author of "Letters on the Present State of the Visible Church of Christ."'

NEC LEX EST JUSTIOR ULLA

QUAM NECIS ARTIFICES ARTE PERIRE SUA.

SECOND EDITION.

LONDON:

FREDERICK WESTLEY AND A. H. DAVIS.

1837.

LONDON:

Printed by WILLIAM CLOWES,

Duke Street, Lambeth.

CONTENTS.

LETTER

I.-The Rev. Rabshakeh Gathercoal to L. S. E.-

describes the State of his Parish

II.-Rab. to the Rev. Julius Scrope-gives an

•

Ac-

PAGE

1

count of his Conversion
III.-Rab. to L. S. E.-the Inaugural Sermon

14

IV.

Scene in the Vestry; Dinner

at the Vicarage

29

V.-

Effect produced by Sermon-

Father Oddy reproves the Vicar

35

VI. The Dissenting Ministers of Tuddington to

Rabshakeh

VII.-Rabshakeh's reply to the Dissenting Mi-

nisters

VIII.-Catholic Priest to Rab.: accuses the English

Clergy of Heresy

IX.-Rab. to the Catholic Priest:-asserts the
antiquity of the Established Church

X.-The Catholic Priest to Rab. in reply

XI.-Rab. to L. S. E. The uneasy state of the

XII.-Mrs. Thompson to Rabshakeh

XIII.-Rab's. answer to Mrs. Thompson

XIV. Obadiah Crabtree to Rabshakeh

XV.-Rab. to L. S. E.-Mervyn's Lecture on Non-

-Intended sale of sheep for

XVII. Rab. to L. S. E.-Sale of sheep for tithe.

Clerical dinner

XVIII. Frank Emerson to his uncle Rabshakeh-

gives some account of Cambridge

PAGE

119

243

sion from College, for Non-conformity
XXX.-Rab. to L. S. E.-Mrs. G. turned Dis-
senter-a union projected with the Metho-
dists

XXXI.-The Wesleyan Superintendent to Rab.:

declines the proposed union

265

270

XXXII.-Rab. to L. S. E. Church-rates refused. 279

PREFACE,

ADDRESSED TO

THE RIGHT HONORABLE AND RIGHT REVEREND

CHARLES JAMES BLOMFIELD, D.D.

THE LORD BISHOP OF LONDON*.

MY LORD,

IN executing the office of Editor of the Letters contained in this volume, I feel myself bound by every tie of duty, respect, and gratitude, to dedicate it to your Lordship, by whose illustrious patronage the letters of L. S. E. have become a text-book amongst the Clergy of the establish

ment.

We were in a pitiable plight till those Letters were published; every day saw the press teeming with fresh invectives and threats against our holy order, and the reformers were already feeling our ribs, to ascertain if we were quite fit for

* "The letters of L. S. E., a publication which I recommend as containing a great deal of useful information and sound reasoning, set forth with a little too much sharpness of invective against the Dissenters."-Charge of the BISHOP OF LONDON to the Clergy of his Diocese.