to order?" This appeal served as a check to Dr. Dominant's arbitrary exercise of authority, and Faithful proceeded. "At the last meeting I bore all the offensive allusions that were made upon me in patient silence, because I hoped that, by thus exhibiting an example of forbearance, you might be induced to exercise some forbearance towards me.-But to proceed to the other offences with which I am charged. I have been complained of as disturbing the harmony of the meeting, by making remarks in our discussions repugnant to some of the members. But, may I not ask, if my remarks were repugnant to their principles or feelings, were not theirs equally repugnant to mine? And if I bore with them, is it too much for me to expect that they, as Christians and as clergymen, should bear with me. So far, indeed, from seeking to give offence, I have often allowed principles to be asserted in this meeting, and to pass uncommented upon, which I knew to be opposed to our Church, because I would not provoke any disagreeable contention. And even where I have spoken, I have only expressed my opinion as others have theirs.

No

"But to come to the plain facts of the case. offence was taken against me till I introduced and defended the Bishop of's charge. Up to that time I was always treated with the same courtesy as the other members, and never had the least reason to judge that my presence was disagreeable. Yet, even with respect to that charge, I can prove that I have acted with forbearance. It will be in the recollection of my brethren, that last Christmas you passed a resolution that a catalogue of all the books that are in your library should be published for the use of the members, that every one of them might know what books could be found there for him to take out to read if he wished. When this catalogue came

Y

forth, I was curious to learn, as I knew the secretary had an antipathy to it, whether the bishop's charge was included. I looked it over, and found that this, and this alone, of all the books was omitted! I immediately examined the library to see whether it was there, and there I found it among the other books, with the leaves still uncut, so that it could not have been out of the library at the time the catalogue was made. The conclusion necessarily follows that Mr. Roodstock must have intentionally, and I challenge him to deny it" (Mr. Roodstock looked very foolish, and made no answer,)— “ I say that he must have intentionally kept it out of the catalogue that it should not be read. Now of this before I never made any complaint. But Mr. Roodstock has intimated that I have been the stirrer-up of much contention, both in and out of this room. Now, he must allow me to say that those who furnish just causes for contention ought to be the last persons to complain if contention arises. I know it has been charged upon me that I have stirred up all the strife that has unhappily been excited in a neighbouring parish. Against that charge I have appealed to the bishop, calling upon him to punish me according to the laws if I have acted in any respect contrary to the laws of the Church; and as he has not condemned me, you have no right to condemn me.

"But I see clearly that this motion will be carried, because you have determined that it shall be carried. You have ejected the bishop's charge and the Holy Scriptures, and now you are about to eject me. Well, let it be so. Only you must allow me, gentlemen, to say, in conclusion, that I can regard it as no real dishonour to be cast out of your society in such company.

"One word more, and I have done. I know that you are upon the point of carrying this motion as a

blow aimed personally at me;-but I beg to assure you that, whoever may vote for it, it shall be my endeavour to suppress all personal ill-feelings towards those individuals for the wrong they have done me, and to bear no malice towards them in my heart. It is for the truth's sake, I shall consider it, that I have been made to suffer; and as he who first suffered for Christ prayed for his enemies, so would I pray for you, and say, 'Lord, lay not this sin to their charge.'

939

Faithful sank down overcome by his feelings, and the members of the meeting, having hurriedly passed the resolution, rose up with one accord, and left the star chamber for the dinner table, to drink their wine and rejoice that at length they had triumphed.

The humane and the truth-loving reader may, perhaps, inquire what became of Faithful after his ejection from the meeting of his brethren, the clergy. The last we heard of him was, that he was still afloat on the wide sea of society, without having yet found a haven to which he might put in for shelter-learning by bitter experience, what so many others have found before him, that when enemies triumph, friends forsake.

After the foregoing condemnation had been passed upon him, even those clergymen who had before stood by him showed themselves shy of him, and seemed to fear, lest by noticing him, they should bring upon themselves some of his reproach. But even by this, the severest trial to human feelings, he has continued to this day unmoved, resolved, by the grace of God, whatever may betide, to continue to the end to act worthy of the name of Faithful.

CHAP. XIX.

THE HIGH CHURCH AND LOW CHURCH COMPARED.

"Look here upon this picture, and on this."

SHAKSPEARE.

THE term "Low Church" would seem to imply something base in its nature and levelling in its tendencies, as the term "High Church" would something noble and elevating. The one system might be supposed, from its designation, to lower, to degrade, to weaken the Church; the other to exalt, to adorn, to strengthen it. Such, probably, would be the impression which a foreigner coming into this country, or a person ignorant of parties, would receive from first hearing these terms used.

But we must not allow ourselves to be prepossessed and imposed upon by terms, without considering their origin, and their conventional application, When we would institute a comparison between the two systems, or parties, which these terms denote, and would weigh their respective merits, we must first take into account the exact momentum of the empty vessels, so to speak, which contain the goods of the opposing claimants. These empty vessels are the names by which the respective parties are designated. Now it is an undeniable fact, which is of great moment in this inquiry, that the appellation "High Church" is assumed- -the designation "Low Church" imposed: the one is arrogantly claimedthe other meekly endured.

Here, then, the first feature of the High Church party, as contrasted with the Low, becomes manifest -the love of pre-eminence. To this principle it is to be traced, that every young man of the world who enters in orders, with little knowledge, and less love of religion, instinctively takes his place with the High Church party. There is something in the sound of the term "Low Church" too humiliating for any one to be willing to submit to bear it, without a conviction that it expresses only that kind of reproach which is really the highest honour. Some few may, perhaps, be led to range themselves on the side of this party from prejudice, or from family connection, with no truly religious principle actuating them: but the natural instincts of all unconverted men, uncontrolled by circumstances, would undoubtedly incline them to join the other side. Man is naturally an ambitious creature. Hence the desire of every one, not restrained by the humbling motives of the Gospel, is to be high.

The love of pre-eminence, which, as we have asserted, is one of the characteristics of the High Church party, may be seen exhibiting itself in their eager desire after high official posts, high official titles, high official powers and distinctions. Listen to the conversation of a High Churchman, and you will easily discover that his primary object in enter ing the Church is to get a good living; that he hopes, to become first a rector, then a rural dean, a prebendary, or an archdeacon; and so high does his churchmanship ascend, that he would fain be a bishop, or an archbishop. Nothing appears to gratify men of this class more than the honour which is paid to those high in office: there is nothing which they so much affect as the chief seats in the synagogues, greetings in the market-places, and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi.