vented? The establishment of such a living oracle as the Roman Catholics have invented, would have made Christ's kingdom the most powerful kingdom of this world. Even the Papal fiction converted Christianity into a formidable monarchy. There remain only two ways not subject to this objection: the one to gratify human curiosity with the secrets of eternity; the other to publish an interminable list of articles not to be discussed by Christians. The former method is obviously inconsistent with our present faculties and condition: the second (if possible) would amount to a prohibition of all reflexion, and consequently, to an exclusion of one very high source of interest in regard to the Gospel. If such speculations were not embittered by passion, if passion were not consecrated into zeal, if zeal were not rewarded with wealth and power, the difference of opinions as to abstract points, among Christians, would act only as a spur to the study of the scriptures.

CAPTAIN CUSIACK.-Do you wish, Sir, for the separation of the Church and State?

MR. FITZGERALD.-You have heard my opinions on that subject. You well know that things (however wrong in themselves) which have been long supported by law, cannot suddenly be altered without producing much evil. The Church! The Church means property-the Church means privileges-the Church means seats in Parliament. The Church, on the other hand, means theological declarations, the Church means legal ordination which qualifies for livings; and finally, the Church means a well educated, and, for the most part, exemplary, clergy, distributed over the kingdom, whose labours, whose examples, whose charity, are of incalculable service to the happiness, the instruction, and the consolation of millions. The ramifications of all these things are so inextricably woven together, that while I am convinced that the state, in trying to protect, must finally overlay and suffocate the Church—I cannot venture to suggest any means of separation. One thing I would certainly recommend; and that is, the formation of a living Church. It is

an abuse of language to speak of the Church of England as a body capable of collective views and opinions, capable of improvement, and able to remove whatever defects either time or the weakness of man may have brought upon her. The Church of England, as by law established, consists in certain formularies-words-put together by four or five men, and acquiesced into by a large portion of the then existing clergy. These formularies are a kind of mental frame into which some screw themselves, and which others find fitting to the dimensions of their minds. I do not reject those formularies; but I object to their having supreme and irrevocable power over the living Church. In the present state of things, these formularies are above the Church. That they are so, is proved by the fact, that the living congregation of Christians, who, by law, are called members of the Church established in these realms, are and must be perfectly passive. As to the laity, they consider that they have no more to do with articles than with a surplice. The dimensions and shape

of the mould into which the law has fixed them, must be the dimensions and shape of their minds. Although it is not pretended that the framers of the mould were infallible, the mould itself is, by law, supposed to be unalterable. Whoever attempts to touch it must go out of the Church. There may be something wrong-there may be something superfluous-there may be much that is ill adapted to our times. Nevertheless the Church--the now existing Church—like a geological petrifaction, must remain what it is for ever. And yet no one pretends that the founders of the Church made it perfect. No one is rash enough to pretend that they were infallible. Suppose then that they fell into some error. Must not that error, whether great or small be perpetuated by a system which leaves no discretion to the successive generations of Christians who are expected to compose this Church for ages to come. That such men as conceive themselves endowed with infallibility should provide for the perpetuity of their opinions is natural. But that those who never pretended to

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possess a divine power, and commission to direct mankind without the remotest danger of misleading them, should contrive to make their views a law as immutable as those of the Medes and Persians, is a curious and melancholy instance of the force of theological prejudices. must not be. Let the Church, have freedom, as a Church, let it have a spiritual government of its own, and let Parliament take off the trammels which reduce the Church of England to the awkward condition of rejecting improvement, without pretending to possess either infallibility or perfection."

The conversation would have continued much longer. But the sailors, with a tremendous shout, of schooner ahoy, schooner ahoy, drew us all from our seat, to observe the imminent danger of being sunk by a large vessel, which, with full sails and a fresh wind, was coming out of Calais harbour. All was confusion for a moment. nion in a state of inexpressible terror. But the

The ladies ran up the compa

schooner put the helm aport just in time only to