the same as that between the glorified saints in the church triumphant above, namely,-union in Christ, the One living and glorified Head of both sections of His church, His church below and His church above.

While the one brother, however, was wandering an outcast for the truth's sake in the desolate places of the land, with devoted zeal, and exhibiting everywhere the fearless spirit of power, and of love, and of a sound mind; the other was heard expounding from the pulpit of his Episcopal Church in London, the same truths to a crowded congregation, that almost hung upon his words, and sought and followed him with an enthusiastic admiration. But not more single-minded, not more humble, was the elder brother amid the frowns of the world, than was Gabriel when courted by its smiles. He was justly regarded by the highest dignitaries of the church as one of those characters who was sure to bring honour to their party; and pains were taken to bring him to the notice of those in power; so that on more than one occasion, even the king and his chancellor had sent for him, and conferred with him on various points regarding the interests of the church. Twice had a bishoprick been pressed upon him but with an unaffected modesty and simplicity, which they were constrained to respect as genuine, he had declined the brilliant offer, and they dismissed him, unconsciously acknowledging to themselves, that, exalted as they were in station, and commanding in power, the man who had left their presence had made them feel their own inferiority to him. The admiration with which his extraordinary eloquence, and chaste and graceful style of preaching was regarded, and the respect which his devotedness and humility of character had won for him was increased and enhanced in the eyes, not only of the upper classes, but of every

nk in the great population of London, when, at

the time that the plague was raging there, and carrying off by its frightful ravages no less than ten thousand victims a week, and when many of the clergy were panic-struck, and forsook their churches, and fled into the country, Gabriel Clareton remained, not only preaching more eloquently, and to more crowded congregations than ever; but with a fearlessness and tenderness of spirit, which seemed insensible to danger, passing from house to house, among the meanest dwellings, throughout his widely-extended parish, ministering equally to the maladies of the bodies and of the souls of the wretched sufferers.

There it was, on one occasion, as he told his brother, on his first visit to F that he had found in a large untenanted, and gloomy mansion, from which every other inmate had either fled, or already been carried out as a plague-stricken corpse, there it was that he had found, lying in the last agonies of the frightful pest, the wretched Jesuit priest who had been known at Fernley under the name of Moleville, and had been recognized and exposed by the Chevalier de Beaufort. Whatever his state at last might have been, Gabriel was not able to determine, for though he seemed to listen to all that was said to him, and to the prayer that was offered up, he was either unwilling, or unable, to give any sign in return. It was not till he saw those remarkable eyes dimmed and fixed in the blank and rayless insensibility of death, and that that restless and designing spirit had fled from its mortal tenement, that Gabriel quitted the deserted mansion of the dead.

Within a few he came back

Gabriel was true to his promise. weeks of his departure from Fto his brother's humble dwelling; and then he communicated to them the success which had attended the plan, which he had told them would, he thought,

be so much approved by them all. He had applied to the Chancellor for the appointment of Henry Cleveland to the vacant benefice of the parish of F The income of the living was but small, for the great tithes were held by a lay impropriator; but he knew that with Henry the consideration of income was neither needed or cared

for.

He also knew, with what a spirit of holy rejoicing, both he and his brother, and their beloved Persis, and the few devoted Christians in the humbler ranks of life, throughout that widely scattered parish, would hail the re-opening of the longclosed church, and the sound of no uncertain Gospel from the long vacant pulpit.

The mansion close to the church, which has been alluded to before, and which was no other than the spacious and convenient old parsonage-house, was soon the residence of Henry Cleveland and his sweet and modest bride, and of their revered and beloved father; and duly as every Lord's day came round, the crowds that filled the churchyard made way, and stood apart with silent and respectful admiration, as, leaning on the arm of his lovely daughter, the noble old Presbyterian minister passed along to attend the Episcopal service in that ancient village church, to join in her prayers, and listen to the preaching of her minister; though he would sometimes say to Persis and her husband, with a quiet smile, that he still "scrupled the surplice, and misliked the ceremonies." And throughout not only their own parish, but the whole country round, for many years, long after they had left F to return to their native county of Shropshire, (for Henry had promised his uncle Sir Ralph Cleveland to take the charge of the family living of D—, whenever it should become vacant,) the name and memory of "the beloved Persis, who laboured much in the Lord," was dear to the hearts, and often on the lips, of all who loved the truth as it is in Jesus, and endea

voured to walk according to the truth of the Gospel.

That period in the history of the established church in this country, to which I have referred in the foregoing pages, is beginning to be viewed with increasing interest, because it is beginning to be really known and understood. One-sided views on the subject have too generally prevailed. The truth, or, I should say, the facts of the question have been either distorted or kept back by some of our popular authors, and therefore many erroneous views have become established opinions, merely because they have been received opinions. Prejudices have thus been formed and established for which no basis could have been found but that of ignorance, the usual basis on which the superstructure of prejudice is built up. It is time that such a superstructure should be thrown down, and the knowledge of the truth is always the most effectual means by which this is effected.

The Presbyterians, for instance, have long lain under the guilt and odium of consenting to the death of Charles the First. But facts, which cannot be set aside, afford the plainest proof that they used every exertion in their power to prevent it. The murder of the king was an act which they abhorred and deplored almost to a man, as a crime of the deepest dye. The address of the Presbyterian clergy to the leaders of the army, who were really the only party involved in the guilt of that awful murder, stands alone as the boldest and most faithful protest made by any body of men, at that time, to save the life of their king. They had been invited to a conference with those misguided men. They refused to hold any conference with them, but sent them a serious and faithful representation of the judgment of the ministers

of the Gospel within the province of London, an admonition as remarkable for its strong manly sense, as for its uncompromising faithfulness, and its noble and daring courage. Their protest is worthy of a distinguished place in every history of our country, and affords to us a signal proof of what those much slandered and misrepresented men really were. There is a calm and stern severity in some parts of the address which cannot be too much admired, as coming from the ministers of Christ, on such an occasion, to men in the highest authority. I give but extracts, though I would willingly set the whole of the address before my readers.

"We desire you," they say, "not to infer the justice of your proceedings from the success, but to distinguish between God's permission and approbation, and that God's suffering men to prosper in their evil courses, is one of the severest judgments: the providence of God, therefore, which is so often pleaded in justification of your actions, is no safe rule to walk by in such actions which the word of God condemns.

"Nor is it safe to be guided by the impulses of the Spirit, when they are contrary to the written word of God; we are to try the spirits, and to have recourse to the law and the testimony; if they speak not according to them, there is no light in them.

"If you plead necessity for doing that which yourselves confess to be irregular, we answer, no necessity can oblige men to sin: besides, it is apparent, you were under no necessity: the parliament (till forced by you) being full and free: besides, you have engaged by oath to preserve his majesty's person and the privileges of parliament, and no necessity can justify perjury, or dispense with lawful oaths.

"We, therefore, beseech you to recede from this your evil way, and learn John Baptist's lesson to