its authority."

"What do you mean by exerting its authority?"

"I would not have the Church bear the sword in vain."

"What, the sword of St. Peter? You remember what the founder of the
religion which you profess said about the sword, 'He who striketh with
it--' I think those who have called themselves the Church have had
enough of the sword. Two can play with the sword, Mr. Platitude. The
Church of Rome tried the sword with the Lutherans: how did it fare with
the Church of Rome? The Church of England tried the sword, Mr.
Platitude, with the Puritans: how did it fare with Laud and Charles?"

"Oh, as for the Church of England," said Mr. Platitude, "I have little to
say. Thank God I left all my Church of England prejudices in Italy. Had
the Church of England known its true interests, it would long ago have
sought a reconciliation with its illustrious mother. If the Church of
England had not been in some degree a schismatic church, it would not
have fared so ill at the time of which you are speaking; the rest of the
Church would have come to its assistance. The Irish would have helped
it, so would the French, so would the Portuguese. Disunion has always
been the bane of the Church."

Once more I fell into a reverie. My mind now reverted to the past;
methought I was in a small, comfortable room wainscoted with oak; I was
seated on one side of a fireplace, close by a table on which were wine
and fruit; on the other side of the fire sat a man in a plain suit of
brown, with the hair combed back from his somewhat high forehead; he had
a pipe in his mouth, which for some time he smoked gravely and placidly,
without saying a word; at length, after drawing at the pipe for some time
rather vigorously, he removed it from his mouth, and emitting an
accumulated cloud of smoke, he exclaimed in a slow and measured tone: "As
I was telling you just now, my good chap, I have always been an enemy to
humbug".

When I awoke from my reverie the Reverend Mr. Platitude was quitting the
apartment.

"Who is that person?" said I to my entertainer, as the door closed behind
him.

"Who is he?" said my host; "why, the Rev. Mr. Platitude."

"Does he reside in this neighbourhood?"

"He holds a living about three miles from here; his history, as far as I
am acquainted with it, is as follows: His father was a respectable tanner
in the neighbouring town, who, wishing to make his son a gentleman, sent
him to college. Having never b