nks the Church of _England_ is too
comprehensive, and should be drawn on stricter lines."

"And therein are you an _Essene_," answereth _Father_.

"Oh, _Grissel_ would fain have every man close examined," saith Sir
_Robert_, "and only admitted unto the Lord's Supper by the clergy after
right strict dealing."

"Were you alway of this manner of thought, Mistress _Martin_?" asks
_Father_.

"I trow not," said she. "As one gets on in life, you see, one doth
perceive many difficulties and differences that one noted not
aforetime."

"One is more apt to fall into ruts, that I know," saith Aunt _Joyce_: "I
had ado enough, and yet have, to keep me out of them."

"A man is apt to do one of two things," saith _Father_: "either to fall
into a rut, or to leave the road altogether. Either his charity
contracteth, and he can see none right that walk not in his rut; or else
his charity breaketh all bounds, and he would have all to be right,
which way soever they walk."

"Why, those be the two ends of the pole," quoth Sir _Robert_, "and, I
warrant you, you shall find _Grissel_ right at the end, which so it be.
She hath a conceit that a man cannot be too right, nor that, if a thing
be good, you cannot have too much thereof."

"Ah, that hangeth on the thing," saith _Father_. "You cannot have too
much faith nor charity, but you may get too much syllabub. Methinks
that is scantly the true rendering thereof. Have not the proportions
much to do withal? If a man's faith outrun his charity, behold him at
the one end of your pole; but if his charity outrun his faith, here is
he at the other. Now faith and charity should keep pace. Let either
get afore the other, and the man is no longer a perfect man; but a man
with one limb grown out, and another shrivelled up."

"But, Sir _Aubrey_," quoth Mistress _Martin_, "can a man be too holy, or
too happy?"

"Surely not, Mistress _Martin_," saith he. "But look you, God is the
fountain and pattern of both: and in Him all attributes are at once in
utmost perfection, and in strictest proportion. We sons of _Adam_,
since his fall, be gone out of proportion. And note you, for it is
worthy note--that nothing short of revelation did ever yet conceive of a
perfect God. The gods of the heathen were altogether such as
themselves. Even very _Christians_, with revelation to guide them, are
ever starting aside like a broken bow in their conceits of God. Either
they would have Him all justice