submit to
the Holy Apostolic See, and that it is their duty as well as their
privilege to be in communion with that Bishop who alone is the true
successor to St. Peter, and by Divine Providence the Primate of the
Catholic Church. He speaks of the "lurid murky flame of Protestantism
enkindled in the sixteenth century;" and hail the light "once more
beginning to beam upon us from the Eternal City, where the Prince of the
Apostles and the Doctor of the Gentiles shed their blood." When such are
the utterances of leading clergymen,--if the Church of England were
Church of the nation as it claims to be, the language of Dr. Manning
would be undeniably true. "Protestantism is dead in England. We may
save the time which controversy wastes, and instead of going out into the
battle-field, we may go into the harvest-field to reap and to bind and to
gather our sheaves into our garner."

Dissent, however, has not been taken into account. It is rarely a
Dissenter becomes a Roman Catholic. It is impossible, if he understands
his principles, that he should. To too many it is the Church of England
that leads to that of Rome.

CHAPTER VI.
THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND.

The peculiarity of the Church of England, that by which it is
distinguished from orthodox Dissent, is the priestly character of its
claims, and its intolerance of other sects.

The "Tracts for the Times" tell us "that the Bishop is Christ's
representative, and the priests the Bishop's, so that despising the
clergy is despising Christ." "A person not commissioned may pretend to
give the Lord's Supper, but it can afford no comfort to any one to
receive it at his hands; and as for the person who takes it on himself
without a warrant to minister in holy things, he is all the while
treading in the steps of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram. It is only having
received this commission that can give any security that the ministration
of the Word and the Sacraments shall be effectual to the saving of your
souls. The Dissenters have it not."

The Dean of Chichester writes--"Our ordinations descend in a direct
unbroken line from Peter and Paul. Unless Christ be spiritually present
with the ministers of religion in their services, those services must be
vain. But the only ministration to which He has promised his presence
are those of the Bishops, who are successors of the first commissioned
Apostles, and the other clergy acting under their sanction and
authority."

The B