subjects whatever.'"

"My dear Sheffield," said Charles, "you have fallen in with a particular
set or party of men yourself; very respectable, good men, I don't doubt,
but no fair specimens of the whole Church."

"I don't bring them as authorities," answered Sheffield, "but as
witnesses."

"Still," said Charles, "I know perfectly well, that there was a
controversy at the end of the last century between Bishop Horsley and
others, in which he brought out distinctly one part at least of the
Athanasian doctrine."

"His controversy was not a defence of the Athanasian Creed, I know
well," said Sheffield; "for the subject came into Upton's
Article-lecture; it was with Priestley; but, whatever it was, divines
would only think it all very fine, just as his 'Sermons on Prophecy.' It
is another question whether they would recognize the worth either of the
one or of the other. They receive the scholastic terms about the
Trinity just as they receive the doctrine that the Pope is Antichrist.
When Horsley says the latter, or something of the kind, good old
clergymen say, 'Certainly, certainly, oh yes, it's the old
Church-of-England doctrine,' thinking it right, indeed, to be
maintained, but not caring themselves to maintain it, or at most
professing it just when mentioned, but not really thinking about it from
one year's end to the other. And so with regard to the doctrine of the
Trinity, they say, 'the great Horsley,' 'the powerful Horsley;' they
don't indeed dispute his doctrine, but they don't care about it; they
look on him as a doughty champion, armed _cap-a-pie_, who has put down
dissent, who has cut off the head of some impudent non-protectionist, or
insane chartist, or spouter in a vestry, who, under cover of theology,
had run a tilt against tithes and church-rates."

"I can't think so badly of our present divines," said Charles; "I know
that in this very place there are various orthodox writers, whom no one
would call party men."

"Stop," said Sheffield, "understand me, I was not speaking _against_
them. I was but saying that these anti-Athanasian views were not
unfrequent. I have been in the way of hearing a good deal on the subject
at my private tutor's, and have kept my eyes about me since I have been
here. The Bishop of Derby was a friend of Sheen's, my private tutor, and
got his promotion when I was with the latter; and Sheen told me that he
wrote to him on that occasion, 'What shall I read? I don't know anything