h in the same breath.

There was a general laugh.

"There is nothing to laugh at," said Bateman; "Anglican and Roman are
one."

"One! impossible," cried Sheffield.

"Much worse than impossible," observed Mr. Freeborn.

"I should make a distinction," said Bateman: "I should say, they are
one, except the corruptions of the Romish Church."

"That is, they are one, except where they differ," said Sheffield.

"Precisely so," said Bateman.

"Rather, _I_ should say," objected Mr. Freeborn, "two, except where they
agree."

"That's just the issue," said Sheffield; "Bateman says that the Churches
are one except when they are two; and Freeborn says that they are two
except when they are one."

It was a relief at this moment that the cook's boy came in with a dish
of hot sausages; but though a relief, it was not a diversion; the
conversation proceeded. Two persons did not like it; Freeborn, who was
simply disgusted at the doctrine, and Reding, who thought it a bore; yet
it was the bad luck of Freeborn forthwith to set Charles against him, as
well as the rest, and to remove the repugnance which he had to engage in
the dispute. Freeborn, in fact, thought theology itself a mistake, as
substituting, as he considered, worthless intellectual notions for the
vital truths of religion; so he now went on to observe, putting down his
knife and fork, that it really was to him inconceivable, that real
religion should depend on metaphysical distinctions, or outward
observances; that it was quite a different thing in Scripture; that
Scripture said much of faith and holiness, but hardly a word about
Churches and forms. He proceeded to say that it was the great and evil
tendency of the human mind to interpose between itself and its Creator
some self-invented mediator, and it did not matter at all whether that
human device was a rite, or a creed, or a form of prayer, or good works,
or communion with particular Churches--all were but "flattering unctions
to the soul," if they were considered necessary; the only safe way of
using them was to use them with the feeling that you might dispense with
them; that none of them went to the root of the matter, for that faith,
that is, firm belief that God had forgiven you, was the one thing
needful; that where that one thing was present, everything else was
superfluous; that where it was wanting, nothing else availed. So
strongly did he hold this, that (he confessed he put it pointedly, but
still n