argument.

"My good fellow," said Bateman, in a tone of instruction, "you are
making a distinction between a Church and a body which I don't quite
comprehend. You say that there are two bodies, and yet but one Church.
If so, the Church is not a body, but something abstract, a mere name, a
general idea; is _that_ your meaning? if so, you are an honest
Calvinist."

"You are another," answered Sheffield; "for if you make two visible
Churches, English and Romish, to be one Church, that one Church must be
invisible, not visible. Thus, if I hold an abstract Church, you hold an
invisible one."

"I do not see that," said Bateman.

"Prove the two Churches to be one," said Sheffield, "and then I'll prove
something else."

"Some paradox?" said Bateman.

"Of course," answered Sheffield, "a huge one; but yours, not mine. Prove
the English and Romish Churches to be in any sense one, and I will prove
by parallel arguments that in the same sense we and the Wesleyans are
one."

This was a fair challenge. Bateman, however, suddenly put on a demure
look, and was silent. "We are on sacred subjects," he said at length in
a subdued tone, "we are on very sacred subjects; we must be reverent,"
and he drew a very long face.

Sheffield laughed out, nor could Reding stand it. "What is it?" cried
Sheffield; "don't be hard on me? What have I done? Where did the
sacredness begin? I eat my words."

"Oh, he meant nothing," said Charles, "indeed he did not; he's more
serious than he seems; do answer him; I am interested."

"Really, I do wish to treat the subject gravely," said Sheffield; "I
will begin again. I am very sorry, indeed I am. Let me put the objection
more reverently."

Bateman relaxed: "My good Sheffield," he said, "the thing is irreverent,
not the manner. It is irreverent to liken your holy mother to the
Wesleyan schismatics."

"I repent, I do indeed," said Sheffield; "it was a wavering of faith; it
was very unseemly, I confess it. What can I say more? Look at me; won't
this do? But now tell me, do tell me, _how_ are we one body with the
Romanists, yet the Wesleyans not one body with us?"

Bateman looked at him, and was satisfied with the expression of his
face. "It's a strange question for you to ask," he said; "I fancied you
were a sharper fellow. Don't you see that we have the apostolical
succession as well as the Romanists?"

"But Romanists say," answered Sheffield, "that that is not enough for
unity; that we ought