to be in communion with the Pope."

"That's their mistake," answered Bateman.

"That's just what the Wesleyans say of us," retorted Sheffield, "when we
won't acknowledge _their_ succession; they say it's our mistake."

"Their succession!" cried Bateman; "they have no succession."

"Yes, they have," said Sheffield; "they have a ministerial succession."

"It isn't apostolical," answered Bateman.

"Yes, but it is evangelical, a succession of doctrine," said Sheffield.

"Doctrine! Evangelical!" cried Bateman; "whoever heard! that's not
enough; doctrine is not enough without bishops."

"And succession is not enough without the Pope," answered Sheffield.

"They act against the bishops," said Bateman, not quite seeing whither
he was going.

"And we act against the Pope," said Sheffield.

"We say that the Pope isn't necessary," said Bateman.

"And they say that bishops are not necessary," returned Sheffield.

They were out of breath, and paused to see where they stood. Presently
Bateman said, "My good sir, this is a question of _fact_, not of
argumentative cleverness. The question is, whether it is not _true_ that
bishops are necessary to the notion of a Church, and whether it is not
_false_ that Popes are necessary."

"No, no," cried Sheffield, "the question is this, whether obedience to
our bishops is not necessary to make Wesleyans one body with us, and
obedience to their Pope necessary to make us one body with the
Romanists. You maintain the one, and deny the other; I maintain both.
Maintain both, or deny both: I am consistent; you are inconsistent."

Bateman was puzzled.

"In a word," Sheffield added, "succession is not unity, any more than
doctrine."

"Not unity? What then is unity?" asked Bateman.

"Oneness of polity," answered Sheffield.

Bateman thought awhile. "The idea is preposterous," he said: "here we
have _possession_; here we are established since King Lucius's time, or
since St. Paul preached here; filling the island; one continuous Church;
with the same territory, the same succession, the same hierarchy, the
same civil and political position, the same churches. Yes," he
proceeded, "we have the very same fabrics, the memorials of a thousand
years, doctrine stamped and perpetuated in stone; all the mystical
teaching of the old saints. What have the Methodists to do with Catholic
rites? with altars, with sacrifice, with rood-lofts, with fonts, with
niches?--they call it all superstition."