170

CHAPTER XV.

"Fruitless will be all attempts to sustain, much more to revive the fainting cause of morals, unless you can in some degree restore the prevalence of Evangelical Christianity."

WILBERFORCE.

ARCHDEACON HARPUR had remained perfectly silent during the latter part of the argument. He saw that Ridley's ardour and faithfulness were equal to the contest, and that if he mingled in it, he might unawares afford some facility for turning the conversation from that point against which Ridley Seldon bent all his powers. But when the priests and the victim were gone, the good old man strove to pour new strength and consolation into the tried feelings of his son-in-law. “You have gained a great point," he said; "two days at Bexham may do much to

weaken their influence, and our united prayer may yet bring an answer of peace."

"I have a bright hope that it will be so," said Ridley," and that will help to cheer my lonely hours till Monday morning. And now, sir, will you set out for Bexham without delay? Poor Barbara will need all your love and care."

Archdeacon Harpur remarked Ridley's exhausted looks, and hesitated to leave him alone for nearly two days; but Ridley urged, and not in vain; the archdeacon longed to see and comfort his daughter; and as soon as preparations for his journey could be made, he took leave of Ridley, and set out for Bexham.

Left quite to himself, Ridley spent the next two hours in communion with God, and in searching his word for counsel. His quiet was interrupted at last by the entrance of a visiter, whose face seemed familiar to him, though he had quite forgotten his name.

"You do not remember me, Seldon," said the gentleman, advancing towards him. "You do not remember your old college friend, George Percy?"

"Percy," exclaimed Ridley, with the warmth of old friendship; "I ought to have remembered you indeed; but years have changed us both, and I did not even know that you were in London."

"I have been in the metropolis for some time,'

replied Sir George Percy; "but I heard by a mere accident that you were here, and I hastened to renew, if you are willing, the friendship of other years."

Ridley Seldon's affectionate heart warmly responded to this appeal, and mutual inquiries were made on either side for friends, for children, and for those circumstances which had peculiarly marked the life of each since they met before. Sir George remarked Ridley's pale and mournful look, and after some time drew from the latter the cause of his sadness. But Ridley did not mention Philip; he merely said that business of a most urgent and distressing nature had called him to London, and his friend was too delicately honourable to question farther.

They conversed together for some time, Sir George affectionately trying to lead his friend to those topics which he thought would keep his mind employed, and make him forget his sorrow; while Ridley Seldon took pains to introduce such subjects as he thought might give his friend matter for serious consideration; for Ridley remembered that Percy, though a studious youth, and strict in outward attendance upon the ordinances of religion, had rather shown a dislike to the power of godliness, and to those who professed to be influenced by it, Ridley himself excepted: his beautiful consistency won the

prejudiced young man, not indeed to search into and approve of his principles, but to seek his friendship, and respect his person.

"Do you see that gentleman in black on the opposite side of the street?" said Sir George Percy, who was sitting near the window. He is one of the most excellent men of his day, and yet he is stigmatized with the cant name of Puseyite, and is avoided by every bigot of the Evangelical party."

"Has he given no cause for the reproach?" demanded Ridley.

"You consider it a reproach, then?" said Sir George. "And as such it is certainly intended. Mr. is, as I told you before, a most exemplary man, but now every one calls his neighbour a Puseyite if he is a stricter churchman than himself. To attend the holy communion with regularity; to go to church when there is no sermon, only to say our prayers to Almighty God; to observe the day of our Lord's ascension, or any of the festivals; or to attend the week-day service; all these are sure symptoms of Puseyism. The more strictly a man conforms to the church's ordinances, the more he is suspected of being a Puseyite, and one who secretly desires the church's downfal. Let a man obey the bishop whom God has set over him, and he is suspected of being an enemy to the church; let him dis

regard the bishop's injunction, and persist in neglecting the church's written ordinance, and he is a sound Protestant establishment man. A large portion of the outcry against Puseyism arises from the jealousy of the leading Evangelical clergy—the spouters at Exeter Hall-the committee-men of certain societies who have long been accustomed to act in defiance of church or bishop. I do not say that many among the Evangelical clergy are not honest and conscientious opponents of these doctrines, as being contrary to what they suppose gospel truth, that is, the limited and partial views which they themselves have adopted." *

"Limited perhaps by the bounds of the Bible," said Ridley Seldon; "and partial in that, they connect every maxim which they teach in the pulpit or on the platform, with the foundation doctrine, "Jesus Christ and Him crucified."

"You don't know these men, Seldon," said Sir George. "The practices against which they have raised the wildest clamour are, reading the offertory and for the church militant after the sermon, prayer as directed, our venerable bishop's order for preaching in the surplice, and the daily worship of God in the churches, which the Evangelicals denounce as something unscriptural.' They object chiefly to * Puseyism in London.

+ Ibid.