.

had taken the Lord's Supper at the hyper-Calvinist Chapel near their suburban home, but that they intended to communicate at St. Matthew's at the grand Christmas Festivals, when the services would be so ornate and æsthetic; and when Henry jokingly asked them how they could possibly enjoy the barn-like "Zoar" after beautiful St. Matthew's, and how they could bear to hear "faith only" preached after the works that were also insisted on at the latter church, they declared that they were too cosmopolitan to notice such minor differences, and protested that there was no flag to fight under like religious eclecticism.

They amused poor Henry immensely. He used to tell them they would never have to suffer as martyrs to conviction, that was one comfort; and would often rally Mr. Rivers, telling him what a capital "Vicar of Bray" he would have made.

At times they would accompany him to the Catholic chapel, where he used to go to study the services, but especially would they do this if he were going to any grand function on a feast day, and could promise them a treat in the way of music. They would profess themselves lifted to the seventh heaven of devotion by the strains of Mozart and Haydn in the morning, and would complacently sit under "Stiggins" or "Chadband" in the evening, when they fulminated against Popery in the white-washed barn where they held forth.

But there was a limit to all this. Coquette with Rome they would willingly, and so might their friend; but no sooner did they detect his tendency, and feel sure that he would before long actually unite himself to her, than the latent hatred to the Church of our Fathers, that no one could have imagined existed in their liberal hearts, flared up in alarm.

Now they were earnest indeed. Henry might have become a Quaker, and they would have conducted him to meeting and congratulated him on his conversion. He might have joined the Unitarians, and they would only have said, "Well, if your convictions lead you that way, you are bound to follow them;" and they would have read Unitarian books, and sometimes gone to chapel with him. He might have turned Swedenborgian, and they would have been enchanted to learn all about the visions; or an Irvingite, and they would have been delighted to hear him jabber in the Unknown tongue; Shaker, and they would only have laughed at him; Primitive Methodist, and they would have chorussed his prayers with Amens and Hallelujahs, and found it "good to be there." Anything but a Papist-Fire-worshipper! Mohammedan Buddhist! if he would-and they would only have shaken their heads, and said they could scarcely be expected to go thus far with him. But Popery, oh horrible! could nothing be done to stop him?

They would try. They knew a clergyman at Islington, a fierce anti-Popery lecturer, and they borrowed of him the cleverest controversial books they could and lent them to Henry; at first he refused to look at them, but at last he yielded in despair, just to satisfy them. And so he had a host of knotty questions in Church history to grapple with, in addition to his other obstacles.

At last the controversialist himself came to see him; and, to his credit it must be said, that when he heard Henry declare that to him there was no stand-point or resting-place for his feet between the Rationalism from which he had escaped and the Catholic Church to which he was tending, he abandoned the idea of stopping his progress, lest he should convert him back

to what was almost as objectionable to him. But he left, like Satan, the smell of brimstone behind him, for he gave Henry a book so artfully planned to arrest the steps of those whose feet were set Romeward, that for a time he abandoned his course thitherward, and in despair let theology and controversy alone. And so it came to pass that one day he met Father Layton, who inquired how he was getting on with his religious inquiries.

"I have made up my mind," said Henry, "not to join Rome; I shall try to be a faithful son of the Church of England; it is the only course open to me, and I must get rest at any cost; this anxiety is wearing me out."

And then the Anglican, delighted to find that he was likely to be a safe convert to receive, and that he would be able to rest satisfied in the bosom of the

English Branch" of the Church, named a day for his reception, and volunteered to assist him in the general confession of the sins of his life, which he must write out in extenso, and read to him in the confessional at the church.

And so the poor young man, only too glad to pour out the tale of his sins to him whom he thought the Priest of God, and the sympathizing minister whose advice would be so acceptable, prepared a minute catalogue of all the faults, venial and mortal, that he could remember, as though it were the judgment-seat of Christ he was before, instead of a minister of the Church of England.

Kneeling at his side, he read the history of the sins of his life; and if ever penitent felt contrition of heart, it was felt by our hero that day. He rose feeling that he had done right, for the anxious mind was relieved and the troubled soul was comforted by

the assurance that the confession made to Christ through His minister, received His absolution through the same channel.

The admirable instructions he received were thankfully listened to and obeyed.

He was directed to forward apologies to those whom he had scandalized-as far as was practicable-and to atone as far as possible for all the sins he had confessed, and making acts of contrition, promise by God's grace never to offend in the like again.

Then he was baptized according to the rites of the Established Church, and admitted thereupon to communion with her.

For some months he followed in comparative peace the way of an English Churchman. The practice of frequent confession and communion seemed to strengthen and support him. The devotions he followed certainly made him a better man ; only at times the still small voice would come to him, "This is not your mother, this State Establishment is a hireling nurse at best; there is one, on whom you have turned your back, who alone can lead you to the green pastures and the company of the Saints of God."

Then he fell to reading to convince himself he was in the right; and all along he kept feeling how weak were the arguments against Rome, and how he never had answered, and felt he never could answer, the powerful words of the Canon on Authority.

He bought so many books that at last he sought a Catholic lending library, where he might borrow the works he needed. He was directed by his friend the Bookseller to the Catholic Library, North Street, Grandover Square-there he found everything he wanted— kept by two elderly ladies, highly intellectual and

devout Roman Catholics, who most kindly gave him all the information and assistance he required. And so, going often for the books he needed, they became friends together; they would talk to him by the hour about his scruples, and gave him such admirable answers to his questions, that he became a constant and ever-welcome visitor. But all this mental anxiety was undermining his health; he grew thin and pale, careworn and nervous; so that some of his friends thought if he did not soon get rest he would find it in the churchyard.

CHAPTER XXX.

GEOGRAPHICAL CHRISTIANITY.

It was the eve of Ascension Day, 18—, and Pattison had made up his mind he would see Father Layton, and tell him how forcibly he felt drawn towards Rome. He met him on the pavement that ran round the church, and they walked together.

"I often go to the Roman Catholic churches," said Henry," and I feel there as I never feel elsewhere, that I am in the immediate ante-chamber of heaven; that there is a presence, an awful solemnity in the place, that tells me Christ is more really there than in our own church; and when the Sacred Host is taken from the tabernacle, at benediction, I feel that the angels surround it, and I am filled with awe and love; that, in fact, this is reality, while that we have is at best but doubtful."

Father Layton.-"You do wrong to attend Roman services; you have your own Church and that should