jealousy and envy have goaded them on to fasten upon her charges of pride, intolerance, and indurate obstinacy; they have not scrupled to heap upon her every epithet disparaging to her greater usefulness and influence that their malignity and ill-will could devise. It has been from no fault of theirs, from no slackness of purpose and want of energy on their part, if they have not succeeded in making good their venomous charges against her, and in reckoning her among the transgressors. And her foes are still persistent, and possibly some time in the Church's history, though it be ages hence, they may partially or altogether succeed. It would therefore be her wisdom to provide against any such catastrophe, and either to ward it off or very much to diminish its sinister effects, or even render the enemies' efforts against her altogether nugatory, by overhauling all her means of offence and defence, by inquiring closely into her present resources, and seeing whether some better method cannot be devised whereby she might be safe, not from vituperation (for that will ever continue), but from any successful attack against the stability of her endowments and of her position as the Church and ruling influence under any form of government.

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CHAPTER XII.

SECTION 1.-AN INQUIRY INTO THE RELATIVE DEGREE OF SACREDNESS POSSESSED BY SACRED EDIFICES IN GENERAL.

"In every place incense shall be offered unto My Name, and a pure offering."-MAL. i. 11.

"We have an altar."-HEB. xiii. 10.

HAVING considered the question of supplying the priesthood with suitable and efficient candidates, and the means for securing to them proper maintenance, we should next consider how we could best provide places of worship, and in sufficient numbers for the multiplied needs of the faithful. It would be necessary that, while they were more in number, they should be smaller in size. They might be called chapels or oratories, and it might be granted to the Parish Church alone to be dignified by that name. And with our multiplied chapels and oratories, each with its own priest and ministers, it might be possible to change our present ruri-decanal chapters into so many dioceses, each with its country bishop or chorepiscopos at its head. But this by the way. What we wish, however, more particularly to consider is some scheme whereby these places of worship may be so provided that, in time of war or civil commotion,

they might easily and quickly be dismantled, and any sacrilegious desecration of them intended by the enemy, might be altogether neutralized, or the chances of an invading force of accomplishing their purpose be considerably diminished. But any such scheme, to be of any value and generally appreciated, must be confirmed by the testimony of Holy Scripture in its favour, and by what is known to have been the usage of the Church throughout all ages.

Let us begin by assenting to the proposition that, while to all things specially set apart for religious purposes there attaches a sacredness which we may designate as of a lower order, there is also to the few or many among them a sacredness which we may designate as of a higher order; and, that while the property or qualification which goes to form and establish this higher sacredness remains in statu quo, there will remain attached to that fabric, structure, place, or thing, which contains or shelters that property, this higher character also which is conferred by the presence of the said property. But should the said property for any cause or at any time soever be withdrawn, there is lost to that structure also the higher sacredness which it hitherto retained.

And now let us consider how this proposition will affect the status of our churches. The moment a church is formally dedicated and set apart for religious purposes, it becomes sacred. But if it lacks that which alone would give it a higher character of sacredness, it would remain sacred only in a lower sense. And what is it which could alone give it this character? We unhesitatingly reply, the presence of God's Holy Altar within that building. But even this is contingent

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upon the fact of that Altar having also, after its dedication, received that higher character itself. And this the Altar receives when it has solemnly been put to that sacred use for which it was dedicated. When that Altar has been consecrated by the celebration of the Blessed Sacrament thereon, then it may truly be said that the Great King, with His attendant hosts of angels and archangels and the whole company of Heaven, has made formal entry into His Tabernacle on earth.

But it will be objected, there is a presence of the Great King promised wherever there are two or three met together in His Name. But surely this Presence differs from that abiding Presence which dwells within the sanctuary according to God's most true promise. "This is God's hill, in the which it pleaseth Him to dwell: yea, the Lord will abide in it for ever"—words, these are, which apply to that higher sacred character peculiar to that House of God which is honoured by His indwelling Presence. "And in this place will I give the blessing of peace, saith the Lord." And again, "The Lord loveth the gates of Sion more than all the dwellings of Jacob" (Ps. lxxxvii. 1). "For the Lord had chosen Sion to be an habitation for Himself: He hath longed for her. This shall be My rest for ever: here will I dwell, for I have a delight therein " (Ps. cxxxii. 14, 15). These words shew only too clearly that there is a sense in which God's House is more sacred than any other dwelling or place, however consecrated by the assembling together of two or more of His people therein.

But it can be conceived that a church will only receive that higher sacred character after it has actually

been put to those solemn sacred uses for which it was first designed, built, and afterwards dedicated or set apart. Those uses for which it was designed could not be said to have been fulfilled, the purposes for which it was built could not be said to have had their accomplishment, by merely assembling within its walls the multitude of the faithful for the sake of their being harangued or taught in the truths of Holy Scripture. However holy and edifying this part of the ministry may be, and that it is so is unquestionable, it alone would not fulfil the grand purposes for which the structure was raised and solemnly consecrated.

Nothing less than the right and due celebration of God's Mysteries by the stewards thereof could satisfy God's demands and His people's needs, which, it may be said, were the chief objects sought in the building and ultimate dedication of that House of God. The due celebration of the Holy Sacraments within its walls may be said "to crown the work."

For the sole purpose of assembling a multitude and haranguing them any building or enclosure might suffice. But for the celebration of the Divine Mysteries, which would include the highest form of worship and prayer, as well as the noblest act of obedience that man can render to Almighty God, it is only meet that the fairest structure man can raise, worthy of such heavenly and sacred rites, should be solemnly set apart to God.

To dedicate a building to God's service, and not to apply it afterwards to its proper use, would seem like unto mockery of the Supreme Being. The church indeed by its simple dedication would have acquired a certain sacred character, but it would be