Not unfrequently Mrs. Sutton was obliged to insist on a change of conversation; and even Mr. Lee's equanimity was hardly proof against Mrs. Hopkins's

coarseness.

Finding, therefore, that there were obstacles in her way at Willowford, the good lady for a few weeks sent scores of tracts for Magdalen's perusal; and when these were civilly returned, she hit upon the expedient of forcing herself upon Magdalen whenever she met her in her walks.

There was now no escape; and though Magdalen had no taste for controversy, and was little practised as a controversialist, she saw there was no chance for her but to assume all the weapons, offensive and defensive, which lay within her reach.

With a clear head, good memory, perfect command of temper, and a firmness which those who saw her only in the gentle converse of every-day life would perhaps have hardly suspected, Magdalen proved more than a match for Mrs. Hopkins. That lady, in spite of great fluency and volubility, was very ill grounded in theology, very lax in her opinions, very unguarded in her assertions.

The word or the sentiment which came uppermost, she broached without hesitation; and if her position was controverted, she "trusted to her motherwit to enable her to scramble through somehow." In the present instance she knew that her cause was good, and so she was ready to fight in it to the last gasp; and fight she did, and manfully; but the ground on which she stood was unstable.

In fact, Mrs. Hopkins was quite unequal to the task she had set herself. On some points she went too far, on others she did not go far enough. She had no fixed principle, no firm resting-place either for assault or defence. The consequence was, that finding herself met with shrewdness and ability, she grew

confused, then became irritated, suffered her temper to get the better of her, and thereby destroyed her chance of achieving that on which she had set her heart.

Had this been the only effect of her injudicious zeal, it would have been no great matter; but the sentiments she broached failed not to inspire Magdalen Fernley with a deeper dread of Protestant errors, and with a conviction that if Protestants believed and taught as Mrs. Hopkins did, there could be neither peace nor safety in their creed. And this triumph over Mrs. Hopkins produced a further evil. She had had that lady's assurance that her opinions were those of the Church of England generally, and having refuted them, she was disinclined to any ther inquiry.

fur

Such were the consequences of Mrs. Hopkins's zeal and lack of judgment. She utterly failed of her own purpose, and at the same time gave to error a deeper hold over Magdalen's mind, and made it for a time more difficult to bring her over to the Reformed faith. Truly saith one of our old divines, "There is no way so effectual to betray the truth as to procure it a weak defender!"

The Discussion continued.

All worship is prerogative, and is a flower
Of His rich crown, from whom lies no appeal
At the last hour:

Therefore we dare not from His garland steal,
To make a posy for inferior power.

Although then others court you, if ye know
What's done on earth, we shall not fare the worse,
Who do not so;

Since we are ever ready to disburse,

If any one our Master's hand can shew.

GEO. HERBERT (To all Saints and Angels.)

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