with its green environs, the light waters of its shallow gulf, and its background of shrubby mountains. I then went to the largest cemetery, where I was made to feel myself completely in the east. Around were white gravestones with sculptured turbans on them, multitudinous cypresses, with the blue sky or green sea between them, a horrible black snake basking on the wall, a stork flying about among the trees, the deep cooing of hidden doves, a long string of camels with their bells tinkling, passing along the hill-side, led by turbaned infidels. There was such an absence of any Christian object all round, that it chilled me, and I thought perchance the candlestick was removed, and Smyrna unchurched. Then I thought that perhaps the ten days' tribulation was not over, that the Church of Smyrna might yet overcome, and so be unhurt of the second death.

While I was meditating on these things, I beheld, to my astonishment, the mysterious Stranger in company with a young Greek priest. The priest was sitting on a fallen grave-stone, while the Stranger was standing, leaning on one from which the Janissary's cap had been broken, when the sultan's vengeance followed even the departed members of that formidable body. The Stranger saw me, and beckoned me to approach. He did not say where he had met the Greek priest, or how he had made himself known to him. "I have ever felt," he said, "a deep, a most deep interest in the Greek Church, and I manifested it in a generation which did not respond

to my feelings. This young priest is unable to endure the evil fortunes of his Church, and has entertained the idea of joining the Roman communion, of which there is a Church and establishment in Smyrna. The reasons he has assigned are many and grave; and the symptoms of disease within his Church, which he has alleged, are curious and important. Yet am I about, though a reverent son of great Rome, to dissuade him from joining the Latin communion." "I would willingly hear your reasons,” replied I, "if my remaining is not disagreeable to your companion, or likely to interfere with his unreserved communications to you." "Oh no,” replied the young priest, "I have already said all I have to say, and I merely await the answer. For I need assistance in a matter so grave as this; for a Latin priest in Smyrna has seemed to prove to me that communion with Rome, where it can be had, is necessary to salvation."

"With that point, then, I will begin," said the Stranger. "It was not in my day held to be a matter of faith that salvation could not, generally speaking, be obtained by those who were not in communion with the successor of St. Peter. It is now the foremost doctrine of the Roman Church. Much of what I once said to him about the papacy will have made clear to this English priest that I do not regard the modern Roman Church as a faithful representative of the medieval Roman Church. My English friend is content with no references but

those of primitive antiquity; but I am more jealous for the honor of the Middle Ages than for the modern Roman Church, because I regard the modern Churches both of Rome and England to fail as representatives of primitive ages, the one in catholic doctrine, the other in catholic ritual, and both in a due reverence for tradition; and also because I feel confident that a true revival of the Church system of my days, while it is more feasible, is also more suited to present exigencies, and more likely to unite Christendom. In this my English friend will not concur, and I do not press it upon him. Now in this matter, as in others, the doctors of my day do not agree with the present Roman doctors; and I do not think that any notion of the necessity of being in communion with Rome is sufficient ground for leaving the Greek Church. Communion with Rome is, for manifold reasons, a great privilege; and the Lord rewards the Church, when at unity with herself, by giving her a visible head in St. Peter's successor. But this is not a permanent gift of the Church by any means. For it is not that St. Peter in his successor is head over the Church, but that the Church, when the circulation of light and holy life within her is unimpeded by schism, is permitted to represent herself through St. Peter, and thus outwardly to express her marvellous unity for the conversion of those that are without, for the refreshing of the faithful, for the strengthening of the doubtful, for the decency of governance, for the safe-keeping

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of the creed, for the restraining of excessive ritual diversity, and for the more effectual witnessing to her Master's glory. Schism strikes the Church speechless; unity restores to her the faculty of speech, and by a natural effort she speaks by St. Peter. Hence it follows that it is the duty of St. Peter's successor to be in communion with the Catholic Body, not the duty of the Catholic Body to be in communion with St. Peter's successor. This is not a verbal difference. Far more is implied in it. For if the Church were subject to St. Peter's successor, rather than represented by him, it would ensue that, of divine right, St. Peter's successor could rule over the lives of the faithful immediately, without any intervening power: otherwise his claim to be ruler over a subject Church would be inconsistent. Then, if he could, whether he would or no is not to the purpose, rule immediately over the lives of the faithful, it would follow that bishops are not a distinct order of the clergy by divine institution, and with powers emanating from Jesus Christ, and continued by apostolical descent, but are simply papal legates, removable at pleasure, and capable of being dispensed with in the Church altogether. To you," he continued, addressing the Greek priest, “I would urge the behavior of the catholic world to your own Churches of old. Pope Victor excommunicated the Churches of Asia, because of their differing from the Roman usage and tradition in the keeping of Easter; yet their catholicity was always acknow

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ledged, although they did not depart from their own custom at Victor's bidding. To you," he said, ad- ́ dressing me, "I would quote the African Church, which from its Donatist history so strikingly resembles your own, as also in a certain petulance of temper. Pope Stephen excommunicated St. Cyprian and his brother bishops, because of their rebaptizing heretics, that is, he excommunicated them for something really wrong which they had done; and here, on my view of the question, the parallel between the Churches would hold good. Yet the African Church desisted not from her erroneous custom for pope Stephen. Still her catholicity was ever acknowledged, and St. Cyprian has been canonized. Again, at a later period, and here too the parallel between England and Africa holds good, the African Church was not in communion with Rome for a long while '; and yet, notwithstanding, their catholicity was not disallowed. Indeed, in the Roman Church itself, the case of the bodies of Christians who at different times have obeyed antagonist popes, has come before the Roman doctors; and I believe the modern decision on the subject is, that none of them were guilty of schism: although the divine right of being the head of the Church could, in effect, only rest with one pope. I do not, therefore, think communion with St. Peter's successor necessary to salvation; but I do consider it a very great blessing, for which

1

See Archbishop Laud's Conference with Fisher.