Page:A Pastoral Letter to the Parishioners of Frome.djvu/17

9 clergymen and laymen in this matter, and made a protest, stating that the doctrine which denied such Regeneration is heretical. Some of those who joined in that protest have left the Church, but not all.

Why should you class me among those who have failed in their allegiance to the Church, and not among those who are still faithful, and, as the many who with God's help do most stedfastly purpose to live and die fighting for and clinging to the Church of England? Those men and many more may think that the Church of England is in great peril as to the retention of the orthodox faith concerning Baptism; but because she is in peril, it does not follow that she is lost. Many a ship that seems to be driving against the rocks, in the midst of storms and tempests, still by help, weathers the dangerous point, and is saved. And certainly those would not be called good seamen, specially good pilots, who should fly from the ship in the very crisis of her danger. And even so in my farewell letter to my former parishioners I said, "We must, as in S. Paul's case, abide in the ship, although it be a very wreck. Some men cling to wrecks longer than others. Some men have more bodily endurance, greater strength, more vigour, and determination."

Well, I am one of those who have (always relying on holy guidance) this great tenacity of holding. I must cling to the rigging even still. The greater danger there is,—the more I see the ship tossing to and fro and almost helpless,—the more I see evil spirits all around the ship, some weakening her by putting bad pilots on board, to guide her wrongly, and rejoicing to think that she must soon go to pieces;—the more I say, that all this happens, and just in consequence of its happening, and as long as two planks hold together—the more it is the duty of brave men to stand by her, and to counteract the evil, to pray the longer and the stronger to to save her.

And that, my brethren, is the reason why, though I still protest against the heresy in question, and still maintain that it is impossible for me to celebrate the