For the Faith

knit to the soul of David, and

arret, during the three days which Anthony Dalaber spent at

ad been a pioneer in one of the most dangerous movements of the day, and had seen what such courses might well lead him to. Storm and stress had been the portion of the one, a pleasant life of study and pleasure that of the other. It was only during the past six months that association with Clarke and so

m, ignorant of the undercurrents which were already disturbing its apparently tranquil surface, and ready in due course to be consecrated to his office, and to take some benefice if he could get it, and

alaber had been strongly attracted by the beautiful sisters, and especially by Freda, whose quick, responsive eagerness and keen insight and discrimination made a deep impression upon him. The soundness of her

ar deeper than his own. He had been moved to a vivid admiration at first, and then to something that was more than admiration. And the birth and growth of

e, his singleness of aim, his earnest striving after a standard of holiness seldom to be found even amongst those who professed to practise the higher life, aroused the deep admiration of the impulsive a

h which hitherto he had only dallied and played. He was pushing out his bark into deeper waters, and

hat it would be a crisis in his life. He wished, out of curiosity, to be present at the strange ceremony to be enacted in St. Paul's Chur

e fiery eyes of the priest, and hearing the fiery words which fell from his lips, that Dalaber thoroughly understood to what he

ere hungering for it, and to help each in his measure to let the light, now shrouded beneath a mass of observances which had lost their original mean

of Luther. He loved to attack, to upheave, to overthrow. Where Clarke spoke gently and lovingly of the church, as their holy mother, whom they must love and cherish, and seek to plead with as sons, that she might cleanse herse

n holy things abhorrent to the hearts of men. He listened, and his heart was hot as he heard; he caught the fire of Garret's enthusiasm, and would then and there have cast adrift from his fo

e Garret smiled and shook his head,

eest thou not that in this place our wor

shall blaze in a fashion ye think not of. The Word of God is a consuming fire. The sword of the Spirit, the Word of God, pierces the heart and reins of

erday was but a check upon our work. The last convoy of books has been burnt--all, save the few which we were able to save and to bide beneath

books, then? The wo

re rash or careless. But nothing now can stop their entrance into a land where men begin to desire earnestly to read them for themselves. Not all, mind you. It is strange how careless and apathetic are the gentry of the land--they that one would have th

orms in the church; and there are many amongst the students eager after knowledge, and who long

was working then. I know that it has worked more and more. Our good friends Clarke and Sumner have told as much. Is not your presence her

wed with the intensity of his enthus

ar it in your voice. The thought of peril and disgrace would not

his hand and grasping that of Garret. "Only tell

we have books to scatter and distribute there, we want trusty men to receive and hide them, and sell or give them with secrecy and dispatch. It is a task of no sma

back his head. "What other men have done and dared I wi

face--"I shall remember; and the day will come--a day not far distant,

, holding out his hand; "whenever the Broth

a while, and then Dala

and others there? Will they n

elf, are members of the university, but dwellers in small halls, and under no such restraints. Clarke has done great service, and will do more, by his teachings and preachings, which prepare the hearts of men to receive the good seed, and awaken yearnings after a deeper, purer, spiritual life than that which w

arnest tones; and it was plain

time. But the hall of olden Oxford was merely a sort of lodging house, generally kept by a graduate or master, but not subject to any of the rules which were binding upon those students who entered upon one of the foundations. Indeed, the growth of colleges had been due in great part to the desire on the pa

ouths of limited means, shared a lodging in a house called St. Alban Hall, and were free to come and go as they pleased, none asking them wherefore or whither. He saw at once that what would not be possible to a canon of

stance up the river, the priest held his hands long and earnestly, looking into his eyes with affectionate intensity, and at the last he kiss

alaber fervently. "I am yours, and f

e seemed to be thinking deeply, his eyes fixed earnestly upon Dalaber's face from time to time; whilst the latter sat gazing

and walked towards a certain village, and C

ill be no peril to me or to those who hear me. But of that no man can be certain.

passions against tyranny or bigotry, but rather seeking to urge them to patience, to that brotherly love which endures all things and hopes all things, and turns to the Almighty Father in never-ceasing faith and joy, implorin

what was then called heresy. But the hearts of the hearers burnt within them as they listened; and when, after some further time spent in discussion and prayer, the pr

scholar," he cried, "for with you

a great tenderness in his eyes, but hi

y preaching is sweet unto you now, for that no persecution is laid upon you. But the time will come--of that I am well assured, and that period peradventur

ristic backward motion of his head. His face was like the

h his fatherly smile, but ther

and seek not to take upon you

instantly to what C

a Christian Brother. I must not shrink. My word is passed.

ic; you shall be abhorred of the world; your own friends and kinsfolk shall forsake you; you shall be cast into prison, and none shall dare to help you; you shall be accused before bishops, to your reproach and shame, to the

er; he flung himself at the feet of his

an other men; I only pray of you to try me. Send me not away. Let me be pupil, and scholar, and son. I cannot turn back, even if I w

nder love in his eyes, and raising him up in his arm

he said in a deep voice, full of feeling, "and from henceforth and ev

alaber was joyful within him, for he felt as though he had set his foot upon the narrow path which leads to life everlasting

Anthony Dalaber some sympathetic confidante was almost a necessity of existence; and who so well able to understand him as the girl he loved with every fibre of his being, and who had almost promised him an answering love? Th

cs; and she listened with absorbing interest to the story of the hidden books, the little band of Christian Brothers, the work going

saw the great cardinal sitting on his throne and

lked with stately mien, and his following was like that of ro

onder what yonder pageant looked like to Him--a prelate coming in His place (as doubtless the cardinal would think) to judge those whose crime has been the spreading abroad of the living Word, and now watching the burning of countless books which contain that living

e will come when the day of pleading will be past, and the day of reckoning will come; and she will have to learn that her children will not a

e all one body--the Body of Christ; and if we have to war one with another, and rend that body for

is the truth. God send us more men like John Clarke, t