The Prince of India, Volume II

mentioned in the extract from the la

Asiatic shore of the Marmora. In the galleries were many women; amongst them, on the right-hand side, the Princess Irene. Her chair rested on a carpeted box a little removed from the immense pilaster, and raised thus nearly to a level with the top o

eated on a throne-a very stately and imposing figure. Opposite him was the chair of the Patriarch. Between the altar and the railing arose a baldacchino, the canopy of white silk, the four supporting colu

. There were the same gowns black and gray; the same tonsured heads, and heads shock-haired; the same hoods and glistening rosaries; the same gloomy, bearded faces; the same banners, oriflammes, and ecclesiastical gonfalons

ite. Over his cassock, the deacons placed the surplice of white linen, and over that again a stole stiff with gold embroidery. He then walked slowly to the altar, and prayed; and when he had himself communicated, he was led to the baldacchino, where he blessed the Body and the Blood, and mixed them together in chalices, ready for delivery to the compa

ps to the servers; at the same time the gate leading from the chancel to t

ar from the gate, and said, in a hoarse voice, muffle

I see thou art about sending it to us. Now not a few present believe there is no grace

e chalice, signed the servers to follow him; next instant, he

ings to

d still, for there came a skurry of sound not possible of location, so did it at the same moment seem to be f

elf to his chair, and spoke to his assistants, who brought a plain chasuble, and put it on him, covering the golden stole completely. When he again appeared in the spaceway of the open gate, as h

on has need of cause for that he does; for

ation, except as one, himself rudely disposed, migh

me differences in our faith, there are many things about which we are agreed, the things in agreement outnumbering those in difference; and of them not the l

made

ong dedicated to the worship of God, and its traditions of holiness too numerous for memory, and therefore of record only in t

under the baldacchino, and there were sighs and

over, the Patr

now. The bread is leavened. Is

long the groups disrupted, and it seemed every man became a disputant. Now nothing serves anger like vain striving to be heard. The Patriarch in deep concern

o carry it to bl

here, and He is separating

ill be on my conscien

y are Greeks. Let them have it out. The day is young; an

to his throne, and re

, denounced the interruption of the most sacred rite; the other anathematized the attempt to impose leavened bread upon orthodox communicants as a scheme of the devil and his arch-legate, the Bishop of Rome. Men of the same opinions argued blindly with each other; while ge

azymite, azymite in amazing disregard of the proprieties. The Princess Irene, at first pained and mortified, kept her seat until appearances became threatening; then she scanned the vast pit long and anx

ptions of the Primitive Church of the Apostles. Nor less must the reader suffer himself to be reminded of the consequences to her-of the judgment of heresy upon her by both Latins and Greeks-of her disposition to protest against the very madness now enacting before her-of her longing, Oh, that I were a man!-of the fantasy that Heaven had sent Sergius to her with the

's distinction between a right Creed and a form or ceremony for pious observance, the former essential to salvation, the latter merely helpful to continence in the Creed, it was with her as if Christ in glorified person stood there und

f rage arose from the floor, and a rush

ublime anthem rolled above the battle and its brutalism. The thousands heard it, and halting, faced toward the apse, wonde

eft, and stopped fronting the multitude. A broad banner hung to a cross-stick of gold, heavy with fringing of gold, the top of the staff overhung with fresh flowers in wreaths and garlands, the lower corners stayed by many streaming whit

s while the banner was borne through the gate, and planted on the floor there. Its face was frayed and dim with age, yet the f

an outburst o

gia! The

this time wa

Immaculate Mother!" With these, and other like exclamations, the mass precipitated itself forward, and, crowdi

he, being much taller than its guardians, became an object of general observation, and wishing to escape it if possible, he took o

e Madonna on the banner, they must needs turn to him next; and presently the

Son-it is the

saying this, the reader must remember the difference

out of the shadows of the gallery with a positive radiance, and he w

. He stooped lower, covered his eyes with his hands, and prayed the wordless prayer of one who hastily commits himself to God; and in the darkness behind his hands

OD, AND JESUS C

as his

her slightly above him, and then to himself, in such seeming the very Son. It might have been awe, it might have been astonishment, it might have been presentiment; at all events, the moaning, sobbing, praying, tossing of arms,

, nor at whose word I speak, if not that Jesus of Nazareth, worker of miracles which God did by him

en in front of him, his wrap of undressed g

im drink on the Cross, who would have watched at the door of his tomb until laid to sleep by the Delivering Angel-his servant

s face, when he raised it, and looked out over the audience, was beautiful. The spectacle offered him in return was thousands

he Spirit, sometimes called the Comforter, in you? Be at ease, for unto us are repentance and pardon. There were who beat our dear Lord, and spit upon him, and tore his beard; who laid him on a cross, and nailed him t

igher, the preacher proceed

man repent wholly, if the cause of his sin

yings I call our Lord's Creed, by him delivered unto his disciples, from whom we have them: 'Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath e

ared sufficient; nevertheless it may be simpler, if not safer, for us to cast the Two Articles together in

OD, AND JESUS

e who embraces them, more is not required of him; he i

Jesus Christ? Why was he sent of God, and born into the world? Hearing the question, take heed of the answer: He was sent of God for the salvation of men. You have ears, hear; minds, think; no

he angels? Or, knowing the deceitfulness of the human heart, and its weakness and liability to temptation, whence the necessity for his coming to us, what if he had given the duty over to men, so much lower than the angels, and then gone away? Rather than such a thought of him, let us believe, if the way had been along the land, he would have planted it with inscribed hills; if over the seas, he w

shill cry, spread his arms abroad, and quivered from hea

aped conditions without sanction, making a burden of which he was like to die. At last he sees how easy it is to go to h

nt over, Ser

st yourselves, and resort to cruelty one unto another; as if murder would help either side of the quarrel. I will show your disputes do

'And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common.' 'Neither was there any among them that lacked: for as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the prices of the things that were sold, and laid them down at the apostles' feet: and distribution was made unto every

immaterial things, such as which was the right mode of baptism, or whether the bread should be leavened or unleavened, or whence the Holy Ghost proceeded, whether from the Father or from the Father and Son together; neither did the elders preach for a price, nor forsake a poor flock for a rich one that their salaries might be increased, nor engage in building costly tabernacles for the sweets of vanity in tall spires; neither did any study the Scriptures seeking a text, or a form, or an observance, on which to go out and draw from the life of the old Community that they might set up a new one; and in their houses of God there were never places for the men and yet other separate places for the wom

oicing. In one quarter alone there was a hasty drawing together of men with frowning brows, and that was where the gonfalon of

ne of you holds that the offending of which you would repent-the anger, and bitter words, and the blows-was moved by anything in our Lord's Creed, let h

sk next, which of you will arise and declare, our Lord his witness, that the Church of his pre

o much as a rus

here are nowhere two parties each claiming to be of the only true Church? Or did he assert both claimants to be of the same Church, and it the only true one, then why the ref

be vain. If he look for the unity, offspring of our Lord's last prayer, lo! jealousies, hates, revilements, blows instead. No, your Creed is of men, not Christ, and the semblance of Christ in it

reacher is a her

nd trembling. Peril to Sergius had not occurred to her when she gave him the signal to speak. The calmness and resignation with which he

atriarch, waving

tening, has his impulse of speech from the Spirit, eve

rgius, he bad

f our Lord treating of his procession from the substance of God? Again, in what passage has our Lord required belief in the personage of the Holy Ghost as an article of faith essential to salvation? [Footnote: Four Creeds are at present used in the Roman Catholic Church;

acher in a kind of awe; and there was no lessening of effect when his mann

I have dared address you, brethren, admon

ll in view were more than ever impressed with h

ou to think. If our Lord did indeed leave a Creed containing the all in all for our salvation, what meant he if not that it should stand in saving purity until he came again in the glory of his going? And if he so intended, and yet uninspired men have added oth

illing our lot in his promises. Such matters, for example, as works, which are but evidences of faith and forms of worship, and the administration of the two ordinances of the Church, and God and his origin, and whether Heaven be here or there, or like unto this or

amongst you, the carping and ambitious, will go out and in turn set up new Confessions of Faith, and at length so fill the earth with rival Churches that religion will become a burden to the poor and a byword with fools who delight in saying there is no God? In a village, how much better one House of God, with one elder for its service, and alway

ues that are written in this book.' I cannot see, brethren, wherein that crime is greater than the addition of Articles to our Lord's Creed; nor do I know any who have more reason to be afraid of those threatened plagues than the priest or preacher who from pride or ambition, or dread of losing

g the while; the auditors stared at each other doubtfully; bu

a Creed of his own, and present it for our acceptance-thy acceptance, O Serenity, and that of His Majesty, the only Christian Emperor, as well as ours. And for those things, and because never before in t

and hesitation were obvious; and neighbor heard his neighbor's heart beat; so did silence once more possess itself of the great auditorium. T

e behind the Hegum

d. If I am wrong, I deserve to die; but if I have spoken as the Spiri

s withered cheeks glistening w

count; and now I ask not that thou give me to my Brotherhood-I will go with them freely and of my own acc

al, the gonfalon was raised and carried through the concourse,

bove the confusion: "Bear witness, O Serenity-and thou, O Emperor! That no man may j

Sacraments; far the greater number hurried away,