Chapter 28 - Page 2

been cold towards Him. Ye know well that Prelacy is an accursed thing--a hissing and an abomination in the eyes of the Almighty! Yet what have we, His servants, wrought for Him in this matter? Have we not seen Prelatist churches, churches of form and of show, where the creature is confounded with the Creator--have we not seen them, I say, and have we not forborne to sweep them away, and so lent our sanction to them? There is the sin of a lukewarm and back-sliding generation! There is the cause why the Lord should look coldly upon His people! Lo! at Shepton and at Frome we have left such churches behind us. At Glastonbury, too, we have spared those wicked walls which were reared by idolatrous hands of old. Woe unto ye, if, after having put your hands to God's plough, ye turn back from the work! See there!' he howled, facing round to the beautiful Cathedral, 'what means this great heap of stones? Is it not an altar of Baal? Is it not built for man-worship rather than God-worship? Is it not there that the man Ken, tricked out in his foolish rochet and baubles, may preach his soulless and lying doctrines, which are but the old dish of Popery served up under a new cover? And shall we suffer this thing? Shall we, the chosen children of the Great One, allow this plague-spot to remain? Can we expect the Almighty to help us when we will not stretch out a hand to help Him? We have left the other temples of Prelacy behind us. Shall we leave this one, too, my brothers ?'

'No, no!' yelled the crowd, tossing and swaying.

'Shall we pluck it down, then, until no one stone is left upon another?'

'Yes, yes!' they shouted.

'Now, at once?'

'Yes, yes!'

'Then to work!' he cried, and springing from the cart he rushed towards the Cathedral, with the whole mob of wild fanatics at his heels. Some crowded in, shouting and yelling, through the open doors, while others swarmed up the pillars and pedestals of the front, hacking at the sculptured ornaments, and tugging at the grey old images which filled every niche.

'This must be stopped,' said Saxon curtly. 'We cannot afford to insult and estray the whole Church of England to please a few hot-headed ranters. The pillage of this Cathedral would do our cause more harm than a pitched battle lost. Do you bring up your company, Sir Gervas, and we shall do what we can to hold them in check until they come.'

'Hi, Masterton!' cried the Baronet, spying one of his under-officers among the crowd who were looking on, neither assisting nor opposing the rioters. 'Do you hasten to the quarters, and tell Barker to bring up the company with their matches burning. I may be of use here.'

'Ha, here is Buyse!' cried Saxon joyously, as the huge German ploughed his way through the crowd. 'And Lord Grey, too! We must save the Cathedral, my lord! They would sack and burn it.'

'This way, gentlemen,' cried an old grey-haired man, running out