LETTERS TO THE REV. CHARLES FUSTIAN. AN ANGLO-CATHOLIC. (From Blackwood's Magazine)

New Zealander, Volume 5, Issue 386, 26 December 1849, Page 3

LETTERS TO THE REV. CHARLES FUSTIAN. AN ANGLO-CATHOLIC. (From Blackwood's Magazine)

LETTER THIRD. We look on you now, noy dear Charles, as a fallen star ; and, between ourselves, I don't think you are mi-sed b> a single astionomer in Yawuhtm, fiotn the sky where tou were once enthroned. No, sir, our curate's neckcloth is stiffer than youre, his collar plainer, his tails longer, his knowledge ot saints and iegendi infinitely deeper— md, besides, he sings like an angel, and h*s a phscron and pair. And he ia so gentlemanly, too. He was at Eton, and is intimate with many lords, and has a power of sneering at low churchmen and dissenters that would be n.yuh and incense to the Pope. Now you will observe, my unfortunate young friend, that when gentleman')- manners, good loots and Bccomj)'>shitients — not to mention at) intimacy with the Red 800k — and fouitem hundred n-year are in one scale, an<> Charles Fustian and a ton weight of Traciarians are in the other, the young persons, who, in our parish, hold the beam will very aoon svnd you and your make-weighs half way through the roof. Theiefore, if you wish to retrieve your influence, either with Anuninta or the other fair innovators, now or never ii yourtinip; come down and visit us. We sbaL all be delighted to see your elongated *is,ige, and are not without hopes— for you are a good natured excellent-difpoiitioned fellow after till — that you will see the error of your ways, and believe that humility and charity are Christian graces as well as faith and coloured windows. It so happens that theie is scarcely a house in the place without a visitor. Tom Blazer has come down to Hellebore Park, and hns brought Jones and Smith, two of his brother officers ot 4he Rifles, with him ;— the two Oiford men are with Mount Huxtable, who has taken Laburnum Place, and ourdoingi are likely to be uncommonly gay. Swallowlies cud Rowdy are great friends, though they seem to be the very an'ipodei of each other. Rowdy won't believe anything, and has doubts about the battle of Waterloo ; and SwdHowiies believei everything, and thinki the American States will loon pay off my bonds. Rowdy lays there ii no evidence, satisfactory to him, that there is such a state as Arkansas in the world, as it is not authoritatively itated by church or coancil ; and tries to persuade me that I have lent six thousand pounds of real money to an imaginary republic. In the mean time, the loss of three hundred a-year is by no means an imaginary evil, and 1 feel a little sore at both theie Oxford humourists for laughing at my rnisfoitunes. However, Swallowlies ens on the right side, and is decidedly the favourite with us all. You may guess, my dear Charles, how the heart of Major M'Turk jumped for joy when Mount Huxtable proposed a pic-nic at the Holyvvell tree at the other extremity of the parish ; and all the young ladies, wiihout a single exception, determined to be of the party. Fasting, my good friend, hns come to au end: there w«re pica enough made to feeJ an army ; baskets by the dozen were packed up, contain^ plates, and knives and forks ; crates filled with cold fowls nnd hsms, and others loaded with fruit and wine. The Rector hid out his old coach, which Chipper managed to decapitate for the occasion, and it did duty (like St. Denis) with its head off, as au open barouche. He took 6ome of the Turnstones, and two of the Pulse's ; and, to make room for Mrs. MTurk, he, or rather Mr». Smilei, asked the Curate lo take Christina beside him on the driving .seat of his phaeton. I got out my old four-wheel, which was certainly not so fashionable looking as Mount Huxtable'sdrag, but so commodious that it appears made ot iudia ruober, and stretches to any extent. Tom Bazer ii an oitentatious fool and sport* a tandem— that is to say, he puts his own horse and Jones' (one before the other) in his father's hi?h gig, and insists on driving Tiniierella Swainlove all about the cuuntry. On this occasion she also graced bis side ; and Junes himself, who is as active as one of the Voltigturs at Astley's, fixed a board on the hind part or the gig and s.t with his back to the horse smoking cigars and calling it a dog-cart, At la»t we all got there ; and, when the company was assembled, it certainly was a goodly sight to see, The little spring that gives its name to the fine old elm— now, alas! a stump that might pass for Arthur's Table Round— comes welling out fiom a glouous old rock which risei suddenly, you remember, fro n the richest pasture field in yeoman Iluffhead's farm. I never saw i the scenery to such advantage : the woods of Kindstoue Hill closed in the landscape on the west; and before us, to the south, was spread out the long sunny level of Richland meads, at the farther extremity of which ros>e the time-honoured ivy cohered ruin* of Leeches Abbey. While the servants, who had gone over in a couple of carts, were busy in arranging the rrpast, we fell off into pa tie , and, by mere accident, i joinrdthe Blazer gii Is and Captain Smith, who gathered round the Holy well, and told what little legeadi they knew of it to Swallowlies and Rowdy#

" They thought it was good for epileptic fits," said Araminta, "in the Roman Catholic time. It was blessed by St. Toper of Geneva, who was overcome by thirst one morning: after spending the night with the monk; of Leeches." " Toper of Geneva ?" inquired Captain Smith,— " it's rather a jolly name for a saint ; no wonder the old boy felt his coppers hot after a night with the monks." But the remark was bo coldly received that the Captain, who enjoys a great reputation in the Rifles for wit and pleasantry, was for a while itruck dumb, " Who shall tell what may be the efficacy of a good man's blessing," said Mr. Swaliowlies, dipping his finger reverently in the cow's drinking trough, and touching his forehead. "Do you know, Miis Bla2er, if its still retains itt virtue?" •'I believe epileptic patients are still brought to the spring," replied Araminta, "and I have heard that the old woman in that little hut on the hill-side has seen several cures." " I will make her acquaintance this moment," exclaimed Swa lowlies. " I think it a privelege to look on a matron who has witnessed 10 remarkable a manifestation. Will you go with me Rowdy ?" " No, I have no great laiih in the fountain." 11 Why not ?" " Because it is a sufficient effort for toe human mind to have faith in one or two points of far greater importance." " But you needn't make any effort at all. Take it on the assurance of the Church," said Swaliowlies persuasively. "We have, indeed, cut ourselves off from a declaration of our belief in the power of saints like the holy Toper ; but we can surely entertain the belief, though we are debarred from making public profession of it. And, in fact, any one who believes in miracles at all must equally believe that this spring will cure epileptic fits." 11 Exactly as I say," responded Rowdy ; " all miracles are equally credible." 11 Then come to the old woman," said Swaliowlies, taking his arm. "N)," said Mr. Rowdy, " I have lately had great doubts as to my own identity, and I am going to try some expsriments to see whether I am now the same person I was when I signed the articles, and did duty in my parish." Mr. Swaliowlies, however, and the rest of us with the exception of Captain Smith, walked to old Jinet Wheedler's cottage, while Rowdy entered on hiscourss of experimental philosophy. We found her nicely dressed, as if in expectation of our coming ; and us the spring, with its capabili'ies for a pic-nic and its an cient associations, wa3 a source of considerable revenue to her, she evidently was greatly pleased w,th the number of guests whom she saw approaching her door. " Pax vobiscum .'" said Mr. Swallowlies, as we entered the cottage, "You reside here in highly favoured ground." " Ye>>, indeed, sir," said Janet, " the gentlefolks be very lond of it, and very often come here from all parts about." " Only the gentlefolk' ?" inquired her visitor. "I thought I heard that others came to avail thuraselvos of the holy spring." " Some folks don't believe in it now, sir— mores the pity. Ii wua of great value in the old time." " Why should it lose its virlue, M 8. Wheedler ?? — • If we had still tiie faith, it would have sti 1 the power." Janet looked towards Mr Swallowli^s, to jud^e whether he wai in jest or earnsst; but on catching the face of wiiiderment with which he gazed at the wel l , and the iuimiht.k>-able sincerity with which he spoki*, the old uoindi), who ha.l been a fortune-teller in her youth invo unt^nly winked her ble^r eyp, und curled up the corners of her mouth. 11 It ain't quite failed away yet, sir. This here cat as ever yoa fees — here, Tabby dear, get up and show yourself lo the gentles— this here cit, sir, a week ago, was took s / ill with the pulsy that it shook all over like a leaf. I thought it was agoing to die ; bat at last thinks I, why shouldn't St. Toper cure&hc as he cures so many as have fits ? And, so, sir, I goes and fetches a htlle water, and flings it on Tabby's face, and the moment Fire telr tha water she stops the shaking, and walks about as well as ever." " Had sin any breakfast that morning ?" t( No, sir, fasting fiom all but air ; I gave her no~ thing from the «i^ht before, when slid supped on a mouse." Mr Swaliowlies stooped down and laid h,s hand on the cat, which was purring and rubbing its fur against his leg- " A. strange instance this," he laid, " of the efficacy of the f.ncient faith." " Do you believe it, sir ?" I inquired. " Why not, sir? I don't attribute this of course, to the direct operation of St. Topar; but it certainly was endowed with this virtue to be evidence of his holy life. A wonderful animal this, Mrs. Wheedler, — yuu would not probable wish to part with it ?" " I have two or three other cats, bk ; but I am veiy poor, and a little money is moic vueful to me than old Tabby." " I'll speak to you in a little on the subject. Meanwhile, have you any other instances of cure ?" " Not to speak of, sir," replied Janet delighted wi'h the de/erence she was treated with. " That there little calf as you sees among the cabbage was born with five legt, and without erera tail." " Five legs ! bless me !" exclaimad Mr. Swaliowlies, " how very strange— it has only four now." " Ah, sir, that's all owing to the well. I takes it to the spring and Bprinkles the fifth leg three litres, and immediately it gives a jerk, and up goes the leg into its body, like the winding up of a jack-chain, and io I goes to work again, and flings a bucketful on its back, and in a minute or two out comes a tail— and, there it is, and not a single mark left of where the additional leg had disappeared." "This is moit interesting," exclaimel Mr. Swallowlies. " Have you got the bucket you used in aspersing the calf?" " There it be, sir," said Janet, pointing to a tub, of some size, that was placed upright against the wall. "A blessed instrument, indeed," said the gentleman, bowing moit respectfully as hs sounded with his knuckles on the rim. "i must hive tome minutes' conversation with you, Mrs. Wheedler, for I make a point of never taking any stories which at first sight appear improbable, without sedulous inquiry and anxious proof." " I hear the dinner bell,'' I said at this moment, for I heard Captain Smith performing the "Roast-beef of O d England" on the key-bugle, which was the concerted signal for our assembling where the provender had been spread ; and I used a little more vigour than usual in drawing the young ladies away. " What a splendid specimen of Anglo-Catholio faith is Mr. Swallowlies," exclaimed Araminta. in a tone of rapture, "and how free from bigotry in his reverence for^a Romish saint like the holy Toper." " Hold your silly tongue this moment 1" I exclaimed, getting imo a passion—" a fellow that believes in paralytic cats and five-footed calves Joeing cured by such trumpery, should leave our church." "You are W bitter, Mr« Buddie, against the Holy

Catholic Cliurch, that I wonder you call younelf a Christian at all." " Where is the Catholic Church, you little simpleton ?" 1 said, softening a little, for Araminta is a nice lilf.le girl. " At Rome, Charlei Fustian told me ; and we are but a distant branch of it, bearing very little fruit, and owing that litle only to the sap furnished to us by the main old trunk. And Mr. Mount Huxtable says the same— only that our branch bears no fruit, as the continuity was cut off at the deplorab c Reformation." " Charles Fustian 1 Mr. Mount Hux'able 1" I cried ; "they're laughing at you, my little dear— they are both ministers of our church, and have made numberless protestation* against the wickedness and errors of Rome. They are laughing at you— -at least I know Mr. Huxtable is ; for, to tell you a seciet, my dear Araminta, he is placed here far no other purpose but to defend our Protestant Establishment against the TVactarian tendencies of the artists and young ludies of the day." " Charles Fustian, sir, I beg to tell you, knows too well to presume to laugh at me," said Araminta, tossing her head. II He ought, my clear," I replied, for he is are markably foolish young man, and hasn't half the sens? in his whole head which you have in your little finder." By this time we had reached the spring, and after placing the girls in the best seats still to be found, I called Dr. Smiler aside. "My dear old friend," I said, "have you made proper inquiry about Mount Huxtable's church principles, before you installed him in full power in the parish ?' ",No Tractarian need apply, was in the advertisement," replied the Doctor, "he is a stout opponent of the dissenters and besides, ray dear Buddie, n» you are the oldest friend I have in the parish, I may tell you that on the way here he had a long conversation with Christina, who sat beside him in his phaeton, and among other things he a ked her if she thought she could be content with the humble condition of a curate's wife? She said yes, of course — for she has lilted him ever since they met ; and he told her he would wait on me to-morrow. I now consider him my son in-law. He has great expectations and has already fourteen hundred a year." " I don't like what I hear of his churchmanship," I said, « and as to Swallowlies, I think he is a bigotted fool and a Pctpitt." '* I don't the least see, Mr. Buddie, why a man should be either blotted or a fool, who I elieves as two-thirds of the Christians throughout the world believes." So Buying, the Doctor turned off in a very dignified manner, and presided over the pigeon p'e, I confess to you, my dear Charles, this acted like a thunderbolt on me. Rejoiced as I was at Christina's good fortune in attracting the affection of ao amiable and wealthy an admirer as Mount Huxtable, I did not feel altoaether comfortable at the effect which this disi covcry had on the logical powers of my (riead the Rector of Yawnham. — Becmse a man admire.* my daughter, and makes her an off t of m-»rriage, am I to kiss the Pope's toe? I made a determination to inquire into matters more deadly than I hid hitherto done ; an 1 with a view to pick up all the information I could, I watched the conversation in silenre. Betsy Blazer sat next Captain Smith, of the Riflss, and in one of the pauses which occasionally occur in th j nnisest assemblages, her voice was distinctly heard. " Di you ever chaunt when you are altogether in barracks, Captain Smith ? — it must be delightful." " Well I em't deny that there is occasionally chant* ing af er in ss,'' replied the soldie.-, a little amazed. " Wno is the leader?" "Why, Jones and I both pretend to some renown." " Are they Gregorian ?" "I hhnuld sny Stentorian was a bettor description — for, between ourselves, Jones, in the Nottingham Ale, might be mistaken for an an«;ry bull." What the denouement of the conversation was, I don't Know, for Rowdy's voice rose above the din : " Fuith expires," he said, ''hope growi dim, but ceremony, ibe last refugs of religion, lemains. We lose the trustingness that makes us lay the promises of Holy Writ to our hearts -the child. like simplicity that lifts us into a world where truth erects her palace on gorgeous cloudi, which to \xi take the semblance and solidity of mountains—- we lose the thrill, the dread, the love ; but we can retain the surplice, the albe, and the stole. The cloud that seemed a mountain has disappeared — the confidence that sustained us has gone ; but we can erect churches aciordinsj to the strictest rules of architecture, cover the table with cloth of gold, have daily service, have some fixed, irrevocable, eternal rule, and feel ourselves the slaves of hours and postures;— a slavery befitting those who are left to grope in the darkness of their own soul* for a belief, and find nothing to support, to bless, or cheer them." " Do you advocate the externals of devotion, Mr. Rowdy, after the reality of religion bas left the heart ?" I inquired. "Certainly, sir," he said. "If you waited for the internal religion you talk of, you would never enter a church. And, pray sir, what is internal and what is external ? Your heart is a piece of flesh, your font i> a piere of stone ; why shouldn't holiness reside in one as well as in the other?" " It strikes me, Mr. Rowily, to be rather hypocritical to go through the forms of religion without the spirit," I urged again. " And what is life but hypocrisy ?— your very clothes make you a hypocrite : without them you would resemble a forked radish, but you disfiguie yourself in surtout and pantaloons. Go through the ceiemonies, sir — the feeling in time will come ; dig your trenches deep, and the rain will pour into them and burn the sacrifice of your altar with fire; kneel when you have no devotion, bend yourself to decrees and ordinances when you have no humility and no faith ; and entering on thai couree with the scoff of Voltaire, you will emerge from it with the sanctity of Vincent de Paul. 1 ' " On the contrary, sir, I maintain," said I, " that, if you persist in these miserable bonds of an outward obedience, in the expectation that they will promote your advance in goodness, you bring on yourself the condemnation of the Pharisee ; you may enter them with the faith of your friend Mr. Swallowlies, but you will leave them, ere long, with the sentiments of the nfidel and apostate Strauss." "On the contrary, sir, I maintain," said I, " that if you pereist in these miserable bonds of an outward obedience in the expectation that they will promote your advance in goodnew, you will bring on yourself j the condemnation of ths Pharisee ; you may enter them with the faith of your friend Mr. Swallowlies, but you will leave them ere long with ths lentiments of the infidel and apostate Strauss." 11 1 call no man an apostate," cried Mr. Rowdy, " who traces the opentions of his own mind to their legitimate results; I call no man an infidel who believes that he was born and that he sh ill die." "How good! how liberal 1 how humane! exclaimed a chorus of sweet voices. •'And what do you say?" I enquired, addressing our new curate. " For myself," laid Mr. Mount HuKtable, "I think

it sinful in any one to decide on such a subject, unless in the exact words of the church." " Very good," said the Doctor ; •' judiciously ani« wired." " Do you allow private judgment, sir ?" said I. "No more, sir," he replied, "than I should allow private execution. It is for the c'uirch to pass sentence : if any presumpUnus individual interferes with, her authority, he is as much ou> of hi 3 sphere as if he were to displace B iron Alderson on the Bench, go through the mockery of a trial, and condemn an enemy of his own to be hanged." "Very good, indeed," said the Doctor ; '• judiciously anovsered." " I have often hejrd youv friend, Charles Fusttan, say the same," siid Araminta. "Is h<; a friond of yours. Mount Huxtable ?" inquired Dr. Smiler, in a very bland tone. "A mnsr intimate fiisnd, my dear sir," replied Mount Huxtable. " Dear me I I thought you told me you didn't know him." "No my deßr sir, T didn't lell you so ; I only gave you to understand that we weren't acquainted." "That used to be pietty much the same thins;," I said, a little chafed with the putting down I had already experienced, •' und I suspect you are a great deal more intimate than you were inclined to let us know." " Yon have exactly hit upon the reason," he replied — " I hus nit inclined to let you know; and I luve yet to learn that a piict is imperatively required to confer to a laymnn, however inquisitive or ill-man-nered he may be." "Come, my dear Buddie," said U1 3 , Doctor, "I think you will ccc that you ought to apologise." " For what ?" I exclaimed. "For speaking so irrevetently (0 the pas'or of the parish," replied Dr. Smiler. «« You slnwld m-ider. sir, that Mr. Mount Huxtable is your spiritual puih." "Certainly,'' 6aid Araminta ; and Christina Smil'-r grew first red and then pale, and looked at me as if I were c)lhea>hen. I lipped a glass in silence ; Riid the aUernatioi had the unpleasant effect of producing an awkward p vise. When the silencs had endured for upward- of a minu'e, it was suddenly brol en by M.»jor V r urk eju ula'ing, in his most military manner, "Sharpshooters to the fiont!" and mrchani"a ly Jour* and Smith sprang up an'), advancing a few paces, anxiously looked up in the direction pointed out by the com • mnnder's hand. The sight they saw might have shaken less firm nerves than theirs — for, toiling slowly down the hill, from Janet WheedlVs co'ri^*, we peicsived a nondescript fig'pe, yrt eMdcnt'y hu.nan, mine puzzling than the sea serpent. Some large round <übstince enveloped its head, and entirely imii-i'l the hafc and face, and covpred the whole of the neck down to the middle buttons of the coil. Turlsed u^der one arm we beheld a oat, secured by a ribbon lied round its neck ; and, with a large kitchen po'cer in the other lwd, tlm advancing stranger drove before him a gi cat awkward calf. When he £>'ot a little nearer, we recognised onr friend Mr. Fwallowlies, " In heaven's name," exehimci the Rector, "what have, you got there, Mr. Swallowlies ?" " iLis in heaven's name, indeed," toplied Swallowlies, lir ing up the large washing tub which we had seen in Janet's cottage. "These, Sir, are holy relics, which I have lurkily induced tho venerable nia'ron of the hut to part with— partly by priyers and eupplications and partly by payments in money." The Rector looked astonished, for he had not been of our party; and Svrallowlies, allowing the calf to feed on the grass near the spring, explained his sentiments on the subject of the tub, and related the miraculous history of the animals his companions. " And how much did you give for the tub, sir?" said Smiler. " Five pounds procured the inasHmable treasure," answered Swa'lowlies, in triumph ; " eight pounds procured me the sacred tabby, find twelve guineas the calf: a very few pounds more have obtained for me if possible still more precious articlei. Look here, sir," he continued, pulling from his coat pocket an old quarterboot, with the sole nearly off, and two or three flatheaded nails slicking out from the tattered heel, " this is one of the *andals in which the illustrious Toper used to go his annual pilgrimage to the shrine of St. Thomas of Canleibury. Tliis in-trument of iron— • which, I confess, struck me at first to bear a great resemblance to a poker — was his staff. And this, sir," he said, pulling from his bosom a piece of very old corduroy, mended in several places — " this is 'he left leg of the pantaloons the saint wore for upwards of forty years, without ever taking them off; for he is recorded to have nevi j r changed his raiment but twice, and never to have washed either his lace or handssuch a true Christian soldier was he." " He was a diity brute, and no soldier," cried Capr. Smith, who was a great martinet in his regiment, "and I wou'd have had him flogged every morning till he learned to be more tidy." •• Sacril'ge — horror ! ' exclaimed Swallowlies, crossing himself in the greatest perturbation, and pliring the tub once more on his head, and resuming his labours in driving the calf onward with his poker. " Won't you have some pic ?" said Dr. Smiler. " No. sir, I am fas?ing to-day, snd am anxijus to place my treasuies in security." " Such faith is highly edifjiny," said Mount Huxtable," and unfortunately too uncommon in the pre* spnt day. Ah, were all men equally pure, and as highly gifted ai Swallowlic3, the Reformation would soon be blotted out, and our Mother of Rome receive her repentant children." " How ? What did you say, may dear sir ?" inquired the Rector. Are you not a Protestant ?'' " Assuredly not, sir. I 1I 1 detest the cold and barren name. It is a mere negation-— I wmt something j>osi« tive. It is the part of a Christian to b lieve— certainly not to deny." "To be sure, Doctor, we are non" of us Protes L nnts —we are Anglo-Catholics," said Araminta, answering for the feminine part of his flock. " I never viewed in that light before," said Doctor Smiler, looking assuringly at Christina, who seemed greatly alainoed at what her father mi«;ht do. •'Certainly religion is not a mere denial of error ; it is far more — an embracing of truth." II There is no truth omitted in the faith of the Ca* tholic Church," said Mount Iluxtable solemnly.— " Some are more developed than they were at first, and some, more reccn'ly planted, are even now iv course of growth, and before many yeais elapse, will infallibly spread tbeir branches all over this barren land. But I will call on you to morrow," he added with a smile and a bend of his head towards Christina, which entirely barred up all the arguments that our Protestant champion might have been inclined to advance. And in a short time the pic-mc came to an end, and we all returned to Yawnham in the order we had comealways excepting Mr. Swallowlies, wiiom we overtook in the first half-mile, still under his umbrageous sombrero, and still gesticulating with the poker to guide his erratic calf. ... T. Buddle.