anywhere in
the Holy Book? I love to gather the truth from its pages. Thou hast
not told us that we are wrong in that."

"Nay, under guidance all men should seek to those holy truths; but
will they find the priceless jewel if they seek it without those
aids our blessed Lord Himself has appointed? Wouldst thou know more
of His will in this matter? Then thou shalt."

The monk turned the leaves of the book awhile, and then paused at
an open page.

"On earth, as we have seen, the blessed Saviour intrusted His truth
to the care of chosen men. Now let us see how He acted when,
ascended into the heavens, He looked down upon earth, and directed
from thence the affairs of this world. Did He then ordain that a
written testimony was to be prepared and sent forth into all lands?
No. What we learn then is that when He ascended into the heavens
and received and gave gifts to men, He gave to them apostles,
prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers--a living ministry
again, a fourfold living ministry--that by this living ministry,
surely typified in the vision of St. John by the four living
creatures with the fourfold head, the saints were to be perfected,
the unity of the faith preserved, and the body of Christ edified
and kept in its full growth and perfection till He come Himself to
claim the Bride."

Edred's eyes were full of vivid intelligence. He followed in the
Latin tongue the words as Brother Emmanuel spoke them, and looking
up he asked wistfully:

"But where are they now, the apostles and prophets, the evangelists
and pastors? Have we got them with us yet?"

"We have at least the semblance of them; doubtless but for our own
sins and shortcomings we should have a fuller ministry--a fuller
outpouring of the water of life through those four God-given
channels by which the Church is to be fed. We have the apostolic
office ever in exercise in our spiritual head at Rome. St. Peter
has left us a successor, and his throne shall never be empty so
long as the world lasts. Now and again the prophetic fire bursts
forth in some holy man who has fasted and prayed until the veil
betwixt the seen and the unseen has grown thin. Would to God there
was more light of prophecy in the earth! Perchance in His grace and
mercy He will outpour His Spirit once again upon the earth, and
gather about his Holiness a band of men lighted by fire from above.
In our wandering friars, ever going forth to the people with the
word of the gospel, we