e formulas of faith which have ceased to correspond to any
real conviction. The speaker confessed his own shortcoming in this
respect.

"All of us," he said,--"yes, I myself have prayed in the name of Christ,
when my own feeling did not sanction its use."

On hearing this, Mr. Clarke broke in.

"Let Mr. Weiss answer for himself," he said with some vehemence of
manner. "If in his pulpit he prayed in the name of Christ, and did not
believe in what he said, it was John Weiss that lied, and not one of
us." The dear minister afterwards asked me whether he had shown any heat
in what he said. I replied, "Yes, but it was good heat."

Another memorable day at the club was that on which the eminent French
Protestant divine, Athanase Coquerel, spoke of religion and art in their
relation to each other. After a brief but interesting review of classic,
Byzantine, and mediaeval art, M. Coquerel expressed his dissent from the
generally received opinion that the Church of Rome had always been
foremost in the promotion and patronage of the fine arts. The greatest
of Italian masters, he averred, while standing in the formal relations
with that church, had often shown opposition to its spirit. Michael
Angelo's sonnets revealed a state of mind intolerant of ecclesiastical
as of other tyranny. Raphael, in the execution of a papal order, had
represented true religion by a portrait figure of Savonarola. Holbein
and Rembrandt were avowed Protestants. He considered the individuality
fostered by Protestantism as most favorable to the development of
originality in art.

With these views Colonel Higginson did not agree. He held that
Christianity had reached its highest point under the dispensation of the
Catholic faith, and that the progress of Protestantism marked its
decline. This assertion called forth an energetic denial from Dr. Hedge,
Mr. Clarke, and myself.

M. Coquerel paid a second visit to the Radical Club, and spoke again of
art, but without reference to any question between differing sects. He
began this discourse by laying down two rules which should be followed
by one aspiring to become an artist. In the first place, he must make
sure that he has something to say which can only be said through this
medium. In the second place, he must make himself master of the grammar
of the art which he intends to pursue.

While I cannot avoid recognizing the anti-Christian twist which mostly
prevailed in the Radical Club, I am far from wish