of the temple, and the sheep and
the oxen; and poured out the changers' money, and overthrew the
tables; and said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence;
make not my Father's house a house of merchandise.'

It will perhaps be remembered by our readers, that in referring to the
Scotch estimate of the sacredness of ecclesiastical edifices, we
employed words to the following effect:--'We (the Scotch people)
have been taught that the world, since it began, saw but two truly
holy edifices; and that these, the Tabernacle and the _Temple_, were
as direct revelations from God as the Scriptures themselves, and were
as certain embodiments of His will, though they spoke in the obscure
language of type and symbol.' Now the passage of Scripture here
cited is in harmonious accordance with this view. It was from one of
these truly holy edifices that our Saviour drove the sheep and oxen,
and indignantly expelled the money-changers. Without, however,
begging the whole question at issue--without taking for granted the
very point to be proven, _i.e._ the intrinsic holiness of Christian
places of worship--the text has no bearing whatever on the view taken
by the 'English Gentleman.' If buildings such as York Cathedral,
Westminster Abbey, and St. Paul's, be holy in the sense in which the
temple was holy, then the passage as certainly applies to them as
it applied, in the times of our Saviour, to the sacred edifice
which was so remarkable a revelation of Himself. But where is the
evidence of an intrinsic holiness in these buildings? Where is the
proof that the rite of consecration is a rite according to the mind
of God? Where is the probability even that it is other than a piece of
mere will-worship, originated in the dark ages; or that it confers
one whit more sanctity on the edifice which it professes to render
sacred, than the breaking a bottle of wine on the ship's stem,
when she is starting off the slips, confers sanctity on the ship?
Stands it on any surer ground than the baptism of bells, the sacrifice
of the mass, or the five spurious sacraments? If it be a New
Testament institution, it must possess New Testament authority. Where
is that authority?

Can it be possible, however, that the shrewd English really differ from
us in our estimate? We think we have good grounds for holding they
do not. On a late occasion we enjoyed the pleasure of visiting not only
York Cathedral, but Westminster Abbey and St. Paul's, and saw qu