e he stops; but we found him asserting in Mr.
Clark's Dialogues, that it is a liberty at once so dangerous and
illegal, that Voluntaries must not be permitted to enjoy it either. We
saw various other points equally striking as we went along. Our
attention, however, was gradually drawn to another matter. The
_dramatis personae_ to which the reader is introduced are a minister
and two of his parishioners, the one a Moderate, the other a
Convocationist. It is intended, of course, that the clerical gentleman
should carry the argument all his own way; and we could not help
admiring how, with an eye to this result, the writer had succeeded in
making the parishioners so amazingly superficial in their information,
and so ingeniously obtuse in their intellects. They had both been
called into existence with the intention of being baffled and beaten,
and made, with a wise adaptation of means to the desired end,
consummate blockheads for the express purpose. 'A man is a much nobler
animal than a lion,' said the woodman in the fable to the shaggy king
of the forest; 'and if you but come to yonder temple with me, I will
show you, in proof of the fact, the statue of a man lording it over
the statue of a prostrate lion.' 'Aha!' said the shaggy king of the
forest in reply, 'but was the sculptor a lion? Let us lions become
sculptors, and then we will show you lions lording it over prostrate
men.' In Mr. Clark's argumentative Dialogues, Mr. Clark is the
sculptor. It is really refreshing, however, in these days of cold
ingratitude, to see how the creatures called into existence by his pen
draw round him, and sing _Io Paeans_ in his praise. A brace of Master
Slenders attend the great Justice Shallow, who has been literally the
making of them; and when at his bidding they engage with him in mimic
warfare, they but pelt him with roses, or sprinkle him over with _eau
de Cologne_. 'Ah,' thought we, 'had we but the true Mr. Clark here to
take a part in this fray--the Mr. Clark who published the great
non-intrusion sermon, and wrote the _Rights of Members_, and spoke all
the long anti-patronage speeches, and led the debate in the Assembly
anent the rights of the people, and declared it clear as day that the
Church had power to enact the Veto,--had we but him here, he would be
the man to fight this battle. It would be no such child's play to
grapple with him. Unaccustomed as we are to lay wagers, we would stake
a hundred pounds to a groat on the tr