ing the conjurer. Wonderful to relate, the man in black proved to
be the veritable Mr. Clark of three years ago--Mr. Clark of 1840--Mr.
Clark who published the great non-intrusion discourse, who wrote the
_Rights of Members_, who spoke the long anti-patronage speeches, who
led the debate in the Assembly anent the rights of the people, and who
declared it clear as day that the Church had power to enact the Veto.
The conjurer started backwards like a man who receives a mortal wound:
the two little figures uttered a thin scrannel shriek apiece, and then
slunk out of existence. 'Avoid ye,' exclaimed the conjurer, 'Avoid ye!
_Conjuro te, conjuro te!_' He then went on to mutter, as if by way of
exorcism, in low and very rapid tones, 'I have no anxiety to refute
the charge of inconsistency, which some have endeavoured to fasten on
me, from detached portions of what I have written or spoken, during
several years, on what may be termed Church politics. In matters not
essential to salvation, increased light or advanced experience may
properly produce change of sentiment in the most enlightened and
conscientious Christian. For a man to assert that he is subject to no
change, is to lay claim to one of the perfections----' _Dialogue 1st_,
p. 6.

'And so you won't go out,' said the true Mr. Clark, interrupting him.

'No, sir,' replied the conjurer. 'I have maturely considered the
proposed secession from the Established Church, and, without
pronouncing any judgment on the motives or doings of others who may
think or act differently, I deeply feel that in such a measure I
could not join without manifest sin against the light of my
conscience.'--_Dialogue 1st_, p. 4.

'Ah,' rejoined the true Mr. Clark, 'did I not say it would be so? I knew
there would be found a set of recreant priests, who, for a pitiful
morsel of the world's bread, would submit to be the instruments of
trampling on the blood-bought rights of the Scottish people, and call
themselves a Church, while departing from their allegiance to Him who is
the source of all true ecclesiastical authority; but never can these
constitute the Church of Scotland!'--_Sermon_, p. 40.

'I cannot reconcile it with the views I have long entertained of my
duty to the Church and to the country,' said the conjurer, 'to secede
from the National Establishment, simply because it wants what it
wanted when I became one of its ministers.'--_Dialogue 1st_, p. 12.

'Wanted when you became one of i