Ifhewastogetthebitbetweenhisteethafterhehadgotordainedandboughthisliving，hewouldplaymorepranksthaneverhe，Theobald，haddone。Thefact，doubtless，ofhisbeingordainedandhavingboughtalivingwouldgoalongwaytosteadyhim，andifhemarried，hiswifemustseetotherest；thiswashisonlychanceand，todojusticetohissagacity，Theobaldinhisheartdidnotthinkveryhighlyofit。
WhenErnestcamedowntoBattersbyinJune，heimprudentlytriedtoopenupamoreunreservedcommunicationwithhisfatherthanwashiswont。ThefirstofErnest’ssnipe-likeflightsonbeingflushedbyMrHawke’ssermonwasinthedirectionofultra-evangelicalism。
TheobaldhimselfhadbeenmuchmoreLowthanHighChurch。Thiswasthenormaldevelopmentofthecountryclergymanduringthefirstyearsofhisclericallife，between，wewillsay，theyears1825to1850；buthewasnotpreparedforthealmostcontemptwithwhichErnestnowregardedthedoctrinesofbaptismalregenerationandpriestlyabsolution(Hoitytoity，indeed，whatbusinesshadhewithsuchquestions？)，norforhisdesiretofindsomemeansofreconcilingMethodismandtheChurch。TheobaldhatedtheChurchofRome，buthehateddissenterstoo，forhefoundthemasageneralruletroublesomepeopletodealwith；healwaysfoundpeoplewhodidnotagreewithhimtroublesometodealwith：besides，theysetupforknowingasmuchashedid；neverthelessifhehadbeenletalonehewouldhaveleanedtowardsthemratherthantowardstheHighChurchparty。Theneighbouringclergy，however，wouldnotlethimalone。Onebyonetheyhadcomeundertheinfluence，directlyorindirectly，oftheOxfordmovementwhichhadbeguntwentyyearsearlier。ItwassurprisinghowmanypracticeshenowtoleratedwhichinhisyouthhewouldhaveconsideredPopish；heknewverywellthereforewhichwaythingsweregoinginChurchmatters，andsawthatasusualErnestwassettinghimselftheotherway。Theopportunityfortellinghissonthathewasafoolwastoofavourablenottobeembraced，andTheobaldwasnotslowtoembraceit。Ernestwasannoyedandsurprised，forhadnothisfatherandmotherbeenwantinghimtobemorereligiousallhislife？Nowthathehadbecomesotheywerestillnotsatisfied。Hesaidtohimselfthataprophetwasnotwithouthonoursaveinhisowncountry，buthehadbeenlately——orratheruntillately——gettingintoanodioushabitofturningproverbsupsidedown，anditoccurredtohimthatacountryissometimesnotwithouthonoursaveforitsownprophet。
Thenhelaughed，andfortherestofthedayfeltmoreasheusedtofeelbeforehehadheardMrHawke’ssermon。
HereturnedtoCambridgefortheLongVacationof1858——nonetoosoon，forhehadtogoinfortheVoluntaryTheologicalExamination，whichbishopswerenowbeginningtoinsistupon。Heimaginedallthetimehewasreadingthathewasstoringhimselfwiththeknowledgethatwouldbestfithimfortheworkhehadtakeninhand。
Intruth，hewascrammingforapass。Induetimehedidpass——
creditably，andwasordainedDeaconwithhalf-a-dozenothersofhisfriendsintheautumnof1858。Hewasthenjusttwenty-threeyearsold。
ErnesthadbeenordainedtoacuracyinoneofthecentralpartsofLondon。HehardlyknewanythingofLondonyet，buthisinstinctsdrewhimthither。Thedayafterhewasordainedheentereduponhisduties——feelingmuchashisfatherhaddonewhenhefoundhimselfboxedupinthecarriagewithChristinaonthemorningofhismarriage。Beforethefirstthreedayswereover，hebecameawarethatthelightofthehappinesswhichhehadknownduringhisfouryearsatCambridgehadbeenextinguished，andhewasappalledbytheirrevocablenatureofthestepwhichhenowfeltthathehadtakenmuchtoohurriedly。
ThemostcharitableexcusethatIcanmakeforthevagarieswhichitwillnowbemydutytochronicleisthattheshockofchangeconsequentuponhisbecomingsuddenlyreligious，beingordainedandleavingCambridge，hadbeentoomuchformyhero，andhadforthetimethrownhimoffanequilibriumwhichwasyetlittlesupportedbyexperience，andthereforeasamatterofcourseunstable。
Everyonehasamassofbadworkinhimwhichhewillhavetoworkoffandgetridofbeforehecandobetter——andindeed，themorelastingaman’sultimategoodworkis，themoresureheistopassthroughatime，andperhapsaverylongone，inwhichthereseemsverylittlehopeforhimatall。Wemustallsowourspiritualwildoats。ThefaultIfeelpersonallydisposedtofindwithmygodsonisnotthathehadwildoatstosow，butthattheyweresuchanexceedinglytameanduninterestingcrop。Thesenseofhumourandtendencytothinkforhimself，ofwhichtillafewmonthspreviouslyhehadbeenshowingfairpromise，werenippedasthoughbyalatefrost，whilehisearlierhabitoftakingontrusteverythingthatwastoldhimbythoseinauthority，andfollowingeverythingouttothebitterend，nomatterhowpreposterous，returnedwithredoubledstrength。IsupposethiswaswhatmighthavebeenexpectedfromanyoneplacedasErnestnowwas，especiallywhenhisantecedentsareremembered，butitsurprisedanddisappointedsomeofhiscooler-
headedCambridgefriendswhohadbeguntothinkwellofhisability。
Tohimselfitseemedthatreligionwasincompatiblewithhalfmeasures，orevenwithcompromise。Circumstanceshadledtohisbeingordained；forthemomenthewassorrytheyhad，buthehaddoneitandmustgothroughwithit。Hethereforesethimselftofindoutwhatwasexpectedofhim，andtoactaccordingly。
HisrectorwasamoderateHighChurchmanofnoverypronouncedviews——anelderlymanwhohadhadtoomanycuratesnottohavelongsincefoundoutthattheconnectionbetweenrectorandcurate，likethatbetweenemployerandemployedineveryotherwalkoflife，wasamerematterofbusiness。Hehadnowtwocurates，ofwhomErnestwasthejunior；theseniorcuratewasnamedPryer，andwhenthisgentlemanmadeadvances，ashepresentlydid，Ernestinhisforlornstatewasdelightedtomeetthem。
Pryerwasabouttwenty-eightyearsold。HehadbeenatEtonandatOxford。Hewastall，andpassedgenerallyforgood-looking；Ionlysawhimonceforaboutfiveminutes，andthenthoughthimodiousbothinmannersandappearance。PerhapsitwasbecausehecaughtmeupinawayIdidnotlike。IhadquotedShakespeareforlackofsomethingbettertofillupasentence——andhadsaidthatonetouchofnaturemadethewholeworldkin。“Ah。”saidPryer，inabold，brazenwaywhichdispleasedme，“butonetouchoftheunnaturalmakesitmorekindredstill。”andhegavemealookasthoughhethoughtmeanoldboreanddidnotcaretwostrawswhetherIwasshockedornot。Naturallyenough，afterthisIdidnotlikehim。
This，however，isanticipating，foritwasnottillErnesthadbeenthreeorfourmonthsinLondonthatIhappenedtomeethisfellow-
curate，andImustdealhereratherwiththeeffectheproduceduponmygodsonthanuponmyself。Besidesbeingwhatwasgenerallyconsideredgood-looking，hewasfaultlessinhisget-up，andaltogetherthekindofmanwhomErnestwassuretobeafraidofandyetbetakeninby。ThestyleofhisdresswasveryHighChurch，andhisacquaintanceswereexclusivelyoftheextremeHighChurchparty，buthekepthisviewsagooddealinthebackgroundinhisrector’spresence，andthatgentleman，thoughhelookedaskanceonsomeofPryer’sfriends，hadnosuchgroundofcomplaintagainsthimastomakehimsevertheconnection。Pryer，too，waspopularinthepulpit，and，takehimallround，itwasprobablethatmanyworsecurateswouldbefoundforonebetter。WhenPryercalledonmyhero，assoonasthetwowerealonetogether，heeyedhimalloverwithaquickpenetratingglanceandseemednotdissatisfiedwiththeresult——forImustsayherethatErnesthadimprovedinpersonalappearanceunderthemoregenialtreatmenthehadreceivedatCambridge。Pryer，infact，approvedofhimsufficientlytotreathimcivilly，andErnestwasimmediatelywonbyanyonewhodidthis。
ItwasnotlongbeforehediscoveredthattheHighChurchparty，andevenRomeitself，hadmoretosayforthemselvesthanhehadthought。Thiswashisfirstsnipe-likechangeofflight。
Pryerintroducedhimtoseveralofhisfriends。Theywereallofthemyoungclergymen，belongingasIhavesaidtothehighestoftheHighChurchschool，butErnestwassurprisedtofindhowmuchtheyresembledotherpeoplewhenamongthemselves。Thiswasashocktohim；itwaserelongastillgreateronetofindthatcertainthoughtswhichhehadwarredagainstasfataltohissoul，andwhichhehadimaginedheshouldloseonceforallonordination，werestillastroublesometohimastheyhadbeen；healsosawplainlyenoughthattheyounggentlemenwhoformedthecircleofPryer’sfriendswereinmuchthesameunhappypredicamentashimself。
Thiswasdeplorable。TheonlywayoutofitthatErnestcouldseewasthatheshouldgetmarriedatonce。Butthenhedidnotknowanyonewhomhewantedtomarry。Hedidnotknowanywoman，infact，whomhewouldnotratherdiethanmarry。IthadbeenoneofTheobald’sandChristina’smainobjectstokeephimoutofthewayofwomen，andtheyhadsofarsucceededthatwomenhadbecometohimmysterious，inscrutableobjectstobetoleratedwhenitwasimpossibletoavoidthem，butnevertobesoughtoutorencouraged。
Asforanymanloving，orevenbeingatallfondofanywoman，hesupposeditwasso，buthebelievedthegreaternumberofthosewhoprofessedsuchsentimentswereliars。Now，however，itwasclearthathehadhopedagainsthopetoolong，andthattheonlythingtodowastogoandaskthefirstwomanwhowouldlistentohimtocomeandbemarriedtohimassoonaspossible。
HebroachedthistoPryer，andwassurprisedtofindthatthisgentleman，thoughattentivetosuchmembersofhisflockaswereyoungandgood-looking，wasstronglyinfavourofthecelibacyoftheclergy，asindeedweretheotherdemureyoungclericstowhomPryerhadintroducedErnest。
“Youknow，mydearPontifex。”saidPryertohim，somefewweeksafterErnesthadbecomeacquaintedwithhim，whenthetwoweretakingaconstitutionalonedayinKensingtonGardens，“Youknow，mydearPontifex，itisallverywelltoquarrelwithRome，butRomehasreducedthetreatmentofthehumansoultoascience，whileourownChurch，thoughsomuchpurerinmanyrespects，hasnoorganisedsystemeitherofdiagnosisorpathology——Imean，ofcourse，spiritualdiagnosisandspiritualpathology。OurChurchdoesnotprescriberemediesuponanysettledsystem，and，whatisstillworse，evenwhenherphysicianshaveaccordingtotheirlightsascertainedthediseaseandpointedouttheremedy，shehasnodisciplinewhichwillensureitsbeingactuallyapplied。Ifourpatientsdonotchoosetodoaswetellthem，wecannotmakethem。
Perhapsreallyunderallthecircumstancesthisisaswell，forwearespirituallymerehorsedoctorsascomparedwiththeRomanpriesthood，norcanwehopetomakemuchheadwayagainstthesinandmiserythatsurroundus，tillwereturninsomerespectstothepracticeofourforefathersandofthegreaterpartofChristendom。”
Ernestaskedinwhatrespectsitwasthathisfrienddesiredareturntothepracticeofourforefathers。
“Why，mydearfellow，canyoureallybeignorant？Itisjustthis，eitherthepriestisindeedaspiritualguide，asbeingabletoshowpeoplehowtheyoughttolivebetterthantheycanfindoutforthemselves，orheisnothingatall——hehasnoraisond’etre。Ifthepriestisnotasmuchahealeranddirectorofmen’ssoulsasaphysicianisoftheirbodies，whatishe？Thehistoryofallageshasshown——andsurelyyoumustknowthisaswellasIdo——thatasmencannotcurethebodiesoftheirpatientsiftheyhavenotbeenproperlytrainedinhospitalsunderskilledteachers，soneithercansoulsbecuredoftheirmorehiddenailmentswithoutthehelpofmenwhoareskilledinsoul-craft——orinotherwords，ofpriests。Whatdoonehalfofourformulariesandrubricsmeanifnotthis？Howinthenameofallthatisreasonablecanwefindouttheexactnatureofaspiritualmalady，unlesswehavehadexperienceofothersimilarcases？Howcanwegetthiswithoutexpresstraining？Atpresentwehavetobeginallexperimentsforourselves，withoutprofitingbytheorganisedexperienceofourpredecessors，inasmuchasthatexperienceisneverorganisedandco-ordinatedatall。Attheoutset，therefore，eachoneofusmustruinmanysoulswhichcouldbesavedbyknowledgeofafewelementaryprinciples。”
