The Archbishop seized his advantage exultingly. "I will only remind you," said he, "of the Church Government Act--a measure of no ancient date--by which Parliament forced the Church to expel from benefice those who would not accept her discipline in matters of outward observance. You yourself voted for that measure." The Prime Minister had to acknowledge the stroke; but he made light of it. "I think that measure has already become obsolete. It was not put very thoroughly into practice even at the beginning." "Let Parliament, then, admit its error," said the Archbishop, "and abolish the act and the principle which it enshrines before proceeding with other acts diametrically opposed to it. While the law claims a hold over the Church, the Church claims to hold by existing law." "I may possibly, then, satisfy your Grace," insinuated the Premier, "if presently I propose the restoration of certain Free Church ministers by episcopal consecration to the fold from which they were expelled." The Archbishop rose to his feet, and raising the presentation Bible high over his head brought it down upon the table with a bang. Then instantaneously conceiving his mistake, he laid his hands over it in the act of blessing. "Never!" he said firmly and solemnly, with ever deepening inflection of tone, "never! never!" "It is a measure that might be avoided," conceded the Prime Minister. "The alternative is before you. We have made you our offer." "You have offered," said the Archbishop, "an alternative which I am not able to discuss. Roman Catholicism and Unitarianism in alternate doses is the price you ask us to pay. The Church of Jingalo will accept neither the Triple Crown nor an untriune Divinity as its guide." He drew himself to his full height. "That, sir, is her answer." "So you really think," inquired the Prime Minister, "that yours and the Church's voice are one?" "The blood of her martyrs," said the Archbishop, "has stained the very steps of that throne from which under divine Providence I am commissioned to speak with authority. I call on them to witness that never in her hour of need shall the Church surrender her divine mission to preach only pure doctrine and to defend the faith committed to the saints." "I thought," said the Prime Minister, "that, officially at least, you did not invoke the dead." "Sir, we have no need. Their record is our inheritance. It is they who invoke us from an imperishable past." "Our discussion, then, seems to be at an end. We have gone back into the middle ages." The Prime Minister, having got very much the answer he expected, here rose and began buttoning his coat. "Well, Archbishop," said he, as he thus trimmed himself to give a neat finish to the discussion, "before we part I will put the question quite frankly: Is it to be peace or war?" "I am a servant of the Church Militant," answered his Grace.