"The Church of England," said he, "reminds me of a story I heard about an old cow--" As he was becoming abusive I thought it best to check him, and seriously requested him to inform me whether it was an English cow or an Irish bull of which he was speaking. At this the younger Mormons began to laugh, and Paddy seemed rather disconcerted and was silent. An old American in a blue home-spun suit, and with a disagreeable expression in his face, now entered the lists against me. He told me that I was in great darkness and unbelief, and that I ought to repent, obey the gospel, and be baptized. I replied, that as for repentance, I repented every day; as for obedience, without boasting, I might claim to be equal to the "Latter-day Saints;" and as for baptism, I had been lawfully baptized by one having authority. He said that Church of England baptism possessed only the authority derived from Acts of Parliament, and that the English Church was merely a Parliament Church. I replied, that the English Church had a double sanction: first, that of Christ--who founded the Catholic Church, of which the English Church is a portion; and secondly, that of Parliament, by which, long after its foundation, it was acknowledged as the National Religion. "As for you Mormons," I said, "it is now my turn to say something about your religion, since you have spoken freely of mine. It is easy for you to argue as you do about the descent of the Indians from Israel, the probability of the restoration of miraculous powers to the Church, and the errors and inconsistencies of existing sects; but in regard to the real question at issue, on which your religion depends, namely, the inspiration of your prophet, you have given me no satisfaction whatever." They requested me to state what evidence I should consider satisfactory. I replied, "When the Jewish dispensation was to be introduced, God enabled Moses to work great wonders with his rod. God smote a mighty nation with miraculous plagues. He divided the Red Sea and the River Jordan. He came down on Mount Sinai amid clouds and lightnings and the terrific sound of the trumpet of heaven. He caused Moses to strike the rock and the waters gushed forth. He rained down manna for the space of forty years in the wilderness. Again, when the Christian dispensation was to be established, Christ walked upon the waters; He controlled the winds and the waves; He fed assembled thousands with a few loaves and fishes; He healed the sick; He opened the eyes of the blind; He brought the dead to life; and finally, He raised Himself from the grave. "You maintain that your prophet is sent to establish a third dispensation. I demand, therefore, what signs are given to prove his commission?"