poor conscience! to what pitiful uses is that sacred name turned! the stolid essex peasant, one of the peculiar people, lets his child die because he will not allow it to take medicine, and believes himself to be suffering for conscience’s sake because he is summoned before a magistrate to answer for its life. and he has far more reason on his side than the ritualist martyrs. i desire neither to speak nor think scornfully or bitterly of them, but this at least i must say, that men who can make matters of conscience of such trivialities as the shape and color of vestments, the burning of candles and incense, the position of tables, and the like, and in defence of these things are prepared to defy authority, and break what they know to be the law of their country, are not fit to be trusted with the spiritual guidance of any portion of our people. england has a great work still to do in the world, for which she needs children with quite other kind of consciences than these—consciences which shall be simple, manly, obedient, qualities[143] which must disappear under such examples and teaching as these men are giving.