“Softly, Jack!” Dr Thorpe was saying as she entered. “Methinks thou art somewhat too sweeping. We must have priests, man (though they need not be ill and crafty men); nor see I aught so mighty wrong in calling the Lord’s Table an altar. Truly, myself I had liefer say ‘table’; yet would I not by my good will condemn such as do love that word ‘altar.’ Half the mischief that hath arisen in all these battles of religion now raging hath come of quarrelling over words. And ’tis never well to make a martyr or an hero of thine adversary.”
“I have no mind to make a martyr of you, my dear old friend,” answered Avery, “in whatsoever signification. I see well what you would be at, though I see not with you. And I would put you in mind, by your leave, that while true charity cometh of God, there is a false charity which hath another source.”
“But this is to split straws, Jack,” said the Doctor.
“I pray you pardon me,” replied he, “but I think not so. I know, Doctor, you do incline more toward the Lutheran than I, and therefore ’tis like that such matters may seem smaller unto you than to me. But when—”
“I incline toward the truth,” broke in Dr Thorpe, bluntly.
“We will both strive our best so to do, friend,” gently answered Avery. “But, as I was about to say, when you come to look to the ground of this matter, you shall see it (if I blunder not greatly) to be far more than quarrelling over words or splitting of straws. The calling of men by that name of priest toucheth the eternal priesthood of the Lord Christ.”
“As how?” queried the old man, resting his hands on his staff, and looking Avery in the face.
“As thus,” said he. “Cast back your eyes, I pray you, to the times of the old Jewish laws, and tell me wherefore they lacked so many priests as all the sons of Aaron should needs be. I mean, of course, so many at one time.”
“Why, man! one at once should have been crushed under the work!” answered Dr Thorpe. “If one man had been to slay Solomon his twenty-two thousand sacrifices, he should not have made an end by that day month.”
“Good. Then the lesser priests were needed, because of the insufficiency of the high priest for all that lacked doing?”