Charles was silent; Jennings tried to force his decision upon him.
At length Charles said that "Only some General Councils were admitted as infallible by the Romanists, and he believed that Bellarmine gave a list of General Councils which had erred."
Another pause, and a gathering cloud on Jennings' brow.
He returned to his former subject. "In what sense do you understand the Articles, Mr. Reding?" he asked. That was more than Charles could tell; he wished very much to know the right sense of them; so he beat about for the received answer.
"In the sense of Scripture," he said. This was true, but nugatory.
"Rather," said Jennings, "you understand Scripture in the sense of the Articles."
Charles assented for peace-sake. But his concession availed not; the Vice-Principal pursued his advantage.
"They must not interpret each other, Mr. Reding, else you revolve in a circle. Let me repeat my question. In what sense do you interpret the Articles?"
"I wish to take them," Reding answered, "in the general and received sense of our Church, as all our divines and present Bishops take them."
The Vice-Principal looked pleased. Charles could not help being candid, and said in a lower tone, as if words of course, "That is, on faith."