“You have lost too many of the people! Get the people back. Our Church is theirs, and they must come home. They threaten us with disestablishment; let us disestablish ourselves. Let the endowments and the positions go. They are as nothing in value compared with the people.”
Knight resolved that he would know this man. He found him at first rather suspicious of the Dissenter, for such Arthur declared himself to be, and Knight found some distasteful things in Macdonald; but neither man was hard to win, and, when they had spent two days together, they were fast friends, and had resolved to drop all differences, and fight side by side for Christian unity.
Instead, therefore, of ignoring each other, or laying plans to thwart one another, these two young men of many gifts, who had also much sanctified common-sense between them, resolved to work into each other’s hands. Each, therefore, revealed his designs for the future in perfect assurance that his confidence would not be abused.
At last Macdonald said, “Knight, I am going to introduce you to one who is a silent spectator of our work—a young man, but the greatest man in England.”
Knight rose from his seat in excitement. “The Prince?” he cried; and the answer was, “Yes, the Prince.”
Arthur Knight and Peter Macdonald both believed more in peoples than in princes; but there was at this time in England a young man who had won great respect and affection for his nobility of character and goodness of life. He was not a Prince by title, though one of his parents was of the Royal family; but the people called him “the Prince,” because he was princely. It was known that he loved the people, as they loved him. His tastes led him away from the pursuits and pleasures commonly adopted by his peers, and he was foremost in every enterprise that had for its end the amelioration of the conditions of the poor. He lived as quietly as was possible, for rumour declared that some of his relatives were a little jealous of his growing popularity; but it was impossible for him to remain in obscurity, for he could not but have a share in the best things of his time.
“Do you know the Prince? How have you managed to make his acquaintance?” inquired Knight.
“In a very simple fashion. He came to a church in which I was preaching, and after the service he invited me to his house. If only he had no Royal blood in him, what a sublime work that man might do in England!”
“The little Royal blood that he has in him will not hurt him, but do him good,” said Knight. “You are honoured in having an acquaintance with him; and do you really mean that he is coming here?”
“No, I am to take you to him. He wants you to speak freely to him of all your work, and you will find that his suggestions are worth their weight in gold, for Solomon’s wisdom has been given to him.”