these words:" Of so many thou- To show the feelings of the work sands seemingly eager in embras- towards the establishment, the ing the gospel, how few have since speech says, "The errors of the amended their lives! Nay, to what church of England are elsewhere reelse does the greater part pretend, presented as the severest curse with except by shaking off the heavy which the Almighty visits the sins of yoke of superstition, to launch out the people. More mercifully dees more freely into every kind of las he pursue them with pestilence, fire, civiousness." Sufficient proof has and the sword; and yet on how many been advanced that the character millions of our fellow-subjects does given of the reformation by the re- the divine Justice thus secretly reverend author is consistent with venge itself.' Vol. i. p. 221. In truth, even in its infancy; nor has the same place the protestant bishop it improved in this land of bibles in of London is not very indirectly reits more maturer age. Let Mr. Fos- presented as an emissary of the ter and his biblical compeers read spirit of darkness-a disciple of the the reports of the committee ap-father of lies.'"-Ibid. p. 222. Of pointed by the commons to examine into the state of the metropolis, and if they peruse them with more candour than he appears to have done Mr. Gandolphy's sermons, they must blush for the depraved state of their country; for, surely such scenes of early vice and impiety, of hardened villainy and infamy, 4 1 ་ nothing have the catholics more to complain than of the misrepresenta tion and false inferences which their adversaries put upon their words,when they find themselves unable to controvert or invalidate them. A grosser instance of this unworthy ma nœuvre. I have not met with in my controversial readings than the above never before disclosed in any exhibits, On referring to the paschristian state. "Previous to the sage quoted, I find it is taken from reformation," says Mr. G. in this a discourse on the word of God, and discourse, p. 169, men 'were alwere throughout the whole dissertation the most wholly governed by the mild observations of the preacher are deadmonitions of religion; they have livered in a general sense, and not been since only controlled by the confined to one particular sect. Let power of the bayonet. And does us take the whole of the passage, and not the present situation of our then the reader will be able to judge country testify the veracity of the of Mr. Foster's veracity." How observation? Let Mr. Foster look important, however, does this subinto the statute book, and he will ject become," namely, a right comthere see, that as soon as Harry cor-ject rupted and degraded the clergy, GOD really implies, "when we re prehension of what the WORD of the penal laws began to accumulate, flect that the greatest curse which the and have continued to multiply in a Almighty can inflict on any people tenfold degree, yet are still found is to withdraw the lights of instruc inadequate to their purpose. More laws of restraint have been imposed tion, to abandon them to the desires By the present parliament, I verily of their own hearts, and leave them believe, than by all the parliaments a prey to falsehood and deception. which sat from their origin to the With this species of vengeance God time of Harry VIII. Can a stronger often chastised the unfaithful Jews. case be adduced in favour of the In punishment of their impieties, he moral principles of the catholic re-imposed silence on his prophets, and in their place permitted innumerable ligion 3 mends them to examine well, and find out the REAL word of God, at the same time coinciding with them in opinion, that to be in ignorance of the true light is the severest curse a christian can be visited with; True;› but he had the daring effrontery to hint that the bishop of London was a seducers to rise up to delude and mislead the multitude; so that, as we learn from the 3d book of Kings, no less than four hundred false prophets were assembled, at one time, in the single kingdom of Israel. Yes, I repeat, this is the severest curse with which the Almighty visits the crimes of any people; more mer-disciple of the father of lies. What cifully does he pursue them with a presumptuous man Following pestilence, fire and sword and up the comparison above quoted, the yet on how many millions of our fel- reverend author says, In fact, I low-subjects does the divine justice think it impossible to condemn too thus secretly revenge itself? They strongly the inconsiderate folly of think that they have the light of the our countrymen, who are in the ha gespel within them, but, as our Sa bit of attending different descriptions viour expresses it, the light within of preachers, believing that all and them is darkness, (Luke xi. 35); and nounce the word of God. How for an eternity will they be the will many christians, for instance, after ing but unhappy victims of their des expressing themselves pleased and lusion: according to their own de edified with what they have one Sunsires, writes the apostle, they heap day heard from the protestant, ibi to themselves teachers. (2 Tim. iv. shop of London, will listen,) with 3.)" This comparison of the situa equal satisfaction the following week, tion of the unfaithful Jews to the to a catholic preacher. But does present state of our unhappy land, co- not common sense suggest to them; vered with a multifarious swarm of that one of the two must necessarily sects, is certainly very strong, yet be an emissary of the spirit of darkpot the less accurate; but how it can ness, a disciple of the father of lies, be construed as aiming expressly at an advocate of error? Have they the church of England, except for the forgotten the "warning of Jesus purpose of exciting groundless pre-Christ, beware of false prophets, judice, I leave the intelligent rea der to determine. That it must be a grievous and heavy curse to be swallowed up in the darkness of er tor is a truth which the bible-gentlemen will not deny, as they are in the daily habit of calling upon servants and children to contribute the little money they have to spend in aid of a fund for the purpose of rescuing the souls of the poor Irish papists from the curse of popish superstition and Egyptian darkness. For this pious end they have also their Hiber nian, Evangelical, and Missionary societies; and why should they be angry, while they are engaged in the laudable pursuit of converting the blind to the light of the gospel, be cause a catholic clergyman recom, who come to you in the clothing of and those of the church of England, though opposed to each other, are both equally true. But I am in- set up, which the "ascendant", and "enlightened" beings endeavour to substantiate by forgery and falsity. Can any stronger mark be given; of the badness of a cause when its advocates are compelled to rest its defence upon such base means? And yet such is the conduct of those, who oppose catholicity. Instead of meeting us fairly in the field, armed with the weapon of truth, they have. recourse to the oft-refuted lie,” and try to wound, us by firing random shots from the battery of miscitation. But is this liberality ? is: it honourable? is it just? clined to think Mr. Foster was not serious when he quoted this asa specimen of the spirit of our principles, because I can see nothing therein contrary to common sense or common charity. Sure I am, that there is less of illiberality or unchristianity in pre-supposing the bishop of London to be an advocate of error, which all must do who dissent, from the doctrines of the established church, Unitarians, Socinians, Anabaptists, and a shoal of other sectarians, than there is in swearing that the greatest part of christendom, emperors, kings, princes, ministers of state, bishops, priests, and people, are DAMNABLE IDOLATERS, which Mr. Foster and the bishop of London do annually before the legislature of this enlightened nation, Really our "protestant-ascendency" gentlemen are very superior, mortals to the rest of the human creation, at least they would have us ignorant papists believe so. To preach "no, popery" sermons, possessing no other merit than the calumnies and invectives they contain against the principles of catholics, by accusing them of treason, murder, and rebellion; to publish charges delivered by mitred divines to their inferior clergy, attempting to fix upon them the hei uous offences of idolatry and blas phemy; to inundate the press with ponderous volumes and penny pamphlets, filled with the foulest and most atrocious falsehoods against their civil and religious characters → is a work of christian charity and holy zeal, be it performed by a churchman or a dissenter, a jew or an infidel. But let one of the unfortunate race thus attacked attempt to viadicate himself and fellow-sufferers from the aspersions thrown upon his brethren, with the spirit and energy of a man armed with the sword of truth, and immediately the cry of intolerance and illiberality is I come now to the hopes and predictions expressed of the downfall of the established church, which the speech has charged the author with. Mr. F. insinuates that the temporal success of the church of England is considered naturally enough as a grievous aggravation of its spiritual offence." Whatever may be the opinion of the speaker, I believe there is not a catholie in the kingdom who envies the present situation of the established clergy, or their emoluments. The Irish prelates in 1810 solemnly resolved, "that they neither seek nor desire any other earthly consideration for their spiritual ministry to their respective flocks, save what they may, from a sense of duty, voluntarily afford them;" and I am sure the laity do not wish to see them pensioned by the government, and receiving salaries out of the taxes of the people, which Mr. Foster proposed as one of the securities for the established church,in the event of releasing us from our bondage. The speaker might, therefore, have spared his further insinuation, that we derived some consolation for this offence in the comtemplation of the approaching downfall of the esta bishment. He may be assured, that we experience no such comfort in the present posture, of affairs. As friends to religion and social order, kingdom; witness the kirk of Scotland and the church of England.The very name of catholic is wanting to them. the catholics would prefer to see the and Eutychianism; the origin of the establishment in a more vigorous and Greek schism, and the birth of the healthy state, rather than surrounded reformed churches, and from hence by a herd of ravenous wolves, each draws the following conclusion of devouring and corrupting her their want of universality and sta thoughtless and unrestrained chil- bility:- "Here we discover no trace dreu. And much better would it of catholicity. As these societies be for her, if those who enjoy the were composed of the followers of inbenefit of her revenues were to be- dividuals, so also were they confined stir themselves a little more to re- to a narrow territory, and seldom strain the licentious spirit of infide-stretched beyond a province or a lity and vice, which now covers the land, and threatens her destruction, instead of contenting themselves with vilifying and persecuting the catholics, whose ancestors ventured their lives and property in her defence, to save her from dissolution in the 16th century. But let us examine the ingenuousness of Mr. Foster in support of his deduction. I shall not give the whole of his quotations, which are unnecessary, but shall confine myself to these following: "The church of England and the kirk of Scotland have not yet sunk into total oblivion beneath the weight of time, like the reformed churches of more early date; but if we reflect upon that general cry, that the church is in danger, which has so of ten been raised, and the alarm-excited for their fate, we may conclude that perpetuity is not a property that belongs to them." - Vol. ii. p. 201. The subject of the discourse from which this extract is taken is, on the catholicity of the church of God, in which the author draws a contrast between the durability of the church of Rome and that of the different reformers who have opposed her doctrines, Having traced the existence of the former through all ages, Mr. G. contends, that she is exclusively catholic, because she only has visibly existed in every age, since her establishment by St. Peter, and has never ceased to be diffused over all nations, by her communion with them." He then notices the rise and fall of Arianism, Nestorianism, To be sure, these latter have not yet sunk into oblivion, beneath the weight of time, like the reforming churches of more early date, but if we reflect upon that ge neral cry of the church is in danger,' which has been so often raised, and the alarm excited for their fate, we may conclude that perpetuity is not a property that belongs to them. Such apprehensions at once betray a weak foundation and a tendency to ruin."-The reader has here a glaring example of the illiberality of our adversaries, and the disgraceful arts they resort to, in order to misrepresent our principles. Let him compare the genuine passage as I have quoted it, with the garbled extract by Mr. Foster, and he will find that the most essential part of the context, namely, the words which are printed in italics, is entirely sup pressed, in order to give a false colouring to the author's sentiments. The same shameful conduct is prac tised in another instance." The establishment," says the speech,“ is elsewhere represented as being now threatened to be razed from its foundation.'"-Vol. iv. p. 444. And we are then told," it couti nues, that the principles of protestantism render her unequal to the contest, and she must either yield to the violence of these attacks, or again shelter herself under the immovable rock of catholicity. She must either resign her hiarchy, or see it again I earth, (Luke xviii. 5.); and, under the disguised titles of LIBERALS, PHILANTHROPISTS, PHILOSO PHERS, and BIBLE SOCIETIES, carry on a regular assault against the revealed religion of Jesus Christ.→ They shew themselves, moreover, most artfully, under the mask of BENEVOLENT and CHARITABLE INSTITUTIONS; and by a misapplication of this text of St. James, religion clean and undefiled before God and the Father is this, to visit the fatherless and widow in their tribulation. (James i. 27.) endeavour to repre sent as the essence of religion, that which is only one of its attendant fruits. I know I shall be challenged with illiberality in these remarks, by persons of easy and superficial faith; but when I observe a design steadily pursued of commending one particular species of virtue,—when I remark a prevailing disposition on every occasion to dispense with the personal presence and countenance of the church hierarchy, discernment need not be very keen to enable us to trace this conduct to its real motive and secret spring; I mean DEISTICAL INFIDELITY, OF to that principle which reduces revealed religion to a mere system of human morals, united in communion with the cathoKc church.""-One would naturally suppose, as Mr. Foster contended that the sentiments exhibited by the reverend author, and sanctioned by Rome, ought to induce a protestant to pause, before he admitted those who held them into the guidance of the national councils, that the estaBlishment was threatened by an army of papists, training under ground, as was reported and foolishly beFieved in the reign of Charles the first, to keep up the alarm of the church in danger," at the very time the reformers were planning its destruction; but what will the reader think of the learned senator's candour after he has perused the genuine Fanguage of the author? It is not a little curious that the discourse from which Mr. F. has quoted is On the last subterfuge of protestants, and the text of the preacher, "Out of thy own mouth I judge thee." (Luke xix, 22.) In this theological treatise, the author combats the new doctrine of the bible societies, that a moral life and alms-deeds, joined with faith in Christ, will prove a full satisfaction for every other omission." This mental delusion, he contends, is opposed to every admitted principle of the protestant established religion, as well as to the judgment of the catholic world," and he shews, in a very masterly and argumentative stile, that this delusive doctrine leads to infidelity. Lamenting the spread of this national and spiritual curse, and pointing out the threats of the Divine Justice against those who labour un-advocates, the locusts mentioned der the evil, he says," Such are the tremendous judgments awaiting this sect of infidels, whose consciences I am endeavouring to alarm, but I fear in vain, on this occasion, They are a sect whose numbers are increasing, to verify the prediction of Jesus Christ, that towards the latter days little faith shall be found upon "THIS principle is rising triumph ant in this country on the ruins of protestantism, and even now threatens to raze the established church from its foundations. It is become fashionable, and nothing more is wanting to render it successful. Already its innumerable in the Apocalypse, are haughty in the certain confidence of victory, and whilst the press is incessantly engaged in undermining the divine authority of the scriptures, and daily teeming with sarcastic reflections pointed against all ris tual forms and ordinances, whilst the licentious learned are contigų |