quotation from a book written by a learned catholic layman. "I acknowledge," the late Mr. C. Butler wrote, "that individual catholics have maintained unjustifiable doctrines, and been guilty of unjustifiable practices; but I insist upon the production of the tenet, justly ascribable to the catholic creed, to which any such doctrine or practice can fairly be attributed. I aver that no such tenet can be produced"*.

would put heretics to death in those countries
where she rules supreme. But she does no such
thing. For I would ask, in the language of car-
dinal Wiseman, "Is there any inquisition in Spain,
in Portugal, in Brazil, in Mexico, countries ex-
clusively catholic? Certainly not.
Is there any
in Austria, in Bavaria, in Belgium, countries with
a mixed population, but with court, government,
and majority eminently catholic? Certainly not.
Then is it not mere imposture to tell the people
that there is even the remotest danger of the in-
troduction of such a tribunal into England?"

Consider also, gentlemen, the solemn declaration of the catholic prelates of Ireland in 1826. This ought to satisfy any candid person that the catholic church gives no sanction to cruelty and We have also been accused of sanctioning immopersecution. Those thirty prelates declared, in rality. This, however, is a charge more easily made the name of the catholics of Ireland, upon oath, than substantiated; for I fearlessly maintain that "that they detest as unchristian and impious the there is not a more moral people than that which belief that it is lawful to murder or destroy any is thoroughly imbued with the doctrines of cathoperson or persons whatsoever, for or under the pre-licity. There are, of course, bad catholics as well tence of their being heretics." Hear likewise the as bad protestants; but no people practise more following manly challenge, published in that virtues or show more reverence for religion than popular and widely-circulated periodical, "The catholics who attend diligently to and receive Catholic Lamp," Dec. 28th, 1850: "We boldly meekly and implicitly the pious instructions of challenge the most erudite of our adversaries to their priests*. point out a single phrase in our code of doctrine Another objection to the exercise of the pope's which contains a command to persecute." To the supremacy is, that it would lead to ignorance and same effect writes the rev. P. Machlachlan: superstition. It is, as you are aware, gentlemen, "The popes and prelates of the catholic church a very common practice with men to vilify and have ever expressed an utter abhorrence of perse- blacken what they dislike, or what they do not cution." "They have always been the steady understand. When Christianity was first preached, advocates of moderation, of peace, of forbearance, its teachers were accused of inculcating a danger of almost unlimited toleration"+. It is not fair to ous superstition. Catholics, then, need not be our church to rake up all the cruelties which have surprised that they are subjected to the same acbeen perpetrated in far-distant ages by ill- cusation. I beg, however, in answer to this informed catholic princes and other powerful indi- charge to quote the words of a learned and disviduals, whose zeal led them to do many things tinguished ornament of our church, Dr. Newman. which our holy church abhors. My learned In a sermon not long ago preached at Leeds, on friend shakes his head, and looks incredulous. the reception of several clergymen and laymen Let me then refer him to documents of unquestion- into the catholic church, he thus beautifully deable authority. Pope Leo the Great, in the fifth cribes the vast benefits those happy persons recentury, when writing about some pestilent ceived on their conversion to the only true heretics of that period, observed: "The ecclesi-church: "They have received light for darkness, astical laity was content, even in this case, with the sacerdotal judgment, and avoided all sanguinary punishment." And in the preceding century, two Spanish bishops having interfered in the capital punishment of certain Priscillian heretics, both St. Ambrose and St. Martin refused to hold communion with them (the bishops). .... Long before this time Tertullian had taught that it does not belong to religion to force religion'; and St. Augustine and his companions instructed king Ethelbert not by any means to use force towards his subjects to make them Christians". "In all these instances was not the true principle of religious toleration professed? Were not those who thus professed it Romancatholics?" "Nothing can be more unjust, therefore, than to charge upon the medieval period the origination of the severe and intolerant enactments against heresy which we find to have been then put into operation. They formed at that period a part of the common code of Europe, derived from the laws of the ancient Roman empire". If the church of Rome were indeed of so sanguinary and persecuting a spirit as her enemies assert, she

light for twilight, peace for warfare. There was not a change so great as that which took place

has unveiled the

"To have any idea of the immorality of the clergy re quires years of residence among the communities of priests and friars; but, when such experience vicious habits of men who daily perform mass, communicate, and preach a morality which they do not practise, he who has acquired this experience may speak with some certain knowledge of the morality of the Romish clergy. Further, if he occupies the position of confessor, spiritual director, or preacher, which discloses to him the immorality of the convents, or has occasion to consult the records of the vicariats, wherein are registered the public delinquencies of the priests, or those of the congregation of bishops and regulars, which contain the public delinquencies of the monks and nuns, he may surely, without fear of exaggeration, describe popery as she is with regard to her corrupt morality." The same writer (Desanctis) afterwards states what were the sources of his knowledge, by which he is enabled to lift up some portion of the veil from this "mystery of iniquity." is," he says, "by birth a Roman, and lived for two-andtwenty years in a community of priests affiliated by the Jesuits, with whom he was on most friendly terms. For fifteen years he filled the office of confessor, and for_eight years was priest of one of the principal parishes of Rome. He stood high in the estimation of his ecclesiastical supe riors, and was consequently entrusted with many secrets and missions of considerable delicacy. He was the selected preacher or confessor of almost all the monasteries in Rome. Cardinal Micara, deacon of the Sacred College, and a man in universal repute, selected him as his clerical examiner. He is therefore better qualified than the vast majority to re present popery as it is."

"He

66

you occurs, were delivered at Birmingham, before a large and intelligent audience. They were so highly approved that the bishop of Birmingham (I will call him so, although an oppressive law forbids his lordship from publicly assuming his just title), together with many respectable catholics, passed a vote of thanks to Dr. Newman for his valuable services in the cause of our holy religion. I beg to read to you, gentlemen, a portion of his reply, because he there points out the reason why catholics can appreciate what is beautiful and sublime in religion, while protestants are unable to do so. The former are, happily, under the teaching of an infallible church; the latter, refusing to be under her guidance, are given up to great obtuseness of understanding, so that they cannot comprehend the doctrines nor value the privileges of catholicity. "It was a curious thing," observed Dr. Newman, "for him to say, though he was now of mature age, and had been very busy in many ways, yet this was the first time in his life that he had ever received any praise. He had been in other places, and done works elsewhere, before being a catholic; but there was no response, no sympathy. It was not the fault of the people; for they could not respond. Some instruments only could make beautiful music; and some, from their very nature, could make only a noise. So it was with such a body as that to which he once belonged-they could only make a noise; no echo, no response, no beautiful music. But it was quite different when a person went into the catholic church"*.

from the state of doubt and confusion and misery in which the soul was external to the catholic church, to the peace which it found when it came into it." If catholics must be vilified because we be believe whatever the church, through her holy bishops and priests, presents to us as objects of faith, we have the consolation of knowing that men of the greatest learning and of the finest understandings do not shrink from bearing the same reproach. The eloquent and intrepid father Newman has come forward, and avowed in the face of the world his firm belief in those miracles of our church, which protestants and infidels have long been in the habit of ridiculing, and which even some degenerate catholics have been afraid of openly acknowledging. Hear how honestly and unhesitatingly he speaks on this subject, though he well knows what abundance of mockery will be cast upon him in consequence of this avowal. Certainly the catholic church,” he says, "from east to west, from north to south, is, according to our conceptions, hung with miracles. The store of relics is inexhaustible: they are multiplied through all lands; and each particle of each has in it a dominant, perhaps an energetic, virtue of supernatural operation. At Rome there is the true cross, the crib of Bethlehem, and the chair of St. Peter. Portions of the crown of thorns are kept at Paris; the holy coat is shown at Trèves; the winding sheet at Turin. At Monza, the iron crown is formed out of a nail of the cross; and another nail is claimed for the Duomo of Milan; and Xpieces of our lady's habit are to be seen in the Escurial. The Agnus Dei, blessed medals, the scapular, the cord of St. Francis, all are the medium of divine manifestations and graces. Crucifixes have bowed the head to the suppliant; and madonnas have bent their eyes upon assembled crowds. St. Januarius's blood liquefies periodically at Naples; and St. Winifred's well the scene of wonders even in an unbelieving country. Women are marked with the sacred stigmata; blood has flowed on Fridays from their five wounds; and their heads are crowned with a circle of lacerations. Relics are ever touching the sick, the diseased, the wounded, sometimes with no result at all, at other times with marked and undeniable efficacy. .... I think it impossible to withstand the evidence which is brought for the liquefaction of the blood of St. Januarius at Naples, and for the motion of the eyes of the pictures of the madonna in the Roman states. I firmly believe that saints in their life-time have before now raised the dead to life, crossed the sea without vessels, multiplied grain and bread, eared incurable diseases, and stopped the operation of the laws of the universe in a multitude of ways." Illiberal protestants, instead of admiring, will doubtless laugh at this illustrious scholar and deep theologian for thus expressing his faith in the things with which the catholic church edifies her docile children; but they are themselves rather to be pitied. They show, by their conduct, that they have none of that deep religious principle which catholics possess, a principle which leads them to despise the opinions of men, and arges them to go on steadily in that path of holi-Hence sculptors, painters, architects, musicians, poets, artists, and amateurs of the fine arts, are partisans of the Romish church; their interests being identical with hers." L. Desanctis, D.D., preface to the "Letters from Rome."

ness which the church has marked out for them. The lectures, in which the passage now read to

Why then, gentlemen, should either his holi ness, or cardinal Wiseman, be blamed for endeavouring to teach the whole population of this kingdom that "beautiful music," which is to be learnt only in the catholic church? If they deserve rather praise than censure for having this benevolent object in view, why should they not likewise be commended for establishing that hierarchy in this realm, which will best enable them to carry out this good design? This alteration in the form of our ecclesiastical government will render it more easy to enforce the canon law, that catholic law, to which all the subjects of the pope throughout the world are bound to yield implicit obedience. But this does not affect protestants. They are not obliged to accept the blessings which are freely offered to them. His * Desanctis well describes the kind of beauty which the church of Rome teaches her votaries to admire: "The sense of beauty is natural to man, but carried into worship it lands him in paganism. Worship, in spirit and in truth, consists in the union of the soul with God; and this is effected not by sense, but by faith. But what signify such doctrines to the the beautiful affords the means of attracting the multitude to church of Rome? The end, she says, sanctifies the means: my fold; I must, therefore, use it. And hence she adorns her churches in such profusion with all that is most beautiful in painting, sculpture, and architecture; so that they are rather to be called galleries than churches; and in the midst of thousands of candles, lighted at noon-day, to the sound of devotes her choirs, to adapt the libertine comedies sung at drums, violins, and other profane instruments of music, she the theatre the evening before, to the penitential psalms, the

song of the angels, or the apostolic creed. This may be a profanation, but it is a means to retain the multitude in the

Romish communion; and, according to her, it is justified.

filling the law of charity, and earnestly labouring to promote the best interests of this great and noble and most flourishing empire.

MISSIONS AT HOME.
No. XXIII.

"The world's conqueror sat down and wept for another bauble, as well he might: he had no knowledge of any thing more valuable. But we know that the gain of a whole world' would not compensate for the loss of one soul' (Matt. xvi. 26). How noble a thing then is the recovery of nant of promise, having no hope, and without God in the those who are as yet without Christ, strangers form the cove world' (Eph. xi. 12).-CECIL!

holiness legislates for none but his own subjects. He neither interferes with the national establishment, nor forbids catholics to pay all due allegiance to their temporal sovereign. The recent brief of the pope therefore deserves, I repeat, rather the gratitude than the indignation of the people; and I entertain a confident hope that it will be favourably regarded when men will soberly and patiently consider the matter. The people will at length see that his holiness is actuated by the most benevolent motives towards this flourishing and noble country. He wishes to save it from those countless sects which are disturbing and destroying it. For you well know, gentlemen, that nothing more tends to weaken and ruin a nation than internal divisions. The church of England, as it is called, has no power or influence THE PRIVILEGE AND DUTY OF THE YOUNG, to prevent these jarring sects from pursuing their "Many a young Christian, while he has heard obstinate and fatal course. Every year fresh accessions are drawn, partly to various non-descript denominations, and partly to the true catholic church. Surely, then, wisdom dictates that an act-of-parliament church, which has been tried for three hundred years and found wanting, should at length give place to the old and only safe church. Much as the ministers and so-called bishops of the establishment may, from interested motives, try to sustain it, their efforts will not sncceed it is built upon a sandy foundation, and must, ere long, yield to the assaults of its various enemies. Instead, therefore, of accusing his holiness of insolence and presumption, because he graciously provides a secure asylum for the misguided victims of schism as soon as they see their errors, this country ought joyfully to acknowledge his goodness in restoring it to the catholic church. But, whether the fanatics within and without the establishment still continue their clamours, or whether they forbear, it matters not. The good deed is done: a step in advance has been made; and, be it remembered, there is no receding. "Forwards!" is the motto of the catholic and apostolic see; and forward it will go in spite of every opposition.

and read of the self-denying love of the devoted missionary, and has seen how much others have given up for Christ, has been led to ask what sacrifice he could make for his dear Lord and Master. "Could not he also assist to spread the knowledge of that only name whereby we must be saved?' Are there none in his own native land living in heathen ignorance, whom he might help to teach? none whose natural parents either neglect, or are entirely ignorant of their solemn duty, to whom he may almost supply a parent's part? How many a young Christian has been thus stirred up, by seeing the faithful missionary's discharge of his duties, to feel his own? And many a 'Sunday-school' could point to various groups gathered in deep and fixed attention round the centre of their little circle, listening to the simple explanation of God's holy word, drawn towards that centre by the powerful attraction of love; learning as much by the spirit and temper and looks of the teacher, as by his words, what a Christian is; and receiving those impressions, and becoming the depositaries of that knowledge, which under God's blessing, will in his own time bring forth fruits to life eternal. Many a 'ragged. school' has witnessed the untiring patience and the I need hardly tell you, gentlemen, that vast affectionate forbearance and persevering earnestness numbers have, during the past few years, embraced with which a young teacher has pursued his work the true faith, and become the sworn vassals-I there, and gradually reduced to order those who mean, the obedient children-of his holiness. You have never known it before, rivetted the attention cannot shut your eyes to this fact: you must of those whose eyes are used to wander with their know that the children of the holy father "are feet; and by the strange, and to them often enbecoming as numerous as the stars of heaven; tirely new, influence of kindness, tamed the wild that out of our abject poverty the catholic church and unbroken spirits of those who were like the has studded all the land with beautiful and costly, wild ass-colt. Many a young Christian has thus yea, magnificent temples, dedicated to the honour been led to become a home missionary,' to labour of religion and the worship and glory of the living for his Lord among the poor and ignorant heaGod. What blindness, what rashness, what mad-thens that crowd our own lanes and alleys and fill ness, then, for the heterogeneous mass of conflicting atoms to dream of resisting the progress of a compact, solid globe, rolling forward in happy and ruled order!"

But I fervently hope, gentlemen, that your verdict this day will be a means of opening the eyes of your countrymen generally to the folly and danger, yea, and the ingratitude of their clamours against the pope and his illustrious representative here, cardinal Wiseman. I trust that you will convince them that his eminence has not broken any law, either human or divine, in his endeavour to carry out the gracious design of his holiness; but, on the contrary, that he is ful

our courts; and trained in these mission-schools, and panting for larger work, has grown up into the scripture-reader, and even into the missionary. Well would it be for the church and for themselves, if every member of our society were enlisted in these blessed works. Certain it is that the young, as they learn their own safety in their Redeemer, will reflectively be led to see the danger of all who are without Christ, and thus have a missionary spirit, which is, in fact, the longing desire and earnest effort for others' salvation, kindled and fed" (Address of the Committee of the Church of England's Young Men's Society for aiding Missions at Home and Abroad),

of filial disobedience' inflicts.' Such is the testimony of this experienced minister. He adds : 'I am fully persuaded in my own mind that it is not to the want of mere education we are to look as a general cause of crime as much as to the want CHRIST LIFTED UP DRAWING MEN UNTO