HI TESTES PUERE. Rev. Edvardus Kenyon Gulielmus Hoghton Victor Zanetti Gulielmus et Catherina Talbot Anna Blanchard, soror fundatoris Alicia, Catharina, et Henrietta Taylors 1. Jacobus Cowban, mercator Elizabetha Southworth, mater familias LITHOTEMNI Mattheus Hargreaves, primus Robt. Townley Ios. Fielding Thos. Creary LAPICIDE. Isaac Coates Nich. Wilkinson FOSSORES Thos. Fielding The circumstance which you have just now witnessed, calls on me, from the the situation I shall, by the blessing of God, on some future day hold amongst you, to interest your attention for a few minutes.-A foundation has been laid on the surface of the land for an edifice, that will bid fair, when finished according to design, to emulate the piety of our forefathers and promote the great, the impor tant cause of religion. Within its hallowed walls will be offered to the Lord Almighty, the common father of us all, the adorable, the sublime sacrifice of the Christian law. Here will the sacraments be administered, holy rites ordained by Christ himself, as means mercifully established to raise a sinner from the depths of iniqui ty, and impart such heavenly graces as will bless his soul with a lively expectation of future glory. Here will God's com mands be made known, and his praises sung by children yet unborn, in distant ages, when our poor tenements of clay shall long have mouldered in the dust. The duties of social and domestic life will be explained from the sacred scriptures, and the interpretations of divine authori ty. Loyalty to our King, attachment to our happy Constitution, and obedience to the laws under which we live and are pro tected, will not be forgotten but enforced. These will be the great outlines of its interesting uses; uses, alas, in these our days, become pre-eminently essential.→ To stem the strong tide of disbelief, and to guard against the bigotry of private opinion, are unbounden duties; for we may err two ways, by believing too much, as by believing too little. We have lived France exhibited the sad scene, when to see infidelity in power; unhappy death was decreed to be an eternal sleep. Hence every mortal tie that held dear con When the stone was properly bedded by nexions together was dissolved and brothe workmen, Mr. BUTLER advanced token, and that fair land became an Acelit, and struck it with a mallet, then turning round, with a considerable degree of emotion, addressed the people in the following words" My good friends, I feel happy in your honouring me this day with your attendance; it is my sincere and only wish, that what is here intended to be done, may contribute to promote the good cause of morality, and give honour to the name of God." His feelings would not allow him to proceed. His surrounding friends then likewise struck the stone, and the Rev. EDWARD KENYON getting on it, thus addressed the assembled multitude, who listened with becoming attention. Gul. Miller." The whole of the persons whose names were engraved on the plate, walked in the procession from Pleasington Hall to the foundation, with Mr. Butler at their head, in the order in which they were affixed on the plate, with the addition of the following gentlemen, (whose names were written on a parchment in which the brass plate was wrapped previous to being deposited) who followed immediately after Mr. Leaf, viz. Mr. James Teebay, Mr. Lawrence Teebay, Rev. J. Bird, Rev. R. Thompson, V. G. Rev. B. Marsh, Rev. Thomas Sherburn, Mr. John Leigh, merchant, Mr. Edward Statham, merchant, and Mr. Francis Rush, jun. dama-a field of blood. In our own country, when fanaticism got possession of the supreme power, it upset the Constitution. But the establishment on which we are now proceeding, is not, nor ever will be, I trust, allied to either of these. I will not offend the personal attendance of our valuable friend Mr. Butler, whose piety and munificence have brought us here to-day, by giving vent to my feelings, in indulging in language, or what might be called fulsome expressions, that are suggested by these same feelings on this occasion.-Flattery, I have always considered an affront; I shall therefore resolve to satisfy my mind with simply stating: that on the strongest conviction, I do declare, that from no earthly motive, but from an impulse of gratitude to Almighty God, he proposes to erect this edifice, the better to promote the cause of morality and religion. Having said this, let me not be considered an intruder upon your attention, whilst in a few words I state to you the propriety, as it strikes my mind, of the ceremony which is going to take place. From the creation of the world, we read, altars were raised and victims sacrificed to the Almighty; hereby acknowledging his supreme power and dominion over all his creatures. Abel, Noah, Abraham, and the Patriarchs of old, called their families together to pay religious worship. Of the latter, we read, that to make the place more solemn, he planted a grove in Ber sabee, and there called on the Lord God eternal. Jacob, on his journey to Mesopotamia,as the scripture tells us,after sunset, gathered the stones that lay around him, and putting one under his head, he slept in the same place; during the night he was favoured with a mysterious vision, and when he awoke, he straight exclaimed, "the Lord is in this place, and I knew it not. How terrible is this place, it is no other than the house of God, and the gate of Heaven." He then took the stone which had served him for a pillow, and pouring oil upon its surface, gave it a solemn consecration in these words; "this stone shall be called Bethel, that is the house of God." With no less religious reverence have altars been raised, and places consecrated, under the Christian dispensation; though at first in a more concealed way, even from the dawn of our faith. But so soon as peace was given to the church by the first Christian Emperor, Constantine the Great, then did its temples rise, and to the wor ship of the one true God, lift their lofty spires on high. Some of them, even at this distance of time, are splendid monuments of his piety. For three hundred years, that persecution raged against the faith and law of Christ, numberless victims of every age, sex, and condition, sealed their religion with their blood. But when Christian liberty beamed upon the world, and enlightened bewildered Heathens, falling prostrate before the works of their own hands, thus sitting in darkness and in the shades of death; her sacred edifices were seen on every side, and to them was solemn consecration given. Churches, says St. Ambrose, are raised only to God; though under the title and invocation of the Saints. Altars also are memorials of Martyrs, but dedi cated to the Almighty. The ancient counsels ordered them to be consecrated by the unction of chrism, and the blessing of priests. The world is wicked, is defiled, saith the book of Revelations, it is become the habitation of devils, the hold of every unclean spirit, creatures in it groan under Satan's power, and are made the instru ments of sin. Hence the church commands every thing to be blessed in the name of God and prayer, before it is used for divine worship. 'Wherefore what will be witnessed, when this structure shall receive solemn consecration from our ecclesiastical superior, is not of modern date, but coeval with the Christian religion. It then will be humbly supplicated of the Almighty, that whoever shall enter this sacred edi. fice, when finished, for the purpose of asking any blessing from God, may return home rejoicing in the fond hope that he has obtained his request. It is to me a pleasing anticipation, to look to the hap py circumstance, when the influence of good example, and a strict adherence to the truths here taught, shall diffuse the mild virtues of Christian charity throughout all your dwellings, and make you happy around your fire sides. The religion of Jesus preaches peace, the whole drift of the gospel goes to frame the inhabitants into one society, that soci ety into the nature of one family, if I may so say, into one heart. Thus our forefa thers in the faith worshipped God.-They served him, saith the scripture, with one heart and one mind. By the blessing of Heaven. I sincerely pray, that this same disposition may live amongst you. I now thank you for this your kind indulgence, and shall conclude with one request, that whilst I am offering up a prayer to the Almighty, you will honour it with a pious and silent attention. Grant, O God, that this undertaking, directed to thy greater glory, and the ho nour of thy name, may receive thy divine protection: may all that are employed about it be saved from every danger; bear witness, that their labour has not been in vain, but blessed with every desired suc cess, through Jesus Christ, &c.' "The procession then returned to Pleas ington Hall in the same order which had been previously observed; and the day, which was very fine, was concluded happily for the company were regaled in a style which did honour to genuine English hospitality." : W. E. Andrews, Printer, 5, Orange-Street, Red Lion-Square. TH with our Dissenting brethren the exclusive concerns of the clergy, and then dragging his ecclesiastical superior, against his will, before a lay tribunal of Protestants, to undergo an inquisitorial examination into the motives of his conduct, because the venerable prelate thought proper to decline satisfying Mr. Butler's officious importunities on a subject purely spiritual. MODERN SYSTEM OF EDUCATION. HE publication of the second, third, and fourth Reports from the Select Committee appointed by the House of Commons to enquire into the education of the lower orders in the metropolis, has developed circumstances of the most important nature, and well-deserving the attention of all those who feel an interest in the welfare of religion, and the social happi--This feeling of indignation at such ness of the nation at large. To enter into the various topics embraced in the labours of this Committee is more than my present space will permit; they must form separate heads for discussion in future numbers. But I should be guilty of a weighty dereliction of duty, did I not call the attention of my Catholic brethren to that branch of it which more directly concerns them; and point out the mischievous conduct of those false brethren," who have been tampering with our opponents to entangle the unbending principles of our holy faith with the wavering fantasies of visionary enthusiasts and atheistical philosophers. In the present epitome will be found the evidence of Mr. Charles Butler, the Rev. Mr. Bramston, the Rev. Mr. Archer, the Right Rev. Dr. Poynter, together with extracts from the testimony given by other gentlemen, as connected with the conduct of the Catholic clergy, or the interest of the Catholic religion. The perusal of the above-mentioned evidence cannot fail of exciting one general sentiment of indignation in the Catholic mind, at the arrogance of Mr. Butler in presuming to arrange ORTHOD, JOURN, VOL. IV, 2. base treatment will be mingled, however, with a glow of admiration and pleasure at the firm and dignified answers given by the learned doctor to the illiberal and unfair questions put to him, as well as those of Mr. Bramston and Mr. Archer, both of whom are entitled to the highest praise for the unequivocal sentiments expressed by them, on this occasion, as to the elements of Catholic education. From a perusal of the whole evidence produced, and the nature of some questions put to almost all the Protestant witnesses, for the purpose of establishing an opinion that a greater degree of depravity dwells among the lower class of Irish than the English and Scotch, in consequence of their not being permitted to read the bible in discriminately, I am fully confirmed in my opinion that we are indebted to the Bloomsbury Bigots for the origin of this Parliamentary Inquisition, in the hope that its labours would produce what they have been so long endeavouring to promote, namely, still deeper and more malignant prejudices against the Catholic Church and its Ministers, than those which already 2 church men only, the labours of their supporters would be meritorious, because education, accompanied with religious instruction, although erroneous, is far less dangerous to the existence of society than the system adopted by the British and Foreign Schools, which can only lead to atheism and infidelity, the forerunners of sedition and rebellion. Well and truly has the latter system been styled by a French writer an anti-christian novelty; its principal directors are the disciples of illuminism and philophisism, and their operations are directed to the overthrow of revealed religion and monarchical government. "In the Lancasterian schools, (says M. Bergeron, in his pamphlet on the modern system of education introduced into France,) religion is entirely laid aside; it is, say they, the business of the Catholic curés. It follows that children of every religion are admissible, as is proved by the general register opened for the inscription of the children of every creed without distinction, whether they be Catholics, Protestants, or Jews. This promiscuous and crafty assemblage, as may easily be foreseen, will necessarily produce in the chil exist in a land ever boasting of its | selves to the reception of children) liberal and enlightened principles. For my own part, I rejoicc at the publication of these reports; it has displayed a scene of hypocrisy on the part of the leaders of the Protestant-Catholic Bible Society, and of treachery in those of the ProtestingCatholic-Dissenting Bible-venders, un paralleled, I believe, in the annals of Protestantism, or Jansenism, and the Catholic who does not perceive the dangers to which the children of his indigent but honest brethren are exposed, of being estranged from the faith of their forefathers, must be wilfully blind, and culpably negligent, if he does not contribute his means to rescue them from the abysses of infidelity which are opened to engulph them. From the evidence of the clergyman of the established church, and the dissenting minister; the governor of National schools, where every child must learn the Church catechism; or the manager of the seminaries of the British and Foreign School Society, where no religious instruction is given, but the children are left to form their own notions out of the scriptural lessons they are compelled to read, it appears that all are anxiously desirous to receive the children of poor Catho-dren of Catholic parents the habit of lics, who are in many instances conducted to church, and taught the catechism, as may be seen by the extracts which I have given from the evidence delivered by the Rev. Basil Woodd and Mr. Oliver Hatch. Here then we have the self-convicting testimony of church-men of their attempts to proselyte the children of Catholic pas rents, while not even the shadow of an accusation is brought against the Catholic clergy of endeavouring to seduce and kidnap the infants of Protestants: the only charge brought against them, a very heavy one to be sure, is, that they use their utmost ex. ertions among their flocks to prevent their children from being trepanned into dangerous receptacles, under pretence of obtaining education. Were the National schools to confine them believing in nothing, and of caring very little for a creed which has not been taught them from their youth.~ Thence the consummation of the general corruption of morals, and from thence the greatest evils shall yet weigh upon France, evils of which the king has, in his goodness, as well as in his justice, promised to deliver us in restoring religion."-These evils, which the writer so feelingly depicts as threatening France, are also suspended over this once happy country, formerly the seat of virtue and religion, but now the land of fanaticism and impiety.If we look around us, we discover vice and immorality cherished in every rank of life; hypocrisy clothed in the garb of religion; corruption assuming the name of loyalty party-spirit claiming the title of patriotism; into lerance decked out in the colours of by Dr. Poynter, the Roman Catholic liberty; and latitudinarianism covered Bishop, and Vicar Apostolic of the with the semblance of liberality. And London district, and by the other Roshall we, as Catholics, whose holy re- man Catholic priests, examined by the ligion condemns every species of deceit Committee. Dr. Poynter admits, that and falsehood, shall we assist in form- a great number of the children of the ing our offspring to become rebels to poor Roman Catholics in London are, their Maker, and dangerous to their from want of means, entirely destitute country, by neglecting to give them a of education, and that they have fallen CATHOLIC EDUCATION? God forbid ! into vicious and bad habits from their Let us then unite, and frustrate the at- ignorance. But while he allows that tempts of those "false brethren," who the Catholics themselves are unable to have been clandestinely exerting them- educate their children, he will not alselves to favour the anti-christian sys- low their Protestant fellow-subjects to tem of giving education to Catholic supply the deficiency on any terms or children at the hazard of forfeiting modifications whatever. Against every their religious principles. This will practicable plan of education, he and best be done, by raising funds for the the priests connected with him have purpose of clothing the naked, to ena- resolutely set their face. All selecble them to attend school, which is tions from the Bible, even of parts stated to be the main obstacle to filling where the versions of the two churches the present excellent Catholic schools agree, are rejected. An education unestablished in this metropolis. A so- connected with religion at all has been ciety upon this plan has already been proposed, this will not do, they say, formed to clothe the children of poor because Catholic education comprises Catholics in St. Giles's, and its vici- religious instruction; and as religious nity; and I hope to see similar oues instruction, according to them, can only rise up in different parts of the metro-be given by the Catholic clergy, who polis, well supported by the charitable and wealthy. INSTANCE OF GROSS MISREPRESENTATION, A circumstance attending the late inquisitorial examination of Dr. Poynter and the Catholic clergymen, must here be noticed, as it conveys the clearest proof of the dexterity | of Protestants in the art of misrepresentation. In the Morning Chronicle of the 21st inst. the following observations were prefixed to the evidence of the venerable Vicar Apostolic:"We have already given extracts at considerable length from the minutes of evidence published in the first Report of the Select Committee, appointed to inquire into this important subject. This Report has been followed by a second, third, and fourth, in which much very valuable information is also contained. One part of this evidence we have not been able to read without feelings of a painful nature. We allude to the evidence given It is ad from the paucity of their number com- |