pel truth, had not shed their irradiating light; -nor to whom it was given "to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven;"* but being naturally impelled, by the strong impulse of an anxious and investigating mind, in a subject, which, from its infinite importance, was beginning to gain his earnest solicitude, was constrained eagerly to inquire, "what is Truth?"†-well may we, who have professedly enlisted ourselves under the glorious banner of the Cross; and who have been "called out of darkness into marvellous light;"‡ exclaim, in our bitter and sullen contempt, of the waywardness and unfaithfulness of our common humanity;-"WHERE IS TRUTH?" At the present calamitous period, when the defection of an abandoned and unprincipled faction, no longer hides itself in the dark abodes of unsuspected villany, and undetected hypocrisy, but stalks abroad in Colossal greatness, in the light of open day, throughout almost every order of society; -glorying in all the corrupt principles of unbridled, licentious, sensual nature; in Infidelity and every species of Blasphemy; and in a fashionable contempt of those venerable, and established institutions, which have for so many ages, been eminently blessed, as proper and adequate instruments, in guiding and mollifying men's unruly passions; in keeping a salutary check on their froward wills;-and directing the united, and concentrated energies of legitimately constituted power, into such useful channels, that served as safe conductors to the whole community;-and consequently produced the invariable results of well-ordered Government and duly exercised power,-namely, harmony, stability, strength, and security :-when, I say, we see such a defection, gathering daily strength and accumulated force, from a

of Daubuz, the Introduction of Hurd, and the learned dissertations of Faber; which, though with some trifling discrepancies, yet upon the whole, materially coincide in substance.)

* Matt. xiii. 11.

† John xviii, 38.

$ 1 Peter ii. 9.

combination, and admixture of contradictory and hetetogeneous parts ;---whose means however various they may be, still their object is confessedly the same; the effects on the common safeguards of Society are the same; and their principles are identically the same ;-if principles they can indeed be called, which are at once bartered, compromised, and sacrificed, in the unlawful obtainment of their darling object, and possession of their ill-gotten spoil:-Yes, when these awfully pernicious effects, in connexion with their contaminated, and rapidly contaminating source, meet the eye of the religious and reflecting observer of the elemental principles, which enter into the rise, revolutions, and decline of empires;-his imagination riots, and his mind flounders, in the vast ocean of unlimited speculation, except he founds his survey, and terminates his investigations, within the limit of those boundaries, which are mercifully assigned, as directing beacons in the Book of Revelation, to the finite intelligences of erring creatures, by no less than the finger of Omnipotence, and the mind of Omniscience.

And who is there, that approaches these unerring records of Divine truths, in a teachable spirit of humility; but will not readily perceive the perfect adaptation, to the present times, of the just rebukes and reproachful expressions; which proceeded from the lips of the Inspired Prophets, as they contemplated and experienced even among "a special people,"* a prevailing apostacy from the God of their fathers; and a growing ingratitude in return for the lovingkindness, and oft-repeated deliverances of their Creator? Who is there, that is "zealous for his God; "†aye, who is there, that so faithfully regards in the sincere discharge of his sacred office, the Apostolic precept, as ingenuously and honestly "to speak, exhort, and rebuke;"‡ even as, "to have always a conscience void of offence toward God and men;" will not cry aloud, as well in sovereign contempt of the lowering frowns of corrupt wordlings, as of the infamous truckling, the cringing subserviency, -the low flatteries of hungry parasites, and place-hunting jobbers ; who, being like king David's troops, "every one that is in distress, and every one that is in debt, and every one that is discontented; "* or, if you please, like the dependant, intimidated, suborned, hungry, and pensioned Italian Bishops, who voted at the Council of Trent, where the cause was to be for ever ended, as they were driven or paid by the Papal Court; †-hesi

* 1 Sam. xxii. 2.

† The Italians, who were present in the packed Council of Trent, amounted to 187; while those of other nations mustered only 80. Did not the inimitable Bishop Jewel, in his immortal and unanswerable Apology, rightly exclaim, " in the name of common sense, how could the last Council of Trent be called General, when it was attended by only forty Bishops from all the different Christian Kingdoms and States? And among these Bishops some were so ignorant, that they needed the instruction of a Schoolmaster; some so utterly destitute of knowledge that they had never read the Scriptures"!!! (See Jewel's Apology, chap. vi.) But is it, any wonder, Sir, that this great Bishop put common sense to the test, when only forty Bishops made their appearance out of Italy, France, Spain, England, Germany, Denmark, Scotland, Asia, Greece, Armenia, Persia, Media, Mesopotamia, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Mauritania, and many other districts, where Christian Bishops, and all the primitive Institutions of Apostolic Episcopacy, have for ages been acknowledged, and established. Nor is there any wonder also, that the learning of the members of this Council, ill accorded with the views of Jewel on this subject; to whom no part of Divinity, Philosophy, Science, or Literature was unknown; for the comprehensive grasp of his sublime genius had mastered the whole circle of Sacred, and Profane learning. This great Bishop's opinion, however, was not unique:-consult (Alphonso de Castro, lib. i. cap. 4. "Adversus Hæreses.")-and we are there told, that some Popes are so totally ignorant, that they do not even comprehend the rules of Grammar. I would not have cited this author, had I not found upon research in Dupin, one of your Maynooth church historians; (See Appendix to Eighth Report of Commissioners of Irish Education, No. 67.) that, Alphonso, was a celebrated writer belonging to your own communion, being a Spanish friar of the Franciscan order, and so great a favorite in the strong-holds of Popery, as to have accompanied Philip II. to England, and died just as he was appointed Archbishop of Compostella. I will only trouble you with one more authority on this topic, as I intend giving it on a future occasion, a

tate not, like the latter, to make an impious offering of the approving smiles of Heaven, and imperishable Truth of Almighty God, on the unhallowed altar of perjury, bribery, and other such concomitants, of unprincipled Liberalism, and its confederate Infidelity?

lengthened dissertation. The authority I now cite, is no less than Erasmus; your own, your favorite Erasmus: many of whose remarks, I find, have been introduced, of course, by your special permission, into your juvenile works, for the perusal of your Donegall-Street school children, who have the advantage of your daily personal inspection: these books being transmitted to me, are now in my possession. This same Erasmus (in Epistolam Hieronymi ad Eustochium.) discoursing on some learned Popish Doctors, says, "Sibi videntur Semidei miro supercilio præ se despicientes Grammaticos; qui si Grammaticæ litassent, non ad hunc modum se pueris deridendos propinarent;" which is as much as to say, that those learned Romanists "consider themselves Demigods, and look down with supercilious contempt on Grammarians; it had however been much more to their advantage, to have acquired a perfect knowledge of Grammar, and not have subjected themselves to the Scorn and Derision of schoolboys and infants." Was it for this, and innumerable other envenomed shafts, hurled so furiously against the Clergy, the Doctrines, the Vices, and the Corruptions of the Papacy, with all the bitterest poignancy of pointed sarcasm and satyr; that, the wily Jesuit of Lincoln's-Inn, Butler, in his (Life of Erasmus, in chap. xii.) informs his readers, that Pope Paul III. designed to confer the Dignity of Cardinal upon Erasmus; and appointed him to the Provostship of Daventer, with a handsome revenue, and to other lucrative posts? The learned Doctor, unwittingly no doubt, solves the difficulty, and furnishes us also with a slight specimen of the Pope's intriguing, to gain at a most eventful crisis, the splendid talents of the wavering Erasmus, to plead, in return for his Lordly patronage and costly presents, in behalf of the Vatican cause and interests, among the other Roman hirelings, at the approaching Council of Trent; for mark the words of the letter of Paul III. to Erasmus, precisely as given by Butler:" We therefore exhort you, my son!-you, on whom God has bestowed so much talent and knowledge, to assist us in these our holy labours; this, you are well enabled to do, by aiding in common with us, the Catholic cause, by your words and writings, both before and after the council, which, with the help of God, we propose to assemble:"-Alas! what an ungrateful son, of so loving and so affectionate a Sire!!! I would fearlessly engage with the weapons only, that Erasmus' writings could supply, to disprove, confute, and expose all the corruptions, enormities, and novelties of the Roman Apostacy. But of the Coun

[To be continued.]

INVALUABLE GEMS,

FROM

The best Writers, and the most approved Authorities.

"" It now lieth upon you to lay the foundation of a firm security for your religion, your laws, and your liberties. I trust in God, that He will complete His own work, by sending a spirit of peace and union to influence your councils, that no interruption may be given to a happy and lasting settlement. The dangerous condition of the Protestant Interest in Ireland, requiring A LARGE AND SPEEDY Succour, and the present state of things abroad, oblige me to tell you, that next to the danger of unseasonable divisions among yourselves, nothing can be so fatal as Too GREAT DELAY in your consultations. The STATES by whom I HAVE BEEN ENABLED TO RESCUE THIS NATION, may suddenly feel the ill effects of it, both by being too long deprived of the service of their troops which are now here, and of YOUR EARLY ASSISTANCE against A POWERFUL ENEMY, who hath DECLARED WAR against them. And as England is by treaty already engaged to help them upon. any such exigencies, so I am confident that THEIR CHEERFUL CONCURRENCE TO PRESERVE this kingdom with so much hazard to themselves WILL MEET ALL THE RETURNS OF FRIENDSHIP and ASSISTANCE, which may be expected from you as Protestants and Englishmen, whenever their condition shall require it."

"WILLIAM HENRY, PRINCE OF ORANGE,

"Given at St. James's, this 22d day of January, 1689.

(The above is an extract, from a Letter, addressed by His Highness the Prince of Orange, to the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, assembled in Convention as a Parliament at Westminster, January 22d, 1689. See Echard, vol. iii. p. 956, and State-tracts, T. 1. p. 104.)

"Born and educated in this country, I glory in the name of BRITON, and the peculiar happiness of my life will ever consist in promoting the welfare of a people, whose loyalty and warm affection to me, I consider as the greatest and most permanent security of my throne; and I doubt not, but their STEADINESS IN THESE PRINCIPLES will equal the FIRMNESS of MY INVARIABLE RESOLUTION to adhere to, and strengthen, THIS EXCELLENT CONSTITUTION in CHURCH and STATE." -First Royal Speech of KING GEORGE THE THIRD.

"Far be it from me, my Lords, to shackle or to fetter the conscience of any man; but equally far be it from me, to PULL DOWN BY RASH INNOVATION, ANY OF THE VENERABLE PILLARS OF THE CONSTITUTION. All that can be given with reason and concience I am prompt to give. But, my Lords, the CONSTITUTION I CANNOT, DARE NOT, WILL NOT, GIVE. I must uphold and support, WITH THE LAST EFFORT OF MY nature, the Establishment in Church and State, as the GREAT STEP by which the House of Brunswick ascended that throne."-Speech of H. R. H. Ernest Augustus, Duke of Cumberland, when the Popish Petition was presented in the House of Lords, May 10th, 1805: -a speech which contains a luminous and eloquent portrait of the motives which actuated our constitutional ancestors in selecting the BRUNSWICK FAMILY, to wield the regal sceptre over these countries; and perspicuously elucidates the principles which immortalize the memory of various magnanimous members of this illustrious lineage.