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m of that prejudice. That led him to say as recorded, Acts 10: 34, 35, "Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons, but in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him." This sounds a little different from the Duke's premises. It is a little unlike the language of later Popes. They have not taken their cue from Peter. Peter was a little of a Catholic at first, but he soon got rid of it.

Now, if what the Catholics say about there being no salvation out of their church, is not true-if there is no Scripture for it, but much against it—if even Peter controverts it, it certainly does not constitute a very good reason for being a Catholic. Suppose that Protestants should give out to the world that none but themselves can be saved, would that make Protestantism any better, or safer, or worthier of adoption? Would our religion be more entitled to reception, it' we should publish that Fenelon was lost forever, and that Pascal was excluded from heaven, and Masillon too, just because they were not Protestants, but in communion with the Church of Rome? I think not. Nor can I think that the Roman Catholic religion is entitled to increased respect and veneration, because Catholics assert as an undoubted verity, that such men as Locke, Newton, Leighton, Howard, and many others are beyond all question, in hell, not even admitted to purgatory, because, forsooth, they were not Catholics.

But the Duke's inference is from a double premiss. Not only do Catholics say no Protestant can be saved; but Protestants allow that Catholics may. If Protestants were to say that Catholics could not be saved,

then they would be even with each other, and there could be no argument in the case. But since Protestants allow that others besides themselves may be saved, while Catholics deny it, therefore the Catholic religion is the safer. See what credit the Catholics give our declarations when they seem to work in their favor. They build a whole argument on one. Why do they not give us equal credence, when we declare that the probability of salvation among Protestants is much greater than among Catholics?

But what is it after all that Protestants allow ? They allow that some Roman Catholics may be saved. They allow that the fact of a person's being externally related to the Catholic church does not of itself shut him out from salvation-that if he believes with his heart in the Lord Jesus, and truly repents of his sins, he will be saved, though a Catholic: and that the fact of his being a Catholic, though much against him, does not preclude the possibility of his being a genuine penitent and a true believer. This is the length and breadth of our admission. It admits, as every one must see, not that there is salvation by the Catholic religion, but in spite of it, to some who professedly adhere to that religion. If a Catholic holds understandingly to the merit of good works, the insufficiency of Christ's sacrifice, the worship of creatures, or similar unscriptural doctrines, we do not see how he can be saved; but we believe many, called Catholics,, reject these doctrines in fact, though not perhaps in word, and rely on Christ's atonement alone for salvation. Now if Catholics are so absurd as not to admit in our favor as much as we admit in theirs, we can't help it, and we don't care for it. It is just

as they please. We shall not take back our admission for the sake of making proselytes to Protestantism-and if they can draw off any from us by their exclusive notions, they are welcome to them.

But I must call the reader's attention to the extent of the Duke's inference. He infers the perfect safety of the Catholic religion, because Protestants admit that some Catholics may be saved! But is that a safe spot of which this only can be said that some of the persons occupying it, may possibly escape? And is it madness to occupy any other spot? The Duke exclaims, "What a madness then were it, for any man not to go over to the Roman Catholics, who may be saved in the judgment of their adversaries: but to sort himself with these, who, according to Roman Catholics, are out of the way ?" What a madness indeed, not to join a people who may not all be lost! O what a madness to continue to be Protestants, when Roman Catholics say that they are out of the way! What if they do say so? What if every Jesuit missionary has ever so constantly affirmed? I suppose a Jesuit can say what is not so, as well as any body else. I suppose it is not naturally impossible for one being a Jesuit, I will not say to lie, but to err. He goes on like a very Aristotle. "Who would not advise a man to take the safest way when he is threatened with any evident danger?" Certainly noble Duke, the safest way; but not of course the way which some say is safest. There are a great many safest ways, if all which are said to be safest, are so. But his highness proceeds: "And does not that way which two opposite parties approve of, promise greater security than another which one party only recom

mends, and which the other condemns ?" But that is not so. The two parties do not approve of it. So far from it that the Protestant declares the Catholic way to be an exceedingly dangerous way, while his own way, though pronounced by the Catholic to be fatal, can claim the most respectable testimony that it is the true and safe way. Then comes an illustration, which like a great many other illustrations, is well constructed, but happens to be totally inapplicable to the case in hand, "Who, in fine, can doubt, but that a medicine prescribed by two physicians may be taken with more security than another which one of the two judges may be his death?" How the Duke rolls on his argument! Just now the Protestant only admitted the possibility of the Catholic's salvation. Then he is represented as approving the Catholic way-and immediately after as prescribing it! It is easy proving any thing, if one may make facts to suit his purpose. I believe it is not true that Protestants prescribe the Catholic religion to those who ask them what they shall do to be saved.

People must become Catholics, if they pleasc, but 1 would advise them to look out for better reasons for the change than the Duke of Brunswick's fifty; and especially than this, his seventh. It is a poor reason for becoming a Catholic that they say they are the people, and haughtily bid all others stand by, because they are holier. I cannot think it so great a recommendation of a religion, that it denounces, and so far as it can, damns all who cannot see their way clear to embrace it.

51. The Duke's Eleventh Reason,

I don't know what is to become of our Protestant religion, with so many reasons against it. I don't know but we shall all have to go back again to the Catholic church, compelled by the cogency of argument. Fifty reasons why the Roman Catholic religion ought to be preferred to all others! Only think. And some of them that I don't find any answer to in any Protestant writer! Such a one is the eleventh of the formidable series. In the three preceding reasons or considerations, as he calls them, the Duke had been giving us the result of his inquiries. It seems he was quite an investigator. He searched almost every book but the Scriptures. He looked for what he wanted every where but where the thing was. When a man is inquiring after the truth, and consults the philosophers, the fathers, the martyrs, and all the saints, I cannot see where is the harm of just looking into the prophets, the evangelists, and the apostles too. I don't know why they should be treated with such neglect; I think they are quite as respectable writers as some of the fathers. But be this as it may, the Duke, in his eighth consideration, tells us about his consulting the writings of the aûcient fathers, to find what they would advise him to do, whether to embrace the Roman Catholic faith or no. And he says they all told him to be a Roman Catholic by all means. Then says he in his ninth consideration, "I appealed to the saints of God, and asked them what was the faith they lived in, and by which they arrived at eternal bliss." And they said.

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