of their knowledge of the Scriptures of their attachment to the country which feeds and supports them. We ask,

in the name of common sense, whether it is reasonable, that Englishmen should be taxed to support a College, which sends forth these libellers on her laws and religionwhich satirizes all her religious, charitable, and commercial institutions-which slanders her national reputation, and dares to place her below Popish countries, in virtue, morals, civilization and social happiness?

But the perfection of Jesuit presumption could never be fully conceived, till the arrival of the Apostolic Letter of Pope Pius, "for a perpetual remembrance of the thing," -Ad perpetuam rei memoriam.

It is difficult to read this Letter with gravity. It is difficult to suppose, that the fugitive of Gaëta-the prisoner in the Vatican the bondsman of France, should dream he possessed the sway of Great Britain. But, listen to his decree:"Thus, in the most flourishing kingdom of England, there shall be one single Ecclesiastical Province."-This carries us back to times, when monarchs held their thrones at the will of the Supreme Pontiff. As the Dublin Reviewer remarks,

"Popery is the only religion that ever brought an offending sovereign, to kneel in sorrowing humiliation, as a suppliant for pardon, at the feet of the common Father of the Faith," p. 386.-How beatific to behold Queen Victoria holding the stirrup of Pio Nono!

Surely the Jesuits must have been deprived of their habitual cunning and sagacity, when they dotted out their map of England into Romish dioceses. They forgot the wisdom of their predecessors, who about two centuries ago strongly deprecated such a suicidal project to promote Popery in England.* It is no common intervention of Providence, * Part I. pp. 122—124.

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which should thus catch them in their own craftiness,' which should "make the diviners mad"-We hail it, as a favourable omen, that the Court of Rome, under the influence of the Society, should thus have acquired no wisdom from adversity. Whilst itself in chains, it has dreamed of bringing all England under its dominion! Such delusions look like the visions of madness, rather than the designs of conspiracy-velut ægri somnia. They are like the convulsions of disease and approaching dissolution-not the grasp of fortitude and intellect.

We

Still let us not rely on national strength and wisdom. must implore the arm and succour of Heaven to aid us in a righteous cause. It was by the divine blessing and assistance, that we escaped the dangers of the French revolution, and struggled through the long contest for our laws and liberties, our altars and firesides. Perhaps the next conflict may be still more tremendous-a war between Popery and Protestantism—between religious despotism and religious liberty. In such a strife, the Jesuits would lead the van against us. We trust that we are prepared for the encounter. Our cause is that of the Bible, our Country, our Queen, our Constitution.

CHAPTER XIX.

THE SPREAD of inFIDELITY IN ENGLAND CO-EXTENSIVE WITH THE SPREAD OF ROMANISM-ITS EFFECT ON THE WORKING CLASSES -THE

GENTRY-THE CLERGY-MARIOLATRY-ITS INFLUENCE ON FEMALES-PROTESTANTISM AND POPERY CONTRASTED SYNOD OF THURLES-THEIR RESPECTIVE INFLUENCE ON CIVIL LIBERTY -FREEDOM OF CONSCIENCE AND A FREE PRESS ESSENTIAL TO PROTESTANTISM-TRACTARIANISM-ITS ILLUSORY EXPECTATIONS —JESUITISM HOSTILE TO FREE INSTITUTIONS-ITS INABILITY TO REPRESS INFIDELITY-THE RESULT.

LOYALTY and patriotism are excellent qualities-they are the indigenous virtues of Britain; but they cannot avail against all dangers. There is confessedly a large portion of religious infidelity lurking in this country, both amongst the higher and lower classes. We think it is not so prevalent amongst the middle, or trading part of the community. But it infects a considerable number of literary men, especially those who live by the exercise of their wits. The question is, whether the presence of a Romish hierarchy, with all its pompous shows and processions-its bold assertions of modern miracles,—and above all, with that perpetual miracle, which it professes in Transubstantiation,* will not greatly

* The argument of Tillotson against Transubstantiation should never be forgotten. It may be thus stated in a logical form :-The belief of

multiply both secret and avowed unbelievers, and do much injury to what is now universally considered the moral and historic evidence of Divine Revelation. We are clearly of opinion that such will be the result, and we shall briefly state the grounds of that opinion.

It is notorious that in all Popish countries, infidelity is quite as prevalent as superstition, and that it extends to a large portion of the priesthood. "Amongst my numerous acquaintances," says Blanco White, "in the Spanish Clergy, I have never met with any one possessed of bold talents, who has not, sooner or later, changed from the most sincere piety, to a state of unbelief.” *-The unfortunate author became himself a living witness to this sweeping assertion. The moral consequences of any suspicions of infidelity amongst the Ministers of the Altar, can scarcely be appreciated in this free-spoken, free-printing, and free-thinking land. Amongst that portion of the labouring orders, already inclined to unbelief, the pomps and ceremonies of the Romish Church would chiefly excite derision and contempt. Admirers of medieval architecture-men of mystic devotion—devotees of the Fathers, and Advocates of Apostolic succession, can view even Romish pomps and ceremonies and all the teachings of the Mass-book, with secret awe and solemnity, and with earnest desires and yearnings for their universal adoption. But to the keen enquiring eye of the mechanic or artizan, they look like so much imposture and hypocrisy. This is an age, when even Court ceremonies are curtailed— when Bishops have dispensed with their wigs-physicians with their gold-headed canes-when gentlemen dress in

Transubstantiation is founded on the contradiction of our senses. The belief of all other miracles is founded on their assent. Therefore, Transubstantiation contradicts our belief in all other miracles.

* Doblado's Letters from Spain, p. 126.

blouses and round hats-when ladies of fashion affect almost a quaker-like simplicity-what then would be the effect of pompous processions of priests, adorned in Romish vestments, images of the Virgin, the Cross and the Crucifix, and all "the mummeries" of Popish pageantry? We have no hesitation in affirming, that it would greatly tend to bring real religion into contempt and suspicion-that it would impart a new impulse to popular infidelity, and provoke the sneers and scoffs of multitudes of the commonalty.

Its effect on the higher orders would be of another kind. Some, no doubt, would be allured into Romanism by these shewy exhibitions. It would attract the admiration of ladies, who frequent the opera and the ball-room. It would also tell upon those who like gorgeous spectacles, whether at the Church or theatre. But it would be weighed at nothing more than its worth, by the nobility and gentry of England. Such religious spectacles soon tire upon the eye; but they leave a long corroding canker upon the heart, particularly, if predisposed to indifference or mockery.

No one can have frequented genteel society without perceiving, how much latent, nay, even avowed infidelity, exists amongst our men of fashion, especially amongst those who have lived long on the Continent. Their doubts and shrugs they picked up abroad, but they have not forgotten them on their return. They still make merry with the monks and friars of Rome, and with all the trumpery they have witnessed at Naples, Venice, Madrid, or Vienna. Could they behold the same exhibitions in England, they would view her with the same irreligious scorn and contempt. They might allow their wives and daughters to go to mass, but they would beg to be personally excused the ceremony. They would become "honorary members of all religions."

Now nothing can be more hazardous to the morals and