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catholics and protestants, let it always be the controversy of scholars and gentlemen: -such controversy as was waged between Laud and Fisher ; between Chillingworth and Knott:-such as we find in the elegant letters of father Scheffmacher; and the learned treatise of doctor Isaac Barrow. Such, in fine, as we meet with in doctor Milner's " Letters to a Prebendary," and in his " End of Contro"versy:" I have greatly availed of these in the letters which I now have the honour to address to you. I particularly recommend the perusal of them to you, and to every protestant, who sincerely wishes to be informed of our religious tenets, of the arguments by which we support them, and of the history of the English roman-catholics since the Reformation.

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LETTER IV.

CAUSES WHICH PROMOTED THE SUCCESS OF CHRISTIANITY AMONG THE ANGLO-SAXONS.

SIR,

THIS is an important chapter. A romancatholic will peruse with pleasure the ample tribute of commendation which you pay, in parts of it, to the conduct of the roman missionaries; to the doctrine which they preached; and to the manner in which they preached it. Still you are sometimes unjust to them. On these parts of the chapter I shall offer some observations: I shall show,I. That the conduct of the missionaries was, under Providence, the chief cause of their success in preaching the gospel :-II. I shall notice an unfounded charge brought by you, in this chapter,. against the Anglo-Saxon clergy:—And III. examine your assertion, that the faith of the Welch was purer than that taught by St. Augustine to the Anglo-Saxons.

IV. 1.

The Conduct of the Missionaries was, under Providence, the chief Cause of their Success.

You ask,-why "christianity should have been "established so early, and with such little struggle "in England, seeing that its introduction into "heathen countries has, in later centuries, been "found so exceedingly difficult, as at one time to be

generally considered hopeless, and almost impos"sible, without a miracle?" You assign for its early and quiet establishment among the AngloSaxons several natural causes. I coincide with you in opinion, that all the causes you mention were favourable to the introduction and propagation of christianity in England. Several natural causes had, in like manner, been favourable to its introduction and propagation in the Roman world. All history shows, that the wisdom of Providence frequently uses the circumstances of mankind as instruments for its purposes; and thus frequently accomplishes its designs, partially at least, by human

means.

But, was not the success of the Anglo-Saxon apostles principally owing, under Providence, to their correspondence with the graces and gifts, which it pleased the Almighty to bestow upon them? None of the circumstances mentioned by you to have been favourable to the introduction and extension of the gospel among the AngloSaxons, existed in some of the countries in which it was preached by St. Augustine's disciples; yet the success of the disciples was every where equal to the success of their Master. Should it not, therefore, be chiefly attributed to their having possessed the same virtues ?

In how many portions of the habitable globe have roman-catholic missions, even under the most discouraging circumstances, been attended with equal success? In opposition to the ruling powers, and often under severe persecutions, countless conver

sions have been made by roman-catholic missionaries in Madura, Cochin-china, Tonquin, the empire of China, the peninsula of Corea; among the Hurons, Miamis, Illinois, and other tribes of North America, among the savages of Paraguay, Uraguay and Pa-: nama; among the wild Moxos, Chiquits and Canizians. All these countries have been watered with the blood of roman-catholic missionaries; and, to use the well-known expression of Tertullian, "their "blood became the seed of the church."

Consider the spectacle recently exhibited in Ireland! There, the priests live among their poor and famished flocks, comforting and sharing their scanty pittance with them; zealously and laboriously instructing them in the saving truths of religion, administering to them its rites and comforts, and scarcely known to any but to them. On a sudden, some unwise Bible missionaries obtruded themselves on their flocks; strove to make them disobedient to their pastors, and to proselytize them to the state-religion. Thus assailed, these obscure, but worthy priests, started up, in all the panoply of religion, learning and eloquence. What historical fact, what argument, did the subject of discussion call for or admit, which they did not produce? What form of eloquence did they not display? It was a proud day for the catholics of Ireland. Can you any where find a set of clergymen, who, thus suddenly called upon, could have rendered such an account of their faith? Is it to be wondered, that such men announce the word of God with success?

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IV. 2.

Unfounded Charge brought in this Chapter against the Anglo-Saxon Clergy.

TOWARDS the middle of this chapter*, you broadly describe the missionaries, as "politic in "contrivance; little scrupulous concerning the "measures which they employed, because they were persuaded that any measures were justifiable, "if they conduced to bring about the good end "which was their aim."

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You must admit, that the principle which you impute in this place to the Anglo-Saxon missionaries is most nefarious, and fraught with the worst consequences. You must also admit, that a charge of this nature, when it is brought against an individual, can only be proved by producing either his own acknowledgment of it, or else such facts as establish it by just inference; and that, when it is brought against a body of men, it can only be proved by producing a multiplicity of such acknowledgments, or a multiplicity of such facts. But in the present case, where are these acknowledgments? Where are these facts?

IV. 3.

Alleged purer Faith of the Welch.

"THE Saxons," you inform us, "received christianity with its latest ceremonials, additions, and

* Vol. 1, p. 55, 56.