As allusion has been made in the course of this controversy to Mr. John Wesley, we give below his thoughts on the evil tendency of the peculiarities of the Roman Catholic doctrine in respect to the peace of civil society. We do this not with a view to sound an unnecessary alarm in this land, where we think it hardly possible, however much it may be desired or sought after, for any one sect to gain such a predominant influence as to oppress or violently persecute another. In the event of such a catastrophe, however, we should be unwilling to trust ourselves in the hands of any such predominant sect, as history abundantly confirms the truth of the remark, that give men the power, and they will easily persuade themselves that it is doing God service' to persecute their neighbors, even for difference in religious belief. There is in fact no bigotry so indomitable as religious bigotry, nor any hatred so unrelenting as religious hatred. Let the sad tales of religious persecution confirm the truth of this remark. On this account our fathers who founded this republic, instructed from the pages of history, excluded, by the constitution which binds us together, and which is the supreme law of the land, the possibility, so long as that instrument shall be held sacred, of any sectarian preference or religious establishment. The whole frame of our civil society, therefore, must be altered, and an entire new order of things established, before intolerance can be introduced into our civil code, or religious persecution become legalized.

At present, therefore, we think there is no call for the many warnings which are given to guard against the encroachments of the Roman Catholics upon our civil and religious liberties; although it is not amiss for all people to be awake, and to exercise a cautious vigilance, that neither Catholics nor Protestants should be allowed gradually to undermine the fair fabric which has been erected at the expense of so many sacrifices, lest in an evil hour our rights and privileges should be wrested from us. That incipient efforts have been made to grasp at political power and pre-eminence, and that some ambitious hearts may still palpitate from a strong desire to become the favored few' who might enjoy the fruit of political superiority, may be granted; but yet it seems to us much more certain that the folly of all such is sufficiently manifest to defeat their object; and moreover that it will require years of darkness and superstition to succeed the present age of light and liberal feeling, before any such religious and intolerant bigots could work with any prospect of success. At present we ask not for toleration, because there is no power to tolerate; nor fear persecution, because there is no arm to persecute; and we hope that neither we ourselves nor our posterity shall ever have reason to ask for the one, or to fear the other. Here follows the extract from Mr. Wesley :With persecution I have nothing to do. I persecute no man for

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his religious principles. Let there be as "boundless a freedom in religion," as any man can conceive. But this does not touch the point: I will set religion, true or false, utterly out of the question. Suppose the Bible, if you please, to be a fable, and the Koran to be the word of God. I consider not, whether the Romish religion be true or false; I build nothing on one or the other supposition.Therefore away with all your commonplace declamation about intolerance and persecution for religion. Suppose every word of Pope Pius's creed to be true; suppose the council of Trent to have been infallible; yet, I insist upon it, that no government, not Roman Catholic, ought to tolerate men of the Roman Catholic persuasion.

I prove this by a plain argument: (let him answer it that can:) That no Roman Catholic does or can give security for his allegiance, or peaceable behavior, I prove thus. It is a Roman Catholic maxim, established not by private men, but by a public council, that "No faith is to be kept with heretics." This has been openly avowed by the council of Constance; but it never was openly disclaimed. Whether private persons avow or disavow it, it is a fixed maxim of the Church of Rome. But as long as it is so, nothing can be more plain, than that the members of that Church can give no reasonable security to any government of their allegiance or peaceable behavior. Therefore, they ought not to be tolerated by any government, Protestant, Mohammedan, or Pagan.

You may say, "Nay, but they will take an oath of allegiance.” True, five hundred oaths; but the maxim, " No faith is to be kept with heretics," sweeps them all away as a spider's web. So that still, no governors, that are not Roman Catholics, can have any security for their allegiance.

Again. Those who acknowledge the spiritual power of the pope can give no security of their allegiance to any government; but all Roman Catholics acknowledge this: therefore, they can give no security for their allegiance.

The power of granting pardons for all sins, past, present, and to come, is, and has been for many centuries, one branch of his spiritual

power.

But those who acknowledge him to have this spiritual power can give no security for their allegiance: since they believe the pope can pardon rebellions, high treason, and all other sins whatsoever.

The power of dispensing with any promise, oath, or vow, is another branch of the spiritual power of the pope. And all who acknowledge his spiritual power must acknowledge this. But whoever acknowledges the dispensing power of the pope can give no security of his allegiance to any government.

Oaths and promises are none; they are light as air—a dispensation makes them all null and void.

Nay, not only the pope, but even a priest has power to pardon sins! This is an essential doctrine of the Church of Rome. But they that acknowledge this, cannot possibly give any security for their allegiance to any government. Oaths are no security at all; for the priest can pardon both perjury and high treason.

Setting then religion aside, it is plain, that upon principles of reason,

no government ought to tolerate men, who cannot give any security to that government for their allegiance and peaceable behavior. But this no Romanist can do, not only while he holds that "No faith is to be kept with heretics," but so long as he acknowledges either priestly absolution, or the spiritual power of the pope.'

While we are combatting the errors of popery, it becomes a very important question, What are the most judicious means for Protestants to use in order to bring the Roman Catholics to the knowledge of the truth as it is in Jesus? Doubtless one is to detect and expose their errors in the spirit of meekness. This being done, the understanding is left open to its free exercise, and for the reception of truth. But the work is only half accomplished when we have convinced them of their speculative and practical errors. The heart must be changed. A thorough, radical reformation must be effected, or our labor is lost. This is essential for all, Protestants as well as Catholics. An unregenerate Protestant is no nearer the kingdom of heaven than an unregenerate Catholic. This, therefore, should be the principal aim and object of all our labor, all our preaching and writing. We have made these remarks with a view to introduce the following' Short method of converting all the Roman Catholics in the kingdom of Ireland, humbly proposed to the bishops and clergy of that kingdom,' also from the pen of Mr. Wesley :

1. It is a melancholy consideration to those who love the Protestant interest, that so small a part of this nation is yet reformed from popery. They cannot observe, without a very sensible concern, that in many parts of the kingdom there are still ten, nay, fifteen, perhaps upward of twenty Papists to one Protestant. Nor can they see any prospect of its being otherwise; few Papists being brought over to our Church, notwithstanding all the methods which have been used, while many Protestants are seduced from it.

2. Yet they cannot but earnestly desire that all the Papists were convinced of their errors. How much would this redound to the glory of God, who willeth all to come to the knowledge of his truth! How greatly would it advantage their own souls both in this world and in the world to come! What an advantage would it be to the kingdom in general to be no longer divided against itself, to have that grand cause of contention removed, and all its inhabitants of one heart and one mind! And how highly would it advance both the honor and interest of our gracious sovereign, to have all his subjects cordially united together, thinking and speaking the same thing?

3. Why then is not this desirable end pursued with a vigor proportionable to its importance? Is it because we despair of any success? Because we think it impossible to be attained? But why should we imagine it to be impossible? A common and plausible answer is, Because the Papists are so bigoted to their clergy; believing all they affirm, however contrary both to Scripture and reason, and doing all

that they direct, whom they generally believe to be the holiest and wisest of men.

4. Undoubtedly this is a considerable difficulty in the way. And yet I cannot think it is insurmountable. Still I conceive it is possible to convince all the Papists, provided there are proper instruments for the work. And what instruments are so proper as the clergy? Not only as they are in every place, distributed through the whole nation, and always ready on the spot for the work: but likewise as it more immediately belongs to them: as it is no inconsiderable branch of their business who are peculiarly set apart to watch over the souls of men as they that must give account.

5. But what way can the clergy take, with any probability of success? There is one way, and one only; one that will (not probably, but) infallibly succeed. If this way is taken, I am willing to stake my life upon the success of it. And it is a plain, simple way, such as may be taken by any man, though but of a small capacity. For it requires no peculiar depth of understanding, no extraordinary height of learning; but only a share of common sense, and an honest, upright heart.

6. It was observed that the grand difficulty of the work lies in the strong attachment of the Papists to their clergy. Here therefore we are to strike at the root. And if this bigotry be but removed, whatever error or superstition is built upon it will of course fall to the ground.

Now this may be effectually done thus. The Papists themselves allow that one set of clergy were holier and wiser even than their own, namely, the apostles. They allow these both to have lived and preached better than the present clergy even of the Roman Church.

Here therefore is the short and sure method. Let all the clergy of the Church of Ireland only live like the apostles, and preach like the apostles, and the thing is done.

The Romans, on the same ground that they prefer the apostles before their own clergy, will then prefer ours before them. And when they once do this, when we have carried this point, when their attachment to our clergy is stronger than that to their own, they will be convinced by hundreds, till there is not a Roman left in the kingdom of Ireland.

7. If it be asked, But how did the apostles live and preach? I answer, (not to descend to particulars,) as to their inward life, (if I may so speak,) they lived the life which is hid with Christ in God, "They were crucified with Christ. Nevertheless they lived; yet not they, but Christ lived in them." So that each of them could say, "The life which I now live in the flesh," even in this mortal body, "I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved ME, and gave himself for me."

And this faith continually wrought by love, that love of God which was shed abroad in their hearts, and was a perennial fountain of water, springing up into everlasting life.

By this loving faith their hearts were purified from anger, from pride, from all vile affections, from the love of money, of power, of pleasure, of ease, from the desire of the flesh, the desire of the eye, and the pride of life all their "affections being set on things above, not on things of the earth.” In a word, that mind was in them which was in Christ Jesus.

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Let but this mind be in every clergyman of our Church, and popery will vanish out of the kingdom.

8. As to the outward life of the apostles, it was, in general, holy and unblamable in all things. Herein did they exercise themselves day and night, with regard to every word and action, "to have a conscience void of offence toward God and man." And their continual ground of "rejoicing was this, the testimony of their conscience that in simplicity and godly sincerity they had their conversation in the world."

They were temperate in all things. They denied themselves, and took up their cross daily. They "kept under their bodies, and brought them into subjection," even in the midst of distresses and persecutions, "lest by any means, after they had preached to others, they themselves should become castaways."

They were in every respect burning and shining lights; they went about doing good as they had opportunity, doing good of every kind, and in every possible degree, to all men. They abstained from all appearance of evil. They overcame evil with good. If their enemy hungered, they fed him; if he thirsted, they gave him drink; and, by patiently continuing so to do, "heaped coals of fire upon his head," and melted his hardness into love.

In fine, it was their meat and drink to do the will of their Father which was in heaven. And hence whatsoever they did, whether in word or deed, they did all to the glory of God.

Let every clergyman of our Church live thus, and, in a short time, there will not be a Papist in the nation.

9. As to the preaching of the apostles, with regard to the matter of it, they preached Jesus, "the Author and Finisher of our faith, having determined not to know any thing, save Jesus Christ and him crucified." They preached Jesus Christ as "of God made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption." They declared," Other foundation" of morality, religion, holiness, happiness, can no man lay." All they spoke, either in public or private, centred in this one point, "Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, to-day, and for ever."

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More particularly, they preached that "a man is justified by faith, without the works of the law;" that "to him that worketh not, but believeth on Him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness."

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10. They preached, farther, that, "except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God:" except he be "born from above," born not only of water, but "of the Holy Ghost:" and that the present kingdom of God is not meats and drinks," (lies not in externals of any kind,) but righteousness, the image of God on the heart, peace, even a peace that passeth all understanding, and joy in the Holy Ghost, whereby they rejoiced with joy unspeakable and full of glory.

They declared that he that is thus "born of God doth not commit sin;" that "he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and the wicked one toucheth him not;" but that as Christ who hath called him is holy, so is he holy in all manner of conversation.

11. As to the manner of their preaching, they spoke with authority, as speaking not their own word, but the word of Him that sent them,