ceive with perfect incredulity, every thing that we could offer-notwithstanding that this very individual had been accustomed, till within a short antecedent period, to receive every thing stated by us as fact, with reverential confidence, and to treat our opinions and reasonings with the utmost respect and deference. But now, every thing uttered by us, might as well have been spoken to a deaf mute.

Hence we are led to remark on another Popish artifice. It is that the devotees of this religion labour to make those whom they are endeavouring to proselyte believe, not only that they ought to regard the statements and opinions of Protestants as unworthy of regard, as coming from interested parties, but that the general character of those who oppose the Popish creed is so base and vile, as to render all they say undeserving of any serious consideration. The monstrous and dis

gusting falsehoods circulated by writers of note, the friends of the Papacy, touching the moral characters of Luther, Calvin, and other Protestant reformers, are known to all who are moderately versed in this subject. Nor does it appear that this artifice is forborne at the present time, and in this country. A letter now before us, from a gentleman in a neighbouring city, as worthy of credit as any man in the United States, gives this information "A lady of this city, about going over to the Catholicks, had Secker and Porteus put into her hands. When asked what she thought of them-Oh, she said, she was informed that they were infamously bad men, and of course she could think nothing of what they had written." We do not imagine that we need to inform many of our readers, that it would not be easy to select two men of more unspotted character, or more worthy of credit, than Bishops Secker and Porteus. Not only in moral worth and purity, but in intellectual force

and extent of erudition, they had few equals. What then are we to think of the information that these were such "infamously bad men," as to render every thing they said unworthy of regard? The letter of Mr. W., now under consideration, furnishes indeed an answer to our interrogatory, that might satisfy the mind of a devoted Papist. Mr. W. says

"Murder itself is less sinful, in the

judgment of the Roman see, than a deliberate separation from her communion and creed. I need not prove this to those who are disposed to recognise the Roman Catholick doctrines in the face of the world; but if any one still doubts the place which heresy holds in the Roman Catholick scale of criminal guilt, let him explain away, if he can, the following passage of the papal bull which is every year published in the Spanish dominions, under the title of The Cruzade. By that bull, every person who pays a small sum towards an imaginary war against infidels, is is privileged to be released from all ecclesiastical censures, and receive absolution at the hands of any priest, of all, whatever

sins, he may have committed, "even of those censures and sins which are reserved to the apostolick see, the crime of heresy excepted."*

Now, as "the crime of heresy" was chargeable on Bishops Secker and Porteus, and is chargeable on every one who speaks or writes against the Roman Catholick Church, it may furnish a plea to those who are disposed to use it, that all who thus speak and write, are "infamously bad men."

Let us not be misunderstoodWe would carefully avoid the slander we condemn. In every period since the Protestant reformation, there have been men in the Roman Catholick Church, and some among her clergy, who we do not believe would, on any consideration, have partaken in the detestable false

* "Que puedan elegir Confessor Secular o Regular, de los aprobados por el ordinario, y obtener de el plenaria indul. gencia, y remision de qualquiera pecados y censuras, aun de los reservados, y reservadas a la Silla Apostolica, ecepto el crimen de heregia." Bula de la Cruzada.

hood which we reprobate. Mr. Butler himself, with whom Mr. White is at issue, brands "the dogma of intolerance with the epithet of DETESTABLE." Fenelon, Massillon, Du Pin, Father Paul, and others whom we could easily name, would never, we are confident, have identified Protestantism with immorality. We wish we could say as much of the learned, eloquent, and courtly Bossuet. He, we think, (and we find evidence of the justice of our opinion in the letter before us,) would not have hesitated to represent it as improper, to concede that Protestants could be upright men-unless their Protestantism was chargeable to "invincible ignorance." But the liberal minded Roman Catholicks to whom we have referred, it is well known, were not considered as the best friends of the papacy-They were tolerated by the rigorous Papists, rather than approved-some of them indeed were grievously per secuted: and to this hour the thorough-going adherents to that church do not hesitate, as we have shown, to represent Protestants, however unimpeachable in veracity, as unworthy of belief in plain matters of fact -as men of such infamously bad character, that all they say ought to stand for nothing.

Mr. W.'s second letter, on "the real and practical extent of the authority of the Pope," is chiefly taken up with a controversy on this subject with Mr. Butler, the author of "The Book of the Roman Catholick Church." He convicts Mr. B. of a most palpable misrepresentation, in translating from the Latin, part of a sentence, in which certain deputies from the city of Palermo are stated as having prostrated themselves at the Pope's feet, and addressed him "as if they were saluting Christ the Lamb of God," and of applying to him the words of the mass "Thou who takest away the sins of the world, have mercy upon us." Mr. B.'s translation purported, that the deputies from

Palermo, after they had prostrated themselves at the Pope's feet, "Saluted Christ the Lamb of God," and addressed him as "taking away the sins of the world."

We have already said that we conscientiously believe that Popery is "the man of sin" of the New Testament; and on reading this address of the deputies of Palermo, stripped of the artful disguise put upon it by Mr. B., we were reminded of Dr. Doddridge's paraphrase, notes and improvement, grounded on 2 Thess. ii. 1-12. We think that what this excellent commentator, whose piety, learning and candour, are admitted by all Protestants, has said in his paraphrase on the 4th verse of the chapter referred to, is so much to the point before us, and so important in reference to the entire subject, that we shall not hesitate to insert it, as well as the note relative to the meaning of the original word ceßacua, with the improvement of the whole section. The verse in our translation stands thus

"Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God."

The translation and paraphrase of Doddridge are as follows

"I now speak of one who opposes himself to the interest of true religion, by arts and enterprises in former generations unknown, and, as pride often goes before destruction, insolently exalts himself above all that is called God, or the object of religious worship, taking upon him to control Divine institutions, and to model

every thing according to his own arrogant pleasure. So that he himself, as God, sets

* "The usurpation of the papacy in Divine things is so unequalled, that if these words are not applicable to it, it is difficult to say, who there ever has been, or can be, to whom they should belong. The manner in which the pope has exalted himself above magistrates is equally remarkable and detestable; but I do not apprehend it taking upon him to control every thing in so immediately referred to here, as his religion. Barua has exactly the signification here given it. See Acts xvii, 23.”

himself in the church, which is the temple of God, showing himself with such pompous parade, and such despotick authority assumed over the consciences of men, that so far as actions can speak, he in effect asserts that he is God, nothing human, and indeed nothing created, having a right so to dictate."

The improvement of the whole passage, of which this 4th verse and its paraphrase are a part, will be most impressively perceived, by first reading from the common version the first 12 verses of 2d Thess. ii. It is as follows

"Let us behold with humble reverence the depths of the Divine counsels and judgments: God hath been pleased to suffer the craft of Satan to display itself, in reducing from his allegiance a great part of the Christian world, yet has he taken the wise in his own craftiness, so far as to make that very apostacy from Christianity an additional proof of its Divine original. Who that had only examined the genius of that holy religion, could have imagined that such a mystery of iniquity should have arisen in it, and that man of sin have been revealed? Surely, when the particulars of the description come to be compared with the accomplishment, it may seem owing to some judicial infatuation, that men of deep policy and great penetration, with this very passage of scripture in their hands, should have suf fered the marks of antichrist to be so very apparent, even in many instances, beyond what might have seemed absolutely necessary for establishing that secular kingdom which they sought; particularly, that the pope on high day should set himself on a high throne, in the temple of God, to be there solemnly adored, and should have permitted his parasites so expressly to boast that he is God, and to give him, in some of their licensed and authorized works, Divine titles.*

"The scandalous and extravagant pretences which the followers of the papacy have made to miracles, exceeding in number, and some of them in marvellous cir

cumstances, those of Christ and his Apostles, plainly display the energy of Satan, that father of frauds, pious and impious. And the most incredible lies, which they have, by solemn and irrevocable acts, made essential to their faith, show the strength of delusion, beyond what could have been imagined, had not fact led us

*"See Mr. Barker's sermon at Salter'sHall, in the lecture against Popery; and Mr. Chandler's account of the conference in Nicholas-Lane."

into the theory. How dreadful is it to think of some of the expressions which the Spirit itself uses, when speaking of these artifices in deceit !-that they should be abandoned by God to believe a lie, that they may all be damned who have pleasure in unrighteousness,-that they might bring upon themselves eternal aggravated damnation. Who would not tremble, who would not grieve for so many of our fellow men, yea of those, who, degenerate as their form of Christianity is, we must yet call our fellow Christians, who are thus dishonoured, enslaved, and endangered? The Lord grant that they may not be utterly undone! Let them despise us, let them, by most solemn execrations annually repeated, devote us to destruction, and prepare against us all the instruments of it in their power, yet will we still pray for them. The Lord grant that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are led captive by him at his pleasure! (2 Tim. ii. 26.) Let us recommend to Divine compassion the souls drawn after artful and wicked leaders, in the simplicity of their hearts, and take comfort in this thought, that the time will come, when the Lord shall destroy this son of perdition with the breath of his mouth and the brightness of his coming. May the remnant of God's people from them in time, and be separate, that them take the alarm, and come out among they may not be partakers with them in their plagues. (Rev. xviii. 4.)"

We hope to be excused for giving so long an extract from so well known a book as Doddridge's Family Expositor. But although well known to scholars and clergymen, it is found in but few hands in this country: And we wished to exhibit to our readers the sentiments, in regard to the Papacy, of a man eminently distinguished for mildness and charity, as well as for talents and erudition.

Mr. W. concludes his second letter, with exposing the concealment or duplicity of the Head of the Roman Catholick Church, in regard to the binding nature of any oath, which would limit the opposition of the members of that church "to doctrines and practices condemned by Rome."

"The persevering silence of the Papal see in regard to this point, notwithstanding the advantages which an authorized declaration would give to the Roman Catholicks of Great Britain and Ireland, is an indubitable proof that the Pope cannot

give his sanction to engagements made in favour of a Protestant establishment. Of this, Bossuet himself was aware, when to his guarded opinion upon the scruples of James II. against the coronation oath, he subjoined the salvo:-"I nevertheless submit with all my heart to the supreme decision of his Holiness." If that decision, however, was then, and is now, withheld, notwithstanding the disadvantages to which the silence of Rome subjects the Roman Catholicks, it cannot be supposed that it would at all tend to remove them. To such as are intimately acquainted with the Catholick doctrines, which I have just laid before you, the conduct of the Roman see is in no way mysterious.

"It would be much more difficult to explain upon what creditable principle of their church, the Catholick divines of these kingdoms can give their approbation to oaths tendered for the security of the Protestant establishment. The clergy of the church of England have been involved in a general and indiscriminate charge of hypocrisy and simulation, upon religious matters. It would ill become one in my peculiar circumstances to take up the defence of that venerable body; yet I cannot dismiss this subject without most solemnly attesting, that the strongest impressions which enliven and support my Christian faith, are derived from my friendly intercourse with members of that insulted clergy; while, on the contrary, I knew but very few Spanish priests whose talents or acquirements were above contempt, who had not secretly renounced their religion. Whether something similar to the state of the Spanish clergy may not explain the support which the Catholick priesthood of these kingdoms, seem to give to oaths so abhorrent from the belief of their church, as those which must precede the admission of members of that church into parliament; I will not undertake to say. If there be conscientious believers among them, which I will not doubt for a moment, and they are not forced into silence, as I suspect it is done in similar cases, I feel assured that they will earnestly deprecate, and condemn all engagements on the part of the Roman Catholicks, to support and defend the church of England. Such an engagement implies either a renunciation of the tenet excluding Protestants from the benefits of the Gospel promises, or a shocking indif ference to the eternal welfare of men.

"If your leaders, whom it would be uncharitable to suspect of the latter feeling, have so far receded from the Roman creed as to allow us the common privileges of Christianity, and can conscientiously swear to protect and encourage the interests of the church of England,

let them, in the name of truth, speak openly before the world, and be the first to remove that obstacle to mutual benevolence, and perfect community of political privileges-the doctrine of exclusive salvation in your church. Cancel but that one article from your creed, and all liberal men in Europe will offer you the right hand of fellowship. Your other doctrines concern but yourselves; this endangers the peace and freedom of every man living, and that in proportion to your goodness: it makes your very benevolence a curse. Believe a man who has spent the best years of his life where Catholicism is professed without the check of dissenting opinions; where it luxuriates on the soil, which fire and sword have cleared of whatever might stunt its natural and genuine growth; a growth incessantly watched over by the head of your church, and his authorized representatives, the Inquisitors. Alas! "I have a mother," outweighed all other reasons for a change, in a man of genius,* who yet cared not to show his indifference to the religious system under which he was born. I, too, "had a mother," and such a mother as, did I possess the talents of your great poet, tenfold, they would have been honoured in doing homage to the powers of her mind and the goodness of her heart. No woman could love her children more ardently, and none of those children was more vehemently loved than myself. But the Roman Catholick creed had poisoned in her the purest source of affection. I saw her, during a long period, unable to restrain her tears in my presence. I perceived that she shunned my conversation, especially when my university friends drew me into topicks above those of domestick talk. I loved her; and this behaviour cut me to the heart. In my distress I applied to a friend to whom she used to communicate all her sorrows; and, to my utter horror, I learnt that, suspecting me of anti-catholick principles, my mother was distracted by the fear that she might be obliged to accuse me to the Inquisition, if I incautiously uttered some condemned proposition in her presence. To avoid the barbarous necessity of being the instrument of my ruin, she could find no other means but that of shunning my presence. Did this unfortunate mother overrate or mistake the nature of her Roman Catholick duties? By no means. The Inquisition was established by the supreme authority of her church; and, under that authority, she was enjoined to accuse any person whatever, whom she might overhear ut

Pope: see his letter to Atterbury on this subject.

tering heretical opinions. No exception was made in favour of fathers, children, husbands, wives: to conceal was to abet their errors, and doom two souls to eternal perdition.-A sentence of excommunication, to be incurred in the fact, was annually published against all persons, who having heard a proposition directly or indirectly contrary to the Catholick faith, omitted to inform the inquisitors upon it. Could any sincere Catholick slight such a command?

Such is the spirit of the ecclesiastical power to which you submit. The monstrous laws of which I speak, do not be long to a remote period: they existed in full force fifteen years ago: they were republished, under the authority of the Pope, at a later period. If some of your writers assume the tone of freedom which belongs to this age and country; if you profess your faith without compulsion; you may thank the Protestant laws which protect you. Is there a spot in the universe where a Roman Catholick may throw off his mental allegiance, except where Protestants have contended for

that right, and sealed it with their blood? I know that your church modifies her intolerance according to circumstances, and that she tolerates in France, after the revolution, the Hugonots, whom she would have burnt in Spain a few years ago, and whom she would doom to some indefinite punishment, little short of the stake, at this present moment. Such conduct is unworthy of the claims which Rome contends for, and would disgrace the most obscure leader of a paltry sect. If she still claims the right of wielding "the

sword of Peter," why does she conceal it under her mantle? If not, why does she not put an end to more than half the miseries and degradation of Italy, Spain, Portugal, and Spanish America, by at once declaring that men are accountable only to God for their religious belief, and that sincere and conscientious persuasion must both in this and the next world, be a valid plea for the pardon of error? Does the Church of Rome really profess this doctrine?It is then a sacred duty for her to remove at once that scandal of Christianity, that intolerance which the conduct of Popes and councils has invariably upheld. But if, as I am persuaded, Rome still thinks in conformity with her former conduct, and yet the Roman Catholicks of these kingdoms dissent from her on this point, they have already begun to use the Protestant right of private judgment upon ONE of the articles of their faith; and I may hope that they will follow me in the examination of that alleged divine authority by which they are prevented from extending it to ALL.'

وو

We find that we are running too much into detail, for our very limited space, in the review of this book. But the subject is one of great present interest in the United States; and therefore, although we shall shorten our quotations from the following letters, we shall extract something from the most of them, and take the liberty to add some observations of our own at the close. (To be continued.)

The Glaciers of the Alps.-Glaciers have been most inaccurately termed mountains of ice :-They are on the contrary more properly valleys of ice. They are uniformly found in the deep valleys or ravines between the mountains, and in the deep hollow eliffs in the sides of the mountains themselves. They have been obviously formed by the immense avalanches of snow which fall in spring and summer from the precipices and sides of the bordering mountains, into the ravines below. The percolation of the melted water through the snow, which is again frozen in that state, renders it an entire mass of ice. As the enormous heaps which fall are not nearly melted before the close of summer, and the winter's snow still increases the mass-which the

avalanches of the succeeding summer again continue to augment-it is not wonderful that in the course of ages, the enormous valleys of ice, we now behold, many of which are six or seven leagues in length, and of unknown and incalculable depth,-(which however in some places has been ascertained by the fissures to be upwards of three thousand feet,) should have been accumulated. The surface of the glaciers of the Alps from the Tyrol to Mont Blanc, is now computed to exceed twelve hundred square miles.

Potatoes.-When these useful roots are boiled for the purpose of feeding swine, or other animals, they should be put into bags or sacks, leaving room for them to swell; and when sufficiently boiled, the sacks should be taken out and left to