richly and abundantly the participants of his divine favor, and thus prepare you for a glorious entrance into that building not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.

Z.

THE BALTIMORE CONTROVERSY.

(Continued from page 153.)

The last remarks of the Protestant writer, appear to have excited his adversary, to such a degree, that he could not conceal his hostility to the Bible. After his hypocritical cant, "that he experienced the blessings of a liberal intercourse with persons of every denomination," he pretends, that the Protestant in asserting that many Catholics joined the Protestant church, and that indulgences were imported by the South Americans, does not adhere to a proper order.

"Behold him Sir, after scouring the plains of Cavan, rushing, breathless and hopeless, across the channel, hurrying himself (and labouring to bear me off with him in his hurry) to the mountains of Lancashire and the "neighborhood of Preston," numbering as he wanders, the few, scattered, unprincipled, men who, through “interested motives,” joined in the ranks of Protestantism. Then, Sir, as it were on the wings of the wind, he bends his flight to the Seven Hills of Rome, perches on the summit of the Vatican, and frightened at the majesty of "Popery" so grandly, so awfully, displayed in that "eternal basilick," he claps his wings, and with the speed of lightning, rests, at least, on the bales of indulgences just landing in one of the ports of South America.-Mr. Editor, I appeal to you-I appeal to any rational man, if it is expected of me to follow him in such a course!"

To prepare the minds of the public, for receiving passively, his terrible thrust at the Bible, he again tells the reader, that he has many dear friends among the Protestants, and hopes that the liberal Protestants will not take umbrage at what he says.

"We next pass, Sir," says the Romanist, "to that grand and collosean pile that has been reared, not by the sale of indulgencies, not by contributions at the shrines of Saints, but by the tribute which Christian Europe has brought to the altars of Jesus Christ' the British and Foreign Bible Society. Mr. Editor, in the purest and most venerable days of the Christian Church, I have read of the erection of Churches to the God of truth, but never of the establishment of a Bible Society. The Emperor Constantine, the first of the successors of Augustus, who embraced the doctrines of Christ, reared many a basilick, of which some are still stand

ing in the waste of time,-the basilick of St. Lawrence, of St. Sebastian, of St. John, Lateran, &c. but we no where read, that it ever entered the mind of that illustrious convert, to institute a Bible Society. I confess, sir, that if the bibles were distributed among the people merely that they might make themselves acquainted with that inspired volume, that they might derive from it those consolations and lights which it contains, without presuming to form, each as his caprice may suggest, their various religions, the Bible Society would deserve much of the christian world. But when that sacred book is put into the hands of the people who are utterly unacquainted with the original language in which it was written, strangers to the nature of the regions from which so many figures are drawn, and perplexed, at every page, with difficulties, and even apparent contradictions, and when they are told, that in it alone they are to look for religion and true faith, I contend, sir, that the Bible Society, either British or Foreign, will prove the source of innumerable errors, and of calamities the most lamentable."

The object of establishing schools, under the direction of Jesuits had been touched by the Protestant, and we rejoice at it, as it has at once drawn forth from the Romanist an acknowledgment, which Protestants should well consider.

"Your 'Subscriber'" says the Romanist, "recoils with acute sensibility, from the prospect of our academical and literary institutions;" and well he may-their halls are crowded with a rising generation, who will go forth, one day, to bear witness to the world how perfect is the education which they there obtain, and how solid the principles of the faith, which is there taught, proved, elucidated, and against which the gates of Hell shall not prevail."

That Protestanism is detested by Romanists, and that nothing but the great majority of our citizens being Protestants, deters them from such operations, as would at once dissolve our Bible and Tract societies, will have been seen from the above extracts. We think the following will justify the impression.

"I shall defend, vindicate, and expound the principles of my religion, and expose the groundlessness, and 'errors' of that of your 'Subscriber.' But while I do so, it shall be with great respect for my Protestant friends, to whom I am sincerely attached, and whose good offices I every day, experience with gratitude. I conjure them not to suppose that I am writing against their individual convictions."

Mark "the groundlessness of the Subscriber's religion." What is his religion? the religion of the Bible, and therefore it is ground less. But by all means, individuals, are not to suppose that they are written against-no, no, only the whole body of Protestants.

In the Gazette of May 24, the Protestant writer appears again

After expressing his regret, that he has been led, involuntarily, to examine the opinions held by Papists, and admitting that he found among them fidelity and benevolence and zeal in attachment to their faith, says, that he is at variance only with some of the essential dogmas of the Catholics. After shewing how little the Romanist is influenced by the spirit of meckness, patience, forbearance and love, in his writings, he remarks:

"There is something, Mr. Editor, in the tone of your Correspondent's observations which seems to indicate that his mind is more familiar with what should be, in his estimation, the privileges of the Church of Rome, than with his present actual power-with its favorite mode of inculcating its doctrines in those countries in which it is sustained by the throne, than with that mode which alone in this country we are inclined to admit.-He honestly avows his intention "to intimidate." It must be acknowledged that had my observations been given to the public in any of those countries usually denominated Catholic, his threats might have sent to my heart a different emotion from that which they have hitherto inspired: and conscious that I was exposed to the bland reforming influence of the Inquisition, I might have deemed it connected with Christian prudence to hear in silence any boast which he might utter, and to behold without the expression of my sorrow, even a more harrowing conflagration than that of copies of the word of God. But I thank the spirit of the age; I thank the free institutions of the country; I thank the boon which the Gospel bestows of holding my conscience unfettered by the awe of any human power; I thank my God, that I dare to lift my voice "unintimidated" by your Correspondent's warnings and denunciations, when the means of promulgating the pure religion of Christ are assailed. And more than this, I frankly confess, that instead of pursuing the desultory course which he so unjustly attributes to me, I design, should this controversy be prolonged to fix and confine his attention, and that of the public, to the fact, by disclosing which I have unfortunately so much exasperated him. Of this intention of mine he is already apprised. Discovering his desire to stray from the matter before us, and to involve the consideration of points foreign to it, I intimated my last that when one affair-(meaning the destruction of the Bible,) was satisfactorily accounted for, I should have no objection to discuss with him some of the other characteristics of the Church of Rome. But until that has been, it would be unprofitable and almost impracticable to come to an understanding of any other point. And for this reason. I profess, Mr. Editor, to have no other authority for my religious faith than the word of God. I acknowledge that I have no other basis for any doctrine, any hope, and assurance, than that which I find in the sacred Scriptures. And this I believe to be sufficient, because I read therein ;-(2 Tim. 3— 15 to 17.) "The Holy Scriptures are able to make us wise unto salvation through faith in Jesus Christ. All scripture is given by inspiration

in

of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be perfect, THOROUGHLY FURNISHED UNTO ALL GOOD WORKS." But if our correspondent has any other ground for his faith, any other authority for his worship, than the written word common to both, or if he esteems this which I so highly reverence, as entitled to the appellation of “VIPER," and fit fuel for the flames, it is incontrovertible that we can never together arrive at any conclusion in matters of faith."

The palpable error, so often urged upon us, that the Romish Church is every where, and in every age the same as to doctrine, and consequently without divisions and schisms-that, as different denominations compose the Protestant church, therefore, it cannot be the true church, and, that therefore the Bible should not be in the hands of the people generally, is met and exposed clearly in a short paragraph.

"Your correspondent appears to intimate that the various modifications of Faith to be found in the christian world, that the various distinct associations existing among Protestants believers, derive their origin from the unrestrained use of the Bible; and he appears to be scandalized that equally upon the desks of Episcopalians, Presbyterians, and Methodists, he finds the sacred volume. Does he imagine that in unwritten traditions there would be found a more inflexible, and unaccommodating, and incorruptible principle of union, and of Divine truth than in the written word? He taunts us with the fact of the Unitarian professing to derive even his opinions also from the Bible. Does he mean to imply that the pride of scepticism could not have generated them even in the bosom of the Romish Church ?-Does he find no fault then with the doctrine of Arius? and his followers? or does he imagine that even in those days that Heresy sprung from too great familiarity with the sacred volume? If it is the spirit of Protestantism which tends to disunion, and which forms various sects among Christians holding some great tenets in common, and distinguished by opposition in other points, how were the traditions of Rome, and the authority of the Pope, and the voice of an Infallible Church proved more efficacious, when the Agnonites, and the Barsanians, Nestorians, Montanists, Donatists, Monothelites, Iconoclastes, Manichæans, and Transubstantiarians and a countless host of others, ventured to conceive and utter dissent from their Sovereign and Infallible Guide ?"

In the Gazette of May 27, the Romanist appears again, in a very lengthy letter, written with a pen dipped in bitterness; says, that the Protestant writer "is punished alike by the contempt of the intelligent Roman Catholic, and the censure of the liberal Protestants." And to close matters, he once more urges, that the Bible only, is insufficient for salvation and that to prove it to be the

word of God, recourse must be had to Catholic authority.

"Your Subscriber' acknowledges that he has no other authority for his religious faith than the word of God.' I would ask him, Sir, upon what authority he admits the Bible to be the word of God? Certainly he cannot prove it to be such from its own testimony : that were insufficient, a mere circulus vitiosus. There must be some external authority, and that too infallible to decide which is truly and unquestionably the word of God, and which is supposititious. Sir, when your 'Subscriber' puts a bible into the hands of an infidel, should he be asked why it is necessary to believe it to be divinely inspired? how he can prove the divinity of it? in what manner would he satisfy the curiosity, and dispel the doubts of the unbe. liever? would he content himself with saying, 'read and judge for yourself; the scriptures of themselves are able to make you wise unto salvation? No, Sir, this would not suffice. It would be necessary to produce some authority, independent of the Bible—and what authority could be produced but that of the Catholic Church, from which the First Reformers received the Bible; that Church which is the pillar and foundation of truth, that Church which ALL are commanded to hear under the most awful penalty:-He that will not hear the Church, let him be as an heathen and a publican, (Matthew 18, 17.)

POPERY EXAMINED.

No. 1.

MR. EDITOR-I am one of your subscribers whom you have gratified by devoting, in good earnest, so much of your paper as has been done, to a rigid and impartial inquiry into the nature and progress of Popery, and the influence it may, under a combination of possible circumstances, and even under the present state of things, exert upon the religion of our country. Important, toyour readers, as are other subjects of doctrinal and practical religion, and of church affairs in general, all of which claim room in our reigious periodicals, yet in the view of many of your readers the above subject is pressing itself irresistibly upon us, and the time has come when it not only demands, but will have attention.

What are the principles and dogmas of our Romish brethren, which at this late day still keep up as much as they call, uncharitable and unchristian feeling against them? Are they in reality what protestants represent, and deserving of all the hard names and religious bans pronounced against them? Are their modes of worship, their creed, their practice, their hopes as ruinous, and souldestroying as our public prints begin to assure us, or are unneces sary fears expressed upon the subject, and are protestants, because of an old grudge which father Luther and some more good men of his day, had against their highly venerated Pope and the Devil,