and that he is the supreme spirit and intelligence, the universal parent, who gave beginning to all things, himself eternal; who, before the world was produced, was a world to himself; who is infinite and immense, and whose im mensity is intelligible only by himself. says Octavius, "is too narrow to contain him; and we never "Our intellect," conceive so worthily of him as when we apprehend him inconceivable." He thence takes occasion to show the absurdity of polytheism, and the monstrous folly of the idolaters concerning their gods. Proving their idols and oracles to be devils, he writes thus: "Most of you know very well that, the demons are forced to confess against themselves, as often as we rack them into confession by bare words only, and force them out of the bodies they possess, by such tormenting speeches as they cannot bear. You may well be assured they would never frame lies to their own shame, especially in the presence of you who adore them. Take their word then, and believe them to be devils, when you have it from their own mouths. For when we adjure them by the one living God, the wretches tremble, and either depart forthwith from the bodies they possess, or vanish by degrees, according to the faith of the patient, or the grace of the physician,"

Cecilius, pressed by these arguments, flies from his tenets, but thinks he can charge as much upon Christianity. This was at beat to abandon the cause of idolatry, and a poor shift which discovered his distress. Neither could he object any thing to the evidence of the gospel revelation, except gross calumnies formed out of our doctrines disguised, or taken by halves; and from our discipline either mistaken For traduced. The slanders therefore were easily wiped off by a flat denial of them, and, by a plain exposition of the sanctity of our doctrine. As to the old calumny of an ass's head being worshipped by the Christians, which imputation had formerly been cast upon the Jews, (as appears from Josephus, in his books against Appion,) Octavius contented himself with denying so groundless a charge: as he does likewise that we adore the knees of the bishop, which senseless slander arose from, the custom of penitents kneeling before the bishop to receive his absolution or blessing, as Dr. Cave and others observe. To the accusation of incests in our mysteries, Octavius answers, that it was confuted by the purity of our morals, and by the great number of those who vow chastity among us. upon his adversary, loading paganism with that dishonour But this argument he turns which she endeavoured to blacken us with, and which she openly professed by placing Priapus among her divinities, sacrificing to Venus the prostitute, and celebrating the festivals of Bona Dea and others, with all imaginable abominations and lewdness. He shows that, far from feeding on the flesh of children, or allowing any lewdness, Christians would not even see men justly put to death, or assist at public executions, and that they refrained from eating blood; that those who marry only take one wife; and that very many live in perpetual continency, yet without glorying in their state; and that the least thought of a crime was condemned by them. Our disputant observes, that Pytha goras, Plato, and other heathen philosophers, learned the immortality of the soul, and many other truths which they taught (though mingled with much falsehood) by an imperfect tradition from the divine revelation delivered to the ancient patriarchs. He says that we bury the dead instead of burning the corpses, because this was the ancient and better custom; but that God can equally raise our bodies again from ashes or from dust. He teaches the eternity of hell-fire, which infidels and wicked livers justly deserve, "because it is not a less crime to be ignorant of the common Lord and parent of all men and all things, than it is to disobey him. by a short, but amiable description of the Christian mora. Octavius closes his discourses lity, where, in answer to the reproach of poverty, he says, 143 Who can be said to be poor who finds himself in no want? He rather is the poor wretch who is necessitous in the midst of plenty. There is no man can be poorer than he came into the world. The Christian art of possessing all things is, by desiring nothing. As a traveller the lighter he is, the easier he finds himself; so in this journey of life

he is happier who is lightened by poverty, than he who groans under a load of riches. Did we conclude riches necessary, we should ask them of God. Innocence is the top of our desire; and patience the thing we beg for. Calamity is the school of virtue. How beautiful a spectaaffliction, and with a noble constancy combatting menaces, cle in the sight of God is a Christian entering the lists with racks, and tortures! When like a conqueror, he triumphs victorious who obtains what he fights for." He says that over the judge that condemns him! For he is certainly our religion consists in practice, not in pompous words. live in them." "We do not look big, nor do we talk great things, but we lius cried out, "I congratulate both my Octarius and When Octavius had done speaking, Cecimyself exceedingly: we are both conquerors. triumphs over me, and I triumph over error. But the chief victory and gain are mine, who, by being conquered, Octarius find the crown of truth." This is the summary of this celebrated conference, but the fine train of ideas, and the beauty of the discourse, are only to be understood from the original. If this excellent dialogue seems to have any fault, it is that it appears too short; for the reader, to his soon, and always lays down the book with regret, which is great disappointment, is sorry to find himself at the end so the true character of every excellent composition.

FALSEHOOD,

Disputes on the Celebration of Easter, and on the
Millennium. }

(Concluded from our last.):

defection from the true faith to Montanism, we discover nothing that favours the doctrine of the Millennium; but In the works which Tertullian composed before h last, entitled "On the Christian's Hope;" and in the when a Montanist, he defended this system in a work, now belief of a future kingdom in a new Jerusalem, which third book of his work against Marcion, he expressed his from heaven. But a distinguished adversary of the Milshould be built by God, and should descend upon the earth lennarian doctrine was found in the Roman priest Caius, who, in his writings against the Montanist, Proclus, declares the kingdom of a thousand years to have been no This Gnostic, he says, pretended that in a revelation which more than a vain fable, invented by the heretic Cerinthus. came through a great apostle from an angel, there was promised to men a kingdom, in which it would be given to sidered criminal. It has often been supposed that Caius, them to enjoy all delights, even those which are now con in the ardour of his zeal, was led to pronounce the Apoca lypse of St. John, on the authority of which the Chiliasts founded their doctrines, as a forgery of Cerinthus: but from what Caius says of the rude, sensual doctrines of Cerinthus, it would seem that he spoke not of the book of the holy apostle, but of an apocryphal work, which, with this may be, the determined opposition of the Roman or without reason, he ascribed to Cerinthus. However priest will prove that the errors of the Millennarians had not gained admittance into his Church. The Church of established in that city, met the same doctrines with de Alexandria also, and the school of theology that had been termined opposition. Origen expressed himself with the Sacred Scripture which promise to us spiritual blessvehemence against those who interpret those passages of ings under sensible forms, in a Judaical sense, and adopt the foolish fable that we shall be seated at tables to partake of bodily meat and drink after the resurrection. But the Millennium also found its champion in Egypt. Nepos, against the assertion of Origen, that the passages of the learned bishop of the Arsinoitic Nomos, wrote a work Scripture by which the Chiliasts defended themselves should be interpreted in an allegorical sense: his book was entitled " A Confutation of Allegorists. This work, of a great and learned man, produced an effect highly favour able to the doctrine of the Millennium in some parts of Egypt, particularly in Assinoe, so that entire communities

tr

1

separated themselves from the Metropolitan Church of Alexandria. Afflicted at this schism, the great bishop Dionysius of Alexandria visited the province, and, in 255, summoned a council of priests from the towns and villages. In a calm and amicable conference, which continued for three days, from morning till evening, he confuted the book of Nepos, and answered all the doubts and objections of the Chiliast party. His success exceeded his expectations. Coration, the chief of the party, abjured his errors unconditionally, and embraced, in the presence of all assembled, his former doctrines. Dionysius now wrote a work "On the Promises," in which he fully expresses himself on the Apocalypse: he mentions and rejects the opinion of some, the Alogi, who maintained this to be the work of Cerinthus; but although his illustrious predecessors in the catechetical school, Clement and Origen, declared, without any hesitation, St. John the Apostle to have been its author, this appeared to him very doubtful, not on historical grounds, but from the difference of ideas and expressions in this and in the uncontested writings of the holy apostle. He supposed that another John, who lived also in Asia Minor, and who was a holy and inspired man, wrote the book of the Apocalypse.

by general rule, one of the badges of honour at the first
distribution of prizes, but before that period arrived God
had put her in possession of the eternal happiness of the
saints. We were informed by her parents of a very sin-
gular circumstance, which seemed to shew that she had
in the pious habit of visiting the tomb of her virtuous
some presentiment of her early death. The family were
mother; they generally brought with them a crown of
everlastings, and removed the faded ore which had been
placed there on a previous occasion, and Eliza used to hang
it under her mother's portrait. The last time she went
out of the convent, the child hung the crown of everlast-
ings under her own picture; and when they asked her why
she did so,
hang one there too."
Very soon.' "she replied, "you will have to
The event of her death soon after-
wards verified this strange prediction, which no one had
paid attention to at the moment it was made.

her meals there. This course of treatment was, however, For some time she had slept in the infirmary, and taken simply one of precaution, for during the day she followed the same exercises as her companions without feeling any fatigue. One night, however, she complained of a general About the middle of the third century, the number of appeared, but without giving any immediate cause for uneasiness, and symptoms of inflamation soon afterwards those who adhered to this belief began rapidly to decrease. apprehending fatal consequences. Methodius, Victorinus of Petavia, and particularly Lac-by her father and grandfather, Alas! they were far from She was visited daily tantius, were still amongst its supporters: but theirs were thinking what a termination this apparently slight indissolitary voices, which could not again call back the departed position would have. spirit of the Millennium. It must have fallen the more rapidly, as it never belonged to any doctrine of the Church, and had never struck its roots amongst the great body of Christians: it was no more than the private opinion of individuals, many of whom were indeed men of high au thority in the Church, and had extended itself only to particular communities. Had these Chiliastic doctrines entered deeply into the faith of the people, it would have required a longer period of time to destroy them; for the people will not easily part with ideas of sensible pleasures which have been once promised to them, and of which they have anticipated the enjoyment; and we should now have had to combat with the inclinations of men towards a Millennium of earthly delights. This is not the case, and hence we see how groundless is the assertion of Gibbon, that the persuasion in the minds of the people that they should enjoy these thousands years of pleasure, assisted greatly to accelerate the progress of Christianity. We know, on the contrary, from Origen, that the doctrine of the Millennium seriously injured the cause of the Christians in the minds of the Pagans. This doctrine was henceforth known only in Asia Minor, its native region: here Papias first embraced and propagated it; here St. Justin and St. Irenæus adopted and defended it; and here, in the fourth century, was found one of its last supporters, the younger Apollinaris, bishop of Laodicea, who, although he was reported to be the author of new errors, was unable to invigorate the ancient and decaying system of past years. We are struck with wonder when we behold in his doctrines of the Millennium the great prevalence of Judaism. taught not only that the temple of Jerusalem should be He rebuilt, but that the entire Jewish worship, and the sacri fices of the law, should be again established

In the practice of her religious duties, Eliza could also be held up as a model to children of her age. As soon as she came into the chapel she was seen to preserve a respectful demeanour, with her eyes cast down and her hands clasped, praying to God, as she herself expressed it," with set her whole heart." She would have had awarded to her,

December, her illness assumed a most serious character, On Sunday night, till Monday morning, the 4th of and the vomitings became very frequent. It was thought advisable to apply a few leeches; she feared them, but overcame her repugnances so far as to allow one to be put when urged in the name of the Blessed Virgin by the on, entreating that the rest might not be applied; but superioress, and by the entreaties of her grandfather, she consented to all that was required of her. The superioress; in order to reward her for this act of submission, gave her a picture. Eliza received it gratefully, and looking at her picture will be a remembrance of your little Eliza !" The father she offered it to him, saying, "There, papa, this poor father saw but too clearly the danger of his beloved child; he wished to remove her to his own home, and the removal was to take place the next day. This plan was mentioned to Eliza, but she replied in a decided manner, the infirmarian, she said, "Dear mother, do not let them "No, I shall return home no more!" Then, turning to take me away.' She then called her father, and throwing embrace. At the moment of his departure she took his her arms around his neck, she held him a long time in her hand and kissed it tenderly, giving him at the same time a look which seemed to say, “I shall see you no more." In fact, the progress of the disease was so rapid, that in a few moments she was reduced to the last extremity. An hour before she expired she was able to make her confes. sion, and she did so with a presence of mind which astonished and delighted the priest who attended her. As details as she wished, she said, as she ended her confession, her weakness prevented her from entering into as many "Father, I often speak to Mother N., she can tell you the rest, for she knows all I have done." The happy disposi tions in which her confessor had found her, caused him to regret most deeply that the rapidity of her disease should have left him no time to prepare her for her first commnion. This amiable child expired in the arms of the superioress, and her last words were, "Mamma, I am going to be with my good God !" The resignation of our little Eliza's father was no less admirable than the premature piety of his child. When he heard of the misfortune which deprived him of an only child, whom he so dearly down, and generously offered to God this sacrifice so painloved, and who was so worthy of his affection, he knelt fal to a father's heart. Nevertheless, as feelings of deep to the superioress, "Ah, dear madam, in so deep an regret were still keenly alive in his heart, he said one day affliction the only thing I fear is, to be found wanting in submission to the will of God."

AN EXAMPLE OF CONSTANCY AND CHRISTIAN FORTI TUDE.-John Chantebel, a farmer, who lived in the village the principles of his religion, and was fond of reading them of Chene, in the diocese of Rennes, was well instructed in in a small catechism, published for the use of the faithful during the persecutions of the schism. This precious book house, and it was sufficient pretext to make him prisoner. of faith was his crime. The marauders found it in his The committee met, and ordered that the catechism should be burned. A pile of wood was prepared with great pomp. Chantebel was led to it; his sentence and the condemna to take the torch which they presented to him, and to set tion of the book were read to him. He was commanded fire to the catechism. He replied. "This book contains the principles of my faith; you shall never make me renounce it." They threatened him, but he remained unthe hand of the generous confessor. moved. One of them seized the lighted torch, and burned bel," you may burn not only my hand, but my entire body, "Oh!" said Chantesooner than see me commit an act unworthy of my religion." deliberation they ordered that he should be conducted on They were confused and disconcerted, and after some horseback through the streets of Martigny, with his face to the tail. He did not show the least repugnance. His serene countenance amid the hisses of the people who Amongst the crowd who were drawn together by the specescorted him, proved the tranquillity of his conscience.. tacle, was the wife of Chantebel. Like a new Maccabee, she pressed forward, and in her plain but sublimely simple God you suffer, and he will reward you." It was a woman language, cried out to him, "Be firm it is for our good it was a simple farmer that spoke and acted thus; but they were supported and animated by faith, hebianos ber

THE ILLUMINATOR.

MANCHESTER, SATURDAY, JUNE 22, 1850,

-0

THE CATHOLIC CHURCH.:

We now hasten to redeem the pledge given last week, when we promised to lay before you a beautiful illustration of the Spirit of Disinterestedness," which has been always exhibited in the Catholic Church, by a recent example in the august person of our Holy Father, the Immortal Pius IX. "A certain old gentleman in Rome had two sons, and it seems that he was getting very infirm, and had some thoughts of making his will. Now one of his sons he loved more than the other, and he told his favourite that he should have the greater part of his money, while the brother was to inherit bat a small share. Soon after this conversation, it chanced that the same son did something that displeased his father, and caused the old man to change his mind about the distribution of his money; and now he told his other son exactly what he had already told his favourite; that the money should be his, and that the other should go penniless. When the brothers came to compare notes on the subject, they found the old man's temper to be so variable that they thought it not at all improbable he might finally do something very extraordinary with his money, so they made the following agreement with each other. No matter which of them should inherit the wealth, they would divide it equally between them. Alas for their scheme! the old father found it ali out, and to punish them, came to the following strange determination. He bequeathed them a few crowns each; but the main bulk of the wealth he left to a certain church, which he named, and whatever priest said the first mass in that church on the day after the old man's death, was to inherit the whole. After this disposition of his effects he had no more time to change his mind, for he died almost immediately. His lawyer opened his will at once, and could not believe his eyes nor his senses when he read the strange document. But there it was in black and white; and the two sons were beggars. But it was a sad pity: and the lawyer determined to lay the whole matter before the Pope (Pius IX), and see if he could do nothing in behalf of the two poor youths. He accordingly went to the Quirinal palace; and after a little difficulty obtained an audience of his holiness. On being ushered into the presence chamber, he approached him with the usual genuflections, and having kissed the cross on the Pope's sandal, he briefly stated what was his business, and put the will before his holiness for his perusal. He ran his eye over it, and as soon as he comprehended the matter, desired the advocate to leave the will with him, promising at the same time that he would look to the affair at once. Satisfied with his success, the lawyer returned and communicated the issue of his mission to the disconsolate brothers, who were impatiently awaiting his coming,

Turn we now to the church where the important mass is to be said. It is early dawn of the following day; the Sacristans are at their work, preparing for the masses that are continually said from day break to mid day. They are ignorant of the important results that are to attend the first mass said in the church that day; but are labouring assiduously in arranging the vestments, and the chalices, and the lights, and the rest of the church furniture, when they are aware of a most unseasonable rolling and rumbling of carriage wheels about their church door. Anon, in march the Swiss guard, arined with sword and halbert, and station themselves in goodly array up the centre of the nave, and now appear the prelates of the Pope's household, clad in their rich purple robes; then is seen the silver cross gleaming aloft, and last appears Pope Pius with his benignant smile and his graceful step. He has come to say mass in the church, and he says it-the first: and he claims the legacy for his own. And then he summoned the two brothers to his presence, and he told them what he had done, and concluded by presenting the whole and entire

inheritance, to be equally divided between them. He begged they would allow him to appropriate one hundred crowns to a certain charity in Rome, for the support of aged widows; and very little demur made they. Then he gave them his blessing and bade them go in peace, and not forget to be mindful of the poor and needy."

We might wear a hundred quills in telling you similar anecdotes of the good things Pope Pius has done; and we hope on some future occasion to return to the subject. But for the present we will stay here, and beg each and all of our readers to join us in praying that God may long spare the good Pope for the sake of his church, and the edification of the world. Since the above memorable circumstance took place, the good Pope has been driven into exile through the machinations of the enemies of religion and social order, who were aided by an ungrateful minority of his Roman subjects. Providence, who has ever in an especial manner protected the supreme Pontiffs, has confounded the malice of the enemies of Pius IX. They are dispersed, having earned the execrations of the friends of true religion and genuine liberty all over the world, but the Holy Father has returned to his capital for the good of the church, for the benefit of his people, and for dealing out even handed justice to the oppressed, in the same manner as we have stated above. What Pius IX does, has been always done by the church in every age of her existence; and it shall always be done as long as she exists: that is until the consummation of all things.-vsque ad consummationem seculi.

We read in the lives of the holy fathers of the desert of a young novice who lived with an aged monk; the latter went every morning into the neighbouring city, to sell the work which both had completed on the preceding day, and spent the whole price of it in wine for himself, bringing home only a small crust of bread for the youth, which he gave to him about night-fall. He bore it all with great patience for three whole years; but at length his garments being worn to rags, so as no longer to cover him from the cold, and the poor youth himself almost dead with starvation, not knowing how to remedy his grievous wants, began to think whether it would be well for him to leave his companion, and seek an abode elsewhere. Whilst he was pondering this in his heart an angel appeared to him, and said to him, "Keep your patience only this one day more, for to-morrow you shall be with me in paradise." The youth related the vision to the old man, who would not believe it; but the following day as they were discoursing upon this together, he placidly breathed his last ; and the old man bewailing his evil life, became converted, and spent the remainder of his days in penance for his sins.Maxims and Examples of the Saints.

We read of a certain man in Mexico, who being condemned to death for his crimes, was no sooner placed upon the scaffold, than he called a Jesuit Father, and said to him, "Know, father, that I too was a member of a religious order, and as long as I gave myself up to the ob servance of the rules, I lived contented, feeling a tranquillity and sweetness in every thing I did. But afterwards by degrees I began to relax, until I came at last to feel such difficulty and pain in every little thing, that I deter mined to forsake my order. In a word, you see to what my sins have brought me. I have told you this, in order that my example may profit others."-Ibid.

Confession.-Woe to the man that rejects confession, and who, in order not to appear vulgar, thinks himself Is it not true, you ask, obliged to treat it with sarcasm. that as every one says you ought to be good, it is useless to hear it repeated without ceasing? that meditation and reading suffice to the wants of the soul? No: the burning word of man has a power which neither reading nor meditation possesses. The soul is moved by it; the impressions from it are more profound. The voice of a brother bath a life and applicability to the moment which we do not find, either in our own thoughts or in our books. Síluto Pellipoli : 1976 Bet of aid sa tasto diiv tretaja; na

ON THE USE OF THE CRUCIFIX.

609 The crucifix or image of Jesus crucified, should not be useless to us, it is not set before us to look upon it with in. difference. It is the image of images, there being none more holy, none more amiable.

When alone with the Immense, the Infinite, often take up your Crucifix, the sign of salvation and victory, and looking upon it, earnestly prostrate yourself before it, kiss its wounds, take its benediction, entertain yourself with all confidence with this precious pledge of love, this instrument of grace, and you will soon feel what wonders can be effected by it. The image of Jesus crucified is the foundation of the interior edifice, the dispeller of distractions, the Scourge of devils, the antidote against temptations, the death of nature, the source of prayer, the life of the spirit, the gate of contemplation. There is not a more powerful Beans of recollecting our senses, and recalling our mind from its wanderings, than to lead them to Calvary, and enchain them to the foot of the Croys. There, empty of all things, they will be replenished with Jesus crucified, and our soul with its powers concentrated, and as it were mixed up with His passion."

PUBLIC DISCUSSION

In the Town Hall, Ashton-under-Lyne, on Tuesday evening, April 30th, 1850, between Mr. W. F. Cleary and Mr. Samuel Condell.

to prove that idolatry is a damnable crime, but he has not a distinct enumeration. All that Mr. Condell has done is made the least attempt to affix the guilt of it upon Catholicity. There is no commandment that forbids the making command of God: and so Moses by the same authority of images; for images of cherubims were made by the caused a brazen serpent to be made, and to be raised on high in the desert: and to it were attached miraculous powers. So we read that the very shadow of Peter was venerated by the primitive Christians, and so were the handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched Paul, because they became instrumental in performing miracles. The objection from the Revelations is very frivolous, because St. John did not, could not, fall into idolatry. The respect paid by him was refused through humility, which caused him to repeat it, clearly proving that St. John did not perform a culpable act, and therefore was not censured for followers of Christ, because they treat his blessed Mother so doing. It was evident that Protestants cannot be the tians in every generation would call her "blessed:" did our so very disrespectfully. She predicted that all true Chrisopponents so designate her? Alas! No. They said mach about the Atonement, but had they right notions of the Divinity of our Saviour? By what ransom was the world that great work; but they seem to forget that Christ wasredeemed? Our opponents say the blood of Christ effected born not according to the ordinary way, that his body was formed exclusively out of the pure substance of his immaculate Virgin Mother, and that consequently the blood which he shed upon Calvary he had received from her. No respect ture, though the most exalted that ever lived, could be too we would pay her, so long as we considered her as a creamuch or too dignified. Mr. Condell might sneer as long as he pleased at us for treating with reverence and respect the images, pictures, and relics of saints. Our practice nature went hand in hand with us. was sanctioned by religion, and the best sympathies of our images or pictures of the saints in our Churches, they had If we had the Lion and the Unicorn" in theirs. They paid much respect to their deceased parents, represented by images or pictures, though perhaps some of them may be in hell: Catholics paid half as much respect to images, pictures, or this was nature. One thing, however, was certain, that if relics, which many of the parsons and their followers pay. he some reason to suspect them to be guilty of idolatry. to gold bearing the Queen's impression, there would then But, said Mr. Condell, they believe that a wafer is their God: Transubstantiation is an impossibility. We reply, lieve that he is there, because he who is God has declared that we worship Christ in the holy Eucharist, and we be blood: and because he empowered the apostles and their that he changed bread into his body, and wine into his successors, the Bishops and priests of his Church, to do the same "in memory of him." Transubstantiation it is said tians forsooth, and yet they deny that God by his Omnipois an impossibility! Our opponents call themselves Chris process swallow solids and liquids for the sustentation of the and blood of Christ. What! you by a simple natural tence can transubstantiate bread and wine into the body body, which would die very soon if portions of that foodblood. If the Protestant theory be adopted, it would follow were not transubstantiated into your flesh, and bones, and that the Paschal Lamb, which was a type of the Christian sacrifice, was nobler than the thing typified! Strange nonsense! Senseless, stupid reasoning! Was not Melchisedee there you will find that it was predicted that Christ was to a priest? See Genesis. Look at the 109th Psalm, and

Slane CONCLUDED FROM OUR LAST.) Mr. Cleary contended that the parsons had sworn their assent and consent to the truth of the Thirty-nine Articles," and they acted very inconsistently in giving encouragement to a man who was opposed to their teachings and who was grossly and stupidly ignorant into the bargain. Before the parsons, or their nominee, Condell, should be permitted to attack us, they ought by all means to be placed on their own defence. Who sent them? Their religion was of a non descript character; for what Rousseau said of others may in truth be said of them, viz., "THAT ALL THEIR RELIGION CONSISTS IN ATTACKING THE RELIGION OF OTHERS." He would, in very few words, place both Condell and the parsons upon their defence; and leave them in a hopeless condition. There are parsons in this assembly; if you, Mr. Condell cannot answer the following queries, let them try their hand. If you want time it shall be given to you: be candid, speak out. Shall it be a week, a month, a year? Ask, and it shall be granted to you. whether Protestantism existed before the Bible 2 or the We therefore demand of you, Bible before Protestantism? You pause: you hesitate! You don't, you won't, you All this is plain English. can't reply. What a pretty set of advocates you are! How ridiculous it is to find men coming here to night to attack us, and they are unable to defend themselves. you all in a "fix," out of which neither Oxford nor Cam We have bridge, much less Mr. Condell and his " Hydraulic press," will ever have power to deliver you. assert that the Bible existed first, the Protestant religion We say then, if you must be an imposture; because the Bible must have been penned by inspired men, who professed a religion distinct from Protestantism, which then had no existence. But, if you assert that Protestantism existed before the Bible, then the Bible was not the rule of faith in the beginning when Protestantism (according to this hypothesis) had its commencement, and precisely because it had not then been written and so it happens that whatever side of the question is adopted by Mr. Condell or the parsons, Protes-be "a priest for ever according to the order of Melchisedec." tantism is left wholly defenceless. Mr. Condell has asserted that the Catholic Church has suppressed the second commandment; but assertion is no proof. Catechisms and prayer books containing instruction are, as all elementary books are, drawn up in as concise a manner as possible, but there is no suppression of the truth. Take a Catholic Bible, and there you will find the commandments in extenso. As to the numbering of them, they were not divided originally. They were given on two tables of stone without

Read Malachy, and you will see that the Christian sacrifice the Gentiles, “from the rising to the setting of the sun." was foretold; that it was to be offered everywhere among This is done daily, and every hour of the day by the priests of the Catholic Church. Let them only keep in view that never sets. This oblation must mean a real sacrifice, bas the globe revolves around itself every day that the sun cause those which were offered among the Jew, and were to be rejected, were real. It could not mean the sacrifice