surely are startling admissions: and whoever finds them irresistibly urged upon him, has a reason for suspecting what he has hitherto trusted in,—a reason other in kind than he would have had, were the tenets in dispute of the order before exemplified.

Neither does this reasoning lose its validity because of our shameful and lamentable disunion, and the free course of false doctrine within our walls, owing to the Church's want of means to enforce the Catholic sense of her formularies : unless it can be shewn, that bearing with an error is the same thing as enacting it, and lays the community chargeable with it under the same disadvantage: a canon which, according to Roman statements, would unchurch the three first centuries of Christendom, since we are told that during that whole time the very Godhead of Jesus Christ, or at least the doctrine of the most Holy Trinity, remained an undeveloped mystery; that views which virtually impugn it were left uncensured, and their promoters honoured as orthodox and holy men. If it was so indeed, and yet the Church of the Fathers continued without all question a true Church, why may not the Church of England continue a true Church also, notwithstanding her toleration of Puritans and other Rationalists within her borders?

Upon the whole, painful as many things are, the course marked out in the present distress, for a

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sincere humble-minded Catholic in the Church of England, seems in no wise doubtful or obscure. Suppose him assailed by scruples from without or from within let him not dare to indulge them in the least, until he has counted the whole cost,how much heavier the burthen of changing, than of persisting in his providential station; whom and what he is called to separate himself from; what sort of persons he will grieve, what offences encourage; in how many ways, which he can even now perceive, his spiritual dangers will be aggravated: besides the certainty that every such venture must be fraught with unforeseen evil of its own. Then let him survey, as any person of average good sense and information may easily do, the kind and amount of evidence brought to disturb him: let him compare it with what Providence has vouchsafed in cases said to be analogous. Finally, let him fairly ask himself, "Is the result at all like moral demonstration? and ought I, in this case, to be contented with less?"

I am persuaded that the moral difficulties, which have now been touched upon, would be generally felt by good minds as quite irresistible, but for that longing after assurance-perfect rest of mind and heart-which might perhaps not unaptly be called the "last infirmity" of saintly spirits. As the tender and anxious conscience is won by the expectation of some peculiar, untried repose, to be found in Roman Catholic confessionals only; forgetting that

the same treasure of pardon is by God's mercy already within its reach: so the restless argumentative intellect thinks to take refuge in the doctrine of infallibility; not considering, that by a like effort we might as well, if so disposed, silence our scruples in continuing where God has placed us.

But why should imperfect beings, such as we are, depend on assurance of either kind? since even on Roman Catholic principles it is not to be expected on that very point, which concerns us more nearly than either, namely, our own final perseverance? A very few years' thoughtful experience will tell us, that a reasonable hope is in general far better than absolute certainty of good, for such beings as most of us are more in unison with all around us: more conducive to steady improvement: more apt to form in us that resigned, humble character, that "mind of little children," to which all the promises are made. Scripture again, describing Faith not as full satisfaction of the intellect, but as πραγμάτων ἔλεγχον οὐ βλεπομένων" making a venture on things unseen"-would seem to encourage a generous trust in that which it is our duty to love; and to discourage, as more or less selfish, all restless cravings for a more certain and systematic knowledge. A man cannot innocently overlook the risk of forsaking his appointed place, of condemning and unsettling others, for insufficient reasons: and personal assurance is clearly an insufficient reason;

as selfish, in its way, as domestic comfort, partial affection, or the wish to quiet importunity. At best, it is "doing evil that good may come:" and the assurance so gained, there is reason to fear, will prove more or less delusive.

Neither are providential hints wanting, especially calculated to keep us in our place at this time. The stir and movement for the better within our own walls, as if God had some especial work in store for us, has not quite passed away, as might have been feared. On the other hand, we have been made to see that even were we to submit ourselves to the Roman Church, we should not at once free ourselves of course from uncertainty. Looking at her system in an argumentative way, we should have to choose between the modern theory of Developement, and the more established theory of silent unrecorded Tradition. And again, in so practical a matter as our regular devotions, a doubting thought would be brought almost hourly before us, whether or no the Blessed Virgin Mary is the one Mediatrix of Prayer, in such sense, that to seek her intercession is as truly our duty, as to lean on the merits of her Son.

Again, to say nothing of other countries, what a fact is the present state of Ireland, in regard especially of the sixth Commandment, if we view it side by side with the many statements, whereby it is sought to propagate the notion of the surer and better working of the Roman system!

Surely, taking all into account, it is more scriptural, more analogous to God's ordinary moral government, aye, and more hopeful too, in the end, to suppose the whole visible Body shattered and decayed, than to claim perfection for one part, while we deny the very being of the rest.

It is true that this line of argument would lead Greek or Roman Catholics, as well as English, to shrink from all thoughts of separation"; and that it would materially affect our own ways of speaking and judging of them and of their systems. It would take us continually back to the very foundation of our English theory: that those from whom we are separated are yet in the Church, since we inherit, as it were, through them. If so, they are nearer to us, every one of them, than any human relation can make them. We have a special duty of brotherly love towards them, over and above the general tribute, due to all men, of lenient and charitable judgment. If called on by sufficient authority to concur in words which sound harsh towards them, the nature of the case binds us to take those words in the lowest sense which honest interpretation will allow,

It is not, of course, meant that no combination of circumstances would justify a Roman Catholic, being such by inheritance, much more a penitent after hasty conversion, in conforming to the English Church; but only that it is in any case a very awful and momentous proceeding: so far, however, less painful and responsible than the act of an Anglican conforming to Rome, as it involves less of an Anathema on the Communion separated from,