that, least of all, will there be an end of making books, and disputing on subjects of Religion, on the part of those who have no fixed rule, or none but a false one for deciding in religious controversies; or who suffer worldly interest, pride, or the prejudices of education, to take place of the sincerity, humility, and piety, which ought to guide them in matters of such infinite moment. The writer trusts that, in the First Part of the following Letters he has shown the Rule, appointed by Christ, to men of good will, for clearly discerning the truths he has revealed, and conducting such persons to them; and that he has, in his Second Part, clearly pointed out Christ's True Church, which cannot but teach his True Doctrine. By men of good will, who follow either of these ways, in the uprightness and fervour of their souls, a satisfactory end to their religious discussions and doubts will quickly be found. But who can

subdue or soften the above-mentioned passions and prejudices? No one, certainly, but God; and, as the greater part of mankind are notoriously under their influence, the writer is so far from expecting to make such persons proselytes to his demonstrations, that he has prepared his mind for the opposition and obloquy, which he is sure to experience from them. He is aware, that most Statesmen, and other great personages, regard religion merely as a political engine, for managing the population, and therefore, wish to keep one as well as the other as quiet as possible. On this principle, had they been counsellors to King Ethelbert, they would have persuaded him to banish St. Austin, and to continue the worship of Thor and Woden. The multitude, in this age of infidelity and dissipation, nauseate

religious inquiries and instructions; and when they must hear them, like the Jews of old, they say to the Seer, see not; and to the Prophet, prophesy not to us right things: speak unto us smooth things: prophesy deceits, Isa. xxx. 10. The Critics and Reviewers are, for the most part, as smooth, in this respect, as the prophets; if they lead the public opinion in matters of less consequence, they follow it in those of greater. But what excuse there may be for the inconsistency of other men, there would, evidently, be none, in religious matters, to persons of your Lordship's and the writer's profession and situation, should they, for their temporal advantage, or from their prejudices, go astray or mislead others in a matter of eternal consequence. Such conduct would be hypocritical and doubly perfidious and ruinous. It would be perfidious to the individual so misguided, and to the Church or Sect which they profess to serve; since nothing can injure it so much, as the appearance of insincerity and human passions in its official defenders. It will accordingly be seen, in the following work, that the most fruitful source of conversion to the Catholic Church, are the detected calumnies and misrepresentations of her bitterest enemies. Such conduct would also be utterly ruinous: first, to its immediate victims; and secondly, to the persons of your Lordship's and the writer's profession and character. In fact, my Lord, if, as Christ assures us, at the great day of universal trial, some of the arraigned will rise up in judgment against others, and condemn them for their peculiar guilt, Matt. xii. 41.; how heavy a condemnation will poor bewildered souls call down upon those faithless guides, who have led them astray! or rather, how

severe a vengeance will the Good Shepherd himself, (then also the Judge of the living and the dead,) who hath laid down his life for his sheep, 'take of those hirelings, who have not only left his sheep to be caught and scattered by the wolf, but have themselves killed and destroyed them! John, x.

For all these important motives, let us, my Lord, dismiss every selfish interest, human respect, and prejudice from our minds, in the discussion of our religious controversies, and follow Truth, whithersoever she may lead us, with the utmost sincerity and ardour of our souls. The writer of this, for his part, disgusted as he is, at seeing the most serious and sacred of all subjects become a mere field of exercise for the talents, the learning, and the passions of different writers, and averse, as he is, from taking a part in such contests, nevertheless holds himself bound, not only to render an account of the hope that is in him, to every one that asketh it of him, in the sincerity of an upright heart, but also to yield the palm to your Lordship thankfully and publicly, should you be able to prove (not, however, by extravagant and unsupported assertions, but by sound and convincing theological arguments) that the Rule of Faith which he maintains, is not the one appointed by Christ and his Apostles, for guiding Christians into all truth; or that the Church to which he adheres, has not exclusively those marks of the True Church, which your Lordship ascribes to it, in the Creeds you repeat, equally with the writer. Until one or other of these points is proved, he will hold himself bound to stick close both to the Rule and to the Church, in spite of calumny, misrepresentation, ridicule, clamour, and persecution, and to

maintain, in opposition to your Lordship, that there is no just cause for either making or continuing any penal laws against the professors of the Original Faith.

The writer has the honour to remain,

My Lord,

Your Lordship's obedient Servant,

J. M. D. D.

THE

END OF RELIGIOUS CONTROVERSY.

PART I.

Let those treat you harshly, who are not acquainted with the difficulty of attaining to truth and avoiding error. Let those treat you harshly, who know not how hard it is to get rid of old prejudices. Let those treat you barshly, who have not learned how very hard it is to purify the interior eye, and render it capable of contemplating the sun of the soul, truth.-But as to us; we are far from this disposition towards persons, who are separated from us, not by errors of their own invention, but by being entangled in those of others. We are so far from this disposition, that we pray to God, that, in refuting the false opinions of those, whom you follow, not from malice, but imprudence, he would bestow upon us that spirit of peace, which feels no other sentiment than Charity, no other interest than that of Jesus Christ, no other wish but for your salvation.'-St. Augustine, Doctor of the Church, A.D. 400, contra Ep. Fund. 1. i. c. ii.

ON THE RULE OF FAITH; OR, THE METHOD OF FINDING OUT THE TRUE RELIGION.

LETTER I.

From JAMES BROWN, Esq. to the Rev. J.M., D.D.F.S.A.

INTRODUCTION.

New Cottage, near Cressage, Salop, Oct. 13, 1801.

REVEREND SIR,

I SHOULD need an ample apology for the liberty I am taking in thus addressing you, without having the honour of your acquaintance, and still more for the heavy task I am endeavouring to impose upon you, if I did not consider your public character, as a Pastor of your Religion, and as a writer in defence of it, and likewise your personal character for benevolence, which has been