baptize, if thou be not Christ, nor Elias, nor the prophet? John answered them, saying, I baptize with water; but there hath stood one in the midst of you, whom you know not; the same is he that shall come after me, who is preferred before me, the latchet of whose shoe I am not worthy to loose. These things were done in Bethania beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing."

wont.

THAT the rejoicing is greater, the greater is the concourse of people assembled to celebrate the birthday of the world's Emperor, thou well knowest; seeing that the dukes and princes and military officers, attired in silk vestments, and girt with wrought chains, costly in shining gold, are wont to pass before their sovereign in fairer order than is their daily For they imagine that the Emperor's joy is greater the more they are in splendid array, and that he will be the more glad the more they are devoted to him in his festival; and since he cannot see the heart of his subjects, he tries their affection by such external marks of their love for him. Thus it is that in proportion to his love so will be his subjects' attention to appear before him in becoming array. Again, because they know that on his birthday the Emperor is wont to give gifts, and to give many things to his servants, or to others that are in need, so do they hasten to fill his treasures with great variety, so that he may have it in his power to give an abundant largess to whomsoever he will, and that the will of giving away may fail sooner than the supplies of his munificence; though, nevertheless, this they do so anxiously, that they may in return receive a greater bounty for their offerings, and this is their hope.

Thus, then, my brethren, if men of this world, for the glory of this present world's burthen, take so much pains to make a shew on the birthday of their king, what ought not our care to be to appear in goodly array on the birthday of the eternal King, our Lord JESU Christ, who for our devotion will extend to us not a temporal but an eternal largess; who will invest us not with the administration of earthly honours, which end in a succession, but even the dignity of that everlasting kingdom, which shall have no successor. And what our remuneration shall be the prophet thus tells us : "That the eye has not seen, nor ear heard, neither hath it entered into the heart of man, what things GOD hath prepared for them that love him." (Isai. Ixiv. 4, and 1 Cor. ii. 9.)

But in what apparel does it behove us to be clothed? What we have said relates to our souls, and Christ our King requireth not so much the brightness of apparel but the affection of our souls; nor does

he look to the adornment of our bodies, but to the deserts of our hearts; nor has he regard to those who have an empty girdle girt about their loins, but he looks most to that stout chastity which curbs its lusts within the bounds of shamefacedness. Let us go about, then, that we may be found in him, approved in the faith, adorned with mercy, and exact in our morals, for he that loveth Christ most shall appear before him best adorned in the keeping of his commandments, that so he may see us trusting in him; that while we may shine in his solemnity, He may with more joy look on us who are become more pure. Let us, therefore, ere that day come-let us chastise our hearts, let us cleanse our conscience, let us purify our spirit, that in fair array, and without spot, we may be ready for the advent of our immaculate Lord, that he whose nativity came from the immaculate Virgin may also by his birth be also without spot. For whosoever on that day shall appear foul and defiled hath no care for the birthday vow of Christ. Such an one may be present corporally at his festival, but in spirit he is far apart from his Saviour; for there can be no fellowship between the unclean and the holy; between the covetous and the merciful; yea, rather, by his coming all unworthy, he adds to his offence, seeing that he knoweth not himself. For GOD willeth that those that do him service should be also blameless, as it is written in the Gospel of him who was invited into the holy of holies (St. Matt. xxii. 7); who ventured to come to the marriage feast without a wedding garment;—so that while one shone in justice, another was bright in faith, a third was refulgent in chastity, he alone, polluted in the filthiness of his conscience, in the presence of all the brilliant assembly, was defiled by horrid deformity; and further, the greater the sanctity of those blessed ones who sat at table with him, by so much the more was the wickedness of his sins made apparent, who haply had been less to blame had he not sat down in the fellowship of the saints. Wherefore, having bound his hands and feet, he was cast out into the exterior darkness, not only because he had been a sinner, but more because when he was a sinner he had claimed the merit of sanctity to himself.

Wherefore, my brethren, we who are about to celebrate the Nativity of our Lord, let us cleanse ourselves from all dregs of offences. Let us fill his treasures with the gifts of divers duties; so that in that holy day it may be found, that the pilgrims have been taken in, the widows refreshed, the poor clothed. For what will it be if in one and the same house, among the servants of one lord, one exulted all in silk; another were clothed in rags; if one were surfeited with food,

another endured hunger and cold; if one were hiccuping with yesterday's excess, and this one worn down with yesterday's want and fasting? Or what will be the effect of our prayer to be delivered from the enemy, if we are not bountiful to our brethren? If He wishes these poor to be our fellow heirs in heavenly grace, why do we not share with them of our earthly substance? Neither let us be strangers to them in our alms, who are their brethren in the Sacraments! yea, rather, who plead our cause with GOD; that we may feed them of our abundance, who give thanks to him. Whosoever blesseth the poor, blesseth the Lord; as it is written; "Woe unto that man by whom the name of the Lord is blasphemed." (Rom. ii. 21.) But again, it is written: "Peace unto that house" (St. Matt. x. 18); by which the name of the Lord our Saviour is blessed. Thus how great is the merit of him that giveth ; for by him is prayer made through many in all the Church, and haply it may be what he alone might not have dared to ask from the GOD. HEAD, may be vouchsafed him, through their intercessional prayers; yea, and what he dared not hope for he shall receive; as the blessed apostle commemorates for our help, when he says: "That by many thanksgiving may be made for us." (Rom. xv. 16.) And again "That our offering may be acceptable, being sanctified in the HOLY SPIRIT." Feast of St. Elizabeth of Hungary, 1842.

REVIEW.

Father Oswald. A Genuine Catholic Story. London: Dolman, 1842.

WE resume our notice of this work.

Sefton had left Paris en route for Switzerland, and he was not without hopes that at Geneva, the cradle of Calvinism, he should find an antidote to certain doubts which had crossed his mind on the subject of religion. Arriving at Geneva he found letters of introduction waiting for him from Dr. Davis, to some of the principal professors and literati whom the latter had known in his youth at Geneva. Amongst the persons to whom he was introduced was Professor Spielmann, an old man of venerable appearance, with whom Sefton entered into conversation, and contrived to draw out the sentiments of the professor on

religion, particularly upon the Trinity. The observations of the aged Calvinist are characteristic of the reformed school of Calvin.

"Well, well, my excellent young friend,' said the Professor, with two or three slow and patronizing nods of the head, 'I think you take these matters too seriously, indeed, I am sure of it: you will find many, very many excellent and worthy divines in Geneva, who, rationally enough, do not think as necessary several of the antiquated dogmas which Protestants at first acquiesced in without sufficient examination. More light has by degrees gleamed on these subjects, particularly with regard to the superior nature of Christ, the personality of the Holy Spirit, the Incarnation, and the Atonement, with its attendant mysteries. I assure you, you will find that a great mass of Protestants, of all denominations, have cast off these dogmas, as fictions and absurdities, unworthy of an enlightened age.”

Sefton could not repress his astonishment, and both his look and manner testified pain and surprise.

“I did not say that I exactly agreed with all the explanations given by rational Protestants on the dogmas I have just mentioned," continued the Professor, observing the agitated expression on Sefton's speaking countenance; 'but with regard to the Trinity, upon which you seem to have had some difficulties, it is my opinion, that that dogma may be removed, without scruple, from religious instruction, as being a new doctrine, without foundation, and contrary to reason; but," added he, lowering his voice, and shaking his head solemnly, it must be done with great circumspection, that weak Christians may not take scandal at it, or make it a pretext to reject all religion; for you must be aware, that the greater part of our people are not yet sufficiently enlightened to look upon the truth in its naked simplicity. They have been too long accustomed to regard religion through the mist of mystery. We must humour their prejudices for a while. Our hope is in the rising generation, which a better system of education is preparing for brighter days."

Sefton, still more confounded, observed that "after all, belief in the Trinity is one of the Thirty-Nine Articles of the Church of England." "Whew! whew!' said the Professor, putting his fore-finger to his nose, and shutting one of his eyes, with an inexpressibly sly wink, 'you surely know that it is nowise necessary for a good rational Protestant to believe in the thirty-nine articles of your Church; we of Geneva never admitted them from the beginning, and we know quite well that the most learned of your Churchmen are heartily sick of them.'

"Luther and Calvin, I imagine, believed in the Trinity at least,' observed Sefton coolly.

"Luther believed, too, in a real presence in the Sacrament,' said the Professor sarcastically, which smells far too strong of Popery to be endured; if he

was wrong in one article, he might be wrong in another. But perhaps I am wronging the grand patriarch of Protestantism. I have been long persuaded in my own mind, that both Luther and Calvin, and most of their co-operators were too clear-headed not to see the ultimate consequences of their immortal principle, that every man must judge for himself in matters of faith, and therefore no man can believe what he cannot comprehend. Mysteries and miracles must, therefore, be eliminated from rational faith.'"

As Sefton in his disputes with Catholics had had recourse to this line of argument, he was unable for a time to know what answer to make; but rallying, at length he ventured upon a reply which he had often heard from Catholics.

6

"I think, Sir,' said he,' we act very rationally in believing whatsoever GoD has revealed to us, for that must assuredly be true, however it may surpass our very limited comprehension; let me once clearly understand that God has revealed a truth, and then I must, I will, most gratefully bow every power of my soul to receive and adore it.'"

"Oh! oh!' said the Doctor,' I see which way the wind sets. I tell you, young man, if you once renounce the rights of your own judgment, if you once hoodwink reason, some sly knave or other will soon lead you into all the mazes of Popish superstition.'

"No fear of that,' replied Sefton, for there is a wide difference between submitting humbly to the incomprehensible mysteries of Gon, really revealed, and following blindly the superstitions of Rome, which are the fond inventions of men.'

"Beware,' said the Professor,' you do not know the craftiness of the Roman clergy; they are not such fools as to propose at first to your implicit belief any silly superstitious mystery or miracle, until they have inveigled you by their sophisms into the belief that God has so revealed it. If you give up the right of judging for youself you will cease to be a Protestant.'

"That I shall never do,' replied Sefton with earnestness; yet in exercising the free right of my own judgment, I must be allowed to think that God may reveal, and has really revealed, many things which I cannot fathom. I am sure that the first fathers of the Reformation, and the best and wisest men that have adorned it, admitted many unsearchable mysteries, such as the Trinity, Incarnation, and the like." "

After some further conversation, Sefton took leave of the professor, but not until he had promised to go to Church on the following day (Sunday), to hear Dr. Untersteken, one of the first preachers in Geneva. Returning to his hotel with a heavy heart, he related the conversation to La Harpe, who, instead of evincing any surprise, quietly said