proselytism" as a legitimate spring of action in Catholics, "if unconnected with the treasons, persecutions, and vices, "so abundantly charged upon Catholics") observes, p. 57, that "the zeal for proselytism daily thins the Established "Church of England, and increases the Congregations of the "innumerable denominations of sectaries, which are tolerated "in this country;" by which he proposes a parallel between the persecuting and exclusive zeal of Popery, and the desire entertained by the various sects among Protestants to impress their own modes of thinking upon others. With regard to the statement, that "the zeal for proselytism in itself can be no "crime, if unconnected with the treasons, persecutions, and ❝vices, so abundantly charged upon the Catholics," it may be observed, that the zeal of the Jesuits and their adherents never has been “unconnected with treasons, persecutions, and ❝vices," and that thus their zeal cannot be considered except in connexion with its excesses. The effort, therefore, of MR. DALLAS to disunite them must fail; and much more will his attempt to shew any analogy between the political dangers of Jesuitism and of Popery, and the religious errors of our Protestant sectaries, for this simple reason, that whatever may be the mistakes of some classes of Dissenters, they affect only themselves, and do not oblige them to perpetual hostility against a Protestant Throne, a Protestant Government, and a Protestant Parliament. It will not be denied by the firmest friend of the Jesuits, that for a very considerable time past, the Dissenters from our own national Establishment have yielded to no class of his Majesty's subjects in loyalty and obedience; and any inuendoes or suggestions to the contrary are wholly unmerited by them, and unworthy of their calum niators. Reposing as they all do under the broad shade of our tolerant Establishment, the Dissenters are wise enough to know that they have little to gain and every thing to lose, by any change which could take place; and they are especially impressed with a sense of this great truth, namely, that a change from a Protestant to a Popish establishment, in other

words, from a tolerant to an intolerant system of government, would only involve them in one common ruin with the more regular and orthodox members of the Establishment. They are not so ill read in History, nor so ignorant of human nature, as to be insensible of this fact, that whatever of exemption or privilege, Popery might have to offer them as an inducement to disloyalty or disobedience, Dissenters would only, in the event of Popery assuming the reins of power, be indulged with the privilege which POLYPHEMUS offered to ULYSSES, of being devoured last. The Dissenter of England owes no external allegiance, admits no spiritual supremacy, professes no pernicious casuistry, and believes that those who essentially differ from him upon the subject of religion, may yet be in the way of salvation; and at all events may go on to differ from him, without molestation or injury. In the great fundamentals of religion, the Dissenters, as a body, hold the same doctrines as the Establishment; abhor alike the errors and corruptions of the Romish Church; and equally maintain the rights of conscience, and the liberty of the subject..

No analogy, therefore, can be shewn by MR. DALLas, to subsist between the cases of the sectaries of England, and the emissaries of Rome: nor can any coincidence be established by him between the political crimes and vices of the Jesuits, and the religious aberrations of the Dissenters. The things are essentially distinct, and must eternally remain so, in spite of MR. DALLAS's desire to confound them together; and therefore his attempt to make Protestant Dissent a particeps criminis with Catholic Intolerance, will not avail him.

MR. DALLAS, in p. 60, declares himself (but, Credat Judæus) ATTACHED TO THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND."

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This confession he perhaps considers necessary upon the same principle as certain defenders of the Jesuits considered it necessary to assure the world that they were not of that Order. MR. DALLAS being a good Frenchman, he may perhaps remember the phrase "Qui s'excuse s'accuse."How far the Church of England, as a body, may feel honoured or strength

ened by MR. DALLAS's attachment, is perhaps a little problematical. The Church of England will probably say of such auxiliaries and defenders,

Non tali auxilio, nec defensoribus istis, ́›

Tempus eget.

Undoubtedly many individual members of the Church of England, who do not intend to yield to MR. DALLAS or any other friend of the Jesuits in cordial and unfeigned attachment to the doctrines and discipline of that Church (among whom the writer of these remarks must claim to be included), have considered that MR. DALLAS has adopted a most extraordinary mode of testifying his attachment to the Church of England, in becoming the champion and defender of a body of men who were established for the avowed purpose of opposing the Reformation by all the means in their power; who have never ceased, from their first origin, to disturb and persecute all the Reformed Churches of the world; and who must, from their very constitution, abhor the Church of England in particular, as more peculiarly opposed, through her whole history, to the abuses and corruptions of Popery both in doctrine and practice.

Let us, however, examine a little more closely into MR. DALLAS's pretensions of "attachment to the Church of Eng"land;" and in judging him from his own words, we shall find upon what sort of foundation his Churchmanship rests, and learn what are his opinions of the Reformation, which is at once the light and glory of the Church of England. “At"tached" (he says)," myself to the Church of England, it "is nevertheless clear to me, that THE REFORMATION HAS "GENERATED THE MOST ABSURD SUPERSTITIONS; and I can"not conceive that there is a man of unbiassed mind and good sense, who would not rather embrace all that has been "retrenched from the Catholic creed, than adopt the spurious "abominations and blasphemies which, every where, under "the screen of toleration, disgrace the world:" after which, as perhaps fearing lest he should have proceeded a step too

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far, he carefully informs us, that he is "not entering into # "defence of the Romish Church."

Now, if this be not a pretty resolute defence of the Romish Church, and a most virulent attack upon the Reformed Church, then has language ceased to have the meaning which we were taught to attach to it, when acquiring our mother tongue!

If a writer professing himself a member of the Church of England, will, notwithstanding, resolutely defend the sworn enemies of that Church, the simple fact of his adopting such a line of conduct will indeed help us to take the measure of his attachment to the Church of England with tolerable accuracy; but when he proceeds to slander the Reformation, by charging upon it "the most absurd superstitions," and by declaring that "all that has been retrenched from the Catholic creed" (namely, all the errors and abuses which Protestants consider the cor ruptions of that creed, and have therefore retrenched from it) must be preferred to "the abominations and blasphemies "which every where, under the screen of toleration, disgrace "the world,” we are spared the trouble of reasoning by inference or analogy; and we learn from MR. DALLAS's own avowal, what are his true sentiments of the respective Churches of Rome and of England! The mask, however, adroitly kept in its place before, now drops off, and the most incredulous must be convinced, that, since "no man can serve two masters,” attachment to the Jesuits, and attachment to the Church of England, are utterly incompatible with each other.

After so unequivocal a statement, on the part of MR. Dallas, of his abhorrence of the Reformation, it would perhaps be a hopeless task to endeavour to convince HIM that the Reformation was absolutely necessary to the world; but as his work is calculated to mislead many persons who want either leisure or inclination for examining this question, some observations on the state of Europe in general, and of England in particular, prior to the Reformation, may not be without their use; premising only, that whole volumes must be consulted

before any adequate idéa can bé formed of the midnight darkness and the midnight deeds of Popery, and therefore that the following testimony must only pass for a very scanty specimen of the nature of that evidence, which all History furnishes on this head. DEAN MILNER, in his admirable "HISTORY of 66 THE CHURCH OF CHRIST," observes as follows:

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"In a Manuscript history, extending from the year 1524 "to 1541, composed by Frederic Myconius, a very able coad"jutor of Luther and Melancthon, the author describes the "state of religion in the beginning of the sixteenth century in "striking terms. The passion and satisfaction of Christ were treated as a bare History, like the Odyssey of Homer. Concerning faith, by which the righteousness of the Re"deemer and eternal life are apprehended, there was the deep"est silence. Christ was described as a severe judge, ready to "condemn all who were destitute of the intercession of saints, "and of pontifical interest. (Seckendorf, vol. i. p. 4.) In the 66 room of Christ were substituted as Saviours and Interces"sors, the Virgin Mary, like a Pagan Diana, and other Saints, "who from time to time had been created by the Popes. Nor

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were men, it seems, entitled to the benefit of their prayers, "except they deserved it of them by their works. What sort "of works was necessary for this end was distinctly explained; not the works prescribed in the decalogue, and enjoined on all "mankind, but such as enriched the priests and monks. Those, "who died neglecting these, were consigned to hell, or at least "to purgatory, till they were redeemed from it by a satisfac*❝tion made either by themselves or by their proxies. The **"frequent pronunciation of the Lord's prayer and the salu"tation of the Virgin, and the recitations of the canonical "hours, constantly engaged those who undertook to be reli"gious. An incredible mass of ceremonious observances "was every where visible; while gross wickedness was prac"tised, under the encouragement of Indulgences, by which "the guilt of the crimes was easily expiated. The preaching "of the Word was the least part of the episcopal function:

VOL. I.