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tion of such as are permitted to shine with the radiance of a brighter-a more attractive lustre? It was, indeed, to very little purpose, that the great philosophic despot of antiquity-Aristotle, defined man to be an imitative animal,-or that our Locke laid it down as one of his three proofs, that man was was designed for society, because, that he was "under a necessity to have fellowship with those of his own kind,"*—or that the sceptical Kames declared, "mutual support, the shining attribute of society, being essential to the wellbeing of man, is not left upon reason, but is inforced even instinctively by the passion of Sympathy,"†— or that the accomplished, and philanthropic Brown describes the love of virtue, as an affection which can find objects in lands the most remote; which makes us feel delight in the good qualities of those who lived in ages, of which the remembrance of their virtues are the only relics; and which preserves to our indignation and abhorrence, the crimes of those whom the tomb itself, already in ruins, has rendered powerless to injure us"-it is, I say, to extremely little purpose, that the above oracular, and celebrated philosophers defined the objects, and qualities of man, as a sociable being, if such rules and dogmas, are implicitly relied on, whenever the less important objects of time and sense are before the mind, but are utterly contemned in questions of infinite concern. That this love of imitation should be regarded as a leading, instinctive passion, and as the concomitant also of that necessity, which connects individuals into a society, for the purposes of mutual support and convenience, aided by the united strength of corporeal, intellectual, and moral power, and yet that this instinctive principle should be denied its legitimate influence in the loftiest of human speculations, and be disregarded in

* See Locke on the Human Understanding, Book iii. chap. i. §. 1. + Lord Kame's Elements of Criticism, chap. xv.-" Emotions and Passions."

Dr. Brown's Philosophy of the Human Mind, Lect. lxxviii.— "On the Selfish System."

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our elevating contemplations of Religion, which is the only adequate, and immoveable foundation of the whole fabric of the social system-must be marked as one of those extraordinary contradictions, which does indeed, make a mock at the weakness, and contrarieties of man. That those illustrious individuals of our species, who have been allowed to illumine the moral darkness of our fallen nature as burning and shining lights," should ungratefully meet with the fate of neglect, and perhaps obloquy, is difficult of solution, by any other tests, than our divine Religion supplies; but to which, and to them, our enemies are equally and similarly opposed. Without having recourse, therefore, to any higher authority, we will furnish them with a solution of their extraordinary infatuation, in the language, of one of the greatest of modern philosophers and politicians; under whose banner, the proudest and boldest of their heroes would, doubtless, vauntingly erect his crest, were it but his lot to be ranked even as a respectable, and obedient disciple. I mean-Montesquieu. "Man, as an intelligent being, incessantly transgresses the laws established by God, and changes those of his own instituting. He is left to his private direction, though a limited being, and subject, like all finite intelligences, to ignorance and error: even his imperfect knowledge he loseth; and as a sensible creature, he is hurried away by a thousand impetuous passions. Such a being might every instant forget his Creator; God has therefore reminded him of his duty by the laws of religion.*" It is from a conviction of the truth, and importance of the foregoing principles, that we have alluded to the labours of Bacon, Newton, Pascal, and many others, in defence of the sacred mysteries of the pure religion of our Almighty Saviour; and influenced by these feelings, we will in our next dissertation, explain more particularly, the scope of some of their most distinguished productions.

* Montesquieu, de l'Esprit des Lois, liv. i. chap. i.

FROM

The best Writers, and the most approved Authorities.

Under the head of Gems, we are constrained for the present, to defer our usual extracts. We are forced, in duty, to advert to the present, unprecedented, perilous crisis. We are now more than ever called on, to raise our feeble, but earnest voice in sounding the alarm, when the spreading devastations of infidelity, and the malignant hatred of superstition, threaten an approaching whirlwind of ruinous, and overwhelming elements. Is the brightest gem in our Most Gracious Majesty's diadem-the defence of our holy faith, now to be suffered to be basely tarnished, by the machinations of his unprincipled advisers? Is the credit of the commonwealth to be basely offered as the unhallowed incense of perjury, sacrilege, and plunder to the avowed enemies of religion, rank, property, and order? Is the faith of the most solemn treaties to be impiously violated? Is the Church-the divinelyappointed channel, for conveying the impress of heaven's sanction on Royalty, and the venerable Aristocracy of the land-which used to surround the throne as its safest and most illustrious satellite-to be insulted, degraded, and enslaved? Is her independance to exist no more? Is her purity to be contaminated by a polluting union-by a subordination-a usurped subordination to an inferior* estate of the realm? Are her privileges to be debased, and treacherously prostituted to pamper the unsated and insatiable appetites of Papists? Are the intimidations and frenzies of mob, political clubs, to sully the honour of the throne-to poison public morals by the precedents of breach of faith, and perjury in the highest placesand to sit in judgment not on the doctrines, or discipline of the brightest glory of Christendom-the Church of England, but on its very existence? Is the Constitution, are the springs of justice to be broken, and bleed for ever? Is this the way to requite the loyal protestants of Ireland-to secure the bulwarks that are deeply crimsoned with their blood, and for which they have often paid the price of their property, and their lives? To whom can they now have recourse in their last extremity? They have enemies within, and without their walls. Even of her pretended friends, there are those who basely bow the knee to Baal-who fling their sacred vows, and oaths to the winds-who daily insult their Maker by an awful desecration-an heartless mockery of the temples and worship of their God -offering up, in the midst of worshipping assemblies, to the Sanctuary of heaven, a semblance of praise, for "the noble works that were done in the days of their Fathers," but at the same time betray their Master's cause, by a fawning sycophancy, under the garb of a moderate and liberal attachment to truth-to enhance their own private interests, on the ruins of Religion, morality, common principle, and honour. But who are the church's enemies? A set of men, who are like the weathercocks on the top of lofty edifices-exalted for levity and versatility-and of no use but to indicate the shiftings of every popular gale. What are their component parts? They are those dark, and unsettled spirits, who in their ravening hunger, as the Jews of old "fret themselves, and curse their king and their God"-who in their aspirations after the envied eminence of power, have created a turbid current of mob excitement-who have unconstitutionally leagued with factious and rebellious unions-who have dashed the offscourings of rabble filth upon the Aristocracy of the land-who are hastening to cast a foul and lasting blot of dishonour on the lustre, and weaken the long-tried and never-suspected confidence of a Protestant crown. But let it not be so. Let not the ashes of our murdered Reformers, be tossed contemptuously to the clouds of heaven. Let the friends of Religion raise their united, and incessant voices, against the inpending ruin, and threatened desecration of the Irish church. Let the expiring struggles of

her faithful sons, receive the encouraging breath of the church's zealous advocates among their English brethren. The cause is common-the danger equal-and the spirits of our noble fathers" hover around our venerable altars, to applaud the energies of their posterity, in defence of the bulwarks, that they once upreared, amidst the fires of persecution, and flowings of Smithfield's massacres.

* See The Book of Common Prayer, in Thanksgiving for Deliverance from the Popish Gunpowder Treason; throughout which, the King and Royal family, with the three estates of the Realm-Nobility, Clergy, and Commons, are put according to their proper rank of precedency, and formally acknowledged.

+ The Litany.

Isaiah. viii. 21.

DISSERTATION III

"A few general reflections on the Majesty, and Sublimity of the truths and objects, included in the contemplation of the religion of our Divine Saviour."

[The same subject concluded.]

Ir it be asked in what, consist the Majesty, and Sublimity of the Christian Religion-we at once refer to the brilliant, and beauteous language of the records, which ushered Christianity into the world ;-we lead the inquirer to the development of the mighty and universal interests, the lofty and all-momentous topics, involved in its various parts-to the presiding Intelligence and Divinity that is therein revealed, as extending, with the wakefulness of an omniscient eye, and the vigour of an upholding hand, to the minutest and countless diversities of existence, including them all in one common family;-we point out the announcement of that Eternal Spirit, who sits amid the splendours of inaccessible beams of uncreated light, inthroned on the immensity, and grandeur of his own mysterious wonders, and embracing the boundless

[Concluded from Note, p. 113.]

We have already seen, and shall still further have the melancholy gratification, of recording more examples of the Papacy, perseveringly, using in their most venerated, and established formularies, the texts of the sacred Scriptures, in blasphemous and idolatrous application to the Virgin Mary. Such gross and presumptuous perversions of Revelation, claim the deepest attention of those, who are at all interested in the marks of their Antichristian apostacy. Are ascriptions of worship and praise, which are due only to the supreme majesty of God and of Christ, to be given in an age of enlightened christianity, to a creature, who, though she deserves our respect, yet is as one of us? Is the idolatrous homage of a continued sensual rapture-are the lofty names, and distinguishing attributes of

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domains of creation's works, within the vast and infinite range of one great administration. In short, the grandeur, and magnificence of the revelation of our Divine Redeemer consist in this,-that, when the race of men-because of the universal corruption of their nature, and unyielding rebellion of their practice-had

each of the divine persons of the Holy Trinity, to be offered and given to a sinful, fallen woman, in order to merit the joys of an eternal world? Are incessant pilgrimages to be made to her shrine→→ to an image of her heart, for the purpose of meriting eternal salvation? Is her statue to be touched for the cure of all diseases-for the delivery of unerring oracles-for the profuse weeping of omens (!)? Are there Litanies, Devotions, and Offices specially sanctionedhighly recommended-industriously circulated for her exclusive honour? Yes, all this passes in review every day-every hour before us. It is too true, that such offences cast a destructive blight on the sublimity, and purity of Christianity. In the humility of Faith, we should "hear the word and receive it," for the Spirit of God has told us, that "it must needs be that offences come; but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh!" It is for us, with the humility of little children, to take heed to that warning, which was given to this very Church, and doubtless, in prophetic anticipation of its apostacy from the true faith of Christ-"Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences, contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them. For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the simple" (Rom. xvi. 17-18.; with which compare Matt. xviii. 7; Luke xvii. 1; Mark ix. 42.). All that we have already done to expose this antiquated monster of iniquity, falls very far short of the innumerable facts, which the unanswerable evidence of history plainly attests. In what we have already done, and now purpose doing, in reference to the idolatrous worship of the Virgin Mary, our readers can have a fair opportunity of judging the truths of this Dr. Baine's assertions. Let it however, be most carefully noted, that such lying prevarications, must continue to an illimitable extent, until their origin and propagator-Iniquity and Satan, cease to have any influence over the sublunary affairs of a "world that lieth in wickedness." It is our duty, if we profess either to know the basis of our protestant faith, or to believe what we know, to expose every stratagem of the enemy, and unreservedly lay bare every covert ambush of the insidious, and deceitful foe. They sometimes attack avowedly and openly, but far oftener attempt to delude the simple and unsuspecting, by statements deceptively glozed over, with pretences of moderation and liberality. The latter is that species of manœuvring, to which we would again and again, refer and mark out, as a quicksand, beset with perils and dangers. This is the engine which we regret to say, has been so powerfully, and successfully plied in

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