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Les cartes, planches, tableaux, etc., peuvent dtre filmds d des taux de reduction diffdrents. Lorsque Ie document est trop grand pour dtre reproduit en un seul clichd, il est film6 d partit de Tangle supdrieur gauche, de gauche d droite, et de haut en bas, en prenant Ie nombre r!'images ndcessaire. Les diagrammes suivants illustrent la mdthode. rrata o lelure, 1 a J 32X 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 B36 I'i f I A A SEASONABLE SHOVE TO THE ]Vr EMIBERS OF THE AT^^GLICAN CHURCH, IN THE DIOCESE OF QUEBEC, BY THE VENERABLE BEADLE. QUEBEC: FRINTED BY MIDDLETON & DAWSON, LOWER TOWN. 18 5 8. '■ Aer<,'crDi3S bin, Aergcrniss iier ! Noth bricht Eisen, undbaJ koin Acrgernis?. Ich soil dor schwaclien Govvissen slionon so fern t-'soline G'.'fabr moinor Seelen gcscbehen mag. Wo iiicht, so soil ich ineinor Seolon ratben, es aergore sicb daran die canze oder halbo Welt,"— Luther. (TuANSLATiox.)— "Scandal and offence! Talk not tome of s-oaudal and olience. Need breaks tlirougb stoue walls,, and recks not of scandal. It is my duty to spare weak consciences as far as it may be done without hazard of my soul, though half of the wbole world should be scandalised thereby.'" ' .Se i uos-tri ponsieri sarauno vcri, nuovi acyuisti si saranuo lutti : se fiilsi, col ributtargli, magglormento vcrranno confcrmati^ te prime dotlriue."— Galilko. tTuANSLATiox.)— " If our ideas or reflections are jui?t and true. Ireah aecensions will be made to truth by publishing them ; but if ihcyare erroneous, their confutation will establish more firmly the other way of thinking." i i A SEASONABLE SHOVE TO THE MEMBERS OF TUE AKLICAN ClllRCII. IN THE DIOCESE OF QUEBEC. We are fond of calling the present an enlightened age ; witty writers call it the golden age : but tliere are some among us in Quebec, who do their best to make it a raediiRval age. In times of ignorance and priestcraft, when the great majority of mon were not conscious that they were born with the god-like faculty of reason, or that it was the business of life to develop and apply it, a teach- er or discoverer of truth was exposed to the hazard of tirr> and faggot. The stars, which illumined those dreary peri- ods, were but passing meteors, the brilliancy of wliose light was soon quenched l)y tyranny and oppression. Stern and cruel though such persecutions were, they v, n'c lev- elled against the leading men of the age. It seems to have been reserved for the mediaeval aspirants of tliis city to make themselves snpreraely ridiculous by persecuting .i poor lnotI"ensive Beadle like myself. Metaphorically speaking, my cocked hat has been flattened and the gold lace been torn from my coat. An act of injustice has been done to me more befitting the Middle Ages, or a despotic government, than the nineteenth century and tht- city of Quebec. I had made a few remarks in one of the newspaper:^ upon certain weaknesses and eccentric whims, which wen^ indulged in )^y some of our clergy, — a foolish aping of mediaeval customs, the adoption of a singular and by no means elegant costume, &c. In answer to these remarks a reverend gentleman of the name of Veritas published !i 1 J'il^k fiery reply, more remarkable for vcliomencc of exi)rcfesion' than for cogency of ar<,nuuent. In his opinion elcrj^ymen, even when wrong, liave no right to bo found fault with. My statements were denied in the most positive niannor ; and I myself, in no measured terras, represented to be a liar and a thief. With the most unblushing effrontery this audacious scribe did not hesitate to say, that no clergy- men in Quebec wore the M. B. waistcoat, abstained from shirt collars, dressed in coats of a peculiar cut, or dated their letters from the eve or day of some Saint. Now, as peojxle in Qucljcc can every day see clergymen dre.-sed in the peculiar style which I had dcscril^ed, what object could be gained by a denial of a fact, of the trutii of which every one has ocular demonstration ? I may be of opinion that the dress in question would show to greater advan- tage as a scare-crow in a turnip-field than upon the limbs of a civilized human being. But it docs seem strange that people, who are ashamed of it, should yet be weak enough to wear it. I thought it proper to send to the paper a reiteration of my statements, mildly but firmly expressed ; after waiting patiently for eight or ten days,\and finding that my remarks were not published, I determined to en- quire wdiy, in this particular case, the usual etiquette ob- served by the Press in such matters was dejiarted from. I was courteously informed by the Editor, that the insertion of my letter had l)een interdicted. Knowing that the os^ tensible proprietor of the Chronicle is a very timid little man, and would never have ventured to have taken such a step on his own authority merely, I determined to sift the matter thoroughly. I soon discovered that one of the real proprietors of the paper and a notorious busy body had been worked upon by some of the interested " clique" to use his influence to prevent the insertion of my letter. Their interference was successful ; and Veritas and his party at once assumed the honour of having killed the venerable Beadle. An unprejudiced party may perhaps think that even a knock-down stroke of that description is but a felon blow. This is not the first time a similar game has been played in Quebec by the same party ; but, in this instance, they will find that they have reckoned without their host. It is not in the nature of Englishmen to submit quietly to tyranny, or to allow their opinions to be suppressed, b«- .:^ >\ fiiulhig cause iiiQucntial ;^coplc assume the power of sajyging tlie press I ou^lit perhiii)s to have known that 1 was ilcfeuted in arj,nunent, and to have humbly bowed to my /ert/-w.,7/ superiors. Wliat ri^'ht has a poor Beadle, who has oidy trutli upon his side, to oppose the opinions of the wealthy and the powerful ? But I think it will always be found that any tyrannical attempt to suppress puljlic opin- ion, whether by ga.L^ginjr the Press or any other way, will not redound to the advantage of the gaggers, how- ever high their position or however large their fortunes. 1 at once determined not to be put down by any •' cliciue," but to publish in this city a pamphlet containing my views, and to send an account of the mismanagement of, and mal-practices in, Church affairs in this diocese, to one of the London i)apers. I have tliought it necessary to make this explanation before enterinir upon my subject. I will do my best to speak what I believe to be the truth, and to avoid vulgar personalities. I will not allude to the insults and injuries, which have been indicted upon myself, nor will 1 trust my temper to write upon the petty persecutions which for twenty years were so meekly and patiently borne by one —a scholar and a gentleman— who formerly occupied among us, (soon may he occupy it again !) a clerical post of high nllklal importauce. IVly object is to show that the affairs of the Churcdi in this diocese are badly administer- ed, that doctrines are taught at variance with the doctrines of 'the Church of England ; that those, who tench these doctrines, are favoured, that those who oppose them are frowned upon and suuijlied. There is among us a " cliciue*' of clergymen, who pride themselves upon holding ultra views upon such matters as : Episcopal governmciit,"lioly orders, the efficiency of the Bacraments, the authority of the fathers, the guilt of schism, the importance of vestments, ceremonies, and solemn days. Tliese men regard themselves as especially consti- tuting the Church ; consider the clergy, who do jiot think as tiioy do, as schismatics who ought to turn Presbyterians or Methodists ; and look upon tl") laity in general, as a kind of udjuict, which cannot well be got rid of. The celebrated Mr. Xewman, before he seceded to the Churcb of Rome, maintained that the Church, in virtue of the au- thority which she had received from Christ, could dogmat"- A 2 ca!Iy decide upon nil matters of doetriiio or ceremony, whetlior ofthepresoiil (lay or of ('ij,'htecn hundred years af?o. It vvonid 1h' unjust to the followers of Mr. Ncwiuaa and his friend Dr. Pusey in tliis diueese to suppose, that they do not coincide with them in this matter. It may there- fore 1)0 well to examine into the real nature of these hi'laud were neither zealous visionaries nor architects of ru^n, but statesmen of broad and comin-ehensive views. It is to this circumstance that .-r Church owes her moderate articles, lier decent ceremonies, her noble, and pathetic lituruy. Historians of all shades of opinion have always admitted, that her formularies were framed in such a man- ner, as to admit to her hijihest offices men, wlio dillerfrom each other more widely than a very hio-h churchman from a Roman Catholic, or a very low churchman from a Pres- byterian. It is th's brood and comprehensive basis, which is her peculiar "•lory ; and which makes her, in the largest sense of the tei-m, Catholic and Universal. Any attempt to narrow that basis is prejudicial to her best interests, and should be sternly resisted by all those, who have her wcirar(? really at heart. Every candid person, who is at all acquainted with the history of the Church, must admit that there havo always been two parties in it— Hig"h and Low. At dif- years who fcront periotls thoso parties liavo boon known by difTercnC nanios ; ami the Icanlnjj: of the Church has boon some* tiiiii's llij,'li, someliiiK's Low Yot it hu^ always been acknowle(l,i,aHl that men of the most ri^nd intt'i^rity, sera* pnlously honest, and diiU'rln^' wiut very few in the Nort^, who were better educated. Thousands of heathens were frequently baptized by these illiterate priests on the field of battle. Unprincipled adventurers from the civilized East passed themselves off upon the ruder and simpler people cf Europe as men of zeal and ability ; and. there is tlie strongest reason for believing, occasionally attained the Episcopal office without having received the rite of baptism. Just l)efore the Crusades St. Beriiiird (in very bad Latin) laments the utter disso- lution of ecclesiastical discipline in parts of Europe, and the engrafting of heathen rites upon the Christian Reli- gion. Now it has been ably argued, " how then can any clergyman feel confident that he is really a successor _ of the Apostles, when his succession depends upon an im- luonse number of such coutingencies as these : — whether under King Ethelwolf, a stupid priest might not, while baptizing several scores of Danish prisoners, who had just made their option between the font and the gallows, inadvertently omit to jierform the rite on one of these graceless proselytes ? — whether, in the seventh century an impostor, who had never received consecration, might not have passed himself off as a bishop upon a rude tribe of Scots ?— whether a lad of twelve did really, by a cere- mony huddled over when he was too drunk to know what he was about, convey the episcopal character to a lad of ten ?" The acute and learned Dr. Chillingworth thus states the conclusion, at which he bad arrived on this Armenian ox. For iformation ) decisive tlie little frliout the ^raiit that The very c Church :)rics were lade bish- leir lovers,, sensuality in Eng- gle prie?t very few •usands of illiterate Iventurers upon the zeal and believing, lit having Crusades liter disso- iropo, and tian ReVh ni can any ccessor of )n an im- — whether lot, while 10 had just ■) gallows, ic of these century an might not 3 tribe of )y a cere- aiow what ) a lad of worth thuH d on this i 9 subiect-"Tl»at of ten thousand probables no one shouW be false"; that often thousand rcjuisites, whereof any one may fail not one should be wanting, this to me. s extreme- ly improbable, and even cousi.i-german to impossible So tLttheussunmce l-^eof is Vda^ a machme eompo^^^^^^ an innumerable multiiude of pieces, of which i ^^ Grange- ly uulikely but some will be out ot order ; and yet if ay niece be so, the whole fabric falls of neeessitv to the g^mid -and he that shall put them together, and maturely consider all the possil)le ways of lapsing and '^:l^:,n.si^.ooa^uL Clmrcli of T^-ne, will b. veryincUnahle to think, that it is a hundred to one, that among a hundred seeming there is "« .^f ^-^'^^t-r ,; t^^ tliat amongst those many millions, which make up o llomisli hierarchy, there are not twenty tnje ^oUiing can be more certain than th.t the early reformer, of our Church did not hold those opinions couceruing the Episco pl'^ffice and its virtues, which are so much in vogue ajncn^ the " Clique." I wilt pass by the very strongly expressed opinions if Bishops Jewel and Hoopej, ot Kidley and mai V otl.ers, who might be thought to have a leaning to- Ca vhiism, and will take my stand by two men who are adLwlelgedbythe highest churchmen to be penary au horities-Archbishop Cranmer and th^'JU' -ions Hook- er The former of these eminent men regarded tlie office of Bishop merely as a civil ollice, which, at the death ot ?ht Kini, who had given it, ought to be resigned like any her office. When Henry Till died, the Archbishop :l^\r suffragans resigned their Bishor.ics, and w^ re-anpointed by new writs under Edward A I. ^ooktr, with a boldness worthy of his high and f ^tesmanhke m- tellect, admits that even ordinations can be made without the presence of a Bishop. He uses these remarkable ™ds ■ " There may be sometimes very just and sufficient reason 'to allow ordination made without a bishop, where the Church must needs have some ordained, and neither hath nor can have i)Ossibly a bishop to ovdam ; in case of sue lecessity, the ordinary institution of God hath given Xenthnc., and may give, place.. And therefore we are not simply wilhout ex'h or- Df hands 3n of the d episco- the wel- ;y of the ^uion of the chief 'ranmer ; 'e was no he hiying would a hiubec if lI by the id, within lei' to tlie istitutiou- listory ol' lico, froui lit, decent JO rcgard- 1 a Cliris- I'dinanceH , upon by converted 'ith agamst ^t^; u' ^^^^^^ thai any plain man woidd do bo« -a-daj s. m NiH in favor of the doctrine appeal to an old tradition, which affirmed that Joseph had a former wife, of the tribe of Judah, by whom lie liad six chikh'cn ; viz., fom- sons ami two daughter?:. Tiiis much is certain, that the most emi- nent of the Fathers diflercd in opinion concerninp: the theory, and that no authority can be found for it in the pla.in reading of Scripture, or iu tlic authenticated doc- trines of the Church of EngUand. It would take up too much space to show, on the present occasion — although it would not be a difficult task — how a doctrine so opposed to the comprehensive minds of our earlier reformers gra- dually found favour with certain members of the Anglican priesthood. In the dark iges of the Church, it was a fa- vourite move of )n'iestcraft to unite the fascination of female sex and loveliness with celestial dignity. Thus, in differ- ent countries, the Virgin was made to take the place which such goddesses as Venus, Diana and Astarte hadoecnpied in the minds and feelings of the vulgar. Hence Milton, in one of his minor poems : — Ami the raooncd Ashtarolh Queen of earth and heaven both. One of the whims or hobbles of the " clique " seems to be the revival of the Confessional. The doctrine of the Church of England upon this point is plain and distinct. If any members of that church are troubled in conscience, they may apply to their spiritual guide of their own free will for spiritual advice or assistance. The same practice is followed by Protestants of all denominations. Kot the slightest authority can be found for converting such applications for spiritual advice into anything like the compulsory confessional of Rome. Yet it is a positive fact, that, within the last few months, young people in this city have been advised to confess ; nay, that a Protest- ant cli.Tgyman has actually asked a mother to leave the room in order that he might put questions to her daughter in pviviitc. A few weeks ago, it was asserted from the pulpit by one of the " clique," that a certain amount of fasting was equal to a certain amount of penitence. In consequence of tiiis assertion, i.iany families left the chapel of which he jiad temporarily occupied the pulpit. I cannot presume to say on what authority his assertion was made. I do not remeuiber any authority for such a doctrine in scrip- .sm to on, which ic tribe of sons aud most emi- erninp: the r it ill the mled doc- ake up too altliough it io ojjposed rmcrs gra- e Anglican t was a fa- )n of female IS, in differ- place which ad occnpied nee Milton, ! " seems to trine of the ,nd distinct, conscience, \v own free me practice Kot the erting such ing like the s a positive ig people in it a Protest- to leave the ler daughter pulpit by ' fasting was consequence of which he not presume 1 ado. I do rine in ecrip- i tare nor oven in the works of any Protesta ni divine. One woaid readily admit, that occasional abstaining from meat is benclicial, physically speaking ; tha ta continjd abstinence, by producing weakness ot b'^dy, may also ^roE lm.nilit} ot mind. The Church ; I'^hhI'Uh has Appointed certain dnys, which ... v be observed as a ts . but she wiselv attaches no merit to the ol)servance of them and leaves it to her members to act accordn.g to thtr iudgmont and their consciences. To assert that fasting 8 considered meritorious by the Church ot England .. hete- Tlox to her doctrine to teach thai any amount o abstinence from meat is of e(,uol value with a s;»eeje ^nd n, whether a jbstantive, or irc of Eastern e and strong thousands of aspects of the iind liteniUy ; iiect the links I ei'hnes arc of the I3iblo, i. lint is it :nn- girls and ion of the sin cli(|iie," who tiire and the the j)rin('iplo n names ; in " stiek is a "g of decent It may )}c ndable 'or a 'adultery to k," I for one 'id ted prove )f the fellow y with his in former 1 of Jewish )oets, as it ley of the beauty of w youth. — I to adorn, ith all the nia^ .ibd .so g-raviij;; of cxt /f.i i-ind 1 find that work . I to give a ly quoting his remarks, when they are of an indecent character, ii5 would, perhaps, be as well for me to show how supremely ridieulous he can be, when he assumes a pious vein. lit the f)3rd page of his " Help to Catechising," he says : — " What (lo you mean by works of piety ? " Things done for the honour of God. " Give an instance. " What the clergy do in church, ringing the bells to I'all jieople to church, &c." Any one might expect to ilnd teaching of this sort in a Roman Catholic (iitcchisni ; but few persons would havt- deemed it probalde that a Protestant catechism would give as tiie promiuciit instances of works of i)iety, "what the clergy do in church, ringing the ))ells to call people to chnvch,"' &c. Clergy, who do duty in a church, and per- sons who ring the bells to call peoiile to church, iu ninety- nine cases out of a. hundred, receive payment for what they do, A reasoual)le deduction, therefore, from Dr. JJeaven's instance, is that those layuicu, who daily oiler np prayers in public, and who do not receive a farthing for the i)ray- ers which they offer nj), must be the most pious o( iin^n. * ^ The wretclieil course of edccation ])ursue(l at Lennox- ville, condjined with the ordination of nneduca id men, completely destroys the usefulness of the puli)i, in this diocese. l\\ the present age, philosopliical exnhm itions of that vast range of subjects, in which the might and ma- jesty of the Creator's i)Ower are so clearly manifested — ^rom which sucli use fid arguments can be drawn — ))y which the analogy which exists between the Book of Revelation and the I'ook of Nature can be so plainly demonstrated — would be incalculably useful in such a society as this. Opinions are widely si)read among certain classes of peo- ple, that the rcvehitions of science are sometimes at vari- ance with the Bible. Now^, woidd it not be well for divines to exidain to their flocka how each revelation of science, how the discoveries and researches of every tra- veller, far from throwing doubt upon the divine origin of the Holy A'olume — incontestibly prove it to be the book of God? W<»uM it not be well, occasionally, to show how each Ire^li discovery that is daily made, gives us new in- sight into the glorious power of the Almighty ; the wonderful tenderness, mercy, and foresight of that bound- less wisdom, which arranges and harmonizes all the jarring 22 Pi oleraents of Matter and Mind. But, say theso foolish young men, ice liavc iaith ; wa believe these things ; you ought to have faith ; you ought to believe these things,— In' other words, their whims and fancies are to be pre- ferred to tlie wants und wishes of the people. Wliat is the conse-'-^nce of this ncgle'^t ? A book is written in a popular style, containing indirect arguments agninst the divine origin of the Bible. Half-educated people imagine that Ihcy'luivo lighted upon a mine of wisdom, wnich has been hidden from'the rest of mankind ; and, full of conceit, they hasten to impart their views to others. The incpiiring spirit of the age will not be content to take religion upon trust. The result is that, if the proper explanations con- cerning tlie history of the Bible, and the historic and scien- tific confirmations" of its truthfulness, are not entered into by clergymen, infidelity and disagreement must increase. Nf thing, perliaps, advances such opinions more than an affectation of contempt, the use of strong words, and the assumption, on the part of a holy bully or pious swaggerer. It is imi»().ssiljle to kick and cuff men into a belief. A pretended contempt may or may not veil a want of learn- inir. Tt is certain that it leads the weak to think that arguments, which arc abused, cannot be answered satis- factorily ; tliat they arc not answered, in short, because they are uiianswcrable, I am actuated by no personal ill-feeling against the weak, silly fellows who play at Church. Being l)ut a plain, common-sense Beadle, I may, perhaps, ha allowed to feel a pity for them not umningled with contempt, I mav, occasionally, be indignant when I sec them prosti- tuting a holy oliice, and degrading, as far as their puny means mav be able, a noble institution. I may think, when I see some of them fiuttering in their recently-acquired academic hoods, to which they have no suljstantial title, that they are acting a lie. But these are peculiarities, perha[)S eccentricities, of feeling. Those persons, whose taste has been developed by reading, who look at the facts of history, and are not worshippers of idols, may well be shocked at tiic unblushing manner in which facts are per- verted ; at the impious way in which texts of Scripture are misrepresented and distorted. That feeling will be especially strong when they see a liollow morality taught ou Sundays, followed by quarrelling and backl)iting on 23 foolish igs; you tilings, — o be pre- Imt is the ;teii ill a ninst the ! imagine ^'iiich has f conceit, inquiring ^ion upou tions con- ;md scicu- crcd into increase. ; than an , and the ivaggerer. clief. A : of learn- liink that red satis- , because ;'ainst the ng but a le allowed tempt. I nn prosti- heir puny link, when y-acquired itial title, Miliavities, )ns, whose t tiie facts ly well be ts are per- Scripture ig will be itv taught ibiting on the other days of the week ; when thev see f attention paid to the cleaning J th^ ;; idt^f T^^ and platters and but little note taken of those gloriou emanafons of the Eternal Wisdom, of that s iblhn and wonderful inoral government which in its oompXiTvo grasp satisfies alike the intellect of archan^ a J he Twir^^'"^' f f'^'l'^'-^'" ; -l^ieh teaches Ss to be j ? and virtuous and eliaritable, and that one good deed i' better than ten thousand professions * I am perfectly aware that I shall be looked upon as a troubler o Israel," as caricaturing the motives and blackening the opinions of the " clique," even bv those who disapprove of their conduct. Forit Is hard to'believe tha meiiuho profess such a zeal for religion, will act pre- cisely in the way to stop its progress. But my con^iclJicS^ acquits me of any such attempt. There are manv in this city who know that everything that I have stated is true 10 write merely to convince those who arc alroadv con- vinced, would be to display but the eourngc of a boaster Before condenimng the evil, I have tiiought it mv dutv accurately to inquire into the facts of the case. The con- clusion to which I have coino is, that the real " troublers ot Israel ; are the men wlio, by the attempted introduction ot novelties, or by the revival of ceremonies lono- disused give oflence to those to whom they ought to giv? consr la- tiou. llieir conduct seems to deserve no other praise tnan the Supreme Judge awarded to the friends of Job for their partial and uncharitable defence of his justicq •— My wrath is kindled against you, for ye have not spoken of me the thing that is right. • •' I should not have troubled the public with these re- marks, had my answer to " Veritas" been published, as by the etiquette observed in such matters, it ought to have been. I felt as most Englisiimen would feel, that the sup- * Some may think that too great a promineuco is ffiven to tb^ rulcsopby and oth cs of theology, j/y reasoa for dwd in.' ui oa hose pomt. stron-rly, is that our cleroy in this diocese scarcel" cvoi iibo thedisoovcnei of scioace, the researches of travellers oriental customs, een collusion between the two writers ; for, identically tbc same points are referred to by the serious respondent, as by his would-be witty coadjutor. If this latter personage really is, as it has been positively asserted, a clergyman, he certainly deserves severe reprehension for his miserable quirks and riuibbles on so serious a subject. Surely it is questionable whether clergymen should approach such a cause in jest at all ; but it is, beyond doubt, inexcusable for any one to print such wretched attempts at wit. You and I, my venerable friend, are allowed, almost officially, to soothe our troubled minds by imbibing " the Tagrant weed," without any impertinent re- marks on our domestic comforts, while we discuss ecclesiastical topics ; but Timothy, self-'yclept " Truth-lover," would, it may be imagined, leer in a fiendish manner at St. Paul himself, if, with tru- ly Christian magnanimity, the great Apostle of the Gentiles were to recommend to him, as he did to the genuine Timothy, the use of a little wine for his stomach's sake. Such antiquarians as ourselves, venerable sir, in ecclesiastical customs, are aware that the introduction of t' fragrant weed into Europe was nearly coeval with the Refor ition itself ; and that, notwithstanding the astounding countc last of that great upholder of Episcopal government, James the First, of doubtful memory, it has been found as impossible to prohibit the use of the one, as to arrest the course of the other. In such a climate as this, it would be absurd to restrict the few indulgences which our parsons may here enjoy, and which have ne^ er been denied to members of their profession, either in Ireland or England. From that learned scholar, the Reverend Dr. Parr, whom it would be impossible for the most purified imagination to separate from his pipe, down to Archbishop Whately or the Bishop of Vermont, we need not be at any loss to find orthodox practical appreciators of the fragrant weed. We may say with the Clerk of St. Matthew's, (page 19,) " if we sin in using these comforts, we sin in good company." Collusion between the two pamphleteers is proved by similar re ferences to the same points. On the article of fasting. Doctor P. I is twitted ab( baptism of ad for tlie baptif that some clt and he shewc the subject w persons seldc joke, howevc the force of tice at all ac should be a gregation o relished as 1 Quebec. E joint sentin fasting, by Westminste that a Geui loveis of ti stand by a would scoi abstinence food. no\ is a fair sj lover betr of the Art ferencc to his early a but he ou a puseyiti demurrin applied t the Clerl day!" V he belon elaborat Alth'ii to relish should t believin seem P' \rony. conside; I that some clevgymen bave nj^^^J^ .^ ^^^ treating ,ud he shewed good taste and c^^^ ^^^ ^^^^,r. Weak-minded the subject with such ribaldry as M. uu ^^^^ ^^ ^ persons' seldom- hesitate to --;^^;P;;,^;; Lets attention from oke, however poor •, -P^^" ^It^^^^^^^^^^^^ eope with. If hi« prac- the force of the arguments tl^'^y '^^ ^^J«P ^ ^^ g.^^t Matthew's tice at all accord with ^-^V^^^^^^^^^^^^ .0 thinks the con- should be a good -f^^'''\^^f^,^, on the subject are not gregation of St. Peter s ; '^'^''^l''^^^, ^y the Protestants of ^elithed as highly -«' P^'^^^f ! Xly tr ^ '« defend their con- Quebec His friend more P^ ^'^^ '^^ ^ ^'^^^ Robert Nelson about j^oint sentiments andthedogmas of go-l o ^^^ ^^^^ ^^ ^^^ fasting, by the practico of th^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ titioning Parliament Westminster assembly of ^mnes a tu^i y p ^^^^ ^^^^^ ^^_^^^^^^^ that a General Fa.st f^-^^^^^^^.s that Presbyterians under- loveis of truth seem to be ^^^^^^^^ ° „^^a humiliation ; and stand by a fast or fast day , a d^^^^^^^^ f J^^rit to so many hours' would scout the Idea of ^^tubu tog a y ^^^ ^^^ ^^^^^^^ abstinence from meat or snbt^^^^^^ food. How absurd and puerile issu Timothy Truth- a fair specimen of their powerB 0^ a^gum^;t^.^^^^^ ^^^^^^^^^ lover betrays equal ignorance ^^ ^^^^^!^^^ J ,f paith. Hi. re- of the Articles of the '^J^l'^'^'f;''^'^^^^ Lence to the respectable body of ^^f ;^ f ^^ .^ ,,um virtus /) L early associations, ,est - ^^tmln - S^^^^^^^^^ ^^ ^^'^ ^^ hut he ought not to J^^dge the Wostmin^ ^^^^.^^ ^^.^^ ^^ ^^^^^^ apuseyitical standard. ^^^Si^e sue ^ g^,bbath-day, aa doming to the ti-o-honom.d d ^g-t n^^^^^^^ ^^^^^^^ appliedtotheChristianSunday, fo , a ^^^ ^^^^^^^ ^^^^ the' Clerk of St. ^^^f^^^^'^^^Sytrcates the class to which -Cr^rr=^:::^acent defence that could be -t^ Timothy a-- --:^" ;^Ky^:;-^ to relish a joke, however ^^S^^^f^^ ;^^fy ^t the Dunciad for should they not. ^^'^^^^^^^^^^^^jt! love/u joke I") yet, they believing that T ^ent ^^ - ^^^^^^^^^ J,,,t i. meant by .eem perfectly incapable of compr o ^^^^^ ^^^^ . ^^^.^^^ ^^ ,rony. This observation i S^' ^'^'^ p.^.t which Dr. Percy - considering as serious arguments mm P° i 28 ivs any one possosscil of a grain of iatelligcncc might «co- -moroly touched upon In an ironic strain. As for instance, when referring to a certain topic, he says, en pnrcnt/icse : " the Romish grace dc congruo, I presume!" AV'bo, except the Clerk of St. llatthcw's, or his jocose friend, docs not at once perceive that this is merely a gentle stroke of covert irony, and not intended as a serious ar- gument? Yet, on such evidence uo this do " these same /earned Thebans" unblushingly attempt to convict Dr. Percy of ignorance as to what is meant Ity the expression, grace de congruo. And 80 also in many otlicr instances, which it is needless to point out to you, my venerable friend, M-hose critical acumen I cannot suppose they have escaped. It is to me, however, a matter of infinite surprise, that neither the learned Timotliy, nor the learned and Reverend Henry, attempts to charge Dr. Percy with being ignorant of the meaning of the phrase, " benetit of clergy," when quoting from Nelson a statement that " the Brahmins in India were exempted from legal penalties and tri- butes," he adds, in a spirit of very permissible banter, " benefit of clergy, I venture to suggest!" Strange that such a favora- ble opportunity should have been omitted or overlooked. Timothy Truth-lover, speaking advisedly, (so he tells us,) des- cribes his friend as one whose knowledge of divinity is, on the lowest computation, ten times as great as Dr. Percy's. This is carrying the joke a little too far : the Reverend Doctor, who, be- yond doubt, is a true gentleman and an accomplished scholar, after a regular course and training at a British University, was a master in theology, while some of the *' uuUcdged," (like Lady Rackett's ancestors in White Chapel,) were literally measuring out tape behind a counter.* Thus we see that a person who nomi- nally professes love for truth, does not consider himself obliged to adhere strictly to plain fact. But we turn with disgust from this man's rude impertinencies and vulgar jokes. Wo suppose that he and his one-eyed friend, Polyphemus, are identically the same ; the unlettered laity of our city will hardly believe that * The reader will remember that the violent behaviour of the CUrk of St. .Matthew's, at a meeting of the central board of the Church Society, was tne primary cause of all the bickerings which have since en:-ued. In a rash and ru ie speech, he denounced as iudcent the report of a commilteu of the Society, llis anger so tar got the better of his tcmp..'r, thut he actually accused the Secretary, Dr. Percy, oi fohiing (that is, inserting by forgery,) into the report a paragraph which it was the duty of tlic Secretary TO insert, according to the instructions of the Committee. the promlQC " fae cxploi: sage in the to, on such Ceavcji's q or to order examine h' The Clei ccrning th work of tl: poor of his in the ban eccnda to •which has and bctte: are now c effected b tediously silence. more eas ney, froc hopes to scparati parting on eartb gerous he had 1 Grosse were o; to his £ Whei course, l'oreno( Mary r papers Peter' lueto days, Ward( confitl his te of ho l^cari 29 t,„ p.o.>ao„t ,.„o won fon, n^'^^Z^::^ J- .. tao cxl.lo.ion,- is token from tUc ™V;;°; „„ „f„,„a examiue her dauf^'atcr. i„ „„;uv to Iho charge con- The Clerk of St. Mattbew's pl^ads gmlty^ \^,, ,,,iicates the ec-ning the tracts of ^f^^^^^^l^ oou^o..^^o. the work of the former, as It It had been cxp^ ^^.^.^ poor of his suburban district He ™7' ^ .^^^^^ -.ocesan coude- a the hands of the Cathedra ^^^'^'^'^''^'^'^^.u^t letter, eceuds to set matters at rest by an..enugt^ ^^ ^ ^.^^^^ which has been addressed to him If "^e ^^j^.^^ ^^ and better state of religion m Q^^^ °' * ;'^;^7,, .^.ttUew's to be are now contented,'' expected by the Clerk o^ ^ effected by the wide-spread ddlusum of the t-^^^^^^^^^ ^ tediously deferred, the delay ^-^ ^^^^^^^^^^ endure it the silence. The Reverend S^^^f -;;;^'^;,:? I "Ume distant jour- uiore easily, as he speaks of bmg on the ev CO ^^ ney,from wluch'' should .t please God o br^ ^^^^^^ ^^ ^^.^ hopes to .orr.c^ at least one of u. error. 1 .^^ ^^. reparation so affectingly ia another P^^- C ^^^ ^^ ,, ,P,, ^vev parting with you for a short ^^-^^'^^^^fJZu.M and dan- onearth")-thatIwas ^;^^^;^f ^^.^ ,nd ascertained that gerous mission he was a.ou^^^^^ ^^^p^^,^,^ ,, he had been appointed to tiie P'*''* , jjQge claims Grosse Isle, in preference to many o his brethr a, .h ^^ were of much longer standing, and with a pretty to his stipend. . ^ ordinary dis- Whea.o.orgymaawam,outo,h «^-^,^^^^,,^„^ course, to proel«m «,>.l. a o = ^^^ .. ^^^ j,,^.,,„, Virs... f„vcnoo»'.«rv,cc "'j''^ J'".':','-;;;^,^, („, slated i,, .he pubUo Mary i-ema.aed "-"^^ ,^ .'j/t a«;.!; from the ,.uHMt of St. "■T-' 7, "atrmlrate amount of Fa..i..g i« equal iu ya- Peter's that a ceitain mouLia^v. „„ , _ ...u, „ on Communion lac to a whole year of deep ^^^^^^^^^Z. the Chapel aays, he forms a ^->^^;:^^\::^ft2,^^ should not so Warden bearing a meta "^'-°Y a noint out a single instance in confidently " challenge the ^;-«^-^;\^? ^T* °"^ ' , ,°t of the line his teachings or his doings, m which he ^^'^^"".^^^^^ ,, of honest or moderate churclmiansl p. I c uK7 J^^,. Pearson and other crotchety logician., a. ht in.^ui 30 son ; but unless such doctrines and practices are supported by the Reformed Church of England, and authorlaed by the unaophisti- cated interpretation of scripture, we will not have them "foist- ed " rpon us. By the bye, as touching the above procession, if the respected Beadle of St. Matthew's possessed half as much spirit as the Vene- rable Beadle, he would not silently suffer himself to be excluded from participating in such a pageant ! The flourishing condition of our little Chapel has been alluded to in a tone of self-gratulation. I would not derogate from the merit of any labourer in the vineyard ; but that several causes 2[uite irrespective of the labourer, and depending much on the weight of the argumentum ad crtimenairt, have contributed to this success, is a matter manifest to any one, whose eyes are not blinded by an overweening vanity and self-conceit. There is one point more, which must be noticed ; allusion is made to the late Confirmation, and Mr. Truthlover remarks, in sarcastic terms, that the class, which should have been instructed by Dr. Percy was "systematically handed over by him to the ten- der mercies of one, who had the fatal mark upon him, and fed their youthful minds out of Boavcn's Catechism." The Jesuitical writer of these words well knew, that Dr. Percy yielded to the earnest solicitations oi his former pupil, the Evening Lecturer at St. Matthew's, who assisted in the preparation of candidates ac- cording to proposed arrangements. The Doctor was not aware, had not tbe most distant idea, that Beaven's Catechism was used as a text book, until, at the final examination of candidates, a young lady, by her mother's desire, shewed him the book, and asked whether he approved of it, when she received a decided answer in the negative. What a specimen of malignant Jesuitry in the Rev. Timothy Truthlover ! And now, my esteemed friend, thou£,h I hope that these matters will, in due time, be thoroughly dealt with by yourself and oth- ers, I send you, meanwhile, these few remark?, that you may honor them, if you see fit, by allowing them to enjoy the light of day along with your weightier comments on kindred subjects. Peradvcnture they may redound to the edification of many of our brethren, and place some mysterious matters in a clearer light , and I remain, Venerable Sir, Your humble fellow-labourer, " The Clekk OF ounPAiuaH." Quebec, May 25lb, 1858.