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The following diagrams illustrate the method: Les cartes, planches, tableaux, etc., peuvent 6tre film^s d des taux de reduction diff^rents. Lorsque le document est trop grand pour dtre reproduit en un seul clich6, il est filmd d partir de Tangle sup6rieur gauche, de gauche d droite, et de haut en bas, en prenant le nombre d'images ndcessaire. Les diagrammes suivants illustrent la mdthode. 1 2 3 32 X 1 2 3 4 5 6 I If A LETTER *> RECEIVED BY PATRICK POLYPHEMUS, FROM HIS FRIEND TIMOTHY TRUTHLOVER, ESQUIRE, TOUCHING A LETT' tt WRITTEN BT RPJV. G. P. TO HIS LDP. THE BP. OF Q. PRINTED BY P. SINCLAIR, BOOKSELLER, &c. ST. JOHN STREET. 1858. " Ridiculom acri Fortius et melins magnas plenunque secat res." (TRANSLATION.) The hose of a fire engine, (especially in cold weather,) will dis- perse a mob, in a more efficacious and desirable manner than the muskets of a regiment of soldiers. ir ^ ^ ADVERTISEMENT. CrENTLB RlJADER, I have been so much edified, and I may say, enter- tained, by friend Timothy Truthlover's letter, that I cannot refrain from giving it to the public, just as it fell carelessly from his pen. The composition bears marks of haste, and the whole thing, written as a letter to a friend, despises the trammels of a regular essay. Nevertheless in my opinion, " Rem acu tetigit," The point of his spear, I grant, is at times a little sharp, but he puts it into the Doctor, (who richly de- serves it) with so good humored a smile, setting down nought in malice, that I cannot find it in my heart, though holding his permission so to do, either to modify it or leave anything out. The theological idol which G. P., the Cathedral Lec- turer, has set up, being made of green wood, he must not be surprised if it fails to bear seasoning, and begins to split and crack, when exposed to the uncompromising fires of criticism. Yet I cannot desire a better (nor a worse) result, than a scene like that so inimitably described by the Satiric Bard, (B. I. 8) an allusion to which (to say noth- ing of his coadjutors) the Doctor's " classic tastea will not condemn." 1 II " Canidia denies, ahum Saganae ealiendrum Exeidere, atgue herbas, atque incantata lacertit yincula, cuM hagno risuque jocoque videres." (■translation.) You would have held your sides with laiiphter, and made many a funny observation, had you seen the formidable false teeth of the old hag Canidia drop out, and her weird sister Sagana's solemn high-topped wig fly away, and the awful instruments of their call ing tumbling from their hands, as surprised by an unexpected explosion in tho rear, they took to their heels, in the midst of their unholy avocations. Such an ad captandum pamphlet as that of Dr. I'., scarcely admits of a grave reply ; for any one weak enough to be led astray by it, would most probably go to sleep over a well matured, solid refutation. Thus Truthlover has, I think, hit the happy medium. Receiving the words in the nobler light of a Christian interpretation, and mingling kindliness with mirth, be adepts vory felicitously the same poet's motto. Sine amort jocisque Nil est jttcundum." To you, dear reader, I commend the whole, bespeak- ing an impartial hearing for my friend, and leaving with y»u the elegant remainder of the poet's sentiment : — " Vivas in amore jocisgui Vive, VaU." I remain. Your obedient servant, PATRICK POLYPHEMUS. May 1858. y JA > I My dear Patrioius, ^U ^ You must be fully aware that the Church of Euglaiul in this City and Diocese has long been harassed by sustained and unscrupulous anony- mous attacks. Calumnious charges and re- proaches, often assisted, it is to be feared, by her own nominal but unworthy Sons, have been in- dustriously circulated concerning her. The City Journals are cuistinuully made the vehicles of rumours, inuendocs, animadversions and fore- bodings meant to begot uneasiness, suspicion and alarm in the public mind. These communications are in general remarka- ble for their personal malice, reckless assertions, pertness, irreverent handling of Scripture, and agonizing efforts to display such little scraps of learning as the writers may happen to possess, rather than for any traces of power, useful design or happy execution. They are usually based upon fi^l8ehood, or distorted by exaggeration, and take that vague and general form in which slan- der may be most safely and damagingly uttered. Yet they attract, unless among those outside our pale, little attention and less regard. Saddening uud provoking, therefore, as arc such ceaseless and unscrupulous assaults, it seems nevertheless to have been made a rule with those who have the cause of Keligion in general, and of the Church of England in particular, near at heart. — 6 — to pass over thorn in perfect silence. It is easy to see the wisdom of so doing. It is, doubtless, more laortifyingto that personal vanity, tlie penetrating odor of which, rises up from most of these effu- sions to allow these Juniuses to sink quietly into the depth of that oblivion, into which their own natural weight seems so admirably suited to carry them. And it must be a great disappointment to these unhappy men to sec the town move on as usual, the Churches opened, the Congregations assembled, and the Clergy, p- -'ugly unmoved, proceeding with their ordinary duties. But what is of more importance than all this, the din and strife associated with the dusty arena of news- paper warfare have been felt to be unsuited to the titting discussion of solemn and sacred themes : and the attention drawn upon such falsehoods, even in their refutation, would serve only to bestow upon them undeserved dignity and a longer life, and call forth another swarm of slanders from the same prolific source. It is a matter of grateful satisfaction to the sincere and rational members of the Church of England that such critical spar- rows have so long, and withal so harmlessly, been pecking at her foundations ; and although (to change the figure) many a provoking troop runs yelping and snarling at her heels she heeds them not, but remembering her mission, holds on with quiet dignity her way. Such have been usually, hitherto, the trials and deportment of the Church of England as repre- sented in this city. The evil has now however taken another form, and charges of the most de- « '1^ f , plorublo character arc couclied no lonj^er in loose and ^'ciieral tonus, but luiimtely specitied and set in Bkilfid ordor. Tlic accused parties are carefully and umnistakeably dcseribod, and the whole in embodied in a printed letter, by an officer of our own Church, authenticated by the name of the writer, and scattered broad-east over the land. This, you will perceive, is an attack of a diiferent nature from tliose which J. have before described, and concerning which silence has hitherto been preserved. It will hardly be necessary to announce toyoa, which, without further preface, I proceed to do, that the publication to which I liere refer is a printed letter addressed " by the Reverend Gilbert Percy, LL. D., T. C. D., to the Right Reverend the Lord Bishop of Quebec, on subjects connected with Tractarianism in the Church." " There is a time to keep silence and there is a time to speak."! really trust that this astonishing production will be answered. Thus much I will presume to say— the prayer of ^\jax is fulfilled, and such an opportunity of coming to close quarters should not be lost,. Meanwhile, I would offer afew desultory observations upon this pamphlet-, sug- gested by the production i if, taking it upon its own merits and without anticipating that triumphant refutation which the mere statement of facts will, I confidently expect, be amply suffi- cient to secure. What then is the scope of the pamphlet before U3? So far as I can gather, it professes to be put forth — 8 — 1»y way of Riibatiintiating certain p^rave charges I)r()ii!,'Iit by Dr. Percy aifaiiiBt some ministers of the (Jliiirch of England, in a spcccli at a lato public rncctiiiif. The speech niadc .some noise at tlie time, dia- gnsting, 1 believe, all parties and seriously in- juriiig tlie cause of the Colonial Cliurcb and School Society itself; and this too, (cruel disap- pointment) after his having set out in his speech by insinuating, in the most innocent manner, how admirably qualified he was to advocate in the old country the Society's cause. But I am wandering. All said to Dr. Percy, "You went too far." The Dr. answered, "I did not, and I will say it again." The Bishop, it ap- pears, also expressed on some occasion the same sentiments regarding liis conduct ; and the Dr. waxes warm, shuts his eyes and rushes headlong into print, to take up the situation of Protestant Champion lately left vacant ; and here he is in full force in this pamphlet before us. One thing just struck me as soon as I had gathered this much. Why does not the Dr. repro- duce the speech which gave rise to the controversy itself? This would have been much fairer, fo'r unless I am wholly astray, the speech went far more into details than the lengthy letter itselt. Why has he dropped these details over-board in the letter ? Nevertheless he has a goodly assort- raent of accusations and epithets left. Without wading through the book, we will take a kind of resume given us on the fifth page. " They through a silly fondness for the puerile absurdities of past — 9 — agea, an insane desire for the revival of practices long obsolete, a childish passion for the introduc- tion of frivolons novelties, and the inculcation of exaggerated views of things in themselves indiffe- rent, have excited divisions, given origin to doubts, and stirred up BU-\ic among the congrega- tion of the Lord. I am confident indeed that per sons of the class described will bo looked upon as disturbers of the Church's peace, rather than they who take their stand upon lier Articles and li- turgy ; and fearlessly, because conscientiously, oppose the insiduous artifices of those who in the pride of that 'little learning,' whereof 'shallow draughts intoxicate the brain,' or through simple senseless folly, would graft, in this young land, upon the goodly stem of the Church the foul un- wholesome branches of the Tractarian Upns-tree." This then is the array of charges which Dr. Percy would expressly or by implic/ition fasten upon one or more of our city clergy. And al- though there is a manifest backing out from the original speech, yet even here the allegations are many in number, grievous in their nature, and if substantiated would convict the accused, as base recreants to those vows taken upon them when they became Ministers of England's Reformed Church. The ardor of public declamation might carry a man further tlian his previous judgment or sub- sequent reflection could approve of ; and a frank acknowledgment of this, although it could never undo the mischief that the dissemination of such reckless assertions must produce, would yet have — 10 — told woll for the candor of the speaker, and in- clined any one to leniency who might feel it his duty to comment upon that inflammatory har- angue. But no. He deliberately endorses those assertions, and by a studied, artful appeal to popu- lar prejudices, endeavors to stir up suspicion and uncharitableness in the hearts of well meaning multitudes, who will neither track him through the tortuous ways by which, sound and wholesome publications have been wrested to his matricidal purposes, nor read with dispassionate attention any vindicatory or explanatory statements, (how- ever conclusive) which may be urged from the opposite quarter. Surely he must be prepared with some stern and convincing proofs, ere he will embark his theological and christian character in such an undertaking. We look for something unequi- vocal, pointed and unanswerable. And here we meet with the most surprising feature of this as- sault. After brooding over these controversial eggs for many busy weeks, hunting up evidence either by himself or his emissaries in the cottages of the poor, peering over the shoulders of the Pastors in their attendance upon the sick and dying ; after ransacking the treasures of the pre- sent and the past, he, with the most portentous solemnity, brings forward what he gives us to un- derstand are the grounds of these grievous charges. And what are they? To what do they all amount? Having read the pamphlet carefully over I feel competejit to pay that they amount, I 'IV substantially, to two accusations; relating— First to the feeding of the poor and ignorant with worth- less and un edifying husks in the shape of tracts published by the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, and, Secondly, to the surreptitious in- troduction by some Clergyman of Beaven's Cate- chism, as a IVactarian Engine, into the Depository of the Quebec Church Society. The gist of the letter here lies before us. With regard to the publications of the Society for Pro- moting Christian knowledge, it seems almost ab- Burd to enter upon such a work of sui- jrogation, as a labored proof of their soundness and high standing in the Church of England. With the exception of a few "frantic men," extremes of a party, the Society for Promoting Christian Know- ledge has the confidence of the whole body of the English Church. Its publications are revised by committees purposely chosen from among men re- presenting the widest lawful latitude of opinion in the Church, and it is supported by the names, influence and means of, I believe, every Arch- bishop and Bishop of the English Church, at home and abroad. The committee ofKevision is ap- pointed from year to year by the Archbishop of Canterbury (whom Dr. Percy himself would hard- ly charge with tractarian tendencies) and the prin- ciple referee is at present the Bishop of Winches- ter, the Archbishop's own brother, whor^ we all know to be most indubitably opposed to any Tractarian innovations. From these pubUcations he draws out one upon which he directs the whole force of his polemical — 12-. batteries, making a great deal of noise and abun- dance of smoke, but yet, so far as I can see, neither proving nor disproving anything to the purpose. Still this is not the point I wish to draw atten- tion to. I protest against his mode of treating the Book which he professes to review. It is un- fair and delusive. Reviewers, I know, are never expected to be exactly fair, but this attack trans- gresses all ihe rules of civilized literary warfare. Nay, in such a cause, and with such high sounding professions, might we not have expected a little more fairness than usual rather than a great deal less. I have taken pains to compare his extracts, with Nelson's celebrated work, and can only say that I am appalled and sick at heart. -Alas, alas ! that the theological remains of good old Robert Nelson, one of the Founders of that venerable So- ciety, with whose sterling worth Dr. Percy ought to be somewhat acquainted, alas, I say, that he should be so mangled, not by the hands of another layman like himself, but by one of those very Clergymen whose cause he pleaded so soundly and so well. To substantiate at full length this allegation against the fairness of the Reviewer would occupy too much time, I shall therefore leave this duty to be taken up I trust by some more able hand, and content myself with pointing out some in- stances of unfairness glaring out from the face of the pamphlet itself. And first of all, I shall notice the dastardly stroke by which he aims to fasten upon Nelson, in the eyes of those uninformed upon the subject Ox iiistory, the imputation of Popish tendencies, — 18 — because he "refiised to take the oath of alleifianct to the Protestant 'jKing" Wm. in. On the accession of WiUiam III., Ifelson{BSij6 the Dr.) remained a nonjuror, « Remained" a non- juror ! According to this he simply « remained" what he had always been before Eng Wm. came I and so must have refused allegiance to James n to whom, according to the same recondite historian, he waa devotedly attached. It is really too bad for a learned Dr. to put such blunders into print Agam, since the Dr. with muph more gusto than due respect, loves to speak of good Robert Nelson, not as a Jacobite, but as "the old nonjuror (♦) and since he describes Nelson as holding the opi- nion, that a mere worthless layman can do nothing for the Kingdom of Christ, I am forced into the conviction that the unfortunate Dr. has here fallen upon another blunder, and taken it for granted that Nelson waa a aergymin of (he Church. Read the absurd tirade upon the 17th and 18th pages and tell me if it would not seem so. Fie upon you ! to speak so of a layman, whose words and doings would have done honor to youreelf, or any Clergyman in the. world. But I return to the slanderous insinuation that being a Jacobite, Nelson must have been a Papist at heart. Now it can hardly be necessaiy for me to remind you, that multitudes who were most de- voted in their opposi tion to Popeiy— who resisted • I do not think that any historical anthority appUe* the naote nonjuror to a layman. Bobert Ni.l«nn ».- .«— >i • tleman, and ao such it is verj improbable that b«-wa« ty„ ^^ upon to take the oath of allepance at all — 14 — James' encroachments in that direction, with the most determined steadfastness, who were prepared to sacrifice their property and even their lives for the protestaut faith, many even of these, I say, yet scrupled about taking an oath of allegiance to one King, while another King to whom they had be- fore sworn allegiance was yet alive. Of The Seven glorious old Bishops who went to the Tower, and were prepared to go to the block, sooner than read an illegal proclamation of James, by which Popery was to be tolerated in England, Four, viz. : San- croft, Ken, Lloyd and Turner, could not bring themselves to lay aside their scruples of con- science, although they were willing to live under his government, and obey the laws of the land. And was it reserved for the Cathedral Lecturer of Quebec, in the nineteenth century, to involve, by implication. The Seven Bishops in the charge of Popery ! Turn next to page 11, where begins an extract from Nelson relative to confirmation, in which Nelson says : " It conveys divine, r/race to encoun- ter our Spiritual Enemies, and to enable us to perform what we undertake." Read those words carefully again, and then notice what follows: "Indeed! exclaims the Dr.," " Confirmation co/i- veys divine grace ! enables us to encounter our spiritual enemies, and to perforin what we under- take." So here without a blush, without a qualm, he quietly changes Nelson's words, forces his own into the unfortunate unresisting author's mouth, ronllv rnalrpa N^plann fn oa^^ +V>!)*- '' Con^ir-mntin'n enables us to encounter and to perform," and #»'^ — 15 /! ^ then discharges upon him with a flourish of trum- pets the vials of his holy indignation. And yet, if English can be made to express any meaning, Nelson says not that Confirmation, but that divine grace, is to enable us to encounter and to perform. This is bad enough, but another instance meets us in the very next sentence, which is worse again. He proceeds " If this be indeed the case, then is the Romish doctrine 'of the ' opus opcratum' true (Shade of Chilli ngworth arise !)* Powerful rea- soner! ponderous logician! For thee was re- served the honor of tirst explaining what those dread words ^' ojms opemtum" meant. I, in my simplicity, following those who have hitherto been deemed the great authorities, in contests against popish error, I had always, until this luminary arose, deemed the doctrine of the opus operatum to be that " in the Sacraments a necessary Spiritual Effect flowed from the out- ward administration from the tJdng done (opus operatum) irrespective of the moral qualities of the receiver." You see, then, that according to the Romish doctrine, the blessing comes whether we are prepared to receive it or not. And this (says the sagacious Reviewer) is the doctrine of Robert Nelson. But yet, (amazing temerity !) the Dr. hift given us upon the very same page where this sentence begins, an extract from a long enumera- tion oi' quall/ications laid down by Nelson as neces- sary before we can profitably receive the rite ! ! By tllfe doctrine of the opus operatum, the neces- I trust that no keen-scented brother will here detect a secret leaning towards the invocation of $aint$. — 1« — aity of qualifications is done away. Thus a child may see that the , unconscious controversialist himself supplies, upon the same page, a complete refutation of his charge, and ignominiously iden- tifies himself as " Tke Engineer Hoist by his own petard." Let us charitably hope th|t he was not quite clear what the unhappy "opus operatum" meant, nor the «gra<3e de congruo" in using which phrase he involves himself in similar confusion. In the most friendly way, and simply between ourselves, I would advise the good Dr. to read over a series of masterly tracts for the learned and the unlearned, (published by the same unclean Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, and circu- lated in the same parts of the parish) exposing the deadly corruptions of the Romish superstition. We shall enjoy the fruits of his studies in his Lext Pastoral Letter. But, pleasantry apart, it is, to one of a contem> plative turn of mind, an almost ludicrous spectacle to see this doughty champion, flourishing his lance, with no concealed contempt for "unfledged divines" and superficial learning, and yet stumb- ling so fearfolly in his first gallant tilt. He has tossed himself upon the horns of a dilemma, siu^se m this sorry affair of the "opus operatum," his best friends must confess that he betrays either the grossest unfairness, or an ignorance of the mere alphabet of the great Romish controversy. Yet how can we expect any great controversial force from one whose feet slip from under him \. vr t f\ \ ^1 \ — 17 — upon the plait, level paths of his own Prayer Boole, upon whieli he so pompously professes to take his staiKl." Turn again to that inexhausti- ble eleventh page, and you will be greatly amused. Thus proceeds the Dr. - We find in an enumera- tion of the qualifications .leceasary for confirma- tion (remember the opus operatum !) the following . uidispensabloone 'Thoy must prepare themselves tor this ordinance by prayer and fasting,' &c ***♦ And in order to these end^, ifc is advisable that the candidate should frequently read over the Ofhoes of Baptism and Confirmation." And aowthe "Cathedral Lecturer," with the utmost sell complacency, marches into the following blunder. -I have just read them both over, on the supposition of a possible failure of my me- mory, (the idea that so learned a man could suffer h'om a possible failure of memory) but in neither of these offices is the word ^fasting/ so much aa mentioned, ! remorseless Dr., and didst thou think that good mother Church Jiad taken in hand to regu- late the weaning of babes ? Dear little innocents, not perhaps over eig])t days old, this grave divine ms attentively read over the Oflice of /;*/a;j/ Bap- tism, thinking thereto find something upon fast- y I cruel man, the feelings of a parent m'ight have taught thee a more kindly thought. Is there only one office for Baptism ? If I ha\l been seek- mg tor some notice of tasting it seems to me, (all unlearned as I am) that I should have looked into that for grown up persons, the Office for tlie Bap- tism of Adults. Road th.at over and there at it^ — 18 — head and front you will find what Nelson speaks of. Mothers, be on your guard against this dread- ful man. He will be the death of your children. My dearPatricius, I am sure you and your good lady will laugh over this as heartily as I did my- self. ^ " Spectatum admissi risum teiieatis amici." But the point of all this is painfully evident. This distmguished Divine, who has sworn an exanimo assent to the Prayer Book and Articles of the Church of England, which on the very lowest ground must be construed as articles of peace, does, notwithstanding, pander to popu- lar prejudices by attempting to confound fastmq with Popery. ^ Now without using too strong language, I think this 18 about the meanest exhibition of insincerity which this theological squib affords. But the design of all this is very clear. The learned lecturer must know that his PniyerBook (which he^ handles with so ill a grace) and the' Homihes imply and inculcate the duty of religi- ous fasting, without, however, making it neces- sary to salvation. He has read the Sermon on the Mount, Mat. 6. 17, and numberless other portions of the Old and New Testament, which speak of religious fasting. He has read the commentaries of learned divines equal in autho- rity even with himself Let him point out a single commentator on the Bible, of any school. Churchman or Dissenter, who classes fasting among the rags of Popery, who does not rather acknowledge that the disciples of V Fv II — 19 — Christ should fust. A3 I happen to have access to the uork of Adam Clarke, the great Methodist comnie.itutor, I must tell you that I find him sav- ing upon Matt. G. 17, - mauy protend to take thdr dehnifcion of fasting from Isaiah, Iviii. 3, and say that ,t means a fast from m. This is a mistake. Ihore IS no such term in the Bible '^^ fastmg from sm. Tlie very idea is ridiculous and absurd," as if sm were a part of our daily food r All the good men of note among the Dissenters tasted. Doddridge habitually fasted, and ahvaya did so tor a day before partaking of the Commu- nion. Nay, it is even to this day a standing in- struction from the Wesleyan Methodist Conference to their Preachers, that they are to fast twice in the week. And yet in the face of all this, and a thousand fold more, the Cathedral Lecturer would consent to lower his theological character in the eyes of all persons po.ssessed of ordinary informa- tion upon such subjects, in order to catch the applause of a few empirical Divines or violent Ignoramuses of kindred views. It is really a j.ity. I do not wish to insult you, my dear Patrieius, by telling you, (as Dr. G. P. has done,) what tjvery body knows, but for the benefit of the younger branches of your family, I shall here, be- fore making another extract from the incompara- ble Doctor, venture upon an explanatory allusion to the Westminster Confession of Faith. This was drawn up in the time of the Long Parliament, by an assembly of Divines in their burning and even infuriated zeal against Popery, in order to exterminate it Irom the land. 20 — The tollowiiig- id u Hpeciniun ot'tlu;ir laii<>ua^e, Cui-rtod bo ho that koi-poth baok his rtword i roin blood. Vox tho Midiiiiiitos. Abolish tho Anui- lokitos. Leave not a fng that belon.r^a to I'opory. Away with it, head and tail, hip anil lliigh. Up witli it from tlie bottom, root and branch. Down with Baal'8 iVJtars, down vviili Baal's Prieata." Out of tho whoK) niimbor of uno hundred and twenty of which tho as.sombly was originally to consiHt, there wei-e not above twenty who were »iot declared and avowed enemies to the doctrine and discipline of the Chnrch of P^ngland. The Liturgy of tl)e Church of Enghuid was censured, j him to the tendermcrcies of one who had the fatal mark upon him, and fed their youthful minds out of Beavcn's Catechism. One fact like this speaks volumes. I see that a letter is advertised, as expected short- ly to appear from the curate of St. Matthew's Cha- pel, elicited by the Reverend Dr. Percy's letter. No doubt this will go into matters in a more seri- ous and thorough way than I have either preteud- ! ■ 27 ■ If • M ed or attempted to do. Still this will not perhaps superaedo my letter. I pluce it at your disposal, and ifyou think it likely to do any good, such por- tions as you approve of, afte!/ having received a linishing touch from your hand, might be pub- lished. But this is the suggestion of vanity. Any thoughtful, well instructed man in reading over his letter would at first sight say " it is pre- posterous, the only harm it can do will be to him- self." But my dear Patrick there arc men amongst us — men too who would accept the epithet of ignorant with the worst imaginable grace, who, I have no doul)t, regard this thing of gossamer as a stupendous tower of evangelical truth. They be- ing once possessed with this idea, great force is given to the daring assertions and startling excla- mations, which form the spice of the book. It has been my object in a playful manner and with- out losing my temper, to demonstrate by a few pertinent examples, the utter insecurity of this tlieological cdilice, and glaring want of informa- tion, upon even elementary points, which every- where abounds. We do not kill a fly with a sledge hammer. We do not answer an epistolar^-^ catchpenny with a formal treatise, and so my poor attempt may do as well as a more learned one. • T have been sorry to speak, at times, in a man- ner so unceremonious of one of our clergy — but one who sets such an example can hardly com- plain, if the mischief falls upon his own pate. A mau who, because he is cathedral lecturer, seems to 'msmm^mmmtmm — 28 — imagine that it becomes one of his duties to h-- ture his Bishop—and presumes to assure him "that Xelson was an old , writer who lived during the reigns of Charles I, James IL and William' III.- and that Hooker was surnumed "the judiciouV' and that l)e wrote a great work in defenee of the Church against the Puritans, and that he rejoices to be enabled to tell him that the form of absolu- tion was precatory and delaratory only, and not judicial,— a man, I say, who can do all this much as a country schoolmaster might assure a Newton a Herschell, or a Brewster, that the sun does not move around the earth, but the earth round the sun, that the earth is not flat like a pancake, but round like an orange, and tliat he rejoiced to be able sincerely to assure them all that they were nofools,— Isayaman whocan do all this must expect a little want of modesty in his own infe- riors in turn. At most, I have merely profited by the judicious hint thrown out to me by the Doc- tor's favorite quotation; and for hard speeches, and scorching epithets, he is more than my match. It 18, however, a satistactiou in some sort to know that we have not heard the last of the Doctor. Let him improve upon this in his next attempt, let him say like'a man whom he accuses and of what he accuses them, frankly stating times, names and places, so that he may be either refuted or believed, and let justice be don© whoever suffers. Yec withal would it not be better for him to do this, as a christian minister, m the spirit of meekness in the church, through the legitimate channels, not as a public pugilist 29 — rnatel 11^," or ( 1 A flourishi?io; his polemical cudgel and j oitlier praying some one "to give him a 1 ^, diligently stirring up the "])n<]dles of roli'rr'ions co.itrovor.sy. jl' tl..) cliarges ho lias ah-eudv brought werj worthy of notice, proved or ajipro- priated, we might think tJie bettor of his motives. That he shouhi expose his unprotected ilard<, as he has done in this ill-advised sally, can be ac- counted for only by supposing him" so eager to deal out his strokes upon these offenders that he has been thrown completely off his guard. I am sorry for him. This is not 'Lie w:m- (o bo promoted to honor. One ahv=.ys grieves to see a man of parts stooping to court the gales of popu- larity, which after all is only a little breath, and that not alway.sof tho rao.'3t wholosomo qualitv, and cannot, however intoxicating, bis counted' upon as abiding. lie will merely involve hiriiHelf in a strife and notoriety to be finally dashed down by the same hands which have lifted him up. making more enemies than ho will gain friends, and leaving himself in th.e end nought but the bitter fruits of mortification ami regret. The Dr. speaks with pious horror of the intro- duction of the extremity of the tractarian wedge between the goodly liown stones of our Protestant Church. Here 1 join him heart and soul. Let him prove that any of the clergy are travelling out of the LiUm/i/ and ^Ir^ic/r.s, or insidiously bring- ing in Buperstitious practices, popish doctrines or 8eTU,ole88 mummeries among us, and he deserves the thanks of all. Let them be scouted and root- ed out. But let him not lend himself to a cruel, 1 — 30 — J This wedge, if its point be once fairly inserted between the foundation stones of ourcliurcli, and b<3 busily driven home by the nuiUets of "envy, hatred, and inalico, and all uncharitableness" may cause a rent in the venerable edlKcc, by which it will be "dishonored and disHu;urod," to our own endless grief, and the great rejoicing of our adver- saries. The clergy of the City would seem, hitherto, to have dwelt together in nnity, until this man arose, whom his own conscience forewarned of the just title which awaited him, as "the troublor of Is- rael. " Oil how sad, that while so much of this "young land" is lying in wickedness, with so many ignorant of the first principles of the oracles of Christ, that the clergy who are set as watchmen unto the men of Israel, should be lifting their hands against their rulers and their brethren, and instead of engaging heartily in the ^^ work of an EcangcUst," be eager to rush into a strife of words which tend to no profit, but rather to be subvert- ing of the hearers. How unhappy are the effects of this upon us, who look up to you for an ex- ample, what sport is thus offered to the Philis- tines with what secret satisfaction and contempt must they beliold these bickerings aiid jealousies and see men deserting the Gospel plough in order to pursue every "curious" trilie which may cross their path ; who perversely confound the most in- eignificant matters with the momentous questions which brought Martin Luther before the Diet of Worms, and with high sounding, dictatorial ignorance and pitiful imbecility, would undermine. 6X509^ />y7 7^55 St40>f jO^ea^ — 82 — contradict and decry the teacliinga of the great reformers themselves, and "phiy into the hands of Rome, by forsiiading the uninfornied that tlie Ke- forniation was a iniserahlo sciuabbh; about eroasos, surplioes, candlesticks and snutl:ers." And now my dear friend, I fear that your pa- tience i.s ex1jau8ted, I must Inister) with my letter to the post. Still I have many things to say, and have at least a half score other passages in his pamphlet marked, wliicli richly deserve castigation, yet since it appears that the indefatigahle J)octor, that solemn bird is again siilijiq, and brooding over some choice controversial eggs, I must not say adieu, but an rcvoir. With kindest and respectful regards to your excellent lady, Mrs. Polyphemus, who I trust will approve of my sentiments upon "Infant Fast- ing," and with much love to the little folk, I remain. My dear Patricius, Your affectionate friend, TIMOTHY TRUTHLOVER. To Patrick Polyphemus, Esq. Terra Incognita, May, 1858. }