the attention of the public to the choice parts of the reports; for even where all is good, you know, there are generally portions here and there of superior excellence. Will you allow me, then, to point out some of the beauties of the reports? What has struck me with peculiar force, will probably affect others as forcibly. Now I have admired the way in which the report speaks of conversions. It seems that these Catholics can foresee conversions with as much certainty as we, poor blind Protestants, can look back on them! F. Baraga writes, under date of March 10, 1832: "Ilong for the arrival of spring, when I shall have numerous conversions!!" Now, I am aware that the face of nature is renewed when spring appears, but I did not know this was as true of the souls of men. It is news to me that conversions can be foreseen with such perfect accuracy. It is hard to foresee what men will do. But here is a foreseeing of what God will do, unless they deny that conversion is his work! But what makes our Catholic brother speak so confidently of the conversions that were to take place? How did he know it? Why, forsooth, some had promised him that they would be converted in the spring. "There are many pagan Indians," he says, "who promised me last summer and fall, that they would in the spring embrace the Christian religion!" This beats all. Why, if they were convinced of the truth of the Christian religion, did they not embrace it at once? Why put it off till after the 1st of March? But not only had some promised him on their honor that they would be converted, but he says: "From two other counties I have received assurances, that many of the Indians there would be converted to the Christian reli

gion, if I would come and preach the gospel to them!" You see they had told others, who told Baraga, that they would. It came very straight. He speaks particularly of a Christian Indian who had brought him the intelligence. Now observe, they had never heard a word of the gospel-neither knew what it was, nor how confirmed! Yet they promised to embrace it→→ promised to believe, and be converted to have their hearts changed-to be born again! I know that God promises, "A new heart will I give you," but I never knew before that any man, and especially one who had never heard the gospel, could look ahead and say, "at such a time I will have a new heart." Baraga says, "I cannot describe the joy such assurances give me." We Protestants are not so easily made happy by the promises of the unconverted.

Again, I have been struck with the manner in which Baraga speaks of the mother of Jesus, under date of July 1, 1832: "When I decided to be a missionary," he says, "I promised our heavenly mother that I would consecrate to her the first church I should consecrate among the Indians, for I am convinced she will pray her Son continually for the progress of our missions." Our heavenly mother!! Our heavenly Father is a phrase dear to every Christian heart; but it is the first time I ever heard we had a heavenly mother. O! O! Will the reader pause a moment and inquire the meaning of the word idolatry? Baraga promised her? Where had they the interview when that promise was made? He must have been praying to her. And why was the promise made? Because "I am convinced she will pray her Son." What! prayer in heaven! John, in Patmos, heard praise in

heaven, but not prayer. I know there is one advocate in heaven, Jesus Christ the righteous, who over liveth to make intercession. That one is enough. But here we are told of another advocate on high-a mediatrix. And she prays to her son-mediates between him and sinners. What! Do we need a mediator between us and Christ? I always knew we needed a mediator between God and us; but I supposed we need go directly and immediately to Christ, since he is himself a mediator. Baraga says presently after, "thanks be to Mary, gracious mother, who ever prays for the conversion of the heathen." Now, if all this is not idolatry, I wish some body could tell me what idolatry is. I would as soon undertake to defend the worship of the golden calf as this.

Finally, what power these Catholic priests have! Protestant ministers are only "mighty through God." But the priests can succeed without that help. Father Sender writes: "Young people of sixteen years, and not unfrequently older persons, have never confessed nor communed; (taken the half sacrament, I suppose he means.) I prepare them for both, and for confirmation." I prepare them! And another writes concerning Baraga, that he achieves wonders of salvation among the Ottawas.

This is a specimen of the religion which Prince Metternich & Co. our Austrian brethren, those dear lovers of liberty, are benevolently contributing to give us here in America. They are afraid that our free institutions will not be permanent unless they help us to prop them up with the Catholic religion! Timeo Metternich et dona ferentem. [I fear Metternich, even sending gifts.]

53. Beauties of the Leopold Reports.

Puerility of the Catholic Religion.

What a puerile religion the Catholic religion is! How childish! How petty its cares! About what trifles it concerns itself! The Christian is truly "the highest style of man," but the consistent Catholic is not much above the lowest. Baraga writes as follows: "It would be of essential service to our missions, if there could be sent us cups, boxes for the holy wafer, rosaries, crucifixes-of the last two, as many as possible, for such articles cannot be bought here. How it is with church furniture and linen, you may easily think. Those given to me by pious persons are of great use to me, and I cannot be thankful enough for them." Cannot be thankful enough for boxes, rosaries, &c.!! His capacity for gratitude must be small indeed. We Protestants often feel that we cannot be thankful enough, but it is not for such trumpery as cups and boxes. When we feel and lament over the inadequacy of our gratitude, it is in view of the many and great mercies of God to us. I suppose our Protestant missionaries at Ceylon, and elsewhere, would not be so very grateful if we should send them a consignment of cups, boxes, &c. No: such things could not be of essential service to their missions. We do not understand converting people as the Catholics do. They can regenerate and pardon, and do all the rest in a trice. We have to bring before the mind of the sinner the great-saving truth of Christ crucified; but they have only to put the little crucifix in his hand. I went, a short time ago, to visit a man under sentence of death,

to talk to him about Christ and his death. I found him gazing intently on a little metallic image of Christ crucified, which a priest had left him. He seemed indifferent to all I said. The priest had prepared him!

In a note to Baraga's letter, we are told of a great number of Catholic notions that are already on their way to America; among them three thousand rosaries! What a sight of beads! How their missions must prosper after this! A little afterwards, by way of inducing others to contribute beads, boxes, &c. it is said: The good Christian rejoices to promote the external honor of the house of God, so that the inner man, by the splendor of the external divine worship, may be lifted to heaven." What a sage sentiment ! How scriptural! How philosophical too! This is truly a new way of being lifted to heaven.

But I must not overlook a letter of Bishop Fenwick, dated Mackinac, July 1, 1831. He writes: "On the second day after my arrival, Mr. M. and I preached at different times after mass. When the people had heard some sermons, confessions began; and from that time till the day of our departure, we sat on the confession stool from early morning till 1 o'clock, and in the afternoon, from 3 or 4 o'clock, till 10, 11, and twice till 12 at night. There were confessions of twenty, thirty, and forty years." What a prodigious memory they must have had, who called to mind and confessed the sins of forty years! All that time they were waiting for a priest to come along. There was the God who delighted in mercy, to whom they might have confessed, as the publican dared to do; and there was "Jesus the mediator of the new covenant," whom they might at any time have engaged to intercede for them. But