increase their stability. Let it once be adopted, and immediately shall all religious sects-the too prolific sources of jealousies and quarrels among subjects, and of troubles, agitations and discord in empires-universally disappear; and to unity of spiritual government shall succeed the union of families, peace both in cities and country, and that invaluable concord of sentiment and affection which will always produce additional ease, compactness and energy in the civil administrations of an empire.

It must be from the people then that we are to expect this invincible opposition, I know with what tenacity they adhere to notions imbibed in their infancy. I know how deeply are imprinted on their minds the notions hostile to Catholics, which have been for so long a period inculcated into them. I will not dissemble how much it would cost you to remove such prejudices, to change their sentiments and gently lead their hearts to a reconciliation. Unfortunately there are but too many obstacles and difficulties discernible in this affair. But wherefore dwell upon obstacles, or indulge in a useless enumeration of difficulties? The important enquiry is, whether or not it be necessary to encounter and surmount them. If schism be compatible with salvation, well and good: matters may rest as they are; and we must save ourselves, each, as we can, in our respective religions. But, Gentlemen, you are well aware that this is by no means the case. The will of the Sovereign Master on this subject is well known to you; his orders you have distinctly heard; there is no room for mistake, no excuse for obstinate incredulity. He would have neither sect nor schism in his Church these, as you allow, fall under his malediction, and must therefore be removed. You know it to be his will and command that unity should exist among all his followers; let those, then, who would be his, go over to unity. He recognises but one extensive fold for the whole of his flock; in this fold let those congregate who would be reckoned in the number of his sheep.

This necessity once acknowledged, as it actually is by us all, what remains to be done, but to make straight for our object, and pursue the road we have taken, without indulging in foolish apprehensions of difficulties or stopping at every obstacle that

may seem to oppose our progress ? I do not however believe them to be so formidable as would appear to be imagined. Instruct the people in a different style and as truth would dictate; represent the Catholics, not as they have been too often portrayed, but as they really are; explain our creed, not as it is ordinarily expounded, but as we explain it ourselves; and rest assured, the people will relish your instructions, speedily will they recover from their prejudices and become attached to the truths you develope; their ardour will be increased by the sense of sorrow they will experience at the discovery of their former misconceptions. If you desire certain proof of How many Protestants of both

this, experience supplies it. sexes, of every rank and state of life, have we not seen, since the Reformation, undertake the examination of the Catholic faith, and conclude by embracing it? I could produce numerous recent examples, within my own knowledge, that have occurred in the different countries I have traversed. Never were conversions more frequent than at present: never was a greater disposition discoverable among Protestants to enter into Catholic unity. Perhaps the very excesses of the age may account for this: the disgust and horror excited by them in the minds of the upright and reflecting naturally induce them to seek consolation and repose in the bosom of the ancient Church. (a) Let us give our encouragement to these happy dispositions. Let

(a) Since the first edition of this work, there has appeared the Entretiens of the learned Lutheran minister, Baron de Stark: more recently still the famous manuscript of the immortal Leibnitz has been brought to light. To these may be added the Votum pro pace, the work of the ineomparable Grotius, as he is called by Leibnitz; the acknowledgments of the great English doctors, who are cited throughout this work; and the Reflections recently presented to the English public upon the necessity of a return to unity, by the Rev. Samuel Wix, Vicar of St. Bartholomew the Less, London.

Such authorities as these ought certainly to have great weight with the whole body of the Protestant Clergy: and, coming from the mouth of ministers, they would produce an amazing effect upon the minds of

us endeavour to render general and to bring about an entire reconciliation. To us, as ministers of God, whether Catholics or not Catholics, to whatever country, communion or government we may belong, to us is the lofty enterprise especially delegated. A crew of impious and infuriated monsters [shall we yield to the wicked in zeal?] have conspired in our days against Christ and his altars: let us re-unite to consolidate and extend their dominion. Let us consign to oblivion our ancient feuds, and with them the injuries and insults given and received let us cast all these miseries at the foot of the cross and join with one voice in recalling the Christian world to unity, ever bearing in mind the rigourous and indispensible precept of our divine Saviour on this subject, as also his prayer, hitherto so imperfectly imperfectly understood by too many

Christians :

"That they also may be ONE; in order that the world may believe that thou hast sent me." S. John, ch. XVII. v. 21. 23.

TREVERN,

Former Vicar General of Langres, now Bishop of Aire.

(lately translated to the See of Strasbourg)

their congregations. I seriously put the question, whether there is an individual, no matter of what Protestant communion, if the truth and his salvation be dear to him, who can, without trembling, still barden himself against dogmas received as true, by the first geniuses of the Reformation. I would gladly be informed with what conscience they can at the present day refuse to surrender themselves to the appeal of the most learned men of their own party, and continue any longer obstinately to uphold divisions among the people, that are fatal to all happiness here and hereafter.

I conjure Protestants to read frequently the Votum pro pace of Grotius, and the Systema Theologicum of Leibnitz, published in Latin and French at Paris, 1819.

AN

AMICABLE DISCUSSION.

LETTER I.

A Short Account of the first establishment of the Church of England.

SIR,

I AM very sensible of the confidence you are pleased to testify in my regard, by communicating to me the doubts that have arisen in your mind respecting your Church, together with your eager desire to discover the true Church, and by requesting my assistance in this important enquiry. I shall reply to you with whatever zeal is at my command: on that score, you shall have all that you can desire, though you will discover, no doubt, much to be desired in point of information and talent. My solicitude and my exertions are at the command of any one, who may do me the honor to call for them; my state of life renders this a duty, and the grateful recollection of numberless favours bestowed upon

me in former times by many of your countrymen, converts it into a pleasure, in your particular regard. In this undertaking, I fear no trouble, beyond that which it may occasion yourself. Controversial discussions are ill suited to the taste of the times, and all their interest is lost in consequence of the indifferency that prevails under the plausible name of liberality. As you have been unaccustomed to such subjects, and may naturally be alarmed at entering upon them, I would willingly spare you a laborious discussion, and indeed am of opinion that a simple narrative of the manner in which your Church has been established, will of itself suffice to convince you that you can no longer remain in it with safety. An historian' whose acknowledged celebrity is unfortunately surpassed by his unfaithfulness, has asserted that the history of the English Reformation was its apology. Had he asserted the opposite to this, he would, in my opinion, have been much nearer the truth. Of this Of this you will be enabled to judge by the following brief narratiye, in which I shall not contradict him in facts, but shall merely have recourse to authorities, which he himself would have admitted.

Eighteen years had elapsed since the marriage, which Henry VIII. had contracted, according to the dispensation granted in 1509, by Julius II. with the widow of Arthur, his elder brother, Catharine of Arragon, daughter of Ferdinand, King of Spain. By her he had many children, of whom the Princess Mary was alone surviving. In 1521, appeared at the court of Catharine the famous Anna Boleyn. She was in her twenty-first year, and was just re

'Burnet.