that it is impossible to pursue them without having laid the foundation in a general knowledge of dogmatic theology. The history of any particular age of the Church cannot be understood, even in its most essential features, unless the principal stress be laid on that particular Christian doctrine, whose intellectual formation and development was at the time mainly engrossing the thoughts of holy men; nor again can this be understood, without a general knowledge of that system whereof it forms a part. Again, no Catholic Christian would study morals or psychology, except in the closest relation to direct theology; and in Biblical Criticism I have already made the same observation. (See p. 412.) But I should be inclined, with deference, to submit, that all thinkers, endued with vigorous intellectual and scientific power, would do far more wisely in making some course of dogmatic theology part of their preparatory education; there will be otherwise, I cannot but think, very serious danger lest they become less sensible of the reality and transcendent claims of religious truth, and acquire the habit of balancing the questions which come before them by other weights than those of the sanctuary.

6. The considerations in the last section lead to a reflection, which it would be wrong to suppress. In looking for guidance in that quarter, where my own eyes are always first directed when in search of spiritual wisdom, I mean the Church of Rome, one cannot but painfully feel, that on such subjects as have been just discussed we find there at present no sufficient model to follow. However the fact is to be accounted for, we cannot conceal from ourselves, that in those subordinate duties of a Church which I have called

The subject does not call on me here to allude to what I have already mentioned more than once; the very serious danger of deep and ardent intellectual pursuit, whatever its subject, hardening the conscience and the heart: a danger this, which nothing except an unremitting and vigorous course of Christian discipline

can avert.

h I mean to which, as an organized Society, my eyes are so directed: many, I suppose, will understand and echo my feeling when I say, that the first quarter, to which I always look for spiritual wisdom, is nearer home.

'intellectual' and 'political,' the Roman Catholic Church has, in these later ages, assumed a most widely different position, from that which it occupied in the mediæval period. This it is, which makes worldly men, who do not understand that the real life of a Church lies in the performance of higher and more sacred functions, look upon that Holy Church as decrepid, and tending rapidly to decay: and all of us must surely acknowledge with sorrow, that the fuller possession of such accidental and superabundant gifts as are not absolutely necessary to the Church's essence,' would be still of the very utmost benefit towards spreading the pure Gospel; and is an object worthy of the labours and prayers of all serious and Catholic-minded Christians. As to 'political' duties, who can say that Rome, at the present day, is actively influential in leavening European politics with Christian principles, in protesting against unjust wars, in securing subjects from oppression? And as to intellectual' duties, the following has been drawn up by a friend of mine as a sample, not an exhaustive enumeration, of the sort of questions, primarily important in their bearing on religion, which have arisen in these centuries; and to which her doctors have not as yet appeared to give any methodical and scientific consideration.

I. 'There has been no attempt to exhibit the past influence of Christianity on the social and moral state of the world.

II. There has been neglect of the study of Exegesis and of History; so that the literal meaning of the text of the Scriptures, and the points of resemblance or dissimilarity between the Scriptures and human historians, have to be sought from other writers.

III. There has been no indication of the proper use to be made of the heathen classics.

IV. There has been no attempt to point out the nature or the remedies of any of the great social evils which have grown up during the last three centuries.

V. The allegations brought, in reference to Scripture interpretation, from Mythical History, have not been met.'

And another omission, still more important than these, remains to be considered in a future chapter.

On the other hand, in those two necessary and fundamental duties of a Church-the maintenance of moral and religious discipline, and of an orthodox faith,—never in any period has the Roman Catholic Church shone with a brighter lustre, than since the Reformation. The whole system connected with the Spiritual Exercises' is a standing memorial of the first particular; and such great names as Petavius, Suarez, Vasquez, with a host of others, a lasting attestation of the second.

7. I trust then, that during the present chapter I have kept sufficiently to the engagement which I made. I trust that such particulars as those which I have specified, imply no allusion to any matters of doctrine, which are at issue between high-churchmen' of different complexions. Why then may we not all combine in the prosecution of such designs as these, and leave the questions, on which we differ, to be decided by the practical effect which may be produced, by actively following out the principles on which we agree? If it be granted, that the aiming at such objects as I have ventured to put forward as desirable, implies of itself no set purpose of Romanizing' our Church, I must beg leave to doubt whether any single one of her members entertains any such purpose. For as to secret negotiations and understandings with members of that Church, these and similar rumours, to the best of my own knowledge, are without the very slightest foundation in fact. And surely, if high-churchmen are slow to cooperate in the prosecution of objects, which on their own principles are desirable, from a fear of the direction in which such a course might tend,-they are taking the most effectual way to confirm us in what they consider our most serious error; our belief, namely, that high-church principles, honestly carried out on their positive side, must lead to Rome. If 'high-church' principles be really substantive and distinct, what possible danger can there be in heartily and ungrudgingly carrying them forward

to their results? and if they be not substantive, who could grieve that this fact should be established by means of a fair trial? For my own part, I think it would not be right to conceal, indeed I am anxious openly to express, my own most firm and undoubting conviction,-that were we, as a Church, to pursue such a line of conduct as has been here sketched, in proportion as we did so, we should be taught from above to discern and appreciate the plain marks of Divine wisdom and authority in the Roman Church, to repent in sorrow and bitterness of heart our great sin in deserting her communion, and to sue humbly at her feet for pardon and restoration.

CHAPTER VIII.

A FEW WORDS ON OUR AUTHORITATIVE FORMULARIES.

THE same reasons, which made it necessary to compress the last part of the preceding chapter, compel me to put here the merest sketch, in the place of a fuller discussion which I had intended.

Complaint is often made against maintainers of Roman doctrine, that they evade the spirit of the Articles in a very disingenuous way, and ought not to subscribe them. It is answered by many of these, that they do evade the spirit but accept the statements; that the original sanctioners of the Articles intended those who held Roman doctrine to subscribe them; but that from various causes, partly the disingenuousness of the Reforming party, the general spirit and flow of them is Protestant. This has been plainly put forth three years ago, (not to mention No. 90,) by Mr. Oakeley and myself; by the former historically, by myself from the internal evidence of our formularies. An answer soon appeared to mine, to which I at once rejoined, and was not further replied to. Now considering how plainly and argumentatively those things have been said in the face of day, and how extremely little has been said in the way of answer, I am at a loss to understand the denunciations I hear about dishonesty and the like. I have seen it said, that we profess to be justified in subscribing, through the witness of our conscience I began my second pamphlet with expressly repudiating any such ground; I said it was a question for