While we rejoice in every attempt whose object is to unmask this wide-spread superstition, and impede its progress, there is yet one class of publications, which the controversy has occasioned, to which we are disposed to attach a more than ordinary value and importance. It is to this class that the work we have announced belongs, containing, as it does, not only a general argument against the doctrines of the Papacy, but a practical exemplification of their power and influence in the experience of the writer, while a member of that communion. It is the "quaeque ipse miserrima vidi" of such works, the faithful narrative and testimony of honest witnesses presented in them, that stamps upon them a special and superior interest. They lead us to contemplate the system, not at a distance, or in creeds and catechisms, but in actual and living operation. In them we may trace the progressive influence of divine truth upon the mind, in its successive stages, from the first imagination or apprehension of error, to the period of complete emancipation from its power. From the recorded experience of their authors, we may learn, also, whether, and how far, there may have been aught defective, human, or repulsive, in the mode of dealing with sincere inquirers, and of addressing those who, from the combined influence of education, prejudice, and want of opportunity, have blindly espoused the tenets of an antiscriptural faith. But such a publication as the present will be especially seasonable as a "guide" to those who are involved in error, inasmuch as they will find in it not only a transcript of their own views and feelings, but a directory of the dangers to be avoided, and the difficulties to be encountered, in the prosecution of that most interesting of all inquirers to an immortal Being, "what is truth!"

The "Guide from the Church of Rome to the Church of Christ," is, in our opinion, the most valuable and important, beyond all comparison, of the published works of those who have, in modern times, escaped from the Romish communion. It is addressed, in twenty letters, to a friend entangled in error, of which more than the half are occupied in discussing the leading doctrines of the Church of Rome; while, in the remainder, there is contained "a faithful narrative of the author's experience, as a devout Catholic-as a sceptic in that communion -as a convert, convinced of the truth of Protestantism, but not renewed in heart-and, finally, as a believer in Jesus." Such is the object of the work; and, as the narrative is intensely interesting, and set forth in the graces of an elegant and flowing diction, we cannot better introduce the volume to

the notice of our readers, than by inviting them to accompany us for a little, while we trace the author through the several stages of progress.

The first scene to which we shall introduce them is the confessional, where the priest's curate, a worthy son of Alma mater, and "just let loose" upon the parish, is seated by a comfortable fire, awaiting an opportunity of practising his newly acquired power. He is described as very zealous, and very dignified, at least in his own esteem; and the following extract will suffice to show that, even in his novitiate, he could be very dictorial, as became his dignity and order :-

"According to custom, I bowed down at Mr. H.-'s knee. But he roughly ordered me to kneel at a chair beside him, where I related the long catalogue of my sins, for the most part venial, indeed, but occasionally a mortal sin stood prominently out, like the large stone called the decade on the beads. When I returned again, I advanced to the chair above mentioned; but in a very angry tone he commanded me to fall down at his knee. This manifestation of bad temper and caprice surprised me..

"You bid me kneel here, Sir,' I ventured to remark.`

"Silence, Sir; do as I bid you now,' was his meek reply.

On this occasion I was enjoined to abstain from breakfast every morning till I came again. It was Christmas week; but I did not think the prohibition extended to the morning of that day of universal feasting. I was mistaken. When I mentioned the fact to my ghostly father, in answer to the question, whether I had performed all the penance, he started from his seat in a fit of indignation, and declared he would have nothing more to do with a person who had dared to trifle with his commands. I apologised, promised, implored-but in vain. The haughty ecclesiastic ruthlessly spurned me from his feet! He mounted his horse to attend a sick call, and left me alone in despair. I sauntered a few paces down the avenue, and gave vent to my feelings in the following soliloquy :-'Alas! what now shall I do? I have hitherto experienced from the priest only kindness and parental tenderness; but I am now cast off, without mercy, from the tribunal of the Holy Ghost. There is no space for repentance. All refuge is closed against me, and even hope is extinguished. I am an outcast, an alien, a wretch devoted to destruction, by the plenipotentiary of God.'

"Pride urged me to revolt against an authority so unreasonable, so capricious, and so cruel. But conscience whispered, 6 can you fight against God?' I remembered the dreadful curses uttered some time before against a man and woman that had got married, against the laws of the Church. They were compelled to do public penance, and to have the marriage dissolved. I was present when this was done. After mass, the guilty pair stood forth in the midst of the congregation. The priest, commending them for submitting to the just authority of the Church, pronounced the marriage null and void; ordered them to turn their backs to one another, and to march out through opposite doors. They were then legally united, having paid the accustomed fees. The horrors of an excommunication-to be cursed with bell, book, and candle, in this life,

and damned in that which is to come was enough to alarm a person of stronger nerves than mine. I resolved, therefore, to make another effort for the salvation of my soul.

"I went back, accordingly, to the parish priest, and frankly told him all that had happened. Father S smiled at my simplicity, when he saw the tears in my eyes. He was a man of portly figure, with a rubicund countenance, which indicated that, notwithstanding the want of his breakfast occasionally till a late hour in the day, he was not inattentive to the suggestions of his stomach. He was reclining on the sofa, being confined in consequence of a fall from his horse.

"Do not mind it, my child,' said he, in a soothing tone, kneel down, and I will hear you myself.'

"After a hasty confession, he gave me absolution at once, imposing merely a nominal penance. Oh, what a burden was then removed from my heart! I seemed suddenly to emerge from a gloomy dungeon, and expatiate once more in

'The gay precincts of the cheerful day.'

Alas! my dear Friend, I then moved in a vain shadow, and disquieted myself in vain,’

"The events of the day, however, made too deep an impression on my mind to be soon obliterated. I had seen painted on the confessional of the parish chapel

Whose sins you remit they are remitted them, and whose sins ye retain they are retained.'

I believed, therefore, that what the priest did on earth was ratified in heaven. But here was one 'representative of the Holy Ghost' binding my sins on my soul, and absolutely refusing to remit them; and another, in the same house, cheerfully pronouncing the words of absolution, by the same infallible authority! Both could not be right. But which was in the wrong? Was I still a guilty reprobate, or a pardoned penitent? This question, so inexpressibly momentous, I felt myself incompetent to answer. Besides, other instances of discrepance in the decisions of different priests now recurred to my recollection. Some imposed penance much heavier than others for the same sin, committed in similar circumstances. And, in my own case, one priest told me that a certain word which I sometimes employed was an oath, and a mortal sin, while his coadjutor bid me not confess it, as it was merely an idle word, and perfectly harmless. It was not then the same voice that issued from each of these tribunals. But could these discordant utterances proceed from the Oracle of Truth-from the SPIRIT OF TRUTH himself? The question was very perplexing."

Here, then, was the beginning of a spirit of inquiry: here the occasion of the first doubts the author ever entertained of the plenitude of priestly power. The machinery of Popery in the confessional had been turned against itself, and an opportunity afforded of questioning one of the most essential dogmas -its infallibility. But whatever the narrator may have felt of doubt or difficulty, it was wrapt up, for a time, in secrecy; and it was not till a further demonstration of authority, on the

part of the priesthood, of which he was a spectator, in another place, that he seems to have given way to an open and intelligible avowal of his incredulity. Having gone, in company with an acquaintance, to whom he had hinted something of his state of mind, to hear a celebrated popular preacher of the Romish persuasion; he graphically describes the scene, which, instead of removing, tended only to confirm and deepen his distrust, as follows :—

"The priest was rather a young man, tall and athletic, possessing a powerful voice, and a free and energetic manner of delivery. After the distribution of the consecrated wafer, he commenced his address to the people. It was not the exposition of a text, nor a comment on the Gospel of the day; but a fierce harangue on the conduct of one of his parishioners.

"I was,' said he, at the assizes the other day. I sat near the judge; and there I saw one of my parishioners deliberately perjure himself, to save the horse-stealers that he had harboured in his house. But I will empty that abominable den of thieves. Could I avoid blushing, my friends, when the judge looked at me, and shook his head-as much as to say, 'Is this the sort of people you have in your parish?' But that old perjurer, (I see him there below at the door)-that old perjurer shall feel the consequences of his crime. You may rest assured of that.'

At this moment, an old man, with a deep sepulchral voice, was heard uttering, in Irish, an indignant contradiction of the statement of the priest, at the same time advancing from the front door towards the altar. "Put him out,' exclaimed his reverence, in a voice of thunder, that seemed to strike terror into every heart. The people, however, did not obey, but mechanically opened a passage for the hoary sinner, who boldly advanced, and confronted his accuser at the steps of the altar.

There

"Put him out, I say,' reiterated Father M, with increased vehemence, clenching his hand, and stamping furiously on the boards. Still no one interfered; and the accused, an old man of very repulsive physiognomy, continued to growl out his denial of the charge. The priest eyed him with an undefinable expression of rage in his countenance. was profound silence for a moment: it was a moment of terrible suspense, like that which precedes the spring of a tiger. His reverence grew suddenly pale, and his whole frame was convulsively agitated. But the internal struggle was soon over. He hastily pulled the purple vestment over his head, and ffung it on the altar, and, as he rushed down the steps, the dense mass of people gave way on every side, like a receding wave, and the hoary perjurerstood alone in the midst.' Alas! how unlike the meek and lowly Jesus was his reverend accuser! This professed preacher of mercy and messenger of peace seized him by the neck, thrust him violently forward, and then gave him one tremendous push, which sent him sprawling at several yards' distance from the door, which he slapped with such force, that the walls trembled to their foundation. And as the noise thus created died away amid the awful stillness, it fell on my ear like the knell of damnation; and indeed it seemed to

Thrill the deepest notes of woe'

in every breast in that vast assembly.

"Meantime, Father M- ascended the altar, resumed the sacred garment, and proceeded to utter the terrible curses of excommunication, which he prefaced by stating that he was not angry, and that his mind was perfectly composed.

"Think you,' said I to my friend, as we journied home, ' -think you that what the priest has bound to-day is bound in heaven?'

"Certainly,' was the reply.

"But was there not too much anger and violence, and too little of the dignity that becomes the priestly office? Can Christ be supposed to sanction such proceedings, conducted in a spirit so opposite to his own? Are there not cases where the authority of a priest may be lawfully questioned? Remember Father Cousins, and others who have, like him, apostatized from the faith: was it safe to follow their guidance when they were acting hypocritically, and desecrating the altar of God?'

"As I uttered these words, 1 looked at my companion, and found that the fashion of his countenance was changed. His bristling eyebrows darkened into an expression of savage fierceness, and his low forehead became ominously contracted, while his sharp grey eyes were fastened on me with a scrutinizing look of suspicion, that astonished and alarmed me. He stopped short, and continuing his searching gaze, as if with a view to penetrate my very soul, he said, Sir, no sound Catholic could talk as you have done; you must be a heretic in disguise." "

The internal struggle had now thoroughly begun-faith had become credulity-inquiry had been changed into resistance, and the powers of life and death, the authority and dictation, that Rome loves so dearly, and maintains so arrogantly, had been boldly and unequivocally denied. The time was favourable to the prosecution of a still more searching scrutiny into the pretensions of the Church, in the other departments of its faith and discipline; for, although no dates are given in the narrative, it is evident, that the first conflict of principle in the case before us must have taken place during the religious agitation, which, about ten years ago, prevailed in Ireland, and by which, it had been hoped, to effect " a second Reformation" in this country. Whatever there may have been of earthliness and worldly policy in the excitement of that period, it certainly presented to sincere inquirers a very favourable opportunity of which to avail themselves in examining into the grounds of their adherence to the principles of the Romish faith. In all parts of the country, there was discussion and debate. The champions of Protestantism were, for the most part, learned, eloquent, and effectual; while the combined resources of the opposing faith were put in requisition to confront and contend against them. From the platform and the pulpit, many noble appeals were made, and powerful arguments enforced, in exposition of the truth. The press caught up the spirit of the time, and some of the ablest vindicators of