inquiry, and give us no answer whatever to the question respecting the divine inspiration, or the supernatural authenticity of the Sacred Writings.

The apostolic traditions, however, which are not contained in the Sacred Volume, we find, nevertheless, to be admitted, as they must be by all who receive them, of equal authority with the latter, notwithstanding the distinctive profession of Protestantism that the sufficiency of her faith and glory, is founded upon the vaunted basis of Scripture alone. Since it is obvious, moreover, that these traditions cannot be proven by Scripture, it is equally plain that the authenticity of the latter cannot be established, in any conceivable manner, except by the external evidence of a visible and divinely authorized Judge and Witness. Without the testimony, therefore, of the Catholic Church, it must ever prove to be a vain and hopeless task for any advocates, whatever, of the Christian religion, to defend the authority of its revelation against the attacks of the scoffer or the infidel. The arguments of the latter, therefore, as may be seen by all who have ever inquired into the merits of this controversy, have never yet been answered or repelled, in consistency with the acknowledged grounds of right reason, or the established principles of common sense, without the conservative aid and indispensable authority of the

Catholic and Roman Church.