Highest, and on earth peace, good-will towards men” -the inculcation of such seminal principles of pure and beneficial morality, as must powerfully exert their

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all they can ask and demand of the blessed Trinity (!!!)"-p. 257. There is here, a gross and fearful outrage on the main, and fundamental truth of the Christian faith, that " there is One Mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus."-2 Tim. ii. 5. We will not produce any more blasphemy from this production, but merely remark, and invite our readers to observe particularly, that this devotional book, which contains the services of the "Sacred Heart of Jesus and of Mary," is not one that was used only before the Reformation, and which the Romish Church is now from the Reformation's influence obliged to disclaim;-but it is one which Romanists now use, to cherish and feed their devotional feelings ;which may now be every where purchased-has passed through several editions, and is in the widest circulation among all classes of Romanists, ecclesiastics and laity, both in England and Ireland :nor have the candidate priests at the Irish College of Maynooth treated it negligently, but are its warmest and devoted admirers, as recent investigations have fully proved. They cannot, however, on that point be much censured, for their conduct is nothing more, than a due respect, and obedience to their most influential authorities. We find that this Devotion and Office of the "Sacred Heart of Jesus and of Mary" first came out under the patronage of the Queen of France, wife of Louis XV., recommended by the Bishop of Boulogne, and sanctioned by all the French clergy. In the English editions that we have examined, the Bishop of Boulogne's pastoral letter is prefixed, dated March 22, 1766; and at the end is a Petition addressed to the Pope, by the late Dr. Milner, Vicar Apostolic in England; and who modestly put an end for ever to all controversy, by his boasted overthrow of Protestanism! The prayer of the Petition is, that his Holiness would extend a plenary indulgence (!) to all, who should visit an image of the Sacred Heart, exhibited in chapel or oratory, or such place; and that such plenary indulgence might also extend to the souls of their deceased (!) friends-this Petition bears so recent a date as June 27, 1814. What a lamentable proof of judicial infatuation, and unblushing idolatry! We are almost disposed to imagine, that such facts are not realities, but that they are the dreams of a disordered fancy. What! in the nineteenth century, are we to witness blasphemies, which really do exceed the like fruits of ages of darkness, blindness, and superstition? Are human passions even yet to cover, like a rank and noxious weed, the pure and hallowed altars of our God? Is the sobriety-the decency-the propriety of the heartfelt, spiritual worship, enjoined by the examples, and precepts of our Blessed Redeemer and his Apostles, to be still impiously outraged, by such indecencies, as are almost sufficient to frighten Religion out of the world, if the arm of Almighty power were not mercifully stretched out, according to the assurances of Heaven in its defence?

benign, and softening influences on the general tone of the social system—and furnishes, also, such a wondrous manifestation of the bright union of majesty, mercy, and grace, as exemplified in the life, miracles, and unexampled sufferings of its Divine, and Almighty Founder, as must under the Divine blessing inevitably appear, to erring and reflecting mortals, wherever it is known, as prevailing motives, and inspiring inducements for forming such a “love of Christ” that cannot but "constrain" men, even as it did the disinterested witnesses of his glorious actions, to become “new creatures," and be enabled to exclaim, exultingly, with the apostle "old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” (2 Cor. v. 14-17.). In the spirit of these momentous truths, it was, that the celebrated Pascal declared that "Jesus Christ has given in the Gospel, this criterion of those who have faith, that they speak a new language; and, that in fact, the renewing of the thoughts and wishes, alters the conversation also." And, hence, he found abundant reason to observe that, "no man is really happy, rational, virtuous, amiable, but the true Christian. How free from pride is his consciousness of union with the deity! How free from meanness, the humility which levels him with the worms of the earth! Who, then, can with-hold from this heavenly light, his confidence and veneration? For is it not clearer than the day, that we discover in ourselves, the indelible traces of our excellence? And is it not equally clear, that we experience every moment the sad realities of our deplorable condition. And does not, then, this internal chaos, this moral disorder, proclaim with a voice mighty and irresistible, the truth of those two states, to which Revelation bears testimony?" In our excursive remarks upon that universal law, which arises in a greater or less degree, from the empire of Religion, even over the natural consciences of all men, we have been imperceptibly led to a degree of amplification, beyond

* Pascal, Penseés, Art. v.-" Véritable religion prouvée par les contrariétés, &c." passim.

what we had intended. We have drawn from a brief consideration of the predominance of such an inbred, deeply-seated principle, with other dependant concomitants, a summary view of the healing remedies, and ennobling powers of Religion, in respect to the souls, and minds of accountable, and moral beings. It is our present purpose, however, merely to draw attention to this one fact, that, the principle which lies at the bottom of that irresistible impulse, in the breast of man-to feel an insupportable, aching, craving void, in the absence of the belief and assurance of a borrowed, a superior, and a foreign aid,―pervades every individual of our species. The outbursts of passion, barbarism, ferocity, and prejudice may labour for a season to extinguish or silence it; but this divinelyplanted feeling continually is found, to cast a fitful gleam of light, on the surrounding darkness of the internal chaos. And this will assuredly be found to be the case, from the very lowest grade of society, up to the golden pinnacle, which luminously blazons on its highest summit. We may trace the manifestations and operations of this internal principle, in the lowest haunts of detected villainy-in the dejected countenances of the degraded victims of incarceration—in the frigid hardihood of the condemned, and exiled felon,—as well as in the momentary workings of the breast of the sensual voluptuary-in the day-dreams of the ambitious aspirant-or in the feverish anxiety of the relentless despot. Of the latter class, we cannot pass over an interesting example, afforded to us, in the life of the most extraordinary moral phenomenon, that has appeared in the records of manBuonaparte. All his biographers, in discussing the circumstances, which accompanied the exertions of Napoleon, in accomplishing his celebrated project of the famous Concordat, prove that the usurper, reluctantly, gave an unwilling triumph to the friends of Religion. This famous Concordat was the work of Napoleon himself, who seemed to have met with more opposition, whenever he touched the matter of religion,

than the Revolutionists, with whom he consulted,
thought fit to exhibit on any other occasions whatever.
The question, we are told, was argued one evening,
at great length, on the terrace of the garden at
Buonaparte's favourite villa of Malmaison. The Chief
Consul avowed himself to be no believer in Chris-
tianity; "But religion," said he, "is a principle
which cannot be eradicated from the heart of man."
"Who made all that?" said Napoleon, looking up to
the heavens, which were clear, and glittering with the
sparkling of innumerable stars.
"But last Sunday
evening," he continued, "I was walking here alone
when the church bells of the village of Ruel rung at
sunset. I was strongly moved, so vividly did the image
of early days come back with that sound. If it be
thus with me, what must it be with others ?"-" In
re-establishing the church," he added, "I consult the
wishes of the great majority of my people." In this
mixture of truth and error-of conviction and disguise,
we may easily detect the internal struggles, and over-
powering suggestions of this divine principle, which
irresistibly impelled a mind of such commanding
powers, and a genius of such superhuman energies-
when for a moment disencumbered from the disquie-
tude of sublunary affairs, and enjoying, in the holy
and elevating calm of solitude, those inspiring feelings
that a contemplation of nature's works produce-to
think and feel with our immortal poet-

"These are thy glorious works, Parent of good,
Almighty! thine this universal frame,

Thus wondrous fair; thyself how wondrous then,
Unspeakable!"

Milton.

At a time therefore, when this ruthless and despotic tyrant was raised, after his unparalleled successes, to the giddy eminence of arbitrary power; and when every inmost faculty of his soul, was incessantly ingulfed in the whirlpool of passion, and violently tossed by the distractions of ambition-such an avowal cannot but be regarded, as an inexplicable paradox, if viewed in any other light, than we have suggested.

It being then, so manifestly clear, that the influence of Religion is discoverable even yet, universally, among the defaced and scattered fragments of that divine image, invested in the glories of which, man came forth from the hands of his Creator-we need not wonder that human nature, constituted as it is, eagerly grasps at every passing opinion, in reference to the liveliest objects of its warmest sympathies. It cannot but be said, to be natural to all men, that the sensibilities of their bosoms, are readily excited, to listen to investigation, when a topic is introduced, to the attractions of which, the aspirations of every breast ascend-however such may profess their callous indifference, or may proudly appear to be benumbed with the frost of apathy, and steeled with the recklessness of ingratitude. It is from a heart-felt conviction of these striking truths, that we have already adduced, and will still more draw forth the authorities and precedents, which the illustrious ornaments and bright lights of our species supply, in confirmation of that Blessed Religion, which smooths the ruggedness of our mortal paths, and points the way to the immortal possession, of an imperishable mansion "eternal in the heavens." For should this be denied to Religion, when a powerful instinct of our nature, suggests such an appeal and reference-a reference which is similarly made, and practically acted upon, in every concern of life? And should this process be denied to truths of such awful and momentous interest,, when in subjects that are as transient as the morning dew, we direct and regulate our steps, just as we see those walk, who deserve our reverence, and command our attention? But is this to be refused to our inquiries in the matters of Religion, when, on this subject only, it might be said, there is an equal and similar interest-a subject, which, universally, men esteem at least as a secret monitor, if not as a directing guide to their lives and actions? Would it not appear, that on this point only, mankind providentially has a common interest, for the very express purpose, of being benefitted by the reflec