&c. many natural connections, like propagated in Fife, despite of their Good taste, good sense, and piety, can make a cottage much more acceptable to either a Christian or a philosopher than the most gorgeous palace with all its surrounding magnificence. I felt more real enjoyment at Bethany Cottage, and its exquisitely beautiful garden, than at Windsor or Hampton Court Palace. The samples of refined taste were, indeed, in its hedges and grottoes, the shrubbery and flower beds, its alcoves and recesses, just as beautiful a miniature, as the others were a splendid development of all that gives pleasure and delight to a richly cultivated mind in the most felicitous combinations of Nature and Art. But that which graces all, is a refined sentimentalism I was refused all the sectarian meeting-houses in Auchtermuchty, a very good proof of the fears of the sects of exposure--and also of the power of the truths which had been But I must leave these enchanted spots where Christianity blooms and fructifies in all the grace of intellectual, moral, and spiritual excellence, and hie away to Dunfermline in company with brother White, who is just waiting with his horse and gig to convey me to the city of Ralph Erskine and the church cemetry of Robert, alias King Bruce. We took the parting hand; and, commending each other to him that "keeps Israel, who slumbers not, nor sleeps," without "casting one longing, ling'ring look behind," we went on our way anticipating that blissful era when from the East and from the West, from the North and from the South, they will come and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, in the Paradise of God. May you and I be so inexpressiby happy as to obtain admission there! Your Father, A. CAMPBELL. LETTERS ON ROMANISM. NO. I. [The following letter, addressed to Bishop Hughes, Roman Catholic Bishop of New York, is the first of a second series, written by one who had formerly been a Bishop in the same community. The writer, for reasons given in this letter, assumes the signature of KIRWAN, though his real name is well known, and probably may be inserted before the conclusion of the series. These letters have been sent to us by Brother Walter Scott, and we hope to insert them entire in the current volume of the HARBINGER. They are not only well written, but they embody important reasons for leaving the Roman Catholic communion, and not returning to that presumptuous and deluding system of religious worship and priestly dominationof which reasons our readers will be able to judge for themselves. ED.] WHEN I closed the letters I had the honor of addressing to you during the last spring, I fondly hoped that my part in the thickening controversy on Romanism in our country, had closed also. As those letters formed my first, I also designed that they should form my last appearance before the public on that topic. So I expressed myself to you in my closing letter. But the unexpected "ripple" has been "excited on the current of my feelings," and whether wise or otherwise I have concluded again to address you. My reasons for so doing, and thus departing from my original resolution, are briefly these: The public who have so kindly received, and so widely circulated my "letters," have called for another series, embracing the reasons which I have omitted to state; and which, together with those stated, forbid my return to your church. At least one of these papers, devoted to the interests of Popery in this country, calls upon me, in a semi-serious manner, to give my views on certain points which it raises; individuals of your communion, who have given my letters a candid perusal, have asked what Kirwan had to say upon this and that point not considered by me; and last, though not least, is a desire to put into the hands of every inquiring Roman Catholic a complete manual of my objections to your church, candidly and kindly considered. These, reverend sir, are the reasons and motives, and not a love for controversy for its own sake, which induces me again to address you. While yielding to these reasons and motives, I yet confess to you that I deem the present series of letters, which will be brief, a work of supererogation. If you have never performed such a work, you know what it means. My conviction is, that the reasons given in my former letters for not returning to your church are sufficient to induce any sane mind to withhold its faith from your teachings, and every sane man to abandon your church. This, you will say, is a partial decision; it may be so. But as the tree may be held in its place by a few weak roots after the main ligaments that bound it to the earth are cut, and when the weakest wind that blows may cause it to totter: so a mind, when the power of an ancient superstition over it is broken, may yet retain a connection with it, influenced by reasons which seem unworthy of consideration. I know this to be the case. The belief in "witches and warls" was early impressed on the mind of Hume; and it is said of him, that, after he reasoned matter and mind out of existence, he could not hear the rustling of a leaf, after dark, without starting as if a witch were upon him. The taste and smell of sour liquid remains long in the emptied cask. And if any mind, rejecting the great outlines of your system, is yet held to it by some reasons which I have not considered, and whose absurdity I may be able to expose, I feel anxious to relieve it. I must not withhold from you my deep conviction that Popery is an evil tree; that its fruits are only evil. I believe it to be a falling tree. Its branches are withering in the air, and the axe, wielded by an Almighty hand, is cut ting its roots. And if I can assist in cutting a few more of its roots, and thus hastening its fall, I feel that I would be conferring a benefit upon our race, and contributing to the emancipation of millions of men from a slavery, in comparison with which that of Pharaoh's was freedom. Hence, these additional letters. And all I intend doing is to state to you some farther reasons which forbid my return to your church. 66 sir, that I had no expectation in writing them, that you would answer them, and for these reasons: First, because they are anonymous. And as I like not myself to contend with a masked opponent, so I judged of you. The text is capable of wide application, as face answereth to face in water, so the heart of man to man.' I prefer, for the present, to stand behind the curtain, and for this among other reasons, that you and all men may decide Before entering upon a statement of upon what I say simply upon the these reasons, permit me to say a few statements and arguments; and for things which I can better say in this the additional reason, to prevent a preliminary letter than anywhere else. personal controversy. It is an old The question has doubtless sug- trick of your church to leave the argugested itself to your mind, and to the ment for the man. And secondly, minds of others, why do I address because of their matter. I speak to these letters to you? Some of my you of what my eyes have seen- -of reasons I have already given you. I what my ears have heard, of what my believe you to be a man of sense, of heart has felt. Facts are stubborn learning, and of fair character, which things. How can you make a man cannot be said of all Papal priests. believe that to be sweet, which from You are put forth, now that Bishop actual taste, he knows to be sour? England, also one of our countrymen, It is hard to reason against a man's is no more, as the Achilles of your experience. On these grounds I exparty in these United States. If any pected from you no reply. And alman in the country can refute my though, unless I mistake you, not one reasoning, and obviate my objections, of the little men who seek to put the you can do it. And as my sole ob- more abundant honor on the part ject and aim is the truth, I have se- that lacketh by a mock dignity, by an lected the man, in my opinion, best assumed superiority, yet you know fitted to correct me when in error; when to be wisely silent. If, sir, when false, to show me the fallacy of without compromising your crosier— my reasoning; and if he should reply, if, during some hours of leisure from who would reply as a scholar and a your varied and manifold duties, you gentleman. If you cannot confute would consent to answer some of the me, no man of your church in these reasons and considerations which I United States can. Nor will I con- have stated, and will state in the folsent to notice what may be said in the lowing letters, which forbid my return way of reply to, or abuse of these to your church, there is one at least letters by any man, save yourself. I that will read your reply with great have, as they say, a drawing toward pleasure. I am not, sir, among those you as an Irishman-I respect your who impute your silence to your inopen and manly bearing, and sadly, ability to reply to my statements, but as in my opinion you prostitute your if I can only gain access to the public ear, talents, I have a high respect for if I can only obtain from candid Roman them. Hence, I pass through the Catholics a careful consideration of ranks of soldiers, and by inferior of- what I say, your silence will give but ficers, and go up to Achilles himself. little trouble. My object is attained. But you have not answered my former letters? I confess to you, Permit me to make one other remark before closing this letter. Evil days have come upon the system of which you are so able an advocate. Once you could silence inquiry by church authority; but, in this country especially, that day has passed away. It is passing away even under the shadow of the dome of St. Peter's. There are those, yet, in this country and in the old countries in Europe, who, like that useless bird of sable wing called the Jackdaw, which you and I have seen in our youth, love the narrow window, and the toppling tower, and the mantling ivy, who hover around whatever is ancient, however worthless or ruthless; but their number is small, and is daily diminishing. The great inquiry now is after the true, the Scriptural, the reasonable. The day for the trial of all things has come. Mere authority in philosophy, in morals, in religion, is valueless. When man appeals from the church to the Scriptures, it is of no avail to say to him, "believe the church." No appeal is admitted from the Scriptures to the Fathers, from the teachings of Paul to the decisions of councils. Old things, if absurd, are passing away; and their wrinkles only hasten their burial. Nor is there in the physical or moral sciences, nor in the theory of religion, a single principle that is not tried and sifted as if never tried before. At this treatment, holy error may lift up its hands in holy horror, and fall back aghast as did Saul before the ghost of Samuel; but it cannot be helped. There may be, and doubtless is a reckless speculation, a profane tampering with sacred things; but nothing will eventually suffer but the truthless. What will become of Popery, when proof and Scripture supplant authority and credulity? It becomes you, then, sir, to buckle on the harness. The battle has but begun between truth and error. In your soul and in mine there should not be a desire but for the triumph of the truth. Let any opinion that I hold be proved unscriptural and un Lift high my standard 'gainst her, saith the Lord, She mocks my being, and knows not my law; The Mede, my ruthless servant, bares his sword: His swift-winged chariot brings him from afar. My thunder-cloud of wrath hangs o'er thy lofty domes, Swiftly shall its dread lightning blast thy might, Thy streets be strewn with ghastly human bones, And o'er thy glory rest a never ending Night. hand to land. J. TAVERNOOR. which darkened the truth. We have demonstrable evidence that know KNOWLEDGE IS POWER. | KNOWLEDGE is power," exclaims | ledge is power, when we contemplate the gifted Lord Bacon. Centuries the exalted condition of the arts and before his time, a noted one testified sciences the steam engine, and its after the same manner. King Solo- application by land and water. The mon declares that by knowledge the press has become man's prime minisLord hath wrought wonderfully. "By ter in the dissemination of knowledge. his knowledge the depths are broken The politician acknowledges its power. up, and the clouds drop down dew," It advocates the cause of him who (Prov. iii. 20.) abstains from inebriating drinks. In short, where is the subject agitated, the agitation of which is not more or less kept up by the press ? The Prophet Daniel adverts to a period when that power would increase (Dan. xii. 4.) The time alluded to has undoubtedly arrived. Its potency is acknowledged by the We may date that period from the religious world. It advocates various time the printing press was brought creeds and commandments of men. into operation. Surely we cannot be Hence we find various religious perimistaken if we consider that before odicals advocating the peculiar tenets this period knowledge was of neces- of a party. There is much value in sity confined in very narrow limits, religious periodicals. They constitute the process of communicating it being seasons of refreshment to their readers. at once tedious and expensive: too The subjects treated of may be likenexpensive for the generality of man-ed to so many dew drops, which are kind. In one word, the barriers calculated to refresh the soul. He against its increase were powerful. But when man brought to perfection an engine with which he could produce copies of his literary productions with rapidity, then the flood-gates of knowledge were broken up-the windows of the intellectual heavens were opened, and torrents of knowledge have continued from that period to pour upon the world, and have done much towards deluging the mental darkness which prevailed. It has not yet covered the tops of the mountains-there is much darkness yet to be dispelled. Many gloomy hills of darkness, standing out of the waters of knowledge-many dark places of the earth still which are full of the habitations of horrid cruelty. who is in love with his party, looks forward to the period of publication with ineffable delight, as a season when HE is to enjoy a feast of fat things, TO HIM well refined. If this be the case with the adherents to a party, ought it not to be so with him who disclaims religious partyismwho stands and declares in the face of the world, that he is a reformer. The press must be the prime minister to the reformers of Great Britain and Ireland. The periodical and the tract can find hearers where the voice cannot be heard. They constitute a still small voice, and, like the planetary system, their work can be silently performed. But apart from the aid that a religious periodical furnishes Unlike the deluge of waters, know- in the conversion of sinners, it does ledge has a saving power while it much to keep up the interest of the destroys. It is itself destruction and converted—to keep the soldier of the salvation. It constitutes the deluge cross from fainting, from becoming and the ark. It dispels man's men- | hopeless, and the more especially him tal darkness. It proves advantageous who has espoused a cause which is to him, politically, morally, physi- | unpopular and in its infancy. cally, and above all, it illuminates him religiously. It dispels the mists It may be that some laborious disciple, some incessant labourer, may |