read, and certainly produced very considerable effects. The eulogist of Bossuet, who wrote in 1704, above thirty years after its publication, scrupled not to affirm, in sufficiently round terms, that it had proved the instrument of either commencing or completing every genuine conversion from Protestantism which had taken place in France and the neighbouring countries since its publication; a bold assertion, which, if true, would make this book a greater miracle than the Church of Rome could ever boast of upon any other occasion! The friends of that church were indeed so sensible of its merits, that besides its receiving a great number of particular recommendations from divines of eminence and influence, it was honoured with the universal approbation of the Gallican Church, in their convention of 1682; and, to set the seal of infallibility to its pretensions, it was finally crowned with the authoritative sanction of his holiness the pope.

The extraordinary success attending the "Exposition," calls for a few remarks. Notwithstanding the respect due to the talents which could accomplish the conversion of such men as Dangeau and Turenne, it cannot be denied that both these conversions were accompanied by circumstances tending to excite some suspicion concerning the motives of the converts. Dangeau gained high preferment in that church to which he had become a proselyte. Turenne, as we learn from Perrault's short notice of his life, had a sufficient stimulus presented to his ambition, whether he yielded to it or not. His change of religion took place in 1668. On the renewal of the war between France and Spain the preceding year, he had been appointed marshal general of the French armies. When he was at Toulouse, upon that occasion, the king gave him to understand that still higher honours would await him, provided only he would renounce his Protestantism, and come over to the Gallican Church.

The marshal, says Perrault, declined these tempting offers at the time, from an apprehension that his conversion might be liable to the charge of unworthy and self-interested motives. We find, however, that only a year elapsed before he got the better of this objection, and gratified the ardent wishes of his numerous friends and admirers, by enlisting under the banners of the Church of Rome.

It is indeed no wonder if Rome was proud of her victory in this particular instance. Turenne had the character of being the greatest general of his age, Condé scarcely excepted; and, in his social and domestic relations, was every thing. that was open, amiable, nobleminded, and generous. It should not, therefore, be lightly affirmed that either he or Dangeau was consciously insincere and hypocritical. They had both probably brought themselves to believe that the Church of Rome opened the safest road to heaven. But who that has paid any attention to human nature, or to the deceitful operations of his own heart, can help suspecting that, unknown to themselves, they might have been secretly swayed by motives of ambition and self-interest, or that the prospect of temporal advantage might have thrown at least a preponderating weight into the balance of their theological reasonings? The conversion of Henry the Fourth of France appears to be a glaring instance of self-deception, if not of wilful apostacy, from what he believed to be the truth; and it is rather unfortunate for the credit of Popery, that several similar instances are found among the number of her proselytes.

The Exposition is doubtless the work of an acute and powerful mind. The writer of Bossuet's historical eulogy observes, that it affords a striking example of his dexterity in disentangling questions of the most intricate nature; in clearing a subject from the false or unfavour

able glosses which have been put upon it by an adversary; and in presenting it to the mind of the reader under its most simple and disencumbered form. There is some truth in this criticism; but what will it avail, if it can be shewn, as doubtless it can, that these encumbrances from which Bossuet attempts to rid the Roman Catholic doctrine are in reality essential parts of that doctrine, and cannot justly be separated from it? He endeavours, for example, to repel the charge of idolatry, as it exists under its grossest form. In this, perhaps, he may be successful. But who can deny that there is a minor species of idolatry, which consists in worshipping a Divine Being through the medium of pictures, shrines, and images, and which is plainly contrary to the spirit of the Second Commandment? Who can deny that the habit of prostration before such objects has a manifest tendency to preclude all worthy notions of the Supreme Majesty of heaven, by degrading and sensualizing the views of the worshipper? Again; he endeavours to remove objections to the invocation of angels and departed saints, by asking why this should be more liable to censure than requests for the intercessory prayers of our fellow-Christians, which, as all churches agree, are authorised by the sacred oracles;-a plausible answer, if it were founded in truth. But no passage of Scripture warrants us in seeking the intercession of departed or incorporeal spirits. And he forgets the difference which exists between simply desiring the prayers of our Christian brethren, and offering up acts of devotion to angelic or sainted intercessors. The former is merely a pious request; the latter is genuine worship.I briefly notice these particulars, as a specimen of Bossuet's reasoning. Upon the whole, his treatise is well calculated to catch the unwary, but will produce little effect upon the well-informed, impartial, and reflecting reader. It

presents the Roman Catholic doctrine simplified as much as possible; far indeed beyond what is possible, according to a just representation of that system. A tone of great moderation pervades the whole work; and the snake lies deeply buried in the grass. It is too short to tire the most idle or impatient reader. It seems to dispatch every objection with such readiness and facility that the superficial thinker is conjured, as it were, into a spirit of assent, before he is aware whither he is going. In short, a more plausible manual for gaining over ill-informed or ordinary minds, was never yet composed by the ingenuity of man.

Popery may be termed, in few words, a system of paganized Christianity. Every religious institution of Paganism had a tendency to chain down the understandings of its votaries to visible and corporeal objects; to distract their attention between a vast variety of such objects; and thus to keep their minds from aspiring to just conceptions of the Creator, and their hearts from rendering to Him the fear, love, and homage which are His due. This was the general effect produced upon mankind, by all the lying vanities of the Gentile world; their demi-gods, their deified heroes, their local and household divinities, their temples, auguries, and oracles. After the establishment of Christianity throughout the Roman empire, much of the leaven of heathenism still prevailed. Its spirit was gradually transfused into all the doctrines, institutions, and ceremonies of our holy religion; and, being powerfully aided by the general corruption of human nature, and by the ignorance and barbarism of those dark ages which followed the irruption of the northern conquerors, it succeeded eventually in building up that fabric of superstitious and unscriptural theology which was at length formally consecrated by the Council of Trent. About the same time,

however, the light of the Reformation shone forth, exposing the deformities and corruptions which had been for so many ages engrafted upon the purity of the primitive doctrine; while they who were convinced by that light found it no longer possible to hold communion with a church which pertinaciously rejected it, and persecuted all who questioned the infallibility of her decisions. Here then was a real and sufficient cause for separation; and the reformed churches were fully justified in opposing the antiscriptural doctrines, in abolishing the superstitious practices, and disclaiming the pretended authority of Rome.

While, however, we strenuously assert the great cause of our invaluable Protestant Reformation, and never shrink from exposing, upon every proper occasion, the errors and corruptions of the Church of Rome, let us not bear too hard against all the individual members of that communion. There is a very material distinction to be drawn between the dogmas of a particular church, considered with respect to its corporate authority, and the conduct of its members as viewed in their private capacity. There have been, probably, at all times a considerable number of Christians in the Church of Rome who, without proceeding to the length of an open separation, have not failed to discover and lament its manifold abuses in practice, and to counteract them to the utmost of their power. Others again may have supposed that an orthodox construction could be given to some of its unscriptural tenets; a construction in some degree satisfactory to their own minds, though not so to the apprehension of the more enlightened Protestant. Doubtless such characters were to be met with before the Reformation; and others have existed since that memorable era. And may we not charitably believe that such silent remonstrants within the enclosure of Popery, notwithstanding many

defects or errors, were at heart sincere followers of Christ, and savingly united to him as the great spiritual Head and Sovereign of his church? It is not for us to say how far such individuals might be unsuspectingly fettered, in their adherence to the communion in which they were educated, by respect for ecclesiastical authority, by their notions of Christian unity, and their sense of the dangers of open separa-tion. Their errors for errors, and serious errors, they doubtless weremight probably be rather intellectual than moral; proceeding more from the force of early prepossessions than from the influence of culpable timidity, or a wilful campromise with the corrupters of Scriptural doctrine. While, therefore, we firmly maintain our own principles of separation from the Church of Rome, let us beware of pronouncing too harsh a judgment upon those who may have been separatists from her delusions in heart, though they could not see their way so clearly as to induce them to depart from her visible communion. It is not to be denied. that many errors may be compatible with the attainment of salvation, in the case of those who are built upon the only true foundation of faith and hope; even upon that adorable Redeemer in whom the several parts of the Christian building, however apparently disunited, are all fitly framed together, and, growing up an holy temple in the Lord, are destined to rise hereafter into a glorious and magnificent fabric, never to decay.

In 1678, Bossuet had a conference with the celebrated John Claude, Protestant minister of Charenton, at the house of Madame la Comtesse de Roye. This conference was held for the spiritual benefit of Mademoiselle de Denas, and terminated in making her a convert to the Church of Rome. Bossuet took down the discussion, and published it four years afterwards, in 1682, with an introduction, containing farther instructions for his new

splendid seats of royalty could retain him long. He was continually, says a lively French writer, stealing away to Meaux, and always quitted that place with regret. He preached often, framed a number of regulations for the better government of his diocese, and composed catechisms, with other books of devotion, for the use of his people. He was assiduous in his pastoral visitations, during which he not only admonished his clergy, but administered alms and religious instruction to the poor. He refused no labour, and disdained no condescension, for the purpose of doing good; and was no less happy in the act of explaining the doctrines of the church to the common people, than dexterous in defending them against the attacks of the Protestant ministers.

That

Such is the account given of him by his contemporaries; and, after making every allowance for the colouring of friendship and admiration, we can hardly doubt the substantial truth of this representation. Bossuet was animated with an ardent zeal for upholding and propagating the faith of Rome can never be disputed: nor is it less certain that he was gifted with such physical and mental powers as rendered him one of the most active, industrious, and efficient men of his own or any other age.

Amidst the various important stations of civilised society, it would be difficult to point out one of greater usefulness than that of a Christian bishop who combines judgment and ability with zeal and devoted ness in the performance of his high duties. There are situations of more extensive influence; but it may be justly doubted whether there be any in which so much evil may be prevented, and so much good accomplished, in proportion to the allotted sphere of exertion. There is an irresistible feeling of reverence attached to the episcopal character, when properly sustained, which belongs not to any other, and which has extorted the reluctant admira

tion of the scorner and the infidel witness the well-known anecdote of Lord Peterboro' and Fenelon. A good bishop can do much by his direct authority, but far more still by his influence and example. His opinions, his advice, his reproofs, his commendations, whether publicly or privately communicated, all derive a peculiar force from the united sacredness and dignity of his office; a force unfelt, in an equal degree, under any other relation of social life. With regard to moral influence-I speak not of any other even a respectable sovereign is perhaps inferior to an exemplary bishop.

The secular rank and importance of the prelacy, which flowed as a natural consequence from church establishments in Christian countries, have doubtless brought with them some advantages. They have served to keep alive in governments a concern for the support and general interests of religion. They have brought the great in contact with a class of individuals whose influence, notwithstanding some unhappy exceptions, has proved, upon the whole, of a highly beneficial tendency in the repression of scandalous excesses, even where it has failed of advancing true piety and virtue. And, since the mass of mankind have always been, and always will be, greatly governed by appearances, episcopal honours have conferred a credit and dignity upon the clerical profession, which have contributed, under particular circumstances, to increase its efficiency, and promote the design of its appointment. But, with all these advantages it must be confessed that the secular importance of bishops is a circumstance attended with some very considerable evils. It is apt to engender a worldly spirit, and it exposes its possessors to many temptations; especially the pride of rank, and the love of profit, ease, pleasure, and power. It tends to give them a disrelish for the more humble, painful, and laborious duties of their calling. The pastoral tenderness and simplicity of the episcopal character, so