whitened sepulchres, which, outwardly fair and beautiful to the eye, are full, within, of the bones of the dead, and of all uncleanness.

Nor is the pernicious influence of this mistaken notion of religion confined solely to the deluded worshipper. No; for it sometimes gives rise to attitudes and gestures so wild and extravagant,—so fanatical shall I say?—yes, so fanatical, as to disturb, in their devotions, the truly pious of our own communion, and to disedify those whom a difference in religious belief holds in a state of separation from You know, my friends, that the faith of your ancestors has long groaned under an enormous load of prejudice. You know, moreover, that the

us.

most strenuous efforts to remove it are incessantly exerted. But what will all the endeavours of the most zealous and indefatigable amongst us avail, if perpetually counteracted by practices of an opposite tendency observable in persons of their own communion ? The ministers of religion may raise their voices, and its champions may wield the pen in its defence; but in vain. For the language of conduct, more forcible and impressive, will be heard and gain credit in preference to the strongest protestations from the pulpit, or the most laboured compositions issuing from the press. The actions of men, and not their professions, are usually considered as the best tests of their belief. If, therefore, your actions be inconsistent with the true doctrine and spirit of the Gospel, with all your scrupulous attention to exterior observances, you

disfigure, you dishonour the religion of Christ Jesus which you profess to maintain; you bring it into contempt; and by raising up around it an insurmountable mound of prejudice, you place a barrier of insuperable opposition in the way of those who might otherwise be disposed to embrace it.

Brethren, with whom our consciences will not, in every respect, permit us to think, but whom nevertheless we unfeignedly love, will you permit the minister of a religion, to which, from the most sincere conviction of its truth, he is seriously attached, to open to you his lips, in order to caution you against those mistakes regarding it, into which such abuses are calculated to lead you. Know, then, brethren, that I am authorised by that church, of which I am willing to acknowledge myself an unworthy minister, to declare to you, on her part, in terms the most explicit, unequivocal, and positive, that the religion which she professes to teach, and which we profess to follow, is not an empty phantom of parade and ceremony. Forms and ceremonies we judge to be useful to the cause of piety, for reasons already assigned; but we do not consider them as constituting piety. They are the handmaids of the Celestial Queen; but they are nothing more. True piety we believe to reside within the secret recesses of the soul of the soul, animated by a lively faith in the revealed truths of salvation; hopeful of mercy through the infinite merits of its sole Redeemer and Mediator, Christ Jesus, the Eternal Son of God; and prompted, by charity, to the exe

cution of his commands. Should the conduct of any individuals amongst us incline you, at any time, to think differently concerning the doctrine of the Catholic Church, recall to your minds what you have, this day, heard from the lips of one of its accredited ministers, in his official capacity. And let the recollection of it induce you to distinguish accurately between its real tenets, and the practical abuses of some of its adherents. In your intercourse with the world, it may also occasionally fall to your lot to meet with persons, who, from mistaken notions which they may have unfortunately imbibed, may attribute to us articles of belief, which not only we do not adopt, but which, on the contrary, we condemn. Be it your endeavour, who are better informed, to remove their prejudices, and to rectify their mistaken opinions. This we conceive to be no more, in reality, than the honest discharge of a debt, which, in strict justice, we have a right to demand. But we think it more conformable to the spirit of the Gospel, to request it as an act of christian charity, by the boundless love of the same Divine Master, whose disciples we all profess ourselves to be.

As to you, my Catholic friends, with whom I have the happiness to be linked by the bonds of unity, as well as of charity; do you study, by every means in your power, so to regulate your conduct according to the pure maxims and spirit of the Gospel, so to make your light shine before men, that they, seeing your good works, may glorify your

Father who is in heaven. By contributing in this manner to the promotion of God's honor, and the edification of your neighbour, you will secure, in the end, through the infinite merits of your Divine Redeemer, the eternal salvation of your immortal souls.

SERMON XI.

ON THE WORSHIP OF GOD IN SPIRIT AND IN TRUTH.

BUT the hour cometh, and now is, when the true adorers shall adore the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father also seeketh such to adore him. God is a spirit, and they that adore him, must adore him in spirit and in truth. (JOHN, c. iv. v. 24, 25.)

PART II.

In the last discourse wherein I took occasion, from the first part of the passage of Holy Writ which has been just cited, to address you on the subject of the worship of God in spirit, I endeavoured to show that external acts of divine worship, are, without it, fruitless and unavailing. I purpose this day to take a wider range; and in conformity with the second part of the same passage, which regards the worship of the Father in truth, I mean to lay before you a variety of obligations which all true worshippers are indispensably required to discharge. Such, my friends, are the important points, to the developement of which, I have now to solicit the renewal of your attention.

The first and paramount duty of men and Christians, is ever to have in view the promotion of the