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methodistical article; but before I enter on the strain of falshood and invective with which it abounds, it may not be improper just to analyze the general contents of the Methodist Magazine, a publication, which but few of your readers, I will venture to assert, ever see.

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"The Arminian ; or Methodist Magazine," is conducted by a Mr. Joseph Benson, known only to the world of methodists; and for having pirated the unfortunate Dr. Dodd's Commentary on the Bible, and palmed it on his brethren as Family Bible," by The Reverend Joseph Benson," just as if the monkey bible* of brother Dr. Adam Clarke were not sufficient for the whole pious fraternity. No matter:-Mr. Benson is now editor, having succeeded a Mr. George Story, whose disposition was of too gentle a quality, to conduct the "department," since created, and now entitled The Truth of God Defended."

This Magazine, which is one of the oddest mixtures of nonsense, falshood and blasphemy, that ever issued from the British press, not excepting even its younger brother, the Evangelical Magazine, under the direction of an election preacher, named Burder, is divided into the following "departments:"

"I. Biography." This portion of the book consists of partial and garbled memoirs of various persons who have figured away in the secta rian world since the days of Luther;

*Alluding to the circumstance of this learned methodist doctor having informed the world that the serpent that deceived our

first parent, Eve, was was nothing else but

a monkey.

t. I know not whether I should not except that master-piece of slander and party malice the Eclectic Review, conducted by a mixed herd of Wesleyan and Whitfieldian preachers.

and, in some inst ances, even before that period. The Editor here contrives to retail and dole out a suitable portion of falshood and abuse, chiefly from the records of puritanism, concerning the churches of Rome and of England, though the Wesleyan Methodists, profess still to be members of the latter church. He also occasionally favours his readers, and gratifies the vanity of the relatives of the deceased, with biographical memoirs, the experiences, and labours of departed brethren of his own community; and thus many persons, who would otherwise have been known only as preaching men dicants, bread bakers, tailors, cobblers, &c. are publicly exhibited, to degrade and scandalize the annals of Biography.*

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"II. Divinity." This portion generally consists of reprints of old puritanical sermons-of sermong preached "before" conference, and of other specimens of pulpit eloquence, both in and out of the Church. Sometimes they give `us' extracts, spoiled by ignorant translators, and falsified by interested and designing fanatics, from the foreign productions of clergymen of the Church of Rome.

"III. The Truth of GOD Defended." This head of the Magazine is perfectly characteristic of the sect. It abounds with demonstrations of palpable bigotry, party-rage, and private malice. It is the vehicle of every bad passion, an ambush behind which lurks a host of religious and literary assassins, who dart upon their prey with impunity, and wound, without truth, justice or mercy, the private reputation and

* Charles Atmore, (now dubbed the Reverend, contrary to the express injunction of father Wesley) has published a thick, 8vo. vol. entitled "The Methodist Memorial."

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domestic happiness of all such of their real or supposed enemies who happen to "write a book." These canting hypocrites however tell us, that "they wish not to depart from the spirit of Christian meekness;" and in another place libel the faith of the Son of God by asserting, that Methodism is nothing else than a revival of primitive Christianity." It is well known that they have a corps of spies and informers, in every town in the United Kingdoms, ready to communicate, to the Editor (through the medium of the " Committee for furnishing materials for the Magazine,' which committee is scattered through various parts of the country,) every idle story, every slanderous report, and every shade of error, or slight deviation from the rules of methodistical morality of which any one may happen to be guilty, whose character the Editor may find it convenient to destroy. I have no hesitation in saying, that the very worst features of the Court of Inquisition, which, in some countries have formerly given occasion of reproach to Catholics, were never more base, intolerant, and oppressive than the system of Methodistical espionage carried on through the medium of the "Magazine Committee," and published under the blasphemous and hypocritical profession of "Defending the Truth of God." I would recommend to this Committee in future, to adopt for the motto to this head of their Miscellany, the following short passage from the Bible: "REPORT, and we will REPORT it again." If Authors who think it their duty to inquire into the doctrines or dispute the purity of Methodism, are sure to meet with a Review of their wORKS in this department-I say a Review of their Works, by which I do not mean of their books, (for Methodists are too

ignorant and too designing to review books) but of their whole lives; and if any blemish can be found, if any piccadillo can be discovered-nay, if any falshood can, with the most distant shew of truth, be invented, that will sap the foundation of their domestic quiet, or scatter mischief among their connections, they may rely on having a message from these Defenders of the Truth; these vigilant. advocates of Methodism, who, consistently enough, "go about seeking whom they may devour:" yet they generally contrive to escape the fangs of the law. The "Magazine Committee," may be fitly denomi nated a puritanical escargatoire:-a nursery of snails. They cover their nefarious practices with a due portion of viscous matter, thus sleekly evade the just hold of the offended laws. But their malice is not less virulent, nor their practices less wicked and ruinous, on this account; and now and then they find it convenient to curtail, alter, and even withdraw from public notice, some of their more barefaced libels. These sys tematic informers, who keep men in pay, at taverns, printing-offices, and other places, should be held up to public reprobation, as the most dangerous of pretended religious cha racters; every man, and particularly every author, should know to. whom, and to what sort of people, he is indebted for the slander and abuse encouraged in this seminary. of literary and religious fraud and wickedness. Every Methodisticalfamily, whose head may happen to displease "Conference," or any one of the managers of this immoral and dangerous publication, should know. to what unprincipled sectarists it is, or may hereafter be, obligated for

Review, in scattering fire-brands, arrows: * They are in league with the Eclectic and death.

the disturbance of its repose, and the disquietude it may experience.

Should this letter find a place in your next number, I will, another time, pursue the subject, in describing the true character of the other departments of the Methodist Magazine, of which the large pro fits are devoted, as the publishers tell us, 66 to the blessed purpose of carrying on the WORK OF GOD," thus blasphemously pretending to bestow on the immaculate Jehovah himself, the very wages of iniquity." London, Dec. 6, 1812.

A CATHOLIC,

Mr. Andrew's Hint to the Catholic Clergy, Nobility, Gentry, &c. &c. of Great Britain and Ireland.

SIR,

WHEN Bible Associations for

promoting Christian knowledge are daily springing up around us, when the patrons and supporters of these institutions boldly assert in their speeches, that the Catholics are kept in ignorance by their venerated and highly respected clergy, whose lives are devoted to the instruction and edification of their flocks, when the illiberal insinuations of all such ungenerous and ill-natured principles are continually and industriously circulated, through the means of an uncandid press against the divine doctrines of the holy Catholic and Apostolic church; and newspapers, magazines, and pamphlets teem with falshoods and calumnies as clear sa the sun at noonday, at such a crisis as this it surely behoves the faithful Catholics to UNITE, and expose such illiberality to the upright and honest part

of the community, and to the world. Nothing, in my opinion, would tend more to the accomplishment of this most desirable object, than a Society of the Catholic clergy, nobility, gentry, and others, for propagating religious instruction; by whom an establishment might be formed for printing such scarce and valuable books and tracts as would be deemed most proper for this purpose. To effect this, a fund might be raised by a generous union of the affluent, in contributing weekly, quarterly, or annually, more or less. If each pastor of a congregation would recommend such an institution to his respective flock, so laudable an undertaking undoubtedly would have the desired effect, andthe poor might be supplied with such information as is necessary for their spiritual welfare, and all might derive be

nefit from this excellent establishment.

No work to be printed, but such as the vicars apostolic approved. By the united efforts of such a society, religious instruction might be diffused at an easy rate, the doubtful might be confirmed, the weak strengthened, calumny put to shame, and our dissenting brethren, (should they be inclined to learn the tenets of their ancestors,) would find a rich source of information to convince them of their mistakes.

That such a society would be of infinite advantage, and that it might be easily established, there can be no shadow of doubt. It is not, however, for me to attempt its structure, my situation in life is too obscure; but I sincerely hope, when our Protestant fellow-subjects are so actively alive, the zeal of the dignified and enlightened Catholics, in defence of the ancient faith of our ancestors, will not remain dormant, but that they will step forward with

one joint effort, and not only lay the foundation, but also, support a work, that cannot fail to promote

cause of the holy Catholic and Apostolic Church.

WM. EUSEBIUS ANDREW.

the glory of God, and the general Norwich, Dec. 4, 1812.

MISCELLANIES, GLEANINGS, &c.

Roman Catholics the Preservers of begin anew, and trace every art by

Learning. WHU HILST Catholics are reproached with a wish to involve the whole community in ignorance, let as enquire whence our learning originated? Where, but in monasteries, says a Protestant female writer of splendid talents, could the precious remains of classical learning, and the divine monuments of ancient taste, have been safely lodged amidst the ravages of that age of ferocity and rapine, which succeeded the desola. tion of the Roman Empire, except in sanctuaries like these, consecrated by the superstition of the times, beyond their intrinsic merit. The frequency of the wars, and the licentious cruelty with which they were conducted, left neither the hamlet of the peasant, nor the castle of the baron, free from depredation; but the church and monastery generally remained inviolate; some of the barbarous nations were converted beiore their conquests, and most of them soon after their settlement in the countries they had overrun; those buildings which their new faith had taught them to venerate afforded a shelter for those valuable manuscripts which must otherwise have been destroyed in the common wreck. At the revival of learning, they were produced from their dormitories. It was in the monasteries that most of the classics were discovered; and to this it is owing, to the books and learning preserved in these repositories. shat we were not obliged to

slow and uncertain steps, from its first origin. Science already full grown and vigorous, awake as from a trance, shook her pinions, and soon soared to the heights of knowledge.

The monks, besides being obliged by their rules, to spend some stated hours every day in reading and study, were almost the sole instructors of youth; towacds the end of the tentk century, there were no schools in Europe but the monasteries, and those which belonged to episcopal residences; nor any masters but the Benedictines. The frequent intercourse of the monks with Rome must have been peculiarly favourable to these northern nations, as Italy for a long time led the way in every improvement of politeness or literature.

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when the modern languages of Europe were yet unformed and barba rous, latin was of great use as a kind of universal tongue, by which learned men might converse- and correspond with each other. In the présent age, when learning is diffused through every rauk, we can scarcely conceive how totally all useful learning might have been lost among us, had it not been for an order of men vested with peculiar privileges, and protected by even a superstitious degree of reverence; it must have been of service also to the cause of liberty, to have a set of men, whose laws, privileges, and immunities, the most daring kings were afraid to trample on; and this before a more embattled spirit of freedom had arisen, might have its effect in preventing the states of Christendom from falling into such entire slavery as the Asiatics.

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Dr. Henry, also, in his history of Great Britain, vol. 17. says, materials for writing were very scarce and dear, which made few persons think of learning that art, accordingly, great estates were often transferred 'from one owner to another by a mere verbal agreement, and the delivery of earth and stone before witnesses, without any written deed. Parchment in particular, on which all their books were written, was so difficult to be procured, that many of the MSS. of the middle ages, which are still preserved, appear to have been written on parchment on which some former writing had been erased. See Jorten, also, on Ecclesiastical History, vol. iv. p. 290.Trithemius mentions à stenographical dictionary belonging to an abbot, who gladly ordered the characters to be erased, for the sake of the parchment on which they were written. This has been mentioned as an in

stance of the neglect of the art of shorthand writing in the middle ages.

N.B. Lest the objection should be made to the following article that Dr. Paley is speaking of Christianity in general, and not particularly of Catholics, let us ask the question who it is that is generally meant, when Protestants talk of persecution? Certainly, Catholics, and none be side. Hitherto we have been cheat

ed and imposed upon by mere names. Hence by Protestant writers in general, (such as Paley and a few others excepted,) all the good that has been done by Catholics has been ascribed to Christianity, and all the evil to the Catholic religion! strange inconsistency! but still, as an ancient writer observed, in some names there is a great virtue!

Catholics vindicated from Persecution, by the late Archdeacon Pdley.

I BELIEVE," says says he, "that religious motives have had no more to do in the formation of ninetenths of the intolerant and persecuting laws, which in different countries have been established upon the subject of religion, than they have had to do in England with the making of the game laws. These measures, although they have the Christian Religion for their object, are resolvable into a principle which Christianity did not plant, (and which Christianity could not universally condemn,) because it is not universally wrong; which principle is no other than this, that they who are in possession of power do what they can to keep it. Christianity is answerable for no part of the mischief which has been brought upon the world by persecution, except that which has arrèn

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