diocese in which they are to be employed; and further, that they, or either of them, be removed upon the representation of such Bishop. The same rule to be observed for the appointment or dismissal of mistresses and assistants in female schools.

"3. Resolved-That we consider it improper that masters and mistresses, intended for the religious instruction of the Roman Catholic youth, should be trained or educated by, or under the control of, persons professing a different faith; and that we conceive it most desirable, that a male and female model school shall be established in each province in Ireland, to be supported at the public expense, for the purpose of qualifying such masters and mistresses for the important duties which they shall be appointed to discharge.

4. Resolved-That in conformity with the principle of protecting the religion of the Roman Catholic children, the books intended for their particular instruction in religion shall be selected or approved by the Roman Catholic Prelates, and that no book or tract for common instruction in literature shall be introduced into any school in which Roman Catholic children are educated, which book or tract may be objected to on religious grounds by the Roman Catholic Bishop of the diocese in which such school is established.

5. Resolved-That a transfer of the property in several schools which now exist, or may hereafter exist, in Ireland, may be utterly impracticable from the nature of the tenure by which they are or shall hereafter be held, and from the number of persons having a legal interest in them, as well as from a variety of other causes, and that in our opinion any regulation which should require such transfer to be made, as a necessary condition for receiving Parliamentary support, would operate to the exclusion of many useful schools from all participation in the public bounty.

"6. Resolved -That appointed as we have been by Divine Providence to watch over and preserve the deposit of Catholic faith in Ireland, and responsible as we are to God for the souls of our flocks, we will, in our respective dioceses, withhold our concurrence and and support from any system of Education which will not fully accord with the principles expressed in the foregoing Resolutions."

We would most earnestly solicit the serious attention. of our readers to the tone of these Resolutions, and to the extent of demand contained in them. We request them to observe that if these were acceded to, almost every school in Ireland must be put into the hands of a Roman Catholic master, as in almost every part of Ireland the majority of people would be Roman Catholics; and as the Roman Catholic bishops object, on religious grounds, to Roman Catholics even hearing a text of Scripture out of the Protestant version, not a verse of the Protestant Scripture would ever be admitted into books or tracts for common instruction.What a barefaced demand to be made on a Protestant government! Yet, claiming their appointment by Divine Providence to watch over the deposit of Catholic faith in Ireland, they declare their determination to withhold their concurrence and support, from any system of education which will not fully accord with the principles expressed in these domineering resolutions.

When indeed the Protestant King, Lords, and Commons assent to the assumption of the Roman Catholic bishops, that they are the persons appointed by Divine Providence to watch over the deposit of Catholic faith in Ireland, i. e. when the King, Lords, and Commons turn Roman Catholics, then, and not till then, can they accede to the demands of those resolutions.

But even these Resolutions did not lead the Commissioners to desist. On the 18th of January preceding the date of these Resolutions, they had written to the Primate and the Archbishops of Cashel and Tuam, having had a personal communication with the Archbishop of Dublin, on the subject of preparing a book of extracts. On the 31st of January, the Primate wrote to them, giving his sentiments on the subject, expressing his fears that a book could not be constructed acceptable to the hierarchy of both churches, yet saying that he would not allow himself to despair. We cannot refrain from making the following extract to shew the truly conciliatory spirit in which he wrote:

"The good which may arise, if by any means charity could be promoted, and practical instruction diffused, without constraining either party to sacrifice what it believes to be the truth of the Gospel, cannot be calculated, and I feel that it is peculiarly befitting the place and character of the Established Church to labour for the attainment of so great a blessing. Under this impression I would recommend, as the Archbishop of Dublin has done in a similar case (App. p. 751.) that a committee of deans be appointed by the heads of the church to prepare a Harmony of the Gospel, formed principally from the authorized version, yet not so exclusively as to reject always the language of the Douay bible, if it afford an apt and instructive meaning."

We cannot help stating how creditable we conceive these sentiments to be to the distinguished personage from whom they have come forth. If the same candid conciliatory spirit was to be found in the Roman Catholic hierarchy, we should soon see combined education spreading through our land.

On the 8th of July, 1826, the Archbishop of Dublin forwarded to the Commissioners a scheme of Scripture lessons, for the consideration of the board. He thus desribes the tract:

"It is an extract from the English edition of a work which was compiled at Petersburgh for the use of schools, and which under the command of the late emperor has been in use throughout the schools of the Russian empire since the year

1819.

"This work, which has been in high repute, and in widely extended circulation, not only through Russia and England, but through the different countries of Europe, in their several languages, it was thought prudent to adopt as a ground-work for the selection to be formed, not only on account of its great celebrity as a scriptural school book, but still more on account of the unsuspiciousness of its origin, having been first framed for the instruction of children of the Greek Church, which the Roman Catholics profess to consider as partaking more of the character of the Roman than of the Reformed Church. At the same time, lest any thing either in the subjects or the language of the portion selected from this work, should throw impediments in the way of its adoption for general use, a committee of five learned and judicious clergymen was appointed for a careful examination of its several parts, and for the special purpose of omitting whatever might be at variance in sense with the translation of Scripture in use amongst the Roman Catholics of this country.

"I beg leave to add that if any change of this tract in the way of mere omission be thought advisable by the Commissioners, I have little doubt of its being acceded to by the bishops."

This book was forwarded to Dr. Murray, who on the 17th July 1826, thus replied:

"I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 8th inst. As the work which you have had the goodness to send me is a compilation taken exclusively and verbatim from the Protestant version of the New Testament. I think it would be open to the objections already stated by the Catholic Archbishops to the Commissioners with reference to a similar work. Allow me, however, to observe, that these objections might, in my opinion, be removed, if the matter of the work were abstracted both from the Catholic and Protestant versions, where they substantially agree, without the words being taken throughout literatim from either, according to the principles explained by us to the Commissioners when last we had the honor of an interview with them. I have the honour, &c.

D. MURRAY.

It is necessary to observe here that the Protestant archbishops were not made acquainted with the last conference that took place between the Commissioners and the Roman Catholic Prelates. They had for their guidance nothing but the minute of conference published in the first Report, in which it was stated that no difficulties would arise on the part of the Romish Clergy. They were never told that the Roman Catholic prelates would object to the Roman Catholic children even hearing the Protestant children read an extract from the authorized version of the Scriptures; they therefore naturally thought that they were doing all required of them when they scrupulously omitted any parts which might be at variance in sense with the translations in use in the Roman Catholic Church.

Pending the foregoing correspondence, a work entitled "Christian Lessons," chiefly extracted from the New Testament, and prepared by an individual of the Committee, was laid before them under circnmstances which induced the Commissioners to believe that it would not be unlikely to meet the approbation of the Roman Catholic clergy.

This work was afterwards proposed to the Commissioners by the Roman Catholic prelates, after they had introduced into it some corrections; and on the 18th of July they directed it to be forwarded to the Primate, with a letter, in which they informed him of the rejection of the "Scripture Lessons" by Dr. Murray, and request his Grace to communicate to them the opinion of the established Church on this work. The Commissioners have in the appendix given a copy of the two works, "Scripture Lessons," and "Christian Lessons," by the inspection of which, persons may judge as to their comparative value. The first presents itself to the very eye, what in truth it is, extracts from Scripture : the language is taken from the Bible, the chapters and verses are marked. It appears upon the face of this work that those who furnished it, and would put it into the hands of the children, were neither afraid nor ashamed of the Word of God. The second appears under circumstances removing it as far as possible from the pure Scriptures. Some of it is taken from our version, some from another, some from no version, and some of the matter is confessedly the sentiment, and, according to the views of the compilers themselves, without reference to any Scriptural authority. There is no marking of chapters or verses, nor any thing that gives the book the dress or character of God's word. On the 28th of August his Grace replied to the Commissioners; after complaining

with much justice of the apparently unceremonious rejection of the " Scripture Lessons," without mentioning any objections to them, except that they were taken from the Protestant version; and of the apparent preference to the Roman Catholic "Christian Lessons," which had been sent to his Grace in a printed form, thereby leading him to suppose that it had been almost resolved on, he proceeds to give the objections that can be made on the part of the Established Church to the Roman Catholic volume. We wish we could give the whole of his Grace's most able orthodox, Christian letter. We recommend its serious perusal to all who would feel pleasure in reading sentiments truly worthy of a Protestant bishop. We must content ourselves with one extract which we feel assured contains sentiments, which, if steadily maintained, will uphold the Church of England to the end of time.

"I am now to inform the Commissioners what objections can be made on the part of the Established Church, to the volume which they have substituted. To me it appears that the point at issue between the two volumes is no less than that great question between the churches of Rome and England, 'What is the Rule of faith ?” The Church of Rome gives authority; the Church of England gives evidence, on the basis of Christianity. The latter appears as a faithful witness of the sacred records, and of the interpretation which has been put upon them by the first believers: the former as an infallible teacher, drawing her doctrines and institutions from herself, or from a secret store of tradition which is independent of the written word, and the key of which has been committed to her custody by the great Founder of our religion. In our system the church is nothing without the Scriptures; in that of Rome, its powers and doctrines might have been as they are, had the New Testament never been written. This irreconcilable difference between the two churches appears upon the first inspection of the volume before me. The work which we prepared is provided with references to the sacred writers, so that every reader may satisfy himself of the fidelity of the quotations, and if he be competent to such enquiries, of the correctness of the original reading, and accuracy of the version. There are no references in the printed work. The church delivers her "Christian Lessons," as they are styled, but without any intimation that they are derived from an higher authority. There is nothing wherein a child or a peasant would conjecture that there was such a book as the New Testament in existence. This omission you will perceive to be of vital importance. Should government or the legislature determine upon insisting on the circulation of the work, it will be our duty to submit, but we could not express our consent, and still less give our active support to the measure without withdrawing our protest against the assumptions of the Church of Rome."

We feel indeed thankful for any circumstances which have been the means of eliciting such Protestant sentiments. We feel convinced that they do honor to the prelate from whose pen they have flowed, and will confer stability and respect upon the Church by whose Primate they have been uttered.

The indefatigable Commissioners did not desist even in this stage of the proceedings; and we find them under date of 30th Nov. 1826, writing to Dr. Murray, requesting him to make such alterations in the Protestant work as would make it acceptable to the Roman Catholic prelates, and on the 20th Dec. Doctor Murray writes:

"All the prelates fully agree in the propriety of the objection urged by the Ronian Catholio archbishops against putting into the hands of Catholic children as Scripture, any book, which is not conformable to their own authorized translation.”

He then suggests that a work abstracted substantially from Scripture, but not purporting to be the words of Holy Writ, would not be liable to the same objection; and having recommended the Christian Lessons as being such a book, adds:

"I am instructed to say that the Roman Catholic prelates would not think themselves called on to discourage the attendance of children of the Roman Catholic faith in any school in which the use of this compilation so amended might be required, provided the regulations of said school were in accordance with the résolutions of the Roman Catholic prelates, which I had the honor to transmit to the Commissioners on the 23d of January last,”

Here is a specimen of Roman Catholic conciliation, which few persons would have been able to believe, if it did not come before the public on such unquestionable authority. They are requested to propose such a modification of the "Scripture Lessons," as would remove the objections made to them on the ground of their being taken literatim and verbatim from the authorized version. They declare they will be satisfied with no book but their own; they will attempt no modification of that referred to them; but even this will not do; their own book they find out now will not satisfy them, unless the regulations of each school is in accordance with the resolutions of the Roman Catholic prelates of the 23d of January, that is, as has been well expressed in a subsequent letter of the bishops of the Established church, unless the relative situation of the two churches be entirely changed, and the superintendence of the national education is transferred to the Roman Catholic clergy. It would be quite amusing were it not that the temporal and eternal interests of a whole people are at stake, to see how these wily doctors encrease in their demands and run away farther and farther from the Scripture and all common ground of Christian agreement.

On the 8th January, 1825, there would be serious difficulties if the Holy Scriptures in an unaltered shape were proposed for use in the schools, but no difficulties in arranging extracts; on the 17th July, 1826, there are great difficulties if the extracts are to be taken verbatim and literatim from the authorized version, but which might be removed if the matter of the work were abstracted from the Protestant and Catholic versions without the words being taken literatim from either. On the 20th Dec. 1826, all the prelates agree to object to any book as Scripture which is not conformable to their authorized translation; and last of all no concession of any kind as to books will suffice unless the schools are to be in accordance with the resolutions of the 23d of Jan. 1826.

Even by all this the patience of the Commissioners was not exhausted, they write again to the Protestant Bishops. Having in vain requested the Roman Catholic Bishops to modify the Scripture lessons, they request the Protestant Bishops to do so, informing them at the same time of the determination expressed by the Roman Catholic Bishops, to insist upon the resolutions of January 23, being acted on. The Protestant Bishops wrote what appears to us a most sensible, temperate, and Christian answer,