source, is to concede their great scriptural character, and to betray the unchristian weakness of the cause opposed to them. To attempt to turn them into ridicule, is to betray worse than weakness. 'As a clergyman of the Church of England, I cannot, with a safe conscience, take any other than this Protestant tone; and I do most cordially rejoice in your Lordship's assurance of your undiminished attachment to our Protestant faith and our Protestant institutions, and your unshaken desire to uphold them." 66 'I have the honour to be, my Lord, 'Your Lordship's faithful and obedient servant, 'Lord Viscount Sandon, M.P. THE SCHOOLMASTER AND THE PRIORY. EDWARD FOSSEY is a young man recently appointed to the situation of village schoolmaster, in the parish of Stretton-on-Dunsmore, where there is a large Roman Catholic establishment, called St. Mary's Priory. It appears to have been a great object at the Priory to convert this young man to the Roman Catholic religion. Accordingly, after a preliminary effort by their missionary agent, it had been arranged that the Roman Catholic priest should attempt to convert him. Edward Fossey declined a personal discussion with the priest, but offered to carry on a conference by letter, and enclosed a copy of the following questions, which he requested might be answered advisedly by the priest, as a preliminary to the conference : PRELIMINARY QUESTIONS. 1. Is every man at liberty to judge for himself (as a witness judges) of facts which come within his own observation? 2. Is every man at liberty to judge (as a juryman judges), of facts which do not come within his own observation, according to the evidence? 3. Is consistency a test of truth? 4. Is inconsistency a test of error? 5. Are the Holy Scriptures of the New Testament inspired records of what Jesus Christ and his apostles taught? 6. Are the writings of the Fathers to be received as evidence of facts? 7. Are the decrees of General Councils to be received as evidence of facts? 8. Is that the true religion which the apostles taught, and has been from the beginning of Christianity? 9. Can that be the true religion which can be proved from Holy Scripture not to have been from the beginning? 10. Can that be the true religion which can be proved from the writings of the Fathers not to have been from the beginning? 11. Can that be the true religion which can be proved from the records of General Councils not to have been from the beginning? No written answer was sent to these questions; and the Roman Catholic priest did not make any further attempt to convert the schoolmaster. Yet still the Priory was not without hope that they might attain their object in another way. With this view their missionary agent came to him with a very tempting offer from Mrs. Scully, (a rich lady who resides at the Priory, and who has lately opened a school at Princethorpe for gratuitous Roman Catholic education,) and encouraged him to write to her. Edward Fossey sent a respectful acknowledgment to this lady, in the following terms : "Stretton-on-Dunsmore, March 21, 1843. MADAM,-I feel very much indebted to you for your obliging offer, communicated to me by Mr. Daniel on Thursday last, and for your condescension in requesting me to address a written answer to yourself. 'Your offer, as I understood Mr. Daniel, is to educate me gratuitously, and provide for me in any line of life that I should prefer, and that you do not require of me to change my religion, nor to be instrumental in any way in propagating the doctrines and practices of the Church of Rome. 'I can hardly venture to suppose that such can be your intentions: but since you have done me the honour to permit me to write to you, perhaps you will have the goodness to favour me in return with a written communication from yourself, stating what is the offer which you are kind enough to make, and what are the terms on which you propose me to accept of it. 'I have the honour to be, Madam, It seems as if the questions contained in this letter were as perplexing to the lady as those contained in the former letter had been to the Priest, for Mrs. Scully sent him no answer. No further direct attempts to convert the schoolmaster appear to have been made; but while those above-mentioned were in progress, he received the following very civil note. The note is apparently in some lady's hand-writing; it certainly is not in Charles Daniel's own and it ought to be understood, that permission for a stranger to be present during the services in the Priory Chapel, cannot be given without the cognisance of the authorities : 'C. Daniel's respects to Mr. Fausey, and would be happy to see him to-night at his house about eight o'clock, as the Te Deum will be beautifully sung at the Priory at nine o'clock.'-Priory Lodge, March 20. It is hardly necessary to add, that Edward Fossey declined the invitation. This little narrative will not be without its interest to those who are watching the movements of Popery; nor will it be without its use as a warning to those who are within the reach of overtures from St. Mary's Priory, or other similar establishments. In order to come to a full understanding of this story, it should be borne in mind that the priory has been continually engaged in the project of making converts. Formerly they made a show of argument. At one time they challenged the Vicar of the parish to show how he derived his authority as a minister. When he had done this, he asked them in return to show how their priest derived his authority; the answer was (now nearly three years ago,) that they would soon give the Vicar enough to do on that subject. Again, they have asked for proof that the Church of Rome teaches idolatry; proofs have been afforded them, and they have admitted that 'silent contempt' is the best answer that can be made. But notwithstanding this, they have not one whit abated in their anxiety to make converts; on the contrary, they are now offering higher bribes than ever: Not very long ago, they offered the former schoolmaster at Stretton, (Thomas Holyoak) another school, with a larger salary, if he would turn Roman Catholic. Their offer to the present master is a much higher bribe-to educate him gratuitously, and afterwards to provide for him in any line of life he should prefer. The offer was made to a needy young man; it set before him a comfortable maintenance; it ministered to his ambition, for it was specially mentioned to him that he might be educated for a Roman priest if he wished it; in short, it offered |