We'd instant hasten to forsake
Our own thy better path to take.
But who will grant thee, holy Sir,
That Church infallible can err?*
When from the high and beaten way
Lone travellers unwisely stray,
By tempting novelties beguiled,
They wander long in mazes wild.
Ere yet they reach their wished-for homes,
The chill and treacherous nightfal comes;
Before them, in the distant haze,
A flickering light delusive plays;

* That Church infallible can err.

The doctrine of Infallibility is the most barefaced juggle ever invented by the wit of man! Because, forsooth, a promise to guide them into all truth was given to inspired men, who were able to prove by the miracles they performed that they were inspired; can it therefore be argued that the same infallibility is continued to this day? It is said, indeed, by our Lord, "Lo, am with you alway, even unto the end of the world ;" and so he is, even to this hour, with all his faithful people, without exception; God has been with his Church in all ages, and doubtless imparts to them sufficient grace to guide them into all necessary truth; but that any power or faculty of infallibility is given to any man, or any college, or any particular Church, to the exclusion of other Churches, is a groundless pretence, and "most dangerous downfal, whereby the Devil doth thrust them into wretchlessness of most unclean living, no less perilous than desperation."

The pretension to Infallibility and the Answer, are most admirably stated by Gibson (reprint, Vol. V. Article Infallibility); it is this:-"No Church can be the true infallible Church and decider of all controversies, which teacheth herself to be fallible; but every Church in the world but the Roman, teacheth herself to be fallible: wherefore, by evident demonstration, no other Church upon earth can be infallible!" This is the argument of the Romanist, to which Gibson replies: "So that the demonstation depends upon her own declaration, and for which there needs no proof! But if this be demonstration, then so is fallacy, and self-conceit; and if this be evident demonstration, then folly, and fancy, and presumption, are reason in perfection; as I shall make good by a parallel instance. It is held by many, that there is a Philosopher's stone, which will, by its secret power, turn all metals into gold; but may not the impostor say, There is no one besides myself that saith they have this stone, therefore, I, that say I have it, have it; and all that own there is such a stone, though they have it not, are bound to believe that I have it! Verily, if this be all the proof the Church of Rome hath for its Infallibility, we have no more reason to believe it, than the che ists have to give credit to every enthusiast or impostor."

Vain is the wish, the effort vain
The beaten pathway to regain.
On, onward, hurriedly they go,
Till headlong in the gulph below
They fall-before the dawn of day—
To ravening wolves an easy prey.
The well-known path our fathers trod
In holy pilgrimage to God

We would not leave, but still prefer
The olden way, where none can err.
So wisdom wills-but thou, the child
Of folly blind and fancy wild,
To flattery attent, canst ne'er
The lowly voice of wisdom hear;
Why else within the house of prayer
Didst thou, of God forgetful, dare
With bigot zeal and reckless heat,
Of us and our designs to treat?
Must thou, forsooth, with arrant pride,
Our measures plan, our councils guide?
May none our friend or consort be
Till licensed and approved by thee?
Shame on thy mannerless design,
So to pervert the word Divine!
Thy faint and hungry flock to lead
'Mid wild and barren wastes to feed,
When the best pastures under heaven
With tender yearnings should be given !"
She paused again,—but unsubdued,
Erect, the reverend champion stood;
Scorn sat upon his brow-his eye
With fury flashed; adown the sky
As when a fiery meteor glows,
Dire omen of impending woes,
Forth from his vest the Holy Book
With zealot energy he took,
And ever, as he warmer grew
In high debate, he nearer drew,—
Full on the Book (his ire to note)
With clenched fist still louder smote-
Indignant shook his Gorgon head,
And, with a voice might wake the dead,

Thus sternly spake: "They falsely lie
That bid thee on the word rely
Of erring man! Let priestcraft tell
Whether in earth, or sea, or hell,
This power infallible, that guides
Thy idol Church, unseen abides!
It rankles, like a deadly sore,*
Deep in thy faith's putrescent core-
Fell as the loathsome vampire hangs
Upon her frame with stealthy fangs,
Sucks her foul breath, unpitying drains
The welling life-blood from her veins-
Then leaves her where she prostrate lay,
To gloating sloths a filthy prey!

I charge thee, fling th' unhallowed thought,-
With sure and subtle poison fraught
To thy soul's welfare-instant fling
Far from thy breast th' accursed thing-
Set thy poor soul, proud woman, free
From feign'd infallibility!

By wily craft unfettered, learn
Boldly th' invented lie to spurn!
Take for thy safe unerring guidet
The Word Revealed-all else beside,

* It rankles, like a deadly sore.

It was in pursuit of this fleeting phantom, that many (forgetting that "when the judgment's weak the prejudice is strong,") have gone over to the enemy; and from the same cause it is that many yet remain in the camp of Israel whose faces are thitherward! "Clouds they are without water, carried about of winds; trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots; raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, to whom (if they repent not) is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever."-Jude 12, 13.

+ Take for thy safe unerring guide.

So strong is the author's conviction of the wonder-working power of the word of God, that he feels assured that the difficulty of governing Ireland—that great political stumbling-block to many successive Administrations-would be unheard of in the course of twenty years, if a penalty of from two to five pounds were inflicted upon any one convicted of wilfully obstructing its free circulation! If the darkness of ignorance is the root of Ireland's miseries (as it confessedly is), let the light of Truth in, aye! even by the Romanists' own unfaithful translations, rather than not at all, and the result will assuredly be her moral and political regeneration'

Of man's device, in time of need
Will fail thee, like the broken reed
That only flatters to betray

The hand that seeks so frail a stay.
Led by that heavenly guide I found
That open undisputed ground,
Where, from opposing conflict free,
Divine and temp'ral powers agree.
The holy truth full well I ween
Thou know'st, that peasant, prince, or queen
That seeks a resting-place above,

Where all is peace and joy and love,
Must in each word and action shew
A zeal for holiness below.

When noisome error frights the and,
God's people in the gap must stand,
Timely the wandering spiris lay,*
And drive the ghastly fiend away!
In councils of the current hour
We would not idly claim a power
Save that we find to priesthood given,
In sacred things that lead to heaven.
True to the Church-their progeny-
Our Queens should nursing mothers be
But when, possessed with fancies wild,
The parent spurns her smiling child,
And leaves it, heedless of its cry,
A foundling care to passers by,
'Tis time to seek some fostering arm
Kindly to shield it from alarm;

Timely the wandering spirits lay.

It would be well if the Clergy would weigh well and often in what careful terms, in their ordination for the priesthood, they were reminded of the position in which they stand; there would then be no danger either of over or under-rating their sacred office: "And now again we exhort you, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you have in remembrance unto how high a dignity, and to how weighty an office and charge ye are called; that is to say, to be messengers, watchmen, and stewards of the Lord, to preach and premonish, to feed and provide for the Lord's family," &c.-The ordering of Priests.

How different from this is that "Lording it over God's heritage," which is now so prevalent!

;

For all its cares concern to feel,
And rear it for the public weal.
That parent renegade I trow
And foul infanticide, art thou
But mine the guardian arm shall be
The child to rear disowned by thee;
And if upon my buoyant dreams
A kindly spark prophetic beams,
The prowess of its giant hand
Shall nobly spread from land to land,
And wily Satan's idol crew

With truth's bright panoply subdue !
Dare not-I charge thee by the love
Thou ow'st the Mighty Power above-
Dare not His vengeance to defy,
And wantonly thyself ally

To one whose faith adult'rate flings

A filthy stain on holy things.

The time shall come-not distant far-
When none, thy kingdom's peace to mar,
Shall sit upon thy princely throne
Save Princes that our tenets own.*
Bethink thee of a nation's ire-

God's righteous wrath-th' eternal fire-"
"Hold, hold !" the gentle Erskine cried;
"Preacher, abate the swelling tide

*Save Princes that our tenets own.

In the midst of painful rumours of further concessions to Romish priestcraft, it is refreshing to the sincere well-wisher of his country, to call to mind by what a solemn oath the Sovereign is bound for the maintenance of the Protestant faith. It is demanded of the King or Queen at the Coronation: "Will you, to the utmost of your power, maintain the laws of God, the true profession of the Gospel, and the Protestant reformed religion established by law? And will you maintain and preserve inviolably the settlement of the United Church of England and Ireland, and the doctrine, worship, discipline, and government thereof, as by law established, within England and Ireland, and the territories thereunto belonging; and will you preserve unto the bishops and clergy of England and Ireland, and to the United Church committed to their charge, all such rights and privileges as by law do or shall appertain to them, or any of them?" Then the King or Queen, laying his or her hand upon the Gospels, shall say "The things which I have here before promised, I will perform and keep-So help me God."