HOME AND HER CHURCH. 145 



There is another and most important fact connected with this all-en- 

 grossing subject, which does not seem to have made any great impres- 

 sion on the " minds" of thinking and literate people. It is this. Tlie 

 distinction always to be made between an educated and uneducated 

 Catholic. We aver, from our own personal knowledge ; long, and we 

 may fearlessly add, tried experience — that an educated Catholic is inva- 

 riably found a good, if not exemplary practical Christian and humanist; it is 

 only the ignorant poor, and uneducated Catholic, therefore, on whom the 

 priest — if he be other than good, pious, benevolent, and charitable, can 

 by possibility " work wonders." The educated are not wont to suc- 

 cumb to his pastoral humours ; they are — beyond the latent tyranny of 

 the " cowl." There is, manifestly, all this difference and distinction 

 between the uneducated and lettered Protestant : notwithstanding the 

 dogmas your Exeter Hall publicans and sinners may bellow forth to the 

 contrary. 



To those who have seen " the hand-writing on the wall," in England, 

 we need not say they have nothing to fear ; — rather let them look to 

 the " education" of the people. The religion of the uncorrupted human 

 heart is very wide apart from all the pretended religions of the earth, 

 especially that denominated Catholic. Ignorance and guilt are ever 

 found alike equally eager to seize that which may — by the roguery and 

 wretched pandering of the magistrates (magister docet) — or, more plainly, 

 the self-degraded and hypocritical priests — be rendered serviceable to 

 their personal safety, and thus secure their longer continuance in this 

 mortality. But for a good man to contemplate upon these things, and 

 not feel vitally disgusted, it were impossible. 



" Siistain'd in conscious virtue, and atliirst 



With longings of celestial ecstasies, 



And ' franchises' of disembodied bliss. 



These men do no indignity to me — 



They hold me not — my last undying part 



Soon shall walk the empyreal realms of space, 



With sages and philosophers of old — 



Majestic Homer, and the bards of Greece, 



The eagle-pinioned spirits of past days ; 



With Plato, who held converse with the skies — 



And Socrates, lufio show'd us how to die. 



Worthies, the master spirits of their age. 



With minds of giant mould, whose nerve of soul 



Coidd look in the face of thunderbolts of heaven — 



Beautified companions of my joys — 



And see, with them, the Fust Great Cause of all." 



Slmpbr Fioelis. 



M.M.— 2. 



