PART I.

ON THE RULE OF FAITH ; OR, THE METHOD OF FINDING OUT

THE TRUE RELIGION.

PART II.

ON THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE TRUE CHURCH.

PART III.

ON RECTIFYING MISTAKES CONCERNING THE CATHOLIO

CHURCH.

BY THE RT. REV. JOHN MILNER,

* Let those treat you harshly, who are not acquainted with the difficulty of attaini:g to truth and avoiding error. Let those treat you harshly, who know not how hard it is to get rid of old prejudices. Let those treat you harshly, who have not learned how very hard it is to purify the interior eye ord render it capable of contemplating the sun of the soul, truth.

But as to us: we are far from this disposition towards persons who are separated from us, not by errors of their own invention, but by being entangled in thuse of others. We are so far from this disposition that we pray to God, that, in refuting the false opinions of those, whom you follow, not from malice, but imprudence, he would bestow upon us that spirit of peace, which feels no other sentiment than charity, no other interest than that of Jesus Christ, no other wish but for your salvation.” St. Austin, Doctor of the Church, A. D. 400, contra Ep. Fund. c. i. c. ii.

“ There are many other things which keep me in the bosom of the Catholic Church. The agreement of different people and nations keeps me there. The authority established by Miracies, nourished by hope, increased by charity, and confirmed by antiquity, keeps me there. The succession of bishops in the See of St. Peter, the apostles, (to whom our Lord, after his resurrection, committed his sheep, to be fed) down to the present bishop, keeps me there. Finally, the very name of CATHOLIC, which, among 89 many heresies, this church alone possesses, keeps me there.” St. Augustin, Doctor of the Church, A. D. 400, contra Epis. Fundam. c. 4.

• It is a shame to charge men with what they are not guilty of, in order to make the breach wider, already too wide.” Dr. Montague, bishop aj Norwich. Invoc. of Saints, p. 60.

“ Let them not lead people by the nuse to believe they can prove their supposition, that the Pope is Antichrist, and the Papists idolaters, when they cannot.” Dr. Herbert Thorndike, prebendary of Westminister Just Weights and Measures, p. 11.

“ The object of their (the Catholics) adoration of the B. Sacrament is the only true and eternal God, nypostatically joined with his holy humanity, which humanity they believe actually present under the veil of the sacrmental signs : and if they thought him not present, they are so far from worshipping the broad in this case, that themselves profese it to be idolatry to do so. Dr. Jer, my Taylor, bishno of Down. Liberty of prophesying, har a

COPYRIGHT,

D. & J. SADLIER & CO.,

1887.

Keexans 4

LETTER I.

Introduction.

Pano

Mr Brown's Apology to Dr. M. Account of the Friendly Society of

New Cottage

ESSAY I.

On the Existence of God and Natural Religion, by the Rev. Samuel

Carey, LL.D.

39

ESSAY II.

On the truth of the Christian Religion, by Do.

35

LETTER II.

To James Brown, Esq.

Dr. M—'s Conditions for entering on the Correspondence. Freedom

of Speech. Sincerity and Çandour. A Conclusive Method

LETTER III.

From James Brown, Esq.

Agreement to the Conditions on the part of the Society

LETTER IV.

To James Brown, Esq.

Dispositions for success in Religious Inquiries. Renunciation of pre-

judices, passions, and vicious inclinations. Fervent prayer

ib.

LETTER V

To James Brown, Esq.

Rule or Method of finding out the True Religion. Christ has left a

Rule. This Rule must be sure and unerring. It must be adapted

to the capacity and situations of the bulk of mankind

40

LETTER VI.

To James Brown, Esq.

First fallacious Rule; Private Inspiration. This has led numberless

Christians into errors, impiety and vice, in ancient and in modern

times. Account of Modern Fanatics, Anabaptists, Quakers, Mon-

vians, Swedenborgians, Methodists, &c.

LETTEP. VII.

To James Brown, Esq.

Objections of certain Members of the Society answered

.