ge. Faith is their panacea for all
human ills: but their faith is worse than useless if it be not true
faith. And how can we so test conflicting faiths as to distinguish the
true from the false? Aye, there's the rub! Undoubtedly faith is to
religion what the root is to the tree; and men in search of 'saving
faith' are naturally anxious to find it. No one desires to be eternally
punished; and therefore, if any one embrace a false faith it is because
he makes the mistake of supposing it the true one. The three sets of
Christians just adverted to, may all be equally sincere, but cannot all
have the true faith. Protestant principles as taught by the Dublin
Operative Association, may be true. Anglo-Catholic principles, as taught
by the Oxford Tractmen, may be true. Roman Catholic principles, as
taught by the Count de Montalambert, may be true; but they cannot all be
true. It is impossible to reconcile that orthodox Papists' 'main point',
_i.e._ the infallability of the (Romish) Church, or rather of the Pope,
with the 'main point' of orthodox protestants, who denounce 'the great
harlot of Babylon,' that 'scarlet lady who sitteth upon the seven hills,
in the most unmeasured and virulent terms. Anti-Christ is the name they
'blasphemously' apply to the actual 'old chimera of a Pope.' Puseyite
Divines treat his Holiness with more tenderness; but even they boggle at
his infallibility, and seem to occupy a position between the rival
churches of Rome and England analogous to that of Captain Macheath when
singing between two favourite doxies--

How happy could I be with either,
Were t'other dear charmer away;
But while you thus teaze me together,
The devil a word can I say.

The Infallibility of Popes is the doctrine insisted upon by Count De
Montalambert as essential--as doctrine, the smallest deviation from
which is damnable heresy. Believe and admit 'Antichrist' is not
Antichrist, but God's accredited vicegerent upon earth, infinite is the
mercy in store for you; but woe to those who either cannot or will not
believe and admit anything of the kind. On them every sincere Roman
Catholic is sure God will pour out the vials of his wrath, as if the
'Great Perhaps,'

Who sees with equal eye, as God of all,
A hero perish, or a sparrow fall,

could be angry with creatures of his own creation for thinking what they
cannot help thinking, and being what they cannot help bei