Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1826-10-12

which he approached to suodeaconshlp; div"
me 10 exhibit to you his mode OF preparing LOT
priesthood.
p. D. 2o3 and 294-
aOften did recoil at the approach OF the
moment when was TO bind myself Tor ever 70
the clerical profession, and as often my near.
failed me at the sight of mother In tears |,
was not worldly interests-lt was the e'erha,
welfare of my,soul which she believed to depend
upon my following the call OF heavens Una.
made the best of mothers snare to her dearest
child. The persuasions OF my coniessor, ana,
above all. the happiness which experienced
in restoring cheerfulness TO my family, deluded
me into the hope Of preserving the same ieellng
through life. A very short time, however, was
suf4;c;ent TO open my eyes. The inexorable law
,ba, bonnd me was the birterest foe to my VIZ
the Yet devotion had not lost her power over
mn fancy and I broke loose more than once
from her ,bradom. and was as often reclaimed,
before the awful period whlch was 70 raise INC
to the priesthood.
In n. 2es. he tells us that his confessor twas
a sound Catholic and a deyout man." though
in the preceding page he exhibits him TO us,
holding principles completely subverslve offalth
s. devotion, s as having induced himself TO read
work, which as the mind is prepared Tor lis
reading. is one of the best or one OF the worst
books which theologian could study. But
MIR. White was by no means sufficiently well
informed to read it with advantage, and the con-
SEQUENCES are plainly exhibited BY him in p.
2es, "Vague fears and doubts haunted my con-
science for many days." and again, "His abili-
ties and affection to me had obtained most
perfect command over my mind, and 1t was not
long before I could match him in mental bold.
ness, on points unconnected with articles OF
faith" Thus before he received subdeacoa-
ship the groundwork of in6delity was laid; and
he had neglected powerful remedy, his atten-
ton to dull divinity. This "sound Catholic and
devout man" in pages 800, 29l, 293. and 294
is, evidently, covert inhdel, who gradually
sapped the faith Of club of unfortunate young
men. of whom White was one; this is the con-
'fessor who permitted this young man TO enter
into a state for which by his contriyance he was
thoroughly disqualified. ! cannot avoid max
ing one extract, 10 shew their systematic pro-
press. II may be useful, if for no other Pur-
pose than to shew if this letter should fall into
the hands of young men who study religion, the
great cause of inhdelity, viz. the substitution OF
speculative theory, for evident fact.
sit was the fayorite amusement of myself
and those constant associates OF my youth that
formed the knot of friends, of whom the often
mentioned major collegian was the centre and
guide, to examine all our feelings, in order 10
resolve them into some general law, and trace
them 70 their simple elements his habit OF
ANALYSIS and generalization extended ltself 70
the customs and habits of the country, and the
daily incidents Of life, Till in the course OF time
it produced in ne the deceitful, though not I'M
common notion, that all knowledge is the re-
suit of developed principles, and gave me a
distate for every book that was not cast Into a
regular theory"
"While was thus amused and deceived by
the activity of my mind, without endeavorng
10 give it the weight and steadiness which de-
pends upon the knowledge Of facts, Cathoi-
cism with its ten thousand rules and practices,
was mechanically keeping up the ill-contrlved
structure of devotion, which ii had raised more
in my fancy than my heart. 1t had now to con-
tend, however, with an enemy whom nothing
but fixed hope can keep within bosnds-but re-
igion had left me no hope. Instead of engag-
ing love on her side, she had forced him into
an inseparable league of immorality."
Now with the materials before US; shall
give What conceive the author of both sets OF
letters to have been, at the period OF his ordi-
nation | believe him to have been originally
we'll disposed youth, who, if he had fallen IN
to proper hands might have been all intelligent,
well-informed, and pious clergyman though
more brilliant than learned; or useful men,
Der of society in some other station But at
an early period he INDUCED his vanity and was
insincere in his declarations, OF this insincerIty
he repented, and his vanity would have been
cured by Gods grace and his own experience.
Unfortunately however for him, he entered TOO
early upon his more severe studies, than which
perhaps greater literary misfortune cannot
occur; whilst his fancy might have been cult
waited ii was restrained: he became disguised
with the dry and abstruse treatises which were
prematurely made his task. 4 covert inhdel
Of ability, and taste, and ingenuity, who had
disguised himself in cassock, won his afftc-
tons, INDUCED his taste, cultivated his fancy,
misled his Judgment, made him deceive and
disobey his spiritual director, weaned him from
his classes, seduced him 10 scepticism and
usurped the place Of his confessor. He now
was bereft of the religion of the heart and adj
hered TO external obseryances which became
tresome and disgusting, save when they anus
ed the fancy. The young man himself cid not
suspect that his faith was undermined. AT
the age when he was most susceptible OF love
he desires to abandon a state tor which he is