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

to be the lasting ervor of steady zeal: they rely
upon,their strength, they neglect Precaulioh'
and thew quickly run from one extreme 10 ano-
Their. Mr. White before he became suodes,
con. was a criminal deceived by the activity OF
his own mind, and having occasional remorse'
293. He made an effort 10 prepare Tor orders
and INDUCED hope of preserving some feenng
Of religion through life. But how could ne!
His faith was undermined, his heart lost all re-
lipious sentiment, devotion had some power O.
yer his fancy, D 294. But this is not religion;
this forms no foundation for virtue, this is mere
" delusion He consequently finds the law
Of his state ga foe to his virtue" he breaks
loose more than once, and as often is reclaimed
before his elevation to the priesthood, p. 294.
This needs no explanation; but if it did the next
page furnishes it in abundance.
After describing in p. 294, another OF those
transitory illusions of his fancy in p. 295, des-
cribng his sentiments ion the day OF his ordlna-
ton to the priesthood and the celebration oil his
first mass, he has the following passage:
"I.had still heart it is true-a heart ready
to burst at the sight Of my parents on their
knees, while in pressing the first kiss upon my
newly consecra.ed hands; but it was dead to the
charms of beauty. Among the friendly crowd
that surrounded me for the same purpose acre
those Inns. acich but a fen months before, aOould
haze died to press; yet could but just mark fhs"
superior softness'
believe we need no more proof 20 convince
rs that more improper candidate for orders
was seldom, if ever raised to the priesthood
Just reflect, my friends; you who know what we
expect from our clergy, reflect upon the pros
| - IL ,oH/J
preparations for the priesthood, and whose
mind on the solemn day Ct his ordination could
indulge such thoughts as those here alluded to-.
Can YOU wonder that this man should become
an aposta,e? Did Bishop Kemp read the let
tiers Of Doblado, and compare the two accounts
which his hero gives of himself, before ne IN
suited the Catholic Church by adducing this
profligae man as good specimen OF her cler.
CIV? Is this the witness so emlnently qualihed
to inform the world of the character OF our
Church?
Having been ordained priest, he received no
benefice until nearly year had elapsed, evid.
ply. In D. Is, he informs us that he no1o con-
ceiyed himself bound to devote the whole ofhis
leisure TO the study of religion In his other
letters p. 295, he tells us that Immediately after
his ordina lion,
"To exercise the privileges of my Office for
the benefit of my fellow-creatures, was now my
exclusive aim and purpose. daily celebrated
mass, with due preparation, preached often, and
rejected none that applied to me for confession.
The best ascetic, writers of the Church of Rome,
were constantly in my hands. made study
Of the Fathers; but though had the scriptures
among my books, it was, according to custom,
more for reference than perusai. These tee
| ings, this state of mental abstraction, is by no
means uncommon, for time, among young
priests whose he arts have not been withered by
course of premature proAigacy"
To me it is matter Of perfect Indifference,
which of those two incompatible assertions is
the truth, or whether either is true. Ny own
opinion is that neither accords with the fact, but
will suppose him to have stated the truth in
Dobados letters, as it will be giving him that
position most favorable 10 himself The ques
ton will then be, how long this course OF study
continued.--He tells rs, p 295, 81 shall con-
clude my narrative by faithfully relating the
origin and progress of the total change which
took place in my mind, within little more than q
uear after had received priests orders =" This
accords pretty well with the statement in p. Is,
of s'the evidence" as to time. "My religious
belief had hitherto been undisturbed: but light
clouds of doubt, began now to pass over my mind
which the warmth of devotion soon dissipated
Yet they would gather again and again with an
increased darkness which prayers would scarce
" dspel." 1t is not however SO easy to recon
cile light clouds Of doubt, soon disspated, TO total
change of mind: nor does this last agree with re-
curing darkness which prayer could scarcely
dis2el: nor can reconcile the assertion that his
religious belief had hitherto been undstur6sd, with
his statement, letters p. 1913, that even three or
four years before "vague fears and doubts haunt
ed his conscience for many days" care not
which of those contradictions is the truth. My
object is only to learn Mr.. Whites moral cha
racter as credible witness from himself. He
has now been exhibited up TO the period which
his settled inhdeliiy is about to commence, and
by comparing his account Of himself in his CIV
idence'' against our church, and that given by
him in his Letters of Doblado," we perceive
that nothing can be more natural than to cal
culate upon his inhdelity, unless it should be
prevented by miracle of grace. And nothing
is more palpable than, that much of what he
wrote must, to his own knowledge, be totally
untrue.
He states in both productions that his unbe-
lief was consequence of the principles of our
church; this is not the time to examine that
assertion. we shall have il fully under our exam