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THE CATHOLIC HERALD,
18 PUBLISHED EVERY THURSDAY BY
M. FITHIAN, .
No. 61 North Second Street, Philadelphia.
Terms.—Three Dollars per annum, payable half yearly
tn advance. Five Dollars will be received for 2 copies, or L
copy for two years. All arrearages must be settled prior to
ordering a paper to be discontinued. All Communications,
except from Agents, or Subscribers enclosing remittances,
must be post paid, and addressed ‘'I'o the Editor of the
Catholic Herald, Philadelphia, Pa.” .
Doctryp.
For the Catholic Uerald.
VESPER-BELLS,
The vesper-bells! no sound like those
That sweetly comes at daylight close,
Aud echoing from each hill and tree,
Breathes forth the tones of melody,
The evening Vesper-Belle.
I've heard them in my native clime,
At the rich hour of evening time,
As sounding far in rilland lake,
Their cadence would the stillness break,
sh’ evening Vesper Bella.
And then uprose the thankful song
Fr m hearts that join’d the prayerful throng,
Whilst lofty dome and scutptur'd isle,
Gave cack in sweeter strains the white
‘The evening Vesper-Bells.
The dying sunset's richest beam,
Fell on the scene like fairy’s dream,
And on the ear the music fell,
Such notes au Angel choir might swell
The evening Vesper-Bells.
Then sprang the organ’s voice to birth,
Wiih sounds unlike to those of carth,
And ming! with the holy train
Are heard in mimic tunes again
‘The evening Vesper-Beile.
From sister land and priestly tnrong
Went up to heaven the sinless song,
Whilst in the distance faint'y heard
As song of evening vestal bird,;
Comes evening’s Vesper. Bells.
Sweet bells, to me ye speak of times
As mirthful as those happy chimes,
And tell of scenes of stainless joy
‘Phat time's rude hand can ne'erdestray,
‘The evening Vesper-Bella
Ye sound, as will that voice at Inst
When all ou cares are gone and past,
‘That tells of hope to sinners given,
And poiuts to us a purer Heaven,
‘The evenmg Vesper-Bells.
* Palladelphia, 1841. J LAUDE.
. For the Catholic Herald.
THE LOST PASSENGERS IN THE WM. BROWNE.
The writer of the following lines was in the Church of St.
Augustin, on last Sunday, when a writlen request was read
from the pulpit, for the prayers of the congregation, in be-
halfof some of the passengers of the Win. Browne, (See Sup-
plement). On her return home, she penned the following
lines.
May they rest in peace—they have found a grave
Beneath the roll of the briny wave—
While naught but the sound of the rushing surge
Swept o'er their heuds for a funeral dirge—
Vain were their struggles, and cries to save,
As they felt the touch of the cold, cold wave,
And sought with a frantic fruitless grasp,
The floaung masses of ice to clasp.
Alas! for the day when their parting smile
‘Was shed v'er their homes in the emerald isle,—
When they bid farewell to ils smiling skies
With hopeful hearts thu’ with streaming eyeo—
cr awla.
When their faied bark, o’er the dark blue sea
Spread its snowy suls, for the ‘ laudof the free ;"
On that island-lome they had gazed their last,
As their parting 100k on its shures were Cust ©
Ab! whoshall return, the sad tale to tell, —
To those who yet in the homestead dwell #
‘They entered the portals of death alone,
No cheering hgbis on their spiris shone.—
‘There was none who with ghostly counsel near
‘The peniteots grief for their sins could hear
And strengthen their souls for the conflivt’s might
With earnest prayers, and each solemn rite.
May they rest in peace—now each pang is o'er—
Where terror shall come o'er the soul no more ;
Where every surrow,and sin shall cease,
May they restin peace—may they rest in peace.
Philadelphia, June 7. SLL
LEI TER FROM A MEMBER OF ‘THE UNI-
VERSITY OF OXFORD.
The Univers of ‘Tuesday publishes a remarkable
letter on uns ‘subject, signed ** A young member of
the University of Oxford... It is too long to give en-
tire, but we will translate some of the most interesting
portions of it. The writer’s name is not given, but the
nivers vouchsafes for the genuineness of the docu-
ment, which was’ written originally in French. The
letter is dated ** Oxford, Passion Sunday, 1841,” and
begins as follows :—
“The charity which you have always shown to-
wards the Anghean chureh makes me think that you
will not refuse to find room in your Catholic journal |
for the-Jetter of one of the’ children of that>afilicted
eburch which has drunk to the dregs the bitter cup
which is now. the lot of all the churches of Christ.
‘The eyes of all Christendom are at this moment turned
to England, so long separated from. the rest of Catho-
lic Europe; every where a presentiment has gone abroad
that the hour of her. re-union is at hand, and that this
islund, of old so fruitful in saints, is once more about
to pot forth new fruits worthy of the martyrs who have
watered it with their bieod. And, truly, this preseu-
timent is not ungrounded, as I shail prove to you by a
detail of what is now passing in the University of Ox-
ford. ‘This detail is the asere insportant, inasmuch as |
this University is «indeed the heart of the Anglican |
chureh, the beatings of which make (he remotest mem-
bets of this great body quiver. ‘Nhe only end [ propose
to nyself is to give youa ju-tidea of the present posi-
tion of the Angliean chureh, so that the French Catho-
lies may share the emotions of our souls.” :
The writer here gees onto givé an account of Mr.
Newiman’s tract No. 90, the opinions of which * are
not the opinions of an isolated theologian,’
* T-can assure you that when an epposition was
raised, on the part of the oldest members of the Uni-
versity (as was naiurally to be expected, seeing that
they have been brought up. under the system of the
18th century), this very opposition enabled me to ob
serve tual even the inost. moderate of the Catholic
party in Oxford: were ready to support the author of
the tract. You see, then, sir, that humility, the first
condition of every sound reform, is not wanting in us.
We are little satisfied with our position. We groan at
the sins committed by our ancestors in separating from
the Catholie world. We experience a burning desire
tobe reunited to our, brethren, We love 'with un-
feigned affection the Apostolic See, which we acknow-
ledge to be the head of Christendom, aud the more
because the Charch of Rome is our mother, which sent
from her bosom the blessed St, Angustin to bring us
her immoveable faith. We'admit, also, that it is. not
our formularies, nor even the Council of Trent, which
prevent our union, Alter all these concessions, you
may ask me, why, then, do you not rejoin us?”
This question he proceeds to answer by expounding
Mr. Newman’s opinion as to the “traditional system”
ofthe chureh, going beyond the decrees of the Coun-
cil, &e., of which we have heard so much.
“Inthe second place, we have a sacred duty to dis-
charge towards the members of our ebureh, Wo-ean-
. : Whole Number 439
is in the same position as the heretics who boast in the
names of Luther and Calvin. Ofa truth, sir, is nottbe
episcopal order still worth something ? .A sacrilegious
king may, indeed, have stolen from the altars of Can-
lerbury the sacred bones of St. Thomas, but, think fou,
he had the power to drive away the great soul who,
from his throne in the skies, ever watches over the see
which he has illustrated by his life, and consecrated by
his blood? God forbid thatthe august line of Lanfrane
aud of Anselm should ever cease. Hf we have not
preserved it, it isno more; for, of a truth, you will not
say that its succession has been kept up by you. There
is no Archbishop in partibus of Canterbury or of York.
as there is of Cambysupolis or, of Siga.
* . * *
“The Papacy, according to us, is rather the acei-
dental than the essential form of the church ; it reserm-
bles rather the vital heat than the life of the church.
‘The absence of heat isa mark of sickness. Without
it, the limbs, powerless, are dragged sorrowfully about,
and the functions of life languish ; but life may sull be
there. ‘Thus union with the Pupe is a necessary re-
sult of the perfect health of the chureh, ‘The retrench-
ing of this union is a proof that all does not. go: well.
It is a symptom of the presence of a malady ‘which
gnaws the entails of the church. Her priesthood is
perhaps deprived of some of its functions, or, as, alas !
is too certainly the case with us, the episcopacy is
subjected to the powers of this world. But the life—
that is to say, the essence—of the charch is not yetex-
tinct. We have, then, sull a duty to perform towards
our brethren, .
“There ure at this momentin the Anglican church
a crowd of persons who balance between Protestantism
and Catholicism, and who, nevertheless, would rejeet
with horror the very idea of a union with Rome, . ‘The
Protestant. prejudices, whieh, for three hundred years,
have infected our church, are unhappily too: deeply
rooted there to be extirpated without a greatdeal of ad-
dress, We must, then, offer in sacrifice to God tis
ardent desire which devours us of seeing once more the
perfect unity of the church of Christ. We must still
bear the terrible void which the isolation of our church
creates in vor hearts, and remain still till it pleases
God to convert the hearts of our Anglican confrercs,
especially of our holy fathers, the bishops. = We are
destined, L am persuaded, to. bring back many wander-
ing sheep to the knowledge of the truth. © In fact, the
progress of Cathoiie opinions in England, for the last
seven years, is so inconceivable, that no hope should
appear extravagant. Let us, then, remain quiet for
some years, till, by God's blessing, the ears of English-
men are become accustomed to hear the name of Rome
pronounced with reverence, At the end of this term
you will soon see the fruits of our patience.
*: But, moreover, I venture to say, that we have be-
sides a sacred duty to fulfil towards Rome. Far. froin
us be that vulgar Protestantisin which dares to open its
profane moath and utter iis calumnies against the See
of St. Peter. Yes. if L could once be convinced that the
Spirit of God had quited ‘the Church of Rome, I
should think at the same time that Chris’ inily was
about to be extinguished all over the world.”
The writer then rebukes the English Catholics fur
their ** spiritof worldly policy 5” for their support of
the present government, * which tolerates all religions
equally, because it hates all equally ;" for their politi-
cal union with miscreants, schismatics, and seditious;”
and not very candidly accuses them of trying to win
over members of the establishment * by cheats and
equivocal representations.” He regrets to finda Freach
writer, “ whose name must be pronounced with re-
spect by every Catholic,” drawing a comparison be-
uveen Mr. O'Connell and St. ‘Thomas 3 and the author
of the Life of St. Elizabeth uttering an eulogiuin on
the great Agitator,
* Permit ine to offer you, in conclasion, one or 1wo
remarks. Permit me to point outa sure means of re-
uniting England to the Church of Rome; a means
which [ dare to call irresistible. Let the Roman Ca-
tholies in England labour to reform’ themselves 3 Jet
them break the bands: of worldly policy which unite
them to our schismaties ; let them cease to favour sedi-
tion and trearon, ‘These are notthe arms of the church.
not yet bring ourselyes to believe that our dear England
No; She has vanquished the world by her sufferings,
‘