and the unpardonable sin, which she feared she had committed. Miss Neville unites in kind respects to you, with, dear Madam,

Your dutiful and affectionate niece,

MIRANDA BARNWELL.

LETTER XXXV.

From Miss Eusebia Neville to Mrs. Worthington.

DEAR MADAM,

THROUGH the kind providence of God, I have it in my power to say that I am yet on the right side of the walls of a convent, notwithstanding the pains which have been taken by my father and Signior Albino to gain my consent to take the veil, or at least to commence my noviciate. With the divine permission, no entreaties shall induce me to do any thing which I know to be contrary to the will of God.

The conversion of my dear brother from popery to Christianity is a great mercy to me as well as to him. I have all the happiness in his conversation that I could wish. It is a support provided for me by my heavenly Father when I most needed it.

We went yesterday to see the Abbey of St. Bertin. It is what some would call a noble structure; but if its value were estimated by its usefulness, a very little money would purchase it. It was about eleven o'clock in the forenoon. We found the monks at matins, or morning prayers, if the repetition of a form of words in concert, with a loud noise, and no apparent devotion, can be so called. After we had staid a little while to see this mock-worship, our guide took us into the vestry, and showed us such quantities of rich vestments as amazed me. They were flowered with gold and silver, in a very curious manner, and with the utmos profusion. We see by this, and by every other kind of magnificence which abounds in their churches, how of fensive the cross of Christ, and his poverty, are to the natural man. We were next shown the sacristy. A large pair of folding doors being opened, we beheld a quantity of useless wealth, which it would require a volume to describe.

In general, it consisted of a collection of relics, in cases of gold ornamented with jewels, together with a great number of vessels of the same metal. The gigantic silver candlesticks, among so much other wealth, appeared but like common things. I was sorry to see my dear father and Signior Albino take so much notice of these vanities, which, as well as every thing else that these spiritual merchants have gained by trafficking in the souls of men, are doomed by the righteous judgment of God to come to nought. When my poor sister intended greatly to offend me, she used to tell me of the barns in which the heretics held their religious assemblies. But I perceive no impropriety in worshipping him in a barn, who made his public entry into his dominions in a stable. I do not like these poor, these pitiful things. Upon what baubles do we set our affections before we are possessed of the true riches!

After dinner, my father asked me how I liked the Abbey of St. Bertin. Not at all, Sir, replied I; such great wealth and splendour ill become the followers of him who had not where to lay his head.

You seem determined, young lady, said father Albino, to find fault with every thing belonging to our holy religion: otherwise you might discern, that these noble structures, costly jewels, and splendid vestments, were intended by the donors to do honour to him who is Lord of lords and King of kings.

Whatever might be the motives, Sir, answered I, of those who gave away their wealth for such vain and ostentatious purposes, since they did not do it in obedience to the command of Christ, they will not receive a reward.

Why, child, cried my father, the tabernacle of Moses, and the temple of Solomon, which were appropriated to divine worship, were as expensive and magnificent as they possibly could be made. By analogy, therefore, Christian temples ought to be as sumptuous as the circumstances of the worshippers will permit.

The tabernacle and the temple, Sir, replied I, together with the whole Jewish economy, were shadows of good things to come. Those places were honoured with the sensible presence of Jehovah; and were intended to prefigure the tabernacling of the Son of God here below, in the sinless body and soul which were prepared for his reception, But the best temple now is the body and soul of a Christian, which God sanctifies to be the place of his

residence. Wherever a few believers are assembled in the name of Christ, he is present among them; and the place they meet in, whether a barn or a stable, an upper or a lower room, is better ornamented in God's esteem than the abbey we have now been surveying.

The juandiced eye, cried father Albino, sees every thing yellow; and with a similar disease is that mind affected, which is prejudiced against the good ways of God by having drank of the foul and muddy streams of heresy. How could it be possible otherwise for you to prefer a barn or a stable, for the worship of God, to a solemn and stately temple? Pray, Mr. Wm. Neville, did you ever hear or read of any person that was so obstinately bent upon his own destruction as this poor deluded girl?

Father, replied he, I beg you will excuse me. I must again declare that I am determined to take no part in this controversy, because I feel myself unequal to the task you would impose upon me. If you and my honoured parent cannot silence the objections of my dear sister, how can I expect to succeed?

My father commended my brother for his wisdom and prudence; and observed, that young people, when they met with an heretical argument which they could not answer, were apt to conclude, though not very modestly, that it was unanswerable. With regard to you, my child, it had been happy for you and me too if you had never been born.

Ah my dear friend, said father Albino, this young lady is a fearful monument of the just displeasure of God, manifested against those who give ear to lying vanities, or who in any measure depart from the faith once delivered to the saints. The common observation, that the best things corrupted are the worst, was never more verified than in her. An excellent understanding and a good education are perverted to the dreadful purpose of palliating heresy. And the best natural temper (with sorrow I speak it) is turned into the gall of asps; for whenever she speaks of the holy religion wherein she was educated, the most malicious heretic could never say more disrespectful things. The very temples wherein we worship the God of our fathers, though the glory of the world, are no better, if you will believe her, than the paltry conventicles of mushroom sectaries, many of whom disappear before they have been honoured with a name. The faith of the holy

Roman church was spoken of with admiration throughout the world, in the time of the apostles; and like its temples, it continues firm and unmoved to the present hour; nor shall the gates of hell prevail against it.

It is my earnest wish, Eusebia, said my father, and I implore you not to refuse my request, that you will take the veil. When you are in the company of the holy sisters, I have no doubt but their gentle manners, and pious conversation, will bring you to a juster way of thinking. You will then bless me and my venerable friend for the care we have taken of your everlasting interest.

O my dear father, cried I, (falling upon my knees,) I beseech you not to ask your poor child the only thing she cannot grant. My friends may come to me; but I cannot go to them.

Indeed, young lady, said father Albino, if I were your parent, I would soon convince you that it is not so impossible as you suppose it to be. I know you rely upon his promise not to force your inclination; but I hope he will consider, that a rash promise, or even vow, is better broke than kept.

Ah, father, replied I, how oft have I heard you accuse the protestants of injustice, in supposing that catholics think a breach of faith with heretics no sin.

And I still accuse them, interrupted he angrily; but this is a different case. The promise of my friend that he would not compel you to renounce your errors, was virtually a promise to become an accomplice in your guilt. Moreover, if we are commanded to compel persons to come in, that Christ's house may be filled, ought we not to compel those to come back who have strayed from the good ways of God? If your father had promised to marder you, it would not be his duty to keep his promise; but he would act infinitely worse, if he were to keep his promise of letting you go to hell without interruption.

Indeed, Eusebia, said my father, you must renounce your errors, or submit to take the veil. I did not act rightly when I promised to be the cause of your ruin. I have had a long conversation with my friend upon this subject, and am convinced that no engagements to break the laws of Christ can be binding. I must do myself the justice, however, to declare, that, when I promised not to force your inclination, I intended to keep my word. But as the apostles could do nothing against the truth, but for

the truth; so no good catholic can bind himself, either to do any harm to the faith and church of Christ, or to omit doing them all the service in his power.

I was so terrified when I heard this reasoning, that it was with difficulty I kept from swooning. My dear brother, perceiving my disorder, put his arm round my neck, and besought my father not to carry matters to such an extremity, or at least to allow me time for consideration.

Alas, my son, cried Signior Albino, you cannot conceive the indulgence she has already had. Yet I dare say her father will have no objection to grant her any reasonable time to retract her errors, provided she will promise to employ that time in endeavouring to reconcile herself to the church, which like a tender parent, is willing to receive returning prodigals. To this my father assented, desiring me also to consider, that they had nothing in view, nor could have, but the glory of God, and the good of my precious soul.

How sad a thing it is to have a conscience misinformed. This was the case of those who murdered the Lord of glory; and it was once the opinion of Paul, that he ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth. A Christian makes the Scriptures the entire rule of his faith and practice. The Jews could not have crucified the Messiah, unless they had first made the word of God of no effect through their traditions: and to this source must be imputed all the bloodshed and murders which have been perpetrated in the name of the meek and lowly Jesus.

I have this day conversed with my father, and pleaded his promise, but without effect. His conscience is under the direction of the priest, who tells him that no promise can be binding which is made to the prejudice of religion. And indeed I remember that when a protestant gentleman was once telling father Albino, that the council of Constance had decreed that no faith was to be kept with heretics, he replied, that the council was misrepresented; for that, on account of a safe conduct being granted by the emperor to that archheretic Huss, it had decreed, not that no faith was to be kept with heretics, but that no safe conduct ought to be of any prejudice to the catholic religion. This excuse I remember was not satisfactory to me; since it was then my opinion, as much as it is now, that no consideration whatsoever should make us deviate from truth and justice.

I am very sorry that my father has been persuaded to break his promise, for his own sake; for, as to myself, I