It may be well to mention here two or three cases and examples just to show what faith is, lest it should by disuse have altogether lost its meaning. It would have been faith in the Jews, for all the male population to have gone up three times a year to Jerusalem; not fearing that their affairs must necessarily go wrong while they are away, or that their enemies might invade them, according to the promise given them in Exodus, xxxiv. 24. It would have been faith in them, not to have sown on the seventh year; believing that the six years would then produce an abundance for them. It was faith, not to gather of the manna more than the food of one day, though they had no other store or reserve, or resource against hunger; and to gather double on the day before the Sabbath, not fearing that, as on other days, it would stink and become corrupt. It was faith in a poor woman to give away her last sixpence, saying that she knew that God would return it her; and the next day somebody gave her a shilling. It would be faith in a man, when he found that his affairs had prospered, and that his returns were large beyond his expectation, to consecrate a considerable portion of it in charity, saying that God will provide, and feeling that in so doing he was making more than by investing the whole of it. It is faith to believe that our successful efforts, that our clever thoughts, and answers, and inventions, and writings, and acts of memory, are from God; and that we shall prosper more in them for depending upon his assistance; and pray accordingly for it on the commencement of every undertaking or act, however small, and upon every occasion.* It would be faith in a nation to forbid all trading and labour on Sundays and other holy days, except where necessity and mercy require them; to discourage luxury and extravagance, and immoral and demoralizing trades and practices, however seemingly prejudicial to trade and commercial undertakings; believing that it would result in the real increase and advance of prosperity in the nation. The prevailing want of faith in religious truth and precepts results in and concurs with a general sceptical disposition in all other matters and evidences. We mistrust one another. We set aside whole authors as false and worthless, on occasion of some one or two subjects of doubt- as Herodotus, Bruce, Du Halde, Baronius, and most writers of a different sect or party or school of philosophy from ourselves. The result of such practice is ignorance and credulity in the greatest measure, independent of the error and bigotry and impenetrable conceit, which are the more obvious and acknowledged fruits of such a system. Not to enter again upon the denial of the Scriptures, and the number of passages and relations which must needs be subjected to forced interpretation, in order to suit them to our present belief, and the experience of the existing generation as, the sons of God, giants, God walking upon the earth, witchcraft, demoniacs- disbelief of matters of history and fact, and consequent ignorance, has been the characteristic of the last century; and the credulity of the same period has of necessity run parallel with its ignorance, for the following reasons: The rejection of the entire writings of an author, upon the ground of certain erroneous parts of them, proceeds upon the supposition that a man's works are uniform; and that faulty statements or reasoning, in some parts and passages, are conclusive against all the rest as a fit study or authority. This is founded upon an entire mistake and ignorance of human nature, the first quality of which is imperfection, and want of consistency and uniformity. But the • Prov. XVI. 1. belief that a whole author is to be rejected on account of certain imperfections and blemishes, is necessarily accompanied with the idea that there are some authors which may be perfect; and the consequence is, that those books and writings which are approved and admitted to favour, are embraced with an entire confidence and ardour of belief, and as free from all suspicion and imperfection. Such works and authorities are received with a respect and confidence quite beyond their merit, and with a credulity approaching to worship. Even sceptics cannot but believe some things to be true; or at least they must follow something, and trust to it as if they believed in it. Therefore, rebels against authority and power, and political apostates, follow their party leaders and demagogues blindly, and with an abject servility. In snatching at entire liberty they fall into perfect slavery. Those who mistrust and rebel against the authority of the Church, place their implicit reliance upon some master of their own choosing, and submit themselves under the power of so many unauthorized popes. Those who assert an entire liberty of private opinion, and conscience, and reason, to the deposing of Scripture truth and the authority of revelation, worship all of them some of their fellow contemporary mortals, and those often the very worst of men. So sceptics are the most afraid of any in the dark, and the most credulous and suspicious of influences which they cannot understand or interpret. THE EFFECTS OF THE REFORMATION ON LITERATURE. [FROM BLACKWOOD'S MAGAZINE.] THE pontificate of Leo the Tenth commenced in 1513. His patronage of literature is too well known to be long dwelt on; yet, during his life, literature was fated to receive the severest check which it had yet experienced. This was occasioned by the Reformation, whose dawn, while it shed light (!!!) upon the regions of theology, looked frowningly on those of profane learning. In fact, the all-important controversy then at issue so thoroughly engrossed the minds of men as to divert them, for a while, from other studies. The quick eye of Erasmus perceived this, and casting down the weapons of theological strife, which he had grasped in the enthusiasm of the first onset, he left the field, exclaiming in a tone of heartfelt anguish -"Ubicunque regnat Lutheranismus, ibi literarum est interitus! Evangelicos istos, cum, multis aliis, tum hoc nomine, præcipue odi, quod per eos, ubique languent, fugiunt, jacent, intereunt, bonæ literæ, sine quibus, quid est hominum vita!". [Epist. м V I. DCCCCXLVI., A. D. 1528.]—which, for the benefit of the English reader, we translate: "Wherever Lutheranism prevails, there literature perishes. Although I hate these evangelicals on many accounts, on this especially, because that through them polite literature without which, what is life!-languishes, and is lost; lies prostrate, and perishes." "Men," says Hallam, "who interpreted the Scripture by the spirit, could not think human learning of much value in religion; and they were as little likely to perceive any other advantage it could possess. There seemed indeed a considerable peril, that through the authority of Carlostadt, or even of Luther, the lessons of Crocus and Moselanus would be totally forgotten. And this would very probably have been the case, if one man (Melancthon) had not perceived the necessity of preserving human learning as a bulwark to theology itself against the wild waves of enthusiasm. It was owing to him that both the study of the Greek and Latin languages, and that of the Aristotelian philosophy, were maintained in Germany."-p. 465. AVE MARIS STELLA!-(HAIL, STAR OF THE SEA!) [FROM THE PORTUGUESE.] Star of the wide and pathless sea! Star of the vast and howling main! Star of the dark and stormy sea! When wrecking tempests round us rave, Bright rising o'er the hoary wave. The surging sea recedes, to pave Star of the desert waters wild! Who, pitying, hear'st the seaman's cry, On that chaste bosom loves to lie - Their hymns of tender mercy sing, The Mother of the Heavenly King: AVE MARIS STELLA! Star of the Deep! at that blest name That made the deep's foundations reel- So soothing through the realms of woe, AVE MARIS STELLA! Mother of God! one living ray Of hope our grateful bosom fires, To join the bright immortal choirs: AVE MARIS STELLA! CHARITABLE INSTITUTIONS OF ITALY. [FROM THE DUBLIN REVIEW.] Ir is now several years since, under a title similar to the present, we attempted a brief notice of the munificent public charities of Rome. In order to compress within the compass of an ordinary article a subject so varied and comprehensive, it was necessary to overlook many important and interesting particulars, and to treat the rest with a degree of brevity which almost reduced our notice to the form of a catalogue. Indeed, those who have had the happiness of visiting these admirable institutions, and witnesssing the practical working of the active benevolence that characterizes their system, will feel the impossibility of doing justice to the subject within such brief limits; and even Mgr. Morichini, whose delightful work we attempted, in our former notice, to methodize and condense, has found it necessary to add another volume to the new edition which he has just published. We have long been sensible that the interest of the subject was far from being exhausted, and entertained the idea of resuming it at some convenient opportunity, but circumstances have occurred to prevent the fulfilment of our purpose; and even now, instead of following out the account of the Roman charities into further detail,† we prefer to pursue the subject through the other cities of Italy - as Genoa, Naples, Florence, Milan, Turin, and Venice. Since we last addressed ourselves to this grateful task, it has pleased Providence to bring about, silently, and as if without human agency, in the public mind of Britain, a revolution which not even the most sanguine could have anticipated. We recollect that, upon that occasion, before entering upon the particulars of the present condition of public charity in Rome, we thought it necessary to examine, at some length, a prejudice which then existed, and for which we were sorry to produce one of the most popular authorities in our modern literature that it is to the Reformation, and to the enlightenment which it carried in its train, the world is indebted for that active spirit of benevolence_which is displayed in the modern institutions of public charity throughout Europe. We thought it right to go to the pains of testing the truth of this assertion by the history of the public charities of Rome; and that we might make the case against ourselves as unfavourable as it could be made, and thus render the refutation more satisfactory, we selected for the enquiry the three centuries before the Reformation a period of the greatest See vol. vi. pp. 111, &c. For this interesting subject we refer the realer to Mgr. Morichini's ISTITUTI DI PUBLICA CARITA IN ROMA. It has been translated into French within the last year. "The new edition of this most interesting work may serve to shew that the charity of Rome is at this moment as active, if not more active, than at any former period. It contains an account of many new institutions, founded since the publication of the last edition (1835). We may mention the new Deaf and Dumb Institution, the asylum for the cholera orphans, the Penitentiary of the Holy Family, the Conservatorio of the Sacred Heart, and that founded by the saintly and indefatigable Abbate Pallotti."-p. 1. See Edinburgh Encyclopedia, xii. 122. anarchy and frequent distress in Rome. Yet, even with the limited means of information then at our command, we were able to trace, during this short period, the origin of no less than twenty different foundations, all the fruit of public or private benevolence, all purely devoted to charitable purposes, many of them of great extent and rich endowments, and the greater number existing to the present day, living monuments of the philanthropy and munificence of those calumniated ages. We cannot return to the subject without expressing our humble gratitude to Him in whose hands are the hearts of men, for the happy change which has taken place since we last wrote. A more intimate knowledge of the history and social character of the middle ages has done much to remove this and many similar prejudices. It would seem as if the two opposite extremes of public opinion had met upon the ground. The writings of Hurter, Voight, and even of the more insidious Ranke, have had their influence upon the philosophic party; and among the members of the new school of high-church men, the reverential study of the history of those times in contemporary monuments, and the researches of such generous and enthusiastic spirits as Digby, Rio, and Montalembert, have carried numbers in advance of many a degenerate Catholic, with whom the sneer of a shallow philosopher, or the sophism of a worldly-minded utilitarian, outweighs the true Christian wisdom and the warm and uncalculating piety which distinguished the social institutions of our simple forefathers. We doubt not that there are many who, when we last sought to disprove the silly calumny to which we referred to above, would most probably have turned the page with indifference, if not contempt, and who, notwithstanding, are now prepared to go the entire way with us in acknowledging the benign influence of the Catholic religion, as the only true source, and the only solid foundation of social happiness and civilization. Among the cities of Italy, the charitable institutions of Naples certainly merit, by their number and munificence, as well as by the variety of the wants to which they are intended to minister, the first place after those of Rome. But Genoa is an old favorite of ours; and, we trust our readers will pardon us, if we indulge the pleasurable feelings which a recent sojourn of a few days has created, by laying before them, in preference, while our recollections are yet fresh, a brief account of the principal public charities of this queenly city. And indeed we may claim this honourable place for Genoa upon less personal grounds. How many a thrilling recollection, not inferior in interest to those of any other Italian state, does the name of the old republic recall — from the day when, a century and a half before our era, the Roman republic was called in to arbitrate between her and the Veturians, till that on which, in common with the rest of Italy, she was swallowed up in that overgrown and unnatural empire which, for a season, all but overran the world, when "France got drunk with blood, to vomit crime !" Fieschi, Grimaldi, How many a brilliant name does it number in its annals! Boccanegra, Brignole, Doria, Spinola, Pallavicini —names familiar to the student of general history, but possessing a more tender claim upon the memory of their countrymen, in the monuments of charity and religion which they have left behind. Few cities contain a greater number of public edifices erected by the munificence of private individuals. They meet the stranger at every turn. The hospital of the Pammatone, the Albergo dei Poveri, the Ponte Sauli, the Biblioteca Civica, each in its way conveys to the visitor some idea of the truly royal munificence of the merchant-princes of the old republic. But this spirit |