tention, the metaphysical works of Woolfe and Leibnitz. He did not admire them, and thought the system of pre-established harmony laid down in them, irreconcileable with the received belief or opinions of the Roman Catholic Church on the soul; and that much of their language, though susceptible of a fair interpretation, conveyed improper notions, or, at least, sounded offensively to catholic ears. The late Mr John Dunn, his contemporary at the college, frequently mentioned to the editor, the extreme caution which our Author used in inserting any thing new in his dictates, particularly on any subject connected with any tenet of religion. After teaching a course of philosophy, he was appointed Professor of Divinity. On this part of his life, the editor has been favoured by a gentleman deservedly famed for his erudition and piety, the reverend Robert Bannister, with a long letter, of which the reader is presented with an extract.

"I was contemporary with Mr Alban Butler in Douay col 'lege, eight years; viz. from October 1741 to October 1749. "But as I was but a boy the greater part of that time, I had not any intimacy with him, nor was I capable of knowing any thing concerning his interior, the manner of his prayer, or the "degrees to which he ascended in it, or any extraordinary com "munications or elevations, to which the Holy Ghost, the great master and teacher of contemplation, might raise him. All "that I can say, is, that he opened Douay college's great door to me and a gentleman whom I knew not, but who was so "good as to bring me from Lisle in his coach, on Sunday between 10 and 11, the 15th of October 1741; and the first sight of "him appeared to me then, so meek and so amiable, that I ་ thought I would choose him for my ghostly father; but ano"ther, I suppose, in rotation, adopted me. Mr Alban was my "sole master in my first year of divinity in 1749, and dictated "the two treatises De Decalogo et de Incarnatione; he also pre"sided over my defensions upon those two treatises, and over "Mr. James Talbot's (the late bishop of London) upon universal divinity. As to heroic acts of virtue, which strike with ad"miration all that see or hear of them, I cannot recollect more, "than an uniform, constant observance of all the duties of a "priest, professor and confessarius. He was always at morning

"meditations, seldom omitted the celebration of the holy sacri "fice of the mass, which he said with a heavenly composure, sweetness, and recollection; studying and teaching assiduously, dictating with an unwearied patience so equally and leisurely, that every one could, if he wished to do it, write his dictates, "in a clear and legible hand; nor do I remember, that he ever "sent a substitute to dictate for him; so exact and punctual he 26 was in his duty as a professor. I never knew one more ready "to go to the confession-seat, at the first intimation of any, even "the least or youngest boy. He heard his penitents with won«derful meekness; and his penetration, learning, judgment, and ૩૮ piety, were sụch, as to move them to place in him a singular "confidence. He frequently visited the military hospital, to instruct, exhort, and hear the confessions of Irish soldiers. He “sometimes assembled a number of them, (when they happened "to be quartered in Douay) in the college-church of St Thomas "of Canterbury, and preached to them. In one of his sermons, "I remember he told them, for their example and encouragement, that there are more soldiers saints, than of any other Vo ❝cation, or state, or condition. As poor, and often distressed, "Irish men and women, frequently came to Douay, he was al« ways ready to relieve them, and administer both corporal and spiritual succours. It can never be forgotten, what attention, "solicitude, and care, he had in the year 1745 of our English "soldiers, wounded and maimed, who were brought prisoners "to Douay, and quartered in the barracks, in great numbers, "after the battle of Fontenoy. He animated, both by words and example, all the young priests, and all in holy orders at the "college, to visit them, to instruct and instil into them serious "thoughts of saving their souls, by embracing the only saving "faith, and by true repentance. He also procured for them temporal succour and relief, so beneficently, that the Duke of « Cumberland, then generalissimo of the British and allied ar"mies, being informed of it, promised him a special protection, "whensoever he came over into England. Scarce any thing af "fords one a better proof of Mr Alban's eminent spirit of piety "and great understanding, discretion, and light in spiritual mat than his familiarity and friendship with M. Jean Baptiste

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* de Villêrs, President of the seminary des Evêques in the university of Douay, who died October 7th, 1746, the death of a saint, after having lived the life of one for 78 years. This "M. de Villêrs was eminent in all supernatural and moral vir"tues, but he concealed them under an amiable simplicity, and a plain unaffected behaviour, or exterior, unless charity and "zeal for the glory of God and salvation of souls required their "open and full exertion; and, notwithstanding his great learn"ing, (which he had acquired by an excellent genius and diligent "application to sacred studies) and his great and solid fund of "piety, he was as docile as an infant; so timorous and diffident ❝ of his own judgment, that he would neither do nor decide any thing without counsel. With this sentiment of diffidence and "humility, he often visited (says M. Leroy, the faithful imita"tor and writer of the history of his life), a young professor, a "foreigner, (that is, Alban Butler) and passed an hour or two "in his company in the afternoon, once every week, and some"times twice, several years until his edifying death. Their con"versation together was solely about various points of morality; "about the direction of souls, and the methods of arriving at "perfection in every action and intention; how to teach devout "persons a habit of making continual aspirations to God, by acts "of love, oblation, entire sacrifice of their hearts, of humility, "&c.

Mr de Villêrs would not suffer more than half a small faggot to be kindled for him in the severest weather, saying to "Mr Alban," the other part may serve some poor person:" "As to wine, or any other liquor, he never drank any but at "meal time. I remember to have heard an instance of Mr Al"ban's meekness, for I am not a witness of it. When he was "presiding over one of his students in divinity in the public hall "of Douay college, a disputant, who was probably much offend"ed at some proposition in the thesis, as being opposite to some ❝favourite opinion of his school or religious family, said to him, "with intolerable rudeness, babes mel in ore, sed fel in corde: to which he made no reply, nor shewed the least resentment. "Mr Alban Butler was totally averse to the system of probabi"lism, and to all assertions that favour laxity in morals. This is evident from the dictates which he delivered to us, from his

"treatise de Decalogo, de actibus humanis, in his Epitome moralis "sacramentorum, &c. It is still more evident, from his Epi

tome de sex prioribus conciliis œcumenicis in calce tractatus de In"carnatione, that he had the highest veneration for the Holy See, "and for him who sits in the chair of St Peter; that he constant❝ly held and maintained the rights and singular prerogatives of "St Peter and his successors, in calling, presiding over, and "confirming general or cecumenical councils; the Pope's superi "ority over the whole church, and over the whole college of bi"shops, and over a general council; the irreformability of his doc"trinal decisions in points of faith and morals; his supreme power to dispense, (when there is cause) in the canons of general "councils; in short, the plenitude of his authority over the whole "church without exception or limitation, Nihil excipitur ubi distinguitur nibil.

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III.

FROM the letter, of which we have presented the reader with an extract, it appears what our Author's sentiments were on the nature and extent of the spiritual power of the See of Rome. It has frequently been said, that he was the editor of Doctor Holden's Analysis Fidei: had this been the fact, it would have been a strong proof of an alteration of his sentiments on those points; but, after particular enquiry, the editor finds the assertion to be wholly unfounded.

On the celebrated questions, Of the infallibility of the Pope, and his right to the deposing power, our Author thus expresses himself in one of his letters on Mr Bower's History of the Popes "Mr Bower having been educated in the Catholic schools, could "not but know, that, though some private divines think that "the Pope, by the assistance of some special providence, cannot

err in the decisions of faith solemnly published by him, with "the mature advice of his council, or of the clergy or divines of "his church, yet, that this is denied by others; and that the "learned Bossuet and many others, especially of the school of "Sorbon, have written warmly against that opinion; and that << no Catholic looks upon it as an article or term of communion. "It is the infallibility of the whole church, whether assembled

" in a general council, or dispersed over the world, of which they speak in their controversial disputations. Yet, this writ

er, at every turn, confounds these two things together only to calumniate, and impose on the public. If he had proved that "some Popes had erred in faith, he would have no more defeat"❝ed the article of supremacy, than he would disinherit a king ❝ by arraigning him of bad policy. The Catholic faith teaches ❝ the Pope to be the supreme pastor of the church established by

Christ, and that this church, founded by Christ on a rock, * shall never be overcome by hell, or cease to be his true spouse. "For he has promised, that his true spirit shall direct it in all "truth to the end of the world. But Mr Bower never found "the infallibility of the Pope in our creed; and knows very well " that no such article is proposed by the church, or required of any one. Therefore the whole chain of his boastings which is conducted through the work, falls to the ground.

"

"What he writes against the deposing power in Popes, certainly cannot be made a reproach against the Catholics of Eng"land, France, Spain, &c. It is a doctrine neither taught nor "tolerated in any Catholic kingdom that I know of, and which many Catholics write as warmly against as Mr Bower could #wish."

IV.

WHILE Our Author continued at the college of Douay, his first publication made its appearance: This was his Letters on the History of the Popes, published by Mr Archibald Bower. That gentleman had entered into the society of Jesus, and acquired a reputation for learning and talents. He came into England, embraced the religion of the established church, and endeavoured to recommend himself to the favour of his new friends, by his History of the Lives of the Popes. He also published an account of his escape from Italy, and of his motives for quitting it. The truth of the account became a subject of controversy. It was disbelieved, not only by Catholics, but Protestants. Dr Douglas, the present Bishop of Salisbury, wrote an excellent pamphlet to expose its falsehood and absurdity. It carried great improbability on the face of it. Mr Bower was a lively writer, and de