religious society established in his native city, under the
presidentship of a minister of an Episcopal church. The object of this
society, partly religious and partly literary, was to infuse a new
spirit into the thinning ranks of Episcopalianism, by searching for, and
bringing to light, in the popular form of lectures and dissertations,
the evidences in favor of Protestantism, which, they supposed, were to
be found in the writings of the primitive or ante-Nicene sages of the
church. We do not think it would be appropriate to class this society
under the appellative "Puseyite," for they had no direct connection or
communication with that now rather celebrated school of schismatics,
but undoubtedly the objects of both were analogous. Mr. Clarke's
occupation was so much confined to the business of his lawyer's office,
and his time so much engrossed by the attention required of him as an
editor, that he had very little leisure to attend the regular meetings
of the society, of which he was elected an honorary member; and hence,
while he was at home and at the table, the whole discourse was on
religion; for these were his only leisure hours. Paul he found not only
well instructed in his religion, but capable of explaining very
satisfactorily to him various points connected with such an important
matter as that on which his mind of late turned its attention, and on
which he desired the fullest information.

Great was the joy and consolation of Paul, after the dialogue given
above; and long and fervent were his thanksgivings to God, for choosing
him so far to be the instrument in bringing his employer to the
resolution of _examining_ Catholic doctrines. For who ever seriously
examined and did not find the truth? "No," said Paul to himself, "never
did any body examine into or compare the relative claims of the Catholic
church and her countless opponents to be considered divine, that did not
decide in favor of the former." And well knowing that Mr. Clarke was a