cumstances he may express, however satis-ciety of Friends. But our author factory to his own mind, may often be in absolute discordance with the feelings and real condition of his hearers. Were we, in our public assemblies for worship, to use addresses either to the people or to the

WE stated, on commencing this subject, that the interest felt by us in what is called the "Catholic Question," would be comparatively small, were it not for the influence which the decision of that question must inevitably have upon the interests of religion in this, and still more in the sister kingdom. We shall now proceed to show of what nature that influence would inevitably be.

It is quite unnecessary, we apprehend, for us to waste any time in proving, that what is now sought, under the name of Catholic Emanci pation, would prove, if gained, in Ireland at least, Catholic Ascendancy. The very men who are now most forward in petitioning for Emancipation, tell us plainly, that "it is the first, not the last thing which they shall require to be granted;" and that they regard it only as a means for procuring the repeal of the Union. This last claim, the repeal of the Union, has been often alluded to in the Catholic Association;- -a body which, we are assured, fully represents the feelings of the Catholics of Ireland; and the allusion has constantly been received with enthusiasm. Admission into Parliament, then, is the first step-and a dissolution of the Union, which dissolution would give them a separate Parliament, is the second. These two measures would obviously place the Legislative power in Ireland in the hands of the Roman Catholics; and the next question, therefore, is, how would they be likely to use it?

This question may be answered by attending to the proceedings of the Catholic Association; for what the Association now is, the Parliament of Ireland would then be. Now we find, that on a recent occasion a Rev. Mr. L'Estrange, a Romish priest, arose for the purpose. of replying to a Member, who complained of the Catholic clergy for not having attended and opposed the proceedings of the Dublin Bible Meeting. This Mr. L'Estrange said, "that he did not conceive that they were called upon to enter the lists with every mountebank preacher "who might think proper to arraign their doctrines. To be perfectly plain, the Catholic clergy did not recognize any ecclesiastical cha- " "racter as properly belonging to the clergy of the Protestant church. "He repeated, that a Catholic cannot acknowledge that the very highest dignitary of the Protestant church is an ecclesiastic claim- " "ing consideration under the sanction of divine right.”

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The Protestant Church of Ireland then, we learn, is not recognized by the Catholics as possessing any ecclesiastical character. Of course, an Irish Catholic Parliament would lose no time in removing an Establishment which assumes a character to which it has no just pretensions.

But further, how would the Dissenting Protestants fare when the Established Church had been removed? The sins of tythe collectors could not be charged upon their heads; they surely might be tolerated. No: they have already received notice, that to preach doctrines proscribed by the Church of Rome, is an offence which merits, at least, expulsion from the community.

At Kilrush, in Ireland, a few weeks back, a Mr. Ouseley, an active itinerant preacher in the Wesleyan connexion, was attacked by a mob, while in the discharge of his ministerial avocations, and his life only saved by the interference of the police, who rescued him from their hands. An investigation took place before the magistrates, at which a Roman Catholic priest, named Corbett, made a violent speech against "the enthusiastic impostor, whom he would advise not to attempt preaching again." And such was the tumult produced, and the weakness of the Magistrates presiding, that an adjournment was moved, aud the Bench separated without bringing any one to justice for the outrage.

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From this, our dissenting_brethren may judge what they have to expect, should the hands of Papists be armed with power.

While adverting to this point we cannot avoid quoting a few passages from the "Encyclical Letter of Pope Leo the XII. and the Pastoral Instructions of the R. C. Archbishops and Bishops,” just published.

"His Holiness" (blasphemously so called), opens the subject in this plaintive tone:

"You are aware, Venerable Brethren, that a certain society, commonly called the Bible Society, strolls with effrontery throughout the world; which Society, contemning the traditions of the Holy Fathers, and contrary to the well-known decree of the Council of Trent, labours with all its might, and by every means, to translate—or rather to pervert-the Holy Bible into the vulgar languages of every nation; from which proceeding, it is greatly to be feared, that what is ascertained to have happened as to some passages, may also occur with regard to others; to wit: "that, by a perverse interpretation, the Gospel of Christ be turned into a human Gospel, or, what is still worse, into the Gospel of the devil.

"To avert this plague, our predecessors published many ordinances; and in his latter days, Pius VII. of blessed memory, sent two Briefs-one to Ignatius, Archbishop of Gnesen; the other to Stanislaus, Archbishop of Mohilow-in which are many proofs, accurately and wisely collected from the Sacred Scriptures and from tradition, to show how noxious this most wicked novelty is to both faith and morals.

"We also, Venerable Brethren, in conformity with our apostolic duty, exhort you to turn away your floek, by all means, from these poisonous pastures. Reprove, beseech, be instant in season and out of season, in all patience and doctrine, that the faithful intrusted to you (adhering strictly to the rules of our congregation of the Index) be persuaded, that if the Sacred Scriptures be every where indiscriminately published, more evil than advantage will arise thence, on account of the rashness of men. Which truth is not only proved by experience; but St. Augustine, as well as the other Holy Fathers, has announced it in the following words: "For heresies have arisen, and certain perverse doctrines, ensnaring souls, and precipitating them into the abyss, have been broached only when the good Scriptures have been badly understood, and when that which was badly understood in them was rashly and boldly asserted.'

"Behold then, Venerable Brethren, the tendency of this Society, which moreover, to attain its ends, leaves nothing untried; for not only does it print its translations, but also, wandering through the towns and cities, it delights in distributing them amongst the crowd. Nay, to allure the minds of the simple, at one time it sells them, at another, with an insidious liberality, it bestows them."

The heads of that province of his antichristian dominion which is established in Ireland, thus follow up his instructions:

"As to the books which are distributed by the Bible Society, under the names of Bibles, or Testaments, or Tracts, or whatsoever name may be given to them, as they treat of religion, and are not sanctioned by us, or by any competent authority in the Catholic Church, the use, the perusal, the reading, or retaining of them, is entirely, and without any exception, prohibited to you. To enter into their merits and demerits is foreign to our purpose: such of them as have come under our observation are replete with errors, many of them are heretical, and generally they abound in calumnies or misrepresentations against our holy religion: as such, they are carefully to be avoided; and should any of them happen to be in your possession, they are to be restored to the persons who may have bestowed them to you, or otherwise to be destroyed, except only Bibles or Testaments, which if not returned to the donors, are to be deposited with the parish priest.

"It is not without reason, dearly beloved, that we thus exhort and enjoin you to exclude from your houses these pernicious books; as by accepting of them, or retaining them, you would keep in your presence artful and designing enemies, who sooner or later might deceive you to your ruin."

Surely we need say no more. The point at which these men are aiming is obvious, and the means by which they hope to accomplish their ends, are both plainly stated to us. As a practical illustration of their views, we cannot avoid adding, that while these lines are passing through the press, the newspapers inform us, "that the London Hi- " "bernian Free School, at Bilboa, in the county of Limerick, has " "been wilfully set on fire, and, with the furniture, Bibles, books, "&c. totally consumed."

4

INTELLIGENCE.

PUBLICATIONS ON PROTESTANTISM AND POPERY.

WHILE the Roman Catholics are straining every nerve to propagate their corrupt system, we are happy to observe, that the friends of Scriptural Christianity are on the alert. The Religious Tract Society have just commenced a series of tracts, entitled, "The Lollards; or, au Account of the Witnesses for the Truth in England, between the Years 1400 and 1546." The first number of this publication contains a brief narrative of the holy martyrs Sawtree, Badby, Thorpe, and Lord Cobham, three of whom were burnt to death for their attachment to true religion, and the fourth is supposed to have died in prison.

A private subscription has also been entered into for the purpose of reprinting correct accounts of the public discussions which have recently taken place in Ireland, and distributing them extensively in that country. We conceive this undertaking will, under the divine blessing, be accompanied with the most beneficial results. When we remember that a part of the Catholic Rent is avowedly to be employed in printing various tracts; and when we know that a series of very distorted, if not absolutely false, narratives are publishing by Papists in this country, it

surely is highly important to endeavour to counteract such insidious attempts. The London Hibernian Society have taught immense multitudes to read the word of God. That Society is by its fundamental rules restrained from supplying the scholars with any books except the sacred Scriptures; and it is therefore the more incumbent on all who are not thus restricted to exert themselves liberally and industriously, in order to prevent the young inquirer from being perverted by Popish artifice and superstition.

A small monthly publication has also been projected under the title of "The No-Popery." The intention is to expose the fallacious principles and institutions of Popery, and to publish statements and remarks illustrating the nature and tendency of its movements at the present time. We hope it will meet with extensive circulation, especially in those parts where the Jesuits are exerting all their sophistry to attract converts to their cause. The price

is, we understand, to be two-pence a number, with large allowance to those who are desirous of purchasing a quantity for distribution.

CHURCH METHODISTS.

IN our review of Mr. Robinson's Observations on the System of Wesleyan Methodism, in our last volume, page 270, we mentioned a notice on Church Methodism in Ireland, which we hoped at some future period to insert, and to which our attention has recently been recalled.

"This society at present exists only in Ireland; and took its rise under the following circumstances. The Methodist preachers in Ireland, it should be observed, had continued from the death of Mr. Wesley to the year 1814, upon the original plan which he devised, of acting in unison with the Established Church, and contented themselves with preaching, without taking upon them to administer the sacraments of Baptism and the Lord's Supper-being determined, up to this period, to follow Mr. Wesley's advice. But at the Conference of 1814, a vote was passed, giving a licence to the preachers to celebrate the sacraments; however, at the earnest intreaty of some leading members, the operation of this vote was suspended for a year, until the sense of the connexion should be more fully known on the subject. The Conference of 1815 being unprepared to resist the current of feeling which flowed so strongly against the resolution of the

preceding year, throughout the Society, abandoned their design, and the people hoped to have remained in union with the Established Church. This hope, however, was of short continuance; for we are informed, that in 1816, the preachers having mustered their whole strength in the Conference, they passed the Rubicon, and hazarded the decisive vote." The consequence was, about three-fourths of the Methodists in Ireland sent representatives to meet in Dublin the following year (about 7000 members having left the Society in the mean time), to endeavour to persuade the Conference to rescind the resolution of 1816-but this effort proved fruitless; and, in consequence, a final separation took place of about 9000 from the Conference Methodists. These 9000 contended, that they were the genuine followers of Mr. Wesley, who had stood fast by his principles and original Methodism, and that the Conference had prevailed on the Societies thus to become dissenting Methodists."-Pp. 49, 50.

The justice of this assumption is fully countenanced by references to Mr. Wesley's own statement and conduct; on which the following extract from the pen of a Methodist deserves notice.