brook this new doctrine, and in consequence, sixty of the most godly of them were forced into secession, M. Bonjour, the sent incumbent of San Giovanni, is decidedly evangelical, and Jour, the prethe seceders now generally attend the other, Vaudois churches, though they still refuse to join in communion with them, disapproving of the laxity prevalent in this matter.

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The history of the Waldenses is, throughout, one of almost unvaried hardship and oppression. The fact that their garments are not stained with the corruptions of Popery has been regarded, as affording sufficient ground for clogging them with civil restric tions of every kind, and excluding them from holding any situation civil or military throughout the kingdom: nay more, it is declared by law," that no Vaudois may practise as a physician, surgeon, apothecary, attorney, or advocate, except among his own community." There was, however, one brief period in their history when these persecuted mountaineers found in their ruler not only a hand strong enough, but a heart sufficiently just and independent to brush away, like so many cobwebs that marred and dishonoured the government of the country, all the restric tions by which they had been trammelled. It was Napoleon, who seeing their loyalty and industry, and touched by a sense of the wrongs inflicted on them, rendered them this justice. Nor did this interest in this injured people expend itself in a single act." Napoleon," says Dr Gilly, never lost sight of the church of the valleys after he had once learned to take an interest in its. fatebb have the copy of an order signed by him at Moscow 1812, by which he directed a negligent Vaudois pastor to be suspended. Strange, that the invader of Russia in the palace of the Czars should be concerning himself with the affairs of a small parish in the remote wilds of Piedmont. It is striking that the Vaudois should have found in Cromwell, and and Napoleon truer friends and more untiring advocates than in any of the legitimate sovereigns of Europe. The immunities thus procured for them were, however, of very brief duration. No sooner was the king ofo Sardinia restored to his throne, than, in express violation of the treaty of Paris of May 1814, which, among other things, stipulated,that in the countries restored and ceded by the present treaty, no individual, of whatever class or condition, shall be prevented, charassed, or disturbed in his person or property under any pretext," he revived almost all the harsh and tyrannical decrees which had formerly been in force against them. There seems no room to doubt that the Waldenses are indebted for all the hardships under which they labour to the priestly and Jesuitical influence which reigns, at the court of Sardinia. Sevesat rah of the kings seem to have been touched with the sufferings of

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the inhabitants of the Valleys, and to have been with difficulty restrained by their ghostly advisers from extending to them the rights of peaceful and worthy subjects. It is deeply to be lar mented that the powers of Europe that our own Britain-can look with indifference upon the systematic violation of the treaty above referred to a violation, too, resulting in the most disho nourable and inhuman acts of tyranny and persecution. ot hes We cannot resist offering an interesting extract, illustrative at once of the poverty and of the character of the Waldenses.

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ogate if ad+ Is to judge upd "Nothing perhaps bespeaks their poverty more evidently than the manner in which they spend their long and dreary winter evenings. Fuel is much too dear an article to be used, except culinary purposes; but to make up for the want of a cheerful fire, the whole family adjourn, during the winter, to the byre, and live among the cattle,-the temperature being kept equable by their breath. "Oil is also sufficiently scarce to make it needful to economise, and a saving is effected by the following contrivance: Two, three, and sometimes four neighbouring families unite to spend the winter evenings, week about, in each other's byres. One lamp serves the whole assembly, and the family whose byre is the rendezvous for the week provide the oil. I was sorry to learn that gambling by cards and dice is not uncommon in some of these reunions. In others, however, one person is appointed each night to read aloud to the company, while the others are engaged at their various occupations. On these occasions, through necessity as well as choice, the Bible is most fréquently the subject of study, because other books are lacking; and hence, the modern Vaudois, like their ancestors, have generally a very exd tensive acquaintance with the sacred Scriptures. This mode of spend ing the winter evenings is not confined to the poorer classes of the Vaudois peasantry, but obtains also amongst those se of larger means. English lady, who is married to a Vaudois proprietor, assured me, that, her mother-in-law, who lives with them, still, from force of habit, prefers the byre during the winter evenings, to the salle with its comfortable stove." Pp. 248, 249.

An

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Though it cannot be denied that the present race of Vaudoisd are less eminent for piety than their fathers were, it is pleasing to receive the confirmatory testimony of Mr Stewart, whose care ful personal observation gives weight to his opinion, that, notwithstanding their defects, they are, after all, the most moral and religious people in Europe."

It is a remarkable fact, that "up to a very recent period, Scot land was the only Protestant nation in Europe which has never, in its national capacity, contributed towards the alleviation ofn their poverty and distress-Scotland, whose Presbyterian poli-a ty confessedly bears to that of the Vaudois a closer resemblance than any other. It is pleasing, however, to know that this stig-i ma no longer lies upon our country, and we may be allowed to

3

express our hope that by our exertions in future we may in some measure atone for our past remissness towards our buffering brethrem We hail asla token of reviving interest in the church of the Vaudois, Mr Stewart's statement, that he, da representan tive of the Free Church of Scotland, should undesignedly meet! in the Valleys, with two commissioners, one from the Dutch church, e and the other from the Congregational churches of England, engaged like himself in inquiring into the welfare of this primitive church.noble 77 odt to 7919risdə qut to bas virozoq sit do

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The subject of the lecture that follows, by the Rev. W. K. Tweedie, is the state of religion in Holland and Belgium. The times are lamentably changed since the period when the Dutch Reformed churches endured so patiently, and struggled so nobly. in defence of the cause they had espoused. The lamp of the church in Holland for a lengthened period after the Reformation shone with a pure and steady flame in spite of the blasts of persecution which assailed itre At length the principles of the Re formation triumphed over every obstacle," and a pure church unus! der Presbyterian government was established in the land. Gra tually, however, her light became dimmer, till at length so feeble and unfrequent were the flickering rays she emitted, that it might Imost have been doubted whether her candlestick were not altoether removed. Yet One on high has been watching over her, and seems at length to have put forth his hand to strengthen the things which remained, and were ready to die." He has putofreshooil into her lampy and her slowly reviving flame seems to promise that the land which formerly afforded an asylum to the persecuted Christians of England and Scotland is not itself to be left in total darkness. It is true that the reforming party in Holland have to contend against keen opposition, and even persecution, such as we are only now learning to think possible in our days. The Socinianism, Rationalism, and Popery which have made havoc of a purer faith are all allied to oppose it, yet we cannot but hope that now as formerly, the truth will emergei triumphant from the midst of difficulties caminos 91 9715591 of -In Belgium, too, which Charles Vand the atrocious Alvast lighted up with funeral piles, and where they carried on their pitiless persecution against the faithful with such success as alus most eventually to extirpate or drive them from the land-in Belgium, the Bible is again beginning to do its silent but certains! work, and the seed sown by the Evangelical Society of Belgium { is already giving promise of a fruitful harvest.b bas 711970 107

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The next lecture is by Dr M Farlan of Greenock, on the state of religion in Switzerland, 19 We may not linger with him on this? interesting field, we may not even glance at its leding features,

1

but must content ourselves with making a single remark,caught gested by the perusal of the lecture. It is in reference to the influence which Scotland and Switzerland have mutually exerted on each other's destinies. In the eighth century, when rising Po pery had succeeded in enveloping most nations in darkness, twới Scotsmen from the college at Iona came and settled in Switzerl land, and were probably the instruments, under God, of arrest ing for a little in that country the fatal progress of the Man of sin." Again, early in this century, Mr Robert Haldane, salsosa Scotsman, was the means of commencing a revival in Geneva at a time when there, and in other parts of Switzerland, religion had become little better than a dead letters From among the eights een students who formed his Bible class, have gone forth some of the brightest and most honoured names of their times. It may be sufficient to refer to D'Aubigné and Gaussen among the living, and to Gonthier and others who have entered into their rest. We, on the other hand, have received not a little at the hands of Switzerland; since, to mention only this, it was at Ge neva that John Knox had his religious sentiments matured, and imbibed his sound views of church government before returning to Scotland, where he was made the chief instrument of so mighty a revolutionis test ginitate ai bsentedten ons ew yeb 19291q The concluding lecture of the first series was delivered by the Rev. J.-G. Lorimer. Its subject is the state of religion in France. If, in that country, evangelical religion has never acquired an influence so general and powerful as it has in some other lands, yet there was, perhaps, no age when there was not in it a decided under-current of true piety. This seems to have been maintained partly by the influence of eminent and pious men raised up, some of them in the midst of darkness, as Irenaeus of Lyons, Vigilantius and Claude of Turin, and partly by the agency of alleged heretics, whose chief fault we cannot but hope was their too great faithfulness and purity for the corrupt church from which they were driven as the Paplicians, Patarines, and Cathari. The Albigenses did much to keep alive the flame of vital godliness in the south, their deep attachment to the word of God affords at once a guarantee of the substantial rectitude of their principles, and the key to their success. Some curious testimonies are afforded by their enemies. Thuanus, a respectable Roman Catholic historian, who flourished shortly after the rise of the Reformation, speaking of the inhabitants of a valley in Dauphiny, says, " You can scarcely find a boy among them who cannot give you an intelligent account of the faith which they profess. And in this," he adds, "they resemble their brethren of the other valleys." We quote another interesting proof of

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the same facts lgh In the south-east of France, on the borders of Piedmont, Popish students from the Sorbonne of Paris, lafter an examination of the people, (appointed by the Popish bishop,); confessed that they understood more of the way of salvation from the answers of the little heretic children in their catechism, than from all the theological disputations at which they had been present." (P. 418) torem ut idadong 9797 bus biel to The Reformation was succeeded by a period of gradual decay, that reached its climax during the midnight gloom which closed the last and ushered in the present century, when amid the din of war, and the elamorous triumph of rampant infidelity, thes gentle remonstrances of the still small voice were unheard or un-i heeded.No sooner, however, had the peace of 1815 been esta blished than the distracted nation, fatigued and disappointed by its trial of scepticism and infidelity, began, though slowly, to turni towards that religion which alone can satisfy the soul. The sys-l tem of colportage, which has proved of such inestimable value to France, was established, and by means of the Bible thus put intol circulation, the good work grew and prevailed. At that period the number of faithful pastors was miserably small. It has, however, steadily though slowly increased, so that we believe that at the present day we are authorised in stating that the number of evangelical pastors in the Protestant church is at least equal to that of those who are more or less Socinian in their views. 79Л пs beriupos Teven end goigilet isoil›qu879 yntanos tudt mi A abnel redto emoz ni esd ti zo hela woq bas Ie1999% 08 09nsultat & ti ni ton acw 919d1 п90# 8oge on eqsdrag enw grout tay ART. IV-1, The Pope's Encyclical Letters London 1847.996 192 A Solemn Warning for the Times; or, the Banner Unfurled to aByna Standard Bearer. Edinburgh Ritchie.noe qu boater youge et veq basaneT to obuciƆ bas enitnsligi 7 eno7] BA whole particle upon a Pope's letter may be thought too much! Our wisdom may be questioned in assigning to it so prominent a place, and investing it with so much importance. Many may feel inclined to censure us as mere alarmists, or condemn us as weak bigots, for laying such stress upon a document which to obutit997 leitustadue odi to 99106160% & guno ta zbrofte bor) to 291 eor M „8299ɔne gistt of 79d oft bis zsiqivaha vi9d3 gladly have presented our interesting infor second series, but our The following are the subjects treated of The Papal Eastern Churches, by Dr Wilson. The Re formation in Germany, by Dis Forbes. The Present State and Prospects of Evan gelical Religion in Germany, by Rey, P. Fairbairn of Council of Trent, by Rev. J. Salton. The State of Religion

mation

in

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oers with some of it.

the Fall of Western Empire till

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Bryce of Aberdeen. Italy and its Religion, by Rev. W. K. Tweedie. The Religious Condition of Spain at the period of the Suppression of the Reformation, by Dr Hetherington. The Prospects of Christendom, by Dr Buchanan of Glasgow.

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