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their library has been extended, and contains works on history, science, Religion, and particularly on the points of dispute between the Church of England and the Church of Rome. The members have just concluded the consideration of their second list of questions, and have commenced the examination of Pope Pius' Creed in detail.

The Committee are happy to announce the formation of a Protestant Tract Society among the members. Shortly after the declaration in last year's Report of their intention to form such a society, the Committee received the hearty and zealous assistance of many members in furtherance of this object. The society was formed, rules for the guidance of its operations have been printed, and a large number of tracts circulated in this Borough, by the untiring patient labours of the kind friends who have consented to become distributors. The Religious Tract Society, the Protestant Association, and the British Reformation Society, have kindly assisted the feeble endeavours of your Committee by a liberal grant of tracts; for which the thanks of the Association are here most gladly recorded.

As they cannot depend upon gratuities, and their supplies are almost exhausted, the Committee earnestly entreat the helping hand of those who are interested in diffusing the principles of Protestant truth, and of uprooting Popish errors, and who can assist either by contribution of tracts, subscriptions to the fund, or as distributors.

In the early part of the summer, many members of the Association joined the other Metropolitan Associations in a trip to the delightful scenery of Richmond.

During the year in various ways besides the operations of the Tract Society, the Association has distributed gratuitously several thousands of handbills and tracts, for which they are at present in debt to the Parent Association.

In the name of this Association the Committee have to tender their sincere and hearty thanks to the Rev. Dr. Holloway for the kind and free use of his chapel for their Annual Sermon; and at the same time they would express their gratitude to the Rev. R. W. Dibdin, for preaching a most appropriate and instructive sermon on that occasion.

To the Morning Herald for its impartial reports of the proceedings of the Association, and for its unwavering advocacy of true Protestant principles, the thanks of the Asso

ciation are due.

The Committee desire to call the attention of their fellow Protestants to the amount of labour which has been created and employed effectively, and to the quantity and quality

of information that is being diffused at so very insignificant an expenditure. The subscription being small and the work so great, it is almost needless to say that with the entirely gratuitous labours of the Committee and Tract Society, and with the strictest economy a very large increase of funds is wanted to enable the Committee to carry on the operations of the Association. It has been suggested that a higher rate of subscription might, without much inconvenience be paid by each member; but as the Committee prefer gaining larger funds by increasing the number of their members, they leave the subject of a higher subscription to those who feel inclined to increase the amount voluntarily; and trust that each member will try to raise the fund, by inducing as many true Protestants as he can to join their ranks and help them in opposing the common foe.

With respect to the future, the Committee feel that there is every reason for hope, resting on that gracious promise of our Lord; "On this Rock, [i.e. this faith in himself] will I build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it."

Faith in this divine promise has sustained the Church of Christ in all ages, and it will sustain our Church also.

Pagan power and fury thought to crush her in her infancy,but sustained by the rock of ages, she weathered the storm of Pagan hostility, and saw her haughty foes dashed to atoms at the foot of the foundation of her faith.

Popish malice has thrust sore at her that she might fall, and for a time the church sitting in sackcloth appeared to be subdued before her scarlet foe, and it might seem that this gate of hell had prevailed against her; but when to human eyes all hope was gone, her Lord arose to succour and to save her, cleansed her from the filth of ages, and at the Reformation she broke forth with renewed and extended lustre.

Since that auspicious era, Popery and Infidelity, and lately Anglo-Popery, have been trying to destroy by artifice, by sapping and mining that edifice of truth, the Church of England, which they dared not attempt by open force. Colleges of those satanic engineers, the Jesuits, have been founded and maintained, in which our fellow creatures are trained to obey any command, and to accomplish any design, however diabolical, which may effectually destroy the Church of Christ, and advance the interests of the Church of Rome.

Since the fatal bill of 1829, by which Popery, that implacable foe to civil and religious liberty, was not only let loose but put into power, Rome has spoken out; and

now she makes little or no secret of her design to subjugate again the minds and the consciences, the persons and the property of all who bear the name of Christ. Her pretensions are haughty, her hierarchy are united, her armies are mustering under the banners of Repeal; and in the guise of teetotalism, mass houses, nunneries, and Jesuit colleges, are increasing, not to supply the demands of Roman Catholics, but for the purpose of entrapping unwary Protestants. The Court is beset with Papists, while Parliament patiently hears a proposal to take papal priests into state pay. Is not Rome making a vigorous, a deadly thrust? And well she may, for it is her last struggle.

While Rome is thus engaged in the field, Oxford is artfully working the mine. Anglopopery seeks to destroy our Protestant faith by artfully sapping its foundations. No expense deters, no labour appals, no amount of patience, of learning, or of skill is thought too great if it can but un-Protestantize the establishment, and lead her back to the embraces of Rome. While erroneous doctrines and perversions of truth are insinuated into handsome folios for the wealthy; tracts, ballads, and pamphlets are the medium of their diffusion through the middle and lower ranks of society.

Yet we are not left wholly without hope, there is a little band of stanch and faithful Protestants left; the laity too, have began to stir. And, knowing the peculiar position of many of the clergy, it is a matter for sincere thankfulness, to find so many of them holding forth the truth of the gospel in the face of so much calumny and reproach. Add to these, several ministers and congregations of our Dissenting brethren are awaking to the dangers that surround us, and have had meetings to remove the prejudices in favor of Rome, which had prevented them perceiving this fact before.

Yet it is certain that however glorious the result, however fatal to these combined foes of Christ and his Church, however beneficial it will finally be to the progress of holiness and of happiness,-a time of severe trial there will be.

It is therefore that the Committee would earnestly invite all who know and love the truth as it is in Christ Jesus our Lord, to band themselves in his name, that they may not only exhort, comfort and strengthen each other in his name, but that they may be happily instrumental in bringing many of their fellow-men to the knowledge and experience of true gospel liberty.

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THE RELIGION OF MONEY, OR THE MONEY RELIGION.
(Concluded from p. 79.)

And what have been the results of this
unworthy traffic in holy things? You are
enriched, I allow, but you have ruined re-
ligion by exposing it to public contempt.-
The humblest of your parishioners cry in
all the corners of the streets to any one who
will hear them, that you are making a for-
tune; that there is no room in your paradise
but for the rich; that you are worse than

those iniquitous judges whose conduct gave rise to the saying, 'A golden key will open any door,' for amongst you the golden key will open heaven itself. Your avarice has destroyed the faith of the people; your ambition has extinguished their piety: and if the people believe more in Voltaire than in God, you have to thank yourselves for it. Where will you find in the New Testament

a single word that authorises all this ecclesiastical chicanery? Nowhere. Besides, you forbid the reading of the Holy Scriptures because you know it is written there, "Woe unto you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for ye devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayers: therefore shall ye receive greater damnation." You know that we there read that Simon the Sorcerer having wished to purchase the gift of the Holy Spirit with money, St. Peter said to him, "Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money." You, who call yourselves successors of St. Peter, should imitate his conduct and make this answer to those who bring money for a mass.

But enough, my dear curé; you have made me sufficiently acquainted with your religion: permit me now to lay mine before you; and whichever of us two shall be convinced, may reasonably determine to follow the religion of the other.

And first, mine has one only source, the Bible; but one teacher, GOD himself. I place on one side your traditions invented by man-your pretended infallibility of the Pope, in order to submit' my understanding, my conscience, and my heart, to the sole authority of the Word of God. Here is a system of religion much more simple, and a foundation for faith much more solid.

I open then this Bible, and in its first pages I see, by the history of our first father, that the human race has fallen into sin. As I continue to read, I discover, by the history of the Jews, that men have always lived in sin; and when in the Old Testament I read the decalogue, and in the New the precepts of the Gospel, I see clearly that if man ought neither to kill, nor to steal, nor to bear false witness, nor to covet, nor to think a bad thought, certainly all men, and myself the first, are condemned according to these words of this same Bible, "There is none that doeth good; " and "God hath concluded all under sin."

C.-But, my lord, your religion is frightful!

M.-Wait a moment; answer me first: does your conscience tell you that you have sinned?

C.-That is according

neither silver nor gold, neither fast nor abstinence, neither penance nor maceration; he asks nothing of you! On the contrary, he gives you, and gives you gratuitously—

C.-What?

M.-Eternal salvation! And if you doubt it, hear these words taken from the Holy Bible,-" God hath concluded them all under sin, that he might have mercy upon all." "Ye are saved by grace and not by works." "God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life." "While we were yet sinners Christ died for us." "Christ hath been made for us wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption." "Come without money and without price." Now I think this is clear. I have quoted ten passages; I could have quoted a hundred, or a thousand, which all proclaim that God gives heaven gratuitously and completely to him who believes with the heart on Jesus Christ. Here is generosity! here is greatness! here is love! Can you conceive of anything more grand, more worthy of God? And can you think of anything that would better merit the name of religion? If you were to try, what means could you invent more efficacious than the pardon of all sin, and the absolute and gratuitous gift of eternal life, to move and win the heart of man to his God? Tell me, my dear friend, must you not love God, when he loves you after this sort? Could you forbear to obey him, by doing good works, sanctifying your life, and helping your brethren? Ah! my dear friend, if at first I appeared severe in judging your religion, you will understand now that my final intention was to disabuse your mind of error to lead you to truth, and to convince you that if truth is found any where on earth, it must be in the doctrine which teaches us that God gives everything in the kingdom of grace, as he has given everything in the kingdom of nature. The God who has given us this fleeting life, gives us also life eternal; the God who preserves our health by his Providence, preserves us in holiness by his Spirit; the God who gave us parents, has given us a Saviour. gives all, he sells nothing; and it is to degrade the Creator to the level of the crea

He

M.-No evasion! answer explicitly; ture to think that he requires anything on have you done evil or not? C.-Well, then, I have.

M.-Then with me you are condemned; for, once more, the Word of God says so. C.-That is precisely what alarms me. M.-But listen-what follows will comfort you. Now that you feel the justice of your condemnation, God requires of you

our part, and that a bargain may be struck between Him and us, as between man and man.

Oh, dear friend, let us enlarge our ideas; instead of abasing God to our level, let us try to raise ourselves to the height of his love. Let us appreciate his greatness, his goodness, his power, and acknowledge that

he will give us everything, if we will but accept everything.

Yes, I can say from experience, if I have been enabled to do any good, it is because my heart has been opened and gladdened by faith in this doctrine that I have been saved!

completely saved! for ever saved! This is the secret of the blessings I delight to scatter over your parish.

The curé took the hand of his friend without replying; and after a moment's silence, said to him with emotion, "We shall meet again!"

THE DANGER AND IMPOLICY OF
TRYING TO SATISFY POPISH AM-
BITION BY CONCESSIONS.
Sir Richard Musgrave, in his Memoirs of
the different Rebellions in Ireland, p. 85,
observes, that "Soon after (i.e. 1792) go-
vernment having swerved from their opinion
and conceded the whole of what they had
peremptorily refused, encouraged the Ro-
man Catholics to rise in their demands,
particularly because they were thought to
have been influenced by terror, as the De-
fenders were at that time desolating many
parts of the kingdom, and were terrific in
the environs of the capital. To this system
of terror, succeeded by concession, we may
in a great measure impute the Rebellion."

FIFTH OF NOVEMBER 1605. THE Roman Catholics, and some Protestants effect to disbelieve that the Gunpowder Plot ever existed, and so we may suppose that 200 years hence, Roman Catholics and some Protestants may effect to disbelieve that any efforts were made in 1843 to Repeal the Union. The Atrocity of the Plot is certainly startling, but not contrary to the principles or practice of Popery. The murderer of the Waldenses, the executioner of many martyrs for their faithfulness to Christ, the contriver of rebellions, massacres and insurrection: what is there in the nature of the thing to lead the mind to exonerate the Church of Rome from this charge? It was but of a piece with her other proceedings. Had the plot succeeded, it would have been one more trophy, and Bartholomew's Eve might have then been rivalled in the annals of the Church of Rome, by the 5th of November, a thanksgiving might have been ordered for the success of the plot; but it pleased the God of all mercies to order otherwise. The snare was broken, and our ancestors were delivered. The fact of the existence of this conspiracy is attested as clearly, or more so almost, than any other historic fact can be.

Those who know nothing, and enquire nothing, may doubt. but examination produces conviction. State papers-our state trials-our statute book-our book of common prayer-all rise to corrupt the assertions of those who would cast into the shade of forgetfulness or non-existence an event which ought to call forth our most signal gratitude to God for past deliverance, our most fervent prayer for continued protection, and our strenuous exertions and unremitting watchfulness, that we do not ourselves recklessly throw away our blessings, nor permit Popery, by force or wiles, to deprive us of them.

ANOTHER CONVERT FROM

POPERY.

A little Tract has been published at Derby, which we much recommend to our readers. The title of it is, "Truth must prevail; or, the cruelty, persecuting spirit and falsehood of the Romish Priesthood, as set forth in a Letter in the Tablet Newspaper, and replied to by the Rev. Henry Lewis Oxley, late a member of the order of Dominicans, Popish Priest of Leeds and of Leicester; and also Chaplain to a Nunnery in Leicestershire, and now a member of the Church of England. The tract may be had at the office of the Association, 11, Exeter Hall.

It gives an account of the conversion of Mr. Oxley from Popery; and while it betrays his weakness in again relapsing, and the mercy of God in again opening a door of escape for him, it demonstrates the apprehensions of Romanists lest the secrets of their prison-house should be thus betrayed— their anxiety to reclaim one who has departed from them-and then how they treat him with cold and contemptuous neglect, when they think he has again returned to them.

Mr. Oxley, in writing of the pretended friendship of one who led him back to Popery, says, “Alas! I gave him credit for sincerity, and was undone; and in a frame of mind which your readers will conceive better than I can describe, signed the document which appeared in the TABLET. I do not wish even to palliate my weakness. I have bitter cause to lament it, and to confess that I have acted imprudently, God knows, perhaps sinfully, but as I thought conscientiously, throughout the whole of this, for me trying, I might add, agonizing affair-for it is, indeed, an awful undertaking, to have to contend with the priests of Rome. sooner had I made, as I thought, my peace with the clergy, than I was made quickly to feel, how true is the proverb, that the priests never forgive. I can fearlessly affirm, as

No

The Churches of England and Rome.Some one having used the hackneyed sarcasm, that between the Churches of England and Rome there is but a paper wall" True," it was replied, "but the whole Bible is printed on it."

even most amiable and highly respectable Roman Catholics have admitted, that I had just cause to complain of the treatment I experienced at the hands of the priests; cold and cutting neglect-haughty and insulting lectures on past misconduct-continual and and severe reproaches for tampering, as it was falsely asserted I did, with Protestant friends To THE PROTESTANT OPERATIVES. after my return to Papal slavery-jealous and suspicious watchfulness over my most innocent actions. It would appear that spies were placed over me even within the domestic sanctuary, of what I took to be a friend's house. Thus it was deemed a crime in me to indulge two or three times a week at the most in the perusal of a newspaper, and a most insane thing, to express once or twice, not more frequently I am sure (what I think your readers will deem very pardonable for one in my sad position) a wish to know what my Protestant friends said on the subject of my submission to the Bishop. The nonfulfilment of promises repeatedly made and the utter absence of that spirit of brotherly love and pity, which if we are to look for it any where surely we might expect to meet with it in those who style themselves the ministers of the meek and lowly Jesus, marked the conduct of the priests of Rome towards a poor and every way heavily afflicted brother, whose great crime in their eyes was that he loved TRUTH, JUSTICE, and LIBERTY, and hated INIQUITY, HYPOCRISY, and PRIESTLY

TYRANNY.

66

Accept, Sir, my grateful and respectful thanks for affording me an opportunity of removing, as I trust I have done to the satisfaction of your impartial readers, some of the foul aspersions cast upon my character by those who have hated me without cause."

ENGLISHMEN and Christians, I conjure you
in the name of our most holy faith, and as
true believers in Christ, that
you stick
together as the heart of one man, and con-
tend most strenuously for that faith once
delivered to the Saints; and I hope and
trust, through the help of God, that the
bright and glorious spark of Protestantism
which exists in Great Britain will not be
eclipsed by the dark extinguisher of Popery
which seems to throw its dark shade over
our native land. May he whose word is a
light to our feet and a lamp unto our path,
still deign to shine upon us, that we may
bear more the image of Christ, to the con-
fusion and condemnation of all our enemies,
that we may sit under our own vine and fig
tree, none daring to make us afraid.
Let British Christians nerve their hearts
To stem the 'whelming flood,
And act the martyrs' firmest part,
Stand as their fathers stood.
Protesting 'gainst the base design
Of Popery's perjured crew;
Who led by Satan fierce combine

T' uproot the faithful few.

Their altars, deck'd with tapers bright,
Unwary souls may charm;
But those whom Grace has taught aright
Escape the deadly harm.

To Christ the very paschal Lamb
Alone we bow the knee;

THE ENGLISH BURIAL GROUND, Nor can we be absolved by man,

ROME.

A walk to this retired and unostentatious little Cemetery, suggested feelings of unusual and melancholy interest. The graves of so many of our countrymen, reposing in ground unconsecrated by the religion of the country, seems to exert a peculiar claim upon our mournful sympathy. The living have ties and recollections to recall them home; but here death has sealed and chronicled a sentence of everlasting exile. Catholic Magazine.

CABINET.

Personal religion is invariably the foundation of all true exertion and future usefulness.

'Tis Christ that makes us free.
No mass, no penance, can atone

For sins tho' e'er so small,-
We must be wash'd in blood alone,
Or not be wash'd at all.

No costly rites perform'd by man,
If Christ be wanting, ever can
Though deck'd with human art,

True grace to souls impart.

Then let us e'en through death's dark shade
Hold fast the gospel's light,
And look to Him who does engage
To put our foes to flight.

Nor burning torch, nor fiery flame,
From bigots of Maynooth,

Whilst Christ the Lord our cause maintains,
Shall rob us of the truth.

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