"Rome is fast approaching her perihelium, and if this sin be not speedily repented of, she will be made the instrument in the hand of the Lord to punish this great nation for her faithlessness, ingratitude, and fear. We have not been valiant for the truth.

"I am yours faithfully,

"J. R. WARD, Colonel. "To Captain Banks, R.N., Secretary to the Church Education Society of the Diocess."

PERJURY AND CONSPIRACY.

A MOST abominable conspiracy against the character and property of a most respectable gentleman has been just developed at the assizes of Roscommon.

Mr. Fry-the gentleman in question-was placed at the bar, charged with wilful and corrupt perjury, committed for the purpose of recovering off the county compensation for the loss of a mare maliciously killed. Amongst the witnesses produced against him were his own herd, the herd's son, and the Roman Catholic priest of the parish. The two former testified to having killed the mare by Mr. Fry's order; but their tale was so badly contrived, that while the father swore they had tied her four legs together with a rope and thrown her down for the purpose of cutting her throat-the son swore that they cut her throat and left her walking about until she bled to death. The priest was then placed on the table, and on his cross-examination by Mr. Keogh, (a Roman Catholic Barrister,) the conspiracy was ably extracted from what we must call a reluctant witness.

The witness having sworn that there was no money given by him for this prosecution, nor any subscription raised in the parish to defray the expense of an attorney and barrister to assist the Crown, and who had also been employed at the Petty Sessions, Mr. Keogh proceeded with his cross-examina

tion:

Mr. Keogh.-Have any crimes, such as murder, robbery, and other offences as heinous in character as the supposed crime Mr. Fry committed, been committed in your parish?

Priest.-Many offences occurred there. Mr. Keogh. Did you ever apply for money to the Association to assist you in prosecuting the offenders?

Priest.-No; I would not consider it my duty to interfere in such cases.

Mr. Keogh. You are quite right; it is not your duty to do so, and I am very sorry you interfered in this. You may go down, Sir.

So, here it comes out that the Repeal Association conspired secretly to carry on, through the instrumentality of a Roman Catholic priest, a prosecution against a gentleman of landed property-not because he is a Protestant, and "reputed to be an Orangeman,"-oh no, not at all; but because, on the oath of two corrupt and perjured witnesses whom the jury refused to believe, he was chargeable with a crime.

The existence of this infamous Association is incompatible with the laws of the land, with the peace of the country, and with the life, property, and character of Her Majesty's lawful subjects. The law must put it down, or it will put down the law. The issue of the trial was as follows:

Mr. Bourke stated he would not place such an importance upon the case brought against Mr. Fry as to address the jury on his behalf, but should let the case speak for itself.

Baron Lefroy charged the jury, leaving the case without any comment on the evidence entirely in their hands, and they at once acquitted Mr. Fry without leaving the box.

CABINET.

Justification by Faith.-The Church had fallen because the great doctrine of justification through faith in Christ had been lost. It was therefore necessary that this doctrine should be restored to her before she could arise. "This article of justification," says Luther, "is that which forms the Church, nourishes it, builds it up, preserves, and defends it. No one can well teach in the Church, or successfully resist its adversary, if he continue not in his attachment to this grand truth." "It is," adds the Reformer, referring to the earliest prophecy, "the heel that crushes the serpent's head."

The righteousness of Christ Jesus is not a treasure of indulgences, excusing us from

good works, but a treasure of grace quickening us to perform them. The righteousness of Christ is applied to the faithful, not by indulgences, not by the keys, but by the Holy Ghost alone, and not by the Pope.

POETRY.

FAITH IN CHRIST.

The eagle is said every ten years to fly to the sun, and thus renew its strength.

Ps. ciii. 5. "Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things, so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's."

Isaiah xl. 21. "But they that wait on the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings, as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary, and they shall walk, and not faint."

The Eagle when he finds his strength decay
With failing pinions upward wings his way;
And as the glorious orb he joyful views,
With youthful vigor he his strength renews.
Just so the Christian, when his strength is weak
Should in a Saviour's strength renewal seek;
If the soul look towards Christ, it will revive,
And ev'ry grace shall once more bloom and
thrive.

Lord, let me ever feel thy genial ray,
In Christ renew my failing strength each day;
Till from the grave, thy life-imparting power,
Shall call me forth, to fade and die no more.

INTELLIGENCE.

"PRAY WITHOUT CEASING.”—1 Thess. v. 17.

A course of Lectures has been commenced in connection with the Southwark Association, in the St. George's National School Room, Borough Road. The following have been delivered: July 2. "Introductory Lecture;" James Lord, Esq.-July 9. "The Church of Rome heretical;" Mr. Chant.July 16. "The cruelties of the Church of Rome, the consequences of her persecuting principles;" Mr. R. H. Binden.-July 30. "The Church of Rome the enemy of civil and religious liberty;" Mr. Theophilus A. Smith. The following are to be delivered. August 13. "The cruel and persecuting

Published under

THE PROTESTANT

At F. BAISLER'S

124, Oxford-street;

SIMPKIN, MARSHALL & Co.

W. DAVY & SON,]

practices of the Church of Rome;" Mr. Binden. August 27. "The Church of Rome proved to be anti-Christian by her connection with the inquisition;" Mr. C. Sibley.

The annual Steam Packet Excursion of the Metropolitan Tradesmen and Operatives' Protestant Associations to Richmond, took place on Monday, July 15.

Popish College of Maymouth for the educaThe annual Grant for the support of the tion of priests, of £ 8000, was voted in the House of Commons, on Friday, July 19th. It was opposed by Mr. Plumptre and a minority of 30. The majority was 57. Several petitions were presented on that evening against the grant, among others one from the Protestant Association with 1749 signatures.

City. A meeting of the members and friends of the City of London Association will be held (D.V.) on the 12th or the 19th of August.

By

Designs of the Papacy, and of France in the East.-There are many cogent reasons for apprehending a struggle at no distant period of time, and whatever may be the immediate cause of a war, religion, and an attempt to impose the yoke of the Papal Antichrist, will have much to do with the controversy. France is making a sudden and striking transition from total indifference to all religion, to zealous labours for the Papacy. The priests are acquiring great power and influence in that country. some arrangements of the French government, all ecclesiastics have a free passage in the steam vessels of France which ply in the Mediteranean. Not a vessel arrives at Malta without half a dozen priests proceeding to or coming from the Levant or France; and bearing in mind what is evident, that there is, at this moment, an extensive, powerful, and well organized conspiracy amongst the heads of the Papal Church in all parts of the world to crush Protestantism, it behoves its faithful professors everywhere to exert themselves with tenfold zeal and watchfulness, in order to counteract these dark and baneful designs of the agents of Antichrist.

[Gilbert-street.

RELIGION OF MONEY, OR THE MONEY RELIGION. (Continued from p. 66.)

THE original and authentic pieces referred to in the former part of this narrative, are the following.-

1. The circular addressed to the clergy, of which we are going to speak.

2. Two letters addressed to myself by the agent who signed them, and in which the fore-mentioned commerce is clearly avowed. 3. A letter from a Catholic priest who came to me from the above-mentioned agent, in order to know precisely who I was; for at first I had only given my name, and not my title. It will be seen from this letter that they refuse to sell me a relic which would cost some francs, in order to oblige me to take the entire group of eighteen relics; or rather, having learnt who I was, they no longer wished to give me up the relic in question.

4. An extract from a judgment pronounced by a tribunal of justice of peace in a public audience, on the 14th of November, 1842, which verifies the fore-mentioned commerce of Papal merchandise, by the condemnation of the travelling clerk. The whole is stamped, signed, legalized. Having said this, I enter into the exposition of facts.

The travelling clerk of the general corres

VOL. V.

pondent of the Catholic Apostolic Agency in France, the central seat of which is at Rome, having sold some of his articles for a certain sum to several abbots, and not being able to get paid, came one day last year to one of my friends, to consult him upon the proper means to be taken, in order to obtain justice, and he gave him, at the same time, the circular which this friend sent to me, and which I now submit to the reader without any other preface; for again, once more, nothing here is fictitious; all is limited to a pure and simple assertion of facts. Here is then this mysterious circular addressed to the clergy, copied word for word, and accompanied with some of my own reflections.

AGENCY OF THE CATHOLIC APOSTLE

SHIP ESTABLISHED AT ROME, FOR
THE ADMINISTRATION OF ALL KINDS
OF ECCLESIASTICAL AFFAIRS.

GENERAL CORRESPONDENCE.

Circular to the Clergy of France. (See the "Gazette du Midi" for the 15th of October, 1833.)

"With regard to the fees, they will not be paid until after the receipt of the pieces.

"Sir,-It suffices that a work tends to the glory of God, to the edification of the faithful, and to the increase of the respect which persons owe to the Holy See, to which the

Church of France is strongly united by the closest tie, to be certain that it will be approved of by the French clergy, whose zeal will assure the success of it."

Delightful style of prospectus! But let

us go on.

"It is this certainty, Sir, which has made me undertake, during my stay at Rome, to propagate in France the agency of the Catholic apostleship, in order to co-operate for the benefit which it is called to produce in the very Christian kingdom.

“ And it is with this view that I have the honour to transmit to you the list of the principal petitions which the agency undertakes to obtain at Rome, with the bulletin destined to receive those which you may desire. Your zeal, Sir, for the glory of God, and the salvation of the souls committed to your care, inspires me with confidence that you will choose those articles the most likely to attain this double end in your parish."

I ask pardon of the reader, but I again experience the necessity of repeating that it is not I who am speaking; I copy word for word a piece which I can, at his request, let him see and feel. Having said this for the last time, I continue.

"You will transcribe these articles literally upon the bulletin, and after having invested it with the forms there pointed out, you will address to me the copy, keeping one of them with you in order to be able to verify the accuracy of the petitions which you may have made; but in transmitting to me the duplicate of this bulletin, have the charity to frank it;" (excellent!) "it is the condition, sine quâ non, of its reception, and of all the addresses relative to the agency." What precautions! what distrust! and that towards the clergy! But let us continue, and we shall see still better, or rather much

worse !

"You will then receive as promptly as possible, and in the manner marked in the bulletin, all the articles which you may have asked, unless it is impossible to obtain them at Rome." Accept of, &c."

"The general correspondent of the agency of the Catholic Apostolate in France," (we suppress here the signature), "A Manduel, by Nisenes (Gard), 'to be franked."" (Third notice for the postage to be paid.)

But finally, let us come to the tariff: we will abridge it, for one half will suffice to give the reader an idea of the remainder.

66 PONTIFICAL BRIEFS.

"1. For the personal indult of the privileged altar, by which persons can gain plenary indulgence to the souls in purgatory, for which they apply the holy sacrifice of mass, 12 francs, 50 centimes."

It must be confessed that if the suffering souls in another world are relieved by the purchase of such an indulgence, it would be cruelty on the part of their friends and relations not to avail themselves of the opportunity of assisting them so cheaply. But what I find still more cruel, is the conduct of the Pope who, having in his power all the treasure of the supererogatory works, does not apply it in a mass, and all at once, to save those who suffer in the flames. It would cost him so little! and the service rendered would be so great! But no! the Pope expects 12 francs, 50 centimes, before relieving the least in the world, the poorest of souls! No money, no Pope. I would much rather think that the Pope does not believe in purgatory than to suppose him cruel enough to leave millions of souls in suffering, when it costs him nothing to save them. It is right then that I am obliged to conclude that the sale of an indulgence in which one has no faith, is merely a trade.... Will you not admit this latter supposition? let us return then to the first. One or the other, the Pope is very cruel or very hypocritical.

"3. In order to gain plenary indulgence after having confessed, and received the sacrament on birthdays, baptismal-days, on the occasion of the first communion, admission in religion, the receiving of holy orders, and on any other great era in life, 10 francs, 80 centimes."

"4. In order to obtain the same favours twice a month, as well for one's self as for one's parents and relations, as far as the

third degree of kindred or relationship inclusively, 10 francs, 80 centimes."

Perhaps you are astonished, candid reader, that they offer indulgences for relations, since these relations, if they wish it, can very well take them in their name. But do you not understand that these relations may perhaps not wish it, and that then the means must be furnished to the member who is a good Catholic in the family to buy some for them, and in spite of them? Thus, even he who will not have any of them obtains them; it is an excellent means to sell to the obstinate unbelievers, and at the same time to extend indefinitely their favours and their traffic.

"5. In favour of confessors to obtain for their penitents a plenary indulgence, after having given them absolution to a certain fête day of devotion, 12 francs, 50 centimes." Why give an indulgence in favour of the confessor which ought to be for the benefit of the penitent? Simply in order that the indulgence passing through an intermediate person from the person, may procure a little benefit to the second.

"6. For license to grant indulgencesbless beads, crosses, medals, &c., 12 francs, 50 centimes.

The Pope blesses daily at Rome priests and people, men and things, which they deliver to him or carry. But as the Pope cannot, even by instituting jubilees, bring together within the city the whole of Christendom, he does not behold the benedictions of the provinces passing from his hands into those of the bishops without regret. What does he then? Not being able to give the blessing in person, he sends it. Excellent means for multiplying and making it fruitful. The Pope blesses the cardinals, the cardinals bless the bishops, the bishops bless the priests, the priests bless chaplets, crosses and medals, and thus the Pope's benediction, divided and subdivided like a little stream of water, spreads itself and penetrates into all the corners of the world, to return to him as a vast ocean of gold and silver.

"9. For choosing a confessor clothed with all the powers of the Holy See, to absolve from censures, irregularities, and cases reserved to the Pope, 25 francs.

Behold how strange! the Pope sells the cases which he reserves. Why is this reservation made? Is it because the bishops were unworthy or incapable of judging? No, because finally the Pope abandons these reserved cases to whoever will pay for them. The reserve was then simply a ruse to increase the value of the article. Thus all that which precedes costs but 12 francs each, but these reserved cases cost 25 francs.

"12. For the commutation of vows of every kind (the price varies according to the case)."

See this is enormous! What, I have made a vow of celibacy, of poverty, of chastity; and from all that you can absolve me? But let us wait, it may be said that we are indignant without a cause, since nothing has yet been specified; the thing will be clearer a little farther on.

"14. For a domestic chapel with power to celebrate there, or cause to be celebrated there, the mass, ditto."

Ecclesiastical avarice finds you out even in your dwellings; it will not permit you to carry on a pious exercise in your own house without purchasing the right of doing so. This reminds one of those directors of privileged theatres, who would not allow any others to be opened in the same city, but on condition of a just indemnification being made. In all this, the Pope acts like a trader in patents, who grants the right of spiritual investigation in contract for kingdoms and provinces. Thus the sale is made in cargoes by the Pope, at wholesale by the bishops, and at retail by the priests.

"15. Brief of extra tempus, extra tempora, and interstitiarum to receive quàm primum, the sacred orders of sub-deaconship, deaconship, and priesthood, a quocumque episcopo cum sancta sede communionem habente."

This Latin will make the reader who does not understand it, suspect that there is a mystery hid beneath. He does not deceive himself; but I will not scrutinize it myself. The following note will suffice to explain it. (It costs less when the candidate is furnished with the dimissory of his bishop than when he has only his own license; but either one or other of these two papers is sufficient to obtain this pontifical brief, of which the highest price is 149 francs, 70 centimes."

In the midst of all this, I see clearly one thing, that the Pope endeavours to disappoint the bishops. In fact, regularly to obtain sacred orders, one must have received from the latter a paper called a dimissory, and which most undoubtedly they oblige to be paid for, like all the rest. The Pope comes, mediates between the dealer and buyer, and offers to give himself the exemption from the piece sold by the bishop; he puts an end to the bargain. Likewise the reader will see farther on, that the bishops are very little favourable to the agency of the Catholic Apostleship.

(To be continued.)