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object-in pursuing that, you have met with discouragements, disappointments, defeats. Be not cast down. Success, though animating, is not, and never was, the measure of duty. Remember that the God whom we serve, and on whom it is our peace and strength to depend, has instructed us in his holy word "that the hearts of kings and princes are in his rule and governance, and that he disposes and turns them as it seemeth best to His godly wisdom," and now, at this time, I earnestly entreat you, my Christian brethren, to present the heart of our gracious Sovereign before the King of Kings, imploring him to guide it and support it, and to direct her through the painful crisis in which she is placed. One part of her great men unable to keep, and another part unable to make a Cabinet-at this moment where lies the responsibility of the Government? We are in a sort of interregnum. Painful to every one of right feeling, it must be doubly painful to Her Majesty. Pray God to preserve her in peace, and give her wisdom, and judgment, and discretion in all the interviews that Noble Lords, Right Honourable Baronets, Dukes, and Marquises may have with her, pending the present negotiations! It is not a state of things upon which any man who loves his country might speak rashly; it is a state of things calling for seriousness and prayer, more than for public declamation. What are we to have, or what can we have? It seems impossible for a Whig Administration to govern the country with the present Parliament, and if the Noble Lord for whom Her Majesty has sent for whom Her Majesty, I humbly conceive, was compelled in a certain sense to send, when Her late responsible advisers left her en masse -if, I say, that Noble Lord should succeed in forming a Cabinet, what is he to do with the Parliament? The next step would be a dissolution of Parliament, which throws upon as many of us as are electors the discharge of a Christian duty, concerning which I have more than once given you the best instruction in my power, instruction, I believe, derived from the pages of revelation. I would refer you, my friends, to the pages of the

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tract, entitled, "England's Cæsar,' and intreat you to put its principles into operation, in the discharge of the duty which may presently fall upon you as electors in this great kingdom. But a very different course these negotiations may take. It may turn out that such a cabinet cannot be formed

with any reasonable prospect of success, and then a coalition may take place-some of the members of the late cabinet may join with members of the new one; and then we shall have a trial, upon the first Meeting of Parliament, whether such a junction cabinet can stand or not. They may prolong for a few weeks the appeal to the people. It seems at present as if that must come at last. And when it does come! You know very well, my Christian friends, the repugnance we have long had to the notion of pledged delegates instead of free representatives being sent to Parliament. In all matters of minor moment, in all matters belonging to human policy which may vary with circumstances, without interfering with fundamental principles, I hold it to be a violation of the British constitution to ask candidates for our representation in Parliament to pledge themselves in detail; but upon some points of deep and vital importanceupon matters which affect the religion of the country, the stability of the Church, and, as I humbly believe, the stability of the throne and the monarchy, I think it is the constitutional right of an Englishman to take what steps he can to be sure that he will not put in his name at the polling booth in support of men who will pull down those bulwarks, or aid in doing

so.

And therefore I certainly would advise you-not to promise. You will be applied to by and by, perhaps, but in an apparent casual way in conversation, just to make a conditional promise. I advise you to make no promise. Keep your own counsel. Make no promise until the whole case is before you. But this, I think, we are at liberty, nay, in duty bound, to ask

* This excellent Address has been

published and widely circulated by the Protestant Association, and may be had on application at their Office, 11, Exeter Hall.

of any man who comes to ask us to support him, "Tell us now, not what you think as an individual about Romanism, but tell us what you will do as a legislator about it." "Suppose

the session of 1846 or of 1847 should produce a Bill for the Endowment of Roman Catholic priests in Ireland, which we were told must follow the endowment of Maynooth College, tell us honestly, like a fine fellow as you are, how you will vote?" "Will you, no matter who the minister is, or who are in the Government-for in this matter it does not signify a fractionwill you raise your voice, or, if you cannot raise your voice, write a letter, which shall be your protest, or in some way or other pledge yourself to vote against any such measure as shall identify the endowment of error with the national council of Great Britain?" -One thing more and I have done. There is a pledge I should be very glad to have from certain Honourable Gentlemen, or Noble Lords, who may ask our suffrages at the next election "Will you, if no other member of the House gives notice before Easter week —give notice that you will bring in a Bill, or ask leave to bring on a Motion, or originate a measure, and divide the House upon it, for the Repeal of the Maynooth Bill?" I think you will agree with me when I tell you there is more strength in a positive movement than in a negative protest. One reason why measure after measure has gone against us is that all we have done has been silently to protest against the measure; if we could gain ground we must originate a movement, go in advance, and have something to aim at. Now is the time. It is an unsettled time. Parties are to be newcast, minds to receive a variety of impressions; applications are to be made, letters are to be written, feelers to be sent out, answers to be given. Be cautious how you give an answer either in writing or speaking, but now is the time for movement. Let it begin here, and it will roll like a snow-ball before a set of schoolboys upon a plain. Let it begin here, I say, and let the Protestants of England never cease till they have repealed the Maynooth Bill. What is the reason your opponents have succeeded in so many

points? Just because they set out with a determination to succeed.They said, "We will never stop till we get what we want." This is the language of the Anti-Corn-law League. “We will never cease till we get this." -There is strength in determination. I am not going to discuss that subject, or to enter at all upon it at present, but I invite you to emulate their zeal and earnestness, though belonging to such a cause, which have so frequently been successful. Let not your zeal and earnestness in this great cause evaporate in a shout, but speak of it, write of it, influence others upon it! Now is the time to get help. There are some people who have not given us help for four or five years, who you will see coming by degrees, just to see what you are doing; they will enquire,

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Well, what did you do with the operatives last night?" I will say, "Why didn't you come and see? Here is the point we are for. It is no light matter; it is no party matter; it is no secular matter either. It belongs to the fundamental truth of religion; and our aim is to undo the disgrace that last session marked upon our statute book-to erase the black act for the endowment of falsehood-to take it away-to purge the statute book of Great Britain of that act. (Tremendous cheers.) That is what we are for. Who will join us? We will test the town who will join us for the repeal of the Maynooth Bill. Let this be the one sound that goes out from this Meeting-"The Repeal of the Maynooth Bill!"

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5. Strive to recommend religion, by the courtesy, civility, and condescending character of your conduct.

6. Watch against irritation, positiveness, unkind speaking, and anger; study and promote love.

7. Mortify lusts, sensuality, and

sloth.

8. Never allow others to speak well of you; nor especially permit yourself to say or think anything of yourself, but as poorly done. Keep down pride; let it not be indulged for a moment, and watch against it.

9. Shut out evil imaginations and angry thoughts.

10. Let it be your sole business here, to prepare for eternity. Consider every moment of time in that view.

11. Remember that you have to contend with a legion of devils-a heart full of deceit and iniquity, and a world at enmity with God.

12. Pray that you may ever rejoice in the advancement of Christ's kingdom, and the salvation of sinners; and labour in every way to promote these objects.

13. Strive to preserve a praying mind through the day; not only at the usual and stated periods, but everywhere, and at all times, and in all companies. This is your best preservative against error, weakness, and sin.

LETTER OF AN IRISH READER.

TO THE REV. MR. CLAFFEY, COADJUTOR PRIEST OF CASTLETOWN.

REV. SIR,-Having heard it buzzed about through the parish that your Reverence cursed and abused me, from the altar, at Castletown chapel, a couple of Sundays ago; though I am a very poor, ignorant, and unlearned man, yet I will be so bold as to acquaint your Reverence most respectfully, that such conduct was setting a very bad parable to the neighbours about you, and that also in so doing, you were not following in the steps of our blessed Lord and Saviour, nor of his holy Apostles, St. Peter and St. Paul. For our blessed Lord, whenever he preached (and sure enough he was continually doing that same), taught the people "to

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love their enemies; to do good to them that hate us, and pray for them that persecute and calumniate you."* (Matt. v. 44.) And what was a great deal better-indeed the cream of the matter, he practised what he preached; for "when he was reviled, he reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but delivered himself to him that judged justly." (1 Pet. ii. 23.) And again, when his ignorant and persecuting disciples wanted him to call down fire from heaven, to burn up the unfriendly Samaritans, who would not give him bit nor sup, nor night-shelter in their village; what did he do? why he gently scolded them-saying, "You know not of what spirit you are, the Son of Man came not to destroy souls but to save." (Luke ix. 55, 56.) Again, your Reverence, holy St. Peter, the founder of your Church-the blessed man, follows the Holy Saviour, quite close in his tracks-for says he, " In fine, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, being lovers of the brotherhood, merciful, modest, humble; not rendering evil for evil, nor railing for railing; but contrariwise-blessing.' (1 Pet. iii. 8, 9); and sure enough, St. Paul matches this doctrine as like as two peas; for says he, "The servant of the Lord must not wrangle, but must be mild towards ALL men, apt to teach, patient, with modesty admonishing them that resist the truth." (2 Tim. ii. 24, 25.) Now, I put it to your Reverence's own breast, was your Reverence either mild, modest, or merciful towards me, when you cursed, damned, and ballyragged me from your altar? Sure, your Reverence, if I was in error, it was yourself that should have first told me my fault in private, and then admonished me with all modesty ; but no! your Reverence-you did no such thing; sure then a man with only one eye, can't help seeing that in my case, your Honour did not show yourself to be a real successor of St. Peter or St. Paul. I hear also, that your Reverence was pleased to jeer and mock at me,

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*It will be seen that this and other quotations from Scripture, are made verbatim from the authorized English version, though in substance agreeable thereto.-ED.

about my poverty, and to say that if I had come to you you would have given me something to keep me from starving; ah! your Reverence, sure you must have been only humbugging the neighbours, for sure your Honour can't but know that Father Carty refused plump to hear my confession last summer, until I paid him the sum of seven and sixpence; and not a bit richer was I then than I am now; but any how your Honour and all the parishioners know well, that the Church holds-that that man will be damned to all eternity that does not make confession to the clergy. Oh! then it was yourself and Father Carty that had a power of pity and tenderness on my poor soulwhen betwixt yees both, you would let me be damned to all eternity for the filthy lucre of seven and sixpence!! But let me tell your Honour, that the first Bishop and Pope of Rome, Saint Peter, taught no such doctrine as that; he nor his master Christ before him, never taught, that the salvation of any sinner's soul, let alone mine-depended on the payment of money-no, no! our blessed Lord saith, by the mouth of the Prophet Isaiah, "Come unto me, every one that thirsteth, and ye that have no MONEY-come buy and eat, yea come buy wine and milk, without money and without price." (Isaiah lv. 1.) What was his command to the apostles? "Freely ye have received-freely give.' And what said the blessed St. Peter, to that notorious heretic, Simon Magus? 'Keep thy money to thyself to perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money." (Acts viii. 20.) And again, says he, "knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things as gold or silver, from your vain conversation of the tradition of your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb unspotted and undefiled." (1 Pet. i. 18, 19.) I hope now, that I have settled that point to your Honour's satisfaction. Your Reverence, I hear, is also mighty angry with me for going to Castletown Church; will your Honour hear me out, till I ell you the reason why; troth then, I go there just because it is written,

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"Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth from the mouth of God." (Matt. iv. 4.) Now, your Reverence, St. Peter backs that mighty strong, for says he, "As new-born babes desire the rational milk of the Word, without guile, that thereby you may grow unto salvation." (1 Peter ii. 2.) Now, sure your Reverence knows, and all the parishioners too, that not one of us poor ignorant men can understand one word good, bad, nor indifferent, that your Honour says, for it is all Latin entirely, barring the screed of cursing and abuse, that you do give in the sermon sometimes to those that vex you, by not paying their dues. Now St. Peter says that we should "call no man common or unclean." (Acts x. 28.) And also, that in every nation, HE that feareth God and worketh justice is acceptable to him," be that man priest or be he parson. (Acts x. 35.) "God is no respecter of persons;" handsome is, that handsome does; God's blessed Word is the same, no matter out of whose mouth it comes, no matter whether it be read in chapel or in church. To speak out plain then-the reason why, your Honour,

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I

go to the church is, because I hear the prayers and the Word of God read in a language that I can understand, according to the instructions of St. Paul, who says, "If the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself unto the battle?" so likewise YOU, except you utter by the tongue plain speech, how shall it be known what is said, "for you shall be speaking unto the air?" (Cor. xiv. 8, 9.) Now, your Reverence, if I am hungering and starving for the Bread of Life, and cannot get it at the bakery, sure it is but small blame for me to look for it at the hucksters, and that when I can get it for nothing too.

Now, your Reverence, give me leave to tell you, that though I am a poor-a very poor man (not the worse, however, for that, in the sight of the good PRIEST Jesus, for God's only Son had not where to lay his head; he preached to the poor, and healed them without cost or charge,)—give me leave, I say, to tell you, that when you are angry with your brother without a cause; when you curse, abuse, and

hold up a poor unoffending creature to be beat to mummy by the ruffians of the country, you are guilty of murder in the sight of God. Now, your Reverence, don't be telling the people that you have a right to curse or excommunicate me for reading or hearing God's Word; or for what is worse in your eyes, being too poor to pay you my dues; I tell your Honour, most humbly, that you have no right to do so; if I was a fornicator, or covetous, or a server of idols, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner, then no doubt you would have a right and power to visit me with the chastisements of the Church; but your Reverence knows well I am given to none of these practices, though God forgive me for saying it, some of your own greatest pets and favourites in this parish are of that sort; but never a blast you let out against them at all -Oh! no indeed, but it's nothing but the top of the morning to the likes of them.

Now I humbly beseech your Honour, to pardon this great freedom that I have taken, and praying Almighty God on my bended knees, that he will shower down as many blessings on your Reverence, as you heaped curses on me, and hoping that he will soften your heart, and bless you by turning you away from your sins,

I remain,

Your faithful humble Servant, JOHN REED, Irish Reader. Castletown, April, 1840.

HAPPY DELIVERANCE FROM

PAPAL BONDAGE.

We have been informed by Signor Ciocci, the author of "Iniquities and Barbarities of the Church of Rome in the Nineteenth Century,' that the Rev. Dr. Camillo Mapei, lately a priest and canon in the city of Rome, has recently left the Romish Church and has been married to an English lady at Liverpool. We learn also from the same gentleman that the Rev. Mr. Crespi, until lately a Capuchin monk and missionary of the Propaganda at Rome (to which office he was appointed by the present Pope,

poor

Gregory XVI.), has recently arrived in England, and is now zealously engaged as a Protestant missionary among the poor Italians in London. Mr. Ciocci has informed us also that Mr. Valci, not long since a member of the Church of Rome, who during three months has been suffering in a Sardinian dungeon, into which he was cast for distributing Protestant tracts, has just made his escape to this country. The last two gentlemen are co-operating with Mr. C. in his efforts to ameliorate the condition of his countrymen in this kingdom. Those who, like Mr. C. and his friends, are so well acquainted with the mysteries of the iniquitous Papal system, and who have experienced in their own persons the infliction of its cruelties, and in the gracious providence of Almighty God have been brought "out of Rome," require no urging to a continual warfare against that apostate Church. Why are Protestants, alas! so lukewarm? Must we have a taste of Rome's cruelties before we arise and protest against her abominations, and cast the "accursed thing" out of the camp?

MISCELLANEOUS.

DANGERS OVERCOME.-I have been frequently surprised that I experienced no insult and ill treatment from the people whose superstitions I was thus attacking; but I really experienced none, and am inclined to believe that the utter fearlessness which I displayed, trusting in the protection of the Almighty, may have been the cause. When threatened by danger, the best policy is to fix your eye steadily upon it, and it will in general vanish like the morning mist before the sun; whereas, if you quail before it, it is sure to become more imminent. -Borrow's Bible in Spain, Vol. I. p. 51.

A GOOD CONSCIENCE.-A good conscience is better than two witnesses. It will dispel thy fears, as the sun dissolves the ice; it is a staff when thou art weary, a spring when thou art thirsty, a screen when the sun burns thee, a pillow in death.

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