YOUGHALL PROTESTANT OPERATIVE ASSOCIATION AND REFORMATION SOCIETY.

THE following is the Third Report of the Youghall Protestant Operative Association and Reformation Society, adopted at its third Annual Meeting, held in the Lecture-room, on the evening of Thursday, the 9th day of January, 1845; the Rev. PIERCE WM.

DREW in the Chair.

At the close of another eventful year, your Committee in coming before their fellow-Protestants to surrender their charge and submit a brief detail of the operations and progress of the Society, feel no little pleasure in being enabled to announce that its practical usefulness has continued to advance, and that they may still claim on its behalf a share of the public confidence and support. Humbly grateful to Almighty God for the many blessings and privileges received and enjoyed heretofore, they would now desire to offer up their

VOL. VII.

hearty, fervent, and united prayers for his continued counsel, care, and direction, seeking to realize his promise, "That where two or three are met together in his name, there will He be in the midst of them." Your Committee feel it to be their duty again to set forth the principles and objects of the Society, that it may not be misinterpreted or misunderstood. Those objects are the promotion and defence of the truth. First, the promotion of the truth, not by factiously opposing those who conscientiously differ from us, nor by exciting the mistaken prejudices or angry passions of our fellow-countrymen who may hold opinions contrary to our own, but rather by endeavouring to draw with the tender cords of love and of affection, those who have the strongest claim upon our sympathies and kind feelings, those who are our brethren and fellow-subjects, those who we feel are with a hard and despotic rigour kept from the enlightening influences of God's holy will and Word, and to whom we would say in accents of honest and of faithful sincerity, "Cast away from you the cunningly devised

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fables of man, and learn with us the simple story of the Gospel." Second, the defence of the truth, by uniting Protestants of every denomination, who hold the common faith, and serve not tables, in closer bonds of fellowship, by linking together Protestants of high and of low degree, who feel that they have a common interest at stake, by supporting the weak-minded and arousing the apathetic, that with concentrated effort, successful opposition may be maintained against the fierce onslaughts which are, day by day, more openly directed to break down the bulwarks of our most holy faith, to overthrow our civil and religious institutions, and above all to mingle strange corruptions with the pure and simple truths of the Gospel. They would, therefore, seek renewed and increased support from all who love and who value their privileges, that they may "strengthen the things which yet remain," and contend still more earnestly for "the faith once delivered to the saints." In reviewing the political events of the past year, your Committee feel, that while on the one hand there is much to alarm, dishearten, and dismay-on the other, there is much also to cheer, inspirit, and encourage. What, though, in high places, treachery and worldly expediency have stood opposed to principle and to honesty, and seemed to be but too successful in the encounter, still, we are led thereby to lay this truth more seriously to heart, that "it is vain to put any confidence in man,' but, that in the Lord Jehovah there is everlasting strength." What, though, in our own land, the hand of power has strove to crush the commemoration of those victories which our forefathers achieved, winning for us the high and holy privileges we yet enjoy, still, the attempt has but recoiled upon the heads of those who undertook so vain a task.

The memory of those glorious eras is engraven still more fixedly within the breasts of the brave sons of the north, and those who were sought to be made the victims of this undue and uncalled for exercise of authority stand forth more honoured, respected, and beloved, greeted with the applauses of their collected brethren,

from the noblesse even to the humble peasant, and bearing into private life the happy consciousness of having honestly performed their duties "to their faith, their country, and their Queen." What, though, in our sister country the pernicious influences of Tractarianism have been more fully manifested, many "have made shipwreck of the faith," and have believed a lie, who should have been faithful shepherds of the flock, still, a closer bond of union has been effected between Christian men of every denomination, many differences have been accommodated, and a bolder stand than ever may be expected from the unflinching advocates of truth. Although the system which is the bane of our land has been cherished by our rulers, and, by a permanent endowment, has been grafted into the Constitution of our Protestant State, still the right feeling of Britain has been excited; Protestant England has aroused from her lethargy. The petitions of more than a million of her sons have spoken to the Senate in a tone not to be subdued, and through the length and through the breadth of our coasts the mighty voice has gone forth, "that Popery shall have no dominion over us.' Although "a gigantic scheme of godless education has been forced upon our country, and the cause of Scriptural education has been again refused the countenance and support of a Government professedly Protestant; still, the pastors of our faith, refusing alike the blandishments of courtly favour, as well as undismayed by the cold frown of discouragement, have, as a body, refused to connect themselves with any system of education, not based upon the records of eternal truth; and, acting under their guidance, the Protestants of Ireland have declared, that while they seek for their little ones the great advantages of secular education, they more earnestly desire to have them taught the saving truths of that Gospel which is able to make them wise unto eternal life. Your Society, during. the year, has entered its strong protest against the endowment to Maynooth, and it is with heartfelt pleasure that your Committee have seen that petitions have been forwarded from

the various Protestant denominations of the town and from the neighbouring parishes. The Society has also by its deputations assisted at the AntiMaynooth Conferences, and, although no successful issue has as yet attended their labours, they trust that God will in his own good time answer the prayers of his faithful and devoted servants. Your Committee feel it their duty thus publicly to record their grateful sense of the extreme kindness of the Right Hon. the Earl of Mountcashel, in having presided at their last demonstration, to Richard Smyth, Esq., J. P. D. L., as well as the clergy and gentry, who also assisted and gave their weight and influence to the proceedings, and especially to the Rev. Thomas Nolan, of Liverpool, for his powerful and convincing appeal on the same occasion. Your Committee have been active at the registration of Parliamentary electors for the borough, and feel pleasure in being enabled to announce, that through their exertions a small majority of Protestants have been this year registered, but regret to add that many Protestants neglect to avail themselves of their franchise, and still decline to come forward in support of those principles which should be dear to every lover of the truth. The numbers of the Society have continued to increase. Besides the more

public lecture on the "Progress of Literature and Civilization," your Committee have seen with much pleasure, that a series of most instructive addresses have been delivered weekly by some members of the Society, which they trust, will be continued; feeling convinced that such efforts are eminently calculated to give a taste for right pursuits, promote study, and improve the mind. The subjects already treated on have been, "Matter and Motion," "The Development of Talent," "Industry,' Self-Improvement, ""Astronomy," "The Improvement of Time," "Gravitation,' "Protestant Truth," and the "Protestant Martyrs," &c. They desire to express their sense of the continued kindness of the proprietors of the "Cork Constitution," and also beg to thank those persons

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who have so kindly contributed books for the library, especially Mrs. Levoyne, and the Rev.

Samuel Hayman. They would press the claims of the Protestant Relief Society upon your kindest consideration, as a Society which extends aid and relief to the poorer brethren "of the household of faith;" - and in conclusion would commend all the great interests of our national Protestantism to your continued sympathy, your warm and energetic support, and your persevering and most fervent prayers; and sincerely do they pray that the members of the various Protestant Associations, throughout this mighty empire may, by the unwavering of their allegiance to the throne, by the godly sincerity and consistency of their lives, by the purity and brightness of their example, by the salutary tendencies of their individual influence upon society, by their unity in the bonds of love and peace, by their chastened yet quenchless zeal for the welfare of their country, and the honour of their Saviour and their God, by their prayerful activity in disseminating sound Christian principles in all their vital integrity, prove an effectual instrument for reviving the Protestant energies of the country, and pervade with all the vitality and spirit of Protestant Christianity the entire mass of the British population.

The reading of the Report was after which, the following Resolureceived with continued cheers; tion was carried by acclamation :

RESOLVED, "That this Meeting feeling convinced that the constitution of the Youghall Protestant Operative Association is eminently useful, pledges itself to continue to it its warmest support."

CRUELTY OF THE INQUISITION AT ROME IN THE PRESENT DAY.

THOSE who have read Mr. Ciocci's book, entitled, "Narrative of Iniquities and Barbarities practised at Rome, in the nineteenth century," will remember that that gentleman escaped from Rome with a passport in the name of his servant, and in the guise of the character which he had assumed. Under the impression that the civil influence of the Papacy ex

tended beyond the Italian States, Mr. C. travelled as Francisco Cesanelli (his servant's name) until he reached England. An Italian priest, at that time resident in London, ascertained at the Custom House, that Mr. Ciocci had landed in this country under the name of "Cesanelli," and immediately transmitted the information to Rome. The servant who had so devoted himself to his master's interests, was immediately arrested and placed in confinement. Mr. Ciocci had caused inquiries to be instituted at Rome, respecting his fate; these although most minute, were unsuccessful. The silence of the iniquitous and terrible Inquisition prevailed; even his wife and children were ignorant of the fate of one so dear to them. The family, after the sale of their few effects, were compelled to betake themselves to a mendicant life in the streets of Rome.

Suddenly, either because pity entered the stony heart of the Inquisition, or else that his given term of imprisonment had expired, Cesanelli was lately cast forth from his dungeon, and found a miserable beggar in the streets of the idolatrous city. All shunned him; no one would employ a man who had been visited with the displeasure of the Inquisition, and who was under the surveillance of the police.

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The account Cesanelli gives of his confinement is, that he was placed in a dungeon under the castle of St. Angelo, twenty feet beneath the surface of the earth. In size it was about six feet square, with a soft, muddy bottom. The only furniture was a table for sleeping on. this gloomy dungeon, worthy of the palmiest days of the Inquisition, fed on bread and water, with a small quantity of meagre soup three times in the week, without a change of linen or clothes, not allowed the privilege of washing or shaving, his hair suffered to grow, not permitted to speak to any one, with an iron ring encircling his waist, and another his right leg, and chained to the wall, in a condition worse than that of a savage beast, Cesanelli was compelled to pass upwards of two years.

Such are the tender mercies of this

cruel and apostate system, at Rome, the seat of its power, the residence of its head and its chief administrators, where, if there is anything that is scriptural, merciful, and good in Popery, we surely might expect to behold their manifestation. But how opposed are all the circumstances connected with this most cruel case to the spirit of the religion of Christ! Mr. Ciocci reads the word of God, the Spirit of the Lord opens the eyes of his understanding, and he embraces the truths of the Gospel; and at once, openly and boldly, with the free spirit of a man and a Christian, declares the change which has taken place in his views. For this straightforward, Christian course, he is persecuted by wicked monks, priests, Jesuits, and cardinals, who thus manifest their hatred of the truth. length, wearied of persecution, and longing for the enjoyment of religious liberty, Ciocci flees from Rome and Italy, which although the land of his birth, the home of his beloved relatives, and endeared to him by every social tie, was nevertheless to him a land of darkness, persecution, and slavery. For simply aiding his master in this act, in which every freeman and every Christian must justify him, Cesanelli was cast into a loathsome dungeon, and underwent all the privations which we have narrated.

At

These acts of persecution have taken place with the knowledge and concurrence of the chief rulers of the Church of Rome. Where, then, are the signs of her change, about which we hear so much in the present day? Are not these facts a practical comment on Rome's apostate articles of faith and her most tyrannical decrees? Review the darkest pages of the anti-Christian dogmas of Popery, glance back over the most cruel and blood-stained annals of her history, and compare them with Popery in the nineteenth century; and, notwithstanding the hypocritical professions of its partisans to the contrary, and the foolish belief of half-informed Protestants, that the Romish hyena is tamed, it must be acknowledged that Popery is Popery still!

MAXIMS.

CHRIST left the cross and went to glory, that you might take it and follow him.

Wait on the Lord, he will supply you; wait for the Lord, he will deliver you.

In doing the Lord's work, we may expect the Lord's smile.

Charity to the soul, is the soul of charity.

Conceit is the high road to shame. A professor who does not fear getting into debt is a very suspicious character, no matter how he may talk.

He that is unwilling to serve God in pain and patience, is unworthy so good a master.

When God smiles and gives, it is " but easy to say, "I love the Lord; to say so when he frowns and smites, is another thing.

Christ has enough for you, if all beside turn their back on you.

A little fruit proves the nature of a tree; but abundance of fruit, its fruitfulness.

If God be your guide, he will be your guard; he always protects whom he leads.

I believe our souls would wither, if the rough wind did not arise to blow the dust from off our branches.

Be always active in God's cause, and passive to his will.

As we exercise faith, it grows. I see the commandment is exceed ing broad, and this makes Christ exceeding precious.

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runs thus: Not a few persons distinguished for piety, have besought us with earnest prayers to grant permission for the solemn festival of a NoChurch of the Jesuits, in order to vena (nine days' service) in the implore from Almighty God the wide spread and happy increase of the Catholic faith in England. The Holy Father has not only listened favourably to this pious request, but furthermore has promised to all the faithful who take an active part in the 300 days for every visit, and a pleceremony, a partial indulgence of nary indulgence to those who attend the Novena, five times at least, it being understood that at the same time such persons are to approach the confessional and Lord's Supper. This nine days' ceremony is to begin at instant, in the church above-named. eleven o'clock, A.M., on the 17th Whether ye look, my brethren, at the great and noble aim in behalf of which your public

Christian

prayers are offered to the Almighty, or whether ye calculate the gain of the holy indulgences, by means of which we may shorten the punishment due to our sins-in either case ye must in every way, to the best of your strength, interest yourselves in the matter, and take part in this pious exercise, by praying the Giver of all good, and the Father of all mercy, that he will pour out over that realm and its inhabitants, his light and those gifts of grace, for obtaining which alone our prayers will be effectual.""-Times, Feb. 6,