scenes must be enacted that the barest outline invests the column of a modern newspaper with the aspect of some harrowing romance of the olden time. Here we have, on no anonymous authority, but under the signature of a trustworthy witness, the particulars of the torture applied to the trembling bodies of aged men to force them into a confession of having not merely murdered a Popish monk, but taken his blood to mingle with their unleavened bread in the Passover!! The ravings of their delirious brain, maddened by torture, are there taken down as confessions; and on the strength of such evidence the persecution rages unrestrained. A sickly young lad is tortured in his mother's presence, until his shrieks extort from her the frantic acknowledgement of her husband's place of concealment, that he too may be scourged and wrenched to death. The French Consul, (St. Bartholomew must be forced up in remembrance too, it seems,) the French Consul, another French ex-agent, and Father Justi, a French Lazarist, are the prime movers in this horrible business: concerning the latter, the narrator uses this very remarkable expression, he "seemed inclined to avenge on the Jews the death of his DIVINE MASTER, who, doubtless, pardoned them." The day is coming when the "hail Master" of Babylon the Great shall no longer insult her betrayed Lord, or wound the ears of His people. Sixty-three young children of the Jews were thrown into prison by these devout persecutors. M. Merlato, the Austrian Consul, writes, "The Israelites of this town have suffered torments which can be supported without a terrible reaction only by these Parias of the globe:" and again, “I am not able to bear the sight of these atrocious proceedings, in which the French Consul takes so active a part, and which are privately instigated by the Latin Monks and a few Monks of the country, seconded as they are by the fanaticism of a blind multitude, which believes its zeal to be a proof of Christianism!"

In this lies the gist of the whole matter: the master sin of Popery consists not in practising such cruelties as always belonged to idolatrous systems, and which passed to her along with the concominants of paganism in Rome; it is that she, being in herself an aggregate of heathenisms of the very worst stamp, palms herself off upon Jews, Turks, and Infidels as the Spouse of Christ; thereby bringing on the holy name of our glorious Redeemer the scandal that her abominable and inhuman practices occasion. It is that the wicked one, the man of sin, whom God has declared that He will consume with the breath of his mouth and destroy with the brightness of his coming, usurps the authority of the Most High, for that "he as God, sitteth in the temple of God." It is thus that by a process of silent poisoning, Popery has destroyed myriads of souls, whom she deluded into the belief of her being Christianity, and so taught them to abhor it for her sake: but now in a drunken freak she has openly drawn the VOE. I.-June 1840.

M

sword again, and made her first blow fall on the people to whom God has declared over and over again "cursed is he that curseth thee." Ere long, we too shall try the temper of her blade, for we stand within the range of its sweeping circle, and are drawing each day nearer to her hand. In the present instance, England, as represented in the East by her accredited envoys and agents, looked calmly on, offering no obstruction—no not even a remonstrance-in the way of the French and Latin murderers. It augurs ill for England; and adds another to the many emphatic calls on our Protestant people to shew themselves openly on the Lord's side independent alike of human opinion and of human authority.

Do we ask for illustrations of unchanged Popery? Look at DAMASCUS.

GREAT PROTESTANT MEETING IN LONDON,

ON THE EDUCATION QUESTION.

It is proposed (D.v.) to hold a Protestant Meeting in Exeter Hall, on Wednesday the 3rd day of June next, to petition Parliament against a renewal of the Education Grant of last year, and to address Her Majesty, that she may be pleased to put an end to the existence of that Spiritual Star-Chamber, the Privy Council Committee, erected for the subversion of our National Church, and for the advancement of Popish and Infidel purposes. We trust that the Church of England and the National School Society will continue firm in their resistance to the grant. It is greatly to the honour of the Wesleyan Methodists, as a body, that they have on principle refused to accept the smallest portion of a sum designed to promote such Anti-christian and unhallowed ends. It is reported that Government are willing to concede the right of Inspectorship to the Bishops of the Church of England. But even if this were done, the root of the evil, the Board itself, would still continue to exist. And that Board would still have the power of propagating the principles of Popery and Infidelity by the application for these ends of the public revenue of a Christian State. Will Englishmen tamely stand by and behold such impious proceedings with indifference? Will they see too without petition or remonstrance, the great constitutional guardians of the State, the House of Peers, deprived of the exercise of their legislative rights, in a matter of such vital importance to the religion of the country? We trust that a

densely crowded meeting, like that on the day of the anniversary, will give an indignant denial to the supposition. Lord Winchelsea has promised (D.V.) to take the Chair, and Lord Kenyon to honour the meeting with his presence.

A similar meeting is intended to be held at Cheltenham, and we hope the example will be universally followed throughout the kingdom.

POETRY.

FOR THE ACCESSION OF QUEEN VICTORIA, JUNE 20TH.

OUR PROTESTANT QUEEN.

(For the Protestant Magazine.)

When Papists are loudly of treason accusing,
And careless and creedless re-echo the cry,
Shall Protestants rest 'neath the stigma, refusing
To rise and defend their impeach'd loyalty?
Be the calumny calmly but fearlessly met-
Disloyal they CALL US-too faithful they MEAN,
For, while dangers beset,

'Tis our boast to have yet

For our love and allegiance a PROTESTANT QUEEN.

Long life to our Queen; may she think of the story,
That tells whence her claim to allegiance springs!
While we in the deeds of our forefathers glory,

And hail the fair daughter of Protestant kings:
Not her-her false friends our just anger would brand
Who basely abusing her name, as their screen,

From the woes of our land

Selfish objects have planned,

And betray'd while they fawn'd on our PROTESTANT QUEEN !

Let democrats vaunt in the new-found possession

Of loyalty,-Papists supremacy own,

Our faith is secure without hollow profession,
As firm as the title that pillars her throne;
We pray for the Prince her affection has grac’d;
Her hearth as her empire be blest and serene !
But ne'er be effac'd

The great doctrines that plac'd

On the throne of Old England a PROTESTANT QUEEN !

Our chivalry, waken'd by youth, sex, and beauty,

With eager affection the summons has heard:

And where is the patriot will shrink from his duty,

When call'd by the grandchild of good George the Third? She is dear to our hearts as the chief to his clan, When the trial arrives our true faith shall be seen,

Then each Protestant man

Shall be found in the van

Of the champions that fight for a PROTESTANT QUEEN.

Our Sov'reign is dear-but from her we'll not sever
Our Church and our State ;—but in loyalty join
A love for that cause, which has hallow'd for ever
The bulwarks of Derry, the red stream of Boyne ;
It has rais'd us to glory, and we would maintain
The fabric on which Heaven's blessing has been,
And oh! may it gain

New support in the reign

(Which God prosper and bless) of our PROTESTANT QUEEN.

G. H.

PROCEEDINGS AT THE ANNUAL MEETING OF THE PROTESTANT ASSOCIATION.

THE Fifth Annual Meeting of the members of the Protestant Association was held on Wednesday, the 13th inst., in the Great Room, Exeter Hall, which spacious apartment, long before the hour for commencing the proceedings, was literally crammed. The audience was highly respectable, and the platform was crowded with gentlemen, lay and clerical, of influence and worth. After prayers by the Rev. A. S. THELWALL,

The Earl of WINCHELSEA (who, on the motion of Mr. Hardy, seconded by Mr. Plumptre, M.P., had been unanimously voted to the chair) rose to address the Assembly, and was received with warm and repeated applause. He said, that though he was fully sensible, and highly prized the very distinguished honour conferred upon him, he sincerely wished the chair had been occupied by one more gifted with talents and eloquence than he possessed, and whose voice might have aroused the dormant spirit of Protestant England, and awakened her to behold the ark of her God surrendered by (the Infidel he was going to say) the nominal Protestant rulers of our land (loud cheers) into the hands of Popery and Infidelity. (Cheers.) Protestant England! It was but the mere shadow of the name which she now bore. (Hear, hear.) We had indeed renounced that high name which had distinguished us above all nations; which was the brightest gem in our national character; and which, through the blessing of God, had made us the greatest, the happiest, and freest people that ever lived on this earth; which had brought down upon us blessings innumerable and incalculable, and raised our country to a moral greatness which made her the envy and the admiration of surrounding nations. ("Hear," and applause.) It was for the restoration of our Protestant principles, as connected with the civil institutions of our country, that they had united themselves, and not to promote party views of any particular body of men (cheers), for they were indifferent as to whom the Government was intrusted, unless our Protestant Constitution, in Church and State, were upheld and maintained. (Loud cheers.) England, indeed, had solved that political problem, "What is the foundation of true liberty, whether civil or religious?" The Bible, and the Bible alone. (Hear, hear.) While we adhered to the ordinances, and statutes, and religion of our God, he prospered us; but, having abandoned them, and with feelings of false liberality admitted those into the Legislature who denied those doctrines and principles which established the Reformation in our land, we were now beginning to feel the scourge of Popery, which we had brought upon ourselves. (Hear.) It was wrttten in the past history of our country, in language which all might read and clearly understand, that in every reign where Protestant principles had been truly upheld, God had blessed us with national prosperity. (Cheers.) On the other hand, we had only to refer to our own days for the reverse

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of the picture. (Hear.) We had seen Government established solely on the principle of what was called religious equality, but which, he contended, was founded on no religious equality at all (hear); for the intolerant spirit of the Church of Rome never would, never could consistently concede to us an equality either of civil or religious liberty. (Loud cries of " Hear, hear.") The Noble Earl then commented upon the concessions of the British Legislature to Popery, and proceeded to observe that we had lived to see most fearful times (hear hear) when the great principles on which our prosperity was founded were placed in imminent peril (hear, hear); but he was convinced there was a spirit abroad that would successfuly resist the active encroachments of the Church of Rome. (Cheers.) Protestant England, he hoped, she would become again. (Cheers.) We would not surrender into the hands of Popery that religion which had been bequeathed to us by our forefathers as the most sacred inheritance, which had proved the foundation of all that was dear to us, and which, through the blessing of God, we would transmit unimpaired to our posterity. (Cheers.) He would maintain, now that the mask was thrown off, and the destruction of our Protestant system of religion openly avowed by Popery, that there was but one course for Protestant England to take, and that was day by day, to insist on the repeal of the fatal Act of 1829. (Immense cheers.) He was convinced there would be no peace or tranquillity for England till that measure was repealed. (Loud cheers,) He gave full credit to the members of the Church of Rome for the sincerity of their professions of hostility to the Church of England; and he could most conscientiously say, that if he were a member of the Romish Church he would use the power conferred upon him by that Act to effect those purposes which the members of that Church were now so actively endeavouring to effect. (Hear, hear.) If we reflected on the present condition of our country we could not doubt that a judicial blindness had fallen on our land, which, if not speedily remedied, would lead to judicial retribution. (Hear.) We had, indeed, only to look to what had been God's dealings with nations, and he would call upon all who heard him, and felt that national sins would bring down national judgments, to remember and reflect upon those warning words which by Moses were spoken to the people of Israel :- "Beware that thou forget not the Lord thy God, in not keeping his commandments, and his judgments, and his statutes, which I command thee this day; lest when thou hast eaten and art full, and hast built goodly houses and dwelt therein; and when thy herds and thy flocks multiply, and thy silver and thy gold is multiplied, and all that thou hast is multiplied; then thine heart be lifted up, and thou forget the Lord thy God, which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage; and thou say in thine heart, My power and the might of mine hand hath gotten me this wealth. And it shall be, if thou do at all forget the Lord thy God, and walk after other gods and serve them and worship them, I testify against you this day that ye shall surely perish. As the nations which the Lord destroyeth before your face, so shall ye perish because ye would not be obedient unto the voice of the Lord your God." (Emphatic and repeated cries of "Hear, hear.") The Noble Earl resumed his seat amidst general applause.