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of devils." 1 Timothy, iv. 1. No, no, they are playing a deeper game; having done their best to run down Mr. McGhee and Mr. McNeile, they want to crush Mr. Stowell. They have felt his force, and they now desire to restrain or destroy him. But He who is for him, is stronger than they who are against him. Mr. Stowell we trust and believe knows well what is their purpose, and knows also that such assaults are what he must expect when the Papists become exasperated by the force and truth of his denunciations, and the faithfulness of his exposures. Doubtless before he embarked in the great war against their awful system, he counted the cost; and now therefore we bid him "go forward" nothing daunted, and go forward we feel sure, by God's grace, he will, knowing well that thousands who before him have trod the path of sound Protestantism have endured far more, because formerly the Papists had more power-have perished on the scaffold, have died in the Inquisition, have tottered to the stake, have endured hunger and cold and nakedness, the loss of all earthly things, and the sum of all imaginable agonies, for doing no more than he has done―good service to the cause of truth, and worthy of his high calling as a minister of the gospel, of his character and feelings as an honest friend to his country, and a devoted servant of his God. Mr. Hearne and his confederates much miscalculate if they suppose that there will be one meeting less than was before intended, or one less cogent epithet used to designate the "soul destroying heresy," and the blasphemies, idolatries, crimes, and superstitions of their anti-christian church, "drunken with the blood of the saints." It has often been said, that "the blood of martyrs is the seed of the church;" there is no blood of martyrs yet shed in England by Popery, but there are now going on, and there will perhaps increase, other persecutions; and we do therefore earnestly but humbly implore our Almighty God for the sake of Him who is our High Priest and Advocate for ever, that those who endure them may be faithful to His cause, and that many viewing that faith and their meekness and patience, may be led out of error into truth, and be turned by the might of the Spirit, from disobedience unto the wisdom of the just, and from the power of Satan unto God! Amen.

POPISH BREACHES OF THE LAW.

It is well known that in some cases Popish High Sheriffs have as such in the full insignia of office, proceeded before the opening of the Assizes in great state, not with the Judge to church, but to mass, with a priest officiating and parading himself publicly. as Sheriff's chaplain; that Popish Bishops and Archbishops have

assumed the title of Bishops of the Protestant church; that foreign Jesuits have in considerable numbers come to England since 1829; and that other Jesuits have abstained from registering their names in the proper manner; and that in many cases there have been public processions of Popish priests, and the public administration of Popish rites and ceremonies. We have frequently been asked if such things are illegal; and we have answered, and now wish to state publicly that they certainly are. The "Act for the Relief of His Majesty's Roman Catholic Subjects," passed in 1829, (commonly called the Emancipation Act, or in legal language the 10 of George 4, chapter 7,) contains the following sections:

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"XXIV. And whereas the Protestant Episcopal Church of England "and Ireland, and the Doctrine, Discipline, and Government thereof, "and likewise the Protestant Presbyterian Church of Scotland, and "the Doctrine, Discipline, and Government thereof, are by the respec"tive Acts of Union of England and Scotland, and of Great Britain "and Ireland, established permanently and inviolably: And whereas "the Right and Title of Archbishops to their respective Provinces, of Bishops to their Sees, and of Deans to their Deaneries, as well in England as in Ireland, have been settled and established by Law; "be it therefore enacted, That if any Person, after the Commencement "of this Act, other than the Person thereunto authorized by Law, shall 16 assume or use the Name, Style, or Title of Archbishop of any Pro"vince, Bishop of any Bishoprick, or Dean of any Deanery, in England “or Ireland, he shall for every such Offence forfeit and pay the Sum "of One hundred Pounds."

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"XXV. And be it further enacted, That if any Person holding any "Judicial or Civil Office, or any Mayor, Provost, Jurat, Bailiff, or "other Corporate Officer, shall, after the Commencement of this Act, "resort to or be present at any Place or public Meeting for Religious "Worship in England or in Ireland, other than that of the United "Church of England and Ireland, or in Scotland, other than that of "the Church of Scotland, as by Law established, in the Robe, Gown, or other peculiar Habit of his Office, or attend with the Ensign or "Insignia, or any Part thereof, of or belonging to such his Office, such "Person shall, being thereof convicted by due Course of Law, forfeit "such Office, and pay for every such Offence the Sum of One hundred "Pounds."

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"XXVI. And be it further enacted, That if any Roman Catholic "Ecclesiastic, or any Member of any of the Orders, Communities, or "Societies herein-after mentioned, shall, after the Commencement of "this Act, exercise any of the Rites or Ceremonies of the Roman "Catholic Religion, or wear the Habits of his Order, save within the "usual Places of Worship of the Roman Catholic Religion, or in pri"vate Houses, such Ecclesiastic or other Person shall, being thereof "convicted by due Course of Law, forfeit for every such Offence the "Sum of Fifty Pounds."

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"XXVIII. And whereas Jesuits, and Members of other Religious "Orders, Communities, or Societies of the Church of Rome, bound by "Monastic or Religious Vows, are resident within the United King"dom; and it is expedient to make Provision for the gradual Suppres❝sion and final Prohibition of the same therein; be it therefore enacted, "That every Jesuit, and every Member of any other Religious Order, "Community, or Society of the Church of Rome, bound by Monastic or Religious Vows, who at the Time of the Commencement of this "Act shall be within the United Kingdom, shall, within Six Calendar "Months after the Commencement of this Act, deliver to the Clerk of "the Peace of the County or Place where such Person shall reside, or "to his Deputy, a Notice or Statement, in the Form and containing "the Particulars required to be set forth in the Schedule to this Act "annexed; which Notice or Statement such Clerk of the Peace, or his "Deputy, shall preserve and register amongst the Records of such "County or Place, without any Fee, and shall forthwith transmit a "Copy of such Notice or Statement to the Chief Secretary of the Lord "Lieutenant, or other Chief Governor or Governors of Ireland, if such "Person shall reside in Ireland, or if in Great Britain, to One of "His Majesty's Principal Secretaries of State; and in case any Person "shall offend in the Premises, he shall forfeit and pay to His Majesty, "for every Calendar Month during which he shall remain in the United Kingdom without having delivered such Notice or Statement as is "herein-before required, the Sum of Fifty Pounds."

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“XXIX. And be it further enacted, That if any Jesuit, or Member "of any such Religious Order, Community, or Society as aforesaid, "shall, after the Commencement of this Act, come into this Realm, he "shall be deemed and taken to be guilty of a Misdemeanor, and being "thereof lawfully convicted, shall be sentenced and ordered to be ba"nished from the United Kingdom for the Term of his natural Life." "XXX. Provided always, and be it further enacted, That in case any natural-born Subject of this Realm, being at the Time of the "Commencement of this Act a Jesuit, or other Member of any such "Religious Order, Community, or Society as aforesaid, shall, at the "Time of the Commencement of this Act, be out of the Realm, it shall "be lawful for such Person to return or to come into this Realm; and upon such his Return or coming into the Realm he is hereby re"quired, within the Space of Six Calendar Months after his first re"turning or coming into the United Kingdom, to deliver such Notice or Statement to the Clerk of the Peace of the County or Place where “he shall reside, or his Deputy, for the Purpose of being so registered "and transmitted, as herein-before directed; and in case any such "Person shall neglect or refuse so to do, he shall for such Offence "forfeit and pay to His Majesty, for every Calender Month during "which he shall remain in the United Kingdom without having deli"vered such Notice or Statement, the Sum of Fifty Pounds."

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The 31st section however authorizes the principal Secretaries of State to grant and revoke special licenses to Jesuits to come into the kingdom and to remain six calendar months, and these

licenses, it is provided by the 32nd section, must be laid before Parliament.

So far the law against Popery is very strong, but the 38th section unfortunately thus provides for the recovery of the penalties:

"XXXVIII. And be it further enacted, That all Penalties imposed "by this Act shall and may be recovered as a Debt due to His Majesty, "by Information to be filed in the Name of His Majesty's Attorney "General for England or for Ireland, as the Case may be, in the "Courts of Exchequer in England or Ireland respectively, or in the "Name of His Majesty's Advocate General in the Court of Exchequer " in Scotland."

No private body or person therefore can sue the Popish offenders against the law as enacted in the above-mentioned statutes, and the present Government, notwithstanding the many, the frequent recurrence of offences, has not only abstained from prosecuting for the penalties, but also on one occasion by the mouth of Lord Melbourne, in answer to a question from Lord Lorton, publicly refused to interfere.

What then must be done? Something, surely; for if things proceed much further as they are now going on, we shall probably before long have the host paraded in the streets, and multitudes publicly committing idolatry in bowing down to it, and so calling down on the land the fearful but righteous judgments of the Almighty. Already through the force of carnal expediency, British soldiers in Malta are compelled to salute the host, and in India (o proh pudor!) to salute the images of the heathen; and such is the growing tenderness for Popery in this land, that really we should not be surprised if hereafter, out of regard to Popish consciences, Protestants (at least in Ireland) were compelled to act likewise. We recommend our friends therefore to be up and stirring in this matter. Whenever a breach of the law as contained in the preceding sections comes to their knowledge, we advise them to write to the Secretary of the Home Department, stating the facts, and referring to the law, and respectfully suggesting that it ought to be enforced. This would at any rate leave the Government without excuse; and if the correspondence in all such cases were published, it might do much to awaken careless Protestants to a conviction of the Popish principles of their rulers, and of the presumption and defiance of law displayed by the Papists who now affect so much moderation and loyalty. And in thus acting sincere Protestants will show themselves to be worthy of their name, and will by these Protests clear their own consciences and warn their deluded fellow-countrymen.

KING JAMES II. AT WORCESTER IN 1687.

SPEECH OF A PROTESTANT MAYOR-CONDUCT OF A PROTESTANT

BISHOP.

FROM a MS. Life of Bishop Thomas, in the possession of George Wingfield, Esq., son of Elizabeth Thomas, great granddaughter of the said Bishop: extracted by the Rev. Dr. Nash, author of the History of Worcestershire, 1782.

"August 23, 1687.-King James 2d came from Gloucester to Worcester; he was entertained by the Bishop at his palace, and welcomed by him to the city in a short Latin speech: his Majesty walked upon a large piece of white broad cloth of the manufacture of the city, all strewed with flowers, which reached from the palace gate to the stairs leading up to the great hall, and as he went up he said, 'My Lord, this looks like Whitehall:* having refreshed himself after his journey, he went just to see the Cathedral, the Dean attending his Majesty all along to the college gate, from whence he went to see the curiosities of the town, and among the rest was shewn where the battle was fought between the rebel Oliver and his royal brother. The next morning, being the Feast of St. Bartholomew, his Majesty went to hear mass at the Popish chapel (built at his accession to the crown) in the Foregate street, attended by the Mayor and Aldermen, whom, when they came to the gate of the chapel, his Majesty asked if they would not go in with him, upon which the Mayor replied " (either Thomas Bearcroft or Thomas Sherwin, Esq.), "I think we have attended your. Majesty too far already.' He then with the Protestants who attended his train returned to the College church; where when divine service was ended the Bishop waited on his Majesty till dinner came in, and the meat being set on the table, he offered to say grace; upon which his Majesty was pleased to tell him, he would spare him that trouble, for he had there a chaplain of his own; upon which the good old man withdrew, not without tears in his eyes.”

Dr. Nash (vol. 11. Appendix, p. clxi) observes:

"This worthy magistrate, who preferred his religion, and duty to his country, to every other consideration, should have his name recorded in letters of gold: I have taken some pains to find out who it was, and believe it to be either Thomas Bearcroft or Thomas Sherwin; the former was elected by the new charter, the latter by the old charter restored."

THE CHURCH OF ROME NOT A CHRISTIAN CHURCH.

THE Church of Rome assumes to be the Catholic Church; but our reformers refused to recognize her as even a portion of the

* Whitehall was the residence of our kings from the time of Henry VIII. till 1697, when it was almost wholly destroyed by fire.

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