Ireland, and one of the Roman Catholic noblemen in England. The bishop is violent-ultra violent, breathing forth fire and fury. The nobleman is trying to appease the prelatic wrath. The Pope steps in-speaks a word, and all is quiet. He turns round and says, 'See how I can govern Ireland for you-see how I can pacify your agitators-see what I can do for the preservation of the integrity of the empire.' You hear it already said that, by means of this intercourse, everything goes on quietly. If his Holiness lifts his little finger, Ireland is quiet. If he hold it down, however, it is up again. Dr. M'Hale may speak out as he chooses, and another O'Connell may rise to-morrow, but his Holiness will keep them in order. And is it really come to this, that this great empire is to consent in this way to be at the mercy of that foreign ecclesiastic, who, call him as you may the 'Sovereign of the Roman States,' is yet the doomed Man of Sin, according to the Word of God-the impersonation of Antichrist? It is sheer, drivelling folly, talking about an alliance with the Pope being an alliance with a man who, in addition to his temporal sovereignty, happens to hold an ecclesiastical character. What is his ecclesiastical character? What is he? I

will not divide him—I cannot divide him. I will not grasp his right hand as Sovereign of the Roman States,'

and disown his left hand as the 'Sovereign Pontiff' -as Antichrist, the man of sin. I know him as he is. I speak

not of the man, but of the office. I cannot analyze him. I cannot break his mind and body into two. I cannot see one half of his head as the Roman

Pontiff, and the other half of his head Pontiff, and the other half of his head

In

I

as the head of the Italian States. I cannot clasp him on the one side, but dare not touch him on the other. this sense it is pre-eminently true that, if we touch him on the one side, he will turn to us the other side also. know him but as the Pope-I know him but as the enemy of Christ-I know him but as the antagonist of his Gospel-I know him as the suppresser of the Bible-I know him as the burner of heretics-I know him as the deposer of princes-I know him as giving dispensation from the oath of allegiance

I know him as putting down and raising up the kings of the earth— I know him as cursing my beloved Queen from the altar-I know him in these characters-I refuse to know him in any character separate from these; and I say, that the nation is bound to refuse to own him in any character separate from these. He is not a friend to be embraced-not a babe to be fondled, but a giant power rising, as if refreshed with wine, from a long sleep-a giant power that is at this moment threatening the liberties of Europe with all his show of liberalism more than ever he did, I believe, since he sat on the seven Italian hills."

Without endorsing, to the fullest extent, the sentiments of the speaker, we can cordially recommend these eloquent thoughts to the attention of our readers.—Morning Herald, Feb. 29, 1848.

MISCELLANEOUS.

PURGATORY is a profitable toll-house, established between heaven and hell, of which the Pope keeps the key; and punishment for bribes. like an iniquitous judge commutes

PURGATORY." It is evident that the doctrine of purgatory is of heathen original; that the fire of it is like the thunder of the Vatican, a harmless

thing which no wise man would be

afraid of were it not too often attended with Church thunderbolts, persecu

tions, and massacres; and that it only serves to cheat the simple and ignorant out of their money by giving them bills of exchange upon the other world for cash paid in this without any danger of the bills returning protested. Meagher's Popish Mass.

CABINET.

PRAYER is the breath of the soul.

The soul can no more live without prayer, than the natural body without breath.

The sun is sometimes obscured by clouds; still it shines. And so God is always present, though clouds of doubt may sometimes for a while prevent the believer from beholding him.

REVIEWS. Free Thoughts on Protestant Matters, in one volume, second edition, 8vo., pp. 500. By the Rev. T. D. GREGG, M.A., Chaplain of St. Nicholaswithin, Dublin. London: Richard Groombridge and Son. Dublin: W. Curry, jun., and Co.

THE writer of this work takes a very wide field for his observations, and makes them with all the freedom which the title implies.

It is difficult to review such a work. Neither unqualified praise nor unqualified censure would be just. While at the same time the variety of topics and persons treated of, the rapid transition from one subject to another, makes it impossible, in so small a periodical, to present to our readers a running critique upon the whole, or even the various subdivisions it contains.

It originally appeared in detatched portions, and in the writer's introduction he thus expresses himself:

"After I had determined on the present work, I began to question the judiciousness of the title which I designed for it. There is a sense of the word in which I am far from an admirer of free thoughts.' 'Free thoughts' are the plague of the times. Your theoretical gentry, who manufacture moral systems out of their own brains, led all through merely by circumstances and their own independent reasonings about them, have turned the world topsy-turvy. There is nothing, however absurd, that 'free thinkers' cannot persuade themselves to the soundness of. There is no extravagance, however wild; no figment, however ridiculous; no theory, however unfounded; (I mean in moral matters;) that the mind of man, when unenlightened by Divine wisdom, and in that respect untrammelled, may not cordially embrace, and believe itself constrained by reason to labour for the propagation of. Being very far, therefore, from being a free thinker,' I felt a sort of scruple about entitling a work of mine, 'Free Thoughts.' Moreover, I began to reflect that I did not mean to confine myself to the sole consideration of Protestant Matters.' I intended to discuss, in general, everything that concerned Ireland; at least, not to confine my consideration to any

particular department in the affairs of the country. From these two considerations combined, it therefore struck me, that had I resolved on entitling my book Protestant Thoughts on Irish Matters,' that title would more precisely express its nature and design. Upon a little further reflection, however, I perceived that this title involved the idea of a limit, by which I by no means intended that I should be confined. The end of my Thoughts' is, undoubtedly, Ireland. My desire is, to advance the interests of our native land; but there are many considerations that are quite general in this character; nay, there may be considerations connected with localities totally different from Ireland, which may have an important bearing upon the end I have in view. Thoughts about England, France, Spain, Portugal, Belgium, Germany, or the Americas; thoughts, generally, about Popery, Protestantism, Tractarianism, or any other ism; about free trade, or cornlaws; about the condition of the working classes and the poor, and the various remedies proposed for their amelioration-all these it may become necessary to my plan to develop. It therefore struck me, that 'Protestant Thoughts on General Matters,' would more appropriately mark the purpose of my volume, than either the title which I originally designed for it, or that which I have just suggested; whilst at the same time it would signify that I did not come forward to add myself to the multitude of system-mongers and system-makers already in existence; but that I held myself to be regulated in all my thoughts by those standards of Protestant orthodoxy which regulate the opinions of Churchmen. There was, however, an objection to the lastnamed-title also. It seemed to be wide of a purpose. I want to fight, not as those who beat the air: we have real evils to contend with; we have a vast number of real dunder-headed blockheads, some of them well meaning enough, and a vast number of real dark-plodding Jesuits, many of them by far too able, who, by their joint efficacy, though they by no means work together, and have far different ends in view,-heap upon the Protestant cause division, disaster, and

overthrow; and I was afraid, that if I announced myself as about to talk about 'General Matters,' it would at once be concluded that my work was idle, and my views moonshine. In order, therefore, to guard against so fatal a mistake, it struck me that I might qualify the last-named title so as to make it suit. The public are sick, and justly sick, of mere theorists. There are a thousand things that might benefit society, which, either from being impracticable or from some equally valid cause, it would be sheer insanity to urge, or to contend for. To illustrate suppose it were argued that there are large portions of the public parks, the Phoenix park, for instance, to take an example understood by us all-which might be assigned as garden plots, to the industrious poor, and that this might be done without militating against the general purpose for which these parks are now reserved; or suppose it were argued that a large quantity of the Queen's plate might be disposed of, and supplied by other equally serviceable and brilliant, with great benefit to the nation, and without diminution of happiness to Her Majesty, who is there that would not at once pronounce the proposers of such schemes as little better than madmen. A measure of the same sort of insanity belongs to every projector, whose schemes, however plausible they may be in theory, or however beneficial they propose to be in result, are justly chargeable with the fault of impracticability. There is no one in the world who has a keener sense of the absurdity of impracticable schemes than myself, or who is less disposed to 'general' considerations, which, after all, terminate in nothing. But what is practicability? That might be practicable in America, which would be utterly impracticable in our own country among Papists, which would be quite the reverse in a Protestant community, and vice versa. Nothing is impracticable amongst a Protestant people, which can be supported by right reason and sound scriptural sentiment, provided it be of such a character as that good and wise men may be found to lay down their lives for its attain ment."

We will add, that if the policy and

A DEEPLY interesting little work. The Rev. Robert Fleming, as it appears from the Preface, was one of the last of the Puritan Divines. He explains his views on the Apocalypse in a letter to his flock. The style is affectionate and simple, retaining, of course, the quaintness of style peculiar to the writers of the times in which he lived.

Mr. Fleming dates the first rise of the Papal power in 606, when the Pope first received the title of supreme and universal bishop; from which he computes that its reign of 1260 prophetic years' duration, will expire in the present year 1848. But, as he reckons its full rise did not take place till 758, when the Pope was invested with independent temporal authority, he supposes it will continue to exist till the year 2000, though in a weakened state. He regards its fall to be symbolized by the outpouring of the seven vials; which he interprets on this principle: that seeing the vials do suppose a struggle or war between the Popish and Reformed parties, every vial is to be looked upon as the event and conclusion of some new periodical attack of that first party upon this other, the issue of which proves at length favourable to the latter against the former. Without concurring entirely with the views of the writer, as to the times of the outpouring of the vials and the destruction of Popery, there is yet much in this work of a practical and useful nature. After

stating his reasons chronologically and historically for these views, he proceeds in the latter part of his work to offer many suggestions of a practical nature, calculated to induce his readers to improve the subject to their personal edification. One passage from the latter pages of his work on the subject of prayer we cannot forbear quoting

"Therefore let us remember, that it is not without just ground that we are commanded to pray always, and to pray without ceasing. (Eph. vi. 16; 1 Thess. v. 17.) The sense of which expressions I take to be this: that as we are to keep up stated times of solemn prayer to God, and to have recourse to him, in a more special manner, upon extraordinary emergence and occurrences, in order to be peculiarly directed and assisted then from God; so we are ever to keep ourselves, as much as possibly we can, in a praying frame; and, for this end, to fill up all the vacuities of other affairs and studies with ejaculatory prayers and breathings. But, besides all these things, there is one thing further that I never found any writer take notice of, that I look upon to be the principal design of such expressions, and this is, that we be careful to prosecute the design of our prayers from one time of our life to another, waiting for the answer of them, and improving the same in praise, when received; e. g., if a Christian pray long for a full victory over such or such a temptation or lust, let him prosecute this design in all his prayers until he receive an answer; which, when he has got, let him turn this from the catalogue of his petitions to that of his thanksgivings. And so let him act also, with respect to mercies to be received, promises to be fulfilled, and miseries to be averted."

Hints for the Times; or, the Religions of Sentiment, of Form, and of Feeling, contrasted with Vital Godliness. By the Rev. GEORGE SMITH, M.A., of Magdalen Hall, Oxford, late a Missionary in China, and Author of "An Exploratory Visit to the Consular Cities of China." London: J. Hatchard and Son, 187, Piccadilly. 1848. pp. 63.

THE matter of this little work is excellent, the style and composition easy

and elegant. The three kinds of defective religion which our author says "extensively prevail in what is commonly deemed a Christian state of society," are described in clear yet striking language. In stirring times, like the present, professing Christians need rousing. We would recommend all to peruse these pages with the attention they merit; and let each examine his motives for action; let each consider how far his views upon religion are strictly in accordance with the Word of God, or whether his religion be merely a religion of sentiment, of form, or of feeling. We conclude by quoting two passages from Mr. Smith's work which struck us particularly.

"And what shall we term the religion of the new-born soul, living on Christ by faith, and rejoicing in a sense of its filial relation to God? As distinguished from the religion of mere sentiment, it may be denominated the religion of the heart. As compared with the religion of mere form, it may be termed the religion of privilege. As contrasted with the religion of mere feeling, it may be styled the religion of principle.”

And again,

"The religion of sentiment may indeed refine and elevate the understanding. The religion of form may restrain and control the outward conduct. The religion of feeling may excite such temporary impressions as will give birth to a few spasmodic efforts. But vital godliness alone reaches the heart, breathes a spirit of privilege towards God, and instils a Divine principle of holy obedience and love."

INTELLIGENCE.

NORWICH OPERATIVE PROTESTANT ASSOCIATION. The sixth of the present course of lectures was delivered at the Assembly Rooms, Norwich, on Monday evening, 28th of February last, by the Rev. Charles Jas. Blake, M.A. The room was very crowded, and the chair was occupied by the Rev. Charles Wm. Löhr. The subject of the lecture was, "The Reformation in England during the reign of King Edward VI.,” and the Rev. Lecturer divided his discourse into the following six prominent parts:-1. The dawn of the Reformation. 2. King Edward's ac

cession and coronation. 3. The early acts of the Reformers. 4. The Church services. 5. Learned Foreigners in England. 6. The Articles of Religion; and gave a condensed, yet highly instructive and luminous statement of the details of each part. The lecture was listened to with an interest and attention unabated, and the Rev. W. B. Hurnard having proposed a vote of thanks to Mr. Blake, he was responded to with loud and hearty applause. The Doxology was then sung, and the Chairman having pronounced a blessing the Meeting separated. The interest of the lecture was aided by illustrations of some of the occurrences of the period considered. The concluding lecture is by the Rev. J. E. Gladstone, Clerical Secretary of the Society. It must be a matter of sincere gratification to the Committee to observe how their efforts during the present season have tended to excite an increase of interest in the subjects which come under the consideration of this and similar Associations. Preparations are making for the eighth anniversary Meeting of this active Association.

THE REV. HUGH M'NEILE.-In our last we briefly stated that the Rev. Hugh M'Neile had preached his farewell sermon at St. Jude's Church. We now state that the building was crowded to excess in every part, and the reverend gentleman took his text from Psalm cxlv. 10, "All thy works shall praise thee, O Lord; and thy saints shall bless thee.' Having shown the abundant motives to stimulate us to praise, he expressed his thankfulness for the success which they in many instances crowned his ministry at St. Jude's. He said testimonies to this effect had been vouchsafed to him from time to time. In alluding to his position at that moment, he said, "I have not attempted, and shall not attempt, to produce any of that artifi

cial and transient excitement which usually accompanies what are called farewell sermons. Such excitement is very easily produced, but is not proper. I cannot call this a farewell sermon. From many of this congregation I do not expect to be separated. Even to those who remain in this church, I cannot speak farewell in the usual sense of that word; for, although I shall preach no more here as a minister of this church, still I expect to preach often here as a friend and brother of the Lord's children. Then, in regard to those who are here this morning, and who do not belong to this congregation-with regard to those who have come here under the very questionable excitement of curiosity, to visit a parting scene between a pastor and his people, I have to say that my business is not such. My business is in the name of the Lord, to tell those present that 'Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners,' and 'unless a man be born again he cannot see God.' The man of the most orthodox creed and the most spiritual communion-the man with the most moral conduct-if not resting on Jesus Christ shall be damned. My business is to tell you that. He that believeth not (do not fancy this excitement), 'he that believeth not shall be damned.' We are now about to celebrate the Lord's Supper. Strangers may go away; and as they go making their comments in the street, we shall pray for them that God may cause this day to be remembered by conveying the truth to their souls. Doubtless they may feel disappointment. Instead of a moving scene-instead of yielding to my heart's affections towards you as God's people, and seeking to call out your natural affection towards meinstead of that I have preached the Gospel. Be it so; that is just what I intended."-Liverpool Times.