of a spurious charity and false notions of liberalism, have hitherto been the apologists of Rome, have advocated the Romish Relief Bill of 1829, and defended the grant to Maynooth, are beginning to see the impolicy of such a course. If anything is calculated to open their eyes it is the conduct of Romish priests during a contested election in Ireland. The public press has exposed such conduct in withering terms. The Times," of August 2, says, "We will have nothing whatsoever to do with the doctrines and discipline of Rome as they may be delivered by an Irish priest. We detest their doctrines in themselves, and we are the more averse to them when we witness the barbarism, the blasphemy, and the bloodshed which they produce in practice. . . . This is no question of Derby v. M'Hale or M'Hale v. Derby with us. It is an expression of honest indignation at one of the foulest scenes which has ever been known in the constitutional annals of this country. . . . We confess that unless means be discovered to stay this monstrous evil, the attempt to obtain a representation of Ireland through the elective machinery yet known to us is a perfect farce. Priest-ridden and ignorant as the electors are in too many districts of the country, they would not have given their suffrages in favour of the candidates of the priest had they been permitted to exercise anything like free choice. The proof of this assertion is to be gathered from the very blasphemies which we have very reluctantly brought under public notice. The measure of the violence employed by the priests is the measure of the voters' reluctance. You don't bind a willing elector down in a cart; you don't shut him up under safe watch in a dark room; you don't threaten to refuse him the rites of the Church; you don't invoke eternal damnation on his head. Wherever such scenes as these have occurred, there is no true election. The conscience of the voter has been coerced, and by agencies from which any but the most wicked and unprincipled men would recoil with horror. It is no light matter to mix up the Almighty in the proceedings of an Irish election."

This amounts to a virtual admission on the part of the "Times" that it has erred in supporting the grant to Maynooth; for no one entertaining such opinions as those above expressed can consistently advocate that grant. The system of intimidation and coercion had recourse to by Maynooth-educated priests is no new thing. Even individuals among the Romish laity have indignantly denounced the conduct of their clergy.

Some years since, Mr. Mackay, a respectable Roman Catholic barrister, said, "He voted as he did to mark his detestation of priestly interference at elections, for he looked upon the interference of clergymen at elections to be directly contrary to their solemn declarations on taking holy orders; and instead of being as they ought to be, messengers and promoters of peace and good will among men, they became, by such conduct, the pests and firebrands of society. As a Roman Catholic he spurned with the most indignant contempt such unchristian interference and insolent dictation." Such language coming from a Romanist speaks volumes. But this is quite an

exception from the general rule, for few Romish laymen have the moral courage to speak the truth and shame their priests in this way. When Irish priests come forward as they now do, "to preach purity of election, and to denounce the infamy of any person who may venture to interfere with the voters' independence," they speak lies in hypocrisy.

Romish laymen need emancipating from their present state of thraldom. The laity are the mere tools and slaves of their priests, who rule them with a rod of iron. The priests act under the instructions of their bishops, whom they are bound implicitly to obey, and the bishops are under the control and management of the Pope and Propaganda of Rome.

The existence in the House of Commons of an Irish brigade, which consists of the nominees of the Romish hierarchy, is a monstrous anomaly and palpable absurdity. We have now had twenty-three years' experience of the working of the Romish Relief Bill, and this measure, like the Maynooth Endowment Act, has wrought nothing but evil for our country. Nor was it reasonable to suppose, considering what Popery is, and what the arrogant pretensions of the Roman Pontiff are, that such a measure should work anything else but evil. Those statesmen must have been grossly and disgracefully ignorant of the real character and history of Popery who anticipated any good from it.

it

To conclude in the words of the author of "The Laws of the Papacy: ""If Protestants will do their duty, bishops, clergy, monarchs, statesmen, let them take the Word of God, and hold up in opposition to this system of iniquitous and accursed despotism. Let the powers of human laws and human authority be exercised not in furnishing the wretched perpetrators of these crimes, while they are compromising with, nay, actually educating the traitors and tyrants that instil and inculcate the perpetration of them, but let the real criminals be held up to the public abhorrence and denunciation they deserve, let their real principles be openly dragged into the light of day, let the poor people see how they shrink from the scrutiny of man, how they dare not appear in the presence of their own flocks, when their principles and deeds of darkness are to be openly exposed before them. Let this be done with bold determined fidelity, and then our Roman Catholic countrymen shall not be depressed but exalted, not enslaved but emancipated, not excited into hostility against us as enemies, but reconciled to us as friends, brought to love and embrace us as brethren, and to protest with us against the dark, the damnable idolatry and superstition, the cruel blood-thirsty enslaving domination of Papal apostasy and Papal despotism. Then we shall have a genuine and radical reform, not a mock reform in legislation, in which perjurers and traitors are associated in the enactment and administration of laws, calling down from heaven a curse on the legislative and a curse on the executive authority of the land, making laws and their execution worthless and inefficient at home, and contemptible abroad, but we shall have a reform of laws by having a reform of principles, and

a reform of principles by having a reform of men, a deliverance of our country from the miseries of anarchy and ruin that now stare us directly in the face."

See "The Laws of the Papacy and the Nullity of the Government of Queen Victoria in Ireland, or the Pope the Virtual Ruler of the Land." p. 195. AMICUS PROTESTANS.

DR. JOHN EDWARDS ON THE CHARACTER OF POPERY AND ITS PRIESTHOOD.

"LET us entertain our thoughts with the character I have given of Popery. I have drawn its picture; but I must not be blamed because it is ugly and deformed; I have been true to the original, and that is what was required on my part. I have showed that absurd opinions and unlawful practices are allowed and maintained by Popery; that it strikes not only at truth, but holiness; that it is as much against a godly life, as against the right principles of religion. It is an advocate for the worst things, treason, bloodshed, perjury, lying; it destroys faithfulness, loyalty, truth, sincerity, mercifulness; it encourages ignorance, pride, idleness, sottishness, will-worship, superstition, idolatry, tyranny. And there is nothing so vicious, so immoral, so monstrous, but is countenanced by it. Whence we may gather, that the Popish religion is not of God; for that religion cannot be from Him, which teaches men to do anything that is immoral or vicious. But yet I cannot say that I have given the full and complete portraiture of Popery. For though it is said the lion is not so fierce as he is painted, yet Popery is far worse than it appears, and is beyond all the representations that can be made of it. If we shall come nearer to it, and experience it once again in these countries, we shall find it even far worse than it was before. Like the devil cast out, it will return with seven other worse spirits than in former times. It will be more rampant than ever, and our slavery will be doubled, and our last estate will be worse than the first.”—Dr. John Edwards in Supplement to Bishop Gibson's Preservative against Popery, Vol. vi., Introd. p. 4.

"The lewdness and uncleanness of the professors of the Romish religion rendered them and it extremely scandalous. At Rome the shambles were shut in Lent, but the studs were open at the same time: yea, these were permitted at all times, and fornication was allowed by law. The Popes followed the example of the Emperor Caligula, who imposed a tax upon this sort of houses. Yea, the worst and most execrable lewdness was practised by those that vowed chastity and monastic severity."—Ibid. p. 90.

"It is a saying recorded in their own books, that the worst Christians in Italy are the Romans, of the Romans the priests, of the priests the cardinals, and of the cardinals the popes."-Ibid. p. 89.

THE LATE NUNNERY TRIAL AT GUILDFORD.-GRIFFITHS v. DE L'ESPINASSE.

To the Editor of the Surrey Standard.

SIR, Having been present during the whole of this extraordinary trial, which lasted nearly three days, perhaps you will allow me to make a few observations in reference to the proceedings. The result is only what might have been expected, especially when it is considered that the poor afflicted girl, the plaintiff, had arrayed against her a fearful host of witnesses to rebut her own solitary evidence, for it was admitted by one of those witnesses that three priests had escorted about a dozen or more of them to Guildford the previous day, and that those priests were with them in the morning prior to the opening of the Court. The plaintiff, it is generally admitted, gave her evidence in a clear straight-forward manner, while her opponents exhibited some choice specimens of the system of evasion and equivocation which was ably drawn forth by her counsel, Mr. Chambers, who, in his masterly reply, commented on this with great force, while the Lord Chief Justice, in his extraordinary charge, as it is designated here, seemed, strange as it may appear, to ridicule the existence of such deceptions being taught, for he had, he observed, never met with any work that justified the art of disguising the truth. His Lordship would, however, arrive at an opposite conclusion were he to examine an indisputable authority, namely, "The Moral Theology of Alphonsus Liguori," who was canonized in the year 1839. This startling, indeed awful work, was ably translated in 1845, and may be had at the Reformation Society's Office, Exeter Hall.

At page

29-30 of this edition (for there is another recently published) the translator thus observes:

"It is lawful, according to Romish principles, to equivocate, dissemble, and falseswear, if the interests of the Church will be advanced thereby. "I would now briefly sum up the various points which I have proved :

"1st. It is lawful to dissemble the faith.

"2d. Even when interrogated by public or private authority, the Romanist is not bound to profess his faith!

"3d. He may answer obscenely!

"4th. He may use tergiversation!

"5th. He may eat flesh-meat on fast days, to accomplish the purposes of dissimulation!

"6th. He may listen to the sermons of heretics!

"7th. He may attend the funerals of heretics, and stand as sponsor for his children, intending to imbue their minds, if possible, with Romish sentiments!

"8th. A bishop may deny that he is a bishop.

"9th. A priest may deny that he is a priest.

"10th. A religious may deny that he is a religious.

"11th. A Roman Catholic, when asked if he is a Papist, may

dissemble, by answering in the negative!

"12th. He may use ambiguous words-ambiguous signs and badges -to dissemble his creed; but none of these courses should he adopt, if he may appear to those present to deny the faith."

And at page 55 the Saint himself declares :

"These things being established, it is a certain and common opinion amongst all divines, that for a just cause it is lawful to use equivocation in the propounded modes, and to confirm it (equivocation) with an oath."

And be it remembered, Sir, that this Saint has not only been eulogised by Dr. Wiseman, but the Church of Rome has especially honoured him by the following prayer addressed to him on the 2d August:

"Oh God, who by the blessed Alphonsus, thy Confessor and Pontiff, inflamed with the love of souls, hast enriched thy Church with a new offspring, we implore that, taught by his admonition, and strengthened by his example, we may be able to come to thee through the Lord."

Hence the Moral Theology of Liguori has received, in the most marked manner, the imprimatur of Rome. That Church, by her authorities, has proclaimed, with "one consent," that his works are worthy of the highest praise, and that they contain "not one word worthy of censure."

Guildford, August 10.

AN INHABITANT OF GUIldford,

Correspondence.

Church Missionary College, Islington, July 9, 1852. GENTLEMEN,-Allow me in behalf of my brethren to make the annual application for your usual liberal grant of tracts for distribution during our next vacation.

Our present number is twenty-two. Thanking you sincerely for past favours, believe me to be, Gentlemen, on behalf of the students, yours, &c. (Signed) H. REEVE.

To the Committee of the Protestant Association.

A grant to the amount of 51. was forwarded and acknowledged in the following letter:

"Church Missionary College, July 15, 1852. "DEAR SIR,-In conformity with your request, I have great pleasure in apprizing you of the safe delivery of the parcel of tracts forwarded by you; and would seize the opportunity for thanking yourself for the trouble you have "Yours very truly, (Signed)

taken in the matter.

"Mr. W. Sanders."

"H. REED.

Taughmaconnell, Ballinasloe, Aug. 6, 1852.

SIR,-Having heard that you take an interest in the progress of the missionary work in Ireland, I beg to enclose you one of our circulars.

We are forming a library for the use of the converts, and would feel most thankful for any books either new or second-hand towards it.

I have the honour to be, Sir, your obedient servant,
W. H. JEFFERS, Clerk.

To the Secretary of the Protestant Association.