The Chairman wished to know if any one opposed the presentment? (Cries of "No.") Priest. I assure you there could be no more useful work. Chairman.-Have we the power of doing it? Secretary. You can grant any public work. Chairman.-Well, shall I approve off in getting 3001. A voice. I'd better put in a presentment for a dwelling-house. Priest.-Give us 500l., for less will never do it. Mr. Beamish.-Take this 3007. 3001. was then presented to build a chapel in the village of Timoleague. If this hint be acted on by the vigilant Romish clergy in other localities, the great objection against the Labour Rate Act-that it creates "unproductive" works-will be completely removed; for surely it will not be denied that works of this description have been always found to be "productive of incalculable advantages to the pockets of the sanctified clergy."-Dublin Statesman, Sept. 29. "EXTRAORDINARY" PRESENTMENT. AT the Fermoy presentment sessions, held on Thursday, Oct. 1st, in the Roman Catholic Chapel-yard, of Castletown, the parish priest put in an application to build a new Roman Catholic Chapel, 6007. Chairman.-Can we do this? Priest. You have a precedent at Timoleague. Father Collins.-Is it all to be laid out in labour? Priest.-All in labour. the new Roman Catholic chapel at Ennis, and 5001. for erecting a wall round it. There were thirteen magistrates present at the Meeting, all of whom were Protestants, (!) with one exception. As an appropriate appendage to the above, we subjoin the following from the Freeman's Journal (October 5): "The Rev. James Browne, parish priest of Ballintubber, had the honour of an interview with the Chief Secretary, accompanied by R. D. Browne, the gifted and patriotic Member for Mayo, for the purpose of calling the attention of the Government to the present unfinished state of the abbey church at Ballintubber, with the view to the application of a portion of the funds now in the hands of the Government, for the relief of distress, to the roofing and completion of this venerable and interesting building; and we are happy to learn that he was received by our excellent Chief Secretary with that courtesy and affability which gain for Mr. Labouchere the most marked acknowledgments from all who have business to transact with the Government. The Right Honourable Gentleman listened with great attention to the Rev. Mr. Browne while he read the Address from his parishioners relative to the abbey. And when he came to the passage, 'that this abbey was the only one in Ireland which, during the darkest days of persecution, had still retained, without interruption, the Catholic service,' Mr. Labouchere expressed surprise, and made some remarks relative to the history of the abbey, indicative of strong feeling in the interests of the building, as a monument of ancient ecclesiastical architecture. In the concluding portion of the Address, where it was stated, that on last Sunday the rain poured down in torrents on both the priest and the flock, while they knelt in si 6 Chairman. I don't think the Go- lent affliction within the roofless walls vernment will grant it. of this venerated temple, before the old altar, to beseech the Almighty to avert the impending destruction of their falling country, Mr. Labouchere seemed much affected, and inquired who were the chief proprietors of the parish, and whether they had contributed to the completion of so inter esting a work for the benefit of their people in the locality. The Right Honourable Gentleman expressed his regret that the Government had no funds at their disposal which were applicable to the present object of the Address. He then kindly and generously presented the Rev. Mr. Browne with 57., as a token of the great interest he felt, as a private individual, in the success of his present praiseworthy and arduous undertaking.". Dublin Statesman, October 6, 1846. MISCELLANEOUS. LUTHER'S ANSWER ΤΟ SPOLA- BEST METHOD OF STUDYING THE SCRIPTURES?"-"It is most plain we cannot attain the understanding of Scripture either by study or by strength of intellect. Therefore your first duty must be to begin with prayer. Entreat the Lord to deign to grant you, in his rich mercy, rightly to understand his Word. There is no other interpreter of the Word of God but the author of that word himself; even as he has said, 'They shall all be taught of God.' Hope nothing from your study, or the strength of your intellect; but simply put your trust in God and in the influence of his Spirit. Believe one who has made trial of this method."-M. D'Aubigne's "History of the Reformation," vol. i., p. 320. VERACITY OF ROMISH CONTROVERSIALISTS. From long and repeated experience, I am constrained to say, that, where the interests of CABINET. "CHRIST hath merited righteousness EOUS AS IF HE HAD FULFILLED ALL LAW. Shall I say more perfectly HIS DISCIPLES.-MATT. XXXVI. 30. their Church are concerned, the priest- THE SINGING OF CHRIST AND hood of Rome are so entirely the reverse of being scrupulous in regard to truth, that I have long made it a rule never to receive any startling assertion of theirs without previously testing it; and, certainly, wherever their assertion was of an extraordinary nature, I have, upon examination, invariably found them to be falsifying.*-Faber. And hushed is every tone? Wherefore stays your song divine, Why to earth your ears incline? Hark! heard ye not the song, Of earthly voices sweet; In solemn cadence sweet? But who is He that leads the band, "Tis He, the king of saints! Maker of earth and sky; Who for a time consents To lay His glory by! The Lord well pleased accepts the praise, That His beloved Son doth raise. NOTICES OF BOOKS. The Church and the Churches; or, the Church of God in Christ, and the Churches of Christ Militant here on Earth. By the Rev. HUGH M'NEILE, Honorary Canon of Chester, and Incumbent of St. Jude's, Liverpool. London: Hatchard and Son. 8vo., pp. 574. THIS is a very valuable and important work, especially at this critical juncture. The view taken as to the duties of Christian Nations, Christian Statesmen, and Christian Freemen, in their individual and collective capacity, is alike sound and philosophical, constitutional, Christian, and scriptural. The pages from 500 to the end are of special interest and importance. In another portion of our periodical, we have given rather lengthy extracts. These, as well as the whole work we recommend to the perusal of our readers. It is an excellent volume for clerical libraries, and we should rejoice to see the time when works of this kind shall be read with as much interest, as the trashy and injurious portions of the lighter literature of the day. INTELLIGENCE. of Reading; Dr. Kalley, late of Madeira; and others, will address the Meeting. On Thursday Evening, November 5, a Sermon will be preached (D. V.) on behalf of the Association, by the Rev. Hugh Stowell, M.A., in Fitzroy Episcopal Chapel, Londonstreet, Tottenham-court-road. Divine service to commence at Seven o'clock. ENGLAND.-Islington.-A Meeting of the clergy and laity of Islington was held on Monday evening, the 19th instant, in the School-room, Church-street, the Rev. Daniel Wilson, the Vicar, in the chair. Amongst the clergy present were, Revds. Edward Hoare, J. B. Mackenzie, and C. F. Childe. The Rev. Chairman, having opened with prayer, pointed out the importance of the present crisis, and the duty of Protestants now to exert themselves in defence of their religion and their country. The Rev. C. F. Childe, J. Lord, Esq., Rev. J. B. Mackenzie, and Rev. E. Hoare, and others, addressed the Meeting, after which a Society was formed to be called the Islington Protestant Institute.- -Norwich Protestant Association.-Mr. Lord delivered a lecture on Monday evening, 12th Oct., to the members and friends of the above Society. The attendance was numerous, and the various and important points brought under their notice were listened to with much interest. Mr. Lord pointed out some of the various aggressions upon the Protestant Institutions of our country in Church and State, the recent instances of Romish superstition and intolerance, the way in which Popery was endeavouring to counteract missionary labours of Protestants :-and urged the duty of opposing the contemplated endowment of the Romish priesthood, and exhorted each voter, at the approaching election, to stand firm to the Protestant cause. Copies of the Protestant Magazine, price 5d., may be had at any time by order to the Publisher, and may be forwarded to any part of the kingdom. N.B. Every Subscriber of 10s. annually to the Protestant Association is entitled to a copy of the Magazine: to be had on application at the Office. Macintosh, Printer, Great New Street, London. THE PROTESTANT MAGAZINE. DECEMBER, 1846. THE MEETING ON THE SIXTH OF NOVEMBER. THERE are several points of deep interest which we were desirous of bringing under the notice of our Readers, in the closing Number of this year's existence of our Periodical. The great length of the report of the Meeting, held November 6, however, precludes our doing so. We must, therefore, refer to them on a future occasion. The recent correspondence in Exeter, between the Protestant Committee there, and the representative of that city ;-the recent miracles alleged to have been performed in London by the agency of Romish relics; the nature of monastic institutions ;-some important political and theological movements ;-the case of Dr. Kalley ;—the nature of oaths taken by Romish and Protestant Members of Parliament ;-all demand attention, and articles on each of them were in preparation for our Readers; but we must postpone them. We were, indeed, specially anxious to enter upon the wrongs done to Dr. Kalley, by the Portuguese, at Madeira, alike as a British subject and a fellow-Christian,-the more so, because, owing to the lateness of the hour at which he addressed the Meeting on the Sixth of November, there was not time for him to bring forward the statement which he was prepared to make. The Committee of the Protestant Association are making arrangements for a Special Meeting on this subject, but to which we may not here more particularly allude. It was gratifying to us, and many of our friends, to see and hear the voice of that well-known champion of the Protestant cause, Mr. Gordon. Most sincerely do we hope that the powerful and Scriptural address made by him, will not be without good effect. The duties of the laity—the duties of the clergy-to oppose the errors of Popery by missionary efforts in Ireland, was ably pointed out, and a solemn appeal made to the consciences of Protestants to act worthily of Christian men, longing for the spiritual welfare of their fellow-subjects in Ireland. We rejoice to hear that there are movements on foot for accomplishing this object. We trust they will progress satisfactorily, and that thus may be averted many of those evils which Popery would bring upon us, politically and theologically. For Protestant England to ally herself with Papal Rome, is to throw away the dear-bought wisdom of experience to act in defiance of history-to despise the solemn warning of Scripture, and to incur the wrath of him who has denounced Rome as Babylon, and given us the light of his revealed word, that walking thereby, we may avoid partaking of the sins of Rome, and thus escape being made partakers of her plagues. VOL. VIII. December, 1846. L L New Series, No. 12. 514 GREAT MEETING OF THE PROTESTANT ASSOCIATION. A MEETING of the Members and friends of the Protestant Association was held on Friday evening in the Large Room, Exeter Hall. It was very numerously attended. The chair was to have been taken by Mr. Plumptre, M.P.; but, in consequence of his unavoidable absence, it was filled by James Hamilton Story, Esq. On the platform were Rev. Dr. Holloway, Revs. Messrs. Goodhart, Stowell, Thelwall, Dibdin, Monypenny, E. Pizey, G. Campbell, T. Cuffe, T. Tate, J. Hopkins, C. Clayton; J. H. Story, Esq., J. D. Paul, Esq., Major Penley, - Perry, Esq., Dr. Kalley, G. J. P. Smith, Esq., J. E. Gordon, Esq., E. Saxton, Esq., J. Martin, Esq., G. Goad, Esq., G. Greenway, Esq., J. Wood, Esq., R. B. Seeley, Esq., W. Leach, Esq., J. H. Frere, Esq., &c. The Rev. Dr. HOLLOWAY having asked the Divine blessing on the proceedings of the evening, The CHAIRMAN thanked the Meeting for having placed him in his present honourable position. He felt that he was inadequate to the task imposed on him, but he trusted that any deficiency on his part would not be attributed to want of zeal in the cause. (Applause.) He knew perfectly well, that in Ireland a Roman Catholic Association was formed for the purpose of throwing darkness over the land, and under such circumstances it behoved the friends of Protestantism and truth to meet face to face those who were opposed to their dearest spiritual interests. (Applause.) As there were so many friends to address them, he would not further trespass on their time. The Rev. T. R. BIRKS moved the first Resolution, which was as follows:- "That the signal deliverance vouchsafed to our ancestors, and this Church and nation, on the 5th of November, 1605, and the blessings which have been handed down to us, call for grateful commemoration. That this Meeting regards the present menacing attitude of Popery, and its more insidious, though not less dangerous, workings within the pale of the Established Church, as evidence of the displeasure of a justly offended God, for our national insensibility to the value of the inestimable blessings of the Reformation, and our spiritual neglect of the Romish part of the population. That, in the opinion of this Meeting, our criminal neglect of these privileges, and the important obligations which they involve, are just causes for humiliation before God, and present at the same time a loud and scriptural call to the discharge of long-neglected duties. That, in accordance with these views, this Meeting would earnestly urge upon every spiritual Protestant the duty of fervent, persevering prayer, for national awakening, national repentance, and national exertion, if so be that the Lord will pardon our past guilt, and revive in our longfavoured land, not merely the spirit of the Reformation, but the holy and uncompromising exertions of the Reformers." He felt deeply the vast importance of the present occasion, for he believed that this great empire was now visibly trembling under the hand of the Almighty God, and that the slightest touch of his finger ought to awaken us to thought, fear, and repentance. Popery was being fos |