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the Moselle, apparently enclosed, reflects in its waters the high hills, the peaked rocks, ruins, towns, and picturesque villages; it presents all the characteristics of a great river, and its resemblance to the Rhine is striking.

During the last few years steam navigation has drawn some few spots of the banks of the Moselle from their oblivion and solitude; at the present time, particularly, an important event attracts numerous pilgrims to its shores. Some of the journals have already spoken of a marvellous relic kept in the ancient church of Trèves; the robe of Jesus Christ,-the robe without seam, for which the Roman soldiers cast lots, is, in the present day, to be seen in the hands of the Chapter of Trèves, who, from the 18th of August to the 30th of September, exposed it to the veneration of the faithful. An immense crowd have hastened thither, the steam-boats which descend the Moselle, have overflowed with pilgrims, drawn together less by curiosity, than by devotion.

The steam-boat which left Metz, on a fine morning in the middle of September, was particularly full of pilgrims of all classes, but especially priests. There were the curés (parish priests), and their curates from many parishes, accompanied by the élite of their flocks, among whom were a number of females. Soon the ladies drew forth large packets of medals, chaplets, scapularies, brilliant pieces of silk of all colours, bearing the impression of the robe, and spread the articles before them, counting their riches, and calculating what chance they had of obtaining a blessing as speedily as possible on this cargo of holy things.

One of these ladies had spread before her a prodigious quantity of medals of gold and silver, of chaplets of every kind, from the commonest to the most finely worked in precious metal.

"You are well provided," said her neighbour to her. "Yes, my dear friend. When it was known that I was setting out on this journey, my friends came from all parts.to intreat me to have their chaplets and medals blessed with mine, and thus you see me with so many; besides, I calculate on the kindness of M. le Curé, and I am sure he will act conscientiously, and that every article will be blessed by contact with the sacred relic."

"You may depend on it, madam," replied the curé alluded to, who was a middle-aged man, well educated, having a perfect knowledge of the country, who had travelled much, was affable, modest, and stood smiling with much finesse at the great simplicity which marked the young priests around him, who, just fresh from the seminary, astonished every one, and very much resembled the little mouse of La Fontaine taking his tour of the world.

The boat was completely crowded; a famine was experienced which threatened to continue among the pilgrims until they reached Trèves. But the good ladies of the chaplets were thoughtful folks; in a moment the deck was transformed into a table, and an ample store of provisions in variety were spread out, where a moment before, chaplets, medals, and little silken pictures had glittered. The repast ended, the ladies took their prayer-books, the curés their breviaries, and by turns admiring the beauty and variety of the country, reading their prayers, talking or sleeping, towards the evening they arrived under the great arch of the old stone bridge, which stretches across the Moselle in front of Trèves. All the city was moving; the chimes of the bells were heard mixed with the chants of the distant processions; the old church, the towers of which elevated themselves above all the other buildings of the city, resounded with the noise, and seemed the centre of the movement. Already at some distance from Trèves, a great number of barques, loaded with pilgrims, had crossed the steam-boat. In those barques were crowded men, women, and children, singing hymns and carrying banners; other crowds walked in procession, the cross and banner at the head, and conducted by their curés, along the banks of the Moselle towards the city. On the morrow, on quitting Trèves, the same spectacle presented itself up the river, on the other side of the city; and these crowded barques, filled with people in their Sunday clothes, the banners, priests, and hymns, which were repeated in the echoes of the valleys, produced an effect the most picturesque. This simple manifestation of religious sentiment had something touching in it. But to rejoice at this spectacle it required to be contemplated through the prism of poetic sentiment; reflection would, however, soon follow, drawn forth by this kind of surprise of the senses. The neighbourhood of the cathedral was filled with an immense crowd, every street presented the spectacle of a continual procession; at every corner, almost at every house, pictures of the robe, medals, and chaplets, were exposed to the view, and the choice of the faithful. Represented in every manner, the marvellous robe attracted attention on every hand.

Night approached. The processions still continued, and winding round the city on all sides, advanced by slow steps towards the cathedral, the air resounding with the monotonous chant of their litanies. They walked two and two. There were, as on all similar occasions, an infinitely greater number of women than men; all were country people, poor peasants, who earned their livelihood by the sweat of their brow. The costume

of the women somewhat resembled that of the Lorraine peasants, save the bonnet, which was flat and round, and varied in colour. Blue, red, and white, formed a mixture altogether

picturesque. The long file of pilgrims entered the great door of the church, and penetrated into its silent and almost deserted and sombre nave. At the end, on the great altar which was splendidly illuminated, and which was reached by two lateral flights of steps, appeared the precious relic in a large frame of gold. This robe was in the shape of a long blouse, of a fine texture, and in colour between yellow and brown, resembling burnt ochre. On each side of the frame, the glass of which was at some distance from the robe, there was an oval opening, large enough to admit of the hand being passed into the interior, to touch the relic. A priest sat at each opening receiving the chaplets and medals from the hands of the pilgrims as they mounted the steps on the right; consecrated them by contact with the robe, and returned them to the faithful, who were for a time lost in contemplation before the marvellous relic. The beadle would then arouse them, and taking them by the hand, would conduct each to his or her place in the crowd. In front appeared a large and deep basin, placed to receive the offerings of the faithful. There were many pieces of silver, and some of gold. On descending the long flight of steps from the altar, boxes to receive money for the support of the Church, for the immaculate conception, and other objects, again drew forth the offerings of the people. Now, according to calculations which have been made, it is established that more than 30,000 pilgrims, men and women, have passed daily before the relic and laid their offerings at its feet; from the 18th of August last, which was the feast of St. Helena, the Empress, to the 30th of September, making forty-four days, there passed before this robe more than 1,300,000 persons, each of whom deposited an offering. We may estimate the receipts at least at 500,000 francs (above 20,000l.), which is to be divided into three parts: one towards building the cathedral of Cologne, another for the city, and the third for the cathedral, that is to say, for the clergy of Trèves. We thus see that the affair is excellent, and that a concourse of pilgrims, strangers, and others, excited by curiosity, have caused the waters of Pactolus to flow into this most happy city.

(To be continued.)

ROMANISM IN INDIA.-LETTER AND CIRCULAR OF THE LORD BISHOP OF MADRAS.

THE following letter and circular have been recently addressed by the Bishop of Madras to one of his archdeacons and his clergy, on the subject of complaints made by Dr. Fennelly against a chaplain officiating in one of the hospitals. We feel satisfied that most of our readers will be gratified by the perusal of them :

Bishopstoke, Sept. 6, 1844. Venerable Sir,--In reply to your letter of the 4th instant, in which, as Archdeacon of one of the two archdeaconries of this diocese, you request my sanction to the publication of my Circular, No. 248, dated the 12th of July, 1844, I have the honour to inform you that I have not any objection to that document being made public. I enclose a corrected copy. I have the honour to be, Venerable Sir, Your most obedient servant,

G. T. MADRas.

The Venerable the Archdeacon of Madras, &c.

CIRCULAR.

Bishopstoke, July 12, 1844. Reverend and dear Brethren,-1. In consequence of a complaint-I am thankful to say a most unfounded one-having been brought before Government by the Right Rev. Dr. Fennelly, against a Reverend Chaplain of this diocese, accusing him of uncharitably and unwarrantably attacking the peculiar opinions of the Roman Catholic patients then in the hospital under his peculiar charge, I pledged myself to the Most Noble, the Governor in Council, by whom the case was referred to me, to use my utmost endeavours to prevent an hospital from being made the arena of polemical controversies; a resolution in the propriety of which I am persuaded that you will most fully coincide.

2. A similar complaint has been now preferred a second time, by the same Right Rev. Gentleman, against the same Reverend Chaplain, by whom it has been again repelled to my complete satisfaction.

I avail myself, however, of the circumstance, to address to you a few general remarks on the subject of your hospital ministrations, both because a clear enunciation of my views on that subject may be of service or of comfort to you, if exposed henceforth to similar charges or imputations, and because I am desirous that on this, as on every point, I should be fully understood by my Reverend brethren.

3. No one can be more strongly opposed than myself to the indulgence of that, I hesitate not to call it, Antichristian spirit, not, indeed, peculiar to these days, but unquestionably characteristic of them, which harshly condemns the erring, instead of seeking to convince them of their errors; and I am thoroughly persuaded that the objects of such uncharitable attacks are thereby the more confirmed in their adherence to them. We are taught in Holy Scripture that he that winneth souls is wise; and the compulsion enjoined upon those servants who were ordered to go into the highways and hedges that the

king's table might be full, is evidently a compulsion of persuasion and love.

4. But while I deprecate "bitterness, and wrath and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking," in our dealing with our misguided Fellow-christians, do I therefore recommend the souldestroying practice of speaking to the Romanists "smooth things?" Because I would exhort you, dear brethren, to be patient towards them as towards all men, do I therefore desire you to give them just cause to infer that your patience towards error is indifference to truth? God forbid that either you or I should ever hesitate to " open our mouths boldly to make known the mystery of the Gospel," whatever offence it may occasion to those who cannot, or will not, or dare not, receive it.

5. Very erroneous notions are entertained by some as to the legitimate limits of religious controversy; and such persons claim for themselves the right of putting a gag in the mouth of their opponents whenever they advance any truth-however obviously warranted by Holy Scripture, which militates against their own peculiar views-however manifestly opposed to it. The controversial discourses which are, in my judgment, unfit for an hospital, are abstruse discussions on the hidden or but partially revealed things of God: such as are purely scholastic; or such as are simply ceremonial. These, and such as these, can be of very little edification to the poor patients; and the chaplain is not present there to speak of them. Legitimate religious controversy must indeed be always founded on some positive revelation in Holy Scripture, some men reading that revelation in one way, and some in another; but surely there can be no legitimate controversy as to the "One Mediator between God and Man," or that "there is none other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved but only the name of the Lord Jesus Christ;" and he who plainly preaches these and similar truths to the sick and dying is not a controversialist, but a preacher of righteousness.

6. No man, then, has a right to be offended with the chaplain who speaks faithfully on these things; and most assuredly Christ will be offended at his minister if he dare to keep them back. If, for instance, a Romanist is vexed because the officiating clergyman publishes that salvation can be obtained only through Christ, while he has been taught by some blind leader of the blind that God will give his honour to another, and that the Virgin Mary is as efficacious and a more ready mediator than her ever-blessed Son; is this to indulge in religious controversy? Oμoλoyovμévws confessedly, incontrovertibly, manifestly to all who will search the Scriptures, Christ is the only Mediator; and if the Romanists will not hear, and if they will not lay it to heart to give glory unto My name, saith the Lord of hosts, I will even send a curse upon them, and I will curse

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