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LETTER FROM NOTTINGHAM.

To the Editor of the Protestant Magazine.

SIR, I felt extremely happy to learn from your last number, that although the editor was about to resign his office, yet still your invaluable magazine would be continued; this, to one who has been a subscriber from its commencement, and who has carefully watched the growth of Protestant feeling which it has so unweariedly been instrumental in promoting, afforded me very great pleasure. Allow me, however, to suggest the plan of giving, in consecutive order, a memoir of each of the principal reformers and martyrs, which would act as a kindly antidote to the un-Protestant attempts of the Puseyites to vilify their memory; a more intimate knowledge would thus be promoted amongst the operative classes of the men who, under God, attained the greatest blessings that England can boast of, namely, an open Bible, and the preaching of the truths of salvation through a crucified Saviour.

At the commencement of another year, which to many bears an inauspicious character, it is not unprofitable that we should dwell on the subject of our position as a highly-favoured nation, and the dangers which threaten us. One of the most striking features to the mind of a "Protestant Watchman," is the rumoured intention of Government to increase the grant to Maynooth; and other concessions to the Church of Rome. Now, Sir, let me ask, before British money is thus applied, is it not imperative on our rulers to investigate the doctrines taught at this Romish College? This is only justice to the people, who, from their willingly paying the taxes, are entitled to ask this. If the standard there be that of the Bible, not a single Protestant would object to the grant being £50,000 a-year. But if, instead of the truth being taught, the commandments of men are substituted, and in the place of loyalty and faithful allegiance to our beloved Sovereign, an usurping and proud Italian Bishop, he who has been considered as "our Lord God the Pope," and his laws are set forth as more binding;—if the instructions given, tend to pander to the bad passions of fallen man, instead of infusing the more exalted sentiments of piety and virtue; is not this Christian country, then, bound to withhold any "Grant ?"

At this critical period, the Protestant Association is called upon to sound the alarm through the length and breadth of the land, ere the Government takes another false step: and with bold fidelity to prepare petitions to be placed in the hands of such as Lord Ashley, Mr. Plumptre, &c. We must knock at the door of Parliament, and ask for a Committee to investigate the doctrines taught at Maynooth. The dark and immoral

class books must be opened to the eyes of the world, which need only to be introduced to call forth the most unqualified indignation. There are few members of the British House of Parliament who would then dare to vote in favour of such an institution, where doctrines so awful are inculcated.

Is the course pointed out unchristian? No; but in faithfulness to our God, and as consistent members of the Protestant Church of England we are called upon to contend earnestly for the truth. Every bishop and clergyman has subscribed, and is bound by the Thirty-nine Articles to carry out, the Thirtyseventh Article, which has this striking sentiment, so wisely introduced by our Protestant ancestors, "The Bishop of Rome hath no jurisdiction within this realm of England." While this remains indelible, we must raise our voice against any grant either at home or in the Colonies being made, let the nation free itself from the frown of an offended God, and remove from the Statute Book any enactment for the spread of Popery, that deadly evil which once enthralled this now happy land. By thus acting consistently, we should then, by the blessing of God, continue in our enviable position, for it is declared, "those who honour me I will honour."

There is nothing impracticable in the proposition; let every minister of Christ be true to his solemn ordination vow; let every Pulpit re-echo "No peace with Rome until Rome has made peace with God." This from the mouths of the 13,574 clergymen of the Established Church must tell most powerfully. I may mention that the greater part of the clergy of this town have thus acted, and have given Lectures on Romanism weekly during the last year and a half, and the Protestants here are determined to present parochial Petitions, and they hope there will not be less than 30,000 signatures, praying for a Committee of Inquiry into the doctrines taught at Maynooth. Let such a spirit pervade our land, and there would be no fear of Popery, it is only because we have been unfaithful that she has made of late such rapid advances, endangering, both in Ireland and this country, our beloved Church, and disturbed the peace of society. I remain, your most obedient servant,

Nottingham, Dec. 7, 1844.

"A PROTESTANT WATCHMAN.”

MISCELLANEOUS.

THE PAPACY AND THE PAPAL STATES.-Bologna, July 23, 1840.—“ And now this is the last night, I trust, in which I shall sleep in the Pope's dominions; for it is impossible not to be sickened with a Government such as this, which discharges no one function decently. The ignorance of the people is prodigious-how can it be otherwise? The booksellers' shops, sad to behold, -the very opposite of that scribe instructed to the kingdom of God, who was

to bring out of his treasures things new and old,-these scribes, not of the kingdom of God, bring out of their treasures nothing good, either new or old, but the mere rubbish of the past and the present. Other Governments may see an able and energetic sovereign arise, to whom God may give a long reign, so that what he began in youth, he may live to complete in old age. But here every reign must be short; for every sovereign comes to the throne an old man, and with no better education than that of a priest. Where, then, can there be hope under such a system, so contrived, as it should seem, for every evil end, and so necessarily exclusive of good? I could muse long and deeply on the state of this country, but it is not my business; neither do I see, humanly speaking, one gleam of hope."—Arnold's Letters, vol. ii., p. 423, Appendix C.

LIVES OF THE ENGLISH SAINTS!-This series of little works, says the Tablet, continues in much the same spirit as it commenced. The writers, if there is any difference, seem to get rather more Popish as they get older. Let us accept as a good omen this phrase at p. 5 of the volume before us: "The process may be longer or shorter, but Catholics get to Rome at last in spite of wind and tide :" of course in this sentence, the writer must be taken by "Catholics to mean "Protestants," because "Catholics" are at Rome already, and have no such wind or tide to buffet them.-Nov. 23, 1844.

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PROJECTED RECONSTRUCTION OF THE IRISH UNIVERSITY.-The following statement respecting the projected changes in the Irish University appears in the "Mail," Nov. 27:- "We have reason to believe that an active correspondence betweeen the Home Office and the Castle of Dublin, touching the projected reconstruction of the Irish University, is daily surrounding Lord Heytesbury with more embarrassment than he was aware would fall to his lot on accepting the Lord-Lieutenantcy of Ireland. Maynooth, we understand, and its claims to incorporation in whatever university system is to be adopted, constitute the perplexing difficulty. The most mysterious silence is observed in the diplomatic circle-a circumstance which augurs badly for the justice and honesty of the design-and great doubts are said to be entertained of the willingness of the Irish Executive either to recommend or adopt the proposed innovation. Earl de Grey refused to be a party to it; and it is by no means likely that a project which requires for its perfection so much secresy as to preclude any intimation of its provisions to the heads of Trinity College, will meet the concurrence of that learned body. Hitherto no official communication has been made to the Board. All is mystery, all is menace; and the sense of impending danger unrevealed, may be purposely kept up to paralyze exertion."

BIBLES IN DEMAND.-The encouraging facts which follow, are no doubt partly owing to the bitter opposition made to the circulation of the Scriptures by the priests. An officer of the American Bible Society publishes a communication in a New York paper, stating that the demand for Bibles is far greater than the pecuniary ability to supply. The call for French and German Bibles is greater than ever before. Numerous requests come from the Western

States and Territories, from Texas, from Honduras, from the West Indies, from France, from the Choctaw Nation, and other more distant mission stations.

ROMISH EDUCATION.-Mons. Cousin, the distinguished Professor and Peer of France, in a recent speech in the French Chambers, said that the boasted genius of the Jesuits for education, is nothing but the organization of a vile system of prying into the conduct of the young men, and that there never was a manly course of studies in their institutions. They sacrifice, he says, substance to show, and deceive parents by brilliant and frivolous exhibitions. Few men are better, or as well qualified to form a correct judgment on the subject.

NOTICES OF BOOKS.

An Account of the Recent Persecutions in Madeira: in a Letter to a Friend. By ROBERT R. KALLEY, M.D.-London: John F. Shaw.

THE case of Dr. Kalley, his converts, and fellow-sufferers, for their testimony against error and their faithfulness to the truth, even the truth "as it is in Jesus," has been for some time before the public. The little publication now under review, we recommend to the attentive perusal of our readers. From the horrid barbarities recently practised at Madeira, upon men, women, and children, they may learn the cruel nature of that system, which makes use of external violence to convert the soul, and would compel mankind to receive her false system as infallible truth.

Sermons for the Seasons of Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany. By the Rev. G. R. GLEIG, M.A., Principal Chaplain to Her Majesty's Forces.-London: G. W. Nickisson.

A volume of seasonable and useful sermons, and calculated to impress upon the mind, the important events commemorated in the services of our Church.

CABINET.

It is in vain to pluck the leaves off a tree; they will grow again. Lay the axe to the root, and the leaves will all fall off and will appear no more. Grappling with particular sins and vices merely, cannot warrantably be expected to produce any radical improvement of heart, any salutary change of principle, any real reformation of life. To deal faithfully and kindly and effectually with men, we must begin with them where God in his word begins with them. We must clearly and impressively set before them their apostasy and depravity; their spiritual poverty and wretchedness; their ignorance and utter helplessness, their need of a divine and justifying righteousness, and of the sprinkling of the blood of atonement, to give them peace and acceptance with God. We must urge on their consideration the necessity of a change of heart, and of the abiding and indwelling influences of the Holy Spirit, to produce in them, through the knowledge of Christ, that godly sorrow for sin, which worketh repentance to salvation, not to be repented of: to lead them into all divine truth, to subdue their iniquities, to dispose and enable them to love the Lord their God with all their heart and soul and strength and mind, and their neighbours as themselves; and in all things to prepare them for serving, honoring, and enjoying God; for rightly performing the duties which they owe to their fellow-sinners in all the relations of life, to inspire them, even in death, with the hope of eternal life in Christ Jesus, and to prepare them for the glory and the bliss of heaven.

THE WARNING OF A PROTESTANT, ADDRESSED TO HIS ROMAN CATHOLIC FELLOW-COUNTRYMEN.

"Yet shew I unto you a more excellent way."-1 Cor. xii. 31.

Он, my poor countrymen, who, blindly led
By lying priests who call the Pope their head,
Who transubstantiate bread to flesh and blood!
And elevate the wafer as their God!
Who pray to Mary and to every saint,

Delude the mind with music, gilt, and paint,
With robes and crosses, monkish tales and lies,
But the blest Bible to our race denies :

I

say denies it, for the man at Rome,

Their potentate, last year, pronounced its doom.
Poor hoary sinner! will he dare to stand
And send his mandates over every land,
Commanding all his slaves who fear his nod
To stop the progress of the Word of God?
As well might he command to stay the light,
And hurl the sun into perpetual night,
Or try to seize the rolling waves, forsooth,
As stay the progress of eternal truth.

Truth shall prevail; the Word of God shall soon
Hurl that proud tyrant from his lofty throne;
His triple crown shall fall, and Christ shall reign
Triumphant in the hearts and minds of men.
Oh, if you now true Catholics would be,
And wish to hand to your posterity

An apostolic Church, pure, simple, true,
Jesus the Vine, and they the branches too,-

Uphold the Church of Christ! but help to sweep
Those refuges of lies, which often creep

Into Rome's Church. Away with popes and bulls,
With monks, and nuns, and all such cloister'd tools!
No mass-book, rosary, or bead be given,
The sacred Scripture is our guide to heaven;
Be that your rule of faith, and teach our youth
To worship God in spirit and in truth.

And, oh! if Christ indeed shall make you free
From Rome's false doctrines, happy will you be;
No fear of penance then, or purging fire,
To live to Christ will be your whole desire.
Oh! give attention, hear a parting friend,
And may the Lord his Holy Spirit send,
That you true followers of Christ may be,
Happy in life, and in eternity.

J. D.

INTELLIGENCE.

ASHBOURNE.-The Annual Meeting of this branch of the Protestant
Association took place in the large room of the Green Man Hotel, in the
evening of Monday, Oct. 28, Rev. S. Shipley, A.M., in the chair.
Meeting was addressed by Rev. R. Macklin, of Derby; Rev.
T. S. Mosse, and Mr. Lord.

The

Hey, Rev.

BRAILSFORD.-A Meeting of the members and friends of this Association took place on the evening of Tuesday, Oct. 29, the Rev. W. A. Shirley in the chair. The Meeting, which was respectably attended, was addressed by the Chairman, Rev. R. Macklin, and Mr. Lord."

MATLOCK. This branch of the Protestant Association held their Anniversary Meeting in the large school-room, on the evening of Wednesday, Oct. 30, the Rev. W. K. Melville, the Rector, in the chair. The Meeting was addressed at some length by the Rev. Chairman, Rev. G. G. Harvey, Rev. Barker, Smith, Rev. Roseingrave Macklin, and Mr. Lord.

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