stepping-stone for the attainment of their own purposes, refuse its authority over them, regarding it not as a system which is to govern them, but to be used by them, and cast as a makeweight, now in one scale, now in another, as may suit the interest of contending parties, without reference to the Author of that religion, who says, "Them that honour me, I will honour; but they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed."

We could wish, had space permitted, to have entered at length upon some passing events of great importance, both in political and theological matters.

Alas! it appears as if Protestant England was willing once again to be entangled in the same yoke of bondage as bound her in the dark ages. Courting an alliance with the Pope for the purpose of governing Popery the better, there are to be found too many who wish to see what are termed friendly relations established between the Court of St. James', and the Vatican; and certainly, when public opinion shall be sufficiently in favor of such a disastrous step, it will we have little reason to doubt, be taken, or at least attempted. We therefore desire that each Protestant should do his utmost to influence his own circle and public opinion, by gaining and imparting information where needed, and setting forward the urgent necessity of acting upon sound, Protestant, Constitutional, Christian principles.

Tractarianism pursues its course with varied success; and the fearful leaven of Popery, brought in by the disturbers of our Church, works, and will continue to work, long after those who introduced it may have closed their earthly career.

The proceedings in the diocese of Exeter, and the letter of the Archbishop of Canterbury to the clergy and laity of his province, are by this time well known to most of our readers; of his Grace's letter we may say, in the language of a Dublin journal, there is one lack in this, as in all other similar documents which have appeared, and which is striking; we mean the powerful pointed allusion that might or ought to be made to doctrine as the prominent essential business of the clergy, prelacy, and Church of England. The salvation of souls is the end for which the ecclesiastical constitution exists. If men were in earnest here, there would be no room or leisure for such trifling. If the Archbishop of Canterbury would urge this in the style and with the vigour of a Paul, and rebuke the original disturbers on such grounds, he would soon produce uniformity, without specifically ordering it.

Feeling the great importance of the question, and the need of action on the part of the laity, the Committee of the Protestant Association have adopted the following Petition to Her Majesty in Council, on the subject of the erroneous teaching of Tractarian innovators, and the unhappy differences which

at present exist with regard to Church ceremonies and discipline :

"May it please your Majesty.

"We, the undersigned, deeply regret the strife and discord which now distract our Church, occasioned by the efforts of the Tractarian party to revive obsolete ceremonies, and the observance of disused portions of the Rubrics,— whereby they have diminished her usefulness, and done serious injury to the advancement of true religion, among all classes of your Majesty's subjects.

"We cannot but regard such changes and innovations,connected as they evidently are with erroneous teaching,-as most injudicious, and as having a manifest tendency to impair the spirituality of our Church services, and to assimilate them to the superstitious practices of the Church of Rome, thereby driving thousands into Dissent, and alienating the affections of the people from their appointed pastors.

"We therefore humbly implore your Majesty, with the advice of your Council, to take these matters into your Royal consideration, and to devise such measures, as may tend, by the blessing of God, to restore harmony and peace amongst us, and to secure the preaching of the glorious doctrines of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, as carried out at the Reformation, in all their fulness and simplicity, throughout your Majesty's dominions.

"And your petitioners will ever pray."

This Petition lies for signature at Seeleys', 169, Fleet-street; Dalton's, 28, Cockspur-street, Charing-cross; Hatchards', Piccadilly; Baisler's, 124, Oxford-street; Nisbet's, Berners-street, Oxford-street; and the office of the Protestant Association, 11, Exeter-hall.

It appears to us, to be the duty of the laity to exert themselves as far as possible, and notwithstanding the difficulties which surround the case, still to shew themselves with mild but determined confidence, in a humble, prayerful, yet faithful spirit, resolved to a man not to aid in the introduction of Popish observances to look to the animus, the motives of those who bring them in-and never to connive at, or sanction, what they believe dangerous, because Popish innovations.

We shall rejoice, therefore, to see these Petitions multiplied, and forwarded from every part of the kingdom, expressing, in a continuous and unbroken strain, the firm and unanimous resolve of the laity of this Protestant country, that neither Popery nor Tractarianism shall, with their consent, or connivance, be permitted to gain the ascendancy.

37

THE PILGRIMS, THE RELIC, AND THE CHURCH OF ROME,

(Concluded from page 12.)

THE crowd was so considerable that it was difficult to find a lodging, the hotels were so filled that all the neighbouring houses were put in requisition. The streets were constantly crowded by numerous and animated groups. All kinds of exhibitions were found in the midst of this concourse: dioramas, panoramas, menageries, and puppet-shows offered their attractions to the public. All the city had the appearance of a fête, like the fairs in the environs of Paris. The noise, the agitation ceased not during the night. The traveller, unfortunate enough to be lodged in front of the house, was sure not to be able to close his eyes. Groups of noisy pilgrims succeeded each other without interruption, seeking a lodging. Large barracks had been erected outside the city, and there, for one or two sous each person, a bundle of straw received the wearied heads of the relic visitors. From two in the morning the processions arrived, and defiled through the streets in all directions, chanting litanies, and making the pavement resound with the staff of the pilgrim. Everywhere reigned an air of boisterous pleasure, which certainly had nothing in it that resembled a pious emotion, or the accomplishment of a religious duty; on the countenances of the greater number of the pilgrims, who patiently followed in the immense file, little else could be read but weariness, indifference, or stupidity; and the chant, sometimes nasal, sometimes piercing, of the litanies, mingled strangely with the profane noises.

Behold in this the influence that the Popish clergy exercise over the population which they direct, over the souls of which they have the charge, and of which they must render account to God. They call, by all the means that lie in their power, this unintelligent crowd to the feet of a relic, of which the authenticity, according to their own confession, is at least doubtful; they burden these poor people, whom they drag in their train, with chaplets, medals, and scapularies; they shew them at the end of this career of false and impious satisfaction, a plenary indulgence, and thus lead into the darkness of error those whom they are charged to conduct into the light of the Gospel.

These processions, flambeaux, chaplets, medals, and reliquaries, all this dress, destined to serve as ornaments to worldly piety, may please, we doubt not, our neo-catholics, those restorers of the middle age, who would wish to turn the age of Gregory VII. to their profit; but if they are sincere, can they not see whither they are going? Do they not perceive at the end of their attempt at Popish theocracy, the formidable shock between

their monstrous system and modern mind? Do they hope to conquer? The spirit of Rome is persevering, audacious, and supple by turns; it knows how to bend to inflexible necessity, how to make a timely cession in order that it may renew its attacks with more certainty of success. But it has a terrible antagonist, one which it appears to hold too cheaply, namely, humanity in its ascendant movement, humanity regenerated by the Gospel, and going forth under its shield, to the conquest of the world.

If the Popish system exercises a deep influence over the country population, if it is deeply rooted in the habits of a great part of France, it need not be wondered at. Error has always a greater hold on the human mind than truth, and Popery very skilfully addresses itself to the natural weakness of man; it so perfidiously flatters his corrupt nature, that on the contrary we should wonder if its empire was not universal. All that which we see; all the changes that the Church has seen from the time of Constantine in this system of iniquity, which manifested itself in the time of St. Paul, have been predicted in the Word of God. Let us read 2 Thess. ii., and 1 Timothy iv., and say if that Man of Sin, who as God sitteth in the temple of God, whose coming is after the working of Satan with signs and lying wonders; those seducing spirits who depart from the faith, who speaking lies in hypocrisy, forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth, do not present a striking picture, and an anticipated history of the errors of Rome!

On the occasion of exposing the robe, there appeared at Metz a History of the Robe of Jesus Christ, by J. MARX, Professor in the Great Seminary, approved by the Bishop of Trèves, and translated from the German by CH. WAYANT, Vicar of the Church of Notre Dame, at Metz. This pamphlet is written with a moderation and calmness which does credit to the Popish clergy of Germany. The following is a brief summary of the manner in which the author seeks to justify devotion to the relic :

"It is in the nature of the heart of man," he says, " to preserve and respect the objects which have belonged to those whom we love, and the sight of those objects recals those persons to our mind, and all that which they have done for us. This sentiment

is found in the family, in the human race, and in religion. As the child keeps and venerates the objects which have belonged to his parents, so men ought to feel a veneration for that which remains with us of a great personage; the faithful for the relics of great men of the Church or of saints. Now, of what inestitimable price ought we not to consider the garment of the Son of God made man to be, which he wore during his pilgrimage

here below? This contemplation awakens in the heart of men the sentiment of a holy joy, of a love without bounds, and of a sincere repentance of their sins, the burthen of which oppresses them (page 142-147). Hence also the miracles which God loves to accomplish among the faithful, miracles of grace and mercy."

We cannot but perceive that the author conducts his readers by the most gentle declivity to the most deplorable religious materialism.

The Gospel says, "God is a Spirit, and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth." Jesus saith, "No man cometh unto the Father but by me." The Scriptures declare that it is God who gives us repentance of our sins.

The Church says, Come, contemplate the robe of the Saviour, and this contemplation will awaken in you a sincere repentance of your sin.

The Gospel proclaims the natural incapacity of man, the corruption of his will, his estrangement from God, the necessity of a new birth in Christ, of an inward regeneration by the Holy Spirit.

The Church of Rome draws crowds of its faithful to the feet of a relic, and says to them, Prostrate yourselves, contemplate the robe of the Saviour, this contemplation will excite in you repentance, you will have gained a plenary indulgence.

Oh, Holy Word of our Divine Saviour, behold how thou tramplest under feet a Church which pretends herself infallible, and which aspires to catholicity! Behold the doctrine which she preaches; behold the religious materialism into which she plunges, and keeps the souls which are confided to her, and of which God will demand an account from her!

And that which is monstrous in this affair is that, as we have already said, the authenticity of this robe, even by the admission of the author of the book approved by the Bishop, is not perfectly established. In effect, in his introduction (page 2), he says, that during a part of the fifth century the tradition on the holy robe disappeared almost entirely. Invasions ravaged and disordered Trèves for a long time. The robe reappeared after the ninth century. It was St. Helena, mother of Constantine, who, after her journey to the Holy Land, brought away, according to tradition, among other relics, this marvellous robe. But the author naively adds (page 15), "We are not able to obtain evidence in this matter in the way of historical proofs." (Page 4.) "In his researches into the most remote periods, whether tradition could trace back the arrival of the holy relic within our walls, and its preservation in our cathedral, the author has often regretted that he could not meet with entirely satisfactory evidences." (Page 5.) "He (the author) cannot claim a full and entire certainty. He addresses himself in