QUAKERS' AFFIRMATION.

By the late Act of Parliament for amending the criminal law, the affirmation of Quakers, which was before allowed, instead of an oath, in civil cases, is also admitted in criminal cases. In one of the Police offices a member of the Society of Friends lately availed himself of this privilege. This is another improvement both in religious liberty and in the administration of justice.

MONUMENT TO DUGALD STEWART.

A SUBSCRIPTION is begun in Edinburgh for a public Monument in honour, and to the memory, of the late Mr. Dugald Stewart. A meeting with a view to this object was held, July 9, in the apartments of the Royal Society, the Lord Chief Commissioner of the Jury Court (the Right Hon. WILLIAM ADAM) in the Chair, when the following, amongst other Resolutions, were agreed to: "That this meeting is deeply impressed with sentiments of admiration and respect for the talents and virtues which distinguished and adorned the character of the late Mr. Dugald Stewart, and with a deep sense of the honour which his genius and learning have reflected on his country, during his long and bright career as an Author and Public Instructor in the most important departments of Philosophy:-That this meeting, in common with many of the friends and admirers of Mr. Stewart, is desirous that there should remain to future times some lasting public monument of the high estimation in which he was held by his contemporaries, and of the reverence with which his memory is cherished by all those to whom he was known :-That in the opinion of this meeting, a Monument of an architectural kind would be the best fitted for the attainment of their wishes."-The subscriptions already announced amount to 863/., and in the list of subscribers we are happy to see the names of Earl Dudley for 100%., Lord Minto and the Earl of Lauderdale each for 521. 10s., Lord Palmerston for 50%., and Sir Walter Scott, and Sir T. D. Ackland, each for 107. 10s.

IRELAND.

THE REFORMATION.

THE "Second Reformation," of which we have heard so much, appears to have failed. A meeting was lately held in Dublin, consisting of the chief Protestant Proselytists, when they agreed to disband. The other Reformation-societies will, it is expected, follow the example. The leaders are perhaps alarmed at the reaction which their efforts have produced, as manifested at the Clare election, or they may have received some hint from the Government with regard to their future conduct, and they are of that class of persons on whom a hint from the

66

distributors of the good things of Church and State is never thrown away. The patriotie Lord CLIFDEN, on presenting a petition to the House of Lords, on the 9th of April, 1827, in favour of Catholic Emancipation, which he predicted would soon be desired by Irish Peers then opposed to it, gave his opinion of the modern "Reformation" in the following striking words: It was his opinion, that after two years of suffering, experienced equally by the Orangemen as by the Catholics, that those Noble Lords who lived in Ireland, and who were now most hostile to granting the Catholic Claims, would see the necessity of conceding that question. With respect to the Reformation, the only fear was, that it might make the people bad Catholics, as Chesterfield said of Thomas Lord Wharton, that he laid down one religion without taking up any other. He had heard the same thing said of a Reverend Prelate now no more. He should not mention names, but he had been told so by the Reverend Gentleman's own brother." We may guess, but we must not do more, at the name of this Right Reverend, who received his thousands upon thousands per annnum, for believing the whole contents of the Common Prayer Book, and who in direct succession from the apostles had received, and was authorized to impart, Holy Orders, that is, that peculiar kind and degree of the Holy Ghost which constitutes a valid and rightful priest of the Church of England and Ireland.

Attempts have been making for some time to establish societies in England for promoting the "Reformation" in Ireland. A Captain Gordon, of platform celebrity, is the travelling agent for this scheme. He lately called a meeting at Bristol to form one of his "auxiliaries," when he was stopped by a proposal inade by a gentleman of the name of Wintour Harris, that the committee for establishing the new society should be instructed to examine the Common Prayer-Book in order to ascertain what remains of Popery there are in the Church of England, and the best means of reducing the said church to conformity with the true principles of the Protestant Reformation. This is the best way of meeting the zealots who are endeavouring to enkindle hostilities between the several religious sects of the United Kingdom. The occurrence has excited great attention, and we shall return to it in the next number.

MR. DAWSON'S SPEECH.

Ar a late Orange meeting at Derry, Mr. G. R. Dawson, meme ber for the county of Londonderry, and who has been hitherto the stoutest opponent of the Catholic claims, made a speech which threw the meeting into confusion and has produced a strong sensation throughout Ireland. He admitted the power of the Catholics, the impossibility of keeping them down by violence, the danger to the country from the present embittered feelings of the great parties, and the necessity of some measures tending

to conciliation and peace. The speaker being an under Secretary of State, and the brother-in-law of Mr. Peel, it is taken far granted that government is contemplating the relief of the Roman Catholics. The Catholic Association is overjoyed and is hailing Mr. Dawson as a convert; the Orange clubs are in a state bordering on madness, and omit no opportunity of branding Mr. Dawson as an apostate. This furious faction is calling out for a civil war, as if thirsting for Catholic blood, and is beginning to turn with rage upon the government, by which it has been fed and fattened. The destruction of the Orange ascendancy by the government will do more than 100,000 bayonets in restoring peace and prosperity to Ireland.

SYNOD OF ULSTER.·

WHILST other religious communities are pressing forward in the path of improvement, the Presbyterians of Ireland are going back. We have not seen in our day any body of men so perversely industrious in forging chains for their own consciences. Let us hope that they will soon feel the weight of their fetters, and will throw them off even more eagerly than they have put them on.

The Synod of Ulster began the work of intolerance last year, and have this year completed it. They have instituted a Čommittee of heresy-finders, to keep out of the ministry all that are not sound upon the points of the Trinity, Original Sin, Justification by Faith, and Regeneration by the Holy Spirit. The Westminster Confession of Faith is to be the standard of orthodoxy. The Triers are to examine candidates for the ministry before their admission at college, and again after they have finished their theological course: this double net it is supposed will catch all the bad fish. Of those that approved of the establishment of the Inquisition, some were for a little show of moderation; but the ultras, under Mr. Cooke, triumphed. Mr. Montgomery, whose eloquent and noble speech last year is well known, and whose defence of liberty of conscience on that occasion has been rewarded by the presentation to him of a splendid service of plate by the liberals of the North of Ireland, again grappled with bigotry, in a speech which would have stopped any men in the course of intolerance who were not absolutely delirious. He and twenty-two other ministers, and seventeen elders, (the Synod appears to have consisted of one hundred and thirty-nine ministers and fifty-seven elders,) signed a manly Protest, which we shall insert below. It is expected that next year the liberal party will have matured a plan of separation, and will form themselves into another Synod, which shall recognize and provide for the great principles of religious liberty.

66

PROTEST.

We, the undersigned Ministers and Elders, protest against

the decision of Synod, in this case, for the following, amongst other reasons:

"1. Because the Overture contains several statements respecting the opinions and characters of the Ministers of the Church, which we consider to be unfounded and injurious.

"2. Because, subjecting our Students and Licentiates to the controul of an ever-varying Committee of Synod, who may be under the influence of personal feelings, or local connexions, appears to be imposing subscription to human interpretations of the word of God, in a form more objectionable than has ever been attempted in any other Church.

"3. Because, human Tests and Confessions have, in all ages, tended to encourage hypocrisy-to restrict the right of private judgment—to lessen the authority of Scripture—and to prevent that free inquiry and discussion which are essential to the extension of religious knowledge, and of which truth need not be afraid.

"4. Because, all attempts to produce a uniformity of belief, have hitherto entirely failed, and, from the nature of man, must continue to fail; whilst they have created unrighteous divisions among Christians-thrown a shield over the time-server-and exposed the conscientious to injuries and persecutions, as the case of the Two Thousand Ministers ejected by the Act of Conformity, under Charles II., incontestibly proves.

5. Because, as Presbyterian Protestants, we will never surrender the fundamental principle of the Reformation, which forbids us to call any man, or body of men, Lord or Master,' considering one only is our master, even Christ, and that all we are brethren.

"6. Because, we believe that the Sacred Scriptures,' given by inspiration of God,' are the only infallible rule of faith and practice; and, as we are determined to submit to no other standard ourselves, but to hold fast the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free,' so we shall never be accessory to subjecting the opinions of others to any human interference, save such explanations as may take place between pastors and people.

66

7. Because, if any Creed, or Test of religious belief, contain nothing but what is to be found in the Bible, it is superfluous; and if it contain any thing contrary to the Bible, it is pernicious -calculated to mislead the understanding-to prevent the progress of truth-and to perpetuate error.

8. Because, the Overture, just passed, must eventually trench upon the most valuable rights of the people, in the free election of their Ministers; inasmuch as their choice must be restricted to persons professing to hold the opinions approved by your Committee, although such opinions should not be agreeable to the views of sacred truth entertained by the Congregation.

9. Because, although some of us believe in the doctrine of the Trinity, we consider it improper to impose the belief of that, or any other controverted doctrine, upon others, as a necessary condition of Christian communion; and we are, therefore, determined to embrace the earliest opportunity of pressing the repeal, or a sufficient modification of the Overture. "10. Because we regard it as exceedingly preposterous to require Students to profess this belief in some of the most abstruse and difficult points of Theology, even before they have entered the Theological Class.

"11. Because, we consider this proceeding as a direct breach of faith with those Students and Licentiates who have entered our Church under our previous Regulations.

"12. Because, whilst in the recent repeal of the Test and Corporation Acts in England, we have a gratifying proof of the increasing liberality of the country and the Legislature, we consider it reproachful to any Protestant, and more especially to any Presbyterian Church, to impose any restrictions upon liberty of conscience, and freedom of inquiry, in matters of faith."

PUBLIC AFFAIRS.

FRANCE.

RELIGIOUS parties are beginning to shew themselves in France. In a discussion in one of the Chambers, a Member expressed a wish that religion were released from an alliance with the State. He alluded to the example of the United States, and remarked that there was no necessity for the help of the Treasury in Divine Adoration. This remark has provoked the ire of the English newspaper called the Times, which writes most disgustingly whenever it touches on religious

matters.

The religious majority in France, who, as the majority, are of course the orthodox, are beginning to shew great zeal for the old Roman Catholic Church, and like the orthodox in London, Constantinople and Pekin, they no doubt argue in the circle, that it is their orthodoxy that excites their zeal, and that their zeal is a proof of their orthodoxy. We can imagine a French Missionary, cross in hand, declaiming most eloquently upon "the frigid zone" of Protestantism, just as the soi-disant Evangelicals at home talk most takingly before crowds of listeners on the coldness of Unitarianism. The temperature of a man in health will always feel cold to a man in a fever. The heated Romanists in France have formed an Association for the Defence of the Catholic Religion:" the professed objects of the Association are, to unite the efforts of all good people" in the said defence, to procure, by means of prizes, books to be written useful to religion, to translate the best foreign