SIR,

Enquiries.

To the Editor of the Gospel Magazine.

1

Being a reader of your Magazine, and having read in the Dec. No. theRecollections of the Past, I feel inclined in the spirit of love to ask you a question. Why do you write in the plural? The same thing has struck my mind in reading the "Cottage Lectures," of which I think you are the Author; and also in reading some of your leading pieces, where as in the piece alluded to, you are speaking of the work and power of God upon your soul. 1 know, in measure, from blessed experience, that every influence of the Lord the Spirit upon the renewed soul-every word applied with power, whether for direction, encouragement, reproof, or of whatever kind, is as much an individual secret between the Lord and the soul as if there were no other creature in existence; and a love for individuality in these blessed secrets, and for full proof and testing in these dear receptions of divine truth, this fellowship and communion with Father, Son, and Spirit; this oneness of dealing of the soul in and with Christ, plurally expressed, ungrateful and unacceptable to my mind. Furthermore, allow me to express that I do not like your expression in the piece above alluded to, of "habitually" desiring to depart and be with Christ-I believe such a state is only enjoyed through the indwelling, peacespeaking, reconciling love of Jesus in and to the soul. I shall be glad if you will insert this with an answer in an early Number. I believe the explanation will be acceptable to other of your readers, as well as myself.

Owing to circumstances in which I am placed, I am obliged to conceal my name and address. Yours in love,

Oakham Dec. 13 1847.

P.S. May I ask whether it is likely there will be more numbers of the Cottage Lectures?

ANSWER.

1.- We write in the plural number because it is an editorial custom, and savours less of egotism. Substitute I for we in the piece alluded to, and see how it grates upon the ear. We are as great advocates for individuality as our correspondent can be; but in writing or speaking, we desire to avoid the great I as much as possible, not from a wish to evade experimental truth, or deny what God hath done for the soul; but purely from a desire (however we may fail in the endeavour) to hide behind Christ-to stand in the rear of the Master, and exhibit him to the people, as the Spirit shall give the ability.

2. We have no claim to the authorship of the Gospel Cottage. Lectures. They were written by a brother in the flesh and in the spirit, and were discontinued because it was attended with considerable loss.

3. We used the word "habitually," because at the time referred to it was the general tenor of our feelings.

And now having answered our Inquirer, we trust satisfactorily, perhaps we shall be permitted to throw out a hint in the same spirit of love in which he proposes his questions. "Make not a man an offender for a word." It is not every writer-especially editors, with a mass of correspondence round them-has time to take his every word and ponder over it, before he puts it on paper. You would have some dry, unsavoury productions if thus he checked the gentle flowing of the Spirit. Our coldest, driest papers always occupy the most time in writing; and this for two reasons-the oil does not flow freely, and Satan and the flesh are holding a quibbling conference, producing a jargon of no small interruption to your humble servant,

DEAR SIR,

To the Editor of the Gospel Magazine

THE EDITOR.

Will you, or any of the able contributors to the GOSPEL MAGAZINE, give me a solution of Acts viii. 22, so as to wrest it from the hands of those men who advance it as being to us an insurmountable barrier, and to them a sufficient warrant to call upon the unconverted to pray, to exercise faith, repentance, &c.

I have consulted Dr. Gill's Commentary on the passage in question ; he does not, I think, remove the difficulty; his comment is as follows: "Though he (Simon) was in a state of nature, the apostle exhorts him to the duty of prayer, for prayer (he says) is a natural duty, and binding upon all men, though none but a spiritual man can perform it in a spiritual way." The question, therefore, turns on this point, and stands thus-Is it a duty incumbent on every minister of the Gospel to exhort unconverted persons to perform the duties of faith and repentance, and to pray for the forgiveness of their sins.

The above passage of Scripture certainly seems to countenance such a conclusion. Simon was undoubtedly an unconverted person, for he was pronounced by the apostle Peter to be "in the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity," and yet he is exhorted by him to the exercise of repentance and prayer.

An answer to the above at your earliest convenience would be esteemed a great favour, not only by myself, but by others who feel much interested in the same question. I am, dear Sir, yours in the bonds of Christian friendship, A LOVER OF TRUTH.

York, Nov. 13, 1847.

DEAR EDITOR,

To the Editor of the Gospel Magazine.

Will you oblige me by informing me what is gone with the writer of papers called "Crumbs from Elmley?" I have not seen anything lately in the Magazine of his writing, and wondered what could be the

reason.

I am, yours truly, Leicester, Jan. 8, 1848.

A CONSTANT READER.

The Protestant Beacon.

"From the tyranny of the Bishop of Rome, and all his detestable enormities, good Lord, deliver us.”—Old Prayer-book Version.

Ir is not from mere bitterness or acrimony against men as men, that we from time to time speak or write of POPERY as we do, but it is purely from a desire to furnish England (as far as our feeble testimony may reach) with facts illustrative of a system which is daily swallowing up thousands as in the vast and ruinous vortex ! The false charity of the times we live in declares Popery is moderated—that it is not so intolerant as it was in the dark ages. This is as contrary to plain matter of fact, as it is to the very principles and pretensions of Popery itself, which declares itself to be unchanged and unchangeable! For now nearly eight years we have within the pages of this Magazine contended that, if those absolutely necessary restraints which now enchain Popery were removed, she would prove the same entire abhorrence, and (if permitted) indulge that abhorrence in the same murderous deeds which stamped her character in bygone days, and dyed her covering with the blood of many thousand martyrs. Fourteen months' residence in poor priest-ridden Ireland has established our convictions of the fact that Rome is Rome still! She is as subtle as ever! She is as overbearing as ever! She is as bloodthirsty as ever! Take off her straight-jacket, and she will prove it to the cost of toounsuspecting England!

We were in the company of a gentleman a day or two since. Listen to his testimony :-"I have been in Ireland for thirty years, nearly eight of which I spent at Dingle; and the conclusion to which I have arrived is, that Popery is a most soul-destroying system." Shall not an experience of thirty years carry weight with it? Shall not the closest contact with, and the daily observation of the practical workings of, Popery, bear truthfulness upon its brow. Assuredly. THE EDITOR.

VITRIOL versus HOLY WATER.

Ir is a custom generally among Roman Catholics, when they purchase live stock from Protestants, to besprinkle them with holy water. It once happened that a Roman Catholic bought a cow from a man who was considered a most bigoted Protestant, and worse than all, an Orangeman.

The animal upon being brought home was subjected to the ordeal of sprinkling; but in the same place where the holy water was kept a bottle of vitriol of similar dimensions was by some mistake also deposited; the one was unfortunately substituted for the other. The man and his wife having gone through some superstitious ceremony, threw some of the vitriol on the cow; the animal manifested great uneasiness. "Paddy," said the wife, "she is so much orange, she don't like the blessed water. Give it to her again." Upon this the man gave a plentiful splash into the cow's face and eyes. The animal commenced lowing, and the pain still increasing, became furious-broke the rope that held her to the stall-threw down the woman, and made away, writhing in agony. "Well," said the woman upon recovering herself, "what a heretic that cow is; how deep the Protestant is in her; she would not stand the holy water, and even the little sup we put on her. May the saints preserve me; but she's washing away in

the river."

A HINT TO PROTESTANTS, EXTENDING TO MANY PAPISTS.

A correspondent of the "Morning Chronicle " says " A Roman Catholic gentleman is about to marry a young lady of the Church of England, in whose happiness I am much interested. The gentleman proposed to have the ceremony performed in both churches; but on his applying to three different Roman Catholic priests, he is informed by all of them that, according to a late regulation, they cannot perform the ceremony, save on the condition that all the issue shall be brought up in the Roman Catholic faith, and that 'a dispensation' can only be obtained from the Pope!"

MR. EDITOR,

To the Editor of the Gospel Magazine.

In your last you mentioned a fact in reference to a traveller eating meat on a fast-day. It brought to my mind a picture in Fox's Book of Martyrs, so often scrutinized in childhood, of four men being hanged for eating goose on a fast-day. But, happening to be in a room where the paragraph referred to was read, a lady said, "It reminds me of an old Roman Catholic cook 1 once had in my establishment. By some means she forgot herself, and eat meat on a fast-day. As soon as she discovered her error, she procured an emetic-took it: it proved so powerful as to end in her death." Yours, respectfully,

A HATER OF POPERY.

The following "Confession" is publicly made by all Protestants, on their reception into communion with the Church of Rome:—

"I confess that I have been brought from heresy to the Roman Catholic faith by the diligence of the fathers of the society of Jesus. "I confess the pope of Rome is head of the church, and cannot err. "I confess and am certain that the pope of Rome is vicar of Christ, and has plenary power of remitting and retaining sins according to his will, and of thrusting men down into hell (in infernum detrudendi).

"I confess that whatever new thing the pope may have instituted, whether it be in Scripture or out of Scripture, is true, divine, and salvific, and therefore ought to be regarded as of higher value by laypeople than the precepts of the living God (ideoque alaicis majoris astimari debere Dei vivi præceptis.

"I confess that the most holy pontiff ought to be honoured by all with divine honour (honorari divino honore), with more prostration than is due to Christ himself.

"I confess that the pope has the power of altering Scripture, or increasing and diminishing it according to his will.

"I confess that Holy Scripture is imperfect, and a dead letter, until it is explained by the supreme pontiff, and permitted by him to be read by lay-people."

To the Editor of the Gospel Magazine.

DEARLY BELOVED,

The accompanying extract from a letter of Miss Plumptree's, which I have lately been reading, is so precious, and so blessedly sets forth the union between Christ and the Church, which is the only grand foundation of all her blessedness, that I am induced to send it to you for insertion, if, by the Lord's blessing, it should be made profitable to any of his blood-bought redeemed family.

Yours in the love of the truth,

A LITTLE ONE. "I know not how it is with you, my Ruhamah, but my great fight of faith is generally to keep hold on this one immense truth, His desire is towards me,' and I am the more convinced of its importance from the dreadful struggle the enemy is continually making to wrest it from me. How unearthly, how bride-like, how dignified, how onehearted, would the walking in this truth make us. How would it cure us of creature-hankering, comfort-hankering pursuits!

"What a flood of satisfaction flows in, even with a momentary lively apprehension of this truth! With what an assurance can we call all things ours when we thus look at our bridegroom and know the thoughts that he thinks towards us! the real rest and delight he takes in his bride; the joy it is to him to give her a goodly portion. Oh, the cruel unkindness of our suspicious hearts! That he should question our love to him is in no wise strange, but that we can ever harbour a doubt of his desire towards us, this is strange indeed; this goes very near his heart, and this, during his visible sojourn among his loved ones, frequently called forth the how is it and the why of the meek but stedfast lover of souls, who was at the very time writing out in characters of blood which might be read by all worlds, the GREAT love wherewith he loved us."