THE IRISH MISSIONARY MAGAZINE, AND PROTESTANT ADVOCATE. NOVEMBER, 1844. Spiritual State and Claims of Ereland. IRELAND. POPERY THE GREAT CAUSE OF ITS PRESENT DEGRADED CONDITION. "AND sure it is yet a most beautiful and sweet country as any is under heaven; being stored throughout with many goodly rivers, replenished with all sorts of fish abundantly; sprinkled with many sweet islands and goodly lakes, like little inland seas that will carry even ships upon their waters; adorned with goodly woods, even fit for building houses and ships, so commodiously, as that if some princes in the world had them, they would soon hope to be lord of all the seas, and ere long of all the world; so very full of good ports and havens opening upon England, inviting us to come unto them, to see what excellent commodities that country can afford; besides the soil itself most fertile, it to yield all kinds of fruit that shall be committed thereunto; and, lastly, the heavens most mild and temperate, though somewhat more moist than the parts towards the east." Such was the description given of Ireland in the days of Queen Elizabeth, by an Englishman (the celebrated Spencer) sent over by Her Majesty to take charge of "her loving and faithful subjects," and to endeavour to bring under " proper restrainte" those of them who did not, even at that period, feel well inclined to submit to English rule and domination-and such, or very similar, have been the terms in which the soil, the climate, and the natural resources of the country have been described by travellers who have visited and viewed it from one period to another, even to the present day. That it is a beautiful island, and possesses great natural resources, and vast capabilities for trade and commerce, cannot be denied; and yet, strange to say, with all these advantages, with a fine soil, and an intelligent population, Ireland, at this moment, presents one of the most extraordinary anomalies to be met with on the face of the globe. Separated merely by a narrow channel from the wealthiest nation in the world, from a people speaking the same language, professing the Christian faith, and to whom many of the inhabitants VOL. I. H are related by the closest affinities of friendship and kindred, and at the same time possessing such a superabundant capital as scarcely to know how to lay it out to profit-with all these and many other advantages, Ireland still remains in poverty and distress: her harbours deserted; her mines unworked; her water-courses, capable of moving half the machinery of England, running to waste, unproductive and unused; with her rich and fertile soil not half tilled, her daily increasing peasantry half starved, and scarcely half clothed; and, as might very naturally be expected, discontented and unhappy. Such being the actual state of the case, the question naturally arises, from whence proceeds such an extraordinary state of things? How comes it that, with so many advantages, such a people should, at the present day, remain in such a degraded situation? To enter into the varied causes that might be assumed, would lead us far beyond our legitimate province; but of this we are assured, and to this point we feel ourselves fairly called upon to direct the attention of our readers, that whatever other evils may have combined to produce such an unhappy resultto the demoralizing, soul-destroying spirit of Popery, may be traced ninetenths of the miseries by which the people are afflicted. Whatever else may have conduced to the distresses and consequent turbulence of the peasantry, there can be no question that Popery has been the night-hag which has brooded over and kept down their moral and intellectual energies, and prevented their prosperity and happiness; nor need we ever expect the inhabitants of Ireland to assume their proper station amongst the nations of the earth, or be really contented and happy until the chains of ignorance and superstition, by which they have so long been held in willing bondage, shall be cut asunder by the sword of the Spirit, acting on their hearts and consciences. Let the wisest laws be enacted, and the greatest exertions be made by the legislators of the land to produce peace and plenty, still we feel persuaded that so long as Popery is allowed to pervade the length and breadth of the country, without an effort being made to get the people from under the power of the priests of Rome, every other effort to produce happiness or prosperity will prove unavailing; and we have no hesitation in saying-on the avowed friends of the Lord Jesus-on those who profess to be his followers-a great moral responsibility rests; and until they exert themselves to spread the knowledge of the way of salvation among the inhabitants of Ireland, it will be vain to hope that the country will be freed from those agitations by which it has for centuries been convulsed. Through the kindness of correspondents we have been enabled to lay before our readers a few specimens of the "teaching which causeth to err," by which, not only the ignorant, but even the learned Roman Catholics of Ireland are kept in their present condition, and ultimately lured to their ruin. In our present number, will be found a specimen of the theology pro pounded by a Roman Catholic Doctor of Divinity, in the Metropolitan Chapel, on the occasion of Mr. O'Connell's liberation from prison, which the learned Divine described as a miracle, wrought specially for the occasion by the Virgin Mary; and in the newspapers of the day we find a similar specimen of the teachings of Popery, in an address presented to the government of the country from the Roman Catholic hierarchy and clergy of Ireland, and signed by nearly all the bishops, and some hundreds of the clergy, relative to the Bill which recently passed the British Parliament, having reference to charitable bequests, and by which it is enacted that no bequest of land shall be valid, unless the will making such bequest shall have been executed three months before the death of the testator. This provision of the Act was wisely introduced, in order to prevent the awful threatenings of the Church being brought to bear upon poor guilty sinners in their last dying moments, in the view of compelling them, under fear of eternal torment, to make over their lands and property to the Church, as has been too frequently the case in England as well as in Ireland.* The Roman Catholic hierarchy and priests of Ireland, in their published protest against the clause, declare their conviction, that "instead of a concession, it is a new penal clause of the old leaven, FORBIDDING THE DYING SINNER, in his most sincere moments-the time of his last sickness, TO REDEEM HIS SINS, by the BEQUEST of a SINGLE ACRE OF LANDED PROPERTY, for any religious or charitable purpose in our communion." Without referring, therefore, to various other points, such as the numerous feast and fast days, by which their time is consumed, and the large sums drained from the poor, as dues and offerings by the priests of Rome-with such hopes held out to the sinner while revelling in guilt and sin, that in the dying hour his sins may be redeemed by the bequest of an acre or even ten acres of land-and those of the poorer classes in proportion-surely it is not surprising that the country should be as it is;— that the laws should be broken, that life and property should be insecure, and that those who have property, should fear to invest it in such a country. Let then the Christians of England do their duty to their sister land-let them use every means in their power to send them that Gospel, which shall enlighten their understandings—and teach them that, "denying ungodliness, and worldly lusts, they should live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world, looking for that blessed hope, the glorious appearance of our great God and Saviour, Jesus Christ." Under such teaching, with the divine benediction resting on the efforts now making for their temporal benefit, we might shortly expect that the people of Ireland, renouncing their errors and false dependencies, would, ere long, be as renowned for their quiet and peaceable deportment, as they are now for the contrary. * See "Death-Bed Wills," page 72.-ED. Missionary Stations and Labours. IRISH EVANGELICAL SOCIETY. The Committee continue to receive gratifying reports, from many of their agents, of the progress of the work in which they are engaged. New fields of usefulness are opening to this Society, and fresh calls for help are addressed to the Committee from different quarters. To these the Committee are unable, for want of adequate funds, to return the prompt affirmation, in reply, which they would gladly do. We hope in a future number to present to our readers more copious extracts from their correspondence than we are favored with this month. The following narration will show the kind of labor in which the Scripture Readers, in connexion with this Society, are engaged. A host of such men might be employed, could the means of their support be obtained. Extracts from the Journal of H. D., from July to September 30 : TRIUMPH OF PROTESTANT PRINCIPLES. I had a conversation with a respectable woman, both by appearance and dress. She made a few remarks on the destitute state of the poor; and, taking me for a Romish priest, she said, "Sir, I have reason to be thankful to God, for I must tell you, that my parents, with a sister and myself, were once Protestants, but now Roman Catholics." I said, "would you be so kind as to tell me why you and yours left the religion of the Bible, for that of man's invention." When she saw that she was mistaken with regard to me, she remained silent for a few moments, and said, "I have been told the Roman Catholic Church is the only true Church, and that none can be saved out of it." "Who has told you so?" "The priests have repeatedly told me so; and all the people in my neighbourhood." pleased to tell me, have you ever read the Bible ?" "Yes, Sir," was the reply. you believe it to be the Word of God ?" Yes." Does that blessed Word tell you that the Roman Catholic Church is the only true one, and that none can be saved out of it ?" "I do not remember that it does." 66 My friend, bear with me, while I tell you that have done what you ought not to do; for true Protestantism is taking the Holy Scriptures for our rule of faith you "Be 66 'Do and practice, and believing, as lost sinners, what they reveal to us-an all-sufficient Saviour, even the Son of God, &c. But what have you done? Instead of asking God for his Holy Spirit to teach you in his Word, you, as a Roman Catholic, are bound to look to a poor sinful man as your infallible guide, and to believe all the dogmas of the Romish Church, which are directly opposed to the Holy Scriptures." I proved to her how a poor sinner could be justified by faith only in Jesus Christ, and contrasted that blessed truth with some of the leading errors of Popery, and showed their awful tendency in leading the sinner's heart and mind from the Lord Jesus, to sinful man, &c. 66 "Now, my friend, have you reason to thank God for that foolish and sinful change, for you may perceive how you have left light for darkness, truth for error, God for man ?" She paid the greatest attention to me, and said, Sir, I must tell you that I never gave up the Bible; but to my shame, I do fully acknowledge, I have made no good use of it, and from what you have told me to-day, and proved it so plainly from that Sacred Word, I see my error, and with the help of God will renounce it from this moment; I know my mind can never be at rest while I remain as I am." Her case appeared to me to be a very striking one. While I was speaking of the Word of life, I am persuaded the Lord sent it home with power to her heart. “Oh !" said she, "if my dear father and mother knew what you have told me this day, they would not act so foolish as they have done in leaving my sister and myself amongst ignorant Roman Catholic servants, who instilled into our young minds, with the assistance of the priest, time after time, their erroneous sentiments, as you have proved them to be, to my greatest satis faction. I cannot tell you how truly thankful I am to you for taking all the trouble with me that you have done. O that God would grant me grace to thank him with my whole heart for sending you in my way to-day. May He keep me from the snare of the enemy, and keep me looking to Jesus Christ all my days. One request I want you to grant me, to remember me in your prayers. Now we are going to part, I want your advice how I am to act when I go home, for it may be we shall never see each other again in this world." (She lives some distance from the city.) "The simple advice I have to give you is this, when you return home, enter into your closet, pray to your heavenly Father in the name of Jesus Christ, for his Holy Spirit to teach you his Holy Word and lead you into all truth; pardon you all your sins; sanctify you by his Spirit, and make you meet for an inheritance among the saints in light; then you and I shall meet never more to part, and join all the blood-bought sons and daughters of the Lord in singing that new song, unto him that loved us and washed us from our sins in his own blood, be glory and dominion for ever, Amen." We parted in a most loving Christian manner. HOLY SCRIPTURES THE RULE OF FAITH. I read the second chapter of Ephesians to four Roman Catholics; in making a few remarks on what was read, I described man's lost and guilty state by nature; how the evil spirit of disobedience dwells in all such; in that state man cannot save himself, in part or in whole. The great love of God in giving us his Holy Word, wherein He reveals himself, as a God rich in mercy to all that seek him through Jesus Christ, &c. One of the men, (a mason by trade) said, "It appears from what you have read, and the remarks that you have made, that man's works are of no avail, nothing worth in the sight of God." "Yes, my friends, the Word of God tells us plainly that it is by grace we are saved, through faith, and that not of ourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast; or, in other words, that Jesus Christ the Son of God by laying down his life on Calvary's cross and shedding his precious blood has made a complete atonement for a lost world." I then brought forward about twenty parallel passages to substantiate what was said. Therefore if we believe the Word of God, we must fully admit that Christ is the procuring cause of our salvation, and all that believe with their hearts unto righteousness in that Saviour shall be saved, all such will receive the Spirit of God to change their sinful hearts and minds; or, in other words, they shall be born again, and become new creatures in Christ Jesus; that blessed Spirit will carry on his work in them, making them more obedient day after day to all his heavenly commands. You perceive, then, it is the saved, all that believe in Christ, that will perform good works as evidences or proofs that they are saved by God's free grace; all their obedience then will flow from a principle of love to Christ, who saved them. You see now, my friends, that all Bible Christians are advocates for good works; but they keep them in their proper place, where God would have them kept. It is of such characters that the apostle is speaking in the end of the chapter that was read, that they were no more strangers but fellow-citizens with the saints of the household of God, and are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief Corner Stone, in whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord, &c. Three of the men answered, and said, "Indeed we always thought that Protestants laid no stress upon works in any sense of the word, but since we have heard you we are inclined to believe what you have told us." The mason laid down his hammer, and said to his companions, "You are inclined to believe it, I am not only inclined, but I verily believe that we can be saved in no other way; it appears as plain to me as that wall before me; and I tell you more, if I had one six months' instruction from this man, I think I should be happy." I advised him to read the Bible, and to pray for the Holy Spirit to teach him, then he would be happy, and that for We parted in a very friendly manner. May Almighty God bless his own Word. Amen. H. D. ever. To the REV. W. H. C. C- College, Sept. 24, 1844. My dear Sir, Ever since my return to England I have promised myself the pleasure of sending you a letter, in reference to my late visit to the county of Clare; but the multiplied duties of the opening session have not allowed of it. To give you, in detail, an account of my labours in Fand its neighbourhood would be dry and uninteresting. Preaching was kept up regularly on the Sabbath, and, except when otherwise engaged, on Wednesday evenings. The number of Protestants attending the little chapel is small, and they are all very poor; but few and poor as they may be, there is, notwithstanding, great encouragement to preach and teach among them. There are only five Protestant families in the immediate neighbourhood, all of whom attend the place opened for worship. The chief sources of interest, however, |