or British Missions. This has been a most seasonable supply, but has not been sufficient to enable the Committee to meet this providential calamity. Not only have the agents of the Society to endure the sufferings occasioned by this severe dispensation, but the poor who have been accustomed to attend the meetings for reading the Scriptures and prayer held by the readers, are reduced in many cases to a state bordering on starvation. These circumstances, together with the want of clothing suited to this season of the year, present such scenes of distress as, it may not be too much to say, find no parallel even in the extremest privations endured in some parts of our own more favoured land. The following extracts from a letter just received from one of the pastors, who labours, with great success, in a mountainous district of the country, will account for the extreme difficulty and want which the visitation now deplored occasions:

"In this country the farms may be divided into two classes: the larger includes holdings of from twenty to forty acres, and upwards; the smaller from eight to twenty acres. Of the larger I may say little, as the farmers, where their land is held at a fair rent, can live comfortably—that is, as comfort is thought of in this country. The small farmers require all their industry and exertion to pay their rent in good seasons with plenty of potatoes. Judge, then, how they must suffer now that the essential part of their crop is gone! The potato crop is everything to them. With it they feed their pigs, which pay their rent for half the year, and sustain their families nine months out of the twelve. Even when their crop is good they are rarely able to provide their families, in addition to potatoes, with more than butter-milk or a salt herring to their meals the richer and more palatable things are invariably sold. The potato crop, it will therefore be seen, is the true source of their dependence; and, I may add, their only wealth. It is then an easy matter to calculate the amount of their suffering at the present crisis."

:

This statement applies not only to the district to which it refers, but to the whole country, excepting that in some localities, the holdings of the farmers are still smaller, and their sufferings, consequently, still greater. The following are extracts from another agent in a different province :

"There is no exaggeration in the statements respecting the crop. I think the case far worse than is represented. The distance from this town to the most remote point of my late journey is about sixty Irish miles. Everywhere I found the same state of things. The exceptions are inconsiderable. What

will be the result the Lord only knows! The condition of this unhappy country is melancholy to contemplate: a teeming population; no employment; small farmers unable to meet, in many instances, the consumption of food in their own families; and multitudes bereft of all means of support as soon as they consume the sound part of the crop. Nay, very many are at this moment living on potatoes which are, from their state of rottenness, offensive even to the smell. The universal conviction amongst the poor is that it is the hand of God; and this gives us a daily opportunity of bringing before them the consequences of sin, and directing their attention to that bread which cometh down from heaven, and which a man may eat and not die."

Other extracts could be given, put these may suffice to show the pressing exigences under which the poor in that land are suffering. If it be asked, in what way can relief be afforded? it may be said that, whilst it is impossible for this Society to do much to alleviate such widely spread suffering, it might, in the first place, administer some assistance to those of its agents who are themselves straitened in their circumstances by the high price of provisions; and, in the next place, through them, relief in some small degree might be administered to the members of churches, "the poor of Christ's flock," and the regular attendants on the ministry of the word, whether dispensed by the pastors, missionaries, or Scripture readers. The Committee would thankfully receive special contributions for this object, and use their best discretion in administering any funds which may be placed at their disposal. They would respectfully entreat every individual who reads this statement to regard himself personally addressed, and to consider, whether it is not in his power to aid in an object, for which every feeling of humanity, and every principle of religion, so powerfully pleads.

Bloomfield Street, Finsbury.

THE PROGRESS OF THE GOSPEL

TO THE EDITOR.

SIR,-It has occurred to me, that the readers of your interesting Miscellany might probably be gratified to know something of the progress of the Gospel in other countries, which, like Ireland, for whose benefit you labour, are under the dominion of " the man of sin." I shall be happy, therefore, to send you an occasional communication, which will show that the superstitions of Romanism can never stand against the dif fusion of pure scriptural truth. The following extracts are taken from our corres pondence with the Evangelical Society of

Paris; an institution which has been singularly honoured of God in turning multitudes from the delusions of Popery, to the "truth as it is in Jesus." Should this communication find a welcome in your pages, and prove acceptable to your readers, I shall be most happy to forward others as opportunity occurs. I am, yours, truly,

THOMAS JAMES.

66

"A few weeks ago,” writes a pastor, “ I came to reside here, in order to continue the work which was commenced by our dear M. A. The meetings which, at first, numbered not more than fifteen, have now risen to sixty, and even a hundred, all attentively listening to the good news-news indeed to them. But our influence extends beyond the chapel; and, thanks to the tracts which have been circulated with profusion in the town and neighbourhood, a general interest appears to be excited. The religion of money, as they choose to call Popery, provokes their indignation; but the gospel may be preached everywhere without exciting incredulous and scornful opposition.

"The second and third of this month we preached in the evening at A-, in a low and narrow room, capable of holding comfortably about a hundred people; but more than two hundred were cramed into it the first day, without reckoning an almost equal number who crowded on the stair-case in the street, where a few words could be heard through the windows. The next day a second service was held; although it had only been announced the evening before, as numerous and even more attentive. Ah, if you were to come regularly,' said a respectable man, the little church would soon be more numerously attended than the great one,' (the Catholic). 'Without doubt, your's is the true religion,' said another. And all this for nothing,' added a third. "But one thing, especially, rejoiced us at A—; and that was to find a converted family, an Aquila and Priscilla, who have already a church in their house, and who will be an efficient aid to the future pastor of this infant flock. They occupy an honourable station in society; and the wife, who was a devoted Catholic, used to find an imaginary peace in the worship of the Virgin; but they were providentially brought to a knowledge of the gospel by reading a tract, The Distressed Soul, which had been lent to one of their neighbours. This tract, which contains very numerous quotations from Scripture, decided them to procure a Bible, which they began to read at the first chapter of Genesis, intending to go through the whole. I confess,' said the husband, that the first time we read the book, it did not appear to us what it professed to be

many things quite scandalized as; the second time it seemed to us better; and the third time we said, this is, indeed the word of God.' It is now truly delightful to hear them talk of their hopes and their happiness, and to see their zeal for the propagation of the gospel. They were just on the point of quitting A, when worship was commenced there. Although they had nothing to detain them there, and their interest and even their affections called them elsewhere, yet they resolved to stay, from the sole motive of bearing their testimony to the gospel in a town, where the Spirit was evidently beginning to work.

"One of our agents, who is placed at a station which has arisen out of the grand religious movements we have already described, gives abundant proofs that there exists there much more than mere curiosity for a new religion or opposition to an old and wearisome one. Our friend has established a reunion on a certain day of the week, which is intented to facilitate the reading of the Bible. At this reunion, which is much more numerously attended than could have been hoped for, every one is at liberty to mention the difficulties he has met with. It is truly rejoicing to see persons, who, a little while ago, seemed quite destitute of intellectual power, and were unacquainted with the very existence of the word of God, come with the sacred volume in their hand, to point out the passages which they do not completely understand. Thanks be to God, the influence of our evangelist is extending farther and farther. In his last communication, he mentions several villages, at some distance from his residence, from which the most pressing appeals have been addressed to him. In one of those villages, the inhabitants have declared that if he will establish evangelical worship amongst them, they will build a church, on a piece of ground which has already been given by one of their number for that purpose. It is interesting to add, that this desire to hear the gospel must be attributed to the efforts of a man, who, having procured a Bible, has been so much blessed in his researches and meditations, that he is now an excellent evangelist to his neighbours, to whom he goes to read the gospel, and to communicate his discoveries and his hopes. One of his friends was recently so much struck by his words, that he cried, It is done; I also wish to be a Protestant.' The meaning of this title among Catholics, who have been evangelized byreal Christians, is a man of faith and prayer; it was so intended here: alas! that his signification should not always be justified."

"A proprietor of St. M, a commune which contains more than a thousand inhabitants," writes a pastor, "came to me

He

this morning to call my attention to two memorials, sent from that place with a great number of signatures. One of his neighbours, a proprietor of some wealth, offered me a field to build a place of worship. himself promised ten day's work of a man, a cart, and three horses to fetch the materials; and assured me that a great part of the inhabitants were ready to show the same devotedness."

"We, the undersigned inhabitants of V- we read in a letter to one of our friends, "entreat you to continue your ministry among us, which has been productive of so much edification. Completely disabused of the errors and superstitious practices of Rome,-feeling the want of a serious religion, which may serve us as a sure foundation for hope in the hour of death, and having found that religion in the gospel of Jesus Christ, which you preach, and which we read in the sacred volume, we declare ourselves attached to it with all our heart, and desire to persevere in the public profession of it during the whole of our existence. Although our knowledge of this divine religion is small, and we feel the need of progress, yet we believe our views correspond with yours; and, on this ground, we unite in recognising you as our pastor. Confident in the government of the king, so long as we are submissive to its laws, we are persuaded that nothing will happen to restrain the first and most precious of our liberties; and, if contrary to our expectation, an attempt were made to hinder the free profession of our evangelical faith, we should be ready to protest by all legal means against so arbitrary and oppressive an act, and to seek reparation for that wrong, as the most serious that could befal us. It is with this firmness of conviction, M. le Pasteur, that we again beseech you to con tinue your labours amongst us, and that we offer the assurance of our gratitude and attachment."

Bloomfield Street, Finsbury.

EVANGELICAL ALLIANCE MEETINGS IN DUBLIN. We are happy to understand that the great object of Christian Union, contemplated by the proposed Evangelical Alliance, seems to be meeting with a very cordial and general response from various parts of Ireland ; and especially in two such important places as Dublin and Belfast. In our January Number (p. 5) we particulary noticed the public demonstration that took place at Belfast on Wednesday the 10th of December. The feeling evinced there would, no doubt, have been greatly increased had the Belfast mem bers of the provisional committee been able to attend the aggregate meeting of that com

mittee held at Liverpool on the 13th, 14th, and 15th, instant; we therefore regret to learn that they were prevented from experiencing that pleasure by the bursting of the boiler of the steam packet in which they had embarked; though it is a subject for devour gratitude to God, that no further injury was sustained, than that of being unable to ac complish their voyage. We are also sorry to hear that the Rev. Edward Nangle, of Achill, who enters warmly into the objects of the proposed evangelical alliance, and who had proceeded to Belfast on his way to Liverpool, was detained by serious illness.

The plan adopted by the Dublin provisional committee with reference to their public meetings has been somewhat different from that of the other sections of the committee; thus happily though unintentionally illustrating the great principle of Christian union! that variety in mode and form is perfectly compatible with the strictest and closest unity of design and object. The Dublin committee divided the city into five districts, holding successive meetings in each district, so as to circulate information on the subject as widely as possible among the religious population of the city; and to stir them up in every direction on behalf of this great and glorious movement. The result of these district meetings has, we believe, considerably exceeded the expectations of the committee.

The first of the series was held on Tuesday evening the 15th November, for the S. W. district, in the Moravian Church, Bishopstreet, a place selected for the purpose, partly on account of its locality; but more especially as having been always recognised in Dublin as one where Christians of various denominations could meet and mingle; having on this account been occupied, before the Evangelical Alliance had been projected, by friends who had been associated in the Anti-Maynooth conferences, on the occasion of several meetings which they held for promoting Christian Union; and as a house of worship, belonging to one of the most peaceful denominations of Christendom, whose adopted name, "UNITAS FRATRUM," as well as their remarkable labours in the Missionary field seemed to point to the spot as a suitable central and rallying point for such a movement. The place is not large; but it was full. The attendance was highly respectable, and the object of the meeting was well sustained by the representatives of different Christian denominations on the platform.

The second meeting of the series was held on Thursday Evening, 4th December, in Mr. Hardy's public room, 23, Sackville Street, for the N.E. district of the city. Here, in a certain sense, the work had com.

menced in Dublin, by the Zion Chapel AntiMaynooth meeting, which we have fully reported in our Aug. number for last year; having been held within its walls, at which meeting clergymen and ministers from the different churches and chapels in the neighbourhood took part in the proceedings. Here, too, the first Union prayer meeting, preparatory to the great Anti-Maynooth Conference in Dublin took place, and afforded a happy omen of the scenes that have since been realized. The room was afterwards burned down, not as was at first suspected by the hand of an incendiary, but through accident. It has since been restored, and beautified; and the evening of the 4th of December, was the season of its reopening and CONSECRATION. Mr. Hardy,

with his friends and pastor have been represented by one of the anonymous correspondents of a London religious (?) newspaper, as "doing the dirty work of the Tories"; but if this be "the dirty work" in which they have been engaged, we think there will be small cause to blame them, and that their conduct will be sufficiently vindicated by the result. The most remarkable feature of this evening's meeting was, a pious and eminent Episcopalian minister, rising at its close, declaring publicly that he had entered the meeting full of prejudice against the proposed alliance, and determined to have nothing to do with it, but that the addresses he had heard had dispelled his prejudices, and altered his purpose. He concluded by avowing his adhesion to the contemplated Un'on.

The third district meeting was deferred beyond the time originally fixed for it in consequence of the unexpected intervention of the great public meeting in Belfast, and the necessity of a deputation attending it from Dublin. It was eventually held on Tuesday the 16th of December, in the Southern, or Stephen's Green district of the Irish metropolis, in the large, beautiful Centenary Chapel of the Wesleyan Methodists, which forms the principal ornament of the south side of that spacious square. It was indeed a noble meeting; but having already noticed it in our January Number, p. 5, we shall merely add to the statement there given that it exhibited so complete a demonstration of the progress of public opinion and feeling, that it became obvious to the Committee, that no meetings of the kind could be held in future without an extent of accommodation for the numbers disposed to attend, which could not be provided without incurring great expense except by selecting places of worship for their subsequent assemblings.

The fourth meeting for the N. W. quarter of the city, was held on Wednesday

evening, 24th December, in the Scots Church, Mary's Abbey, entrance from Capel Street. Though, from the multiplicity of domestic engagements in various families, Christmas Eve was a very disadvantageous season for public meeting, this spacious and venerable chapel was well filled in every part; the platform, as usual crowded, and the meeting, by its lively and interesting character, fully sustained the impressions that had been produced by those that had preceded it. It was an appropriate harbinger of the following day; and in reference to the event usually commemorated on that day by several Christian communities, seemed to catch the key-note of the angelic chorus, "glory to God in the highest, and on earth, peace; good will to men."

The fifth and last of this series of district meetings, for the S. E. or Merrionsquare district of Dublin was held on Tuesday evening the 6th of January. The committee not being able to secure a place sufficiently capacious within the bounds of that district, fixed upon York-street Chapel, the well-known scene of Dr. Urwick's labours, as one of the nearest to it, and best suited for their purpose. We believe this is the largest chapel in Dublin. It, too, was filled. The repetition of these meetings instead of abating the interest felt in them seemed rather to have increased it. In order to give a full scope for the number of speakers who were to give utterance to their sentiments on the occasion, it was found necessary to open the proceedings a full hour before the usual time of week evening service in this city. There was an out-spoken freedom at this meeting, that gave some variety to the tone of the addresses, and appeared to excite no small degree of interest :Churchmen, Methodists, Presbyterians, Independents, all avowed themselves staunch and firm to their respective principles, and yet happy in the opportunity of meeting together in holy brotherhood, and upon the common ground of mutual recognition as fellow Christians. One or two church clergymen spoke in particular of the pleasure they experienced in meeting Dr. Urwick face to face in his own place of worship, and playfully alluded to sundry hard knocks which they heard he had sometimes given to their beloved church, about which they might hereafter ask him for some explanation. Dr. Urwick, with equal pleasantry claimed his privilege of speaking his mind without any compromise upon every point that came within his range as a Christian minister; but though he might differ on several points from his esteemed brethren around him, assured them of his Christian regard to each and all, in token of which he stretched out his hand to indi

viduals of different denominations immediately around him who responded to his friendly appeal by rising and shaking hands with him on the platform.

It is scarcely necessary to add, that on all these occasions suitable portions of Scripture were read, the XVIIth of John being, as it were, the standing liturgy of all of them; appropriate hymns were sung; and a few prayers were offered. A deeply devotional character pervaded them throughout. There was no Orange display; no Kentish fire; and, though loud expressions of approval could not be altogether restrained, not a symptom of party feeling, nor any expression of applause inconsistent with the decorum of a Christian assembly took place in a single instance. There was strong, but it was holy excitement; and it was awakened, not by appeals to the passions, but by the sound scriptural arguments of enlightened men.

Before we close this review of the Dublin meetings, we would apprize our readers that we have learned with great satisfaction, that the meetings of the aggregate Committee at Liverpool, on the 14th, 15th, and 16th instant, have, through the divine blessing, terminated with the happiest results.

There were, we have heard, some few threatening clouds and storms, but the breath of prayer blew them all away. The influences of the Holy Spirit were graciously vouchsafed in the several conferences carried forward. He was present there by that Spirit, who, when on earth, could rise from his pillow at the cry of his disciples, and say to angry waves and winds-"Peace, be still." May He calm all the surges, and quiet all the tempests by which the ark of of his church has been tost hitherto; and may He prove that He has ALL POWER, by accomplishing his own prayer, that “ HIS

PEOPLE MAY BE ONE.

RE-OPENING OF PLUNKET STREET, DUBLIN, AND RECOGNITION OF REV. A. KING.

We notice with pleasure the re-opening of Plunket-street meeting-house, Dublin, where the Rev. William Cooper laboured successfully for so many years. The old chapel having become utterly dilapidated, a new one of much smaller dimensions was erected under the ministry of the Rev. John Powell, now of Bray. The church and congregations assembling there were subsequently encouraged under the ministry of his successor, the Rev. S. G. Morrison, to enlarge the chapel to its original dimensions; but that gentleman having in the interim accepted the charge of Union Chapel, Abbey St. Dublin, a Presbyterian place of worship,

it became doubtful whether the Plunket-st. friends would be able to re-occupy their former place of worship. They held together and continued to meet for a time in their school rooms, adjoining their new place. Having procured from a friend the loan of the large sum that was necessary in order to put them in possession of their new house, they were enabled to re-open it on Sabbath, the 4th of January, 1846. The Rev Alexander King, late of Cork, having personally accepted the unanimous call of the church, officiated in the earlier services of the day and the Rev. Dr. Urwick preached in the evening. Collections were made on that and the following Sabbath to assist in the liquidation of their building debt. Mr. King was solemnly recognized as pastor of the church on Monday, January 12, on which occasion, the Rev. John Hands commenced the services with reading and prayer; Rev. W. H. Cooper delivered the introductory discourse and Rev. Dr. Urwick addressed the new pastor and his flock from Ps. cxxxii 9. Other ministers were present and took part in the proceedings. The venerable W. Cooper, the former minister of the place, was unable to attend, in consequence of continued indisposition and growing infirmities. We wish the cause and its young minister all prosperity.

GREAT UNION MEETING AT
MANCHESTER

We regret that before going to press, we can do no more than notice the great meeting for Christian Union held at Manchester on Friday evening the 16th inst., in connexion with the proposed Evangelical Alliance. We have been informed that nearly 400 ministers of different denominations were present on that occasion.

CONVERSIONS.-The Rev. James Spencer Northcote, M.A., and late scholar of Corpus Christi College, was received this week into the Roman Catholic Church, at Prior Park, Bath. Mr. Northcote was in the first class in litteris humanioribus at Easter Term.The Rev. Edgar Estcourt, M.A., of Exeter College, Oxford, was received a few days since into the Roman Catholic Church at Prior Park, near Bath.-Morning Post.

[This statement confirms the supposition put forth in our last.]

The Rev. Mr. Morris, Fellow of Exeter College, has been admitted into the Church of Rome.-Bury and Norwich Post.

CAMBRIDGE STUDENTS. The Record states, on the authority of a letter from Cambridge, "that some of the men (the undergraduates are meant) attend the Roman Catholic Church, every Sunday, in their caps and gowns."-Bury and Norwich Post.