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most pure and orthodox Church in the world, and," in being made the depository of Protestantism, she is made the depository of a direct gift from heaven. In proving the Reformation to be thus the act of an immediate Providence, I do not limit myself to its doctrines. Its purpose was not to give a third revelation, but to restore a previous one, to renovate fallen Christianity. The argument is, that, Judaism and Christianity having been confessedly given to the world by the Divine will, the Reformation, given to the world under circumstances closely similar, is, like them, to be regarded as the express work of heaven." With a colonial empire greater than the world has ever yet seen, no country has ever done so little as England for her expatriated sons. Till lately no hierarchy was ever dreamed of for the colonies, either for those thousands who annually voluntarily emigrate from her shores, or for those whose crimes have occasioned their banishment. The Irish protestants fly to the colonies to escape that persecution which the Romish priesthood have excited against them at home, unrestrained by their natural protectors. They leave a Christian country, where a pure Church illumines their darkened land, and go to moral darkness like sheep without a shepherd. In our North American colonies, religion was merely a nominal thing, from their first establishment by Elizabeth, in 1585, till the period of their revolution. No Christian hierarchy adorned that extensive continent, and maintained in the hearts of the people the supremacy of law and morality. It is probable that these colonies might have still been an appanage of the British crown, had government done its duty, and secured their allegiance by the bond of a Christian hierarchy. The French, Spanish, and Portuguese governments showed due paternal care of their people by establishing in all their colonies a regular hierarchy, which always made part of their original outfit. But the British government, to its shame, left religion almost entirely to the voluntary principle, to the desires of the people themselves, or to the beneficent exertions of the admirable Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge.

Population is increasing to an incalculable extent; "in England the population has nearly doubled within the last five and twenty years; it is now increasing at scarcely less than the startling rate of one thousand a day. In a few years the multitude must have every thing at their mercy, by the mere weight of numbers. But if that multitude shall be trained to peace, by being trained to religion, a new era of unrivalled good will have begun." This surplus population must seek for elbow room in Canada and Australia, and leave the land of their fathers, where in an orthodox church they have been trained to fear God and honour their sovereign. But they go to swell the population of colonies whose parish churches are at incredible distances, and the ministrations of an itinerant clergy are few and far between: they are thus either altogether deprived of the means of grace, or else thrown into the snare of the popish priesthood. From the open and avowed encouragement given by the British government, this snare is now set by authority, which in all ages has had a wonderful effect in influencing the sentiments of the people.

The colonists increase and multiply not only by natural production,

1 Dr. Croly's Visitation Sermon, p. 1.

but by immigration. Mr. Cunningham, an intelligent surgeon in the Royal Navy, gives the following account of the increase in New South Wales:

"Here, where thirty-eight years ago not one civilized being disputed the dominion of the woods with their savage inhabitants, now forty thousand such exist; spread over an extent of country of two hundred square miles, having justice administered by civil and military courts. On the site of Sidney alone what a change has been effected! Where thirty-eight years ago not a human hut was to be counted, nor the slightest hum of commerce heard, we have now a city occupying a mile square, crowded with industrious citizens, and teeming with vehicles wheeling along the varied productions of the soil; the market dues for the traffic renting the present year, at 8407.; and the toll-gate dues at 10007.: -the town containing twenty-two agents for the management of shipping affairs; eleven auctioneers for the expeditiously disposing of colonial and foreign wares; a chamber of commerce to push forward and watch over colonial enterprise, effect insurances, and arbitrate in matters relating to shipping; two flourishing banks, dividing forty per cent. on their advances; and three newspapers (one weekly and two printed twice a week), in one of which I counted one day 124 advertisements."1

Amidst all this increase of population and improvement of social life, mere secular education is not neglected, although religion is:

"A great variety of respectable schools, throughout the colony, further the purposes of education: the most celebrated, the Sydney Free Grammar School, under the able management of the Rev. Mr. Lang, the presbyterian clergyman; Mr. Cope's seminary; and the Naval Seminary for instruction in seafaring matters, under the superintendence of Capt. Beveridge. Various ladies' schools are to be found also, but few possessing much celebrity. Music masters for the piano and harp take regular circuits, to give lessons to the rising fair; while Mons. Giraud and others, professors of attitudes and dancing, teach them to hold their heads up, turn out their toes, and trip it along in waltzes, quadrilles, and contre-dances." 2

Yet this is not education by the church, neither is it the inculcation of morality; but the mere mechanical art of bodily accomplishments, unaccompanied by instruction in the elementary knowledge of religion, in the catechism and formularies of the church.

This extraordinary advance of civilization and increase in the population was described in 1827; and in the course of thirteen years which has since elapsed, perhaps the numbers may have been doubled. Our courts of law, at home, are continually feeding the stream; and the fecundity is there so great that prostitutes who had never born children in Europe have become prolific mothers in Australia; and wives who have long ceased from child-bearing, on going there, have re-commenced even after the age of fifty, and again become joyful mothers of children! Now in this colony, which is only as yet in its infancy, a system has been pursued which is evidently calculated to "give heavy blows and great discouragement" at least, if not totally to root out the protestant episcopal church from that soil. Government cheerfully aids all sects, but especially the popish party, in the erection of places of worship.

And we learn from the Bishop of Exeter's charge, in which his lordship has produced extracts from the correspondence of the governors of New South Wales and Van Dieman's Land, "that the British government was willing to attend to the judgment and the feelings of a colonial legislature and people, if represented to be adverse to a church establish

1 Two Years in New South Wales, &c., vol. ii. pp. 73-75. 2 Ibid. pp. 124,125.

ment, but decidedly opposed to them, however strongly expressed, when in favour of the extension of the church.”

His lordship cites a passage from a despatch of Governor Arthur, who, after the most urgent though fruitless attempts to interest the home government in the extension of the Episcopal Church, placed the following sentence on record in the council books: "I should wish to record my deliberate opinion, that until much more extensive assistance is afforded to the Established Church, such advances as these in aid of other religious communions must necessarily be made, or a large class of the community will be without any religious or moral instruction 'whatever."1

Lands were set apart in Australia, by the care of former governments, for the exclusive support and maintenance of the Church of England; but these have been alienated from their original and legitimate object, and their proceeds given to all sects, but especially the popish party.

The present government, under the malignant and withering influence of O'Connell, have cherished every variety of protestant dissenters there, as a cover for the exaltation of the Romish Church, which it has "installed and recognised as of equal purity with our own." A popish bishop has been established in New South Wales, with a stipend of 5001. per annum, who in his passage out landed in Van Dieman's Land, and procured from the colonial government a grant of 1,500l. for the erection of a Romish mass house, and this without any corresponding contribution on the part of the members of that communion. According to law, a moiety of the estimated expense of building churches and chapels must be subscribed for by the parties interested before government grants are made. In the case of the papists, this condition has been entirely overlooked, whilst it is strictly enforced in the case of the Established Church of England. This is clearly shown in the admirable charge of the Bishop of Exeter, who cites the words of the governor's despatches:

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"To give full effect to this case, one thing alone seems wanting, that aid to a Church of England application should be withheld because of insufficient contribution-and that deficiency is supplied. We are presented with some extracts from the minutes of the Council of 14th October, 1835, at which the grant for 1,500l. was remarked upon as having been made for Roman Catholic purposes, on more favourable terms than in cases of Protestant application.' 'The rural dean,' (the clergyman of highest rank in the colony,) after observing that as the Roman Catholics would now be more than ever disposed to proselytize, he wished that assistance should be given to such communities as were less opposed to the Church of England than the Roman Catholics were,'-proceeded to say that in reference to the erection of churches generally, and more especially in Trinity parish, where the inhabitants were poor, he thought it desirable government should not limit itself to cases where one half was subscribed! In a subsequent minute, transmitted to the government in England, Lieutenant-Governor Arthur says, ' It is with extreme regret I inform you that the sums voted in aid of the church, so much required in Trinity parish, have not yet been appropriated, (although an aid of 5007. has been received from England,) in consequence of the requisite funds, by private subscription, not having been raised.'

"Is any thing more wanted?

"The whole is wound up with the following very edifying communication from Lieutenant-Governor Arthur to the Colonial Secretary, dated 26th January, 1836 :"With regard to the proposed chapel at Hobart Town, (to which the 1,500l. was granted,) there is, I may observe, a very unfortunate schism between the priest and

1 Charge, 1839, p. 8.

his congregation; so that I apprehend there is little probability of their contributing towards a new place of worship:' i. e., they will give nothing to meet this large grant. 'The Roman Catholics have hitherto been a very inconsiderable body in this community, possessing one very rude chapel in Hobart Town, and a school in connexion with it. The arrival of Dr. Polding,' (the popish bishop,) however, has excited a degree of energy which has given them a more influential appearance, and has had the effect of recalling some persons who had been in the habit of attending the Established Church.'

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Thus, the British people have the satisfaction of learning, from the highest official authority, that the energies of government and the treasures of the state, are employed in the goodly work of giving fresh life and activity to Popery, even in those regions where it was on the point of expiring by reason of its own weakness.”

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The state of the Church in Australia is sufficiently distressing; but it is much worse in Canada. The heavy blow administration withdrew, in 1832, an annual parliamentary grant of 15,600l. from the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts, which completely cut off the resources of the Canadian Church. The allowances of the society were in consequence withdrawn from the episcopal clergy there; and, to add to their privations, the home government, acting under jesuitical instruction, took sudden advantage of the ambiguity of the phrase, a protestant clergy," to deprive them of certain lands which had been set apart for their support. It does not admit of a doubt that George III., whose piety made this provision for the Canadian Church, meant the established episcopal clergy, and none other, by the expression, "a protestant clergy." But the general application of the term was a sufficient stepping stone for a jesuit; who, by the unprincipled creation of a doubt about its meaning, has procured an annual stipend out of those lands of 5001. for a popish bishop, who has assumed, contrary to act of Parliament, the title of bishop of Kingston. "And a bishop of the church of Rome," says Mr. Bettridge, "in Lower Canada, receives 1000l. per annum from the imperial treasury;" whilst Her Majesty's government have peremptorily refused to give ANY INCOME to a bishop of our church in Upper Canada.' Here is great discouragement to a protestant colony which has more than doubled its population within five years. And we are informed by Mr. Bettridge, 100,000 members are entirely excluded from the means of grace by attending the ordinances of their own communion, and left to perish for lack of spiritual instruction. Look," says Mr. Scott, "at Canada, whither we are every year sending forth our scores of thousands, not because they have done ought amiss, but because of the want of room and of support, because we are too crowded in our land, and our borders cannot be enlarged. Their tale has been told by one who has ministered among them; and he describes them as true and loving sons of that faith and that church which, at home, is open to all; but pining and perishing, body and soul, for the lack of her ministrations!"

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England is bound to spread the Gospel through the world by means of her colonial empire and her commerce, which are so great and extensive as to reach round the world. Yet, in the two instances before us, her government seems bent on establishing the soul-debasing religion of Rome, the enemy alike of civil as of religious freedom. And while the Church and people of England are slumbering and sleeping, and allowing the oil in their lamps to burn out, the papists are actively, though silently pushing onwards. Hear M'Hale, whose exultation is so great at the

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prospect of dominion that he is driven by a gracious providence to warn us of our danger, by boasting of their plans and their success. Popish priesthood of Ireland are "filling England with industrious Catholics, and silently bringing that nation back to the yoke of the Gospel :" which means to the yoke and bondage of Popery. M'Hale boasts that Britain " is once more rapidly recovering the knowledge of the Gospel,"that is, Popery," which it had lost." Take his own words in his letter to his priests which appeared in all the newspapers in the beginning of December, 1839.

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"Of all the associations that have sprung from the untiring zeal of the successors of St. Peter, the Propaganda Fidei has been the most enterprising and successful. If the impiety of Luther severed a large portion of Europe from the vivifying stem of the apostolical church, it was a consolation to find that, as soon as these rotten branches fell off, it stretched its vigorous shoots over the most remote portion of the opposite hemisphere. Never perhaps at any period did the Catholic Church exhibit a more interesting spectacle than at this moment, combated on all sides by open as well as insidious enemies, and still, wherever you turn your eyes, enlarging the place of its tents, and lengthening the cords and strengthening the stakes of its tabernacles.' On the plains of Hindostan the bloody victims of the Juggernaut are giving way to the pure sacrifice foretold by Malachi; and the missionaries of China are rivalling the heroism of the first martyrs. Carthage is awakening again to the sacred eloquence of St. Cyprian, and the sands of Africa are watered once more with the rich fountains of the Gospel. The catholic religion is advancing fast amidst the young nations of America, and from Patagonia to the St. Lawrence the accents of salvation are heard throughout the entire of its vast regions. Nay, some of the nations of Europe are now atoning for the apostacy of their ancestors. Scotland is beginning to revere the memory of St. Columbkill, the founder of its Christianity, rather than of John Knox, who was its ruthless destroyer; England is suffering from Ireland the generous retaliation of the Gospel; and, for all the cruelties which the former inflicted on the latter, our country is exercising a noble revenge, by filling England with its industrious Catholic emigrants, and silently bringing that fine nation back to the yoke of the Gospel. Witness, too, the progressive resuscitation of Holland to the ancient faith, and the flood of light that is poured upon Germany by the conversion to the Catholic Church of many of the most intellectual of her sons; and lost France herself, recovering from its lethargy of licentiousness, into which it had sunk after a revolutionary frenzy, aspires once more to the glorious prerogative of the most Christian kingdom, which it so long maintained. Yes, from its bosom are now coming forth some of the most zealous defenders of the Catholic faith; and to its ancient city of Lyons are we indebted for the establishment of a society formed like the congregation of the Propaganda in Rome, for aiding the pious missionaries who devote their lives to the propagation of the faith all over the earth. It is astonishing what success has already blessed their efforts. Individuals of all nations of Europe are enrolling themselves under the banners of this society, and with their contributions have given such a strong and steady impulse to the propagation of the Gospel, that, with the apostle, we may thank our God that the faith of Rome is spoken of in the whole world.'

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