March, 1844. IN the Church of S. Maria della Pace, there is a board hung up close to one of the altars, on which is written, in large letters, that every mass celebrated at that altar delivered a soul from Purgatory. In the Church of the Madonna della Grazie, near the Vatican, is this inscription:-Adeamus cum fiduciâ ad thronum Virginis Mariæ, ut gratiam inveniamus in auxilio opportuno," which may be thus rendered: "Let us come with faith to the throne of the Virgin Mary, that we may find grace to help in time of need." Thus adapting to the Virgin the 16th verse of Heb. iv. -I visited an Englishwoman, married to an Italian artist, who came to Rome nine and twenty years ago, when she had her Bible taken from her. She has been much assaulted by the Roman Catholic priests, and she told me that when her husband was at the point of death, some priests present came to her, and said, that now was the moment-if she would but embrace the Roman Catholic faith, that God Almighty might restore her husband to her. They also tried very urgently to prevail upon her son (a Roman Catholic) to promise that, if God would raise up his father again, he would pass the rest of his life in a convent. But neither of them were prevailed upon by the priests. The Pope issued, in consequence of the demands of the Hungarian Bishops (for Prayer in the language of the country-Marriage to the priesthood-Confession not compulsory-and the Cup to the Laity) an "Invito Sagro," for a Triduo,' or order for three days' prayer, to avert the "notissima calamita" which assailed the Church, to be addressed to the Virgin Mary: and exhorted the Romans, "whose devotion to her 1845-APRIL.

is so distinguished," to give on this occasion a fresh proof of it. I have a copy of the "Invito Sagro."

PROTESTANTISM IN FRANCE.

THERE is in France a little band of faithful men, imbued with the spirit which actuated the Reformers, and whose zealous exertions in the cause of Christ are telling with good effect, in thinning the ranks of the Roman Antichrist. We have just read, with much interest, several publications issued by those excellent persons. We must notice particularly the twelfth report of a Society which has been formed for protecting the interests of Protestantism in general in France. The Abbe Maurette and the Abbe Bruitte's reasons for leaving the Church of Rome, together with three smaller pamphlets, one of which bears the title of La Religion d'Argent, and which, in consequence of its own merits, and the notoriety it has obtained by the effort made to suppress it, is entitled to further notice.

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All these publications indicate the existence of a Christianity of no common stamp. They all regard the Pope as an Antichrist, and the confederacy over which he presides as the great predicted apostacy; while, at the same time, they delight to magnify the atonement of Jesus and the grace of the Holy Spirit, as the only remedies for the guilt and pollution of fallen man, with such affection and power, as will justify us in applying to them what the Abbe Bruitte says of a work by M. Monod: "Ah! le bon livre! que de logique! que de delicatesse! que d'onction! dans cet ouvrage: tout y exhale les parfums du Christ."

From the report of the Society for protecting the interests of Protestantism in France, we learn that there are some zealots busily engaged in

attempting to uphold the Romish interest. But Popery, as a religious system, has no hold on the affections or convictions of the people:_the national spirit of antagonism to England being the principal influence which secures the co-operation of the people with the priests in their efforts to uphold Popery, and to oppose the Christianity of the Bible. We commend the following paragraph from the Report to the friends of our national Zion, in the hope that it may awaken in them a recollection of the truth it embodies, and a truth, we regret to say, which is well nigh forgotten among us:

"Les eglises de Christ sont toutes appelees a conquerir. Notre eglise se renierait elle-meme, si elle n'obeissait pas a cet ordre sacre. Et quelle conquete plus glorieuse que celle de le France, derniere forteresse de Rome, ou Rome a concentre ses forces; car elle sait qu'il ne faut compter ni sur l'Espagne, ni sur l'Italie, ni sur l'Amerique meridionale, ni sur aucun des pays qu'elle a tues en les domi

nant!"

The Society, from whose Report this extract is taken, circulates Antipopish and Christian books, and endeavours to defeat the attempts at proselytism, which the priests make in a variety of ways. It also endeavours, according to its ability, to defend the legal rights of French Protestants. How much this department of its labour is called for by the exigencies of the case, may be judged from the fact, that the Abbe Maurette, an amiable and virtuous man, without the shadow of a crime alleged against him, was condemned to fine and imprisonment for publishing a little pamphlet announcing his reasons for abandoning the Church of Rome, and he is now, in consequence of this iniquitous sentence, confined in one of the prisons of Paris!

Of the Abbe Bruitte's "Adieux a Rome," we cannot speak too highly; it is the production of no ordinary mind. We know not which to admire most-his withering exposure of Popery, or his glowing representations of the rich sufficiency of the grace that is in Christ Jesus. We know

not that we ever read anything more calculated to arm a Christian mind with a just detestation of Popery than the following anecdote related by the writer, and in which he, when a priest in the Church of Rome, was one of the parties:

"Mon pere, dis-je, un jour a mon confesseur, professeur de theologie, j'ai donne l'absolution a un mourant: il ne la voulait pas.-Peche mortel, mon fils, repondit-il. Vous avez applique la forme sacramentelle (sa theologie designait l'absolution) a une matiere qui n'etait pas sacramentelle (il designait l'ame du mourant). Mais pendant cinquante ans, repliquai-je, ce brave homme a invoque Jesus et fait le bien. Tant pis pour lui, il n'avait pas l'absolution in voto, c'esta-dire, en desir. I est damne.”*

Such is genuine Romanism. The three little pamphlets which remain to be noticed, are also directed against Popery. The two first are letters from converts from that corrupt system, assigning their reasons for embracing the Gospel; and the last is entitled, "Encore La Religion d'Argent," of which in the commencement of this article, we promised a further notice.

Our space will not permit us to enter into any lengthened notice of this tract, but it may suffice to inform our readers that it principally consists of extracts from a paper circulated by an agent of the Pope, and containing a table of the principal charges of the Catholic Apostolic agency for obtaining at Rome those things which concern the glory of God and the good of souls."

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The ninth item in this list of papal merchandise, is:

"For the privilege of choosing a *My father, said I, one day to my confessor, a professor of theology, I have given absolution to a dying man: he did not wish it. A mortal sin, my son, he replied; you have applied the sacramental form (his theology so designated the absolution) to a matter which was not sacramental (he meant the soul of the dying man.) But for fifty years, I replied, that excellent man has called upon the name of Jesus, and practised righteousness. So much the worse for him; he had not the absolution in voto, that is to say, in desire. He is damned!

confessor invested with all the powers of the Holy See to absolve from censures, irregularities, and cases reserved to the Pope. 25 franks."

"How strange," exclaims the writer of the tract, "the Pope sells cases which he had reserved to himself! Why then were they reserved? Is it because the Bishops were unworthy or incapable of judging them? No, because the Pope, after all, gives up those cases to the person who wishes to pay for them. The reservation was then nothing more nor less than a scheme to raise the price of the article."

The twelfth item is "For the commutation of all sorts of vows (the price varies according to the case.")

The next article offered to sale by the Pope's agent, which we shall notice, is, "A dispensation for the celebration and legalizing marriages."

"For example," observes the writer, "in marrying a heretic, you expose your soul, and those of your children, to damnation; and here is undoubtedly the reason why the Church opposes such unions. But take a dispensation; give money; your marriage will be permitted, and you may freely expose yourself to be damned. Eternal shame! shame to the men who pretend to believe that there is a devil, to make gain of terrified consciences, and who then consent themselves to open hell with a golden key!"

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But to proceed:- "For a dispensation from the vows of virginity, &c., 27 francs." This sentence is written in a circular, addressed by the Papal agent to the clergy, as the following items prove:

"For a dispensation for the celebration of masses which cannot be celebrated for want of means. 27 francs."

"For a dispensation from reciting the Breviary, and other prayers or works of obligation, 21 francs."

"For a dispensation to read prohibited books, and keep them in the house. 21 francs, 60 cents.

The writer next goes on to expose the venality of Rome in the sale of relics, and the canonization of saints;

but we have quoted enough. And now let us ask those liberal Protestants who are favourable to a government provision for the support of the Romish priesthood in this country, what do they think of these facts? The best reason which they can affirm in palliation of the sin of supporting an idolatrous priesthood is, that such a provision would raise the character of the men by releasing them from the necessity of the trickery and the fraud which they practise to extort a support from an impoverished people. Facts are better than the most plausible theory, and facts shew the absurdity of such an anticipation. The French priests draw a support from the state, yet they practise on the credulity of the people as much as the unendowed priests of Ireland. Yea, the Pope himself is both a priest and a sovereign, yet he is the prince of all swindlers. The Spirit of God has branded this mark on the Antichristian apostacy," Through covetousness shall they with feigned words, make merchandise of you." The whole history of the Papacy exhibits this characteristic-it is essential to the Church of Rome, and no contrivance of man can divest her of it.

But to return to the subject of Protestantism in France. The Papal party, emboldened by their successful prosecution of the Abbe Maurette, and smarting under the painful exposure of their wickedness through the medium of the press, endeavoured to accomplish a legal suppression of such publications as we have noticed. From the following extract from the French Protestant paper, "L'Esperance," we learn that in this attempt they have been happily defeated:

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M. Delay, bookseller, Mr. Smith, printer, and Messrs. Eck and Rodier, colporteurs, appeared on the 29th ult., before the Court, Assizes of the Department of La Marne, holding its session at Rheims, charged with having endeavoured to bring into contempt one of the forms of religion recognized by the State, by publishing, printing, and distributing various controversial tracts, or pamphlets. (Le Pape Alexandre VI., La Religion

d'Argent, &c. The jury pronounced an acquittal, by a majority of eleven voices out of twelve."

We have brought forward the subject of Protestantism in France, in the hope of stimulating our brethren in England to sympathy and co-operation with their faithful brethren on

JUSTIFICATION.

the Continent, and to an emulation of their example in a vigorous and sustained opposition to every attempt which may be made by the avowed or disguised emissaries of Rome, whether called Wiseman or Newman, to introduce Popery or any modification of it

among us.

SIR, There is a feature of the present times which bears a striking similarity to the days of the Reformation. It is the controversy, now rapidly rising into renewed importance, as to the mode of a sinful man's acceptance with God. It is now a grand question, which is endeavoured to be covered, perverted, blinked, or settled in some false and unfair way-whether a poor sinful dependant creature can bring anything of his own to God as a meritorious claim; or whether he must depend simply and solely on the glorious mercy of a sovereign and free pardon? A controversy on such a point ought never to lose interest while a sinner lives who is a stranger to peace.

Yet there are times when it seems to shrink into neglect, and the attention of men to be more occupied with other matters. Mercifully, however, there arises out of such a state of things a salutary reaction. The vain and superstitious nostrums of selfrighteous men are forced so intrusively on the attention, that they who have any sense whatever of a sinner's need before God, and of the only possible way in which peace can come to him, rouse from their slumbers, ask for the good old paths, drink once more into the spirit of this grand essential feature of revealed truth, and go forth again boldly to preach and to maintain the glories of sovereign grace and the unspeakable merits of the incarnate and justifying Redeemer.

The first human blood that dyed the earth, and cried from it to God, was spilt in this controversy. Of the two sinful men first born into the world, one rested in the simple confidence of faith on the promised

atonement, and approached the cherubic emblem with the blood of a typical offering-" offering by faith a better sacrifice." The other came with the profession of human gratitude for temporal mercies; and reserved the avowal of blood-guiltiness and demerit; and in the bitterness that arose on the ground of the inefficacy of his religious worship, he lifted a murderous hand against a brother's life.

There must have been something fearful indeed in this first example of the odium theologicum-this first following out of religious controversy to a sanguinary result. Since then, alas, it has become too familiar; and history teems with the truculent and merciless persecutions of those who hate, with a bitter hatred, the doctrine of free pardon, and the experienced acquittal of a penitent sinner. This one subject has coloured and characterised all the controversies of the Church through all its history. The blood of justified and rejoicing saints has streamed in the public ways and in the secret dungeon; merely on the ground that, believing the simple words of revelation, they have looked up to the Author of all good to make them, in his own way, all that he would have them to be; while their opponents, clinging, amidst manifest imperfections, to the notion of human merit, have kindled into murderous indignation against their fellows. And the characteristic aspect of the present times is becoming every day more distinctly a controversy on the same point. It not only is so, but so long as the difference exists, it must and ought to be so; and there is {now a solemn call on every one who knows the blessedness of forgiveness, to give additional weight and importance to