The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1853-11-25 00:00:00

'`''.....

•""-'l'. AND REV. BAPTIST .NOEL IN'
LIVERPOOL.
NTE
11,.,,,"1' RELIGION ,ON THE CONTINENT. -
Olt A i,p,P G IN GREAT GEORGE'S - STREET
.ti ."-E-EL LAST NIGHT.
religiPollblio meeting of those interested in the diffusion of
the 0, throughout the continent, and of the supporters of
Georg ,angelical Continental Society, was held in Great
The Xa-street Chapel, at half-past six o'clock, last evening.
Piatfor Pe' was ver well filled, Amongst those upon. the
Who
a‘`aa
Were the Hon. and Rev. Baptist W. Noel, 11. A.,
the terided for the purpose of laying before the meeting
the 7sult. of his observations upon the state of religion upon
lie,7atinent during a recent tour ; Rev. Dr. Raffles,
Rev.w. It,: Welsh. Rev. Dr. Crichton, Rev, C. M. Birrell,
Oeor, T.,.-r• Applefield, D. B. Joseph, Rev. J. Dawson, Rev.
t,''': liughes Rev. D. Rees, Rev. W. M. Falloon, and
Cron': George 'T. Duncan, R. A. Macfie, Josiah Jones, John
If; fr, Jones, Crossfield, &c., &c.
e ellai JOIN C
The r Was taken by ROPPER, Esq.
tleli„ Proceedings were opened with a prayer, which was
The by the Rev. J. R. Welsh.
keret: '44aßxkl,r rose, and said that the report, which the
to th-7q would read, wiiuld be a much better introduction
Ite heir proceedings than any observations lie could make
littif,eld not help, however, expressing his regret that so
those;;:: hear been done in Liverpool for the spread of the
I):' throughout the continent. He had heard that within
nalt seven years only £5OO had been collected for that
More in Liverpool. He hoped, however, better days
lectiei"hling, and that large subscriptions would be col-
-44 for funds were the only thing wanted on the conti-
(liea'uaccomplish the work on which they were engaged.
Thr, hear.)tle.%Rev. Mr, Brunwr.v, then read the annual report. It
r,eP the proceedings of the society for the past year, and
f
tVe Gospel
that the subscriptions in aid of the propagation o
the "Pel on the continent were not more considerable than
irwere, .
It; ,101,TP.s moved the adoption of the report.
4opta'' katossFißLD seconded the motion, and, in doing so,
ti 40,4 that Liverpool would, at length, exert itself in a fit-
-I\l4anner in this important work.
iia's Motion was unanimously adopted.
44(1 e lion. and Rev. BAPTIST NOEL then came forward,
that it' warmly applauded. He commenced by observing
krult gave him great pleasure to endeavour to give them
illte,.r,easons that evening, why they should take a proper
tit r'" In the efforts of their Christian friends on the Con-
ell,. . .
Con-
Why a especially in France, and he hoped additional reasons
krt;uey should feel a satisfaction in favouring the libe-
qtal, ,laich they could Evangeln that subject, through the
ilotillr' of the Continental gical Society. There was
14,. tig to hinder the Evangelical Continental Society aid-
they cause, in any country on the Continent of which
Nit "tad good proof that it was in all respects commendable;
i.llitherto
tries had confined their attention to French-
bi4g cou, which offered a wider field for exertion
t04,-ne society could cultivate. The hon and rev. gentle-
theni proceeded to say, that time would not permit him
hv er to those countries that evening, unless in a general
deg,' Ile should pass over the work of which they had
fr.s. d,, which had been accomplished through the efforts of a
but
men, with the blessing of God, in Belgium, and
ollt of the progress' of the evangelical church in Piedmont,
Whi:ould confine his attention that evening to France,
11r1s. rwas a country which demanded from them the most
4/1 ~44, it sympathy. If they measured the importance of
Ntlree b y the number of. souls in it to be saved, they
414, tot overlook a country like France, which had,. pro-
tkilt‘) more than thirty-seven millions of flhabi-
l'art,,, It was even nearer to them than Ireland, which was
",I,ll.„themselves, and in addition to this and its vast
I,`' Non, its position in Europe gave it a still higher claim
pat; attention and regard. Under all its misfortunes,
qflue,"e tontinued to be a first-rate power, and exercised an
141(1vplee second only to our own, throughout the world;
uoth kger,eveithey looked they saw proofs of this influence,
1, tll,l' as diplomacy and arms. If they took an interest
Nat f-Orogress of the church in China, they should recollect
44 titaTe pleasure of religious freedom that had been obtained
Rae country,. was not the result of our diplomacy, but
the Protestants
through the French ambassador, who gave to
ill tilurotestants the first right they had to preach the gospel
beaft consular cities of that empire. If the great
be art he north was to be arrested —by whom was he to
trriase:ltd ? Not, they might
.be sure, by the desperate
At th ch. the Turk, but by the union of England with France.
ter,,,e 13,?pe were on his throne this day, instead of being a
Nips In the Neapolitan territory, who was it who brough
the ..,-,uaek in triumph and kept him in his seat, other than
tisizr rench bayonets ? And if they saw splendid buildings
44,f1g up for catho:ic worship in this country, they would not
contributions
them. the result, though there were exceptions, of
°f the of Catholic nobles devoted to their religion, nor
t_th Catholic poor here, but they would find that they were
t,,': result of the aid denied from, their Catholic brethren oft
duty
eount,iimehnt,
.particularly fromgrerartay,creaest."Ahattizas the
interest of this
espereiaauytthate inp
of it which was concerned in ttle"ald-
vaneement of the kingdom of our Redeemer, to turn their
attention to this great neighbouring nation, to endeavour, if
ossible, to reclaim them to the true faith. In asking their
Ttt
ention to, and efforts for, France, he did not limit his
apes, nor did he wish that his audience should limit theirs,
‘1144 gathering of a few thousands of that people to the
Pot edge of our Saviour, but rather of the whole nation.
F 41a part he was far from despairing of this • but if
rat,„
for 'Le were to be improved, it could not be by Englishmen ;
pins the prejudice against them, and the impossibility of
01 insring a correct pronunciation of the language would be
be enPerable bar to their success. If this, then, were to
he Zle at all it should be done by Frenchmen., and therefore
kr tbq not ask them to send English evangelists to France,
here was beyond their province, but to help their brethren
If - who deserved the highest esteem and regard, to do it.
ArorY persons could improve France it was the French
tha:,stants themselves, who after all the persecutions, greater
Nil the church had suffered, which they had undergone,
pate nlbered a million and a half. And because it was the
the
Of Protestantism to make men self-reliant, and to
'lle t., the best use of their position and circumstances,
tli 'enoh Protestants were in a great measure prosperous
find were the best men of business in the land,fa
'it/It e did not hesitate to state that there was su -
~4 I)"
‘.,wealth among the members of that communion
,s 4 4"s and Lyons alone to accomplish the work of which
rrkilas speaking. The million and a half of Protestants in
t5ll-eel,however were not well adapted to do this work for
kri, '...here were' above twenty-five thousand Protestants in
t,qip.i' and yet they did next to nothing for the cause of
to-4'4. They, and with them the Protestants of Lyons,
l'ath. convert d a single Catholic,—and why ? Because the
),4e4L'ijo minde was unapproachable ? He did not think so,
:1,647e facts disproved it, but the Protestants there
.w.ere
414;aed for it. They were never converted to catholicism
.44-`,',elves ; but one might hate catholicism, and yet not
deem he truth to which it was opposed. A man might con-
-4e theih', confessional, but while he hated priestly absolution
,o(krght not humbly and sincerely confess his own sins to
°llt They might scorn the idea of baptismal regeneration,
or jet they might never seek the regeneration of the heart
It ;v44 change of nature by the truth and spirit of God.
lAo as,,Yery possible for them to look with contempt
41 tl'°.e catholic motive of a man being confirmed
'4 gracel, by a priest of a superior order rubbing oil
tllroh"tru, , but they might never seek sanctification
'N P the working of -God's grace. It was very pos-
k1:1841r them to show the absurdity. in priests making thou-
Lairi.:f Christs, and yet they might never seek to have
;41th,,in their own hearts. It was very possible that they
',,°, 1,-" feok with scorn on the idea of their being prepared
°d gulch glory by the priest touching their noses or eyes with
'lltll-.l'ae last hour, and yet never have peace in God through
tied, Jesus. It was possible for them to see all that was
as well as absurd in the doctrine of purgatory, and
tliever
(~. b 0 prepare ior heaven or fear hell. (Applause.) Nega-
Nire tesantisamhdwashschnot calculated to work upon the
was the character of that in
°;lkke. mind,lt was not the Protestant, therefore, of France,
it t%
r; 11.4 - the were unconverted men, who could do it, but
,",d aht„110 eYwho were Christian men—who were brought to
\,-'1 h-,,qu were made to love him by the force of truth acting
,'ailtfh''''' consciences and hearts. These were the men
"ere-q in France, and many such, he was happy to say,
istifo,. there; and it was their labours and their
V° ; „ih the cause which it was his duty to lay
j;° -i.i,n. meeting that evening. (Hear, hear, and cheers.)
`r\vi,:4: ord had been distributed by the British and
bleee,Rible Society throughout France by the sale of
1,7 V eniefly though not exclusively, among the Catholics,
"btbl - 1111111b4 of two millions. The value of the sale of
,here wets not to be estimated as it would be here, where.
(,„ numb so many, and therefore they were not appreciated
t'bttr xuers of careless people, who got them as a matter of
h'etil6e'haild never perhaps, read them. But when he told
g Pa tn-at 4 gentlemanthe Church in Belgium, told him that there were
444 of,,atholic families in the neighbourhood of Charleroi,
~1111cle .o,these 8,000 only one possessed a bible. They would
cause that when bibles were sold there, it must be be-
il4,(l riePeonle were exceedingly curious about them. They
.ttle h.vnef seen the bible—had heard a little of it, and that
1-
jot -(` been only misrepresentation ; and when they got
t'illion.° etoheir hands they.read it with great. interest. Two
1), ranee Pies of the scriptures then, distributed by sale in
:en d 'lade a good foundation in that country. God had
~,,'ita4;eased within late years to raise up there some living
;‘1111pli"? of his truth. First had been the good work ae-
hht,,auces.uedfrth,rough his grace, by the established church in
la '' the le had not seen much of the Lutheran Church,
I;tdely. refore should not speak of it ; but he had been
e,krortaPermitted to visit some parts where the Protestant
f°4lltr ed Church had been materially improved, in that
,:,.. ,v.
t.q that Perhaps all present were not acquainted with th. e
ll'f,rille`e`af there was a Protestant Established Church in
head P,'llb! not, he would tell them what the wisdom of their
tali Ours across the channel who boasted ito be at the
of invention, ,
... 'she, had devised. They had, of course, es-
ksthoii,„' a Catholic Church, but, while they had 40,000
b),jlrt7esPtrLests to execrate Protestants, they had e.stablished,
ile the 4at church to execrate the Catholics ; and
ti, ,iewY established Protestants and Catholics to condemn
i'ee Chris they established the Jewish Rabbins to condemn
11 ws, /.., inns. They had therefore four established churches,
il,:ott,,talittherans, Protestants, and Catholics. Now, the
4, 041' church was that of which he should speak. The
rev. gentleman then entered into a detail of hie

nessed there. They entered the church, he observed,
not to pray. or worship, but to kis§ a filthy image ditty
and odious in its artistic composition:-=-Of At, Rocque, and
still more detestable figure which they called the Mother of
God. While on this topic he mentioned as an episode an
occurrence which had taken place in Funchal, in Spain.
There a Madame Alevarez (as we took it) was thrown into
prison charged with various crimes because she had become
a Protestant and -read the Bible, and because she did not
adore the Blessed Mary. When brought before the judge,
who was a very stern ' man, he said " Prisoner, let me
warn you your life is in danger, and that it
entirely depends on the answer you will give
to the question I will put to you. Do you believe that the
Virgin Mary is the Mother of God or do you not ? Do you
adore her or not ? " The prisoner answered, " I believe that
Mary is the mother of my Lord arid Saviour Jesus Christ,
but as God he had no mother, for he was from eternity. She
was, therefore, the mother of his human nature, and I adore
God alone." " Then she is
.guilty of blasphemy and con-
demned to death" cried the judge' and forthwith she was
thrown into prison, and only saved from death by a quibble,
for the supreme Court of Lisbon held that if she had
been brought in guilty on the three counts in the
charge, she should have suffered the penalty due to her
crime. It was truly refreshing, then, to turn from such
scenes, to Worship with the congregation of reclaimed Ca-
tholics, who knew the value of the Bible and read it for their
soul's wealth ; and it was his fortune to worship with such
congregations in Angouleme and other places. All these
congregations were formed upon the principle of indepen-
dency, and though they were at liberty to join the state if
they pleased, yet they were too well instructed in the princi-
ples of Church organisation to have very little disposition
to do so ; and of this a notable proof had been lately given.
The hon. and rev. gentleman then detailed how twelve
schools, including. those of Limome, had been suspended,
though excellent in every respect,' because it was alleged
that they were conducted by assisting pastors, and how
their heads, when guaranteed by the State that they should
be no longer persecuted if they joined the establishment,
one and all declined the offer, and resolved to remain inde-
pendent. This was the work which he wished them to en-
courage, not merely as men who wished to see God's cause
prosper anywhere, but as men who delighted to see the
combined effects of a right scriptural organisation with the
blessing of God to flow from the gospel in France. He would
mention a few facts connected with the society of Lyons, which
was formed on the same principle and had been productive
of very considerable results. As he had said before, there
were 7000 old Protestants there, and they had but one small
church built to contain about 450 persons. They had no
week day service---no missionary exertion---and no machi-
nery for the distribution of the Bible. They never received
a single Catholic convert into their communion, and in fact
he believed they neither sought nor wished it ; for as a com-
mercial people they feared that proselytism would disturb
their trade. But since the new congregations, which were
composed of Baptists, Independents, Presbyterians, and print'

cipaily reformed Catholics,-had started up, there had been 3
singular, undeniable blessing resting upon their exertions.
In these congregations the poor worked zealously and ar-
duously for the faith, and while the 7000 old Protestants
had not brought a single Catholic to God and the
truth, these poor people, most of the labouring
classes themselves, had nearly converted 2,000 Catholics to
their faith. They collected for this purpose £5OO a year,
but when £2,500 was required, he need not tell them that
they naturally looked to Protestant Great Britain for sup-
port. The hon. and rev. gentleman then pointed out the
claims which those congregations hand on this country for
support, and urged that this was one of the best—the sup-
port of brethren seeking the faith through sorrow and dffi-
culties—by which our Saviour promised to recognise his
disciples on the great day of judgment. (Applause.)
Rev. Dr. RAFFLES proposed the second resolution, to the
effect that the so.liety now resolve itself into an auxiliary
of the Evangelical Continental Society of London, and that
a committee and office-bearers be named for the next year.
In proposing the resolution the Rev. Dr. Raffles coupled
with it a vote of thanks for the deep debt of obligation
which they were under to the Rev. Mr. Noel, who had
come, at great expense of time and labour, to deliver that
interesting lecture. (Loud applause.
The Rev. Mr. CRICIITO V seconded the resolution, which
was carried amid enthusiastic applause.
The proceedings then terminated.

INAUGURATION OF THE BURY ATITEN.EUM.
LORD STANLEY, M.P., AT BURY.

The inauguration of the Bury Athenaaum took place on
Monday night, when a tea party and s,iiree were held in the
large lecture-room of the new institution, which is a hand-
some, commodious, and substantial building, situated in the
centre of the town, and from which may be had an excellent
view of the monument recently erected to the memory of the
late Sir Robert Peel. There was a very numerous audience
of ladies and gentlemen, but the number of operatives pre-
sent was not by any means equal to that which might have
beenood . A
e xpeinctoend;mt dthtehgereentbleemenennooisitrtihkees
platformin the nweeignhobtoicuerd-
Lord STANLEY' M.P., (in the chair), the Right Rev. the
Lord Bishop of Manchester, E. Grundy, Esq., of the Wylde,
Bury ; the Rev. Charles Rickham, the Rev. the Rector of
Bury • the Rev. Mr. Morbum, J. Chetham, Esq., M.P., J.
Le Gendre Starkie, Esq., M.P., Richard Hort, Esq., of
Reed Hall ; J. Robinson Kay, Esq., 0. 0. Walker, Esq.,
the Rev. Dr. Vaughan, of Manchester; John Smith, Esq.,
of Liverpool, &c., &c. There was an excellent choir pre-
sent, which, during the evening, performed in fine style
several pieces of music.
After tea, EDMUND GRUNDY, Esq., of the Wylde, intro-
duced Lord STANLEY to the meeting, amidst loud applause.
He stated that the late Earl of Derby gave the site of the
institution, that the present Earl of Derby became the
patron of the institution, laid the corner stone of the build-
ing, and in addition to that his late father gave £lOO towards
the funds. (Loud cheers.)
Lord STANLEY, on rising to address the meeting, was
received with loud cheers. When they had subsided, he
said—He thanked them heartily for their welcome, and the
first words he should use would be to express the high grati-
fication which he felt in addressing, for the first time, face to
face, the inhabitants of the town of Bury, between which
and himself there existed an old hereditary connection.
(Hear, hear.) He rejoiced to see that, notwithstanding the
season of the year, and notwithstanding the state of the
weather, which certainly made their own fireside particularly
comfortable, they had assembled in that room so large and
influential a meeting. And he rejoiced the more because
they were not assembled there for any purpose of political
conflict, or of social strife, or yet for mere unmeaning amuse-
ment, though undoubtedly pleasant indeed at the moment,
but barren in results so far as benefits were concerned.

(Hear, hear.) They were met together that evening for a
purpose, the highest and the noblest which could bring toge-
ther the citizens of a free state—(hear, hear)—because they
were trying to do what in them lay to remove from them the
reproach under which they so justly lay—the reproach of
ignorance. (Hear.) They were met that evening to accom-
plish a work which he hoped and trusted would be for the
benefit, not only of this generation, but for the benefit of
their children and their children's children. (Applause.)
He had spoken of this as being an educational institution—
he had spoken of the Bury Athenaeum, of the building in
which they were met, the opening of which they had met to
celebrate and inaugurate, as an educational institution, and
he believed that in so speaking of it he was correct. (Hear,
hear.) He believed that the language used by some was
that education, properly speaking, was what belonged to the
season of youth. He did not think so. (Hear, hear.) He
held that for him, for every one of them, education was a
thing that must continue to the very end of their existence.
(Hear, hear.) It was a law of our nature—our minds were
so constituted that we must constantly and always be either
learning something or forgetting something. (Hear.) In
matters of instruction, as in every other, there was no stand-
ing still—we must go onwards or backwards. (Applause.)
And not only was that the case as affected acquired know-
ledge, but there were pow-eta of the tutaa winch could, like
the body, be only kept in health by a series of exertions, and
those exertions, let them assume what form they might, were
an educational process. (Hear, hear.) Therefore, he said
that that building, the opening of which they had met to
celebrate, was strictly an educational institution. It would
not be.necessary for him to detain them long as the circum-
stances under which the Bury Athenaeum originated. He
believed that for 15 or 16 years an institution, intended sub-
stantially for the same educational purposes as the Athen-
aeum—an institute, concerning the working of which he con-
fessed he knew very little, but which was productive of very
great results, so far as it went ; but it was felt to be inade-
quate to, and insufficient for, the wants of this great and
growing population. (Hear, hear.) About 5 years ago, he
thought in the year 1848, the first public proposal was is-
sued for the establishment of the present institution. Only
two years had elapsed from the time of that proposal being
issued, when sufficient funds had been collected to justify
the promoters of the institution in commencing the building
itself. (Applause.) In 1850 the first stone was laid, and
now, towards the close of 1853, they were met to celebrate
the completion of the building then undertaken. (Applause.)
Five years, then, only elapsed from the first suggestion of
the building to its final completion. (Hear.) And as to
those who had taken an active part in its origina-
tion, there was one person connected with
it—for referring to whom he might probably be
excused— (applause) and he would venture to say
in his father's name, that there was no one in public life,
let him belong to whatever political party he might, who
was more warmly or more sincerely attached to the great
question of the age, the question of instruction to all classes,
especially to the raising of the working-classes in the social
scale, than was his father. (Loud applause.) He had
looked through the subscription lists which were opened at
the time when this undertaking was commenced, and he
must say that he thought it reflected very great credit
upon the leading inhabitants of the town, that a very large
proportion of the total amount required had been contri-
buted, in sums comparatively large, by the principal employ-
ers of labour there. (Applause.) He would not
.go into
details which would be inapplicable there, but he might say
that the sum of £1,200 had been made up in twelve con-
tributions. (Loud applause.) And little less than one-half
of that sum had been subscribed in sums of less than
(Hear, hear.) He thought then, they had here a gratifying
proof that the institution founded for the benefit of all
classes had met with the cordial and most disinterested

,sit to the Protestant churches through the tanquedocian
istricts of the south and west of France, and described the
eeling of ardour with which, in each of the towns and vil-
ages through which he passed, the congregations crowded
to listen to the preachers and to worship in the temples. He
then proceeded to detail the causes which had led to the
growth of that feeling of devotion in those departments of
France. The first cause had been the coup d'etat of the
present emperor. Before that time the Protestants had been
under the impression that a brighter day Was cotning for
their liberties, and they were becoming more and more con-
firmed in that belief, especially when the revolution took
place, by which the Protestants were placed upon an abso-
lute equality with the Catholics. But when the coup d'etat
occurred theysoon foundthat all power was placed in the hands
of the priesthood, and they perceived how the present ruler
of France was disposed to lean very naturally up on the
40,000 priests of France ; and as they remembered bitter
times in their past history they thought the same were
coming again, and that they would be exposed again to
affliction. In this dejection they turned from politics to
prayer. Instead of holding political meetings to discuss the
rights and the privileges of Frenchmen, they met to ask God's
blessing and protection that they might be saved from the
fearful sorrows which had come upon their fathers. They
had evangelical alliance meetings, for although they had been
faithful pastors before the Wesleyan, Independent, and. national
pastors, yet they had prejudices against one another. They
had acted faithfully when separate, but they had only a
spurious sort of brotherhood, which sometimes prevailed in
this country also, which had led people to say—" I admit
that these others are Christians, and therefore of course they
must be my brethren, but I think the less I see of them, the
better—the less I come into contact with these brethren of
mine is somehow or other the better for me." But when
the evangelical alliance meetings brought all the pastors
together, and the people saw that they had the same prin-
ciples, and loved the same Saviour, and were really brethren,
their hearts were melted to an extraordinary degree, and
they were urged to very much supplication, that the great
work of grace might be done in that neighbourhood. Their
prayer-meetings became remarkable for their fervency; and
a very solid, sensible young pastor, told him that a prayer-
meeting at which he presided had been truly remarkable.
There for three hours the people poured out their suppli-
cations in the House of God, with an earnestness which he
had never witnessed. The men, the women, and even the
children, felt such a eonstrnint upon thoir opirita, that theypoured forth their prayers aloud before each other, and
when the pastor wished to terminate the meeting, they
would not terminate, they seemed at if prayer had become
more than necessary to them ; they prayed and continued
to pray for three hours. Their prayers were poured forth
with no mere formal worship, no stereotyped expressions,
but the warm feeling of their inmost souls. Some of them
wept for joy at their own conversion ; some were weeping
with concern for their unconverted relations ; some with
the anxious hope that the grace of God might yet more
descend upon the neighbourhood. When people felt God,
when they knew that he was Almighty, were sure that he
was true to his word, and went to the throne of
grace to ask for what they were sure he would
give, then their prayers were earnest ; and until
then, their prayers were but cold and formal.
When martial law was proscribed by the emperor, 50 of the
people of Montmeron were imprisoned because they were
known to be republicans. They were serious, well con-
ducted men, but not religious. They were thrown into pri-
son, and the effect of this produced such a dejection in that
commune and all the neighbouring communes, that they
were driven into prayer, and from that hour the people re-
nouncing all political agitations; sought the blessing and
the help of God, and God had given it to them. God had
blessed the national church in that place, and it needed it,
for while there were 100 pastors in that department only 20
preached the Gospel, and the others were not only cold, but
were totally averse to it. In that place a great work was
still to be done, but it was not likely to be done among the
Catholics by the revived Established Church. The enmity
between the Catholic and the Protestant classes in that land
was very difficult to heal. The Protestants had the memo-
ries, of deep and long continued wrong. The story of their
sufferings would make the heart bleed. For above a cen-
tury, they were exposed to every injustice. Nearly half the
kingdom was Protestant when Henri IV. came to the
throne, and for nearly 90 years they enjoyed the effect of
his measure of liberality. But during the reign of Louis
XIV, their sufferings were fearful. The revocation of the

edict of Nantes was; followed by still keener persecutions
and still more appalling sufferings. He could not trust
himself to enter upon the recital of their sufferings. it
touched the feelings and was a shame to human nature that
such things should have been perpetrated. At length when
hundred of thousands had been driven out of France, and
hundreds of thousands were forced to abjure their
religion, then a few peasants in the very neighbourhood
of which he was speaking, were driven to arms.
They saw that the lives of their families, their wives, and
their children were all the prey of a brutal soldiery. The
dr agonn de which Louis the XIV instituted among them,
inflicted a series of atrocities upon them, which made their
lives intolerable. A young lad, a baker's boy, displayed
the talents of a general and the courage of a hero, and
headed some of the poor peasantry in opposing the skilled

warriors of France, met their' powerful, well-organized
armies, and beat them back. They had no money, no re-
sourus, no friends, yet they triumphed, and taught Catholic
France to respect at least the indomitable energy and de-
termined courage of the Protestants,which they never knew
before,for the Protestants had borne everything until it be-
came a proverb in France to speak of the patience of a
Huguenot. But they did not see any end of their trials until
Louis XVI at last secured them some measure of their rights.
All this he regretted to say, had left a deep feeling of hatred
among the Protestants of France. There was a hatred
amongst many of the Protestants very natural,but very un-
christian towards the catholics ; and if all he heard were
true, there was a much greater hatred towards the Protes-
tants amongst the Catholics. But besides that the reformed
church was not so well adapted to work upon the Catholics
—first, because that church had no profession of faith, they
had nothing like the thirty-nine article of our established
church here, there was nothing which marked out a man
when he entered that church as a disciple of Jesus Christ.
Therefore that church was an amalgamation with the world,
not a society separated from it. Nor had they the power of
choosing their own pastors, for by a recent law promulgated
by the emperor, that choice was to be made by himself,
which was as if Nero had made the laws which were to
govern the Christian church of his times,and to direct what
pastors were to be chosen. Besides as the state paid the salaries
of that church, it naturally governed the pastors whom it ap-
pointed, and the State could exercise a very injurious influ-
ence upon any church which was seeking for reformation, or
earnestly addressing itself to the evangelisation of its neigh-
bourhood. He had himself asked a pastor why they have
attempted to convert a Catholic soul ? and the answer was,
that at present they had no persecution, but if they endea-
voured to commence the work of evangelisation among the
Catholics, they would be stopped at once, because, as long as
they paid the salaries of the pastors they could stop them ;
but they could not do so if the pastors were independent.
Therefore that church was not well adapted to act upon the
minds of Roman Catholics. One good work which was
being done was the holding of monthly convocations
of Wesleyan, Independent, and national pastors to
promote spirituality in that district. The preachers of the
national church were everywhere well received, and hence
that church could do great work among the Protestants of
France, many of whom would not hear dissenters, and this
ultimately must act upon the Catholic population. But the
Free Church was a still more important lever by which God
would act upon their minds. The Wesleyans seemed to be
working a most important part. They were likely, in the
course of a few years, to do work unmeasured ; greater than
their present numerical force would intimate. They formed
the only church in France which could hold up to the Ca-
tholic population of that country what a church really wa.
The Independent dissenter. boa a W oiuren in which every
meaner made a personal profession of faith, and
came into that church as a man born again deter-
mined to live for God, and to manifest the sin •
cerity of his profession by his blameless life. The
members of that church looked upon each other as brethren
all travelling in the same way and all good soldiers of the
cross. They selected the pastors of their church, and, of
course, only chose those who neld the doctrines which they
themselves loved. There was nothing, then, to hinder that
church, composed of pious members and pious pastors,
from following the church of the New Testament, and
making Jesus Christ their head and guide. It was not
salaried by the state, but self-supporting, and therefore
they had no one to dictate to them, and were at liberty to
follow the church of the New Testament. They were inde-
pendent not because they were less loyal, less subordinate
to the laws of their country; but independent because they
would allow no ecclesiastical authority between them an d
their Master, because they would not admit that any other
ecclesiastical authority than that which governed the church
of the New Testament should govern them. Self-supported
they would teach their Protestant brethren the great lesson
that a church could support itself. Now, they would per-
ceive what the effect .of this would be upon the Catholic
population. The national pastors could not speak against
the Catholic establishment of 40,000 priests, because they
were themselves established, and like the priests were main-
tained by the mercy of the state. But the experiment of a
self-supporting church had been found successful in many
parts of France, and if all associations of Protestants in
France would say " let us be free," and they should soon
see the 40,000 coming down not by violence or ungodliness,
but by the force of evangelisation. The rev. gentleman then
proceeded to speak of the evangelical alliances throughout
France. Of the work done by the Geneva society he would not
speak much, but not because they were less important than
those which he had been detailing. The men who com-
posed it deserved their highest esteem and affection—ho
could speak of them personally for he knew many of them,
but he would only say that he believed that the work which
had been done at St. Julie and other places, was only a
part of what was being done by them in various other
districts of France. The hon. and rev. gentleman then
described how passing from this quarter he visited various
towns and villages along the Soane until he came to
Limoge, finding wherever he went an evangelical congrec,fa-