Daily evening star. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1852-1854, 1853-12-08
RFPuRTEn FOR TIE STE.
THE HEGEANDELIGEEN MISSION IN LOWER
CANADA.

On Sunday last, an account Of the above
religious Institution was delivered bv
the Rev. Mr.. Williams, at the Baptist
Church in 10th Street, in tie morning,
and in the evening at the Baptist Church
in + street, there being on both occasions
= large congregation present 10 hear the
report.
The Grandc Lig,oe Mission is intended
tor the conversion of the Roman Catholic
french population in Lower Canada.
The French population in Lower Canada
is Catholic, entirely Catholic: eighteen
wears ago there was not one Protestant
IN all Lower Canada among the French
population. Al the time Of the settle
ment of Canada, French Protesta ntS came
to the country, but through the Influence
OF the Jesul;S at the Court Of France.
every Protestant w,,S recalled, and Il de
cree was passed that not one Protestant
should remain III Canada. For this rca-
son, the Canadian population were ai,T&vs
and SUI are Catholic. believe that
some Catholics may he saved, and it. is
no; ior las to argue with God or to Jude
bu. | firmly believe that il Will hc in
spite of their religion. In Romaui~ln.
you can lind poetry, philosophy, science,
in fact, almost every thing but vital g0dIi-
ness. lou Will find by STUDYING their
system, that the heart is left dea / in tres
passes and sins. Christ has said, That to
inherit the kingdom Of heaven, one must
be born again, and in this respect popcly
IS dannng system, for it leads q man
to eternity without a rCgcncra ed heart
The religious faith Of Canadian I9av be
gathered from the questions and answers
contained in lis Catechs'n. Are you
2 aCatholic!' Answc~, " Yes > QucS ton.
g. What made you 50 - Answer. '.iBap-
tisn." Accordingly, the cinfant chlId is hur-
Ilcd off to the house Of the nearest priest,
"ho makes i a christian by baptism
for dollar. 1t tie are of Six the French
Canadian learns the catcchsm, at nine
wears old he receives thc sacrament of The
Lords supper, which consists of waicr,
and is after this confirmed by the Bishop.
In tie language Of his catocLisn he Is now
made a perfect Christian. This lasl act
Of confirmation is performed by tie D,Sh-
op, who gives the neOphyte the sign of
the cross with his finger, which has been
soaked in sacred oil. After this, comics
sion 10 the priest once 4 wear, Is >lifcicn,
10 take away all mortal sins. II is thus
that the Catholic liycs-the mciiatorisl
Office of Christ having been thrown aside.
You will see the priest bearing the sacra-
mcnt, going to the dying mans couch,
preceded by man telling bell, to lei
all know that the real lord is passing by.
This is a small wafer for the dying man,
who goes to his last account, trusting for
an entrance into the kingdom of heaven
from the prayers Of his priest and tie
money of his friends. Here the dcluded
Catholic and benighted heathen meet
The one ruthlesSly degraded The other
led, as it We're, by an angel Of light, bat
not less Il tiend.
The spiritual wants Of this people are
their real wants, and their cry for spirit
ual heipis as full Of import and wee as
the cry for spiritual help from heather
shores. 1t is from this conviction of the
importance Of Missionary efforts in Can
ada, that we and Others lave been
laboring there. The principal means
employed are public discussion, preaching,
school teaching and tracts There are
two ways of carrying on public discus
sion, either with the priest or school mas
ter. When carried on with the first
named, the discussion is always at the
priests house, where there will be gath
cred some four hundred or five hundred
persons, and the general impression to a
stranger after the debate, would be that
there had been fight. Very few words
are bestowed upon the topics, foi ming the
discussion, for where Rome is powerful
it is thought most becoming not to reason
with a hereto. Personalities and insin-
uations of the blackest character are
ol,en levelled at the missionary, or per-
haps the priest will say, casting a look
of scorn, Who sent you - pre..ch! The
reply The Lord, trust, is generally
received with shouts of laughter. Or
perhaps he Will say in this manner |
g You Protestants that prove everything.
prove that the Bible is the word of God -
If the missionary begins to show the
folly of his attempting to prove what
they both are agreed upon, an appeal is
made by the priesS to the people who
always agree that the Protestant ought
to do SO, as he rejects one thing. the
authority OF the Church. The priest
then cries out, Z" Victory" But in spite
of the difficulties, where Protestants are
in so small number, one among thou
sands, and who is often considered by
those present as the only Protestant il
the world, the truth triumphs. 1t is very
rare, that a man who is seeking really |
after truth, does not believe, and more
than one has left the Roman Catholic |
religion, in his Roman Catholic priests |
house. 1t was, in consequence, decided in
Council at Quebec that no priest should
have discussion on religion with a
missionary. 1t was, therefore, left to the
scioolmasters, who are generally atheists.
These latter will lay hold of word, and
twist it about in any way they please.
Without any creed, and having nothing
L e L .t