Rome; God must needs punish this open astonishment. The Protestants rejoicing to and shameless lying," Such is Popery's see him witness so good a confession-the regard for truth!' Papists filled with wrath and shame that God had turned their crafty devices to their own utter confusion. They accused him of falsehood and dissimulation; and when he began to speak further against Popery, Cole and his fellows cried out, "Stop the heretic's mouth, and take him away!" It is well known by what artifices the Papists succeeded at last in getting Cranmer to sign a declaration that, "Forasmuch as the King and Queen's Majesties, by consent of their Parliament, have received the Pope's authority, within this realm, I am content to submit myself to their laws herein, and to take the Pope for chief head of this Church of England, so far as God's laws, and the laws and customs of this realm, will permit." He was afterwards gradually induced to sign other and stronger declarations. God, doubtless, suffered this as a solemn warning to others. Let us beware how we boast ourselves in our own strength, or trifle with the beginning of evil. Mary and her Counsellors rejoiced at this proof of the infirmity in Cranmer, but it could not move them from their blood-thirsty designs. The writ for his execution was issued, and Dr. Cole was ordered to preach a sermon upon the occasion. The victim was kept ignorant of his fate; for they hoped he might die with a falsehood in his mouth. Cranmer, however, soon felt the bitter pains of having wavered in the faith, and quickly turning to that Saviour whose compassions fail not, wrote down a declaration of his faith in the truths of the Gospel. They pulled him down from the stand, and led him to the stake; his enemies abusing him as he went along. After a short prayer, Cranmer put off his clothes, and after giving his hand to some that stood by, was chained to the stake, and the fire kindled. As the flame approached, Cranmer extended his right arm, and thrusting his hand into the flames, held it there unmoved, except once wiping his face with it, so that all might see that hand consumed before his body was touched. At length the fire surrounded him, but he continued as unmoved as the stake to which he was bound; directing his eyes towards heaven, often exclaiming, "Unworthy right-hand!" and repeating the dying words of Stephen, "Lord Jesus receive my spirit!" till he expired. So died that servant of Christ, THOMAS CRANMer. DATES OF POPISH ERRORS. THE Church of Rome often boasts of her When they led him to the Church, they antiquity, and her members taunt Protesplaced him on a stage before the pulpit, and tants with the falsehood, "Your church Dr. Cole preached. The venerable Martyr, came into the world 1500 years after ours." though clothed in rags, and sentenced to a Now, if antiquity is to decide the matter, shameful death, stood in firm reliance upon we do not know whether the Jew might not his God, though deeply sorrowing in mind say to the Romanist, "Our faith must be for his late conduct. When the sermon was right, because it is the most ancient of all." over, Dr. Cole exhorted him publicly to But we have no fear for Protestantism upon declare his faith. "I will do it," said the the score of antiquity. It is not one day Archbishop, "and with a good will." He younger than Christ and His Apostles. Let then drew forth the profession of faith; and the Papist, if he can, point to a single imploring forgiveness of God for his past article of the Protestant faith which was offences, he exhorted the people to obe- not held by our blessed Saviour and His dience, and to seek after the good of their Apostles. We appeal to the Bible, and we souls. He added, " And now I come to the defy Popery to find one doctrine in our great thing that troubleth my conscience creed which we cannot abundantly prove more than anything I ever did or said in my from Scripture. But the case is far different life, and this is the setting abroad a writing with Popery. We challenge Romanists to contrary to the truth." Then renouncing prove their doctrines from Scripture. We all he had written since his degradation, he ask then, to show us where in Scripture is said, "Forasmuch as my hand offended, the doctrine of Image worship-of seven writing contrary to my heart, my hand shall sacraments of purgatory—of indulgences first be punished; for when I come to the of forbidding to marry-and so on. fire, it shall be first burned!" He then declared, "As for the Pope, I refuse him as Christ's enemy and anti-Christ, with all his false doctrine." The bystanders gazed upon Cranmer with And not only so, we can fix the date of many of their abominable doctrines. So far from their being old, they are modern inventions. Protestantism is, in fact, the old religionthe religion of the Bible-the religion of Christ-the religion of the first Christian ages. But Popery is the new religion. We ask Romanists, "Where was your doctrine of Purgatory before the year 1438?" We defy them to prove it a day older. We ask them, "Where was the doctrine of Transubstantiation before 1215?-Of Venial Sins, and the Sacrifice of the Mass, before 1563 ?"We defy them to prove them a day older. We might go through the list of their errors, and prove them to have been brought in by wicked Popes and corrupt Councils. But we will content ourselves by furnishing our readers with a table of the dates of the principal Popish errors, so that they may say to their adversaries, when accused of holding new doctrines, "Yours's are the new doctrines, our's are the old." said the Priest, "it is not the case; they can understand the matter as well as I do.” "I should like," said the Minister, "to be assured of this; however, I will put it to the proof. Come here, my man," calling out to one of the turnkeys, who happened to cross the hall in which they stood, "You are a Roman Catholic?"-"I am, your reverence,' said the turnkey, respectfully, while he touched his forelock with his thumb and fore-finger. "And tell me now," said the Minister, "do you pray to the blessed Virgin?"—"Oh! to be sure I do, please your reverence,' ," replied the man, promptly. The Priest's countenance and tone expressed anything but that gentleness with which St. Paul commanded Timothy to administer reproof, as he vociferated, "You lie, you don't, you rascal." This ended the controversy; for the poor turnkey sneaked off as fast as he could, observing, in a subdued tone, "Sure your reverence knows best." OUTLINES OF POPISH PERSECU TIONS. "I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus."-Rev. xvii. 6. ABOUT the year 1198 arose the INQUISITION, whose first object was the destruction of the Waldenses and Albigenses, of whom, by Crusadoes, &c. were murdered in about forty years, as is calculated, ONE MILLION. According to LLORENTE, in the space of 129 years, the Inquisition deprived Spain alone of not less than THREE MILLIONS of From the Protestant Penny Magazine, pub- inhabitants. lished in 1834. A PROTESTANT Clergyman once entered into conversation with a Romish Priest in the gaal of Carrick;-as religion was the subject, they did not speak much before controversy was introduced. The Priest accused Protestants of want of candour in charging Roman Catholics with praying to the blessed Virgin. "We don't pray to her, sir," said he;"'tis a calumny to assert it; we only ask her intercession." But," replied the Minister," the Council of Trent decreed, that even saints, whom it regards as inferior to the Virgin, are to be suppliantly invoked; it teaches, too, that this invocation may be mental. It appears to me, that the man who kneels to an invisible being, and presents his supplications to that being, may be said really to pray to him. But, even if the distinction you make be a true one, still I cannot believe that common people can make such nice distinctions." " I tell you," During five years that Pope Adrian was Inquisitor-General, 24,025 persons were condemned, and 1,620 BURNED ALIVE. The Duke of Alva boasted of having put to death, in the Netherlands, THIRTY-SIX THOUSAND, by the hands of the common executioner, within a few years. The Bull of Pope Innocent III. against the Albigenses, ran thus: "We exhort you that you would endeavour to destroy the wicked heresy of the Albigenses, and do this with more rigour than you would use towards the Saracens themselves; persecute them with a strong hand; deprive them of their lands and possessions; banish them, and put Roman Catholics in their room.' In these and other Popish persecutions, the Popes and their legates took an active part. It was the Pope's legate who gave orders that the town of Beziers should be utterly destroyed; on which occasion, upwards of TWENTY-THREE THOUSAND Victims were sa crificed to Popish cruelty. When the town was taken, the leaders of the Popish army asked the Abbot of Citeaux how they should distinguish Catholics from heretics: the legate's memorable answer was, "KILL ALL; God will distinguish those that belong to himself." His words were too well obeyed; every inhabitant of Beziers was ruthlessly massacred; and when the town was thus one immense slaughter-house, it was fired, that its ruins and ashes might become the monument of Papal vengeance. Day; and after cruelly murdering Admiral Coligni, in three days the Papists destroyed lords, gentlemen, and others, of all ranks and both sexes, above 10,000; from Paris, the destruction spread through the kingdom, and there were butchered, in the most inhuman manner, 40,000 more. When the news of this horrible massacre was brought to the Pope (Gregory XIII.) he went in solemn procession to the Church of St. Louis to return public thanks to God; medals were struck; the church bells struck up; and an ambassador sent to the King of France, to congratulate "the most Christian King," as it called him, upon the success of an exploit MEDITATED AND SO HAPPILY 1588. England was invaded by the Spanish Armada (a great fleet and army), which was sent to root out and totally destroy the English nation. They brought rods of wire to scourge us to death, thumb-screws, and many instruments of torture never heard of before, which may be yet seen in the Tower of London. 1605. Nov. 5. Was discovered the gunpowder plot, in which it was designed at once to blow up the King and both Houses of Parliament, and to establish Popery. It was the Pope's legate who, in 1226, together with Louis VIII. of France, besieged Avignon with an army of 50,000 horsemen ; great numbers of the citizens" SO LONG were put to death, and the walls of the city EXECUTED." demolished. It was the Pope's legate, who, at the head of an army of 300,000 pilgrims, besieged Carcasson, seized Raymond Roger in open violation of a safeguard given him; threw him into prison, and put him to death by means of poison. It was the Pope's legate, who, with Earl Simon, took the castle of Menerbe, caused a great fire to be kindled, and burned alive 140 persons of both sexes. It was a bull of Pope Clement VII. which armed the Inquisitor Borelli, in 1380, against the Waldenses; in the space of thirteen years, he delivered 150 persons to the 1641. October 23. Began a dreadful secular power to be burned alive at Grenoble. massacre in Ireland, in which were killed in In the valley of Frassiniere and the neigh-cool blood, and with all imaginable barbaribourhood, he apprehended 80 persons, who ties, reputed Protestants, 140,000. Pope also were burned alive. In the valley of Urban VIII. granted a plenary indulgence Pragela, many were murdered; others were to these rebels and assassins. starved to death; 180 children were found dead in their cradles, and the greater part of their mothers died soon after them. In the valley of Loyse, 400 little children were found suffocated in their cradles, or in the arms of their murdered mothers, in consequence of a great quantity of wood being placed at the entrance of the caves and set on fire. In this valley above 3000 persons were destroyed. About the year 1508, the Spaniards be gan their cruelties in America and the West Indies, under pretence of converting the idolatrous natives, of whom, in the course of forty years, it is calculated they destroyed no less than FIFTEEN MILLIONS. In 1553, Queen Mary, daughter of Henry VIII. ascended the throne of England, in whose reign (five years) there were burnt, Archbishop Cranmer, 4 bishops, 21 divines, 8 gentlemen, 184 artificers, &c.; 55 women, 4 children;-total, 277, besides those who died in prison. 1572. The massacre of Paris (the Queen of Navarre having been poisoned before) began about day-break on St. Bartholomew's 1685. Louis XIV. of France expelled 150,000 Protestants from his kingdom; confiscated their property, took from them their wives and children, and dragooned many into Popery. Louis XV. also hanged, fined, dragooned, and imprisoned great numbers. CABINET. There is no way to look up to heaven but through Christ, and there is no way for mercy to come down from heaven but through Christ.- ROMAINE. Christ comes with a blessing in each hand forgiveness in one, and holiness in the other; and never gives either of them to any who will not take both.-ADAMS. Finsbury Operative Protestant Association. A CALL TO THE PROTESTANTS OF This Association, which is the first Opera ENGLAND. From the Sacred Casket. When the fatal blow is nigh? Rests on God's eternal word, Shall his faithful servants linger? Will they then desert their Lord? Shame to this long-favour'd nation, Shame and sorrow be her meed, If the ark of her salvation Be abandoned in its need. Brightly on the page of story Deeds of other days may shine, But the sun of Britain's glory Will 'mid scorn and woe decline. Can we perjured traitors prove? Such a quenchless love to cheer, With our martyred sires to guide us, Can we bow to sloth or fear? Hark! our sister island, weeping Calls to us across the wave"Christian brothers, are ye sleeping? I am wounded-come and save! Think, if ye refuse assistance, Who will pity or deplore, On the glorious battle field; tive Association formed in London, held its first meeting in Little James Street, Bedford Row, on Monday, March 9th. The Rev. A. S. Thelwall presided, and the meeting was addressed at considerable length by Mr. Callow, Mr. Dalton, Mr. Darragh, and Mr. Charles. The proceedings were highly interesting, and calculated, with the blessing of God, to produce a good effect. OPERATIVE ASSOCIATIONS-We are happy to know that there are Operative Protestant Associations either formed, or in course of formation, at the following places, we hope every town in England of any note will soon possess one-Liverpool, Sheffield, Norwich, York, Dublin, Finsbury, Tower Hamlets, Marylebone, Westminster, Spitalfields, Brierly, Ripon, Bradford, Manchester and Salford, Rotherham. Sheffield Operative Association-The first quarterly meeting of this Association was held March 5th, in the National School Room, when very able speeches were delivered by various operatives. One of them by an operative of the name of Bywater, was particularly good. Protestant Sermon. --The annual sermon on behalf of the Protestant Association, will be preached (D. v.) on Wednesday Evening, April 22nd, at St. Clement Dane's Church, in the Strand, by the Rev. EDWARD BICKERSTETH, Rector of Watton, Herts, and author of those admirable christian treatises on Prayer-Hearing and Reading the Word; and The Sacraments of Baptism and the Lord's Supper. Protestant Meeting.-The annual meeting of the Protestant Association is to be held (D. v.) in the Great Hall, Exeter Hall, on Wednesday, the 13th of May, and the Rev. R. J. MCGHEE, and the Rev. HUGH STOWELL, have promised to take part; it is probable the Rev. HUGH MCNEILE will also add his powerful aid upon the occasion. "If they speak not according to this word it is because there is no light in them."-Isaiah viii. 20. ADDRESS OF THE FINSBURY OPERA- VOL. I. struggling for the mastery amongst us.Popery, which in the days of Queen Mary shed freely the blood of operatives like ourselves, for no other crime than loving the Lord Jesus Christ, and boldly maintaining his truth, is daily gaining more and more power in our free and happy land-power which she would doubtless use again for the same murderous purposes. Popery, which murdered John Huss, after granting him a safe passport-Popery, which massacred, in cold blood, thousands of Protestants at Paris, on St. Bartholomew's-day, and struck a medal to commemorate the wholesale murder Office of the Finsbury Operative Protestant Association, 3, Princes-street, Finsbury. Brother Operatives,- We address you on matters of great moment-on matters deeply connected with our comfort and peace in this world, and our eternal happiness in the world to come. We address you on matters which concern not only ourselves, but our wives, our sisters, our parents, and our children. The interests of England are at stake--Popery, which slew thousands upon thouall we love and venerate is threatened; and, therefore, with all the solemnity of a high and Christian duty, we address you in the calm and sober words of truth, but in language fervent and earnest. We entreat of you a fair, candid and dispassionate hearing. We implore you to ponder deliberately what we say; and we beseech the Almighty Father of us all to bless, direct, and guide you to a right conclusion. May the Spirit of our God and Saviour rest mightily upon you; enable you to walk in His pure and holy light, and, with all the sacred energy of His gracious influences, nerve your heart and hand to the duty that lies before you. Popery, the dreadful curse of every nation in which she gains supreme power, is now sands of the innocent Waldenses-which put to torture and to death tens of thousands by means of the Inquisition-this very same Popery has set up her persecuting laws against us in these dominions, and only wants the power to put them into force-Popery, which fitted out the Spanish Armada, and freighted the vessels with rods of iron, thumbscrews, and other cruel instruments of torture with which to torment and destroy our forefathers-Popery, which in 1641 stirred up a great rebellion in Ireland in which many thousands of Protestants were barbarously murdered-is again plotting, scheming and organising her deadly plans of treason and sedition in Ireland. Popery, which tried by the notorious gunpowder plot, to blow up King, Lords, and Commons at a |