Page images
PDF
EPUB

Moreover, Roman Catholic priests have, contrary to the principles of the British constitution, been recently appointed, at public expense, to stations in the British colonies; while, both at home and abroad, patronage is now largely distributed among Papists and persons favourable to their interests.

In Ireland, the Protestant church,

as well as our Protestant brethren individually, have been and still are, exposed to grievous persecution principally arising from the partial dealings of the Irish executive, which have the tendency of perverting the most hallowed institutions of the land into a means of injustice and cruel oppression.

BRITISH AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY.
FRANCE.

THE following extract from the
letter of a clergyman in France,
will be read with interest by many :
Dec. 26, 1837.

'I am requested by the Committee of the Normal School, to write to you for a new grant of Bibles duodecimo, of Martin or Ostervald, and of New Testaments of Ostervald. The number of our pupils in both schools has so much increased, that we should feel exceedingly obliged to you if you would kindly consent to give us three dozen of Bibles and fifty New Testaments. Perhaps you will allow me to say, that is is, in fact, for your own countrymen that we beg; since we have more than thirty-six poor English children, whose parents reside in France, in our free schools.

[ocr errors]

Though I write in the name of the Committee of the Normal School, you will excuse my taking this opportunity of giving a little news of our Bible Society. Thanks be to our heavenly Father, that Bible Society now has thirteen Branches, spread throughout the whole Departments of Nord, Aisne, and Somme; some of which are doing, indeed, more than I expected, especially in the way of collections! Lately, I went through the whole of them, by order of the Committee; and was in some places much gratified to see their intelligent zeal but in other places, I was sorry to see that the march of the work was much weakened by men, who should, on the contrary, push it on. But the best will be, if God is our strength and help. As to the distribution of the Holy Scriptures, they have not done much yet; and the reason is, that we have had five Colporteurs for the last four months, who have done, in many quarters, that part of our work. We are now, with our dear friend

M. de Pressensé, thinking of placing one Colporteur under one of the local Committees of the Branch Association; which will, we hope, with our Lord's blessing, excite the zeal of the members of those Committees.

'Indeed, dear sir, the Lord does not leave us without manifold proofs that the Bible work is the work of his hand. I could tell you of many facts which would rejoice your heart; and in which the Lord has put aside all human agents, to work mighty things with the code of life. I will only give you an instance: In a village three miles from us, a pious mason, lately a Catholic, sold a Bible to an inkeeper (un aubergiste.) The man and his wife began to read the book; though the priest went into their house, to tell them they should not do so. 'However,'

said the woman, we will read it; for we have not seen any thing in that book which is bad or wicked.' They went on reading; and they were convinced that their selling on the Sunday, and receiving men to get drunk, as is the custom here, on that day of rest, was a bad thing. They met in our town the man who had sold them the Bible, and told him what had taken place in their views. He spoke with them, and engaged them to come on Sunday to my church. Meanwhile, a great struggle took place in their bosoms. They saw clearly, as they told me last Sunday, their duty; but they began to think of what would become of them, if they were to leave and shut their inn: and they were, too, made uneasy by the clamours of their neighbours, who used to say they would kill them if they were to turn Protestants. Now, these two dear people, instructed by the blessed Book, and the inward

teaching of the Spirit, began to pray. They were strengthened; and resolved to give up entirely their inn, seeing they could not retain it with a good conscience.

I have no doubt you will read with pleasure the following proof that the Lord is merciful towards his people:-A Roman Catholic was foreman in a manufactory, from whence he was dismissed because he would not consent to work on the Sunday. From that situation, which brought him in seventy pounds a year, he entered one as a plain workman in the same shop, where he earned only twenty-six pounds a year; but then be could work or not work on Sunday, as he chose. I have had a conversation with the master; who, so far from bringing any charge against the man, told me that he was quite satisfied with his conduct. Our friend suffered much in consequence, as his friends and wife are quite strong Catholics, and

MAHOMEDAN

THE following account of the Ceremonies used by Mahomedan Pilgrims appears in the Journal of Mr. Blanchard, Missionary to Abyssinia.

Nov. 14-This afternoon we reached Rabagh. I did not go into the town, because the captain told me that all the inhabitants were robbers. This is the place where the Mahomedan Pilgrims generally put on their cloths. The men of my vessel shaved their heads, washed themselves, and each put a white cloth round his loins, and one over his left shoulder: the other part of the body they leave uncovered, even their shaven head. In this humble clothing they remain, until they have finished their vow in Mecca; when they are considered as saints, and are called Hadjin. It is indeed very trying for these poor men to be exposed all day to the heat of the sun, with an uncovered head. But thus it is with the human heart: we are very prone to work out our salvation by exercises of penitence, which after all are of no avail,

were glad to have that occasion to vituperate him. However, he did not repent of that step, and felt that the peace of God is better than any thing. He had not been long a simple workman, when I received a letter from a friend of my family, who resides in the South of France, who wanted a foreman of the same kind of work known by F. He wrote to me to find him one, offering to give him eighty-four pounds a year, and rooms in his large manufactory. He desired to have a pious, active, and intelligent man, to fill up that situation. Of course, I thought directly of our friend F. who, as well as myself, saw therein a very kind interposition of the Lord: he accepted the proposition I made to him, and was received with a great deal of pleasure by Mr. H- Wonderful is the love of our heavenly Father toward His people!

ABYSSINIAN

MR. BLUMHARDT, after a residence of four months at Adowah, thus describes the critical state of this Mission:

PILGRIMS.

;

rather than to accept free grace with an humble and believing soul. If these poor pilgrims in the night lie down to rest, they are not allowed to lay their heads on the bed; but they must hold it with their hand, supported by their left arm. They have this evening made a great noise with their prayers. They seemed to be rather irrational beings, than men possessed of a rational soul. For hours they were sitting in a circle, nodding their heads like madmen, and bellowing like oxen, while one of them was continually giving the signal. They pitied me, because I was not a Believer, like them. The Mahomedans here are exceedingly bigoted: Christians they consider. as dogs, and swine; and it is only by a great work that this deluded people can be brought to the obedience of the Cross of Christ; for beside their considering their religion far superior to Christianity, it is also of such a nature, that it satisfies the carnal mind of men.

MISSION.

'Our situation, at present, seems to be rather critical. The Abyssinians begin to know what our objects are in coming among them;

156 SOCIETY FOR THE RELIEF OF POOR PIOUS CLERGYMEN.

viz. to convert them from superstition and idolatry, to the true God; which formerly they did not know so well. They are therefore constantly seeking to throw obstacles in our way; and if it were in their power, they would not for a moment suffer us to remain in their country. But it is chiefly the priests who stir up the people against us. They, of course, have to fear the most; because, if the minds of the people be enlightened, they are afraid of being detected as lying priests, who keep the people in ignorance and superstition; and who, instead of feeding their flocks with the pure food of the Word of God, lead them astray, by vain traditions of men, keeping of fast days, celebrating new moons, and observing holydays, in which alone their Christianity consists. These are always the points concerning which you have to contend with the Abyssinians, and which the priests hold forth to the people, in order to prove that we are no Christians at all, because we reject them, as contrary to Scripture. Some days back, a Deftera, an old man, was excommunicated from the church by the priests, because he had often paid a visit to us, and, when the Abyssinians spoke evil of us, would not suffer it. This excommunication, we trust, may prove a means, in the hand of God, to confirm him more and more in that chief doctrine of our Religion -that a man is not justified by his works, but by faith only; a mistake under which not only the Roman church, but all Eastern churches, and especially the Abyssinian, are labouring. How odious we are in the eyes of the priests may be seen by the crafty contrivances which they endeavour to bring forward against us, in order to get rid of us.

Soon after my arrival, Oobieh came to Adowah, and remained here some days. On the first day of his arrival the priests went to him with their accusations against us, in order to prevail upon him to drive us out of the country; which object, indeed, they have several times tried to effect. Oobieh, however, decided this time, as before, in our favour. The complaints which the priests bring forward, are, that we do not observe fast days, administer the sacraments in our house, and not in their churches, and consequently degrade them. Oobieb's answer was, that he suffered Mussulmans in his country, and other religious parties, and therefore he would suffer us too. The mouth of the priests was thus at that time stopped; but now they begin again to accuse us. Yesterday we heard that some priests of Demben had held a council concerning us; in consequence of which they wrote a Letter to the Governor of Adowah, desiring him to drive us out of the country. Another was held here yesterday, the decision of which we do not know, only that our old Deftera, who was excommunicated from the church, has been received again upon a protestation which he made. The Governor here, a wicked cunning man, who seeks to get advantage over us whenever he can, said, that it was not in his power to drive us out of the country; but advised that the priests should go to Oobieh with their Letter, to hear his decision upon it. Oobieh is at present in Semien; and even before we heard of this conspiracy against us, I had resolved to go to Semien, to pay our respects to him. My journey has therefore become more urgent; and is of greater consequence than at first we thought.

SOCIETY FOR THE RELIEF OF POOR PIOUS CLERGYMEN.

WE have just received the annual publication of this valuable institution. The following extracts from its correspondence may well excite the Christian to renewed and enlarged contributions to its support.

The name of the parish which I serve as an assistant Curate is The population at the last census was twelve thousand, but is now supposed to be fifteen thousand.

My total stated income arising from my Cure, including my services at the workhouse of the parish, is £70. a year. I pay rent and taxes for my residence, at the rate of £30. a year. I have no sources from which I derive income exclusive of the above. I have a wife and five children, and my wife is now near her confinement. I perform three full services every Sunday. I beg to

assure the Committee, that I have been very unwilling to lay before them any application, and have only prevailed on myself to do so from urgent necessity.'

The applicant has served his curacy nearly thirteen years. The stipend for the curacy is £90. a year. The surplice fees a few pounds. From his Mastership of the Hospital and Free Grammar School, £90. a year. He has a wife and ten children, six sons and four daughters. Six are dependent on him more or less for support. It is painful to me to renew my application to the society, but my trials have of late been very heavy. Notwithstanding our strict frugality and order, I find it quite impossible to settle some rather heavy Christmas bills. Yet I ought not to think my case hard, when I consider how much heavier and more trying are the burdens and afflictions of many of my clerical brethren, especially in Ireland. I am now in my sixtieth year, but thanks to God I am able to bear a great deal of labour. I usually work sixteen hours a day, including exercise in the open air and meals. Under my pressing difficulties, if your society can help me again without injury to those whose necessities are still greater, your kind aid will be most thankfully welcomed.'

I have had much to struggle with in the way both of straitened circumstances and family afflictions. It has pleased our heavenly Father to remove from me an affectionate wife, and from my children an excellent mother. Her death, consequent upon her confinement of her fifth child, was not long after fol

lowed by that of a dear child. In this double trial the Lord remembered me for good in providing me with a mother-in-law, who did what she could for me and mine. By her kind attentions, my family of four little daughters, (one a helpless infant,) was efficiently superintended. Within these few months past, however, the mysterious providence of my God has removed from us this most valuable prop. After a lingering and expensive illness, she too departed this transitory life, and has been received, I doubt not, into a happier world, through faith in the merits of our Blessed Redeemer. In addition to heavy medical and funeral expenses necessarily attendant upon the circumstances of these three beloved members of my family, thus successively removed by death from us, my domestic expenditure is now considerably enlarged by its having been incumbent upon me to engage a respectable person as housekeeper and superintendent of my little family of daughters. My recent removal to another curacy has likewise been a new source of expense. My total income from clerical services is £80. per annum. Exclusive of the above I possess fifty pounds per annum. The number of my children is four. Two full services on the Sabbath, with weekly cottage lectures now first instituted by myself.'

These are only selections from a considerable number of similar cases, all of which most clearly shew what privations many pious and valuable clergymen are pelled to suffer, and may well excite our sympathy and stimulate us to increasing contributions.

PERSECUTION AND MARTYRDOM IN MADAGASCAR.

AN interesting account has recently been published of the rigorous proceedings of the government of Madagascar against the native Christians in that country. This persecution has now continued above three years, and many of the Christian converts have been called to suffer imprisonment, slavery and confiscation, but as yet pot a single instance of apostacy has occurred.

An edict was issued in 1835, prohibiting all Christian instruction

com

and public worship in Madagascar ; but notwithstanding this edict, a few were in the habit of meeting together on the Sunday on a mountain at some distance from the Capital, for the purpose of reading the Scriptures, singing and prayer. These have lately been detected, and the circumstance led to further search. A box of Christian books found near the residence of Rafaravavy,a Christian woman, led to her apprehension and imprisonment; her house and

property were immediately given up to plunder; and she herself, after several days of suffering inflicted with a view of extorting from her a confession of the names of her companions, was sentenced to an ignominious death, by the hands of the common executioner. Fifteen others had been apprehended, and condemned to the utter and final loss of liberty, never to be redeemed by their friends; and with the further stipulation, that, if transferred to other masters, it should be on condition of being compelled to labour from morning to night, to the utmost limits of their strength. Their property has been also confiscated. Of those who were married, their wives and children, whether professing Christianity or not, have also been reduced to slavery, but with the mitigating circumstance of permission to be redeemed. The total number thus affected is said to amount to nearly one hundred.

Strong, however, as are the claims of these suffering survivors, if, indeed, they yet survive, the strongest interest seems to concentrate around the closing days of the honoured proto-martyr of Madagascar, Rafaravavy.

her before the Government by some of her slaves, of her having observed the sabbath, retained and read a copy of the Scriptures, and conversed with some of her companions on religious subjects. These were the crimes laid to her charge. She denied not, but confessed the truth of the accusation, and neither the grey hairs of a parent, a zealous idolator, could persuade, nor the frowning threats of the sovereign, could terrify her into an abandonment of her profession. In daily prospect of death, she then remarked to a beloved friend, to whom she was accustomed, amidst mutual tears, to pour out the feelings of her heart, that as to her life she felt indifferent; that if her blood were to be shed on the land, she trusted it might be the means of kindling such a feeling in Madagascar as should never be extinguished. 'Did not the Saviour forewarn us,' said she, 'that we should incur the hatred of all men for his sake? The Son of God has died in our stead, and that will shortly redeem us from all our sufferings. I know in whom I have believed; and though my blood be shed, the word of God must prosper in this country." She added, with great feeling, Pray for me, that if it be the Lord's will I should suffer now, that he would take my soul to himself; but that if I am spared, I may live more than ever to his glory.' Nothing grieved her, she remarked, so much as the spiritual state of those around her; and that the immediate prospect of martyrdom itself was less painful to her than seeing all her connexions living in wickedness.

From the time of her having professed her faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, which was about seven years ago, Rafaravavy gave the most satisfactory evidence of the power of the Gospel in its transforming influence, and in her whole deportment honourably exemplified the Christian character. Mild and open in. disposition, yet energetic and persevering in her efforts to do good, and endowed with highly-respectable natural abilities, she presented one of the happiest illustrations of the native character the missionaries had met with, and, under the influence of religion, one of the most satisfactory examples they could desire of success in their ministry; all who saw her beheld a heathen who had been brought from dark-taught a lesson not to trifle with the

ness to light, and was filled with the fruits of the Spirit. Her efforts in behalf of others, sustained by her own consistency of deportment, could not be, and were not, without effect.

In the summer of 1836, her faith and patience were put to a severe test. An accusation was laid against

The Queen did not, at that time think fit to inflict on her the punishment of death. A pecuniary fine was imposed, equivalent to half the amount of her estimated value if sold into slavery; and she was severely threatened and warned, that' though her life was spared, she should be

edict of the Queen.'

Scarcely could a more striking example of Christian forgiveness and meekness be found in all the records of the church, than she displayed on this trying occasion. While many of the members of her family, indignant with her accusers, as slaves who ill requited former

« EelmineJätka »