THE CHILDREN'S MONTHLY MISSIONARY NEWSPAPER. VOL. II. "THY KINGDOM COME." JOHN RONGE, AND THE HOLY COAT OF TREVES. ANY of my young readers have seen in the shopwindows, a book bearing this title; and as they may be won dering what it is about, and as it is about something very interesting, and very important, and quite in keeping with the little paper, I think it well to tell them the story in simple easy language. John Ronge has been a Roman Catholic priest, living in a little town called Grotkau, of Upper Silisia, in Prussia, and has lately become very noted from the part he is taking to reform the Roman Catholics throughout the German States. He began his reformation only some months ago, but it is spreading on every hand, and proceeding with wonderful rapidity; so that many hope he may be enabled, ere long, to bring about a Reformation like that of Luther's, 300 years ago. The occasion of his first beginning the work was the following:-You have most likely often heard, that the Roman Catholics allow in many places the worship of what they call "relics," or remains of noted things about which we read in the Bible. Thus I have heard of their having a splinter of the ark, pieces of the cross, the nails by which Christ was bound to the cross, heads and arms of saints, and many other May 1845. No. 5. things of a similar description. It is most probable that these things are all impositions, and that they are nothing of the sort of what they pretend to be; however, they are shewn to the people, and, in some instances, large sums of money are presented by the foolish and ignorant worshippers, which are devoted to the use of the Catholic community. Amongst other precious relics, they say they have, is the coat of Christ, which you read of as being without seam, and over which the soldiers cast lots. They say this coat was brought from Palestine in the fourth century, by Helena, the mother of Constantine the Great, and deposited in the Cathedral at Treves, a city near the Rhine. Here it was concealed many years, and was first shewn to the people in the year 1196. It was again exhibited in 1514, when Pope Leo X. proclaimed a full forgiveness of all sin to every body that would go in a proper spirit to look at it, and give something towards the expense of shewing it. It was again shewn after this, but has been hidden for the past 34 years, and was brought out for exhibition once more in the month of August last. The Bishop of Treves published, a month before, his intention of shewing it, and proclaimed, like Leo X., a full forgiveness to all, so-called, pious pilgrims. It was declared, too, that this coat possessed sin gular virtue in working miracles, so that many wretched and diseased people were encouraged to go. The whole country round was put in motion, and no fewer than 1,200,000 people flocked to Treves. 34 JOHN RONGÉ, AND THE HOLY COAT OF TREVES, The ceremony of shewing the coat was performed in the Great Cathedral. It was placed in a gold frame on the altar, with a glass front, and every one on passing by was allowed a little time to stand and look at it. It is said that all business was stopped in the city for six weeks, and nothing but the religious ceremonies connected with the exhibition carried on. Many of the poor people sold their all to get money to go; and some, it is said, even committed crimes in order to raise the required funds. As they passed by the coat, they knelt and worshipped it, and cried out, 66 Holy coat, pray for us!""Holy coat, we pray to thee!" and such like impious things. When John Ronge heard of these foolish and wicked practices at Treves, he wrote a letter to the Bishop, calling on him to put a stop to such idolatry, and declaring that neither he nor any other man had any right to pardon sin. His letter was very bold and faithful, and was published in the newspapers. It was read by thousands of Catholics, and produced a great sensation. The Bishop was very angry, so were many others of the Catholic priests and bishops, and poor Ronge was accused before a religious court that proceeded to try him, though he was not present, and pronounce a condemnation on him. He refused to answer some questions they put to him, and they ordered him to go to a place called the Seminary, where he would be confined until their future pleasure. Many enemies rose to accuse him of different things, which they could not prove; but the townspeople of Grotkau, along with the Magistrates, sent certificates in his behalf, and declared him to be a most godly man. He All this, however, would not do, and poor Ronge was condemned. Accordingly, he left the church. His people rallied round him, and took him for their minister. Other priests were glad to see the stand he had taken, and encouraged him on, while many in different parts of the country have since joined his cause. has published a letter to the priests, calling on them, to come out and join against the Romanists; and he has also printed a declaration of his faith, in which he shews he is quite a Protestant, and thinks very much like us. Of course the Catholics are all very angry, and would ruin him if they could; but he is working on, and will, no doubt, be greatly blessed in the promotion of God's work. Let us all commend him to God. He is a good man and a noble-minded minister. Popery must come down, and here is one helping to pull it down. May God make him a second Luther! I may tell you, perhaps, more of him another day. GENEROSITY REWARDED. I HAVE lately received a letter contain- | ing a little story for you, and put it in, with many thanks to the kind friend who has sent it. My correspondent says: When I lived in Fulnec, about fifty-five years ago, a very poor man, with a wife and six or seven children, who had in the former part of his life been a soldier, but from some cause or other had got his discharge, and lived in that neighbourhood, came one Sunday morning to Fulnec Chapel, when it happened to be the half-yearly collection for missions, and when the sermon and address were of course appropriate. He was very attentive, and forcibly struck with the importance of the cause, and the necessity of every one giving according to his ability. He happened to have a crown-piece in his pocket, which was all the money he had in the world. He felt constrained to give GENEROSITY REWARDED. something, but he well knew he could not spare 5s. Had it been in separate shillings, he would soon have decided how much to give; but he could not think of giving it all, and going home to his family penniless; and yet he must give something. Thus his mind was agitated, whether to give or not to give his crown-piece. His heart misgave him when he thought of the wants of his family, and he finally resolved to keep the money in his pocket. However, when the service was ended, and the box was presented at the door, he felt compelled by an impulse to give, and down he dropt his crown-piece into the box and was proceeding homewards with a very heavy heart, for the thoughts of his family's wants rushed into his mind, and he felt afraid to go home. He soon, however, met the postman, who said to him, "James, I have a letter for you." He replied, "I am very sorry for that; I have no money, and cannot pay for it." "Never mind that," said the postman ; "I will trust you, for I know you are an honest man. He therefore took the letter home, and when he opened it he found inclosed a £5 35 note, from his old Captain, as a token of the respect which he still felt towards him!" The sight of this, melted both himself and his wife to tears of thankfulness to the Lord for having influenced his old friend the captain thus to remember him, and so wonderfully to relieve his mind respecting the crown-piece. I should be sorry if any of my young readers fancied that I wished them to think that they were always to expect God to pay them back with such large interest, for what they may do for him. Quite otherwise; it is our privilege, and we should always esteem it as such, to do all we can for him who has done so much for us, even though he should never seem to us to take notice of it. But I have copied you the story to let you see how God often comes in for the help and deliverance of those who do his will, under great and trying circumstances. It is not always right for us to wait till every thing is just as we wish it before we obey God; but it is always right to obey his directions, and leave results with him. He is sure then to help us out. THE MISSIONARY MAP. On the other side you have a Missionary map of as large a size as we could get into this paper. I have before described all the countries on it, and so do not do it again now, but hope you will read my descriptions in the two first Numbers of this paper for last year; or if you have not them, if you would buy my little book, called "The Heathen World," you would find all the information there. You can get it where you get this paper. You should keep the map beside you, and then you would always have it to refer to when I tell you of the different countries where the Missionaries labour. A few particulars are put upon the map, some of which you have had before, but they were needed here to make it quite complete. You must read these and the explanations very carefully, as they will help to give you a better idea of the condition of the world than you could get from almost any other source in the same room. I feel sure you will be pained as you look at the large patches of black and other shades, marking the portions where error reigns, and the small portions where the gospel is really known, "There remaineth yet very much land to be possessed," and a great deal to be done before the whole earth shall be covered with the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters of the sea. |