have become extinct; but extinct it will become. It is doomed of God! The Messiah hath, in his word, spirit, and example, "rebuked the nations,' and when they turn to him an obedient ear, they will hasten to "beat their swords into ploughshares and their spears into pruning-hooks; nation will no longer lift up sword against nation, neither will they learn war any more." By the voice of his inspired Prophet, he hath forewarned the world, that he will "burn the chariot in the fire, break the battle-bow, cut the spear in sunder, and make wars to cease to the ends of the earth." We cannot more meetly conclude our remarks in connection with the foregoing figures, than by citing Montgomery's Prologue to Falkland's Dream:

-The battles of patriots, with banner unfurl'd,

To guard a child's cradle against an arm'd world;

Of peasants that peopled their ancestors'

graves,

Lest their ancestors' homes should be peopled by slaves.

I served, too, in wars and campaigns of the mind;

My pen was the sword, which I drew for mankind;

--In war against tyranny throned in the West;

-Campaigns to enfranchise the negro oppress'd;

In war against war, on whatever pretence, For glory, dominion, revenge, or defence, While murder and perfidy, rapine and lust, Laid provinces desolate, cities in dust.

Yes, war against war was ever my pride; My youth and my manhood in waging it died.

And age, with its weakness, its wounds and its scars,

Still finds my free spirit unquench'd as the stars,

And he who would bend it to war must first bind

The waves of the ocean, the wings of the wind;

For I call it not war, o'erthrows,

which war's counsels

I call it not war which gives nations repose; 'Tis judgment brought down on themselves

by the proud,

Like lightning, by fools, from an innocent cloud.

I war against all war;-nor, till my pulse

REFORMATION PRINCIPLES IN

SCOTLAND.

THE people of the South have of late years been surprised at the progress of Popery in Scotland, once, by preeminence, the Land of the Reformation. The fact of its spread in that country is not to be denied. It is, nevertheless, in part explained by the overflowing of the Irish population into the West of Scotland, from which they find their way to the East, the South, and the North. There seems, indeed, every reason to believe that this matter of Irish immigration is conducted upon system; and not only so, but that regular provision is made for the seeding of Scotland with Irish families, who, in all the principal localities, are forming the nuclei of Popish congregations. The building of Papal edifices, of various magnitude and differing splendour, must not be taken for more than it is worth, or, at least, it must be viewed as its originators view it. These operations have respect to the future rather than to the present to a state of things not now extant, but of the advent of which no doubt whatever is entertained. Whenever a handful of individuals-fifty or a hundred, more or less connected with the Popish Church, are found in a locality, whatever the depth of their poverty, a priest is planted in the midst of them, a priest who constitutes the centre of their union, their teacher and their guide. Many of these men, at the outset, submit to no inconsiderable hardships for the sake of their church; but what with fees derived from confessions, births, deaths, marriages, and other matters connected with the Papal system, a small number of poor people will be found to raise a considerable sum for the maintenance of their spiritual overseer.

It must not be supposed, that because Popery is on the increase in Scotland, the Scottish people themselves have become enamoured of it, or that means are left unemployed to protect the rising generation, and the less enlightened portion of the peasantry against its pestiferous encroachments. Much, of late years, has been done in that country to diffuse the knowledge of sound Protestant principles, both in Glasgow and in Edinburgh. More has been done in that direction than in any other British cities.

VOL. XII.

The demonstration, during the present year, has been one of a commanding and assuring character. Amongst the principal agencies at work for the advancement of Protestantism is the Scottish Reformation Society, which recently held its Annual Meeting, when a Report was presented of a highly gratifying character. The statements made on the occasion reveal a spirit and a purpose of which we, in the South, were not generally aware; and which constitutes at once a reproach and an example to us. The speaking on the occasion was worthy the cause and the country. The Rev. James Bardsley addressed the assembly with great effect, and was followed by Principal Cunningham, in one of his best Protestant orations; the lion of the night, however, was the Rev. Canon Stowell, of Manchester, who poured himself out in a torrent of characteristic eloquence, breathing a spirit of charity and fraternity.

The Society's operations may be classified under the three heads of Information, Organization, and Action. For many years past, Rome has, in Scotland and elsewhere, chiefly flourished through the ignorance of Protestants, and their consequent apathy and inaction. They were ignorant of her real numbers, and she grossly exaggerated them-of her worst principles, and she boldly denied them-of her deadly designs, and she carefully concealed them. Hence the feeble resistance made to her progress by Protestants generally, the supine indifference of the great majority, the suicidal sympathy and conciliatory policy of not a few, and the complication of evils which all this has now brought upon the nation. The Scottish Society, in devising the best means of meeting these evils, has kept these their causes steadily in view, and has felt that its duty lay in endeavouring not only to resist Rome's continued aggressions, but to organize for this purpose, throughout the entire country, an extensive and well-trained defensive agency; and above all, and as the only effectual means of rightly attaining these objects, to adopt vigorous. measures for thoroughly instructing the community in the principles, doings, and designs of Rome.

Such have been the objects the Society has, in its past operations, kept steadily in view; and from their Report

K

we gather the following facts, as to the work of last year.

The special movement for rousing and organizing Scotland, begun in March, 1853, has been carried on with unabating vigour; and during the past year 53 different towns have been visited, and 74 public meetings held, and lectures delivered. Two travelling agents were also employed for a few months in visiting its Branches, and otherwise promoting its interests. The result of these various labours is, that the Society has now 69 Branches throughout the country, from Kirkwall to Dumfries, with several Female and Young Men's Auxiliaries; that the majority of these are in vigorous operation, and that some of them, as Elgin, Dunkeld, Blairgowrie, Falkirk, Leith, Edinburgh Female Auxiliary, Penicuik, Galashiels, Dunbar, Kelso, Melrose, Hamilton, Paisley, Helensburgh, Dunoon, Rothesay, Girvan, Ayr, Wigton, and Stranraer, exhibit signs of the most gratifying prosperity. A number of the Branches having been but lately formed, have not yet made any returns of progress; but from the returns furnished by 38, it appears that during the past year they have held in all 259 meetings of committees and 52 public meetings; have procured the delivery of 211 lectures on Popery in their various localities; have sent to Government and Parliament 74 memorials and petitions on different subjects; have, in a number of cases, actively corresponded with their Members of Parliament on the various Protestant questions of the day; and have procured the circulation of a mass of Anti-Papal publications.

While prosecuting the above-mentioned labours, the Society has, during the year, watched with unremitting assiduity the various movements of Popery, both at home and abroad, and has been diligently occupied with a number of important measures, calculated, through the Divine blessing, to defeat its designs, and materially advance the Protestant cause. Amongst these may be mentioned: a great conference of the Protestants of Scotland, convened in Edinburgh, through the instrumentality of the Society, and attended by 764 ministers and laymen, of whom 405 were representatives of public bodies; a deputation to a Protestant conference, held in London, and attended by delegates from the

leading Protestant societies of Britain; certain measures adopted with a view to secure religious liberty in Popish countries, such as a memorial to Espartero on liberty in Spain, etc.; various important steps, by correspondence and otherwise, to unite the Protestants of all nations in a great confederacy of lefence against Popery; several deI utations to London, charged with memorials to Government, etc.; and an address to the Protestant Societies throughout England on the importance of united and vigorous action against Popery.

Beside the manifold labours which such a variety of measures have entailed on the Society, it has been diligently prosecuting its great objects in several other ways. Since the last annual meeting it has sent petitions to Parliament, memorials to Government, and appeals to each of the members of both houses of the legislature, on the Nunnery question, and the late Government's measures for endowing Popish chaplains to the jails and to the army. It has also issued appeals on the same subjects to ministers of all Protestant denominations, to the various town councils of Scotland, and to the public generally. A course of lectures on Popery was, during last winter, delivered in Edinburgh, under its auspices, and re-delivered in Glasgow. Society has also during the year issued a variety of documents for the guidance of its Branches, etc.; and made considerable additions to its select library of reference, which now consists of about 300 volumes.

The

Such is a summary of the Society's proceedings for the year, from which it will appear that its labours have been varied and arduous. Not to speak of the work of getting up 74 public meetings, and lectures in various parts of the country, or the labours of those who conducted them, it may be stated that 39 meetings of Committees and Sub-Committees have been held by the Society during the year-that although the correspondence has been mainly conducted by one individual, 787 letters have been written, and 1342 received, many of them in answer to circulars, and 20,662 copies of various printed documents have been circulated-while not less than 7000 miles have been travelled by the Society's Secretary, agents, and deputations, in their journeys through different parts of the country.

From the foregoing summary it will be obvious that the Society's great aim has been throughout to inform, arouse, and organize the community, as the only effectual means of meeting at all points the aggressions of Rome. They avow their persuasion, that if our rulers have now for years pursued their pro-Popery policy in disregard of all our remonstrances, it has been owing mainly to our neglect of such measures as these; and that to continue appealing to them, without now also and chiefly making our appeals to the whole nation, were still but a fruitless task. Therefore are they convinced that the only true course for this and all the other Protestant Societies of Britain is now to direct their energies mainly to the educating and arousing the constituencies, well assured that this will of itself very soon tell upon their rulers-to labour, by the diligent use of the pulpit, the platform, and the press, to dissipate ignorance, correct misapprehension, banish indifference, and kindle a healthy zeal-and to cover the country with a well-constructed network of branches and auxiliaries. It is thus they hope, ere long, to collect and concentrate the diffused Protestant feeling of the community, combine and systematize its desultory action, give unity and object to its efforts, too often hitherto without concert or plan, and so to transform the scattered guerilla bands of undisciplined Protestantism into such a compact and well-trained army, as, through the Divine blessing, will effectually prostrate the power of Popery, alike in the Legislature and throughout the land.

The Society's funds exhibit the most gratifying signs of prosperity. Last year its expenses were chiefly defrayed out of the Special Fund raised to enable it to prosecute its great movement over the country-the ordinary subscriptions, donations, and collections, amounting to £368 10s. 6d. This year these ordinary sources of income have yielded in all £1,224 11s. 4d., and have been sufficient of themselves to meet its expenditure, which has amounted to £1,209 11s. 24d.; thus leaving wholly untouched the balance of the Special Fund which remained at the close of last year, amounting to £305 12s. 11d.

We do trust that the foregoing statement of facts will not be thrown away upon our readers in the South. The example is most praiseworthy, and in the highest degree deserving of imita

tion. In substance, this is the only method by which it is possible to resist the innovations of Popery, and ultimately to uproot it from the land.

DANGER OF DRAMATIC READ.
INGS.

WE have received from an intelligent correspondent the following, which it will minister to the public good to publish:

Wakefield, Feb. 5th, 1855. SIR,-It is an acknowledged fact that theatrical representations, in the provinces, at least, are at a miserable discount. It has lately struck me very forcibly that the numerous Shaksperian Readings in the country is a sly Jesuitical scheme to revive the interest of that bewitching amusement. We have lately had several Readings here of this description, numerously and respectably attended, and that, too, by numbers of persons who would not, on any account, be seen at a theatre. But I would ask, What is likely to be the effect of these gatherings for this purpose? Will they not inevitably have a tendency to give the young an inclination to see these plays represented, which their parents and pious acquaintance so unceremoniously take them to hear read? Whatever plausible distinction may be drawn between these Readings and the representations, can these Reading-rooms prove anything else, in the end, than the seed-beds from which to plant the now almost empty benches of the theatre ?

How often, and how truly, have we been told that drunkards are too often formed at the domestic hearth, from which, in due time, the tavern is filled! Is there no parallel between the two?-there appears to me a very striking one. The theatrical propensity of the nation is, in a great measure, dormant; if you see any danger of its being roused, I feel confident your powerful and wide-spread Magazines, etc., will be the first to sound an alarm. I am, Sir, your admiring reader,. J. H.

P.S.-After so much has been said in the pulpit, and other places, against theatricals, was surprised to find in my CHRISTIAN WITNESS, page 64, that the good Dr. Chalmers, during the last three years of his life, had, amongst other works, re-perused Shakspere. May not many say, What that venerable Christian reads, surely I may see represented? J. H.

We confess to a very strong sympathy with our intelligent correspondent. Whether these "Readings" be traceable to a Jesuitical origin, there may be reason to doubt; but that their tendency is such as he shrewdly suspects, there can be no doubt whatever. We are struck and pleased with what he says relative to the venerated Dr. Chalmers. We confess, we anticipated

some such objection, and were not without hesitation in giving it currency. We, nevertheless, determined that there should be no burking of the text, and therefore cited the facts as we found them in the Memoirs of the admirable man; but it did strike us that the entire perusal of the Works of Shakspere by a venerable Divine, a Christian philosopher, bordering on threescore years and ten, was scarcely in harmony with our notions of the employment meet for such a man at such a time. On a little reflection, however, we checked ourselves, remembering, that Dr. Chalmers was a man of real and high genius, and that Shakspere was another, although of a somewhat dif

ferent character; and that his Works are imbued with a superior wisdom, so that the perusal, very probably, might have been engaged in for the highest and most heavenly purposes. We remembered, too, the splendid example which Chalmers had set as a student of the Christian Scriptures, as contained in his "Sabbatic Readings," and "Daily Readings," posthumously published, of the Word of God, to say nothing of the unquestionable fact of his pure and lofty personal piety; and remembering these things, our hesitation was overcome. It is, however, possible that his example may be abused, and that what was safe in him may prove perilous to

others.

WE are not without solicitude about the reception with which this work may meet at the hands of the Christian public. It is possible, if not probable, that they may conceive of it as a deep, dark, difficult, and not very practical disquisition on things that lie beyond the ken of the common people. The title page, though strictly correct, presents terms calculated to repel rather than invite the general reader. We would, therefore, at the outset, enter a caveat against such conclusions. The work is, undoubtedly, one of a profound character; a number of the points discussed do not lie on the surface of popular knowledge; but still there is nothing in the book to excite despair of comprehending it; and still less to suggest the idea of its consisting of doubtful disputations with but a slender bearing on Christian life, character, or conduct. On the contrary, nothing is required but an average portion of knowledge, with close and earnest attention, to understand every line in this masterly publication, while it will be found eminently spiritual in its tone, and edifying in its tendency. Dr. Alliott, assuredly, must not be viewed as an idle dreamer, a mere German metaphysician: on the contrary, he is an admirable thinker, and a sound Christian philosopher, whose high attainments are applied to the

most exalted of objects, pointing out the connection between Psychology on the one hand, and Religion, Natural Theology, and Revelation on the other. In a manner the most impressive, he has shown the assistance which may be derived from Psychology in discussing important and controverted questions in relation to these high themes. He contends not, our readers may assure themselves, for a dead orthodoxy, but for the reception both into the intellect and the heart, "of that objective revelation which is the instrument of God for raising us up from spiritual death to a life of righteousness."

We could almost have wished that Dr. Alliott had seen his way clear to open with a lecture on Psychology, since it occupies a place of such importance in his work. Thus the first lecture would have proved a key to the book. He has, however, done what is tantamount to it, by appending a clear, concise, yet sufficient disquisition on Psychology. The reader's wisdom, therefore, will be to begin with a careful study of that dissertation; after which he may, with safety and success, proceed to the lectures themselves. If any difficulty shall be found it will be mainly in lectures second, third, and fourth; after this all is comparatively clear sailing. What the Author pro