That Paul or Silas bent the knee
To any but the Deity.

'Tis hoary Time with darkling wings
That o'er the mind his poison flings;
'Tis Satan's wiles with wonted skill,
To subjugate the human will;
The dying soul with unction ply
To build her faith upon a lie,
And promise for a golden fee*
To set the hell-bound captive free!
Nay, start not,-for in language bold
The holy Truth must needs be told.
Long have ye kept th' impatient steed
Vilely on husky chaff to feed;

And now what marvel, if unbound,
He trampling spurns the trembling ground,
And vengeance, in his playful freaks,
Awhile upon his master wreaks ?
So, when a riv'let, clear and strong,
That wound the dewy meads along,
Back from its wonted wanderings pent,
Swells ere it finds the wished-for vent;
Then sudden bursts away, to gain
Its devious course along the plain;
And o'er the land as loud it soars,
A seeming desolation pours:
E'en so awhile thine altars fee!
The fury of this kindling zeal.

distinctive doctrines of the Romish Church are of comparatively modern date; and that they were unknown to the world in the best and purest ages. We are enabled to state the very year in which the worship of the Virgin Mary, transubstantiation, indulgences, &c. began!

*And promise for a golden fee.

It is very clear that the Romish is not the Church of the poor; for, with respect to purgatory (of which there is not a particle of evidence in Scripture), they tell us that the souls confined there can only be relieved by the prayers and alms of the living; and by the sacrifice of the mass, and principally by indulgences, which the Pope dispenses, sells, and applies to particular persons! So that a poor man must needs remain there, having nothing to pay with! A poor man evidently cannot be helped by a rich one, for we read, Ps. xlix. 7, "No man can deliver his brother, nor make agreement unto God for him; for it cost more to redeem their souls, so that he must let that alone for ever."

But soon its course the riv❜let finds
Its way with pristine beauty winds;
The meads a fresher verdure wear,
Unwonted crops the corn fields bear,
And all admire th' unmeasured good
Wrought by the wanderings of the flood."
He said, then silent paused to see
The issue of his laboured plea ;*
But soon the charge in taunting mood
His fair antagonist renewed.

"And would'st thou, reverend and wise,
By trope and figure thus disguise
The naked truth, and plead their cause
That bid defiance to the laws?

The sword, why need we longer bear
Of justice, if ye zealots dare,
(With rallying banners wafted high),
The laws of order to defy?

Oh! If thine embassage be peace,
From such unseemly warfare cease,
And instant, in thy Master's name,
A firm and holy peace proclaim."
"What peace," he cried, "when Jezebel,
The hapless votaries of hell,
With witcheries, satanic wiles,
And foul adulteries defiles?
'Twas cursed Jezebel's device
From Israel's glory to entice
His faithful worshippers of old,
By molten images of gold.

Foul Jezebel that faith must bet
That bids her votaries bend the knee,

*The issue of his laboured plea.

The writer is free to confess, that this indeed a "laboured plea," and that he is no more an advocate for measures of personal violence than he is for the desolating flood. The happiest results both in the natural and moral world, very frequently arise from causes over which we have little or no control. It is well that "partial evil" does frequently result in "universal good;" doubtless their damnation, or condemnation, is just, who purposely "do evil that good may come.'

Foul Jezebel that faith must be.

At the time these lines were written (about five years ago) it was scandalously and wickedly said that they who denounced

And homage pay to wood and stone
Due to the mighty God alone!
The vile invention of the foe,
The frivolous pretence we know—
Ye worship not !-the plea how weak!
Ye bow!
ye bow! and madly break*

The high behest that bids us bend
Only to God, the suppliant's Friend."

(To be continued.)

We are sorry that we have not room to publish the whole of this little poem at once in this number; we purpose, however, to remedy this inconvenience, by publishing the rest in our next.

MACAULAY'S HISTORY OF ENGLAND.

IN our last number we gave two extracts from Macaulay's History of England, which may be regarded as specimens of a work which assails Popery in one page, and Protestantism in the next. Nothing can be more important than the first extract, which pronounces Mr. Macaulay's judgment on the tenden

the Romish faith by the title of "Jezebel" intended (I burn with honest indignation whilst I write it), to abuse our excellent Queen! a fouler imputation was never cast upon any body of men! "Fear God and honour the King" (or Queen), is, I may say, their very watchword!-Look to Ireland and say, which of the provinces is the most distinguished for its loyalty? Is it not Protestant Ulster? Is not the Romanist's a divided allegiance? And is not the Romish population the acknowledged centre of disloyalty and disaffection? There may be honourable exceptions, but the rule is, and must necessarily, from the very nature of their faith, be invariable.

*Ye bow! ye bow! and madly break.

The Romish version of the commandment is, "Thou shall not adore them nor worship them!" But, how much safer is it to use the words in our version," thou shalt not bow down to them" is quite evident from the practices of the Romish Church, and the ridiculous distinction they pretend to make between the worship due to God, and the honour paid to saints, relics, and idols! Both douleia and latria are in the original expressly applied to God.

cies and influence of Romanism in every country over which it has exercised its supremacy.

It is delightful to hear a strenuous advocate of the endowment of the Church of Rome, expressing his deliberate conviction that the loveliest and most fertile provinces of Europe have under Popish rule been sunk in poverty, in political servitude, and in intellectual torpor, whilst Protestant countries, once proverbial for sterility and barbarism, have been turned by skill and industry into gardeus, and can boast of a long list of heroes, and statesmen, philosophers, and poets.

Lest however this verdict, which it was scarcely possible to conceal on the demoralising and degrading influence of Romanism, should be quoted by Protestants as an important expression of the views of one whose sympathies with Romanists are so well known, this pliant statesman turns round, as may be seen in our next extract, and after misrepresenting in eminently puritanic terms Hooper, Ridley, Jewel, Grindall, and seizing incidental circumstances, and elevating them to the rank of main characteristics, he appropriates the usual venom of the Church of Rome, and concentrates it on the character of the illustrious Cranmer. We gave the extracts as specimens of a work singularly popular, without expressing any opinion on the justice of the first extract, which is undeniable, or on the paltry and ill-natured misrepresentation contained in the second, which to every reader of the British Protestant, must have appeared too plain to be mistaken.

For an estimate of the spirit exhibited by Mr. Macaulay, and similar politicians, we beg to refer to "The promised Glory," by the Rev. E. Bickersteth, chap. iv. p. 38. where he writes thus: "Ingratitude to the Reformers is one painful sign of the present times, we see it not only amongst Tractarians, but among those who hate their principles, violent abuse of Cranmer has been heard from Liberals and Radicals, just as unreservedly as from Papists and Tractarians."

EXTRACT FROM THE JOURNAL OF MR. W

Protestant Reader at Nottingham.

I GENERALLY make it my duty in visiting, to go from house to house, in order that I may become acquainted with the spiritual wants of the people, and also that the light of truth may reach every person in the parish. This, too, is the plan of my beloved minister, who is desirous that the Bible, the religion of Protestants, should be in every house, and the truth which it contains, in every heart. Having called at one house amongst the number I intended to visit, I asked the woman who came to the doorWhat place of worship do you generally attend? To which she replied, the Catholic Church. Do you mean, said I, the Church in the distance, for I am a Catholic, and attend that Church? Oh! no, said she, I am a Roman Catholic. I said, there is a great difference between the two-at the same time entering the house and seating myself in a chair which was near the door. I then began to tell her that religion was either that which had truth in it, or it was a great deceit set up to deceive the people. But if we can believe there is truth in it, we ought to give heed to what it sets before us. Now the great standard by which we are able to judge in this matter is the Bible, that sets before us what true religion is, and teaches us the way in which we ought to walk. The Church of Rome, which is opposed to the Bible, teaches that in the communion of the Lord's Supper the bread and wine are changed after the words of consecration into the body and blood, &c. of Christ. Yes, it does, said she, and all things are possible with God. Yes, replied I, all things are, but God never requires us to believe that which is contrary to His word and to our senses. If you appeal to all your senses, they at once declare that it is not the body and blood of Christ. Now, said I, take a pin and prick the wafer, now blood will flow from it. You are, indeed, altogether deceiving yourself by believing that the Lord's body is present in that small piece of paste, and that not in one place only, but in ten