To the Roman Catholic Clergy and Laity of the Archdiocese of Tuam. DEARLY beloved Brethren and Children in Jesus Christ,-To guard the sacred deposit of religion, and to promote the happiness of the flock committed to my care, are important duties imposed upon me, and the dearest objects of my pastoral solicitude. To these, my thoughts and labours are at all times directed. With this view, have I frequently visited the parishes of this extensive Archdiocese; exhorting every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus.-Col. i. 28. That I might be directed and strengthened to perform my duty to Christ, the supreme Pastor of Souls, and to you my beloved flock, I have implored the light and grace of Heaven by humble prayer, and I have sought the advice of my brethren, fellow-ministers in the Church of God, in whom I have found faithful co-operators in cultivating the vineyard of the Lord. I glorify God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, for the abundant consolations that I feel, when I consider your progressive improvement in virtue and morality, your firm adherence to the religion of your ancestors, your fidelity and loyalty to your King, and your attachment to the civil constitution of your country. people. It must be therefore with us an object of primary solicitude to confirm and nourish in our hearts the spirit of obedience to the laws of God and of his Church, which he has commanded us to hear." If thou wilt enter into life, (said our Divine Lord,) keep the Commandments, Matt. xix. 17. And of his Church he said, "He that heareth you heareth me, and he that despiseth you despiseth me, and despiseth him that sent me.' Luke x. 16. If then we are anxious for the unrestrained exercise of our Spiritual powers, it is not from a spirit of domination or self interest, but that we may be free to administer to our people the treasures and blessings of religion. We inculcate obedience to the laws of the Roman Catholic Church in spiritual matters, from the same high the laws of the State in civil matters. motive that we inculcate obedience to We, as Pastors of the Church, require respect and submission from you, on the same principle on which, as loyal subjects, we respect our King in temporals. "And Rom. xiii. For the same divine authority which commands, "that you be subject to the King as excelling, or to the Governors as sent by him," 1 Pet. ii. 13; that you pay tribute to whom tribute is due, custom to whom custom, fear to whom fear, honour to whom honour,' 7; also commands, that you obey your Prelates, and be subject to them," Heb. xiii. 17; and menaces, that he who hears not the Church shall be accounted as a Heathen and a Publican. Thus we act on one common principle of a conscientious obligation, "For so is the will of God." 1 Pet. ii. 16. I cannot conceal the consolation that I experience when I reflect on your temperate, peaceful, and consistent demeanour under trials and temptations. Drunkenness, so incompatible with your temporat and eternal welfare, is not now so prevalent amongst you. Morning and Evening prayer, that most essential duty Having said thus much concerning the of Christian piety, is universally enforc-principles of obedience and subordinaed, and very generally observed. The Sabbath is no longer profaned by servile work, or by vain unprofitable or criminal amusements. Perjury, into which the ignorant in many districts have been too successfully seduced by the machinations of wicked and interested men, is now, and I trust for ever, at an end. I rejoice to see that you have thus rendered yourselves worthy of the approbation of your Pastor, and that your virtuous, loyal, and peaceable conduct is conformable to your religious principles, and to the instructions you have received. The spiritual powers with which the ministers of your religion are invested, are held by them for the benefit of the flock. The faith, the discipline, the sa. craments of our church, are the sacred deposits we are to guard, and the treasures of the mysteries of God that we dispense for the sanctification of the tion, which are the firmest support of the Altar and the Throne, I deem it my duty to call the attention of each pastor to the moral and religious education of the youth committed to his care; and I will not hesitate to declare, that at no period of our existence did circumstances more unite to call forth our zeal and exertions in this particular than the present moment-a period when, under the semblance of a Christian education, every art and insinuation is resorted to, in order to make proselytes amongst the innocent and unsuspecting youth of our Communion. If the design of extirpating the Catholic Religion by violence and persecution has been in some degree abandoned; to it has succeeded one more likely to effect its purpose; because less apparent. Recourse is had to seduction and insinuation. An attempt is made to strip of its natural deformity and turpitude the crime of tampering | with the religious principles of the poor. The schools that are established, are embellished with a thousand specious names, but at the bottom the evil lies concealed. Proselytism is become the order of the day, and the enemies of our faith, like the serpent, creep and give death under flowers. What is the consequence? Why, unless we establish and support Schools for the Education of Distressed Children of our Persuasion, the triumph will be even tually complete, the mystery of Iniquity will have absorbed the mystery of Holiness, and what the cruelty of Tyrants could not have completed in this Island of Saints, will be speedily accomplished by softer means. In the mean time, until Catholic Schools can be established in each parish, the following Regulations are to be impressed on the minds of the people, and the observances of them strictly enforced by the Catholic Clergy 1st. As Pastors of the Roman Catholic Church, you must have viewed with indignation and disgust certain puerile and ignoble efforts that have been lately made to diminish our influence, and mar our interference, in the religious and moral education, and instruction of the youth of our Communion; and though we deprecate as sincerely as any other body of men, any attempt to excite dissensions, or to make odious distinctions on account of religion, and have contributed most effectually to preserve the peace of the country, yet it is a duty incumbent on us, and from which we will never shrink, to oppose, collectively and individually, every attempt, how ever insidious, or from whatever source it may emanate, to tamper with the religious principles of the faithful committed to our care. 2d.-Impressed with the sacredness and importance of the obligation incumbent on us, to be vigilant and attentive to the religious and moral education of the people, the attention of the Roman Catholic Clergy is to be particularly directed to the Schools established in their respective parishes, and they are to exercise their spiritual authority in its full extent, in order to prevent Roman Catholic children from frequenting Schools where the Catholic Catechism is not taught, where Protestant Tracts are introduced, or where the moral conduct, or religious principles of the master are exceptionable. 3d. Although the Catholic Church has never forbidden the reading of the Scriptures, yet the Bible cannot be al lowed as a proper initiatory book of instruction among the illiterate persons of your respective congregations. For in the Scripture there are many things hard to be understood, which the illiterate and unstable wrest to their own perdition. 2 Peter iii. 16. 4th. As the diffusion of knowledge, unaccompanied by Religious Instruction, cannot be encouraged by us, so neither can we countenance or encourage a system which would exclude us from the right to superintend the education of our people, a system, the abettors of which unblushingly declare they will oppose, should we directly or indirectly interfere in even the religious instruction of Catholic children; and as we deem such a system of exclusion tantamount to religi ous persecution, we protest against its injustice, and shall never submit to it. 5th. In conclusion then, my dear and beloved brethren, I am confident you will not encourage or countenance AntiCatholic Schools, or the distribution of Bibles among the very illiterate persons of your Communion. Rather procure for them a sufficient number of copies of the Catechism of the Four Archbishops, Kirwan's Irish Manuscript Catechism, the Catholic Christian Instructed, Reeve's History of the Bible.-From these abundant sources, Catholics will draw a purity of morals and doctrine, a confirmation of their Holy Faith, and the means of defending it in all meekness and modesty from the misrepresentation of malice and ignorance. You therefore, my brethren, knowing these things, beware, lest being led away by the error of the unwise, you fall from your steadfastness; but increase in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be glory now, and to the day of eternity, Amen. 2 Peter iii. 16. OLIVER KELLY, R. C. Committee consists indifferently of Protestants and Catholics. The Secretaries are Mr. W. Disney, and T. M'Donnell; and the Treasurers, the Messrs. La Touche." Church, is ordered to be printed for the lication of the Douay Testament. The purpose of circulation among the poor. It adds not a little to the pleasure we feel in communicating this fact-a pleasure in which all our readers, of whatever denomination, will, we are sure, bear a part, that the expense of a stereotype impression of 20,000 copies of the New Testament is borne by the Protestants, as well as by the Catholics of the empire. A Bible Society has been established in Dublin for this purpose, and we do not know that we ever felt a pleasure more deep and sincere than on finding, as we do by the Circular Letter now before us, that Protestant Peers and Gentlemen have taken a decided lead in this most salutary and charitable office; not that we think they would accomplish the object better than Catholics, but because it manifests an approximation between the two great religious classes in which Ireland is divided, and will by its operation tend ultimately to unite all ranks and orders of Irishmen in the bands of Christian love and brotherhood. "The introductory paragraph in the Circular Letter merits particular atten tion : "Whatever difference of opinion may prevail as to the indiscriminate circulation of the scriptures, there is one point upon which all denominations of Christians must be agreed, that it is desirable that the poor should be placed upon a footing with the rich, by having an edition of the scriptures at a price that will bring it within the attainment of those amongst them who may be desirous of reading them. Hitherto the poor Protestant has enjoyed this advantage, but as Roman Catholics entertain conscientious objections to the Protestant version, they are not in this respect on an equal footing and it appears, therefore, desirable to place within their reach a version to which they will entertain no such objection. To forward this object, a Meeting of Gentlemen of both persuasions was held.' "The Meeting was held at the Dublin Institution, on the 22d ult.-The Earl of Meath was in the Chair, and the Resolutions were moved and seconded respectively by Lord Lorton, Major Oliver, (Horse artillery,) Hon. J. Hewitt, Doctor Sadlier, the Fellow, Admiral Oliver, John D. La Touche, Mr. Disney, Rev. H. Moore, Mr. A. Guinness, Rev. J. Dunn, Mr. J. Scott, Rev. Mr. Singer, of the College, B. Guinness, Mr. Ferrier, Mr. Lyne, Rev. Mr. Evanson, Dr. Graves, Dean of Ardagh, Captain Gordon, R. N. These are all Protestants, and they have all subscribed for the pub Ir is a scriptural axiom, that "whatsoever maketh manifest is light." May we not indulge the hope, that teaching children to read the scriptures, and employing pious men to read and explain them, have been means which "God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness," has made use of to enlighten the minds of the native Irish, " to give them the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ." The prophecy is again fulfilling, "Upon those who sat in darkness and the shadow of death, light is sprung up." In vain will be the attempts of Bishops, or even Popes, to arrest the course of the Sun of Righteousness," who has arisen upon Connaught "with healing in his wings." The long deluded people begin to perceive the value of the holy scriptures; they have found the "Pearl of great Price," and they will not part with it in exchange for the trinkets and baubles with which the Church of Rome has long been trafficking in the "souls of men." Of this even the enemies of truth seem to be aware, as they can think of no plan to destroy the schools, and therefore propose Popish schools, for teaching "the Catechism of the four Archbishops," &c. "Some preached Christ of envy" in the primitive ages of the church, and the apostle rejoiced even in this "because Christ was preached." And if schools are established in Connaught from a similar principle, if the children are instructed in them, especially if the Douay version of the New Testament is used, we too will rejoice; even in the establishment of such schools. The zeal manifested by the Roman Hierarchy, will, it is hoped, operate as a powerful incentive upon Protestants, and while such success attends our feeble efforts, the Institution will not be suffered to languish for want of funds; which are again exhausted. Missionary Herald. BAPTIST MISSION. Foreign Intelligence. SERAMPORE. February 18, 1819. LET me persuade you, (as your mind is so much exercised respecting the unenlightened heathen,) to think still more seriously respecting these parts, where A COMMUNICATION from our every labourer is constantly repeating the Macedonian cry, "Come over and brethren at this station, dated in help us." Here is work sufficient to February last, contains the fol- consume the zeal of angels; for multi-, lowing account of a young bride tudes are willing to hear the gospel burnt with her betrothed hus-that the religion of Jesus will, ere long, and frequently express their conviction band. fill the whole world: they say that the world at present is divided, but that this SEVERAL months ago, in the vicinity religion is calculated to cement the human of Chandernagore, a female victim was race in one. Calcutta, and indeed the immolated on the funeral pile, under cir- whole of Bengal, to the feelings of a true cumstances peculiarly affecting. She was Missionary, whose heart is disposed more a young woman, who had been recently for work than success, must be viewed as betrothed to a young man of the same an important field of labour. His eyes town. Every thing was prepared for the may behold in the highways, hedges, celebration of the nuptials, which had markets, and at the river-side, human bebeen fixed for the next day; the relatives ings hurrying on to destruction in the of both parties had arrived from a dis- midst of awful darkness; and yet their tance to honour the marriage with their movements are not so speedy but that presence; and the circle of their friends they will wait with patience to listen to already enjoyed in anticipation the festi- the angel now flying in the midst of vities which the approaching day would heaven with the everlasting gospel, sayusher in. The preceding evening, how-ing, "Fear God, and give glory to him." ever, the bridegroom was taken ill of the Cholera Morbus, and in a few hours was a lifeless corpse. Information being conveyed of the melancholy event to the bride, she instantly declared her determination to ascend the funeral pile of her betrothed lord; a long debate was hereupon held between the relations of the bride and the priests respecting the legality of the act; the result of which was, that in such cases the shasters considering the bride as bound to her husband by the vow she had taken, permitted a voluntary immolation on the funeral pile. The next day, therefore, instead of the music and joy which had been anticipated, the bride was led to the banks of the Ganges, amid the silent grief of her friends and relatives, and burnt with the dead body of her intended husband. VOL. XII. But, farther, for your encouragement, consider those good men who entered this field at the commencement, and have continued now about twenty-five years. Had labour only been their portion, they would have abandoned the field of action. But God has granted them great success, much beyond their most sanguine expectations. Reflect on the churches planted by them in Calcutta, Serampore, Cutwa, Chittagong, Monghyr, Patna, Dinagepore, &c.the translations prepared for the various tribes of India, to send them" the wonderful works of God;" the vast number of the rising generation rescued from ignorance and stupidity, &c.-yet, notwithstanding so much has been done, there is no moral change in the bulk of the people. A breach only has been made, which will require a vigorous attack, by others press N ing forward to the battle, to assist to demolish the high places raised by Satau, that every successive generation may be enabled to gain a larger triumph than their fathers, until the kingdoms of this world shall become the kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ. All these are given to the Redeemer by covenant, and by the signs of the times let us hope it is not far distant; we wait only for a greater out-pouring of the Spirit, before we shall hear a shaking of the dry bones in this valley of death. Give my love to Mr. Ward, and say, that all at Serampore and Calcutta are well, and praying for his return for the good of the heathen. We are all, I hope, usefully employed; if not usefully, I can assure you we are happily employed. God grant we may be both. all their prejudices, and deprives them of all the hopes in which they have formerly trusted for salvation, as well as threatens the loss of all that is dear to them in this life, imperfectly acquainted (at least for the first few years,) with the language in which he has to address them, and therefore liable to render his meaning unintelligible, or perhaps even to excite some prejudice which might otherwise have lain dormant-labouring under these, and other disadvantages, his mind is oppressed by the responsibility of his charge, and his unfitness for the discharge of its duties. But when you place by his side one who has left all and followed Christ, who knows his own language, and is competent to assist him in understanding native idioms, and in expressing Christian ideas. in a native form, who is acquainted with all their prejudices, and can guard him against unnecessarily offending them, Extract of a Letter from Mr. Adam, to his hands are strengthened, his mouth is Dr. Ryland, dated Calcutta, March 22, 1819. I HAVE just removed to the new station at Doorgapore, where I expect to remain six months, during the whole of which, if I succeed in obtaining any native assistance, I shall be able very actively to employ myself in preaching the gospel to the natives in this populous neighbourhood, as during this time there will be nothing else to call my attention away from the grand object. Without native assistance, I shall not be able to do much, on account of my imperfect acquaintance with the language; and it appears to me, that the most qualified of the native preachers, if standing alone, will be found unable to give a faithful representation of divine truth in all its parts, or to defend it with judgment against opposers, amongst whom are to be found in this country men of great research, learning, and ingenuity. But however unable to stand alone, place him by the side of an European, and he becomes a most important auxiliary; his prudence, his courage, his knowledge, are increased; his voice is heard with tenfold effect; he gives full scope to his imagination in representing divine truth under those images and metaphors which are so common, and so much liked, in this country; and thus while he preaches the gospel to his countrymen, instructs his European companion in the mode of applying it with greater effect to their judgments and consciences. On the other hand, a solitary European is almost as helpless as a native in the same circumstances. A stranger in a strange country, surrounded by people of a strange tongue, having to propose to them a message which awakens opened, and he engages in his work with a delight which he cannot otherwise feel; since much of the pleasure a Missionary enjoys, arises from the assurance that he is communicating good news to those who need it; an assurance which he cannot enjoy, if he has any ground to suspect that he has failed to put his hearers in complete possession of his meaning. Such are almost precisely the circumstances in which I find myself placed, after the lapse of a twelvemonth from the time of my arrival in India. It has fallen upon me to commence Missionary operations at the Doorgapore station, which it is intended that each of those among us, who are not prevented by other engagements, shall occupy for six months in rotation. My knowledge of the language is naturally very imperfect, and if I stood alone, I could not expect to be so useful for two or three years to come, as I now hope to be with the native assistance I shall obtain; but surrounded, as I am, entirely by natives, I am placed in circumstances the most favourable for increasing my acquaintance with the language, and qualifying me more for Missionary duties. Before, however, commencing my work here systematically, a good deal of preparatory work in building must be attended to, which, on account of the extreme ignorance, perverseness, and laziness of the native workmen, requires much time to be spent in superintendence and direction. A bungalow has been already built for us to live in; a house for morning and evening worship, at the side of the road, is now building; and also a house for Panchon, our native assistant; to which will be added, in the same line, three others for the reception of those who come from |