A RELIGION OF THE RIGHT SORT.

A DEAR friend of mine, now with the Lord, often used the above expression. And what did he mean by "A Religion of the Right Sort," think you, reader?

Why, he meant a Religion which the great God of heaven and earth, without the will or power of the creature, begins in the heart of a poor sinner dead in sin by His quickening Spirit, according to those wonderful words in John (5th chapter, 25th verse): "Verily, verily, I say unto you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God; and they that hear shall live." This good word begun by the Lord can never be frustrated by sin, Satan, or the world; but will be carried on to completion, as it is written: "Being confident of this very thing, that He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it, until the day of Jesus Christ."

"The work which His goodness began,

The arm of His strength will complete.
His promise is yea and amen;

And never was forfeited yet."

So that "A Religion of the Right Sort" is Eternal Life in the heart or soul. This the mere professor possesses not-desires not. "It is not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God" alone.

Nature dislikes, despises, and opposes this Religion. But where this Religion is indeed and in truth, the fruits and effects will be dying to sin and living unto God-dying to this world, and living to the world to come-dying to self, and living to Christ.

Now, reader, have you "A Religion of the Right Sort?" or do you truly desire from your heart to have such a Religion as is here imperfectly described? If you do, you are already blessed.

Gosport.

A. H.

THE Cross, with holiness, will bring the mortifying of the flesh-the shame of the world-and the reproach of men.

Correspondence.

A WORD IN SEASON.

To the Editor of the Gospel Magazine.

MY DEAR BROTHER,-In "The Family Portion" for May you tell us when you first took up your pen in connection with the GOSPEL MAGAZINE and OLD JONATHAN.

"The only wise God" fixed the time when you should take up the pen; yes, and He has also settled the time when you shall cease to use it.

You have not found the use of the pen a bitter trial, but a "sweet labour," because it has been "the Lord's work." This will account for the absence of what is vinegar-like in your useful writings, and also for the presence of what is honey-like in them.

I felt that part particularly where you say, "Oh, how good and gracious, loving and tender, has He been! And it is our grief, our sore sorrow, that we should ever, even for a moment, doubt His kindness, or call in question His wisdom; it is such poor returns for His mercy." True, very true. Doubt! how it puts a child of God about. It seems remarkable, that after all you have written in faith, of faith, and which has been in harmony with the analogy of faith, you should still be sometimes put about with doubt.

Your saying so has encouraged my often desponding soul, as it shows that other servants of the Lord are plagued with such things, as well as the poor shaking and quaking creature who writes these lines.

It seems, at times, as if I could give myself a good horse-whipping (for I should not like anyone else to do it), on account of doubting so much. Oh, how suitable has been to me the heart-cries of the poor man who said, with wet eyes, "Lord, I believe; help Thou mine unbelief."

Another thing struck me, namely, that although you had room in your hand for the pen, you had no room for stones. This shows that while you have in your hand a pen to use for the Lord, you have no stones in your hand to throw against man, however vile. How often it is otherwise with those who are not taught to use the pen by the Lord. The Lord alone can teach His children properly how to hold and use the pen.

Children often get rapped by their schoolmaster because they do not hold their pens rightly; but in the use of yours you have felt the smile and approbation of the Lord, making what you have thus written "sweet labour." What wisdom and grace are needed from the Lord in order to know how, where, and when to use the pen!

Its abuse causes much harm, it's right use much good; its abuse kindles fires, its right use extinguishes them; its abuse cuts and wounds, its right use binds up and heals; its abuse spreads disease, its right use health; its abuse causes trouble and pain, its right use gives ease and pleasure; its abuse vents forth a lava from the heart, a red-hot-heartburning mountain lava, which does more damage than that which has recently burst out from Mount Vesuvius, its right use sends forth a fortilizing stream- like a flowing brook-a refreshing shower--a gentle dew causing fruit, or like a deep river bearing upon its surface

commodities suitable for the sick and healthy, poor and rich, weak and strong, young and old, the living and dying.

That hand of yours which has used the pen so often will soon be stiff and cold in death-unusable; but the blessed words written by it—words of counsel, of wisdom, of knowledge, of instruction, of truth, of love, of God, will live for ever. Ah, my dear brother, it will soon be all over with us here below. The best-the very best-is to come. Here, you have had "sweet labour; " there, is "sweet rest." The good Lord still be with you at all times, and in all places, and make your last days your best days, "fat and flourishing."

Tetbury.

I remain, my dear Brother,

Yours in the love of Christ's glorious Gospel,.

Passing Events.-3 Monthly Note.

F. F.

THE American difficulty has been most happily settled. The arbitrators at Geneva declared the indirect claims to be inadmissible, and the American Government accepted this decision, consequently all occasion for a quarrel is removed. We have reason to be truly grateful to Almighty God for this happy result.

The movement of the "Old Catholics " on the Continent seems to be prospering. Father Hyacinthe has left Rome for Paris, but, before leaving Rome, he established a Committee of the "Old Catholics" there. of which he is president. The programme of this Committee has been published; it states:- "The Committee established in Rome for the defence of the Catholic faith against the innovations of these latter times, and for the promotion of a disciplinary and moral reform in the Church, feels the necessity of proclaiming that it is on the divine foundation of Jesus Christ that it intends to erect its work. Any attempt at religious reform inspired by another spirit is, in its eyes, struck with impotence; it confesses Christ to be the Son of the living God, the sole Redeemer of souls and nations, and it is from Him that it expects the regeneration of which the world has need. Firmly attached to the faith established in the Church by Christ and His Apostles, we accept, with the Holy Scriptures, all the traditions of Divine origin and all legitimate decrees of the Catholic Church. But we absolutely reject the human traditions which have become mingled with the results of revelation, as well as the abuses of authority by which it has been sought to maintain and impose them. We particularly reject the Council of the Vatican as deficient in liberty and ecumenicity, and the dogmas it promulgated as being the consecration of all the errors and abuses previously introduced into Catholicism." Surely these are decided stages towards Protestantism! The Committee (writes the Correspondent of the Times) is numerously composed, and is understood to comprise names which it is not at present deemed desirable to publish. "The ramifications seem to be becoming extensive, in America as well as in Europe. At Palermo, according to the report brought by M. Caprera, who has been for some time in that city, editing a paper called Patria e Vangelo, 11,000 persons inscribed themselves as Old Catholics when the Census was taken there in December last. There seems much earnestness and enthusiasm among the supporters of the movement,

and they declare themselves highly satisfied with the progress making. Organization advances, and the day is impatiently awaited when the arrival of a crisis which cannot now be very long deferred shall afford the opportunity of a vigorous step in advance."

The "Old Catholics" have also been engaged in a singular trial in Austria respecting auricular confession. The circumstances appear to have been these:-At the great meeting held at Munich, in September, a programme was drawn up denouncing auricular confession, as being an evil which crept into the Roman Catholic Church many centuries after its establishment. On the 2nd of January last, there appeared an article in the Vorstadt Zeitung, of Vienna,-the recognized organ of the "Old Catholics" of Austria,-headed "Auricular Confession." The writer of this article was Alois Antoin, formerly a Roman Catholic priest in a village near Linz. For publishing this article the paper was confiscated, and the responsible editor, as well as Alois Antoin, the writer of the article, were indicted for publishing and writing an article which contained statements derogatory to the Roman Catholic religion, this being in contravention of the criminal law. When the trial came off, and the Chief Judge or President having read over the charge, asked Alois Antoin what he had to say, the defendant replied:-" My article contained no attacks on any Roman Catholic doctrine or dogmas; it treated of confession, and confession is not a dogma-that is, not auricular confession." The doctrine of confession runs thus:-"Without the acknowledgment of sin there can be no forgiveness of sin." Many centuries passed without there being a single example of auricular confession. Auricular confession is an abuse of the practice of confession. This is proved by the bulls of the Popes Paul IV., Pius IV., and Gregory XIV. Neither the Holy Scriptures nor the true Catholic Church acknowledge this form of Confession. St. Paul says: "The sinner examines himself;" had he referred to auricular confession he would have said: "The sinner lets himself be examined." The Jury, without retiring, pronounced both the aceused "Not Guilty," amidst great acclamation.

In the Pall Mall "Notes from Rome" we read that there is a work of Count Montalembert in the possession of Father Hyacinthe, entitled, "Spain and the Revolution." It is a lengthened attack on the Court of Rome and the Inquisition. The Countess Montalembert threatens Father Hyacinthe with a lawsuit if he publishes the work, but as the publication is authorized by a letter of the deceased, she will certainly be defeated. The work will first appear in the organ of the Old Catholics at Romethe Esperance.

A great debate has taken place in the German Parliament respecting the Jesuits. It occupied two days, and will probably be remembered as a period in Continental history. The debate arose from several hundred petitions being sent up to Parliament, some advocating the expulsion of the Jesuits from the country; some, and these the majority, interceding in behalf of that pious and persecuted Order. Several remarkable speeches were made, and some strong things said against the Jesuits: e.g., Herr Fischer, a Roman Catholic, and burgomaster of the Bavarian town of Augsburg, said:"Though the Catholic Church is not yet wholly identified with the Order of the Jesuits, considerable progress has been made towards merging it in that particular society for the acquisition of worldly goods. Indeed, I am afraid that the time is coming when the reproaches which are now being hurled against the Jesuits will

be extended to the whole body of the Church. The power of the Order has of late been constantly on the increase. The first experiment they tried was to proclaim the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary. While that was being settled I ventured to ask a well-known dignitary of the Church whether, in his opinion, it would answer to startle the 19th century by such a dogma. His reply was, 'Why not let the poor old maids of Cardinals do as they like?' Gentlemen of the Ultramontane centre, I was perfectly prepared for your cry, as I foresaw you would not relish my little story. It has, however, the merit of being true. This dogma having been started as a ballon d'essai, the others followed in due sequence, the men-servants of the Pope, as the Cardinals have been recently called by a stout Ultramontane, vieing with each other who should be the first to vote for the novel conceits of their master. Regarding the Jesuits, it must be avowed that their reputation has never been high in civilized countries. What they have lately been to Germany may be gathered from the dictum of Ludwig I. of Bavaria-a monarch whose sincere devotion to the Catholic Church has never been questioned. That King, who died only a few years ago, called the Jesuits the most selfish Prætorians, displaying all the foibles of Prætorianism in the very worst sense of the word.""" The result of the debate was that the following resolution was adopted ::- "The German Imperial Parliament refers to the Chancellor of the German Empire the enclosed petitions praying for, and protesting against, the expulsion of Jesuits. The German Imperial Parliament requests the Chancellor of the German Empire to take measures-firstly, that peace and concord between the various Churches and denominations be preserved in the Empire, that the members of the various Churches and denominations enjoy an equality of rights, and that the subject be protected against undue arrogance and coercion on the part of the clergy: and, secondly, that a Bill be introduced, which shall regulate the position of all religious Orders, congregations, and societies, decide whether they shall be admitted, and on what terms, and enact adequate penalties should they imperil public order and safety, special regard being had in all this to the action of the Order of the Jesuits." In accordance with this vote of the Imperial Parliament, the Chancellor brought in a Bill, which has since become law, abolishing all Jesuit convents and other similar establishments, and practically conferring on the Government the power to expel every Jesuit from the country.

An important Synod has been held in Paris-that of the French Protestant Church. There have been but three Synods held in France since the foundation of the Protestant Church. The first was in the time of . Charles IX. The second that of Loudun, which came off shortly before the revolution of the Edict of Nantes. The third is the one just held in the Temple of the Saint Esprit. This Synod is composed of two distinct parties; one, the orthodox party, numbering about fifty-five members; the other, a kind of Broad Church party, numbering somewhat less. The former party is headed by M. Guizot; it regards all the Reformed Churches of Europe in the light of sisters, and proclaims with them the sovereign authority of the Holy Scriptures in matters of religious faith and salvation. The unorthodox minority, on the contrary, appear to open its ranks to persons of almost every form of belief which can lay the slightest claim to the name of Protestant. It is said that in a worldly point of view the Protestant Church of France prospers mightily. banking business of the country is well-nigh monopolized by Jews and

The