strengthen thee! The Holy Ghost comfort thee! He would have spoken, but when he attempted to address his sorrowing flock, he was struck by the yeoman of the guard. Finding all his efforts to speak were in vain, he knelt down to pray. On rising he kissed the stake to which he was bound. The fagots were heaped around him by the creatures of the sheriff, one of whom, named Warwick, unmoved by the meekness of Christ's suffering servant, cast a fagot at his head, by which it was severely lacerated. To this needless cruelty Taylor replied, 'O, friend, I have harm enough; what needed that?' As he was repeating the 51st psalm, Sir John Skelton brutally struck him upon the mouth, saying, 'Speak Latin, you knave.' The fire was kindled. On the flames reaching his body, he held up his hands and cried, "Merciful Father of heaven, for Jesus Christ my Saviour's sake, receive my soul into thy hands.' Then silent and unmoved he remained, while the fire circled and consumed him. In his mortal agony no murmur escaped his lips. He was not forsaken. The prince of sufferers stood by him in that hour. And when the halberd of a bystander smote him on the head, and his body dropped down into the raging flames, his spirit rose triumphant beyond the reach of earthly malice, to occupy the place prepared for him by his master, where suffering is not, and tears are dried away."

Thus perished one of the foremost of the noble army of martyrs, by whose blood our country has been rendered sacred, and by whose memory we are exhorted to "cleave to the Lord Jesus with full purpose of heart." In his death Romanism thought it gained a victory, but it rendered its own defeat only the more sure. In consigning the bodies of the followers of the Redeemer to the flames, and in scattering their ashes to the four winds, the priesthood imagined that the influence of the gospel would be destroyed; it was deepened! They sought to entomb the memory of the martyrs in shame and ignominy; but instead, they embalmed it in a million hearts, and held it up for the admiration of mankind! Truly, "the devices of the wicked come to nought," while the doings of the righteous shall be had in everlasting remembrance!

REFLECTIONS.

I. Here let us pause, and reflect for a moment upon the instruction suggested by the scene we have endeavoured to depict. Turn from the contemplation of the agony of the martyr to the sadder spectacle of THE FALLEN CHURCH by which he was consigned to the flames. A church once a witness and confessor of the truth, a company of "faithful brethren," but now so deeply sunk in apostacy, and so hardened and blinded by guilt, as to proscribe the Word of Life, and to revel in the sorrows and sufferings of the children of God. What it was, the Epistle to the Romans will tell us. What it might have been, had it continued in the faith, it is easy to imagine. What it has been, for nearly sixteen centuries, and is, to this hour, may be learnt from the nations which its rule has desolated -from the dungeons of the Inquisition and the flames of the auto-da-fé-from the bloody

In

horrors of its creation in the valleys of Piedmont and Savoy-from the fires of Smithfield and Aldham Common-from the massacre of St. Bartholomew and the Revocation of the Edict of Nantes-from the prison of the Madiaii and the erection of the guillotine for the punishment of Protestants by the Grand Duke of Florence-from the exile of Count Guicciardini and the laws of Italy and Spain and Austria, in relation to the Word of God and liberty of conscience-from the annual anathema pronounced by the "Holy Father," Pius IX, against the Bible Societies and their friends, and the last utterances of ultramontanism in England and elsewhere. The temper of the age, and the tendencies of modern society may deprive the Church of Rome of the means of accomplishing its designs, BUT ITS SPIRIT HAS UNDERGONE NO CHANGE. It has bated not a jot of its pretensions. It cherishes with affectionate regard the memories of the past, when it could absolve subjects from their allegiance, depose kings, and quench heresy in blood! affirming this we violate no law of charity. Were we to refrain from saying it, we should keep back the truth. It has been the fashion lately to speak of the Roman Catholic Church in language of psuedo liberalism, as if by honied words and gentle phraseology we could exorcise the fell spirit by which she is possessed. Now we have no sympathy with intolerance; and in dealing with this gigantic system of tremendous error, we would rely alone on the word of God, and the life which that word gives birth to and perpetuates. Yet we should deem ourselves betrayers of the truth and opponents of the cause of God and of humanity, if we failed, whenever an opportunity was afforded, to deepen the convictions of our countrymen respecting the genius and tendency of Romanism, and to hold it up before their eyes as a convicted mutilator of God's word-a ruthless destroyer of His servants, and a conspirator against the civil and religious liberties of the human race. When the Roman Catholic Church has repented of her crimes, and ceased to walk in the light of the canons of the Council of Trent, we shall speak differently, but not till then. As Christians and Nonconformists we cannot, and we do not wish, to invoke the Legislature to limit, or in any wise restrain, the utterance or diffusion of their religious principles by Roman Catholics. We maintain the right of all men to freedom of thought, faith, and speech. But we must not be the less vigilant in watching the adherents of the papacy that they do not possess themselves, by insidious intrigue or open assault, of political power. We must bear in mind that the enemy we have to cope with is unscrupulous and determined,-that with the Roman Church the end sanctifies the means, and that power once attained-the forces of the State once grasped-the issue would not be doubtful. And if the coffers of the State now supply funds for the sustentation of Romanism in Malta or Maynooth, it behoves us to use every means that justice will approve to prevent this malappropriation of the public money. It may be asked, "Are we to act merely on the defensive? are we not committed to war against Popery until it ceases from the earth?" Undoubtedly, be

cause we are committed by our profession to exhibit in our practice, and to diffuse universally, the principles of scriptural Christianity. And by this means alone can we hope to be successful in the contest. Let but the Protestants of England remember that only in the degree that their protest against Romanism is the result of a living faith in the Redeemer, and a deep and tender compassion for the souls of men, are they likely to behold the triumph of the truth, or be saved from the misery of imbibing, and the guilt of manifesting the intolerance, bigotry, and cruelty of the system they oppose. "The wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God." The danger is not imaginary, but real. The history of religious liberty in England teems with proofs that mere Protestantism, so far from being a barrier against persecution and the violation of the rights of conscience, has ofttimes openly trampled upon those rights, and rivalled Romanism itself in the atrocities it perpetrated upon our Puritan fathers. Let not then "the weapons of our warfare be carnal;" but let us seek in doing our Master's work to be filled with our Master's spirit.

II. The scene on Aldham Common not only displayed the degradation and malignity of a fallen church, but the fortitude of faith. Taylor was no blind enthusiast or ignorant fanatic. He was, as we have seen, a man of varied learning and wide research. Of all the questions at issue he had taken a full and calm survey. During his long confinement, and his repeated interviews with the members of the council, he reviewed his conclusions. They bore every test. They could not be gainsaid. He believed their truth; he felt their importance. A word would have unbound him from the stake. But that word could be uttered only by suppressing his convictions and denying his Lord, therefore it was unsaid. He could die but he could not recant. But does not nature shrink back from suffering? and is it nothing to leave wife and children uncared for at such a time? Does faith in God deprive the flames of their power, or cause the body to be insensible to the smarting anguish, or indurate the tender. est affections of our nature? Oh, no! is not insensible to the biting torture of the flames, nor to the bitterness of separation from those he loved. Still he is calm. faith sustains his spirit. His wife and chil. dren he commits to the husband of the widow and the father of the fatherless; his people to the shepherd of Israel; his own soul to

He

His

the hands of Him in whom he trusted. Compare this heroism with that which receives the thanks of senates and the applause of nations, and how glorious and illustrious does it appear! How sublime is the fortitude of faith, which can tranquilly overcome the rage of enemies and the instincts of nature, and, for the time, suppress the groanings of affection, through the assured hope with which the Gospel of Christ inspires the soul that receives it!

Now, brethren, is not the death of the martyr suggestive of momentous truths to us? We are not called to "testify to the grace of God" by shedding our blood, but are we not nevertheless called to daily bear witness, by our private and public life, to the saving and sanctifying grace of faith in the Lord Jesus? If we do not, who is it that will or can prove the reality of the dwelling of the Spirit with man, as the proof of our Lord's resurrection, and the "earnest" of future glory? Can we "salt" the earth without the faith that realizes the unseen and eternal? Without it can we hope to lead the bewildered and darkened world into the light? Are we to depend upon the orthodoxy of our creed, or are we to establish its truth by embodying our profession in our practice, and thus living "holily, righteously, and godly, in this present evil world?" Surely the latter, if we are to be followers of those who inherit the promises, and expect to hear the welcome and "well-done" from the lips of Him who gave himself for us. That we may thus live the "life of faith," we must take more frequent counsel with the Divine word, and open our hearts more fully to the influence of the Divine Spirit. If we are to be useful, we must be holy. If we are to successfully contend against evil, within and without, we must be holy. If we are desirous of being sustained amidst trial and consoled in sorrow, we must be holy. And in the solemn hour of death, when earthly ties are dissolving, and our character is about to take the stamp of perpetuity -if we are to be peaceful then, and not horror-stricken, we must be holy; for without holiness no man shall see the Lord. Blessed are the living who thus live, and the dying who thus die! The world may despise, destroy, forget them. But there a record where their deeds are registered. From its imperishable page their names shall never pass away; for the "righteous shall be in everlasting remembrance."

SIR,-In my communication on "Popery in Haverfordwest," which appeared in your valuable work for February last, mention is made of this

once active and useful man, who was a

member of the church under my care, when I removed to Rugely, in 1839. Some years previously he lived at Milford, when, as secretary to the Pembrokeshire and Haverfordwest Sunday

school Union, I used to receive reports from him of the Wesleyan school at Haking, and of other schools which he visited on behalf of the Institution. Our Committee esteemed him for his zeal in the cause of voluntary education, and readily attended to his recommendations, as a person of intelligence and piety, in whom they could safely confide. A lady, who had left him some property, having died at Haverfordwest, occasioned his removing to that town, where he began to attend my ministry. Our people then received him as one of their members, when he assisted one of our deacons in some of the duties of his office, and rendered himself useful in every possible way. He was one who accompanied me to the steam-packet by which I left the town, when we parted in the most affectionate manner, and corresponded by letter for some time afterwards.

Our new chapel was then being built; and when it was opened for worship, and my successor ordained, Mr. C- proposed some plans in reference to the management of its temporal affairs; which, not being adopted, he quietly withdrew, and attended at St. Mary's Church. In one of his letters he informed me that he had been reading a controversial work, in favour of the Romish communion; and as I feared that it had produced a mischievous effect on his mind, I endeavoured to put my friend upon his guard against a crafty and seducing writer, as the author was acknowledged to be. But, to my inexpressible grief, I received an answer, of which the following is the substance :-"Looking over my letters, I find that your last favour is dated, November, 1843, a long epistle on religion. I have great pleasure in informing you that, at length, after having been tossed about, for so many years, by every wind of doctrine, I have embraced the Roman Catholic religion, being convinced that, after all, it alone is the true one. My mind is now at ease; my search after truth has settled me in the ancient, unchangeable faith. I hope, for the few remaining days of my life, by God's grace, to prepare for that moment which cannot be far distant, when I shall leave this world of turmoil (in which even religion occasions strife), and enter where all is peace and love. Think not, my much esteemed friend,

that I have neglected to search in that holy book, which I am now taught to revere more than ever. Truth cannot be split into discordant atoms, repulsing each other; nor is it of to-day, or yesterday; nor does it require to be retouched by man. It was not given to suit one age, but to suit all ages. Nothing surprises me so much as that I should have been so long in the darkness of error, seeing that true religion contains in itself the most powerful arguments to expose that error. The more I have searched, the more I have been confirmed in the truth; and I am happy to find that men of learning, and talent, and probity have, within these few years, taken the same step that I have done, in spite of worldly interest. Now I am no longer searching for the truth, having found it; and hope that you and your esteemed wife may have the same happiness."

Now, in what my lamented friend wrote, and which I have considerably abridged, I thought I discovered the hand of the priest. I suspect, indeed, that he corrected and enlarged, in the hope of making other converts, what my friend merely copied and signed. But, as to myself, it was impossible for me to follow the "men of learning and probity," to whom my friend alluded. I have long considered the whole Romish priesthood, from the highest to the lowest, as living in rebellion against the law of Christ. Our Lord said to his disciples, "The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; but ye shall not be so. He that is greatest among you, let him be as the younger; and he that is chief among you, as he that doth serve," Luke xxii. 25, 26. "Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them. But it shall not be so among you; but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister; and whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant; even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many," Matt. xx. 25-28. The same law of Christ is given also in Mark x. 42-45. But the pope is avowedly a temporal prince, and exercises lordship over his brethren, claiming absolute submission to his assumed authority over the whole

Christian world! He would gladly exercise that dominion which he pretends to have over all temporal sovereigns, as if he were "king of kings, and lord of lords;" while his clergy would deprive the whole people of all civil and religious liberty, setting at nought the rights of conscience and private judgment! Even the meanest parish priest in Ireland hesitates not to call those who reside in the parish his subjects, as I have been assured by one who lived a long time in that country! To me it seems utterly incredible that the religion of such men can be, "after all, the true one." The Rev. H. I. Roper, of Bristol, who sojourned in the capital of Italy during the spring of 1851, and delivered an able lecture on "Romanism in Rome," speaking of the priests who literally swarmed there, says, "Numbers of them are clearly too ignorant or indolent to heed aught save the gains of their traffic; but others of them are plainly too quick of sight not to perceive the hollowness and imposition of many of their doings. They are behind the scenes, and know all about the fraudulent gettings up of that sad pantomime to which they have reduced the service of the Lord. They go about their functions so as to make patent to you the fact that the quick and inner life of even a mistaken faith is rarely in them. They take part in ceremonies so absurd, so outraging common sense (as, for instance, the worship of the Bambino,-a doll, just a gaudily dressed wooden doll,-suffused, as they pretend, with all kinds of miraculous virtues), as to shut you up to the conclusion that they are either dolts or deceivers," page 8.

If my esteemed friend did seriously examine the points controverted between Protestants and Romanists, I fear that he was a stranger to such works as Claude's "Historical Defence of the Reformation," and the valuable "History of the Reformation," by D'Aubigné. And as to that "holy book," which he professed to have searched, I suppose that he had quite forgotten that his Bible would have been taken from him, except in England, by his Romish teachers, who would have thought it dangerous for him to "revere it more than ever," or even to read it for his edification. He must have also forgotten that many have been imprisoned for perusing the

word of God, as were the good people recently incarcerated in Tuscany. Mr. C-, moreover, seems to have been equally unmindful of such acts of tyranny and cruelty as the "History of England" records, and attributes to Romish priests, or he would not have supposed that they were likely to be pleased with him for anything connected with religion, but his professing to believe as their Church believes. If his mind was "at ease" in their communion, my impression is, that he was greatly deluded, so as to mistake error for truth, and human inventions for the institutions of the Son of God. But if so, I am persuaded that this was done under priestly influence, and could be no other than the act of one who was "no longer searching for the truth," but vainly supposing that he had "found it."

Situated, however, as my unfortunate friend was, I cannot receive, as his own, every word or sentence to which he subscribed his name. Indeed, I have reason to hope that his mind underwent an important change, and that he perceived that the real “ancient, unchangeable faith” is thus expressed by St. Paul: "By grace are ye saved, through faith," Eph. ii. 8. "Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth," Rom. x. 4. 66 Being justified by faith, we have peace with God, through our Lord Jesus Christ," Rom. v. 1. I have been informed that "Mr. C had the influenza," and that, "going out too soon after it, he experienced a relapse, and never rallied. He kept his room about two months, and was nearly a fortnight in a dying state. He was perfectly sensible, and expressed his reliance on the merits of the Saviour, frequently asking his son to pray for him." Another of my friends says, "I was glad to learn, from Mr. Phillips, that the Catholic priest did not molest poor Cat the last, and that he seemed to depart with the pure, simple faith of a Christian." Such is the testimony which I have received from friends at Haverfordwest, respecting the latter end of the first and only proselyte made by the priests lately sent to labour in that town. I believe that he had been long before converted to Christ, but was perverted by a mischievous and dangerous agency. Yet, though seduced from his former profession, he seems