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The public prints have directed their | eties,-of" Widow's Friends,”—of “Viattention to the statements contained in sitingSocieties for the Sick,"-~of "Prothe Appendix, of the particulars of vident Societies,"-of" Clothing Socithose foundations which evince the be-eties," &c. &c. all unknown to the nevolence and piety of their founders. public, the charities of the Christian We are mistaken, if that were the prin- heart are daily moderating the anguish cipal purpose intended by the institution of human woe. Such are the glories of the Committee, and having had the of our metropolis! and their influence subject, though in different forms, re- is felt in other large towns. We peatedly before us, we rather prefer speak not of those noble charities which that view of it which concerns the lower occasionally call on the public for asorders, properly so described; especially sistance, the acknowledged institutions that class, which is at once our com- of British benevolence; but we allude to patriots and strangers; our brethren, those which are private, we might say, and refugees; who deserve (and desire) secret, in which the young who can ply a better fate; but, by their very ad- the needle, ply it for the advantage of herence to what they deem their duty, the distressed and disconsolate ;—to those are doomed to suffer the miseries of life-in which the sympathy of more mature long disappointment,

years directs medical aid, and the sick man's head reposes on the bosom of fraternal affection, though the parties never saw each other till the present moment;

We descend to a class still lower than that of the parents, whose necessities are felt by the patrous of charity-schools to be sufficient recommendation to the ad- of those which endeavour to prevent the vantages they afford. Those schools ravages of vice, to recall the wanderer, have done much; but they cannot do to remonstrate with the profligate, to reevery thing the numbers they admit sist evil, wherever and whenever demust, of course, be limited: the in-tected; and of those which drop a tear, struction they afford, must be short, to where effectual succour is beyond their allow as many as possible to partake of power. it. Since they were instituted, a kind But among all which can be menof new world has opened on the science tioned, those institutions which confer and practice of education; and since the blessing of Education on the indithey were thought sufficient, a prodi- geut and the outcast, stand conspicuous: gious increase of population has ren- they sow a seed, to be reaped in sucdered their numbers, once tolerably pro-ceeding years; they train up the infant portionate, almost trivial, in comparison with what the urgencies of the

times demand.

Benevolence has stepped forward with new vigour to meet the diversities of misery. It assumes a thousand different shapes; each highly honourable; all together beyond the belief of those who have not some practical acquaintance with the subject. No hazards have been thought terrific; no labours have been suffered to enter into the estimate; no repulse has been regarded; no ingratitude has been felt; if ever perseverance were the determination of the buman mind, it has been, it still is, among those on whom descends the blessings of the thousands who were ready to perish.”

Under a nomenclature, infinitely diversified, of "Good Samaritan" Soci

mind for the practice of manly virtue ; they implant principles; to be buried, perhaps, for a while; but hereafter to shoot up to light and life, to be watered with the dews of heaven, to expand their branches, and extend their benefits to green old age.

Will the reader believe it possible, that there should be in any part of the Christian world, in any Church assuming the distinction of Apostolic, a fixed, an immovable, resistance, to the diffusion of these advantages? and why? Avowedly, because they are conferred by laymen; not by the priesthood! Are the priests of that profession so numer ous, then, that they alone are competent to the work? No: they are confessedly exhausted by the labours of theis office. they are too few for the discharge of their established duties. “The

..... They are excceedingly noisome, and neglected; so that, it is the most offensive part of my profession to visit the poor in that vicinity.

be found in those streets: one thing I have sometimes remarked there, was, that human beings, hogs, asses, and dogs, were associated in the same habitation; and great heaps of dirt, in different quarters, other reason of their ill health is this, that may be found piled up in the streets. Ansome of the lower habitations have neither windows nor chimnies nor floors, and are so dark that I can scarcely see there at mid-day without a candle. I have actually gone into a ground-floor bed-room, and could not find my patient without the light of a candle.

number of priests is so small, says Montague Burgoyne, Esq. that they have it in their power to pay very little attention to the condition of the (Catholic) poor; but, in justice to them, I must Is it your opinion that the scavengers, or say, they work extremely hard in at-do not sufficiently discharge, their duty ?persons who shou'd inspect the streets, tending the sick and dying." The Ro-I am afraid the scavengers are seldom to man Catholic clergy "are worn down with fatigue," says Mr. Butler. They are a "very small number," says their Vicar Apostolic, Dr. Poynter. And yet, under this paucity of assistance, that Church refuses to entrust her own laity with any branch of religious instruction, by which the children of this very laity might be edified! While thousands are perishing, both body aud soul, for lack of knowledge, the Church refuses consent! In full view of their miseries, and under the contemplation of these accumulated evils, conscious of what would correct them, knowing well the remedy for these inexpressible calamities, convinced of what is necessary to remove this gross scandal from her community, the Church-cruel step-mother! denies her sanction to the labours of love, among her own sons!

The reader will not credit this. He has heard the Church of Rome condemned for bigotry, for intolerance, for superstition, perhaps, and for blindness; but, that she should, by choice, see her children beggars, thieves, prostitutes, criminals of the worst order; corroded with diseases, and the terror even of medical men; rather than see them under other than clerical management, the comfort and support of their parents, patterns of industry, and social life, religious in the best sense of the term, respectable in the world, and heirs of a happy immortality- -the reader will not credit this. We proceed, therefore, to produce the evidence. We have said, perishing both body and soul." Let Mr. Blair, as a professional man, speak his experience on the bodily sufferings of these most deplorable objects of compassion.

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The Catholic poor are so numerous, that every floor, and every chamber of every floor, is closely inhabited, several beds are frequently seen in one room, and several persons in one bed..... They are very sickly when crowded close together

that infectious complaints prevail throughDr. Adams has observed in his book, out the year in the parish of St. Giles, has that fact come under your knowledge?

I have no doubt of the fact being so : and have often found that the great obstacle to my curing surgical diseases is the

state of health arising mostly from filthiness, the people being sometimes covered with vermin

decline attending patients in St. Giles's?— Have you ever known professional men I have known medical men who refused to go into the interior parts of St. Giles's? from personal fear, and because of the filthy state of the habitations I believe that is common with medical men in the neighbourhood.

What do they apprehend?-Partly they are afraid of catching infectious diseases, annoyed in their attendance by the ill beand partly from apprehending they wil be haviour of the lower orders.

Mr. Blair complains that the Catholic priests obstructed all endeavours at inrated by that of Montagu Burgoyne, provement. His evidence is corroboEq. who, however, was not deterred from visiting such schools as the Catholics have established.

In your visits to those schools, did you find that the children were in a miserable state?-Very much so: the greater proportion of them diseased more than any children I ever saw; humours, lamenesses, ricketty, certainly the effects of negligence in infancy and though they have increased so much in number, the number that dies is very great. It is a disgrace to this.

country, that they should be permitted to live in that kind of way, so that absolutely their habitations become a nuisance to every body, and prejudicial in the extreme to health; for medical men have stated to

me, that they were afraid of the consequences to the neighbourhood; as any person may perceive who turns into Calmel Buildings out of Orchard street. In t: at part of the town they are so closely packed, that in twenty-three houses I think there were very nearly seven hundred people: the whole place is such a scene of filth and wretchedness as cannot be couceived. Our committee have made various representations, but in vain, to the vestry of Mary-e-boue parish, to enter into mea sures to cleanse this nuisance. Besides

those seven hundred people, there are up wards of a hundred pigs.

Do you consider that if the Catholic priests consented to the adoption of your plans, that the object of your ial our would be principally accomplished ?—Very much assisted, and for this reason, I have been with them all, and have been with the Bishop, who is a very culightened good man as can be.

Then that at present appears to be the chief obstacle - think it is one great obstacle. I was extremely pleased with one proposition that was successful; for finding a great difficulty in satisfying the priests in the parish of Shadwell, I called a meeting of the Church of England, with some of the Catholics, some Methodists, and Presbyterians and other Dissenters, aud a plan of education was agreed upon that was not entirely Lancasterian, iuas much as the particular chapters of the New Testament pointed out by that system were omitted.

Are the priests sensible of and witnesses to this melancholy state of the condition of their poor ?—Yes, certainly, but such is their apprehension of their being lost to their flock, and to what they think eternal happiness, that I have often had my doubts whether they wish them to be removed from the state of ignorance in which they are placed.

thought of such an establishment, calling itself a Christian church? If false

do not venture to say the charge is false. -but the very priests thus accused Dr. Poynter himself confesses it.

Are you aware that a great number of the children of the poor Roman Catholics in London are entirely destitute of education, aud that they have fallen into vicious and bad habits, arising from their ignorance?- conceive there are a great number. It is a fact we cannot deny.

Dr. P. totally disapproves of allowing testant version of the Bible :---when children to read any part of the Proclosely pressed, he equally disapproves of allowing them to use any Catholic

version of the Bible: his sentiments are explicit. .

struction?-Laymen might teach the chilCould not laymen give this religious indren to learn the letter and text of their catechism, but we could not permit laymen to explain the doctrine to the children.

I could not in any manner approve of taut version of the Scriptures. any Catholic children reading the Protes

Suppose the version is taken of those Even in that case I should think it conpassages in which the two do not differ?trary to my duty, and the constant discipline of the Catholic Church, to permit it. For what reason?-The reason is, that the Catholic Church considers the sacred Scriptures as a precious deposit, which was originally committed by the Apostles to their immediate successors, and that the Catholic Church has always carefully preserved it, as it were in its archives, and other edition or version which is not duly has never permitted the faithful to read any sanctioned and authenticated by the authority of the Catholic Church; consequently cipline of the Catholic Church, if I were I should act contrary to the constant dising a version of the sacred Scriptures, to approve of the Catholic children readwhich emanates from a body of Christians not in communion with the Catholic Church. Those are the principles of my answer.

Suppose passages were taken, which are exactly the same in the two versions, would the objection still occur?-If the passages be taken from a version made by any body of Christians not in communion with the

It is not possible to pen a more bitter libel on the Catholic priesthood, than these words contain. It might be policy --- cruel policy! in Julian the Apostate, to prohibit Christians from acquiring knowledge and learning, lest the system of heathen idolatry should be exposed: --- - but, is Popery concurrent with the endeavours of an apostate ?-- Although the words are the very same? If this charge be true, what can be-Yes; because by approving it I should

Catholic Church, the objection would be the same.

give a sanction to a version made by an au- | Protestants, and beg to add that such are thority which the Catholic Church in spirituals does not acknowledge.

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In England we generally permit the

faithful to read the authorised Catholic version in the vulgar tougue, which are always accompanied with notes.

the occupations of the Catholic Clergy on Sundays, in the public chapels, that on those days they would not have leisure to attend to the instruction of those children according to their wants.

And you could not allow children to be instructed by the laymen in the Catholic church in the articles of their faith ?—Certainly we could not, cousistently with the practice and discipline of our Church.

On occasion of establishing a school at Shadwell, for Catholics as well as ProPoynter whether Catholics could contestants, Mr. Butler enquired of Dr. scientiously avail themselves of this be nefit. The Dr. answered him, that such subjects were out of his sphere, as a layman.His (Mr. B.'s) interference was irregular.

What was your reply to the inquiry ?— Considering that the reading lessous were to be taken from the Protestant version of the Scriptures, I answered Mr. Butler, that he knew that I should act in direct repugnance to the constant and universal practice of the Catholic Church, were I to approve of the reading by Catholic chidren, in a public school, of a version of the sacred Scriptures emanating from a body not in communion with the Catholic Church.

Do you apprehend any danger is likely to result from educating the lower orders without communicating at the same time religious instruction?-1 do consider that the educating the lower orders without giving them any religious instruction, may be rather dangerous than beneficial to them; I beg to observe that I consider the pre servation or correction of the morals of the lower orders is the principal object we should have in view in their education; aud I am persuaded this end could never be obtained without religious instruction; and on this subject, I express my firm Was Mr. Butler sufficiently acquainted conviction, that in order to preserve or cor- with the principles of the Catholic Church rect the morals of the lower orders, they to know, previous to any arrangement bemust not only be taught their duty to God ing made with the Protestant gentlemen at and to society, but the great motives of per- Shadwell, that his proposition in regard to forming their duty must be strongly en- the introduction of the Protestant version forced, which can only be done, in my of the New Testament into that school opinion, by the instructions and exhorta- could not be assented to by his ecclesiastitions which they receive from their pas- cal superiors?I was persuaded that he tors; and on this ground, I consider that was sufficiently acquainted with the prinit is in vain to expect that the morals ciples of the Catholic Church in that reof the lower classes will be improved, un-gard, and there fore in my auswer to him I less education comprises religious instruc

tion.

Nevertheless, as a Roman Catholic bishop, could you consent to any attempt to better their moral condition by the instruction of Protestants, or must you not, consistently with your duty as Vicar Apostolic, refuse your assent to any attempts of the kind made by Protestants ?-As a Catholic bishop, I do not judge that their morals could be improved but by religious instruction, and could not consent for them to receive it from Protestants.

If children were allowed to attend their own ecclesiastical instructors, in addition to such education in schools, you still think it would be objectionable if given by Protestants ? object to the religious or moral instruction of the children given by

referred to his own conviction, by saying, "You know that I should act in direct repugnance to the constant and universal practice of the Catholic Church," &c.

may add, that I conceived that the ques tion proposed me by Mr. Butler, whether Catholics could conscientiously send their children to the school? was which should rather have been proposed a question to me by the clergy who direct the consciences of the people within their district, and therefore I did not think it my duty, nor prudent, to give a direct answer to Mr. Butler on that question.

And yet, Mr. Butler humbly thought, that what had been tolerated in France, might be endured in England. He gives the following answer.

How has it happened in France that they have had the New Testatament in the vuigar tongue-In point of fact, there has not, for the last century, been in France (as I have informed myself from, good anthority) any objection to reading the Old or New Testament in the French tongue, or without notes, by any age or any description of people.

minds and affections of the children, and to make religion and their duty, as far as it can be, pleasing to them; and to bring down to their understandings all the main principles and duties of the Christian religion, according to the principles of the Church of England. Of course the degree in which this instruction is understood, depends upon the child...

1 never knew any poor family become yery vicious or miserable who observed the

Surely, the accusation is proved, that charges the Catholic priests with pre-Lord's day; and I never knew a poor fa

venting the bettering the condition of their poor. The poor of their flock treat the better informed solicit-th more liberal disdain the shackles-yet still the priests continue to livet them on their people. O for some monk, for some cardinal, for some pope, whose energetic mind should burst these bonds, and no longer suffer the prevalence of such atrocious abuse! They take away the key of knowledge, says a sacred writer, and those who were entering in they hinderd.

From this too painful scene, we turn with pleasure to the enlightened sentiments of a divine branded as a heretic, by the TRUE church; and deservedly too, or we are mistaken:---The Rev. Daniel Wilson, minister of St. John's Chapel, Bedford Row.

This gentleman describes the almost incalculable measure of good resulting from a Sunday School---" because all our instruction is founded on the specific principles of Christianity, the fear of God, aud the revelation of his will in his word;"---and much of this is communicated by lay teachers.

Of what description of character, and what class of society, are the teachers who volunteer their services?-They are per sons who regularly occupy seats in the chapel, and live in the neighbourhood; the wives and sous and daughters of persous engaged in trade, or in the profession of the law; most of them very respectable people.

mily happy, contented or virtuous, that did not observe it.

Do you think any danger is to be apprehended by giving children knowledge, without communicating religious instruction-Certainly there is a danger; because you give them information and a greater Power, without at the same time a printeach them to read, and at the same time ciple to direct that power. But when you implant the main principles of Christianity, and an attachment to the Church of England, and to the worship of God on a Sunday, you not only give them knowledge, but the principles to use it aright; you keep them from pride and self-elevation, and from that abuse of knowledge, in reading improper books, to which they might possibly be tempted. Besides, in which to employ their knowledge; and, our schoo's we give the children books on above all, we endeavour from the beginning to make them understand that we give them knowledge on purpose to enable them to know their duty better, and serve God better in this world, and be prepared for heaven, and His favour in

another world.

in respectable laymen visiting the poor As a clergyman, you see no impropriety upon that plan?—I rejoice to have their aid; it requires of course judgment in the selection of your visitors, as it does in every other thing of the same nature; but it is a clergyman in fact multiplying himself into twenty or thirty persons, who go about to do for him what he cannot do himself.

Do you consider that the parents of the children are considerably improving, by Do those voluntary teachers endeavour associating with their children who attend to give religious instruction to the children, your school?-There can be no doubt of as well as yourself?-They chiefly do this, it, in the several respects which I menmy own attendance being of course very tioned in an answer to a former question; limited; their objects is in hearing them for instance, bringing them to attend divine the lessons they have set them on the pre-worship themselves is an extremely imceding Sunday, to explain them, and give them religious instruction.

You apprehend they are capable of bringing down religious truths to the understanding of the children?-Quite so; their object is particularly to interest the

portant benefit; another instance, is the correcting in them the habit of profane swearing, and of a variety of other vices, which those children are taught on a Sabbath morning_to_abhor, as violating the commands of God.

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