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ment can be required, for if so, let the priests' ornaments be sold-let Cardinal Wiseman put his red hat in pledge, as we have put our faith in pledge. The Lord Bishop of Manchester and Salford has been provided with paraphernalia of dress costing £300; the same paper which publishes it declares, that the poor in that neighbourhood are so ignorant and uneducated, that they must appeal to the Catholic public to give them the means of teaching them the ABC; surely they can read it in the bishop's robes. Perhaps, the robes were the more costly in consequence of being blessed by the Pope, who lately blessed some baby linen for the Queen of Spain, which I hope will do the baby good. The Pope condemns our "godless colleges," and requires even our State provision to be without stipulation that the taxes of England may be paid as a free tribute to the Cæsar of Rome. Thus he would not be a paid servant, but a paid master of our State, which is a consistent position since Peter's chair is built of Peter-pence. We can neither submit to that yoke, nor allow it to be supported by English money: the yoke under which the nations of the continent groan, for Popery is the power which cements tyranny; the Pope's blessing is good for despotism, but an evil omen for freedom. Every help we give strengthens their system and adds to the power of universal oppression and spiritual despotism. Who do you think has lately assumed the title of "His Imperial Apostolical Majesty," but the Emperor of Austria, and who could make him an apostle but his own lord god the Pope? And what is his apostleship? The apostleship of despotism, which trampled down the rights and liberties of the people and lifted up the chair of the Pope. The other day a man was standing in a crowd as the emperor passed, and from the pressure was unable to take off his hat to salute his "apostolic majesty;" he was taken to prison, and sentenced to receive forty blows on the back; the doctor said, that, from his youth, he could not sustain the blows, and the sentence in that respect was lightened, and he was also condemned to work in some mine or fortress, perhaps, for the remainder of his life. This is his apostolic majesty, the friend of Pio Nono. It is not a month ago since an Englishman, in Tuscany, while gazing on some Austrian soldiers, was smitten down. The agents of the London Missionary and Bible Society were recently expelled from Pesth by the Emperor of Austria; and at this time there is in Florence a gensd'arme standing by the bedside of a sick man to help, by his gun and bayonet, to push the priest's wafer down the man's throat, the sick man refused to comply with the priest's request, and his two friends, for telling the sick man that he was right, but too weak to argue, were sent to gaol, and were there now, as was also the gensd'arme by the man's bedside, keeping away the sick man's wife, brother, and friends, whilst the priest attends him. These are some of the acts of his apostolic majesty, aided by the prince of darkness-the Pope himself. In the same newspaper which records the above acts, you will find, that there have been assurances sent to these very powers, that England will, as far as possible, act in compliance with their wishes. Will you allow the promotion of the priests in Ireland, and, through our foreign relations, Popery to be brought into England itself? Has not our government promised, by their foreign secretary, that they will put down all irregularities on the part of refugees in England-let them pass the Alien

act, and they will be aliens themselves before the paper is dry. Shall we pay agents for this spiritual despotism, and thus make common cause with Pope and autocrat? Whilst not agreeing with some methods of repelling aggression, I owe a score, and would pay it here to start with. Priestcraft is the worm in the bud of a nation's pride and power; it first debases and unmans the people, then sets up a despot and a tool, and provides instruments of tyranny in priests and confessors. It instals Louis Napoleon, inspires the Czar, makes an apostle of the Austrian despot, guides the conscience of Ferdinand, sends gensd'armes to the sick, and provides a prison for friends; fills the Roman inquisition with victims and the streets with priests, which is nearly as bad. There are two classes against which society has to be on its guard-the soldier and the priest. The soldier who is associated with an unprincipled leader is likely, from his detachment from society, to hold an undue influence in his hand; but the soldier may have a wife, he has a country; the British soldier has a queen, a mother, a father, a home, and may be a patriot, but the priest has no queen, no home, no country, no child, no father, no mother, no wife, no stake in the world; he is a gypsy and a foreigner everywhere. I repeat, that he is a foreigner everywhere but at Rome-the friend of nothing but his order, the enemy of mankind, from whom his order has isolated him on purpose. These men are in every country the ready and convenient instruments of the despotism on which they live, and under the authority of the Pope himself. I pity the laity of the Church of Rome; I have no hatred of the Roman Catholic as such. I pity him from my soul, but I must say, I can never regard a priest, nor the priesthood, with anything less than deep and utter repugnance-as being the necessary enemies of the liberties, rights, and happiness of the world. They abound, and can abound, in no free country; they nestle with bats and owls, under the wing of ignorance and of despotism; their appearance is ever an omen of evil, and when their presence is in king's chambers, it is the plague of the Égyptain frogs. They are the caterpillars eating what the locust leaves. It is a shame and a sin, a matter of ridicule, derision, and indignant condemnation, that England should stoop so low as to help such men, and foster their growth. It is as smoke to the eyes, and vinegar to the teeth, it is as snow in summer to an English Protestant, that his country should descend so low as to support the system, directly or indirectly. Shall we make an Ecclesiastical Titles bill and then fee the Pope's own Irish brigade, cry out against the scarlet women, and then buy her a bran new robe, and put money in her purse to bewitch the nation with her sorceries? Our forefathers, though Romanists, knew better; they were always jealous of the Pope's exactions. England is England still, only more jealous of Popery, and they would not further help to pay Peter-pence. Shall these, their Protestant children, become so far degraded as to send a message of peace and kiss the Pope's toe in the Parliament of England? I should like to say one word to Mr. Wilberforce, the secretary of the Irish Catholic Defence association. I will not say whether his statements about the converts at Rugby were white lies or black ones, but in Ireland, the cruel treatment of poor Protestants were commented upon, because we give them soup sometimes. That was Protestant temptation and persecution, but, when the priests here give away soup,

"how good they are to the poor!" Just like the woman who regarded every evil that came upon herself as a trial, and every evil that visited her friends as a judgment. So the kindness which Protestants showed towards the poor Catholics is set down in Ireland as an offence against uswould it were our only offence, may it be our greatest. It is not the way they do where they have the power and pre-eminence. This shows plainly how they fear the people are slipping through their fingers. The very tailor's advertisements in the Tablet newspaper actually say to the lord bishops," Since they were getting very poor by the loss of the people by emigration and proselytism, and so forth, he (the tailor) will work as cheap as ever he can.

We cannot but regard the above meeting, as perfectly consistent with the principles of those engaged in it; and calculated to do much good in various ways. Other gentlemen, besides those quoted, took part in the meeting; but in these three we have three classes represented, the Churchman, the Moderate, and the ultra-Dissenter; and we apprehend, that their separate petitions will proceed upon their respective grounds: as we know that the last speaker presented, through the Alliance, a petition repudiating all endowments.

IV.

SCEPTICS' RELIGION.

Under this department, sceptical objections, and systems or principles advocated as hostile to Christianity, are dispassionately considered.

"THE LAST DAYS OF MRS. EMMA MARTIN, ADVOCATE OF FREE THOUGHT.

BY GEORGE JACOB HOLYOAKE."

THE following slight biographical notice and funeral oration are offered to the public, in a little tract, as the tribute of affection from a fellow worker in the dreary cause of atheism; it is confessedly the sole reward of one, who can enjoy nothing more, and forms, altogether, in spite of the poetry of the author, a powerful antidote to those opinions it is intended to eulogise and commend. So far from desiring to distort the death-bed experience, and sad funereal comfort, of infidelity, of which the author vehemently accuses Christians, we gladly permit him to speak for himself.

"We have lost the most important woman that stood on our side; but one whose example was such as may cause her place to be supplied-and the highest order of example is that which perpetuates its own force. Mrs. Emma Martin died at her country residence, Holyville Cottage, Finchley Common, on Wednesday afternoon, October 8th, 1851, in the presence of her second husband, her second daughter, Louisa, and her medical attendant, Mr. George Bird. Anxious that her family might not be distressed, she concealed from all the approach of death till half an hour before it happened, when she said to her husband, IT is ALL OVER." Seeing the violent grief which he and Louisa manifested, she, after she had become unable to speak, waved her hand deprecatingly of their sorrow, and expressive of her desire that they should not give

way to it.

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"For the past year she had suffered from 'Phthisis,' the secondary disease being described as 'Pheumo-thorax.' When in London a fortnight before her death, I devoted one of the four days of my stay in town to a visit to Finchley. As we entered her room (Mrs. Holyoake was with me), Mrs. Martin wept. It was impossible not to see that suffering had made fatal inroads upon her, when she, so unused to tears, wept at the sight of friends. I never saw her look so beautiful. Her large black eyes were radiant with fire, and the hectic vermillion which suffused her cheeks im

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parted a superhuman beauty to her expression. Strauss's 'Life of Jesus' lay upon her bed. She had the second volume in her hand. She said, she had been examining of it, and she conversed about it critically for some minutes, when her intermitted breath permitted. Her chief remark was, that it was less direct and cogent than it might have been, and much that Strauss sought to explain rationally was not worth the trouble.

"On leaving, I promised to see her in three weeks, intending to abridge my journey within that period, my impression being that I should then return before her death, as I remarked to a friend on returning home. She died eight days after.

"Some time before she explained to me particulars she wished observed in case of her death, and she stipulated that her likes aud dislikes should be respected at her grave. Neither from persons nor societies who had neglected her, or had been unfriendly to her, would she accept attentions when dead which had been withheld when living. (Her courage and independence never forsook her.) These requests were strictly fulfilled, and as she wished me to speak at her grave, I did so. Her desire in this respect was intended to be indicative of her unchanged opinions.

"On Sunday, the 12th, I again went to Finchley. As I removed the lid from the coffin, the family stood round, when the scene of distress, which occurred, was as painful as witnessing a second death. And so uncontrollable was the grief experienced, that it was found necessary to prevent Mr. Joshua Hopkins, Louisa, and Mrs. Holyoake (between whom and Mrs. Martin there subsisted the attachment of sisters) from being present

at the funeral.

"Mrs. Martin's age was 39, having been born (in Bristol) in 1812. She has left four daughters, Elizabeth, Louisa, Emma, and Manon, named so after Madame Roland.

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"The funeral took place on Tuesday afternoon, October 14th, at Highgate cemetry. Elizabeth, Emma, Mr. William Hopkins, and myself, occupied the first mourning coach. Mr. George Wood, Mr. James Watson, publisher, Undecimus,' ' Eugene,' and Mr. Langabeer, occupied the second. I obtained permission to buy the ground* in the name of friends of the Reasoner, who were anxious to give this public proof of their estimation of Mrs. Martin, and her many friends in the provinces will also wish to share in the last grateful duty of erecting a tablet to her memory.t "As the visitor enters the cemetry (from Kentish Town), at the gate in Swain's Lane, he observes on the right a narrow walk through close trees -it leads to the unconsecrated ground. On issuing from the verdant defile, there is, on the left, an elevated spot, overlooking the country round. In the centre is a cluster of trees. Close under the shade of those trees we laid her, and by the side of the grave spoke the words which follow."

"The sentiments to be expressed here can add nothing to that known and felt by those who stand around. But sometimes relief comes in sorrow, by telling that to each other which we ourselves do know. Besides, "Square 31, at the head of grave No. 4267."

"It is intended that a fuller Biography shall appear, accompanied by a portrait, in a volume of Mrs. Martin's Works.'"

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