About are these the only instances which we can produce. four years ago, the vicar-apostolic of Siam, Mgr. Florens, sent MM. Vallon and Bérard on a mission to Pulo-Nias, an island to the west of Sumatra. The first soon died, but after having made many converts; the second was stabbed to the heart, by a heathen, while in the act of administering baptism to some converts; and was, I believe, followed in his martyrdom, by all or most of his new Christians. * Some years ago, a publication in this country, stated that the Catholic religion depended for its stability upon its outward establishment, while the conversions made by the Bible, were necessarily lasting and indelible. But surely the examples which I have given of our conversions standing the trial of blood, must amply confute this bold assertion. And if it be thought that this is not so severe an ordeal as neglect and abandonment, it would be easy to prove by example, that they can stand the test of even this. Ceylon is one strong instance, and I may mention the Corea, which had been for years without a missionary, and yet continued steadfast, and annually entreated for assistance, until one was supplied. In addition a letter was received here but a short time ago from Macao, in which one is quoted from that very missionary, Yu; wherein he states the extraordinary fact, that the Catholic religion still survives in Japan! And yet the last missionaries account of the resolution carried by the Episcopal Church of New York, "that something should be done for China." Shortly after, they write that the ordination of Mr Parker, as missionary to China, had taken place. The Catholic missions, with their glorious martyrdoms are, of course, counted as nothing." A narrative of the visit to the American Churches." Lond. 1836, vol. i. p. 56. * Quarterly Review, No. lxiii. p. 3. The illustrations which the critic adduces, are an admirable specimen of controversial logic. To demonstrate the permanency of Biblical conversion, he gives the example of one old woman, who having received a Bible when young, at the Cape of Good Hope, was found to have retained and read it all her life, and sought out the missionaries after many years! The instability of Catholic conversion is proved by the state of Paraguay, since the suppression of the Jesuits. Now, Paraguay is Catholic still, although the beautiful organization of its community ceased with the body which ruled it. The writer confounds the religion with the peculiar form of government to which, in this happy instance, it gave rise. who were able to land on that island, were five Jesuits, who, in 1642, arrived there only to suffer martyrdom; and the Catholic religion was supposed to have been rooted up by the sword. For that Church, too, has had its martyrs.' * Not far from these countries are the Phillippine islands, in which M. Dubois estimates the number of Catholics under the direction of the Spanish Dominicans, at two millions. Perhaps may be considered by some too large a return; I will, therefore, read a passage from a learned work, by Dr. Prichard, which has, indeed, no connection with our subject, but wherein he incidentally mentions our missions in those islands as follows: this “A great number of missionaries have been sent out to the Phillippine islands. The first attempt was made by the Augustines in 1565, and an emigration of ecclesiastics of various orders continued during the succeeding years. The several orders divided their spiritual provinces among them, and exerted themselves with the greatest assiduity, in spreading among the pagans and savages of these islands, the population of which has been stated at three millions of persons, the blessings of the Catholic faith. They soon rendered themselves familiar with the several languages of the people among whom they were to labour, and their labours appear to have been crowned with ample success. If we are to believe the narratives of these zealous and honest missionaries, miracles have been wrought by Heaven in their favour."+ Thus does he acknowledge that our labours there have been successful; and an official report gives the number of native Christians in one province alone at 150,000.‡ There is another country, beyond the Ganges, where we have seen the efforts of Protestant missionaries fail, while those of ours have been, and still are, crowned with success. I allude to the Burmese empire, consisting of the kingdoms of Ava and Pegu. The mission of the Judsons, I showed you, on their own confession, proved a complete failure. But it is * See an account of them in Butler's Saints' Lives, Feb. 5. + "Researches into the Physical History of Mankind." 2nd. ed. Lond. 1826, vol i. p. 455. See "Piano," etc. ut sup. perhaps little known, that in the meantime a considerable community of native Catholics existed in that country. Its history is briefly this. In 1719, Pope Clement XI. sent Mgr. Mezzabarba as his ambassador to the Emperor of China, Kan-ghi.* His mission not having ended favourably, he returned to Europe, but left the clergy of his suite in different parts of the East. Two were sent into Ava and Pegu, the Rev. Joseph Vittoni, and F. Calchi, a member of the Barnabite congregation. After some difficulties they obtained leave to preach, and erect Churches. The king sent Vittoni with presents to the Pope, and F. Calchi built a church at Siriam, the capital of Ava; but worn out by fatigue, he died in 1728, in the forty-third year of his age. The mission was now so prosperous, that soon after Benedict XIV. appointed F. Gallizia first vicar-apostolic, or bishop, in that country: F. Nerini was, however, the great apostle of this Church. The Catholic worship was publicly exercised, processions and funerals went through the streets, with all the pomp of a European Catholic country, without giving the slightest offence. In 1745, persecution overtook the Church, the bishop and two missionaries were massacred while on an errand of peace and charity; the Christians were dispersed, and F. Nerini saved his life by flying into India. He was recalled with honour in 1749, and erected the first brick building ever seen in that country; a church eighty feet long and thirty one wide, with a house adjoining for the clergy. One Armenian alone contributed 7000 dollars to the pious work. Many other churches and schools were erected, about that time.† * A partial account of this embassy is given by Auber, in his "China." Lond. 1834, p. 48. At The following is a list of the principal Catholic establishments. Ava was a large church, destroyed when the capital was removed. By a letter from F. Amato, in 1822, it appears that there was still a church and house there. At Siriam, now nearly in ruins, were two churches, with houses annexed, a college containing forty boys, and an establishment for orphan girls. In the city of Pegu, a church and house. At Monlà, a church, presbytery and college, erected in 1770. The ground on which the college was built having been claimed, another was built by Cortenovi, who had 50 boys in it. In the environs of this city, six The mission continued to flourish, particularly under the direction of the two Cortenovis and F. Sangermano, author of an interesting work on the history and literature of that country.* *He returned to Europe in 1808, to implore succour for his poor flock, but his zealous and learned order, which had till now supplied them with pastors, had been suppressed, with every other similar institution of charity. The entire burthen was, therefore, borne by F. Amato, whose life was just prolonged till the arrival of a new supply of zealous missionaries sent from Rome in 1830. They were barely in time to afford the venerable priest the comforts of his religion. A farther supply was sent about a year ago.† Another very interesting mission, successfully conducted by Catholics, is that among the savages of North America. These may be divided into two districts, Canada and the United States. As to the former, the French had no sooner had possession of Lower Canada, than they turned their attention to the conversion of the natives, and their success was such as completely to effect it. A letter from the Protestant Bishop of Quebec, dated 22d April, 1829, observes of them; "In Lower Canada they all profess the Roman Catholic religion. In Upper Canada, those within the province and the confines of it, who are not heathens, are Protestants, except a few near Sandwich." The different missionary reports confirm the existence of large Catholic communities among the native tribes. The report of the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel, for 1824, has the following passage:-"I cannot avoid mentioning a very interesting object, which presented itself about two leagues from St. Peter's, (in Duke of Kent's island:) other churches. In Subaroa two. At Chiam-sua-rocca six, which F. Amato served in 1822. In Ranjoon, a church and house, with a convent and orphan school. # Description of the Burmese empire, translated from his MSS. by the Rev. Dr. Tandy, and published by the Oriental Translation Committee. Rome, 1833, 4to. †This sketch is in a great measure drawn up from inedited materials in the archives of the Barnabite Fathers at Rome. I gave the substance of it in a note appended to Dr. Tandy's book, p. 222. Parliamentary Papers on the Aboriginal Tribes, Aug. 1834, p. 51. the Indian chapel, so called, from its being exclusively the work of Indians. It is situated upon a delightful little island, with a house for the priest; this is served with tolerable regularity. St. Peter's is altogether a Roman Catholic settlement.”* The Report for 1825, gives the following notice of another congregation. "With difficulty, owing to the badness of the roads, I got to the village of St. Regis, inhabited almost entirely by Indians. They profess the Romish faith, in common with all the Indians of the Lower Province." Again, in the year following:-"There are eighteen thousand Roman Catholics here, (Cape Breton Island,) chiefly from the Highlands of Scotland, with many French, and five hundred Indians."+ It would be tedious to enumerate the missions existing in lifferent parts of Canada, such as the one among the Iroquois at St. Regis, which is particularly flourishing; those of Montagné to the Algonquins of Habenaqui, the Three Rivers, and Saint-Louis. But, perhaps, the most beautiful of all the Canadian missions, is that of the Lake of the Two Mountains, which was founded in 1717, and continues under the direction of the order of Sulpicians. It consists of two villages, with a common church, and contains about 1200 Indians. During the winter they proceed to the north, to their hunting and fishing, and being furnished with calendars by their pastors, observe every day appointed by the Church for fasting, and keep with scrupulous exactness all its festivals. Their manners are pure and simple; they all learn to read and write, and well understand the principles of their religion. The missions of the United States suffered, perhaps, beyond any others, by the suppression of the Society of Jesus, as very considerable communities existed among the native tribes, under its guidance. Much, also, they have suffered by the changes, which the encroachments of the white men upon their territories have obliged them repeatedly to make, in their abodes. Still the recollection of their religion has never been * Report, &c. 1825, p. 85. Report, &c. 1826, p. 117. Idem, 1827, p. 75. |