encouraging, features we add a satisfactory balance, I think we may thank God, and take courage." After some pointed and forcible remarks on the recent strictures of "S. G. O.," on the accounts and balance sheets of religious societies, Mr. BATEMAN proceeded :-"I gladly leave that subject, and turn to another which is suggested by the Report. We have all been struck with the accounts of the recent manifestation of the Holy Spirit in Ireland. I am thankful to accept this as a token of good, and of future encouragement. During the Protestant declensions which have spread, I fear I may say, over the last twenty years, we prayed indeed for assistance, and hoped that God would help us. But it was a case of hope deferred, and a grievous trial of faith. An answer has now, however, been vouchsafed to our prayers; and we can say, "This is the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes.' It has come in a way which we did not exactly expect. We formerly bemoaned our position, because no great Protestant statesman stood up in a Protestant parliament to direct the Protestant energies of the nation. We used to bewail that Protestants were so niggardly of their funds, when they were applied to for the support and maintenance of Protestant principles throughout the land. But still we did not despond. The Protestant statesman was a thing of the future, and the golden age of Protestant societies was yet to come. But while it was ordered that the day should not come exactly as we anticipated, it has come in another and an unlooked-for manner. It was not by money, not by man, not by human power, but by my Spirit, saith the Lord.' Our worthy Chairman has set before you the great power of the Papacy-a power which has been somewhat weakened, I think, by the speech of the Right Reverend Prelate. But I am disposed to take both views of the question; for while we can hardly neglect the power of Rome, we ought not. to shut our eyes to the fact, that that power is breaking up. Everywhere, except, alas! in England, there are tokens that the power of Rome is rapidly declining. The supreme Pontiff himself would seem to realize the idea of Milton's Satan; for though still

he is but

'With diadem and sceptre high advanced,'

'Supreme in misery ;'

afraid to trust himself to his own natural protectors-afraid to trust himself to the protection of all those gods and goddesses which decorate the corners of the streets of Rome, any one of which, if it had half the merits ascribed to it, would be able to ward off the evil from the august head of Pio Nono. Then again, we have the remarkable fact, that Italy itself seems to have cast off the chains of sacerdotal despotism; while, as the last and finishing humiliation, the Pope has been obliged to receive a lecture on morality from the present Imperial Ruler of France. Our Chairman has alluded to the power which the Irish representatives of the Pope possess in parliament. But even there, their power is not what it was. From the distinct admission which I found the other day in the columns of the Romish organ, the Tablet, it appears that the power which the united body of the Irish members used to exercise, and the sway which they had over the destiny of the empire, is now no more, owing to their internal jealousies and divisions. This I take to be a most encouraging fact. I only wish the Government would take encouragement from these things, and give us the spectacle of a power that is not crouching at the foot of the Papacy. That it is doing so we know, and that it is doing it especially in Ireland, where it is mingling truth and error, and where that very state power, which ought to take the Church of England by its hand, is grasping the hand of its unholy rival; and, instead of standing by what our Homilies call that chaste matron,' the Church of England is prepared to cast all its power into the lap of the gorgeous harlot of Rome. But there is yet one other matter connected with the effusion of the Holy Spirit to which the Report calls attention, and with noting which I will conclude my few remarks. In the effusion of the Spirit of the Lord, the Report recognizes, and I doubt not truly, the fulfilment of that prophecy, where it is said, 'I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh. Now that prophecy is a prophecy connected with the last days,-not generally with the latter days of our Christian dispensation, but with that peculiar and solemn portion of them that are manifestly alluded to as the last days; and among the prophecies especially connected with these last days, there are none which in the writings of Daniel, of St. Paul, or of St. John occupy so prominent a place as the destruction of that wicked one whose coming is of the power of Satan, with all deceivableness and unrighteousness, whom the Lord shall consume with the Spirit of his mouth, and destroy by the brightness of his glory. Our Chairman told us a touching anecdote of a Christian man, who at a time of much discouragement took out his Bible, and there read, the announced fall of Rome; and if he could be encouraged by knowing that the fall of Rome was sure, may we not be still more encouraged by the conviction that the fall of Rome is near. For my own part, I feel no doubt that He who is most mighty will speedily gird his sword on his thigh, and in the interests of truth and righteousness will go forth to execute the judgment written on that dark apostasy which has so long trampled on the rights of mankind, and so long impiously blasphemed the › Majesty of heaven."

The second resolution was to this effect :-" That this meeting recognizes with earnest thankfulness the manifestation of the Holy Spirit's power in the religious awakenings that have recently occurred in Ireland; disclaiming any connection of instrumentality between

this Society and that remarkable movement, they would, nevertheless, bless God for the effect produced upon the Society's operations amongst the Roman Catholics, and would gratefully consider such tokens of the demonstration of the Spirit as a gracious encouragement to persevere in their labours," and was moved by the Rev. J. B. OWEN, who, after some introductory observations, proceeded to say "I would remark, in the first place, that having attended many of our anniversaries in London, it is a very great encouragement to my mind, as one of the officers of the Society, to see the noble meeting we have here to-day; and would suggest to the many of my Irish brethren who are here present that they should take this meeting, at the end of so many missionary meetings as have been recently held in London, as a proof that English philanthropy takes a great deal to exhaust it, and that Ireland holds a large place in the hearts of a great concourse of the people of this country. For my own part, I have no doubt that this meeting is a fair demonstration of the national feeling of England in reference to Ireland, and that all that is required is some well-considered scheme and proper agents to work it, and responsible men to carry it out, and means will never be wanting here to carry out any morement for the benefit of the sister country. In relation to this resolution, which bears upon the religious awakening that has recently occurred in various parts of Ireland, we must all, I think, have been struck with the importance of that great movement, which we find so graphically introduced in the Report. I have very carefully read the Report, and analyzed its contents, and it seemed to me, from the description there given, and from what I know of it from other sources, to be, not only a fair representation of the work during the past year, but that it may be stated generally, in the first place, that the testimony of this Society goes to the reality of this religious revival; but what is meant in the resolution, is to disclaim any communion between this instrumentality and that effect. Not because we should not be thankful to God if we could say that it was our work, but because we were anxious to place ourselves before the British public in our true position, by stating that it was not this instrumentality or that, but the working of the Spirit of God. Nor is it any derogative from its importance to say that, as to the thousands or tens of thousands brought into this movement, only a comparative few are converted to Christ. Why, they might say the same of the results of the day of Pentecost. It would be no extravagant statement to say that 30,000 persons listened to the words of St. Peter and the Apostles on that occasion, but we read that the number added to the Church was 3,000 souls.' And we hear to-day that, making every abatement for cases of mere temporary excitement, of sanguine temperament, and even for cases of hypocrisy-though with regard to cases of hypocrisy I would say that they are of themselves proofs of cases of reality; and if you could show me, I care not how many cases of hypocrisy, I would say that they must necessarily represent a far larger number of cases of reality, for we can have no counterfeits when there is not the true coin circulating; but after making all these deductions, and in spite of all calumnies and acrimonious accusations, in spite of the calumnious ingratitude of the priests and I call it ingratitude advisedly, for the January number of the Edinburgh Review shows what a profitable trade the priests have been driving in the sale of holy water in consequence of this movement, one priest, as we are told, having sold £5 worth in a month, and £17 having having been realized in the course of five or six weeks from this source, we might have expected more civil things from them-but making every allowance for all these things, the priests' ingratitude, and, what is still more difficult to bear, the incredulity of hard-hearted Protestants, there is still this fact before us unimpeachable, that 50,000 souls have been gathered to God as the result of this remarkable movement, of whom at least 1000 have been drawn out of the errors of Romanism, and transferred to the arms of Protestantism. And what a delightful thing it is to know that it is entirely free from any sectarian or party spirit. It would be difficult, I believe, to say with which of the different religious bodies it commenced, or who began the movement. Those who came out of Rome were permitted to choose that place amongst the several Protestant religious communities where they would rest, and some chose one and some another, but in the great majority of instances, there is sufficient proof of Orthodox Protestant truth in those who have been brought to take part in these Revivals, and those who, have been brought out of Roman Catholicism by the Orthodox Protestant Church, have, at all events, kept true to their choice." After some remarks on the subject of national education in Ireland, and the recent demands on the Government by the Roman Catholic clergy, Mr. OWEN concluded as follows:-"We, of course, if we are sincere Protestant Christians, must assume and constantly maintain an attitude of determined protest against Romanism. We maintain that protest against Romanism because we believe it to be our duty to Christ, whom Romanism ignores. Forms must never be allowed to take the place of facts, or the result to that age that ever connives at such a state of things without protesting will be assuredly damaged and punished for their wilful and suicidal neglect. There is no severity or simplicity of form that will entirely prevent a tendency in the human mind to formality. We know very well that form is not formality, but the danger is lest we make the formality grow out of the form. We blame Rome for leading men's souls to be satisfied with form without the great facts which involve the salvation of souls. Men began-and oh, what a short but painful history of formality is that which in the Romish Church destroyed the spirituality of the sacraments of God!-men first began by mingling the sacramental symbols with the spiritual realities; then they united them

together; and, lastly, they identified them, and in that identification lies the first Transsubstantiation; then the Lord is identified, the Lord himself is identified with the elements that symbolize him; and the not less dangerous doctrine of Transpiritualism, wherein the Holy Ghost is identified with the symbols-the water that represents him. We stand here to-day, protesting against sacramentalism, in behalf of the sacraments. We stand here to-day, declaring that the sacraments of the Lord have no more right to be trespassed upon in this way than the Lord himself, and that to identify the Lord with his two sacraments is to repeat in the same spirit, what the Jews did at first, the monstrous guilt of Calvary-to make the two sacraments the two thieves between whom Christ was crucified again, and put Him to open shame; and on that ground, that the Holy Spirit may not be quenched in a font, nor the Eternal Son be sacrificed continually on an altar, we take our stand, and say that Romanism, which dishonours God, sets aside the work of the Son, and supersedes the office of the Holy Spirit, is a system that demands the opposition of every man that is acquainted with the facts, or that has any tender feeling for the souls that are ruined by it."

The Rev. J. ROGERS seconded the resolution, and bore testimony from personal observation to the earnestness and sincerity of the Revival of which the resolution spoke, especially in Antrim, Down, and other parts of the north of Ireland, where he had witnessed such scenes as impressed him with a lasting sense of the reality and power of this great and wonderful movement. In Belfast, the great metropolis of the north of Ireland, he had attended some of these meetings, where there could not have been less than 15,000 or 20,000 persons present; and there was an influence abroad which appeared to operate upon all classes for good. He could not, however, entirely disconnect the movement from the labours of the Society for Irish Church Missions, but believed that, to some extent, this outpouring of the Spirit of God had been given as the result of those labours. The distribution of tracts, and the controversial classes and sermons, had created a spirit of inquiry amongst the Roman Catholic people, a searching after the truth in the Scriptures, which had resulted in numerous conversions. He mentioned the case of a man he met at one of the Revival meetings, and who told him that he felt a degree of joy and peace in his mind since he had been under the influence of this outpouring which he had never known before, and admitted that he had been first led to inquiry, and to search the Scriptures, by hearing a sermon preached by one of the missionary clergymen of the Church Missionary Society, five years before. And, as showing the effect of that work, he referred to the case of a man who had been steward at the Roman Catholic College of Maynooth, but happening, on a visit to Dublin, to have had one of the Society's tracts put into his hand, he was led to inquire, to make himself fully acquainted with the controversy; and, after disputing with the Principal on the question of Transubstantiation, and declining to continue his attendance at confession, was requested to resign his position at the College, which he did, and was now butler to a naval gentleman. It was in connection with a prayer or Revival meeting that he had first become acquainted with this person, who, he also added, had been the means of inducing fourteen of the Maynooth students to leave the College, consequent upon religious convictions arising from Scripture inquiries. Another case was that of a young man, who had been sent to the Roman Catholic Missionary College at Drumcondra, the great Propaganda seat of the Church of Rome in Ireland, but who became so convinced of the errors of Romanism that he left the College, having been first led to inquire by the words of a Scripture-reader connected with the Society, whom he accidentally met. The Rev. Gentleman described the operation of the Mission, and referred to the recent case of the abduction of children by Roman Catholic priests in Ireland, to show that the system which had produced the Mortara abduction case was not confined to Rome, but would be carried out wherever the Papal power was predominant, or thought it could brave or defeat the law.

The Rev. W. PLUNKET moved the next resolution :-"That the satisfactory progress of the Society's operations in all the departments of missionary work demands the expression of gratitude to God; and that the testimony afforded by the fact that the altered state of the west of Ireland has created the necessity for the formation of the West Galway Church Endowment Society,' as a means of giving a permanency to the congregations gathered out of Rome, and for which churches have already been built, while it proves the success which has attended the work, calls for increased liberality, and more earnest prayer on behalf of the Society." The Rev. Speaker, after adverting at some length to the success of the efforts, urged that the Endowment Society was a natural result of that success, and claimed for it the support of all who were favourable to the objects of the Irish Church Missions, and desired to extend the gospel, and give permanence to the work of evangelizing the Irish people. A letter from Mr. Plunket on the subject of the West Connaught Endowment Society, was published in the Banner of the Truth for April, in which he fully explained the claims of that interesting Society.

The Bishop of RIPON, in seconding the resolution, said, "It has often been my privilege to appeal on behalf of this Society, and so much has been said, and so well said, in its behalf to-day, that I should despair of adding a single link to the chain of testimony with which we desire to review our progress in this great and all-important crisis. But, in seconding the resolution which has just been moved, I cannot refrain from repeating the convictions which I entertain of the importance of the work which this Society is

aiming to accomplish; and the singular blessings from God, that have rested upon this work. The resolution speaks of the satisfactory progress which has been made in all the departments of the missionary operations of this Society. No one could have listened to the facts detailed in the Report, or have heard the deeply interesting statement made by my right reverend brother, the Bishop of Winchester-a statement relating to scenes which he had visited himself, and in which he had found the work of this Society, and the success accorded to it-without feeling that never, at any former period of the Society's history, has it had more cause to thank God, and take courage. And I cannot but think that that particular society to which the preceding speaker has alluded, is in itself one of the most striking evidences of the blessings which has rested upon the labours of the Society for Irish Church Missions. It appears to me, therefore, that it needs no apology for pleading on behalf of the West Galway Church Endowment Fund at a meeting assembled to speak of Irish Church Missions to Roman Catholics. For what is the real history of that Fund? whence its origin? and what is its object? Its object is to make an endowment for the permanent settlement of the ministry in these new parishes that have necessarily been created by the number of converts brought out from Romanism in West Galway; and it is one peculiarity of the work of this Society, that those converts who, through its instru→ mentality, are brought out of Romanism, remain, for the most part, in the places where they become converts. They do not, as has been the case in some former times, and under some different instrumentalities-they do not at once seek to avoid the persecution which the profession of a pure Protestant faith encounters, but they remain on the spot where they have become converts, and seek, in the true spirit of genuine converts, to win others to Christ. And because they do so remain and continue in the places where they were made converts, it has become necessary first to build churches for them, next to establish an organized ministry for them, and now we have one who is thoroughly conversant with all the scenes and all the features of the work that is going forward, coming amongst you to apply for funds, in order that an adequate endowment may be provided for the support of the ministers of these churches; therefore, when they recapitulate the evidence of success God has granted to the Society, there can be no evidence more striking and conclusive than that which is supplied by the existence of those churches in West Galway. But the resolution also speaks of thankfulness and gratitude to Almighty God for the blessing that has rested on the work. And I rejoice to believe that there is not a single agent connected with the work, nor one member of the committee, or a missionary employed in carrying on the work in Ireland, not a single convert, whom this Society has been instrumental in gathering out of the darkness of Rome, who would not be ready to ascribe all the honour, all the glory, and all the praise to God, and say, 'Not unto us, Lord, not unto us, but to thy name be the glory.' None can be acquainted with the work of this Society, and read the evidence of its success, without seeing in it the mighty finger of God. I trace that finger in the marvellous preparation of the agents. He has raised up to labour in the cause. I trace it in the remarkable method in which converts are added to the true faith. Take this as one) instance: I had the privilege of visiting some of the Mission scenes in Dublin three weeks since; I heard there of a convert who had received his first impression in this remarkable way. He was in a Roman Catholic chapel one Sunday, and heard the priest in the morning service read the text out of Hebrews, For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.' This text occurred in the lesson for the morning, and the very terms of it struck home to the man's mind, and led him to ask whether the teaching of the Church of Rome could be consistent with the Word of God, and, more particularly, with the text so enunciated? This led to his searching the Word of God for himself, and I need not tell you the result. For when does a Roman Catholic fervently search the Word of God, and not find his religion as a Roman Catholic undermined? Must it not have been the Spirit of God that led to the reading of that particular text, and brought it to bear upon that man's mind to accomplish a result which must have been as remote as possible from the contemplation of the priest who read it? I will not detain you, but to propose three questions which, I think, may be very profitably impressed upon the minds of all who hear me, when they depart from this room. The first, what is our real work in connection with this Society? For myself, I never attended one of its meetings without feeling the importance of asking ourselves this question. Our real work is the salvation of souls, it is not to combat the evils of a political system, it is not directly to attempt the amelioration of the social condition of Ireland. I wish to be reminded myself, while I remind you, that the object for which we contend is especially the glory of God in the salvation of the souls of our Roman Catholic brethren. We wage war against the system of Roman Catholicism because that system will not endure the light of God's Word, because it will not save souls, because it derogates from the honour that is due to Christ, because we believe it to be the great system of Anti-Christ predicted and foreknown. And if you will only contemplate our work in this point of view, and only feel that our poor Roman Catholic brethren in Ireland stand as much in need of our Christian sympathy and Christian efforts as the very heathen that know not God, even if they do not stand more in need of it-because a corrupt form of Christianity I take to be more dangerous and pernicious to the soul's welfare than total ignorance of Christianity-you will, I think, need no further argument to induce you to engage earnestly and heartily in the work." The second question is, what is our real strength ? Not the perfection of our outward

instrumentality, not the talent or eloquence of our agents, nor the controversial power of those we employ, and who go forth to evangelize the Roman Catholics, though I by no means undervalue these, but, after all, our real strength must be in the power of the Divine Spirit. Is not this remarkably evidenced of late? Does not the whole history of the Church of Christ teach us this? Take one fact, look to the ministry of our Lord himself, contemplate the results of our Lord's personal ministry. In one point of view nothing could be more affecting, nothing more surprising, than the comparative want of success of that ministry. It would appear as though the words fell from his lips again and again, 'All day long have I stretched forth mine hands to a disobedient and gainsay ing people.' But mark the contrast, the work of the atonement was complete. The Son of God had offered up his life for man's justification. He rose triumphantly to the right hand of the Father, and having by that justification obtained for man, even the most rebellious, the most inestimable gift, that the light of God's Spirit might descend and spread amongst them. Then came the Pentecostal shower, with all its plenary influence, and we find 3000 souls converted in one day. Nor was that all. We read that the Lord added to his Church daily such as should be saved. What does this teach us but that the power of Christianity resides in the presence of the Holy Ghost, the Lord and Giver of life, and that the source of all strength in every work undertaken for God must be the recognition of, and dependence on, the work of the Holy Spirit. There is one other question I will venture to propose, and then I will bring these remarks to a conclusion-what is our plain duty? Christian friends, let me venture to say, I hope the result of this meeting will not be that which has been the result of many similar meetings. We meet together here, and there are those who speak and those who listen, and they depart often very well pleased with each other. But there is no practical, no abiding result, no increased effort, no greater self-sacrifice, no more abundant outpouring of the heart in prayer for the outpouring of God's Holy Spirit. The sound of the speaker's words fade from the recollection; the impressions produced for the moment are effaced; any little temporary excitement that may have been kindled soon evaporates, and then we fall back into the same indifference and listlessness that we were in before. Let not this be the case now. Let not this be the result of our meeting to-day. Let each one present ask, 'What is my duty in this work?' And let me say to my beloved clerical brethren, ask yourselves, each of you, 'What is my duty in this work?' Have you each a branch association in your parish on behalf of this Society? Do you preach in your churches an annual sermon on behalf of this Society? Do you speak of it to your congregations? Do you bring its claims before them? Do you mention it in your prayers? It is, I assure you, a great blessing to bring the claims of this Society before your parishioners. Blessings always follow the speaking of the Lord's work in the conversion of souls. And let me, on behalf of this Society, plead with you, that where you have not now an annual sermon in its behalf you will resolve henceforward to have one, to invite your people to come together and hear what the Lord has done, by the instrumentality of this Society, amongst our Roman Catholic brethren in the sister country. And you, my friends of the laity, what do you intend to do when you leave this meeting? God is meeting us in blessings, shall we not go out after God? Shall we not make further effort? I cannot suppose that all who are here present are annual subscribers, and yet it is upon annual subscriptions that the committee depend. I dare hardly say that the majority of you are annual subscribers. Have you realized that privilege? If you have not, do you mean to do so? If you do mean to do so, do it at once. What I am afraid of is, that if you feel inclined to put down your names, as very likely you do at this moment-if you do it not at once you will go away, and other scenes, other occupations, and other pleasures will dispel the impression which has been made upon you. You will say, I will do it to-morrow or the next day; and the probability is that you will neglect it, and we shall meet again next year with our annual subscribers not more numerous than they are now. I say to you, then, begin at once. But there are annual subscribers here; and to these I say, I thank you from my heart for what you have done. But observe: God has been blessing our efforts in a remarkable degree; and what is the interpretation we should put upon God's blessings? To redouble our efforts; and if you have hitherto subscribed one guinea a-year, now subscribe two. It is your duty to redouble your exertions, as God gives you his blessing, and show that you are hearty and sincere in the work. And remember, if you desire the work to prosper, you must not only pray for its success, but you must also act, for prayer without action is but hypocrisy, just as action without prayer would be but presumption."

The resolution having been carried,

The Bishop of KILMORE moved the thanks of the meeting to the Chairman, and took occasion to speak of the value of the Society for Irish Church Missions, and bore testimony to the improvement it had afforded, socially, politically, and religiously, wherever its influence extended.

The Bishop of SIERRA LEONE seconded the motion, which, having been carried, was briefly acknowledged by Mr. COLQUHOUN.

The Bishop of RIPON then pronounced the blessing, and dismissed the Meeting.