Her noble and fearless conduct has caused the greatest sensation. She has openly given up Rome for ever, and I believe that she is guided and strengthened by the Holy Spirit. Already another girl, who was, doubtless, strengthened by her example, has given up Rome, and is anxiously inquiring. The priest has openly denounced them from the altar, and also threatens damnation on all who speak to them.

I do, indeed, bless God for this evidence of the Holy Spirit in our work, and pray that He may continue to direct, guide, and comfort us, for Christ's sake.

LOUTH.

(From the Missionary.)

EVERY month now brings with it more and more cheering facts, which are well fitted to prove to us that our labours have not been in vain, and for which we desire humbly to acknowledge the good hand of our God. On a recent Sunday evening, fourteen converts (converts of the last year) were observed in the parish church of Drogheda, at the service. The visiting during the month has been most satisfactory.

The tabular statement which I will give at the end of this report, will show at one view how and to what extent our work is prospering in one most important branch of our work, viz., the ragged school of Drogheda, affording to us, as it certainly does, a very strong proof that it is necessary only to use means, judiciously, zealously, perseveringly, and in humble dependence upon God's promises, to secure a measure of success in the work of spreading the gospel among the Romanists of this country. The attendance at our school during the past three years may be thus compared :

Another remarkable feature of success is in the sale amongst Roman Catholics of the authorized version of the Scriptures. On one Saturday, for instance, no less than twenty-three copies were sold to Roman Catholics by the colporteur in the open market place, without any hindrance or opposition. On the previous Saturday, a Roman Catholic farmer came up to the stall, and asked the colporteur if he had a book in which he could find that text (pointing to a placard on a wall near at hand). The verse was soon shown to him, and he bought the book.

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In Dundalk, two monks, observing the placard poster about to remove a soiled placard, went up to him, and said, Surely you are not going to tear that paper-it is a good one." The placard was, "What must I do to be saved?" with the answer, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved." The man replied, "I am going to put as good a one in its place." "What are you going to put now?" The man replied, "The one way. One of the monks immediately replied, in a tone of surprise, "The one way!" "The one way!" "Yes," replied the man; and they waited until he had posted it, and then went away. The placard was John xiv. 6-"Jesus said unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life; no man cometh unto the Father but by me."

One of the Readers had a long and pleasing discussion in the street with about thirty Romanists. Their tone and manner were characterized by firmness and marked respect. The subject discussed was the intercession of the Virgin Mary. The replies made by the Reader to their arguments were heard and listened to with patience, and the discussion turned in the end on the way in which a sinner can be saved. They all ceased to object, and they heard many very strong and precious verses of God's Word. Tears were observed by the Reader to be flowing down the cheeks of one poor man, who listened most attentively to what was said, and seemed to take a deep interest in all that passed.

THE

BANNER OF THE TRUTH IN IRELAND.

JUNE 2, 1862.

·000·

Important Testimony.

WE have much pleasure in calling attention to the following testimony to the work of the Society in Ireland, from two gentlemen who visited Dublin during the week of the Annual Meetings, and who were evidently qualified to judge of the character and progress of the Missionary

movement.

The first letter which we subjoin is from Lieut.-Colonel M. Rowlandson, who formerly held high official position in the East, and who has had much experience of missionary work abroad. The second letter is from T. R. Andrews, Esq., of Wimbledon, who has recently joined the London Committee, and who also visited the Missions, for the first time, on the occasion referred to :

FROM COLONEL ROWLANDSON.

"I have been requested to state what were the impressions left upon my mind from my recent visit to the Missions of the Irish Church Missions.

'During a period of several consecutive days, opportunities were afforded me for a close inspection of the Mission Schools; of conferring fully and freely with the Missionaries of the Society, the Scripture Readers, and Agents. I was also present at missionary services, a general examination of the children, brought together from the various schools in Dublin, and a controversial lecture. "The conclusions I arrived at were the following:"1st. For the things taught.

"I saw there no confounding of Christian and spiritual objects with mere political and social reforms. No substitution of mere formal and ritual religion for vital and saving Christianity.

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"It was not, I rejoiced to see, a diluted Gospel that was taught, but a full and complete salvation, through the atoning blood and righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ.

"I was particularly struck with the close adherence to the Word of God, and the bold and faithful avowal of all the distinctive principles of evangelical truth.

"2nd. For the persons who taught.

"In consequence of the anniversary meetings of the several Christian Societies being then held in Dublin, I had the privilege, I believe, of meeting the greater part of the ordained Missionaries engaged in the work of the Society, as well as a very large band of its other agents-the Scripture Readers. As regards the clergymen, I felt that I had never, in any foreign missionary field, met with a body exhibiting more intelligence, ability, or zeal, or possessing altogether higher spiritual attainments, or qualifications for missionary work. In the Scripture Readers and Schoolmasters also I observed a devotedness and warmhearted consecration to their work; an amount of Scriptural knowledge and ability to impart it to others, much above the ordinary standard.

"3rd. For the converts, and those taught.

The features of the work that most arrested my attention here, were the earnest searching after truth on the part of the converts and inquirers, both old and young (for amongst the Sunday-school classes I found many of 60 or 70 years of age), their keen scrutiny of the Scripture texts brought forward to establish doctrine, and the almost restless anxiety exhibited for a sounder and purer creed, than that in which they had been brought up.

"The faithful and direct teaching of Bible truth, the controversial classes, and the silent influence exerted by the handbills, I rejoiced to observe, had evidently been blessed by God, to the infliction of some very heavy blows upon two of Rome's most formidable strongholds, viz., the power of the Romish priest, and the gross darkness of the Roman Catholic population. From what I heard, also, of the increased readiness of access afforded to the Missionaries and Agents of the Society; of the greatly increased sale of Bibles amongst the Roman Catholic population in the country districts of Ireland; and the greatly diminished

hostility encountered by the Society's Agents, I was led to believe that large masses, ere long, may be dislodged; and that a movement may be seen amongst the Roman Catholics of Ireland far beyond the present means of the Irish Church Missions at all adequately to meet or provide

for.

"Of such as, in the providence of God, the Society had been entrusted with, from what I saw in Ireland, I felt that there had been a very happy and successful investment of every shilling; and that God had put much honour upon the persevering love and prayerful efforts of the chief human instrument of this great work—I mean the Rev. A. Dallas.

"I felt, also, that much had been owing to that noble band of devoted Christian women in Dublin, by whose self-denying, prayerful, and single-hearted consecration of themselves to the work, the hands of the Missionaries had been upheld, and the heart of many a poor convert and inquirer had been cheered and sustained.

"The open and straightforward principle of an aggressive Christianity has been uniformly maintained by the Irish Church Missions, and God has greatly owned and blessed it. With this, let us have also the largest possible admixture of Christian tenderness and sympathy.

"No possible harm can be incurred by the exercise of the highest amount of candour in dealing with a Roman Catholic opponent. Let him be placed in an exact equality of privilege in every public discussion. The power of truth, in combination with candour and gentleness, must, in the long run, prevail.

"In all human agencies and works there must be some deduction for human infirmity; but I can honestly declare, that I could perceive but very little capable of human improvement in the work of the Irish Church Missions. "May, 1862." "M. J. R."

FROM MR. ANDREWS.

"You ask me to give some account of my late visit to Dublin, and also to state the impressions made upon my mind by what I saw and heard of the work of the Irish Church Missions whilst there.