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I look, that I "thank God and take courage:" it is then that "with all her faults," I am proud of the land in which we live. Well might the enlightened individual * who had spent the greater part of his life in visiting distant countries-countries where freedom and independence are names that have never been pronounced-well might he apostrophize his native shores, as the blessed asylum of all that is worth possessing upon earth. Well might he hail the island in which he drew his first breath, as the sanctuary of religion and of liberty for the whole habitable globe. Well might he exclaim, "O England! the dwelling-place of filial piety and parental love and connubial bliss, the cradle of genius, the temple of charity, the school of sages, the refuge of the oppressed,

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Where'er I roam, whatever realms to see,

My heart, untravell'd, fondly turns to thee!'"'

Shew then, my friends, at this time, by the overflowings of tenderness and mercy, that you are Britons;- shew that you are Christians;-shew that you are men. And may your prayers and your alms come up as a memorial before God!

Church of England and Churches of America.

Ir is amusing in one sense, but disgusting in another, to see the professions made by candidates at the present Election of attachment to the Established Church. These are thrown out to conciliate the clergy, and to prevent the mob from charging these candidates with good-will to the Roman Catholics. If necessary, the same gentlemen would profess hatred of the meeting-house, or would abjure any doctrine or system which popular dislike should prescribe.

There is no subject upon which our public men are generally so sensitive as the Church. This is owing partly to the remains of the old prejudice that it is requisite that a man should stand well with the Church in order to be safe at last, partly to the strength of the ecclesiastical body, who are able to run down, or at least to cry down, any obnoxious statesman or candidate for parliament, and partly and principally to the interest that so large a proportion of our aristocracy and gentry and upper merchants and tradesmen have in church property as a provision for some member or members of their families. The whole

* Dr. Clarke.

mob at Ephesus shouted "Great is Diana!" but the shrinemakers for the goddess raised the cry and kept it up.

How different are matters in the United States of America! There the Church never dictates to the State: no religious, or rather irreligious watch-word embroils politi cal feelings: every man's own church is the only established church. There religion exists without tithes, and sects abound without persecution or confusion. There churches are like schools, different lessons are taught in them, and the scholars have different methods of repeating the same lesson, but the end of all is one and the same, viz. useful instruction.

The contrast between England and the United States of America, was forcibly impressed upon us the other day, on seeing a letter from the latter country, in which the writer says that the Unitarian Church at Washington is well supported-that the PRESIDENT of the United States is a constant attendant, having a pew lined with scarlet velvet, and his name upon it-that the Secretary of IVar has also a pew and regularly attends-and that the minister of the Unitarian Church; Mr. Little, an Englishman, well known to some of our readers, holds an office which does not interfere with his church duties, and is treated by the President with marked attention and great kindness. After reading this, we could not help imagining the hubbub that would be raised throughout the kingdom, and the cry of danger to the Constitution that would resound through every city, town and village, if his Majesty and my Lord Liverpool were seen every Sunday at Essex-Street Chapel, and the Lord Mayor and Court of Aldermen at Finsbury Chapel, and Mr. Fox were made the King's private secretary!

Could men really live were this to take place?

Even so- -(startle not, good reader!) for we see by the experience of America, that the President can well and truly instruct the American ministers how to treat with Mr. Canning, and can send a satisfactory message to Con. gress, though he joins in Mr. Little's prayers to the Father only; and that the war-minister can do his duty in keep ing up the requisite military establishment on the Indian frontier, and in providing for the defence of the country in any future war, though he hears that gentleman's weekly discourses, in which Christianity is represented as a reasonable doctrine, and good morals are enforced as an essential part of true religion.

Midland Catholic Association.

In the month of April, the Annual Meeting of this Association was held at Birmingham, EDWARD BLOUNT, Esq., in the Chair. Some interesting resolutions were passed, and amongst the rest the following, unanimously:

"The Members of the Midland Roman Catholic Association hereby declare, that, in their opinion, it is the inalienable right of every British subject to worship God according to the dictates of his conscience, without being subjected, on that account, to any civil pains, penalties, or disabilities whatsoever. That it is notorious that various laws are now in force which impose upon large classes of British subjects many such pains, penalties and disabilities, solely on account of their conscientious adherence to opinions purely religious. The Midland Catholic Association considers it not less expedient with reference to the general interests of the United King. dom, than strictly just with regard to the constitutional rights of the above-mentioned numerous classes of British subjects, that all such laws should be repealed. That as these laws are in principle equally unjust with reference to all who differ in religious belief from the Established Church, although in their operation they bear more severely upon Roman Catholics than upon Dissenters, the Associa, tion considers it the duty of all who suffer under them to unite their exertions to obtain their total and unqualified repeal, being con, vinced that the united exertion and cordial co-operation of all such sufferers will be much more likely to procure them redress than the anconnected efforts of the different bodies of Roman Catholics and Dissenters. The Association, therefore, thus publicly expresses its anxious wish to join the Dissenters of this town and neighbourhood in common exertions to obtain the full enjoyment of their constitu tional rights. For this purpose, it ventures to propose the formation of a Society in the Midland Counties, which shall have for its sole object, without reference to any political question, or to any religious opinion, the obtaining the unconditional repeal of every law which imposes any religious test, oath, or declaration, other than a simple oath of civil allegiance to the Government of the country, as a qualification for holding office. The Association, therefore, invites Dis seuters of every denomination, Catholics, and those most numerous, liberal and respectable Protestants of the Established Church, who wish to support the rights of every class of their fellow-subjects, and to wipe off the foul blot of religious intolerance which now attaches to their country, to come forward and form such a society. And the Committee of the Midland Catholic Association are hereby requested to take all such steps which they may deem advisable for promoting the formation of the Society above mentioned."

Another resolution, with the introductory speech and the speech that followed, we quote from a provincial periodical, The Truth-Teller, as singular proofs of the liberality and growing wisdom of the times.

"Rev. T. M. M'DONNELL moved the 8th Resolution, which was one of thanks to that respectable and intelligent class of men, the Mechanics of Birmingham, who had come forward just as the Catholics

wished to examine and discuss their question, and then pronounce their opinion. Mr. M'D. gave an interesting account of the Meeting, and stated the fact, that, of an assemblage of between 4 and 500 individuals, composed of the mechanics and others from the middling and industrious classes of the inhabitants, but 13 were found to hold up their hands against the resolutions. This, he said, was an important fact, and shewed the progress which liberal and enlightene principles were making among this description of persons. But one generation since, and in this very town, an illustrious philosopher, Dr. Priestley, was driven into exile-his house demolished, and his library committed to the flames-while the fires around proclaimed but too faithfully the flames which the torch of Bigotry had lit up in the hearts of the populace. It was, however, a cheering and important fact, that but little more than thirty years had passed away, and the populace of the same town have met and passed resolutions more liberal in their spirit, more general and comprehensive in their extent, than have yet been adopted by the Legislature of the country. "Mr. CANNING seconded the resolution, and it was carried unanimously. On which

"Mr. JAMES MARDEN rose and said,- There are situations, Mr. Chairman and Gentlemen, in which a person may find himself placed, when he cannot remain silent. In such a situation I feel myself at the present moment. The very handsome notice you have taken of our humble efforts in the cause of Religious Freedom last year, calls on me, in behalf of my coadjutors as well as myself, to return you our warmest and most respectful acknowledgments. When I entered this room I had not the most distant idea of intruding myself on your attention, and on this account, should my heart outstrip my head, must rely on your indulgence. The good opinion and thanks of those whom we respect and esteem, cannot but be gratifying to every welldisposed mind; but when, as in the present instance, we witness those whose talents and exertions command our admiration, advocating the same glorious principles as ourselves, the gratification is indeed a cheering one. It is at all times to me a source of delightful feeling to hear from Catholic lips sentences glowing with liberality and freedom. I have always been favourable to Catholic Emancipation, because I consider it the cause of justice; but it is only recently that I have been convinced that an attachment to Catholicism did not naturally dispose the mind to have a leaning towards arbitrary power. In this respect, I thank God, I have outlived my prejudices; but there are many conscientious Protestants who are warm friends to freedom generally, yet on principle are opposed to us on this subject. We peruse our Neals, our Bennetts, and our Burnets, and from them we learn to detest persecution and arbitrary power; but it is not unfre quent that we imbibe likewise a misrepresentation of Catholics, and a belief that Catholicism and tyranny are very intimately acquainted. But, Gentlemen, these prejudices and obstacles are fast dying away. The times are propitious, and the mental atmosphere of our country is becoming more and more free from the mists and vapours which once obscured it. Although your cause be not supported in the way which it deserves-though there may be those (of whom you might have hoped better things) that do not co-operate with you-and although success has not yet crowned your exertions, yet be not discouraged; flag not in your noble and arduous conflict with the

bigotry and prejudices of the age. If ye cannot do all ye wish, do all ye can; remember that no good effort is ever finally lost, and that that body of men, who, in struggling for their rights, are easily discouraged and disheartened, neither deserve nor are likely to obtain success."

OBITUARY.

1826. May 7, in the 69th year of his age, WILLIAM COWLEY, of Totnes, Devon, a steady and resolute supporter of those doctrines which he regarded as the main pillars of Christian truth, the Unity of God and the Humanity of Jesus, the Christ, His servant and messenger.

Punctual in his attendance at the house of God, and ever ready to defend the system of religion he professed, he habitually and fearlessly expressed his disapprobation of the conduct of those who desert the standard of truth, or hesitate to support the doctrines they really believe, from "a fear of what man can do unto them," or from "a hope of worldly emolument.". And it is to be lamented that so many and so frequent occasions arose to call forth this disapprobation. He justly considered it to be the duty of every professing Christian to search for the truth in the pages of holy writ, and, when found, to profess it at all hazards. The respect due to his superiors in virtue and knowledge, he cheerfully paid; but he considered the possession of wealth alone, to be a mistaken ground of superiority; and, though by no means in affluent circumstances, he steadily refused to sacrifice his independence, as he saw others around him doing, by servility or flattery, or any other mean compliances.

In politics he was a Radical Reformer, and though this charac ter was sometimes given to him, as it is given to others, by way of reproach or derision, it was a character he rejoiced to bear, and which he even gloried in. In religion he was a Unitarian Christian; and knowing that He who created the mind, created it free, he always spoke as he thought, and delivered his opinion with becoming freedom, though not with impertinent interference. This independent and fearless way of expressing his sentiments, often brought upon him unmerited abuse from those whose opinions were different from his own; but he never swerved from what he considered to be the truth, and persevered in declaring and defending the doctrines which he believed, through evil report and good report." His duties of private and social life he conscientiously discharged; and he was, I believe, a truly honest man. This of itself is no mean praise, if the axiom of the poet be true,

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"An honest man's the noblest work of God."

He met with an accident from a fall a few days before his death, and received several severe contusions in his arm and

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