42 A shocking report about a dead body. Advertiser, the week before last; and I hope you will be able to find out who it is that has reported such scandalous. lies; and if you do to follow the law on them, as me and another sister are quite ready to appear as witnesses that they are abominable lies; for we both saw her about five minutes before the coffin was screwed down, and there was no such thing. I wrote to my Aunt Large to know if it was our dear sister that the scandal was about, and I received. an answer, this morning, to say it was; and she wished me to write to you about it. I hope you will do all you can to find out who it is. There was not any one who saw her on the Sunday, only the man that screwed her down, and a boy who came to ask if he might see her, and our own friends. You are quite welcome to make what use you think well of what I have said to you, as I think it is such a scandalous thing, both for you and us to have such lies reported about a dear departed sister. P.S.-Please to excuse me taking the liberty of writing to you; but I thought it my duty to do so. From MARY ANN WOODHOUSE, ELM VICARAGE, NEAR WISBEACH, YOUNGEST Sister of the Deceased." The foregoing letter proves the falsehood of the saying, that "there must be fire where there is smoke." The devil, being 'the prince of the power of the air,” can raise smoke enough out of dust which he blows and into which he spits fire. Smoke of any sort is bad, even that of tobacco. Bad people are fond of smoke of some sort. The wild Irish live in dirt, smoke, and ignorance. Most of their dwelling houses have no chimney at all, only a hole in the roof, instead of a window, to admit the air, and to let the smoke of the fire, the people's breath, and that of horses, cows, sheep, and pigs, which live with them, escape through God save the Queen! for poor Vicars. 43 it. It is on this account that I can never be a 'priest," lest I should burn incense, or kindle the devil of pride and deception in myself, and the devil of creatureworship in another. 'Priests' are my biggest enemies. The unreformed system of our church causes bishops, archdeacons, and rural-deans, to receive secretly false accusations against poor vicars. The poor vicars are thus ruined without giving them a chance to clear their character; while rich rectors, who give good dinners, are never so treated by the Church chiefs. The Queen, however, prevents the Church dignitaries. from taking away directly the bread out of the mouth of the poor vicars, as she requires open court trial before turning them out of their Living. For this I say, "God save the Queen! "May she defend our laws, And ever give us cause, To sing with heart and voice, "O! Lord God arise; Frustrate their knavish tricks. The worst form of government in the world is the Ecclesiastical, as it means secrecy and tyranny. I have often prayed to the Lord, therefore, so to govern His Church as not to be managed by secret and underhand church accusers, that is, not to be dis-established from State protection and control. Dis-establishment would not suit my nature at all, as my warm Irish 44 Dis-establishment means Popish tricks. blood would be over-heated in the Ecclesiastical Inquisition fire. Popery got up and kindled this fire, under the pretence of respectability, piety, and mercy. My only wish for poor ministers of the gospel is to be allowed sufficient food and decent clothes, and to be protected by English open court law from being ruined by underhand secret church accusers. God bless the Queen for protecting poor vicars from such characters! I do advocate heartily and earnestly Church Reform from root to branch; but not the cutting away of the control of sensible English gentlemen in parliament, presided over by the Queen. I should give to the poor clergy, some of the money which some bishops, and many Church dignitaries, take in excess. At this time I grew rather fond of the following song: The shout of our Fathers-the Church and the CrownUprouse ev'ry heart at the cry! 'Twas their old battle-call on the plains of renown, The toast of our Fathers, it warm'd their glad cheer, And still to the soul of each Briton be dear, Church and Queen,-Church and Queen. The Crown of our Fathers, long-long may its light, They battled and bled for its Protestant right, And their children can stand for it now, On the principles based, which raised it, the throne,- And never henceforth disunited be known, CHAPTER VII. Neither morals nor religion without some veneration-The Anniversaries of the Primitive Methodists-The position assumed by Popish religious chiefs ruinous to the morals and progress of the young-Dissenting Miracles and their effects on farming-Instead of degrading the people by ecclesiastical politics, Gospel teaching proves all Christians to be channels of grace rather than Bishops and Priests-Position and money, and not Low-Church doctrines, the most acceptable things now-a-days-Church and chapel contrasted. PER ERHAPS it was ploughing up, by some unknown person in former times, the relic of antiquity in which the Hundred Court of Justice was held, in this parish in the open air by the express order of William Rufus, that has killed much religious veneration in the soul of the inhabitants of this parish and district. The bad effects of a disendowed church seem to be contagious; for the inhabitants of this whole district as well as of this parish are continually before the magistrates. In the absence of the conversion of the heart by the Holy Ghost, respect for the good things of antiquity, and regard for justice and propriety, help to improve the character. Here all farmers had been refused farms, in olden times, who were Conservatives. And it came to pass that all sorts of characters found their way, in past generations, into this place. All this helped the continuance of the state of things which Henry VIII. had arranged; for 46 Popery and Methodism indulging the people. godless and grovelling politicians were here after his time. There can be no religion without allowing the medium to exist through which it can work or shew itself. We cannot worship God without having the feeling of veneration, which enables us to direct ourselves to Him and to His service. The nature of veneration is to preserve the harmless things of antiquity, and to teach us to worship God, because He is before all things. The only thing which reminds people now of the open air preaching of the law in the Hundred Court, is the Anniversary gatherings of the Primitive Methodists. Here are found loud shouts and dying whispers from excitement, laughter and melancholy, praying and preaching, ending up with drinking, rows, and fighting by the camp-followers. On the following day there are games, sports, feasting, and tea parties. The intention of the purely religious is good; but these gatherings, which take place always on Sunday, are practically used for sport and frolic, and for keeping the people under the many leaders; for each is flattered by the position of importance which they gave him. Crowds flock from all parts, and all sorts of characters come to these meetings. The people enjoy their Anniversary frolic as if it was their translation, like Enoch's, to heaven. Similarly the Pope gets up Irish gatherings annually, at which all sorts of things are carried on to please the people, and to give them a chance to be natural. So love-making, gambling, drinking, and fighting, are carried on at these Popish Anniversaries in "the Island of Saints." At these Methodist Anniversaries a prize is given to |