Wales. It was not long before Daniel Rowlands was compelled, because of his faithfulness, to leave the Church of England. We have seen how remarkable was the change wrought upon him, and how abundantly his labours were blessed to the effecting of a change upon the people-how wondrously he preached, and how gladly they received, the word of salvation. It was not to have been expected-indeed, it could not have been that Rowlands, so filled with the love of Christ, and so eager to proclaim the message of that love to poor perishing souls, could long look upon the parishes by which he was surrounded, and the inhabitants of which were sleeping the sleep of death under a ministry as careless and as soul-destroying as he knew his own had once been, without feeling inclined, or rather impelled, to do something by which they might be roused from their slumbers, and made to flee from the wrath to come. The chief obstacle he expected in the way of his doing so, was the opposition which he might receive from the various clergymen; and as he was anxious to go about the discharge of the duty as peacefully as possible, he thought it right, in the first place, to ask, or get others to ask, these clergymen's consent. This was in some instances obtained, and in others refused. Where it was obtained, he eagerly availed himself of the opportunities it afforded him; and, with unwearied energy, went about teaching and preaching in the name of Jesus. And the results were everywhere as remarkable as at Llangeitho. Multitudes assembled to hear him, and, seized first with deep convictions of sin, were very many of them brought to the knowledge of the truth. A change was wrought upon the whole appearance of parishes. Sabbath desecration was given up-the sinful amusements in which the people had formerly most pleasure were cast aside-the churches were filled, and numerous prayer-meetings were formed. Even the boldest in wickedness were overcome. The following is the story of one remarkable conversion: a short time his words became very powerful; so penetrating and terrific, that his hearers stood fixed with amazement, and trembling with fear. The appearance of the gentleman soon changed. His countenance fell; his limbs quaked, and the tears streamed down his cheeks; and he could no longer stand up on the seat. He came down, and sat with his head towards the ground, shedding tears profusely. In this humble posture the gentleman remained till the end of the service, and listened as silently to the sermon as his weeping would allow him. It was a singular sight to all present, and produced on them a very great impression. After the service was over, the gentleman went to meet Rowlands, in a very humble and trembling manner. He confessed his presumption in attempting to confound him, and his sin and invited him kindly to his house. Rowlands' corin profaning the Lord's-day. He asked his pardon, duct was, of course, such as became the occasion. He kindly received him-cheerfully and thankfully accepted his invitation. He went and dined at his house, and stayed there that night. This was the life. This gentleman, and several others from the commencement of a friendship that continued through same neighbourhood, were afterwards in the habit of coming regularly to Llangeitho to hear Rowlands There are some now living who well remember this gentleman, and who had often seen him at Llangeitho. It was his practice to resort there, at least every month, while he lived; and his whole life bore a creditable testimony to the sincerity of his religion. The ministers and gentry, however, soon took the alarm; and seeing such a change upon the people, and a change, as they deemed it, greatly for the worse, determined upon retrieving, if possible, the fortunes of ungodliness. With this view, the first thing attempted was to put a stop to the itinerating visits of Rowlands, which they expected would be done easily enough by the refusal, on the part of the ministers, of the use of the parish churches. In this calculation, however, they found themselves mistaken. The churches were shut, but the fields were open; and Rowlands came as before; and although not in the churches, yet by the way-side, or at the mountain base, or on the sea-shore, declared his message to the multitudes, now greatly increased, who flocked from all distances to hear him. The next step taken by his ene mies was to get those "of the baser sort," of whom there are some in every parish, stirred up to abuse and maltreat him. But "none of these things moved him." "The servant is not There was in the parish of Ystradffin a gentle man, who was, during the season, in the habit of amusing himself with hunting on the Sabbath mornings. He did so on one of the Sabbaths that Row-greater than his Lord;" and knowing this, and lands was to preach there. He went out to hunt on the mountains with his dogs, and some of his servants and of his tenants accompanied him. He had heard that a stranger was to preach in the church that day, and had also heard the common report, that he was one not quite right in his mind. As he returned from hunting, he came by the church; and he and his companions went in, more, it seems, for the purpose of a frolic than anything else. With the evident intention of perplexing and confounding the preacher, the gentleman stood up on a seat just opposite the pulpit, and put on a face of the utmost insolence and con tempt. Rowlands saw him, and fully understood his object; but the effect produced on him, though then young, was the reverse of what the gentleman expected. Rowlands went on without seeming to notice him, and with great readiness of utterance. In comforted by it, he did not suffer any such personal annoyances to arrest him in a course on the pursuing of which he believed that the sal vation of the souls of multitudes depended. The last step taken by his enemies was to complain of him to the bishop; and here they, of course, succeeded. The bishop sent for Rowlands, and ordered him to desist from preaching in any parish but his own. Rowlands told him boldly, and at once, that he could not obey such of knowledge; that those who ought to feed an order; that the people were perishing for lack them were giving them stones, instead of bread; and that, knowing these things, he felt their blood would be upon his head, if he did not THE DOCTRINES OF MAYNOOTH. seize upon the opportunities which God's providence offered, of carrying to them, and urging upon their acceptance, the Word of life. Such considerations, however, were as nothing to the bishop, who, when he found that Rowlands could not be moved to give up his evangelizing work, deprived him of his churches, and expelled him from the Episcopal communion. This summary proceeding, however, neither affected his preaching nor interrupted the progress of the good work. He preached, as before, with that earnestness and unction which appear to have been peculiarly his own; and, as before, thousands poured forth from the whole Principality to receive the Lord's message at his lips. At Llangeitho, where he continued statedly to minister, between three and four thousand assembled every Sabbath-an extraordinary number, if we consider that the district is one very thinly inhabited. People came commonly from ten to fifteen miles around, and many from greater distances. On sacramental Sabbaths, which were observed monthly, some came from the distance of forty, fifty, and sixty miles. It appears from the Life of the late Rev. Thomas Charles, that several occasionally went to Llangeitho from Bala-a journey not less than sixty miles. From twenty to thirty travelled together, or in two companies, some on foot and some on horseback, both men and women. Those on foot started early on Saturday, and took a shorter course over the mountains, without any support except the food they brought with them, and their drink was pure water from the mountain springs. They had particular resting-places where they usually stopped to take some refreshment. After hearing one or two sermons from Rowlands, they returned home again, fully satisfied, and abundantly repaid for all the toil of their journey. The spiritual food they had got for the soul made them feel less the fatigue of the body, and tended to relieve its weariness. But this journeying to Llangeitho was not peculiar to Bala; it was from all parts on every sidenorth, south, east, west, though not from every quarter to the same extent. The springs are still shown where companies usually stopped and rested, and quenched their thirst. There were some at Llangeitho at times even from Anglesea, more than a hundred miles distant. There were some there at times from every county in the Principality. And the results were soon seen over the whole country. The crowds who came from these distances, like those who, in days of old, went down for corn to Egypt, returned home laden with the bread of life, not only for themselves, but for their friends who had stayed behind; and thus all were fed. A revival took place, which spread over all the counties of South Wales; and as the Spirit of God moved of old on the face of chaos, transforming its confusion into the order and beauty which now mark our system; so there, moving in the hearts of men, the whole face of society was changed, and multitudes who all their days had lived in forgetfulness of God, and in heedless violation of his law, were now numbered among his redeemed and peculiar people, and, by their lives and conversations, adorned the profession of the Gospel. WHEN first thy eyes unveil, give thy soul leave EARLY RISING AND PRAYER. 127 To do the like; our bodies but forerun Dawn with the day: these are set awful hours And whisperings amongst them. Not a spring And oak doth know I AM!-Canst thou not sing? Oh! leave thy cares and follies! go this way, And thou art sure to prosper all the day. Serve God before the world; let Him not go Until thou hast a blessing; then resign The whole unto Him, and remember who Prevailed by wrestling ere the sun did shine Pour oil upon the stones, seek sin forgiven, Then journey on, and have an eye to heaven. Mornings are mysteries: the first world's youth, Man's resurrection, and the future's bud, Shroud in their births; the crown of life, light, truth, Is styled their star-the stone and hidden food: Three blessings wait upon them, one of which Should move they make us holy, happy, rich. When the world's up, and every swarm abroad, Keep well thy temper, mix not with each clay; Despatch necessities; life hath a load Which must be carried on, and safely may: Yet keep those cares without thee; let the heart Be God's alone, and choose the better part. THERE is not, perhaps, in the whole Romish system anything more utterly opposed to the Word of God, or more destructive to the interests of morality, than its well known doctrine of the distinction between mortal and venial sins. The Word of God declares that "whosoever committeth sin" (not a great, or heinous, or aggravated sin, but "sin"-sin generally, in any form, or to any extent) "transgresseth also the law; for sin is the transgression of the law." And he who, in anything, even the slightest, transgresses that law, is declared to be exposed to the curse which has been given forth by God as its sanction; for "cursed is every one that continueth not in ALL THINGS which are written in the book of the law to do them." "The wages of sin is death." "The soul that sinneth, it shall die." And "he that offendeth in one point is guilty of all." The reason of this is obvious. Every sin, whether more or less heinous, of necessitv involves a denial of God's sovereign and righteous authority. When man sets himself against the law, he sets himself also against the lawgiver; and therefore sin, in its essence, is just an attempt to subordinate God's authority to man's will. God says, in his law, "Thou shalt not,"-man says, when in any point he disobeys that law, "I shall." And thus, he would exalt himself above God. It will not do to say that the matter of a particular sin may be in its nature trifling-that, according to common phrase, it is "a little sin," and therefore not deserving of punishment. Such an idea proceeds from entire ignorance or forgetfulness both of the character of God, as so infinitely holy a Being that he is "of purer eyes than even to behold evil;" of the character of the law, as in itself and in all its requirements, "holy, and just, and good," a transcript of the divine perfections, and no more admitting of relaxation than these; and of the position of man as a being created in the image of God, and bound, by every consideration of duty, to love the Lord his God with all his soul, and strength, and mind. 1. God can demand nothing less than perfect obedience; and "to say that he may convert the curse of the law into some lesser penalty, because man by depravity is unable to keep it, is just to say that God holds himself responsible for man's corruption." 2. The law can be satis Very different is the doctrine taught by the Church of Rome, and taught, as we shall see, at Maynooth. She has sins which her children may commit with comparative impunity, without at all coming under that curse which God has denounced against the transgressors of his law, and without any fear of that "wrath" which is "declared from heaven" against "all unrighteousness!" She distinguishes between sins mortal and sins venial; the former, she says, deserving the wrath of God, and the latter not deserving it! And the list of venial sins is such, that a man might almost live a lifetime and never be guilty of a mortal one! Will it be believed-a Papist may steal, and lie, and get drunk, and all the while, according to Maynooth theology, do nothing for which a pure and holy God might dismiss him for ever from his presence! That here we are not exaggerating will abundantly appear from the subjoined passages from Dens and Bailly, for which we entreat the careful perusal of our readers. We believe that many of them are not aware of the fearful liberties which Rome takes with the unchangeable, because holy, law of God. Dens first states that there are two kinds of sinmortal and venial. He then proceeds thus :"What is mortal sin ?-It is that which of itself brings spiritual death to the soul. "What is venial sin?-That which does not bring fied with nothing less than perfect obedience. A law spiritual death to the soul, or that which does not turn that should tolerate its own transgression in any one particular were self-destructive; and the toleration of sin, however small, by a holy law, is a contradiction in terms. 3. Man is bound to give nothing less. This follows as a consequent. He is bound both by the holiness of the law, and by the authority of God. If God's right is to demand perfect obedience, then man's duty is to render it. He ought to render it, as the creature to the Creator, as the subject to the Sovereign, as the child to the Father, knowing, as he does all the time, that God requires nothing which is either wrong or unreasonable. His "commands are not grievous." away from its ultimate end, or which is only slightly repugnant to the order of right reason. "Is venial sin allowed ?-It is certain, not only from the divine compassion, but from the nature of the thing, that venial sins, or so slight ones as in just men may consist with a state of grace and friendship with God, are allowed." The question, then, of course, arises, What particular sins are mortal, and what are venial? and the answer given by Dens is as follows: "Some rules are everywhere assigned by theologians by which it can generally be discovered what sins are in their own nature mortal or venial. Steyaert assigns one : that is to be considered mortal. For example, if it "When Scripture speaks of any sin in severe terms, calls it scelus, nequitia, iniquitas, abominatio, or says that it is worthy of death, hated by God, that it excludes from the kingdom of God, that it cries to heaven; if there be prefixed, Alas!' &c. On the contrary, that sin is considered to be venial, when Scripture uses milder expressions, as if it employs the word mote,' 'stubble,' 'hay,' &c., or but slightly blames it (!); as, 'In the multitude of words there wanteth not sin' (Prov. x. 19); and, 'Every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give an account thereof in the day of judgment.'-Matt. vii. 36. Indeed, the more trivial the matter in connection with which sin is committed, the less excuse is there for its commission. It was no excuse for the sin of our first parents, that it consisted merely in their eating a piece of fruit. That was what some might call a "trivial sin;" but it did not appear so in the eye of Him who judgeth righteously; for He has told us, that in consequence of that sin, death has passed upon us all. Indeed the authority of God seems to be more despised by the commission of small sins, than by the commission of great ones. "Doth it not argue great contempt of God, when you will not obey him in a matter that you yourselves count small and inconsiderable? When we sin we flatter ourselves straight-That which, on its own account, cannot be mortal, with this, 'Is it not a little one?' But if it be but a little one to commit, it is but a little one to refrain from. It is an aggravation of sin, rather than an excuse, to say, our sins are but little ones. It shows a heart hardened against God, and shows a great contempt of all that he can say to us, or do against us, when we choose rather to break his commands, and despise his power, wrath, and justice, than forego our little gins."* *Bishop Hopkin's Works, i. 296. "What sin is said to be venial in its own nature? unless the malice of some other account be added. also A JOCOSE OR OFFICIOUS LIE, excess in laughter, in Thus an idle word is, of its own nature, a venial sin; joy, or sorrow, vain curiosity, &c., are of their own nature venial sins, because, unless the circumstances of some other account be added, they cannot be mortal. "What sin is called venial on account of imperfect deliberation, or imperfection of the will ?—That which of its own nature is mortal, but in this act, here and now, is only venial through defect of sufficient free-will. Those that are venial in this way are THE DOCTRINES OF MAYNOOTH. the early motions of luxury, hatred, &c.; also through slight negligence in curtailing the reading of the Canonical Hours; a violation of fasting through ignorance or inadvertence, which might have been overcome; thoughts concerning an object mortally bad without full consent, &c.; such also are motions of hatred, AFFECTIONS OF HOMICIDE, &c., in those half asleep. "In every matter or in every kind of sin, can sin be venial from the imperfect deliberation of the act? -In this state of fallen nature it seems to be affirmed so; however, some except HATRED OF GOD; but although that cannot be excused from mortal sin by ignorance, which must be very great, yet it MAY BE EXCUSED from other causes; for example, by vehement passion imperfectly considered, by inadvertence, &c. "What sin is called venial from the smallness of the matter?-That which of its own nature is mortal sin, but in this act, here and now, is venial on account of the smallness or lightness of the matter about which it is concerned; thus THE THEFT OF ONE PENNY IS VENIAL from the smallness of the matter; also, in relating a defect slightly blameworthy to withhold part of the fault, A TRIFLING EXCESS IN DRINKING, a voluntary distraction in a small part of a divine office," &c. The doctrine of these extracts is deplorable and revolting. There is first the God-dishonouring dis tinction between different kinds of sin, to which we have already adverted; and then there is the list of sins which are too venial to deserve the curse of God! And such a list! A man may LIE, and HATE, and MEDITATE MURDER, and STEAL, and go to EXCESS IN DRINK; nay (if, in a VEHEMENT PASSION !), may indulge HATRED of GOD, and yet be guilty only of VENIAL OF TRIFLING sin! Such is the doctrine held by the Church of Rome such is the doctrine taught at Maynooth, and such is the doctrine which British Protestants are to pay for propagating! To complete its profanity we may add, that while such enormities are held to be but venial sins, it is reckoned a mortal sin to eat flesh on a Friday! That would be to transgress the law of the Church; whereas, in the others, it is only the law of God that is transgressed. From the Moral Theology of Bailly, we extract the following cool and outspoken passage on this same subject of venial sins. Will any man with an understanding or a conscience, pretend to say that distinctions and calculations like the following are to be found in the Word of God? "How great must be the quantity of the thing stolen, in order to constitute the theft a mortal sin?-The quantity cannot easily be determined, since nothing has been decided on the point, either in natural, divine, or human law. Some are of opinion that the quantity necessary for the maintenance of an individual for one day, in a manner suitable to his station in the world, is sufficient to make the theft a mortal sin. Others think that it requires a quantity which, everything considered, inflicts a grievous injury on our neighbour, and deprives him of something particularly useful. A loss, however, which in respect of one-a rich man, for instance-is slight, in respect of a poor man may be considered heavy. The same quantity in all thefts cannot, therefore, be assigned as constituting the subject-matter of mortal sin. Hence theologians are accustomed to distinguish men into four ranks. The first rank consists of the illustrious, who live in splendour. The second, of those who live on their own estates, but not so splendidly-such as are moderately rich. The third, of 129 artificers, who support themselves by their own labour and handicraft. The fourth, of the poor, who provide for themselves by begging. It is generally laid down, and it may be laid down as determined, that in order to a theft's being a mortal sin when committed on persons of the first rank, fifty or sixty pence are suffi cient. In fact, this appears to be a sufficient sum with reference to all men, even princes; because this sum of money is considerable in itself, and might be of service to princes, since it would be sufficient for the pay of several soldiers for one day. With respect to persons of the second rank, forty pence are enough. With respect to persons of the third rank, if their trade be a very lucrative one, twenty pence; if less lucrative, ten pence. With respect to persons of the fourth rank [i. e., paupers], four pence, or even one penny if they have nothing else to live on.” So that, according to this Maynooth authority, a Christian Papist may steal four shillings from a prince, three shillings from a wealthy citizen, eighteenpence from a tradesman, and threepence from a beggar, and yet do nothing at all calculated to lessen or interrupt his "friendship with God!"-do nothing to bring down upon him the curse of the law which demands obedience in all things do nothing which requires to be even confessed to his priest ! And this same Bailly, who deliberately gives forth such statements, was held up before the Commissioners of Irish Education Inquiry as one thoroughly Professor of Moral Theology at Maynooth, and in sound in his principles of morality! Dr Anglade, the whose class Bailly's treatises formed the text-book, ceive that there is any peculiar character that beon being asked by the Commissioners, "Do you conlongs to the views that were taken of moral theology by the Jesuits?" replied, "I think not; but if there is anything that is called lax principles of morality, I am sure Bailly is free from them." Another question is started by Romish casuists, with the answers to which we will for the present conclude. It is this-May a man go on committing venial sins of the same nature with impunity, or will a number of venials go to make up one mortal? The answer is as follows: "Do the matters of small thefts or injuries, committed during the time of a whole life, coalesce? More probably so, except meanwhile some injuries be repaired, pardoned, or made amends for, according to the intention of the owners, by alms; for men are not accustomed to require so exact a restitution of small injuries, but are considered to pardon in turn those very small things after the fact, or, at least, to agree that according to their intention they may be given to the poor; and therefore pious men often give to the poor some alms even from this intention, that they may make satisfaction, if by chance they juries repaired, pardoned, or made amends for, do not owe anything to any one. Observe, then, that incoalesce, because they no longer in any way exist." Now, what doctrine have we here, but just this, that if a man should steal anything from his neighbour, the sin of the theft is atoned for whenever he pays back the sum he stole, or when his neighbour forgives him for stealing it. There is no word of sin against God-it is only an injury done to man, with which, when so far repaired, God has nothing to do! Again he says: one matter. "If any one often slightly exceeds in drinking, those slight excesses do not coalesce in reason of the sin of drunkenness; because, although they oppose the same precept of temperance, they have not respect, however, to a transgression morally one; the reason of which seems to be, because they do not consist in a permanent thing, and cannot coalesce into Those slight excesses can, however, coalesce in reference to loss of health or family; because in relation to loss they are something permanent. Slight injuries or acts of detraction against different men do not constitute mortal sin, but many venial sins. Nevertheless many slight injuries of the character of the same man, community, or family, seem to coalesce; and so if these small injuries, taken together, constitute a very heavy loss, a mortal sin has been committed. The same may be said of many slight blows by which any one at length much injures the body of another." Who can read such extracts without being forcibly reminded of the features of Antichrist, as foretold in the Word of God: "He shall speak great words against the Most High, and shall think to CHANGE times and LAWS." Dan. vii. 25. "In the latter times some shall depart from the faith, . . . speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their consciences seared with a hot iron." 1 Tim. iv. 1, 2. MERCY TEMPERING JUSTICE. THY mercy, Lord, is like the morning sun, Whose beams undo what sable night hath done; Or like a stream, the current of whose course, Restrain'd a while, runs with a swifter force; Oh, let me glow beneath those sacred beams, And after bathe me in these silver streams! To thee alone my sorrows shall appeal; Hath earth a wound too hard for Heaven to heal? QUARLES. A STORY OF THE PLAGUE. (From Vincent's Account of the Plague of London in 1665.) It was generally observed amongst us, that God's people who died by the plague among the rest, died with such peace and comfort as Christians do not ordinarily arrive unto, except when they are called forth to suffer martyrdom for the testimony of Jesus Christ. Some who have been full of doubts, and fears, and complaints, whilst they have lived and been well, have been filled with assurance, and comfort, and praise, and joyful expectation of glory, when they have lain on their death-beds by this disease. And not only more grown Christians, who have been more ripe for glory, have had these comforts, but also some younger Christians, whose acquaintance with the Lord hath been of no long standing. I can speak something of mine own knowledge concerning some of my friends, whom I have been withal. I shall instance only in the house where I lived: We were eight in family-three men, three youths, an old woman, and a maid; all which came to me, hearing of my stay in town--some to accom pany me, others to help me. It was the latter end of September before any of us were touched; the young ones were not idle, but improved their time in praying and hearing, and were ready to receive instruction, and were strangely borne up against the fears of the disease and death every day so familiar to their view. But at last we were visited, and the plague came in dreadfully upon us; the cup was put into our hand to drink, after a neighbour family had tasted it, with whom we had much sweet society in this time of sorrow. And first our maid was smitten. It began with a shivering and trembling in her flesh, and quickly seized on her spirits. It was a sad day, which I believe I shall never forget. I had been abroad to see a friend in the city, whose husband was newly dead of the plague, and she herself visited with it; I came back to see another, whose wife was dead of the plague, and he himself under apprehensions that he should die within a few hours; I came home, and the maid was on her death-bed, and another crying out for help, being left alone in a sweating fainting fit. What was an interest in Christ worth then! What a privilege to have a title in the king dom of heaven! maid was smitten-on Thursday she died full of But I proceed. It was on the Monday when the tokens. On Friday one of the youths was seized, and on the Lord's-day died with the marks of the distemper upon him; on the same day another youth did sicken, and on the Wednesday following he died; on the Thursday night his master fell sick of the disease, and within a day or two was full of spots, but, strangely beyond his own and others' expectations, recovered. Thus did the plague follow us, and came upon us one by one: as Job's messengers came one upon the heels of another, so the messengers of Death came so close one after another, in such dreadful manner, as if we must all follow one another immediately into the pit. Yet the Lord in mercy put a stop to it, and the rest were preserved. But that which was very remarkable in this visitation, was the carriage especially of those youths that died, who I believe were less troubled themselves than others were troubled for them. The first youth that was visited, being asked by his father about the provision he had made for his death and eternity, told him he hoped, if he died, he should go to heaven; being asked the grounds of his hopes, he said, the Lord had enabled him to look beyond the world; and when he was drawing near to his end, boldly inquired whether the tokens did yet appear, saying, that he was ready for them; and so a hopeful bud was nipped. But let not the father or the mother weep, and be in sadness for him; he is, I do not doubt, with their Father and his heavenly Father, which may be their comfort. The other also was a very sweet and hopeful youth, so loving and towardly, that he could not choose but attract love from those that were acquainted with him; but the grace he had gotten in those yearsbeing, I suppose, under seventeen-did above all beautify him, and stand him in the greatest stead. In his sickness he had much quiet and serenity upon his spirit, and lay so unconcerned at the thoughts of ap proaching death, that I confess I marvelled to see it; the sting and fear of death were strangely taken out, through the hopes which he had of future glory; yet once he told his mother he could desire to live a little longer, if it were the will of God. She asked him why he desired it? he told her, he desired to live till fire and faggot came-and, above all, he would fain die a martyr. She said, if he died now, he should have a crown; he answered, but if he died a martyr he should have a more glorious crown-yet he was not unwilling to receive his crown presently. And he went away, with great peace and sweetness in his looks, to his Father's house; and I could not blame |