occupied with agricultural pursuits to a late hour in the evening that your Missionary found the controversial meetings more thinly attended than on other occasions. At R-, however, we had an audience numbering about 150. Here the Protestants take a deep interest in the controversy, and the Roman Catholics are of late manifesting more vigorous opposition in their conversation with the Scripture Reader. In reference to R, the Reader remarks as follows: "In giving the handbills in the houses in town, we were delayed to argue the matter here and there. The first place I was stopped at was a shoe-shop; the man tried to turn my occupation into ridicule, then to represent me as a greedy turncoat, etc.; I succeeded in changing the subject from these things to Saints' Invocation. The next stoppage of a lengthened nature was with the reed-maker; this shop is a place for discussing politics, etc., by those who have an hour to spare. Last time he got the worst of the argument before four of his own kind. This time he was standing in the door and there was no possibility of my getting in. He at once attacked me as to What new lies' I had brought with me. He asserted that Mr. Hopkins was spoken of in the Bible 19,000 years ago; but I was able to bring him to 1 Tim. iv. 1-4, and to obtain a hearing while I quoted the passage and connected it with the Church of Rome. A number of Roman Catholics gathered outside and two inside heard what passed. * * Evidently there is more life in R- than formerly, even if it does show itself in opposition." At B- many opportunities are presented for doing a quiet work, as the following extract will show : "In visiting here I called to see a sick Protestant; I met a Roman Catholic going in to see the same person. I had a talk with the sick woman, and pointed her to Jesus as a loving Saviour, and directed the Roman Catholic to the comfort of trusting in Christ alone, and not in any saint; she quite agreed with me. I have often talked with this Roman Catholic woman in her own house. She knelt down with me at the bedside while I offered up a prayer, and admitted that it was a blessed thing to trust all to Jesus. When I was talking with H (a Roman Catholic man), a Roman Catholic from another part of the town came in and asked me for a handbill on the Month of May, or Devotions to Blessed Virgin Mary,' as she had seen one that I had left in the house of a mixed family in the court. I gave her one, and we read most of it over together. I tried to show them how we respect, but never pray to nor worship the Virgin Mary. They all agreed that we had the Bible on our side. We read Luke i. 46, and other passages before I left. I think the facts here so briefly noticed show that the bills are useful." At C, where mixed marriages prevail to a great degree, the work of the Society exercises a salutary influence. The Reader is much respected, and regarded by many as their friend. In a mixed family, where the husband is a Roman Catholic and the mother a nominal Protestant, the Reader has been visiting for several years. For a length of time the woman seemed careless, but ultimately listened with interest when the subject of religion was introduced. Some time ago her daughter died and refused the ministrations of the Roman Catholic priest. * The important districts of St. Anne, and Trinity, Belfast, are now open to the operations of the Society. For the last fortnight the Reader has been visiting with quite as much success as could be anticipated, and as our forces increase, I hope to be able to attempt a discussion class in both parishes. The Banner of the Truth in Ireland. OCTOBER 2, 1871. A VISIT TO CONNEMARA. HE letter which we subjoin has been kindly communicated by a member of the General Committee of the Society, who selected Connemara for his summer's trip. We are sure that its perusal will prove interesting, and that the valuable testimony which it bears to the Missionary operations will be appreciated. We hope that it may induce others to fix upon the Mission Districts as affording a pleasant and profitable holiday tour. They would find themselves repaid both by the wild scenery of Connemara, and by witnessing the moral reformation which now adds to the charm of a visit to that once dark and turbulent locality. LONDON, July, 1871. MY DEAR COLONEL GABB,-Having recently returned from my visit to the Mission Stations connected with the Clifden District of Connemara, I think, perhaps, you will like to have some account of what I have seen. On my way to the West, I stayed two days in Dublin, and had conversations with Dr. Macarthy, Mr. Cory, and Archdeacon Thacker, of Kilkenny, who all gave very encouraging statements of the opening of various channels in Ireland for the entrance of the truth. Mrs. Smyly also told me many interesting facts about the condition of the Irish Roman Catholics, which I think are very little known or understood in England. The continuous circulation of the handbills, contrasting truth with error, for so many years amongst the Romanists, has begun to bear much fruit. It is not so much that there is any great increase in declared converts, but that at length an earnest spirit of inquiry has been raised, and, in defiance of the priests, they are reading the Bible for themselves. Cases are well known in which such inquirers have taken the handbills to the priests, and asked what reply they could give to the statements contained in them, and the priests have admitted that there was no reply to be given, that the statements were true, and that their own Church stood in need of reform. In every part of Ireland that I visited the testimony of the Clergymen and Readers was the same-that they had free access to every house, and that the great mass of the population are friendly towards them. They attribute this to the plan adopted of an open and loving proclamation of the Gospel, with a faithful exposure of the false teaching of Rome. I spent part of two days with Mr. Campbell, of Galway, and his testimony to the same circumstance is very remarkable. Having himself no parochial position to shelter him-being merely an ordained Missionary of the Irish Church Missions—he might seem to be liable to be swept away by the fury of the Papal Hierarchy arrayed against him. Instead of this, he stands out against all opposition, and that not by any means merely on the defensive, but constantly circulates his handbills throughout the Roman Catholic population, and takes every opportunity of exhorting them when he can get a hearing, and tries to get as many into his discussion classes as possible. He gave me a deeply-interesting statement of the condition of mind of many Roman Catholics, their sense of the oppression of priestly power, their testimony to the truth of the doctrines taught by himself and his Readers, and their recognition of the spirit of love in which the work is carried on. Many of those who opposed him most violently, particularly a brother of the notorious Father have now become very friendly and courteous. I myself saw this man, and many other Roman Catholics, greet him in quite a cordial manner. One man, who had been a violent opposer, and is still a Roman Catholic, to whom by some accident the handbills had not been sent for a little time, stopped him in the road, and said, "Isn't it you who used to send me those handbills about the Bible ?" Mr. Campbell said it was, and the man requested they might continue to be sent. Mr. Campbell's belief is, that if there should be, as many expect, a general rising of the population against the Government, the Roman Catholics would, of their own accord, protect the Agents of the Mission. I reached Clifden on Friday, the 16th, and remained till the following Thursday morning. In those few days I had the very great advantage of visiting all the Mission Stations connected with the Clifden District, besides going over the Girls' Orphanage at Glenowen, and the Boys' Orphanage at Ballyconree. Mr. Cory was able to come over whilst I was at Clifden, and it was very touching to see him amongst the happy family at Glenowen. The girls brightened up when he came in, and answered his questions with evident pleasure, and when he went away followed him in a body to the entrance-gate. That which surprised and pleased me most at this institution, as well as at Ballyconree, the Boys' Home, the Birds' Nest, and indeed all the schools in connection with the Irish Church Missions, was the perfect discipline and subordination which prevailed, whilst a spirit of love and confidence seemed to animate the children. These institutions are all well worthy of a visit, if only for the purpose of witnessing these rare combinations. One of my greatest pleasures at Clifden was the kind welcome I received from Mr. and Mrs. D'Arcy, and the valuable information they gave me of the past history and present position of the work in Clifden, and the many stations in connection with it. It was a treat to be remembered for many a day, and a solemn and sacred sight too, to see that honoured and venerable minister of God in the midst of his loving people, preaching the Gospel in its simplicity and power. On Monday, Mr. Pelly drove me to Derrygimla, where we saw Mr. Ryder, who took us into his schools, and questioned the children in Scripture and on controversial points. The master also questioned them in secular knowledge, and their answers were very intelligent and correct. Although here, as in all the other districts, open persecution has died out, the malice of the priests sometimes breaks out against the children of their people who are sent to the Mission Schools. One little boy was pointed out to us who was attacked by the priest a few days before, on his way to the schools. The priest tried to persuade him to keep away, but failing in this, rode at him with his long whip, and gave him a cut across the face, and nearly destroyed the sight of one eye. The father was very indignant when he heard of it, and took out a summons against the priest, but not being able to proceed further for a day or two, was persuaded to desist by his friends, who had a superstitious fear of making an enemy of the priest. It is the testimony of all the Clergymen and Agents that these violent acts of the priests are greatly assisting the work of the Missionaries in weakening the influence of these false pastors over their once deluded flocks. I heard one instance of the priests having violently denounced and cursed some who had been attending the controversial classes, and of having forbidden them, under fearful penalties, to attend them in future, and on the next occasion the room was filled by Roman Catholics, principally to show them they did not choose to be coerced by their priests. We received a most kind and hearty welcome from Mr. and Mrs. Fleming, at Roundstone. They are very much encouraged and happy in their work, and give the same testimony that we met with everywhere that patient continuance in well-doing, singleness of desire to enlighten those in error, and a firm maintenance of the truth, had turned some of the greatest opposers into warm friends. We had not time to go over the schools; but Mr. Fleming told us that one of the greatest helps to his work was the occasional return to their native village of young people who had been educated in his schools, and whose presence and Christian testimony created a great impression and much interest among their former Roman Catholic friends. A young man, who had been educated there, and is now an ordained clergyman, preached in Mr. Fleming's church a few Sundays ago. The children knew that he had been in the schools, and spread the news, and crowds of Roman Catholics flocked into the church to hear him preach. We sailed down the bay to Moyrus, and had an interesting meeting with Mr. Conerney. He told us, that during the fifteen years he had been at Moyrus, about 250 of his people who had become converts from Romanism had emigrated. He can trace them in nearly every case, and often hears from them. The present Protestant population is 150 (including the children of Roman Catholic parents), of whom only about ten are original Protestants. The attendance in church amongst these poor and scattered people is sometimes as many as 100. The Roman Catholic priest there is violent in his opposition to the work, but the people are getting disgusted at his curses and denunciations, which are losing their effect. It seems as if God was permitting the apostate Church to be seen in her most unlovely aspect in Ireland, side by side with the exhibition of real Bible Christianity, that the poor people may judge by their fruits which are the trees of the Lord's planting. We have reason to praise and bless Him for the characters of the men He has raised up in Ireland representing the Society and its Scriptural principles, for the grace and wisdom He has given them, and for the judgment with which they have been selected. I am sure most people would be astonished, going to Ireland for the first time, travelling through wild mountain districts, almost given up to bog and heath, with a miserably poor population, and after journeying for twenty or thirty miles, coming to a neat parsonage, with a handsome church and schools close by, all |