Wycliffe Chapel, Warrington. The morning service was commenced by the Rev. J. Sutcliffe, F.S.A., of Manchester, who read suitable portions of Scripture, and offered prayer. The Rev. Samuel Davidson, D.D., LL.D., of Lancashire College, expounded the principles of Congregationalism in an introductory discourse. The Rev. James Griffin, of Manchester, proposed a series of questions to the elected pastor, who replied thereto, giving his confession of faith. After the confirmation by the church of their choice of the pastor, and by him of his acceptance of their call, the Rev. Thomas Raffles, D.D., LL.D., | of Liverpool, offered the ordination prayer, accompanied with the imposition of hands. The charge to the minister was then delivered by the Rev. John Kelly, of Liverpool. In the evening, the services were concluded by the Rev. Robert Vaughan, D.D., President of Lancashire Independent College, who preached to the people. The Revs. John Dewsnap, of Liverpool; John Edmonds, of St. Helens; and T. Davies, of Newton, also took part in the services.

JERSEY.

THE ordination of the Rev. H. J. Chancellor to the pastoral office in connexion with the English Independent Chapel, Upper Dove Street, took place on Thursday, July 1st. The Rev. Mr. Barfitt, of Plymouth, delivered the introductory discourse, on the principles

of Independency; the Rev. T. Adkins, of Southampton, proposed the ordination questions; the Rev. Mr. Laxon, of Guernsey, offered up the ordination prayer, accompanied with the imposition of hands; the Rev. W. Legg, B.A., of Reading, delivered the charge to the minister; and the Rev. T. Adkins preached to the church and congregation. The following local ministers were present, some of whom took part in the devotional services: the Rev. Messrs. De Faye, Bost, Biaudet, Petit, Masseroy, Independents; Earnshaw and Thorley, Wesleyans; Clarke, Free Church of Scotland; Holroyd, Primitive Methodist; and Luke, Bible Christian. The services of the day were highly interesting, gave universal satisfaction, and were conducted in the spirit of Christian love and cooperation. On the following Lord's-day three sermons were preached, those in the morning and evening by the Rev. T. Adkins, and that in the afternoon by the Rev. W. Legg. This English Independent cause was commenced about two years ago in the Temperance Hall; and in January of the present year was removed to the above chapel, which the friends purchased from the Unitarians. The expenses connected with the purchase and repairs of the chapel, with the exception of a few pounds, have been defrayed, partly by generous contributions from the friends in the island, and partly by the kind assistance of their friends in England.

PROTESTANT ALLIANCE.

WE have pleasure in giving publicity to the following intelligence, and sincerely hope that the labours of the Protestant Alliance on behalf of persecuted Christians on the continent of Europe will help to look such iniquities out of countenance.

PERSECUTION AT FLORENCE.

(Extract from a Letter, dated Florence,
June 9, 1852.)

Yesterday, at three o'clock, with closed doors, sentence was pronounced against the dear Madiais. Fifty-six months of the galleys and hard labour for Francesco, and fortyfour months at the ergastolo (the female galleys), also with hard labour, for his wife! Besides this, all the expenses of the trial, and three years of surveillance from the police, after the completion of their punishment. Pasquale Casacci, who denied everything, was acquitted of the criminal charge, but was detained to answer two actions against him by the police, according to the law of April,

1851.

"That history may render justice to the chief actors in this trial, I will tell you that

Nervini was the president of the Court; Cocchi, the interrogating judge; and Biechierai, the public prosecutor. The trial began on the 4th June, and lasted four days. Rosa (Madame Madiai) was pale, and trembled with emotion on entering; Francesco (her husband) appeared happy to see his wife again, and pressed her hand. All were surprised and moved with their tranquillity and firmness. Casacci was the picture of an unhappy man, and with all my heart I pity him. At the commencement of the trial, Francesco was asked if he was born in the bosom of the Holy Mother, the Roman Catholic Church. Yes,' he answered; 'but now I am a Christian according to the gospel.' 'Who has made you such, and does there exist an act of abjuration amongst those to whom you are united?' 'My convictions have existed for many years, but have acquired strength from the study of the word of God. It has been a matter between God and my own soul; but which was outwardly manifested when I took the communion in the Swiss Church.' Rosa replied to her interrogator, that she had not changed her

:

religion lightly, nor to please men, as, in that case she would have done it when in England

Peter, and opened the doors of his prison, will never forget us. Keep in good spirits; me see you cheerful; as I trust, by

but after having read the word of God, and contrasted with it the Romish doctrines, she was, convinced, and having abandoned that church, had made a public confession of faith, by partaking of the Lord's Supper, at a time when the laws gave and protected religious liberty to the citizens. The audience were struck with the simplicity and sincerity of the Madiais. Then, on the two following days, the witnesses were examined, and the defence was heard (made by the advocate Maggiorani, with much warmth and feeling); and finally the summing up of the public prosecutor. The fourth day the Court remained long in consultation; the votes were divided, and one vote decided the question,two being in favour of acquittal, three of condemnation. The Madiais listened to the sentence with the greatest firmness and dignity. The voice of the presiding judge, who read it, trembled; the public were indignant at the sentence and the judges; but displayed sympathy for the Madiais, and contempt for poor Casacci. The Madiais have the right of appeal to the Court of Cassation, and have been advised by their advocate to make use of it. Perhaps a superior tribunal, having more liberty of action, may acquit them. Signor Landucci, Minister of the Interior, advised that a commutation of the sentence into exile should be immediately applied for."

Letter from Madame Madiai to her husband.

The following letter was written from prison, on the 7th June, 1852, after the judge had passed sentence:

"MY DEAR MADIAI,-You know that I have always loved you; but how much more ought I to love you, now that we have been together in the battle of the Great Kingthat we have been beaten but not vanquished! I hope that through the merits of Jesus Christ, God our Father will have accepted our testimony, and will give us grace to drink, to the last drop, the portion of that bitter cup which is prepared for us, with returning of thanks. My good Madiai, life is only a day, and a day of grief! Yesterday we were young, to-day we are old! Nevertheless, we can say, with old Simeon, Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, for mine eyes have seen thy salvation.'

"Courage, my dear; since we know by the Holy Spirit that this Christ, loaded with opprobrium, trodden down and calumniated, is our Saviour; and we, by His holy light and power, are called to defend the Holy Cross, and Christ who died for us, receiving his reproaches, that we may afterwards participate in His glory. Do not fear, if the punishment be hard. God, who made the chains fall from

will see me cheerful. I embrace you with my whole heart.

"Your affectionate wife, (Signed))

"ROSA MADIAL.”

June 22, 1852.

At a Meeting of the Managing Committee, held this day, it was resolved,

I. "That this Committee, having been made acquainted with the trial of Francesco and Rosina Madiai, at Florence, and with the sentence respectively pronounced upon them, of fifty-six months at the galleys, with hard labour, and forty-four months at the ergastolo, or female galleys, with hard labour, with three additional years of surveillance by the police, and all the costs of the trial, for the imputed crime of possessing the Bible, and leaving the communion of the Romish Church, hereby express their grief and detestation at the iniquity of the charge, and the inhumanity of the sentence, and their deep sense of the wrong thereby inflicted upon these really blameless persons; in whose punishment for such a cause not only are justice and humanity violated, but the natural rights and liberties of mankind are trampled under foot, and Christianity itself is outraged, while its sacred name is prostituted to this iniquitous and cruel persecution.

II. "That this Committee have contem-
plated with unspeakable satisfaction and
devout gratitude to God the constant
faith and calm dignity of these perse-
cuted fellow-Christians under their severe
trials, and the 'good confession' they
maintained before the Court of Judica-
ture at whose bar they were arraigned;
-not doubting that they were strength-
ened and upheld by the promised grace
of the Holy Spirit; and they assure them
in this public manner of their most
cordial sympathy and fervent prayers,
while enduring their sufferings for right-
eousness' sake, and for the word of God.
III." That the above Resolutions, with
the Case on which they are founded, be
transmitted without delay to the vari-
ous Alliances and Committees in corre-
spondence with this Committee, in order
that the matter may be made known to
the Protestants of the United Kingdom,
in the hope that prayer may be generally
offered up for these persecuted members
of Christ's Church."

JOHN MACGREGOR, Hon. Sec.
CHARLES GIBERNE, Secretary.

the question was answered by another,'What benefit would you wish for?' Answer. -Food and clothing, and so on!' Missionary. That is only the happiness of animals. Do not you, a man, wish for more?' A. 'There is no other happiness particularly that I care for.' M. 'What! do you not care for the forgiveness of sins, and a happy future life?' A. Oh, you speak of the forgiveness of sins!' and then, changing the subject, he continued, I wish to ask, why you say that the Shin taous, the beings we worship, are nothing at all? They are kweis, the disembodied part of deceased men.' M. Yes, so they are; but why should you worship them?' 4. Because they are canonized by Imperial coinmand.' M.The Emperor's authority is merely limited to the present world; he cannot control the affairs of heaven, or say whom you should worship. What is this kwei you speak of?' A. It is the ling hwun, the soul, and in worshipping these beings in the temples, by bowing to their images, we do as Confucius said,-Reverence the spirits as if they were present. How, then, can you foreigners say, that we worship the senseless images?' M. Because the spirit is not there. It does not see you bow, or hear you pray. It is gone either to heaven or to hell. Is there any reason in such worship?' A. 'It is the same with that Jesus you speak of. We have no more proof of his being pre

sent than of the Shin taous.' M.' He is everywhere, the Omnipresent God. He sees you and me now. If you despise him, he will bring you into judgment for it.' A. 'Oh, there is nothing of that kind to fear.' M. 'You think lightly of it; but be assured that this same Jesus will sit in judgment over you.''

THE TAOUIST PRIEST AND HIS DRUGS.

"There is a temple of the Taou sect near the west gate of Shanghae, upon the wall, where an apothecary's shop is kept, well supplied with the common Chinese medicines. These are dispensed, not from any known suitableness to the patient's disease, but from the supposed directions of the idol Esculapius, discovered by drawing lots. Many a simple villager deludes himself with the belief that the powerful unseen spirit, whose shrine he is approaching with incense and offerings, will cure him of his ailments far better than a fallible mortal physician. The

priest in charge, as he was presiding over his drugs one cold morning in January, [see Engraving, page 169,] observing a Missionary enter with books in his hand, thought that he was come with designs hostile to his trade, and said, in rather a loud tone,-' You come exhorting us to this and that; now let me exhort you a little. This religion of Jesus that you talk about, does not meet the people's requirements. What they pray and burn incense for is, that they may get rich or be cured of some sickness. Now, if they believed in your religion, they could not have advantages of this kind; while here is the idol-spirit ready to tell the devotees by taking what medicine they may recover their health. Thus our religion confers benefits which yours does not.' M. 'What! can this idol cure diseases? P. 'Yes. Do you not see the inscriptions about the walls and roof? These are all proofs of his wonderful skill in healing. Who would ever have been at the expense of having them prepared and set up here, unless they had been healed by the power of the spirit?' M. (Addressing a devotee who had just performed his prostrations.) 'This image is a mere piece of wood, destitute of all the senses: why apply to it to cure disease, that is the physician's duty?' Devotee. I do not know what is the disease that afflicts me. What would be the use of applying to a physician?-the Pousa (Buddhist term for a god,) here will hear me. I have come far this morning on purpose.' M. And every step you took was a wrong Will you not go to the Foreign Free Hospital at San Maou?' D. 'It is not the right time of day.' Your money is thrown away, and all this burning incense, and asking information and aid from the idol, is sin against God. It is not only stealing and murder that are sinful; the worship of idols is so too.' Here the Taouist priest again interposed with the remark, 'You believe in Jesus, and we in our Shins; different countries have different religions. We Chinese believe in Kwang Kung, and other deceased heroes and meritorious citizens.' M. 'Well, but they have been dead long since, and this Kwang Kung was a fierce soldier, the very opposite of merciful. Why should you worship him?' P. 'Jesus is dead too. What good do you obtain by trusting in him?' M. 'We

one.

M.