when in fact they dared not break it, or verily their heads would have been broken; even ́rent in twain' like the veil of the Temple.

There are, no doubt, many women who despise this timeserving, liquorish parson, but he labours in a vineyard something like Naboth's, over which a woman wanting virtue rioted with a covetous and ungodly eye.

When a poor fornicator is brought before his magisterial chair, he thunders forth an anathema upon the trembling sinner's head; condemns him without hope of redemption; and denounces upon him the utmost rigour of the law; and his law is never tempered by any of the attributes of divine mercy: he bids no one to repent and sin no more,' but his manner to the women implies Go, and sin again' yet seventy and seven times,' and I will forgive thee. Alas! what is the forgiveness of such a man worth? The benediction that cometh from lying lips must be 'sharp as a two-edged sword" Were I one of his parishioners, I would shun him on the bench as a pestilent tyrant, and keep from his church as 'a painted sepulchre,' in which he was the image or idol of profane idolatry; for such he is in his own conceit, and those who dread his frown, are like some nations that worship the Devil from terror.

His manner of examining young girls who come before him to swear illegitimate children, is highly indecorous and unbecoming; he is disgustingly particular as to the how, when, and where such accidents happened; giving them gentle squeezes of the hand, and amorous looks, suitable to the bully of a brothel, or a Turk in his seraglio, and not to the chair of sedate justice.

This practice is often deplorably painful to the feelings of the young and deluded girls---we do not hold a woman to be of a debauched and infamous character, because she has once had the credulity to believe in a man's protestations of truth and love, or that her ears have been familiar with indecent language; in some instances at least there may be virtue, though for once it has been thrown' off its guard; and how dreadful it must be for such a female to be insulted by a brutal and letch

erous fellow, old enough to be her father, and who ought to pity her misfortune, and console her with hopes of honourable reparation on earth, and mercy in heaven.

Of one thing we may be certain, that the example set by such men as Parson Wylde will encourage bastardy amongst the low and ignorant, for no one can hold in high estimation the ceremony of marriage, when performed by polluted hands and amorous looks from the minister.

We have gone more into this man's case than we at first intended. We have many readers in Nottingham; and we trust the exposure of his vices will have a beneficial tendency upon their morals; and we entreat them for the good of their souls, not to think worse of religion because an unrighteous parson may neglect its doctrines. Many shall come in my name,' said Christ, and liars and false prophets arise up amongst you,' but still the doctrines of religion will remain pure and unshaken 'Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my word shall not pass away. Sorry should we be, that a single soul should suffer for anothers example of infamy, and the only way to prevent such examples from having a bad effect, is to do as we are doinghold them up, free from covering, to the scorn and contempt of the world. The deformity of vice has only to be seen in contrast with the heavenly beauty of virtue, to make us hate one and love the other. We have more Nottingham Parsons on our table, ready for animadversion; and we beg to assure Parson Bigsby, that we think him a fit companion for his brothers in iniquity, whose crimes we have just held up for the abhorrence and execration of mankind.

We have not given many minute particulars respecting Parson Wylde. At first we always try what effect it may have to wield the lash with a merciful hand; reserving to ourselves the power to lay it on heavier if we see it necessary so to do.

Where admonition fails of effect, correction must be tried.. We do not recommend the study of Coke or Blackstone to this Parson, but advise him To fear God, and keep his commandments; for thereon hangs all the law and the prophets, both ancient and modern. His heart has gone after strange gods,' but we hope he may repent, and check the fire of his passions, lest he go through the fire to Molock,' as a brand whose guilty flame will extend in punishment through all eternity.

CLERICAL INFAMIES PRACTISED IN THE ISLAND OF JAMAICA, BY PARSONS FULLERTON, MORGAN, AND BARTON, SABBATH BREAKERS, ADULTERERS, FORNICATORS, AND SLAVE MURDERERS.

4

"The noise of a whip and the rattling of the wheels."-Num, chap. 3, ver. 2. "An island that had the waters round about it, whose rampart was the sea."-Ibid, ver. 8.

It is not our intention to confine our selection of men who dishonour their holy calling by their conduct, to Great Britain alone; our information shall be drawn from every part where the Church of England is acknowledged as the true faith. The isles of the sea, and those that are afar off,'' shall hear us and be glad.' Every place to which the dominion of Britain's King extends, there shall our eye extend also; in fact, whereever guilt finds a refuge, we will ferret it out. As David did unto Saul, so will we do to guilty parsons; and in the caves of their infamous repose cut off their skirts, and make them ashamed in their hearts' core.

The dissipation prevailing in most of our colonies, is too well known for repetition here; and it is to be feared, the example set by the ministers of the gospel tends greatly to their corruption. The colonists are very seldom rich in education, and their moral virtues are poor indeed. The slaves are in wretched ignorance, and if a minister set them an example of murder, they would follow it, and believe it was written in the good book of Massa Buckra,' for such they call the Bible.

We select those three men from numbers, for their superior vice, and will briefly do them the justice of exposure.

PARSON FULLERTON

・ Was Rector of the parish of St. Ann's, Jamaica ; a most unwearied drunkard, for Jamaica rum passed through his bowels like a river; it was

his solace night and day; kept by his bed-side to quench his thirst, when his conscience disturbed him at an hour when darkness spread her mantle over half the globe. Afraid to be alone in the presence of his maker, he drowned the terrors of a guilty conscience in intoxication, and sunk again into dreaming sleep.

He had only to preach once a week, and that he would not do... The inhabitants often assembled from a distance, and he would order the church doors to be closed, and laugh at their folly in coming so far to be disappointed. He has been seen at his window, arrayed in canonicals, ready to go and perform divine service, when the negro girls passing, have been beckoned by him into the house, for the basest of purposes; and he has never gone near the church. Such a monster of iniquity should, in fact, never have been permitted to pollute the sacred walls.

PARSON MORGAN

Was another curse of the Church on this ill-fated island. He, indeed, would run through divine service, and from the church proceed direct to a common gambling house, where he drank, wenched, and played at cards for the remainder of the hallowed day.

man:

He had numerous slaves in his possession; and even on the Sabbath day he delighted to have them whipped dreadfully, himself standing by and directing the torture with merciless cruelty. Many have died under this punishment, but in Jamaica the laws seldom noticed such murders, and tyranny reigned secure in horrible grandeur and depraved exaltation. How little did this fellow remember the Lord's injunction relative to the bondsThou shalt not rule over him with rigour, but shalt fear God.'— LEV. chap. 25, ver. 43. In truth, the parsons in Jamaica are many of them cast in the same crucible with Parson Morgan. They all lie in wait for blood; they hunt every man his brother with a net.' The best of them is a briar; the most upright is sharper than a thorn hedge.'—MICAH, chap. 7, ver. 4. Examples from men of his holy calling contaminated the minds of numerous ignorant slaves; the negroes said, when justifying themselves for having committed bad deeds- Massa Parson do so he know good book; no, it be no sin, for Massa Parson do so.' There is no punishment adequately severe for such a fellow.

PARSON BARTON

Of Yallahs, to the eastward of Kingston, kept his concubine, Betsy Christian, openly; and encouraged, by his language and actions, the slaves to commit fornication. Yet, no punishment awaited these monsters; so true it is, that what is everybody's business, is nobody's business; though, God knows, religion concerns all who breathe, and these parsons will deeply regret their unconcern, at the judgment day.

Mr. Barton's unfortunate prostitute had the very name of Christian given to her at the baptismal font, for the acute felicity with which she comprehended the truths of the gospel, and yet he had the base cruelty to destroy those early impressions, and complete her misery. Better for her that she had remained in idol worship, on the African shores, than to know truth, and afterwards abandon it: her last state was worse than her first: but much of her sin will rest on his guilty head. Does not the Law of the Lord relative to priests expressly declare, in imperious language, ‘A divorced woman, or profane, or an harlot, shall he not take; neither shall he profane bis seed among his people, for 1, the Lord, do sanctify him.' Here the parson flies in God's face, and sins with knowledge before his eyes. These fellows also appear to considered blacks as brutes for their service ; and that they may torture, kill and slay them at their pleasure. Do they not recollect the spirit of God sent the Queen of Sheba from Ethiopia to acquire knowledge from the lips of Solomon, and therewith to return and instruct the blacks, her people; and is it not recorded in the Acts of the Apostles, chap. 8, that God inspired Philip to go and meet the Eunuch and Minister of Candace, Queen of the same land, Ethiopia; he was a black man, and an instrument in God's hand, to extend the light of truth over regions darker in ignorance than the shades of the skins of the people. Verily, in this we have a proof that God's mercy makes no distinction between white and black; that all are equal in his eyes; the only distinction being of the mind, where guilt or purity prevails most. Many a man with a black skin will find mercy at God's hand, when many who on earth wore black coats, will be rejected. I fear those parsons of Jamaica merit the threat contained in the 4th chapter of Hosea, My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge; because thou also hast rejected knowledge, I will reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest unto me.' And assuredly, if they do not quickly resolve to lead new lives, the further sentence of God will alight upon them, which says: As they were increased, so they sinned against me, therefore will I change their glory into shame.'. 'Hear ye this, oh priests, and hearken, ye house of Israel.' If we have heard of the sins of parsons at such a distance, surely the Lord hath heard in heaven and will punish with an avenging hand.

P. S.-We return our best thanks to our kind correspondent Mr. H., of Pentonville, for most of the particulars contained in the above atrocious cases; and the hint that he has given us about Jamaica Parsons, in future shall be religiously attended to.