HAVE VISITED THE ISLAND OF LOUGH DEARG THIS YEAR!!! Some of them must have taken very long journeys to do stations at this place. They have often been known to come one or two hundred miles for that purpose. I have already observed that we met with an old man there from Tullamore; and it is no uncommon thing to find individuals on the island from the counties of Waterford, Kerry, or Cork—the very extremities of the kingdom. Persons sometimes come from Scotland, England, and France, to do penance at Lough Dearg; and it was said there were individuals from America similarly engaged on the island, at the very time I was there.

But whilst the Roman Catholic Church makes this singular provision to cultivate a spirit of piety, the plan affords no satisfactory evidence of her disinterestedness. From a work now before me, it appears that pilgrims must pay tenpence, or from a shilling to two shillings and sixpence for their spiritual privileges on the island, exclusive of their payments for meal, and the boatman's fee. The amount contributed probably varies according to ability. But let us suppose the average sum to be one shilling each, for ordinary attention; this would be twenty-four thousand shillings, or one thousand two hundred pounds! But, in addition to this, the devotees may see their confessors as often as they please ɔn paying sixpence for every interview. Many would, no doubt, consider such help desirable, if not essential; and it is perhaps not too much to suppose that one-sixth of the entire number would require such attention. If so, by only allowing one interview to each of them, it would make four thousand sixpences, or one hundred pounds. Add this to the sum just named, and we have a total of ONE THOUSAND THREE HUNDRED POUNDS given to the priests for eleven weeks' services!

I am told that the island belongs to a wealthy Protestant family in the County Monaghan, and that they let it to the boatman for one hundred and sixty-eight pounds per annum. There is also a charge upon it of four pounds a year for poor's rates, making one hundred and seventy-two pounds exclusive of current expenses, and for which the lessee is no doubt entirely dependent on the annual visits of the pilgrims. The boatman is probably a Catholic; and if so, he is only acting consistently with his principles, and probably thinks he is doing God service by assisting pilgrims over the water, though he is no doubt making a considerable fortune at their expense. But with the lessors of the property it must be otherwise. They are Protestants by profession, and must therefore be violating every principle of consistency in thus sympathising with Rome, and sharing in her spoils. In letting the place for such purposes, they are not only conniving at a system of iniquity, but virtually assisting to perpetuate its grossest absurdities. If they cannot shut up the island, and thus prevent a repetition of scenes annually witnessed there, they should magnanimously refuse its revenues, knowing them to be derived from such a source. The amount of rent must be a mere trifle with them; but whether little or much, a sense of duty to themselves, to their fellow-men, to the cause of truth, and to a just and holy God, should constrain them to abandon for ever such wages of unrighteousness. In the sacred volume, which their Protestant principles should teach them to acknowledge and revere, their duty is clearly marked out, and faithfully enforced. Indeed, the Almighty expressly says, "Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues." The well-known liberality of

the family forbids us to attribute this matter to a mercenary spirit. We suspect the evil to have originated in by-gone days, and has, no doubt, been thoughtlessly perpetuated to the present time. We have no expectation of our voice reaching their ears, or we would immediately direct their attention to the subject, and call upon them to wipe away the reproach. But though we may fail in bringing it before them, we trust others will succeed in doing so; and for the honour of our common Christianity we hope they will take care that this crying evil is immediately redressed.

We have already remarked that pilgrims visit this place from all parts of Ireland, and even from beyond the seas, yet we are quite aware that it is principally supported by neighbouring counties. Donegal, Fermanagh, Tyrone, Cavan, Mayo, and all Connaught, regularly furnish their annual quota of pilgrims. In those counties ignorance awfully prevails, and the moral and spiritual condition of the people is really deplorable. They are chiefly under the influence of Popery, and Protestantism has done but little towards enlightening their darkness, and teaching them the truth as it is in Jesus. In those neglected districts the authority of the priesthood is unquestionable; and when they prescribe a pilgrimage to Lough Dearg, no man dares to offer the slightest resistance, lest he should thereby endanger his eternal salvation. Such a system will naturally flourish where darkness prevails; and the following extract from a Catholic work published in 1845, clearly shows that the above-named counties are highly favourable to the exercise of its power:

This presents a frightful picture, and proves beyond a question, that the moral condition of the people has been awfully neglected. In those five counties, with a population of 1,397,930, we only find 270,270, or scarcely one person in five who can read and write; 244,714 more can read but not write; whilst 718,363 are entirely shut up in moral darkness, one single ray of instruction not having yet dawned on their benighted minds. From Mayo the report is dreadful. There, not one in nine can read and write; whilst no less than 264,905 are absolutely left to grope their way through life without receiving even the first principles of knowledge.

But whilst such counties furnish groups of willing pilgrims to Lough Dearg, comparatively few are sent from more enlightened districts. We seldom hear of one going there from Belfast, or other places where the Christian Church has given attention to the moral and spiritual necessities of the people. In those parts of the country the night is far spent, and the day is at hand. Great moral changes have been effected by the

omnipotence of truth; and just in proportion as scriptural light prevails darkness and superstition die away. In the Protestant parts of Ireland this place is rarely mentioned. Many of the Catholics would, no doubt, blush to hear it named; and there, the generality of the people are quite as ignorant of it as the Protestants of Great Britain, whilst in Popish districts we presume it is as notorious as ever. It is said that Pope Benedict the XIV. once preached a sermon recommending a pilgrimage to the island in question; and in 1830, a Roman Catholic bishop announced his intention of holding a station there. Such things must have increased its celebrity with Roman Catholics, though probably they might not be generally known to others. Indeed, we believe it is not uncommon to hide such things as much as possible, not only from the discriminating eye of a religious public, but likewise from those of their own faith who happen to be more exposed to the observation of Protestants.

The success of Lough Dearg as a place of penance seems to have given rise to other stations of a similar kind in other parts of Ireland. One is said to have been commenced some time ago in the Chapel of Monea, and another at Coronea, in County Cavan. Many resorted to those places annually, and passed through all the usual forms prescribed on "the blessed island;" fancying, at the same time, that they were suffering on its hard stone beds, or languishing in St. Patrick's dark and loathsome prison. The poor infatuated Catholics are sent to those places by their spiritual guides to atone for their guilt, and reconcile themselves to God. But alas! alas! though sent there on such errands, and required to submit to the most irksome duties, they are never made acquainted with themselves as sinners, neither are they instructed in the simple plan of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ. They know what their Church requires, and are remarkably attentive to all her precepts; but their best performances can never propitiate a just and righteous God, or justify them in his sight. There is nothing there "but rosaries to the blessed Virgin-prayers and litanies to dead men and women, called saints-acts of faith, hope, and charity, economically performed by repeating them from memory, or reading them from books. There is confession, penance to the eyes, and repetition of prayers; but seldom repentance or prayer. As I said before, they could not be felt here. But if it be not calculated to excite religion in the heart, it is right well adapted to delude the sinner; and in a Church which, contrary to reason and Scripture, ascribes merit in the sight of God to human works, it is no wonder that it has attained such eminence." In such exercises their attention is so entirely occupied with forms and ceremonies, there can be no wonder that a godly sorrow for sin and believing views of Jesus should have no place in their hearts. Indeed, they do not understand that such things are essential to salvation. They suppose their toils and sacrifices are sufficient to realize inward holiness and secure eternal life. Hence, they "spend money for that which is not bread, and labour for that which satisfieth not." But all such expectations are vain; and, as a natural consequence, their fondest hopes are inevitably cut off. Even supposing them to be sincere, and that, like Israel of old, they really "followed after the law of righteousness;" yet they could not obtain the blessing of peace, "because they seek it not by faith." The whole scheme shows that they are under the influence of strong delusion; and perhaps it cannot be more strikingly represented than in the impressive

language of the prophet, who says, "It shall even be as when an hungry man dreameth, and behold, he eateth; but he awaketh, and his soul is empty: or as when a thirsty man dreameth, and behold, he drinketh; but he awaketh, and behold, he is faint."

But these absurdities do not merely end in disappointment, for they are often productive of the most painful and serious consequences. Pilgrims visiting Lough Dearg do not merely suffer the loss of time, which at that season of the year is of great importance, especially to Irish labourers; but many of them impair their health and injure their constitutions beyond recovery. Strong and robust individuals may, perhaps, sustain such unnatural severity without perceiving any immediate injury; but on others, it is sure to produce the most frightful results, notwithstanding all we heard to the contrary. Indeed, it must be physically impossible for them to endure such privations and sufferings, without destroying their health, and sending many to a premature grave. "There is not on earth," says one, "with the exception of Pagan rites, a regulation of a religious nature more barbarous and inhuman than this. It has destroyed thousands since its establishment-has left children without parents, and parents childless. It has made wives widows, and torn from the disconsolate husband the mother of his children; and is itself the monster which St. Patrick is said to have destroyed in the place —a monster, which is a complete and significant allegory of this great and destructive superstition." My estimable companion, the Rev. Wm. Barker, says, “When I heard of their fasting for such a length of time, or living on bread and water, and walking such distances as they had to do, I wondered if some of them did not feel the effects of it afterwards. Now, I have been credibly informed, in one neighbourhood where I go to preach, of three persons-two women and one man-who were strong and healthy on going away to Lough Dearg, but whose constitutions were so much injured whilst there, that they took to their beds on returning home, and died shortly afterwards." And no wonder! Human nature cannot be rationally expected to endure such an accumulation of sufferings. Frenzied imaginations may lead them to suppose they are quite as well, or even better on concluding, than they were in commencing their revolting tasks; but common sense would teach every other person to anticipate very different results. The cases just named cannot be solitary ones. No doubt scores of them occur every year. They may not be brought out, or properly exposed, but a careful investigation of facts would unquestionably prove, that these horrible inventions of Popery are as destructive to human life as the merciless wheels of Juggernaut, or as that monstrous machine, on which thousands were sacrificed to Moloch, in the valley of Hinnom!

But this unnatural system must be just as enervating and dishonourable to the mind as it is cruel and injurious to the body. A pilgrimage to Lough Dearg seems far more likely to debase the intellect and stupify the soul, than to purify its affections and sanctify the heart. A man must surely sacrifice his judgment and sink into a state of mind infinitely worse than the imbecility of childhood, before he can bring himself to believe that he can please God by walking barefoot over sharp rocks, or by shutting himself up in a miserable prison for twelve or twenty-four hours. But, as though this was not the very climax of absurdity, we find the pilgrim going still further in his folly. Yes, he even approaches the edge of the Lough, and stretches out his enfeebled arm for a pint of

half-boiled water, believing that a priest's blessing has given it all the stimulating and refreshing properties of excellent wine. Here we have the doctrine of transubstantiation strangely rehearsed, and yet the unsuspecting devotee believes it, in opposition to all his senses, which tell him that the water is really unchanged, and that by such a process it could no more become wine, than that the priest could convert him into an angel, or transmute the rock on which he stood into a bed of diamonds. Children of ordinary capacities, if left to exercise their unbiassed judgment, would never entertain the idea of such things for one moment; but the poor deluded pilgrim at Lough Dearg must fetter down his mind to believe them, or his tedious stations cannot be performed with acceptance.

We would not say that it is absolutely impossible for the mind of man to feel a gracious influence whilst languishing on those "penitential beds," or mortifying himself in that doleful "prison;" but having examined both, we do believe, that if ever a soul is saved there, it is when God confounds their Popish schemes, and magnifies his mercy in a manner which the poor unhappy pilgrim is not taught to expect. Should an awakened soul be sent there, the probability is, that his best desires will evaporate and die away, instead of being matured and ripened into pure and spiritual joys. He may go there a penitent; but if so, it will be almost a miracle if the most gracious feelings of his heart are not entirely swallowed up in the vortex of unmeaning ceremonies; and when his meritorious task is done, his soul will be so inflated with pride, that he will no doubt leave the island a confirmed Pharisee.

But we have heard of an exception. Yes! even there the magic influence of Popery was broken, and a spell-bound soul set free. It is a singular fact, but it is true. Divine grace triumphed even in the monster's den, and "there the prey was taken from the mighty, and the lawful captive was delivered." Bartholomew Campbell, or Old Bartley, as he was commonly called, was the man; and many are still living who have often heard him tell of being a miracle of grace. Bartley was a Catholic; and having committed a very grievous offence he was sent to expiate his crime by a station at Lough Dearg. He went, and commenced his task; but the sin he had committed pressed so heavily on his mind that he could not proceed. He forgot the number of his Ave Marias, or Pater Nosters, and had to begin again. A second attempt was no more successful than the first. He tried a third time, but failed; and probably a fourth also. At length, perplexed and confounded by fruitless toils, but especially grieved and depressed in spirit at the remembrance of his guilt, he threw away his forms of devotion, and began to speak with God from the heart. He confessed his sin to God, and devoutly prayed for mercy. His supplications were heard and answered, and on that very rock the Lord assured him of his favour, and wrote forgiveness on his heart. It was a glorious change. The lion was turned into a lamb, and one of the most worthless of the human race became a sincere and consistent follower of the meek and lowly Jesus. He returned from the island, not to pursue the ignis fatuus of the Church of Rome, but to unite himself to the church of God, and to ornament his profession by a pious and holy deportment. Influenced by the love of Christ, and a burning zeal for the salvation of immortal souls, he began to preach the gospel of the kingdom to his fellow-countrymen. The Lord owned his labours, and crowned them with great success. He was