LIGHT AND DARKNESS.

THE powers of light and darkness have struggled together for the mastery from the beginning of time, and will go on struggling to the end of it. We see it in the Bible, from the beginning to its close-from Genesis to Revelations. We mark it in all the past history of mankind, and we may observe it daily in the world around us, and even among those who profess to love and to teach the truth, some of whom hold and preach error rather than truth, and "love darkness rather than light: "-not to mention a church in the midst of us, professing with daring effrontery to hold the truth, and yet propagating the foulest and most deadly error; a church professing to guide erring souls aright, and yet continuing, as we think, to be blind leaders of the blind. What do we find in our Reformed Church of England, with her scriptural Articles? What do we find some of the men who subscribed to them now teaching? The erroneous teaching of those who are called Puseyites, is generally acknowledged, but seldom realized; its pernicious effect upon the young is seldom noticed. We know a parish at this moment, where the incumbent and his curate are preaching most unscriptural doctrines, the one stating broadly to his congregation, that they must not read the Bible except under the guidance of their minister, and that without his guidance it is a dangerous book; the other, that they need not ask for the grace of God's Holy Spirit, as that is only bestowed on the ordained ministers of the church. We know of another, (who was appointed by the Lord Bishop of London himself,) who declares that "the great Physician" for all human evil "is the Church and her sacraments." We know of another in the same diocese, who not long ago told his congregation, when preaching from Christ's words to Nicodemus, Ye must be born again," that these words could not be addressed to them, as they had all been baptized, and therefore had already undergone the change there spoken of!

But we seldom regard this erroneous teaching as reaching down to the young; and it does in many ways, and must have a most pernicious influenceworse almost than Popery itself-just from its disguised and specious form. We have no doubt that the following case is a sample of many that might be given :-In a National School the question was asked of the children," Can a deacon forgive sins?" The answer was, No." "Can a priest forgive sins ?" Answer, "Yes."

But what are Romanists about in their schools; teaching truth, or reading God's word, or enlightening the minds of the little ones committed to their care? Verily, no. Take for example the following, witnessed by ourselves: Visiting one evening in November among the Ragged Schools of Bethnal Green, and highly pleased at their improved and Scriptural teaching, we stumbled upon a Roman Catholic school. We made bold to enter. A large number were present, old and young, sitting most devoutly listening to a foreign priest, who was instructing them out of a book he held in his hand. Some one hundred and fifty were there; they had come no doubt for instruction. They looked very ignorant, but they were very attentive. What was the nature and character of his teaching? Fabulous trash. He was telling them our fellow-citizens, living in our midst, amid gospel lightthat a certain man having died unbaptized, he was brought to life again by a certain saint ; the man related all that occurred to him after death; how he was brought before God's judgment-seat, and then condemned to a place of everlasting punishment, not because he had sinned and come short of the glory of God, but because he had never been baptized, etc. And this is the teaching our working men and women are receiving from a certain church. Is the teaching of some of our own Reformed Church any better? Are they not afraid of the poor knowing too much of the Bible? Do they not discourage simple Scripture teaching in Mothers' Meetings and Ragged Schools? And yet these are ministers of the Church of England, occupying her pulpits and receiving her pay. But we thank God there are others in our Church who are

not doing the devil's work and opposing the truth, but are manfully fighting under Christ's banner against the powers of darkness. And thus goes on the struggle betwixt light and darkness in the very midst of us every day.

In the very locality where the Romanist School above-named disseminates profane and childish fables, there are several Ragged Schools carried on by active Christian teachers, and spreading light all around. The devoted and zealous Rector of Whitechapel is at the head of several not far off, and lends his aid in every possible way to render them efficient, to dispel heathen darkness, and diffuse Gospel light. The Rev. Hugh Allen also does his part, and any one who doubts it, let him just visit, as we did last month, the Ragged Schools in Spitalfields and Bethnal Green. (See list in last Annual Report of Ragged School Union, as to the Schools in Osborn Place, Spicer Street, New Nichol Street, and Colchester Street.) They will return home as we did, with hearts full of wonder, love, and praise.

Again, in the parish of St. George's, Southwark, so long neglected and given up to ignorance and vice-so beset with Romanists and their agents, who oppose the truth in every possible way-the Rector lately appointed, the Rev. W. Cadman, has already established six Ragged Schools, and is working them with most indefatigable zeal and perseverance. Above fifty voluntary teachers have already lent their aid, and the Ragged School Union having voted the committee of these schools a considerable grant, the worthy Rector is encouraged to go forward, and his large heart is full of courage and hope for the future.

Certain it is, that the Romanists in that quarter, with their magnificent cathedral and crowding worshippers, find they have no devil's agent in the new rector, who has already shown much of a Luther's energy, mingled with a Melanchthon's meekness and piety. God speed the man! say we; and God prosper all who are thus struggling against the powers of darkness! In one evening we saw five of Mr. Cadman's Ragged Schools, White Street, Lant Street, Red Cross Court, Moreton Place, and Webber's Row. Any one else can do the same any evening, from half-past six to half-past eight. We are sure they will say with us, God bless the work!

We could name other parts of London-St. Giles's and St. George's, Bloomsbury, for example-where light is being diffused in opposition to the agency and powers of darkness, by various instrumentalities; not only by daily teaching of Scriptural truth to the young, but by Adult Evening Classes, Mothers' Meetings, Ragged Chapels for the poor, etc.

But we have detailed enough for this month, and trust we have made our friends, who value simple Gospel truths reflect each for himself, what he is doing to dispel darkness, and bring in Gospel light; to put down evil, and bring forth good, to examine into his own conduct, and search about his locality, if haply he may find deficiencies he never saw before, and work to do that he never dreamt of till now. Let him be assured, that however humble his station, or limited his sphere of action, he yet has an influence for good or evil on all around him, and that he is bound, by his duty to God and his fellow-man, to use that influence constantly, earnestly, and prayerfully, believing that God will bless the faithful possessor of even one talent, if it be improved to God's glory, and man's eternal well-being.

P. S.-On the point of erroneous teaching in the English Church, we have, since the above was written, been informed, that a certain Rector, not far from Smithfield, (once a warm advocate for Ragged Schools,) has declared open war against the Ragged School in his district, because the managers of it do not think it wise to introduce the Church of England Catechism. We also observe by a letter in the "Daily News," that at St. Barnabas, Pimlico, (the notorious Mr. Bennett's old place,) the Puseyite party are at their old tricks among the young as well as the old; "that the crucifix and crosses are presented to the children of the schools; and that out of some

forty books to be given to the children, the majority are Catholic in teaching; that the Bible is altogether excluded; and that Popish prints are distri buted, evidencing Mariolatry in its most disgusting form." "We regard both these as additional examples of the contest going on between “Light and Darkness."

BRUTALIZING SPORT.

66

THE greatest obstacles perhaps to the progress of Ragged Schools, are the parents of the children for whom these schools were more especially established. The scenes of wretchedness and vice which are constantly presented to the children, are readily and eagerly imitated; every act of a "noble manhood" is soon inherited by the boy of tender years. I smokes and drinks beer now-I don't go to your school now," was the exclamation of a wretched boy, who, within three weeks, after an illness of twelve hours only, was cut down by the dread monster who is now making his victims in all densely populated, ill-drained, pestiferous neighbourhoods. The father breaks the Sabbath-the boy is at liberty to do the same; men indulge in the highly pleasurable and manly sport of dog-fighting-the boy gladly avails himself of a couple of dogs to do the same, and so on in a thousand other instances.

As but few of our readers are aware of the awful desecration of the Sabbath -resulting from the continuance of a system which gives encouragement to vice, affords a ready access for barbarous and brutalizing displays, enervating the mind, and destroying the physical condition of a large portion of our population, we furnish, as an illustration of the debased state of morals occasionally to be met with in the metropolis, the particulars of a card lying before us, and which has called forth the foregoing remarks. The card bears the following inscription:

"WONDERS WILL NEVER CEASE.

"AT JOE ROWE'S, HALIFAX HEAD, PRINCES STREET, WHITECHAPEL, "A Grand Show will take place, on Sunday Evening, October 9th, 1853. “Mr. Forster will show his Stud of Pug Dogs; also Mr. Reiley, his celebrated Dog 'Mop; and several first-rate fanciers have promised to attend. Mr. Wibrow will take the Chair, and show his Dog Jacko, and several other Toy Dogs, faced by J. Ferryman, who will show the handsomest Stock of small Toy Dogs in the world. Several handsome Dogs for sale.-A private Room for Gentlemen to try their Dogs, and a good supply of Rats always on liand, with use of Pit gratis.'

Would that such wonders, with all the barbarities which follow in the train of such an announcement, were brought to a speedy termination!

It may not be inappropriate to follow up the history of some of the actors in the above exhibition; we extract from the last published Report of the King Edward Ragged Schools the following, which took place about eighteen months since :

"No less than thirteen persons, (says the Times) with Thomas Field, a dog-fancier and pugilist, and Elizabeth Smith, a woman passing as Field's wife, were brought up in the custody of the police, and placed before Mr. D'Eyncourt upon the following charges:

"Sergeant Kelly stated, that having received private information that dogs were fought and tortured in a street called Dunk Street, and that a similar exhibition was to take place there last night, I dressed myself in plain clothes, and, accompanied by a number of other officers, proceeded to the house No. 10. Having knocked at the door and been admitted, we made our way up to the front room on the first floor, which we found to be fitted up like a regular theatre, the centre of it railed off for a fighting-pit, and as many persons as the place would hold sitting and standing round, in the form of a small amphitheatre. Two bull-dogs were engaged in a furious contest, and mangling each other in the pit, where also were two men stripped to their

shirts, and inciting them to tear each other. Seeing that the force I had with me would be insufficient to cope with such a number of determined characters, I sent out one of the constables to procure more assistance, when the prisoner Field advanced towards me in a threatening manner with a poker in his hand, and whirling it about over my head, exclaimed, 'If you don't instantly get out of it I'll smash your head for you.' I told him I was a police sergeant, and that if he did so it would be the worse for him; but I retreated to the door, and after he had again twirled the poker about over me in a very menacing manner, got into the street, where I found a reinforcement of officers coming up. I then returned to the house and tried to get in, but found the door securely fastened, and therefore forced my way in through the window into the parlour, where I was confronted by the female prisoner Smith, who exclaimed, 'Oh! you have come here again, have you?" and immediately called out to a ferocious bull-dog, which was fastened by a chain to a bedstead, to seize me. The dog did instantly as it was ordered, and grasped me by the leg, below the knee, with such ferocity, that it not only bit out a mouthful of my trousers and stocking, but also tore away a piece of the flesh. I struck at the dog several times with my staff, but it got under the bed unharmed, and while I was trying to get a blow at it, Field rushed into the room, and dealt me such a severe blow over the hand with some heavy weapon, that my knuckles were broken. There were a great many dogs in the house and yard, the latter all chained, and, upon our getting the prisoners out into the street, the police were assailed by a shower of stones and brickbats, hurled at them by the mob, who had collected in great numbers.

.

"One of the officers here pulled the dead body of a bull-dog from a sack, and lifted up two other live dogs for the magistrate's inspection, both of which were frightfully torn about the eyes, nose, and upper part of the head, the skin being torn completely off the fore-leg of one of them, and both of which had apparently the greatest difficulty in dragging their hind-quarters after them.""

Such are some of the brutalizing scenes in which many find their chief pleasure. A few days after the "Grand Show" at the Public-house, one of the principal actors, described in the above extract, was seized, not again by the police, but by an awful pestilence, and in a few hours appeared at the tribunal of that Judge who rendereth to every man according to his works!

THE RAGGED CHURL AND THE ROYAL TEACHER. AN eminent salesman and butcher in the royal town of Windsor, who, in the palmy days of good King George III., was a great favourite with his Majesty, took delight in relating a number of traits characteristic of the goodness and familiarity displayed by that amiable monarch. His Majesty loved greatly to talk with him on the subject of breeding and feeding cattle; the King himself being an excellent judge of the qualities and value of animals, and was allowed to be the best practical farmer in the county of Berks. Although his Majesty was not particularly easy of access to persons in high life, and seldom admitted any person, however distinguished for birth or talents, in a familiar manner to his table, he was extremely fond of entering into conversation with the lower and middle ranks of society, and few individuals of this description resided long in the neighbourhood of Windsor, without having at some time or other held discourse with King George III. Among other anecdotes related by the late Mr. B-, was the following

"Some years ago," said Mr. B—, "there was a boy in my employment in the capacity of a shepherd; he was a thick-set, sunburnt, sturdy fellow, about ten years old, with coarse features, and a bristly red head of hair, and each particular hair did stand on end, like quills upon the fretful porcupine.' One sultry summer's day, while he was seated on a bank near the road-side, watching his flock with a book in his hand, the King happened to be walking that day unattended, which was frequently the case at that period. His Majesty marched up to the boy, and thus accosted him. 'What, what-what book is that?' The little red-headed urchin gruffly replied, 'A spelling-book.'

forty books to be given to the children, the majority are Catholic in teaching: that the Bible is altogether excluded; and that Popish prints are distri buted, evidencing Mariolatry in its most disgusting form.' We regard both these as additional examples of the contest going on between "Light and

Darkness."

BRUTALIZING SPORT.

"I smokes

THE greatest obstacles perhaps to the progress of Ragged Schools, are the parents of the children for whom these schools were more especially established. The scenes of wretchedness and vice which are constantly presented to the children, are readily and eagerly imitated; every act of a "noble manhood" is soon inherited by the boy of tender years. and drinks beer now-I don't go to your school now," was the exclamation of a wretched boy, who, within three weeks, after an illness of twelve hours only, was cut down by the dread monster who is now making his victims in all densely populated, ill-drained, pestiferous neighbourhoods. The father breaks the Sabbath-the boy is at liberty to do the same; men indulge in the highly pleasurable and manly sport of dog-fighting-the boy gladly avails himself of a couple of dogs to do the same, and so on in a thousand other instances.

As but few of our readers are aware of the awful desecration of the Sabbath -resulting from the continuance of a system which gives encouragement to vice, affords a ready access for barbarous and brutalizing displays, enervating the mind, and destroying the physical condition of a large portion of our population, we furnish, as an illustration of the debased state of morals occasionally to be met with in the metropolis, the particulars of a card lying before us, and which has called forth the foregoing remarks. The card bears the following inscription:

"WONDERS WILL NEVER CEASE.

"AT JOE ROWE'S, HALIFAX HEAD, PRINCES STREET, WHITECHAPEL, "A Grand Show will take place, on Sunday Evening, October 9th, 1853. "Mr. Forster will show his Stud of Pug Dogs; also Mr. Reiley, his celebrated Dog Mop; and several first-rate fanciers have promised to attend. Mr. Wibrow will take the Chair, and show his Dog Jacko, and several other Toy Dogs, faced by J. Ferryman, who will show the handsomest Stock of small Toy Dogs in the world. Several handsome Dogs for sale.-A private Room for Gentlemen to try their Dogs, and a good supply of Rats always on liand, with use of Pit gratis."

Would that such wonders, with all the barbarities which follow in the train of such an announcement, were brought to a speedy termination!

It may not be inappropriate to follow up the history of some of the actors in the above exhibition; we extract from the last published Report of the King Edward Ragged Schools the following, which took place about eighteen months since :

"No less than thirteen persons, (says the Times) with Thomas Field, a dog-fancier and pugilist, and Elizabeth Smith, a woman passing as Field's wife, were brought up in the custody of the police, and placed before Mr. D'Eyncourt upon the following charges:

Sergeant Kelly stated, that having received private information that dogs were fought and tortured in a street called Dunk Street, and that a similar exhibition was to take place there last night, I dressed myself in plain clothes, and, accompanied by a number of other officers, proceeded to the house No. 10. Having knocked at the door and been admitted, we made our way up to the front room on the first floor, which we found to be fitted up like a regular theatre, the centre of it railed off for a fighting-pit, and as many persons as the place would hold sitting and standing round, in the form of a small amphitheatre. Two bull-dogs were engaged in a furious con test, and mangling each other in the pit, where also were two men

stripped to their