MARRIAGES. Rev. Richard Mountford Wood, of Brown Hills, Staffordshire, to Mary, third daughter of the Rev. Thomas Newcome, Rector of Shenley. At St. Mary's, Newington, Surrey, the Rev. Thomas England, M.A. Curate of the parish, to Caroline Ann, youngest daughter of R. Muggeridge, Esq. of Walworth. Rev. John Wills, jun. of Scarborough House, near Crewkerne, Somersetshire, to Jane, youngest daughter of the late Henry Coles, Esq. of Fetherton Park, near Bridgewater. Rev. Nathaniel J. B. Hole, of Pembroke College, Cambridge, to Louisa Godde Clayfield, eldest daughter of the late Edward Rolle Clayfield, Esq. of Brislington. Rev. W. R. Griesbach, M.A. Vicar of Friday Thorpe, to Hannah, second daughter of John Singleton, Esq. of Givendale House, in the East Riding of Yorkshire. Feb. 25, Rev. E. S. Appleyard, to Anne Elizabeth, only daughter of the late George Jackson, Esq. of the Chancery Office. Feb. 23, Rev. Robert Burdett Burgess, M.A. of Queen's College, Cambridge, to Margaret Esther, only daughter of the late Edward Burgess, Esq. Rev. J. Woodhouse, to Laura Agnes, fifth daughter of Sir J. Trevelyan, Bart. of Nettlecombe Court, Somersetshire, and Wallington, Northumberland. At the British Ambassador's, Brussels, the Rev. R. Collinson, of Usworth, in the county of Durham, to Ellen, youngest daughter of Thomas Maingy, Esq. of Antwerp. The Rev. Reginald Southwell Smith, M.A. of Balliol College, Rector of West Stafford, to Emily Genevieve, youngest daughter of the late Henry Hanson Simpson, Esq. of Bath. At Weymouth, the Rev. R. C. Phelips, M.A. of Trinity College, Rector of Cucklington, Somersetshire, to Caroline Anne, second daughter of Sir H. Hoskyns, Bart. of Harewood, Hereford. At Hanford, James John Farquharson, Esq. B.A. and Gentleman Commoner of Christ Church, and of Langton House, in the county of Dorset, to Mary Anne, widow of John Phelips, Esq. of Montacute House, Somerset. BIRTHS. At Horton Hall, Staffordshire, the lady of the Rev. G. G. Harvey, of a son. At Welton Vicarage, near Daventry, the lady of the Rev. Francis Tebbutt, of Trinity College, Cambridge, of a son. At Lewknor Vicarage, the Lady Caroline Garnier, of a daughter. At Harrow Weald, the lady of the Rev. H. S. Foyster, of Queen's College, Cambridge, of a son. At Speen, Berks, the lady of the Rev. J. E. Austen, of a son. At the Rectory, Chedzay, the lady of the Rev. T. B. Coney, of a son. At Bognor, the lady of the Rev. Lewis Brown, of a son. At Hemingford Grey, the lady of the Rev. John Storer, jun. of a son. At the Rectory, Week St. Mary, Cornwall, the lady of the Rev. W. Gee, of a daughter. On the 6th ult., the lady of the Rev. R. Henshaw, of Woodville, near Kingsbridge, of a daughter. In the Close, Salisbury, the lady of the Rev. L. Tomlinson, of a son. On the 16th ult., at Tunstall, Kent, the lady of the Rev. C. B. Moore, B.A. of Christ Church, of a son. On the 12th ult., at Coventry, the lady of the Rev. W. F. Hook, M.A. of Christ Church, of a son. On the 17th ult., at Upper Clapton, the lady of the Rev. T. Gregory, of a son. On the 19th ult., the lady of the Rev. Thomas G. P. Atwood, of Pembroke College, and Vicar of Froxfield, Wilts, of a daughter. On the 21st ult., at the Warden's Lodgings, the lady of the Rev. Dr. Shuttleworth, Warden of New College, of a daughter. NOTICES TO CORRESPONDENTS. From the length of the Ecclesiastical Report, together with the Opinions upon the Lady Hewley's Charity, which we last month purposely deferred that we might give the most correct report, we are compelled to omit, for the present month, many articles of interest, for which we must trust to the indulgence of our Correspondents. We beg to acknowledge the receipt of Two Pounds from "G. L. W." for the Protestant Church in the High Alps. THE CHRISTIAN REMEMBRANCER. MAY, 1836. REVIEW OF NEW PUBLICATIONS. ART. I.—Narrative of Six Months' Residence in a Convent. By REBECCA THERESA REED, late Inmate of the Ursuline Convent, Mount Benedict, Charlestown, Massachusetts. Reprinted from the American Edition. Loughborough: Cartwright. Pp. 54. THE policy of the Roman court, in the grand design of defrauding and enslaving the world, was materially altered externally by the event of the Reformation. Bold and daring before the success of Luther, it appears to be wary and crafty since the struggles of that wonderful man restored to a benighted world the intercepted rays of the Dayspring from on high. It is true that in Spain and Italy the Inquisition, in alliance with the ruling powers, utterly rooted out the professors of religion with a desperate contempt of human life and human suffering; but in countries whose princes were either inclined to the reformed opinions, less papally keen in the thirst for blood, or more scrupulous in admitting the exercise of that atrocious authority which might, in the event, be directed against themselves, the Romanists have found it more expedient and commodious to attack the Church of Christ with cautious and treacherous stratagem; and most skilfully have these wily perverters availed themselves of the altered circumstances of society to advance the kingdom of error. The present is the age of democracy and popularity; the "grim wolf," therefore, no longer attempts to seize "with privy paw" upon the youth of our Universities, where too many panoplied champions of the gospel would be found. ready to resist the attacks, but he seeks his victims among the great masses of the community. In those populous districts which are unfortunately beyond the attractive influence of our Church, and most insufficiently supplied with the means of sound religious instruction, the Romanist emissaries are actively engaged; they attempt to dazzle the weaker minded by the splendour of their ceremonial worship, or, creeping into houses, entangle the more acute in the webs of controversy. Bold assertion and bold denial generally impress the minds of the wavering and half-informed, and no men are more deeply skilled in the various points both of defensive and offensive controversy than the Romish priesthood, or are less scrupulous in the mode of polemical warfare, provided they attain any immediate end, turpes Litibus exercent linguas, pulsoque pudore." In the United States of America the field is more open to them. The feverish, morbid state of religious feeling, or the unfixed, unstable, and ignorant scepticism which is too prevalent throughout the greater portion of the Union, are equally advantageous to the purposes of the Roman policy the progress, accordingly, of Romanism is rapid, and America is regarded as a very promising object of papal attention and ambition. One of the most powerful instruments employed by the papists in that country, is more sparingly used, or rather is less known in England. Convents of the order of Sisters of Charity, who visit the sick, and of the Ursuline order of nuns, who devote themselves to the education of their own sex, are springing up in all directions. The first, often composed, no doubt, of meritorious and benevolent individuals, (however their exertions may be perverted to serve the object of superstition,) are ready to avail themselves of those seasons of sorrow and sickness when the mind is most open and alive to religious and devotional suggestions; the latter occupy themselves in training the future wives and mothers of American citizens-the earliest and the most effective teachers and transmitters of religion. What consummate tact and skill does this arrangement of the children of this world display! Nevertheless the wisest manœuvrers sometimes fail: the work before us exhibits the rare example of an escape from Romish entanglement. It has excited very deep interest in the United States, and will probably for a time somewhat embarrass the astute promoters of pravity and superstition. Rebecca Theresa Reed* appears to be the daughter of a farmer, residing near Charlestown, Massachusetts. In 1826, when about thirteen years of age, she was much impressed by the conversation of a Roman Catholic young lady, her schoolfellow; her glowing description of the happiness and holiness of the nuns of Mount Benedict, near Charlestown, affected her sensibly, "probably (as she remarks) owing to the peculiar state of my feelings." She soon requested of her parents permission to enter the convent; they evaded the proposal, Her The Narrative, and subsequent publications upon the subject, contain but few notices of Miss Reed's personal circumstances, and those in a confused order. station in society was evidently humble. and sent her, for the benefit of her health, to visit her friends in New Hampshire. This expedient for a time succeeded in diverting her thoughts from her design; but the death of her mother deeply affected her, and unsettled her mind. The advice of a pious and judicious friend would at this juncture have been of great value. Miss Reed's family belonged to the Episcopalian Church, and it is to be lamented that her friends did not invite the counsel of some Clergyman qualified to direct into a wholesome channel the inquiries of this young person. She unfortunately found a friend who confirmed her impressions of the excellence of a monastic life; she had contracted an acquaintance "with Miss M. H. a domestic in Mr. H. I. K.'s family at Charlestown." After her mother's death, "Miss M. H. came to our house (says Miss Reed), and begged me to keep her as a domestic a little while, as she had no place." This lady, whom we aristocrats would call a servant of all work, was a Roman Catholic; she seems to have effectually influenced the weak and delicate mind of her young principal (mistress, we presume, we must not write,) and at length introduced her to the Superior of the convent. It is to be observed that Miss Reed had attended a course of controversial lectures in Boston; and we cannot avoid remarking, that public, indiscriminate, controversial discussions, unless very cautiously conducted, sometimes cause more perplexity than satisfaction in the minds of the uneducated and wavering. The account of her interview with the Superior is told with much simplicity. We were invited by a lay sister to sit; who, after retiring, in a few moments made her appearance, requesting Miss H. to see her in another room. Soon after the Superior came in, and embraced me with much seeming affection, and put the following questions to me:-how long since the death of my mother; whether I ever attended the Catholic church, or knew any thing of the principles of their religion; what I had heard respecting them; of their order; my views of it; what progress I had made in my studies; whether I had attended much to history; knew any thing of embroidery, drawing, or painting, or any other ornamental work; whether I had ever assisted in domestic affairs? After which questions, taking my hand, she said, " O, it feels more like a pancake than any thing else." She inquired in what capacity I desired to enter the institution, whether as a recluse or a scholar; whether I had done attending school, &c. I replied that I did not consider my education complete; that I wished to go into the school attached to the nunnery on the same terms as other pupils, until I had made sufficient progress to take the veil and become a recluse; that my father was averse to my becoming a nun, but I was of opinion that he would concur with my Episcopal friends in not objecting to my becoming a pupil. In the course of the interview, the Superior conversed much upon the Scriptures, and intimated that I ought to make any sacrifice, if necessary, to adopt the religion of the cross; repeating the words of our Saviour, "He that loveth father or mother more than me, is not worthy of me," &c.-P. 5. Miss Reed was now rapidly becoming a proselyte. At a subsequent interview, the Superior desired me to see the bishop or clergy, remarking, she believed I had a vocation for a religious life, and the bishop would tell me whether I had or not. She also asked if I was acquainted with a Catholic friend who would introduce me to the bishop, and mentioned a Mr. R. who would introduce me to hiin. I was unacquainted with Mr. R., but had seen him at my sister's house in Boston. She said that the bishop or Mr. R. would discuss the matter with my father, and reconcile him to Catholicity. After consulting some friends who were in favour of the Catholic religion, I consented to see Mr. R., who, being requested, called at my father's, gave me some Scripture proofs of the infallibility of the Romish Church; as, "Thou art Peter, and upon this rock I build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it:" and "Whose sins ye retain they are retained, and whose sins ye remit they are remitted." "He that will not hear the church, let him be to thee as an heathen man and a publican." He (Mr. R.) desired I would secrete the paper upon which the texts were quoted. He then took his leave, saying he would call to see me in town soon, at the Misses S., when he would introduce me to the Bishop. I will here remark, that previous to my joining the community, I heard of many miracles wrought by Catholic priests. Mrs. G. brought a lady one day in a chaise to show me her eyes, which were restored by means of a priest, Dr. O'F. She, as Mrs. G. stated, was totally blind; but having faith in miracles, she knelt to her confessor, requesting him to heal her. After touching her eyes with spittle and holy oil, she "immediately received her sight." Before the next interview with the Superior, I visited my Protestant friends, the Misses S., when Mr. R. called and proposed to introduce me to the Bishop. He accordingly accompanied me to the bishop's, and introduced me as the young lady who wished to become acquainted with the tenets of the church, and recommended to him by the honoured mother the superior, with directions for his ascertaining my vocation as a fit subject for a recluse. The Bishop asked me if I knew the meaning of the word "nun;" how long I had thought of becoming a nun; my opinion, and the opinion of my friends, in regard to Catholicity; and as my feelings were easily wrought upon, more particularly at this time, questious were put to me which more mature deliberation leads me to think were put under the impression that I was very ignorant, and which were very unpleasant for me to answer. He even went so far as to judge my secret thoughts, saying he knew what was then passing in my mind. I then took my leave, undecided what course to pursue, and very little edified by the conversation of the Right Rev. Bishop. The bishop gave directions to Mr. R. to purchase a Catechism of the Catholic Church in the diocese of Boston, published with the approbation of the Right Rev. Bishop Fenwick; which I refused to accept. About a week afterwards I called upon the superior, and made her acquainted with my conversation with the bishop; likewise with my refusal of the Catechism. On learning that my desire was still strong to become an inmate of the convent, she smilingly said, that for one so young as I was to wish to seclude myself from the world, and live the life of a Religieuse, was impossible. I remarked, I did not like the bishop so well as I expected. She exclaimed, "Oh! he is one of the servants of God; he did so to try your vocation;" and said that I should like him better the next time I saw him. After recommending me to pray for grace, she caused me to kneel and receive her blessing; after which, she embraced me, and I returned to my father's house. I shortly after visited the Misses H. in Charlestown, and was introduced to Mrs. G., who was acquainted with the tenets of the Catholic Church, and also with Mr. B., the Catholic priest. After a short acquaintance with her, I was requested to converse with Mr. B., the priest; which I did, and liked him very much. He also supplied me with books, from which I learned that I ought to venerate and receive the religion of the Catholic Church as the only one and true religion. On Good Friday evening I heard the most affecting Catholic sermon, in Charlestown, I ever listened to, upon the passion of our Redeemer. I soon |