THE Romish Church has been guilty of most awful cruelties in persecuting, robbing, torturing, and murdering hundreds of thousands, and, we may say, many millions of good persons, because they refused to profess to believe in the erroneous doctrines taught by the popish priests. Last month we gave an account of the martyrdom of John Brown of Ashford, in Kent; and we shall now give our readers a short account of two eminent men, Bishops Latimer and Ridley, who, nearly three hundred years since, were, by the papists, most cruelly burned to death. King Henry the Eighth was a very wicked man ; but he having quarrelled with the Pope, in the latter part of his life gave encouragement to Protestants, and refused to allow the Pope to exercise authority in Great Britain. Yet Henry was a persecutor. After the death of king Henry, his son, prince Edward, who was only nine years old when, upon the death of his father, he was proclaimed king of England. His uncle, the duke of Somerset, go

verned in the name of Edward. King Edward was a pious youth, and was strongly attached to the doctrines of the Reformation. He died of consumption before he had completed his sixteenth year.

After his death, Mary, who was a papist, was proclaimed queen of England; she having determined to restore popery, most cruelly and wickedly persecuted the Protestants. Archbishop Cranmer, Hooper bishop of Gloucester, Ridley bishop of London, and Latimer bishop of Worcester, and multitudes of other persons during her reign, were, on account of their protestantism, most wickedly and cruelly put to death. Bishops Ridley and Latimer were both at one time, burned alive in the city of Oxford.

Bishop Nicholas Ridley was born in the early part of the sixteenth century, at Wilmontswick, in the county of Northumberland; and about the year 1518 he became a student in the University of Cambridge. He in the year 1533 was elected senior proctor of the University, and, in the year 1550, was made bishop of London. After the death of Edward the Sixth, Ridley endeavoured to secure the throne for Lady Jane Grey-who had been appointed by the late king to be his successor,—but the party for the accession of Mary to the throne was successful, and Ridley was sent to the Tower. He was afterwards removed to Oxford, where he was accused of heresy, and required to engage in a public disputation in defence of the opinions which he professed; and he manfully denied the popish heresies, especially that of the doctrine of transubstantiation; and he was unjustly condemned to suffer death as an heretic.

Bishop Hugh Latimer was born about the year 1470, at Thurcaston, in Leicestershire. Consequently, he was full thirty years older than Bishop Ridley. Latimer was educated at Christ's College, Cambridge. He was made Bishop of Worcester in the year 1535, by king Henry the eighth. Latimer urged the king to allow the English Bible to be circulated and read. He also had the courage to send the king, a New Testament, as a new year's gift,

having a leaf turned down to the words- Whoremongers and adulterers God will judge." About the year 1540, he resigned his bishopric, because he could not approve of some papistical doctrines which then received the sanction of the parliament and of the king. For speaking against these doctrines, contained in what were designated, the Six Articles, Latimer was sent to prison; where he remained for six years, until the death of king Henry.

When Edward the sixth became king, Latimer was immediately released from prison; but he refused to accept again the office of bishop. He, however, occupied himself in preaching frequently, and in preparing the first part of the Homilies, which the clergy, who were unable to preach their own sermons, were ordered to read in the churches.

Upon the restoration of popery, Latimer was again silenced, as were also all the other Protestant teachers. Bishop Gardiner, who was a persecuting and cruel papist, filled the office of prime minister to queen Mary; and he caused Latimer to be sent to prison. While he was confined in the tower of London, in the midst of winter, the keeper refused to let Latimer have a fire in his apartment; upon which he said, that if the governor did not look better to him, perchance he should deceive his expectation. The governor of the tower thought that Latimer meant, that he should try to escape; and therefore he demanded an explanation. Latimer replied, "Yea, master, lieutenant, for you look, I think, that I should burn; but except you let me have some fire, I am like to deceive your expectation, for I am like here to starve."

After having been kept six months in the tower, he was removed to Oxford, where he was required publicly to dispute with some of the defenders of the popish heresies. He nobly contended for the truth, but he was condemned as a heretic and sentenced to suffer death. He was afterwards urged to recant, and make his peace with the Romish Church; but he valued the truth, more than he feared the tortures of being burned to death; and was firm in his refusal to profess faith in the errors taught by the Romish Church.

On the 16th of October, 1555, Latimer and Ridley were taken out of prison to be executed; and were fastened to the stakes, where they were burned to death. Latimer was eighty-five years old when he was executed. When the faggots were beginning to burn, he addressed his fellowsufferer, and said-"Be of good comfort, Mr. Ridley, and play the man; we shall this day light such a candle, by God's grace, in England, as, I trust, shall never be put out." As the flames played around his body, he repeatedly said, with a firm voice, "O Father of heaven, receive my soul!" In a short time he calmly expired. On the day before he was put to death, Ridley was very happy, and rejoiced to suffer for Christ's sake. On the last night of his life, his brother offered to sit up with him, but Ridley said he intended to go to bed, and to sleep as quietly that night, as he ever had done." When Latimer was brought to the stake, he was embraced by Ridley, who, addressing Latimer, said "Be of good heart, brother, for God will either assuage the fury of the flame, or else strengthen us to abide it." A Romish priest again urged him to recant and save his life - but Ridley nobly said "So long as the breath is in my body, I will never deny my Lord Christ, and his known truth. God's will be done in me!" When his body was suffering greatly from the fire, and his end was near, he cried, with a loud voice, "Into thy hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit! O Lord, receive my spirit!"

Thus valiantly did Latimer and Ridley die in defence of the truth. God gave them grace which enabled them to be faithful to his truth; and made them to conquer the fear of death. Doubtless death to them was great gain! They knew that if they suffered in the cause of Christ, he would grant them grace to enable them to bear the tortures inflicted on their bodies, and that he would receive their souls into the kingdom of glory. The grace of God was sufficient for them, and they made a noble confession for Christ. They were faithful witnesses for their Lord.

A few year's since a monument was erected, in the city

of Oxford, to the memory of the Bishops Latimer and Ridley-and to keep in rememberance the cruelties inflicted on them by the Papists.

Let us praise God for the freedom which Christians now enjoy in this country. Popery is not now permitted here to exercise its cruel arts in torturing those who reject its false doctrines; but, alas! there are countries in which popery is still allowed to persecute, imprison, and torture the lovers of the truth.

THE BLIND GIRL AND HER BIBLE.

MANY years ago, said the Rev. Monsieur V- —, when a student in the University of Geneva, I was accustomed to spend the long summer vacations travelling from village to village in my native France, preaching in the open squares the kingdom of God, distributing his holy Word to those who would accept it, and teaching from house to house the blessed Gospel of Jesus my Master. On such an excursion in the summer of 183-, I entered a little vinehung cabin in the environs of Dijon. In its low, wide kitchen, I saw a middle-aged woman busily ironing, a boy yet too young for labour, and a girl of some seventeen or eighteen years, of a sweet, serious aspect, plaiting straw. She did not raise her eyes as I entered, and, on a nearer approach, I perceived that she was blind.

Saying that I was one sent to bring glad tidings of good things, I began to tell them the story of Christ, his love, his sufferings, his death. They listened attentively, and tears rolled slowly from the sightless eyes of the young girl. It was, indeed, tidings new and wonderful unto them, for, like others of the simple peasantry of France, they were accustomed to sing sweet hymns and murmur devout prayers to "blessed Mary, mother mild," while Christ and his salvation were hidden from their hearts. The next day, and the next, I visited the widow's poor cottage, and Jesus, the good Shepherd, gave me new cause for thankfulness, in permitting me to guide both mother and daughter to the fold of peace.