REV.MR.BACKHOUSE'S LECTURE.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXVIII, Issue 4538, 12 March 1872, Page 3

REV.MR.BACKHOUSE'S LECTURE.

A VERY large and attentive con^iegation , assemMecl at; the Fif-stieet Wesleyan Church yeatcrday evening, to hear a lecture annouuced to be delivered by the Rev. Mr. Backhouse, the subject selected being the Bible in Spain. Piaise and prayer having been offered up, Thomas Macffarlane, Esq , was called on to preside, when, after a few preliminary remarks eulogising the Foriign and British Bible Society, the lecturer was introduced to the meeting. The reverend gentleman, after a few prefatory observations, went direct, to the subject of his discourse. He drew a picture of Spain in the days of ita grandeur, when it filled its vast stores of wealth from the mines of Peru and Mexico, until the time when Spain declined in power and importance after the defeat of the Armade under Elizabeth. Spain then became among the most insignificant of powers, whilst England, during these three centuries, made such mighty advances in religion, education, science, and general progress, mental and physical. The terrors of the Inquisition were detailed in forcible language. The lecturer then " continued at great length to impugn the " Roman Catholic religion on the ground that it endeavoured to keep ita people in ignorance of God's Word as it was to be found in the Bible. There was no text-book for young men in relation to bis fellow men, and for his conduct in life, like the Bible. In 183536, the door appeared closed against the Bible in Spain, but in 1855 it opened again. He proceeded to state how eventually the Bible was introduced, and the fruit of its growth in the converts it had made to the Protestant faith. The lecturer condemned the apathy of thoso who neglected the political rights and liberties, and left the government of a country' to adventurers, and those who had not the government of a country at their heart. He believed that if good God-fearing religious men would only recognise and assert their rights as citizens, a great good would result; for who so likely^o deal hon6stlyan;d uprightly as the true Christian? He illuStt*ted his theme by many narrations wbidn were d#ply interesting in themselves, b«t which the limits allowed to this notice will not admit of being given. The -whole aim of the lecturer was to ahow *&the difficulties that had been experienced in the Bible introduced into Spain. The lecturer then entreated his hearers to give their best assistance to so good .• cause. It was no use our singing ourselves into ♦rWesfieelness, and doing nothing towatd«r a i|jgsodi |jg5od cause in a .practical mMjrier.^T-he ' ; thjg), with an elegant perorwaon on 1 the,wori^ind^teaching of the'BibJeVcOE- \ eluded hisMscpnrse, A collection was then „ mtd©; in &ISs>f- ? the funds, when £1 2 17%5ck was contributed. Singing and prayer brought