THE HON. G. F. ANGAS.		MR. J. H. ANGAS, J. P.

      ONE of the first matters that engaged the attention of Mr. Angas after my entrance upon the new duties was in regard to the necessity for improvement in the social, moral, and spiritual condition of the districts of Bowden, Brompton, and Hindmarsh. His town residence, Prospect Hall, was within the boundary of the first-named, and he felt that these places, which together formed a large centre of population, had an especial claim upon him. We both thought that a Scripture-reader, carrying on work as a town missionary, would best meet the case. There was neither delay nor difficulty in making the appointment, as the Lord provided [309] just the man wanted, in the person of Mr. Thomas Harkness, who was out of employment and had consulted me as to what would be the best thing for him to do. From what I knew of this gentleman's history I believed that if he would undertake the work it would be good for himself, and also for those for whose well-being he labored. On my strong recommendation Mr. Angas agreed to give him a trial, and informed me, in a letter dated "Lindsay Park, September 4, 18615," that he was willing to pay Mr. Harkness for his services. In concluding the epistle he says:--"If he [Mr. Harkness] engages with me as a Scripture reader, I must depend on you to order all his movements in my stead." I quite willingly accepted this trust, and never had occasion to regret the nomination of the missionary. In after years, knowing the great blessing that Mr. Harkness was to the district, I felt that if this had been the only good thing I had been the means of bringing about while in the service of Mr. Angas, there would be reason for satisfaction. In connection with this mission an annual Christmas feast was given to many who would not otherwise have been able to enjoy the festivities of the season; and I had the privilege and pleasure of taking part in many of these gatherings. In addition to this, Mr. Angas gave instructions to supply the missionary with funds to meet the wants of necessitous and deserving persons.

      Another movement in which I took an active part, in accordance with the wishes of Mr. Angas, was the establishment of a free school in that part of the district farthest away from those already in existence. To carry out this project, I obtained the services of Mrs. E. Davies, who was desirous of engaging in scholastic duties and giving Scriptural instruction as well. To provide the necessary accommodation, Mr. Angas purchased a property on which had been erected a flourmill and a wheat store. The interior of the mill had been destroyed by fire, and the walls and chimney-stack, when pulled down, supplied part of the material for the erection of a four-roomed cottage for the teacher. The wheat store (which was about 90 feet long), when repaired and fit for use, made a first-rate schoolroom. Mrs. Davies proved herself to be a suitable teacher for the class of children that attended the school, and she was assisted by one whom she had trained for the work. A large number came to be instructed, and I was requested by Mr. Angas to undertake the oversight of this school, as he could not give personal attention to it; but as Mrs. Davies was such a capable schoolmistress, my duties were very light. At a later period Mr. Angas established a free school at [310] Norwood, which was conducted in much the same manner as the one at Bowden; and I was pleased to have the privilege of taking a part in this work also.

      In addition to the oversight of the Mission and School just mentioned, Mr. Angas desired me to undertake a similar duty with respect to two or three Bible women that were employed and paid by him, whose work was to be carried out on the methods adopted by Mrs. Ranyard, a lady who had given a great impetus to this kind of agency in England. To pay them their salaries and to report to Mr. Angas as to the character and progress of their work, with mention of any special feature, was about all that I had to do in connection with these agents. The periodical reports of these Bible-women showed that, as a general rule, they had been well received, and that their kind services were much appreciated by those whom they visited. The exceptions in this as well as in other agencies of a similar character were the Roman Catholics, who, with the dread of the confessional and the priests, were rarely willing to receive the Bible-women into their houses. The very name of the Bible is quite sufficient to alarm the Romanists, and their fears are well grounded from their standpoint. They say that the Bible is a dangerous book; and so it truly is--decidedly fatal to their assumptions and claims to be regarded as the only true Church of Jesus Christ.

      Having removed from Wellington Square to Prospect Villa (adjoining Prospect Hall), my daily routine of duties, when Mr. Angas was in town, was as follows:--At 9 o'clock he was prepared to begin the duties of the day, the morning paper having to be scanned for the items he desired read to him. Next the letters and papers by the post--the former to be read, and instructions received as to the replies to be sent. Then there would be the consideration of the business of the Legislative Council for the day, when in session: over this there was usually more or less conversation, till the carriage came to the door to take him to town. Before starting, Mr. Angas would write down on slips of paper the names of places at which he was to call in their proper order, and I have seen as many as fourteen or fifteen of these for one day. This was a great aid to his failing memory, as well as a saving of time, as the coachman could finish the whole circuit without having to drive to and fro. Mr. Angas was not only punctilious, but very methodical, and had cautiousness largely developed; and all this, to some people--careless ones especially--would be irksome, and even annoying. But as my mind was somewhat similarly inclined, I was not at all troubled by this. [311] Unless pressed for time, Mr. Angas, before entering the carriage, would usually examine the wheels, boxes, and springs; and also look to the harness, to see that all was right in this direction. A kind word to the horses, and a familiar pat on the neck, would finish the inspection; and as the animals were well fed, and had not overmuch work to do, they were sometimes inclined to be a bit "frisky" before starting. The coachman, however, kept them well in hand, and as they knew him, they would soon be on their best behavior. Horses that have been accustomed to run in pairs do not like being driven in single harness; and when driving one of this pair in a buggy, I have been witness to some funny capers and queer performances on the part of the equine.

      From 10 or 11 o'clock in the morning till 6 o'clock in the evening I had time to write letters and attend to business at my office at the villa, and also to give attention to any outdoor work that was necessary during the day. At 5 o'clock Mr. Angas took tea, and if he had invited anyone other than members of his own family to come to tea, I was usually invited to join them. When alone, I was expected to be at the Hall at 6 o'clock, and as a rule the greater part of the evening was spent in reading and conversation till 9 o'clock, which was the hour for family worship. The reading was generally of a biographical and historical character, but very rarely political in the evening. That was done in the morning; and after the debates in the House in the afternoon, Mr. Angas did not want an additional dose of this kind in the evening. If the reading was interesting, and did not call forth any criticism or remark, I would read on for an hour, an hour and a half, and even for two hours, without intermission. I found this reading harder work than preaching for the same length of time, as I was required to read in a clear and distinct tone of voice without the variations that can be made in public addresses. Mr. Angas usually listened with his eyes closed, and occasionally (thinking that he was dozing) I would lower my voice and think that I was going to have a partial rest. The eyes would soon be wide open, and a voice would be heard after this fashion: "Mr. Hussey, kindly read over the last few sentences again, as I did not hear distinctly what you read." This discipline was rather a severe one, but it was for my good; and the remark has frequently been made to me that I read and speak very distinctly, so that even deaf people can hear me when they cannot hear those who speak louder. Besides this, Mr. Angas took the liberty of correcting my pronunciation when necessary; and as my education had been [312] defective, I felt thankful afterwards for those corrections, though I might not relish them at the time. At 9 o'clock punctually (all was punctuality here) the bell was rung and the servants were summoned to attend family worship, which I was invariably asked to conduct. After supper I took leave of Mr. Angas for the night, and he retired to rest about 10 o'clock, but not always to sleep, especially if anything exciting had occurred through the day. In this respect I differed from Mr. Angas, as I had trained my mind to dismiss anything of a troublesome and disagreeable character from it on going to bed, which enabled me to say truthfully that I went to bed to go to sleep. Mr. Angas, being of a highly sensitive and nervous temperament, could not so easily control his mind and feelings. He generally rested for an hour or two in the afternoon; and if he neglected this practice he had to pay the penalty of a sleepless or disturbed night's rest. He did not quite understand why it should be so, and I ventured to suggest that his afternoon repose quieted down the nervous system and prepared the way for a good sound sleep at night. People of a different temperament would probably find that sleeping in the daytime might rob them of sleep at night. As we are not all constituted alike, what is good for one might be harmful for another, and our own peculiar temperament and disposition have to be taken into account.

      When Mr. Angas was at Lindsay Park, his country residence, I was expected to attend to his town business; and any other business that I might be inclined to undertake for the furtherance of religion, education, and philanthropy. I was to give him particulars of any sphere of usefulness that presented itself, and such of these as commended themselves to his mind I was at liberty to carry out. We frequently corresponded with each other, and the letters that passed during a period of several years would fill a large volume or two. Mr. Angas's letters were of a thoroughly practical character, very explicit, and never wanting in detail where such was necessary. Consequently I was rarely, if ever, left in doubt as to the exact course to take. In letters of importance that I have written on his behalf, and considered could not fail to meet the case, his critical eye would detect a weak place which required an interlineation. He would have made a first-rate general of an army, as he would have been able, almost at a glance, to discover any flaw in the plan of campaign and to strengthen the faulty position. In July, 1865, I entered into a wordy warfare with Mr. E. G. Day, of the New Church. I thought I had finished with [313] this peculiar people when, in 1858-9, I published some of Swedenborg's "revelations" in the Christian Advocate; and probably nothing further would have been written in the way of an exposure, but for a report of the New Church anniversary which appeared in the Register of July 18, in which I considered the truth concerning the second coming of Christ to be denied. This truth has always been very precious to me, and to others who are looking for the "blessed hope"; therefore, to be publicly told that this great and glorious event is past, was more than I could very well bear. It is not my intention to weary my readers with the subtilty and sophistry of the so-called "New Church" teachers, in their attempts to affirm that the Lord Jesus has come a second time, according to prediction and promise; but here is Mr. Day's statement, which shall speak for itself. He said: "I am quite certain, as are all who really receive the testimony of Swedenborg, that the second advent of our Lord has taken place, and that the passages of Scripture upon which you rely as proof of a personal coming, really prove a spiritual advent." It is quite clear from this quotation that this Church bases its views on the subject rather upon the testimony of Swedenborg than upon the "sure word of prophecy." Here is just one more sample of the manner in which the Scriptures are explained away by Swedenborg and his disciples. Mr. Day said: "It is certain that our Lord after His resurrection was not an inhabitant of the natural world. His occasional manifestations to His disciples were not before their natural sight, but before the eyes of their spirits, which 'were opened' for the purpose. His ascension into heaven was not, therefore, an ascension from the natural world through the sky, but an ascent from the spiritual world into and above the region of angels." Contrast this "spiritual" nonsense with the statement contained in Acts i. 3, as to the Lord Jesus being taken up in the presence of His Apostles, "to whom also He showed Himself alive after His passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the Kingdom of God." Again, in Acts x. 39-41: "We are witnesses of all things which He did, both in the land of the Jews, and in Jerusalem; whom they slew and hanged on a tree; Him God raised up the third day, and showed Him openly; not to all the people, but unto witnesses chosen before of God, even to us, who did eat and drink with Him after He rose from the dead." According to Swedenborg, the "spiritual" alchemist, all these literal things, and many more mentioned in Scripture, were [314] changed into spiritual things. The tree on which Christ died, by the same rule of Biblical interpretation, was, a "spiritual" tree; His death was a "spiritual" death; the atonement made by Him for sin was a "spiritual" atonement; His resurrection was a "spiritual" resurrection; the "eating and drinking with Him" was a "spiritual eating and drinking"; the eyes with which they saw Him ascend were "spiritual" eyes; the hands of Thomas that were thrust into the wounds of the Lord Jesus must have been "spiritual" hands, and the wounds must have been "spiritual" wounds; the Mount of Olives from which He ascended was a "spiritual" mountain; the clouds that received Him out of sight were "spiritual" clouds; and His coming again is a "spiritual" coming. According to the teaching of the New Church the Bible is a profound riddle, one which can only be unravelled by Swedenborg and his "inspired" disciples. If this be so, of what use is the truly inspired Word of God to all who are outside the gates of this pretended "New Jerusalem"? The correspondence between the late Rev. E. G. Day and myself was published in pamphlet form, but I do not suppose that very many had patience enough to peruse it. I felt it my duty, however, to expose the fallacy of this "spiritual" coming of Christ, as taught in this system of mysticism, by setting forth the teaching of Scripture with reference to this great and sublime truth. At a very early period in ecclesiastical history, the system of spiritualising the Scriptures was adopted, and Origen may be considered as the originator of this mischievous method of interpretation, which explains away many important doctrines of the Bible. At a later period Swedenborg, and a host of others who have followed his pernicious example, have done incalculable mischief by turning plain statements into fables and fanciful theories.

      My engagement with Mr. Angas did not in any way interfere with my work of preaching and visiting the sick, and of this last duty I had no small share. In addition to the members of my own family, there were a number of others to whom my visits were always acceptable. My brother (George Frederick) was subject to very severe attacks of illness, which baffled the skill of his medical advisers, and at times rendered him quite unfit to attend to his business. On these occasions I rendered what assistance I could; and this, with my other work, kept me constantly engaged. I found two or three cases which I took in hand, visiting frequently. Some of these afflicted ones were sorely tried, and I did all that was possible to lighten their heavy [315] burdens, continuing my calls year after year till it was no longer necessary. One of these was a poor Christian woman who seemed to have had almost more than her share of "the ills that flesh is heir to." She had lost her nose, and was supplied with an artificial one; her sight was very defective; she was incurably deaf; and, in addition, she suffered from a chronic liver complaint. I called on her for years, and my visits seemed to strengthen her to trust in the Lord to the end. On more than one occasion she expressed a hope that her time was really come, and I have seen her weep with disappointment on realising that it was still delayed. She had strong faith in God all through, and, according to His promise, He did "not leave her nor forsake her." Another aged Christian woman whom I visited, generally once a week, for two or three years, and who was bed-ridden for a long time before her death, was a bright example of patience and resignation. Whilst herself lying in a helpless condition, her aged husband was taken dangerously ill, and died in a few days, leaving the partner of his joys and sorrows still to suffer for a season. These were cases which seemed specially committed to my care, and I found that turning aside for a little season from the busy scenes of life, health, and activity, to these sick and afflicted ones, was a spiritual blessing to my own soul as well as to those I visited. My preaching appointments were mostly in Adelaide, Hindmarsh, and Mitcham; but occasionally at McLaren Vale, Gumeracha, Kapunda, and other places. I had also the satisfaction of baptising several upon a profession of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

      In April of this year I had an uncomfortable travelling experience. My mother usually spent two or three of the summer months at Port Elliot, and at such times I would escort her there and back. On one occasion I went down to bring her home, and on the day we had arranged to leave there was no room in the conveyance for me. No alternative was left but to walk the twenty-five miles to Willunga, as I had done before. Starting about the same time as the mail-cart, I kept up with it for about six miles. The steep hill at starting gave mean advantage which two or three short cuts enabled me to maintain till the down grade was reached, when the horses, quickening their pace, left me far behind. I managed to reach Willunga by 7 o'clock, tired, but otherwise no worse for the exertion. A good night's rest would have set me up, but this was not to be had, for the snoring of the captain of a Murray River steamer was so discordant and loud as to utterly preclude the possibility of sleep, and I was [316] glad, after lying as quiet as I could, to welcome the break of day. In letters I received from Mr. Angas in May there are numerous remarkable evidences of his kind thoughtfulness for the sick and the suffering. Mrs. Angas had been very ill, at the point of death, and was still far from well. Her husband, notwithstanding his deep solicitude on her behalf, still thought of many another who was in trouble. He made enquiry about my brother, who was a great sufferer, and reminded me that I had not referred in my letters to the state of his health. Mr. Angas expressed regret at hearing of the death of the mother of his town coachman, and was pleased that I had rendered some service in her last hours. He also intimated his willingness to defray all expenses incurred in connection with her illness and funeral. Mr. Harkness, the town missionary, had lost a child by death, and in a letter from Lindsay House on June 2, Mr. Angas said: "I wish you to inform Mr. Harkness that I will re-imburse him for the expenses of his doctor's bill, and for the funeral of his poor dear child. I am sorry for Mrs. Harkness and him. No doubt the child is taken away from the evil to come." Mr. Angas, indeed, in his kind offer of pecuniary help to Mr. Harkness went far beyond this, and instructed me to ascertain the price at which a cottage next to Prospect Villa could be purchased, for Mr. Harkness to occupy free of rent. This property was secured in due course, and I named it Prospect Cottage, completing the three residences in proper order:--Prospect Hall, at the top of the hill; Prospect Villa, a little lower down; and then Prospect Cottage. In another letter about this time Mr. Angas enclosed a cheque to pay certain expenses, "and also to enable Mr. Harkness to supply the widows and others at Bowden and neighboring villages with coals or firewood, as most expedient in his view; not to exceed, in all, £50." In the same letter he said that his own eyes were so weak, and the weather so cold, that he would not come to town as he had intended.

      Early in July Mr. Angas had a severe attack of illness at Prospect Hall, and was attended by Dr. Wheeler, who considered that his patient was in a somewhat critical state. Having had a little experience in nursing, I undertook to sit up with him for two or three nights, and had the satisfaction of seeing him gradually recover. His recovery, however, was only partial; and as he did not regain his wonted health and strength, he took into serious consideration the resignation of his seat in the Legislative Council. He talked the matter over with me again and again, and as I had such striking evidence of his weakness. [317] and his inability to attend to his legislative duties with his usual vigor, I did not attempt to dissuade him from his purpose. On Tuesday, August 28, 1866, Mr. Angas finally decided to retire, and tendered his resignation, stating his reasons for taking this step. This retirement was accepted with regret, and the leading members of the Council and the Press bore testimony to the valuable services rendered by him to the Colony. As appears from his "Memoirs," published many years later, Sir Samuel Davenport, in a letter to Mr. J. H. Angas, thus wrote of him:--"I may truly say that no member of the Legislative Council felt greater interest in its proceedings, nor evinced more ardor in his desire to lay broad and sound the laws for effecting the healthy development of the Colony, and the common prosperity of all classes of its people, than he did. In his statesmanlike view the prosperity of each individual and of each industrial class was the most logical aim and the surest path to the attainment of the greatest good of all. To a heart full of sympathy with the best interests of the Colony, he further elevated the character of a legislator by his long and extensive business experience, his high moral tone, and the consequent wisdom and prudence of his counsels. It is, however, as being specially prominent amongst the fathers and founders of the Colony that his name will lastingly claim the grateful recognition of all who have or may benefit by being colonists."

      In October I made the acquaintance of a gentleman who was introduced to me by a letter from Mr. Angas, dated "Lindsay House, October 8, 1866," and which ran as follows:--"The bearer of this note, who goes by the sole name of 'William,' devotes his life to the making known the simple 'Gospel of Christ' to the remote stations and cottages of the squatters, etc.; and since last Christmas has walked about 2,700 miles in that work, distributing tracts, Testaments, and so on. I have given him a supply of both, but he wants more tracts. Will you kindly go with him to the Tract Depot in Adelaide, and pay for what he wants for his next journey to Port Lincoln round by Port Augusta?" After instructing me to provide accommodation and whatever "William" might require during his stay, the writer said:--"He is a man of respectable connections and family, but has consecrated himself to the humble work of carrying the Gospel to the poor of the land." I received "William" as a servant of the Lord Jesus, and extended hospitality to him; besides attending to his requirements for his contemplated journey at the expense of Mr. Angas. From what I could learn of my [318] guest, he had been a great traveller in nearly all parts of the world; had been converted in Queensland some time previously, but was not connected with any Church; and had literally followed the directions given by Christ to the servants whom He tent out to preach the Gospel, taking neither purse, nor scrip, or any extra raiment. He averred that, though travelling for thousands of miles on foot through the bush, his few wants had always been supplied. Like the disciples of old, he understood that he was not to go "from house to house," and being quite contented with the hospitality we could extend, he made our home his each time he visited the City. After being engaged in missionary work in this Colony for two or three years, he conceived the idea of establishing a Home for Bushmen in Adelaide, or some other centre of population. I rendered him what assistance I could in formulating this scheme, and when it was in a forward state it was submitted to several gentlemen interested in pastoral pursuits. A preliminary meeting was held in White's Arbitration Rooms, at which the following gentlemen were present:--The Hons. T. Elder, M.L.C. (in the chair), and W. Morgan; the Revs. S. Mead, G. Stonehouse, and J. C. Woods; and Messrs. J. H. Angas, H. Scott, F. W. Stokes, H. Giles, C. Sabine, S. Tomkinson, C. B. Young, W. K. Thomas, "William," and myself. This was followed by a public meeting, at which it was decided to make strenuous efforts to establish the proposed "home. A committee was appointed to carry out the scheme, and, after acting for some time on it, I was appointed hon. secretary, with Mr. C. Sabine as hon. treasurer. As the history of the Bushmen's Club has been published, and the part I took in its establishment given in detail, it is unnecessary for me to say more about it--except that after a time it became known that the mysterious "William" was really Mr. W. M. Hugo, a relative of Victor Hugo, the well-known novelist.

      Towards the close of 1866 it occurred to Mr. Angas that he would very much like to have some correspondence between his cousin (Mr. Joblin) and himself transcribed. It was entered into in their youthful days, and was written in shorthand, in order that they might perfect themselves in that kind of writing. Mr. Angas possessed a copy of the system they adopted, but, having altogether forgotten it, he knew no more of the contents of the letters than if such had been written in Greek. He desired me to make myself sufficiently acquainted with the system to be able to transcribe these letters, which I did; and I regret that, having acquired such a knowledge of it, I did not continue to [319] practise it. My numerous and varied engagements, however, would not permit of my doing so. I was pleased to gather, from these letters, that in Mr. Angas's youthful days he had such a deep and strong religious bias, which clearly showed that a good foundation was being laid for the establishment of a consistent Christian character. The excellent advice that he tendered to his cousin was more like that coming from an advanced Christian than from a mere youth, and in all probability it exerted an influence for good on one who subsequently occupied such an important position, Mr. Joblin having taken a leading part, as also his cousin, in establishing the National Provincial Bank of England.

      In the Parliamentary Session of 1866 a Bill was brought in with a view to placing ministers of all denominations on an equality as regards the celebration of marriages. The existing statute gave the Anglicans and the Romanists certain privileges that were not accorded to ministers of other Churches; and in a colony where there was no State Church it was considered an anomaly that a distinction should be made where all were really on an equality. The Bill was rejected by a small majority, and it was understood that its rejection was mainly due to a demonstration made by the Roman Catholics at a large meeting held in their Cathedral. The cry raised at this meeting was not the one used by the Ephesian silversmiths, who thought that their "craft was in danger," but the cry that violence would be done to their consciences if the Bill were passed. This was mere claptrap, as there was nothing in the rejected Bill to prevent them from celebrating the religious ceremony in any way that they thought proper. It may therefore be assumed that the Bill was thrown out on the ground of ignorance and misapprehension. The Romanists considered that they had scored a victory, and rejoiced over it; but their rejoicing was of short duration. I shall now briefly mention the steps that were taken by the leaders of what are usually termed "Dissenting" Churches to secure the religious equality which they felt that they ought to enjoy in a colony where there was neither State Church nor State patronage.

      I find from my diary, under date December 1, 1866, that I was engaged at Prospect Hall, with Mr. Angas and the late Rev. J. Maughan, arranging for a meeting of ministers and others to take such steps as were deemed necessary to secure religious equality in the matter of the celebration of marriages; and for the maintenance of the principle in the Colony generally. On the following day I called on several ministers to obtain their signatures to a [320] circular convening a meeting for Monday, December 10, at White's Arbitration Rooms. At this meeting I was appointed secretary, and set to work in right earnest to carry out the duties of the office. Two days later, at a meeting of ministers and others held in the vestry of Chalmers Church, it was resolved that a deputation should wait on the Chief Secretary on the morrow, with the idea of strengthening his hands as a supporter of the Bill before Parliament. The measure was thrown out on December 13, and it was then decided that a public meeting should be held at Chalmers Church next evening. Notwithstanding the short notice there was a large and enthusiastic gathering. Mr. R. A. Tarlton occupied the chair, and, in addition to the chairman, the following gentlemen addressed the meeting:--The Revs. F. W. Cox and C. Manthorpe (Congregational), G. Stonehouse (Baptist), J. Watsford (Wesleyan), J. Pollitt (Church of England), J. Gardner (Presbyterian), J. C. Woods (Unitarian), and J. Maughan (Methodist New Connexion). The resolutions were all carried unanimously. The following is the text of the last motion submitted: "That as there still appears to be a large amount of ignorance prevalent as to the nature of the Marriage Bill recently before the House of Assembly, and as it is impossible that the question can rest in the position in which it now stands, this meeting resolves that the following gentlemen, with power to add to their number, be appointed for the purpose of enlightening the public mind as to the real questions that are at issue, and taking such other steps as they may deem most suitable for promoting the great principle of religious equality as embodied in that Bill: The Revs. J. Gardner, F. W. Cox, J. Watsford, G. Stonehouse, S. Mead, J. Jefferis, R. Haining, C. Manthorpe, J. Lyall, J. Millard, C. W. Evan, J. C. Woods, S. Ironside, J. Hancock, and J. G. Wright; and Messrs. A. Adamson, R. A. Tarlton, G. F. Angas, A. J. Baker, C. H. Goode, W. K. Thomas, W. C. Buik, J. Scott, J. Hosking, S. J. Way, T. Graves, D. Murray, and H. Hussey." The mover of the resolution (Rev. J. Maughan) remarked that these names represented gentlemen who were well known, not only as earnest advocates, but also as firm supporters of the great cause of civil and religious equality. They could not, therefore, do better than submit the question to them. He trusted that they would carry to a successful and glorious issue the movement initiated that night. To give those who were not present at the meeting an opportunity of perusing the report of the proceedings, 500 extra copies of the Register were struck off, and 2,000 copies of the report of the meeting alone, printed for [321] general circulation by the committee, the work of distribution largely falling upon me, as hon. secretary.

      In October, 1867, as secretary to the committee for securing religious equality in the Marriage Bill then before Parliament, I called a meeting of ministers, which was held in the vestry of Chalmers Church. The clause in the Bill to which exception was specially taken was one giving precedence to bishops and archdeacons; it being considered that all officiating ministers for the celebration of marriages should be placed on an equality. At this meeting a sub-committee was appointed, consisting of the Revs. C. W. Evan, J. C. Woods, and myself, to prepare a petition to Parliament praying for the abolition of the "precedence" clause. As it was a reasonable request, and as the denominations generally were determined to discountenance anything like State patronage to any Church--whatever its high-sounding claims might be--the petition was numerously signed, and had the desired effect, the Bill being passed without the obnoxious clause. This Bill then became the law of the land, and has been in operation nearly thirty years. During the whole of that period it has worked well, not requiring amendment in any important particular.

      The Romanists did not take their defeat over the Marriage Bill with a very good grace, and indulged pretty freely in invective against Protestants and Protestantism. This reached a climax when, in the Southern Cross and Catholic Herald, the following statement appeared:--"The gigantic Satanic fraud of Protestantism is spread out and sub-divided into the most unmeaning professions of some sort of appreciation of a God somewhere; and is meanwhile drifting into the merest Deism." As I had for many years concluded that Popery was the masterpiece of Satan, I did not feel inclined to allow this impudent and unwarrantable assertion to pass unchallenged. I therefore wrote a reply to the audacious statement, addressing it to "The Editor of the Catholic Herald, per favor of the Protestant Banner." Both these papers were published in Sydney, but were circulated through the Australian Colonies; and I concluded that it was better to adopt this course, to ensure wide circulation, than to deal with it as a mere local matter. Besides securing the publication of my reply in the Protestant Banner, I had 2,000 copies of it printed in separate form for distribution in this Colony. The following extract will give some idea of the way in which I dealt with this attack upon the Protestant citadel:--"When you characterise Protestantism as a 'gigantic Satanic fraud,' I can [322] only conclude that you are either ignorant of what Protestantism is, or else that you have intentionally been guilty of the greatest misrepresentation which could be enunciated with reference to it. Protestantism is, emphatically, the religion of the Bible, and if you know so little of the contents of that Book as not to recognise it as such, your ignorance is as culpable as your false accusation is criminal. It can scarcely be necessary for me to inform you that the Bible is the foundation of Protestantism, and charity would lead me to the conclusion that you did not see the logical inference deducible from your rash and unfounded assertion. If, according to your statement, Protestantism is a "gigantic Satanic fraud," then the Bible upon which it is base must have Satan, the 'father of lies,' for its author, instead of Jehovah, the Living and True God'; and the Book itself must be a device of the Devil, instead of being, as Protestants believe it to be, 'the Word of the Living God, which liveth and abideth for ever.' It is no trifling matter for the creature to reproach the, Creator; and He who 'has magnified His Word above all his Name' will look with anything but complacency upon those who despise His Divine majesty, who speak reproachfully of His Word, or who calumniate those who believe in it. What, I would ask, could have induced you to give expression to the aforesaid libel upon Protestantism? And having been thus tempted, do not the words of Peter, whom you claim to be your patron Apostle, condemn you, when, addressing one of old, he said, 'Why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? Thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God' (Acts v. 4)? That the Bible is the basis of Protestantism will be seen by the following extract from the memorable Protest handed in at the Diet of Spires on April 19, 1529:--'We are resolved, with the grace of God, to maintain the pure and exclusive preaching of His only Word, such as is contained in the Biblical books of the Old and New Testaments, without adding anything thereto that may be contrary to it. This Word is the only truth; it is the sure rule of all doctrine and of all life, and can never fail or deceive us. He who builds on this foundation shall stand against all the powers of hell, whilst all the human vanities that are set up against it shall fall before the face of God.' Such is Protestantism--a solemn protest against the errors of Popery--and this is what you have had the audacity to characterise as a 'gigantic Satanic fraud'!"

      As many professed Protestants appeared to be ignorant of the true character of Popery, some of us who knew a little of its character and its practices deemed it to be our solemn duty to [323] enlighten those who knew less than we did; and to do this we procured, printed, and circulated thousands of books, pamphlets, and leaflets for the purpose. The "we" mentioned will be best understood by the following extract from a letter which appeared in the "Memoirs of George Fife Angas," "father and founder of South Australia"--"We (that is, Hussey and I) have sent into circulation from 15,000 to 20,000 pamphlets, papers, and tracts in this and the neighboring colonies, and this week we are very busy in founding another weekly journal for the advocacy of the Protestant Reformation principles, which will, apparently, be sustained by all classes and sects of Protestants." According to a list that I have before me, the total number of books, pamphlets, and leaflets issued during the crusade totalled up to about 40,000. Among these may be mentioned 2,000 copies of "Foxe's Book of Martyrs"; and a leaflet prepared by me, entitled "Freedom and Bondage," had a circulation amounting to several thousands. The Kent Town Tract Society applied for permission to reprint this pamphlet, which was readily granted; and by this agency the circulation was largely increased. The distribution of this anti-Popish literature all over the Colony necessitated a large amount of correspondence, as well as the despatch of the parcels; but I felt that in undertaking and accomplishing this task I was not only exposing fatal errors, but also disseminating important and vital truths. The reason assigned by Mr. Angas for taking the lead in this crusade was the remembrance of the persecution that his forefathers had suffered, and the conviction that if the Papists again had the power, Protestants would be subjected to a similar experience. I was a willing helper in this crusade, feeling animated by the spirit of my partial namesake, John Huss; and having devoted no small amount of study to the past history of Popery, I was in a position to write with some authority. The two ministers who appeared to be most in sympathy with the movement were the Rev. John Gardner and the Rev. James Maughan--the former, as a speaker, manifesting the fire of John Knox; and the latter, as a counsellor, the spirit of Philip Melancthon.

      It is not my intention to map out from the Scriptures the prophetic course of Popery, but I will just give a brief outline of what I understand the Scriptures to teach in respect to it. In the Apocalyptic vision John says (Rev. xvii. 3): "I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet colored beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns." The woman symbolises a religious system; and the beast, the antichrist, or secular power. [324] As the "beast" who carries the "woman" afterwards hates her and burns her with fire, there must be some cause for this change of attitude in respect to her. It appears to me that the Papacy, with a view to gaining ascendancy, will actually ally itself with the great secular and social parties that are rapidly gaining position and power. As soon as it has accomplished this object, it will resume its persecuting career, and will not only lay hands upon all who will not submit to its assumed ecclesiastical supremacy, but upon the infidel party that will have aided it to attain such power. This party, becoming numerically much stronger than the Papacy, will naturally not only resent any such attacks upon it, but deal summarily with the perpetrators.

      Many Protestants seem to have an idea that Popery has undergone a change; and so it has, but it is only that its tactics have been made to accord with altered circumstances. The spirit is precisely the same as it was centuries ago, and it only wants and awaits the opportunity to make this manifest. Protestants ought to know that the standard and boasted motto of Popery is "Semper idem"--or, "Ever the same"; and this precludes the possibility of any radical alteration in its spirit, fundamental principles, and practice. It may change in method as often as is necessary, as a mere matter of policy or expediency; and in all cases it must be understood that "the end justifies the means." It will fawn upon the aristocracy, trim its sails to democracy, and "become all things to all men" in order to gain its ends and replenish its treasury. For instance, if contributions are sought from "liberal-minded Protestants," this is to prove that these "liberal-minded" persons are not so narrow-minded and bigoted as those who do not contribute, and, therefore, are worthy of praise and commendation. Many years ago I remember seeing a picture exhibited in the window of a Roman Catholic depot in Hindley Street which represented a tree, some of the branches of which were seen falling into a big fire. On the branches were the names of Luther, Calvin, and a number of eminent Christian leaders, which the axe of Popery had cut off from the tree, to be cast into the fire. After a time this infamous picture was taken out of the window because it was not expedient to give such a glaring exhibition of the spirit of Popery as this tree represented. The assumption of this huge system of error and its unchanging spirit has lately been manifested in the approaches that have been made to get the Pope to acknowledge the orders of the Anglican clergy and promote the union of Christendom. How it must please the old man and the Roman hierarchy to see these [325] simple-minded ones coming, hat in hand, as it were, to ask to be allowed to be recognised as canonical by his "Holiness" the Pope of Rome! The contempt with which he treated the proposed union movement was rightly deserved, as those who proposed it might have known that the only union the Papacy would tolerate would be a reception of any who are prepared to accept her dogmas in their entirety, which would really be absorption. The only real union which I think is at all likely to take place with the Church of Rome will be that of the Greek Church, from which the latter originally seceded; and I am of opinion that such a union is indicated in the prophecy of Zechariah v. 5-11. When the patience of the Pope is exhausted, and he sees that there is no prospect whatever of regaining his temporal power, he will probably cast about for a suitable place to which to transfer his seat of government. Shinar is the locality of Ancient Babylon, and as very much of Popery came from Babylon, it is not at all improbable that it will return to the place whence it came; and should the Greek Church join in this confederacy it will become the most powerful and most corrupt "religious" organisation that has ever existed. It will then be in a position to fulfil all the predictions of Scripture relative to the great "Mystery, Babylon the Great, the mother of harlots, and abominations of the earth" (Rev. xvii. 5). The Church of Rome claims what no other Church professes to aspire to, namely, infallibility, immutability, and universality; and any who are not prepared to admit the validity of these claims have no chance whatever of being received into her communion.

      The weekly paper mentioned in the letter of Mr. Angas was the Protestant Advocate, printed and published by Mr. J. H. Lewis, who was also the nominal editor. Mr. Griffiths and I were two of the principal contributors to its columns, and the sayings and doings of the Romanists were freely reported from time to time. It did not meet with much encouragement and support from pseudo-Protestants, of whom there were a large number. The cry of these people was, like some of old, "Peace, peace!" when there was no peace"; and we received no thanks for the trouble we took to inform them of the past history of Popery, its present plans and schemes, and its ultimate doom. The Romanists, as might be supposed, were exceedingly annoyed by the exposures of their system which were made from week to week; and there appeared to be a probability of the paper being stopped. An article was inserted describing certain doings at the Port, and this led to an action [326] for libel against Mr. Lewis, with a view to a criminal prosecution. The jury brought in a verdict of "guilty," and he was sentenced to six months' imprisonment. It was thought by some that the whole was a cunningly-devised scheme to entrap Mr. Lewis, and stop the circulation of the paper. The latter part of the scheme was frustrated, as, during his incarceration, I undertook the editorship, and the paper was issued weekly as usual. I was assisted in this work by willing hands, and, under the circumstances, the circulation increased rather than diminished. I feel assured that, for the part I had taken against the Romanists, I would have been consigned to a very warm place, had they the power. I am also persuaded that the effect of our crusade was to check in no small degree their arrogant assumptions, and to keep them within proper bounds--without in any way interfering with or infringing their rights as citizens in the matter of civil and religious liberty.

      In January, 1867, a correspondence began in the advertising columns of the Register on the doctrines of the Catholic Church, in consequence of some remarks in the letter of the home correspondent of that paper relative to the Ritualist movement in England. A minister (or "priest," as he called himself) of the Church of England took exception to these remarks, and over the signature of "A Member of the Catholic Church," made known his sympathy with the Ritualists. I replied to this, signing myself "A Member of the Church Catholic," and exposing the fallacy of his assumptions--especially the figment of Apostolic succession, which he claimed for the Church of England, as well as for the Church of Rome. I met with a severe castigation for my presumption in calling into question the claims of these Churches, not only to Apostolic succession, but to other equally absurd and unscriptural doctrines and practices which are held and maintained by them. The bigotry, intolerance, and insolence which this "priestly" letter contained placed the writer beyond the pale of fair polemical controversy, and called forth a well-merited rebuke from Mr. E. K. Horn (a member of his own communion). I cannot do better than give a quotation from Mr. Horn's letter, without comment of mine:--"If Mr. ----- would write like a gentleman, and a clergyman of the Church of England, I might feel disposed to remark on his allusion to me in your issue of this day; but at present his style is of too low a cast to need comment. 'Lies,' 'blasphemies,' 'bamboozling,' 'prigging,' 'mud-pelting,' 'white-choker,' and 'schism-shops,' meander through his letters in all the mazes of arrogant vulgarity [327] and confusion." The "Member of the Catholic Church" concluded the controversy as follows:--"Beyond all doubt, cavil, or controversy, it [the Bible] does teach baptismal regeneration, absolution, Apostolic succession, and the real Presence, etc., with no hesitating, stammering tongue; and they are no friends of the Church [of England] who deny this, or shut their eyes and ears to it. I have held and taught these doctrines for five-and-twenty years, being persuaded that they are all in perfect harmony with God's Word, and 'can be read therein, or may be proved thereby'; but even if they could not, it would still be my duty to teach them, or to cease to minister in the Church of England." In course of time he did "cease to minister in the Church of England," and gave up his "priestly" office.

      On Friday, January 11, 1867, I received a telegram notifying the death of Mrs. Angas, at Lindsay House. The deceased lady had been suffering for a long time, and Mr. Angas had in his letters informed me that her life was despaired of, but that she was perfectly resigned and prepared for the expected event. In the early stage of his wife's last illness Mr. Angas wrote as follows:--"I am grieved to say that I do not think my dear wife is out of danger; alternations take place constantly, so that suspense is the consequence. But I am thankful to say my wife's mind is composed and peacefully resigned to the Lord's will, be it life or death; rather wishing to be 'with Christ, which is far better.' I hope we are all willing to say of God's good pleasure respecting her, 'It is well.' The Governor's visit to us at such a time is a sore trouble, but we try to meet it with due respect to the Queen's representative." He concludes with thanks for my sympathy and prayers for them in their trouble On the 15th Mr. Angas wrote: "You know my beloved wife has gone to be with Jesus, whom her soul loved." He further stated that he had been with her the night before she died, and that when the end was near "she lay perfectly quiet, and breathed her soul away as an infant falling asleep, without any struggle, convulsion, or change of countenance at all…This affliction is a severe trial to me, but God supports me." At the time of his wife's decease Mr. Angas was praying at her bedside. Mrs. Angas was of a kind, retiring, and unostentatious disposition, and had no sympathy whatever with the customs, fashions, and frivolities of the world. She took delight in doing good, and in helping those in need. She took a kindly interest in Mrs. Ranyard's "Bible Women's Mission," and supported two or three who were engaged in this good work. [328] Early in 1867 Mr. Angas interested himself on behalf of a Baptist minister at Portland, Victoria, who reported himself as in delicate health. His expenses were paid to come to South Australia, and arrangements made to accommodate him on arrival. The account this gentleman gave of himself, and that which we afterwards received, made him out to be a very remarkable person. His own representations were very favorable, and included a claim to a B. A. degree of Dublin University. The outside evidence indicated that he had seen and done great things in Victoria. It was said that in Portland he had had visions while preaching; and that the congregations attending his ministry had increased to such an extent that it was necessary to enlarge the chapel or build a more commodious one. It was reported that the small building was the property of the Particular Baptists, and that the pastor had been entrusted with the preparation of the trust deed for the land on which the new erection was to stand. These particular people had to wait a very long time for the deeds, and when their patience was quite spent they got possession of them, only to find, to their surprise, that the property had been put in trust for the use of the General Baptists! The pastor's proclivities were evidently in favor of the latter body, and of course it took a long time to effect the very radical change necessary in the title. The new arrival was not favored with visions in South Australia, but preached in a vigorous dramatic style; without, however, attracting large audiences. After supplying two or three Baptist Churches for a short time he gravitated into a small suburban chapel, the congregation of which he soon made much smaller by drawing away a number of people as his own disciples. Such was the beginning of this man's career in South Australia; but, not succeeding very well as a preacher, he turned his talents in a different direction. I may mention that on arrival in Adelaide he was accommodated for a time at Prospect Hall; and he appeared so well satisfied with his quarters that when Mr. Angas was desirous of occupying his town residence, I had great difficulty in getting the gentleman to quit. I procured comfortable lodgings for him in town, and by this means succeeded in dislodging him from Prospect Hall. When Mr. Angas came to town, one of the first things he did was to unlock his bookcases and the repository for his private papers. He tried one of these in vain, and then I made a similarly unsuccessful attempt to open it. I suggested that we should obtain the services of a locksmith. The man was sent for, and after he had picked the lock he said it had evidently been [329] tampered with; and then the question arose, "By whom?" The gentleman who had used this room during his temporary residence there was the only one, besides the servants, who had had access to it. This aroused a slight suspicion, and we had not long to wait for its confirmation.

      One morning, when I went up to Prospect Hall, Mr. Angas was looking worried and unwell. Enquiring the reason, I found that he had experienced a very bad night. He handed me a letter that he had received on the previous day, and the cause of his discomfiture was soon apparent. The letter, dated September 10, 1867, ran thus: "Sir--As you are a servant of Christ, and have been kind to my parents, I feel it a duty to inform you that an old enemy is writing a history of your life in this Colony, so as to be ready at your death; and the writer, my master, is paying the clerk that keeps your private books to let them be copied. Many of them have been copied, and I have seen the one for 1860 this day on my master's desk, where he is copying it. I am only a servant, but the Lord gives me this information for you, and as you can find out the truth of this statement, I must only sign myself--A CHURCH MEMBER. N. B.--I trust to you not to mention how you got this information, as I would lose my situation." After carefully perusing this epistle, I handed it back to Mr. Angas, remarking that it was a mystery to me, and that I could offer no explanation respecting its contents. It placed me in a very unenviable position, but with the consciousness of innocence I did not trouble much about it; but was sorry at the trouble and annoyance occasioned to Mr. Angas, who could not fathom the mystery any more than I could.

      As Mr. Angas knew that his diary for 1860 was, or ought to be, at Lindsay House, where the volumes were usually kept, he could not do or say anything about the affair until he returned thither. On making search it could not be found; and his last memory of it was that he handed it to the minister whom he had befriended, who was then on a visit to his country residence. After calling the minister's attention to something he wanted him to see, Mr. Angas had been called away; and be was sure that was the last time he saw the missing diary. From the sequel it would seem that the visitor wanted to see more than his host had shown him, and had taken the book away with him for this purpose. When Mr. Angas returned to his study his thoughts had been distracted from the diary incident, and no further notice was taken of the matter at the time. The above letter, and others that were sent by post, were in a feigned handwriting, [330] purporting to be that of a female servant; but the character of the caligraphy was decidedly masculine. When these anonymous letters were submitted to an expert, together with letters written by the minister in question, he gave it as his decided opinion that they were all done by one and the same person.

      For several weeks Mr. Angas was kept in a state of suspense, and a communication he received on November 28 did not tend to relieve his mind. The epistle ran thus:--"Sir--Many wonder you don't proceed against the parties preparing a sensational history of your life. It will be in two volumes, and include every one you have had to do with since your arrival." After mentioning some of these, the writer said there would be "long quotations from your diaries, supplied by someone in your employment, who is well rewarded for the same. Those who won't give their statements freely are paid most liberally--everyone is sought after, down to the last minister you have had stopping with you, who is also to be waited on, as there are some who fancy you treated him very bad. If he is a man of God, as many think, when called on he ought to expose the whole matter publicly, or give you their names. As a Christian woman I think it proper you should know there are dangerous people about you, who divulge everything you say in private. You must know what money will make people do.--From a sister in Jesus." This letter, though no doubt thought by the writer to be cunningly-devised, was too absurd to cause any uneasiness, except to a sensitive person; and to one who was aware that the kindnesses he had shown to some had been ill-requited, especially in the case of the minister who had last shared his bounty and hospitality, as I could abundantly testify. Then the absurdity of the "wonder of many," who really knew nothing about the affair avowedly the while being done in secret, was ridiculous in the extreme, and showed the writer to be quite as much a fool as he was a knave, though there was a mixture of both in the conception and execution of the plot. The mention of the "minister" in this letter, as thought by some to be a man of God, is very amusing, implying, as it did, that the person who was alleged to have "treated him very bad," did not merit such a designation. Then the folly of a servant, who could scarcely write plain English, using the word "divulge," which an illiterate person would be unlikely to know the meaning of, much more to introduce it in a wretched scrawl of a letter! After a painful interval of about a month, Mr. Angas received the following, dated November 29:--"Sir--The Lord [331] directs me I think to send you the pices pieces] of letter sewed I got in Master's waste basket. I kept em since beginnin of the week had no time sooner to send em. The writing is the same as in the big sheets that master gets about your life when word of your coming to town came the writing was locked up the writing may help you to stop the wicked book. Please Sir do not let the pices be seen as I would be blamed. I know wickedness is intended to you (Signed) A BAPTIST MEMBER." One thing seemed quite clear--it was very certain that the writer was not improving in style or spelling, but that was a small matter. A clue appeared to be afforded by which the real author of this diabolical attempt to blast my reputation could be traced. After Mr. Angas had perused the remarkable production he handed it to me, and I at once admitted that the piece of a note sewn on to the letter was in my handwriting. I stated that a reference to my diary would without doubt clear up the mystery and settle the point as to the authorship of these anonymous and annoying letters. I found that at the date of the part of the note to hand, I wrote to the minister, who was then at Angaston on a visit, informing him of the arrival of his luggage. The name of the person to whom the letter was addressed had been torn off, but sufficient remained of the initial letter to place beyond doubt that I was right in my conclusion. This cleared the matter up so far as Mr. Angas and I were concerned, but neither of us felt disposed to let the affair rest at this stage.

      With Mr. Angas the consideration was the recovery, if possible, of the missing diary; and with me it was the vindication of my character, which had been attacked in such a base and underhand fashion. After consultation and deliberation the plan of procedure was mutually agreed upon, as follows. Mr. Angas would write to the minister, asking him to give me the diary for 1860. I was to present the note, and, should I get the book, to charge him with being the author of the anonymous letters. I accordingly went to his residence on December 26, and gave him the request from Mr. Angas. He was rather excited on my handing it to him, and enquired who it was from, after he had seen the writing, which he was well acquainted with. After taking it into another room to read, he returned, still far from composed, and told me that it was not in his possession. I then charged him with the authorship of the anonymous letters, and he fairly boiled over with indignation; but on being requested to sit down and talk the matter over, he complied. I then showed him the fragment of my letter to him, and told him that the sender of [332] that piece was unquestionably the writer of the accompanying letter. He did not deny the receipt of the note, but attempted to explain that it might have been carelessly laid aside by him, and subsequently picked up by a servant or some one. He became calmer before I left, and I was not aware until some time after of the danger I had been in on that occasion. The minister, two or three years later, when on his trial before a Church meeting, was asked whether I had charged him to his face with the authorship of the letters. To this he assented, adding, that "but for the grace of God" he would have knocked me down! I quite believe that I was indebted to the restraining grace of God for protection from injury; but that the influence operated against the minister rather than from within him.

      The next stage in the proceedings was the attendance of the minister at Prospect Hall, in response to a request from Mr. Angas. At this interview I was present, and Mr. Angas repeated the charge of anonymous-letter writing; but he went still further, and told his visitor that this was a conspiracy to ruin my character and deprive me of the position I occupied. He gave the minister to understand that in spite of all that was hinted at in the letters, his faith in my integrity was not shaken in the slightest degree. So far this was satisfactory to me, and I am pleased to think that the grace of God sufficed to prevent revengeful feelings in me towards the one who had attempted so great an injury. I concluded that if my enemy could have succeeded in weaning me from the good graces of Mr. Angas, he would have very much liked to get into them. It is not pleasant to feel that you are an object of envy, as I have felt in other instances than this; but when certain that you are in the path of duty, you may be confident of being in the way of safety.

      I shall not attempt to follow minutely the tortuous course of the minister after the circumstances here narrated; but shall briefly glance at his career so far as is known to me. I have already mentioned that after he had scattered a large part of the flock of a suburban church he gathered as many as he could into a separate congregation, to whom he ministered. This venture not proving successful he turned to secular work, and for a time was postmaster in a country town. Tired of this, and probably feeling that he ought to be a minister somewhere, he looked with longing eyes to the Church of England as affording a suitable sphere for action. He had found the Particular Baptists too particular for him; the General Baptists had discovered his weaknesses; he had entered the Congregational fold, and appears [333] there to have been considered as a black sheep; and when he thought the Free Church of England would suit him, that body had rejected his addresses. At last he sought admittance into the real and original Church of England, but the authorities had heard an evil report of him and wanted to know if there were any foundation for it. The late Dean Russell and Archdeacon Marryat placed themselves in communication with me to learn what I had to say of the applicant; and from information gained through various channels they could not advise Bishop Short to ordain him. After a time our hero left for one of the neighboring colonies, and the last time I heard of him he was said to be in Africa. I may just add that he continued to annoy Mr. Angas for upwards of a year after the receipt of the first anonymous letter, by sending a series of these missives, in which frequent mention was made of the contents of the missing diary. Finding that he was unsuccessful in his conspiracy against me, and had failed to shake the confidence of Mr. Angas in me, I was left entirely out of his subsequent plots. I have met with sundry cases of ingratitude in my time, but this was about the basest of them all; not as regards myself, but Mr. Angas, who at various times had expended large sums of money to assist this man in the time of his need. A gentleman who had suspicions about the B. A. degree, wrote to the authorities at Dublin University, and was informed that no such person had graduated there. [334]

[CLACE 309-334]