POPERY IN BRIGHTON.

As the progress of Popery in England is a subject to which the attention of the truly Protestant part of our population is, at the present moment, directed with a considerable degree of anxiety and feeling, the readers of the Lady's Magazine will probably be interested in receiving an account of some proceedings connected with the opening of a new Roman Catholic Chapel in Brighton. The following statement is respectfully submitted to them by a gentleman who attended on the occasion, and who was consequently an eye and ear-witness to the facts which he records. A few additional particulars, relating to subsequent occurrences, will be given on the authority of others, but the fullest reliance may be placed on their

correctness.

The situation, size, and appearance of the new chapel, and its appendages, especially as contrasted with the site and character of their former place of worship, are circumstances not to be passed over, in estimating the existing position and prospects of the Roman Catholics at Brighton.

The old chapel, now appropriated to quite another purpose, and stripped, of course, of all the emblems and accompaniments of the Papal worship, is situated in an obscure part of the town, and is of very small dimensions. Its external appearance never had any thing attractive, and the congregations

were usually, as I understood, very small, and of the humblest class, confined nearly, if not altogether, to persons of the Roman Catholic persuasion. They met and separated without attracting any attention from the population in general, few of whom comparatively knew even of the existence of such a place, and still fewer of its exact situation. The priest's house, adjoining the chapel, and the other appendages were of a corresponding character. The new chapel and premises are, on the contrary, in a most eligible situation, and calculated to arrest the attention and admiration of every one who passes by them.

The style of architecture is simple, but beautiful. Every purpose, both of convenience and appearance, seems to have been consulted, in the arrangement of the premises, and particularly in the erection and fitting up of the chapel. The altar-piece may be regarded as a chef-d'oeuvre. The eye never wearies of contemplating it; it alone will attract many visitors, and doubtless prove, in connexion with the various other incentives held out to the imagination and senses, a powerful means of entangling their minds in the meshes so artfully contrived, by captivating the inferior powers of our nature, to delude, ensnare, and destroy the soul itself!

Very considerable expense must have been incurred, by the erection and completion of the entire range of buildings; and if the reports in circulation be not strangely opposed to the facts of the case, a large proportion of the whole cost has been defrayed by the contributions of Protestant benevolence.

I know it to be a fact, that particular care was

taken to ensure a Protestant audience on the day of opening. The regular members of the congregation were given to understand that they must absent themselves to make room for the Protestants! Tickets were distributed among the Protestant inhabitants and visitors of Brighton, to the full extent of accommodation afforded by the place; and many persons sought admission, who were not able to obtain tickets. The doors were no sooner opened, than the chapel was filled to the walls. All the seats above and below were reserved for ladies, whose accommodation was especially consulted. There was a marked anxiety to engage the good opinion and kind feeling of this most influential portion of the community, in strict conformity with the general plan of Papal proselytism in the present day.

The ceremonial of worship was arranged with an evident intention of fascinating the eyes and ears of those present to witness it, and thus of preparing the mind, by the softening influence of the delights previously applied to the imagination and senses, more readily to submit to the plausible, persuasive, and, at the same time, assuredly authoritative appeals, made to the Protestant part of the audience, who were directly addressed, in the discourse delivered on the occasion, by one of their most distinguished preachers. All the priests and other officiating persons, who took part in the service of the altar, were men of pleasing, if not imposing appearance, and some were venerable from their age and apparent fervour and devotedness. It was impossible to look on them without a feeling of deep interest, mingled, of course, in the mind of the sincere and reflecting

Protestant, with emotions of regret and pity, that men seemingly so estimable, should be the votaries and advocates of a system based on the most awful errors, and upheld by the most fraudulent and monstrous pretensions! The different changes of dress, posture, and attitude, which took place in different parts of the service, had, to the eye of the soberminded Protestant, a farcical appearance, better suited to the scenes of a theatre, than to the ceremonies of Christian worship, or worthy only of the vain pomp and sensual attractions of some idol temple. For many a curious spectator they had, however, doubtless a charm of novelty; and the interest taken in viewing the splendid vestments and other accompaniments of the worship, would not be by such an one too strictly analyzed, but would go to increase the general fascination exercised over the mind by the services of the day.

The music and singing were especially adapted to hold the soul captive in a thraldom of delight. One felt alternately elevated and melted, and the ear and heart joined, if the phrase may be allowed, a willing audience to such divine enchanting ravishment.' Professional singers of eminence were engaged for the occasion, and there were among them, some

'Who, as they sung, would take the prisoned soul,
And lap it in Elysium.'

Circe with the Sisters three,

Amidst the flowery-kirtled Naiades

Culling their potent herbs and baleful drugs,'

never sang so delightfully and bewitchingly as did some of the females engaged on this occasion, and truly they were fit auxiliaries to the worship of a religion, the aim of a great part of whose ceremonial

and discipline is 'to lull the sense in peaceful slumber,' and 'in sweet madness rob it of itself.'

All I have described was designedly subservient to one object,- -an impression, by the discourse delivered towards the close of the service, of the exclusive truth and authority claimed for the Roman Catholic religion and its regularly instituted ministers! The preacher was a man of elegant and pleasing manners, and he delivered with great ease and propriety, a discourse no less plausible in its statements than it was eloquent in diction, and persuasive, in the tone and mode of its address. It was in every respect adapted to produce a favourable impression on persons of weak judgments, ill-informed on the questions in dispute, but anxious on the subject of religion, and bewildered by the variety of opinions entertained among the different sects of Protestants.

The professed subject was most interesting and important, being no other than the love of God in providing a Saviour for man, from the text: "God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." In speaking on the general nature and design of the provision, hẹ took, as was to be expected, a view corresponding with that known among Protestants by the distinction of Arminian, leaving the results of the provision entirely dependent on the free-will of the creature. It would lead me too far beyond my immediate purpose, and require discussions quite unsuited to the character of the present communication, to enter into a consideration of the close connection subsisting between the view alluded to, and the other distinguishing errors and groundless assumptions of the