Star. — London, England, 1816-01-09 00:00:00

~~ GLASGOW MELTING. PERSECUTION OF PROTESTANTS IN FRANCE. Wednesday a public meeting was held in theTradee Hall, Glasgow, at which the Resolutions, given in the STAR of yesterday, were unanimously adopted. All the Gentlemen who . spoke on the occasion, expressed the highest sense of the importance of religious liberty ; and their desire that this inestimable blessing might be enjoyed by the inhabitants of every country in the world. It is gratifying to observe, that this fundamental principle seems now to he fully esta blished in the minds of all classes of the community. We believe there was not an individual present who did not abhor persecution with all his heart. wlrther the object of it might Le Catholic or Prote s tan t' : The Rev. Dr. Dicic opened the business, and moved the Resolutions. He began by stating, that the purpose of the present Meeting was not to inter fere with the politics of any foreign country, but to express our sympathy with our Protestant brethren in France, and our abhorrence of the persecution to which they have been subjected, on account of their religion: That a persecutten has been carried on in some parts of that Kinsdo m against the professors of the Protestant faith, is placed beyond doubt, not only by long-continued public report, but by private authentic intelligence, cesnreunicated by venous chan nels. Their chteches have been plundered and slut •up, some hundreds of them, it is calculated, have been massacred, and thousands have been compelled to flee for their live. It has been asserted, iadeed s not only in France, but in this country, that this is merely a political contest: that the Protestants had arranged themselves on the side of Bonaperre, and that their sufferings are the n consequence et an ebul. lition of intetneerete zeal on the pert of the Royalists. • But, althoug h . we should admit that the Protestants in general had attached themselves to the late Ruler of France; and were this the fact, no persons could be surprised, as under his Government they enjoyed that religious liberty which the bigotry of the cried family had denied 'them. It may be asked, were they the only persons who adhered to them ? Were not thousands aad millions of Catholics engaged in the Same cause ? Were not his cabinet, his legisla tive assemblies, his armies, and all public offices, filled with Catholics ? Were not many Catholics. from various motives, as sincerely devoted to him as the most devoted of-the Protestants? How, thes e has it cotta to pass, that the vengeance of loyalty has lighted upon the latter alone ? How has it come to pass, th 4 while Catholics are spared, Protestants are murdered : dun their murderers pursue them as Pro. j testents, mingle their cruelties with the cries of into. Terence, and, like tygers thirsting for blood, loudly call for the return of the infamous massacre of St. Bartholomew. Is this merely a dispute between po litical parties ? No : it is an undisguised persecution,, catried on in the true spirit of that Church which was long ago described as 4 , a woman drunk with the bleod cf the Saints." Men have been sometimes persecuted for the sake of their religion ; but Ire. qiiteitly %%bile this is the real cause, some other thing is m ide ti.o pret‘xt. Nothing has• been more corn. =non than to. brand the victims of intolerance, as guilty of sedition, rebellion, eed treason, while then ones crime was their stedfast adheience tie truth, and their noble resolution not to submit to be dictated to by a fallible,ancl erring mortal, in matters for which they were accountable only to Goa Even our - blessed Sevieur himself was accused of being a rival to Cagier, and his Apoetles were charged. with vi'i lacing the laws of the State, and turning the world u, icie deem. This is a stale trick of persecutors, which will iinpose only upon simpletons. It has been pi aatised, however, there is every reason to believe, on this occasion ; and the Protestants have been re. presented as Bonapartists by some persons in France, with a view to screen themselves from the odium which avowed persecution would incur, and by some in one own country, perhaps from True-mice, and perhaps from motives which I shall not venture to • explain. freeborn men, who claim it as our , right to v. Goo according to our vmscience , , we shnutd p :rt, it we did not wish that the same privilege were extended to others.— And, indeed, what would civil liberty avail, if that liberty were withheld which is of far greater value— the liberty of smelting freely for truth, :old blinw. ing it whereeeever it may lead us? The Protestants Of France are our brethren ; and if we profess to be members of the body of Cliaier, we should remembers that-in this asin the natural body. if one member suffer, all the members should suffer with it. Our brethren have already suffered, and are in danger of suffering again ; and, it our voice can relieve them, will the man who is silent on such an occa sion presume to call himself a Christian and a friend of humanity ? The Protestants of France have not only a natural right, in common with all other men, • to worship Goo according to , the dictates of con science, but a legal right founded on the Constitu tional Charter, which secures freedom of worship.— Who has dared to violate that Charter, I cannot tell. It it be the restored family, their con duct is such a Complication of - the basest falsehood and perjury, of foul ingratitude to this Protestant country, to which they chiefly owe their restoration, of "flagrant injus tice and• consummate bigotry, that every person must regret that they have recovered a throne which they are so unwoi thy to fill, and not one of us would pity them if they were again driven . from it 6-morrow. But I an: put disposed, without ufiniestionable evi dence, to believe that they are chargeable With this outrage against law and humanity. Irmay create suspicion, that the interference of the Court in behalf of the Protestants *war ;low, that for week's they were persecuted, and yet nothing was done except the issu. ing of some feeble ineffectual proclamations, and that we have not yet heard that the murderers and plun derers of Protestants hive been punished. The niter- Jereacit of our own Government is a proof that the Government of France has not done its duty. Still let us hope that the King is guiltless of the blood of his subjects. Let us be thankful that we live in a country where, if any man be disturbed in his relie giousprofession, redress can be speedily 01)4h - std. Twii important purposes will be gained by our inter ference, As our Ministers have' expressed their ab horrenie of the iniquitous proceedings in France, and their resolution is interpose, in order to secure td per. Pons 0 all denominations li berty of Conscience, it lute ' encourage than to t.now that they ire . supported by the sense of the countiy, and that they wal . be Urged I thb 'ou to tads still more vigorous ezertions t Bat is not all : the expression of public opinion in this country may be suspected to have influence upon the Court of France. If the persecution originated or has been countenanced, then they will learn that their, conduct is watched with aje dous eye, and that by persevering in it, although they may be applauded by intolerant and sanguinary priests, they shall ren• der themselves the objects of the scorn and detests don of this nation, and of every Protestant nation in Europe. If the Court is innocent, they will be exci ted to adopt vigorous measures to put an and to the present lawlegs proceedings, and to prevent similar ontraget in other parts of the kingdom. Whatever may be 'the consequence. we shall have done our duty. and the satisfaction arising from this reflection is more to a good man than the smiles of Kings and Ministers, purchased by servile submission and a das tardly silence. The Rev. Dr. MITCIIELL read the Resolutions. The Rev. GREVILLE EWING seconded Dr. Dick's motion. In rising to second the motion for the adop tion of the Resolutions which you hatie now heard, I really have little or nothing to add to what has been so ably stated by my esteemed Brother who opened the business : I may state, however, that in attend ing this Meeting, I conceive I am discharging a duty required of me by my profession, both as a Christian and a Christian Minister ; and when I give my ma sons for entertaining this opinion, I believe 1 shall explain the views of all the gentlemen by whom these Resolutions have been prepared. lam certainly one of those, Sir, who think that the sufferings of the French Protestants partake of the nature of religious persecution. They are the natural consequence of the exclusive spirit of Popery. He who claims to be the Vicar of Christ upon Earth, to have all power, both spiritual and temporal, at his disposal, and to be entitled to extend his power over all the world— he who asserts himself to be infallible in what he claims, cannot be supposed to tolerate, except through necessity, any Church besides his own. To protest against his authority must be an unpardonable sin. He pretends to the inspiration of the Hour Galen, and Protestantism must be, in his eyes, a sin against the HOLY Gum. The persecution of the Protes tants is not confined to France. The Pope was no sooner restoreil to his seat at Rome, than he banished all Protestants from the Papal dominions and whet States of Italy i and while the Inquisition has been re-established in Spain by the Waved Ferdinand, the Order of the Jesuits had been revived by his Holi ness, after having been suppressed by the consent of all the Powers of Europe. These things, which are noticed in one of the Resolutions before you, intli cate a systematic procedure of Roman Catholics against every description of Protestant faith. Nor are these measures, new. Protestants have been ex. pout- to persecution ever since the Reformation.— What they formerly suffered in France, in every pe /riod of their history, and especially since the revoca tion of the Edict of Nona, is well known. We have still among us some of the descendants of these re fugees, who then found an asylum in this land. Even in this happy country, Protestants never ceased to be exposed to persecution till the glorious P.rvolu lion in 1688. if at that peti .LI our fathers had ncen compelled to submit to wh it is now called ire prin. cipk of the legitimacy of Sovereigns, the iron yoke of Papal tyranny would have been riectted on their nveks, and to this hour we might have been g. tun ing or bleeding under its weight. We ou l ;tit to sym pathize, therefore, with suffernig brethren, whose si tuation might at this moment have been our own. , Gratitude for our pi ivileges should make us the more desirous of improving ...tent for the protection of others. British Protestants have often interposed with effect in behalf of Protestants on the Cuatinent. Our brethren in Savoy, who are older indeed than the ke ' formation, as they never submitted to the errors of the Church of Rome, are said now to be in danger from the loss of a toleration originally procured for them by the English Government. I may add, that I the inhabitants of Glasgow have lcng been distin. guished by zeal for the blessings of the Reformation, and I hope the present generation will not appear to have is ors respect departed frOm the spirit of their fa. them Nothing convinces me more of the dangerous na ture of the French persecution than the attempts which have been made to conceal it. At first, the facts were denied. When those became undeniable, they were ascribed to political causes. This, as was ob. served, is an old artifice. It is obvious, that the great mass of the resident population of France, of all persuasions; subniitted to the successive revolu tionary governments for twenty-five years. In this situation, what were a few Protestant congregations, that they should have resisted, had they been ever so well disposed to do so.? Who can blame them for their submission ? An Apostle directs Christians to be subject " to the power; that be :" to the existing Government, whatever may have been its origin. But, if their submission must be held a crime, why visit it on Protestants more than on Catholics ? The cause of the difference is not poiltics, but religion. U Protestants have committed crimes, political or of any other kind, let them be tried and punished ; but why make them victims of lawless fury; 'rhe royal proclamations speak toleration and protection 1 but the trench police is evidently against thee:. No sooner was their defence published than it was suppressed, whereas their accusation was printed by the King's printer, and his been transmitted to this country as an authentic document. Of that accusation I shall only say that, besides the colour' which it gives to " facts; it asserts that what is c a ;re- action" should be permitted to . go on, t: reverge is takes 7 ed for former alleged injuries. This, Sir, is ,a doctrine which goes to the annihilating of all Government, and the sanctioning of deadly feuds and civil wars to, ' the end of time. Having mentioned that the eau satiOn of the Protestants was transmitted to this country, in a art of official way, I am ready, on the other hand, to express satisfaction at the declarations of Lord Liverpool on the subject, its very properly noticed in the Resolutions before yga. Some haye said that these declarations supersede, the utility of any deilaretions on the part of the public. lam hoc of this opinion. The voice of the public may Strengthen . the voice of Minister', and may even lead to its being more powerfully used. ' It is very singu lar, that whili Ministers pre friendly to the epuse of the - Protestaitia t ' the Ministerial Newspaper:, with's ei spirit of independence as evie,n of oppe tion, by no means habitual p:: them; are generally hostile: Is is very distressipg that a .aaan wOlcb calls for the gm! . • =let Orkin piety an& common humanity! dbe made a party question. But, if ikon who are understood to be in the service of Government. will, in this instance, rise up against them, it is the More desirable that the public voice should be, on the other side, raised in their favour. Some say that the religion of French Protestants has greatly declined, and that therefore we are the less called upon to feel en interest in their favour. Were the assertion true, it would be no reason surely why they should be per secuted. If they have little religion let us try to re vive and increase it. Let us recommend to them our religion, by spewing them our love and sympathy. But the truth is, if.they had no religion, as some speak, they would have •i3O persecution. They are new suffering, because they retain their religion, not because they have lost it. The object of this aieet ing is to give An opportunity to the inhabitants of Glasgow publicly to expreu their sentiments of sym pathy, with the persecuted, and disapprobation of the conduct of the persecutors. It is our happiness to live in a country where people have a voice, a voice which they may use,. and a voice which, when used properly, is never without effect. The City of London. Gosport, and Hull have alteady spoken. The inhabitants of Glasgow, said to be the second city for population in the island, are well entitled to come forward• at an early period. I am happy to learn that Paisley is about to act in the same way. I hope every place in the kingdom will tpeedily fol low the example. Before . sitting down, let me be- seech the friends of religious liberty to beware ut dis gracing their cause, by any thing like a spirit of re taliation. Some have said, if 'you notice the eerse cution of Protestants in France, you may excite a persecution of Catholics in this country. I have no such anrchension. BLitt will take this opportUnity to say, that it persons in this country, calling them selves Protestants, were to pretend to revenge on Catholics here, the injuries of the French Protestants, they would be as bad as the persecutors of Ntsmes- Nay, they would be a great deal worse • for they would be sinning against clearer light. fiany of the poor creatures in the neighbouring kingdom, who are now guilty of violence and murder, are oteglit to believe, that they are doing GOD service. It lteconif:s us to say, " Father forgive them, for they k:iow but what they do." But we have learnt wan ve:y chihtlino..f, to read the precious book which *milt, Lose your enemies; blcss them that cut se yru ; .and du guoi to them that de spitefully use you and persecute you." 4 ` It thine e iiemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst give him think ; for in doirg thin: shalt heap coals of fire on his head." To teed the hungry hod give drink to the thirsty, is the only evan gelical way of bustling heretics. It is our duty, not only to maintain, but to promote our prifiCirkb the utmost cf our power ; but let us ever renik ntz)er the words of the Apostle, " though we wa'k in he flsh, edo not war alter the flesh (for the Wrd:+t)11:: of our warfare' are nut earn but mighty, 60n, to the pulling down of strong 114)1.3), c.4:; - np., down imaginatiats, and every high thing mat ex alted' Used* against the knowledge cf Gen, atal fbtinging into captivity every thought to the obedi f slice of Citmir." The Rev. Roam BRODIE moved the Committeg, secondi.d by the Rev. Robert Muttre, The Rev. Mr. Divans said, in rising to propose the notion, 1 hold in my hand, I beg leave to ex press my entire approbation of the object ri this meeting, and of the sentiments which have been now advanced. Though much has been said against the expediency ct meetings of this kind, I aw not aware that any now dispute the existence of the facts which have called them forth. It has been admitted on 411 hands that the South of France has been disgraced by the most.shocking atrocities, and that our Frotes tent brethren have been exclusively the objects of them. So fur indeed has the Catholic and dominant , party in Fiance been from disowning these atrocities that they have published a formal but feeble ju.stifi cation of them. As there can be no dispute'respect ing the facts, as little, in my opinion, can there be any respecting the right which our Government has to employ its influence with the members of the French Court, to induce them to use their most vi., gowns exertions for arresting the progress of the evils complained of. This is merely actini on the prowl pies on which Ministers have acted already. Our Government has interfered in the internal concerns of France, and for the avowed purpose of preserving the peace of Europe. But is the peace of Eurcpe most likely to be preserved by the prevalence of im placable religious animosity among the people which has already disturbed it ? Is the peace of Europe most likely to be preserved by the revival of the worst features of the worst periods of the French history ? No, Sir, these things must serve rather to sow the seeds of fresh convulsions and revolutions. Their continuance most alienate from the Government the affections of the moderate and humane; They must lead them either to despise it for its weakness, or t which would be the worse alternative, detest it for its wickedness. If there are among as some who still deny to Ministers the right of interfering in the pre sent case, we have the satislactioa to know that this is not the opinion.of Ministers themselves. From one Of them there has been an express assurance that they have been, and are still employing their influence in the manner desired; a circumstance, however. which! does not supersede on our part the necessity of a public expreuton of oer feelings. This is a duty which we owe to ourselves ; it is a duty which we owe to our persecuted brethren ; nay, it is a duty which we owe even to Ministers. If Misisters are sincere, in the interposition of their good offices in behalf of their Protestant brethren, and we have no reason to doubt their sincerity, they most he desirbus one would think, of being backed by the nation, and their remonstiances must have an additional weight when thus supported. In this respect there is reason to believe that good has been done already. It is impossible that either the Government or people of France can feel indifferent to the sentiments of the inhabitants of this country. But it is not' to the Pro testants of France alone that we augur good froin meetings of this kind, we anticipate good to ourselves —good to the cause of religious liberty. They keep the ettentiop awake to our privileges as Christians, and to our rights as men. If a nation is once care lest; and indifferent about these things, it has already forgeslilie fetters of its owe bondage, and it wants only tsb4t its indifference deserves, a tyrant to fasten tb .-*! t must have been airtry enfavonrabfe symp tom, bath there been"* genera unconcern ! OR the •' subject we are considering. It the want of generous and enlightened has never been the character of our Their generous and enlightened / shewn in their persevering, and leff4ts for the abolitiot of a vatic been shewn in the attempts which and are still making, for the gni, the Scriptures. And we trust it still greater degree than it has yet the melancholy circumstances whi occasion of our meeting ; 'hewn, public resolutions op the subject, efforts for the relief of the sufferers. it may not be unnecessary to guard ception. However decidedly I ar tike the present, and however strr in favour of them, I wish not to to the interest,' of religious liberty decline countenancing them. 1 _ that a man may feel, and feel deepll sufferers,' and not see it his ditty of expresaing our sentiments. Wt to he the accusers of our brethren, Corm a pentonal, and what we think The Rev. Mr. CAnmaNr mn , Chairman, and called on all his nistry to make collections, &c. ROMISH FETLS AND C. " ROI ag Among the fetes suppressed Government. was that of the Conception Virgin ; in gcneral All those fetes mysteries were suppressed in prefi tacking religion in is, very euen:e. braced this ye..r with the greatest vette de France.) Upon this we have only one make. In France the same fee by a Bull of an linly•father, Pope he freely issued at the request First Consul. Did then the sovereign that time voluntarily labour in in its very essence ? As for chit client, Rome is the last place Otal The saute Pope, after LA , complaisance stipprescd the fel ti,e mystories, solely to please tened to repair from Rome to efface, by his holy oil, the m, which might still remain on chi new S,nereign. We have a The Gazette d: trance ought to rev Clergy were in extasies at the av ceremony, in waich a venerable the mime of GOD, the imperial the hero and his spouse, whom Church has since declared never tied to ti:e august Emperor. " ROME, u His Flolinen gives himself December, to the practice of the , fteliv.s like the fathers of the pr, Gazette de France. We place this article here, though date than the preceding, as help.quente of the facts of which we the Holy lather, alter so many and pure life; practises a ink:re/maw on account of the acts of his Pontiicatt Usurper. But what should the their Sees wh,,lly to these acts sauce ? What must they do vill4 in twit ? We recommeni the hai berrez nu bairn aViC ma discipl toujours le Ciel vow; illumin e ."—, Act Ill.)—Le Vigilant, Jan. 2. EAST INDIES. The Cuffnells and the Royal ' Madras on the 2,)th of May, for was going into Macao Roads as coming out on the 17th of Jell Majesty's ship Autistic, lying there, Wellington a letter' trom the Captair and the Coxswain of the boat ti: Wellington, that the Royal Geork be lost, but which intelligence was to Captain BATHAM for some - ti' the Sth'► of September, in lat. , 10. E. saw a large mast, about supposed to be the main-mast of CALCUT TA, JUL .. Yesterday se'nnight the Helen, Captain passed Kedgeree, from the west coast of The only intelligence communicated by prised in the following extract of a letter Gentleman on board the Helen, dated the 28th ultimo : 44 We are just arrived in the Helen from coast of Sumatra, last from Anna ; left instant, having brought back part of her cargo, dollars and piece goods, atter a a weeks on the coast, from port to port. French vessels had been there for cares; MO whole of the line of Acheen ports are in such! settled state, owing to the King of Acheen being the spot carrying on the war to bring them oak, subjection to him, that trade is out of the Veda and the people ate afraid to bring their pepper 6 , 4 from the hills. A ship is not allowed to trade ad• out the King's chop, and the Commander ben t ' s' collector of the King's duties, on this account dor. who do not acknowledge his authority a im to trd. —The King's fleet consists of five vessels, earl some four ,and others si; guns. Commodore ?* wick is the King's Prime • Minister and Naval r wander; their military they bad besieged Sooso were obliged to leave it. _ down the coast, ran aground Island, and was obliged ' cargo overboard. The ins; to this port, are the bound to Penang. The sailed to the southward; bay, Captain Kemp, with . lett at Annalabo. The King army were about to proceed Sabaddie and Trumain to Prince, resident of Topanool) seize on st whopper of • the port, which had been corn 14 pluntlesing boats of all • • Would h oe tend f ee li ng, aso our cowl :d feeling h as Id at last tffic in Men. 1t shr ift , 4 1 tchwithll be 5 to d a l .h am ;niversal di et been, i , C which beim bob 1, not only by bib. :ct, but by ps rs. Before 1 c s lard against mit a approve of sa ses 6 trongly L base l a, impute iad,C it y to all wh o at can easily s C.:9I • leeply, for p ra 4 t ; ty to adopt otb aM rte We do not comb s Meth we caw telt ink an imperious , loved Thanks b s brethren in th e . e CEREMONIES. DME, DECEMIEt t sed by the U sception of the Ls * • es which Mate% • ' -eference, u it no ::e. It has ken :at solemnity."—( • ne little observatits fetes were sup , Pope Pius VII. in s st of Bonaparte, Sovereign Patin' in attacking r ' his usurping G . tr 13t it should be raving with so feces which relate • r ;e the usurper, to Paris, in order marks of usurps' the forehead of a gond memoir. ) recollect how dl august and at le old man placed,' crown on the best um a sentence of ver to have been DM!, DECEMEI t to f up, since the lit I le most rigid puma primeval church.' though of an being a natural - a : have just spoken .1 r years of an lb , macre, it can oal sPontiecato *dr e Aishops do wra of ctiminal , ho served the U )air " LA .ipline. Et pries ' , --(fsfoliere T • • 'al George sailed for Chin, ; the font as the Weilingtal 4 • The boat of there, brought is d sptain of the Collet . told the crew of u eorge was reponedi was not comminuted • time alrerwards, G 12. SS. S. long.& I ut half a mile dims of a large ship. LILY t. en, Captain A est coast of Sumo ' nicated by her kb ct of a letter !len, dated Ked. • e* Helen from the ift knnaldbo ; left the part of bet out , atter a cruise of to port. A number , e for cargoes; bqt arta art in itch in LVJUSIEW• •••••• - - - force is 60 or 70 &POI seven weeks, but at The ship Argo, on he . tunci on the rocks of Ps to heave a great poi 91 vessels on the coast brigs Gloucester and Clara had just arrived ; and the Sultans, d th .nO cargo on board, Log of Acheen's Ate °teed down to the podi a to destroy those plate. P r wooly, had been °Wed Is he King pt Action, of till inmitting many depredates ll descriptions."