The Sun.
London, England, 1852-11-11 00:00:00

mother. 'But he denied it. The Church of Rome was
the mother of harlots and abominations. She was a
mother that would nourish them with blood, and not 1
with the pore milk of a rnother. (Hear, hoer.) Ho
wished the bishops of the Church hod come fonvard in
a body, in the face Of the laity and of the country, to
maintain the truth and purity of the Church of England,
and to declare that, so far from countenancing, the
Church of England recoiled with horror from the auri-
ceder confession of the Church of Rome. (Hear, hear.)
He viewed with approbation the recent proclamation in
Ireland, and he hoped the policy which dictated it would
be followed out in England. Let them only remain true
to the Church of England ; let them stand with the
laity of England. They had traitors within their own
vamp ; whilst they were menaced by an usurper who is
about to assume the imperial title of France, they were
also menaced by a combination of Popish Europe,
goaded on by Jesuitical intrigue ; but let her Majesty's
ministers take courage, and take their stand on Gospel
truth and liberty ; let them do justice to all men, but
never let them give political power to these men, who
were determined to use it fur the destruction of their
freedom, their bibles, and their lives. (Cheers.) Let
her Majesty's Ministers adopt this course, and they Y. ill
have the prayers of the devout, the syne athies of the
devout, and the heart of Old England with them.
(Cheers.) Lot the helm of the State be put about, the
country would then steer by the chart of that Protestant
Leith ehich their martyred forefathers had bequeathed
to them ; and though France and Austria, the Pope and
Anti-Christ, were oppose d to them, he had nu fear for
the result. The Reverend Gentlaman sat down amidst
loud cheers.
'l'he resolution was then put, and carried unanimously.
Mr. ComennouN moved the next resolution, as fol-
lows:—" Teat it seems especially needful, at the present
moment, to withstand the sedulous endeavours now put
torch in various parts of the country to bring back into
the Church the practice of auricular confession and the
Romish doctrine of priestly absolution. In opposition to
which, this meeting solemnly adheres to the declarations
of God's Word, and of the Church of England, that God
' hath promised forgiveness of sins to all them that, with
hearty repentance and true faith, turn to Him.' To this
Divine forgiveness, which is instant and complete, no
man can add; and from it no man can take away.
W hile, on the other hand, without this hearty repentance
and true faith there is no forgiveness; and in such cases
the absolution of the priest is calculated only to delude
and harden. Ohjecting, then, first to this fundamental
error of the supposed efficacy attending the absolution
of a priest, this meeting further protests against the
practice which results from it, of periodical auricular
confession, as a means by which that absolution is
to be attained ; a practice most wisely expelled from
the Church of England at the Reformation , and the
revival of which involves, on the one hand, a departure
from sound doctrine as to the forgiveness of sins, while it
leads, on the other, to prurient discussions and develop-
ments of vice, which are utterly opposed to the cultiva-
tion of purity and business."
The Rev. Mr. MAGEE, who seconded the resolution,
said he thanked God, for seeing, as ho did that day, the
clergy and laity of the Church of England coming for-
ward in defence of the institution. (Hear, hear.) If
the laity came forward throughout the country as they
did on that day, the Church of England would be saved.
(Hear.) The Church was in danger, and tho co-opera-
tion
Eonlgtland
the
con-
scientiously believe that the Reformation was a great
evil—the other which comcientiously believe that it was
a great blessing. One would cart./ the people back to
the era before the Reformation, the other would main-
tain the Reformation. The one patty desired to intro-
duce auricular confession in its grossest form amongst
them, but if the people held firm they, could never in-
troduce confession in this country. (Cheers.)
The resolution was supported by Dlr. J. C. WOOD, and
afterwards carried unanimously.
Mr. BAXTER proposed the third resolution, as follows:
—" That, in connexion with these attempts to corrupt
and debase the doctrines and practices of the Church of
England, this meeting must protest against the remedy
which is proposed by the very parties who are most
active in those endeavours. It is demanded by them,
that all such questions shall be referred to the decision
of a body, long practically defunct, but still known by
the name of Convocation. Of that body it is sufficient
to say, that no layman has any seat in it, nor any voice
in the election of those of whom it is composed. By such
a body as this, therefore, this meeting demands, that
the laws of the Church of England be not changed. Nor
can it for a moment admit, that a body so constituted as
to be unfit to make a single law, may yet be fit to frame
a constitution. Whatever, therefore, may be thought
of the claim in general, that the Church should have
liberty to meet in some kind of Synod or assembly, it
appears to this meeting beyond a detlbt that that Convo-
cation which was arrested in its career of turbulence
more than a century since, is a body wholly
and entirelyunfit to be trusted with the conduct of affairs in the
present difficult circumstances of the Church of Eng-
land."
Mr. Commas seconded the resolution. He thought
they ought to thank the Protestant Defence Committee
for obtaining such an expression of opinion as they heard
that day.
The resolution was put, and carried unanimously.
Admiral HARCOCrRT proposed a vote of thanks to the
chairman.
'The Rev. D. WILSON seconded the resolution, and in
doing so hoped that they would be encouraged by what
had taken place that day' to go oa in defence of those
pure and holy principles which were an honour to their
Church and to the nation.
The motion was pest and carrieie unanimously.
The CHAIRMAN, in returning thanks, said he he not
heard a singles, ntiment uttered at that meetingin which
he did not concur. They had made a great demonstra-
tive meeting in support of Protestant principles, and he
hoped that when the occasion arose again they would
be ready to show, as they did that day, that there was a
party in the Church who wore prepared to sacrifice
everything to what they believed to be the cause of
Christ Jesus. (Cheers.) Let them recollect that these
meetings produced but a temporary effect, and that it
was for them, in their various circles, to keep the flame
alive.
The meeting then separated.