The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1839-07-30 00:00:00

PROTESTANT OPERATIVE ASSOCIATION.

A public meeting of this association was held last night,
in the School-rooms, in Moorfields, for the purpose of pre-
senting an address to the Archbishop of Canterbury, thank-
ing him and other lords, spiritual and temporal, • for the bold
stand they made against the infidel scheme of education, as
proposed by the O'Connell-Ministry. The room was well
filled at the time appointed, by zealons friends to the Pro-
testant cause, among whom we observed many individuals
not strictly " operatives."
The Rev. J. N. CONNOR was unanimously called upon to
preside as chairman, and having opened the meeting with
prayer, said he was happy to have the opportunity of being
among so many Protestants, whose hearts were filled with
zeal for the cause, and, he hoped, love to God. They were
all aware for what they were assembled together. It was for
an important object—that of promoting a proper scriptural
education,• in opposition to that which our government were
anxious to foist upon the nation. They had before sent up
a petition against the wily scheme; signed by many thousand
individuals ; and there had been about thirty-five thousand
petitions presented from most of the towns and villages in
the kingdom, yet they were all treated alike, as undeserving
of consideration. Their object now was to address the Arch-
bishop of Canterbury and other lords, for their victory in car-
rying the voice of their house to the foot of the throne, de-
nouncing, by a large majority, the Popish plan of education,
and the grant of money for promoting such object, as alto-
gether undeserving the approval of the Protestants of Eng-
land or Ireland. They must resist the very appearance of
Popery in every possible way—by raising their voice against
it, by petitions, and other lawful and Christian means,
with a spirit worthy of a Cranmer, a Latimer, and a Ridley.
they sealed their testimony in the flames, and their spirits
were now before the throne of God. He trusted there were
many such in that room, who would as incessantly cry ".No
Popery ! No Popery !!" If the £30,000 be granted for edu-
cational purposes it is well known who will get the largest
proportion ; not to that church of which they were members,
but to Papists and Socinian teachers. He then enlarged upon
the evil effects produced in Ireland by the passing of the
emancipation act ; on the plan of education as had been tried
in that country, showing in a clear mad forcible manner, that
the very contrary results had transpired, to the injury of
truth, and detrimental to the instruction of the people in that
country. Popery, he said, had blasted Ireland, and, unless
the Pretestants of England would rouse themselves, and be
filled with the same animated spirit as possessed by their
forefathers we should be entangled in the same snare. Truth
must prevail; teach your children the Bible, place it in the
hands of the deluded Papist; that they too, may become in-
structed and converted. By faith and prayer, and unity of
pupose, the operative Protestants may yet save Britain from
destruction, and render her as she has ever been, a nation
" Great, glorious, and free,
First flower of the earth,
First gem of the sea."
The rev. gentleman spoke for a considerable length of time,
with great fervour and animation, and was repeatedly cheered
by the audience. He then called upon the secretary to read
the following letter, from the Rev. J. M'Crea :
" York Place, Waterloo, 29th July.
" DEAR SIR, —A protracted visit to Dublin has prevented
my giving an earlier reply to your official note of 24th, re-
questing me to address your meeting this evening.
" The general objects of the Protestant Operative Associa-
tion have been long included among those of my humble
public exertions; and every day is adding to the conviction,
that the great struggle for moral dominion will ere long,
induce a more extensive and vigourous combination of the
Protestants of the British Empire. The fatal measure which
in 1829 gave additional power to the natural enemies of
scriptural piety and rational freedom, laid the foundation of a
revolution that will be violent in proportion as it is delayed ;
and the early accomplishment of which must be sought by the
diffusion of sound Protestant principle through the body of
the people. By analogy with the laws of material nature, the
lower strata must receive andcommunicate to the higher that
fire of patriotism which alone can destroy the machinery of
Jesuitical conferderation, which is levelled at our religion
and the monarchy. In other words, it is not from the crown
and peerage to the people, but from the people to the peerage
and the crown that the spirit of zeal for Protestant truth
and liberty must be communicated. Associate, agitate,'
should be the unceasing cry of those who have any influence
with their brethern of the middling and operative classes.
" The particular business for this evening will naturally lead
to remark on the subject in which the Archbishop has taken
so consistent and efficient a part. How sad a contrast, alas,
does the conduct of her Majesty's advisers present to that of
her illustrious grandsire. Fondly may we cherish the hope,
that, left to her hereditary impulse our youthful sovereign
would be found to hold in far different estimation than her
ministers would lead to believe, the subject upon which his
Grace would be a preferable adviser to Viscount Melbourne.
With what additional lustre would her diadem sparkle, if its
circlet were inscribed with the wish of good old George the
Third, " that every poor child in his dominions may be able
to read his Bible, and have a Bible to read."
• Assuming that these sentiments, hurriedly flung together,
are in consonance with those that will be expressed at the
meeting of the P. 0. A. this evening, I regret the necessity
of declining your kind invitation to take part in the proceed-
ings. The distance of my residence from town, the probable
lateness of the hour at which business will terminate, and the
state of my health, at present under medical treatment, con-
strain me to this self-denial.
" With affectionate regards to your reverend chairman,
and in full unison with the anticipated tone of your meeting,
I am, dear Sir, in much haste,
" Your obedient Servant,
"J. B. M'CREA.."
Mr. HAYMAN then rose, and after stating that all present
were, doubtless, deeply interested in the objects of the meeting,
moved the first resolution,
" That the following address from the members and friends
of the Liverpool Protestant Operative Association, be pre-
sented to his Grace the Archbishop of Canterbury, and that
this meeting and the committee of the association be em-
powered to sign it on their behalf." (Cheers.)
The same gentleman then read as follows :
" To his Grace the Archbishop of Canterbury, and those other
Lords Spiritual and Temporal, who supported his Grace's
motion, for an address to her Majesty, upon the late
ministerial proposal for an Education Grant.
" We, the undersigned members and friends of the Liver-
pool Protestant Operative Association, desire to express to
your lordships, our most earnest and • heartfelt sense of gra-
titude for your firm and christian defence of scriptural edu-
cation, more especially at a time when the enemies of the
pure word of God are making such efforts to break down the
barriers which exist between truth and falsehood.
" The temperate and dignified, but at the same time
uncompromising, course which your lordships felt it your
duty to pursue, in opposing the late attempt to force upon the
country, (contrary to the wishes of nearly one-half the
House of Commons, and the general sense of the nation as
expressed by more than 3000 petitions,) a grant for a system
of education, not only unscriptural in its character, but op-
posed to the Established Church and the Protestant Institu-
tions of the land, demand from the nation at large their
most grateful acknowledgments, and for which we first offer
our hearty thanks to our heavenly Father for his over-ruling
Providence to this our native land. We rejoice to have the
opportunity afforded us of expressing our gratitude to his
grace, who stood forth as the first prelate of the church, and
and to your lordships, both spiritual and temporal, who so
faithfully supported him in resisting the encroachments of
those opposed to the true principles of protestantism, which
have existed for so many years as the bulwark of the English
constitution."
The reading of the address was followed by prolonged
cheers. They were all, doubtless, aware, said the speaker,
who it was who originated the Whig educational scheme in
the house of Commons. Mr. Wyse, a Jesuit, was the man,
and his plan was to take away the Scriptural education of the
people. When it was found, however, that the people of
England would not concur in such a scheme, my Lord John
Russell, proposed what he called another, but it was a per-
fect delusion. In place of pointing out any firm and defi-
nite plan, it merely demanded money from Parliament to
scatter whatever doctrines they pleased amongst InfidelS
and Papists. The meeting he addressed would never sanc-
tion such an expenditure. Happily the proposition was
thrown out by a body who at this juncture came forward as
the friend of the people ; he meant the House of Lords.
That body sent a deputation to the Queen on the subject ;
but the name of that illustrious body was. abused by the Wise
treachery of a truckling administration ; and through that
band of base popish conspirators, had she been made to
refuse to accede to the expressed will of the majority of her
faithful people. They all knew the excellent disposition of
the Queen, and of her highly-respected grandfather : they
all knew that she weuld be faithful to her people, if not
blinded by the faction who surrounded her. (Cheers.)
Who were there to press forward to her relief but the intel-
ligent operatives of the country. (Cheers.) The Protes-
tants of England would no longer endure the continuance of
popery in the laud. Their fathers had in the days of
Latimer, and Cranmer, and Ridley, spilt their blood in the
cause ; and now was the time for those before him to rouse
from their lethargy and stand boldly forward in defence of
their common faith, not only for themselves and their chil-
dren, but for the world at large. Why should the Protes-
tant clergy be continually stigmatised:by an ignorant, base,
venal and unprincipled Popish press? The clergy who came
from Ireland to this country came to sos' the blessings of
protestantism : if they had seen that popery was the true arid
blessed faith, they would have embraced it, for they saw
abundance of it in Ireland. Let them not therefore be
lukewarm : let them not exclaim, ours is a just cause, and
God will protect it. Let them remember that God gave to
them the means of its protection ; and it was for them to
use them. (Cheers.) He concluded by moving the reso-
lution.
Mr. Hanatisos, in a bold and energetic address, showed
the dreadful evils of popery, in all countries, where it pre-
vailed, and the necessity for their exertions to extirpate it.
In defending and upholding protestantism, he defended not
only the rights of England, but those of the world. (Cheers.)
And he hoped that ere long every one present would be
enabled to exclaim in the language of the gallant royal
soldier, who landed in Ireland, and exclaimed that he was
determined to put down a religion which was the destruction
of all true religion and happiness. (Cheers.) He was
astonised that so little had yet been done in Liverpool, where
two-thirds. of the inhabitants were Protestants. He was
astonished, indeed, that they should suffer the continuance
of a local body that supported the hellish doctrines of the
Pope of Rome, and would carry them into the bosom of
society. (Cheers.) Could they call themselves Protestants;
men belonging to that religion, which alone emanated from
God, and suffer a religion to become dominant that drew its
authority from the Pope, or a Jesuit, or a Monk ? (Hear,
loud and continued cheering.) The Protestants ought to
rouse themselves : they had to rely on the Word of God
alone ; on the faith of him who exemplified its excellence in
life, and died a martyr on the cross to defend it. (Loud
cheers.) It became every Protestant to carry out his princi-
ples to the utmost. They ought to follow the example
of their forefathers ; and use the most strenuous exertions to
exterminate that disgraceful system ; that damnable-doctrine,
which the Catholic faction would foist upon the present
generation and their children. The doctrines of the Church
of Rome were not Christian doctrines. The evils to man-
kind—the deaths—massacres—burnings—imprisonments and
oppressions which it had caused, were innumerable. Did
these indicate a spirit of Christianity? No,_ they are re-
pugnant to that spirit, and to humanity. The Popish religeon
indeed, administered to the basest of human passions ; it set
up a pretended purgatory by which on payment of money
sinners would be absolved from their sins. (Laughter.)
After relating several anectotes of Catholic superstitions, he
repeated that the evils of the Church of Rome were damnable ;
and expressed a hope that it would ere long be eradicated—and
" like the baseless fabric of a vision leave not a wreck behind;"
that its highest pinnacles would be levelled, and that the whole
would be razed to the ground,—for, he believed it brought
destruction on the souls of millions, and had even peopled
hell itself. The doctrines of the Church of Rome were not
only pernicious, but damnable, and in raising the banner of
Protestantism and rallying round it, they were achieving an
object which was no less than the salvation of a universe.
He concluded by seconding the motion.
The address was here read by the Chairman, and being
put, the motion was unanimously carried.
Mr. GREEN next addressed the meeting. He bad to pre-
sent a most important resolution. He was the determined
foe of the system of education proposed in parliament, and
not less so of the abominable and idolatrous church from
which it had emanated. He wished well, however, to the
Catholics : he wished them to see the error of their ways.
The Protestant Church, on the contrary, was founded on a rock,
and the gates of hell could not prevail against it. (Cheers.)
The grand object of the association was to cut Popery from off
the face of the earth. The time was when all their national
institutions were founded on Protestantism. And were they
to submit to the domination of Popery • to the introduction
over the land of Socinianism and Infidelity? He trusted
not. (Cheers.) He reminded they of what had been done