The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1838-12-14 00:00:00

WARRINGTON PROTESTANT

ASSOCIATION.

Oa Tuesday morning last, the anniversary of the War-
rington Protestant Association was held, at eleven o'clock,
at the large room of the Lion Hotei, Warrington. The
meeting was numerously and highly respectably attended,
there being a number of the first families in the neighbour-
hood present, and a large proportion of ladies. On the plat-
form we noticed Trafford Trafford, Esq., the Hon. and Rev.
Horace Powys, Rev. Joseph Jones, Rev. Gibson, Rev.

-.IIIOF. eenre, isev. JIIIIIC3 iuuu, ...cr. a . •
Alder, Rev. Richard Greenall, Rev. Power, Rev. James
Wright, Rev. Dr. O'Sullivan, Rev. Thomas Nolan, Rev.
Thos. Whittington, Rev. Daniel Hyman, Rev. Chas. Thos.
Quirk, Rev. John Jones, Rev. C. S. Bush, Rev. Mr. Mali-
may, Rev. John Edwards, Thomas Parr, Esq., R. Brook,
Esq. Thos. Withington, Esq., Thos. Greenall, Esq., Wm.
Hall, Esq., John Clare, Esq., John Greenall, Esq., Gilbert
Greenall, Esq., Dr. Kendrick, James Stanton, Esq., &c.
At the appointed hour of meeting, on the motion of John
Clare, Esq., TRAFFORD TRAFFORD, Esq. was nominated to
fill the chair.
The CHAIRMAN, in opening the meeting, said he conceived
they could not do better, acting, as they considered, in the
cause of God and in the cause of that profession of faith
which they all held, than to commence their proceedings with
prayer. He therefore called on Mr. Wright to offer up a
prayer.
The Rev. JAMES WRIGHT then opened the proceedings
with an appropriate prayer.
The CHAIRMAN then rose and said,—My Protestant bre-
thren, we are called and assembled here to-day for the pur-
pose of considering the vast and alarming increase of Po-
pery in this kingdom. We are called together to consider
what are the grounds upon which that extension of that par-
ticular profession of faith is taking place; and at the same
time we have to consider of the best means, in case we shall
find that any hostility is intended towards the Church of
England, of our defence. After the solemn calling upon
God in the way in which we have prefaced this meeting, it
would ill become us to do anything without the pale or bounds
of charity. Whatever is said or doue this day, I will under-
take to say will be done for the defence of our Protestant
faith, and not with any hostile feelings, beyond what is a
defence, towards those of a different profession of faith.—
(Hear.) But, gentlemen, let us consider the means that
have been adopted in order to extend Popery. In the first
place, there are none in this room who, I dare say, are so
unobservant of the times as not so be aware that immense
sums are expended in the Capital of Popery, fur the purpose
of educating persons to act as emissaries in this kingdom;
and, after that education is completed, for the sending of
them forth for the very purpose of the subversion of the Es-
tablished Church in this country. (Hear.) There are few,
if any, that are not aware of the denunciations that have
been made by the priesthood of the sister kingdom, against
our profession of faith, and a declaration not to rest satisfied
until they shall have subverted the Church, and applied its
revenues to their own purposes, and established Popery in
the ascendency in this country. Such then we have to
contend with. Let us then consider what are the means
best adapted to counteract these designs. As I stated
before, it is not our intention to act without charity to-
wards them; but still, if we are to take up the shield of
defence, it may prove possibly that we take up the spear ;
and if wounds are given, let them who provoke the contest
bear the danger. (Applause.) But, gentlemen, in this our
day it is most fortunate, nay, I hope it is not presumptuous
in me to say, that providentially there are men of great powers
of mind—of great intellectual acquirements, of unbounded
eloquence, and of unblemished character—raised up on our
behalf (hear); and whatever they may say, will carry a
weight with it which cannot be given to our versaries, who
have assumed the garb even, in some instances, of another
Protestant profession of faith, different from our own, in or-
der, I suppose, as they have not hesitated to state, to carry
their schemes, by establishing themselves as ministers. By
the assistance of editors of newspapers and the press, they
seek to alienate the affections of the common people of the
country from the church. It then becomes us to counteract
their designs in every way we fairly and consistently can,
without any malicious motives being attributed to us, or any
hostility beyond that necessary for our self defence. These
are the grounds that have assembled us together this day, and
these are the sentiments which I believe will animate those
who will have to address you. I shall now have to introduce
to you, in the first place, Mr. Nolan, who will propose the
first resolution. Afterwards I shall have the honour to intro-
duce to your notice Dr. O'Sullivan—(loud applause)—whom
I am sure it is only necessary to name in order to insure him
a patient attention to his all-powerful eloquence. (Hear.)
I am confident when you depart from hence, the impression
on your minds will be such as will not be transient, but will
be such as will induce you to exert yourselves, as far as your
powers will enable you, in supporting. our Protestant esta-
blishment, and, in doing that, rendering a service which I
am sure will be acceptable to G.
(Hear, hear.)
The Rev. Mr. WRIGHT begged, before the business of the
meeting was commenced, to say a few words. In the month
of August last, a dissenting minister of the name of Nolan,
visited Warrington and other towns, for the purpose of giving
lectures on the subject of education in Ireland, In the cha-
pel of Warrington, in August last, he made a statement re-
specting the Protestant gentry of Ireland, exceedingly dero-
gatory to their character, and which, if true, would tend to
sink the Protestant gentry of Ireland in the estimation of
every man of common sense. A gentleman present took
down the remarks which he made, and subsequently wrote to
Mr. Nolan, to beg he would either substantiate his statements,
or publicly retract them. Mr. Crisp was the gentleman who
had written, and he had addressed to him no less than three
letters relative thereto; but to that day no answer had been
returned. He had had neither the honesty to substantiate
the charge, nor the honesty to retract his statements if they
were false. He therefore begged, before he began the busi-
ness of the meeting, that the Chairman would have the kind-
ness to call on Mr. Crisp to read those statements which had
been made by Mr. Nolan, and the letters which he had ad-
dressed to him. (Hear.)
Mr. CRISP said, that bearing that a lecture was to be deli-
vered against Popery at the Chapel, he had attended, and
was glad to hear that dissenters were beginning to arrive at
the truth. Mr. Nolan bad commenced his lecture thus :
PORTIONS OF A LECTURE, DELIVERED BY MU. NOLAN, A DIS-
SENTING MINISTER, AT STEPNEY CHAPEL, WARRINGTON.
" How little has ever been done for the spiritual welfare
of Ireland—statesmen look to her commerce—politicians
snake use of her to suit their purposes—but how few, even of
the religious, attend to her spiritual wants.
" While Ireland is said to be a grand field for the experi-
ment of the voluntary system, there are scarcely any of the
advocates of that system who carry out their views. But the
most that has been done for her in the voluntary way, has
been done by those whose very principle is against it, 'The
Church of England ;'—but we must see that all the efforts
hitherto made are of a party kind, and in one way or another
to serve party or political purposes. What influence has
O'Connell, is the question asked by every religious person ;
but what influence has Jesus Christ, is kept in the back
ground. The population of Ireland is eight millions, of which
one and and a half millions are Protestants, and the six and
a half millions Roman Catholics. You hear of the O'Sulli.
vans, M`Ghees, and some gentlemen of my own name, who
tell you the state of the Roman Catholics in Ireland, but they
Bever mention the state of the one and a half million of Pro-
testants—there is much to be done amongst them.
" The Church of England is divided into four parties or
sects in Ireland :
" ' First,—What you call the orthodox : the high church
party.
" Second,—The heterodox, as not attending at any place of
worship.
Si Third,—What are called the evangelical—and these are
the most bigoted sect to be found.
" Fourtb,—The really evangelical, and these are a very
small portion, but truly devoted to the spiritual wants of
the people.'
" The Protestant religion is a persecuting religion; and it
is unreasonable to suppose when you punish men for what
they think right, to convince them that they are wrong. It
is of no use to tell them that theirs was the first religion that
persecuted; they will not look back. In Sligo, the Protest-
ant magistrates actually tried to burn a meeting house be-
cause the minister preached against adultery. This is a fine
specimen of your Protestants in Ireland. If you can con-
vince the people, well; but if not, you have no right to abuse
them—they have as much right to think as you. There is
much talk of the murder of Protestant clergymen, but I never
knew of an instance of a quiet peaeeable Protestant, who had
taken no part in politics, being murdered. Our society (the
Irish Evangelical Society) has been established for twenty-
two years, and not one of our ministers or missionaries has
been murdered. Here then, not one martyr in twenty-two
years."
I endeavoured the next day to get an interview with this
gentleman, but not being able, I wrote to him as follows:
" Stanley-street, Warrington, 4th August, 1838.
" SIR,—As a member of the Church of England, and one
feeling a deep interest in the spiritual welfare of the Irish
people, I felt considerably hurt by many of the remarks
made by you at the lecture yestedav evening, a few of which
I will instance. You admitted fairly, that nearly all that had
hitherto been done for the spiritual well-being of the Irish
people, had been done by the Church of England; but You
followed it up by a very bold assertion, (and I cannot think
a very charitable one,) that all was for party or political
purposes. Can you, sir, with the operations of the Irish
Society, the Hibernian Society, Kildare-place Society, Irish
Sunday School Society, and various other societies before
you, really declare nothing has been done except from party
feeling. The efforts and exertions of the Irish Society must
be so cheering to every true christian, and would well merit
the approbation of every public speaker feeling an interest in
Ireland's spiritual good. You also made free remarks upon
what you call the harsh expressions constantly made use of
at the Reformation and other Societies. It cannot fairly be
doubted that these societies have done much good to the Irish
people, and they have acknowledged it. It may sound well
to say, the prejudices of the people should not be offended,
and that care should be taken that no harsh expressions are
used. But, sir, a faithful minister of the Gospel must, in the
honest discharge of his sacred duty, say much to offend the
feelings of a sinful congregation ; and, in like manner, a
faithful Protestant, preaching before a Roman Catholic
body, must of necessity say much to wound their feelings.
The Irish people are, I know, sir, an intelligent people, as
von stated, and as such, meetings for fair discussion are
likely to be of great use to them. It has been my good
fortune to reside in a parish, near London, where the Inde-
pendent minister bad a higher opinion of the Irish clergy
than is entertained I find in Warrington. For during the
time of their distress, from their just dues being withheld
from them, the Rev. Joseph Irons preached a sermon for
them, and headed his posting bill thus :---` A sermon will be
preached for those persecuted servants of God, the Irish
clergy.' by the Rev. Joseph Irons.'—Here, sir, was a display
of christian charity. Your statement of the Protestant
magistrates, who tried to burn the meeting house, because the
minister preached against adultery, I must see authenticated
before I can believe, and should be glad if you would supply
me with their names, that I may institute inquiry. Ido
firmly believe, sir, with the majority of religious persons with
whom I have conversed, both churchmen and dissenters, that
the Irish clergy, as a body, are as truly devoted servants of
Christ as can be found. The few lines which I have penned
are not dictated by any had feelings, as I trust you will be-
lieve ; but as I failed in an opportunity of seeing you, which
I endeavoured to do, 1 did feel, that, in justice to those whose
labours and exertions in the holy conse I think you slighted,
I might fairly thus address voti.—l beg to remain, sir, your
respectful servant, JOSH. CRISP."
To this 1 received no reply ; and after a month or six
weeks I sent a copy of it, presuming the first conld not have
been received, particularly requesting the names of the Pro-
testant magistrates whose conduct was so gross, and requesting
. a reply. To this I received no answer, and on the 31st
October, I wrote thus :

" Latchford, 31st October, 1538.
Ste,—Not having received any reply to two letters which
I addressed to you, requesting your authority for certain state-
ments made by yourself, in a lecture professedly against
popery, hut which was, more correctly speaking an attack
against Protestantism, delivered at Warrington, 1 shall now
1.64 myself fully at liberty, and perfectly justified, in making
any public use I may please of such statements, and of your
unwillingness to reply to my request for your authorities.
Such part of your audience at the lecture as I have consulted,
fully agree with me in thinking that a public lecturer is
bound to answer inquiries made of him respecting his public
statements; and surely, as a christian and a gentleman, he
should feel obliged for such an opportunity f proving his
statements, or, if hastily and improperly made, of retracting
them fully, fairly, and openly. I more particularly wanted
the names of the Protestant magistrates who tried to fire the
chapel (as you stated) because the minister preached against
adultery, and the name of the preacher, and where situated :
a 0 a minister of the gospel, I might have expected to receive

have dories. (Cheers.) You will understand, Moreover,
how my embarrassment is increased, when I state, that this
is the first occasion of my taking part in the proceedings of a
Protestant Association Meeting. The occasion is a great
one, and the call upon von of corresponding importance for
the sake of the cause. I could wish that it had fallen into less
feeble hands, yet I am bold to cast myself upon your kind
indulgence, being assured, that for the cause sake, you will
tolerate the feebleness of the advocate. It is necessary to al-
lude to your feelings, my friends, upon the subject before us,
because the cause is your own, and I refer to :nine also, be-
cause any impression which a speaker expects to make upon
his audience, must more or less be proportionate to his own
sincerity and earnestness in the cause he espouses. And, for
myself, I can safely profess, that I know not whether I am
mote deeply pressed by the insight of my own feelings, or by
my conscious inability to give them utterance. All that is
dear in the institutions of our country, both civil and religi-
ous, is in peril at the present. 'Tie to defend them from ag-
gression we are assembled to-day. You, Mr. Chairman, in
your preface to this meeting, have most suitably alluded to
the feeling of Christian charity, that ought to predominate
in such a meeting as ours. We preach, as ministers of the
gospel, charity from our pulpits, and unless we practice it in
our lives, we are nothing but sounding brass or a tinkling
symbal ; but what charity is that which we preach ? that
which " rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth."
Ours is the gospel of peace—but our wisdom is pure first, be-
fore it is peaceable ; and we are not justified by the word of
God in securing peace by any compromise of principle, or
surrender of truth. Therefore, it is that we are constrained
to assume the attitude of hostility to the system of the Romish
Church, because we value truth more than an unhallowed
peace without it. In this field of wide-spread controversy, I
can expect only to touch upon some of the superficial topics;
first, because I feel myself inadequate to the task of a snore
minute examination; and again, the penetrating mind of
my respected friend and superior, who is to follow me, will
lay before you, with all his clearness of style, and perspe-
cuity of statement, (peculiar powers with which God has en-
dowed him,) the depths and dangers of the mystery of ini-
quity disclosed in the working of the Church of Rome.
(Cheers.) The principle I lay down is, that danger is to be
apprehended from the aggressions and the encroachments of
the Church of Rome; and 1 would draw your attention
briefly to the nature and extent of it. The first point any
man ought to consider when threatened with danger, is the
power of his assailants, and the intention with which he
is likely to employ it. Now, for the power of the papacy, we
go sufficiently far back to trace it from the time of Pope
Hildebrand, Gregory VII. who succeeded to the Papal
throne in the year 1073. He secured to himself the appoint-
ment to the preferments, or dignities in the Romish Church.
By his oath imposed upon the bishops, they were reduced to
a state of the most complete and abject vassalage to the
Roman see. The priests were similarly subjected to the
bishops, and by means of the confessional, the laity is en-
slaved to the priest; that by this chain, the members of the
Church of Rome were thus inevitably rendered wholly sub-
servient to the will and wish of the Roman Pontiff, no mat-
ter what service soever he might think proper to impress
upon them. (Cheers.)
So much for the power, now for the manner in which this
power was likely to be granted. The history of the past fully
bears out the statement, that the power of Rome was in-
variably exercised for the advancement of Romish interests.
This power is utterly incompatible with the genius of a free
state such as England. (Cheers.) After the Reformation,
Romish emissaries were detected, like Satan, assuming the
garb of an angel of light, as counterfeiting the appearance
of converts to the truth, with the intent of occasioning
schisms in the church, by urging on the violence of the non-
conformists. In the gunpowder conspiracy, Garnet, the
Jesuit, was discovered to have been privy to the entire plan,
and to have recommended it on the ground of its advancing
the interest of the Church of Rome. Popery is your enemy,
and, let the aggression assume what appearance it may,
the Roman pontiff will be found the prime mover of the
mischief. 'Tis true we are not permitted to see the main
spring at work ; we can see but the outward framework of
the machinery; but we may be assured that the cause is the
same, the certain, untiring, unremitting advancement of the
papal power, working just like the force of gravity oa the
earth's surface, permitting the winds to rage, the waves to
roll, but yet controlling' every atom, and directing it in its
proper course. (Cheers.) Here then we have the power of
the Church of Rome, and with its objects in this country
we cannot be unacquainted—that it is the subversion of our
national church—and this must be counteracted. To meet this
power by awakening the minds of our countrymen, is the ob-
ject and aim of the Protestant association. 'Tis the supine-
ness of Protestants which has thus augmented the power of
the enemy; in fact our Protestant principles have so long
been enjoyed, that they now seem practically forgotten. ft
is the light of Gospel truth shining purely through our land,
that has exalted England to her present position, unrivalled
in the annals of civilized glory ; and if we would maintain
her in this position of national greatness, 'tis not by aban-
doning the principles that made her great at the first. After
enlarging upon the blessings of a free Gospel, as the only
preservative against popery, the Rev. Gentleman concluded
a long speech, apologising to the meeting for having tres-
passed on them at so great a length, and saying that he now
assumed his proper place, that of a disciple sitting at the
feet of his rev. friend, who was ready to second the resolution
which he had the honour to propose. (Cheers.)
The resolution was as follows:
"That the principles of the Church of Rome being un-
scriptural in their character, and unholy in their influence
and operations, and being alike inimical to the interests of
morality and domestic peace, as they are dangerous to those
of national prosperity and greatness, this meeting protests
against the encouragement given them of late, and pledges
itself to use all lawful means to counteract their baneful
tendency."
Rev. Dr.O'S etv N.—The rev. gentleman commenced his
address by complimenting the speaker who preceded him on
the ability with which he had spoken. He said that he was
for a time at a loss to understand how the urgency of his argu-
ments could be denied ; how it was possible to evade their
force—to deny the truth of his representations as to the dan-
gers by which the Protestants were surrounded, or to resist
the force of his exhortations. He felt, however, that so long
as there was fear and selfishness in the human heart there
must be objections to such high souled arguments as those of
his friend, and to such exertions as they were now engaged
in. I have thought—(continued the rev. gentleman)—of
one species of objection which I should desire to produce be-
fore you; and which indeed may, to some extent, guide me
in the course of my address. Of all the forms in which hos-
tility to the exertions of protestantisin has in late days dis-
guised itself, none have been found more convenient, or have
been oftener assumed, than those which bear a character of
charity and philosophical moderation. It is in a form of
this kind Protestants, who are opposed to us, usually ex-
hibit their when, in their candour, they take the side
of our enemies. They tell us that they, as well as we, could
wish to see Roman Catholics renouncing doctrines which
they would, in gentle language, venture to pronounce erro-
neous. Here their agreement with us ends. Their conde-
scension can no farthr go. They see that there are within
the realm Roman Catholics in very great numbers ; that the
majority of them appear very unwilling to make profession
of the protestant faith. Why, then, exclaim these "gentle
shepherds,"—why will you harass persons who have no de-
sire to be convinced, with exposures which they feet as a
species of perscution, and why in the exhibition of their doc-
trinal and moral obliquities, will you stir up strife and ill-
blood throughout the empire. If you could bring over the
Roman Catholic body to join a Protestant communion, we
would ourselves countenance and second your exertions : as
you have not succeeded in effecting this desirable conversion,
you should discontinue your bootless labours and sit down
with us in our quietness and indifference. It is evident
that such persuasions have not had much weight with you,
and if you therefore account them unworthy of serious atten-
tion, and demand of me a reason why I notice them, I owe
you, and will endeavour to give you, an answer. It is
briefly this. In the first place, you should be prepared to
give an answer to those who may object against )our pro-
ceedings. In the second place, Ido not think that all who
would influence others or who profess to be influenced them-
selves, by such considerations, are faithless and irreclaim-
able. I know it has been long the policy of Romanism to
provide herself with Protestant advocates, whom she hires
to betray their own church by defending her. I know that
while she has provided her own children, lay and ecclesiastic,
with instructions calculated to teach and cultivate principles
of intolerance, treason, malice, and uncharitableness, she
has prepared for the protestant eye, and often through the
instrumentality of hired Protestant advocates, representa-
tions of her in which she would be seen as candid, charitable,
loyal. I know that in order to obtain unsuspicious testi-
monies to her mildness and sincerity, she is willing to allow
Protestants the freedom to charge her with speculative error.
I know that having retained her hirelings for this purpose in
days when she was not prosperous, she is not likely now to
abandon a practice which she has found eminently successful.
Judging, therefore, from the analogy of former times, I
would expect to find among those who, Protestants them-
selves, discountenance Protestant exertion,—many who are
the hired advocates of Rome; some who, Romanist in heart,
put on a Protestant profession to render their enmity more
formidable, and many who, because they have a desire to
serve the interests of their party, would betray their religion
and their church. But yet, although dissuasives to exertion
such as I have described, savour much of a traitor's policy,
I will not believe that all who use them, or yield to them, are
traitors. Some err for want of knowledge, some for want of
reflection—error culpable, but not unpardonable. All such
may be reclaimed. All such will, at some time, listen to
words of remonstrance. They deserve to have such words
spoken to them in soberness and sincerity; and, therefore, I
will detain you from the more pressing subject which should
engage us, by notice of that argument in favour of inaction
(which has been extracted, with perverse ingenuity, from the
very difficulties which would seem to demand exertion,) and
by an exposure of its unsoundness. But no—l will not be-
gin with the objection, and the answer to it. 1 will endea-
vour to set before you, first, a picture of Romanism as it
exists, and then if time admit, will return to the objection.
But I cannot disguise from you that I have a tedious tale to
tell, and that my narrations, rendering more intense the
chill influence of the day, may prove a severe trial of your
patience. (Cries of "No, no.") I am not, however, so
modest as not to think that there is some importance in what
1 have to say, and I venture to assure you that if my state-
ments can make their frozen way into your memories under
this nipping frost, in the course of a few days when they
begin to thaw, you will find them not unworthy of your
attention. (Laughter and cheers.) 1 begin then. What
is liomanism ? Before I answer, let me notice a mis-
take of a two-fold nature, which has too long had cur-
rency amongst us. It was erroneously supposed that Ro-
manism was a religion. It was erroneously imagined that
Romanism was old. She is not old. She is not a religion.
She makes an alliance with religion just as she makes an alli-
ance with political liberals. So long and so far as it serves
her purpose she can use both. When either or both has be-
come embarrasing she can forsake them, renouncing and
condemning the creed, sending to the gibbet, or the dungeon,
or the stake, the inserviceable politician.—(Cheers.) After
some further remarks on the subject, the Rev. Dr. continued,
—Romanism is the religion, or rather the system which takes
as its profession of faith the creed promulgated by Pius IV.,
in the year 1.564. So recent is the origin of the existing
Church of Rome. The creed which I have named, consists, as
you are aware, of two portions, one, that which was professed
as its Creed, and as the Creed of the Universal Church, by
the Council of Trent, and one composed of Articles, which
Pius elevated into equal authority, and pronounced equally
necessary, with those on which the Lord Jesus had taught
that salvation was dependent. The former portion is that
which we call the Nicene (substantially the same with the
Apostles) Creed, acknowledged as the Creed of the whole
Christian world, from the early ages, to the year 1546—the
latter portion is that with which Pius IV. overlaid the pro-
fession of Christian faith, (eighteen years after the Council
of Trent had solomnly professed it,) in the year 1564. But,
in both, this is an inadequate and an erroneous representation.
The Council of Trent adopted no other Creed than that which
it professed in its third session. We have no reason to state
that the Nicene Creed was ever abandoned or overlaid even
in the Church of Rome, until that day when Pius IV. issued
his bull. " Injunctum nobis" in the November of 1564. The
case may be thus, simply, stated. It appears that the efforts
of Pius or his legates to procure from the Council an acknow-
ledgement of the exorbitant claims of the Papacy were un-