The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1854-04-11 00:00:00

PROTESTANT _REFORMATION
SOCIETY.

MEETING LAST NIGHT. .
A very numerous and influential meeting was held last
night, in the hall of the Collegiate Institution, in order to
afford the public an explanation of the objects and opera-
tions of the Protestant Reformation Society. The Rev.
W. F. Taylor, incumbent of St. John's, in the chair; and,
amongst those on the platform, were ale Rev. Dr. Butler,
formerly of St. Anthony's. Romanist Chapel, Liverpool;
Rev. Dr. Blakeney, of Claughton; Rev. H. Carpenter ;
Rev. J. B. Lowe ; and the Revs. Messrs. Marlen, Cowan,
Read, Matthews, Vance, &c., &c.
The Rev. Dr. BUTLER, formerly known as a distin-
guished Romanist controversialist, was, in himself, suf-
fient attraction, and the large hall was crowded.
After prayer by the Rev. Mr. IRELAND,
The CHAIRMAN said that they had met to have the
objects of the Protestant ReformAion Society explained to
them, a society which had for a considerable time, he might
say for 29 years, occupied a prominent position in the
Protestant movement of the day. It was a society insuf-
ficiently known; but it was not inferior to any, either as
to the nature of its operations or the objects that were in
view. Its object was to promote the religious principles
of the Reformation, to which we owed nearly all that we
enjoy—social, domestic, and political. The Popish num-
bers, by the late religious census, were proved to be not
so numerous as they had been set down to be, still there was
Bound enough to make us pray that the light of evange-
lical Christianity might be shed into their hearts .
(Applause.) He then said that they had around them a
constellation of champions of the faith : the mention of
the Rev. Dr. Butler's name calling forth the most hearty
and •enthusiastic applause.
The Rev. H. CARPENTER moved the first resolution,
which was, that "the principles and objects of the
P rotestaut Reformation Society deserve the cordial sup-
port of every true Protestant, and that the plan of
operation pursued by the society is highly calculated'
under the Divine blessing, to be attended by the best
result ." The speaker expressed his cordial approval of
the sentiments of the resolution, and showed how Romanists
looked rather to their saints than our Saviour for salvation,
referring particularly to a paper effigy of the Redeemer,
which is now common amongst them, and which, according
to the inscription upon it, is supposed to be a preservative
against accidents and disease. The Protestant Reforma-
tion Society required continuous, persevering work, for
even whilst Protestants were attending their meetings,
Romanist emissaries were at work. The object of the
society was fourfold—first, to employ clerical agents ; next
to employ lay agents able to argue with the most subtle
of the Church of Rome ; the third object was to employ
Scripture readers, and the last to employ school.
masters. The necessity for each of these agencies ;
Mr. Carpenter enforced. He said, it was in fact a
Pastoral Aid Society, having a special mission to the
Roman Catholics, and be expressed his approval of it as
one of the most important organizations of the day. He
was sure it was high time that Protestants should apply
themselves with steadfastness and earnestness to, oppose
the Church of Rome, for no adequate conception was
formed of the danger. It was the most powerful con-
spiracy against truth and justice which had ever existed
in any country, and destructive to the liberty and religion
of every country in which it was established. (Applause.)
The 'Rev. Dr. BLAICENEY, in a most effective speech,
seconded the resolution.

The Rev. J. B. LOWS, incumbent of St. Jude's., then
addressed the assembly. He referred wittily to. the
placard convening the meeting. It had announced. it as
a " great" Protestant meeting.. It was so in point of
number, in point of spirit, and he hoped they would pray
for the blessing of God that in point of result it would be
greater still. (Applause.) He referred to the aspersions
cast upon the Rev. Dr. Butler, and then enlarged upouthe
admirable objects. sought by the Protestant Reformation
Society, who had now a special mission to the Roman
Catholics. The society, he said, worked for•the Church
of Scotland as well as the Church of England, and asked
if they were not more at heart with a man like Dr.
Cumming than. they were with Romanists ? They
ought to rise above sectional differences, and should
not stand aloof, but should join in raising together
the standard of the Reformation. (Applause.) There
might be some diversity of opinion, there might be adif-
ference of discipline, according to the armour which they
carried to the field; but were they not all fighting under
one banner, and was there not one cause the success of
which depended upon. their union and exertion ? He
moved a resolution to the effect that the present aggres-
sive attempts of the Church of Rome on our civil and
religious liberty called for the most strenuous exertions
on the part of Protestants generally, not only to preserve
our brethren in the faith from the dangers of apostacy,
but also to rescue others who are the victims of delusion.

The Rev. Dr. BUTLER was received with a waving
of handkerchiefs and the most tumultuous applause,
mingled, however, with a slight hiss. He thanked God,
in the first place, that he was not dead. (Applause.) He
was still in the land. of the living, and he might add to
that, that he was still a Catholic, but not a. Roman
Catholic. (Hear, hear, and cheers.) He liked that
cheer. When be was a Roman Catholic, he was chamberlain
to Pope Gregory the Sixteenth. (A Voice : " Never mind
that.") There was a certain old gentleman, he would not
mention his name, but when the shoe pinched him, he
was sure to speak ; and they might depend. upon it,
before they retired from his presence, they would have
much pinching and squeaking. (Laughter.) He liked
their cheering and reception for two reasons.. He liked
it, first, because it was a proof that in the good old town
of Liverpool there was a sound, strong, Protestant feeling.
(Applause.) In the next place, he liked it because he
knew that they were indebted for it to the very Pope of
Rome. (Laughter and applause.) They (the Protestants)
were asleep, but the Pope was not ; he was up and stir-
ring ; and he (Dr .Butler) said, from the bottom of his
heart, that although he abhorred above all things religi-
ous excitement, still he should like to see another Papal
aggression. (Applause.) As to St.. Patrick, who
had been mentioned by one of the precious speakers,
he denied that he was a member ok the Church of ,
Rome. It had been said by the. Church of Rome
—first, that he was an Irishman;. then, that he was
a Scotchman (laughter) ; thirdly, that he was a
Frenchman ; and further, that he was a. Dutchman ; and,
if he was not mistaken, there was a. breviary in which he
was said to be an Italian. (Laughter.) So much for the
unanimous consent of those called Fathers. (Applause.)
What was the object for which he stood before them ?
What was the object of the Protestant Reformation Society?
It was simply the salvation of Roman Catholics, through
the one only medium,—of Christ's blood. Roman Catho-
lics were present, and might naturally say, " Why seek
after our eternal salvation, are. we not Christians ?" He:
stood before them and the Great Searcher of the heart,.
and said that he believed, and forcibly believed, that which.
God had spoken to man. He believed that they pos-
sessed at that moment the Revelation of that God.
to man. He held in his hand testimony to show that.
what was esteemed such, was. not really the Church of
Christ ; and if it were not so, it was not even a branch of it,.
It had apostatized the Bible. He defied any man to find.
in the Holy Volume any principle of Romanism. He
owned with all Protestants, that there were many truths in.
the Church of Rome, but they were so neutralised by a
complication of the most mischievous errors, that we. might
easily come to the conclusion; that the Church of Rome did
not offer the true Christ. (Hear.) After a reference to St.
Peter's circumstances on the day of Pentecost, Dr.. Butler
said that Rome was apostatizing for the Primitive Church
and the teaching of the fathers. He begged not to
deceive his Lyman Catholic brethren, for he had been
deceived himself before. The priests said, as a blind, that
they were Catholics. It was a mistake ; they were Protes-
tants. The head of the Roman Catholic Church bad taught
a very solemn lesson to the Protestants of these king-
doms ; he had taught us to speak the truth, and call things
by their proper names. We should then meet the enemy by
the truth, and comfort him with it and the infallible
Word of God. That might be considered bold language,
but he had long wished to have that evening. When he
bad read in the papers of his supposed death, be had often
said oh, how he wished to be in Liverpool, that he might
speak to the Roman Catholic heart and understanding.
He was ready to give a reason for the hope that was in
him, and they might gather from that why he renounced
Romanism. The Roman Catholics of Liverpool would
give him credit for this, that he was not brought up in
these kingdoms in the principles of religion. When he
was exceedingly young he left his native country. He
left Ireland—and he gloried in the fact of being an
Irishman—for one of the colonies, where he was
brought up. As well as he could remember, the first
impressions made on his mind were, that he was
a member of the true Church of Christ, and that only
through it did the living God speak to the heart and
understanding of man. In the next place, he was in-
structed to regard the priest in a most extraordina7
point of view • he was instructed to regard him as stand-
ing in the place of God Almighty himself. (Sensation.) He
was instructed to consider that he had extraordinary
powers confided to him. He was instructed that the
priest had power to pardon sin. Would the sins pardoned
by the priest be confirmed by God in the Kingdom of
Heaven ? Whether they were or not, was made all to
depend upon the priest. Then, as to Protestantism, as a
boy, when he could first discern good from evil, he was
asked who were connected with the Church of Christ ?
Who were its members—who were they ? and the
[answer was "None, excepting infidels, heretics, and
ex-communicated persons. Then, according to the
catechism, if he were asked who were heretics, he
should say, Protestants of every denomination. Let
it nevei be forgotten that the Romish Church
taught the doctrine of exclusive salvation. He
had often, when a priest, met people in Liver-
pool,are Protestants ;"—implying therebythat there was no
and heard the, exclamation, What a pity that
they
hope for them in the life to come. It was almost impossible
for a Priest of the Church of Rome, not brought up in a
Roman Catholic country, to know all the superstitions and
slavery of the Church of Rome. There was a marked
difference between the Church of Rome, where she was a
state church, and where she was subject to the pressure of
Protestantism, as here. Durst a Roman Catholic or his
priest read the Bible in a thoroughly Roman Catholic
country ? Durst he introduce it ? He might ; but he was
not at liberty to use his judgment over any single text.
Now, as to his own studies, he had the honour, as Roman
Catholics would call it, of passing his divinity course in
Rome. He graduated there by right, independent of the
Pope. But to return to the Bible, he might be asked
was it a sealed book in the University--was the priest to
read it—was it explained to him—did it form any part of
his ecclesiastical studies ? He was sent fromßome by the
Propaganda, and they might ask him what Gospel he
preached ? It was not the Gospel of Jesus Christ, but
the Opel of the Church of Rome, As to their