The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1841-08-03 00:00:00

PROTESTANT ASSOCIATION

A lecture on the views and objects of Protestant Associ-
ations was delivered on Tuesday evening last, in Mr. Lady-
man's large room, Wavertree, by James Lord, Esq., one of
the secretaries to the association. Present—Rev. Messrs.
W. Badnall, M'lver, Greene, Pendon, Richards, Gardner,
Wilson, Messrs. Barber, Finlay, Phillips, Wood, Swindon,
&c.

The Rev. W. BADNALL, M.A., incumbent of Wavertree,
having been moved to the chair, called on the Rev. C. W.
RICHARDS to commence proceedings by prayer; after which,
The Rev. CHAIRMAN addressed the assembly at some
length on the importance of the object for which they had
met, and the great need for protestants of the present day to
be on their guard against popery.
Mr. Loan, in rising to address the meeting, disclaimed
being actuated by any unkind or uncharitable feeling towards
Roman Catholics. It was not with the men, but with the
principles he had to contend : it was against the system of
popery, and not those who were the victims of it, that they
protested. And what, he asked, was this popery ? Was it
any new thing ? Was it a thing respecting which scripture
and history were silent ? No ! Was it not rather that same
system of anti-scriptural doctrines, and intolerant principles,
against which our forefathers—our martyred forefathers pro-
tested, and against which we too ought to protest with equal
energy and firmness? If a spark of the same spirit animated
us that led them on to contend earnestly for the truth, and
to protest against the errors and corruptions of the Church
of Rome, most assuredly popery had undergone no change
in her principles—anti-scriptural then she is anti-scriptural
now, and we therefore ought to protest against her—intole-
rant and persecuting then, she is still the same—and it be-
came protestants therefore to guard against her encroach-
ments.—Mr. Lord proceeded further to observe, that the
Protestant Association regarded protestantism as inse-
parably bound up and connected with the best and dearest
interests of the country. Nor should it be imagined that,
though the term protestantism was comparatively new, that
therefore protestantistn itself was a novelty. No—it was as
old as Christianity. When taunted by Romanists with the
novelty of our faith, we might reply, as one of old had re-
plied when asked " Where was your religion before the time
of Luther ? "It was where your religion never was—it
was in the Bible." Christianity was planted in this island be-
fore popery was known ; the Reformation was not the in-
vention of a new religion, but a restoration of the old reli-
gion, by purging off those dark errors and superstitions with
which popery had overshadowed and obscured it. The ob-
jects of the Protestant Association were to preserve
inviolate the blessings of that Reformation—to arouse
the dormant spirit of Protestantism, and to lead to
the adoption of such measures as might prove suc-
cessful, by the divine blessing, to avert those evils which
seemed to be now impending. All we valued as free-
men and as Christians was at stake. Popery, the enemy of
both the one and the other, was moving forward with giant
strides to regain the despotic power she heretofore exercised
and to re-establish her superstitions in the midst of protest-
ant England.—After proceeding further to shew the increase
of popery and popish influence, both at home and abroad, he
commented on the falsely-styled " liberal" spirit of the pre-
sent day—something little short of infidelity—which led
many indiscriminately to support conflicting creeds and opi-
nions. The very inconsistency of this, he observed, might
have been thought sufficient to prevent parties from such
conduct ; but unfortunately too many individual and na-
tional instances were to be found where such a course had
been pursued.—Mr. Lord here adverted among others to
Maynooth College, and what, he asked, could be more in-
consistent than with protestantism on the one hand to
protest against popery, and poperon Protests other hand to pro-
test against protestantism ? Thent Association had
directed their efforts to procure a discontinuance of this
grant, and he trusted those present would not forget to peti-
tion parliament against this and all similar grants for popish
purposes.
The mode by which they sought to carry out their objects
was by forming branch associations, by meetings and lec-
tures—by the publication and extensive dissemination of
tracts, handbills, and magazines—and by this instrumentality
he trusted that much good had already been accomplished.
Many h'sd thereby been induced to see the dangers to which
protestantism was now exposed, and the great necessity of
exerting themselves, if they would continue to enjoy and
hand down to their posterity that pure faith, and those civil and
religious institutions which their ancestors had handed down
to them, and under the benign influence of which England had
attained such pre-eminent glory and prosperity. As he knew
there were many other speakers about to address the assem-
bly, he would not, he said, at further length occupy their
attention, and sat down amidst loud cheering. A variety of
resolutions were then moved and adopted, by the clergy and
gentry present, and speeches made replete with piety and
learning, but which we regret we cannot more fully notice.
We subjoin the following fundamental resolutions, from the
sound principles they contain :
Resolved,—That the influence of true religion over a peo-
ple forms the best security for their individual rights, and
the surest basis of national prosperity. That the British
constitution acknowledges in its principles and laws the so-
vereignty of Almighty God, and the supreme authority of
his holy word, and has provided for the scriptural instruction
of the people by its religious establishments.
Resolved,—That in oppsosition to this principle of the con.

' • -
stitution, the Church of Rome is zealously exerting itself to
destroy the Protestant character of the constitution, and to
counteract these efforts, all who venerate the Word of God,
and value British institutions, should be called on to
co-operate in taking measures to inspire the people with a
just sense of the blessings and benefits of the Protestant
constitution.
Samuel Woods, Esq., jun., was appointed secretary, and
a vote of thanks having been moved to the chairman and the
lecturer, the meeting closed by
singing the doxology.

Paris has now upwards of twenty-seven daily papers,
average sale of which exceeds 90,000 per diem, while L
don has only nine daily papers, with a sale of about 45,
per diem.