The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1841-05-07 00:00:00

• THE POPISH COLLEGE OF MAYNOOTH.
IMPORTANT MEETING OF THE PROTESTANTS

OF LIVERPOOL

On Wednesday evenin,, a most numerous public meeting
was held in the Music-hall, Bold-street, for the purpose of
considering the propriety of adopting a petition from the
Protestants of Liverpool in favour of the bill brought into the
House of Commons by the honourable and patriotic member
for Kilmarnock, Mr. Colquhoun, for taking away the dis-
grace of a Protestant state contributing a large annual sum
for the maintenance of the popish Seminary of Maynooth.
It is scarcely possible to describe the anxiety which per-
vaded every class to be present at this meeting. The room
was filled to excess some time before the proceedings com-
menced, and many hundreds were under the necessity of re-
turning from the doors, from the incapacity of the room to
contain them. Regret was universally expressed that the
use of the Amphitheatre could not be obtained for the occa-
sion.

On the platform, besides a large body of gentlemen, we
noticed the Rev. Hugh M'Neile, the Rev. Hugh Stowell,
the Rev. J. N. Connor, the Rev. Orme, the Rev. J. C.
Hamilton, the Rev. A. Townsend, J. Rigby, Esq., W. R.
Preston, Esq., M. Edwards, Esq., &c., &c. On the motion
of Mr. Ewbank, the meeting unanimously elected the Rev.
Hugh M`Neile chairman.
The CHAIRMAN said, we were accused of being politicians,
and if the accusation were properly understood we had no
objection to plead guilty. We were politicians, and politicians
of a peculiar character, for we were politicians who recog-
nized the hand of God in the things of this world as well as
in the things connected with the world to come—(hear)—
and therefore in all our proceedings we asked his blessing,
without which there could be no true success. (Hear, hear.)
We did not engage in that species of politics which confined
its view to party conflicts between man and man, but we did
engage in that description of politics which entered into the
conflict between truth and falsehood, between the cause of
God in this world and the cause of the Devil. (Hear.) If
we were correct in the views we entertained, we were en-
gaged now in the cause of God ; we honestly thought so, and
in order to be successful we began our proceedings by asking
his blessing. (Applause.) Before he offered any further
observations he should call upon his reverend brother, Mr.
Connor, to ask the blessing of God upon us and upon our
object. (Hear.)
The Rev. Mr. CONNOR having supplicated the divine aid
and blessing in an appropriate prayer,
The CHAIRMAN then proceeded to address the meeting.
He must request of them to bear in mind the observations
which he had already addressed to them with regard to the
nature of our politics. We were engaged in a great conflict.
We found truth and falsehood, light and darkness, God and
Satan engaged. It was a permitted conflict : there could be
no continued conflict that was not a permitted one. It had
pleased God to permit a conflict for wise ultimate pur-
poses : he could, in a moment if he chose, put an end to the
conflict by making truth universally triumphant, and pre-
venting the prince of darkness from interfering with any of
God's creatures ; but he did not do so. It was his plan, for
wise ultimate purposes, to allow a conflict for a time, and
as he had said, no conflict could be of long continuance that
was not a permitted one. If two parties were engaged in
conflict, and they were nearly matched, by and by one would
get the better of the other, and the conflict was at an end.
It could not last long. We might see that in the contention
any two men of nearly equal strength. A small slip in one
of them gave the other an advantage, and the conflict was
over; but suppose we saw a mischievous little child conflict-
ing with a man—a man with the hold of the child, just keep-
ing it off instead of putting it down to put an end of its
little struggles by kicking it : he allowed the child to kick
and fight, yet he held it ; it struggled just as much as he
chose to let it, and as long as he chose, if he had a
good purpose ; if he chose to let there be the least change,
he might let it last as long as he pleased. He had power to
stop it, and power to let it go on. (Hear, hear.) It bad
pleased God to allow a conflict of this sort. He said to the
devil as to the waves of the sea, " hitherto thou shalt go but
no further," but he does not utterly push him back. He is
holding him, but allowing him to fight ; he allows him to
succeed in this way ; he allowed him to enter into the gar-
den of Ede.i, and to succeed with mankind for a season, only
he had a reserve among men, among the members of his
own Son Jesus Christ, and these he kept from the devil.
(Hear.) Against these the devil fought, and these God pre-
served. (Hear.) Here was the conflict ; and the church of
Christ kept by the power of God, in a world of which the
devil is the ruler—the permitted ruler, for the time being.
(Hear, hear.) Now, if we judged our own position aright,
we were members of Christ's church militant here upon
earth ; we were in an enemy's country ; the world lay in
wickedness, the devil had dominion over the majority—God
permitted it, and we were engaged upon his side iu the con-
flict. (Hear.) Were there no members of Christ's church
at all, there would be nothing to disturb the devil's supre-
macy ; then all would be quiet. "The strongman armecl kept
his goods in peace ;" but when a stronger than he came, and
some portions were delivered from him, where there were
members of Christ's church, who confessed their master, and
spoke for him who delivered them, then began a turmoil. There
began immediately a permissive contention. If there never
had been any real religion, and the devil had had all
his own way there would be no controversy ; and if there
were no truth in the world, no real christian protest in the
world, and the great Antichrist of Rome had had all his
own way there would have been no controversy ; he would
stop it all (hear, hear) ; not a mouth would be opened
against him. But when there were mouths opened for the
praise and glory of God, when there were hearts warmed
and enlightened by the spirit of God, when the truth of God
was spoken, whether men would hear it or whether they
would forbear, then began the conflict. Real christians,
therefore, must continue to be agitators so long as this
world was under the dominion of Satan. There could be
no vital religion without agitation. (Hear, hear.) What
were the prophets ? Agitators at Jerusalem breaking in
upon the deep slumbers of the ungodly, and awakening
wicked kings, and wicked rulers, and wicked princes to a
sense of the truth of the glory of the God of Israel ! What
were the apostles ? Agitators protesting against the Phari-
sees, the Sadducees, the Herodians, and the Pagans ; pro-
testing against the stagnation to which the devil would
bring the world, and stirring up.
rmeaend'is,
;mhiendps orceisevr:erit:
living God ! (Cheers.) They were agitators. And who
were the reformers ? Luther was a great agitator. He
found a bible in his convent; h
ments there that would not remain in the stagnant goo of
the papacy ; he brought them out ; he spoke them ; he
translated them into his native tongue ; lie printed them for
his countrymen, and what a world of agitators had the bible
caused ! (Hear.) There were some persons who found
fault because we were agitators. Whose example he should
like to know was it fit for us to follow? We took up the
history of the world, and if there were three classes of men
whose history stood recorded in the pages of the history of
the world, whose example it was fit and proper we should
follow, they were the three classes he had named—the
apostles, the prophets, and the reformers. (Loud cheers.)
But said our adversaries " you do harm, for you cause your
opponents to combine." He was now stating what some
who pretended to be upon our side as Protestants said who
disapproved of our agitation. They dreamed of truth
without agitation just as if this world had never fallen under
the dominion of Satan ! They talked very sweet, and very
plausible, and very amiable things, about kindness, and
charity, and love, and they were certainly very delightful,
but how are they to be won ? Were we to show our kind-
ness and love to mankind by allowing them to remain with-
out a struggle under the dominion of Satan ? Were we not
rather showing true kindness to them by endeavouring to
deliver them from those trammels, and bring them into the
liberty of the children of God ? (Hear, hear.) We
had some Protestants by name in this country who dis-
approved of our Protestant Associations ; they said
" we are as good Protestants as you, and we hate Popery
as much as you, but (there was a very significant but) by
agitating in this way you combine the Roman Catholics
against us—you cause them to agitate—you rouse them to
activity—and you cause a recoil, so that absolutely your
Protestant Associations are means of increasing Popery."
That was what they said; and he (Mr. M'Neile) wanted to
ask the meeting whether that was true ? (Loud cries of
" No, no.") It was easy to say it, but it was not easy to
prove it. (Cheers.) He would ask again were not the
Roman Catholics combined before our agitation began ?
(Cries of " yes.") Was there not a Romish agitation
against the integrity of British liberty both in church and
state? (Hear, hear.) Was it not carried on for years, and
did it not succeed in 1829? (Cries of " yes," and loud
cheers.) Was there not a parliamentary reform agitation,
and did it not succeed after some years ? (Hear.) And had
there not been, and was there not now, a Protestant agita-
tion, and was it not succeeding ? (Great cheers.) Compare
the apathy of a few years ago with the vigour, the enthusi-
asm, and earnestness of these days—(hear, hear) ;—compare
the state of things in this country upon the subjectof educa-
tion some years ago, and now look around and see our
schools starting up on every side, for the Christian and
scriptural education of our youth—(cheers) ;—compare the
want of church room in this country some years ago, and
now see the churches building in every direction, and the thou-
sands subscribed in town after town towards building more
churches for the people—the poor man's church—(great
cheering); and compare the deadly stillness which reigned all
over England, whilst England was year after year paying a
large sum of money for the sustenance and education of a set
of popish priests in Ireland—and not one whisper upon the
subject, not a remonstrance, not a petition against the col-
lege of Maynooth—compare that, he said, with the state of
things now. (Hear, hear.) Petition after petition, meeting
after meeting, why England seemed awake to this matter ; and
though a certain class of persons did not come and join our
Protestant Associations, he shrewdly suspected that they
were very well disposed to avail themselves of the benefits of
our PrOtestant labours. (Hear, hear.) There were always
some persons in an army who were very glad to avail them-
selves of a victory although they were not very forward to
face the enemy in the front ranks. (Hear, at length.) Now
we had a great deal of patriotisffeabout us ; his noble name-
sake (Mr. Stowell) was here to-night—(great applause)—
and Mr. Stowell and himself were willing to go forward into
the breach in this fight, they were willing to expose them-
selves, not only to to the assaults of the enemy—(cheers)—
but to the prudent remonstrances of our friends. (Hear.) It
was necessary if an army moved at all, that somebody should
go foremost. It every man said to his neighbour, " you go
first," then nobody would go first, and there would be no
movement at all ; but they would not quarrel with the gentle-
men who refused to come forward in the first ranks, if they
would only bring up the commissiariat, if they would only
supply the ammunition. (Loud cheers.) But it was too
bad to require the very same persons who were foremost in
the fight to be at the same time the persons to take care of
the baggage waggons ; and therefore he had a request to make
of those kind, considerate, prudent, remonstrating friends
who told us they hated popery as much as we did, but who
did not like fighting. (Hear, hear.) He said to them "well,
if you do not like fighting, leave the fighting to us, and do
you pay." (Cheers.) We could not carry on this work
without incurring expense ; these meetings incurred expense,
petitions incurred expense,
saanydtiwiaht wowe were i
astopaL arthvee ney?
He was, however, happy to
pros-
perous course now. (Hear.) We were assembled this even-
ing, as they knew, for the purpose of adopting and signing a
petition which had been already adopted at a meeting in this
town, and published, so that most of those present were in
possession of its contents. It was upon the subject of May-
nooth College. As they were aware, that subject had been
discussed in the House of Commons for a considerable time.
A,motioii had been made every year. for the withdrawal of
the grant of about £9OOO a year made in the Irish estimates
for the support of that college. That motion, however, had
been negatived every year. Last year the friends of the col-
lege had been pressed more closely than they had ever been
before, and they were obliged to put forward more strength
in its defence. One of them, the hon. and learned member
for the county of Tipperary, brought forward an act of the Irish
parliament, by which he alleged, or gave it to be understood,
that the grant to Maynooth College was granted in the act
of union with Ireland. That was a staggerer (hear, hear.)
because the lovers of our country would be sorry to join
those who agitated for the repealof the union or of any part of
it. However, after inquiry, it was found that no act of the
Irish parliament involved any such contract; that the act of
union said nothing about such a contract, but it was found
at the same time that an act of the Irish parliament,
called the 35th Geo. 111., that was, which was passed
in the year 1795, appointed certain government officers
of state, judges in Ireland, to be visitors of the College
of Maynooth. This seemed to give the College of
Maynooth an union with the state, and some persons
said it amounted to an union with the state ; that was
a matter upon which others held a different opinion,
but so long as that act was in existence, even the friends of
our measure felt they could not ask for a withdrawal of the
grant to Maynooth College. (Hear, hear.) For his own
part he did not sec wby we might not ask for a withdrawal
of the grant in spite of any such act, as it did not appear to
him to involve any compact to continue the grant, Still there