The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1841-10-05 00:00:00

I am going to assign for that feeling is very singular and
odd. Here is a paper belonging to your town which fell
into my hands some short time back, a paper—for I love to
give credit where credit is due—as remarkable for the accu-
racy of its reports as for the soundness of its principles ; and
I rejoice to think it is not the only paper of that character in
this place. I only wish we had such a paper in my portion
of the country, and in every other part too. I. find in this
paper, the LIVERPOOL STANDARD—(cheers).—an extract
from another paper of a very different character. The editor
is commenting upon it, and the extract is to this effect :
" In this town there is more intolerance, more absence of
true Christian feeling, and more disgusting presumption, than
in any otherin the kingdom, or in any part of the world with
the history of which we are at all acquainted." This was
a very singular reason for a man to allege for accepting
the distinguished honour of an invitation from such a
town. The rev. gentleman with much humour explained
this seeming pdradox, and in the course of his observations he
described, in a very happy stile, the difference between
" liberal Protestant" and " Protestant liberals." He next
glanced over the principles of the Association, with the whole
of which he expressed his admiration, and he concluded a
speech of forty minutes' duration, amidst loud cheers. We
regret that absolute necessity has compelled us to withdraw
the main part of Mr. Ker's speech ; but in all probability it
will appear when the proceedings are published in a separate
form.

The Rev. THOMAS NOLAN, of St. Barnabas' next rose to
address the meeting, and he met with a reception which
must have convinced him that his advocacy of Scriptural
principles is as highly appreciated in Liverpool as it was in the
town (Stopkport) he recently left. The rev. gentleman spoke
nearly as follows :—Mr. Chairman and Protestant Brethren,
In rising to introduce the third resolution to this numerous
arid influential meeting, I would fain follow the example set
by my friend and brother opposite in introducing the first.
I would acknowledge the presence at this moment, and the
influence of feelings seemingly at variance. I would with
Mr. Parry plead guilty to the unfeigned gratification that I
feel at being allowed to identity myself with the mighty
movement now in progress in defence of Protestant princi-
ples, and in support of those Protestant institutions which
are at once the pride and bulwark of our country ; and, at
the same time, I cannot divest myself of the humbling con-
sciousness of inability to deal with the subject in a manner
at all worthy either of its nobleness or its importance. But
appearing as I do, for the first time, a stranger as yet
amongst you, I am sure you will kindly allow me some claim
on your indulgence—that you will balance the one against
the other, my zeal in the cause of Protestant truth as a set
off against the weakness which only I can bring to the de-
fence of it ; and that I may not trespass too long, (at this
advanced hour,) as well as too much on the indulgence which
I bespeak, I will proceed at once to the subject of the resolu-
tion. First of all, I think the vigilance with which our pro-
ceedings are watched, and the unscrupulous virulence with
which we are assailed, are not without considerable advantage
to us in an indirect way, by compelling us to be even more
patient in our investigations, as well as more minute and
laborious in our details, so as not to leave " a hinge or loop
to hang a doubt upon," with reference either to the state-
ments which we put forward, or to the facts which we
enumerate. (Hear, hear.) Knowing well the character of
the enemy we have to encounter, we must leave no room,
either for quibble or subterfuge, inasmuch as the page of
past history, inscribed with the policy of Romanism, while
it shows us the wisdom of the serpent marking all its mo-
ments, makes out for it by no means an equally clear title to
the innocency of the dove,—(applause,)—so that, for such
of our arguments as are unanswered, and of our facts as
remain undisproved, we demand the utmost extent of public
ponfidence. Romanism must not be permitted to shelter itself
behind both sides of the hedge, at one time assuming a lofty
silence, and again darting from its den, and to this day ring-
ing the changes on the satisfactorily and honestly explained
mistake of our dear brOther M'Ghee—springing again on
another beloved brother, Stowell, when, in the honest bold-
ness of his Protestant heart, he placed himself within the
grasp of a contested point of law—and more recently in the
case of our own beloved champion M'Neile, endeavouring to
fasten upon him a false and calumnious charge, the rebound
from which is not yet forgotten by my Lord Lovelace or the
Protestants of Market Drayton, although their reminiscences
respectively of that event are of a widely different character.
(Cheers.) 1 mention this, sir, in order to prove, that inas-
much as Romanism, upon so slight grounds, or upon no
grounds at all, ventures to assail our champions and our
proceedings, she would not forbear if the opportunity offered
of fastening any valid accusation upon us. (Hear, hear.)
Our arguments, sir, we contend to be unanswered, only be-
cause they are unanswerable (hear); and Romanism assumes
the dignity of a convenient silence only when enormities are
laid to her charge which are too glaring to be defended, and
too palpable to be denied. The resolution which I have the
honour to submit for the approval and adoption of this im-
mense and influential meeting, speaks thus:—" That the
principles which elicited the energies of our Reformers in
resistance to the novelties of the Church of Rome, remain
in full force, imposing upon us the obligation to exercise
similar energies, to give efficiency to the truths of Holy
Scripture among the population of the whole realm." (Hear,
and applause.) Upon reading this resolution, it appeared
to me as if a palpable truism had been given to me to state—
that it needed no argument—that it needed only to be stated
to win concurrence, and that it brought conviction along with
it. The past labours of our Protestant champions have
proved to demonstration, in the face of the whol3 British
public, and challenged the Romish hierarchy and demagogues
to disprove any of their statements, tnat the intolerant, un-
scriptural, and persecuting principles of bygone ages are
neither rescinded nor seriously disclaimed, but only in abey-
ance, and waiting for a favourable opportunity to be enforced
as rigidly as ever. (Hear, hear.) So muck for the first clause
of the resolution, and the second follows inseparably from it;
for the Reformation, if worth commencing at all, is equally
worth continuing and completing (hear, hear) ; and no means
are so likely to be attended with final success, as those which
at the first brought down such an abundant blessing from
above. We cannot now be remiss in the cause of Protestant
principle, nor cold in our efforts for the promotion of Scrip-
tural truth, without reflecting upon the zeal and undaunted
courage of the highest and noblest ancestry that England
can boast of—the fathers and martyrs of the Reformation.
(Cheers.) They gave Romanism, as they thought, its death-
blow in this kingdom, and for years it lay prostrate; but
they had only " scotched the snake, not killed it." By and
by it shewed symptoms of animation. Let the history of the
Jameses and Charleses attest the gratitude with which their
indulgent toleration of it was rewarded. (Hear.) In modern
times however, fondled on the lap of a spurious liberalism,
and fanned by the breath of favour and support in high
place, it has thrown off the mask, and openly establishes it--
self in every part of our great colonial empire, in Canada,
Australia,—and witness my Lord Clifford's recent com-
plaint, in effect, almost that an ascendancy is most feared for
it in India likewise. (Hear.) .Have we not seen Romanism
raising its unblushing front night after night, in our senate
house, and until the recent auspicious change, absolutely
holding in abeyance the energies, and dictating the destinies
of the British empire both at home and abroad. It were
well, sir, if we would acquaint ourselves more fully with the
records of the past—the terms of the parliamentary remon-
strance to James the First, seem distorted in an almost pro-
phetic spirit—" Popery hath a restless spirit, and will strive
by those gradations, if it once but get a connivance, it will
pass for toleration, if that be obtained, Papists must have
equality, and from thence they will aspire to superiority,
and will never rest till they get a subversion qf true reli-
gion."—(Hear, hear.) Could the historian of the last half
century with more faithfulness describe the progress of Ro-
manism in these kingdoms ? And yet we are censured on all
hands, not only by the Romish and radical party—all this
we are prepared for—but by some few of our friends likewise.
Now at least that the Romish party is out of power, and Sir
Rc.bert Peel at the head of affairs, some think that there is
no further need for the !efforts of Protestant Associations.
We rejoice, sir, cordially, at the advancement to power of
that distinguished statesman, and of that noble and indepen-
dent party in the state, who honour him with their confidence
and support, and we look from his government for a firm and
impartial administration of the law according to the true
spirit of England's glorious constitution. (Hear, hear.) But
we are persuaded that it is by means other than parliamen-
tary enactments, that the encroachments of Romanism are to
be repressed. Romanism by subjugating the minds, enslaves
the bodies of her own votaries—and by their help, intimidates
and perscutes those who differ from her, and where she suc-
ceeds erects the banner of an iron despotism—and this she
calls peace. The secret by which she accomplishes this, will
ultimately be found to be the suppression of God's truth and
light. (Applause.) She hates the light because her deeds
and intentions are evil. (Cheers.) And therefore her dire
hostility to the free circulation of the Bible. It is by the
Bible she is to be opposed—and by the Bible she must be
overthrown. (Renewed cheers.) By the circulation of the
Bible in Germany the triumph of the Reformation was
achieved. (Loud and continued cheers.) By the same means
it was accomplished in England also, and so must it be
maintained, and the blessings of it also extended to Ireland
as well. (Hear.) When ever Luther had given to the
world his translation of the New Testament, the historian
remarks, the reformation was thenceforward taken out of
his hand, " God showed himself, and man was seen as
nothing." (Hear.) These are the weapons of our warfare
with Romanism, and these must not be suffered to rust
within their scabbards, no matter who may chance to hold
the reins of temporal power. When the Bible is placed in
the hands of the Romish population, then a blow is aimed at
the citadel of Popery, and when by God's grace the power of
scriptural truth is received and felt by them in their hearts,
then, and not till then, is the good work commenced, which
will assuredly be accomplished unto the day of the Lord
Jesus. For this glorious consummation we are ardently
anxious,—towards the accomplishment of it our prayers and
our efforts through good report and evil must steadily be di-
rected,—and sooner or later success must crown our endea-
vours, for God is with us, and if God be for us who can be
against us. (Applause.) It was my intention to have en-
tered at some length into the statistics and working of Ro-
manism in Ireland, but the lateness of the hour prevents me
doing so, except cursorily, at the present. (Cries of " Go
on.") Here the reverend speaker quoted from the Catholic
Almanack of 1837, as to the numbers of the Romish hierar-
chy and priesthood in Ireland, and their close allegiance and
connexion with the propaganda, and the court and see of
Rome, after which he proceeded—We are often asked why
run away to Ireland for illustrations as to the- working of
Popery ? Sir, there are too many sufficient motives ready
iu reply. First, when the state of Romanism in Ireland
is of so much importance at all times at head quarters, as ap-
pears, for example, by the prophecy of St. Lazinanus, quoted
by Bishop Mont in his history of the Irish church, (vol. 1,
p. 140,) "mother church qf Rome falleth when in Ireland
the Catholicfaith is overcome," and by a simple conversion
of the terms of this pretended prophecy, it is immediately
brought to bear upon England, making Ireland the fulcrum
in which the lover of Romish power is to rest for the uproot-
ing of truth in Britain, for the right reverend historian pro-
ceeds to relate—" Therefore the council of cardinals have
thought fit to encourage your country Ireland as a sacred
island, (the extract is from a letterof the Pope, to his son,
O'Neal,) being certified whilst the mother church hath a
son of worth like yourself, and those that shall succour you
and join therein, that she will never fail, but have more or
less a holding in Britain in spite of fate. (Cheers.) If the
anxiety at Rome, as to the state of Ireland, be as great in
the present day, (and why are we to suppose it less,) from
the particulars 1 have mentioned already as to the Romish
priesthood, you see plainly the facilities of obtaining accurate
information are abundant enough. (Cheers.) I will trouble
you with one other instance of more recent date. History
has on record the reasoe arrived at by Pius VI. for not en-
gaging in hostility with England, lest, forsooth, his doing so
might react prejudicially on the interests of the Irish Roman
Catholics. (Hear, hear.) So highly did he value the im-
portance to his cause of the success of Irish Romanism, that
rather than run the chance of embarrassing it by exasperating
England, he preferred awakening the wrath of Napoleon
himself, and daring to encounter the conquering army of
France. (Great Applause.) Contrast with this the con-
duct of British statesmen at home. It was about this very
period that Mr. Pitt and the Duke of Portland established
the College of Maynooth for the domestication of Rot-minim
in Ireland. (Hear.) Oh, sir, it was a grievous fault, and
grievously bath England answered for it. (Great applause.)
It is, sir, for expressing these principles, fraught with ruin
to Romanism themselves, and danger to the institutions of
our country, and for producing documentary and historic
testimony, in support of the charges we advance, that we are
denounced as disturbers of the peace of this country, and
such of us as (like myself) are Irishmen, are set down as
slandere.rs and calumniators of our own. But, sir, we are no
more disturbers of the peace here than those men of old,
whose enemies charged them with troubling Israel, and
turning the world upside down—and we are no more the ca-
lumniators of our own country by telling the truth of it, than
we are enemies of it by reason of our desire to tell the truth
to it. (Cheers.) The truth of the everlasting gospel, before
Whose genial influence and mild sway the wilderness and the
solitary place become glad, and the country would be relieved

from the fevered frenzy in which Romanism has enchanted
it, and become once more clothed and in her right mind.
Besides the sympathy with which we ought to regard any
People or country, bowed down as Ireland is under the
chains of spiritual darkness, her propinquity, and the fact
that she constitutes an integral part of the British empire,
are additional claims on your interference in her behalf on
the score of self-interest likewise; and, be assured it is the
maintenance of an united church, built in the basis of a com-
mon bible, which is the grand link and real strength of the
union that holds the two countries together ; and, the Ro-
mish party in Ireland, struggling for repeal, exhibits only
the wonted wisdom of their usual policy, when aiming their
first blow at the scriptural church, which is the band of either
country with the other, and the glory and pride and protec-
tion of them both. (Cheers.) The strong demands of jus-
tice ought to secure for Ireland tha co-operation of England
in this 'nighty struggle, that is now going forward. Ireland,
'tis true, is held fast-bound in the chains and pov.er of Ro-
manism, like Lazarus in his grave-clothes ; but it is England
that, by the arms of her might, forced Romanism upon a re-
luctant nation in the 12th century. The learned and pious
Dr. Murray (the Dean of Ardagh—not the Archbishop) in
his valuable outlines of the catholic church in Ireland, has
shewn us to be independent of Rome up to that period, and
traces our succession of bishops from the Greek or Eastern
Church, not from the Western or Romish—from St. John,
through Ignatius, Polycarp, Irendus, Pathinus Lupens, and
Germanus, who ordained St. Patrick, and made him chief
bishop of their schools among the Irish*: (Loud cheers.)
It is after this fashion we calumniate our country, by
beseeching England to restore her to the condition in
which England first found her. When she was called the
island of saints, before her virgin soil was pulluted with
the presence of a Papal pall, or blighted with the curse of a
Papal bull—(great cheers) ;—before she received as a nation
the degrading mark of the beast in her forehead. (Renewed
cheers.) Oh yes, we solicit the sympathy and aid of Eng-
land to release Ireland from the iron bondage that enslaves
the minds and bodies of her sons and daughters, that para.
lyses her energies, obstructs her improvement, and holds all
her powers in abeyance. Send the gospel to her more and
more, and even though she be fast bound, still in the grave
clothes of Popery, there is a power in that gospel of force,
sufficient effectually to cry in the name and words of the
living Saviour, " Loose 'her and let her go;" and there is
no other way more effectual for departing Romanism here
than her carrying the war into the enemy's camp, and be-
sieging her in her strongholds and fastnesses in Ireland. To
this effect pleaded one of her sons, of whom two nations
may well he proud, the land of his adoption, no less than the
land of his birth. Where, in the presence of nobles and
prelates, and some of the worthiest of England, urging upon
them the maintenance of pure religion, and the blessings of
a scriptural church, lie intreated of them likewise to remem-
ber Ireland, to give her Irish bibles, scriptural schools, and
evangelical missionaries... Oh, said be, " in the name of
Him who snatched yourselves from the grasp of antichrist
as brands from the burning—of Him who raised your popu-
lation from the crushing. slavery of the confessional at the
knee of a mortal man, to the holy liberty wherewith the Son
of God maketh his people free—oh ! have mercy, Christian
mercy ; and therein true, holy, Godlike—justice to Ireland"
—for hint I now make way. Thanking you, Sir, and the
meeting, for your kind indulgence, and apologising for the
length at which I have trespassed upon it, I have the honour
to move the resolution. The rev. gentleman sat down amid
loud cheers, and his eloquent address produced a great im-
pression upon the assembly.
The Rev. Hoc's M'NEILx, on rising to second the reso-
lution, was greeted with loud and long continued applause.
He said—Mr. Chairman—Since our intention to hold this
meeting was advertised in the public papers, I have received
a vast variety of letters upon the subject, from various parts
of the country, and from town. (Hear.) One writes, " Sir,
—What use is there for Protestant Asssociations now ?
(Hear.) I can understand what you were about, and we
were all obliged to you, while we had an adverse anti-Pro-
testant government, but now since the change, what object
have you in these associations ?" (Hear.) Another writes,
" Rev. Sir,—What sort of Protestantism is your's, does it
rise and fall with party politics, pray have you confidence in
the present government ?" (Hear.) Another, wishing to
make himself facetious, writes, " Right Rev. Sir,—(laughter)
—What do you think of Sir Robert Peel's speech about May-
nooth College ?" Another writes, " Rev. and Dear Sir,—
What is to be done now about the Emancipation Bill ?"
(Hear.) Another writes, " Well, Mr. M`Neile,, do you
think Lord Ashley was right to refuse office for the sake of
the Factory Children Bill ?" Another writes about the corn-
laws ; another about the poor-law. I protest, Sir, if I had
been a Secretary of State, and this the meeting of parliament,
I think I could not have been asked more questions. It is
not my intention to attempt to answer them all, but I think
it quite right to endeavour to answer some of them. (Hear.)
The first was, what use is there now for Protestant Associa-
tions ? The answer is, the same use there ever was. (Cheers.)
The principles upon which Protestant Associations are based
are not principles of party politics or personal interest ; they
are the principles of unchanging revealed truth. (Hear.)
Unchanging with the things among men, they abide the same ;
—(cheers)—and we shall now ascertain who were actuated
by those principles, and who among our apparent supporters
were actuated by nothing higher than party politics. (Hear.)
In this point of view 1 do cordially rejoice in the aspect of
the present moment. We are supported to day in some de-
gree as we ought always to have been supported. Upon
one or two occasions lately the support has seemed rather to
have fallen away. There were in this town some who
began to murmur, to look coldly upon these proceedings;
by supporting us now, those persons will truly prove that
they are actuated by the vital principles of the association,
and not by party politics. (Hear, hear.) I have good hope,
sir, that we shall find such support from many seriously-
minded men who were alarmed at what they called a political
movement, but who now seeing it divested of party politics,
will join it as a Protestant movement based upon the Holy
Scriptures, and in unison with the recorded sentiments of
our established church. (Hear.) Now, sir, the grand final
objects which we have always kept in view are these—to
maintain unimpaired what the reformers of the IGth century
established, and to continue to advance, and by God's help
to complete, in Ireland, what those reformers left unfinished.
(Hear.) The grand religious principle of the Reformation
is plainly stated in the Gth Article of our church. It is this :
—" Holy Scripture containeth all things necessary to salva-
tion : so that whatsoever is not read therein, nor may be
proved thereby, is not to be required of any man, that it
should be believed as an article of the Faith, or be thought
requisite or necessary to salvation." And the grand politi-
cal principle of the Reformation is stated with equal power
and plainness in the 37th Article :—" The Queen's Majesty
bath the chief power in this realm of England, and other her
dominions, unto whom the chief government of all estates of
this realm, whether they be ecclesiastical oecivil, in all causes
doth appertain, and is not, nor ought to be, subject to any
foreign jurisdiction. * * The Bishop of Rome hath
no jurisdiction in this realm of England.' (Hear, hear.)
Now, sir, we have subscribed these principles ; we are called
upon so to do. If these great principles, and such as these,
of our Established Church had been always and faithfully
kept before the nation by living voices ; if they had been
maintained in the pulpit and in the senate-house, as well as
subscribed at the universities, and at the ordination, I am
free to confess that we should have required no Protestant
Association except the Church herself. (Hear.) The Church
of England is a Protestant Association,—(hear, hear,)—
protesting against those corruptions, those novelties vainly
invented and repugnant to Scripture, with which the Church
of Rome had overspread the baptised community of Europe
during the middle ages. (Hear.) The Church of England,
I repeat, is a Protestant Association, and had she been
practically true to her recorded principles, which should have
required no Protestant Association within her ; she would
have been the Association herself. (Cheers.) But, Mr.
Chairman, when that faithful dealing ceased, when the re-
corded principles of our church were allowed to slumber in
the pages of the Prayer-book, until they became practically
obsolete among the people : when the couduct of church-
men, both lay and clerical, was such as to prove them either
culpably ignorant of, habitually forgetful of, or systematically
opposed to, the very principles they had solemnly sworn to
as clergymen and as legislators ; when it was pronounced
uncharitable and bigotted and intolerant for any one to
speak, what we all had subscribed : when the national vessel,
though all night upon the chart, and (as to her authorised
formularies) pointing up the stream and resisting the cor-
ruptions of Rome, and bidding fair for a prosperous voyage,
was, nevertheless, practically dragging her anchor backward,
and going down with the tide of those corruptions ;
then it was high time that an alarm should be sounded.
(Loud cheers.) It was high time that a voice should rise
within her to condemn the culpable neglect of the crew,
and call the attention of the chief helmsmen to the chart
and compass, and to tell them of the danger and deceitfulness
of the tide. (Loud cheers.) This is what the Protestant
Association has done. It is the voice of warning from within
the house by a friend. (Hear.) Friends indeed we are to
the institutions of the country, so friendly that we cannot
see them shipwrecked without raising an outcry ; and
because we do raise an outcry to prevent their shipwreck,
those who are blindfolded by pride, and will not see the
breakers, nor be preserved from the danger, find fault with
us, forsooth, as disturbers of the peace ! (Hear.) We are
disturbers of a false peace, and I hope we shall continue so;
and we are disturbers of a false peace in exceeding good
company. What, I will ask, did the prophets of God do of
old? If the Jewish Church had been true to her standard;
if the word of God, that she prided herself upon, had been
kept practically before her people ; if the words of Moses
had been sounded in the ears of all men in the kingdom,
denouncing all graven images, the bowing down to them,
the worshipping of them, and the making of them ;—(hear,
hear,)—if these words had been practically kept before the
nation, and they had been attended to by the people, there
would have been no occasion for prophets. (Hear, hear.)
The standing priesthood would have been enough. But
when those words were neglected; when the awful denuncia-
tions of God against idolatry were despised ; when the
volume of Moses was shut up ; when the men of that nation
had it not in their hearts to trust God's word ; when they
began to think that righteousness founded upon the word of
God alone was not substantial enough, that it was too mean,
too poor, too meagre to rest upon, and they began to look
aside, and to find the traditions of men upon which they
thought they could rest, they began to introduce palpable
acts into the religious duties of men—carnal proceedings,
upon which the poor unconverted man could find repose
when his heart could find no peace with God's word because
it did not profit him ; when they began to rest upon the tra-
ditions of man, and so fell aay to idolatry ; when golden
calves were set up and images were made, and men were
bowing down to stocks and stones in despite of the word of
God, which word nevertheless they still professed to love,—
then there was occasion for the prophets ; then the standing
priesthood required to be resisted, opposed, and protested
against. (Cheers.) And what were the prophets? The
school of the prophets as a Protestant association ! (Great
cheers.) Was it not? w
(Renewed cheers.) The school of
the prophets was a Protestant Association, protesting against
the idolatry of the established priesthood ;—(great applause)
protesting against the apathy of the nation, calling attention
to the word of God, telling those who daubed the public
mind with untempered mortar, that a storm would destroy
both them and their building, telling them they were saying
" peace, peace, when there was no peace." (Hear.) Aye,
the prophets were disturbers of the peace; and when one of
the wicked princes of that idolatrous nation said, " hast thou
found me mine enemy, art thou he that troublest Israel ?"
The faithful member of the Protestant association—a leader
he was—said to him, " No, I am not the troubler, but thou
and Jezebel." (Hear, hear.) We plead guilty too to being
troublers of the peace, but it is in the same way that an
officer of justice is troublesome to a thief. (Hear, hear, and
loud laughter.) Now it is a very serious matter, although
putting it in this way makes you laugh, to see a nation
still professing attachment to the word of God, and then
priding themselves upon the possesion of it as a privilege
while they have practically fallen away from the power of
relying upon it, and have declined into the mire of human
traditions and liansan absurdities—still holding the word of
God by name and
by form, but living in the depth of tres-
passes and sin. (Heart
hear.) Sir, this is instructive, be-
cause it is alarming. " The thing that has been, is that
which shall be; and that which is done, is that which has
been done, and there is no new thing under the sun." (Hear,
hear, and cheers.) What was written to Israel was written
for our warning •, the standing of Israel was said and by the
apostle to be by faith, and her frilling by unbelief, and though
the warning was given to the Christian church that she too
stands by faith, she did not continue to exercise faith in the
word of God. The very same thing took place in the Chris-
tian church : the power of primitive Christianity to confide
in Scripture was lost, and in proportion, as the power to con-
fide in the word of God ebbed out of man's heart seemed in
the same proportion their confidence in mab may be found.
And as in Israel they had in worship, the poi, the cup; broad
phylactories, and long prayers ; so in the Christian church,
there came to bs a reposing in men's mind upon outwardacts,
an helping of their senses y pictures, by statues, by images :
a helping of their ears by music, and of their eyes by sights ;

a helping of these feelings by penitences, and by the lacera-
tions of their flesh. And when there came to be a misstating
of that laceration for penitence, and a misstating of that
music, and those pictures for devotion; when there came to
be a constituting of religion, these things, which were first
introduced to help the senses of the poor creatures who had
not any faith in the word of God, then there came a
reformation. (Hear, hear.) And what was the reformation?
Here again we find a Protestant Association. The truth is
always the same ; the gospel is one everlasting gospel. We
should then remember that redemption was not an after-
thought for the remedy of an evil that already existed, and in
reference to which it might be suited ; but redemption was a
forethought, an eternal thought, before ever there was any
man, before there was any evil, on purpose that God might
be glorified. This truth was revealed when it was required ;
this truth was corrupted by man ; this truth was received
by Protestants—protesters against the corruptions,—and this
has been done repeatedly since the foundation of the world.
God raised up a protester against idolatry in the person of
Abraham ; Cod raised lip protesters against national idolatry
in the institutions of Israel ; God raised up protesters
against Israclitish idolatry in the office of the prophets ; and
in the Christian church, when the very same truths were
corrupted—for it was the same Gospel—by the innovations
of Romanism, God again in mercy raised up protesters in
the persons of our Reformers. (Cheers.) And has there
not been idolatry of late years ? Was not a Protestant Asso-
ciation required again? Oh ! sir, now we come to the sore
place. It is easy for men to admit that the ancient Jews fell
away, and for Englishmen now to admit that, to a certain
degree, Romanists fell away ; many will admit they fell away
wholly : but it is not so easy to acknowledge the falling away
which justifies our protest. There has been a falling away,
and an attachment to the Established Church should not
hinder us from declaring it. (Hear.) There was a deadness
which came over the Established Church of this c4untry ;
there was a paralysis as to divine truth ; there was an order,
a decorum, a propriety ; there was a good deal of learning
among some of the clergy ; there were those who could
anatomise Greek sentences and tell the structure of a Greek
play; there were those who could explain all the arcane of
science, though there were not many of that kind, but there
were some ; there was order, regularity, decorum, and pro-
priety reigning about the members of the Established
Church, and there was a great cry of " Our Church ! our
Established Church ! our Apostolic Church ! What so
good, what so excellent as our Church ?". " Our Church,"
was in every body's mouth ; but the Scriptures, the articies,
the homilies, the formularies of the Church—every one was
ready to praise them, but they were lying quiet alllthe time !
(Hear, hear, hear.) Hundreds praised them, but no one
preached them! (Loud cheers.) Sir, this is the justifica-
tion of the Wesleyan Methodists ;—(hear,)--that, in point of
fact, if they had preached a better Gospel than they did,
there would have been no call fora protest. (Hear, hear.) I
am not afraid to say so, though it may be called calumniating
my brethren. (Hear, hear, hear.) I love them, I love
the Church well, I love her articles well; but I may not
doubt the blindness that was in her, and which called for
a protest. (Hear.) Now, sir, upon another point, allow
me to illustrate this a little. The principles of the Esta-
blished Church, with regard to the state of the heathen, are
very strong ; so they are with regard to. the state of the
Jews. The 18th article declares, they are to be had ac-
cursed who say—who presume to say—that man may be
saved by any sect, or by any law of nature, provided he
takes care to frame his life accordingly. They are to be bad
accursed who say so ; and the reason assigned is, " Holy
Scripture does say that there is only one name, Jesus Christ,
whereby we must be saved." Our Established Church does
not indeed say much about the poor Jews; but what it does
say is in the form of a prayer for them that they may be
saved, that hardness of heart and contempt of God's word
and commandment may be taken from them, and they may .
be brought back to the remnant of the true Israel, to be
saved in one fold under one shepherd. Here then it is
involved distinctly in the principles of our Established
Church, that the heathens and the Jews are in a lost and
undone condition. (Hear, hear.) Now, sir, I say that
if the practise of our Established Church had been con-
sistent with her principles, if she had acted towards
the heathen as men ought to do who sign that article,
if she acted towards the Jews as men ought who use that
prayer, she would have been a Missionary Society, she would
have been a Jews' Society, and there would have been no
occasion for the Church Missionary Society in the midst of
her, or for the Jews' Society in the midst of her. (Hear.)
But this did not take place : our church held these princi-
ples, but did not act upon them ; she held that article, but
did nothing for the heathen; she used that prayer, but did
nothing for the Jews. ( Hear, hear, hear.) Oh, it is a so-
lemn charge, and I am glad to see you feel its solemnity.
Was there not a cause for a Church Missionary Society ?
Was there not a cause for a Jews' Society? (Hear, hear.)
Was that an unfriendly movement? Was the Church Mis-
sionary Society an unkind association ? No : it was a re-
membrancer of the church's duty ; it was an advocate for
her sound principles ; a protest againstsher inconsistent prac-
tice. (Hear.) The same may be said of the Jews' Society.
(Hear.) Those societies began, they moved, within the bo-•
soin of the church. The attention of a few persons were
called to the subject; they felt for the heathen, and they in-
stituted
themselves an association to help them. The heads
of the church did not join ; the prudent people did not join ;
the large class of discreet people did not join at first. They
said, " Oh, this is going too far." Some said, "It is an
improbable thing to suppose that the heathen are in a lost
state." Some, who had signed that article, nevertheless be-
gan to feel and say, " Surely men may be saved in any state
provided they are sincere"—men who had sworn to that ar-
ticle, and who cried out, " Our glorious church," " our
homilies," and " our prayer book ;"—but th did no-
thing. (Hear, hear, and cheers.' The Jews Society
moved as the Church Missionary Society had moved :
they moved by degrees at first; they moved steadily;
they got information shout the state of the Jews, about the
state of the heathen, and about the fearful doings of heathen-
ism. They were not accounted enemies to the heathen for
doing so •, they were not accounted in an angry spirit against
the heathen because they did so. Some of them brought
home heathen idols, and exhibited them upon the platforms,
in order to excite indignation against idolatry, and to create
sympathy for the poor idolaters. This was accomplished,
and many joined them. It was the same with regard to the
Jews' Society. And what has been the issue ? The issue in
these two cases has been very delightful. They sounded an
alarm ; they sheaved the inconsistency of conduct that had
been going on, they called attention to it successfully, and
when they had done so they did not subside back into the
apathy of the church, but they persevered till they had turned
up the church to the character of themselves, till they had
made the church a Church Missionary Society, and the
church a Jews' Society. (Loud cheers.) Our prelates have
now joined those societies. (Hear.) The Archbishop of
Canterbury and the Bishop of London have become their
patrons; and it was well to see the dignity, the graceful dig-
nity. the unaffected good feeling with which our venerated
prelates have joined those long despised societies. It does
them honour (cheers) ; it shews they arc above petty jea-
lousy, and can acknowledge the fault of past neglect ; they
are above all this kind of feeling ; and their conduct fills the
bosom of every Christian patriot with joy and gratitude un-
feigned. (Hear.) Well; so much for heathenism and for
judaism now we come to Romanism. The church was as
neglectful of her principles upon the subject of Roman-
ism, as she had been upon the subject of heathenism and
Judaism. Sir, her principles upon this point are stronger
than they are upon the others, they are more pointed'
more undeniable. " Our church !" remember, " cm.l
great Diana"—l do not say that in despite or ridi-
cule, I say it honestly as the readiest phrase that occurs—
" our church" declares concerning Romanism that its doe-
trines are " blasphemous fables and dangerous deceits."
She declares concerning the practise of Romanism in the
mass that it is " idolatry to be abhorred of all faithful Chris-
tians." What, does our church" use such language as
this ? what " our church ?" Do you not love the articles ?
Oh, by all means, and the Homilies too. Listen, listen,
listen, then to what they say. (Cheers.) Now if the church
required upon the subject of heathenism, and if it required
a remembrancer upon the subject of Judaism, did she not,
nay, does she not, require a remembrances upon the subject
of Romanism? (Loud cheers.) Let any liberal in the
kingdom answer that. (Cheers.) I have said it in a tone
and in an attitude of defiance, and I maintain it. (Renewed
cheers.) I will tell you what our opponents will say; the
only plausible attempt to get rid of this difficulty will be
this—" that heathenism is certainly destructive to men's
souls—that we must admit, and that Judaism is so also ; but
as for Romanism it is not destructive to men's souls, and,
therefore, there is no occasion to adopt the same measures
with regard to it that we did with regard to the others—
consequently, the analogy and the argument fails." Now,
sir, is Romanism not deltructive to the souls of men ? (Loud
cries of " Yes, yes.")

„
A FEMALE VOICE.-1 say, no. (Much laughter.)
ANOTHER VOICE.—Go on, sir it's only a woman. (Re-
newed laughter.)

_ .
Mr. 111`NEILE.—I admit the supposition either way, as
there seems to be a difference of opinion there. (Cheers.)
If it be not destructive to the souls of men, then, sir, I plead
that our articles should be altered, that we should not be any
longer required to subscribe them as if it were so destructive
(hear,)—and if it be destructive to the souls of men, then I
plead that our practise should be mended, that we should be
no longer required to act as if it were not destructive.
(Cheers.) What is it to act as if it were not destructive ? Why,
it holds out to you that the Roman Catholic is in as fair a
way to salvation as the Protestant : it holds out that men
who in defiance to God's word bow down to images,—I will
not quibble about worshippiug—
A VOICE.--1 deny it.

. _
Mr. M'NEILE.—It pleased God to prohibit the outward
act of bowing down, concerning which their can be no mis-
take, for the words are—" thou shalt not worship nor bow
down." They cannot deny this, and they know they can-
not. (Cheers.) I had an opportunity of seeing all this
verified within the last few months, in the south- weskof
Ireland, on going into the Roman Catholic chapels there.
Unknown, and a stranger that I was, I witnessed poor
ignorant devotees upon their knees, many of them bare
knees, upon the e xi-them floors of the chapels, with scarcely
an exception, pointing towards the picture of the Virgin
Mary. (Hear.) It would have been bad enough to point
towards the crucifix, for we abjure the image of any thing,
but even with two objects before them, one representing the
Saviour, and the other his mother, I observed them con-
tinually bowing down to the mother. (Hear.) To say that
men who do this, and men who tremble at the wrath of God,
and will not bow down to any image, nor worship it at all, may
equally be the children of God—this is to treat them alike;
this is to act inconsistently with our own profession. (Ap-
plause.) Now, Mr. Chairman, the only men consistent with
the articles are those who go with us, and the only men con-
sistent with the practice are the Puseyites, who want to make
it appear that we should not go against Rome, but that mat-
ters might be settled. (Hear.) An attempt has been made
to spew that the Thirty-nine Articles may be signed without
repudiating the Council of Trent. I say that the writers of
those tracts are the only really consistent men with the prac-
tice of the present day, and the only men bold enough to
avow it ; while thousands who repudiate their books are
acting upon their principles. (Hear, hear.) I therefore ask
every man who holds the true principles of the Church of
England, and who praises our established church-1 ask them
to come forward and act upon her principles. (Applause.)
Why will you praise the articles of our church, which you
believe to be the truth, and yet neglect to act upon them ?
Do you prefer the reputation of prudence, of judgment, dis-
cretion, and gentility, and therefore forsake the bold, faith-
ful, honest protest of our reformers, in support of which they
died, and in defence of which we live ? (Cheers.) This is
an answer to the question, What are Protestant Associations
for? They are for rousing the slumbering church, for mak-
ing her stand to her tackle. (Hear.) is she not roused?
It is very hard to awaken her ; but she has lately been awoke,
and she is now putting forth her strength. She has put out
her arm against heathenism, and there's vigour in it; she
has also put forth her arm against judaism, and there's vigour
in it; episcopal vigour is in them both. (Hear.) The arm
against Romanism inside of her is a little one yet, but me-
thinks it is a strong one. (Hear.) Aye, it is a strong one,
and it will gather strength. If I do not mistake much, if
properly conducted now—if there is no flippant excuse for
calling this a political movement—if the latourers in our
church see to her documents—if the movement of church ex-
tension shall not be an outward movement only, but a move-
ment to extend her articles as well as to multiply buildings, we
shall have a strong protest against Romanism. (Loud cheers.)
lam thankful for, and I hail the specimens of that here. We
have a Church Building Society in Liverpool ; and we have,
in the course of last year, made three appointments to
churches under that society, and two out of the three have
stood upon the platform to-day, joining us in our protest.
(Load applause.) I might content myself with this sort of
argument to conclude this address now, but I want to try to
answer another question of those which 1 told you were put
to me by letter, and that because I am sure some of our
friends have been watching to hear what we have to say about
It. It is asked, "Have you confidence in the present go-