The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1835-05-22 00:00:00

LETTER' 11.

Haverhohn Priory, May 16, 1835.
Brother Protestants,—ln the. conclusion of the letter which
had the honour of addressing to you yesterday, I maintained
that every legislative enactment which had tended to the ad-
vancement of the protestant religion, as established in this
country, since the period of- the reformation,' had been accom-
panied by a state of great national prosperity ; and cn the con-
trary,.that every public act extending the power and influence
of the church' of Rome in these realms had been marked by
signal national reverses.
Look to the reigns of Mary and the Stuarts, when popery
Wise countenanced in our land—compare them with those of
Elizabeth, Mary and William, Anne, and, of the House of
Brunswick; and even of the Protector Cromwell, who, what-,
'ever vices' marked and stained his public character, was not
'only a consistent and uncompromising opposer of popery, but
boldly extended aid and assistance to the persecuted votes-
'tants in different parts of Europe, • .
let us, however, dwell fora moment" on the glorious and.
ever memorable reign of George 111., the best and most rell-
eriims sovereign who ever swayed the sceptre-of these realms,
who sincerely and justly felt (and 'proved the sincerity 'of his
professions by the noble sacrifice of life and crown which he
wits prepared to have made in their defence,) that the main-
tenance of those sound scriptural tenets and doctrines, which
were taitgbt and itietifcated by the irrhteSta'ar.--church as eotta-
Wished in this country, was the sure.
,and 'certain source of
bringing down upon his people the blessings and protection of
the Almighty.
We shall 'hod that no nation ever had more enemies both as
to 'power and strength to contend against, than England had
during his reign; that no nation was ever more mercifully pre-
served amongst the many dangers which threatened to over-
whelm 'us, which; as far as human judgment could carry us,
' appeared certain in ending in the total overthrow of our na-
tiunal independence; that no nation- ever held so proud a sta-
tion as this country occupied ttt the termination' of that event-
ful and arduops war, in which al•e-had been engaged in defence
of •our altars and religion, against the flood-gates of eitheisni
and infidelity, which had been let loose upon us from infidel
France. Behold, happy and envied. England,
.not only secur-
ing her own liberties hut, proudly_ bestowing from_ the walls of.
Paris liberty and freedom on every country in Europe; by
laeing• piosirate in the dust those revolutio.nary and infidel
principles which had deluged France with, blood and ruin,•and.
which, if they had spread through the civilized .World; would
have swept away every fitundation on which civil and social
.order could have existed.,
Bright as the reign of this illustrious prince was, let us bring
back to our recollection that one most memorable year in it, in
which, in direct vs dence to his .own fer)iugs, through the follyi
and 'madness of 'his people, he' was forced •to admit .into his
councils that body 'of men wh4 were,.thkprofessed friends and
advocates for the extension of poii!icar power to popery in this'
kingdom, by throwing down all those barriers which, by the
foresight and wisdom or our ancestors, had been so judiciously'
and wisely erected to. defepd our civil. and religious institutions•
from falling into the bands of' those who, if they are true to their
faith, must always remain, as they hen ever been,.bent upon
their destruction. 'I hat administration was .juetly called the
adminiitration : it remained in power, only one short
-year—bat what took 'place during those few months? 'Aber
the•most brilliant, triumphs which had. been attending. our arms
b
a sudden reverse took place. and during
their
N ren.itriiy.soei' f snore d orHistrs befel. the British arms,
iethirb short
lrata gdoa
'and more.. diggrao attetided.thein (lookto.our defeats in South
'Am'erica, at the Dardanelles, and in other parts °Ube. world,)
than bad' Stained them during the whole of the Ic'
3,,yiar,in which
we bad been eng'sged. Let us Nth:ivy up this ,ohsaivatiou,- and,
iiacc; thought fairly; iVhaelias taken place lit this cee.ntry since
the repeal of the torpdraliOn and test acts. and the full admis-
sion of papists iiito "the _ extent
citadel of thii empire..
former measure, Carried to the eent it was, have always
maintained, and atilt inlinairi, not only separated our esta-
blished church, b'ut "chriStianity from the state—the latter mea-
' eure.adanitted• thb-se to legislate'far our protestant institutions
who'were bpenly and religieusly:United for their overthrow.
These two most itiamentous, acts openly„prociaimed to the
world; 'in-thelace.'of that Gml who, had 'so mercifully guarded
and Intte'dted'llObat we :Ctinsiggeted It bf, no importance or
value to us whether' those Wll6 .ruled over Us were or were not
his the woesliippers and belieVers. . .
What; then, Is our prese"nt . Situation? Look. to the proud
eminence on which we stood at the termination of our struggle