The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1844-01-30 00:00:00

GREAT PROTESTANT DEMONSTRATION.

Last evening, a public meeting of the Protestants of
Liverpool was held In the Commercial-hall, Gloucester-
street, to receive the Rev. T. D. Gregg, from Dublin,
and several deputations of loyal Orangemen from other
towns. The large room, capable of accommodating up..
wards of 2500 persons, was cramed almost to suffocation ;
and amongst those on the platform we observed the Rev.
W. Irvine, Rev. S. Cragg, Rev. S. Fenton, R. Harbord,
Esq., J. Parker, Esq., T. Inman, Esq., G. Clay, Esq.,
Dr. Taylor, Slaiter, deputation ; Dr. Gouthwaite,
Jackson, Esq., Ball, A. By ford, J. Payne,— Watharn,
E. D. Tuton, H. Bentley, S. Wilson, J. Harrison, W.
Wagstaff, Capt. Easton, and J. Wilkinson.
The room was very tastefully decorated with orange
and purple, and a sort of canopy formed over the platform.
Immediately in front of the chairman the Bible and crown
was placed, and behind it, in varigated gaslights, the
letters V. R. On the rev. gentleman appearing in the
room he was received with loud and long-continued ap-
plause and the Kentish fire.
Shortly after half-past six o'clock, Mr. Councillor Har-
board took the chair, and on doing so requested the meet-
ing to be as orderly as they conveniently could, considering
the crowded state of the room.
The Rev. W. IRVINE was then called upon, and he
offered up a suitable prayer.
Mr. Councillor PARKER then rose to propose the first
resolution, and was received with very loud demonstrations
of applause. He had been requested to move the resolu-
tion he held in his hands, and he had great pleasure in
doing so. It began as every resolution ought to be which
was connected with Protestantism, namely, that the prin-
ciples of the Established Church, if fully carried out,
would remove the evils the community now labours under.
This should be the basis of all their actions. It was a
glorious sight for both him and them to see such a meeting
of sound and loyal Protestants, because they had lately
seen the town, from ward to ward, deluged with the
minions of the Anti-Corn-Law League; but a few such
assemblages as these would show such enemies of the
church that their efforts would be unavailing. It was
true their cry was cheap bread, but they cared little about
the poor—they sympathised little with those who were in
distress; their language was "down with the church."
(hear, hear.) But it would soon be seen that the opera-
tions of the whole community were truly Protestant. lie
congratulated them on having now established in the
schools of the town a sound Scriptural education ; nod he
trusted, having n9,.v obtained that, they wuuld not relax

in their efforts until the system which excluded the Bible
from the scnools was banished from Ireland also.
(Cheers.) The worthy councillor concluded by moving
the following resolution z—That the principles of the
Established Church, if fully carried out, would be a com-
plete remedy for all the evils which at present afflict the
community.
Mr. BENTLEY seconded the motion.
The Rev. T. D. GREGG then rose to address the meet-
ing-, and was received with loud cheers which continued
tor some time; when silence was restored, he said, he
felt ainazinely astonished, and he might say delighted, at
that magnificent assembly, and he felt it to be a very high
honour and a great privilege to be allowed to address
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sister country—standing as he did to the Protestants of
Dublin, he might say to the Protestants of Ireland, and
enjoying as he did the entire confidence of the whole of
the industrious classes of the Irish Protestants, and, he
trusted he might say, of the best of all classes, it would
grieve him very much indeed to see that there were any
difference between the operative Protestants of Liverpool,
and the operative Protestants of Dublin. He did not
know whether the gentlemen on the platform would allow
the letter he held in his band to be read, which was con-
tained in a paper he had that morning received—indeed
he had been requested not to notice the subject—but he
could not consent to that. He was always for doing
things opon and above board, and therefore he should
like the public to know the grouuds on which that letter
was written, in order to ascertain whether they were well
founded, or as he believed them to be rotten. He en-
joyed the confidence of the Protestant operatives of Dub-
lin, the confidence of the Protestants of all Ireland, and
he did say that any insult or slight offered to him would
be regarded as nothing else than an insult or a slight to
the whole Protestants of Ireland. (Loud cheers.) The
The Rsv. gentleman then read the advertisement from
the Mail of last Saturday, signed by three members of
the Operative Protestant Association, repudiating any
connection with inviting the Rev. gentleman to Liverpool.
de did trust if there were any grounds for that letter,
that they would be plainly stated. He considered it a
letter calculated to give exceeding satisfaction to the pa-
pist party in Liverpool, and he could not avoid again say-
ing that if there were any ground for it, it should be
openly. plainly, and distinctly stated. It stated that they
had nothing to do with the getting up of the meeting by
Mr. Gregg's friends. Why all he could say was that if
those were his friends he was very proud of them,—
(checrs,)—and if the Protestant Operative Association
of Liverpool would set their hands and seals to that let-
ter. and repudiate all connection with him, he should
think much less of them than he had been in the habit of
doing. As for him his individual feelings had been before
the world as clear as noon day. He had been maintaining
the Protestant cause in Ireland, and with so much effect,
I that, notwithstanding the discouragements of the times,
notwithstanding the spirit of compromise which was mani-
a tested in places.—notwithstandingthe vast power which was
thrown into the hands of the Roman Catholic community,
he believed, and it was very generally believed, that the
spirit of Protestantism was never so strong, never so ener-
getic, and never produced so many practical proofs of it
in Ireland as at this moment. (Loud cheers). He was
aware that in Ireland a very considerable number were
disposed to stand aloof from their proceedings, and the
reason was because they were disposed to place entire and
unlimited confidence to those at present in power, and he
plainly and decidedly stated that the party with which he
was connected, and he himself, were not prepared to do
any such thing. He found they had been established in Ire-
land, by the Whigs when in power, a system of education
constructed with the express view of giving full play to the
teaching of Popery. The intention of the national system
of education was just that. The system which existed
previously was decidedly Scriptural. All the children who
came to the schools were obliged to read the Bible, with-
out notes or comment. God had promised to be with his
Word, and the effect was that the reading of the Bible
lessened the faith of the people in the dogmas of Popery.
The most cursory view of it shewed that Popery was con-
demned, and exhibited the necessity of relying solely on
the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation. The priests saw this.
They opposed the system and were 'determined to have
everything withdrawn which should lead from Popish er-
ror. A system was therefore introduced by the Whigs
which excluded the Bible,—that was condemned by Sir
Robert Peel and his party, and yet nevertheless that sys-
tem was now fastened upon the mind of Ireland with the
support of their approbation. They had also continued
the grant to Maynooth, but that he did not so much com-
plain of,—every party had been committed with that, and
these must be a stronger manifestation of public feeling
before it could be done away with. They had done that
and they had studiously avoided committing themselves
to anything like Protestant principles. It was therefore
they stood upon principles irrespective of the Ministry•
They stood upon the Word of God,—they made that the
basis of their proceedings. He knew there were many
well-instructed men who refrained from opposing them on
the ground that it would be embarrassing the Ministry.
But he said that if all conformed to their views it would
really relieve Sir Robert Peel from embarrassment ; if
there was a stranger manifestation of public feeling in
favour of Protestantism it would enable Sir Robert Peel
to appeal to the people, and to fall back on complete Pro-
testant measures. The Rev. Gentleman again referred to
the letter, and said if he considered it necessary he should,
at the next great Protestant Operative Meeting in Liver-
pool put it to the test, invited or not, whether they would
repudiate him. After showing that it would have the
effect of playing the game of the Papists and Radicals he
apologized for occupying so much of their time on a sub-
ject purely personal to himself, and proceeded to more
general topics. He said the resolution conveyed the
most important proposition in the world,—it set out by
stating that the principles of the Established Church,
if fully carried out were a remedy for all the evils
which now afflet the community. He entreated them for
God's sake, to fix their attention on that general senti-
ment, to examine into it, till they found it was well
pounded to powder upon its vast importance. The prin-
ciple of the Established Church if justly carried out
would remove all the evils of the community, and no
doubt they would. The principles of the Established
Church were the principles of the Bible, and what were
those principles—they were—" Thou shalt love the Lord
thy God with all thy heart, with all thy soul, andwithhat
but a disregard of this latter part of the . precept
thy strength, and thy neighbour as thyself." -
Now
e what
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all the evils which now africt the
d community.
talen ied Mr. ask those who had heard the able an
Fer-
rand depict the miseries resulting from the New Poor
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Take
dlkaewexpisassed in the reign of Queen Elizabeth,
simply contemplated the relief of the poor. It found the
individual poor and in distress and it declared his poverty
ought to be relieved without being accompanied by any
imprisonment, insult, and disparagement. The New
Poor Law acted upon the principle that poverty was a
crime, that the individual had no right to relieve at all—
that he must come as a petitioner to the Poor House, that
he should be stripped of his apparel, arrayed in a prison
dress, senerated from his wife and children and impri-
soned. In fact he must not be treated as a human
being possessed of proper feelings, but treated as a horse.
or a mule, or a cow, just afforded shelter and food, and
that was all he ought to have. What did that arise from
but the not loving our neighbour as ourselves. Again,
take the case of the factory children, and in that case a
great deal of misery had been shown by Richd. Oastler
and Mr. Ferrand, arising out of a great deal of covetous-
ness, and did not the principles of the Church of England
condemn all such covetousness. Did it not inculcate the
rule that a man was not only to consult his own but also
another's welfare. Hence they would perceive that if the
principles of the Established Church were carried out,
they would remedy the evils under which the community
now labour. In the articles of the liturgy, and the homi-
lies of the Church were to be found the true interpreta-
tion of the Scriptures. There the principle was incul-
cated that the poor were entitled to proper consideration,
and the charge was so stringent that Richard Oastler,
when arguing against the cruelty and rapacity of the
times had not to go to one single testimony beyond the
authority of the Church, and he boldly flung in the face of
the ministry the declaration that in neglecting the care of
the poor they were violating the principles of that Church
to which they had sworn adherence. He had dwelt upon
the practical precepts of the Church. but, oh, let him
dwell upon the grand and fundamental principles of that
Church. What placed it as the most beautiful in the
world ? What made it the glory of Mount Zion? It was
this ; it made Jesus Christ the beginning and the end of
all its ordinances; on him it builds every precept, on his
atonement it rests every hope, and it places faith in him
as the grand panacea for every evil. But there was
another feature in the character of our church which he
thought it important on that occasion to dwell ;—it was
that of its being united with the state, and in that union
its greatest usefulness consisted. He asked if the church
were separated from the state, what hold would they have
upon statesmen for any single measure they adopted ?
If it were separated from the state, instead of appealing
to its ordinances, or the Bible, on such questions as the
new poor law, they would refer them to a M'Culloch or
a Malthus, who would argue the very brain out of their
heads, and bandy syllogisms and sophistry until they did
not know whether they stood on their heads or their
heels. (Cheers, and laughter.) Then, when they told
him they did not understand his syllogisms and his
sophistry, but they appealed to the Scriptures, they would
be answered by the observation—" Oh ! that is all done
away with ; we have philosophy now for our guide."
But consider the chuch as connected with the state, and
carrying out these principles which the Word of God
taught, and see what the result would be. Look at the
constitution of the church. It was episcopal. Its bishops
had the control of the whole clergy, and the clergy could
direct, or move, to a great extent, the whole people. It
had been a favourite topic with him (Mr. Gregg) to ad-
vocate the amasing benefits which would come upon the
community by the full and perfect operation of the
Established Church ; but there were reformers springing
up, with their plans of reform, for the evils under which
the community labours, but in most of them, such as
classesvote b
possessed,
ballot, e thed,and
extension of the suffrage, &c., they
would have the higher classes arrayed against them, and
they never could succeed with the influence the higher
justly, against them. (Cheers.)
This object, however, and the object of those who
acted with him was to revive the old tory party—that party
which based its principles on the articles, the liturgy, the
homilies, and the bible. (Cheers.) if they joined this
party, they might depend upon it, instead of having the
higher classes against them and closing their pockets,
they would find the contrary to be the case. They should
think that chimerical, for, if they looked at the Old
Testament history, they would find many instances of en-
couragement in the influence which the righteous kings of
Israel exercised. lie beseeched them then to stand for