The Statesman.
London, England, 1818-01-01 00:00:00

'1

thildreh,
gsf o,Pir 'voyeur —.014.14. steady porsooor.
once—and that enintimidable obedience to she dic-
tates of their consciences, which they nobly die-
- rayed." •
Mr. Fever seconded the motion, and it «as una-
• nimooale agreed to. •
' Mr. J. DAVIC after some prefatory remarks, pro.
prover) the following Resolution* at once, in comp li-
aere ith the request of Mr. Cox, at the instance of
114 e Chairman :—" That whilst this Meeting render
cordial homage to the memory of illostrioes men,
oho were the ornaments of other countries:—they
never can foiget those men of great and kindred
minds, who in their native land, amidst darkness,
obloquy, proscription, and death, proclaimed the
tame great grotto', and by whom equaliriumphs were
obtained ;--and that to the wondrous sod intrepid
Kiwi. in SCottand—to Tyndale, Latimer, and' the
Ils.ly Martyrs and Confessors of the English Church,
they wii-uld thtis rear a monument on which they
would record their veneration and esteem.
" 'dist this Meeting ore exhilirtted by hitelli.
genre, that' doting this Tri.Centenial pat similar
' settrtmenis have been expressed by the Protestants
who 411 hate those German plains where the Rem..
' so happily began—rand learn nith joy, that
apprresimating towards each other with liberal and
' enlightened minds, they are adding -dignity to the
common cause of the Rerormed—and are preparing
its further successes by their augmented union and
well regulated teal."
•' That this Meeting, convinced that the prin.
triples of the Reformation promote bsdividual hap.
piness anti social peace, 'tartars enquiry, sod bless
mankind, ethoit those great nations, who in Europe
end America profess a congenial faith, to cherish
those principles alth en unabated ardour, appro.
paste to their worth—to transmit them with hal-
lowed reverence to their posterity--and to protect
those who also cherish them in other countries from
all persecuting powers ; and that such attention they
now especially invite—when monastic institutions
are restored—when dangerous societies are revived—
.when the circulation of the Holy Scriptures without
note or comment is forbidden--mud when [nevi-
%Wont; are continued, or re-established-, to perpetuate
the empire of delogion—by imprisonment, by tor-
ture, and by death."
• " That, amidst their own sedulity and satisfaction,
this Meeting feel the deepest interilt for those smaller
and less protected communities, who, amidst the vil-
lages of Piedmont, in the kingdom of France, or
throughout the earth, exist in nations generally
hostile to their faith that to them this Meet-
ing would address assurances of the kindliest sym-
pathy end of fraternal love."
" That whilst this Meeting thus celebrate the Re.
formation whose influegce they desire should be co.
estensive with the globe, they seek for that extension
only fry the energy of argument, anti through the
force of ttuth—and towards Roman Catholics they
disclaim all sentiments which Christian charity could
censure, or religiou's freniom would condemn."
The Rev. J. Townseno congratulated the Meet-
ing upon the heart-cheering spectacle before them.—
lle expre,sed the molt decided applohation of that
part of thmitesolution which referred to the state of
our fellow Protestants in other countries. For
those ought not to be forgotten who were suffering
from the Inquisition at Goa, or in Rome, Naples,
Spain, and France. It was to be hoped, that in this
enlightened age, bigotry and 'the spirit of persecu-
tion would have been utterly extinguished, but unfor.
tunately experience mortified our hopes, as was par.
licolsrly'the case with respect to our fellow Pro.
teslants in France—and this exhibited not only the
most signal want of principle, but common gratitude;
for the aid afforded by Protestants to certain people
'and Sovereigns, but especially to the latter, entitled
us to expect a very different system. For who re-
'Motet! Louis XVIII. the Pope, as well as the Kings
of Spain and Naples? There was, it was known, a
congregation of Protestants at Rome, while the Pope
was absent from that city, which, since his restore.
Bon, was prohibited from meeting for public worship,
and such members of that congregation as ventured
'to remain at Rome, were under perpetual appreheu-
'don for their personal safety. This congregation of
our fellow Protestants was, indeed, completely crush.
ed, and such also was the fate of a similar congrega-
tion at Naples. After animadverting, in forcible
terms, upon the great ingratitude and irreligious il-
liberality which such conduct manifested, the Re-
verend Divine reverted to the state of the Pro.
testants in France. So late as the month of
lone last, two Protestants were prosecuted at
cettaiti town in the Soith of France, because
Upon the procession of the Host before their houses,
they did not hold out some tapestry, end mark their
homage for this ceremony. For not bowing, indeed,
to this mammary, those Protestants were actually
fined by a French Court of Law: Was such con-
duct, be would ask, consistent with the obligations
which Louis XVIII. owed to England—to its Pro:
telhat Government sod People? Kay, was it colt.
Attest with common justice, or the pledge of that
Monarch in the Charter which he alined upon his re.
titration to the Throne by the Hero of Waterloo, to
guarantee to Protestints the frpe undisturbed enjoy.
')sent of their religion ? Ha(Mr.T.) hoped that some
means would be taken to prevent a, repetition of loch
Outrages against our Protestant brethren,-and against
the principles of the Reformation. He trusted, indeed,
that a Society would be formed in this country, which
should seek to procure from Cafthilic Goiern-
melts some geartutee that Protestants should enjoy
in their territories the same rights Ind privileges
which were vested in the Catholics of Great Britain.
--(Applause-).— This was a proceeding which he
felt due to the character of our Protestant brethren,'
as well as to the principles of universal justice, and
therefore he earnestly wished for its adoption. The
Rev. Divine concluded with spcondieg the Resolu-
tions, all of which were agreed to unanimously.
The Rev. MATTHEW WiLIIS rose to move the
following :—" That this Meeting cannot but cor-
dially express pre-eminent delight, that his Royal
Highness the Duke of Susses has condeicended to,
preside upon this great occasion ; nor can they hut,
announce their unaffected Joy, that he has thos de-
monstrated that his Royal House renal') firmly at.
filched to the great piinciples established by the Re-
formation, and to that Protestant faith which their
ancestors long sad strenuously maiatained."

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