private persons avow or disavow it, it is a fixed maxim of the Church' of Rome. But so long as it is so, nothing can be more plain, than that the members of that church can give no reasonable security to any government of their allegiance or peaceable behaviour." "You

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may say, Nay, but they will take the oath of allegiance ;' true, five hundred oaths; but the maxim no faith is to be kept with heretics,' sweeps them all away as a spider's web." These sentiments he (Mr. Prest) adopted. (Cheers.) He hoped that all present were ready to testify for the faith that was in them; if not, they would be traitors to their Saviour, traitors to all that was dear to their hearts, if they were not ready on all occasions to come forward, and, by all means in their power, raise their testimony against the mother of harlots-the Church of Rome.

The Motion was then put, and carried unanimously.

The CHAIRMAN said, the Factory Bill was under discussion in the House of Commons, and a vote might be of much use in rendering it safe. He was, therefore, anxious to be in his place, and, with their permission, would then take his leave. His friend, Sir Digby Mackworth, had kindly consented to succeed him in the chair.

JAMES BATEMAN, Esq., of Congleton, had been intrusted with the second Resolution, which he proposed with much pleasure, because he agreed in all it contained. It ran thus:- "That this Meeting desire to record their unanimous and determined protest against the Act passed last year for the permanent endowment of the Roman Catholic College of Maynooth. That such a measure is inconsistent with the principles of sound policy, and with the Protestant constitution of the country. And, whilst it is the bounden duty of good and faithful subjects to obey the powers that be, this Meeting feel it also to be their duty to protest against the endowment of what they believe to be alike opposed to Divine truth, and to the best interests of nations. That, regarding it as alike inconsistent and unscriptural, to protest against Popery as contrary to God's word, and, at the same time, to endow it, and train up missionaries for the purpose of teaching the errors and iniquities of that system, this Meeting feel called upon to adopt the following Petition to the Houses of Parliament, for the Repeal of the Act for the Endowment of Maynooth."-The Bill endowing Maynooth was both impolitic and impious, and had been the cause of God's wrath being poured out upon the land. In the May and June of last year, the Premier paid no attention to the prayers of his friends, and of those who had placed him in power. He passed that Bill, and in a few months, how changed was his position! how had the mighty fallen! In January he appeared in the House of Commons, and attributed the breaking up of a strong Ministry, not to the desertion of friends, but to the mysterious visitation of Providence, which threatened the destruction of the food of the people of a neighbouring country. Although the Right Hon. Gentleman was at a loss to connect that visitation of Providence with the endowment of error in unhappy Ireland, those who were there present could be at none. They would all well remember the great metamorphosis which Sir R. Peel underwent in 1829, when from being an earnest advocate in the Protestant cause, he became an advocate for the emancipa

tion of the Roman Catholics. In a year after that event, he was driven from office. Again, when during the reign of his late Majesty, he held the reins of power with an unsteady hand, the providence of God was seen in the majority which hurled him from power; that majority was thirty-two-just the number of Roman Catholics who had gained admission into the House under his Bill of 1829. The people believing that the leaven of Popery must be pretty well taken out of him, again trusted him; but again he had violated his Protestant principles, and when he fell a third time, he would fall, like Lucifer, "to rise no more."

The Rev. W. M'ILWAINE, of Belfast, seconded the Resolution. Had he been been called upon at an earlier period of the day, he intended to have addressed the Meeting at some length, but Mr. Stowell had stolen his speech. He would, therefore, only say, that if Englishmen felt aggrieved at and protested against the endowment of the great mass manufactory of Maynooth, how much must he feel at it, as an Irishman. In that College the students invariably put in a "not" when they took the oath of allegiance, and even when it came to the ears of the Dean, he did not reprove them. He was also informed that in place of the daily prayer for the Queen "Domine salvum fac Reginam," they were in the habit of saying, "Domine salvum whack Reginam." (A laugh.) The Resolution was then passed.

The Dean of ARDAGH then moved::-"That the efforts made by the Roman Catholics to regain in this country their long-lost ascendancy; are a just ground for inquiry and alarm. That the danger with which the Institutions of the country seem to be threatened are greatly increased, because those who might have been regarded as their protectors have been lending their aid to destroy the bulwarks of the Constitution, which ought to have been upheld and strengthened. That the alteration proposed in the Mortmain Laws, the Act and Oath of Supremacy, and the protective provisions of 1829, as also the innovations proposed by the Charitable Trusts Bill, will expose this country more and more to the aggressions of the Church of Rome; and that, as every Roman Catholic nation of Europe has found it necessary to provide laws and regulations to protect them from the interference of Rome, so is it, in a more especial manner, necessary that the enactments framed by the dear-bought wisdom of our ancestors, be not removed or altered till a full inquiry has taken place before Parliament, as to the real nature and tendency of the principles of the Church of Rome, and how far her principles and practices are compatible with the safety and prosperity of this Protestant country," and supported it in a speech, which we are sorry the limit of our periodical prevents us from giving.*

It was seconded by the Rev. E. DALTON, and passed unanimously. Thanks were then voted to the Chairman; and they having been acknowledged, and praise given to God, the Meeting separated.

We hope to have the privilege of publishing in our next Number, a corrected copy of the Rev. Dean's speech.

VOL. VIII.-June, 1846.

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New Series, Ne. 6.

PROTECTIVE MEASURES AGAINST POPERY.

THE following remarks have recently appeared from the pen of a clerical friend, who has long laboured in the good cause:

There are some points which connect themselves with the contemplated advance of the interests of the Church of Rome in Ireland of no slight importance, but which, nevertheless, seem almost entirely to have escaped the notice of those who have spoken or written on the subject, or, at least, not to have been placed in the prominent position they deserve. If circumstances are now such, that the advocates of Rome can come forward and deny, with a chance of being believed by persons ignorant of her policy and of history, that the Church of Rome is actuated by the spirit which dictated her persecuting decrees-nay, further, can even venture to contend that some of her most persecuting decrees were never passed by the authorities whose names they bear— if, in the present day, men can be found to advocate her interests, simply on the ground that they cannot believe that any Church does, or ever did, teach as a fundamental doctrine, that to persecute those who differed in matters of faith is a religious duty-to what is all this owing? It is owing to the fact that Protestant ascendancy has tied for 300 years the hands of Rome-that Protestant principles allow no such doctrines, and therefore sanction no such deeds! The mild rule of Protestantism has caused these things to seem as the fables of by-gone times; and, for this reason, Rome, who poured forth the blood of martyrs like water, can come forward and point to those very laws which fettered the spirit of persecution,-those very laws to which, under God, we owe the privilege of worshipping God according to our conscience-those safeguards of truth and liberty which the wisdom of our forefathers established—can point to these, and apply to them the term "persecuting." They call upon us to shew that the blessing, which God vouchsafed to the wisdom and piety of those firm champions of the truth, is no longer valued, and tell us, that we should cast to the winds the means by which that blessing was secured and preserved. Some have said that these laws should be removed from our statute book, because circumstances have rendered them inoperative. If such really be the case, why e'en let them stand-they can hurt nobody. If they are not inoperative, or (as, no doubt, the advocates for their repeal forsee, or, at least, hope,) circumstances are about to arise which will call them into operation, then are they as necessary now as when they were first placed on the statute book. Strange to say, that the very argument-if argument it may be called-which is urged for the removal of our mild and protective restrictions, is the one brought forward as a reason for retaining the persecuting statutes of

Rome! The circumstances, forsooth, do not now exist" which gave the law of Lateran its force,-Fas est et ab hoste doceri." The proposal to abrogate the Oath of Supremacy reminds one of the vehemence with which the advocates of Rome continually assail the character of Henry VIII.-"far be it from any true Protestant to defend his cruelty or his licentiousness;" but we may ask, are these the grounds of Romish hostility? History will tell us that Rome can pardon these things. Whence, then, her hostility ?-Simply because he broke her sceptre by denying the Pope's supremacy in England; but especially because in his reign access was given to the Scriptures, and men began to judge for themselves, and to learn to "give a reason for the hope that was in them,"-a fatal blow to Romish tyranny and Romish corruption. Another argument, so to speak, which is put forward is, that the number professing the faith of Rome is now so great that our restrictive laws ought to be abolished. A wise argument, doubtless, why a garrison should open its gates and demolish its defences, because the enemy, so long awed into inaction by the attitude of the garrison and the strength of its defences, is more powerful and numerous than heretofore! The wise man said-" Surely the net is spread in vain in the sight of any bird."

WONDERFULLY CHANGEABLE TIMES!

TRUE, these are changeable times; but while man--the Pope included -is fallible, it is not to be wondered at that great and strange changes should take place. Man is fond of novelty, though the variation only consists in jumping "from the pan into the fire," notwithstanding he may have experienced the horrors of the flame. Judging from the speeches of certain "Honourable" Members of the Parliament, we might suppose them in possession of the secrets of the "Fire King," consequently have not the fear of the devouring element which less favoured people have.

Some changes there are of a nature to make angels rejoice; others there are which are calculated to make even the hard heart of man feel pity, and grieve those who love their God, their Queen, their country. It is a joyful sight to see a dear friend forsaking a course of commandment breaking, and turning to the paths of obedience to God, and faith and love, through his Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ; to reverse the case is distressing. To see a subject turned from rebellion, to be a good and loyal subject, faithful to his country's welfare, is truly pleasing; but to see a man, once devoting himself to protect his native land from wily enemies, fall from his high station, and sneak away to those enemies, is sad. It is gratifying to see an increasing desire among the people for the better observance of the Sabbath; would that such a desire was manifested by those in authority.

Instead of such a desire, do we not see them actively and passively pour contempt on God's holy day. Were there no other signs to indicate a tendency towards Rome, the casting aside of one of the distinguishing marks of the true Protestant—the strict observance of the Lord's-day-would be strong evidence of a predisposition on the part of our legislators, to roam from the good old paths of truth, and speed on to Rome. We sometimes hear said, “When at Rome, do as Rome does;" perhaps such may be the instructions given to the representatives of this Protestant country, when sent to where Romanism prevails. It would be joyful, indeed, to see a change come over those who send them; but it is to be feared that it may be said of them, in reference to the Fourth Commandment, "They obeyed not, neither inclined their ear; but made their neck stiff, that they might not hear nor receive instruction." This may also be said of them respecting the dangers to be apprehended from Popery. They heed not the constitution; Parliamentary records, history, petitions, and the faithful warnings of a small band of brother legislators, fail to impress upon them the necessity of supporting the Protestant constitution—of preserving it inviolate. The declaration of Protestants, that they desire that all men should freely follow the dictates of conscience in things relating to religion, is set at nought. Romishly inclined members harp on against the “rubbish” of the statute-book, the bigotry of the faithful representative and represented. The mere fact of their so doing would not be of any consequence, if they were not placed in a situation which gives them the power to do mischief. They seem not to understand the ground on which true Protestants oppose Popery. It is not the abstract religion of a body of men that is desired to be restrained by laws, but the desire is that no State recognition and support should be given to a system of idolatry, believing idolatry to be abominable in the sight of the Lord, and will call down his wrath, against which none can stand,—whether that wrath be directed “against a nation or against a man only." As a secondary consideration, every patriot must look upon those persons who take an oath of allegiance to the Pope, the infallible enemy of all heretical Protestant sovereigns and people, as persons against whom he must be on his guard, as in the case of all other promoters of insurrection.

Protestants, your petitions in support of the constitution have been disregarded, what else could you expect from a Ministry under delusion, one of whose representatives is of opinion, that the Indian tribes of Canada should be instructed by the Jesuits at the expense of the province, (see "Continental Echo," Feb. 1846,) he says, "It appears to me that the only practical mode of bringing them to entire civilization is by means of their religious instructors; and I see no religious body so able to carry on that philanthropic undertaking, as the Jesuits, who