But

and then we should understand plainly what it is they desire. (Hear.) Lord Arundel speaks like a man who believes Popery to be from God. I fully believe it to be from Satan, and there can be no communion between light and darkness; we must go on confessing our faith till the Lord shall give the victory to truth. But, then, a liberal Pope has been sent among us. I fully agree with my dear friend, Sir Culling Eardley Smith, that this is the greatest practical humbug which Europe has ever experienced. It seems like nothing more than this, that the Pope is patting the great beast of the Revelation on the neck until he gets upon his back, and then he will ride him to some purpose. we are not to be so tricked; we are not to allow ourselves to be so bamboozled by this pretension of a liberal Pope. Let us never forget our great Saviour's admonition, "Beware of false prophets which come unto you in sheep's clothing." (Hear, hear.) Nothing can look more gentle, more winning, more mild, more attractive, more delightful than the present aspect of Popery. I was in the cathedral of Nottingham on Monday morning, where I saw the people at mass; and I was grieved to find, I am justified in saying, there were at least 250 worshippers there. About the altar, gorgeously dressed, was a priest. I stayed there about ten minutes, and I am sure that in that period he bowed at least twenty-five times towards the altar. There were all sorts of show, pictures, very few words, now and then a little note of music, and the people were worshipping in the aisles at a distance, all of them kneeling with a great deal of apparent devotion; and when the crucifix was brought out, with lights burning before it as well as upon the altar, the people were all kneeling as it passed in procession through them. Such delightful and touching forms, such various fascinations of the Romish charmer, are calculated to strike an imaginative mind, and to make them think that there is something excellent, something sublime in such a religion. We need to be guarded against those fascinations of Popery on every side, and I pray God that it may be so. Popery is enthusiastic-we see that in all its present proceedings. Infidelity is also enthusiastic-we see that in its movements, more especially upon the Continent. Now, both Popery and Infidelity must be opposed by zealous, earnest, experienced Protestantism; worldly-minded, and covetous, and pleasure-seeking, and nominal Protestants never could overcome the enchantments of Rome. The divisions and strifes of Protestants can never overcome the formal outside unity of Rome. The mere intelligent approbation of Protestantism, and attainments in science, will never overcome the enthusiasm of a false religion. Mahomedanism overcame all that in the East; Popery, Infidelity, and lawlessness, will overcome mere formal Protestantism in the West. We want real men and real Protestants-warm-hearted, intelligent, zealous scriptural men-men who possess the scriptural enthusiasm of the Apostle Paul, which will enable them to meet all our mighty enemies, and overcome them. (Loud applause.) Then it is needful that we should have more vigorous practical measures. The darkness of our own country on the subject of religion is truly painful. What can be a greater proof of this than that the Government of the country should proclaim in the face of all Europe-by their openly supporting the Maynooth

College, which is instituted for the purpose of teaching the apostasy of Rome that Popery is in their view as much religion as Protestantism, or, that else, like Pilate, they do not know what is truth? We need to be deeper and fuller instructed in the Protestant faith. My entire conviction is, that the British Empire can never be really safe, nor soundly prosperous, while the Romish apostasy is nationally favoured by us, and the political strength of the land is given to Rome. (Loud applause.) Nor can we be extricated from those dangers till the children of God are united, and lend their full efforts, in the first instance, to the removal of all Romish and all vital error. In the second place, we must retrace our steps politically, renouncing all the favour which has been shown to a system that God our Saviour condemns in his Word, and as a nation we must openly confess and maintain his truth as far as our dominions extend. (Applause.) These are the duties before us. Now for another suggestion. All the great Protestant defences which are now lying slumbering in our libraries and on our shelves should be republished in a cheap and accessible form. Why should such a book as Gibson's "Preservatives,” in three folio volumes be so dear and so scarce a book which is one of the valuable and important defences of our cause? Why should Stillingfleet's great work, so valuable as it is, be allowed to lie slumbering in six folio volumes? Why should Millett's "Synopsis Papismi,"-why should all these works be laid aside? Our University of Oxford ought to rise to its true position as a Protestant University in this land, and republish these invaluable defences of our Protestant faith. But, if they should not do so, we ought to have our Societies, like the Parker Society and the excellent Calvin Translation Society, for the republication of these great defences of our Protestant faith. Then the mass of the people need to be instructed yet more and more in these principles. I apprehend that the ministers of all denominations—all who hold Christ as their head-need to instruct their people on those great religious principles on which the Reformation stands. I hope, dear brethren, that we shall more and more feel it to be our duty to bring Protestantism in its Scripture character, as it is brought before us in the Word of God, that we shall bring Protestantism in its essential elements before our congregations. The prophecies regarding Popery are obscure only because they have been left in the dark; they are obscure, not because of the differing opinions of those who have studied them, as because we have laid aside that Divine and Protestant armour which God has provided for us in his word. Till the national mind be enlightened, we can have little hope of full success. But, above all, what I think we most want is real deep sympathy for the Papist himself (applause),-a glowing, earnest love, to make them feel their peculiar condition. We want, with heart and mind, to sound in their ears the warning voice of the fifteenth chapter of the Revelations, "Come out of her, my people, that ye partake not of her sins and of her plagues." Blessed be God that there are some of his people even in the midst of Rome! Oh, for a longing desire to deliver them from the judgments which we see impending over them,—ch, for a longing desire to save them from the perils in which

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we believe, in which, from the Word of God, we know, they will be involved, for an earnest yearning of heart for the spiritual and eternal welfare of the Papists! God grant to us more and more the spirit of learning! I rejoice to hear that there are many young persons a school of boys-with us this morning, those who are just commencing their career of life. Oh, that it may please God so to bless what may be said this day, that they may be as a fresh reserve, to rise up a triumph in this battle,-that they may be enabled, by the strength of God, to gain that triumph of truth which we know must ultimately come! (Applause.)

The Earl of WINCHILSEA seconded the Resolution. He felt the highest gratification at being present at this Meeting, which he had been apprehensive a bad state of health would have prevented him from attending. He could for himself say, that he looked upon the great Protestant principles which this Association was formed to support as the foundation of English greatness and prosperity, not that he estimated her prosperity by mere wealth and power, but by that which was the gem in her national character, her knowledge of the truth. He was happy to see that the warning voice of the Association was raised in a time of national danger, for he believed England had reached a day when her power would totter, unless she retraced her steps. The history of the world, and of what God had done to his own special people, the Jews, might lead them to fear what would fall upon them, if, after all their national blessings, they now cast the truth aside, and placed in its stead that false religion, by casting off which, at the Reformation, the English people became, as he was prepared to prove, God's favoured people. Looking at past proceedings, could any one doubt that the majority of the Members of our Legislature in both Houses were suffering from judicial blindness? (Cheers.) This country had attained great glory under the reign of that great monarch Queen Elizabeth, the founder of sound Protestant principles in England. God was pre-eminently with that Sovereign, on account of the faith she supported and established in the land, while they found in the reigns of the Stuarts, who succeeded her, a very different state of matters. In consequence of Charles I. allying himself with one who was a zealous adherent of the Roman Catholic faith, the unhappy James II. was led to adopt that religion which brought about his expulsion from his throne and country. (Hear.) The house of Brunswick eventually came to the throne, and what was the title by which they occupied that throne ? Protestantism. (Cheers.) This he would ever avow and maintain; and he called upon the people of England to rouse themselves at the next election, and to assert those great principles for themselves, seeing that they had been deserted by their leaders, who had apostatized from the defence of the faith. (Cheers.) A strong effort would be made by the Catholic Church again to obtain pre-eminence, and recover its lost power. For himself he would declare, though the result to him should be the scaffold, that, if the members of the house of Brunswick abjured and deserted Protestantism, he would, in the name of God, declare the throne to be vacant. (Cheers.) The maintenance of the true scriptural faith had brought down on this country great national

blessings, and a departure from that faith would lead to the withdrawal of those blessings. (Hear.) He believed the character of Popery was little known in England; he had seen it in its true colours on the Continent; and in Ireland, he believed, there was such an under-current going on that, if they had an honest and firm Government to give security to persons and property, a great body of the people would abandon that faith and become Protestants. (Cheers.) Could any one doubt that the Catholic Emancipation Act and the Maynooth grant had brought down the judgments of God on the land? They could not suppose that the deplorable state of Ireland would be confined to that country. It was fast approaching our own shores, not merely in the high price of provisions, but in the fever which was spreading among all grades of the people. (Hear.) It was the duty, therefore, of every individual to remove the causes of those sad calamities. Much would depend on the next election. (Cheers.) They had a strong body arrayed against them, for it was not only the powers of Popery they had to resist, but the forces of Infidelity, and Socinianism, and Unitarianism, all banded together for one object, the destruction of true Protestantism. (Cheers.) He thanked the Noble Lord, the descendant of one of the most ancient Roman Catholic families in this country, for the open, manly, and plain declaration he had made as to the object of his Church. (Cheers.) Could any one doubt who knew Popery, that if it once possessed the power, it would do its utmost to effect the total destruction of Protestantism? (Cheers.) He took a most gloomy view of the present aspect of the situation of the country, and he looked not for any human help; but he knew that God was merciful, and if they turned to him, even at the very last hour of hope, they would receive that assistance of which they stood so much in need. (Cheers.)

The Resolution was then put, and unanimously agreed to.

The Rev. C. PREST moved the following Resolution :-"That the members and friends of this Association have felt that Popery, being opposed to the written Word of God, must also be opposed to the best interests of men, whether as nations or individuals. That in the present calamitous condition of Ireland, when her people are enduring à degree of misery almost unparalleled in the history of nations, this Meeting desires to express its deepest sympathy for their suffering brethren, and feels itself under a solemn obligation to declare its conviction that the frightful misery now desolating that country may be traced in part to the principles and policy which the Court and Church of Rome have adopted and acted upon since the Reformation, with the view of making Ireland the means of coercing and enslaving the British empire, and that it should be also regarded as a manifestation of the Divine displeasure for the guilt of the land, and the sinfulness of the nation in endowing the idolatries of the Church of Rome.” He was not inclined to take such a gloomy view of the aspect of affairs as the Noble Earl who preceded him; at the same time he would be very sorry to underrate the difficulties which beset them. There was a wild Liberalism in the present day which was a serious obstacle to the growth of true Protestant principles. True liberality bowed in homage to the Bible, whilst a false liberalism got

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rid of the Bible altogether, and corrupted some men of noble minds but of little experience. (Hear, hear.) There were many specious advocates of Popery in our day, many very clever men, who were well adapted to discharge the task which they had imposed upon themselves. They had been told that all that was said on the part of the Protestant Association, concerning the danger to which they were exposed, was needless, that they were altogether fighting with a shadow. They were told that the force of public opinion was now such that Popery would be utterly unable to exhibit itself in the character of a persecutor again in this country as in the olden times. He would ask, if this were true, to whom were they indebted for such a state of public feeling? Was it Protestantism or Popery that had wrought this change? (Hear, hear.) If it were Protestantism, ought they not to love her with greater affection and strengthen themselves for her support? (Hear, hear.) Mr. Bickersteth had spoken of the liberal character of the Pope. It was true that his Holiness was doing a little in his own dominions that might entitle him to that expression; but whenever he spoke and acted as Pope, he was as strong an instance of bigotry as any of his predecessors. A liberal Pope was a contradiction in terms; a liberal Pope was, in fact, an impossibility. No liberal man could be a good Pope: his very liberality would disqualify him for the office. (Cheers.) The fact was, Popery knew nothing of liberality, though she had made a great pretence of it since it came into fashion; and if any other thing were to get into fashion that could aid her in her purposes, she would adopt it too. It had been very much the fashion to call sincere Protestants bigots. Well, he was a bigot too, and he wanted no more liberality in his constitution as a public man than the liberality of an unflinching adherence to the truth,-no more liberality than that of Luther and the Reformers, and other excellent men like them. (Cheers.) They were not to be frightened at the difficulties which appeared to surround them, for there were many who aggravated the danger in their eyes to prevent their action and deter them from the battle; and those who did that were, for the most part, men who had apostatized from Protestantism, and some other men, not the main actors, but the instruments employed by hidden agents, who would paralyze Protestants in order to carry on their own nefarious schemes. ("Hear, hear," and cheers.) Heavy assaults had been made upon the citadel of Protestantism in this country, but that citadel was not yet decayed. The constitution of the country was yet Protestant, though there were unfaithful men within the citadel. (Cheers.) There were traitors within the walls, and shame rest upon them for their cowardice and dishonesty! (Cheers.) He respected the Noble Earl who spoke so openly in the House of Commons; he respected those who had left the Church and gone to Rome. (Cheers.) He respected their conduct, as having something gentlemanly in it; but he utterly despised the men who, whilst eating the bread of the Protestant Church of the country, and remaining in it, brought by their doctrines and practices, alien to it, reproach on that which was honourable, and introduced weakness into that which ought to be a tower of strength. (Great cheering.) He would say,