appointed for the Holy Sacrifice and Sacrament of the Body of CHRIST, is now much more made a Den of Thieves, being made a Den for the Ministers of CALVIN'S breed."-On Mark xi. 17.

"THE PRAYER OF A SCHISMATIC (i. e. PROTESTANT) CANNOT BE HEARD IN HEAVEN."-On John xv. 4 and 7.

"The speeches, preachings, and writings of Heretics (Protestants) are pestiferous, contagious, and creeping like a canker; therefore Christian Men must never hear their Sermons, nor read their Books."-On 2 Tim. ii. 17.

"As the Devil, acknowledging the Son of GOD, was bid to hold his peace; therefore neither Heretics' (Protestants) Sermons must be heard, no, not though they preach the truth. So is it of their Prayers and Services, which being never so good in itself is not acceptable to God out of their mouths: yea, it is no better than the HOWLING OF WOLVES."-On Mark iii. 12.

"A Christian Man is especially bound to burn and deface all Heretical Books; and, therefore, Protestant Bibles, Prayer Books, &c."-On Acts xix. 19.

"THE TRANSLATORS OF THE ENGLISH PROTESTANT BIBLE OUGHT TO BE ABHORRED TO THE DEPTH OF HELL."-On Heb. v. 7.

"Roman Catholics must avoid them (Protestants), because their familiarity is contagious, and noisome to good men: but in matters of Religion, in Praying, reading their Books, hearing their Sermons, presence at their Service, and all other communication with them in Spiritual Things, it is a GREAT DAMNABLE SIN to Ideal with them."-On 2 John 10.

"The GOOD (i. e. the Papists) must tolerate the EVIL (i. e. the Protestants) when it is so strong that it cannot be redressed without danger or disturbance of the whole Church; otherwise, where ill men, be they Heretics or OTHER MALEFACTORS, may be punished or suppressed, without disturbance and hazard of the good, they may, and ought, by Public Authority, either Spiritual or Temporal, to be chastised or EXECUTED."-On Matthew xiii. 29.

"All Heretics, though in the beginning they may appear to have some show of truth, yet in due time their deceits and falsehoods shall be known by all wise men : though for troubling the state of such Commonwealths, where, unluckily, they have been received, they cannot BE SO SUDDENLY EXTIRPATED." On 2 Tim. iii. 9.

THE PROTESTANT CLERGY OF ALL DENOMINATIONS, are further described, in this authorised Popish Bible, as "THIEVES AND MURDERERS."-On John x. 1. They and their flocks, as supporters of the Protestant Heresy, are declared "to be in a Rebellion and Damnable Revolt against the Priests of God's Church; that Rebellion which (they declare) is the bane of our days."-On Heb. xiii. 17. The Papists are commanded by this Bible, their authorised Divine Oracle, to be "zealous and stout against Heretics, of what sort soever, remembering the example of the holy ELIAS, who, in zeal, killed 450 False Prophets."-On Rev. ii. 6, 20. "When Rome puts Heretics to death, and allows their punishment in other Countries, their Blood (the Blood of the Protestants) is not called the Blood of Saints, no more than the blood of Thieves, Man-killers, and other Malefactors (is so called), for the shedding of which, by order of justice, no Commonwealth shall answer."-On Rev. xvii. 6. In another Annotation, the Exclamation of Queen MARY'S Rhemish Priests is sanctioned; viz. "If ST. PAUL appealed to CESAR, not yet christened, how much more may we call for the aid of Christian (meaning Popish) Princes, for the punishment of Heretics ?"- On Acts xxv. 11. Again, "The Protestants resemble UDAS in Apostacy."-On John vi. 69. "To all such the Apostle giveth the Curse, and telleth them that the Storm of Darkness and Eternal Damnation is provided for them."-On Jude 11.

For these abominable doctrines, from which every crime of the Romish Church might be justified; there is not even the excuse of antiquity; the Popish Bible, with the preceding Notes, was published in the year 1816, and has probably passed through many Editions since that period. In the Dublin Correspondent" this Bible was advertised as publishing in Numbers, at Cork, with infallible Notes, under the sanction of Dr. TROY, the President of Maynooth College, and other Popish Prelates.

LIVERPOOL PROTESTANT OPERATIVE ASSOCIATION.

Liverpool, 14th May, 1839.

To the Editor of the Protestant Magazine,

SIR,-Should you deem the following account of the formation of the above association worthy a place in your useful magazine, I shall feel obliged by the insertion of it in the next number. I have ventured to trouble you with this, in the hope that it may lead to the establishment of

similar societies in other parts of the kingdom, for I believe that there is none in existence so well calculated as our own to resist successfully the alarming progress of popery, And in the present day we require the organization of all our strength to preserve our national institutions in the purity of their protestant principles. The popish apostacy has aroused from its lethargy, and is making gigantic efforts for the recovery of its lost supremacy in our happy land. And if protestantism be crushed in England, in what country can it find protection? Alas, no where can we hope for the prosperity which it has enjoyed in our own land for the last 300 years. England is the favoured place the Almighty has chosen as the resting place of his truth, and if we desire to shew that we value its enjoyment, it must be by the energy of the efforts we make in its defence.

We have had a Protestant Association in this town for the last four years, but it is chiefly confined to the wealthier classes, and besides, it is not sufficiently practical in its operations. All that it accomplishes is the holding of an annual meeting, the presentation of a petition to parliament now and then, and the limited distribution of tracts, &c.

It was thought advisable, therefore, to form another society, exclusively for the working men, which should aim at a more enlarged sphere of usefulness. The plan was communicated to our excellent pastors, Mr. McNeile and Mr. Ould: they expressed the greatest delight at its contemplation, and offered their unrestricted co-operation in establishing the association, and securing its success. Accordingly a public meeting was called in November last, and the association was formed instanter. Since then we have prospered more than we had anticipated; about 500 members have enrolled their names, and this number we expect will be greatly increased, as soon as we can get into active operation some excellent arrangements we have lately made.

Our great object has been to create and keep alive amongst our poorer brethren, a spirit of enthusiasm for the protestantism of our national institutions. This, I am happy to say, we have in a great measure accomplished by the following means:

1. We hold a meeting once a month, at which resolutions are moved, and petitions to parliament proposed, connected with protestantism. By this plan we are enabled to communicate information to them upon the nature and progress of popery, which they could not otherwise obtain. And admirably has it effected the object desired. The meetings are held in different parts of the town, and are attended on an average by more than 500 individuals. The enthusiasm which has been excited, and which continues unabated, is most cheering to behold.

2. It is the intention of the committee to establish branch associations in all the out-townships, and neighbouring villages, so that when any general demonstration is desirable, such as the holding of a special public meeting, or the presentation of a petition to parliament, the whole strength of the town and its vicinity may be made available. This, if energetically carried out, will be a most valuable arrangement.

3. There is a visiting committee in connection with the association. It consists of about twenty members, whose duties are to visit the working men, circulate among them tracts bearing upon protestantism, invite them to join the association, and stimulate them to a regular attendance upon the ordinances of the church. This also is a valuable auxiliary, and bids fair to extend greatly the usefulness of the society.

I had intended saying something about our meeting, but I have already exceeded the limits of propriety, and must therefore forbear; suffice it to say, that we lately sent in a petition to our town council protesting against the system of education taught in the corporation schools, and that we have now in course of signature a petition to parliament, praying for the exclusion of papists from the legislature.

I am, Sir, your obedient Servant,

W.

PROTESTANT MAGAZINE.

AUGUST 1, 1839.

NATIONAL EDUCATION,

(Continued.)

THE few short weeks which have elapsed since the last number of this Magazine was published, have been marked by events calculated to fill the mind of every reflecting Protestant with the most painful anxiety. The Committee of Privy Council on National Education has been sanctioned by a vote of the House of Commons, and a grant of £30,000. A dishonest stratagem was practised, evidently on the suggestion of the papists, by which the House of Lords was precluded from the exercise of its legislative rights with regard to this momentous question. That house, however, by an address to the Queen, has perfectly absolved itself from all share in the transaction. This act, then, of the Commons, for on their heads all the responsibility will rest, breaks down all the fences of an Established Church-places Popery and Socinianism on the same footing with a pure Christianity, and practically declares, that in the eye of the state all religions are alike. And here it may be worthy of remark, that this is exactly the state of things pointed out in the fundamental resolutions of the Protestant Association. Let us look for a moment at the perilous situation in which we are now placed. Can it be doubted that the state has involved itself in the guilt of a national rejection of Christianity, and that, as a people, we thereby stand exposed to the divine displeasure? Already we may see our punishment begun in the tyranny which has been exerted to carry the measure into effect. When was such an arbitrary stretch of power heard of since England could boast of the enjoyment of a free constitution? Or where is the difference, in point of principle, betwixt governing by one house of parliament alone, and governing without parliaments at all? It may further be asked, when were the petitions of the people so completely disregarded and set at nought, as they have been by the government on this occasion, when, in the course of a single month, the astonishing number of between three and four thousand petitions, bearing nearly half a million of the most respectable signatures, were poured into the house of commons, all praying the house to refuse its consent to the ministerial plan of education. Is there an inVOL. I.-August, 1839.

I

stance on record in the history of this or any other representative government, of a measure being persisted in on so small a majority as that of 2 votes in a house where 548 members were present? So much then for this transaction, as affecting our civil liberties; let us now view it in its bearings on those of a religious character. We live in a country where a national religion is established in connection with the state, and where Christianity in its purest form is the pervading and cementing principle of all the institutions of the land. Is the state then at liberty, in these circumstances, to apply its funds for teaching the people by any other agency than that of the Established Church? And is not my conscience violated, both as a member of that state, and as a Christian, if I am to be taxed for the purpose of propagating Popery, Socinianism, or any other false religion, and of sanctioning the use of corrupt or mutilated versions of the Holy Scriptures? Would not our Protestant ancestors have perished at the stake, rather than have acquiesced in any renunciation of the Christian faith, or any adulteration of the pure word of divine truth?

The tyranny, then, by which this measure has been forced upon the nation being apparent, the next question is, from what source has that tyranny proceeded? The Rev. Dr. Kennedy, head master of Shrewsbury grammar school, in a very able letter on the subject, has proved the ministerial scheme to have been adopted from, and to be identical in principle with, that of the Central Society of Education, of which a popish, if not a jesuit, member of parliament is the well-known manager and director. This same hon. member in the former session proposed the subtle and unprincipled course which ministers have since followed, namely, that of passing a measure so unspeakably important to every individual in the land, by a simple money vote of the house of Commons, without the concurrence of the Lords. If we refer to the speeches by which the measure was supported, especially those of Lord Morpeth, Mr. Spring Rice, Mr. Wyse, Mr. O'Connell, Mr. Sheil, and Dr. Lushington, it will be seen that all their arguments went directly to claim for Popery, Socinianism, and every kind of religion, however false or anti-christian, and for all corrupted versions of the scriptures, the same countenance and endowment by the state, as that which is given to the Established Church, and the authorised version of the bible on which that church is founded. The whole of these proceedings prove the predominant influence of Popery in the councils of this great empire. To this influence may be attributed the proud and scornful rejection of the petitions of the people, and the unprecedented perseverance in a cabinet measure on so bare and nominal a majority. Indeed, her Majesty's ministers were plainly told in the house of Lords, that in this matter they were not free

agents, but were guided and influenced by a powerful and active party, who were the inveterate enemies of the Established Church. It should be remembered, that if the English members had stood alone, there would have been a majority of 35 against the ministerial scheme. In the number of the 37 by whom this majority was destroyed, were included 31 Popish members who were present and voted. With these facts before us, it is not difficult to ascertain the source from whence the tyranny, under which we are now suffering, proceeds.

All Protestants must deeply regret that in this case Popery should so far have succeeded in her designs, as to have obtained the recognition and endowment of her religion by the state, as well as the power of interference in the education of the people; which, in conjunction with her infidel allies, she will no doubt employ to weaken and subvert the Established Church. Let us then, on our part, be more strenuous in our exertions for the maintenance of the truth and the Christian institutions of the land. Let not Protestants think of desisting from their labours until they have restored their beloved country to her original position as a Christian nation. "Greater is He that is for us than all who are against us." "The Lord will be with us, and will fight for us," if we are not wanting in the great duties of "faith and prayer, and patient continuance in well-doing." The voice of the people of England is decidedly in favour of the church and the monarchy; and therefore, by the blessing of God, we may confidently hope that on the next division the majority will be on the side of the friends and supporters of Christianity.

And now that Parliament is on the eve of prorogation, let addresses be presented to the Queen, praying her to dissolve the government board of education. And at the same time we would express our earnest hope and desire, that all Protestant and National schools will conscientiously abstain from "touching the unclean thing," or accepting any aid from funds which have been granted in violation of the principles of christianity, as well as of the Established Church and constitution of these realms.

"If," in fine, to use the language of the Rev. Dr. Kennedy, "our existing systems of education require improvement and enlargement, (as indeed they do), let them be wisely improved and indefinitely enlarged; if they need inspection, let inspectors be appointed by the common consent of their friends and of the government; but let us not poison the well-springs of religion, let us not prostrate the Ark of our faith before the Dagon of Infidelity."