DUBLIN PROTESTANT ASSOCIATION AND REFORMATION so

CIETY.

THE members and friends of the above Association met on Wednesday evening, July 1, in the Hall of the Association, Whitefriar-street, for the purpose of celebrating the anniversary of the victory of the Boyne. The Meeting was originally to have been held in the Rotundo Gardens, but, owing to the broken state of the weather, and other unforeseen circumstances, the place of meeting was changed to the Hall, which was very tastefully decorated for the occasion with shrubs and flowers, and amongst the latter was a great abundance of lilies. orange Several banners, representing William III. on horseback, which were placed in various parts of the build ing, had also a most striking and pleasing effect. There were also inscribed, in gold letters, over the chair and on the front of the galleries, such mottos as the following:-" God save the Queen"-"Lord Lorton and Protestant Ascendancy"-" Earl of Roden and the Orange Institution," &c. A vast number of Orangemen were

VOL. VII.

present, who wore their scarfs and insignia of office. The Meeting, which was thronged to excess with a most respectable audience, was most orderly and regular all through, and although great inconvenience was caused by the denseness of the crowd and the heat of the building, the assembly listened with the greatest interest to the entire proceedings, which did not terminate till half-past eleven o'clock.

The Rev. ALEXANDER J. MONTGOMERY, who, on his entrance with the Rev. T. D. Gregg, was greeted with enthusiastic cheering, was called to the chair by acclamation.

The Rev. T. D. GREGG then gave out the hymn, "From all who dwell below the skies," which was very effectively sung by the whole Meeting. The Rev. Gentleman then offered up appropriate prayers, after which,

The Rev. CHAIRMAN addressed the Meeting. He said that he considered it the highest honour that his fellowChristians could confer upon him, to place him in the chair upon that occasion; he could attribute it to no merit on his part, but only to the fact that he had been consistent in the maintenance of his religious and

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political principles, a consistency in which he trusted, with God's help, he would ever continue. (Cheers.) It was one of the most sacred and solemn duties incumbent on them to commemorate such victories as those which they that night celebrated as the anniversary of the era of their civil and religious liberty, both of which were now in jeopardy. (Hear, hear.) They were bound to defend their civil liberties, for it was on them, humanly speaking, that their religious freedom rested. (Hear.) It was now a question whether the British nation was to maintain those liberties, or to be degraded beyond any nation on the face of the earth. Yes, the British empire was to be the theatre of the great contest between light and darkness which was taking place, and which was only to terminate by the downfall of the latter, by the restoration of the Jews, and by the Lord Jesus being enthroned as the Supreme Ruler over all. (Applause.) It was to the victory gained at the Boyne Water, that was to be attributed the past glory and prosperity of the British Isles, and it was to that victory that their future welfare, whatever it might be, should be traced. (Cheers.) In contending for the principles then rendered triumphant, they were contending for the liberty and happiness of every Roman Catholic in the country. (Loud applause.) He had, some time since, presented the Association with a work of the Rev. Dr. Croly's, called, "Protestantism the Pole-star of England"-and indeed it was the pole-star of the world as well. (Hear, hear.) In that work was given an account of the state of England, which was either prosperous or the contrary, according as Protestantism was encouraged or damaged. They had been so betrayed that there could be no dependance placed on man; Governments and senators had deceived them. He expressed how shocked he had been at reading the Archbishop of Dublin's statement of the Bible (groans) that our translation (the authorized version) was not the Bible. He (the Chairman) did not think that the Word of the Almighty should be confined to one language. (Applause.) At the building of the tower of Babel,

God caused language to be confused and multiplied to defeat the wickedness of man, and it was necessary, to meet the wants of men, that the Bible should be translated into those languages which they could understand. (Hear, hear.) He impressed upon them the fact, that national happiness was inconsistent with national misconduct; and that individual correctness and faithfulness led to national prosperity; and then called on them, in their own spheres, to use their influence for the promotion of truth and scriptural knowledge among the people. The book which he alluded to showed that the maintenance of Popish principles had brought disaster on the country. While the Whigs were in power this was manifest everywhere, both at home and on the Continent; but the rise of British influence in both places, when Sir Robert Peel came into power, it being supposed that he would maintain Protestant

principles, was very great. The time had now come when the maintenance of Protestantism depended on the individual exertions of Protestants themselves. (Hear, hear.) He (the Chairman) believed that it depended more on the influence and workings of that Association than any other. (Cheers.) He told them that while, in their intercourse with Roman Catholics, they should be kind and obliging, they should offer the most determined opposition to their false principles, and to those false teachers who taught them, and who were far more criminal than their flocks. (Hear.) They should also support all the Protestant institutions of their country-their Church Education Society-as the only Society which teaches the principles of the national Church, which he maintained were the principles of the Bible; and this they would be convinced of on the perusal of "A Comparison of the Liturgy of the Church with the Bible," by Baileya most admirable work, which he would have the pleasure of presenting to the Society. (Cheers.) He would also recommend Bickersteth's "Divine Warning to the Church" to their best attention. They should support the Church Missionary Society, and the Irish Society. (A Voice" And the

ProtestantAssociation also."-Cheers.) Oh, that of course must be supported. He looked upon it as the mother and mistress of all the Protestant Associations in Ireland. (Cheers and laughter.) Their principles were extending, and he had reason to believe that 60,000 Orangemen would meet that day in one spot in Ulster. (Tremendous cheering, Kentish fire, &c.) He would not commend the conduct of the Orangemen did he not know they were contending for the liberty wherewith Christ had made his people free. (Hear.) Their Association was a strictly religious one; they were contending for the cause of God as well as for themselves and their families; they were fighting for the Roman Catholics of Ireland, to deliver them from thraldom and death. (Applause.) In conclusion, the Rev. Gentleman regretted the absence of the Dean of Ardagh, whose invaluable work of "Ireland and her Church" contained a refutation of the Popish assertions against the Church, and an eloquent and triumphant maintenance of her principles. (Applause.)

The hymn, "All hail the power of Jesus' name," was then sung.

The following is the Very Reverend Dean's letter of apology; also a letter from the Rev. Charles Boyd:

mittee my best thanks for the compliment paid me, and my mite towards defraying the expense of the Meeting. I am, Dear Sir, yours faithfully,

"CHARLES BOYD.

"W. C. Espy, Esq., Secretary." THOMAS H. THOMPSON, Esq., moved the first Resolution, and was loudly applauded. He said his first duty was to apologize, on the part of the Rev. Hugh Prior, for his absence from the Meeting, which was caused by illness. He then read the following Resolution:-"That the victory of the Boyne, under William III. of glorious, pious, and immortal memory, which we this day commemorate, crushed Popish despotism, and invested with effectual bulwarks against tyranny the professors of the true religion; that we deplore the relinquishment of the securities, which were established by the spirit and patriotism of our forefathers; and that we hereby testify, that at the present moment the sincere profession of the Protestant faith is, in Ireland, detrimental to a man's temporal interests, and not unfrequently attended with danger to his

person." He considered that there was scriptural warranty for commemorating so glorious a deliverance, and the universality of the custom bore out the idea. (Hear, hear.) It be said that such commemo

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rations created bad spirit among Roman Catholics. If such were the case, it should not prevent them from celebrating a glorious deliverance, which was not gained by the aid of kings or soldiers, but by the outstretched arm of God. (Hear.) The victory of the Boyne was only been going on for a century, in order the climax of a struggle which had that the Gospel might have free course, that knowledge, enlightenment, and wisdom might increase, and that the Word of God should be the standard of the nation's conduct. He would detail to them a few of the extraordinary events of the early part of the seventeenth century. After the Reformation there still remained some of the spirit of Popery, and of the seeds of civil and religious despotism, and in 1604 there was a great Conference held at Hampton Court

to obtain a new and complete translation of the Bible, to cause an increase of zeal in preaching the Gospel, and to establish full liberty for the clergy in non-essentials. The new translation of the Bible was effected by the Conference, but he did not believe that the other two objects were accomplished. In 1629 a levy of taxes was made with consent of Parliament; and it was at that time that Oliver Cromwell made his first speech, and it was against the public preaching of Popery. In 1637, three gentlemen were pilloried -a barrister, a physician, and a clergyman, had their ears cut off, and were branded with hot irons, because they asserted that surplices were not necessary for the clergy. In 1648 happened one of the most extraordinary events that ever took place in the history of nations-namely, the conviction of the highest authority in England of high treason, and his execution accordingly. After the death of Charles I., Oliver Cromwell governed, and by his maintenance of Protestantism the empire flourished. At his death, in 1660, Charles II., a concealed Papist, was restored, and brought misery and judgment upon the realm; and finally, in 1685, James II. was called to the throne. Then heavy aggressions were made upon the people, who did not submit to despotism, but called to their head William III., of glorious, pious, and immortal memory. (Tremendous cheering, waving of handkerchiefs, &c.) His motto was "The Protestant religion and the liberties of England." (Immense cheering.) He (the speaker) would ask, could those liberties have been maintained while James had a footing in Ireland? ("No, no.") Well, then, the Protestants of Ireland, with William at their head, gave them battle at the banks of the Boyne, and then was the struggle of the century consummated and brought to an end by the achievement of that glorious victory which they that evening met to commemorate. (Loud applause, Kentish fire, &c.) They were, he may say, within an hour's drive of the Boyne, and living so near to the locality they should be ungrateful and negli

gent not to keep up the remembrance of the triumph for truth and liberty there effected. The same God that ingulphed Pharaoh's army in the Red Sea led William on to victory, and as Moses and the Israelites sang their songs of triumph, so should they also rejoice with thankful hearts in the blessings which the victory of the Boyne handed down to them. (Applause.)

Mr. LARMINIE, Primitive Methodist missionary, was called on to second the Resolution, and was received with loud applause. He was thankful for what God had been pleased to do for him, through the persecution in past ages of his ancestors; for He had enabled him to commemorate on that night, with the Association, the victory of the Boyne. He was the descendant of a persecuted Hugunot, although he had not much of the Frenchman about him now; for he was an Irishman to the back-bone. ("Hear," and laughter.) He was a Connaught man, but he was a Protestant at all events. (Loud cheers.) He would endeavour to spread Protestantism, which was the religion of the Lord Jesus Christ and of the Bible. (Hear.) With their respected Chairman he would draw a marked line of distinction between Popery and its professors. There were thousands of Roman Catholics who were longing to be freed from Popery, and to embrace the truths of the Bible. He had the key of every Irish heart-the knowledge of the Irish language. (Cheers.) The speaker then delivered a few sentences in Irish, which called forth the cheers of the audience. Why, said he, what I said in Irish was, "Listen to me, and I'll tell you a story," and you did the very contrary. (Loud laughter.) He then told some most interesting anecdotes, and proceeded-Though Popery was politically rising, it was not spiritually rising. He could give names and particulars of Roman Catholics reading the Bible unknown to their Reverences. They can't find it out, and may they never find it out. (Cheers.) He then called upon the Meeting to live as well as profess Protestant principles, and then they would see

their principles flourish and prevail. They would then live nearer their principles than heretofore, and their motto should be, "No Surrender." He concluded by narrating a few more anecdotes about the progress which the Word of God was making among the Irish-speaking portion of the people, and showed that they were enabled by their knowledge of that Word to refute and overthrow all that their priests could say against them.

The Resolution was put and passed, after which a version of the 124th Psalm, to the tune of the "Boyne Water," commencing with

"Unless the Lord his arm of power," was sung, the whole assembly joining. The Rev. FRANCIS IRWIN, Ruskey Rectory, moved the following Resolution, and was also very warmly received:-"That we attribute the deplorable condition under which Irish Protestants now exist to their own neglect: that, instead of viewing themselves as a nation of witnesses for God and for his truth, whose mission was the conversion of all the people of Ireland, they considered themselves as a conquering host, whose privilege was the subjection of a party that we believe their calamities to have sprung from this neglect, and that we believe repentance is not yet too late." He would take up the words of the Resolution and say, that repentance was not yet too late; and the Protestants of Ireland would show that they were not to be put down by a Minister of State. At the battle of the Boyne it was proved that the spirit which animated the Protestants of Ireland was one which neither the world nor the devil could suppress. (Cheers.) That Meeting proved that the Protestant spirit still existed; and although some of the gentry may forget, while enjoying the comforts of life in their castellated mansions, the case of the poor Protestants, still the spirit of these men could not be quenched or put down. (Hear.) The proprietors of land at first kept Protestants upon it to protect them in the enjoyment of their property, but Popery began to be encouraged by the State. They thought Papists

and Protestants were alike, but they had sowed the wind, and were now reaping the whirlwind. They were captivated by the tinkling of Popish gold on their agents' desks, and gave their land to the highest bidder, and the result was, that now, instead of having a Protestant tenantry to protect them, they had a police force and a stipendiary magistracy; instead of whom, they could have as their protectors

A bold peasantry, their country's pride." But there was a space for repentance, and the Protestants of Ireland would still prove to Papists, Puseyites, and trimming Ministers, that they were members of a Church against which the gates of hell should not prevail; and though the storm may rage around, and angry tempests threaten desolation, they would place their trust in Him by whom the very hairs of their head were all numbered. (Hear, hear.) Protestants had been unfaithful, and if they would, as his friend Mr. Larminie had said, not merely profess but live Protestantism; if they would be epistles known and read of all men, then would they have on their side the Lord as the Captain of their salvation, and in his strength go on conquering and to conquer, till the knowledge of his name would cover the earth as the waters cover the sea. If they were true Protestants, they would show to their Roman Catholic countrymen that their only mode of escape was in the blood of the Lamb, slain from the foundation of the world; in the merits of Him who was willing and able and ready to save them; and that they should therefore cast off their dependence on those roaring lions who were going about seeking to devour. (Hear.) Yes, the priests of the Church of Rome were the emissaries of lies and of the father of lies, Satan. (Hear, hear.) There was an under-current of Protestantism running through the land, and the Bible was read by multitudes in spite of the priests. He (the speaker) had no fear of man; he laughed to scorn the threats of Grattan and the Repealers, and he would speak out his sentiments fearlessly on all occasions. (Cheers.) It was the trimmers, the