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That (having ineffectually endeavored, for two years, to obtain a repeal, or even a modification of those obnoxious regulations) we are now compelled, in obedience to the dictates of conscience, in vindication of our own rights-in support of the invaluable rights of Students, Licentiates, Ministers, and Congregations—in defence of religious liberty, and to avoid being accessory to the suppression of what many of us believe to be the truth of God-to separate ourselves from the Synod of Ulster.

That we now in the name of the Great King and Head of the Church, and earnestly imploring the blessing of Almighty God, solemnly associate ourselves, under the designation of The Remonstrant Synod of Ulster; a designation to which we consider our. selves justly entitled, as faithfully adhering to the original principles, the solemnly enacted laws, and the salutary customs of our Church.'

This promises well. The Resolutions were supported by some very interesting and spirited speeches. A few short extracts may be gratifying to our readers. The following brief exposition of the inconsistencies of Protestanism occurs in that of the Rev Mr Glendy.

The right of private judgment was deemed essential by the reformers who withdrew from the church of Rome; yet, I am sorry to say, they did not, at all times, concede to others what they claimed for themselves. Luther and the original Protestants separated from that church, because it denied the right of private judgment; but scarcely had they done so, when they began to dictate articles of faith themselves. Here, says the church of Rome, in the decrees of the Council of Trent, are the true doctrines of Christianity, which you must believe. No, said the Lutherans, you have no right to dictate to us; here is the confession of Augsburgh-that's what ought to be believed. So, also, the Calvinists say, Here are the articles of the Synod of Dort; these contain the true doctrines of the Bible. Then comes the Church of England, and declares that none of these have any right to dictate to it; here are our Thirty-nine Articles; these contain the truth. Then the Presbyterian Church of Scotland propounds the Westminster Confession of Faith as containing the true meaning of Scripture. Thus they all claim the right of judging for themselves and deny it to others.'

The following extract from the same speech will show, that acts of oppression similar to those, which have been resorted to by the supporters of orthodoxy in our own country, have been employed for the purpose of crushing the friends of liberal sentiments in Ireland.

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'It has been asked, where are our penalties, our persecutions, our sufferings; he would not go so far as to call it persecution, though he had waded deep in it himself. When a minister and his people that lived happily together for seventeen, twenty, thirty, or forty years, if through the busy, the unasked interference of others, strife and contention be stirred up between them, these are pains and penalties." He had himself witnessed some of this, he had shed many tears, he had spent many sleepless nights, the peace of families had been invaded; ministers had to witness the father set up against the son; the mother against the daughter. It is a penalty for ministers to witness such things. One of the most painful circumstances he had to endure was, the alienation, which had in many instances taken place, of his former friends. In place of the cheerful smile of recognition,the kind outstretched hand of affection, to behold the cold look, the averted face, the indignant scowl; as if there was something pestilential, if not damning in the touch-these were pains and penalties of no ordinary description. There was not a man amongst them who had not suffered in person, in character, or in pocket. They had been called deniers of the Lord who bought them-going on the broad road to destruction, in which they were not journeying alone, but in which they were dragging the dear, the cherished objects of their affection, the wife of their bosom, the children of their love, and all who adhered to them, to perdition. To hold up a professing Christian minister as no Christian, is stabbing him in a vital part. As a Christian minister he regarded his character and good name as the most valuable property he possessed. They even had gone so far as to attack schoolmasters, some of whom had been injured, and held up as unworthy of being entrusted with the care of youth. These are some of the pains and penalties of which they had to complain, and they complained most justly. At one time heretics were consigned to the flames; then there was slitting of noses and cutting of ears. James the first tried his hand at this until he found that he had enough of it; now it is pains and

In the pres

penalties. When Emlynaof Dublin was tried for heresy, and fined a thousand pounds, the judge told him that he had been mercifully dealt with; that it was well for him that he had not been tried in Spain, where his head would have been cut off. ent day, however, no judge dared use such language. ed by stating that in his opinion it was to the spirit of the times alone they owed it, that they were not made to suffer actual violence.

He conclu

The case of the Remonstrant ministers called forth many expressions of sympathy. On the tenth of June a dinner was given them at Derryboy, 'by persons of various religious sentiments, in testimony of the sympathy felt for the hardships and persecutions, to which they had been exposed, and in approval of their manly and conscientious conduct.' We could give some interesting extracts from the speeches delivered on this occasion, but we have left ourselves little room. 'A reaction,' it was observed, ' has commenced, and those misrepresentations of our religious opinions, which did us so much harm at first, are now doing us good.'

We have received credit,' said Mr Montgomery, 'for much to which we are not entitled. Great pains has been bestowed on us for merely struggling to keep a conscience. Had we not done so, had we tamely submitted to wear the chains which were forged for us, we should have been degraded even below our persecutors. We have been struggling to hand down to our families, a name and character of which they will not be ashamed. Yet what is character and a name, and all worldly considerations, compared with that privilege, for which we have indeed struggled hard—the right to worship God according to the dictates of our own consciences? In the next place we have been struggling to keep principle in the world, and to transmit the principles of religious liberty to our descendants. Had a few of us yielded to the storm which raged around our heads, what a different scene would be presented to us this day

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But our struggles have not been in vain, nor shall they go unrewarded, for they were made to maintain the honor of our religion.' There are some people,' said Mr Blakely, who will not come near us, for fear of having their eyes opened. They resemble the philosopher of Florence, who refused to look through the newly invented telescope of Galileo, which displayed new worlds never before conceived to be in existence, because the knowledge he would have obtained by its use, would have overturned his own system of philosophy.'

In further illustration of the spirit, which animates the friends of liberal sentiments in Ireland, we may mention that an association called the Irish Unitarian Christian Society,' devoted to the cause of religious freedom, the right of private judgment, and generally to the support of the great principles of Unitarianism, was organized on the 17th of March last, and it is now proceeding with good prospects of success.' Besides this, there are several smaller Associations in different parts of the island.

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Unitarian Associations have been formed,' says the Rev J. S. Porter, in some remarks made at the London meeting in June, in Cork, which lies in the most southern county of the island, and in Moneyrea, which is one of the most nothern. Nay, Sir, these associations have not been confined to congregations in which the Unitarian doctrine has been preached. Such an Association has been formed in Killileagh, the former minister of which was and is the most distinguished opponent of those who have latterly been obliged to secede from the Synod of Ulster; the very Coryphoeus of the illiberals in the province. Yet in the congregation in which he was minister for upwards of twelve years, a number of persons have voluntarily stepped forth and declared themselves Unitarians. A similar occurrence has taken place at Saintville under circumstances of a very similar kind.”

Mr Porter proceeds to adduce other facts which go to establish the conclusion that the principles of Unitarianism are making steady and sure advances. Fur

ther, a course of lectures on the principles of Unitarianism has been delivered, as the Pioneer informs us, at Belfast, and at Dublin, which was well attended to its close, and similar lectures are delivering at Holywood and Moneyrea, and are likely to be productive of much good.' The Bible Christian' a monthly publication, of the institution of which we took notice in a former number,* already enjoys, as we are told, a very liberal patronage. All these are encouraging symptoms.

SCOTLAND. An Annual General Association of the Unitarians of Scotland, for mutual co-operation and encouragement,' says the Christian Pioneer, was instituted in the year 1813. Its meetings were continued for various objects till 1824,' when, as it appears, they were discontinued. The August number of the same work informs us that this Association has recently been reorganized. The meeting for this purpose was holden at Glasgow, on the eighteenth of July, and, as it is stated, was 'numerously and respectably attended.' The new Society takes the name of the Unitarian Christian Association.' The object of the Association is stated in several articles, and corresponds generally with that of other Associations under a similar name. Several Resolutions were passed,' constituting the laws of the Association,' and making provision for a general correspondence with Unitarians throughout Scotland.'

Scottish

FRANCE. We have grounds for the belief that pure Christianity is to prevail in France. Not a few

*Number for June.