The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1856-02-12 00:00:00

Can we wonder that Popery and Secularism, if not positive
infidelity, are progressing with such rapid strides? Can we
wonder that they take advantage of a state of things so
evidently in their, favour, and clamour for the secularization
of the Sabbath, with as much earnestness as they contend for
the secularization of national education ? And can we be
surprised if they succeed in both ? We, as churchmen, have
abandoned our high and holy principles, have ceased publicly
to instruct the young and ignorant in the duty of keeping
God's commandments by catechising in the church, and we
need not wonder that we are now told that to keep the Sab-
bath-day holy is incompatible with the spirit of the age in.
which we live.
From the total absence of all reverence for revealed religion
which characterises the.writings put forth by the advocates of
Sabbath desecration, it is evident that it would be a mere
waste of time to attempt to reason with such writers—one
can have no common ground to stand upon—they can neither
understand one's principle nor appreciate one's motives. It
is important, therefore, that, to arrest the progress of the evil,
all ministers of evangelical religion, of whatever denomination,
should set themselves earnestly to the task of fortifying the
faith of their own people, and urging them to endeavour,
each in his own sphere, to inculcate the sacred duty of keeping
holy the Sabbath-day.
It may be that this attempt to violate the sanctity of God's
holy day, and set at nought His word, will cause religious men
to forget some of their differences, and lead them to see that
the gratification of their unholy rivalries has given their
enemies an advantage over them. The moving spirit in this
matter is the Papist. Cardinal Wiseman suggested the open-
ing of the National Gallery on Sundays, two years ago. Mr.
Vincent Scully, an Irish Romanist, now makes the motion in
the House of.Cemmons. These are ardently seconded by the
Socinian body, and by that portion of the democratic press
which delights in nothing so much as weakening the autho-
rity of law and order, whether human or divine, and can con-
ceive no higher gratification than the scattering of a church
or the overthrow of a throne. Shall theser—the Papist, the
Socinian, and the Revolutionist—succeed ? The religions-
mind of England must answer the question.
For the encouragenfent of those who may be moved by
what I have written to exert themselves on the side of religion,
I will conclude by quoting the- Divine promise to his people of
old (Isaiah lviii., 13, 14) :—" If thou turn away thy foot from
the Sabbath,from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and
call the Sabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord, honourable,
and shalt honour Him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding
thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words : then
shalt-thciu delight thyself in the Lord, and I will cause thee
to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with
the heritage of Jacob thy father : for the mouth of the Lord
hath spoken it. —I am, Sir, your obedient servant,
VOX.

PROSELYTISM,

TO THE EDITOR OF THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD.

SlR,—The church of Rome has lately been boasting much
of the accession made to her ranks by the perversion of some
members of ()fir Protestant communions ; and that she should
be able to instance many such cases is not at all surprising,
at least to those who are acquainted with the means she
employs to effect this object. I shall, with your permission,
detail the circumstances attending an attempt at proselytism
made a few days ago by a holy father, not far from the docks.
A Protestant was engaged working in the docks, and caught
cold from repeated wettings, and was suffering from inflam-
mation. Three of his fellow-workmen, who were Roman
Catholics, brought the priest to see him, and, leaving his
reverence with the sick man, retired. The father confessor
began his operations at once., and having delivered a long:
homily on the necessity of baptism, of which the sick maw
entertained no doubt whatever,, he proceeded to shrive the'
poor sufferer. He asked him very particularly if he had been'
in the habit of drinking ardent spirits to excess, also if he
were in debt, intending, no doubt, as fully to cancel the
guilt of intemperance as the obligation of his debts. Some
might, perhaps, say that the holy man's motive in the latter
enquiry was not altogether disinterested. Then came ques-
tions which proved that his reverence- had long been engaged
in raking up the polluted dung-hill of "D. Dens on, the
Confessional" But, sir, I forbear, and only add that the
sick man is still a Protestant, and lives to tell the story. His
wife having providentially entered: the• room, soon rid the
sufferer of such an impertinent intruder. I would wish to
procure some employment for the poor fellow elsewhere than
where he has- been lately engaged; as-I fear on his return to
his fellow-workmen they may show him little- mercy. If any
person, not a Jesuit, should be anxious to help me in this
matter, and should make further' enquiry of you, please give
him my name.—l remain, your obedient servant,
Feb. 4, 18561- MELANCTHUS.