The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1885-10-20 00:00:00

Corrtoponorner.

TIIB irEqr SrAFTWII) LIVERAL MUTING.

To Mr Mitor.

Mr. I:4itor.—T can well underslanol that abreviatioon
in reports of sp.soehes is an al.oloite necessity. It is
also inevitable that the abbreviator should *mistimes
fail to convey the real meaning od a oraker. May I
call attention to your report of the Liberal !netting
at Stafford op October 12th. The concluding furl
might e livey aim impression that the (simulation iol
oour Sovereign loy Spurgeon or any other.. nt
Noneoftfowinist would. is my vini.n. be an adequate
ed it pits for t tttt • •11..moured h..wtkr If co or. 'natio on
by tlie illriloiate .4 the rlitindi oof England. Th•te au
not at all my meaning. I was orgaiing that
lhsystalolisl lit amounted to a public dishonour done
to Him “by whoin kings reign and prine,s aohninitter
) could not conceive of any way by which
our national nvognitioon of the Lord Josus Christ,
and of our drinindeuce upon Cod, could be evinced

and manifested if the connection which for no many
centuries had existed between Church and State wero
alsilblied by the Legislature. At present all tho
deliberations of Parliament are preveded by prayer,
and there is no diorite as to the Wha Ia ti
otfieinte, laseams• England a Nat i. flat Cluireh.
iii the hi,eio. .4 Lord,. one of the bishop. officiates. If
IheewaLli•linietit take, place, one .4 two thing. ttttt .t
follow. Either the imweeding..4 Parliatnent would
be conducted withoin any putke recakrintion of Gal.
or elo. there would lie evidlo,i a 4 to who ate
ii repr....ent the religion .1 the country. In the
c .ronation service there i. the fullest acltnowledgmont
of the I.6%ine M..j.,ty. The prayeri offered an.
thor.mghly Cliri•ian. and the ii. oat o.lenin
411111111AtIlaw11,y the .trelilii.holi to the Sovereign. In
the presence .4 the Almighty he or die ha..
that lie will govern ace to law, and
that h. will fhs rcr,,,. I
r,
'''•
I was ask.. I by Sir. Th.. 111141 WlP•tliet that
mid not be done by a Dissenting Minister, who
would be quite u fit aa any archbishop. I at
replied that I would a thousand time, rather that the
wonation were performed by Mr. Spurgeon, or any
•1)..r g.sllv None utformist, than that thou, should be
in. p..blie r....,..gnition .4 the Almighty. The mod
eminent Nenconfonni.t of the 17th centurY,
Owen, plaid, in pmaehing to the bong Parliament,
lifter tie' taunter .4 the king —" If you, as the riders
of the nation, think pet have W.thillg toil.. with 4
II.• will that will kiwe nothing to do
with. yaa, A. the taloa, ~/ the nation." It would
well if all the Istotlll,a,llll .4 Diwsdabliskinent (as
di.tinet (rout Iti.einlownient would eonatiler more
walieelly thaw they app-ar ii 111114, flatta what A very
serious thing it it to dedroy the national acknowledir.
meta .1 I hal. It w add liu well if all preachers who
am taking that emir... w.ould take a. their teat on the
ihrct opts.rtienity these moot woletini worths Thisi
ankh the Lord- 'Theta that leneeir Me I will honour.
and those that despise Nle shall be lightly eittootind.'
The question is not about sawoonal indit Wind religion
--Met is absolutely independent .4 all tlmp...ver
human rulers - but mime whether this sofi9s,wlsish t ;..d
has made so free and so great, dumb, le .w t"
the heathen, to tile ilalieuvieslan ciii the .lew, as well
n. to the Seculark and the Atheiat at home, that
ehridianity ic no longer the e.taLli.lied religion .4
the British Empire. Miv ll,' keep 11. individually
from the .4 the ii. .1.1, the flesh, and the
devil. May hi., keep from at erything th.d
would tend to a national am otney from Owlet.— Yount
truly,

RIP.INALD SMITH.