The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1856-08-21 00:00:00

TO THE EDITOR OF THE NORTHER TIMES.

Sir,--It is deeply humiliating to find men who out-
wardly profess the most exuberant virtue degrading their
faith and disgracing their creed by a blind and infatuate
belief• in that which they will not comprehend.
Amongst the assailants of Mr. Macnaught, I have
not found one able to grapple the subject with a vigorous
understanding, or to controvert a single argument set
forth by the excellent incumbent of St. Chrysostom's.
Mr. Lowe, as the chief mouthpiece of the opposing
factions, will scarcely venture a collected edition of his
weakly chapters in the Courier, although they were
manifestly written for that purpose, and as Mr. Fenton's
egotistical bid for publicity, by assuming a position to
which he had no claim (I refer to his letter giving notice
of his intention to reply only to communications
bearing the signature of the writers), has met with
no response, we may assume that his threatened
denunciation failed to create the expected sensation,
whilst the remaining orthodox opponents of Mr. Mac•
naught have confined their opposition to noisy personal
abuse, in which the clergy and laity are distinguished
in distinction" only by the more violent outbursts of the
former; but in all they say and write they can only assert
their own infallibility without proving it. What a noble
and Christian example to these single-visioned scoffers
is offered by the very man whom they would consign to
perdition ! What a lesson might they derive if they
studied the conduct of that young teacher of the truth
as he pursues his onward course—calmly and dispassion_
ately expounding the scriptures, and fearlessly pointing
out discrepancies and contrarieties—avoiding stage decla-
mations and platform politics—preaching moderation and
Christianity truthfully and religiously —avoiding person-
alities, and confining himself to his exalted duties, whilst
his reverend detractors are denouncing him from their
pulpits, banishing him from their libraries, forbidding
him access to their flockS, and morally cursing him who
should be their brother, and persecuting him with a
zealous fury, worthy the golden age of bloody Mary.
You have beard much about the pernicious influence of
Mr. Macnaught's startling doctrines, as applied to his
congregation, but you are not necessarily to believe iu
these rumours, although it is true that St. Chrysostom's
has lost a churchwarden, whose limited comprehension
could not support the slightest deviation from the paved
highway of another, who was better versed in the
mysteries of scrip than in holy writ, and of several
foolish old creatures who are not capable of thinking
for themselves, but always employ others to perform that
important function for them. It is true that a few weak-
minded individuals have deserted their pastor at the
instigation of his enemies, but it is not less true
that the devout teaching and exemplary conduct of
of their truly good incumbent have combined to render
the congregation of St. Chrysostorn's—even as it now
stands—second to none either in piety or intelligence.
Mr. Macnaught cannot he accused of a grasping
ambition for ambition's sake, as his talents and natural
accomplishments would long ago have rendered • him
the moat laahionable preacher in Liverpool, if he had not
preferred to follow the dictates of his own conscience,
and so endear himself to those who are deriving the
advantage of his knowledge and the benefit of his
example.

When we have a revised edition of the Bible we shall
discover the sontidness of Mr. Macnaugbtts teaching, and
Mr. Pollock may then, with some degree of propriety,
repeat his willingness to stake his existence upon the
truth of every w;rd in holy writ; but until then, he, and
and such as he, may with propriety appropriate a leaf
from the book of one who has earned a reputation and a
fame which many of them would give all but their lives
to possess. C. M.
Liverpool, August 20, 186tl.