Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1859-07-29 00:00:00

Minister ; a man disposed to progress, but not un-
mindful of first principles. A very ominous rebuff

was administered to this mis

Iced Confidence during

the continuance in power of the lat,e Ministry, bN

somewhat ambiguous expression of w

mately to concede the question of the ballot

his own convictions

against

3 Radical party

should become sufficiently loud and importunate ,
another rebuff is now administered by. his vote for

the' abolition of Church-rates-

—a revenue which, he

has over and over again proved, belonged of right to
the Church of England, to alienate which, without

compensation, would be nothing short of spoliation
and robbery. If, during his life, it should be the lot

of the British Cons

,ution to fall under the disastrous

and destructive manipulation of Radical ingenuity,
we make no doubt whatever that Lord JOIIN RUSSELL

will be found eating his own words in graceful con

cession to BRIGHT and his revolutionists.
We shall, however, make our most strenuous
protest against one peculiarity of the present
The clamour of a violent minority
has succeeded in making Churchmen afraid
of defending with openness and confidence the
material and pecuniary interests of our Ecclesiastical
Establishment. The conscientious scruples of the
doubtful Dissente

situation.

we are at all times ready to
considerate and consult. But the loud-mouthed
sneers of the violent sectarian, the pretentious
phrases about ecclesiastical avarice, about a Church
whose weakness requires the protection of the law,
and the apathy of whose people renders necessary the
compensation of legal payments, we treat, so far as
Christianity permits us, with indignation and scorn.
When men trade on imaginary religious scruples for
the purpose of gratifying their interests or their
passions, we cannot expect them to stick at any of
the arts of sophistry or misreprese

ation. We

know there are many among the religious opponents
of Church-rates who give up their privilege of
thinking to others, and are more guilty of weakness
than of design. We know there are many high-
minded' bissenters who as strongly reprobate the

abolition of this ancient revenue as a townsman
would the unconditional confiscation of the Liverpool
Town Dues. We know there are many without a
direct interest in this matter, who are yet
sufficiently guided by principles of honour, to be
unable to tolerate in public conduct, what would be
called simple dishonesty in private life
Churchman, then, be frightened into a hesitating
tone, or a half-hearted defence, when the pecuniary
interests of our Ecclesiastical Establishment are
called into questiOn. Let us not be betrayed into
that fatal impolicy which has been so often the
harbinger of destruction to old institutions. We
mean the listless concession of prescriptiVe rights to
stop the mouth of clamour, just because we do not
attach much importance to • their maintenance.
Whenever a ease of justice can be clearly
established, let us stand upon our rights,
at least until a reasonable claim for our
consideration has been made out; and that, too, with
something of dooency and humility. Halals strength

Let no