The Sun.
London, England, 1837-08-26 00:00:00

ligious respect for the Papal See, is at an end. Much of
the Church property has become national property, and
any remaining influence which the Pope possesses in Spaii
h.; cenlined to the camp and court of Don Carlos, whose
affairs do not now look very prosperotte, In Portugal th
matter is pretty much the same. Belgium is Catholic, hte
tolerant, and the Protestant pastors arc paid by the State.
The. King is uncle of our gracious Sovereign, and owes too
much to British protection to endanger lits relations with
this mighty empire. But would the Pope himself coun-
tenance such a scheme? I say that ho would not. He
very well knows the tenure of his temporal power. He
knows the composition of the Roman population ; and I
know that two frigates, and two or three battalions of Iri-
tish troops, would easily possess themselves of °kite
Vecchia, his only remaining seaport, and the key of Rome,
and shortly after would our meteor .11 cg we've ever the
Castle of St. Angelo. Could Austria, could Naples
prevent this ?• No. Such an event would be a signal fot
a simultaneous' rising of oppressed Italy -from the iron
boundary of the Alps to the extremity of Calabria. Why,
Gentlemen, do I enter into these particulars? To show
the utter absurdity of the supposition that in the present
state of Europe any assistance could be given to sic] in the
overthrow of the. Protestant Chneeh, If it he asked whe-
ther the spirit of persecution is extinct in the minds of the
Catholic priesthood, I answer that the same dark spirit
which excited Dominic of Gasman to check what he con-
'sidered heresy by the sword, and to establish that •tri-
bunal which in after ages operated with such blighting ef-
fect on his unfortunate country—the same dark spirit
which induced Cranmer to participate in the sentence against
Frith, and to solicit the execution of the unhappy Joan
Bother and Philip Von Parr°, and which tempted Calvin
to urge on the authorities of Geneva to immolate Servetus,
may even at this day exist (rarely indeed, I hope) in the
Catholic Priest, in the English High Churchman, and in
the Presbyterian bigot. But the safety under which al;
descriptions of religious belief are held, in every country of
Europe, is derived, not from clerical forbearance, but from
the wisdom of the civil government. Ido not approve of
many of the acts of the COngreSs of Vienna ; but the prin-
ciple of religious toleration, and the admissibility of men
professing all religions into civil offices and military employ-
ments was firmly established. Complete religious toleration
may be said to be a part of the public law of Europe, an
emanation from the European mind in the first quarter of
the 19th century. So much for any danger from the Ito-,
men Catholics. Now as to the Protestant Dissenters. It
is not likely that they vs ould exert themselves to introduce
Popery ; and in what manner are they (supposing that they
wished to destroy the Church) to proceed ? - Surely the
Churches of England and Scotland are strong enough in
Parliament, are strong enough in the Peer's, to prevent the
adoption of the Voluntary System, and to uphold the Estab-
lishment. Gentlemen, I am aware that many who would,
shed their blood in defence of the establishments of the
United King.lorn, are denounced as their enemies, because
they wish, not only to reform them, but to render them in•
noxious to the DisSenters, by the removal of offensive privi-
leges. But, Gentlemen, all such assertions as that we are
enemies of the Church, I '0791;641y 'contradict. I cast
them back on those who make them. I. utterly deny
and ' repudiate these imputatiens, Whether made in the
Houses of Parliament by political leaders, or uttered on
the hustings, or in the pulpit—whether blazoned in the pol-
luted pages of the renegade Times, or in the leaden columns
of the Inverness Herald, a paper, as I hear, of such marvellous
stupidity as to neutralize its efforts to spread religious dis-
cord through the land. If I am informed aright, had the
Dunciad yet to be written, its conductors would have well
and worthily earned a place in that poem. lam of opinion
that the Churches both of England and Scotland are well
calculated to spread religious instruction through the land ;
and that the Church of England requires various reforms,
many even of. the Clergy, and not a few of her Dig-
nitaries, admit ; when these reforms are effected, and
when certain oppressions and exclusions are removed, it
is clear enough that she will be still more dear to her
friends, and less obnoxious to the Dissenters, than she
is at this moment. The Queen's Government have, in
an especial manner, directed their attention to these'im-
provements. How measures which will really streng-
then the Church can place in the hands of the Dissen-
ters weapons for her destruction, I cannot pretend to
'say.—(Cheers.) I am a friend to the Established Church,
and will defend her when I conceive that she is in danger.
But I must be permitted to observe that the arguments
against the voluntary system, and abuse of the Dissenters,
haee been pushed to extravag int and indecent lengths.
Diisent and infidelity have been coupled together. Veleta,
caries, persons willing to pay their own religious teachers,
have bees subjected to reproaches from quarters whence it
is, to say the least, very unseemly. They have been termed
" false-hearted, apostate Voluntaries." They have been
classed with " peddline politicians, and licentious ittfidela,
in saying that truth is of no value." Is this Christian doc-
trine ? Can such language have fallen' from the lips of a
Clergyman What, Gentlemen, are Mr. Scott of Inver.
;less, Mr. Mein of Nairn, and Mr. Stark of Ferro', indi-
viduate for whom truth has no charms ? Ara they_ infidels
and apostates, and falsehearted 11 • Let their congregations,
of whom they are the exemplary and • revered pastors—let
the voice of the public, of that public which does not tom
ißstlf epueeoiated, answer these
but by whioh their charac-
taerpsaarrteofwetlhlekirnocwonngarengdations,
omstions with indignant denial, While I assert and maintain
that Establishments are, when well regulated, excellent
means of securing the diffusion of Gospel truth, yet I can not
help repeating that the argument against the Voluntary sys-
tem is o:ten pushed to an extravagant length. Is it forgotten
that the Church of Scotland was herself once poor, perse-
cuted, and voluntary? A persecution not inflicted, es has been.
ignorantly said, by Papists, but by Preletiets. But is there
no Christianity in the Episcopal congregations which are
voluntary in Scotland ? Is there no Christianity in the
Presbyterian congregations, which are voluntary in Enge
land ? Is there no Protestant Christianity in France P is
there no Christianity of any description in America ? Or
is it in England and in Scotland alone, and confined to the
English and Scotch Dissenters, that the voluntary system
is associated with infidelity and false-heartedoesss? I
ought to ask your pardon for making these observations.
They, however, appear to me necessary. Ido say, for the
reasons that I have given, that the Church is in no danger.
If any danger should await it, I will venture to.say that
thiS well be brought about, not by the exertions of, its
imputed enemies, but by the misconduct of its injudicious
friends. Much has been said respecting the interference •
of the Clergy at the late election---I mean that which
took place in April last, This is a question into which I
decline to enter; but I may say, tkat while I have the
highest respect for the functions of the Clergy, I am sorry
to say that I cannot extend that respect to the manner in
which these lunation: have, on all occa,;iens, been dis-
charged. lem as ready as any man to hold sacred what
falls from a Clergyman in the pulpit, as long as he does
not abuse the privilege of the bouts of God ; but if he
introduces political matter, I shall make that matter the
subject of as free comment as what falls from the lips of a
layman. As truth cannot be affected by the place where,
or by the individual by whom it is spoken, so falsehood and
calumny do not alter their character by falling from the lips
of a Clergyman, or by the sanctity of the place in which
they are uttered. I shall not permit the sacred nature of
the place in which libellous and unfeunded matter is pro-
mulgated, to shield it from rigid examination and exposure.
—C=pplauee.) I now wish, Gentlemen, to say a few words
in answer to the chief' accusation made against Lord Mel.
bourne's Government—a coalition with Mr, O'Connell.
My first and decisive answer is, that there has been no coa-.
lition, The Ministers have aoceptod Mr. O'Connell's pow-
erful support_ a support given and received in a mariner
quite consistent with the honour of both parties. O'Clonnel
had it is true, before the dismissal of the Melbourne Admi-
nistration in November 151,t need very strong language
against that Ministry, On this, it seems, Sir Robert Peel
fqunded his hopes of being able to maintain power. In this he
did not evince his usual sagacity.. He had forgotten the lan-
guage held towards himself lay the high Church party in
182,9.30, VT 1,
-see oslea'tergetton that in the division which in
November 1830 preceded the resignation of the Wellington
Ministry, the High Tory party had voted against him I--
yet, in the face of all this, the parties leael settled their
differences, and patched atie am ;Alliance, Prom ray volumes
of ParikineritAry debates not Wing at Invorgordon, which
oontein the reports of these years, I cannot quote the civi-
lities which passed in Parliament between the leaders of the
High Church and Orange party and Sir Robert Peel,
regret this much, but as a substitute I
sliitll read
ensile
extracts from a Tory pnilliVio,il
,SilTs4 41;010.1,4y, and
wl.llF,he qqnoinCiltSi rOst lie !gill very similar
t° of the leading politician at that party Ex..
cusps there tiro, and palliations many and great, on the
side of the Duke of Wellington ; but for Mr. Peel, bound,
if ever man were bound, by tics irrevocable, and of religi-
ous sanctity to the great cause which he has deserted, it is
our sincere belief that hp 4 a (Abject of, neorre. neraitikated
;abhorrence than 9,40, ha c' a'etid'ed any t;olitiical renegade
ice tge, he
':igeaPoyf hcoht,7,4,snlet.t.,, e
oetp ti llg
content r tw•ihtohnt
this
talents are depreciated in the following terms ;--7" It is
eeanyty-sceiritairt