The Sun.
London, England, 1839-04-10 00:00:00

GRAND DEMONSTRATION AT
TRURO IN FAVOUR OF FIVE CHURCH_
RATE MARTYRS.

(FRO)I OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)
TRURO, APRIL 6, 1839.
On Monday last, five persons, three of whom are highly
respectable men, were convicted at the Cornwall Assizes,
before Mr. Baron Gurney, of riot en the occasion of a sale
of property seized for the support of the Church. The
names of the defendants whose property was taken are
Richard Barrett, linen draper, Jacob Corin Edwards,
ironmonger, (a minister in the Bible Christians' denomina-
tion,) and Samuel Randall, pipe-manufacturer, who being
Dissenters, naturally felt indignant at what ap-
peared to them, as well as a thousand others, a
legalized robbery. Their goods were seised in May last—
the sale was to take place on the Bth—on the 3d they is-
sued a placard informing their fellow-townsmen of what
was about to occur, and calling upon them to give their
attendance on that day, in order to mark their detestation
of the impost under which the Dissenters were so fre-
quently mulcted of their property. The people attended
in large numbers, and as the auctioneer, a person named
William Jane Oke, had rendered himself particularly ob-
noxious to those present, through having changed both his
religious creed and his politics, there was no slight inter-
ruption given to his proceedings, and many panes of glass
were broken, but no serious injury done either to per-
son or to property. The property destroyed con-
sisted of one counter, a door, thirty. five panes of glass,
and the nether end of the auctioneer's coat. One man had
a blow on the ear which brought him to the ground—and
that was the only blow struck. Yet, for these trifling
matters, the Tory faction lommeneed criminal proceed-
ings against the three prihcipals, and also indicted Richard
,k,Aeurr; a carpenter, a'id William Ball, watchmaker, for
a riot.
It is an indisputable fact that nearly all that occur-
red of a censurable character may be traced to tho fact of
the auctioneer having attempted to dispose of the arti-
cles in a shop 18 feet by 11 ; the numbers who attended
were counted by hundreds, consequently the pressure of
the dense throng without was such as to occasion
considerble inconvenience to those within. Oke was
frequently called upon to adjourn to the Cross,
a large space of ground nearly opposite his own
house, but this he refused to do. The sale was postponed
from the morning to the afternoon, when it was seen that
the Church party were packing the room ; and then it was
that the anti-Church-rate men began to demand admit-
tance, and some windows were broken in consequence.
The Judge, in his summing up, scouted the idea of an op-
position to Church-rates arising from conscientious set uples,
maintaining that while the law existed as at present, the
people were bound to conform to it and pay rates, par-
ticularly as they bought or took their houses subject
to the payment of such charges. He said he had never
heard of any of these conscientious gentlemen having
repaid the money that they had saved by the non-
payment of rates to their landlords, and till they had done
that the less they said about conscience the better. The
Jury, after this summing up, found the defendants Guilty,
and die Judge then sentenced Barrett, Edwards, and Ran-
dall, to a fine of 25/. each, and all the defendants to one
month's imprisonment, and to be bound over in their own
rceognizances of 1001. to keep the peace for three years.
'1 he indignation of the public was roused at such a re-
sult, obtained on disreputable evidence—the evidence, in
part, of spies who had been employed and paid for their
attendance at the sale. The consequence is that the
Dissenters have begun a formidable opposition to
Church-rates. Yesterday, (Friday) the war was re-
newed. An attempt was made in St. Mary's parish, to
impose a rate of two-pence in the pound, an amend-
ment was proposed that the meeting should be
adjourned to that day twelve months. The original mo-
tion was carried by a show of hands, but the Dissenters
demanded a poll, and although beaten, the opposition will
in future be of such a determined character that the Tories
will be glad to make peace by foregoing the rate.
In the evening there was a large meeting held in the In-
stitute, which was crowded, at least a thousand being pre-
sent. The object of the meeting was to sympathize with
the sufferers, who are ordered to be treated as common
felons; to declare that the conviction of our fellow-towns.
men in no way affects their moral character or pre-
vious reputation; to agree to a memorial to Lord
John Russell for a remission of the fine and impri-
sonment ; to call upon the nation for subscriptions,
and to express an opinion on the injustice of the col-
lection of Church. rates. These resolutions will be found
in another column. There was a deep conviction of wrong
sustained by the defendants, and every favourable allusion
to them throughout the evening met with a hearty burst of
applause from the highly-excited meeting. Robert Michell,
Esq., was called to the Chair, and on the platform there were
many gentlemen who had not been seen there before, but who
now declared that the encroachments, and bitter persecut-
ing spiiit of the Church, demanded the opposition of every
lover of his race and country.
The CHAIRMAN read the notice calling them together,
and expressed his cordial concurrence in the objects of the
meeting.

Me.litiuds moved the first resolution, in doing which he
said the resistance of the defendants had been most manly
and conscientious in its nature, and they deserved the
sympathy and respect of their fellow-men, fur the
stand that they had taken on a question of such im-
portance as that for which they were 'now suffering in-
carceration
as common felons. There could be no-

thing more revolting to human nature than to see inno-
cence suffering for maintaining the rights of conscience—
for opposing by passive resistance a compulsory and odious

Mr. Baeaow seconded the motion. He fully entered
into the feelings expressed in that resolution. When they
saw peaceable, upright, honest men incarcerated in gaol,
after having been deprived of their property, for conscience
sake, it was enough to rouse them to resistance. It had
been proved by what had just occurred, that there were
many who could be easily purchased to give false evidence
against their neighbours.—(Tremendous cheering.) He
could not control his feelings when he saw those suffering
with whom he had been acquainted all his life—who bad
ever borne an excellent character—and who might defy
their maligners to impugn it by evidence worthy of the
slightest. credence.—( Cheers.) But the sufferers had the
sympathy of thetown. —( Great cheering. ) Whilst the clergy
were thus persecuting
,men they thought that they were
supporting their superstructure, but they would find that they
had knocked out one of the corner stones of their fabric.
11. S. STOKES, Esq. proposed the adoption of a me-
morial to Lord John Russell. He said, I think we can
have but one opinion. There is not one among you
that 'Ain, when the defendants come out of prison, think
the worse of them through what has happened.—(Loud
cheers.) Have they been guilty of anything that lowers
them as good characters ?—(No, no.) If they have lent
themselves to that which by the construction of the law is
called a riot, did they occasion a breach of the peace?—
(No, no.) Did they confer together by violence and
threats to disturb the peace of this borough ? No man
can impute that to them. Their object was to bring
public opinion to bear upon the question of Church rates
—to create public odium against the continuance of such
exactions—to show that there were men in the king-
dom who would adopt a system of passive re-
sistance against Church-rates, and thus convince all men,
who would not injure their neighbours, that the imposition
of such rates ought not to continue. Their object never
was to disturb the peace.—( Cheers.) The resolution that
has been passed, says that we sympathise with them, and I
am sure that you do.—( Loud cheering.) The Church
has lately become a great persecutor. We have heard of
one case after another, where she has shown her tyrannical
spirit. The first case was that of Morris in his prosecution
of the churchwardens, then of the Widow Wolfrey—
others followed ; but I ask you whether among the whole
you have
.heard of any such prosecution as this ?—( Hear.)
No, this is the crowning prosecution ; and if we but do
our duty—if we but sound our voices as we ought—if we
but make this matter known to her Majesty and to Parlia-
ment„ this prosecution will go very far to settle the matter
of Church-rates.—(Cheers.) The men now incarcerated
feel proud of their position, rather than disgraced. The
spirit which actuated the non-conformists of former days,
and which had long slumbered, has again been roused;
and these circumstances, with the other instances I
have mentioned, will bring public opinion to bear
upon the question of Church-rates, and ultimately upon
the question of national establishments, in a manner that
cannot be long resisted. —( Loud cheers.) They say that
our townsmen have been guilty of a riot, and Oke has
been the means of convicting these persons—of having
them kept on felons' fare, He has the satisfaction of
seeing two persons, members of a congregation of
which be was once a member—two persons whose
goods he took to sell for Church-rates, he has the
satisfaction of knowing that these two persons, along
with three others, now lie in Bodriain gaol, and upon
his oath.—( Hear, hear.) Let him take that satis-
faction to himself ; no doubt, when he lays his head upon
his pillow, he will feel the greatest pleasure at his success ;
but for my part, I would rather be one of those men, lying
on a straw pallet with a clear conscience, than Mr. Oke,
or any body else in his situation.—( Loud cheering.) If
Lord John cannot justly interfere on this memorial, it will
at least show that the delay of Ministers in settling the ques-
tion of Church-rates is pregnant with danger, thatday after
day respectable Dissenters are being plundered and thrown
into gaol for conscience sake, and all because the Whig
Ministers are afraid to grapple with this question—all be-
cause they are afraid to grapple with the Bishops and the
House of Lords.—(Cheers.) It is a lamentable thing
that these heart-burnings are tocontinue in this borough_.
that there is to be again a distress on several Dissenters
next week for Church-rates. I give you a lawyer's warn-
ing. You see what has happened—how easily spies are to
be hired who are ready to pounce upon you.-_( Hear,
hear, hear.) Nothing can escape their vigilance and
their maw—nothing is too hard for them to swear to.

1, therefore, warn you not to open your lips, but to keep
within doors, and not to do any thing that can be construed
into a riot. The Dissenters must allow themselves to be
plundered wholesale, and to have their goods sold without
even looking on. They must be content to suffer,
and simply confine themselves to an expression of
their feelings in such meetings as this, whore they
have no spies to put them down, but where they
can hasten the destruction of so ;tyrannical a
system.—( Cheers.) I hope that when these men are libe-
rated we shall go forth to welcome them back to their
homes— (Cheers)—to show them that by thus meeting
them in public we think none the worse of them for what
has occurred.—( Loud cheers.)
The Rev. W. MOORE, in seconding the adoption of
the Memorial, said that it was much to be deplored

that in the present day the darker age was coming
over them, and casting a shade upon our country.
They were told by the Judge whom they met the
other day, that while it was the law to pay Church-rates
it should be obeyed ; hut was he bound to obey every bad
law that another might choose to impose upon him ? Did
our forefathers obey the law of the land, when it sans
enacted that no dissenting preacher should come within
five miles of a town ? No ; they did not, and it this was
the law of the land, it was as much his duty to refuse to
submit, as it was theirs.—(Cheers.) The Rev. Gentle-
man went on to remark upon several recent oppressions of
the Church, against whose tyranny it had become every
man's duty to make a bola and determined resistance, and
gave his valuable testimony to the good character of those
defendants with when' he was acquainted, and expressing
his disgust at sonie of the means taken to obtain a verdict.
Mr. Teat-oa briefly moved the next resolution, remarking
that the greatest enemies of the Church were to be found
in her owe bosom, and nothing was more likely to do her
injury than the prosecution which had just taken place in
this county.
Mr. DAVEY, in seconding the resolution, remarked that
Lord Brougham had said, that for laws to be obeyed
they should be just. Were those laws just which cona
pelted people to pay for that from which they derived
no benefit ? They had been told to-day, at the vestry,
that there was church-room if they would attend;
but if the whole of the Dissenters of Truro attended
the churches, all the Church-people would have to turn
cut, for the Dissenters formed by far the largest number.
Mr. Davy then made some spirited and humourous allusions
to the conduct of the Judge during the trial, which called
down the greatest applause from those present.
Mr. Pools moved the next resolution, in doing which
he justified the conduct of the Dissenters in their refusal to
F(tty Church-rates, by quoting from that of the Dean of
ork, who refused to pay because he was not providedt
with sittings, and also Lord Wharneliffe, who would no
subscribe to a Chapel about to be erected on his estates
his reason being, that he thought it best that every man
should pay for his own religion. He also went, at great
length, into an account of the encroachments of the
Church, and expressed his determination never to pay an.
other Church-rate.
Mr. Jolts JAMES, a member of the Society of Friends,
seconded the next resolution.
Mr. Doonoon said he had attended the trial at Bodmin,
and when he heard the evidence on both sides, before the
eummieg,-up of the Judge, he felt confident, and so did
almost every oize in Court, that the jury would acquit the
prisoners.—( Hear, hear.) It was too late to attempt to
go into the evidence, but he would only refer any man to it,
as it had been published that day, without the interested
appeal of a counsel, or the dictum of a Judge, and then
he would ask whether it was possible to have found the de-
fendants guilty ?—( Cheers.) He was confident, however,
that this persecution would have the opposite effects to
those expected by the Church party, and they had already
begun to see their error—they had already expressed a
Wife to Taesh future rates, and had that day proposed
that the Corporation should give up their seats,
and they would then abandon Church-rates, unless
under extraordinary circumstances.—( Hear, hear.) They
saw the impoliey—the utter imprudence of incurring
these repeated heart-burnings, so destructive to cordiality
or good feeling in the parish ; and he verily believed
that that proposition would not have been made but
for the determined energy el the opponents of Church-
rates. He hoped none of them would be dispiri-
ted by what had just occurred. He had de-
clared since he had witnessed the wretched :ma
liguity of the proceedings at Bodtnin that,, so
long as he lived, he would never again.pay another Church-
rate.—( Trerneadous cheering.) Let them enter into a
combination to resist the impost. It was no longer any
use to petition, for every avenue of the House of Commons
had been crowded with counter petitions, and Lord John
Russell had, in consequence of that, and the small majo-
rity that he possessed in the Comieons alone, been obliged
to abandon his measure. This trial should only excite
to greater zeal_(Cheers)—to greater exertion. They
had a right legally and constitutionally to resist bad laws,
and if AO or 60 persons were found who would act as those
friends had done who were now incarcerated, the Church
party would not have the temerity to demand a paltry rate,
keeping the town him perpetual tumult. When the defend-
ants were at liberty he wished to see them brought in in
triumph, for he looked upon them as martyrs.—( Cheers.)
Ile knew that they were suffering very great privations, and
they were suffering fur them all, and if they did not
exhibit to them a testimonial of their respect, and receive
them with open arms, he thought it would be a sad dis-
grace to the Dissenters and the Liberal portion of the
community.—( Loud cheers.)
The Rev. T. Roaossox skid he never spoke at public
political meetings in his life, amt he never intended, as a
preacher of the Gospel, to take any lead in political mat-
ters. His reason for appearinaa on that platform to-
night was, that he believed and was sure that the
law of Church-rate was unjust and oppressive. He asked,
according to the rules of common sense, what right had
the Church of England to lay a tax upon Dissenters? He
knew of none, and the very word tolerate was grating in
the ears of every sensiale man. Who gave it buy
right to tolerate him ? It was his birthright to wor-
ship God in what way he pleased. They said it
was the law of the land. It was th• law of
the land in the days of Mary to burn heretics.
It might have been the law, but he defied any man in the
world to prove that it was just. lie had read the trial, and
he almost imagined that be had gone back—that he had
made a mistake in the year of the Lord in which he
was
born, and that he had came into the world in the sixteenth
century, when a Judge Jeffries went through the kingdom.—
( Great cheering.) Ile observed with considerable pain
the light and trifling manner in which conscientious mat-
ters were treated.—( Hear, hear.) " They had become
matters of importance within the last ten years." It was
well for Judges to have good memoriee—they had been
matters of importance for upwards of fifty years. An
individual who thought lightly of his own conscience would
think lightly of mine.—( Cheers.) Then again it was said
that this was such a trifling matter, why agitate the public
mind upon the question ? Why the trilling nature of the
matter tended to their own disgrace.—( Cheers.) Would
any reilectieg, any liberal-minded body come forward and
agitate the town for twelve mouths for the trifling sum
of twenty-four guineas?—( Loud cheers.) The Dissenters—
and he was a Dissenter to the back bone—if the Church was
so poor that they could not pay the expense of their own
Estab:islaneet, the Dissenters would ...make a collection
for them. ( Loud cheering.) Mr. Robinson went
on to notice ninny of the standing sophisms used by the
Church-rate advocates, but as they have been so often
dealt with it is unnecessary to repeat them. He added
his testimony to the good character of the defendants.
Thanks were then voted to the Chairman, after which
five cheers were given for the rioters; and three fur Mr.
Teoke. The meeting then quietly separated.

THE INVENTOR OF LITHOGRAPHY.—Fifty
years ago there lived at Munich a poor fellow, by name
Aloys Sencfclder, who was in so little repute as an author
and artist, that painters and engravers refused to publish his
works at their own charges, and so set him upon someplan
for doing without their aid. In the first place, Aloys in-
vented a certain kind of ink which would resist the action
of the acid that is usually employed by engravers, and with
this he made his experiments upon copper-plates as long as
he could affird to purchase them. He found that to write
upon the pLtes—backwards, after the manner of the en.
gravers, required much skill and many trials, and he thought
that, were he to practise upon any other polished surface, a
smooth stone for instance, the least costly article imaginable,
he might spare the expense of the copper until lie had suf-
ficient skill to use it. One day, it is said, that Aloys was
called upon to wi ite—rather a humble composition for an
author end artist—a washing bill. He had no paper at
hand, and sn he wrote out the bill with some of his newly_
invented ink, upon one of his Kilheim stones. Some
time afterwards he thought he would try and take an im.
pression of his washing-bill—he did, and succeeded. Such
is the story, which the reader most likely knows very well
—and hosing alluded to the origin of the art, we shall not
follow the stream through the windings and enlargement
after it issued from the 1 the parent rock, or fill our pages
\Nit% the rest of the pedigree—Senefelder invented litho-
graphy.—Londonand Westminster Review.

ELEVEN LIVES LOST.--A melancholy loss of
life occurred off the island of Sacrificios, Vera Cruz, in
January last. On the morning of the 19th, at which time
the wind was blowing a strong breeze from the north-west,
the pinnace of the Madagascar broke adrift, when Mr.
Weßings, the gunner, and 17 men, left the ship in one
of the cutters to endeavour to pick her up. They reco-
vered the pinnace, baled her out, both boats having be-
haved remarkably well, when the cutter, being at the time
about 50 yards on the pinnace's starboard quarter, was
swamped by a tremendous sea; the pinnace's helm was
instantly put up, but before she could answer it the same
wave struck her on the quarter and turned her bodily over.
With much exertion she was again righted, and the men
equally divided on each side of her, she still floating full
of water, but in a very short time was again turned bottom
up by the sea. Of the 12 men who were in her, four were
now swimming, supported by her largest mast, the rest
endeavouring to keep themselves up with the assistance of
the boat, from which, however, they were repeatedly
washed off, the wind and sea increasing to a fearful extent.
The gunner now left her and swam to windward, to look
after the five men who had been in the cutter, but failing
to discover anything of them, he was constrained for the
preservation of his own life, to abandon the search, and
make for the shore. Others were ultimately saved, but
the following perished:—William Scott and Thomas Tilt-
man, of llardway, near Gusport ; 'Christopher West, of
Emsworth ; John Dalton, of Portsea; John Bolton and
John Bennet, of Landport; William ---, of Romsey ;
John Stripe, of Havant ; John Burgess, of Liverpool;
William Riley, of Dublin; and William Usher.-1-iamp.
shire Independent.

NEW MAIL.—The Glasgow Mail was taken
off the road yesterday (Friday) and a new Mail commenced
running this day between Leeds and Doncaster, through
e-mneeting this town with the Carlisle Mail
Pontefitact,
at Leeds.—Doncaster Gazate.
MEETING OF TIIE CITIZENS OF CORK.—
•The parishes of the City meet separately to-morrow (Sun-
day), and on Monday the great aggregate meeting of the
citizens will be held, for the purpose of joining the univer-
sal people of Ireland, in conveying to the British
meta the national sentiments respecting the administration
of Lord Normanby, and the feelings of abhorrence and ap-
prehension which are produced in this country, by the pos-
sibility of its enduring, even for a single month, the ty-
twiny of a Tory Government. —Southern Reporter.

The first of a series of Lectures on Notional Chnreh
Establishments was delivered yesterday at the Free-
masons' Hall, by the Rev. Dr. Ralph Wardlaw. eTae
Hall was exceedingly crowded, and among the Dis-
senting ministers present we observed the Rev, 1,
Burnett. Rev. J. H. Hinton, Rev. Dr. Vaughan, Rev.
J. Clayton, Rev. T. Binney, Rev. Me liowee, and the
Rev. Dr. Fletcher, by whom prayer war offered up
before the commencement of the Lecture.
The Rev. Doctor began by deprecaite; the charge
' of presumption, to which he said he might have been
justly considered liable had he attempted the undertak-
ing on which he was about to enter, from selfesaffieient
forwardness : but he conceived that in yielding to the
solicitations of a large body of his brethren ; ice >Rr_i
discharging a sacred duty, and that had he declined to
respond to their call he would have been charge-
able with recreant unfaithfulhets to the truth.
The Lectures which he was now to eerameeee
were founded on the plan of connecting the discussion
of the general principles upon this subject, With a reply
to the statements and reasonings of Dr. Chalmers.
After stating that he should frequeetly advert to thove
opinions which he had alreadr, in certain ephemeral
productions, given to the public on this isubjeen the
Rev Doctor proceeded to say that the present Lecture
would be devoted to general definitions, explanations arid
illustrations of terms, and espetdahy of the terms
" Ecclesiastical Establishments," and " the Voluntary
Principle." In the series of Lectures deliverer! by De.
Chalmers, that eminent—and on many grounds de-
servedly eminent—man, had introdueed his argu-
ment with some observations upon the eon-
tisrency, in the great work of evanrciizing
mankind, between the use of means and dependence upon
divine influence for success ; and true it was -that the
general principles which Dr. Chalmers had upon this
point laid down must be the principles of all intelligent
Christians. The question entirely was, hows.vsr, not as
to the use of means, but as to the nature of the nieces
to be used ; whether the provision and the applicetion
of means for the support and propagation of religion be
the duty of the State,—or whether it should he left to
the zeal and liberality of the Christian Church exelniively.
It might hereafter be discussed how opinions upoa this
question were affected by the views of the resr.7l,-
five supporters with regard to the nature of the
kingdom of Christ. The matter at 1-,rs,nt to be
settled, was one which in all controversies was of first-rate
importance—the definition of terms—so that it weight
be clearly understood what was debated. The flea
question was as to the nature of Ecclesiastical Exta-
blishments. Many such had existed ; and there bad
been among them no inconsiderable diversity. Must,
therefore, each be taken up by itself, arid judged by its
own merits, from its own peculiarities, or were there
not properties belonging to them all, which might he
considered as constituting their generic and essential -
character ? According to Dr. Chalmers, the orteetioa
was as short and simple as it could well be
w:shed ; for he defined a Church Estehlisheneet
as a " sure legal provision for its ministrations" I
Some visionary notion indeed heel been entertained as to
the possibility of a connection between Church end
State without any endowment—and ',rarely by the
rulers of the State giving to a certain form of religion
the sanction of their authority. A mere declaration of
approval, however, on the part of the civil rulers would
in itself be very nugatory ; and there: mutt. be
thing more substantial for the zeal of .Churchmen- tee-
contend about, or to raise an indignant --phalhnx of its, .4
sent. It was curious to observe hoe the representations
of an Establishment had gradually dwindled from the
loftier and the more complete, to the humble and more
simple ; and the terms which, from the extension • ,
of the principles of civil and religious liberty,
were now adopted by many would hardly be recogeiee,ee
as describing the institutions which in olden times ex-.
cited the fierce advocacy of ticclesiitatics, in the full
strength of their haughty supreMacy. Times bad
changed. The Warburtonian "alliance" had descended
to the Chaltnerian " sure provision."—( Laughter.)
Hooker appeared to consider that the King was the
" head" of the" Church," mereia as the Commonwealth,
in its ecclesiastical capacity—oe the " State" Was; the
nation in its political capacity. Warburton, however.,
represented the Church and State as two distinct and
independent powers, who allied themselves for their-1
mutual defence and advantage. Now its to the I
holependence of the Chureii, it was en illusion
to coefeund the " Church" in the abstrect with
the '• Church" as established. As the Church was, in
itsel', no assertion of its independence ecuild be too
strong. It was for that independence of all enable -
authority that the advocates of the vole: sitar! prin,.
ciple took their stand.—(Cheers.) It was because they
would not have it in any measure qualified that they re-
sisted Church Establishments—for they believed that
such Establishments must qualify, and destroy the inde-
pendence of the Church. The constitution of the
Church had been settled by the authority of Christ,
and no power on earth ever hod, LAI now, ere
ever could have, a right to interfere with
(Hear, hear, and loud cheers.) The very accfptint, on I
the part of the Church, of a " sure legal provision" front
the State, implied a bargain and conditions, ; nod if,
after that bargain, the Church asserted her right to
I alter the formularies of her worship, the answer w,,s,
" as a Church you have, as an Established Cliureh
have not"—her independence was gone.—(i-1c0r,11,1r.)
The Rev. Doctor here referred to the authority of rho
late Principal Hill, of St. Andrews, win) had laid it
down that a religious Establishment timt the
State was entitled to know the opinions of the eotn..rs
nity of Christians to whom were imparted the herows
of the Establishment ; hence arose creeds and conf
of faith—and both the Scotch and English Chue h'"1""
rutted the right of the State to control the tie t"
the Synods and Councils of the Church. Mr. Gel:(l'.9tl"of
in his late work on the connection of the State
Church, stated that the State must have the poc'T.r
judging of all alterations proposed in the Church, and
of imposing a veto on such changes as might appear to
it inexpedient. And a writer in the last number of the I
Quarterly, on the Oxford Theology, said, " The eituas.
Lion of the Church as regarded the State, was at the
present crisis very alarming—for thin, though the
feet
Church had derived its authority and commission from
God, the State had acquired a right to correct tho
tendency to corruption in the Church, arid to limit
therefore its independence."—(Loud cries of Heat,
hear, hear.") Now, Mr. Gladstone :Ad. based his
theory of Church Establishments on an hypothesis
of national personality for he argued that
there must be a national conscience that this
national conscience could not be found among the mil-
lions of separate units of which the population was com-
posed ; and that it must be represented in the national
Government, which was bound to provide the means
for diffusing that form of religion of which its conscience
approved.—(Laughter.) The Rev. Lecturer went on
to say that he knew of no distinction between penen4l
and official religion : that this theory of national per-
sonality, hoe-ever it might at first sight seem founded on
good principles, had a most. pernieioeuesratgoendietucevotitind ;
create the idea of such a diatinCtiOli ; that ! with an hereditary monarchy and. v
save
titativpet ran
speak rot be supposed that the governing body would always
fi be composed of godly men. That
speak of any " official religion," to p
gion which diffused its influence into official arist'ire'l.
tion, and that all else was hut the represeuta3ttivg; hypocrisy, and not the representative religion of the • nation.—(Hear, hear.) The Rev. Doctor then es-
pressed Iris acquiescence in Die ( iestrnee`e definition or
a Church Establishment—" •a sure legal precision for reli-
gious ministrations"—which might be regarded as com-
prehending the three ingredients enumerated by Paley—
"a clergy, or order of men, secluded from the world, to
attend to the service of religion :—a legal provision
for their maintenance :—and the confining that
provision to the teachers of a particular sect. It was
not fair to represent private endowments as identical
with public endowments. It was an unsound argument ,
to infer this, because the State, in its judicial functions,
could determine whether the intentions of tire private
donor had been properly carried out. Surely it could
not be pretended that Lady Hershey's endowment co-'
quired the character of a State endowment by an appeal
to Chancery respecting it.—( Hear, hear.) Dr. Chal-
mers had put the case of a West Indian planter desiring
a Moravian missionary to instruct the tp,:gro‘:s
his estate, and maintaining him for that werk ;
and hid represented that us the " miniature model
of a Church establishment."—(Laughter.) Thar, was,
however, this unfortunate circumstance—that whereas
the planter's liberality would in this case be eponta-
taneous—the principle of a Church establislntient wat
Ur- Chal-
mers
compulsory contribution.—(Hear, hear.) d
had represented that though the Church might re-
ceive its maintenance—it Reed not thereforehr!creve its

- _
theology from the State ; and yet he had said it was the
duty of the State to choose the denomination of Chris-
tianity which should be endowed—and if the State bad
power to choose—it bad power to alter ; ao4
creeds authorised by Act of Parliament could

changed by the same authority.—(Hear, hear, ile4r.)
Novi, as to the voluntary principle, there was
.lass necia-
say for definition than for vindication•froth rpsrepres,n.

-.....-...-. ---
Wien. Its advocates Ibad been called, in derision, the
" Voluntaries;" perhaps they liked that designation
better than their opponents that of " Compulsories."--
(Hear, hear, and laughter.) The voluntary principle
was but the principle of " faith working by lore;'_..
(Cheers.) It included the distinct denial, certainly, of
the right of the State to interfere with the support r
extees.on of the Church ; and the no less distinct :di:r.'
-
mation that this was the exclusive privilege and duty t
the Church.—(Cheers.) Dr. Chalmers had Drof
to discover some wonderful ambiguity in the, vale,`-'"ea
principle, and had taken great pains to diiAinguilaltitlta.
twee-it what he called voluntaryism al) ititr, and v4iun.
taryisin ab extra; that is, between the return
a ean,gregation for ministerial laoubtiootttatirisey'r;:irrnintmoc;;;;',...
therwelves, and the contributions inch,
any
diffusingybndy e
,er d Christianou bt itnhsattrutchtoi onv
oti .or the purpoite
hear.) Trh.
eluded both these ?—(Hear,
~ergluteguve.,Dive;g3ttir
in conclusion adverted to Dr. Chelmer'
this point, and concluded amidst. great cbeering.