The Sun.
London, England, 1845-09-02 00:00:00

9J.v gin C cilk1:114

LONDON, TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 1845.

The letter of the Rev. W. G. WARD, with its appen,
dix, will be regarded by many as a singular document ;
hut those who know the Puseyites will
,consider nothing
really singular which proceeds from such a source.
They seem to us to confound right and wrong, truth and
error, and not a few of the other moral principles which
have been regarded by the good in all ages as the surest
guides for a virtuous and useful life. They re-
ject private judgment they reject even the
Bible as an instructor, and overleap at one bound
all the strong bulwarks of the Protestant faith, and
denounce the greatest blessing of modern times—
the Reformation—as a great crime. That we may
not be charged with misrepresenting their tenets, we
quote Mr. WARD'S own words. " Those," says he,
" who care to know my reasons for thinking that the
English Church, whether her voice be listened for in her
formularies, or in her practical teaching, is no trust-
worthy guide (and, I may add, for thinking that neither
the Bible nor antiquity, interpreted by private judgment,
are any trustworthy guides either); I must refer to my
large work, and to my Address to Members of Convo-
cation,' where they will find those questions treated at
length. An objection has lately been made to me
in private against what has just been said, as fol-
lows :—lt has been objected that the English Church
does teach with divine authority the creeds; because,
so far as they are concerned, she speaks' not as the
English Church, but as conveying to us the faith of
the Catholic Church, such as it was from the begin-
ning.' But let me ask—how do we know that these
creeds contain the faith of the Catholic Church such as
it was fr the beginning ? If by our own private re
searches into antiquity, then our rule of faith is not the
English Church, but; antiquity interpreted by private
judgment, which is altogether a different matter." These
are startling assertions, coming from a member of the
English Church, and they become the more alarming
when it is known that a very large proportion of the
men calling themselves Protestant clergymen enter-
tain the same Catholic doctrines. Should England ever
have the misf ettune to fall under the keeping of such
men in regard to religious matters, she would
speedily lose most of the numerous and inestimable
advantages conferred by the Reformation, she would
resign that spirit of free inquiry which has distinguished
her from moat nations for centuries, and le vert to a
condition little better than that with which she was
cursed during thet darkest ag.s of Popery. I Tire IT, INSURGENTS.— Letters fr. m the
Isnian Islands make mention, that, en the .`.,..5!h of July, the not to be f roan is
guided by- the Bible and his own judgment, the
tire anniversary of the lamented death of the small band under
was
performed in the question cernes—eeho or what is to be his guide ? Mr.
the brothers Bandeira, a funeral Berries.
Latin church of Cephalonia in reFmory of the deceased. The WARD and his party will tell us the priests, the men
eseth bell tolled, the sacred edifice was hung with black dra- who have by some mysterious influence received
) erj and in the centre of the aisle was erected a maeiticent a mission froth on high, and who only are entith d
catafalque, surmounted by a crown of palm leaves, symbolical
of martyrdom. No scroll or inscription indicated the names of, to point out and explain the will of the ALMIGLITY.
or on what occasion the deluded victims surrendered their ;In other words, the philosophers of the day, the
lives, but two groups of Italian ladies at oppceite angle?, and most celebrated characters in literature, arts, and
other two groups of Italian gent eaten at the oti.e; aeglas, .
sclence3, the brightest divines of the Protestant
attired in deep mourning, knecting and shee,:ling tears,
marked out ii y the event. After the perf ,rmace of high Church, and r•xposl!ori of the only true rule of
ms's, and the ~ft. cog up of a solsmn prajer to the Ail-nighty
I ith are give up tier jutigiucut., ;awl hitw before those
for the souls of the niustrious dead, a funeral dirge, printed divinea
lb gold' on black-edged paper, was distributed to all the de- forsooth, are commissioned
foist assisting at this melcucholy ceremony, personages, who,
by the highest authority to teach the ways of