The Sun.
London, England, 1842-09-21 00:00:00

THE QUEEN'S CONSCIENCE.

The Non-Intrusionists are showing the last
symptoms of desperation. Defeated in the law courts,
discountenanced by the public, slighted by Royalty,
and with a dreary prospect of increased expenditure and
diminished income before them, they have become
utterly reckless, not merely of character, but of what
many of the least able among them will find to be the
very means of living. While they had hopes of main-
taining their ascendancy, or holding out an equal fight,
they were careful not to expose the Establishment
principle to risk or ridicule; but now that their
discomfiture is certain, they have become the best
allies of Voluntaryism. If anything could induce a
belief in the sincerity of their professed determina-
tion to go out of the Church, it would be their ob-
vious efforts to make it not worth remaining in.
Convinced that they themselves cannot much longer
enjoy the advantage?, of State connexion, they seem
resolved to render the endowments of their succes-
sors as precarious as possible. Better, they think,
that there should he no Church, than that there
should be a Church without them as its otlice-bearers.
This feeling has been indicated more than once
within the last few months; but never so strongly as
since the Queen's non-attendance at the High Church
of Edinburgh. The Scottish Guardian's remarks are
already known to our readers ; but the -Witness, al-
though in more cautious phrase, has been equally im-
pertinent. Not content with expressing grievous
disappointment, this pious and loyal journal has been
showing its regard for the text, "Honour the king,"
by hinting at the fate of Charles I. and James VII.,
as warnings to our excellent and beloved Queen, and
exposing the weak points of State religion, by insist-
ing that her Majesty should have nothing but a po-
litical conscience, or one that should adapt itself to the
religious opinions of her subjects, wherever she may
for the time be.

Dissenters have been in the habit of urging that
the connexion between Church and State places the
Govern:nent in an anomalous position ; but they
have hardly gone the length of the Witness in urging
the individual responsibility of the Sovereign. If
it be true that her Majesty must personally coun-
tenance every form of worship that is supported by
the State—personally take part in the religious-
ceremonies of every sect that enjoys the advantages
of. Government support—she • must discipline her
conscience till it become much more elastic than
even the Witness would like. In some parts of
England, she will be Puseyite ; in others, Low
Church ;—in some parts of Scotland, she will be
Presbyterian Non-Intrusionist ; and in others, Presby-
terian Moderate ;—in Ireland, she will be by turns
Episcopalian, Romanist, Presbyterian, and Seceder ;
and, should it please her to pay a visit to the more
distant portions of her empire, she will have greater
changes to undergo—even to Mahommedanism and
the creed of the Brahmins. Moreover, if she must
join in one part of the religious service, why not in
more ? The Presbyterian may ask her to sit down
at the Lord's table ; the Romanist, to join in the mass ;
the Mahommedan to perform the ablutions ; and her
Hindoo subjects, in the unfortunate event of Prince
Albert's death, might require her to mount the funeral
pyre, and submit to be consumed with the corpse.
It will not do to say that the violation of her Ma-
jesty's conscience, in the one case, would be more
than in the other ; for, besides that strict conscien-
tiousness makes no allowance for small departures
from the truth, the Witness knows that between Pu-
seyism and Romanism there is less difference than
between Puseyism and Presbyterianism • and that the
clergyman who conducted the services before her Ma-
jesty in Dalkeith Palace, would rather officiate in St.
Marv's than in St. Giles.
Nor is it alone in denying a conscience to thp
Queen that the lVitness belies the principles that reli-
gious men profess to hold. Speaking of the attend-
ance of the Prime Minister in the parish church of
Dalkeith, he says—" What does it matter to the
Church of Scotland where Sir Robert Peel worships,
or what he worships, or whether he worships at all ?”.
Really, for the organ of a party who pray publicly
and earnestly, every Sunday, that our rulers may rule
in the fear of God, this is rather a strange doctrine.
But it is quite consistent with their recent acts, which
seem to say plainly—Let us succeed, or let everything
go to wreck and ruin.—Aberdeen Herald.

[ADVERTISEMENT.] c
PARLIIMEN. TAlt[
tiCeEevilosNaisrlisrrilfgEfi;..o—ln
The daily instances which occur of
-concerted
and
speculative associr,
that the Parliamentary
tuns, the breaking
render ui pt
to
of
bi lel
Committee' appointed in 1841,
of this nature, was so soon terminated.
inquiringpu into abuses
its sit-
ting, however, many valuable suggestions wereing
out for the protection of the public ; amongst others, thrown
registry, of the deed of settlement of every established the
Company, and the publication from time to time ofthe
;lames of the shareholders ; and it is true that two
or
three Companies were brought under the notice of the
CoMmittee (the Law Life Assurance, and the Protector
: Life-otiice), as having published not only the named, but
the residences of their shareholders, with the number of
shares held by each ; and it is to be much regretted that
this example has not been more generally followed, as by
this regulation alone the public have within their reach
the evidence of so many living witnesses, that the Corn..
puny or Society they may be desirous of treating with is
'acting in good faith, and is altogether secure and respect-
_ able.
Mns. HOFLAND'S NEW NOVEL.—It is so long since
• this highly popular writer appeared before the public,
' that her new hovel of " The Czarina" was looked for
with unusual curiosity and interest ; and the result has
more than justified these. It proves to be truly what its
second title promised—" An Historical Romance of the
Court of Russia," and .at the most remarkable and ro-
mantic period of that Court—namely, at the accession
of net Cather he First, immediately after the death of
Peter the Great. The numerous scenes in this r3mance,
illustrative of the extraordinary condition of Russian
aristocratic society at the period in question, are exe-
cuted with as much truth es spirit ; aad the parts which
many of the old Russian nobility play in them must ex-
cite great interest in the
reader, considering that every
one of the names who figure in the work, maintain
"ally the same position in European society now as
I they di‘i a hundred years ago. The love story b:ended
with the fate of the unhappy " Cz•irina" includes. every
t.o.feature to interest the younger and more romantic por-
i a of those readers which the popular name
a Mrs. Hotiandwill
11 secure to- this work.
After the landing
of her Majesty on Saturday, the
General Steam
ship Trident, :v. Navigation Company's splendid steam
Dockyard, I.,vooalsPlced in a convenient position on' the
Board for the recetch., that the arrangements made on
spected by the officers of her Majesty might be in-
be the intention or s and authorities. it was stated to
the Directors that the fittings and
immediately taken downce"aion by her Majesty should be
they may not be ernroyednfd carefully preserved, that
'..TITE.: COURT.-4 or ma?r any less dignified service.
accompanied by the Prince
Jeefstcy and Prince Albert,
Vales and the Princess
Royal, are shortly expected to
leave Wiudsor Castle
for 'Claremont.—Lord Aber
from attending the Queen in - has arrived in town
Scotland.—Sir Robert
Peel is expected to arrive in tows from
his seat, Drayton Manor. nin a few day