The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1839-06-25 00:00:00

OXFORD DIVINES-PROGRESS OF POPERY.

(From the Dublin Statesman and Record.)
At a late meeting of of the Bible Society in London, a
gentleman made a speech, in which the following statement
appears. We are not at all surprised that the priests of
Rome should glory in the semi-Romanism which prevails to
so alarming an extent at Oxford ; but our astonishment is,
that they should be so unwise as not to keep their own secrets.
Like Dr. Drumgoole, they sometimes " let the cat out of the
bag" and instead of observing that silence, which Jesuitism
inculcates, they allow their joy to get the better of their
judgment. The following specimen will illustrate our re-
mark :

" I will just add, however, one remark ; because I think
it may be well to know what is the thermometer of public
opinion in Rome, and what is the estimate they form of our
position at this moment in Great Britain, and how we are
regarded in what is emphatically called the capital of the
Christian world.' It is the prevailing impression, then, my
Lord, at' this time, in Rome, among the priests—indeed
among all classes that are well informed there—that we are
on the very eve of abandoning the principles of Protestantism,
and going over to the Roman Catholic Church. Now I pledge
to the truth of that fact : it is no secret : it is the usual con-
gratulation with which they approach you. There is a kind
of fraternal embrace which they are willing to give ; and the
foundation of this regard is, a supposed assimilation of
feeling and principle, and that we are on the verge of em-
bracing the Roman Catholic faith. I asked the question,
and a friend of mine asked the same, pray, upon what
evidence do you ground this supposition ?" "We ground
it," they replied, " upon facts that are too obvious and too
well known to require being stated." We requested that
they would state those facts—state them in detail, and argue
the point, if necessary, to establish them. Now, though
I do not think it would be prudent to enter into all the argu-
ments that were brought forward, I would beg to say, that,
among the causes which they assigned for this supposition
that we are on the point of joining the Roman Catholics,
some were political, of which their admission into parliament
was a leading feature : another was, the multiplication of
their places of worship, by means of Protestant money, and
with Protestant attendance, and Protestant occurrence : and
then, last of all, they appealed—and, I am sure, with a
feeling of triumph on their part, which, upon mine, I felt as
an insult—they appealed to the state of one of our universities.
I lament, my Lord, to say it—l truly lament to re-echo the
remark ; but the cause of Truth requires me to be faithful.
I impeach no man ; I do not impeach that body of men
whom I allude to. I candidly acknowledge their claims to
piety, and to zeal, probably far superior to my own ; though
I must as candidly acknowledge, that I do not concur in
their interpretation of Truth. But I feel it necessary to
state, that our friends at Rome said, '• Go to Oxford—go to
your seat of learning—not a place in a corner—not a place
marked by ignorance, but where science has established her
banner—the place were your youth are educated for all your
professions—and from whence your ministers are to be sup-
plied ; go and look there ! they are doing our work so
effectually, and that we have no need to do it for ourselves !