The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1839-11-05 00:00:00

CONTEMPORARY PRESS.

REPEAL OF THE ROMAN CATHOLIC RELIEF
BILL.
(From the Brighton Gazette.)
It has become a question demanding the deep con-
sideration of this country—How far are we justi-
fied in suffering the Roman Catholic Relief Bill to re-
main on the statute book, now that it has proved a
complete failure as regards all the ends for which it
was passed ? Its object was to unite Roman Catholics
more closely with those who refuse to yield subjection
to the Pope of Rome—a very good thing, no one will
deny. But where is the happy result to be looked
for ? Between these Charity, it was contemplated,
would step in, and, like a Roman: cement, would out
of them form one solid community, which no foreign
enemy would ever be able to shake, and which would
create a security against all those internal commotions,
that are sometimes of a fatal tendency to the welfare
of a state as any foreign aggression. Let Ireland
speak to this point. Instead of charity, there has
grown up a feeling the very reverse. If the Protestant,
by his religion, is not at liberty to entertain the same
feeling towards the Romanist, which the Romanist
may towards the Protestant (and may, too, in perfect
consistency with the tenets of Trent, which his Church
has received as a supplement of the Faith,) he may
still be led by a variety of circumstances to kindle into
anger or jealousy against an opposing system. This
has been the case. The Roman Catholic Relief Act
aroused all the dormant enmity of Rome towards the
Church of England ; and there have not been wanting
fanatical and designing men to encourage this feeling
in its growth, and spread among the people who be-
long to the Romish Community throughout the coun-
try. The Protestants have seen this, and in their turn
could not fail to form other views of Romanists and
Romanism, than they had formed prior to the passing
of the Act. With the change of their views came, as
was both natural and just, a change of their feeling;
and the end has been that, between two causes, the
ground which before lay between the two communi-
ties has become wider and wider, till at last all hope
of consolidation would seem ,to be extinguished for
ever.

Another class of advocates of the measure argued
that Romanism had altogether changed its ancient cha-
racter. The light of knowledge, it was said, had shone
upon its darker features, as well as upon other things ;
and it was foolish to dread a repetition of those acts of
intolerance and persecition, which had been before
connected with it in the later stages of its history in
this kingdom. The good and charitable-hearted portion
of Englishmen were willing to take this agreeable as-
pect of the matter, upon the credit of those who pre-
sented it to them, without any other proof that they
were right in doing so. The few,—such as Lord Eldon,
Bishop Van Mildert, and Dr. Philpotts, the (then)
Rector of Stanhope,—spoke, and wrote, and opposed
in vain. Their fears, they were informed, had no
foundation. Roman Catholics were as much interested
in the prosperity of the empire, as Churchmen could
be. It was cruel and unjust, therefore, to retain the
chains and fetters, with which the prudence or, it
might be, the necessities of former monarchs and par-
liaments had bound them. Lord Elden's arguments,
and entreaties, and deprecations were received as the
words of expiring dotage ; Dr. Van Mildert's as bigotry
and uncharitableness ; Dr. Philpotts' were read, ad-
mired, acknowledged to be unanswerable, and disre-
garded. Nothing was allowed to stop a measure in
favour of a few millions of subjects, now that they had
renounced (under the force of modern enlightenment)
all that was alarming to Protestants, or objectionable
in their belief and practice. The republication of Peter
Dens,—the late canonization of a Jesuit,—the massa-
cres which are every day committed in Ireland upon
the members of the Church—the principles of the
various recent Romish Societies,—the conduct of the
priesthood,—and divers other things, may fairly be
left to show whether or not Popery has changed its na-
ture, or whether it has given up one inch of its domi-
neering pretensions.
Others thought that much good would result from
the circumstance that the Act would place both Ro-
manists and Protestants upon an equality, which could
not but produce mutual kindness between them. The
very idea of such an intercourse as it was supposed
would follow, leading to the conversion of Protestants
to the Church of Rome, was scouted as deserving the
utmost ridicule. Time, hoe ever, has shewn that the
ridicule belongs to those, who were so foolish as to
believe that it would operate in the contrary way.
Then came a fourth description of reasoners (among
whom Dr. Chalmers takes his stand,) who urged the
measure because the effect it must necessarily have
would be to make the garrison, as he denominated by
figure the Protestant Church, more vigilant of the foe,
after they had admitted him within their gates. That
great man, like many others who were led by this
sophistical argument, overlooked the simple fact that
there must he the danger, before there could or would
be the produced vigilance. It was also overlooked by
them, that the danger might possibly be an over-match
for the vigilance; that the foe instead might have re-
course to other enemies who were still to be kept with-
out, who would on that account be most ready to assist
in reducing that strength which they regarded with
jealousy and aversion.
Thus, in every point, the Act has disappointed the
wishes of those who advocated it on good and patriotic
grounds : it has not begot a better, but a worse under-
standing between Romanists and Churchmen. It has
not led to any improvement of Popery itself. The
rancour of a Papalist is as bitter as ever. His whole
spirit and aim are the same. Modern Popery does not
disavow its object, but boldly, by a variety of organs,
declares its unalterable purpose to be the uprooting of
heresy, which is the name it gives to the Church of
England. The said Act, again, has not satisfied the
Romanists with regard to the equality upon which it
was alleged that it would be felt to have placed them.
The Lord Chancellor must still be Protestant ; which
provision is offensive to Air. O'Connell, and must be
abolished next Session. That gained, the next matter
of complaint will be the coronation oath, which com-
pels the Sovereign to be a Protestant—to be of the re-
ligion which only comprehends a part of her subjects; a
grievance this which never can be borne. Lastly, the
danger to which it has exposed the Church and State
has not according to the reasoning of Dr. Chalmers
and his party, produced such a counteracting vigilance
as would redound to the stability of the established
religion of this country.
Now these are not our conclusions, but the conclu-
sions of every man, of every rank and denomination,
in the present day, who knows any thing of public
matters. The question, then, with which we started
is,—Are we, in the face of these facts, to remain in a
recumbent posture, till Popery has re-established its
full power amongst us ? No sooner, in general, is the
evil working of any statute perceived, than we have
some one demanding alteration and amendment—
some "liberal" statesman who cannot suffer a law to
continue, which produces results the very reverse of
what was intended by its framers. Yet nothing of
this sort has hitherto appeared in regard to the Relief
Bill. And it is because if has worked so well for the
country, that no alteration is needed ? This no one
can say. If ever an act went contrary to all the pre-
dictions and expectations of its advocates, it is the Act
in question. What, then, is to be, or should be
done ? If we allow things to go on, speedy ruin -must
he the consequence. There is, therefore, but one
course of safety for us to take ; and that is the repeal
of the evil measure. This step may be postponed from
lack of courage to carry it into execution; but come it
must, unless we are prepared to see the days Of Mary
re-acted, and the British nation again paying homage
to the Pope of Rome.

MANCHESTER OPERATIVE PROTESTANT ASSOCIATION.
—The first anniversary of this association is announced to
take place on Tuesday evening next. The Rev. T. D. Gregg,
of Dublin, is especially invited for the occasion ; and it is ex-
pected that several clergymen and gentlemen will take part
in the proceedings. We understand that this association has
been formed about twelve months, and has done much to
counteract the progress of popery in this neighbourhood.—
Manchester Courier.
A new Methodist Chapel is about to be erected in Peel,
mach larger than the present chapel in that town. To for-
ward the undertaking a considerable contribution has been
sent from Manchester, and several of the inhabitants have
subscribed liberally.—Manx Liberal.