The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1838-06-05 00:00:00

which bact, been committed to our care; we must shrink

from tlo exertions, however laborious—from no reproaches,
however .s.6ifere which may Inset us in the dischargeour duty to whip% we have bound ouraelves. We know whom

we serve; we know the master whose steps we trove even un-
dertaken to follow,' we-0a man of sorrows and acquetnted with
grief; we 'mow that the captain of *our salvation—he Irons whom
our faith orrVnistes, aod on whom it 'is founded was, during bis
abode on earth, despised and rejected 'of, nets; end "the ser-
vant is not above his: Lord." Looking, then, to him for our
example, we must run-frith patience the rat'e set before us; we
must count all things but lost for the excellency of the law of
Christ, and for that gosnel which he laid down his life to give to
us. We must be ready to sacrifice every earthly cousideration
in announcing this as the, only name given under' heaven
whereby man can be saved, and we must glory in the'apostlet
application of the glowing language of prophesy—" how beau-
tiful upon the inuuntains• are the feet of them who bring good
tidings and publish peace."—You, my brethren, to whom I am
now addressing ins selt, without doubt, believe that there is no
church in Christendom which has a stronger claim to the faith-
ful allegiance of her sons than the one to which we belong;
and, on the elevated ground, and on the conviction, that in both
her doctrines and her precepts she comes nearest to the apos.
tolic copy. She stood nobly forward to dispel the darkness
when the light of the gospel had been obscured and almost lost
amidst the early rise of Papal superstition, and early gained the
title of being the glory of the reformed churches. We trust she
has done nothing to forfeit that high character which she stilt
maintains, abd under the blessing of God will long continue to
maintain, the purity of the faith-mice delivered to the saints.
You are devoted to her, it is hoped, upon more enlightened
principles than the narrow feelinies of sectarian zeal, from re-
garding her as the faithful repository of the redeemed world—
as' the guardian Of the system of truth which leads to everlasting
life, 'You wilt naturally wish to see ber :animated to the ad-
vancement of true religion, spreading wide the -language of sal-
vation, and offering to all the rich and precious treasures in
which her whole hopes are built; you will adopt the language'
of one of her eloquent advocates, " I would 'wish .to see tl e
established church of Englaud greaf at? powerful; I would
wish to see her foundations laid low and deep; I would have
her head raised up to that heaven to which she conchicts us; I
would have her open wide her massive gates to all with liberal
compasSion, but I would have no breaches in her walls; 1 would
have her cherish all those who are within, and pity all those
who ate without ; I would have her a firm bletSing to the world,
an ensample if not an instruction to the whole of those who
have the happiness to belong to her. I would'have bet give
lessons of peace to inankiud that a vexed generation might seek
for repose in the bosom of Christianity, anti not in the harlot
lap of infidelity and indifference." But how can this wish be
better accomplished thou by the union of the energy of all her
friends? We know, indeed, that our church is in the bands of
God; but we are bound to take every care that can conduce
to her safety. We believe her to be fOuucted on Scripture; and
as it has pleased God to withdraw the extraordinary gift of the
holy Spirit, and to leave the future extension of his holy reli-
gion to human aid, supported by the holy influence of divine.
grace, the
• • unity of wisdom and purity is more than ever neces-
sary ; and indifference, and seltishnets, and sloth ought to have
no paLe among
I. •
lowed with other views. These are not the times for a listless
inaction; there are various causes at present at work calculat-
ed- deeply to affect the interests of the chord) which we love
and venerate ; they are too apparent to he unseen 'from our
view; they are too important to be clisreg,arded ; they hold out
a warning which ought not to be loSt upon us; but it should
speak to us only of increased faithfulness and zeal. We must
indeed feel how inadequate we are of ourselves to do this, but
we should feel all things through Christ, and the grace of God
will not be wanting to those who are earnest in their defence.'
And we are contending for the purity of rhat•institutiou which'
we believe to be the puiest church of Christ on earth, and to be
built on a stable foundation, Jesus Gist himself being the
chief corner stone; and we should stand•forth, therefore, not,
indeed, in our own strength,but called, in fighteousness, and uni-
ting the wisdom of the serpent with the harmlessness of the dove,
to maintain the principles of our faith and of moderation, yet, at
the seine time, with the unshaken consistency which becomes our
profession, with Christian charity and Christian meekness, but
at the saute time with undoubted arninesi and with devoted re-
solution. In discharging the momentous responsibilities which•
in this respect lie upon us, we must not marital from ourselves
that the eyes of all are directed towards .tts; . Some anxiously
lay hold of every opportunity to misrepresent and to traduce
us; others, while they affect to feel some; for our faults, are
too apt to place them in au unfavourabler.ight more than they
deserve, and nut a few, perhaps, are inetitifed to seek an excuse
in their own failings-in the infirmities whirilkhey see in us. It
is, no doubt, a difficult task so to walk• as to keep ourselves
from all blame. if we are quiet we are charged wick remiss-'
ness; if we are active, we are considered tocrinterfering ; if we''
inculcate practice, we are said to be deficient+ in -faith; if ww
enforce doctrine, we are accused of being neglectful of mo-
rality ; if we content ourselves with the simplicity of the -Gos;
pel, we are described as lying down and loving to slumber ; if
we enter into controversy, we are condemned as bigots. And if
such be the acciisatiens of our enemies, there io sometimes, I'
regret to say, Si) much of lukewarmness in our friends as in-
duces them to lend a too wilting ear to these unreasonable repre,,
sentations. Still, however, the remedy is in our own hands; to,
pursue the straightforward course, deviating neither to the one
side Dor to the other, and taking that elevation of character
which can only be gained by the union of these qualities en,
joined by our Saviour, wisdom and innocence. A zealous
and conscientious discharge of our duties, tempered by discre-
tide', .and 'adorned by sensibility, and purity will, generally
speaking, secure for us the attachment of those with whom we
are professionally connected if we but speak, and do the things'
which become sound in doctrine; if we but feel the power of
that religion which we preach. and preach the power we feel ;
if we endeavour to rightly to divide the word of truth; if we
apply it judiciously to the wants and circumstances o those
whom we teach; if we are ever ready as occasion may require
to instruct ignorance, support weakness, to raise the despond-
iug, to cheer the uenitent, to rouse the careless, to warn the
fearless, and to warn the reprobate, we may reasonably look for
the blessing of God on our labours, and if we do not succeed in
attaining the good opinion of those who are determined not to
see anything that is, good in us, she shall, at least, conciliate the
esteem of the pious, and the virtuous, and reap even more—,
that reward which isthe fitting object of our desires, so long as
we use not for the purpose.of self gratification, but only as it!
enables us to extend our usefulness, and provide additional
means of glorifying our Father who is in heaven. Let us then,
my brethren, steadily put sue .our course of duty with a zeal
enlightened by wisdom, and.purified by meekness; let us place
our confidence in Him in whom alone is our strength; and in
conclusion, I would exhort you, not in the feebleness of him
who is now addressing you, but in the energetic language of
one of the most eminent preachers -of, the 17th century.
" Go forth, and preach Christ Jesus the Lord,, determined to
know nothing among your people, but Christ crucified. Let his
name and grace, his spirit and love triumph in the midst of all
your disc..urses; let your g•eat end be to glorify him in the
earth, and to render him precious in the'eyes of his people;
lead them to him as a sanctuary to protect them, apropitiation
to reconcile them, a treasure to enrich them, a physician to heal
them, an advocate to present them and their. services to God,
who is wisdom to counsel, is righteousness to justify, is redemp-
tion to save." Now to God &c.
._ .

The Lotto Bishop having then entered within the rails be-
fore the altar the clergy assembled round him, and answered to
their names as called over by his officer, to the number of about
80. The right rev, prelate then proceeded to deliver his charge
to them; but we heard him so indistinctly we can only present
an outline to our readers. They were met together to take
counsel in things in which they were immediately concerned,
and in the first place he noticed the -necessity that existed, in
the rapid 'evolution in time, for them to *or-k.for the glory of
God "while it was called to-day,". Many subjects there were
of ecclesiastical policy which might excite their interest
or suspicion, but he found himself irresistibly carried
on to one -object as far transcending every other,—he
meant the local advancement of religion in their own pa-
rishes, and the ,districts committed to them as the-. par,i-
cular field which was assigned to each. This seemed the point
to which their atteution might, still -most properly be directed.
In all 'natters of general religious legislation, they remained
touch where they were ten years ago. They bad alwa3s
had changes in project and changes in experiment; but,
as to ail essential things, they remained unchanged. Our ad-
ministration had still the some opportunities of usefulness, an&
were still encountered by the same obstacles. Ile knew ni t
that the one were increased, and he was not sure that the other
were decreased. Now, had they (the clergy) waited mean-
while, and suspended their exertions, very different would have
been the aspect of things at the present hour. Their concern
was of time and eternity; time flies too rapidly to be lost ; the
interests of eternity are too serious to be neglected. They
might hope, therefore for better fruits from having used the
• means they had. The object set before them, though still far
distant in the horison, was not so distant as before; some ob-
stacles that intervened had been removed The right rev.
prelate then went ou to notice the most prominent spiritual
wants. One of the most prominent was the want of religious
education; the young must be brought up in the knowledge of
the Lord. In reason, the nature of education must be deter-
mined by the nature of the subject of that education; and,
since man was an immortal being—since his eternal
existence must depend on his conduct in this world—chive-
What profiteth it unto a man to gain the whole world,and
lose his own soul ;" therefore the kirowledge of God was eter-
nity to hint. The, education, also, which provided for eternity
was tire roost valuable for him, for it was better ealcwlaied than
any other education to strengthen and expand the faculties of
.the mind. There were those who thought that the studymf the
bible contracted the mind and fettered the understanding; but
let such remember that the greatest men this country had tVti•
known, and those who had arrived at the greatest degree of
worldly knowledge, had ever been most conversant with the
bible. Education led to evil except where the head .was stort d
the mind was brought wider regulation; and the mind could
be regulated in no other way except by- those .great truths of
scripture, of love to. Christ, -binding., the heart. The passions
were not controlled nor the appetites brought into subjection,
because the mind was acquainted with,literature or the arts,
with history or geography. Bow frequently did we find the
most. transcendent abilities connected„ with, corruption of heart.
They had no safeguard that a merely. intellectual man would
be an useful member of the community to which he belonged;
he might be a slave to debasing vice and a pest to. society.
; The want of education—scriptural . education—did not arise
so much from the want of schools as from the ignorance
of parents and the unwillingness of persons, to send their
, children to them. This arose from many causes, from
the necessity of children; at a very , early age, working
for their subsistence—from the temptations to which they were
exposed which made them unwilling to attend school. Legisla-
tive enactments could do little in this respect to change thena -
tore of man; nothing but morel teaching and gospel exercise,
would ,clo.away with this. In connexion with the national so-
ciety, 59 new schools have been.established in the diocese, con-
taining 21,000 scholars, and had .been raised at an expense
X-44,692. In proportion as they.were enabled to carry mil.
ous education through the mass of .the population, they wou
find it inure efficient. Those who were instructed and we, c,
I brought afterwards into contact -with others, would find then.
r also untleykthe control of like influences; the dangers of. ass,-
ciation would be prevented, and companionship would. not be
'to corrupt but to iMprove. ,l-e rejoiced-to meet the .clergy uior
' with increased hope. The times had received them wilt' kspirit
of enmity, which, instead of laying their honour its the dust,.ha,:
awakened them to fresh exertions in the cause of Jesus Chris
Since his last visitation. 30 churches had been erected,. and •
more were building in this part of the diocese; and when them
I churches should he completed, the diocesa.would be richer b'.
100- churches than when they had met before within-the lass
three years. Our government must be shown, that no
trate is so effective as tbe minister of the church; that no 'v.v.::
are-so effective as the laws of God. ,
fitter the conclusion of the charge, the visitation broke I:1- .
; • three .o'clock. , To-day a confirmation will be held by
BiSliop, at the different churches.

We understand that a ser►uon to young persons generri''
and especially to those fecently confirmed, will he preache..
St. Andrew's Church to-mor►ow evening, by the Wot,ol
the Chancellor of the Diocese.
RAILWAY TO NEWTON RACE COW? SE.,-We under,
considerable improvements have been made'•nn this branch,.
prevent delay or accident with the trains to Newton races--i
►f we may judge from.the entry of horses for the anfuiug
tug, there will be no Lick. of spurt.