The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1846-03-17 00:00:00

THE EVANGELICAL ALLIANCE.

[We have been requested by a highly respectable gentle.
man in this town, the writer of the two first letters sub-
joined, but who has a strong aversion to his name being
prominently brought before the public, to give inse:tion
to the following correspondence, which, to most of our
readers, will sufficiently explain itself; and we refer those
who wish to ascertain more precisely what has given
occasion to the letters to the szrmon itself.]

TO THE EDITOR OF THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD,

DEAR SIR—In consequence of the conversation I had
with you on Saturday, and conformably to the resolution
then formed, I wrote a note to the Rev. Hugh M`Neile,
to which I have now the pleasure of handing you his reply.
That reply is not only kind and prompt, but fully cor•
roborative of the view which you expressed, and which it
seemed to me desirable to get his authority for you to
announce as correct in your forthcoming notice of the
third edition of his sermon on " The manifested oneness of

the Church of Christ." In the preface to that edition,
the distinguished author declares,

suaded that it contiinida snare for: tt
cal Clergy of the Church of England;

tion from v
only consist

I feared some readers of this

;e might suppc

Mr. M'N

a sort of double-tlealin,„
posal for uniting the church as a pretence, while th
design was to help forward an anticipated disruption in ti
Church of England. Such a design I hive the best reas,l
to know was not at all in the minds of the excellent t ro-
jecnrs of the conference, and still less can the imputation
of harbourinc it be laid against the members of that con-
ference. To make this evident, I may he allowed to

rs of the alliance with
and a pro-

th bringing for

state some of the circumstances tha
being called. _ _ .

t led Co the c

A desire of Christian union having been deeply felt and
widely diffused, meetings for united prayer and brotherly
communion on the part of rnin!f:•--
several Christian denominations were he'
parts of the kingdom. At a meeting s'

and tasrna•n of
d i

ifferent

kind, in Edinburgh, so far back as 1843, th,
Balmer, professor of theology to the united

3 forced a view of

i iii., 15,16,

priely of getting a series _
verses, with a view to making the churches more aware 01
the present lamentable state of defection from the
apostoiic injunction there contained. Accordingly, Drs.
Chalmers, Candlish, Balmer, Wardlaw, Symington, King.
Struthers, and 111 r. J. A. James, were requested to pre-
pare essays on distinct departments of the theme, which
they kindly and heartily undertook to do. These were
in due time published, at the expense of th.
referred to, and very extensively distributed and circul
As an appendix to the essay on the state of religions

of essays expository c

of the gentleman

and, the author. Mr. James, added a letter he
.d from Dr. Patton, of New York, suggesting
a conference in London of all evangelical denominations
throughout the world. That suggestion being viewed as
important, the gentleman already referred to, and the
Rev. Dr. King, of the church already named, after con-
sulting brethren, put themselves in communication with
men of eminence and weight, both in the Church of Eng-
land and in different dissenting churches. The advice
given was, that a number of Scotch brethren, whose
names and characters were so generally known as to en-
sure attention to their invitation, should convene a con-

receive

ference somewhere in England. Liverpool was ultimately
the place appointed. The result is known. The conference
was held, and proved a season of refreshing communion,
such as parties who were present conceive was never paral-
leled since apostolic times. It may have been that the
divine Head of the Church, having great and trying work
for his people to be engaged in, sought to prepare them
by His own blessed presence. Surely, however much we
may sift the proposals made, and test them scrupulously,
we ought humbly to avoid rash and premature censure.
You may rest assured that the sincere aim of the parties
is to promote union and brotherly love on Scriptural prin-
ciples. They feel that the dissensions, the debates, the
suspicions, the animosities, which divide those " whom
God hat h joined," are sinful and destructive at once of the
church's peace, its purity, and its progress. Whatever
false hopes many may entertain of the rapid conversion of
the world by an exbArtion of Christians living in har-
mony and holiness, these cannot of course be adduced as
arguments against the alliance—the object of which, es
just stated, must commend itself to every Christian. It
is an object ample enough to engross the attention of the
alliance, without the addition of other objects, (such as
opposition to Popish error,) which, however good in their
own place, and at the proper time, are not within the im-
mediate, at any rate the present, scone of our operations,
as a committee seeking union for its own sake.
From Mr. M'Neile's letter it is obvious that his sus-
picions are founded on circumstantial evidence only, to
which can easily be opposed a glass of direct negative
testimony; and the evidence, such as it is, would proba-
bly never have excited his attention if he had not looked
on the Conference as a movement originated by the Free
Church, which the foregoing statement will prove is not
quite the case. And yet, admiring, as I do, many of the
proceedings of the Free Church, I would riot be afraid to
stand up, unworthy as I am, in their behalf; but will, ne-
vertheless, content myself with saying, that I believe they
were sincere and honest in seeking Christian union only,
though it is possible some of their ministers previously
held an expectation, nowise, however, connected with the
Alliance, that some secession might, in the course of
events, arise to affect the Church of England.
I feel also called upon to state, that at none of the
meetings of the conference, or, I presume, of its corn-
mittvs, was the subject of such a secession ever mooted.
In conclusion, I must beg Mr. M'Neile to absolve me
from the charge of accusing birn that he imputes any base
or dishonourable motives to any of our brethren. If he
will have the goodness to refer to my letter, (of which I
retained no copy.*) he will see I expressed confidence that
he would be gild of an opportunity to clear himself from
the appearance of having done so.

I am, respectfallv. &c.
*** * *

* We subsequentli, obtained a copy

-E. L. S.

Bachelor-street, 141 h March. 1846

REV. AND DEAR have the most perfect con-
fidence—little short of knowledge (being conviction
founded on infi.rmation early and late, and on consi-
derable observation)—that the motives of the excellent
men who suggested, called, and attended the Union Con-
ference were pure, honourable, and EXACTLY teat the
objects indicated as its purpose might be supposed to give
prof of. I was therefore pained, extremely pained, to
find on first page of preface to third edition of your ad-
verse discourse a paragraph which, naturally construed,
seems to show that you not merely d,ubt this, but suspect
a snare was intended. A very respectable editor in town*
tells me you only mean that danger is involved. It will

give me pleasure if you enable ire to assure him, and any
of the brethren, that you impute nothing so base, but, on
the contrary, you would scorn to ht. the accuser thus of
Christ's people, which, however, I fear the natural con-
struction of the sentence most unfortunately makes you
appear to be—a circumstance I point out with the more
readiness because I feel assured you would regret it more
then any other.

I would be sorry to have this letter published, and rely
on your not doing so, but I would like to have leave to
authorise the editor aforesaid to give a disclaimer.
If it please our Lord to bless the association's humble
attempt to abate the dissensions that divide church"s and
individuals—and this is, I presume, all that is tensed at—
we may hope to hail you as a convert to the means, as you
already are a strenuous supporter of the object.
With much respect, Rev. and Dear Sir.
Yours faithfully,
** * *
To the Rev. Hugh APNeile.

21fonday Morning, 16th March. 184 G.
DEAR Stu,—Your letter reached me late on Saturd

evening. I lose no time in replying to it
any th;ng I have written has caused you pain ; but I can-
not feel the justice of your accusation, that 1 impute any
5, /vice" or clialintirunrohl.. mnliona fn any? es al

I Am sorr

I believe that many of the Free Church leaders in `cot.
land anticipated a similar movement in England. Their
own words might be largely quoted to this effect. Dr.
Candlish has reiterated it in his speech, in the Free Pres-
bytery of Edinburgh, cited in my preface. I

_ believe that
they would hare rejoiced in such a movement among us,
and that they thought " The Alliance" was well calcu-
lated to accomolish this, as well as other rood results. I

which gave the Alliance a charm in their estimation. M.
Merle D'Aubign6 was dearly and strongly of this way of
thinking and feeling, when he came here from -Scotland.
• In all this, however, there is no imputation of any
improper motive. On the contrary : upon their prin-

ciples it was. right and laudable so to feel. They had
taken a step in which they considered all the highest and
most indefeasible rights of the Church of Christ in Scot-
land to be involved. They were of opinion that the cir-
cumstances of the Church of Christ in England demanded
a similar step. And therefore it was a legitimate exercise
of Christian charity on their part, to wish to see their
evangelical brethren in England follow their example ;
and, by natural consequence, it was perfectly right in
them to rejoice in any proceeding which promised to effec-
tuate so desirable a result.

Yet, what was so well designed by them, did, I think,
contain a snare for us. Being of this opinion, I candidly
wrote it and printed it. My words, in the passage to
which you refer, are—" touching the Evangelical Alli-
ance, I am persuaded that it contained a snare for the
unsuspecting, &c."—and I see no reason whatever to
withdraw or modify that statement. _

Were any man 'to say, that the leaders of the Free
Church movement in Scotland II) not wish to see a simi-
lar movement in England, and would not rejoice in any-
thing which promised to bring about such a movement ;
I think that man might be fairly accused of imputing to
them very base hypocrisy. I cordially give them credit
for such ardent sincerity, that—l feel assured—if" The
Alliance" had led to a Free Church of England, they
would have hailed it as a great and glorious blessing.
As I wholly differ from their opinion, that a legitimate
—i.e. a scriptural—casys belli had arisen in Scotland, or
has arisen in England, I am, of course, very glad that all
such expectations as may have been formed, or half
formed, from the Alliance, have been disappointed so far.
And I do not believe that the Alliance possesses now, in
Scotland, 01 the attraction which belonged to it six

mouths ago.
With part of your letter I fully accord. "To abate the
disseniinns which divide churches and individuals" is, in-
deed, a blessed wcrli, and truly blessed are the real peace
But this is a deep vork, iv -
involving deepprin-
zVes, and '• -

makers

. demanding—for even a email measure of suc-
cess—much patience end unobtrusive Sf If-denial. It is
not to be carried by an experiment like " The Alliance"
rash in its origin, vague in its ebjects, and supeiticial, very
superficial in its cohtrense.

In reply to your observation about placing my answer t-
your letter in the hands oft he editor ofoneof our local news-

vapers, I be to request that you will give him this letter
for publication ; and I have to thank you for affording me
this opportunity of m re fully explaining myself on the
point in question —Believe me. dear sir, with Christian
esteem and respect, yours faithfully,
HUGEI KNEILE.
,

FREE TRADE IS SUICIDE ON THE PART OF
MR. COI3DEN AND THE WEAVERS.

(From tht Scotch Wormers' Gazette.)

On the principle of " hearboth sides," we give Mr.lsaac
Buchanan's ,xplanation of, how FREE TRADE IS SUICIDE
ON THE PART OF MR. COBDEN AND THE WEAVERS,
being now satisfied of Mr. Buchanan's honesty of pur-
pose, and that his single obje".

rer in Can

'reales.: am
He think

unt of employme
that the same le

amount of labour in (
olovroent in the moth,

a will reds

s to free trgde, as tending to lessen the amount of
Fment for the poor in this country as well at in

from a L

adon paper, is

from Mr

was shown that

m'cessarily, in i

.ry nature, lo

le principle of protec

)n abandoned, the coloni