The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1838-08-28 00:00:00

SAM SLICK ON THE BRITISH COLONIES.

" It is admitted on all bands now, by tories, wbigs, and
radicals, that the time is not far distant when the provinces
will be old enough for independence, and strong enough to
demand it. lam also happy to say that there is every dispo-
sition to yield to their wishes whenever a majority shall con-
cur in applying for a separation. It is very questionable
whether the expense of their protection is not greater than
any advantage we derive from them.
"That, said the Clockmaker, is what I call, now, good
sound sense. I like to hear you talk that way, for it shows
you participate in the enlightenment of the age. After all
the expense you have been to in conquerin', clearin', settlin',
fortifyin', governin', and protectin' these colonies, from the
time they were little miserable splindlin' seedlin's up to now,
when they have grow'd to be considerable stiff and strong,
and of some use, to give 'ens up, and encourage 'ens to ax
for 'mancipation, is, I estimate, the part of wise men. Yes,
I see you are wide awake. Let 'in look out the next mornin'
arter they are free for a visit from us. If we don't put 'em
throu' their tacin's its a pity. Tho' they are no good to you"
they are ,sorth a Jew's eye to us, and have 'em we will, by
gum
" You put me in mind of a British parliament-man that
was travellmn' in the States once. I seed him in a steam-boat
on the Ohio, r(a'most a grand river that, squire; if you were
to put all the English rivers into one you couldn't make its
ditto,) and we went the matter of seven hundred miles on it
till it jived the Mississippi. As soon as we turned to go down
that river, and stared, and scratched his head, like bewildered.
Says he, this is very strange, very strange indeed, says he.
What's strange? said I; but he went on without hearin'. It's
the greatest curiosity, said he, I ever seed, a nateral phe-
nomenon, one of the wonders of the world; and he jumped
right up and down like a ravin' distracted fool. Where is
it ? said he. What the devil has become of it? If it's your
wit, said I, you are alookin' for, it's gone a wool-gatherin'
more nor half an hour ago. What on airth ails you, says I,
to make you act so like Old Scratch that way? Do, for
goodness sake, look here, Mr. Slick, said he. That immense
river, the Ohio, that we have been sailin' upon so many days,
where is it? "Where is it? said I. Why, it's run into the
Mississippi here to be sure; where else should it be? or did '
you think it was like a snake that it curled its head under its
own belly, and run back again ? But, said he, the Missis-
sippi arn't made one inch higher °cone inch wider by it; it
don't swell it one mite or morsel ; it's marvellous, ain't it.—
Well, gist afore that, we had been talking about the colonies;
so, says 1, I can tell you a more marvellous thing than that
by a long chalk.

-"'There is Upper Canada and Lower Canada, and New
Brunswick, and Nova Scotia, and Cape Breton, and Prince
Edward's Island, and Newfoundland—they all belong to the
English. Well, said he, I know that as well as you do.
Don't be so plaguy touch! said I, but bear me out. They
all below', to the English, and there's no two ways about it;
it's the best part of America, too; better land and better
climate than ourn, and free from yaller fevers, and agues,
and nigger slaves, and hostile Indgians, and Lynchers, and
alligators, and such like varmint, and all the trade and com-
merce of them colonies, and the supply of 'factured goods
belong to the English too, and yet I defy any livin' soul to
say he can see that it swells their trade to be one inch wider,
or one inch higher; it's gist a drop in the bucket. Well,
that is strange, said he; but it only shows the magnitude of
British commerce. Yes, says I, it does; it spews another
thing too. What's that? said he. Why, says 1, that their
commerce is a plaguy sight deeper than the shallerpated
noodles that it belongs to. Do you, said I, jest take the lead-
line, and sound the river jist below where the Ohio comes
into it, and you will find that, though it tante broader or
higher, it's an everlasting sight deeper than it is above the
jinin' place. It can't be otherwise in natur.
" Now, turn the Ohio, and let it run down to Baltimore,
and you'd find the Mississippi, mammoth as it is, a different
guess river from what you now see it. It wouldn't overrun
its banks no more, nor break the dykes at New Orleans, nor
leave the great Cyprus swamps under water any longer. It
would look pretty streaked in dry weather, I know. Jig so
with the colony trade; though you can't see it in the ocean
of English trade, yet it is there. Cut it off, and see the raft
of ships you'd have to spare, and the thousandsof ships you'd
have to spare, and the thousands of emigrants you'd have to
emigrate to us! and see how white about the gills Glasgow,
and Greenock, and Liv erpool, and Manchester, and Binning-
fiCirus,s an n chance if i t
ttt
sneeze
eonevftz
oven
tehrent
that
sthihaaenp troowvorert urs ltodhr
elao
very
erkre.
ye
wind
; t
ol ink, et
comes;
n tbelanowt, rig oh
ifftt
don't, the leaves curl up, turn yaller, and tall off a fore their
time. Well, the next spring follormn' there is about six feet
of the top dead, and the tips of the branches withered, and the
leaves only half size; and the year after, unless it sends out
new roots, it's a great leafless trunk, a sight to behold; and
if it is strong enough to push out new roots, it may. revive,
but it never looks like itself again. The luxuriance is gone,
and gone for ever."

DR. HOOK'S SERMON,
PREACHED BEFORE THE QUEEN, IN THE CHAPEL ROYAL,
ON THE 17TH JUNE, 1838.

" Hear the Church.—Matthew, xviii.

This little sanctuary, in which we are now assembled, will
always be regarded by the English churchman with feelings
of pious sentiment and respect. Here, from time immemo-
rial, our sovereigns have worshipped and our bishops preach-
ed; and these walls were the first which heard the sound of
our English liturgy. Here young Edward imbibed the prin-
ciples of divine truth from the lips of Ridley and Creamer;
and here, in the reign of Elizabeth, her bishops, supported by
her united firmness, wisdom, and piety, manfully upheld the
principles of the English zeformatiou, maintaining the equi-
pose against the papist on the one -hand, and, on the other,
against those ultra-protest ants who wereauxious to introduce
the foreign system, and to revolutionize religion instead of
reforming the church. Here, too, Charles, who died a mar-
tyr for the principles of the church—for the church of Eng-
land boasts the only royal martyr in the calendar—sought
that strength from on high, which enabled bins to lay down
his "grey' discrowned head" upon the- block with a blessed
peace of mind, which a rebel nation; while depriving him of
everything else, was unable to take away. Here, ever since,
by faithful pastors, our British sovereigns have loyally, duti-
fully, and respectfully, but, at the same time, I hope with
firmness and fearlessness, been reminded of that solemn ac-
count they will one day have to render to Him who is King
of kings, and Lord of lords, and the Ruler of princes—here
they have been admonished of the awful responsibility of high
office, of the temptations by which they are surrounded, of
the example they are bound to set, of their duty at the nurs-
ing fathers and nursing mothers of the church—and here
those sovereigns, in the ordinances and sacraments of the
gospel, have sought for that divine grace, of which they have
stood in need as much as, yea, from their increased respon-
sibility, from their greater temptations and difficulties, if
possible, more than the very meanest of their subjects.
In such a place, then, it cannot be deemed improper if I
briefly lay before you the claims, the character, and the pri-
vileges of the church. May God the Holy Spirit be with me
while I speak, and with you while you hear; with me, that I
may speak boldly, as I ought to speak: with you, that you
may receive the word with pure affection; with me that I may
not give, with you that you may nut take, offence.
Now, at the very outset, I must state that I refer to the
church, not as a mere national establishment of religion, but
as the church, a religious community, intrinsically independ-
ent of the state; that is to say, I am about to treat of the
church, not in its political, but simply and solely in its reli-
gious character.
No one who reads the Bible can for one moment doubt
that religion is, or ought to be, a national concern, so long as
the Bible contains such awful denunciations- against national
apostacy and national vice, and while, among the predicted
blessings of Christianity, it was foretold as one, that kings
should be the nursing fathers, and queens the nor sing mothers
of the church. And to desire to belong to that religious so-
ciety. which happens to be established in our native land, is a
sentiment patriotic, praiseworthy, and honourable. But there
is a still further question to be asked; namely, whether the
society of Christians established by the government, and in-
vested with certain emoluments and privileges, be a pure
branch of that church which was instituted by our blessed
Lord and his apostles? And if it be nut such, however will-
ing we might be to preserve the peace of society, by refusing
to injure a national institution, we should, nevertheless, be
amply justified, as religionists, in refusing to conform to it.
If the mere tact that a religious society is established by the
civil government, be sufficient to claim for it our adhesion,
see what the consequence must be; we should be obliged, on
such principles, to become presbyterians in Scotland and
Holland, papists in Fiance and Italy ; nay, in some parts of
the world, worshippers of the mosque, and votaries of Brahma !
whereas the consistent protestant could not, of course, con-
form to the established in France or Italy, until those church-
es have undergone a thorough reformation; the consistent
English churchman cannot conform to the presbyterian esta-
blishment iu Scotland, but in that part of the island attends
the services of the Scottish episcopal church, which, though
at one time established, was, at the revolution in 1688, from
political considerations, deprived of its endowments, which
were then given to the community of presbyterians, which has
there become the established religion.
Bless God, then, we may, that the truechurch is established
here in England, and that, while as patriots we would sup-
port its establishment for our country's good, we can also, as
Christians, conscientiously conform it; yet it is not on the
ground that it is established by the state, but on grounds
much higher and holier than these, that in this sacred place
we are to state its claims. So entirely independent is the
church (as the church) of the state, that were all connexion
between church and state at this very moment to cease, (though
we may be sure the monarchy would be destroyed), the
church, as the church, would continue precisely as she now
is; that is to say, our bishops, though deprived of temporal
rank, would still exercise all those spiritual functions, which,
conferred by higher than human authority, no human authority
can take away; still to the vacant sees they would consecrate
new bishops, still ordain the clergy, still confirm the baptized,
still govern the church; our priests, assisted by the deacons,
would still administer the sacraments and preach the gospel;
our liturgy, even though we were driven to upper rooms of
our towns, or to the very caves of the desert, would still be
solemnised. We may be sure of this, for this very thing has
happened in times past. When the United States of America
were English colohies, the English church was there estab-
lished : at the revolution, the state was destroyed. Monarchy
has there ceased to exist; but the church, though depressed
for a time, remained uninjured : so that these—among the
American republicans—under the superintendence of no
fewer than sixteen bishops, you will find her sacraments and
ordinances administered, and all her ritual and litdrgical
services celebrated, with not less of piety, zeal, and solemnity
than hear in England; there you may see the church, like
an oasis in the desert, blessed by the dews of heaven, and
shedding heavenly blessings astound her, in a land where,
because no religion is established, if it were not for here,
nothing but the extremes of infidelity or fanaticism would
prevail.
And so you may perceive what is meant, when we say, that
we wish to speak of the church, not as an establishment, but
as the church, a religious society, a particular society of
Christians.

We will commence with an indisputable fact. In this
country there is at the present time a religious society, known
by the name of the, church. The question is, when and by
whom was this-society. instituted? -
Now the lionian cat hulks or papists assert that it was in-
stituted and founded, like the generality of protestant sects,
by. certain reformers in the 16th century, and thence they
would deduce a strong argument against us. They would ask
us, whether any man can take unto himself the office of the
ministry, utiles he be sent by God; and if we are scriptural
Christians, if we take the; Bible for our guide, if we act on
that sound protestant principal, with the fifth chapter to the
IlebrewS open before us, we must answer, no. Then they
proceed to ask how can you prove that your ministers are
called of God to the office. And if their assertion were true
that our church was founded at the reformation, we could.
give them no answer at all. •

But at the period of the reformation, when Cranmer and
Ridley flourished, there was a church existing and established
in England, and as archbishop of that church, Cranmer; our
celebrated reformer, was consecrated. That church had ex-
isted,, as all parties admit, from the first planting of Christi-
anity in England. But Archbishop Cranmer found, that in
his time, it had become in certain. respects corrupted; that
the Bishop of Rome, fur example, bad usurped over it an au-
thority and influence which he did not possess by right; that
many practices prevailed, some of them contrary to scrip-
ture, and some of them much abused to superstition ; such as"
the worshipping-of saints and images, and the use of the li-
turgy in a language not understood by the people,—while opi-
nions were prevalent (such as those relating to transubstan-
tiation,) decidedly erroneous, which the church did not. pre-
test against, but, on the contrary, rather seemed to sanction.
Now when once these errors were pointed out and proved to
be unscriptural, our divines would have been guilty of heresy
had they pertinaciously adhered to them. Before the refor-
mation, those who adhered to them were not guilty of heresy,
for they held the doctrines which, (ever since the reforma-
tion,) we have renounced, front a mere error of fact. They
supposed them to be revealed doctrines, and therefore they in
humble faith received them; we, on the contrary, have ascer-
tained that these doctrines were not revealed, and therefore,
influenced by the same faith, we reject them; so that it was
by one and the self-same principle, that both before and since
the reformation, the true members of the church of England
have been actuated. They said, and we say precisely the
same, whatsoever is revealed that we will not question but be-
lieve. But as to the fact, whether this or that doctrine was
revealed, they were less cautious than we are now; we who
perhaps err on the very side of caution.
But to return to the archbishop and the prelates who aided
him in the work of reformation. They discovered that all
the errors which they detected in their church were innova-
tions gradually and imperceptibly introduced, and not belong-
ing originally or essentially to the church of England; that,
even in the seventh century, five councils were held in Eng-,
land, when the doctrines denounced by the reformers were
unknown. What, then, did the archbishop and his associ-
ates determine to do? They determined, as they had ariun-
doubted right so to do, not to overthrow the old church and
establish a protestant sect in its place, but merely to reform,
to correct abuses in the existing church. And, aided by the
civil powers, this they did, by asserting, first. their own inde-
pendence as bishops against the usurpe authority of the pope,.
wbo had no more authority of right in England than the Bishop
of Canterbury had in Rome; by discontinuing practices which
led evidently to unscriptural superstitions; by protesting
against certain prevalent erroneous doctrines; by translating
the scriptures and the ancient ritual and liturgy, which latter
(the ritual and liturgy we still retain) besides translating,
they re-arranged. But, though they did this, they still re-
mained the same bishops and divines of the same church. An
attempt was made to revive the old superstitions in Queen
Mary's reign, but, by the pions firmness of Elizabeth, her
bishops were enabled to complete the work so happily com-
menced in the reigns of her father and brother. _

Now, from this-historical statement, you see the absurdity
of which the papists are guilty when they accuse us of having
deserted or dissented from the old church, and of having
reared a new church of human origin—the absurdity of their
speaking of theirs as the old church and the old religion.
About two years ago, this very chapel in which we are
now assembled was repaired, certain disfigurements removed,
certain improvements made: would it not be absurd, on that
account, to contend that it is no longer the Chapel Royal?
Would it not be still more absurd if some one were to. tittild

a new chapel in the neig,hbourbood, imitating closely what
this chapel was five years ago, and carefully piling,up all
the dust and rubbish which was at that time swept from hence,
and then pronounce that, not this; to be the ancient chapel
of the sovereigns of England ? The absurdity is at once ap-
parent; but this is precisely what ,has. been done by-the Ro-
man Catholic or Papist. The present church of England is
the old Catholic church of England, reformed, in the reigns
of Henry, Edward, and Elizabeth, of certain superstitious
errors; it is the same church which came down from our Sri-
and Saxon ancestors, and, as such, it possesses its original
endowments, which were never, as ignorant persons foolishly
suppose, taken from one church and given to another. The
church remained the same after it was reformed as it was be-

fore, just as a man remains the same man after he has washed
his face as he was before; just as Naaman, the leper, re-
mained the same Naaman after he was cured of his leprosy
as he was before. And so regularly, so canonically, was the
reformation conducted, that even those who thought no re-
formation requisite, still remained for a time in the church;
they did not consider what was done (though they did not-
prove of it) sufficient to drive them into a schism. It was not

till the twelfth yeai of Queen Elizabeth's reign that, listening
to the exhortations of the Pope, they quitted the church and
formed a new sect, from which the present Romish dissenters
have descended, and iu which were retained ail those errors
in opinion and practice, all that rubbish which the Catholic

chin:ch. in England had at the reformation corrected and
swept away. Let it alwas be remembered that the English
Romanists separated from us, not we from them : we did not
go out from them, but they from us. The slightest acquaint-
ance with that neglected branch of learning, ecclesiastical
history, will convince us of this. They lett the church of
England, to which they originally belonged, because they
thought their bishops had reformed too much, had become
too Protestant; just as Protestant dissenters left us, because
they thought we had not reformed enough; that we were, as
they still style us, too Popish. The one party left us because
they wanted no reform, the other because, instead of a re-
formation, they wished a religious revolution—the reformers
oft he church of Eniland carefully preserved a middle path.
The church of England, then, that church to which we
belong, is the old Catholic church which was originally
planted in this country. But the founders of the church Of
England—remember I do not mean the reformers—for no-
thing but ignorance, the most gross, will speak of them as
our founders; ignorance, which concedes to the Papists an
argument of the very greatest importance—the founders, or
planters of the church of England, both Britons and Saxons,
were bishops ordained by other bishops, precisely as is the
case at the present time; the catalogue has been carefully
and providentially preserved from the beginning. The bishops