The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1836-08-26 00:00:00

At' G CST 21 181%.

are, as usual, making broad assertions without even the shade of
authority, You then proceed to, say, "it is wor;hy of being
specially observed, that not a single instance remains in which the
text adopted by the compilers is of jested to." The very contrary,
of this observation" is the truth. I will give you two
more instances in the firstnumber of the Old Testament extracts,
" in which the text- is objected to," and consequently your
"safe assumption" will prove similar to your other assertions—
very unsafe groundao stand upon. The first instance occurs in
the sixteenth line of the 39th page:—" Being a priest of the
Most High God." - The second is found on page 122:—" And
Israel worshipped God upon the bed's head." Will you have
the kindness to refer to your " second-hand" criticism, and in-
form us from what ancient manuscript or version of any autho-
rity are these translations made? When you have exercised
your borrowed critical acumen on these passages, do not flatter
yourself with the delusive hope of reposing from your literary
toils. It requiree no deep or painful study to provide abundant
employment for critical labours upon these extracts. But I
ust also disturb your "safe assumption," that of the notes
"only three are found fault with." 1 will furnish you with a
few additional notes that have been " found fault with." In
the New Testament extracts, No 1, page 14, the note has been
" found fault with" as conveying a misrepresentation of the
Popish doctrine of penance. I'he note, " Before the angels,"
on 'page 85 has not escaped censure. My present views of the
subject lead me to place but little reliance on any argument
drawn from the extracts either in favour of or against the sys-
tem. It only proves that the extracts are good or bad; but such
conclusion cannot atfect the principle of the system. -.A society
founded on a good principle may produce some evil tracts,
'Whilst a society based on false principles may publish that
which cannot be found fault with. 1 beg you to remember that
I do not accuse you of any intentional misstatements on these
Points. Intentional misstatements can only be made by one
who knows the truth of his subject, and yet conceals or perverts
ProM any'Such knowledge I.• altogether exonerate you,'and,
. therefore, your statements are to be considered as the natural
result of ignorance of the amount of argument and objection
brought against, either the principle of the system or the quaitity
of the extracts.
After, according to your usual custom, confounding exclusion
.I.l'OM certain pritileges with authoritative interference with religi-
04i opinions or practices, and then writing some flimsy things
about " the inquisition and Star Chamber," "deluges of blood,"
" gums of cruelty and carnage over which humanity weeps,"
you then proceed, at page 37--" superficial thinkers like Mr.
nt`Neile may court a silly laugh by flippant allusions to the
vqluntary system, but he who has meditated with attention on
the sail lessons.taught by eccleSiastical history will lament that
any other was ever intruded into the province of conscience,
and will be coninelled.to acknowledge that a just view of the
nature and benevolent aspect'of the religion of the cross will
never be .presented to public attention until that. system re-
sumes its pristine ascendancy, and becomes egain, as it was
—during the first three centurie_a,ihe exclusive support of chris-
tienity."- Tire 'lhay certainly congratulate yourself that your
humanity has been sparedthe pain of weeping over thearad les-
si as or ecclesiastical history. This sentence clearly shows that
".meditation " upon them has never employed any portion of
Your time. You have heard of Dr. Chalmers, and may have
perused his writings. It is generally conceded that he is fully
45 capable of deep meditation as any profoundly-reflecting vo-
luntary of the present day. We have on reason to think that
the page of history has not been meditated upon by hiin. Not
being a "superficial thinker," his humanity must have wept,
his lamentations must have been frequent and prolonged over,
the ecclesiastical lessons; and yet—can you believe it ?—he
remains quietly within an establishment, and has even pro-
ceeded the daring length of proving himself to voluntary minds
a very " superficial thinker" by writing in defence of establish-
ments. Can you account for this strange circumstance, that a
man of deep meditation has not embraced the side to which
You belong? Why is not Dr. Chalmers " compelled to
acknowledge that a just view of the nature and benevo-
lent aspect of the religion of the cross has but yet been
presented to public attention ?" I do still charitably hope
that you are writing upon a subject with which you have no
Manner of acquaintance. Do you mean seriously to say, that
since the first three centuries " a just view of the natuie and
benevolent aspect of the cross" has faded from before the minds
of men ? Are we to credit your assertion that fur 15011 years
the world has been in ignorance of the fundamental doctrine of
salvation ? I know full well your inability to prove that there
necessarily exists in an established church a barrier to its minis-
ters " presenting to public attention a just view of the nature
acid benevolent aspect of the cross." If you consult the " Letters
to. a Dissenting 'Minister," or, the " Autobiography of a Dis-
senting Minister," or, kif you are.averse to books so "displeasing
to Voluntaries) "The Church Member's Guide," you will learn
that your vaunted voluntary system does not afford the facilities
for conveying "a just view of the nature and benevolent aspect
of the religion of the cross," as your blissful ignorance leads
you to suppose. Can you say from what producer of " second
nand" knowledge you have heard the assertion that the volun-
tary system was " the exclusive support of christiauity during
the first three centuries?" You have spared yourself the sor-
row of meditating upon the page of ecclesiastical history, we
cannot, therefore, be astonished that your assertion and historic
declaration should be opposed to each other. I beg to deny
Your assertion that the voluntary system formed the exclusive
support of christianity during the first three centuries. You
kave asserted that it did; produce then, if you can, any autho-
rity foit yOur'assSertion. It would be, sir, far wiser for you to
act upon the Ne surer advice, than be thus giving increasing
proof at each page of your pamphlet, how shallow the stream
of your knowledge runs. You would nothe blameworthy in
your want of inforMation on such topics, did you not undertake
to write upon them. But when you stand forth as the defender
of a system, you ought to have 'brought, at least, a competent
acquaintance with the subject in debate, into the field with you.
Phis you have not done'. What stores of knowledge you are
keeping in reserve, we know not, but judging from you publi7
cation, they are not calculated to cause much dismay, even to
a Wearied assailant. Your defence 'nut only betrays an absence
of all Correct acquaintance with the facts of history, but also
with the present state of the population amongst which you are
livino. You evidently do not know that the " vast majority"
of the protestant poor is opposed to the Irish system of educa-
tion. If vou and your brother .coiporatrs had enquired into
the actual state of the case, you would have discovered a strong
„whit of determined opaisition to the. system,
.pervading the
valtaliVjority" a. the protestantpoorat the north-end Of the
Ineva,-and I have na reason to think that the feeling is mate-
rially different in any other quarter. Upon the system of educa-'
tion lately introduced into the corporation schools, the poor have
not shown much of that " appalling vacancy of the mind"
that you soliherally attribute to them.
I now beg run attention to a paragraph on the sixteenth
page of your 'defence. " That it forms a part of the christian
system, that there shall exist a distinct order of men, called
clergy, or priests, specially endowed for the authoritative inter-
pretation of scripture, is a sentiment which lies at the root of
all the evils and .errors of the Latin church. It is this, also;
which gives to those evils and errors their fatal power and per-
petuity." The word Latin church may fall gracefully and
softly from the pen of a man who understands " little Latin,
less Greek,.and no ecclesiastical history ;" it is also well calcu-
lated not to give any offence to those who are charged with the
" evils and errors." The majority of the members of the " Latin
church" have never heard the term applied to their commu-
nion, and may therefore fondly hope that, as heretofore, you
ace alluclinK to the charch of England. You express yourself
in less mystical langu.age when you describe the nature of those
"evils and mane." You call them " fatal." This word, when
applied, to things:temporal, usually signifies " deadly ;" when
used us descriptive of religious doctrines, it means damna-
hie." "The members of the town council,"
..you tell us, " are.
1.• general, straightforward men." Bitt "straightforward men"
generally. use: straightforward. words, and will not seek for
stiffly-sounding language; :.comparatively but little understood,
When a plain word, hitherto in common use and well known to
fill parties, is ready at hand. As you, sir, are one of the mem-
bers of the 'straightforward town council, yeti cannot feel any
reluctance to permit the classic robieg Wee removed from your
ideas, and your " Latin" and its description. presented in plain
English to the.public.• Your sentence will then thus appear :
" The evils and errors of the Roman catholic church are
damnable." Fully coinciding with you in this-opinion, may I
• ask you, Wherein consists " the justice, the humanity, the en-
. lightened and truly-scripturel.prieciple" of adopting a system
whereby you aid and abet. the encouragement, promotion,
teaching, and perpetuating " the, damnable evils. and errors of
the Roman catholic church"? Are not the schools, conducted
on the Irish system, made 'the Means of upholding and extend-
ing these " fatal.evils and errors" ? The popish clergy are in-
. vtted to come to Stliciols;—You promise to assemble the
children—have the 'Main:tr or mistress in attendance—in a
• word, 'every accomModation afforded for teaching and perpetu-
,aling " evils and, errors" that you " conscientiously" believe to
be " damnable."' ' Wherein lies the charity—" the enlightened
benevolence," of facilitating the destructi, n of the hapless
little ones that 'yon assemble in your schools? It is not tolera-
tion that We jay to, rout charge, but we accuse you of undisguis-'
• wily sanetioning,, openly approving, and cheerfully helping
forward " evils and errors" that you pronounce to be " denina-
Ide2' It is this latitudinarianism that constitutes the deadly
of the Irish system. Whether the extracts be excellent or
objectionable is a matter of second-rateimportance in the scale
of inquiry. :.This system teaches the infidel principle that pro-
testantitin and Popery, Judaism and Socinianisin, may be
taught, without guilt,-in• a professedly christian lend—ought to
be treated with on equal terms, and each have the facilities
granted to them of teaching doctrines that stand as opposed to
!'acia other as Christ tOTelial, righteousness to unrighteousness,
light to darkoess. This system, instead of promoting peace,
•only keeps in lively "and active exercise the antagonist feelings
• .0f pi otestantisin antl:pipery;
It affords no hope that such feeling can be softened by mould-
,
• 'tog the 'tender minds of the scholars, into, uue. form of sound
vloetrine. Daily,. or weekly, es it may happen; the children are
to be .taught, in each other's; presence, the essential differences
between the opposite sysieni,to.which they respectively belong.
The popish children must be taught, if their teachers be con-
sistent, that they alone are withio the pale of salvation, and that
all others are schismatics and heretics, to be "exterminated"
when circumstances permit. The protestant children must be
taught, even on your own showing, that the .Roman Catholics
are hound with the chain of "damnable evils and errors. Is
this ik system likely to produce peace and good will, or to in-
'Janie angry 'passions, and perpetuate rancorous feelings? Your
?Wu untrue description of an.eetablishment education most gra-
nically paints cox oration school conducted on the Irish system
It . drain up, as it were, the different sections of the commu-
nity into hostile battalions—frowning defiance, and scowling
hatred upon oun'anolfier.". •Mr. WNeile's "graphic groupin g
of the children and the clergy in the,four cornets of the room,"
aptly exhibit their. "hostile battalions—frowning defiance, and
Scowling hatred upon one another." It would require a
stronger power than the `'Tom-fool" in the middle to keep them
from rushing together in pugilistic cOntest. '1 must take my
leave of yoor pamphlet for the present. As I began, so would I
mac', urging you to take the well-entertained and wise counsel
that 60 been givea you "to mind 'your own :business." By
confining your attention to it, and not meddling with matters
that are evidently beyond the reach of your knowledge, you will
gain some adaitionaltrobuients to reflect on that day When we
must all stand- before the indginent-seat of Christ, to answer for
the things (lone in the body,
.bizieerev,,Wehinlivtirillehrey be good,' or whether
they be our
All sciints' Church. JOHN LYONS.

. . --
. At J3ridford Court-house, on Tuesday, a man, who persisted
ealling•himself Lord John Russell, was tined 10s. and 13s.
noble name.
rests, for riotous conduct and an assault on the' police, and was
advised future, to call himself by some other less
FAL!: OF A Ctitamtv.—On Thursday last the large 'chimney
adjoining the vitriol-works of Messrs. Dobb, of Wigan, fell
down with tremendous trash. This chimosy was, we
the highest in the county, being 110 yards frotn the surface of
the-earth to the top. A short time ago it became manifest that
thisimmense :pilee was not exactly perpendicular; and, within
thetailtleiff'days exertion's have been made to remedy the evil,
which wasCaissed.lorthe foundation giving way—and the means
used, as we hear, were contra/I.y to the opinion of the architect,
air. N. Livingston : they were, however, persevered in until
Thursday morning, when it became evident that if the party
continued working,: they would be, buried in its ruins. These
aPProheirsions.turned out to, be well-fouUded--for about eleven.
°'.olock above half 'of it fell:down with such force, that most of
the-biieks -were _buried infthe lownd, and in tbeit progress
the snapped in two a, beam two- feet _six iucheb in diameter.
Happily no one was injured.