The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1838-10-05 00:00:00

Iderotional fealing‘ which gloryfy God and rebuke sin ; are all
interfered with, deteriorated, tarnished, relaxed, by the blight-
ing influence of an anti•christian system; a system which by
the disastrous invention of what it calls venial sins, under-
mines the foundation of true morality, opens a prospect of
impunity to wilful guilt, and thus inoculates with its demoral-

izing virus a community of fallen men naturally but too sus-
ceptible of the infection—what let me ask, should be their con-
duct ? Surely, if the direct prescriptions of the good physi-
cian, be nut so practically attended to as to put an end, or at
the least a check, to the spread of the disease; it well be-
comes those who value the everlasting health of human souls,
to endeavour to rouse to their assistance popular indignation
against the ruinous quacks, that so the plague may be stayed,
Ansi the country blessed with the ameliorating, the more than
auselioratiag, the healing vaccine of enlightened Christian
philosophy. (Cheers) Popery in its poisoning virulence within
cad its disfiguring marks without, is worse, beyond all com-
parison, than the small-pox. We stand here the Apostles of
a vaccinating reformation. Help us all ye philosophers, all
ye lovers of true wisdom, of the genuine philosophy which
soaring above, and beyond the .works of external creation,
aims directly at the glory of the Creator, in the salvation of
Ilse noblest of his works, formed in his own image. (Cheers.)
Why is the Papal plague so calmly endured in England?
Have Englishmen lost their sensitiveness to moral virtue, so
that they can contemplate hypocrisy, duplicity, intolerance
without a pang of revolting abhorrence? Have Englishmen
lest their veneration for the one only, living and true God,
whose name is jealous, so that they can see temples of idola-
try risingin their land, and performances of idolatry placarded
in their streets, and seminaries for the instruction of idolatry
supported by their national treasury; without lifting their
hearts in prayer to God for pardon, and their voices in loud
protestation aAainst their rulers for encouraging such tremen-
dous profanation ? (Cries of heal, hear, and cheers.)
"ave Englishmen lost their manly, dignified, chaste,
and tender respect for the retiring feelings,land the men-
tal purity of the female sex, so that they can expose
their wives and daughters, or hear of the exposure of the
wives and daughters of their neighbours to the deliberate con-
tamination of the auricular confession box, without a shudder

of indignation at the vile, prying, base, low, vu'gar, detesta-
hie curiosity, the seductive excitement, the impure meddling,
the prostrating slavery of that master-piece of satanic in gen u-
Ityr (Loud and long applause.) Have English senators
become so practically atheistical, so utterly dead to the
honor of God, and the sanctity of an oath, that perjury,
notorious unblushing perjury scarcely provokes a com-
ment: nay, more, that the men who are guiltyof it, in-
stead of being shunned as unfit for the society of gen-
tlemen of any party, are encouraged, and courted, and ap-
plauded ; their talents as speakers, or their influence as party
Politicians, mere than atoning fur their profaneness as false
swearers? (Cheers.) 'Truly, it is to be feared, that owing to
the uniformity of God's outward dealings with mankind in this
World; many who scarcely suspect it of themselves, do not
really and cordially believe his superintending majesty, nor
the distinctions, wide as heaven from hell, which He will fi-
nally establish amongst the children of men. Because
Punishment is not speedily and visibly executed against
an evil work, therefore the hearts of the evil workers
'Begin to take confidence that there will be no punishment at
all. The mystery of Providence is a snare to fallen man.
Man is not by nature acquainted with the secret; neither
can ke from any natural source derive the requisite informa-
tion. Nature is in fact but another name for Providence,
sod every branch and department of it is full of the ensna-
ring mystery. The sun shines equally on the Christian and
the Atheist. The showers nourish equally the fields of the
infidel and the believer. The merchandise of the just and
the unjust equally prospers, or equally fails. Time and
chance are alike to all. " All things come alike to all:
there is one event to the righteous, and to the wicked; to the
geed and to the clean, and to the unclean; to him that sa-
erifieetia, and to him that sacrificeth not: as is the good, so
is the sinner; and he that sweareth, as he that feareth an
oath."—(Ecc. ix. 2.) Nay more:—" For that which be-
falleth the sons of men befallen beasts; even one thing be-
falleth than: as the one dieth, so dieth the other; yea, they
have all one breath; so that a man hath no preeminence
above a beast: for all is vanity."—(Ecc. iii. 19.) Such is
the general aspect of nature, or the general mystery of Di-
vine Providence. This proves a snare to fallen man. Judg-
ing by the sight of his eyes, and the hearing of his ears, he
is tempted to conclude that all religions, or rather all opi-
nions professing to be religious, are alike acceptable to God,
because men of all professions are alike treated. lie is
tempted to admire and adopt such sentiments as the follow-
ing. 1 quote from a little handbill which is industriously
eirenlated by the enemies of our national institutions. It is
entitled—
" The Prayer of Joseph, Emperor of Germany, extracted from
en elsl German work, under the title (j. Joseph's Gebethuck,'

—the Emperor's Prayer Book.
" 0, thou eternal, ineomprehensible Being, who art the
fountain of mere] and the source of love; thy sun shines
etaally on the Christina and the Atheist; thy showers
nourish the fields of the believers and of the infidels;
the seed of virtue is found even in the heart of the impious
cad the heretic;—front thee 1 learn, therefore, that diversity
of opinion dues not prevent thee from being a beneficent
rather to all mankind. Shall I then, thy feeble creature,
be less indulgent? Shall I not permit my subjects to adore
thee in whatever manner they please? ✓Shall I persecute
these who differ from me in point of thinking? Shall I
spread my religion with the point of my sword? 0 Thou,
Whose mighty power and ineffable love embraces the universe,
grant that such erroneous principles may never harbour in
lay breast. I will try to be like thee as far as human efforts
can approach infinite perfection. 1 will be as indulgent as
Thum to all men whose tenets differ from mine."

Here the example of God in his present dealings with men,
is pleaded : and it is argued, that because he treats alike
men of varying opinions, so should we; that because he ma-
nifests no preference for any one creed, neither should we;
that because he is indulgent and bears with all, so should we.
If this be a sound argument, it must not stop with varying
opinions; because the uniformity of God's dealings extends
to men of varying practices as well as of varying creeds.
(Heal., bear, hear.) If his example, therefore, be pleaded
in the one case, it should equally be pleaded in the other.
I shall therefore propose another reading of the Emperor's
prayer V—
.—0, thou eternal, incomprehensible Being, who art the
fountain of mercy and the ►ource of love; thy sun shines
*llll4lly on the honest man and on the thief; thy showers
equally nourish the fields of the sober and of the drunk, of
the murdered and of the murderer!—from thee I learn,
therefore, that. diversity of practice does not prevent thee
from being a beneficent Father to all mankind. Shall I
thon, thy feeble creature, be less indulgent? I will try to
1.8 like thee as far as human efforts can approach infinite
perfection. I will be as indulgent as Thou to all men whose
practices differ from mine."

Thus the argument derived from this source against pre
&renew for one creed above another holds good against pre
fereuce of cue line of conduct above another. And the rea
*nil hence inferred against maintaining an established scrip
tural church in preference to an anti-scriptural apostasy
holds good against maintaining a police or magistracy or
leurts of justice, in preference to a den of thieves. (Shouts
of applause.) God in his providence does not manifest
any disapprobation of the infidel, therefore neither should
we. God in his providencedoes not manifest any disappro-
bation of the thief, therefore neither should we. God
manifests no preference for the Christian, neither should
we nor fur the honest man, neither should we ! (Hear,
heal, hear.) The inference sounds ludicrous, but the
argument will bear the strictest investigation. Do we then
advocate persecution? No sir; we prefer and we establish,
and we maintain: but we persecute not at all. Christianity
*takers it, the Protestant Reformation abjures it. Angry in-
dividuals may have been guilty of it, but the standards of
the reformed churches are as clear of it as the holy Scriptures
themselves. (Loud cheers.) As to the charge Chen of per-
secution properly so called, which it is the underhand disho-
hey: design of the propagators of these infidel squibs to fasten
!leen the established church. " Let the galled jade wince."
(Clseers and laughter.) These apostles of indiscriminate
indulgence are joined in a league, offensive and defensive,
With the only body of professing Christians whose creed, in
its unrescind.d formulas, pledges them to persecution. (Cries of
hear.) It is impossible to conceive a more conclusive
proof of dishonesty than this alliance fastens upon "our li-
erals." The excusing plea that Popery is changed, bears
falsehood upon the face of it. The experiment has been
tried. Tke British constitution, which is based upon the
Bible, and the ultimatum of all whose decisions is an oath
before Gad, has been thrown open to the actings of Popery.
And new we find British statesmen, when endeavouring to
adjust the details of a corporation bill for Ireland, obliged
to devise some other security than an oath for the practical
operation of the law. (Hear, hear.) Possession of the fixed
amount of qualification for political privilege can no longer
he ascortaised by an oath before God; and consequently
it is proposed to ascertain it by a tax or rate open to the
eerrabrating examination of our fellow men. Thus procla-
matisa is made from the floor of the Senate House,
i that
eeatienee is no longer to be placed in an oath. That is,
tae of the deep foundations of the British Christian constitu-
tion is removed. And why ? Because the door of that con-
stitution has been opened to an anti-christian system, which
ergot was, and never can be biudable by an oath. (Shouts
of hear, and loud cheers.) Is Popery changedj? No, truly.
:rise worst features of her worst times become again clearly
legible, is exact proportion to the opportunities afforded of
exhibiting them with any reasonable hope of success. But,
sir, its Christian instruction is our object, as well as contro-
versial defence, I would, with your permission, return for a
few moments upon the subject of the mystery of providence.
Meer.) The present aspect of God's dealings with the
World is but apart, and a small part of the whole subject.
Taken by itself it is unintelligible. In other words it is invol-
lad is mystery. The cause of this mystery is two fold—the
fall of man, and the forbearance of God. Within these limits
leery attainment of natural kowledge is bounded. Nature
'lees not tell the whole history of man, or reveal the whole
character of God. Consequently the best judgment that
* be derived from nature is partial; and must, there-
tre, with reference to the whole subject, be erroneous.
where, thee, can we find adequate instruction? Only in
the Bible. Th. Bible is supernatural, and explains the
wiaele by revealing both the end and the beginning. It goes
I'? higher than the fall of man, shewing what he was until
anti it goes down lower than the forbearance of God
skewing what he will be when his forbearance shall cease.
bad his righteous judgment begin. (Cheers) Suppose a great
',ease, containing a vast, complicated, and perfect system
61 machinery. Suppose a reason to exist for suspending
the direct work of the machine, while, nevertheless, the
loatetial must be kept in motion. Suppose a certain set
6f peculiar wheels, and beams, and pistons, and cylinders,
"xstrueted for the purpose of this suspension. Suppose that
4PPosite this special part of the machinery there is a little
window ; and suppose a band.of inquirers into the nature,
h 54 working, and results of the great engine, to come to that
little window, and to have all their observations circumscribed
Within the limits of that narrow aperture. You have here a
sir representation of the case of those who attempt, by ob-
servations confined to present providences, to ascertain the
mature, working, and results of the dealings of the living God.
brief,
period of our history in which we now live, is not only
°Fief, but it does not belong to the direct working of God
with immortal men. It resembles the suspension wheels.
or the Lord Jesus Christ's sake, there is an arrest of judg-
;?ient, and God is waiting. The Bible is not confined to the
little window. It gives an enlarged view on the right hand
4,.4 on the left, explaining the everlasting design, and giving
nsurance of the everlasting results of the divine machinery.
(Loud and prolonged cheering.) Our evidence for the in-
sPiratim, of the Bible is overwhelming. It is of the highest
and
roost unanswerable kind. I cannot, of course, now go
largely into it, but I will briefly illustrate its character to
~c.)e by a simple comparison. (Ilear, hear.) Among
there
events of history, say the history of our own kingdom,
~`erc are some which possess only the evidence of history, as
evidence
in hooks • and others, which possess the additional
""leiace of facts, 'derived from commemorations regularly
repeatedi since the events took place. For example, ie het-
i,* of Hastings, by which William the Conqueror won Eng-
-1", possesses only the evidence of history. It is found in
t'°lcs only, and it is Gunpowder o rove it to ignorant, tinedir-
„4,.ted men. But the Plot possesses the evidence
1. facts, and is exhibited to all men on every fifth of Nevem-
C",rby its annual commemoration, which was observed, of
wo,„%se far the first time the year after the event occurred,
It could never have been observed at all if the event had
ever occurred, and the observation of which, therefore, from
}never
to year, is a standing, visible proof of the event. In
tatetualiner, the battle of the Boyne, and the shutting of the
No!s of Derry, are events which possess not only the coin-
(4,! evidence of history, but the higher evidence of facts,
tsciii.red from anneal commemorations. (Cheers) Of this high-
40'i:erecter is the evidence for the Scriptures,derived not only
Isi,n the/ages of authentic history, but corroborated by com-
er c rttlans—Baptism—the Lord's Supper—the celebration
whicjiatinas—Good Friday—Easter Day—commemorations
~ktewere observed from the time when the events occurred,
r 4 nerer have been obse,ved If the events had never
tijaureci, and which are therefore standing, visible proofs of
ewiph.vceints. Thus the events recorded in the Bible are esta-
Authentic ; and then, the miraculous nature of the