The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1849-01-23 00:00:00

lified for first
Fletc

:her Millar, firs

for a secoi
ST. AN

Harbord, and Hod
tended later in the evenin-
Fairhurst, Watt
both parties,

Woodruf

Mr. Parker at-
, -also Messrs. Litchen, Barton.
and other leading men in the ward of
Kitchen, chairman of the ward, ably
and Mr. Barton, the vice-chair.

—..—An address from a great num-
..cipal electors has been presented to Mr.
Harbord, " recognizing his valuable labours in
J. own Council, and recording their decided approba-
-.neral public conduct." To this Mr. Har-
---;+ghle reply. A more substantial

ber of the n

Counc

tian of h
bord has

ation in which tl
is, however, ab

worthy Councillor is
held by the with._ out to be presented to
him, and, with that view, subscription books have been
opened at most of the newspaper offices, by which means
it is expected that a fitting testimonial can be obtained for

THE Gc

NESSES BENEVOLENT INSTITUTION.
as it deserves to be,
ing attention to the

3 well kr

annual meeting next week, when the public will have an
opportunity of learning the excellent objects aimed at by
the society, which is increasing yearly in usefulness as a
public institution, being of the greatest importance, not
only to the class which it seeks to benefit, but to families
Since its formation,
ble relief to those who
registration of gover-
ie institution.

reqUiring well quail&
the society have affor
have required its ass
nesses is an importan

instructress

led consi,

0,--00 Thursdsy, Mr.
is summoned before

for having,
rates upon a number of

refused to p

r, two of the county magistrates,
the improvement and sewerage
ouses, in respect of which he is
)ok. The court was

"owner

occupied three or four hours with the case, which was
ultimately referred to Mr. Kent, the clerk, and the ma-
gistrates, to settle the amount which Mr. Hughes ought
to pay, it being understood that the present summons
should be dismissed. Mr. David Appleton, who had
likewise been summoned upon a similar complaint,
acceded to the same sort of arrangement.

SIGHT.—A few dais since there were no
fewer than six of the large steam-ships of the British and
North American Royal Mail Steam-packet Company
in the Coburg Dock, namely, the Canada, the
--nara, the Cambria, the Hibernia, the Acadia, and the
We have no hesitation in saying that they
are not to be equalled in any country. it should be
known that the steam-ships of the British and North
kmerican Royal Mail Steam-packet Company are, in a
to the view of the public, without
A. box is always at hand for con-

Britannia

tickets

tributions from visitors
divided amongst the hos

A FEW ARGUMENTS BY AN ENGLISH PRO-
TESTANT AGAINST THE ENDOWMENT OF
THE CATHOLIC PRIESTS.

SECTION I

In these times, when the doctrines of political expedi-
ency to often ride rough shod over the principles of true
religion, it is through the public press alone that we can
appeal to the common sense of the British nation.

Having resided for a number of years in aParl of Ire-
land almost exclusively inhabited by Roman Catholics, I
have had a good opportunity of observing carefully the
system adopted by the priests of that religion, and which
believe varies little from that which they have placed
amongst the lower orders in all countries where they have
gained any permanent footing.
I have been induced to send the result of my observa-
tions to your paper, because the opinions expressed in its
editorial remarks so perfectly agree with my own, and will,
I have every reason to believe, be strongly corroborated
by the facts which I shall lay before you, facts which,
though perfectly well known to every inhabitant of the
south and west of Ireland, whether Protestant or Catholic,
are, nevertheless, unfortunately not so well known to the
Protestants of England as they ought to be.

Roman Catholicism, notwithstanding its pretensions to
unchangeableness and infallibility, is made to suit all
things and all men, and can alter its apparent complexion
to fit different states of society and the various ranks con-
tained in it. The day for the sale of indulgencies to crime
is now gone by, thanks to the influence of the press, but
it still holds out ample forgiveness and comfort to all who
may have damaged their consciences in favour of the
church.

But the key to the system consists in its cultivating the
moral propensities and animal passions of its followers, so
that the former may nearly balance the latter, and at the
same time gradui-lly degrading the intellectual and rea-
soning powers, until they become amongst the lower
orders nearly extinguished. Thus, then, disciples dege-
nerate at last into bigoted human machines with moral
stops, which the priests know well how to turn and twist
to their own purposes ; thus the priests alone are the rea-
soning power, and the lower orders merely the bone and
sinew of the Roman Catholic church.

The final effect of this system would be, and is intended
to be, to overwhelm the world with crusades of savage
bigots, and to crush liberty of conscience in every corner
of the earth.

But it has pleased Providence to establish such won-
derful counter-checks in the moral world, that no evil
can possibly occur which does not eventually work its
own destruction, and generally end in advancing the cause
of true religion upon the whole face of the earth.

Any departure from the great trnths of the Bible,
whether individual or national, is sure to bring retribution
before the " third or fourth generation," and that retri-
bution generally falls bitterly on all who may have either
actually or tacitly encouraged such violation of the Divine

The system above referred to will sufficiently show why
the Bible is held back from the Roman Catholic laity with
a grasp of iron. Let a man once learn to read, and the
study of the Bible alone, without referring to any other
book, will gradually and surely bring his reasoning and
intellectual powers into play ; it will of itself almost create
and develop the reasoning powers of the human soul,

more extensively and mire effectually than any other
book, sacred or profane. It was intended to reveal
truths which, while hidden from the wise and prudent,
were revealed to babes, that is, to men of simple minds,
who read it with a sincere desire to learn their duty to
God and man. Why should this jealousy exist against
spreading the Bible amongst the lower order of Catholics,
while the first act of the Protestant clergyman is to hand
every one of his flock the Book of Life ?

Because, unlike the Protestants, whose creed is founded
on, and can be compared fearlessly with the truths con-
tained in the Bible, the Roman Catholics have added a
few doctrines necessary to the aggrandizement of their
church in a temporal point of view, and erected a new
system upon the sandy foundation, that "It is lawful to
do evil that good may come ;" and in order that their
doctrines may not be diligently inquired into by persons
who, like the wise Bereans, " search the Scriptures."
They have endeavoured, and are still endeavouring to
take away the Bible, and extinguish the intellectual
powers of the lower orders (their chief strength) amongst
all the nations with whom they have come in contact.
Whatever may be the disagreements amongst the Pro-
testants of England as to various points of doctrine, there
is one point upon which all will agree. That is, that
Jesus Christ has said, " It is not lawful to do evil that
good may come ;" and no man professing himself to be a
follower of Christ can, on the ground of political expedi-
ency, allow himself to be taxed for a single farthing to
support a contrary doctrine.
This is the fundamental point of all morality and
Christianity, and in my future contributions I shall en-
deavour to show the deplorable effects which a departure
from this rule has produced in leeland, the reaction of
which has been felt in England, and will be felt yet more
strongly so long as we hold out the right hand of fellow-
ship to a creed founded upon the principles detailed
above. SENTIM.