The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1840-03-10 00:00:00

LECTURES ON THE ESTABLISHED CHURCH.

(From the Morning Herald of Saturday.)
Yesterday the Rev. Hugh M`Neile, M.A., minister of St.
Jude's, Liverpool, delivered, at the Hanover-square Rooms,
the first of a series of lectures " on the Scriptural character
of the English national church establishment and the duty of
the Legislature so to extend it as to maintain its national
dimensions, together with some of the circumstances which
impede its practical efficiency, and the best remedies for such
defects." The room was crowded, and among those present
we observed Lord Calthorpe, Lord Galloway, Lord Ashley,
Sir R. Inglis, Sir Thomas Cochrane, Mr. Gladstone, M.P.,
Mr. Ainsworth, M.P., Mr. Pringle, M.P., &c. The lecture
having been prefaced with prayer,
The Rev. Lecturer presented himself to the crowded audi-
ence amid loud cheering. He said there was a very general
conviction that some means should be adopted, speedily and
on a national scale, for the instruction of the people of this
country. The ascertained ignorance of multitudes had long
been the subject of painful consideration to the thoughtful,
and certain late exhibitions of its fatal consequences had ar-
rested the attention of even the habitually careless men of
all political parties, who seemed to be agreed in the conclu-
sion that something must be done, however widely they
differed in their views as to the mode of proceeding. (Hear.)
The most obvious mode would be to make use of the ma-
chinery which was already distributed largely, though now
inadequately, over the face of ,the country, and to communi-
cate the required instruction through the instrumentality of
the Established Church. (" Hear, hear," and cheers.)
This would not only meet the exigency in the most obvious,
easy and economical and in every practical point of view, the
safest and most efficient way; but the church occupied much
higher ground. (Hear, hear.) She claimed the direct
authority of the word of God—(cheers), and cordially they
solicited an extension on the broad national scale of the for-
mularies of the church. This demand aroused, vet. v naturally,

. .
the opposition of men who did not approve of our church, and
not only so, but of men, who, though they themselves approved
of it, and also of its extension by those who preferred it yet
shrunk from any scheme that would enlarge its efficiency at the
cost, in the slightest degree, of those who conscientiously dis-
sented from it. They proposed a system ofeducation, to become
national, that should combine with secular instruction the
Christians of all parties, and at the same time keep so entirely
aloof from everything sacred, as not to interfere with the re-
ligious views of any. This system naturally aroused the op-
position of those who considered that the material of the in-
tellectual constitution of man was so alienated from all that
was good as to be compared with a weed in.a hot-house, and
that, consequently, religious instruction, whose object and
whose prerogative it was to change the nature of the plant
and make the tree good, should form the basis of all sound
education. It was the only element which could render the
possession of secular intelligence either a personal blessing to
the individual, or, if widely and nationally extended,
com-
patible with the superintendence and safety of a community.
(Hear, hear.) But the controversy did not end here. Some
of our opponents not only objected to the extension of our
established church, but demanded its total extinction—(hear,
hear,) alleging that its existence was a hindrance to the spread
of true religion ; and in support of this assertion they had
eagerly attacked the constitution of the church as opposed
to the Holy Scriptures. This left us to grapple with funda-
mental principles, a consequence in which we heartily de-
lighted, because it was our matured conviction that to inat-
tention and want of information on this vital point, might be
traced our present perilous position. (Cheers.) The num-
ber of intelligent men who, after deliberate inquiry, were
hostile to our established church would be found to be com-
paratively insignificant—(hear, hear ;) but what they lacked
in numbers they possessed in activity and decision. (Hear.)
They seemed to think, and they certainly said without hesi-
tation, that our system was wrong, that as a church she was
unscriptual, as an establishment unjust, and that she owed
her origin to priestcraft ; and they represented our church
establishment as a nuisance to be swept away by the rising
progress of knowledge, and the manly decision of intrepid
reformers. (Hear.) This imposing tone had produced its
effects where they could be least expected. It had excited
doubts in men who little suspected it of themselves, but who
had been rendered lukewarm thereby—(hear, hear,) and now
it was not from the strength or activity of our avowed oppo -

nents that we had to-apprehend "'real danger. (Bear,
hear) ; but when we harkened to the tone taken by many
of our professed friends and defenders, then it was that our
hearts trembled, when we perceived men known for their
discretion, and judgment, and moderation, maintain a for-
bearance both in word and deed which was misconstrued
into the betrayal of the great cause, if not of disaffiction,
and defending our established church on the bare grounds
of her prescriptive title, her legal claims, her usefulness,
and her comparative economy. These, however excellent
in themselves, and however sufficient in times past, were
not the grounds upon which the friends of the church
should now take their stand—however valuable as bulwarks,
they were of man's construction, and might be demolished
by man. There was a higher position to be taken—the scrip-
tural character of our church, and challenging enquiry into
her unshaken principles. (Cheers.) The apparent shrink-
ing from this position caused a feeling to be propogated that
the defenders of our church had of themselves some doubts
about her character, and were, in consequence, but half-
hearted in their advocacy. He could not, therefore, but feel
strongly that we were called upon to do all in our power to
vindicate the scriptural character of our church, and distin-
guish between what she defines as indispensible to Christian-
ity and what she adopts in preference for her own private
management. If our adversaries pointed to the differences
which existed among us, our answer was ready. We were
freemen, each exercising his private judgment—(cheers,)—
and we were not prostrated on any Procrustean bed of slav-
ish uniformity. (Cheers.) And yet we had substantial uni-
ty. Whatever might be the differences in some respects, we
were as one man in our attachment to and defence of our holy

house where our fathers had worshipped. (Cheers.) His
distinguished predecessor (Dr. Chalmers) had felt it right to
confine himself to a particular view of the subject, and we
had been taunted with not coming, and we had been challenged
to come to the law and to the testimony. He (the lecturer)
accepted the challenge. (Cheers.) The first and greatest
object of the church, considered in its instrumentality among
men, was connected with the revealed purpose, and progres-
sive purpose—on earth—of Almighty God. In the Divine
purpose there was no progress ; the end was present from the
beginning in absolute perfection. All that had been, all
that is, all that shall be, should be rather the response, the
faithful acts of the comprehensive design which occupied
the everlasting mind antecedent to th first exercise of
creative power—" Of Him, and through Him, and to Him
are all things; He bath made all things for Himself."
It was not to be understood that the created world could in any
way add to the glory or happiness of the great Creator.
His absolute perfection rendered this impossible. With
Him everything is infinite, and infinity excluded gradations.
What then could creatures be or do for God ? They could
be so many channels in which should flow forth into mani-
festation the essential perfection of God. Some of them
could be intelligible witnesses of the divine character so ma-
nifested. The performance of the divine purpose differed in
this respect essentially from the purpose itself. It descended
among creatures, and its uniformity—which became pro-
gressive, would, of course, be incomplete till the very last
step should be taken. The rev. gentleman then dwelt at
great length upon the Scriptural meanings of the church,
which, he said, were from the church mystical, the church
visible, the church local, and the church collective. He was
aware that, in thus describing the church, he was encoun-
tering opposition in some minds. He therefore had much
pleasure in quoting the language of the judicious Hooker as
a shield for himself against the imputation of novelty, and a
defence of his argument against facility of refutation. (Hear.)
" That church of Christ," said Hooker, " which we properly
term the body mystical, can be but one ; neither can that
one be sensibly discerned by any man, inasmuch as the parts
thereof are some in heaven already with Christ, and the rest
that are on earth (albeit their natural persons be visible) we
do discern • under this property whereby they are truly and
infallibly of that body ; only our minds, by intellectual con-
ceit are able to apprehend that such a real body there is—a
body collective, because it containeth a huge multitude ; a
body mystical; because the mystery of their conjunction is
removed altogether from sense. Whatever we read in
Scripture concerning the endless love. and the saving mercy,
which God sheweth towards his church, the only proper sub-
ject thereof is the church. Concerning this flock it is that
our Lord and Saviour bath promised, " I give unto them
eternal life, and they shall never perish, neither shall any
pluck them out of my hands." They who are of this society
have such marks of distinction from all others as are not objects
unto our sense only unto God who seeth their hearts, and under-
standeth all their secret cogitations, unto him they are clear
and manifest. All men knew Nathaniel to be an Israelite,
but our Saviour, piercing deeper, giveth further testimony of
him than men could have done, with such certainty as he
did, ' Behold indeed an Israelite, in whom there is no guile."'
He would now proceed to another scriptural meaning of the
churell. In every age of the world 'since the days of Abra-
ham there had been a portion of mankind separated from all
the rest, not only in the sight of God, but also in the sight
of man. A man of Mesopotamia was selected by God to be
the organ among a selected society among men. That society
was to bear a family aspect in the household of Abraham.
It afterwards assumed a national aspect, and eventually in-
cluded many nations. The mode of admission was carried
into the national aspect of the society, and all the children of
Israel were circumcised, When our Lord Jesus Christ sent
forth the apostles to make disciples of all nations, the mode
of admission was altered; circumcision was abrogated and
baptism adopted. This society had been the visible dwelling-
place on earth of the church mystical in its successive gene-
rations. The society thus called contained not only mem-
bers of the church, but also men who had neither part nor
lot in any of the spiritual blessings of the church. In the
language of St. Paul, " All are not Israel that are of Israel."
The reverend lecturer then proceeded to refer to the parable
of our Lord of the company at the marriage supper, " many
are called, but few are chosen," and to his prophetic an-
nouncement, " and they went out and gathered all, both good
and bad, and the wedding was furnished with guests. He
wished, he said, his dissenting brethren, who deny the true
scriptural warrant for a visible church, to pay attention to this.
It was not the mere definition of man, but the command of
God to his disciples to go and get as many as they could
find (hear). Here we recognised scriptural authority for
what our opponents denounced as wholly anti-scriptural—
viz., a national church (hear). One of the most able writers
of the dissenters (Dr. Wardlaw) hi a series of lectures deli-
vered last year, said that the Jewish nation was a type of the
spiritual or mystical church. Now he (the lecturer) asked
if it was correct to represent the Jewish nation as a type of
the church mystical (hear, hear). The rev. gentleman then;
at considerable length, proceeded to examine Dr. Wardlaw's
argument on the " visible" church. It had been said by Dr.
Wardlaw that the Jewish nation was a type of the mystical
church, and he affirmed without the least apprehension of
refutation, that the Jewish nation did not correspond to, and
never was designed to be a type of the church mystical
(hear, and cheers) ; and he charged Dr. Wardlaw, and all
who agreed with him, as guilty of the offence of declaring the
Jewish nation, with all its mingled abominations, contained
the divinely constituted type of the spiritual church (hear).
There was another scriptural application of the expression—.
" The church." It was used to denote any subdivision of
the baptised ; a subdivision so small as might assemble in a
private house. Under this meaning of the word " church"
might be considered the exhortation of the Lord, in St.
Matthew, chap. 18.
" Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go
and tell him his fault between thee and him alone ; if he shall
hear thee thou hest gained thy brother;

" But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or
two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every
word may be established.

" And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the
church."

What church did He mean ? The whole baptised society ?
Absolutely physically impossible. How could the Christian
of Antioch go to that of Crete, of Ephesus, or of Rome ?
(hear) ; which was the allegation made by a very large party
of our opponents. Our Lord was here represented as ex-
horting a Christian under peculiarly distressing circum-
stances to do what it was utterly impossible to attempt to do.
(Hear.) " Take it to the church." Again we asked what
church. If it were alleged that our Lord intended the minis-
ters of the church of the place, then He was represented as
constituting His ministers judges in secular trespasses. It
was carefully to be remarked that the case in question was
one of supposed diSpute among brethren in an individual
trespass, and.not a case of. spiritual controversy. Now, the
allegation that he thus constituted his ministers judges, was
to say that he commanded them to do, what, under similar
circumstances, he refused to do himself. (Hear.) " Tell it
to the church." Again we ask, what church ? and we answer
clearly, that subdivision of the baptised society that is within
our reach, " the church local." There was yet a fourth
meaning as to the word church. It was used to signify a
geographical combination of the divisions or congregations
of the baptised, each having its own minister, and all under
the general superintendence of one chief pastor. This mean-
ing was denied by all those who regarded as anti-scriptural
the essential constitution of a Christian church. It was a
fact capable of detailed prod, that episcopacy was uniform at
the time of the reformation, and the reformers of Germany,
Switzerland, and Scotland would not have departed from it
had their bishops, like ours, led the reformation instead of
resisting it. (Cheers.) But no arguments derived from any
other source than the Scriptures would have full effect with
the class of objectors to whom he addressed himself, and who
perpetually appealed to the Bible. He was anxious that the
uuestion should be thus argued, and to the Bible let us go.
(Hear, hear.) In the 19th chapter of the Acts of the Apos-
tles we read, with respect to the exertions and increase of
the Christian church, and spoken of by Jews and Greeks, it
was said—" And many that believed came and confessed,
and showed their deeds. Many of them also which used
curious arts brought their books together, and burned them
before all men ; and they counted the price of them and found
it 50,000 pieces of silver." Compare this with the fact that
they had then no large public buildings for Divine worship,
and that the Pagan authorities were too jealous of their own
superstition to allow the believers in Jesus to carry out their
worship in one large company in the open streets. Where
and how could the increased multitudes of the Christians
worship ? Clearly in private houses ; an answer deducible
from the circumstances of the case, and confirmed by the
repeated mention of churches and families. In the 20th
chapter of the Acts of the Apostles, we read of the elders or
presbyters of the church of Ephesus assembling at Miletus
to receive St. Paul : " And from Miletus he sent to Ephesus,
and called the elders of the church." In the 28th verse St.
Paul said, " Take heed, = therefore, unto-yourselves, and-to
all the flock over which the Holy Ghost bath made you over-
seers, to feed the church of 'God, which lie bath purchased
with his own blood." " And when he had thus spoken. he
kneeled down and prayed with them all." We saw here that
there existed at Ephesus thus early a company of Christian
teachers, and we had seen the necessity that existed of a com-
pany of Christians congregating in different places. Accord-
ing to the views of certain dissenters, there was at Ephesus
a number of independent churches, each having its own pas-
tor ; and it would have been anti-scriptural for any one indi-
vidual to have claimed pastoral authority at Ephesus, com-
bined them all into one church, and called himself their
chief. The reverend lecturer then went on to observe, that
what he claimed was this—the selection of some individual
to whom our Lord calls, not an angel, or a presbyter of a
church in Ephesus, but the angel of the church in Ephesus.
The question then was, what was this intended to convey? Did
it mean one only of the many congregations, each having its
own pastor ? or was it intended for the geographical combi-
nation of congregated Christians, as one church,- under one
chief pastor, or angel ? If it was intended for one only con-
gregation and pastor, then how could it have been ascertained
for which ? (Hear.) How would the angel have made the
invidious selection, where all were on a perfect equality ?
And what rivalry and confusion would have resulted ! (Hear.)
Each would have claimed tt, and each would have had as
good a right to it as the other. If, on the contrary, our Lord's
address was intended for the geographical combination of
congregated Christians as one church under one chief pastor,
as the angel of the episcopal church, in which there are many
pastors, we have the very constitution-of episcopal superin-
tendence in existence among ourselves at this day. (Cheers.)
It was such a combination that he ventured to designate the
church collective as distinguished from the church universal
or catholic. The.rev. gentlemen next touched upon the epis-
copal constitution of the established church, and observed,
in reference to his view of the subject, that all was easy, na-
tural, consistent, harmonious ; we wrest nothing, conceal
nothing,—we explain avfay nothing of its scriptural doctrine ;
but he did assert it appeared to him that the opponents of
episcopacy certainly seemed to require some ingenuity to avoid
the power of such scriptural argument. Suppose a renewal
of miraculous gifts were to take place, and an angel to preside
over the established church in London was to be chosen, we
should have no difficulty in at once selecting the individual—
(cheers)—but he would ask under such circumstances to
whom would the dissenter forward such a communication.
. (Hear.) He then briefly remarked upon the essential diffe-
rence between the Church of Scotland and the Church of
England, as exhibited in his lectUre. was seen to be the
church mystical and visible, and local and collective. The
reverend lecturer retired amidst loud cheers.

COURT CIRCULAR.-FRIDAY.

The Queen held a court and privy council at two o'clock
yesterday afternoon, at Buckingham Palace.
The council was attended by the Lord President of the
Council, the Lord Chancellor, the Lord Privy Seal, the First
Lord of the Treasury, the Secretaries of State for the Home
Departments, the First Lord of the Admiralty, the President
of the India Board, the Chief Secretary for Ireland, the Lord
Steward, the Lord Chamberlain, and the Master of the Horse.
Her Majesty having been pleased to appoint Mr. Myddel-
ton Bidduiph to be Lord-Lieutenant of the county of Den-
bigh, that gentleman took the oaths appointed to be taken
thereupon.
The Queen having been pleased to appoint the Honourable
Edward Most): a to be Lord-Lieutenant of the county of
Merioneth, Mr. Mostyn took the oaths appointed on such
occasions.

Mr. C. Greville was the Clerk of the Council in waiting,
The Council being ended, and her Majesty having retireiZ
from the throne-room to the royal closet, the Rev. 'Henry
Pepys, D.D., was introduced and did homage to her Majesty,
on being appointed Bishop of Soder and Man.
The Marquis of Norznanby, her Majesty's Principal Secre-
tary of State for the Home Department, and the Rev. J.
Vane, Deputy of the Clerk of the Closet in Waiting, assisted
at the ceremony.
The Marquis of Lansdowne had an audience of the Queen.
The court was attended by Lady Barham', Lady in Wait-
ing ; Lord in Waiting ; Lord Hill, Gold Stick in Waiting ;
The Treasurer of the Household ; Col. Armstrong, Groom
in Waiting; and Col. Wemyss, Equerry in Waiting.
The Baron de Moncorvo, the Portuguese Minister, was
presented to his Royal Highness Prince Albert, yesterday,
at an audience at Buckingham Palace, by Viscount Palmer-
ston, G.C.B. Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs.
Viscount Melbourne had an audience, yesterday, of the
Queen.

The royal dinner party at the palace last evening included
M. Guizot the French ambassador, the Bishop of London,
the Marquis of Westminster, the Earl of Erroll, the Earl of
Uxbridge, Viscount Melbourne, Viscount and Viscountess
Palmerston, Viscount Duncannon, Viscount and Viscountess
Sydney, Lord Robert Grosvenor, Lord George Lennox, and
Sir Hussey and Lady Vivian.
The band of the Coldstream Regiment of Foot Guards was
in attendance at the palace during the evening.
His Royal Highness Prince Albert went yesterday after-
noon to Goldsmiths' Hall. His royal highness was accom-
panied by his brother, the hereditary Prince of Saxe Coburg
Gotha, and was attended by Lord Robert Grosvenor, Groom
of the Stole; Viscount Boringdon, Gentleman of the Bed-
chamber; Col. Wylde, Equerry ; and. Mr. Seymour, Groom
of the Bedchamber. The hereditary Prince was attended by
Baron de Lowenfels and Baron de Gruben.

Her Majesty the Queen Dowager visited the Duchess of
Kent
yesderday, at Buckingham Palace, Her Majesty also
visited the Princess Sophia, at Kensington.
The Duchess of Kent took a drive yesterday in a carriage.
Her royal highness also walked in the gardens of the
palace.
The Duchess and the- Princess Augusta of Cambridge
visited the Princess Augusta yesterday, at Clarence Houser
St. James's.

The Duchess of Cambridge honoured the Earl and Count-
ess of Jersey with her company at dinner, yesterday, at their
residence in Berkeley-square.

The contemplated marriage between the wealthy capitalist
Baron Anthony de Rothschild and the accomplished. Miss
Montefiore, daughter of Mr. Montefiore, of Great Stanhope-
street, is fixed to take place early in the ensuing month. The
baron has taken the spacious mansion in Grosvenor-place,
lately occupied by Sir John Mordaunt, and adjoining Viscount
Mahon's, for his future town residence.

A letter from Frankfort, in the Augsburgh Gazelle, states
that Count Survilliers and the Prince de Montfort (Joseph
and Jerome Bonaparte) have met in London, by appoint-
ment, for the purpose of terminating the differences which
have arisen on, the subject of the will of Cardinal Fesch. The
writer adds that there is no truth in the report that prince
Louis Bonaparte is to marry his cousin, the Princess Ma-
thilda de Montfort, a very different marriage being contem-
plated for her.

In preparing a vault a few days ago in the churchyard of
Stoke Lacy, Herefordshire, a running sand was discovered
about five feet below the surface, in consequence of which
the foundations of the chancel gave way, and the entire wall
fell down, carrying the eastern window in its descent—pro-
videntially the persons employed in the vault escaped, during
the interval that elapsed between the first indication of dan-
ger and the moment when it occurred.
A DISGUSTING GuorroN.—On Saturday last, at the
Butchers' Arms, in this city, a man named William Webber,
undertook, for a trifling wager, to eat a roast pig of 101bs•
weight, with half a quartern loaf, and a quantity of potatoes.
The pig was procured and dressed, and the fellow actually
succeeded in eating all but but could get no further.
A limited time was allotted for the accomplishment of the
task, and in the intervals of eating Webber amused himself,
by drinking beer and smoking his pipe outside the door of
the house, and having thus refreshed himself, he would re-
turn to the work with renewed vigour. He is notorious in
feats of this description, and cleared a pig of Sibs. weight on
Christmas Eve.— Western Luminary.
TnE NAPOLEON DUEL.—The following is the account of
the circumstances leading to this meeting Three weeks
since Count Leon arrived in London, and called at the house
of the Count de Survilliers, ex-King of Spain, at that of the
Prince de Montfort, ex-King of Westphalia, and that of
Prince Louis Napoleon, by neither of whom was he received,
for reasons with which we are not acquainted. A few days
ago the Count Leon wrote a letter to Prince Louis, com-
plaining of this refusal on the part of the family of the late
Emperor to receive him. This letter was written in so of-
fensive a style that the Prince would not condescend to replY
to it, but he sent Colonel Parquin to him to explain the rea-
sons that prevented the family from receiving him. This
explanation Count Leon refused to receive, and he sent A
challenge to the Prince by Lieut.-Col. Ratcliffe, of the In-
niskillen Dragoons, a distinguished officer in the British
army. In consequence of this challenge the Prince Louis,
accompanied by Count d'Orsay and Colonel Parquin, went
to Wimbledon Common to meet the Count, who having re-
fused to fight with swords, it was agreed to use pistols. Be-
fore, however, this could be accomplished the police inter-
fered and prevented any further proceedings."—Standard.
ThE MINISTRY.—The conservative opposition is nobly
redeeming the pledge it gave at the beginning of the session,
to coerce the folly, and baffle the designs of our truckling
government. Thrice already has it hurled defeat upon mi-
nisters, and abased them to a condition from which any other
set of men would thankfully retire into oblivion. But where
virtue is not, there is no shame. So far the promise made
by Lord Stanley during the " No-confidence" debate, 1335
been fulfilled to the letter. " Measure by step, failure after
failure, we will watch, and we will mark, and we will control
the government." Failure after failure l—we have witnessed
the third in the space of a few short.weeks---downright, hu-
miliating, flagrant failures—the last, worst of all, fit retribu-
tion for unprincipled jobbing. Truly the declaration made
by Lord Stanley was something more than. a pronaise--it wll5
a prediction ; and in its continuous fulfilment, the O'Con-
nell Cabinet is tasting thebitteniess of delayed but inevitable
destruction.—Che/(en4am Chronicle.