The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1840-12-04 00:00:00

TESTIMONIAL TO ME. BIUNDLEY

(From the' Chester Courant.)
On Friday evening last a public meeting was held, in the
Theatre Royal, for the purpose of presenting a testimonial
to Mr. Brindley, the zealous and talented advocate of Chris-

tianity, from the inhabitants of this city, as an acknowledg-
ment of his recent services in the cause of Christian truth and
morality. The testimonial consisted of the following docu-
ment, which was signed by 2200 individuals :
" Novemberlith, 1840.--TESTIMONIAL TO JOON PrRIND-
LEY, ESQ.—We, the undersigned Clergy, Magistrates,
Bankers, and others, inhabitants of the city of Chester, beg
to present Mr. Brindley our grateful acknowledgments of the
service he has rendered the cause of Christian Truth and
Morality in this city and neighbourhood, by his exposure of
the atheistical, blasphemous, and immoral principles of
Socialism : as well as by his arguments on the evidences of
the truth and excellence of Revealed Religion.
• " We beg further to testify to the manner in which Mr.
Watts, the Socialist Missionary, in his official capacity,
disowned the writings of Robert Owen, the Founder and
President of the Socialist body, declaring that he could not
conscientiously defend the doctrines they taught ; and that
rather than do so, he would at once throw up-the discussion.
" Mr. Watts and his Chairman having, on the part of the
Socialist body, thus withdrawn from the debate, the Rev.
Chancellor Raikes, the Moderator on this occasion, declared
that under those circumstances, Mr.Brindley was entitled to
occupy the remainder of that, and the whole of the following
.evening, to substantiate his charges.
" At the close of the proceedings, the following resolution
was moved by the Rev. Charles B. Tayler, and seconded by
Wm. Wardell, Esq., Mayor, and passed unanimously :
" ' That it is the opinion of the people of Chester, that
Socialism, having had a fair opportunity of defence, has
proved itself to be a most absurb, blasphemous, and demo-
ralizing system ; and that it behoves every right-minded man
and woman to use all fair and Christian means to uproot that
which has been shown to be so fraught with mischief to man-
kind for time and for eternity.'

The Lord Bishop of the Diocese took the chair.
His Lordship, on rising, spoke to the following effect :
Mr. Brindley, I am deputed by my fellow-citizens to be the
medium of conveying to you their thanks for the benefit which
you have been the means of conferring upon themselves and
upon the community at large ; and if I feel any hesitation in
taking upon myself this task, it arises from one cause, and
one cause only. It is a question, indeed, to my mind, whether
I ought to be the person who should enjoy this high gratifi-
cation ; and when the honour was first proposed to me, I
could not but think that the privilege more properly belonged
to one who is now present, and under whose auspices the
victory was achieved which we have now assembled to com-
memorate. I may indeed appear like one who has kept
asunder while the battle was being fought, but who has now
come in for the greater share of the spoil. Circumstances
have occurred which prevented my attendance at any of your
former meetings, and it was but right, therefore, that he who
has occupied my present position, on so many previous occa-
sions, should have been the crowner of the conqueror : but,
having been solicited by him to present the memorial, I felt
that I could not refuse the pleasing task. (Cheers.) I have
often, sir, deeply lamented that it is a matter of so much
difficulty in making the evidences of our holy faith plain to
those who have not the leisure deliberately to examine its
proofs. I have often felt it to be deeply lamented, that a very
considerable acquaintance with the historic details of former
ages, is indispensable in those who wish to know the solid
base on which their religion is founded. But, sir, by the very
clear and comprehensive manner in which you have executed
this work in your lectures, you have conferred an important
benefit upon the community, on the one hand, and have dis-
comfited the enemies of our religion on the other. (Hear,
hear.) And certainly I am not wrong in calling those enemies
of our religion, who though they sometimes recognise the
Scriptures, do so only in order to give permanence to the
falsehood which by the misapplication of its injunctions they
wish to establish. And if such persons are enemies to re-
ligion, I unhesitatingly declare they are enemies to mankind—
for what is human life without the light of revelation shining
upon it. We know how little there is even in riches and
honours to give anything like lasting happiness ;—even in
those distinctions which are so much desired—and desired
only because they have not been possessed, there is little that
can yield the possessor true happiness. But if we look to the
labouring classes—to those who are most exposed to the de-
lusions of infidelity—what, I ask, is human life then without
religion—religion, which alone can throw a glean.' of light
over the very darkest path. After having laboured many—
many years, without having been able to earn hardly a scanty
pittance, is there any gratification in thinking that that pit-
tance is to be my all for ever. Ah, no ! when the light of
the gospel breaks in upon the soul such are not the views it
cherishes. Then, I am no longer here to enjoy my all. I
am then only a pilgrim upon the road, and must bear such
treatment only until I reach the journey's end. Then our
labour, however severe—our industry, however ill repaid, is
cheered by the reflection that it is appointed by God, and that
in the performance of our duties, we are only fulfilling our
Master's will. (Hear, hear.) The blessings which the gospel
communicates are an invaluable treasure, and 'the man who
deprives us of them makes us poor indeed. lie who stands
in the way between mankind and this worst of robbers, is the
person to whom we ought to look up with the deepest grati-
tude ; and it is because the inhabitants of Chester feel assured
that you have acted this noble part—that you have been the
successful champion in this holy cause, that they have com-
missioned me to present you with this testimonial of their
feelings. And I am happy to say, that no less than two'
thousand two hundred persons have thus recorded their sense
of your services, and their acknowledgments for the benefits
which you have conferred upon them. (Cheers.) But the
inhabitants of Chester are likewise aware, that in the per-
formance of the labours to which you have been called, you
have had to forego the emoluments and advantage of a pro-
fession in which your talents ensured success—you have had
to forego those comforts and sympathies of domestic life
which every man must highly value—and they have therefore
deputed me to convey to you this additional tribute of their
feelings (a purse containing 75 sovereigns ;) and this gift is to
my mind only the corroboration of a truth of which I have
long been assured—that those who give their services to the
cause of God, will never be the losers by such a sacrifice.
(Cheers.) We read in historic annals of a king who was
accustomed to say to his minister, "You take care of my
affairs, provide for my interests, and it shall be my business
to secure yours ;" and I do believe, sir, (said his lordship,)
that the King of Heaven will never allow you to be a loser,
in having given up your secular engagements in defence of his
honour and his truth. You have renounced those engage-
ments and interests in order that you may hunt out and
pursue the enemies of Gado Wand, while doing so, you have
that gracious promise to rest upon which declares, that those
who give up houses and lands, and wife and children, for my
name's sake, shall receive an hundred-foldeven in this world,
and in the world to come life everlasting. (Loud applause.)
Mr. Brindley, hi a long andeloquent reply, which occupied
nearly two hours in its delivery, accepted the testimonial, and
expressed the gratification he felt on receiving such a signal
mark of their approval. He then gave an outline of the
circumstances which first induced him to take up the advocacy
of Christianity against Socialism—recounted the many victo-
ries which he had gained over his opponents—and professed
his determination to continue his holy enterprise as long as
God gave him health and ability to pursue it.
The meeting was subsequently addressed by the Rev.
Chancellor Raikes, Rev. F. Parry, Rev. S. Luke, and the
Right Worshipful the Mayor; and a vote of thanks having
been presented to the Lord Bishop for his services in the
chair, the meeting separated about ten o'clock.

JOURNAL OF THE MONEY MARKET.
MONDAY EVENING.—The depression in the funds at
Paris, ascribed to the unfavourable turn which the debates in
the Chamber of Deputies appeared to be taking, reacted upon
the market here to-day, and consols declined to 90 to * for

money, and for account Ng to being per cent. lower
than at the_close of last market day. Bank Stock was 1581

Exchequer Bills 4s. to 6s-,

to 94. India Stock 2114 to 2.
premium.
TUESDAY .EVENING.—The Funds have been on the im-
proving order to-day. Consols left off for money at 904 to
, and for account at 91. Bank Stock 1584 to 94. India
Stock 241 to 2. Exchequer Bills 3s to 5s premium.
London and Birmingham Railways were 77 to 9, Great
Western 23 to 4 premium. South Western 534 to 44 per
share. North Midland Old Shares 26 to 24, the New,3 to
1, Brighton 94 to 4, Blackwall ato discount.
There was scarcely any alteration in the exchanges to-day.
The rates negotiated were, on Paris 25.55 to 574 ; on Ham-
burgh 13.74 to 8 ; on Frankfort 149 to 4 ; on Amsterdam
12.24 to 3 ; on Rotterdam 12.3 ; on Antwerp 12.2 to 4, all
at three months.

WEDNESDAY EVENING.—The funds remain rather heavy
and a shade worse in prices. Consols, which shut to-day
for making up the books preparatory to the payment,of divi-
dends, and for which, therefore, as no transfers can be effected,
there is no money price, left off at 9O to -1 for the January
opening. Bank Stock was 1581 to 91. India Stock 241-} to
2}. Exchequer Bills 2s to 4s premium. The New Three-
and-a-Half per Cents shut to-morrow, to make up the books
for the dividends.

This has been a flat day in foreign securities, with rather
a tendency to decline in peninsuhr matters. Spanish Active
with the Coupons were 23/ to 4. Portuguese Two-and-a
Half per Cents (fraudulently pretended to be Fives) were 344
to the One-and-a-Half per Cents (falsely called Threes)
22 to 4. Dutch Two-and-a-Half per Cents were firm at 52 to
4, the Five per Cents 99 to 4. Belgian 974 to 84. Brazilian
72 to 3. Mexican 294 to 304. Colombian 26 to 4.
London and Birmingham Railways were 77 to 9. Great
Western 21 to 2, the half shares 84 to 9 premium. South
Western 53 to 4. per share. Gosport 34 to 44 premium.
North Midland old shares 27 to 5, the new 4 to 2, South-
eastern and Dover 16 to 154, Eastern Counties 144 to 134,
Blackwall 4 to 31, Brighton 104 to 10 discount.