The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1838-11-06 00:00:00

and which were originally designed to promote the
cause of Scriptural truth.
Closely allied to the Infidel enemies of the Church
we find the Unitarian. Indeed, Unitarianism has teen
defined as a sort of " incipient infidelity; " for ‘ve find

that most of those individuals who have flocked to the
standard of open unbelief, have passed over the inter-
mediate and proximate ground of Socinianism. The
Unitarians are subtle and dangerous enemies of the
Church. They make up for the paucity of their num-
bers by their station in society, and by their restless
energy in seeking to instil their dangerous dogmas
into the minds of the superficial and half-educated
among the people. It is, perhaps, not generally known
that the great majority of the popular school books of
the day have been written by Unitarians, and that no
opportunity which presents itself for introducing into

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these elementary works their insidious tenets is omitted.
We can state this as a positive fact from our own expe-
rience; and any teacher of yonth may satisfy himself
of the truth of our assertion, if he will only make the
necessary examination. We would, therefore, caution

those who are entrusted with the responsibility of in-
structing the young—a responsibility secondary only

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to that of the ministerial office—to exercise a sound
diseretion in the selection of school books, lest they
should be accessory to the ruin of those who are placed
under their care. This is mote pat ticularly necessary
in the case of female teachers, as the proportion of
books written by Unitarians for the education of females
is much greater titan those which are designed for the
tuition of boys. The poison is chiefly to be found
where its presence would he least suspected.

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It should also be borne in mind that the Unitarians
have been the most active instigators of the recent.
movements against tithes, church rates, and that. the
various bodies of orthodox dissenters have been almost
literally the tools of this wealthy and influential class.
In order that our readers may be in possession. of,
the principal grounds of objection, urged by the Dis.,
senters generally, against the existence of a Church
Establishment, we shall quote the language of one'of
their principal writers, Mr. Binney. He says
"Truth cannot be injured by fair and full discussion, and ,
by open and uncompromising statements. 1 have no hesi-
tation about saying, that 1 am an enemy to the Establish-
ment; and I do noi, see that a Churchman need hesitate to
say that he is an enemy to Dissent. Neither of us would
mean the persons of Churchmen or Dissenters, nor the epis-
copal or other portion's of the universal Church ; but the
principal of the national religious establishment, which we,
should respectively regard as deserving, universally, oppo,
sition or support. It is with we, I confess, a matter of deep,'
serious, religious conviction, that the Established Church-is
great national evil; that it is an obstacle to the progress .of.
truth and godliness iu the land; that it destroys more souls
than it saves; and that, therefore, its end is most devoutly
to be wished by every lover of God and man. Eight or
wrong, this is my belief; and I should feel not the slightest
offence if a Churchman were to express himself to we in Pre- •
cisely the same words with respect to Dissent."
In addition to this explicit declaration. of hostility,
we subjoin an extract from a tract published by the
Society for promoting Christian Knowledge, in which
the objections of Dissenters ate very faithfully repre-
sented. The following is quoted from " Six Dialogues.;:
• •..,
on a Church Establishment—" "
" My brother-in-law was a Dissenter, and Mr. Dickson;!
the Independent minister, whose preaching he attended, "and:1!).0 a':1)91%0
whom he has joined win; myself in the executorship,.carna."ltl
back with the mourners after the solemn service. do nota,,,it,,imuill
like that Church service at all, Mr. Dickson,' said a. fprward.
young man who happened to be preseut ; `it is very popish..,
'And why, Mr. Timkins?' replied Mi. Dickson Ido floe.' '1":".s 011
myself, as you know, approve of some expressions'in it; but ;"4“1;'
on the present occasion 1 found it peculiarly soktinn and el" 4
pressive; it was uttered from the heart, a•ad it went. to the„mi, „1-
heart; we ought, Mr. Timkins, to be candid; my own ssAl
ron ;swim"
jections in these matters lie much deeper than the wording
at
of a service.' Ay, Mr. Dickson,' rejoined Timkins, ` know- ••':'-1.
what you mean : you object to all set forms.' ' Why, not 7'
exactly so, Mr. Thukins : there is nothing wrong in forms.
as such, whether forms of ritual, or forms of prayer, rind., ill 0"
praise; and the forms of the Church of England are in gene• 7,.
ral excellent, many of them eminently beautiful • and the. ,"sit
pious members of the Church profit in the use of them, and
doubtless find conscientious reasons for approving even of
those which to you and the seem objectionable." V'..
returned Timkins, • I see where you aro: 101 l du no. li a
men•made-parsons; there is no warrant for 13 shops its t: e ,
word of God." lam sorry, Mr. Ti nkins,' replied M,. IS-ct..- ti 4.(1
son, 'to oppose you, as if for the sake, of quibbing; b t the '• (We
question of episcopacy is one which ) 013 have not stmi I
have; and though I ens not myself an episcopalian, 1 coin,
readily admit that a pious and honest episcopaliau may feel
as conscientiously convinced on his side as I nu mine; and I
should certainly not think this alone a reason for dissenting
from the Church; 1 should he very sorry to call such a ser-•
vant of Christ as the excellent rector of this parish a man:. ••
Made-minister. 1 could not in conscience frequent his
church ' but I cannot doubt that he is truly called by the
Llolv Ghost to the office of the Christian ministry, and that,
his labours have been eminently 'blessed of God to the'spi-
ritual welfare of his flock.' 0 then,' rejoined Timkins, ' I
conclude you do not like the rags of popery— fonts, and sat- •
plices, and steeples, and so forth.' No reasonable man,
Mr. Timkins,' continued Mr. Dickson, Christian of an
enlightened mind in the present day would rend the Church
of Chi ist for scruples like this. I presume the rector attributes
no more holiness to his surplice than I to my gown. There
used to he vehement disputes about the lawfulness of appoint. '
ing ceremonies, not sinful in themselves, and intended
edification, but not prescribed by the word of God;' but on.
Dissenter in the nineteenth century dwells upon points like •
these. When the basis of a church is solid there is room. .for
amendmeut in the details : my chief objection to the Church
of England is, that it is established by law; I' shook' equally' -
object to any other national Church Establishment, even
were all the doctrines sound, and all the -rites scriptural.- I
lay it down as a fundamental principle, that it is the. duty of
every true disciple of Christ to withdraw himself from
us-
Tonal Church, and to bear his testimony against all' act-or-''

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parliament religion.'"
P't'
These extracts furnish us with something tatigibfi
—something to grapple with in the shape of argument.

In our next we shall endeavour to prove the fallacy of.
these notions, and thereby show how utterly ground-.,.0
less are the pleas set up by Dissenters. as" reastinS
leaving the Church of England, and seckin,4 its 7 :vi
struction.

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MORAL EFFECTS OF WHIG LEGISLATION.—The fol-
lowing case, which will be found detailed in another
column, affords a melancholy instance of the moral
effects of the new marriage act.
A man of the name of William Paine, residing in.
Clapthorne, Northamptonshire, married a young girl-,
in the same parish, about seventeen years of age, and,
after living with hei three years, died six weeks ago.
A fortnight since the Rev. Mr. M'Donald, minister of
that and adjoining parish, was requested to publish

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the banns of marriage between this girl and a •youth
of the name of Taylor. Struck with the indelicaci•Of
the proceeding—her husband having been dead only a
month, the reverend gentleman was induced to make
further inquiry, when, to his astonishment and .disgust,
he discovered that the youth Taylor was the
mate child of Benjamin Paine, a son of the aforenier-

tioned William Paine—that he was a 7117.7101.—had been
affiliated—and that, in reality, had he complied. with
their wishes, he would have been assisting. a marriage
between a young man and his own sirandlather'
who is likewise under age!

Considering that it would be a wicked and incestu-
ous marriage, the Rev. Mr. M•Dunald, who is an ho-
nourable and intelligent member of the church, re-

fused to publish their banns; and the varties betaking.,
themselves to the registrar of the districi, tiley..ha.ye:
been asked before the Board of Guardians Oundle,
and will be married according to the rules of the new

marriage act.
A more monstrous proof of the disgraceful effects

of this blot upon our statute book can scarcely be im'
agined. It is a fact which must be known in the coun-
try in order to open the eyes of its deluded inhabi-
tants, and point out to them the mischievous and
in~-
mm•al consequences of the so much lan;led marriage
act.

SUNDAY SCHOOL SOCIETY FOR IRELAND.—We have
much pleasure in calling the attention of our readers .
to the announcement of Sermons to he preached to .
Christ Church on Sunday next, in aid of the Sunday
School Society for Ireland, which will be found in .our
advertising columns of this date. In .orderito rec Our-,
mend this excellent Institution to the support of tho , •
friends of scriptural education, we cannot do
better
than give the following extract from the evidence of •
the Right Honourable Frederick Shaw-, M. f, r. the.
University of Dublin, On the subject of the Irish Sow, , •
day School Society, taken before the Select Corninbto. • '
of the House of Commons, appointed to inquire into
the progress and operations of the "new iilan Of e4l'"
cation in Ireland" taken from the. Repo,:t. of. 6a-id
Committee, ordered by the Hone of Conntioriq'to
lje
printed, July, 1837 :—" MY own opinion. is, that ;HQ-
Sunday School Society for Ireland is the most useful
Society in that country connected with th.edocation'• •
of the humbler classes of the people. • In 'fbrnrinethis
opinion, I refer particularly to. the simplicity OiL,the
principles and the operations of that Society ;'it,exerci..:,
ses no control over the internal regelationS •
School in connexion with it; it uses no inteffer,ding :ence•,--‘
beyond that of friendly advice; it gives nu' r•
book of any kind except the pure, Scriptures,;:- anti
•
Ca
while it gives to none who do not ask it assiStariCe,,
when it give:, it gives freely and without annexing
any condition to the grant. I likewise greallY.ad!!6l.-b•
the high religious tone of the education which. the
Sunday Scheol Society imparts; and I ripl-,,,ard:4.(?l'e
of its most important and striking characteristics, 'the,
relatio:n which this institution establkhes;
hr' nicans of ,
its Gratuitous Teachers, bntvreeri the