The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1853-03-08 00:00:00

THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD, TUESDAY, MARCH 8, 1853.

in her formularies and her articles lays down a
simple rule of faith, based upon the Holy Scrip-
tures and the practice of the primitive church,
there are zealous clergymen, of undoubted ability
and unsuspected integrity, who take opposite views
on what some would consider minor points ; and in
the exuberance of their zeal make little or no
allowance for the opinions of others. It will be
found that in many of these controversies much of
the difference arises from giving a varied interpre-
tation to the same word, which, if understood by
both parties in the same sense, would render both
of one mind. It is, we are sure, the anxious desire
of many that the Church should be at unity
within herself ; and this is a consummation the
more devoutly to be wished, as she will require all
her strength to combat her enemies from without.
She has Romanism on the one hand, with all the
insidious arts of superstition fostered by gaudy
ceremonial; and on the other hand, she has the
monster of Infidelity and" the varied phases of lati-
tudinarian heresy'. With her own simple rule of
faith, the Holy Scriptures for her guide, and her
services, magnificent in their beauty and simplicity,
she requires but the union of all her members to
realise the promise of her being founded on a rock.
She has but to be true to herself to withstand the
shock of a wont' in arms against her ; and we have
hazarded theF.e few remarks in the hope that the
appointment to the see of Lincoln is an earnest of
better times ;that those who have hitherto avowed
extreme opinons, will, in Christian charity, accord
something to the convictions of those who may have
conscientiously differed from them ; and that all will
cordially unite in furtherance of the one great
object whicW has hitherto made the Reformed
Church the, pride and the blessing of Christian
England.

CORRESPONDENCE.

Letters addressed to the Editor should be accompanied by the
real name and address of the writer, not for publication, but
as a guarantee of good faith ; this is indispensably requisite
in any statement of facts.

The Editor wishes it to be understood that be does not hold
himself responsible for the opinions or statements of his

correspondents

LONG SERMONS.

To the EDITOR of the LIVERPOOL STANDARD.

SIR.—How does your correspondent " Ephra" get over the
notorious fact, that (with very few exceptions on either side)
the long preachers in this town have large congregations, and
the short preachers comparatively small ones? This may be
no proof that sermons ought to be long; but it seems to mill-
ate rather strongly against the notion which " Ephra" enter-
s ins, of long sermons being generally disliked.-1 am, Sir,
A CONSTANT READER.

THE LIVERPOOL ELECTION PETITION.

DURING the last few days some little excitement has
been created, owing to a number of individuals in the
town having been served with Speaker's warrants to give
evidence before a committee as to certain alleged illegal
practices at the last election for this borough. The cir-
cumstance has been eagerly seized hold of by our Radical
contemporaries, with a kind of " Didn't I tell you so" air.
Nevertheless, we shall adhere to our former opinion, until
there is something more definite, as Liverpool is not
among the places for which committees are provided,
though several have been appointed for more than a month
beforehand. To charge a man with bribery who had above
1,200 votes to spare, is something new in electioneering
matters ; but in the present temper of election committees
there is no tellingwhat testimony they may choosetoad mit
as proof. In the meantime, it is shrewdly suspected
that the affair of the Speaker's warrants is intended more
by way of inducing a compromise than with any serious
intention of prosecuting the petition. In either case it
must be a failure ; and we caution our Conservative friends
against giving any credence to the reports so industriously
circulated.