The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1841-10-15 00:00:00

LITERARY NOTICES

Ebenezer. By J. G. Lazarus

Nisbet, London

The author of this work is the superintendent of
the institution established in this town for inquiring
Jews. The publication is replete with interest, and
details the most remarkable incidents in the life of Mr.
Lazarus, both before and subsequently to his conver-
sion to the Christian faith. Mr. Lazarus is a native of
Riga, in Russia, and, like most of his persuasion in
that country, was a zealous and consistent Jew, de-
votedly attached to the religion of his forefathers, and
" walking in all the ordinances of the law blameless."
After experiencing the most painful sufferings and mi-
raculous deliverances, Mr. Lazarus was condemned for
some breach of the law to serve for ever in the Russian
army. He would here have been compelled to the
performance of many superstitious acts which were
most grievous to him as a Jew, and the anticipations
of which preyed so much on his spirits as to induce
him to fly his native land and strive to seek his fortune
in England. In his journey hither he was subject to
the most heartrending privations, and was compelled
to endure the scoffs and tauntings of those who ought
to have assisted him. Some short time after his arri-
val he had put in his hands a tract unfolding the beau-
ties of the Christian faith in opposition to the errors of
the Talmudical traditions. This led to Inquiry ; and
Mr. Lazarus, after many interviews with a clergyman
in London, and after many misgivings and doubts,
determined to adopt the Christian religion and forsake
the errors of Judaism. The book is written with con-
siderable talent and pathos, and gives a description of
most of the Jewish ceromunies and customs. A strain
of evident sincerity pervades the work, and the deter-
mination of our author seems to have been to retain
an opinion only so long as he was convinced of its
truth. We cordially recommend this work to the pe-
rusal of all who feel the slightest interest in the welfare
of the house of Israel, as there is every probability
that it will tend to remove much misapprehension
which we fear exists at present respecting that preju-
diced but ill-used people. The work is dedicated to
the Rev. Hugh M‘Neile, and a neat and well-written
preface precedes the narrative.

The Voluntary Principle, Payment of Church-rates,
&c. Liverpool : H. Penis.
The able minister of St. Augustines, Everton, has
published a Second Letter in reply to the Rev. James
Harper on the important and interesting question of
Church Establishments, and the various duties and
obligations connected therewith. The reverend author
handles his subject in a very masterly manner, and
closely follows his dissenting adversary through all his 4
sinuosities, leaving him, ere he concludes, no loophole
for escape. The great acumen and vast resources
which Dr. Tattershall brings to hear on every subject
which he takes in hand, are well known in Liverpool,
and on this subject it would be superfluous in us to
say anything. In the present publication he fully sus-
tains his deservedly high reputation, and we would re-
commend all who wish to see disputing subterfuges
hunted down, and their sophistical cobwebs destroyed,
to study it carefully. The reasoning is close, search-
ing, and irresistible. One would think that we should
hear no more of the same scruples and tenderness of
dissenting consciences after this able and conclusive
expos. We subjoin an extract, and much regret that
the limits of our space necessarily confine us in the
extent of our selection :
Hitherto, we have been engaged with the objections urged
by Mr. Harper, against Church Establishments, on the ground
of their supposed inaptitude to promote Missionary objects.
We now turn to a different form of objection ; namely, that
which arises from the violence, which is alleged to be offered
to the CONSCIENCE of Dissenters, in being compelled to con-
tribute to their support. 1
And this ground of complaint or objection, is one upon
which Dissenters appear to set a high value ; if, at least, we
may judge from the sensitiveness which they exhibit, when
they see the approach of the dissecting-knife, and witness its
application to their favorite.
The total invalidity of any objection of this kind, was
pointed out by me, in my former letter, in a passage which
Mr. H. has quoted, although with the omission of one very
material step ; and stood as follows :—" The case," (that is,
the support of religion by the State) is one, upon which in- '
dividual conscience is not in the smallest degree concerned ;
the legislature makes laws—law is the foundation and fur-
nishes the definition of properti, : that part of the produce
of labour, which the law assigns to each individual person,
that, and no more, is his property. And that part of the
produce of the same labour, which the law assigns to other
purposes—the support of religion, or any other object—that
belongs to the parties to whom the law assigns it, for the
purpose of being applied to its destined use. Every man's
conscience is concerned exclusively with his own actions, and
has, therefore, much to do with the disposal of his own pro-
perty; but it can have nothing to do witn that which is not
his own. And the portion of the annual proceeds of labour,
appointed by the law for the support of religion, is not his
own ; therefore his conscience cannot be affected by its ap-
plication to that purpose."
Now, in this argument Mr. Harper has not attempted to
point out any fallacy ; he has, however, bestowed upon it a
few remarks, intended, no doubt, to evade its force; which,
had they proceeded from any other quarter, I should have
thought deserving of being regarded as an attempt, on the
part of their author, to raise a cloud of dust over the subject
in discussion, that he might make his own escape under cover
of the darkness created. But coming from Mr. H., I am
convinced the case is otherwise ; and that they are only to
be looked upon, as another instance of that singular con-
fusion of ideas, of which we have seen so many instances
before.

----"
If the property of the subject," says Mr. H., " is taken
from him by force, he is exempt from blame, because in sur-
rendering it he does not fulfil the law—the law vindicates or
avenges itself." Very true: and what will the subject him-
self have been doing in the meanwhile? retaining possession
of that which the law—the only thing which can declare
what is and what is not the property of the subject—the only
thing which can declare upon what conditions property can
be held—has declared to belong to other persons, and to be
not his. Now there is a law which requires a man to " render
tribute to whom tribute is due," and to " owe no man any
thing, but to love one another." And here then, where his
own actions are concerned, is the proper place for conscience
to exercise its office, and require conformity to the standard
of duty. But, instead of this, the party in question violates
this holy law, and withholds what is due to others, because,
forsooth, these others will apply it to what he deems a sinful
purpose—a matter in which their conscience only, and not
his, can possibly be concerned.
" In this case," continues Mr. Harper, " the subject who
loses his property for a bad—though for a legal—purpose, is
precisely in the position of one who should be compelled, by
physical coercion, to bend the knee to Juggernaut, or to do
military honors to the image of the Virgin. But if the sub-
ject of military law were, on command, to perform those acts
of superstitious obeisance, his conscience would be defiled.
The law that enjoins such conduct is, therefore, an outrage
on conscience. As such, 'a man is bound to meet its claim
by passive resistance, and to seek its repeal through the con-
stitutional channels of redress. Precisely parallel is the case
of money." These remarks relating to acts of service which
cannot be separated from the party performing them, appear
to me to be perfectly correct. And, no doubt, a person from
whom money is taken by force—as, for instance, by robbery
—cannot be responsible for the application made of it by the
parties who have committed the violence. But in the case
of money exacted in conformity with the law of the land, and
of which all right of retention, control, or disposal, is alto-
gether separated from the party required to pay it, no ex-
ercise of violence can be necessary to render such party
irresponsible for the application, by the right owners, whether
to good or evil purposes, of any sums which he is required to
pay to such owners, or persons to whose charge the law has
assigned it.
Mr. Harper observes, in p. 38—" There is another view of
the subject which I would recommend to Dr. Tattershall's
attention. In his enumeration of the obligations of a citizen,
does this consideration hold no place, that the subject is
morally responsible for the state of the law, and for the acts
of the legislative body ?" My answer is, that, in my view,
every citizen is so responsible, to the extent of the influence
which God has given him ; and that I think him bound, in
conscience, to employ that influence, in a Christian spirit,
and a constitutional manner, to rectify every thing, in the
existing state of the law, which. he may really believe or judge
to be wrong. I would myself, for instance, petition the Le-
gislature to abolish the pilgrim tax in India, to modify the
articles of war, so as to exempt our military from all partici-
pation in services of a superstitious or idolatrous character ;
to abolish the Maynooth grant, &c. The subject should
form his judgment, having considered the real merits of the
case, with care; maintain it with firmness, as long as he is
convinced of its correctness ; and urge it upon the considera-
tion of the Legislature with all respectful earnestness. This
is conduct worthy of a good citizen. It is no part, however,
of the same conduct, nor does it manifest any independence,
or greatness of mind, to conjure up fictitious grievances, to
make pitiful complaints of non-existent evils, or to plead the
claims of conscience, in cases where conscience cannot come
into operation. I grant that where a person imagines his
conscience to be invaded, he is exposed to suffer much dis-
tress of mind ; and most sure I am, that the subjects of such
a delusion are fit objects for the most tender sympathy. But
it would not on that account be just,nor would it be even pos-
sible, so to frame the laws of a country as to accommodate
the varied erroneous views and impressions of all the mem-
bers of the community. The true remedy for such an un-
happy state of mind, is to obtain more accurate instruction,
by which. under God's blessing, the illusion may be dispelled.

The British Quadrilles. By John Davies, Liverpool

A smart, lively, gay, and well-arranged set of quadrilles.
The author has played them frequently on the Rock Har-
monicon. They are clever, and are, we believe, much
sought after by those whose " dancing days are not over."
We recommend them to the notice of our lady friends.

The New Statistical Account of Scotland. Blackwood and

Sons, Edinburgh

No. XXXIII of this work is now published, containing
the county of Shetland, complete, and part of Renfrewshire.
It abounds with a variety of topographical, geological, and
historical information relative to each parish, with details of
its antiquities, its population, industry, ecclesiastical condi-
tion, and resources,—of a far more interesting nature than
that usually found in the statistical department of literature.
The descriptions of the several sea-beaten islands forming
the Shetland group will be read with attention, and the ac-
count of Renfrewshire is still more attractive, comprising,
as it does, interesting particulars of the rise and present state
of the thriving port of Greenock. As a specimen, though
by no means a select one, of the general style, we quote the
following passage relative to the parish of Greenock :
" Greenock has no picturesque beauty in itself, except what
it derives from the elegant and tasteful villas in its eastern
and western suburbs. There is hardly any coppice in its
ravines ; the plantations of forest trees are few and of small
dimensions; the hills are sadly destitute of clothing, and
When compared with those in the neighbouring parish of
lavrkip are tame and monotonous. But these deficiencies
are
tohre, in a great measure, compensated by its having some of
finest land and sea views which are to be seen in Scotland,
walk out
having our :11yeestfownof G • k
perhaps, in any part of the globe. It is impossible to
and magnificent sea:
combina-
tion of nature and
the grassy bill and
pleasure-
ground, and of the broad expanse
of the whitening sails which bedeck
rising ground the views are
their range the opposite coast fro
Vunoon, with its towns, villas, and
Greenock in any direction without
fastened with some portion of the rich and
aretry. which is produced by the
of the heath-clad mountains with
cultivated field, and extensive
of water with the multitude
peculiarlycl its surface. From the
splendid, including in
numerousnf t
he indentations,river
w iwith
Bowling and Douglass to
and a considerable part of the south bank
• the frowns and harbours of Port-Glasgow end G i'. ,
reenoca. '