The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1840-11-20 00:00:00

monials, countersigned by the Bishop of Chester were
forwarded to the secretary of the society. The ques-
tion here naturally occurs, were those testimonials
" satisfactory" to the society, the society itself being,
of course, the only proper judge of the matter ? Un-
less this was the case, the society could not, consistent-
ly with its own rules, grant any assistance. Let us see.
One of the clergymen who signed Mr. Browne's tes-
timonials certifies that he "had known him for a con-
, siderable time, and that he believed his life and conver-
sation to be such as became a minister of the Gospel,
and that his views and doctrines were in accordance
with the articles and homilies of the church." Another
clergyman states that "he had known Mr. Browne
about five years," and that "he believed him to be a
strictly conscientious man, and a devoted admirer and
supporter of the ritual of the church," and that "he
had no doubt but that he would exert himself diligently
in any sphere of usefulness to which he might be ap-
pointed." A third clergyman expresses himself much
to the same effect. He says that he " had every reason
to believe that Mr. Browne would prove himself quali-
fied for the holy office he sought, having made it his
study to become thoroughly acquainted with the doc-
trines and discipline of the church," and that " he
thought Mr. Browne was fully alive to the responsibi-
lities of the ministry, and anxious to devote himself to
the laborious duties .of the curacy" to which he might
be appointed. We have extracted all the material
points in these letters of recommendation. These tes-
timonials, at least the first and second, were counter-
signed by the Bishop of Chester,. who merely states
that the parties signing them were " beneficed clergy
in the diocese of Chester, and worthy of credit.

Upon these testimonials the society had to decide
Did they appear " satisfactory" to the committee ?
The secretary of the society, Mr. Were, in acknow-
ledging their receipt, states that " Mr. Browne's testi-
monials were satisfactory as far as they went," but
that " they were not sufficiently decided and explicit
as to his christian character and qualifications." Fur-
ther evidence was therefore requested. Mr. Clark
wished to be informed " what the society meant by
christian character and qualifications ?" In making
this request, however, he intimated that Mr. Browne's
testimonials had been submitted to the bishop, and
that a room had been hired for him to officiate in. The
secretary of the society, in reply, very properly re-
marked, that Mr. Clark " had acted prematurely in
presenting Mr. Browne's testimonials to the bishop,
with a view of his being ordained on one of the society's
grants, and in engaging a school-room." The propriety
of this remark will be evident, when we consider that,
in the first instance, the society ought to be satisfied
as to the character and qualifications of the candidate.
This preliminary was indispensable, in order that
the regulations of the society might be strictly com-
plied with. The society, in explanation, wished to be
satisfied that Mr. Browne was " a spiritually-minded
and devoted man ; one who would preach faithfully
and fully the truths of the gospel, and give himself up
to the duties of the ministry." On these points—all-
important as they must be considered—the testimo-
nials were almost silent. Indeed, what is stated in
them, with respect to Mr. Browne, might be said of
any man of outwardly moral conduct, ordinary talents,
and who might possess a desire to exercise the functions
of the Christian ministry. The Pastoral Aid Society
requires more than this vague and indefinite sort of
testimony. It requires to be assured that the candi-
dates submitted to its notice are, as far as human
judgment is cognisant of the matter, converted cha-
racters, anxious to become instrumental in the conver-
sion of others, and that with a single eye to the glory
of God. Nothing short of this, with the superaddition
of the requisite degree of general learning, ought to
satisfy the Pastoral Aid Society or any other society
similarly constituted.
Mr. Clarke's reply to the letter in which this explana-
tion was offered is a cornpletepetitioprincipii. He takes
it for granted that " if the testimonials were satisfac-
tory to the Bishop, they must be so to the society, as
the society could have no intention to insult his
lordship." A more complete case of begging the
question we never met with. It is notorious that some
bishops are easily satisfied as to the qualifications of
candidates for the ministerial office, or we should not
so frequentlyhear of card-playing,ball-room frequenting,
and sporting clergymen, not to mention other charac-
ters of a worse description. We are bound to speak
our minds plainly on this question, because the matter
at issue most deeply affects the vital interests of the
church. Unless Mr. Clark can prove that all the
Bishops of the Church of England, including the re_
cent Whig creations, (we mean no disrespect to the
Bishop of Ripon, whom we believe to be a pious and
devoted prelate,) are men who themselves " preach
fully and faithfully the great truths of the gospel," he
has no right to assume that the previous episcopal
sanction given to the testimonials of a candidate ought
to satisfy the Pastoral Aid Society.
But, as Mr. Clark imagined, to remove all doubts on
the subject, he forwarded to the society Mr. Browne's
own assurance as to his " Christian character and
qualifications." This is contained in the following
letter, which we quote at length, in order to complete
our vindication of the course pursued by the Pastoral
Aid Society :

3, Portlancl.place, Everton, near Liverpool,
20th October, 1840.

My dear Sir,—l this morning was favoured with your let-
ter of yesterday, and in reply, beg to state that I am truly
surprised that any society, especially one which assumes to
itself the character of a church association, should believe
that any man is capable of diving into the inward thoughts of
my soul, and thus constituting himself " a discerner of
spirits." Were Ito obtain such a testimonial as you think
the society will require, what would it amount to after all?
Why just to this—that as far as the writer thereof knew, I
was a spiritually-minded and devoted man. Now how is it
possible for any man to assert this with truth, excepting in
as far as he can judge of my frame of mind by my outward
actions ? And to these I think the testimonials which have
been already forwarded to the Pastoral Aid Society bear am-
ple testimony. If I did not conceive that I were inwardly
moved by the Holy Ghost so to do, I should consider that I
was committing an actual sin by applying to be admitted to
holy orders. I trust that, as far as I know my own heart, I
am spiritually-minded—at any rate I endeavour to live under
the influences of that blessed Spirit, who, at my baptism,
took up his abode within me. As to my devotedness, I can sin-
cerely say that I am prepared to spend and be spent in the ser-
vice of the church, which I believe to be the kingdom of God
upon earth, and into which it shall be my constant endeavour
to bring all those who have strayed from the true fold of Christ
Jesus the Lord. It is my determination to preach not only
the great truths of the gospel, but the whole truth as it is in
Jesus ' • and, whilst I shall make it my study to set forth in
all its fullness the atoning sacrifice of Christ, I shall not fail
to impress upon my hearers the observance of the divine ad-
monition—" If ye love me keep my commandments." I shall
make it my constant care to instil into the minds of my con-
gregation the awful nature of the sin of schism, to show them
the evil which they contract by not avoiding those " which
cause divisions among them," and to lay before them the
great benefits attending a worthy receiving of the holy sacra-
ments, which they neither do nor can participate in when in
a state of separation from the church.
To you, as a minister of God, I have no objection to make
this confession, though I might refuse to do so to a Lay So-
ciety. I shall be glad if you will let me know the result of
this matter as soon as you conveniently can.
And I am, my dear sir, yours ever faithfully,
T. BRIARLY BROWNE.

Rev. John Clark.
Now, 'three things are very evident in the preceding
letter ; first, that the writer does not display much of
that meekness which is one of the leading features in
the Christian character ; secondly, that he despises the
very society by whose assistance he expected to be or-
dained : and, thirdly, that he is a thorough going
Puseyite. Yes ! we feel justified in using the term in
reference to any one who denies salvation to all who
are not within the pale of the church—meaning, there-
by, as the Puseyites do, the Church of Rome or the
Church of England.

After the receipt of the preceding letter we are not
in the slightest degree surprised that the society directed
the following answer to be addressed to Mr. Clarke :
Temple Chambers, Falcon-court, Fleet-street,
- Nov. 9, 1840. _ _

Rev. Sir,—ln reply to your communication of the 7th in-
stant, I beg to state that, agreeably to your request, I have
enclosed to you Mr. Brown's letter and testimonials. With
respect to the last part of your communication, in which you
not very courteously accuse the society of " obtaining sup-
port under false pretences," and announce your intention of
publishing the correspondence which has taken place on the
subject of Mr. Brown's nomination—l have only to observe
that the society is quite prepared to maintain its principles
and practice, should it deem it necessary to do so. I must
request that you will have the candour to publish, along
with the other letter, Mr. Browne's communication, which
came before the members of the clerical committee in the
form of a testimonial, and which had the effect very mate-
rially of deciding the judgment of those members. In the
very first sentence of that letter there is evidently a sneer at
the character of the society. For what else could Mr.
Browne mean, by talking of the society as one " which as-
sumed to itself the character of a Church Association ?"
Could any one' after such an expression of Mr. Browne's
real sentiments, be so simple as to imagine that the friends
of the society would sanction the appointment of a gentleman
who evidently despised it ? If, then, there were no other
reason for refusing to confirm Mr. Brown's nomination, is
not this, I would ask, amply sufficient ? Allow me to say,
moreover, that this fact more than justifies us in not acqui-
escing at once in the appointment of the gentleman in ques-
tion, and in requiring further evidence as to his character
and qualifications.
If we had not done so, we should not have had the oppor-
tunity of perusing his letter, in which he expresses his con-
temptuous feelings towards the society, which he does no.