The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1846-01-13 00:00:00

THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD.

CORRESPONDENCE.

ST. THOMAS'S CHURCH, TOXTETH PARK

TO THE EDITOR OF THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD.

SIR,—On Wednesday evening last, one of the most
eloquent, impressive, and emphatical sermons was
preached by that most indefatigable champion of Protes-
tantism, the Rev. Hugh M'Neile, M.A., in the above
church, in behalf of the Tosteth-park Protestant Opera-
tive Association, to a most . crowded congregation,
amongst whom I observed with sincere gratification the
lady of James Lawrence, Esq., the Misses Gladstone, J.
Gladstone, Esq , C. H. Horsfall, Esq., Messrs. Joseph
Harrison, W. B. Jones, J. Dawson, Thos. Inman, Jno.
Payne, and Thomas Huntington; with many otner gen-
tlemen of influence and affluence whom I was glad to see
joined in the ranks of those who are determined to use all
legal means to prevent the subversion of our Protestant
institutions in this our native land.

The rev. gentleman selected his text from the 4th chap-
ter 2nd Timothy, and 2nd verse—" Preach the word, be
instant in season, out of season ; reprove, rebuke, exhort
with all long-suffering and doctrine ;" which he expounded
in the most sublime manner in connexion with the charge
delivered to Timothy by St. Paul, as his uninspired suc-
cessor in the ministry, and contrasted it with the charge
delivered to the holy and inspired apostles by our blessed
Lord and Saviour, as written in the 20th chapter of St.
John's gospel 21st and following verses—" Then said
Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you : as my Father
bath sent me, even so send I you. And when he had said
this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye
the Holy Ghost," &c. I hope and trust, sir, we shall see
such, associations organised throughout the country, so
that the demoralizing spirit of Popery may be suppressed
by the preaching of the word of truth and the spreading of
the genuine doctrines of Christianity. Then we shall see
the deluded Romanists truly emancipated from the de-
basing bondage of superstitious horror and deadly aversion
to tbeir fellow men. They will no longer believe it is a
mortal sin of the deepest die, to enter a Protestant church,
or even to join with a Protestant in prayer to the Father
of ns all. They will no longer see the political and religi-
ous contests brought before them through a false and dis-
torted medium. Their feelings will be no longer poisoned
against their fellow men. Their minds no longer occupied
with some vague notions of a revolution, in conformity
with some lying prophecies studiously put forward to
mislead them. '1 hey will forsake their rebellious associa-
tions to be no longer constrained by every means that
superstition can employ to

ray the trust reposed in
arm. The link of good feeling will no more be snapped
asunder by the political and ever reckless interference of
a papist priest. The British Cabinet of the present day
have fondly imagined that a liberal and gratuitous educa-
tion at Maynooth will impress a higher and more loyal
stamp on the character of the priesthood ; but such is a
vain imagination, as the studies of a popish priest are of
subtle and scholastic logic, which serves rather to prevent
than to improve the integrity of the judgment by disciplin-
ing the mind to invest error with the semblance of truth.
I hope, Sir, these few remarks may have the effect of
arousing our brother Protestants to a proper sense of
their duty—to join themselves heart and mind to main-
tain the great and holy principles which it is my great
pleasure to advocate• _

I remain Sir,
Your most obedient and humble servant,
A PROTESTANT

January 10, 1846

EVANGELICAL ALLIANCE

To the EDITOR of the LIVERPOOL STANDARD,

SlR,—The Rev. Mr. Ewbank, in his "Address," says,
" Had there been no expression of sorrow for past un-
charitableness and no declared resolution of future
amendment, I should have considered the prop,osed al-
liance as ludicrously, or, to speak more properly, wickedly
absurd." p. 11.
Dr. Cox, in his speech at the Conference, said, " In
order to promote union, you, Mr. Chairman, asked, last
evening, that Dissenters should give up this, and Church-
men that ; and especially that we Dissenters should give
up our aggressive movements against a system which I
fairly say we must utterly disapprove Sir, I cannot give
it up. I cannot abandon the aggressive movement."
The principle here laid down by Dr. Cox was ratified by
the Conference, and has since been adopted generally by
the members of the Alliance. It is officially announced
by the London Branch of the Provisional Committee. I
call Mr. Ewbank's attention to this. Instead of a de-
clared resolution of future amendment, here is a declated
determination of unabated hostility. Under such circum-
stances, it is impossible to gainsay the justice of Mr.
Ewbank's conclusion—that the proposed alliance is" lu-
eicrously, or, to speak more properly, wickedly absurd."
—1 am, Sir, yours, &c., SPECTATOR.

SPLENDID PAINTINGS AT THE REPOSITORY,

UHURCH-STREET,

Mr. Grundy, who is indefatieable in catering for the
choicest works of art to gratify his friends withal, has just
received four superb paintings by eminent modern mas-
ters, with a cursory view of which we have been highly
gratified. The first we noticed was " The Players' Re-
ception of the Author," taken from the vivid description
given by Le Sage, in the 11th chipter of the Ist volume
of Gil Blas—and painted by Maclise, R.A. The players
Ire enjoying themselves aster dinner at a sumptuous des-
sert, seasoned with abundance of scandal, and are in-
formed that " a man in marvellous foul linen, bedangled
all over, and who looks much like a poet, wants to speak
with them." The principal actress answered, " Show
hi.n up, but don't stir, gentlemen, 'tis but an author."
The poor author was treated. on his appearance, with the
most cutting railery, but durst not retort, as his piece had
been accepted, and he feared it might suffer. The mo-
ment seized is when, trembling and confused, be
presents a paper to the principal • actress, say-
ing—" Be so good, madam, as to accept of this part,
which I take the liberty to offer." The picture is full
of character and animation. The actors and actresses
are in full costume, and their arrogance and contemptu-
ous treatment of the poor author are admirably and vari-
edly depict' din their several countenances, The humble
garb and demeanour of the more worthy author forms a
striking contrast to their gorgeous attire and supercilious
deportment. There is also great merit in the architectu-
ral drawing and embellishment of the apartment, as well
as in the furniture, fruit, and auxiliaries.—The second
picture, called " The Combat," is by Wm. Ettey, R. k.,
a fine classical subject of three Herculean figures. This
is the property of the Royal Scottish Academy. It is re-
markably fine in drawing and colouring ; may be consi-
dered as belonging to the highest range of the art, and
reminds one of the greatest efforts of Titian. The third
painting is one of the Battle of Waterloo, during the beat
of the combat, by George Jones, Esq., lt.A., keeper
the Royal Academy. It is one of the finest represen-
tations of that great action we have yet seen, be-
ing full of life and certainly of " fire." The
very sight of it fills one with at once a thrilling and a
proud emotion. There are portraits in the smoking
field of no fewer than thirty-five distinguished British
officers ; and the picture, which is large and beautifully
painted, derives additional interest and authenticity from
the fact that the painter was himself a partaker of the
dangers and the glories of the eventful day. The remain-
ing novelty we have to notice is " The Retreating Storm,',
by Danby, a truly wonderful and most masterly produc-
tion. The sun, after the height of a storm at sea, is re-
presented as setting with lurid glow, amidst the yet angry
thiugh dispersing clouds, and black weltering waters,
which his rays here and there tinge in bloodred streaks.
Nothing can, we think, be more poetically conceived : the
scene, in fine, is not only fearful, vivid, and natural, but
embodies a sublimity which true genius could alone achieve.
From the shortness of our visit, and our time being cir-
cumscribed, we cannot, on this occasion, notice these fine
pictures in detail. But we strongly recommend the
lovers of the fine arts to inspect them, and judge for
themselves. They are all to be engraved in the finest
style for " Finden's Gallery of British Art," a splendid
work now in course of publication.

COACII TRAVELLING.—A retrospect on coach travel-
ling will not be unwelcome in these days, when all the
empire is thinking about it. Bourne's history of the Bir-
mingham Railway furnishes us with the following :
The reign of Elizabeth is usually assigned as the period
when coaches were introduced into England ; but vehi-
cles with wheels, under the denomination of chares, cars,
chariots, coaches, and whirlicotes, had been long previ-
ously employed. The term chariot seems formerly to have
denoted a sort of wagon ; and in the will of Bartholomew
Lord Burghersh (1369), the bier or other conveyance on
which his corpseiwas to be carried is spoken of as a cha-
riot. Henry, tht fifth Earl of Northumberland, was ac-
companied in his journeys by no less than thirty-six
horsemen and seventeen carriages, conveying the house-
hold furniture and other necessaries. Queen Catherine,
the first, and Anne Boleyn, the second wife of Henry
VIII., were each conveyed to Westminster in litters;
that of the latter being ' of white cloth of gold, led by
two palfreys,' and on each of these occasions, chariots
covered, with ladies therein, accompanied the litters.'
When Cardinal Wolsey visited France in 1527, we find
that the king's*nother, the dame regent, entered Amiens,
riding in a very riche chariot, and with her therein was
the Queen of Navarre, her daughter.' A train of ladies
on horseback followed, besides ' many ladies—some in
riche horse litters, and some in chariots.' Vehicles called
chares were prevalent at the same time ; but Mr. Mark-
land. observes, that the ' litter appears to have been the
more dignified carriage, and was generally used on state
occasions only as a conveyance for a single personage of
high distinction. The last notice of the latter met with
by Mr. Markland is by Evelyn, under the date of 1640.
Stow informs us that the first coach built in England was
in the year 1563. In 1572, Queen Elizabeth visited
Warwick in a • coche or chariot;' and in the following
year, we find a member of the Rytson family, of Hen-
grave in Suffolk, paying £34.145, for what is called in the
account ' my Mres Coche, with all the furniture thereto
belonging, except the horses.' In 1619, the Duke of
Buckingham first drove a coach with six horses, where-
upon his rival the Duke of Northumberland, set upl ano-
ther with eight. Although the use of coaches was at first
deemed effeminate, they increased rapidly in ,number, as
shown in a curious pamphlet published in 1636, called
Coach and Sedan Pleasantly Disputing,' wherein the
number of them then used in London and its immadiate
vicinity is computed at more than 6000. Dekker and
others satirise the citizens' wives for riding in coaches;
and Taylor the water poet appears to consider their in-
troduction as a national calamity. Speaking of the break-
ing up of large households he says, `The witchcraft of the
coach lris transformed, in some places, ten, twenty,
thirty, forty, fifty, sixty, or one hundred proper serving
men into two or three animals.' Wagons conveying both
goods and passengers are known to have been in use so
early as 15th:.—Chambers' Enin. Journal.