The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1854-06-06 00:00:00

IS LORD STANLEY A CONSERVATIVE ?

TO THE EDITOR OF THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD.
SIR,--I was glad to see that in ,one of your leading
articles to-day you notice the suspicious conduct of Lord
Stanley, M.P. It is certainly high time that the Conser-
vative press should notice it.

Another instance of his lordship's backsliding was
his recent speech at Ormskirk. Speaking of what books
they should exclude from the proposed Free Public
Library, he said, as well as I can quote from memory,—
" * * And on this subject 'hold a very strong opinion.
* * * I should advise you to exclude from your library
all works on religious controversy and party politics.'
He also voted with Lord John Russell on the Jew Bill
last year. _ _

When Lord Stanley holds such opinions, it is inconsis-
tent in the Lynn Conservatives to retain 4)in as the
colleague of the son-in-law and nephew of Lord Roden.
His lordship's vote on the Church-rate question, although
displeasing to you, seems to meet with the approval of a
Romanist contemporary, who slily hints that he (Lord S.)
would prove a suitable IVI.P. for Liverpool on a future
occasion. If he be ever brought forward, it will not be by
those who voted for Liddell and Horsfall in 1853.

I am,
yours,
Liverpool, May 30, 185*

Mrsi.

PROPOSED CHURCH FOR DAILY PRAYERS
AND WEEKLY COMMUNION.

TO THE EDITOR OP TUE LIVERPOOL STANDARD.

Siu,—A. letter appeared in last Tuesday's Standard,
from Mr. Hampton, of St. James's Church, in which he
is at some pains to defend himself from charges which
have not been made against him, and to assure the public
of his zeal and activity, which no one has questioned. He
has also charged me with acting with discourtesy, and in
a manner "neither English nor Christian," in not con
suiting him before the committee fixed upon the site of
the proposed church in the neighbourhood of his district.
To such a charge, publicly made, I suppose that some
answer will be considered due. I would therefore beg
for myself, and on the' part of the committee, to disclaim
any intention to interfere with Mr. Hampton and St.
James's district, or with any district or clergyman in the
town, or to impute to them any neglect of duty according
to their own appreciation of duty. Indeed, we thought
ourselves fortunate in meeting with a site which was in no
ecclesiastical district, either conventionally or legally
assigned; while it was at the same time in a position
which will, in a short time, be covered all round by a
dense population.
The object of the promoters of the proposed church,
many of whom are inhabitants of Toxteth-park, is to
vrovide for themselves and others those advantages of
trequent church worship which are not to be found in any
of the churches in that part of Liverpool. So that it is
not St. James's district only, but all the surrounding dis-
tricts, comprising hill the population of Liverpool, which
might be benefited by the erection of such a church. We
contend for a great principle, and have no wish to come
into collision with individual clergymen, or to interfere with
their religious prejudices. But weprotest most emphatically
against a claim being set upby any clergyman that all peopla
are bound to worship according to his individual inter-
pretation of the Rubrics or his peculiar mode of " using
the Book of Common Prayer in its integrity." In our
opinion, those clergynten who omit one-third of the Prayer
Book, in the neglect to observe the Holy Days—who omit
one-half of the Marriage Service—who occasionally change
the appointed lessons—not to speak of the omission, nay,
disparagement, of the prescribed daily prayers—those
clergymen, in our judgment, do not "use the Book of
Common Prayer in its integrity." And if it is proposed
to offer to the multitudes of any neighbourhood these
additional services, why, because a person has.no heart for
them himself, should he grudge others the enjoyment of
them ?

Mr. Hampton takes comfort to himself that his people
are not "pinin=g after a daily service and weekly com-
munion." He knows their views and tastes, and can
confidently assert that no such deAre exists in any con-
siderable number of Churchmen in the 20,000 embraced in
this scheme." And we too can assert that if any of this
number, nay, if any of the 200,000 inhabitants of the
south of Livprpool do desire the privileges of daily prayers,
or of weekly communion, they must, indeed, pine for them
in vain in any of the churches of this populous neighbour-
hood.

But what a confession is this, that the people are so far
departed from the piety, of primitive times as to have no
taste for those Churcli privileges which were then in uni-
versal estimation and practice ! The incumbent of St.
James's throws the responsibility of this state of things
upon the people, observing that " till they have made
known their wishes, they cannot say they have been re-
jected." Are, then, people wont to pine after spiritual
privileges until they are taught to value them ? Or are
they likely to ask for more frequent communions than
their pastors recommend by their own example ? It is not
thus that souls will be trained upwards. Such arguing as the
above is the best proof how much such a church is needed,
and how little sympathy and co-operation we could expect
from consulting Mr. Hampton.
Without any intention to offend others, we cannot help
taking a very different view of the religion of the Church
of England from that vhich is current in this town ; and
in proportion to the jealousy with which we are treated,
shall be our determination to proclaim and defend our
conscientious convictions ; and to maintain the right of
the people to more frequent services than are at present
afforded thein, and that too in churches where the best
places are not appropriated to the highest bidder. Mr.
Hampton will pardon me for asserting that the Lord's
Day cannot be duly honoured without tlic offering of that
sacred memorial which lie ordained as the peculiar service
of His religion. As to a monthly celebration of the Lord's
Supper, it is a disgraceful abridgment of the Church's
office three Sundays out of four, without warrant from
Scripture or antiquity, and is a reproach to us throughout
Christendom.—l am, yours faithfully,

CECIL WRAY.

THE PROPOSED "FREE" CHURCH.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD.

Sin,—ln your paper of last Tuesday, I perceived a letter
from the Rev. Mr. Hampton, in which, it seems, he takes
offence at the laudable attempt to provide a Free Church
for Daily Prayers and Weekly Communion, and at the
neighbourhood of Toxteth•park being selected for the
purpose.

Mr. Hampton appears to have exerted himself for the
welfare of his district, for which he is deserving of all
praise. He admits, also, that there is room for further and
increased exertions. Then why object to a scheme for
building a church where Daily Prayers may be said, and
Weekly Communion administered ? What is there—what
can there be—to object to in this ? One would imagine
that one like Mr. Hampton, who finds so much to do, and
means so few, would hays been the first to hail such a
design, and only too happy to promote it. At St. James's
church, Mr. Hampton says, the Prayer Book is used in
its integrity. As a Church of England man, I should be
glad to know such to be the fact. Is there the Daily Ser-
vice.? Are the current Fasts and Festivals of the Church,
which occupy so large a portion of the Book of Common
Prayer, observed at this church ? Is the Prayer for the
Church Militant regularly used ? It is some years since I
was in the church, and know nothing of its services. But,
unless these questions can be answered in the affirmative,
it appears to me that the Prayer Book is not " used in its
integrity." It is said " that no desire exists in any consi-
derable number of the 20,000 churchmen, for whom this
church is intended, for Daily Prayer and Weekly Com-
munion." Again, Sir, I would say, all honour on those to
whom it is due for what has been done in the neighbour-
hood of St. James's ; but Mr. Hampton must forgive me
for reminding him that, on his own showing, this is a field
wide enough for further exertions, and, could he produce
and foster such a desire amongst even a few of these
20,000 people, it would not be an unworthy part of the
fulfilment of his mission. Who dare put a limit to the
blessing that might descend on this busy town, if every
church poured forth its daily supplications to the Throne
of Grace from no matter how few worshippers.
Mr. Hampton wisely avoids Mr. Radford's "long" letter.
To my mind it is unanswerable, and, though a poor man,
I intend doubling my mite in the list of subscriptions, and
only hope the undertaking will not be abandoned.
I, for one, should feel thankful for the opportunity, when
practicable, of joining in the daily public prayer and praise,
feeling assured that where two or three are gathered toge-
ther in God's name, there is He in the midst of them.—
Yours faithfully,
June 3, 1854. A CHURCHMAN.