The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1840-12-22 00:00:00

FIRE INSURANCE COMPANIES.

Duties paid to government by the Fire Insurance Offices
for the year 1839 :

. LONDON OFFICES.
SuN (established in 1710) £158,688
Alliance
Atlas
British
County
Globe
Guardian .... 34,916
Hand-in-hand..........,.
Imperial
Independent and West Middlesex 2,071
Licensed Victuallers 5,2,,9
London
Phoenix
Protector (discontinued) 1
Royal Exchange 69,875
Union
Westminster ....
COUNTRY OFFICES.
Birmingham
Birmingham District 3,151
Bristol (discontinued)
Bristol Union. 2,749
Caledonian
Essex Economic 3,097
Essex and Suffolk 5,698
Hants, Sussex, and Dorset 2,614
Kent 11,413
Leeds and Yorkshire . 11,659
Leicestershire 1,490
Liverpool 6,270
Manchester
Newca,tle-upon-Tyne
New Norwich Equitable
Norwich Union
North British .
Reading
Salop
Sheffield
Suffolk East
I United 11,296
Suffolk West
West of England
Yorkshire
11,334
York and London
Scottish Union
1 Hibernian(discontinued) -
Irish Offices National
Patriotic 2,975
THIRTY-FOUR FIRE-OFFICES (chiefly those lately esta-
blished) have discontinued their business.

APROPOS OF ELECTIONS.—Said a clergyman to a bride,
" What do you think of the connubial stater "I think it
will go for Harrison," was the reply.
DISSENTERS AND THE PRAYER BOOK.—We believe there
are scores of dissenters who gratify themselves by indulging
in this kind of rant against the prayer-book and the written
sermons of the clergy, merely because they are profoundly
ignorant of the true character of both. It happened not long
ago, in Wales(hand ficta loquimur), that a youngster was
appointed to the pastoral charge of a dissenting congregation.
Dissent was low, and the church popular. Something must
be done to revive the cause ;
accordingly a lecture against
the Prayer-book was suggested to the youthful minister as
an admirable method of exhibiting his own powers and rais•
ing the dissenting " interest" at -. To this he had but
one objection, which was, that he knew nothing about the
Prayer-book, except, in general, that it was Popish, and
formal, and so forth. However, he commenced his studies
upon the dangerous volume, and dangerous it proved, for
he found, to.his amazement, a body of devotion, scriptural,
spiritual, edifying. In a word, he renounced dissent, and is
now a warmly-devoted son and minister of the established
church.

_ 'Y

THE THREE SCRIPTURAL SUBJECTS,
PAINTED BY THE CARACCI, VIEWED IN THE
TRUE LIGHT.

We have already called the notice of the public to these
pictures as great works of art; and now we beg they will
bestow on them their regard as great moral lessons. The
present season, probably, enjoins us to direct the attention
of our friends to this subject, especially those who are en-
trusted with the education of youth, and are desirous of
inculcating sound moral principles, by impressing on the
yonng mind those ineffaceable recollections which time itself
cannot obliterate or overcome.

Nothing can effect this end so powerfully, so truly as the
eye. Objects, through its means, immediately address them-
selves to the understanding, while the more complex and
abstruse knowledge of books leaves the young mind in the
dark, or makes but little impression upon it.
We ourselves can recollect, that, in the days of our early
youth, those objects which made the greatest impression on
our mind, were the engravings of scriptural subjects in our
old Family Bible. To this very day we can see the two men
carrying the huge bunches of grapes which they brought on
a pole, supported on their shoulders, from the land which
was overflowing with milk and with honey. if such an ob-
ject could captivate the young mind from what we should
now judge to be a very inferior engraving, how much more
must not the glowing and vivid representations of such sub-
jects as our Saviour calling into life the Widow's Son, or his
cuing the boy who was born blind impress the young be-
lio:der, when even the most intelligent regard these works
with wonder and delight, and revisit them with pleasure !
Where objects are of a high, intellectual, and moral class,
well pronounced and easily understood, the mind acquires a
bias towards them which dwells long on the recollection.
This axiom should not be disregarded on the present occa-
sion, for we have a case in point now before us, and one
which may not again return. Without, therefore, many
words, we have but one short advice to offer : take your
children and shew them the miracles of Christ: they are
written in plain and legible characters; let each child have
the subject explained as fully given in the text, and, our
word for it, it will prove a lecture which will not be soon for-
gotten : it will be remembered all the days of their lives.
We speak not unadvisedly, or without just and due consi-
deration.—Albion.

CORRESPONDENCE.

CATHOLIC AND POPISH FORMS OF ABSO-
LUTION.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD.

SlR,—Your contemporary, the Mercury, in its leading
article of the 20th ult., thus modestly reminds its readers
and the community at large of the invaluable srrvices which
it has from time to time conferred :—" In the course of our
occasional animadversions on the speeches and sermons of
the most rampant of the no-papery party, we have repeatedly
pointed out the inconsistency of their sarcasms upon certain
doctrines which the Protestants hold in common with the
Roman Catholics, if there be any m3aning in words.
Amongst these are the doctrines of transubstantiation and
the power of the minister to absolve penitents from their
sins." And again, further on :—" We assert, however,
that if there be any meaning in words, the power of the Pro-
testant minister, to forgive sins, is as unequivocally re-
cognised by the Protestant church as by the Catholic priests,
and we proceed to the proof." Then your contemporary, in
the way of " proof," gives two of the three forms of absolu-
tion as they stand in our Apostolic and Catholic Liturgy ;
but, for reasons best known to the writer, favours not the
public with the popish forms as they exiet in the Rituale
Romanum. The " article" winds up with the following
" flourish of trumpets :"—" We have also shewn, nn a for-
mer occasion, that another tory oracle, Bishop Philpotts,
has expressly admitted that the ministers of the Established
Church are invested with authority TO FORGIVE THE CRIMES
of penitent sinners; and with a Protestant bishop and the
Rev. Irugh M`Neile on our side, we have little to fear from
the attacks of the minion fry of the Courier, Mail, and
STANDARD."

. It would appear, however, that the writer of the above is
not disposed to content himself with the services which he
then vouchsafed ; for in the Mercury of last Friday he in-
dulges his readers with a " brief reiteration," in the way of
stirring up their recollection, thus :—" We have often
pointed out the inconsistency and indecency of ridiculing the
Roman Catholic doctrines about the real presence, and the
power of the priests to forgive human sins, when our (7)
own liturgy unequivocally recognises precisely the same doc-'
trines, as we have proved by quotations from the Protestant
Prayer-book. &c. &c."

Now, sir, I have no right—nor have I the disposition—to
impute to ie writer of the extracts cited above a wilful sup-
pression •of the Romish forms of absolution, for I would
rather imagine him to be ignorant that there existed any
differences between them and those of our own church ; but
at the same time I cannot help expressing my deep regret
that he did not consult the Romish formulary, to which I
have already adverted, ere he ventured to put forth state-
ments calculated to widen, still more, the breach between
churchmen and dissenters.

With your permission, then, I shall now give the three
forms of absolution, as they are to be found in our Book of
Common Prayer, and place in juxtaposition with them the
forms used by the Romish priesthood, as extracted from the
Rituale Romanum now before me :

The form of Absolution in Forms of Absolution in
Morning Prayer, after the Rom 'sir CHURCH.
general Confession—Boor
OF COMMON PRAYER. RUBRIC.
" Almighty God, the Fa- " Thenwhenhe[thePriest]
ther of our Lord Jesus wishes to absolve the Peni.
Christ, who desireth not the tent, a SALUTARY PENANCE
death of a sinner, but rather having been first enjoined,
that he may turn from his and upon being received by
wickedness and live ' • and him—he says first :
hath given power and corn- " May the Almighty God
mandment to His ministers, have mercy upon thee, and,
to DECLARE and pronounce thy sins being forgiven, lead
to His people, BEING PENT- to everlasting life.
TENT, the absolution and re-
mission of their sins : He
pardoneth and absolveth all

them that truly repent, and
unfeignedly believe His holy
Gospel. WHEREFORE LET

US BESEECH HIM t..) grant
us His Holy Spirit, that those
things may please Him which

we do at this present

.hat the rest of .our life here-

.after m :y be pure and holy;
so that at the last we may
come to His eternal joy :
hrough Jesus Christ our

LOrd.' RUBRIC.
The form of Absolution after " Then lifting up his right
the general Coqfession in hand towards the Penitent,
the COMMUNION Service. he says:—
Almighty God, our hea- " May Almighty and Met--
verily Father, who of His ciful Lord grant unto thee
great mercy hath promised the induluence, absolution,
forgiveness of sins to all them and remission of thy sins.
that with hearty repentance Amen. May our Lord Jesus
and true faith turn unto Him : Christ absolve thee ; and I
Have mercy upon you ; par- by his authority absolve thee
don and deliver you from from all the bond of excom-
all your sins ; confirm and munication, suspension, and
strengthen you in all good- interdiction, as far as I can
ness ; and bring you to ever- and thou needest. Also I
lasting life •, through Jesus absolve thee from thy sins,
Christ our Lord. Amen." in the name of the Father,
and the Son, and the Holy
Ghost. Amen."
RUBRIC.
The form of Absolution at "If the penitent should be
the Visitation of the Sick. a layman, the word suspen-
" Our Lord Jesus Christ, sion to be omitted.
who hath left power to His " May the PASSION of our
Cnurch to absolve all sinners Lord Jesus Christ, and the
who truly repent and believe MERITS of the blessed Via.
in Him, of His great mercy GIN MART, and of ALL THE
forgive thee thine offences: SAINTS, and WHATEVER
And by His authority com- GOOD thou halt done, and
mitted to me, I absolve thee EVIL thou hast SUFFERED,
from all thy sins. Iu the be UNTO thee for a assns.
name of the Father, and of SION OF SINS, INCREASE of
the Son, and of the Holy grace, and the REWARD of
Ghost. Amen." eternal life."
" The rile," or form, " of absolving an excommu-
nicated person already dead."
RUBRIC.
" If any excommunicated person departing from
this life should have given a sign of contrition, lest
he should be deprived of ecclesiastical burial—but
be assisted by the suffrages of the church, as far as it
can be done—he may be absolved after this manlier :
—lf the body has not yet been buried, let it be
SCOURGED and ABSOLVED as below; then, being
absolved, let it be interred in a sacred place. But
if it should have been buried in a profane place, it
shall be exhumed, if it can be conveniently done,
and SCOURGED in the same manner, and after AB-
SOLUTION buried in a sacred place ; but if it cannot
be conveniently exhumed, let the PLACE of burial be
SCOURGED, atterwards let IT be ABSOLVED. But
if it has been buried in a sacred place, it shall be
exhumated, but the grave shall be LASHED. And
whilst he is LASHING the body, or the place of bu-
rial, the priest says the antiphone—' The bones
which were humbled shall rejoice in the Lord;' the
Psalm. ' Have mercy upon me, God,' &c. &c.
" When this is done, let it be ABSOLVED by
saying—' By the authority granted unto me I AB-
SOLVE thee from the bond of EXCOMMUNICATION
which thou hast incurred (or thou art declared to
have incurred), on account of such an action, and I
RESTORE thee to the COMMUNION Of the FAITH-
FUL, in the name of the Father, &c. &c. &c.' "
Riluale Romanum, pp. 68, 69. 72.
I now leave your readers to admire the contrast which
our Catholic forms of absolution, as they stand in our li-
turgy, present, when placed alongside c f those practised by
the Grand Apostacy.
In my next letter, with your permission, I shall go as
minutely as may be necessary into the stated requisites to-
wards insu, ing 'he va;idity of absolution in the papal
church; anu also transcribe at length—in the hope of dis-
abusing such a. miy have been abused by your contemporary
the Mercury—the statement of the Church of England with
respect to absolution ; and that, too, as defined by that great
and erudite, though whip-maligned prelate—Dr. Philpotts,
Bishop of Ezeter.

Ia am, yours faithfully,
St. Helens, lith Dec., 1840.
PACIANUS.

DESTITUTION OF THE POORER CLASSES.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD.

Sett,—The misery which exists in the neighbourhood of
Vauxhall-road and Marybone, renders it imperatively neces-
sary that the wealthier classes should bestir themselves to do
something towards its amelioration, or have the alternative
of seeing the poor perish for very lack of bread. No an-
nouncement has yet appeared concerning the soup shops.
May I ask, through the medium of your paper, if those
gentlemen who so kindly interested themselves last year,
will come forward again, and open subscription-books at the
different public offices?—Yours, ALIQUIS.
Dec. 21, 1810.

LOur correspondent's suggestion is worthy of grave consi-
deration ;—we shall be glad to see something done for the
alleviation of the distress he so feelingly alludes to.--
ED. L. S.]

CuAßerisT Row.—lt appears from both our contempo-
raries that a collision took place between the Chartists and
the old Political Union party, in the Watt Institution hall,
on Tuesday evening last. It appears that a body, terming
themselves the Anti-Corn Law Association, called a me, ting
of " all friendly" to their society on the above evening,
George Kinloch, Esq. in the chair. The presence of the
son of the once-idolized refugee fr m and representative of
the town of Dundee, however, could not restrain the violence
of the Chartists, who had sworn to allow no inferior agita-
tion to that of the charter. Accordingly, a full muster of the
worthies attended the meeting, headed by a James Low;
and all Mr. Kinloch's efforts to preserve order were, from
the first moment, utterly useless. A regular row ensued—
cheering, yelling, groaning, and hissing alternately, without
intermission, until the Anti-Corn Law Association were
driven from the hall. A fierce contest then took place for
the chair, but the appearance of Mr. Corstorphen and a
posse of police officers promptly put an end to the fight. A
vote in favour of the charter was then carried by acclaim-
mation.-11widse Courier.