The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1851-02-18 00:00:00

the Doctrince of Intention, (however difficult it might be
to find a text,) and after making them distinctly under-
stand that the outward form of a sacrament is nothing
without the priest's intention, he would have reminded
them, that however human laws may compel the one,
they could not very easily compel the other; and that,
therefore, if they were not satisfied with empty forms, but
really wanted the rites of the church, they had better take
care and "hear- the church." It might be curious
to contrast the different phraseology in which this would
be put at Castlebar, and at St. George's, Southwark ; but_
practically, the same effect would, no doubt, be produced
upon the minds (and correspondently to the various
duties required from them, upon the conduct) of the re-
spectable auditories. •
Oh ! those good old fathers of Trent knew right well
what they were about, in decreeing the doctrine of inten-
tion. They were not weak enough to commit their in-
fallible church to such a self-evident absurdity for nothing.
Was it not the very screw wanting to make the machinery
perfect? Could anything have been devised by the wit
of man, to rivet more firmly the chains of priestly usurp-
ation • to enable Rome to laugh at kings or parliaments,
to bicde;fiance to any attempt at restraining her power,
and to crush every vestige of " civil and religious liberty"?
Why, if the Emperor of Russia, or the Sultan of Con-
stantinople himself were a sincere Romanist, he would be
but a helpless prostrate 'slave at:the foot of his confessor.
The confessor perhaps might not like to run the risk of
having his bead cut off by refusing his majesty the out-
ward form of absolution, or of the eucharist ; but he
would take care at the same time that his majesty
thoroughly understood the doctrine of intention. It
would be quite unnecessary to make any 'special allusion
to it on any particular occasion, which might not be safe :
the confessor need only instil into his mind, as a general
principle, that the church confers her favours on none but
obedient children. Surely the words of Jeremiah must
have been meant to 'reach farther than the false prophets
and false priests of his own day, when " moved by the
Holy Ghost," he cried—" The prophets prophesy falsely,
and the priests bear rule by their means ;. and my people
love to have it -so ; and what will ye do in the end
thereof " ?

How to meet 'this dangerous foe in this its political
character I leave for politicians to discover. To see that,
if we admit a barrel of gunpowder into our house, it will
inevitably explode and blow us to atoms—is no reason
why we should resign ourselves to our fate, and admit it ;
but, on the contrary, is the strangest possible reason,
why we should strain every nerve to prevent its admission ;
or, if already admitted, to get rie-of it. How that can be,
accomplished is another question. But we have got over
by far the greatest part of the difficulty, when we have
persuaded people to open their eyes, and see what -the
danger really is!
If the above remarks shall have this effect upon a single
person, it will be a matter of thankfulness to, sir. your
obedient-servant. SAMUEL MINTON.
8, Peel-street, Prince's-vark.
* Liverpool Mail.

TAXATION OUGHT TO BE ADDED TO PRICE

TO THE EDITOR OF THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD.
Sim,—Why is the fair trader protected by the preven-
tive service and other machinery against the smuggler ?
Because the government sees the necessity of the fair
trader being assured of -a price that will cover his taxa-
tion.
Then why is the French corn grown allowed to come
into cur markets, and, by underselling the home-grower,
to prevent him from recovering his taxation in his price.
I am, sir, &c. H.