The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1850-11-19 00:00:00

ELOPEMENT EXTRAORDINARY

The inhabitants of Bury, near Manchester, have been
thrown into a state of great excitement, in consequence
of a medical gentleman, of extensive practice in his pro-
fession and of considerable literary attainments, having
suddenly disappeared from the town and neighbourhood.
Various conjectures were entertained and expressed rela-
tive to the cause of his unexpected absence ; some attri-
buting it to his having business in London—others to the
indulgence of a capricious whim ; whilst others were
suspicious that circumstances of a more serious character,

would shortly be disclosed. The latter opinion proved to
be the more correct, for in a short time the Rev. Mr.
Bell, Wesleyan minister in the Southport circuit, received
the distressing intelligence that his daughter, who was
governess in a respectable seminary in the neighbourhood
of Southport, had suddenly taken her departure without
previously giving notice of her intention ; and, as a gen-
tleman bad been observed in the neighbourhood of the
establishment, whose conduct had excited suspicion,
there was reason to fear that an elopement had taken
place. A combination of circumstances proved that the

suspicion was not without foundation, for the family of
the medical gentleman, consisting of a wife and four
children, was soon made sensible that the husband and
father had sacrificed " home and its relations," by se-

ducing the daughter of the Wesleyan minister, with
whom the family had been for some years on terms of
intimacy. During a period of two months previous to
the elopement, the wife of the chief delinquent had been
enjoying the bracing air of one of the watering places in
the northern divisions of Lancashire ; and on her return
home she had the mortification to find that her husband
had on that very morning taken his departure, having

previously disposed of his Cattle, &c. The fugitives pro:
ceeded to London, where they passed under the cognomen
of Mr. and Mrs. Hatton—their baggage, &c. bearing the
same address. In London, the gentleman in question,
whose name is Thomas Hatton Wardleworth, sold his
professional practice to Mr. Fletcher, surgeon, and gave
him instructions to go immediately to Bury, and take
possession of the premises. Mr. Fletcher, however, con-
sidered that it would be very uncourteous towards Mrs.
Wardleworth to take possession while she remained on
the premises, and therefore Mr. Wardleworth wrote to.
her, apprizing her of his intentions ; after which Mrs.
Wardleworth removed to Unsworth, and Mr. Fletcher
took possession of the surgery, &.c. at Bury. Mr. War-
dleworth, having distinguished himself as a lecturer on
human physiology, temperance, &c., is well known
throughout the district ; and the particulars of his depar-
ture are at present exciting in the minds of the population,
the interest of a romance. Mr. Wardleworth is also.
known as an author, and as one of the proprietors of the
Bury Observer, a monthly magazine, having an extensive
circulation in the locality. Several articles from his pen
have recently appeared, entitled, " Home and its rela-
tions ;. by a asedical man." The concliuling article,
llPPeartid in, print just about the titne when the authn

took hig ;;I:eht ; and we give the following quotation
how, it :•-=•

"`Fe will plate he,,,:e your readers a character *bleb, alas!
tve em.,ature—the peevish wife and mother,
w
e owes to herself to owe nothing
ishtooon common
it a' lind 6
1,
duty
5.:
p:oposed that does not sug-
P7one way that another is not
gt oesatnaynb oodb
jyeecltsi
oe
1;1, t hneorteh
ilnitcnodtonh i
en
preferred. Despotic, lest she should be thought to have no
will of her own, she contrad!cts everybody else; sometimes
under the specious pretext of econo refusing the family
l,
some reasonable gratification, for she thinks it a suffi-
cient indemnification if she mortifies li:rself as well as. those
around her— so that even her very atonem..*nts are selfish. If
she is sick, or what is more frequently the fairt. imagines she
is or ought to be, the demand for sympathy, like decree of
Caesar, is that all the world should be taxed ; and lioe to the
defaulter in a look or a tone. Needles and pins have nd prick
so sharp as her tongue, and scarcely less annoying. Ben and
board, parlour and kitchen, up stairs and down stairs, are jn
an acetous fermentation, and alas ! for such a brewing when
the very sweet wort is turned sour, because the woman has
dropped in her bitters instead of the hops. At this the world
outside might laugh, ah 1 and neighbours may laugh; but the
children are in tears within, and the enraged husband, worked
up at last into a fit of phrenzy, curses wife cm/ home, and all
that it contains. The dirty drizzling rain of the connubial
hypochondriac has burst into the cooler fury of the husband,
like a storm in winter pelting poor innocent home with its
hailstones of fire. Of course, the weakest gets the worst of it,
and real tears chase away the crocodile ones. Yet the silly
wife learns no lesson from her experience; the same thing is
repeated, till the actors grow weary of their parts, and of each
other ; the peevish is wedded to the passionate, and they twain
are as one flesh, acting and re-acting on each other, like as a
moth fretting a garment, till the rent, past mending, can no
longer hide their domestic nakedness from the indignant criti-
cism of the neighbourhood. What a precious pair such must
make of themselves! and what an advertisement such are to'
the public, for their children—those new editions, which being
stultifies'-." • • -

or dispirited, must reach the shelf of human society,
and be placed among the works that form its library, but
which few women care to read. Oh, mother you lost your
husband, and ruined your home; you made yourself a widow,
while yet a wife, and. without the sanctity of weeds; and you
are virtually childless, yea, like a stranger in a city, though
surrounded with a busy, miserable mob of children."
It is currently reported that Mr. Wardleworth intends
to go to America ; but as there is at present considerable
mystery connected with the affair, we have only inserted
such particulars as are generally believed to be true.

LECTURE ON PRIVATE JUDGMENT, BY THE
REV. WM. POLLOCK, M.A.
NOVEMBER 14TH, 1850.

The Rev. G. Wm. Warre occupied the chair. The
meeting having been opened with prayer, the chairman
briefly introduced the lecturer.

The Rev. WM. POLLOCK then came forward and spoke
as follows :—Mr. Chairman, ladies, and gentlemen, my
subject, as you have already heard, is that of private
judgment ; and I need not, surely, repeat the observation
of the chairman, that it is a subject which involves the
greatest of questions and the most momentous of interests.
What rights do men possess ? What duties devolve upon
them in things pertaining to the faith ? Are men bound
to believe, without any inquiry or examination; or are
men, rather, not bound to examine and inquire before
they venture to believe ? Is there, in what men call the
church—is there a superior power set in authority over
them whose infallible dicta are to bind in unquestioned
bondage every movement of their conscience, every con-
viction of their judgment, every reasoning of their mind ?
Or is the church rather found at all times to point to
the word, and then to say to her children, " I speak as
unto wise men," and, whenever they hear the word,
" judge ye what I say." (Cheers.) Has every man, or
not, a birthright in that word, to possess it, to love it, to
study it, to search it, to read, mark, learn, and inwardly
digest it, as saith our good old church of England ? Is the
word a thing of light, or is it a thing of darkness r Is it
a word that should be preached and cherished by all as a
blessed gift of heaven, or is it a word that ought to be
considered as safe only in ecclesiastical hands?

These are some of the questions which we are about to
entertain this evening, and may God be present with us
and give us a right understanding of all things, and en-
lighten every judgment. This is my humble prayer, and
let it be yours, I beseech you. I begin with one pre-
liminary observation. This matter of private judgment
lies at the very foundation of our whole controversy with
Rome, and not with Roue only, but just as well with
her twin sister among ourselves,—her apostate daughter
—I mean, of course, Tractarianism. On other subjects,
perhaps, the language of Tractarianism is a little more
guarded than that of Rome, but T speak advisedly when
I say that on the question of private judgment Tractari-
anism echoes every sentiment of Rome. They are both
alike,—the one and the other equally deny the very ex-
istence of private judgment, except only as the prolific
source of all falsehoods, which they say ought to be
shunned by all faithful men. Both shift the court of
appeal from the Word to the Church ; each stands on
the teaching of the Church. They may do it on different
principles, but the meaning is always the same. Each
sends us to the teaching of the Church, to antiquity, and
to the consent of the Fathers; the firstquestion therefore to
be settled with either is this—Has the Church thi s abso-
lute authority that is claimed for her, or has she not ?
Are men entitled, or are they not, to test all her teaching
by comparison with the Word of God ? Are men bound
to bow implicitly before her, though she should teach the
seven sacraments, transubstantiation, the sacrifice of the
mass, the merits of saints, purgatory, infallibility of the
Pope, auricular confession, or whetever else may be
taught by the Church of Rome. (Cheers.) Now, sir, I
think it right that I should lay before you some extracts,
in order to show you that I am in no wise exaggerating
assumptions of Rome in this matter. I think it

with the larger and more open heresy,'. for I always like
to deal with the real thing, and not wilh the sham.
(Laughter.) I shall, then, proceed to lay before you a
Romish document, which I think no man may question
to be such. lam about to quote from the creed of Pope
Pius the Fourth—that creed which is peculiarly Romish.
From that creed I think you will hear such language, as
will persuade you that Rome does indeed assume all
power and authority to herself in interpreting the lan•

guage of Scripture, and that she does indeed- deny the
right of private judgment. What is called the modern
part of Pope Pius's creed commences thus :
"1 most firmly admit and embrace apostolical and ecclesias_
tical traditions, and all other constitutions and observances o
the same church."

" I also admit the sacred scriptures, according to the sense
which the holy motherchurch has held, and does hold,to ivhom
it belongs to judge of the true sense and interpretation of the
holy scriptures ; nor will I ever take or interpret them other-
wise than according to the unanimous consent of the fathers."
Mark, I pray you ; here is the secret of the strength of
Rome. In this creed she teaches her members to say,
first, that they admit and embrace traditions. Here is full
and unreserved authority admitted, not to the Word of
God, hut to " apostolical and ecclesiastical tradition, and
all other constitutions and observances of the same
church," Mark how the tone is lowered when it comes
to speak of the Scriptures. It is no longer firm ; but
simply says, " I also admit the Sacred Scriptures." The
tone is that of condescension—so to speak ; and it is awful
to reflect upon the manner in which the Scriptures are ad-
mitted and afterwards qualified. Pope Pius the Fourth
says he never will interpret the Scriptures otherwise than
according to the unanimous consent of the fathers , and I
maintain that the unanimous consent of the fathers cannot
be produced on any one point. ( Hear, hear.) But per-
haps it may be said that this is the argument of the bigot,
and a strange and perverted interpretation of the principles
of the Church of Rome founded on Pope Pius 's creed.
Well, then, I will now read to you a statement which you
will perhaps not be disposed to question :

"The Catholic Church is thus as a city to which avenues
lead at every side," [at the time this was written the high road
to it was by Oxford —(hear and laughter]—" towards which
men may travel from any quarter, by the most diversified
roads—by the thorny and rugged ways of strict investigation—
by the more flowery paths of sentiment and feeling; but, ar-

her may enter, but one door to the sheepfold, narrow and IoW,

to stoop as it r,

goodiinsi of its edifices and of its billw'arks:but they cannot be

absolute, unconditional submission to the teachini

I said I believed you would receive this authority when
you heard whose it was. You ought to receive it, because
it is the authority of our now liege lord and master, the
Cardinal Archbishop of Westminster. (Loud laughter
and cheers.) I am reading from his first lecture on the
" Catholic Church." But you begin to ask, perhaps, on
what does all this extravagant assertion rest ? How, for
instance, would " his eminence"klefend it ? (and no one

knows it better than be does.) On what ground would he
rest this denial of private judgment ? I declare to you
that before I prove to you how be would defend it, I can

you. Cardinal Wiseman, the new " Arcnbishop of West-
minster," rests, for all this denial of private judgment—
upon an 'appeal, to private judgment itself in the
sense of holy writ ! I will prove to you now what lam
saying ; and I ask you to listen attentively to what he
says. It is the only quotation I shall make. The Rev.

Gentleman then quoted a long extract from a lecture of
Dr. Wiseman's on the Catholic Church, in which he
attempted to prove that our Saviour invested the Church
with a power equal to his own ; that the Church has been

" Catholic," arrives " on the authority of the Church at
the inspiration of Scripture, which it is quite impossible
to reach by any course of ordinary human investigation."

IN OW, It is scarcely necessary to point out to you toe I.IIUII.
ster fallacy put forth by this distinguished Romish
authority. It simply amounts to this, that you, must
take in all in all as given to you by Rome—the whole

fish, and nothing less. It is the old exploded falsehood
of an argument in- a circle. Here we aro told by Dr.
Wiseman that the Scriptures first testify to the church,
and then that the church in turn condescends to testify
44,0 ? John Smith calls 12 non me. I4A

brings with him a certain testimonial. He tells me that
he is an exceedingly respectable man, and in proof of it
he points me to a testimonial he brings with him. This
testimonial professes to come from a great man. I say,
" Well and good, but I should like to know something of
the respectability of the man ;" 'which John Smith
says, " I vouch for his respectability—why do you dare
to question it ?" And on my still persisting to find out
the respectability of the party signing the testimonial, he
says, "I am John Smith—l_ am highly respectable."
So much for the argument. (Hear, hear.) But now I
want to draw your attention, to a point of the last impor-
tance. Dr. Wiseman tells us that, if any man is disposed to
understandand investigatethe principles of the faith in gene-
ral, "We begin naturally with Scripture. We take up the
Gospels, and submit them to examination. Now would
you not think that a good Protestant was speaking? Would
you not think that the right of private judgment was
being powerfully vindicated ? Aye, but he is no Protes-
tant. He is one when it suits his purpose, and he will
allow the right of private judgment when it suits his
purpose, but. not a bit further.—(Hear, hear.) Mark you
his whole argument. The Scriptures he says, have not,
from external evidence, any authority about them. He
tella aita.that they. arc fp;ffiCisat to prove Chriat's

io Ind then he goes on to tell us that there are some passages
in scripture which show that Christ has granted as great
a power to man as belongs to himself. Aye, he says fir
blasphemy, in fearful blasphemy, that Christ has granted
a power equal to his titan, and that the Scriptures having
testified to themselves, they are handed over to a living
infallible tribunal, and that every man's business now
rests with the church and not with the word, Now, we
do say that taking Dr. Wiseman's own view of the case,
because he himself submits Scritpure to a certain extent
to our privatejudgment, we deny the interpretation which
he puts upon the Scriptures, and we are ready to meet
him, and show him that his is net the infallible clitirch
for which he pleads. But we will ask Dr. Wiseman this
question, and I pray you to pay attention. If the Scrip-
tures, as Dr. Wiseman tells us, bore indisputable witness g'w
historical documents—if they were then sufficient to prove
the Divine mission of Christ, why are they not sufficient
to do more ? If they are to ba believed in the testimony
whict' they bear to Christ, why are they not to be believed
in the testimony which they bear to themselves ? If they
are to be esbmitte.d to our private judgment in what they'
testify to the church,. then why are they not to be submit-
ted to us in all the rest which they contain ? If we are
to be subjected to them on those points in which they ptr
forth the prerogatives of the priesthood, why are we not fir
have access to them on those other points in which they
assert the rights of the people ? Ave, but that would not
do. A friend of mine is dead and has left me a large le-
gacy in his will, and for some reason or other he has in.
eluded in the will the name of Dr. Wiseman. Well, the
Cardinal comes to me, and tells me of my good fortune,.
although I knew it before.. He tells me that he is, left
sole executor, and that he will see justice -' ''t to me. I

one
.st..,
reply, " Your Eminence, I can much obliged to you, a.
dont want to entertain in my mind any suspicions against
you,. but if it would not be impertinent,• I should like to,
see the will for myself." ( Loud cheers.) Come, now,
but you must hear his answer. He says, •' Well, I have•
no objection. I will show you the will, at least" he says,
after a' pause •` a part of it ;" and then he reads to me two,
or three passages of the will, and although I do not agree'
with his construction of it, because I am not learned in the
law, he says it is as clear as light, states he is the executor,
shoulders up the will and is putting it into his vocket audi

going away, when I say to him, "-Will you not show me
the rest of the will ?" he replies, " No, you would not un-
derstand it." ( Laughter.) " But," I rejoin, " Your
Eminence, you thought that I would understand the part
you have already shown to me, and why can I not under-
stand the rest ? I beg your pardon, your eminence, but
I understand that one of the provisions of the will is that
I should see it myself," when his eminence remarks, "you
are a very presumptuous fellow, and your presumption wilt
be your ruin." (Loud laughter.) To which I reply, "
may be a presumptuous man, but you are not an honest
man, or if you were you would be glad to give me the'
opportunity of proving it; but since you will not-show'
me the will, I will myself get a copy from Chester. (Loud
cheers, and cries of " hear hear.") Now, to proceed
from this part of my subjee, having supplied you with the-
reasoning used by the Church of Rome in suppressing the.
free and unfettered perusal of the Scriptures, and the
exercise of private judgment, I trust you will be prepared
to receive from me another statement, which is this—thatr
let men do what they will, they cannot take away from,
the people the exercise of private judgment. I defy them-
to do it. Cardinal Wiseman cannot do it ; and if he can-
not, I know not who can. (Laughter.) I admit, most
freely, that from the abuse of the privilege of private'
judgment, great evils have arisen and are arising. I freely
admit, that the Scriptures, like every other good' gift
from God, are grievously perverted. The lecturer, at
great length, proceeded to contend that it was-the greatest
mistake to say that by lodging the Scriptures in the hands
of the Church, we got rid of private judgment, because-
the question was, which was the Church ? Dr. Wiseman,
would say his was, and so would others. Whatever was
called true doctrine, must be proved as such, and that
would call into exercise private judgment. But suppose
the true Church to be !discovered, did it consist of the
Pope, the Priesthood, Councils, or Synods, independent
of the Pope ? All these considerations would ever call for
private judgment, and he therefore told them that they-
must always have private judgment in all things. Men
would inquire into these matters, whatever opposition was
offered. Referring to the alleged unity that existed in
the Church of Rome, he said he utterly denied it. If it was
his peculiar province on that occasion he could show them
that no such unity ever existed in any age of the Romish,
Church. " I could show you," he said, " Pope against
Pope, Council against Council ; Jesuit against Francis-
can, and Jansinist against Domincan ; I could show you
in Ireland one form of the Church, and in Italy another ;
in England one sect, and in France another ; another in-
Spain. and another in Portugal. Unity in the Church of
Rome indeed ! It is but the unity that some of us may-
have seen at an exhibition of the " Happy Family,""
where the cat and the rat, the mouse and the bat, and F
know not how many other unclean things are shut up
together in one common heterogeneous mass." After
showing, by the most powerful and energetic arguments,
that the leading feature of the Church of Rome was to
keep -her members in spiritual darkness, by denying then
the right of private judgment, and keeping the Bible
from them,—(hear, hear, and applause)—the lecturer
concluded his remarks, (which were frequently interrupted_
by unbounded applause) with the following observa-
tions :—" I pray you, my dear friends, that you will not
regard what you have heard this night merely as a contro-
versial lecture, or a mere assault on Rome. I pray you
rather to believe me when I say that if I feel it to be a
blessed privilege to lay befdre you your right to private judg-
" '` -11 greater privilege no less than an obli-
pan you the exercise of your private-
judgment as a bounden Christian duty. Oh ! if I have
told you anything, if God has enabled me to prove to you
that your privilege of being at liberty to study the scrip-
tures is a blessed treasure to you, go home and love your
Bible more—go and search it more diligently. On bededn
knee, with up raised hands, and broken spirit, look up to
Him who can aloneopen your understandings that you may
know the scriptures. Take nothing on the credit of man,
and especially in these days, when no one can now be-
trusted—when all is darkness—when no holy vows can
bind—when no solemn engagements can restrain—when
all honesty is trampled under foot, and when men are
going about deceiving and being deceived.'" * * *
Every day's experience is proving that no amount of learn-
ing,no solemn submission to religious impressions —that not
even earnestness in striving to find the truthlwill secure men
in the truth. Thedark cloud of apostacy ishangingover us,
and the man is ignorant that does not see the cause of it.
It was so from the outset—they turned from the Bible to,
an abstract principle which they called the church—they-
turned to human reasoning—to the fathers, and tradi-
tional teaching ; and it was, therefore, that the sheep was
left without a shepherd, the train was left without a break.
They have found the national penalty—they are gone.
Protestants, Englishmen, Churchmen, love, oh ! love
your Bible ; and whether it be a proud Italian bishop, or
whether it be a mitred cardinal, or whether it be a smooth-
tongued priest, or ahydra- headed Anglo-Catholic that would
take away your Bible from yeu, tell them all that you know.
your Bible, and that you also know their objects ; and
that you will not bear their spiritual despotism nor wear their
spiritual chains. (Tremendous cheering.), Tell them.
roingehtad
,nanadll
tthhaattwyiottuirtißieie
mblthiastyobuor blood bought
bought
tit
for
ryo birth-
you, your
thoughts are the thoughts of your fathers in the gospel-
" There were giants in those days." (Cheers.) Tell
them that without an open Bible' you would not care to
live, and that with an open Bible you would not fear to
die. (Immense applause.)
The Rev. WILLIAM FALLOON, in moving a vote of
thanks to Mr. Pollock, paid a high compliment to him
for his able lecture. He felt, he said, that if such a tone
as that adopted by Mr. Pollock, had been in more genera/
use amongst our people, we should not noar be startled
by these roaring bulls from Rome (loud laughter), nor
would England be frightened from her propriety as she

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