The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1835-10-06 00:00:00

THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD.

they felt ever Si much annoyed by the hollow professions, the
shifts and vaccilatious, the balancing and compromising between
the church and tntaries, which imparted to all Vie govern-
ment proceedings on the subject such a piebald and patchwork
character, still he was anxious that no declaration should pro-
ceed from the church which could bear the character of reckless-
ness or heedlessness; that whatever they lid should be wise and
well weighed; and that in all their proceedings they, should not
go beyond the limits of sound and constitutional feeling. The
Rev. Doctor then combatted several objections which bad been
made against the principle of a commission, and showed that if
honestly conducted it would result triumphantly.for the church.
He cared not how ignorantithe commissioners were if they were
honest, and he had no reason to believe them otherwise; and he
hoped that they would be received by the friends of the church
with perfect good temper and perfect good manners. Nothing
could minister a more outrageous triumph to their enemies than
the furnishing government with a pretext for recalling the 'com-
mission. He called upon the church to surrender all their
tastes and likings—to give up their dearest partialities—to con-
cede every thing but their principles. Their enemies cried out
that they were afraid of the commission ; this he denied, and
asserted that the fear was entirely on the other side. Let the
church, therefore, swallow the pill—it would du her good—
though her enemies had contrived in many ways to' make it a
nauseous and a bitter one. If the commission was to be broken
up, let it not be their act; let it not be said that the church
went from the light of investigation • but rather that that light
was smothered by her enemies. The rev. doctor concluded a
long statement, of which the above is merely an outline of the
principal topics insisted on, by apologising to ithe commission-
ers if be had said anything to hurt their feelings.
Dr. Cook followed Dr. Chalmers in an eloquent and power-
ful speech, for which we regret we cannot make room, and con-
cluded by moving the following. important resolutions which
were carried almost unanimously in our assembly of about 20u
members.

" The commission, having maturely deliberated on the in-
structions to the royal commissioners for inquiring into the
means of religious instruction and pastoral superintendence af-
forded to the people of Scotland, express their deep regret that
his Majesty's ministers have not been pleased, in Consequence
of the judgment of the last meeting of the commission of the
general assembly, to make any change in the composition of the
said royal commission. And *whereas that commission, from its
authorising the commissioners to inquire generally into the op-
portunities of religious warship, the means of religious instruc-
tion, and the pastoral superintendence afforded to the people of
Scotland, may be, and has been, interpreted as at variance with
the principles and polity of the established church, and as cal-
culated to weaken or to overthrow it, particularly in so far as it
seems to involve in it a principle subversive of this and all other
ecclesiastical establishments, viz., that whenever religious in-
struction and pastoral superintendence are found to a certain
extent afforded by any sect or denomination whatsoever, there
the services of an established church are not required, and may
be dispensed with. The commission of the general asstnitily'
publicly and solemnly protest against whatever has such a ten-
dency, and declare that they consider it to be the sacred duty
of the legislature to support and to protect the national church,
and to secure accommodation and religious instruction to the
people of Scotland, so that they may attend regularly upon di-
vine ordinances, and may profit by the pastoral exertions and
superintendence of its ministers. With a view to these most
important objecis, and under the protestation herein contained,
they approve of such members of the church, as may be required
to do so by the commissioners nominated by his Majesty, fur-
nishing accurate information as to all statistical matters; and
also approve of all church courts allowing inspection of, or giv-
ing extracts from their records, of all entries relating to the
same matters: it being clearly understood, that the commission
of the assembly hold that it is not competent to the commission-
ers to put to individual members any questions relating to the
doctrine, worship, government, or discipline of the church."
" That the commission encourage the -committee on church
extension to persevere in the prosecution of those important
statistical investigations in which they have hitherto been en-
gaged, and more especially in those districts which are being
attached to the recent chapels of ease and the newly elected
churches, that all grants from the assembly's fund might be
proportioned to the exigencies of the respective localities fur
which they shall be required. And aware that, notwithstanding
all the attempts which have been made to diminish or to dis-
guise it, there is a vast extent of real and most affecting eccle-
siastical destitution in the land, which, even with, and more es-,
pecially without, the aid of government, will require many years.
of most strenuous exertion and liberality ere they can be fold
supplied, the commission of the general assembly make an e4r-
nest appeal to the Christian benevolence of the people of Scot-
land, and call upon them at this season, when the adversaries
of the establishment are so intent upon its overthrow, to attest
by their subscriptions and their sacrifices their attachment to
the church of their forefathers. and their hearty co-operation
with the effort which the church is now making for the moral
and religious wellbeing of the population."