The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1848-10-17 00:00:00

They think the
4.6. hnnninneo .

ties in t

ministration of those rights is absolutely at the priests'
option, the people, in proportion to their sincerity, are the
Priests' slaves. Unless, therefore, you can coerce the
priests to administer the sacraments, &c., an endowment
of £l,OOO a year to each of them would not take one step
in advance towards securing either the civil or religious
liberty of the people.
A.—Capital! There is something tangible to aim at,
and popular, too : for in urging this we shall appear as
liberal assertors of the people's rights, not as bigotted
restricters. Would you press such. a measure ?
B.—Undoubtedly, if th3endowment be inevitable. But,
my good sir, the subject is not so simple, nor so easily
disposed of as you seem to think.
So much for the dialogue. Now, Mr. Editor, one of
the inconveniences attending such conversations, or rather
attending the reporting of. them in newspapers, arises from
the circumstance that they are very frequently interrupted
and cut short, just when further explanation becomes
desirable. Such has been the case here.

The proposal suggested in the way of objection,.and
with a view of leading to•further information, commended
itself at once to an unsuspecting Englishman, who desires
nothing more sincerely than the advancement of liberty,
bath civil. and religious. Unhappily, however, its success
is renderer'. wholly impracticable by the system of Roman-
ism in another of its features.
I refer to the doctrine of intention.

Rome is nowhere incautious—
has not left herself open to any
Powers that be," as the arrane

—on no side unarmed. She

ucli objection to " the

'eferred to would
listered accurately

in their letter and outward matter, depend fo
dity on the intention of the officiating priest. If, e. g.,
when he consecrates the wafer, he inwardly intends not to
do it, or even negatively, if he does not intend to do it,
the miracle of transubstantiation is not performed, and
the sacrament is of no avail.
Here is an escape from the most stringent le-ris

,heir

Ali that a kiritish la
lea be complied wi

word

the
Church of Rome be withheld 'from the people in all that
constitutes their religious efficacy. No earthly power can
secure liberty to conscientious members of the Church of
Rome. They invest their Priests with the attributes of
divinity, and then make conscience of self-prostration.
This "voluntary humility" in religious things is turned
(when the interests of the system seem to require it) into
an engine of coercion in secular things; nnd hence the
difficulty, or, as I apprehend it will be found, the impossi-
bility of fair and honourable negotiationwith them by a

rrotestant z±tate. As to the notion of attaching them by
gratitude, and thereupon making use of. them to govern
the country in peace, I can only smile at the amiable
simplicity of those who think that such a tie would last an
hour longer than it answered the conscience or policy of
3rve it. In truth, the observation of
highest
mpact would be a dereiiation of their

iihood to obs

duties, and could only be endured for a time and as a
temporary evil, that greater and more permanent good to

iowment of the Rotnish
ay, consequence in Great

But nay objections to the enc
Priestsin Ireland, and by speed
Britain, are not of a secular or pol
n fnfot of Pnrssrl rig erm ri story 14,

I have

read history (not to say prop
Fro

udied mankind to
1 of ecclesiastical

purpOse, who non 'dm'

the Roman States

lescribed in the last plumber
kfter exposing the vanity ana

,f the Quart,

rly Revieu

weakness of the Pope's measures, the writer says, "
soon learnt the error of his policy, and lives to repent
but not to retrace his steps. He has outlived his popular

st duplicity, is virtu-
Dalace, surrounded by
he lies, unprotected
3. The infallible pos-
moment by the suf-
o be feared, irif

tavour, has been accused o
ally dethroned, and vegetate
rebellious subjects, at whos
and unarmed." This witness is true

sessor of both swords exists at t

ot- a rept

lean, and is

--lel; party.
iuiSitions ;. of street

em eutes, not dungeon tortures. Neither Oxford treachery'
nor Irish treason can re-establish the chair of Hildebrand-
What then do I fear.

L fear God ; lesTin righteous retribution for the light of
His gospel nationally despised, and idolatry nationally
encouraged and supported in defiance of his sacred com-
mandment, He should withdraw those merciful restraints
which humanise our fallen race; and so allow the men of
this land, as of other lands, to tear one another with the
savage fury of wild beasts. I fear lest from an elevation
in privilege above all others, we should sink to a deser-
vedly deadlier punishment than all others.
While, therefore, we would urge earnestly on all the
governed, " honour and obey the Queen," we would as
earnestly urge on all the governors, " fear God and keel,
His commandments." The idea of any real dill/et/11yr
the way of Great Britain governing Ireland by martial
law, and civilising her on Protestant principles until the
constitution could be safely restored to her, is perfectly
absurd. The bugbear was propagated for faction, and is
perpetuated for place. Infatuated blindness ! Englan.
could do the work well if she chose ; and she would do It
if she were wise. Self-preservation is an instinct of 101"
ture, of which nothing but madness can deprive either
man or nation.—l am, sir, your obedient servant, _

HUGH

Ajgburth, lath October, 1848.