The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1843-04-21 00:00:00

LADY NEWLE'Y'S CHARITY

The Rev. J. C. Bortivs read the report of the Synod com-
mittee on Lady Hewley's Charity. The committee con-
sisted of the Presbytery of London, who received instructions
to watch the suit, and to raise funds for any proceedings they
might think necessary to undertake. They accordingly
raised £llO ss. and engaged counsel to appear on behalf of
the English Presbyterian Synod. The hearing of the case
came on before the Vice-Chancellor, in the month of Febru-
ary. The interests of themselves and of their brethren in the
north were ably represented. A strong opinion was expressed
in favour of their claim, both as respected the administration
and enjoyment of the trust. A decision had not yet been
given, but it was confidently expected that it would be
speedily given, and that it would be favourable to them, and
conformable to their claim. In case there should be an ap-
peal to the House of Lords, it would be for the Synod to in-
struct the committee as to what should be done. The money
raised by the committee was found sufficient for the emer-
gency. •

A; it appeared, from questions put by the Rev. Dr:
Brown, that the London Presbytery had never met as a sub
speciale
purpose of reporting on the charity'
report should be remitted to the it was committee
decided for thetha
t th
con-
vener, in order that the committee might meet and report

theipi i
ua rr i
p,hsoa, s e s .
,
OLD SCHOOLS AND CHURCHES.
It was stated that there was no report from this committee,
and the convener was ordered to summon them to attend in
the vestry of Rodney-street Church at five o'clock in the
evening.
The Rev. J. HAMILTON stated that Mr. Matthews had
by which a very large
hands of the Unitarians,
sf nbl:°' twi e.. r in
1%
n I
A suit was about
propertydhai sdeobve
to be commenced for the recovery of this property.
discovered dl
andeft thef o will
Presbyterian
library,r oe
The Rev. Dr. BaolyN suggested that a standing law com-
mittee should be appointed.
The Rev. Mr. HAMILTON thought the suggestion a good
one, and observed that the_committee might attend to legis-
lative proceedings—such, for instance, as the Factory and
Education Bill of Sir James Graham.

UNION OF PROTESTANT EVANGELICAL, CHRISTIANS.
The Clerk of the Court read an overture, that the Synod
so
speedily
Yas possible, take measures for joining in
an uullido,
n as
of
f Protestant Evangelical Christians, of different
i
denominations, for the protection of themselves against their
common enemies.

isirs,esntetaedra of
The Rev. Mr. GRANT moved the adoption of the overtule.
gl azd
country
i , under which
odofcdoeunr o-
s e
thhEeisning an united body, like
bee i snacildu d thate
d , twheer eD,
with and hindered each other. They were frequently jneactti o(trl
mt heemPb
rr eces.b
and
Itiedr :3nftse
instead of helping, interfered
taunted
of
by the Puseyites and Romanists with their diversions. A
boast had recently been made that two-thirds of the Church

GI kiiiitirtd (MN, wor Pus* tsll &la it WU Mil, 4norn
that they hel4 that thera waa ric; asicTition in the Frintlykt.h.n

Church. The anxiety and zealousness of this class (the
I'useyites) to make converts was notorious, as well as the
amount of success which had attended their efforts. Perhaps
the bill just alluded to (that of Sir James Graham) was the
result of a scheme on their part. They were making efforts
to secure that the rising generation should be trained up in
their own sentiments, and if so, there was no doubt that they
would by and bye extend their regards to grown-up persons.
All Dissenters, therefore, should be like a strong, united,
and fortified city, in order that they might oppose their
enemies. It was contemplated that this union might em-
brace Independents, Baptists, Lady Huntingdon's Connex-
ion, the Calvinistie Methodists, the United Church of Eng-
hind and Ireland, and perhaps the General Assembly of
Ireland, and should a division take place in the Church of
Scotland, then, perhaps, the seceding body also.
The Rev. ALEXANDER MUNRO, chief clerk of the court,
read a letter from the Congregational Union of England and
Wales, held in Liverpool last year, suggesting to the Synod
the desirablenes of such a union as that proposed in the
overture. The ietter was signed, en behalf of the Congrega-
tional Union, by the Rev. Dr. Leifchild, the Rev. Algernon
Wells, &c., and contained the resolution passed by that body.
The communication was laid before the meeting.
The Rev. Mr. HAMILTON said that he did not know ex-
actly the extent to which the overture went. It was a very
simple thing for thorn, as individuals, to meet other indi-
viduals, or bodies, and say that, as members of different
churches, they were agreed on some certain point or points ;
but it was a more serious and difficult matter, and calling for
anxious deliberation, before any ecclesiastical body could
make such a movement. He wished to know whether Mr.
Grant designed that the Synod should take any steps towards
an ecclesiastical identification with other bodies, or whether,
for instance, they, in their synodical capacity, were to de-
clare that the Congregational Union was essentially one with
them.

The Rev. Mr. GRANT replied that it was not intended that
any of the bodies should compromise any of their peculiar
views. They might have annual, biennial, or triennial
meetings for the communication of information by the rep-
resentatives of the various bodies, and the adoption of
measures for the more successfully resisting the efforts that
were making to put an end to what was called schism in our
land.

The Rev. Mr. CAMPBELL did not think that the explana-
tion removed the difficulty. They could not force an union
between different bodies. This must come in the good provi-
dence of God, and if they attempted. by artificial excitement
or human skill, to force on such an union, the result would
be greater disunion than now prevailed. He would leave
every member of the court to act as he liked ; let them indi-
vidually meet other bodies, and fraternise with them as far
as they could ; but let them not attempt, without any con-
ference or form of union laid down, to form an union between
different denominations. They acted in a corporate capacity ;
all their decisions were binding on every member of the
court ; whilst they had no such body on the other side to
meet them. He should oppose the overture.
The Rev. Boor. WALLAcE, of Birmingham, opposed the,
overture. The Baptists held the doctrine of universal re-
demption, which their church considered unscriptural and
heterodox, and he could not consent to an union with them.
Other arguments of the same kind might be advanced.

The MODERATOR said that the overture was not for an
union in doctrine, but for an union to resist their enemies.

Dr. BROWN concurred in all that had been said by Mr.
Campbell and Mr. Wallace. There was a want of de-
finiteness in the proposal of the congregational union, and
what there was of definiteness in it was objectionable.
Ultimately, the synod declined to adopt the overture, and
appointed a committee to draw up a respectful reply to the
communications laid before them by their chief clerk, reci-
procating the general spirit of those communications.

81-CENTENARY UV WESTMINSTER DIVINES

An overture was brought before the court, by the Rev.
Mr. Campbell, proposing that the Synod should take mea-
sures for the celebration of the bi-centenary of the Westmin-
ster Assembly of Divines, to be held on the Ist of July next.
The overture was adopted ; a committee was appointed ; and
representatives of the different presbyteries were nominated
to attend the meeting.