The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1844-11-26 00:00:00

SCRIPTURAL EDUCATION.

A very interesting and important correspondence is at
present going on between the liev. J. R. M'Ghee and the
Rev. Dr. Martin, of Killeshandra. The latter gentle-
man contends that the recent modifications in the National
Board of Education have taken away its main objection-
able features, and that a Protestant Clergyman can now
receive its :lid without compromising his fidelity to the
Word of God, whilst Mr. NI 'Ghee maintains that it is
still his duty to stand completely aloof from all connection
with its assistance or operations. We have already given
an extract explanatory of Dr. Martin's views, we now
give the following unanswerable reply of Mr. M'Ghee :
" I renounce, as firmly as I renounce the principle of the
National Board, any desire to compel a child to read the
Bible against the wishes of its parents. I go farther : I
assert that no government on earth, in church or state,
possesses a shadow of lawful authority to set up such a
rule. I consequently assert that no minister has a shadow
of right to enforce such a principle ; and if government
were to pass a law to compel, under penalties, the Roman
Catholics of Ireland to send their children against their
will to me to teach them the Bible, I would refuse to be
the agent of such iniquitous tyranny. Therefore, the
advocates of the board, who charge its opponents with
such a principle, assert what is utterly untrue ; and what
is sought to be given a colour to, by this sophistical
method of reciting the rule of the board. I do not
charge you, my reverend friend, with so intending it—you
take it from their reports, and I really hope and think it
has deceived you. _

" But while I deny the right of the minister to force
the child to learn the Scriptures,.in opposition to the will
of the parent, I affirm that the parent, in denying the
child instruction from the Word of God, commits a fla-
grant offence azainst the authority of God. 1 repeat in
those words, which I am glad my reverend brother, you
willingly subscribe,' that the parent and the child,
being in a land where the Holy Word is known, are
hound at the peril of their immortal souls to know that
Word—to believe, and to obey it, as the source and
standard of true religion.' If the parent refuses to per-
mit his child to be instructed in the Word of God—nay,
considers it a dangerous book for his instruction—that
parent holds, as you willingly subscribe' with me ' a
false and anti-Christian principle.' And now, I ask,
what is my duty to that parent ? Most certainly not to
force his child to learn the Scriptures against his will—
not to arrogate to myself a power with which God has
not invested me, and with which man cannot invest me :
but which God has given to that parent alone, over his
child. But this is my duty, to which you also ' willingly
subscribe'— I should renounce, protest against, and
expose, both from my duty to God, to the parent, and to
the child, the falsehood and iniquity of such a principle.'
I should endeavour, faithfully and affectionately, to show
that parent his sin—that he was violating his duty, both
to God and to his child, when he did riot bring him up
in the nurture and admonition of the Lord'—l should
tell him that if his priest forbade him to read the Word
of God, or to educate his child in that Word, it ought to
be a proof to him that that priest did not teach him that
Word, to which he feared to refer him for his doctrine—
that if his church forbade him to educate his child in the
Word of Christ, it ought of itself to show him that that
church could not be a Church of Christ. These things,
and many others, I should try to press on the judgment
and conscience of that parent, to lead him to his duty to
his child.

" If, then, that parent were to turn:to me and say—
' Your words hare no effect on me. I will not allow- my
child to read the Scriptures ; but I wish him to be edu-
cated without the Bible. Will you teach him- for me?
Give him an education in other things in your school ;
but give notice when the Bible is to be read, then send
him home, and do not let him hear or read the Word of
God.' What must be my answer if lam an honest man,
and true to my principles—true to my God—true to my
church—true to the souls of that parent and his child ?
" I must say—' What, my friend ! I have endeavoured
to impress upon you the sin of which you are guilty to
your child, and the sin of which you are guilty against
God, in casting from you his Holy Word ; and do you
think I will be a partaker of your sin ? Do you think I
will dare to do for you, and with you, that very act
which I tell you is an act of iniquity—an act of rebellion
against God? Shall I sanction, not only by my permis-
sion, but by my co-operation, the criminal principle, to be
impressed on the young mind of your unh3ppy child, that
the Word of his Creator and Redeemer is not a fit book
for him to read ? Shall I help to train him up in a prin-
ciple of the Father of Lies, and call myself a minister of
the God of Truth ? No, my friend : all education for
your child is worthless, if he is not brought up in the
knowledge of Him `whom to know is life eternal'—all
the wisdom in the world is ignorance and folly, if he does
not know that book ' which is able to make him wise unto
salvation through faith, which is in Christ Jesus.' If he
is to perish through your sin, his blood be upon your own
head ! I must be clear of it. I will not incur the guilt,
that God should require it at my hands; I will not warn
the wicked from his way, and then help him to walk in

" Now this, my reverend brother, is, 1 submit, without
fear, to your upright and candid consideration, the honest
language and the peremptory duty of a man who really
and truly subscribes the principles which I have asserted
to involve uncompromising opposition to the National
Board of Education. To qualify yourself for obtaining
aid from that Board you must renounce the principles
which you tell me you subscribe as holy and true and
must subscribe and consent to act on this principle of the
Parent, which you confess you hold to be false and anti-
Christian; for this is the genuine rule, this is the real
princirl, of that iniquitous system. It is not, as they
pretend in their sophistical mode of putting forth their
rules, that no child is to be compelled to read the Scrip-
tures whose parents object; for that no man denies. But
this is their rule : that the clergy shall be compelled to
teach children without the Scriptures, whose parents ob-
ject to the Scriptures—that thus the clergy shall be made
partakers of the sin of the parents—shall practically not
only admit it, but co-operate in it—shall thus act indirect
violation not only of their duty to God but of their own
sworn obligations as ministers of the Church of England
and shall be made, in the hands of the government, the
tools of administering the principles of the Papacy, and
shall be compelled to carry out, in the education of the
poor, the infamous fourth rule of the index of prohibited
books, which forbids the Bible, on the principle that it is
manifest by experience that more evil than good results
from the study of the sacred Scriptures.' This is the
real rule of the board—this is the real pith and marrow of
the case. It is not, as its jesuitical pretence puts forth,
that ' due regard is to be had to parental authority, and
that no child is to be compelled to act against their prin-
ciples. and their duty to their parents ;' but it is this,
that undue regard is to be paid to the authority of the
Papal see—that there is to be no recognition or admission
of the supreme authority of God and of His Holy Word
—that it must bow to the dictate of the Pope—that no
regard is to be paid to the authority or duty of the mi-
nisters of Christ—but that they are to be compelled to
act in violation of their principles—of their duty to their
church—their duty to their countrymen—and their duty
to their God.

" And now, my reverend friend and brother, I must
here submit to your judgment and your candour that this,
and this alone, is the real question between us. I assert
that this is the principle—the real, genuine principle—of
the National Board. I assert that it is utterly irreconcile-
able by any human talent to the principles which I have
laid down as being opposed to it, when faithfully and truly
held by a man before his God. You say you willingly
subscribe these principles as holy and true. I leave it,
therefore, with confidence to your candour and truth,
that you must either retract or qualify, in some manner
that I cannot conceive, your subscription to the holiness
and truth of my principles ; or you must admit the con-
clusion, that they are logically and ethically irreconcile-
able to the principles of the National Board.

A TOAST FOR TEETOTALLERS.--Here's to the man who
cut down the trees, who cleared the land, who ploughed
the ground, who planted the corn, which fed the goose,
that raised the quill, which formed the pen, with which
was r r. tten the total abstinence pledge.
To CHEESE MAKERS.—Churned milk being added to
cheese milk in the usual way, very much improves both
the quality and taste of cheese, and will prevent it rising
after it is made. Several old cheese makers in Notting-
hamshire are adopting the method with success.

AN AFFECTIONATE FATIIER.—A gentleman connected
with the Indian army returned after an absence of ten
years. Immediately on his meeting with his father,
" Jamie," said the old gentleman, " ye've just been out
ten years, how muckle bee ye made ?" •` Five hundred
,
thousand pounds," was the reply. " Ye shouldb e
stayed there ten years, and made it the million."

RAILWAY INTILLLIGE CE.

It is stated that the reduction of fares on the Liverpool
and Manchester Railway has been followed by a great
increase in the number of passengers.

LANCASTER AND CARLISLE RAlLWAY.—Negociations
are going on between the Directors of this railway and
those of the Lancaster and Preston Railways for an union
of interests.

LONDONDERRY.--The two railways to this city seem
likely to excite the citizens to still further improvements.
Two projects are advertised for new bridges across the
Foyle in lieu of the old one, which is an kmerican struc-
ture of wood, and certainly not fit for the place.
RAILWAY DEPUTATIONS.—A deputation from the
Liverpool and Manchester Railway, including Mr. Law-
rence, Mr. Langton, Mr. George Loch, and Mr. Booth,
had an interview with the Earl of Dalhousie on Friday
last. On the same day a deputation from the Bolton,
Wigan, and Liverpool Railway,consisting of Mr. Brancker,
Mr. Darbishire, (solicitor,) &c., had an interview with his
lordship.
A railway is projected to start from the Auckland branch
of the Stockton and Darlington Railway past Barnard
Castle, and crossing the Tees, thence taking the most di-
rect line to Penrith, joining there the western coast line
running into Scotland, and thus forming a direct route to
Glasgow, &c., and connecting the eastern and western
sides of the island. Although the Duke of Cleveland op-
poses the line, the promoters are determined to proceed
with it.

Lord Glenlyon has interdicted the engineers engaged in
surveying the proposed line of railway from Inverness to
Perth. On entering his lordship's grounds the engineers
were met by a party of constables and others, who pre-
sented an interdict from the Court of Session, prohibiting
their entrance on the Atholl domains. This document
being considered more powerful than the poet laureate's
sonnet against the Kendal line, the engineers withdrew in
silence.

FATAL RAILWAY ACCIDENTS.—On Thursday last two
men, wile repairing the line of the Great Western Rail-
way, near West Drayton, were killed by a train passing
over them. It was extremely foggy, and they could not
see the train.—On the same night, a fireman on the Bir-
mingham and Gloucester Railway was killed by his head
corning in contact with an iron pillar supporting Cleave
Bridge, near Birmingham, while the train was passing
under the bridge.
EXTENSION OF THE LEEDS AND BRADFORD RAIL-
WAY.—A special general meeting of this railway company
was held at Leeds, on Wednesday last, for the purpose of
considering the expediency of applying to Parliament,
next session, for an tic,: to enable the Leeds and Bradford
railway company to make a railway from Shipley to
Colne, with a branch from Keighley to Haworth. The
Chairman, George Hudson, Esq., stated that the proposed
extension would be about 33 miles, and the cost from
£16,000 to £17,000 mile. He also stated that the sum
to be raised was considerably above the engineers esti-
mate, in order to obviate, the chance of having again to
apply to Parliament, and expressed a confident belief that
the whole line would be opened by the middle 0f,1846.
Resolutions, approving of the proposed undertaking, and
the raising of an additional capital of £500,000, in 8000
shares of £5O each, and 8000 of £l2 10s. each, to be
offered, in the first instance, to existing proprietors, were
unanimously agreed to.
WHITBY AND PICKERING RAILWAY.—Great altera-
tions and improvements are contemplated being made in
this line by the new proprietors. The curves are to be
lessened, the levels altered and improved, and the present
tunnel to be removed, and an open cutting to be substi-
tuted in its place, and the whole line adapted for locomo-
tive power. The recent purchase of the commodious pro-
perty lately belonging to Robert Barry, Esq., is inteNded
by the present indefatigable and spirited proprietor, Mr.
Hudson, to be appropriated for railway purposes, and a
handsome station is to be erected o❑ the premises. The
plans for the improvement of the harbour have not yet
been made public; but a report from Mr. Walker is
speedily expected, and when known will excite great in-
terest. Mr. Hudson is also taking an active part in plan-
ning a road from the west cliff to the sands, preparatory
to carrying into effect certain plans for building lodging
houses, and other improvements which will be necessary
to meet the demand for the better accommodation of the
great influx of visitors which the improved facilities af-
forded by the railway, when the alterations are completed
and the line connected with York, and with the celebrity
which the beauties of the neighbourhood have of late at-
tained, cannot fail to attract in great numbers to this de-
lightful watering place.

FATAL RAILWAY ACCIDENT.—On Thursday after-
, noon, a frightful collision took place on the Midland
Counties Railway. In consequence of a tender having
got off the rails, the Derby train, which should have left
Nottingham at three o'clock, was delayed, and was, at
length, compelled to proceed along the down line, instead
of the proper line, a messenger having been despatched to
stop an expected down train at Beeston, about three miles
off, for fear of collision. The messenger either did not
arrive at Beeston in time for the train, or he did not de-
liver his message properly, and the train to Nottingham
had left the Beeston station before the train from Not-
tingham had arrived, and the engineer, either not know-
ing, or not regarding the message that had been for-
wardrd, drove the train at its usual rapid pace, and a
tremendous collision took place. In consequence of the
down trai❑ being driven at a much more rapid pace than
the train from Nottingham, and being a much heavier
train, and having a powerful and very heavy engine, the
up-train from Nottingham sustained the principal part of
the damage. The up-train consisted of an engine and
tender, a second-class carriage, containing parcels, but no
passengers, then two second-class carriages, with passen-
gers, followed by a first-class carriage, with passengers,
and then a third-class carriage. So great was the force
with which the down-train met the up-train, that the en-
gine of the latter was actually driven from its position
downwards, and the boiler was elevated to the height of
many feet above it. the tender of the engine was driven
through the parcel carriage, and the two passenger second-
class conrevances were as completely smashed to pieces
as a nutshell when trodden under foot. The unfortunate
passengers in the two carriages were dreadfully crushed
and mutilated. Considering the number of passengers,
and the terrific force of the concussion, it appears
miraculous that no more persons were injured, and that
only two individuals met with their deaths. '1 hose per-
sons are Mr. Dean, commissio❑ agent, Hounds'-gate,
Nottingham, who died, in a few minutes after the acci-
dent, in a field by the side of the railway ; and Mr. Var-
nill, Derwent-bank, Derby. No less than twenty per-
sons are named who were more or less injured, some of
them having been severely crushed.