The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1843-10-17 00:00:00

TO THE EDITOR OF THE MONTROSE STANDARD.

Sin,—A month has not elapsed since this reverend
divine, in addressing a meeting held at Blairgowrie, de-
clared that he considered the Established Church of
Scotland to be "a great moral nuisance, that ought to
be swept from the face of the land ;" and, when since
questioned as to the truth of his having made such a
statement, at a recent meeting at Montrose, he acknow-
leged the fact, and attempted to justify it, by saying that,
several years ago, he more than once expressed similar
sentiments in the General Assembly, of which he was
then a member! Yet, strange to tell, Dr. Chalmers had
been a minister of that church, and eating her bread, for
above fifty years, most active in inviting individuals to
build churches, and in that assembly contending for the
wisdom and propriety of vesting those churches in the
assembly, and of permitting the patronage to be held by
the builders, when required by them.
It is not above three or four months since another of
his most prominent colleagues, Dr. Candlish, expressed
similar sentiments before a meeting held at Leith, adding
to them the assurance of his unceasing enmity to the
Established Church.; yet these persons hold themselves
np ns pious, evangelical preachers, lovers of peace, pro-
fessing to be the leaders of the Christian people, and at
the same time labouring to instil into them such vindic-
tive and horrifying principles.
A remonstrance from this body, addressed to the landed
proprietors of Scotland, has, as you are aware, lately
made its appearance, signed by Dr. Chalmers and his
colleague Dr. Gordon, of which the professed object is to
influence that respectable body to grant sites of land, on
which their followers might erect places of worship for
the propagation of such doctrines, and at the same time,
in order to throw dust in their eyes, avowing in this re-
monstrance, " Their desire to lice at peace with all men,
and that they cordially wish for the welfare of all who
love the Saviour in sincerity." Are we, then, to con-
strue their anathemas into a disbelief in the sincerity of
those who are members of the Established Church, with
whom, it now appears, they have lone had the unmerited
honour of being embodied? Do they mean to deny that
the faith and doctrine of the Established Church are in
all respects unchanged, and the same as when these men
were their zealous advocates? Then, if so, why do they
not come forward, in place of showing the cloven foot,
and openly avow such sentiments, if they entertain them ?
It is but too evident that the republic spirit, and their
thirst after power and popularity, under which the serpent
lurks, are the acting passions that have led them to make
such sacrifices of character and the principle of consis-
tem so dear to all honest men ; or why should Dr.
Chalmers, after being the prominent supporter of patron-
age, and the determined foe of voluntaryism, turn round
and contend for placing unlimited power in the hands of
the people, urging the extinction of the first, and practi-
cally the support of the last, unless we are to conclude
his object is, to induce them to hold him up as their idol,
and feed his love of popularity at any price, whilst he now
rejects the conditions of the act of Parliament, which
originated with Lord Aberdeen, that gives full power to
congregations to object to all licensed presentees, and
authority to the church courts to confirm their rejection,
if sufficient cause is assigned, but from the hope. I doubt
not, through their expected influence over the people, inns
to place; the real power in their own hands l I would
hope the time is not far distant when the eves of their
deluded followers will be opened; and when Lord Aber-•
deer is made aware of these facts, that he will at least
hesitate before he assigns to their authors another site for
a place of worship on his estates, thus countenancing the
conduct of those who condemn and oppose his measures.
I have read with great satisfaction, in last Friday's
,Standard, your most able and decided justification of the
conduct of the landed proprietors who support the Estab-
lished Church of their fathers, and prove their just and
conscientious adherence to its faith and doctrines, by re-
fusing to promote in any manner the propagation of prin-
ciples avowed by the leaders of this schism—a schism
which is most injurious to the interests of religion, de-
structive of the comforts of society, and the domestic
peace of many families. I am, Sir, your obedient servant,
A LOVER OF TRUTH.

STEALING A PUNCHEON OP MOLASSES.—Two carters
named William Batiks and William Leicester, were on
Friday, at the Police-court, charged with having stolen
a puncheon of molasses. From the evidence it appeared
itnhaa ti
no 14 Thursday
eorg
George's
hock,
eke, k a
was
, seseeldi6ch c a
rgailni calledthe
her
cargo,A p: 0
ml lc
among other things, comprised twenty puncheons of mo-
lasses. They were lefr on the quay for some time pre-
vious to being sent to their destination, timing which
lime the prisoners contrived to take possession of one
of the puncheons unperceived, %% hich they drove off with
and appropriated to their own ore. Thu commander of
the ves.l, Captain Lindsay, was not aware of his loss
until last Monday, when he gave information of the cir-
cumstance to the police. The
tnoiumh2.lslsoems bietlowledetot:lGsigeonregde
W .
Tlrlpeur;aic'lltdteCno.ul mcig erhceitll";s2l cwt., and was \tor th £l5.
On the loss hei,lg made known -to the antholiiii‘s, an ac-
:,•trebnlyiscetiorfietsl
tive search was made after the delinquents. and the police
Stranger,
utaie,r:lTieied.rs,ticincTe tiri(ael
(Tr
nh e
Bit).
tzplearc!,%y.._
ioat i Ike
prisoners, alon:.; with werg3 Jeteeted
in lading the contents of the puncheon into other barrels
for immediate dsposal, and on seeing ilia officers the
whole party endravoured to make their escape., two
prisoners, however, were seen actively engaged in the ap-
propriation of the stolen property, were captured.' The
case being a clear one against the prisoners, Mr. ltnsht•..e
ordered them to be sent for trial to the sessions.--Search is
being made for Stranger.