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

;em was

station at Madras,
of Lord Hobart

whose certificate of its high v"
lo yet add the praiseworthy conduct o.
~he arrangements adopted with respect to
stablishment as entitling it to rati nk ver
and

treat town in

Collegiate 1
the mind of every one attached to die Cld that Government
sable institutions of the country. Wou

sample

woeld learn wisdom irv......- .
nd with much awe, the question "of gene-
raj national education, as proposed to the House of Com-
mons, called for specially by the woeful disclosures brought
to light by that truly excellent and estimable senator Lord
Ashley. The need of Christian and moral education he ha
thoroughly provedthe mode for providing for it to rn
seems not so well devised. In trying to escape from a whir
pool which he dreads, we seem to be likely to strike on t
rock of latitudinarianism if not of infidelity. I ascribe
such intention to any one, but I greatly fear the course
sued has that obvious tendency. Instead of considering what
s right, the practice of the day seems to be to consider what
"--, effected, a”'

to be content with do
L .pan
hn

can he most easily
that. In mere politics that may 50u,,,....___
doubt its general wisdom even in such cases, but in ques-
tions of principle I consider it to be always wrong, and nei-
ther likely, nor deserving, to succeed.
In 1811 and 1812 the church stepped forward with the
sanction of the state in behalf of national education. Had
due pecuniary means been found, the plans then adopted
would have pervaded the whole nation, and even the grossly,
not to say wickedly, neglected manufacturing districts would
have been supplied with Christian instruction and educa-
tion.
All classes of creeds were generally willing to avail them-
selves of the offer ; and so they would, I doubt not, now, if
not politically excited against it. Many hundred thousands
of children are now reaping the blessings of that Christian
education ; a system, where duly admi
nistered, found to be
admirably adapted to infuse religious principles, truth, and
industrious habits, and under active clerical superintendence
calculated to administer instruction to any extent which may
be thought desirable. To your Blue Coat Hospital I refer
again as a special example to that society. I had the high
gratification of obtaining from Lord Liverpool and Mr.
Peel, then Home Secretary, the first grant of a royal letter
to collect funds for its support.
In the scheme '.
obtained from t'

ged and embodied in the charter
then arran
very principle which the church
-own, e
the inculcation of true Christian prin.
indulgence which dissenters
, wereeveryincluded ; and Jews, Roman
As classes of dissenters, most readily
1-Ping allowed

need require to insui. .---
ciPles, and in its practice
_ . ........,;re.

could reasonably

to attend their own

Catholics

ates of the consciences

places of worship according
of their parents. I believe there is no greater mistake tnan
to suppose that the generality of dissenters, if not.politically
excited, have any objectio. co their children receivinx 3nah
instruction. If it be so, I would say that, so far as due in-
struction to the children of the church (who I consider to be
also specially the children of the state) be not prevented, the
children of dissenters be allowed to absent themselves when
they please; but I cannot admit that instruction in religious
matters be limited or curtailed, either as to time or subjects,
to the children of the church• Much controversy has existed
as to the use of the Bible in schools ; but, as a Protestant
churchman, I can never admit that the Sacred Book con-
taining the gracious offer of salvation to man, and the only
book from which it can be safely drawn, be denied to our
schools. Its sacredness, however, requires that its doctrines
be not perverted ; its holiness decoands that it be not read
as a medium to learn to read, but its truths should be
diligently infused into the minds of the children during
their progress. I have always considered that the sys-
tem adopted by the National Society is calculated to afford
to the clergy that influence among their flocks which
the Reformation intended them to possess, and which
the overgrown population of parishes deprived them of. To
restore them to such a state I consider to be a prime duty of
,the senrants of our Protestant Queen. Let it be considered
n,0," many dissenting parties have used their places of wor-
p and their religious influence to disseminate discontent.
To the ministers of the Church no such charge is to be
ascribed, and against them no attack is ever uttered, except
that they discourage ontent, and are therefore accused
of being partisans. Liberty of conscience is, however, most
truly a Protestant principle, and should beyond all question
be held sacred. But what is truly liberty of conscience ? It
used to be defined, " The right that every man has to wor-
ship Gov according to the dictates of his conscience• A
most cOrrect definition I conceive this is, so far as human,
interference is concerned. But in these liberal days it seems
Taferred from such a maxim that all descriptions of belief
n. have an equal claim to favor• I well remember an observa-
stion of an excellent man nearly related to your noble repre-
entative, .4 I have great regard for the consciences of dis-
senters, but have none earth eir interests." If every plea of
disbelief is to be regarded as conscientious, so aunt,to forbid
the inculcation Divine truths on that acco it., will
follow that the fnearer the approach to infidelity and
the greater will be the concessions required. In these
awful days when the want of religious and moral principle
is so dreadfully evident, it would be madness indeed
t° hope that comprehension and conciliation, through aban-
donment of religious iple, could re-establish good con-
duct. The revealed Will of GOD in a nation calling itself
Christian, must be adopted as the sole standard of instruc-
tion. Rut the Book of Revelation consists not in the mere
words it contains, but in the doctrines those words convey,
is d line upon line, precept upon precept, is the course which
enjoined by Divine Authority, and common senses urely
neccecdirds.with such scriptural
Would we then hope to suc-
foundin giving scriptural truths and Christian morality,
ou ed on them to the people, let us use the Holy Bible as
interpretation freely which the State by adopting it as the
as of the Nation has sanctioned. Let sued D
please send their children to these schools, and if they art
well conducted many will do so. Let there be school
what is called the Lancasterian system for such as prefer it,
but let not the Protestant Christian Church of the Queen of
the State
tudinarian habitss co
. ;atonal claims curtailed ; and the lati-
the endangering -. any be introduced into England to
Faith. aor the hitherto pure Protestant Christian

acee pteC

I have the honour to be, Sir, -
With much respect,
Your faithful servant,
KENYDN

Liscard► April 17th, 1843

There is, we believe, no truth so true, as that insti-
tutions, like individuals, are the authors of much of
the evil which befals them. And most strikingly- is
s
this truth about to be illustrated by the infliction of
blow, the most prostrating ever sustained y her—a
b
" heavy blow and a great discouragement"—dealt upon
the Church of England by a Conservative governm
ser-
ever
ent,
and not deprecated, as it ought to be, by the Con
vative body ! A boon—one of the greatest
offered to that Church—is held out to her; an exten-
re-,
'-er usefulness as a labourer in the cause of
• To her hand is

sion of I

htentrient

gion and moral enhg,
offered the trust, of leading the
coming generation

Sight of truth—from ignorance
and irreligion to the knowledge of the Redeemer; and
vet she hesi'

from darkness to tr.-

ates, or

J --
accepting a trust so worm
• But