The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1845-06-03 00:00:00

ADDRESS TO THE BISHOP OF CHESTER,

On Thursday a meeting of the clergy was held at the
Clarendon-rooms, for the purpose of submitting an ad-
dress for signature, to be presented to the Lord Bishop
of Chester. The address, after thanking his lordship for
the uncompromising boldness with which he had declared
himself against the Maynootb grant, proceeded as follows :
We have observed, with much pain, that, in the argu-
ments urged by the favourers of the bill, all reference to
God's word, which, we contend, ought to be as much the
guide of the statesman as of the private Christian, has
been carefully excluded ; and we profess our utter abhor-
rence of the infidel principle laid down by Mr. Burke,
and adopted and publicly asserted in parliament by Sir
James Graham, that, " whenever, in matters of state,
questions of religion arise, they must be decided on poli-
tical, and not on theological grounds."
But, though our deepest repugnance to the bill in ques-
tion proceeds from those religious objections to which our
opponents have not even attempted an answer from God's
word, we are more than ever convinced that the measure
cannot be justified even on the specious grounds of mere
political expediency.

We are firmly persuaded that the passing of this bill
will not satisfy our Roman Catholic brethren, because we
are sure that if its principle be sound and scriptural, they
ought not to be satisfied by a measure which, in effect, by
showing that Romanism may be lawfully endowed, proves
that Protestantism is a mere usurpation.
We are also convinced, from the recorded essential and
unchangeable principles of the Roman Church, that the
achievement of universal spiritual dominion must always
be the object of all her consistent members ; and that,
therefore, every hope by such concessions as that which
is now contemplated to promote the harmony of this Pro-
testant kingdom, by strengthening that system which
must always be the antagonist of Protestantism, is abso-
lutely vain and chimerical.

And knowing, as we do, on the clearest testimony, that
the dangerous doctrines of the ultra-Montane school are
diligently inculcated upon the pupils of the College of
Maynooth, we confess that it is with the utmost surprise
that we find the Queen's ministers proposing, not only
irreligiously to sanction the teaching of the Roman Ca-
tholic doctrines, but also to disclaim all intention of exer-
cising that interference and control which even Roman
Catholic governments have always, without exception,
deemed it necessary to assert and maintain, for the pro-
tection of their civil authority from Roman spiritual
power.

We firmly believe that the expectations which have
been formed by some of the favourers of this bill, that the
effect of the measure in question will be to improve the
quality of Roman Catholic teaching by the improvement
of the education of the teachers, will result only in disap-
pointment, because the nature of the Romish system com-
bines with the testimony of history in showing that any
advance in the education of its professors must increase,
instead of diminishing its danger to a Protestant govern-
ment; and were it otherwise, because we perceive, by the
wording of the bill itself, that it contains no security what-
ever that any improved education will be given to those
who shall receive instruction in the College of Maynooth.
We assure your lordship, that in thus expressing our
deliberate sentiments, we are actuated by no unkind feel-
ings towards our Roman Catholic brethren ; on the con-
trary, any plan which may be devised by her Majesty's
ministers by which their happiness may be effectually pro-
moted, and which may be consistent with God's honour
and the state's safety, would be hailed by us with real
pleasure, and would obtain our best efforts and prayers
for its success.

In conclusion, we sincerely thank your lordship for the
uncompromising boldness with which, as a Protestant
bishop, you have already declared yourself against the bill ;
and we earnestly hope and pray that Almighty God may
enable both yourself and your venerable brethren, the
other bishops of our church, so to oppose this dangerous
measure, that it may be rejected by that right honourable
house, in which God's providence has placed you to main-
tain his honour and the true interests of Christ's church.