The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1842-05-03 00:00:00

The CHAIF

was carrie

The proceedings then terminated,
an hour. •

LECTURES ON THE CREED OF POPE PIUS

THE FOURTH

The eighth of the series of lectures, by clergymen of the
Church of England, on the creed of Pope Pius the Fourth,
was delivered on the evening of Friday last, by the Rev. J.
Barrett, of Birmingham. The subject of the lecture was the
eighth article of the creed, " I most firmly believe that the
images of Christ, of the mother of God, ever virgin, and
also of other saints, may be had and retained ; and that due
honour and veneration are to be given to them."

Mr. MIDDLETON having been-called to the chair, the pro-
ceedings commenced by the Rev. Fielding Ould supplicating
the divine blessing upon them.
Mr. BARRETT, on presenting himself before the auditory,
was received with much cheering. He read his lecture from
notes, stating that he preferred giving it in a written form,
to trusting himself to an extemporaneous address, in order
that he might be able duly to weigh his words ; " to think
before he spoke," so that he might, in such an important
matter, refrain from giving vent to any rash or hasty expres-
sions. The introductory part of the lecture was an eloquent
exposition of the grounds on which the controversy with the
Church of Rome is taken up by the Protestant advocates of
the present day, in the course of which he showed that every
clergyman of the Church of England is bound by the canon
law and the ordination vow to hear testimony against all

" erroneous and strange doctrines contrary to does

The subject assigned to him, in this vital and important
discussion, was the doctrine of image worship, as maintained
and set forth by the Church of Rome, in her public and
accredited formularies of faith. In considering it he should
adopt the only fair plan, Namely, investigate the documents
themselves of this idolatrous church in proof of her idolatry,
and gather the sentence of her condemnation, not from the
testimony of any partial bystander, nor from the summing
up of any bribed or prejudiced judge, but from the evidence
of " her own mouth," as she was heard speaking in her
creed, her catechisms, her canons, and her councils. He
would first show what the doctrine and practice of image
worship was as recognised by the Church of Rome; next he
would examine the grounds upon which she professed to build
it ; and then prove that the doctrine was not held by the
early fathers of the Catholic Church, and that it was not
only unnoticed by, but was directly contrary to, express
statements of the wotd of God. _

- -
The rev. gentleman then entered upon the consideration of
the first branch of the subject—the doctrine and practise of
image worship, as recognised by the Church of Rome. 117
he quoted the eighth article of Pope Pius's C•
given above, and showed that the Council of Trent d
image worship, and that any one who taught contr
decree was to be held accursed. The Catechism of the
Council of Trent went a step beyond both the creed of Pius
and the Tridentine Council, because it boldly averred that
representations of the Godhead were lawful and Scriptural.
" The Abridgment of Christian Doctrine" (revised by Dr.
Doyle), and " The Grounds of Catholic Doctrine " (by Bi-
shop Challoner), were next quoted to show that the Church
of Rome distinctly and positively maintains and anathemises
those who presume to differ from her dogmas—that not only
the saints, but even the persons of the mysterious Trinity
may be represented under visible forms, that these forms, or
images, are to be kissed, before them we are to bow down
with uncovered heads, and that they are always to receive
" due honour and veneration." We were left, however, at a
loss to know what:this " due honour and veneration" exactly
intend, and therefore it was necessary to refer to other docu-
ments for explanation. The Church of Rome was anxious
(and we need not be surprised at her anxiety) to clear herself
from the damning charge of idolatry, and therefore we find
her labouring to distinguish between an image and an idol,
and between an absolute 'and a relative worship. But after
all, there was a great variety of sentiment upon this roost vi-
tal subject. Bellarmine distinguishes the systems of image
worship into three classes : one class recognizes the use of
images, but rejects their worship—this party allows the su-
perstition of Romanistn but forbids its idolatry : a second
class patronises both the use. and the imperfect but inferior
worship of these representations—this party countenances the
idolatry as well as the superstition : a third class pref- ; t
same adoration to the copy as to the original—and, the 'ore

.eed, a,

y to ti

with respect to the ima
the grossest idolatry.
this infallible church, which boasts so much of its unity, and
of its being always the same, there were, on this one subject,
three opinions. (Hear, hear, hear.) He should pass over
the two first and consider the third only ; and as Cardinal
Bellarmine referred to some of the greatest and most respec-
table names in the Church of Rome as concurring in it, it
would be worth while to look into the various declarations of
these private writers to see whether they were, or not, conso-
nant with the sentiments of their church, as recorded in her
manuals, breviaries, and catechisms. The rev. gentleman
then quoted statements from Thomas Aquinas, Naclantus,
Azonius the Jesuit, and compared them with the expressed
tenets and recognised formularies of the church, as given in
"The Roman Pontifical," revised and published at Rome in
1595, by order of Pope Clement VIII., the Roman Missal,
Breviary, the Processional, the use of the Agnus Dei, and the
lives of Alphonus Lignori, and four other saints canonised on
Trinity Sunday, in the year 1839, (published by Dr. Wise-
man,) and contended that these established, beyond question,
the charge of idolatry against the Roman Catholic Church.
In the second place he should examine the grounds upon
which the Church of Rome professed to hold the doctrine of
image worship. In order to bring this matter within as nar-
row a compass as possible, he should waive the consideration
of many points, and confine his attention to what might be
regarded as the two principal arguments, for if these were
controverted, all the subordinate ones would follow. The
first was professedly built upon certain passages of scripture ;
and the second was derived from the distinction the Church
of Rome institutes between an absolute and a relative wor-
ship. As to her scriptural arguments for image worship they
were but small, although Bellarmine, with th view of mak-
ing as great a show with them as possible, had classified
them under three heads of evidence. The first class was
those which speak expressly of images, and of this sort
there were only two ; one was in Exodus xxv. 18, and the
other in Numbers xxi. 8,9, but in neither one nor the other
did it appear that the image or the serpent was made for the
purpose of worship. The second class of evidence was those
texts which weiAt to show that some creatures are to be ho-
noured for their bare relation to God, and in support of this
Romish writers cited the 22nd Psalm v. 5 ; but he showed
that this passage bad been misinterpreted in the Romish
version. The third class of evidence was those texts which
speak of some creatures as sacred or holy, because of their
relation to holy things. These texts are, Exodus iii. 5•, xii.
16 ; and xxviii. 2 ; Isaiah xi. 10 ; 2 Timothy iii. 15. None
of these had any relation to image worship, and be looked
upon them as . weak and irrelevant. Here then, the rev.
gentleman proceeded, we dismisi this part of our subject.
We have endeavoured to lay before you a candid, and so far
as we were empowered, an accurate examination of the prin-
cipal texts upon which the Romish champions lay the greatest
stress; and of this we are roost thoroughly certain, that if
these, which have thus passed in review before us, do not sub-
stantiate the doctrine of image worship, there are no other
texts that can do so, if you search from Genesis to Revela-
tion. Nay, as we hope immediately to prove there is a deep-
formed, and mighty phalanx of texts drawn up in battle
array against it. (Loud cheers.)

of God and hi

The icy. gentleman then proceeded to the consideration of
the second branch of the argument, drawn from the distinc-
tion which the Church of Rome institutes between an abso-
solute and a relative worship. This distinction seemed to
have been greatly insisted upon by Bossuet ; but it was at the
best a very unhappy one. It was the self-same distinction
that was made by the pagan idolators of old, as might easily
be proved by a multitude of examples from Juvenal, Seneca,
and the elder Pliny. All that the Romanists could pretend to
was, that they had more just notions of the worship of saints
than the Pagans had, but this would be found difficult of
proof. The Pagan philosophers offered the same apology for
their worship of demons which the learned Romanist now al-
leged in justification of his worship of saints ; and whether
the unlearned Romanist may not be led to entertain as gross
notions relative to the worship of saints as the illiterate among
the heathen, had been much suspected among the doctors,
even of their own church. Surely the easiest way and the
safest was, not to to worship images at all, nor to vex and
torture people's minds with vain distinctions ; but to hold
fast to the integrity of God's word, and repudiate every thing
that savours of human invention. (Loud cheers.)
Having discussed these questions he should proceed to open

up his direct attack against the whole position ; and he laid
it down, as his first proposition, that the doctrine of image
worship was not held by the early fathers of the Christian
Church. Observe, he proceeded, we do not mean to say that
if it had been, therefore it is to be believed. We do not turn
to them as to arbitrators whose opinion is law, and whose dic-
tum is a tribunal from which there lies no appeal. (Hear,)
We have not yet learnt to give up that pure principle of our
faith, " The Bible, the whole Bible, and nothing but the
Bible,"—(cheers)--however some may rail and others exe-
crate. We would not ourselves dare to put forth the un-
hallowed hand and remove the Bible, the word of the living
God, from that high and lofty position in which, by God him-
self, it is enshrinedo as the sole detcrminator of religious
controversy. "To the law, and to the testimony : if they
speak not according to this word it is because there is no light
in them." At the same time, though we do not appeal to
these writers any more than we would appeal to other unin-
spired men as judges in the court of truth, we would yet de-
sire to bring them forward as witnesses to the truth, and are
always :glad on account of their high intellectual as well
moral character, when we hear them responding to the state-
ments, and testifying to the verities, of " the rule of faith.",
(Loud cheers.)—That the first Christians had no images was
evident from the circumstance that
se
the first four centuries
thetyhewinerie raenprdowaeclifeodunbdy
practice of image worship from
Scripture, and the pure and tahlnemhsetatehveenrybeecccaluesseiatsltiiecyald,ivdontcott
out.
at
hr ge ui
plainng againstdeolari
tt
ih9en
sg Col} t e
spiri-
tual nature of God. Like all the other errors of the Church.
of Rome it was one of gradual growth; but as it was en-
tirely unknown in the earlier ages of the church, he should
find no difficulty in arranging the evidence of antiquity
against it. In the second century Justin Martyr spoke

ng occupied about I by our owi

eye upon the opi
equally true,
false 2) (Long c

we have
to hue

openly

ledge of our Lori.
that all may IY.

church,

ye that we
(Hear, hear, hear.)

communication between God and man, than
whom there is none other way of access to the Father, and
who alone is the image. of the invisible God. (Hear.) For
these reasons we refuse to set up or bow down before, or
worship, images of man's formation, believing that, were we
to do so, we should, in the sight of that God who searcheth
the heart and trieth the reins of the children of men, be
guilty of that very sin which to him is abominable, and
which his soul hateth. It is, then, upon these grounds that
we enter our unflinching protest against this anti-Christian
system, because we know, from its fundamental principle of
infallibility, that all the error which has clung to it will still
continue to cling to it. And we believe that the whole sys-
tem, as well in its other parts as the part we have considered
to-night, is directly hostile to evangelical and personal reli-
gion. It may perhaps sound a harsh sentiment, but I cannot
forbear its utterance, that I would as readily trust my body
to the wrecked and leaky vessel, the sport of every wind
and the plaything of every wave, as I would trust my soul's
salvation to the creed and the principles of Rome. (Loud
cheers.) Yea, I should as soon look for health beneath the
deep shade of the upas tree, whilst drinking in the malaria
of its envenomed atmosphere, as I would expect peace or
comfort under the blighting shade of Romish domination.
'ers.) And why do I thus speak? Has God de-
there is salvation in none other than in Jesus ?
can it be • may be saved
9od wor'

Rev. Gentleman then conChidedas follows

Has God declared that all Scripture is given by inspiration
of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for instruc-
tion in righteousness, that the man of God may be perfect,
thoroughly furnished unto every good work ? Then can it
be a safe thing to believe that, in the language of the Council
of Trent, "all saving knowledge is not contained in the
Scriptures, but partly in the Bible and partly in unwritten
tradition, which, whoever does not receive with the like faith
as he does the written word, let him be accursed ?" (Hear.)
Has God declared there is but one mediator between God and
man, the man Christ Jesus? Then can it be a safe thing to
believe in an immense train of subordinate mediators who
interfe

with the perfection of Christ's intercession, and
stand, like a dark eclipse, between my soul and the sun of
righteousness? (Cheers.) Has God declared that Christ
has offered himself up once as a sacrifice for sin ? Then can
it be safe to believe in the sacrifice of the mass, in which a
fresh sacrifice is said to he offered for human guilt each time
£hat it is celebrated ? (Cheers.) Has God declared, " Thou
shalt not make to thyself any graven image, nor worship them
nor bow down to them ?" • Then can it be safe to blot out
this commandment from the Decalogue, that it may be
broken with apparent impunity? (Loud cheers:) Has God
declared, " Search the Scriptures, for therein ye have eternal

life ?" Can it be a safe thing then, to blot it -out, that this
book may be closed to the people, that they shall not search
it without authority from their priests? (Renewed eheers.)
My friends, we might extend our list of enquiries, and each
additional one would only to serve to widen the breach be-
tween Romanism and the faith of the Gospel. Thus it ex-
poses more fully the danger of yielding any, the slightest, as-

sent to it. We feel that in a controversy of this kind we are
not engaged for the mere baubles and playthings of the world.
We are contending for the very substance, the heart, the life
blood, the soul of Christianity; we are contending for the
pure fountain of truth, and the pure bread of life, and the
pure water of salvation ; we are contending for the pure and
unadulterated worship of the one true living God, in opposi-
tion to the idol worship of the Church of Rome ; we are con-
tending, in fact, for the mild sway of the Prince of Peace, as
contradistinguished from the Herodian spirit of Roman Ca-
tholicism ; and feeling these things, I say, " Away with that
false charity that would compromise the difference between
the two faiths, or reduce the rich principles of the former to
an idle and a cunning tale. (Loud cheers.) Away with that
mawkish liberality, too much in vogue among many in the
,ant day, that would look with an equally favourable
apon ~using systems, considering them as
)r, to speak more properly, as equally
Je.') -untinued cheering.) But Ido trust, though
hay very much to lament over, and very much
.0 hu' us, we are not yet come, as a Protestant
peoplf to that sad issue, at which we are reduced to give up

1 sense of the value andworth of the Deformation. (Cheers.)

I do hope that we are not yet prepared to think that the noble
army of martyrs—our Cranmers, our Ridley s, our Latimers,
our Hoopers, with a bright cloud of other witnesses—spent
their breath and poured out their blood, for comparatively
and absolutely nothing. (Cheers.) Ido hope that the me-
mory of those sainted men has still something like a hallow-

ing influence upon the minds of the thoughtful, and that they
are willing, heart and hand, to subscribe to what they have
handed down, and to practise the holy principles which they
so boldly advocated. (Renewed cheers.) I therefore, with
all earnestness, would exhort you to be more than ever upon
your guard against the march of this spiritual tyranny. (Ap-
plause.) Her footfall is sometimes muffled, so that she
steals upon us unexpectedly, and finds us too often unpre-
pared ; but she is now as§uraing a bolder front—she is now
dvancing against our spiritual Zion, and hesitates
the principles that are as dear

- -
to us as their lives. (Hear, hear.) I exhort you, then, to
see that ye yourselves are more decided for Christ and his
truth ; for trust me, or rather trust the Word of God itself,
that personal spiritual religion will prove the best barrier to
the attacks of the man of sin. (Hear, hear.) I exhort you
to read your Bible more, and bless God that you may read
it, and pray for grace that you may practise what it teaches.
'Hear.) I exhort you to be more earnest in prayer, for
that you may grow in the grace and in the know-
- d and Saviour Jesus Christ, and for others
J led to embrace the truth as it is in Jesus. I
-o keep closer in faith to the Great Head of the
j him who has bought that church with his own
_..,us blood, and whose one great desire is to present it,
as a glorious church, before his father's throne, " not having
spot or blemish or any such thing." I exhort you to adhere
more strictly in life and practice to that branch of the Ca-
tholic church which is established among us, that ark of the
Lord in which are deposited the purest formularies of Chris-
tian faith, from which, through the ministers that serve at
her altars, flow the pure and healing waters of Gospel truth ;
and by your influence, your talents, your prayers, your con-
versation, your life, see that ye are at all times ready to sup-
port and strengthen the hands of those who are willing to
lift up their voices against the errors of the Romish theology,
and to cope with whatever difficulties may stand in their
path, that thus a highway may be made upon which the peo-
ple of the Lord may walk with safety to the haven before
them. (Cheers.) I commend you to the grace and keeping
of God, and pray that his blessing may rest upon you.
The rev. gentleman then retired amidst enthusiastic cheer-

Ind the doxology having been sung, the meeting sepa-
rated.—The lecture upon the ninth article of the creed will
be delivered on Friday evening next, by the Rev. F. Parry.

INCENDIARY FIRE AT BIRKENHEAD

Yesterday morning the saw-mills, joiners' shops, timber-
yard, a large quantity of timber, Sze. belonging to Messrs.
J. and W. Walker, eminent builders at Woodside, were de-
stroyed by fire, no doubt the work of an incendiary or in-
cendiaries, and such was the rapidity with which the flames
spread, that in a few hours the greater portion were reduced
to a heap of smoking ruins. The flames burst forth from no
less than six different parts of the premises, showing the de-
termination of the party effectually to accomplish the object
of their malice, and the long period of dry weather which has
prevailed, rendered the materials still more speedy objects of
destruction, by such an element as fire. The premises are
situated on the banks of Wallacy Pool ; and adjoining those
destroyed, are the ship-building yard of the Messrs. Walker,
several other timber and ship yards, all of which would,
doubtless, have been also destroyed, had the wind been
blowing fresh. The police and a fire-engine were on the
spot soon after the fire commenced, but the latter was com-
paratively useless, and the efforts of the former, together
with a number of the inhabitants, were directed to the saving
of some large baulks of timber which were in the yard. Se-
veral were got away from the devouring element. About
one hundred persons are employed on the premises, and many
of them residing at a distance were not aware of the work of
destruction until going to their work at six o'clock this morn-
ing, when they became acquainted with the melancholy fact,
and at the same time saw their work tools also destroyed,
several of them valuing their chests at as much as £4O, others
at £2O. The entire loss cannot at present be estimated, as
the books of the concern are also destroyed, and there having
been a considerable quantity of timber on the ground balong-
ing to different individuals, sent for the purpose of being sawn
into blanks, boards, &c. It is said the mills, engines, ma-
chinery, &c., cost Messrs. Walker upwards of £3OOO erecting,
and as they are only insured for £l5OO they must be conside-
rable losers. For some time past threats have been held out
by sawyers who arc averse to the introduction of machinery,
that the works would be destroyed, and a watchman has been
kept nightly on the premises. This man states, that when
the fire broke out he was saying his prayers, something hav-
ing frightened him. In one corner of the yard were found
a quantity of shavings saturated with turpentine, and two
bottles of that liquor were also discovered. Messrs. Walker
have offered a reward of £lOO for the conviction of the of-
fenders, and Sir James Graham has been written to on the
subject.

RESPITE OF' ROBERT SANDYS.—This criminal, found
guilty at the last Autumn Cheshire Assizes of the murder of
his infant child, has been respited from the punishment of
death.

DINNER TO THE MARQUIS OF SALISBURY, K.G., LORD
LIEUTENANT OF MIDDLESEX.—Upwards of 100 of the ma-
gistrates of the metropolitan county met to entertain this
distinguished nobleman at the Thatched House Tavern, on
Thursday week, on occasion of his appointment to succeed
the Duke of Portland as Lord-Lieutenant of the county.
Mr. Sergeant Adams, chairman of the quarter sessions, pre-
sided on this occasion.

LIBERALITY OF ouit, M.P.—Mr. Hume has presented our
Mechanics' Institution with two parliamentary reports and a
small pamphlet, of the total value of eightpence halfpenny
sterling ! When in Brechin, Mr. Hume took occasion to
say that the last generation knew not Joseph,' but that the
present race would do so ; and certainly they are likely soon
to become acquainted with the leading traits in his character,
in no enviable form.—Montrose Standard.
The Rev. T. Sherburne, a Popish priest, has commenced
proceedings against the proprietor of the Lancaster Gazette,
for publishing certain letters from Thomas Eastwood, Esq.,
exposing the nefarious proceedings of the bachelor priests,
relative to the wills of a number of wealthy old ladies. Our
contemporary has done good service to the Protestant cause
by the publication of these letters, and we are glad to see that
public sympathy is with him, more especially as these docu-
ments are all authenticated with Mr. Eastwood's signature,
and therefore the object of the accused is evidently not vin-
dication, but suppression, or they would proceed against
Mr. Eastwood.

FATAL THUNDER-STORM.-011 Monday last a terrific
storm of thunder and lightning broke over the towns of Ban-
well, Worle, Wrington, and places adjacent. The contu!_!:
ous `dashes of the forked lightning were awful, and, V.,.._l:.greenb
to say, not unattended with fatal consequences. "e '
and two
one and two o'clock a young man named Will,er young, at
horses engaged in ploughing on the farna.of ... ..
Banwell Moor. were struck with lightn n ,_ana instantly
killed. Poor Williams, on the day c!f. I. gdeath, had just
completed his 20th year. The lightningh';ent his clothes in
. Scattered portions
pieces, and even his shoes upon, his feet.
ids from the spot.
of his clothes were found ten or twelve y
—Bristol Toumal,