The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1842-03-08 00:00:00

THE BISHOPS AND THE TRACTARIANS

(From the Record.)
No one, competently acquainted with the subject, doubts
that the peril with which the Protestant Church of England
is threatened by the promulgation in her bosom of doctrines
abhorrent to her fundamental principles is extreme. Her
faithful children mourn, and in a corresponding degree do the
members of the Papal apostacy rejoice.
It is equally apparent that her sons, in these perilous cir-
cumstances, are for the most part permitted to grope their
way in the dark as they best may. There are bishops—the
heads of the church—invested with high rank, station, and
authority, and to whom the clergy have sworn to yield all
canonical obedience ; but in these perilous times, they, for
the most part, do nothing to dispel the mists of doubt and
delusion in which the church and the country is ever becom-
ing increasingly enveloped. Men, in these circumstances,
are led to adopt one or other of the following opinions—either
that there is nothing seriously erroneous in the new doctrines,
because, if there were, it is impossible the bishops could re-
main silent while the church is exposed to danger apparently
of so aggravated a description ; or, if they are too well read
and grounded in scripture and history to doubt the intensity
of the danger, the other painful alternative must bo adopted,
either that the bishops are asleep at their posts, or have them-
selves come under the influence of the deadly pestilence.
One of the, objections stated to this view of the subject is
the following:—" What can. they do? You know there is
no efficient discipline in the church, and till this be restored
the expression of their sentiments would go for little or no-
thing."
But this objection appears to us as baseless as can be
imagined. The simple and strong expression of the judg-
ment of the bishops, if given at the right period, would pro.
bably have stopped the mischief in the bud, and if given even
now, though wofully delayed, would be likely to arrest the
further progress of the mischief, and drive it back within
very circumscribed limits.
Whether such judgment were given collectively or singly
appears to be of comparatively small: consequence. The
FACT would be the matter of importance, that the bishops of
our Protestant church proclaimed to the church and to the
world that they condemned those Popish doctrines, which,
with so much jesuitical artifice, are insinuated amongst us.
The bulk of churchmen in the present day, whether lay or
clerical, are much under the influence of authority—of con-
stituted, respectable, venerable authority. And the fact that
those endowed with so vast an influence chuse not to exert
it in defence of the church in her peril, naturally leads to
the inference, that in such hands it were unsafe to place the
scourge of discipline. "To him that hath shall be given."
We repeat, and we ask the church whether we do not say
true, that there is no adequate excuse for this ominous
silence ? "If the Lord be God, follow him • but if Baal,
then follow him." And as the questions at stake are acknow-
ledged by all, friends and foes, to be of vital importance to
the well-being of the church, the church has a claim upon—
has a RIGIIT to demand—the judgment of her heads for her
guidance and comfort in this period of temptation.
Oxford has done a little, but anything rather than enough
for the protection of her children under existing circum-
stances; nay, she continues to expose their tender principles
to the most pestilential influence.

Sir Robert Peel announced, on Friday night, in the House
of Commons, that his statement as to the financial and com-
mercial measures of government would be made on Friday
next.

MOST EXTRAORDINATtY OUTRA GE.-The Limerick
Chronicle contains the following:—" On Wednesday last a
multitude of country people entered the town of Kilmallock
in a body, with horses and carts, and in the open day sur-
rounded the union workhouse, demanding, with threats, the
immediate release of the paupers from Kilfinan and Glenroe
districts, which the master was obliged to comply with, and
60 persons were discharged, whom the country people carried
away with them, declaring they would sooner support them
in their own cabins, than be over-taxed for having them con-
fined as prisoners."