The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1842-06-03 00:00:00

THE BISHOP OF OXFORD'S CHARGE

In all probability many of our readers are aware that the
Bishop of Oxford delivered, at his quadrennial visitation on
the 23d instant, the charge usual on such occasions. We
should not have alluded to the subject had it not been at-
tempted to be shown that his lordship was very severe in re-
buking the opposers of Tractarian doctrines. We are free to
admit, and it might have been predicted with considerable
probability beforehand, that the leaders of the Tractarian
school have availed themselves of their personal intercourse
with their diocesan to produce the most favourable impression
on his mind in relation to their principles and practices ; but
at the same time his lordship repudiates, with becoming pre-
cision, many of their positions, after the example of those
" whose honoured names," he says, " need no praise of
mine, who have unhesitatingly and utterly condemned them."
No doubt these censures are mingled with much personal
commendation, and may possibly be so construed as to show
that the party are " more sinned against than sinning ;" and
whether his lordship has thus done as much as circumstanees
admitted, we do not stop to declare, but heoppeats his former
opinion of the ninetieth tract, that "it was objectionable,
and likely to disturb the peace of the church. I thought so
last year. I think so still. I deeply regret its publication."
With respect to other number's of these publications, his
lordship is not similarly emphatic; but the following conveys
his meaning generally ; and his lordship says, he could not
speak otherwise than generally upon them. It is faint
praise, indeed, and the party are welcome to all the encou-
ragement they can derive from such an episcopal commen-
tary. " I feel also bound to say, that the authors of the
tracts have seemed to me far too indifferent to the discord
and distraction which their actions and writings have caused ;
thereby hurrying on a crisis, from the acceleration of which
nothing is to be hoped, and everything to be feared. How-
ever, as public attention has been, and is so strongly directed
to the tracts, there seems no fear lest any errors in them
should remain undetected. God grant that what there is of
error in them may be rendered inocuous, that what is good
may be yet further -blessed to the church of God, and that
those who contributed to produce them may in all their future
writings so benefit by past experience, as to keep ever before
them the apostolical injunction, " not to let their good be evil
spoken of," and to "abstain from all appearance of evil."
But perhaps there is no part of the charge which conveys
so strong a denunciation of the errors of Tractarians as that
which refers to ROME. We are truly rejoiced to see-such a
denunciation of the evils of Popery as that which has here
issued from the episcopal bench. The bishop says, " There
is an almost incalculable amount of error and superstition in
the Church of Rome ; the Tractarians speak of her as the
Saviour's holy home.' " But to give our readers an idea,
how completely opposed in sentiment are his lordship and
those who are so desirous of having one bishop in favour of
their views, we subjoin, in juxta position, an extract from
the charge already alluded to, and another from the British
Critic, the avowed organ of Tractarianism, which has just
come under our notice, and for ever seeing which we are in-
debted to our contemporary the London Standard. The
bishop, as will be seen on this point, speaks without reserve,
though he advances nothing but what we have been contend-
ing for during a series of years, and on account of which we
have been virulently assailed by the Tractarian party. Where
are " the rebukes which the bishop administers to certain
popular declaimers in our church," to whom a contemporary
yesterday alluded with such unbecoming freedom ? If the
following statement of the bishop is not diametrically op-
posed to the principles and teachings now so prevalent at
Oxford, we have lost all power of discrimination ' • and we
shall not stop to say on whose heads the following dignified
but masterly animadversion falls. Mr. Newman knows as
well as we do. We may premise, that his lordship is speak-
ing of the rising generation, and we now say to our readers—
" look on this picture and on that."
THE BRITISH CRITIC. THB BISHOP OF OXFORD.

It ought not to be for no- Rome has her eye upon
thing; no, nor for anything them, and adapting herself to
short of some very vital truth ; their tone of mind, represents
some truth not to be rejected her creed, not as it is, but as
without fatal error, nor they wish it to be ; she keeps
embraced without radical what is essentially Popish as
change, that persons of name much as possible in the back-
and influence should venture ground, brings what is Catho-
upon the part of " ecclesias- lie prominently forward, and
tical agitators ;" intrude upon so in the end wins them over
the peace of the contented, to her side, becanse they are
and raise doubts in the minds too impatient to learn that
of the uncomplaining ; vex the " middle way" of truth,
the Church with controversy, the way of the English church,
alarm serious men, and inter- is as far removed from Popery
runt the established order of on the one side, as from Puri-
things ; set the " father a- tanism on the other. I must,
gainst the son, and the mother therefore, exhort you, my
against the daughter ;" and reverend brethren, that as on
lead the taught to say, " I all other accounts, so especi-
havemoreunderstanding than ally on this, you extend at
my teacher." All this has the present time a double
been done ; and all this is measure of care and watch-
worth hazarding in a matter fulness towards the younger
of life and death ; much of it members of your flock. If,
is predicted as the character- with me, you believe that
istic result, and therefore the there is an almost incalcula-
sure criterion, of the truth. ble amount of error and su-
An object thus momentous perstition in the Church of
we believe to be the unpro- Rome ; if, with me, you be-
testantising (to use an offen- lieve that she is not altered
sive, but forcible, word) of one jot or tittle of her ancient
the National Church ; and ac- character ; if, with me, you
cordingly we are ready to en- believe her to be as subtle, as
dare, however 'we may la- dangerous, and as false as she
went, the"undeniable, and in has ever been, as shameless a
themselves disastrous, effects perverter of the truth, and as
of the pending controversy. cruel a persecutor ; if, with
But if, after all, we are not me, you feel that any attempt
to be carried above the doe- at union with her, while she
trine and tone of the English is what she is, is to be depre-
Reformers ; if we are but to cated utterly, and that all
exchange a congenial enthu- concession must come from
siasm for a timid moderation, her, and not from us; if, with
a vigorous extreme for an un- me, you have (because you
real mean, an energetic Pro- know her real character) a
testantism for a stiff and ne- deep and increasing dread of
gative Anglicanism, we see her workings and artifices; if,
but poor compensation for so with me, you look upon her
extensive and irreparable a as schismatical and anti-chris-
breach of peace and charity. tian ; if, with me, you feel
The object, important as it that our own church is pure
may be in itself, is quite in- in doctrine, apostolical in mi-
...

We cannot stand where we live as our Prayer-book would
are ; we must go backwards have him live, he will not
or forwards; and it will surely miss his salvation, you will be
be the latter. It is absolutely more than ever zealous to
necessary towards the con- keep those who have been
sistency of the system which baptised among us within our
certain persons are labouring pale. You will leave nothing
to restore, that truths should undone which a sense of your
be clearly stated, which as tremendous responsibility,
yet have been but intimated, which your feelings of devo-
and others developed which tedness. and affectionateness
are now but in germ. And, can suggest, towards preserv-
as we go on, we must recede ing those of your flocks who
more and more from the prin- are most exposed to them
ciples, if any such there be, from the perils of these dan-
of the English Reformation. geroua days.
Here one party says that we must " unprotestantize our
national church," and ought " to recede more and more
from the principles, if any such there be, of the English Re-
formation ; " whilst the Bishop declares that to " unprotes-
tantize" her would be to make her schismatical and anti-
christian, and nothing can be inferred from his lordship's
language but that he considers the " principles of the Re-
formation" the only principles worth contending for. So
say we, and all consistent members of the Church of England.

ANNUAL MEETING OF THE ORANGE BENEVO-

LENT SOCIETIES

The Grand Lodge of the Loyal Orange Benevolent Socie-
ties held their annual meeting, at the Pitt and Nelson, Ash-
ton-under-Lyne, on Monday last. We are given to under-
stand that the district reports were exceedingly gratifying,
having exhibited the increasing growth of church principles
in parts of the country that have almost been looked on as a
forlorn hope ; several Roman Catholics sought admission
into the order, but not having read their recantation, or been
admitted publicly into the body of the church, they were
referred back to the several clergymen who had recommended
them, the brethren considering that no person, having been
brought by the light of the " Spirit of Truth" to eschew
error, and rejoice in the christian privileges of our apostolic
church, should be either ashamed or afraid to testify to the
same before assembled worlds. The result of the brethren's
decision in this respect will be, our having several services
similar to what the Rev. H. M`Neile commenced, in Liver-
pool, in the course of a few weeks. It is really delightful to
see how God is calling his people out of the darkness and
slavery of popery, that worse than Egyptian bondage.
We are gratified also to find that the unanimous wish of
the brethren, for union, has led to the appointment of a de-
putation to the Grand Lodge of Confederated Protestants,
(which will be held this year in Glamorganshire,) for the
purpose of uniting and consolidating their efforts.
At three o'clock the brethren adjourned to dinner, but in
consequence of the multiplicity of business one hour only
was allowed ; it is, however, but justice to Host Barrow to
acknowledge that everything connected with his arrangements
were admirable, and elicited from the brethren unqualified
approbation. Business was resumed at four o'clock ; and
after it was concluded the brethren sat down to enjoy the
" feast of reason and the flow of soul." The following were
the toasts, and the order in which they were drunk :
" The Queen," (with all the honours.) Tune, " God save
the Queen."
" The Grand Master," (purple fire.) Tune,
render."
"The glorious, pious, and immortal memory," (in solemn
silence.) Tune " Peace to the souls of the heroes."
" The Deputy Grand Master," (Kentish fire.) An origi-
nal song by brother Allen.
" Grand Treasurer and Secretary," (Kentish fire.) Tune,
" All's well."

" No sur-

" District Masters," (heart, pocket, and band.) Tune,
" They are hearty good fellows."
" Masters of Warrants," (heart, pocket, and hand.) Tune,
" Croppies lie down."
"The Protestant press," (enthusiastic cheering
" Hearts o

f oak."

" Our visiting brethren." Air, " Boyne Water."
The brethren, in responding to the various toasts, were
exceedingly happy in some of their hits. An allusion by the
Deputy Grand Master to the difference between the Grand
Master and the Pope on account of infallibility, elicited
roars of laughter and applause. The District Master of

Liverpool also gained considerable credit for the admirable
instructions delivered to the brethren for their guidance when
the procession takes place on the ensuing 12th of July.
There was one point in the Deputy Grand Master's speech
that cannot be too widely circulated, namely, that the pros-
perity of the order solely originated in the discipline of the
society ; and so long as they continued to be obedient to the
officers of their body in all lawful matters, so long might
they depend on the preservation of harmony, and rest assured
of finally obtaining the victory over rebels of every denomi-
nation ; and so long might they congratulate themselves on
the diffusion of those universal principles of charity towards
all who differed from them in politics that it was the highest
aim of the order to attain, and this could only be done by
showing, as a disciplined body, that we acted in joyful obedi-
ence to the Gospel precept, of "loving our enemies, and
doing good to them that hate us and despitefully use us."

Two young women and a young man were drowned on the
Thames, on Sunday afternoon, whilst on parties of pleasure.
BOLTON AND PRESTON RAILWAY.—We understand that
the directors of this line, finding their long-protracted efforts
to form a tunnel under the turnpike road at Hartford Green,
near Chorley, of no avail, have determined to throw it open.
The attempt to form a tunnel has cost many thousands of
pounds.—Preston Chronicle.

•
FIRE AT MANCHESTER.—On Saturday night, a fire took
place on the premises of Mr. Hadfield, pawnbroker,
Canal-street, Ancoats, Manchester. The fire spread to an
adjoining beer-shop, and considerable damage was done. The
total loss is supposed to be £l2OO.
THE CREW OF THE SHIP WILLIAM BROWN,—
t y.
enty
Holmes,
the seaman, recently tried in Philadelphia on an indictment
for manslaughter, in throwing overboard certain passengers
idno
lal
abr boata
na td steoa
s, has
months'been i
ms e
pn
rt
iesnocnemd
et
n in the Penitentiary
o pay a fine of tw
The prisomer bowed respectfully to the Court on receiving
sentence, and left the court apparently satisfied with it.
is
A PARABLE.—The following curious epitaph is on a grave
a
stone at Atherstone on child four years old, who was burnt
to death :—" Oh ! says the gardener, as he passes down the
walk, who destroyed that flower-..who gathered that plant ?"
His fellow-servant said, ' The master ;" and the gardener
held his peace.