The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser. — 1853-05-24 (Liverpool, Merseyside, England)

LIVERPOOL STANDARD.  Sin,—l attended a meeting held by Romanists, in Circusstreet School-room, on Tuesday evening last, the 17th instant, in consequence of Mr. Macdonald's challenge. Three persons occupied the time of the meeting until ten o'clock, reading the correspondence in the newspapers, and making garbled statements respecting what Dr. 3.l`Neile and others had said as to Romish priests and Romanism ; but little, very little, indeed, upon the subject for which the meeting was called, viz., to consider the errors taught in the Church of England. What was stated was not of much importance, and which could easily have been answered if fair play had been given. A gentleman complained of the unfairness of the proceedings, in occupying the time of the meeting to that late hour. Immediately a storm was raised; all was commotion, shouting, bowling " Go up to the platform—up to the platform." He refused, on the ground that it was too late to begin to answer the previous speakers ; but the storm continuing, the gentleman was forced up, and began by noticing that the Rev. S. Minton had offered ..-1000 to Mr. Macdonald, or any other person, who could adduce satisfactory proof that a Romish priest was a priest according to the doctrines of his own church. This was received with laughter and shouts, saving it had been done, but the money was not forthcoming. The gentleman stated that it never had, nor could be; but if Mr. Macdonald could, he would be one to sign a guarantee that it should be paid, the conditions prescribed by Mr. Minton being complied with. (Another storm.) He then stated that Dr. Cahill had been challenged by many of the Church clergy to defend the Romish doctrines, but had always evaded them. Mr. Macdonald had said he could not condescend to come down from his high position. He knew the reason. He dared not; he was afraid ; his excuses were too flimsy not to be seen through by any one having the liberty of using his private judgment. (Another storm, in which there was so much confusion that a great deal of what he said was lost.) He then attacked Mr. Macdonald's absurd argument in favour of the doctrine of transubstantiation, which he built on the fact of Christ's appearing in the upper chamber to his disciples, the doors being shut. As it was uncertain how he got in, it was a proof of the doctrine. So (as he said) as Christ appeared to his disciples in his proper person, it is a proof that he can be on ten thousand altars at the same time, in the shape of a piece of bread. (Another storm.) Being asked if he was a Christian, he gave a clear exposition of the why and the wherefore he was one, which was received with insolence and shouts. It was, indeed, like talking to blind men about the beauties of creation. He then called upon them to consider what they were, how they had arrived at the conclusion that the Romish Church was the Church of  Christ ; for, in order to ascertain that, they must have examined the Sacred Scriptures, satisfied their minds that it was the word of God, that Christianity was true, that there was to be a visible Church in the world, that that Church was to be infallible, and that the Romish Church was that Church. Have you done this ? he asked. (Great shouting and confusion.) He then said that he was astonished at Mr. Macdonald touching upon persecution ; for, if he was acquainted with history, he must know that the Church of Rome had murdered many millions of the human race. (4nother storm. Cries of " Time': up, time's up.") He congratulated the meeting that they were in a land of civil and religious liberty;—(another storm)—that they were not in Spain, Italy, or Portugal, as they would as soon dare to thrust their hand into the fire as open their mouths against the establshed religion of the country. He was obliged reluctantly to sit down, having, as he said, (if time had been given,) to charge Mr. Macdonald with disho. nesty, in stating that Dr. NPNeile had said he would have all the Romish priests who received confessions put to death. He (Mr. Macdonald) also quoted passages which he said were in the Protestant Bible, as also a cursing prayer, which he knew, or ought to have known, were not true, thereby misleading the people.  In trying to escape from the platform, the gentleman was grossly insulted. Yours respectfully,  A