The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser. — Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1838-05-25 00:00:00

ANN IVER ..Airt". 0 THE CHURCH MISSioNAgy,SOCIII:FY On Mon,.lay eve Thin g. last the b anniversary olthis s,,ciety was 'held in . the Music Hall, BOld-street. Owing to the lateness Qt . the hour a t whets the &pectin conclu,ied, it was irn possitikif to do an y th in like jute to the iona speeches delivered in . our fullowiug 4noining's publication, and we have, therefore, postponed our report until to-day, when we present our readers with an accurate cud verbatim report Of the greatest part of the proceedings. The Spac:;Ms room of the Music Hall was crowded to great excess, and numbers went away unable to get in. The audience sas highly respectable, and consisted chiefly of ladies Owing to the almost suffocating heat several ladies fainted during the evenitiu.. On the platform we noticed the Rev. 11. Raikes, chancellor of the diocese ; Rev. R. P. Buddicom, Evertou; Rev. R. Blacow, St. Mark's; Rev. J. W. Cunningham; Rev. Robert Davies, St. David's ; Rev. - T. Bates, St. Bride's; Rev. T. Barker; Evert u a ; Rev. Richard Davies, Si. David's; Rev. Themas Tattershall, St. Augustine's ; Rev. H. - M•Neile, St. Dude's; RevJ. H. Stewart, St. Bride's; Rev. C. W. Law rence, St. Luke's; Rev. John Jones, St. Andrew's . • Rev. J. Hughes, St. Jude's; Rev. William Tyrer; Rev. W.lVlayuard, Mariner's Church; Rev. Spencer, flt. Matthias's; Rev. Crawford, Si. Mark's; Rev. David'James, Kirkdale; Rev. G. Stones; Rev. Mot ris Hughes; Rev. Win. Rawson, Seaforth ; Rev. IL Carpenter, St. Michael's ; Rev. M'lver, West Deryy; Rev. 'l': Woodward; Rev. " White ; Rev. Mad den;: Rey. Tuer, Knotty Ash; IRev. h. Ouid, Christ Church ; Red.:— Power; Christ Church; Rev.,Ambrose .DaWsarn, Rev- P. H. Lee. Rev. Alder, Adam -. IlOilgson, Esq., 'l'. B. Hors fall, Esq., J. Rigby, Esq:, Sir J. P. Salisbury, Knight, J. Eden, Esq., T. Forsyth. Esq., &c, The Res. H. Rai IC . NS, chancellor" of the diocese, having been unainnintody called to the chair, said he was sure be only ;rn ticioattul.t t'eelinoi of all preseut', wheir in. proposekthat their prorikdifigs.hs commenced try prayer. beltertoitieria an DA W. IES accordingly read - several devout prayers, falai the beautiful'forms - of our venerable church. Tbe Rev. CI-imam:lN then (after a short interval occupied in endliatouriug to obtain seats fur several clergymen ua the already over-crowded platform) rose. feel, my christian frieads, that it is not right to trespass longer on your pat bittproceed .at once to the business of the evening ; 4an l i lt is impossiule for me to express at, first lily gratitude for the asset:l44l;4e I see collected in this Own. It has generally been my privilege at, this period of the year to be present at this meeting in, London; but I do not think that even Exeter Hull has ever presented to niy eye a larger or more respectable audience Chap that I have the happiness to behold. I rejoice in that as much as t rejoice in knowing ,that the details to be brought before you this evening will be of a nature to gratify your most enbounded expectations. The report,-which I will wit. anticipate-hut - the report, which you will soon hear read, will CoMmunicate to you a most gratifying increase in the funds of the society; and not only that, but likewise an increase •as gratifying, in the means of usefulness opening to us, and in the channels of missionary exer'ion that seem laid at our dis cretion. But i will briefly stale, at first, that it is not any en largernent of the funds of the society which g ives me gratifica tion. No doubt it is important that the funds should be large, because "our' operations are large, and it is imposSible that our operations should be-carried on Athoul a commensurate supply of funds. But the real subject of gratification is the increase of religious feeling throughout the country at large. The only test of religious feeling which is tangible and accessible to common observation, Ifirmly believe is an increase of missionary zeal; and just in proprin ion as I see zeal for missions awakened in a family, in a parish, or in a country; so dol suppose that real religion is felt in that family, parish, or country, and I may - calculate on the fruits of such spirit. (Hear.) And here per mit 111 Q to observe, that it is nut the mere knowledge of the gospel that will lead to missionary exertions. We have long been under a great mistake on that head, and we have imagined that a mere conviction of the truth of the evidence on which the gospel rests, was sufficient to give a missionary character toThe people at large. My dear friends. be convinced that as long as we view religion merely as an abstract question, when we do not feel in our hearts and our consciences that the happiness of all depends upon it, we shall never. make any decided endeavours for inissionaiy . exertions ; and that j conceive is the cause of that lamentahltelanguor, with regard to missionary efforts, which has so loug excited wonder and surprise in the religious world of thiacountry. We were convinced of the truth of Christiani ty'; there was no man bold enough to deny it; but still when we looked to our missionary efforts, we, write ashamed at. the apparent. inconsistency between profession and reality. And what was the reason I' Why the truth simply was, that while 'we felt the truth of the gospel; while we acknowledged it as a revelation sent front God, while we did not yentute to deny the facts it contained, we did not all that time feel that that revela tion was a tevelatiou sent by God, I'r the purpose of making us happy; nor did we feel in our hearts the happiness which the gospel is calculated to convey. And while the gospel was thus consideted, there was no reason to wonder that our mig.s srunary efforts were cold and Ihnoeid. The 'truth, was known, but it was valued merely as a theory; it was acknowledged, hut it was hot felt. Its evidence was admitted, - but its power was not perceived. We saw that it rested on evidence that could . not- he gainsayed, but we did not-feel ihour hearts that it was a thiii ; ;ttlTit man required - for his own peace and comfort. In tin way it was that while religion was viewed simply as a beau tiful theory, we Might view it in all its • perfection and correct n .s.N . but we viewed it merely as a truth in philosophy.' We, as well ,felt that we could live without it ; that our comforts were derlo4 from other - sources, and we imagined that all the other nations in the world could do without it as we did, and it was giving them an unnecessary boon to labour to impart the gospel to them.. For instance, to illustrate my view, we know that the Newtonian system of philosophy is the only satisfactory system which comes to our reason, and satisfies us with regard to the pheuometion -a the heavenly bodies. In that respect we are convinced ()fits truth, brit we do not believe that our happiness depolldS' Gil it. The man who believes in the truth of it looks forother causes for the happiness his gonl desires. tie looks to his family, to society, to the comforts with which he 'is sur rounded. He sees in them the tokens of the happiness which makes life bless' J, and - Thus he is contented to view these theo ries as a matter of abstract truth in- itself: but feels that it is notlessentialto that happiness he needs._ Now, this I regret to say;olau,for ages been the - view that has been. taken of the - Wediavekcsowita fiat it is true.; we have regarrt ed 40,4.4 revelation sent from Grid, but we have not felt that it wasthos, means of our happiness; we looked, to other sources for thrat n ia4pi,.aefs,atof„l i ongetl, firr,,and as we feitthat we could lice, w Ay* ilot t gfpfoi,k to,boo rie;ivexl from the word of God, v e hanOmpv-ptp t Pfl to cage-,the , heathen world without those sotirspeoraisampyv,,krgeplug. tat the . oaly trite happiness to !ta l oa / W.ow_ ; h4p i o ess diiens a from the word of ( ''-'urrilitaisASppole/airi4 l iaderivedfrour communion with,our 1 - A§Milliblif-bsi lirami.a , A pit thus you see it has happeucd RI_• 4 111 1 10138 Miteflpytata,,iyhiln Men were firinly . .convinced or Aliw e StVilleaceialtiPwahancli,..while all the various forms of intwelitx,,asew 4 spni49s4 2 ,„pato sonus, as they appeared, there has o lnop i nNgi j ea!l a f 4,9 mitinahlifo?„ in the cause of missions, and after all we did snot feel that it was by the gospel alone that a mall was to be made happy; a nri gf the- diffefeptoat,ioniFot the w(kod possessed from other circumstances those means that were chusuleredascontributing to lit4ppiness,. we thought Lust they were happy enough, and for gott that in neglecting the gospel we had neglected that which wit,sessential to make. their :: happiness real and perfect; and therefore.. I do rejoice in feeliag that that error seems fast rolling away, and-that men have come to feel,.that whatever, be the.cir cucestances with which they are -surroutidert,,whatevertnay be the,eharacter, of- their condition, happiness cannot he enjoyed. unless the gospel -is possessed, and. huless.the gospel be felt; an4.this I hope promises well for the •state ,of religion within ourselves; it seems to skew that men are, coming ,atlast to a jusw•cview _of the, _blessings : of the gospel, : and, is calculated to convey. that instead of feeling. it as a niere , abstraet theory ; beau-• tifhl if true, we. now have learnt that the only•source of•luippi ness- was that which was opened : in .the gos.pel;•that%t wad, whether he lives- in a Christian coutary era treattiee country, is but a poor wretched being.so long as he isdestitute of the gos perof Jesus Christ: Let but thy., feeling tie brought home. to every conscience, let men but feel that. their own happiness- is derived- from the book of God; • let them but -feel that .all those circumstances in which the world is supposed to take de light are but shadowy goods, and itiv4pable of satisfying the longing that exists within—let them be brought to thisconvic tioas that it is Geil and-God atone that. : can make them happy, and then I can trust to the common feeling ut our nature, that sympathy fur our fellow creatures will induce us to give them Oat book of life which-the mercy ut Gud has : bestowed on anti instead of coinplaintof languor and coldness in missionary exertions we shall see the same zeal, energy, and devotedness 'hitt no doubt we should perceive if we heard-of nations perish ing of hunger for wirot,of food if we had it in our 'tower to im part relict to thein;or dying Of disease if we had medicine to I, r• - joice that I shall have in notice in the l report netmerelyan account of the numtiers that shall hear, through 'yollr,,meausolle - •;tru)h,of the blessed. gospel, whii.h alone gives tiowo the world, hut .because I feel assured that just in pro polopun as the urigsionary spit it spreads and extends itself in the country. so I rn ; SI hope I hit men are looking for happiness wheve ti,ppineste, can aleue tie foroyd, and are feeling the source d kimir it w tioo,,gosvol which it is the object of the.mis sionary kr carry to the heather world. I trespass no longer on oer Christian friends, but something seemed due to h.!aauafuu.e tneetilig, tulle regaced, and I &low-call oti the Secre tary to read the report of the preceettings of the society. (Ap plause.) " ' • " " • iZev. RicirAnn DAVIES accordingly read the following eport:— Among the many and varied claims which institutions, such as the Church Missionary Society have upon our reg ard, one is founded upon .the fact, that they furnish a ground for the e xe rc i se o f those blessed charities and the expansion o f those hallowed feelings which true religion necessarily and invariably produces.. Christianity is essentially diffusive. Those who have felt its power iu their own souls ate extremely desirous to be „instrumental in promoting the glory of God. Constrained by the love of f-litn , who—" Though he was rich, yet for their sake:4_ becisnic poor, that they through his poverty might be t ich," they burn to obey his commandments. And one of these is; that theystiould freely impart to whet a, what they have them selves freely received, that they o ild. gu into all the world and Wrench the gespei to every creature. Partaking of the inincithat was iu Christ .Jesus, they view with vow passion, the multitudes who are scattered abroad as sheep having no shep herd. Being b l essed theMselves, they earnestly desire to be made a blessing to others. Anti if is one, of the merciful appointments of God's provi dence and grace, that in so doing their own blessing is increased. From having their attention drawn w the spiritual destitution in which. millwra of their fellow creatures are placed, they learn more highly to value, and more diligently, to imp:ore, the privileees which th 4 enjoy. A. fresh dame of God is kindled in their souls. Tneir gratitsolo is enlivened—their zeal is quick cued —their drooping graves revive, and. burst forth into new vigour. And. tims,-as. well:as in nans , other. ways, by watering others they are watered' themselves.. Hence it f4lnws, that when any -great itheletse . of interest in missionary exert Mos is felt in any place it foir ishesa strong ground for hope that vital and expel imenna relielon is extending- itself iu that place : it cannot, therefore,: do otherwise than afford the greatest satisfac tion, to know that such a hope is strongly held oot in the trans actions of the parent society' during the past year. In that period fifty-three new associations have been formed in different pacts of the country ; and the society's income has reached the sum of £83,417, being, an increase of £11,720 over that of the preceding year. In its foreign operations, also, there is every reason to rejoice and give glory to God for the success with which he has been pleased to bless its labours. It is with sincere pleasure and heartfelt gratitude to Him "from whom all holy desires, all good councils, and all just works tin proceed," that. the committee have to announce that a considerable in , . crease of interest in the cause of missions has been felt in seVe sal parts ofAVest Lancashire. In the months of Octoi o and November last, branch asso ciations in connection with this auxiliary were formed at Onus kirk, Southport, Bursieeigh4tridge, and Ruffin& Judging from the sum received flan,: !Lose, sources in the shoat interval between their formation and the end of the year, they may be reasonably expected - to furnish very important aid to i the society's funds. YlectriShing ti - toeekiatios were also established about the same at - W4tOothrvillatte, and in connexion with St. Ann's, ur41 , 4 - octs Liverpoel: In the two former o[ thestr, tttki , cieeitrK eitireoeietv will be supported in conjenc iien with thom.ovilie " Society fot•the Propagation of the Gos• pel in Furei4n Part," and in tine laUer with the " hish . . . A: very gratifying revival has taken place in the association connected with St. 'Mark's Church. To this association belongs the djstingoished - honour of having been the first in Liverpool to manifest an enlightened and liberal zeal in behalf of missions to the heathen. It - has now been re-organized and placed upon the same footing with those of West• Derby. There is a pros pect of one or two more branches being formed in the course o f th, present year. The total sum received by thi s au x ili a ry du r ing the past year amounts to £1=19955. 6d., which, compared with that received during the preceding year, exhibits a defalcation of 1:40 3s. 6d. In order, however, to have a clear view of the state of the funds, it will be necessary to analyse thein•sornewhat More minutely : for, on the one baud, it will be remembered that in the year 1836 there was an anonymous donalion of•Eloo,exclusive of which sum the receipts of 'last year will haVe exceeded those of the preceding year by £59 un the other hand; iNve deduct front the last year's income the sums derived trona the new sources before referred to, which amount to £l5l 6s. Bd., the balance comprising what has been obtained through - the older channels will have fallen short of the preceding year's receipts by £B.l [Os. 2d. 'f aking into consideration, however, the severe pressure of the times, arising from commercial erntiarrasments, which was so generally felt at the commencement of last year, the committee are glad to think that this decrease may be satisfactorily accounted fur, without attributing any diminution of zeal or love to those who have been lung engaged in this good work: . The amounts received from the several b►anch associations are as follows : Saint Andrew's £2'2o 1 3 „ Bride's „ Jude's lO5 1 2 „ Augustine's , 61 18 11 All Saints - 0 Saint Mai k's „ Michael's Everton . 127 5 .0 8913 11 Wallasey Seafort h Wavert ree - 9 8 6 West Derby Saint Ann's, West Derby Orinskirk Southport - 20 8 1 Burscough liuffird 8 18 9 Pre,cot BB . 3 1 St. Helen's... The • treasurer has•.received official intimation that the late Jonathan Stott,,Esq.• of Water-millock, in the county of Cum berland, who formerly resided in this town,. has bequeathed to this society a legacy of £53. In consequence of the increased labour which, from the . .addi- . tional number of branches, will devolve upon the secretaries, the committee, in conjunction with the committees of several other religious societies, have engaged an agent at a small salary. By this arrangement it, is hoped that greater regularity_ and despatch will prevail in the distribution and forwarding'of the society's-publications than would otherwise have been ex pected. The proceedingi thus detailed comprise the substance of those duties in which the committee have been engaged during the now ended year of their employment. They -cannot, however, conclude their report without expressing their earnest desire that Liverpool and its neighbourhood may soon come forward in a manner still more proportioned to its opulence and advan tages than it has ever hitherto done. When it is considered that this port engrosses upwards of one-third of the commerce of England—that every favourite breeze wafts to its harbour hundreds of vessels from every part of the world—it is not easy to calculate the amount of responsibility which rests on its in habitants. Remembering that they are only stewards of their property, may they be anxious to consecrate it to their Lord's service, and use it for His glory! The committee trust that this feeling is becoming more general, and from present appear ances there is eyery reason to conclude that their successors wilt be aisle to speak yet more confidently on the subject: Fur themselves, and for all who are or may be associated with them in this good work, they would adopt the prayer of the Psalmist—" God be merciful," &c. ADANI Honc-isost, Esq. then read the treasurer's accounts, fruci which it appeared that the total receipts of this auxiliary, fur the past year, were £1,499 :Is. Gil., and t hat after deducting fur necessary expenses the sum of £1,155 Os. lid. was remitted to the parent society in London, The Rev. Junx JONES moved the first resolution, which was as follows : " That the report pow read be received, anti that it be printed anti circulated under the direction of the committee; that the officers of this aneiliary be requested to continue their services; and that the gentlemen (a,list of whose names he read) be the committee for the ensuing year." There is, said the reverend speaker, a common phrase—it may be called vulgar in one sense, but it is really classical in an other,—that you haves' Hobson'sashoice." -1 call it classical, because 1 believe it took its origin in the University of Cam- - bridge, where you, Sir. and I took our early instruction. The origin of the phrase is this : Hobson was a celebrated horse keeper, and kept a livery stable in Cambridge, and the young men went to the stable for horses when they wished to take an airing or a drive. It was his habit to do justice to his horses, and never allow a favourite horse to be'used more than another, and so ill used. His plan was, to have always one saddled and bridled, and when a young man came and said, " Hobson, I must have a good horse to-day,--let me have such an one ?" His answer was, " No, Sir, you must have that or none ;" and so aeose the phrase of Hobson's choice. And so it is. with re gard to myself. in moving this resolution—it was "this or none." Arid it is a resolution I least of all like, for I always speak best when I ant a little warm; and-say first feeling, when our Se ' cretary asked use this morning to take this resolution was very well, I will just break the ice. Bat really, sir, I find no ice here, (a latgh ; ) I find it excessively wales; I think it can scarcely be wanner in Demerara. But now, Sir, you have done your part, - and oar Secretary in another sense has done his, and the ice is altogether broken, and I take up my hammer merely. to ,eive (me stroke to complete that -which is already begun: and now to revert to sacred things, it is furnished by the labours of the. great Apostle, when he had jusesetherged Croat sumo troubles, " thank God and take courage." And this is just the simple opening with which tweuld•begleave to-open the speech es of this evening, " thank God amt take courage. We have much to be thankful for, both. as it respects this auxiliary and the society at large, I do thiuk it a cause of, thankfulness to Almighty God that Christianity is diffused thrterghout the world in almost any forrn...Chi istianity - in itself is a great bless ing. If we have not this view of it, I think we differ• from St. .Paul, for he certainly, in speaking of the subject, adverts to souse who preach the gospel from envy i.snd strife instead of good will, and his remark was this, "whether by good will or evil will, the gospel was preached, awl he rejoiced and would rejoice. And I must say, l rejoice front the betwixt of ,my heart, what ever be the instruments, if they preach the gospel; whether accepted by their Saviour or nut, the work is a work in which we should rejoice. But, sir, on looking over a passage-recently, the apostle would refer rather to the defect of the instruments than to the defect of that preached. It was the instiuments he referred to, and he said, whether the instruments were vain glorious teachers and pereont who envied . hint his reputation or not, and though from envy they preached the same gaspel, and endeavoured to out via him in his exertions, still he' rejoiced much that religion. prevailed. ;Therefore, lam thrown back on .another view, that christianity may be diffused in such a shape as to make us rejoice with trembling. Now, when men deal with one another in temporal matters, the act very differently often to the manner in which they act in spiritual matters. I have lived so long in a commercial town that I have learned to view christianity es a commodity, a precious commodity, which we are undertaking to export. We know in the commercial world, there ate men at least of integrity, men who would not deliberately do a dishonest thing, men who would nut deliberate ly send abroad any article specious, yet not sound; yet we know many have other principles, and that, on receipt of an order to send any goods abroad, send off some specious -articles that look very well; anti off they go. Now, we all condemn such conduct. Suppose it be machinery, and something be wanting in the machine, and it will ,not work when put up, is it not de ceiving the purchasers? If a watch Maker embarks in a specu- - lation, and sends out watches to a place ignorant of their use, and they are told they will tell the hour of the day, but the mainspring is wanting, and when they get ab roa d th e y are useless ? We call this freed ;we call it dishonesty. Now treat Christianity in a similar manner. Christianity is the most precious of all constuodities; and yet we know very well that Christianity may be exported, as it were, from this country, most defec tive in its character—radically defective, not possessing the essence of Christianity, and yet still bearing the time. For instance, it may want the essential dextrines, such as the divi nity of Christ—the atonement of our Lord. Shall-we presume te rejoice in the spread of such Christianity? Shall we under take to assist such efforts? Shall we not regard it as dishonesty to seud out such Christianity to the heathen world ? It is dis honest; it is defective. That is Socinianism. (Hear.) Then there is another kind of dishonesty, - not marked so much- as redundency—by a mixture of impurity. 1 will suppose a com modity; let it be corn, here is chaff and rubbish amongst it, anti it tills the sack, and away it goes. It is true there is wheat in it. There is Popery. ( tear.) There are grains of truth in it—thatie graitts of.truth in it—but there is chaff ;'there is a mixture, and it is dishonest to call it the pure Christianity, and we de a dishonest acti o n in contributing to send that as good a heat which is not. (Hear.) Nay, I go further than that; the commodity may not be defective, and not mixed with rubbish, but yet it may be— An interruption here occurred from some individual at the bottom of the room, getting up and speaking; the only word we could distinguish, was the word "diabolical." After the slight confusion, which had in .some degree, by this been occa sioned, had subsided, ou the request of the Chairman, that those standing up would resume their seats, anti attend to the speaker. 59r. JUNES proceeded.—l was going to observe, that there may be commodities that may be very shapeless - in their cha racter. I would suppose, that *we undertook to export china from this place; suppose we undertook to send a few hundred sets of chins to some- country afar off, and the order was, that we should sen , l the hest; anti send it altogether perfect; we are 'fraudulent, we suppose, and we go to the potteries, and nego tiate for a sort of second rate-china; or it may be very good in the substence, but, as often happens in the potteries, it' gets mis-shaped in the baking. That is the china sent by our die senting-brethree. (A hiss.) Jtruay be very good china, but it , is nut in order, it is not a perfect set. Now, I think it a subject of rejoicing, that our society ittelet takes to export Christianity in as perfect. a shin - se as it*can be furnished. I. den't say it is perfect, but it is in _consepience of human in firalit ies ;. it came perfect eta of the hand of Jesus, but.we, alas ! in consequence of the weakness of our tee ure, have warped it, and put it aside in some. measure. But, Llesseu Le.. God! I hope generally, in the conviction: of our Minds, coolly .and deliberately funned, that the Chili:eh of England as now constituted; does possess the best roan of Christianity under .the sun; and therefore, I sits truly thankful. in lending my feeble aid in propagating its doctrines to every corner of the world. (Hear.) Never may We be ashamed in sending' forth something that is imperfect, but that see *may send to the heathen the very best form of 'Christianity we can - possibly obtain. And, therefore, Ido re joice, " I thank God, and take courage." And now, sir,.as the ice has been broken, I leave the question to those of our excel lent brethren Who are to follow. The rev. gentleman sat down amidst held applause. The 11ev. JONATHAN WOODWARD, one of the secretaries from the parent society, rose to second the resolution. He said —lt will tint be necessary for me, my friends, to take up a ny o f Your time in explaining to you the objects of our assembling together. We were told by 'our respected chairman, that with out Christianity there is no teal happiness. There are r;00,000,000 that have never heard of Christianity. 'rhereare, therefore, sjx hundred trillions of unhappy beings whom it is our object, so far as Gil gives us grade, and so far as God gives us power, to make known to them the only secret of the happiness of the soul. It is often said, sir, that though the heathen have not heard of Christianity, they are nevertheless happy in their Own way. My friends, this is altogether false. There is a tradition amongst the natives of Hindostan, who ate perhaps as happy,as any idolaters under the sun. that there was a-period when this world which we inhabit was joined to the centre of light of blessed .ness :And of bliss • that an evil spirit carne.and cut it off from that centre, and that ever since it has been going dOwn, and down, and door in the abyss of darkness; that the world is !!rowing ugh ii ?pier evert Jaya 'and that at last. in some aolden age S':vi 11 incarnation that shall pluck the globe oat of the hull, the evil spirit and restore it to bleJsealuess and Our object, 'lnv friends, - is to tell them tat. the incaraation has cone ; to tell theM of a - greater man who l avgl, laaetare.themand regain the . seat. it is,' Sir, a melancholy fact to look abroad 'Upon the earth, tad look at its population. It has been remarked that if you were to go to America, and stand on the top of the highest 'point of the', Andes, and loekl.around.you on the 30,000,000 of both Arriericas,t that amongst them you would find eighteen millions of nominal Christians and twelve millions .Of idolaters. Go to Afrida; .summon around You her 900)0,000; you may address amongst them 3,000,000 of nominal Christians and 87,000,0(X) of idols tors. Go to Asia; take • y - our stand On the Himalaya moun t tains • call around you theboo,ooo,oooof Adia; you may address I 2,000,000 of nominal Christians, and, awful to say, 498,000,000 that have never heard of the Lord God and his Christ. This is a faCt. which Makes us anxious to go forward as far as we can, merging minor differences—more anxious than ever to give the right hand of joy to every man that will make known among the dark places of the earth the riches of the eternal God, Fa ther, Sou, and Holy Ghost. 'lt is, I need not say, for this pur pose that the Church Missionary Society has been established. She belongs to 'a church, in whose bosom I was born, in whose loVe I pray to die. But, iir, in her support, I say that Ido rejoice in the labours of others ; and, though not of my own communion, they are instruments ill the hands of • God iii putting au end to idolatry, murder, cannibalism; drying- up widows' tears, stop ping the murder of infants, and erecting tabernacles fur the worship of the truejehovah. The Charch Missionary Society has been preferred of God during the last year. I was glad, sir, that our report did nut take up first the sobjeet of Money. There is au idea-amongst soine that we place rtoo annuli de pendence on our movey. I pray GO that we do -not 00. so ; and if any think we do, the beSt practical' leSsan they can read us of the stiralrvalue 'we plate on oar motley 'is to' give its largely of theirs, and prove their own.. practical contempt of Applause.) The report first alluded to our missionary candi dates for the last year. I rejoice to say we - have sent oat a larger number during the pastaseareef oitssionarieei than dusing, any former year. I will read eneseatence. to you from the at,- stract of our report :—" The''cominitteuhave had the satisfat: • tion to. receive intwcennekion _its : the Society, as miSsionasies e in tile last year, several alergyinen,whahad previously, ,been en gaged in parochial' duties at liotnea 'hod they would thankfully receive an increase in, this clOsailstrigaintstr r• ;NosasslsaVill mans tiou a circumstance of one s ; ,,oy; these, to show that even Still it is a large sacrifice fur a instal tit a go out as a fnissiuuary. 'rho ether day we took our, lease.s'f _six missionary candidates. A ' friend of mine, who was acquainted with one of them who was a wrangler at the Univeisity of Cambridge, and who had la boured for eight yeats in- a pariah in England, followed him out into the street. lie said to him, " Are your father and Mother living?" '• They are both living," he said. "They'are both living ! Have you brothers aail sisters?" "We are ten in fa - - tally." " Have they given you up willingly ?" " Why," said he, "before 1 left honie Ise all assembled for prayer; the lan guage of my father and mettles, sisters and brothers, te a rne was this: Yeti know how tenderly we have loved you; - we love Jesus Christ better ; go said preach te() the heathen!' Our committee has been encouraged, as you have heard, by au im•rease of 1:11,7001 odd during the last year. Seine may ask, What are you doing with it all V' We are endeavouring to, .send forth means of grace—nothing else, either at home or abroad, can we do. " l'aul may, plant, and Apoollos water,'' the mill may be arranged, all its wheels and inachiaery in ever ' such order; but until the living stream frilleiy, or the breath of the pure Heaven arise, all the inaehinery is vain. We employ at the present time about 500 missionary - labourers of all de scriptions. Some may ask " what kind of success have you?" I answer, un behalf of the Church Missionary Society, that, taking all circumstances into accouut, the difficulties, and dis couraaements, and coldness and the smallness of the apparatus, we have as large a comparative return as our ministry at home furnishes. Now, sir, I shall not bring forward my own au thority in this matter. There was a meeting last year at Cal cutta, of the missionaries of all missionary societies there; there were eighteen of them in number. There was a subject proposed for discussion ; and the subject was, whether their success in India had been commensurate with what Christian men might have . expected. The opinion was not unanimous; there was a small minority; and the minority without exception were those who had most recently arrived in India; the overwhelming majority consisted of those who were longest in the, country, and who said, "the success is a g rea t d ea l more t h an we h a d ant i c i pate d . 1 ,1 remember conversing the other day with a military officer, and heard him make this statement upon a public platform; " I resided;" he said, " 12 years in India ; if I were asked after six of them were over, ' what were missionaries doing ?' 1 should have laughed and said 'they are doing nothing.' Why? because I knew not God. If I were asked after the 12 years were over ! after the Lord was Pleased ty reveal himself to my heartaishould ' have said more than 1 could have conceived itlo be possible.'" 1 met the other day, in London, a clergymen, the rector of a suburban parish, who visited Our West African mission; I heard him state on a platform, all that you read in therecords of West African missions as below what my eyes have witnessed there. With respect tofltaaw Zealand, a chaplain of New Smith Wales called at our missufhary house, and said, "s 1 deem it my duty to tell vou that I visited New Zealand prejtraliced against you; 1 saw there more of success than ever I heard of in the island." A gentleman wrote to the Bible Siscietv respecting our mission ary labours in that island, and he said , " the only fault I find with the missionary method of going on with their business is, they appear to me blameable in understating the success of their operations." Now, my friends, as far as the few moments which fall to my lot permit, I will just endeavour to show - the kind of blessing we are imparting amongst the heathen, if the Lord give grace to them to listen to the teaching. I need not • tell you that our missions are calculated to raise them in the ranks of civilization. Why, you may all have read in one of the passing volumes of the day; of the New Zealander landed in your own town, who, when he saw a gentleman riding on horseback, he thought it was all one animal, (a laugh') because at that day there were not in his part of the island any animals above a mere crawling reptile. When he saw the gentleman dismount, he ran away screaming, and thought the anirnal a very odd kind of English animal which had come in pieces (a laugh). When his friend who brought him explained to him the nature of the circumstance, with that rapid transition of mind which is so common in savage minds, he insisted on mounting the horse. He of upon him; the.hOrse never having had on his back a New Zealander rider before, ran a wa y w ith hi m and threw hint to the ground, and tie was nes, Iy killej on thus spot. Now, one Captain Fitztey and a Mr. Sullivs Y n f a lieutenant 'in 'the navy, visited a New Zealand farm yard, they saw a waggon load of wheat drawn by four beautiful waggon horses; Capt. Fitzroy`saw at the doter of a mill at New Zealand, nearly covered with dour, and his eyes could scarcely believe what he saw. They went there opposed to the mission, because Mr. Earle, who had, wrote a volume against that mission, - told them it was all hypo csisY and deceit ; and they tlserefore went prejudiced against the mission. In Western Africa an eve witness has told me that he rode from one end of the missionary station to the other—" I have seen the suaLint-,s cottage, flowers and vegetables growing, I haYe seen the . wornen with their market baskets going to the markets, and where ever I saw this I was sure to hear that the inhabitants of the cottage were. nominal Christians." Now com pare this statement with what has .been going on iieftations without, Christianity. Look at China - at the present day. We are told we may se:. in China a woman. and an ass yoked to a plough together; a plough that a NeW,Zealatider or a Western African would be as'ttinell of. But I (July dwell on these points because there are me t. who would.- attaclemore Importance to one proof of the teusniiell e j?nproaenikat.of a people tha n t o a thousait'l of the spiritual iniprovenienta of a people. Now, if I had time I could sliew you „that cuar.atiecess is nut limited to this. Look at West Africa that I' have. spoken of—we have de spatches not yet printed, deseribing thtearrival of missionaries there. There is one station a ,we had deserted; we sent a new missionary to them . uuly six.nimiliis ago. They raised him on their shoulders, and pointing him to their countrythen, said, "See new Man I 'See new missiunary. ! bless God !" When he told.thein "seethulove of Jesus, see the love•of the Father in giving that Son for you," they said,." yes, massa, they loved us, and you loved us, and English peiiple loved us, to send us a missionary to look after our immortal. souls !" I will take one fact, and one only from our Mediterranean mission. My hos housed friend, Mr. Gobarn, the most honourable - of Christian missionaries, told me on one occasion, when .he.resided in Gon dar, he saw waiting near his house for two or three dap, a poor young Abyssinian e and he said, "What do you want aboUt my house?" " Why," said the poor man, "I was afield to speak to you." It appeared that this yeung man had come five days journey. to Gondar, and Mr. Gobarn declared he was like a walking skeleton. He said, "I came for an Arabic New Tee lament, to hear more of our Lord Jesus Christ." I will mention one fact alone of our West .Indian 'Mission. A dear friend of mine at Jamaica, visited a poor old slave in the hospital in the town of Kingstown, he was dying. He asked him what hope he had ? He said, " Why, though an old ignorant man and a slave, my hope is in the Lord Jesus Christ." (Hear.) "Why, sir," said he, "myself and brother slaves in the plantation 'sub scribed , we sent a young, man 12 miles to hear one of your mis sionaries, the nearest that preached to us; he came back every evening and told us what he had heard; and, master, it is not only, there are many slaves there that would tell you that their hope was in the Lord Jesus." (Hear, bear.) My friends, I shall conclude by telling you that we. went, not only your exer tions, not only that, we want .above all, your prayers; we want other liying instruments to go. atiruad. I was exceed ingly glad to hear the reference made to clergymen going out. We rejoice to tbiuk that there is an increase of interest in ourNniaersities. A dear and respected friend of mine was at Cambridge the week before last, and he attended a missionary meeting within six miles of Cambridge. and 70 young men went out to I hat meeting in their caps and gowns. (Hear.) - Now, I do think that this insulated fact is not discouraging. Oh, that many of these may go forth into the abundant harvest! One of the missionaries in New Zealand to one of our missionaries here, says, " Where are yOur'yeung men? What are you do ing?" He puts from himself a home question—" Are you yet amongst the rectors or vicars of England ? If not, stay awhile; don't take a living; I have got one for you. And, inoreoVer," said he, "'though you would not like it in England, you shall be a pluralist, you shall have two. Here is the living of Yatighetukeconneattiivatka (laughter,) waiting for your ac ceptance. I will honestly tell von that the glebe-house is not built. You shall have the choice of a rock overhanging the ocean or a wild moor for the glebe-house; but you shall have 12,000 souls—you shall have them for your living. And 1 . will tell you, from the lips of one of them, what sort of a man we want, and don't send us any other. I was visiting one of your future rectories; it is 51) miles from any of our missionary posts. I was riding along, and the shade of a summer evening was gathering around me, and I met in the dusk one poor solitary . wayfaring New Zealander. This luau knew my appearance, for he had- visited one of our missionary posts. He had seen the order of a christian village, and the congregations in a christian church, and he was anxious that his own tribe should have the same advantages that he saw at our missionary settles meet. He came up to time and said, " Are you going at last to send us a christian missionary ?" He came up to me; he put his hand on his heart; he immediately after put his hand on his own, and said, "Send as a man that will talk out of his heart into our hearts." •(Hear, hear.) I have great pleasure in se- ' conding this resolution. The reverend gentleman sat down amidst great applause. The CttaIRMA'N put the resolution, which was carried unani mously. The Rev. THOS. BYRTH ruse to Move the second resolution as follows : _ " That this meeting, while affectionately deploring the early removal of that long-tried friend from India, Bishop Corrie, from his, episcopal labour; would unite, at the same time, in thanksgivings to the Great Head of the Church, for tbecomple lion of the espiscopate in the presidencies of India, whereby it is encouraged to hope that, under the influence of the Divine Spi rit, the missionary work will be fostered, and the wants of India be 'gradually supplied by efficient native ministers of the gospel." He said, Mr. Chancellor, I shall leave to the distinguished individual who is to follow me, the task of performing that which I know lie will do with a most masterly hand, drawing the the . - racier of the sainted person whose name occupies so prominent a place in this resolution, at well as of pronounting on his la bours and eulogising th em , which they So manifestly deserve. Yet I would claim so much bf the patience of this large assent - - bly, as to Forestall a few of the observations not to. be made by Mr. Cunningham, but of some part of the subject. I cannot be lieve that, as his copiously informed mind will throw out a vast deal of intellectual and spiritual wealth befor e this assembly, he can well spare to me the pi ivilege of saving, that the men tion of the Bishop's name is intimately connected with mis sionary labours; 'that the mention of that name is intimately THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD. cot peered a ith the resolution itself. With the able speaker who has preceded, me I want to know what the young men Of England are about ? I would ask way it is that they ilo, not•bind their attention to this 'hoist honourable awl ennob ling of all enterprises ? Is it because on such occasions as these, they hear more of the'sacrilices that toe missiouary is expected to make, more of the self-denial that he is to expe rience, More of the labours he has to undergo, than to hear of the glorious work he is to perferin---tban of, th'et great re‘warsl at the list? We know it is sufficient athongst many things for a man of high imagination to content himself with his own power. Milton knew he had written in n 1111101.611 Work, though it was not received. He drew on, posterity, apd posterity an swered the bill. The mission - dry May draw on his imaginatibil brighter prospects thin ever filled the breast of a Milton.— (Apfilitilse:) I can hardly believe it to be possible that a man can ue interested in the cause of the Church Missionary So ciety—can hear of its triumph, and hear of the diffieulties that attend its enterprises, without regretting that the mantle of the Missionary spirit had not fallen on his shoulders. .But with re spect to this society as connected with the church I would speak to you for one moment. I have had the privilege of as serting before, in this very room, my own deep conviction that the Church of England never stood higher as a church of God and as a national establishment than she stands at the present period. ( Loud applause.) lam delighted to be permitted to repeat that assertion. She is rested on the ground of sound principles, not on ignorant bigotry ; she has fur her friends the affections ,if the people—(continued applause)—and, above all, she proved that God had a church upon earth. 'lt was for an opportunity of expressing those views that he had consented to take that paper (the resolution) in his hand; and he felt satis lied Ihat,,were it not for the truths which he uttered, there would have been a considerable degree . of impatience mani fested iii so humble an individual as himself occupying their time. (Cheers.) The Church of England was glorious at 'hothe and triumplutnt abroad ; and he felt assured that in days - yet to clime‘ there would arise, not only in England but every where else, liyirig s proofs of the fact that the church had seut out men who' were the blessed instruments of calling many to God—to believe in no sacrifice but the sacrifice of Christ—to robe themselves in no embellishments bUt the robe which lie himself has provided—to worship in no temple WhiCh is nut coinfneneurate with the temple of his influence. A voice re ,sp.onsive,to that which is heard at lMilie would soon be heard abroad. He flung off the vile impeta thin that the Church, of Enir,land - w - oUld ctasi herself with :04 - Stacy —that she would de corate herself with the good things of Rome, and degrade her self with taking up some of the off-cast garments of the mother of abominations. (Applause.) The Rev. JOHN WM. CUNNINaIfANI. Vicar of HarroW, rose to second the resolution, and was received with considerable ap platise. He said—Ladies and - gentlemen, it is My office to ,:second the motion respecting the diffusion of the Gospel in In dia, that has been presented to*you by my rev. fries - Id and pre decessor. If 1 may be allowed a home expression, - I should be truly sorry if it were my duty to " drive the nail;" but when having been.so driven, I May add that there is very little ditli i Culty : n clenching it. I. can truly say, that I feel it a great act of presumption in 'presenting myself to this assembly to night, when I remember how 1 am backed by men whose praise is known in all the churches, and who must be great orators here, because they were great orators elsewhere; and, who be liins the very first among ourselves cannot want such poor crea tures as myself to come in aid of them. If I may adopt another notable expressions! really do feel that in coming, I am not -merely." bringing coals to N ewc a s tl e , b u t cinders to New castle. (Hear and a laugh.) In the remarks which I shall have the happiness of offering to you to night, 1 must be permitted, ' if I 'venture to enter fur a moment into an explanation of the sentiments of a dearly honoured friendwho spoke early in the ' s ues si n e s who is not now in the room. 1 ant so afraid that he should be understood to say, that our dissenting brethren had occasion to be ashamed of the religion they taught—(" No, no")—but I merely on risingstate this,llest it should bethought possible that he should entertain that sort of bigotry, but that he simply meant this, when we have a good thing to seist, we ought to send that which we conceive to be the best; we ought to be ashamed if we do not send the best 'article • but it does not follow that another person should be ashamed ' . I entirely concur with our dear friend, Mr. Woodward. I rejoice that the Moravians and the followers of Mr. Wesley are peopling the %odd with missionaries; and I would rather cut off toy right hand, than that in the 2,000 miles in circumference from the Island of Otaheite, nut a single island that has not cast their idols to the winds through their exertions. No, as our friend has toll us, the Church of England does not want bigotry to hold her up; and now having touched on that point to prevent a misapprehension of a man whom you all love—(hear) — having said this, I would go on to another point. Perhaps, ladies and gentlemen, when you did me the honour to give me a sort of welcome when I rose to speak, you thought you were welcoming a stranger. As a stranger, had I been one, I should have been thankful to you. It shows at least that you are not in the circumstances of the people of St. Kilda, of the islands of the Hebrides, who are in such horror if a stranger comes to the country that every man is said to catch cold. (Laughter.) Perhaps we may to-night; but however, I had the honour of being in this town when the first seed of the missionary society was put into the ground, or, if I may so express it, when the first egg was laid, and to-night we have the hatching and the plumage, and I need not say, the song that has been crying in your ears on the occasion. It may not be known to many in this place, we had the great honour, I hardly know how to account for it, of having the mayor of the town in the chair of the society on that occasion. I can never be sorry to exchange a mayor fur a chancellor, nor yet such a chancellor as yours ; but if I am glad for the chancellor, I confess I feel a little pity for the mayor who is absent. (Hear.) And I may add too, we had the honour of assembling iti your great town 'hall. I cannot say you are much improved on that point. (A. laugh.) But, however; the meeting to night has impressed me with an idea. Suppose I make a proposal, that all the persons in this room should live as close together as at the present mo ment—(laughter) —you would say " how monstrous!" Why? Because it is the nature of man to diffuse himself—to drink in the balmy air of the morning, of which we now feelehe want. But just as unnatural is it for you to crowd thousands where hundreds only ought to stand—to put us in this sort of Bramah screw of compression. (Laughter.) I say it is just as unna tural—more unnatural, to think of locking up Christianity; and confining its apostles—binding and screwing them down into this little corner of the world, when the gi-cat multitude out of doors ought to receive it—when it ought to burst its bonds, as you will go home to night, and carry life, light, and liberty to every corner of the world. It is an essential feature of Christianity that it will not be so compressed. They might with equal justice, and it would be as useless, as to endeavour to compress the sunshine, and lock up the north west American winds, as not to give it free course to every corner of creasion. And now I may go on, and say a little wore for that first meet ing, I have been exceedingly struck on coming 20 miles to find several changes—much more reinarkable than the exchange of another chairman for the chancellor, but this sort of change; I find, that where there were a few clergymen preaching the ' gospel faithfully, there are multitudes. I find where one preached, churches have sprung up in vast multitudes. I have been astonished, in driving up the town to-day to see how these churches hive multiplied in a very small space of time. What do I Say to this; I don't venture to say that the Church Mis sionary Society has been the author of the change in Liverpool, but I do say this, when I find, connected with certain events, not in this place, but in all places where the circumstances are accompanied with the same things, I have a right in some de gree to attribute it as cause and effect; and what I say is this, I never saw a Church Missionary Society gain ground in a town in my life, where, if von wanted a scliool, the school was not soon built. (Loud applause.) Now ladies and gentlemen, what I am wishing to state to you is this, that I really, and from my heart, consider this society as stated to night, not only to be one of the best, but the best : bUt I think it is one of the best home missionary societies ; because it is a society that builds Schools and churches., improves the ministry, and while it erects its own buildines, it erects twenty others for the honour of God and the salvation of sinners. A friend of mine told me the other day, that he went through a village, and there was a board, describing the benefactors of that parish. There was 'one vacant spot, and a clergyman said, do you knot the name I should like to place in that empty space in that board ? The name of the Church Missionary Society, because it has been the greatest of all our spiritual benefactors; it has done ten times more for oar parish than all our kindest friends; and it is not surprising. You remember that the Apostle says, that he remarks as one of the worst features of the most perilous times, that men should be lovers of themselves. Now, the Church Missionary Society and other similar institutions has a tendency to effect this; it cures us of the love of ourselves. If I love myself I cannot preach, I cannot pray, I cannot act for others, and I cannot suffer for others. There is a something in selfish ness, which, ill may so express it, choaks and throttle's all the best feelings of the mind, extinguishing goodness, wherever it is. It is only where Christianity goes and bursts those bonds, and it is only where that accursed principle of self•love breaks its bonds that we get any good. And so it is that this society becomes the best benefactor of Liverpool; and don't say that we come here to drain your pockets; I say we come here to offer to the people of Liverpool the highest of all possible bene fits, because we want to teach yoli to love yourselves less, and to love God and his creatures better. (Hear, hear.) The rev. gentleman who preceded me, in his most commendable zeal for his own church and country, left the little continent of India to my keeping. And having taken care of this comparatively small number—having taken care of them, he very consider ately leaves 125 millions of people for me to deal with. That Was not very charitable; and it was very well to say a few kind things, though many of them would have been well spared as a set off. But I wish he would allow me to say a word on that point. Only last fortnight there was a gentleman loudly praised before an assembly to whom he was to speak, and when he spoke he told them this story, that when the Gauls were come to the conquest of Rome, there was a lady who happened to be of great assistance to them, and when they asked her what they should give her as a recompense, she said, the ornaments on your persons, and they threw them on her with such savage bar barity, that instead of being ornaments to her, they crushed her to the earth. Now, I must say, there is nothing you can so mischievously bang round the neck of a public speaker as orna ments of that kind; they don't embe, they crush him. The reverend gentlem en th en p rocee d e d Mass a high eulogium on Bishop Currie, whom Bishop Wilson, he said, had character ized as being, as far as human nature could be, a close copy of our Saviour himself. It was gratifying also to know that Bishop Spencer, his successor, had signified how cordially glad he should be to be of use in forwarding the objects of the society its India. In India, as had been stated by the Bishop of Cal cutta, the state of things was this: the old superstition was ra pidly breaking down—it was beginning to get weak at the joints, and would soon tome to the ground. But it did not follow because they got rid of a vicious creed, the natives would adopt a right one. There is, said the rev. speaker, a miserable interval, which I re member some man sass of Certain persons who are neither Jews nor Christians, but are like blank leaVes bet Ween the Old and New Testament. (A laugh.) That is the case With many of the Hindoos. They are philosophers, they are acquainted with chemistry, they begin to learn that it is hot the sun which goes round the world, or England which goes round India, and they are really getting a very refined and intelleCtual people; and here is the dahger, that they will put philoSophy in the place of superstition, and instead of being stiperAtitions they will become worse—complete atheists. I need hardly say to you that it is better to believe in any christiahity ratfieir than none. Better believe in the Creator in any shape rather than settle down to the 'b e li e f th a t th e re it ho creator. And I e quite sure that it is as easy to raEciVer a people m who lapsed iort of n into cothplete Unbelief as tb recover a people h religion. But I can Well believe it will be more difficult to se; cover them froth the state in which half the men are in in this country. I ant sure, if I myself had to pre thoutand tithes sooner preach tie the moat bigoted 1 would ten oted Hindob that ever existed than I Would preach to what is called n c ) alledan o E religion,uglis h rationalist; I mean a man who has g ot tn ) no soot, no hope at all. (Hear, hear.) The strongest part of this arguMent is, not that idolatry stands strong—not that ther e is no shaking in.the system , but it is in the mpre fearful cireuni; i.e that nillholis have put off one belief, alio at this ti me stance a sort of caput inortuinn, without reason, without faith, and in a state iu whit:6 no religion could suitsive. There were enconragiug circumstances connected with India. They had 125 native catechists there, anti full license was given for the preaching of the gospel there, and christian mi n i sters m i ght be seen preaching on the very steps o f the pagodas, proclaiming the truth as it is in Jesus Christ. He had been requested by a member of the society of Friends, who was always foremost in questions of public benevolence, so far to intrude an their att ' en- tion as to refer to ow., important subject respecting India Was that assembly aware that there was scarcely a devotee who did i.ot go annually to eight or ten places of worship, (and they went up to the nu ,oberof one million of degraded and miserable worshippers,) (tout whoM Great Britain, through the means of the East India Company, did not receive half-a-crown ? When these ceremonies were comin g on, scouts of the company went out on the high-r oa d s (whi c h had been fur the occasion put in proper order) proclaiming to the pilgrims that they would find good roads and should have safe protection their journey to the temple of the heathen gods. - And who was it that de corated the car of Juggernaut? Why,- it was .. the people of Liverpool. Th e y f urn i s h e d th e c l o th—it was obtained by our government froM them. (Shame, shame.) And further—but he was afraid TO touch on the subject;. there were degradectand impure rites cdnnected with the worship ugg . rtlailt which were untit to be narrated; he must throw a veil over them. But if they should ask who it was that educated the persons who were the chief actors in those abominations—who provided and educated the priestesses for that hnholy temple, his reply must he it was our government. Here was work for Mr. M'Neile: be loved a good tough job; and there was a rock for him, like another Hanni hal, to cut through; and he hyped that he (Mr. M'Neile) would operate upon it, though not with vinegar, until he broke it in pieces and scattered it in the ocean. It was much to the honour of Lord Glenelg, that, when at the head of the Board of Con trol, he sent out to India a most powerful appeal against the pilgrim•tax. What was the consequ e nc e ? Th e y hesitated, shuffled, - and sent out to make inquiry about that of which there was no doubt. If a man meant to get rid of you, and dared nut say so, what he said was this, ";let us inquire;" and when they had had an inquiry, and a committee had been formed, they tenni] that they got darker and darker every day, and at last there was nothing done. There was a despatch as plain as light, commanding th.m' to pin an end to the tax ; but, instead of doing so, they pretended to Make investigations into what was 'as clear and well known to them as anything could be. They were, it. was true, pledged not to interfere with the worship of the natives of India; but they were not pledged to keep it up through their own exertions, awl for their own benefit. Ile 'might have a disrelish to beholding an individual going to a certain meeting-house; but there was a greatdifference between his meeting that man and knocking hint down, and lending him his carriage to go there with pleasure and facility. He had from the report that this auxiliary branch of the society, did not produce quite the same amount—about £B9 less, than it did the year before. He had no doubt, that the apology, of the Rev. Secretary was an amplenne; but, would they allow him to say that he thought there was no moment so dangerous to any in stitution as just the turning point—just when it began to turn and go downwards; and he wanted to caution the society to contemplate that fact, that they might take their resolution that night to redouble their exertions to double the funds for next year. Ile remembered reading a story of a foreign city being conquered, and the g a ll an t ca p tors ma ki ng th e ladi es an offer of their liberty, and that they should each bring out of the city what they valued the Most, and very properly—they did what English women, tinder the same circumstances, would do—they every one brought out their husband. (Laughter.) What he wanted was, that at the next meeting, the ladies should bring their husbands, and the husbands present, their wives, and that each man would remember the influence which God bas given him on every other man, and that he would employ that power and influence to embark him in the missionary cause. A gen tleman was telling him,. that came from India the other day, he had seen a considerable army crossing a field, and one of the heavy artillery got into a rut, and the poor weak natives, who are very docile, immediately ran to lift it out; but their feeble attempts :did not move it, when a great old elephant, with remarkable sagacity, swept theM away with his trunk, and put.; Ling his trunk into the wheel, he fairly lifted it out again. He wanted them to piit out not their trunks, and sweep away all weak impediments, and lift out this artillery of the goipel, and win fresh triumphs for their Redeemer. (Hear.) He begged to second the resolution. (Loud applause.) The resolution was put and carrried. The Rev. Mr. Qatit , EriEn, minister of St. Michael's, then moved the next resolution t "That viewing the circumstances of New Zealand, where, notwithstanding many peculiar difficulties, the missionary la bourers have, by the singular blessing of God, succeeded in rearing an infant church of Christ in the midst of the wild and fierce inhabitants of that island, the meeting anticipate, from the visit of the Lord Bishop of Australia, the extension and the consolidation of the mission; and record their earnest prayer, that whatever measures may be in contemplation for that country, they may be directed to the promotion of . its best civil a and religious interest, as an ind e pend en t; f ree , nil Christian nation." They had been told that they as ministers of the established church, had nothing to do with the heathen. He had heard this objection repeated only a few days ago; and it brought to his recollection what he had heard of a B r it is h admiral who had moored his ship somewhat too close to a Spanisli battery, and created jealousy and alarm in the mind of the Spanish Governor, who sent a message to the Admiral, that he had no right to moth. his ship where he did, "tell him," said the Admiral in reply, "that wherever his Majesty's ship can float, there I don't ex ceed the bounds of my commission," and wherever a church of God is found, she does not exceed her commission when she has received a commission "go and preach the gospel to every creature." (Applause.) After alluding to the prosperous state of the society both at home and abroad, from which it was evi dent that God blessed its exertions, the reverend gentlemen ad verted to the gratifying progress of Christianity in New Zealand, and urged the missionary society to increased exertions, lest Popery should establish a footing there. He would not say that Popery could kill the infant church there ; Popery could never establish a footing till vital Christianity began to decay. Place Heathenism and Christianity in juxta-position, and Heathen ism would appear vile to a heathen mind, and an abomination; but when Popery came to solicit the affections of the heathen, then a new adversary would be raised up against the Christian ministry; because Popery, with its gorgeous trappings, would have attractions for the heathen, and might win them with its external splendour and meretricious ornaments. If, therefore, they did not go forward to the help of that infant church and use all their energies to substantiate it, they might have to re gret their apathy when it was too late. Every one might do something, every one had some little influence in his own circle to benefit this society, and if every one would exert himself in its behalf, a great and abundant blessing would be the conse quence. He concluded with moving the resolution. The Rev. WIN DH A M MADDEN rose to second the resolution. He quite concurred in the sentiments of the preceding speaker. He should not make a long speech to them. The face of nature presented on one side human nature degraded to the lowest depths of misery, and on the other, that human nature raised out of that misery by the gospel of Christ. He allued to the state of the barbarians in New Zealand, and to the already vi sible effects of Christianity upon a part of them in restraining their fierce dispositions from the horrible attrocities practised by those on whom the genial influence of the gospel had not been cast, and called upon the meeting to aid in the holy cause of extending that gospel among them. Ile concluded with seconding the resolution, which was unanimously carried : The Rev. JOHN WHITE, of Oswestry, moved the next reso lution, which was as follows That this meeting, thankfully rejoicing in the promising commencement of the mission in South-eastern Africa; and that la:viewing the whole extent of the society's operations, they would commend the great cause in which it is engaged to the sympathy, prayers, and persevering exertions of the members at large." He said—before I say a single word to the resolution which has been pot into my hand, I would beg leave to move another reso lution, and that is, that if the proposal that was made by the valued and respected vicar of Harrow, Mr. Cunningham, be acceded to. that every wife should bring her husband, and every husband his wife and children, that there be a new room, and a larger one for the next year. But as a stranger, I must beg leave to congratulate you on the powerful meeting we have as sembled here to night. It is delightful to find so many coining forward to promote this great, and this holy object of sending the light of the gospel to the poor perishing heathen. I confess, sir, that it is not only a holy work, but that it is a delightful work to the Christian philanthropist to be sending the gospel to the hea then. But if it be a delightful work tinder any circumstances, it is more delightful fur us to be banded together as churchmen, not only. to send the gospel of Christ indeed, but also to send the formularies of our church to the heathen converted to God, that they might font a part of that community which is built ou the foundation of the Apostles, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone. It has often occurred to me that the diffe rent Christian societies throughout the world are like well-regu lated flowers in a garden; and we may go smelling them all, but at last we must confess none so sweet as the rose. So in missionary societies; none so sweet as the Church of England Missionary Society. (Hear.) May God bless them; may God prosper them. But we can turn from all with pleasure to that which belongs to our church. The articles of our church sent out to heathen lands present the sweetest savour to our Lord and Master Jesus Christ. Many objections indeed there have been urged against missionary societies, and against our Church Missionary Society, but surely, sir, when the great broad fact is stated that the heathen are perishing for lack of knowledge, and when our God has given the command, "to go into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature," will any argu ment have any effect when placed in the balance against these ? It has been argued that the heathen are very well if we let them alone; but only just consider their state? We found them in Southern Africa adoring Colonia above the Eternal Son of God, in New Zealand worshipping the lizard as their god, in Hin dostan bowing before Uish, before Brahma, and before 330 toil lions of other Gods,; and not only the idolatry was to be lamented but the sad effects of it. Not only the burning of widows, but also the horrid system of human sacrifices that they offer to their god Calibo. And I would just mention two facts. One relates to the Rajah of Burden, who has been in the habit of offering sacrifices for his family; and this great Rajah is not content with any sacrifice but that of elder sons. And I lately heard of a prior woman who missed her elder son, and came to inquire about him, and found that he had been offered in sacrifice by the Rajah. (Expressions of horror.) I will mention another fact, of a party of soldiers lat e ly go i ng o ut in India, who found a little girl tied to a stake. She was tied to be a victim to Calibo, and the way the sacrifice was offered is almost too horrid to relate. A portion of flesh was cut off the living child, and the blood sprinkled about. On going further on they found, confined in something worse than an English pigstye, tnreechildrenßuftai mttaeti ing up, to be offer e d un to the same god. (Hear.) placedhapp) to o n sayar Mrs. ei Wilson's folir children school. lti s_ ourarin(ddapwaereriavecri o.leuoglwdel more gose i than I ' never forth s know e well as is as a ° favourite our dutyit e ipor send ncip e them that t civilizationhelight h o e does f y. t he Christianization, but if we were to wouldnots ay w t i h sh at to an s y ta o te f t a he e s r e iti w c o ip u i l e d , , b , e t c h o .a c ui t i : n i a li C t. z a h e r r e i t s w ti i a l n i d by ehal mers.-- in quest of Christianity, but C t hahsritsiteleanni:vyritstheonulodn t g h b i , 4 f g o su rt b h je i e n t q ( 'lr o s n t d of ap o p a l t a t u re se .7 ) AT.hpiasmwpaisdenoU:ly.i.ittere Dr. against missionary efforts; and it has been charged against this society, that it the most popular society in Erigland, from the Laud's-end to John O'Groat's house. I need not answer this argument, except to pray, that long may it enjoy its popularity. And what think you of the increase of 1:11,700 in the fonds of the last , year ? It shows that its popularity is not exhausted, and for my own part, I See lid, reason to fear why ot h er l ess popular Missionary Societies should not advance with equal success; and I think it vet y much reminds me of my countryman who ran all the way froth Dublin to Nice after the mail:coath, to see if the big wheel would C atch the littl e wheel, (laug hter,) . and kept crying out, " Braid, iny littl e f e ll ow ; he keeps bI • , h " We don't wa n t to catch the sg little nd well. (Roars of laughter.) society. We merely s a y tat the Church o f England des crib es a larger circle than the little wheel. (Applause. ) The Chur c h of England Society knows no ,limits or boundaries, but the very end of the earth itself, (Continued applause. ) I mould a little int o th e d eta il . O ur t ni ssio n nries are 5 00 , our mis sion'sll in number; and God bl ess t h em in eve ry quarter of the globe! I wou ld merel y mention , in South A fric a we have established a very prospering mission.' We have a very ext rs dinars , charalter to deal with in Ditigarp . , s king 'fotilon mind lam * happy to say, that Dingarn ha s .iven a very good recep& lion to the missionary sept out, and h; sass; " I give the tnisl siimary full credit for being an Englishman', and being fond of ' toast' beef ,'" (laughter, ) for he tends hi m at ow azday for his table. In otir Mediterranean t hitsi on i n t h e i s l an d o t Malta, where We have to dedl,not onlY With the Creek church in its idolatory„ b u t wi t h th e Itomish Church in all its abomination, I ails happy to say the mission has prospered, and we have the gospel preached there. in the island of Malta a carbonari went to Our missionary, and asked for some Bibles of Mr. Slencb, AAVitig. " Give its all." " What can you want with so many Bibles?" cried ihe missionary. " Wh)," said the carbonari, MAY S 5, 183 ', " we want to pull the Pope from his throne, and we think the best way is to circulate the Bible." (Laud applause.) I learnt somewhat of Popery while I was up the Mediterranean. 1 re - member asking a priest whom I knew very well, " Pray, do sou believe in all the fopperies and fooleries of the Church of Rome?" " Oh, no—l d o n't," sa id h e . He did not go round about the bush. " Why," said I th e n, "do you profess,to be lieve it ?" " Oh," said he, with a shrug of his shoulders, pecu liar to the Italians, '° Cherbosoni vivere,—are must live." Their craft is in danger--that is the secret. Our mission in China has commenced under very good auspices. At Singapore, Sir, I have heard, that the Emperor of China has ordered, that Christianity be confined to a very small segment of the country ! And who is the Emperor of China? (A laugh.) Ills command reminded me of an Irishman, who, when he saw the wild swans in his field, called to his servant, " Pat, go clown and shut the gate and bolt it, and keep them all in." (Loud laugh(er.) But the wild swans spread their wings and despised his bars. (Applause.) The emperor may order; he may storm and he may rage; his Mandarins may all shake their heads as they do in our tea-shops—(laughter)—but the Gospel will . spread its wings and fly over the wall, and Christianity will n o t he confined, but shall blossom and bloom with the orange and the tea plant, with the rose of Sharab and the lilly of the valley. (Rapturous applause.) We have every reason to be thankful to the Lord for the conversions of last year, but not to ourselves. In one market in London it is known that the Danish fishermen receive £BO,OOO a ye ar for turbots, and that th e Dutch fishermen rec e ive £15,00( ) year for lobsters; and there is £95,000 a-year for turbots an d lobster sauce—(laughter) --and shall we not be ashamed that we have only collected .£BO,OOO for the Gospel. (Applause.) Now I would just tell you one little story about a little boy who was walking very fast, and who met a gentleman on the road. " Pray, my little man, where are you going to ?"—" Oh, I ant going to the missionary meeting in such a town." , t W e ll, do you know that all these persons who get up such meetings ex pect you to give inoiiey if yon go ?" The little boy His head rather sorrowfully, and said he had no money, Tr' Well. my little boy," said the traveller; " here is half-a-crown foi' - you, go, and put this into the box." So the little boy put it into his pocket With many thanks, and overtook his mother. "Well, my de,ar child," says she, " that is a great deal over much for such a little boy as you to give; I tell you what we will do; here is a penny, it will dojust as well—(a laogh)- 7 -and I will lake care of the half-crown for you." The little boy did not know what to do, but at last he begged hard of hismaother, that he might keep it till he gut to the missionary .meeting. When he gut to the door he never rested satisfied till he got" close to the chair. But he got interested in the details and the ardumeuts, awl at last he was so full that he had almost deter mined to give the half crown, bu,t lie thought he would auk his mother, and lie cried out in the middle of one of the speeches, " I say, Mother!" (Laughter.) But his mother did not answer —she (lid not hear. Again he, cried °tit, " I say—motherr" (continued laughter.) and at last his feelings got so full that be cried out, " I say, mother; here .it goes, half-crown, penny, and all." (Roars of laughter.) And that, sir, is just the feel ing 1 would have the meeting exhibit, contributing half-crown, penny and all for the benefit of this society., (Loud applause.) After calling upon the merchants of this community to lead their aid in sending Christianity to wherever they sent for their merchandise, he concluded by moving the resolution. The Rev. HUGH M'NEILE rose to second the resolution, and was received with loud applause. He said—,Mr. Chairman, privileged as I am to address so many of our dear brethren asseinbed in this room, this evening, so very frequently in ails town, I might well avail myself of the circumstances of the pre sent moment, and the late—the exceedingly late period of the meeting at which we are arrived, to excuse myself this evening front doing more than merely seconding the resolution. I will, however, not altogether avail myself of these circumstances, called upon as I have been—and I must say in a way which, however well intended by our dear friends, serves only to defeat its ow;i object. (Hear, hear.) Sir, I am well persnaded that the object we have in view is not to be attained by eulogizing one another at all; nay, rather, that in proportion as attention is directed to the instruments, we shall miss our object and dis sipate that feeling which we desire to condense upon our Lord. I stand here Ambled, sir, not by what man bath said, but by the deep consciousness that I altogether am unworthy of the, blessing that God has best o w e d on m y l a b ours, i n h aving ren dered them so efficient—in having so blessed them in this town as to provoke such allusions to them. I thank God for this. Not unto me a poor wretched sinner, who have never done what I ought to have done; and deeply accountable I am for the bles sings he hath bestowed upon me, who for the best day of my, life deserve to be in hell. But MHO my God be the praise; and the glory is His. Sir, my dear friend and brother, Mr. Cunningham, whom I rejoice to meet again after many years separation, has directed my attention to one peculiar circum stance intimately connected with the labours of this society; I mean the idolatrous practices carried on in India, and, carried on with the awful sanction of the British authorities. It is painful to me. sir, to feel myself so frequently compelled, in the straightforward execution o f Ch r i s ti an d uty, to come in contact with constituted authorities. But, if these authorities have ranged themselves in the way of Christian duty,—whether the sphere of that duty be at h ome or a b roa d . el think, sir, without in the slightest degree detracting from the right true- Christian deference which is due to authority, we ate nevertheless' bound to persevere in our straightforward course of Christian duty; and the collisiou,,if collision there must be, ,fall on the,heads of those Who have obcasi one d it, and not upon those ,schnve the innoaent causes Of bringin g it i n t o exhibitien. (Cheers.) The opposers of Christianity are the oceasioners of the„ co llision a If our government at home heYe ranged theinselves on the side of Eastern idolatry, then I say they, have ranged themselves in a position provoking collision with the Christianity at home. (Loud Cheers.) For if we must assail idolatry, though we find that the assault is to ,he, • made asgajpat. the. • tibield our own government, we Must not Withhold the blow, ea whatever honourable or right honourable head it may fall, while we preach the honour and glory of our Lord and Sayiopr Jesus Christ. (Applause.) Now, atr, the East India. Company have abetted the mischiefs, in all' their fearful atrocity o f gastern idolatry. I hold in my h an d a s p eec h , ma d e by Mr. Poynter, whose name is well known, iu connection with tbis subject, in, which he sets forth the particulars of a memorial sent hems, 1) from ta, t and was l l l 3 n diaag chaplainsains , t these 37 e missionariesvi l p act . i s a e n S d , which 2English h residents says was i signed eocl all ranks and stations. It was dated 6th Aurgust, a s the instances in which memorialists ob served that it "enumerates transmitted to the government of Fort governor St. Georgeinbyc(t)huencbitls,hop ' who, in his lette r t o Sir F. Adam, the t o h r e de d r i s ct w at h e i s ch em of se . to them con -1 t God, ir thereby subjecting th em t o th e ,g and feel aggrieved by p ra ctices o__f _ ent's I their consciences, displeasure, ant praying the t o r r a riyn painfulet o u ar t rl h it ne e rg c n o at m thi ev i n e a go n of d , iroml awnh i f e e h llo h w a - v s e ub b j e e e c n ts lo m n a g y g re nteds t ex tendedotheir a met t l o teir t ea h at e itohne Christian andan d M m e xema hp°tio en members ds of that presidency," to which the bishop adds, " I fully concur in every part of the memorial, and I earnestly hope that it may be thought fitting to concede. grievances t g h o complained toaatisinreuert)Cel required of iuesditri r eao e anf l etcotw'i civil attend teaeaynneddd arranged. Heathen neiallti 'thhuaeernnydparticulars ea e d f s time and do • --That they are r equ i re d to present offerings, o h m o o f m e d a t a h g n religious festivals f o r p urposes of respect. 2. homage to idols. 3.—That the impure and degrading services of the pagoda are carried on under the supervision and conkol of the principal European, and therefore Christian, officers of the government, and the management and regulation of the revenues and en dowmentstiblinte o p e o rn r l t eh a re n t important an d re o id l o a u t os r o r i u dd s oi iscscelrae notrmg o ee n dv y , e nn c a ot n rh et b hp e performed ; no both o f t h e pagodas and mosques are vested in thein ; t a t e h t m t a e t p n h l d e e a , n t e e incurred, the without the o ffi c i a l concurrence anerdosiorders s e xo o pf f Christian functionary. 4.—That British officers, with the troops of the government are also employed in firing salutes, and doing honours to mahor. medan and idolatrous ceremonies, even or, the sabbath day, and that Christians are thus often compelled, by the authority, of government, to desecrate their own most sacred institutions , and take part in.unholy and degrading superstitions. s.—That Protestant soldiers, members of the Church of Eng land, have also been required, contrary to the king's regula tions, " that every soldier shall be at liberty to worship God. according to the terms prescribed in his religion," to be preset!t at, and participate in, the worship of the Church of Rome. (Hisses.) There is the beginning of a popular feeling against our go vernment; and the only w a y t o t ouc h th em, is to express the feelings of Englishmen, constitutionally, steadily, and after - a firm, and Christian manner, as will make theta express them-„.; selves to the East Indi a C o mp an y i n suc h a manner as will make that company express themselves to their government in, India in such a manner as will satisfy our countrymen that thoY• shall not be compelled to take part in this degrading super stition. But, sir, there is one feature more I must remark on. • "'The government, too, had established and supported native schools, one to each district, perhaps equal to our " hundreds!' At the upper end of each school stands an image of Ganesa." 'l'o this the boys make their offerings. When a boy is first admitted, he is required to bring his offerings—a cocoanut, plantains, &c.—and offer them to his protecting god; the same when he is put into a new book. This is the system pursued in all parts of that country. The books that are read are—" Ganesa, hear us! Oh one lord, hear us! Oh thou cub of at! elephant, we honour thee !" (Roars of laughter.) He nee! not say that the scriptures are not read. The government did not order those things by positive enactments ; but they set lig those schools on the principle of strict neutrality, between Go" and Baal." Exactly like the schools at home. (Hear.) They are echoed by your own corporation—(loud applause)—who have set UP schools on the principle of strict neutrality between those who call Christ God and those who deny" that he is God; between those who declare him the only Mediator, and those who de clare that they can o nly ge l at him through a woman. (Great applause.) . Now, sir, what is to be done with regard to thi s v question t I like to be practical : and if it has pleased God t° give me any influence at all, I verily believe it is because ter addresses both in the pulpit and on the platform come to some thin g practical at last, (Hear.) N ow I h ave t o propose a measure, that a publi c meet i ng should be convened in Liver' pool on the subject of these idolatrous combinations of our government. Combinations, because if th e y ge t money . by it is hard t o free theta frail the Charge of combination in the work, and th e y d o get money by it. I therefore propose that a public meeting be held 1 and trust it will hot be trespassing !,°,„ much on you r ki n d and Christian nature to ask you to nrestu over it; and Id o thi n k i t is kit a fair recoil of the allusion , al ready m a d e , if I te ll my friend Mr. Cunningham that I willcal on him for hi s support in a meetin g t o t a k e a re solution (hea r) _ to help me in th e f ace o f Li verpoo l , to make our government to feel th a t th ey must not sanction idolatry e ither at home or abroad. (Appl ause .) N ow I h o p e this wont end in talk. _ A gentleman on th e pl a tf orm rose an d sa id b e b egg ed to se cond Mr. M•Neile's motion fora public meeting. Mr. M'NEILE then said h e wou .d pause t ill th e resolutio n was put to the meeting. The venerable CHAIRmAN then rose and said the meeting had heard the motion ma d e an d secon d e d, an d he request a those who approved of ii to hold up t h e i r h an ds. by A forest of hands was the response, and this was seconded great applause. • Mr. IVPNEILIC again rose add said it would be dear ablato fig e i .i the day fur the public meeting; and, if convenient to the cha i r ' man, he would name Wednesday. great part of hii time was engaged for the remainder of at twelveac' After some conversation, in which the Rev. CHAl_Rtg.eiN_t it was determined to hold the meeting the next day t o'clock. connected with this great question to which I wish for a you a',.en w hi ni e o.. ct ments to direct the attention of the meeting. tell one I wish to add if, that the time is short; no canman.nnight: and nig"" heard many realises why we should be urgent in thSistrcriuse • the short. 'rhe day of the Lord so cotneth as a thief w ng i pros" and when men, in the happy anticipation of the ID upea peace" to themselves, sudden destinction shall sa pects which they set before themselves, shall be conicsaying peace" to themselves, suddeh desimnction aball co nic I b e t he short. thundering, and all our naisiionary work u s in the short. I believe, sir, that the very next great moveme earing divine proceedure of our world, is the second glorious app hang , of the Son of Man. I believe, that befdte any sensible Chang shall shall have taken place in the present aspect of the PePu dark the earth, as a general statement, and as a general truth,be darkness in t ness will continue to cover the earth, and hall come esti mation of God its nominal Christian lands, until be , s ._ 00 his whose right it is, the Son of Righteousness, with heanng•ailing • darkness prevailing wings. 1 believe, sir, that there is as gross peaces