The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1870-01-29 00:00:00

BISHOP TEMPLE AND THE FRIENDLY
SOCIETIES.

On Friday evening Bishop Temple attended $ large meet-
ing of the members of Devon and Cornwall Friendly so-
cieties. There were about 2 aro persons present, arid the pro-
ceedings were very enthnsiastic An address WWI presented,
which contained 1,000 name. It stated that his I,rdahip s
appointment was hailed with satisfaction and Joy In the
demote
The Bishop was received with lond cheere on thing
to acknowledae the presentation of the addrepp. After
expressing the pleasure which he had received from the
welcome accorded to him, his lordship proceeded to
enlarge on the difficulties of helping one another, and
the failure which frequently attended on the attempt
to aid others. The principle which applied to the cane
of assietance rendered, aim held good in cases of advice
given, for advice was of very little value unless the
parties who gave it made it their own by acting on it
themselves. The growth lof friendly societies illustrated
this. Many societies had been to, med on false principles
and destroyed by the operation of those principles, and
had done much harm. Efficiency of manage-
ment conlil only be learned by experience, and no
advice in the world could stand in the place of ex.
perience. The lesson which the working Men had
learnt in this matter had been a hard and difficult one.
Others might advise and give a helping hand, but the
real work had had to be done by the working men
themselves. (Hear, hear.) The Chairman (continued
the Bishop) spoke of my past life, and of what I had had
to do with the matter of education, and the presenter
of the address alluded to the same subject. Let me
eay to you that is there is anything in which it is
possible for us directly to aid each other it is just on
that paint. There is the point at which it is possible
for us more thoroughly than at any other point
to go beyond mere encouragement, and to give each
other real help. But remember, the help we give
each other in that matter is of this sort—that it does
not profit the receiver linter.; he does his very utmost
to make it profitable. The help that we can give each
other is the way of promoting education. (Hear.
hear.) In promoting education, it is possible that I
may be of real use to you, and in any schemes that
may be produced you also may be of reel use to me.
(Hear, hear.) Now, whatever may be done by any
of us in this respect will be of no value to him who
receives the education Tiniest the receiver of it shall
really work hard himself. The condition of all benefitsof
this kind is that the receiver is to make as great an
atilt, as the giver niakes and a great deal more. The
receiver of education will have to work quite as hard
in order to learn with a teacher as without a teacher.
And the difference between a good system of educa-
tion and a had one is not that in one case the perron
educated has to work hard, and in the other cam he has
to wok lint very little, the differerice is that in the one
case hard work produces good mutts, and in the other
ease the hart work prosluees little result at all. The
hard work will he reqnired anyhow. fry no system of
education, whatever it may be, can possibly be made to
flourish unless there is a corresponding effort on the
part if those who are to be educated to make 11FC if it.
You have a great deal, therefore, in your hands, and
whatever might be done in the way of education here,
unless you put your shoulders to the wheel, unless you
put your wills to the tack, depend upon it very little
will be the result. (llear, hear.) It may be that,
as time goes on, we may succeed in organizing a eas-
tern of education that will penetrate through the
whole country. It may be that we shall be able
to bring withm the reach of everyone euch thorough
instruction as may be necessary to develrqre all his
faculties; but however well that be done, nnless you
care about it, unless you promote it, sinless you give
your hearts to it, the re-ult will certainly be poor.
(Hear, hear.) I have looked into educate nof every
kind in this country; I have done my best to under-
• stand all that has been done in other countries; I have
studied so carefully as I possibly could the various
systems that have been established ; but wherever
there had been success, I have noticed it is not this
system or that system --it is not that it is most in the
hand. of the (tovernment, or most in the hands of
voluntary agency— it is not whether it is precisely con.
structed on one model or another —hut it is where
those whit are to benefit by the elucation care shout it,
value it, put their heart* to it, encourage it—there it
is that it succeeds. (Applause.) And whatever is done
in that way, depend upon it yourown future, to a great
degree depend,; whatever is done in that way will be
ancaeseful, or will fail almost in proportion as you
chiroee to work it or not. (Hear, bear.) I am speaking of
education generally. You know well enough that if you
youreelvcs want to study anything at all, your chance of
really pumeeding in the sturdy depends upon your own
exertions. You cannot have come to manhood with-
out learning that. Anyone of you who knows a trade
knows perfectly well that no man can learn a trade
unless he will be diligent in learning, sad that not the
most successful teacher that ever lived will ever teach
a mans trade well, melees the men that hems teaching
choose to learn it. (Hear, hear.) The same thi..g
holds good of all that you have to learn. Whatever
you have to learn must depend upon your own exer-
tions, upon your own putting your will. to the work
or else you will have no success. But it is not only
abont the edocation of yourselves Lam speaking. I am
speaking also of the education of your children. There,
too, depend upon it, the same rule holds good. Yon
, may have the best possible schools, you may have he
; best possible teachers, you may have the best possible
; management, and unites the parents really care about
the education; unless they make their children feel