The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1870-02-26 00:00:00

Nocal ant) gistrcit *us.

STOURBRIDOE CHURCH OF ENGLAND
ASSOCIATION.

The annual tea meeting in eonneztion with
the above Association was held in the Corn Ex-
change, on Monday evening last. Amongst
those present were Mrs. Holden, Mrs. Hodgson,
Mrs. R. L. Freer, Mrs. A. Freer, Mrs. IL 0.
Firinstone, Mrs. W. Roberts, Mrs. W. M two,
Mrs. J. J. Welch, Mrs. P. Walker, Mrs. It. L.
Campbell, Mrs. H. King, Miss B. L. Freer, Miss
Collis, Misses Swindell, Miss Fisher, Misses
Jones iPwrkfield House), the Revs. J. Bolder°,
H. Sherrard, T. Williams, W. Hodgson, 0. M.
Holden, B. S. Malden, \V. J. J. Welch, Mestlis.
E. W. Bernard, Leaeroft Freer, A. Freer, W.
, Roberts, C. Oates, J. Hall, F. Swindell, J. Mat-
hews, H. Ring, F. Firmstone, E. Webb, P.
Walker, J. Oates, 0. Roberts, F. Roberts,
Jones, &c., .te. After an excellent tea, under
the superintendence of Mr. Sharman, confec-
tioner, High-street, to which about 250 sat down
the chair was taken by the Rev. J. S. Boldero,
the President of the Association, supported on
the platform by the Rev. T. Williatus, Mr. W.
Roberts, and Mr. E. W. Bernard.

The Chairman, on rising, was received with
loud cheering. He said they had been disap-
pointed by several gentlemen not coaling forward
to give addresses. He hoped those present
would be pleased with the entertainment. He
was a very poor hand at making a speech, so be
would read to them a few words he had written.
He was surprised to find a few weeks ago that
he was elected President of the Association.
If he had been at the election he should have
voted for some older and more tried friend of
the association to be president, but as he was
elected he would do all he could for the benefit
of the association—lhear, hear). The report
would be read by Mr. W. Roberts. It appeared
to him to be a very good report, and he trusted
it would be more favourable every year. There
ought not to be any party spirit in an amnia.
Bon like theirs was. To make the association
perfectly successful two things were absolutely
necessary, viz., an entire absence of party spirit
in the management, and an uncompromising
maintenance of Church principles, which were
neither more nor less than Bible truths. The
church to which they belonged was still called
the National and Established Church, though it
could not now be said to be the church of the
entire nation. They often regretted that so
many had left the fold of the church, and had
become actively hostile to it. So long as the
church was true to itself it ,oulei never be des-
troyed, so that he had no fear of it were it die.
established and disendowed to-morrow, though
he should consider such a thing a lamentable
affair for the country. He did not mean by the
absence of party spirit in the association that it
should be confined to the representatives of one
school of thought in the church. He considered
it fairest to hear both sides of the question.
There had always been different schools of
thought in the church, and he dare say there
would always be. Some persons had been dri-
ven from the church by the want of consistency
and charity on the part of churchmen. In the
large manufacturing districts the church accom-
modation was altogether insufficient, and other
labourers had slipped in, and taken possession
of the ground, whilst the church was only
quietly plodding on. What he wanted to im-
press upon them was that they should hold the
truth in love, and that they should make it the
work of the association to bind young men es-
pecially together to the service of the church ;
that by mutual and friendly intercourse, and by
the study of these subjects they may be made
not only better christians, but better citizens.
He counselled them to never lose eight of the
fact that they belonged to a distinct church so-
ciety, set up for the diffusion of church feeling
and church principles. He believed that al-
though the Irish Church was disestablished and
disendowed it would still flourish. There were
several important bills before Parliament, but
one of the most important was the National
Education Bill, introduced by Mr. Foster, which
gave him, and lie believed, every churchman
satisfaction, in that it did not do away with the
Present system and its religions teaching, and
lie believed it would end in greatly extending it.
They were living in very interesting times, and
it behoved them to build eip associatious like
these, and make them as useful as they could.
He would call on Mr. W. Roberts to read the
report._ _ .

'Mr. W. Roberts then read the report of the
association for 15169, which has already appeared
in our columns. They would see by the report
that they were about to remove to more commo-
dious premises, add they should feel proud to
receive any contributions either in furniture or
anything else. He concurred with the chairman
in respect to the compulsory education, but not
as regarded the unsectarian part of the educa-
tion.