The Express.
London, England, 1851-11-25 00:00:00

IRISH CHURCH MISSIONS.

Yesterday a City meeting in aid of the Society for
Promoting Church Missions to the Roman Catholics of
Ireland, convened on the requisition of a number of bankers,
merchants, and other influential citizens of Loudon, friends
of the society, was held at the Mansion-house (in the
Egyptian Hall), the Lord Mayor presiding.
His LORDSHIP opened the business of the del by ob-
serving that he had felt no difficulty iu complying with the
requisition to preside over a meeting the object of which
was to promote the best interests of our Irish Ito- '
man catholic Cello...subjects He felt that the la-
bour of the Society for Irish Church Missions
was one of the utmost importance, not only in reference to
the subject of Christian missions generally but especially
so in regard to the religious aud social welfare of the Irish
people. (Hear.) The object of the society was not to in-
fringe on the right of conscience. but simply to advance
amongst the Roman catholics of Ireland, that knowledge
which would make them wise unto salvation. Were it
otherwise, he would not have consented to preside, for on
all occasions he was prepared to allow that liberty of con-
science in others, which ho claimed for himself. (Hear.)
lie was, however, confident that in their dealings with
their Irish fellow-subjects, they would do nothing rashly,
but be influenced in all their acts by the principles of the
New Testament—to bear and forbear. (Hear, hear.) For
himself he was actuated only by the one motive—the pro-
motion of the moral, religious, and social advancement of
those in whose behalf they had met. (Hear.)
R. C. BEVAN, Esq., rose to move the first resolution.
They had evidence now of the great progress
the society was making—not merely the evidence of
zealous protestant and members of the society, but
those who had gone to Ireland with a strong bias
against the statements which had been made—men'
who supposed those statements to be greatly exa,rge
rated, and these had borne testimony to the ex-
traordinary results of the mission's work. The Ito. !
=mists themselves, too, who formerly pooh-poohed ! the
mission were now convinced that it was the means of
bringing thousands to salvation. The reason that Ireland
was the great political difficulty of England was that the
people were the tools of the priests. Set them free from '
their priestly fetter, and teach them to look on their
English fellow-subjects, not as Sassenach heretics, but as
brethren anxious for their temporal and spiritual welfare,
and willing to lend them a helping hand in their hour of
difficulty and distress (as they had shown they were, espe-
cially the citizens of Loudon)—(hear, hear)—and Ireland
would no longer be the great difficulty of Luglish govern-
ment, but would becorw a source of strength to the empire,
and her people would be in the enjoyment of happiness
and prosperity. (Hear, hear.) In conclusion he moved •
resolution declaring that the acknowledged success which
had attended the operations of the society justified the ex-
pectation that continued and increased efforts of the society
would produce the most beneficial results to the population
of Ireland in • religious and moral point of view, and
effectually tend to ameliorate the condition of the country
at large.
The Rev. A. R. C. DALLAS seconded the resolution.
He commenced by referring to the grant by James I. of a
whole Irish county to the City of London for the especial
purpose of promoting the protestant religion, and the
claims which such a society as the Irish Church Mission
had in consequence on that city. The society was wholly
religious. There was nothing political about it. (Heer,
hear.) Its promoters were aware that the Irish Roman
catholics had not gut the Bible, and their great object was
to place it in their hands, and then leave them to judge for
' themselves. (Hear, hear.) There had been no attempt'
made to coerce the conscience and liberty of the people by
the agents of the society, though such attempts were nut
wanting on the part of the priests. (llcar, hear.) The
charge of bribery which hail been brought by the priests
against the society hail not the slightest foundation. Indeed,
it was so absurd, that it was not thought worth while to con-
tradict it beyond the general assertion that it was untrue,
but to those who ,supposed it possible that there might be
some truth in the charge, they said, go and inquire, and
then judge for yourselves. The experience of the
society and all inquiry proved that if the people
were relieved from the influence of the Itumish
priesthood they would gladly read the Bible. The rev.
gentleman then proceeded to detail the rise and progress of
the society, the increasing number of the converts in each
succeeding year in the west and east of Ireland, and the
marked improvement which had resulted in the morals and
general social condition of the people. (Hear.) Since the
establishment of the mission anal the schools in connexion
with it crime had decreased materially. With the experi-
ence before them of past results, the question arose what ought
to be done? A plan had been sketched out thus—that if iu Os
many localities as their funds would allow, a simultaneous at-
tempt was made to reach the minds of the Roman catholics
(extending that effort all over Ireland if possible,) there was
reason to expect the result would be most encouraging in
its nature. The work had nlreadv began in Kilkenny, in
Carlow, in Tuam, in Enniscorthy, in ()away, and in
Drogheda. They had not dared to go further, their funds
would not permit them. It had been said, they must not go to
Drogheda, for there they would hive to meet Bishop Cullen,
and the people there were mostly bigoted Remnants; but
they had gone to Drogheda, and netwithstanning the most
bitter persecution, they had succeeded beyond their most
sanguine expectations. They had received applications
from Athlone, New Ross, Belfast, and 16 other places, but
the answer they were obliged to give in all these cases was,
" we have no means." (Hear, hear.) If they had 10,0001.
or 12,000/., they would be able to meet all these appli-
cations, and to carry out the simultaneous effort to which
he had alluded. He had tho pleasure of stating that one
person had already promised to subscribe 5031., on condition
that 10,000/. should be raised in sums of an equal amount,
to be subscribed within three months, and paid half in the
year 1852, and the other half in the year 1853.
The resolution was then put, and carried unanimously.
JOSEPH GURNEY HOARE, Esq., moved the next
resolution, pledging the meeting to support the society by
their pecuniary subscriptions and recommendations, and
appointing a committee to receive such subscriptions.
The Rev. R. BICKERSTETH, in seconding the resolu-
tion, spoke of the extraordinary success which had attended
the operations of the society during the three years it had
been in active existence. During that period no less than
between 20,000 and 30,000 persons had been brought from
the darkness of popery to the light of protestant and gee-
pel truth. (Cheers.) In West Galway, when the mis-
sion first commenced its labours three years sato,
there were not more than 600 protestant' there,
now there were between 6,000 and 6,000 per-
sons freed from Itomaniam, and attending the services
and instructions of the church; while upward/6ot 3,500
children of converts, or Romanist', were to be found in the
scriptural schools of the society. (Hear, hear.) Three
years ago that district, which was about 50 miles long by 30
miles broad, was characteristically Romish. Now it was
characteristically protestant, dotted over with protestant
churches and schoolhouses, called into requisition and ex-
istence by the labours of the missionaries and schoolmasters
of the society ; and the Bishop of Team had recently found
it necessary to make a public appeal for funds to erect
twelve new protestant churches in Galway for the
use of the converted Roman catholic". (Hear, hear.)
Nor was the movement confined to the poor. They had
evidence that it was spreading among the upper claws.
In the inquiring class established in Dublin many of the
middle and upper classes of Roman catholic," were now
amongst the regular attendants, and on a recent occasion a
barrister, alter a long controversy on the subject of the wor-
ship of images as sanctioned or condemned by the several
councils, declared that he would have no more
to do with the authority of the fathers, but
would take the Bible as his guide. (Hear, hear.)
The grand principle of the society. was to have no conceal-
ment, no reserve, no compromise in the language it made
use of in speaking of popery. (Hear, hear.) They were
not afraid of being called bigots when they spoke of popery
by it right name—when they spoke of It as the truth of
God's Word spoke of it, as the church of England spoke of
it, and as our constitutions poke of it—(cheers)—and as
they believed, not only fidelity to God's truth, but true
, charity to the 'Roman catholic" themselves required them
to speak of ii—true charity to his Irish fellow-subjects
' told him to speak of popery as a great lie—as antichrist—
(hear, bear)—and to call upon him to some out from the
idolatry of Romanism. (Cheers.) They went with the!
Bible in their hands and called upon the benighted Roman!
catholic' of Ireland to come out from a religion which was
idolatry, and to put their faith in the Word of God. I
(Hear, hear.) He believed it was the plain assertion of
this principle that had produced to the society a harvest far
exceeding their most sanguine expectations, and gave them
the prospect that ere long they would see Ireland indeed
happy, " great, glorious, and free"—(cheen)--• result
which would follow, not so much the social efforts making
for her benefit, as that she would have become an enlightened
and protestant country. (Cheers.) But to effect this money
was needed, to enable them to mad out more labourers.
He believed the society to be the hest means of ameliorat-
ing the social condition of Ireland, and of uniting it by the
fast endearing ties with this country. (Hear.)
The resolution having passed,
The Rev. W. WILKINSON then read • list of subscrip-
tions, including 10 guineas from thelLord Mayor; 100
guineas each from Mr. It. C. Bevan, Mr. Blanchard, Mr.
Brooking, and Mr. R. C. Duraut ; 25 guineas from Sir E.

Buxton ; and smaller sums from Mr. J. A. llankey, Al&
Wire, Mr. Dallas, he.
The Duke of MANCHESTER (president of the society)
moved a vote of thanks to the Lord Mayor for granting the
use of the hall for the purposes of the meeting and for pre-
sidcthe occasion.
Alderman
WIRE seconded the motion, and observed
that, though not a member of the established church, he
fully concurred in the movement now being carried OR by
the society, feeling convinced that the only means of raising
Ireland from her fallen state was to extend to ber a know-
ledge of the Gospel.
The LORD MAYOR briefly returned thanks; and the
meeting then separated.