The Express.
London, England, 1867-05-10 00:00:00

SOCIETY FOR THE PROPAGATION OF THE

GOSPEL.

The 166th anniversary of the Society for the
Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts was held yes-
terday afternoon in St..lame,'s-hall, which was crowded
in every part. The Ar.:llbishop of CANTERRIIRT was is
the chair ; and supporting him were the Right Honourable
W. E. Gladstone, the Earl of Carnarvon, Lord Lytteiton,
Earl Nelson, the Earl of Devon, Mr. Guest, M.P., Lord
Rollo, the Archbishop of Armagh, and the Bishops of St.
Asapn, Ripon, Ely, Gloucester, Lichfield, Sodor and Man,
Llandidf, Kingston, and Antigua.
Th... Cita IMISN, in stating the objects of the meeting,
briefly referred to the condition of the colonial churches.
It was, he said, to afford their representatives an opportu-
nity of giving expression to their views upon difficulties
and wants that he had consented to the assembly of
bishops to be held next September. His grace also feelingly
alluded to the premature death of the Lamented Bishop
Cotton.

Mr. GLADSTONE, in rising to move the first resolution,
which was one of full confidence in the ninet, was re.
ceived with prolonged cheering. He expressed him un-
flinching attachment to the society, sad said that respect-
ing the religious institutions of the colonies we had slowly
but unflinchingly arrived at the conclusion that it was
vain to expect that they could avail themselves of tempo-
ral support, although from the old traditions of the esta-
blished church in this country they would never depart.
It was impossible to exclude from consideration the diffi-
culties which in some portions of the empire, especially in
ine portion, had been encountered during the peat few
years. It . might be agreeable to the habits of
some countries, but certainly not to this, to pass subjects
of this kind over in silence. It was always best to look
difficulties at once in the face. Painful as it might be
that discord should be found creeping even into the
highest offices of the church, he confessed he could observe
in it no ground whatever for permanent illacouragement.
It was to be expected that circumstances like that would
arise from time to time. The church of England could
not expect to be exempted from controversies which had
perplexed, while at the same time they bad disciplined and
developed, the energies and mind of the Christian church
in all periods of her history. Let them look cheerfully
then at these present difficulties, and beware of pronounc-
ing a rash or hasty judgment ; let them resolve to abide
firmly by the sure and steadfast anchorage of their prin-
ciples, which would in the end work out their
own satisfactory application. One of the most
hopeful of all circumstances in connexion with
the colonial churches M;111, that there was a tendency
to marked union in the profession of our religion amongst
our fellow-subjects in distant quartersof the world. There
was some want of faith in the fears entertained that when
I once the assistance and control of the state werewithdrawn
from the churches of the colonies there would be a desire
to separate from the ingther church. Experience had
already been sufficient to warrant the dismissal of these
fears. Undoubtedly nothing in the world could be more
disparaging to the church of Eugland, as a system of
religion, than the belief that its existence depended
entirely, or even mainly, upon its temporal support.
(Cheers.) The experience furnished by various parts of
the world was, that when separated the colonial churches
were more anxious to assimilate themselves to the mother
church. Why were we to entertain there womanish fears
respecting our colonial churches? The arrangements of
the present meeting showed that in the affairs of the
society political differences had no piece whatever. In
former times, in conducting the business of ecclesiastical
legislation, it might be that in those narrower fields the
shades of political opinion that divided men made them-
selves felt ; but in the wider field in which the colonial
church had emerged those differences had entirely dis-
appeared. (Cheers.) He did not think that his noble friend
(the Earl of Carlini-von), who was to second the resolution,
when he assumed the seals of the Colonial-office, found
anything to disapprove of in the course that had been 1
taken with regard to the vital questions of church organi-
setion in the colonies by his predecessors in the govern-
meet of Karl Russell ; and be (Mr. Gladstone) might my
that his right hon. friend who preceded him in the
Colonial-office regarded with sympathy and warm concur-
rence all the noble earl's efforts in the same direction.
(Cheert.)
. . _

The Biel of Csananvon seconded the resolution. One
thing, at least, was certain, that, whatever might be the
changes that had taken place, and that were yet to take
place, it had in every age been the special virtue and privi-
lege of the Christian church that she had known how to
adapt herself to each change in social or political life.
Special difficulties might arise calling for special organise.
tMns, but the church would never find herself unequal to
the task of meeting what might arise. In this country it
bad long been our privilege to see the constitution founded
upon the principle of a national church, recognised by,
resting upon, and interwoven with, the law. At the same
time, let it be remembered, that a national church was
the growth and product of many centuries. There were
countries where society was so organised that religious
equality followed upon political equality, and until that
was achieved the church must depend upon the voluntary
efforts of her children. This was the case in many of our
colonies. What were we to do under such circumstances?
Was the church to abdicate her functionsbecause sheoould
not act under the same forms in the colonies as she did at
home ? God forbid. Or were we to attempt to force upon
the reluctant colonies the mere shadow—for it would be
nothing more—of an established church? That proposi-
tion condemned itself intim statement. (Cheers.) What
they had to do was to look every difficulty in the face, to
accept facts as they were, and trust the issue to the
church's own inherent power. (Cheers.)
The remaining speakers were the Earl of Devon and the
Bishop of Oxford.
Earnest appeals were made for assistance, as it appeared
from the report that the income of the society required an
immediate addition of 12,500/. per annum.