The Express.
London, England, 1866-10-11 00:00:00

In the course of a discussion on Tuesday,

The Bishop of RIPON, who was said to be the first bishop
who had ever read a paper at any Church Congress, read
one on the " Obligation and due observance of the Lord's
day." In the cause of it he considered the authority
which existed for saying that it was divinely appointed
that one day in seven should be kept holy. He argued
that the Sabbath existed pectoris' s before the call of Israel,
and was not to be confounded with the transitory ordi-
nances of the Judsical economy. As to the restrictions
observed by the Jews not being binding on Christians
because they bad ceased to be obligatory, he held
that, though the Jewish law had been repealed,
the old institutions of the Sabbath remained unim-
paired, and were not at all changed by any carnal ordi-
nance& By far the most convincing argument in support
of the perpetual observance of the Sabbath rested
upon the position the ordinance occupied among the ten
commandments delivered from Mount Sinai. That com-
mandment did not determine which particular day of the
seven should be kept holy, but provided only that every
seventh day was hallowed ; the fourth commandment was
literally obeyed. Works of necessity and mercy were not
regarded as an infringement of the Sabbath by the Jews,
nor should it be different with those who enjoyed the
liberty with which Christ had made them free. (Applause.)
The result of his lordship's paper was, that the institution
of the Sabbath was coeval with the creation, and of uni-
versal and perpetual obligation. It was an appointment
established at the close of the mix days of creation, and in-
cemented with the moral law proclaimed on Mount Sinai,
and it remained an undiminished obligation to observe it.
The Rev. T. ESPIN read a paper on the same subject,
and he said it did not conduce to the due observance of
the Lord's day to open • church at eleven o'clock with •
long string of services—morning prayer, litany, and com-
munion all aggregated—(applauseHand least of all would
it answer where the population consisted of working men
and the church accommodation wax insufficient. Let early
services be tried in such oases, and let the working man
have the noon with his family, and let him have his
Sunday walk in the fresh air and green fields. (Applause.)
After that, at seven o'clock or later, invite him to an
inviting evensong. Mr. Eapin depreciated Sunday excur-
sions, and remarked that those companies which most
needlessly and perniciously encored Sunday traffic
were not • very prosperous lot. (Applause.)
The Right Hon. J. NAPIER spoke on the subject, and
said there were difficulties about the change in the days
set apart as the Sabbath, bat the essence of the command.
ment was that there should be six days of labour and one
of rest. The working classes--though he hated that term
—were entitled to • clay of perfect and periodic rest ; but
as to the observance of it no precise form could be laid
down. It must be left to the heart and spirit of the man,
if only he was led to consider what he should render unto
the Lord for all his benefits. He would object to any-
thing like Pharissism being introduced into the church,
and he would have rejoicing, gladness, and diligent atten-
tion in the service of God, and the hearing and study of
His word. He did not object to man on Sundays finding
pleasure in surveying the works of nature and seeing God's
bounty in all around him. (Applause.)
The Rev. H. STEVENS, of London, argued that all
efforts at Sabbath legislation were likely to do more harm
than good.
Archdeacon DENISON said the belief seemed to be that it
was the poorer dames, and not the richer classes, who did
not observe the Sabbath. His belief was that in that
matter it was, as in every other matter, the richer classes
of the country who were to blame for any departure from
God's law, and he did not hesitate to say that in the highest
quarters it would have been well if • better example were
set. (Loud applause.) He concluded by giving an anecdote
which he had heard the previous day, and which had made
• put impression upon him. Some young gentlemen at
Winchester, who thought that they had • right to go into
parishes in which there were regular ministers and mini-
strations, had gone to the pariah of Hursley (the Rev.
John Kahle's) on • Sunday afternoon. When they got
there they said, " Dear me, where are all the people ?"
They called a poor little child left at home to take care of
her sick brother, and were told they had all gone to
church. The young men said " We'll wait till they come
out," and they did so ; end then they saw the people all
streaming down the village street towards • particular
field. They asked where they were going, and were told
that they had gone to play at cricket ; and—added Arch-
deacon Denison—l should have gone too, to play at
cricket. (Loud applause.)
Mr. A. J. BIRISPORD HOPE, M.P., after saying • few
words upon the Sabbath question, was beginning to
of the need of • more frequent observance of the Iheill;
Communion when he was called to order, and the discus-
sion was brought to a close.
In the evening the first meetings of the sections were
held, and all of them were numercualy attended.
In the Concert-room the subject for the consideration of
the meeting waii "The Colonial Church and Foreign Mis-
sions." The chair was occupied by the Bishop of Oxford,
and amongst those on the platform was the Archbishop of
Canterbury.
Papers on the 'abject of foreiggn missions were read
by the Rev. W. Key, D.D., and the Rev. E. Garbett. A
paper communicated by the Bishop of Calcutta was also
road, and addresses delivered by the Dean of Cape Town,
Mr. Cowell, and other gentlemen.
Yesterday morning, in the Congress-hall, the Archdeacon
of Time was in the chair.
The Dean of EMIT read a paper on "Preaching" (dog-
matic teaching from the pulpit). He said that the facts
of Christianity were, first, the cardinal dogmas of Chris-
tianity, and wisely adapted dogmatic teaching on the
person of our Lord would meet the want of the age. The
best way to prom the Christian faith in the 19th century
was simply to state it well, and it would prove itself to
the ears and intellects of all. They should bring before
the people not only single dogmas of their faith, but their
connection and harmony. He spoke of the dangers to be
avoided in dogmatic teaching, and said the abrogation of
dogma ended in the abrogation of morality.
The Rev. Canon SHIRLEY, D.D., had written a paper on
the same subject, which was read for him : and then the
Dean of Cove called attention to one fact connected with
dogmatic teaching, and that was that such teaching in
certain quarters was largely unpopular. It was the fact
that it was largely unpopular with the thinking and edu-
cated classes of the day. He pointed out that if it was not
the duty of the church to please the age, it was above all
the duty of the church to understand the age, to interpret
its wishes, and to give what it required. He showed that
• dislike of what was dogmatic was nothing less
than • dislike of dogma itself, and said science itself was
essentially dogmatic. It was the duty of the church to
proclaim the conviction not only that there were certain
great truths to be believed on authority, but truths which
were essential to man's eternal welfare. The remedy for
this state of things did not lie in the perpetual alterations
of formularies to meet the shifting philosophy and meta-
physics of the age, but the true remedy was their per-
petual translation in the pulpit.
Mr. SIDNEY Own; then made some remarks, after
which,
The Bishop of OXFORD said if the people were to receive
• dogma which embodied Christ they must be taught in
sermons ; and if taught in sermons the teacher himself
must have embodied them. The first condition to mend
matters in this respect lay in two simple things. First,
they must deepen the teacher in his own knowledge of
dogma. He believed the teaching of those who were pre-
paring for holy orders was in the most part very deficient in
' this instruction, and that there was a great undervaluing in
grounding them thoroughly in the great dogma of the
tThriatian faith. It was with this view that diocesan
colleges had been founded, and he would not let • single
word par undervaluing those colleges without uttering his
solemn protest against it. The second condition was that
not only should the dogma be learned as dogma, but it was
said well and by great reverence by one of the speakers
that the person of our blessed Lord embodied in it all
Christian dogma, so that the daily life of the clergyman
should be so framed and fashioned that it should be
receiving into its own spiritual texture the dogma he is
learning as intellectual truths. Other speakers followed
the bishop.
I In the Concert-hall, yesterday morning Lord Fevershem
was in the chair. Papers were read on " Diocesan and
Parochial Organisation," by the Rev. Canon Oakley and the
Rev. W. Cadman. Both urged the necessity of
an increase of the episcopate and the need of suffragan
bishops being appointed in overgrown dioceses. The
organisation of parishes in our densely populated districts
was also urged as imperfect. The Rev. Canon Madames"
referred to the unequal distribution of the clergy in pa-
rishes, showing that it often happened that in a large
church a man with • weak voice officiated, that in a
country parish a learned divine was the minister, whom the
people could not understand; and that in another a clergy-
man of imperfect training—and it could not be denied
that there were men of that class—was sent to minister
amongst • congregation who could appreciate the highest
gift of pulpit oratory. In conclusion, he spoke of the
increase of the episcopate, and pointed out faults con-
nected with the present system of church patronage. The
Earl of Harrowby followed with an advocacy of an increase
of the episcopate. The Rev. D. Wilkinson, the Rev.
W. J. Beaumont, the Rev. S. Huthwane, the Ven. Arch-
deacon Emery, the Archdeacon of Lindisfarne, Mr. Rut-
son, the Dean of Ely, and the Rev. P. S. Duval followed,
and in the main dwelt upon the imperfect system of
organisation both with regard to dioceses and parishes.
The section at the De Grey Rooms was presided over by
the Bishop of Ripon, and the 'objects for discussion were
" Adult and Sabbath Schools, and Catechising."
The first paper was on " Sunday Schools," read by the
Rev. E. JACKSON,' who for thirty years bad charge of
one school situated in a dense and poor part of Leeds. In
answer to the objection often made to Sunday schools, that
they failed to attach a large proportion of their scholars to
the church and her ordinances, be gave some statistics of
has own school. There were in it at the present moment
not fewer than a hundred communicants, and there were as
many in the congregation and elsewhere who had been
trained in the school. It had produced six ordained
missionaries now abroad, two active clergymen at work at
home, four more training for the ministry, and it had also
produced between thirty and forty certificated day school-
masters and mistresses. During the last thirty years it
had contributed an annual average of 301., and this year
501., in support of the missionary work of the church, the
whole of which was the voluntary offering of the poor
children and their teachers. One of the principal reasons
why the Sunday-school system should not be abandoned
was:the early age at which, in them days of hot coin-

did not keep pace _ poivalaa,
or the immersing activity of mind which a demoralising
and revolutionary press so greatly factored. The rev.
gentleman made a great number of suggestions to keep
alive the interest of the members of the church in Sunday-
school work.
Another paper was read by the Rev. F. Henan, D.C.L.,
" On Catechising " a practice which existed in the church
long before adult or Sunday schools were known. It was
indeed the mode of instruction of societies, and there was
no doubt St. Paul was an adept in that mode of teaching.
Although the word does not appear in the authorised ver-
sion, it does really occur repeatedly, and had been con-
tinued in the church in all ages and all times. It was
continued in the Lutheran and Heidelberg catechisms, and
other church catechisms, and the rule of one of the canons
of the prayer-book of Edward VL After the great re-
bellion, catechising was ordered to take place after the
second lesson, a practice which, however, practically disap-
in the Georgian era. The renewal of the catechism rn
Le:red of the present century was due to Archdeacon
Bathurst—(cheers)--and was now part of the system of in-
struction in many country parishes. It must be a work
undertaken in a spirit of prayer and obedience to the
practice of the church. All subjects and questions should
be designed to illustrate and enforce the dogmatic teaching
of the church, and her holy precepts, so that we may raise
up faithful sons and daughters of the church, to be her
polished comers in another age. (Cheers.)
The Rev. J. BARDSLEY said that there could be but
one opinion as to the importance and necessity of cote
chiming, but he proposed to confine his remarks to the
question of Scnday schools, and in considering them he
believed it was of the utmost importance to the clergyman
to have efficient teachers. (Applause.) He said teachers,
not preachav-(thear)--set on a stool and addressing an
oration to the children. They wanted teachers who could
take the articles, the collects, the catechism, but, above
all, a chapter of the Bible, break it into questions, and
forcibly impress it upon the minds of the children. Dares
the Sunday school that fixed the creed and formed the re-
ligious character. He earnestly deprecated any thought
depreciatory of Sunday schools which did give the laity
something to do—a something that proved to those em-
ployed that it was as blessed to give as to receive.
(Clieers.)
The Rev. B. Douala; of the diocese of Pennsylvania,
said all these problems had bees worked out on the other
side of the Atlantic, and that 999 of the elerg7 out of every
1,000 would almost as soon give up their church as their
Sunday schooL
Mr. JOSHUA G. Frrnit bore testimony to the excellent
results of training classes for teachers, which had been in
operation many years in London.
The Rev. W Bans said the greatest enemy of the
church and of the school was the public-house and gin-
palace.
Some further discussion on this subject took place, and
the proceedings terminated.
In connexion with the Ecclesiastical Art Exhibition at
York, a series of meetings were held in the De Grey
Rooms. The first of these took place on Tuesday evening
last, under the presidency of the Hon. Colin Lindsay,
when the Rev. C. J. Geyt read a paper on "The Common
Sense of Ritual." A discussion followed, in which Dr.
Lee, of London, the Rev. E. A. Hillyard, of St. Lawrence's,
J
Norwich • the Rev. J. B. Pollock, of Birmingham ; and
the Rev. J. R. Lunn took part.
Yesterday the subject of discussion was the " Ritual of
the Eucharistic Office" on which a paper was read by the
Rev. Dr. Littledale, throe who took part in the discussion
being the Hon. Colin Lindsay, Mr. J. F. Holden, and the
Bishop of Dunedin.
Votes of thanks were then accorded to the Rev. Dr.
Littledale and the chairman, after which the proceedings
'laminated.

SIR JOHN AND MR. J.JICOLERIDGE ON

The autumnal session of the iptist
Great Britain and Ireland was commeuced on Tuesday
evening by a large meeting at Myrtle-street chapel, Liver-
Pool-
In the course of the evening Dr. Ilieotantii addressed
the meeting on recent events in Jamaica, and thus referred
to the position in which the Baptist missionaries in that
island have been placed by the inquiries of the Royal com-
mission :—" And now, in conclusion, let me remind you that
our brethren were among the first to be charged as the
authors of this sad calamity. Naturally all of us
looked with deep anxiety to the report of the oom-
miasioners to learn the truth of this. The report
was at length issued, sad we turned over its pages
with extreme anxiety. Had we not in our mind's
eye the venerable head of a Phil
and had we not the noble Tenby, of Salter's-hill, among
those there in court that suffered much ; and to suppose
that Tenby, Hewitt, Henderson, and Maxwell, and others
were guilty of complicity in this riot was a dreadful thing
to expect ; but 10, there was not • word about that, and
those commissioners who were sent out to trace the origin,
causes, and circumstances of the disturbances at Morant
Bay have not a word to say about our brethren. (Applause.)
No, our brethren challenged their accusers; they were
represented by banisters and solicitors, and they dared
Mr. Eyre to repeat the statements be bad made before the
royal commissioners ; and when he dared not do it, or wee
too prudent to repeat the charges ahead, made, theyoffered
to disproveeverr statement that had beeninade ; andwhatis
the answer of the comorisioners ? `Gentlemen, no one
accuses you, end therefore we need not hear your refuta-
tion.' (Applause.) And now for a moment I will refer
to the northern part of the island, where the Rev. Mr.
Koibb sowed the seeds of freedom. During the whole of
these terrible events there was order, there was social
peace and quietude, congregations met with their usual
regularity on the Lord's Day, and when told of the fearful
events at Morant Bay, instead of showing athition to
join the rioters, their regret was deep and profound, and
' there the spirit of loyalty was everywhere displayed. And
wherever our brethren laboured that is found to be the
case, and so even now the planters of the island
are beginning to think that if the labours
of the Baptist missionaries in these parts of the island are
followed by loyalty end peace and order, and an elevated
spirit of service to God, it might have been if tWt
missionaries bad been at Morant Bay the riot wouM not
have occurred st all. (Applause.) And so the planter is
offerine; us land to establish a mission in Morant Bay.
(Renewed applause.) And there are magistrates in the
parish of St. Thomas's-in-the-east prepared to welcome
our brethren, knowing they go there to preach the doc-
trines of truth and piety and peace ; and, as if to crown
the efforts of our brethren as beyond all doubt, we have
the testimony of Sir Henry Storks, who, through the
missionaries themselves, sends us a message entreating us
to establish • station at Morant Bay, and, not content
by the message through them, has personally to our trea-
surer, to my coliue, and to myself, repeated the lame
desire. The Bo Commission not only acquits our
brethren, but asks them to take these people in hand and
impart to them that knowledge, light, truth, and love, to
prevent for the future those violent outbreaks spinet the
law. (Applause.) Christian men, if you want a full and
complete justification of the course pursued by our
brethren in Jamaica, you have it first in the discharge
given to them by the Royal Commissioners, and then by
the fact that they are thus invited to take in hand these
poor people at Morant Bay, hitherto in the hands of the
church of England and some others. But now they
ask us to take in hand and create them the
same spirit of loyalty and peace which prevailed in
other parts of the island. (Applause.) In conclu-
sion, I have but one word to say, and that is, brethren,
continue the confidence you have hitherto displayed in our
missionaries in the island of Jamaica, standing, as they do,
as the defenders of the poor--standing, as they do, as the
defenders of right and as the representatives of English
constitutional liberty both in civil and religions affairs ;
for, be it remembered, out of this riot Aram the determi-
nation, if possible, to destroy miesionary exertions—to
deport from the island our brethren who thus stood by the
oppressed and the poor. I say, then, that these Christian
men, your brethren, stood there as Tour representatives
and as the defenders of truth, right, liberty, and freedom
both of body and soul. You will not receive these idle
and calumnious charges, but you will cast them from you,
believing it is only a repetition of the old thing that the
world who have turned the world upside down have come
hither." (Loud and continued applause.)

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