The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1825-10-15 00:00:00

MARINERS" CHURCH SOCIETY.

On Wednesday, pursuant to public advertisement, a meeting a
the friends of the above Institution at Liverpool, wan held is tit
Chapel of the Blue Coat Hospital, School-lane, in that town, tit
Lord Bishop of Chester in the Chair.
}iis Loa Della commenced his speech (on taking the Chair) by
observing that it was with mingled feelings of satisfaction ire
concern that he was called on to preside at this meeting—nee
faction as a Minister of the (impel, placed in the responsible s
(tuition of diffusing religious instruction among the class of per-
sons for whose benefit this Institution was forming. end con-
cern at seeing AO small a number of persons before him. It was
also with much regret that he had perceived a difference at
opinion on so interesting, so important a subject, and he he
endeavoured to conciliate all parties, and to preemie the crepe
ration of all, but he had not been altogether 'successful; he how.
ever looked forward to the conciliation of all the ministers oriel'.
scion in this measure. It might have been expected that from the
Imam number of merchants in this populous town, whose power and
affluence are derived by the means of the sailors, a much greater
number could have attended for the purpose of furthering the ote
jects of an institution for the use of that invaluable clan of own,
whose lives are risked in their service. The minds of the Christian
public are awakened to s sense of that most important tenth. that vie
are all bound to watch user the salvation of our brethren, more par.
ticularly those with whom we are connected by civil and social ties.
It would be only dealing out a series of truisms were be to coterie
I on the fact of the merchants being indebted to the seamen for their
opulence and prosperity. and this country for the proud station it it
present occupies. Vet how miserably, for the most part, have those
men been neglected, until of late years! It was the duty of oath
a Oovernment as ours to make provision for those brave men;
and in proportion, the merchants were also bound to make
a provision for the seamen employed by them. With regard
to seamen, they are a body of men who had their peculiar
advantages and disadvantages in obtaining religious instruction.
Their disadvantages were great ; they were debarred from the cots.
forts of attending divine worship on the Lord's day ; add to this
there were peculiar tempt:ilium to the life they led ow-board ship, and
their personal restraint, during a long and frequently perilous voyage.
rendered them liable and prone to break out into every excess ii
they were not bound by religion. Their advantages were in being
debarred from many of the vices and follies of shore, by being
restrained on board under strict discipline. In a recent public
journal, his I.ordship observed, whose columns are generally used
for the propagation of morality, he had seen an article on the un.
reasonableness of instilling religious instruction into the minds of
this class of persons, and he was astonished to find that a journal
would so far pollute its pages. [lie Lordship next alluded to the dig.
*enters' ffoatine, chapel, and said that our dissenting brethren had
done their duty in providing the means of religious instruction
for their seamen. as it accorded with their tenets; by so doing
they were saved froM neutrality' and indifference on the or,.
hand, and from enthusiasm and superetition on the other. His
Lordship therefore called on the meeting to provide that religious
instruction for the seamen which accorded with the forms and dig.
cipline of the Eeteblialteo Church. 11'as it possible to conceive
that by en doing the courage of the seamen would be in the feast
diminished ? or would they be less inclined to do their duty
Surely not, the question answered itself ; no danger can accrue to
this country by the diffusion of Christian priceiples the most
minent success had attended it in the port of London, although the
beneficial results would be still greater had the promoters of it made
more exertione. It was a circumstance not to be lac sigl.t of that
the character of the community as a Chri,trian people in foreign
parts wan a matter of the utniost importance. The channel,
through which the light of Christianity is diffused in many parts
abroad, see, by the sole means of our seamen, and therefore it was
important that the conduct of our seamen in foreign cowers,"
should do justice to the exertions of the British people. Considering
this was a great nautical or commercial country, the religious da-
ter of our seamen was of the highest importance. Ot all classes of the
community sailors were most exposed to sudden death, and whet a
was considered that even the longest life was still too short for prepe-
ration. what as awful fact to know that Po numerous a class of met,
should be without the aid of religious consolation. and perhaps is the
state of ignorance would be plunged into eternity. His bordsbia
then commented on the beneficial results from a floating chap,;
which was established at Dublin, under the auspices of the earte
bishop of that city, by which numerates seamen were imbibing
tsbenetoi7Oselpe'tsl %of4lnUgthdreagrerd to the interestdrationlleiri'i his Lordship took in chi
t
Institution, ministefrie
Institution, he thought it right to say lie entered into it with
perfect good faith from the beginning; he often had (wasted
to lament that the subject had not been taken up with
sufficient warmth by the ministers of the Established Church
generally •he was bound in Joe-ice to the Committee to ley that
he thou„ ht the regulations which haul been proposed by them
were sufficient to obviate all objections, and he should cc'
tninly give them his support. A question had arisen whether'
floating Chapel was more expedient than a free Church on shore:
he certainly thought that if a large commodious church multi be
both near the docks where seamen and their families could mon.
and it could lie consecrated, such a place of worship might per*,
be preferable, but the expense of such an undertaking, and tae
length of time that would necessarily elapse, were very mate,
mules to this proposition ; at all events there could be no 'leer•
don to proceeding in the mean Clint with a Boating chapel. 'Pte
present floating chapel in this port was principally supportad by
seceders from the Established Church; his Lordship did not wall
to detract from the praise due to his dissenting brethren, but be
wished to allude to his opposition in the }!Dose to a chest is 50
Act of Parliament, exempting floating chapels from dock does: be
did it from principle, and if that were allowed, Dissenting Chapels
would in time get exempted from the payment of parish retie or
tithes. It was not from want of charity, for he would biased
sooner pay the doek does, but it was • sense of duty which obliged
him to oppose it. Regarding the conduct of the Committee of 0'
Institution, his Lordship was afraid there was a want of a fell and
confidential communication between the Clergy in large cane there
gentlemen ; he did not blame the Committee. because dim had
been sonic sort of notification made to the Clergy, end, if they bad
attended to it, it would have been as well. If there were any
curacies in the Committee's proceedings, it was to be attributed le
accident and not design. His I.ordehip condoled a long spee,
by earnestly calling on the public for filar asif in establidurg &sit
supporting a measure of such vast benefit to our fellow creaturea
At his Lordship's request, the proceedings of a former day eve
read, with the regulations of the institution. In the reel" Yi
SM.e observations his lemiship said he had waited on Lord Ild•
trifle, who had wont/tied to present the Trustee' with a noted el%
to be fitted up u a Floating Chapel.
A Clergyman, with whose HIM! we were not acquainted, waled
whether the Chapel sae to lie consecrated.
The Bishop replied, that it amid not be consecrated : hero*
the law only anthorieed consecration when they had a freeheld or
an entlovenone and he presumed that • Floating Chapel meld hot
be called freehold. He should merely license the Chapel.
His Lordship's answer caused some merriment in the Meettlehe
A long dasultoey conversation then took place, ea the queetkrM
adjournment. for the purpose of procuring the co-operation of 1'
dividuals who had withdrawn themselves from the Institution:
among whom are most of the Clergymen; one party it germed
.
wittier' for a tree church on shore, and the resent Mit tirlfio..;
evidently in favour of a Floating Chapel. His Lerdship
_ll_.
was extremely reluctant to abandon the present measure for the 71
mote contingency ul • tree Church. At length it was 'term"
to adjourn the al eeting for a feet days to give his lewdship cars 5_P:
porhinity of consulting with his Clerge. stud the result to be
.ce_md.
niunicated to a deputation from the Committee, melt his L'u`
ship ; after which a public Meeting will be again called.
Pthanks
tet
his ed.eirietiiluerLontaioartunirmicniupprodhrtimevflooytintedrgettuotThht:iweaßt
thanks,
Apo, fo:st haeishibele calrell'7,
in separated.