The Sun.
London, England, 1849-11-23 00:00:00

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SUN OFFICE, Seven o Clock.

IRISH CHURCLIMISSIONS TO THE
ROMAN CATHOLICS.—(TBIS DAY.)
A special meeting of this society was held this
afternoon at Exeter Hall, for the purpose of receiving
information from a deputation, who, at the request of
the committee, bad visited the missionary stations
and other spheres of labour, and were present at the
recent tour of " confirmation " of the Lord Bishop
of Tuam.
The meeting was very numerously attended, and a
considerable portion of the audience consisted of ladies.
His Grace the Duke of Manchester, the President
of the Society, presided, and besides his Lordship we
noticed on the platform the Rev. Dr. M'Neile, the
Xev. A. R. C. Dallas, the Rev. Edward Bickersteth,
the Rev. Hoare, Capt. Gordon, Mr. Plumptre, M.P.
After prayer had been offered up,
The CHAIRMAN said he should best consult the in-
terests of the society which he had so warmly at heart.
as well as the feelings of the meeting, if he did not
detain them by making any observations of his own,
and cimply called upon those gentlemen who com-
posed the deputation that visited Ireland to state the
progress of the work which they had in hand.
The Rev. Mr. DALLAS having been first called
upon by the Noble Chairman, said, after making a
few preliminary observations, that about three years
ago the originators of the society had good rea-
sons to believe that a change had passed over the
minds of the Romanists in Ireland. He did not
propose to enter into the manner in which that change
had been worked, still less did he mean to go at length
into the extent of the change, but he might say that
many circumstances had occurred to bring it about.
They found it necessary in the first instance to
ascertain and test the real feelings of the people.
This gave rise to much difficulty, and
great consideration had to be used upon
the point. At last, however, after taking into consi-,
deration the lynx eyed jealousy which every move-
ment of the Protestants for the advancement of truth
in Ireland was watched by the Jesuits, and also the
injudicious openness by which too many of their early
efforts had been marred and blasted, they deemed it
advisable, without resorting to any public appeal, to send
forth privately, and he was not afraid to say, under
the circumstances, secretly, a number of agents, to
ascertain what was the real state of the minds
of the Irish Romanists. The result of the labours
in which these messengers of God had been
engaged was most successful, and fully justi-
fied the confidence which had been reposed in
them. Though the people had been bound with
the habitual chains of superstitution, though the
fetters rivetted upon them had been placed there in
their earliest youth, binding and enslaving the mind,
and making them tremble at the thoughts of offending
or disobeying the priests, and even tremble at one
another, yet a very large portion were found to be dis-
believing, and rejecting that which they were in the habit
of worshipping at mass, and earnestly desiring the
acquaintance of some one who would instruct them in
the truth. The Reverend Gentleman then proceeded
to detail the efforts of the missionaries in the extreme
west of Galway who had succeeded in making
a great number of converts. When the results of
their labours were communicated to the Bishop of
Tuam, was taken by surprise, and he said if the facts
reported by them were true, they were by far too im-
portant to be neglected. After ascertaining the truth
of the reports, the Bishop sad, " Why let us have a
confirmation," and about three months ago a letter
was received by him from the secretary of this so-
ciety, stating that he had appointed a confirmation,
and requesting that some one might be sent from
London to attend it in company with him. Ac-
cordingly the committee appointed himself and the
Rev. Mr. Wiikius)n to go over to Ireland, and they
had the gratification of seeing the Bishop, and wit-
nessing his confirmations. The Rev. Gentleman:then
gave a very interesting account of their progress
through the district of Galway, and the enthusiasm
with which they were everywhere met, the people
in one instance crying out -' Here comes the Protes-
tant Bishop of Tuam, and not the cursing
bishop."—(Cries of " Hear, hear," and laughter.)
No less than 401 converts from the Roman Catholic
faith, and 47 not Roman Catholics, had been con-
firmed by the Bishop, and received from his hands
the holy sacrament. Seeing that the field of
their exertions was so large, and the number of
people it contained so great, he thought even 10,0001.
would be a very small sum to be employed by the
society when they reflected on all the consequences
that might result from it, and considered that nothing
could further more the glory of God, the good of the
people of Ireland, and ultimately the benefit of the
Christians of England, than the labours which the
society had been established to originate and promote.
The Rev. Mr. Wiextesors, who accompanied the
previous speaker, gave a brief account of their pro-
ceedings in Galway, and of the enthusiasm which had
every where followed them.
The Rev. Mr. BICKERSTETH moved a resolution,
expressing the thankfulness of the meeting to God for
the encouragement given to the labours of the society,
and expressing its sense of the valuable services of
the clergy, missionaries, and other agents employed
by the committee in the West of Ireland. Roman
Catholicism, he believed, was an apostacy from true
Christianity, and the Protestant religion was the
only means by which the present deplorable state of
Ireland could be regenerated.
The Rev. Mr. Hoarse seconded the resolution,
which was put and carried.
Capt. GORDON moved—" That the meeting reve-
rently acknowledged the hand of God in the prosperity
which had attended the spread of divine truth over
that hitherto uncivilised and benighted country, and
would also recognise the deep responsibility under
which British Christians were thereby placed, and
would also humbly and earnestly pledge itself to
increased efforts to enable the society to meet the
demands thereby made upon it."
The Rev. Dr. M'NEILE seconded the resolution. He
wi.hed it to be understood that they did not seek to
propagate Christianity by means of coercion ; but
what they said was that errors should not be taught
in Ireland through bribes from the Treasury.—
(Cheers.) The Irish Protestant clergy were unani-
mous in agreeing that Roman Catholics had not the
Gospel ; that was the first grand point or statement
upon which they set out ; and the next was
that they had many false notions concerning certain
assumed dogmas of their religion, on which it was
importiy-lt they should be instructed. The third fea-
ture of their plan was, that the Protestant clergymen
looked now upon all the inhabitants in their
parishes as being nnder their spiritual charge,
and as persons to whom it was their duty
to preach the Gospel. The fourth feature was
that all the clergymen were ready to do their best to
co operate in any work for the conversion of Roman
Catholics in their different parishes. This was the
grand object. What he wanted all those whom he
addressed to do was, to give a similar promise to the
committee ; for all they required was, the assistance
and co-operation of friends in the great work which
the society had undertaken.—(Cheers.)
Mr. reumr-rae, M.P., briefly addressed the meet-
ing in favour of the resolution, which was put and
carried unanimously.
A vote of thanks was then passed to the Chairman,
which he briefly acknowledged, and the meeting
separated.
A collection in aid of the society was made at the
doors, on the departure of the company, and a large
sum was collected.