The Sun.
London, England, 1841-08-04 00:00:00

THE PRESENT DUTY OF THE

CHURCH.
MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE.

TO THE MODERATOR AND OTHER CLERGYMEN OF THE
ESTABLISHED CHURCH OF SCOTLAND.

DEAR SIRS AND FELLOW-COUNTRYMEN—We solicit
your deliberate attention, since we appeal to you on mat-
ters which alike interest Christians and citizens of every
name. We had hoped to obtain your audience through
another medium, but the arrangements to which we
trusted have been unsuccessful. We desire not to ex-
clude you from a common sympathy, and an equal op-
portunity of benevolence and co-operation with ourselves
and fellow-subjects, while we honestly believe we have
been permitted to engage in a generous and honourable
enterprise.
We employ the allusion, not as a reproach, when we
call to remembrance the claim which has been often
urged for your ecclesiastical establishment as the poor
man's church. Undoubtedly many devoted members
within your pale. and thousands who have never sought
any other fold than your communion, and who trust to
you as their only religious instructors, are numbered as
the children of toil, whose weary portion is to labour
hard in ill-requited industry, and to feed scantily on
high-priced and heavily-taxed bread. The faithful
amongst you who, as parochial clergymen, mingle with
their people, and watch over the sorrows and privations
of the lowly and indigent, can testify, that myriads of
the community are not only scarcely fed and miserably
supplied with the means of subsistence, but have their
minds alienated from religion and filled with' hostile
surmises about the selfish and uncharitable heartlessness
of all clergy as Christian teachers. The sneers and scoffs
heaped on religion, and the bitter scorn meted out on
the Saviour's name for this presumed indifference of all
spiritual functionaries to the plundered and suffering,
will not only Be present to your memory, but be painful
to your mind in consideration of the reproach which thus
unmeritedly falls on your Lord.
You have not always been listless to such considera-
tions, or callous to the impoverished condition of your
community ; especially when exigencies have arisen from
inclement seasons and unpropitious harvests ; your days
of prayer, when rain has been withheld, and your thanks-
givings, when a bountiful harvest has been reaped, have
betokened your devout concerns in such matters. When
only a section of the country has been visited by the
withering blast, the sterile drought, or the ungenial cold,
(we refer to it as a matter of history,) you have hesitated
not, and feared no imputations for secularity or for
courting the 'applause of worldly men ; you seemed not
to dread the suspicion of hollow-heartedness or hypocri-
tical sympathy for the poor. Thus, when the Orcadians
and inhabitants of Shetland had been visited with
the calamity of a fruitless harvest and the coinci-
dence of occasional failure in their fishery, a deputation
of your body, composed of Dr. M'Leod and others of
your most eminent men, was delegated to the metro-
polis and the large provincial towns, and employed for
weeks to plead for charity, and summon the resources of
fphilanthropy, to aid the famishing and miserable suf-
erers in the hour of their need and despair.
Perhaps it was prudent, then, not to discuss the prin-
ciple of that law which restricted them from providing
against such a calamity by the interchange of the pro-
duce of their sea coasts for the grain of continental coun-
tries ; whose consumption of fish would have equalled
their largest demand for cheap and seasonable supplies
of wheat. Nevertheless it is true, that when afterward
the liberality of benevolence had enabled them to draw
from the watery deep the bounties of a propitious Provi-
dence,
.which neighbouring countries were anxious to
purchase, the law prevented the exchange on equal
terms, and again exposed the Orcadians to the hazard
and perils of a yearly recurring famine.
Was it wise and 'generous thus to • interpose your reli-
gious character and influence in an emergency, which
straitened a few thousands, and which was aggravated
by unjust and impious laws ? Or will you plead that
your sympathy was excited, and your energies devoted
to their relief only because it was presumed their wants
originated immediately in a visitation of God ? Would
it, then, be less wise and just to exert yourselves where
the sufferers are millions, and the ostensible and only
cause of evil is the unequal and injudicious legislation
of men ? Is not your obligation to exert yourselves
doubly enforced by the consideration that the system (if
an evil one,) may be altered and remedied by the en
grossing of a parchment roll in obedience to the united
and constitutional prayers of a loyal and virtuous people ?
Some of you may question the wisdom or expediency
of revoking the Corn-laws, and may doubt whether this
would cure the evil. We have indeed been told that we
cannot reckon on your co-operation in the contemplated
movement, because from the present fiend system, and
the interest which by the glebes, &c., you have in the
high price of agricultural produce, your secular emolu-..
ments are augmented in proportion as restrictive laws on
the • supply of food have their operation. If, how-
ever, such a connection does subsist, and if, hence,
natural apprehensions should arise, yet surely an
equitable settlement might be obtained in any
legislative change. But if any hazard of dimi-
nution should appear to threaten your temporal in-
terests in competition with the interests of millions of a
starving people, will you suffer such contingency to de-
tain you from our conference ? Can you incur the im-
putation, or expose, yourselves to the suspicion that sel-
fishness or avarice prevents your judgment, and dictates
a national injustice—a universal calamity ;or that you
have no confidence in your principles, and no faith in the
master whom you profess to serve, for a provision such
as your wants require if you obey him, and do justly,
and love mercy ? What a fearful responsibility would
be thus incurred ! What would be the effect but to
countenance the vilest and most slanderous accusations
of our enemies against our sacred religion, and to lay it
open to the ridicule of the infidel and the profane ?
But you do not all entertain the apprehensions to which
we refer. There is one whom many of you delight to
honour, and whose writings possess among you an autho-
ritative reputation. His sentiment on the subject and
his expressions we gladly echo, that you may all be
induced to give the subject a patient and thoughtful con-
sideration.
For the sake of its moral benefit, we know of no
achievement more urgently desirable than that of a free
corn trade. There is not a more fertile topic of clamour
and burning discontent all over the land ; and, were it
but effectually
put at Test, we are aware of nothing
which
might serve more to sweeten the breath of British
society.'
Such is the emphasis and decision of Dr. Chalmers's
judgment on "
question of free trade. freeraa
ndde choar trade,"
dn
not assumed
supmreodnoitce
tisnprdesewrn•ht eformi-
dable magnitude.
intensity andbefore the discussion had arrested
agitation
sty by
the public mind to the a'
teevery apprehensionday,
s pr 0
nee whichd
now gains aceumulrtive_
ings, and the fearful e° motions of the commercial I
world. If these words were truerwhen
now. With us
first written they
come with a thousand times more force
free trade is no topic of idle clamourfind
that with multitudes it " is fertile
of burning
though we
discontent,
since it is denied by a dominant part
and the refusal of it threatens the party in ourfoundations legislature;
society, and with appalling terror excitesr of
the apprehen-
sions of sober and enlightened reasoners.
Will you reftise to join us in seeking a prayerful and
just settlement of this absorbing question ? Can you re-
fuse your aid " to sweeten the breath of British society,"
which such a movement is likely to serve ? We embrace
you in the terms in which we have invited ten thousand
ministerial coadjutators, without any affectation of the
spirit of catholicity. We say to you, as ministers of re-
ligion, come in the bonds of kindness and reciprocal
fellowship, and let selfish interests and partisan prejudi-
ces be laid on the altar of our common country, white
we inquire and take counsel how we may best and most
effectually promote the prosperity of Britain, the peace
of the communV
, and the paramount authority of our
holy religion. e repeat to you what we have said in
part to the Methodist Conference, and entreat you, as we
have besought them, to consider what is present duty
"
and what our God requires of you. If Nehemiah re.
buked the nobles because they oppressed the people and
brought them into bondage by keeping up corn ; and if,
by the prophet Isaiah; the God of heaven and earth has
taught us that the fast which he has chosen is to undo
the heavy burdens, to fet the oppressed go free, and to
cleal bread to the hungry, then surely Ministers of reli-
gion are only legitimately fulfilling the duties of their
province when they take counsel how food may be ob.
tained for the necessities of their fellow men.
Receive as from us and the Committee whom we re-
present, the circular appeal which has been issued bear-
ing the name of our respected friend and colleague in this
good work, Mr. George Thompson ; and believe us, fel-
low-countrymen, yours faithfully,
J. W, MASSIE, Chapel-street Chapel, Salford.
WILLIAM M'KEREOW, Lloyd-street Chapel.
Manchester, August 2, 1841.