The Sun.
London, England, 1834-01-23 00:00:00

CHURCH MEETING AT CHELTENHAM

(Abridged from the Cheltenham Chronicle.)
Pursuant to the notice given at the rrcent private meet

log, a public meeting of the. members of the Established
Chtirch was held on Tuesday at the National School.
One o'clock was the appointed hour for meeting, and
within a few minutes of that time the room was crowded
with the principal gentlemen and tradesmen of the town
and its vicinity. On the motion of the Rev. F. Close,
seconded by the Rev. W. M. Kinsey, R. B. Cover.
E•q., was unanimously called to the chair.
The CHAIRMAN then rose Ind said that having had the
honour to be called to the situation which be now filled.
it became his duty on this occasion, as indeed it was the
duty of every meeting called for a purpose like the
sent, to request the Rev. Incumbent of the parish to corn
snence the proceedings with prayer.
The REV. F. CLOSE then offered up some appropriate

petitions to the Most High, and concluded with the Lord'•
Prayer, which was devoutly responded to by all present.

_ .
The CHAlRMAN—Gentlemen, I am now called on to
explain the objects for which the present meeting is eon
vened. A conference between the clergy and laity took
place in this tower; about a week ago, at which certain
u
fiu
fe d
sentiments were expressed, and a certainruesbol mui resolution
adopted, which it was then agreed should he submitted
to a general meeting, by them to be ernlodidand,rati
~.led;
For this purpose the present meeting is called
to-
gether ; and, as this is intended to be a meeting of the
friends of the Church, and of those only, of course no
person who is not a member of her communion can be
permitted to speak. I believe the report published by the
diocesan meeting at Gloucester is intended to be the
t' ground work of our proceedings, and I therefore request
that Mr. Close will now read it.
The Rev. F. CLosx then read the report, which re-
commended a union of clergy and laity to maintain the
fundamental doctrines and polity of the Church.
Major AsteEw then rose to propose the first resolution,
which met his cordial approbation.—(Hear.) I have
one object much at heart in addressing this meeting in an
early part of its proceedings—_l would earnestly deprecate
any share in political feelings of animosity. I would also
disabuse the public of one error under which it seems
to labour. The opponents of our present measures
argue as if we were laying to the charge of Mi-
lliliters an intention of altering the Prayer Bools3
Now I would show, that whatever may be the mind
of the King's Ministers upon this subject, our duty, on
this occasion remains the same. Suppose the present
' Government are as jealous of the rights of the Church,
and of the integrity of the Prayer Book, as any of the
warmest friends of the Church—then, I say, let us come
. ' forward and strengthen their hands by our honest protes-
tations, and deliver them from the necessity of yielding to
the clamour of our enemies.—(Hear, hear.) If the
Government be indifferent to the subject, let us show that
we are not so-and if it be hostile to our Church and her
Ritual, let us raise a thousand warning voices to them,
• and show that we are prepared to resist encroachments,—
(Hear, hear.) I will go one step further and admit that
no official organ of Government has yet announced their
intention of touching the Prayer Book ; but he that
regards the signs of the times, and still declares that be
'-,/ , discovers no symptoms of danger to the spiritual interests
s- of the Church must be wilfully blind. The facts I ad.
duced on a late occasion on this point, I have seen further
' corroborated since we last met. The sentiments of the
1,1
' Archbishop of Dublin's chaplain, as given in a reform
pamphlet to which I have referred you, have received the 11
sanction end recommendation of the Archbishop himself.
The observations of his Grace, and that of his brother of
Chichester, are definitive, and cannot be mistaken.
' His Grace treats the Convocation as a body irre-
:i .'f claimably defunct, and recommends a Commission to
1:_ govern the Church. He speaks of " proposed alters-
-0: , tioos in the Liturgy" as a thing assumed—yes and in the
t" Articles"—nay, will ye u believe it—in the " authorised
version of the Scriptures:" mark that, not the Prayer
. • Book alone, but the Bible, our admirable version, is to be
! subjected to the corrections of a Commission.—(Hear.)
li The enemies of the Church have often described her as a
disunited body, we shall now have to thank them for
is
L 1)! driving us together in an indissoluble union. TI • re.
minds me of a nautical anecdote which I recollect to have
• read. The crew of a line of battle ship was in a state of
• insubordination and mutiny. They were about to place
f‘, their officers in irons, when, happily, an enemy's ship
hove in sight, and in one instant discipline was restored,
lit' every man stood to his gun, the enemy was captured, and
s abe mutiny was at an end.—(Hear, hear.) So will it be
3.. with us; and while I hope we shall never show the same
spirit as our adver•aries, we will let them know th it we
stand to our post as one man, and are determined, with the
help of God,
that his ark shall not fall into the hands of
the Philistines.—(Cheers.)
. , W. listatkrozw, EN., proposed the second resolution.
~. - Rev. C. WINSTANLEY said it devolved on him to sup-
, port the resolution before the meeting. He thought
that this resolution was one to which they should not
t pledge themselves, without they were first convince dof the
' facts on which it was based.—(Hear.) He would there-
fore endeavour to show, by briefly drawing their attention
' to historical records, that the liturgy, homilies,and articles
of the Church, were originally adopted by herself in
*", convocation, and that therefore they could only undergo
,'
.. revision or alteration by the same authority.—(Hear.)The
.i 1 Rev. Gentleman then went into a very interesting detail
t. of the history of the articles and homilies of the Church,
"-- in the course of which he clearly established the fact, that
1.. they stood on the same foundation as the Liturgy, and
were also ad opted by the Church herself.
' The resolution was then put and carried unanimously.
zi Capt. WALLACE moved the third resolution.
The Rev. JOHN BROWNE, of Trinity Church, rose,
^ *midst much applause, to give the resolution his support.
' The resolution he was about to second, was declaratory
1 of attachment to the Liturgy, Articler, and Homilies of
the Church. This met with his entire concurrence ; for
L he must confess that he differed in this from some of his
1 reverend brethren; that sooner than submit to any re-
( vision whatever, he would let them stand as they were.—
e (Cheers.) Could they ever throw open the doors of the
F, Establishment wide enough to admit the great bulk of
Dissenters ? Was it likely they could make any conces-
sions broad enough to take in the Roman Catholic, the
Baptist, the Independent, the Socinian ?—(Cheers.) He
was about to add, the Wesleyan Methodists, but he would
not, for to their honour be it said, they had held aloof,
and bad not joined in the present outcry against the
1 Church. Was it Eleely, be repeated, that they could so
!,1 far sacrifice their faith as to admit the Socinian within
, the pale of the Church ? He said from his heart, forbid
its Almighty God !—(Great applause.) The Athanasian
', ' Creed bad been referred to, and it bad been suggested
k , that this should be removed to the Articles of the Church.
He confessed he hoped it would never be taken from her
1, daily service,._ (Hear.) It was their main defence against
the Socinian heresy. And, as he would scorn to entrap
the Socinian into the adoption of any form of worship
Which he must consider as idolatrous, so he would never
i suffer any Socinian intrusion on the,Church's doctrines,
to shake the faith on which alone be hoped for salvation.
(The Rev. Gentleman sat down amidst great a" lause.)
C. COLIC,N E.
• moved the fourth resolution.
, - The Rev. H. S. Banzsroan seconded the resolution.
In the course of his remarks he illustrated very happily the
civil, moral, and spiritual advantages which were secured
, by the existencet of the establishment. He referred very
~
eloquently e sacrifices made in times of persecution by the martyrs in defence of the d
of old, sealed with their blood '
ootrinm of the church, ,T. which theyoften,fibnefdraybs.
) ,
and
traced down
imprisonedlabel for
opposing the die-

C. Ilim Esq., proposed
N, the fifth resolution
so-

The Rev. W. M. KINSEY, in seconding the fifth
lotion, said, the purport of the resolution which
,ci
,l-
have the honour to submit to this meeting, is to pledge it
to
support support the just interests of the Church of England and
Ireland by all lawful and constitutional means—(Cheers)
in other words, that, in the event of any substantial vitia-
tions of the doctrines contained in her articles, homilies, and
liturgies, we stand pledged to each other—to the church_
to our country, and to our God—(Loud cheers)—that we
will, with His grace, by all lawful means, bear our faith-
ful testimony against such violations.—that we will main-
tain that pure faith and that form of sound words, which
has so long secured to the nation the blessings of true
gospel religion and the possession of rational and therefore
of real liberty.—( Hear.) Sir, lam free to confess that I
aeoone of those who regard our admirable Book of Coin-
11'on Prayer with a scriptural reverence—that I love its
~.al:iduinanees, its deetrines, and its services; and that I enter-
lain the deep conviction, that it never ought nor can
, the undergo any alteration, because its founda;ion is laid in
. vvi_i,-,foly Scriptures ; because it is the transcript of revealed
:Laln ; because it is established upon the Rock of Ages.
alteratiogncotuld ever persuade me to intrust its revision or
our most malignant a
gnant
Parliament counting among its Members
and Disk foes—
and Unitarians, QuaLrs,
mixed coeltisssoif every brood ; and 'still less, again, to a
Latitudinarian a rci,°u c 1 1. radical laymen, Socinian bishops,
and chaplains, tiohi'-h°Pss and anythingarian secretaries
Whole Prayer Book
, Sir, I claim the Prayer Book—the
(Loud cheers.) --sand nothing but the Prayer Book. --
THOMAS GRAY, Es„
kt., rose to observe that, although