The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1839-03-26 00:00:00

• Ls rag
ing-school, to which masters from the distant schon for,
come : but we desire, prospectively, carrying our views
ward ;—we wish to have a systematic training from ei_nuet
hood, in order, that when they become men, they may
to take up teaching of a school, on the best and most aryent
ed mode of teaching. We desire to have schools in Pin of
parts of the country, from which, boys of intelligence, 31:00
moral character, ma k be selected, and, truly, to receiveo
p
very easy terms, the best education, to enable them,`a
become teachers in the central model school.
clasost.
where is the benefit, or, rather, what
will not derive benefit from a system by which the class ,
masters is infinitely improved. Most of all, an improve'nTet;
will be felt in those remote and thinly-peopled districts, ll!„,
formerly held out a rich prospect of remuneration to s_
ill-qualified schoolmasters, who tended to produce mere
•
chief from the education, than benefit from it. In e ;;,
quence of the periodical visits of the inspectors to these'
;
tricts, the remotest corner is no longer unnoticed ;—ever) 0'„
of them becomes a field, upon which, the teacher has an
portunity of proving his qualifications, and by provinqt
qualifications upon a local field, by showing himself fitted 'h
that which is little, he has the prospect of advaneenitelo ot
and of being trusted with higher and more imPe.r
charges. The condition, therefore, not only of the crlla,e
school master,—a wretched and most unhappy condition b'y
many cases, now, is altered. We keep an inspector, a'°
this means every village. and the remotest hamlets, will ,le,
ot,
rive the advantage of having persons better instructed, `,.01
in the first instance, as probationers ; whence by distinglnlbe
merit, they may be sent to a higher school, and thus give 0f
village the best possible instructors. This is the sort e.
model schoolwhich it is proposed to institute in every dioee'i,
I am asked, what class of men do you mean to bring IR
the model school? I answer, without hesitation, all. to
desire to include under its superintendance—we desire
o
improve all. We are quite sure that religious instruer,
is no more necessary for high than for low; for poor t!!3.;
for rich ; for the village-hamlet than the populous elt
but we do not desire anything so glaringly absurd, as to P
all these schools on a similar footing. We desire that,
the same superintendence, the schools should be adapted
to
the prospects in life, the condition of the parties who are r,
receive education in them ; and of all classes, I may be Pe,
mitted to say, in this place, there is none to whom it is 11)a to
important that attention should be paid, there is noil.ethe
whom so little attention has been paid, as connected with
Church of England, as that important class of the commun'elb•
the middle and commercial class of the community. I Ili.
know one commercial school where a parent may nu iv,
for a child a knowlcdge of those branches of 10°,
ledge that are , necessary for him ; but it is necessarily
ea
connected with, closely connected with the Estshrts
Church of the country. Mr. Roebuck, who brollg,
forward some years ago a project for the education of ro,
people, laid it down as a principle, that the object of the ed
cation was not to elevate individuals to a higher t
but to make them happy in the condition in
they found them. Now I assent to this proposition,) '''ot
sent to it undoubtedly, if it is laid down that education is nkbe
a blessing, but a curse to a man who is not satisfied in
condition in which Providence has placed him. Saint !Mt
though he had made great advances in learning, stated 1":
the greatest learning he had attained was, " In whatever
,
station he was, therewith to be content." Now by a Chris'
tian education, and where education is combined and regit,l;
lated, a religious feeling is produced, so as to fit man f°,,u
te
happy condition, a higher state, a happy and contented
in whatever condition he is placed. It is laudable, inde
e
in man to attempt to raise one's self to a higher station than
that in which we are born, and in this country where thient
are no limits set to the exercise of successful exertion anu'd
intellect ; above all, it is of importance that education sho.wir
be given to the middling class which shall fit them to take Weve
place in a class higher than that in which their birth may ha
the
originally placed them. But by this mode of educating 00
people of this country intellectual improvement will ON
and science will make rapid progress. Debarred from the
attainment of science in other ways, there is a most landau)
zeal manifested by the commercial people of this country to
,
forward science in these districts by the establishment ~,,
lending libraries, reading rooms, and mechanics' institution's
The spread of knowledge is universal, and we feel it to Deis
two-edged sword ; we feel that knowledge wielded rightb,e.
virtuous, powerful, beneficial ; but when wielded by
judice it is the weapon of the fiend. And we feel that the
is nothing that can render that knowledge har;
Harmless it cannot be ; it must be powerful for goodjui
evil, and there is nothing that can render it power'4l
for good instead of for evil, but by combining with it
and religious education and instruction ;—and when I
religious instruction, let me say that by religious education_
do not mean a mere technical knowledge of the facts coo{
nected with our religion • but I mean such an infusion
religious principle as shall guide the whole conduct, sib',
actuate all the principles and actions, of man. It must r,
a little leaven, which must leaven the whole mass—not sflie
ing and bittering, but imperceptibly fermenting the lr"°01
mass—imperceptibly diffusing itself through the whole _
the system—purifying and sanctifying the heart, as the follel,
d
dation and motive of action as proceeding from the ile°`,
(Ches.) If I were not fearful that I might weary the illeetto
ing, I would go on. (Cheers.) But, gentlemen, I wc"nie
particularly point out one class of schools which many WTI'.
think unnecessary or unwise in connection with the chin',
and which many more treat as of infinitely less importan.,e,
than the subject demands. I allude to the formation of 11',
fants' schools, and particularly in a district where, frolll,,
pressure of circumstances, the labour of children soon 'Petit
comes so valuable, that instruction-terminates at an ageo
which it ought hardly to have begun. I thin!, there are ,o
many such ; and deservedly popular as infants' schools areg
I believe there are many among the humble class who le'of
upon them as mere machines to keep the children out ,
harm's way. I must, I fear, confess that I think many I'rents speak thus :—" My child must go to the infants be
school, and I must go to my work, for then my child will of
out of harm's way.", But the child is far from being out
harm's way. It has been said, by a talented advocate
education, though we must deplore his many eccentricitiqm
I mean Lord Brougham, who has paid much attention to li;),
subject of education—as much as any man—it was said
Lord Brougham, with much truth,—" If you take the ntao
of new ideas which a child acquires between the age of
_401•"
and five years, and compute them with all that the
learns in his after-life, with all the new ideas that he accni
in those many years, more ideas—new ideas—are impres''
upon the infant ml”, 1 apr;‘,. in fatcre,
,a Lortt nrougnam expresses it; "to live to the age of eig"
t.
years, and rival the acquirements of a Newton or a Laplace•s
Can you know what children know ? Can you see'ase
they see, with your eyes ? Is there a moment ill ,'),t
day in which a child is not inquiring something? The thin';;
for knowledge—we call it curiosity—we will say curiosilY,e
the peculiar characteristic of children. We see that it is ,t';'
thirst for knowledge without the power to discriminate %or,'"
ther the knowledge is good or evil—the memory is 111°ii
retentive, and more alive, and not deadened by the turat
of the world, and from morning to night every child is an't
quiring and storing in his mind new ideas. Do you say th:
it is of no consequence what those ideas are ? That erluci;
tion is continued for five or six years, when the habits 1,1
almost formed, the child has gone on picking up, acquiring
here, and acquiring there, if he has not been acquiring gcl,o
he has been acquiring evil, he has been collecting—it may il
gold, silver, and precious stones, or it may be wood, I,e
stubble, and hay—but he has been collecting ; and as is `
seed so will be the crop in the time of harvest. I intreat
not to consider it as unimportant, not only that your chilart:,o
are kept out of harm's way, as the common expression is, ' f
the early days of infancy, but do not consider it a matter ",
indifference what is the sort of training that they receive, °t
what the description of the persons who conduct an iniV
school. You may tell me that it is a matter of indiffereeel
whether it be conducted on the principles of the Establisho
Church or not. I say it is not al,,atterof indifference. YOU 0
not impress upon them the difference which exists bettyeft
sects, but this you do,—the child is the creature of hatip;
and man is the creature of habit too. Children have ft°
their birth an affectionate reverence for the church, as ass
„0
ciated with their earliest years, with their first recolleen
from childhood. It had, said the noble lord, been well salit
in an address by a celebrated bishop to his clergy. " Tltin
not this is a matter of indifference to you clergy, think 0-4
that you can easily regain men when you have once lost y°,11.0
hold upon the heart : how much easier it is to keep this litt'oi
flock from danger, than having in after days an unsuccessat
task in seeking those whom you caused to be lost by 1° t
neglect and indifference." But I think in this case it is 11°,
a duty that devolvs on the clergy alone ; it is important, if ``t
desire to maintain the influence of the church, it is importan,
if we desire to promote the interests of religion, it is ire
portant in this critical period of our church history, that t".
onward improvement should be carried on by the exertion'
of our clergy and laity combined. I would not use the language
of despondency, for I do not feel despondency, but I do feed
that our church and people do stand in a most critical la
dangerous condition. I see going on the progress of seeia:e.
instruction, and see the advancement of intellectual knowle",.-
I see a population overgrowing the means of religious instre,„'
tion and education. I see a population daily increasingin a rTi;
e
which it is fearful to contemplate ; and I say this, that if '-
church, the lay members of the church as well as the clergy.'
view in supine apathy the progress of events,—take no step'
to arrest this fearful evil, or to meet it by the increase of ree
ligious instruction, before the increase of the popnlation
comes too great and powerful for them to overcome —theo:
I say, if they fail in taking an early step,—it is a
pain'ful ee
templation for me—but, I believe—/ believe, Sir, that the
days of our venerable establishment are numbered. (He—'e
She cannot remain supine and inactive, exposed on the,ntr's
hand to the successful and active rivalry of religiou sec j
opposed' on the other to the deadly hostility of infidelity l'o ft
a
irreligion ; and the consequence of our fall would be,
by day, our population would be less instructed, less amen
able to discipline,—more demoralized, more turbulent, lel,
Christian. (Hear.) I call upon you who are assembled lie e
this day to come forward and aid in the great work of 1'
regeneration of the church establishment as connected With
education. (Cheers.) I call upon you not to take ul)'!"11
yourselves that fearful portion of responsibility which '2`lol
attach to those who have the means in their power, aL,,io
who know well the importance of the objects we bola
view, but refrain from lending a helping hand to furlP,
them. (Cheers.) But I have better hopes and more con
„,
fident expectations. I believe I may with confidence 3(
peal to the members of the Church of England, as a bon
to awake from their apathy, and strive earnestly to re5.,11,,
our cause from the progress of this fearful evil, by prornotl7
the spread of religious knowledge; and if, by God's blessoll,
such should be the result of the proceedings that the char
is now taking, then, instead of the gloomy picture whiclithe
was my fate to draw just now, we may be consoled with the
reflection that our cause will prosper. You will ha''
gratification of feeling that, in the service of your Lord an
Master, you have taken the most effectual means in ).
power of eradicating the great and growing evil, and that) .0
0
Pt
will have succeeded in stemming its progress—that the Pile
t
gress of knowledge will be advanced byhe advance of :I'lo.
blessings of religious knowledge—and that the result of
prudent, and wise, and far-seeing liberality will be a blessl;
upon your children and children's children ; and though
may not see it, yet it will ultimately prove that England l'us
exhibit to an admiring world the spectacle of a prospernie.
and contented, because an instructed and religious Pe°Pon.
(Loud and long-continued cheering.) His lordship e.„i„
eluded with seconding the motion, which passed 11°'
mously.
's
The Rev. RICHARD PARKINSON, M.A., Fellow of Christ
College, Manchester, rose to propose the next resolutrose
He was sure he would be believed when he said that he
ten.
with much reluctance to address the audience after the Whoa
had .iti
did, comprehensive, and pious speech which they bad, ot
the pleasure of hearing from the noble lord who ha';.hat
down. (Cheers.) He (Mr. Parkinson) could only saY
if such a sermon were to be preached in every church in
kingdom he was sure every congregation would be so 1%,
better for it. Nothing would have induced him to riseari`
cept the recollection that lie was a Lancashire
therefore he felt that lie was bound to follow the nmobalne'loridet
although at an infinite distance ; and he begged to assure
noble lord that, when he had put himself at the head the
men of Lancashire in this bloodless battle and moral conzitheir
the men of Lancashire would be ready to follow him ',od of
ancestors were to follow his great ancestor to the
ving
Flodden. (Cheers.) Mr. Parkinson concluded by rrie
" That this meeting views with much satisfaction the -e
t I;w'
and comprehensiverms of union adopted by the
and Deanery Boards, namely :-1. Adoption of the aces
",
rized formularies of the church. 2. Reception of the din
inspectors. 3. Clerical superintendance. 4. An engage
to make regular statistical returns." If
JOHN WILSON PATTEN, Esq., M.P. rose and said._ the
he were to consult his own inclination he would, after td
speech of his noble colleague, sid down with simply secant,.on
ing the resolution, without adding a single observau_nde-
those which had been so ably and clearly made by the
indeed,
man who had preceded him, and he should be quite s,c_7leed,
that the resolution which he had risen to second, and, ceded
every resolution which would be proposed to them, ufro.'" by
by any argument on his part, supported as they