The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1852-08-31 00:00:00

s supposed.pre-
es for

judices against it; and the people excuse thenise

. .
not assisting us, on the ground that their own ministers
never ask them. Your committee hope that this mutual
misunderstanding may speedily be done away with ;—that
every congregation will insist upon a sermon being
preached for the Irish Society in their Church, not, as
heretofore, once in two years, but every year; and that
the Clergy, in return, will insist upon their people making

it worth while to have a sermon. Indeed, they thankfully
acknowledge the already improved prospects which lay
before them. Eight or ten additional pulpits have been
opened for the Society this year, among which thP Com-
mittee are glad to number the Parish Church of St. Nicho-
las. The amount raised after the various sermons yes-
terday exceeds that of 1850 by £221. 03. Id., although
there are no less than six or eight churches at which collec-
s have still to he made. The servicea cf more than one
additional collectors have also been secured within
last four months.

" While, therefore, your Committee felt in doubt whe-
ther they should commence their Report in the spirit of
triumph or of shame, they feel no doubt as to the spirit
in which they should conclude it—namely, one of confi-
dent hope that on the next occasion of meeting their
friends they may be able to adopt a tone of unmingled
congratulation, and to report that this great, rich, Protes-
tant town of Liverpool has in good earnest put her shoul-
der to the wheel;.: that she has been aroused to a sense of
her responsibility, seen the emergency. of the case, ga-
thered up her strength for the conflict, and taken her
right position in the vanguard of that noble army which
is carrying the standard of the cross into the very strong-
holds of the great enemy of God and man,-and which will
soon, by the Divine blessing, brim); back our Roman Ca-
tholic brethren of lieland into willing allegiance to our
God and King."'

The Rev. Rector CAMPBELL then came forward to
propose the adoption of the report. He was received with
loud cheers. When they had subsided, the rev. gentleman,
after observing that without exactly pledging himself to
every sentiment in the report, he came forward most wil-
lingly to propose its adoption, because it appeared to him
that the day.spring of hope had arisen upon Ireland, and
that an effectual way of preaching the Gospel peacefully
and earnestly in Ireland was opened. He said peace.
fully, because if not so preached it was not preached
scripturally. It was for Rome to preach it vio-

lently ; it was for Rome to issue laws, enacting
that when heretics can be punished safely, to
chastise and exterminate them. It was forthe Church of
Rome to decree the extermination of heretics and to pun-
ish all those who refused to think as she does, with confis-
cation, imprisonment, exile, and death,—(Hear, hear,)
as she has decreed by her infallible councils, the 4th La-
teran and Constance. It was for her to decree (and infal-
libility cannot retract), that the bodies of heretics
are to be dug up and burnt • but we, as Protestants
must not so act. (Irear, hear.) We must not strive, or cry,
or lift up our voice in worldly controversy, but with the
still small voice of the gospel proclaim the truths of
Christianity—in weakness instructing those who are weak,
forbearing one another and forgiving one another, even as
God for Christ's sake hath forgiven us.. (Hear, hear.)
It was because he believed the Irish Society did this that
he gave it his support. It was as an advocate of civil
and religious liberty, that he supported it—(cheers)—and
as an advocate of so-called Catholic emancipation—of
emancipation of the real Catholic from the ultra-montane
and anti-Christian Church of Rtrne--(loud cheers)—the
emancipation of our Roman Catholic fellow-subjects not
only from civil disabilities on the ground of their faith, but
also from the foreign despot who is endeavouring to bring us
again under his yeee, and "to bind our kings with chains and
our nobles with fetters of iron." It was, moreover, in
justice to Ireland that he gave it his support, that they
may act as they think proper, think as they like, ay, and
vote as they like too—(loud cheers)—without being
whipped in this life, and threatened with eternal damna-
tion in the world to come. (Continued cheers.) In fact,
that they might be able to read the Bible at home,
without the Interference and threats of any one.
(Hear, hear.) It was becoming a question, how long
was the patience of the British people to endure the
sanguinary tyranny and blasphemous perjury, worthy of
the darkest ages and the most- barbarous nations ?
This, however, was no part of their duty ; but it was their
duty to give the Word of God to the people of that coun-
try, and to take care that it might be read and acted
upon ; and this he believed was. the purpose of the
Irish Society. (Loud and continued cheers.) The
reverend gentleman then proceeded to notice the conduct
of Cardinal.Wiseman, who now seemed to think, as they.
were not strong enough, that heresies cannot be punished.
In his Flaminian pastoral he,, however, appeared to
be of opinion that we were a set of infidels and heathens
until he was made Archbishop of Westminster. (Laugh.
ter.) But there was now no talk of canonical penalties,.
&c. Heresy was too strong,.and could not be dealt with.
Smithfield is now only to be used for slaughtering
oxen, and not for burning heretics. (Loud cheers.),
All he (the rev. speaker) asked was, that the same
thing should be extended to Ireland. Let the Irish peo-
ple be allowed to read the Bible, and hear its truths
proclaimed in their own tongue, without let or
hindrance, and if after.. this they prefer a Latin
ritual and a Latin church to our own, (and there
was no accounting for tastes,) why let them have it,—we
shall have done our duty. (Applause.) This was but
justice to Ireland, and he really did hope that people
would afford the society the means of giving it to
them. (Hear.) Tha time had arrived, as it ap-
peared to him, when the people of England must not
halt between two opinions, but most firmly and unmis-
takeably make their choice between the principle of reli-
gious liberty as represented by the united Church of Eng-
land and Ireland and Irish and priestly domination as
represented by the Church of Rome. At least they must
employ the organization of the united Church of England
and Ireland to meet the priestly domination of Rome.
His lordship had alluded to referees in the church.
He (the reverend speaker) certainly hoped that, when
necessary, reforms would be made; but they must
take care not to break and spoil when they meant
only to repair. (Loud applause.) But union is required
to put forward the truth, and that union was to be found
in the Church, weakened as it was by her internal divi-
sions, though he was of opinion those divisiohs
were not so great as was supposed, and with
that union he believed that the Church was still
formidable, as an army with banners, when

the presence of the common foe. (Cheers.) Let their motto
be that of the ancient Greek Church—" Action—action---
action"—peaceful action—like the gentle river-
-.

Though gentle, yet not dull,
age, without o'erflowing full

Strong without

With every feeling for the sacred rights of conscience,
for the conscientious feelings of his Christian brethren,
by whatever name they may be called, with all his love
for peace, he felt convinced in his heart that a combined
aggressive movement is absolutely necessary to meet the
insidious aggresssion of the Church of Rome. (Cheers.)
Such he believed, was the genuine and simple purpose of
the Irish Society ; and for that purpose he earnestly
solicited the support and contributions of the faithful.
(Loud cheers).
The Ven. Archdeacon STOPFORD, of Waterford, in an
able and eloquent speech, seconded the motion,. tracing

the operations of the society from
the vast benefit it conferred up

Ireland, and the

progress it was makin
ber of converts it was bringing over.' from Poper,
contended that the most ancient form of the church was
most suited to the present state of Ireland, that was the
missionary form, and not the parochial system, much as
he admired that system. He related several instances of
severe persecution endured by the teachers of the society
in various parts of Ireland, but stated that the hostility
which had formerly existed was gradually dying away, and
a better feeling springing up. He warned the meeting
that the object of the priests at present was to do all in
their power to provoke England to re-enact the penal
LAM, in order that they might have an excuse to raise II

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