The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1841-05-04 00:00:00

!OLONIAL BISHOPRICS

We adverted in our last to the great meeting held in. Wil-
lis's rooms, London, on Tuesday, the 27th ult., and gave a
list of the principal 'subscriptions entered into at the instant
we now subjoin thc_chief points in the speeches of his

the Archbis-hop of Canterbury, and the Bishop of Londo'n,—
as both the subject and the occasion, it will be readily allowed,
were of the highest interest.

great gratification in seen-.

so large an assembl

He could

regard it in no other light than as a manifestation of the
deeply-felt importance of the subject which they were about
to discuss, the well-doing of the colonial possessions of their
country. The church without a bishop might truly be said
to be undeserving of the name of an episcopal church. When

he (the Archbishop of Canterbury) was Bishop of London,
he had a nominal authority over the colonies, but he found
himself perfectly helpless, for there was no one in authority
to refer to ; but all evils of that kind would be removed when
there was a bishop on the spot, and such an appointment
would have an immediate influence both of a moral and re-
ligious kind upon the people. When he said that, he spoke
from experience, having observed the great change which had
taken place in those parts where bishops had been appointed.
Indeed, nothing could be more' striking than the change
which was observable in the West Indies since the establish-
ment of bishoprics in those parts. New churches had been
built, the number of the clergy had increased, and the moral
and religious 'character of the population was strikingly im-
proved, and all this had taken place in the course of twelve
years. (Applause.) One of the causes why our holy reli-
gion had not prospered so much as might have been expected,
was unquestionably. that these things were too little thought
of. (Hear, hear.) This country did not follow the example
set by France, who sent out bishops, with efficient ;
but we were content to send to the colonies a few clergymen
only. This tended inevitably to the decline of religion in
the colonies. Tlkis mistake was[ however, discovered after
the settlement of peace with America. That country was
lost to us, and our statesmen of that time showed their con-
viction, that one of the causes of that loss was the want of
episcopal superintendence, by establishing bishoprics in
Canada. (Hear, hear.) Such a state of things had certainly

medy was applied late, yet he belleN;ed there could be but one

opinion as to the results. It was, however, not so much to
lament what was past, as to consider of a remedy to be ap-
plied to present circumstances, that he had called a meeting.
His object was to supply the colonies with as many bishops
asmigh be necessary, and to complete the ecclesiastical es.

tablishments in the infant colonies now in course of forma-
tion. The question was not whether an 'episcopal church
could do without a bishop, but whether the actual spiritual
wants of the people were such as imperatively required the
establishment of bishoprics. Our church was in a worse con-
dition than other communities, for they had no legitimate
substitute even for the bishop. Their principal object was
to erect bishoprics in those parts where there were multitudes
of inhabitants, who, he trusted, would, by these means, be
converted to Christianity—in other words, the object was to
enable this country to perform her duty to the natives in a
manner worthy of a Christian church and a Christian nation.

There were other dependencies of the British crown which
did not come under the denomination of colonies. He would
merely refer to the Levant. Now, in those possessions there
were many persons resident who were serving in various mi-
litary capacities. Those persons ought not to be deprived of
the spiritual benefits which, as members of our church, they
would enjoy at home. Our indifference to the interests of
our own religion was a blot upon the national character.
Our possessions in the Mediterranean brought us into con-
tact with the Eastern Church, once so deservedly celebrated,
but now in a state of depression. Those people saw, on every
side, splendid establishments springing up, whilst in con-
nexion with the Western Church they could only find con-
gregations without clergymen, or with clergymen, many of
whom were not subject to episcopal authority. The only
church they knew was an episcopal church. We should as-
sert our claim to be called a church by the establishment of
bishoprics in the Mediterranean. This, he conceived, would
tend greatly to the benefit of the church universal, which, as
Christians, we ought never to put out of our thoughts when
acting for the honour of our common Redeemer. (Applause.)
There could not be an opportunity more favourable than the
present time for the commencement of this necessary work,
the proper seat of the bishopric having been all but deter-
mined upon by the erection of a splendid church at Malta,
at the expense of an illustrious lady—(immense applause) ;
an illustrious lady, who was not more exalted in her rank
and station, than respected for her virtue and piety. (Re-
newed applause.) The object was to promote harmony and
good will among all Christian churches ; and while pursuing
this object, they must feel great additional pleasure if they
could gratify the feelings of the illustrious lady he had alluded
to ky a steady, but sure promotion of the great ends he had
in view. (Hear, hear.) The object was not proselytism,
but the establishment of a friendly intercourse with the East-
ern Churches ; nor was it meant, in sending bishops to the
colonies, to make war with dissenters—(applause)—but to
put our church upon a proper footing, of which surely no one
had a right to complain. They did riot look for large incomes
for the new bishops. They would be satisfied with such a
competence as would enable them to live without the neces-
sity of having to practise that distressing economy, which,
though in some cases it might be a virtue, yet in theirs would
be calculated to impair their efficiency. (Hear, hear.) He
wished that they should be enabled to maintain a decent
rank, have the means of defraying the expense of journies,
and of exercising that moderate hospitality and charity which
in their station could not be dispensed with—(applause) ;
and having effected this, they would leave the realization of
their good designs in the hands of Divine Providence. (Great
applause)_ . .

The Bishop of LONDON, in rising to move the following
resolution, viz., " That the Church of England, in endea-
vouring to discharge her unquestionable duty of provining for
the religious wants of her members in foreign lands, is bound
to proceed upon her own principles of apostolical order and
discipline," said he rose under the influence of feelings of a
contrary kind. It was impossible that he should not be
thankful for the opportunity afforded him of taking a part in
a meeting which had for its object the carrying out of a prin-
ciple which lay very near to the foundation of the Christian
church—a meeting which was therefore calculated to render
great assistance to the efficiency and usefulness of that church.
It was impossible to deny that neglect had been shown on
this subject with regard to the colonies. It was impossible
to deny that a neglect on this head had existed for a century
and a half ; and one of its results, it was impossible to deny,
had been the loss of their American possessions. Let them
cast their eyes to the West Indies, and see the invaluable
effects which a religious and moral example had had upon the
slaves of that country. See how great had been the addi-
tional advantages arising from the emancipation of the slaves
in consequence of their having been imbued with a proper
sense of religion. He believed, if religion had not obtained
a standing in those colonies, that the dangers of an emanci-
pation granted to the slave population would have been very,
very far greater than what in the end they had proved to be.
Indeed, had it not been for that fact, so dangerous would
have been the experiment, as to have rendered it a matter
of the greatest difficulty to grant so extensive and so inesti-
mable a boon. (Hear, hear.) With regard to the mainte-
nance of the established religion in the colonies, the question
did arise by whom were those duties of the church to be per-
formed ? Were they to be performed by the state, or were
they to be borne by the church itself, or by members of that
church ? (Hear, hear.) At all events, the duty was so pa-
ramount that at whatever expense, or by whom that expense
might be borne, it must be performed. And if it were to
turn out that the state, whose natural duty it might he ex-
pected it was to see that the religious wants of her subjects
were provided for, declined to make the necessary provision,
it was clear that the means must be found by the church
herself, under the conviction that it was an not which could
act with any feelings of propriety, moral or religious, be left
undone. He had always thought it was the duty of every
Christian state so to provide, that every Christian subject
should have the full means and opportunity to perform those
Christian duties which his spiritual welfare demanded. He
should ever be forward to contend that they could only look
for the fruits to be gathered in at harvest time where the
seeds had been previously sown, and when this bad been
done they might hope that it would rise up clear from those
noxious weeds which, without due care, were too apt to
spring up with it. The long course of neglect of the duty on
the part of the state to provide the necessary means for this
purpose had caused tens of thousands of the public money to
be expended. (Hear.) The second part of the resolution
said that the church of England was bound to proceed on her
ownprinciples of apostolical order and discipline, that was to
say that the church, in the performance of her duty, was
bound to act according to her apostolical principles. They
were her own principles, for the church was based on the
foundation of the apostles and the prophets, and Jesus Christ
was the corner-stone. If the church did not act on those
principles she would not be faithful to that trust—she would
not fully answer the end of her institution, because she did
not fully carry them out. The title of bishop, or overseer,
implied active superintendence over theministers under him,
and the moment that superiority and superintendence ceased,
that moment the church would cease to be an episcopal
church. He had always maintained that an episcopal church
without a bishop was neither more nor less than a body
without a head, and the church was said to be an episcopal
church when its head had ceased to exist. Ecclesia est in
epiacopo. He would refer now to the backward conduct of
their own church when compared with that of the church of
Rome. In those places where their church wanted the office
of the episcopacy, the Romanists had ever taken care that no
such want should exist on their part. Wherever a settle-
ment was made, there did she send an episcopal authority.
Where their own church had ten bishops the Roman Catho-
lic church had no less than twenty-three ; and, indeed, he
believed he might ade to that number; for within the last
five weeks she had established a bishop at Gibraltar, and she
had sent out a bishop to New Zealand, with thirteen or four-
teen priests under him. That this example might induce
greater exertions on their part, he sincerely trusted. (Hear,
hear.) These were facts for the existence of which they
might take shame to themselves; but which, however much
they might regret their existence, they could not refute.
Let them hope thht this state of things would not continue
to exist. To put an end to it—with that view, and in order
to give a completeness to their arrangements, the present
meeting had been called. The heads of the church were endea-
vouring to take advantage of what they conceived to be a
most favourable crisis at a time when there was a more im-
proved state of feeling in the church, and a more enlightened
understanding amongst its members to give a moral effect
and application to those sentiments which had animated the
prelates and rulers of the church from the time of the Revo-
lution to the present day. To show how necessary it was
that an episcopal head should have an existence in the colo-
nies, he would mention a case which had lately come to his
knowledge. He had received a letter from the Bishop of
Australia stating that he had found it impossible effectually
and satisfactorily to himself to carry out the purposes of his
sacred appointment without the assistance of three or four
more bishops. From Ceylon he had frequent applications
for the appointment of a bishop. From settlers in the Cape
of Good Hope he had similar applications, and, indeed, were
he to go on he should multiply the number of applications to
an extent beyond anything that could be conceived. It was
obvious that the church of this country was the reformed re-
ligion of an empire which had established for itself settle-
ments in almost the uttermost parts of the globe : its lan-
guage had become familiar to almost the remotest inhabitants
of the earth; and the religion and members of her church
had been wafted to all its quarters. (Hear, hear.) That
being the case, it was not possible to conceive that she was
principlessiormry
not a missionary church appointed by the Divine Being to
spread
H throughoutear,
of
church,thetruet be reli-
gioe
n.therefore important to see how such mission should be con-
ducted.)
and most effectually carried out, with a view to the
establishment of that most important system, which was in
immediate connexion with the church. There were already
two missionary societies, which had carried out, as far as it
butwa her
was
tinte had notheirpow er'the principles of a missionary society;
been that uniformity of operation between
them which it was necessary should be a characteristic of
societies by whose exertions a great end was to be attained.
Now, it occurred to him that a plan might be suggested by
which that difficulty might be overcome—viz., by placing
their operations in conjoint superintendence with themselves,
as it were, with the united heads of the church of the united
kingdom. (Hear, hear.) He was inclined to think that the
objects of the Christian religion might thus, with regard to
the spiritual interests of the inhabitants of the foreign pos-
sessions of the country, be more easily attained, and accom_
panied with better and higher results. By these means the
church would be enabled to present an united and bold front
to the whole world, leaving it to the individual exertions of
individual societies. (Hear, hear.) He promised himself,
that if this suggestion were to be properly acted upon, the
best results must accrue, and thereby they would ere long
have the incalculable gratification of completing the good
work they had that day met to commence. (Loud cheers.)
The right rev. prelate concluded by reading the resolution.