The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1841-01-08 00:00:00

CHURCH BUILDING SOCIETY,

The second annual meeting of the Liverpool Church Build-
ing Society was held on Wednesday, in the board-room of
the Blue Coat Hospital. The object of this meeting was to
receive the annual report of the committee, to appoint the
committee for the ensuing year, and to afford any explana-
tions that might be desired by the subscribers. The Rev.
Jonathan Brooks, senior rector of Liverpool, and one of the
vice-presidents of the society, took the chair.
The Rev. JAMES NORTH, one of the secretaries, having
offered an appropriate prayer, for the blessing of Almighty

God upon the proceedings of the day,
The CHAIRMAN wished that there had been a larger assem-
bly of the subscribers present at this, the second annual
meeting of the society, as he was sure they would have been
gratified with the progress the committee had been enabled
to make with the churches now erecting. The report itself
detailed the principal transactions of the past year, and
therefore, it would be unnecessary for him to anticipate
them. He would, however, just mention that the first of
the churches would be consecrated in the course of next
month, and the two others, now in progress, would be fi-
nished in the course of the summer. One of them would be
consecrated early in the year, and the other in autumn : so
that, in the course of this year the committee would have
perfected and completed three churches. He would also
mention that, yesterday, the committee had a meeting, for
the purpose of determining upon the endowments. Gentle-
men present were, perhaps, aware, that by the act of parlia-
ment, the sum of £l,OOO was necessary to be invested for the
endowmentiof each church; previously to the trustees being
able to execute their duty 9f nomination. The Church Build.
ing Commissioners required this £l,OOO to be invested in the
funds ; and the committee had gone into an anxious inquiry,
to ascertain whether they could not apportion an additional
endowment, in such a way as not to trench upon the funds
of the society more than was necessary, and yet to ensure
to the minister, something like a remuneration—poor as at
best it must be—for his services. The first church to be
opened was that in Naylor-street, ,which was situated in an
exceedingly dense and thickly peopled- district, consisting
entirely of small shopkeepers and mechanics, employed in
the different manufactories at the north end of the town.
That in Greenland-street; was in a rather better district, and
had a large number of rented sittings. In Naylor-street
church, from the poverty of the distlict, it was considered
better that there should be a larger number of free sittings
than in Greenland-street. In Naylor-street church there
were 1,330 sittings, of which 660 were to be let ; and in
Greenland-street there were 1,200, of which 810 were to be
let. It was intended, with the concurrence and advice of
the bishop, to let these sittings at moderate prices, and at
gradations so as to suit the poorer and the rather better
classes. None of them, indeed, would be high rated, but all
would be low, and in gradation as to price, so that any per-
son might have a sitting, and be, as it were, independent. It
was the desire of the committee to bring• to the church as
large a number as possible of the poorer classes, so as to
create a church feeling amongst the working part of the
people of those districts. The committee had, therefore,
come to the determination to add a thousand pounds to the
endowment of Naylor-street church, and five hundred pounds
to that in Greenland-street; so that the endowment of the
former would be £2,000, and, that of the latter £1,500.
With regard to the endowment of the church erecting in
Windsor, the committee had not yet come to a conclusion,
as it was necessary to obtain more information. The Chair-
man concluded by calling on the Rev. Mr. North, one of
Secretaries to read the report. The following report was
then read : . _ .

" The lapse of another year gives the Committee of the
Liverpool Church Building Society additional reason to be
satisfied, that they commenced their labours some time ago.
For, during that period they have seen societies of the same
kind formed in various parts of the kingdom, bearing a general
testimony that some such an effort is required by the country
at large as has been made by the Christian community of
Liverpool.
" By a very general exertion of private and of public
7 churches are now seen springing up so nume-
rously as almost to add a new feature to the landscape of our
country. Well, it must be pronounced to be, for that gene?
ration, which can be said to be in any degree characterized by
the building of houses of God throughout the land. The
root of Christian faith and love is shown to be vigorous in the
heart of a people while it sends forth such healthful upshoots
to the surface.

bounty, rr

" For what has been already done in this way, the com-
mittee desire heartily to thank God; and from it, at the same
time, to take courage as regards the future. For but little
more, it is to be feared, has yet been done by this or similar so-
cieties than to discover the universality of the evil which they
proposed to remedy. The appalling truth has thus only been
made the more prominent, that thousands upon thousands in
a Christian land are living, heathen almost in every thing,
but in the heavier responsibilities under which they lie. A

mass of ignorance, immorality, and irreligion, have thus been
brought to light which the good have shuddered to behold,
on their own account as well as their fellow creatures, as not
knowing what portion of the guilt of it may be attributable to
their own neglect.
" The progress which has already been made in this work
of church building has, however, its bright side as well as its
dark one. It has shown how much may be done towards
remedying that amount of evil which it has been instrumental
in drawing to light. Those who have watched its practical
results have seen almost wherever a new church has been
erected, a congregation gradually gathering into it, a school
shortly after rising up in connection with it, and a population,
which was once deemed almost irreclaimable, assuming by
degrees an orderly and Christian aspect.
". It would be inspiring but a false confidence to speak of
our -

__Won in any terms more sanguine than these.
Au endeavour to overtake the omissions of the past has
been well begun, but it is yet far, very far, from being finished.
The expectation, indeed, would be unreasonable, to remedy
the neglect of a century by any exertions of a year or two.
" A long age of indifference to religion, which had spread
its baneful influence over every body of Christians, corrupt-
ing even the faith of some, had relaxed most grievously the
exertions of the church.
" She was content to stand still whilst all around her was
in progress. She suffered the population to outgrow her
means of justice without making any effort to extend her

In this supine and enfeebled course she was not, however,
permitted to reach that state spoken once so feelingly of his
country's decline by the Roman historian, when she could
bear neither her evils nor their remedy.

The mercy of God found her ere that and applied the
necessary cure, inspiring anew into her that breath by which
he would have her live anfl grow again.
" If, then, our prospect grows larger as we take a nearer
view of it, we are animated to press onward, as the mountain
traveller upon his apparently increasing journey, by the re-
trospect of heights already gained, and difficulties left far
behind in the distance. Of all the outward agencies of man,

which he has blessed for this purpose, the erection of
additional churches must certainly be considered the most
needful and efficacious. With such a means of good, then,
ready provided for their adoption, with such a Master in-
spiring and prospering the work, can it be supposed that
Christians will either slack their hands or grow weary and

faint in their minds

" As was the maxim of the great hero of heathen anti-
quity, to deem nothing done which ought to have remained
undone ; as was the principle of the great Christian Con-
queror, in a better warfare, to count not himself to have al-
ready attained, but forgetting the things which were behind,
to reach forward to the things which were before ; so should
the rule of action be with the faithful Christian of the pre-
sent day : casting all that he has already won behind his back,
he should still be looking out for new points at which the
phalanx of sin and ignorance and error with which he is
beset may be successfully assailed; and what his hand there
findeth to do, to do it heartily, as unto the Lord.
" The committee have to announce a very gratifying ad-
vance in the several churches on which they are engaged.
The one in Naylor-street approaches most nearly to a com-
pletion. It is calculated to contain 1350 persons. The en-
tire expense of erection may be estimated at about £5,000.
" The church in Stanhope-street, Windsor, is in the next
- _ _
sta-

ae of advancement. It is intended to contain about 1200,
and the entire expense of it to the Society will probably not
exceed £3,200, the remainder of the cost being borne by cer-
tain benevolent persons in the neighbourhood.
" The object which the committee have proposed to them-
selves from the outset, is to give to each of their churches so
much of ecclesiastical character as should make them suitable
places for the worship of the Most High ; so to finish them,
within and without, as that all things connected with the
celebration of divine service may be done decently and in

order. In every particular beyond this it has been their
earnest desire and endeavour to study economy to the utmost
sllilling.

" It is perhaps generally known that the act of parliament
under which the churches are built requires that an endow-
ment of not less than £lOOO should be made to each, in order
to secure the patronage to the parties who build them. The
adoption of this principle by the legislature has been hailed
with much satisfaction by every member of the church, as
recognizing the principle of a safeguard against the evil of
leaving a clergyman altogether dependent upon the pew rents
for a maintenance. It. is the earnest wish of the committee
to move in accordance with the spirit of this enactment rather
than to confine themselves to its letter, by proposing an ad-
ditional sum for those churches which are placed in the poor-
est part of the town, and they confidently calculate upon the
sound church principles which prevail throughout the mem-
bers of the society to approve of this intention, and to enable
them to carry it into effect.

" The outlay already incurred presses closely upon the
amount of subscriptions actually received by the treasurer.
It will, however, be borne in mind that with the new year
a third instalment became due upon those subscriptions which
had not been previously paid in full. This, when collected,
will probably serve to meet the present engagements.
" Should it after that be deemed advisable to appeal again
to the benevolence of the Christian public for carrying on
the work which has been deputed to the committee, the real
benevolence which they have already experienced, and the
cause which they have in hand, forbid them altogether to
doubt of a favourable result.

Commending now their work so far as it has already ad-
vanced to the grace of Him who alone can make it to prosper,
and for what yet remains to be done looking to the same
grace, ruling in the hearts of Christians, and disposing them
through faith to all good works, the committee conclude their
second annual report of their proceedings to the members of

the society."
Mr. MOLYNEUX, the treasurer, next read a statement of
the accounts. It appeared that the receipts for the past year
had amounted to £16,027 12s. 6d., and that there was a
balance remaining in hand, after defraying expences, of
£5,741 2s. 11d. _

The CHAIRMAN said he. had the pleasure to announce that
he had received a donation, in compliance with the wish of
the late Miss Colquitt, of Greenbank, of £2OO. This dona-
tion, he stated, was in addition to the gift of £250 by the
Misses Colquitk to St. Clement's Church. (Applaue.)
On the motion of the Rev. HUGH M'NEILE, seconded by
Mr. POTTER, it was resolved, that the report of the commit-
tee be printed and circulated, and that the treasurer's ac-
counts be passed.
The Rev. Mr. HESKETH, seconded by Mr. MOLYNEUX,
then proposul the appointment of the committee for the en-
suing year. This committee, with the exception of one-third
who retired by rotation, was exactly the same as last year.

The CHAIRMAN then stated that if any gentleman. Wished
for any information as to what was being done, beyond what
the report stated, or bad any suggestions to offer, he should

glad to hear theth.

An extended and desultory conversation then took place
between Mr. Jones, the Chairman, the Rev. Hugh M'Neile,
Mr. Molyneux, and some others, as to the prices of the seats,
in the course of which it was stated that it was intended to
make them low, so as to create a complete church feeling
amongst the lower classes. It appeared, from a table read
by the chairman, that the number of rented sittings in the
body of Naylor-street church are 410 ; of free sittings in the
body 254 ; of rented sittings in the gallery 250 ; of free sit-
tings in the gallery 230, making 484 free sittings, and 660 to
be let. Then there was another gallery, which was intended
for the children of the school, and which was capable of hold-
ing 210: so that, whilst the sittings to be let were 660, those
free were 694. In Greenland-street church the number of
sittings to be rented ou the ground floor was 471 ; of free sit-
tings 236 ; in the gallery, of seats to be rented, 346 ; and of
free sittings, including the children's gallery, 147. The
Chairman said that, in point of fact, there would only be 236
free sittings out of 1200. This arrangement had been made
in consideration of the respective neighbourhoods of the
churches, Greenland-street being in one where the propor-
tion were of a better class than Naylor-street. The discus-
sion on this subject ended by Mr. Jones undertaking to give
his assistance in ascertaining the price at which the rented
sittings should be let.
After a little more discussion concerning the endowments,
the meeting thanked the rev. chairman for having presided,
and separated.

TOWN COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS

The Council held_ their usual monthly meeting, for the

despatch of business, in the Town-hall on Wednesday

MAYOR presided.
The DEPUTY TOWN-CLERK read the proceedings of the

last Council meeting, and the

'ere confirmed,

The report of the Finance Committee, on the evidence