The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1836-03-15 00:00:00

A SUNDAY IN THE ISLE OF MAN.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE LIVERPOOL ST2INDARD,

Having been flattered by your reception of a few extracts
from iny journal in Ireland, a short tine ago, I ant induced to
ask the favour of your insertion of a few notes upon the sane
Subject in the Isle of Man. D.

Sunday, -----:--
I spent this day in the neighbourhood of Bishop's-court. In
the morning I attended divine service in the parish church of
Ballaugh, Rev. Hugh Stowell, minister: This church is a neat
and substantial edifice, superior to most churches in the island.
It has been but recently erected in lieu of the old one, which
is still standing, but which is deemed too unsafe, from dilapi-
dation, to be used any more for, public worship. The new
church is situated more conveniently than the old one, the for-
mer being almost in the heart of the village, whilst the latter is
placed at the extreme end of the parish, at a distance at least
of half-a-mile from the more thickly populated part. It was
erected by subscription, principally raised in England, by
the worthy rector; who went about, under the patronage of
the English bishops, preaching sermons for that purpose. I was
not the less pleased with it from the feeling that this house of
prayer had been raised, in a great measure, through the bene-
volence of my countrymen, who do not confine themselves to
objects of charity at home; but who, from their superior wealth,
have the ability as well as the disposition to assist in works of
benevolence in other places; and surely such feelings of gene-
ral beneficence will not be displeasing to that great Being—that
the rich of their substance are but stewards to, and who may
be induced to continue tchhem, in his providence, that prospe-
rity of which they make so good a use; and surely all such, at
the day of final retribution, when all will have to give an ac-
count of the talents committed to their care, will be addressed
by Him in these cheering words—" Well done, thou good and
faithful servant: enter thou into the joy of thy Lord."
The beautiful service of .our church was read very impress-
ively, and was followed by an excellent sermon by the worthy
rector's—rather unusual in the Isle of Man —in English. As
this gentleman is now well known in England, both as a writer
and preacher, it will be unnecessary -for me to say much about
him. It was the happiness of a very dear friend of mine, who
is now distant in a fOreign land, to be the means of intro-
ducing this good man in England: It is true he was generally
known as the biographer of the pious Bishop Wilson, and as
the author of. several interesting miscellanies; but he was un-
known as a preacher, and it was the astonishment of every one
that this obscure island, where the clergy, it was thought, were
not distinguished, by either talents or learning—before the
establishment of steam-boats the place was but little known—
should possess such a treasure, i. e., one of the -must eloquent
men that ever entered a pulpit.
The Wes'ieyan methodists are very numerous in the Isle of
,Man, and you will fiud one of their meeting-houses near to al-
most every church, which is the case in this village. I observed
that their moriii,g service took place some time before that of
the chinch, which- afforded the congregation an opportanity of
attending the church; and nearly the whole went direct from the
chapel to the church: Their evening service takes place also
after that of the church, so that it never interferes with the
church services, and the methodists here are generally members
of the church, and attend upon its ordinances in addition.to those
of their own society. This tome was very pleasing, and con-
vinced me that, at least here, they cannot be considered sepa-
ratists ; and reminded me very forcibly of the remark that was
made respecting the early christians, "'Sea how these christians
love one another." This no doubt was the intention of the
great founder of methodism, who never contemplated that, in
establishing that society, he was forming an institution inimical
to the church of England.
Of the Wesleyan methodists, as a body, I have always thought
with respect, and have ever regarded them as instruments of
much ,croorl to the community. There is something in their sys-
tem which, from its peculiar mechanism, adapts itself to the
poor; fhe methodist preacher finds his way into quartets that
other men cannot; the want of the same zeal and perseverance
amongst the dissenters, and the more cumbrous machinery of
the church, whose forms and cererhonies confine ietoo inueb to

time and place, give to the simplicity of their system a decided
advantage.
I have ling thought that great injustice was done to that
body; too long have churchmen been in the -habit of viewing
them in the light of if not of enemies, questionable allies ;
tone of harshness has been indulged in towards them by those
journals that are supposed to be in the interest of the church,
and, in speaking of them, too often has language both of in-
vective and ridicule been employed against them. Now, how-
ever, they are beginning to be understand, and their character
is appearing in its tight light. I pass over their long career of
usefulness—the thousands that, through their instrumentality,
have been reclaimed from, vice and it religion. I view them in
their conduct towards our church in this her day of humiliation,
when many of her own members are not only indifferent to-
wards her, but are even confederate with her deadliest foes
against her. They stand up boldly in her defence, despite of
the unworthy treatment they have received, too often, at her
hands, and tight for her with a zeal that puts to the shame that
of her own members. Doubtless they remember that the
founder of their society—for I cannot consider it a sect—lived
and died a member of the Church of England. Whitfield too
was a churchman. When dissenters generally in this country
had sunk down into Arianism, or something near akin to it, it
was the Church of England—a fact that the dissenters seem to
forget—that sent forth men, who, by their piety and zeal, roused
the slumbering energies of the nation ; and that religion exists
now, in something more than a name, either amongst the bulk
of dissenters and in many churches, is owing, under God, to
the ministry of these good men.
An interesting incident that occurred to me, connected with
a member of time 'Wesleyan Society:, whilst in the island I well
iemember, and which 1 cannot omit here to mention. In my
rambles, which I am in the habit of taking once or twice a year,
lam fond of strolling into the cottages of the poor. In the
upper ranks of life there is. a great similarity, and you see in
one part of the kingdom almost the same manners and customs
that you see in anothem : it is only in the dwellings of the poor
that you can see the peculiarities of the place. In stepping
into a cottage by the road side,.l asked permission to sit down
and rest myself. Its only inmate was an old woman, who had
passed the ordinary period of the life of man, three score and
ten. It was neatly furnished, and had about it an air of comfort
not very common in places of that description •in the island.
She hail been a member of the society many years, and reinem-
44red 'Wesley; and at the metrtion'ot his • name she was much

delighted. She spoke in glowing terms of the first sermon she
had heard him preach, which was in Castletown Church, and
she gave me a very graphic 'description of his person, even to
the mention of his white locks, which added much to the rever-
ence of his appearance. She said the next time she heard him
preach it was iu the church-yard I suppose the minister of the
place had taken the alarm, Ibllkwing the conduct, too general, of
the rest of the clergy of that day, and had begun to act upon the
defensive against the body, and refused to this good man the use
of his pulpit. In spite, however, of such narrow policy, "this sect,
which was everywhere spoken -against," increased mightily
even-Where, and whenever John Wesley preached, he was lis-
tened to by hundreds and thousands even in this sequestered
island. Why was this matt liStencd to? Why did thousands run
after him? How was it that, even. after 'he had closed his
earthly career, his system lived, and the religion of thousands
is now called after his name? It was without doubt that in his

divinity the doctrines of the gospel bore a conspicuous part.
The sermons of that day generally—even the Quarterly Review
acknowledges the fact—were wanting lamentably in this re-
spect. " This, like the Nazaritish locks on the brows of Samp-
son, was at once the source and secret of his strength." Before
me I saw an 'instance of the good effects of his mission. This
woman, though poor, was happy and contented, and the neat-
ness and cleanliness of her little dwelling convinced use that
there is notch truth in the proverb—" Cleanliness is allied to
godliness."
In the afternoon I attended' divine service at .Bishop's-court.
The chapel is a model of Henry the Seventh's Westminster
Abbey, erected by Bishop Murray, and is attached to the episco-
pal residence. It is intended principally for the bishop's house-
hold, but any one is at liberty to attend; but, being in a
sequestered yart of the island, few, except the peasantry of the
immediate neighbourhood, avail themselves of the privilege.
The entrance to it is through the house, and you feel almost an
involuntary impulse in going into it to exhibit in the place some
-other mark of respect in addition to the customaiy one of tak-
ing off your hat; something beyond the ordinary feelings in
entering a place of worship prerades the mind; something like
that mark of respect which you are required to pay in going to
the pope's chapel at Rome. The pope being a sovereign, in
attending his chapel you are obliged to go in full dress, as to a
court, appears to be almost required; or. if the comparison be
not profane, some observance similar to that which we read of
in holy writ which Moses commanded the Israelites to observe
in approaching the Holy Mount :—" Take thy shoes from off
thy feet; for the ground on which thou standeth is holy ground."
The interior of the chapel is fitted up with elevated seats, like
stalls in a cathedral, attached to the walls at each side, for the
use of the family and friends, and forms in the centre for the
servants and strangers; whilst at one side of the altar is
placed a reading desk. for the chaplin, and at the other the
bishop's throne. A dull religious light is thrown from the win-
dow of the altar, which adds much to the solemnity of the whole.
A holy silence prevaded the place when 1 entered, which was
interrupted at. intervals by the arrival of little groups of the pea-
santry, who took their, station on the forms •in the centre with
hecothing decorum. Presently the noise and bustle incidental
to the entry of a large party of persons announced the arrival
Of the bishop and family, followed by their servants, when the
same silence succeeded, and which at the lapse of a short inter-
val was again broken by the whole congreation rising and join-
ing in singing that beautiful anthem, " I will arise and go unto
my Father," led by the bishop's lady, and accompanied by the
sweet melody of a harp played by one of the bishop's daughters,.
an interesting young lady of about nineteen, the effect of which
I shall never forget. To see persons in their high station thus
stooping, in assisting in the devotion of this very humble con-
gregation, and females. too, departing thus in thisholy work
from that exclusion and retirement which they could plead their
rank and sex an exemption from, delighted me beyond measure.
'I am past that time of life when usually the imagination takes
the senses captive; and if the mention of such a subject be not
out of place here, it appeared to Inc something like romance,
and I must confess that, in giving the reign to my fancy, I en-
joyed the remembrance of those days, which were now forcibly
recalled to me, when in books only I found something resem-
bling that enchantment which now assumed a reality.
The chaplain not being present, the bishop, though his sight
is very defective, almost amounting to blindness, went through
the whole of th, service, with the exception of the lessons—which
were read by his son, a license which our church allows to lay-
men—and was followed by an excellent sermon. Surely this"
venerable man comes up to St. Paul's description of a christian
bishop, " one who is apt. to teach." Happy island ! Happy
England ! sshose great men are often good men, li-here Chris-
tianity is eialted, " Shoeing, its mitred fronts in courts and
pariiaments :" long may the day continue—though present
prospects are inauspicious—when thy nobles are not too noble
to be good men, and thy good men not trio good to be noble.
This worthy bishop was one of those who was told by Lord
Grey. to " set their house in order," and who, in travelling
down from London—at the throwing out of the reform hill, our
modern magna charta—was obliged to have the coronet on his
carriage obliterated to save himself front the tender mercies of
that noble lord's physical force, who thought, not unnaturally,
that he had given them their one, and who gave thus expression
to their feelings. By such agency was that measure carried ;
these proceedings had been preceded by the fires of Bristol and
NottinghaM—a fit prelude to the reign of terror—but having
once called this force into existence, unfortunately for himself,
he could not again destroy it. and which " pressure front with-
out" finally compelled him to throw np Office ; and, when he
has served' their turn—to make room for some snore daring
reformer—they will likewise expel Lord Melbourne with perhaps
kits ceremony.

• This good man is now. no more, having
recently departed
:his life, full of faith and years.

BOLTON OPERATIVE CONSERVATIvE ASSOCIATION.—The
second quarter of the Bolton Operative Conservative Associa-
tion commenced on Monday evenimr. last, when several new
-members were enrolled. Very satilactory information was
commithicsted, of the irireasing loyalty of the working classes,
which could only he attributed to the establishment of societies
calculated lo diffuse really useful knowledge throughout the
country.