The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1847-02-02 00:00:00

THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD.

THE LIVERPOOL AUXILIARY CHURCH PAS-
TORAL A ID SOCIETY.

The seventh anniversary of this excellent society was

held yesterday evening, in tbe haftof the Collegiate Insti-
tution. Though the weather was rather unfavourable,
the attendance was numerous and highly respectable.
Amongst those on the platform, we observed the Rev.
Chancellor Railies, chairman • the Revds. J. Haslegrave,
and A. P. Irwine, (a deputation from the parent society,)
and we may say nearly all the clergy of the town and
neighbourhood. • •

The proceedings .having been opened with prayer by
the Rev. C. W. Lawrence,

The CHAIRMAN. proceeded to address the meeting.
He said it would hardly be necessary for him to trespass
upon them for any length of time, in explanation of the
objects of the society they were met that evening to sup-
port ; but he might trespass for a moment, with the view
of stating the reasons why he occupied the chair on that
occasion. There were reasons which would have rendered
it desirable that he should not come there that evening ;
and there were reasons why he might have requested that
some of the laity of Liverpool would have had the kind-
ness to occupy that place. But he did really feel that
this was a society on behalf of which the clergy were
bound to come for Ward, and to express their gratitude for
the aid afforded ; and as the representative of the clergy,
he desired to stand forward on that occasion, and when-
ever else he might have the opportunity, to express the
gratitude the clergy felt . for the important services
rends

;d through the medium of this sckiety. But there
was a pressing claim for gratitude likewise, not from one
part of the community, but from all who had the best in-
terests of religion at heart, to Him who was "the author
)f r - trr ...ift" that He should h -,t int-

_ we.. pea g.._ nave put it ,o the
heart of good men to form the simple, yet well adapted
scheme which we had embodied in this society. It was,
perhaps, hardly possible to conceive that help could have
been given so effectually, and yet so economically as it
was at this moment administered through the medium of
this society, a society established at a period when the
church most required assistance. (Hear.) Any helps
given to its funds might be considered doubly valuable
by the certainty that every pound given went to form the
efficiency of the church on the points most important to
us all. The state of things at present was unquestion-

ably critical. Attached as he was, and must be to the
church as by law established, he should only be expr3ssing
the sentiments of those around him, when he said, that
for the sake of the country at large, it was most desirable
on all hands that the Established Church should stand.
(Applause.) While the church stood, the country would
stand. (Loud cheers.) If it fell

oosened, and the very blow that
caused the destruction of the church would cause the dis-
organisation of society also. (Loud cheers.) He, there-
fore, thought that every layman and clergyman might be
appropriately appealed to to contribute towards the sup-
port of this society, which had such important objects in
view, and which accomplished those ajects by a system
of administration so simple and so effectual, that it was
hardly possible to conceive that such an admirable plan

ler woulc

joi . -
ced to see so many friends around him, because he
knew the meeting would hear from them statements ema-

nating from the fullness of their hearts, for they had' seen
the Church's energies strengthened awl refreshed by the

the society only required to be properly understood, in
order to be more importantly supported. Ile was parti-
cularly struck with this fact. the other day, for,
after the excellent clerical secretary of the society had
preached a sermon in a country church, the congregation
came away astonished, saying they could not conceive
that such destitution existed in the church, nor had they
an idea there was such an agency at work to redeem that
destitution ; and if he (the Chancellor) were to judge of
the effect p-odueed upon that single congregation, he
would say that if sermons were preached in every church
and every parish, and if the claims of the society were
properly urged, the funds would be greatly increased, and
every churchman would rejoice to contribute to a society
that strengthened so effectually the church's energies,
and contributed so much to the extension of true relig on
throughout the land.—(Applause. (
The Rev. Mr. LAWRENCE here read the report, of
which the following is an abstract :
The report of the committee congratulated the friends
of the society on the substantial addition to the returns
which they had been permitted to send from the Liver-
pool Auxiliary to the Parent Society, as compared with
the remittance of past years. Exclusive of toe special
contribution of about £3OO, collected at the commence-
ment of the year, there has been transmitted about £BOO,
while the previous year's remittance was considerably un-
der £6OO. The committee believe that the object to be
pursued by the society is not diminished—population does
not stand still—the state of thousands of immortal souls is
not less dreadful than at the commencement of the opera-
tions of the society—the aggressions of popery are not
less vehement—the strong currents of profligacy have not
ceased to run in our large towns—the state of the country
is not less critical. The committee, however, hope that
new resources are flowing in upon the society, and that
there is a tendency in the remedies to increase simul-
taleously, if not equally, with the evils which are to be
corrected. The report notices the noble increase in the
funds of the society at large, as indicating a growing con-
fidence in the country in the principles of the society, and
then enumerates the society's activities among ourselves;
thirteen churches in this town receive, in different sums,
nearly £1101), anti the committee hope that the auxiliary
will follow the good example which one of the branches
has set, in paying back, with handsome interest, the sum
which the society dispenses among us. In one district
here, in consequence of the well-timed assistance of the
society, we are told of that happy symptom of ministerial
success and spiritual life, viz. of a complaint beginninc,
to be made by the poor of a want of room, and as a col-
lateral result, ragged schools have been set up as being
sorrowfully suitable to the poor and vicious population.
Elsewhere, the vigour infused into the clerical ministra-
tions by a grant, has enabled an indefatigable minister to
cultivate an outpost previously beyond his reach, and a
Sunday lecture among the servants and followers of the
railroad has been established, which appears to be both
effective and acceptable. The progressive erection of
another handsome and spacious temple for the worship of
the Lord in a third district., is another speaking testimony
to the value of the society. More need not be stated;
and the committee believe, that this town with its minis-
ters, is only.a sample of the society's results, and of
the exertions of the ministers of the Lord in other
localities. After a delightful expression of humble
confidence in the blessing of Almighty God on the
labours of the society and a feeling allusion to
the endurance and privations of the poor, the re-
port goes on to say, that though it is a time when
adversity will foster sullen discontents, the offsprings of
disasters, the parents of crime, it is a satisfaction to know
that the sweet sedatives of God's truth and Christian ex-
ample are at work in many districts, to disarm sorrow of
its sullenness, and tunt the curse into blessing. The Re-
port cOncludes by reminding- the friends of the society
how much remains to be done.. The Committee feel that
they are at present dealing only with the skirts of the
field which they essay to cultivate, that the light which is
kindled in many quarters, is so feeble and glimmering,
that it serves but to show the extent and depth of the
surrounding darkness. But what has been done at least
may serve to show what can be accomplished by, pains
and prayers.

Tim Rev. JOHN JONES, of St. Andrews, moved the
adoption of the report. He commenced by declaring his
continued attachment to this most excellent society.
This, he said, was a changing world, and people's ideas
of things were continually varying ; and, therefore, after
an interval of a few years it might be well to declare his
unabated attachment to the society. He declared pub-
licly that, so far from his attachment decreosing towards
it, it increased every year. The society had now stood
the test of about ten years, and it was advancing in use-
fulness, zeal, devotedness, and the good opinion of
the public. He thanked God it was so wisely go-
verned, so ably directed, and so zealously labouring.
He thenrefer74 to the lamentable state of spiritual des-
..

sunk, and said that Ly supporting this, which was one of
the best, if not the bent, Society in the Country, the
Christian public were absolutely doing their utmost to
promote the efficiency of the Jews' Society, and all the
other religious arid charitable societies in existence.
The Rev. Mr, HASLEGRAVE, one of the deputation, in
seconding the resolution, alluded to the origin of the
society, tracing it up to its r- • He gave

rrt, position. _
variety of statistits, showing the inadequacy, as a whole
of the, present churches throughout the land, with its
amazingly increased population, together with the unequal
labour that was thrown upon the pastors of different pa-
rishes and livings, from the unproportioned number of
inhabitants in many of them as compared with the duties
to be performed. Government had neglected to provide
sufficiently for the spiritual wants of our vast community,
it was for the people—the faithful—who were the

_
Church, and not the clergy alone, to come for Ward and
promote gospel truth, by their exemplary conduct,their
talents, and the means they could spare, and thus to save
the country from demoralization, and defection fro-rn the
Church, which was founded on the Word of God. It was
true thatlso new Churches had been built on the voluntary.
_principle, but, at the same time, 300,000 souls had been
added to the population, so that we were from this increase
of places of worship no better provided than before. In
England and Wales the population increased 4,000 per
week,, so that to meet this increase adequately, considering
that 2000 persons were as many as one pastorcould attend
to, alarge increase of clergymen was required.
The motion was carried unanimously.

The, ev. Thos. NOLAN, though he laboured under a.
severe cold, made a forcible and affecting appeal to the
auditory. He stated that he had received a defter from
his dear friend and brother the Rev. H., WNeile now in.
Ireland, in which he stated that he was amongst the
middle of his afflicted countrymen, and could not leave
ihem in their distresses—otherwise. he would have been.
present. Cheers. He moved a resolution to the effect
that thankful as they ought to be for the increase of the
funds of the Society, its means were yet inadequate to the
wants of those who were spiritually destitute. He in-
vited attendance at the breakfast in the Concert Hall,
Lord Nelson-street, to take place this morning, for the
same object, and concluded by saying that one of the
greatest recommendations of the Society was the scrupu-
lous care which they took in selecting pastors who would
carry out the principles and formula of the church in all
their purity.
The Rev. Mr. lawiNE next addressed the meeting in
support of the resolution which had been just proposed.
He entered into a lengthened statement relative to the
vast disproportion which existed between the spiritual
wants of the people and the amount of ministerial aid
which was then available to supply these pressing wants.
He contrasted the numerical state of- the population of
this kingdom as it existed previous to the Reformation,
and the number of bishops and clergymen who then offici-
ated, with the population of the present time and the num-
ber of clergymen who were now in the Established Church,