The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1841-11-30 00:00:00

DHURCH EDT

SOCIETY FOR IRELAND

A meet

held in the

the evening (
:own, , under tt

f Friday, fu

sanction of the

he rect

ion to the Church

ion under the di-

an inst

Chord
form w

ce the Primate and the Bishops of the Irish
nnpletely crowded. On the plat-
Hugh M`Neile, the Bev. T. Cor-
tev. T. Nolan, the Rev. D. James,
the Rev. W. Dodd, the Rev. B.
Mansfield, C. Groves, Esq., J.
Carson, Esq., T.

M iddleton,

other gentlemen. The Rev.
of Moral Philosophy in Tri-
Rev. Thomas Walker, A.M.,

Dublin, and t

ugustus Campbell, junior
I to preside, but was prevented by

rector, wnc
the state of
The proc

1 promi

ealth, the Rev. H. M'Neile took the chair.
;s having been commenced with the offering
divine blessing upon them, by the Rev. T.

of prayer for t

ISIOLAN

The Rev. CHAIRMAN addressed the meeting as follows :
The object of this meeting is to form an association in this
town auxiliary to the 'fish Church Education Society. Sonic
of you may feel and fear that we have no room for a new so-
ciety in this town—that we are already so full, and all our
efficient committee-men so entirely occupied, that it is hope-
less to expect any vigorous staff for a new society. I
acknowledge the justice of the apprehension, while at the
same time I hope in a few words to allay it. The society to
be brought before you this evening is one of no common
character. It has for its chief promoters the Primate and
Bishops of the Irish Church ; it has the cordial sanction of
the Archbishop of Canterbury ; it comes to this town with
the sanction of the rectors of the parish. I expect, there-
fore, that, as good churchmen, you will give it a favourable
consideration. (Hear, hear.) And when I tell you, in addi-
tion to this, that Mr. Adam Hodgson has consented to be
the treasurer, that Mr. Nolan and Mr. Baylee have consented
to be the secretaries, I think I shall have satisfied you in a
very simple way that our project is not only practical but
practicable. (Hear, hear.) The Irish Church Education
Society was called into existence by very peculiar circum-
stances, which it is impossible to understand without revert-
ing to other societies previously in operation. The education
of the poor in Ireland was conducted by a number of socie-
ties, all of them, except one, supported exclusively by pri-
vate contributions—that one was supported partly by private
contributions, and partly by a government grant of money.
The one I allude to was called the Kildare-place Society.
The system adopted by all these societies, although not alto-
gether what we could wish as members of the church, was,
nevertheless, in a certain degree satisfactory. It required
that all the children should read the Holy Scriptures in the
authorized version, and commit a portion of the Scriptures to
Children of all denominations were found in those

memor

—as—children whose parents were members of the church,
and children whose parents were members of various dissent-
ers from the church, with Protestant and Popish dissenters.
A vast amount of scriptural information was communicated
by these schools—so much so that the priests of Rome began
to be afraid of the consequences, and they determined, if
possible, to put a stop to that system. For this purpose they
availed themselves of the disposition existing in English
statesmen to treat with kind conciliation the people of Ire-
land. They complained of the existing system as a griev-
ance;.
not expressing the real cause, which was the amount of
scriptural information it gave, but setting forth as the ground
of the grievance, that it was an exclusive system, that the
peremptory use of the Holy Scriptures in the authorised ver-
sion, was what they, as priests of the Romish schism, could
not endure. It is very true they could not bear it; but the
children were at the schools. This, however, was the ground
of the grievance alleged—that the system was exclusive ; and
they asked at the hands of conciliating statesmen that they
should have a united system, a system in which children of
all classes might learn together. (Hear. hear.) They urged
that although it night be right for individuals of one certain
class to have schools of a peculiar kind for their own people,
yet that the government having charge of all classes, ought
to arrange its system so as to embrace all the people. This
sounded fair and reasonable ; and Lord Stanley, who at that
time was chief secretary for Ireland, coincided in these views.
In his anxiety to deal kindly with the people of Ireland, and to
do them every possible justice, he coincided in these views, and
hence the celebrated board of education in Ireland. To this
the government grant was given, and for this it was greatly
increased. It was withdrawn from the Kildare-place society,
and all the societies then in existence in Ireland for the edu-
cation of the poor were left to struggle without assistance,
while the whole weight of the national assistance was given
to the new board. (Hear, hear.) This board, by way of intro-
ducing a united system, introduced extracts from the scrip-
tures in a new translation. (Hear, hear.) Here was a two-
fold ground of objection. There was an objection to ex-
tracts, made as they were made, not for mere convenience,
but for a party purpose, and as a party against God's truth
they were made for the purpose of excluding the fundamen-
tal doctrines of the gospel, for the purpose, it was said, of
excluding controverted matters, that is to say, the funda-
mental truths of the gospel. (Cheers.) Another ground of
objection lay to the circumstance of their being a new trans-
lation. These extracts were not made either in the Douay
translation or in the English translation, but they were made
in a fresh translation, thus throwing discredit on every ex-
'sting translation of the Bible, and creating what Rome
ways desires to create, a feeling of uncertainty about the
itten word of God. (Hear, hear.) According to the re-
the board, no religious instruction could be given
chool hours except from these extracts—these new
For one hour after school permission was
_ nay, let us grant that encouragement was given—to
pastors of all sorts to come and give religious instruction to
their own children. Pastors of the Socinian schism, pastors
of the Unitarian schism, pastors of the Independent schism,
pastors of the Baptist schism, pastors of the Popish schism,
—they might all come there one hour after school. The pas-
tors of the Church of Christ could not come upon any such
terms ; they could not consent to any such arrangement as
would keep them from teaching " the whole counsel of God"
whithersoever they went ; and they could not be partakers
of other men's sins by conniving at any secret or fraudulent
departure from their own rules by the board. (Great ao-
olausP The board found that a rigid adherence to their
as would not do, and they became practically squeez-
Hear, hear.) They were squeezed into an exclusively
_am upon one hand ; they have been squeezed into
asively Presbyterian system upon another hand ; and
hold themselves in readiness to be squeezed into a
arch system with a third hand. But, though Romish
nests felt themselves at liberty to avail themselves of a
connivance of the board of a departure from their own rules,
and though the Presbyterians of the north of Ireland have
felt themselves at liberty, by getting an exclusively Presbyte-
rian 6stem of education, to connive at a similar departure
from their own rules by the board, the pastors of the church,
I say, cannot be partakers of other men's sins by conniving
at a fraudulent departure from their own rules by the mein-
bers of the board, and, therefore, they would not squeeze
her. (Hear, hear.) They had stood aloof from her, and
what, then, were they to do? To endeavour, doubtless, to
educate the children of the poor in the truth as it is revealed
in Christ Jesus, and as it is held up by the pillar and ground
of the truth, which is Christ's church upon earth. (Hear,
hear.) This is what they were to do ; but how were they to
do this? Means must be used, schools must be had ; and in
order to have schools, and to use means, money must be
had, but where was the money to be got? The British go-
vernment would give none ; the parliament would give none ;
both government and parliament had got into Popish hands
at the time to such an extent that it was vain to expect any-
thing from them. What then was to be done ? Money was
to be asked for from the members of the church ; it was
asked for, and members of the church gave money. The
primate came forward, nearly all the bishops, the members
of the church come forward, and the Church Education So-
ciety for Ireland was established. (Hear.) The Church
Education Society for Ireland then is in operation under the
circumstances I have described. It has got considerable
support in Ireland, but not enough, and some of its mem-
bers and friends are now in England seeking for increased
support from the members of the united church of England
and Ireland. (Hear.) So it is come to you. (Hear, hear.)
Now your case is peculiar, because all this is an old story to
you. (Hear.) In some parts of England this would be
news, but in Liverpool it is an old story told under a new
name. (Hear.) Most of you can recollect that this same
Irish board system was not confined to Ireland. We had a
late corporation. (Laughter.) The late corporation, anxious
to manifest the overflowings of their liber#lity, determined
to import the Irish monster, and import it they did. They
brought the extracts over—these new translations; they
passed resolutions that in their schools the Irish system
should have a fair trial, and no other books be used but
those belonging to it. These resolutions were printed
and published under the authority of the Education Com-
mittee of the Council at that time. Iu compliance
with these resolutions the Irish extracts were introduced, and
the authorised version of the Bible was excluded during
school hours. If it was not, their rules were not complied
with; if their rules were complied with, it was excluded.
Their friends here say it was not excluded ; if so, then they
were practically squeezable too. (Cheers.) But, while their
authoritative resolutions, printed and published for our in-
spection, did exclude the Bible from school hours, they did
adopt the Irish extracts. Whatever their practise might be,
contrary to their resolutions, we took them upon their own
showing. As we say what we mean, and mean what we say,
so we give credit to other people for saying what they mean,
and meaning what they say ; and when they said that no books
were to be used in their schools except those of the Irish
board, we believed that they meant what they said. (Hear,
hear.) Therefore we did not go to those schools ; and we
appealed to the people of Liverpool to give us money to build
schools for our children instead of those schools. (Hear.)
They did so. We got in a few weeks £ll,OOO. (Great
cheering.) We built the schools, filled them with children,
and taught them the truth, as the church of Christ ought to
teach them. (Hear.) And now, aye, now's the rub
(laughter) ; now, thanks to you, and the like of you in the
town whom we instructed—and though it seems to be praising
myself and my order, I must be bold to say it—thanks to
your clergy for teaching you right principles. (Cheers.) We
taught you the whole matter before the Ist of November came;
we taught it to you over again before the next Ist of Novem-
ber came ; and we taught it to you a third time before the
last Ist of November, and upon the last Ist of November you
taught the late corporation to retire. (Great cheering.)
Now I think you have the subject sufficiently before you for
me to retire, and call upon the deputation from Ireland to
state their case, and enlist your sympathies. The reverend
chairman then sat down amidst great applause.
The Rev. THOMAS WALKER, of Dublin, Secretary to the
moved the first resolution, which was in these

gulations of
durin

translations

own ru
able.

popishsys

: That the circumstances in which the great body of the
imembers of the Church of Christ in Ireland are placed, by
the withholding of public aid from any system of education in
which they can conscientiously concur,ess. arecf sauchcacsiettoyrewqhuiicrhe
tshhea.lelxistence and extended usefulness
provide them with pure relibgiyoussa
saying he
The rev, gentleman commenced oofhtehefelltricsohnsfiydsetenmt,
that if the pious portion of the promote:;
e national education had foreseen the actual working of the
-m in Ireland, they would not have put their hand to
'uld be...fr uponound among its strongest opponents. The
e'
, which they proceeded, being that of
e‘Anency, which was nevericd
regarded by Christians as spiri-
tual ground, they not only fa, but slipped from the high
position in which they might have stood. It was stated to
be an impossibility to induccTett whole word of God—thatbers of the Romish schism
'land to accept from u
uld not have from our hands the unmutilated record
receive from our teach-
of they would not
of salvation as the commissioned messengers of
with many,
then put for-
h were bound to teach it.
manyp,ctrhtaictnisf
tnent, and it had weight
me
system of education whereby
be brought in contact with the
.omanists, we might look forwaer lehjimitismeef
of the great object in view, the forward
'
he whole unrnutilated scriptures of God, VII'
i by Sir Thomas Fowell Buxton, tbeil
in tne year 18.36, in the House of Coca_
when he was supporting the celebrated appropria.
.41 clause," as it was called, by which the church Was to be
robbed of its property, and the property so taken appropri..
ated to any purpose that the minister of the day
might think
fit. Sir T. F. Buxton thought it would be right to take the
property of the church, and apply it to the establishment of
this board which, he said, was a national and religious sob ect.
The grand argument urged by the liberal section of the
house (and this, he believed, was conscientiously desired
upon the part of Mr. Buxton) was, that a certain portion of
the divine records should be presented to the people in the
Scripture extracts—and that the board should enforce the
reading of them. The board did so for some time. It ap-
peared, however, that in the details of the system these ex-

ground, ho'

of divine truth fang
Irish B