The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1841-03-30 00:00:00

by occasions like this, to set before christiaus their duty, and
to show them how the spiritual blessing,s they had received
ought to be given forth to others. Now there were various
sorts of sympathies in the world. There was that spurious
sort of sympathy, that kind of delicate and pleasurable sen-
sation which some persons feel when they read, perhaps in a
novel or some other story, a tale of the most touching dis-
tress, or when they see a tragedy. We bad sometimes too
that sort of feeling which is dignified by the name of sympa-
thy, when a rich man releases a poor man; but sometimes
this would not a bear a very minute investigation. But how
different was christian sympathy from all these varieties of
the so miscalled name ! With respect to all other sorts of
sympathy, it seemed to be necessary that we should have felt
ourselves, and that those whom we assist should also feel,
miserable. (Hear, hear.) Now how different was that
sympathy which led Jesus Christ from heaven to earth to
die for us ! It was not a sympathy which arose from the
feeling that those whom he came to seek and to save had any
feelings themselves of the depths of misery into which they
had fallen. And this, therefore, was just the sort of sym-
pathy that we ought to feel, that we must feel ; because we
are reaching out the right hand of spiritual assistance in
many cases, not to those already awakened so as to feel the
desire of it, who are not like those that in former times
cried out, " Come over to Macedonia and help us," but we
were going forth amongst those who were "'dead in trespasses
and sins"—who bad no desire for those spiritual blessings
which—we were conscious, by our own experience, and by the
words of scripture—were the only blessings which could make
us happy here and blessed hereafter. This was the sympathy
to which he wished to direct their attention, and which he
. .

wished, by God's Grace, to excite in their hearts. He wished
to bind them to the consideration of their own happy and

iie;;diOiiilon, as those who were under the ordinances of
God and under the means of grace—and to direct their no-

Lice to many of those portions of our country which, though
it be called a Christian country, and which, though COM:

pared with Christian tioctrines,;vas highly favOured by God,
nevertheless, did appear m many parts of it to be nothing
better than a howling moral waste and wilderness. For in-
stance, a large collection of men are suddenly gathered to-
gether by speculation ; a mine is found, or a factory is
established ; and suddenly in the midst of the -wilderness
you find a town of 7,000 or 8,000 inhabitants collected
together. No church ; perhaps a solitary meeting
house; no discipline; no gathering of the people together
Sunday after Sunday to hear the preaching of the Word of
God ; no parochial visiting ; none of that home-walk of the
Christian minister, by which he entered into the intimate so-
ciety and friendship of those over whom God has placed him.
All this is unknown. And how is this to be remedied ?
Simply by awaking by God's grace within the hearts of men
this Christian sympathy, this following of Christ's example,
who came to seek and to save that which was lost. It was
only in this way that we could hope to abate this intolerable
evil. It was an awful thought for every one of us that God
seemed to have placed as it were—(and he spoke with pro-
found reverence of the ways of God)—the salvation of souls,
practically speaking, in the hands of men, of fellow-creatures
like ourselves. St. Paul says that He has put " this treasure
in earthen vessels, that the excellency may be of God, and
not of man." And, doubtless, this was the great object ;
that it might appear quite evident that it is not by the might,
nor the power of men, that the conversion was effected ; but
by the immediate preventing grace of God. But the resolu-
tion also spoke as truly and as sensibly of our own responsi-
bility. How was it that we were now Christians? Not on
account of any sensible miracle which had been effected by

the hand of God, but because the apostles went forth preach-

ing in the midst of heathenism, and because those who suc-
ceeded them had banded down to us the glorious gospel
of our salvation. And we would say, therefore, let us

each in our sphere, and according to th.e optics with which
God has blessed us, by his grace go do likewise ; let us plata.

fest to the world that we ha-ve some sense of these spiritual
mercies ; and let us show in the only way in which we can
show it, that we were anxious to impart these blessings to

others

[Here a voice from the lower end of the room ex-

claimed,

Three cheers for the

Additional Curates S

cietv.":l He was speaking in reference to one society, he
could not speak with reference to two at once, and he should
be very glad to hear any one that could. (Applause.) Now
the last part of the resolution referred to the result of this
Christian sympathy, which he would fain see awakened in
the breasts of every one before him. It was that we should
use our energetic and prayerful exertions for its removal.
And here we must begin, go on, and end in prayer. (Hear.)
We must have a distinct feeling and impression upon our

minds that every spiritual gift comes from God alone, and
that we are the machinery, as it were, which, in his mercy,
he vouchsafes to use for these so great blessings. But after

we had prayed we must show that there was some meaning
in our prayers, by using our best energies and exertions ;
and he would say one or two words with respect to energy.
. .

Suppose that a man had in his heart the desire to glorify
God, and that he was therefore only looking out for an op-
portunity by which God might be glorified ; he was anxious
to do it, and just looked about for the best mode of doing it.
Now, one man might take the scriptures in his hand, and
plunge at once into a society which had become almost hea-
then, and here attempt, by reading the scriptures, to com-
municate by the grace of God life to the dead society. His
exertions, doubtless, would in some degree be blessed ; and
there were many persons who had no other way except acting
in some isolated manner of this sort. But this was not that
direction of energy which he this evening wished to set before
them. He wanted to show them how these energies might
be rightly directed, and therefore how they were most likely
to produce the very best results. Now, we had a machinery
over the whole of this kingdom. It was a glorious thing in
theory, but it would not now bear an examination in practice,
that our country was so parcelled out into districts, that
there could not arise a single house, there could not collect
one single family, in any part of this land, which was not in
theory placed under pastoral superintendence, who had
not in theory a minister to preach to them and to console
them, and to warn them and to pray for them and with
them. This was the theory, but in practice it was not so.
Churches could not contain the worshippers • ministers of the
gospel, already in many instances overtasked, were utterly
unable to occupy the spaces which in theory they were sup-
posed to do ; and here, therefore, had arisen this spiritual
destitution. And, therefore, when this society wanted to ex-
cite Christians to energy, when it wanted them to shew forth
to the world that they had sympathy for this spiritual desti-
of their fellow-countrymen, they wished also to point out to
them a way in which they conscientiously believed such ef-
forts would be crowned by the brightest results. Rather than
throw away a piece of machinery, if it was good in principle,
let them attempt to improve it and add to its power. Here,
therefore, was brought before their notice the Pastoral Aid
Society, the sole object of which was to improve and to
amend, and to supply what was wanting in the parochial sys-
tem ; to sustain the clergymen that they might be able to oc-
cupy that ground which at present it was utterly impossible
they should occupy. And this was the scriptural way of
viewing it ; this was the Way that the Apostles acted. In
the first place
they were sent forth by Christ himself; they
went oat
wherever boldly, and preached the gospel indiscriminately
they could obtain a hearing • but then, after they
had done this, after they had succeeded in gathering churches
in various places, then their object was to increase the effi-
cbfoaecyroef these churehes. They did not leave the churches as
; but they had a code of discipline ; they appointed
ministers to feed the flock ; and they continually vi-
sited, again and again, thse churches, in order to
confirm and strengthen them in the faith. (Hear, hear.)
And it was according to this Christian principle that we
wished now to act. We thought and were sure that we
could see over onr country a church of which, with respect
to its discipline and its theory, the apostles themselves would
approve ; and we therefore were anxious simply to supply
the necessary deficiencies for the churches which had arisen
in consequence of the increase of our population, without at
the same time there being anything like a correspondent in-
crease in the means of grace. And therefore—for he would
not detain them longer from the interesting details, which
he doubted not they would be glad to hear, of the operations
of this society—he fervently hoped and prayed that God
might put it into their hearts, that they might shew forth
this true and Christian sympathy, and that they might be
led to see, that the support of this society, which he most
heartily had honoured and recommended to their notice,
would be one of the most useful and profitable modes of
showing forth their energy, and thus glorifying God. He
begged, therefore, to move the resolution. (Applause.)
Rev. T. B. MARSDEN (one of the deputation from the
parent society.)—The resolution lam about to second de-
clares that the spiritual destitution of any country must
awaken the sympagiies of a Christian community ; but that
community must be first instructed in the nature and extent
of those wants. A few years ago we were not listened to
when we spoke of the spiritual destitution of the country
but now the cause has made thus much progress, thai, we are
able to gain a hearing. But we are still heard with reluc-
tance, because the belief is that the case is hopeless. The
state of things is this :—we have an ecclesiastical establish-
ment for fifteen millions which was originally designed for five
millions. The resources of the church have not increased with
the wants of the people. England had 10,500 parishes originally ;
she has only that number now. Where there are a few
wealthy laymen to build churches, it is well ; but in deso-
late hamlets, or manufacturing districts, the people are left
to die in ignorance of God, because no man cares for their
souls. Nobody grudges an increase in the army, and
in the navy--indeed, the complaint of some is, that a
larger levy. is not made on the country for their support.
Additional judges are required for the administering of justice,
because the population and necessities of the country have so in-
creased as to call for these various augmentations in the variou
departments of the state. And then, 1 ask, why should not the
same standard be applied to the church ? Some talk of voluntary
exertions—and I would to God that we had more of them. I can-
not travel without being delighted to see the number of new
churches which have been raised by voluntary benevolence. It has
done much, and it is delightful to observe it; bat in the
course of the last forty years, the increase of the population has
been more than live millions, and It is idle to suppose that voluntary
benevolence could have kept pace with such an increase of re-
quirement. All we can do is, to stand in the gap, and tell our
senators and wealthy men their duty. I have shown the necessity
for some such society as this, and now it can only work this
effectively, the voice which it owes to Liverpool will reverberate
through the metropolis, like the distant stroke of au electric
shock, it will be felt through the whole country, and the work will
progress every where successfully. In 1700 the whole population
of Lancashire was not equal to the present population of
Liverpool, but in other counties there has been no increase,
and in some there has been a diminution. But that which
constitutes a case the most difficult to deal with, is the col-
collecting of large masses together in some one district sud-
denly. There is a parish in the neighbourhood of Durham, which
in 1834 was a very great one, with a population of 250 persons.
The minister was an aged man, but quite equal to the discharge
of his pastoral duties. To-day that parish counts within it front
ten to twelve thousand souls. How has this happened? A
coal mine was discovered in it, and hence this sudden influx of
new parishioners. The aged minister was of course quite unequal
to such a change as this, and the aid of this society was solicited
in his behalf ; and he is now assisted by a curate paid out of its
funds. The reverend gentleman next entered into a history of
the formation of the society, and answered every objection which
had been raised against it in the most satisfactory manner. We
regret that we are prevented by the lateness of the hour at which
the meeting terminated, from giving his very able and satisfactory
of
Societyt h e Society
n oNv collectedais tw o
speech at full.
The following statementlaotfetrheeatlapegra—tiTonilse
under their charge an
of ?,039e,1a5v6,r0ar
average amount
on an average, the
from his speech will be
ainount .of their incomes
hundred and seventy-nine incumbents, having
aggregate population
charge of 7,344 souls; while th
e
is only X 162 ; and 139 of these incumbents.are without parsonage-
houses. Previous to the aid of he society, only 314 clergymen
were engaged in the pastoral care of
.the
dabove-stated population.
The existing grants are to provide stipends for 294 Clergymen and
41 lay assistants, at a charge to the society, when all the appoint-
ments shall be made by the incumbents, of '26,808 per annum.
• assistants are now supported in their
225 clergymen and 42 lay as of .e2O 688 er annum,
The labours by the society, at a charge P
The Rev. HUGH M`NEILE then rose amidst enthusiastic
cheering to move the next resolution. lie found on co-
•ust delivered that •
paring his resolution with the speech Jit
rentleman who had
had already been spoken to. The rev. g
just sat down had admirably conducted a dissertation upon
this theme. He (Mr. M`Neile) however would read the re-
solution, and the meeting might then see how completely his
rev. friend had exhausted the topic—
" That the Church Pastoral Aid Society, whether as re-
gards the correctness of its system or its efficiency, is, under
the Divine blessing an unexceptionable and approved means
of remedying the evils connected with the spiritual destitu-
tion which prevails in many parts of our land.
The meeting had heard the correctness of the society spoken
to, and, as he thought, unanswerably defended. There was
one point connected with the working of the system that he
might perhaps be allowed to add one observation upon. The
rev. gentleman who formed the deputation from the Parent
Society had very fairly said, that however admirable the con-
stitution of the society might be, we could not in reason ex-
pect that it should please every one. Well, those who did
not like it were in no way compelled to join it ; and those
who did not approve of its rules were in no way called upon
to ask for its assistance. (Hear.) In one of its fundamental
regulations the veto, as it was called, was fairly and honestly
stated. The regulation was No. 8, and it was this :
" No grant from the Society's funds for the benefit of any
parish or district can be made, unless the Incumbent himself