The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1851-11-18 00:00:00

BISHOP OF MANCHESTER'S CHARGE,

The Lord Bishop of Manchester delivered his first charge on
Saturday, in the Parish Church of Bolton. The Right Rev.
Prelate, after testifying how much and sincerely he had felt the
kindness and courtesy so universally accorded to him by
cl

gy of the diocese, proceeded to read his charge, of which we
can give onlyabrief abstract. Heexpressed himself ashaving an
anxious sense of responsibility with respect to the extent and
variety of the interests he had to consider. One point of pro-
minent importance is to bring the people as far as possible
intimately acquainted with the services of the Church, espe-
cially those which, from their occasional occurrence only, are
comparatively seldom brought before them. This he had en-
deavoured to do. Nowhere is the spirit of the Church more
clearly manifested than in the care with which it sedulously
provided that the congregation shall take part in all her ser-
vices. The history of the Prayer Book affordS ample evidence
of the desire to secure the whole congregation's understanding,
and joining, either mutely by consent, or actively, in all the
services of the Church. That in cathedral and collegiate
churches chantina, might be used was unquestionable, except-
ing in the case of collegiate parochial churches having cure of
souls. In parish churches the case was widely different. Sing-
ing of hymns before or after service is not condemned. The
distinct object which all along has actuated the reformers and
authorities has been to render the services intelligible' to all
her worshippers. He referred to the attempts now making in
various quarters to effect alterations in the ecevicca
Church, and to revive old assemblies. Granting that, as in all'
things human, there are some imperfections in the rubric, he
could recognise nothing so objectionable as to justify the open-
ing the many grave and momentous questions to which any

.gy,_or convocation of the early church

ye rise: He then alluded to the late convulsion
of feeling on—the subject of baptismal regeneration. The
opinions attributed to Mr. Gorham by the Judicial Committee
he held to be the true scriptural doctrine of the Church of
England. In allusion to his support in Parliament of measures
in favour of Jews being admitted into the Legislature, he ob-
served that he deemed it inconsistent with Christianity to visit
religious nonconformity with civil disability, except in cases
clearly shown to be inconsistent with the preservation of the
State. We were admitting those who have declared our religion
a heresy, and are even now denying our Sovereign supremacy,
yet we were excluding the hitherto almost universally loyal and
peaceful Jew. Adverting to the subject of education, the Right
Rev. Prelate said—" The rubric of the Church secures to us, in
the directions given to catechise the children before the congre-
gation, the right to inculcate our peculiar and distinctive
teachings, as well as the opportunity to present to the older but
less instructed members of the congregation, the great truths
of religion in a simple form. The Sunday school associates
with you a number,of young parishioners, uniting to improve
themselves by improving others, and earning a rich reward in
patience, the exercise of temper, the interest, and the kindly
emotions elicited. The day school is a constant resource to
discountenance every rising evil, to get at the sick parent by
inquiring of the child, or at the child by contact or reproof
directed to the parent—evidencing interest in either, and chal-
lenging sympathy. Happily the alarm excited a short time
since has now subsided, on a more careful and dispassionate
view of the acts of the Committee of Privy Council on Educa-
tion. The immeasurable good likely to result is beginning all
but universally to be felt. The reason: bleness of the manage-
ment clause, so long a vexatio questio, is now seen generally,
but the fact must not be lost sight of, that a new and important
element of education, which ought to make itself to be felt—the
want of trained and suitable teachers, hitherto so serious a
matter—will henceforth considerably diminish. As the pupil
teachers and paid monitors appointed under the Minutes of
December, 1848, shall become effective, and begin to seek ap-
pointments, it is obvious that measures must be taken to meet
this, and to retain the services of this superior class of teachers
in education. The teacher's stipend must be augmented, and
his position in society raised. That the voluntary system will
effect this there is little hope. It has been tried and has failed,
and must fail.

To hiCrease Parliamentary grants beyond a certain limit in
aid of local exertions is inexpedient, since, not to speak of their
difficulty, those who administer it are tempted to become
lavish in expense and careless in the supervision. The remedy
left is to supply the want by local rates, administered -with
such restraints and limitations as experience must suggest, by
local authorities acquainted with all the interests, and their
several stations and localities. But here we are met with an
asserted impossibility of using a rate, even were such collected'
here, On account of diversity of religious opinions existing
among us, and the alleged impracticability of uniting them
under a system of education without violating liberty of con-
science. Premising my opinion, that education, to be useful
to the individual educated, or safe to the community, cannot
exist without religious instruction—a conviction which on
other occasions I have unhesitatingly asserted—l will ask yon
what rights we do and do not possess on this matter, as citi-
zens and members of the Church of England? The right, as
heirs of immortality, to impart to others the teachings com-
mitted to us by what means that immortality may be at-
tained—the right as Christians, for whom Christ died, to prof-
fer to all the Gospel -of His Word ; the right, as members of
the Church of England, to set before all willing to be members
of that Church, its doctrines, services, and articles in all their
fulness—these are rights inalienable, and which I would never
for a moment consent to impair; but lie have no right, by any
law, human or divine, to force the adoption of these on any
human being against their will • nor have we a right to deny
to any member of the State, however poor and humble, any
portion of what the State provides, because he will not take
the whole. If he decline to take what is intended, as unsuited
to his advantage, the act is his, as also his the responsibility.
Thus, while I never would consent to give up the use of the
catechism, the Prayer Book, and the distinctive teaching of
the Church of England in our church schools, I would restrict
their use to particular periods of the week, at which I would
permit the child of the Dissenter, at his own or parents' peril,
to absent himself. I would compel him to show respect at the
religious services of the school where he is allowed to go, and
where he is prayed for, if unable to join in it. And the like I
would require from all Dissenting schools assisted by the rate,
No liberty of conscience has thus been violated. His lord-
ship alluded to complaints which had reached him with respect
to the facility with which marriages could be contracted, and
to the aggressions of the Court of Rome. He said that ques-
tions had been asked him in reference to the refusal of the rite
of burial wherepersons had died in the actual commission of
sin, or from suicide, where the coroner's jury did not pro-
nounce a verdict of felo de se. The law upon this matter, he
stated, was quite explicit ; the clergyman had no right to with-
hold the service in any case, except after some judicial inves-
tigation had taken place, and not then unless sentence had
actually been pronounced. He had no power to act upon his
own knowledge in the absence of such' investigation. The
charge, which was of.great length, and read very rapidly, oc-
cupied an hour and a quarter in delivery.
His lordship held a visitation on Monday, at Preston, in the
Parish Church' when an appropriate sermon was preached by
the Rev. J. O. Parr, vicar, from Micah vi. 8. On Tuesday his
lordship met the clergy of Blackburn and the district, the ser-
mon being preached by the Rev. T. F. Chamberlain, rector of
Thefford, from Rom. xxv. 19. On Wednesday his lordship met
the clergy at Burnley, and on Thursday at Bury.
His lordship held his visitation in Manchester, at the Cathe-
dral, on Friday. All the local clergy were present, and there
was a numerous congregation.
On Saturday his lordship held his visitation at Lancaster,
and on Sunday confirmed a large number of young persons at
the Parish Church.

THE BLACK ART has now become so very fashionable—
thanks to Mr. Colles's protracted visit—extending to
seventy-two weeks !—a thing unparalleled in the annals'of
conjuration=-that we may expect to find one of his pupils
(q iery—im ps ?) at every evening party during the winter.
C •rtain it. is he. hes been most successful in impatting to
others his amusing art. Every one who has a desire to
amuse their friends during the long evenings should pay a
visit to Mr. C. His addrges will 1 found In our adver-
tising columns,