The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1844-11-05 00:00:00

UNIVERSITY 15- CLERICAL AEU's.

OXVORD, OCT. 30.—This day the following gentlemen
were elected Fe-Drivv:3 of University Collet e : —On the
Foundation of William of Durham—Mr. Wil hurl tied-
ley, M.A., Michel Fellow of Queen's. On the Founda-
tion of Sir Simon Bennet—Mr. George Gran siege Bradley,
8.A., Scholar of University.
• PREFERMENTS AND AFPOINTMENTS.—Rev. E. Dodd.
8.D., to the vicarage of St. Giles:s, with St. Peter's per-
petual curacy, Cambridge.—Rev. A. R. Pennington, to
the incumbency of the chapelry district of St. James,
hamstow, Essex.—Rev. H. Bl4yds, M.A , vicar of
Southstoke, Somerset, the prebend or canonry of Wed-
more.— Rev. J. Bradford, to the vicarage of Pinhoe, va•
cant by the cession of the Rev. J. James.— Rev. J. Heigh,
8.A., incumbent of St. Thomas's church, ( rooktes, York-
shire, to the incumbency of St. Paul's church, H udders-
field.—The Rev. Henry Lowther, of Distington, to the
living of Aikton, Cumberland. —Rev. H. Roberts, M.A.,
to the curacy of St, Botolpb's, Colchester, vacant by the
resignation of the Rev. E. S. Bull.—Rev. W. Sabine. to
the curacy of Mylor and Mabe.—Rev. D. Wheeler, to
the ministry of the new district of St. Paul's, Worcester.
—Rev. J. Trevit, cut ate of Hordon-on-the-Hill, to the
vicarage of the same place, vacant by the death of the
Rev. T. Lane.—Rev. J. Richardson, 8.A., assistant-cu-
rate of Haslingden, in the parish of Whalley, to the newly-
endowed district of Musbury, in the parish of Bury, Lan-
cashire.—Rev. W. Thompson, M.A., to the rectory and
parish church of Gathcombe, Isle of Wight, vacant by the
death of the Rev, H. Worsley.— Rev. Mr. Neale, recently
curate of Potterne, near Devizes, to the chaplaincy of the
}parse of correction at Horsley, Gloucesrer.—Rev. J. C.
Gregory, to the curacy of Bradford. Wilts.—Rev D.
Lewis, M.A., master of the grammar school, Rhayador,
to the curacy of Darowen, Montgomeryshire.—Rev. J.
B. Meadows. M.A.. to the svening lectureship and cu-
racy of Sr. James.Clerketiwell.—Rev. J. li emery, M.A.,
t r the deanery of the Island of Jersey.—Rev .1. Rusivon,
8.A., to the perpetual curacy of Brackenfield, Derbyshire.
OBSERVANCE OF THE RITUAL—With respect to son e
uanges which are supposed to owe their origin to the
efrirts of this school, it is much to be desired .hat more
Correct notions might prevail, esoecirdly among the laity.
Whatever may have been the object of the success of
those a rters of whom we speak in directing attention to
such matters, yet the advocates of rubrical observances
are more frequently found in the persons of those who
have no sympathy with their doctrinal peculiarities. It
is necessary that the laity should be made aware of thi.
fact; at the same time, I must caution the clergy that
they continually bear in mind that the edification of God's
people is the object of all their ministration. and that
they will sacrifice the end to the -means if the y offend
their congregations needlessly upon immaterial points. I
do not say that the interests of religion would not be ad-
vanced if the performance of our ritual were brought
back to what it really wa.,; on the contrary, I believe the
reverse would be the fact ; but I do say that ministers
take an inadequate view of their duly, if by adhering
too strict y to the rubric they thus' sever tile affections of
their people and alienate th an from than. Let mem ex-
plain its nature and uses to their flocks, and so win their
minds towards them. From the time that I entered the
diocese, I have been consulted by individuals among you
on these matters, and they will remember that it has been
in this spirit I have ever thought it my duty to advise.—
Recent Charge of the Bishop of Chester.
DAILY SERVICE.—Another accusation hasbeen brought
against the clergy, as if they were violating a solemn en-
gagement, inasmuch as they do not " say the morning and
evening prayer in the church or chapel where they minis-
ter, or cause a bell to be tolled, that the people may come
to hear God's word, and to pray with them. There is every
reason to believe that this injunction, though found in the
preface to the Book of Common Prayer, was never in any
age general'y observed in our church. Neither can there
be any justice in reproaching the clergy of the present day,
because they follow tl e practice of their predecessors, and
do not commence a service which is
the
thithaeurio`raicty ocuts-
tomed." nor enforced upon them by h
which deference would be due. Granting, however, that
the clergyman is bound to these daily services, can he
advantageously introduce them? And here we may justly
say concerning our people, " 0 that there were such an
heart in them," such a spirit of piety throughout the land,
as prepared them for these services, and al!owed the
clergy to give themselves more entirely to the worship of
the sanctuary ! It would be well, also, if the temporal
circumstances of the people were such as would make
them able, even if they were willing, to devote themselves
more constantly to " the word of God and to prayer."
But the fact, we know, is otherwise. The situation of our
churches, often remote from the population; the length
of our services; the degree of labour which is required of
every man in this crowded country, in order that he may
whether
maintain his place in whatever position he fills,
high or low : these causes render it absolutely impossible
that any except a most inconsiderable proportion of our,
people, even if they felt as David felt concerning " the
courts of the Lords house," should be able to attend the
morning or afternoon prayer on week days. This is not
a matter we can doubt about : it has been experienced
recently wherever the practice has been tried : it ha. been
long experienced in ali cathedral towns, where, unheptsly,
it does not appear, as some have supposed, that the appe-
tite will grow with the opportunity. Such being the case,
rcannot think it the duty of the minister to core mehce
the practice of daily praers. But it is very desirable
that, being relieved from this labour, he should ins ire his
people to such services as matey can attend ; that in towns
especially, on one, or two, or even three evenings in the
week, his church should be open to maintain toe imores-
ion which is made upon the or_ L .1' d-Lay.—charge of the
Bishop of Chester.

THE BIBLE SOCIETY.

At the annual meeting of the Staffordshire auxiliary of
this society, on Thursday last, the Earl of Harrowby
took the chair and opened the business of the day in the
followitbor clear and succinct address, which was liStened to
with thedeepest attention :—Ladies and gentlemen, it is
a great gratification to me, I may say contrary to all my
expectations, to meet you again in this place. Although
I am sensible that those faculties are gone which might
have enabled me to make any statement that could afford
you information or satisfaction as to the progress of this
society, yet I hold it to be my duty, from the office which.
I sustain, once more to testify in public my unabated at-
tachment to that society to which we belong. (Applause.)
I have been a member of that society during a consider-
able part of a very long life—l believe for about one-half
of its duration, and during that time we have seen it ad-
vance from very small and very unpromising beginnings
to that magnitude and importance which.it now possesses.
We have seen it pass through difficulties, overcome many
external obstacles, and triumphant over some and not few
internal dissensions, and I think that under the blessing
of Almighty God we may hope to see it if not enlarging its
sphere, at least continuitig:to fill it with hisapprobstion, and
to the benefitof mankind. (Cheers.) I ,ay " to the benefit of
'mankind," because I know of no society which is presented
to us by history, or of which we have any personal ob-
servation, to which the term " for the benefit of man-
kind," can so appropriately be applied. (Hear, hear.)
All other societies look to individual cases—at least to
classes of distress; but this society applies itself equally
to the young and the old, to the rich and the poor, to
Chri•tians of different denominations, arid to our fellow-
men of every clime.' (Hear, hear.) It spreads itself over
the who'e world. It looks on man as a being to whom it
is bound to afford assistance ; and while other societies
proside only temporal assistance in cases of temporal dis-
tress, this society applies its energies to the removal of that
worst of all distress—the want of religien or the possession
of a false one. (Hear, hear.) Let us, therefore, go on,
and we certainly shad have encouragement to go on if we
listen to that report which will be read to you, and which
I call on my reverend neighbour to read,
with respect to
the past operations of the society. Ladies and gentle-
men, I can only express once more my ardent wish for
the success of this society ; and I hope that, it contrary
to expectation, I should again appear before_ you in my
',resent position, I may you meet in a state of increased
prosperity. (Applause.)
Viscount SANDON, M.P., on rising to move the adops
lion of the report, observed that the report niust, he was
sure, have given satisfaction to all who were then assem-
bled, showing, as it did, that this county maintained its
position among the contributors to the means of the
Bible society ; and that whatever changes might have
taken place elsewhere, at any rate the pecuniary resources
which its supporters in this part of the country were able
to afford, were not inferior to these which had been pro-
vided in former years. (Hear, hear.) Nor indeed could it
be very well conceived that their contributions could fall
off. It was, perilous, rather late in the day to look out
for reasons for supporting the Bible Society.• (Hear,
hear.) Those reasons had been so fully, so frequently,
and so ably stated, in every part of the empire, and the
questions which had arisen concerning it had been so fully
discussed that it appeared to many persons who were called
on to take part in their proceedings, an almost needless task
to go over the same ground again ; but at the same time, in
these days of controversy, every man was called upon to
revi.w his former opinions, to examine the ground upon
which they rested ; and to see whether they were still
sound and solid ; and in consequence of that general ne-
cessity he had felt himself, among others, compelled to
pass his own opinions in review ; and be confessed th :the
found himself brought to no other conclusion than that
at which he had hitherto arrived. (Applause.) He could
not conceive why they should be called on almost to give
reasons for supporting the Bible Society ; for it sesined
to him that if they were Chrisians, and if they took the
basis of the Church of England as their guide, b.. could
hardly conceive why they should have any doubt as 'to
their duty of supporting this society. If they were
Christians, tbey were surely desirous to circulate the
Preaching of our Lord and hi Apostles—if they were Chris-
tians, they surely felt called on to make known the words
addressed by word of mouth to the first disciples of our
Lord, and by his Apostles. and which they had sett hind
them as the inspired oracles of ' truth. It surely became
the duty of all Christians to circulate those oracles as
widely as possible ; and if they as Churehinen merely
looked to themselves as members of one particular church
of Christ, they must equally feel that duty to be incumbent
upon them. Why, on what basis did the Church of
England profess to be founded ? She professed to teach
then, nothing but w hat could be found in the Bible as
the authorised will of God. (Applaue.) Surely, then,
if she wished to do her duty to her own peculiar opini els,
it must be her duty to circulate those oracles on which
she rested, and io which she appealed for the justification
of her opinions. (Hear, hear.) But was the objection
th's—that it was wrong to associate with those who
differed with them as Churchmen on some points but who
concurred in supporting the Bible Society ? I confess
(said his Lordship) that my view is ttes—that it is our
duty as Christians to concur with our fefloW Christians
wherever we can concur. (Loud applause.) There are
occasions enough on which we must differ; and on which
our duty calls upon us to separate—to separate however,
I hopeas friends and brothers—( Hear, hear, and cheers,)—
who differ upon some points, but who ate agreed on this;
and, therefore, when we cm find a common ground for
co-operation, surely as denizens of the same country,
professing the same faith and entertaining the same hope,
it-is our duty to co-operate if we find a common ground
of union. (Hear, hear.) These are the views and opinions
which, looked at again and again, have led me to the same
conclusion, that it is my duty to continue whatever sup-
port I can render to she great object of the Bible Society.
(Applause.) I do not wish to trespass further on the
time of the meeting, as there are other gentlemen present
who will give you details of the highest interest. I have
merely felt it my duty to state, in as few words as possi-
ble, the simple and general grounds on which I feel nay
self called on, a Christian and an attached member of
the Church of England, to continue ray support to the
great objects of this society. (Loud applause.)