The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1835-08-28 00:00:00

MISSIONS IN IRELAND.

On Monday evening last a public meeting of the Irish Me-
thodist Missionary Society, in connexion with the established
church, was held in the Music-hall, 80ld-street, John Parr,
Esq. in the chair. The proceedings having been opened with
a hymn and prayer, the chairman briefly stated the object of
the meeting, and called upon Mr. Revington, of Dublin, one of
the secretaries of the society, to address the assembly. It ap-
peared by the secretary's statement, as well as from a letter
which he read, signed by some of the most influential of the
Irish clergy, that this section of the methodist body adheres to
the simple plan of methodism as established by Wesley himself,
—that the preachers and missionaries of the connexion regard
themselves only as protestant teachers whose sole object is to
aid in the evangelization of Ireland without interfering with the
offices of the regular clergy, and that while the society bears a
friendly relation to the orthodox churches in Ireland, it is, ac-
cotding to the plan of its founder, particularly connected with
the established church, where its preachers and missionaries
regularly partake of the.holy communion, having no sacraments
administered by themselves. The missionary department of
this society, the workings of which it was the object of the de-
putation to lay before the public, appears to have been success-
ful in spreading gospel light and truth through some of the
Most benighted parts of Ireland. From the statements which
were submitted to the meeting it appears that besides a consi-
derable body of circuit preachers who are supported by the peo-i
ple amongst whom they preach, the society has at present up-
wards of forty missionary agents, including missionaries, scrip-
ture readers, and missionary schoolmasters, who labour to make
known from cabin to cabin, and from village to village, the
truth. The success which attends the labours of those devoted
men, who receive from the society merely what is sufficient to
supply their real wants, may be gathered from this fact, that in
the course of two years by the labours of the preachers and mis-
sionaries, upwards of four thousand individuals were hopefully
converted to God. The support which the society receives in
Ireland is highly encouraging. During the last year the re-
ceipts in that country exceeded £l7OO, and from the report it
appears, that notwithstanding the present distress of the Irish
clergy, the names of upwards of two hundred of them appear on
the list of subscribers. The society is also warmly supported
by many of the presbytcrian and dissenting ministers and laity.
The next person who addressed the meeting was the Rev. H.
S. Joseph, minister of the Hebrew church, who, after having
expressed his warm approbation of the society in its relation to
the established church, entered upon a statement of the super-
stitions and idolatry of the Roman Catholics of Ireland as fur-
nishing a strong reason why this society should be supported in
its efforts to spread divine truth amongst them. These remarks,
which were warmly responded to by the great body of the meet-
ing, excited the disapprobation of the Irish Roman Catholics,
who attended evidently with the design of interrupting the pro-
ceedings of the meeting: The same line of conduct was per-
sisted in during the address of Mr. Rice, of Dublin, the other
member of the deputation, who, in a bold, fearless manner
stated the withering influences of popery in Ireland, and the
success which, under the divine blessing, attended the• labours
of the society. Towards the close of Mr. Rice's address, some
of the Roman Catholics rushed toWards the platform, and de-
manded liberty to addless the meeting. This was, of course'
objected to by the chairman; and, on the suggestion of an Irish
gentleman,a warm friend to the society, who addressed his Roman
Cathclic countrymen at considerable length, and with great
ability, an offer was made to the Boman Cat holies to meet them
on any other evening inorder to discuss the points at issue be-
tween protestants and the members of that church. This ar_
rangement, we understand, was finally agreed to, and the meet-
ing was closed by a hymn and prayer. Previous, however, to
the breaking up of the assembly, an association in connexion
With the parent society in Dublin was formed, of which John
Parr, Esq.; 9, Camden-street, 'consented to become treasurer.