The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1848-10-17 00:00:00

CHURCH MISSIOzARY SOCIETY JUBILEE

The design of the Jubilee commemoration is to honour
and acknowledge the God of Missions as the Author of
all success in our work. The appropriate topics of re-
flection, therefore, at such a season, are three-fold—
gratitude to the Lord for His mercies—humiliation before
Him for the inadequacy of our returns—resolutions for
the future. Innumerable are the special mercies which
call for a grateful commemoration. In the compass of
this address we can but refer to the great outline, ex-
hibited in a contrast between the origin and the present
condition of the Society.

On the 12th of Api:il, 1799, twenty-five individuals,
clerical and lay, not one distinguished by rank or station,
met together to institute this Society, by laying down the
principles of action. and by mutually pledging each other
to pray for, and to care for, the Heathen. They sub-
mitted their plan to their ecclesiastical superiors. For
fifteen months they waited in inaction, before they could
obtain any notice or answer in respect of their proposal.
Contrast this recollection with the scene exhibited at the
last Anniversary Meeting, when the Primate of all En-
gland presided over an assembly whiel the largest room
in' the metropolis was scarcely sufficient to accommodate,
surrounded by a goodly numher of his suffragans, and of
the representatives of rank and influence ; all uniting in
the sentiments of cordial attachment to the principles of
the Society, and of zeal for its interests.
We may contrast, again, the facilities for carrying out
the design of the Society, in its early days, with those
which now exist. Then, all Europe was at war with

England—lndia was virtually barred against missionaries
—New Zealand was shunned for its inhuman cruelties—
the Mediterranean sea was occupied by hostile fleets and
armaments—in the West Indies, the minds of the degra-
de? One

negro race were crushed with their bodie
pot, the colony of Sierra Leone, invited by its openness,
but repelled by its insalubrity, the benevolent enterprise
of the fathers of the Church Missionary Society.

Contrast, with these recollections, the present openness
of the whole world to missionary enterprise—the easiness
of access—the frequency of communication—lndia not
only welcoming the arrival of missionaries, but reproach-
ing our slackness in not sending more. he fragrance of
the first-fruits gathered on her soil, and already waved as
a wave-offering before the Lord, invites us to reap the
abundant harvest. New Zealand has been won by mis-
sionaries to the crown of England, and to the visible
Church of Christ. The West Indies, having anticipated
their Jubilee, permit us to withdraw our forces to corquer
new countries. From all parts of the world invitations

arrive, which the Society is compelled to decline.
Compare the means at the disposal of the Society in
its early days, both in respect of labourers and of money,
with those which it now possesses. The founders of the
Society knew not where to look for men. They dared
not call for clergymen : schoolmasters and catechists they
hoped to obtain: or perhaps the churches of Germany
might furnish the zeal which was lacking at home. The
income of the Society rose by slow degrees. At the
tenth year, the amount subscribed had only reached
£2llB.

With these recollections contrast the present goodly
number of its missionaries-166 European teachers, 14
native clergymen, and 1298 native teachers. Reflect
upon our numerous training establishments for the sup-
ply of missionaries—at Islington, Sierra Leone, Tinne-
velly, Travancore, and Ceylon. Survey the extent of the
field already occupied by missionary agency—the rising
native churches, the schools, the numerous congrega-
tions, furnishing more than 13,000 communicants.
This review will surely force upon us the reflection,
" What hath God wrought ! " and the more fully we
dwell upon each particular included in this general out-
line, the more we discover proofs of the mercy and loving
kindness of the Lord, which call for our praise and
thanksgiving.

OUR FUTURE PROSPECTS

(From the Church of England Quarterly Review.)
What, then, is to be done ? Not to let men utter
treason under the name of patriotism—not to buy the
co-operation of a priesthood inimical to us, and who work
against us in a base and under-handed manner—not to
allow cargo after cargo of arms to quit the ports of Eng-
land in order to be distributed in Ireland—not to allow
the time of action to give place to discussion, while every
man in the country has his musket and his pike stowed
away, and grins exultingly as he hands over his rusted
weapon to the policeman's hand. Neither should the
Ministry receive hints with a supercilious ,:url of the lip,
in order to act upon those very suggestions afterwards.
This is what must not be done; courage, firmness, and
decision, are the necessary elements which combine to
form a power that would be respected, and supported
within, and held in salutary awe without. We cannot
have our Legislature laughed at, nor its agents brought
into contempt ; but what can we do when they will bring
this upon themselves ? Shall we say, " Get ye hence,
and let us have better, wiser men ! " It is painful to
break up a dream of power—to blow into thin air the
bubbles of a fanciful statesman, however iris-bright be
the hues of that luminous spectrum. It is, after all, un-
pleasant that the cushions of St. Stephen should be found
strewn with thorns ; but we must not—we dare not—
tolerate the blowing of bubbles when interests so vast are
at stake.

If the Premier visit Ireland with an intention of seeing
with his own eyes and hearing with his own ears the
vices and virtues of a factious and turbulent people, it is
to be hoped that he will be benefitted by such a trip ;
and if on his return we behold that he is convinced of the
foPy of some favourite Whig scheme which takes a me-
dium, much in the fashion of a " short cut " to save time
and distance, we shall congratulate ourselves and him
upon his change of views and the adoption of a new mode
of action ; we are satisfied that, in every way, all parties
will be the eventual gainers. It is said that, as in gaming,
those who win do so at the expense of those who lose, yet
here is a case in point where all are gainers : and, in the
long run, even the factious, the dishonest, and the fierce
and fearless demagogue, when brought to his senses, will
perceive his advantage, and will end by acknowledging it.
If success be the test of ability—if obstacles are re-
moved and difficulties are surmounted, while the causes of
such fearful descriptions as have visited us are no more to
be witnessed—what, then, must we think of a complete
failure in all of these ? .

In pinning our faith upon the sleeve of a Prime Minis-
ter, be he who he may, we after all hang but upon a loose
hook. One cannot, and another will not, aid us in a mo-
ment when we are in a manner perishing. We have for
awhile lost sight of that self-reliance which, to a great ex-
tent, will make us independent of all such factitious and
questionable aid ; and when, after all, those who trusted
so fondly in the calm weather through which the vessel of
the Constitution was to sail, now behold the blackening
sea with a fierce and ferocious howl rend the planks and
scatter the cargo, and threaten to swallow up our valuable
freight, are we to sit down in a stupor of apathy and say,
" Useless all our endeavours—we have naught remaining,
and the last star is dead in the sky ?" Not so. The still
small voice comes to man, even in his darkest hour, in his
greatest extremity. " Arise ! and faint not ; look abroad,
and behold the indestructible energy which animates all
things. Hope and faith—those bright twin harbingers of
success—are around thee and before thee." And thus
we press on, for what cannot be done at one time will be
accomplished at another; and we, therefore, trust that a
better destiny will dawn for us than has been brought to
our homes and hearths this stormy year.
It is in this spirit that we do not utter the sweeping
condemnation that rests upon our lips—on the tips of our
pens. Seeing how decrepid and helpless (like an old grand
sire who happens never to have been highly respected) this
imbecile ministry crawls to its dissolution, we are in a
mood to part from it with a feeling of pity, for we may
pity those who force us to hold them in contempt ; and,
though a sentiment of anger at its absurd obstinacy—at

its immense obtuseness—

-has now and then crossed us, yet

Ve are wi

particul

)1- to trouble itself

Oct. 17,1845.

about matters which concern us and others—nay, all —l,O
generally. But it so happens that, like old people wvt
have an obstinate determination to do you all manner..,
services which lead to annoyance and error—playing a„ls
inous game—one who, in his servile generosity, exPe'bi
the money belonging to other people, and who may there„
be ruined—it is with this feeling that we implore theca 15e
" let well alone,' and to give place to a ministry on ifh°
energies, talents, and straightforward method of del%
work we can depend.
With more hopeful eyes we gaze upon the future,
_l9 I
trust that there we may find what we have so long friir
sought. By the blessing of God, wuo bath guarden_to
beloved land, our sovereign, and our liberties so far'Te,
bath prevented the fearful propagandism of base and
signing men from taking root among our leal-be
people—we may look towards the next session with gni
joy, and behold that what has been wanting or wrong
this may be remedied in that.

MENT OF THE ROMISH PRIESTIIO
IN IRELAND.