She hath done what she could: A Discourse addressed to the Ratepayers of St. Marylebone, urging the adoption of The Public Libraries Act, 1855Feilde, Matthew
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She hath done what she could: A Discourse addressed to the Ratepayers of St. Marylebone, urging the adoption of The Public Libraries Act, 1855
Feilde, Matthew
Library legislation -- Great Britain
And I hasten to review some specialities in a Home contest on which so
much is at stake; in my notes on St. Marylebone nothing has struck me
more than the high degree of speciality which attaches to this Crown
Living. LANCING in SUSSEX, my native village, of which my Father was for
many years VICAR, in Ecclesiastical language is termed a “PECULIAR,” and
certainly St. Marylebone might take the same title. The CLERGY in this,
as in every other Parish, stand on a vantage ground, and, if I might
venture to speak a few words, I would counsel them to vote for this Act,
and advocate such NURSERIES of Intelligence and virtue as Public News and
Recreation Rooms, and to recommend the rate paying part of their
congregations to do the same.
It would be very unwise to separate yourselves from the only feasible
plan for the innocent recreation and instruction of the People, and what
have the _working_ clergy to fear from Books or Newspapers?
Is it wise in the 19th century of the Christian era to proclaim openly
that you dare not encounter the rivalship of places set apart for
intellectual gratification and amusement? Is it not well occasionally to
ask yourselves whether the common people hear you gladly? and if your
words contain the food, or the medicine which meets the great necessities
of toiling hearts. You have vainly preached prohibitions and
restrictions,—you have hurled spiritual thunderbolts with little or no
effect. Stand upon the steps of the Churches, and see who comes out. Is
the working man there? There are clearly faults on both sides. He loves
not the Church. The Church has not done its duty. You must constrain,
tempt, “compel” him to enter. You must manage to _attract_ and draw him,
and above all you must learn to preach Freedom of Thought, UNITY and
CHRISTIAN EQUALITY. Believe me it would be politic on your part to
review the past, and _do what you can_, to ameliorate the condition of
the masses by gladly availing yourselves of this Act. That is a sad day
for the Gospel and the Church when a Plan for the Improvement of the
People is called “secular,” and not sufficiently religious to be urged
from the Pulpit: the Bishop of SIERRA LEONE in his Sermon at St.
Marylebone Church drew an appalling picture of “1,300 millions of
Idolaters,” and spoke of the duty of teaching the Nations, by spreading
abroad the light of the Gospel. That obligation cannot be questioned,
but who can say there are not IDOLS of SECTARIANISM and CASTE in our own
country? Who can say there are not unhappy DIVISIONS, and a want of
CHRISTIAN UNIFORMITY? And who can deny the Idol worship of LISSON GROVE?
Talk of the _dark places of the earth_, where can more devoted
worshippers of BACCHUS or of Mammon be found than in this collection of
Towns, called LONDON? HERE are Idols as real, sacrifices as hideous and
mischievous as any in a heathen land.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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