"Ireland and the Irish."

Thames Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2890, 21 May 1878, Page 2

"Ireland and the Irish."

. The Rev. It. Hazleton, M.A., delivered a lecture on. the, above subject at ibe; Grahamstowia Wesleyan Church last evening in aid. of. a fund for the establishment of a Wesleyan,College at Dublin. There were about 300 people present, and the. Rev.R. S. Bunn occupied the chair. The united choirs'of the two Wesleyan Churches were in attendance, and rendered several anthems very creditably during the course of the evening. The lecturer, after a, few brief introductory remarks on the little that was known :of Ireland in Canada, the United Sta^s, and the Australian Colonies, said that to understand the subject properly they must go into the ancient history of Ireland. The ancient Irish claimed to be connected most aristocratically, as they were descended from; no less a personage than King Adam the I. The lecturer briefly sketched the history of Ireland until its colonisation by the Milesians—^a race "which has also peopled Britain, Spain, and other countries. They endeavoured to make Ireland a g'eat cour.lry. Arts and sciences now lost were fostered; The celebrated round towers gave evidence of the civilisation of Ireland at this early period, and had probably been erected by the ancient fire worshippers. This theory would connect' them with the old religion, which was dispelled by the light of Christianity. The lecturer then referred to the introduction of Christianity by St. Patrick into Irelaud, which occurred, in the fourth century, and briefly sketched the history of the great apostle of the Irish, St. Patrick, who was a native of Brittanyj had been held a slave by the.; Irish for six years, and being liberated ftt the end of that time he returned to his native home, and after studying in the Celtic schools of Gaul, he recrossed the ocean, and soon converted the country, and illustrated the Trinity t® them by the green immortal shamrock. He preached a purely apostolic Christianity. The speaker here argued that St. Patrick had never, been under the control of Rome, nor had he preached ; the Romish faith; and it was not till many centuries, later that Peter's-.Pence and otherJßomish innovations were introduccclv into the country. The Irish bishops consecrated each other by the simple laying on of bauds, and under the early style of moral purity Ireland rose and was filled with a progressive people. : Thousands were trained for. missionary life; colleges were established, and to them flocked not ouly the natives, but also Britons and Gauls Prom them Columba went to lon a- which under the hand of God became the chief, means for the distribution of the Gospel through Europe. The lecturer then adverted to lhe r fall of Ireland's greatness, which, he said, was caused by two fearful wars, the first of these being in the 9th century, when the Norsemen invaded the country, and for three hundred years the land was full of bloodshed, till at the close of the 11th century, under Brian Boru, they shook, off the yoke, and drove the invaders from their soil. Then followed the Norman invasion, by which the Emerald Gem was set in the Crown of a stranger. Pope Adrian the 4th determined to subilue Ireland, and assuming all power he sold her to Henry II of England, and Ireland was conquered. The .people were inflamed against England; and the flame was kept alive by Popish emissaries. The lecturer iiere traced the descent of Cromwell, the battle" of the Boyne and the religious troubles of Ireland to the Church of -Home. The lecturer concluded by saving still there was hopo for Ireland. The Holy Scriptures, had, however, become possessed by many of the people. The lecturer related several anecdotes illustrative of his assertion that the power of the Bomish priests was on the wane. The lecture was attentively listened to throughout, and after the choir had sung an anthem he took occasion to inform the audience that he wished to raise something like £2000 in the colonies for the erection of a Methodist college, in Dublin, which was to cost some £14,000. He returned thanks to the pastor of the church, to the trustees and to the choir. A collection amounting to £6 11s 4d was taken, and the proceedings were concluded by the pronouncing of the benediction.