THE CHURCHES.
In my young days eloquent preachers were still much in the fashion, and
attracted large congregations, but the building of churches and
appointing to them preachers of eminence as a financial speculation had
happily ceased. The church in Liverpool was largely recruited from
Ireland, and we had certainly many able men, who were not only eloquent
but whose discourses were also very lengthy. The hearing of sermons was
not merely an act of devotion but a form of religious entertainment and
enjoyment, and a short discourse would not have been appreciated. I
remember one very eloquent divine, to whose church it was impossible to
obtain admission unless you were at the door a quarter of an hour before
the service commenced, being when advanced in years removed to another
church. He continued to preach the same sermons with much of his old
fire and vigour, but he emptied the church, for people would no longer
tolerate fifty minutes every Sunday of the old fashioned controversial
discourse. We had in those days many eminent divines, Dr. Lowe at St.
Jude's, Dr. Taylor at St. Silas', Dr. Falloon at St. Bride's, and Mr.
Ewbank at Everton, and most eloquent of all, Dr. MacNeile at St. Paul's,
Prince's Park. He was a great power, both in the pulpit and the
platform, and in the press. Clergy and laity, rich and poor, were
stirred by his eloquent appeals. I never heard him preach, but his
speeches to the boys at the Collegiate on our prize days still linger in
my memory as marvels of eloquence. His presence was very dignified, and
he was stately in manner. He had a profusion of snow-white hair, which
added impressiveness and solemnity to his handsome appearance. He
wielded a giant's strength in debate, and some thought he used his power
without mercy. He died in 1879 at the age of 83.
In the 'seventies Dr. Forest, who afterwards became Dean of Worcester,
Mr. Lefroy, afterwards Dean of Norwich, and the Rev. Nevison Loraine,
were among our most prominent and eloquent divines; nor must I forget
the Rev. John MacNaught, of St. Chrysostom's, our first broad churchman,
earnest, eloquent, and courageous, but looked upon with much misgiving
and some suspicion.
The Bishops of Chester were unable to devote much of their time to the
Liverpool portion of their diocese. The result was that the leaders of
the evangelical party became little autocrats in their way. Under these
conditions church life became dormant, and the church narrow and formal,
and wanting in spirituality. Her liturgy and the devotional part of her
services were sacrificed, and made secondary to preaching. This was the
state of things in 1880, when the see of Liverpool was founded.
Two great influences were, however, quietly operating in the church. The
school of the Oxford tract writers gave prominence to the sacramental
system and corporate powers of the church, which enlisted a new class of
energies in her service, and the publication of _Essays and Reviews_,
although they gave a temporary shock to church people, was productive of
good, by broadening the theological outlook, and inviting that higher
criticism which quickened more interest in the truths of the Bible, and
deepened the reverence for the wider conception of the love of God.
Dr. Ryle, our first Bishop, was a recognised leader of the evangelical
party, and a prolific writer of church tracts. He was an able preacher,
a good platform speaker after the old-fashioned pattern, and had a very
imposing and apostolic presence.
Dr. Ryle's work as our first Bishop was a difficult and arduous one. He
tried to be fair and just to all parties in the church, but he was urged
by some of his evangelical followers to take action in restraint of the
high church practices which prevailed in some churches, and to give his
episcopal sanction to the prosecution of the Rev. J. Bell-Cox. He
consented with reluctance. The Bishop at this time frequently came to my
house and I know how unhappy he was at this juncture; not that he in
any way sympathised with the practices sought to be checked--they were
most repugnant to him--but he appreciated the self-sacrificing work of
the high church clergy, and thought that other and gentler means and
methods might be adopted to bring about the desired result.
In his later years his Lordship's ecclesiastical views became broader
and more liberal. In face of many difficulties he did an excellent and
most successful work in building churches and schools. Beneath an
apparently haughty manner he had a big and kind heart, and those who
were privileged to know him best loved him most.
I am sometimes asked are church people as good and zealous as in the
days gone by. I think they are more so. They are more devout, more
earnest, more spiritual. They may be less emotional and do not crowd the
churches to hear sermons, but they are to be found in their hundreds at
the Lord's Supper. The church, which was formerly locked up all week, is
now open for daily prayer. The Holy Communion, which was only
administered on the first Sunday in the month, is now administered every
Sunday, and frequently twice in the day. Strong language and swearing
are less frequently heard, and there is in life a diffusion of light and
sweetness, which can only come from the influence of holy things and the
power of love which has taken a stronger possession of our thoughts and
actions.
The church is broader, has a wider mission, and it stands upon a higher
pinnacle in men's minds. We recognise that men are differently moulded
in temperament and thought, that a national church must within limits
provide the means of worship suitable to all; and that while the simple
conventicle may to some present the most suitable temple of God, others
are happier if their prayers are winged to His Throne amid beautiful
surroundings and to the sound of choral music.
The nonconformists have always been active in Liverpool, and have had
many able ministers. The most influential of these churches has always
been the Unitarian. I remember Dr. Martineau only as a name, but the
Rev. Charles Beard I knew and greatly esteemed. He was a power for good
in Liverpool, and much of the uplifting and purifying of Liverpool in
the 'seventies was due to his influence. He had powerful supporters
amongst his congregation in Renshaw Street Chapel: the Holts, the
Rathbones, Gairs, Mellys, Gaskells, Thornleys, etc.
It has often been said that our University had its birth in Renshaw
Street Chapel. It certainly found there its warmest and most active
supporters.
Hugh Stowell Brown was another bright light among the nonconformists, a
robust and rugged preacher, who did not neglect his opportunities of
advocating higher ideals of civic life and duty. The Rev. C. M. Birrell,
of Pembroke Chapel, was stately in figure and highly cultured; he won
the respect and esteem of all Christian communities. The Rev. Charles
Garrett was a power in Liverpool and the country, as the great apostle
of temperance.
In the Roman Catholic church there is one remarkable outstanding figure,
Monsignor Nugent, or as he preferred to be known, Father Nugent: priest,
philanthropist, and friend of all, but particularly of the outcast boy
and fallen woman. I could write pages of this worthy priest's great
goodness, his big heart, his wide and tender sympathies, and his work
among the wreckage of society. His memory will linger with us as an
incentive to all that is noble, all that is loving and tender.
We must not forget the many laymen who have helped forward church work
in Liverpool: Charles Langton, Charles Grayson, Christopher Bushell,
Hamilton Gilmour, Charles Groves, the builder of churches; Clarke
Aspinall, who spent all his leisure in assisting the clergy in their
church and temperance work; and the Earle family. Among the
nonconformists we had W. P. Lockart, a merchant and an ex-cricketer, who
took up evangelistic work in Toxteth Park, and exercised a wide and
great influence among young men. I have elsewhere mentioned the Rev. Dr.
Lundie, and his influence upon the temperance movement; and I must not
omit Alexander Balfour, Samuel Smith, and Thomas Mathieson, all
prominent and most active lay nonconformists.
To the active efforts of our clergy we owe much of the improvement in
the social condition of our working classes. Their exertions on behalf
of temperance are worthy of all praise; in training the young in habits
of self-control and self-respect, they are saving the child and making
the man who is to control the future destinies of the empire.
THE BUILDING OF A CATHEDRAL.
The see of Liverpool was founded in 1880. There was little difficulty in
raising the endowment fund, thanks to the personal exertions of Mr.
Torr, M.P., and Mr. Arthur Forwood, but the selection of a bishop was a
matter for grave thought. Liverpool contained many low churchmen and
many Orangemen, and it was also recognised that the high churchmen had
done most excellent work. The views of the evangelical party, however,
prevailed, and Lord Sandon and Mr. Whitley were instructed to use every
influence with Lord Beaconsfield to secure the appointment of an
evangelical churchman. In this they were successful. Lord Beaconsfield
appointed Dr. Ryle, whom he had but recently created a Dean, as the
first Bishop of Liverpool.
The proposal to erect a cathedral was first made in 1887. A committee
was formed; a site on the west side of St. George's Hall--where St.
John's Church stood--was selected, and a design by Sir William Emerson
was approved by Mr. Ewan Christian, the architectural assessor. I was
appointed one of the treasurers to the fund, and at once began an active
canvass for donations. There was, however, a great lack of enthusiasm;
many objected to the site chosen, and the Bishop did not help the cause,
for though he was in a way anxious that a cathedral should be built, he
freely expressed his opinion, both in public and in private, that
additional churches and mission halls would be more useful. We received
promises of only £41,000, and then we had to allow the scheme to drop,
for it was quite impossible to make further headway. I think the Bishop
was disappointed. He was an earnest, good man, and during his episcopate
great progress was made in church building in the diocese, but in his
heart I do not think he was ever enthusiastic in favour of the cathedral
scheme.
No further steps were taken towards the erection of a cathedral during
the episcopate of Dr. Ryle. When his successor, Dr. Chavasse, had been
consecrated bishop the scheme took shape again, and shortly after he had
been installed at his suggestion a small committee was formed to
formulate a proposal. The Bishop was good enough to ask me to become the
treasurer. I had so ignominiously failed in my first attempt to collect
money that I declined, but his lordship was very pressing, and after
thinking the matter well over I said I would make an attempt to start a
fund, provided no site was selected and no general committee formed
until we had received sufficient promises to make the scheme a success;
and I added that if my conditions were accepted I would give up all
other work for six weeks and devote myself to working up a cathedral
fund. I made those conditions because I found on my previous effort the
selection of a site and a design was a serious hindrance, as they
afforded reasons and excuses for not giving. The Bishop agreed to this
proposal. I wrote six or eight begging letters every night and followed
them by a call on the day following, and I wrote a series of articles in
the daily press, and managed to arouse a considerable amount of interest
and enthusiasm in our scheme. We started our list with a handsome
donation of £10,000 each from Lord Derby, Sir Alfred Jones, and others.
Canvassing was hard work, but Liverpool people were very good and very
generous. In my daily rounds I met with much kindness, but with some
disappointments. Only one man, whose father made his millions in
Liverpool as a steamship owner, was rude and unpleasant, but even he in
the end relieved his conscience by sending in a small donation. At the
close of six weeks' work I was able to announce to the Bishop's
Committee that we had promises amounting to £168,000. We did not,
however, stop at this. The ball was rolling and must be kept rolling,
and before we called a halt we had promises in meal or malt amounting to
£325,000. In this amount are included special donations for windows,
organ, etc.
The Earle and Langton families most liberally gave £25,000 towards the
cost of the Lady Chapel, and ladies of old Liverpool families were most
generous in their contributions.
This success would have been impossible of achievement if it had not
been for the wonderful influence of the Bishop. Everyone recognised his
saintly character, his arduous work, and the statesmanlike manner in
which he ruled over his diocese. Perhaps the Bishop's strongest point in
dealing with men is his power of "enthusing" others. He always looks
upwards, and in the darkest days is full of brightness and words of
encouragement.
The next step was the selection of a site, and this aroused considerable
discussion. There were many advocates for what was known as the London
Road site, at the junction of that thoroughfare and Pembroke Place, a
very commanding position; but as the cost of the site alone would have
been £150,000 it was placed on one side. The sites of St. Peter's and
St. Luke's were considered and pronounced too small. Eventually St.
James' Mount was decided upon as being central and commanding, and
having picturesque surroundings. The fourteen acres comprising the Mount
were purchased from the Corporation for £20,000.
It was decided to advertise for designs and give premiums for the two
best, and Mr. Norman Shaw, R.A., and Mr. Bodley, R.A., were appointed
assessors.
Many designs were sent in and exhibited at the Walker Art Gallery. From
these the assessors selected the design of Mr. Gilbert Scott, a young
man of only 19, a grandson of the great Gothic architect, Sir Gilbert
Scott, R.A. It was a design which did not commend itself entirely to the
committee, and Mr. Scott being a Roman Catholic it was feared some
objection might be taken, and the committee very wisely decided to link
Mr. Bodley, R.A., with Mr. Scott as joint architects--a very happy
combination, for while we secured the genius of Mr. Scott, we also
secured the ripe experience and exquisite taste of Mr. Bodley.
We elected the Earl of Derby as our president, and I was made the
chairman of the executive committee, a position of much honour and of
absorbing interest, but involving considerable responsibility. We were
fortunate in having on the committee Mr. Arthur Earle, who has rendered
yeoman service both in collecting funds and finding donors of the
windows. We have also received great assistance from Mr. Robert
Gladstone, the deputy-chairman, and Mr. F. M. Radcliffe.
We had some difficulty with our foundations, as part of the Mount was
made-ground, and the rock when we reached it was very friable. The
consequence was that on the east side we had to go down forty, and even
fifty feet before we obtained a satisfactory foundation. The
foundations for the Choir, Lady Chapel, Vestries, and Chapter House cost
£40,000.
FOUNDATION-STONE LAID BY THE KING.
It was decided to invite the King and Queen to lay the foundation-stone,
as it was the only cathedral likely to be built in this century. The
King graciously consented, and fixed the afternoon of July 19th, 1904,
for the ceremony, the arrangement being that he was to come down from
London in the morning, lunch with the Lord Mayor at the Town Hall, and
afterwards lay the foundation-stone; and on the conclusion of the
ceremony embark upon the royal yacht in the river to proceed to Cardiff,
_en route_ to open the waterworks constructed in South Wales for the
supply of Birmingham. The arrangements for the foundation-stone laying
required much thought, as my experience has taught me that "functions"
are successful only if every detail is well thought out beforehand.
Around the foundation-stone a huge amphitheatre of wood was constructed
capable of seating 7,000 persons, and in the centre we erected an
ornamental dais upon which the King and Queen were received and where
they stood during the religious service; and in front of the dais, about
thirty feet away, the foundation-stone stood ready for lifting and
laying. We also formed a choir of 1,000 voices to take the musical part
of the service, led by the band of the Coldstream Guards.
The day was beautifully fine and the city splendidly decorated, quite a
royal day. Lord Derby and the High Sheriff met their Majesties on their
arrival at Lime Street Station, when presentations were made to their
Majesties. The King was in the uniform of an Admiral of the Fleet; Lord
Derby appeared as Lord-Lieutenant, and uniforms and court dress were
worn by the guests. Their Majesties proceeded from the station to the
Town Hall, where a very select company was assembled. After luncheon the
King knighted the Lord Mayor, who became Sir Robert Hampson. At Lord
Derby's request I proceeded to the site to receive their Majesties on
their arrival, and afterwards had the honour of presenting the
architects and the members of the committee.
The service was conducted by the Archbishop of York and the Bishops of
Liverpool and Chester. It was grand and majestic, worthy of the
occasion. Most of the bishops of the northern province were present in
their robes, and also about 300 of the clergy. At the conclusion of the
service the King expressed to me his great satisfaction, and the Queen
did the same, adding that the music was beautifully rendered. Everything
passed off well, but during the service heavy banks of clouds began to
gather, and the royal party had scarcely left the site when the rain
fell.
[Illustration: THE LADY CHAPEL, LIVERPOOL CATHEDRAL.]
CONSECRATION OF THE LADY CHAPEL.
The consecration of the Lady Chapel took place on Wednesday, 29th June,
1910, St. Peter's Day, and was a most imposing and impressive ceremony.
The Lord Bishop conducted the service, the Archbishop of York preached
the sermon, and they were supported by the Archbishop of Dublin and
twenty-four other bishops, all wearing their convocation robes. There
was a large assembly, the difficulty being to accommodate all who wished
for seats.
The Bishops' procession was formed in the vestries, and was composed of
the Chapter and Clergy, the Cathedral Choir, the Bishops and their
Chaplains, the Bishop of the Diocese, and the Archbishop of York. The
procession marched round the chapel through the street to the door of
the Lady Chapel, the choir singing an appropriate anthem. Arriving at
the door, after the recital of some prayers, the Bishop knocked,
demanding admission. Upon entering the church, the Earl of Derby, the
president, in his chancellor's robes, and attended by Mr. Arthur Earle,
Mr. Gladstone, Mr. Radcliffe, Sir Robert Hampson, and myself, as the
chairman, advanced and handed the Bishop a request that he would
consecrate the chapel, and also a deed conveying the chapel and its site
to the Bishop and the Chapter. The procession then proceeded to their
places in the choir, and the service commenced, the musical part being
beautifully rendered by the choir, Mr. Burstall presiding at the organ.
The service was interesting and quaint, especially the blessing by the
different bishops of the various votive offerings. The Archbishop
preached a most eloquent sermon, taking as his text: Habakkuk 2nd
chapter, 20th verse, "The Lord is in his holy temple: let the whole
earth keep silence." The consecration was followed by a luncheon at the
Town Hall. An octave of special services was held in the chapel in the
following week, at which several bishops preached.
This is not the place to describe the architectural features of the Lady
Chapel, but it seems to have won the admiration of all by its charming
proportions, its chaste but rich beauty, and its quiet, devotional
feeling.
The gifts to the chapel by the Earle and Langton families were both
numerous and costly; and of the total cost of the chapel, about £70,000,
these families generously contributed nearly one-half. Their offerings
were supplemented by those of other friends, so that the chapel when
opened was complete in every detail, and with every accessory.
To the Dowager Countess of Derby and her committee of lady workers, with
Miss Stolterfoht as secretary, we are indebted for the beautiful
embroideries which do so much for the adornment and enrichment of the
choir.
We launched this first and great instalment of the cathedral "in humble
thankfulness to Almighty God that He has prospered our handiwork, and
pray that in this holy and beautiful house prayer and praise may be ever
offered unto Him; that He will assist with His blessing our effort to
complete the cathedral for His Glory; that He will endue with wisdom the
heads that guide, preserve from evil the hands that work, provide the
silver and gold, and carry to a glorious completion the building thus
begun."
YORK HOUSE OF CONVOCATION.
In 1902 the Lord Bishop was good enough to nominate me as a member of
Convocation. We met at York once each year, when the clergy held their
meetings within the precincts of the cathedral, and the laymen in a
temperance hall. Our debates were purely academical and bore no fruit,
and no notice was taken of us by the Archbishop or the cathedral
authorities. If the clergy and laity were to meet together, Convocation
would have a reality and a value, for if nothing should come of their
public discussions they would at least get to know each other, and an
interchange of ideas could not be otherwise than advantageous to both.
Under the rule of Archbishop Lang I have no doubt Convocation will
become a very valuable institution.
CHURCH CONGRESS.
The opportunity was afforded me to take part in several meetings of the
Church Congress. At some I read papers and at others I was a special
speaker. The most interesting congress was the one held in Exeter in
1894, when I was the guest of Bishop Bickersteth, at the Palace. The
other guests at the Palace were Dr. Temple, then Bishop of London; Dr.
Wordsworth, Bishop of Salisbury; Dr. Gott, Bishop of Truro; and Lord
Cross.
We were all much interested with the rugged intellectual power of the
Bishop of London. His epigrammatic utterances interjected into our
after-dinner talk were full of wisdom, and often bubbled over with
quiet, quaint humour. Many stories were told of the Bishop when he was
the Bishop of Exeter; of the kindness which was concealed under his
brusque, outspoken manner, and his remarkable influence for good. He
delivered at Exeter a striking and very forcible address upon
temperance. His eyesight was already very defective and Mrs. Temple had
to lead him about. To the surprise of everybody he not only became
Archbishop of Canterbury, but will also be remembered as one of our
great archbishops.
NEW YORK CATHEDRAL.
When in New York I had the opportunity of visiting their cathedral, the
construction of which had been recently commenced. The clerk of the
works took me into a room to show me the model of the cathedral, and he
also showed me a list of cathedrals with their principal dimensions. At
the foot of the list came the New York cathedral, the largest of all. I
said to him, "You have forgotten one cathedral, the Liverpool
cathedral." He replied, "So I have; where will it come?" I told him to
put it at the bottom. He looked at me for a few moments in evident
surprise, and said, "Is it to be larger than New York?" and on my
answering "Yes" he replied, "Oh, we will make that all right; we will
add another bay to our nave." I thought this was truly American, a
determination not to be beaten.