Editing Hugh M'Neile (section)

=== M‘Neile's immoderate preaching ===
Another extraordinary aspect was his propensity for "[being] carried away into confessedly injudicious acts and words, which many would wish unsaid,
undone" (Arnold, 1875, p.&nbsp;307). On 28 February 1847, he preached that the Irish Famine was an act of God's retribution, punishing the Irish for their collective sins and their tolerance of Roman Catholicism.<ref>The sermon was published privately by M‘Neile in 1847 and was widely distributed throughout his network of admirers. It also appeared later, as: [https://books.google.com/books?id=T_IEAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA67 "The Famine a Rod of God; Its Provoking Cause – Its Merciful Design (A Sermon (on Micah 6:9) Preached in St. Jude’s Church, Liverpool, on Sunday 28th of February, 1847, during the Irish Famine)", pp.67–100 in ''Sermons by Eminent Living Divines of the Church of England, Contributed by the Authors, With an Introductory Charge on Preaching, by the Venerable Archdeacon Sinclair'', Richard Griffin and Company, (London),1856.]</ref>

On the morning of 8 December 1850, when throwing "thunderbolts" at one of his favourite targets, the evils of the Roman Catholic confessional,<ref>M‘Neile’s issue was that, unlike the "general confession", that was part of every standard Anglican service, where each individual confessed silently and privately, direct to God, followed by a general "absolution" or "remission of sins" by the officiating cleric, the Roman Catholic practice was that of "auricular confession", audibly addressed directly to the ear of a priest. M‘Neile strongly criticized the conflation, within the "Romish Confessional", of spiritual sins and criminal acts. Perhaps, his last ever communication was on this topic: M‘Neile, H., "Confession in the Church of England (Letter to the Editor of ''The Times'')", ''The Times'', No.27966, (Thursday, 2 April 1874), p.4, col.F.</ref> M‘Neile made a series of outrageous statements of which, immediately after his sermon had been delivered, he denied any knowledge of ever having uttered;
and, for which he specifically apologized at the evening service, and withdrew without reservation, as the following newspaper account relates:

{{Quote box
 |title = The Anti-Popery Agitation – Dr. M‘Neile
 |quote =&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The frenzied vehemence of bigotry has reached its climax. At Liverpool, the Rev. Dr. M‘Neile, the notorious platform orator, uttered a sentence last Sunday morning, in the pulpit in St. Paul’s Church, Prince’s Park, which, we are sure, was never surpassed by the cruel ferocity of Popish intolerance, in the worst days of the Inquisition. To be sure, Dr. M‘Neile did not mean it,— he would shudder to be taken at his word; but why does he, a Christian minister, not bridle his tongue, unruly evil that it is? Here is the sentiment, at which '''[[Edmund Bonner|Bonner]]''' might have blushed, in the bloody reign of persecuting '''[[Mary I of England|Mary]]''':—<br />
::&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"I would make it a capital offence to administer the confession in this country. Transportation [to the colonies] would not satisfy me; for that would merely transfer the evil from one part of the world to the other. '''''Capital punishment alone would satisfy me. Death alone would prevent the evil.''''' That is my solid conviction."
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;No, thank '''God''', it is not your solemn conviction, Dr. M‘Neile nor is it the conviction of '''''any''''' English mind, however narrowed by sectarian jealousies, in this age of mild humanity! No bigot, no fanatic, now exists in England, who would, in deed and in fact, erect the gallows or the stake, for the punishment of an erring act of religious custom.<br />
Dr. M‘Neile, on the same Sunday evening, went into his reading desk, and pronounced before his congregation the following apology:—
::&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"In the excitement of an extemporaneous discourse delivered by me this morning, I used, I believe, a most atrocious expression. That expression I have already withdrawn in the sight of God; I have, I trust, made my peace with him; and I now beg to withdraw that expression in the sight of this congregation, and to make my peace with you. I will not repeat the expression which I have referred to; for those who heard it will sufficiently well remember it; whilst I will not grieve (or indict pain upon) those who did not hear it by repeating it."<ref>"The Anti-Popery Agitation – Dr. M‘Neile", ''The Manchester Examiner and Times'', No.221, (Saturday, 14 December 1850), p.4, col.D; note that a more detailed account of M‘Neile’s retraction, etc. is at: M‘Neile, H., "Dr. M‘Neile and the Confessional (Letter to the Editor of ''The Times'')", ''The Times'', No.20676, (Thursday, 19 December 1850), p.2, col.E.</ref>
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In 1851, these events were also presented as a classic example of "the dangers of extempore preaching" (Gilbert, 1851, p.&nbsp;10).