Page images
PDF
EPUB

out upon Dr. Cox, of Hackney, one of the great leaders of the Ecclesiastical Knowledge Society. His pleasant journey to Margate in behalf of one of these societies (patronized by Lord Henley) is quizzed in the most unmerciful manner, as well as what is called his "grand display at the Royal Hotel, Margate," where a meeting was advertized, and where Dr. Cox was to address the assemblage, as well as at Ebenezer Chapel, Ramsgate. The Mariners' Church Society, which concludes by very unjustifiable reference to Dr. Cox's private affairs, proceeds thus in its remarks on his spiritual labours :

[ocr errors]

The reception was very cold; but as soon as Dr. Cox shall have recovered from the extraordinary fatigues of this first sea expedition, as the Metropolitan Pilot, his next travels in this official character may extend even to Greenhithe, below bridge, or to Eel-Pie Island, and Twickenham, beyond Richmond, above bridge. Alas! how melancholy to see such egregious trifling with immortal souls, and the cause of Jesus Christ and eternity. How must the demon of Hell laugh at such floating straws cast upon the waters to arrest the progress of that infernal torrent by which he is bearing down souls to perdition daily.

"

"Dr. Cox has been down to the sea-side,-Jesus Christ visited the sea-side, but not to gratify personal vanity with a title, a speech, and personal display to idle visiters at a ROYAL HOTEL." No; but to go down to the boats and nets of poor fishermen on the beach, and seek their salvation; or to borrow a fishing-boat, and ascend it to preach to their poor guilty families on the beach. Had Dr. Cox imitated his Divine Master, who raised him from obscurity and nothing, and made him what he is, not in pride, and pomp, and prejudice, but in gifts, and favours, and piety,—had Dr. Cox gone down to the beach, and preached in the open air in a common fishing-boat like Immanuel, God with us, and had he thus sought the souls of fishermen, pilots, steamers, bathers, and poor labourers, and their families, he might have done more good, and obtained more honour, than by courting the flattering cheers of gentlemen, and the waving of handkerchiefs by the white hands of ladies, at THE ROYAL HOTEL, MARGATE.' We close this journal by exclaiming, Let those who please squander away the gifts of Providence to support such barefaced speculation as this of Dr. Cox, GEORGE GULL, and Co.'

Who, after this, will talk of the intolerance of the church?

ARCHDEACON LYALL'S CHARGE.

THE following admirable remarks from the pen of Archdeacon Lyall cannot be too generally read. They will charm every one by the beauty of the style as well as by the soundness of the argument. The Editor only wishes that he were free to speak, without suspicion of speaking from private regard and affection, as he, and every one who knows Archdeacon Lyall, thinks, and to offer the deserved tribute to one of the wisest as well as truest friends of the Church of England.

"The clergy, no doubt, are disposed to defend their property, like other men; but how should this have the effect of rendering them hostile to improvements of any kind, that can be really shewn to be improvements, and which if they truly are such, will only add to their own influence and efficiency? The laity, to whom two-thirds of all the livings in England belong, may be adverse to improvements, as likely to interfere with their rights of patronage. The dissenters may be unfriendly to improvements in the church, because they might think that the effect of them would be to strengthen an influence to which they already look with jealousy: but how can this way of reasoning apply to the clergy? Among all the plans that have been proposed, I have seen none which does not profess to respect the life-interests of the present VOL. IV.-Dec. 1833. 5 M

possessors of church property. And therefore if the clergy, as a body, are adverse to any sweeping plan of reform, it cannot be from any exclusive personal interest which they can be supposed to feel; from any selfish view which they may be suspected to take of their own immediate profit; for they lie under no temptation to this meanness;-it can only proceed from an honest opinion, founded on their part, at least, upon some knowledge, that the church is not in a state to require any sweeping plan of reform."

"People talk of the property of the church, as if it were so much property of which the nation had been defrauded-or which, at least, the state had given up and lost. Whereas, in truth, the property of the church is the only property that the state has left to her. All other property is lost to the state, in every sense of the word. It belongs to individuals, not merely to be individually enjoyed, but even to be wasted or misapplied, if it should so happen, in any way that folly or selfishness may devise. But the property of the church, in the true though not in the strict legal sense of the word, is to all practical purposes still retained by the state; for it is enjoyed under certain conditions of public service, and is appropriated to such uses exclusively as the state has prescribed. For what does the state virtually say? It says that nine-tenths of the produce of the soil shall belong to individuals; to be disposed of without any direct reference to public objects of any kind. It may be sold, or dissipated, or go to the support of a child or an idiot, or a person living in another hemisphere. The remaining tenth, the law has said, shall not be at the discretion of individuals, but shall be tied up, as an endowment for the public, in order to obtain for ever an object in which the nation at large is interested. And what is this object? Why, the greatest of all objects-that a people professing the name of Christ, and believing that there is no other name given under heaven, whereby men may be saved,' shall be instructed in the true meaning of the faith which they profess; and not be allowed to live and die in ignorance of the duties on which their eternal happiness depends. This is the use to which the state has appropriated that part of the property of the country, which is called church property. And in what way has the state secured the great object here proposed? By the establishment of a parochial clergy. That is to say, by dividing this property in such a way, as to secure to every parish, so far as this fund will admit, the residence of a person, upon whom the execution of this object shall be devolved. In order that this person may be competent to fulfil the task assigned to him, the law requires that he shall have received the best and most expensive education which the country can afford. In order that he may be under no temptation to omit discharging the important duty entrusted to him, the state lays claim to the whole of his time and talents, by expressly forbidding him to engage in any secular calling or profession. And that he may be prevented from neglecting the work allotted to him, bishops and other officers have been appointed, whose express business it is to see, in the first instance, that the clergy are possessed of the requisite legal qualifications; and afterwards that they duly discharge the duties which the state expects them to perform."

"That wicked and godless men should treat the uses to which the law has appropriated the property of the church with levity and rebuke, need not excite surprise. It is natural that they who never think of religion at all, or think of it only with hatred and contempt, should see nothing in a church establishment, except a system of tithes, and church-rates, and fees, and Easter dues; just as a person who cannot read, might tell you that the book in which the Word of God is written, contained nothing but black marks scrawled upon leaves of paper. But that Christians should so speak and think;-that whole bodies of men, who, like our dissenters, have separated themselves from the church, expressly that they might profess a more exclusive form of Christianity-that they should join the enemies of Christ in running down all religious establishments merely as such, and pollute their lips with the very slang of scoffers, talking of the church as a monopoly, and advocating, as we hear them do, a free trade in religion, as men speak of a free trade in corn or sugar, or any similar commodity; this is, indeed, to make a merchandize of the word of life; it is a signal example of the deplorable effects of party spirit, both upon the heart and understanding.'

"Sure I am of this that if any improvements to this effect can be pointed out, and shewn to be practicable, there is no class of persons in the country by whom they would be more zealously advocated, than by the clergy as a body, and by the parochial clergy more especially. If the clergy have not been forward to enrol themselves among what are called Church Reformers, it is not because they are blind to the defects that exist in some parts of our ecclesiastical system -such as are incident to all human institutions-or because they are averse from all innovation, merely as such. But it is because, in all the schemes that have been proposed for reforming the church, they see no traces of any anxiety except for carnal things; no zeal for the things which concern the Gospel, but a spirit of Sadduceeism only, which can discern no prospects in religion that lie beyond the interests of this present world. One person seeks to benefit his estate-and he proposes to do away with tithes; another seeks to strengthen his party-and he proposes to turn the Bishops out of the House of Lords; a third looks to the advantages of his sect-and his plan is to abolish church rates, and to obtain a share in marriage and burial fees. But what has all this to do with the interests of Christ's kingdom? How is the glory of God, and the salvation of mankind, concerned in schemes of this kind? There may be reasons of state, such as they are, that is to say, it may serve some end of temporary

expedience or popularity, to diminish for ever the number of bishoprics, and to appropriate their revenues to secular uses, whether in Ireland or in this country. It is easy to understand why an owner of land should be willing to shift the burthen of church-rates from his own shoulders, and make it a charge upon the tithes, and not upon the rent, as heretofore. I will not stoop to discuss the justice or the generosity of these or any similar propositions; nor do I wish to qualify them by any offensive epithet; but we have, at least, a right to protest against such propositions being dignified with the name of Church Reform. To proposals such as these, the clergy are not, and, I hope, never will be parties. But if any measure of reform in the church shall hereafter be brought forward, not intended to promote the private benefit of individuals, nor the views of any particular sect or party, but having singly in view the important object of rendering the property of the church more available than at present to the spiritual interests of our people: in that case I think I may venture to prophesy, that whatever opposition may then spring up from other quarters, it will not be created by the clergy."

SOCIETY FOR THE PROPAGATION OF THE GOSPEL.

(From the Gloucestershire Chronicle.)

WHY was the grant withdrawn? Because it was abused?-No man has dared to insinuate such a thing. Because it was not wanted?-Every one knew that with strict economy it could scarcely meet-or, to speak more plainly, could not meet-the exigencies of the case. Was it because the withdrawal of a grant of fifteen thousand pounds paid, to our own countrymen, and to be spent in our own colonies, could be of the slightest consequence to the country? The most impudent canter about retrenchment cannot seriously maintain so absurd an idea. Was it because the religious establishments of our colonies have been on too splendid a scale? No-it has ever been the shame and disgrace of our Protestant country that little or no provision has been made for the religious instruction of her natives when once they have left her shores. The historian and Judge-Advocate of one of our colonies, in narrating the events of its fifth year, tells us, that "the clergyman, who suffered as much inconvenience as other people from the want of a proper place for the performance of divine service, himself undertook to remove the evil, on finding that, from the pressure of other works, it was not easy to foresee when a church would be erected. He accordingly began one under his own inspection; and chose the situation for it at the back of the huts on the east side of the Cove. The front was 73 feet by 15, and at right angles with the centre, projected another building 40 feet by 15. The edifice was constructed of strong posts, wattles, and plaster, and was to be thatched; and a note informs us, that "the expence of building it was computed to be about forty pounds.' In very little more than three years afterwards, this good example was followed in an adjoining settlement, though not on so grand a scale, by the formation of a church" out of the materials of two old huts; and thus, as the historian remarks, "decent places of worship were now to be seen at the two principal settlements." Such was the ecclesiastical establishments of a British colony only forty years ago, eight years after its establishment, and at a time when it contained 3,959 of our countrymen; and even such, perhaps, it might not have been, but for the caustic remark of a papist, whose ship happened to touch at the port-" when we found a colony, the first thing we do, is to mark out the site of a church." What has been our establishment in India? Let the brief histories of the devoted men who have been sacrificed in that vast field of labour, answer the question. What, in short, has been the establishment in any of our colonies, or the provision made in any foreign country, for the religious instruction of our countrymer; and where could the slender means that have been afforded bear any farther infliction from the crippling parsimony which has never afforded them to grow to healthy and vigorous maturity? And really we should have thought that the Bishop of Nova Scotia, who had

"

to perform a visitation of about four thousand miles, and to grope about his diocese in an open boat, among fogs and icebergs, would have been a most popular bishop with those who cannot bear that men, whose abilities and character would have forced them to the head of any profession, and whom the wisdom of our constitution has incorporated among our nobles, should ride in their carriages or have decent houses over their heads.

Some other reasons must be found for the withdrawal of this grant—and, unhappily, they are but too obvious. In the first place, it is so much withdrawn from the income of the church; and is, as far as it goes, establishing and acting on the principle that the church is not to be supported by the country, but by voluntary contribution. Fifteen thousand pounds is not much, to be sure; but small game is better than none at all-it can be taken with more ease than tithes, which cannot be touched without making rents totter; or voluntary contributions, which there is no pretence for touching at all. Beside this, however, it has a double edge-it not only withdraws fifteen thousand pounds from the church abroad, but it throws that burden on the church at home. To be sure, the government may tell the society to do as they please about maintaining teachers of religion-the mother who has had her child at nurse for seven years, may send word to the nurse, that she is at liberty either to drown it or rear it, as she pleases, for the allowance will be stopped, and the child abandoned—but if the woman has any heart, or any conscience, there is but one course which she can pursue while she has a crust to divide. Thus although the grant was no addition to the funds of the society, who exercised little more than an agency in that respect, yet the withdrawal of the grant is a diminution of those funds; and we say that this burden is thrown upon the church at home, not merely because we cannot expect or wish that Dissenters should step forward to supply the deficiency, but, because the funds of the society have, in fact, been in a great degree supplied by the church in the more limited sense of the term-that is, by the clergy. By the report for the year 1832, it appears that there were then 3454 Lay and 3876 Clerical Annual Subscribers, and that of the whole sum of 12,6451. 28. 3d. paid in annual subscriptions, the latter contributed the sum of 58751! which is not much less than half. We mention these facts not merely as reasons why it might be thought expedient to withdraw the grant, but because now that the public are called upon to come forward and make up the deficiency, and the society modestly talks of annual subscriptions of five shillings, we think it due to the clergy to shew that theirs have averaged above thirty shillings.

MR. HALFORD'S SPEECH AT LEICESTER.

....Therefore it was, he was desirous of embracing an opportunity, while he found himself surrounded by so many of those whom he had the honour to call his friends and constituents, and would ask their indulgence for a few moments. (Hear, hear.) That indulgence he would not abuse, however, by entering into any speculation as to the probable nature or extent of the changes we were plainly given to understand must shortly be made in the ecclesiastical constitution, nor would he detain them with any animadversion on the details of the measure to that effect which had already taken place in the sister island; but the precedent involved and the principle acknowledged in that measure seemed to him to be fraught with danger and alarm, and to these he would confine his observations. He spoke of the ascendant of a portion of the legislature in ecclesiastical matters; such ascendant he held to be utterly at variance with the principles of the constitution, and tending fearfully to its destruction in matters of civil polity; but as regarded the church, it appeared

to him to be characterized by a tenfold degree of mischief and injustice. (Loud cheers) The authority of the House of Commons was derived from its representative character-it was because the wishes of all classes of the community, and the interests of all were supposed to be represented in that assembly, that they were at liberty to deal with the fortunes of all as might seem best to themselves for the general good. Its doors were open to all who brought with them the passport of the popular choice. The dissenter and the papist entered there, and a full admission might be said to have been given to the broadest and most unexceptive principle of representation in the acclamation with which the proposal was lately received for the removal of the last disqualification from the unbelieving Jew. The followers, almost of all religions, might enter there-and almost the teachers too, except of one. He had heard the fierce denunciations of the Catholic against our established church-he had heard the licenced teacher of, he knew not what denomination of sectaries, exerting his eloquence with the zeal and hostility of the apostle of an opposite doctrine, to deny the usefulness of that church, and propose the confiscation of her revenues; and we knew not how long it might be before some Jewish rabbi, some master of Israel, might take his stand on the same board to denounce the Christian faith. But the minister of the establishment came not there he alone, almost of all the world, came not there to vindicate the efficacy, and maintain the integrity of the institution to which the service of his life was devoted. (Cheers.) He (Mr. W.) complained not of this-he knew the turmoil of a popular council was alien from the office and character of a Christian priesthood-neither was it his object now to lament the repeal of those laws by which impediments had been placed in the way of the designs of the republican sectary, and by which the popish enemy of our worship had been excluded from our legislature. It was too late to deplore the surrender of the out-works when the citadel was well nigh given up-but he for one could have been glad to have rested his hopes on the engagement of the monarch-he could have rejoiced to have been allowed to consider that engagement as a last security interposed between the legislation of a popular council, and a defenceless church, sending no representatives of her appointed body to that council, and whose ministers made it a point of conscience to abstain from the contentions of party. He disclaimed the tone of factious invective-he breathed no spirit of religious intolerance-but he alluded to the subject, as to a dark and fearful anomaly in the present condition of the great alliance between church and state, an alliance in which the protection hitherto afforded on the one part has been well and amply repaid by the benefits conferred on the other-an alliance essential to the happiness of the community, and which has contributed more to the peace and order of society than all the volumes of the statute book-than all the apparatus of the law, because it is the foundation of the public morals, and the main and indispensable stay and support of the public christianity." (Loud and long cheering.)

DOCUMENTS.

(Collected from the Bishop of Exeter's Charge.)

OUT of 628 parishes in the diocese of Exeter, the tithes are taken in kindin ONE.

As to non-residence, there is one parish with 15 people, another with 29, several with less than 80, and there are forty with not more than 100 persons.

Is a resident clergyman necessary in each of these? If not, let candid men

« EelmineJätka »