The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1871-12-05 00:00:00

TUE FUTURE OF THE CHURCH OF
ENGLAND.

The Hee. E. Garbett, irMar of Christchurch.
Surbiton, recently read a paper on this subject before
the Yorkshire Church Association, from which the
following is an extract :—Lt it be supposed that the
High Cherish tendenoiee of the day acquire a decided
aseendeuey. I do not mean simply tho Ritualistic', but
I mean au thug° shades of opinion which run more or
le. in that oirectiou, and those sections of pity which
are not Evans,hod, nod which are found practically
to combine in action against what to Evangelical. Pure
liaoeralotatlisem thet which Is in point of feet, limnaniaial,
will probably remain in a minority but
.a minority
'llion, from the positive nature of its principles and
the personal activity of its advocates, will always act
powerfully in the general High Charc4sm of the
Establishment. The tadideucy whioh I sin now con-
templating inoludos thu simply official sod ectoleisiastical
elements of the Conf.:lll'e life, and is embodied in the
synodical movement, and especially in that movement
aa presented in the illooLie of aallibury. That schema,
let it be borne in mind, is government—l :admit a
Revetment of mural forces alone, but. a government
nevertheless—an active central authority—claiming to
tepreeent the Ciiurab, constantly at work, and grasping
into Li, hands more Anil more the whole activities of
Church life within the diocefe. The schemes of this
government extends to all Church action—hotne mis-
iouary work, and foreign missionary work, in all their
bran:hes. Tue to salt of such an organisation would
Indisputably be to limit personal independence of action
and it in avowedly inteuded to do so, and to subetitute
what is corporate for what is individual. Now, bear in
mind that from the body pot need of thi, power of
lotion two clos.es will InJ practically excluded. The
one will sunsuit of the great mass of the middle.olasa
laity, fur it to tuevitable that in this elective oyster') of
Inc lay leor..eutett.e, wiil mainly consist of
men of large propest) ilaidultizial position. Professional
Ineu, indepeudeut Sr .ilesmeis, the great Intelligent
farmers will for the moat putt be excluded. Eiitally
wdl Evangenual Churcoureu he mainly excluded ;
although tasty may au tit.iu.eircs be almost the mdet
powerful section, they will ire outvoted by a combine-
Lon of other parts... LA; position therefore, will be
Into. We shaft hare a csutial authority claiming to
represent Hu, rdourcu, and to he invested with all the
sacaciuss whereby Otis sllicA, to the caosoienoe ; sod
*maul. this Ir,rdy will be tne great mass of tho laity
and the EY•bguilCil clergy. lo such a system it is My
th it ViLility would be squeezed out of the
Lemma. by the grasp of oentraliution. She would
harden into rigid sill oulow, comprehensive of opinions,
bat rigid and fealoes of hue and independent Lotion.
What would folios ? Uu the part of the laity, first
isolation, then distrust, then alienation, then appall-
Lou. They would stand by indifferently, without
lawn( • heed to help her when the time of danger
twines. dud what of the Evangelical clergy ? I sup.
Imme them to be as they are now—separated, scattered
isolated, without common c-numunten mI . From any,
leas. hie would sic out undar the chilling influenoee of
4 l'hight.,44 unideretunii. Sten of strong oonviculona and
eager mind. would fall away, one by one, from •
LLuron which would be but the crippled shadow of
her former self. Younger clergy would be drawn off to
6441114.61 mm rui the wiry remusot th it had warmth,
ebertY, and life in it ; and the Church hersolf would
litathi like a goodly Ir., fair to the outward eye, bet
rotten at Lauf, laid rea4 to fall beneath the first
stroke of the lauatait—(aPPl44..).

FLOWIIII I; Ak1)101.--BULBS iIOLLIND for preseut
colielotirs4 o CruCtitvi. 11,sr•
C,Nsti., .12 I et 0 r flier pure liOld by ...union every
11.4.), We : bes.l4) ow I S .turJay, by Mr, J. C. StuVulli,
It hie tiorticaigarst Sale itooma,3B,Kinvetrest, Covent.
Won, London. Caliliognso on application.