The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1869-06-08 00:00:00

CHARGE OF THE ARCHDEACON OF
DORSET.

We refrained from making any remarks last
week on the charge lately delivered by the Archdeseon
of Dorset, because we preferred to wait until the
whole of it was in our bands, and now, having care-
fully read it through, we are inclined to agree with
one sentence in it, which is tide " The time I trestle
not so very fax distant when the charges at these
vidtations will be addresses introductory to conferences
or other synodical gatherings of the Church. rather
than the somewhat unanthoritative utterances of those
who are by no meads certain to possess as great a
measure of knowledge and judgment as many of their
brethren to whom they speak." There Is certainly
very little to find fault with, as it seems to have been
written with the intention of pleasing every holy.
With regard to political matters, and especially the
Irish Church the Archdeacon says, "The men who
lead on either side of this great oonflicrt place the
sanction of their course of action, one am much as the
other, upon grounds of justice and righteousness as in
the sight of God, and it Is my belief that they are,
one as much as the other, acted upon by sincerity and
purity of pure.' Again with regard to ersaledastical
matters, Lo Shaftesbury's Bill for reforming the
Beelesiastioal courts is landed quite as moola as that
which the Archbishop of Caoterbury has introduced in
opposition to it, while in one sentence the Anglican,
Roman, Eastern. and Presbyterian churches are all
pieced side by side. With regard to disestablithment
likewise the archdeacon can see as much advantage in
It as disadvantage. Who can be offended? The fun
is Yr. Gladstone has placed his admirers in an
awkward position. Hie extreme High Church prca.
triples they like well enough; but hie Late *theme with
John Right in confiscating the revenues of the Irish
Church is not so much to their minds, but they can't say
much ageinat it, for fear it should be thought they
esteem the "louses and fishes" more than 'rhumb
principles. Besides they hope to get out of him an
increase of the episoopate ; they will forgive
a great deal, if only there be more bishops
"to minister their special gifts" to their friends
and admirers. Thia will imply more chaplains, deans,
canons, untidier:one, and rural deans—a perfect chewer
of shovel bats, ands visitation of flankeydom unequalled
since the plagues of Egypt. As fax as our experience
goes, there are plenty of bishops already; and if they
would aniline themselves to their proper duties, the
church would be in a much better date. The West of
Ragland, from Sussex to the Land's End, has been
virtually without a bishop for some time, and who is
the worse for it? If bishops no longer 'pent a large
portion of the year in London, ostensibly to attend the
House of Lords, there would be plenty to do all that is
required of them, without any addition. And if bishops
am at present situated are very great people, what would
they be when they had nothing but their dignity to fell
back upon? But s solid n clam of dignitaries, when speaking
of the future prospects of the church, evidently eancdude
that the ehureli, when separated from the State, will
remain as it is now. They talk of the hold it has on
the affections of the people, while all the while they
are living in an atmosphere that forbids their knowing
what the feellnp of the people are. They don't see
that the laity are rigidly slipping away from the
shush ; and those who continue within her are any.
thing but satisfied. How long would the church
conknue in her present date, if by a separation from
the Bade the were left at the mercy of the bishop'?
Why, in this diocese there would be as many shepherds
is sheep. The A rehdescon Is very severe on the sale of
ostracises in the anneal, but it is only throagh
that very evil that the church has been kept from
perishing from inanition; whilst the Nepogiest of
otScdal, and especially of Epiesopal patrons, has ever
been more gluing and less excusable than that
of private persons. Tbe only hope for • men of
free and inikpericind Stied and principle in the church
has from time immemorial berm from private patronage.
No doubt bishops and their supporters hate such
patronage, because it is a check upon their much coveted
antocrarry. but if ever the bishops get the patronage
directly or indirectly into their own hands, they will
find that they have got the shell and not the kernel
the empty church but not the people. No Ise tion
of Church and State whenever It eoliths be the
altfor a total disruption of what Is now galled the
hof England. It is made up of many inedwarent
particle". kept together by the external preemie of the
State influence ; withdraw that, and the appear-
of cohesion will be gone. The Bishop ovraxiord is
welcome to his share, the Bishop of Natal (not the
echiamsatic Bishop, whose mock consecration gives the
Arelideaeon so mach delight, but the real Bishop of
Natal) is welsoine to his; bet the great body of the
lady will here nothing to do with either, but whether
under eglipeopitl or other govseementi will unite In •
Scriptural and Protestant Church, may want the
Wallops "special gift.; it may be deli:dent in digni.
Wide bet It VW have Lit Crud am he principle sad It.
foundation,and therefore will stand when those churches
which have no better foundation than epimeopacy, shall
have Grumbled into dust.