The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1867-11-05 00:00:00

Cccitslutiail Intilligentt.

RPRI-DECAN A L SYNODS
It is more than thirty years since that we were first
permitted to set eyes on a live Rural hen& Re was a
great curiosity, • kind of ecclesiastical fossil; and we
well remember the questions that arose as to the duties
and dignities of this disinterred remnant of mediseval
times. As to the effect upon the individual himself.
there could be no mistake ,• we shall never forget bow
he astonished the minds of his leas dignified brethren
by dating his letters from "the chapter House," the
said "Chapter House" beings room behind the shop
where the books issued by the Society for Promoting
Christian Knowledge were sold. We also have • kind
of lingering notion that the said individual made him-
self rnendly disagreeable to all panics as long as be
continued in those parts. But Rural Nang are n.,
prodigies now, and the axperienos of thirty years has
proved the correctness of the judgment of certain good
old men long since gone to their rest, who hesitated not
to say that Rural Deans were resuscitated as • kind of
Episcopal body guard, to increase the Episcopal in.
senor and power.
For some years these Rural Deans vegetated, rather
than existed; their officio was • sinecure, and something
more; their authority sii, or something lees; when it
was suggested that they might hold meetings of the
clergy r. out time to time, and discuss certain questions
appointed by the bishop, and these meetings are now
dignified by the name of Ruridecanal Synods. It has
appeared to sonic (no doubt extreme and narrow minded
men), that these synods are but • means to an end, and
that such meetings are summoned with the sanction of
the diocesan, as a step towards putting • stop to those
which have not his sanction, and that subjects of dis-
mission are appointed by the same authority, to prevent
the clergy discussing those that might he inconvenient
Well, the time came round for these solemn meetings
to be held in this diocese, and consequently fcr his lord-
ship to settle the subjects for consideration. No great
difficulty, we should imagine, at the present time.
We could suggest • hundred at least, the discussion of
which would be most profitable to the clergy, and
Interesting to the laity. For instance,
1. Is it possible for • clergyman, or bishop of the
church of England, to hold the doctrine of Transubstan-
tiation, or oonsubstantiaion, without breaking his
or yowl'?

2. What is the highest office and duty of a clergy.
man, as set forth in the Prayer Bock?
& Which is the crosser set of nonconformity ;to nod
the who. serivoe srithout wheeling round to the out;
or to hold and teach dectaisw which the church
condemns'

4. What is the beet remedy for such a state of things
U that which exists at Calm, and Pewtey, where the
people have left, or are leaving the church by scores?
HWOVer, these would never do, and we can well
imagine AL lordship and his chaplain puzzling their
brains for subjects that would preclude the possibility
of anything being said that would bear upon ths present
state of the diocese. Accordingly, we ars informed the
subjects at the laie meetulgs were-1, Church Rates; 2,
Teetotalism.

--1-sfenr—on the former of these subjects what room Is
there for clerical discussion? We presume that him
lordship eau scarcely require any further information
upon it. In fact, we think we can furnish him with
the result of all these Hurideoanal gatherings. The
resolutions would be probably threefold. First, That
it is desirable to keep these rates as long as we can.
Secondly. When we ain't keep them any longer to make
the best compromise we can. Thirdly, If we ain't get
any equivalent, to do the best we can without them
It is quite true that here and there are to be found
certain enthusiasts who would purchase the free exer-
cise of priestly despotism at the price of all State
assistance, if at the same time they could gut rid of all
State interference. But men who have any common
sense must see that it is not church-retell, but church
revenues, that must be given up, before the Stet' will
let go her hold upon the church; and this alters the ease
materially; theory, whether scientific or eoclesiastical,
may be very beautiful to discuss, but men can't live
on it So we don't think it was worth while to call
men from their parishes throughout the diocese to
discuss the subject of church-rates, as no one will be
the better for their clabberation, he the decision what
It may.
The wooed subject is still more remarkable, namely,
"Teetotalism," which in this case might be interpreted,
"Total abstinence from all serious or profitable dis-
cussion" If any on. suspected for a moment that his
lordship had any serious thoughts of becoming a
teetotaller, or really wished his clew to do the same,
we might not approve of his judgment, but we
could say nothing against his self denying inten-
tions. As we have DO such thought, we confess
we look upon the whole thing as a hree ; got up
to make people believe that there is a great
ecclesiastical machinery at work in the diocese, and
that all the clergy ars earnestly engaged in deliberating
for the well-being of their flocks. - If such machinery
is a powerful agent for good or evil, we must remember
that unless there is something to grind, the mill will
wear itself out ' • and so if men see all these solemn
meetings at suchs crisis as this in the Church's history,
and find that they have nothing better to do than to
talk about church rates and teetotalism, they will look
on the whole business as a sham.

We certainly are astonished that any men of
character and standing as Christian ministers can tate
any part in these proceeding.; that they do not see
that their presence there only gives weight to an evil
system, without in the smallest degree counteracting
the evil. his lordship and his friends will let them
say what they please, speak at strongly they like, and
receive their pretesta with perfect complacency, if they
can only get them there. If men, who disapprove of
i the way n which the diocese I. now menaced,
would
have no fellowship with these Fooeedings, their
10440150 t would be gone - they troaM long •i1:600 have
died out of sheer inutility, if good, but short-sighted
men had not kept them alive by a vain endeavour to
turn them to good amount.
The world is getting tired of shams of every descrip-
tion. It will POOP chew this in an unmistakeable
manner. It will have a real religion or none at all, and
will not much longer allow men to play the game of
eoclesiastics at the expense of the country at large.
Oflioes and dignities are honourable and honoured
only so far as they are practically useful, and the
holders of them use their position anght. Above all, the
laity naturally look with indifference, itnot suspicion,
on these exclusive meetings, which seem like the
mustering and drilling of the Fiesta' forces for • more
organisedattack on the people's liberaties.