The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1876-05-16 00:00:00

OUGHT WE TO STRIP THE STATE CHURCH

To LA. Editor.

Sir,—A former controversy en the question, in which I
had trMd to take part, was suddenly rioted by your
predecessor, leaving me at the disadvantage of being
unable to reply. Mr. Heave has again, I see, made an
onslaught in your columns on a Church lecturer, whom I
leave to answer him except as to one point or two, which
concerns myself and fellow-thinkers. Dissenters who
will not be led to fight against their brethren at the call
of Kr. Heave and his friends can only laugh at his
presumptuous aasertioo —that "the Puritans did not fully
comprehend the question of religious freedom and
equality." The honoured Puritans who suffered the low
of all things, the more worldly-illustrious who founded
new States for freedom's sake, the names more brilliant
still in worldly fame, but less so in the rolls of the
Church, who trod down a monarchy, and slew their king
for the make of liberty—these are the men of whom Mr.
Heave ventures to say "WE have advanced from their
position." After this astounding specimen of the self-
confidence of a Liberationist mind, we are quite prepared
for his following remark—" I do not know where the
lecturer is to find his pious Diseenters if he excludes from
the list the members of the Lilseastion Society." Dissenters
who have laboured as many years as Mr. ?leave in the
Master's cause do not claim for themselves extra piety;
they should be and are ready to admit—" Behold, I am
vile.. Yet they may ask Mr. Heave and other Libor-
ationiste to "Examine themselves whether they be in
the faith," to "prove their ownselves." Can Mr. Heave
an%wer for the piety of all Liberationists! Can he answer
even for the Christianity of all! He continues "1 do net
know a Dissenter who is worthy of the name who is not
either • member of the society or a sympathiser in its
objects," "There is no other course open to a true Non-
conformist than either to return to the Establish-
ment, or to strive for its DMestablishment."
A flat denial would be my reply to this; but I may
venture also to name the "more excellent way." It is to
labour steadily in the Sunday school, in the pulpit, in the
tract work, in any way for Christ, to "study to he quiet,
and to do our own bushiest." It is, to remember that
the meek shall inherit the earth, and to work as if we
believed it. It is—not to covet our neighbours' goods.
anything that is our neighbour'. We do not believe in
the program of the Truth, for the Truth in thew matters
was expressed by a Person, from Whose position Mr.
Heave dares not, I hope, say he can advance.
But these are principle': let us descend to details. I
dissent from the Church of England because she appears
to ins to go dangerously near to teaching baptismal regene-
ration. Ido not attack Evangelical Churchmen who con-
' scientiously. say the does not. "Whatsoever is not of
faith is sin, and it would be out to a person who believes
in the danger if he did not dissent. But I have no right
to impute sin to those who do not feel the difficulty, nor
have I • right to try and punish them by removing my
neighbour's landmark. I dissent from the Church of
England because the title of "Lord Bishop" appears to
me an insolent disobedience to the command of the Head
of the Church; but in another degree I dissent from the
title " Reverend " being applied to any minister, as
another distinct disobedience to the spirit and letter of
His directions, especially when, as in the Kest owe, it was
' actually the occasion of going to law. But, as I have
explained before, attacks upon the endowments
of these offices seem to me • cowardly onslanAt
on • possible evil at the wrong end, for bed
had motives, and with worse allies I dissent from the
rigidity of the forms of prayer in the Church of England's
public worship; but I would rather have them heard
weekly with the hope of their being joined in, than that
no public place of prayer should be supported, except at
wide distances. But if we were to strip every think with
which wed° notsgres. nothing but skipping would be in
vogue, and the Congregational Church of Dorchester would
suffer too
Attempt- to alter the settlement of property are justifi-
able on the principle that property is in trust, and that
when the trust is betrayed the trust property should he
taken away. Kr. Nears must prove that the Church of
England has been, as • whole, false to her trust, and If
not, then he has no right to try and strip her of what has
been given, and which she has held for so many years.
Let me tell Mr. Nears that I think the Congregational
Church, at Dorchester (in it. government), wes one
of the faultiest of Independent Churches, that I
have known, and in my removals from place to
I have been • member of four Independent
4e ur
Churches, exclusive of that at Dorchester. which
I could not join because of this (wit- an undue influeace
which during my residence there required arduous labour
to overcome, so aa to give the wishes of the majority due
effect, and in one grand instance all the labour failed.
Its people I remember with all and esteem; they re-
ceived me for years as a fellow-worker; and on personal
grounds I will do no more than name the defect But the
Church Patronage of the Establishment I would in some
caws prefer to that which supplied its place at South'
street Church. Let not Mr. Heave maks such assertions
with regard to peaceful Dissenters as he has in his last, or
gertlia=ink he compounds for grievances at home by
' with those abroad.
You may let Mr. Nears know my name if he wishes;
but I don't want to parade it, and therefore sign
Yours truly,
Theme
Weymouth, May, MTh.
THE AGRICULTURAL LABOURER