The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1879-07-15 00:00:00

THE BISHOP OP SALISBURY ON DISESTABLISH.

)(ENT.
At CMMon Herring the Bishop preached from the
words "In quietness and to confidence shall be your
strength" (Isaiah exit. v. 15). The preacher after
showing how suitable thine words were for all times of
danger, referred to the use made of them in human litera-
ture, famishing as they did the motto, so to speak, and
the keynote of that soothing and precious volume (Reble's
Christian Veer), which contributed more than any other
book of recent times to point out to Christian people of
the Church of England how to obtain and how to express
that sober standard of feeling in matters at pereonel
religion. The Bishop went on to say :—There
can be no doubt we are living In the midst of
great and anxious troubles, I mean the growing
and swelling threate of the Diseembliahment of the
Church of Eaglets', —the putting an sod to all that state
of things which we and our fathers have known for so
many centuries, and which I hope sad believe we prise in
proportion to the value of the blessing, we have received
from it. As long as these thrum were confined to thou
who differed from is, and who oocupied a position of
hostility, so to sneak, towards us, in doctrine and in dis
cipline,iwe felt that, sad a• these things were, and though
they seemed sometimes to grow even more intense and
bitter as years went on, and as one point after another was
assailed, and, it may be, curried against us, yet we could
bear up against these things and trust that by more
energetic work, by deeper devotion and more complete
earnestness in our Master'. service, we might win upon
our people and become fuller of Christilea power and !
strength than those who were &unmet us. But I think
there Is now a adder and • more danger-
ous ally which ha. of late been added to the
opponeeta of our Established Church. I mean cer-
tain earnest-minded, but, in my judgment, most mis-
taken mea, clergy and laymen, who aro banded together
to overthrow the ancieat and venerable fabric under the
shadow of which we and our fathers for so mane genera-
tions have worshipped God in the Church of England. I
cannot sufficiently sauces my distress at this most stranse
and Fad fact. and my sense of what seems to me to be
unparalleled ingratitude, not to speak of the lack of
foresight on the pert of those who are taking such a part
In it. In the search for unity, ales ! they are invoking the
very spirit of disunion; and in the impatience they feel at
the pressure of some things which have gone against their
views in the Church and in the Church courts they are
Inviting the most intolerable of tr rannies —the tyranny of
congregations on the one hand, and on the other the
tyranny ef the csprices of rich men on whom they would
have absolutely to depend for bread. But as we are met
here to-de, in • little countm village, and for the happy
duty of re-opening for the service and worship of God in
the Established Church this fair temple, it may seem to be
hardly appropriate that I should speak of so grave and
anxious • subject as that to which I have alluded; and,
indeed, I should hold it to be quite inappropriate if I were
to enter upon it in any way of complete argument upon
the subject, for our very act is a protest, and the bast of
protests, against it. It is not • protest only, but an act of
strong defence, a great and feithful repelling in its very
place and derree of the very danger and evil with which
we are threatened. We don't argue hers—we build; we
don't theorise—we dedicate, we re-op-n: we don't declaim
—we add one more to the modest restored edifice. of sober
Christian worship according to the Church of &iglu&
One witness more, a witness not extensively known, it may
be, not seen from afar, but yet • real witease within
this neighbourhood and amongst all those who know the
circumstanoes of it. ORO more witness SO all thou who
pus by it, of an earnest hopeful loyalty to that bleated
Church which has been the main agent in keeping
our dear England, not only at the head of mankind,
as the fainnt. the wisest, and the wealthiest, but I will
venture to my that, sr ith all her indifference and neglect
of God, and all her mass of evil and sin, I verily believe
the mo-t religious of the nations. If I were preaching in
our cathedral I think I should like to dwell upon the
within, which it bears out, end the buildings that Pre-
ceded it is this diocese. It pointed eo °enteric, of
Christian faith sad devotion in this part of England, I
should point to the long roll of good Christian men—
bishops and clergy—many it may he forsake on earth,
bat not forgotten in Heaven, who have worshipped there
and who have seat forth from thence confirmed children,
and ordained men to keep alive the tradition of faith and
holy living, according to the sober standard of car National
Church. But these topic, am not suitable to-day. To-day,
and hers,they are not the points I want to put before you;
but to-day, and here, we are at the very heart or the
Church of England, which has ita strength and its very
centre in the quietness and the confidence in that unpre-
tending, but WWI earnest, loyalty of our country places.
These are the very fibres of the root of that great tree,
which by God's good Providence has spread its boughs to
the sea, and its branches to the river, which has thrown
out numberless suckers throughout, not only the Colonial
dependencies of England, but also to every part and
corner of the Christian world. Having compared the
church t• a tree, the Bishop proceeded :—There are
abundant signs above ground, as it were. Glorious
minatem—we are proud of our own in WA disarm :
pariah churches—we have several In this diocese
almest as irlas a• the moat glorious of our
attesters themselves; thousands of village chums,
built without stint of east, without stint of
devotion, in material and decoration, nobly stasteined
services, often choirs practised and skilful in their mimic,
pealing organs, belle echoing out from steeple and tower
on every side, fielling the air with Christian melodies.
These are the outward sagas, and the tree looks very
healthy. It seems to be very full of growth, full of life,
and we trust full of fruit. All this is very good, sad
a matter of great thankfulness. But the unseen fibres of
the root, on which ell this outward glory depend, for its
life and reality, these are lobe traced in their evidences,
but not seen. They are in the simple devotion, in the
secret penitence, in the homely prayers, ia the inward
purity, in the unaffected faith and in the hearta of men
and .0111 ea. In all this I recognise the very elements of
strength, not only to themselves, and sot to their parish
only, but to the whole Church In all the land. These are
really the very fibres of the root, and the *scut sources of
the debility and security of that bleind tree,
under the shadow of which we have grows
and our fathers have mwa for many centuries
put, and we trust our children and children's children
will pf, for mAIiT RPM SO COMO. But how if it he other-
wise Ilea their Are not the very elements of strength
muting at the root, and whet will become of the troll
If ear ho 4 tree falls, as fail it may, Where will be the
fit fing • are living in wisdoms and troubled times, God
te ea—trying us ern a nation and ass Church, trying
one by one; not only in great conneueitiee, but singly
.7..0t severally. The Mims are in the hand of God, and Be
will direct than. as Ile thinks fit, and according to His
good purpose, but still according to our behaviour. They
will go on either bringing us more blessings or else they
, will bring us a diminution of the blusiegs which we have
hitherto received, Yes, it is • very great trial Urns and
, the issue depends epos the population more than we
commonly think. These are not matters for Acts of Par-
liament, not matters to be decided by the Government,
or brought to any Issue in the newspapers. I have
spoken of fears, and fears there are; but hops and con-
fidence are stronger and more lasting than fsar,, and days
like to-day brighten hops and 'tree:thee omMssoe. It
was the inward prayer which we offer when we render
ourselves to God in Nast, which He require., and which
lie will not fail to bleu in the way I have sp and in
every other way to our soul's good,