The Press.
London, England, 1857-07-11 00:00:00

country. In this year the excitement of the
general election occurring at an awkward
period of the session interrupted the regular
working of parties, and absorbed a large portion
of popular interest. But such excuses can-
not last for ever, and political questions of a
serious character must be again submitted to
the public mind. Eventualities of the highest
importance may occur before another session
has passed away, and the force, wealth,
numbers, and organisation of the Conservative
body may be enabled to command that official
influence due to its great resources.

INDEPENDENCE OF THE CHURCH•
TUE Church of England has ever been the
faithful servant of the civil power. In fair
weather and in foul her motto has been,
obedience to the powers that be. With
certain perhaps inevitable exceptions, and
these few and far between, she has showed a
just appreciation of those broad principles on
which the Constitution is founded; and with
some deductions, for which causes inseparable
from an established religion are answerable,
has proved herself the steady friend of civil
and religious liberty. To such an extent,
indeed, has her submission to the temporal
ruler and her toleration of doctrinal differences
been carried, that her enemies have long
taunted her with the appellation of a Par-
liamentary Church and a latitudinarian religion.
Narrowminded men cannot comprehend the
character of a Church in whose dogmas there
is no bigotry, and in whose devotion there is
no cant. But the bulk of the English people
love and reverence these qualities with an

unconscious ardour that renders our national
Church the most powerful institution in the
realm. They are qualities that speak at once
to the sober earnestness and traditionary
leanings of the English understanding and
we have on more than one occasion sought to
impress upon the English clergy the policy of
preserving them. While they do so. the
Church, if united, could overturn any Ministry
and remodel any Parliament. But her prin-
ciples, under ordinary circumstances, lead her
to abstain from political agitation. And it is
this which constitutes so peculiar a claim on
the forbearance of her rulers.

Let us only imagine for a moment what
would be the effect upon the English Govern•
ment of a really agitating Church—of a
Church that should follow the example, for
instance, of the Belgian or Irish Roman
Catholics, and exert all their energy to thwart
the authority of Government, instead of lend-
ing the whole weight of their influence to its
support. Then indeed we might ask to some
purpose, how shall the Queen's Government
be carried on ? But, notwithstanding her
disapproval of various recent acts of legisla-
tion, true to the principles she has professed
for three centuries, the Church has declined to
interfere ; and her spiritual rulers evince their
sense of the obligations by which they be-
lieve themselves bound, by according a general
support to the Government of the day on all
questions of a strictly political character. d

But these obligations should surely be to
some extent reciprocal. If the Church defer
to the Crown upon civil questions, it is but
equitable that the Ministers of the Crown
should show some deference to the wishes of
the Church upon spiritual questions. This
plain duty must surely have escaped the con-
sideration of the House of Lords when they
enforced the insertion into the Divorce Bill of
so obnoxious a clause as that which compels
the clergy to perform the marriage•service be-
tween adulterers. We sincerely trust that
this portion of the new Divorce Bill may re-
ceive the reconsideration of her Majesty's
Government before it comes under the discus-
sion of the Lower House, and that a measure
calculated in many ways to promote the hap-
piness of the people will not pass into law dis-
figured by this cruel and unwarrantable pro-
vision.

We would most distinctly impress upon our
readers that the opposition to this enactment
springs from no theological party in the
Church. The disapprobation of the Primate
was as distinctly expressed as that of Dr.
WILBERFORCE. Much ingenuity has been ex•
ercised in framing meanings for words to suit
the conflicting tenets of different schools of
doctrine; but we venture to say this resource
is entirely out of the question in the present
instance. No words can possibly be plainer
than those by which the Church holds herself
hound to refuse the rite of marriage to adul-
terers. Opinions will always differ about the
exact force of any obligation ; and the com-
plainants in the present instance do but ask
that a man and woman shall not be enabled
to fix upon any clergyman they choose who is
known to disapprove of the principle, and
compel him either to violate his conscience
or lose his preferment. Priests will always be
found who take a more lenient view of these
questions, and who can perform the service
without any injury to any one. To make it
compulsory upon all is practically so needless
as to wear very much the appearance of a
studied insult. To say that clergymen will
not be required to comply with the law, so far
from being any recommendation, is in our
eyes the strongest objection to it.. In that.
case the only object gained is to remind the
clergy that they have no will of their owe,
and to teach future legislators how they may
violate principles without even the excuse of
expediency.

A more inopportune moment for this exer-
cise of power could not easily have been
found. At the time when a most important
change in the religious character of our repre-
sentative body is under discussion, it is most
ill-judged to throw a fresh torch of dissension
among the disputants. An Act of Parliament
by which the Church is made to feel so acutely
the presence of a hostile element in the Legis-
lature is not calculated to recommend a pro-
posal by which, in the opinion of many
conscientious men, that element will be
strengthened.

We are unfeignedly sorry
should ever have been
that her Majesty's Ministers,
session to a just demand,
odium on the cause of r
that the loyal clergy of the
may not be driven to believe
means little more than li!
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