The Press.
London, England, 1858-06-12 00:00:00

•'.• • - •" - - . • • -
556 THE PRE S S, JUNE 12 1858.
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most enticing ability ; but the Ikuse, we must Voluntary System is a novelty. From the first Such, then, has been the theological
amongt he subject,
the
livtiiceswsand ecclesias -
say to its credit, declined to take advantage of beginnings of Dissent in this coun. try, formore
moder .Dissenters, when removed from the per-
it, and determined, at all hazards, even now in than two centuries, all the great lights of Inds-
June, to struggle wearily and doggedly on pendency held and taught the Establishment
ytheNir
through the great Indian morass, into which' Lord principle, and denied and repudiated the Volun-, tvieeraprigvainkflieus,enscheoowf
tphaartt
PALMERSTON so recklessly and with so little pre- tary System. Thus Dr. OWEN, in CROMWELL S . are identical
paration had plunged them. days, preaching before the Parliament, said : with those of OWEN, and RANTER, and MATTHEW
lIENRY. Thus, the Directors of the The House is right. If it had been made London
"If it once comes to this, that you shall say Missionary Society, who are almost
before last Christmas Mr. GLADSTONE'S sugges-exclusively
ou have nothing to do with religion as rulers of Dissenters, wrote to the Sovereign of P 1
tion would have been a very good one, and a Y . a 0 yne-
the nation, GOD will quickly manifest that he sian State, "advising him to banish th national
e practicable and useful postponement of a very
hath nothing toy
do with you as rulers of the " idol, and to attend to the instructionof difficult question to a more fitting season ; and it the
nation. Certainly it is incumbent on you to take " missionaries?' And when two of their body
would have been a compromise between the Bill
care that the faith which was once delivered to were deputed to make an official visit to these
by
of Lord PALwis-rost and the course proposed . .
the saints, in all the necessary concernments of it, islands, they report, "We had a long interview
by Mr. BARING, which Parliament might very
well have acce led. But it is now out of time. may be protected, preserved, propagated, to and " with the King (of Hawaii), in which we urged
among the people, over which God bath set you. " upon him the propriety of publicly adopting
The House of Commons has proceeded too far inl-
- bound to do what h• • •
If a father, as a father, is " C ristianity as the religion of his dominions."
its task to stop short without discredit to itself,
and disadvantage to the administration of Indian answers this, in his own family unto his children ; And we find that one of the sovereigns ordered
a master, as a master, to his servants : If you will the headmen of all the districts under his com-
Affairs, and an attempt must be made at all ..
ustify yourselves as fathers or rulers of your mand to have it proclaimed, by a herald, " All
events—a real and earnest attempt—to get i
through a Bill before the end of the session,
country, you'll find in your attempt this to be " people must regard the Sabbath ; where schools
founded upon the Resolutions. We warn the incumbent on you." "are established all the people must learn."
members, however, that this can only be done by JOHN Howl:, another of their greatest names,gentlemen cannot conclude •
Nay, these same their
carefully and resolutely putting aside the great looking forward to the future prosperity of view
of the State of New Rolland without ob-
and complicated questions of policy in India CHRIST'S Church, expects to see it brought serving that "the
want of regular means of
which have hitherto been mixed up with and about, ~ grace among our own countrymen and their
"
encumbered every discussion upon the Resolu-
families (colonists as well as convicts) through-
" First, by means of the kings and potentates of ~ out the greatest part of the immense tracts of
tions that are and the Bills that arc not ; and con- the earth. And think how it will be if such ~ land in the course of clearance, and where
fining themselves strictly for the present to the . .
scriptures come to have a fuller accomplishment " population is rapidly increasing, must be ac-
consideration of the new organization of an
than they have ever yet had ; when in all parts ~ companied by evils, daily growing more inve-
executive and administrative department for
of the Christian world kings shall be nursing- Ch • • " terate and difficult to remedy; even when
India at home, here in England. That is the
fathers,and
pure and simple question to be first decided, and
Church shall suck the breastof kings •when
r, , " and propagate Christianity among the progeny
till that is concluded and got out of the way, all
1
the
g ory of the Gentiles shall be by them ~of those who are in courtesy called Christians,
larger discussions upon Indian policy to be con-
brought into it. Think whether this will not do ~ who constitute no small part of the aggregate
ducted in and for India, however great and
useful the views which they may develops, and
much to the making of a happy state, as to the ~ community here. Scattered, however, among
however eloquent and forcible may be the manner interest
of religion in the world.' " the remote villages and farms, there are num-
in which they are put forward, are but encum- MATTHEW HENRY, their chief commentator, " bers of young people who would be glad to
brances to progress and impediments to leg's- expounding 2 Chron. xvii. 9, observes of JEIIO- " hear the Gospel, had they the opportunity.
lation. SHAPHAT,— " We merely state the fact, laying the shame at
"no man's door. It is, however, deeply to be
" What a useful man he was ; not only a good ~ lamented that Protestant Governments take so
THE CHURCH-RATE QUESTION. man, but a good king :he was not only good ,i little care to convey the knowledge of the true
A GREAT part of the argument as to the main- himself; but did good in his generation. First, " religion wherever they carry their arms, their
tenance or relinquishment of Church-rates is now he took away the teachers of lies ; and, second, he ~ commerce or their arts in colonization."
rested, among Churchmen, upon considerations of sent forth teachers of truth." ,
RICHARD BAXTER, also, in his " Christian Thus we see that not only do all their ac-
expediency. The Church will get on better, it is
Directory," addressing civil rulers, says : knowledged teachers and divines maintain the
said, without Church-rates. Now, into this part Establishment principle, but they themselves, at
of the argument we propose to enter on another "Let none persuade you you are such ' terres-
the present day, when they get out of England and
trial animals that you have nothing to do with forget English controversies, appeal at once to
occasion. We are bound, first of all, to deal the heavenly concernme tof n s your subjects. the same principle. That principle is well enun-
with the higher consideration of principle. The There is no such thing as a temporal happiness m•
ated by Dr. DWIGHT in these few pithy sen-
motive of the assailants assuredly is not a desire to any people, but what tendeth to the happiness tences :
of their souls : and it must be thereby measured,
to benefit the Church. They oppose Church-
and thence be estimated. Let all s
worship thing in " The Legislature of every State is the proper
rates because they assert them to be morally un- GOD 's a
be done to edification; decently, superintendent of all its prudential concerns. It
lawful and unjust. They set up, in opposition, and in order ; but see that the ornaments or the has not only a right, but is obliged by an autho-
THE VOLUNTARY SYSTEM, which they assert to garments of religion be never used against the rity, which it can neither oppose nor question, to
be the true and just one. By this system it is substance. The very work and end of your pursue every lawful and expedient measure for
left to each individual to pay as much, or as
office is, that under your government the people the promotion of the public welfare. To this
may live quietly and peaceably, in all godliness great purpose religion in every country is not
little, to religious purposes, as he pleases ; or,
only and honesty.". .
useful, but indispensable. But religion can-
if he chooses, to pay nothing at all. not exist, and has never existed for any length of
At a later date we find Dr. DODDRIDGE
time, without public worship. As every man
Have any of our readers taken the trouble to arguing in favour of those very Church-rates
ought, therefore, willingly to contribute to the
search out the date of the origin of this VoLux- which Dissenters so vehemently oppose. In his 't
sp whatever i his own rosper' y,
to
TARY SYSTEM ? If they have, they will have Ethics,"
"Lectures on p. 2., lest. 87, he says : he is ort
byof ncreases
p
immoveable consequence obliged
found it, we believe, to commence about the " Some have represented all encouragement support the religion, which, by increasing the
period of the French Revolution of 1789, and to given to one religious profession in preference to common prosperity, increases of course his own.
another, as a degree of persecution ; but this Should an advocate for the doctrine which I
have no greater antiquity.
seems to be carrying the matter into a contrary oppose, demand proof that religion is indispen-
The opposite principle—that by which we are extreme. a regard Both dto the honour of (;on sable to the welfare of a free country, this is my
still governed in England—dates from the earliest and the good of society (which surely the magis- answer : Morality, as every sober man who
records of human history. The facts of Holy trate is not the only person under no obligation knows any thing of the subject discerns with a
Scripture, from the creation of man, down through to) must engage him to desire and labour that glance, is merely a branch of religion ; and where
his people may be instruatel in what he takes to there is no religion, there is no morality. Moral
ARRAHAMMOSES,SAMUEL,DAVID,JEHOSHAPHAT
, be truth
;for which purpose it is necessary that obligation has its sole ground in the character and
NEHEMIAH, &c., concur in setting forth the Estab- some provision be made for those who so instruct government of GOD. But where GOD is not
lishment principle. Christian rulers, from CON- them, preferable to other instructors. That he worshipped, his character will soon be dis-
STANTINE and Tur.oDosius down to ALFRED and may maintain such out of his private purse none regarded : and the obligations founded on it,
can doubt, and if he have a discretionary power unfelt and forgotten. No duty, therefore, to
EDWARD VI., all do homage to the same prig_
over any branch of the public revenue, it seems individuals, or to the public, will be realized or
ciple. All concur, without a single exception, in he may apply it to that purpose, even though performed. Justice, kindness, and truth, the
the doctrine enunciated half a century back by most of his people were of a different religious great hinges on which free society hangs, will be
Dr. DWIGHT, a Republican and a Presbyterian, persuasion from himself. If it be asked whether unpractised, because there will be no motives. to
when he says that "a Legislature is bound to such Dissenters may regularly be forced by the the practice, of sufficient force to resist the passions
magistrate and majority to assist in maintaining of man. Oaths of office, and of testimony, alike,
" establish the public worship of GOD." Established teachers whom they do not arove, without the sanctions of religion, are merely
Dissenters, however, will no doubt reply that it is answered that this will stand upon the same solemn farces. Without the sense of account-
they bend not to the opinions of CONSTANTINE or footing with their contributing to the expense of ableness to GoD,—without the realizing belief o
of ALFRED, and that the verdict of the Middle a war which they think not necessary or pru- a future retribution, they are employed only to
dent. If no such coercive power be admitted it insult the Creator, deprave the juror, and cheat
Ages is nothing to them. Admitting their right • religion
is probable that covetousness would drive many his fellow-men. This sense nothing but
to take this exception, we call their attention to into dissenting parties, to save their tithes and can inire or preserve. With the loss of reli-
the fact that, even among their own body, the other possessions." gion, therefore, the ultimate foundation of confi-
lIIIIIIkkik.