The Express.
London, England, 1858-11-19 00:00:00

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LONDON, PIUDAY, nor. If.

Tim Bisbep of LONDON has delivered a tem-
perate, paieetaking, and well-intentiosed Charge,
the principal fault of which is its excessive
diffuseness. Many people will like to learn
the Bishers views on Church Rates, and on the
Confessional ; on the present means of the Esta-
blished nevelt in London to oope with the spiritual
destitetisa by which it is surrounded; and as the
necessity for its relying in the &tare rather on
voluntary exertions than on State aid. These are
really the principal matters in the Charge, which are
likely to command • very great amount of public
interest ; and it may be am well to give an outline of
the Bishop's views upon these leading topics.
Upon the question of Church Rates in the metro-
polis, the Bishop's views appear to be somewhat
u follows. Without conceding that the levy of
the rate is in the abstract unjost, he admits that
it is practically so " inconvenient," so opposed to
the opinions of the vast majority, that he in
" quite ready for any good alteration that can
"be suggested," and wishes this alteration to
be made "in • spirit the most conciliatory
" to those who are not members of our Church."
Even should this" alteration go very far"—by which
of course the Bishop means, though he does not may
it—even should the rate be finally abolished, he has
no apprehension for the consequences. " I should
" feel no fear myself that the churches of this great
" and wealthy metropolis would be allowed to fall
" in ruins, or the seemly dignity of their services be
" curtailed, because we were thrown more lure-
" servedly on the hr arty loyalty of that great man
" of persons who love the time-honoured institutions
" of our Church because they ha it has brought many
" blessings on their own and their fathers' souls."
"The days are gone by when the Church of England
" can look to be propped up by the adventitious aid
" of secular authority, if it be not true to itself."
" If we, the clergy, are true to ourselves, the tem-
" pore! aid which the laity can give both privately
" and by law in their national capacity, will not, I
" feel confident, be refused us." This is the right
spirit. The sentiments thus expressed can leave
little doubt that the Bishop of LONDON is well con-
tent, as far as the limits of his own diocese are
concerned, to leave the maintenanoe of Church
fabrics to the voluntary efforts of churchmen. The
reservation he makes with regard to poor and very
remote parishes is only what was to be expected. It
admits, of course, of a very easy answer: there can
be no difficulty, with a body so wealthy as the
Church of England, in raising a general ecclesiastical
fond for the repair of churches in the few rural
parishes which are unable or unwilling to pay for
the cost of their repair, except under the compulsion
of the law. Meanwhile, it is of excellent augury to
Sod the Bishop of the Metropolitan diocese so boldly
and wisely avowing the principle that the true
strength of the Church is not temporal, and that her
best hopes for the future rest not on State aid, but
on voluntary effort.

On the subject of the Confessional the Bishop
is exceedingly verbose. No doubt he felt pain-
&Hy the responsibility of speaking on such a
topic in such a place. He had not only to place on
✓ecord his own views, but he had to show that those
views were not inconsistent with certain well-known
hese el expression in the Anglican Liturgy. We
den net attempt to follow him through the elaborate
and evens. process ; we shall pa.s on at ones to the
pores in which, with characteristic periphrasis, he
penes so modified combessaatioa on the recently
revived scandal of private Auricular Confession. We
quote the following sentences textually from the
Aare
If say eiergymes se Maar-hes to Ids people se to Wed awes
le aempese thee the mow sad asehersai way of • alauer's
isemenelles with Owl is theimesh 'mimics to s whet,
✓ad by reedetog prissily uhe leads them
to Mien (1 me the illistreeks I have basil em-
ployed by au aromas of the Ceadeekeel) that ea the
Greek Church W erred by eesteeting preablag. end the
Merck et Rose by set eissewesMp the leaky of
the Ilartptwea so ear Clare►h 1r Wheels bum mach to
Mom he me leadiag Me people weep habilually to priests
aseiculse medissice —lf ha thus etin up the imagiamica of
swims d ceeMiag 'Orbs es him moms to kWh se a me-
diator hetwela their souls sad OWL, Ned rhea dry sew la
seek hie sid receives them with all the elaissele pespemilea
which le so hkely widely to melee their hasp, era he
which there Is se authority le the Chereit's Wee el muddy
—eating Men tele the wry of hie ebemb, lesesirm Me
der, yeltra as the wed restimmies emedes tires le
heed Were the Creek le address him es Irk ghats*
Misr. whin • Weis( of queedene me le ere al and, weed,
sal drink red feroeleg Ide pewee helm he were eh-
.

Medea—dee the aete site thee wee. or, win i 1 or et
ere partieeite ainanslasses ate weethig—el wheat few
vet posettes elde le me wesersir pram is la rrjedgerst
racirm to the whole "Mt of the Chen* et abler is a
adidesse. AM Uit se share that the pars that lergla
raw ids tailrace be • lassals, sad am gerdses all& its
rho— preps with the boat istaricay but, mar web dr-
eaminess. eft It the rest dwitiseris mat et sera diem-
tisa—isteds rare lasers. tate lila a MlPlrliyo h. ass'
teat be sectirissi It his radar Yetadmasd se bereft
pro serig ea the Chuck.

The might hare bee;mally, mad surely far better,
ampesseed in fewer wads t bat if menewhat defi-
ning is energy, it I. ecmad in spirit.
After all, the most valuable portions of the
Bishop's Charge are thole in which he dwells upon
the hest issue of enabling the Chareh of England
is the metropolis to perform the functions of a
Missionary Ctinrch. This is Ih. Tale's strong ground.
He adequately apprehends, he deeply deplores, and

he resolutely determines to grapple with, the vast
spiritual destitution of our close-pent alleys and our
teeming streets. He rejoices, not without reason,
that the days are past when " tha church was in
" danger of dying of her own dignityl* He enu-
merates, not without a just complaerency, the tier
meal efforts that have of bate been makin Cto
render the ministrations of the Chttreh more abild,
aible to the metropolitan public. The special Mis-
sionary services that have been inaugurated in Isling-
ten , Clerkenwell,St. Panting, and elsewhere; the open-
air preachings on the steps of the Royal Exchange ;
the great gatherings in Westminster Abbey—are all
subjects of deserved congratulation. In a few days
the vast Metropolitan Cathedral wilt be open to the
same pion' uses. Two thousand five hundred seats
are to be placed beneath its dome for the poorest of
the people ; the most gifted preachers will find
ample scope for their best powers in ministering to
a vast congregation ; and the noblest of Pro-
testant Temples, so long degraded into a gloomy
mausoleum of second-rate art, will become a grand
arena of elevating devotion. In all this there is
life and hope. •
It is not, however, on these more showy and im-
posing ministrations that our Metropolitan mainly
relies. In the humbler bat not lees useful efforts of
the various Home Mission Societies he discerns one
of the most indispensable agencies for battling with
the ignorance and indifference of the million-peopled
city. He is not without that wisdom which hes taught
Rome how to utilise every enthusiasm, however
fervent, and all-einoere spiritual effort, however un-
cultured sad homely. The influence wrought oa
the human mind by the fervent and impassioned
open-air premising' of the Methodists has not been
lest as him. He has heard and marked the effect
produced by the voice of the preacher echoing
through a still summer's day ever the village common
under the shadow of okt trees; and listened,
not without emotion, to the echoes of those
simple hymns pealing far along the mountain
solitudes of Wales. He has meditated on the efficacy
of these meow to touch the hearts of many who
" never entered within the Church to join in its calm
" devotion and listen to its measured teaching." He
draws the wise conclusion that the Clergy of the
Church in past time " have been unwise and greatly
" to blame in neglecting obvious means which GOD
" has placed within their reach for rousing the
"better feelings of thoughtless souls, and enlisting
" what was so often employed against the Church as
"a osefol aid to her sound, practical, Gospel teach-
' " bag." The whole of this portion of the Bishop
of LONDON'S Charge is pregnant with comprehensive
charity and sound good sense. His notion of the
proper functions of the Church of England in the
metropolis is eminently wise and true ; and it Leon
all hands a matter of congratulation that so import-
ant a position is filled by a man who so correctly ap-
prehends its ditties and so energetically discharges
them.