The Express.
London, England, 1868-12-10 00:00:00

At SWAT, M. P., AND MB IJAMMITIR
SOMATA

• _
in% Worley, 1111. P., has written the itilkiwieig
=to Wiliam Edwaids, Fig, Treason of the Begilety
Liberation of lielmioa.
)dear flir,—lt will wer surprise you, and eons Wiese
Mende, who ham anti
Um proseediap suansidet
with the Bristol eketiork and the oommesie upon vim= ay
public prim that I have arrived at BA ooralnangi.
Amoy name ought ad ray ranger to appear os tba gat
e executive conanittee of year eocielY, raid 1 mugs,
therefore, ask you to be good enough to withdraw it.
laXisslotif so, permit me to assure you of my midi.
respiet for youtvelf. end the other officers of
• and spy oontraued ranee of the value of the
inn in which the tociety i• engaged, is indodriaating
lha_piblic min.' with sound views as to the true and
depute functions of the Church and the Male, uphold-
issitbe spirituel nature of the Church of Christ, and
prasoting sad etimulatins the growth of a public
3: whit h renders inevitable great oranges in the
' of civil government to the religious cora
ties of the country. lam °Gracious, sotwithetand.
istgl•rome anonvmcce repreeentatioas to the eontrary,
Dal am, as I Bare ever been, mod deeply aad sincerely
aagioas that we Amulet arrive at a time in the history
ell tkis country when the Churches of Christ shall be-
am* disentangled from their injurious associations with
the Orate, and be free to carry on the good work of in-
ralsedtiog and directing the people. It has been, however,
a imetter of difficulty with Me for • long time past se to
hew far I can accept the third branch of the object of
the peetety, reepecnng the secularisation of all national
smarty held in trust by the churches. It is not part
of gmy " object " in supporting the sonegoust
ale .# this secularisation of property and, al
it ma seem a Drearier, condition of the ultimate
s:#
osi of the Chard and the @tate that the
I"ip Ymahyselfould to swept aecepeseuriald'uo selttlaemmenar wil".67.lhich does
sot , praise secularisation. I have found, practically,
VIA , this proposal of secularisation, while it is
one which I do not. accept, is an aurae to many who
would otherwise be disposed to entertain favourably the
idoaltrf separation, and becomes an abundant source of
rowieprecentation which no explanations are sufficient to
ramie Hence I 'have been compelled, among those by
wlwee it was incumbent on me that I should not be
, to disclaim arm y, in part, with the
, and have thus expend myself to the charge of
en.cy.
While in no degree disowning my principle as
a leramientiorue nonconformist, it his never been as •
•' ectegionformist crampon or authority," but as •
stewed supporter of the party sow led by Mr. Glad.
dratsad as connected with 00•11141.0111, that I have
to enter parliament, and, in reparasating the
et Bristol. I sin constrained to regard aerations of
whitlows liberty end equality, not from a limited, or a
denominational, standpoint, but in connexion with a
national policy and the widest interest of the Common-
weal*. At present the work to do is to disestablish
and lberndow the Church of Ireland, and a scheme to
accomplish this is before parliament and the country
which will receive bearded suppmt. I have no
with to see a similar scheme originated for the diseeteb-
lieldoent and cheradowment of the church of Busload.
.. . .. .

The iirioTtisiancevUnle;neliiions of the two an en-
tirely different. said it is most unwise to originate
adopts which are practically useless. It ismy
t% con-
vic that changes are impending, but they will come
from within, rather than from without—from the
*weighed intelligence and conviction of those whose
religious hie will no longer bear restraint and hindrance,
and who will demand changes beneficial to themselves
and to the nation. It was so in the great disruption of
the ela.r,h of Scotland; it is so in reference to the
ebtmch of lirla:d.

—The advocates of Establishments themrelves require, in
the interest of national policy and justice, that the
Ertabhshment in Ireland shall cease; and to meet this
exigency they modify their theory of Establishments.
You as prematurely to force on other changes, and to
define rigidly what they shall be, and how they shall
eventuate. appears to me likely to retard the progress of
truth and right. which is dearer than any increase of
Dissent, and I am anxious to place myself in an attitude,
not ed antagonbm. but of friendship, with all truly
devout men by whose cooperation the religious future of
England may be determined.
The Society for the Liberation of Religion has been most
successful, by moderation of tone and earneetnees of
appeal to the conscientious judgment of our fellow
countrymen in favour of the principles it advocates, and
by auwatiag, rather than origtnatrag' schemes for their
application in parliament, and in this educational labour I
Lope to continue to give it my cordial support —I am,
dear sir, yours very faithfully, S. ]Hooter.
Wood-rtrcet. Dec. 3.
}lr. William 6 in reply remark.:

Your letter to the society's treasurer, asking that
year name may be withdrawn from the list of the
executive committee, has been submitted to the committee,
who have accepted your resignation ; though noc without
surprise and regret at the occurrence which has rendered
it necessary. The committee do not feel called upon to
eller any remark on the view taken by yourself of
your duty as a member of the House of Com-
mons, except to disavow as strongly as you do
any desire to occupy a "denominational standpoint." or
to act otherwise than "in connection with a national
policy and the widest interest of the commoraccalth."