The Express.
London, England, 1868-05-15 00:00:00

THE ADDRESS OF THE BISHOPS.

T,) tat.sr GRACIOU4 MAJERTI THE WHIN.
May itpleeae y aur Majesty,— We, the archbishops and
bisthaps of the Malt pmvtooss of the united church of
Lad and Ireland, beg leave to approach your Majesty oath
the eaprosEa of our profound reverence for your Majesty's
aloe and person.

Haring reelect to the one sod to the other, we hs.ve.the
strongest confidence that nothing which affects the. in-
terests and well-heieg of the Irish branch of our united
church can be other than of liveliest concern to your
Majesty.
We beg leave to represent to your Majesty, that mea-
surers are now threatened which affect these so deeply, lime
we cannot believe we have exceeded our duty, or mingled
in matters which are outside our province, when we have
claimed the privilege of being permitted to lay before your
Majesty some' of the injurious consequences with ethical; in
our nmement, such measures will be followed, and same
of the injustices which they will inevitably involve.
It is now proposed for ever to alienate property which
his, from time immemorial, been dedicated to sacred a.
We believe that there Is no more precious arrsngsArnt
then that by which some portion of a nation's wealth- is,
with the nation's unction, and under its guardianship,
separated off for ever from private possession and ootnifion
or profane uses, sod, to the sad that it may be the more
solemnly ses apart be Mee esevise of
tied ; thevelerseat of it being linked, not meirietl2
the perfoi mauve of the ordinary duties of a citizen.but
with the obligation of setting forth that divine knowieske
hy which alone men are made capable of fulfilling their
higher d u tiesin this life or brought into any mee tnese for ano-
ther. ',nob it sacred fund exists in Ireland at present. Wben
we see it in danger of being dissipated for ever, we meet
needs protest us tut such a step, in the name of Aar
church which we believe to be the rightful administratee of
it, and in the interests of the nation which would thus tht'ow
away in a moment the cherished inheritance of centurt_e,
which, once gone, could never be recovered or replaced.•
Nor are the looses with which we are threatened material
only. We cannot but call to mind, with thankfulims,
that in this church of ours, as now constituted, 31 our
Majesty is, under Christ, in all oases ecclesiastical and
mil. supreme. In the destiuctiou of the national
character of our church, with which we are now threatened.
iu the severing or the ties which bind it to the state and
the state to it. in the disappesranceof the royal supremacy
whith thereupon must follow, an important safeguard- of
the reformed faith and of many precious rights will be
overthrown. Yrna Majesty will not merely be deprived
of a bright jewel in your crown. but will see very muck of
that influence and authority which now are ours, who
render no divided allegiance, transferred to another
church which can never be truly national—tiuding, al' it
does. its ountre outside the nation, and submitting to the
jurisdiction, which it must recognise as feu-amount to au/
other. of a foreign potentate or prince.
And. in this view, we humbly submit to your Majeetv
that the enjoyment by our church, under the royal satire-
mach, of the temporal emoluments and dignities attached
to the establishment, cannot fairly be deemed a grievance
by those whose principles prevent them from fulfilling the
conditions on whi:h alone such emoluments and dignities
can be enjoyed, consistently with the constitution of these
realms.

Them are further lineal/I' fe with which this measurimm-
pears to us to be fraught. It is proposed as a healing
measure. We believe that it will open new (minted* of
bitterns in this land, while it will close none of thelold.
It is proposed us a measure which will hind England 'sad
Ireland in closer union. So far from this, we fear that it
will discourage those in this country who. sinoerelk at-
tached to the English connection, have hitherto fondfl in
it the street pledge for the maintenance of their own
liberties and righw ; while it will not win hack the lo*lty
of ote amongst those who desire and labour for the drsm.
lune» of the connection. Indeed, they who have emelteu
out moat plainly have candidly avowed that the mule t-
alon of our establishment is nth cipeilly desired by them
as piaiwinary t., other aims and remoter purpmes, to
which they expect that It will pave the way. 1
We beg lease to bring before your Majesty some of the
in!uetices which will be inseparable from such a disendbw-
meet of our church as lately has been propos, d. the
pledge. indeed, is offered to no that all rested interstate
shall be respected. It would be little if they were
but we venture to affirm that in such a catastrophe this,
even with the most honourable intention., would be (im-
possible. In our own cases, and those of a few other of
the clergy, It might be done. But there are investments
in just hope as well as in actual possession ; and the lenie-
nce which would 'oe inflicted on multitude., of one brethren
would be extreme- upon all those who at this time are i es-
numbly looking forward to some modest reward of long
and ill-requited Labours in the pest, hut who would thus
find themselves for ever cut off front thi m and front every
expectation of it.
But there are ether vested rights and interests besides
those mmf time clergy. Our poorer protestant brethren who
hare established themselves in every pert of the emeriti,
and this in the fah of the maintenance of the present
settlement of things—they, too, have a vested !i4ht, fee
themselves and for their children, in that nunistay of
Christ's word atid sacraments &molding to the order of
oar :eformed church which hitherto they have so freely
enjoyed. And if we urge their case rather than that of
the licher portior. of our people, it is not because tho
rights and Interests of the latter are less clearly involved,
but only that sacrifices are possible on their part which
may enable them in same sort to make good for them-
selves the loss they will have endured. We »AAA,
indeed. regard the spiritual condition to which !deny
of the poorer members of our church, thinly »tattered ha
remote districts. end far from the aid of their »cher
brethren, will be reduced without the deepest
anxiety and alarm. The witness of our church
for Christ, in Ills offices' which no man may
usurp, in his rnediatorial dignity, with which no
creature may interfere,—this, God helpiug, our church
shall maintain to the end, and it shall never cease in the
land. But the difficulty of bringing' home the means of
grace to atome portions of our people, m f ever the parochial
system as now existing should be abobehe.l, will be almost
impossible to overcome ; and there ie extreme danger, that
in one way or another, many of those would be
test to us for ever. Some, deprived of • the
meson of grace, would emigrate with their families ; but
wimp :mat remain to whom this way of recaps would not
be open. Too peen to provide the serviaes of a clergyman
for themselves, and of a class peculiarly needing the watch-
ful care of one, tie heads and some of the elder members
of the families might continue steadfast in the faith in
which they have been brought up, but they wou:d he little
able Winstead and train eta. children ; who would,
almost inevitably, be absorbed in the masses of the fol-
lowers of Rome, by whom they are surrounded. And
thus. riser a wid 3 extent of country, little by little, the
light of the Reformation would be extinguished.
In this address to your Majesty, we have confined ...e-
-melt-es to the evi:s to beapprehended by ou, own blanch
of the church. But forming as we do an integral part of
the United Church of England and Ireland, noel being
connected with our English brethren by oominon interests
as well as by a common faith, we beg most respectful* to
print mato your Majesty that the assault on ouric-te-
Mlshrnent is avowedly, on the part of its most strehbous
canductose, only the opening of a general attack en the
establishments it England and Scotland i and that, if
successful against us. it will prove almost irresistible in
the otherwise*. We would !add, moreover, that Aker-
selves are satisfied that the parties now &gnat* iw the
overthrow of wee branch of the United church wilt eever
rest content anti: every vestige of • I eliglous, or at least a
protestant character is effaced from all the institaMions
tithe slate. t
This much we have counted it our duty to the church
over which, in tie providence of God, we, Itowev* un-
worthy, have teen made oversee», to state Ogre=
Majesty. And we have spoken it the more confidently,
being fully assured of your Majesty's deep attachinOfit to
those principles which, in a happy hour, placed yowl**
house on the throne of these realms ; sad not less ensured
that such testimonies of this attachment as may be ipsonr
Majesky's power to afford will never be wanting.
That ha all the affairs of the church and kiesploutfamin•
witted by "Weighty God to your Majemey's chargeLyemir
Majesty may be guided by the " wisdom that »Tree/
above ;" and thet all spiritual and temporal bleweingemay
richiy abound to your Majesty and your royal hoes we,
your Majesty's most faithful and devotee! servants,' as In
duty bound, shall ever prey.
M. C. ARMAGH.
'I
RICHARD C. DI'BLIN.
SAMUEL MEATH. ' ....
.1. T. ()sway and FERNK. A
ROBERT CARREL, he.
Roan, Dorn' and Omit&
Wit. HILLALGE. 1
Joior Coax, he.
HAMILTON ICILMORK.
CHASE= Lnntafter, Lc. '
CHARLES B. TWIN, Ac. •
WILLIAM Da', 1:4. .