The Sun.
London, England, 1863-06-10 00:00:00

EXHIBITION.

Lori ELCHO desired to learn of the Chief Commis-
sioners of Public Works whether a complete survey had
been ramie by a competent surveyor of the Exhibition ;

and, if so, whether he would lay it on the table of the
house ?

Mr. COWPER replied that it had been ca-,fully and
minutely surveyed by Mr. Hunt, the surveyor , the board
of works. His estimate was moved for las.. night, and
would be immediately in the hands of hon. mbers.
Lord ELCHO did not wish to be troub :66T, e, but he did
not allude to an estimate; had there been any report by a
competent surveyor ?
Mr. COWPER could not say whether there was any
such document in existence. He knew that the surveyor
had forwarded an opinion on the subject, but he could not
say whether it was in writing. He should, however, be
able to answer the question to-morrow.
THE EXTRA MORNING SITTING.
In reply to Colonel FRENcis,
Sir R. PEEL intimated that the Government proposed a
morning sitting on Friday in order to take the Irish
Fisheries Bill.
ENGLISH CHURCH SERVICES (WALES) BILL.
Mr. WALPOLE postponed this bill till Friday week.

UNIFORMITY ACT.
Mr. BUXTON then rose to move the following resolu-
tion :—" That, in the opinion of this house, the subscrip-
tion required from the clergy to the Thirty-nine Articles
ought to be relaxed." The hon. gentleman trusted that it
would not be thought that he brought forward the motion in
a spirit hostile to the Church of England. The only test to
which he desired it should be put was this—would it injure
the Church of England, or would it benefit the Church ?
If its tendency would be to injure the Church, let the
house reject it by all means ; but if, on the contrary,
it were calculated to benefit it, then he trusted that no
prejudice would stand in the way of the adoption of the
motion. (Hear, hear.) He represented no section or
parity in the Church, and his sole object was to relieve its
clergymen in general from what many of them considered
a grievous burthen, and to open a way for many of its lay-
men who were now excluded from the ministry. (Hear.)
It was not solely a clerical question, it was much more the
question of the laity, and as such he desired chiefly to treat
it. He had nothing to do with the revision of the Liturgy,
or the Articles themselves ; what he aimed at was that the
clergy should be relieved from that portion of the subscrip •
tions that they were called upon to take which disquieted
many of them. Those lists or subscriptions were extremely
numerous. There were seven oaths upon the subject of
supremacy, six declarations of assent to the Prayer Book,
and nine declarations of assent to the Thirty-nine Articles,
the upshot of all being this : In the first place the clergy-
man was required to declare that he would conform to the
Liturgy of the Church of Edgland as by law established.
That was a fair and reasonable subscription. In a second
subscription he declared that he willingly and ex animo ac-
knowledged all and every the Thirty-nine Articles to be
agreeable to the Word of God, and gave his unfeigned assent
to the same. And by the third he declared his unfeigned
assent and consent to all and everything contained in the
Prayer Book. There was an essential distinction between
the two latter subscriptions and the first subscription. The
first was a promise of performance; the two others were de-
clarations of belief, and it was those which he wished to have
done away with. Those subscriptions were required of men
when they were young, and they all knew how apt young
men were to take up all kinds of crude theories, but which
died away under the advancing growth of common sense.
Bat in mature life they called upon these men to make the
subscriptions, and in the most unqualified form. He ad-
mitted the Prayer Book to be the most sublime of human
productions ; but, taken as a whole, there must be many
things contained in it which it was hardly just to call
upon men to declare their entire and unqualified belief
in. With regard to the Thirty-nine Articles, though they
did not present so many technical points of objection as the
Prayer Book, still they had given rise to many great and
fierce controversies. (Hear, hear.) He would put it to those
_ _

. ,
who here and elsewhere were remarkable for their just and
generous characters, whether it was just to ask young men
to declare their entire belief in everything that the Prayer
Book contained, He denied their right to do it; for it was
trespassing upon the freedom of men in a way that was un-
justifiable• It was only the fundamental doctrines of the
Church of England upon which they should require unifor-
mity of belief. He was aware that it was the opinion of
many eminent men that the beat thing to do was to leave
the Church of England as she stood, and not to try to mend
matters wherever they found fault, The hon. member then
reviewed the history of the successive changes in the forms
of subscription at the Hampton Court Conferences in the
reign of James 1., and again under Charles 11., when an.
other turn of the screw took place, and it was laid down
that all the articles were to be taken in their true and literal
sense. The whole object of the High Church party is those
early days was to get rid of the Puritans; and finding the
subscriptions were not stringent enough for the purpose,
they set to work to devise the minute words to which he had
referred, requiring the clergy to give their entire adherence
to everything in the Prayer Book. The Act of Conformity
was another of the many atrocious acts of the time which
had been brought forward for a similar purpose. He could
quote several passages from the writings of Dissenters dur-
ing the last few years, to show it was impossible that 20,000
clergymen could give their entire assent to everything in
the Prayer Book, which contained so many different com-
positions. For his own part he thought that young men
should not be called upon and almost forced to act in a way
contrary to what perfect truthfulness would require of them.
He thought it would be well for the clergy, and well for
the religions and intellectual life of the people of this
country, that the clergy should have scope and latitude to

think out their own thoughts. That liberty was denied
them at present. Men of original mind were apt to have
their thoughts and ideas cramped when they had to steer
within barriers like these subscriptions. And these hin-
drances met them at every step in their career. The curate
wanted to become a rector ; the rector an archdeacon ; the
archdeacon a bishop ; and the bishop looked forward to pre-
siding over the see of Canterbury or York ; but those sub-
scriptions were always before them. It could not but be
painful to men accustomed to think for themselves to be re-
quired to repeat like parrots the phrases set down for them.
The result was to make men excessively timid, so that, in-
stead of leading the religious thoughts of the people, they
became afraid of taking a single step. There were a great
many men of original mind in the Church of England, but
their number was becoming less and less every year. At
Oxford the candidates for orders had decreased from 242 to

20, and at Cambridge from 270 to 178. He had with him

a letter which he received from a graduate at Oxford—a
man of ability, who would have been an ornament to the
Church—in which he complained that he had been forced
by those subscriptions to adopt a profession infinitely less
congenial to him than holy orders, He had no doubt that
many hon. members opposite would in the course of the
evening say that this was a stale and shallow cry of the
" Church in danger." He believed the Church of England
was every day becoming more beneficent and more beloved ;
but yet, withal he admitted there might be danger before
her. If she chose not to be a National Church, but a nar-
row and sectarian one ; and if she stubbornly resisted all
reform, and stood in the way of human advancement, human
speculation, and the discoveries of science, not with strong
and gentle reasoning, but with paroxysms of fear and rage
(hear, hear) —and if she discloses the most pitiful sight of
all—the wish to persecute without the power—then she
might find herself forsaken and spurned by the English
people. But if, on the contrary, men found in the Church
of England a welcome and a home, if she opened wide her
gates and let people enter freely, then they might hope
that their children's children would cling to that Church as
their fathers had done when they sealed their faith in her
with their blood in the great days of old. (Cheers.)
Mr. G. DUFF seconded the motion. They ought to
approach questions of this kind as politicians, for he appre-
hended that religious questions would form their principal
business for some years to came. They were no longer an
assembly of the Church of England, nor of Protestants, nor
even of Christians, save so far as civilisation had infused its
spirit into Jew and Gentile alike. The recent judgment of
Dr. Lushington, although it gave greater latitude within
the Church, still it put a stricter form of interpretation upon
the articles and formularies than before satisfied the con.
science of persons. The result of this was to give rise to
many painful struggles during the last few months. The
proposal of his hon. friend was a very moderate one, and
did not interfere with prosecution. The bishop would have
the power to prosecute the clergyman, and the clergymen
would be able to prosecute each other. But if the resolu-
tion was agreed to, one element of malignity would be taken
away from the clergy, for although one man might call his
neighbour a heretic, he could not call him a " perjurer."
(Hear, hear,) The hon. member concluded by alluding to
the want of conciliation on the part of the bishops, and ex-
pressing a hope that a future minister would appoint better
bishops than those of the Tiverton type. (A laugh.)
Mr. M. MILNES rose to move au amendment, the
effect of which was to limit Mr. Buxton's resolution to
the subject of subscription to the Prayer Book. The hon.
member said he entertained so much reverence for the
subject, and admiration for the moderate tone and man-
ner in which his hon. friend's motion had been brought
forward, that he should be sorry to take any course
which looked like opposition to it, unless he felt con-
vinced that the subject was one involving so many great and
important considerations that it could not be too closely
discussed. Indeed, he should be unwilling to say but that
one day some such motion as that of his hon friend would
be agreed to. The Thirty-nine Articles, though having
given rise to fierce contests long ago, still they bore upon
them thtesepiript of compromise,
menomp
romofise, and a great desire to include
gious opinions. These Articralesany different orders and reli.
were the laws of the Church,
and the object of his hon. friend, smotion was that persons
might be admitted to
requiredadmini to administertheseiece
l laws, and act upon
declare their adherence to
everything
adoption of the resolu-
tionestablisl
rulthe unwritten law
iu
its
integrity
would in them.
be
e
them without being
—the law of public o over
pinion—to the
law. lie believed that the law of public opinion of the
the written
more intolerant than the law of the Church, The was far
had been gradually interpreted in a more and more liberal
articles
sense; and the freedom of the Church would not in any
degree be increased by diminishing the authority of the
articles. It was of enormous importance that the freedom of
thought of the Church of England should not be subjected
to any sacerdotal inquisition ; and it was admitted that the
articles wero now open to a very liberal interpretation. The
object of his amendment was to confine the action of the
resolution to the Book of Common Prayer; and in that way

he believed it would in no degree derogate from the power
and influence of the Church of England.

Sir G. GREY was anxious to state early that the Go-
vernment considered it inexpedient to adopt either the reso-
lution or the amendment. At the same time, they were un

willing to meet either by a direct negative, acknowledging
that he found great difficulty in ascertaining what was the
precise object of the resolution. The hon. member for
Maidstone said that allsnbscriptions and declarations should
be abolished, but the hon. member did not draw sufficient
distinction between subscription to articles and the declara-
tion of conformity now required by law. He believed it
was difficult to state what those subscriptions amounted
to, and he admitted the law was in an unsatisfactory

state—for it required subscriptions varying in terms and
character, and unnecessarily imposing obligations upon
clergymen. It would be much better if a more simple and
uniform declaration were adopted. (Hear, hear.) He
understood his hon. friend to say that, though he would

abolish subscription, he would still leave the clergy liable to
penalties for teaching doctrines contrary to the Church.
Now, if that were so, he did not see what relief was afforded
to the clergy. With regard to the subscription to the
articles, if the Church was to have a clear standard of doc-
trine it was not unreasonable to require from a person seek-
ing ordination a declaration that he agreed in and should
teach that doctrine. As to the Book of Common Prayer.

the law required a declaration from the clergyman that it
contained nothing contrary to the Word of God, and might
_ .

be lawfully used in divine service and the administration of

the sacraments; but then the Act of Elizabeth said nothing
. _

about the Book of Common Prayer, and therein a difference
was established between the Book of Common Prayer and
Articles. He agreed with the hon. member for Pontefract

that the declaration which a clergyman was compelled to
make on presentation to a benefice was an unnecessary

burten upon the conscience; and that it would be most
desirable if such declaration were confined within the limits

of the 36th Canon. In conclusion, the right hon. gentle-
man stated that the adoption of either the resolution or the
amendment would only lead to uncertainty. Under the

circumstances, he would ask his hon. friend the member for
Pontefract (Mr. M. Milnes) to withdraw his amendment,
and in that case he would move the previous question.
Mr. M. MILNES then announced his willingness to
withdraw the amendment,

Mr. HADFIELD, however, objected, and so the amend.

ment of the hon. member for Pontefract was negatived

without a division.

Sir G. GREY then moved the previous question as an
amendment on the motion.

Mr. NEWDEGATE expressed his regret that the Go

vernment had not taken a more decided :course. If the

proposal of the hon. member for Maidstone were adopted
the result must be that the members of the Church of Eng-

land would be subjected to the utmost latitude of teaching

at the hands of their clergy. Let the house take warning
from the condition of religion in the United States of Ame-

rice, and see that vagueness of opinion conduced in the end

to religious 'violence and intolerance.
Mr. WALPOLE considered the house was placed in a
position of some embarrassment by.the course taken by the
Government. He should have preferred to see the resolu-
tion negatived. He agreed that the quest ion concerned the
laity more than the clergy. Was the house or the country
prepared to go in that direction ? He thought not. Then
they heard of another book called " Essays and Reviews."
What were the alterations proposed by some of the writers
of that book? They contended that all tests were obsolete,
and should be repealed, and that Scripture should be the
sole basis of the religion of the Established Church. Those
were propositions which could not be countenanced for a
moment by sincere supporters of the Church. The laity
must have some guarantee that, first, they should have no
doctrines taught but those of the Church to which they be-
longed ; secondly, that there should be some regard to cle-
rical order and efficiency in the appointment of ministers of
the Church; and thirdly, that the clergy who had to offi-

ciate in the Church should preserve its doctrine pure and
free from corruption. There had been another book recently
published which advocated the abolition of all subscription,
but leaving the Articles and Liturgy the same. What
would be the Consequence of that ? Were clergymen to
hold one set of opinions and preach another ? Were they to
continue receiving their incomes from a Church whose
principles they did not sincerely believe ? With regard to
the subscription, he did not believe that was the cause of
the decrease of candidates for the Church. The truth
was, the emolument was so small that men of energy and
intellect went in search of other pursuits of a more pro-
fitable character. With regard to the Comprehension Bill
of the time of William 111., he was surprised to hear it

spoken of in the way it had been, when all the best histo-
rians, including Lord Macaulay, agreed that the rejection
of that bill had been the means of securing the civil and re-
ligious liberties of the kingdom. The Act of Uniformity,
at the time it was passed, had proved a great boon to the
community, for from the time of Henry Si 111., through the
reigns of Elizabeth and Edward VI. to James I, the whole
country had been in such a state of confusion upon the sub-
ject of forms of public worship, that as one writer observed,

" they knew not what they had to worship or to depend
upon." He was not, however, going to defend all that was
done, nor the penalties that were imposed upon Noncon-
formists. What he did defend was a system which pre-
vented dissension and confusion, and gave to the people a
religion as pure, tolerant, and comprehensive as eternal
truth itself. (Hear.) He thought the Government should
state whether they proposed to make any alterations, and
what they were to be; otherwise he should feel bound to re-
sist the motion. The hon. gentleman, speaking of the
Church, said, " Truth and peace her courts attend." If
truth and peace did attend the courts of the Church of Eng-
land, his advice was—Do not imperil the one nor disturb
the other. (Hear.) In the soundness of her doctrines and
in the purity of her worship she was of all Churches the
most tolerant in her principles, the most charitable in her
construction, and the most comprehensive in her philan-
throphy. (Hear.)
Mr. MORRISON hoped the object of the hon. member
for Maidstone (Mr. Buxton) would be attained, so that the

differences now prevailing might be put an end to.
Sir S. NORTHCOTE thought an unfortunate amount of
haze had been thrown over the question, arising chiefly
from the difficulty of knowing what was to be the pelicp of
the Government. He hoped the motion would be negatived
without a division. _ _

The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said the
notwithstanding the remark of the hon. gentleman who
spoke last, the course adopted by the Government had met
with very general approval, and he did not mean to say that
the Prayer-book and the Articles were perfect, but their
contradictions were to be taken in the same spirit as the dif-
ferences in Holy Writ, and he was inclined to believe that
the task of revision was likely to be taken with the slightest
advantage, or chance of success. The people ought to know
what the teachings of their pastors were to be, and if it ever
came to the point that we were to discuss whether the minds
of individual clergymen should be set free from all fetters
and restraints, and be the free arbitrator of what he should
teach the people, it would be far better, before entering on
the subject, that we should break down th 3 venerable fabric
of the Church altogether. The principle of subscriptions had
grown up from time to time from the bona fide necessities
of the Church since the Reformation, and their existence
without change for 200 years was a proof of the extreme
gravity of the question, and if they were to be dealt with it
should be in such a definite form that any one could under.
stand them. The effect of the amendment was, he thought,
to draw an invidious distinction between the Prayer-book
and the Articles. They were told subscription had failed to
attain its end—that of unity of feeling ; but that was to be
said in some sense of all human laws. But the question was,
had the system worked well for its purpose, and given that
degree of unity of action which qualified the Church for its
work ; and he was not prepared to say there was any rea-
son why we should declare this the sore spot in her history.
By this system, the Church was generally loved by the
country, and she had passed successfully through great
vicissitudes that had strained and tried the efficiency of
other human laws , but that was no reason why the system
should not be amended, though it might be that they were
slow to vote its condemnation, on the ground that it had
failed to accomplish its aim. He demurred to the proposi-
tion that it was better to substitute a judicial penal
system for the present subscriptions, as not likely to
maintain in any adequate manner that unity of belief,
however liberal, within the Church which it was desirable
to attain. That principle was in existence before the Act
of Uniformity, and before they returned to that system they
must look to the powers by which it was maintained, and
ask themselves whether they were prepared to see them
revived. And though the faggot was not the fashion in
those days, certain sharp instruments were which were ap-
plicable to certain parts of the body, and they could not
bring those periods in support of the judicial system, unless
they considered how far they would assimilate those means
of prevention to the purposes of the present day. Nothing,
he thought, would more tend to narrow the Church than
the frequent provoking of courts of justice to lay down in-
terpretations of faith; and his opinion was, that such a
course, if adopted, would materially weaken and injure the
Church. The Prayer Bo* and Articles, taken together
and fairly interpreted, formed one harmonious and consis-
tent whole. He could not disguise the fact that young men
of ability did not now come forward and join the Church,
and it was the more striking, because about the period when
he was an under• graduate of Oxford, or shortly after, an
opposite state of things prevailed in so marked a degree that
it might alone have been said at that time that the flower of
the youth of England were rushing forward and offering
themselves for the Church. A serious change, however,
had taken place in that respect, and it had been attributed
to the attractions of the civil service over the poor remune-
ration given by the Church. He thought, however, the
reason lay deeper, and they must look to the , eligious and
moral causes, and not to the system of subscriptions, or it
would have been felt in other periods, especially forty,
thirty, or twenty years ago, when the Church passed
through convulsions so sharp and searching that they might
almost be described in the language of Scripture, " which
\
divides one from ano'her, soul and spirit." The Church
of—andreligious
especially the University of Oxford—was in the agony
manenno,:wnh
icotte:
too, after
followers
that They
theysaw hadthe rfioseunodf
tehmeyi,nheandt
o, after reaching mature life, almost suddenly
that it was necessaryadhering for their own salvation that they
should become
acted Wrong in
to the Church of England, and
members of an antagonistic church. And the