The Sun.
London, England, 1862-12-03 00:00:00

TUE SUN) LONDON,IWEDNESDAYIEVENING, DECEMBER 3, 1862.

vated soil." Sufficient proof of the reality of the
dreadful truth thus expressed, is the one plain fact
that Pauperism is increasing now steadily in those

distressed districts at the rate of 10,000 persons

additional every week! The third resolution—
moved by Lord STANLEY, and seconded by Lord
EDWARD HOWARD—remarked "That while this
amount of destitution must be regarded as a national
calamity, attributable in great measure to events
which could neither have been foreseen nor avoided,
and it has, therefore, a claim upon the sympathy
and co-operation of the country at large, the pri-
mary duty of relieving it devolves on the county of
Lancaster, whose wealth in more prosperous times
has been so largely increased by the industry of the
classes who are now the chief sufferers." Precisely the
one truth that has been glaring upon the recogni-
tion of the whole of the United Kingdom for a con-
siderable interval of time, also increasing like the
distress itself, and, as we have already intimated,
ike the endurance manifested by the afflicted popu-
lation. The instantaneous appreciation of the
force of this home-thrust upon their own benevo-
lence the Lancashire magnates at once and most
affectingly evidenced. Never, we may safely aver,
was a more princely sum subscribed within a
single day, at a single meeting of patriot-philan-
thropists. As they have appreciated the magni-
tude of the distress around them—so, also, will
the country at large, we mAy be sure, appreciate
the magnitude of their sympathy. The incident
is without a parallel. It will be held, by the
nation at large, in sacred. remembrance.
As to the fourth and concluding resolution
proposed by the High Sheriff of Lancashire, and
seconded by Lord GREY DE WILTON, that sim-
ply suggested the opening, at once, then and
there, of a subscription in augmentation of the
Funds already contributed in the county of Lan-
caster to the local relief-funds, to the Cotton Dis-
tricts, and to the Central Relief Fund. It was,
in effect, the practical part of yesterday's proceed-
ings in the Town-hall of Manchester. It was, in
point of fact, but preliminary to the pouring in of
an augmentation to the amount of the munificent
total of One Hundred and Thirty Thousand Pounds
therewith subscribed. Peers and Commoners, land-
owners and millowners, squires and manufacturers,
have nobly co-operated in bringing about this
grand achievement. Even now it is still, of course,
but a commencement, but it is a magnificent com-
mencement. As such it is entitled to, what it
has already won, our unaffected and unrestricted
admiration.

The Bishop of LONDON has performed his mos
difficult duty with great skill. Between the
warm differences of opinion in the Church, th
growing strength of the tolerated sects, and the
rapid increase of the population beyond its re-
sources (as at present administered) which formed
the subjects of his Lordship's charge, there was
demand enough upon all the ability, candour,
and prudence which any highly placed ecclesias-
tic could possess. The Bishop did not fail in his
onerous and delicate task. We can see, indeed,
abundant evidence of reticence and caution, though
probably, in some things, which have this appear-
ance, the influence of official and responsible posi-
' tion may have been considerable upon the truly
liberal Dr. TAIT.

At these times, when all intelligent laymen are
becoming almost as interested in "Essays and Re-
views," and in " COLENSO on the Pentateuch," as
the clergy themselves; and when daily papers are
reporting and discussing these subjects, the Bishop
must have -felt that he was delivering a charge
which, for once, the Laity would examine almost
'as curiously as the Clergy themselves. The
question, —how will the Bishop of LON-
DON deal with heretics, if such they be,
and with free-thinking writing, which even
gives occasion for protracted pleadings in our courts
of law,—is one which was widely asked before yes-
terday. Indeed, according to the general impres-
sion, especially amongst church-going ladies, and
many of the other sex also, the very foundations of
our faith are now being assailed by those who
should be the teachers of our faith. Of old the
battles were chiefly on Church government and
ceremonies ; and the ceremonial battle, as both east
and west in London bear witness, has been revived
almost with fury in our days. For the last year or
two, however, it has given place to more metaphy-
sical battles—what is inspiration—what is the ex-
tent of the infallibility claimed for every sentence
in the Bible—is there any such thing as really pre-
dictive prophecy—are the Books of MOSES real
history—and how do the answers to such questions
affect the claims of the Gospels themselves, and of
the Great Author of our faith. Time was when
the VoLTAIRES and Toni PAINES assailed revelation
from without with the weapons of witty and vulgar
scoffing and sneers ; all that is now exchanged for
attacks, if not on Revelation point blank, yet on
the universally current notions respecting it—the
notions which were, it was supposed, embodied in
the articles, and which all the Protestant Dissen-
ters of England held in common with the Esta-
blished Church.

The first point, therefore, on which the Bishop
of LONDON dwelt, in his charge yesterday, was
the "spirit of free inquiry, which claims the right
to sift and test all theories, and bows to no autho-
rity, however venerable, which cannot make good
by argument its claim on our allegiance." What,
he asks, shall we do with free inquiry ? To de-
nounce it, to try to stifle it, to frown upon
it, may be easy ; but it would, the Bishop
justly thinks, be neither useful nor right. We
are Protestants. We have gained our position
from the seventeenth century onwards by the exer-
cise of the right and by discharging the duty of
private judgment: are we now to throw aside the
weapons with which we gained our liberties be-
cause some amongst us make a doubtful use of
them. The Bishop has no " craven fear" himself
lest the truths he believes in can be shaken, and
he holds it to be most unwise to ask people " to
give to the Church's teaching an unreasoning and
a stolid assent." He will not himself undervalue
the Divine gift of reason, or fear that its discove-
ries will ultimately conflict with the verities of
Revelation.

In the very best spirit our Metropolitan warns
the stripling clergy against the danger of dog-
matic denunciations of all doubts and specu-
lations adverse to their own notions. He
tells them plainly that an ill-judged expo-
sition of the evidences of Christianity in a
sermon may fill the minds of an educated hearer,
a lawyer for instance, with doubts which he had
never had before. The true way to convince a
doubter in anything is to be able to sympathise
with his perplexities,
to show him that you have
realised
i
lsed them all before ; and this process, so effec-
nin all other matters with candid men, is above
all subjects applicable to religion.S •advice
the Sounder
the " Right 'lcy. Father in
clerical sons. Row
many
of
us
mcouultdnot give his
at juvenile, and
sometimes
clerical have. smiled
when the speaker too plainly showed that he ha;creio'
notion of the thoughts which were passing in the
minds of intelligent laymen.
The Bishop is far more liberal than Mr. Dis-
if we understand the two speakers rightly.EAELl,