The Sun.
London, England, 1840-04-17 00:00:00

EVFLNING EDITION.

CHURCH RATES.

[The follosi Mg is the greater portion of an address to
tlbe advocate s of Church-rates, and to the neutrals, by
the Dissent ers of Darlington, which we copy from the
Leirestershi re llercury.]
At a periled when the benign doctrines of our holy
religion are Assailed on every hand ; when Christians
of all denerainations ought to band together like
brethren to withstand the common foe of infidelity, how
can we suffici,!:ntly deplore the sordid temper and intense
earthly-mindedness which aro hurrying forward the
leaders of th, Church of England ; such dispositions
tend only to its destruction as a community, and what
ie worse, it ,et serious wounds upon the cause of our
1 common Ch. tistianity. . _

The pre' ,ent political struggles both in England and
Ireland are, all, or nearly all, struggles of the Establish-
ment for riches and power ; remove such stimulants to
oontenti on, and our political horizon would be wonder-
fully ci.eared ; so long as they continue, struggle will
suctc.ed to struggle between an anti-scriptural predomi-
nance and Christian freedom—but the end is certain,
and we must expect it with patient anticipation. If
Church and State be bound together by any bond not
founded on the purity of the Gospel, sooner or later
ti they will be dissevered.

Meantime mark the deadening effects of the union
—a Church internally distracted, almost to open rup-
) ture, kept together, not by truth, but by mere seculari-
ties of ambition and gain ; a Church exposed to the
scoffs of the infidel by continually pursuing a line of
conduct which gives the lie to her professions.
Church-rates still exist, and they are one vulnerable
portion: of an unholy structure, hence we may have
much sacred duty to perform to ourselves, our children,
anti our Maker ; until their advocates shall have satis-
fied us that either the spirit or the letter of the New
Testament admits of a forced maintenance of that re-
Egion which knows no law, but the love and fear of God
`in Jesus Christ, we shall hesitate as to the nature of
such imposts, until then we pronounce them " wrong
itoth in principle and in application."
The flimsy doctrines of a time-serving expediency
may be urged in their support, but Christianity con-
nects them not with her sacred name, and common
sense detects their unjust bearing ; the whole pleading
of their advocates is selfish and unsound ; the expendi-
ture of a Church-rate is for the benefit of the few, and
rot for the community at large ; it yields no support to
civil government, and in short has no reference to
.. the things that are Cwsar's," his province does not ex-
tend to the individual relation in which every man
stands to his Maker ; such partial taxation has a direct
tendency to weaken the realm, whilst in its nature it
dishonours the cause of Him by whom Kings rule.
Readily to assist in the support of the Government of
our country, where conscience does not interfere, is
indubitably right, whilst to expose the errors of legis-
lae,on by peaceable means, seeking their removal and
preserving a conscience void of offence, cannot be wrong.
What has the Episcopalian place of worship done for
'as ? The rights, privileges, and protection of the State
would be the same, nay greater, had it no existence ; in
this fact alone is ample ground for the stand we take,
but connect herewith the maintenance of forms and
ceremonies nowhere enjoined is the writings of the
Evangelists, and the propriety of our proceedings is still
more apparent. Why ask the Baptist, the Independent,
or the Friend, to contribute to a font, a communion

table, or a surplice, with many other things, none of
which arc essential to the performance of spiritual
worship, and tending, in our judgment, instead of esta-
alisiling men in the doctrines of the Apostles, to lead
thcrn n way from the simplicity of the faith.
Brother Protestants of the Church of England—you

would not act thus in private life ; remember what is

individually wrong cannot be unitedly right ; is there
/ anything Christian, honourable, or even honest in taking
another man's goods for your private use ? It must be
painful to many to see some of your best citizens thus
plundered to support your place of worship ! come
boldly forward then and unite with us in washing away
this foul stain on our profession, town and nation : be
.': willingly soberly to examine this false and injurious sys-
tern ; such laws may suit a religion of bare profession or
party, but they agree not with a religion which changes
the heart.

What are the benefits which the State confers upon
you by its continual nursing ? Are you not the richest
Church in Christendom ? rolling in wealth sufficient to
I support twice :is many pastors, and at the same time

unwilling to support the very buildings in which you
meet, and even to supply the articles essential to your
ceremonies! ! Other Christian societies (escaped from
the lap of State, that foster-parent which causes deform-
; ity i 3 eery child she nurses) are cheerfully laying out
k l their thousands to build chapels, maintain ministers,
.
rra9sionaries. or their own poor, whilst you, with few
i such incumbrances, are continually goading us for
trifles, beneath our notice in amount, and yet of con-
sequence on account of the great injustice which marks
; the claim, and the principle involved in the payment.
We do not understand such practices ; if our religion
were not worth supporting in every particular, and
1 through all persecution also, we should deem it of no
value at all : is it then harsh in us to inter, that your
IChristianity is either of a different kind, or that you
pla.c upon it a lower value than we affix to ours ? To
ii
' such conclusion the facts before us irresistibly lead.
Let in irreligious man attend a Vestry Meeting for
i
, hying a Church-rate, what must he think of the dispo:ii-
-1 tioas which inanif;_ist themselves there ? The shepheris
lof the flocks, their churchwardens or assistants, and a
few others—consulting upon what ? How to promote
e the spiritual and temporal good of those under their cue ?
or how to spread the glorious news of redemption to
fallen man ? Ah no I—but to decide how they may
with impunity eater the premises of their neighbours to
idespoil and harass them, to make them pay for what
1 they nev(r get, and to engender feelings hostile to all
Christian affection in the oppressors, the oppressed, and
tir; lookers-on. Is such conduct likely to promote
I Christianity, or to increase scepticism ?
You will urge that " the Church provides for all,"
dountiess she offers (in some cases) free seats and the
services of her preachers—and so does every Dissenting
body in the parish—seats :is frei:, houses as sacred, and
doctrines in many instances as sound. Tell us not of a
Cranmer or a Latimer going to the stake whilst you
; withho4i a few pence for the support of those principles
I for which they died.

Beother Dissenters—this system, unjust as its oper2-
tioas are upon us, is incalculably more injurious in its
effects upon its supporters ; let this consideration in-
duce
.‘,/(u to act well the Christian's part in returning
gond for evil—meantime adhere faithfully to your prin-
ciples—present yourselves year by year at the Vestry
—answer manfully to your summonses—suffer distraint
peaceably when legally made—let the Clergy—the
Churchwardens, the Magistrates, the Police Officers,
and purchasers or your goods alike know, that they are,
is their several spheres, the supporters and abettors of
en odious and disgraceful impo,t, having no foundation
in the law of the land, but simply in the law of custom,
and enforced, not so much for the sake of the atnopnt
it brings in, as with a view to stamp Dissenters with
the brand of inferiority. and to tease and worry them
into conformity to the Established Church, in order to
escape the inconvenience of a distraint.
PUBLIC MEETING AT WORCESTER..

On Friday evening a respeeta'ule moeting was held
in Aogel-street Chapel, to consider the propriety of
petitioning both Houses of Parliament to abolish
Ci,urch-rates and the jurisdiction of local Ecclesiastical
Courts. The Committee who made the arrangements
fur the mect;tig had applied for the use of the large
room at the Bell Hotel, but were unsble to obtain it.
A commodious platform was erected in front of the
pulpit, and upon it we noticed the Revds. Dr. Red-
ford, E. Williams, and A. Keene ; Aldermen E.
Evans and Padmore ; Councillors Pugh and Matthews;
Messrs. Hardy, Waters, Groves, J. Pumphrey, S. Bur-
lingham, Elgie, Toby, &c.
On the motion of Mr. Pugh, seconded by Mr. Toby,
Mr. R. Hardy was called to the chsir,
The meeting was addressed in eloquent speeches by
the Rev. Mr. Williams, Dr. Bedford, Mr. Elgie, and
other gentlemen, and the following Resolutions were
agreed to :---
Moved by the Rev. Enoch Williams, seconded by Mr.
Alderman R. Evans.
1. That this meeting considering Church-rates as un-
just, impolitic, and oppressive to the consciences of a
large portion of her Majesty's subjects, is of opinion
that they ought to be immediately and unconditionally
abolished.
Moved by the Rev. Dr. Redford, seconded by Mr. John

Pumphrey.

2. That this meeting concurs in the opinion expressed
by the Ecclesiastical Commissioners and the resolution
of the House of Commons, that Local Ecclesiastical
Courts ought to be abolished ; and deprecates the con-
tinuance of institutions which, in relation to the religious
liberty of Dissenters, are mere instruments of oppression.
Moved by Mr. Waters, seconded by Mr. Alderman