The Sun.
London, England, 1840-03-21 00:00:00

CHURCH ESTABLISHMENTS.

The Rev. H. M'Neile delivered his fifth lecture on
this subjEct yesterday, at the Hanover-square Rooms.
His Royal Highness the Doke of Cambridge was pre-
sent, with many Conservative Members of both
Houses. The Rev. Lecturer said the population of
the country had vastly outgrown the provision made for
its spiritual instruction. Dissenters ascribed the ex-
istence of the Church as the cause of the evil, and an
hindrance to good. But if the Voluntary Principle—
so loftily vaunted—was the powerful and effective thing
It was represented to be by its advocates, could it be so
easily checked, as to be damped and deadened by the
mere existence of an Establishment ?—was it so mono-
polizing, that it would not do any good, because it could
not have the self-complacent delight of doing all the
good ? Many ascribed the reluctance of the Legislature
to increase the resources of the Church, as the cause of
the lamentable deficiency in spiritual instruction through
the country. But this, though a part of the proximate
cause, was not the real origin of the evil—
which, in fact, resulted from a want of confidence in
Revdation.--(Cheers.) Hence a notion spread, that
it was unjust to tax all for diffusing a faith
of which all did not approve. But, on such a
principle, no great public measure or project
could be carried out—for to what such measure
lihd there not been dissentients ?—and it was only the
firm conviction of right—which in this case was clearly
to be derived from the Bible—that would ever influence
men to overrule such dissentients, and attain a great
public good. It was easy to take refuge in the apathy
of infidel indifference—under the mask of tenderness of
conscience—but the real reason was an aversion or in-
difference to religion ; and the effect of such a policy
could not but be deeply disastrous to the country.—
(Cheers.) The Church asked for the diffusion of a
creed, known to be purely scriptural, and the effects of
which, when practised,hadever been salutary. The Dissen-
ters, on the other hand, wished for an unincumbered
voluntaryism. I trust fervently—said the Reverend
Gentleman, emphatically—that the Legislature will
boldly and decisively adopt one or other (f these two
measztres.—( Loud cheers.) If the Dissenters be right,
why delay the noble work of allowing religion free
scope ? If the Church is right, why delay the required
extension of her instrumentality ? (Cheers.) The
question is rapidly narrowing to this—" Are we to have
a National Church any longer Y.'—( Loud cheering.)
Let it be remembered that with the utH motive of that
question, the measure of Church Extension was iden-
tified.—(Cheers.) It was in vain to say that the
Church would be maintained, and yet not extended.—
(Hear, hear.) Lord John Russell had distinctly de-
dared that a National Church was only to be vindicated
on the grounds of its benefits being common to all ; and
to refuse to extend its benefits, then, to all, was to
abandon its principle altogether.—(Cheers.) The
Noble Lord had emphatically announced that he could
never assent to the Voluntary Principle—(Cheers)—
and that though in lighter arts it might be said—
" The dr.ma'e laws the drama's patrons give,
And those who live to please, must please to live :"
He hoped it would never be said—
" The pulpit's laws the pulpit's patrons give,
And those who live to preach, must preach to live."
—(Cheers.) It was to be hoped, then, that in con-
sistency the Noble Lord would support Sir R. Inglis's
motion.—(Laughter, and Hear, hear.) The Reverend
Gentleman went on to urge, that the only proper mode
of Church Extension would be by subdivision of pa-
rishes—and to compensate the consequent violation
of existing incumbents' rights, he recommended, as
also in cases where the income was too small
for subdivision, public grants. To effect this
he knew money would be wanted, and he proposed
it should be raised by the restoration of the appropriated
and unappropriated Church property—( Hear, hear,
bear)—by the voluntary taxation of all the benefices
above 3001. a-year—(Cheers)—by the contributions of
that public liberality which, by such good examples of
the Bishop, the Peers, and the rich Clergy, could not but
be stimulated—(Cheers)—and by grants from the na-
tional treasury, which, after all this had been done, would
never be refused.—(Cheers.) The Rev. Gentleman
strongly reprobated the District Church system as in-
effective and unjust. He finished with an eloquent
appeal for the spread of Protestantism in Ireland.

SKETCHES OF OUR CONTROVERSIALISTS.
No. ll.—Ma. BURNET.
[CONTINUED.]
The concentrated energies of a mind like Mr. Bur-
net's would find fit exercise in a field so extensive and
so arduous as the Church and State controversy. In-
deed, for controversy the very frame of his mental con-
stitution is adapted. For a controversialist, not only are
required great powers of mind, but a perfect mastery
over those powers ; not only a vigorous independency
of thought, but a judgment acute to guide, and calm to
influence ; not only a decision of mind to take boldly its
side, but a complete subjugation of every faculty, the
obedience of every feeling, to the guidance and govern-
ance of the trill ; and especially an elevation above
the disturbing influence of ordinarily exciting impulses.
We think it was Coleridge who, with his charac-
teristic philosophy, observed on the eminent intellectual
superiority of a man who had once firmly, fixedly, adopted
a great principle, made it the polar star, the compass, of
his mind ; the very aim and goal of his mental exer-
tions. Such a man, if possessing strength of mind
enough always to hold by his principles, will have all
that 'vantage ground which ever is the accompaniment
of a straightforward, decided, consistent advocacy.
Now, with Mr Burnet this is eminently the case. Hav-
ing adopted the Voluntary Principle, he not merely—as
common minds do—" supports it," "believes it," is " at-
tached to it," but inseparably Identifies himself
with it—incorporates it with his very nature.
It is the key to his whole cast and tone of thought. It
is the master element of his constitution. In minds of
his decisive, determined character, truth is despotic—
unbending. The advocating a principle believed to be
truth, he considers to be an imperative duty—and when,
as in this case, the controversy is connected with reli-
gion he holds it a crime to admit of compromise or in-
terruption. His it the manliness which, when he has
espoused a principle he believes grounded on truth,
will never be deterred from frankly avowing it,and, what-
ever be the consequences, of courageously pushing it to
the extremest verge of its operation.
Now it is evident that this is a style of mind most ad-
mirably calculated to inspire with firm energy and
decision of purpose, the adherents of a new and
' not yet prevalent principle, and it has all the im-
posing influence of a consistent, conscientious reliance
upon believed truth. It is indeed better fitted to con-
firm and knit up the doubtful, the wavering, or the
neutral—than to win over or convince the opposed and
the hostile. These naturally object to and revolt from
the principle. And Mr. Burnet is much abler in en-
forcing—in carrying out a ptiaciplc, than in establishing
or vindicating it. From the nature of this controversy
such must necessarily be here the case. On the one
side a broad unyielding principle is opposed by innume-
rable arguments founded on expediency, reason, experi-
ence,habit, associations ; and the supporter of the principle
has only to follow it out—to push it forward—and when
thrown back upon the antecedents—the proofs of his
principle—he has nothing but a Scriptural investigation of
authorities, to himself conclusive—but even if not par-
ried or explained away, rarely tell on the partisans of
an old-established institution.
When Mr. Burnet is most successful in attack it is
in tracing the violations or contradictions of, and the
departures from, some great leading principles—in ap-
plying them as the tests, and in drawing out striking,
and not unfrequently very amusing comparisons—
availing himself of those broad, common-sense analo-
gies, for which an ancient, complicated, and in many
points, easily assailable, institution must necessarily af-
ford a wide field. Thus the idea presented in his Hert-
ford Lecture,* that Moses, when hounding a Tabernacle,
" did not levy a Church-rate—did not make collectors of
the elders, but on the voluntary principle, advertised a
collection," was well calculated to make an impression
on a popular assembly, conveyed a plausible argument,
and by the droll association of ideas between the Le-
vites and Rate-levyers, created immense merriment.
This leads us to remark on a distinguishing charac-
teristie of Mr. Burnet, and that is, the natural un•
affected good humour which he always displays,
and which run through all his speeches. With-
out agreeing in all that Lord Shaftesbury says on
the high advantage of good humour in religious
or controversial matters, it is, we think, unques-
tionable that nothing so enhances the ability and
skill of a controversialist as the constancy of his good
humour. People instinctively are prejudiced in favour
of a cause whose advocates can aford to be pleasant,
and even witty. There is a vein of amusing itony—
often not unmingied with a sarcasm as goodnatured as
it is keen—which never fails to divert his audience ;
and he has a happy talent in detecting those points in
the cause he is attacking which present aught that is
capable of ridicule or humour.

Some metaphysicians have laid it down that men of
accurate judgment are' never witty. Whether this
holds good in all cases we will not discuss,
but this is certain, that Mr. Burnet is witty. And it
does indeed somewhat strike us that his judgment is
rather acute than accurate—more calm than profound
—more vigorous than comprchensive. He seldom
pursues long any close trains of reasoning in the sense
of an inductive, connected, process of demonstration.
He usually dwells on the bold edorcement or lively il-
illustration of his principle. And thus, when rising as
he occasionally does, to bursts of eloquence, it lies
generally in some striking figure, broadly and strongly
drawn, not, perhaps, with perfect accuracy of analogy,
but with an impressive boldness of idea, lofty gran-
deur of delivery, which tells powerfully on a popular
audience.

It tends not a little to show the b zukfubless and sim-
plicity of character, which is always the accompani-
ment of real geeatLess, that he is another added to the
many prcofs, that reflective solidity of mind is quite
compatible with an easy flow of native humour—nay)
positive playfulnes rif disposition. And this gives Mr.
Burnet, in no slight degree, that power of ready wit
which he displays upon a platform—it is not set,
Of which we gave a summary on Thursday,