The Sun.
London, England, 1841-10-22 00:00:00

While the wealth of the Church is so enor-
.mous, and while the bulk of that wealth is only
to, be obtained by paying court to the aristo-
cracy, the priests will be found in the van of the
enemies of the peorle. Their organs_ openly
maintain that they enjoy all their exactions
from the poor by the same tenure that the
landed lay aristocracy do their secular property.
This is the`-same as saying that the Rector of a
parish stands in the same relation to• the in-
habitants that the landlord does, and that he is
no more bound to preach the Gospel to the pee-
ple because they pay him tithe, than the land-
lord is because they pay him rent. At all
events, the majority of the State priests 'act as
if this doctrine was truly orthodox. The tithes
they regard as the gifts of their patrons—as
bribes to secure a pulpit support for all their
measures. All that the poor can give them the
Tarr authorises them to take, with or without
their consent, and therefore they always support
the laW-makers,

The true remedy for this evil is the abolition
of tithes, and .all the compulsory ecclesiastical
exactions what over. When the incomes of the
clergy are mule to depend upon their piety,
zeal, and public usefulness as preachers and
teachers, there will be no fear -of finding them
leagued against the people, or deaf as adders to
the cry of their complaints. The enormous sums
now paid by the people to support a Church
which is daily becoming more and more a stum-
bling block and a rock of offence to all true
Christians, would defray the useful education of
all the neglected poor in the United Kingdom.
This would be more consonant to the spirit of the
Gospel than to maintain an army of priests, to
manifest in their lives that, for a certain number
of pieces of silver, those who profess to be of
CHRIST'S Aposees are always ready to betray
Him.

We have given, in another part of the paper,
a report of a meeting held at Leeds, which will
be read with painful interest by every friend of
humanity. The intelligent, the active, and in-
dustrious artisans in that town, are reduced to a
state of absolute starvation. They are willing
to work, but can find no employment. Bread is
dear, every article of food is almost at a famine
price, and, with the gloomy winter approaching,
and the probability that prices will be still higher,
they are reduced to a state of absolute despair.
In the whole history of manufacturing distress
no scene like the present has occurred. In
Leeds alone there are more than sixteen thou-
sand persons unemployed,, and all they have tO
livelupon is only Hid. each a week. This, of
course, includes children. The most painful
circumstance, hOwever, is, that a great propor-
tion of these distressed people are in the vigour
of life, and are ashamed to ask anything in the
shape of relief, for which they could not
give somethimr i return; and rather than
be pauper its (as was stated by one of
the spa- would lie down and die.
Th;• annot continue; human na-
under such sufferings; the
he working classes of this
shed by the laws of the
some speedy remedy is
;s scenes infinitely more
h our nearest neighbour,
powerful, and allied .to
ge. The very intelli-
meeting ought to
resent rulers. The
n operative, nearly
,eratives, and the
Honour to any
kes of BUCKING-
e that they are
heir vast estates
;e are prevalent
elligence, equal
,rment nor food.
" a powerful
admit the ma-
e of the Con-
•ample upon
)ility of the
ed and in-
The ac-
manufac-
scription.
has only
it obsti-
ut uny
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voluntarily and solemnly entere' • into, are
committed by the clergy of the Church of,
England, that it cannot be wondered at if
HeaTen has abandoned them to that impeni-
tent hardneks of heart, which is alike proof
agains(he appeals of interest, duty, reasonrand
feeling. --Were a red Indian, uncontaminated
with any previous intercourse with:-the "pale-
faces," to visit the rural districts of England, and,
to be asked his opinion of the functions of
majority of the clergy, he would certainly 'aecide.
fromtheir actions that the GREAT SPv:-i IT had or-
dained them to be the scourges vagrants, and
the protectors of hares, fries, pheasants, and
other descriptions of Ftme. He would regard
as an insult to his uliclouded understanding any
attempt to cony;:iice him that the haughty arro-
gant priest, who hunted with the Squire in the
morning, and drank port with the Squire at
night—who seldom saw the poor, but to consign
them to the treadmill or the penitentiary—who
never ,;isited their wretched habitations, but
through the agency of an inexorable tithe-col-
lector —was no other than a man who had so-
lerv.nly promised to the GREAT SPIRIT to devote
Lis life to the renunciation of worldly wealth,
enjoyment, and distinction; and to the cherish-
ing, comforting, and instructing the ignorant,
the sick, the hungry, the thirsty, and the
naked. Anti could he be brought to believe
such a dereliction of dutY on the part of the
priest, his wonder would be tenfold greater to
find that he was not an object of contempt and
abhorrence to all acquaintedwith the purport of
his ecclesiastical functions.