The Sun.
London, England, 1851-03-03 00:00:00

THE TWO CHURCHES.

TO TIM EDITOR OF THE SUN.
Sin,—ln all ages, and in all countries, au Established
State Church has hd to the same results—dissatisfac-
tion on the one part, and tyranny on the other, of its
inhabitants; and perhaps in this, the nineteenth cen-
tury, it may net be amiss to consider what need there is
for a State Church, its uses, and abuses; the more espe-
cially when Parliament is called upon to use its powers
in favour of one portion of the community—the Pro-
testant State Church—against a simple act of vanity on
the part of one of the weakest potentates in Europe—
the Pope, the head of another Established Church—
the dealer in pardons and passports, who holds Isis pre,
sent position on his throne through French bayonets, hired
mercenaries, and heretics—on that throne from which
his own vacillating conduct caused him to flee.
The heads of this Saito Church—the followers of
Him who preached " good will among men"—whose
prayer was " forgive us our trespasses," &c., have raised
the outcry of " Agitate, agitate, agitate"—and Dissen-
ters of all denominations, who were so loud in their de-
mand for the repeal of those laws that prevented their
equal rights, havo joined these demonstrations, for-
getting that the State Church, as at present existing,
presents but a small remove from that of its Papal eg-
gresFor, losing tight of the fact that the Dis-
senters of England pay annually upwards of two
millions forcibly to that Church.
But, Sir, the spirit of the age in its calmer moments
will be opposed to religious restrictions—there will be no
penal enactments re-imposed against Catholics: every
man should be at liberty to profess and propagate his
own cree f, and to worship God, or not lo worship, as his
own heart may dictate, and without being constrained in
any way to support the faith or worship of another.
Religious persecution is always the same—whether in
the reign of Queen Mary, or in that of Queen Victoria
—whether by the tortures of the Inquisition, or by
penal enactments; but truth will prevail. Why, then,
this outburst—this clamour—from one end of the land
to the other? Do men lack faith in their own creeds,
that, like the Ephesians of old, they raise then voices,
and sound the tocsin at the approach of a mandate from
the Pope? But it is not the masses—the people—who
have raised the outcry, it is but a pulpit agitation—a
class ebullition. Great part of Scotland and nearly the
whole of Ireland are averse to the Church of England,
with its pluralities and sinecures.
What, then, s the position of the Established Church
in regard to the rest of the community? We shall see:-
1 Conformists. Non-Conformists
England contains 8,500,000 8,000,000
Scotland ... ... 860,000 1,800,000
Ireland ... 1,000 000 7,300,000

10,160,003 17,100,000
In the face of the above, it were ridiculous to call on the
Legislature for religious restrictions, while the Jew, the
Catholics the believer and unbeliever, perform all their
duties as members of one united state (the Catholic
alone forming nearly one-third of the whole population)
and contribute their share of its taxation.

But is the Church in danger? Decidedly not; nor
are we ever again likely to become the minions of the
Pope ; but the abuses of the Church are in danger;
intellect and intelligence united are making progress in
the right direction, seeking cheap religion as well as
cheap food.
The Church of England is the dearest of all denomi-
nations of Christian Churches, its practice varying from
its precepts, and its revenues collected in the most ob-
jectionable manner, and expended very differently from
the original intention. In Catholic times, some three
hundred years ago, these revenues fed the hungry,
clothed the naked, and to the helpless and aged gave
asylums and hespit Out of a population of about
4,000,000 nearly 50,000 persons were supported by, and
out of, the revenues of the Church.
But Henry the Eighth dissolved the monasteries,
changed the religion of the country, seized the Church
property, bad it secured to the Crown uy Act of Par-
liament, and the poor lost their share. With this pro-
perty and the immense quantity of plate and jewels, six
news bishoprics were formed, and the remainder of the
land given to the aristocracy. Hence it is that so large
a portion of tithes and benefices are in the hands of
persons not connected with the Church, who naturally
fear any change in the established religion of the land.
The property thus held is estimated at upwards of three
millions annually. There are several thousand lay pro-
prietors, from whom I will mention a few of the most
influential in our own times:—

The Lord Chancellor, all the livings on the

King's book, ... ... ... ...about 800
Duke of Devonshire, patron of ... ... „ 48
The Fitzwilliam family, patron of ••• ... „ 30
Duke ot Bedford, patron of 29
Duke of Rutland, patron of 29
Duke of Beaufort, patron of 27
Duke of Norfolk, patron of 24
Marquis ot Bristol, Patron of ... ... ~ 20
The two Univer,ities have the presentation of „ 700
The Collages of Eton and Winchester ... „ 60
The rest of the aristocracy and country

gentlemen ~ 6,000
These patronages are worth to the lay improprietors up-
wards of three millions sterling. We then find that the
revenue of the Church is as follows:
England and Wales ... £10,480 090
Ireland ... ... ... 2,200,000

£l2 680,090
This sum, exceeding all 'the other Christian Churches
put together, is appropriated something in this manner;
and though the Ecclesiastical Commission have made
great alterations in some of the enormous salaries of the
Episcopal and dignified clergy, still the amounts below,
including patronage, &c., will be found not far out:—

.£
Archbishop of Canterbury 46,000
Archbishop of York ... 28,000
Bishopric of Durham ... 30,000
Bishopric of London ... 60,000
Bishopric of Winchester ... 12,000
The other twenty-five Bishops, about
6,0001. each ... . . 150.000

-- 326,000
Dignified Clergy—Archdeacons, Deans, &c.,
in number about 1,000, at an income of
3,0001. each 300,000
Aristocratical non-resident Incumbents,
about 5,000, at an income of 1,0001. each £4,000,000

£x..626,000

One-half nearly of this immense revenue being thus
absorbed by bishops, dignitaries, and non-resident in-
cumbents, the remaiuder is applied to the resident in-
cumbents and curates, who discharge nearly the whole
duties of the Established Church, few of whom are
too well ptud, and some most shamefully low. The
penury of one part of the Church, from the following
list, may be learned by comparing it with the above. At
the establishment of Queen Anne's Bounty there were
5,600 livings under fitly pounds a year, From an in-
quiry made by the bishops in their respective dioceses
a tew years ago it appeared that there were :
X
12 livings not exceeding 10
72 20
191 Of 9, 30

If
351 lo 40
435 ft st 50

407 If 60

376 ft„ 70

319 It PI 80

309 If„ 90
31;5 Of 1 f 100
283 ft If 110
307 ft ~ 120

246 9, ft 130

205 ~ 1 9 140
170 ~ ~ 150
1 355 9, from 1501. to 200
1,928 ~ from 2001. to 300

These enormous disproportions in the Church have
been improved a little, as from a Parliamentary return
it appears, there are few livings now under 1001. per
anuum—increased, but not out of the revenues of the
bishops and other dignitaries, but out of the general
community, by Queen Anne's Bounty and otherwise.
This, Sir, is the danger that threatens the Church far
more than any Papal ag4ression. It is at home, in the
very heart ot the Church, where the danger is seated.
Sleek and well-conditioned, daintily fed, housed in pa-
laces, and sitting in the high places of the land, its
lordly prelates forget the lowly Founder of their faith;
they neither feed the poor nor clothe the naked; and
the disputes and dissensions of late amongst its mem-
bers have cast a doubt upon the sincerity ot their prin-
ciples, and the strength of their faith.
The Dissenters of the United Kingdom should agi-
tate—not against the Pope—not against a phantom—
but for the separation of Church and State; and fur a
pure, because a voluntary religion.—l am, Sir, &o.
A CONSTANT READER.

Miss Jane Cooke, better known in Cheltenham as
Jenny Cooke, expired at her residence, No. 1, Belle Vue-
buildings, on Tuesday week, after a short illness. Her ec-
centric and penurious life, her long residence in Cheltenham,
and her reputed wealth, hail caused Miss C,oke to be well
known to most of the inhabitants. A few years since she
made a donation of a thousand pounds to the Society for the
Conversion of the Jews. One of her latest charitable acts
was a donation of 2501. towards the erection of as organ
gallery in the parish church of Cheltenham, which is at the
present time under construction beneath the archway of the
south porch. The most extravagant rumours of Miss
Cooke's wealth are in circulation, but its precise amount, we
believe, is wholly unknown. Her property consisted of
houses and land, in and around Cheltenham, inherited from
her father, and large accumulations in bank and other stocks.
Miss Cooke has lett the sum of 18,0001. to be divided among
the following religious societies, viz., Operative Jewish Con-
verts' Institution, 1,0001. ; Episcopal Jews' Chapel Abrahannic
Society, 2,000/. ; Trinitarian Bible Society, 2,000/. ; Church
Missionary Society, 5,0001. ; British and Foreign Bible
Society, 6,001/.; Malta Protestant College, 1,0; 0/.; Edin-
burgh Bible Society, 1,000/. ; Irish Society of London, 1,0001.
The testatrix directs the residue of her personal property,
not disposed of by herself, to be applied to the endowment of
district churches or chapels in populous parishes. The per-
sonal property is sworn under 120,0001.
POST• OFFICE ROBBERY AT BRlSTOL.—Robberies
of money letters having recently been frequent at the Bristol
General Post-office, a strict watch was kept, which at length
resu:ted in the apprehension this week, and committal for
trial by the magistrates, of Thomas Huckman, one of the
Post-office messengers. The prisoner was charged with
stealing from the letter•bag a letter, containing a sovereign
and four postage stamps. The Inspector-General, Mr. Ram-
say, attended by direction of the Postmaster-General. The
prisoner's duty was to convey letters from the Stokes Croft
District Post-office, and having been frequently seen when
conveying the bag to go into a lane at the bottom of Small-
street, and while there shake the bag, which awakened sus-
picion, a letter was addressed to Mrs. Smythies, Bro wn-
street, Manchester, by the Inspector-General, and the sove-
reign and the four postage-stamps placed in it, and duly
posted at the Stokes Croft office. Upon the arrival of the
bag, the letter being missing, the prisoner was apprehended,
and the four postage-stan3pe found in his pocket.