The Sun.
London, England, 1869-01-01 00:00:00

APATHY IN IRELAND.

The Dublin correspondent of the Times is struck
by the apathy of Irish Churchmen. They appear to
be as listless as if they thought the Church was riding
safely at anchor. and never likely to drift upon the
rocks. -It is true that a couple of committees are
sitting and watching the course of events, but theiz
proceedings are wrapped in mystery, and few
persons even know of their existence. The skeleton
of the defence organisation still continues, and
meetings of its central body are noticed in the press
from time to time. There is nothing, however, like
an active, energetic movement, such as was begun
twelve months ago, and from which great results
were anticipated. Here and there the stillness
is broken' by a note of warning or advice from
some anxious Churchman, who tries to persuade
others to lock the difficulties resolutely in the
face, and make provision for the future. Schemes
and suggestions as to the best form of constitu-
tion for the Church in its altered relations to the
State have been put forward chiefly by the clergy,
but they are coldly received, and discussion is rather
discouraged than promoted. Mr. Sherlock, curate of
Bray, proposes that a system shall be adopted which
will gave efficient action to the laity, and this he
thinks can be secured by adopting the organisation
of the American Churches, modified by the expe-
rience derived from the working of our colonial
Churches. For instance, in New Zealand the patron-
age of vacant livings belongs jointly to the bishops
and to the deputies elected by the vestry and
the synod. In the event of disendowment being
carried, he urges the importance of having the life
interests of the clergy commuted for a capital sum, as
was done in Canada. This, with the addition of the
weekly offerings and a reserve fund to be created,
would, in his opinion, supply all wants. He advises
the Church not to waste its energies in a fruitless
contest, but to prepare an organisation to meet the
difficulties which may be imposed upon it in its new
position.

THE BISHOP OF PETERBOROUGH ON THE ENGLISH
CHURCH.
At a dinner to celebrate the opening of a new church
the Bishop of Peterborough made an interesting
speech, in which he said that he felt some of the
most important parts of a bishop's work lay in
great towns of his diocese. What he felt very
strongly about the Church of England at this time
was, that her great aim, her great difficulty, was
to be strong in
great towns. They all felt,
whether they liked it or not, that the
great towns were ruling England; that socially,
morally, and politically their influence was
increasing year after year for good or for evil. In
the country parishes the strength and beauty of the
English Church could be seen in one of its best
aspects ; but in the great towns the Church had a
distinct work to do, and one which was as yet less
advanced. In the active, fervid, eager, noisy, earnest
town life they had altogether a different state of
things to deal with, a state in which the individual
man and the individual parish were lost, and the
great multitude became more important and more
difficult to deal with. Any one who looked much
into the gritt towns must see that they were more
and more -threatened with "tre separation of
rich and poor the separation of the man
who had made his money from the men
who were making their money. There could be no
worse thing for the English nation than that it
should break up.into separate classes, which should
standlar apart from each other, mutually estranged.
The English Church was still a connecting link; her
minister was, socially. the equal of the rich man, and,
spiritually, the friend of the poor man. In the towns
she was specially called to her mission to weld
together the dissevered classes of society. A. town
minister must be more active and eager than a
country parson need be. He must try to meet the
wants of the time by new places, new experi-
ments ; and, while adhering strictly to the
great principles which they all held in common,
he should be ready to try every new way which
might occur to him to meet the difficulties of
his position. The Bishop declared that he was not
one of those who believed that 1,700 years ago the
Church was absolutely stereotyped in all its
machinery. It did not follow because their ancestors
were wise that what they found good in their day
was necessarily good in the present day. It rather
followed that what was thoroughly fit for the past
would not thoroughly fit the present, and he thought
that they would shew great wisdom in adhering firmly to
the old truths that never changed, while they endea-
voured to reconcile the past and the future in all
things non-essential; to adapt the present of the
Church of England to the traditions and doctrines of
the past, and the needs of the present to the hopes
and possibilities of the future.