The Sun.
London, England, 1869-06-22 00:00:00

A DEAN'S APPREHENSIONS.

Dean Boyd, in the course of his sermon at Exeter
Cathedral, on Sunday, said : " During the last two
or three weeks there has been before the Houses of
Parliament a question which is making the hearts of
most men tingle, and the hearts of honest Christians
throb. No matter what his political feeling, every
one feels that the country is on the point of a terrible
experiment—on the point of trying the experiment
whether it be a safe thing or an unsafe thing for a nation
to repudiate connection with its Church. Looking at the
probable issue of the controversy which has been going on
in the Houses of Legislation we find this to be fact—that
whereas an Established Church is left to England, and
an Established Church is left to Scotland, for the first .
time in England's history an Established Church has been
denied to Ireland. Surely as Christians we are justified
in asking ourselves the question, ' Can it be safe for a
nation to repudiate its ecclesiastical connection with
God ? Is it safe for a nation to cast away the connec-
tion which Las hitherto been so close and sacred, by the
expulsion of the Church out of Ireland, and proclaim
this great truth. Here for ever the State of Ireland and
the Church of Ireland shall be separable and separate
from each other?' We must admit that we are on the
edge of a tremendous question. Perhaps God may pardon
us, and sanction what is being done. Avoiding factious op-
position or putting restraint upon social or civil powers, so as
to interfere with proper rights, let us take the bill and lay it
before God, asking him if it is a national sin to pardon
it, and if it is a national act of right to bless it. Let
us recollect that the heart of the head of the Church
is, after all, in God's disposal, and may be actuated,
not by statesmanlike inspiration, not by the eloquence of
advisers, not by the statutes of history, but by the
influence which the spirit of God can exercise on indivi•
dual men. Our Queen may yet, be led to stand in the
breach against this terrible experiment, and say, not-
withstanding the arguments and eloquence of her
advisers, "This thing must not be, and I say it shah
not be.' "

DEAN STANLEY ON THE .ROYAL

SUP_REMA.CY.

Among the many sermons preached on Loyalty and the
Royal Supremacy on Sunday last (Accession Day) Was
one by the Very Rev. A. P. Stanley, D.D., Dean of
Westminster. He addressed an immense congregation
in
Westminster Abbey from the words," The king as suprerne
(1 Peter, 11., 13). The doctrine of the supremacy of the save'
reign, he said, occupied a most prominent place. It
was contained- in the Thirty-nine Articles; it ran
throughout the whole of the Prayer-book ;it was
expressed in the fundamental acts of the Constitution;
it was imposed by most solemn declarations on 001
clergyman ; and not only so, it was on this doctrine that
the Reformation in this country turned. What was the
doctrine ? The first Protestant archbishop, at the corona-
tion of the Protestant king (Edward VI.), said the king
was on earth, under Christ the head of the Church,
Supreme. The words in which the doctrine at different times
was conveyed had varied considerably, but tb ey bad alwaSs
expressed something much the same. He proposed
.ts
consider the subject in its connection with religious pror
ciples. Now the word " king" in the text referred to the
Roman Emperor, a heathen power. From that power the
Apostles had received support. They saw nothing llnil°l/
in thus associating themselves with the State; they rather
contended that the connection between the Church and
the State was ; holy institution. The end of Christianity
was to consecrate all sorts of governments and institu•
tions. Thus it was the glory of Christianity to recognise
morality, civilisation, literature, monarchy, and coin'
monwealth, for when Christianity disconnected
itself from these it deserted its high calling.
Thus it was that when her Majesty was consecrated
within those walls, she was recognised as the ruler of the
Church, and consecrated a minister of God and Christ,
all the civil functions under her being by implication eon.'
secrated in the same holy office. Thus it was that the
Apostles recognised the ministers of a heathen emperor,
and that Zadoc, the priest, anointed Solomon. Ill°
was the Apostle's view of the matter. The Reformatio!
recognised something more—not only secular and relk
gious life, but also national life and independence.
Up to that time there was only two powers thought to
be ordained of God—the Emperor of Germany, or of the
Holy Roman Empire; and the Bishop of Rome, sr
Supreme Pontiff. It was against foreign assumption that
the Reformation was directed. In the assertion of that
independence another reform was made—the clergh as
a class privileged to make laws for themselves and for the
State, ceased to exist. It was one of the fundamental
principles of the Reformation that henceforth the tops'
rate—the overwhelming—power of the clerical order should
cease, and that the clergy, like other classes of the
community, should neither themselves be controlled, 01
be able to control others by rules of their own making'
being bound only by those laws which bound the wb°l°
community. That was the meaning of that part of the
Royal Supremacy which declared that the sovereign titian
the head and fountain of law, over all causes and persons'
ecclesiastical as well as civil, within her dominion
supreme. The Queen was head of the Church
because she was head of the nation ; the ministers of the
Church were, for the same reasons, ministers also of tile
nation ; the law of the nation,was, for the same reason, the
law of the Church. It was not without a great effort that
this doctrine of separate independence was thrown elowil;
Many good men at that time looked upon the movereen;
with suspicion. Many good men now regarded the
ho
principle with approval. Those Tudor sovereigns,
ever, without knowing what they were effecting, secure.l
9
the clergy toleration—independence against others as el.
as against themselves—and secured them from all control
except on the part of the laity in their supreme courts;
and the highest authority of the Crown. Theis.
things realised to them all that which was excli
sively noted in that day's prayer for unity. "
all,
said the Dean, "it impresses upon us l;
sovereign and subjects alike, that above the supreme:o
the Crown, above the supreme majesty of the law, 012° t
the supreme interests of the people, there is that Great
Supremacy. He who is alone supreme, without
nothing is strong in a State, without whom nothing
ls
holy in the Church ; our ruler and guide, through °._
help alone we can so pass through the
of things temporal, that we finally lose not the tlu
eternal." Perplexi.tino:l
`e

The penny postage is making way. A Post-ofW
notice has just been issued, announcing that printed matter
may be sent to certain colonies at the rate of a penny fel;
packet not exceeding the ounce in weight, and twcpence:oh-
a packet. not exceeding two ounces. The colonies, Itc"
the announcement includes, are those of Americanb°
nadas, the West Indies, &c.; the Asian and stralia°
colonies, New Zealand, &c., &c.
ACCIDENT TO Mn. TRAILL, M.P.--11Cre r—reg
to learn that Mr. Traill, the worthy M.P. for Caithiles-'
has met with an accident which renders confinement
househis necessary for some time. In entering a 11/
Mr. Traill met with an unexpected step and fell, °
W'
II"
quently shewn themselves, his medical attendant judi*
ciously prescribes perfect quiet and rest for a tiroe.--•
IVorthern Ensign.
SEDITION IN COl:M.—Me:my-, the Fenian (5
though no symptoms causing serious alarm have O
a telegram from Cork) lectured in the Athenreurn here Oil
Monday. The attendance was very small until the
119''''
was thrown open gratuitously to the mob. The lectu.ered
consisted chiefly of seditious poetry, and was acconValli
by the usual Fenian demonstrations. MeanY °ladeun ga
indignant reply to a local journal which had denoce,.
him a s a, swindler, and threatened legal proceedings, oPPe!;„
ing, amidst cheers, to his past services, and declaring "h"
rewliness to die for Ireland.
h
THE QUEEN AT ALDERSHOTT.—}Ter gaje°tY'l
accompanied by some of the junior members of the Baia.,
Family, is expected to visit the camp at Aldershott%
es
in the ensuing month, most probably on the 3rd,
be present at a grand review of the troops. Ifergaiesv.l )
.0
residence 'at the camp, the Royal Pavilion, wich e
situated close to the cavalry barracks, los been for 05°
days past undergoing alterations and repairs and being
redecorated. It is said that there is some probabilitY
day
her Majesty and suite may remain at the camp for a
or two.
THE CAB DRIVERS OF LONDON.—A
of cabowners and drivers on Monday waited upon tir,
Home Secretary suggesting several alterations in the laid
which affect their interests. It was pointed out that I_o,
lA:nrlon there was not standing accommodation for halt
the cai,,s plying in the streets, ani attention WaS drawn to
the railway privileged cab system as well as that of P°lTB
inspection, which, it was contended, had not given 53t'sci
faction. Other matters of dispute having been touche
upon, Mr. _truce suggested that the cab system sb°l3ld
regulated
by bye-laws, such as those made by umniciPa,
corporations. This appeared to meet with the approval
deputation

the trade.
An important discussion has just taken place at 11,
of
conference in Len(lon on the subject of the cultivation
f
cotton in India. Mr. Cheetham, who presided, gave A brie
history of negotiations entered upon with a view to indueo
the Indian Government to take the matter up, and said
that all that had been done up the present ti n3O
vas to obtain the oppointment of one cotton comet
sioncr and four gardeners for the purpose of maintainiog
trade worth £30,000,000 a year. Unless the India
Office
change its views, Mr. Cheetham did not see any prospect of
an increased supply of cotton from India. Mr. Bazley, MY"
.Shaw,
Mr. Chadwick, M P., Mr. J. B. Smith, M.P Mr
~
M.P., Mt. Miller, M.P. and other gentlemen took part i!ls
LIAO