The Sun.
London, England, 1826-09-08 00:00:00

THE IRISH CHURCH.

It is confidently stated that the valuable See of
Cloyne be given to 'Dr. Jebb, Bishop of Lime-
rick, a divine much distinguished by his publica-
tion, entitled " Sacred Literature," in some
new principles of sacred criticism are elaborately'de-
veloped ;—as also
,by a volume of Sermons.
The mention of these particulars naturally leads us,
especially at the present juncture, to make a few cur-
sory remarks on the general question respecting the
Protestant Church Establishment in Ireland. What
can be more monstrously unjust, exclaims the disciple oi
utility, than that a Country, the great majority of whose
inhabitants are Papists, should be taxed to an over-
whelming amount to support an hierarchy of Protes-
tant Clergy, who evidently cannot, if they were dis-
posed to do so, give them any services in return ? To
this question, formidable as it may appear to those who
do not look very far into the matter, we have little he-
sitation in believing that we can supply a satisfactory

answer.
In the first place then let it be recollected that of the
whole endowments of the Irish church, we are speak-
ing certainly not under the mark, if we say that one
half does not consist in anything in the shape of tax
or payment from the people of any kind ; but simply
in landed estates :---of these presently. The other
half, (to take that proportion) arises from tythe. The
labouring poor, who constitute the majority of Papists,
have no tythe to pay.' Of the farmers, a considerable
proportion, especially of the larger and richer, are Pro-
testants, in whose case no injustice is pretended, even
if the tythe be regarded in the light off remuneration
for services. The Irish Deaneries it is well known
are of an entirely different nature from the English,
they are simply rectories—paid by tythes, and
having rectorial duties annexed. The Episcopal
estates to which we before alluded, must, we ap-
prehend, be held by somebody ; and it is of
little consequence to any one whether they are held
by a man in lawn sleeves, or one in top boots and
leather breeches. There is, however, one point which,
notwithstanding all that has of late been said upon it,
strikes us as still generally admitted by the public—
this is, that it is desirable that estates in Ireland
should be held by resident proprietors. WC ourselves,
indeed, some months since, inserted in our columns a
notice of a very ingenious piece of reasoning from the
,Edinburgh Review, the object of which was to prove
absenteeism no evil. We, howeVer, did not pledge
ourselves in support of it, and we have all along been
disposed to view it rather as a curious exemplification
of the extent to which over refinement in argument,
can prevail against the impressions of common sense ;
than as at all proving the point, however specious the
argument. It is not, however, our intention at present
to enter upon this subject ; we shall take for granted
what is certainly the generally received opinion-among
all plain and sensible people, viz. that absenteeism is
an evil of no ordinary magnitude ; and that those
Irish landholders . who do reside, even a part of the
year on their estates, are the truest friends to the po-
pulation of that unhappy country. Now, we contend,
that the Irish Episcopal landholders (to view them in
no other light) do reside more than any. other class.
of landholders, and that the country is in consequence
benefitted proportionally, Just in the same way and
same degree as it would be by the residence of a
country gentleman or nobleman; but besides these be-
nefits,. we are much mistaken if many others clo not
arise, (and we confine ourselves to benefits of a tem-
poral nature) from the peculiar adjunct of the clerical
to the civil character of the landholder. The resi-
dence of, a scholar as well as a gentleman, is a point
not to be overlooked, in reference to the powerful
though often unperceived influence of the diffusion of
intelligence. If the education of the lower classes be
one of die rand organs of civilization and improvement,
and even it in Ireland unfortunate circumstances
.tend to
retard it, a clerical resident is likely to do more towards
promoting it than a lay proprietor ; and the facts bear
us-out in showing that more has been done by the
• episcopalorder than by any other in proportion. The
distresses of Ireland have, at various periods, loudly,
caged forth the sympathy and benevolence of the opu-
lent. We do not hesitate to say that on all such oc-
casions the episcopal proprietors have been always fore-
most in ti:eir exertions to stem the tide of calamity,
and it is no more than the peculiar addition of tire
spiritual to the temporal character with which they are
invested, would naturally call for. The beneficial in-
fluence of the episcopal landholders, and of the dis-
tribution of episcopal wealth, has, in late times of
distress, been abundantly manifested ; and we are sure
that a noble refutation of all calumnies will be ex-
hibited in the same manner, under the present
and (we too much fear) still greater impending cir.
crunstances of distress. These, we confess, are but a
few points cursorily touched upon ; but they, will suf.
ACe, we think; to lead every reflecting reader to ac-
lciowledge that when the subject is divested of those
false notions with which it has been artfully enveloped,
the pretudices against the Irish hierarchy,,,---against a
large port:on of landed property being held by a pecu-
liar class of men on a peculiar tenure, are most ground-
less and absurd.
But we before alluded to the case of the parochial
clergy r----anti as they are paid in tythes, it may be
said to them these considerations do not apply. 7.---
WC do not know that we can at present fully enter
upon the subject ;, but certainly we are very much
disposed. to think it a true statement of the case,
to say that a tythe-holder is virtually II landholder;
and if this be the case we do not see why the same
,soncluaiona should not apply equally in this instance
OS in the farmer. But waving this points and regard.
ing the tythe in the light of a remuneration, no one
who inquires into the cirenmstances, can be long in
perceiving that,
even in tile extreme case irrheti the
a parish are. Papists, :be-
whole of the inhabitants of
nelits of WO inconsiderable importance arise from the
residence of the Protestant incumbent. The Pro-
testant incumbent is, in a less degree 'of course in
point of extent, but in a much greater in point of
actual effective work,
the promoter of educa-
tion and civilization ,
,iii the same way as the
by professional character; by
Bishop, is more so
education and acquire grients, than a lay 4
41
-Kopria-
d more , go than a- Roman
tor is or can be ; au
• bent could
Catholic locum , possibly be : for with Out any
I Church of Rome, it is ev).
illiberal prejudices against t
• Aon when the people
dent that her influence cannotbe r
f a neeuliar cha-
are enlightened. That influence is o, t 0
existence, p
ratter, and to its stability and even '
ver the innu s
must be retained by the priestho— o
tellectual
the people, which is incompatible with
illumination. We do not mean to be undarAauie,
and to accuse the Itomish priesthood of bigotheNitry a.n4
d that tai
Jesuitism without cause ; but we conten
103/1 fundamental principle of the -Bomish system eon-
/Aim in the acknowledgment of such a degree of a .udio-
pity iu the Church and, its Dilinistcni; vaIUM pv3-