Star.
London, England, 1829-12-19 00:00:00

IRELAND.-CHURCH REFORM.

" The bumble Petition of the undersigned Lay Members of
the: United Church of England and Ireland, inhabitants of
the city and county of Cork, humble showeth.
" That your petitioners regard the united church of England and
Ireland as the chosen instrument of Almighty God, to preserve
amongst us the light of Christian truth, and to uphold and foster
the civil and religious liberties of the nation. They ate firmly con-
vinced of the scriptural purity of her doctrines, and of the excellence
of her episcopal form of Government, and they desire by every
means in theft.' power to support het privileges and to extend her
influence.
" That although your petitioners are thus fully sensible of the
blessing which the established church has been to the country, they
ye• deeply deplore that evils arise from the present distribution of
her revenues, and that abuses exist in the administration of her
secular affairs; and your petitioners are convinced that a period has
arrived, when the security of the church requires the reformation
of defects which operate so strongly to impede her influence in the
promotion of religion, to weaken bee hold upon the affections of
the people, and to endanger her existence as a national establish-
ment.
Your petitioners would humbly call the attention of your
Hon. House "in tbe first place to the evils arising from the present
_ -
distribution of church, property. Your petitioners conceive that the
revenues of a national religious establishment should be applied to
providing, as far as possible, for the suitable maintenance of all
classes of the clergy, and for the religious instruction of the people.
And yet, by the present division of the property of the church,
some of the clergy are possessed of revenues far beyond what the
most liberal estimate could deem necessary, while others of
the body (to whom frequently the most Important cures are ha.
ti listed) receive pittances wholly insufficient for their supports
;and no. adequate provision Is made for supplying the religious
wants of the increased population of the country. While, therefore;
your petitioners fully admit that the diversity of orders, in an epip
copal form of church government, requires a diversity of incomes,
and while they pray for the preservation of all vested rights of
property, they at the same time humbly submit that (at the termi-
nation of existing interests) funds might be derived from the super-
abundance of the wealthier preferments, which would supply the
necessities of the curates and poorer beneficed clergy, and would
provide for the ►upport of additional ministers of the established
church, where the growth of population and other causes render
them necessary.
" The want of a sufficient number of churches to accommodate
the increase of inhabitants in populous districts is also a subject to
which your petitioners would humbly pray the consideration of
your honourable house. It appears to your petitioners to be abso-
lutely necessary that some means should be provided for the erec-
tion and endowment of new churches to supply the wants of the
country more adequately than is effected by the provisions for this
purpose already in existence.
" Of the abuses which exist in the administration of the secular
affairs of the church, the first to which your petitioners would
humbly direct the attention of your honourable house, is the cus-
tom of presenting the same incumbent to a plurality of benefices,
baying cure of souls frequently In different diocesses, and in parts
of the country remote from each other. This practice, which
is unfortunately so prevalent, your petitioners conceive to be
.fraught with the most injurious consequences to religion and
to the established church. It involves the necessity of non-
residence—it is a union of the most indefensible description, and
it is an evident misapplication of church property, as it accumulates
upon an individual what was originally intended to afford a compe-
enee to several. And your petitioners humbly submit, that if a more
equitable distribution of church property should take place which
would provide for the increase of the Incomes of the poorer bene.
feed clergy, patrons would no longer be ena►led to urge the plea
of necessity, the only ground on which the custom of pluralities
ever his been or can be supported.
" The abuse of non-residence is, however, not confined to pa-
rishes held in plurality your petitioners complain, that either from
a deficiency in the laws intended to enforce residence, or from
laxity of church discipline, or from a combination of both them
causes, many of the beneficed clergy absent themselves either
wholly or partially from their cures without any sufficient reams.
'The bonds of affection which intercourse would produce between
the pastor and his flock are thus rent asnnder, the spiritual can-
teens of the people are neglected, the influence of the established
church declines, and facilities are afforded for the encroachment
of Popery and dissent. Even if the sacred obligation of religion
did not operate, the residence of a beneficed clergyman within his
parish is imperatively demanded on the plain principles of common
honesty. _ _ _

" The next subject to which your petitioners would advert is'
the unions which exist of parishes sufficient In value to apron
separate clergymen, and requiring them from their extent and peg
potation. Your petitioners humbly submit that provision should
be made for the dissolution of unions of this nature at the earliest
opportunity.
" Your petitioners also feel it to be their duty to address
your Honourable House on a subject of peculiar delicacy, which
they approach with considerable. reluctance. They advert to
the almost insurmountable expenses and delays which attend
the deprivation of immoral clergymen of their benefices. To
the spiritual wen-being of a church, nothing is more abso-
lutely essential than that her criers should pewees a power
of easily ejecting corrupt and profligate ministers. And
yet such difficulties attend the 'Prosecution of salts for deprivation..
that abandoned characters have been sometimes found In deilaicat
of public odium and private exertion, continuing to receive the
• reionses of ti chinch which they injure by the disgrace and modal
attending their conduct. Your petitioners therefore humbly pray
drat die 'placeral powers may be increased and supported y such
Argil euricialets ai will enable the Bishops to effect this most n-
aiads& object.
:• • " These various evils and abuses your petitioners humbly submit
respire an immediate reenedt. Cowhand that their existence his
...mainly retarded thi progress of the glorious amino( the Reform-.
Aron, hw confirmed sod increased dissent from our national church;
.=teed furnishes to the enemies of the establishment a powerful
engine with which they hope to effect its overthrow.
" In ;acidulous your pennants do most distinctly:or-knowledge
*light of the clergy, as a,body, to their property, and the seces-'
sty of guarding vested, Waage. • They earnestly pray that the
posse eons of the uabashed church maybe preserved undiminished,
conviiturd that they are by no means superabundant if more "gni.
tebly disuliseted, and that the attempt to alienate any part of than
to seadarimrposei would violate the Ant prbeiples of )uselieweet•
danger the security of all property, ant lead to revoked, aiii
national esin.. • "
" Tent pentlensre doolmeoloso, humbly pray your Inmegmble—
home spemllly to tubeless emultimuelea she aided almeellibein-r
tahlamiemiet the Hefted Moab of ffieshmtend !Mink and of
the mateslistisil his conisected therewith, itiltik • view so the
nation of *a obessesebidt Weill the adniffistfaffit• eh" untilif
affairs (Mete espeolaffy those efailiclf joist pMfilowere law balm
bumblploniphiesdj and to the odeptien of' isahlitanneee r *
,NnAndenntlise property, as Wllleminto the saltafilialotimmice
*tan seem of the clergy, and provide for the reigions instruction
etaliersophs. •
" And your &dilemmas will ever pray," &e. •
•

THE EVENING STAR.

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