New-York daily tribune., 1858-08-05
SPIRITUAL DESTITUTION
r,,m tn, London SATURDAY, Rernv.

Fron The London SATURDAY Rer'tr.
The large Bluebook Just issued containing the re-,
port of the Select Commit ee OF the Lods on Spiritual
Desttu ion is full Of important matter Its value con-
ists in the evidence which ii contains-though this
however, is unequal. Not one man OF very command
irg mind was examined, but many men intimately
yersed with the details the successes and the failures
of the ministerial work conducted by the Church Of
Enelsd have honestly and in their way ably-though
occasionally with the sound Of the trumpet before their
achievements real or apparent-borne their testimony
to the great deficiency in the existing means OF spiritual
instruction ard to the Inability Of the Church TO cope
with the ignorance and depravty of the population
Men of various schools and parties have had their cay
and il s pleasant to record that there few traces Of
ectsrsn spIt or Of the rancor Of poemcal differences
in the details Of their experiences. There is large
amount Of unsystemaiic es,nesness q. work. Each
school has its own medicine for the social disease.
The high churchmsn enlarges on the advantages OF
mission colleges-the low chuYchman on the OF
halftaught scripture readers One advocates the IN
finite subdivision of parishesanother s strongly III
favor of a Head Rector with stat OF subordinate
curates. Here pews and pew.ients, there Sunday
rsdingin enc parish, scsnty endowments in another
the operation of the Burial Board-aye denounced as
the sources Of al our Religious shortcomings while,
on TIE other hand services and shorter services
more churches, more clergy without more churches,
and school churches, and iron churches, and city
churches 10 be moved into the suburbs, are among
the suggettions of the overworked and paid clergy
In the authoritative recommendations Of the Commit
tee we do rot find much novelty. They present in o
compact ard available form, the facts and statistics OF
the case; they what tiudly hint at bster ap-
piopisticn Of the funds Of the Ecclesiastical Com
mis ior ers they glance at the evils Of the pew sys.
TEN; they suggest relaxation Of the Mortnsu Acts,
and they stamp with vague approval every private
attempt st bringing religious Influences 10 bear in
dividuals More than this the Committee could not
do. They have done well in condensug the facts Of
Il case but the evil, bsirg connected with the
social condition Of tie human race, certainly Of
own couLtiy demands broader and wider nves.igs-
.icn than hes within the scope-perhsps within the
cspacity-of Select Committee. Their ebject was
narrow one II was simply to investigate the de-
cency Of means of spiritual instruction and places Of
divine worship. In other words, they have worked
the equation between churches and cergymen on the
one SIDE and population the other; and could the
two terHs be made to balance il is suggested though
nc. said, that the difficulty would be st an end
But il vould be 80 The Committee has confined
its nvestig TO populcus towns. Is not the very
same state Of things, however, TO be found in rural
districts J Would not the Bishops ef Salisbury, or
Hereford, Rochester, complain that, after ALL spiru
a. Shortcomings are Just as re II our village Is in our
utban populations Is not the village church (f.en
Just as empty as the town church Or-to put the
ffculty IN another ways going to church
neglecting conclusive proof OF religion or rregion
at snl All that the Committee investigates is the
church going habits Of the poor-a mere matter Of
statistics which proves but little in the way OF solving
the lager and deeper question Of the hold which
religious duty and sceountableness have the psops
OF England IL s not missions TO the poor alone-no.
special services to The working cassesthst viii curs
the great and mutform social eves Of the age
Neglect of the means of grace s just common among
the educated ss among the uneducated classes; ard
If schng in the streets is wanted 80 IL preaching
in the countiDg.house and the shop, at the family
hearth in the study, in the Senate and ic the hall OF
even in the psisonsge much a. in the cottage We
do not complain that the Lords have not gone into
these matters because they not within the mar
gin Of their brief But these the things tas We
wsLt
Take the Church of England slope. II no ,rger
spesks with suthorty. Its influence mainly depsacs
tie most ardent innovs,orlet the services bs short
ened srd muf iphed-ls. tie prrscbers be iocressed
snt tie churches rssrrargeds: .hs sermons - be-.
,s s-a ;i< e.;hedr.js opeDea-sed wet tt-s T. =