Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1859-08-08
MONDAY. August. g. 1859.
THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND AND REFORM.


It's more than thirty years since the Eng
lish Dissenters began seriously the agitation
against the forced collection of church rates.
Their first onset was received and denounced
as most sacriligious attack on the establish
ed church; and only the boldest and most
combative among them ventured to participate
in it, Most of the Dissenters shrunk from de-
manding their rights, and while voluntarily
supporting their own religious establishments,
continued to pay for the support of the ma
tional church whatever the law demanded.
Untitled Englishmen in respectable circum-
stances are very liable to be made cowardly
and pusillanimous by the dread of driving upon
themselves the denunciation and scorn of the
aristocracy and in all classes of men who
suffer injustice, there are the timid as well
as the bold, those who fear that agitation
may bring the end of the world, as well as
those who find in it certain pleasure which
makes the duty very welcome.
A just cause boldly supported, always makes
progress and gains friends. In this case the
battle was earnest, and sometimes very severe.
The supporters of the national church were
the foremost people of the kingdom, and they
found it easy to brand these agitating Dissen-
tiers as "disturbers of social order" "incenda-
ries," worse than jacobins." They were
compelled to pay the unjust tax to the utter
most farthing. In many cases they contrived
to avoid payment in such way as provoked
their prosecutors to keep them in Jail for
months, and sometimes for years. AT length
these agitators became great army, and made
their power felt in parliament. Public opinion
underwent change and became more favora-
bic to their demands. Finally, in the famous
"Braintree case" after long struggle, the
matter was taken in hand in the proper quarter,
and change was made. 1t was settled that
the church rates should not be collected in any
parish until authorized by the vote of ma
Jority of the rate payers. This relieved the
DIssenters in most of the large towns, where
they could control the matter. But in
all those parishes where they were in mi.
nority, the unjust taxing went on the same
as ever And the agitation has continued.
In England scarcely any other question has
engaged so much discussion as this and the
result is likely to be a complete abolition of
church rates, to be followed, at length, doubt
less, by complete separation of church and
state One of the leading organs of the Dis
senters gives notice to Churchmen that 1--WE
require the Church of England to be reduced
to what she is, one of the sects." And such
will be the result
The proposition 10 abolish entirely the col
lection of church rates is now under consider
alton in Parliament. On the 18th day of July
1t was the theme of long debate in the House
OF Commons; its opponents denouncing it as
church robbery, and as an incendiary crusade
against the fundamental institutions of the
realm; and its friends urging, among other
things, that the voluntary system would make
the national church more respectable and
successful Lord Palmerston and Lord John
Russell were among those who spoke
IN favor Of the bill, this being the
first time that either of them had taken
ground in behalf of such a measure.
On beginning his speech, Lord Palmer
ston said q think l have never hitherto
drew cheers and laughter from the Opposition
Lord John Russell also stated that hitherto he
had always defended the continuance of church
rates. He still denied that they are unjust
although he thought the church would do bet
ter with the voluntary system. He said az
do not think there is injustice in church rates
lironical cheersl but l cannot conceal from
myself the fact that public opinion has been
entirely favorable to the cause which oppos-
ed" The second reading of the bill was car
ried,-Yeas 263, Nays 1913.
In the course of this debate, those in the
Dissenting interest claimed in the strongest
manner that the Dissenters constitute a great
majority of the English people, -certainly two
thirds; and, in reply, the strongest pretension
in behalf of the church was not bold enough
to claim for it mors than half The claim of
the Dissenters was based on statistics supplied
by the Registrar General. One of the speak
ers, MIR. &. Baines, made, from authentic
documents, the following statement in regard
to church accommodations in England and
Wales :-"In 1901 there were in the churches
SAh"PS'S
Wales 5,l7l,000 seats. In 1851, half century
later, the number was 10,2l2,0O0 [Hear.l o
the increased accommodation thus afforded
$4,000 sittings were provided by Parliament
airy funds and 1885,, 900 from voluntary efforts
or SO per cent of the whole" And he though
very justly that this was an unansw cradle al
gument in behalf of the system of voluntar,
support The English national church is evi
IDENTIFY an obsolete institution. 1t does not ex
list in Scotland and has but few members il
Ireland and if it represents only one third o
the people in England and Wales, it is certain
ly high time to cut it asunder from the Stat,
and transform it into zone of the sects."
We see in the history of this question, a
well as in the history of many other question
that have agitated our cousins across the water
that, in Great Britain, the best way to reform
is not revolution, but faithful and perseverin
appeal to public opinion. They have publ
opinion in that country which rules parliamer
and sovereign; and, by means Of it an III
ceasing progress of reform is realized which
removing one old abuse after another, and wi
ultimately transfer the government ofthe coul
try from the aristocracy to the people.
most countries of Europe, the supreme powe
is in the sovereign, who gives and suppressC
constitutions at his pleasure. In England
il In the parliament which has never hesitate
to suppress the sovereign at the demand {
public opinion A just cause is sure to reac
- hx1 noraovarinu ou;tot;o,s.