The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1867-02-13
Merle D'Aubigne on Lay Delegation.

Rev. DR.. D'Aubigne has addressed a
communication to the London Times, on
the Church of England, which appeared
in that paper of January 10th. The
special object of the letter is to point
out the Importance of a reconstruction
of the Church of England, subject in
which all the Protestant denominations
feel deep interest. He says:
Gone of the requirements of the pre-
sent epoch is the acquisition by the laity
of their legitimate influence in the Church.
Up to the present the laity have been
looked upon as in state of minority !;
the day of their majority has arrived. The
Christian laymen of England who have
the faith of the Church ought themselves,
or by their representatives, to acquire an
influence to which they have not yet at
tanned. In the Middle Ages the govern
ment of the Church belonged exclusively
to the clergy; since the Reformation it
has been in the hands of the Crown
Such an exclusive system does not suit
our time. The supreme direction of the
Church should, after God, reside in the
hands of the most intelligent, the most
pious, the wisest of the prelates, clergy,
and laymen of the Church of England.
An assembly of such men, all protesting
the faith of the Church as embodied in
the Articles, supported by public opin-
ion, would remove with steady hand
the evils which now menace the Church,
and would give it renewed vitality. The
bishops, supported and encouraged by
this body, and in conjunction with it,
would be enabled to act without the ex-
pense and delay of continual litigation.
The liberal principles which constitute
much of the prosperity of the English
nation should be imprinted on her Church,
and, like the rays of the sun, they would
dispel the unhealthy mists of the Middle
Ages. These principles are handed
down to US from primitive times. The
first decree issued by the first Assembly
in the Apostolic age began with these
words: 'The Apostles, elders, and breth-
rem Acts Is: 23) The latter word
proves that in these early times the CHS
tan laity had their share in the direc-
ton of the Church. More than twenty
years ago an eloquent dignitary of your
Church, now bishop, said to me: TO
wish for Church government in our
day without the Intervention of its men,
bers, is to wish for Church without in
huence and without greatness. y"
The present Convocation of the Eng
lish Church, D'Aubigne regards as an
old house (which ought to be pulled
down, to make way for building fit to
shelter the principles and the liberties of
the Reformed Church in England. =
D'Aubigne makes this proposition:
"An assembly regularly and legally
constituted-an Upper House, in which
would sit the bishops and lay representa-
tives of parishes or unions of parishes;
and executive council to carry out the
decisions of these two Houses-such an
organization would, IN my opinion, salts
fly the most pressing wants of the Church,
and give renewed impulse to its &C
tivity. The deliberations of Parliament
bring to light many abuses and solve
many difficulties. In like manner the
discussions of such an assembly, in which
Christian Protestant principles would be
brought forward, would do much to form
public opinion, and decide the difficult
questions of the day"
If these suggestions were to be adopt
ed, a legitimate field, in the opinion of
D'Aubigne, would be provided for the
laity. He states his reasons for belieY-
ing that such reconstruction would not
be contrary to the spirit and the history
OF the English, and would therefore be
entirely practicable.-Methodist