New-York tribune., 1868-09-10
THE POLITICAL ATTITUDE OF THE CLERGI
LITTER FROM GOODWIN SMITH.

In letter to The Manchester Examiner,
Goodwin Smith says:
"The abolition OF the Irish Establishment is not merely
measure Of policy essential 10 the peace and safety Of
the empire; IL is an act OF morality winch has long been
demanded by the moral sense of the whole civilized
WOrlQ. 1et, at the coming eecuohs' IL VIII De Vche.
mently and almost unanimously opposed by a body OF
who are maintained collectively the standard Of
national morality and the special organ Of the moral life
Of the nation. The world will do justice spite OF the
resistance and dcnunciaOns OF the Church. II the times
OF Sachevere and BogbrOke do not return II we have
another brutal and prosecuting reaction supported
by clerical fanatcsm in alliance with an ignorant mob
and welded by ndels and political slrpers for the pur
poses OF their own ambition IL Will be because that
which is called the spiritual power IN the community
has great measure, lost its hold the minds of
the people. The rest OF the body, earthly though II be-
too clearly 70 be mised by the darkness OF the eye
Neither want Of humanity political seryty. any
Other motive implying personal inerorty need be i'm
puted 10 the clergy when they oppose political reforms
iht rulng motive IN their case il the same the
Of the arstOcracy. IL Is the tmorOus instinct OF prly
legged order, which shrlnks from any progress, when as
ns and so far as IL dAres ressts any change because
all progress and all change ultimately threaten the con
tnuance OF privilege. Tho clergy OF the Established
Church are the authorized aud endowed priests of faith
which belongs the past Of faith which has been nm
dermincd. and Is always IA danger OF being completely
swept away by the unceasing current OF religious
thought damned up by Tudor ormuares IN vain. II II
impossible that they shall not shrink from TIE future ana
cling everything 70 the past OF which they and their
doctrines part Thus We have great reactOnary
endowed not only with wealth. but with political
its nOxious power Every reaconay force, Of course,
calls forth corresponding amount OF revolutionary
feres with the deliberate aud TRANQUIL progress
which II Is the object aud the test OF states
manship 10 secure. The VIII become worse as
religious thought advances In its inevitable and
the asceudancy OF the Established Church over the ~
ect OF the nation becomes more endangered .e
increase OF the danger W stiInnstS he cleIgy 70
effort ON the reaction 1t VIII be aggravated also
py tie growth OF doubt within the Church ITSELF which
deters the higher inteects from the clerical profession
! with Of lower mental CallDcr. incapable
OF exercising moral influence, and therefore more tenn
cious Of corporate power. Such is the political aspect Of
the question. And what will be the effect upon religion
f alliance between the Church and political injustice
IN an age when the conviction Is rapidly gaining ground
that dOCmas and ceremonies are not religion ""d tat
the service of man IS the Of GOdt h~ oe
add ~ fdiiug more under scleniHc
Influence Will DC the effect upon religion OF such scenes
oxford witnessed tie other day When the bishop pi
doctrine 20 enOuucc the discoveries Of scenchat
is the last revelations OF the CcatOr Men within th6
Establishment a. well without Clergy well a. lay,
are beginning mediate these things. The primary
object 0 the Established Church is gone, since 10 can no
longer pretend be, its founders imagined That II
was tie sole and exclusive organ OF religious truth