Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1868-10-17
1Rzsu EPIsCoPAL CHURCH.
The --latest Proposition TO Sepa-
rate il from the State.


Owing to the Sgitation on the Irish
Church question during the last session
of the English Parliament, royal COM
mission was appointed, whose chisf
object seems to have been to consider and
report how that establishment would be
able to get along after the withdrawal of
the direct support Of the State IN forcing
those of other denominations to con-
tribute to its pecuuiary resources in the
shape OF tithes. Considering the certain
ty that disestablishment must come, and
that right speedily, ths subjsctof inquiry
was one Of considerable interest to the
six or seven hundred thousand Protesants
in Ireland, as well as TO the Queen, to
whom, We believe, the report has already
been presented, and who, 90 a sort OF
Mother of the Church, will naturally
want to feel sure that il is able TO stand
alone before seeing it thrown upon its
own resources. The Liverpool Mercury
of the 23d ultimo commends some Of the
features CT the report, and says:
"For instance, we should think reduc-
ing the number OF their bishops from
twelve to eighth Scotland, we believe,
there ere only three--is decidedly 8
change for the better; and sweeping
away q score of deans and chapters,
and duzsn corporations OF minor can
onries, which can be of no manner OF
use, is better still. Whether the episoO-
pal superintendent OF their ministers In
Dublin district-we beg pardon, diocese
should be styled a bishop or an arch
bishop is a question which concerns no.
body but him or them. If they prefer 8
title OF apostle or arehsngel, we shall not
have the slightest objection. The sais-
ries to be paid to these higher officials of
the Irish Protestant hierarchy will be
thought handsome, when paid cut of the
funds raised by the zeal and bounty of
the Isymen who believed in their spirit
usl authority. But we dare say the Pro-
testsnt noblemen and landed gentry, and
great commercial millionsires like Sir
Benjamin Guinness, know how much
they can afford to pay; and If they like
to remunerate an archbishop OF their sect
at the rate Of G5000 or 10000 per aDnum,
and to bestOw the petty stipend of e3, 600
per annum upon a simple bishop, We
shall only admire their spirit, and con-
gFatulate the reverend gentlemen EN-
p!oyed on such high terms. They will
likewise do as they please about the ap.
pointment of eight deans, at $1,000 a
year each, to take care Of the cathedrsls
for the eight bishops. The whole scheme,
presunning that they will find means to
carry it out-which will be their business
and not ours-has an air OF solid mag
nificence and compact fulness of proper
ton which will do the utmost credit to
its architects and builders. The inferior
parts OF the edifice are to be reformed,
as well as the preiscies and deaneries
to which we have referred the num-
ber of arehdescons is to be reduced
by one-third, and their pay, which is
mere fee for extra services, the arch
deacon being always a holder of
some rich benefice, will be fixed at el00
year. The parish ministers are to be
withdrawn where no congregations ex-
lets; and those elergymen who have
less than one hundred souls in their
cures will have to submit to certain de-
ductions from their incomes, il these are
more than G300 O year. The first pro-
posal is made on the familiar principle
of not keeping a cat that catches no
mice; and ths second is like unto it, be-
ing sliding scale of income tax In an
in verse ratio to the decreasing amount
of employment, with an effect similar to
that experienced by dissenting minis
ter, or the clergyman Of an unendowed
chapel supported by pew rents, from any
diminution of their flocks. There is no
obvious fault to be found with these
methods Of correcting the abuse Of sine
cure benefcss in the Irish Protestant
Church, though, il 1t were to be done by
public legislation, we should have ad-
vised much bolder and more vigorous
way of dealing with them. But we
mean to take the entire plan OF church !
as measure to be laid be-
fore future convention Of Protestant |
clergy and laity in ireland, for their free |
and adoption, with dis
tinct understanding that the State has |
nothing to do with it."
The last sentence contains the true
doctrine. The Mercury suggests that !
the Queen may hereafter be elected pa
troness of q voluntary religious associa-
tion calling itself the Episcopal Church |
of Irish Protestants, and says she may
choose in her individual capacity to IN
dertake that office without doing any |
prejudice to her ecclesiastical supremacy |
by law, in England. The article con-
cludes as follows,
No great harm will then be done II the |
Irish free church in question should have |
been remodelled in the meantime, by the |
free agency OF its voluntary supporters, |
upon the scheme propounded by the |
royal commission, so far as we have yet |
proceeded in our anaiysis OF that scheme |
The revenues, indeed, as was before OBJ |
served, will have to come from q differ 1
ent source; the 1.-THE rent-charge e564
900, II not portion also of the s204 600 !
received from landed property, will have |
been restored to the Irish nation, whose |
money this was, and IL, and shall be. |
The seats in Parliament, moreover, will |
no longer be kept for the Irish bishops; !
but whether their salaries ought to be re- |
ducef on that account we must leave |
their paymastegs TO decide. The royal /
commissioners, however, have made an |
excellent report. 1t may now be read |
and laid aside till 1t Is wanted. Parlis- /
ment does not want 1t at all. Dlsestab-
lishment and disendowment are the /
business OF the day. Afterward, let the |
dead bury their dead, and the living |
take care of that which has life In it."
That the Anglican Church in Ireland
will be able to maintain itself after the |
loss of~its revenue OF over 50 500, 900
through the voluntary contributions of /
IFS own members we have no doubt. II |
this loss shall result Ia cutting down
some OF the fat salaries mentioned above
below the figure set by the commission,
no one will suffer by the fact save the re-
elpients. The cause OF pure and unde-
fled religionp would more likely be q |
great gamer thereby. At all events, IL |
the established Church cannot subsist |
upon the voluntary contributions of its |
own membership, It ought to give place |
~ aav., q othoF oroapg flor, fba aar IL ao I