The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1870-07-31


Wealth Of English BisAeps.
We get the following details respecting
the wealth Of English Bishops from letter
of the New York Worlds correspondent, of
q recent date. We need hardly state that
the property and incomes referred to were
originally Catholic, and that when Catholic
incumbents filed the sees named, that pro-
perty and income were expended in q way
to gtorify God in aiding the poor:
Every. little while something occurs to
stapce, the will of the late Bishop of Bath
and Wells was proved the other day in the
London court. There are million of pe0-
pie in England to-day who are famishiDg
for the bread Of life as well as for the bread
that is made of wheat; and here is the last
testament of one of their Shepherds
swore that "by the help of God " he would
Z" be mercifui for Christs saks'' to poor and
needy people, and to all strangers destitute
of help; and that he would Fdeny all un-
godliness and worldly lust" Well, the
will of this apostle to the Gentiles was
proved the other day by his son, the Right
real estate the will disposed of money and
personal property to the amount of e 12O, 600
or $500, 600. How did the late Bishop
amass this wealth. He had been placed,
by virtue of his Office, in possession of
lands, or the income of lands, that origin
ally belonged to the poor, and the income
of which was designed to be appropriated
for the continual relief Of the poor. He
had been 80 mindful of his vow to be mer-
ciful for Christ's sake to poor and necdful
people, and to deny all worldly lusts, that
when he came to die he found that be had
saved np Slso, ooo q tae money that be-
had spent in Providing for fhoee poor and
needy people who were his sons and daugh-
tiers and his sons-in-law and daughters-in-
law. How did he dispose of this wealth
Did he give it back to the poor in any way
did he bestow it upon hospitals or re-
fuges, or even leave it for the building of
churches7 Not so had he learned Christ
To his dearly beloved wife he leaves $1,000;
his carriages, books, and such portions of
his plate as she may select life interest
in EGO, 900, and the choice for her life of
Zone Of his London residences-2 Grosve-
nor-Crescent, Belgrave square, or 13 Queen
square, Westminster;" he gives s1OO to il
butler; he leaves his daughters his Ea. t
India Railway stock; and the residue of his
property he leaves to his eldest soE. Not
one copper to any religious or charitable
institution; not a penny to the poor who
money. The will of another dead bishop
the Right Rev. Ashhurst Turner Gilbert,
Lord Bishop of Chichester-was also proved
the other day. He had been merciful for
Christ's sake to poor and needy people to
such an extent that he had only El2, 900 in
estate worth half million. He leaves his
children 4l0 each, and then gives to that
particular set of Christ's poor-his eldest
son Robert, his younger son Thomas, and
his daughter Sarah Jane = his plate,
his houses, his lands and his money.
Is it wonder that church with such
bishops rs these-bishops who get rich out
of money that belongs to the poor of the
Hation-feels uneacy in its mind7 A few
days ago the new Bishop of Bath and Wells,
who succeeded to the poor fellow who died
with fl20,000 of the money of the poor in
his Golfers, delivered visitation charge to
the clergy of his diocese. "The present"
SAID he, " is a time of much anxiety for the
church. The doctrine and discipline of the
Anglican Church of the Reformation has
| never been in such imminent peril since the
Church of England threw off the yoke of
Popery in the sixteenth century. Two dis
| tinct influences were in unwonted vigOr
| amongst us. One was sceptical and ma
terialistic spirit; the other credulous and
superstitious spirit, reveling in the super
natural and the mysterious. The former
matured into atheism the latter, at its full
| height, was uitramontane Popefy."
"The church will probably break up. One
portion will fall into Rome, another into
infidelity; some into manifold forms OF
fanaticism or fantastic theories, and only q
remnant will hold fast to the truth" On
the whole, this is about the most startling
| thing that has been said about the Church
of England, by one of its own pillars, fol
many day. This church claims to be the
true church Of Christ, with which he pro
missed to remain unto the end Of TIE world
If it be the true church it cannot go t.
pieces, as the Bishop says it will, unless
the hand of God is 90 shortened that He
cannot keep His promise if His hand il
not SO shortened, and He keeps His pro-
mise, and if, in spite of this, this church
does go to pieces beneath the attacks o.
superstition and atheism, then this cannot
be the church to which the promise wa
given. This is the dilemma to which the
prophecy of the Bishop of Bath and Welli
leads one; but in these deep waters d.
not care to swim, and so hasten back Il
dry land.