The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1871-05-04

principle has repeatedly, and as we should
think habitually. ''fettered the freedom OF
the various voluntary churches. Is the ocotcn
minister 80 free in the Free Kirk as IN the
Established Kirk Pin the Kirk OF DIR. Begg
as in that Of Dr. MacLeod2 and to speak oil
what is of more Importance, the freedom oil
the laity-how many voluntary churcnes are
there, besides the Unitarian, ii which the
lAyman who wishes to take part in the symbol
of Communion with Christ is absolutely enti-
tied to do so without being questioned or
harassed as to the exact state of his theologt-
cal tenets? Certainly nothing is more plau-
sible than to maintain that it is not the State,
butV oluntaryism which has fettered freedom.
As regards the destruction of ''dlsclpllne, we
may perhaps admit, If we rightly understand it,
Mr.. Richards case; but then we regard what
he probably means by ecclesiastical ''disci-
pline" as at the present day a name for what
is almost purely mischievous- attempt at a
rude and superficial inquisition into the sins
which offend the social feeling of the moment,
q process certain to end in Pharisaic judg-
ments, false estimates, aud a morality fash
ioned to earn the praise of men. That Vol
untaryism has impaired the purity" of the
religious principles subjected to its influence
is of course, one Of the commonest and most
plausible of assertions. When preaching is
bound to be popular, it is not very likely
w AhoADS Oh uhPOHuAuA OAOLnSlOSs LO 10
said, for instance, that the great
Church of authority, in which obedience is of
the essence of faith, cannot help so far dero-
eating from the principle of authority in Ire
land, where it is a voluntary Church, that its
ministers give but faint encouragement and
often half lf-support, to the Fenian patriots.
Is it possible to conceive greater impairing
Of the purity of faith than this Then, as
to the 'secularization of the spirit" of the
Church-which in one sense we do not admit
to be an evil, but good, though in another
sense it means, of course, the simple destruc-
tion of the very life of the Church--where
have the very earthiest of all forms of reli-
gion usually been preached, among voluntary
or established churches Was it n Church
man or Qissenter who taught us "How to
make the best of both worlds ?" There are,
of course, a vast number of voluntaryist
writers and preachers of the highest
spirit; but Church for Church, it would
certainly be very hard to show
that there is not more frequently the tone of
secular life, Of a self-interssted morality of q
materialized and contracted theology, of a
business view of the souls prospects, among
the voluntary sects than among the Estab-
lished Churches. 1t is hard to Judge the real
effect of the system when the advantages of
education have been SO much on one side, but
assuredly pTS-~d tdcSe the case of the Dis
senters would rest chiefly on the worldly
character of the Anglican Bishops, not on
that of the majority of the clergy or laity and
on all other sides of the case they would pro-
badly themselves admit that they have very
little to show for their assertion, while the
| Churchman might show q good deal in favor
of his belief that Voluntarylsm secularizes re-
| ligion much more than an Establishment. AS
| for the relative efficiency" of voluntary
and established Churches, that depends on
the standard by which you judge efficiency.
If you take the stirringuess of the sermon,
the amount of popular movement, as your
standard, it must be granted at once. If you
go by the amount of faithful and often very
ploddjng spiritual and moral work got ont OF
the two systems, we should think the advan.
tage lay with the establishments. And as fol-
the disuniting effects of an establishment
the charge reads almost grotesque. What do
the various distinct sects outside the Church
know of each other, to be compared with thG
mutual knowledge of the various distinct
schools inside the Church? Is it not precisely
the breadth and equity of the Stste-rale
which enables men SO widely apart in opinioE
tomeet 50 frequentlyo common ground where
they can learn TO admire aud appreciate
each other? The apparent disunion of th'
National Church is the mere index of its ia
larger union. The sects know too little o
each other even to discuss and dispute; anC
yet it is by the discussions within th
Church-the proofs that different mind
study each other and estimate their differ
ences, that the Voluntaryists are encouraged
to affirm that an Establishment produce
''discord, bitterness, and social alienation"
Certainly, judged of on the true ground, a
question of national policy, Mr.. Mall AM
Mr.. Richard will have hard work in their cru
sade. If they succeed, it will be by the hel
of the skepticS and the pure destructiVes O
whom there must be many in the workin
class; and through that tendency to blenc
before cries supposed to be popular, which
more and more eating the heart out of polit
cal discussion.