Wilmington daily gazette., 1874-02-23
From the Westminster Review, for January,
The Disestabiishmenta "a I and DlsendO " me I
Ofihe Church of England

". We can afford to give a few illusira-
tons only of the fact thar the Church as an
L Establishment is hurtful to the religious and
political interests OF the community.
() The right of patronage being private
property, is of course saleable; hence the scan
dalous spectacle weekly and daily presented
by the advertisements of livings for sale speci-
| flying the age of the incumbent, the size OF the
house, the society, the hounds, and the fishing
| in the neighborhood, the slightness OF the duty
and the non-eX5'ence of dissent. "lS the
Church" asked Bishop KIN; a hundred and
| ffty years ago, grown 50 contemplate that
| it may be bought and sold for money? Is pre-
| ferment prize for the richest, not the worth
iest?" The answer which must be given to
both these questions is simply Yes. Mr..
Cox, and also the author of The Cure of Souls
by Y PurchaSe' TO whose publications We have
before referred, show that at the beginning of
1873 cne-tenth of the entire livings in the
Church were in the market for sale or barter,
which suggests this calculation, IF one tenth
is in the market in one month how long will
it take to turn over the entire Church," This
traffic in the cure Of souls is said by theBishoI
of Exeter to be "iucreasing from day to day
, No doubt he had in his mind the notorious
: Falmouth case Falmouth Is rectory en-
dowed with house tax levied by special ac
!; of Parliament and producing yearly abou
1900. The adyowson was the private propert!
OF a former incumbent, who had Invested in il
!, the whole of his fortune. on his death ii be
came necessary for his family to sell the liv
ing in order 10 regain their property but
: being vacant, il could not be sold. A gentle
f man, aged between seventy and eighty, wa
a ihereforekpresented,I ! and theiadyowson wit
= the right OF next presentation and the hope c
its early enjoyment, found purchaser. Age
and the PROBABILITY of early death, not reliP
r. ious or intellectual fitness, were the quaiihca
II tions required in this ease Tor pastor {
e souls Lately the adYowson of the rector
of Liverpool was sold 10 the representatiy'
of the rituallstic party who bought 1t in ord
that the follies and yagareS of their Dastal
: Romani5m may be introduced into that ultr
-indeed-Orange- community.
= is amusing to READ the following comments
one of the local Tory papers on the transat
ion; they equally apply 10 the Famou
case -
a matter OF 10000. was the one single co
ditiou essential TO the bargain. 1t was
lquestiou of decency or competency; the pl
Il, prety of barbarating spiritual charge OF t
parishoners affected BY the change, form
raj no element in the conduct. 1t was siml
O., matter of hard bargaining as thoroughly
matter of barter as it tue transaction relat
to the good will of gin palace, or the p
chase Of dock ofsheep- not the metapoor
but the edible sheep, The rectory oil Law
g, pool has changed owners, and there 5 an g
on T. But did 1t occur to the ecleslasti
hucksters what they were buying and selllI
Nominally it is the adyowson of the parish
Liverpool; literally it is the spiritual charge
- multitude of men. By sheer power OF MOI
Err n stranger who has never spent four 9
twenty hours in the toWa, has acquired
e highest ecclesiastical office IN Liverpool h
" the arbiter of the religious teaching OF a.
ter of a million of people; the superior
over hundred district ncumbents,and the
IN mediate ruler of the two principal churches
ii the town.
These are noteworthy admissions from
nft ha whose
,n1J state" and whose obiect-it they have OF
This IL 10 uphold "our glorious Constitution
: ut Church and state" Well may the Blsho
va Exeter characterize such transactions
eo,e eors "schocking to the religious sentiment,
and "derocalory to the Church of Christ.
commend alike to the Tory Journalist and
X. Liberal Bishop the fact that 1t is by discs
= lshment aud diSeDdowment alone that !
, Church can be purified from these evils.
there is proof of the injury to the religion
terests of the community produced by IN
tablishment of the Church.
(b) A greater PROOF is to be found in II
terDal divisions. The existence within
processes TO be one and the same Churt
| the Romanist, the Calvinis., and the nitf
parties-to give them the names which
accurately describe them would be schoe
to The religious sentiment of the country,
il not deadened by being accustomed TO
Inc a state of things. 1t is perfectly well kI
to all who do not from inattention or int
ed motives blind themselves to the fact
l it TO the only bond or UNION between tueSe
3 be- ING parties Is that of the rank, wealth, ,
privilege which the establishment OF
Church secures TO them.
Referring to the contradictory theo
preached of late in Oxford University p
rs. the Church Regie,o says
What is the inevitable tendency OF So
irreconcible farrago of teaching from the
!, pulpit, to most or any of the same heare
either to confuse the intellect and blum
moral sense, or to sow the seeds of inf
Satur- or to stir up strife and minister que
,shaw. \. :, ad;fyipo or fo tp