The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1875-02-19
JOHN BRIGHT.
THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND OUT OF HARMONY WITH
THE TIME-HALF THE LIvINGs CT THE
CHURCH PRIVATE PROPERTY.

Inc recent speech of John Bright on th
O. Church Of England is one Of the events Of th
a. day, and is exciting great attention abroad, a
it doubtless will in this country. We preseu
these salient extracts:
= = The Public Worship bill of last session is
- trlfie; 1t makes no alteration in law; it simpl
y provides new court, to which parishioner
. from all parishes in England may 60 and la,
- complaints against the minister But it doe
. not lay down the law; it leaves that to th,
a Judge who may be appointed, and it can dea
- only with vestments and millinery. TA
=, laugh. They cannot touch the sermons
u They may deal with the question Of the liph,
that comes from the candles, but they canno,
J, deal with the question Of the light which
;, comes from the earnestness and power and
! godlke sincerity of the man who breaches
Then we are brought face to face with this
: great fact, which is-and | wish YOU to con-
slider this-that the State Church, as we have
1t now. is not and cannot be in harmony with
the age [Cheers. l should like to ask you
what there is that was established in the
reign of Queen Elizabeth that is in harmony
with the reign Of Queen Victoria Applause. !
Why, the difference between the two Queens
is enormous and cannot be exaggerated. The
arblt airy dOings, the absolute power and the
insulting assertion of it, in the reign of Qaeen
Elizabeth cannot be in harmony with the
moderation, the justice the kindness and the
sympathy which you have in the Queen of our
own day. [Cheers.l
| 1 will not complain, though might COM
plaln-and it is strong argument in the case
that wherever you find the Church of En-
gland powerful, there you find the opposition
to any legislative or administrative reform
most powerful. Hear, hear.] We have re-
celved no service from the Church Of En-
gland as body. There have been occasional.
and remarkable, and admirable exceptions,
but as a body we have received no service on
all the great measures of change and improve
ment which have SO blessed this country
during the last half century Hear, hear |
You find at one end Of it that its payments,
Its salaries, are excessive and enormous; you
find at the other end Of it that they are scanty
and inadequate, and altogether disgrace to
great national institution. [Applause
You ind further that, contrary to what exists |
IN any other government department, there is |
no such thing known in it as promotion by |
merit. [Hear, hear.
Promotion in the Church is promotion
through interest and through importantly.
l"No," Eyes" and cheers. A friend of
mine not long ago-[Continued cries of .sNo"
and eyes. ! Understand me, l am only now
speaking the voice of thousands Of curates.
Hear, hear. | am not making claim on
behalf ct NOncomformists-the Methodist
minister does not trouble himself about that
am only speaking with voice which will
find an answer tomorrow in the hearts of
thousands of curates. Cheers But, fur
ther, need not tell you what l presume all
OF you must know, that half of the livings of
the Church of England are private property,
and may be and are often bought and sold in
the open or the secret market. IShame
We sell cotton on the Exchange at LIVERPOOL
You sell metals on the Exchange at Birming
ham, but all over the country there is going q
on from day to day traffic in the most sa,
cred and the most solemn Office in the Church
Of England Applause And further, the
clergy-and | think this will be found the
great difficulty-.he clergy themselves, when
appointed, are freeholders and immovable. F
Mess there be some great scandal there is
scarcely any neglect or any betrayal of duty
which either the law or the CONGREGATION can
ouch. ~
do not recommend this meeting or apy
constituency that they should pledge their
to vote for the abolition Of the Es- A
Church. | do not in the least de-
,ree recommend or approve that any BODY of :
nen who complain that party Or party lead
r IS chosen who has not formed the same
plnlon that have upon this question. This
question which has not come near that
'olnt yet 1t is one OF the gravest questions NJ
Which people has ever had to consider. tt
far more important, and far more difficult,
han the question of the extension of the suf- CT
rage or OF the redistribution Of seats Hear,
ear. 1t IS question that goes down deep
nto the hearts Of hundreds Of thousands of
God men and women in this country, and
on can not by wrench make great dis
lrbance OF this kind. What you have to do
to discuss it like intelligent and Christian =
zen, with fairness to its ministers, with the
Die object of doing what you believe to be
md <o
hlch the country processes [Applause.
Now, sir, in conclusion, say, am not ask
g you or your constituents, or any party or {
cton OF party to plunge into violent cor
1tatlon for the overthrow Of the Established
lurch Of England. l think it would be a
eat calamity indeed that great change like
at should come of violent hatred and dis
ssion, and that it should be ACCOMPLISHED ]
tempest which is almost like the turmoil he'
a great revolution. ask you only to con- sI,
Ter it, and l appeal not only to you who NAV AL AL
NoncoiiorIhists, OUT appeal to those who fav
care aboutit, who do care, as they say they vii
about Professionalism and religion. 1t -
Tor me to join in any crusade against
} Church. l have offered to YOU tonight
: humble contribution to the discussion of
question of our time Ts'Oh!"1 IfIam
g to form any just judgment upon it, l
'uid say that will be great day for freedom
tulo CouHtIy, anu LOT IrOteStantlSm and
which shall witness the full en-
nchisement of the Church within the realm
England. Loud cheers
'ut | have said nothing, and it is not my
entlon to say more than one sentence in
ard to fact which startled and panied
ny throughout the kingdom during the last
or three weeks. refer to the abandon
at Of Mr. Gladstone of the leadership of
Liberal party. Applause ] Those who
g seen him for many, many years in the
use of Commons as l have-they who have
with him and seen him in the councils of
Cabinet-they only are able justly to esti-
e the magnitude of the loss which the
use OF Commons and the country have sus-
ed by his Withdrawal. [Appiause l will T
nothing in answer to ungenerous things
have been said and done OF this l am
aware, that Mr.. Gladstone, like an old :
noble Roman, can be content with deserv- :
the praises of his country, even though
g OF his countrymen should deny them to